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"… For fifty years I have reserved that abandoned monastery in Istanbul every summer." The Count sniffed in disgust and took a sip of his brandy laced blood. "I thought I had a rapport with the townsfolk – I stayed away from their virgins and they stayed away from me – and then they have the audacity to give my whereabouts to some tourist!"
"Did he come with a flaming torch?" Victor asked sympathetically. "My villagers are always sending men with flaming torches to my door. It's like they have forgotten that without me they would never have discovered the joys of electricity. So ungrateful."
"Perhapth they're thtill a little thore about the way you introduced them to electricity," Igor said with a roll of his lopsided eyes.
"It was only a little fire," Victor said hastily. "And I sent you and the lad down to help them put it out."
"I still hear the screams," his friend intoned ominously.
They were gathered in the living room now, spread out comfortably on the various items of antique furniture, as they drank and talked of better times and swapped scary human stories.
"I can't even remember the last time I saw a flaming torch," Zeke was lying on the hearth rug again – he liked hearth rugs – lazily poking at the fire he'd persuaded Owen to light. "Don't get much of that sort of thing where I live now. Don't get much of anything, really." He mused, resting his head on his paws. "It's kinda lonely."
"That's because you choose to live in a log cabin fifty miles from any kind of civilisation. What do you expect?" Ptah asked as he finished another lettuce and tomato sandwich and washed it down with a Vodka and soda water.
"It wasn't my idea, my last shrink suggested it. Better to be away from all temptation for a while, he said. What's your excuse for shutting yourself up in that big, sealed pyramid all the time?"
"Its home; and besides, I'm never lonely. I have the souls of fifty soldiers and twenty handmaidens to keep me company." He sighed ruefully. "I'm actually considering moving to a smaller tomb for some peace and quiet."
"What about you, Olwyn?" Igor asked their host. He'd been rather quiet since they'd all settled down. "Do you get lonely living in this huge, old house by yourself?"
Owen sipped from his brandy, smiling slightly. "No, I like the quiet. And I have friends in town who are most convivial if I wish it. And I have never suffered with the mobs and the lone hunters as you all have."
"That's because you're one of the good guys." Zeke's tail thumped the floor a few times as he grinned.
"Yes, but it has its downsides." The Count smiled. "You can never truly know the meaning of adrenaline until you are chased across rooftops by pitchforks and flaming torches."
There was a murmur of nostalgic agreement from everyone.
"Well, I think after the show we put on tonight, I may know of that pleasure sooner than you think," Owen replied, trying not to worry about it.
"This must be the driveway," Buffy said as the trees finally gave way to gravel.
"Lets hope so, 'cause I'm getting sick a' trekking through a damn forest in the dark," Faith complained. "So what did Dawn tell you we should expect again?"
"A whole garden variety of monsters apparently. She was a little jumbled to be honest. She said there was definitely a Vampire. I think she said a mutant bat chased her. And Kennedy saw a werewolf, a black panther and a Mummy." Buffy ticked the list off on her fingers, grinning. "Just your typical Halloween bedlam."
"A Mummy?" Faith frowned. "Never met a Mummy before."
"I have." Buffy started to lead the way up the gravel drive. "In fact, she stayed at my house for a while."
Faith glanced at her, figuring there had to be a story there, but it could wait. "So Mummies aren't evil?"
"Depends how you define evil, I guess. She killed people, but if you go into the shades of grey area you could kinda see that she didn't have a choice, or she did, but not one that any sixteen year old should have to make."
"Okay, so do we kill this Mummy or not?" Faith checked. "Considering the whole ambiguity thing?"
"What exactly are you planning on killing it with?"
"I don't know," Faith shrugged. "What kills Mummies?"
"No, I meant do you have any weapons at all on you, because I know I don't."
Faith's shoulders slumped a little, "No. I guess that was pretty stupid, huh?"
"Don't feel bad." Buffy slipped her hand into Faith's. "It's not like we expected to be clearing up after Dawn tonight. We're supposed to be on a date, and I have no problem with you not bringing weapons on our dates."
Faith chuckled, squeezing Buffy's hand a little. "So we're just gonna have to be creative. Make good use of the weapons we were born with. Dawn say anything else helpful?"
"Only that she thought something magick might have happened, and that the house seemed less abandoned when they left to when they arrived." Buffy said, frowning at the lack of help that gave them.
"Well it would do after a party." Faith shrugged. "Uh, how exactly do you fight a bat?"
"I've no idea."
The house came into sight now. A magnificent mansion, bathed in the light of the half moon, it looked spooky and mysterious despite the soft light coming through the first floor windows."
"You ever been here before?" Faith asked, as they both stopped to take it in.
"No, but Xander has and he said it was derelict with a capital D." Buffy breathed.
"Doesn't look so derelict right now. I've lived in derelict. This looks pretty brand-freakin'-new."
"Aside from the fact that it's a big gothic mansion, you're right." Buffy nodded. Taking a deep breath, she added, "Shall we?"
"Yeah, why not."
Faith let go of Buffy's hand, wanting both free just in case something surprised them, but she stayed close as they walked towards the open front door. Her eyes scanned around warily in case anything was lurking in the bushes.
"Hey, wait a sec. Isn't that your truck?"
"I don't have a…" Buffy began before she saw what Faith did. "That's the Slayer Wagon!"
"Slayer Wagon?"
"No ones come up with a better name yet," Buffy said absently as she walked over to it. "We use it for distance patrols. And, FYI, it's your truck too now."
"Guess this is what Dawn and her pals came in," Faith said as she looked through the passenger window into the dark interior.
"But I know why Dawn didn't use it. A: she can't drive yet and B: she was being chased by a bat. But she said she thought everyone was out, so how come no one used it?"
"Maybe they all got chased out and didn't have the chance?"
"Or maybe whoever had the keys didn't make it out?" Buffy looked up at the house again. "She did say she didn't know where Reece was."
"Guess we got some rescuing to do then, too." Faith started for the front door again.
"But Reece?" Buffy groaned as she followed her. "Do we have to?"
Paddy ran up a narrow stone stairway to the second floor of the house, using hands and feet to balance himself in the complete dark.
"Surely they won't folly me up 'ere?" he muttered, his breathing ragged now from all the running.
Behind him, he heard a lad shout: "It went left! I saw a flash of something go to the left!"
And an annoyed lass shout back: "I know! Damn! Watch out for the steps!"
Muttering angrily to himself all the while, Paddy started dashing between the walls of the upper floor.
"Did we lose it?" Reece was panting as he tumbled up the top couple of steps after Rona.
It was pitch black up here, so the sweat running into his eyes at least wasn't impairing his vision, but his lips tasted salty and his shirt was stuck to his back. All in all, this wasn't as much fun now as it had started out.
Rona was standing quietly by his side, not even breathing hard yet. It was enviously impressive.
"This way, I think," she said and took off running again.
With one hand on the wall for orientation and the other out in front of him in case of obstacles, Reece followed as fast as he could.
"What do you think it is?"
"Don't know, still new at this." she replied.
"As its running away, is there a chance its not dangerous?" he asked next, wondering if they could give this up and get back on the right side of the walls before the party was completely over.
"It might not be. The big carving knife I saw probably is."
"It has a weapon?" Reece hadn't known that, and while he realised this meant they couldn't give up the chase, he couldn't help wanting to a little more.
He didn't much fancy being attacked by some unidentified creature with an edged weapon. Especially in the dark when it could come at them from any angle. The fact that they were chasing it right now held little comfort thanks to the way the corridor kept twisting and turning. Now and then he could feel a strong draught wash over him and he knew they were running past side passages that they couldn't even see. All the thing had to do was duck into one of them and then stab as they ran past.
"Are you sure it's still in front of us?"
"I hope so," she grunted, adding sharply, "Two, ow, three steps up. Don't really want it behind me."
"Are you worried about the knife," he asked, relieved he wasn't the only one.
"I have a spoon! Of course I'm worried about the knife!"
"A spoon?" Reece grinned despite the burning in his lungs. "That's a novel choice of weapon."
"It's wooden, I thought I was following a Vampire and my options were limited." She sounded pissed off with him, but was still good enough to groan out: "Holy… Sharp right!" before he could copy her by slamming into a solid brick wall.
"Yes, but that's what you attacked me with? A wooden spoon?"
"Think yourself lucky I didn't find a wooden stake instead!"
"I do," he promised her sincerely, "But, a wooden spoon? That's a pretty daft weapon…" and then the floor went out from under him and there was nothing but air beneath his feet. "What the…?"
He felt himself drop and his feet hit solid ground again after a moment of freefall. Shaky, but unharmed, he gripped the wall tight with both hands, having to pause momentarily to get over the unexpected three foot plunge.
Rona was laughing up ahead. "Sorry, four steps down. Forgot to warn you."
"Bet you did," Reece muttered under his breath, deciding it might be beneficial to just follow her in silence for a while, less chance of pissing her off and breaking his ankle that way; besides, he didn't doubt a wooden spoon could do a lot of damage if she wanted it too.
Thanks for reading. More soon.
