As the bright Saturday morning sunlight from the few library windows shone
down over Buffy and the rest of the Scooby Gang Xander pushed open the
library doors and entered feeling proud he'd completed his first mission of
the day. Everyone looked up at Xander as he said, "I come bearing sugary
goodness. Just call me the donut king!" and he set the box of donuts down
in the centre of the table.
"Yeah, and we'll still be calling you the donut king when your seventy Mr. Low SAT Scores!" Cordelia remarked flicking through one of Giles' books.
"Did we find anything yet?" Buffy asked Willow.
"I've done a search for demons and sorcerers that wear the kind of old brown robes you described but lots came up so I'm having to go through them all one by one." Willow said a little disappointed she couldn't be more helpful.
"Well this book is noooo help whatsoever. I don't even think its written in English." Cordelia said reaching for another, thinner book.
Buffy looked at Xander. "Just call me the donut king," He said, not really having a clue what he was supposed to be researching.
"Giles?" Buffy asked.
"Well. We know the amulet is worn by the Syrma-Matis clan and that it's not for protection. We also know that whatever it's used for is not good." Giles sat down with the others and continued. "Syrma-Matis means eliminator of power and as Buffys theory goes; whatever uses the amulet intends to kill Angel as he is very powerful. Ah, extremely powerful." Giles finished.
"You said it stabbed him in the chest" Oz asked or stated-no one could tell.
"Yeah, like right in the heart." Buffy said. " But it'll heal pretty fast- vamps do"
"But did it just stab him? I mean, is that all it did?" Oz continued.
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.
The room went silent as though they were in thought and then Willow blurted out "Poison! It could have poisoned him when it stabbed him!"
"My point exactly." Oz said.
"And if it did?" Buffy asked looking at Giles.
"He's probably gonna die slowly and painfully!" Cordelia said tactlessly.
"Maybe. Or he could die a lot quicker if we don't figure it out." Giles said thinking about how to narrow down the search for information on the demon in question and how it uses the amulet. "Willow, could you run a search for demons who wear the robes but also poison their victims by stabbing them?" Giles asked.
"Sure." A few taps later and Willow had the information she needed.
"What about the amulet?" Buffy asked.
"The amulet is irrelevant at this moment but we'll come to it, don't worry." Giles said. Willow quickly read through her notes. "I got it! The Syrma-Matis kill their victims by stabbing them through the chest with a weapon protruding from its own body. Located at the base of the hand, the spike contains a lethal dose of poison that slowly deteriorates the health of its victim and eventually..." She paused.
"What?" Buffy asked impatiently.
"... Kills them." Willow said slowly.
Buffy just stared at her, not believing what she was hearing.
"That's all there is." Willow finished.
"Buff?" Xander said. "We'll find a cure."
"I hope so." She said trying to smile.
"Ah, these volumes... " Giles pointed to some on the table as he reached for a jelly donut. "... Have reference to herbal compounds and other unnatural toxins."
"I... I'm not feeling to well." Buffy muttered standing up. "I can't even concentrate."
"This isn't an easy time I know." Giles reassured her.
"I just wanna go home." Buffy said. "Will you guys be ok without me?"
"Yes, get some rest." Giles said.
"Thanks" Buffy smiled and left the intending to visit Angel and feeling perfectly fine.
"Yeah, and we'll still be calling you the donut king when your seventy Mr. Low SAT Scores!" Cordelia remarked flicking through one of Giles' books.
"Did we find anything yet?" Buffy asked Willow.
"I've done a search for demons and sorcerers that wear the kind of old brown robes you described but lots came up so I'm having to go through them all one by one." Willow said a little disappointed she couldn't be more helpful.
"Well this book is noooo help whatsoever. I don't even think its written in English." Cordelia said reaching for another, thinner book.
Buffy looked at Xander. "Just call me the donut king," He said, not really having a clue what he was supposed to be researching.
"Giles?" Buffy asked.
"Well. We know the amulet is worn by the Syrma-Matis clan and that it's not for protection. We also know that whatever it's used for is not good." Giles sat down with the others and continued. "Syrma-Matis means eliminator of power and as Buffys theory goes; whatever uses the amulet intends to kill Angel as he is very powerful. Ah, extremely powerful." Giles finished.
"You said it stabbed him in the chest" Oz asked or stated-no one could tell.
"Yeah, like right in the heart." Buffy said. " But it'll heal pretty fast- vamps do"
"But did it just stab him? I mean, is that all it did?" Oz continued.
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.
The room went silent as though they were in thought and then Willow blurted out "Poison! It could have poisoned him when it stabbed him!"
"My point exactly." Oz said.
"And if it did?" Buffy asked looking at Giles.
"He's probably gonna die slowly and painfully!" Cordelia said tactlessly.
"Maybe. Or he could die a lot quicker if we don't figure it out." Giles said thinking about how to narrow down the search for information on the demon in question and how it uses the amulet. "Willow, could you run a search for demons who wear the robes but also poison their victims by stabbing them?" Giles asked.
"Sure." A few taps later and Willow had the information she needed.
"What about the amulet?" Buffy asked.
"The amulet is irrelevant at this moment but we'll come to it, don't worry." Giles said. Willow quickly read through her notes. "I got it! The Syrma-Matis kill their victims by stabbing them through the chest with a weapon protruding from its own body. Located at the base of the hand, the spike contains a lethal dose of poison that slowly deteriorates the health of its victim and eventually..." She paused.
"What?" Buffy asked impatiently.
"... Kills them." Willow said slowly.
Buffy just stared at her, not believing what she was hearing.
"That's all there is." Willow finished.
"Buff?" Xander said. "We'll find a cure."
"I hope so." She said trying to smile.
"Ah, these volumes... " Giles pointed to some on the table as he reached for a jelly donut. "... Have reference to herbal compounds and other unnatural toxins."
"I... I'm not feeling to well." Buffy muttered standing up. "I can't even concentrate."
"This isn't an easy time I know." Giles reassured her.
"I just wanna go home." Buffy said. "Will you guys be ok without me?"
"Yes, get some rest." Giles said.
"Thanks" Buffy smiled and left the intending to visit Angel and feeling perfectly fine.