When It Rains

When It Rains «3:7»

Merlin's spell juttered to a halt and Arthur's pain subsided. Morgause clicked her fingers and fire burst into existence and blazed in her palm. She threw the ball of flames and Arthur dodged it, caught it with the sword so that the metal glowed red hot.

He advanced, swiping at Morgause, who sent black arrows of darkness to envelope Arthur, but he ducked and rolled and came up next to the witch.
He japped the blade at her and Merlin kicked his leg out from under him.

Arthur crumpled, Morgause and Merlin stood over him, and before he had time to make an attack or rise, Morgause sent a wall of air into his head, making his dazed; it felt like an invisible fist had hit him in the temple.

Shaking his head to clear his vision of stars, Arthur stood up, but he no longer had the sword.

Morgause held Merlin to her, the sword to his throat, his newly reattached arms behind his back.

"One more step," the witch whispered, "and I'll show you his trachea."

Arthur didn't move. He looked into Merlin's eye and knew he was still not the Merlin he knew.

"The longer we wait here," Morgause said, "the less Merlin there is... the soul eater is busy..."

"What do you want me to do?" Arthur shouted.

"The time for games is over," Morgause smiled. "Now I want death. I've had enough of you, so I'll kill you first."

She threw Merlin from her uncerimoniously and flung the sword at Arthur. It sailed through the air and if it hadn't been for the years of close combat training and the escape from assassination mantras beaten into him, Arthur would not have been able to move out of the way fast enough.

As if was, he launched himself sideways and grasped the sword's hilt as it whistled past him. It really was quite a spectacular move, Arthur thought as he hit the ground.

He jumped up and ran at Morgause as fast as he could, and held the sword ready and ran at her, screaming, and