Translation of dragontongue:
témnō = I cut
Merlin awoke to a pounding headache.
He had been in and out a few times, listening to the distorted voices of Lancelot and Gwaine, but it was only now that he could see their faces clearly and take in their ill-lit surroundings. At first, he thought they were still at the Crystal Cave, but there were no crystals, just rock. Merlin's hands were bound at the back, though he could see Gwaine was working on his own ropes by rubbing them against the edge of a jagged rock.
"Where are we?" Merlin croaked. His mouth was dry and tasted awful.
"Merlin, finally!" Lancelot walked over and awkwardly crouched down, off-balance due to his bound hands. "I thought you'd never wake up. How are you feeling?"
"Like I had my brains bashed in with a rock," Merlin rasped and moaned a little as he sat up. His head was reeling and for a moment, he was sure he would just topple over again.
"Got it in one!" Gwaine called out, all the while working diligently on his ropes. It looked like he was getting somewhere, only very, very slowly. "My head feels worse than that night we stole that barrel of ale from the storage tent. They really did a number on us. Percival is still confused."
Merlin glanced at Percival, who was leaning against a rock, looking dazed. There was an impressive bump on the edge of his forehead.
"Where are we?" Merlin repeated.
"Camelot, most likely," Lancelot said. "At least that's where the dragonslayer said he would take us. We hadn't had a chance to check."
Merlin turned his head to look at the dragons. Mynur, Vethoas and Aithusa were curled up near the entrance, blocking their line of sight. Vethoas had her back turned away from them.
"Are you all right?" Merlin called out to them.
Mynur raised his head and stared at him, but didn't respond.
"Mynur? Vethoas?" Merlin addressed them. "Aithusa?" Aithusa whimpered and hid her head underneath her wing.
Merlin turned back towards Lancelot, and his voice was filled with every bit of the same panic that was quickly rising in his throat. "Why aren't they talking to us? Are they injured?"
"I don't think so," Lancelot replied. "I believe they might have been ordered not to speak to us. They won't let us touch them, either."
"Mynur spit fire at me when I tried to leave the cave to take a look outside," Gwaine grumbled. "I was lucky he forgot how to aim."
Merlin stared at the dragons. Mynur looked at him with his eyes half-lidded. Merlin had grown up with enough dragons to recognise a regretful drake when he saw one.
"It's all right, Mynur," Merlin sighed, his initial panic quickly replaced by resignation. "I know you can't disobey him."
"There must be a way around that," Lancelot said at once. "You're a dragonlord, Merlin. Surely, a man with a sword doesn't counter that."
"He isn't just any man," Merlin said. He scooted backwards until his back hit the wall of the cave, then rested his throbbing head against the cool stone. "He's the Great Dragon."
"You know, Merlin, I've decided I'm with Lancelot on this one," Gwaine told him, an echo of his usual cheer in his voice. "I refuse to accept it's him. No offense to that pretty lady, but she clearly picked the wrong bloke."
Merlin didn't know how he found it in him to chuckle. There really was not an ounce of humour in this situation.
"Why would he leave us behind like this?" he said, watching Lancelot settle down next to him. "Why not drag us to his castle?"
"He knew the dragons would do his dirty work for him," Lancelot replied.
"It's good you're awake now, Merlin!" Gwaine interrupted. "Would you mind and get me free? This rock business is taking forever and I'm starting to get a cramp in my forearm…"
"I'm not sure I'm up to dragonfyre right now," Merlin replied. "I am feeling rather woozy. I wouldn't want to accidentally cut your hands off."
"I'll take the risk," Gwaine said stubbornly.
"Fine. Turn around and stay still." He didn't have his hands free to aim, but he had managed a handless spell or two before, hadn't he? He stared intensely at the ropes wrapped around Gwaine's wrists in a bid to channel his powers in the right direction, then said, "Témnō!"
Nothing happened. Literally nothing. Not only did the ropes not fall off, but there had been none of the heat that usually accompanied his dragonfyre. "Témnō," he repeated. Still nothing. Merlin frowned, but there was an easy explanation. "Sorry, but I'm feeling terrible and my hands are bound."
"Worth a try." Gwaine shrugged and went back to work. By the rate he was going, he would be done in about an hour.
Merlin rested for a few moments, then his eyes snapped open and he looked back at Mynur. The dragon was still watching them sadly.
"Mynur," Merlin called out, suddenly feeling suspicious. "You don't happen to know why I can't use dragonfyre?"
Mynur blinked at him.
"Are you sure you can't nod or shake your head?" Merlin asked. "If he has only forbidden you to talk, you can still move your head, can't you?"
Mynur blinked again.
"What are you thinking?" Lancelot said, throwing him a worried look.
"I think they cut me off," Merlin sighed weakly. He sounded pathetic, even to his own ears, but he had no energy for more anger.
"Cut you off?"
Merlin nodded miserably. "I draw my magic from dragons, just like all of you. If Arthur told them not to share their powers with me…"
"That dragonslayer is a bloody bastard!" Gwaine growled.
Percival apparently wasn't out of it enough not to let out a hearty curse of agreement at that pronouncement.
They stayed silent for some time, watching Gwaine work away at his ropes. Every once in a while, he took a break, cursing and twisting his arms in an attempt to rip his ties apart, though he was having little success as of yet. This meant Merlin had ample time to think over what had happened and soon, the pressure of guilt, combined with his exhaustion and pain, become unbearable.
"I'm such an idiot," he croaked miserably.
"You're not," Lancelot objected at once, ever the loyal friend.
"I took three knights of Camelot from their prison cells to the Crystal Cave. I all but handed Arthur Excalibur. I told him all about my magic, I practically taught him how to ride a dragon, then let him abduct all of us to Camelot. And you're saying I'm not an idiot?"
"You had the best of intentions," Lancelot said.
"You warned me," Merlin replied. "All of you did, and I didn't listen. I was a complete fool!"
"We were all fools, Merlin," Gwaine admitted. "You didn't have to force us to come along, we went willingly enough."
"Well, I'd rather you told me to bugger off," Merlin muttered, and Gwaine laughed out loud at that, forcing another reluctant chuckle out of Merlin.
Lancelot didn't join in. His face was serious. "I know you are quick to doubt yourself, so I will say it again. I am loyal to you and I will always follow you where you lead, even now." He bowed his head. "My lord."
Merlin felt his cheeks go red. "Please don't do that," he said.
"He's right, though, my lord!" Gwaine said, though with much less gravitas.
"Well, I'm not leading you anywhere right now," Merlin said, avoiding their eyes in favour of studying his boots. "My own siblings won't talk to me, I haven't got any magic…"
He stopped when he noticed Lancelot was tilting his head. "Do you hear that?"
Merlin listened, then tensed. "Horses. A lot of them."
"They're coming back," Lancelot said.
"With reinforcements," Gwaine added. He finally abandoned his attempts at freeing himself to walk over and stand between Percival and Lancelot.
Merlin and Lancelot got to their feet, though Percival still seemed too confused to follow suit. They waited in tense silence and listened to the sounds of hooves coming closer. There was a mix of voices, then Merlin could hear Arthur's commanding voice floating towards them.
"Dragons, stand down and move aside! Continue obeying all other orders I've given you! You are not to attack!"
The drakes moved until Merlin could finally look past them. The sun was just beginning to set. Merlin's eyes were immediately drawn to Arthur, standing at the edge of the cave. He had changed into fresh clothes and chainmail and his hand was resting on the hilt of Excalibur. Next to him, still on his horse, was Uther the Tyrant.
The long, red scar cutting across his forehead would have given him away anywhere. His dark hair was streaked with grey, his face lined, though he did not look old as much as he looked hardened. His eyes were narrowed. He was observing the dragons and there was an expression of such contempt and disgust on his face, Merlin felt a desperate surge of protectiveness. Not even Arthur had ever looked this hostile.
Behind the king, there was a large group of knights in red capes as well as some men that looked like regular guards. Merlin recognised Sir Leon at the front of the troops. A couple of knights were holding harpoons in their hands. Their dangerous sheen told him they were draconite blades. They had come to kill.
"Don't you dare hurt the dragons!" Merlin shouted. He took a step forward, willing to throw himself at them with his hands bound if he had to.
Arthur stepped into the cave, flanked by four guards who immediately approached Merlin and his men to restrain them. Percival was pulled to his feet and swayed. They all struggled in vain, bound and exhausted as they were.
"Save your strength, Merlin," Arthur told him with a raised eyebrow. Merlin wanted to spit in his face.
Uther dismounted from his horse, handing the reins to a knight before following his son. He strode past the dragons – who growled menacingly at him, but couldn't attack – and came to a halt next to his son. He studied Merlin for a moment and sneered.
"This is Balinor's son?" he drawled. "You can't be serious, Arthur. He's barely a man!"
Merlin glared at him, but Arthur spoke up before he could start spewing curses at the king, "He is young, but I assure you, Father, he is able to speak on behalf of his people."
Merlin's head snapped towards Arthur. "What do you want from me, dragonslayer?"
"Nothing you aren't willing to give," Arthur said vaguely, then turned towards his father. "Do you believe me now?"
Uther looked over at the dragons. "It is clear you can control the vile creatures, yes. You were lucky to get your hands on that sword. Well done, Arthur."
"If you kill us, my father will not rest until he has taken his revenge," Merlin spat, throwing all the hate he could muster into the words. "He will wreak havoc on Camelot and see you all destroyed!"
Uther let out a derisive noise. "Without his pets, your father is a nobody." He glanced at Arthur. "Didn't you say he wanted peace? He seems quite aggressive to me."
Arthur threw Merlin a hard look. "He does. But he's worried for his drakes."
"And rightly so," Uther said, then turned. "Men! The harpoons!"
"No!" Merlin shouted and started struggling against the guard's hold. "No! Don't hurt them!"
To his surprise, Arthur spoke up at the same time, sounding alarmed, "Father! I thought we had an agreement!"
"I agreed to nothing," Uther spat. "I have never let a dragon live, and I will make no exceptions now. You're a fool, Arthur, to think there could be any other way!"
"You said you wouldn't harm them!"
Merlin stopped struggling and stared at Arthur. The prince was glaring at his father with outrage. What was Arthur talking about? What was going on?
"I will have them killed and their heads hung up as trophies," Uther barked.
"You can't be serious!" Arthur retorted. "You are giving away our chance to resolve this conflict with minimal suffering for our people!"
"War is suffering, Arthur," Uther replied and he sounded cold and relentless. "We will kill those dragons and we will win this war by doing so. Mercy has never been the answer!"
"You are making a mistake!" Arthur argued.
"Be quiet, son!" Uther hissed. "You're forgetting yourself!"
Merlin's head was reeling again, and it wasn't because of his hammering headache. Arthur was trying to protect the dragons, wasn't he? He was trying to save them from harm!
Arthur took a long, hard look at his father, then turned towards the dragons. Three knights were already approaching them, harpoons at the ready. "Mynur, spit fire!" Arthur ordered.
No sooner had the words left his lips than Mynur roared, letting out a long stream of flames. The knights jumped back, only just managing not to get burnt, though at least one of them had his hair badly singed. The man yelped and frantically patted his head.
"Cease, Mynur!" Arthur commanded, and Mynur stopped, though he growled loudly at the knights. "Continue to defend yourself if necessary!"
"Arthur!" Uther exclaimed. "What are you doing? Tell them to stand down!"
"No," Arthur said defiantly. "I am keeping you from making the wrong decision. Killing those dragons is not the way, and you know it!"
Merlin wondered if his brain might have been permanently damaged when he had been knocked out. Was he hallucinating? Surely, this couldn't be real. Was he actually watching Arthur Pendragon defy his father to save the lives of dragons?
"What has gotten into you?" Uther growled. "You will obey your king!"
"Do you really not see?" Arthur urged him. "Do you really not understand what this could mean for the war? Think of our people!"
"To hell with our people!" Uther roared and Arthur retreated, as if struck. "I could not care less about a few more men dying in this war. It is their duty and privilege to give their lives for Camelot. I want those dragons destroyed! I want Balinor destroyed, him and all of his traitorous people! Every woman, every child, every last of their kind!"
The look on Arthur's face made Merlin's heart squeeze with unexpected compassion. Shock, betrayal, anger, even a hint of disgust – it was all there, in his eyes, in the lines about his mouth, in the way he held himself. Uther's latest words, though they came as no surprise to Merlin, must have shaken him to the very core.
"You ordered those attacks on those villages, didn't you?" Arthur said, his voice now barely above a whisper. "I thought Balinor's people were lying, but you actually ordered those women and children slaughtered in retaliation for my capture!"
It seemed Arthur was finally realising the truth about his father's atrocities. Somehow, Merlin could draw no satisfaction from that.
"I had to send Balinor a message," Uther said dismissively. "Uther Pendragon won't succumb to blackmail."
"You had children murdered to— to what, to make a point?" Merlin winced when Arthur's voice almost cracked.
"Camelot can't afford to show weakness!" Uther spat. "Would you have me succumb to Balinor's demands and return their precious stone?"
"I knew you would never agree to that trade," Arthur said shakily. "I accepted that. I knew I had to escape, or die in captivity for you. I never questioned it because you raised me not to be weak. But this? This isn't strength, Father, it is madness."
"I have had enough of this!" Uther snarled. "You will tell the dragons to stand down and once we have returned to the castle, you will remove yourself to the dungeons until I have decided how to best punish you for your disrespect and insubordination!"
Merlin held his breath.
Arthur's mouth set in a firm line. "No."
"This is treason!" Uther hissed. "I can have you executed for this!"
Arthur defiantly raised his chin. "Then do it."
Uther paled and for one moment, Merlin was convinced Arthur's continued defiance would have him back down. But then, colour returned abruptly to Uther's skin until the king was flushed red with anger.
"Knights! Seize the prince and tie him up!"
Two men approached, though they looked reluctant as they grabbed their prince and forced his arms to his back. Arthur didn't even cast them a look. He continued staring at his father, his face defiant, his stance unyielding.
Merlin couldn't help but admire him for his strength.
"You have disappointed me," Uther spat.
"As you have disappointed me," Arthur replied, then raised his voice. "Dragons! I release you from all orders! Flee, but don't harm! Take your people and fly!"
Promptly, chaos erupted.
The dragons roared and immediately began spitting fire. Uther hastily retreated to a wall, shouting commands.
Merlin felt a surge of heat in his chest as magic was suddenly returned to his core. He closed his eyes and sent a gust of dragonfyre towards his hands, busting his ties and throwing back the man that was holding him in the process. Next to Merlin, Gwaine had already freed himself. He must have successfully loosened the ties before the Camelot troops had arrived, then used the surprise factor to kick the man restraining him to the ground.
Lancelot kept struggling against his own captor, but before Merlin could use magic to free him, Arthur was there. He had freed himself from the hold of his own men, who looked entirely unwilling to fight their prince, traitor or no.
"Let them go, that's an order!" he barked and the two remaining guards actually obeyed and retreated, releasing Lancelot and Percival. Arthur swiftly cut their ropes with Excalibur.
In the background, the dragons kept roaring, snapping, and burning the ground. They had been told not to harm, but they were just barely obeying the command, singeing boots and knocking knights into the bushes for good measure.
Arthur looked at Merlin. "Come on, move! Get out of here!"
Merlin stared back at him. "What about you?"
Arthur's face turned incredulous. "Save yourselves!"
Before he could react, Merlin was grabbed at the elbow by Lancelot and dragged towards the dragons. Mynur was still doing his best to keep everyone at bay without killing anybody, whereas Gwaine was now helping a dazed Percival onto Vethoas's back, then strapped himself in place behind him. Merlin and Lancelot climbed on Aithusa and had hardly grasped for a buckle when she unfurled her wings and made to run from the cave.
"Stop them!" This was Uther, shouting in rage. "Kill those dragons! Kill them all!"
But they stood no chance! Mynur forced the knights and guards backwards with another stream of fire and then, Vethoas and Aithusa were in the air. Merlin looked back down at Mynur. The dragon had unfolded his wings to follow them, but a courageous knight had his harpoon raised and plunged it directly into the drake's left wing.
Mynur let out a howl of pain that shook Merlin to the core. The dragon whipped his tail around and struck the knight, throwing him into the forest. Then he flapped his wings and somehow, though with considerable difficulty, he succeeded in getting off the ground.
Merlin let his eyes roam over the scene. Aithusa was ascending fast, but he could just make out Arthur, being dragged from the cave and forced onto his knees. They would execute him right on the spot!
Perhaps he shouldn't have cared, but evidently, he did. "Aithusa! We need to save Arthur!"
Aithusa chirped eagerly and went into a dive.
"Are you serious?" Lancelot shouted behind him. "We only just got away!"
But his protests came far too late – they were already back near the ground. Aithusa managed to outmanoeuvre a knight carrying another harpoon, toppled over a group of guards with her legs extended, then unceremoniously grabbed Arthur off the ground and flew off. Merlin could hear Arthur's undignified shout of surprise and grinned.
"Let's get out of here!" he called and Aithusa flapped her wings to follow the others.
