The Aftermath 2 (Merlin) ON HOLD

Chapter Seven: Everyone

When Merlin next awoke his mother was gone, he sat up and swung his legs off the cot, wiping his eyes with his hands to wake himself up. As he moved he felt a sharp pain from his back, he looked to try and examine it but the sight he saw was different to anything he had ever seen before.

"Looks Painful." It was Jack who entered the stone hut.

"Yeah." The boy breathed out.

His back had a rather big gash in it, but it wasn't stained with red blood, it was soaked in a black substance, blackened veins ran from it.

"Where's my mother?"

"She had to leave, her house is in a bad way and..."

"And?" The Raven questioned

"She couldn't cope with... you know." Jack gestured to Merlin. The warlock looked down at his torso, the scars and burns must have been to much for his poor mother to look at, that and the fact that his body was a canvas of black strokes.

"I see." Merlin nodded, almost as if ashamed, his own mother couldn't stand the sight of his monstrous skin.

"What happened to you Merlin?" Jack asked in concern as he came to sit at the side of the boy.

"It's a long story, I wouldn't know where to begin." The raven gave a weak smile as he placed a tunic over his head

"Try at the beginning." Jack offered.

And so Merlin did, he told the boy everything, absolutely everything, Jack already knew of the raven's magic, Will hadn't been able to keep it a secret from his younger brother. It felt amazing to confide in someone. The warlock had wanted to tell Arthur, he did, but how does one tell your best friend that you are dying and the reason for that was because of them?

"Merlin you have to tell someone, surely there is a cure or something." Jack pleaded.

"There isn't, trust me I've tried."

"What about Hunith? She deserves to know."

"It'll break her heart if I tell her."

"And how do you think she will react when she has to hear from some messenger that her son is dead."

"I never said I was dying."

"I know you Merlin, I grew up with you, I know your heart. You would rather die than hurt somebody."

Merlin looked down as he fiddled with his fingers, his friend was right.

"Whose going to do it? Who have you asked to do it?"

"The leaders of the Catha and Druids" The raven admitted.

"Damn it Merlin!" Jack exclaimed as he stood from the sitting on the cot.

"You said it yourself, I will not let others die because of me." The warlock stood up proud but winced slightly at the pain from his back. Ignoring the need to sit back down he started to walk out of the hut.

"And I can't let you go get yourself killed." Jack argued.

"That's not your choice to make." The warlock countered barely even looking back as he spoke.

Merlin arrived at  his childhood home, it had never been much but now it was practically nothing. Many of the walls were crumbled, the roof caved in and the scorch marks laced the floor.

Before he could enter what remained of the building he heard a female voice that didn't belong to his mother.

"I'm sorry Hunith, there is nothing more to do."