SEVEN

Onya's pace was slow as she walked away from the Champion. As Sarah regained her strength and began to come to the fore of their collective mind, her pace quickening until she was running to the gate house as though hell itself were hot on her heels. Far away was all she wanted, to be far away from Duncan MacLeod and his incessant questions!

Why couldn't Duncan see that he was pushing her too far too fast? Why couldn't he see what that did to her? What it could make her do to him? Onya not only stirred inside of her when Sarah was angry with him she burned to full wakefulness and demanded to be let out. Sarah was all too aware of just what Onya wanted and she had to beat her down, keep her down, keep her away from him. Today she had failed in that objective, Onya had escaped her bonds and Sarah had been helpless to stop it. But she still had one ace up her sleeve, just one, but it was a big one.

How much longer could she hold onto it? There was less than a week left, what was she going to do when time ran out for all of them?

With no other thoughts in her mind. No way to find the door. Sarah did the only thing she knew. In a body that trembled from head to foot, she sat cross legged in front of her altar and lit the candles.
"Lord God Ares, King of all Gods, Lord of Fire, Master of all that is wild and free, Father of woman and man, Lover to the Goddess Aphrodite, protector of me. Invoke I say! Descend I pray! With your fiery rays of power, come into my Circle, come to my will." Sarah lit the altar candle, closed her eyes, focused herself and began to pray. "Ares, please help me." Sarah whispered. "I am afraid, take this fear from me, replace it with your strength and your power." She felt the sting of the tears as they began to emerge from her eyes. "I don't want to hurt him. Please." she whispered, "please, help me. I'm so afraid, Lord. Please."

Duncan did not chase after her but he did follow at a safe distance. Now as he neared the cottage, there was an odor in the air. A fiery scent which assaulted his nostrils as he inhaled. Certain there was something smoldering in the woods, he looked around but could find no sign of smoke.

Inside the cottage Sarah rocked back and forth gently on her knees with her wand in her hands held over her head, as she spoke the soundless words slowly she brought the wand down as it touched her knees. For the second time that day, the talisman around her neck began to glow and emit its low hum...

To Duncan, the sun seemed to brighten by at least twenty times over, the air became thick with humidity and it was hard to breathe. He held his hand up against the light to shield his eyes as he stood outside the door to the cottage. The air in front of him itself seemed to solidifying and take shape. It moved towards the cottage Although Duncan could see nothing more than the wrought iron gates and stone wall, in his mind he knew what that transparent shape was.

Who it was.

In his mind, that shape was clad in black battle leather. He could see the blinding gleam of sunlight bouncing from the blade of an ancient sword. Ares. Sarah had called her Father home. At the thought, Duncan felt Ares' stare turn towards him just before He entered the cottage. Duncan was instantly transfixed to the spot on which he stood. Unable to move or to speak. Knowing full-well that Ares did not want him to interfere.

Sarah felt the full force of her Father enter her body. His electric purple energy vibrated every inch of her being. It pulsated and throbbed as it raced around inside her. Slowly she lowered body backward in a full arch, her head coming to rest on the floor behind her. She continued to whisper her power chant:

"Lord Ares, father, brother, husband, lover, come into me."

Strong ghostly hands on her bare skin, touching and caressing her entire body all at once. The electric purple of His aura exploded inside her mind, she was covered in it. She could hear the sound of His breath, His divine heart race with the force of a freight train sliding down a mountain.

"Guide me." Sarah begged as her mind slid away from the space and time most people call Reality and into the world of Magick. No longer in her cottage, Sarah looked around herself for a moment and noted the large rock on which she sat, the stark greeness of the grass around her and the utter blueness of the babbling brooke which flowed in front of her. The royal purple sky. Blinding lemon sun.

"Let's take a lesson, Daughter." Ares said as he held out His hand to her.

Sarah slowly brought her eyes downward again at the sound of His voice. Afraid of what lesson he would teach this time, she only stared blankly at the outstretched hand before her. Looking up, she saw the disapproving look upon His face as His coal eyes stared through her. Sarah slipped her hand inside His and they made their way past the babbling brook toward the dark cave in which Ares lived.

Ares turned and looked down at her as they walked. "What is my first lesson?"

"From conflict comes growth." Sarah said without having to think.

"And my second?"

"Chaos creates Order and Order creates Chaos"

"The third?"

"Nothing grows in a stable environment."

"The fourth?"

"From the conflict of growth comes knowledge, wisdom and change."

"The last?."

"Unbridle your passions. Do not be afraid of the change, embrace it."

"Very good." Ares said as they entered the cave in which He lived.

The cave was not dark and cold as one might expect it to be, rather there were large torches lit everywhere which brought both light and warmth to the ancient rock. A fire burned brightly in a hearth the size of which one could easily toss entire trees in its mouth. Her eyes stared into the massive flames as she held her hands out to it for warmth. Fine tapestries hung from the walls, they depicted Ares and his armies in battle. The largest one hung over his Throne, hand woven in gold, blue, black and white, was a massive tapestry depicting the God of War driving his Chariot into battle. Sword held high in one hand, reigns held tight in the other, hair flying back beneath the helmet. His horses , Flame a massive black steed and Terror his equal but white, running at a break neck pace, their manes flying wildly out from their necks as they pulled the chariot which lead the legion behind them into the battle. Truly an impressive tapestry, Sarah thought as she stared at it. It was probably a very frightening image to most people, the God of War charging headlong into battle. To her it was calming, soothing, showing her the strength her Father possessed and his will to use it when necessary.

Lord Ares smiled sadly as he seated himself upon his throne and held a large gloved hand out to her. She rested at his feet and took the large hand being offered her into her smaller one. It had been so long since He had seen her, been able to touch her with His gloved hand. Lord Ares had come to her many times in her dreams, but that was not the same. Not like here, where they were free to talk and to touch, to communicate on all levels conscious and unconscious. Lord Ares wanted to keep her here now that she was beginning the rebirth. That was not possible and the Champion already awaited outside the door where her Earthly body lay. Ares found himself beginning an extreme distaste for the Immortal he had chosen to protect his daughter. "What do you want of me? Why have you called me here?" Ares asked as his large hand reached out to trace the curve of her delicate face.

The fiery warmth of His hand sent chills down her spine as she cuddled her cheek against it. Sarah was not afraid, she had never been truly afraid of him. She was awed by his power and the realization that she was part of Him and He part of her. Sarah's eyes looked away from him as she wondered what right she had to be His daughter? What should give her the power to be above mortal men and women? What had she done to deserve such an honor? With much hesitation in her voice, Sarah finally spoke. "Please, Father...I know what you will have Onya do. Please, don't. There must be another way." Sarah begged softly.

Ares sat upon his heavy stone throne staring down into the eyes of his daughter and saw the love she held for her Champion reflected there. "The change has already begun and nothing will stand in its way now, not even you, daughter. You may fight it for a while yet, I image that you will, but you will not be able to stop it. The last day approaches quickly. Repeat to me my fifth lesson."

"Unbridle your passions, don't be afraid of the change, embrace it." Sarah said lowly as the tears began to flow from her large doe eyes. "I cannot."

"You can. You will." Ares looked down at her with eyes which both concerned for and disgusted with her,. She had waited to long already to fulfill the second third of his prophecy. "Do not defy me, daughter. You have already given him to much power."

"I cannot." Sarah repeated in a hushed whisper as she held tighter to her Father's hand. "Please, Lord, it's..." her voice trailed off as she feared using a word that her Father never approved of.

"It's what?" He demanded to know.

Sarah grasped his hand tighter as she bit her lip and then looked away from him. "Unfair." She sighed and looked at him to see that his black eyes now blazed at her. She tried to look away again but she was trapped by them. His magnetism held her eyes to him and her body to ground on which she sat. Sarah steeled herself against his wrath.

Ares let go of her hand but she did not release his in return. "Fair?" He asked with bitterness in his voice. "What is fair, daughter? You have lived too long on Earth." He chided in a dark booming whisper. "Either that or it's your mother talking."

"I am sorry, Father." Sarah whispered as she held tightly to His hand. "I show weakness in front of you, unforgivable I know. "

Lord Ares closed his hand gently around hers once again. "Nothing you do is unforgivable in my eyes, daughter. Bring your Champion to me." Without another word Lord Ares raised a large hand in front of her face, waved it lightly past her eyes....

...Sarah lay in the Gate keeper's cottage once again.

Duncan watched as the entity exited the cottage through the stone wall and once again felt its stare upon him. Although he could not see it, Duncan knew it raised a hand a in the air and released him. Once again his legs moved freely beneath him. When he felt sure the entity had left, he made his way over to the cottage. Slowly Duncan opened the door (which Sarah had locked), freely and crossed the room to stand behind her. Whatever had actually happened in here, Sarah seemed unharmed by the experience, she appeared to simply be sleeping (skyclad, in a pretzel like position). Silently he wondered if he would ever grow accustomed to watching her work her magick. Slowly her eyes opened and she tried to right herself from the inhuman position she had bent herself into during the trance. Slowly one leg and the next slid from under her until she lay flat on her back in the hardwood floor.

"Are you all right?" He asked in a low tone so as not to frighten her.

Her head rolled on her shoulders to look up at him. Her eyes did not appear to focus at first but soon she gave him a small smile."Yes." She lifted herself from the ground, "How long have you been here?" She did not turn to look at him.

"Long enough." Was all he said. "We need to talk, Sarah. I need you to explain what's happening with you."

Still she sat with her back to him. More talk. Sarah was tired of talking. "Later, Duncan...I'll explain it all later." When she looked up at him he was not pleased with her answer, Sarah understood that Duncan had been standing there watching her for longer than she would have liked. He did not believe in such things as Magick, she knew he wanted to but the part of him which still feared The Darkness kept him from it. She often wondered how he could not believe in Magick? Wasn't his very existence proof that it did exist in this world? Why couldn't he see that? If he was not going to believe why did he insist upon sneaking out to watch her? How would she ever hold onto to him if he did not believe?

"When?"

"Soon" She whispered in an exhausted voice as she looked into his eyes. "Soon, Duncan, I swear you will know everything." She ran her hand along his cheek. Sarah kissed his cheek lightly as she walked past him on her way to the main house.