When Hecate met Xander

Author's Note:

Disclaimer: I do not own BTVS or any pagan deities

Chapter Three

The girls had Xander lay down as they drove. He fell asleep pretty quickly.

He awoke to Cerise shaking him, "I'm sorry," she said. "We need your help."

Xander sat up and looked around. He saw no enemies but snow was falling thickly, "You want me to build a shelter?" He was guessing but it would be a good idea, he thought.

"Yes," she replied. "We can't see where we are going and there can't be much daylight left anyway."

Nodding he stopped their vehicle and then reached out to the others and took control of them. He brought them to a halt in rows, "Everyone but Captain Rain and my apprentices stay put. I'm going to create a shelter for the night." Walking over to the captain he said, "Have your men set up a perimeter so nothing surprises us while we set up."

Marcus Rain said, "Will do. Do you want a few to watch your back as you work your magic?"

"Probably a good idea but warn them not to get too close," Xander said. He walked to one side and concentrated on the ground. A seamless granite wall started rising beside him as he walked a circle around the sleds. He made sure to leave enough room for tents. Every twenty paces there was a supporting rib that stuck out a little and helped support the weight of the wall as it curved inward. When he reached his starting point there was a granite dome covering the gathered sleds with a Roman arch as an entrance. "Everyone inside! I will be closing up for the night soon! All guards inside!"

He left the archway empty as he walked the inside of the granite dome, "I can make the stone both shed heat and glow but I'm not great at normal light spells. So if either of you can make light without heat please do so. If not I will hang a ball of fire from the ceiling and that should be good for one night."

Cerise said, "I normally do shadows and death magic but I can do light." She cast a basic light spell and Xander watched her with his new mana senses to see if he could duplicate it. After making three balls of light she sent two to hover in the center of the dome and left one over them, "That's about all I can manage without food and sleep." She turned to Avila, "How about you honeydew?"

Avila said, "I think I can add a few." She sent two more balls of light out to hover over the inside of the arch where Rain's men were filing in through the doorway.

"Good enough," Xander said. "Remind me to talk to you about boosting your power level but for now follow me as I heat the inside of this wall and add a spell to strengthen the stone." He walked the inside perimeter and stopped every ten paces to touch the wall. Each spot he touched glowed a dim red and put out as much heat as a fireplace. "If this isn't enough I'll add spots on the floor but I'll have to tone down the heat for those."

"I'm amazed you have such energy reserves," Avila said. "Can you really help us achieve such power?"

Xander nodded, "Yeah as long as you don't mind a few piercings." He was thinking a pair of earrings would look good on them.

Cerise and Avila traded looks then shrugged and Avila said, "As long as it's pretty looking and a precious metal I guess we can go along with that."

Once Xander had finished enchanting the wall the dome was much warmer inside although there was still cold air and snow blowing in the front. "I'm going to need to rest a bit before I conjure a door."

"I'm surprised you got this much done," Captain Rain said as he walked over. "You are indeed a mighty mage. I have the men guarding the entrance. Anything that tries to attack will face a forest of spear points."

After a rest Xander stood up and walked towards the doorway, "I think simple is best for this." He summoned black iron hinges and then screws that would bite into stone. "I need to make or buy a tool belt soon." Conjuring a screwdriver he installed the first hinge.

"Do you want help with that sir mage?" Captain Rain asked. "Sergeant Wilson can screw in a second hinge while you are making the door." He gestured and a sergeant stepped forward, "Just show me where you want it sir mage."

Looking at the man's burley frame Xander was happy to have him help. He made a stone door and had a few other men hold it while Wilson used the screwdriver and soon they could close the door. Xander sighed in relief, "That's better. I'll just make a bracket on either side and we can keep it shut until morning."

While Sergeant Wilson was screwing in the brackets Xander made a few iron poles to lay across them and keep the door closed, "There, now we should be able to sleep in safety."

Cerise came up to him, "We have set up a tent and Avila is cooking a meal. If you're done, come eat and then you can tell us how we can get as much mana as you've been using."

Xander nodded, "Sure, I'm done here." He walked away with Cerise. Towards the back left of the dome he found Avila making stew over an open fire. He looked around and saw several other fires. The smoke rising towards the dome ceiling. He made a mental note to check the air quality later but decided it could wait until after dinner. The door wasn't airtight, the dome ceiling was high, and he was tired.

Xander said, "Thank you for cooking Avila and thank both of you for setting up a tent."

"Thank you for the shelter," Avila said. "Now come enjoy a meal."

He sat between them and accepted a bowl of stew, "This is excellent! I'm surprised you could do this over a campfire in such a short period of time."

"She's always been amazing with anything domestic," Cerise said.

"With more power I could do more," Avila said. She took a deep breath, "We can do it after we eat but do you know where you want to put the piercing you mentioned?"

"Considering where he's looking I'm guessing he's planning a nipple ring, honeydew," Cerise said. "I can't blame him for that. Slender gold rings would look amazing and gold takes enchantments well."

Avila blushed prettily, "Two? Xander only mentioned one."

"I'm sure he has other things he enchants onto a ring and you want them to match don't you?" Cerise said.

"I think my girlfriend is a pervert," Avila said.

"I'm part succubus now," Cerise reminded her. "Of course I'm a pervert. The only question is if he is a pervert as well."

"Uh. I guess I was staring, sorry," Xander said. "I can make a generic ring and let you choose where to put it."

Cerise smirked, "Hey, considering the value of the gift I think she should let you put it anywhere."

Avila replied, "What about yours? Can he put it anywhere he likes on you?"

Cerise tried to look innocent, "Well, considering how easily we share power between us I was hoping you would let me share in what you get from yours."

Avila replied, "IF I get one there or anywhere else private then you are getting one in the same place. And since you are part succubus now, maybe you should go first?"

"It's not my tits that are fascinating to him," Cerise said. "Are you sure he's willing to do both of us?"

"I offered to both of you and I meant it," Xander said. "Using Flesh sorcery I can make the piercing painless and heal any injuries or other problems you have while I'm at it." He was feeling a little embarrassed and guilty at the direction the conversation was going but if she was willing he would be happy to give Avila a nipple ring. "If you're willing, that is."

"Can I see how much energy I can get from it first?" Avila said.

"Sure," Xander said. "That's a reasonable request." He pulled the ring off his finger and blushed a bit, "I had been thinking that this is a bit insecure just on my finger. It can fall off or get stolen so that's why I mentioned a piercing. I was planning to do an earring for myself but I don't know how men wear their jewelry here. Back home one earring in the left ear was fine but anything else carried a connotation of femininity. What is the custom here for men's jewelry?"

"Mostly just rings or chunky necklaces," Avila said. She sighed, "And you're right to worry about losing a ring you can pull off that easily." She reached out and took it from him hesitantly. Then her eyes widened, "This is a lot of power!"

"If it starts to be too much just drop it," Xander said. "I wouldn't want you hurt and you can't adjust the flow unless you have sorcery of your own."

"It's not too much," she replied. "I can hold quite a lot but when you make one for me I might ask you to make the rate of charge slower so I have more time to remove it if it gets close to my limit. I'm almost certain I can find enough good things to do with the power to avoid being overfilled but we might be somewhere it's not safe to show my power." She looked at the ring, "I guess you want it back now?"

He reached out to the ring with mana sorcery and confirmed he could still draw from it then smiled, "You can hold it until I've made you a new one. Do you have any preferences as to size, shape, or metal?"

Avila smiled then blushed, "Well I do like the look of gold. Granny had some gold earrings and they were ever so pretty." She sighed, "The local lord's tax man took them. As death duties he said."

"A good reason to say you are a noble as well as a wandering adept," Cerise said. "It will get you better treatment and no one is going to head north to check you out, especially not now."

"We can help you act the part and if you have the coin and perhaps a few servants in livery as well as apprentices you'll be fine," Avila said. "I can sew any design you wish onto clothes and I'm sure there are town girls among the refugees that would be happy for the work."

Xander shrugged, "When in Rome…"

"Do as the Romans do," Cerise said. "I've heard that one. So am I going to get my wish and see my beautiful Avila with gold rings adorning her lovely breasts?"

"If she'll agree to it," Xander said.

"I'll agree to one if Cerise will," Avila said. "The power this ring provides is a rush I don't want to give up."

Xander concentrated and pulled power from the ring in her hand; he slowly conjured a thin gold ring with a simple clasp, "Will this do?"

Cerise moved toward Avila, "Hold it up to her and let's see." With a wicked grin she lowered her girlfriend's dress to the waist, baring both breasts.

"Oh, Cerise," Avila said, sighing. "Fine, hand it to me and let's see how it will look."

Xander passed it over, "Sure, it's not enchanted yet though. And may I say you look extremely lovely?"

"Thank you Xander," Avila replied. She held the gold up to one nipple, "What do you think Cerise?"

"I think it looks good," Cerise agreed. "Delicate and elegant."

"Okay," Xander said. "Hand that back and I'll enchant it. Then I'll swap it for my ring."

She handed him the earring and his ring too, "I don't want to hoard it while you're trying to enchant something for me."

He thought about handing it back since he could access it in her hand but he would need it back soon anyway so he just took it and said, "Thank you." After putting the silver ring on he enchanted the gold ring. "I suppose if I'm being a noble mage I should make more rings for myself too but I can do that some other day. Here, if this level is good I'll put it on."

"You're done already?" Avila exclaimed. "Oh, my goodness." She took the gold nipple ring and smiled, "Yes, this is enough." She handed it back then put her shoulders back and inhaled.

Xander reached out and touched her, "Oh, now I realize what Hecate meant about you being a creation of magic."

"I hope that doesn't change your opinion of me," Avila replied.

"Of course not," Xander said. "I can tell you have a good soul in there. I judge people on their actions, not their heritage. Without my magical senses I'm not sure I could tell. It's very good spellwork. Now I suppose I should get on with it before your girlfriend gets jealous."

"Oh, I sacrificed my jealousy to Hecate long before now," Cerise said. "But do hurry anyway because I want you to have time to get to me before we sleep."

Using flesh magic he made a painless hole to slide the ring through then closed the clasp, "There you go. How does that feel?"

"Good!" she smiled back. "Painless as you promised." She looked over at her girlfriend, "Now it's your turn."