Gaius came rushing back into the room when he heard Merlin's panicked call.
"I don't think she failed," Merlin said close to tears as Gaius sat down by the edge of the bed.
"Whatever do you mean?" Gaius asked
".... I've lost my magic" Merlin revealed
Gaius just sat there shocked and at a complete a loss for words.
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Gaius sat at his workbench going through books, trying to find the creature that attacked Merlin and took his powers.
Merlin was stood up behind Gaius, pacing back and forth because his nerves just refused to let him sit still.
"Look, here. " Gaius said catching Merlin's attention and making him immediately walk over to the old man.
"It is the sign of the Gean Canach, " Gaius explained
"Gean Canach?" Merlin wondered "That- - that's the language of the old religion isn't it?"
Gaius looked up at him for a second before looking back down at the book. "Indeed. The Gean Canach is a fearsome creature forged by the tears of the earth mother, Nemaine. It devours the magic of others...." Gaius glanced at Merlin who was kneeling down beside him, his eyes glued to the book. " Draining them of their power."
".... I thought all such creatures we're destroyed in the Great Purge." Merlin muttered.
"All but one, it would seem." Gaius sighed
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The next day, the infirmary was packed with wounded. There had been an attack at the Garrison of Stawell and many were killed or badly injured. There were so many people needing treating that a lot of them had to sit outside the physicians quarters. Gaius scuttled around helping as many people as he could as Merlin stood in the middle of it all feeling completely useless and looking shocked at the number of wounded.
Gaius took notice and walked up to the young man. " The Garrison at Stawell was attacked."
"Morgana?"
"It would seem so. It cannot be a coincidence. She's picked the moment you are most helpless to begin her attack. And it's most likely that she's not too pleased about what happened to Aria" Gaius explained
"What am I going to do?" Merlin asked worriedly
"Well for the moment you're going to help me treat the wounded" Gaius replied, "Your skill as a physician is still valid."
Gaius took Merlin by the arm and led him over to a wounded knight before he walked away to tend to others.
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Merlin was currently tending to a young blonde woman's leg, he finished wrapping her wound in a bandage and grabbed a dagger to cut the cloth. Gwaine stood by the girl's side as he was the one who rescued her during the attack. They were currently in a guest chamber.
"Sorry. Almost done" Merlin apologized to the girl. The girl looked up at Gwaine with a frown.
"Don't worry. Merlin knows what he's doing" Gwaine reassured her.
Merlin finished with the girls wound and stood up to place the medical supplies away.
"Do you have any news from Stawell? Have you heard from my family?" The girl asked Gwaine
Gwaine and Merlin shared a looked.
"Eira, your family..." Gwaine hesitated and the girl, Eira, began to cry. "The people of your town... You're the only one you survived the attack"
"I..... Alone?" Eira muttered
Gwaine knelt down in front of Eira and took her hand in his. "I'm sorry. Eira, no matter what happens, you'll be safe here in Camelot"
Eira sniffled and placed her other hand over Gwaine's.
"You have my word" Gwaine promised.
"Thank you" Eira whispered.
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In the throne room, a meeting of the round table was being held and Leon stood reporting to Arthur.
"A force of Saxons, Sire" Leon explained, "they crossed the northern border last night and attacked the Garrison at Stawell."
"They match under Morgana's command?" Arthur questioned.
"There was no doubt about it, Sire," Gwaine said. "It was not just men we faced, but sorcery"
The other knights started to murmur amongst themselves.
"We shouldn't be surprised. " Arthur spoke over the quiet chatter. " She's been massing an army for weeks. Now with Stawell taken, she has a base at our northern border, which can only mean one thing."
"She means to take Camelot" Gwen realised.
"Then she's already made her first mistake. " Percival added from beside Arthur.
"We have sufficient time to prepare our defences, Sire" Leon explained " we can make out stand here. However great her army, the walls of Camelot will hold. The citadel will not fall"
"Perhaps... perhaps not. We've already deserted Stawell. I won't forsake the people of this land while we take refuge here." Arthur resorted
"But we can protect them here, Sire. In Camelot itself." Percival added
"Some but not all. Countless men, women, and children will be left behind. People I vowed to protect" Arthur said determinedly. He had already lost both of his sisters, he wasn't going to lose his people and his home.
"We cannot save everyone, Arthur, no matter how much we may wish it. " Gwen warned him with a frown on her face.
Arthur sat there thinking for a moment.
"There is a way," Arthur said "One way alone. We ensure that she never makes it this far."
"We..." Percival caught on to Arthur's plan "....ride out and meet them?"
"Man to Man" Arthur replied
"But sire, Morgana commands an army of thousands," Leon added.
"None the less, it's our duty as protectors of this land. We cannot stand by and let our citizens be slaughtered. Those are not the values that Camelot was built on. Whatever the outcome of this battle, my sister cannot and will not destroy those values." Arthur told his men who all nodded.
" War has begun".
_______________________________________
Morgana stood holding a sword out in front of her as her dragon Aithusa breathed fire on the blade. Mordred stood watching from the sidelines, looking captivated by the dragon's flames.
Aithusa stopped breathing fire on the sword and Morgana held it in her hands. Morgana held out the sword to Mordred.
"Your blade, Mordred"
Mordred walked forward stared at the blade in awe.
" A blade forged in a dragon's breath, nothing can survive its touch" Morgana smirked "a weapon worthy of my proudest warrior"
Morgana held out the handle to Mordred who smiled at her taking it in his hand. He held up the sword a look wonder in his eyes.
"Then I shall wield it in victory...."
Morgana smirked at Mordred
"....And I shall honour the girl who shall forever be, in my heart," Mordred said with some sadness in his eyes.
Morgana just stared at him with a smile on her face. This was the first time Mordred had mentioned Aria since her death.
"She really did love you, Mordred. I could see it in her eyes." Morgana smiled
Mordred brought the sword down and just simply held it in his hand, a sad smile on his face.
"And I loved her. I still do." He said before he frowned " My only regret is that I never told her. I never got the chance to."
Right there, Morgana thought about taking Mordred telling Mordred that Aria was, in fact, alive and safe. But then she remembered that the reason Mordred had come to her in the first place was because both he and everyone in Camelot, believed that Aria was dead.
Morgana knew she had to wait until after the battle. Until after Arthur and Emrys were dead and Camelot was her's. Only then would she reveal Aria and only hope that both Aria and Mordred wouldn't despise her.
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Back in Camelot, Arthur stood planning out his plan of attack. The knights and Gwen stood with Arthur around the table as Merlin and Violet stood further back listening.
"To reach Camelot, Morgana will have no choice but to cross the white mountains" Arthur rolled another smaller map out onto the table. " Now the only pass that gives passage to an army that size is here " Arthur pointed to a point on the map.
"I know it well," Percival said and pointed to the map " Th path is bounded by cliffs on either side."
"That's where we will meet them. Now we may be outnumbered. But if we don't let them outflank us, then we can hold the pass." Arthur explained
"How long?" Leon questioned, " Morgana has no care for the lives of her men."
"She can't supply for an army that size indefinitely, not isolated by the mountains. If we can hold out long enough, she'll be forced to retreat."
The knights nodded not saying anything.
"Gentlemen, I need not remind you that we are not just fighting to defend Camelot and it's people. But for those we have lost, who we have all lost. Those who were taken from us by the actions of Morgana..." Arthur glanced at his men who all had solemn expressions.
"Lancelot...Elyan....... Aria." Everyone's eyes widened slightly. Arthur had not mentioned Aria once since her 'death' and no one dared talk about her around him.
" We have all lost them because of Morgana's hatred and thirst for revenge. And when we step out onto that battlefield, we shall and we must avenge them"
No one said anything. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Each of them silently mourning the loss of their friends and family
"Percival, at what point is the pass at its narrowest?" Arthur asked breaking the silence.
Percival pointed to a point on the map"Here, Sire"
"What do they call this place?"
"Camlann, Sire"
Merlin froze. He had wished to never hear the name of that dreadful place again.
"Then it is at Camlann that we make our stand."
Merlin stared wide-eyed at Arthur. Tears forming in his eyes and he was shaking.
If Arthur went to Camlann. The prophecy would come true...And Arthur would die.