Chapter 8 - "The Offering"
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"Buffy ... keep hope alive ... you must ..."
Buffy's eyes drifted open. She lay on her back, staring up at the black ceiling of her small cell. Blinking, she'd begun to believe she'd lost her mind - the voice was almost constantly speaking to her. And she didn't know who it was. She sighed heavily as she sat up then looked around.
"Well ... I can rule out this being a nightmare," she muttered. She frowned as she looked down to her shackled wrists. It'd been a few weeks since her disturbing encounter with Melek. Since then, no one had been to see her, much to Buffy's relief.
Shaken was a gentle way of putting what she was after her talk with her human captor. Not only did Melek look like Angel, he acted like Angelus. Despite all rationality, she couldn't help but think of Angel when she thought of Melek and whether or not it would hurt her remained to be seen.
Buffy's head lifted when she heard heavy footsteps, a single being was approaching the cell door. She swallowed hard, her muscles tensed in anticipation and she prepared herself for whatever would come through it. The door creaked open, allowing what little light there was in the Tower into the cell.
She didn't need to be told who had entered.
"You're awake," said Melek as he stepped further into the cell. "This is good." He smiled a little as he neared Buffy. "You save me the trouble of rousing you."
"Well ... anything I can do to make your keeping me in captivity easier," she replied with a faux smile. She heard a chuckle from him. Then she noticed he carried something in his hands. Not a weapon, at least, not at her first glance did it appear so. "Whatcha got?"
Melek crouched down in front of her, the item, which turned out to be a neatly folded garment of some kind, was balanced in his hands. "This is a gift. From my Lord." He placed the black square on the floor in front of her. "It is only ... appropriate," he went on as he freed her wrists from the shackles. "Considering who and what you are."
Buffy raised an eyebrow as she massaged her wrists to restore the blood flow. "Appropriate, huh?"
He stood up as Buffy gathered up the garment from the floor. "Yes. Extremely fitting for a young woman of your status ... Slayer."
Buffy unfurled the "gift" and a puzzled expression crossed her face. "It's ... it's a black dress." An elegant one, too, not unlike what the Elves had provided her with in Rivendell but this was much more ... sinister in nature.
Melek's eyes glimmered as he watched her take in the beautiful piece of clothing.
She looked up at him. "You shouldn't have," she added as she threw it at his feet then glared at him. "And, I'm sorry, but it's not my style. Tell your Eyeball thanks anyway. It wouldn't be ... appropriate for me to accept a gift from the enemy. I read it in the Good Guy Rule Book."
"The Enemy? Is that what you think I am, Buffy?" he asked, his voice calm as he crouched down in front of her once more. He picked up the dress, his fingers gently massaging the material as he gazed into her eyes. "I am not your enemy. Neither is Lord Sauron. You must understand this."
Buffy snorted as she stopped rubbing her right wrist. "Oh? He's not my enemy? He kidnaps my from my home, tries to kill my mother then holds me hostage. And let's not even go into what happened the last time I was in town." Her hatred of Sauron would never ebb, not after what he'd done to Willow.
Melek only smiled then tilted his head to one side. "That is not what I mean, Buffy, and you know it." His smile grew wider when she stared back at him, clueless.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, pal," she snapped. "Unless you're going to torture me then I suggest you get out. You're starting to piss me off."
"I can help you, Buffy. I can free you from this prison." He gestured to the cell with his free hand. "If you'll allow me to, that is."
Her eyes narrowed at him. "What kind of game is this? Over a month ago you wanted to torture me until I screamed. Now you're bringing me fancy clothes and wanting to help me?" She scoffed in disgust. "Please. I was not born yesterday."
"You do not understand. It isn't me; it is my Lord and master. The one who will soon rule this land." He looked over the young Slayer - she was filthy, malnourished and her eyes were bleary and bloodshot from a lack of proper sleep. "One would think that by now you would realize your friends and allies have no care for you. You must embrace your true ally, Buffy." He extended a hand towards her and she automatically recoiled. "I know all about you."
"You keep saying that! You don't know me!" she exclaimed as she shoved his hand back. [Why does he have to look like him?] she thought. Her eyes closed for a moment as she leaned against the wall for support once again. [Where is everyone? Willow? Xander? Giles? Where are you?] "What could you possibly know about me?" she tiredly asked.
Melek stood as well. "Lord Sauron knows you," he coolly answered. A finger touched her dirty chin and tilted it up, so she looked him in the eyes. "He was there the day the Valar created your kind. The day they brought forth the Chosen One from the primordial muck - the Slayer."
Buffy stared at him - surprised, mostly, but she found herself wondering how much of what he said was truth. If any of it was. Was he lying? Was it just a bunch of BS? Did he really know anything about the origin of the Slayer? Not even Giles talked about that. Perhaps he didn't know the story, maybe no one did.
"Who are the Valar?" she asked in a quiet voice, trying to keep any curiosity in her tone to a minimum.
"The Powers. The gods. Gods who hide now, afraid of the power growing in this very land." He leaned a little closer. "Let me free you from this cell, Buffy, and I shall tell you what you really are. You will then understand why you are not so different from Lord Sauron."
He was offering her a way out of the cell and her shackles. If she didn't get out of that cell somehow she'd never escape. What would it hurt? Listen to his story then bolt when they least expected it.
She looked deep into the eyes of her captor and replied, quietly, "Tell me."
Melek only smiled in return.
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End Chapter 8.
FF.net finally got its act together. I will be posting more soon. I hope everyone's still enjoying the story. Here's hoping the site remains stable!
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"Buffy ... keep hope alive ... you must ..."
Buffy's eyes drifted open. She lay on her back, staring up at the black ceiling of her small cell. Blinking, she'd begun to believe she'd lost her mind - the voice was almost constantly speaking to her. And she didn't know who it was. She sighed heavily as she sat up then looked around.
"Well ... I can rule out this being a nightmare," she muttered. She frowned as she looked down to her shackled wrists. It'd been a few weeks since her disturbing encounter with Melek. Since then, no one had been to see her, much to Buffy's relief.
Shaken was a gentle way of putting what she was after her talk with her human captor. Not only did Melek look like Angel, he acted like Angelus. Despite all rationality, she couldn't help but think of Angel when she thought of Melek and whether or not it would hurt her remained to be seen.
Buffy's head lifted when she heard heavy footsteps, a single being was approaching the cell door. She swallowed hard, her muscles tensed in anticipation and she prepared herself for whatever would come through it. The door creaked open, allowing what little light there was in the Tower into the cell.
She didn't need to be told who had entered.
"You're awake," said Melek as he stepped further into the cell. "This is good." He smiled a little as he neared Buffy. "You save me the trouble of rousing you."
"Well ... anything I can do to make your keeping me in captivity easier," she replied with a faux smile. She heard a chuckle from him. Then she noticed he carried something in his hands. Not a weapon, at least, not at her first glance did it appear so. "Whatcha got?"
Melek crouched down in front of her, the item, which turned out to be a neatly folded garment of some kind, was balanced in his hands. "This is a gift. From my Lord." He placed the black square on the floor in front of her. "It is only ... appropriate," he went on as he freed her wrists from the shackles. "Considering who and what you are."
Buffy raised an eyebrow as she massaged her wrists to restore the blood flow. "Appropriate, huh?"
He stood up as Buffy gathered up the garment from the floor. "Yes. Extremely fitting for a young woman of your status ... Slayer."
Buffy unfurled the "gift" and a puzzled expression crossed her face. "It's ... it's a black dress." An elegant one, too, not unlike what the Elves had provided her with in Rivendell but this was much more ... sinister in nature.
Melek's eyes glimmered as he watched her take in the beautiful piece of clothing.
She looked up at him. "You shouldn't have," she added as she threw it at his feet then glared at him. "And, I'm sorry, but it's not my style. Tell your Eyeball thanks anyway. It wouldn't be ... appropriate for me to accept a gift from the enemy. I read it in the Good Guy Rule Book."
"The Enemy? Is that what you think I am, Buffy?" he asked, his voice calm as he crouched down in front of her once more. He picked up the dress, his fingers gently massaging the material as he gazed into her eyes. "I am not your enemy. Neither is Lord Sauron. You must understand this."
Buffy snorted as she stopped rubbing her right wrist. "Oh? He's not my enemy? He kidnaps my from my home, tries to kill my mother then holds me hostage. And let's not even go into what happened the last time I was in town." Her hatred of Sauron would never ebb, not after what he'd done to Willow.
Melek only smiled then tilted his head to one side. "That is not what I mean, Buffy, and you know it." His smile grew wider when she stared back at him, clueless.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, pal," she snapped. "Unless you're going to torture me then I suggest you get out. You're starting to piss me off."
"I can help you, Buffy. I can free you from this prison." He gestured to the cell with his free hand. "If you'll allow me to, that is."
Her eyes narrowed at him. "What kind of game is this? Over a month ago you wanted to torture me until I screamed. Now you're bringing me fancy clothes and wanting to help me?" She scoffed in disgust. "Please. I was not born yesterday."
"You do not understand. It isn't me; it is my Lord and master. The one who will soon rule this land." He looked over the young Slayer - she was filthy, malnourished and her eyes were bleary and bloodshot from a lack of proper sleep. "One would think that by now you would realize your friends and allies have no care for you. You must embrace your true ally, Buffy." He extended a hand towards her and she automatically recoiled. "I know all about you."
"You keep saying that! You don't know me!" she exclaimed as she shoved his hand back. [Why does he have to look like him?] she thought. Her eyes closed for a moment as she leaned against the wall for support once again. [Where is everyone? Willow? Xander? Giles? Where are you?] "What could you possibly know about me?" she tiredly asked.
Melek stood as well. "Lord Sauron knows you," he coolly answered. A finger touched her dirty chin and tilted it up, so she looked him in the eyes. "He was there the day the Valar created your kind. The day they brought forth the Chosen One from the primordial muck - the Slayer."
Buffy stared at him - surprised, mostly, but she found herself wondering how much of what he said was truth. If any of it was. Was he lying? Was it just a bunch of BS? Did he really know anything about the origin of the Slayer? Not even Giles talked about that. Perhaps he didn't know the story, maybe no one did.
"Who are the Valar?" she asked in a quiet voice, trying to keep any curiosity in her tone to a minimum.
"The Powers. The gods. Gods who hide now, afraid of the power growing in this very land." He leaned a little closer. "Let me free you from this cell, Buffy, and I shall tell you what you really are. You will then understand why you are not so different from Lord Sauron."
He was offering her a way out of the cell and her shackles. If she didn't get out of that cell somehow she'd never escape. What would it hurt? Listen to his story then bolt when they least expected it.
She looked deep into the eyes of her captor and replied, quietly, "Tell me."
Melek only smiled in return.
-
End Chapter 8.
FF.net finally got its act together. I will be posting more soon. I hope everyone's still enjoying the story. Here's hoping the site remains stable!
