The Power Of Love

He stepped down the hall and though he heard movement behind him, he guessed it was her and his men behind her descending the stairs, he continued down the hall without looking back. He had just entered the front lobby when he saw Amy and that’s when he remembered what Sabella had said.

“Amy?” He asked and Amy’s breath caught as 2 women and 3 men that were behind her looked at him. 4 of them seemed to have the blank eyes that Leila did and upon seeing him they loped forward toward him stiff and wooden-like just as Leila did. The other man was massive, he stood nearly 6’7” tall and Nathan could tell he was thick all around, with dark almost black skin and dark eyes. He was bald and wore a long, black dust coat. “Hi Nathan!” Amy said and giggled. “This is Quell and he’s come to Take The Oracle. I’d let him...If I were you but first things first,” she said and smiled darkly. “Sabella! I have someone I’d like you to meet!” She yelled as Nathan drew out his blades and engaged the drones in combat.

Sabella both loved and hated Nathan in that moment and it made her so angry that she wanted to pull out her hair! Why was he acting so foolish? She knew that she couldn't let him leave and so she started after him down the stairs. "Nathan! Come back here!"

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, with several of his men behind her, she stopped when she saw Amy. Behind her stood two women and three men that looked just like Leila had. One of the men was huge. He was the tallest and biggest man she had ever seen in her life! When Amy told her that he was there to take her father her breath caught in her chest. She knew that they could not let him. Nathan drew out his daggers and began to fight the others and it was then that she heard Amy call her name. She looked at her and prepared her mind for a fierce battle.

"Amy...this is not you. We are like sisters. I've cared for you like you were my own blood. Please stop this. You must fight against her!"

As Sabella and the others came into view it was an odd scene, Nathan fighting with the drones and Amy and Quell on one side, near the doors and Sabella, Ben, Rory and the others on the otherside near the hallway. Nathan fought with every bit of anger and ferocity that he always did but the drones were inhumanly strong and each had a similar amulet as Leila had. He jumped onto one, his blade piercing into a man’s chest then slashing across his neck. He neither called out in pain or seemed to even notice it and he tried to slash at Nathan was its own blade but Nathan blocked it with his and the two made a distinct ‘Clang’ when steel met steel. When the others came up on him Nathan rolled but took a slash across his side.

Amy tilted her head and her smile faded as Sabella came into view. “Wesley was my friend too and Nathan and you poisoned their hearts with your selfishness...Sabella, you poison everything you touch!” She said and shifted her arms as she began to use her power. For a moment, a brief moment, Sabella felt a strong, almost overwhelming sense of fear. Rory screamed and Big Ben began to shake. Several others also yelled out as if they were frightened and ran as fear filled them. Nathan continued to fight, the man he injured fell to the ground and though he was dieing it tried to crawl toward him. Blood was already smeared all over the wall and the floor. Quell took a few steps but didn’t move past Amy...yet and 2 of the drones paused as if waiting for something as Nathan fended off a woman in a green dress. Sabella recognized her. She was Karianne Lewis, a woman that used to teach at the estate but had a difficult time fitting in due to her powers.

Sabella tried to keep an eye on Nathan, but was distracted by Amy. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could she felt a strong sense of fear come over her nearly to the point of making her sick. For a moment she was unable to use her own powers, but finally she was able to push back Amy's powers and the sense of fear left her. She then did the same thing for the others near her, defending them mentally against Amy's attack. She kept an eye on Quell in case he moved any further.

"I don't not want to have to hurt you Amy, but I will kill you if I have to."

Amy grinned darkly and then shook her head as if she had the upper hand. Nathan took another slash across his arm but it appeared his thick, leather jacket had absorbed most of it though there were several patches of dark, wetness here and there now that shown through the leather. He slashed at her upper thigh, his blade biting deep through her blue dress as he blocked her blade as she slashed at his throat.

“I’ll let you leave alive Sabella, that is what I offer, Nathan too if you take him with you,” she said but knew she’d never let them take the Oracle peacefully. “I hear he’s speaking better...that is good, my lady has much to discuss with him,” Amy said. “Quell...go get him please and bring him to me,” she said. Quell shifted and set something on his head. A helm of some sort and when he did Sabella would feel her awareness of him disappear. As he stepped forward Ben charged at him with a cry. The two large men made contact and it sounded as if an elephant had fallen when they both carried one another to the ground. The two drones shambled forward, blades bared straight at Sabella and those that hadn’t ran away in fear.

Sabella looked over to see Nathan get slashed across the arm. Thankfully, the thick, leather jacket he was wearing protected him somewhat but she could see the leather begin to turn dark from his blood. She looked back at Amy and narrowed her gaze at her. “We are not going anywhere with you and I am not going to allow you to take The Oracle.” Suddenly, she saw Quell start to move again, but before she could link her mind to his he put on some sort of metal helmet and in an instant she could no longer sense him mentally. Horror filled her heart as she stared at the large, hulking man before her knowing that she could not stop him physically. She spotted movement out of the corner of her right eye and suddenly saw Ben rush towards Quell. A loud boom sounded through the area as Ben made contact with the man and fell backward. Before Sabella could move towards Ben she suddenly looked up to see two drones moving towards her. They both held blades and despite being almost wooden in their movements, they moved quickly and with the intent to harm. With an outward movement of both of her hands the blades flew out of their grasp and landed 20 feet away with a loud ‘clank’ on the floor. Even without their weapons they continued to come towards her. Sabella narrowed her gaze and focused her mind. Several framed pictures flew off the walls and smashed into the drones. They were knocked over but immediately got back up and started coming at her again. Sabella looked over to her right and spotted the large, round entry table. It was solid mahogany and weighed several hundred pounds. As if it were suddenly light as a feather, it raised up in the air and flew across the room, slamming into one of the drones and throwing him against the wall. The second drone continued to come towards her. Books that lined the nearest bookcase suddenly flew off the shelves and pummeled the drone, but to no effect. Sabella then growled under her breath and looked up at the large, ornate crystal chandelier hanging above where the table had just been. She moved a little to her left and the drone followed. After she took two more steps the chandelier suddenly came crashing down upon the drone, killing her instantly.

Nathan only just made it out of the way from the massive chandelier that sent shards of crystal and iron going everywhere. The drone he fought had him up against the far wall, her blade long since lost when Nathan cut into the hand that wielded it. He had never seen such destruction as Sabella had just made, he wouldn’t be surprised that she couldn’t bring their entire house down! In fact he thought she almost did but it was a distant thought. ‘No...no...don’t black out,’ he said to himself as the drone began to squeeze his throat.

Amy barely avoided the chandelier herself after the large table hit her and he could tell she was in bad shape as she tried to crawl across the floor. She wasn’t smiling now he saw nor would she be threatening anyone for a while at least. Across the room the large man held Ben’s arms out and Ben groaned as it looked like they were about to be pulled out of their sockets. As he felt his windpipe constrict Nathan slashed at the chain that held the amulet he knew kept them animated and it fell away and skidded along the floor. As he expected the drone killing him dropped to the floor and without hesitating he flipped his knife over then threw it at the large man who was killing Ben. The blade scored across the back of his right leg but didn't stick in. He yelped anyway though and he growled as he shoved Ben away right into Sabella and the others and they fell back into a heap of bodies in the hallway.

“Help me!” Amy cried out as Nathan fell to his knees. He gasped to force air through his throat and he winced as the pain of it hit him. Quell lurched forward and bodily picked up Amy then without pause charged at and through the front door. Wood cracked and splintered as the door blew out like it was nothing more than paper. As Nathan felt his arms going limp, the last thing he remembered was the damp feel of his own blood under his cheek. For a moment no one moved inside the house. 4 drones lay dead on the floor amongst the rubble of the books, ruined table and chandelier. Nathan laid unconscious near them, his left cheek laying in a pool of his own blood. Ben was heavy to push off of her and Francis and Tom groaned as they began to stir behind her. Those that had ran came back through the back door and they paused to view the carnage as pieces of plaster fell onto the floor and the fresh, metallic scent of blood hung thick in the air.

Hours later Sabella sat next to Nathan on his bed. Rose had managed to heal his wounds but he remained unconscious. Darkness had long since fallen upon the estate and it was quiet again. The events of several hours before continued to replay over and over in her head. Amy’s cries for help echoed in her mind and brought tears to her eyes. Even though they had won they had still lost because Amy was still their prisoner. Downstairs the front entry had been cleaned up. The bodies had been moved out and burned and the blood cleaned from the floors. The glass from the destroyed chandelier had been swept up, but the marks would remain in the floor would remain a reminder of those events forever.

Sabella had a bowl of cool water and a rag and she lightly dipped the rag into the water. She wrung it out before gently dabbing it across his forehead. As she did this she began to sing softly. No one but Nathan and The Oracle knew she could sing and he had often asked her to sing for him when they were alone. There was one song in particular…a love song…that Nathan had often requested to hear and it was that very song that she sung for him now.

He had been listening soon after she began. Sabella had a distinct, sweet voice that reminded him of silver bells where each pitch was near perfect. He opened his eyes and just looked over at her. Her song wasn’t loud he knew it was just for him and for those that were no longer with them. He guessed that the next time they encountered Albereth they’d come in full force to take the Oracle. With Albereth’s powers it was clear to him now that she intended to enslave him and use him as some kind of living crystal ball. He couldn’t imagine what kind of power that would bring her or how much evil that would loose into the world. Sabella, with her long dark hair and perfect skin was there for him. Even his dreams were not so dark when she was near and knew that to be some kind of side effect to the connection that they have.

When Nathan tried to talk he made a rasp that caught Sabella’s attention. Her singing stopped abruptly as she looked over at him. How could he ever think he could be happy without her. She was so young and alive and beautiful. And the most surprising thing of all, she loved him and he felt that love growing inside of him whenever he thought of her. His inevitable death wouldn’t change anything now, it was done. She was as connected to him as the sun was to the moon and all his trying to protect her and his pushing her away only made it that much more evident. He couldn’t shelter her any longer from what was to come, what was going to happen was going to happen but it didn’t mean he couldn’t hang on as long as he possibly could. For her, for himself or the love they shared.

“Marry me...Sabella,” he said in a raspy voice. Those words were just as much a surprise to him as they seemed to be for her. “Please,” He asked in a stronger tone as he shifted his hand to grab onto hers. His throat was still sore but it was no longer damaged. Just terribly terribly dry.

Sabella hadn't seen Nathan's eyes open. For a moment she had just been staring off as she sang in such a way that one would have wondered what it was she was thinking about. The truth was she was thinking about Nathan and he first time he had told her he loved her. She had only ever felt that kind of joy before and it had been when Westley had said those same words to her. She did not doubt that Nathan still loved her and she would never deny her love for him. She deeply regretted the things that had been said in anger and would have given anything to be able to take it all back. She needed Nathan in her life as much as she knew he needed her.

Suddenly, a noise caught her attention and she stopped singing mid-line. Looking down, she could see Nathan looking back up at her and her eyes met his. In her eyes was reflected the pure, undying love she had for him and Nathan would know in that moment that she was his in body and spirit and would stand beside him in this fight as she would in life.

Marry me...Sabella

Sabella blinked, wondering if she had heard him correctly. His words had caught her off guard and she was left speechless for a moment. Nathan would then see tears of happiness fill her eyes as he picked up her hand. She leaned down and kissed him lovingly as a few tears slipped down her cheeks. She pulled back and looked into his eyes.

"Yes...I will."

Ooc-new thread