Chapter Eight, Gaius the Goblin

The next morning, as Merlyn was exiting her room she was greeted to the sight of Gaius letting out a loud and disgusting belch.
"Have you taken your hangover potion, Gaius?" Merlyn asked, her nose wrinkled slightly in disgust. "The one you give to the Knights when they drink too much. How much did you drink last night, anyway?" She asked, concerned.
"You don't look so good yourself. What's your excuse?" Gaius asked rudely.
"What!? Gaius, how dare you!" Merlyn exclaimed, shocked.

"Shh!" Gaius exclaimed, holding up a hand and leaning heavily on the table. "Too much talking. I have a head like the inside of a drum and a mouth like a badger's armpit." He moaned.
"Maybe you shouldn't drink then." Merlyn said snidely, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Make yourself useful. Go to the market and get my breakfast. Away. Go!" Gaius ordered. Merlyn scoffed as she stormed out of their chambers. She didn't know what had gotten into her uncle but she was determined to find out.

As soon as Merlyn had left Gaius pulled out the chest of gold they'd been given by Arthur to use as bait, along with some golden bangles he'd stolen from some Ladies and Morgana's Healing Bracelet. Gaius or rather Goblin-Gaius licked his lips as he opened the lid and picked up a single gold coin and licked it. If Merlyn was there she would've been disgusted and it definitely would've been the confirmation she needed, unfortunately Merlyn was not there as Goblin-Gaius had sent her to the market quite rudely, while the real Gaius shouted at the Goblin in his own head.

Just as he was about to take another lick the door creaked open as Morgana peered around the door.
"Gaius?" She asked softly, much like her old self did, however, she wasn't her old self anymore and the Goblin knew it.
"Yes yes, what is it?" Goblin-Gaius snapped, throwing the coin back into the chest as he turned to face her with an annoyed expression.
"I couldn't sleep last night. My Healing Bracelets' been stolen." Morgana said, walking slowly into the room rubbing her wrist where said bracelet usually sat.

"Ooh. Tragedy. Travesty." Goblin-Gaius mocked, as he slammed the chest closed, hiding the contents from view. "Whoever stole it, should be hanged, flogged and hanged again."
"I was hoping you could give me a Sleeping Draught," said Morgana, feeling slightly startled.
"A Sleeping Draught? Can't you count sheep like everyone else?" Goblin-Gaius asked, trying not to laugh. "Why are you bothering me with such things? Shoo!" He exclaimed, waving his hand at her dismissively.

"I don't know why you're being like this, Gaius." Morgana said, affronted. "I'm the King's Ward and you shall do as I ask!"
"Ooh!" Goblin-Gaius mocked. "Shall I now?" He peered closely into her eyes unnerving Morgana, but thanks to his powers he could see deep into her soul and see the truth of her heart and her character. "I can see deep into your heart and it's cold — cold as stone. You play at being Uther's loving Ward. You play it so well. You fool him, but you don't fool me. You would see Uther dead and Camelot destroyed."
"Why would you say such things?" Morgana asked in a fake hurt voice.

"Because it's the truth." Goblin-Gaius stated. "There is evil in your heart." He continued.
"I don't know what's come over you." Morgana said annoyed. "You were always such a good friend to me."
Goblin-Gaius smiled mockingly at her.
"I see the truth frightens you. No one's told you the truth before have they?"
"It's you that frightens me." Morgana snapped, as she stormed towards the door.
"Do you not want your Sleeping Draught after all, Lady Morgana?" He asked, stopping her in her tracks. "One moment."

He turned towards the table that posed as the real Gaius's workbench as it had all manner of potions and equipment littered across the tabletop. Turning to an empty vile, his eyes burned a muddy-golden colour as a sparkly purple liquid started to fill up the small vile. Once it was full he shook it discreetly as he picked it up making the sparkle disappear leaving only a dark purple potion.
"Sweet dreams." He said, holding it out to Morgana who snatched it from his hands and continued her stomping towards the door. "Do come back and see me anytime." Goblin-Gaius said with laughter in his voice as Morgana threw a poisonous glare at him before she left the chambers slamming the door behind her. The potion he'd just handed Morgana had given him an idea. A wonderful, mischievous idea and one that would surely get him more gold coins.

While Goblin-Gaius went on Gaius's rounds conning his patients and the townspeople- including Gwen - out of gold coins, coins they definitely didn't have to spare, Merlyn was trying to work out what was wrong with her uncle which ultimately attracted Arthur's concern.
"Okay, what's wrong Merlyn?" Arthur asked.
"Nothing." Merlyn muttered.
"Merlyn, you know you can tell me anything." Arthur reminded her, as he got up from his desk.
"We still can't find the Goblin, or the gold he took, and this morning Gaius was really rude to me. Somethings wrong with him. I've just got to figure out what." Merlyn complained. 
"Merlyn," Arthur said, placing his hands on her arms. "There is nothing you can't do, but if you ever get stuck you know where to find me." He said, making Merlyn laugh and smile a little.
"Thanks Arthur." She said, pecking his lips quickly but softly.

***

Once Merlyn had finished all her chores she headed back to her chambers to see how Gaius was, when she noticed the door was open. Peering around the door she noticed Gaius was standing in front of Arthur's chest of gold coins- coins that had gone missing- and holding a handful of gold coins licking them. Merlyn made a disgusted sound that went unnoticed by Gaius as he hid the chest in a barrel.
"You're the Goblin!" She exclaimed disgustedly as she threw open the door. "That makes a whole lot more sense for how you treated me."
"Have you lost your mind?" Goblin-Gaius asked, walking away from the chest's hiding spot.

"No. But, I know my uncle, he wouldn't treat me like how you have. You've taken over his mind!" Merlyn shouted.
"Don't be ridiculous." Goblin-Gaius scoffed.
"I know Gaius as well as I know myself and you are not him. Haven't I just stated that!?" Merlyn said angrily, as she stalked towards him.
"Ah, you've got me." Goblin-Gaius said in a nonchalant tone. "How do you like my new body? It's a bit old and creaky, but it's ever so much fun."
"It's not your body. It's Gaius's. What have you done with him?" Merlyn asked, starting to get upset as her magic fought her control.
"He's still here somewhere." Goblin-Gaius said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Gaius has done you no harm. Leave him."
"All right. You've convinced me. On second thoughts, I think I'll stay where I am. I like it here. The freedom, the gold, the beer. Did I mention gold?" Goblin-Gaius asked mockingly.
"If you hurt Gaius, I will kill you!" Merlyn hissed.
"You'd be killing him. You see the problem? I'm him. He's me. We're all jumbled up in here." Goblin-Gaius said, patting Merlyn's cheek as he left for the Council meeting, which just only made her anger rise higher.

***

After the Council meeting Merlyn stood in her chambers, her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for Gaius or rather Goblin-Gaius to get back from once again healing Uther but also Morgana and Gwen too. She was not impressed, not at all. The Goblin was going to end up getting Gaius killed if he carried on the way he was. Stealing, vandalising and conning people out of their gold. She didn't particularly care about what he did to Uther and Morgana but she did care about Gwen, the Knights and the townspeople. They were her friends and he was hurting them. Not for much longer if she had her way. 

Five minutes later Goblin-Gaius walked in laughing over what had happened to Gwen, Morgana and Uther during the meeting but Merlyn didn't find it the least bit funny.
"Tell me you didn't think that was funny. Not even a little bit?" He asked, laughing. "Just a teeny weeny bit?" He asked again, holding his pointer finger and thumb an inch apart.
"If you carry on like this, you're going to get Gaius killed!" Merlyn snapped.
"Merlyn, you underestimate me. I have cured Uther of his farting and his baldness. He is, he tells me, forever in my debt. I am a genius." Goblin-Gaius said.

"This has to stop!" Merlyn ordered.
"I see no reason why." Goblin-Gaius said dismissively. "Now if you're quite finished, I'm going to the tavern."
"Urgh!" Merlyn exclaimed. "Bord, wiþ stende hine!" Merlyn said, as her cerulean eyes turned a bright gold causing the door to shut and lock on its own just as Goblin-Gaius was about to reach it.
"Well, well, well." Goblin-Gaius said as he turned slowly towards Merlyn, she knew, from the look in his eyes, that she was going to regret this. "So you have a secret of your own, Merlyn."
"Leave his body or I swear you will regret it." Merlyn promised.
"Your magic may be powerful, but I have an advantage." Goblin-Gaius said darkly.
"And what's that?" Merlyn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I can hurt you..." He said, causing a dagger to fly towards Merlyn at frightening speed.
"Culter, ic þe healte!" Merlyn said quickly, throwing up her hand as her eyes turned gold once more, causing the dagger to stop an inch from her hand. Her eyes turned gold a third time as she flung the dagger back at Goblin-Gaius making it stop a couple of inches from his face. She didn't want to hurt her uncle, she just wanted to scare the Goblin, and she wanted him to leave.
"...whereas you cannot hurt me without hurting Gaius." Goblin-Gaius continued as if nothing had just happened. Sighing Merlyn lowered her hand causing the dagger to fall to the floor with a clatter.
"I won't rest till I've found a way to force you out of Gaius's body, you can count on that." Merlyn promised darkly, before she left the room. She needed to get out of there, but all she could think of was that she's exposed herself to the Goblin now, and she only hoped it didn't come back to bite her.

Translations:

Bord, wiþ stende hine! = door, stand against him!

Culter, ic þe healte! = dagger, I stop you!