"Merlin."
Blinking open his tired eyes, the young warlock stared blearily up at his ceiling, his eyes moving across the different panels in the darkness. He'd heard his name, but not called out in the same manner that Arthur or Gaius often shouted for him. This was different, and just in his mind, much like Kilgharrah used to do.
Sitting up, Merlin rubbed a hand over his face as he listened and waited. What could the dragon be calling to him for? They hadn't spoken since he'd taken the boy to the sword, and that was weeks back. Was something wrong? Stifling a yawn, Merlin's eyes started to drift shut when he heard his name again.
"Merlin."
But it wasn't Kilgharrah. It was Ralcade.
"Come find me." The voice spoke again, his stern instruction making it clear he was leaving no room for argument. "Come to the woods to the east of the stream. You will find a cave set between two towering trees that curve in towards it."
The last thing the warlock wanted to do was go traipsing through the woods at night, but he'd learned the last time how bad things could end up if he defied the sorcerer. Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, Merlin took his time stretching and changing out of his night clothes. If he had to go, fine, but he wasn't going to make a fuss about rushing.
He'd barely slept a few hours and found himself growing more irritated by the minute as he tugged on a pair of trousers and his boots. Arthur had been under more pressure since things had begun returning to normal, and Merlin himself had been working just as hard. Now he had to be interrupted in the middle of his well-deserved sleep, too? Ralcade was going to be lucky if he didn't cast a spell the moment he saw him for waking him up like that.
Snatching up his satchel and slinging it across his body, Merlin slipped out of his room and crept through the main chamber, listening to Gaius snoring while he did. Pulling open the door and easing himself through, he let out a single breath once he'd gotten the door quietly shut behind him.
Making his way through the citadel unnoticed was a bit more difficult, given that the guard had doubled since Morgana's attack. Even so, it wasn't long before Merlin was trudging through the forest with a half-moon barely lighting his way while he walked.
The weather was getting much colder, and the warlock was forced to huddle in on himself for the journey. A piece of him was tempted to go back, to ignore the call and return to his bed where he was safe and warm. Another piece of him, however, was terrified.
The fire that Ralcade had used to burn him in the tower was his own magic, taken and used against him. It was something that Merlin had never seen done before. That alone was enough to keep the boy marching on, his boots stamping on the ground in an effort to warm his feet as he ducked under branches and around tree stumps.
Thankfully he didn't have to walk for more than an hour before he stumbled upon the court sorcerer's cave. The two towering trees he spoke of curved in like guards, looming in an almost threatening manner over the entrance where Merlin paused, steeling himself for whatever awaited him inside.
With all the business with Morgana and her undead army, the warlock hadn't had much time to dwell on the sorcerer or what he might be plotting. Now though, it seemed Ralcade had decided to keep the boy's life hectic.
Stepping up to the mouth of the cave where a light flickered and glowed from inside, Merlin hesitated, wondering one last time if he should just run.
"Come inside, Merlin." Ralcade's voice called, and the warlock bit back a curse before he stepped inside. It was too late to question things now.
Walking into the cave and turning a short corner, Merlin was greeted with a small fire, two logs set beside it, and the former court sorcerer holding a goblet between his hands with a smile. "Ah, you made it. Finally. I can't say you do well on time, but I'm grateful you're here at the very least."
"Why did you call out to me?" Merlin demanded, standing near the entrance as the man gestured towards the second log.
"Come, have a seat. I'm sure you must be cold from your trek."
"I have to go back soon, just tell me what it is that you want." The warlock uttered through gritted teeth as the sorcerer's reptilian smile turned cold.
"You have time to have a drink. Now sit."
Pressing his lips together to suppress his sigh, Merlin stomped forward and sat down, pulling his knees close to his body and hating the way the warmth felt good against his half frozen limbs.
"Here, this will help to warm you from the inside." Ralcade spoke, offering up a second goblet to the boy who just glared angrily. "Stubborn as ever, I see. Fine, suit yourself." The sorcerer sighed, setting the cup back down and readjusting his cloak around him.
"What do you want?" Merlin asked again, unable to hide the irritation in his tone as the sorcerer took a long drink.
"To see how you are, of course." The confusion must have been clear on the warlock's face, because the man chuckled. "Things got a bit nasty in the kingdom a few weeks ago."
"I'm aware." Merlin muttered, his fingers curling into fists in his lap as Ralcade rolled one of his shoulders.
"I almost had to step in a few times there."
Merlin scoffed so loudly he surprised them both. "Really, you would have stepped in?"
"If Arthur's life, or yours, had truly been in danger then yes, I would have." The man stated earnestly, and a piece of Merlin was shocked to find he actually believed him. And yet, he was still outraged.
"It was in danger." Merlin spat, his chest heaving.
In no way would he have asked for or accepted the man's help in aiding Camelot, but to be told they weren't in enough danger to warrant that unwanted help was unfathomable.
"Oh please, give yourself more credit than that. You had things perfectly under control." Ralcade said with a dismissing wave of his hand that only made the boy more furious.
"Oh, really? Because I didn't realize almost dying several times to undead soldiers meant I had things under control." Merlin shot back.
"Yes, but almost is the key word here. You are sitting here in fact perfectly fine and healthy."
"I'm done with this." The warlock muttered, pushing himself up as Ralcade's expression darkened.
"Sit back down, Merlin. We're not finished here."
"I'm already done." As he took a step away the campfire grew, surging with new life as the flames flickered up angrily towards him.
"Sit down, Merlin. I will tell you when we're finished." Ralcade practically growled.
The shadows seemed to gather and grow around the sorcerer despite the fire in front of him, and Merlin hesitated a moment before moving to settle back on the log.
"An important thing happened because of all this, Merlin." The sorcerer said, his tone back to being carefree, as if he hadn't just threatened the boy in front of him. "Arthur is one step closer to becoming the king he was meant to be because of all of this."
"Which is what you wanted, right?" The warlock asked with a scowl. "Because you need him for something once he is king."
"That's exactly right." Ralcade beamed, seemingly pleased that the boy had remembered.
"Why am I here, Ralcade? Why call me out into the woods in the middle of the night just to go over everything that happened weeks ago?"
"I already told you, I wanted to see how you were."
"And why should you even care how I am?" Merlin demanded, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
"Because you're my apprentice, and I care for your wellbeing."
"I've told you before, I will not be your apprentice." Merlin shouted, feeling very much like he was talking to a brick wall.
"Are you certain, Merlin? There are so many things that I can teach you. You haven't even stopped to consider the power that you're giving up by declining. I can show you how to rule beside Arthur, how to protect him without ever putting yourself, or him, in danger again. Isn't that something that sounds appealing to you?"
Merlin glowered at the man as he spoke, hating the piece of him that reached out, the piece that desperately wanted that knowledge. The piece of him that begged to know the great things that he had learned over the years of perfecting his own magic.
"I already know plenty." Merlin stated, both to the sorcerer and the little voice in his mind that asked what the harm could be in knowing such things.
"You're still a child compared to me," The sorcerer scoffed. "You know nothing of true power. Not yet."
"I saved Camelot, didn't I?" Merlin asked, straightening his shoulders. "And this hasn't been the first time. I have great power; I don't need yours."
"You did, and you have, and I'm quite proud in fact." Ralcade nodded, his placating tone reminding the young warlock of how one would speak to a child. "But the things you could learn from me would make it so you would never have to worry about that kind of fighting again."
The sorcerer stood then, and with a wave of his hand the flames brightened considerably before dying down, leaving images in the smoke. In one, the wisps had formed into a version of Camelot, with men marching in front of a tiny citadel. In another walls shattered apart like they were made of glass, and in the next men were sent flying in all directions.
"With my knowledge and power, you could make a thousand of those swords you used. You could knock down walls with a single breath or change the weather at your command. With a simple wave of your hand and an incantation, you could swipe your enemies away like flies. With my magic, Arthur would be the king and ruler he was always meant to be."
"Arthur will become a great king one day without the use of magic." Merlin stated, his voice stern as he stood as well. "I have no interest in any of what you're offering. I will not use my power for such things. I will not use my magic for evil just to get something I want, and I will not abuse my gift to influence Arthur's reign."
"Any more than you already have, you mean?" The sorcerer pointed out, arching a brow at the boy who suddenly found himself without words. "I have watched you for many years, Merlin. I know of the things you have done. Not just to save Camelot, but Arthur himself. Do you think he would be alive today without you? Without your magic? Camelot would not be the same either, if standing at all. The fact is that you have already changed Arthur's course more than once, and he will not become king, let alone a great king, without the use of your power again."
"I'm still not interested." Merlin muttered.
"Really?" Ralcade questioned, the shadows gathering near his feet. "Because you were not so long ago when you rifled through my things."
"I was curious, that's it." The boy defended, clenching his fists at his sides. "It was magic like I'd never seen before, but now I know the price for that kind of magic, and it's not worth it. It never will be."
"Not even if it's the only thing that will save Arthur one day in the future?" The man asked, taking a step forward so he loomed over the fire. "What if I were to tell you that one day, Arthur would be struck down by who he thought was a friend? That he will bleed, and suffer, and your magic won't be able to help him? What if I told you that before he could get the help he needed, the power and magic that could save him, he would die instead? Leaving you, and Camelot, behind? Would you be interested in my power then, boy?"
His words sent chills racing through the warlock, his body shuddering despite how warm he was from the fire. His dreams that he'd had weeks before, of being old and seeing Arthur again as a child.. Was there actually truth in the sorcerer's cruel words?
"Think on that, Merlin, before you say no to me again."
"He wouldn't want that." Merlin murmured, looking back up at the sorcerer with a newfound resolve. "No matter what, Arthur would not want my soul on the line for such magic."
"If he knew such magic in you he would have you burned." The man spat, causing Merlin to flinch.
"I don't care. Nothing you say will change my mind. You can hurt me, you can try to hurt Camelot, or Arthur, but I will stop you. I will not be your apprentice. I will not give in to the darkness of magic like that."
At the boy's words, Ralcade pulled his cloak around himself and studied him in silence before giving him the smallest shake of his head. "You disappoint me, Merlin."
"I tend to have that effect on people." The warlock retorted, scuffing his feet as he took a step backwards.
"If I cannot convince you of what you're missing, then perhaps it's time to do things the hard way. I will not let such raw power go to waste in your hands. If you will not do what is necessary to become as great as you can be, then you are not deserving of the power that you have." Reaching into his cloak, the man pulled out a familiar leather bound journal, and a shiver ran up Merlin's spine.
"What, are you going to try and take my magic from me?" He asked, forcing the words out around his building fear.
"No, no, my boy. To strip one of their powers is one of the most difficult things, and with you, I simply don't believe it's possible. However, I can impede your abilities for a time. And perhaps time is what you need, to think things through." Backing another step away, Merlin turned to leave as the sorcerer clicked his tongue loudly behind him. "I think not. I need you to stay put." The man called out, reciting a simple incantation as the fire spread out around them, blocking Merlin's exit.
Cursing, the warlock spun around and thrust his hand out. "Broilin sar akhwah, roe hagroe nonestroe. Broilin sar akhwah, mortsin danah dradeh!"
Ralcade flew backwards, slamming against one of the walls of the cave as his journal fell towards the fire, landing only a few inches shy of the flames that steadily roared. Gritting his teeth, Merlin backed up a step and ran forward, jumping at the last moment as high as he could to scale the flames.
"Get back here!" Ralcade roared. "Gielde ic thec thissa meowlessawole!"
As Merlin landed and rolled across the ground, the edges of his trousers singed, he began to push himself up when the earth began to shake. Before he could move a step further, a boulder from above crashed down, slamming into the ground right in front of him.
Stumbling back, Merlin ducked as more rocks fell, huge chunks near the opening crashing down around him. A large stone caved in on his left, and as the boy turned away it slammed into him, striking into his arm and shoulder and knocking him back to the ground with a cry of pain.
"You will listen to me when I speak to you!" Ralcade roared behind him. "You chose this! I will not die with my power untethered to a soul!" He screamed, the flames growing higher and higher as smoke filled the cavern, causing the boy to cough as he struggled out of the way of another falling rock.
"Blah khien aiza krum. Aloe khio bragam harah eefnell! AGAH! MADAH! SADAH! HAGAH!" The sorcerer's words echoed throughout the cavern as a cold wind swept through the cave, wrapping tight around the warlock and suffocating him.
Merlin's fingers clawed desperately at his throat, his vision filling quickly with stars as a deep ache raced throughout every inch of his body. Crumbling to his knees, Merlin dug his fingers into the ground and began to crawl forward, staring out into the forest that had just begun to brighten with the promise of a new day.
"You will learn boy, one way or another! I don't care what it takes!" Ralcade shouted, his voice barely audible over the boulders that continued to fall, quickly blocking the warlock's escape.
Another shaking inch forward was gained, and the invisible hands that had wrapped around his throat disappeared, leaving the boy gasping for breath as he fell to his side, sucking in as much air as he could. He was so close to the entrance, so close to his escape. He just needed to go a little further, to get out into the woods.
Beginning to push himself back to his hands and knees, Merlin heard a crack above him, and as he glanced up, spotted another boulder breaking free.
"Ghefrolinz grimpoxin kouata." The boy spoke hoarsely, though his words held no power as the boulder cracked and fell free.
In an attempt to get out of the way, Merlin threw himself to the side, only to collide with another stone that had already fallen. Pain like none other struck the boy on the back of his head barely a moment later, and everything around him went black.
A/N
I love when writing takes on a life of its own. Did I originally have something else plotted out? Yep. Did my characters follow that plan? NOPE. But I think it sets up the future WAY better this way and I'm really very pleased!
This is the first of a three parter for the end of season three! I hope you guys enjoyed and are eager for more! I promise LOTS of hurt/comfort in the next two chapters.
I'd love to hear from you, so leave me a comment or review! They always make my day, and I have to move states* next week and could definitely use the distraction for a bit! See you guys soon!
*Because we're moving to another state for our next three month assignment, the next chapter will most likely be a week, if not two late while we settle in and I try to find work*