Chapter 9:Illume

            Sara looked carefully into the display case, her brow furrowed in concentration.  He came up behind her, silently as usual and slipped his hand into hers. 

            Following her gaze he grinned, "Still trying to decide?"

            "Uh huh."

            "Can I make a suggestion?"

            "Yes…please do," she said exasperated by the choice.

            He stood and turned to the woman at the counter, "She'll have a Pretty 'n' Pink and I'll have a Yonge 'n' Eligible.

            "Really?" asked the sales lady giving Nottingham an unmistakable look.

            "Yes" said Sara quickly, "and NO!" she added holding up their clasped hands.

            "Alright" she laughed, placing the two cupcakes into a white pastry box.  "Enjoy."

            They turned away from the counter to leave.  "That was not funny," Sara said opening the box and removing her treasure.

            Ian took a bite of her cupcake, "What?" he asked innocently.

            "What he asks" Sara mocked.  She wiped the bit of pink icing that clung to his moustache with her finger and placed it into her mouth.  "Waste not, want not," she said softly looking into his eyes.  They had darkened when she had touched him, her fingers brushing softly against his lips.  He leaned down and kissed her and the effect was like a minor earthquake through her nervous system.

            "I'm sorry Sara" he said as he pulled away.

            "Sorry for what?" she murmured opening her eyes.

            "For not being able to stop this…"

            She looked up into his face and noticed the blood seeping from his mouth.  "Ian?" she cried, grabbing him as he slumped into her.  "Oh god no!"

            Behind him stood a man, that she felt she should recognize.  On his hand was a metal glove with a short sword at the end of it.  Ian's blood dripped slowly from the blade.  "Join me Sara" said the man, "embrace your destiny."  The glove on his arm retracted into a green jeweled bracelet quite similar to the witchblade.  He held his hand out to her.  "Embrace me."

            She looked down at Ian but his eyes were closed and he was not moving.  "NO!" she screamed, shaking him violently, willing him to wake. "This isn't happening."

            The man took a few steps back from her, his blade once again changing into the metal glove.  He crouched down and punched the ground dramatically.  A ripple of power began from around the fist and spread out, encompassing the area, leaving a war torn city in it's wake.  Sara looked around at the decimated buildings, and empty streets, fires burning off in the distance.  "This is the place fate has chosen for you Sara, at my side."  He held out his hand again and she noticed the rune tattooed on the back of it.  "I am the redeemer of will, the servant of truth, the bringer of enlightenment, all thee who seek the path look upon my face and know the call to war."

            Ian pulled the car into the lot of the old church.  He again reached into the glove compartment and pulled out his gun.  "Stay here" he commanded to Gabriel as he holstered the weapon.

            "But wait, I mean-"  Gabriel was cut off as Ian closed the door to the car.  He came around to the back opened the hatch and grabbed his katana.  "How do you even know this is the-".  Ian closed the back of the SUV and ran quickly into the building.

            His heart raced as he climbed the stairs, 'She was still alive,' he thought, he would know if she was dead, he would feel it.'  He increased his speed, drawing his blade as he entered the attic.  She lay on the floor unconscious, a man crouched in front of her holding a hand over her forehead.

            "One move Paladin, and I will end her life."  Nottingham drew his weapon and fired a few shots in the man's direction.  He dodged them easily, and turned his full attention towards Ian.

            "So you have called my bluff"

            "Hers is a light not so easily snuffed" Ian replied.

            He laughed at this, "And yet as you can see she is quite subdued."

            Ian raised his Katana in challenge, and the man bowed in acceptance.  Pulling a sword from beneath his robe he flew at Ian with raptorial speed.  Ian matched his attack stroke for stroke drawing on some inner reserve of strength against the brutal force.  He thought of Sara laying unconsciously on the floor and the blue jewel in his ring brightened as his fervor increased. 

            Sara's attacker saw the glow and as quickly as he had advanced he was again across the room.  "Excalibur…" he breathed.  "Awakened?"  He began moving to the left towards the open hole in the wall and Ian moved with him.  Slowly they circled some invisible point between them.  Ian's ring glowed fiercely and his assailant could not hide the open fear in his eyes.  "This will have to wait" he said, burying his sword back beneath the folds of his robe.  He leapt from the roof and disappeared from sight.  Nottingham sheathed his blade and ran over to Sara.

            "Sara?" he called kneeling beside her, "Can you hear me?"  She didn't move or respond.  "Sara?"  He placed his hand on her forehead and was suddenly pulled into her vision.  He was in New York, 'or what had formerly been New York' he surmised.  Crumbling buildings and empty streets were all that was left now.  She sat quietly in the middle of whatever had caused this cradling a body.  He came over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

            "I have lost him" she said softly.  He looked down at the man she held in her arms and felt a brief wave of nausea wash over him as he recognized his own face.  He had not feared death in a very long time, and had even come to accept that it may find him in his service to Irons or the wielder.  But to see his body so inwardly still and silent sent a chill through him.

            "Sara, I am here" he said kneeling behind her.  But she would not be consoled.  She rocked the body softly, humming tunelessly through her tears.  'She would mourn for him' he thought 'perhaps knowing this would be enough to get him through the agony of not being with her.'  He glanced around the ruined city, 'But they could not stay here.'  "Just look behind you lady Sara," Ian said, "I will always be there."

            Sara raised her head and slowly turned.  "Ian" she cried, "there you are."  The body in her arms dissolved as she turned to embrace him.  "Just like you promised" she whispered and the vision around them faded away.

A/N: For those of you from Toronto or ever heading to Toronto do not miss The Cupcake Shoppe www.thecupcakeshoppe.ca.  I had the 'Suga 'n' Spice' on the weekend and it was to die for (okay I had 2).