Cross my heart and hope to die!
The round table had been looking pretty bleak of late with the number of Knights diminishing by the day. Elian had already caught the love bug and things weren't looking good for Gwaine.
Arthur, Gwen, Leon, Merlin, Mordred and Gaius all made their way to Gaius' quarters to discuss just what on earth could be making the Knights act so strangely away from prying ears.
Gaius usually had an answer for everything but even he was having difficulties coming up with an explanation right now.
"Do you have any idea just what it could be Gaius?" asked a distraught Gwen because her own brother Elian had fallen foul to the strange goings on and was seemingly head over heels for a women he'd only known a few days.
"I'm afraid my best guess would be magic my lady, an enchantment of some kind" replied the grey haired physician.
The door to the quarters opened and they all filed in one by one until they all filled the small room which was filled with vials, books and a pestle and mortar which had a black dusty residue inside.
The young woman in black pants, a tight fitting white corset style blouse and brown boots that covered her calfs had gone unnoticed as she sat in the large wooden chair with her back to them.
"Is there a way to over come this enchantment if it is so" asked Arthur inquisitively. He hoped there was so he could have his Knights back and Camelot would be safe once more.
"I'm sure I can find one sire, might take a few days but I wont let you down" replied the physician.
The young woman rolled her eyes and tutted loudly as to gain their attention. She wasn't going to sit there all day in silence.
"Shouldn't make promises you can not keep Gaius. You of all people should know that" she lulled with a soft sigh and then waited for the sleek sound of a sword being drawn but much to her surprise non did.
Now she was curious as to what they were all doing as she heard no footsteps or voices behind her. Was she invisible or something? She leaned up in the chair and peered over the top to find that everybody was just staring at the chair a little confused if anything.
She stood up and turned the chair around making a loud ear piercing screech on the wooden floor as the feet scraped across the the dull wood.
She flopped back down into it and swung her legs over the chair arm so she was relaxed and comfy.
"It's a Lorelie" she said breaking the silence and hoped it would gain some form of remark from somebody, anybody.
"What is a Lorelie?" asked Leon confused, well she was just thankful that somebody had asked something. She honestly thought it was going to be who are you? How did you get in here? Etc etc but no, somebody asked a sensible question relating to the subject at hand.
"They are known by many names, water spirits" replied Gaius finally stepping up to the mark and being the know it all he was.
"Water witch" interjected the young woman bringing the attention back to herself. Well she'd not come all this way just to sit there like a third wheel.
"They are known for attracting children and men to the water" the physician added but held back the whole truth for Gwen's sake but the young woman wasn't going to be so gentle with the truth.
"Over the centuries they have preyed upon nurse maids and enchanted them so they would take young boys in their care down to the water where the Loreie would drag the boys under the water and drown them, making them prisoners for upto twenty years before releasing them back into the world as... Icaris" she saw the horror fall on Gwen's face instantly as she spoke.
Now all eyes were back on her and as she gazed around the room she found it odd how the Lorelie had enchanted two of the Knights but seemingly dismissed the one she should have been attracted to. The young Druid had strong powers, was strong and beautiful. He should have been her first victim.
"What's an icaris?" asked Merlin finally finding his voice as his eyes narrowed on the young woman, he was unsure whether to trust her or not and of course who was she.
"A dark creature, evil in all its nature" said Gaius bitterly as he began to pick up books and flitting through them hoping to find a way to end this curse.
The woman rolled her head back and rolled her eyes letting out a frustrated groan. Gaius was doing his best to avoid saying too much in front of the Queen and it irked her something rotten.
"They are creatures, once man of course but once the Lorelie snatches them and enchants them they are trapped with her until she releases them as icaris, now an icaris is a strong, powerful creature with jet black wings that it uses to fly and soar with. It's body is as hard as marble, cold as snow, it feeds on human blood and for every year one spends under the water with the Lorelie it has to kill as many maidens in its first year of being released, harvest the souls and then once it has all the souls it needs the icaris will be immortal" she explained with a chill to her voice.
All eyes remained on her for what felt like forever until Gaius slammed a heavy book down on the table which sent a cloud of dust flying up into the air and everybody but the woman jumped.
"Aisliaghn must you enjoy telling such horrific stories" Gaius scolded the woman to which she just smirked darkly "the truth is horrific uncle, you of all people know that" she replied and hopped up out of the chair and walked over to the book he was skimming through.
Of course he was looking for a cure, a counter spell, anything to defeat the Lorelai but it wouldn't be as easy as he thought.
Percival had already gone missing and he was perfect material for an Icaris. He was strong and beautiful. He'd been gone for over a week and it was obvious what had happened to him even if nobody wanted to suggest it. Well all but Merlin any way.
"So does this mean Percival is an icaris?" he asked breaking the dreadful silence that had fallen. "More than likely yes" replied Gaius without raising his head from the book he was skimming.
Well that was it then, they didn't just have a Lorelie terrorizing the land but they would soon have a blood thirsty Icaris too.
"There is a way to stop the Icaris without killing him" said Gaius finally which made everybody alert and hanging on his every word. "But you're not going to like it" he added as he finally looked up at them all.
The room fell silent again which was beginning to drive Aislaighn mad.
"To end the curse the one who made the Icaris must die. The Lorelie must die, but the only way to get to her is to go under the water to where she resides, be it cavern, magical land under the lake or behind a waterfall.. too many possibilities not enough time to check them and also the whole matter of.. nobody can hold their breath long enough to find, fight and destroy the Lorelie" Aislaighn said as if she was already writing the Knights off as dead "unless you hold powerful magic of course.. but there's nobody in this room with magic is there?" she retorted with a knowing smirk as her eyes wander slowly over both Merlin and Mordred.