Summerpornathon Bonus Challenge One: Egg-Sitting
Title: Egg-Sitting
Rating: G
Characters: Merlin, Kilgharrah.
Wordcount: ~400
Challenge: Bonus One - Genderswap.
Summary: “And just what, pray, did you think I was?”
“A… man dragon?”
“Whatever gave you that impression?”
Masterlist
The eggs were big and smooth and greyish-white: there were four or five of them, sitting in the centre of the clearing in a rough pile. Merlin stared blankly at them, not quite sure what he was looking at.
“…Dragon’s eggs?” he said at length.
“Your powers of deduction amaze me, young Warlock,” said Kilgharrah, who was being even more difficult than usual today, if such a thing was possible.
“But where did they come from?” said Merlin, still confused.
Kilgharrah fixed him with a hard stare. “Has your education really been that inadequate, Merlin? Where do eggs usually come from?”
“From… their mother?” tried Merlin. Kilgharrah gave him a weary nod. “Then whose are they?”
“I really do doubt your intellect sometimes,” said Kilgharrah. “They are mine.”
“But how,” Merlin stammered. “I mean, how did you - you can’t - you’re a…” He trailed off at the expression on Kilgharrah’s face. “You’re not a - I mean -”
“And just what, pray, did you think I was?” said Kilgharrah.
“A… man dragon?” said Merlin.
Kilgharrah shook his - her head. “Whatever gave you that impression?”
“Well, you sound like - I mean, you look like -” The expression on Kilgharrah’s great face was unreadable and Merlin gave up trying to apply any kind of human standards to her appearance, because it clearly wasn’t helping. “Um. Congratulations?”
“My thanks,” said Kilgharrah, spreading her wings. “I’ll be back at sundown tomorrow. Keep them warm.”
“Wait, wait,” said Merlin. “You want me to - egg-sit?”
“I grow weary,” said Kilgharrah as she took off. “Children are so demanding. A enchantment for fire is not sufficient as a replacement for dragon’s breath but it should be enough for a day.” She gave the eggs one last blast from her own lungs, then flew away, calling out, “And make sure to turn them at least once!” before vanishing over the horizon.
Merlin looked at the disappearing shadow of the dragon. He looked at the eggs. He looked over his shoulder at Camelot. Then, with a resigned sigh, he sat down on the grass beside the nest.
“Hi,” he said to the nearest egg, then reached out, with some apprehension, to tap its shell. It rocked away. “Alright, alright!” he said, holding up his hands. The egg rocked back and forth as if laughing. “Cheeky. I’ll tell your mother!” He folded his arms. “Bloody egg-sitting.”
Rating: G
Characters: Merlin, Kilgharrah.
Wordcount: ~400
Challenge: Bonus One - Genderswap.
Summary: “And just what, pray, did you think I was?”
“A… man dragon?”
“Whatever gave you that impression?”
Masterlist
The eggs were big and smooth and greyish-white: there were four or five of them, sitting in the centre of the clearing in a rough pile. Merlin stared blankly at them, not quite sure what he was looking at.
“…Dragon’s eggs?” he said at length.
“Your powers of deduction amaze me, young Warlock,” said Kilgharrah, who was being even more difficult than usual today, if such a thing was possible.
“But where did they come from?” said Merlin, still confused.
Kilgharrah fixed him with a hard stare. “Has your education really been that inadequate, Merlin? Where do eggs usually come from?”
“From… their mother?” tried Merlin. Kilgharrah gave him a weary nod. “Then whose are they?”
“I really do doubt your intellect sometimes,” said Kilgharrah. “They are mine.”
“But how,” Merlin stammered. “I mean, how did you - you can’t - you’re a…” He trailed off at the expression on Kilgharrah’s face. “You’re not a - I mean -”
“And just what, pray, did you think I was?” said Kilgharrah.
“A… man dragon?” said Merlin.
Kilgharrah shook his - her head. “Whatever gave you that impression?”
“Well, you sound like - I mean, you look like -” The expression on Kilgharrah’s great face was unreadable and Merlin gave up trying to apply any kind of human standards to her appearance, because it clearly wasn’t helping. “Um. Congratulations?”
“My thanks,” said Kilgharrah, spreading her wings. “I’ll be back at sundown tomorrow. Keep them warm.”
“Wait, wait,” said Merlin. “You want me to - egg-sit?”
“I grow weary,” said Kilgharrah as she took off. “Children are so demanding. A enchantment for fire is not sufficient as a replacement for dragon’s breath but it should be enough for a day.” She gave the eggs one last blast from her own lungs, then flew away, calling out, “And make sure to turn them at least once!” before vanishing over the horizon.
Merlin looked at the disappearing shadow of the dragon. He looked at the eggs. He looked over his shoulder at Camelot. Then, with a resigned sigh, he sat down on the grass beside the nest.
“Hi,” he said to the nearest egg, then reached out, with some apprehension, to tap its shell. It rocked away. “Alright, alright!” he said, holding up his hands. The egg rocked back and forth as if laughing. “Cheeky. I’ll tell your mother!” He folded his arms. “Bloody egg-sitting.”