Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Chapter Eight
Much to the irritation of the knights, Arthur insisted on sleeping outside again while the others stayed in the house. And much to Arthur's irritation, Merlin once again insisted on following him.
"You do know I'm the king, right Merlin?" Arthur asked crossly as they made their way to the tree line.
"I do," Merlin answered immediately. "And as king, your survival is essential. And I'm just a servant, so I'm kind of expendable, really. If I save your life, it's an enormous gain, and if I die, it's a small loss."
Arthur scowled into the darkness. "You truly have no sense of self-preservation, do you?" Next to him, Merlin's outline shrugged in the dark.
Arthur sighed, but decided it wasn't worth the fight. Especially because they had something more important to talk about.
"Merlin," Arthur asked hesitantly once they'd settled in for the night. "What did Gaius tell you about the Ainthia?"
"Not much," Merlin admitted. "Just that it would allow me to fight the maera from within the nightmare instead of fighting it in the physical world."
So he knew. Arthur felt he should be relieved, but instead he found himself annoyed with Merlin for just accepting it.
"I'm not sure if it will work for anyone but you," Arthur pressed. He needed to be sure Merlin understood. "Gaius said it needed to be a sorcerer. If we try to do this with the Ainthia…Merlin, it means you may be the one to fight it. And you might have to do it alone."
"I know." Merlin sounded entirely unfazed. "And not 'maybe.' It will have to be me."
"I can't ask you to do that. To go against that monster by yourself." Arthur rubbed a hand over his face wearily. "But I also can't not ask you to do it when it's the only chance Camelot has."
"Arthur, I knew when we left that I would most likely have to fight the maera before this was over." There was a smile in Merlin's voice that annoyed Arthur even more. "It's not the first time I've had to stand alone with my magic to protect Camelot. It will be fine."
"It should be me," Arthur insisted futilely. "If someone has to face it alone, it should be me."
"Unfortunately, I think you'd probably be rubbish at magic, even if you tried. I'm afraid you're stuck with me. Now stop worrying about it."
"Merlin, you saw that thing. You saw what it can do."
Merlin sighed. "I know you don't really know this, but magic is the one thing is this world that I'm actually good at. Honestly, your lack of faith in me is starting to hurt my feelings."
Merlin said it as a joke, but the words struck a nerve. "Now you know how it feels," Arthur answered bitterly.
Merlin didn't respond. Arthur knew it had been a low blow, and unprovoked. But he couldn't bring himself to apologize.
He laid awake for a long time, listening to the silence and ignoring the guilt in his stomach. He couldn't help but notice the absence of Merlin's snores. Eventually, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
When he awoke a few hours later, his first thought was that the maera had come back. But after a moment, he realized there was no screaming, no smell of smoke beyond what had already lingered in the air the night before. No, what had woken him was rustling in the trees. Sitting up, he looked over and realized Merlin was gone.
He could hear more movement in the trees, and now that he was more awake, he recognized the sound of a clumsy servant moving noisily through the forest. But where on earth could he be going? Arthur considered ignoring it and going back to sleep, but given all of Merlin's secrets and lies, his curiosity got the better of him.
He followed the trail of noise, doing his best to stay quiet so Merlin wouldn't realize he was being followed. And several minutes later, he found himself at the edge of the burned clearing. Merlin stood in the center, staring up at the sky, and he cried, "O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!"
The cry was guttural, and Arthur felt the magic in it. Immediately, he felt a surge of rage in his chest. It had only taken Merlin two days to perform magic without Arthur's permission, despite giving his word. Arthur was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, trying to trust him. But Merlin was still lying. Still keeping secrets.
Except maybe he wasn't doing magic, Arthur realized, because nothing was happening. Merlin was just standing there, his arm wrapped around his torso, staring at the sky as though he were waiting for something.
And then Arthur heard a sound he had heard before. A sound that filled him with fear and terrifying memories. He felt the emotions before he actually placed the noise. And no sooner had he thought the word 'dragon' than the Great Dragon himself landed in the clearing.
The Great Dragon that, according to Merlin, Arthur had killed.
"Greetings, young warlock." The dragon's voice made the ground under Arthur's feet rumble.
"I need your help," Merlin said to the creature, appearing completely at ease in the presence of the dragon.
"Someday, Merlin, perhaps we will have a conversation that begins differently." Unless Arthur was mistaken, there was dry humor in the dragon's voice.
Merlin ignored the jibe. "There's a creature. A maera. Arthur and the knights fought it last night, and they cannot defeat it. Do you know of it?"
"Hmm," the dragon said, nodding. "It is a creature of old magic, and dark magic. It can only be defeated in battle by a blade created from iron mined from the land of Avalon and blessed by a high priest of the Old Religion."
"Great," Merlin replied irritably. "Where might we find such a blade?"
"I do not know. As far as I know, all such blades are lost. Without one, your only option is to fight it within the dream instead of trying to battle its physical form. But even this you cannot do without the Summoner of Nightmares."
"The Ainthia."
"Indeed," the dragon said with a solemn nod.
"Gaius mentioned it and said it's in the Valley of the Fallen Kings. We're going there tomorrow, but we don't know what we're looking for or where it is."
"If you are searching for it, it will call to you."
Merlin rolled his eyes. "That's helpful. Thanks. What is it? How do I use it?"
"You will know when the time comes," the dragon said cryptically, prompting Merlin to scowl. "But beware, Merlin; the Ainthia has its own powerful magic, and should be treated with caution. Now, why don't you tell me of the other reason for your summons?"
Merlin looked startled. "Other reason?"
"Something troubles you. You are different." The dragon peered down at him closely. "And not just because you are injured. What has changed?"
Merlin sighed. "Arthur found out I have magic."
The dragon visibly perked up. "Congratulations. That is big news indeed! You have long awaited this moment."
"Don't congratulate me yet," Merlin said dryly. "He's furious with me."
"Give him time, young warlock. You are entering into a new era with the young king. This is a new beginning, and that is worth celebrating."
Merlin managed a small smile. "Thank you. It's…it's nice to see someone who knows me for what I really am and doesn't hate me for it." Merlin cringed as the words came out of his mouth, as though he could hear how pitiful they sounded spoken aloud.
"King Arthur does not hate you," the dragon corrected him gently.
"You don't know that."
"But I do. Your destinies are still intertwined. You are still two sides of the same coin. Give him time." The dragon smiled again. "Perhaps you could introduce us."
Merlin made a face. "I'm not sure introductions are a good idea."
"Why not?"
"Because you attacked Camelot and killed a lot of innocent people."
"My vengeance was against Uther. I have no quarrel with Arthur. Besides, he is hiding in the trees listening to us speak, so we may as well meet."
Merlin's eyes went wide in the moonlight, and Arthur heard him swear under his breath.
"Come out, young Pendragon," the dragon ordered. "I have only seen you from a distance, and I am curious."
Having spent the previous night fighting one magical creature, Arthur was not keen on meeting another, but he didn't have much of a choice. Reluctantly, he stepped into the clearing.
"Arthur Pendragon," the dragon said thoughtfully, studying Arthur with an eye that was nearly as big as Arthur was tall.
"Arthur, this is Kilgharrah." Merlin introduced him nervously, and the dragon dipped its head in what might be considered a bow.
"Hello," Arthur replied cautiously. What did one say to a dragon?"
"It is an honor to finally meet the Once and Future King. Your mighty deeds have been known since ages past. You have a great destiny, as long as you keep to the path of who you are meant to be."
Arthur stared blankly at the dragon. "What does that mean? What path?"
"That," the dragon said gently, "you must find for yourself."
Then, without warning, the dragon took to the sky again, and within seconds it disappeared into the darkness.
Arthur turned to look at Merlin. "I have no idea what he just said. My deeds are known since ages past?"
"Yes." Merlin turned tiredly back towards the village. "He does that." He watched Arthur nervously for a moment as they walked. "I wasn't lying or keeping a secret. I didn't even think about speaking with Kilgharrah about the maera until after you were asleep, and I was going to tell you about it tomorrow."
"You used magic to call him," Arthur pointed out.
"That's not magic," Merlin argued. "That's just dragonlord power."
That caught Arthur's attention. "So you're a dragonlord too?" Merlin nodded. "Then why on earth didn't you stop the Great Dragon back when it attacked Camelot?"
"I wasn't a dragonlord yet," Merlin explained. "The son doesn't inherit the gift until the death of the father. I sent the dragon away as soon as I was able."
"So you weren't a dragonlord when it first attacked," Arthur said, trying to put it together, "but you were when it attacked the final time?" Then the pieces clicked. "Balinor."
"Yes." Merlin's voice was subdued. "It was the first time I'd met him. I didn't even know who my father was until Gaius told me right before we left."
"That's why you were so moody on that trip," Arthur realized. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Merlin let out a snort. "Your father would not have responded favorably to you having a servant who was the son of a dragonlord."
Arthur opened his mouth to argue that it wouldn't have mattered, but Merlin had a point. "I wouldn't have told my father," he protested instead.
"I wouldn't have asked that of you," Merlin answered softly.
Another memory hit Arthur. "I told you not to cry for him," he remembered, stricken. "Merlin, I never would have said that had I realized it was your father."
"I know." In the moonlight, Arthur saw him smile. "And I knew it then. You tried to comfort me by treating me as a knight, Arthur. I was honored by what you intended to do, even if you missed the mark."
Before Arthur could reply, a scream broke the air. In an instant, he had his sword out and was sprinting back towards the village.
The scene before him was similar to the night before, with a few key differences. Leon wasn't there. The knights moved wearily; he could tell by the way they fought that they were fighting without hope. The villagers looked more fatigued and despairing than afraid.
As Arthur charged into the battle, he heard a voice yell from the trees, "O drakon, fthengomai au se kalon su katerkheo deuro!"
Moments later, the shape of the Great Dragon filled the sky again. The townspeople and the knights all scattered as the dragon landed facing the maera.
The maera, which had looked so fearsome before, wasn't even half the size of the dragon, and when Kilgharrah roared, the maera drew back. But then it shook itself and began pacing, trying to circle the dragon. It lunged, swiping at the Kilgharrah, and the dragon's tail whipped around and slammed into it, sending it flying.
The fight was on.
Arthur flew to the forest where a number of the villagers and a couple of the knights had taken cover, peering through the trees to watch the battle.
Neither beast could get the best of the other; Kilgharrah was too strong and too large for the maera to land more than glancing blows. Fire, Kilgharrah's main weapon, was useless against another creature that breathed fire, but the strength of his tail and claws enabled him to strike again and again, beating and slicing the creature. But just as with the knights, the maera did not seem to feel or notice the wounds inflicted by the dragon.
Finally, the maera pulled back, all three heads roaring in frustration. Then it turned and fled.
The dragon turned to look at the trees for a moment, and then took to the air and was gone.
The people slowly edged their way back towards the houses, glancing at each other uncertainly. Arthur held back until he spotted his servant in the crowd. Grabbing Merlin's arm, he pulled him aside.
"Did you do that?" he demanded, knowing the answer.
"Of course." Merlin looked surprised at the question. "I knew he was near, and I was pretty sure we couldn't survive another night like last night."
Arthur ran his hand through his hair and nodded. He wanted to yell at Merlin for intervening with magic – because despite what Merlin said, Arthur certainly considered his dragonlord abilities to be a form of magic – but Merlin was right. If Kilgharrah hadn't shown up, lives would have been lost. Possibly all of the knights', based on the night before.
"Come on," he said, turning to follow the crowd. "We can't afford to wait any longer. We need to get to the Valley of the Fallen Kings."