Me: *gasp* I actually found the motivation to write another chapter? The world is a strange,

unpredictable place...

-that is filled with great amazing people who took the time to review, favorite, and follow me and my story! Honestly, it is so cool to see that people enjoy my writing.

And so, here is the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own the heart wrenching, heart breaking, heart hurting, heart eating show that is Merlin

-Pokemon67 wishes to apologise for any and all grammatical errors. No excuse- she just sucks as a proof reader, not from lack of effort though (eh, maybe a little).-

Merlin wasn't quite sure how it had happened.

To put a long story short (and it was a very long story), somehow the visiting noble was not a visiting noble after all, but a magical creature whose name Gaius had said, but Merlin couldn't remember at the moment, nor pronounce even if he could.

That was the least of his problems, though.

''Merlin,'' Thomas' voice echoed though the dark. With the small flame in his hands, Merlin could just make out the small boy's pale face, his brown hair hanging in his eyes. ''Are- are we going to die?''

''No! Course not,'' Merlin insisted. ''That thing may have trapped us down here, but he can't have blocked all the exits. We're down under the dungeons, yeah? so we just have to walk along and make it to the kitchens; there's a trap door there.'' With that, Merlin took the boy's hand and walked along the dark with as much confidence as he could muster.

With his small light lighting up the path, Merlin lead the way. Upon being confronted, the visiting noble/creature (his name was Darren, Duke Darren but considering the circumstances Merlin thought he was justified in dropping the 'duke' part until further notice) had trapped them in the tunnels under the dungeons, blocking the exit. Thomas, the stable hand's son, had had the poor misfortune to be caring for the horses during this scene. He had tried to help Merlin by distracting Darren, but to no avail.

At first Merlin had been afraid he had went the wrong way. But his worries were soon put to rest as he came to the end of a corridor, with a blue painted door above them.

Merlin was about to check the door, when it opened. ''Told you they'd be here!''

Merlin grinned with gladness at the voice. He and Thomas looked up to see two kids, a boy and a girl, smiling down at them.

''I heard you shout from the stables,'' Caroline explained, reaching a hand down to help pull Thomas up. Merlin followed.

''I thought of the trap door,'' Colin said proudly. ''Mum is always complaining that this door had tripped everyone in this castle at least once.''

''It probably has,'' Merlin agreed, remember the time he had dropped Arthur's breakfast because of that door. ''But we have to hurry. Darren-''

''Is really ugly and going to hurt someone?'' Caroline finished. She smiled. ''I may have heard more than Thomas' scream.''

''One day, I'm sure your tendency to spy on people is going to get you into trouble,'' Merlin replied. ''Today, however, is not that day.''

They all got up and Colin and Caroline lead the way through the castle, towards the throne room. ''While we went to check the trap door, Paige and Sally split up to find Darren,'' Colin explained as they ran. ''We figured he'd be looking for gold or something.''

Merlin nodded as Colin explained- Gauis had mentioned something about greed being a great motivator for these creatures, similar to their relatives, the trolls. But these creatures were more tactful, and they usually hunted in packs. So Darren wasn't going to be alone…

The group finally reached the throne room though the back door. ''Paige!'' Caroline shouted, running to her twin sister. Paige clasped her sister's hand in greeting and looked at Merlin. ''I lost him,'' she explained breathlessly. Her eye's were flashing faintly between their natural green and magic gold.

''Did you try to fight him?'' Merlin asked, watching her eye's worriedly. The few things he had taught Paige and the other magic born children in Camelot mostly consisted of ways to hide their magic, nothing that could be used to fight.

Still breathing heavily, Paige shook her head. ''He made a dive for Sally. I made a tapestry fall so she could get away.''

Merlin smirked with pride; given the chance, Paige would make a good witch. ''Which way did they go?''

''Toward the bedrooms, I think.'' Merlin ran off in that direction.

Down the halls and up the stairs, Merlin tried to rack his brain if any of Darren's attendants had displayed any signs of being not human. The few guards he had brought with him were alright— Merlin had waited on them during some sparing matches. But the attendants (two of them) had kept to themselves…

Merlin stopped running right outside of the first attendants room. ''Find her!'' He heard a voice that sounded like Darren's, only more slurred. So he was out of his disguise then. ''I want that stupid little red haired brat found!''

Go, Sally, Merlin thought. If Sally could be counted on for anything, it was disappearing (much to the hardship of her mother, one of the maids of the castle).

''She was right here, my lord!'' One of the attendants, Louis. Merlin recognized the voice despite the deeper, slurred way he spoke. ''Didn't you see her, Gaul?''

''No, only felt her,'' the last attendant answered. ''My hand is throbbing. Look! her teeth broke the skin!''

''Shut up!'' Darren shouted. ''We have to get-''

There was a crash and a cry of pain. Merlin burst into the room. Darren had fallen on the floor, his shoelaces tied together. Louis was surround on the floor by broken glass, his hands on his face to protect himself. Gaul was staring at the room in disbelief, still cradling his bitten hand.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Merlin murmured a spell and Darren became a beetle.

''My lord!'' Gaul squealed. Louis, noticing that they were in danger, went into fleeing mode for these creatures; which is to say, he grew wings.

Merlin stepped back to avoid the angry Louis, and he caught sight of a flash of red hair under the chair Darren had been previously sitting on. ''Sally!''

Sally, knowing she had to do something but was out of vases to throw, picked up Darren's knife that had fallen after his transformation. She tossed it to Merlin.

Merlin muttered another spell so the knife unsheathed it's self and stabbed Louis, dissolving him to dust.

Gaul had watched this scene with his mouth hanging open, and he held up his hands. ''Okay, you win,'' he muttered. ''Never liked the guys much anyway.'' He was still in mostly human form, the only giveaways being his red eyes and his skin, which looked like rocks. ''Couldn't take you on, could I? What with my maimed hand.'' He scowled at Sally.

''Why did you come here?'' Merlin demanded, ''And what did you do with the real Duke Darren?''

Gaul shrugged. ''Ah, he's fine. Ditched him in the woods; probably on his way here now.'' He looked thoughtful for a minute. ''Might be a hard walk, considering his leg…''

''Why did you come here?'' Merlin repeated. The knife still hovered in the air.

''I'm a hired hand, magic man,'' Gaul replied. ''Beetle guy is the head of our modest operation,'' he waved towards the former Darren, who's shoes had shrunken along with him and were still rendering him unable to move. ''I don't know why we came.''

''Who hired you?''

''Wouldn't you like to know?'' Gaul then transformed so quickly that by the time Merlin let the knife fly, Gaul had already escaped through the window.

Merlin and Sally just stood in shock among the glass and dust. Screams from below could be heard as the town people saw the huge monster flying out of the castle.

Footsteps coming running down the hallway. ''What the hell is going on?'' Arthur demanded, looking in shock at the room and at the monster disappearing from view.

Merlin and Sally exchanged a look. ''Duke Darren wasn't- uh, Duke Darren,'' Merlin explained lamely.

Arthur just stared at his servant as Merlin gave him the magic free version of the events; Ugly monsters impersonating the Duke had come to Camelot for money, but had just now fled because he and Sally had come upon them out of their disguise (Merlin discreetly kicked aside the dust of what remained of Louis under the chair).

A few hours later, Merlin finished cleaning the room. He and the children (who had insisted on helping) ended their chore by hanging an old blanket over the window to keep the elements out until the window could be replaced.

''He's not here, Merlin,'' Thomas said as he crawled out from under the bed. Throughout the cleaning process, they had all kept a sharp lookout for Darren the beetle. But he was nowhere to be found.

''Gaul must have taken him with him!'' Colin announced. Sally and Merlin had also filled the others in on the actually events in the room. ''He couldn't have gotten away, since Sally tied his shoes together.'' He looked at the girl, who blushed at the mention of her heroic feat.

''But what now?'' Caroline asked.

''We wait for the King to get back from his search for the real duke,'' Paige said. ''Maybe he knows something.''

''Merlin?'' Sally tugged on the tall boy's sleeve. Her eyes were big and wide. ''Do you think they'll come back?''

Everyone paused as Sally asked the question, waiting for an answer. Merlin smiled. They all had acted so brave and clever in the day's chaos. ''Maybe, but if they do, we'll be ready for them.''

''Like we were this time?'' Thomas asked sarcastically, remember the walk thought the day tunnels.

Merlin, in good humor, pulled the boy's cap over his eyes. ''Yes, because if there is anything we are, it is organized!''

Me: Hope you liked it! I can't promise when I'll have another chapter. I am at the mercy of the Muse (hmm, now I understand what Homer was talking about). If you can, please tell me what you think! I love feedback! And hey, if you have any cute scene ideas you wanna see with Merlin and the kids, I'd love to hear them!

Happy Writing!