Merlin rolled over on his back for the tenth time. He had stayed up past midnight and quietly celebrated turning fourteen. That had been two hours ago and now, as much as he wanted to go to sleep, he couldn't.
Sighing loudly, he shifted back to lying on his stomach and buried his face in the pillows. It was no use, Merlin just couldn't get comfortable. Giving up on his quest to find sleep, Merlin threw the covers off and sat up.
Hot chocolate sounds really good right now, Merlin thought. He stretched as he stood and tiptoed down the stairs. A beam of light was coming from the kitchen and Merlin furrowed his brow in curiosity as he got closer. He kept to the shadows as he approached and slowly peeked around the corner into the kitchen.
Merlin was met with the sight of his parents in an embrace. Their foreheads were pressed together and his father was speaking so softly that Merlin couldn't hear what he was saying. But the more he spoke, the wider his mother's grin got. When they kissed, it wasn't like the usual pecks they would give each other when Merlin was around. There was something else going on, and Merlin decided to leave them to it…without hot chocolate.
He was almost to the stairs when he heard his father's voice in his mind. 'You should be sleeping.'
Merlin hung his head, knowing he'd been caught. 'Fancied some hot chocolate.'
'Then come get some.'
Merlin headed back to the kitchen, feeling embarrassed about interrupting his parents' intimate moment. "Evening," he greeted.
Hunith chuckled. "You mean good morning."
"How long have you been awake?" Balinor asked.
Merlin shrugged. "Uh…yesterday."
"You haven't been to sleep yet?" Hunith frowned as her son shook his head. "Why not?"
Balinor answered for him. "Restless."
Merlin nodded.
Balinor stroked his beard in thought. "Maybe I'll take you with me."
"Where?" Hunith asked.
"Just the Sanctuary," Balinor said.
Hunith frowned again. "Something wrong?"
"No," Balinor shook his head. "But that doesn't mean something's not going on. You know how they get this time of year."
Hunith sighed. "True. Just be careful."
Balinor smiled. "Of course." To his son he said, "Go get dressed."
Completely lost, and still lacking hot chocolate, Merlin left to get dressed and met his father in the garden. "Sanctuary?" Merlin asked.
"Dragon Sanctuary in Romania," Balinor answered. He held out his hand, and Merlin took a deep breath before he grabbed it.
Merlin shivered and pulled his jacket tighter around him. It was much colder in Romania than back home. "So what're we doing-"
Merlin's words were cut off by a mighty roar. It was so loud that both Merlin and Balinor covered their ears and tried to keep their footing as the ground shook. As soon as everything went still, Balinor bolted for the forest. Merlin hurried after him.
There was another rumble and Merlin stumbled. "Dad!" he shouted. When there was no reply he called out again. "DAD!"
"YIELD!"
Dad? Merlin ran in the direction of his father's voice. There was a clearing up ahead and Merlin shouted for his father again.
"Stay back, son!"
Merlin skidded to a halt at the edge of the clearing, taking in the scene before him. Balinor stood in the center of the clearing and was staring up at the sky…at a pair of fighting dragons.
"Whoa." Merlin stared up at the dragons in complete awe…until one of them lunged for the other.
Another roar ripped through the night as the red dragon bit the brown one.
"SARETH," Balinor shouted.
The brown dragon retaliated by tackling the red dragon to the ground, the combined force of which knocked Merlin off his feet.
"KILGARRAH! YIELD!"
Merlin scrambled to his feet and watched in horror as his father stood between the two beasts.
"DAD!"
"I said YIELD!" Balinor commanded the brown dragon, ignoring his son's call.
The brown dragon, Kilgarrah, snarled at the red dragon, but took a step away from Balinor. The red dragon was clearly injured, but still had some fight in it. It breathed fire at Kilgarrah, with Balinor in the middle of it.
Merlin fell to his knees as his father was engulfed in flames. Kilgarrah ignored the fire and went for the red dragon's neck. Merlin could hear the scales and bones fracture under the force of Kilgarrah's bite and there was a loud snapping noise when the red dragon's head was forced into an unnatural position. Kilgarrah unceremoniously let the red dragon go, and it lay motionless as he sounded his victory. He took a step back to reveal Balinor, who was hanging his head.
"That's enough, old friend," he said solemnly. "One of our brothers is dead."
"We will mourn in the morning."
Merlin's mouth fell open. Dragons can talk? Slowly, Merlin left his place at the forest's edge to stand by his father. "I thought it killed you."
"Dragon's fire can't kill a Dragonlord," Balinor replied. He turned to Kilgarrah and asked sternly, "Please tell me you have a reason for this."
The corners of the dragon's mouth turned upwards in a smile. "I do."
"And?"
Kilgarrah spread his wings. "You question my judgment?"
Balinor rubbed his face in frustration. "If I recall correctly, there are only five Scandinavian Red Snouts. Sareth is one of those five. By killing him, they're closer to extinction. So yes, I'm questioning your judgment."
Merlin stared wide eyed at his father. He knew his father was a Dragonlord, but to speak so boldly to something that could easily kill them both made Merlin wonder how powerful his father really was.
Kilgarrah folded his wings back. "Then perhaps Sareth should have been breeding instead of challenging me."
"He challenged you." Balinor no longer sounded irritated, but curious.
Kilgarrah gave a short nod.
A twig snapped behind Merlin and he spun around to find a group of wizards emerge from the forest.
Balinor sighed. "I'll meet you before the dawn," he said to the dragon.
Kilgarrah nodded again and took flight.
As the wizards drew closer, Balinor put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Tired yet?"
At a loss for words, Merlin could only shake his head.
Once again, Merlin found himself following his father through the forest. Thankfully, their pace was much more leisurely than when they first got to the Sanctuary.
"So…those men back there…"
"Dragon keepers," Balinor answered. "Some of them like to be called Dragonologists."
"They sound like snobs," Merlin commented.
Balinor laughed. "They can be, yes." He stopped walking and looked around before saying, "Reveal yourself."
Merlin yelped when a golden orb appeared next to him. It was Kilgarrah's eye.
"Do not fear me, Young Ambrose," the dragon chuckled. "I will not harm you."
"Good to know," Merlin replied, trying to slow his breathing.
"You said Sareth challenged you," Balinor started. "Why?"
"Dark times lay ahead," Kilgarrah said. "Order must be kept."
Balinor sighed. "Speak plainly."
"You know of what I speak, Balinor."
"What does Voldemort's return have to do with Sareth?" Balinor asked.
Kilgarrah was quiet as his gaze shifted from Balinor to Merlin, and the young wizard felt most uncomfortable under the dragon's glare.
"Sareth wished for change," the dragon answered. "This change must not be brought on the back of war."
"War?" Merlin spoke up. "What war?"
"The war between Death Eaters and everyone else," Balinor answered. "So Sareth thought Voldemort could help change things… and by killing you, the others would follow his lead."
Kilgarrah nodded. "He will not be the last to challenge me."
Balinor stroked his beard. "Perhaps…perhaps you should do some rounds and see how our kin is doing."
Kilgarrah laughed. "Your concern is appreciated but unnecessary. I am safe here, as I have always been."
"Then do it as a favor to me," Balinor replied. "Find out what they know about Voldemort…and any keepers that may be inclined to join him."
Kilgarrah sighed. "Of course."
"Thank you old friend," Balinor said sincerely. "When I brought Merlin here, I wasn't expecting all this."
"I'm sure Merlin was not either," Kilgarrah said with a chuckle. He looked at Merlin, his eyes lacking mirth. "I expect that I'll be seeing you more often, young wizard."
"Uh… sure," Merlin managed to say, still intimidated by the size of Kilgarrah's teeth.
Balinor placed a heavy hand on Merlin's shoulder and guided him out of the forest.
"Dad?"
"Hm?"
"We're not going to tell mom about this, right?"
"That goes without saying, son."
Merlin nodded. "Just making sure."
