Chapter Text
There was a loud roar, which in this instance was good . It meant the farmer’s directions sent them to the correct location.
Merlin got them to come to a stop, just in the treeline, “Okay, I’m going to try and send it off. You lot are here as backup.”
Gwaine wrinkled his nose, “You sure, mate? I’d rather not have to go home and tell the King of your early demise.” The other knights, Lancelot, Elyan, and Mordred all seemed to be of the same mind in that regard.
Merlin rolled his eyes, “As if I’d let a wyvern take me out. You’re only to come in if this fool of a beast isn’t alone. I can handle more than one, but wyvern don’t always like to listen.” It was much harder controlling the lesser cousins of dragons than actual dragons.
Lancelot grimaced, “I’ve fought the beasts before, Merlin. Are you sure?”
Merlin grit his teeth, “The more we debate on this, the more people get injured. Let me do my job.”
Merlin scanned the town as the wyvern swooped again, followed by the sound of screams as it attacked the roof of a house. Merlin stepped forwards, but a sudden hand held him back.
“Emrys, please. Let us help! This is dangerous!” Mordred protested.
Roughly, Merlin grabbed Mordred’s hand and tore it from his arm. He didn’t have time for this. He pushed Mordred towards Gwaine, not intending it to be rough or hurtful, rather the opposite in fact as he was trying to keep the knight safe , but instead Mordred hit the ground stumbling back on his own feet.
“There’s no time to argue, Mordred.” Merlin muttered before sprinting closer to the village to get near the beast, trying to find words inside him to command the wyvern.
“ O drakon, se kalo, akou to fone mou kai pepauka! Eirenai! Me aut’in protasay, iremiste tais biais. Afeste auto meros kai h’upagostin agrios fusi opou’anikete!”
The wyvern roared and swept down towards Merlin, who was at a distinct disadvantage standing in the middle of the path as he had commanded its attention as he ordered it to leave.
He didn’t duck, but instead stood his ground and raised his hand, his eyes flaring gold a shield materialising ahead of him preventing the wyvern’s talons from hitting him. Instead, comically, the wyvern instead bounced off the shield squawking with indignation before flying northwards.
Merlin stayed in his defensive position waiting until the beast flew from his sights and glanced around the town before awkwardly nodding to the little kid watching him and heading for the Knights. Half of his mind wanted to remain and see to any injuries, but people were still getting used to the whole magic stuff again and were unfortunately wary around him when he used magic.
The knights, or well, Gwaine clapped as he approached, “Magnificent use of that shield, I’m sure. Wonderfully done.”
Merlin grimaced, it wasn’t exactly anything powerful or interesting, so it was… peculiar to be praised for it. “Thanks, it was nothing.”
At least Lancelot and Mordred weren’t really weird about his magic. Gwaine on the other hand was… too supportive sometimes, and he didn’t quite know why.
Merlin glanced around the knights as Elyan whooped with joy and Lance clapped him on the back, though when he met Mordred’s eye, the young knight flinched back and looked away from Merlin. Merlin initially frowned, but Gwaine distracted him by literally throwing himself atop him, the two tumbling to the ground.
“Gwaine!” Merlin squawked as the other knights came to join in, laughing and ruffling Merlin’s hair as they did so.