A/N: Thank you PadrePedro, GuestM, and Buckhunter for reviewing!


Chapter 2

After the discovery of what was poisoning Camelot's water source, Gaius, Merlin, Alice, and Prince Arthur returned to Alice's chambers to discuss how to handle it. Not only was the fact that it was sorcery a matter of great concern and danger, but magic needed to be fought with magic—and Uther was dangerous in that regard. They needed to be careful.

"What is an Afnac?" Prince Arthur asked.

"It's a magical creature conjured from two elements," Merlin answered. "Earth and water. And it's poisonous, which explains why its very presence in the well system is contaminating the water and making people sick."

"Do you plan to 'rescue' it as well?" the prince asked snippily.

"No," Merlin calmly replied. "This creature isn't natural. It needs to be vanquished. I should send for my hunters." He eyed Arthur in consideration. "Can you convince Uther to invite them? Given they slighted him over the griffin?"

"You mean lied to him," Arthur retorted.

Alice was giving Gaius a questioning look during the exchange, which he ignored for the moment.

"Do you want to save your kingdom or not?" Merlin said, crossing his arms.

Arthur's jaw ticked, but he gave a clipped nod. And so they all headed back to the council chambers to report what they'd found. Uther was, predictably, livid to learn that there was sorcery in his kingdom. And he became even more incensed when Arthur suggested sending for those hunters of magical creatures.

"The knights of Camelot can handle this beast," Uther declared staunchly.

Merlin cleared his throat to speak up, which made Gaius tense.

"With all due respect, Your Highness, this isn't like anything your men have faced before."

Uther sneered at him. "You know nothing of these matters. I advise you remind your apprentice of his place," he warned Gaius. He then turned back to his son. "Rid us of this scourge."

Arthur inclined his head and turned on his heel to leave.

Merlin, Gaius, and Alice quickly left as well.

"Arthur!" Merlin called. "Don't do this."

"I have my orders," the prince replied stiffly and marched off.

With nothing for the three of them to do, they returned to Alice's chambers. Merlin was visibly upset and went to the far corner of the room, keeping his back to Gaius and Alice as he spoke softly. Gaius saw the glow of his messenger ring and knew he was sending word to the hunters anyway. They would likely need them before the end.

"Your apprentice is more than he seems," Alice quietly commented.

Gaius smiled. "That he is."

He was glad when Alice didn't pry; despite her choice to remain in Camelot during the Purge, she had never been anti-magic.

"I've missed you," she went on.

"I've missed you too."

"Have you ever thought about what might have been, had you stayed?"

"Sometimes," he admitted softly. "But it never would have worked."

"Are you certain?" she asked.

Gaius didn't answer. Their eyes were locked, and there was a suspended silence between them, as though time itself had slowed to infinitesimal increments. They leaned closer, until their lips touched. Then they both deepened the kiss.

When Alice pulled back, she was wearing a rueful smile. "Perhaps it's not too late."

Gaius's heart twinged with longing. Merlin was grown now, had surpassed Gaius in skill and knowledge; the boy no longer needed him.

But could Gaius leave his work at the Sanctuary behind for a world of hate and intolerance? Even to be with the woman he loved?


Arthur led a troop of armed knights down into the tunnels. With swords and crossbows, they should have no trouble slaying one beast. And yet Arthur still felt a churning trepidation in his stomach.

The torchlight flickered off the walls as they made their way toward the underground wells. When they reached them, Arthur hesitated. Signaling to his men to fan out and get ready, he then stepped forward himself to lure the creature out of the water. Nothing stirred, and Arthur risked leaning closer to peer into the dark depths, but of course he didn't see anything. Could it have left? Or was it somewhere in the tunnels?

The surge from under the water caught Arthur off guard and he fell backward in his scramble to get away. The Afnac shrieked and launched itself at the knights. Leon leaped in front of Arthur, brandishing his sword to defend his prince. Arthur saw him thrust his blade straight at the creature, and yet somehow the steel glanced off its slick hide. The Afnac swung its head like a club, slamming into Leon and throwing him back into Arthur, which took them both back to the ground.

The other knights attempted to converge on the beast, yet their weapons were also ineffective against it. Screams rent the air as men were tossed aside haphazardly and mowed down under dripping fangs and claws. Arthur couldn't take it anymore.

"Retreat!" he yelled, holding his ground until his knights began to flee. The Afnac did not give chase and returned to the well where it could continue to inflict the most damage.

The knights staggered back upstairs where Arthur immediately shouted for aid. Guards and servants nearby rushed in to help the wounded. There were too many to take to the court physician's chambers, so Leon directed them to one of the common rooms and sent a servant to fetch Alice. There was nothing Arthur could do for his men now, which left him with the onerous task of reporting his failure to the king.

He slogged up to the council chambers where his father was waiting for news. Word had already reached him that wounded had returned, and he looked agitated as he gave Arthur a demanding look.

"Is the creature slain?" he asked.

Arthur shook his head in disgrace. "Our swords could not pierce its hide."

Uther's jaw ticked. "Yet more people who fail me," he muttered but loud enough for all to hear.

Arthur ducked his gaze as he said, "Perhaps we should call upon those hunters. They have experience against magical creatures and may have a way to kill this thing." He chanced a look up at his father.

Uther looked peeved by the suggestion but also thoughtful. "Of course," he finally said. "Our kingdom is in need. I assume that servant boy knows how to contact them?"

Arthur nodded, an entirely different coil of discomfort churning in his stomach.

Uther waved a dismissive hand and Arthur turned to leave. He went back to the common room, assuming Merlin would be with the visiting physician and Alice. He was right. All three were working to treat the wounded men, and Arthur watched shrewdly for a long moment, trying to catch Merlin in the act of using magic. But he didn't; he fetched supplies for Gaius and cleaned the more minor wounds before bandaging them.

Arthur made his way over. "My father has agreed to send for your- those hunters," he said.

Merlin nodded and strode out of the room without a word. Arthur couldn't tell if he was angry or thinking that he'd told them so. And Arthur questioned again why he hadn't told his father there was a sorcerer in their midst. Merlin and his hunters had helped them with the griffin, even if it wasn't the outcome Uther had wanted. And Merlin was helping now. Maybe he was the exception among evil sorcerers.


Lancelot, Percival, and Gwaine arrived in Camelot within hours of receiving Merlin's message to come. King Uther was waiting for them in the courtyard.

"You made off with my prize griffin," he said with severe displeasure.

"It was generous of Your Highness to offer us a reward, but we have no use for titles or honoraries," Lancelot replied diplomatically. "The money we get from selling the parts is how we stay in business."

Uther huffed. "Well, I hope you prove just as capable in this matter."

Merlin came out then, shot a deferential look at the king, then gestured for the hunters to follow him inside.

"Elyan was uncertain about coming," Lancelot told him quietly. "He's outside the city if we need him, though."

"I figured he would be," Merlin replied. "And hopefully we can do this quickly."

He led them through the castle to the vaults where Prince Arthur was waiting. They exchanged a round of tense nods in greeting.

"So since man made blades won't work against this Afnac, what will?" Arthur asked.

"It's made from earth and water," Merlin answered. "So we need the opposing elements to undo it."

"Fire and air," Lancelot said in understanding.

Merlin nodded. "Did you bring the flamethrower?"

Percival unslung the large duffel strapped across his back and began unpacking the flamethrower and its attachments. Arthur furrowed his brows at the contraption. Merlin handed the others torches.

"And what about the air part?" Arthur asked. "Or is this…" He gestured at the air around them. "Enough?"

"As long as we can keep it out of the water, it should be enough," Merlin replied, then shared a nod with the hunters.

They nodded back, and then ventured down into the tunnels.