I'm so surprised of all the reviews I've gotten! Thank you so much!

Here's a new chapter. I won't be able to update as fast as right now but I'll try.

Also, this was like a sudden idea so I wrote it down... so if anyone has recommendation on anything, I would love to hear it.

The next few chapter will be of Merlin's childhood in the caves. ;)

I don't own Merlin. He belongs to BBC... :(

Chapter 2

Kilgarrah snores very loudly, thought Merlin. Merlin stared at the great dragon while sitting down in front of him. After staring at Kilgarrah for a while, Merlin stood up and shouted loudly as he could, "WAKE UP!"

But his shouts were not heard over Kilgarrah's loud and annoying snores. Merlin shouted again but that didn't work either. He sighed and sat back down. Should he use his magic to wake the sleeping dragon? Kilgarrah taught him few spells but Merlin wasn't able to control his magic well. Even if he could control his magic, Merlin doubted there would be a spell to make a person or a dragon stop snoring for the rest of their life. Rolling his eyes, he walked to the entrance to the cave and waited for Gaius.

Gaius had been helping Merlin as long as Merlin could remember, which was not very long. He was only six years old, after all. Merlin's stomach growled and he rubbed it.

Seeing as Gaius wasn't going to come running into the cave, Merlin trotted to his little space where he kept all his belongings. Few books about magic and other fun stories, two pair of clothes Gaius had brought, and a blanket. He didn't own very much and that was to be expected. Gaius couldn't bring in a bed without guards being suspicious of him. Merlin giggled at the thought of Gaius dragging a bed down to the caves. The idea was ridiculous.

Merlin sat down and rolled over to his back. He stared up at the ceiling. A drop of water dripped on him. He opened his mouth and waited for another drop to relinquish his thirst. When nothing came, Merlin groaned and picked up a book next to him. It wasn't a book about magic but a story book. Merlin looked at the pictures, not bothering to look at the words. He could read, very well if Merlin had a say, but not perfectly. Gaius had been teaching him but he couldn't stay for a long time. Kilgarrah was too big to see every individual word or teach him how to write.

The pictures were beautiful. Merlin's favorite picture was of a sun, as Gaius had told him, and a field of grass. He ran his fingers over it. He longed to be out there and feel the sun on his face. It sounded magnificent. Merlin sighed and pushed the book away. He hated being in the caves. It was boring. Nothing to do, nothing to see, and nothing much to eat aside from rats. He wondered what Kilgarrah ate. The dragon had said something about moles or a big badger.

Why was he here? Why couldn't he go outside? Kilgarrah has told him that King Uther had imprisoned him when he was just a baby. When Merlin had asked Kilgarrah why he couldn't just walk out of the caves, Kilgarrah just said that the world wasn't ready for Merlin yet. When the dragon had responded, Merlin had groaned. Why couldn't Kilgarrah give a straight answer?

"Merlin?" A voice shook him out of his thoughts. Merlin stood up and saw Gaius.

Smiling, Merlin ran up to Gaius and the physician hugged him. "Gaius! I'm so glad to see you! It's been soooooo boring because Kilgarrah is still sleeping and I tried to wake him but he snores so loudly and I didn't like it so I started reading a book but I got all sad but now you're HERE!" Merlin took a deep breath.

Gaius laughed, "Slow down, Merlin." He held out a basket that he was carrying. To Merlin, he asked, "Are you hungry?" Merlin nodded happily and Gaius took out a warm bread, some vegetable stew, and fresh water that was held in a cup. Merlin crammed the bread into his mouth which resulted in a minute coughing. Gaius gave him some water while soothing Merlin's back. Too hungry to stop, Merlin still ate earning a laugh from Gaius.

After Merlin had stopped eating, he loudly burped and giggled. He stared at Gaius putting the dishes back into the basket. Gaius would have to leave soon. Merlin's spirits grew damper. "Gaius?"

"Yes, Merlin?"

"Why do you have to go?" He knew that he asked this question many times.

"Merlin," Gaius sighed. "They would be suspicious of me. If anyone finds out... I would probably... well..."

"Die?" Merlin pouted. He felt tears forming at the edge of his eyes. Merlin didn't want Gaius dead. Nope... not at all.

"Of course not, Merlin." They both knew that wasn't true. It was a horrible that a six-year-old had to know the reality of it. "I... just wouldn't be able to see you again."

"Than you better get going, Gaius. I want to see you again." Merlin smiled up at Gaius. Gaius was like an uncle figure to him. He had helped the young warlock in many things that Kilgarrah couldn't. Kilgarrah, as weird as it was, was Merlin's father figure. Kilgarrah was always there, always there to answer any question Merlin threw at him, even if most weren't very straight answers. The dragon had cared for him since he came here.

Gaius nodded sadly. He ruffled Merlin's hair, "Don't worry, Merlin. I'll be back as soon as I can and next time, I'll bring mountains of food!" Merlin grinned happily. "Listen to Kilgarrah and don't wander off." The six-year-old boy nodded solemnly. With that, Gaius left leaving Merlin with a heavy heart.

Merlin sighed and looked over at the sleeping dragon. He should have woken up soon. Frowning, Merlin walked over to the Great Dragon. Merlin poked him and kept poking him and poking him and poking him and poking him.

Kilgarrah, after hundreds of irritating pokes, woke up with a groan, "What is it, Merlin?" He opened an eye and stared at Merlin, who was looking up innocently. Yawning, Kilgarrah stood up and stretched. "What time is it?" Merlin shrugged. There was no way he could find out what time it was without the sky. He presumed he was almost noon.

Eyeing Merlin, Kilgarrah asked, "Did Gaius come yet?"

Merlin glared up at Kilgarrah, "He already came... when you were SLEEPING!"

Kilgarrah snorted, "Sleeping is natural for all beings, Merlin. Even you sleep."

The boy cheekily answered, "Is snoring natural?"

"Yes, it is," Kilgarrah answered. "Why?"

"You snored. It sounded like rocks falling," Merlin answered with a small smirk.

Kilgarrah shook his head in disbelief, "I do NOT snore. Where did you ever get that puerile idea!"

Merlin blinked, "What's.. pewrile?"

"Puerile, young warlock, means childish, immature, silly, and inane. Much like you."

Offended, the young warlock crossed his arms and stomped his feet, "Am not!"

"I rest my case," Kilgarrah laughed and Merlin glared up at him.

Merlin slouched feeling defeated. Kilgarrah frowned, "Stand up straight, Merlin. You don't want to look like a camel, do you?"

The boy shook his head and murmured, "No, sir."

"Speak clearly. I can barely hear you."

"No, sir."

"Good," Kilgarrah stretched his wings. He groaned, "That's better. I'm not as young as I was few thousand years ago." He turned his attention at Merlin, "So, what would you like to do today?"

The young boy perked up and rambled, "I wanna go flying and play games and read books and play chase and..."

Kilgarrah chuckled, "Slow done, Merlin. I didn't catch a word of what you just told me."

Merlin blushed, "I want to play a game."

"What game?"

Pondering, Merlin responded, "Can I ride you?"

The dragon sat down, "That's not a game. I told you, Merlin. You are too small to ride me. There are many chances that you could fall."

"I know," said Merlin.

The dragon eyed him. After a while, he commented, "How about we read?" Merlin smiled and nodded. He brought the book he was reading earlier, the one with the picture of a sun. He turned to that page and stared hopely at it.

"Kilgarrah?"

"Yes, Merlin?"

"What does a sun... feel like?"

"Feel like?"

"Yes, what does a sun feel like?"

"Well," Kilgarrah pondered on how to tell the small child, "a sun feels warm. Hot, even."

"How warm, Kilgarrah?" Merlin closed his eyes.

"Hotter than the fresh bread Gaius brings but not as hot as my fire. It is as warm as my breath. Sometimes, though, when the sun is brighter, it is hotter than my breath."

"Kilgarrah?"

"Yes?"

"Can you describe the fields? The trees? The forest?"

Kilgarrah stared sadly at Merlin. "There is particular forest that I visited often. I remember it clearly as if it was just yesterday. The grass was always green. The trees changed by season. There was a clearing and on a warm summer afternoon, I would fly there and I would hear the most wonderful sounds. Birds chirped even if it rained. Small animals, too small for me to digest, roamed freely without fear. The clouds would smile down at them. The trees would give them shade if the animals wanted. Not far from the clearing, there was a waterfall. The water was clear as the sky on a cloudless day. It was big, not as big as me, of course, but big enough. The waterfall sounded like a symphony of thunders. The temperature around the waterfall was cool and it was a relief from the hot sweaty summer day the sun brought. The lake gave water to the thirsty animals and even humans. The lake was full of all different kinds of fishes. Red fishes, blue fishes, and even golden fishes. The forest was beautiful. In the forest, it was always happy. I felt free and blissful there."

Merlin heard all this with closed eyes and a small smile on his face. He could almost imagine being there. Being free. Being happy. He could even feel the sun's warmth although he suspected it was Kilgarrah's breath. He could almost hear the angelic singings of the birds, the thunderous waterfall, and the happily laughing animals. Oh, it was beautiful. He wished... oh, so hard, that he was there. Merlin wished he was free. He wished but knew, in his sad heart, that it would not happen.

"Kilgarrah?"

"Yes, young warlock?"

Merlin held a sob, "Do you.. do you think... I'll ever get out?"

The dragon lowered his head near Merlin. He drew Merlin closer to him, almost like an awkward hug, and answered, "Maybe, Merlin. Maybe one day, we both will be free."

I felt free and blissful there