Chapter Text
-Arthur-
“My Lord, the beast has been seen attacking the outlying villages. Reports have come back about its appearance and…” Arthur trailed off. When he had heard the reports, he scoffed. The description was just wild, too far fetched, a child’s nightmare. But after multiple witnesses swore by the same image, Arthur’s jovial mood faltered.
“Yes? What does this beast look like?” Uther Pendragon regarded his son coldly, waiting for him to finish. Arthur hesitated, but puffed his chest courageously.
“My Lord, our reports as well as a number of eye witnesses tell of a beast with… They say this beast has the chest of a lion and the rump of a stag. Its face resembles a badger, and the lion’s mane is the only hair on its body,” Arthur paused, steeling himself for the next part of the description, “and it’s said to have the laugh of a human, with a large mouth always shaped in a grin. The grin goes from ear to ear, exposing a set of human teeth, which are said to sharpen to points when it feeds.”
Uther remained silent for some time, mulling over the image in his head. He paced his throne, the court watching him uneasily. Arthur stood his ground, waiting for the King’s verdict.
“Gaius,” he spoke suddenly, causing the old man to start. “Gaius, do you know of this creature? Have you anything in your books to explain this?” Gaius raised an eyebrow but stayed silent, shaking his head.
“Sire, if I may, it sounds like it is a creature of magic,” Gaius croaked to Uther. Uther narrowed his eyes, and he turned to his son.
“Arthur, you will hunt this beast. Take as many men as you need. There is no room for magic in Camelot. I will not stand for it,” he finished, marching out the door. Arthur remained rooted to the stone floor, his boots seemingly welded to the stone.
“Merlin, have you packed your things yet?” Arthur called over his shoulder. He was busy making preparations for the mission at his desk, so he didn’t look up to where he assumed Merlin was making his bed. When silence replied to his question, the Prince looked up, searching the chamber.
“Merlin? Merlin!” he yelled, his voice echoing off the stone. Outside his doors, he heard someone stumble, and a winded Merlin leaned against the doors.
“You called, Sire?” Honestly, how Merlin made such a title sound like an insult baffled Arthur. He looked down to his papers again, a smile tugging at his lips.
“Yes, I did. If you had been here like you should have, I wouldn’t have had to scare the entire castle. Honestly, Merlin, can you do nothing right?” he teased the brunette. Merlin scoffed and walked towards Arthur.
“Ah well yes, My Royal Prat, I seem to be able to save your sorry life more times than you could count,” Merlin’s voiced dripped with contempt. Arthur knew he shouldn’t be allowed to call him that, but he was Merlin. There wasn’t anything he could do.
“As you dream, you idiot. Anyway, I called to see if you’ve finished packing. It seems like we’ll be gone for three weeks and I will not have you complaining that you didn’t pack enough food for yourself.”
“Of course, dollop-head. I’ve been ready for ages. It’s you who need to pack,” Merlin sneered. Arthur only smiled.
“Right. Well isn’t it your job to pack for me? Or are you too incompetent for that as well?” Merlin’s eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to retort, but before he got the chance, Arthur stood, heading for the door.
“We leave as soon as Gaius identifies the creature, and Merlin? Remember my chain mail this time, you twit,” Arthur jeered as he walked out the door.
_ _ _
-Merlin-
After scouring the books with Gaius, Merlin pointed to a passage in a water damaged book about times before the banning of magic. Gaius nodded, and set out for the King.
“Sire, I am quite confident that the creature is called a leucrocuta, a beast of the Old Religion. It’s summoned by a High Priestess, and only follows her orders. It kills with its laugh – the sound drives sane men to insanity,” Gaius informed the King. Uther nodded, trying to figure out a plan.
“Father, My Lord, now that Gaius has identified the creature, you must let us go and fight it. We can’t just let it destroy the kingdom,” Arthur stepped forward. Merlin saw a flash of something in his eyes, and if he hadn’t known Arthur for years, he wouldn’t have been able to place it as fear.
“Gaius, do you know how to kill it?” The King inquired softly. Gaius nodded once and looked at Merlin before continuing.
“Sire, the only way to defeat the leucrocuta is to drive a sword through its mouth, through its grin, and impale it. After that, you must burn the remains, else the Priestess will again summon the monster.”
“Father, if that is all, please, let me go. I’ll take a couple men, and we’ll make quick work of the beast. Nothing will go wrong, Father,” Arthur insisted. His hands rested on his hips, and Merlin unconsciously moved with him, putting his hands behind his back. Their movements were perfectly in tune.
“Gaius, you said that the creature is summoned by a sorceress? So it is indeed magic?” Uther ignored his son, returning his gaze once more the old man.
“Yes, Sire, it is magic,” Uther sighed and wiped a hand over his face.
“Go, Arthur. Kill it and report back to me. I will not have magic running rampant in my kingdom. Do what you must. Court dismissed.”
_ _ _
-Arthur-
“Elyan, scout ahead for a trail. Leon, go left and see if you can find anything, Gwaine, to the right. Percival, start helping me make camp. It’s bloody cold out here and night is coming,” Arthur always felt a little bit at home when he gave orders. Merlin said it was because he always had to have control. Well, what did Merlin know anyway?
“Arthur, what should I do?” Merlin stood beside him, huddling inside his ruddy brown jacket. He was shivering, all skin and bones with little protection against the cold.
“Get a fire started, and make sure you don’t grab wet kindling,” Arthur replied. Merlin nodded and hobbled away, making Arthur shake his head. God, he’s such a dolt, Arthur thought affectionately. He turned to the horses, seeking out Llamrei. She nickered softly, when Arthur approached and he stroked her snout.
“Percival, come help me unload the horses!” Arthur shouted. While they unloaded, Gwaine returned first, crashing through the trees and brush into camp.
“Yeah, Sire, there’s nothing that way. Just brush and plants. Good gods, where is the fire?” Gwaine prattled on. His chatter filled the campsite and bounced off the surrounding trees.
“Careful, Gwaine. If you don’t shut up the entire forest is going to know we’re here,” Leon joked from inside the line of trees. He stepped into the clearing soon after, brushing his hair out his eyes. His face grew serious when he regarded Arthur, “Sire, I found nothing to the left trail. Perhaps Elyan?”
Arthur simply nodded. “Judging by this beast’s description, we’re going to be looking for deer prints. And that shouldn’t be difficult considering we’re in a forest, in spring.” Elyan came thrashing through next, shivering violently from the cold.
“For god’s sake, why hasn’t anyone started a fire yet? Do you want us all to freeze to death? Sire, I didn’t see anything unusual up ahead,” he huffed and blew on his fingers, trying to keep them from falling off. Really, why hasn’t someone started a fire yet? Where is Merlin? Arthur looked around for a sign of his manservant, but he found nothing.
“Merlin? Merlin, where are you?” he shouted to the trees. He was about to rise when Merlin stumbled into the clearing, carrying twigs and branches in his arms.
“Merlin! About time! What did you do, chop each branch off the tree? You do realize that you can find branches on the floor too, right?” Gwaine clapped Merlin on the back, upsetting the pile in Merlin’s hands. Wood tumbled to the ground in a crash, rolling every which way.
“Really, Merlin, just make a fire,” Percival punched his arm. Arthur’s eyes narrowed when he saw Merlin flinch slightly at the pain.
“Yeah, alright. Order me around. Lazy oafs, you couldn’t make a fire even if your life depended on it,” Merlin grumbled under his breath. Arranging the branches, Merlin tried to light a small piece of kindling, but it wasn’t catching. Arthur watched as Merlin continued to mutter to himself, and as the spark finally caught, Arthur could have sworn that gold replaced Merlin’s vibrant blue eyes. The fire roared soon after, heating the clearing quickly. Hums of appreciation sounded occasionally, and Merlin set to work cooking the meal. Arthur watched as Merlin deftly rolled up his sleeves to handle to dried lamb.
“Eat up,” Merlin hollered, ladling stew into bowls. Greedy hands grabbed at a bowl and the knights sat on their haunches to eat in peace. Merlin ladled stew into two more bowls before walking over to Arthur. Arthur waited patiently for his food, which he was handed as Merlin sat down next to him.
“Oh Merlin, this is delicious,” someone, probably Gwaine, exclaimed with a full mouth. Arthur scoffed, that man really has no etiquette. Arthur took a sip of the stew, the flavor instantly coming alive in his mouth. He couldn’t stop the groan of satisfaction that escaped him, and Merlin smirked next to him. Arthur swallowed quickly and turned to Merlin.
“It could be better,” he said cooly, and Merlin scoffed.
“Better by arse. Cook can’t even make something like that,” Merlin boasted. His outburst caused little puffs of steam to float through the air.
“Oi, I’ll tell Cook you said that!” Elyan laughed, and Merlin paled. Arthur laughed at the genuine fear in Merlin’s expression. Arthur was about to comment when the hairs on the back of his neck rose. Arthur raised a hand, his expression serious, and everyone fell silent, everyone but Merlin of course.
“You wouldn’t tell Cook. You wouldn’t want –“
“Merlin, shut up!” Arthur snapped. He strained his ears to try and hear anything. The clearing was silent besides the crackling of the fire, but then Arthur heard it.
It was a human laugh. It sounded maniacal, crazed, like some people suffering from delirium from infection. It ghosted through the clearing, and Arthur wanted to scratch at his back, it tingled so hard. Nothing moved for a few moments, but suddenly the clearing came alive.
Something jumped out of the brush, something massive, and landed beside the fire. Elyan and Leon ran to the swords, throwing them to the remaining knights. Merlin caught a sword as well, and they all turned to face the beast.
It was even worse in person. Its naked body was covered in welts and rashes, infectious and oozing green pus. Its mane was matted with dried blood, sticking up in odd points. The beady eyes of a badger sat close together above its snout, almost crusted closed. Its legs, those of a deer, were burly, thick sinew wrapping around strong knees and hips. Its hooves clopped along the ground and Arthur realized with horror that each hoof was roughly the size of his face. It was massive, looming over the fire and the knights. It cackled again, and only then did Arthur look at its mouth.
Human lips stretched ear to ear in an everlasting grin. The corners turned up dramatically, almost curling around. Human teeth, hundreds of them, were visible, but they were covered in grime and bits of flesh. It laughed again, and Arthur shook himself, trying to get the laugh out of his head.
“On me!” He roared. The knights all crouched, awaiting the signal. Merlin stood by Arthur, his sword drawn in front of him. Three agonizing seconds passed before Arthur cried.
“Now!” They charged the beast, which reared its ugly head back and charged as well. Gwaine and Percival attacked from the sides, trying to drive their sword into the beast’s soft underbelly, but their blades only slid off, leaving no mark. Leon and Elyan were trying to distract the beast, flitting about in front of its face, occasionally lunging forward to try and stick it with their sword.
“Merlin, go! Take cover!” Arthur bellowed as he charged the beast. Merlin barely heard his order over the yells of the other men. Arthur joined the fray, trying desperately to get close enough to stab the beast in its creepy grin. It threw off Gwaine, who was attempting to tackle it. He landed in the trees, unconscious. Percival looked at Gwaine for a second, distracted, and was sent flying by one of the beast’s hooves. Leon and Elyan spread out, flanking Arthur.
“What now, Arthur?” Leon shouted, but before Arthur had a chance to answer, the beast threw its head back and started to laugh in earnest.
“Cover your ears! Cover them, don’t listen to the laughter!” Arthur screamed, but Elyan had already collapsed, his body twitching and his mouth forming silent words. Leon had his ears covered, but Arthur could see the hysterics in his eyes. The beast advanced, still laughing, and Leon raised his sword in defense, exposing one of his ears. The beast turned and looked straight at him, laughing, and Leon fell to the floor, his hand curling open and closed, his open eyes seeing nothing.
Arthur was scared, he was truly scared, but he didn’t dare take his hands off of his ears. He kept his eyes on the beast, but his hands did a poor job, letting laughter filter through the gaps between his barriers. He felt like something was crawling on him, and Arthur started swiping at himself. He saw insects, millions of them crawling over his body. They crawled into his ears and into his nose, making it hard for him to breathe. Arthur fell to his knees, writhing under all the insects. His vision darkened as the insects crawled over his eyes, blocking out the world around him. Soon, everything was black.
-Merlin-
When the beast started to laugh, Merlin quickly covered his ears, blocking out the sounds.
“Tawelwch!” Merlin whispered. He felt his panic and desperation feed his magic, and he knew his eyes were glowing gold. When he pulled his hands away, Merlin no longer heard anything, like he was deaf.
Merlin watched as his friends were downed one by one. First Gwaine, because he was an arrogant idiot who never thought before acting, and then concerned Percival, looking at Gwaine for one second too long. Merlin’s heart raced when he saw the beast rear its head. Although he couldn’t hear it, he felt himself shivering. Elyan, then Leon, and then it was just Arthur left. Merlin watched as he tried to block out the sound, but he couldn’t. Merlin couldn’t help but cry out when he saw Arthur fall to his knees, clawing at himself and struggling to draw in a breath. As far as Merlin could see, there was nothing on him, nothing to warrant his frenzied swiping. Finally he went down as well, and Merlin cried out.
The beast snapped its head towards Merlin, hearing his cry. Merlin saw it tilt its head to the side, and its mouth opened a little. It must be trying to laugh louder, Merlin realized. He was still deaf, and Merlin could have dance with joy. He ran into the clearing, scooping up Arthur’s sword. Merlin knelt by Arthur, scrutinizing his face. He was breathing, to Merlin’s relief, but his eyes flitted under his eyelids, chasing something.
Merlin rose and turned to the beast, who was pawing the ground anxiously. Why is it anxious? Merlin wondered to himself. It obviously had size and strength on its side, and its teeth were already sharpening into points. It can’t stun me first. It’s lost its true advantage. Merlin felt like laughing. With renewed strength, Merlin sprinted straight at the beast, who back up in fear.
"Metel cryfach!" Merlin yelled, although he didn’t hear it. Magic flowed to the sword, surrounding it in a yellow cloud. The sword left Merlin’s hand and flew to its target. The beast stumbled over its hooves, but it was too slow. The sword drove through its mouth and impaled it to a tree, the beast mounted on the sword.
"Clywed," Merlin murmured and suddenly the night was filled with sounds. He heard Gwaine groan over where he fell, and he heard Elyan suck in a sharp breath. Arthur and Leon slowly rose as well, the beast’s enchantment leaving them. Percival shot into a sitting position, looking around frantically until he saw Gwaine sitting up, when he relaxed a little more.
“Merlin, did you actually just kill that thing?” Arthur seemed truly surprised, and Merlin bristled.
“Well, yes, someone had to,” he shot back. His head was starting to spin from the magic he’d done, and his patience was waning.
“But that laughter, how did you fight through it?” Elyan came up behind Merlin, his brow furrowed in confusion. Merlin panicked, how do I explain? He thought.
“Ah well, we all know Merlin has enough grime stuck in his ears to block out any sound. Explains why you never come when I call, Merlin, or when I give you orders,” Arthur joked, but an edge crept into his voice at the last words. Leon glanced between the two of them, and cleared his throat loudly.
“Let’s just rebuild camp and in the morning we’ll head home, okay Merlin? Sire? It’s been a long two weeks, tracking this thing,” he mediated. Arthur and Merlin sighed and nodded, turning away.
“We need a fire. Remember what Gaius said? We have to burn the body. The bloody thing put out the fire though…” Percival nodded towards the skewered beast.
“Alright, let’s make a fire and burn the thing,” Arthur agreed, moving towards the beast. Merlin followed, holding the stones to start the fire. Soon, they all watched as the beast burned, slowly turning to ash. The mood was somber as they turned back to the campsite. Gwaine ran ahead, but then hissed.
“Ah the bastard knocked over the stew,” Gwaine muttered, eliciting a laugh from the rest of the group.
_ _ _
-Arthur-
“Merlin, you still awake?” Arthur whispered from his position as guard. Gwaine was snoring heavily next to Percival, who leaned against a tree and slept silently. Arthur looked around and saw Leon sleeping on his side, facing Elyan, who slept fitfully on his back. Looking around, he spotted where Merlin’s bedroll was, the farthest from the fire. Arthur felt guilty, his bedroll the closest to the fire, and he knew it was wrong to let Merlin insist to sleep the farthest away.
“Merlin? If you’re awake, come move closer to the fire. Come on you masochistic idiot, you’re going to freeze,” Arthur whispered, louder. Merlin’s bedroll wiggled, and Arthur saw a head of messy brown hair rise slowly. Merlin turned around to face Arthur, squinting unhappily. Sleep was written heavily on his face, and Arthur couldn’t help but laugh at the expression. Merlin’s eyes narrowed more, and he defiantly dropped into the bedroll.
“Fine, if you don’t want to sleep by the nice fire, fine by me. You might freeze,” Arthur coaxed. He knew Merlin. He knew that Merlin was too self-sacrificing, even if he was a little annoying. He also knew that with a little persuasion, Merlin was mildly obedient.
“Errg, I hafe you, Arfur,” Merlin mumbled as he rolled his bedroll to the fire. Settling close to the flames, Merlin sighed contentedly. Arthur smiled and returned to guard duty. After Merlin killed the beast, the forest seemed like any other forest. Crickets returned, and somewhere by the stream a frog croaked.
“Sure you do, Merlin,” Arthur murmured, but Merlin was already asleep. “Hey, Merlin?”
“What Arthur, what do you want?” Merlin grumbled. His blue eyes held a mixture of anger and sleep, and his voice was heavy with exhaustion.
“How did you defeat the leucrocuta? It downed all of us quickly, but you seemed immune?” Arthur had pondered this while the men slept, but his curiosity got the better of him. Merlin sighed and rolled over so that he was facing Arthur.
“I found some sap on one of the trees and I molded it into a kind of stopper,” he replied. Arthur heard something in his tone, but he couldn’t place it.
“That’s very clever of you, Merlin,” Merlin’s chest puffed, “glad to know that my dazzling wit is rubbing off on you.” Merlin sank back down into the bedroll.
“Yes well let’s hope your prattiness doesn’t rub off on me as well, hm?” he retorted quickly. Arthur opened his mouth to reply when an arrow struck the tree next to his head.
Suddenly the campsite was alive with yelling and bodies. Bandits streamed into the camp, swinging their swords blindly. Gwaine tackled three of them, while Percival stood at his back, fighting off anyone who advanced. Leon was fighting three, and Elyan had two. Arthur counted twenty bandits, and he ran into the fight. He charged two of them, striking them easily. They fell in no time, and Arthur’s brow furrowed. Looking around, he saw that the bandits fell quickly, much too quickly. Barely a scratch befell the knights, and they seemed barely winded. Something tugged at his stomach, eating at his insides. Something isn’t right… he thought… When the last bandit fell, the knights looked around.
“Well, might I say, these bandits are getting shabbier,” Gwaine quipped, but even he could feel something was amiss.
“Sound off,” Arthur called out, suddenly realizing what felt wrong.
“Here,” Leon replied.
“Here,” Elyan said.
“Right here, mate,” Gwaine responded, and Percival soon after. One, two, three, four, five… There were only five people in the camp. Arthur internally groaned.
“Merlin?” he whirled around, scouring the camp, at the bodies. All of the bodies were clad in armor, none wore a blue tunic and red neckerchief. “Merlin!”
Silence answered him.