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Author's Chapter Notes:
These characters are not mine, only the plot.
Chapter 11

Back On Track Again

Ethan waited to be announced outside the Thesa Overlord’s throne room. Already exhausted, he’d left the Gashi Chieftain in the early morning hours and traveled immediately to the Thesa. After the usual arduous journey through the tunnel system, he sat on the lone stone bench within the hall with his eyes closed.

Struggling to stay awake, he heard two soldiers arrive to relieve the throne room guards.

Moving to stand by the closed door, one of the departing guards’ spoke in that guttural mix of clicks and basso sounds that had taken Ethan several painstaking months to learn.

“The Overlord wishes the human prisoner in the fourth cell to be brought before him after Main Meal.”

“I will send two of the one-marks. Still weakened, she will not be a problem.”

She. The soldiers were discussing a female prisoner. Ethan thought of the crucified bodies hung throughout the tunnel system. He hoped for the anonymous woman’s sake they killed her quickly.

The throne room door opened. Eyes downcast, shoulders slumped tiredly; Ethan rose and shuffled through the doorway, trying to control his usual shudder as the stone door rumbled closed, locking him in with the demons again.

The Overlord waited until Ethan stood before him to speak. Using his native tongue, he said, “I have made a decision. I will agree to meet on the field of battle against the Gashi united with the Successor.”

Ethan started to reply, but the Overlord raised a hand. “However, before I add my strength to hers, I have a concession which must be agreed upon. I would know more about this unexplained item the Successor covets.

When the Gashi Chieftain and his sons have fallen in battle, I will automatically come to own this item. I want assurance that the wizard will honor our agreement. This is for protection of my own forces. I have no wish to fight a second front.”

“That is a reasonable concession, Overlord, and I have been authorized to fulfill it. The item the Imperial Wizard wants is merely a sentimental remembrance of a murdered lover. It has no intrinsic value to anyone other than her.”

The Overlord stared intently at Ethan. “And the Gashi hold this book? That explains much. At battle’s end, I will honorably relinquish it. Leave now. Tell the Imperial Wizard she has made an ally this day.”

“The Imperial Wizard will value highly the alliance with the Thesa Clan.” Accompanied by two soldiers to the end of the hall, Ethan started slowly for the tunnel system, his thoughts on the alliances. Everything had gone smoothly and according to Margot’s plan, even with the date and location changes.

A born pessimist, Ethan couldn’t help but wait for the other shoe to fall.


*****



Spike was growing increasingly impatient. He’d lost Buffy’s trail and time was running out on Kyle’s cloaking spell. Unable to stand around and do nothing any longer, he’d decided to risk walking around among the soldiers. He would begin with a systematic visual search of the three unknown tunnel entrances. Maybe he’d discover a clue that would lead him to the Slayer.

Carefully pushing through the densely packed soldiers, Spike checked out the tunnel closest to him. The largest opening, it was also the most heavily traveled. Soldiers and regular Thesa demons continuously flowed in and out. This was too much traffic for a detention area. He decided the tunnel led to either training facilities or personal quarters, possibly both.

He moved to the next tunnel, carefully skirting a large knot of soldiers arguing in raised voices. Stepping aside quickly, he watched as one of the largest demons struck the smallest, knocking him to the ground. Instead of stopping the fight, the other demons encouraged it, ringing the fallen soldier and his opponent and shouting in their incomprehensible language.

Spike had been a vampire far too long not to understand the subtext, even with the language barrier. Thesa soldiers rose up the ranks by standing on the backs of fellow fallen soldiers.

Using the noise and distraction of the fight as cover, Spike grabbed the opportunity to walk a short way into the second tunnel. A few yards away, it split into three smaller auxiliary branches.

Discouraged, he was about to move to the third tunnel when he suddenly heard something different, something unexpected. He shifted farther from the entrance and concentrated. There. Far down the smaller tunnel that branched to the left Spike detected a human heartbeat. Not Buffy, but one he did recognize. Rayne.

Spike glanced behind him. The demons in the vicinity were still distracted by the fight. Walking briskly, he set off into the tunnel toward Rayne. Turning into the left branch, he couldn’t hear any indications of demons and he started running.

*****

Ethan heard another noise echo within the tunnel. Something was moving toward him at an incredible pace. Afraid for his life, he ran his eyes around the tunnel trying to find a safe hiding place.

“Rayne. Wait.”

Ethan thought he recognized the North London accent through the darkness. “Spike?”

A Thesa soldier appeared from the recesses of the tunnel. “Yeah, it’s me.”

Ethan no longer afraid, eyed the demon critically. “That’s not a bad disguise except you forgot the neck scars Thesa use to denote rank. I wouldn’t get too close to any real soldiers if I were you, without any scars you’ll be considered weak and an easy target.”

“I don’t understand a bleedin’ thing they say; believe me I’m stayin’ as far away as I can.”

“What are you doing here? Has something happened to Margot?”

“No, as far as I know the wizard’s fine.” Spike peered past Ethan into the tunnel. “Is there somewhere out of the way where we can talk?”

Ethan chuckled. “This is as private as it gets, vampire. The Thesa live in a militaristic hive.” He gestured forward. “Come on, we can stand over here, it’s the way outside for guests. No soldiers ever come through, especially since the tunnel is precarious at the best of times.”

He grimaced. “It’s deemed a trial for petitioners to the Overlord. You have to survive the tunnel’s obstacles to be considered worthy of an audience.”

“I’m assumin’ they don’t get too many petitioners.”

“That assumption would be correct.”

“Yet you’ve accomplished this trek how many times?”

“It’s easier each time, plus I’ve had Margot’s help.” Ethan pushed his sleeve up and Spike could see a small symbol etched on his wrist. “It guides me around the worst obstacles.”

“The Imperial Wizard couldn’t have her emissary falling into a pit, eh?”


“It’s true if I’d fallen into one of the traps, it definitely wouldn’t have helped her credibility.”

Spike patted his pockets looking for his cigarettes, realized what he was doing and crossed his arms. “I thought the negotiations were finished.”

Ethan watched the Thesa demon pat its plated body. “They don’t smoke you know.”
He yawned. “I’m here with zero sleep because Margot’s gotten antsy for some reason. She pushed up the date for the meeting with the Gashi and changed the location, too. It’s going to be here on the Hellmouth now, in two days.”

“Why?”

“I have no idea. She doesn’t let me in on everything.” Ethan sounded disgusted. “I’m just a glorified errand boy.” Checking over his shoulder for any sign of soldiers he added, “Your turn vampire. Are you and the Slayer trying to screw this up? What could you possibly think you’re doing in here?”


“The Slayer went and got herself caught trackin’ a Thesa last evening. I’m the cavalry, except I can’t locate her in all these tunnels and the sand’s rapidly falling in the hourglass on this glamour.”

The overheard conversation at the throne room door clicked. “Spike, you’ve less time than you realize. I overheard two soldiers say they were bringing a female prisoner to the Overlord after Main Meal. They’re planning on killing her, I’m sure. The Thesa Overlord isn’t exactly known for mercy, he prefers watching his enemies tortured in rather gruesome fashions.” Ethan checked the time. “That’s about three hours from now. They said she was being held in a cell on the detention level.”

“Any idea where that is in this maze?”

“This place is honeycombed with tunnels going every which way but I know it’s on the lowest level. The Thesa keep close tabs on their ‘guests’ so I haven’t had much chance to explore. There’s a cross tunnel about twenty yards ahead that slants downward. You’re standing on the main level, which is actually two levels below the surface, so you need to find your way down two more levels. I would assume once you’re on the lowest level you’ll be fairly close to the cells, since the majority of the hive is located in the opposite direction.

If you do manage to release her, this would be the best way out. The Thesa don’t consider this tunnel anything but a death trap. They wouldn’t even follow you through here. Instead, they would assume you’d try for the main exit on the other side of the hive, or else their secondary entrance which ends at an abandoned building outside Sunnydale.”

Spike nodded. “That’s the way I came in. I was plannin’ on leavin’ the same way. It wasn’t guarded earlier.”

“You just had lucky timing. Margot and I noticed there’s a very brief gap between shifts which might allow someone to slip in that way. But right now? There are at least two troops of soldier stationed between the main cavern and there. You’d never make it, even with the glamour.

Go this way and you’ve got a chance, provided you can avoid the obstacles. With your night vision and strength, it shouldn’t be that hard, just don’t trust anything on the path that you can’t actually test first.

Once you make it outside, follow the tree line to the sheer rock face. There’s a fissure near the bottom that’s actually a cave. You can use it to hide in; the entrance has been magically altered. It was a failsafe in case these negotiations didn’t go well and I needed to get out quickly. Pick up the black onyx rock at the foot of the fissure and toss it hard at the rock face. When the cave entrance appears, you’ll have about thirty seconds to move inside. From there it’s about a five or six hour walk to Sunnydale.”

“Thanks Rayne.”

“Margot’s made it very clear that we’re both on the same side. Besides, I don’t like demon clans.” Ethan hesitated briefly before continuing. “Spike, there’s one more thing you should know. The soldiers didn’t seem to think they’d have any trouble handling the Slayer. It sounded as if she’d been incapacitated in some way.”

The image of the pantomimed attack arose in Spike’s mind. “Right now I just need to find her. I’ll worry about anything else after that.”

“Good luck vampire.”

Spike raised his hand in farewell and hiked farther into the tunnel.





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