Chapter VII: Interlude- 'Of books, tea and guys in glasses'.
He walks the halls at a very hasty pace. He hurries past colleagues and students alike without so much as a complimentary smile on his face. He carries files in his hand. The folder's bent, and the papers inside look as if they are but moments away from flying away. He reaches a large set of double doors and opens them abruptly.
Everybody inside is quiet. They look at him vaguely surprised from their seats in the conference table. He's not one to be late to affairs such as this. He looks around perplexed at the faces staring at him.
Giles: "Sorry, I'm late." (walks over to his chair at the other end of the table) "Hope you didn't wait too long."
Gunn: "No. Just twenty minutes, give or take."
Giles: "Yes, thank you Charles. Please forgive me for not appreciating the sarcasm as much as I always do."
Gunn: "Any news from the other side of the pond?"
Giles: "Yes." (pauses) "They still haven't found him yet."
Everybody looks at each other completely shocked. Their faces turn pale.
Willow: "What do you mean they still haven't found him? It's been a week already."
Giles: "Yes. They have been tracked him down to his last known location from different sources. There were signs of a confrontation, but nothing has come up yet."
Lorne: "What about the Arathma... thing Wes was asking about? Anything on that?"
Giles: "So far we have established that the creature is very old. Perhaps as old as Illyria. We found..." (opens the file and hands down copies across the table) "...translations of the term Arathma'aet going back as far as the dawn of civilized man."
Xander: "Term? I thought it was its name."
Giles: "Well, the translations indicate that Arathma'aet means Death Dealer in ancient demonic languages. The more... rudimentary translations, or colloquialisms, call it simply Death. To the best of my interpretation it's more of a... title, rather than name. Every source I had for the translation led me to believe that its origins could be traced back to the days of the Old Ones."
Gunn: "And what did you come up with?"
Giles: "That my suspicions were correct. References to its existence can be found, in some way or another, going as far as to the days of the Old Ones' rise to power."
Gunn: "So what we're dealing here's another Old One? How did he survive?"
Giles: "I don't believe it's an Old One." (takes off his glasses and wipes them) "Or at least not one that survived."
Xander: "Then what is it?"
Giles: (puts his glasses on and ponders on the question) "I don't know."
Xander: "Oh great. We're dead."
Giles: "Xander, I don't think this is the time for jokes."
Xander: "I wasn't joking."
Lorne: "Do you have any idea what it could be at least?"
Giles: "My research team and I have come to the conclusion that whatever the Arathma'aet is it must have been dormant till now. But that's all I have. Where did it come from, why is it in Los Angeles, and why did it appear now are still unknown to me. My only hope is that Wesley can sort it before it's too late."
Willow: "You think he'll be able to?"
Giles: "I honestly don't know."
They remain in their seats looking at the pages in front of them. No one can formulate a thought at the moment.
Underneath the layers of concrete in the city of Los Angeles lies one of its own. He has been unconscious most of the time. He can give no more and he prays for the mercy of his foe. But he's alone. Nobody can hear his pain. Nobody can come to him. He awakens from his condition sporadically, but the pain is too much to bear. He closes his eyes and slowly drifts away.
-- Fini.
He walks the halls at a very hasty pace. He hurries past colleagues and students alike without so much as a complimentary smile on his face. He carries files in his hand. The folder's bent, and the papers inside look as if they are but moments away from flying away. He reaches a large set of double doors and opens them abruptly.
Everybody inside is quiet. They look at him vaguely surprised from their seats in the conference table. He's not one to be late to affairs such as this. He looks around perplexed at the faces staring at him.
Giles: "Sorry, I'm late." (walks over to his chair at the other end of the table) "Hope you didn't wait too long."
Gunn: "No. Just twenty minutes, give or take."
Giles: "Yes, thank you Charles. Please forgive me for not appreciating the sarcasm as much as I always do."
Gunn: "Any news from the other side of the pond?"
Giles: "Yes." (pauses) "They still haven't found him yet."
Everybody looks at each other completely shocked. Their faces turn pale.
Willow: "What do you mean they still haven't found him? It's been a week already."
Giles: "Yes. They have been tracked him down to his last known location from different sources. There were signs of a confrontation, but nothing has come up yet."
Lorne: "What about the Arathma... thing Wes was asking about? Anything on that?"
Giles: "So far we have established that the creature is very old. Perhaps as old as Illyria. We found..." (opens the file and hands down copies across the table) "...translations of the term Arathma'aet going back as far as the dawn of civilized man."
Xander: "Term? I thought it was its name."
Giles: "Well, the translations indicate that Arathma'aet means Death Dealer in ancient demonic languages. The more... rudimentary translations, or colloquialisms, call it simply Death. To the best of my interpretation it's more of a... title, rather than name. Every source I had for the translation led me to believe that its origins could be traced back to the days of the Old Ones."
Gunn: "And what did you come up with?"
Giles: "That my suspicions were correct. References to its existence can be found, in some way or another, going as far as to the days of the Old Ones' rise to power."
Gunn: "So what we're dealing here's another Old One? How did he survive?"
Giles: "I don't believe it's an Old One." (takes off his glasses and wipes them) "Or at least not one that survived."
Xander: "Then what is it?"
Giles: (puts his glasses on and ponders on the question) "I don't know."
Xander: "Oh great. We're dead."
Giles: "Xander, I don't think this is the time for jokes."
Xander: "I wasn't joking."
Lorne: "Do you have any idea what it could be at least?"
Giles: "My research team and I have come to the conclusion that whatever the Arathma'aet is it must have been dormant till now. But that's all I have. Where did it come from, why is it in Los Angeles, and why did it appear now are still unknown to me. My only hope is that Wesley can sort it before it's too late."
Willow: "You think he'll be able to?"
Giles: "I honestly don't know."
They remain in their seats looking at the pages in front of them. No one can formulate a thought at the moment.
Underneath the layers of concrete in the city of Los Angeles lies one of its own. He has been unconscious most of the time. He can give no more and he prays for the mercy of his foe. But he's alone. Nobody can hear his pain. Nobody can come to him. He awakens from his condition sporadically, but the pain is too much to bear. He closes his eyes and slowly drifts away.
-- Fini.