Chapter 51
The Sound of Death
Arthur threw himself into battle like the beast he used to hunt. He felt more than seeing Gawain keeping time with him, sticking to his side as best he could in a battle as fierce as this. Percival had taken off on his own, Gods only knew where, and Arthur could hardly worry about the man. The gentle giant had a temper and a tendency to wonder.
There was a low ominous rumble that grew in volume until it was an avalanche of sound. The noise made the fight slow to a pause, each warrior searching for where it came from. Arthur looked up at the wall, and one by one the others followed his gaze. The king paled, as did the surrounding knights once they realized what that meant. Arthur's stomach dipped and fear like no other consumed him in momentary blinding panic.
Morgana's army cheered and hollered. Their shouts could be heard clearly above the destruction of the wall. "Emrys! Emrys! Emrys!"
Arthur watched in horror as the walls of Camelot came crumbling down stone by beautiful stone. No, Arthur thought in untold anguish. Once the dust settled he saw the true destruction, the wall had indeed fallen down. The sight was devastating. Knights were crushed under the large stone that scattered the already bloody battlefield. Some men weren't lucky enough to have been killed on impact and screamed in fear and agony as they writhed beneath large stones desperate to be free but knowing they were dead already.
It oddly enough reminded Arthur of worms writhing on the end of a fisherman's hook. The thought made him even more nauseous. No one seemed able to move. The knights froze as the reality of what this meant set in. They were losing. Soon the men crushed under the fallen stone quieted as death stole them away.
Merlin did this, Arthur's tormented thoughts poisoned something within the king. He had trusted the wrong people and now his people, his kingdom, was suffering for it. First Morgana, then Aggravain. Now Merlin... was his judgment that bad? Arthur's chest heaved in large gasping breaths. He couldn't believe that Merlin would do this willingly. Cedric and Omari said as much, but still the heart believes what the eyes see and what he saw was his brother destroying all they had built together.
Oh, Gods. Merlin really was Morgana's puppet.
The sights and sounds would forever be branded into his mind. This...this was the sound of everything ending. And the silence that came after... Arthur finally understood why people feared the absence of sound. It was worse than the cries of war. This was the sound of death.
Before the silence got to him Arthur lifted Excalibur over his head and raised his voice to the heavens, to his men, his people, to any and all who would hear his cry. "To me!"
There was an answering bellow as a wave of both Camelot knights and sorcerers flocked to him, cutting down any and all who stood between them and their King. Arthur smirked and turned back to face the battle. It was time to go to war.
"For the love of Camelot!" Arthur charged back into the fight along side knight and sorcerer.