"The Grange Stone Circle is also known as the Stones of the Sun. It is located at Lough Gur, a horseshoe-shaped dark lake in Lot's Kingdom." Merlin pauses reading. "I grew up in the kingdom of king Lot. I've never heard something about this place before." Puzzled he reads on. "The stone circle lies in the heart of the horseshoe. Every 35 years the sun, the moon and the earth will be in a certain all magicians are coming here to celebrate a great feast." Merlin looks up from the chronicles and looks over to Gaius, who is already busy with packing his medical bag. "So the last meeting took place before the great purge by Uther." Gaius nods and replies without looking up from his work. "Yes, I've heard of it. It is said, that in the middle of the stone circle is a special stone. People come here on this festive day to offer up their sacrifices." Merlin is unsettled. "Sacrifices? What sacrifices?" Gaius closes his medicine bag and turns to Merlin. "Fruits, gold, jewelry, animals .. just everything what is important to people. They sacrifice to the goddess of the Old Religion." Merlin stands up and puts the book on the table.
Then he makes a step towards Gaius. "Even human sacrifices?" Gaius shakes his head. "Not that I know. But I don't know much about it." Merlin looks his mentor now in the eyes. "Gaius, why it does not take me there? Aithusa said, all the people with magic are making their way automatically to this place at this special day. And I have not even heard of it before. How is this coming along?" Gaius swallows. "You aren't following the Old Religion, maybe that is why you don't feel it. But to be honest, that's just a guess. I don't know, why it doesn't attract you, like all other magicians. But there is more. Merlin, your mother has tried to keep you away from this place. She has withheld you all the information about this place." Merlin looks at him skeptically. "Why? What is wrong with me and this place?" Gaius shakes his head. "Everything is alright with you. But she said that the stone circle would be cursed .. or blessed. Depending on how you look at it."
He pauses before he adds. "Unfortunately I don't know more details. But I do know that your mother is very afraid of this place. And even your father has avoided this stone circle." He looks at the book. "Is there nothing else in it?" Merlin shakes disappointed his head. "Unfortunately not. That means, we still don't know the reason for the sacrifices, the people are offering. But when they sacrifice to the goddess of the Old Religion, that can't mean anything good." Now it's the Gaius who shakes his head. "Not necessarily. For many, the goddess isn't only the goddess of the Old Religion but also Mother Earth. Therefore they are praying for their blessing for the family and for the harvest. They ask for health, long life ... nothing extraordinary. Just because they sacrifice to the goddess of the Old Religion, it doesn't mean, that they want to summon something evil."
Merlin nods. "So it's primarily about ordinary matters. But how then the human sacrifice fits in?" Gaius sighs. "I'm stumped. Even at the height of the Old Religion, human sacrifices were very rarely. I have no answer for that." Then he grabs his medical bag. "Are you ready Merlin? We have to look after the wounded of the great fire. I need your help." Merlin sighs. Together Gaius and Merlin are leaving the room.