True Loves Kiss, Works Every time

Prime of Life

The next morning Arthur woke to find Gwaine dosing next to a tree where he had been keeping watch. He silently rose from where he was laying and drew his cloak around his body. He stood at the cliff's edge and silently watched the sunrise around the Tower of Truth looking like a golden halo. "You're up early," said Lancelot walking up next to him. 

"Go get some rest Lancelot, we have a big day ahead of us."

"He isn't the only one up," said Morgana walking up to them. "Gwaine is saddling the horses as we speak."

"What is that?" asked Lancelot squinting off into the distance. 

"Down!" yelled Morgana and tackled Lancelot. A bolder smashed into the tree behind where they had just been standing. 

"What in the world?!" said Arthur and ducked behind a tree. 

"Fancy meeting you here," said Gwaine. 

"Where are the horses?"

"They took off."

"We need to get to the tower," said Morgana. 

"Go," yelled Lancelot. He ran towards the hillside and ran down it towards the woods below.  The group ran through the woods boulders smashing the trees around them. "Keep going," said Lancelot when they got to the edge of the clearing from where the tower was. He turned and ran back into the woods leaving the others at the edge of the clearing. 

"Come on," said Morgana. "We need to go." The trio turned and ran into the tower and slammed the gate behind them.

"What is this place," said Gwaine drawing his sword. The tower was eerily quiet after how loud the forest had been and his voice echoed off the walls. Suddenly torches sprung to life along a hallway and led upwards in the tower. 

"That way," said Morgana and headed in the direction that the torches lead, Arthur and Gwaine following her. They slowly made their way up the spiral staircase till they reached the top of the tower and at a wooden door. "Careful," said Morgana to Arthur who was about to open the door. It swung open and he stepped forward but Morgana and Gwaine pulled him back and saved him from what was certain death. 

"There," said Gwaine pointing at the column in the middle of the room. On it was a cage and in the cage, Merlin lay on the floor sweat visible on his pale skin. As Gwaine stepped into the room he suddenly collapsed to his knees. 

"Gwaine," yelled Morgana and Arthur and drug him back. 

"What was that?" whispered Gwaine as a pair of glowing yellow eyes stared at them from the far wall. 

"Of course this isn't going to be easy," said Arthur drawing his sword. 

"It's Lorandria," said Morgana. 

"Who?" 

"According to Morgause, she is one of the vampire goddesses. She apparently is immortal."

"Then how did that sorceress get her in there."

"Lorandria, she is the guardian of the Tower of Truth... so it wasn't hard to get her trapped in that room. But eventually, she will kill Merlin. Even now Merlin's strength wanes."

"Then we need to get him out of there."

"We cannot get Merlin out of there while Lorandria is in there."

"Ok, what do you propose."

"Well there were marks that Morgause put on the wall so maybe if we can find them we can free her. 

"Ok, so let's get this straight," said Gwaine. "You want us to let loose a vampire on the countryside, one that is immortal more a less." 

"No, Arthur and I are. You are going to help Merlin."