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It was around midday when Merlin woke up. He left his room searching for Gaius almost upon realizing that the time couldn't be 6 anymore! He couldn't find him anywhere. When he noticed the time he got surprised. At the same time he started wondering what on earth was happening.
"Why didn't anyone come to look for me?"
"And most importantly why didn't anyone come to wake me up?"
"And most importantly where is Gaius?"
"And most importantly where is Arthur?"
"And most importantly why isn't he shouting at me as we speak?"
"And most importantly where is everybody...?"
Merlin had noticed the strange quietness that was now dominating the castle.
Within seconds his mind went to the worst possible interpretation of this silence he had just witnessed.
He ran to the court at once as if his whole world was on fire.
He was now breathing heavily. When he finally arrived there the first ray of sun hit his face. The sun was burning even the stones. He could feel it as upon seconds after standing there he felt sweat dripping down his face. He wiped it off with his sleeve.
It was the middle of December.
"Well, it certainly isn't 6 am in the morning anymore!"
"And most importantly it doesn't look like it is December!"
"And most importantly things certainly don't look fine!"
"And most importantly…"
"Will you shut up already?" Arthur whispered irritably behind the corner after rolling his eyes. The other knights were enjoying it, giggling, as Merlin was taking too long to process the facts to figure out what was going on. The only one without expression was Elyan.
"Arthur?" Shouted Merlin with excitement.
"Where have you all been?" Merlin said with concern.
"You're a slow one aren't you?" Arthur said annoyed followed by a laugh from the other knights, except Elyan again.
"You were ruining the silence and you were interrupting our investigation!"
"What investigation? How can it be an investigation if it's behind the column? What are you investigating? The architecture's competence?"
"No, Meeerlin… in case you didn't notice there is something very off going on and there is a man over there. We are trying to figure out who he is…" Arthur responded
"What?" Merlin looked puzzled.
"He clearly, by his cloak which by the way is red, oh and which by the way carries a Camelot symbol on it, is a knight of Camelot! And by the looks of it may be dead and needs help! So what are you waiting for?" Merlin responded with an even more confused face expression.
"Well… " Arthur was now trying to commence an explanation.
"And why is Elyan looking so lost?" Merlin interrupted.
"And why is Gwaine rubbing his eyes all the time?" And why is Percival looking so fat so suddenly? And what are you doing with Gaius cane? Ha?" said Merlin in a very confused tone.
"Are you finished? "Arthur said in an ironic tone.
"Yes?" said Merlin slowly in a uncertain tone as if he wasn't sure anymore if he wanted to hear the answers, as if he was feeling already regret for asking, with a tone that expressed that he was now sure that he wouldn't like the answers. His face took a worried expression.
"Well …" said Arthur a bit reluctantly," it seems that there is an illness in Camelot that everyone has fallen to …maybe that's why you look more stupid than ever…"
The knights were laughing again in the background.
"Thanks..." Merlin replied sarcastically,"and?"
"And it seems that it affects everyone in a different way…"continued Arthur. "Elyan went deaf, Gwaine is losing slowly his sight, Percival is…well, getting fatter as you noticed and I am developing a amm aaaa…."
"Limp?" Merlin completed.
"Yes that. Why isn't there something wrong with you? You didn't drink any water did you?"
"I don't know. What does it matter? Who did this?"
"Well early in the morning people started coming around asking for help and yelling that a witch poured poison in their water to avenge my father's actions and get revenge from Camelot. After a while we noticed that everyone was getting sick, even me."
"But I didn't have any water; I just had beer…!" yelled Gwaine in the background.
"Well it doesn't matter! Beer has water too." Arthur responded wittily.
"Is he getting stupid too? Or was he always like this? I think this disease is making everybody stupid. Sh…"
Before Arthur could finish his sentence Merlin walked away to approach the unknown knight in sight. He was leaning against the wall. Merlin tried to shake him to see if he was still alive. He couldn't stand up, he explained. He felt a sharp pain in his ribs that he couldn't ignore.
"The next thing I knew boy was that I fell unconscious to the floor." He said to Merlin.
"Here I'll help you get back to your home" Merlin offered.
"No! It doesn't matter anymore. The witch has taken it with her. There is nothing left. Nothing left from Camelot to Ealdor."
"Ealdor?" Merlin was now panicking.
"Who is this witch everyone keeps telling me about?"
"And most importantly what does she want?"
"And most importantly who is she after?"
"And most importantly where is she?"
"And most importantly…" Merlin was about to complete his thought when he was interrupted by a shout in the background.
"SHUT UUUUUUUUPPPP!" All the knights shouted in symphony.
Well not all of them, except Elyan. The man didn't have a clue what was going on.
Merlin regrouped with the knights and urged them to think a plan as his mother would be in danger by now.
But when the time came to put the plan in work they found themselves surrounded by the witch's army and captured. It was anticipated as Arthur couldn't ran, Elyan couldn't understand what the others were shouting for, Percival was getting tired very quickly with all that weight he carried and Gwaine kept stumbling and hitting columns with his face. By the end of the battle it was just Merlin standing but he couldn't help the other knights so he was cornered too at the end.
By the nightfall they found themselves been carried to a cave. Later on they were all lying on wooden tables with their legs and hands tied. No one could move.
They could hear the witch approaching by the sound of her shoes.
"Everyone play dead!" Shouted Percival.
Arthur looked confused."This disease is making all of you stupid! How does that help?"
"Well I thought…never mind." said Percival remorsefully.
The witch entered the room.
"Well ,well…" Arthur Pendragon…no less!" said the witch with satisfaction. "Merlin ? What an honor! Knights… the pleasure is all mine. But now let's cut to the chase. I have lots to kill, oh; to do is what I and your father will pay for what you have done."
"Take me; let the others go" Arthur intervened.
The witch got angry but decided anyway to continue.
"Ha ha ha, who do you think I am? Your knight? Ha! Your servant? Ha! They have served, you haven't they?"
"Yes" said Arthur confidently.
"Then they are you, for they incorporate your principles, your values and your follow your instructions, not their own, they do as their king demands do they not?"
"Yes, but they are not responsible for my decisions! " said Arthur trying hard to convince her to set them free.
"Of course they are. They are the ones applying them whereas you are the one deciding them."
"Please no!"
"Enough with the pleadings, I am past that Arthur Pendragon. And to show you how serious I am I will start with an example. A strong one in hope that the rest will see their mistakes and retreat before it is too late. I shall start with your most trusted servant Merlin!"
Every one of them was now terrified. Their faces were pale as a white sheet, scared and full of despair.
"I shall cut off his heart!"
Merlin was now even more terrified.
As the witch raised the knife in the air everyone was screaming in despair.
And as they watched the witch lowering the knife towards Merlin's heart, everyone was trying to escape from the ropes that hold their hands and legs. Every one of them wanted to ran free and help him. Those few seconds looked like eternity to Merlin. He was anticipating the hit as he himself couldn't move either in order to defend himself. But no one could. No one seemed to be able to free them self just by struggling with the ropes.
What was left to do?
They screamed for a god from the machine to come save Merlin from death.
They screamed in hope the witch would stop, show mercy and spare Merlin.
Every one of them was trying.
Every one of them was trying desperately.
And then… "clang".