Act2

Xander bent over his bed and took his suitcase before putting it on the mattress. He was in his room and thanks to the open window, he could hear a group of girls laughing and playing in the hotel park. From times to times, spatter and water sounds reminded him the weather was perfect for swimming. The water sounds getting louder reminded him also that swimming in a swimming-pool full of fifteen years old Slayers was probably not for the best.

Xander opened his suitcase and stared at the content. A week after his arrival, it has nothing to do with the uncluttered one it was. To tell the truth, he would probably have a really hard time to find a single cloth well folded. That observation made him smile when he thought that if Willow saw that, she would probably give him a fake severe look, would babble something about him being unable to keep things in order, would suggest to clean everything for him and would finally give up in front of the range of the task.

Xander took some clothes in the pile in front of him: a pair of jeans, a tee shirt, some underwear. Then he put everything he had just gathered in a light backpack waiting on the bed. Finally, he turned to the gear gathered on his bed too. Buffy had insisted to lead him to the armory and to have him take weapons to choose. Beside the obvious stakes, there were several swords and knives of different sizes, an axe, and a crossbow. And a sledgehammer on the floor because Xander wasn’t sure the bed could bear its weight. He sighed while staring at all this stuff among which he had to choose what to take with him. After a few minutes of just looking at the weapons, he had just decided to take the sledgehammer back to the armory when someone knocked. He looked for a second at everything on his bed and searched for a way to cover it. Finding none, he gave up and went to the door. He opened it cautiously as his visitor couldn’t see in the room. He was relieved when he saw Buffy waiting in the doorstep. She pushed him inside without a word and closed the door behind her.

“So, are you done?” she asked in a hurried voice.

Xander gestured to the bed behind him. Buffy got closer to it.

“See yourself,” he said.

Buffy stared at the mess on Xander’s mattress. Then she seized the backpack and put all the stakes in, then slid a short-bladed knife in one of the pocket on the side before considering the remaining weapons. Xander sighed and sat on the bed where the stakes were previously spread.

“Buff,” He began, searching his words. “Are you sure all this is necessary? For what I know, we’re not going for a slaying party”

“You heard Giles like me” Buffy replied. “We don’t really know what to expect. We have to be careful”

“But we’re not supposed to get attacked!” Xander insisted. “Why would we get attacked?”

Buffy shrugged to show she didn’t know.

“Giles said those guys don’t get too much visit and could be all suspicious”

Buffy stared at Xander’s worried look and made room for her to sit beside him.

“This is just to be careful. We won’t probably have to fight. Actually, we’re taking all those weapons just to prevent Giles to be too much worried. But you’re right; we have no reason to worry. We’ll be all welcomed…”

“Buff…” Xander interrupted seriously.

“Okay” Buffy said in the same tone. “You know I’m lying. The thing is, maybe we’ll have to fight and we’re taking them for ME not to worry too much. Actually, I have no idea how they’ll welcome us, I have no idea about anything and…”

“Buff…” Xander interrupted again. “I wasn’t talking about this“

Buffy frowned and stared at him with a questioning look.

“What were you talking about then?”

Xander looked down and cleared his throat. Then he looked at her straight in the eye.

“Are we sure we want to do this?”

Buffy’s look went immediately from questioning to frustrated.

“Xander” she began.

But Xander didn’t let her finish.

“I know what you’re gonna tell me… I know we already talk about all this…”

“I thought we agreed! It’s been days we’re talking about this!”

“Buffy, we can’t make a decision like this lightly… Are some days of thinking enough to decide?”

Buffy stood up and crossed her arms over her chest with a resolute look on her face. Her gaze hardened and she asked in a harsh voice:

“How long did it take Willow to convince you Xander?”

Xander sighed deeply and looked away.

“Maybe more than some days” he answered.

“Is the number of days that important? Willow didn’t know where she was going. And I very much know where I come from”

She stopped a second and stared at Xander.

“My decision is made, I already told you that. I don’t force you to follow me. If you don’t feel like coming with me, I’ll go alone”

And saying this, Buffy headed toward the door. Xander jumped after her and seized by her wrist.

“No. Don’t go. It’s not what I meant. I’ll come with you. I once told you I’d always be with you and I will be. I just want to make sure we’re doing what’s right. If something like that is done, I won’t be out of it”

Buffy and Xander stared at each other and Buffy noticed the resolution in her friend’s gaze. She relaxed and came back toward the bed.

“Alright. But I don’t want you to come against your will Xander. I’d understand if you wanna stay outside of this”

Xander shook his head vigorously.

“Buff, we’re talking about Willow and Tara here. How could I stay outside of something that important for Will?” He asked sincerely.

“I’m with you. All with you” he insisted.

Buffy nodded solemnly.

“Okay. Well, let’s check where we are. I’m ready. I’ve taken two stakes, two short knives, a sword and a crossbow”

She stared at the weapons on the bed, then at Xander again.

“I think you don’t need a crossbow,” she offered.

“I can use a crossbow” Xander exclaimed. “I’ve made strides!” he added quickly.

“I’m pretty sure Xander” Buffy answered in a tone pointing clearly she didn’t believe a word of what she was saying. “But one crossbow for two people is enough”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t say that if you were going with Kennedy”

Buffy smiled.

“Of course I would. And I’d let Kennedy take the crossbow, it’s her thing”

Xander smiled back.

“So, stakes, knives and an axe should be okay”

“An axe?” Buffy asked.

“I promise I will manipulate it away from you” Xander said with a grin.

“Good. And only on the side you can see!” Buffy replied, grinning too.

Then, she added more seriously:

“So, we’re ready?”

“I think we are” Xander answered, looking around the room in search of something he would have forgotten.

Seeing none, he closed his bag.

“Buff…” He said after a second of silence. “What are we going to tell the others? Willow and Dawn?”

“Nothing!” Buffy answered immediately. “Absolutely nothing. No one but Giles must know where we’re going”

“And what kind of tale do you think to tell Dawn and Willow to justify our absence? That trip could last days”

“We’ll tell them the least things possible.” Buffy answered firmly.

Xander arched a skeptical eyebrow.

“You really think that each of them and even more, both of them together will be okay with vague explanations?”

“Giles will deal with them”

Xander stared at her curiously.

“Giles? You trust Giles to resist to both Willow and Dawn’s pressure?”

Buffy nodded.

“He’ll do good”

Then she headed toward the door without letting him time to protest again and said after looking at her watch:

“We’ll meet at Giles as soon as you’re ready”

***

Never before, neither Xander nor Buffy had noticed the door in the back of Giles’ office.

It was the end of the afternoon and the sun was slowly starting to go down behind the skyline, brightening the room through the large window with warm red-orange colors in the process.

When both Xander and Buffy were there, Giles locked his door, shut the blinds and invited the two friends to follow him in the little adjoining room none of them had noticed before.

That new room was almost empty, save for a row of shelves on the back wall. The only one small window was shut and blocked off by heavy blinds. The only light in the room was given by rows of candles laid on the shelves and the floor.

Buffy and Xander came in almost shyly, both of them looking at their new surroundings, and they jumped a little when Giles closed the door behind them. The Watcher headed toward the shelves and took a big paper sheet and a book from them. Then, he came back to the center of the room and put them to the floor before gesturing to Buffy and Xander – who had remained by the door – to come closer. Both friends obeyed and sat in front of Giles. He spread out the sheet that was in fact a map and pointed a point with his forefinger.

“That’s your goal” He said. “The ancient monastery of Cejkov in Hungary. A warlock known by the name of Gideon lived there with his coven”

“Tell us more about this warlock Giles” Buffy hurried him.

Giles shook his head regretfully.

“I’m sorry but I can’t tell you much more than what I told you before. It’s really hard to get information about warlocks and coven practicing necromancy. The Westbury coven accepted to inform me but the information they gave – or accepted to give – are rather meagre. From what they told me, I think Gideon is the most likely to help you. Despite his affinities with the black arts – including necromancy – he doesn’t seem to be too dangerous, unlike some of his counterparts I wouldn’t suggest even under knife. And the coven have a good relationship with him and his friends despite their disagreements about some aspects of magic.”

“Good point” Xander commented.

“Have this coven already practiced resurrections?” asked Buffy, almost whispering the last word.

“It’s hard to tell. It’s likely but can’t be said for certain. It’s really hard to get information about that kind of thing. And I’m unable to tell you how they proceed.”

“Will…Will it be something like for…”

Buffy’s voice choked a little before she finished.

“…me?”

Giles shook his head.

“That’s the only thing I’m totally certain about. Whatever happens, Gideon can’t use the spell Willow used for you. Willow used the last remaining urn of Osiris and it got broken during the spell. And even when Willow managed to invoke him without it, he refused to bring her back in his name due to the reason of the death”

Buffy nodded, showing so her understanding, and Xander did the same.

“You have to understand some essential points before getting involved in this” Giles resumed.

He breathed in deeply and removed his glasses.

“First, You have to know that the spell Willow used to bring you back is probably the most powerful one for that matter. Others spells exist and can lead to resurrections more…”

Giles stopped for a second, searching for the right word.

“Delicate” he finished.

“More delicate?” Xander asked while Buffy just nodded.

“I read this in the books we studied at the library.” The blonde Slayer told her friend and her former Watcher.

“And?” Xander asked again.

“Depending on the spell and the spellcaster’s power, the resurrection can be more or less easy. Sometimes, the body needs some time to get ‘fixed’, sometimes, soul had to find its way back, sometimes body and soul had to get used to each other again…”

“It’s a good summary” Giles confirmed, a touch of pride in his voice as he noticed Buffy’s researching efforts.

“And this warlock, this Gideon…” Xander began.

“He’s a powerful warlock” Giles answered immediately. “I wouldn’t send you to an inevitable failure” he assured.

Giles fell silent, long enough for him to take a piece of cloth in his pocket and weep his glasses he still held between his fingers.

“What you should absolutely be aware of, the most important thing is that nothing can guarantee that Gideon managed to perform a ritual to bring Tara back. Even if he agrees to help you, success is in no case guaranteed.”

Buffy and Xander nodded seriously, showing they clearly understood what Giles was saying.

“We know this” Buffy whispered. “That’s the reason why nobody must know. Willow for evident reasons. And not Dawn too”

Giles nodded.

“I meant it this way Buffy. You don’t claim it everywhere when you try to resurrect someone”

Again, Buffy nodded and the three of them stared at each other in silence.

“Is there anything else we should know, Giles?”

“Whatever happens, don’t forget that Gideon is a powerful warlock practicing dark magic. He might be dangerous. Be always on your guards”

“Giles, is he more powerful than Willow?” Xander asked. “I’m asking ‘cause you know, don’t really wanna face an all dark-haired angry warlock. Wouldn’t have any yellow crayon story to tell”

Giles smiled sadly.

“Dark magic doesn’t always manifest itself this way Xander. And to answer your question, Gideon, like every others, is far behind Willow considering power. What she would be able to do, most of warlocks and witches could only dream about. But Gideon had something precious over her: he perfectly controls his power”

He fell silent again.

“Which is good for what we want to ask him?” Xander questioned.

Giles nodded his head.

“Well, it’s time to do the transport spell. To come back, you’ll have to take a plane in Budapest. I booked tickets for you”

“What’s this spell about Giles?” Xander asked, slightly worried as Giles stood up and went to the shelves again.

“It’s a teleportation spell,” Giles answered while gathering ingredients laid on the shelves.

“I thought that kind of spell needed a great power. How are you going to do that?” Buffy asked.

“I don’t have the magical ability to do that. That’s why the Westbury coven will do it from afar. I’m just an intermediary”

“It’s riskless?” Xander asked.

“Of course Xander” Giles said. ”But, you know, it’s a spell and some of them misfires sometimes” he added in a casual tone.

Xander frowned.

“I’m not sure you’ve reassured me here Giles”

Giles smiled and patted his shoulder before tracing a circle on the floor with the content of a phial.

“Don’t worry. They’re not beginners, they’re a powerful coven.”

Giles scattered another phial’s content in the circle then lightened the candles on the contour line.

“Get in the circle” he said. “Face to face and hold each other hands”

Buffy and Xander did as they were told after gathering their own backpack and the map Giles had given them. The Watcher sat cross-legged near the circle, closed his eyes and began to chant words in Latin.

After just some seconds, the candles light brightened and the circle color changed slightly then more clearly. Buffy and Xander felt like the world around them was spinning, slowly first, then so fast they felt dizzy and had to clutch to each other to stay up. Then there was a brief flash of light and a sharp noise.

Giles opened his eyes. Xander and Buffy had disappeared.

***

Faith was lying down in one of the foyer’s sofas, watching absent-mindedly at the TV across from her. It broadcasted a martial arts movie and a bunch of Slayers were laughing loudly at it. If she raised her head slightly, Faith could see Dawn and Willow playing pool in the back of the room under Kennedy’s stare. Seeing their three faces, Faith could easily guess that the game was close and each go seemed to ask all the player’s attention. Faith watched them for a moment, vaguely heard Kennedy explaining something about how to hold the cue and Dawn answering dryly she didn’t need any advice from her. Faith wondered if Dawn had a particular reason to behave that way with the Slayer. She had searched her memories from a year before in Sunnydale, during the battle against the First and couldn’t remember Dawn hating Kennedy with such force. On the other hand, it was not like she had a lot of time to get concerned with everyone’s relationships.

Andrew came in then, holding an ice-cream pot in his hand and settled beside Kennedy, commenting on the game, with his so trademark way to add random references making his speech incomprehensible for profanes. In others words, incomprehensible for Faith. She sighed, noticing the noise in the room had increased with his entrance and increased again when Kennedy seized his ice-cream and began to devour it with an appreciating look under the young Watcher’s annoyed glance.

Faith’s attention then turned to other sofas in the room where Slayers were settled by group of two or three, gathered around a book or talking quietly. Faith couldn’t recognize one of them. Obviously, a lot of newbies had arrived since her last visit here but she wasn’t even able to put a name on familiar faces. Faith sighed again and turned to the TV where men were still jumping in every direction under the viewers’ boos, before her gaze came to rest on the ceiling.

She wondered where Buffy and Xander might have gone. She had heard Giles mention a kind of mission without giving any indications and since then, she kept wondering what kind of mission the council could entrust a retired Slayer and a one-eyed carpenter with. Faith wasn’t full of imagination and despite all her efforts; she couldn’t come up with a good explanation. She thought a second to ask Willow, the redhead probably knowing everything about that matter for lack of being with her two best friends. But thinking of being the one asking something of Willow added to the fact she had to get up for that made her stay in her sofa, trying desperately to find the key to this mystery for lack of a better occupation.

The noise of hurrying footsteps in the corridor brought her back to present and she saw a young Slayer rushing in the foyer and stopping on the doorstep, totally out of breath.

“Vampires attack in the center” she yelled in a frenzied voice. “Alpha group on their tail in the small cemetery. They need support”

Faith jumped on her feet when she heard the news and saw Kennedy coming to the newcomer.

“What cemetery?” she asked with authority.

“South, not too far from here”. Replied the other. “Hamilton cemetery”

“Good” Kennedy said, obviously used to lead. “Everyone with me. We drop in the armory and let’s go”

She was about to rush out but stopped short when she saw Faith looking at her.

“Faith, you coming?”

“You betcha!” The dark-haired Slayer answered, all too happy with this distraction.

“Let’s go”

And all the girls disappeared in the corridor, letting Willow, Dawn and Andrew alone and dazed. Andrew took back his ice-cream, abandoned by Kennedy.

“At least, I have my ice-cream back” he said, planting his spoon resolutely in the pot.

***

“Oooch ! “ Xander exclaimed. “That was a hell of a thing!”

He swept the dust off his pair of jeans and stoop up before getting closer to Buffy who was already up at a meter.

“You okay Buff?”

The Slayer nodded.

“Slightly shaken” She pointed out. “Handy way of traveling” she added while looking around her.

She and Xander had landed on a dirt road bordered by flourishing trees, almost at the top of a hill. The Slayer couldn’t feel any presence nearby except their own.

“Do you think we’re where Giles planned?” Xander asked.

Buffy didn’t answer and put her backpack on the ground before taking out the map Giles had given them.

“According to what he said, we should be here” she said pointing a point on the map.

Xander nodded and looked around him.

“If we are, we had to climb to the top of the hill and the monastery should be below us”

“Let’s go and see” Buffy replied.

She hid a knife under her jacket and seized a sword. She gestured to Xander to do the same before taking a step toward the top. After taking his axe in hand, the carpenter followed her. After just a few minutes of walk, they were at the top of the hill and could see the goal of their trip just where Giles had said it would be.

“Perfect” Buffy said. “These teleportations are precise. I think I’m gonna order one to Giles to get back to Rome”

“Not sure he’ll accept.” Xander answered. “He’s not too happy about magic use”

“Things change” Buffy replied darkly.

“No doubt” Xander said.

They began to go down the path leading to the monastery in silence. When they reached the halfway point, Buffy came to a stop abruptly and turned to her friend.

“Xander. There’s something we hardly talked about. You know, about Anya…”

Xander raised his hand to interrupt her.

“No Buff. I know exactly what you’re thinking about. But what we’re doing, it’s not building our own world with everyone we want in it. We agreed on something, on someone. ‘Cause we know Willow won’t ever get through this. We agreed ‘cause it was so unfair to Tara. Anya made her choice. I’ve got to respect that. Even if it hurts. And it hurts. Bad”

Buffy nodded and smiled sadly.

“When have you become so wise?”

“I guess that living so much years beside the best Slayer the world ever known can do that to a man”

Buffy smiled again and approved.

“You sure?” She asked again.

“Sure” Xander confirmed. “I won’t say I’ll never regret that later. But I’m sure »

“Okay. Okay”

The two friends resumed their walk and crossed quickly the distance that parted them from the monastery. It was nestled between several rocky and lost hills and looked like it had been built in the middle of nowhere. The cloudy and smoky sky above their heads gave a particularly severe look to the monastery gray rocks. The building was large and high but looked like it hadn’t been visited in years.

“I wonder if Giles information about that warlock are still up to date,” Xander said while staring at the building. “It doesn’t look like someone’s living here”

Buffy shrugged.

“We’ll see. After all, we’re talking about warlocks and witches. They sometimes have strange tastes”

“I guess that your sister’d tell us that Willow dating Kennedy is a perfect example to that theory” Xander said with a smile.

“I guess” Buffy confirmed.

“Do you think I have to knock?” she asked him, as they were now standing in front of a heavy wooden door crossed-out by large wrought iron bars.

“Let’s knock” Xander said. “That’s what polite people do”

Buffy seized the large iron handle standing in the middle of the door and knocked loudly three times. Xander and Buffy waited for several minutes but nothing happened.

“Looks like it’s big. Maybe you can’t hear knocking when you’re in the backyard?” Xander suggested.

Buffy didn’t answer and looked carefully at the door. Then she kicked it violently without warning. The door squeaked and opened partway.

“It’s another way to go” Xander said. “Less polite but more efficient.”

“Follow me” Buffy ordered.

She gripped tightly her sword and slid into the gap she had just created. Xander followed closely, still holding his axe. They emerged in a courtyard covered in irregular paving stones. In the center was standing a fountain whose pouring water was the only sound Buffy’s Slayer hearing perceived. Wild grass had grown between the paving stones and almost entirely covered some of them. On the left and the right stood high gray walls, which closed the place. The only exits were the door they just used to enter and a smaller one in the building in front of them.

“Looks like all this is deserted” Xander grumbled.

“Let’s go and see” Buffy ordered, heading to the door in front of them.

Xander nodded and followed the blonde Slayer. In front of the door, Buffy turned to Xander:

“Do you think I try to knock again or I just open this door?”

“Try to knock and you’ll just open when no one will answer”

Buffy approved and did as previously. She knocked at full force the wooden door. But again she didn’t get any answer. She didn’t wait and swung her foot against the door, which opened with a loud crash. She and Xander came in a big room whose walls were as gray and nude as those outside. The ceiling was high and large windows dig up in the walls on each side of the door were lightening the room. But they didn’t look at the room more than that: in front of them stood five men. All perfectly in line. All dressed with the same monk’s robe. All with hands in their back. They looked like they waited for them.

Buffy searched for her voice to say something but the men in the middle didn’t let her enough time and took a step forward before talking in a loud and stern voice:

“Welcome. We were waiting for you”