Merlyn's Final Truth

Lamia P3

They left the horses at the top of a steep ridge, scrabbling down towards a dark cave below the castle. Percival had watched Gwen fasten parts of her ripped tunic to trees, hoping it was enough for whatever phantom rescuers followed them into the gloom. Leon had miraculously managed to light a torch. How he had done it, Percival didn't know, but he found himself at the back of the group, reluctantly following Lamia into the black.

"This way." She motioned for them to move past a fallen grate, leading the enamored knights into the tunnel. Gwen followed them, glancing back at Percival worriedly: neither of them knew how this would end. If Lamia was really controlling the others, who knew what else she could do.

Merlyn, he soon realised, had fallen back, stopping just shy of the sunlight. Gwaine moved round her, Elyan on his back, but Percival wondered if he could contact her again. There had been times that she had pulled herself away from the spell, but he couldn't be sure how she managed it. He had theories, of course, as to why he wasn't affected, but nothing he could confirm.

He grabbed her by the arm, pulling her round to face him. She seemed off, her eyes glazed over, almost as if she was listening to something far away. Still, she struggled away from him, as if someone else was working her body.

"This is madness, Merlyn." He hissed, praying that the others didn't turn on him once again. "Elyan needs help and we know nothing about this girl. You've no idea where she's taking you. We need to get back to Gaius, to Arthur."

At the mention of the king, Merlyn paused. The fog in her eyes receded a little; she looked up at Percival, confused.

"Arthur?" She murmured slowly. "Arthur... But what about Freya?"

That name again. He'd heard it before, whispered nightmares in the witch's sleep. A lost love.

"Freya isn't here." He said firmly. "We need to return to Arthur."

"Is he in trouble?" There was concern in Merlyn's voice, more emotion than she'd shown in the hours of riding.

Percival almost smiled. Even bewitched, there was nothing Merlyn cared more about than her king. "I... I don't know. But you are, Merlyn. You need to snap out of this."

Whatever spark the witch had possessed died in that moment. The knight swore, feeling foolish. There was no point in appealing to her desire to survive. Her will to live for herself had burned long ago.

"We need... We need to follow them." Merlyn nodded towards where the others had disappeared, pushing Percival away. She started into the darkness, barely waiting for Percival to follow.

He did, begrudgingly. But not without hope. Merlyn was still there. He just had to reach her.

~

Gwen felt goosebumps crawl up her spine a moment before the torches went out. She heard the clang of swords being drawn, trying desperately to see her way through the dark.

"Is everyone all right?" Leon asked urgently, just as Merlyn's torch came back to life. That girl had to be- no. She wasn't meant to know about that.

Merlyn lit Leon's torch with her own, the knights squinting in the sudden light. Elyan looked almost dead on Gwaine's back, his body completely limp.

"Where's Lamia?" Leon asked, surging forward into the caverns. The knights followed himself, Gwen finding Percival's alarmed gaze as they followed, unable to shake the feeling that they were walking directly into a trap.

~

Percival felt all the blood drain from his face as the company finally started upwards, bursting out of the tunnels, finding themselves in the dusty halls of the promised castle. Perhaps he'd be glad of the natural light fading through the large windows, but it only shone upon the bones littering the floor.