The Son of Blood
Chapter 1

The Sunnydale High library the dark place where the books live was anything but calm today.

"C'mon Giles I bust my butt every night to protect this town from vampires demons and other slimy dead things I think I deserve a night off for once." Buffy said to her watcher Rupert Giles.

Rupert Giles aka Giles was usually a calm collected man but due to the constant complaining of his charge he was anything but that today.

"Buffy will you stop. Whether you think you deserve a night off or not doesn't matter you are the chosen one you must patrol whether you wish to or not." Giles said to the blond slayer.

"Please Giles If you give me the night off you can spend more time with Miss Calander." Said Buffy putting on her best puppy dog face hoping it would make her watcher cave.

"Oh very well I suppose you deserve a night to rest but tomorrow you will do a double patrol." Giles said while turning back to the books he was cataloging.

"Yay thanks Giles you're the best!" Buffy said jumping up and hugging her watcher and it was just that minute that Xander Harris and Willow Rosenburg entered the library.

"Whoa Buffy G man why didn't you tell us you were more than just friends." Xander said while taking a seat at the table.

"Xander do shut up and don't call me that." Giles said while returning to his cataloging.

"So G man what's new on the demon front any new apocalypses need preventing?" Xander said leaning back in the chair.

"Actually no things are relatively normal, or least as normal as things can get on the hellmouth." Giles said finishing the cataloging and sitting down.

"Well then we'll be going see ya Giles." Buffy said grabbing her coat and heading for the door with Xander and Willow right behind.

The Bronze, the only nightclub in Sunnydale but a favorite hangout for the teen population of the town.

"Well I can sense him in there so he must be here." The woman with red/purple hair said while walking in and looking around for the man that brought her all the way out here.

"So Buffy is Angel gonna be here?" Willow asked while taking a sip from her drink.

"I don't know I told him I'd be here I hope he shows up." Buffy said looking around.

"Great brooding boy is gonna be here. Is just me or does he seem to be able to suck all the fun out of the room." Xander said while also looking around the club.

"Xander."

"Yeah Buff?"

"Shut up."

"Fine but as soon as Angel shows up and the fun leaves you'll be sorry." Xander said getting up and heading over to get something to drink.

While Xander was ordering his drink and Buffy was busy scoping for Angel and the woman looked for the person she was searching for Angel walked into the club and immediately saw his girlfriend and started moving towards her.

"Angel what took you so long?" Buffy asked while sliding over allowing him to sit down.

"Just ran into a couple vamps fresh out of the grave." Angel said sitting down and wrapping his arm around Buffy.

"Are you alright?" Buffy asked worriedly.

"Yeah I'm fine." It was at that moment that Xander retuned with his drink and sat down next to Willow.

"Ah dead boy so glad you could make." Xander said sarcastically while taking a sip of his drink.

"Nice to see you to." Angel responded casually.

"C'mon Angel let's dance." Buffy said while pulling Angel onto the dance floor.

"Well I think I'm all funned out for tonight I'm going home see ya tomorrow Will." Xander said while getting up and heading for the exit.

"Bye Xander." Willow said to her departing friend.

"Damn where is he I can't find him anywhere." The woman said while looking through the crowd then turning around she spotted the person she had been looking for heading for the exit and started pushing her way through the crowd to get to him.

As Xander stepped out into the cool night air he looked up and took a deep breath 'Forget it Harris she's head over heels for Angel you'll never even have a shot with her.' He thought to himself as he started to walk home.

Xander was about a block away from his house when he heard a growling sound behind him and turned around to see what it was and saw something right out of a nightmare.

Four creatures nearly seven feet in height with large paws for feet thin tan fur covering their bodies with dog like heads on top each wearing steel breast plates and carrying halberds nearly as big as themselves and not with a 'hey how ya doing look on there faces'.

"Uh hey boys how ya doing." Xander said starting to back away slowly but bumped into something, turning around he saw four more of the strange dog headed creatures.

"Oh shoot I don't suppose we could talk about this." Xander said nervously as the dog headed creatures raised their halberds ready to strike.

"Thought not. Bye!" Xander said while turning to run but as his luck would have it he tripped and fell.

Xander rolled over to see the monsters ready to bring down there weapons.

Just as the monsters were ready to strike a fire ball flew towards them and blasted the monsters away from Xander.

Turning to where the fire ball came from Xander saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Standing about 5'11 with reddish purple hair clad in loose black pants, and white shirt under a short leather jacket.

The woman turned her head towards him and gave him a quick once over seeing he wasn't hurt she quickly turned her attention back the dog headed creatures who where recovering from her previous attack.

She held up her hand and it started to glow she quickly chanted a few words in some language unknown to Xander and a lighting bolt shot from her hand and hit the lead monster and quickly branched out into seven more bolts striking the rest of the monsters and frying them.

The woman then lowered her hand and walked over to Xander.

"Are you alright Xander?" She asked while helping him to his feet.

"Yeah I'm fine, hey wait minute how'd you know my name." Xander said turning to the woman.

"You'll find I know a lot about you Alexander Lavelle Harris." The woman said with a small grin on her face.

"Now c'mon it's not safe for you here we have to get you off the streets." She said turning to walk away.

"Just a minute what the hell happened, who the hell are you, what the hell are those things, and how did you shoot lighting from your hand I mean I may not be the smartest guy in the world but I do know that's not possible." Xander said the woman.

"Please Xander I'll explain everything once we get you to safety." The woman said with an urgent look on her face.

"Alright lead the way." Xander said walking up to the girl.

About twenty minutes later in front of a rather large house in richer the area of Sunnydale Xander and the unknown woman got out of her car and Xander looked in awe at the house.

"You live here?" Xander said turning to the woman.

"Yup I'm a girl of rich tastes c'mon I'll answer all of your questions inside." She said walking towards the house with Xander following close behind.

Inside the large house in a large comfortable living room Xander and the mystery woman were seated on couches opposite of each other.

"So shoot what do you want to know." The woman said sitting back in the couch.

"Well first what's your name?" Xander asked the woman.

"My name is Imoen."

"Alright Imoen what were those things that tried to kill me?"

"They are called Gnolls large creatures that are as strong as they are dangerous but their not to bright."

"Alright but why are they trying to kill me I haven't done anything to them." Xander asked while trying to process why these things would want him dead.

"Well Xander that is a long story but you have a right to know so sit back and get comfortable you'll be here awhile." Imoen said moving to a more comfortable position and motioned for Xander to do the same.

"It all started a little over five thousand years ago when Bhaal the god of murder and blood and the rest of the gods had to walk the earth as mortals."

"Bhaal knowing an order of paladins that followed Helm one of the gods of light were hunting him decided to leave the Earth with something to remember him by."

"So he traveled the earth and impregnated hundreds of women each of these women gave birth to what they were called Bhaal spawn or the children of Bhaal."

"Each child carried the essence of Bhaal inside them. The dark essence affected the Bhaal spawn in different ways some were able to control it and lead somewhat normal lives while others fell victim to it and were either driven insane or turned evil."

"Over the years the blood of Bhaal grew thinner and thinner and soon many people forgot about it which was a big mistake because know there is a Bhaal spawn out there named Sarevok who is trying to resurrect Bhaal and if he is able to succeed the world as we know it will be know more."

Before Imoen could finish her story she was interrupted Xander.

"Okay I'm gonna leave now and I think you should probably see a doctor real soon." Xander said standing up to leave and walking towards the door.

"Xander wait this isn't just some story I made up it's true." Imoen said getting and following him.

"Right sure listen if you ever need help finding a good psychiatrist give me call otherwise see ye." Xander said walking out the door and into the night.

"Xander wait there will be other creatures that will try to kill you" Imoen called out but her words fell on deaf ears.

The next day Xander walked into the library and saw Buffy, Willow, Oz, and Giles all gathered around the table in major research mode.

"Hey guy's what's up new bad in town?" Xander asked as he sat down at the table next to Oz and opened his can of coke.

"Quite possible Xander." Buffy said closing her book and grabbing a new one.

"What do you mean?" Xander asked grabbing a book of his own and paging through it.

"Last night eight charred body's were found lying on the road all with large axe like weapons and steel breastplates. The body's were a sort of dog like creature." Giles said looking up to clean his glasses.

Upon hearing the description Xander nearly choked on his coke.

"Did you say large dog like?" Xander asked worriedly.

"Yes I believe there called Gnolls." Giles said retuning to his book.

"Well I'd love to stay and help ya research but gotta get to class." Xander said than got up and bolted to the door.

"What's up with him he seamed a little freaked out and since when is he in such a hurry to go to class?" Buffy asked while looking to the doors her friend just left through.

"Ah who knows Xander's head is a complicated thing I've been best friends with him since we were kids and I don't understand him half the time." Willow said while closing her book and reaching for another.

English class third period the most boring class of the day usually Xander would just take a nap but today there were too many things happening in his head to concentrate.

'Man what I'm I gonna do what if Imoen was right and there are more of those things out there waiting to kill me.' Xander thought silently.

Just then the walls of the class room burst open revealing two dog like creatures that resembled Gnolls but were smaller and each carried swords.

It didn't take long for the class to be up and panicking.

Xander just sat glued to his seat staring at the monsters with them staring back.

Nothing happened at first then before Xander could react the monsters leapt forward swords raised.

'Uh I hate English class it's boring' Buffy said to herself as she slumped back in her seat then turned her head to look at Xander.

'Wow Xander look's like he's thinking hard is he actually paying attention.' Buffy wondered while staring at her friend.

'Naw he's probably just thinking of being somewhere other than here. Man it's boring I wish something would happen' Buffy thought.

At that moment the walls of the class burst open and two dog like monsters with swords jumped in 'oh shoot I didn't mean it.' Buffy said while getting out of her seat.

"Hey ugly the dog show's down the block!" Buffy yelled to the monsters but they ignored her there full attention on Xander then without warning they leapt at him swords raised.

Buffy barely had time to react and push Xander to the floor out of the way of the dog like monsters before she sent a high kick to ones head drawing it's attention from Xander and to herself but before the monster even had time to recover from the attack Buffy sent a kick to wrist that sent the sword flying.

Buffy quickly caught the sword ran the monster through she then turned to other one who was still trying to skewer Xander.

Buffy quickly ran to the creature and beheaded it.

"Xander you okay?" Buffy asked helping her friend to his feet.

"Yeah yeah I'm fine but I got to go." And with that said Xander quickly ran out the door and to the school exit.

"Well that was strange and he didn't say thanks." Buffy said dropping the sword and quickly left the room heading for the library to talk to Giles.

Xander ran as fast as his legs could carry him towards Imoen's house and hopefully some answers.

After about twenty minutes Xander finally made to the house and quickly ran the bell.

"C'mon c'mon be home." Xander said while waiting for the door to open.

A few minutes later the door opened to reveal Imoen "I knew you'd be back. Come in."

Imoen said moving aside giving Xander entry.

Little did Xander know that the minute he stepped through that door the fate of the world would then become his to decide.

End Chapter 1

Pronunciations Imoen= Im o en Gnoll= nole Bhaal= ball