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Blade shining like a shard of the sun. 
    Baal-Mar-Dan burned away to obsidian bones and smoking ash. 
    Arran crawled forward and grasped the hilt of his Sacred Blade. He wanted to die with his weapons in hand. 
    The world grew dim and hazy around him.
    He saw the woman walking towards him, spear in hand, and all faded to darkness. 

Chapter 4 - Premonitions

    Anno Domini 2012

    Paulsen stormed into the principal’s office and pointed at Ally. His face had only gotten redder in the last thirty minutes. “I want this bitch expelled.”
    Dr. Burton, a gaunt black man with a wispy white goatee, folded his hands on his desk. “Oh? Might I inquire why?” 
    Mr. Paulsen sputtered. “You don’t know why? You’ve had her here for thirty minutes, and you don’t know why?” 
    Dr. Burton didn’t blink. “I wanted to hear both sides before I made a decision.”
    “What is this?” said Mr. Paulsen, pacing back and forth. “Are we going to just sit back and let the students disrespect the teachers? We’ll have anarchy…”
    “Kevin,” said Dr. Burton. “Please sit down. You’ll give yourself a heart attack if you keep carrying on like that.”
    “I’m in great shape,” muttered Mr. Paulsen. Nevertheless, he sat down, pausing long enough to shoot a venomous glare at Ally. 
    “So,” said Dr. Burton. “Tell me. What precisely did to Miss Wester do to warrant expulsion? Oh, and what did she do to warrant you calling her an obscene name, which, I might point out, is conduct specifically prohibited by the teachers’ handbook and possible grounds for a lawsuit in these litigation-happy days?” 
    Mr. Paulsen blinked. “She can’t sue me!” 
    Dr. Burton’s lips thinned in annoyance. “She can, Kevin. Or, rather, her parents could. But we’ll talk about that later. Why should she be expelled?”
    “She was showing me open disrespect,” said Mr. Paulsen.
    “How so?” 
    Mr. Paulsen stammered. “She called me deadwood.” 
    “Ah. Deadwood. I cannot imagine why she would say such a thing.” Dr. Burton’s voice was neutral. “Miss Wester? Why did you call Mr. Paulsen deadwood?” 
    Ally sighed. “Look. I lost my temper.”
    “Why?”
    Ally folded her arms. “Mr. Paulsen said American government was a boring topic. I thought that was a pretty stupid thing for a government teacher to say.” Mr. Paulsen bristled, but kept going. “So I asked him if he knew about that bill that passed the state legislature, the one that would cut the school system’s budget by twenty…”
    Dr. Burton removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yes, yes, I know all about that. Go on, Miss Wester.” 
    “Anyway, Mr. Paulsen didn’t know about the bill. I asked him if he knew that some people think a lot of deadwood will get fired if that bill gets signed…”
    “Also true,” said Dr. Burton. 
    “Yeah.” Ally shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess an American government teacher who doesn’t know anything about government might count as deadwood, but what do I know? I’m just a girl who should be on the cheerleading team supporting school spirit, like Mr. Paulsen told me.” 
    Paulsen jumped out of his seat. “See! I told you!”
    “Kevin,” said Dr. Burton, glaring over the rims of his glasses. “For the last time, please sit down.” 
    Mr. Paulsen dropped back into his chair. “But she also said I got drunk and got my wife pregnant before I married her. That’s a dirty slander…”
    “Kevin,” said Dr. Burton. “It’s entirely true. Everyone knows it.”
    Mr. Paulsen’s lips flapped. “It…but…she doesn’t have to say it.”
    Dr. Burton leaned back in his chair. “Also true. You can go, Kevin. Miss Wester will be disciplined.” 
    “But…” 
    “Go, Kevin. We’ll discuss this later.” Mr. Paulsen glared at Ally again and slammed the door behind him.
    “So. What I am to do with you, Miss Wester?” Dr. Burton stared at Ally.
    Ally took a deep breath. “Okay. I know I