Xander's Glory 3: Trek across Quor'Toth


Summary: Answer to Djhardim's idea that Xander dress up as a certain medical student, and all that meant
Crossover: None right now…
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I see nothing!
Feedback: It would be welcome! Please!

"Oh, what a crappy place," Alexander muttered as the portal closed behind them, then turned to the group, free at last to make sure they understood the situation.

"Okay, everybody, you're not cattle, you're humans, and if you stick with us we'll eventually end up in a human world. Once there, we'll see about settling you in, and you take it from there, got it? You'll be free. Right now, you're not slaves, but you'll need to go along with us to get there. Also, Glorificus is Glorificus, we're not fakin' it, she's just not a problem like most of the powerful. But don't push it. Also, we'll be taking time to cross-train, we all need to know the best ways of defending our people against attackers."

He turned and saw the other two pack-mates consulting the map and the landmarks, deciding on a direction.

Stopping for breaks and sleep, the group traveled three days before Annie finally had enough.

#Talk to her.#

#About what?#

#Anything, she's sane and experiencing aspects of mortal life, Alexander, and her discovery of loneliness is overwhelming me#

#Why haven't I noticed?#

#It comes out a lot when she touches, and she's been nice enough to help me stay pretty looking, so I notice. And since you're the only one with anything in common…#

#Okay, I guess I've just been trying to keep us going, so give a few minutes and I'll call a break.#

#Thank you.#

"Okay everybody, let's call a break, this stream seems a good place to top off our water. Remember, this is Hell, so be careful." He walked over to where Glory was watching some kids crawl out of the cart to play.

"It's hard for me to really remember being that young," Alexander said.

"Yeah, it's really weird having your memories," Glory replied, "I didn't have a…childhood…I just kinda came into existence. But watching them helps me to start understanding some of what humans are like."

"How you holding out?" he asked quietly, drawing a brief look of surprise before she tried to cover it, "That good, huh? Well, I'm sorry, I've just bottled things up, I forget what this must be for you?"

"Well, being almost human isn't all bad, and the sanity without hatred is more relaxing than I'd expected," she smiled wanly, "But I've been talking to Annie so I guess I'm alright. And in a couple weeks, you won't have to see me any more."

"I don't hate you, Glow Worm," he responded, exhaling, "And I know you're not the same as before we Shared. I'd like to be your friend as well as pack-mate?"

"I'd like that, a-and talking, maybe?"

"Sure, anything in particular?"

"Yeah, how about we start with Halloween and you tell about yourself since then?"

"But we have each other's memories."

"Yeah, but maybe talking about it…"

"Will help figure out things?"

"Sorta, but maybe just the people talking thing might be nice."

It ended up taking a month before the group ran into anything other than feral demons and large animals, but luckily with the medical knowledge from Glory's previous host, wounds were successfully tended.

Alexander's cross-training idea proved effective, as it kept everyone busy and less-worried while the animals rested, the swordplay, unarmed combat and other skills were to the former slaves a symbol of their freedom. The entire group became organized into something approaching a pack, with the three 'Earthers' at its core, ever improving the capabilities of the others, and using the best ideas to improve the group.

Hunting, while sparse, proved possible, and with Annie's experience, found food that was acceptable enough. Water, surprisingly, was in the realm as likely to be found as anything else, though the river of gold was too hot to draw near. Fortunately, they were able to retrieve twenty pounds of the stuff in flakes in case they entered a realm that used it in transactions.

A second month of travel, and the three-member pack drew closer together, instinctively taking up slack or dropping back as needed. Glory and Annie had listened as Alexander told of his time back 'home' since Halloween, and even his life before. They shared their times along the Serengeti or other dimensions, and generally put into current perspectives everything they'd been.

He'd given his impressions of things, his decision to give meaning to his life in fighting the vampires, which for him was the only thing he could do.

He talked about things in general, and then when Buffy and Angel had released Angelus back into the world, how he'd kept tricking Doc and the minions into helping out, "If the world ends before she can get home, Her Magnificence will not be pleased." As his audience had grown over time, this remark in particular drew laughter from all, as even the 'cattle' of Pylea had seen priestly promotion based on sycophancy.

He told how he'd made his deal with Annie and they'd managed to boost him so he could prevent Dalton from reclaiming the arm of the Judge, and Xander had run off for the day, doing the simple thing…he'd sent via Fed-Ex to London, getting the address from Giles over the phone on his way out of town straight to LAX, where he'd bribed a few guys into processing it off-hours.

He talked about missing the friends who had become his family, how he'd considered several times killing himself to prevent the possible death of his friends if Glorificus had desired it. The very gun he ended up using when he'd stumbled across the vampire starting to grab Willow and had missed being able to just hang out that he'd just…snapped and started shooting.

Giles had been very happy with Xander's taking charge of the arm and getting it out of town, and had had to concede that Jenny had not betrayed anyone in the matter, though it would have been best for all to have said something.

"Well, Ripper," Xander had told him, "I bet she feels the same way as when your demon got inside of her. So I'd say you're even, and having someone with mojo around might be good considering Angelus is running around now that Angel's dead. Don't let those three vampires come together and this group come apart."

Buffy, who'd started when he'd emphasized Angel being dead broke into tears, Willow moving to comfort her. Xander went and knelt beside her.

"Buff, we know you loved him," the young man told her, "But we're facing Angelus not Angel. I know you're not happy at me for shooting him, but Angelus was going to kill Willow. The guy you cared for is in the after life now, be happy he doesn't have to listen to a demon all the time. Grieve, but don't let your guard down. Since he was in your house on Halloween, you must have invited him at one time, so we need Jenny to find a spell to uninvited him. We don't want him to murder your mom." Buffy looked up in shock at that thought. So did Willow.

"Wills?"

"He was in my house when I looked up that stuff on Ford for him!"

"Stop, Wills!" Xander interjected before she got going too far and fast. He turned to Miss Calendar, whose tenure in the group still existed, "Can you do a spell?"

"Maybe, but my Uncle Enjos is in town, we'll ask him."

"Okay," Xander told her, "you drive. Giles, can you drive Buffy home? And Jenny? Willow's folks are out of town, can she stay at your place tonight? We can figure something out tomorrow. Come on everybody, let's get moving."

"I'm going to see this uncle," Buffy decided, "maybe he can put Angel's soul back."

"Buff, your mom's life is more important; if he can do it, we'll have him do it."

They'd met with Enjos, who refused to have his clan even research the lost spell. When Xander emphasized he didn't care about that, but really wanted the uninvite spell cast, stronger if possible. Xander let a little more Hyena out and the man had been compliant. They packed him up and like Willow he would be staying at Jenny's place.

Xander talked about using the minions and his gradually increasing magical proficiency to conduct preemptive raids where vampires were known to dwell, the occasional fire or disinvite right before sunrise being ways of keeping Angelus' minions down, and his focus on Xander.

The three became closer, and the human pack loyal, with Annie talking about what it meant to be a Primal Spirit and a Hyena, getting into the shamanistic magics it touched on, the thrill of the hunt, providing for the pack. Glory talked about the nature of most hell powers, how most of the remaining ones in contact with Earth and humans interacted, and were sometimes dependent on emotions and soul-energies.

But as their time drew into a tenth week, it revealed the Plain of Bugs… which contained several big Hives…where the area keeps opening huge portals that glimpse other worlds and realities, closing after seconds to minutes later, part of what the bugs are. Glory outlined the plan.

"Strap your families or groups together so you don't get separated," she told them, "What we're trying for is a portal area, and when we see Earth, or an Earth, we jump through. If we have to deal with a bunch of bugs each group should use your harpoons we made, then hang on for a very bumpy and painful ride, and cut your group free if you get somewhere you feel comfortable enough with. The only other way is to kill the bug, which'll also keep you wherever you end up. But we're going to try finding a portal, and keeping together so we don't get swarmed."

They'd gotten close a couple of times, nice-enough places, but they weren't fast enough, so they fought through a few small nests, but couldn't hook a bug.

But the nest did happen to occupy an oasis of human habitability, and the group decide to rest and relax for a couple of days, then try toward an area Groo's maps and Glory's memories indicated as having more civilized presences, and perhaps they could find a guide to employ for better results.

They found the dates and other fruit in the trees to be in excess of their immediate needs, and the group after Annie checked them over, proceeded to fill up on perishables and relax, someone brought out what liquor they'd requisitioned back in Pylea, and a good time was had by all.