Chapter Seven: Prophecies in the Dark
"And the slayer of the end years shall look upon him and she shall tremble. For he will have the powers of the dominion of Hades on his side and the world shall bend under his power."
"Gotta give you points for that one Collin, not cryptic and very threatening." Ashley smiled as she did sit ups on the floor of Carrie's classroom.
Collin sighed, "C'mon Ashley I'm doing my best to translate this junk for you. Carrie has been on my ass the past two weeks for not teaming up with you and giving you these things."
Ashley grinned, "I appreciate it too Collin, but I don't really believe in the whole 'prophecy' thing, but keep reading."
It had been two weeks since Ashley had fought that vampire outside of the Bronze with Sherri, Eric, Carolyn, Chris and Parker and so far they have made a great scooby gang. Collin himself was valuable to the team also but he was always by himself doing homework or reading up on some old apocalyptic book. In effect, he and Ashley mainly talked every Tuesday and Wednesday nights when she did her personal workout just after school and he came to read her some things he translated for her and Carrie.
"Oh," he said as she was jump-roping, "here's that one I was telling you about before-'The Order of the Left Hand shall regain her strength and rise again to breath life into the most vile demon's hearts and bring them forth in the form of innocence and naiveté' I think that has something to do with those brown robed people you told me about the other day."
Ashley looked up at him, "Why?"
"Because I took it upon myself to translate the vague account of what they were saying and as it turns out they were attempting to raise a demon through Carolyn and Chris using the power invested in Eric and Sherri's soul."
"Power?" Ashley asked, stopping her jump roping.
"Yes, it is the theory of most cultures and religions the soul contains infinite power and energy. Basically if you can harness the power of the soul you can do almost anything imaginable."
"So these guys are going all souly to raise demons?"
"I think so." Collin nodded.
"Oh well," Ashley said, "I think I'll get physical and beat the souly out of them."
Collin grinned, "That would be cool."
Carrie came in the room, her arms loaded with papers from the faculty meeting, she looked slightly irritated as she turned to them.
"Ashley, have you done the routine?" Carrie eyed the red-head.
"Yes master." She said with a little spice in her voice, "I also picked six bales of cotton in the past hour and a half, you proud?"
Carrie grinned, "Smart ass, but yes I'm proud."
Ashley grabbed her bag and grinned, "Thanks! I got to go."
At this Carrie jumped up, "I think not, you've still got two hours of training."
"Yeah, I know, but Parker and me are going to LA tonight to shop for a homecoming dress."
Carrie sighed, "Since when do they have a basketball homecoming?"
Ashley grinned, "First Annual, you know, Parker's on the Student Council so I know things before the teachers!" Ashley then said her good byes and left.
*******
The odor of burning flesh filled the damp barn. It was old, and dark inside. It sat on a plot of land about 50 miles outside of Sunnydale. Gathered around the fire were ten figures draped in brown robes, chanting steadily and quietly.
The figures began to rock back and forth and then gripped each other's hands tightly and their chants became so quietly loud that it was deafening. Soon they yelled the final verse and the red fire that was burning the corpse of the pure-breed white stallion they were sacrificing turned black and then incinerated the horse to mere ashes. The leader of the brown robed figures stood up and raised his hands in the air and yelled out an archaic-Latin incantation and out of the ashes of the stallion rose a hell-beast centaur
The centaur had deep black fur and pale black skin from the waist up. It held in its hands a great scythe and had a great bow strapped to its back. It reared up at the sight of all of the people around it, but knew that these were the ones that had raise it from the grave.
"W-Wha-What are you? Who a-are you?" it said in rusty English.
The figures took off their hoods and revealed a group of teenagers were hidden beneath the robes. The leader stood up, his bleach-blonde hair nearly shining in the dark surroundings.
"We are your new parents and we want you to do something for us." He eyed his followers, "Go to LA and attack West Side Designs and kill everyone in there and then you're free." Their leader glared at the centaur, forcing information on how to get there and who to kill first of all.
The centaur scoffed, "A Slayer."
The leader nodded and the centaur stormed off into the night and half an hour later they could still hear the faint whispering of the creatures of the woods, terrified of what had just stormed through.
The leader turned to his followers, "The slayer has interrupted our practices once and has therefore put us three months behind, she will not do so again. It has also come to my knowledge that she now knows who we are thanks to a volume that Algebra teacher owns, but thanks to an inside link we have it here with us."
He pulled out the ancient looking book, bound in leather and tied together by thick bands of rope, "And now we sacrifice it."
He threw it into the ashes of what was the fire and said, "Inferno!" Then the book exploded into flames as the followers watched.
*******
Sherri walked out of the dressing room in a royal blue dress. It was tight fitting to her body and cut off about mid-thigh. Its sleeves fit her upper arm almost perfectly and at the elbow down was cut to make the sleeves dangle from the elbow down.
"Bravo!" Eric said as she walked out, "I like it."
Sherri slightly blushed, she hadn't really gotten dressed up since her and her boyfriend broke up almost three weeks ago. Ashley nearly killed her when she found out, one for going out with him and two for not telling her, but now everything was going perfect for her. She was talking to this boy named Mitchell Neal, a sandy-blonde haired, deep blue eyed junior. He was one of Parker and Chris's friends who was single and looking so they hooked them up.
Then Ashley walked out. She wore an emerald green dress with two thick straps that held it up. It fit her just enough to show her curves but not so tight that she had to walk so that it wouldn't' rip.
Parker grinned at his girlfriend's choice, it was amazing on her. He still couldn't believe that they had gotten together. It had been two weeks-they got 'official' shortly after that fight at the Bronze and since then have been inseparable. He walked up to his girl and said: "Mmm."
She grinned as he wrapped his arms around her, "You like?"
He nodded and gave her a quick kiss as she turned to talk to the fitting lady. As it turned out her and Sherri's dress only cost about $150 a piece.
They had wanted Carolyn and Chris to come with them, but their parents took them somewhere to get a dress and tuxedo that the family had always been shopping at.
With that Ashley and Carolyn went to change out into their own clothes and returned to find Parker and Eric across the room looking at two tuxedos. Therefore, they walked over and Ashley put her arms around her boyfriend's torso and said, "You picking out a suit?"
"Yeah, but my dad's got one that he's just dependent on me wearing so I guess I'll wear his."
Ashley grinned, "You'll look great."
Parker turned to her and they looked at each other for a moment and drew into a kiss, for some reason they didn't' have a problem with public affection, as long as it didn't' go too far. Ashley pulled away and bit her lower lip then smiled, "You know, you're a little bit too good to me."
Parker smiled, "Maybe, but I love it."
Eric looked to Sherri and she shrugged.
"Maybe we should head to the ice cream parlor across the street, they could be like this for a while." Eric suggested.
"I agree," Sherri stated, "but should we leave them alone? When we come back they might have three kids and an SUV."
Ashley looked over to Sherri, "Cow!"
Sherri grinned, but then they heard some women scream not far off in the distance. Everyone's expression turned grim as they heard glass shatter at the opposite end of the store then the sound of pounding hooves made Ashley's senses stand on high. Then came something neither of them had ever seen before, a black-towering centaur.
Sherri let out a scream as it came rumbling toward them and it swung is scythe at Ashley. She ducked down and swung her leg around to knock the centaur off balance but only ended up hurting her leg. It then reared up slammed its hooves down on Ashley, however she caught its hooves and by a great show of strength she twisted its legs and forced it to fall to the ground.
Ashley flipped up and then snatched one of the centaur's arrows out of its quill and then stabbed it with that arrow. However the blow merely angered it more and it rose up and charged her again. She dodged and then, in a clever flip, jumped up and landed on its back. The centaur thrashed to get loose from her but she wrapped her hands around his head and then snapped it.
Sherri cringed at the cracking noise, but glanced around at all of the people and looked at Ashley, "We better go."
They all nodded and then ran out just as the authorities showed up to the scene.
*******
"A CENTAUR! BIG, BLACK, ALMOST KILLED ME WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW!" Ashley exclaimed, rather unnerved at Carrie and Collin's disbelief in what she said.
Parker put his arm around Ashley, "Calm down, Ashley."
Carrie nodded, "I've never heard of a centaur attacking someone, they are peaceful creatures."
"Wait!" Collin said, "I remember reading something about a centaur war-lord killed shortly after the crucifixion. Now can describe exactly what he looked like. Human face, demented face? Muscular or thin?"
"He looked kinda like that centaur off of Harry Potter!" Sherri said, earning strange looks from Eric, Parker and Ashley.
"Harry Potter?" Eric eyed her.
"Yes!" Collin said, "He was an ally of the Order of the Left Hand! His name is-" Collin jogged him memory, "I want to say Gravlox, Centaur of Chaos."
Carrie got up and went to her bookcase, her house wasn't large but it housed numerous texts that the Council didn't even know existed.
"Uh-oh." Carrie muttered.
Collin looked to her, "What?"
Carrie looked disturbed, "The book is missing."
Ashley looked up, a bit of shock on her face, "I though it was locked away!"
"It was!" Carrie said, "That was our only link to the order, which can only mean one thing."
"Which is?" Sherri asked.
"They know that we know." Collin said.
Carrie nodded, "So now all we have to do is keep our ear to the ground and watch for-well, a sign."
Ashley walked to the window and looked out of it and to the moon, "Well I'm off patrolling. Still gotta kill those vamps." She said with fake enthusiasm.
*******
The air of Sunnydale refilled his nostrils for the first time in over two years. He enjoyed being here, causing havoc and someone had called him here-someone new.
"And in the last days, the souls shall become demons and those that are good will stand beside those that are evil." A man, draped in a brown cloak revealed himself from the shadows, "The chaos bringers shall die and a new leader shall emerge, those of old shall serve those that are new and the new shall lead the lost mortals into hell."
The man turned to face the newcomer who was draped in a brown cloak, "Ahh, from the Dark Chronicles I presume, they were quite a good read."
The cloaked figure scoffed, "Ruin my trip why don't you?"
The man laughed, "Of course, why am I here. You are Collin I presume."
The cloaked figure took off his hood and grinned, his bleach blonde hair shining in the dark, "Yes, Collin Johnson-high priest of the Order of the Left Hand. And you are Ethan Rayne."
Ethan nodded, "Yes, now-why am I here."
Collin lifted an eyebrow, "To kill the Slayer."
Ethan backed away, "No, I've already had my taste of the Slayers and I no longer wish to involve myself with them or in your petty affairs."
Collin smiled, "Buffy Summers is dead, killed in a battle against Ava, the demi-god of illusions. Faith was murdered in a prison in LA. There is a new Slayer, very susceptible to trickery-she thinks I'm on her side and so I need you to cook up a clever plan to kill her, you have two months. After that time your job is invalidated and you are not going to receive our generous reparations."
"How generous?" Ethan asked.
"Fifteen thousand in British dollars-Council money but all the same."
Ethan nodded, "It will be done."
"Good." Collin grinned and stepped back into the shadows. A slight, undead sounding moan was let loose from where he stood then a whispering of many voices. Ethan then saw his outline in the shadows disappear and a faint black line zoom past his feet.
"And the slayer of the end years shall look upon him and she shall tremble. For he will have the powers of the dominion of Hades on his side and the world shall bend under his power."
"Gotta give you points for that one Collin, not cryptic and very threatening." Ashley smiled as she did sit ups on the floor of Carrie's classroom.
Collin sighed, "C'mon Ashley I'm doing my best to translate this junk for you. Carrie has been on my ass the past two weeks for not teaming up with you and giving you these things."
Ashley grinned, "I appreciate it too Collin, but I don't really believe in the whole 'prophecy' thing, but keep reading."
It had been two weeks since Ashley had fought that vampire outside of the Bronze with Sherri, Eric, Carolyn, Chris and Parker and so far they have made a great scooby gang. Collin himself was valuable to the team also but he was always by himself doing homework or reading up on some old apocalyptic book. In effect, he and Ashley mainly talked every Tuesday and Wednesday nights when she did her personal workout just after school and he came to read her some things he translated for her and Carrie.
"Oh," he said as she was jump-roping, "here's that one I was telling you about before-'The Order of the Left Hand shall regain her strength and rise again to breath life into the most vile demon's hearts and bring them forth in the form of innocence and naiveté' I think that has something to do with those brown robed people you told me about the other day."
Ashley looked up at him, "Why?"
"Because I took it upon myself to translate the vague account of what they were saying and as it turns out they were attempting to raise a demon through Carolyn and Chris using the power invested in Eric and Sherri's soul."
"Power?" Ashley asked, stopping her jump roping.
"Yes, it is the theory of most cultures and religions the soul contains infinite power and energy. Basically if you can harness the power of the soul you can do almost anything imaginable."
"So these guys are going all souly to raise demons?"
"I think so." Collin nodded.
"Oh well," Ashley said, "I think I'll get physical and beat the souly out of them."
Collin grinned, "That would be cool."
Carrie came in the room, her arms loaded with papers from the faculty meeting, she looked slightly irritated as she turned to them.
"Ashley, have you done the routine?" Carrie eyed the red-head.
"Yes master." She said with a little spice in her voice, "I also picked six bales of cotton in the past hour and a half, you proud?"
Carrie grinned, "Smart ass, but yes I'm proud."
Ashley grabbed her bag and grinned, "Thanks! I got to go."
At this Carrie jumped up, "I think not, you've still got two hours of training."
"Yeah, I know, but Parker and me are going to LA tonight to shop for a homecoming dress."
Carrie sighed, "Since when do they have a basketball homecoming?"
Ashley grinned, "First Annual, you know, Parker's on the Student Council so I know things before the teachers!" Ashley then said her good byes and left.
*******
The odor of burning flesh filled the damp barn. It was old, and dark inside. It sat on a plot of land about 50 miles outside of Sunnydale. Gathered around the fire were ten figures draped in brown robes, chanting steadily and quietly.
The figures began to rock back and forth and then gripped each other's hands tightly and their chants became so quietly loud that it was deafening. Soon they yelled the final verse and the red fire that was burning the corpse of the pure-breed white stallion they were sacrificing turned black and then incinerated the horse to mere ashes. The leader of the brown robed figures stood up and raised his hands in the air and yelled out an archaic-Latin incantation and out of the ashes of the stallion rose a hell-beast centaur
The centaur had deep black fur and pale black skin from the waist up. It held in its hands a great scythe and had a great bow strapped to its back. It reared up at the sight of all of the people around it, but knew that these were the ones that had raise it from the grave.
"W-Wha-What are you? Who a-are you?" it said in rusty English.
The figures took off their hoods and revealed a group of teenagers were hidden beneath the robes. The leader stood up, his bleach-blonde hair nearly shining in the dark surroundings.
"We are your new parents and we want you to do something for us." He eyed his followers, "Go to LA and attack West Side Designs and kill everyone in there and then you're free." Their leader glared at the centaur, forcing information on how to get there and who to kill first of all.
The centaur scoffed, "A Slayer."
The leader nodded and the centaur stormed off into the night and half an hour later they could still hear the faint whispering of the creatures of the woods, terrified of what had just stormed through.
The leader turned to his followers, "The slayer has interrupted our practices once and has therefore put us three months behind, she will not do so again. It has also come to my knowledge that she now knows who we are thanks to a volume that Algebra teacher owns, but thanks to an inside link we have it here with us."
He pulled out the ancient looking book, bound in leather and tied together by thick bands of rope, "And now we sacrifice it."
He threw it into the ashes of what was the fire and said, "Inferno!" Then the book exploded into flames as the followers watched.
*******
Sherri walked out of the dressing room in a royal blue dress. It was tight fitting to her body and cut off about mid-thigh. Its sleeves fit her upper arm almost perfectly and at the elbow down was cut to make the sleeves dangle from the elbow down.
"Bravo!" Eric said as she walked out, "I like it."
Sherri slightly blushed, she hadn't really gotten dressed up since her and her boyfriend broke up almost three weeks ago. Ashley nearly killed her when she found out, one for going out with him and two for not telling her, but now everything was going perfect for her. She was talking to this boy named Mitchell Neal, a sandy-blonde haired, deep blue eyed junior. He was one of Parker and Chris's friends who was single and looking so they hooked them up.
Then Ashley walked out. She wore an emerald green dress with two thick straps that held it up. It fit her just enough to show her curves but not so tight that she had to walk so that it wouldn't' rip.
Parker grinned at his girlfriend's choice, it was amazing on her. He still couldn't believe that they had gotten together. It had been two weeks-they got 'official' shortly after that fight at the Bronze and since then have been inseparable. He walked up to his girl and said: "Mmm."
She grinned as he wrapped his arms around her, "You like?"
He nodded and gave her a quick kiss as she turned to talk to the fitting lady. As it turned out her and Sherri's dress only cost about $150 a piece.
They had wanted Carolyn and Chris to come with them, but their parents took them somewhere to get a dress and tuxedo that the family had always been shopping at.
With that Ashley and Carolyn went to change out into their own clothes and returned to find Parker and Eric across the room looking at two tuxedos. Therefore, they walked over and Ashley put her arms around her boyfriend's torso and said, "You picking out a suit?"
"Yeah, but my dad's got one that he's just dependent on me wearing so I guess I'll wear his."
Ashley grinned, "You'll look great."
Parker turned to her and they looked at each other for a moment and drew into a kiss, for some reason they didn't' have a problem with public affection, as long as it didn't' go too far. Ashley pulled away and bit her lower lip then smiled, "You know, you're a little bit too good to me."
Parker smiled, "Maybe, but I love it."
Eric looked to Sherri and she shrugged.
"Maybe we should head to the ice cream parlor across the street, they could be like this for a while." Eric suggested.
"I agree," Sherri stated, "but should we leave them alone? When we come back they might have three kids and an SUV."
Ashley looked over to Sherri, "Cow!"
Sherri grinned, but then they heard some women scream not far off in the distance. Everyone's expression turned grim as they heard glass shatter at the opposite end of the store then the sound of pounding hooves made Ashley's senses stand on high. Then came something neither of them had ever seen before, a black-towering centaur.
Sherri let out a scream as it came rumbling toward them and it swung is scythe at Ashley. She ducked down and swung her leg around to knock the centaur off balance but only ended up hurting her leg. It then reared up slammed its hooves down on Ashley, however she caught its hooves and by a great show of strength she twisted its legs and forced it to fall to the ground.
Ashley flipped up and then snatched one of the centaur's arrows out of its quill and then stabbed it with that arrow. However the blow merely angered it more and it rose up and charged her again. She dodged and then, in a clever flip, jumped up and landed on its back. The centaur thrashed to get loose from her but she wrapped her hands around his head and then snapped it.
Sherri cringed at the cracking noise, but glanced around at all of the people and looked at Ashley, "We better go."
They all nodded and then ran out just as the authorities showed up to the scene.
*******
"A CENTAUR! BIG, BLACK, ALMOST KILLED ME WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW!" Ashley exclaimed, rather unnerved at Carrie and Collin's disbelief in what she said.
Parker put his arm around Ashley, "Calm down, Ashley."
Carrie nodded, "I've never heard of a centaur attacking someone, they are peaceful creatures."
"Wait!" Collin said, "I remember reading something about a centaur war-lord killed shortly after the crucifixion. Now can describe exactly what he looked like. Human face, demented face? Muscular or thin?"
"He looked kinda like that centaur off of Harry Potter!" Sherri said, earning strange looks from Eric, Parker and Ashley.
"Harry Potter?" Eric eyed her.
"Yes!" Collin said, "He was an ally of the Order of the Left Hand! His name is-" Collin jogged him memory, "I want to say Gravlox, Centaur of Chaos."
Carrie got up and went to her bookcase, her house wasn't large but it housed numerous texts that the Council didn't even know existed.
"Uh-oh." Carrie muttered.
Collin looked to her, "What?"
Carrie looked disturbed, "The book is missing."
Ashley looked up, a bit of shock on her face, "I though it was locked away!"
"It was!" Carrie said, "That was our only link to the order, which can only mean one thing."
"Which is?" Sherri asked.
"They know that we know." Collin said.
Carrie nodded, "So now all we have to do is keep our ear to the ground and watch for-well, a sign."
Ashley walked to the window and looked out of it and to the moon, "Well I'm off patrolling. Still gotta kill those vamps." She said with fake enthusiasm.
*******
The air of Sunnydale refilled his nostrils for the first time in over two years. He enjoyed being here, causing havoc and someone had called him here-someone new.
"And in the last days, the souls shall become demons and those that are good will stand beside those that are evil." A man, draped in a brown cloak revealed himself from the shadows, "The chaos bringers shall die and a new leader shall emerge, those of old shall serve those that are new and the new shall lead the lost mortals into hell."
The man turned to face the newcomer who was draped in a brown cloak, "Ahh, from the Dark Chronicles I presume, they were quite a good read."
The cloaked figure scoffed, "Ruin my trip why don't you?"
The man laughed, "Of course, why am I here. You are Collin I presume."
The cloaked figure took off his hood and grinned, his bleach blonde hair shining in the dark, "Yes, Collin Johnson-high priest of the Order of the Left Hand. And you are Ethan Rayne."
Ethan nodded, "Yes, now-why am I here."
Collin lifted an eyebrow, "To kill the Slayer."
Ethan backed away, "No, I've already had my taste of the Slayers and I no longer wish to involve myself with them or in your petty affairs."
Collin smiled, "Buffy Summers is dead, killed in a battle against Ava, the demi-god of illusions. Faith was murdered in a prison in LA. There is a new Slayer, very susceptible to trickery-she thinks I'm on her side and so I need you to cook up a clever plan to kill her, you have two months. After that time your job is invalidated and you are not going to receive our generous reparations."
"How generous?" Ethan asked.
"Fifteen thousand in British dollars-Council money but all the same."
Ethan nodded, "It will be done."
"Good." Collin grinned and stepped back into the shadows. A slight, undead sounding moan was let loose from where he stood then a whispering of many voices. Ethan then saw his outline in the shadows disappear and a faint black line zoom past his feet.