Slayer of Slayers
Spike's DeSoto slowed as he passed through the little town, all dusty and lived in. A few old timers were sitting on the porch of the small town shop.
The young Master Vampire pulled up to the side of the worn building. It was well shaded in the late morning. His duster pulled up around his neck, he leapt up the un-staired side of the porch and faked a smile at the old men rocking.
"'Ello, mates." He ducked into the town's convenience store, and walked to the back, following his senses.
The man behind the butcher's counter was about 55 years old. Grey hair, spectacles with wire frames and a bit of weight put on from a happy, simple life. "Hey there, gov. You happen to have any pig's blood, even cow's blood?"
The old man eyed the young man. Blonde, that dyed stuff. Some youngster wanting to play a prank and decided to come here to get the supplies. He smiled and shook his head ''Kids. Same dumb jokes, different generations." "You want it by the pint or bucket?"
Today just happened to be one of the days they slaughtered some healthy hogs. It was usually tomorrow, Thursday.
After collecting some blood, a cooler full of ice, and directions to the address, which he was told was an abandoned campsite in the desert, and a head full of old stories of the haunted area, he was ready to continue on.
Spike completed his shopping with a container of shoe-polish, ''Better safe than sorry." He jumped into his car and took off. He arrived, saw no one else, and began throwing the situation around in his mind.
"Akoshta." He spoke it aloud for the first time since he had read the note, and remembered.
~~`~~
"What's a Slayer?" Spike had asked his grand-sire after barely escaping the mob.
The explanation came...fight, talk, punch ,yell. More questions.
Dru had told him nothing. Of course not, she was insane. He smiled at himself. ''And I loved her for it.'' Dru had been his reason for continuing his un- life.
Angelus told him a lot that night. The Slayer was his favorite legend. His second was Akoshta. A test and a gift. An ''Ultimate Gift,'' if you went by the literal translation known to the Vampires.
"Some stories are just children's tales to keep the fledglings at bay," Angelus continued his teachings, "But I have heard too many tales of Slayers, and I believe she is out there.
"Akoshta cannot be directly translated, but it means 'Ultimate Gift.' The Master told Darla, and he is the only one I have ever known that met someone who could pass the tests. The first to do so, if I remember correctly. Some demon who had married and lost her husbands to death 5 times over. At the same time, her sister had had equal luck with her husbands. They had cursed at the PTBs and were called to work with them."
Angelus had paused, trying to remember the accounts Darla had given him. "They simply wanted a rewarding relationship that would allow them to feel happy? " he asked, as he turned to his sire for confirmation.
"Sounds ridiculous to me, too, but I don't believe The Master would embellish, not about the PTBs," Darla quipped.
"The sisters now control many fates that involve 'The Two,' one being 'Akoshta'."
~~`~~
Spike recalled the evening as he stared at the obviously un-used campsite. The wood hadn't been burned here for decades.
The sun was finally beginning its descent, and his mind wandered, and remembered.
~~`~~
New York, 1943
She had been called in 1938. In the 5 years of Slaying she had been to 10 countries, and was never in one for more than 3 months.
She had been trained to be a Slayer since the age of three, when her mother, a gifted practitioner of telekinesis, was told by the gypsy that had trained her to control her gift, that her first born would be a Slayer.
Her family had immigrated from Russia to the United States, and she was turned over to her Watcher only two years after she had begun to say Momma.
She had been visited often by her mother, and educated by the Watcher.
The difficulties between several countries foretold the Watcher that a great war was impending, and a war between humans always meant chaos with the demons who walked the earth.
The Council had warned her at the age of 14 that her duties as a Slayer would be needed where the fighting was at its worst, and believed she would be "called" on her 18th birthday. She was trained intensively, learned five languages. Her imagination was encouraged by her Watcher. He thought that someday it could save her.
Many ‘somedays’ had come and gone. It had been an amazingly busy five years slaying. Too many prophesies, too many deaths...finally, she had nothing but life to look towards. She was free.
~~`~~
He knew he was close to his prey. He could smell the power in her blood wafting through the air. He had tasted a power like that once. It had been intoxicating.
New York was beautiful at night, he had decided. The ships had been launching for days. She was among the passengers.
The Second World War was raging, but with more countries joining to fight the good fight, there was a hope in the air that had been missing for too many years. The Vampire knew he had less and less time to find her as the hope rose.
Finally he had found the trophy for all of his waiting and hard work.
He slowly made his way through the crowd and looked into the back of her head. The crowd was thick with awaiting passengers.
When he finally made his way to standing directly behind her, he stood still. She was clad in a dark blue skirt suit with a light brown coat to help protect her from the cold night air.
The woman, about 5'6'', slender, with black hair, was staring ahead at her future. There was one thing she had to take care of first.
The woman turned to face him.
She looked at him. From his well-shined shoes all the way up his black tailored suit, to his short-cut brown hair.
A playful smile curved her lips. Three days had passed since her 'Ultimate Wish' had been granted, and this was the sixth demonic figure to try to threaten her.
So far, no one could move past their threats of pain, blood, and death. They had tried to lunge, but none could attack.
She spoke quietly, "You do not want to do this." She eyed him and explained her reaction.
She took a moment to take in his crystal blue eyes, high cheek bones. "I have received Akoshta."
The Vampire stopped his steps at her words. He looked once again at the woman. She was about 23, he guessed. Old for a Slayer. He brought his face to a mild smirk.
"What was your gift?"
'British' she thought to herself.
She looked not at him, but into him, "For another to be called so my love and I could live out what would have been our 'natural' lives.
Spike looked on, and into her. "You mean if you had not been 'called'?"
'Natural?' If the PTBs interfered in a woman's life, it wasn't generally looked at as natural.
Realizing the only reason he had even come after the human was because of her calling, he understood. He would not be able to kill her. He would not have traveled such lengths for an average woman.
"Yes," she stated simply, and breathed in as though out of boredom at the explanations.
"You are not the first to find me. In the last three days, six different demons, including yourself, have tried to kill me. The problem seems to be that as soon as they move in for the kill, they freeze." She tried to defend her uninterested attitude towards the Vampire.
Spike eyed the now-retired Slayer.
He felt respect, she had survived. He smiled.
Wars, he knew, were filled with some of the most demonic activity. The demons loved humans fighting. Easy prey. Always distracted by the 'real world' war.
This war was beginning to turn, though. More of the freedom fighters were gaining ground. The Evil and Fear were starting to pull back into the Earth day by day.
He gazed into her eyes once more.
"Long life to you, Slayer." He nodded slightly in reverence, turned and walked away.
She turned also, and walked towards the ship headed for England. Awaiting her in London was her Love.
Her Watcher had also granted her long life. A life with love, and all that a young woman her age should be allowed to expect. She enjoyed the moment.
From now on her life would be completely different.
She smiled all the way to England.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
This chapter reads with some cryptic undertones, but if you're willing to wait it all comes together.
Chapter End Notes:
Thanks so much for the kind reviews. I wrote this some time ago and am so excited to see that you are enjoying the story.