But Emrys didn't hear her joking voice. He watched Arthur and the Knights riding through the forest already halfway to them. "Morgana, Arthur and the Knights are halfway here. They will be here before midday. Do you want me to do something to slow them down?" he said a smile drifting through his question. "Yes. I think Arthur should be introduced to Emrys. Do what you wish. I shall finish off here then we leave. Okay?" replied Morgana as her eyes glowed and the familiar smirk returned as the 'corpse' floated in the air.
Arthur hadn't stopped riding since his father had given him permission to go after them. He was being irrational chasing after 'The Servant' as his father had called him but he meant so much more than that to them all. He was his friend...his best friend and right at that moment he could be dead at the hands of his half sister. He didn't even care that he had magic. It made sense. He had just ignored the evidence of it. The Knights all had the same look of determination in their eyes as they pushed the horses harder to get to their friend. They were so close to where Merlin had told them and they could hear noises in the distance which made them push their horse further. Suddenly the horses froze, two of them all four feet off the ground. Then, as Arthur turned to the others, Leon fell off his unmoving horse screaming and as suddenly as he had started, he stopped. His head dropped and came back up jerkily. His eyes were closed and he didn't seem to be breathing but his arm slowly moved to his sword. Arthur realised what was happening and shouted to Elyan who was closest "Get back!" He shook off the horrified stupor and jumped back slightly too late. The sword sliced into his shoulder faster than a wyvern strike and was back up before they could blink. The horses came back to life and Arthur shouted to Percival to get Elyan back to Camelot. The bulky man nodded fear in his eyes and grabbed the already unconscious man and dragged him on his horse. They heard another distant cry and Gwaine looked away from the hunchbacked Leon but jumped out the way as the sword flew through the air where his neck had been. The three focused on the pitiful form of their friend and didn't hear the laugh like a lightning bolt echo through the forest.
Merlin smirked and thought 'Ignore me if I scream. This one will probably hurt.' He shut his eyes and focused on his vision of Arthur riding. He saw it and with a laugh froze the horses in mid air. Then as he killed Leon he started screaming but he ignored the pain just as Morgana ignored his screams. He screamed until Leon started moving under his influence then he attacked. Elyan was injured and he didn't want to kill them yet so he unfroze the horses and Percival dragged Elyan up to take him back to Camelot. He slashed towards Gwaine but the man got away with his head making Emrys angry as the three focused upon him. With a laugh he launched his attack forcing the anger into the pitiful form of Leon. He moved Leon behind Lancelot and, holding the sword to his throat, murmured three words in the horrified Knights ear. "Emrys is coming." With those words the corpse dropped the sword which sliced into Lancelot's leg and fell down as the magic animating fled it. Emrys' eyes flew open, no longer golden but his usual light blue. "I think that slowed them down, Morgana." he said a smirk floating through the still water of his cold eyes. "I saw that all in my fount. I wanted to know...You really meant it. I mean, I wasn't sure. But Leon...I'm glad I didn't kill you Emrys." She said her eyes full of surprise but strangely no fear. "They'll be here after nightfall. And we are not leaving he needs to know what he's up against. Let him see us torturing 'Merlin' and then we do what we do best." Emrys said in a voice like hers.
"And what may that be ? Actually don't answer that I don't care. I just want to have some fun scaring my brother. I'm not letting you have all the fun jobs Emrys." Morgana queried a glimpse of the hatred she harboured for her brother showing in her malicious smile.
Arthur, Gwaine and a limping Lancelot crept through the forest and saw the floating corpse of Merlin and two people standing in front of it laughing. Arthur gasped and the sorcerer's turned still laughing. Gwaine ran at them unable to stop himself. They both followed. But they were thrown back by Gwaine landing on top of them. They were forced to their knees. Arthur looked up and saw the eyes of his playmate, the girl who had bested him in combat and he felt like crying. He wanted to have that beautiful little sister back but all he saw was the bitter reflection their father created. Gwaine and Lancelot didn't even see the smirking ex ward of the king. They saw Emrys smiling down upon them and they recognised the ice blue eyes and long midnight black hair hiding his face but didn't believe. Their best friend, the bumbling idiot couldn't be the man with a heart encased in ice staring down with malice and laughter in his eyes. They couldn't say a word the enchantment binding them there too strong for even that.
"Well, knights how nice to see you did you like the distraction we sent?" said Emrys a laugh in his voice. Fear seeped throughout the Princes eyes as he saw the face of the man floating above him. He knew it was his friend but just wouldn't let that even register. "We're going to let you leave because to be honest letting you live is a fate worse than death now. There are dark days ahead for all of you. We'll let the bonds go you can fight us for a while but we have things to do so don't expect a long fight. We're coming to blow all the houses in so run and hide cause not even that will save you. " promised Morgana her smirk bigger than ever before. Emrys released the bonds and said one word "Run." But even though they knew nothing of their combined power they unsheathed their swords.
Emrys sighed inside at this pointless display of heroics. "Really Arthur? Gwen wouldn't be too happy if you died or if you died Lancelot. You already know what I can do and Gwaine, well no one will really care about you. Fight me? I'm the most powerful sorcerer who ever lived. I wouldn't try it but I'm not an arrogant royal prat am I." Said a quietly laughing Emrys as a shimmering black sphere formed in front of him. Morgana smirked the way that made Arthur so sad and created a shimmering red snake that curled around Emrys' black light and he saw the familiar challenge in her eyes. He heard her bittersweet voice curl in his head 'Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough."
Quick Mention for AzraelLillith for being my first reviewer :D Thank you all for being generally awesome and reading my rubbish.