Frost: So this is the first in a series of little ideas I've written up about a Merlin Universe with daemons with a spin to it. Most of the daemon Merlin fics I've read have Merlin with a same sex daemon that is normally a bird of some description. So I've changed it a little to suit an idea I had a while back that I hope you'll all enjoy.
This is just a one shot though, more will follow in the future. Until then I don't own Merlin or daemons and enjoy!
It was near pitch black inside the depths of the castle at night with only a few stray torches to light the way. The odd guard was placed here and there but other than that beneath the castle it was deserted with no life to be seen. Perhaps that's why Arthur felt just the slightest tremor of fear run up his spine as he descended the stairs to the dungeons. But he was going to be ten years old in a few weeks so he shouldn't be scared, knights were fearless after all.
"We shouldn't be doing this." A hushed voice spoke from beside him making the prince glance down at his daemon who was in the form of a completely black fox, a colour variation they would never let their father see.
"But we need to, Morgana and Similien dared us to," Arthur whispered back, jumping down that last four steps and shivering at the slight pull the temporary distance with their bond.
"We're going to get caught." His daemon warned but Arthur ignored the warning and kept pushing deeper into the dark winding tunnels. "I really wish you'd listen to me."
"Don't be such a coward," Arthur said though his tone was light and joking. His daemon snorted, shifting into a little bird of some kind, a robin if Arthur remembered correctly, and flew up to settle on his shoulder.
"If I wasn't such a coward, where would you be?" The robin asked playfully.
"Meeting with a fake dragon already." Arthur laughed. The pair continued walking until they found what they were looking for. It was the final stair case that led to a large cavern under the castle that Morgana said was rumored to have a massive dragon hidden inside. She and her daemon, Similien had said Arthur wasn't brave enough to go down there at night and risk being seen by the dragon so of course, the prince had to prove her wrong.
"We can still turn back." The robin said, feathers ruffling in agitation.
"But where's the fun in that?" Arthur shot back with a smirk that his daemon returned. With a deep breath Arthur walked down the stairs, squinting in the low light until his daemon shifted into a small black cat to help lead him safely to the hidden chamber. When they reached it they gasped at the amazing sight. The stairs ended on a ledge that over looked a massive cave system, the distant sound of rushing water filling their ears. Massive pillars rose up from the bottom of the cave as well as dangling from the ceiling that just added to the awe inspiring sight.
"This is amazing." Arthur cried while his daemon purred in delight. The delight turned into horror when the sound of giant wings beating cut through the near silence as an enormous golden beast flew up to land before them. Arthur yelped as he fell onto his back, his daemon shifting into a black panther while hunching over him protectively, growling lowly at the threat. The prince, however, could only stare in both fear and shock at the beautiful golden dragon standing before him.
"How small you both are for such a great destiny." A deep rumbling voice spoke making Arthur jump. He could only stare at the dragon who was watching him with amusement shinning in its eyes, head bow slightly so it could look at him more closely. But his daemon wasn't having any of it. The panther shifted, growing in size slightly until a small black dragon the size of a horse was curled tightly around Arthur, glaring at the much larger dragon with burning golden eyes.
"Merlin." Arthur breathed, resting his hand on the pleasantly warm scales of his daemon who was slowly pushing them backwards towards the stair case.
"Peace young one, I mean no harm to your other half." The dragon spoke soothingly, moving its head back as if to give them space. Arthur's daemon, his male daemon Merlin, stopped growling but didn't lose his defensive stance around his other half. The prince just watched on, worry shining in his bright blue eyes. He should have listened to Merlin when he'd said not to come down here, should have turned back when they had the chance.
Instead, however, Arthur faces the dragon and asks, "What do you mean by destiny?"
Merlin snaps his jaws angrily, sending Arthur a warning glance as the dragon that is not a daemon chuckles. "Both so brave, it will serve you well." The dragon mused.
"That didn't answer my question." Arthur pointed out, huffing when Merlin whacked him over the head gently with a gossamer black wing. The other dragon just smiled or at least smiled as much as a dragon could.
"Your daemon young prince isn't like others, is he?" The dragon questioned instead and now Arthur was on the defensive, wrapping his arms around Merlin's neck while scowling up at the massive beast.
"What's that got to do with anything?" The prince snapped.
"Everything. For you see little prince, Merlin was given the special gifts he has for a reason. You will both work together to unite the land of Albion and bring magic back to the world." The dragon spoke making both blue and golden eyes widen in shock.
"Magic is outlawed." Arthur protested weakly but the dragon just huffed.
"That hasn't stopped Merlin now has it?"
The smaller black dragon snarled at the implication but neither boy nor daemon could deny the truth held within the reptile's words. Ever since they had been small Merlin had not only been able to take forms that shouldn't have been possible but he could also do magic. Arthur couldn't yet Merlin could and if it weren't for Gaius and his children's python daemon Gelasia, they would never have learnt control over the magic and would have been caught long ago.
"What do you want from us?" Merlin spat out making Arthur jerk. His daemon didn't often speak to anyone but himself, even ignoring other daemons which was very strange. But Merlin had never followed social norms. The dragon gazed at the both of them, eyes narrowed in thought before it smiled once more.
"I want you to grow up knowing that magic isn't evil. I want you to grow up striving to do that is right and to always help the innocent. And I want you to grow up so that one day, you may free all of those born with magic." The dragon said simply. Arthur was staring in awe at the beast, head swimming with all the new information that was being given but Merlin just snorted angrily, shifting back into a black panther and pushing his boy back up the stairs.
"We'll have to give you a rain check on that." Was all he said to the dragon before they left the cavern and started walking back to their room.
"Did you hear that Merlin, we're going to free all of magic kind," Arthur said happily only to yelp when the panther nipped at his arm, golden eyes flashing in warning.
"Hush Arthur or you'll have an axe over our heads faster than you can say 'I am the prince of Camelot' so be quiet," Merlin warned, using his massive body to guide his wayward boy back to their room.
"But Merlin, wouldn't it be amazing for them to live without fear, for you to live like that?" The prince asked as he jumped into bed. The panther froze, back ridged while his lips pulled back slightly to reveal pearly white teeth.
"Yes, it would be nice. But for now, it is an impossibility so please Arthur, be silent on the matter." Merlin sighed, shrinking down until he was a little black fox again with a white tipped tail, eyes still a burning golden colour.
"You know foxes shouldn't be black." Arthur pointed out but Merlin just laughed, nuzzling into his companion's arms.
"Since when has that stopped us before?" The daemon teased.
For once Arthur had decided to follow the advice given to him by his daemon and didn't bring up the conversation with the dragon to anyone, even his closest friend Leon. Morgana had sneered at them when the Prince had told her he didn't go down to see if there was a dragon under the castle, calling him a coward and holding it over his head for a few weeks. But every time he opened his mouth to call her out Merlin would nip at his hand or ear in warning, golden eyes flashing in a way that let him know it wasn't a good idea. But in the end, the visit with the dragon and learning about their destiny became the least of their worries. When Arthur turned twelve Uther and his grey Falcon daemon Adara had stood before them, eyes on Merlin and waiting for him to settle.
But Merlin didn't settle. He spent the whole day flicking through forms, testing them out and waiting to see if one would stick, would feel right but none did. By the end of the day, he reverted to the form of a small black snake, curling around Arthur's neck and hissing at the king and his daemon who were yelling at him to settle and be normal. Later that night Arthur sat in his bed holding Merlin against his chest who had adopted the form of a snow leopard. Uther never let Merlin be a snow leopard in public, the one time Merlin had shifted in front of him Adara had shrieked before dive bombing him, sinking her needle sharp claws into his flesh causing both him and Arthur to cry out. It was Gaius who explained that Arthur's mother's daemon had been a snow leopard.
"I like this form," Merlin whispered in the dark of their room.
"So do I but it's not right. Besides, father would never approve of it." Arthur sighed sadly causing a growl to burst forth from Merlin's mouth.
"His opinion doesn't matter." Merlin snapped. Arthur just sat there, face pinched with a hand fisted in the ruff of Merlin's neck. The snow leopard sighed before gently licking his boy gently on his face, chuffing in amusement when Arthur gave a soft laugh and shoved his head slightly. "We'll settle when we're ready and when we do we'll be perfect in every single way."
Arthur smiled, wrapping his arms around Merlin's neck to bury his face in the silky soft fur. Truth be told he didn't want Merlin to settle. His daemon had always been special, free and the thought of him being stuck in a single form for the rest of his life made Arthur feel sad and guilty. Could he really live with himself knowing he'd taken away part of Merlin's freedom? Merlin sensed his worry and gently bumped his head with his own, eyes softening in amusement.
"Stop worrying you prat. When I settle I will happy no matter what form it may be." He chuffed. Arthur scowled at the nickname but declined on responding. He was far too exhausted from the day of disappointment to engage with banter. Instead, the young Prince closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him.
Merlin, however, stayed awake. The daemon gazed at his other half with those strange golden eyes before stalking off the bed to prowl towards the door. The Snow Leopard paused then, still waiting to feel what everyone else would feel at such a distance, still waiting to feel the pull on his very being that should send him running back to Arthur. Merlin waited even though he knew it would never come. When they had been younger, still ignorant to the world, Merlin had rushed to the other end of the Throne Room while Arthur stayed by his father's side. Both Uther and Adara had screamed in horror, expecting both Prince and Daemon to fall to the ground in agony at such a distance. When all the two young ones did was blink in confusion the King had rushed them to Gaius and Gelasia who performed many different tests. The elderly man had claimed that perhaps the stress of Arthur's birth had caused their bond to be stretched more than others but reassured the King that both were still healthy. Later, Arthur had Merlin see how far he could truly go when they went to bed.
"Fly towards the lower town and see how far you can go." The Prince had declared while opening the window of his bedroom. Merlin in the form of a Raven had looked apprehensive seeing how he'd never left Arthur's side but conceded in the end to his other half's wishes, taking flight and disappearing into the night. Arthur stayed awake for hours waiting, never feeling pain but still feeling a slight longing for his companion to be back by his side. He would awake hours later to Merlin landing gently on the window ledge, his golden gaze contemplative.
"Did you know that Cenred's Castle is built more like a great Stone Mountain than an actual Castle." He'd stated while changing into a coal black cat.
"You went all the way to Cenred's kingdom?" Arthur cried in excitement.
"And further." Merlin had smiled before telling Arthur all he had seen.
They never told anyone that Merlin could seemingly go wherever he liked, could go as far as he pleased like the Witches daemons of Old. It was just too strange even for Arthur and his same sexed daemon Merlin.
Tonight, however, Merlin didn't fly out the open window to see kingdoms in far away lands. Instead, he pushed the door open and walked down empty corridors, changing into a little black month to sneak past guards till he was standing on the rocky ledge of the Dragon's prison. He changed again, becoming a black panther with burning golden eyes that stared up at the Dragon defiantly.
"You mentioned a great Destiny for Arthur and myself, I would like to hear more."
Frost: So yeah, a couple of months ago I had the idea of what if Merlin was Arthur's daemon? That was how this was born. It's short but there will be more stories to come. Hope you all like it and see you all next time