The Angels In The Game (Merlin Fanfic)

Chapter 5

Leon woke up lying on a cold, stone floor. He looked around and saw that he was in what appeared to be line of a line of prison cells. The cell to his right was empty but when he looked to his left he saw Gwaine lying on the floor of the cell next to his. He looked pale and was barely breathing. There was an ugly gash on his upper arm which was partially healed. He looked further on and saw Percival lying on a bed in the cell next to Gwaine’s. He was snoring loudly.

“Percival” He said and then louder “Percival”. Percival stirred and then sat up. “Percival”, Leon said again to get his attention. Percival looked in his direction and his face lit up

“Leon!”, He said “What are you doing here?”

“Probably the same thing you are”, Leon said “Where are we?”

“Morgana’s castle”, Percival said “Gwaine isn’t too well”,

“I can see that”, Leon said “What happened to him?”

“I’m not too sure. We had to fight the same kind of cat things that attacked Gwaine before. He had to fight one before we arrived, I think he got injured and Morgana put some sort of spell on it”, Percival explained.

“Morgana? What does she want?”, Leon asked

“I don’t know”, Percival said.

Suddenly they heard footsteps echoing towards them.

“Here we go again”, Percival said. Leon wanted to ask what he meant but he didn’t have the time before Morgana entered the corridor.

“I see that our new guest is awake”, she said “I hope you’ve settled in well”

“It’s certainly an improvement to my last accommodation”, Leon said sarcastically.

“Well I’m sorry that I have to cut your reunion short but I have a little welcome part organised for our new arrival”.

Several guards entered each of the cells and grabbed the three knights. They were dragged from the cells and taken to the large hall. The three of them were thrown into the middle and three wooden swords were thrown at their feet.

Percival picked one up and snapped it on his leg. He put the pieces on the floor next to Gwaine’s unconscious body and picked up another sword and snapped that except this time he kept the pieces.

“What did you do that for?”, Leon asked

‘”them”, Percival said, nodding towards the three cats that were prowling towards them. Leon copied him and then they each stood on one side of Gwaine to defend him. “To kill them, stab them in the eye”, Percival said and Leon nodded.

The first cat lunged at Percival but he lunged at it with his weapon and deflected it away from Gwaine. The other two then leaped. One at Percival and one at Leon. Leon lashed out at the cat’s eye and he hit it but didn’t manage to drive it in. The creature escaped with it’s life but it had lost sight in one eye. Percival wasn’t so fortunate. His cat lunged at him but it didn’t extend it’s claws. Instead it put its paws on his shoulders and glared at him. Percival fought it but he couldn’t free himself. Suddenly the fur on the cat’s next seemed to come alive and Percival watched in horror as a snake unwound itself from it’s neck and looked at him. Quick as lightning, the snake lunged forwards and sunk it’s fangs deep into his neck. Percival cried out and took his chance to plunge his weapon deep into the cat’s eye. He grabbed the snake and threw it to the floor where he stomped on it’s skull and killed it.

While Percival had been battling the snake Leon had been defending Gwaine from the other two cat’s. He had managed to finish off the first one he had injured but he was struggling with the second.

Percival lunged at the creature and when it dodged Leon used the distraction Percival had provided him with to lunge at the creature’s skull. He caught a glancing blow on it’s forehead but no real injury. While Leon had distracted it with this brief assault Percival lunged again and managed to sink his stick deep into it’s eye. The cat screeched and then lay still.

The guards were on them again. Dragging them back to the cells and throwing them inside. Leon stayed standing but Percival stumbled and fell down hard. He felt dizzy and he couldn’t stay upright. Putting a hand to his neck where the snake had bitten him he felt that his flesh was burning hot and he managed to get to his bed before his legs gave out beneath him.

　

　

Gwaine gradually came around and he found himself lying on the floor of his cell. He rubbed his head and tried to sit up but the world span violently and he was forced to lie back down again. He turned his head to his right and saw Percival lying on the floor of his cell. “Percival”, He said but he got no response. “Percival”, he said urgently but Percival didn’t respond. When Gwaine looked carefully he could see that Percival was breathing but only just. With a tremendous effort, Gwaine rolled himself onto his stomach and he began to drag himself to the bars that separated him from Percival. He moved slowly, hampered by his injured arm but he was determined to see if Percival was ok. His vision was blurring but he kept moving. Bit by bit he gradually made it to the bars where he could see Percival better. There was what appeared to be a bite mark on his neck.

“Percival”, He said “Percival. Percival Wake up”, He said loudly and Percival began to stir.

“Gwaine?”, Said a familiar voice behind him. Gwaine turned to look and saw Leon standing in the cell next to his.

“Leon”, He said, attempting to sound cheery. “What happened to Percival?”, He asked.

“He was bitten by a snake in a battle with those cat things”, Leon said.

“I don’t remember that”, Gwaine said, racking his memory.

“You weren’t exactly conscious”, Leon said “How are you by the way?”

“Oh you know. I feel like I am about seven minutes from collapsing on this floor and I have an overwhelming need for mead”, Gwaine said “So all in all a normal day for me” A pain shot through his stomach and he doubled over. Leon looked worried but Gwaine waved his concern away. Leon seemed about to press the issue but Percival groaned and they both looked towards him.

“Where am I?”, Percival asked

“In a cell in Morgana’s castle”, Leon said “Don’t you remember?”

‘I think I do’ Percival said ‘There are sort of snatches of memories but I can’t quite piece them together’

‘That must be the snake venom’ Leon said. He looked to Gwaine who had gone strangely silent and saw that he was clutching his stomach again. He looked from Gwaine to Percival and then back to Gwaine again and for the first time it dawned on him just how bad this situation was.