Arthur and Wesley arrived at the infirmary. It was a huge, white tent with beds lined on each side. Many of which were occupied by soldiers who were coughing blood, unconscious or who appeared to have no visible ailments at all. Nurses and doctors were running around, fetching water and potions for the patients. Guards stood outside the doors to protect the patients who could not protect themselves in the case of emergency. And Merlin stood at the entrance, waiting for Wesley.

"You brought Arthur?" She sighed.

"Yes. Because we love each other. But I'm sure you already noticed that." Wesley goaded. With the king on his side he felt a tiny bit less intimidated by Merlin.

"You realize he won't understand anything we're talking about, right?" She prodded, her head hung in annoyance.

Wesley let out an over-dramatic gasp and pulled Arthur in for a hug. "Don't listen to her! You're plenty smart!" He cooed as he gently ran his fingers through Arthur's hair.

"You do realize that would make him feel less smart, don't you?" Merlin exasperated. However, she was used to this kind of behaviour from Wesley. He was her only apprentice who was never scared of her. And if he was, he did a great job hiding it.

"I guess I realize that. I was just trying to make you out to be the bad guy." Wesley chuckled.

"No! It's fine, really." Arthur protested. "I know I'm not going to understand anything you guys say about magic. Just dumb it down for me a bit, okay?"

"Of course we will!" Wesley promised. Then he turned his gaze to Merlin. "What did you want to talk to me about anyways?"

"Follow me." Merlin said as she led the two to one of the hospital beds. They both let out a small gasp as they saw an unconscious Sir Nanashi lying under the bed's sheets. His black hair was dirty and his skin was so dry it looked like cracked stone.

"Sir Nanashi!" Cried Arthur as he knelt down next to the bed. "What happened to him, Merlin." Arthur was acting frantic but his new boyfriend and Merlin simply stood there not showing any emotion. Wesley knew what was going on with Sir Nanashi, but to avoid suspicion he would say nothing until it seemed like he came to the conclusion with the same information Merlin and Arthur had.

"His wounds were exposed to azeel blood." Merlin explained. "I wanted to know what Wesley thought about this. As much as I hate to admit it-" Merlin took a long pause and breathed in. "In areas, he is a better mage than I."

"Well. . ." Wesley started. "The blood definitely seems to have an effect on his body." Stated Wesley as he looked at Nanashi's cracked, dry skin. "I've heard of powerful vampires who can turn humans into their own. But that involves poison. Not blood. It's always been obvious to me, and any good mage I'd hope, that the azeels are a type of manmade race; I came to that conclusion by the faint trace of humanity I can sense in them. There is always a chance the azeels have poison blood that originally turned them into azeels."

Arthur and Merlin both exchanged impressed looks as they watched Wesley come to this conclusion just by looking at a person's skin.

"Guard!" Shouted Wesley, without taking his eyes off the body. The two guards who were standing at the infirmary's doors came rushing over.

"Yes, Court-Mage, sir?" Said one of them.

"Lock Sir Nanashi in the palace dungeons. When you're done, return here with more guard. Everyone here who had wounds exposed to azeel blood are to be locked in seperate cells."

"Yes, sir!" Boomed the guards as they picked up Nanashi and carried him away.

"Merlin, go with them." Wesley demanded.

"But why-"

"They might need you. Just go with them."

Merlin sighed, and then accompanied the guards.

"What are you doing?" Shrieked Arthur as he shook Wesley by the shoulders.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Wesley asked him. "Well, I guess I didn't say it. But my conclusion is the people who were exposed to the blood only have a few days left before they, themselves, turn into azeels."