Chapter Text
“It’s eyes... God, Daryl its eyes.”
“What are you on about?”
“The thing in the woods!” Came the shrill response. Merlin held his breath, creeping silently over the branches as the fire bobbed up and down below him. "I swear - I saw its eyes turn gold-"
"That’s a bleeding sorcerer, you dolt." The other voice snapped and Merlin froze for a moment as the men below him paused. “They all have gold eyes when using magic. You should have stabbed it-“
“It wasn’t a sorcerer!”
Merlin tried to peer down to get a better look below, but all he could really see in the darkness was the silhouette of the pair as they collected fallen sticks and branches alike. Swallowing, he closed his eyes.
"Alright then, lad. What the Hell was it? Did you meet a god?" Came the sarcastic reply. The wind shifted. Merlin felt the world momentarily melt away. It was a strange thing... Feeling your body morph into something else. The pieces of yourself widening into nothing until you were simply another part of the world.
“It was a demon. I swear, it was-“
“Demons have black eyes. Are you done being an idiot? Or are you-"
“Did you see that?” The first man whispered and there was a sharp jerk as Merlin felt his body snap back into its usual form. He was on the ground now, hidden by trees and bushes as he peered around. “That smoke! Did you see it!?”
“Christ, Owan. Calm down. It’s the middle of the night, you didn’t see anything. Let alone some demon with golden eyes-“
“That’s what it was! It wasn’t like when just the colored bits of sorcerers’ eyes turn gold. It was the whole thing. The black and white bits turned gold too! No normal sorcerer has eyes like that.” The first man shot back indignantly. Merlin licked his lips, continuing is silent steps forward towards a leather bag on the ground. He could see apples spilling out along with various flowers and other trinkets that Merlin couldn't quite identify. Curiously, he held out his hand, letting one of the smaller ones fly towards him so he could study it a bit closer.
“Maybe you’re drunk," The one man was saying with a snort. "Or crazy. We can get Gaius to look at you when we get home-“
A twig snapped. Which was Merlin’s own fault, really. He had been planning on reaching for the bag altogether when he stumbled - eyes widening ever so slightly as the name registered. He held his breath. Maybe they didn’t notice. Maybe they weren’t even paying attention and -
"Who’s there?”
Well...it was worth hoping for. Merlin felt the light move and he raised his hands as he rose, turning slightly to face the men. He could see them clearly now. Dressed in chainmail and bright red cloaks that seemed like the only pop of colors for miles and miles on end. One of the men sneered, holding the light closer to his face as he immediately used his free hand to reach for a sword settled at his hip.
"And just what do you think you're doing, lad?" He asked. Merlin didn't answer. "Stealing is a crime worth a hand nowadays. Maybe even an ear if you're lucky." He said and took a step forward. Merlin frowned, a little baffled. He was under the distinct impression that the action was somehow meant to scare him. He wasn't entirely sure why given that the man was armed with merely a sword and fire. He glanced a the second man, hoping to find where the threat lied.
"...Daryl." He whispered instead, wide eyes fixed on Merlin. Sensing the discomfort, he smiled back, letting his lips curl over his teeth in greeting.
"Keep quiet." The first one muttered, still glowering at where Merlin was watching with rapidly rising amusement. "You know how to speak, don't you?" He asked, holding the fire out a bit closer. Merlin saw the color draining out of the other, taking a small steps back as his breath hitched.
"Daryl." He tried again. "Daryl, that..." He managed and this time, the man turned away from Merlin to glare at his companion. "He... That's the..." He spluttered, words tripping over one another as he continued to take more steps back. Merlin raised a hand to wave his fingers tauntingly.
"Hello again." He offered. The man made a strangled noise as he tripped over a root, eyes wide. He shook his head a few times. Merlin frowned. "I, uh... Can just leave, you know-" He tried, but was cut off by the torch being swung back in his face.
"What the Hell are you talking about?!" Daryl hissed. Merlin frowned. He got the feeling neither of these men were going to be particularly friendly towards him... Which was unfortunate given the circumstances. Merlin really wanted to ask more about what was in the bag they had been lugging around. He glanced down at it again, hoping one of them would sense his disappointment... Unfortunately, all that happened was another torch was waved in his face. "If you don't start-"
"That's the monster!" The first finally burst out, making Daryl jump. "With the gold eyes. It's him, we have to run. We have to run now-"
"Oh, for the love of - Owan. It's a bratty teenager. A monster, surely, but not the type you're blabbering on about." He grumbled and reached forward to yank at Merlin's wrist. "Come here, you. Let's see what else you've stolen. Perhaps we ought to take you back to the king and see what he has to say about this." He snapped. Merlin tilted his head. "Nothing to say now? Owan, get the - Owan?"
"I don't think he's here." Merlin informed him pleasantly. He watched as the man glanced around the empty part of the woods, holding out the torch with a deepening frown as he tried to find the man. He spun around once, grip loosening on Merlin as he muttered a string of curses under his breath.
" - idiot boy is a bleeding coward after all!" He hissed, lip curling. "How did he even run so... so... fast..."
Merlin waited. Daryl looked around again. This time, probably looking for Merlin.
"What the Hell?" He murmured - the first note of real concern entering his voice. "Hello?" He called. "This isn't funny. Get your ass back over here!" He shouted, the grit of it slowly losing momentum as he stumbled back slightly, almost tripping as he did so. His eyes searched frantically up above before circling around the forest once more. Merlin leaned in, lips inches from his neck.
"Tretafóno."
"Not again, Emrys."
"I didn't mean to!" Merlin frowned as he tossed his newly acquired leather bag down, cradling a jar between his hands. "I just wanted to ask about the bag." He sighed, eyes flicking towards the item in question before looking down into the jar. "Maybe... Maybe they're happier." He decided with a nod as he stared at the two butterflies flapping frantically within its confines. "Being a human seems awfully exhausting. Perhaps they might like this better."
The butterflies didn't seem to agree.
"They don't look very filling," Seir noted as he jumped up, walking over to tap on the glass. "The wings look good though."
"They are not to eat!" Merlin gasped, holding the jar closer to his chest. "I'm putting them in the gardens-"
"Oh, come on." Seir pouted as he looked at the butterflies. "If you weren't going to get them to eat then you could have at least left them in the forest." He grumbled, dragging his feet around as he drifted off further into the cave where a few others were lounging about. "Right, Kane?" He asked and the wolf on the ground lifted its head, a low growl vibrating at the base of their throat. "See? Kane agrees with me and they're an idiot." He said. Another growl. "You are an idiot. Who possesses a wolf? An idiot does."
"I like possessing wolves sometimes." Merlin volunteered and Seir pointed to him.
"My point exactly!"
"Go fuck yourself, Seir!" Somebody yelled from the back of the cave and Merlin bit back a grin as the demon let out a low growl of offense. Kane nipped at his hand to keep him from snapping back. Before Seir could complain more, Merlin reached down and grabbed the leather bag again.
“Here, I brought you some flowers.” He said, handing over the tulips before placing the jar down and curling closer to the fire crackling in the center of the cave. Seir’s nose wrinkled slightly as he accepted the bouquet - holding it at as if it might burn him.
“Why?” He asked and Merlin titled his head.
“I thought they were nice.”
“They’re not nice.”
“But they’re flowers.” Merlin informed him as if the object in question weren’t sitting between them. “I figured it was a step up from what you ask me to get you-”
“Yes, yes. Where are the hearts?” Seir asked, setting the flowers down. Merlin frowned.
“I got you flowers instead. See? They’re red like hearts.” He nodded. There were a few low growls and hisses at that, but Merlin ignored them. “…you would have preferred the hearts?” Merlin guessed. Seir nodded. Well… Worth a shot. Merlin tried not to pout as he turned back to the fire. A few others shifted closer, melting from the shadows in various forms to gather around him.
“Try sticking your hand inside.” Kali said, voice incredibly high and small as she nodded towards the flames. He rose an eyebrow at her. Currently, she was possessing a little girl who may have only been around five or six. However, the docile skin did very little to soften the command in her voice - even if the articulation was a bit off.
“As thrilling as that might be," Merlin said dryly "I might burn. And between you and me... I don't want to burn."
“We won’t know unless you try, cambion,” She said and Merlin rolled his eyes. He edged his hand forward, letting the tips of the flames lick at his fingers. When no pain came he lowered it slightly. His skin blackened for a moment before simmering back to it’s normal paleness.
“Good news everyone. I can’t burn.” He announced and the group all cooed. He grinned at them as he retracted his hand. Kali reached forward to examine the skin.
“Good to know. You're a resilient one, Emrys... For a cambion.” She said and released her grip on him to instead let her fingers clasp around her silver chain around her neck, thumb running over the pendent. Merlin pursed his lips. "What did they do to incur your wrath?" She asked - voice lisping slightly before jutting her chin out towards the jar on the floor. Merlin followed her gaze to where the butterflies were. Kali cleared her throat. He turned back, trying to read her expression under the ridiculous amount of adorable curls and chubby features. As her impatience rose, Merlin had to fight back a mocking smile at the way her lower lip trembled. Instead he focused on taking in the black of her eyes that seemed to bleed into the little girl's veins - spreading across her face like a spider was inside her skin. A typical sign that a host wasn't able to contain whatever demon they were harboring.
"I... Nothing. I mean, they... That one was angry," Merlin muttered, tapping his fingers over the jar. "The other saw my eyes and I thought... Well, I was thinking of your orders," He tried weakly "You know, to not let anyone see me." He explained. Kali hummed, licking her lower lip as she knelt down to stare at the jar before rising again. "Why?"
"I need a new host," Kali said simply. "If I stay in this one for much longer she'll die... Besides, her voice is... Lacking in authority." She grumbled. Seir snickered and Kali whipped around to growl at him. "Watch it," She told him. Seir rose his hands in deference. "Learn to respect those above you," She added sharply. "When I was your age I had learned how to obey my gathering leader."
"I -" Seir started, a note of objection in his voice before sighing. Kali jutted out her chin. "Yes, o' wise and masterful one." He said. Merlin winced. Kali stared for a moment before giving something akin to a smile.
"Maybe," She began lightly and took step towards him. She only went up to Seir’s knee, but he still shuffled away from her. "I will tear you from your host and stuff you into a bush like I did with Bara. At least then you would be silent," She growled. Seir snapped his mouth closed. "Thought so," She muttered and turned back to the jar. Merlin leaned away from her slightly. "Perhaps one of these would do for a new host." She gestured and sat down "Assuming you can transform them back." She added to Merlin. Immediately, his own irritation rose.
"I can."
"Is that so, little one?" She asked. Merlin narrowed his eyes, shoulders pulling back as he fixed her with an unwavering glare.
"Yes," Merlin snapped and another wave of annoyance licked at his chest as she grinned. "I can."
"Watch it, cambion. That temper won't serve you well in Camelot." She mused, taking a single curl from her hand and twisting it absently. Merlin cursed under his breath, rising so he could stalk away from the fire. "Oh, did you conveniently forget about that?" She called after him. Merlin spun around to glower at her. "It was your idea to go."
"Yes, to be with humans. Not kill them." He snapped. From the mouth of the cave, Seir shook his head, eyes flicking black for a moment as he studied Merlin over curiously.
"You're so weird. They're humans."
"I'm half-human!"
"Okay, so maybe you get half of the enjoyment out of it." Seir reasoned, but fell silent when Kali hissed at him in warning.
"Not all humans are creatures of darkness," She said, holding up both of her hands as she turned to sit some velvet blankets sprawled out on a rise in the rocks. "But we aren't asking you to kill all of them, Emrys. Just one." She said and gestured around vaguely as she reached up to tug at her necklace again. "And then you can spend time with your mother's side of the family."
A low hum of laughter flickered around the room. Kane lifted their snout to give a light snort of amusement. Merlin scowled.
"I don't see why you can't take care of this yourself," He muttered, running a hand over his face. A series of hisses followed from somewhere deeper in the cave and Merlin grimaced. "Right. Yes, I do. Sorry." He said quickly. "I forgot..." He trailed off, silently scolding himself for being so careless. After all, the answer was the same as to why they were confined to this cave and forced into hiding. Uther Pendragon.
Kali didn't say anything. She simply watched with unforgiving eyes as Merlin paced.
"Just...Let me think about it." He told her and turned away to go back to his bag. He liked his bag. It was filled with strange things that Merlin always enjoyed exploring. For example, coins. This bag had lots of them for some reason. He still wasn't entirely sure what coins were for but humans seemed to like them an awful lot. Seir said humans ate them. Merlin wasn't entirely convinced that was right. He tried to bite one once and it tasted awful, but then again maybe he didn't have human taste. Who knew? Not him.
Ignoring the rest of the prying eyes at his back, he picked a coin up to flick in the air. It gleamed in the firelight - twirling before it fell back down. Merlin flipped it again. They were so very strange, coins... One side had a sort of... Well, it was a circle with dots and lines that sort of looked like a person. Maybe. Or a squirrel, perhaps? The other side was just as baffling with a pattern that Merlin couldn't seem to detect with all of its crisscrosses and dashes. These were all mostly gold, but Merlin was pretty sure there were some other colors too.
“Emrys?”
Merlin stopped flipping the coin to look over at who had spoken. Blue eyes peered at him cautiously. Merlin smiled weakly. Sometimes, if a demon was docile and young enough, it could possess a stillborn baby and grow in its body almost as if it were its own. The only downside to that was it could never leave the body. Merlin knew many who would shiver at being confined to such an awful prison, but this one never complained. Maybe he didn’t know any better to.
"Mordred.” He smiled and held out the coin. "Would you like to see?"
The boy sat down, nose wrinkled as he took the item in question to study it. His brows pinched together.
"What is it?"
"I'm not sure," Merlin admitted and held his hand out. Mordred cautiously put it in his palm. "I think it's a protection charm." He shrugged, a little uncertain what it was supposed to protect them from. After all, most humans seemed worried about demons and sorcerers. Considering Merlin wasn't repelled than this would fail at protecting them from either. Maybe it kept bears away or something. "I'm not sure what this is either." He added, tossing the coins aside to pull out another item from the bag.
"That's a feather." Mordred told him helpfully. Merlin snorted.
"I know that," He mused and frowned "But why keep isn't it on a bird? Why in this bag?" He asked and shook his head "Do humans grow feathers?" He asked and shook his head. No... No, that was definitely wrong. Mordred only shrugged. "Sorry, I'm getting distracted." He told him and shoved his findings behind him. "Is something bothering you?" He asked. Mordred's eyes were black, the blue of his host hidden as he watched Merlin silently for a few moments before answering.
"Why don't you want to go home?"
Well then...That felt monumentally unfair. He paused - mouth opening and closing as Mordred patiently waited for an answer. Merlin squirmed, trying not to let the guilt become to prominent as he looked down at his hands.
"I... I do," He argued and winced "I mean, I think I do." He tried. Mordred looked pointedly at Merlin’s hands wringing around one another as he spoke. "I don't quite know what home is." He admitted. Mordred frowned.
"Neither do I. I was born here." He said, gesturing around "But Kali wants to go back. I can tell." He said, leaning forward a bit to meet Merlin's eyes. "So does Seir and the others. They say it's nice there and it isn't so cold all the time." He added, pulling his cloak absently over his shoulders. "And that humans can't hurt us-"
"I know, Mordred." Merlin interrupted and bit his tongue to keep from firing back the most obvious of questions. Sure, the others might want to go back... but was it really a place for someone who wasn't really...You know. Completely demonic? It was a selfish thought to be sure... Which is probably why he refused to admit it out loud. Though based on Kali's scathing looks and whispers she already knew.
"Then why won't you go to Camelot?" He asked. Merlin closed his eyes. "Is it because of your human name?" Mordred whispered as if there was anyone in this entire cave that was unaware of Merlin's human name. Granted, Merlin liked his human name. He thought it was a nice one and often preferred to it to Emrys. Still, the teasing over being named after an earthly creature was unrelenting. "I'm sure they won't be mean about it. I think humans also have strange names. Seir says that his host's name is William." Mordred continued and shook his head. "What is a William?"
"I'm... Not sure," Merlin smiled weakly and looked Mordred over "It is just a little unsettling is all," He told him "Humans are quite... Confusing. As curious as I am about them, they do seem..." He trailed off "Well, they may not like me." He decided. In truth, the idea that humans may find him as a strange as demons did was terrifying, but Mordred didn't need to know that.
"But if they don't like you then we can just go home!" Mordred said eagerly, voice rising as he grabbed Merlin's hands. "See? If you like the humans you can stay with them but if you don't you can come with us! Or we can maybe punish the bad ones." He added offhandedly. "But we can't go home if you don't go to Camelot." He tacked on as if Merlin might have forgotten that fact. "So...You might need to go to Camelot."
"You... Make some compelling points." Merlin said weakly and Mordred grinned. "But I might not be allowed in your home-"
"No, no, no." Mordred waved his hand quickly as if swatting away Merlin's concerns. "If we can go home than we would be able to make it so you're not cambion anymore." He said and beamed. "Then you don't have to be in this place anymore at all!" He said. Merlin nodded absently. Right... That was the dream (note the sarcasm... Demons loved sarcasm. Merlin truly hoped humans also shared a fondness for it).
"Of course," He said instead and tapped the end of Mordred's "You're quite intelligent, you know...For such an ugly little thing."
"I'm beautiful. Kane said so and they never lie." Mordred said got up, the black of his eyes retracting until it was sucked into his host's pupils, blue revealed once more. "I'll tell Kali you're going-"
"I - wait, Mordred-" Merlin frowned, sitting up. Mordred froze. Reason, reason... There had to be a reason. Why shouldn't he go? Was there one? Ha. Uther Pendragon was one. A good one. That wouldn't work here though. Not under these circumstances. There were several beats of silence and Merlin tried desperately to think of his options before letting his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. "I... Can tell her." He finally said, shoulders slumping.
Mordred's grin made it... Kind of worth it.
Not really though.
Kali, of course, didn't seem surprised when Merlin walked over to where she was sitting and knelt in front of her. Neither did the rest of the cave though they others all seemed to pause at it.
"I see a youngling outwitted your numerous objections within ten minutes." She greeted. Merlin looked up at with and offered a small grin.
"It was more like twenty." He said and Kali snorted. Silence followed.
"Humans are dangerous," She finally said, licking her lips clean of blood as she put down the rat she had been gnawing at. Kane took a step towards it but when Kali turned to him, they whimpered and stepped away. "But you are strong. Whatever flaws they have... You will not be thwarted by them. You can free our kind." She said and smiled as she took a small hand and reached out touch his cheek "They have given you the best of them, I'm sure."
Merlin wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but he nodded anyways.
"Why... Why one?" Merlin asked, brows coming together "Why not both?"
More hisses. Kali stared - eyes unblinking as she stared down at him.
"Do not bother yourself with trivial questions. Kill the one. Leave the other. That is all you truly need to know." She said and walked over to grab something hidden underneath a pile of books and old trinkets. "Do you remember Hunith?" She asked and Merlin gave a small nod. It was... A little true. He didn't remember his human mother well, but there were hints of her there. "She has family in Camelot. Which means you have family in Camelot."
"He has blood in Camelot." Seir spoke up from where he was standing by the mouth of the cave, looking out into the forest. Merlin glanced over and he offered a wry smile. "Humans are mainly blood, anyways." He added nonchalantly. "It's all they know. Not the same as family."
"That is for Emrys to decide." Kali said. Merlin smiled back weakly.
"No," He said and turned back to her "He's right. I have a family and home. That's why I'm going, aren't I?" He asked. Kali's eyes broke for a moment and there were a few seconds of silence before she nodded and took off the necklace hanging lowly around her neck. "Kali, I couldn't-"
"Good luck, Emrys." She told him, standing on her the tips of her toes as Merlin lowered himself even more for her to place on him. "...and don't worry." She said and grinned down at the glass jar next to the fire "We'll take good care of your friends."
Merlin didn’t know how to tell those butterflies that they were completely screwed.
Gaius. Merlin knew he had recognized the name those two men had said in the woods. The man was apparently his uncle - brother to the human who gave birth to him. Merlin had met his mother a few times when he was younger but Kali never liked her around for long. Merlin could never find it within himself to be bitter over it. After all, she was...Well, human. Nobody could blame her for being cautious.
Still, from what Merlin remembered, his mother was a gentle woman with steely eyes and a kind smile. He wasn't sure if that was unusual for a human, but he hoped there were others like her. Now was his chance to find out.
The trip to Camelot had been incredibly uneventful. No other humans crossed his path, though he did run into another gathering of demons who curiously housed him for a night before allowing him to continue on his way.
"Balinor's child, aren't you?" One of them had asked "The cambion?"
"The one and...Probably only." Merlin had smiled as he accepted a pig's heart. "I hail from Kali."
There had been murmurs at that, but nobody argued as he grabbed his leather bag and gave one last thanks before heading out once more.
Perhaps now his patience was being rewarded with some action because the moment he got within ten feet of the castle there was a few shouts of alarm. Merlin whipped around. He had been staring at a few passing humans - seeing them bustle about as they moved carts of plucked items into wicker baskets. A crowd was gathering in something of a circle around a wooden platform with some sort of... Was it a pedestal? A box? A... an item fixed in the center of it. From somewhere above there was a man on a balcony looking down with sullen eyes.
"What's happening?" Merlin asked, brows furrowing as a man was dragged up the platform.
"Execution." A girl whispered beside him and Merlin frowned.
"A what?" He asked, but was cut off by the man on the balcony raising his hand. A hush fell over the crowd.
"Let this serve as a lesson to all," The man began as he looked down at them, chin jutted out as his eyes fell to the platform. "This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring with demons to use enchantments and magic." He said. Merlin blinked. "And, pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass."
Merlin stared. He turned to the girl next to him who was still watching with wide eyes.
"He's made a mistake." Merlin whispered to her, concern rapidly rising. Her eyes flicked to him. "Demons can't use magic." He explained and shook his head "He can't be put to death for conspiring with demons to use magic." He clarified. Merlin had thought - perhaps - that some sort of alarm might cross her face at the realization an innocent man was about to die... Apparently not. She only scoffed.
"Obviously demons use magic," She told him as if he was stupid. "How do you think they possess people? Or turn into that awful smoke?" She asked, shivering a bit. Merlin opened his mouth to tell her there was a rather important difference between the two, but before he could voice it there was a sharp intake followed by a loud thunk. He whipped around just in time to see the man's head roll towards the edge of the platform. Merlin stumbled back - eyes widening a bit as the world swirled slightly. Oh. Okay. That... That was probably what an execution was. He leaned over curiously to see if the man would regrow another head, but his body remained eerily limp. So the man had been serious when he said the penalty was death... Alright. This... Everything was fine.
Ignoring the cries of alarm and horrified whispers, Merlin turned to look at the man who had called himself Uther. Merlin had obviously heard of him plenty - even seen his silhouette in various visions and what not, but never clearly. Merlin frowned as he took in the scar over his eyes and worn features that seemed sculpted into a never changing scowl despite the smile he wore.
"Are you alright?"
Merlin glanced around, eyes searching for the voice until he saw a girl eying him over carefully with an arm full of flowers. He gave a weak smile and immediately regretted when her eyes momentarily went dazed.
“Excuse me?” He asked and the girl blinked a few times. Sighing, he stepped forward, pushing his way between the crowds of people to lightly touch her elbow. Her eyes glazed over for a moment - some humans tended to lose track of their thoughts when they first saw him - before blinking rapidly. Finally, her face burst into a bright smile.
“Sorry,” She laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck “I lost my train of thought there for a moment. My head seems to be in the clouds today. Were you asking me something?” She asked and Merlin smiled weakly at her. "Oh! You looked a little startled there." She shook her head and laughed. "I was checking to see if you're alright, wasn't I? I’m so sorry." She repeated again, cheeks darkening for a moment.
"I, uh... Was a little caught off-guard," He admitted, glancing at where guards were surrounding another woman. "I haven't seen an, um, execution before." He explained, hoping he had used the word correctly. Immediately the girl's face cleared, replaced by something softer. She reached forward to grab him and he almost jumped at the touch. Why was she doing that? They had only just met -
"I am so sorry - here, come this way." She said and spun him away from the shouting and cries. "I didn't realize... Come on, I'll buy you a drink or something. My mistress just paid me." She explained. Merlin raised an eyebrow at that, but figured there was no reason to comment as she continued leading him down a dirt road towards one of the buildings.
Buildings. Huh. Merlin looked it up and down with fascination. The castle surely looked impressive in the background with the stones and towers and... Just how massive it was - but Merlin found himself equally charmed by the wooden structures with chipped paint and whittled designs.
"What is this place?" He asked as the girl led him inside.
"Oh? It's the tavern," She laughed and tilted his head "You... You must not be from Camelot." She guessed. Merlin smiled weakly in return. "That's alright, newcomers arrive here all the time. I'm Guinevere. Though, most people call me Gwen." She said, sticking her hand out. Merlin stared. Finally, he stuck his hand out too. There was a long pause before Gwen smiled again and slowly grabbed his hand before moving it up and down.
"Are we making a vow?" He asked, bewildered. Gwen laughed.
"You are very strange," She told him and then winced "I... Not in a bad way, I mean! Just... In an unusual way. A good unusual. I - Sorry. What was your name?" She asked quickly, face darkening once more. Oh! Right! His name!
"I'm Merlin." He said, internally holding his breath as he waited for the response. The girl only smiled as she dug into her bag. Good. It must be a normal human name then. "Oh... He took your coins!" Merlin spluttered when Gwen put some down on the counter only for them to be swept away. Gwen blinked.
"I know. I'm paying remember?"
"Paying?" Merlin repeated and Gwen nodded. "I don't understand." He frowned, looking around. Several people were giving their coins away as it turned out. He turned to look at Gwen with rapidly rising concern. What happened when the lady taking the coins got them all? Eventually they would run out if they continued to give it all away.
"I'm guessing you're from the country," Gwen mused and held out a coin for him to look at. "You trade it for things. Like... I gave it to her and she will give us drinks. Then she can use it to give to someone else and they will give her something in return. Like food or clothes." She explained. Merlin nodded slowly. Okay. That was... Strange. He wanted to ask why they couldn't just take things, but figured that would be met with more scrutiny than he really wanted at the moment.
"I see... How do you get the coins then?" He asked, offering a small smile. "Do you give out food too?"
"Oh, no." She laughed "I work for Lady Morgana. That is, I'm her maid." She shrugged. Merlin stared back blankly. "I wash her clothes, help her get dressed, you know. Things like that."
"She can't get dressed?"
"Well, most nobility don't normally dress themselves." Gwen explained, tugging a rogue curl behind her ear. Merlin remained unimpressed. Who didn't know how to dress themselves? Seir knew how to dress his human host and he was an idiot. Shaking his head, he took the glass that had been plopped onto the table and licked his lips. He knew this particular drink very well. Kali called it a human temptation. Merlin called his moron juice. Licking his lips, he took a sip before offering some to Gwen.
"Oh, I shouldn't." She said and patted his knee. "Why are you in Camelot?"
“I’m looking for the court physician. I believe his name is Gaius?” He said. It was the name he had heard in the woods. The one Kali always muttered when speaking of his human relatives. "He's, uh, my uncle." He said slowly, tasting the title in his mouth. Uncle. He wasn't sure what to make of it. Gwen opened his mouth for a moment before promptly shutting it once more.
"I see," She finally said and stood up from the stall "I can take you there! I sometimes stop by Gaius' to get sleeping drafts for my mistress." She explained. Merlin nodded, throwing back the last of the moron juice before dusting himself off. Gwen was a lot more talkative on the way back - explaining all she did as a maid and her father's work as a blacksmith. Merlin nodded, trying to listen, but his eyes kept getting drawn towards a figure in the courtyard of the castle.
"...what's he doing?" Merlin interrupted, jerking his head to where a group of boys were laughing. Gwen followed his gaze and pursed her lips.
"Training... Or say they say." She sighed and shook her head "Those are the knights of Camelot. Some of them are quite sweet but others..." She said, wrinkling her nose. Merlin raised an eyebrow. Huh. She didn't like them. Considering Merlin had only met Gwen about thirty minutes ago he decided he would dislike these knights too. As far as humans went, she seemed like a good example to follow.
"They seem like tongueless young." He agreed. Gwen stopped walking.
"Like what?" She demanded. Merlin tilted his head. Maybe... Maybe that wasn't harsh enough?
"Uh," He floundered as Gwen continued to stare. "You know! Like... Dry hosts? Useless." He shrugged. Gwen blinked, opening her mouth for a moment before snapping it back shut again.
"I don't know what that means." She told him slowly and gave a weak smile. Merlin bit his lip. At any rate, Gwen seemed to have moved on because she pulled him away from where the knights were throwing knives, a boy raising his shield with wide eyes as peals of laughter followed. Merlin felt a stab of annoyance. That boy was clearly the weakest of the group. Everyone knew not to pick on the weakest. Before he could complain, Gwen yanked him towards the castle.
"I need to go back to my mistress. She's probably upset about the execution too," Gwen frowned, glancing over her shoulder "But Gaius' chambers are right up the stairs there!" She said, pointing to a long, curling tower. Merlin nodded. "I'll, um, see you around." She told him, smiling shyly. Merlin nodded. Stairs. Weird. So that's what those things were called. Before they lived in their cave, Kali had them stay in the ruins of an old abandoned castle. Kane (who had then been in a human host) had insisted they were called 'walk-up'. Merlin had vehemently disagreed considering you could 1) run up them and 2) go down them as well. A stab of satisfaction hit him now that he knew Kane was wrong.
"Oh, bye!" He said as Gwen walked away "Stay, uh, blessed... Or something." He murmured under his breath and turned back to the steps in front of him.
The room at the top of the stairs was... Very strange. It was a conglomeration of bubbling liquids, plants, and papers that Merlin had never seen before. He looked around - eyes wide as he let his fingers roam curiously over the wooden bench. Interesting. It was... Nice. Probably. He wasn't really sure what the standard of living was for humans but this seemed good.
"Huh," He said, staring at a particular glass near the ceiling. He flicked his hand, sending it hurtling down in a fluid motion before stopping the fall and plucking it from the air. He was about to peer inside when someone cleared their throat. Merlin whipped around, eyes turning to see a man standing in the doorway - eyes wide as he studied Merlin over for a moment.
"Can I help you?" The man asked, snapping the door shut. Merlin blinked.
"Ah, right. I’m Em- er, Merlin." He corrected himself with a nod, still grasping the glass to his chest. The man stared at him blankly. “Hunith’s son?" He tried. The man blinked at this, stiffening for a moment as he edged forward with pursed lips. The tension only seemed to rise as Merlin shifted uncertainly.
"Hunith’s son...Or Balinor’s?” The man finally asked. Merlin frowned, shifting a little.
“I was told both, but maybe you know something I don’t.” He said flatly. The man blinked for a moment before a hint of a smile touched his lips.
“Right you are,” He smiled tightly and walked closer. "And it does explain what I just saw. You should be more careful with that. I’m Gaius.” He said and Merlin nodded. “I’m going to assume your mother didn’t send you." He added warily. Merlin opened his mouth before shrugging.
"Um, my other mother did..." He said, a little uncertain what the right word is. "Our gathering leader. Kali." He explained and reached in his pocket to pull out the paper folded neatly in his pocket. "My human mother gave me to them when I was a baby." He clarified, holding out the note. "I'm supposed to... Learn more about humans." He told him and twitched "Also, about my... Magic." He said and glanced around. Gaius scowled.
"Be careful with that word, young man." He said flatly and ripped open the letter. Merlin put the vial down, sensing now wasn't the time to explore its contents. "Couldn't your gathering teach you about that?" He added, gesturing Merlin up and down. For the love of - Merlin pressed his lips together. These were books - he knew that much. Kali had him reading as soon he could open a tome. Given how many of these books were in this room he would have assumed this man would be more knowledgeable.
"Demons can't use...That." He said flatly. Gaius rose an eyebrow.
"They can possess people. Turn into smoke. Lead people toward awful temptations."
"Humans can walk. They can make buildings out of stone. Be horribly annoying." Merlin snapped back. There was a pause. Right. Breathe. "Possessing people and moving around in their natural form isn't magic," He explained, lowering his voice slightly "It's just like how birds fly or fish swim. Different than humans." He shrugged. "But...What I can do... Demons can't. Kali said some humans are able to though." He added, voice going a bit smaller towards the end.
"Are able...? They didn't train you?"
"Train?" Merlin repeated "I've been trained," He nodded, though a little baffled at how this had gone in such a direction. "I know how to kill humans. Their hearts are here." He said, pointing to his chest "And brain-"
"Trained in magic." Gaius interrupted. Merlin snorted. There was a pause as Gaius waited.
"Oh, you're serious?" Merlin blinked. "I haven't trained in magic. It... I just do it."
"That's not possible."
"...oh. Well. Surprise." Merlin said blandly. He waved his hand. Immediately, books fell off of the shelves before floating back up to where they had been previously. Gaius blinked. "I'm not very good at controlling it. I once got mad and turned another member of the gathering into a kettle. She was a lovely kettle, but nobody else was very pleased with it." He said and clicked his tongue. "Oh! And once, Seir possessed a human sorcerer and looked in his memories to found some spells for me to try... That didn't go too well either...I somehow made myself a cloud, but now I'm good at turning things into butterflies!" He added brightly. Gaius' mouth snapped closed before looking down at the letter, clearly done with whatever Merlin was saying.
"So little is known about demons..." He murmured, brows wrinkling "Even before the Purge there were those who aimed to have the slaughtered-"
"Which is kind of silly when you think about it," Merlin rolled his eyes. Gaius paused in his reading to look at him. "I... You know. Because we're all really nice."
"I cannot tell if that was sarcasm."
Merlin frowned.
"I'm not sure you and I are going to get along." He finally said. Gaius took a long breath before waddling over to an empty chair, sitting by the fire as he continued to read. Merlin wasn't entirely sure what Kali had written... Part of him didn't want to know. After a few minutes of silence in which Merlin continued his explorations by breaking various things and then having them come back together, Gaius cleared his throat, putting the letter on the table.
"And what’s this?" He asked, turning the paper around to show Merlin the parchment as he tapped a word. Merlin leaned over and sighed.
"Cambion," He answered, pursing his lips. "That’s... That’s what I am." He shrugged before absently yanking at his sleeves.
"Half-human?" Gaius guessed and Merlin made a face. "Or half-demon?" He rectified.
"Um... It’s not... Technically, it could translate to that.” Merlin told him slowly. "It’s not a particularly kind word. Not in my language anyway. So, uh... Please don’t call me that."
Gaius stared. Merlin could see a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes - searching and deciphering Merlin’s expression to gain a better understanding of what exactly the translation was. In the end, he must have decided to leave it because he merely nodded and pulled the paper back.
"I won't." He said and went back to the paper. "Why would they allow you to come now? Why not when you were a child?" Gaius murmured and wrinkled his brow. "And why here? Camelot hardly seems safe for someone like..." He trailed off. Merlin waited. "You."
"I mean," Merlin scoffed "They weren't going to send a baby to a bunch of humans." He laughed. Gaius stared. "Humans!" He repeated. This did not seem to register. Merlin leaned forward, eyes flicking around the room before letting his voice lower slightly. "I mean, is it true that you just...Eat salt? Like in food?" He asked. Gaius opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally giving another nod. Merlin shook his head. "Yeah. Sure, let's send a baby to a bunch of humans who just eat salt." He laughed. "Because that can't go wrong... This is me using sarcasm by the way." He tacked on.
"Interesting," Gaius told him and tapped his lip for a moment. "What else do demons say about humans?"
"That you like pain." Merlin said immediately. "I mean, have you seen how your children are born? Seir says it just...Comes out of your bodies?" He winced with a shiver. "I know other animals in the forest sometimes do it that way, but other animals are also a lot smarter and stronger than humans. They can probably withstand that sort of pain. But humans? Is that true? Have you given birth?"
"I've... Delivered children, yes." Gaius said and this time a hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "Though humans such as I cannot bear children at all."
"Why? Because you're old?" Merlin asked, scooting a little closer. "How old are you anyways?"
Gaius' smile disappeared.
"...seventy-three." He began and Merlin gasped.
"You're not old at all! How come you look like this?" He asked, gesturing up and down. "I thought only old humans looked like... You know." He said. Gaius did not seem to know exactly. On the contrary, he ran a hand over his face. "You know, I can make you an enchantment so that you look the right age. Well... Maybe I can. I did it once with one of Kane's hosts but it was kind of an accident. I called them a baby and then their host turned into one. I'm sure if I'm actually trying I can get it right though-"
"That is not necessary," He interrupted as he held up a hand to silence Merlin. "Especially given that magic is illegal." He reminded him firmly. Merlin's shoulders slumped. Ah. Right. Unfortunate. "Merlin," Gaius continued slowly "You have to understand the dangers of your magic or heritage being found out. Uther executes those-"
"Execute means kill," Merlin agreed. Gaius sighed. "I saw an execution today. His name was Thomas James Collins. He got his head chopped off." He told him. Gaius nodded. “I’m not sure I can get my head chopped off. I can turn into smoke." He explained. Gaius did not seemed to be terribly relieved by this. Merlin tilted his head. "Or, I can also possess people sometimes. I don't really like to do it because sometimes I hear the human hosts and feel a little bad because I wouldn't like anyone coming into my body and ordering me about. But, if I need to, I can probably possess the executioner and make him not chop my head off. Do humans grow their heads back by the way? I wasn't really sure after this morning-"
"...God help me." Gaius whispered. Merlin rolled his eyes.
"Kali says not to bother with him. Nobody is even sure he’s real."
"Merlin," Gaius said slowly and reached forward to grab his hand "For... For the first bit of time while you’re here... Don’t talk."
Humans were baffling creatures.
Gaius had told him to stay put after that. Apparently he needed to 'learn more about humans before socializing'. Merlin was pretty indignant on that matter so Gaius' secondary argument was that Merlin's magic appeared to be very reactive so he shouldn’t be in public. This was proven by the man knocking over a few buckets and Merlin immediately stopping them in midair.
However, Merlin was pretty sure that Kali didn't mention the, uh, other reason for his visit to Camelot in her letter. So Gaius was unaware that Merlin had a second job to complete that couldn't be done with him cooped up in this tower. What was it with humans trying to be high anyways? Uther didn't like magic - which Merlin was pretty sure could make you fly - but he built a castle that went into the sky? Didn't seem right.
At any rate, he was off to find Gwen. He liked Gwen. And Gwen could probably tell him important things that he needed to know if he was going to succeed in learning about humans and his other murder oriented task. Unfortunately, the castle was kind of big and Gwen was very small so he wasn't having the easiest time. Not to mention most people were bustling about, running with their arms full of everything from linens to golden goblets to food. Nobody seemed willing to stop and point him in the right direction.
"...humans," He muttered through gritted teeth. There was no need to be in such a hurry. "Excuse me?" He called and let his fingers lightly touch a girl's arm. Immediately she froze - practically tripping over herself to freeze. "Hi." Merlin smiled and watched as her eyes went glazed. "I'm looking for someone. Do you know a girl named Guinevere?" He asked, letting his voice fall into something almost akin to a purr.
"Um, Gwen... Guinivere..." The girl mumbled, blinking rapidly "Yes. Servant. Morgana." She managed and took a long breath. "Hi..." She managed, face turning bright red as she swallowed. Merlin hummed, running a thumb over her arm comfortingly. "Lower... Lower town... Errand... Market..." She said and Merlin let go. There was a brief paused before her gaze snapped back into rapt attention. "Wha - ?" She began, looking around. She blinked again before looking down and gasping. "The wine!" She yelped and dashed off again before Merlin had time to inquire what that was about.
Right. Market. Merlin knew where that was. It was by the place Gwen had took him after the guy lost his head.
Good news: He found Gwen (after admittedly getting a little lost and ending up in a cupboard at one point).
Bad news: Those annoying knights were there too.
"Just ignore them," Gwen advised as Merlin watched the group drift among stalls. One man was laughing loudly before pausing to look at various items. He would occasionally flick a gold coin at some before taking something and moving on. Merlin tilted his head. "Morgana says they thrive off of attention." She added and tapped his arm. "Want to try?" She asked, holding up a... What...Was that?
"Um," He said and slowly picked up the... uh, well. Merlin couldn't quite describe it. It was kind brown...Like dirt that was dry with something leaking out of it. "Why is its blood blue?" He asked, nudging the purplish-blue goop. Gwen laughed.
"Sorry!" She said immediately, "It is just an unusual thing to hear." She shrugged and bit her lip "It isn't blood. It's blueberry pie." She said and poked at the blue part "That's the berries."
Merlin knew what berries were. They were round and sometimes bumpy and about the size of your thumb. Why would...? Had they mashed the berries? Who would do such a thing? Still, Gwen was looking at him with such a sense of excitement that he didn't care disappoint her. Taking a wary breath, he leaned forward and bit down.
Huh.
"...blueberry?" He repeated and Gwen nodded. Merlin took another bite. "Whoa... This is delicious!" He whispered, eliciting a pleased snort from Gwen as she went ahead and exchanged a coin for another piece. "You can just put berries into lies?" How did that work? Did you just yell falsities at the berries until it was squashed? That had to be magic of some sort.
"Pies." Gwen corrected and Merlin frowned. He was about to pursue more questions on the topic when there was a loud crash. Merlin whipped around just in time to see a boy trying to stumble up as the knights all broke into loud snickers. The blonde one up front watched in wry amusement, not offering to help as the boy managed to stutter out a few apologies while picking up what appeared to be fallen pieces of bread.
"Clumsy are we? I hope your master didn't plan to sell those." The blonde told him. Gwen gave a small huff and put her basket down to walk over and start picking up some bread herself to hand back to the boy (Gaius had given him so bread before he snuck out actually. It was very good and Merlin would gladly take it if the coins were unable to accept it for whatever reason). Merlin hesitated before following her lead. Just as he leaned down to pick some up the laughter died down.
"Maybe you should work on walking before you go about trying carrying things." One said. Merlin glanced at the boy who was staring solemnly on the ground. A sudden flash of anger hitting him at once. Immediately, he pushed it down. He may be with humans but he shouldn't go about feeling human emotions. That was what led their hearts to evil according to Kali.
"I'm sorry." The boy whispered and Merlin stood up to grab the basket that the boy had also dropped. The knight began to walk forward, the blonde one still smirking as he marched forward. Merlin wasn't sure what he thought he was doing. Merlin was right here. This didn't seem to deter the man since he simply kept walking.
"Watch it." He said, pushing past. Merlin stiffened - instinct taking over as he shoved back immediately. Gwen made a choking nose as the rest of the street seemed to freeze immediately at the action.
"Watch yourself," Merlin threw back. The man barely stumbled back, but the way his eyes flicked over Merlin was nothing short of dangerous. A warning whispered in the back of his mind, but he ignored it. "What?" He asked, letting a low taunt edge into his voice "I'm sorry... Did I scare you?" He asked, letting his lower lip pucker out in feigned sympathy. Immediately, a murmur followed his words as the man's lips went into a thin line.
"Of you?" He asked and gave a short laugh "I very much doubt that. Do you know to whom you're speaking to?" He asked, taking a step forward. Merlin felt his grin widen.
"I'll be frank with you, my friend. I don't particularly care." He clicked his tongue, tilting his head. "Do allow me a guess though... Do they call you..." He trailed off, looking the stranger up and down. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. He would make a decent looking host, to be sure. "Richard?" He asked innocently and patted his arm. "You do look like a Richard."
"Arthur, actually." The man informed him pleasantly. Huh. Merlin rose an eyebrow. He glanced around, taking in the rather large crowd gathering around to the group of snickering idiots behind with knives and swords. Interesting.
"Arthur, huh?" Merlin repeated slowly. The man's face broke into a victorious grin. Nah. Merlin pasted a smile on his own face. There was no way he was letting him think he's won this. "Prince Arthur?" He asked, letting his voice lower slightly to adopt a more disappointed tone. He sighed. "And here I thought princes were supposed to be handsome."
Humans apparently were very sensitive about their bodies. The words were barely out of his mouth before Arthur gave a fake laugh and swung a mace at his head.
"Was it something I said?" Merlin asked as he easily ducked. Gwen had a hand covering her mouth, stumbling back as the horror seemed to seep from her to the rest of the crowd. Arthur swung again. "Your aim is a little off." Merlin told him, sidestepping slightly. Really, this felt a bit like child's play. Seir used to chase him around with boulders and lightning. Still, Merlin got the feeling he probably shouldn't be adding wood to the fire...
"You should know I've been training to kill since birth."
Eh. It would be fine.
"Well, you aren't very good at it."
Really, Merlin just thought that the darling prince was too easily offended. Arthur hissed, jumping over some of the carts Merlin had taken to stepping behind. Laughing, he waved and ducked under the carts, rolling under so he popped up on the other side. Arthur spun around - face rapidly turning more and more red by the second as he dove to grab at him. Merlin felt a stab of regret at the realization he couldn't simply disappear into a ball of smoke like he usually might do to escape. Nor could he use magic...
"What else are princes trained to do?" He asked, striving for conversational as he Arthur managed to grab the sleeve of his shirt. He ducked again, twisting quickly to free himself with a sudden sense of alarm. He was kind of fast for a human... Shoving the concern away, he offered another bright smile. "Do they the teach you to be a prat or is that just unique to you?" He put a finger to his lips as if deep in though. This time the mace came precariously close to his face.
"Why don't you try to land a hit yourself, you coward!" Arthur managed as he struck again. This time, Merlin had to grab random hunk of metal sitting out on some shop owner's table to deflect the blow. Okay... Maybe (just maybe) this human was actually a bit more dangerous than he gave him credit for. Still, Merlin wasn't about to go down without a fight. "Or can you only run away?"
"Actually, I'm a devout pacifist." Merlin shrugged, holding out his hands in a slightly 'oh well' gesture as he backed away. "What can I say? It's how my mom raised me. She has the heart of a child." He said and snorted a bit. Arthur wouldn't get the joke but... Well, he could still appreciate his own wit, right?
"You have the intelligence of one!" Arthur said and lunged forward. Merlin tried to yank away, but apparently Prince Charming here had learned to expect his slippery escapes because he immediately used his foot to sweep under his feet, knocking Merlin to the ground.
It was... Not... The best position to be in.
He went to roll away but an elbow was already on his chest, pressing down hard. Arthur's face was inches away from his won - eyes alight with pure rage as he held the mace behind him, fully prepared to swing down. Merlin sighed. This might have not been thought through. Glaring back, he jutted his chin out, refusing to flinch away.
"Well?" He asked after a few seconds passed "I'm waiting for that training of yours to kick in."
He wasn't for sure why... but the ire seemed to evaporate. Merlin felt the fingers around his the collar of his shirt loosen and suddenly the arm on his chest disappear. Baffled, he sat back up, head tilted. That was supposed to make him angrier. What happened?
"Take him to the dungeons." Arthur said and Merlin could only gape as hands from behind heaved him up. What the Hell? He went to jerk his elbow out from the guards' grip but this was only reciprocated with a sharp jolt of pain in his side when the point of a spear pressed warningly into his skin. "Maybe learn to watch your mouth," Arthur told him flatly as he swung the mace over his shoulder "Or you'll find yourself banished."
"Just banished?" Merlin asked, tilting his head innocently "I was striving for an execution."
To his surprise, Arthur laughed. Merlin wasn't sure why he had decided to develop a sense of humor now, but alright. Perhaps his confusion showed on his face because the prince smirked. He took a few steps back towards Merlin with the horrible stench of smug victory clogging up most of his senses. He wrinkled his nose in disgust and Arthur gave a condescending tap right between Merlin's eyes.
"I'm a devout pacifist."
...this guy was the fucking worst.
"Bold words to say after a man's head got chopped off." Merlin told him. There was a beat of silence at that - the previous playfulness disappearing as quickly as it had came. Merlin wondered if all humans were privy to such ridiculous mood swings or if it was a prince thing... Or an Arthur thing. Either way it was weird and Merlin didn't particularly care for it.
"You," Arthur finally said as Merlin began to prepare himself for the anger once more. "Are probably the stupidest idiot I have ever come across."
"Know a lot of smart idiots, do you?" Merlin asked. He was trying. Truly. He just really couldn't help himself. This was supposed to be the human's future leader? Kali would tear his throat out within seconds. Arthur shook his head again, looking truly astonished.
"Get him out of my sight." He sighed and the arms that Merlin admittedly forgot were there yanked him away. Right. So... Maybe day one of his mission wasn't going the best... but he was learning a lot about humans! They were great! Well, Gwen was... And probably Gaius too. He wasn't too sure about him yet. Perhaps the longer he stayed here would allow for more commonality to appear. Hopefully. At least there was one good thing to come out of all this... He had met Arthur Pendragon. And Kali was right...
He would be incredibly easy to kill.