I

It feels like a nightmare when Gwaine moves against the Disir, his sword drawn. Merlin can feel it in his bones when they throw in backwards, and he can taste the threat in the air as they throw a spear in Arthur's direction.

His long honed skills allow him to try and stop it from hitting his King, but this is itheir/i sacred place, and in their realm, they are stronger than Merlin's magic. He wants to freeze time, so he can neutralize the danger, but he can only make it slower. Merlin sees as Mordred starts to move closer to Arthur and that sets his instincts on fire.

The others will wonder how he moved so quickly, but there he is, in front of Arthur just in time to avoid his death. For one second, he thinks he moved fast enough, but the sudden pain in his shoulder tells him otherwise.

The spear is buried into his unprotected body, and he's being thrown against Arthur. They both crumble, somewhat, and he can see the knights moving closer, trying to protect them. There's blood in his body, and Arthur's voice is desperate, but all Merlin can see is the eyes of the Disir with a sudden mirth as if they had achieved exactly what they wanted to.

He feels Percival strong arms lifting him, and he hears Arthur's strained voice as he yells for Mordred to come as well. Merlin wonders if this is the end, if now he will move against the unprotected king, but Mordred's face is soon upon his, pleading and looking just about as worried as the rest of them.

There's magic all around him, and Merlin can feel every flower, every leaf, every root of every three. He can feel the bugs and the birds, the very earth underneath him, the heartbeats of the knights and Mordred's carefully controlled magic. Everything feels very much alive, except for himself, as if it life was leaking for him.

"We'll save you" he hears Arthur voice from afar, as the king himself ties the bandages around the spear that they didn't dare to remove. "It will be alright, I promise."

He wants to tell Arthur everything, he wants to speak, he wants to move, he wants to save them all, but he can't voice anything. He can't even nod.

Merlin stares pleading at Arthur's eyes, wishing with all his force to be able to do something. The rest of the universe fades away and there's just the concern and worry in light blue, until it all turns dark and he knows no more.