Episode: The Last Dragonlord
Category: Gen
Rating/Warnings: K+
The knight came back to consciousness with a grunt of confusion, struggling to orient himself with his surroundings. Blinking away the soot in his eyes, he frowned at the sight of the scorched grass, the crumpled bodies, and most of all, at the peculiar scene that was unfolding right in front of him.
Alone and undefended, Arthur's servant stood facing the massive dragon. No weapons, no armor… no chance in hell that he wouldn't be struck down by this creature who'd already demolished countless men who were actually trained in the art of combat, far better equipped to handle such a challenge.
Groaning softly, the knight attempted to rise, to come to the defense of the helpless servant. It didn't matter that he had little chance of succeeding either – it was his duty to protect the innocent, vows he'd sworn that were more important to him than his own safety, even his life. But he could hardly move. No, he was far too weak, legs trapped beneath something that seemed enormously heavy… he couldn't…
And then his head snapped up, eyes growing wide as a great and terrible voice filled the air, words that seemed to hold the power of the earth itself emerging from the scrawny servant. They were foreign to his ears, strange and guttural, but as he watched in amazement, the dragon seemed to understand, bowing his head in a gesture of submission.
"I am the last of my kind, Merlin," the creature said. It could talk… dear gods, it could talk. "Whatever wrongs I have done, do not make me responsible for the death of my noble breed."
Not only did it have the ability to speak, but it knew the servant by name. What…? Part of him wanted to believe this was some bizarre dream, but that was impossible. No, the pain radiating through his battered body was too strong, the odor of charred flesh sharp and acrid, far too real to dismiss as some trick of the imagination. Too much… he began to lose his tenuous grasp on consciousness, his head falling with a soft thud in the grass.
But he heard what followed nonetheless – Merlin commanding the dragon to leave and never return, threatening to kill him if he did. Most of all, he picked up on a single word that made him gasp in shock, just before the world faded to black.
Warlock.