Chapter 6: Blind
Buffy was pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She wore leather pants and a thigh-length leather jacket.
"We move out in like 15 minutes."
"Alright. I'll be seeing you."
"What do you mean?! You're going."
"Oh, I just thought that..."
"The last thing I would want is to be alone with that
Scumbag."
They headed downstairs. Riley was sitting on the couch, talking to Dawn. He didn't notice their entrance until Buffy said,
"Just as the smell was fading."
He stood and his face fell into the light. His face was tightly drawn with concern and his nose was bruised, slightly off center. His hair was still the same shade of honey-blonde; he looked good—real good.
"We'll need weapons, Yes?"
"Yes, I came out of South America empty-handed."
She went to her weapons trunk, the birthday present from Xander. She supplied everyone while Dawn stood.
"What's going on? Demon-type newbies?"
"Neblier." Riley began. "A flesh-eater, like the young ones."
Dawn, looking startled said,
"Thanks for that visual. Excuse me while I barricade
Myself in my room."
They exited the house, following Riley. He filled them in.
"I've tracked this particular pack for three weeks. They
breed at a young age and often. So they spread—fast."
Spike cut in.
"The name sounds familiar. I'm sure I've killed a few."
Buffy smiled at the way Riley held his tongue for her sake. Spike pulled out a cigarette and promptly lit it. Buffy carried an axe and a dagger was strategically placed in her boot. Riley carried the crossbow Spike refused to carry and a taser. Spike also carried an axe, only it was much longer than Buffy's. So there they were, lurking in the shadows, Riley in the lead. Buffy recognized the street as Jasmine, Giles' street. They walked it dead silence until a blood-curdling scream sounded. They went running East, the direction of the screams origin. The scream led them to Sunnydale Park where a young girl, no older than four, fighting for her life. The three stepped from the shadows and Buffy decapitated one from behind.
"Flesh-Fest is over."
Now five Nebliers' were lunging at the three of them. She swung her axe, decapitating another. Another two were down almost instantaneously. With that, Burry broke from the fight to assist the crying girl.
"You've got quite a pair of lungs." But she seemed not to hear
her so Buffy continued. "Hey, it's okay now. We're going to
take you home, okay?"
The girl began to speak in an unfamiliar tongue. It sounded odd, like an ancient language. Buffy shook her head.
"I'm sorry I don't—"
A loud cry of agony rang out. She whipped around and saw Riley squirming in the dirt. She ran to assist him.
"Riley?!"
He was clutching his face.
"Oh, my eyes! My eyes!"
Suddenly a growl surfaced and she turned to see A Neblier's fist on a course for her face. Spike appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and blocked it. He decapitated the monster immediately. Now the night was silent except for Riley's cries of pain.
"What happened, Spike?!"
"Their acid-spit, it's a defense mechanism. Seems he got
angry."
"What's going to happen to him?"
"He's going blind, for how long I have no idea."
Spike left Buffy with Riley and went to help the girl. Buffy hoisted him up, draping his arm over her shoulder. Spike was now crouched in front of the girl speaking to her. It was as if he had spoken it all his life, he was fluently speaking the girl's language. Buffy wobbled over.
"You can understand her?"
"It's Ancient Bohan, a language of the Order of Bohan.
It's an order of women, of past or potential slayers."
Buffy almost dropped the limp Riley. Spike took the girl up in his arms and assisted Buffy with Riley's other side.
Buffy was pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She wore leather pants and a thigh-length leather jacket.
"We move out in like 15 minutes."
"Alright. I'll be seeing you."
"What do you mean?! You're going."
"Oh, I just thought that..."
"The last thing I would want is to be alone with that
Scumbag."
They headed downstairs. Riley was sitting on the couch, talking to Dawn. He didn't notice their entrance until Buffy said,
"Just as the smell was fading."
He stood and his face fell into the light. His face was tightly drawn with concern and his nose was bruised, slightly off center. His hair was still the same shade of honey-blonde; he looked good—real good.
"We'll need weapons, Yes?"
"Yes, I came out of South America empty-handed."
She went to her weapons trunk, the birthday present from Xander. She supplied everyone while Dawn stood.
"What's going on? Demon-type newbies?"
"Neblier." Riley began. "A flesh-eater, like the young ones."
Dawn, looking startled said,
"Thanks for that visual. Excuse me while I barricade
Myself in my room."
They exited the house, following Riley. He filled them in.
"I've tracked this particular pack for three weeks. They
breed at a young age and often. So they spread—fast."
Spike cut in.
"The name sounds familiar. I'm sure I've killed a few."
Buffy smiled at the way Riley held his tongue for her sake. Spike pulled out a cigarette and promptly lit it. Buffy carried an axe and a dagger was strategically placed in her boot. Riley carried the crossbow Spike refused to carry and a taser. Spike also carried an axe, only it was much longer than Buffy's. So there they were, lurking in the shadows, Riley in the lead. Buffy recognized the street as Jasmine, Giles' street. They walked it dead silence until a blood-curdling scream sounded. They went running East, the direction of the screams origin. The scream led them to Sunnydale Park where a young girl, no older than four, fighting for her life. The three stepped from the shadows and Buffy decapitated one from behind.
"Flesh-Fest is over."
Now five Nebliers' were lunging at the three of them. She swung her axe, decapitating another. Another two were down almost instantaneously. With that, Burry broke from the fight to assist the crying girl.
"You've got quite a pair of lungs." But she seemed not to hear
her so Buffy continued. "Hey, it's okay now. We're going to
take you home, okay?"
The girl began to speak in an unfamiliar tongue. It sounded odd, like an ancient language. Buffy shook her head.
"I'm sorry I don't—"
A loud cry of agony rang out. She whipped around and saw Riley squirming in the dirt. She ran to assist him.
"Riley?!"
He was clutching his face.
"Oh, my eyes! My eyes!"
Suddenly a growl surfaced and she turned to see A Neblier's fist on a course for her face. Spike appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and blocked it. He decapitated the monster immediately. Now the night was silent except for Riley's cries of pain.
"What happened, Spike?!"
"Their acid-spit, it's a defense mechanism. Seems he got
angry."
"What's going to happen to him?"
"He's going blind, for how long I have no idea."
Spike left Buffy with Riley and went to help the girl. Buffy hoisted him up, draping his arm over her shoulder. Spike was now crouched in front of the girl speaking to her. It was as if he had spoken it all his life, he was fluently speaking the girl's language. Buffy wobbled over.
"You can understand her?"
"It's Ancient Bohan, a language of the Order of Bohan.
It's an order of women, of past or potential slayers."
Buffy almost dropped the limp Riley. Spike took the girl up in his arms and assisted Buffy with Riley's other side.