A/N: I really don't get ff's doc editor. For the past several chapters I've set everything up, made sure my formatting is correct, and posted only to find it had removed all of my italics. *heavy sigh* Whatever.

Anyway, I have made Merlin's reaction much more extreme since a) I thought it really should have been and b) the gean canach was allowed to do its thing uninterrupted in this timeline and thus took more. To make a comparison (that is a bit spoiler-y)- Merlin is like a laptop that has been unplugged and had its battery partially drained. Yes, he'll continue to function for a while, but the system will begin restricting features until the power ultimately runs out.

Nance: Morgana is a rather classic villain that way. Why just stab someone through the heart when you could tie them to a conveyor headed toward a compactor? Gives you more time to give a monologue and then leave the hero all alone to escape.

Though, really, I've noticed her attempts on Arthur are more straight-forward than the ones on Merlin. I like to think it's because she just wants Arthur out of the way and has lingering familial feelings about him (so she'll give him a cleaner, business-like death) whereas with Merlin it's personal and she wants him to suffer. I'm sure other people would say it's because she secretly wants Merlin to escape. Whatever your interpretation, it's interesting.

He woke slowly and reluctantly. His body felt heavy and weak. He had an unpleasant sensation of having been hollowed out somehow.

Upon opening his eyes he met the worried faces of Gaius and Arthur, who reacted in unison.

"How do you feel?"

"My face hurts and I've got a terrible taste in my mouth. Ugh," he shifted a bit, intending to massage his face with one hand but stopping the movement when he felt the pain and saw the bandage there. "What happened to my hand?"

"It was stabbed with a dagger. I'll get you something for that," Gaius rose and shuffled off to the main chamber.

"Do you remember who attacked you, Merlin?" Arthur inquired, not liking the dull look of his friend's eyes.

"All black, couldn't see 'is face." The servant grimaced and tried to reach the cup of water by his bed, Arthur helping when it became clear he couldn't do it himself. "Carried a box with... thing in it. Felt... bad. Not right." The memory of it clearly agitated him; his hands shook, the uninjured one clenching and unclenching, and his eyes had turned a bit wild, though still not as alert as Arthur would have liked.

"It's alright, you're safe now, Merlin." The king assured him, though he himself was feeling a bit disturbed. What was upsetting Merlin so much?

"Not right, not right..." Merlin murmured, falling asleep just as Gaius returned with the tea that was no longer necessary.

"I don't like this, Gaius. He seems... off."

The physician watched his boy twitch, heart twisting along with the blanket gripped in one pale hand.

"Then I had best get to work."

Arthur had never read so many books in his life. They covered every available surface as he, Gaius, and Guinevere searched for any mention of giant slug-like creatures.

Is this what it was always like? If so he would need to be more appreciative of those times when Gaius or Merlin just happened to figure out what creature or spell was at work. He never would have guessed it was so much work- or so tedious. Hours of slaving over weighty tomes had revealed nothing.

"Gaius!" A weak but panicked call sounded from the back room and the physician was off like an arrow, motioning for the royal couple to continue their research.

Arthur rose, intending to follow regardless, but was stopped by his wife's hand.

"Give them some space," she counseled, pushing a new book in front of him.

He frowned but complied, wishing Gaius had at least had the decency to leave the door open so he could eavesdrop.

"Merlin, how do you feel?" The elder smoothed back the younger man's hair, trying to calm him.

"It's gone, Gaius, gone!"

"Shhh. What's gone?"

The warlock's voice was a choked whisper, tears forming in his eyes.
"My magic!"

Gaius sat heavily on the stool, barely avoiding landing on the floor. Without thought, his bad news slipped out.

"Morgana knows."

Merlin grew another shade whiter, and they both stared at each other in silence until the warlock gave a humorless chuckle and looked away.

"Why couldn't she have just killed me?"

"Merlin!" The physician was shocked. "How could you-"

"Without my magic I am nothing, Gaius. Arthur will die; Camelot will fall. It would have been kinder to kill me now." Another dark laugh. "I suppose that's why she didn't."

"Whatever this is, Merlin, you can't give in to despair. Even now we are searching for a solution- it will be easier now that I know the creature's purpose. You-"

"Just leave me alone, Gaius."
He twitched slightly, trying to turn over but not having the strength.

"Merlin-"

"Leave!" He hissed, pressing his eyes closed since he couldn't turn his back.

Gaius reached out, wanting to comfort his ward but thinking better of it for the moment.

"We'll be just outside, Merlin. Call if you need anything."

There was no response, but he hadn't expected one. The physician retreated to his workbench with a heavy heart.

"Gaius?" The royal couple watched, worried by his reaction.

He gathered himself, putting together an explanation that didn't reveal his ward's secret.

"Whatever Morgana has done, she seems to have stolen a part of him- his... life force, if you will."

"What?" Arthur yelled.

"He's not dying, is he?" Guinevere had latched onto his arm with a painful grip.

Gaius opened his mouth to deny this, then considered the way Merlin hadn't even had the strength to move himself. Could he, the most powerful warlock ever, survive without that which he'd been born with?

"I don't know."

Guinevere let out a choked sob, then returned to her book with renewed vigor, soon finishing it and moving to the next.

Arthur and Gaius were pulled from their inaction by the sound of the book snapping shut. The king moved toward Merlin's room, this time halted by Gaius.

"He wants some time to himself."

The royal cursed, kicking his stool away and pacing angrily, pulling at his hair.

Retrieving the stool, he slammed it down.

"Which of these hasn't been checked?"