Merlin Pendragon found himself pressing against his window after the tenth scream from the streets below shrieked through the air. Gaius was practically on his heels, pressing against him in order to see the damage happening, the bells continuing to ring sharply through the air several more times before the ringing went silent. And Merlin squinted through his stained glass windows to watch several people, servants and commoners that had been near the horrid catastrophe when it happened, racing to the safety the castle would be able to provide them. Maids hiking up their skirts to stop themselves from tripping on the length, men either snatching up the stray child or two or grabbing onto the hand of somebody else to drag them inside. Merlin could see at least a dozen or so guards racing out onto the courtyard, their swords raised somewhere to the sky, somewhere Merlin couldn't see no matter how much he tried angling his head to the side. And to be honest, as the courtyard went stifling quiet, he didn't even think the guards knew where the beast had gone. The soldiers had started looking in different directions, swords at the ready but weren't pointing at nowhere specific. Merlin was pretty sure he saw Arthur, but he couldn't say he was even sure about that, there had to be plenty of knights with blond hair out there, though Merlin was also hard pressed to think of anybody…

There was a roar that split through the air louder and more startling than even a crack of lightning, and Merlin reared back as a dark shadow flew through his window at the speed of light. It only took a blink before it was gone, hiding out between the tall spiraling towers of the castle. The guards had turned towards the roaring creature, and Merlin threw himself back to the window as the beast once again flew past, this time heading down towards the people. Merlin could see many people see fleeing, some carrying baskets on their back or their own wares flung over their shoulders…they weren't even trying to get to the castle anymore. They were just running, frantic and uncontrollable and scared, being unable to get away fast enough but having nowhere to go where the creature couldn't go. The knights were getting back to back, conjugating in the middle of the courtyard, but the beast was still flying too high for them to actually hit at it, even as it smashed into the odd building or two and sending rubble along the street.

It was when the beast landed on one such building, stopping long enough so it could screech like some kind of hellion, did Merlin finally get his first solid look at the creature that had once tried to kill him. And Merlin's breath caught in his throat…it had been startling to see its figure being reflected at him when it had been nothing more than a sketch on the page. But seeing it in front of him now had a completely different effect on him. For a second, Merlin actually felt as if he was the one about to die, the one that would become prey to the beast and its bloodlust. Even safely hidden away in his tower, Merlin felt as if he was the victim. Seeing those wings expanding before they took flight once again, and seeing just a flash of its talons as it swiped through the air, taking out a spear or two that had tried to stab it in its belly with ease…the dread in Merlin's belly made him stricken. It was complete and utter chaos in the streets as they were seemingly ripped apart…

"I have got to return to my quarters. The people who are in need of medical attention will be coming there the second they are away from the fight that is going on outside." Gaius said urgently, already stepping away and heading to the door. Merlin nodded absentmindedly, unable to take his eyes away from the horror and carnage that was unfolding. His uncle wasn't exactly wrong…he could see a woman stumbling away while holding her arm at an awkward angle and it was clearly most likely broken. There was another who barely stumbled past the circle of knights, dragging his ankle behind him and clearly unable to walk on it proper. And there was no telling what other injuries had happened in the people's bid to get away, how many of the injured had managed to get into the castle. And how many were yet to be injured…even now, Merlin could see man or two laying in the streets, and it was no telling if those people had died or were simply unconscious. And the knights were too focused on trying to get to the beast to prevent more damage and bloodshed, to focus on the amount of people still in the courtyard, some having retreated to the odd corner to try and hide, apparently deeming the castle too far away to make a run for. "You'll stay here, of course. But Merlin, I do beg for you to stay away from the window just in case that beast, this griffin, sees you through the glass. I can't say that I know much about their temperament, but I don't want to risk him seeing you, recognizing you as the one that got away, and then tries breaking his way into this room just to get to you."

Merlin straightened up, whipping around when he realized his uncle was really leaving him, the door closing behind his uncle without another word as he was left behind. What the hell…what did Gaius expect for Merlin to do? Did he want him to hide beneath his bedcovers and stick his head underneath one of those stupidly large pillows to try and drown out the screams of the people, innocent people, dying! What the hell! Merlin couldn't hide away as if he was some kind of coward, nothing more than a damsel locked away in their tower, guarded by a flying beast of a creature! They needed his help down there, damn it! Or…the people would need every little scrap of help they could afford to have! He had been unable to do anything against the griffin the last time they had met, but it was a new day and a new time and…fuck! Staying in this tower wasn't going to happen, not as long as the castle was under attack! And Merlin strode towards the door himself, and flung the bloody thing open, only to stop when he raced straight into the armored chest plate of one of the guards standing outside his door.

"Consort Merlin-"

Knight Justin exclaimed, looking just as startled to be run into by his charge as Merlin was to run into him. Merlin cursed under his breath in response, raising a hand up to rub harshly at the bridge of his nose, fearing it had gone flat from how fast he had been walking. Stupid, that was what Merlin actually was, when he realized the situation he was in. Merlin had been so dead set on making his way down to the courtyard, so dead set on doing a bit of good out there while his uncle treated the people, that he had forgotten one crucial detail. The two knights were still standing guard outside his door, under orders by the king to not allow Merlin out, as per his grounding. But considering the castle was right now, being under attack, one would've thought the guards would've thought a little less about their duties on keeping Merlin prisoner. Apparently, an attack or not didn't negate the king's previous orders. Not unless the tower he was in started to come down, Merlin supposed bitterly.

"Consort Merlin, we've just received word that the creature that has been seen attacking the outer villages has arrived here in Camelot. It is attacking the city as we speak, so you need to stay in your room for the time being. Till the other men has neutralized the threat, and the king gives us the order on your release m'consort." Knight Justin said in a diplomatic tone, and Merlin wanted to burst out with 'no shit, the kingdom was under attack.' Did Justin not realize he was able to see the entire scene from his bedroom window? Did he not realize that Merlin could see smaller buildings being smashed, bricks flying from the roofs to smash across the ground as if they were playthings to the beast. He could even hear the screaming and the pure panic down in the streets, could see not one of the knights landing an actual hit on the creature. The only thing that did stop Merlin from falling into a rant, was because of the clear tension he could see on Justin's face. Oh, he was calm in front of Merlin, but there was tension around his eyes that said he was a bit more worried about their situation than he was letting on. Maybe Justin wanted to be out there on the field, feeling as if he was doing his part to slay the beast or chase it from their home. Maybe it was because he didn't want to play babysitter, when so many of his brothers in arms were out there risking their lives against a creature that could not be so easily slayed. Maybe Knight Justin saw the look on Merlin's face, and thought his irritation at being stopped was sheer terror at what was going on, because his tone softened, "Don't worry, Consort Merlin, you are perfectly safe inside the walls of your chambers. You simply need to wait there, and all of this will be over before you know it. And Prince Arthur is an excellent swordsmen, so I don't believe even a creature like this will be able to take him out so easily."

Merlin's mouth popped open for a second there…Arthur? Just thought he was in here, worrying himself half to death because of Arthur! No! The prince had hardly been on his mind, other than briefly noticing it was probably him who is the blond running along the courtyard. No, Merlin was a lot more concern with the people. Those who wouldn't be able to defend themselves, who either did not know how or couldn't get hands on any kind of blade. The women and the children who fled in terror but risked being crushed by falling debris, the men who had suffered grievous wounds in their attempts to flea…plenty of people had made it inside the safety of the castle. But Merlin could see from looking out his windows, that there were still plenty of people out there who were still looking for or needing to escape the chaos happening. But before Merlin could explain any of that, Knight Charles was suddenly there, reaching past Merlin to grab onto the handle of his door.

"Don't worry, Consort Merlin. Your safety is our top priority."

Knight Charles said this with a disgusted little sneer, as if he thought he could be doing better work elsewhere, before slamming the door in his face, leaving Merlin locked back in his prison cell. Merlin blinked several times, not entirely sure what had just happened. He knew Knight Charles hated him, he had done made that very clear the day Merlin had met him, all those months ago, when he had refused to allow Merlin to enter the knights quarters during the tourney happening that week. But Jesus, the guy disappears for a few months, and he seems to hate Merlin more than ever. But no matter, who the fuck cared if one more knight hated him. Merlin still needed to find a way out of this room…there was the sound of more smash's and screams coming from outside, and Merlin raced to his window to see the latest catastrophe. To see the creature bearing down on the blond man in the center of his knights, his talons ready to rip into the man's throat…

X

Arthur Pendragon could honestly say that he hadn't been expecting to fight to his death today, but in his defense, he had been preoccupied with other things happening. Not to say the problem his kingdom was facing was less important than his own personal problems, but he was ashamed to admit that the beast had fallen to the back of his mind for the time being. Or at least it had before it had shown its ugly face…the prince raised up the spear he had taken hold of in an attempt to defend himself once again from the creature. But it simply flew overhead, as if it was playing some kind of game went them, as if it was trying to taunt them or something…fuck! Arthur gritted his teeth, sweat rolling down the length of his spine under the strain…his soldiers were surrounding him so that they could face this beast together. And yet, they were utterly helpless to do anything more than watch the beast smashing apart the streets, the beast going high every time Arthur thought they were close enough to laugh any real proper attack.

Arthur raised his shield once again as the beast came close, but the creature did not even try to touch him, several of his men ducking in an attempt to not have their heads taken off by the talons that looked sharper than any dagger could ever be. How had things taken a turn for the worse, Arthur thought, as he tried to track the beast movements with his eyes, trying to discern any kind of pattern or reason for its next attack. It seemed though, as if it was acting in random intervals, never striking the same place twice but always hitting at the next spot with twice as much force as the one before. Arthur was a strategic man, and he was a hunter to boot…this beast was clearly nothing more than a wild animal. No different than the boars he had hunted in the past, no different than the elks he had dragged back to the castle on his shoulders, or the hogs he had once caught trying to rest in a clearing in Camelot's forests. And yet…none of the creatures Arthur was used to hunting could take off into the sky at a moment's notice, disappearing into the clouds just long enough for Arthur to lose sight of him before reappearing someplace completely unexpected,

"ON ME! ON ME!"

Arthur screamed as loud as his throat would allow him too, hearing the way it tore through his throat as if Arthur had nothing left to lose. Looking around his knightly wildly, hair flopping back and forth as more knights raced out to come join his circle. Each of them crouching down with Arthur directly in the center of them all, raising their shields above their heads as the creature cast a dark shadow across them as it flew overhead. And Arthur readjusted his grip on his spear, crouching low as well to prepare himself for jousting forward the second it got close enough for him to reach. But the creature seemed as if it was more smarter than Arthur had given it credit for, not coming close enough now that Arthur was preparing for a killer blow. That was all Arthur needed, just a well-aimed blow. It was just like what Arthur taught his soldiers to prepare them for battle…no matter how tough or strong the opponent, all any man needed was a well-aimed blow at the right time.

And the time seemed to come, as the creature finally darted down low enough for Arthur's measly six feet to reach its towering form. And the prince released his war cry, vicious and powerful and desperate to protect not only himself but his people as well, before launching himself forward. The screams of those he had surrounding him echoed fiercely in his eardrums, the adrenaline pumping its way through his body making him threat his spear forward with all the might he had, but when it came down to it…Arthur faltered. The beast had flung out its wings in response to Arthur's attack, flapping them with much more speed and strength than an average bird, and it succeeded in knocking down not just the prince, but several of his men as well. The wind had been much too strong for any one man to hold up against, like a man trying to fight against a twister by holding onto fistfuls of grass. It just wasn't happening, and Arthur hissed as he landed on his arm, the creature roaring somewhere above him before it had taken back to the skies.

X

"COME ON! WHAT THE FUCK! GET YOUR ARSE AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS ARTHUR BLOODY PENDRAGON! OR SO HELP ME GOD, I WILL RIP YOUR BLOODY SPLEEN OUT THROUGH YOUR FUCKING NOSE AND SHOW YOU I'M ABLE TO HURT YOU WORSE THAN THAT THING CAN!" Merlin screamed loud as he could through his stained glass windows, having already climbed on the windowsill so that he was perched on his knees, pressing his belly as flat into the glass as it could go. The thing would probably shatter if Merlin had been a few stones heavier, but he didn't care! He didn't even care if the blond on the field wasn't actually Arthur, but just some other poor moron that he decided to take his frustration on. Arthur or not, it felt good to scream, because at least it was doing something other than watching. And honestly, what else was Merlin supposed to do! He had just seen Arthur and his men falling to the ground, so it was clear that Arthur needed some damn good motivation to do anything of note against the griffin. Using Arthur's obsession for Merlin against him, to get him to actually DO SOMETHING, was hardly the worse thing Merlin had done to get the prince to do something for him. Though Arthur probably wasn't even able to hear him over the screams and crashes from below, not with how high Merlin was in his tower. He kept screaming though, banging his fists along the glass as if he somehow thought it would get Arthur's attention, "COME ON! DO GET UP YOU USELESS TWAT! HOW THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT TO DEFEAT IT IF YOU CAN'T EVEN STAY ON YOUR FEET! I THOUGHT YOU WERE SOME KIND OF WARRIOR! ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO LET SOME CREATURE BE THE END OF YOU! FUCKING HELL, ARTHUR!"

Merlin felt something that could only be described as relief, when he saw the prince look-a-like scrambling back to his feet, raising his spear once again to prepare himself for the next attack. But Merlin could only shake his head, his body literally shaking from the stress of the situation, that blade wasn't going to actually do anything! Merlin could still remember the way Lancelot, back in the forests when they first met, had tried taking down the creature with that blade he had. And he could remember the way it had shattered, as if the thing had been made out of a material much stronger than the steel blade was. Hell, Merlin didn't bloody care that Justin had insisted Arthur was some great and powerful warrior, Merlin didn't care that he had already seen Arthur's skills for himself, that dratted Prince was still human. And a single stick of wood with a blade along the top of it was hardly an adequate weapon considering a sword had already once failed against it. Fuck it…fuck all of this…fuck him staying in this bloody room while Arthur got himself and a dozen civilians killed off just because he couldn't hide in the damn castle and wait the griffin out like any normal person would have. He had to go and piss the damn thing off, and now they were never going to get rid of it!

Within a heartbeat, Merlin was back at his door and flipping it open to confront the two horrible knights keeping him here. Both turned when he reappeared at the doorway, though only Justin looked resigned, as if he had been expecting Merlin to come back fighting this ridiculous 'keep Merlin tucked away inside so the bloody 'men' can get themselves killed' rule they had going on. The other one…Charles…looked as if he was gearing up for a fight, more than ready to be the one to put Merlin in his place. But Merlin was done being fucking put in his place. Uther could come after him later if he wanted, Merlin was fully ready to face whatever consequences the king had for him, but right now, they had far bigger things to worry about than keeping Merlin hidden. What exactly did the men plan to do if the beast somehow managed to break his windows, keep him inside anyway just because he was 'grounded' to his chambers? If Merlin could see anything worth breaking the king's dumb ruling, then this was certainly the thing to do it for.

"Consort Merlin-"

Knight Justin started in this calming tone, the one someone might use to try to coax a startled horse back into its crate in the barns. But Merlin wasn't exactly a scared little foul that needed to be coaxed to going someplace that's meant to keep him safe. Oh, sure…he was scared shitless. That griffin forced Merlin to remember some pretty dark times in his life….he still remembered the way he had been underneath the beast all those days ago. The way he had thought to use his magic to blast it off of him, but had faltered in the face of it…Merlin remembered feeling weak after being attacked by Julian and Bryon. Wondering if allowing the creature to snuff him out would truly be the best thing for, both for him and the people that had been forced to take care of him during all his weakest hours. But…Merlin was also sure the people in the courtyard right this moment was also scared shitless. And unlike Merlin, they had everything in the world to live for. Merlin wanted to have everything worth living for as well, and as long as that beast continued to walk…Merlin was sure he'd never be allowed to put that dark moment behind him with all the rest of them.

"The people down there are dying, Arthur and his men aren't able to do a thing to stop this beast, no matter what you might think about his skills! This thing is highly dangerous and incredibly volatile, it's gonna take more than what is out there right now to defeat it." Merlin said bluntly, holding up a hand to make the other knight go silent so that he could speak. Even outside his room, he could still hear the faint screams coming from down below, and Merlin just knew that Knight Justin was gonna have to drag him back into his room and actually lock the damn door if he wanted to keep Merlin inside. Merlin wasn't above running like an absolute loon through the entire castle with these two goons trying the hardest they could to catch up with him, not if it meant getting out there so he could do his own part in protecting this bloody kingdom. "I cannot, no, I WILL NOT stay in my room, being protected by guards while the people down below are being slaughtered! There are families down there, and I've got every bit of intention on helping them survive this. Now, you can either come with me and 'keep me safe' or whatever you think you're doing keeping me here. Or you're more than welcome to stay and continue guarding an empty room. But it does not matter which you choose, because either way, I am leaving. And I'm going NOW."

There was a moment of silence where there seemed to be a standoff between the soldier and the consort, the warrior and the peasant. Merlin didn't allow a hint of his nerves to show on his face, though his stomach continued twisting the longer Justin stared him down…he was positive that this was the moment where the other man was actually going to grab him and shove him back into his room without another word on the subject. Sure, Merlin was a wily man, but he somehow doubted his ability to escape two trained knights who would've been bound and determined to keep him 'in his place.' If it was any other man watching him, Merlin was positive they wouldn't have even entertained him for a second, and would've thrown him back in before he could plead his case. But this was Justin, one of the handful of knights that wasn't outright antagonistic towards him.

"…Consort Merlin. Despite the dire…situation, I really don't think that it's good for you to be out on the battle field. You don't exactly have any training…"

At another time, perhaps Merlin would've been grateful for Justin being tactile and at least trying to not outright say he thought Merlin was going to be dead the second he stepped outside the protective walls of the castle. But that time wasn't now, and Merlin's lips thinned as another piercing scream from outside reached them. His eyes went sharply narrowed…he couldn't get through these men with brute strength alone. It was like with Arthur, Merlin didn't have actual skills to back himself up with. No training. No experience other than the brawls he had gotten into with Arthur…but he did have other skills that he was able to employ…Magic. Gaius was going to kill him, but Merlin had to cause some kind of disturbance that would distract Justin and Charles enough that he could get past them before they noticed. Something major, perhaps something that's on par with the chaos going on outside…

"What Knight Justin means to say is we aren't here to protect you! It's just the thing we HAVE to do since there is an emergency going on. But our one actual focus is following the king's orders. And he has ordered you to be grounded to the next foreseeable future." Knight Charles cut in, having not even one single ounce of the same tact Justin had been using. In fact, Knight Charles seemed to be quite smug about his predicament, and it left a rush of hot rage flood his system. A muscle in Merlin's jaw twitched as he glared at the other man, while wanting nothing more than to punch that smug look off his damn face. People were literally dying meters away from them! And Charles wanted to stand here and play 'who has the most power' with him? "I am 'so sorry' for unconvincing you like this, CONSORT Merlin. But the king's word is law, and unfortunate for you, we are actually honor bound to listen to them. Some people don't go and 'break the rules' or follow 'their own rules', just because they have a fancy title attached to their name-"

Any inclination Merlin had to use magic to get out of this situation, seemed to flee from him in an instant, his eyes flashing dangerously. Oh…hell to the fuck no! Charles really wanted to play that game with him? He really wanted to dip into the 'who had the most power' mindset here? Well then…Merlin would just have to play the game Charles had laid down in front of them. He wanted to go and assert himself? He wanted to believe he was better than Merlin? All Merlin wanted to do was help people, protect those who couldn't protect themselves, and it was clear Charles was a man that wanted the power Merlin's title should have afforded him. But hey…was Merlin a damn consort or not? If Merlin would win this game, then maybe…maybe it was time for him to shed being a simple peasant. It was time for the Consort, a persona Merlin didn't even know he had until this moment, to come out and play.

"Do not test me, Knight Charles. I have plenty of skills that I would be happy to employ if you try and get in my way. I will be more than willing to return to my chambers after the danger has passed, but unless you want the blood of those outside to be staining YOUR hands because you stopped me from trying to do anything, then I suggest you step aside." Merlin said, his tone brisk and falling onto just the right side of commanding. The kind of tone that would have men, soldiers, straightening up their spines and swearing their fealty onto him given the chance. Charles though, Charles scowled, refusing to be talked down to a 'peasant boy.' And something flared in Merlin's chest, something stronger than Merlin knew what to do with, "CHARLES! Do you really want to be the one that gets in my way! I, who am your consort, rather you like it or not. I, who not only managed to save the life of your prince without any assistance from you or the other knights, or did you forget the way I sacrificed myself just a month ago so that he may live? Me, who managed to save this entire kingdom before, or did you forget that I am the reason this entire kingdom wasn't laid to waste when it had sickness from the water running amok in the streets! Did you forget that I have gotten on the good side of kings, or is Bayard considered to be far less important than Uther? Would you like me to go on with other things I am sure you could indirectly thank me for stopping before they affected you?"

This wasn't something that Merlin liked doing, to be honest, he wasn't sure if it was something he should even BE doing. Sure, Merlin really did do everything that he said he did, but it wasn't as simple as that. Merlin still had these horrid and conflicting feelings about them. There had just been so many mistakes he had made…Gwen getting arrested because he had used magic to save her own father and Merlin trusting that stupid girl who had claimed to be from Bayard's Kingdom just because she had been nice to him, being the two major incidents that plagued him during the darkest of nights. But Merlin needed to lay out the facts for Charles, needed to lay out for him EXACTLY who Merlin was. He may have almost always had help during his adventures of the past in some way or the other, but he didn't have help now. But did a consort really need help with getting their point across? Probably. But not today.

"I think, Knight Charles, that you will find I can be quite persuasive whenever I want to be. And can find that somehow, even with being consort and having all in the kingdom know who I am, I still manage to find out things that I shouldn't know. Call it me just stumbling upon the wrong people at the right time, should you want too, but I did manage to find out what Valiant was planning to do with Arthur long before he actually executed his plans in the arena. And I managed to succeed where others failed during the peace talks with King Bayard. Such accidents, and yet, somehow being momentary occasions. And that brings me to a simple question now, Charles." Merlin spoke in a casually deceptive tone, as he dropped the formal title of 'knight' to show how little respect he had for any man such as Charles. The knight obviously noticed, if the scowl across his face was anything to go by, but Merlin continued without pause, "If I could find it in myself to do such things, what could I do if I actually tried? Should I really start looking around for something to find. So what could I find on you…?"

It made Merlin feel dirty, as if there was something nasty crawling around just beneath his skin and making a home for itself in his body. This wasn't him…it wasn't Merlin who did things like this! He didn't go around making threats, or went around looking for blackmail material. Oh, sure, he was no stranger with bringing up humiliating moments from their childhood when he was with Will back home, things that Will would want to remain hidden but could even see the humor in now that they were older. But this…this was on a whole new kind of league all its own. Merlin wasn't just teasing somebody with facts he knew about only because he had been there. This was Merlin threatening to dig into a man's past, to drag up any disgusting skeleton he could find lingering under the persons Charles put forth for the other knights, and planning to do…what with it? Would Merlin release whatever information he found to the public, so Charles would be ashamed of showing his face? Would he bring it before King Uther, if the King didn't already know and if it was something bad enough for it to be noteworthy, in an effort to get Charles fired or demoted or some other kind of horrid punishment? Was Merlin willing to go off the deep end and ruin a man's entire life just for the sake of winning this battle of will's between the two of them?

Merlin didn't know.

But he didn't falter either.

Not like Charles did, the man's expression going bleak and pale, as if perhaps he really did have something to hide that he didn't want Merlin finding out. Or maybe he just didn't want Merlin to go snooping. Because as much as Charles hated him, they both knew what Merlin was capable of. They both knew, if the consort really wanted, he could have every piece of information he wanted at the tip of his fingers. He just needed to talk to the right people, look at some records maybe…follow Charles around to see what moves he made to cover up whatever he was hiding now that Merlin was laying his cards out on the table.

"You…you can't…your a consort! You can't go around making threats like that to those who…who serve you? You can't go around digging into the pasts of those that have been here far longer than you have? And you can't go making decisions that go directly against the king's wishes! He would have you killed, and us, for even entertaining this!" Charles stuttered, and it was clear that he was trying to save face as he puffed himself back up. But not even he could've hid the worry line digging deep between his eyebrows. He knew that the young consort would look, and he was rightfully worried about whatever Merlin might find. "Consort's do not belong on the battlefield! They do not belong where all the danger is! They do not BELONG in a bloody war zone! Our prince and king deals with the outer threats to the kingdom, and our consort is meant to stay at home and keep the ovens going or some other nonsense to keep the city's morals boosted!"

Merlin could hardly believe the vileness spewing out of Charles mouth, slowly raising his head to lock eyes with the knight, his face drawn and tight. Was all that really what a consort was meant to be…somebody that kept the home on its feet while the 'men' rode off into battle and protected them? That's never been Merlin, somebody willing to sit idly by and watch somebody else do the hard work? Somebody who would sit on their bottom all day long while waiting for the champions to return from the fields of battle, welcoming them home as if anything had actually happened. Maybe that was why people were always so mad at him whenever he stepped out of line and did something that helped the kingdom…because it wasn't his 'place' to do so. But what was his place meant to be…sitting in his room watching as dozens of people were slaughtered from his bedroom window. No…nonononononono. That was never going to be Merlin Fucking Pendragon. Not if he could help it. Not if he could do anything about it this time. Merlin needed to lay down the law, and let it be known that he wasn't anybody's damsel in distress.

"Maybe that was how it was like for Consort's in the past, maybe that was how it was like for Arthur's mother or those that came before her. But I am NOT one of them! I am MERLIN! And maybe it's time for there to be a new consort style around here, because I will NEVER hide while others are being hurt. And I will NOT allow you or anybody else to dictate my actions for me. If there's any job that needs doing, then I am more than willing to get my hands dirty so that it'll be done." Merlin said heatedly, stepping forward all but DARING Charles to try grabbing him when he was in the mood he was in. Merlin could almost feel the power trying to ignite behind his eyes, he was sure they would be glowing gold if he had allowed them too. "Now, I am only going to tell you this one thing and you are going to decide which side of my line you wish to be on by giving me an answer…move out of my way."

There was a moment where even Charles seemed dumbstruck by what Merlin was doing, a moment where nobody seemed to know if they should follow his orders or not. Obviously, the king's orders would always come first, but these were extremely difficult circumstances happening, and the knights needed to make a call…allow Merlin to help or keep him out of the way. And perhaps…this was why Merlin hadn't dared to bring up Arthur in front of these two. It wasn't all that long ago, when that group of knights had tried making Merlin clean up their boots and had gotten their arses handed to them by Arthur, that he had been the one to bring Arthur's name up in conversation. He had USED Arthur, and his name, to make those boys second guess what they were trying to get him to do. Had USED Arthur's obsession with him as his means of defending himself when those boys clearly hadn't been scared of him. But times seemed to have changed, and Merlin didn't want to hide behind Arthur's name. Merlin had to step out of Arthur's all-consuming shadow if he ever hoped to actually accomplish something on his own. Knight Charles and Knight Justin needed to let him go because MERLIN was Consort, and it was HIM that they should have been worried about pissing off. Trained to kill by birth or not…Merlin wouldn't be weak in the face of them. And when Knight Charles looked as if he'd been about to stick his entire foot down his own mouth, it was Knight Justin placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"We…understand, Consort Merlin. We'll follow your lead on this one."

Knight Charles looked promptly horrified, his mouth so wide as he looked up at Justin, that an entire toad could've jumped in there before he had a chance to properly close it. But Knight Justin wasn't looking at Charles, he had eyes only on Merlin. Justin looked…reluctant, about Merlin's orders, but, and perhaps he only imagined it, but Merlin could've sworn there was the tiniest bit of…respect in Justin's eyes. Another piercing scream coming from somewhere outside was enough to ruin the moment, and Merlin didn't waste another second before he was brushing past the two knights assigned to keep him here. His steps felt so heavy, but he breathed a bit easier, even when hearing the sounds of the other knights following closely behind him down the hall. Merlin wasn't entirely sure how he had managed to do it himself, but…he'd done it. And nothing could've stopped him now. Not even the hissing whispered conversation he could hear behind him over the crashing sounds of something being destroyed outside.

"What are we doing? Don't you realize the king will have our heads if he sees us bringing this boy outside! I wasn't kidding when I said the king would have us killed for failing our duties! You know that! Why are you risking that when it is quite clear that this boy won't be able to do anything that our knights on the field haven't already done!" Charles was snarling under his breath to Justin, as he kept his displeasure front and center, making sure his opinion on the matter wasn't going to go unheard. "And not to mention, this bloody boy isn't exactly more than an overgrown peasant that's gotten too big for his crown. So, what are we doing following him instead of our orders? I did not become a knight of Camelot just to be bossed around by a PEASANT!"

Charles clearly had no qualms about keeping his ire from Merlin's ears, the last word spat at Merlin's back had clearly been loud on purpose for him to hear all the distain Charles had for the 'lesser people.' But Merlin didn't rise to the bait Charles was putting out there, Merlin had more important things to do, he had lives depending on him. Charles could have his little hissy fit somewhere else if he was only going to continue these petty attempts to distract Merlin from his real mission. Charles didn't even have to come if he didn't want to, Merlin sure wasn't going to hold him down or force him to come. He could even run off and tattle to the king about what Merlin was doing, but it wouldn't matter in the long run anyway…Merlin would already be outside and in the danger zone long before the king could get all the way from the throne room.

"Don't get your undergarments all twisted up, if the king has anything to say about this then I will take full responsibility. And you can just pretend you had nothing to do with this, alright? It'll be my head on the platter, but I for one am curious to see what Consort Merlin is going to do." Merlin could hear Justin as he hissed back to the other knight, and the consort had to fight the urge that told him to put his head down. Maybe he really was getting in over his head, as he had needed rescuing the last time he had been in the vicinity of this beast, but hey…no pressure, right? Merlin was just gonna go out there and…do what he did best…getting involved. "Oh-" Knight Justin suddenly continued, and the consort could almost hear the smirk coming from the usually stoic knight, "You need to have a different mindset going on. We definitely weren't being bossed around by a peasant just now. We were being ordered by our Consort."

Merlin felt this jab of shock going through his heart, making his body jolt when Knight Justin said this…sure, that had been what Merlin had been going for. It was clear he needed to be seen as the 'consort', and not just the whipping boy for the kingdom if he was going anywhere. But hearing Justin say it now…there was a certain weight to his words that made Merlin heavy…Consort. A title that carried weight and power wherever it was meant to go, a title that belonged to only him, a title that HE had to decide what to do with. It was a heavy burden for sure, but not one that Merlin wasn't unused to carrying, he's had burdens before that he'd been forced to carry alone. But it was as Gaius always tried to tell him…HE was the Consort of Camelot, and only HE could decide what that meant for him.

Thinking these things, wearing the title of Consort like a shroud that covered him from head to toe, Merlin hardly noticed when he reached the bottom floor of the castle. He hardly noticed the dozens and dozens of people standing in the grand hall, many collapsed onto their knees and many more crying as they held onto their friends and families and even total strangers. He hardly noticed the way people straightened up upon his arrival, hardly noticed as they started to spread apart to make a walkway for Merlin and the two knights that led right to the grand doors of the castle. And Merlin hardly noticed when several of the servants bowed their heads down to his presence, as he flung open the doors, the chaos in the streets loud enough to nearly blow his eardrums out now that he was outside among the same chaos he had just been watching.

And the first thing Merlin managed to do…was grab onto the arms of an elderly man that had collapsed halfway down the stairs, too brittle and weak to make it all the way up. The elderly man croaked out his thank you's to the consort as Merlin guided him back into the building, where several servants reached out to help Merlin guide the shaking man down to floor where he would be safe in the castle. And as Merlin raced back aside, dodging around the large statue of a gargoyle that had fallen from about three floors above and landed where the old man had just been resting…Merlin knew he had made the right choice. No matter what else happened during this fight…Merlin had already managed to save one life. And well…didn't that one life already make all the difference in the world?

X

Arthur Pendragon desperately tried not to look in the direction of the tower that was housing his consort, not even when he was sure he could see the large spirals wobbling every time the grand beast crash landed on one. All it would take was one wrong jump on those spirals, and the whole tower could come crumbling down, too many fixings from the roof had already been taken clear off and smashed across the ground. It would be just his luck that the one tower holding Merlin, would end up being the one tower that collapsed. It had him stressed beyond belief, but it wasn't as if Arthur could do anything about it right now. Honestly, Merlin was probably safer locked away in his suite than he was anywhere else, but…Arthur cried out as he saw one of his men scream as that beast flew at them, his claws digging into the knight's shoulder. It had the knight in its grasp, and the creature drug the soldier for several feet along the cobblestone street before releasing him. The soldier dropped onto the dirt and wailed, clutching at his shoulder where several large bloody gashes were soaking through his armor, the metal shoulder plate all but crushed around the wound. Arthur's eyes couldn't have been wider, breathing in the dirt, feeling as if his lungs had gotten coated in it…the blood. There was so much blood, fatal it could be if his knight didn't get out of here…

So much thicker and darker than the pig's blood had been..

It was only the night before, when Arthur had been dealing with the two other knights that had decided to dump pig's blood on his husband, that Arthur had felt a sick satisfaction at the sight of blood. He had taken pleasure in watching those two men being strung up in the fields on thick posts, had taken pleasure in drawing forth an audience of curious on-lookers. And had watched with this sickening, disgusting grin that had probably made him look like a sociopath, as he had his other men dumping bucket after bucket of blood on top of them. He had found it all too easy to collect the blood, there were plenty of animals that were being led to the slaughterhouses out back, cows and chickens and pigs, of course. It had been disgusting work, and Arthur hadn't done anything more than watch as the buckets of red had been brought forth. By the ending of this little…session of theirs…there hadn't been a spot on the two knights that were not coated in animal blood. The two had practically been choking on it, left to gag from the stench and spitting out mouthfuls they had swallowed…if they'd been wanting to see blood on his consort, then it was only fair for them to be given the same treatment.

An eye for an eye, and all that.

But today was a new day, and he could see his soldiers being wiped down as if they were nothing but insects compared to the winged creature. Falling down left and right, those that were still standing forming a tighter formation around him for their own protection. The smell of blood was thick and cloying among the air, enough to make his stomach lurch, but there was no time for anything like calming himself. This mission was becoming less and less about chasing this beast out of their home, and more and more about defending what few of them were left standing. There was practically nothing they could do, and the prince could only hold his shield above his head to try and block the claws that tried coming down on him once again before it disappeared into the sky. There were precious few seconds where everything was silent, the beast seeming to be lost among the clouds somewhere, but there was absolutely nothing Arthur could come up with that would take this beast out. Even the catapults placed on the battlements weren't going to be much help, this creature moved far too fast and too quick for it to land a solid hit. But half of Arthur's men had gotten knocked out or injured already, and the beast didn't have nary a mark on it…

The beast roared again, loud enough to cause Arthur's bones to vibrate under his skin, but that was also the exact same time he saw something else. It made Arthur's breath catch, positive that he had to be hallucinating…maybe he'd hit his head when he had gone down that first time and was now seeing pictures that weren't really there. Because surely…surely he wasn't seeing Merlin right there! Racing out across the courtyard, his dark hair fluffed and twisting up in the roaring wind caused by the wings of the beast as much as the short length allowed it too. His consort couldn't really be there, couldn't be HERE, where a single wrong move could end only with an agonizing death. Where one wrong move could lead with Merlin's entire shoulder bone crushed beneath the beast and its great weight. His Merlin, his husband, his…HIS…couldn't be doing such a stupid thing that included coming out here into the danger zone. But Arthur blinked, and the mirage didn't vanish…dirt was getting into Arthur's eyes, but he would know Merlin's form anywhere. Arthur could deny it all he liked, and he could try pretending Merlin was safe where he was meant to be, but none of that would change what he was seeing.

Merlin.

Arthur almost abandoned his post right then and there, a single minded focus that told him to shove past the knights circling him and drag Merlin back to the safety of the castle walls. If he was a lesser man, he would've left the rest of his men to their fate in order to spare Merlin's life, but the beast flying low at them once again had Arthur stalling. Pulling the shield back over his head just before it could decapitate him with his razor sharp claws, and when Arthur was finally able to pop his head back up, he could see Merlin pulling to a stop just a few yards away. Watching the beast with wide eyes as it flew back overhead into the clouds, and Arthur…Arthur could only see that Merlin was without any real protection. The boy didn't have a shield to protect his head like Arthur did, and he didn't have a blade to try striking it down if it got too close for comfort. Merlin was utterly…helpless…even more than Arthur was.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING! ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY MAD! GET YOUR ARSE BACK INTO THE SAFETY OF THE WALLS BEFORE THIS THING DECIDES YOU ARE TO BE IT'S NEXR VICTIM!" Arthur shouted with all his strength over all the residue wind left behind from the beast taking off again. Arthur darted his eyes around in a frantic motion, trying to keep the beast in his sight, the cold fear far more stronger than it had been before Merlin had made his appearance, but it went and disappeared again on him. This couldn't be happening, it couldn't be real right now…Arthur had almost lost Merlin to this thing once before and he had not even known it. He couldn't…he couldn't risk that thing catching sight of his consort and being smart enough to recognize Merlin as the one that escaped him earlier this week. This creature felt very much like the type that would've remembered being wronged, being denied its killing spree, and may very well be the type of creature to chase down that person to the ends of the earth so it could rip him apart limb by limb. MERLIN limb by limb. "GO! GET! YOU NEED TO LEAVE RIGHT NOW, MERLIN! NOW IS YOUR CHANCE! BEFORE IT COMES BACK! JUST RUN! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME, MERLIN! RUN AWAY OR IT'LL GET YOU TOO!"

The words spewed from Arthur's mouth in a mad panic, his heart jumping into his throat…this wasn't like the men Arthur had beat the shit out of because of their treatment towards his consort. This wasn't like the men he could easily get his revenge on for wronging his consort in some way. This was a feral and wild beast, one of the wildest that Arthur had ever seen in his entire life, and a spear felt very much like an inadequate weapon to go against it. It was his own failure, but Arthur knew he wouldn't be able to protect Merlin out here. He had to leave, he had to go…Merlin's safety DEPENDED on him going. And when the consort finally reacted to his wild screams, their eyes meeting between all the heads of the leftover knights surrounding him, Arthur felt a shred of hope form in the pit of his stomach. Yes…god yes…Merlin had realized how dangerous the situation was. He realized how unlikely it was for him to survive if he stayed in the courtyard for a moment longer…he was going to listen to Arthur for once in his bloody life. But all that hope suddenly turned to cold terror as he saw that stubborn tilt in Merlin's jawline, the one he got whenever he was ready to defy Arthur and everything that he was.

"You've got bigger problems to worry about than just me, Arthur! You focus on doing what you have to do to get rid of that thing, and let me do what I've got to do! You just keep that thing distracted and it won't even notice that I'm here at all!" Merlin shouted back to him, and Arthur's jaw dropped open…what…that wasn't…this wasn't some kind of diplomatic mission that Merlin was somehow able to pull off like he did with King Bayard! This was…this was dangerous! His best knights were being wiped out, and Merlin…his defenseless little Consort was about to run headfirst into something he couldn't hope to survive. "If you do your job right, then I'll be out of here in a minute! I just need to get all these people to safety before they end up casualties! Now, you and you, grab on that night and get him to the castle! GO!"

Merlin seemed to take charge of the people, barking orders at the two knights that stood right behind him…Arthur hardly looked at them as they grabbed the knight that had his shoulder crushed by the beast, carrying the wounded men away from the battle field. And then Merlin was gone, turning around, racing to parts unknown that Arthur couldn't fallow. But Arthur damn well tried, for just a heart stopping second where he threw himself forward as if he was about to give chase. But his knights were bracketing him in, and they only grew around him tighter, preventing him from going after him no matter how hard the blond struggled to push their limbs out of his way.

"MERLIN! MERLIN! MER-LIN!"

Arthur screamed wildly, completely losing control of his facilities as he tried to leap over the arms holding him back…none of the knights were willing to lose their prince to a moment of insanity by allowing him out in the open while that beast was still in the air. But Arthur had completely lost his mind, forgetting all the danger that could come for him in lieu of his consort, but the fear pulsing in Arthur was unlike anything he had felt before. Pure ice freezing him from the inside out, threatening to steal the breath from his lungs…he wouldn't be able to breathe again until Merlin was back in his sight and in holding distance and Merlin needed him but he wasn't there and then…the beast was back. Landing harshly on the courtyard ground somewhere between the group of knights and where Merlin had disappeared. Arthur froze, hanging on top of a pair of strong arms blocking his way, ragged breath rattling his ribcage…Arthur didn't dare to try finding Merlin with his eyes again. The beast roared at the knights, with his focus sorely on them, and Arthur's hand subtly tightened around his spear. He felt like he was going to go to hell for this, but…the beast was watching them and that meant it hadn't noticed Merlin. What had Merlin been screaming bout before he disappeared…distract the beast?

It was the only thing Arthur could do if he wanted Merlin to return to the castle walls…

"DEFENSE! DEFENSE!"

Arthur roared as loud as he could, dragging himself off his knights and falling into a familiar stance, crouching down low as he raised his spear somewhere above his head. Perhaps his knights were relieved about their orders, because the ones still standing quickly fell into line around him. The beast roared once again, arching its long back and raising its wings threateningly and…the blond prince knew Merlin would never have a chance if this thing tried chasing after him. Arthur didn't know what Merlin was planning or how long it was going to take him, and it was going against every protective instinct Arthur ever had for his Merlin, but…he would keep this beast distracted. For as long as he possibly could. Until the breath frozen in his lungs ceased to exist.

"CHARGE!"

X

Yards beneath the main floors of the castle, Lancelot grabbed onto the bars of his window to try and steady himself. The entire castle seemed to be shaking, dust falling from the ceiling and coating a nice layer over his body and hair. His hand loosened around the bars and there was another large smashing sound from somewhere outside that sent another shockwave across the dungeons. Lancelot nearly fell over from the vibrations rocking the stones beneath him, and for one heart stopping second, Lancelot could've sworn that the castle was trying to come down on top of him. This could've been an earthquake, if the shockwaves weren't happening at random intervals and seeming to come from different points of origins. He stumbled on his feet while racing through the small length of his cell so he could grab onto the iron bars of his cell, and pressed his face between the bars as far as he could get to try to get attention from the outside.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!"

Lancelot screamed as loud as he could manage, feeling as if he had damaged his own throat in the attempt. But he was practically drowned out, the walls of the castle pounding as more rumble from above him fell, a brick or two coming down in the crosshairs to smash against the floor. But it wouldn't matter how loud Lancelot screamed, he had all but been abandoned by the guard that had been meant to be keeping an eye on him. Saving himself, or going out to help in the battle, it was impossible for Lancelot to know. Impossible for Lancelot to get news on what was going on outside…clearly the castle was under attack at the moment. There was no other explanation, but who or what was running the reins of his attack? Was it that creature, finally having made its way from all of the outer villages? Or was it something else, some other threat that he did not know about. And that was the scariest part, the not knowing…not knowing who was fighting back and who wasn't. Not knowing if the castle would still be kept standing afterwards, not knowing if he would be given death notices whenever somebody finally remembered he was down here.

Would anybody bother to inform him if Merlin died during this attack?

Would anybody even think to let him know if Gwen became a casualty amongst the ruins outside?

Lancelot was literally an outsider, there was no reason for anybody to think he should be informed about anything. He would never know what happened with Gwen if she perished, she would've just disappeared from his life. And Merlin…he would only know about Merlin because of his status, because the death of a consort nobody wanted wasn't going to go quietly. But no…Lancelot couldn't allow them to die! He wouldn't! Merlin was his friend, and Gwen was his…Gwen was undefined but something that he needed in his life. Something that he did not know he needed until he had met her, but no matter how harshly Lancelot shook the doors to his cells, the metal was unrelenting. He kicked at his doors, hoping the shifting of the castle could aid him, maybe jostle something loose that could free him. The despair nearly crushed Lancelot as he collapsed onto the icy cold of the metal, his body shaking as he clung onto them hard enough to cause indentions to form across his palms.

The tears brimming his eyes were hot and heavy…

Whatever was happening out there…

Gwen and Merlin were on their own.

X

Merlin ran as fast as his feet were able to carry him, his thighs were already starting to burn under the strain. He held something beneath his jacket, trying to shield the package from the falling debris as best as he could. He stumbled once or twice over the bricks and planks of wood literally the courtyard as if it had been turned into some kind of construction zone. He didn't focus a single ounce of his energy to the battle commencing to his left, the battle Merlin was just skirting around the edges of. Only careful enough that I make sure he did not fall victim like so many others already had. Sweat pooled along the edges of his hairline, but Merlin kept running to the castle as if his life depended on it to get there. It probably did, but Merlin wasn't too concerned about himself at the moment.

Muffle crying came from beneath his jacket, the head of a small girl separated from her mother in all the chaos buried itself into his chest, little fists holding onto his shirt as if it was her lifeline. Merlin didn't try to quiet her down, it was not as if the little girl needed his comfort during a fucking war zone. The only thing she needed was to be somewhere safe…Merlin was still surprised that he had even seen her at all. She was so small, barely six years old, with lopsided pigtails falling in long streams on either side of her head…she has been hiding behind a fallen barrel. The contents of said barrel had been smashed and the barrel itself nearly crushed, but the little girl had remained largely unharmed in the midst of the battle. Other than the fact that she had been alone…the young consort somehow managed to get to the main staircase without incident.

But halfway up the stairs, the castle shook madly, dangerously. And Merlin let out a surprised cry, grabbing onto the railing before he could go tumbling back down the stairs in a fall that would've likely broken his neck. He dug his nails in the plaster that made up the railing, his arm tightening around the form of the shrieking child in his arms. He held on for what felt like hours, but it could not have been more than a few seconds at most, until the stairs finally settled. The Consort whipped his head up as soon as it did, his small form covered by a big shadow flying above him before it vanished, the griffin landing in another place in the courtyard with a rabid shriek. Despite their previous encounter, the giant creature clearly didn't care much for him since it hadn't attacked him yet…or it just hadn't noticed him. Or the knights swinging their spears at him was doing their job by keeping distracted…Merlin didn't know or didn't care. He took the chance while he still could, and went running up the rest of the stairs before it decided to notice Merlin and make him his lunch.

There were several guards that had taken shelter within the castle themselves, those that were either too injured to continue fighting or were now considered the last line of defense if the major players on the field failed to chase off the griffin. They seemed to have been keeping watch on the situation outside, as Merlin had barely reached the top step before the grand staircase were slung opened by two knights, a peasant woman standing gingerly along a bleeding leg stood between them. Tears were streaming down her face, her arms held out, and Merlin didn't hesitate to slide the little girl into them. The woman did look similar enough for Merlin to assume she was the mother, but handing the little girl off to just about anybody was the only thing Merlin could do. And he was off again, turning around and racing back down the stairs….there were so many people still out there. So many people that needed to get out, many that were stuck with fear or trapped by other means with no way to get out…

"WAIT! WHERE ARE YOU GOING! IT'S DANGEROUS OUT THERE!"

Merlin paused at the bottom of the steps, his clothes whipping around him as the griffin flapped its wings wildly at the knights trying to stab him…it was the woman he had given the little girl to that had asked him this. She still stood at the top of the stairs, her little girl safely between her arms, looking down at his slim form as if it might be the last time she ever saw him. The knights guarding the doors were looking too, looking torn between slamming the doors shut and preserving their own safety, or actually joining the chaos. And Merlin was able to see several more people, survivors with varying degrees of injuries, looking over their shoulders…Merlin supposed it would be easy to join them. To hide in the walls with all the others, he could probably find Morgana and Gwen inside of the castle somewhere, taking shelter away from the main area. Seeking his own shelter would've actually been expected of him, but fuck was Merlin going back in there. Not until there wasn't a single soul left in danger…he wouldn't accept anything else.

"There are still people trapped in that wreckage over there! Somebody's got to help them get out!"

Merlin called back up the stairs with a wiry grin, as if this was just another day for him, as if he wasn't bloody terrified about something going wrong and him or somebody else ending up dead because of it. Because he wasn't being fast enough, or smart enough, or agile enough to maneuver survivors out of these little nooks and carnies they've hidden themselves in. Merlin somehow missed seeing the absolute…wonder and amazement shining in the eyes of the dozens of citizens watching him darting back out across the courtyard with nary even a stitch of armor that could've protected him from any stray hits or debris. The guards did curse up a storm though, as they slammed the doors back, but the consort only had eyes for the fallen structure resting on the other side of the courtyard. It had been one of the first buildings, an outpost of some kind, that had been damaged from the griffin. It seemed to be nothing but rubble now, a tangled mess of wood and stones and one pale hand sticking out of the mess that had collapsed on top of them.

X

"ON ME!"

Arthur Pendragon shouted to the heavens themselves, drawing his knights to him like moths to a fly. At some point during the struggle, all of them had got separated, strung apart across the courtyard as they tried encircling the mad creature to corner it in one place. But being cornered had only made the beast more volatile…that was how they had lost two men already. And the remaining eight men he had left, eight out of the thirty he had started off with, rushed to his side without question, falling into line right behind him. The creature liked to roar at them, it did that a lot, but Arthur still couldn't distinguish which roar meant it was warning them to back off. And which roar meant it was about to launch into an attack. Neither was a good sign though, everything had already faded to the back of Arthur's eardrums. The sounds muted and slow, like some kind of nightmare threatening to swallow him whole. But Arthur didn't let a hint of his fear show, not even when he saw Merlin darting across the fields behind the beast just out of its view.

Arthur tightened his hand around the spear, crouching down low as he forced his gaze off Merlin to check which men were still standing with him. He knew each of them by name, had trained most of them himself, but…they were not exceptionally great knights. They were good, could be used in a pinch, but a monstrous creature was something far worse than 'just a pinch.' But this group was all Arthur had to work with, and he could only hope that it was going to be enough…what else could he do? It would've been smarter to retreat, but then the beast roared again, and Merlin was still out in the open…it would take only a glimpse around him for the beast to spot Merlin dropping down to his knees by one of the fallen buildings. Arthur's heart pounded in his ears, he held his spear as steady in his hands as he could manage too…he had to keep going on with this battle. Had to keep fighting. His bones were wearing, but Arthur did not give into the exhaustion pulling at his bones. He shouted a warrior's cry as loud as he could manage, gathering the beast's attention just as it was about to turn around and spot Merlin digging through the structure…

"CHARGE!"

Arthur raced forward with only the narrow-minded focus one had when they had something they DESPERATELY needed to see too. He nearly dropped his spear as he rammed it hard against the creature, missing it by mere inches as it reared back on its hind legs to roar at them again. But Arthur didn't care, as his men scrambled apart when the beast tried to run them over…his consort is still safe. Still going unnoticed. Arthur would continue attacking until he wasn't able to move, would continue distracting the beast until his skin felt like it was melting from his bones, would continue defending until Merlin finished what he was doing and got away from the danger. He felt like he was probably halfway there already, but Arthur only gritted his teeth and ordered his men to return to his sides, falling down low into his practiced crouch.

For Merlin.

X

Merlin felt the scratches forming on his hands, small stones and corners of the bricks digging into his flesh as if it was nothing but paper. There were broken and rusty nails clanging as they fell in a circle around him as they escaped the structure. Merlin had to grunt and strain as he heaved a large wooden beam in the way off to the side, he worked hard and fast and diligent. Putting the vivid sounds of the battle going on behind him out of mind. It was only background noise, something to accompany the aching in his shoulders as he shoved over a second beam blocking his way…Merlin could've cried with relief when he saw movement coming from the dainty hand. It was slim, clearly belonging to a girl, and covered it dirt, with broken and bleeding nails. But fuck…movement meant alive. Moving meant Merlin hadn't moved aside half this structure for nothing…it meant hope.

And then the hand was gone.

Jerked back under the pile as if it had never been there.

Merlin blinked, scrambling down into the dirt…what the fuck? He dropped his head down into the dirt, pressing his cheek against the structure as hard as he could, squinting his eyes to try and see what was going on. The seconds were passing him on by, and the longer he stayed out here the worse his chances to survive got, but he didn't budge. He KNEW that there was somebody buried in that hole, it wasn't like he had just imagined that hand and then imagined that same hand disappearing on him. It took a few seconds longer before he finally saw movement within the shadows, Merlin swallowed back a surprised scream when a dirt covered face appeared in the hole, his entire body jolting from the girl's sudden appearance.

"Oh my god! Please! Please help me! Get me out of here!"

The peasant teenager shrieked with desperate abandonment, her dirty hand reappearing in the small gap…the structure has fallen in such a weird way that it had left some kind of pocket in the center. Tight enough that the girl wasn't able to wiggle herself out, but low enough that it kept her compressed into the one area. And with how many support beams that had been laying on top, her escape had been non-existent before Merlin got there. But Merlin was here, so he wasn't going to leave her. Merlin practically fell forward himself, reaching to grab hold of her dirty, bleeding hand, cupping it tightly in his larger one. Trying to offer her as much comfort as he could in what seemed like to be a hopeless situation.

"Don't worry, okay! Everything's going to be okay! I'm going to get you out of here as soon as I can, alright? Just hold on a second and let me try to get you out." Merlin said desperately, his heart was lodged in his throat as the peasant girl's watery eyes met his. She broke down into sobs, her body shaking with a great violence, so much so that a few pieces of the broken structure started to shift in an ominous way. Both Merlin and the girl went frozen, fearful that even a breath would be enough to send the items crashing, smashing down the hole and most likely breaking every bone in the girl's body. But the structure settled down, going quiet and still…Merlin still eyed it cautiously. He couldn't just yank the girl out…the hole she was staring through was far too small for her body to fit through. And the structure probably wouldn't survive all the moving around that would cause. "…You just keep as still as you possibly can, alright. It's very important, don't. Move. I don't know how sturdy this structure is but from what we just heard, I'm gonna take a guess and say it's not very sound. I need to try and find something to brace some of these pieces so that we can open up this hole without the entire thing coming down on you."

Merlin kept his voice as soft and as steady as he could make it, if the girl knew he was panicking, then she was going to panic. And a single twitch felt like it'd be enough to send this entire thing down…Merlin popped his head up out from the dirt to try and look at what material he had to work with. But all he saw was about a thousand now separated stones scattered about, and a dozen support beams that were now no longer supporting anything. Dirt, dirt, and more dirt…no obvious answers jumped out to him. And Merlin tried standing up…all Merlin had to do was THINK THINK THINK!…but the peasant girl seemed to forget his warnings the second he tried standing up and leaving her in this pit that could become her grave. Her hand had shot out of the hole, grabbing onto his wrist in a death grip, digging her nails into his skin with her desperation…it seemed being alone was more terrifying than her impending death.

"Please! Consort Merlin! Don't leave me! Don't…don't go anywhere! I can't…it's hard to breathe down here! It's slowly crushing me! Just please…please do not leave me by myself again!"

Merlin paused where he was on his knees…god, her fear was obvious and the sound of it in her voice felt like it was trying to rip him apart from the inside. It was palpable in the air, and Merlin wished nothing more than to sit back down in the dirt beside her. To hold her hand until the battle ended and she could be dug out of the dirt once the beast was nobody's main priority. But he WASN'T able to do that. Time was of the essence, and every second that passed was a new second, and that second could be the very thing that ended her. She just had to hold on, and hopefully Merlin could figure this out before the collapse inevitably happened…a little while alone. That was all she needed…the consort placed his other hand on top of hers and gave it a firm squeeze. Waiting til her eyes came back up to meet his, her hair in tangled and dirty clumps all around her pale face.

"I'm coming back for you. Do you understand me? I Will come back for you. I'm not going to leave you buried here. But if you want to get out, then I have to go find something that will help me. There's too much stuff piled on top, and I do not thinking digging you out is an option. It'll unsettle what's on top, and that's the last thing that we want. Okay? Just give me a few minutes, and rather I do find something or not, I'll be back. I don't abandon people, and I am certainly not going to start with you."

Merlin placed as much sincerity into his voice as he could, feeling anxious the longer that he laid there…he tried to imagine things from her point of view. He tried to imagine just walking by, minding his business…maybe carrying a load of laundry with him if he was one of the cleaning servants. When the alarms go off, leaving him disoriented and confused as people started to run around with terror, no idea what was going on or what was happening. Hearing the roars of that horrid beast just before it smashed into the roof of the building he would have tried taking shelter in, and collapsing the entire building directly on top of him. Merlin tried imagining laying there, in the dark with so much weight on top of him, knowing that only a few support beams that were already starting to crack was the only thing that stopped the building from crushing him. And he tried imagining what it would feel like to finally die, knowing that not a soul was coming because not a soul knew that he was under there. His body would not be found until the cleanup crew finally got around to rebuilding the outpost on top of him, long after the battle had already ended and new problems came and took its place. And most people…most people weren't like Merlin. Most of them hadn't been to dark places like him, most of them hadn't spent so much of their time wading through an encompassing mental darkness, so much so that it felt like it would never get better. For somebody who had so much life…a will to live…even for somebody like him who had clawed his way out of that darkness by the grit of his teeth…it had to be traumatic.

Which was why Merlin was never more relieved when the young girl nodded her head, shaky and still terrified, but finally letting him go, trusting for Merlin to come back to her. Trusting that she wouldn't be left here, her body rotting beneath wood and stone and brick. Releasing a breath of air, Merlin popped up to his feet and started scanning the ground around him…something that could be strong enough to prop into the hole to use it as a lift, leaving the young girl with enough room to claw her way out. The sounds of the battle was going off behind him still, but Merlin focused on the task at hand, finding nothing more than what he had already seen before. There must've been a thousand bricks and stones, a few crates that had clearly been inside the building but looked as if they were already on their last legs to begin with and wouldn't be strong enough for what he needed it for, and a few dozen or so support beams…the consort stopped. It felt as if a torch had just gone off in his head. It was most likely a stupid idea, but it literally had what he needed in the name…support.

Merlin scrambled his way over a few dozen bricks, careful not to step on what was left of the main structure in case his weight was enough to cause it to go down, before finding a suitable support beam thrown off to the side when the structure had originally came down. Merlin bent down and wrapped his hands around one end of it, the thing had to be at least eight feet long so it did stand a good few feet more than he was. That only made it heavier, and it was thickly made, which only caused Merlin to grunt as he started dragging it back to the girl's little cubby hole. It took longer than he wished it too, but he did manage to get it there without incident. Which was a miracle in itself, he thought as he chanced a glance over his shoulder and saw one of the eight knights that still stood being knocked down by the beast. There was a terrifying crack echoing in the air, and a scream that made Merlin believe the man most likely had a set of broken ribs now. Merlin shook his head viciously, and got back down on his knees in front of the hole so he could focus on his own problems.

"Hey, I told you that I was going to be back, didn't I? And I have a plan I think I can pull off if you just work with me for a second here, okay? We need to work fast though, since I don't know how much longer the knights will be distracting that creature." Merlin immediately said, feeling some of his tension starting to relax when he saw the serving girl still staring at him through the gap between the ground and the support beams laid out on top of her. He had halfway been scared of coming back only to find that she had perished in the ten minutes or so that he had been gone. Because either the thing that collapsed on her fully, or she had given into her panic and died because she couldn't breathe enough air into her lungs. But the serving girl seemed to be doing well, or at least well as anybody could expect in this situation. 'Alive' was all Merlin cared about at the moment, anything else could be handled once she was free. "Now, I know I told you not to move, but you can't stay there while I'm working. You're far too close to the opening, and I need as much room as I can get. So, I need you to slider as far back as you can get just to make sure I don't accidentally hit you or anything, alright?"

The plan was, as far as Merlin could come up with, was to wedge the support beam he had in his hands into the hole the serving girl was using to get what little air she could. And hopefully, once it was shoved under there enough, he could push down on the other end like some kind of lever. Push the bits on top up some, widening the hole enough to let the serving girl squeeze out before he dropped it back down. It was the only plan he had, and Merlin wasn't going to waste time second guessing himself or trying to come up with something a bit more sure to work. It wasn't like he had the proper tools to help with a job like this, and the girl seemed to be on board at least. She nodded her head, so eager to get out and taste the fresh air that came with just being alive, before she started carefully maneuvering herself. Sliding further back into the hole till she had almost disappeared from Merlin's view in the darkness. Only after the girl started becoming one with the shadows, did Merlin suddenly feel the need to know something.

"Wait…what's your name?"

It was probably stupid for Merlin to ask at a time like this…he could always just ask her after he pulled her out of the wreckage. But then Merlin would think…it was just as likely that there would be no chance to ask her later on. There was just so many things that could go wrong…he could hit the pile at a completely wrong angle and the whole thing would come down anyway. The creature may show up and land on top of what was left of the structure, crushing the woman beneath it without hesitation or pause. The girl actually could end up having a panic attack of some sort and passing out because there was so little air able to get down into her lungs. But knowing her name felt so important…anything could happen. What would happen if she died and Merlin didn't even know just who she had been? How would he be able too…how would he able to track her family down and tell them the bad news if he didn't know something as simple as her name.

"…Keira, my lord…my name is Keira."

Keira, Merlin thought, musing that over for a moment as he rolled the name in his mind. It sounded somewhat familiar, or perhaps it was the girl's voice that sounded familiar…he was sure he had heard her before and was only just now realizing that fact. But he couldn't recall WHERE he had heard the voice from, but Merlin supposed it wasn't the most important thing to be concerned about at the moment. Getting her out…that was important. And so, now that the girl…Keira…was tucked away somewhere deeper in the structure, Merlin worked on the outside. It took some back and forth before Merlin was able to squeeze the end of the support beam under the second support beam that was laid across the hole, the one thing stopping Keira from crawling out on her own, but it had been too buried in there for Merlin to risk pulling out. Wedging the one end of the support beam left the other end sticking straight up into the air, Merlin put a bit of his weight on the opposite end and pushed it a bit just to test it. It was stiff, wedged in there good and tight, which meant it wouldn't fall out while he was working.

Merlin didn't waste no time at this realization, grabbing onto the end of it with both hands, and dragging the support beam down as hard as he could. It only left Merlin with gritting his teeth down in frustration, his shoulders straining as he struggled…he wasn't strong enough to actually move anything. The downed structure was making noises, creaking sounds mostly, and Merlin couldn't say if that was a good thing or not. It could collapse, but then again, it would have to make some kind of noise if Merlin was accomplishing anything. Feeling all of the sweat rolling down his back and pooling into the base of his spine, the boy grunted as he practically climbed on top of the wooden beam. Trying his damn hardest to force the beam to go down, but even with sitting on top of it…it was not moving. It was not going down. It, and Merlin, was suspended up in the air, with nothing to show for his brilliant plan.

Pure ice surrounded Merlin's heart, his throat squeezing shut as he came to a terrifying realization, the only reason for why the beam wasn't moving the way it should've been…Merlin didn't weigh enough to push it down.