Everyone's jaws dropped off and rolled around the ground (figuratively speaking of course.)
"I-it s-spoke! H-how d-did i-it j-just s-speak?!!!!" Xander yelled in feverent denial, extending his index fingers out with his arms bent at the elbows and shaking his hands violently.
"Me often have much speakings in me, interesting Two-Leg creatures." It said, obviously mystified.
"M-maybe it didn't sp-speak, we probably just imagined it!" Willow rationalized, ignoring what it said.
"Yeah, we've b-been through a l-lot, you know?" Buffy said, trying to support Willow's feeble attempt at rationalizing.
Giles sighed.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! The damn motherfucking thing actually spoke!!! OKAY???!!!" Hera snapped at them.
"Listen to the Amazon! Give denial a kick in the balls and run away FROM IT! OKAY???!!!" Cordelia screamed, throwing up her hands.
Buffy, Willow, and Xander looked a little cowed.
"I think you're spooking it." Oz suddenly said.
They looked at it, and it did seem a little nervous now, its head whipping back and forth, watching them carefully. Then it spoke again in its extremely goofy and childlike version of Neil's voice.
"Why you yell at each other? That not have niceness."
"Huh?" Buffy said.
Diana and Athena looked at each other, and then they moved toward it, Diana giving Artemis to Faith. They both began to look alarmed.
"Diana, what are yo-?"
"Athena, wait a minute. I do-"
"It's going to be alright." Athena assured Faith and Artemis, looking back at them.
"Well, don't come crying to us if it rips your throats ou-" Cordelia began.
"SSSHHH!!!" everyone else scolded her.
Cordy shut up.
Athena and Diana got on their knees, bringing themselves to the creature's level, and as a result, looking less threatening. It looked back and forth at them uncertainly.
"We're apologetic for raising our voices, but we're under a lot of tension." Diana said to it.
"Ten-sion?" it repeated.
"Yep, and we're a little lost." Athena said.
"Lo-st?"
"Very lost. A malevolent force sent us here, and we don't know how to return. Will you assist us?" Diana asked.
Looking calmer, it looked at them again, and then raised one of its front flippers upward. It was like it was holding it under its chin in a thoughtful pose even though it was nowhere near its chin. It stared at the ground for a moment, and then a slim tentacle emerged from its shoulder and scratched its head, surprising everyone. It looked back up at them once more.
"Are your heads very nice?"
"The nicest!!!" Athena replied, whipping her muscular arm around in a "for sure!" movement.
Its head jerked back suddenly, and the side of its mouth started twitching rapidly. It looked at the ground, and then looked at Athena, then back at the ground. It repeated this sequence several times.
"What the hell is it doing?" Buffy wondered.
"Got me, B." Faith answered.
Without warning, it leapt straight up into the air and yelled "EP!!!!" as loud as it could, then it started running around them all in a circle crying "Ep! Ep! Ep!" about three times before stopping in front of Diana and Athena.
"New friends! New friends!" it shouted happily, bounding from back flippers to front flippers to side flippers in a sort of crazy dance, "whoo whoo! whoo whoo! whoo whoo!!! Me love new friends!!!"
Numerous tentacles emerged from its body and it waved them all around, going: "Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo!!!"
Then it sat on its haunches and started clapping its front flippers together, like a human would applaud a great performance.
"Yay!!!!" it said as it applauded enthusiastically.
Buffy, Faith, the Scoobies, and Neil's friends were completely dumbfounded.
It stopped clapping and got off its haunches and looked up at them.
"Don't you worry, Two-Leg creatures who have become my friends, I get you to safety, and then me get you home! Me promise!!!" It said, bobbing its head with great enthusiasm, "now must hurry to shelter or get caughted in very bad storm! Follow me!"
As it walked past them, they glanced at each other, shrugged, and then followed their very peculiar guide. It suddenly paused and turned to them, sniffing.
"Do we smell bad?" Helen asked curiously.
It shook its head and replied:
"Nope, but you do smell hurted. Are you hurted?"
"Yeah, we are." Helen confirmed uncertainly.
"Don't worry friends! Me help you!!!" it cried.
Inhaling a great deal of air, it swelled to five times to its original dimensions and then blew a glowing golden cloud at them.
Before any of them could react, they were engulfed by it.
"What the hell is that?!" Dawn yelled, pointing at the shadowy forms.
"Zombies and skeletons. Magical guardians." Wesley answered.
"Athena did say a sorcerer built this castle!" Joyce said.
"When did she say that?!" Dawn asked.
"Not important right now, honey."
"Right."
"They're not going to be able to hold them off for long." Angel said worriedly.
He looked at Joyce.
"Where are the weapons?"
The peculiar cloud coiled around them, almost oozing and shifting and slithering, before evaporating.
"What the crap was that?" Buffy asked, disturbed.
"Our wounds are gone." Lilith observed.
Astonished, they inspected themselves with eyes and touch. She was correct. Every single injury they had received from their cataclysmic battle with Demona was gone, like it was a dream. They looked at their tiny guide with new and slightly awed admiration.
"Have no more pain in you, friend Two-Legs creatures?" it inquired.
"None." Bellona replied, amazed.
It did a little happy dance, and then turned back around and walked off, its head turning and looking back at them.
"Follow me, friends! Me know of cave that shall keep us safe from the tem-pest!"
As they followed, Xander spoke up.
"Think we can really trust this thing?"
"Don't have a choice, boy." Hera responded coldly, now able to move under her own power.
"Gotta agree with Xander here." Faith said.
"Hera is correct. We have no choice. We are strangers in a strange land." Giles commented.
"A very strange land." Willow said.
As small talk was made, Diana moved up next to their new companion and asked:
"May I ask you something?"
It gazed up at her and bobbed its head enthusiastically.
"Why are you out here alone? Are there no other of your kind?"
"Oh, that very good question! There are a great many of my peoples, but they too scared to travel this far inland. As for me, me traveling to contact other colonies of my peoples."
"Why?" Helen asked, moving up to the other side of it, "Is there trouble?"
It nodded gravely.
"It the Bad Lady."
"Bad Lady?" Helen asked.
"Mhmm. Mhmm. She came to our world and caused much harm. Enslave many peoples, kill a great many, desecrate many temples, she nothing but trouble. Many of my peoples want to wait for the gods to have good savings of us, but me no wait! Me plan to form a resistance to the way of the Bad Lady. Me colony no want to help. They too afraid, but me not afraid! Me go to other colonies and make them see what we need to do!"
"You're certainly a determined little…fella." Ares said, walking closely behind the creature.
"Oooh! Me like compliments! Thank you Two-Leg friend!"
"You're welcome. I think." Ares said, shifting his eyes from side to side uncertainly.
As it kept talking, Diana looked at the others.
They were all thinking the same thought.
It was obvious who the "Bad Lady" was.
Angel reappeared at the bedroom door with weapons in hand, he handed a knife each to Joyce and Dawn and a sword to Wesley. He looked at Wesley.
"You can use a sword right?" Angel asked Wesley.
"Well, yes. But I have little practical experience."
"Prepare to get experienced then." Angel said.
"Did I mention my strengths aren't in knifes?" Dawn said.
"Looks like you may have to develop some." Angel replied as he glanced out the window at the raging battle, the roars and growls of Demona's monstrosities mixed in with the screams of their dying. Even though the undead were more than holding their own, one monster had broken through.
And was heading for their window.
The spectator sport was about to get up close and personal.
"Here the cave friends! Inside and quick!"
Nobody hesitated. They ran inside their temporary subterranean shelter as quickly as they could. The looming storm had suddenly broken and they had all gotten a bit drenched.
"Xander. Don't stare at our bras through our wet clothes." Buffy scolded.
"I'm a guy. It's my nature."
"What bra?" Athena smirked.
Buffy and Cordelia rolled their eyes. Xander looked intrigued. Faith chuckled.
"What a bra?" their little companion asked.
"Oh. Nothing important." Willow said, trying to act nonchalant.
"We need to give you a name." Oz said to their guide.
"You do? Alright! What you name me?"
"How about, the Seal-Neil?" Athena said.
"Seal-Neil, Athena?" Helen said, making a face.
"Kinda too literal." Apollo commented.
"I sorta like it." Faith said.
"You would." Buffy said.
"Well, it does rhyme." Oz commented.
Scratching its head, it spoke up:
"Me think me like that name very much!"
"Well then, that's what you is!" Athena declared. She started rubbing it under its chin and it began slapping the ground with one of its front flippers and making a "rrrring" noise.
"How'd you know it would like that?" Faith asked.
"If we get out of this alive, I'll tell you all about it. And if we don't, I'll still tell you all about it." Athena replied.
The "Seal-Neil" suddenly licked Athena's nose and she fell backwards. Faith laughed and the Seal-Neil licked her knee.
"Okay now, I'm ticklish." Faith said.
The Seal-Neil acquired a goofy/happy dog-like expression on its face and it licked her other knee. She giggled and fell to the ground as well. It hopped on her stomach and began licking her face which only made the Dark Slayer laugh more.
"She sounds like a little girl." Cordelia commented.
That's because she is, deep inside, you vacuous rich bitch. Hera thought. She turned away and sat in Ares' lap. Everyone had now seated themselves in the small cave, really little more than a hole in the hillside.
Stopping the slobber assault, it looked at Buffy and the Scoobies.
"Want a lick?" it asked.
"We'll pass." Buffy and Xander replied together.
"If I need someone to drool on me…" Cordelia pointed at Xander.
"Well, if you knew how to smooch and used a breath mint, maybe I wouldn't drool on you." Xander replied harshly.
She snorted.
"Oh, like you've had better, and my breath does not smell!"
As they argued, the Seal-Neil shrugged and looked at Giles.
"Um, n-no thank you."
Then it looked at Willow and Oz.
"Maybe later." Willow smiled.
"I'm good." Oz said with a faint smile.
It looked down at Faith.
"Had my quota for tonight."
Lastly, it looked at Athena and the rest of Neil's friends, who shook their heads and smiled softly.
"Maybe later, little dude." Zeus said.
"Litt-le du-de? Alrighty then, friends. You obviously tired, me know me is."
Hopping off Faith, it yawned, rubbed its eyes with its tentacles, and licked its body with its tongue like a dog or cat would. Then it pulled its flippers under itself like a cat would pull its legs under its body, and stared out at the raging storm. Lightning flashed, reflecting strangely in its almost human eyes.
"This cave certainly is a tight squeeze." Buffy suddenly said.
Before anyone else could respond, the Seal-Neil looked at her.
"Oh that a good thing friend, me know of other bigger caves not very far off, but they lead too far underground."
"Why is that a problem?" Giles asked it, curiously.
"Terrible Scary Things lurk there in the eternal dark. Like many of the gods. The Bad Lady and her Scary Things very awful, but they nothing compared to what's already he-re. Bad Lady demand our allegiance, on penalty of de-ath, but we no give it in our hearts, they belong to the gods. The Bad Lady obviously have no knowledge of them, for she profane the holy places and risk their wrath. Me hope it happen soon, but me not waiting for it. Every day we wait is equaled in the blood of our peoples, and me wait no more."
It glanced at each of them, and then looked back out at the growling tempest.
"Th-there are things here worse than D-the Bad Lady?" Willow asked nervously.
The Seal-Neil nodded somberly.
"They nothing worse than the gods."
There was a low growl of thunder, as if to emphasize that ominous statement.
Angel jumped back as the monster slammed into the window, its oozing tentacles flailing for him even as his battleaxe slashed at them. Dawn, Joyce, and Wesley screamed in terror, and the Watcher flailed ineffectually with his blade at the monster. One of its tentacles lashed out and wrapped around Wesley's waist.
"For God's sake, help me!" he cried in terror.
Swallowing her fear, Dawn threw her knife with surprising force and it lodged in one of the monster's multiple eyes. It screeched and released the hapless Wesley, who scrambled away as quickly as possible. Joyce picked up his fallen sword and swinging it furiously, sliced through one of its tentacles. Roaring, it swung more of its appendages at her, only to receive a battleaxe to its loathsome face, dripping with slime. Gurgling, it began to fall away as Angel ripped his weapon free.
"Thank you." Joyce gasped.
"Yes, thank you, all of you." Wesley said.
"You're welcome." Dawn said.
"There are more of them coming, we better go." Angel told them.
Looking out the window for themselves, they witnessed three more approaching, which immediately became two when one was struck by crossbow bolts from below.
Hightailing it out of the room and down the stairs, they entered the banquet hall, only to stop short.
At least twenty zombies awaited them.
"Oh god…" Wesley breathed.
Faith walked along the red sand wonderingly, looking around her, her confusion mounting.
Where the hell am I? she wondered.
As she walked, she heard an all-too familiar noise.
Only this time, it came from multiple throats.
Following the sounds to the edge of a nearby cliff, she looked down, and nearly jumped in surprise.
"There's so many." she whispered.
Below there was an enormous beach, the water crashing against it in huge waves. Something about the water seemed…strange…but she couldn't put her proverbial finger on it.
And the beach was literally covered in Seal-Neils.
There were small ones, medium ones, large ones, and ones that were simply enormous.
They called to each other with a variety of clicks, whistles, hooting, and other sounds along with the "ep" noise she was already familiar with. The madcap creatures were everywhere, in the water, on the shore, and climbing up the cliff walls.
While she watched them, Faith noticed one Seal-Neil by itself, standing on a very tall rock. While the others seemed inattentive to their surroundings, this one was very alert, constantly scanning the area.
Must be some kinda guard. Faith reasoned.
Faith realized that there were at least several more guards as she looked, similarly positioned on very tall stones, scattered around the area, their sharp eyes missing nothing.
They didn't even miss death.
One of the sentries suddenly glanced up, and then began barking loudly. The others looked in its direction, and then looked up themselves. Faith looked up as well, and whitened.
She knew Demona's flying blobs only too well.
The Seal-Neils looked apprehensive at first, but didn't flee until the monsters screeched in delight, which threw them into a panic. They turned and fled as one.
"NO!" Faith screamed.
Energy beams arced and crackled as they jutted forth, slicing into the Seal-Neils' terrified ranks. They fell like wheat. Faith watched powerlessly.
A stone suddenly hit one of the creatures in the corner of the eye that had gotten too close. It cried out in surprised pain, and then glared at the thrower.
One of the Seal-Neils was standing its ground, eyes narrowed, another rock cocked to throw.
But it never got the chance as the angry monstrosity released a short burst. The brave Seal-Neil dodged to the side, but the energy bolt was so potent that the sheer force of the blast sent it flying into the air and down into the water and was lost from view.
When it came back out, there was no one left, except for it.
The air was choked with innocent blood.
It let out an agonized and sorrowful wail to the sky.
And down in the depths of the sea, something stirred…
It reached for her. Faith caught a glimpse.
She screamed.
Faith felt a gentle nudging at her shoulder, which caused her to snap fully awake. She sat up quickly and looked around and noticed the Seal-Neil looking at her.
"Sorry, friend, me not mean to wake you, but it morning."
"No worries, thanks."
The Seal-Neil grinned at her and dashed off to awaken someone else.
Getting up, she noticed Neil's friends were already up, and had probably been so for a while, but Athena was not among them. She suddenly shivered involuntarily as the memory of the dream struck with full force.
What the hell was that? The dark Slayer wondered. Was that…?
Pushing the dream aside, she exited the cavern quickly.
Neil's friends watched her curiously, and then looked at each other.
"What's wrong with Faith, I wonder?" Ares asked.
"Don't know." Taryn replied.
"Should we…" Helen began.
"No." Diana replied.
"She will want alone time with Athena, I believe." Lilith said.
"I guess." Helen responded doubtfully.
I hope she's okay. Helen thought.
She looked up at Neptune, who had the same sentiment in his blue eyes.
Yawning, Buffy stood up and stretched, then glanced around. Neil's buddies were awake, while her friends unsteadily got up.
"I wonder why there is a large rock by the opening? It wasn't there before." Giles wondered.
"Oh! Me got that friend! Me used it to seal the opening. Storm got much worser, plus it help us hide from predatorings. They only come out at night."
"I see. Sensible."
"You sleep well, friends?" it inquired.
"As well as can be expected." Giles replied.
"Ain't that the truth?" Xander agreed.
"Yep, me too. Me not made for this enviro-ment, but me pass this way many times before regardless."
"What environment are you made for?" Buffy asked curiously.
"Me made for beach and sea! And for chasing Finnies under the sea! Yep! Yep!"
Buffy tried not to smile. Things were so grim right now, with Demona trashing her town, literally holding Neil inside herself, torturing him, Angel, her mom and sister, and that young Watcher guy at that evil bitch's mercy, and them, trapped in this strange place and unable to help.
But it was still difficult not to. The Seal-Neil was just so…goofy.
Athena stood outside the cave, staring over the landscape, arms folded.
I remember. She thought.
"Thenie?"
Athena looked over her shoulder and saw Faith exiting the cave and walking over to her.
"Hey baby, sleep well?"
"Like a fuckin' rock. You?"
"Same. Buffy and her buddies didn't though."
Faith shrugged.
"They're spoiled. Never had to rough it before."
"Yeah."
They were silent for a moment.
"Whatcha thinkin' about?"
"This deep shit we're in."
They were quiet again. Faith put her arm around Athena's waist reassuringly.
"We'll get out of this, big girl."
Athena smiled and placed her arm around Faith's shoulders.
"Let's hope."
Angel moved protectively in front of the others as the groaning undead approached them.
"Stay behind me." Angel urged the others as he raised his weapon.
Then the zombies surprised them.
Instead of assaulting them, they simply shambled around them and headed for the stairs they had just come down.
"They're not interested in us at all, only in fighting those vile creatures!" Wesley realized.
"Guess that's not surprising, we're not the intruders, they are." Angel commented.
"We're definitely not safe here though. We need to get out." Joyce said.
"What's safer than a fortress, though Mom?" Dawn asked.
"What is it, Mr. Angel?" Wesley asked out of the blue.
Joyce and Dawn looked at Angel in surprise.
He seemed to be listening…
"I hear a voice…"
Venturing forward cautiously, the others following in his wake, they too began to hear a voice.
"That sounds like…" Dawn whispered.
"…Neil's voice." Joyce finished.
Peeking around a corner, Angel started in surprise.
"What is it?" Wesley inquired.
Angel didn't answer. He just walked cautiously into the corridor and the others did the same, staring.
Neil was standing in the corridor.
He was nearly transparent.
While they watched him in disbelief, he pointed at one of the fake candle sconces and then made a downward thrusting motion with the same hand and vanished.
Angel got it. He walked to the sconce and pushed down on it. The wall beside it opened up.
Angel looked inside, and then motioned to the others.
"It's a tunnel. Come on."
Without another word, they went inside and the wall closed after them.
"So this is daytime here? Okay." Artemis wondered aloud.
They gazed at the white sky with black points of light, presumably stars. It was like staring at a photo negative of Earth's night sky.
"Weird!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"It sure is, friend Artemis! What your daytime like?"
Before the redheaded woman could reply, Lilith spoke up:
"That appears to be a metropolis of some fashion."
Everyone paused and looked around before spotting what Lilith was talking about.
"It is a city." Buffy said, astonished.
As they gazed upon it seemed to be sitting on a vast lake…or was it further away? Sitting on the lake shore?
There was something weird about the lake too…was it water? Or something else?
And the city itself... Buffy didn't like it. It set her Slayer senses buzzing loudly.
"You feel that, B?" Faith asked.
"Big ol' time." Buffy replied, fidgeting.
"What is this place?" Giles asked their guide.
The Seal-Neil looked up at him, and answered:
"It the City of the Yellow. One of our dei-ties reside here." It bowed reverently toward it.
"Should we enter and ask for help?" Willow suggested.
"That definitely not good idea friend Willow, if you go in there, you never leave."
The city and lake suddenly vanished like a mirage, causing everyone to jump back.
"Jesus!" Apollo shouted.
"The hell?!" Xander cried out.
"It's just…gone." Oz commented.
"If you went there, you be gone too." The Seal-Neil supplied.
Giles reaction was to gape.
"Let's get the hell out of here." Bellona suggested.
As they moved on, Athena thoughtfully spoke aloud:
"The City of the Yellow…"
"What is it baby?" Faith asked.
"Not sure, but something about that name sounds familiar…"
"What is that fetid stench?" Wesley asked the others, wrinkling his nose with distaste.
"Raw sewage." Angel replied briskly.
Emerging from the tunnel, they glanced around and noticed a stream of stinking water passing in front of them.
"One short word. Y. U. C .K. Yuck." Dawn commented.
Picking their way across the wet and slimy concrete, Angel stepped around a corner and was suddenly tackled by a dark figure. They both fell into the rushing liquid and disappeared beneath the surface.
"Mr Angel!" Wesley cried.
The next thing they knew, they were surrounded by angry, hissing vampires.
"Here our new shelter friends!"
It pointed upward with one of its tentacles, and then started running up the sheer cliff face like it was a level street.
Neil's friends and the Slayers climbed the cliff almost effortlessly because of their enormous strength and stamina, but Giles and the others were struggling. They had to rest more than once.
Finally arriving at the top, everyone knelt down and pulled the Scoobs up. They lay for a moment, panting.
"Hara-Kiri me now." Xander moaned.
"Does he ever quit being such a useless wimp?" Hera muttered under her breath.
"Be nice hon." Ares chided.
The Seal-Neil hopped on Xander's chest and said, "Need me to carry you, friend Xander? Me happy to carry you!"
"Naw."
"Alrighty!"
It jumped away and scampered off.
Ares inspected their surroundings with a trained eye. Their shelter was a good tactical position, with high walls, various and numerous odd-looking plants which would conceal their presence and the glow of any campfires they might light, and very high off the ground, which made them also difficult to reach. There were also many small caves and enormous stones, useful for concealment and/or ambushing an enemy.
Buffy and the Scoobies sat down, while the others inspected the campsite area, looking for useful resources or lurking foes. Finding no enemies, but plenty of firewood, they decided on the best site for a campfire and put the wood a safe distance from it. The site had a fire pit already dug and ready with stones around it. The area was clear of debris and other litter, which would make it quicker to go ahead and build the fire without needing to clean the area first.
"Has somebody used this as a campsite before?" Helen wondered.
"Yep! It was me friend! Me built the fire pit! Me do very good job in ensuring it safe!"
"I see that." Helen smiled.
"Me very glad you here. It scary to travel by meself."
"I bet so. Your world's a little…eerie."
"Get no argument from me friend Helen."
While they were speaking, Hera entered with a bundle of dead and dry branches, deposited them, and noticed Buffy sitting around. She started getting annoyed.
As Taryn moved to the fire pit, put in some branches, and worked on starting the fire, Hera started walking in Buffy's direction.
"I wonder if there's any food to be had?" Helen asked the Seal-Neil as Neptune strode up with a load and set it down.
"Sure! Follow me friend Helen! There a nice pool with many yummy Finnies in it! They easy to catch! It very near!"
The Seal-Neil bounded away with Helen and Neptune following. They hadn't even been gone two minutes when Hera had reached Buffy and stood over her. Buffy looked up.
"What?" she asked irritated.
"You think this is a free ride?"
"Are you my boss?"
"Yes. Now get up and help."
"Screw you."
Hera suddenly yanked Buffy to her feet.
"Easy." Oz said.
"You better take your damn hands off me." Buffy said quietly.
"Or you'll do what, little girl?" Hera challenged.
Buffy's response was a headbutt and an uppercut to the jaw.
"Oh, now you just gone and made a BIG MISTAKE!!!" Hera growled.
Moving faster than Buffy anticipated, Hera punched her directly in the stomach, HARD. Buffy stiffened and fell to the ground, wheezing.
"That's enough!!!" Giles yelled.
"Stop it!" Willow screamed.
Xander got between Buffy and Hera and was tossed aside. Willow and Oz ran to the downed Buffy and Xander and tended to them while Giles got in Hera's face.
"Don't you ever-"
"You better get out of my face, old man-"
Cordelia was too stunned to react.
"What the hell is going on?!" Ares yelled as he emerged from the foliage. He threw the branches aside and raced to the scene and started pushing Hera away as the others came out from the underbrush and moved to the argument. They were soon facing off like an Old West showdown, arguing loudly, Buffy and the Scoobs on one side and Neil's personalities and Faith on the other.
"Stop it! STOP IT!" came the Seal-Neil's voice. It ran in between them and started screeching loudly until everyone had shut up and were staring at it in astonishment.
"You go over there and you go over there! No more arguing in you! SHOO!"
"But-"Hera began.
The Seal-Neil barked loudly, cutting her off.
"Guess it tol-"Buffy started.
The Seal-Neil spun quickly and slapped its flippers at Buffy, the loud noise startling her and shutting her up.
"Now shoo! Shoo! Shoo! Git!!!"
The two sides looked at each other, at the determined Seal-Neil, and reluctantly walked away. It looked at them both, seemed satisfied, and ran back in the woods.
A short while later…
Taryn had the numerous fish spitted and was slowly turning them over the fire as they cooked. They were definitely starting to smell good. Neil's other friends and Faith were busying themselves around the fire, preparing for the meal.
Buffy and the Scoobs were looking on uncertainly. The fish definitely smelled good, but they would obviously have to go over there to get any.
"Fortune favors the brave, right?" Buffy asked hesitantly. The others did not reply, and they got up and reluctantly walked over and sat down near the others around the fire.
"I guess nobody thought to bring any utensils?" Willow wondered hopefully.
"Fresh out, I'm afraid." Giles answered.
"Oh great." Xander grumbled.
"Does that mean we have to…?" Cordelia inquired.
"Yes." Buffy replied shortly.
Cordelia sighed, resigned to her greasy hands fate.
"I've done it before. It's just like camping." Oz reassured them.
"You went camping?" Willow asked, surprised.
Before the werewolf could reply, the Seal-Neil reappeared and bounded up to them.
"Hi friends! Me glad you came over!"
Glad someone is. Buffy thought. She glanced at Buffy's friends and Faith who were studiously ignoring them.
"Ep! Mmm!!! They sure smell good!" the Seal-Neil commented, sniffing the air.
"Not only do they smell good, they're done." Taryn said.
Everyone took a fish, except the Seal-Neil, who ran back into the woods and shortly returned with a live fish that was still wriggling in its mouth.
"Don't you want a cooked one?" Faith asked it.
"No thank you, friend Faith! Raw much better for me!" it replied after it put the fish on the ground.
It then happily began munching on its meal, chewing it like a human would.
Faith shrugged and started eating.
After everyone had bedded down, they had only been asleep a short time (with Athena standing guard) when a strange whistling noise sounded from probably less than a mile away.
Willow snapped awake immediately and sat up quickly and exclaimed:
"What the hell was that?!"
Athena's hand suddenly appeared over her mouth.
"Ssh." Athena scolded her quietly.
"What is that?" Giles wondered, a bit anxiously.
"It a Blobbie." The Seal-Neil answered, moving to stand beside them all, who were now all collected together on the ridge, staring out into the utter darkness.
"A what?" Zeus asked.
"A very dangerous predatoring. It hunting."
They could all hear the fear in its voice.
It came forth again, that bizarre and ominous sound, but this time, it held a note of delight. There was a chorus of human-like screams, one which cut off abruptly.
"I take it that it was successful in its endeavor?" Diana asked somberly.
"Yep. From the sounds of it, it surprised a group of Many-Legs and caught one. The Many-Legs frequently cross into our territories to have good eatings of us. Normally they the hunters."
It paused for a moment.
"But tonight they the hunted."
The whistle blasted forth again, but this time from further away…
Later, on watch, the Seal-Neil's eyes glowed an eerie red.
It eped softly and repeatedly.