Finding Emrys: The Forgotten Tale Book 4

The Darkest Hour Begins (Part 2)

Merlins POV
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Blinking open my eyes. I groan in slight pain at the light shinning in my eyes. The headache now forming worsening at the annoying voice by my bedside.

"Good your awake." Arthur states. Arms crossed over his chest. A scowlon his lips.

"Arthur?" I mumble. Still not fully awake.

"You know. I would have thought Morgana being your friend and all. That you would have refrained from drinking, and yet here you are drunk as can be."

"Wha..." I sputter outraged by his assumptions.

"I guess I really shouldn't be that surprised.  I just hoped you would refrain for..."

"Sire would you please shut up." Gauis intterupts. A scowl on his face which only deepens as he sees the tears in my eyes.

"But she.." Arthur sputters shocked that Gauis of all people would speak to him that way.

"Now as you seem to be under the wrong assumptions let me clarify for you. Merlin is not drunk." Arthur pales at this. Realizing how rude he was being just a moment ago.

"She passed out for the same reason the lady Morgana got sick earlier."

"Y... you never did explain the reason for that." Arthur mumbled a blush forming now that he understands he was wrong.

"Well as I have been busy tending to Merlin here. I haven't had a chance to figure out the reason. Now if you will please leave. You have upset my niece quite enough." Gauis spat to upset to be respectful. Only upon my uncles words does Arthur finally notice the tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Merlin I..."

"Just leave." I whisper my heart finally reaching its limit.

"You heard her. Scat." With that Gauis forcefully shoves Arthur from the room. Slamming the door in his shamed filled face.

"Oh my dear." He sighs hurrying to my side and sitting down in a nearby chair.

"You know I really thought he was finally starting to see the real me. Yet he still believes I drink myself to stupidity. Never mind the fact that I have not touched the stuff since I accidentally tried some as a child and got super sick." I hiccuped trying and failing to stop my tears from falling.

"Why Uncle. Why must I love someone who only ever hurts me."

"Unfortunately my dear. I do not have an anwser to that. The heart is a strange thing. Especially one with magic."

"What does that mean." I sniff accepting the handchief from Gauis to blow my nose.

"Don't worry about it. If I am right in my assumptions then you will understand one day. Now what happened during the feast that made you pass out." Huffing at his lack of anwsers. I wiped away the last of my tears before explaining what happened. 

"Hmm it sounds like the Cailleach. She is the gate keeper of the viel between the worlds. If she is appearing before you then that does not bode well for us. You said you heard screaming? Like that of the dead?" He asked getting up to browse through his books before settling on one. Flipping through the pages. He slowly returned to his seat. Stopping on one of the pages before turning the book so I could see.

"Here. I believe this is what we may be dealing with." Taking the book from him. I shuddered at the ghostly image before focusing on the words.

"If the viel between worlds is torn. Then the Cailleach will appear before the strongest magic user in a warning of apending doom. The viel can only be torn from the blood of an innocent being sacrified at the viels opening. Once torn. Hellish creatures known as the dorocheas will be free to roam the earth from sun down to sun up. One touch of a Dorochea will freeze a man solid.  Instantly killing them. Only those with magic can survive their touch longer then most, but even they shall die before the sun shall rise. The only way to fix it is for another innocent life to be taken, but this life must be willing otherwise the viel will remain open forever more. Magic does not work against these creatures." I pale at that last line. If magic doesn't work against them. Then I will be as useful as a newborn foal.

"We must tell the king immediately."

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"So they were affected because this viel was torn, but then why weren't we affected if they were." Arthur asked sill refusing to look my way. Obviously still ashamed by his earlier assumptions.

"Well sire do you remember how Morgana was kidnapped by Morgouse for a time. Well during that time. Morgana was cursed to sense magic. We were able to reverse most of its effects but as you can see she is still senstive to strong bouts of magic. As for Merlin she is sensitive to strong bouts of magic after being attacked by that vampire. As hers came from a magical creature rather then a curse. She is more sestive then the lady Morgana.  Which is why Merlin passed out rather then just getting sick like the lady." Gauis explained glaring the king head on. Making Arthur even more determined to avoid eye contact.

"Hmm I see. We will have to discuss how to stop it some other time. For now we will just wait and see if anything comes from it. For now I would like to introduce you all to my uncle. Agravain.  He has generously come to help out now that my father is no longer with us." Arthur announced smiling at the double doors where a man with expensive clothes was walking through a smirk playing on his lips. I frowned in disdain. Already knowing by his aura that he is going to be trouble. For once I hope I am wrong.