Lost in Albion 2 (Merlin ) - Completed

42

Chapter 42

Arthur's hand on my mouth wakes me, holding back a short scream. His other hand raises to his lips, signalling for me to be quiet. I nod, reaching for my sword which is lying to next to me. Arthur bends down at Merlin as well who is waking up and wraps his hand around from behind.

"Cenred's men," he whispers, and any sense of drowsiness leaves me, my heart pumping adrenaline through me. Balinor wakes as well, already readying himself.

Cenred's men find us, jumping out of the bushes and I hold my sword to block one of the men. A mix of his strength and the works of gravity against me send me own my back. I roll out of the way as a blade cuts through the air, slicing through the ground where I was moments ago.

I kick my feet out, hitting the side of his ankle at an angle that brings him to his knees. Pulling myself back up, I use his painful distraction to end him.

"No!"

I spin, Balinor reaching towards an unarmed Merlin as a soldier aims to kill. I cry out as the sword cuts through flesh and Merlin's face morphs into pain, but he is not the one to drop. Balinor falls to his knees, Merlin's arm holding him steady as he lowers to the ground. The solider who dealt the blow flying backwards by a force belonging only to magic.

Another soldier comes at them, a dirty tactic to go for the unarmed boy but he's not taken me into consideration. Before he can blow his own strike, I stab him in the back.

I fall to my knees beside Balinor as he talks to Merlin, but I hold my hand over his wound, doing whatever I can to make him stop bleeding. It only takes seconds before my hands are drowned in blood and I hold them up, no longer able to see the colour of my flesh on them.

"No. Father. No"

Merlin cries out for his long-lost father as I stare in shock, blinking as I hold my hands out.

"NO!" My eyes find Arthur, stabbing his sword into the ground. "Camelot is doomed."

I stand, my legs feeling as though I'm on a ship sailing the rough sea through a storm. I don't get far before my knees find the ground as well and arms wrap around me, but I can't look away from my hands.

The blood of the last dragon lord. The blood of Merlin's father. Merlin's blood. The blood of all the dead and yet to die in Camelot.

The arms pull me back up after a time, but I barely notice. Cool water washes over my hands and my skin begins to show through again which finally breaks me from my trance. I follow the source of water back up to Arthur. His stony face concentrating on the water and my hands, washing away the blood.

Xx

My heart races against my chest, so much so that I can't believe it hasn't broken out of his cage and made its own way back to Camelot as we ride along the road. I barely spoke any word as we rode and neither men felt like sharing small talk either.

As the walls come into view, I can see Camelot's knights stationed on them, moving about with weapons in their hands and I yearn to run to them.

Guards take our horses and they must know from the looks on our faces and the lack of an extra person that we were unsuccessful. I trail behind them as Arthur heads straight to the War Room.

It is packed with Knights and Uther.

A silently sob escapes my lips as I lock eyes with Leon who stands to the King's right. My hand covers my mouth and the tears flow freely over my fingers at the relief. He watches me solemnly but offers a small smile.

"I'm sorry, Father. I failed you. The last dragon lord id dead," Arthur announces, and the atmosphere of the room drops even more than I thought it could. Merlin grips my hands tightly and my other falls to his arm, resting my cheek against it. He shakes and I glance up at him, already knowing what I'm going to see.