Chapter Four
Streets at night are a dangerous place to wander, as the residents of Sunnydale knew only too well, though none ever spoke of it. The curious, hideous secrets that crept in the dark were kept there. Unnaturally high bodies counts silenced and cases of 'neck rupture' swept under the mayoral carpet. If anyone knew of staying away from the back alleys after the sun went down, it was Lysan Geech. Dark scum would lie in the shadowed paths waiting for some unsuspecting person to decide to take the shortcut home. It was one of his favourite hunting grounds. Keen yellow vampire eyes scanned the darkness for blood but found none. A grin split on his face when he saw the girl. Tall and lithe with poker straight light hair, she sauntered through the treacherous terrain with little more than an upward glance. Pretty pickings and he loved how the females screamed and struggled so.
"Are you lost?" he asked her, his face returning to its original contours.
"For a long time, I was," she answered. "But now I have found my way back."
She spoke in a authoritarian, precise manner. The reply threw him off a little.
"Where have you been? The bar?"
"I have been where vampires were once proud and feared, not scratching at the streets for walking carrion."
He looked at her quizzically and felt his face to check if it was in its true form. When he touched smooth skin, his mind ventured to the Chosen One.
"She and I are not the same."
The girl walked closer to him and lay a cold hand on his face. Her eyes were level with his and accipitrine green. As she spoke she stroked his face.
"Do not fear," she said in a sweet voice. "I have come to change it all. Men will fall and you will have your pickings. Gather those you know, you are a captain in my force." She released her gentle grip and waved him away.
"Go. Do as I ask of you."
Confused, dazed and enthralled by this strange and seductive new leader, he backed away, stumbling. Without his eyes leaving her exotic face, he held the alley wall for support as he bumbled along.
At the large oak table in the library, Buffy perched in the chair, waiting for the others. Giles was still occupied by his rush of new books and only a few shuffles and tuts at students that couldn't alphabetise books indicated his presence. She hadn't told him about last night's encounter with Rhett yet, preferring to wait until all the Scoobies were assembled. The library doors swung open and Willow, Oz and Xander piled into the room.
"Cordelia's going to be joining us a little later due to a hair emergency," explained Xander in a jovial tone.
He pulled out a chair and flopped into it.
"So, Buff. What's the what?"
Buffy seemed uneasy and Willow gave her a sympathetic look.
"Is something wrong?"
Everyone was still on tenterhooks after the showdown between Buffy and a newly converted Angelus. In the few seconds after his soul had returned to him, Buffy had been forced to kill her love to save the world. On top of that, her friends had been hurt in a vamp attack, Giles tortured by Drusilla and Spike. It had all been too much. Resorting to leaving town had made things easier for a while, allowing her to be 'Anne' and not the Slayer. But her duty still found her. Her return had brought home the pain she had caused those who love her. The bonds she had stretched were now being reformed.
"Remember that band from the other night?"
"Maiden's Kiss?" jumped in Oz, prompting a look from Willow.
"Yeah." Buffy shifted in her seat. "I was out on patrol and I ran into one of them, the guitarist. It looked like he was examining a mausoleum."
"You know these artistic types," said Xander. "If they're not chopping a cow in half and winning prizes with it, they're snooping around graveyards for inspiration."
Giles ventured from the stacks, obviously able to hear what was being said. He stood above them and adjusted his glasses.
"Please continue, Buffy," he said.
"At first I didn't recognise him, I just thought he was some random vamp. We got into a fight but he overpowered me. I don't think he was a vampire."
"Did he give any indication to a purpose or species?" asked Giles.
"No, just made a bunch of cryptic comments and left."
"They should really make a translation book for these beasts of darkness," cracked Xander.
Giles rolled his eyes and walked down the stairs.
"But he did seem to know who I was," Buffy added.
"So he's probably a nasty?" said Willow.
"I think we should keep an open mind for now, at least. He may have just have been drinking or possibly even on drugs."
"He definitely wasn't drunk. He was strong and quick, attributes not commonly associated with the intoxicated."
Buffy frowned in thought.
"There's another thing. Patrol's been slow lately. This week I've fought two demons. Two."
"Hmm," murmured Giles. "Perhaps it would help to find out more about this band."
"They're at the Bronze again tomorrow," replied Oz. "I could swing by, see of they're hiding bodies in a double bass case."
Willow perked up and took Oz's hand.
"Maybe it would be better if we all went along. You know, in case they turn out to be icky green demons or something," she said.
"Oh, I'll have to check my calendar to see if I have a space for a party slash monster hunt," piped Cordelia, joining them at last.
"If you want to be a member of the Scooby Gang, you're got to be prepared for late nights, long hours and the occasional threat of death," chimed Xander.
"Do you know how hard it is to wash blood stains and monster goo out of clothes?" she said in all seriousness.
"Yes Cordelia that is definitely the worst part," said Giles sarcastically.
Lysan returned to the deserted that his new mistress had selected for a lair. No one had used the building in an age and its desolation was eerily beautiful. He took the gilded door handle and heaved open the door. Seeing his face reflected in the stained glass, he shook his head and his normal face returned. Two low life demons that could barely speak, let alone follow orders, stood guard on the main door. It led to a main hall that Kiathlica had made into her chamber. Only those permitted were allowed to enter. Lysan stopped for a moment and thought. He wasn't even sure who or what She was but her very presence commanded adoration and loyalty. And fear. Whenever he felt her near, a shiver of delight and apprehension ran up his spine.
"Enter," said one of the demons in a gruff voice. Lysan nodded and went in.
Kiathlica stood at the window, staring out with one hand on the glass. Her face was glorious but subtly fierce. He stood behind her and peered at what she was looking at. Below, a group of four teenagers were heading in the direction of the Bronze. Daring to venture closer, one of the faces of the group leapt out at him.
"The Slayer," he hissed.
So that must be why she was staring, he reasoned.
"Hmm. Indeed. A little girl in a little town is not of my concern. More lies here. She is irrelevant to it."
He blinked in disbelief.
"But this is the Slayer. The Slay-er."
"I am fully aware of who and what she is," snapped Kia. "She is no threat to me or what I seek in this place."
A smile crept onto her face.
"Not that I won't enjoy seeing her suffer at my hands."
"Oh," said Lysan, unsure of how to respond.
"It shall be my breeding ground of chaos. As men fall, I shall prosper. Their time is over. It shall be my hand that causes it."
She scraped her nails down the glass, the reflection of her flashing eyes in the painted panes.
"I have a mission for you, my general. Find the sword for me. Tennos nus is its name. It lies in this place somewhere."
"A sword. No problem."
Backing away and half bowing at the same time, he scanned his memory for all the snitches and those in the know.
Streets at night are a dangerous place to wander, as the residents of Sunnydale knew only too well, though none ever spoke of it. The curious, hideous secrets that crept in the dark were kept there. Unnaturally high bodies counts silenced and cases of 'neck rupture' swept under the mayoral carpet. If anyone knew of staying away from the back alleys after the sun went down, it was Lysan Geech. Dark scum would lie in the shadowed paths waiting for some unsuspecting person to decide to take the shortcut home. It was one of his favourite hunting grounds. Keen yellow vampire eyes scanned the darkness for blood but found none. A grin split on his face when he saw the girl. Tall and lithe with poker straight light hair, she sauntered through the treacherous terrain with little more than an upward glance. Pretty pickings and he loved how the females screamed and struggled so.
"Are you lost?" he asked her, his face returning to its original contours.
"For a long time, I was," she answered. "But now I have found my way back."
She spoke in a authoritarian, precise manner. The reply threw him off a little.
"Where have you been? The bar?"
"I have been where vampires were once proud and feared, not scratching at the streets for walking carrion."
He looked at her quizzically and felt his face to check if it was in its true form. When he touched smooth skin, his mind ventured to the Chosen One.
"She and I are not the same."
The girl walked closer to him and lay a cold hand on his face. Her eyes were level with his and accipitrine green. As she spoke she stroked his face.
"Do not fear," she said in a sweet voice. "I have come to change it all. Men will fall and you will have your pickings. Gather those you know, you are a captain in my force." She released her gentle grip and waved him away.
"Go. Do as I ask of you."
Confused, dazed and enthralled by this strange and seductive new leader, he backed away, stumbling. Without his eyes leaving her exotic face, he held the alley wall for support as he bumbled along.
At the large oak table in the library, Buffy perched in the chair, waiting for the others. Giles was still occupied by his rush of new books and only a few shuffles and tuts at students that couldn't alphabetise books indicated his presence. She hadn't told him about last night's encounter with Rhett yet, preferring to wait until all the Scoobies were assembled. The library doors swung open and Willow, Oz and Xander piled into the room.
"Cordelia's going to be joining us a little later due to a hair emergency," explained Xander in a jovial tone.
He pulled out a chair and flopped into it.
"So, Buff. What's the what?"
Buffy seemed uneasy and Willow gave her a sympathetic look.
"Is something wrong?"
Everyone was still on tenterhooks after the showdown between Buffy and a newly converted Angelus. In the few seconds after his soul had returned to him, Buffy had been forced to kill her love to save the world. On top of that, her friends had been hurt in a vamp attack, Giles tortured by Drusilla and Spike. It had all been too much. Resorting to leaving town had made things easier for a while, allowing her to be 'Anne' and not the Slayer. But her duty still found her. Her return had brought home the pain she had caused those who love her. The bonds she had stretched were now being reformed.
"Remember that band from the other night?"
"Maiden's Kiss?" jumped in Oz, prompting a look from Willow.
"Yeah." Buffy shifted in her seat. "I was out on patrol and I ran into one of them, the guitarist. It looked like he was examining a mausoleum."
"You know these artistic types," said Xander. "If they're not chopping a cow in half and winning prizes with it, they're snooping around graveyards for inspiration."
Giles ventured from the stacks, obviously able to hear what was being said. He stood above them and adjusted his glasses.
"Please continue, Buffy," he said.
"At first I didn't recognise him, I just thought he was some random vamp. We got into a fight but he overpowered me. I don't think he was a vampire."
"Did he give any indication to a purpose or species?" asked Giles.
"No, just made a bunch of cryptic comments and left."
"They should really make a translation book for these beasts of darkness," cracked Xander.
Giles rolled his eyes and walked down the stairs.
"But he did seem to know who I was," Buffy added.
"So he's probably a nasty?" said Willow.
"I think we should keep an open mind for now, at least. He may have just have been drinking or possibly even on drugs."
"He definitely wasn't drunk. He was strong and quick, attributes not commonly associated with the intoxicated."
Buffy frowned in thought.
"There's another thing. Patrol's been slow lately. This week I've fought two demons. Two."
"Hmm," murmured Giles. "Perhaps it would help to find out more about this band."
"They're at the Bronze again tomorrow," replied Oz. "I could swing by, see of they're hiding bodies in a double bass case."
Willow perked up and took Oz's hand.
"Maybe it would be better if we all went along. You know, in case they turn out to be icky green demons or something," she said.
"Oh, I'll have to check my calendar to see if I have a space for a party slash monster hunt," piped Cordelia, joining them at last.
"If you want to be a member of the Scooby Gang, you're got to be prepared for late nights, long hours and the occasional threat of death," chimed Xander.
"Do you know how hard it is to wash blood stains and monster goo out of clothes?" she said in all seriousness.
"Yes Cordelia that is definitely the worst part," said Giles sarcastically.
Lysan returned to the deserted that his new mistress had selected for a lair. No one had used the building in an age and its desolation was eerily beautiful. He took the gilded door handle and heaved open the door. Seeing his face reflected in the stained glass, he shook his head and his normal face returned. Two low life demons that could barely speak, let alone follow orders, stood guard on the main door. It led to a main hall that Kiathlica had made into her chamber. Only those permitted were allowed to enter. Lysan stopped for a moment and thought. He wasn't even sure who or what She was but her very presence commanded adoration and loyalty. And fear. Whenever he felt her near, a shiver of delight and apprehension ran up his spine.
"Enter," said one of the demons in a gruff voice. Lysan nodded and went in.
Kiathlica stood at the window, staring out with one hand on the glass. Her face was glorious but subtly fierce. He stood behind her and peered at what she was looking at. Below, a group of four teenagers were heading in the direction of the Bronze. Daring to venture closer, one of the faces of the group leapt out at him.
"The Slayer," he hissed.
So that must be why she was staring, he reasoned.
"Hmm. Indeed. A little girl in a little town is not of my concern. More lies here. She is irrelevant to it."
He blinked in disbelief.
"But this is the Slayer. The Slay-er."
"I am fully aware of who and what she is," snapped Kia. "She is no threat to me or what I seek in this place."
A smile crept onto her face.
"Not that I won't enjoy seeing her suffer at my hands."
"Oh," said Lysan, unsure of how to respond.
"It shall be my breeding ground of chaos. As men fall, I shall prosper. Their time is over. It shall be my hand that causes it."
She scraped her nails down the glass, the reflection of her flashing eyes in the painted panes.
"I have a mission for you, my general. Find the sword for me. Tennos nus is its name. It lies in this place somewhere."
"A sword. No problem."
Backing away and half bowing at the same time, he scanned his memory for all the snitches and those in the know.