Preludes:
Ch 7- Fight and Flight
Flashback: Burnside Medieval B & B - Buffy fighting Dracula
"Okay." Buffy immediately dropped the stake and watched it roll a few inches away from her. "Oops. Okay, so maybe that thrall thing is a little more dangerous than I thought." Looking around nervously to realize the position she'd gotten herself into, she gave a little whimper, "Crap." (Spanderverse: Dracula, chapter 11)
As Buffy backed desperately away from the Master Vampire before her she felt a wave of dizziness. As she clutched at the table to keep from falling, she wondered what magic the Count was working against her. It felt briefly like her will- even her very life force- was leaving her, only for the feeling to pass as quickly as it had occurred.
At the monastery in Brno, the Czech Republic the monks were rocking back in forth furiously in time to their chanting. In front of the small circle they'd created with their bodies, the ball of green energy seemed to coalesce and tighten around itself. Two of the youngest monks, one in his mid thirties and the other forty could not contain their curiosity. Even as they continued the chant that their Elder had begun, they both independently peered through slit eyelids to see the ball now elongated and quickly taking a more humanoid shape.
"Ložisko v rozhlase Zavraždit," the Elder yelled above a roaring buzz that emanated from the Key. 1 Its noise seemed to vibrate throughout the room; being more felt in the bones than impacting the eardrums.
As the head of the order altered his chant, the other four monks gathered followed suit. In the center of their circle the Key appeared ever more human. And then in a flash of white light as bright as the noon sun, it was gone.
As the Key vanished, Dana and Tomas, watching the Key's transformation, immediately burst into ash; their screams drowned out in the incessant roar echoing in the chamber. The Elder and his two remaining charges stumbled out of the chamber, the Key no longer in evidence. No time was spent mourning the two lost clerics…what were two compared to all those above their heads dying; in fact, what were two compared to the world?
"Teď, jaký mít tebe mnisi platí s má Identifikovat?" 2 From behind the Elder one of the monks gasped in horror. In front of them, the Beast stood. She was easily recognized despite the please female form she had. She was clothed in a red dress which accentuated her cleavage. Her shoes were also red and were spiked with three inch heels. She was currently tapping one of these well shod feet on the granite floor in irritation. On her face, a deep scowl lined her mouth. Her eyes flashed with indignation as she noticed the ruin-covered but otherwise empty chamber beyond.
"Tebe dva, běh!" 3 The Elder yelled at his subordinates. Brothers Benes and Krejci took off at a run down an even narrower passageway; grabbing a torch from a wall sconce on their way. An emergency exit for the monks, it would lead to several splinter branches deep in the earth, only one of which would not eventually lead to a dead end. All of the monks were taught early in their residence the path to follow if the need should ever arrive and the monks unerringly chose the correct path. Tears stung Krejci's eyes as he thought of his master behind him, buying time for them to escape. Just as the brothers on the floor above them had done, he would die at the hands of the Beast. There was no hope.
"Kde činit my běh," 4 he directed at brother Benes, who had been with the order longer and therefore, knew more of its secrets.
"Až k člen určitý klášter of Svatý Hladký do Itálie.5 Ona vŘdŘt of člen určitý Bestie. 6 Snad ona pocínovat pomoci!" 7
End flashback
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End Ch 7
1 - 'Focus on the Slayer'
2- 'Now, what have you monks done with my Key?'
3- 'You two, go!'
4- 'Where do we go'
5- 'To the Convent of St. Lucia in Italy.'
6- 'They know of the Beast.'
7- 'Perhaps they can help!'