A/N: Hello :D.

All I can say is that you guys have made my week. I never expected such a positive response to my mad ramblings. Thank you for all the reviews, alerts and favs. There is nothing like that feeling as accomplishment when you know people like your work. :D

So chapter 2, and Merlin is undergoing some odd changes. I will admit I had fun with this chapter. So much in fact that my grin started to creep out my family.

I will also mention now that I am taking liberties with the dragon's of the Merlin-verse. Seeing as there are only two shown so far in the series, we can not really know what they are like as a species, seeing as one is a baby and the other was only seen when Merlin needed advise or a ride.

So without any further delay, I present to you, Chapter 2.

Chapter 2

At the end of the day, and a list-load of chores later, an exhausted Merlin was sitting down for a meal with his mentor. Half was through his stew; Merlin hissed as he dropped his spoon and proceeded to scratch furiously at his arm. Concerned, Gaius leaped up and raced around the table to his ward.

"Merlin, my boy, what happened?" Gaius gripped the warlock's wrist and yanked it away from his other arm. "Stop that Merlin before you harm yourself."

"Sorry Gaius, It's been irritating me all day. This was just a bad attack." Merlin apologized.

Encouraging his guardian to release him, Merlin rolled up his sleeve and frowned. There on his forearm was a strange black rash. It extended up from his wrist to the middle of his forearm, creating odd swirling patterns. The odd clustered spots gave off a strange shimmer as the light hit it, revealing an iridescent blue shine in the raven-coloured mass.

"What the …" The aged physician muttered shocked under his breath, raising a hand to run a winkled finger over the spots. "When did this develop? Why didn't you come to me earlier?" he directed this to his ward.

"I don't know. It wasn't there earlier." Slightly worried at the look on Gaius's face, he moved his arm closer to his body. "What is it Gaius?"

"I don't know my boy; I haven't seen anything like it. It's not like any rash I've encountered before, in fact if I didn't know any better I could of sworn these were scales." The two men stared at each other in confusion and slight fear.

"It's probably nothing Merlin. I'll wash it in mint and bind it for you, which should reduce the itching."

Slipping into his professional mode, Gaius set a small kettle over the fire and added a handful of mint leaves to the water. Bringing the mixture to a boil, Gaius poured it into a wooden bowl and added linen strips to soak.

Once the mixture had cooled, Gaius gently stretched out Merlin's arm. Carefully, as not to make too much of a mess, Gaius splashed the rash with the solution and bound his ward's arm with the saturated bandages. "There that should stop the itching but please refrain from scratching Merlin. If it spreads, tell me. I'll try to look this up in my books tomorrow."

"Thanks Gaius. Well I'm off to bed, Arthur wants me to get him breakfast before dawn tomorrow. Really just because the clotpole has an early morning council meeting doesn't mean we all have to suffer." Flashing his trademark grin at the old man, although more tired then usual, Merlin wandered up the stairs to his room, hoping that no dreams would haunt his sleep that night.

The warm flesh of the deer rolled in his stomach as he lounged in the sun. The warm rays of the fiery example of the few things more mighty than his race caused his scales to glow with the sapphire radiance normally hidden by the raven shade that made up most of his body.

Suddenly the smell of metal drifted lazily into the clearing, the scent of anger, fear and nerves following closely on its heels. This was not fragrance of a wizard seeking the wisdom his kind was known for, but of group of young knights looking for glory. He could never understand why those knuckleheaded ninnyhammers would feel the need to ride out leagues from their home, to challenge a creature that far outclasses them just for the small chance that their names will be sung in songs. He could understand if they were protecting their territory, but why cause their mates and hatchlings the worry by riding off on a quest that they most likely will not return from.

Shaking his head in despair, he stood up and stretched, arching his glorious wings behind him. Composing himself he turned to the direction of the knights, for no matter how silent these men believed them to be, his ears could hear the footfall of a butterfly. A smirk settled upon his face as he waited, waited ….

"Again, Merlin?" Gaius exclaimed as said young man wandered out of his room much earlier than normal, even for the early wake-up call he had to perform today.

"What? It isn't a complete impossibility that I could get up early everyday for a week, you know. Is your brain deteriorating along with your eyesight, you old goat."

"Merlin!" Gaius was shocked. While Merlin could have a sharp tongue, he rarely used it unless standing up for something he believed in. Whilst the warlock was witty and his squabbles with Arthur were legendary, he was rarely intentionally mean.

"Sorry, Gaius, I didn't mean it." Merlin apologized, shocked at his behaver. His shock only increased as the physician marched up to him, spun him around and examined his neck. "Ermm Gaius, what are you doing?"

"I'm checking your neck; I want to make sure Morgana didn't slip in and put something there during the night." The old man semi-joked. Rolling his eyes, Merlin turned around and waved the physician's questing hands away. "Very funny Gaius, I'm just tired and grumpy, no weird snake thingy chomping on any neck here." Disturbed at the thought, Merlin picked up his neckerchief from the table and expertly tied it about his neck.

Getting the hint, the physician's eyes cast around for a distraction, finally spying the edge of the bandage poking out of his wards shirt. Remembering the previous night, the man proceeded to herd Merlin into a chair. Once he was settled, the old man unwound the bandage and examined the rash.

"Well it doesn't seem to have spread, and I assume that the itching has stopped?" This earned a slight nod from his ward, "Good, I'll wash it again just in-case, though. If there is any change, come and tell me Merlin. I know what you're like, my boy, you'll try and hide it so I won't worry."

Merlin nodded and stood up. "I will Gaius, it's not like I can lie to you anyway." The manservant walked towards the door. Suddenly, he stopped near the end of the table, where a small glittering crystal rested.

"And Gaius? I'm sorry for calling you an old goat with the breath of a donkey."

Not given time for his startled mentor to answer, Merlin skipped to the door, a clenched glittering fist held tight against his body.