Prison of the Soul
Parts 5 and 6
by Tamara and Kimberly L.
Part Five
“Mom?” Buffy asked, her mother, “Did you have her fired?”
“Buffy,” Joyce tried to explain, giving Laura a long cold stare, “you were only four when this happened.”
“Don’t try and sugar coat this...” Laura began.
“Shut up!” both Buffy and Joyce snapped. “Mom?”
Joyce sighed, “Oh, Honey,” she said, holding back her tears, “this was one thing I really wished you never found out. Yes, your father had an affair with Laura, fifteen years ago. She was his secretary at the time. When I found out, I told him to stop seeing her. He did....”
“Oh, you make that seem *so* sterile,” Laura hissed, “So nice and neat. Hank fired me, and I had no job. No job. No money. No place to live! Get the picture now!? All because I had the misfortune of falling in love with a married man...”
“You didn’t love him!” Joyce countered, “Hank was in the position to promote you to Assistant Sales Rep. You did it for the money,”
“You bitch!” Laura spat, pacing the cold floor of the cavern room, “You weren’t me. You didn’t know! I *did* love him, and you ruined that for me!”
“Might I interject,” Ethan began, so wanting to add fuel to the already burning fire.
“NO!!!” All said.
“But Laura wasn’t fired because of that. Hank was planning on transferring her to another department, but nobody wanted to work with her. She was impossible to work with, arrogant, rude, and cruel to the other secretaries. So, the decision was made to let her go.”
“Do you know how hard it was to get back on my feet?”Laura snapped, “It took me three years before I could even afford a decent place to live. No one wanted to hire me. If it wasn’t for Everett, I would
be living on the street.”
Everett Daniels stood in the hallway listening, and smiled at her words. Maybe all was not lost...
“I mean,” Laura continued, “Do you know what I had to go through to convince him to marry me, so I’d have a better place to live. I didn’t even like the man, but he was in love with me. And he was rich, and
NOT already married.”
Daniel’s seethed. That traitorous whore used him! After all those years, she never even loved him! She would pay, he swore to himself, they all would pay! He slipped back into the corridor...waiting to formulate a plan for his revenge.
“What ever your own personal differences in the past was, this is not the place to continue them,” Francios said, as he and Karl entered the cave, “We must gather everyone together for a meeting,” then turning to Joao, he smiled, “My love, please sound the call.”
“Percy and Denim are still tending to the fire,” Joao informed, as she rang the bell, “Shall I call them too?”
“No,” Karl said, walking over to the make shift stone table at the far end of the room, “we must always have a guard at the fire. It is the only thing that keeps the Demon at bay. I’ll inform them later.”
Buffy made her way passed Laura and Jarrod, to Francios, “That’s what I want to talk to you about. What’s the deal with the fire. I mean, a big soul eating demon is afraid of a little blaze?”
“The fire has magical properties,” Muyhi explained, “We don’t understand it, but it is something we have always held to be true.”
“How did you learn of this?” Giles asked.
Francios looked at Giles and answered, “We learned it from the Druid.”
Giles stopped. “Druid? As in one of the original Druids who cast the Demon into the Gem?”
“The very one.”
“So, this guy might know how we can get out of here,” Buffy surmised, “Now we’re talking. So where’s this Druid Guy? Can we talk to him?”
Karl sat down at the long table and sighed, “I wish that was the case, but no one has seen him in a long time. In fact, none of us here ever has. We think that he might have perished along with his brethren.”
“A victim to the Demon,” Francios nodded, siting next to Karl.
Buffy looked so deflated. She had a glimmer of hope with the idea that this Druid could be their answer. But now, that glimmer faded away into nothing more than wishful thinking. She was the Slayer, and she
had no idea what to do next.
“What a minute!” Buffy shouted, “I AM the Slayer!”
“I beg your pardon,” Francios cocked his head.
“Um...well. So much for a secret. I’m the Slayer,” Buffy repeated, “That’s what I do. I slay demons, and vampires, and...”
“Of course,” Joao smiled, coming back from the bells, “I knew there was something special about you.”
“Slayer?” Karl looked confused, “Vas ist?”
“A Slayer?” Joao laughed, “You helped your Captain try and release a demon, and you don’t know what a Slayer is? When I was a slave in Brazil, there was this young girl in the village near the plantation. She was not a slave, but she was just as indentured. She was called upon to fight the evil that threaten to overwhelm the world. She was the one. The only one, with the power to rid the world of the forces of
darkness. She was the Slayer.”
Joyce could hear a pin drop in the room, as the young woman weaved her tale.
“One day, I saw her save a villager from a vampire,” Joao continued, “But then, she was no more. Until then, I never realized that she was just as much a slave to her destiny as I was to my master.”
“Yep,” Buffy sighed, “Sounds about right.”
Joao turned to the others and said, “If Buffy is the Slayer, then perhaps she can stop Garoth.”
“No,” Muyhi said, with a bit too much protection in his voice, “Buffy cannot fight the Demon by herself. He’s too powerful. And we don’t know what his weakness is...”
“Didn’t you say he was afraid of fire?” Joyce asked.
“He’s afraid of the magic in the fire,” Karl said, “But that seems to be all.”
“There has to be more,” Buffy folded her arms, as more of the residents filed into the room, “We have to be able to stop it. You said that the Druid may not be dead, right?”
“We don’t know...”
“Well,” Buffy said, “That’s good enough for me. Can I leave the caves to look for him?”
“Buffy,” Giles warned, “I don’t think that would be a good idea...”
“Yes,” Francios nodded, “you can leave the cave, but Mr Giles is right. It would be too dangerous.”
“What about the other people?” Buffy argued, “Didn’t you say that there were other groups out there? Not in the caves?”
“Yes, but..”
“But, if they are out there, then maybe this Druid guy is too.”
“She has a point,” Joao agreed, “Perhaps it’s time we do something.”
“Then we will bring this to a vote,” Fracios said, as the last of the stragglers entered the room.
Buffy looked around and was amazed at the amount of people in the meeting hall. There had to have been four dozen people crammed into the space. The Slayer couldn’t believe how many people where prisoners
in this strange Hell world. And the thought that there were others not in the caves, gave Buffy a chill. If there were so many who haven’t been able to escape, how could they?
Francios stood up and addressed the hall, “Good evening my friends. First order of business is to introduce our new additions. Most of you heard that they arrived earlier today,” then pointing to Buffy and
the others, he continued, “This is Buffy Summers, her mother Joyce, Mr. Giles, and Mr. Rayne, and Mr. Daniels, who doesn’t appear to be here at the moment.” He waited until all the citizens were done with their greetings before he went on, “Now, the second order of business, and what may be most
important...Miss Summers has offered to help us try and break free of our prison.”
There was a great deal of chatter echoing through the room.
“Please, please,” Karl said, raising his hand, “We must have some order
here.”
“How can she help?” one man asked, holding his wife next to him, “So many other’s have failed. And the last time...”
“I remember what happened the last time,” Francios countered, “But she might be the only one who can succeed.”
“And what do we have to do?” a blonde woman asked.
“Nothing,” Buffy replied, “At least until I can figure out how we can beat Garoth. I’ve been told that there is someone outside the cave who might know what we can do. I’m planning on finding him. All
you guys have to do is stay put, and keep that fire going.”
“So,” Francios said, “All those in favor of Miss Summer’s plan, say Aye.”
There was a moment of silence, then a resounding Aye.
“Great,” Buffy said, “Then I’m heading out.” she turned to Joao and asked, “So how do I get out of the caves...besides the front entrance?”
“I’ll show you,” Muyhi offered.
Giles began to follow, but was stopped by Buffy, “Giles, I’m going alone.”
“I’m not letting you do this alone,” he argued, “It’s too dangerous.”
“Giles,” she whispered, pulling him close to her, “it’s also too dangerous being here. I need you to protect my mom. You’re the only one I really trust. And with Ethan, Daniels, Mega Bitch and her boyfriend...she needs all the protection she can get.”
“But...” “Please,” Buffy pleaded.
“You shouldn’t be going alone...” Giles tried to argue
Muyhi stepped forward with a grim look of determination on his handsome face, “She won’t be. I’m going with her.”
“Look,” Buffy sighed, “I really don’t need to be watched over...”
“You don’t know what’s out there,” Muyhi said, looking deeply into her eyes, “And I’m not going to let you get yourself killed, when you might be our only hope. I’ll be your guide.”
“Have you ever been out of the caves before?” Giles asked.
Muyhi turned to the Watcher and sighed, “Yes, a few times. But I didn’t travel far.”
“Why?” Muyhi began to walk over to the exit, “You’ll understand, when we get there. But we must leave now, the longer we wait, the more of a chance Garoth will catch on.”
Muyhi led Buffy, and the others through a string of tunnels, to a large opening. There, on the far wall were five entrances, to other corridors. Buffy looked at the strange symbols that adorned the top of each tunnel. Why couldn’t anything be easy with her? All she wanted to do was spend some quality time with her mother. Instead, she was trapped inside a crystal, with a demon trying to devour her soul, and the only way to salvation laid beyond one of these strangely marked hallways.
“Someday,” Buffy sighed, “I’m going to have one normal life, doing normal things. No Vampires. No Demons. And NO Magical Crystals!” Then turning to Muyhi she asked, “So, which way do we go?”
“First,” the young man explained, “Let me tell you that what we will find beyond the tunnel, will be like nothing you would expect. This crystal is like a maze, each tunnel leading to another part of the
Gem. And each part is determined by you.”
“What do you mean?” Joyce asked, concerned marred her face.
Giles stepped in and said, “The crystal has the power to create a world from our own minds,” he looked a Muyhi, “Yes?”
“Yes,” he nodded, “There are thousands of different possibilities. So, finding the Druid might be impossible.”
“But we have to try,” Buffy said, determined. She walked over to her mother and gave her a small hug, “Don’t worry Mom, I’ll be back. And we’ll get out of this, in time for supper. Just please, listen to Giles, and stick close to him.”
Joyce hug her, not wanting to let go, “Oh, Buffy, please be careful. Please. I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“I know,” she replied, finally letting go, “And, believe me, I wish I didn’t have to go either...but...”
“I know...you’re the Slayer.” Joyce tried to smile, “But it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
Buffy walked up to Giles, “Remember....watch over my mom.” “I will...and, Buffy...”
“Yes?” “Do be careful.”
“I will,” she half smiled, as her and Muyhi walked through the first entrance, disappearing from sight.
******
Willow knocked on the door for the tenth time. Buffy was supposed to be home. She said she was going to be home...right? So, where was she? And, where was her mother?
Something was wrong. “Something’s wrong,” she told Oz, “I can feel it.”
“Maybe,” Oz pointed out with his usual stoicism, “Buffy and her mom went out for the day? You know, a mother/daughter thing?”
Willow shook her head, and reached for the door handle, “She didn’t say anything to me about it.” When the door knob turned, and the wooden frame pushed in, she added, “Besides, if they went out...why is
the door open?”
Cautiously they entered the house. Oz went in first, keeping Willow close to his side, and listening for any tell tale signs of trouble. They were met only with silence.
“Buffy,” Willow called out, “Mrs. Summers? Is anyone home?”
The two teens made their way to the kitchen, and slowly pushed the door open. There laying on the floor, at each point of a drawn pentegram were... “Buffy! Giles! Mrs. Summers!”
They looked at the unconscious forms of their friend, her Watcher, her mother, and...
“Ethan Rayne?” Willow cocked her head, “What’s he doing here?”
“Yeah,” Oz agreed, pointing to the strange man at the head of the star, “And, who’s this guy?”
Willow tried to revive Buffy, by shaking her, “Buffy,” she said, jostling her friend, “Buffy, can you hear me?”
“They’re alive,” Oz said, checking each of their pulses, “But they seem to be in a coma. Maybe we should call an ambulance?”
Willow noticed the strangely shaped black crystal in the center of the pentegram and said, “No. A spell cause this. But I don’t know what. If we call an ambulance, then they’ll be taken away, and we
might never find out what’s wrong.”
So what are we going to do?”
The young witch thought about it for a moment, and sighed, “We need help. I mean, we can research this on our own, but we might not have much time.”
“Well we can’t assemble the Scooby Gang anymore,” Oz said, “Cordy’s in L.A., and Xander is...where is he now, anyway?”
“I don’t know,” Willow answered honestly, “I haven’t gotten a post card from him in a while.”
“So, who can help? Even Angel’s gone.” “I think I know someone...”
******
Wesley Windham-Price paced back and forth in the waiting room. The Council had been in chambers for hours, deciding the young Watcher’s fate. His very first assignment...his very own Slayer...and he failed
miserably. And now, he may no longer have a job, thanks to that blunder.
“I don’t understand why this is my fault,” he said to himself, as he continued to wear down the carpeted floor, “I mean, she’s a grown woman. It’s not my fault that she quit. I did everything I could to prevent it,” he turned to the woman sitting at the secretary desk, and asked, “It isn’t my fault...is it?”
The woman looked at Wesley blandly and replied, “It’s not my place to say.” She stopped to answer the phone, leaving him to his worries. She then took the phone from her ear and looked curiously at Wes, “It’s
for you.”
Wesley stopped pacing and asked, “Who is it?”
“I’m not sure,” she said, handing him the phone, “Some American girl.”
Wesely’s heart skipped a beat for a moment, thinking it might be Cordelia. But when he heard Willow’s voice come through, he sighed, “Oh, hello Willow. What is it? What? Are you certain? Yes, yes...I
understand. A crystal? What color....really? Oh my. No, no, you were right in contacting me. I
might have some idea, but I would have to see it first. Yes, of course. I’ll take the next flight out. Right. Just hang on until I arrive. Bye.”
As he turned to leave, the woman called out to him,“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Um...something very important came up. An emergency, really. I have to go.”
“But you have to meet with the Council? This will not look good for you!”
Wesely turned for a brief moment, and felt courage welling from deep inside, “Tell, the Council, that I’m taking a leave of absence.”
The next words surprised even him, “And if they have a problem with that...then I will tender my resignation. Good evening.”
******
Joyce hated waiting.
She always did. Every time Buffy went out, she wanted to curl up inside herself until her daughter came home safely. And now, was no exception. She knew that she shouldn’t worry. After all, Buffy was
the Slayer and was more equip to handle this than anyone. But she did worry. She couldn’t help it.
She was her Mother.
She looked over at Giles, who was also trying hard not to show his mounting concern, and smiled slightly at the sight. They almost looked like two worried parents waiting for their child to come home from a...
“Okay, Joyce,” she chided herself, “Stop that, this instant.”
“Did you say something?” Giles looked over to her.
“Ah, no,” she said, avoiding his deep stare, “Just talking to myself. Sorry.”
“I know you’re worried,” he said, “But, Buffy will be all right. She’s quite a capable young woman.”
“I know,” she sighed, “I just wished, she wasn’t so capable. Then perhaps she would never have been the Slayer.”
All Giles could do was look down at the floor of the cave and whisper, “Yes...perhaps.”
******
Everett sneaked through the halls of the caverns until he reached the mouth of the cave. There, he saw the two men, assigned to guard the flames of their protection. On one side of the bluish/red fire was
salvation...the other...destruction. And the only thing standing in the way to both, was two very tired looking men.
This would be easy.
“I’ll teach you all to betray me,” he whispered to himself, as he found a large rock, and readied himself for the pounce, “If I can’t have you Laura...no one will!”
He swung the rock, hitting the first man in the side of the head. The young man went down, unconscious. When the older man saw this, he tried to back away from the crazed lunatic wielding a rock, but found
he had no where to go, “Listen Buddy,” he tried to reason with Daniels, “I don’t know what your
problem is, but this ain’t the solution.”
“Oh, really?” he said, swinging the rock, and connecting with the man’s face, “I think it is.” The older man fell to his knees, struggling to escape. Everett brought the rock down even harder this time, finishing what
he started. “I think it is indeed!”
Everett Daniels, once a prominent businessman, driven to madness over the love for a woman, walked over to the fire, and began to snuff the flames. He could hear the howls of Garoth growing nearer, and a
smile crept over his face. Soon, they would all know his wrath.
Soon, they would all pay!
******
“Something’s happening,” Ethan ran into the cave, “Something really nasty.”
“Ethan,” Giles growled, “don’t you have something better to do than bother us?”
“I’m serious, mate,” he looked around nervously, “There’s a terrible racket outside. Can’t you hear it?”
Joyce cocked her head and whispered, “Yes, I think I....what is that noise?”
At that moment, Joao ran into the cave and shouted in near panic, “Me must leave now! The fire has gone out, and Garoth is coming!”
“What?!” all three shouted.
“Hurry,” Joao insisted, “We must get to safety!”
The four of them raced down the corridor trying to get to the cavern that Buffy and Muyhi left from. All around they could hear the terrified screams of the poor souls that had the misfortune of being in the
demon’s path....and the growls, of Garoth was getting nearer!
“Quickly Joyce,” Giles urged, “Stay with me! Don’t let go of my hand!”
As they approached the entrance to the cavern, there was a mass of frightened people clogging the entrance. Giles held on as hard as he could, but the force of the crowds, ripped Joyce’s hand from
his, and she quickly disappeared into a sea of panicked bodies.
“Mr. Giles?” Joyce called out, trying to see him in the crowds, “Mr. Giles?!”
“Joyce?!” Giles shouted, as he pushed his way to the sound of her voice, “Where are you?”
“Rupert! Help me! I can’t see you!”
The roar of the approaching demon became deafening, to the point that Giles could no longer hear the frightened calls of Joyce Summers. He looked around in panic, trying to make head or tails of where he
was. He couldn’t tell where Joyce was, or any of the exits, for that matter. And the screams of fear and pain filled his ears, blocking out all other noise.
Suddenly he felt a tug on his arm. He turned around and saw Ethan, holding on to him, “Come on, mate,” he said, “this way!”
“Ethan?” Giles said, the feel of his grip brought him out of his confused daze, “Joyce...we must find....”
“She must have went through one of the halls,” Joao said, holding onto both men, “We must do the same, before it’s too late!”
She and Francios lead both men to one of the entrances, and linked arms, “We must stay together,” the Frenchman instructed, “Where we end up, will depend on us being linked. Now, step through!”
The last thing Giles saw before disappearing into the magical hallway, was the hungry stare on the demon’s face, as it broke into the room.
******
Joyce looked around and noticed that she was in a room. Her room in fact. Was she really back in Sunnydale? Could she be that lucky?
“Where are we?” Laura said, rubbing her head and looking around.
Jarrod helped her up and sighed, “I have no idea.”
“We are away from the demon,” Karl said, “And that is an improvement.”
Joyce sighed inwardly. Nope, she couldn’t be so lucky. “We are in my home in Sunnydale,” she informed the group, “At least what looks like my home.”
“Great,” Laura snipped, “We’re stuck with June Cleaver in her happy little home!”
“Hey, I don’t like this anymore than....June Cleaver?! You’ve got to be kidding me?!”
Karl grabbed Joyce’s arm and headed out the door, “We have precious little time to talk. We must keep moving and find the next exit.”
“Why?” Jarrod asked, as they followed him down the stairs.
“Because,” he answered, “without the protection of the fire, we will be vulnerable. And Garoth will not rest until he has devoured us all!”
Joyce looked back on what could have passed as her home and sighed, “Of course.”
Part Six
Everett Daniels danced maniacally around the cooling embers of the fire. The destruction he had released was of no consequence to him; the evil he had brought about was not his concern; the carnage he justified as his own compensation for Laura's betrayal. Hence the screams and howls which echoed from within the depths of the cavern only heightened the mad motions of his 'danse macabre'.
So unhinged was he that the appearance of Garoth only caused him to laugh at the demon's presence. The creature crouched in the entrance to the cavern and eyed this soul who dared to act in such an insolent
manner. Garoth clenched and unclenched his taloned hands as he considered this madman. Over the centuries others had become this way as the overwhelming horror of their situation had sunk in; many of them purposely seeking the demon out to go willingly to their doom. Garoth arose and stalked closer to Daniels, sniffing the air as he approached for that intoxicating aroma of fear and hopelessness which flowed from his victims. But this was different, all he smelled was hate.
With a laugh Everett stopped mid-spin, flinging his hands outward as if to embrace the demon.
Garoth accommodated the gesture and caught the man in a destroying embrace. As the hate within Daniel's soul bubbled the demon remembered the prophecy:
"The fire is cold and chaos does reign,
Then twelve by twelve, all die again,
And Garoth will be free."
With a snarl he flung his intended victim to the gray ground and crawled up on top of a boulder to consider the possibilities. He perched there, idly picking shreds of soul from his claws and recalling his imprisonment. Almost twenty-one hundred years ago he had landed on that barren beach in the company of two Druids.... Druids who had sacrificed themselves to be the ones to guide and instruct those who were sure to follow.
Oh those first few centuries had been hungry ones. As a pair these Druids had been too powerful for him to devour and too wise for him to catch apart. But that had changed as time had passed on Earth; as the
passage of years had taken the wisdom of the ancients away from the common man and hidden it in the hands of a chosen few; as fools had tried to unleash him only to become his prey.
In groups of five they had come. Usually one powerful sorcerer and four serfs... but at other times all who landed in this desolate place were there of their own choosing. These were the easy ones, those who did not
submit to the wisdom of the Druids. In arrogance and pride they would try to escape the gem or destroy the demon. Garoth laughed at the memory of the one Druid's destruction. A newly arrived fool had tried to barter these wise one's existence for the promise of freedom to come and go. He had lured the Druids away from the safety of the blessed fire and into ambush where one had perished.
But the other Druid had vanished into the maze of the gem. Garoth smiled for the first time in eons. Perhaps the collective memory was fading among these prisoners, maybe... just maybe they had forgotten the warnings laid down so long ago before the remaining Druid vanished:
Be united and of strong heart,
Or your memories will break you.
For the day will come when you live apart,
And the chain will be weakened.
Among yourselves do not fight,
For revenge is the destroyer.
For on the day of the Devil's Knight,
This hate will remake the demon.
Keep the holy fire ablaze,
For it guards your sanctuaries.
For the day will come when the fire fades,
And the night will overcome all.
And in this horrible night of pain,
Garoth will take new form.
The fire is cold and chaos does reign,
Then twelve by twelve, all die again,
And Garoth will be free.
"So are you the 'Devil's Knight'?" Garoth hissed as he slid off the rock. "The one who will allow me to gorge myself so I may be set free?"
Everett cocked his head to one side and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what I am... but Devil's Knight does have a nice ring to it." He began to chuckle. "But on to more important things, what did my whoring wife taste like?"
"And which one was that? What was her name? What was her memories?" Garoth asked as he moved closer.
"Her name was Laura and she probably remembers getting humped by every man here and on Earth."
Garoth licked his lips tasting the essence of his victims. "No, she was either one of the eight who escaped from this 'feast' or the two who went ahead." His tongue finked out again. "But one of them I destroyed
had been a concubine of Peter the Great's."
"So we can then assume that as demons go, you are relativity inept?" Everett snapped and the clawed hand went around his neck in a blink of an eye. Garoth tightened his hold and drew the struggling man close to
him. From within his prey he could feel only unapologetic anger and malice without the first shadow of fear or remorse. Yes! This was the one!
A charcoal mist began to swirl beneath their feet as Garoth's laughter drowned out Daniel's cursing. The fog enveloped them like a shroud and boiled with evil intent as it proceeded with the sorcery prophesied centuries ago. With a crackle like that of a fire racing through dry grass the mist dissolved leaving in its place the form of Everett Daniels inhabited by the demon called Garoth the Soul Eater.
Garoth rolled his shoulders within his new from and took a few steps toward the cavern but quickly changed his mind. These escapees were not only forewarned but they were scattered through the
cave... it would be much better to deal with the other groups first, just on the offhand chance the missing Druid would reappear and warn them. With a hellish quiver in anticipation of the approaching massacre
the demon went hunting for the other groups.
******
Willow stared at the TV trying to immerse herself in The Weather Channel. The tiny crawler at the bottom of the screen flashed the time... again. "Four-forty... that's a nice number. Only two minutes since four-thirty-eight." She whispered outloud as she began the math. They had called Wes at eleven... he got on the plane at three... so her should be here in only another twelve hours 'IF' he could find a commuter plane to get him from LA to Sunnydale.
She wiggled in her chair and allowed herself a quick peek toward the kitchen. "Oz?"
"Yeah." He answered from the kitchen.
"So... what was that noise?" Willow waited a moment for a response which never came. "Oz?"
Oz appeared in the doorway, sans his usual calm disposition. "Willow... something strange is happening.... he... he was dead."
Willow's voice went to a squeak. "Dead? Who's dead... like you mean 'dead' dead?"
"Yeah, that other guy who we don't know... was like 'real' dead." Oz began to pace. "So we heard that noise and I went to check - 'cause I'm the guy and I saw him die 'cause I can smell dead but then he made
another funny noise and now he's kinda moving again and he's breathing real weird and I'm officially about ready to lose it."
"No Oz... you can't lose it because...." She gave the afghan a toss and scrambled to her feet. "... ah, because.. if 'you' lose it that means I really lose it and Wesley ain't going to be here for another twelve
hours."
Oz regrouped. "Yeah... too bad he missed the Concorde."
******
The flip comment forming on Buffy's tongue vanished as Muhyi grabbed her by the arm and began to literally drag her through the opulent room. "Hurry! We must find our way through this unholy place!"
Buffy dug in her heels and pried his hand off of her. "Hey! Watch it!" She gave the place a jaw dropping once over, taking in the silk floor pillows, the ornate rugs and the golden oil lamps atop polished brass
stands. "So why do you guys hang out in a crummy cave when this place was behind door number two?"
"In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful ! Woman let us move on!"
The prayerful plea rang cut into Buffy. Turning toward Muhyi she found him pale and shaking. "Where are we?"
Muhyi shut his eyes and groaned. "At the moment of my sin against Allah and my brothers. It is what keeps me from venturing away from the others.... it is a wall of pain... it is my hell. I only hoped that we would not pass this way."
"But what..." Buffy barely began when the sound of adropped platter rang through the room. She whirled around and saw a servant staring in alarm at something behind a curtain of silk off to one side of the door.
The man shouted something unintelligible and backed out of the room. Buffy took a few steps forward and pulled back the draping.
Muhyi sank to his knees and prayed. Buffy only got out one syllable. "Oh...."
There lay five unmoving figures around a crystal which was blacker than coal. With a whistling inhale Buffy moed closer. At her feet was the youngest, a boy about twelve, maybe thirteen. Beside him lay one abit older; then one a year or so older; then one older still... like stepping stones until her gaze fell on the one who held a crumpled piece of parchment in his hand. She put her hand to her mouth in shock as she
realized this was Muhyi.
An anguished wail filled the room as a veiled woman rushed in despite the efforts of two servants to hold her back. She flung herself down in the midst of her sons cupping her hands around their unfeeling cheeks,
crying their names in turn. For how long she did this Buffy did not know for it seemed as if time had stood still. Then the woman saw the parchment and a second scream shattered the unreal feeling.
Muyhi's own sorrowful cry joined with his mother's as he scrambled to his feet and pulled Buffy back. "Let us go!"
"Yeah... right... good idea." The shaken Slayer mumbled. "But where..."
"I don't know!" He confessed. "I have never been able to stand it here to watch my mother's suffering for she cannot see or hear me. I cannot tell her why I did this. I have never been able to find the door past
this place! I have never stayed this long. Please let us go!"
"Take him!" The woman shouted to the servants as she pointed toward Muyhi's body. "Take him away! Strip him of all finery, behead him and dump him outside the city walls in the place where the criminals are fed to the vultures and dogs. That viper has brought evil to our house and is no longer my son! Dress his wives in rags to mark them with shame and send them back to their fathers!" She then pointed to the crystal. "And crush that devil's stone to dust!"
"Mother! NO!" Muhyi cried out as the servants began to tear his robes off of him, replaying the scene from centuries ago.
Tearing her eyes from the scene Buffy asked. "Why did you do it?"
After a pause he hung his head and whispered one word. "Tunis."
Buffy blinked. "Huh?"
"Tunis." Muhyi repeated. "Ten years before my father was murdered by knights of a French king in Tunis. He was not a soldier... he was a merchant. They killed him for a cargo of spices." He raised his head and
stared at the servant who was now dragging his naked body out of the room. "I wanted to send an Europe spawned demon to destroy the infidels... but I only destroyed my young brothers."
"The big revenge thing, huh?" Muhyi was silent.
Buffy shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "Ah.. what doors have you tried?" Still no response.
"Yo! Earth to Muhyi!" Buffy said with a nudge. "What doors?"
"I never tried to go past this place for my mother' sorrow always sent me running back to the cavern." He shut his eyes and again bowed his head. "And now I know her sorrow brought forth judgment and her judgment was my deserved damnation."
"Save the pity party for another time! You got to try!" Buffy said as she grabbed his wrist. "That's really the only way out of here! Come ON! There is nothing that can hurt you here!"
With that she pulled him past the stricken woman and through the door. "See man... no problem...." Buffy's voice faded out as the mansion courtyard materialized around them. "...oh shit!" She whimpered as
familiar voices wafted from beyond the double doors.
"What is this place?" Muhyi whispered as Buffy put her face into her hands and began to hiss soft curses. e stepped toward the doors and looked in at the bloodchilling scene. Dominating the room was the statue of Acathla. Off to the side he saw three people, a man and a woman standing and a second man in a wheelchair, all gathered around a fourth person laying face down on the floor. Muhyi froze as the standing man turned showing full vampire features and the man on the floor lurched up to his knees revealing his identity.
Angelus swore and whirled back around pulling Giles up and tossing him like a rag into a chair. "Tie him up, cause it's time for some good, old fashioned fun and games." The vampire snarled in Rupert's face as he
held the man down. "Or maybe 'new fashioned 'cause the last time I tortured someone chainsaws had not been invented yet."
"Is this your sin?" Muhyi asked without turning to Buffy.
"Oh yeah..." She said with a catch in her voice. "... you could say
that."
****** ******
Joyce bit her lip and looked around the living room. It was not right... the walls were still painted that odd color that the previous owners had chosen... the furniture was what she had when she first moved in... what
was going on?" She shut her eyes for a moment and tried to clear her thoughts. She had redecorated after that awful party...
"Oh isn't this just sweet." Jerrod snotted. "A boring little house to go with your boring little life and with your boring little.."
No one saw the blow coming, but all heard the sickening 'crack' as the German's knuckles found their mark on Jerrod's smirk.
"You Kraut bastard!" Laura screeched as she caught her stumbling lover and gave him a push back toward Karl. "Are you going to take that from that Nazi son of a bitch?"
"Wrong war you ignorant bitch!" Joyce spit as she snapped out of her daze.
With one hand on his bruising jaw, Jerrod took a halfhearted swing at Katterheinrich.
"Oh my hero!" Laura sneered. "You can do better than that.... beat the shit out of him."
Karl merely knocked the faint blow aside off and raised his fist to punctuate his statement. "I have listened to you two and listened to you two and swallowed your venom for the last time... UNDERSTAND!?" He spun around and gave Laura a push knocking her backward into the wall.
"Now..." Karl said to Joyce. "...Now you must tell me why we are here."
"I don't know." She exclaimed without taking her eyes off of Jerrod or Laura.
"You must know so we can leave."
"What are you talking about?" Laura sniped.
"It is her terrible place." Karl hissed. "One time I left the cave to try to flee, but instead faced the terror of
Verdun... again and again. Ten months of horror distilled into minutes!" The man flung his head backward and screamed as a vision of man-made hell exploded in his mind. He shivered and pointed at Joyce. "But this time it seems we face her nightmare."
Laura curled her lip. "Well this decor is pretty damned horrible, but there's no reason to scream like that!." She opened her mouth to say another cutting remark but was stopped by Katterheinrich's wild glare.
Angry voices came from the kitchen. Joyce's throat went dry as she heard Buffy voice those never forgotten words:
"Open your eyes, Mom. What do you think has been going on for the past two years? The fights, the weird occurrences. How many times have you washed blood out of my clothing, and you still haven't figured it out?
"Well, it stops now!"
"What is it?" Karl asked as Joyce leaned on the stairway rail for support.
"Oh God no..." She groaned. "Don't let me say it again."
"Say what?" Jerrod asked hesitantly. "Don't let you say what?"
Bits and pieces of the argument came through the doorway.
"I am not letting you out of this house!"
"You can't stop me!"
"Oh yes I... If you walk out of this house, don't even "think" about coming back!"
Karl sidestepped toward the kitchen and watched the scene unfold of Buffy giving her mother a final pained look before leaving and Joyce leaning on the island with head in hands. "You threw your daughter out because she had duty?" He said in an unbelieving tone.
Joyce began to weep.
"Where are we going?!" Rupert shouted as the four ran down the corridor. Without breaking stride François called back over his shoulder. "Forward you fool! We must keep ahead of the beast!"
Giles made a sudden U-turn. "I'm going back for Joyce!"
"I don't think so Ripper." Ethan countered while waving his torch in Rupert's path.
"Get out of my.." Giles shouted as he wrenched their only light from Rayne's grasp.
"Do not go!" João pleaded. "If the beast has taken your beloved you can do nothing but die!"
"That is truth!" François shouted. "Consider your own skin, and if not that consider that she would not want you to die in vain!"
Ethan's voice cracked as he pointed back down the tunnel. "Listen to the screams! Good God Ripper! Get your head out of your arse and run before it comes after us!"
François was suddenly in Rupert's face. "If you want to go... then damn you go! But give us the torch!"
The agonized shrieks suddenly stopped as if someone had flipped a switch and in their stead the hair-raising laughter of Garoth echoed down the passage.
Tears began to flow down João's cheeks. "It is over."
Rupert gritted his teeth as his raw emotion collided with his intellect. He knew that all had been taken by the demon and it would be suicide to go back. But... this meant he had failed in his promise to Buffy... he
had not kept Joyce safe, he had lost her. "Oh dear God."
Ethan nodded in understanding and gave Rupert a faint pat on the shoulder. "Steady Old Man... steady." He bit his lip and motioned down the corridor. "So Frenchy, what's down there?"
"Whatever we make it." Grilliot answered. "Muhyi has went twice and came back broken. We had to tie him down to keep him from offering himself to the creature. Karl tried once and returned a hollow shell filled with the sounds of war. I on the other hand have never attempted it."
Rupert handed the torch back to François. "Lead th way." His voice tinged with resignation.
Again they started down the passage into the depths of the crystal. Less than a minute passed before the tunnel began to reform into a rough hewed stairway leading downward into a stone lined underground room. One by one they entered the dim chamber. Colors reappeared as the scene unfolded. François drew in a hissing breath as he saw himself seated at a rough table in the middle of the room.
João sought out her lover's hand and looked up at him questionably. "François?"
A clunk of boots on the stairs behind them caused them to jump out of the way as a cloaked man entered the room. Breathlessly he swept past them without a glance and raced up to the table.
"It is confirmed! Robespierre, Saint-Just, Couthon and two cartfulls of other Jacobins." With each name the cloaked man made a downward slicing motion, smacking the table with the side of his hand. "And as soon as they find you and me and Jacques and Charles and Victor we will join our headless friends."
François merely shrugged and poured himself another cup of wine.
"Did you hear me? We are now the hunted! We must flee... to the America yes?"
"Take the bottle and drink to the Revolution!" François ordered as he raised his cup.
Bernard pushed the cloak off his thin frame and took the bottle, not to drink to the glory of the Revolution but instead to get drunk while he still had a head. "So you have lost you mind... that's it, is it not?"
From the shadows Ethan's eyes darted between the François in their party and the one seated at the table. "Allright Guv'... I give up... where are we?"
"A night's ride from Paris. In a friend's cellar." François snapped. "Quickly we must find the way out of here."
"Jacobin... I see." Rupert commented with a grim smile. "So you were an instrument of 'The Terror'?"
"Charles, Victor and Jacques are here... cowards that they are.... sleeping in the barn beside a fast horse." The seated François muttered drunkenly as he pulled a leather pouch up from the floor and idly swung
it to and fro like a pendulum. "But the five of us will soon be the new Committee for we have something better than Madame Guillotine for controlling the 'Sans Culottes'." He opened the bag and pulled out The
Soul Gem.
At the sight of the Gem João let out a terrified cry and tried to run back up the stairs but was stopped by a force which sealed the door. She balled up her small fists and beat on the invisible barrier all the while crying out for deliverance. François grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her back to him. "Enough! We must find the other door!"
"You bastard." Ethan hissed. "You did this for power... you did this..."
"I did it to save the Revolution!" François barked. "And I do not have to explain myself to you or apologize for..." He suddenly shut up and wrapped his arms around the struggling João.
Bernard's voice pulled them back to 1794. "What is this thing? Or better yet..." Bernard ran a finger up the side of the pouch and eyed the still wet bloodstain. "Who did you kill to get it?"
"Not your concern." François said coldly. "Let us just say that people should be more careful about to whom they offer sanctuary in these troubled times." He stood and grabbed the edge of the table for support
as the room danced with his wine soaked brain. "Stay here... I'm going to go get the others."
João's expression was one of heartbreak. "You murdered for that evil stone?"
Twice François's lips moved silently before he found the breath to whisper. "Yes. My cousin Maurice."
"Let go of me... never reach for me again..." Her voice going from shaking to icy as she pulled free of him. "You have blood on your hands."
"João.. my love... please listen and try to understand. It was Revolution..."
Her slap left a fivefold array of scratches across his face. "MURDERER!"
The room began to whirl as the Gem pulled them forward 181 years
. The sounds of The Stones blasting from a cheap stereo... the smell of high grade grass and burning magiks... five half wasted souls draped around a filthy, one room London flat.
"Hold fucking still!" Diedre ordered as Ethan flinched. "I'm almost done."
"Sheeh's a right artist." Rupert slurred holding up his bleeding arm to show off his newly acquired mark of Eyghon. "Give me a hard one Pillock Philip..."
" 'Eee's always got a 'hard one'." Deidre laughed. "Don't you, Ripper?"
"Here's one..." Philip shouted over the music. He jabbed a finger downward onto the text of the sorcery book in his lap. "What soddin' demon is covered with ssssslime and hornssss?"
"Chaos! Both horned and horny." Rupert crowed. "Now you 'ave to take a drink."
Unconsciously both Rupert and Ethan touched the mark upon their arms as they exchanged glances.
"Is this the place where you made your 'terror'?" François asked coolly.
" 'Terror' is an understatement." Rupert confessed as he watched Randall reach over to take the book from Philip's lap. So drunk was he that his motion caused him to fall off the couch and land face first on the
floor. "Giv' me 'at... I knowsh one 'at will sh-shlup up 'is shuptid fashe."
Philip dropped the book with a thud in front of Randall.
Thomas opened one bloodshot eye. "Be careful wif my fuckin' book.... it cosht me big."
"I remember this game." Ethan said to no one in particular. "We would quiz each other with obscure facts of sorcery. If you could not answer you had to take a hit off the joint or a shot."
Rupert bit his lip and nodded nervously. "Yes and Tom had the only copy of 'The Gathering' I have ever seen. How I wish I had it with us now!"
"And the stupid sod burnt it when he got religion!" Ethan added. "Fat lot of good it did since Eyghon still sucked him dry!"
"What are you doing here?" João asked while moving away from her three companions... companions who she was now beginning to fear.
Giles hung his head. "We are selling our souls."
"Eeere it ish." Randall shouted. "How ish Gaaa-ROTH gettin' hish arse out of the Shoul Gem?"
At the mention of the demon all four lost souls collectively gasped.
Ripper leaned forward in his chair and grinned wickedly. "Trick quesh-tion's don't count... Garoth can't get out."
Randall slapped the floor and began to laugh hysterically. "Got 'em! I got 'em! Phil... make 'em drink the resht of the bottle. Gaaa-Roth gets out when he eats all thosh poor fucks in there with 'im."
"Shut your lyin' gooooob!" Ripper snotted. " 'Eh can't get out... 'cause I say so."
Ethan reached down and scooped the book up. "Ripper's wrong... Ripper's wrong..." He sang mockingly. "It's right here is black and white... the fire will go out, he will possess some rotten bastard and eat 144
unlucky bastards then he will have that rotten bastard who's body is still on this side reactivate the stone and call him out." He slapped the arm of the couch. " 'Ere's another one.... for double points, how
can someone stop it from happening?"
"Sod off." Ripper grumbled as he took the bottle from Philip's hand.
Ethan slammed the book shut and shot Ripper the bird. "You lose! Bottom's up Ripper!"
"No.. NO... NO!!!" Ethan raged at his past self. "Tell us what will stop Garoth!"
Rupert felt cold fear rise up within him. "Dear God.... and the fire 'is' out!" His eyes met Grilliot's. "We must find that missing Druid."
