Buffy Meets Kalna

[ILLYRIAN]

BUFFY MEETS KALNA. Together they hunt the person who took the children. Buffy's real mother the (oops, spoiler alert) sent her (spoiler thingy again) to help Seth.
Disclaimer: For the names from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, my apologies to their creator.
For the rest of the names, they from my imagination.

Chapter 1 From Lake Petrified.

Dawn stood at the open window, the early light caste its glow on the flowing long grasses of the field known as Lake Petrified.
Hearing her sisters screams she ran to her room. "Not again," she
thought to herself. Quickly grabbing her dressing gown, flinging it around her shoulders she crossed the floor. Twisting around the partially open door, in two paces she crossed the passage. Leaning forward she violently twisted the door handle down. Slamming her shoulder against the wooden door, smashing it against the sideboard. Dawn fell hard onto the floor, keeping the momentum she bounced up, onto Buffy's bed. Lifting her shoulders off the bed, waking her, beginning to ease the pain of her dream. Buffy looked up into her sisters eyes. "Thank you."

"Your screams, I felt your terror in them. Your breathing was so fast,
what did you see?" asked Dawn.
"I saw a young girl, she was only twelve. I saw fear in her eyes. I heard the music that haunted her, it was pulling her towards it, she was going into a cavern, the others in the cavern were dead but their eyes moved. I saw the fear in those eyes," said Buffy holding her sister close.

Accepting her sobs Dawn looked to the ceiling. Dawn kept her grip on Buffy, waiting until her breathing became slower, waiting until a calmness took control of her. Then she lowered her to her bed and covered her shoulders. Walking quietly from the room, closing the door she went back to her own room.
Dropping her dressing gown to the floor she climbed into her bed.
"I hope my dreams are better," she said.

When she awoke again it wasn't because of her sisters screams. This time was because of the warmth and brightness from a sun. Going to the window, she breathed in the fresh air. Knowing that she might have a busy day she wore a sturdy pair of work jeans, her trusty old boots and an old work shirt. She looked at a photograph of her horse.
"Well Ensalvina, hopefully today you will have your foal." Crossing another day off the calendar and in three days I'll be twenty eight.
Looking at herself in the mirror, putting a brush through her hair she went out into the passage, almost bumps into Buffy. Dawn stopped, she looked at her clothes.

"How the bloody hell did you manage to do it this time?"
"Me, ME?" shouted Buffy, "You're the flaming pratt, I bet you watch me getting dressed every morning, just so that you can wear the same clothes as me."
"Just because we are sisters, I have no interest in watching you get
dressed. Thank god we are not identical twins," Dawn stepped back.
"Mind you," Dawn smiled, "I'd like to see a naked woman, but a real one not one like you, a little wanna be."
Happy at upsetting her sister, she smiled, turns away she headed down to the kitchen.

Sat at the table after setting her cutlery for breakfast. Her mother, Charity, turned to face her from the cooker.
"I hope you are hungry this morning, if that sister of yours hasn't got her cutlery on the table within the minute, she won't be getting any
breakfast."
"I'm sure she won't be long," said Dawn.
Charity looked at their breakfasts in the frying pan.
"Buffy is probably seeing if her chooks have been good little girls and have laid some more eggs."
Charity turned to face her again.
"I don't know, you scream at each other one minute, then you do
that the next! Putting her cutlery on the table You are a strange
pair whatever will I do with you?"
"Buffy is my sister, yes, we might shout at each other, but I will not stand by and let you, nor anyone say anything or do anything that
will cause harm to her." Dawn defiantly faced her mother.

"Ah, thank you, you do love me." Dawn span to face the doorway, she saw her sister standing there. Buffy went to her chair at the table, stopping to kiss Dawn's forehead.
"Get off me, you weirdo, what are you trying to do? Give me your little girly germs?"
Buffy let her fingers slide across Dawn's chest.
"What the fu......," guiltily looking to her mother, "Sorry mum. Buffy, what do you think you are doing?"
"Just making sure you didn't get any of my little girly germs."
"Oh very funny, said Dawn.

Their mother put a plate in front of each of them then went back to the cooker to get the frying pan, turning to go to the table again
Charity glanced through the window. "Oh dear, well, that'll destroy the mornings peace and quiet."
"What's that mum?" asked Buffy.
"Either a bear has come to visit or someone's horse has just destroyed the chicken's hen house."
"Dawn! I told you to keep your flaming horse away from my chooks." Buffy ran around the table, then to the front door. Dawn chased after her shouting. "Keep your sodding hands off my horse. I told you not to put those fowl pests near to my horse."

The front door slammed shut. Charity looked to the grapefruit that was going to have for her breakfast. "If I didn't know they loved each other, I would feel worried about now."
Charity looked out of the window, watching them push each other as they ran towards the broken hen house. Charity put their breakfasts in the oven to keep warm. Smiling to herself, walking along the hall, she opened the door and went into the garden towards them.
Sat on the lawn, Buffy was trying to calm her chickens down. Which, considering she had seven chickens wasn't that easy. Occasionally she glanced at the broken parts of the hen house.
The chickens were becoming noticeably quieter, they liked Buffy"˜s company.

"The hen house? Can it be repaired?" "No, I'll need to make a new one," replied Buffy.
Dawn looked to the barn. "There's plenty of wood over there, you can use that."
Looking to her, Buffy could see she was about to start crying. Quickly she stood up, standing by her, flinging her arms around her shoulders.
"My horse," said Dawn the tears beginning to form in her eyes, "I can't find Ensalvina anywhere, and those girls from the stables will be here soon, I don't know what to say to them."
"I'll help you look for the horse, I think my chooks have forgotten
what happened, the bloody stupid creatures probably think their
hen house was always like that."

Buffy looked to the stable. "Those girls are here, now, I'll go and speak to them."
Getting up she went over the lawn towards the stable where the two girls stood.
They were looking to the broken hen house.
James watches Lucinda walk to the girls.
Waiting until the girls had left and they were out of sight.
"What did they say?" asked Dawn.
"Odd, strange, very strange, I felt as though they were waiting to be told that your horse has gone. But it was the question they asked that has me totally dumbfounded. They asked me if the egg was safe."

"The egg? What egg?" asked Dawn.
"The egg that the horse laid." Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "And."
Looking to where the girls were, "I think they were being serious."
Repeatedly looking at Buffy, Dawn spread the straw for the hens.
"What the hell!" exclaimed Dawn. She stopped moving her hands through the straw. Looking to what she felt. "Bloody hell."
"What is it?"
Dawn brushed some of the straw aside, revealing a large white egg.
"Them chooks of yours were busy last night," stated Dawn she looked at the egg, then towards where the girls were.
"They said......, no, it couldn't be," added Buffy.
"What?"

"Well, my chooks didn't lay that egg, they only lay brown ones,
that is the colour that the breed lays. Anyway, look at the size of that. thing. It's got to be four times the normal size. It would be physically impossible for them to lay an egg that size."
Dawn looked at the hens, then to Buffy, realising that she was right.
"I've looked around for Ensalvina's hoof prints, I followed their trail to the hen's house. I could see the impressions left in the ground where the kick was. I even saw where the horse lay down. But there is no sign that it left here."

That afternoon Dawn and Charity helped Buffy build a new hen house. They were sat on the lawn, admiring their handy work when a woman rode from the bushes on a pure white horse. Charity went to her, greeted her then faced Buffy and Dawn.
"This is Elspeth, she is an advisor to....."
"I was asked to be here by she who I advise, she well be here soon."
Elspeth looked deep into Charity's eyes.
"Girls," started Charity, "As I have told you many times, I am not your real mother, today your real mother will be here." Inviting them to walk with her they all walk towards the long grass. "This is far enough," said Elspeth, "I am here to let you know that only Buffy will be going now. That Dawn will follow later. I don't know where
"Where this time?" asked Charity.
"I don't know, someone else will tell them. Their mother will soon
arrive."

As they looked at the flowing long grass, it seemed to become a long, wide piece of grass.
"Oh my, it's water," stated Buffy.
Before Dawn could agree with her a glow began, getting bigger as it rose to the surface, a glowing figure seemed to appear on the water. She walked towards them, seeming to walk just above the lawn.
Elspeth and Charity knelt to her, noticing them Dawn and Buffy started to kneel.
"Don't, I never want my daughters to kneel to me. Charity, Elspeth, tell them." She vanished.

"Mum?" asked Dawn.
"This is Elspeth, adviser to the Goddess Althamea," said Charity.
"She had a message from one of the old ones, Cynthia of Tribellia. That Buffy is to help a Seth Pierce. Together they will meet Kalna, Dawn you will go later this time."
"Mum, what do you mean, this time?" asked Dawn.
"You have both gone there many times, after this time you will
retain a memory. One day both of you will return here, until then remember that his name is Seth Pierce," said Elspeth.
"Apart from the other million questions I have, how will we get back?" asked Buffy.
"When you have finished why you are there, and if you need them, those in the egg, I will give them to you," stated Elspeth.

Putting his books in order on the shelf, he turned to the circle to pick what he described to his friends as ornaments. There in the middle of the circle stood Buffy.
"Welcome, who are you? Why are you here?"
Turning to see what was in the room. "Where am I? Who are you?" asked Buffy
"I am Seth, Seth Pierce."
"Then it is you that I am here to help. Elspeth said that my mother was told by Cynthia of Tribellia. That I am to be here to help, that is all I know."
"OK, it is evening here, I cry to show you where you are. But you won't see much, it's a bit dark outside. He guided her to the window, pointing to the suburbs of the city. Looking at her he could tell he was being ignored.
"Where are the others?" asked Buffy.
"The others? What others do you mean?" asked Seth.
Buffy pointed up at the moon. "I can only see one, where are the others?" Seth was startled by what she said. "Where have you come from? I am going to need some help. I hope that you don't mind. I will get my friends Adrian and Susan to come here."


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

BUFFY MEETS KALNA.
Buffy and Seth with Susan and Adrian help a ghost find her dead sister. But was it the Pied Piper who took her sister, or someone else?
Disclaimer: For the names from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, my apologies to their creator.
For the rest of the names, they from my imagination.

Chapter 2 THE SOUND OF PIPES

The doorbell rang, getting up from his seat, Seth went to see who it was. “Oh good, I am so glad you got here, please, come in, I’ve been waiting for you.” Showing them into the lounge. “Buffy, these are my friends Adrian and Susan.”
Susan smiled to Buffy. “I was wondering when you‘d get a lady friend Seth, how did you two meet?” asked Susan.
Seth caste an apologetic glance to Buffy. “Susan, I was just finishing one of my ceremony’s. I had turned to put a few books back onto a shelf, when I faced the circle again, there she was. Now, I’m not to sure where she is from, but I’m sure that she isn’t from this world.”

Adrian grinned to him, doubting what he said. “Yeah, what made you think that?”
“When Buffy looked at the moon she asked me if I knew where the other moons were.”
Adrian stared at him, the silence grew louder as he tried to understand what Seth implied. It was Buffy who broke the quiet. “How do you two know Seth?”
“Adrian and I we make documentaries, sometimes we get Seth to write the script. Actually, if he wouldn’t mind, what we are doing now would benefit from his knowledge,” said Susan.
“Ok,” Seth replied, “What are you doing?”

“We are making a thirty minute documentary on a marvel of engineering in Western Australia. At the turn of the last century a venture was started to pump water from near Perth to Kalgoorlie. A distance of some three hundred and thirteen miles. Adrian and I have done a lot of the initial ground work. It was while we were doing the ground work that we started to find irregularities,” said Susan.
“Meaning what?” asked Seth.
“Reports of strange things happening, odd occurrences, I even found a book that had several details of children having gone missing in or near Perth. Even back to the days when the first ship landed in Perth.”

“If your children are at risk, I will help. Where I am from, children are to be protected, they are the future. Without them there can be no future,“ said Buffy.
“There was something in the book. About the problems they had, about how long it took to build the pipeline in an area. One report tells of playful children moving tools about, near the town of Chidlow. Also about a large group of children having been seen nearby and an eerie sound, like a flute. It said that all the children looked about twelve ten years old.”
Quietly to herself. “My dream,” said Buffy.

“That sounds like the fairy tale of the Pied Piper, he played a type of flute,” said Adrian.
Stunned, they looked at each other.
“In the book, it said that half mile of pipeline took four times longer to build. Because of all the problems, problems that would be thought of as otherworldly,” said Susan.
“When you say otherworldly, what do you mean?” asked Seth.
“The supernatural, reports of children’s voices being heard, children that vanished. One of the technicians said about seeing a town, where no town exists,” Susan had a drink of water, “Of workers tools that vanished, even their horses would shy away from the area. One team sent to repair a join said they felt that they were being watched. Mind you I found that by accident in a newspaper, it happened four weeks ago.”

“Now that is weird,” said Seth.
“About the village that the technician saw,” said Susan, “It is a bit creepier when you consider that the village that was burnt down, yet that village has been seen since then,” said Susan.
Seth stood up, he walked around the table. Talking to himself he stopped, looked to his chair, then sat down.
Looking at the computer. “On this web page, it has about a little girl that haunts the area, she was first seen two years after the first settlers in the area. There is also a reference to an older girl, a coat appears on her when it rains,” Seth thought about it, “I think we should go there soon. Susan, can you and Adrian get some footage of where the water is pumped from.”
“They built a dam as part of the project, it is at a place called Mundaring Weir, near Perth,” said Susan.

“Ok, while you are there Buffy and I will try and find church records from the villages nearby, there should be entries relating to the children going missing,” said Seth
“I don’t want to make up a problem for us, but how do we get there?” asked Adrian.
“Collect what you will need, when you get back here, I will take us there,” said Buffy.
Seth faced Buffy. “So tomorrow, we can go to a few churches.”
“Is everyone alright about us meeting here at about three in the afternoon,” said Adrian, they all looked at a map of the area on the internet. “If we set up camp there, anyone have any problems with that?”
Buffy looked at the map, putting her finger on the space where the camp site was planned for. “If you are here at three in the afternoon, I will cause us to be there at three.”

Having hired a car, Seth parked it near the little church on the outskirts of Perth, he and Buffy walked into the graveyard. Looking at all the headstones. “What are we looking for?” asked Buffy.
“Any graves that are for children, make a note of when they were born, and when they died.”
“Ok, here is a pen and note book, now, do we make a list of anything and everything. Where should we start looking?”
“I reckon if we both start at the other end of the grave yard and work this way. It’ll save us from going over what we’ve done,” said Seth.
They walked to the other end of the graveyard, looking at all the graves. “Bit daunting isn’t it,” said Seth.

After a couple of hours of wandering in the graveyard they met and compared notes.
“Look at this,” said Buffy, “A line of four graves, their names were on the headstone, but no dates all those headstones were fairly old, well weathered by the look of them.”
“Better than me, I found one set aside from the main area. It had a
name, a date of birth but no date of death. Just this message,
Missing presumed dead. The girl name was Georgina, I couldn’t make out what the surname was. I think it was five letters but it could have been six,” Seth looked at the sky, “It’ll be too hard to see soon, we should go to the camp site.”

The evening was starting to close in when they reached the pipeline.
heading to the pipeline. As they were walking along the pipeline inspection track Seth noticed a young girl walking behind them on the track. Seeing where Susan and Adrian had erected their tent, they joined them, settling down for a warm drink. Seth looked up, he saw the girl again, she was no more than thirty feet from him this time, she smiled to him.
“Adrian, we only had time to visit one graveyard, we’ll need to go back tomorrow,” said Seth. He looked to the track again but the girl wasn’t there, thinking nothing of it he looked at the countryside.
Susan stood up. “Look we all came the same way, so how about we go a bit further, just to see what is along there. Agreeing they stepped onto the trail.

“Hang on a minute! that girls there, she is pointing the other way, I hope there is nothing wrong, come on,” said Seth. He had only gone a few paces before he stopped. Turning to them, seeing that they hadn’t moved. “Come on,” he said, “Lets see if she wants our help.”
“Um Seth, who do you mean, there is no one else here,” said Susan.
“Of course there is,” Seth turned to face the girl, “Look there she is, by the tree.”
Susan looked to him. “Seth, there isn’t anyone there.”
Seth looked at the pipeline inspection trail. Seeing the girl he walked towards her, stopping suddenly as she vanished.
“So, why was she there? Doesn’t she want to speak to me, if so, why did she appear?”

Seth turned around and walked back to the campsite. As he sat down he looked to the inspection trail again. “There she is again!”
Seth quickly stood up but she vanished again. “That is odd, why did she vanish this time? Doesn’t she want me to go towards her. And if so, why bother appearing at all?”
“There could be another reason,” said Adrian, taking an Ouija board from his bag, “Try contacting her on this.”
Setting it on the ground, they gathered around it. “Is there anyone there?” asked Susan. They wait for the pointer to move.
“Is there anyone there?” asked Susan again
The pointer still didn’t move. Susan looked to each of them. “Seth, this is just an idea, but she only appears to you.” “Ok,“ he replied. He looked around. “I don’t know who you are, but maybe you can help us?”

The others looked at him, puzzled that pointer didn’t move.
“Just bear with me a minute, I’ve had a thought.” Seth stood up. He looked around then sat down. “Me again, if you are here, will you please give us a sign?” Once again the pointer didn’t move.
“It might be this, I wonder, if I am right then I apologise. If you cannot read or write can you move the pointer in circles?”
The pointer moved towards Seth, then it began to circle.
“I hope you are a ghost who’s a little girl. Are you the same girl who has been following me? Yes is the three letter word at the end.”
The pointer moved to YES.
“Flipping heck! A ghost has been following us?” asked Adrian.
“Where are you now?” asked Susan.

The pointer moved towards Seth. Looking up he noticed that Susan was looking towards him, but not at him. “What? What is it?””
“Don’t turn around too quickly, you might scare her. She just
appeared, behind you.”
Seth slowly turned to look behind. The girl is stood behind him, looking at him.
“Ok,” he breathed in deeply, “What is your name?” he asked.
“Georgina, Georgie to my friends. I saw you looking at my grave, the second letter of my name might look like two, my name is Swift.”

“Oh my, it’s you, those eyes. You are who I saw in my dream. What does the sound of a flute mean to you?” asked Buffy. “It scares me,” said Georgina.
“Is there a reason why you are here?” asked Seth.
“Yes,” replied Georgina, “I want to help my sister, to help the others, and to understand why they took me there. There is a village that is near here, sometimes. I heard the sound of a whistle as I went too that village. When I left there I followed a man on a horse. But there was no sound.” Georgina looked to the fields. “I think it is that way.”
She pointed to a hill.

“Let me see if I’ve got this right, you followed the sound to the village. And someone else took you to across a field to a hill,” said Seth.
“That’s right,” replied Georgina, “The village, that was in the group of trees and sometimes it reappears.”
“I want to help you find those that you want to find, but not now, if we can go there tomorrow morning. These people will prefer it,” said Buffy.
“Georgie, can you come back tomorrow?” asked Seth.
“Yes, as soon as you’d like.“
“That’s a thought,” said Seth, “Can you tell the time?”
“No, I was never taught.” “So you won’t know when to be here? I will try and teach you how to know the time, try this.”

Seth took his digital display watch off, he puts it on Georgie’s wrist.
Now, look at my watch. The first two numbers, when they look like
these. Seth points to the numbers 1 and 0 on the Ouija Board. They are the number ten. And these numbers here are 30. They are the numbers 3 and 0, when together they are number 30. When you see those numbers together, that is the time that we’ll go. Can you be here at that time?”
“You might be the ones to help me find what I want, for that I would never leave here.”

It was almost ten thirty, Seth had just finished a mug of tea, he put the mug in a bowl of water.
Georgina appeared, it is 10:30, are you ready to go?” Seth looked at the others. “By the look of them, I think we are. You should lead the way.”
Georgina led them along the inspection trail, then turning off the trail onto the other path, under the pipeline and towards the grouping of trees. “Look into the trees, remember that I told you about the village?”
“My god, the village is there,” said Seth, he stopped Georgina, “I take it you were going to the village. Do you want us to see the village, or would you prefer to find your sister?” Georgina smiled then led them onto the field, as they were walking they became aware that they were walking downhill. Seth began to walk slower, drawing their attention to Buffy.

He held out his hand towards her. “Look at her, as soon as it started to rain that coat appeared on her. Like the internet report.”
“That isn’t just any coat,” said Susan, “That is a coat with a red hood.” “So?” asked Seth. “An other worldly character with a hooded red coat, Red Riding Hood?” Seth looked to Susan, humour was in his eyes, then he began to be serious. “Ruddy hell, remember her telling us of the importance of children, of her wanting to help them.“ Following her and Georgina they began to notice how soggy the ground was getting. As they went forward they began to see running water on the surface

Georgina turned to them. “I remember this, the ground being wet.”
Moving forward Buffy called to Seth. “Watch where you are walking.”
Looking at the ground he saw a big frog.
“I knew you would be here soon, I could feel all the children that had been led here.” Seth looked to the frog. “You can talk?”
Noticing Buffy was at his side he asked her what she knew about the frog. Buffy leant down and kissed the frogs head. Seth stepped back. “Oh yuk, how could...”
Seth and Adrian stared as a slender young woman stood where the frog was.

“Hello Dawn,” said Buffy, “What are you doing here?”
“I knew you’d be here,” said Dawn. She turned towards the hillside.
“They are that way.” Holding hands with Buffy they went into the hill.
“What just happened?” asked Susan, Georgina stood still as the hillside began to open, a cave began to appear. Georgina smiled then went into the cave.

“Seth, Adrian, look behind us,” said Susan looking as the ghosts of hundreds of children began to appear. Seth saw Georgina walk from the cave, holding hands with another girl. Smiling she faced them.
“She is my sister.” They vanished as other ghosts walked from the cave, walking to the ghosts behind them, greeting each other then vanishing.
Buffy and Dawn walked from the cave. “There are still many skeletons in there,” said Dawn, “And I felt something else, we should come back here later.”
“About that,” said Seth, “I have plans for tomorrow, a while ago I made a booking to have a guided tour at a haunted Inn, if you want to go there with me, we can come here the following day.”

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

BUFFY MEETS KALNA.

Buffy, Dawn and Seth go on a guided tour at a haunted Inn. They saw several ghosts there, three of those ghosts will lead Buffy and Dawn to hear who they have been called to meet.
Disclaimer: For the names from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, my apologies to their creator.
For the rest of the names, they from my imagination.

Chapter 3 THE THREE HORSES INN

Seth, Buffy and Dawn made their way through the streets of Taunstead to The Three Horses Inn. They were due to have a guided tour of the haunted place. Three weeks ago, while on the set of a short film by Adrian and Susan the lead actor had recommended that he go to the Inn, he said that some of what he might witness would help his descriptions of them.

Going into the building they went to the reception to await their guide. Not expecting to actually see a ghost, Seth wanted to know what the tour might present to him. They had only been there for a few minutes before a Mr. David Saunders approached them.
“The other owner is running a bit late, so he asked me to start the tour.”
“Can we expect to see anything?” asked Seth, “Or will we just experience the usual musty smells, hear furniture being moved and maybe see some lights in a room?”
“We do get some smells, and yes some noises are heard from time to time, I can’t guarantee you will see someone, a ghost that is although I wouldn’t be surprised if you did see a ghost. I do know what you mean though, I’ve been to a few places that charge a fortune for what is essentially a bit of a disappointment,” said Mr. Saunders.
“Is it just the one ghost that is here? Is he or she seen by every tour or just a few?” asked Seth.
“A few, but it does depend,” said Mr. Saunders, “It depends on who is doing the tour, how susceptible the people doing the tour are to seeing a ghost, and ultimately if the ghost wants to be seen.”
“So, from what you are saying, that infers there is more than one ghost here?”

Seth looked at the furniture, at the construction of the walls. “What can you tell us about this place?”
“Right, okay, this is from the local history guidebooks. Local folk lore has it that one of the previous owners had a lover who was a smuggler, it is said they had a child together. Now there is no proof that this child is their’s, but a child can be heard crying.”
“Do you think it is their child?” asked Dawn.
“Yes, but as I said, no one knows, though it does seem likely and I really do hope it is true. I just wish I had some proof,” said Mr. Saunders.
Buffy began to stare at him. “Mr. Saunders, I do feel as if there is something in what you say. It isn’t what you think it is, but something is there. What part of the Inn are we to go to first?” she asked. He smiled to her. “Thank you, for what part of the Inn you go to first, that will depend. Do you want the scary stuff first or last?”
Buffy thought about it, a smile emanating from the corner of her mouth, her eyes telling of her love for something exciting.

“Then follow me,” said Mr. Saunders.
“At the moment we are heading towards the courtyard. From there we can go into the old scullery, that isn’t what you would call a scary place, maybe it is though what happens there is weird.” He opened a door, looked across the courtyard to the scullery. “Very weird.”
As Seth was about to step over the door frame Mr. Saunders put his hand on a shoulder, pulling him back. “No, don’t go in yet, there is a few things I need to tell you first.”
“Why shouldn’t we go in yet?” asked Buffy. Mr. Saunders stepped back, he looked at the wall next to the room.
“It is best if you understand exactly what is going to happen in there. The next room is the old preparation room, that is where animals were taken to be killed. It is also the room where the crying can be heard best. People that have heard it reckon that the crying stops abruptly, it is because of the child was killed.”

“Do you have a ghost here that hasn’t been recognised, where do we need to go to see that one?” asked Buffy.
“That depends, we think we know who the ghost is but no one is sure. Sometimes she is seem in the garden, she has also been seen at an upstairs window. One of the tours we did a year or so back, a noted psychic said he saw two of her. That he saw one of her in the garden where the blue flowers are. He said that the other is the ghost in here. That is what the potted blue flowers are for.“ He pointed at the bottom of the wall. “They are a present for her, watch.”
They each took one step into the room, instantly, the room became black. “Now take a step back,” said Mr. Saunders.
Looking into the room. “Now that you are outside the room again it has become clear again.”
He put the four potted flowers inside the doorway. Speaking to no one specific. “These flowers are for myself and the same three people.”
They each stepped into the room which stayed clear.
“There, you can see for yourself that she has accepted you,” said Mr. Saunders. Seth shivered, “Why did it just get so cold?”
“That is a question I don’t want you to answer.” Mr. Saunders moved towards the next room, he opened the door, “This is the preparation room,” he added.

Dawn was about to ask him what methods were used to kill the animals as a babies cries echoed loudly through the room. Then the crying stopped, abruptly. Mr. Saunders faced Seth. “Judging by the stains on the block of wood in the room, I’d say they had their head chopped off.”
“Do you know how many ghosts are here?” asked Dawn. “I’m not to sure, “ replied Mr. Saunders.
“I was just curious, tell me have you ever seen her? The face in the window that is looking at us?” asked Buffy.
Dawn and Seth looked at the windows that looked out onto the courtyard. “Not there, the window on the inside wall! I am thinking Mr. Saunders could she be who your unrecognised ghost is.”

Outside a horse was heard to gallop in the courtyard, then the sound stopped. “I’ve never heard that before, mind you I’m not surprised, the lane is a cul-de-sac,” said Mr. Saunders.
“Is that ghost anything to do with the ghosts in here?”
“Who knows,” replied Mr. Saunders, “For all we know that could be the ghost of a horse that has been around for the last eight hundred years. Or, it could be theoretically possible that the crying is a spectral disturbance, and that the horse is ridden by the ghost who was the baby who cried out,” said Mr. Saunders.
“There is no reason to think that, we don’t even know if there was anyone on that horse,” added Seth, “That if anyone, whoever it was on that horse, may have just killed the child, it could be the face in the window.”
Seth went through the open doorway from the room, looking along the courtyard.
“What ever you do, do not move,” said Mr. Saunders. “Why not?”
“Seth, think of when we were about to enter the scullery, of how I asked you to look at the wall, what did you see?”
“Nothing, why?”
“That is why I don’t want you to move, the door you just went through and the window next to it, they do not exist. And if you try to come back you might enter a room that will become black. So you should wait there until we come out from the scullery door.”

Mr. Saunders, Dawn and Buffy walked from the scullery door. As they joined Seth several horses were heard running towards them, each feeling the rush of cold as three horses passed them, then the sound stopped. “Okay, what just happened?” asked Mr. Saunders. “You’re doing the tour, you tell us,” said Dawn. Stunned, they looked to each other.
“It could be something important, it might be something unrelated to anything here. Like a horse being chased by some other horses. And let’s face it, even if no one had heard it before who’s to say it hasn’t happened each year for the last fifty years. I’m not sure though.” Suddenly looking to the sky. “Buffy? What is it?” asked Dawn.
“I thought I heard something big, very big flying above us.”
“How big?” asked Seth

While they stood there wondering what the sound of the horses could be a young woman walked up to them.
“You heard her, how,” she asked, “It is said she cannot be heard by mere mortals.”
Looking to the skies, then to Buffy. “How?” the woman asked.
“If the rider was, who I think it was. Then she is who my mother, she told me to be here for her.” Buffy looked to the sky again.
The woman began to stare at Buffy. Shocked, a look of total amazement spread across her face, she knelt to Buffy. “Please, accept my apologies. I did not think you would be here again, so soon after the last time. I apologise to you and your mother, please tell of my regret to Elspeth,” said the woman.
“What are you two speaking of?” asked Dawn.

“The one up there, she might well be who I am here to meet. No, I believe she is who I am here to meet. That is Kalna,” said Buffy.
“Kalna, who is this Kalna? I have never heard that name before,” said Mr. Saunders.
“And you should never repeat her name again,” said the woman, “For she is not of this Inn.” The woman looked to the skies then to him. “Kalna was once a human, requesting that her life be taken instead of her mothers and her sisters. Her mother and sister were returned to life but Kalna had to take both of their places, she became a collector of debts to God, she also became the collector of debts to the Kuh-rotan. He who some know as the devil.”
The woman looked to Dawn. “Who are you?”
“My sister,” said Buffy.

“It is said that some are eternal, that others are known to be immortal, yet only one is a true immortal,” the woman looked to Buffy, ”Kalna is the true immortal, blessed by God to live forever and cursed by the Kuh-rotan to live forever.”
The woman looked into the courtyard. “I wonder, I hope you are here to find the fourth of them,” she looked to Seth, “So what is your reason to be here with these two?”
“My mother told me to be here, as Seth will help me. Thinking about it my mother didn’t say that, it was Cynthia of Tribellia,” said Buffy.
“You said that name as if you don’t know who she is,” the woman stared at Buffy’s look, then she looked to Dawn. Cynthia of Tribellia is your mothers mother, your grandmother.” Looking at Seth, “I’d love to know what you did.”
Seth shrugged his shoulders. The woman began to glare, to see into Seth’s memories.
“Yes, there it is, Seth you have already done it, something you did led Buffy to see it. I should not say why, as when Buffy finds the answer, understanding that answer may cause her to know the reason. But I can say this, from the village the children followed the person on the horse, and of what was found. The time must be approaching, for if she was heard by you, soon you will see her, it is then that you will meet her.”

Seth looked to the woman. “Dawn and Buffy have the direction, would you agree that they should leave here now?”
“Yes,” replied the woman, “That which isn’t scary can be visited another day.”


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

BUFFY MEETS KALNA

It had been driving Buffy crazy, knowing part of the memory but not the part that told her who the woman was. Later after an innocuous thought, the unknown began to become welcome revelations. Then came the news of Kalna, from her mother. Buffy began to wonder what they would do together.

My thanks to the creators of the characters of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I have only used a couple of names, and no disrespect is intended.

Chapter 4 THE GRAVE OF BENJAMIN CARUTHERS

In the morning they started the drive back to Seth’s place. It was while they were driving back that Buffy told Seth to slow down. Looking to her, she said that she could feel a tremor in her body, that it seemed to be coming from the church they were approaching. Not wanting to argue, Seth drove the car into the church car park. Without talking to each other they went along the path to the church gates. Stopping at them Buffy smiled. “Seth, do you know why they build churches in that shape?”
“I didn’t realise they were a specific shape,” he replied.
“Well there is, has been for years. The shape acts as a magnet for any demon that passes near to the church.”
“I wonder how they found that the shape would do that?” asked Seth, “Maybe they should have told the people who designed the modern churches.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked Dawn.
“Some of the modern churches are built in a different shape,” said Seth. He noticed the way that Dawn and Buffy smiled to each other.
“Well?” he asked.
“It was our grandmother,” said Dawn, “She told the people, long before a church meant anything, when that shape of building was a towns meeting place.”
“This I have to see, I’ve been inside a church before, I just never thought of them as a vessel to trap demons before,” said Seth.

He looked at the back of the churchyard gates, in case there was a lock. Pushing the gates to open them, he was surprised that he couldn’t budge them. Turning to face Buffy, about to her that the gates wouldn’t open, he leant on them and they suddenly opened; Seth fell to the ground.
Lying on the ground, looking up to the open gates. “That was odd.”
Picking himself up Seth took a few steps...

“Don’t go any further.”
Seth looked to a woman who was briskly walking towards them. “Please, don’t go in any further, there is danger in there.”
Surprised by what she said, they looked to her.
“Please come out of there, something does not want you to go in,” said Mrs. Page.
“What do you mean something?” asked Seth. About to walk closer to her he span about. “What the... I just felt a hand on my shoulder.”
“Like I just said, something in their does not want you in there,” continued Mrs. Page.
Seth thought about how he felt. “I disagree, the hand was put on my shoulder. It wasn’t pushing me, it was like a friends hand.”
He looked to Mrs. Page. “Do you know who is in here? I’ll take a few more steps, when you see the ghost, see if you recognise who it is.”
“That’s a thought,” said Mrs. Page. She took a mobile phone from her bag, “These things can take photos, if I don’t know who it is at least we’ll have a photograph.”

Seth breathed in deeply, cautiously he stepped forward. After a few paces he looked about, not wanting the ghost to trap him in the graveyard. He thought of the church being a demon magnet. Soon enough though, he was at the church door, trying to open it, that was stuck as well. About to push hard a ghost appeared on the path behind him.
Mrs. Page didn’t recognised who it was, Buffy did, sort of, she had a memory of the person but couldn’t remember who she was, even looking to Dawn, for her help.
Seeing the confused looks Seth turned to face the ghost. “Who are you? Why are you here?”
“My name is Christine, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone to be here when my youngest daughter is here, not that I know why she comes here.”
Seth looked to the gate, then to Christine.
“I’ll be leaving, if that is alright.”

He walked towards the gate. Opening the gate he looked at the church, noticing two other ghostly figures watching him, without reacting he closed the gate behind him.
“Mrs. Page took a photo of the one on the path. I think I know the
ghost who was at the door though,” said Buffy.
“There was one by the door?” asked Seth, “I didn’t see her. What about the other two, the ones by the wall.”
“We didn’t see any others,” said Dawn
“So there is nothing about those other two, those others, I knew they were watching me even so, it was as though they were there to protect me.”
Deciding if they should go back to his place. “Mrs. Page, can you..” He looked at the church but the two other ghosts had gone. “Never mind, although if you could let me any details about who has been buried here recently? I’d like to know about him or her, from as far back as you can?”
“Yes, of course,” replied Mrs. Page, “But my memory tells me the church wasn’t built until the early eighteen hundreds.”

Seth gave Mrs. Page his phone number and his e-mail address telling her they‘d be at his place.

Two hours later Seth was sat in the front room, reading the e-mail sent by Mrs. Page about who was buried at the church. Most of the burials were of local people and they were in the last fifty years.
Looking over his shoulder Buffy patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll go back to the graveyard, with Dawn. I’ll let you know when we are ready to go.”
Buffy and Dawn were standing by the door, about to go to the church when they heard a chair crashing to the floor in the kitchen and the sound of Seth falling on top of the chair, about to see if he was alright.

“Bloody hell! Get in here, quick,” shouted Seth. Buffy and Dawn ran into the room just as the figure was walking through a wall.
Seth looked up to them. “She told me to stop you two, she said you don’t need to go to the graveyard.”
Buffy and Dawn turned to where the ghost had gone. Shocked Buffy faced Dawn. “Did you see what she was wearing? Why are they here?”
“They?” asked Seth, “Who are they, do you know her?”
“I don’t know her,” said Buffy, “But we do know of her. Did she say anything else to you Seth?”
Trying to remember exactly what was said he looked around the room, not really looking at anything. Looking at the sink he noticed a dirty mark on the drainer, suddenly though it seemed to fade then it became brighter again. Unable to form a sentence he pointed at the sink unit. “There, there.”
“I thought so, you are still here aren’t you,” said Buffy looking about the room, “How else would you know Dawn and I were going to the church?”

Seth was amazed as a young woman materialized in the room.
“What are the Armed Forces doing here?” asked Dawn.
“Who? The armed what? Hey, I just wanted to know who Christine was, about her daughter? And why she would want to go to the church. Now I want to know who that is.”
Another one appeared.
“What is going on?” exclaimed Seth, “I saw you both at the church, and now you are here, why?”
“Of course,” shouted Buffy, “I knew I knew her. That woman you saw at the church Seth. She isn’t a ghost, she is one of my mum’s friends, it is Darla.”
“Darla is here! Oh fantastic,” exclaimed Dawn.

The room began to appear to glow, a soft blue light radiated within the room, it’s brighter increasing until none of them could look at the light. Then the light faded, Seth looked, he saw the figure of another woman in the room. She went to Buffy and Dawn, hugging both of them. Turning to face Andrea and Judith.
“These two are Althamea’s daughters.”
Surprised, Seth stepped back as Andrea and Judith knelt to them. “Okay, can someone please tell me what is going on, no, first things first. The ghost I saw, who is she and who is her daughter?”
Darla looked to Andrea and Judith, then she looked to James and Lucinda.
“Mother told us to be here, to help Seth. Our grandmother told her
about Seth,” said Buffy.

Darla looked to Seth, she was impressed. “I will find out.”
Everyone in the room looked to each other. The silence being interrupted when the phone started to ring, Seth crossed the room and answered it.
He waited, listening to the persons questions.
“It is Mrs. Page, she wants to know if we have had any luck.”
Andrea stepped forward. “Tell her not to let anyone in the church, there is a demon trapped in there. That is why we are here, as soon as Tianara gets here we will face the demon.”
“That is really helpful, I won’t have any trouble saying that to Mrs. Page,” noticing the way they all looked at him, “I know I have to tell her getting her to believer me will be fun.”
Looking at the phone. “Here goes.”

Buffy watched Seth’s facial expressions as he told her. As he put the phone down. Darla smiled to him.
“What is it?” he asked. Another woman appeared next to Darla.
“Christine,” he said, “I wonder, Mrs. Page just told me that there hasn’t been any burials in the churchyard for over a year. But there was a man who was re-buried in the churchyard. His original resting place was in danger because of being flooded by a river. Although he was buried at the church it was not recorded as a burial, but as a re-burial. His name was Benjamin Caruthers.”
“I remember him,” said Christine, “1st Lieutenant Benjamin Caruthers, little Ben,” Christine smiled, “I can still see both my daughters and little Ben happily playing in the garden, those were good days. When they were fifteen years old my daughters came to sea with me while little Ben joined the English navy, under Francis Drake.”

“Christine, your daughters? Are they Twilight and Kalna?” asked Darla.
Seth noted Andrea, Judith, Buffy and Dawn’s reaction to the name Kalna. “Who is she?” he asked.
“My youngest daughter, Kalna. She died in the sea battle off the port of Gravelines. It was the first big sea battle against the Spanish Armada. A cannon ball from one of their ships hit my cabin, it killed me and Kalna’s sister, Twilight. Kalna pleaded that her life be
taken instead, it was, but both of them took her.”
“Both? What do you mean, both?” he asked.
“Kalna,” said Darla, “Has become the collector of those who owe a debt to God, she is also the collector of debts for the Kuh-rotan, the evil that became known as the devil.”

“It is Kalna that I am to be with, but I do not know why,” said Buffy.
“The children, Buffy you have said about being there for the children, of protecting them,” stated Seth.
“Until those two meet there is a more important matter, the demon that is in the church,” said Seth, “I’d like to help but really, what can I do?”
“If you and Mrs. Page stay at the gates, keeping people away from the church will be helping us,” said Darla.
“Good, I mean I am glad you will be doing it. I am glad that I can help, but lets face it, me against a demon?” stated Seth, “When do you expect to go in? As it will be helpful knowing when to go there. I suppose, thinking about it, it will be a good idea if we go there now, and wait there.”

Appearing inside the church, Tianara stood next to Darla, they looked to the demon.
“What brings you here?” asked Darla.
The demon looked at them. “He who I am meant to be with, I cannot find him. I have been to where I knew him to frequent, I even went near to where the Lighthousemen live, but he was not there.”
“Why did you come here?” asked Darla.
“I felt something near here, but I got to close and I couldn’t go to the next place on my list,” The demon looked at them, “I will tell you where, but if you do find him tell him I tried to find him.”
“Who is it that we would seek?” asked Tianara.
“Death, known to some as one of the four horsemen,” The demon sighed, “I know what you will do, so do it.”
Andrea and Judith appeared in the church, in the battle dress of the Armed Forces of Bouicendeni. The demon saw them, he flew towards them. As he neared them, their spiritual forms rose from their bodies grabbing hold of the demon. The person within the demon’s body flew into the arms of Darla and Tianara.
Stunned Tianara looked to Darla. “Was it telling us the truth about Death?”
Darla looked to the girls, they had the sphere of the silver rainbow around the demon. Darla and Tianara watch as the sphere grew smaller, then vanished. Darla smiled. “I never get tired of watching that.”

Walking from the church, Andrea saw Seth, she beckoned to him, telling him that all was well.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

BUFFY MEETS KALNA
Buffy begins to work with Kalna, she is told that they search for Death.

CHAPTER 5 THE WATERSVIEW HOTEL

Seth steered the car into a parking bay at the Watersview Hotel. Dawn looked up from the magazine she had been trying to read, looking at the hotel. “Why have we stopped here?”
“After what we just did I thought a night here would help to recharge our batteries, to make us feel good in ourselves.”
“Nice thought, but because of what we’ve been through, what we think is a nice thought, isn’t. You wanting to stop here for a rest will more than likely have a greater significance,” said Buffy.
Seth looked at the hotel. “In that place? So when we go in? What do you think we will find?”
Buffy looked at the hotel. “I’m not sure, but it will probably help with what we are doing.” “And that is?”
“He’s got you now,” said Dawn. Look Seth, I don’t know, alright? It might be about the demon in that was in the church, something the Armed Forces, it might even be about Kalna herself, okay!”

“Yeah, sorry Buffy, I didn’t mean to upset you, but..” said Seth.
He looked to the hotel. “If I take what you said is true, that this isn’t a coincidence us being here. Allowing that train of thought to continue on it’s way. Then what you just said, that could be it.”
In silence they walked into the hotel, approaching the reception area.
Waiting at the desk for one of the hotel porters. A young woman walked to them. Seth looks at her bright metal name tag.
“Annette? Hello we want a room, one each, for tonight please.”
“Certainly sir, three rooms it is,” replied Annette. She turned to get the room keys. “Oh it is these rooms.” Seth looked interested at her remark. “Is there a problem?”
“These rooms are, we can get you three other rooms but they won’t be next to each other,” said Annette.
“Those adjoining rooms, what sort of problem are they?” asked Seth.
Annette looked about. “I’m just making sure no one else can hear this because we would prefer this wasn’t made local gossip. Last night two of our guests saw a ghost in those rooms.”

“That’s alright,” said Dawn, “I thought the rooms had been flooded or something. But seeing a ghost might be relaxing right now.”
“Sir?” asked Annette.
“Let me see if I can remember, we have recently seen a ghost who died twice, several immortal beings and a person who was possessed by a demon a hundred and seventy five years ago,” Seth smiled to her, “So one ghost, like Dawn said, it might be quite relaxing. We’ll take those rooms, do you want payment now or later?” he said taking his wallet from his trousers. “How much is it?”
“Thank you for your understanding, but we couldn’t let out those
rooms anyway. You just keep your money,” she leant closer to him, “All those ghosts, was that all true?”
“Yes, and more,” said Seth, “Which I won’t tell you. Now, about those rooms, can you show us where they are?”
Walking through the corridor until they reached the first of the rooms.

Annette stood in the corridor facing the door of the room. “This is the first one.” She opened the door, leading them into the room, carefully looking about the room after each step. Near the end of the room she turned to face them. “Here we are, as rooms go this is quite nice.”
“So tell me,” said Seth, “What would you do if you saw a ghost in this room, right now?”
“I’m not sure, I’ve never actually seen one, but as far as I believe he is just another person, a person that happens to have died.”
“Nice attitude,” said Buffy, “Has there always been a ghost here?”
Annette sat on the bed, she picked up a brochure that mentioned the renovations that had been done to the hotel. “When the renovations were done to the other rooms this room and the next two were added. A few more rooms at the other end of the hotel were added as well. About this ghost though, we didn’t get any reports of it until just recently. The police have been notified, but I’m not expecting to much from them, let’s face it, dealing with ghosts is not what they do. Having said that, they brought in a medium who said that the ghost is a man and that he, the ghost, was thought to be a smuggler or a pirate,” relayed Annette.
“I don’t suppose the medium who saw the ghost had the presence of mind to ask who he is or where he is from?” asked Buffy.
Seth looked at her. “You said earlier that you’ve never seen a ghost before, would you like to, now?” “Yes, I would, I think, could you let me know when he is here?” asked Annette

“Yes and no, because the ghost is here right now, and about your ghost. You said that the medium said it is a man, sorry but I’m fairly sure the ghost is a woman.”
Annette looked to Seth. “A woman who is a pirate or a smuggler? Are you sure?”
“Yes I think so,” he walked to the bathroom doorway, looking into the room, then when he faced Annette. “The breast muscles are quite nicely developed and hmm, well yes, she is definitely a woman. I remember seeing a photograph of one.”
“That is really sad isn’t it,” said Dawn, “Especially when you know he isn’t joking.”
Seth invited the ghost to join them.
“What is your name?” asked Lucinda.
“My name is Mariatha.” Quietly she looked to each of them. “Sorry,” said Dawn pointing to each of them in turn, “I am Dawn, this is Buffy, Seth and Annette.” Mariatha cautiously looked about the room.
“That medium was right about your clothes. The thought was that you were either a smuggler or a pirate, I’d go for a smuggler. Either way what would cause you to come here? And by yourself,” said Seth.
“I am not alone, my sister Julienne is here but you won‘t see her. We normally look in the trees for our other sister, since this room and the other were built near where the forest was I look in here.” She looked around the room. “My sisters and I had just taken some small barrels to a public house over the hill. The sister who went missing was having a fling with the cellarman. We were enjoying ourselves, laughing and running through the forest and she disappeared, now I’ve no idea where she is.”

Seth looked about the room. “Mariatha, you’ve looked at the room a couple of times now, why?” “Is there something here that worries you,” asked Annette.
“I don’t think that I am worried,” said Mariatha, “I was a couple of days ago but the feeling has changed, I can feel it changing even now.”
The figure of a woman appeared in the room, she stared at Mariatha. “I can feel it about you, there is something in the space around you,” turning to face them she stopped, staring at Buffy, “I was told you would be here. I have been following his horse, hoping it would lead me to him. Now that you are here, together there is hope that we will soon find him.”
“Excuse me,” he looked at her, “My name is Seth, who are you?”
The woman looked at him, smiled, then looked straight at Buffy and Dawn. “Your mother will soon be here, I am Kalna. ”

The room began to have a blue tinge to it. Althamea appeared, “I am glad that you two have met, but... ”
“I felt that as well,” said Kalna pointing to Annette, “I think that she is one, the fifth.”
“You are right,” said Althamea, “She is.”
“Mum, please, what or who is Annette. And now that Kalna and I are together, who will we seek?”
“I think I have an answer or two, but bear with me,” said Seth, “This brochure, the area code for the hotel is for Taunstead. How far away is the town.”
“In the valley over that hill,” said Annette, “Why?”
“Continuing on with what Buffy said to me, about there are no coincidences with this, now accept that I have no reason to think this. Mariatha, the person you are searching for, I take it that she is another sister?” asked Seth.
“Yes,” replied Mariatha.
“And is her name Siobhan?” asked Seth, “And the place you took those barrels to is The Three Horses Inn. You should go there now, because that is where she is. The cellarman also owns the place.”
“What about me, what am I the fifth of?” asked Antoinette.
“Others will be coming soon. Annette, your name is also Faith, you are the fifth of the seven seals. I know who the sixth and the seventh seals are, only the fourth seals whereabouts is unknown. Buffy it is the fourth seal that you and Kalna will seek,” said Althamea.

“What am I to do?” asked Antoinette.
“If and when Kalna or Buffy call for you, then you are to answer their call. As they near the fourth seal, the fourth horseman another of the Seals will be revealed to you,” said Althamea.
“Annette when you answer our call you will be Faith, you and the Seals that follow may be called upon to side against them, or if Death cannot be found we will call on you to help us find him,” said Kalna.
“Kalna, know that there will be others to help you, if you choose to call upon that help,” said Althamea.
“Thank you,” Kalna looked to Buffy, Dawn and Seth, “When I followed the horses I saw you at... oh, I wonder if the name has meaning?”
“The three horses? That death is not with them? It could be, a few days ago we met Darla. She said of a demon, a guardian for Death, yet that demon said Death was missing. The name The Three Horses may have answered a question before we knew to ask it,” said Seth.
He looked to Dawn. “It seems as though it is just us from now.”
“No, this time is too important, I will speak with Darla, we will send Andrea and Judith to be with you.” “Thanks mum,” said Dawn.

Relaxing at his home Seth rang Adrian to tell him what was happening, he’d been chatting for quite a while when the door bell sounded. Looking to see who it was, seeing Mrs. Page he said his farewells to Adrian then went to his new visitor.
She had been told by one of her friends that the local residents at a village that a some things had been seen flying in the evenings. Mrs. Page apologised to Seth for thinking of him first, but she knew of no one else to help.
“That’s okay, just tell me where to look,” said Seth. “That is a bit of a problem, because the same one has been seen at a property known as Southern Down and near a house in Old Rogers Road,” said Mrs. Page.
Seth asked Susan and Adrian to help, explaining to Dawn that as film makers they knew some of the tricks used to make it appear as though people were flying.
“But Seth, they are thought to be demons,” said Dawn.
“True, but if they really thought it was flying demons, word about them would be all over the national news,” said Seth, “Having said that, can you find out if Andrea and Judith will be with us soon as Old Roger was used many years ago as a name for the devil, several hundred years ago pirates would sail under a flag known as the Jolly Roger. Guess why the flag was given that name, that and pirates were said to be the devils of the sea. I didn’t want to say anything before, when Mrs. Page was here but there is a strong likely hood that it might be a real demon that has been seen.”


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

BUFFY MEETS KALNA

Seth wasn’t impressed with all this talk of flying demons, he took it as a joke when talk became centred on vampires, then he had a face to face meeting with Kalna. She told him to think about the wrong he’d done, then she said about his stealing a magazine when he was ten.

Chapter 6 Into The Southern Downs

“Did Mrs. Page say about a haunted house being near to something and about a flying demon?” asked Susan.
“She did but the demon has a little more priority especially when whatever the other is, it is just a ghost. So I’m not bothered about that, it is what might be near the mound that concerns me. There is talk amongst the locals that a demon has been seen to fly about the mound. Admittedly that might just be about what they thought they saw, and I hope it is. I do need to be sure,” said Seth.
“I know you’ve met other people who deal with ghosts, but demons? Isn’t that a bit much,” asked Susan.
Seth thought of his memories. “You know, that is what I would have said one or two weeks ago, not anymore though. I started to ask a few questions, then recently this person appeared in my room,” said Seth. “Our lives have changed,” replied Susan.
“Before I knew it I was talking to non human life forms, accepting them, talking as we are. Even when I met someone who had met the devil and God. What was it that I was told?” Seth thought for a moment. “The mere thought of something being a coincidence, probably means it isn’t.”

A few hours later stood looking at the mound. “From what you said earlier, any mention of the unusual could in fact be of the truth. So the flying demons story could indicate an element of truth,” said Susan.
“That house is more than likely going to be our type of case,” said Seth, “Although I am curious about where it will lead to.” He looked at the mound. Dawn wandered to them from the house, looking lost. “What are you two talking about?”
“The haunting and that and the talk of the flying demon or demons,” said Seth.
“Are you going to concentrate your efforts on the haunted house? Because I’ve just had a look, while I was there I found some fresh footprints going into the house, and from it. If you are, I would prefer it if we all go in there together.”
“We are not sure about the house,” said Susan, “Seth thinks it is the mound. One of the locals has records of what happened to whom, and where. Stories that affect the neighbourhood, thing is, one of the entries is about that house.”

“What was it?” asked Dawn.
“That there has never been a house before that one, but it has always been there. That the tale of a flying demon being seen there was said about thirty years going back. And every thirty years as far back as a hundred and fifty years,” said Susan.
“So, what is it that you are saying now?” asked Dawn, “That I’d be wasting time wondering if the demon is real or not. That what I should do is ask who the demon is, or why is the demon there. Why mention the house at all?”
“There is probably something here, those reports were not of make believe. We agreed that whatever was in the haunted house, may not be the same as in or under that mound. It might have a bearing on it but ultimately the mound is and should be of prime importance,” said Seth.
“Then, the mound itself shouldn’t be where our sight looks to, or from what flew around it. But any answers we seek may lie under the mound,” said Dawn, “That is the reason why I wanted us to go to the house, to see why the mound was in our thoughts.”

“There is one thing I am curious about, the recent footprints you said of Dawn, whose were they and why are they there?“ asked Susan.
That evening they stayed near the mound, though far enough away from it that they wouldn’t be seen. It was two nights later before they saw other people there.
“Do you think we should confront them?“ asked Susan.
“Probably not,” said Seth, “Let’s see where they come from first.”
Following them to an old village, parking their van several houses away. “Susan, if you come with me,” said Seth, “Just in case all goes wrong Dawn can you contact Andrea and Judith. Get them to listen just in case.”
Waiting on the path for the door to be opened. Susan held Seth’s hand so that they could say they were together.
“Oh hi, I’m glad the door was opened, we are lost and we were hoping you had a map,” said Susan
A young woman invited them into the front room, asking them to sit down. Seth and Susan did as they were asked. The woman sat opposite them, looking at them. “I am Rosanna Le Frey, these two are my sisters Elise DuPeth and Edwina Granore. And you are Susan and Seth, so why are you here, what is the reason that caused you to follow me?”

“First,” said Seth, “Know that we have friends outside, that if we need help all we need do is ask for that help.”
“If we let you call for help and if we let them in,” said Rosanna.
“They don’t need the door,” said Seth.
The sisters huddled together, Seth heard them speaking to each other, but he didn’t recognise the language.
Rosanna faced them. “As Edwina says, you are both human yet you,” she looked to Seth, “You have the markings of other worldly beings on you. Those outside, they are not human I take it?”
“I never said they are in the van, and no the person who is in the van isn’t human, who are you?” asked Seth.
Andrea, Judith and Dawn appeared in the room. Elise looked at them, her eyes widened, she looked at them in awe, pulling her sisters to her. “Look at them, beyond their clothes!”
“Oh, I see them,” said Edwina, she and her sisters dropped to a knee, bowing their heads, “We see you both have the two swords of the Bouicendeni.”
Seth looked about the room as a blueness began to enfold the whole house. “I think you three had better stay where you are,” said Seth.

“Why have I been called here?” asked Darla.
“It is what they said,” said Andrea, “They saw the two swords, and they know of the name Bouicendeni.”
Darla looked to them, raising each of them to their feet, slowly at first she began to smile. “Seth, these three are what you will become. Chosen to be earthbound representatives of us,” said Darla.
“Then why was Rosanna at the mound?“ asked Susan.
“I went there for signs that none of them have escaped.”
Darla looked at Rosanna. “I’d often wondered about this but I’d only seen you in passing. Now I am sure, your elder sister will you tell these people who she is?”
“That can’t be right, the ones here, they are her sisters,” said Seth. “And they are, yet they are sisters in the battle. Just not real sisters,” replied Darla.
“My real sister, my much older sister is Morgana,” said Rosanna.
“Seth, Susan do you know of the name?” asked Darla, “A name that is spoken of in legend.”

Neither Seth or Susan had an answer. “What about Rosanna’s older brother? He is quite a bit older than Morgana, he is Myrdd or sometimes Mehrddin?” asked Darla.
Susan shook her head, Darla smiled. “Rosanna Le Frey is the sister of Morgana Le Frey, a sister to Merlin. Rosanna is here to protect the earth from what ever is under the mound. Dawn’s mother brought Rosanna three thousand years ago to repay for what Morgana did, and also Mehrddin. Rosanna, the statues that are in the depths of hell will soon be returned. Seth is your replacement,” stated Darla.
Seth stared at Darla, trying to comprehend what he had just been told. “Darla, how do you know where those statues are?” he asked.
“Someone we know told us. Kalna.”

“Darla,“ said Rosanna, “When I first saw him, when he was trying to hide from me, he gave me an unknown feeling, I thought that it was from within the mound, but now I‘m not so sure.”
“I do know what you mean, he has met Kalna, he has met and become friends with Althamea’s daughters,” Darla indicated Dawn,
“He was there when the red hooded coat appeared on her,” said Darla, “That is why you feel so much from him.“
“Ok, I know there is a great meaning to that and when you are ready you will tell us. But can we put all that aside for now, and concentrate on what is under the mound?” asked Susan.
“There is another place we go to, the mound has a link to that place. It is in an area known as The Southern Downs,” said Edwina.
“Weren’t we asked to look into reports of something near there, I took that to be ghostly thing and not as important as this place. Do you think it is closely related?” asked Seth, “What have you found at Southern Downs?”
“Nothing of late, there once was a sighting of a demon in a humans body, but he left. Others have been seen, yet they were not trying to get out. If anything, they tried to stop anything from entering,” said Edwina.
Darla looks to her. “Andrea, Judith, go there with them now. The name is known to me but I need another’s insight, I will meet you there.”

Nearly an hour later, on the drive into the Southern Downs eight people emerged.
Rosanna walked around them “It was below us on the slope.”
“What was?” asked Dawn. “The entrance to the caves.“
Looking down to the entrance, she saw three demons at the mouth of the cave, and on the ground was the evidence in the ground that horses had been there horses had been there.
“She is nearly here, they have been here but never had they seen vampires at the entry,” said Dawn.
The sky appeared to open near them, two winged black horse trotted along the slope, stopping near them. “Buffy,” stated Seth, “And you must be Kalna.”
Kalna got off her horse, looked at Seth then stared into his mind. “When we were last here, there was no sign of vampires nor was there evidence of horses, your mind tells me this,” said Kalna.
“I never saw that, so your mind reading doesn‘t work,” said Seth.
“I know, it was Dawn who saw it, she said what was down there,” Kalna looked deep into him again. “Think of a wrong you’ve done, stealing a magazine when you were ten years old. Andrea, when I go in the cave, others may be needed.”

John was looking dark clouds as they began to move towards the town of Norham-On-Avon, from every direction. John, one of the two owners of a second hand bookshop looked up at the sky. “Winds from each corner of the compass, pushing those black storm clouds here, that is not natural.“
Suddenly, multitudes lines of lightening flashed towards the ground then less than a second later jagged peels of thunder echoed through the towns. All the glass shop windows shattered, the path becoming littered with shards of glass.
John‘s business partner rushed to him from across the street.
“What do you reckon John?” asked Arthur, “Something isn’t right, a storm appearing from nowhere. Look at the how quickly the streets are emptying.”
A few raindrops fell, one of them hit the path outside their shop front it bounced. “Now that is what I call a heavy droplets!” exclaimed John.
People caught in the open ran for cover as the rain began to strike the roads and the pathways. Sun roofs on cars were quickly closed, cars that were convertibles became hard-tops very quickly. Looking about John saw other shopkeepers standing outside their shops. Curious as to why their shops were filling up, looking at the glass on the path.

A bus, in the sudden mass exodus to leave the town had been caught on the bridge over the river Avon, its passengers staring at the river as the water surrounding the island began to look as though it was starting to boil, a mass of foam burst upwards, startled the passengers on the bus tried to get out only to gasp as the infantry of the Armed Forces of Bouicendeni rose from the water, running on air. The people on the bus could only stare as the lines charged forth, hundreds of them becoming thousands, each dressed head to toe in brown leather, each carrying their weapons, two swords.
Then the dark clouds began to drift away from the town. Sunlight dried the roads and pavements, people slowly wandered towards the river, drawn by curiosity yet hopeful there wouldn’t be any repeats, guessing who they could have been.
John and Arthur shared a knowing glance as they looked at the windows in the shops, not one was even cracked.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

BUFFY MEETS KALNA
Kalna finally confronts who she has sought these last few hundred years.

Chapter 7 I’m not a killer, even though I kill

Kalna watched the horizon, a growing interest kept her eyesight fixed at the growing blur that appeared to be heading towards them. Buffy noticed that Kalna had become silent. Looking to her, seeing that something specific had captured her attention.
“What do you think it is?” Buffy asked.
“Those of the two swords,” said Kalna, “Many times I spoke the words of who I sought, maybe those words have found importance with them.”
“That could be true, or they think that now the time is right for them to help you,” said Buffy.
Kalna turned to face the tunnel. “This will lead me to him?” Smiling she looked to Buffy, “Come on.”
Leading Buffy in the entrance Kalna kept her behind, telling her. “Let me lead the way.”
They kept to the side of the entrance as thousands of the Bouicendeni strode passed them. Amazed at the bodies that grew from the non corporeal to the corporeal Dawn called down to Buffy. “How long is the tunnel?”
Buffy looked at Kalna, waiting for an answer.
“They will make it safe for us, what ever it takes,” seeing surprise in Buffy’s eyes, “If a hundred more are needed a hundred more will appear, if this tunnel goes towards hell enough will come, you should expect to see lines of them reaching far into the sky,” Kalna looked into the tunnel, “Remember I am of him as well, who I seek, both want gone.”
Standing inside the entrance Buffy heard the sound of people marching coming from further in to the tunnel. “I hope they are on our side, that sounds like a lot of people. Do you know what is down there, in here?” asked Buffy.
“Don’t you know of them?” asked Kalna.
“Of them, yes, but I have only seen a few here or a few there. Never as many as this, what do you know of them?” asked Buffy but she heard no reply. Kalna was looking at the walls, of the diagrams of horses, with every step another picture of a horse could be seen.
“Don’t allow any concern for what you see,” said Kalna, “These are like you would draw an arrow. It is when you don’t see any more horses that you should begin to panic.” Looking into the tunnels, listening to the silence. “Those of the Two Swords have gone, all will be safe,” stated Kalna.

Two dark figures eased themselves from the blackness of the wall. Smiled to Kalna then vanished.
“Why were they here? Who were they?” asked Buffy.
“That was they’re way of telling me that we will be safe, that my journey will soon end,” said Kalna, “I cannot say who they are, or were. All I can say is that they are glad this journey is nearly over, as would any boss.”
Together Kalna and Buffy went into a small cavern hearing a few footsteps behind them.
Kalna often pointed to the walls and the ceiling in the tunnel. Letting Buffy know that they had been cut straight.
“This appears more like a corridor in a hotel, rather than a passage that follows into cave,” said Buffy.
Seth, Susan and Dawn walked for hours until the tunnel opened up into a cavern. Then after waiting for another hour they listened intently while Buffy stood before them, reliving the memories of what she had just seen.

“When we left here we entered a tunnel. In there a new land appeared around us, it was as though we were in a different world. Looking at it now, at the entrance I can still see there’s no tunnel, just a cave wall.”
Dawn faced her sister, agreeing with her. “I watched as you and Kalna walked from the wall.”
Buffy tried to smile, closing her eyes, more memories began to flow.
“Rectangular as it was, the tunnels that led from here gave me thoughts of a mystery. Looking at the walls for something, anything that might indicate why I was there, why so many tunnels were evident neither of us could say. Then we saw the depiction of horses on the ceiling. My curiosity aroused, I began to seek what else there might be. It did seem odd to me that a room of horse sculptures would be hidden away. Kalna told me that my understanding of the
meaning of hidden was blinding me. She asked me if they were so that others wouldn’t see them, or if they were evident on the wall for those who walked the passage to offer worship to them? Studying the caricatures of horses on the walls, falling to the ground I noticed another aspect. That what they depicted was also written above each tunnel. At that point Kalna shone a light above the tunnel telling me it’s the green horse! I followed her into the passage. Only calling her back as I suggested that someone should be above the ground to follow us. She ignored me saying later that she didn’t expect us to gain any knowledge in the tunnel. The most she hoped for was to find a clue on where to look, well that is what she said. Then we entered another vast cavern. Many darkened shapes of people lay on the floor, they covered a vast area I did see a strange thing in there as more darkened figures seemed to appear. What I saw was a
tapestry of shadows, they covered us, encircled us. It was when I looked at why they were shadows that I saw that there was light behind them.”
“What did you do then?” asked Dawn.
“I turned and came back here, now we can go there together.”

As Susan, Dawn and Seth went into the field with Buffy, they found Kalna stood in the middle of a field, looking towards a house. “Never before have I seen such a house, it looks so out of place here in these surroundings.”
Together we walked towards the house yet not one of us could say we were getting nearer to the house. Then with surprise we were
walking up the steps, a woman appeared at the door
“My name is Mary. They asked me to let you all in. Even though many of you are still alive. Follow me,” she said.
Leading them along a narrow corridor, lined with highly glossed wooden panels, adorned with huge oil paintings. The passage opened up to a crossroads of passages.
“Each one goes to a garden,” said Mary, “Do not even move onto the doorway at each garden.”
“These gardens, are they separate?” asked Dawn. Then looking to the house. “This is no normal house is it?”
“Did you expect it to be normal? What garden can you look at but never go into, if you want to return,” said Mary.

Kalna looked at the walls. “The paintings, they are here to offer comfort to the individual. I saw them as memories of when I was human, yet each of them, they saw what they wanted.”
Mary smiled to Kalna. “I was told you would see what others see as well as what you wanted to see for yourself. Each of these gardens is known as Purgatory, each passage does go to a Purgatory. Think about it, a garden you can go in but you can’t get out of by that door.”
“Is it true that all those who pass into these gardens are dead?” asked Susan, “If so why are we here?”
“To help find an answer,” said Mary.
Marvinius appeared, he greeted Mary then looking around. “Have they given an answer yet? I am one of the Lighthousemen. I am Marvinius.”
“I don’t control who goes into the garden. I only open the door to the
house,” stated Mary.
“Then who controls who goes into the garden?” asked Susan.
“The Lighthousemen watch over the garden. But they don’t have the
final say,” said Mary.
“Then who does?” asked Dawn.
“I think I know the answer to that. To start the apocalypse you’d want the right people here,” said Seth.
“Nearly right, to stop the apocalypse others would be needed. To start the apocalypse the four horsemen need to be here but I have only seen three, and of those there is only one who speaks to me.” said Mary.
“But the four horsemen of the apocalypse?” asked Susan, “Is this the garden of purgatory?”
“It was, and it will be again soon, I hope,“ said Mary.
“So what is to happen? Here? Now?” asked Seth, “What is wrong?”
“There is an imbalance,” said Mary.
Seth and Susan stand looking to a doorway that looks to one of the gardens. “Is that really purgatory?” asked Susan, “In all the years that I have been told of the garden I thought of it as a beautiful place, but looking at it, it is just a black empty space. I hope that when it works properly again it will become a place of pleasure.”

“So, we go into the garden I suppose,” said Seth and he began to walk towards the garden. A man on a white horse appeared and approached him, forcing him away from the garden.
“He is the one who will speak to me,” said Mary.
Kalna looked to each of them. “The one I sought, he is coming here.”
Death appeared in between Seth and Susan. He lifted back his hood, revealing a skull. “Look up, what do you see?”
Susan and Seth looked up. “Nothing, we see nothing, what should we see?” asked Susan.
“There should be a vortex there,” said Death.
“That is it? That is all the problem was?” asked Seth.
“Ever heard ‘What comes around goes around? It is true, what ever is in the spinning, it always comes around for the balance to be maintained. If there isn’t a balance, either everything is thrown off or it will tend to stay still. If it doesn’t spin around, if it stays still it will cease to be.”

Kalna looked up at the nothing, “I see the benefit of life and death, the continuing circle. But it is two who I seek, for when the two are together can a value of life and death have a meaning,” Kalna pointed to the sky above them, the vortex was beginning to move.
“If only I’d known.” A horse is heard in the hall, it stops, Death walks to stand next to the horse.
“As Kalna said, we were trying to read an answer into this. Sure I can kill everyone. And yes I am one of those who do bring about the apocalypse but I never thought I could be one who stops the apocalypse,” said Death.
“If you don’t mind telling us, when would that be?” asked Susan
“I do know when, but I am not going to say. But I will tell you that an apocalypse is different for each of you,” said Death.

“How could it be different for each of us?” asked Seth
“To each of you, when you die, your apocalypse happens. What you should say is the apocalypse, when everything stops for everyone.”
“What we almost had was the end of everything. With no one passing to the next place, those souls that were forced to stay here would in time have filled the soul. To get to what is in the soul, space is needed, consider it like getting to contents from an overfull sealed container, the contents cannot be retrieved without breaking the container. So what is the point of giving it to him up there or him down there if neither gets a benefit and the empty soul cannot be returned,” said Mary.
“Either way, it could have been the end,” said Kalna

“I feel that the door of this house is now open, please have someone guard the entrance to the garden,” said Mary.
“Why?” asked Susan.
“If to many go into the garden, but not enough leave it will fill up. If
no one can get in, well,” said Mary.
“What do we need to do to begin starting this?” asked Seth.
“Allow me to join with those make the light,” said Mary, “Follow me.”
They walk to the front of the house. Mary stands on the steps of the house, with a wave of her arms the ground clears. A pentagram appears, then flames start the light grows until all the flames are white. At the five points the five Lighthouse men appear, reflecting the light into the middle of the pentagram.
“Something I don’t understand Mary. If you are to look after the in house, why are you out here?” asked Seth.
Buffy looked to him, she smiled. “When I replace my mother, to control the army, Dawn is to stand at the fifth limb, a guide for those who come this way, a friend to me and all those who will come this way.”
“But for now Dawn,” said Death, “Your mothers advisor has one of those who came from the egg for you.”
Appearing at her Dawn’s side was a unicorn.
“Together we need to get those I had sent into the hill. I sought the help of the flute player to lead the children away from here just before they died. They deserve to be first to enter the house.”

Standing outside the house Susan looked at Seth. “I’m still a bit confused by who those two were.”
“I take it that you knew which one was Death? The other one though, he who is known to some as the bringer of the start is known to others as the bringer of the start of the disbelievers end. To them he is Jesus Christ.”

THE END
Sorry it took so long but I kept getting confused, then the problems were compounded with lots of power cuts. They always seemed to happen just before I hit the save button.