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Merlin fic: The Wolf and the Phoenix {3/?}
Title: The Wolf and the Phoenix (3/?)
Author: dk323
Rating: PG
Word count: 3,343 (this chapter)
Characters/Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Spoilers: Up to 2x04.
Disclaimer: The show Merlin is property of the BBC. The “His Dark Materials” books are property of Philip Pullman. No money is being made.
Summary:
There’s another world where Arthur is an exiled prince for committing treason against the crown, for stopping Merlin’s execution, for not letting the sorcerer be killed to further the king’s blind crusade against magic. With Excalibur and magic on their side, Arthur and Merlin escape to a different world when the king’s men catch up to them.
It’s lucky that Excalibur can do more than strike men down in battle…
Chapter 3: Merlin receives a warning and realizes that he can’t hold off on telling Arthur about what he fears most. They spend some time in the Shadow World, where spirits of the dead dwell…
A/N: A bit of a His Dark Materials crossover where Arthur and Merlin both have daemons (their souls are outside of their bodies and are in animal form).
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
Previously:
“Arthur, I’ll meet you two in your chambers,” Merlin spoke silently to Arthur, reopening the channels quickly.
“Merlin, what’s going on?” Arthur asked, wondering. Merlin could just see him turning to look back at him.
“I need to check something out. I’ll be fine.”
“What is it, Merlin?” He asked again with more force this time.
“I’ll tell you later.”
“Merlin…”
But Merlin had already disappeared, the conversation ending with his departure.
~ * ~
Now:
Arthur tried to hide his concern for Merlin. Whatever he was up to, it didn’t sound good.
Best not dwell on it now. He’d just have to wait to yell at Merlin later for being evasive with him. Merlin should know how important it was to be honest with him. Especially after all they’ve been through…
He was taken out of his thoughts by this world’s Merlin conjuring swirls of light in front of him.
“Are you trying to blind me?” Arthur muttered, waving at the string of lights, but the other Merlin managed to bend them away from him, escaping his assault.
“Sorry – just… it’s nice, that’s all,” the other Merlin said in a non-committal tone.
Arthur had a feeling as to what the other Merlin was implying. He had to set the situation straight before this Merlin got any ideas…
He stopped walking with Merlin doing the same, turning to Arthur with an inquiring look in his eyes.
Looking at him directly, Arthur spoke firmly, “Let me make myself very clear, you will not tell anyone here who doesn’t already know about your magic until Merlin and I tell you to. The repercussions are too high a price to pay.”
The other Merlin gave him a stiff look. He looked defiant. “This is my world. I’m allowed to make my own decisions. And certainly, nothing bad happened when you found out, did it? If I could just tell Arthur--”
“No, do you understand me? You can tell no one. True, I accepted Merlin’s secret and I kept it secret. I can see that this world is much different than ours though. How long have you been in Camelot?”
The other Merlin looked at him oddly, miffed by the sudden question. He shrugged. “A little over a year now.”
“I knew about Merlin’s secret even before he was my manservant. The fight in the market place? I saw him do magic – I knew my eyes were not deceiving me. I managed to corner him a few weeks after he was given the position of my manservant. And after a few words, I convinced him to tell me the truth.”
Merlin stared wide-eyed at him. “You’ve known for that long?”
“For about two years now, yes. I don’t know how different your Arthur is, but I’m sure in some ways, he and I are both alike. Trust me, Merlin, if it’s already been a year and you haven’t confided in him yet – he’s not going to take it well. I certainly don’t like secrets being withheld from me. Do you understand now?”
He nodded, though he still didn’t appear completely persuaded. Arthur wondered if he could get Merlin to talk to him.
The two of them resumed walking. The other Merlin asked, “What went wrong? How did your Merlin nearly get executed?”
“It was accidental, or more like Merlin – I’m sure you’re familiar with it – being an absolute idiot and playing the hero.”
“And --?”
“My father was in the room.”
From the comprehending look on Merlin’s face, Arthur knew he had made his point clear. “Oh,” Merlin only said.
“Yes, well. Merlin and I came here to seek a safe place, but this depends on your cooperation. If you listen to us, then we will cause you no trouble. We might let you reveal your secret to Arthur, but it has to be done our way, understood?”
Merlin nodded. “All right. I’ll cooperate.”
“Good,” Arthur said approvingly.
The other Merlin “What is your ability – the one your Merlin was talking about? Something to do with stealing magic?”
“I wouldn’t call it ‘stealing’ exactly. I can hold magic – actually, taking magic from a sorcerer or any magic user is a recent development. I’ve been practicing. I didn’t even know I could do that trick until I was in exile. The skill became useful when I was up against a sorcerer and Merlin couldn’t be there. It’s a good way to hold off the sorcerer for a little while. It’s akin to a power drain, I suppose.”
“Can you use the magic you take?” The other Merlin questioned.
He shook his head. “No. Merlin or someone else of magic must speak the spell to awaken the magic. I leave the magic tricks to Merlin.”
“Do you think Arthur – the one in this world – could have the same ability?” The other Merlin asked, interested.
Arthur shook his head. “I honestly doubt it. This is a different world – if he did have the ability that would defeat the purpose of ‘a different world.’”
“You never know for sure,” Merlin pointed out.
They were nearing Arthur’s chambers as they turned a corner.
“I don’t think so,” Arthur shook his head. Then he gave a slightly apologetic look to Merlin. “Look, I’ll give you back the magic I took from you. And you can tell me about this world…”
“All right,” Merlin said slowly.
Arthur nodded and then his eyes flashed gold before he willed the magic out of his body. The other Merlin let out a small gasp as he felt the small bit of magic return to him.
“Thank you,” he uttered gratefully.
“It was nothing,” Arthur shrugged.
“What do you want to know about my world?”
“Anything. Everything. Start with Arthur. I’m sure you have a lot to say about him. I doubt that would change.”
The other Merlin grinned at him. “See, that’s the problem. Always think a lot of yourself.”
Arthur couldn’t help rolling his eyes. If there was any doubt, there was none now. This other Merlin was definitely Merlin – daemon or no.
He waved his hand. “Continue on then. I’m listening.”
~ * ~
Standing a few feet away from her – his world’s Morgana for he could see Tiresias in butterfly form clinging to her hair --, Merlin almost couldn’t bear to watch as she walked to the edge of the ramparts.
“Morgana!” Merlin shouted, hoping in vain to get her to stop.
But it was no use. As she turned to him, Merlin could see through her – she was a ghost.
“How did you follow us here, Morgana? Please, I need to know,” he pleaded with her desperately.
She had a strangely peaceful look on her face. She spoke softly, though her words rung clear and loud to Merlin’s ears. “I saved myself.”
“Gwen said you fell…why?”
“You know why,” Morgana told him. “I saved myself,” she repeated again, more earnestly this time.
“Is there anything – any information you can give me?” Merlin asked.
She sighed and she neared him then until she stood before him.
“Oh, Merlin,” She said tenderly. Morgana placed her translucent hand over Merlin’s cheek. “Save yourself.”
Before Merlin could say or do anything, he saw Morgana at the edge of the battlements and she fell forward – her arms spread wide. It was almost as if she were flying.
He turned away then. He didn’t want to be there anymore. This was only a ghostly reenactment after all. Feeling a shift in the spell that stopped time, Merlin reinforced the spell to keep it going.
If Morgana had made sure to follow them here, somehow, then Merlin knew that he should pay heed to her words.
He recalled what the knight had said to him…what Uther had planned for him, for any sorcerers to come across his path. Merlin had tried to forget about it – favoring escaping to another world to avoid it all together -- until Morgana’s warning forced the memory to the forefront of his mind:
“The king has discovered a way to subdue daemons of sorcerers. Make the sorcerers do his bidding that way. Take away their free will.”
Merlin left the ramparts, walking this time, with Zlota in firefly form buzzing around him.
As long as they were in this world – this blessedly daemon-free world – then Merlin was safe.
He knew that he had to tell Arthur now. He couldn’t keep this to himself. The burden was too heavy to bear alone.
~ * ~
When Merlin entered the other Arthur’s chambers, he found his Arthur lying casually on the bed. Krola was on the bed as well, her head resting on Arthur’s lap with him stroking her idly. Seated in a chair nearby, this world’s Merlin concentrated on polishing armour. Arthur had been saying something to him, but he stopped abruptly upon seeing the new arrival.
“Merlin, what is going on?” He asked right away, recalling his sudden need to leave.
The other Merlin looked up at his alternate self with a questioning gaze, but he did not speak.
“I’ll tell you soon, Arthur,” Merlin promised, then he turned to his other self and informed him, “I have to end the time spell. I can return you to where you were before. If you could make sure your Arthur doesn’t suspect anything…”
The other Merlin nodded, setting aside the armour. “I’ll do my best. I’ll help you in any way I can.”
Merlin gave his Arthur a pointed look. “What did you tell him?”
The other Merlin spoke before Arthur could utter a word. “It’s my decision,” he said firmly. “You two could use me. I know it. I’m willing to help.”
Merlin exchanged a look with Arthur who simply shrugged in response.
“An ally is better than an enemy,” he said while Krola gazed at Merlin piercingly, her silver eyes shining.
Turning back to his other self, Merlin told him, sounding grateful. “Thank you then. I – we – appreciate it. We’ll meet with you again soon.”
“Where are you going to go? If you’re seen…”
“Don’t worry about that. Arthur has his sword – it can cut into different worlds, so we can go to one of them if we need to. And I know some obscuring spells that’ll draw attention away from us.”
“Wait – what do you mean, ‘cut’?”
Arthur climbed off of the bed and then he removed his sword from its sheath. “It’s this sword here – I’ll show you how it works sometime.”
The other Merlin looked at the sword curiously. “This sword – does it have a name?”
“Excalibur,” Merlin informed him.
“There’s an Excalibur in this world, you know. I threw the sword into a lake to hide it.”
“…you threw Excalibur into a lake?” Arthur repeated in disbelief. “Please tell me it was a magical lake.”
His Merlin let out a laugh at which Arthur appeared quite offended at.
The other Merlin stared at both of them, uncertain what to make of their reaction. “It’s a magical sword, isn’t it? It may have different properties in relation to your sword, but the Dragon breathed his fire on it. Excalibur can kill anything – living and undead.”
Arthur just looked at him like he had told him the sky was blue and how exceptional that was. All in all, he seemed distinctly unimpressed.
Merlin spoke up quickly before Arthur could start arguing how much better his Excalibur was. “All right! The sword should be fine in a lake. Dragon’s fire is magical after all and does hold a certain level of protection,” he conceded. “And let’s not turn this into a pissing contest, Arthur. It really isn’t the time.”
Arthur held his tongue, though he still looked mildly annoyed.
Merlin turned to his other self and said, “I’m going to send you back now, Merlin.”
The other Merlin stood up and nodded. “I’m ready.”
Merlin placed his hand over his brow and before he said the words of the spell, he told him, “Remember the words I say, all right? This is a basic teleportation spell, which I’m sure you’ll be able to learn and manage on your own with some practice.”
“But what if something goes wrong when I try it out?”
“If you say the words wrong, then nothing will happen. Believe me, I practiced this incantation and nothing went awry before I succeeded in the teleportation.”
Still appearing a bit uncertain, the other Merlin nodded warily. Merlin spoke the words of the spell, and a moment later, his other self had disappeared.
“You could have just physically taken him back to the courtyard,” Arthur pointed out.
Merlin shook his head and then his eyes glowed gold, time unfreezing itself as he summoned his magic to end the spell.
He released a deep breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. A sense of relief swept over him. “I can’t keep the spell going on forever. It takes too much out of me. Reinforcing it just worsens the toll it takes on me. Sending him back magically was faster.”
Arthur relented then. Merlin was the magic expert after all. Who was he to argue with him on that matter?
“We have to go to the Shadow World, Arthur. It’s our best option.”
“Can’t you just teleport us away?”
“Even so, we would still be sneaking around. I just don’t know if I have the energy now to keep an invisibility spell going. I don’t want to be disturbed. Please, Arthur,” he pleaded with him.
“Fine, all right. Though the less time we spend in that world, the better. It’s not an ideal place to stay.”
“Just make an opening, will you? I know it’s not perfect, but it’s an empty world...and we’ll be in the same room too. If the mirror property works from this world, that is.”
“An empty world where spirits like to visit once in a while – that’s as far from ideal as you can get.”
Merlin didn’t answer him, only deigning to roll his eyes slightly at his complaints.
But still, Arthur made the opening and they entered the other world, Krola following after him and Zlota hidden under Merlin’s shirt. Once they had all come through the opening, Arthur sealed the window with his fingers, closing them off from the daemon-less world.
The grey mist masked the floor beneath them as they walked across it – the room in this world was almost the same as the one they had just left. The main difference being the grey, colorless tone of the chambers, which made the room appear rather dreary and sad.
Merlin went to rest on the bed, identical to the one in the other Arthur’s bedchambers. Zlota flew away from him, shifting back into a phoenix as she took flight.
Arthur sighed as he laid down on the bed beside Merlin who shifted a bit to make room for him.
“What’s going on, Merlin? Where were you?”
“I saw Morgana’s ghost,” he started quietly, his eyes over-bright as he looked directly at Arthur. “She came to warn me.”
Arthur gripped his shoulder to comfort him in some small way. “What was the warning?”
“When we were attacked by those knights, back in our world, one of them told me about Uther’s plans. He has found a way to subdue sorcerers’ daemons so that the sorcerers are under his control. I suppose that way--”
“--he would have little to fear if he has sorcerers following his orders…” Arthur finished, the thought setting him ill at ease. From the floor, Krola growled unhappily.
Merlin nodded sullenly. “Morgana wanted to remind me of the danger. I believe she killed herself to prevent the king from using her. I imagine that she couldn't bear to tell Gwen about what the king had planned -- it was too painful for her. That’s why I wanted to leave our world. And I can’t go back. I don't think I have the strength to.”
“Merlin, we can’t stay here. I have to return to reclaim the throne, to be the king who the people of Camelot need. I can’t abandon them,” Arthur said fervently, the determination clear in his words. Merlin looked away from him, releasing a shaky sigh. He knew Arthur would say that. “I know you’re scared, but I promise you, as long as I live, you’ll be safe. We look out for each other, Merlin. Have you learned nothing over this past year?” He finished with a small smile.
Merlin returned his smile with a weak one, which turned into more of a grimace than a smile.
Zlota flew back to Merlin, settling on his other side opposite Arthur. She nudged his hand with her small beak. “Don’t be afraid,” she said to Merlin.
“You’re right, Arthur. But I can’t help being worried. The things I could do if I’m under another’s control…” he closed his eyes, shuddering at the thought.
“Don’t let the fear win. Just focus on something else,” he asked of Merlin.
Then Arthur leaned toward him and placed his hand over his cheek. “Think about me,” he whispered and he kissed him softly on the lips.
He could feel Merlin smile against his lips. Before Arthur could do anything further, Merlin moved on top of Arthur and he looked down at him, a smile quirking at his lips. “I believe you’re on to something,” he remarked.
He bent down to kiss Arthur, his touch desperate, full of hunger and desire. Arthur reached out to tangle his fingers in Merlin’s dark hair as he kissed him back eagerly.
Krola and Zlota danced around each other, flirting, teasing each other as Arthur and Merlin were lost to the world – intent on one another as if they were the only two people in the world. And in the Shadow World, there was a good chance that they could have been the sole inhabitants of the lost, empty world.
Though this time around, they were not alone.
A spirit was lurking, a girl who they had met once on their past visits to the Shadow World. Her name was Lady Corah. Arthur and Merlin didn't know much about her or her world. Just that it was a world dominated by magic users. A fact that was of great interest to Merlin, as one can imagine. Unfortunately, Corah was especially reticent on revealing any more about her homeworld. She preferred to learn more about Arthur and Merlin and their adventures.
If Lady Corah had been more open with the both of them, then, oh, the stories she could tell... both Merlin and Arthur would have been enraptured by the tragic, intriguing tale.
Lady Corah was sixteen years old when she had died, a victim to a plague that had altered her world forever. She counted herself fortunate as she had lived longer than expected as her dear friends succumbed to the merciless plague – their only fault was that they did not possess magic. Corah had lost her parents to the plague, and she had been certain that she would be next.
It was with great luck that she had been taken in by a sorcerer, who had somehow procured a sapphire necklace for her that, upon wearing, had allowed her to live for some time without wasting away from the terrible effects of the disease. The sorcerer, you see, was an advisor to the king of Camelot, who had claimed the throne when the plague killed King Uther.
His son, Arthur had died peacefully, though Corah wasn’t sure about the truth to that – since the tension was high in those days when she was very young. Those who possessed magic were seizing control of everything as those who lacked magic died or were too weak to fight the magic users. There was every chance that an overzealous sorcerer had made sure to take out the young prince, worried that a sympathizer would find a way to restore him to good health and assist him in reclaiming the throne.
And in Corah’s world, where dragons were still many in number and the use of magic was accepted as the norm while all non-magic users were dead or near death, King Balinor’s son, Prince Merlin, had a prophecy written about him.
But she had no idea as to how these alternate versions of Merlin and a very much alive Arthur with their strange daemon-souls fit into the picture. But she could not let go of the feeling that they were important in some way.
~ * ~
Chapter 4: The taking of the betrayer
Author: dk323
Rating: PG
Word count: 3,343 (this chapter)
Characters/Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Spoilers: Up to 2x04.
Disclaimer: The show Merlin is property of the BBC. The “His Dark Materials” books are property of Philip Pullman. No money is being made.
Summary:
There’s another world where Arthur is an exiled prince for committing treason against the crown, for stopping Merlin’s execution, for not letting the sorcerer be killed to further the king’s blind crusade against magic. With Excalibur and magic on their side, Arthur and Merlin escape to a different world when the king’s men catch up to them.
It’s lucky that Excalibur can do more than strike men down in battle…
Chapter 3: Merlin receives a warning and realizes that he can’t hold off on telling Arthur about what he fears most. They spend some time in the Shadow World, where spirits of the dead dwell…
A/N: A bit of a His Dark Materials crossover where Arthur and Merlin both have daemons (their souls are outside of their bodies and are in animal form).
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
Previously:
“Arthur, I’ll meet you two in your chambers,” Merlin spoke silently to Arthur, reopening the channels quickly.
“Merlin, what’s going on?” Arthur asked, wondering. Merlin could just see him turning to look back at him.
“I need to check something out. I’ll be fine.”
“What is it, Merlin?” He asked again with more force this time.
“I’ll tell you later.”
“Merlin…”
But Merlin had already disappeared, the conversation ending with his departure.
~ * ~
Now:
Arthur tried to hide his concern for Merlin. Whatever he was up to, it didn’t sound good.
Best not dwell on it now. He’d just have to wait to yell at Merlin later for being evasive with him. Merlin should know how important it was to be honest with him. Especially after all they’ve been through…
He was taken out of his thoughts by this world’s Merlin conjuring swirls of light in front of him.
“Are you trying to blind me?” Arthur muttered, waving at the string of lights, but the other Merlin managed to bend them away from him, escaping his assault.
“Sorry – just… it’s nice, that’s all,” the other Merlin said in a non-committal tone.
Arthur had a feeling as to what the other Merlin was implying. He had to set the situation straight before this Merlin got any ideas…
He stopped walking with Merlin doing the same, turning to Arthur with an inquiring look in his eyes.
Looking at him directly, Arthur spoke firmly, “Let me make myself very clear, you will not tell anyone here who doesn’t already know about your magic until Merlin and I tell you to. The repercussions are too high a price to pay.”
The other Merlin gave him a stiff look. He looked defiant. “This is my world. I’m allowed to make my own decisions. And certainly, nothing bad happened when you found out, did it? If I could just tell Arthur--”
“No, do you understand me? You can tell no one. True, I accepted Merlin’s secret and I kept it secret. I can see that this world is much different than ours though. How long have you been in Camelot?”
The other Merlin looked at him oddly, miffed by the sudden question. He shrugged. “A little over a year now.”
“I knew about Merlin’s secret even before he was my manservant. The fight in the market place? I saw him do magic – I knew my eyes were not deceiving me. I managed to corner him a few weeks after he was given the position of my manservant. And after a few words, I convinced him to tell me the truth.”
Merlin stared wide-eyed at him. “You’ve known for that long?”
“For about two years now, yes. I don’t know how different your Arthur is, but I’m sure in some ways, he and I are both alike. Trust me, Merlin, if it’s already been a year and you haven’t confided in him yet – he’s not going to take it well. I certainly don’t like secrets being withheld from me. Do you understand now?”
He nodded, though he still didn’t appear completely persuaded. Arthur wondered if he could get Merlin to talk to him.
The two of them resumed walking. The other Merlin asked, “What went wrong? How did your Merlin nearly get executed?”
“It was accidental, or more like Merlin – I’m sure you’re familiar with it – being an absolute idiot and playing the hero.”
“And --?”
“My father was in the room.”
From the comprehending look on Merlin’s face, Arthur knew he had made his point clear. “Oh,” Merlin only said.
“Yes, well. Merlin and I came here to seek a safe place, but this depends on your cooperation. If you listen to us, then we will cause you no trouble. We might let you reveal your secret to Arthur, but it has to be done our way, understood?”
Merlin nodded. “All right. I’ll cooperate.”
“Good,” Arthur said approvingly.
The other Merlin “What is your ability – the one your Merlin was talking about? Something to do with stealing magic?”
“I wouldn’t call it ‘stealing’ exactly. I can hold magic – actually, taking magic from a sorcerer or any magic user is a recent development. I’ve been practicing. I didn’t even know I could do that trick until I was in exile. The skill became useful when I was up against a sorcerer and Merlin couldn’t be there. It’s a good way to hold off the sorcerer for a little while. It’s akin to a power drain, I suppose.”
“Can you use the magic you take?” The other Merlin questioned.
He shook his head. “No. Merlin or someone else of magic must speak the spell to awaken the magic. I leave the magic tricks to Merlin.”
“Do you think Arthur – the one in this world – could have the same ability?” The other Merlin asked, interested.
Arthur shook his head. “I honestly doubt it. This is a different world – if he did have the ability that would defeat the purpose of ‘a different world.’”
“You never know for sure,” Merlin pointed out.
They were nearing Arthur’s chambers as they turned a corner.
“I don’t think so,” Arthur shook his head. Then he gave a slightly apologetic look to Merlin. “Look, I’ll give you back the magic I took from you. And you can tell me about this world…”
“All right,” Merlin said slowly.
Arthur nodded and then his eyes flashed gold before he willed the magic out of his body. The other Merlin let out a small gasp as he felt the small bit of magic return to him.
“Thank you,” he uttered gratefully.
“It was nothing,” Arthur shrugged.
“What do you want to know about my world?”
“Anything. Everything. Start with Arthur. I’m sure you have a lot to say about him. I doubt that would change.”
The other Merlin grinned at him. “See, that’s the problem. Always think a lot of yourself.”
Arthur couldn’t help rolling his eyes. If there was any doubt, there was none now. This other Merlin was definitely Merlin – daemon or no.
He waved his hand. “Continue on then. I’m listening.”
~ * ~
Standing a few feet away from her – his world’s Morgana for he could see Tiresias in butterfly form clinging to her hair --, Merlin almost couldn’t bear to watch as she walked to the edge of the ramparts.
“Morgana!” Merlin shouted, hoping in vain to get her to stop.
But it was no use. As she turned to him, Merlin could see through her – she was a ghost.
“How did you follow us here, Morgana? Please, I need to know,” he pleaded with her desperately.
She had a strangely peaceful look on her face. She spoke softly, though her words rung clear and loud to Merlin’s ears. “I saved myself.”
“Gwen said you fell…why?”
“You know why,” Morgana told him. “I saved myself,” she repeated again, more earnestly this time.
“Is there anything – any information you can give me?” Merlin asked.
She sighed and she neared him then until she stood before him.
“Oh, Merlin,” She said tenderly. Morgana placed her translucent hand over Merlin’s cheek. “Save yourself.”
Before Merlin could say or do anything, he saw Morgana at the edge of the battlements and she fell forward – her arms spread wide. It was almost as if she were flying.
He turned away then. He didn’t want to be there anymore. This was only a ghostly reenactment after all. Feeling a shift in the spell that stopped time, Merlin reinforced the spell to keep it going.
If Morgana had made sure to follow them here, somehow, then Merlin knew that he should pay heed to her words.
He recalled what the knight had said to him…what Uther had planned for him, for any sorcerers to come across his path. Merlin had tried to forget about it – favoring escaping to another world to avoid it all together -- until Morgana’s warning forced the memory to the forefront of his mind:
“The king has discovered a way to subdue daemons of sorcerers. Make the sorcerers do his bidding that way. Take away their free will.”
Merlin left the ramparts, walking this time, with Zlota in firefly form buzzing around him.
As long as they were in this world – this blessedly daemon-free world – then Merlin was safe.
He knew that he had to tell Arthur now. He couldn’t keep this to himself. The burden was too heavy to bear alone.
~ * ~
When Merlin entered the other Arthur’s chambers, he found his Arthur lying casually on the bed. Krola was on the bed as well, her head resting on Arthur’s lap with him stroking her idly. Seated in a chair nearby, this world’s Merlin concentrated on polishing armour. Arthur had been saying something to him, but he stopped abruptly upon seeing the new arrival.
“Merlin, what is going on?” He asked right away, recalling his sudden need to leave.
The other Merlin looked up at his alternate self with a questioning gaze, but he did not speak.
“I’ll tell you soon, Arthur,” Merlin promised, then he turned to his other self and informed him, “I have to end the time spell. I can return you to where you were before. If you could make sure your Arthur doesn’t suspect anything…”
The other Merlin nodded, setting aside the armour. “I’ll do my best. I’ll help you in any way I can.”
Merlin gave his Arthur a pointed look. “What did you tell him?”
The other Merlin spoke before Arthur could utter a word. “It’s my decision,” he said firmly. “You two could use me. I know it. I’m willing to help.”
Merlin exchanged a look with Arthur who simply shrugged in response.
“An ally is better than an enemy,” he said while Krola gazed at Merlin piercingly, her silver eyes shining.
Turning back to his other self, Merlin told him, sounding grateful. “Thank you then. I – we – appreciate it. We’ll meet with you again soon.”
“Where are you going to go? If you’re seen…”
“Don’t worry about that. Arthur has his sword – it can cut into different worlds, so we can go to one of them if we need to. And I know some obscuring spells that’ll draw attention away from us.”
“Wait – what do you mean, ‘cut’?”
Arthur climbed off of the bed and then he removed his sword from its sheath. “It’s this sword here – I’ll show you how it works sometime.”
The other Merlin looked at the sword curiously. “This sword – does it have a name?”
“Excalibur,” Merlin informed him.
“There’s an Excalibur in this world, you know. I threw the sword into a lake to hide it.”
“…you threw Excalibur into a lake?” Arthur repeated in disbelief. “Please tell me it was a magical lake.”
His Merlin let out a laugh at which Arthur appeared quite offended at.
The other Merlin stared at both of them, uncertain what to make of their reaction. “It’s a magical sword, isn’t it? It may have different properties in relation to your sword, but the Dragon breathed his fire on it. Excalibur can kill anything – living and undead.”
Arthur just looked at him like he had told him the sky was blue and how exceptional that was. All in all, he seemed distinctly unimpressed.
Merlin spoke up quickly before Arthur could start arguing how much better his Excalibur was. “All right! The sword should be fine in a lake. Dragon’s fire is magical after all and does hold a certain level of protection,” he conceded. “And let’s not turn this into a pissing contest, Arthur. It really isn’t the time.”
Arthur held his tongue, though he still looked mildly annoyed.
Merlin turned to his other self and said, “I’m going to send you back now, Merlin.”
The other Merlin stood up and nodded. “I’m ready.”
Merlin placed his hand over his brow and before he said the words of the spell, he told him, “Remember the words I say, all right? This is a basic teleportation spell, which I’m sure you’ll be able to learn and manage on your own with some practice.”
“But what if something goes wrong when I try it out?”
“If you say the words wrong, then nothing will happen. Believe me, I practiced this incantation and nothing went awry before I succeeded in the teleportation.”
Still appearing a bit uncertain, the other Merlin nodded warily. Merlin spoke the words of the spell, and a moment later, his other self had disappeared.
“You could have just physically taken him back to the courtyard,” Arthur pointed out.
Merlin shook his head and then his eyes glowed gold, time unfreezing itself as he summoned his magic to end the spell.
He released a deep breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. A sense of relief swept over him. “I can’t keep the spell going on forever. It takes too much out of me. Reinforcing it just worsens the toll it takes on me. Sending him back magically was faster.”
Arthur relented then. Merlin was the magic expert after all. Who was he to argue with him on that matter?
“We have to go to the Shadow World, Arthur. It’s our best option.”
“Can’t you just teleport us away?”
“Even so, we would still be sneaking around. I just don’t know if I have the energy now to keep an invisibility spell going. I don’t want to be disturbed. Please, Arthur,” he pleaded with him.
“Fine, all right. Though the less time we spend in that world, the better. It’s not an ideal place to stay.”
“Just make an opening, will you? I know it’s not perfect, but it’s an empty world...and we’ll be in the same room too. If the mirror property works from this world, that is.”
“An empty world where spirits like to visit once in a while – that’s as far from ideal as you can get.”
Merlin didn’t answer him, only deigning to roll his eyes slightly at his complaints.
But still, Arthur made the opening and they entered the other world, Krola following after him and Zlota hidden under Merlin’s shirt. Once they had all come through the opening, Arthur sealed the window with his fingers, closing them off from the daemon-less world.
The grey mist masked the floor beneath them as they walked across it – the room in this world was almost the same as the one they had just left. The main difference being the grey, colorless tone of the chambers, which made the room appear rather dreary and sad.
Merlin went to rest on the bed, identical to the one in the other Arthur’s bedchambers. Zlota flew away from him, shifting back into a phoenix as she took flight.
Arthur sighed as he laid down on the bed beside Merlin who shifted a bit to make room for him.
“What’s going on, Merlin? Where were you?”
“I saw Morgana’s ghost,” he started quietly, his eyes over-bright as he looked directly at Arthur. “She came to warn me.”
Arthur gripped his shoulder to comfort him in some small way. “What was the warning?”
“When we were attacked by those knights, back in our world, one of them told me about Uther’s plans. He has found a way to subdue sorcerers’ daemons so that the sorcerers are under his control. I suppose that way--”
“--he would have little to fear if he has sorcerers following his orders…” Arthur finished, the thought setting him ill at ease. From the floor, Krola growled unhappily.
Merlin nodded sullenly. “Morgana wanted to remind me of the danger. I believe she killed herself to prevent the king from using her. I imagine that she couldn't bear to tell Gwen about what the king had planned -- it was too painful for her. That’s why I wanted to leave our world. And I can’t go back. I don't think I have the strength to.”
“Merlin, we can’t stay here. I have to return to reclaim the throne, to be the king who the people of Camelot need. I can’t abandon them,” Arthur said fervently, the determination clear in his words. Merlin looked away from him, releasing a shaky sigh. He knew Arthur would say that. “I know you’re scared, but I promise you, as long as I live, you’ll be safe. We look out for each other, Merlin. Have you learned nothing over this past year?” He finished with a small smile.
Merlin returned his smile with a weak one, which turned into more of a grimace than a smile.
Zlota flew back to Merlin, settling on his other side opposite Arthur. She nudged his hand with her small beak. “Don’t be afraid,” she said to Merlin.
“You’re right, Arthur. But I can’t help being worried. The things I could do if I’m under another’s control…” he closed his eyes, shuddering at the thought.
“Don’t let the fear win. Just focus on something else,” he asked of Merlin.
Then Arthur leaned toward him and placed his hand over his cheek. “Think about me,” he whispered and he kissed him softly on the lips.
He could feel Merlin smile against his lips. Before Arthur could do anything further, Merlin moved on top of Arthur and he looked down at him, a smile quirking at his lips. “I believe you’re on to something,” he remarked.
He bent down to kiss Arthur, his touch desperate, full of hunger and desire. Arthur reached out to tangle his fingers in Merlin’s dark hair as he kissed him back eagerly.
Krola and Zlota danced around each other, flirting, teasing each other as Arthur and Merlin were lost to the world – intent on one another as if they were the only two people in the world. And in the Shadow World, there was a good chance that they could have been the sole inhabitants of the lost, empty world.
Though this time around, they were not alone.
A spirit was lurking, a girl who they had met once on their past visits to the Shadow World. Her name was Lady Corah. Arthur and Merlin didn't know much about her or her world. Just that it was a world dominated by magic users. A fact that was of great interest to Merlin, as one can imagine. Unfortunately, Corah was especially reticent on revealing any more about her homeworld. She preferred to learn more about Arthur and Merlin and their adventures.
If Lady Corah had been more open with the both of them, then, oh, the stories she could tell... both Merlin and Arthur would have been enraptured by the tragic, intriguing tale.
Lady Corah was sixteen years old when she had died, a victim to a plague that had altered her world forever. She counted herself fortunate as she had lived longer than expected as her dear friends succumbed to the merciless plague – their only fault was that they did not possess magic. Corah had lost her parents to the plague, and she had been certain that she would be next.
It was with great luck that she had been taken in by a sorcerer, who had somehow procured a sapphire necklace for her that, upon wearing, had allowed her to live for some time without wasting away from the terrible effects of the disease. The sorcerer, you see, was an advisor to the king of Camelot, who had claimed the throne when the plague killed King Uther.
His son, Arthur had died peacefully, though Corah wasn’t sure about the truth to that – since the tension was high in those days when she was very young. Those who possessed magic were seizing control of everything as those who lacked magic died or were too weak to fight the magic users. There was every chance that an overzealous sorcerer had made sure to take out the young prince, worried that a sympathizer would find a way to restore him to good health and assist him in reclaiming the throne.
And in Corah’s world, where dragons were still many in number and the use of magic was accepted as the norm while all non-magic users were dead or near death, King Balinor’s son, Prince Merlin, had a prophecy written about him.
But she had no idea as to how these alternate versions of Merlin and a very much alive Arthur with their strange daemon-souls fit into the picture. But she could not let go of the feeling that they were important in some way.
~ * ~
Chapter 4: The taking of the betrayer