Author's Notes: I got the idea from Fantasy Author Brian Rathbone. His tweet read: Dragons like to fly at sunset and set the heavens afire. I assume you've seen their work.
Then I turned it into something totally different. Season 2, episode 13.
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
As Merlin looked on, it seemed almost as if sunset had come down from the heavens and set the world ablaze. In ordinary times, the colour would be welcome, Camelot's stones turned a wondrous crimson, looking warm and inviting as the sun sank into night.
But now, it wasn't just colour, but a fire-storm of light and heat and destruction. The castle crumbling under the onslaught of a vengeful dragon, twenty years of hatred painting the sky red.
There wasn't much Merlin could do. He tried magic, he tried swords and power and reason, but nothing worked.
And what was worse was that it was Merlin's fault for setting the beast free in the first place. Not that he had much choice but at least Merlin thought he could tame Kilgharrah somehow, make him understand that it wasn't Camelot's people that were to blame but Camelot's king.
But Kilgharrah was beyond reason. He even attacked Arthur, the man Kilgharrah said would unite the lands of Albion, something the dragon said was destined. So much for destiny. It must have all been lies to manipulate a naïve country bumpkin with too much power and too little knowledge of the world.
A bitter revelation for Merlin to accept, but accept it, he did.
But for now, the sky was blazing still, long past sunset, and Merlin was out of options.
He would have to kill Kilgharrah to make him stop. And only one thing would do that- a sword forged in a dragon's breath. A sword at the bottom of an enchanted lake.
He would have to sneak away, bring the sword back and find some way of using it against the dragon. All under cover of darkness, all while hiding in plain sight as he had since arriving at Camelot.
All while Camelot burned.
If only it were just a sunset and not the world on fire.
If only there were another way.
If only Merlin had a choice.
If only.