♔ 2 | The Other Side...

[not_a_clotpole]

The rain is pelting down and the rocks are hard under Arthur's feet as he flees through the forest looking for somewhere to hide.

Behind him are thundering footfalls, the sound of a band of knights in pursuit.

Arthur picks a bad moment to look over his shoulder to see if his pursuers are gaining ground on him, suddenly he's tripping on a fallen log and tumbling down a steep embankment to the bottom, collecting any number of bruises and scrapes.

The wind is knocked out of him for a moment and he finds himself unable to move for a moment, which is long enough for faces to appear at the top of ditch, the knights of Camelot! Coming for him!

They have however, grouped themselves together and Arthur sees his chance. He scrambles to his feet and makes a desperate gesture, his eyes momentarily flash gold - so quick one would be hard pressed to notice - and a large heavy branch falls on top of the knights knocking them down.

It gives him precious time, time that he can use to escape...

If there even is escape.

Magic in Camelot will get you killed.

(OOC: No prizes for guessing the Chessboard flip - Arthur's warrior skills have been replaced by magic. He's now a Druid and an enemy of Camelot...)

Comments

have fire-user!Mercury :D

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

She hates rainy days. Nevertheless, Mercury somehow just knows all they're hunting Arthur for is the fact that he's as great as he is: his power, which they're jealous and fearful of just as the people of Earth were jealous and fearful of the immortals of the Moon Kingdom so long ago.

And so she puts herself on his side, this girl who wants to use her powers more openly, who refuses to call it cheating, as others call it, when she does.

Her eyes don't even turn golden. She simply looks up towards the hilltop, and a wall of impassable flame springs up to hem them in, burning nothing but the very air itself. Miraculously, or magically, the rain does not quench it. Some buried kindness makes her even give the men enough space not to be burned - if they stay still.

"This way," she calls out to Arthur, a call to safety. She makes sure the fire burns with thick smoke to keep the knights from spotting them as they both move.

[not_a_clotpole]

[Arthur stares in disbelief at the sudden appearance of the girl.

Who wields fire like he's never seen before.

He hurries up the other side of the ditch to where she stands.]

"Thank you, I...thank you..."

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

There's no time to spend on manners. We need to move. Those knights won't thank me for sparing them.

[It's bitter; but a blunt truth. They won't even notice she could have taken their lives, only that she helped this man escape. Stupid, blind cockroaches scurrying to carry out words they don't even understand.]

Do you have somewhere safe?

[not_a_clotpole]

[Arthur nods, the King is a merciless man and gives no quarter.]

"This way, I know of a cave."

[He points and then holds out his hand for her to take. They have to go through heavy undergrowth and might get separated.]

consistent format, what is that? / headdesks herself. my apologies. XD

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

"We'll go there. Quickly. The smoke will keep them from seeing what direction we take." Their footprints will be harder to hide, but they don't have time to worry about that right now. Luckily, the rain will help them there. The prints should wash away into the general mud and muck.

She stares at the hand for just a second, as though bracing herself to take it before she does so. He's right: They shouldn't be separated right now. Together, she has little fear they could outdo the guards. Alone, even her abilities or his might not be enough to take on several at once.

LOL! Sorry for the delay just saw Ep 1 of Season 4 and DIIIED!

[not_a_clotpole]

[Arthur nods and once the girl's hand is in his, he sets off.

It's quite clear he's run this route many times, he can practically do so blindfolded. Every so often he looks over his shoulder to make sure the girl is all right.

And every so often he mutter's a spell to move branches out of their way.]

aww. XD man i'm so behind on Merlin. i miss it T_T

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

She keeps pace easily, legs pumping as they both run fast enough for it to be obvious they're running away. With luck, they won't meet anyone to question it.

She'd expected to end up scraped up by the branches and limbs of the tree, when she realizes they're obligingly keeping themselves out of the way. It must be him, and she shoots Arthur a quick look. Her own command of fire may be impressive in this dream, but she's never been quite as skilled with magic in general. She learned it mostly in the Dark Kingdom.

"You're useful," she manages around a quick breath.

Downloads are your friend! You can't miss it, it's EPIC!

[not_a_clotpole]

[Arthur doesn't answer until they're in the cave, which is all but hidden under a thick moss curtain. It's unlikely even other Druids could find them if they didn't know where to look.]

"Useful? What do you mean?"

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

She brushes it off. "It's nothing. More importantly, don't slow yourself down looking behind you next time."

It's well-meant. Really. It's practically a thank-you. A very awkward thank you that doesn't in fact say thank you at all, but there it is nonetheless.

[not_a_clotpole]

"I had too, to make sure you were all right." [He may not be a knight, but chilvary is not a dead concept to Arthur.

He tilts his head curiously at her.] "What spell was that? I've never seen anything like it."

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

Someone chivalrous over her is... noticeable. However, before can let herself dwell on that, Mercury shakes her head at Arthur.

"It's not exactly the same as a spell. That was just me." Whether ice or fire, her connection to her element is that basic, that innate, that natural; she feels it inside her as another person might feel their heart beat.

[not_a_clotpole]

[Arthur looks at her confused.

He had heard tell of sorcerers with power so great the elements rise with their thoughts. But he'd never expected to meet one.]

"I'm lucky you came by when you did. My powers are more...fiddly. I couldn't have taken those knights on by myself."

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

She smiles. She's pleased at the compliment, of course; but she also likes the thought of what she's about to say.

"Then become stronger until you can." Hunt down those who hunt you; take them out for turning against you.

[stoleaherotitle.livejournal.com]

[Perhaps--but there are some people who simply don't care if using magic in Camelot will get them killed.

And there are some who cannot stand to see someone persecuted for their talent, for being, simply put, different. Mao happens to be one of them.

His strong area isn't magic--that's reserved for swords--but he knows a few spells, all of which relate to ice. And since it's raining, this means he has quite a big advantage over the knights, as well as the element of surprise.

Certainly, anyone would be surprised if their companions were suddenly encased in blocks of ice. They'd be even more surprised to find a strangely-dressed young boy darting out of the shadows and landing at Arthur's side, sword in hand.]

[not_a_clotpole]

[Mao's arrival is much appreciated indeed!]

"Thank you!" [Arthur gasps, staring at the icily encased knights.] "Who...are you?"

[stoleaherotitle.livejournal.com]

Someone who was passing by.

[Encasing the rest of the knights in ice now, before turning to Arthur.]

It's only temporary, but it should buy us time. I know a place where we can hide and wait it out.

[not_a_clotpole]

[Arthur blinks some more at the boy's skill. He's never seen magic like that before.]

"Good, because I'm not exactly sure where I am..."

[He must have got turned around, because he certainly knew before...]

[stoleaherotitle.livejournal.com]

[Level-grinding will do that.]

This way.

[He rushes off into the same direction he came from, then quickly pokes his head back out of the shadows of the forest, looking rather impatient.]

Hurry up! They won't be frozen for long.

[not_a_clotpole]

"Sorry!" [Arthur got a bit caught up admiring his handiwork, but he runs after his new saviour without so much as a look over his shoulder.]

"What spell was that? I've never seen anything like it!"

[stoleaherotitle.livejournal.com]

It's called Ice spells.

[He's cutting down any and all obstacles in the way with that rather large sword of his. What, you didn't think it was there for show?]

Why were they after you, anyway?

[not_a_clotpole]

[Arthur's impressed by the sword skills, even though as far as he recalls right now he's never wielded a sword before or wanted to.]

"Because I'm a Druid...we're...magic is outlawed. I'm a known magic user," [an accident a few years ago, but it had left him a marked man for life.]

[stoleaherotitle.livejournal.com]

Why would they outlaw magic? It's not like there's anything wrong with using it, especially if it's for a good reason.

[He clears that last obstacle with a mighty slash, then leads the way into a clearing with a rather cozy (but abandoned, judging from the state of the vegetation) cottage.]

Unless...did a Druid do something before to get it outlawed?

[not_a_clotpole]

"The king lost his wife because of it. Or rather his own willful ignorance of how magic works." Arthur says as they finally come to a stop before the cottage. He'd never seen this before...odd.

"Although the Priestess who cast the spell should have known better than grant the request." He shakes his head.

[stoleaherotitle.livejournal.com]

"Great, so it's all because some idiot doesn't know how magic works," Mao replies, his tone peppered with sarcasm. He has nothing against royalty--two of his closest friends are King and Queen, and he's the Overlord, after all--but those he terms idiots bring out the worst in him.

"So what was the request, anyway? Was it to bring somebody back from the dead? Those don't usually work." Saying this, he hacks at the vegetation covering the cottage, then roughly kicks down the door, which breaks off from the force and falls to the ground with a loud THUD.

[not_a_clotpole]

"No, it was an heir. A son." [Arthur gives a slight grimace.] "It worked...but there needs to be a balance. A life for a life."

[Arthur enters the cottage and looks about, there's a thick layer of dust everywhere, but there are chairs and benches on which to sit.]