A/N: Thank you GuestM, Buckhunter, Guest, and SnidgetHex for reviewing!
Chapter 5
The knights had scoured the kingdom for four days now, with no sign of Sarrock or Guinevere. To make matters worse, their forces were divided between the search and maintaining a defensive presence in the city. There hadn't been any more aggressive magical attacks, but the blight had returned to the crops twice. Thankfully, Lily's magic had been able to restore them both times, but it was just another diversion of resources and a way to incite fear among the people, remind them they could be gotten to at any moment.
Lancelot stood in between his children's cribs, taking a moment's respite from everything. Everyone had been working tirelessly, but the lack of progress was wearing them all down. Everyone except the twins, who were too young to comprehend any of the bad stuff happening in the kingdom right now. They were so pure, so innocent. It hurt Lancelot's heart in a way, to imagine them facing such hardships when they were older. He wanted to preserve their carefree innocence as long as he could, wanted a better world for them.
But such worlds would always come under attack, he supposed, and that was why it needed brave people to fight to defend it.
Merlin and Lily were sitting at the table, discussing ideas on what to try next to find Gwen or Excalibur. Even though Lily's magic wasn't like Merlin's, they had a kinship and he often used her as a sounding board.
"Merlin," Lily said, drawing Lancelot's gaze to them.
Merlin was staring off into the distance, looking distracted. "Sorry," he said, giving himself a shake. "I can still hear whispers in the back of my mind."
"What do you think they are?" Lancelot asked.
He made a frustrated sound. "I don't know. Why is my magic always useless when it's needed most?!"
"It's not useless," Lily said. "You've always found a way."
"And what if this is the time I finally don't? Gwen is out there somewhere in the hands of a sadistic sorcerer!" Merlin clenched his fists. "And it's my fault."
"It is not your fault, Merlin," Lancelot said firmly.
"Sarrock was banished because of me."
"Sarrock was banished because he used magic to harm others."
Merlin shook his head. "I should have anticipated him wanting revenge and using magic to get it."
"And what would the alternative have been?" Lancelot asked. "To execute him as in the days of Uther?"
Merlin sighed in defeat. "I know. I just hate being so helpless."
Lancelot nodded solemnly. "We all do."
A series of screams suddenly rent the air outside, and the three of them rushed to the balcony to look out. People were running as dozens of small things scurried through the streets. Lancelot couldn't tell what they were from this high up, but he figured they were Sarrock's latest attack. He turned to retrieve his sword and head down to fight, only to freeze as he saw a scorpion crawling up and over the side of Rhedyn's crib.
Lancelot didn't think, he simply leaped forward and swung his arm to bat the creature away before it could hurt his daughter. The stinger stabbed him in the back of his hand just as he made contact and sent the scorpion flying across the room. He let out a sharp cry and dropped to his knees as fiery pain blistered his hand.
Merlin and Lily scrambled around the room after the scorpion, but it was quick and able to dart under furniture. Not that it was intent on hiding, as it kept making bee lines for one of them to attack. Merlin tried blasting it with magic but kept scorching the floor instead, as it was too fast. Lily grabbed Lancelot's sword and stood her ground as it came at her. Then she stabbed the point of the blade down into the creature's body, skewering it to the floor. It squealed and twitched with dying throes.
"Lancelot!" Merlin exclaimed, turning toward him.
"Get the twins," he grunted. There was no telling how many of these things were in the castle, as screams were still resounding from everywhere.
Merlin changed direction and picked Rhedyn up out of her crib. Lily grabbed Rhys, and Merlin directed her to climb up onto the table. He set Rhedyn down just as another scorpion came skittering under the door. Merlin yanked Lancelot's sword out of the first one and went to stab the second.
Lancelot tried to breathe as he remained stuck on the floor, his head spinning and vision darkening around the edges. He fought not to pass out.
He heard Lily yell Merlin's name a few times, heard the muffled grunts of some swearing as Merlin thudded the sword point into the floor trying to impale more scorpions. Lancelot didn't know how much time had passed before the echoing screams petered out and turned to distant wails.
"I think they've all gone," Merlin finally said breathlessly.
There were footsteps across the floor, and Lancelot felt Merlin grip his arm as he knelt down next to him and took his injured hand to urgently look it over. The pain wasn't as bad, and Lancelot didn't feel like he was dying. He had another problem, however.
"Merlin," he said, voice wavering with fear. "I can't see."
Merlin stood in the great hall, which had been turned into a triage room. Dozens and dozens of people had been stung by the scorpions, and all of them had instantly gone blind from the venom, including Gaius. Merlin supposed it could be worse; at least no one seemed to be in danger of dying from it. But this was still very bad.
Lily was speaking with Gaius about how to handle the situation, while Lancelot sat against the wall with his children in his arms, trying to stay calm.
Merlin turned at the sound of more people entering the hall, and his heart lurched in horror as he spotted Leon helping Arthur along, the king's sightless eyes darting back and forth as though they could find something to latch onto. His expression was fraught as he tried to keep his feet. Behind him, Elyan and Gwaine were helping an equally disoriented Percival in.
"Arthur!" Merlin exclaimed, hurrying over.
"Merlin," he blurted. "Tell me you and Gaius can fix this."
Merlin grimaced. "Gaius was stung too, but Lily's with him now working on a plan."
Leon glanced to the side, expression pinching. "Lancelot?" he asked grimly.
"I'm afraid so."
"Were the twins stung?" Gwaine asked in concern, also looking over.
"No."
They all looked relieved at that. The knights helped Arthur and Percival over to Lancelot and eased them down next to him to sit and wait while Merlin tried to find a way to fix this.
Lily made her way over to him. "Gaius said we need a sample of a scorpion's stinger to make an antidote, and he can talk us through the process. I'll get one of the dead ones from upstairs."
Merlin nodded. "Gwaine," he called. "Go with her. Just in case. Elyan, can you help me get Gaius to his chambers so he can tell me and Lily what to do next?"
"What about Gwen?" Elyan replied.
Merlin's mouth thinned into a tight line. No doubt this was Sarrock's plan, to keep them so bombarded with attacks that they wouldn't be able to look for her.
Elyan's eyes hardened at Merlin's expression. "I'm not giving up on my sister."
"I'm not saying we should," he countered. "But half the knights are out of commission." He gestured to the hall full of injured people.
"I'll go myself," Elyan said staunchly.
"It's too dangerous."
"We can't just wait around for the next attack!"
"Elyan," Arthur spoke up, voice soft but firm. "I know how you feel. But Merlin's right. Trust him and Lily and Gaius to find a remedy for this, and then we can resume the search."
Merlin could see how hard it was for Arthur to say that, to put his kingdom before his love and unborn child. Merlin just hoped he could live up to the faith Arthur was putting in him.
Elyan helped him get Gaius to his chambers but didn't stick around. Merlin didn't blame him; most of them didn't handle inactivity well, and it was better for Elyan to find something to keep him busy and not thinking about going off on his own after Gwen.
"Do you remember where the components for the distiller are?" Gaius asked.
"Yes." Merlin went to the hutch in the back of the room and started getting out the beakers and tubes. "Um, I don't remember how to assemble it."
Gaius gave him instructions. It was slow going since he had to rely on describing the shape of the correct item rather than pointing to it. Lily and Gwaine arrived, Gwaine holding a pillow case with a lump hanging in the bottom on it.
"It is dead, right?" Merlin checked.
Gwaine set the pillow case on the table. "Very."
"Lily," Gaius spoke up. "You'll need a clean glass jar and a piece of canvas. Stretch the fabric tightly over the top and secure it so it's firm."
She went to get those materials while Merlin returned to the distiller and Gaius resumed instructing him on which pieces to put together.
"Okay, I have the jar," Lily said a few minutes later.
"Insert the stinger through the fabric and squeeze, but carefully so you don't burst the venom sac. We don't know if it can be absorbed through the skin."
Merlin finished with the distiller and went over to help Lily. She cringed as she pulled the dead scorpion out of the pillow case. Merlin held the jar still as she pushed the stinger into the top of the fabric and then began to gingerly pinch the venom sac. Clear fluid squirted into the jar. She took her time methodically massaging the sac until the last of the venom had been expelled.
"Okay, now what?" Merlin asked.
Gaius gave them instructions for breaking down the venom and using indicators in various beakers to learn the nature of its major properties. Once they knew that, they'd know which potential antidotes to match and test.
The process was an agonizingly long one, and they worked through the evening and late into the night. Gwaine came and went, going to check on Arthur and the others and bringing back food and drink. But then he left, saying he'd make sure the twins got put to bed and were watched over while Lily and Lancelot were unavailable.
It wasn't until morning they finally had samples ready to test. Merlin went over and shook Gaius's shoulder to wake him.
"We're ready to test potential antidotes," he said. "How do we know if one's successful?"
Gaius opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. He frowned and tried to clear his throat, but that didn't produce any sound either.
"Gaius?" Merlin said, a knot of dread coiling in his stomach.
Gaius went rigid and started moving his mouth urgently, but with no effect. He couldn't speak at all.
Merlin exchanged an alarmed look with Lily. The cursed venom was progressing.
