Merlin's Beard || Marauders Era

13\\The Scales of Fate//13

"I'm just saying, as a detention concept, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

Merlin and Gwaine followed closely behind Xenophilius, who held his wand up while maintaining the Lumos spell, leading the way through the forest in search of plants for the Care for Magical Creatures Class. Meanwhile, Sirius and James were with Hagrid. The trees were tall, and full of life, creating an unreachable canopy that entirely blocked out the starry sky. All around came the sounds of nature, chirping crickets and rustling leaves.

It was probably a bad sign for Merlin's mental health that he was enjoying every second of it. Gwaine seemed about ready to flee from or fist fight every snapping twig. Xenophilius was basically a healthy balance of the two, glad to be there but still cautious.

"I mean, we're getting punished for wandering around the castle at night trying to sneak out to the Forest... by being sent into the Forest at night."

"Maybe they're trying to scare us so we don't try and come here on our own again?" Gwaine guessed, and that made enough sense... except, "I'm having fun though. Like, I already want to come out here again even though we're still out here right now."

"I felt like that the first time I came out here too," Xenophilius smiled. "It's very peaceful."

"You're both deranged."

Gwaine's words had them both laughing, and he shook his head, "I wasn't kidding."

"We know."

"Hey, did you hear-"

"Wait."

Xenophilius held one arm out, blocking them from moving any further. Merlin immediately squinted into the dark after, trying to find what had worried his friend. "Xeno?"

"Shh. Lumos," At the second casting, the light almost tripled in size.

Too many things happened at once, after that.

A loud screeching noise had Merlin doubling over to cover his ears with his entire arms - and in the motion, he glimpsed... something. He really wasn't sure. Maybe bats?

The noise got worse. He just barely caught the sound of Xeno shouting, which sent a cold shiver down his spine in and of itself, "Run!"

He couldn't look for them. He couldn't check on them. He could only move. He darted out into the trees, ignoring the bushes and branches that tried to bar his way. His survival instincts had fully taken over, the innate knowledge of all living things in the presence of a predator.

He wasn't sure what it was, but on a moonless night in the depths of an ancient forest, brimming with magic, it was safe to assume extreme danger.

When the screeching had finally died down to more of a dissonant hum in the distance, he finally let himself collapse. Air struggled to get into his lungs past the heart thundering in his throat, and he wasn't sure if he was coughing or dry heaving, but he was alive and something told him that would have to be enough.

He managed to drag himself to a particularly wide tree trunk, and let himself rest against it. His eyes were still pinched closed, and he thought he might vomit if he opened them. Everything felt like it was on fire, and he just knew he was going to have to practice that healing charm Gaius taught him for small scrapes and bruises.

Merlin thinks he may have taken a full hour to calm down enough to open his eyes, and when he did, he had to immediately shut them again. The bright light wasn't at all what he'd prepared for.

"U-Um, Hello?"

He asked this to the glowing orb in front of him, and in response, the little blue light seemed to briefly shine brighter for a second. Sentient, at least it seemed so. "Do you know where we are?"