Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin
A/N: Apologizing ahead of time. This is mostly an explanation chapter of what Merlin's personal goals/problems will be throughout the story. If it's confusing, message me - I wanted to get this chapter over with and on with the plot, and Arthur, and a cocky Merlin. If it's clear, to you... great!
Gaius presented his ward with the magic book once the feast was over. Apparently saving the prince's life counted as a good reason for Merlin to be granted more extensive means of using magic. Except, this time, instead of having to boost Merlin's morale as he handed over the book, Gaius felt it was his duty to keep the young man's ego in check. He made it clear to Merlin, that owning a magic book absolutely did not give him permission to use magic more freely.
Slightly put out, but glad to have his old friend back, Merlin thanked the physician.
"I will study every word," he warned.
Gaius snorted. "No doubt."
There was a knock on the door.
"Merlin!" a deep voice called from the other room. "Prince Arthur wants to see you – right away."
Merlin groaned.
Gaius nudged him. "Go find out what he wants."
"A bath, probably," he muttered, preparing himself to haul twenty buckets of water up and down the stairs. Stupid Arthur, wanting a bath in the middle of the night.
Edward, Arthur's old manservant, was waiting for him outside the door, looking rather grumpy. He had just lost his job after all. In fact, he held a grudge against Merlin for several months for taking over his position. Despite the fact, Merlin didn't have it in his heart to tell the boy he would've been replaced soon anyways.
Merlin straightened his neckerchief. "What am I needed for?" he asked out of duty.
"The prince would like to take a bath," Edward replied sulkily.
Let the fun begin.
O o O
Merlin dragged himself to bed that night, his arms feeling limper than the time when he'd accidentally removed the bones (he'd been trying to fix a broken bone wordlessly at the time– another reason why he only did healing spells out loud). This younger version of his body wasn't used to carrying heavy loads. He groaned when he realized that it was going to take months to rebuild his muscles to what he was used to. His older self might not have been like Arthur, but at least he could fill a bathtub without feeling exhausted.
Just as his head hit the pillow: "Merlin..."
"Merlin..."
He winced. Right. He hadn't visited Kilgharrah yet. And until he did so soon, the dragon was probably going to bother him every night for the rest of his life.
He hauled himself to his feet and pulled on his boots, and then his jacket. Hopefully Arthur wouldn't get him up too early tomorrow. After letting himself hang onto that piece of wishful thinking, he slipped out the door, around a snoring Gaius.
"Merlin..." Kilgharrah thought at him again.
The creepy voice had been helpful before, when Merlin hadn't known the way down to the cavern, but now it was just annoying. Couldn't the dragon talk normally? Merlin almost laughed at himself. The idea... So he put up another mentally block and made his way down to the cells.
The guards were knocked out easily enough by a sleeping spell. When they awoke, they'd believe they merely drifted off for a few minutes. Merlin decided not to cast any wards. He'd just have to hope that there wouldn't be any guard changes for at least an hour.
The tunnel leading down to the caves was drafty as ever, blowing the flames from the torch.
"Merlin..." by now his name was being said vocally.
Merlin reached the ledge and sat down, his legs criss-crossing in front of him. Then, using magic, he hung the torch in the air five feet above him.
The dragon gave a maniacal chuckle.
Merlin rolled his eyes.
"Come on out!" he called. "I know you're up there!"
Merlin didn't even blink as Kilgharrah swooped overhead. He could feel dirt particles fall as the dragon landed in front of him with a resounding thud.
"I am here," the dragon said, his neck snaking forward.
Merlin tilted his head. He hadn't really noticed before, but now that he had seen Kilgharrah in freedom, he realized that the dragon's bright scales were more gray and covered with dust from the cave. Imprisonment really wasn't working well for Kilgharrah. Merlin felt a slight ache for his kin.
Although, it was strange. The bond he had with the dragon was still there, but only as a shadow. As an idea. Its potential wouldn't be fully realized until his father was dead.
Balinor. Merlin suddenly realized that his father was alive.
Kilgharrah interrupted his musings with, "How small you are, for such a great destiny."
When Merlin didn't say anything the dragon continued, "I sense that you already have a grasp on much of your talent. This will be useful, for the young Pendragon faces many challenges – from friend and..."
"Cut it, Kilgharrah," Merlin said suddenly. He regretted his rude interruption, but he didn't have much time, and he had just come to the conclusion that Kilgharrah could help with his predicament. "I already know my destiny."
The dragon stiffened.
"Save Arthur, right? Don't worry, I'll obliterate anyone who tries to hurt him, you have my word."
The dragon stared at Merlin for a minute, then settled his head over his enormous arms.
"It appears you are already aware of many things, young warlock. Tell me – how is it that you have come by such knowledge?"
Merlin shifted his position. He was going to get a lecture for this, he just knew it.
"Well... I'm not exactly 'young', per se," he began. "Technically I'll be forty-six in a few months. I've already been here," he gestured around, "through the whole destiny process. Where I'm from, Arthur's already king. Albion is united. You are free. I am a dragonlord as well as Emrys, the greatest sorcerer to have ever lived. And most importantly, magic is allowed."
He stared at Kilgharrah.
"How is this possible?" the dragon finally asked.
Here comes the lecture. "How much do you known about time travel?" Merlin asked.
"Time travel is dangerous magic to work with," the dragon snarled. Merlin flinched. "I am surprised that you even tried to attempt it."
"I didn't know!" Merlin cried. "You were gone... off somewhere. Too far to reach. And I had nothing but a book to help me."
"A book? Few books speak of such magic – and even fewer magicians were ever able to use those spells."
Merlin sighed. "I managed to retrieve the lost book 'Medicus de Gallifrey' from the valley of the hidden thieves. There was an entire section on the art of time travel."
The dragon laughed. "You actually managed to find it? It was lost even in my time as a youngling. Where was it?"
"You mean 'where is it?'," Merlin sighed. "It's still there, remember? And it's also the only way I'm going to be able to get home – unless you know something?" He looked up hopefully.
Kilgharrah shook his head. "I regret to say that I never chose to study that area of magic. Even the dragons were discouraged from tampering with time."
Merlin stood up.
"I don't know what to do, Kilgharrah," he growled, pulling at his hair. "I don't even know what part of the spell went wrong. All I do know, is that now I'm currently stuck in a younger version of myself, doing things I've already done."
"And do you know if this is real time or a shadow universe?" Kilgharrah asked. Merlin breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the dragon had grasped the situation so quickly.
Merlin began to pace. "That's the problem," he said. "I'm afraid to change too much, in case it is real time. Horrible consequences come if the too much of the time stream is changed; the book was clear on that much. On the other hand, if it's shadow time, the longer I stay here, the more solid it will become..."
"...And eventually it will become its own reality," the dragon finished, looking grave.
"But if it is a shadow universe," Merlin added. "I'll be able to move destiny along much more quickly, which will enable me to get the book much sooner."
"Why is that?" the dragon asked, looking sincerely curious.
"First of all, I need supplies. Arthur provided them for me last time, but I doubt Uther will be so yielding."
"I imagine if you told him it was a magical threat that needed to be eradicated..." the dragon trailed off.
Merlin laughed.
"He'd hunt it down to the ends of the earth," he snorted. "It almost is to the ends of the earth actually – it took me six months to get there and back."
The dragon finished chuckling at the thought of Uther helping Merlin find a magic book, before letting the warlock continue.
"Second of all," Merlin continued, "I'll need a dragonlord. This is the easiest one actually – my father is still alive, and I probably could persuade him to join me."
There was a brief moment of silence.
"But there is something else," the dragon concluded, examining the tense features of the young warlock in front of him.
"Yes," Merlin sighed. He combed his fingers through his hair. "I need a necromancer," he said quietly.
The dragon was silent, realizing the gravity of the situation.
"Kilgharrah," Merlin said, shoulders slumping. "A proper necromancer."
"This will be a difficult order to fill, young warlock," Kilgharrah said. "A true necromancer is able to commune with the dead without using black magic."
"Plus, not even the druids really trust them," Merlin added miserably. "With Uther's magic ban added on top of it, finding one will be nearly impossible, even for me."
A heavy silence filled the vast cavern.
Kilgharrah growled, "Young warlock, let's say that you do manage to obtain your supplies, a necromancer, and then manage to convince your father to go."
Merlin nodded hesitantly.
"There is still one problem," the dragon warned. "If you leave, there will be no one here to protect Arthur."
Merlin's eyes widened. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten something so obvious.
"How on earth did the prat survive before I got here?" he asked in wonderment.
"I believe that Uther's twenty year anniversary of the banning of magic has rekindled old hatred... in himself and his enemies. You just happened to arrive at the same time," Kilgharrah said. The dragon considered then added, "There have also been various combinations of druids who have tried to keep magical threats from harming the Once and Future King – but other than that, I think it is apparent that the young Pendragon has simply been very lucky."
Merlin winced. "That's horrible."
"But true," the dragon said, tilting his head. "Destiny is on his side."
Merlin rolled his eyes. "How comforting."
"It can be," Kilgharrah said, "if you let it."
Merlin sighed. "So basically, I'm either going to have to wait for destiny to fulfill itself – so there can be other magic users here to protect him while I retrieve the book. Or I can hope this is a shadow universe and reveal everything early and bring him with me."
Kilgharrah looked at him gravely. "Choose wisely, young warlock. Depending on which world this is, your choice could have grave consequences."
Merlin gave the dragon a look. "Why is it, that every time I do something, there are always 'grave' consequences at the end of it and hardly any chances of a happy ending?"
Kilgharrah snarled.
"What?" Merlin asked.
"Remember, Merlin," Kilgharrah said, turning to leave. Merlin barely noted that this was one of the few times the dragon had ever said his name. "This is your own doing. You were the one to say the spell, therefore, it is up to you to fix it. No one else is responsible."
With that, the dragon unfurled his wings and flew to the overhanging, his chain clinking behind him.
"Thanks a lot!" Merlin called after him sarcastically. "That makes me feel so much better!"
But as he grabbed onto the floating torch, and was about to leave the cave, Merlin turned back and shouted in a more humble tone, "Really, I am grateful for your help! Thank you, Kilgharrah."
He bowed slightly, even though he wasn't in the dragon's line of vision, then turned and walked into the tunnels. When he was half-way up the stairs he heard Kilgharrah whisper in his mind, "You are most welcome, young warlock."
Merlin smiled slightly, then focused on the path ahead. Time to wake up the guards.
A/N: The plot summaries of a story do matter. I think four times the amount of people actually looked at my story once I changed the summary.
