Merlin and Arthur in Lockdown

Fifteen

Merlin, without much of any plan in mind, ran up to the sorcerer. He stood behind him, directly in Arthur's view.

He didn't care. He extended his arm toward the sorcerer and uttered the words of the spell. As he felt the heat envelope him, he knew his eyes would take on the glow.

The spell caught the other sorcerer unawares and he let out a scream. At the last moment Arthur's eyes were squarely on Merlin, caught between incredulity and distrust.

<<>>

His eyes didn't glow when he cast the spell. Arthur knew enough about magic and had enough brushes with sorcerers to know the tell-tale sign of magic being used. A brief flash of gold covering the sorcerer's irises. Which this sorcerer definitely didn't have.

'You don't have magic,' Arthur spoke. The implications of that began rushing through his mind as he raised himself off the ground. The sorcerer didn't correct him, just prepared to get Arthur back down, by whatever method.

Then another figure rushed to the scene. Arthur narrowed his eyes at the newcomer: tall, somewhat skinny, a dark hood covering his head and shading his face.

He didn't hesitate a second longer and cast out his hand at Arthur's adversary and said something under his breath. A spell. Sure enough, under the hood, this guy's eyes glowed briefly and the first sorcerer let out a scream. Like a flimsy paper caught in a storm, the sorcerer was swept off his feet, landing several feet away on the lawn.

Arthur looked from the sorcerer -sprawled and unmoving- to the newcomer. He had attacked one of his own. He was on...Arthur's side? The new sorcerer stood frozen for a second, to Arthur's surprise, still not making any move to attack him. Keeping his eyes on the guy, Arthur picked up the baton.

The sorcerer remained still for another moment, despite Arthur picking up the weapon. There was something familiar about this guy. The frame, the way his determination mixed with hesitation burst through despite the shadow cast over his face. Like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

More importantly why did he protect Arthur, who was fighting against those of his kind?

Before Arthur could say anything, the sorcerer took off. For a few seconds Arthur followed him with his eyes, but the guy was fast, ducking into the closest crowd. So he let him go and ran over to his original attacker. He checked the guy's pulse to find him alive.

A round of blaring vehicle sirens swallowed the shouts of the crowd and the bangs of explosions. As the crowds dispersed more rapidly, it seemed the dust finally settling over the scene.

'Bear42, can you hear me?' The words came through Arthur's earpiece.

'I can.' He released a sigh, trying to process everything that just happened.

<<>>

In the emergency vehicle where he sat he could see a man followed by a small group of security walking towards him. Soon Uther's worried face came into view.

'Are you alright?' asked the king.

Arthur gave him a nod.

His father stepped into the open back of the vehicle and sat on a bench opposite him. The worry on his face began subsiding. 'I'm glad.' The king looked across to the library precinct where emergency personnel were working their way through the aftermath of the arrest inside the library. 'Two people have lost their lives. Several injuries, I believe.' Uther looked to his son again, eyes softened. 'I wanted to see you were okay for myself.'

Arthur gave another awkward nod. 'Thanks.' A moment of silence passed between them. 'There are reports that the criminals who organised the attacks weren't sorcerers,' Arthur said.

'Those are early reports. The criminals haven't been properly interviewed.'

'One of the sorcerers attacked me. Except I think it was staged. He supposedly cast a spell but his eyes never glowed.'

'Perhaps you didn't notice it in the rush.'

'He was right in front of me.'

'These people have threatened everyone's lives today-'

'There's something else.' Arthur needed to own up to what he believed had happened. 'Someone came over to me when I was fighting the sorcerer. I got knocked down and he came up behind the sorcerer and attacked him. He was trying to help me.' He paused but didn't hold back. 'With magic.' He wouldn't look away from his father's still, grey eyes. 

'You've had a long day, Arthur,' Uther said at last. 'I'm glad to see you alright.' He stood up without another word.