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Merlin was looking around.
For the first time, he had been shown Camp Half-Blood.
From where they entered, Merlin could see Percy tending a huge dragon (Merlin guessed it might be the Peleus mentioned the afternoon before in Percy and Jason's discussion about the former's adopted pets ).
On a tree behind the dragon, a wonderful Fleece made its appearance.
“That's the Golden Fleece,” Jason told Merlin, noticing his amazed look. “It heals everything. Thalia had been poisoned, her tree had been poisoned. Percy, Annabeth, Clarisse, and Tyson set out to get the Fleece and save my sister.”
“Why would anyone ever poison Thalia?” Merlin asked, feeling an acidic feeling in his stomach as he remembered that he himself had poisoned Thalia, in their past life.
“Thalia had been willing to give her life to keep her friends safe.” Percy said, walking over to them after finishing spoiling Peleus. “Zeus took pity on her and ensured a safe place for her friends. The tree gives protection to the Camp itself. By poisoning the tree, Kronos had sought to weaken our defenses and eliminate the gods' weapons before destroying them."
Merlin felt sick just thinking about it. “You are all children .”
“Kronos didn't care about that.” Percy shrugged. “Come on, Thalia said she found another one here.”
Merlin let the two boys guide him across the Camp.
He couldn't help but compare being a demigod to being a wizard. Hidden, in need of a safe haven, a safety net. In need of training, because different, because a monster.
Percy had understood this, Merlin reminded himself, and Merlin was sure that the boy hadn't been the only one to feel that way.
As they walked, Merlin took note of the things he saw.
A huge building with an arcade, where Merlin could see satyrs busy around a man.
Pegasi in their stables, beautiful girls on the shore of the lake, their feet submerged in the water, and, as soon as they saw Percy, greeted him enthusiastically.
“Naiads.” Percy explained. “They serve my father's cohort. So when they see me, they're happy.”
"Why?" Merlin asked.
“I think they sense my father's presence in me.” Percy tilted his head. “Or they recognize that I'm from the sea as well. I don't know for sure. I will ask them.”
“If you don't forget .” Jason murmured.
“I have never forgotten anything in my entire life.” Percy replied, looking offended.
“You left me and Piper waiting for you for hours!” Jason complained.
“Oh, I didn't forget, it was done on purpose .” Percy smiled, before pointing towards an assortment of buildings. “Those are the cabins. In honor of every god.”
Jason nodded. “I am glad that each god has his own recognition.”
“It wasn't always like this.” Percy warned. “The first time I arrived at the Camp, there were only cabins for the major Olympians, excluding uncle Hades and aunt Hestia. On my sixteenth birthday I had the opportunity to ask for a gift and I asked for recognition from all the deities and from the children of all the gods.”
“An incredible gesture.” Merlin murmured.
“It was the right thing to do.” Percy replied, blushing at the praise.
Merlin smiled at the boy's embarrassment.
Then he asked. “Shall we go to one of the cabins?”
“No, to the infirmary.” Percy replied. “The reborn soul is there right now. Together with Thalia and Nico.”
Jason gave him an amused look. “How much are you going to make them regret that they didn't warn you that they were reborn souls?”
"I have not decided yet." Was Percy's response. “But it will also be weighed that you told me and they didn't .”
Jason smiled and Merlin realized that this competition was extremely important to the boy.
And that his motivation in being the first, and only , among them to actually go and warn Percy about being a reborn soul had really tipped the scales in his favor.
Very strategic of him.
Merlin also found the thought of Lancelot engaging in such a competition extremely amusing. He would never have taken the knight for the kind of person who entered into such childish, yet amusing, competitions.
“What is the name of the reborn soul?” Merlin asked curiously.
“Will.” Percy replied. “Nico's boyfriend. The one in the group who continued to insult Clarisse without stopping for a moment.”
“Ah.” Merlin smiled, remembering the conversation from a few nights ago.
Clarisse had called the music a vast and useless creation and Will hadn't stopped mocking her and retaliating for the next hour and a half.
It had been extremely fun .
Especially when Leon was torn between being satisfied at not receiving all those notifications thanks to Percy's help, and being devastated at having missed that incredible roasting.
Merlin was amused and satisfied.
This Will looked amazing.
In his mind he was starting to wonder which knight it might be, also wondering which of them had been close to Mordred. The only one who came to mind was Arthur himself, but Thalia had already said that Arthur would be last.
“Did she say who he was?” Merlin asked then.
"No." Percy sighed. “She didn't say anything.”
Then, finally, they entered the infirmary, where Will was hugging Leon.
“I missed you so much, old friend.” Leon was whispering in the blonde's ears. “You didn't deserve what you ended up with.”
“And you didn’t deserve this fate.” Will said, before pulling away and smiling at the sight of Merlin, Jason and Percy. “Merlin! Lancelot!”
“Uh…” Merlon looked at the other three present for help.
Leon had tears in his eyes, Thalia had a guilty look on her face.
It was Nico who said. “It's Elyan.”
Well, at least that answered his doubt.
Elyan was the only knight, who had not witnessed Mordred's betrayal.
It was ironic considering that they were now a couple.
Would they have had a story in their time if Elyan hadn't been killed so soon? Would Mordred still turn against Arthur if he had another romance with him?
“Elyan.” Merlin said, hugging Will into his arms, surprised to see that he was even shorter than his previous life.
Or, perhaps, Merlin was the one who had gotten too high.
“Merlin.” Will smiled, a smile reminiscent of Elyan's extremely cheerful ones. “Lancelot.” She then said, hugging Jason who smiled. “Elyan!”
“ Percy !”
Everyone turned to Percy, who had a smile on his face.
“Why did you just say your name?” Will asked, blinking in confusion.
“Because I felt left out.” Percy replied, a pout on his face.
“Why on earth would you feel left out ?” Thalia asked, raising an eyebrow at Percy.
“I don't know, maybe because my own cousins are reborn souls and didn't think to tell me?”
Thalia and Nico gave Jason a shocked look.
“That's where you disappeared to!” Nico protested.
“And that's why you didn't want to tell us anything!” Thalia growled, looking at her brother.
Merlin, as he stood beside Leon, whispered to Will. “They really have some competition, huh?”
“You have no idea either.” Will snorted in amusement. “Nico has almost always won, but now? Not warning him that he was a reborn soul?” Will chuckled. "I think that Jason has finally taken the lead."
Merlin chuckled.
Leon sighed. “I'm surrounded by children .”
Merlin patted him on the shoulder.
“Why don't you talk about it with Chiron?” Percy offered, smiling at Leon. “I think he has some experience in keeping up with energetic kids.”
“And irritating children.” Leon added, not so silently.
"Also that." Percy conceded, smiling even more.
Merlin snorted. Then, he thought that it was good getting back his family.
He missed them all so much.