❝ The future was yet to be written, uncertain in every way except one: there will be fire.
When the dawn closed her eyes, she awoke in flames-a hellfire inferno burning as leaves on briar-thicket trees. A forest of thorns alight. A vision of the fut...
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an unwanted reversal
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THOUGH IT COULDN'T QUITE be called utopia, tranquility and contentment environed the land for a fortnight. Life in Camelot had become a perfectly balanced scale and such serenity was a telling sign—it was only a matter of time before that scale tipped towards the side of great fortune or to the side of unwanted reversal. On that very morning, balance had been lost.
In the midst of the lower town, tucked away into an alley between two meager homes, a human corpse was discovered face down in the dirt. A sight so unexpected, scaring the wits out of many passersby. Because of this shift in the balance, the kingdom's court physician had been called to the streets much earlier than anticipated. Breakfast and morning trifles were forced to wait as he set off to examine the deceased, with his young apprentice and newly acquired ward in tow.
Medical practices of any kind were uncharted waters for Merlin, who had never been so close to such a world during his years in the village. His life then was made up of helping his mother wherever possible, raising hell on earth with his good friend Will and attempting to grow in his power while still maintaining secrecy. Only one among them remained since journeying to Camelot, leaving every other familiarity in his life drastically altered. Being so up close and personal with a dead man was a culture shock of sorts and he did his best to keep as much distance as possible.
"Aren't you scared?" He asked of the two who were within a close enough proximity of the remains to make his skin crawl.
"Of what?" Gaius replied with a question of his own.
"That you might catch whatever it is."
"Yes, very." Despite her confirmation, Aurora made no move to back away. Instead, she knelt to the dirt to get a closer look.
He grimaced. "Are you sure that's wise?"
"I'm the court physician, Merlin. This is part of my job just as it is part of hers. Most of the time, there's nothing to worry about." Gaius knelt down as well, the two working together to overturn the deceased, immediately met with the fright of their lives.
