Fever Pitch
Author: 
archaeologist_d
Title: Fever Pitch
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Kilgharrah, Gaius
Summary: Kilgharrah has a fever. Never get near a dragon with a fever. Ever.
Word Count: 900
Camelot_drabble Prompt: 495, fever
Author's Notes: unbetaed, complete crack. I was going for serious and it went sideways.
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
------------------------------
Waves of heat, fireballs ricocheting of the cave walls, the flash of explosions as water and stone vaporized under the roaring flames of Kilgharrah’s delirium.
Merlin didn’t know what to do. The dragon’s fever was spinning out of control and a magical being with powers far beyond Merlin’s own could destroy the castle if Merlin couldn’t figure out how to help him conquer his hot frenzy.
Everything seemed to make things worse. Herbs, potions, a blanket soaked in water, even Merlin’s paltry attempts at healing didn’t work.
Finally, Merlin, reluctant to admit he’d been visiting the dragon, went to Gaius.
Who was useless.
Gaius merely laughed, just said that the fever would pass, although if Merlin could find another adult dragon, it might help. Whatever the hell that meant.
So Merlin spent the next few days in between mucking out stables and saving the prat from himself and hearing endless complaints about noise while tending to the giant menace, watching as rocks melted and fire burned the air.
It was only on the fourth day that the fever and roaring fireballs subsided. Kilgharrah lay on the remelted rocks and the enlarged cavern, a picture of health, and Merlin could breathe a sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to cure you. I tried everything I could think of but nothing seemed to work. It’s a good thing you were able to cure yourself. I don’t know what I would have done if you died,” Merlin said, giving Kilgharrah a little smile and a thumbs-up.
“I was not ill, young warlock. Did not Gaius tell you this?” When Merlin just shook his head, Kilgharrah growled a little and let out a puff of smoke. “I suppose I could not expect anything less of the old betrayer. Needless to say, it was not a fever in the ordinary sense.”
Lifting his wings and stretching them out, he began to rise into the air. “Your ministrations would have done nothing for me. My heat was upon me. But it is good to know you will be here on those days when it comes again.”
“But… I… what?” Merlin said, befuddled.
As Kilgharrah flew away, he shouted back, “It comes when it comes. Next time, I will want a large sheep and barrel of wine for a post-heat snack. To keep up my strength.” With that, he disappeared into the distance and no amount of shouting for him to come back and explain appeared to work. The annoying lizard.
Merlin waited a few more minutes but when Kilgharrah failed to reappear, Merlin stomped back upstairs. “Gaius, Kilgharrah told me you knew. And you didn’t tell me a thing.”
“You would have figured it out eventually,” Gaius said, not helping Merlin one little bit.
“Gaius, he told me that it happens when it happens which is bloody unhelpful. He melted rock and hacked fireballs at me,” Merlin whinged.
Gaius merely hummed a little, stirring a bunch of green leaves into some noxious bubbling liquid, then said, “Well, he missed, didn’t he?”
Merlin just gawped at Gaius. “He… I almost died down there.”
Pouring the liquid into two bowls, Gaius handed Merlin one. “You will need your strength for the next time Kilgharrah goes into heat. And before you ask why I am not seeing to the giant lizard, I am not as agile as I once was.” Nodding toward the soup, Gaius said, “Cheer up, my boy. It only happens every six weeks or so.”
“Every six weeks?!” Merlin yelled.
Gauis just laughed.
“That will be plenty of time to gather my supplies. His rock melting technique is excellent for turning charcoal into diamonds. We are getting a little low on rubies, too,” Gaius said, nodding toward the soup. “Eat up. I’ve made your favorite.”
Merlin stared down at the mess. “This is not my favorite. And why do we need jewels?”
“For the rebellion, of course,” Gaius said, drinking down the liquid in one, then digging in and munching on the greens. “How else do you think we will defeat Uther and set those of magic free? Hope that Arthur would be less hard-headed than his father? Arthur may be a good lad but he’s not exactly bright.”
Kilgharrah still in chains, then?”
“Diversionary tactics. We’ll release him once the rebellion has started. They will never see him coming.” Gaius patted Merlin’s hand. “Oh, don’t worry about Arthur. He is always whinging about wanting to be a farmer. We’ll set him up properly and he’ll be happy as a pig in a sty. You can even join him if you want. I know you like him.”
“I do not like him,” Merlin protested, then grimaced a little. “Well, maybe a little bit. Do you think he’ll go for it?”
Gaius nodded. “You two have your own heat going. It’s as plain as day. Now eat up, we’ve a rebellion to plot and only a few months to complete it all. And after, you and Arthur can farm to your heart’s content.”
Merlin thought a moment, picturing Arthur without his shirt on, sweat glistening in the sun, and said, “Count me in.”
archaeologist_dTitle: Fever Pitch
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Kilgharrah, Gaius
Summary: Kilgharrah has a fever. Never get near a dragon with a fever. Ever.
Word Count: 900
Camelot_drabble Prompt: 495, fever
Author's Notes: unbetaed, complete crack. I was going for serious and it went sideways.
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
------------------------------
Waves of heat, fireballs ricocheting of the cave walls, the flash of explosions as water and stone vaporized under the roaring flames of Kilgharrah’s delirium.
Merlin didn’t know what to do. The dragon’s fever was spinning out of control and a magical being with powers far beyond Merlin’s own could destroy the castle if Merlin couldn’t figure out how to help him conquer his hot frenzy.
Everything seemed to make things worse. Herbs, potions, a blanket soaked in water, even Merlin’s paltry attempts at healing didn’t work.
Finally, Merlin, reluctant to admit he’d been visiting the dragon, went to Gaius.
Who was useless.
Gaius merely laughed, just said that the fever would pass, although if Merlin could find another adult dragon, it might help. Whatever the hell that meant.
So Merlin spent the next few days in between mucking out stables and saving the prat from himself and hearing endless complaints about noise while tending to the giant menace, watching as rocks melted and fire burned the air.
It was only on the fourth day that the fever and roaring fireballs subsided. Kilgharrah lay on the remelted rocks and the enlarged cavern, a picture of health, and Merlin could breathe a sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to cure you. I tried everything I could think of but nothing seemed to work. It’s a good thing you were able to cure yourself. I don’t know what I would have done if you died,” Merlin said, giving Kilgharrah a little smile and a thumbs-up.
“I was not ill, young warlock. Did not Gaius tell you this?” When Merlin just shook his head, Kilgharrah growled a little and let out a puff of smoke. “I suppose I could not expect anything less of the old betrayer. Needless to say, it was not a fever in the ordinary sense.”
Lifting his wings and stretching them out, he began to rise into the air. “Your ministrations would have done nothing for me. My heat was upon me. But it is good to know you will be here on those days when it comes again.”
“But… I… what?” Merlin said, befuddled.
As Kilgharrah flew away, he shouted back, “It comes when it comes. Next time, I will want a large sheep and barrel of wine for a post-heat snack. To keep up my strength.” With that, he disappeared into the distance and no amount of shouting for him to come back and explain appeared to work. The annoying lizard.
Merlin waited a few more minutes but when Kilgharrah failed to reappear, Merlin stomped back upstairs. “Gaius, Kilgharrah told me you knew. And you didn’t tell me a thing.”
“You would have figured it out eventually,” Gaius said, not helping Merlin one little bit.
“Gaius, he told me that it happens when it happens which is bloody unhelpful. He melted rock and hacked fireballs at me,” Merlin whinged.
Gaius merely hummed a little, stirring a bunch of green leaves into some noxious bubbling liquid, then said, “Well, he missed, didn’t he?”
Merlin just gawped at Gaius. “He… I almost died down there.”
Pouring the liquid into two bowls, Gaius handed Merlin one. “You will need your strength for the next time Kilgharrah goes into heat. And before you ask why I am not seeing to the giant lizard, I am not as agile as I once was.” Nodding toward the soup, Gaius said, “Cheer up, my boy. It only happens every six weeks or so.”
“Every six weeks?!” Merlin yelled.
Gauis just laughed.
“That will be plenty of time to gather my supplies. His rock melting technique is excellent for turning charcoal into diamonds. We are getting a little low on rubies, too,” Gaius said, nodding toward the soup. “Eat up. I’ve made your favorite.”
Merlin stared down at the mess. “This is not my favorite. And why do we need jewels?”
“For the rebellion, of course,” Gaius said, drinking down the liquid in one, then digging in and munching on the greens. “How else do you think we will defeat Uther and set those of magic free? Hope that Arthur would be less hard-headed than his father? Arthur may be a good lad but he’s not exactly bright.”
Kilgharrah still in chains, then?”
“Diversionary tactics. We’ll release him once the rebellion has started. They will never see him coming.” Gaius patted Merlin’s hand. “Oh, don’t worry about Arthur. He is always whinging about wanting to be a farmer. We’ll set him up properly and he’ll be happy as a pig in a sty. You can even join him if you want. I know you like him.”
“I do not like him,” Merlin protested, then grimaced a little. “Well, maybe a little bit. Do you think he’ll go for it?”
Gaius nodded. “You two have your own heat going. It’s as plain as day. Now eat up, we’ve a rebellion to plot and only a few months to complete it all. And after, you and Arthur can farm to your heart’s content.”
Merlin thought a moment, picturing Arthur without his shirt on, sweat glistening in the sun, and said, “Count me in.”