"Well I don't think you'd have appreciated me telling you I let it go, especially after I let it go in the first place" Merlin said.

"Merlin what are you blabbering – You what?"

"See, this is why I don't tell you these things, your face goes all red and you get mad for no reason, and you didn't know I'd released him did you?"

"We, Merlin are going to have a very long chat" Arthur said.

"I see things are already back to normal" said Gaius with a smile. Beside him Gwen laughed.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way" she agreed.

The woman watched the group leaving, before turning her attention back to the rubble that had once been the small fort. As they vanished out of site she stepped forwards, kneeling down and looking at the place where the man had been buried.

"Oh my love" she breathed softly as she reached out and touched the dusty stones. Her hand still on the rubble she looked back the way the king and his entourage had gone. "I promise you, they will pay" she vowed. Slowly she stood and turned away, to see a man watching her, with bright ginger hair. Slowly he stepped forwards, holding a pair of cuffs.

"My lady" he said as he handed them to her. She took them and examined them.

"Well done, you had no problem procuring them?" she asked.

"With Arthur and the others here it was child's play" he replied.

"Excellent, you'll be amply rewarded Henry, I assure you" she said.

"Seeing Sir Gwaine begging for mercy before I kill him will be reward enough. No one humiliates me" Henry replied. The woman smiled at him, and looked back at the cuffs.

"Just be sure that when the time is right you're ready" she said.

"Oh I will be, its amazing how many people dislike Arthur within his own walls" Henry stated.

"good, now, return to Camelot, I have much to do" she said. Henry bowed and moved away. The woman regarded him, then looked back at the rubble.

They thought the man had been bad.

They were in for one hell of a wake up call.

"You're sure you're alright?" Gaius asked. Merlin nodded as Gaius walked around him.

"Gaius, I'm fine, really" he said, smiling at the old mans concern.

"Headaches? Nausea?" Gaius prompted.

"No and apart from the teleporting thing, no" Merlin assured him. Suddenly he stood, and turned to him. "Gaius, I'm fine, really" he said.

"Merlin we have to be certain, the shattering and rebuilding of one's mind… it's never been done before. I have to be certain there are no residual effects" Gaius said.

"Look, if I feel ill or I get a headache or something I promise you'll be the first to know" Merlin said.

"I just don't like the fact of you returning to your duties so soon after your incident" Gaius explained.

"Gaius, I'll be with Arthur most of the day, if anything happens I don't think he'll just leave me there"

"Fine, I can see my concern is lost on you" he replied gruffly. Merlin smiled and hugged him quickly, surprising the old man.

"I'll be fine" Merlin said again. Gaius sighed then nodded, watching as his ward left the room. Slowly he rolled his eyes.

"Youth" he muttered.

"What you ask will not be easy" the blind haggard looking old crone stated as the woman stood before her.

"But it is possible?" she asked.

"Yes, I require something tied to the victim" she said. the woman smiled and then held up two cuffs, etched with strange signals.

"Will these suffice? He was the last one to wear them" she said. The old woman took them.

"Evil things, magic inhibitors" she said in disgust. Slowly she turned them over in her hands. "there is some trace of him on these, but it is a small amount, these things have seen many uses over the years" she stated.

"But there is enough?" the woman asked. The old crone smiled toothlessly and looked over towards her.

"It will suffice for our purpose" she replied. The Woman slowly smiled, watching as the crone placed the cuffs into a font full of murky brown liquid, slowly she raised her hands, and together they began to chant.

"Good morning sir- oh you're up" Merlin said as he entered Arthur and Gwen's chambers. Both of them were already dressed, and eating, thanks to the assistance of one of the handmaidens.

"Merlin" Arthur said neutrally, he was still annoyed Merlin knew. Not about the magic, but the Dragon. Still, he hadn't thrown Merlin in the dungeons or anything. At least not yet.

"How do you feel Merlin?" Gwen asked, pointedly staring at her husband who just grunted.

"Fine thank you my lady" Merlin replied as the handmaiden busied herself around the room. Merlin watched her, then slowly gestured towards her.

"Not that I don't mind the help, but what's going on?" he asked.

"Guinevere thought you might need a few days to get over your ordeal" Arthur explained.

"I'm fine" Merlin assured her.

"I can see that, but you have been through a lot" she said.

"Gwen, I appreciate the thought but I…" suddenly he became very dizzy. "I…" Arthur was up in an instant.

"Merlin?" he asked stepping forwards. Merlin looked at him, then suddenly collapsed.

"It is done my lady" said the crone. The woman smiled and turned away.

"Oh no, it's only just beginning" she replied, then left the cavern.

"Merlin?" the voice was soft, gentle almost. Slowly he opened his eyes to see Gaius looking down at him concerned.

"Wha… What happened?" he asked softly, his voice just a whisper.

"You collapsed is what happened" said a voice from the foot of the bed. Merlin looked to see Arthur standing there, arms folded.

"Collapsed?" Merlin echoed, looking back at Gaius. "But I felt fine" he said.

"Fine indeed" Gaius said.

"There was something else" Arthur said.

"Sire, I'm sure Merlin doesn't need to be told every detail"

"What was it?" Merlin asked, Gaius sighed and nodded to Arthur.

"Just before you collapsed" Arthur said, "Your eyes" he looked away briefly. "They glowed, like you had used magic"

"But I didn't, did I?" he asked. Arthur shrugged.

"You tell me" he replied, clicking his fingers and setting the nearby candle alight. Merlin's eyes went wide, and he looked back at Arthur.

"Magic? You have magic?" he asked.

"Not just me Merlin, everyone who was in the citadel, me, Gwen, Gaius, the Knights, maids and other servants. All of us, and it started a moment after you collapsed" Arthur explained. Merlin frowned, then looked at the candle.

"Extinugisha" he whispered. Nothing happened. He tried again several more times to no success. Slowly he sank back into the bed.

"Merlin?" asked Gaius.

"My magic…" he looked at Gaius, then Arthur, then back at Gaius.

"Would appear to be inside everyone else" Gaius said.

"Arthur, I swear I didn't do anything" Merlin said. Arthur stepped forwards placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know, Gaius explained it to me" Arthur said. Merlin frowned, looking at the old man.

"Gaius?" he asked. Gaius sat down on the bed next to Merlin, looking at him as he spoke.

"Merlin, what has been done to you… it's old magic, dating back to before the rise of the old religion itself, it was used during the darkest times, when sorcerers openly waged war on one another. The people, the normal people caught in between the fighting were slaughtered in the hundreds" he explained. Taking a breath he continued. "Eventually the people turned to the Dragons for aid, and together, the people and the Dragons, together they managed to make this enchantment, it stole the magic from the sorcerers, dissipating it to those who were caught in the middle of the endless battles. The sorcerers found themselves powerless, now at the mercy of the ordinary people of the kingdoms" he explained. "Almost overnight the sorcerers were expelled from the kingdom, never killed, and a new era of peace settled across the land. It was from this that the Old Religion was born, trained and guided by the Dragons"

"But that means there should be hundreds of sorcerers out there" Merlin said.

"Merlin this happened over five hundred years ago, those people are long gone, and, I had assumed the enchantment that has been used on you had died with them" Gaius admitted.

"Can the Dragon help us?" Arthur asked, causing Merlin to glance at him. Gaius shrugged.

"I don't know" he admitted.

"Can I still call him?" asked Merlin. "I mean, my magic is gone, maybe that has as well" he said. Gaius shook his head.

"No, unlike your magic, your abilities as a Dragon lord are inherent in who you are. It is in your blood"

"So was my magic" Merlin said.

"We can try" said Arthur. Merlin nodded, then sat up, swinging his legs over the bed and collapsing back as the room spun, Arthur and Gaius both grabbing him.

"Merlin what is it?" asked Gaius. Merlin blinked and shook his head.

"dizzy, I feel weak" he said.

"lay him back down" Gaius said hurriedly, Arthur doing so.

"Gaius?" Arthur asked as he looked at Merlin. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know" Gaius said, feeling Merlin's brow. "He's burning up, quickly get me some water" Gaius said. Arthur moved to the counter and poured a goblet of water, quickly handing it to Gaius.

"How? He was fine a moment ago" Arthur said, Gaius noting the worried tone in his voice. Gaius shook his head as he helped Merlin sip from the goblet.

"Gaius?" asked Merlin.

"Easy my boy, just sip the water" he said.

"It's my magic" Merlin said, before his eyes fluttered closed.

"What about it?" asked Arthur. Suddenly Gaius groaned.

"How stupid" he muttered.

"What? What's stupid?" Arthur demanded.

"His Magic Arthur, Merlin was born with magic, he is magic, it's a part of him as much as our own blood is to us"

"I don't get it" Arthur said.

"Merlin losing his magic is like one of us cutting off our own head, we need it to survive" Gaius explained.

"He's dying?" Arthur demanded.

"Unless we can reverse this enchantment, put the magic back where it belongs, I fear he will not survive" Gaius said softly.

"then we reverse this" Arthur snapped. "We only just got him back, I am not about to lose him again, not like this"

"We need the Dragon" Gaius said.

"Then I'll find it" Arthur stated.

"And where will you look?" demanded Gaius.

"It knew Merlin was hurt before, maybe it will again" Arthur stated.

"That is a very big assumption to base a man's life on" Gaius replied.

"Then what do you suggest?" Arthur demanded. Gaius slowly looked away, back at Merlin. Arthur stepped forwards, placing a hand on Gaius's shoulder. "Gaius, I promise I will find it" he said.

"I fear he only has a few days" Gaius said softly. Arthur nodded at him.

"Nothing like a time limit" he said as he turned away.

"Arthur" Gaius called softly. Arthur looked back at him.

"You must be careful" he said. Arthur clicked his fingers and the candle he had lit earlier went out.

"I'll be fine" he replied then left the room.