Here we go folks. Another new chapter. The next should be up some time tomorrow. Sorry if this takes a while each time. I am rewatching the episodes slowly and getting as many of the lines from it as I can.

I do not own any of the characters of BBC's Merlin. Happy reading!

'Merlin…'

Merlin reacted faster snapping awake. It was that voice again. He looked around as the sleep fell from his mind.

'Merlin…' It was coming from below him? Merlin stood up quickly moving away from the space a bit startled at the thought.

'Merlin…' The voice didn't seem to be terrible. Merlin curiously waked back over and crouched down. He put an ear to the ground trying to hear the voice better.

"Merlin?" Gaius asked entering the cell. The voice was completely forgotten as Merlin stood up a silly grin on his face. "You never cease to amaze me." Gaius was looking at him in disbelief. "The one thing a person like you should do is keep your head down, ad what do you do? You behave like an idiot."

"I'm sorry." Merlin said. His head was cast down a bit as he seemed to shrink into himself.

"You're lucky." Gaius said. "I managed to pull a few strings to get you released." Merlin's grin was back in full force. He began to thank Gaius but the look given him had him falling silent.

"There is a small price to pay…" Gaius said watching Merlin deflate a little bit.

Merlin found himself in the stocks. The kids having a blast throwing old fruit and vegetables at him, thankfully the food was all soft and not damaging.

The fire of vegetation died down for a bit as they ran off to get more. During that time Merlin noticed a pair of feet walk up to him. He looked up noting that the girl before him was quite pretty.

"I'm Guinevere." She said introducing herself. She sounded as pretty as she looked. "Most people call me Gwen. I'm the Lady Morgana's maid."

"Hi, I'm Merlin." He said trying to offer a hand to shake. It was difficult being in the stocks, but she seemed to get the idea and reached over to shake his hand slightly. "Though, people just call me idiot."

It was true, even back in Elador people would call him an idiot despite all evidence against it.

"No! No, no. I saw what you did." She said. "So brave."

"It was stupid."

"Well I'm glad you walked away, you weren't ever going to beat him."

"I could beat him." Merlin said a laugh in his voice.

"You think?" Gwen asked tilting her head. Her voice sounded as if she didn't believe him. "Because you don't look like one of these big muscley kind of fellows…"

Merlin's brows knitted together slightly. "Thanks…"

"No! No, I'm sure your stronger than you look!" She seemed to have noticed her mistake in her words. "It's just Arthur's really one of those ruff, tuff save the world kind of man and… well…"

"What?"

"You don't look like that." Gwen felt this conversation was not going the way she wanted it to. She sounded like a complete mess.

Merlin looked about them and gestured her closer. When she bent down taking a step closer he whispered. "I'm in disguise."

His attempt at making her feel better seemed to work as laughter escaped her then. It may have been forced, but at least she knew he took no real offense by her words. "Well, it's great you stood up to him." She said finding her ground again. "Arthur's a bully, and everyone thought you were a real hero."

The children returned then. "Oh, excuse me Guinevere, my fans are waiting." He said pointing to them. She took several steps back to get out of the way of their aim.

Later that day Gaius came back to bring Merlin home for lunch. The boy went to get himself cleaned up while Gaius cooked a soup. "Want some vegetables with that?" He asked offering a bowl of lettuce. Merlin looked up at him catching the joke.

"I know you're still angry with me." He said not taking any; he could do with maybe a meal or two without the vegetation.

"Your mother asked me to look after you." Gaius said as he sat down. Merlin nodded his head as he poked at his food.

"Yes." Merlin knew well enough what was about to be asked of him.

"What did your mother say to you about your gifts?" Gaius asked.

"Just that I was special." Merlin answered. He couldn't understand why that was the case.

"You are special." Gaius confirmed. "The likes of which I have never seen before."

"What do you mean?" Merlin wanted more answers. There was so much he didn't understand about what he could do. No one would tell him anything.

"Well, magic takes incantations, spells, years of study to be able to use it." Gaius explained. "What I saw you do was, elemental, instinctual." Merlin had to smile at that. It had always been that way for him.

"What's the point if it can't be used?" Merlin asked. His magic was a part of him, a large part of him. Not using always felt like he was denying a part of himself.

"That I do not know." Gaius said. "You are a question that has never been posed before Merlin."

"Did you ever study magic?"

"Uther banned all such work twenty years ago." Gaius said not quite answering Merlin's question.

"Why?" Merlin asked. He couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't like magic.

"People used magic for the wrong end in that time." Gaius started. He had Merlin's full attention. "It threw the natural order into chaos. Uther made it his mission to destroy everything from back then, even the dragons."

"All of them?" Merlin asked. He could feel his blood run cold. Like he might have lost part of his family that he never even knew.

"There was one dragon he choose not to kill." Gaius said, some relief flooding Merlin. "He kept it as an example. He imprisoned it in a cave deep beneath the castle. Where no one could free it."

Merlin thought about that. Was the voice he was hearing coming from that dragon?

"Now eat up." Gaius said dispelling the tense aura around his young ward. "I'll need you to take a preparation to Lady Helen. She needs it for her voice." Merlin nodded as he started eating his food.

Merlin made his way through the castle and to the rooms where the Lady Helen was staying. He opened the door poking his head in and seeing no one about. He walked in and went to put the small bottle on her dresser. As he turned to leave something made him pause.

He turned and looked at the dresser and spotted the poppet. There was something about it that made him step closer. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands. He could feel the magic within it. It was faint, but it was there. He set it down as a book caught his eye. He was about to open it when he heard footsteps. He turned and began making his way out of the room when Lady Helen entered.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. Merlin found it to be a perfectly reasonable question. It was her room after all.

"I was asked to deliver this…" Merlin said picking the bottle up. He didn't look in the mirror, if he had he would have seen the old woman and not the lovely young lady he now handed the bottle to.

He gave her a small smile and was then on his way. Once outside her chambers he glanced back. He knew he felt magic in that room. It was almost familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place why.

He made his way out of the castle only to spot the man once again. Really this man needed to stop popping up here. Merlin began to follow him again. Just like before the man just vanished and Merlin found himself almost out of the city. He shook his head and turned making his way back to Gaius' chambers.

Merlin saw Arthur heading right for him. He almost groaned knowing their paths had to cross. He just hoped the Prince didn't notice him.

"How is your knee walking coming along?" He did notice Merlin. Merlin tried to keep walking, but Arthur seemed to not be having it. "Oh don't run away."

"From you?" Merlin asked stopping. He didn't turn around just yet. There was that pull again. He told the feeling to just shut up.

"Oh thank god, I thought you were death as well as dumb." Arthur said trying to draw out the spunk Merlin had yesterday. He would not say it out loud, but he had loved the encounter.

"Look, I told you, you were an ass." Merlin said now turning to face Arthur. "I just didn't realize you were a royal one." Arthur looked back at his knights and Merlin seemed to just notice them as well. "Oh what are you going to do? Get your daddy's men to protect you?"

Arthur laughed. "I could take you apart with one blow."

"I could apart with less than that." The confidence in his seemed to reach Arthur. It was very true, if only Arthur knew of the magic humming in the twig of a boy's body, he would know there was reason to fear. Arthur however did not know of Merlin's magic.

"You sure?" He asked curious as to what it was that made Merlin so confident in himself. Merlin's reaction was to pull of his jacket readying himself for a fight. Arthur was thrilled, so this boy's spunk hadn't been a one-time thing. Joy danced in his eyes at the thought of finding this boy.

Arthur laughed getting a mace from one of the knights with him. He tossed it at Merlin. "Here you go big man."

Merlin fumbled in catching it. It felt awkward in his hand but it was maybe the safest for him to use against his current opponent. Arthur had a lot more grace as he started to swing another mace that was handed to him. "Come on then." He prompted. "I warn you, I've been trained to kill since birth."

"Wow, and how long have you been training to be a prat?" Merlin countered. He could kick himself later for letting his sarcasm out again.

"You can't address me like that." Arthur said. He liked Merlin a lot already; he was quite the interesting toy for him at the moment. He would hate to have his fun ruined because the wrong person overheard him.

"Sorry." Merlin said, he could feel the next sarcastic remark coming at flying speeds and didn't bother to hold it back. "How long have you been training to be a prat, my lord?" He even included a mocking bow.

Arthur couldn't help the grin that broke out on his face. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy his time around this one that was for sure. Merlin thought for a moment that he was in the clear, but Arthur swung the mace aiming for Merlin's head.

Merlin barely ducked out of the way as their spare began. Merlin was backing away trying to keep clear of the swing Arthur now had going on his mace. His path stopped suddenly as his own became caught in a basket on one of the carts. The village folk had crowded around but kept their distance watching the fight.

Merlin found himself backed into a corner with Arthur about ready to land a blow. He saw a pair of farming blades and his eyes flashed swinging them together just as Arthur's mace swung backwards becoming caught. Merlin used the chance to get back to his feet and away. Silently thanking whatever gods that were that it was dark enough for no one to notice the shift of his eyes.

Merlin began to shift things around in the dark making Arthur trip over himself. The crowd was laughing, it was a strange sight seeing the normally graceful combatant trip over common things. Merlin dashed forward picking up the mace that Arthur dropped swinging it carefully.

Arthur found himself backing up with no weapon in hand. This time he tripped on his own over a bucket. Merlin was about to start basking in his small victory when he spotted Gaius. The old man raised an eyebrow and Merlin froze.

Arthur had used the distraction to pick up a broom and whack Merlin from behind. When the boy went down he playfully swept a bit of dust his way. It wasn't much, just enough to get the small joke across. Merlin could feel his jaw clench, it may have been a joke but he felt every bit humiliated by the action.

A pair of guards picked Merlin up and were about to walk him to the dungeons for his actions. "Wait." Arthur said waving them off. "Let him go. He may be an idiot but he's a brave one." Arthur looked the boy over shaking his head. "There's something about you Merlin, I can't quite put my finger on it."

Arthur then walked off. Maybe he wasn't so bad?

Merlin walked back into Gaius' chambers the old man hot on his heels. "How could you be so foolish?" He demanded closing the door behind him.

"He needed to be taught a lesson." Merlin responded, anger in his voice.

"Magic must be studied, practice, and used for good, not for idiotic pranks." Gaius scolded. Merlin whirled around to face him. The gold flecks in his eyes dancing clearly. It made Gaius pause as he stared at the boy before him in slight awe.

"What is there to master?" Merlin asked. "I could move objects with my mind before I could talk!"

"Then by now you should know how to control yourself." Gaius said snapping back from his daze, only to be slapped back into it.

"I don't want to!" Merlin said the air around him springing to life. Gaius could almost see the magic aura pouring off the boy. "If I can't use magic what have I got? I'm just a nobody. And I always will be. If I can't use magic, I might as well die." With that Merlin turned and went to his room.

The magic aura vaporized as he left.

Gaius followed Merlin shortly carrying his medical bag. He looked at the boy who had fallen onto his bed. "Merlin, sit up, take your shirt off." He said setting his bag down on the small table nearby as Merlin did as he was told.

"You don't know why I was born like this do you?" Merlin asked as Gaius started to inspect his wound.

"No." Gaius answered simply. His attention on making sure the bruising wouldn't be too great.

"I'm not a monster am I?" Merlin asked the fear of it gripping him. Gaius could feel Merlin tense at the thought.

"Don't ever think that." Gaius said firmly to Merlin. He could tell that the boy before him wasn't anything of the sort. A powerful being of magic, yes, but not a monster.

"Then why am I like this?" Merlin asked. "Please I need to know. Why?"

"Maybe there's someone with more knowledge than me." Gaius said watching as Merlin suddenly sprang up pacing.

"No, he won't tell me anything."

"Who?" Gaius asked confused.

"A man." Merlin answered. "With golden eyes. He claims to know a lot about me but he won't say a word."

"A man with golden eyes?" Gaius said raising an eyebrow.

"You've heard of him?" Merlin asked.

"He is but a myth, though there are people who claim him to be real." Gaius said putting his things back in the bag.

"I walked most of my journey to Camelot with him." Merlin protested. "I talked with him, saw him in the streets here. Both times I tired to catch him to warn him about the dangers of using magic and both times I ran into Arthur. Almost like he was trying to make me run into him for whatever reason! Then there is the fact that when I'm around Arthur I get this strange feeling that pulls me in."

Gaius watched the boy slowly getting more hysterical before him. The air once again starting to hum with magic. "Merlin, please calm down."

Merlin sank to the floor using a wall as his support. "Who is that man?" He asked looking at Gaius. "You know don't you?"

Gaius sighed closing his bag. "The Lord of Magic." He answered. "Younger brother to the Triple Goddess. Creator of the Dragons and their Lords. A Master of all the Elements. He is a God of the Old Religion. Though one you won't hear of much. The High Priestesses rarely went to him as their ways tended to offend him. If you have indeed met him, then only one thing is certain. You are meant for great things."

Merlin looked at Gaius carefully. "Why me?"

"I don't know."

Late that night Merlin was sleeping soundly when the voice rang in his head again.

'Merlin…'

His eyes snapped open as his sense became hyper aware. 'Merlin…' He knew whoever was saying his name was calling him. He quickly put on his boots and was off in search of the source heading right for the dungeons where he had heard it the loudest. He stopped seeing two guards boredly playing a game of dice. He grinned as he sent the dice rolling off in the opposite direction. He had expected one of them to go after the dice, but both of them? Weren't they well trained? Some of Camelot's finest? Perhaps that was only the knights. Merlin gave a shrug as he continued on his way feeling a tug down towards a dark cave entrance.

After walking down many steps he found himself in a large open cavern. He felt tiny looking around the space. The next sight that greeted him made him almost drop the torch he had picked up.

The dragon that was before him was aged. Gold eyes watching him with interest. "How small you are, for such a great destiny." The dragon said settling down on his rock.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked the excitement of the possibility of learning more about himself spilling over. "What destiny?" The dragon gave a chuckle.

"Your gift Merlin was given to you for a reason." He answered calmly.

"So there is a reason." Merlin said as relief flooded him. He tensed again as fear sprang up as to what the reason would be.

"Arthur is the Once and Future King that will unite the land of Albion." The dragon explained.

"Right…" Merlin said not understanding what that had to do with him.

"But he faces many threats from friend and foe alike."

"I don't see what this has to do with me." Merlin said his hope in getting answers dying quickly.

"Everything." The dragon said bluntly. "Without you Arthur will never succeed. Without you, there will be no Albion."

"No, no, you've got this wrong." Merlin said not believing what he was hearing. Though something about his words made his heart leap in his chest.

"There is no right or wrong." The dragon said. "Only was is, and what isn't."

"Well if anyone wants to kill him they can go ahead." Merlin said. "In fact, I'll even give them a hand." He knew he was lying the moment the words left his lips. Something told him he would do all he could to protect the prince even if he was in fact a prat.

The dragon gave another chuckle. "Calm yourself, he is still young." A man said stepping out from behind a rock. Merlin whipped around to face him.

"The Lord of Magic…" Merlin whispered making the man in question smile.

"Indeed." He answered moving to sit on another rock. "I told you it was not for me to explain why you were to come here."

Merlin looked between the two. The dragon didn't seem at all phased to see a god before him. "Why didn't you tell me who you were?"

"You would not have believed me." He answered. "Your mother wouldn't have either if I had told her. To her I was just a strange man who seemed to know what her son was called into being for. In truth you should have come to Camelot a year later, but things have shifted and you are needed here now. My dear sister can sometimes be so impatient sometimes…"

The dragon gave another chuckle. "It is really no use getting much from him young Warlock." A smirk appeared on the god's lips at that. "He will talk more riddles around the truth than I will."

"Oh that's comforting." Merlin said now getting the god to laugh. "What do you mean by Warlock?"

"That is enough for tonight." The god said standing. "You've kept him up long enough. He needs his rest."

"No, I need to know more!" Merlin said in protest. The god looked at him with a soft smile.

"In due time Merlin." He said placing a hand on Merlin's face. "For now, sleep."

Please R&R!