Royal in Hiding

Chapter 18: The End of the Line

Merlin and his companions met up in a secret hallway, one Merlin had used for hide and seek many years before.

"What now?" Gwaine asked softly, so as to not attract unnecessary attention.
Merlin was completely focused in as he ran through his plan over and over again. "Now, we overthrow the King."
"What? Not Joetta first?" Emelyne questioned in shock.
"Joetta will be save for now, we can't continuously ensure that however, until Draegan is no longer a player." Merlin explained.

The Knights fell silent. Something about Merlin's words did not sit right with the Knights of Larcean while the Camelotian Knights were more concerned oflver Merlin's hyperfocused attitude. Merlin, however, was not preturbed. Instead, he looked down the dark, unused passage with determination. "This way is quickest to the throne room." Merlin muttered before heading off down the hall.

The dark hallway was damp, it smelled of musk and mold, and it was so cold that it chilled them to the bone. Merlin had Destinies Song raised at the ready, his eyes darting about in alertness.

From behind, Emelyne shared a glance with Ernald, Mordred, ans Gwaine. They were weary of what laid before them what the fight might bring, so with trepidation, they drew their own weapons and followed silentently.

Draegan paced infront of his throne, he brought Joetta up from her cell and had an armed gaurd of men infront of him, his daughter kneeling just infront, acting as a human sheild. She was trembling slightly from fear but was otherwise unharmed.

"Are you happy now?" Draegan sneered. "Your choice led you here." He continued, his voice harsh and demanding. "You could have had everything but you just had to betray me, and now, you will pay. When I win this war, you will be forced to watch as I tear your beloved Prince apart then, you will be married off to my highest in command."

Joetta pursed her lips, keeping quiet to avoid unnecessary pain.

"If you think you will win this war you are insane Draegan." Filworth spoke up as he entered the room.
"What is my highest in command doing abandoning his post?" Draegan asked in shock, a feeling of betrayal nestling in a pit in his stomach.
"If you do not pull the men back to the citadel I will kill you myself." Filworth threatened as he drew his sword.

The hiss of metal caused a chain reaction, forcing the gaurd to do the same.

Merlin and his small group sat in wait in a dark corner, watching the scene play out. Merlin was barely controlling his anger as Draegan spoke. When the strange man Filworth spoke however, it allowed for a moment of distraction from Joetta. Merlin took that moment, muttering a spell under his breath he drew Joetta to his side, silencing her with his hand.

Merlin shot Gwaine a look, communicating everthing as he handed Joetta over. Gwaine grabbed Joetta and tugged her down the dark passage way, disappearing from sight. 

With Joetta gone, Merlin concentrated his power. Then chaos reigned.

The chandelier's chain snapped sending it crashing down. The candle fire lept from the wick, it attacked the portrait of Draegan that decorated the wall. From there it chased after the gaurd, the warlocks in the gaurd quickly disappated the fire. In the momentary distraction Filworth disappeared from the room, locking the door behind him.

"You have ruled long enough Draegan." Merlin addressed, himself and the three Knighrs in his charge emergung from the shadows, each of their eyes alight with magic. "You have brought my land down to its knees. Now, the debt you owe the people will be repaid."

Draegan snarled, and with a silent spell, the soliders lost control of their bodies. They all flew forward towards Merlin. The four holders of magic eyes flashed, the soliders flew in all directions.

"I challenge you. If I win, you will leave and never be seen again." Merlin boldly stated.
"And when I win, you will die and your army will as well." Draegan matched, draw is sword.

Then they started.

Draegan moved left, Merlin moved to match him, his sword flying up. Pairing Merlins attack, Draegan lunged forward. Merlin leaned back and raised his sword before swatting it away.

Arrhur was covered in hot blood. The final boost was signaled long ago. He winced slightly as he shoved his sword through another solider. Just ad one body fell from his blade, Arthur spun to block another attack. He was slightly too late as the blade bit into the skin of his arm.

Merlin grunted in pain as Draegan swung his sword low and caught Merlin on his thigh. Merlin swung high, his sword cutting upwards across Draegan's chest. The Knights stood to the side, knowing better than to get involved.

With a faked swing and a quick jerk, another foe fell at Arthur's hand. A rumble in the earth caught Arthur's attention as the ground errupted up, sending enemy soliders flying. The sky turned dark and grey, lightning flashed as torrential rain pounded down on the army. They fought on.

In a desperate attempt Draegan swung low. Merlin jumped high and brought his sword down, burrying it deep in Draegan's shoulder. Merlin removed his sword from his enemies flesh and moved away from his feeble counter attack. "You've lost Draegan." Merlin stated as he swatted away another attack.

Arthur cut down another enemy, his body slick with mud. It covered everything, causing people to slip and slide. It made fighting much harder and rose the probability of death in multiple ways, whether it be by loss of footing or infection, the stakes had risen. Then, soldiers rose from the mud. Not human soldiers, but puppets, Morgana being the puppeteer.

"I lose when I die." Draegan spat as he lunged forward. Realizing with a grim acceptance, that he had no other choice, Merlin disarmed Draegan before lunging forward, coming face to face with his enemy as the life left his eyes.

The mud soldiers finished the remainder of the army, those who weren't dead, dying, or injured in Draegan's army threw down their swords and accepted defeat. The sky cleared as prisoners were bound and left with an armed gaurd and the rest of the army marched on the citadel.

Merlin sighed as he sheathed his sword. "It's over." He spoke softly.
A voice spoke from the shadows after the thump of a body broke the silence. "Not quite." Filworth hissed. Draegan's crown sat on his head. In his hands, Joetta struggled in his grasp as Gwain laid unmoving on the ground. "Shall we have a talk, Highness?" Filworth asked a with a smirk.

A dark presence lurked in the corner of the room, waiting and watching the scene before it.

As if to renew hope, a light shined down on the group of seven in the throne room, it bathed the moving army in a warm glow. None of them noticed that their energy was slowly being replinished and their wounds didn't hurt quite as bad.

"Funny, how the forces of good choose the home stretch befkre they get involved." Calavari hissed as light joined her in watch.
"You played your part for the first half, we will bring him home." An unknown person spoke softly.
"You better. We can't continue on much longer if people begin to persecute everything more than simply human." Calavari grumbled.
"We understand the stakes demon, go to Hell and be ready if we call." The unknown member ordered.
"Whp would have thought our kinds would work together?" The demon question as she pulled in her essence.
"Desperate times." The entity replied to thin air, Calavaria having already left.