Thread: A Sinister Realm of Fables & Bloodlust (darkangel76 x Rauk)

The withering life of the once powerful king Arthur was now merely in a fleeting critical condition. As the darkness overtook his mind and his subconscious self began to wonder, the physical pain he was enduring faded for a moment to be upstaged by the memories of old. Arthur had known that this must be the end, as the reflections of his glorious life began to race through his mind. Seeming as though he was in a lucid dream, the noble king found himself standing strong and breathing deeply. His skin warmed in the summer sun as the his stroll through the forest outside the castle walls lead him to think about the adventures he had undertaken with his honorable band of knights, such as their quest to retrieve the legendary holy grail among many others. Sir Galahad, and the rest of the knights were very loyal to Arthur and vowed to follow him to the ends of the Earth. Arthur closed his dreaming eyes as he took in the smells of the lush forest. The fresh spring blooms decorating the paths were majestic, and peaceful as he was reminded of the beautiful land of Camelot in it's prime, unknowingly in the sights of a malicious spirit hellbent on it's destruction. The mighty king's thoughts soon wandered toward Merlin, before all of this chaos began. As the powerful wizard had trained his father before him, Arthur had always looked up to Merlin as a mentor and at times a father figure. Only a handful of years ago, as he was remembering now, the two of them spent countless hours in castle Camelot's private library studying, and educating the younger Arthur, as Merlin's vast intelligence proved to be un-natural and almost fueled by a spiritual magic that flowed within his life-force. It was a mystery to him as to how and why this man possessed such power, but he never had seen him as a threat until now. Arthur's mind was bouncing in all directions, as the thought of Merlin in recent years brought him to a special memory of the two of them speaking over a cup of tea high in the sanctity of Merlin's tower, overlooking the castle. What seems to be troubling you, m'boy? Asked the gray dark haired wizard in a feeble yet strong tone. Of all the battles and hardships I've faced, old friend... I fear that my most difficult is yet to come. the noble Arthur replied as he sipped his tea graciously. Hah, I sense you are referring to your soon to be bride, Guinevere. My advise to you, is to treat her with love and respect, as I know you will. She loves you, Arthur. Just remember, during the wedding tomorrow, it is her day, you are merely an accessory, not unlike her bouquet of flowers. The two friends chuckle at the conversation, and finished their drinks. Arthur's relationship with Merlin would soon after this time take a turn for the worse when the sinister evils that plagued the land became attracted to the powerful potential within the gray sorcerer. Over the few months that followed after these once serene events, the atmosphere around castle Camelot began to change and shift into something dark. As Arthur and Guinevere's marriage blossomed and the two grew fonder of each other, the great wizard spiraled deeper into a mysterious funk that seemed to cause him to be someone other than himself. Over the course of several months, Merlin's mind grew more cryptic and his overall friendly and father-like demeanor toward Arthur withered away, along with his humanity. Before long, Merlin began spending nearly all of his time locked away in the dark recesses of his tower alone, or seemingly alone, not to be seen or heard from by anyone, even his old friend Arthur. Little did anyone know the horrors going on in Merlin's decaying mind. There was an evil grasping it's clutches onto his very soul, as he chose to bide his time and prepare for something foul and unknown. Arthur suddenly jolts up and writhes ones again in the agony of his physical bonds and the painful affliction in which he is subject to. The foul stench of the blood ritual taking place around him filled his lungs once again, as the flashback faded and the fear temporarily returned in full force, only to slowly fade away once again, into another deep sleep. This time, Arthur found himself in the shoes of Merlin himself... Almost as if it weren't a dream, but a vision of the inside of the wizard's own consciousness. Was this some sort of witchcraft, or dark magic? As the helpless king began to drift off once again into the realm of spiritual subconsciousness, he found himself with no choice but to witness the horrifying transformation that would explain how Merlin had changed from the once honest and wise sage, to the malicious and bloodthirsty necromancer he was at present.