9. The curse

Gaius was just crossing the courtyard of the palace when the party came charging through the drawbridge. It was evident by their urgency that something was afoot. Gaius could read Merlin's face like a book and he did not like what he saw there now.

It had warmed his heart in the last few weeks to see Merlin laughing and smiling again. It had taken him long enough to come at least somewhat to terms with Arthur's death. Niniane had been good for him, there was no doubt. As Merlin had been good for her. He could not have prescribed a better medicine to heal a wounded soul. But now there seemed trouble to be brewing.

Merlin's mind had been racing with possibilities all the way back to the castle.

What was happening? Why was it happening now? What forces of dark magic wanted to damage Camelot yet again? The thought of people he loved getting hurt again was unbearable. He needed to find out more….

Apparently most villages lying right on the border of the kingdom had been affected. 'The outbreak spans like a big circle around Camelot.' Percival pointed out looking at the map in front of them.

'What are the reports saying?'

'It seems that a strange kind of disease took the lives a few people in each village.'

'What kind of disease?'

Percvial stopped short and then explained: 'People fall ill from one minute to the next. They cannot hear or see. They are locked in their bodies unable to speak. Their skin turns grey and scaly as the flesh underneath seems to evaporate under the skin. Death is but a relief from the agony they suffer. At the end all that there is left of them is leathery skin, tightly clinging to the bones of their skeleton.'

Gwen looked horrified. 'Is this a disease you have heard of, Gaius?'

'From what I hear this is not an illness of the natural world, my lady.'

'So it must be magic.' Gwen came to the conclusion unwillingly.

'People are very scared, my lady. There are rumours of dark magic trying to destroy Camelot' Percival added.

Gwen frowned and said hesitatingly. 'Dark magi… I thought this was all behind us'

'We will not know for sure until we see, my lady' Gaius intercepted.

Gwen pondered for a moment and then said:

'Gaius, will you go to one of the villages and see for yourself?

'Of course, my lady.'

'Percival. Take three men and go with Gaius.'

'Yes, my lady.' Percival replied.

Merlin exchanged a glance with Gwen: 'I will also go.' He said simply.

It was not difficult to assess the situation once Gaius had examined the bodies of the deceased. They had definitely died at the hand of magic. The mood in the village they had visited was one of suspicion and panic. The inexplicable always instills fear and people felt that they could trust no one.

'We need to find out what causes this and how it is passed on.' Merlin and Gaius had returned swiftly as they knew that their research was one of urgency. Niniane had also appeared and offered her help. She had never experienced the evil of magic at such close range and was mortified that magic should be abused like this.

They sifted through magical works large and small for hours, their eyes tiring in the soft candle light as time went on.

'I wonder,' said Merlin suddenly ' where the illness struck first time?' And off he went to find out. He came back with an air of excitement not long after that.

He put a map of Camelot on the table 'The disease turned up here' and pointed to the small village of Badnor in the northern border country.

It was the village closest to the sacred cave where the disir resided.

'Indeed!' Gaius He pulled out a very large copy of a magical book entitled: 'Curses of the Old Religion' and within minutes he had spotted the symptoms that they had encountered.

'The Curse of Aberration ' He read out loudly. 'is a curse where a sorcerer is empowered by the disir to pass on a deadly disease to any person they touch.'

Merlin's heart sank. That trip to the disir did not seem that long ago. It had been that fateful day when Arthur had to choose where his future would lie. Merlin tried not to think of their conversation at the fireside. How many times had he asked himself what would have been if he had advised Arthur differently then.

'If you want to save all that you hold dear, if you want to save your kingdom, embrace the old religion.' The disir had insisted. 'This is the last chance to save all that is dear to you. It will not come again.' But Arthur had rejected the Old Religion. 'You have sealed your fate and that of your kingdom' had been the last words of the disir. Arthur's death had been foreshadowed then, Merlin could see that now. But as it seemed the disir were now making sure that Arthur's kingdom and all that had been close to his heart would also fall.

'But how can we stop this?' Niniane asked anxiously.

'It can only be stopped if the bearer of the curse is struck dead by a person true of heart and mind.' Merlin looked up. 'Well, that should be easy..' His words were dripping with sarcasm. 'Once we have found the sorcerer who has been spreading this terrible curse.' It seemed like a hopeless task.

The matter was discussed the following day at the round table.

'My lady, reports have it that the disease is coming closer to Camelot every day.' Leon had just returned from the last patrol. 'It is like a noose closing round the neck of Camelot' he added very quietly.

To make matters worse a guard burst into the room at this moment.

'What is it?' asked Gwen.

'My lady, there are people gathering everywhere moving towards the castle.'

'How many?'

'There must be one or two hundred, my lady'…..the guard hesitated.

'Yes' Gwen had no patience for waiting.

'People say that they are all sorcerers.'

Everybody went silent.

'My lady,' Percival finally spoke. 'It seems we need a sorcerer that can help us'

The other knights looked up in astonishment.

'There was one that saved us all before….' he added.

Leon was clearly not happy with this 'How can we trust any sorcerer after what Morgana did to this kingdom?'

Gwen looked straight at Merlin. He held her gaze, but did not speak.

'Let me consider this. I'll see if there is anything I can do.' Her words seemed rather mysterious to some of the knights.

Gaius and Merlin had just left the chamber when an urgent call came for the old physician. 'I'll come with you Gaius.' Merlin offered kindly. 'it is too dangerous to wonder the streets of Camelot alone.'

Gwen knew that he had to speak to Merlin alone before she decided on any further action and so she made her way to Gaius's chamber not long after the council meeting.

She just opened the door in time to witness Niniane's eyes turn golden to change a potion from green to purple.

'Guards!' There was no way of escape for the girl.