Chapter 2
"Home sweet home." Lorne's voice greeted everyone as their eyes adjusted to the sunshine. They looked around, and then again.
"Where's The Queen? And Gunn?" Cordelia asked.
"Something went wrong." Fred ventured.
"And as important as that is, the horde of barbarians running at us is more." Lorne yelped turning and fleeing.
"The caves!" Landok shouted, cantering his horse forward as they others followed. He turned at a large rock outcropping and they watched him disappear into flat bedrock. Lorne nodded and the others ran into the rock, and tumbled out inside a large cavern.
"Safe?" Angel snapped towards Landok.
"The old hideout," Lorne said with sarcastic wistfulness. The humans looked around, to their surprise the area was lit with torches and the path was well worn.
"I remember! The priests didn't know about this place. I hide here a few times with rebel leaders. But back then you had to be careful of their kind." she nodded towards Landok and Lorne. "No offense."
"None taken. We are all family now." Landok got off his horse and pointed to a long path leading into darkness.
"He's right. There's a place. The baby will be safe."
"You promised before."
"We mean it." They headed into the caves and came to a fork. Fred took the one to the left and they paused when the path ended in a sheer drop. Whitish clouds puffed up from the endlessness.
"What is this?" Angel hissed madly.
"Relax Sugar Puffs. You're all tense." Lorne said jumping. Fred joined him and to the humans surprise they both landed on the surprisingly solid clouds and rose to eye level.
"It's the Pylean version of a Chuckie Cheese Ball pit." Lorne explained. The others couldn't help but laugh. There was something carefree and spirit lifting about the place.
"The baby will be safe here." Fred said jumping off the cloud to another. "You can't fall." She tried rolling off only to land on another. "Give him to me." she held her hands out and put Connor on the cloud before getting off.
"I just leave him?"
"He'll be fine. This place has been here as long as Pylea. It's protected."
"I wish earth has something like this. Maybe if everyone did it we would all be happy." Cordelia looked longingly at the clouds.
"Not that simple Princess." Landok said. "Nothing is a cure to human weakness and emotion. No demon is exempt."
"Come on Angel. We'll be back for him soon." The baby gurgled happily and Angel let Wesley guide him away.
"I shall contact the king." Landok announced when they were on a narrow path, surrounded by water on both sides. He stopped and leaned over. Cordelia and Wesley looked on knowingly as the surface changed.
"King?" Groo was lying in bed with servants next to him with bandages. He squinted his eyes, most likely looking into a matching mirror. "Landok. And Others. Nice to see you."
"Are you alright king?"
"We are in grave need of your help my friends."
"So we saw."
"The Southern Pyleans, who usually stay peaceful in the Poles have risen."
"So we noticed."
"You must stop them-Where is my queen?" They looked between each other.
"Something happened. We think the portal wore out." Fred explained. "At least that's what my guess is."
"No. This is bad."
"Why?"
"Because humans can't live on Earth that were born in Pylea. Their genetic makeup is different and the air is not made of the same things. Only demon Pyleans can survive."
"Hey, but wouldn't it be the other way around?"
"No. Human Pyleans due to the many years of slavery and abuse have lost important anatomical pieces. You haven't. You can adapt."
"Cut to the chase." Lorne said.
"She'll eventually die." Groo said, tightlipped. He seemed to summon his strength, even while weak. "Send the women to the castle and join the allies in the north. They are planning an attack as the others come north. I must go." The surface changed and everyone looked at each other in shock.
"Can I show them to the castle?" Lorne asked.
"No. You come with us. Let the girls go."
"Hey, I've been practicing kicking major booty." Cordelia complained. Angel looked at her like he used too, before the thing with Darla demoted him. "Going to the castle." She hefted her long sword and Fred waved her bow.
"Come on. I'll show you."
"Be safe." Wesley said as the two groups parted.
"Home sweet home." Lorne's voice greeted everyone as their eyes adjusted to the sunshine. They looked around, and then again.
"Where's The Queen? And Gunn?" Cordelia asked.
"Something went wrong." Fred ventured.
"And as important as that is, the horde of barbarians running at us is more." Lorne yelped turning and fleeing.
"The caves!" Landok shouted, cantering his horse forward as they others followed. He turned at a large rock outcropping and they watched him disappear into flat bedrock. Lorne nodded and the others ran into the rock, and tumbled out inside a large cavern.
"Safe?" Angel snapped towards Landok.
"The old hideout," Lorne said with sarcastic wistfulness. The humans looked around, to their surprise the area was lit with torches and the path was well worn.
"I remember! The priests didn't know about this place. I hide here a few times with rebel leaders. But back then you had to be careful of their kind." she nodded towards Landok and Lorne. "No offense."
"None taken. We are all family now." Landok got off his horse and pointed to a long path leading into darkness.
"He's right. There's a place. The baby will be safe."
"You promised before."
"We mean it." They headed into the caves and came to a fork. Fred took the one to the left and they paused when the path ended in a sheer drop. Whitish clouds puffed up from the endlessness.
"What is this?" Angel hissed madly.
"Relax Sugar Puffs. You're all tense." Lorne said jumping. Fred joined him and to the humans surprise they both landed on the surprisingly solid clouds and rose to eye level.
"It's the Pylean version of a Chuckie Cheese Ball pit." Lorne explained. The others couldn't help but laugh. There was something carefree and spirit lifting about the place.
"The baby will be safe here." Fred said jumping off the cloud to another. "You can't fall." She tried rolling off only to land on another. "Give him to me." she held her hands out and put Connor on the cloud before getting off.
"I just leave him?"
"He'll be fine. This place has been here as long as Pylea. It's protected."
"I wish earth has something like this. Maybe if everyone did it we would all be happy." Cordelia looked longingly at the clouds.
"Not that simple Princess." Landok said. "Nothing is a cure to human weakness and emotion. No demon is exempt."
"Come on Angel. We'll be back for him soon." The baby gurgled happily and Angel let Wesley guide him away.
"I shall contact the king." Landok announced when they were on a narrow path, surrounded by water on both sides. He stopped and leaned over. Cordelia and Wesley looked on knowingly as the surface changed.
"King?" Groo was lying in bed with servants next to him with bandages. He squinted his eyes, most likely looking into a matching mirror. "Landok. And Others. Nice to see you."
"Are you alright king?"
"We are in grave need of your help my friends."
"So we saw."
"The Southern Pyleans, who usually stay peaceful in the Poles have risen."
"So we noticed."
"You must stop them-Where is my queen?" They looked between each other.
"Something happened. We think the portal wore out." Fred explained. "At least that's what my guess is."
"No. This is bad."
"Why?"
"Because humans can't live on Earth that were born in Pylea. Their genetic makeup is different and the air is not made of the same things. Only demon Pyleans can survive."
"Hey, but wouldn't it be the other way around?"
"No. Human Pyleans due to the many years of slavery and abuse have lost important anatomical pieces. You haven't. You can adapt."
"Cut to the chase." Lorne said.
"She'll eventually die." Groo said, tightlipped. He seemed to summon his strength, even while weak. "Send the women to the castle and join the allies in the north. They are planning an attack as the others come north. I must go." The surface changed and everyone looked at each other in shock.
"Can I show them to the castle?" Lorne asked.
"No. You come with us. Let the girls go."
"Hey, I've been practicing kicking major booty." Cordelia complained. Angel looked at her like he used too, before the thing with Darla demoted him. "Going to the castle." She hefted her long sword and Fred waved her bow.
"Come on. I'll show you."
"Be safe." Wesley said as the two groups parted.