The Rise of Arthur Pendragon

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Merlin awoke first. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking in the sunlight that streamed through the tall windows that lined the walls. Groaning, he reached up to touch his head, where the young sorcerer felt a large bump. Abruptly, it all came flooding back. Merlin jumped up and stared around, despite the throbbing pain in his skull. Immediately he recognised where he was. It was the throne room of the palace. He turned to face the back of the room and sure enough there were the two thrones. Tall and mighty with their sleek brown furnishing and covered in velvet. Merlin tried to reach the great oak doors but it did not take long to realised that there was some sort of magical barrier, keeping him within the room.

Suddenly he heard a noise behind one of the thrones. Readying himself for an attack, Merlin carefully made his way around the high backed chairs. As he peeked around the side of the King's throne he saw a figure in a blood-robe and grubby armour lying in a heap on the polished wood floor. "Arthur! Arthur are you alright?" The young Pendragon sat up groggily and muttered, his voice slightly slurred; "Merlin? Where are we? Where's Alia? What happened?" "We're in the castle Arthur. In your throne room to be exact but we can't get out. And as for Alia...My only hope is that she's wise enough to get out of here before it's too late."

...............................................................................................................

With a jolt, the young sorceress woke up. She stared around her but she couldn't make out much in the semi-darkness. She must be in the dungeons. Alia stood up and crept to the bars, trying to get a glimpse of her captor. But to no avail. "Oi!",she yelled defiantly, rattling at the iron bars, "Show yourselves! I have just as much magic as you do you know!" "Oh do you?",came a sly drawl she didn't recognise from a place she couldn't see, "Well then little girl, show me what you can do." "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you!" The Druid girl reached deep inside herself to where her power usually was. But there was nothing there. Alia's face paled and she thought she might be sick. "Wh... what have you done with my magic?",she stammered as her heart plummeted into her stomach. Without her powers she was helpless. Without her powers she was nothing.

"Oh dear has the poor little lady lost her powers?",came a mocking sneer from somewhere outside of her vision. "But don't worry. I've got them safe and sound." Then a little vile containing some swirling sliver light rolled up the her cell seemingly out of nowhere. Alia stuck her arm through the bars but no matter how much she stretched or how far she tried to squeeze she just couldn't reach.

Then, out of the shadows, a man stepped forward, strutting slowly towards her. He was still quite young and his hair was dark and curly. His skin was pale and his eyes flashed grey. Alia thought that the man would be quite attractive if not for the ugly scowl he wore on his otherwise handsome face. He wore dark trousers and an emerald green linen shirt covered by a long, black cloak. "Tut tut tut. You silly little thing. Do you really think I would let you have your powers back that easily?" He gave her a malicious grin and then said; "But there is one way you could get them back..." Alia did nothing but stare daggers at whom she supposed was the evil warlock Lord Aragon. "Not very chatty are you.",the sorcerer looked down at her in distaste, "No matter I don't need you for that anyway. I hear you're very close to the King and,", his eyes flashed menacingly, "to Emrys."

A/N: Sorry for the short chapters. :/ I've already written the next few and they are all about the same length I think, but all try to make them a bit longer. :)