Grey clouds swirled ominously above a dark forest. Blackened branches likely seared from fires and thorny dead vines that twirled around the charred bark of tree trunks made up most of the sad sight. A single flower had sprouted somehow, in the midst of destruction and desertion, the golden hue of its petals fought to stand tall in the encroaching plague of darkness.
Unfortunately, beauty is often a target in a land of disgust, and so a dismal black boot crushed the flower, the heel digging angrily into the ground to ensure the flower's defeat.
"That's better," a cloaked voice growled with false cheer.
"I remember a time when you loved flowers, Morgana."
A mess of tangled raven locks turned to the location of the voice, and Morgana saw the man who was to bring her apparent doom. Emrys. Or, as she knew him, Merlin.
꧁________________________________________꧂
"Hello, Merlin. Thank you for joining me on this lovely day." Morgana smirked, a little too excited about the chance to kill her former friend.
"Let's just be civil about this, please. No need for you to die as a snooty embarrassment."
"Insults already? I'm honored, Merlin, really!" Morgana let out a dry laugh before whispering some words into her hand and keeping the hand in a fist by her side.
"What's that you got there?" Merlin gestured to Morgana's hand with his chin.
"You'll find out soon enough. I assume you know the reason I called you here?"
"You want to fight me, for whatever reason." Merlin rolled his eyes. I'm so done with this shit, he thought.
"I've wanted you dead for some time now, but I think you deserve a 'fair' fight. It's not really fair, though, an insignificant sorceror against a High Priestess." Morgana straightened proudly. "Alas, modern problems require outstanding moves."
"So I'm a 'modern problem' now?"
"Precisely," Morgana crinkled her nose, "You are the only thing keeping me from getting rid of Arthur and claiming my rightful place on the throne."
"Ok boomer."
"What?" Morgana blinked. "Never mind. Let's get this over with, finally."
"What are your terms?" Merlin agreed.
"Do we really need terms?" The glare Morgana received was a good enough answer. Morgana sighed, "We start when the first frog croaks and we end when one of us croaks."
"That's a morbid way of putting it, but sure, I guess. Although I'm not sure how many frogs are in these woods, seeing how every sign of life has been squashed." Merlin gestured to the torn flower. "And frogs live in wet places anyway, and I don't recall any water on my way over here. Unless perhaps your tears are enough for those frogs to come a-hopping."
Scoffing, mouth slightly agape, Morgana retorted, "I shed no tears for you or your weak king. I will shed no tears when your tainted soul breaks. Now let's get on with it, you've stretched my patience far enough to snap."
Morgana waved her hand and a bullfrog appeared, looking a bit bewildered. It was not created, like how Merlin once created a butterfly out of thin air, it had been transported from it's home and it clearly didn't much enjoy the idea of being awoken to find itself in a dark forest with two sorcerors, both tense in a ready position. To voice his opinions, the frog squinted his eyes and frowned, at least as much as a frog possibly can, and let out a tremendous croak.
YOU ARE READING
The Truth About Merlin
FanfictionAfter Merlin is kidnapped on a hunting trip, Morgana casts a spell that forces Merlin to tell the truth. How will he keep his secrets from his friends? And when Morgana finally gathers the means to attack Camelot, what will Merlin do to stop it? Thi...
