Hello again! Sorry for the delay. The fact is that it's been a decisive chapter, since many tiny reveals have been placed here, which will give rise to the next events! For that reason, it is a long chapter. I hope you will like it as much as I have loved to write it.
I do not own Merlin.
On her horse, Morgana could watch as hundreds of trees passed fleetingly a few inches next to her, not being able to believe that the horse did not collide. No doubt it was galloping alone, for it ignored Morgana's movements and indications. It seemed as if it was enchanted.
Right after thinking that strangely everything seemed very quiet in the forest, she heard in the distance a projectile approaching unusually fast; and before she could turn her head to see where among the trees that whistle came from, she noticed how what sounded hit strongly on the left side of the poor horse, causing it to fall crashing to the ground due to speed and Morgana with it.
Morgana luckily fell into a dense thicket that cushioned her from the serious fall. However, the animal did not have the same luck. It had been violently impaled by what looked like a large flaming spear, which allowed her to observe in detail the horror that had been provoked in the defenseless creature.
Rising from the place where she had fallen, not without some superficial damage, Morgana instantly obtained a strange feeling that she was going to be attacked shortly. Her instinct did not fail, and it was in this way that Morgana managed to successfully dodge and with great feat another projectile, this time smaller, similar to an arrow, also of fire, which impacted with a dull blow on the trunk on which she had leaned seconds before.
Morgana looked up into the darkness of the forest in fear, not knowing what it was that seemed to attack her. And it was that very uncertainty that horrified her greatly. That unpredictability that prevented her from defending herself, that feeling of being attacked at any moment and not being able to do anything about it. Impotence was what she felt at that moment, and did not like it at all.
But it was the third missed shot when Morgana glimpsed them among the trees, far from where she was, but approaching quickly. It was faint glows of red light that were approaching. And it was upon hearing one of his laughter and roars that she noticed how her body became tense like a log. She grasped her sword firmly, not confidently but fearfully. She didn't know what she was up against.
She hid when she saw the fourth projectile coming towards her, which ended up in a place far away in the forest. She took a deep breath and waited behind a small promontory among the roots of a large tree. Heavy footsteps could be heard alongside the evil laughter and roars closer and closer until Morgana knew she had them a few inches away.
"We know where you are, my dear. Don't hide. There is nothing to fear." roared a voice that could well be that of a bear. Morgana's hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she heard his voice along with the laughter he let out at the end of his words. What did they want from her?
A moment of silence loomed before her, expectantly. The only thing she could hear was the stealthy footsteps of someone next to her and a noise of chains and roars.
"I hope you don't mind being visited by some loving friends," said that voice again with blood-curdling laughter. "You'll see how well you'll get along with them. Unleash them."
The sound of chains gave way to vehement roars approaching where she was. As much as she tried to flee, she was captured by beings of ash and fire who chained her and took her in front of that deep-voiced being. He was a humanoid creature formed by what looked like volcanic rock covered by ash, in whose cracks expanded like the tentacles of a squid small flames of fire that gave them that impetuous character. Morgana observed, even though he had a humanoid form, he did not quite resemble a human being. He had four arms, two of them in the form of claws under which it could be glimpsed what looked like wings. He was hunched over, with his feet out, and no eyes in plain sight. On his face only the silhouette of a huge mouth was perceived in which he always outlined a wide smile, highlighted by his numerous fangs of several rows that reached his throat. A long, ethereal cloak plied his back, which seemed not to be something tangible but rather a mere shadow darker than the night itself.
"Wow, wow, look at what we have here," growled that monster. "Morgana le Fay herself."
Morgana didn't know how she was recognized. But it was not that which worried her most, but the fact of having given her a kind of nickname after her real name: "Le Fay", the fairy. She had never been named like that. In any case, that meant that those beings knew of their magic, which was not something that delighted her at all.
"Maybe you could help us, witch," he continued speaking with a big smile on his face.
As soon as he said that, a kind of round mirror was removed from his cloak in whose golden and gleaming frame was inscribed an ancestral writing that Morgana could not identify. The creature handed it to her still smiling. Morgana took it with fear, not trusting one bit of what that creature gave her, even less when it was apparently a magical object whose use she did not know. However, she had no choice but to do what she was asked.
"Do you recognize it?" asked the creature.
Morgana shook her head weakly, unable to generate any kind of voice due to fear.
"And you don't see anything in it that is meaningful to you? It is said that you are the most powerful seer in the world. I'm sure you can see something."
Morgana was about to shake her head, determinedly ignoring what she had just said about her clairvoyant abilities, unable to believe how they knew so much about her, when she suddenly watched her reflected eyes turn into a dark reddish colour. Slowly, the corners of her reflection's mouth outlined a big smile, almost malevolent, too exaggerated to be real. However, she was terrified to realize that she was not smiling.
In a cry of horror, Morgana dropped that object on the ground. She put her arms on her head, hoping that it was just a nightmare, and that at any moment she would wake up again. Contrary to what she had thought, the being in front of her did not get angry; in fact, he barely flinched. He patiently picked up the object and returned it to her again.
"Okay, I see you're not very used to magic yet. Try again."
Morgana timidly raised her head towards the creature in front of her and, confused, tried to ask everything she did not understand. However, the state of shock in which she found herself prevented it. Therefore, she prepared to look in the mirror again.
This time, in addition to the look and smile, she watched as her face became darker, as a mist of darkness flooded all around it.
It was then that her reflex began to speak in a deep, gravelly voice. Hearing that voice, all the creatures present there seemed to become extremely alert, whispering and murmuring among themselves anxiously, listening to what apparently their lives depended on.
"Behold the Secret of Knowledge: believe me when I tell you that the secret in finding the Key lies not in old age or antiquity. It is not in experience that you will find It, but in the fruit of birth, in the flowering of..."
The message was interrupted by a mysterious voice. Everyone turned to find someone hooded among the trees.
"Be careful what you hear, Sons of Sigan!" cried the hooded man.
"Is it a threat?! At least unveil your face so we can understand the reason for your inopportune intrusion!" roared the leader who had spoken to Morgana.
Morgana drowned out a shriek of surprise as she looked at Merlin's face as he pulled down his hood. A look of great power and determination pierced his fierce gaze. Apparently, she was not the only one surprised. The rest of the creatures were stunned by what they saw, which Morgana did not understand. Didn't they just see a seemingly harmless boy? Or did they see something else?
"I won't warn you anymore! Run away and give me that magic object, and there will be no death!"
Morgana couldn't believe the confidence that Merlin seemed to show. How was it possible, when he was merely a servant? Thinking that, Morgana remembered what Merlin told her last night: this is how he is conceived, as a mere servant, and at the moment when he presents a quality that does not seem to coincide with that conception, he is not considered the same person. Maybe he was right. But the fact was that Morgana no longer conceived of Merlin as a mere servant. No, not anymore. Merlin was much more than that, and Morgana knew it. Another dilemma was what he was apart from the servant he appeared to be. That was the main problem.
"Who are you to give us orders, you dirty LeohtbÓ•re?!" the fire creature screamed in anger, reaching for his fire scimitar.
"Don't say I haven't warned you," Merlin replied calmly, as if it were all just a game and he was not in danger of death at all.
Right before the dozen creatures were about to pounce on him with their weapons, roars were heard above the trees, and two seconds later, several Wyverns emerged from the treetops with the intention of spitting fire where they were.
Morgana panicked and tried to break her bonds. However, she barely started trying to free herself when the silhouette of a hooded Merlin appeared behind her with a knife to cut the ropes that held her.
"We must go, Milady," said Merlin, absolutely calm, apparently not at all frightened by what was happening. She wasn't going to deny that it was that serenity of him which completely hit in her heart, hinting at how attractive her friend was becoming at that moment. "This site is no longer secure. Let's go!"
Once released, Morgana ran past Merlin, who had taken her by the hand, into the dark forest, while cries of suffering and pain were heard behind them. Morgana turned her head to where she had been a few moments ago, and was horrified to see the scenery. That place no longer looked like a forest, but a clearing of fire, where ashen figures shrieked in terror with huge fire flames all over their body.
They reached Merlin's horse and galloped fleetingly towards Ealdor. Finally. Arthur and Gwen would be waiting for them worried, Morgana thought.
Despite the relief Morgana felt due to their successful escape, a needle of doubt embedded itself in her heart. Well, she knew that Merlin was the cause of what has just happened. How was that possible? What has he exactly done and how? That was the problem: she didn't know.
The only thing she was sure of was that Merlin had been the hero in that adventure.
Once again.
I hope you have liked it! I look forward to reading your opinions, so please it will be great if you review! :)
See you next time.
LegolasHV
