There had been nothing to do but head towards the hills. Neither Slayer had felt comfortable standing in the open plain, without even a bush to step on. Just what looked like black molten slag for as far as the plain went.

The hills at least looked as though there was some cover, so off they trekked.

Barely a handful of words passed between them. But the hours did and finally, they were leaving the plain of rock and stepping onto more normal looking land. Grass and trees, grew on the hills, similar to home but in their own colours of grey and smudgy black. A black dust seemed to coat everything here, both Buffy and Faith were covered in a thick layer. It had a waxy feel and clung when brushed off.

The women were tired beyond even their ability to deal and Buffy could barely think about the pains and aches that attacked her body. One look at Faith confirmed she too was feeling the same.

By mutual agreement, they searched for somewhere safe to rest and after an hour's searching, came across a shallow cave in the side of the hill. A sip of water each from the almost empty water bottle Faith had carried and ignoring the rumblings of empty bellies, the Slayers curled up together, backs against the wall and drifted asleep, both too exhausted to set up turns watching. They both cursed that lapse soon enough.

For Buffy, it was the flickering of yellow lights on the backs of her eyelids that jolted her awake. Blinking the sleepy fuzziness away, she saw not cave walls, but smooth leather walls. Jolting in shock immediately registered ties at her wrists and ankles. Rolling her eyes while keeping her body still, she couldn't see Faith anywhere in the small room. A fire was lit at what she assumed was the front of the room, tethers holding two flaps of leather closed.

'Like that Native American group of tribes, the Yamassee exhibit we saw back in school." Buffy remembered. But the rest of the tent was empty. Leather ties were wrapped around her wrists numerous times and with anyone else, would have been sufficient to hold them. But with Buffy's slayer strength, it only took a few minutes and a little bloodletting to snap the bands. The ankle bindings were less trouble and in minutes, Buffy was creeping to the opening and peering out. Pitch black with only fires to light the obvious nightime. A larger fire burned brightly in the centre of what appeared to be a circle of tents, but the creatures moving around weren't Native Americans. Black hunched shaggy creatures strode to and fro, on business they only knew. Buffy thought they looked like Oz during his Full Moon status.

"Freaken great, a TRIBE of werewolves!" Buffy whispered. Then flinched as heads turned to her tent. 'Ohhh bugger! That is NOT of the good!' She bolted to the back of the tent as shouts could be heard and footsteps sounded. But unlike TV, she couldn't seem to yank the sides of the tent up and wriggle to safety. She quickly gave up as the front of the tent tore away and spun to face the wall of furry demon fighters.

Kicking and spinning, lashing out, snatching up a spear here and axe there and laying out several of the creatures, Buffy felt calm. Like home, she thought. Finally making a break for it, she leapt through the opening and rolled, scarcely missing hitting the fire.

She kipped to her feet and groaned out loud. Surrounding her were dozens of creatures, all armed, all looking ready to fight.

"Well boys, I always knew I would go fighting. Guess I have to thank you for that at least." With a smile and a neck crack, she fell into fighting position.

"BUFFY LOOK OUT!" Surprise made Buffy spin and there, hanging from a wooden cage behind her in a tree, was the missing Faith and at the same time, a sharp stabbing feeling at the base of her back. Completing the 360 spin in one go, Buffy again faced the hordes and reached back to yank out the hand sized dart stuck in her back.

"Oh FUC.." Buffy didn't even feel her face hit the dirt.

No idea how much later, Buffy came to, slumped in a cage, her hands again bound with leather. Groggily she hauled her head back and wriggled her butt until she was sitting upright, legs crossed and hands resting in her lap.

"Hey B, how's the head?"

The Slayer cracked open one protesting eye and looked straight at the grinning Faith, her cage a handspan from her own.

"Faith, nice to see you. You waiting for me or just having a rest?" Buffy groaned out, shaking her head as her other eye refused to open for a moment.

"Naw B, had to wait for you hey." The dark slayer grinned her obvious relief.

Looking around, Buffy could see that their new accommodations seemed to be in the centre of the camp, tents and longhouse? surrounding them and fires scattered here and there. Shaggy creatures went about their business, only the smallest ones taking any interest in the caged women.

Buffy motioned to them with her chin.

"Kids you reckon?"

Faith merely nodded, her dark eyes scanning as well.

"Yeah Buff. Seems to be some kinda tribe city or something. After they knocked you out and whacked you up here with me, they just keep doing homey stuff. No one pays us any attention 'cept the littl'uns."

Buffy struggled with her bonds, only this time, not a millimetre of give happened. Squinting closely at the binds, she noticed etchings on them. Just great! Not only werewolves, but magically inclined werewolves. With a disgusted huff, Buffy slumped back.

"Yeah, noticed that huh? They learn quick." Faith laughed, causing the little creatures watching to spring up and race away. "Wonder if we scared 'em or ..."

Buffy snapped.

"Shut up Faith, let's not tempt fate, yeah?"

Faith, accustomed to this new, angrier version of the Slayer, merely rolled her eyes and pressed her lips together, a mocking eyebrow raised in Buffy's direction.

Hours passed. Buffy relented and finally asked Faith what happened.

Faith reckoned that they had used the drugs on them both as she had no idea what had happened until she woke in the tent with Buffy. When she couldn't wake Buffy, she had tried sneaking out but guards at the opening vetoed that. In an effort exactly like Buffy's, Faith had attempted to fight her way out, but had received a dart to the leg and wham. Cage time.

"Dunno Buff. It was like they knew exactly what was going on. And these cages ain't exactly new, if you follow me." Faith pointed to the slatted base where she sat. Buffy, looking down at her own cage, saw what she meant. Stains like that didn't come from rain.

"Shit."

"Yep."

The two women waited and plotted and struggled with bonds and cages, but to no avail. It was well into what they assumed was daytime by the brightening of the dark. Still, it was dark like a thunderstorm and clouds were thick above.

"You think it's as day as it gets here?" Faith idly asked as they watched the going-ons of camp. A spit had been placed over the largest fire with some kind of animal and a steady stream of creatures had passed by with what looked like bowls and plates, leaving when filled and the next coming up to slice off their share.

"Since the coming of the cursed ones, it has stayed this way." A voice growled from below them. Both Faith and Buffy jumped to their feet, backs hunched at the top of the small cages. Beneath them, a pale grey shaggy was holding up two plates and at the stillness of the women, shrugged and slid them into the cages. "Eat. It will not harm you." At the continued stillness of the two prisoners, another shrug and it stepped away. Unlike most of the other creatures who ranged from brown to black, this one was a pale grey with white stripes where hair might have been if human. A belt similar to what the others wore was wrapped around its middle. Unlike the others, that had knives and other small weapons, this one's belt had bags and cords and only one tiny dagger like thing on one 'hip'. It settled itself down and looked up at the Slayers as it started to draw in the dirt. Wordlessly, Buffy and Faith watched as the drawings became sigils that started to glow in the dim light. Suddenly there was a flash and a puff of orange smoke that floated up around the women, tickling and caressing.

"Cut that shit out bitch!" Was Faith's response to the magicks. With a snap of the creature's fingers, the smoke dissipated and was gone in a breath.

"Please, eat, I assure you it will not harm you." But the women merely watched the creature with raised eyebrows. With yet another shrug, the creature reached over and pulled its own plate over and started eating.

After a little while, more of the creatures joined them until there were 7 below them, all eating silently with only an occasional growl and snap to be heard. By now, Faith and Buffy had settled back down, the smallness of the cages making standing cramping work. Once it appeared that all the creatures had finished eating, a small one came forward and gathered up all the platters and disappeared. This seemed to be the signal they were all waiting for. With a litheness that belied the bulkiness of the creatures, the grey one got to its feet and faced the Slayers.

"We are the Putorna Clan of the Warrikanga Lands. For many generations, we lived in peace here. It was a land of plenty, food easy to hunt and gather. But then came the Sky Crossers and the land changed. Battles between the Sky Crossers damaged the earth and changed the world. Food became scare. Clans battled clans until the Elders came together and forced the Clans to merge for survival. We attacked the Sky Crossers and they stuck back, causing the Dead Plains. Since then, we have hidden and eaten our defeat with shame and ashes as our offspring starved.

Death comes frequently from the monsters from the Sky Crossers cracks. Many warriors have died protecting the tribes from the evil that attacks. We are all that are left of the thousand Clans that lived in this world."

Buffy looked over the camp. Admittedly it was a huge place, with tents and fires and creatures everywhere, but she swallowed at the thought that this was all that remained of a world of people.

"Then, a large crack appeared over the Sky Crossers land and many monsters fell through. Evil we had never seen before. Many were taken by the Sky Crossers, as they always are. After then, the evil in this land increased. The cracks appear more now. Monsters now flood our world and it is only because of the power of our people that we have lived this long. They cannot cross the barrier into this place, but neither can the food we hunt. We cannot widen our protection and it takes all we have to maintain what we have. Our people are dying. When our hunters saw you appear though a crack, the spirits spoke and said that you would help end the evil in our land. Your battle to free yourselves spoke of your warrior status so our people agree to assist you. So we ask, will the warriors from beyond the sky cracks free us?"

At the end of its speech, it returned to the group and sat down. Silence then reigned with only the sounds of life from the camp filling the space.

Faith looked at Buffy, confusion clear on her face.

"Buff? If what I understood, they are asking us to kick some demon ass and save their demon asses. What do you think?"

Buffy studied the creatures in front of them. If she was being fair, and she had taken great efforts since leaving Giles and the others to be a lot more Fair and Honest Buffy, these 'people' hadn't actually hurt them, even though Buffy knew she had killed a few herself. At her considering look, the creatures had whispered to each other and one got up and left the group.

Buffy looked at Faith and shrugged.

"If it gets us out of these cages, I can't see the harm in at least having a look" she shrugged.

Faith picked at her peeling nail polish and considered Buffy's words. But it was the approaching Putorna creature that sorted it for once and for all. It was carrying a dried head on a pole.

The grey Putorna stood and took the trophy and held it up to the cages.

"This was the last monster that attacked our hunters. It is the latest to fall through the crack at the Sky Crossers lands and come here."

Buffy felt her iffy turn to a definite yes. It was the very type of demon that had attacked in LA.

She nodded at Faith and spoke to the grey Putorna.

"Yes, we'll help"