King Uther was beyond caring about anything else; he just kept pushing Kay to give Arthur the medicine. Of course, Kay wouldn't hesitate to use a potion on his younger brother. If they ever ran out, he could always go back to Mount Olympus for more. While the trip was long and dangerous, having Hera and Athena as insiders made it doable—as long as he kept it a secret from Zeus. That old man still held a grudge against Kay for, well, gifting him a "hat."
Even though Arthur was burning with fever and unconscious, his basic instincts were intact, allowing him to swallow the medicine. The effect of the potion was instantaneous: Arthur's convulsions stopped immediately, and his body temperature dropped. Although he still had a slight fever, he was out of immediate danger.
Seeing Arthur improve, King Uther rapidly fired off questions: "Is he better? Is he better? Is he better now?"
Kay shook his head. "Not so fast, Your Majesty. It'll take at least two weeks for the medicine to fully work before he can properly recover."
"As long as he can be cured, as long as he can be cured..." Uther didn't even finish his sentence before his body suddenly gave way. Luckily, Kay was quick and caught him before he hit the ground.
Gaius immediately rushed to Uther's side to examine him.
"He's fine, Sire. He's just exhausted. He's had too much stress recently—first the great sorrow, and now this sudden relief has caused him to collapse. I'll give His Majesty a calming tonic. A few days of rest, and he should be alright."
"That's good, that's good," Kay sighed in relief. Arthur's problem wasn't solved yet, and if Uther collapsed, things would truly fall apart.
"Morgana, please take care of Uther. I'll also need you to oversee things here at the court for the next few days. I have too much going on at the front lines, and I need to head back immediately." Kay summoned a few knights to help support King Uther, then pulled Morgana aside to give her instructions.
"I... I'm afraid I won't do a good job... You should really stay," Morgana replied. She had never been in this kind of high-stakes situation. She was, after all, only Uther's adopted daughter. While she had a good reputation, she didn't have the proven capability to command such confidence. Kay, however, was highly respected in Camelot, known for his competence. After decisively driving back the enemy King Cendred so quickly, his prestige was at an all-time high. At this moment, he would be the absolute best choice to manage the court.
"The front needs me more. King Cendred has just suffered a defeat. If they hear bad news about Arthur and Uther, they might get ideas about attacking again. I need to be at the border to guard against a renewed attack. Besides, it won't be that difficult. You've learned a lot from watching Uther handle affairs, and it's only for a few days until Uther recovers. You don't have to be scared."
King Cendred's people probably wouldn't try anything, actually. Kay thought. After all, they were decisively beaten in plain sight. Unless they have absolutely no honor, they won't violate their vow. What's more important to a nation than its reputation and honor these days?
Kay had his own reasons for wanting to leave right now, which is why he had to rely on Morgana.
---
### The Dragon's Prescription
Once Morgana finally took King Uther away, only Merlin and Gaius remained in the room.
Gaius waited until everyone was gone, then cautiously asked, "Kay, is your medicine really working?"
Gaius could tell Kay was holding something back. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so anxious to send Morgana away with Uther, and dismiss everyone else, too.
Kay rubbed his face hard with both hands to try and wake up. He had been traveling continuously for over thirty hours and was exhausted from the journey and the worry. He needed to find a way to stay alert.
"I wish it were that easy..." Kay admitted in a tired voice.
Merlin immediately looked surprised. "Did you lie to them? Did the medicine not work at all?"
Kay shook his head.
"It helped, but not as much as I hoped. I didn't realize the Questing Beast was this formidable. The Golden Apple potion has almost no effect on it..."
The Golden Apples were precious items that granted the gods of Olympus eternal youth. When Kay had given the seeds of the Golden Apple to the Asgardians, they were so knowledgeable about its worth that they practically bowed to him. (In Norse mythology, there's a similar legend where the goddess Idunn manages the golden apples that keep the gods young.)
Yet, something this powerful was useless against the wounds caused by the Questing Beast. This showed just how difficult this monster was to handle.
Kay had always felt that ancient Celtic civilization was inferior to the cultures of Egypt, Asgard, Olympus, and Sumer—a backwater region that couldn't compare to the others. He hadn't realized how much he had underestimated this small region. The Questing Beast, for example, would be considered a top-tier monster even in those other civilizations. At the very least, its venom is stronger than that of the dragon that guarded the Golden Apples.
"But Arthur looks so much better! How can you say it's not working?" Merlin said, finding it hard to believe.
"Sigh... It's just an illusion. Arthur is only surviving right now by the sheer life force provided by the Golden Apple. Once the effect wears off, his condition will revert to what it was, and the wound will take over."
Arthur's current state wasn't an improvement; it was a life extension. Once the injury intensified, he would still die.
"Alright, enough about that." Since the Golden Apple didn't work, Kay assumed his other prepared remedies would be equally useless. He needed to find another solution. Fortunately, he knew someone who would definitely know how to fix this.
"Merlin!"
"Yes, Sir?" Merlin was a little spaced out at first, but snapped back to attention when Kay called his name.
"Arthur has been like this for two or three days now. Did you seek advice from the Great Dragon?" At this point, Kay didn't bother hiding his knowledge of the situation.
Gaius immediately focused his attention on Merlin, as he always disapproved of Merlin interacting with the Great Dragon.
Merlin felt uncomfortable under Gaius's gaze, but he had to answer Kay's question: "I... I did go to him."
Gaius was about to say something, and Merlin flinched back, bracing for a lecture. But before Gaius could open his mouth, Kay cut him off.
"It's come to this, Gaius. Now is not the time for useless talk. Merlin, just give me the answer. We're running out of time, and saving Arthur is the priority!" Kay had no interest in hearing Gaius scold his apprentice. To him, nothing was more important than his brother's safety. So what if Merlin was dabbling in magic? As long as he didn't use it in front of King Uther, Kay believed Uther would likely turn a blind eye anyway.
Merlin carefully glanced at Gaius. Gaius, having no choice, simply glared at Merlin in annoyance and turned away. This was his form of reluctant approval.
"The Great Dragon said that the Questing Beast was born of the Old Magic, and therefore it is also controlled by the Old Magic. To save Arthur, we must use the Old Magic as well."
Hearing this, Gaius, who had just agreed to stay out of it, couldn't help but speak up again.
"But the Old Magic vanished hundreds of years ago."
"No! The Great Dragon said that some people still use it!" Merlin immediately countered. "He told me to go to a place called the Isle of the Blessed (Tír na nÓg). He said that the power of the Old Magic can still be felt there. I can find the cure to save Arthur in that place."