Merlin One Shots

Alone

As Morgana’s army marches toward Camelot I frantically search through Gaius’ books. We have to find some way to stop her or she will take the kingdom. Even Arthur has accepted that we can not win this war with swords alone. We must fight magic with magic.

Gaius and I have been looking for something, a spell, anything that will decrease her power enough to even out our chances, ever since Arthur confided that it was time we turn to the Old Religion. I have even enlisted Kilgharrah’s help. Now, as Morgana approaches the kingdom, our search has become desperate.

I climb the ladder to the top of the bookshelf and scan the titles once again, looking for something I could have missed. I pull out a tome titled Secrets of the Old Religion. When I lift it off of the wood the plank below it shifts, lifting slightly and then falling back in place.

I set the volume I was holding down on the step beside me. I look below me and see that Gaius is nowhere to be found. He must still be out making his medicine rounds. I turn back to the shelves and wiggle the loose plank. It comes away from the rest of the frame of the shelf. Below it is a small compartment in the wood. I stick my hand into it and feel a scroll. When I pull it out I examine the scroll carefully.

The paper seems ancient and very fragile. I carefully unroll the parchment feeling as though it could crumble apart in my hand. The writing is in the language of the Old Religion but I have learned enough of it to pick out a few key words, poison spell, incapacitate, powerful, and intriguingly, dragon.

Just then Gaius walks in. “Hello Merlin.” he greets. He sounds tired, we have both been up late into the night searching for a solution to the approaching war. “Have you found anything new?” Gaius asks me as I put the block of wood and Secrets of the Old Religion back in their places on the shelf.

“Actually, I think I have.” I inform him. I make my way down to the steps and hold the scroll out to him. “Look at this.” Gaius carries the old scroll over to his table and examines it through his magnifying glass. “I could only make out a few words but it seems promising.”

Gaius examines the scroll a moment longer before looking up at me with a serious expression. “No Merlin. This isn’t the answer.”

“What is it?” I ask him. He looks worried and I can tell he’s hiding something. “Gaius, what is it?” I ask again, more serious this time.

Gaius sighs and unrolls the scroll again. “It’s a very powerful and dangerous spell.” I step up to the table where Gaius is sitting and look over his shoulder as he translates the text. “It’s a poison spell. It says, “magicians rely on their power/ take their power away and they are nothing/ so I call upon my power /to bring yours to an end”.”

I take a deep breath and think about what Gaius just read. “So it’s some kind of power removing spell?” I ask.

Gaius nods. “In a way. The spell poisons the power of all sorcerers within a certain radius. It eventually renders them incompetent until they are drained of all their power and die.” he explains grimly. “It is a horrible creation.”

“But this is good.” I point out. “We can use this. We just get all of the secret sorcerers within Camelot out of the radius and then I can cast the spell.” I sigh. “I hate to do such a thing to Morgana,” I close my eyes “but I have given her every chance to change her ways.” I open them again. “She’s a threat to Arthur and she must be stopped.”

Gaius looks at me sadly. “Merlin, you don’t understand. This spell . . . It effects the sorcerer that casts it as well.” I feel like someone had reached inside of me, wrenched all of my organs around, and left me trying to stand with my world turned upside down. I grip the back of Gaius’ chair for support. “It seems a spell of such power could not exist without . . . Extreme consequences.” Gaius continues.