One Prison is much like another - part 29
Author: 
archaeologist_d
Title: One Prison is much like another - part 29
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Kilgharrah, Arthur
Summary: Dragons are a handful, whether they be days old or centuries.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1160
Camelot Drabble Prompt #603: negotiate
Author’s notes: Arthur is regent in all but name. AU and all. - Note since I was traveling, I couldn't figure out how to post the whole thing so I've updated it once I got home.
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
-----------------
Merlin didn’t even wait to get to the bottom of the stairs. “Kilgharrah, you arse, where are you?” Merlin yelled, the sound of it echoing down into the cavern.
As he turned the corner, going deeper into the gloom, staring out into the vast space and wondering where the hell that great bloody dragon was and why wasn’t he with the younglings, Merlin stopped short when, with a huge yawn, showing teeth as big as Merlin himself, Kilgharrah raised his head.
The pillock had been sleeping instead of standing guard or doing parental things like he was supposed to. Of course he had. Lazing about when Merlin hadn’t had enough sleep in days.
Finally, Kilgharrah shook himself a little, then nodding toward the babies sleeping in their nest, he muttered, “Enough. The younglings are just now asleep, except for Lailaps who kept chewing on my ear and is proving to be remarkably difficult to persuade otherwise. At least he is with the others instead of annoying me.”
With that, from the nest, Lailaps’s head popped up, looking around, then blinking sleepily at Merlin, he settled back down, curling his tail around himself as he started to snore.
Merlin hadn’t wanted to tell Kilgharrah off in front of the babies-thank the gods they were all asleep, even Lailaps- but he was that angry. “Well, screw that, you boil-brained behemoth.”
Stepping closer, glaring up that the smug arse, Merlin not-quite-shouted, “Have you any idea just how dangerous it is to be staring into Uther Pendragon’s bedroom? He sees you. Every time.
He’s told Arthur about you. The guards have weapons enough to injure or kill you or worse, try and find out where you are hiding. Like here!” Merlin stomped his foot for emphasis, just in case Kilgharrah didn’t get the point.
“That scum deserves death, screaming out in agony until the end of time.” Kilgharrah sniffed at that, but was apparently annoyed enough to growl, “And yet, you, dragonlord, prevent me from exacting revenge. Do you blame me for doing what I can to drive him to his death by whatever means I have?”
“You are too big to hide. It’s a wonder the guards haven’t already spotted you.” Merlin couldn’t really believe it. By every measure, Kilgharrah should have been seen and Arthur alerted but their luck held. But for how much longer?
Kilgharrah shifted a little, moving further from the nest, then lifted one claw as if to brush away the air. Entirely dismissive, he said, “The guards are of the lowest quality. I could stand before them in broad daylight and they would not see me. All the competent ones have fled this diseased kingdom.”
Wild horses would have had to drag Merlin to his death before he’d admit that maybe, maybe Kilgharrah was right. The dragon was too smug by half as it was. Uther had killed or exiled or scared away all the good ones.
Glaring up at him, ignoring Kilgharrah’s sanctimonious smile, Merlin stomped his foot again. “You will stop. I can’t have you discovered, not after I told Arthur that he’d killed you. It’s too dangerous.”
“For me or for you?” Kilgharrah said, his voice sarcastic. His golden eyes glowing, he scowled down at Merlin, then nodded up toward the surface. “You worry too much, warlock. If I am revealed, just use your powers to confuse those minds too hidebound to perceive that dragons are superior to all else.”
The bloody dragon was being too thick-headed by half. It wasn’t as if Merlin could go around and point his finger at a dozen guards and magically tell them to forget. It wasn’t that easy, even if he wanted to do it, which he did not. There were too many ways it could go wrong.
“I am not going to meddle in minds just because you are too lazy to be careful.” Merlin lifted his chin, crossing his arms across his chest as he glared at the arse. “Don’t make me command it because I will if I have to.”
Kilgharrah stared at him a minute, likely weighing his options. Finally, still looking displeased about it, he grumbled out, “Very well. But you use your powers for ill in this. Uther deserves to vanish into the netherworlds of hell and every day you prolong his life, more of those with magic die. Their deaths will be in your hands.”
Not that Merlin didn’t already know it. It haunted him in daylight and darkness, the faces of those who died coming back to him in nightmares. There were some nights when he could barely stand to sleep, for the memories weighing him down.
But that was for another day. Right now, he had a job to do, to keep the babies safe, to see them grow into their potential, to help them be a force for good.
Kilgharrah was standing there, looking smug, as if he knew what he’d said hurt Merlin.
At least, the dragon knew where Merlin stood on the matter. But he wasn’t done. Last night, he’d heard Kilgharrah telling the young ones about his long life, in troubling detail, emphasising the awful things Uther had done.
Merlin wasn’t having any of it. “And while we’re at it, I will not have you telling the hatchlings that men wish them ill, that they should hate them. That lie cannot stand.”
“It is not a lie and you know it, warlock.” Kilgharrah looked thoroughly offended, narrowing his eyes as he stared down at Merlin. “Dragonkind was almost destroyed because of mens’ deeds. I will not tell them otherwise.”
“If you teach them to hate men so much, we will never be free of this cycle of death.”
Frowning, Merlin pointed his finger at Kilgharrah. “And you know they can’t defend themselves yet. They cannot generate flame as easily as you and I worry they’ll die because they just don’t understand what to do or who to trust if you teach them to hate everyone.”
“I will not lie to my kin,” Kilgharrah said, nodding once at the nest of sleeping dragonets.
Merlin pointed out, “You told me I’m your kin and you lie to me all the time.”
Kilgharrah gave a little huff. “I will not lie to any kin with scales.”
“Just don’t.” Sometimes that bloody dragon could be so annoying. “When the time is right, we can talk to them together about it. I want them as safe as you do, maybe more.” He stepped a little closer, tapped Kilgharrah on his nose. “Just keep out of sight. I don’t want to have to explain to Arthur about the guards having hallucinations. He already thinks me an idiot.”
But before Kilgharrah could say anything else, Merlin said, “Now, I’m going to bed. Finally. And tomorrow, we will talk further about the dragonets. But for now, no staring at Uther. Do I make myself clear?”
Kilgharrah gave a little grunt, let out a puff of dark smoke, and stomped away, his tail lashing behind him.
The surly spite-tainted toad.
But Merlin was too tired. It would have to do for now.
archaeologist_d
Title: One Prison is much like another - part 29
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Kilgharrah, Arthur
Summary: Dragons are a handful, whether they be days old or centuries.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1160
Camelot Drabble Prompt #603: negotiate
Author’s notes: Arthur is regent in all but name. AU and all. - Note since I was traveling, I couldn't figure out how to post the whole thing so I've updated it once I got home.
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
-----------------
Merlin didn’t even wait to get to the bottom of the stairs. “Kilgharrah, you arse, where are you?” Merlin yelled, the sound of it echoing down into the cavern.
As he turned the corner, going deeper into the gloom, staring out into the vast space and wondering where the hell that great bloody dragon was and why wasn’t he with the younglings, Merlin stopped short when, with a huge yawn, showing teeth as big as Merlin himself, Kilgharrah raised his head.
The pillock had been sleeping instead of standing guard or doing parental things like he was supposed to. Of course he had. Lazing about when Merlin hadn’t had enough sleep in days.
Finally, Kilgharrah shook himself a little, then nodding toward the babies sleeping in their nest, he muttered, “Enough. The younglings are just now asleep, except for Lailaps who kept chewing on my ear and is proving to be remarkably difficult to persuade otherwise. At least he is with the others instead of annoying me.”
With that, from the nest, Lailaps’s head popped up, looking around, then blinking sleepily at Merlin, he settled back down, curling his tail around himself as he started to snore.
Merlin hadn’t wanted to tell Kilgharrah off in front of the babies-thank the gods they were all asleep, even Lailaps- but he was that angry. “Well, screw that, you boil-brained behemoth.”
Stepping closer, glaring up that the smug arse, Merlin not-quite-shouted, “Have you any idea just how dangerous it is to be staring into Uther Pendragon’s bedroom? He sees you. Every time.
He’s told Arthur about you. The guards have weapons enough to injure or kill you or worse, try and find out where you are hiding. Like here!” Merlin stomped his foot for emphasis, just in case Kilgharrah didn’t get the point.
“That scum deserves death, screaming out in agony until the end of time.” Kilgharrah sniffed at that, but was apparently annoyed enough to growl, “And yet, you, dragonlord, prevent me from exacting revenge. Do you blame me for doing what I can to drive him to his death by whatever means I have?”
“You are too big to hide. It’s a wonder the guards haven’t already spotted you.” Merlin couldn’t really believe it. By every measure, Kilgharrah should have been seen and Arthur alerted but their luck held. But for how much longer?
Kilgharrah shifted a little, moving further from the nest, then lifted one claw as if to brush away the air. Entirely dismissive, he said, “The guards are of the lowest quality. I could stand before them in broad daylight and they would not see me. All the competent ones have fled this diseased kingdom.”
Wild horses would have had to drag Merlin to his death before he’d admit that maybe, maybe Kilgharrah was right. The dragon was too smug by half as it was. Uther had killed or exiled or scared away all the good ones.
Glaring up at him, ignoring Kilgharrah’s sanctimonious smile, Merlin stomped his foot again. “You will stop. I can’t have you discovered, not after I told Arthur that he’d killed you. It’s too dangerous.”
“For me or for you?” Kilgharrah said, his voice sarcastic. His golden eyes glowing, he scowled down at Merlin, then nodded up toward the surface. “You worry too much, warlock. If I am revealed, just use your powers to confuse those minds too hidebound to perceive that dragons are superior to all else.”
The bloody dragon was being too thick-headed by half. It wasn’t as if Merlin could go around and point his finger at a dozen guards and magically tell them to forget. It wasn’t that easy, even if he wanted to do it, which he did not. There were too many ways it could go wrong.
“I am not going to meddle in minds just because you are too lazy to be careful.” Merlin lifted his chin, crossing his arms across his chest as he glared at the arse. “Don’t make me command it because I will if I have to.”
Kilgharrah stared at him a minute, likely weighing his options. Finally, still looking displeased about it, he grumbled out, “Very well. But you use your powers for ill in this. Uther deserves to vanish into the netherworlds of hell and every day you prolong his life, more of those with magic die. Their deaths will be in your hands.”
Not that Merlin didn’t already know it. It haunted him in daylight and darkness, the faces of those who died coming back to him in nightmares. There were some nights when he could barely stand to sleep, for the memories weighing him down.
But that was for another day. Right now, he had a job to do, to keep the babies safe, to see them grow into their potential, to help them be a force for good.
Kilgharrah was standing there, looking smug, as if he knew what he’d said hurt Merlin.
At least, the dragon knew where Merlin stood on the matter. But he wasn’t done. Last night, he’d heard Kilgharrah telling the young ones about his long life, in troubling detail, emphasising the awful things Uther had done.
Merlin wasn’t having any of it. “And while we’re at it, I will not have you telling the hatchlings that men wish them ill, that they should hate them. That lie cannot stand.”
“It is not a lie and you know it, warlock.” Kilgharrah looked thoroughly offended, narrowing his eyes as he stared down at Merlin. “Dragonkind was almost destroyed because of mens’ deeds. I will not tell them otherwise.”
“If you teach them to hate men so much, we will never be free of this cycle of death.”
Frowning, Merlin pointed his finger at Kilgharrah. “And you know they can’t defend themselves yet. They cannot generate flame as easily as you and I worry they’ll die because they just don’t understand what to do or who to trust if you teach them to hate everyone.”
“I will not lie to my kin,” Kilgharrah said, nodding once at the nest of sleeping dragonets.
Merlin pointed out, “You told me I’m your kin and you lie to me all the time.”
Kilgharrah gave a little huff. “I will not lie to any kin with scales.”
“Just don’t.” Sometimes that bloody dragon could be so annoying. “When the time is right, we can talk to them together about it. I want them as safe as you do, maybe more.” He stepped a little closer, tapped Kilgharrah on his nose. “Just keep out of sight. I don’t want to have to explain to Arthur about the guards having hallucinations. He already thinks me an idiot.”
But before Kilgharrah could say anything else, Merlin said, “Now, I’m going to bed. Finally. And tomorrow, we will talk further about the dragonets. But for now, no staring at Uther. Do I make myself clear?”
Kilgharrah gave a little grunt, let out a puff of dark smoke, and stomped away, his tail lashing behind him.
The surly spite-tainted toad.
But Merlin was too tired. It would have to do for now.