The Odd Couple

[ILLYRIAN]

The Odd Couple

Willow told Buffy that Angel had rung earlier that morning, he wanted to tell her about two elderly vampires who were headed her way. Their names were Natolie and Elsbeth, though both elderly they were both 18 years old, they were born in the year 1312.

And both were born in the month of November so they were both seven hundred and six years old. You could say they were seven hundred and seven years old if you wanted to just don’t do so where they can hear.

Angel described them as nice vampires, pleasant to be near though if upset they could be very unhealthy to be near as Natolie was once the only daughter of the Devil, him being a randy sod it isn’t true anymore.

Giles and Willow had both spoken of them as the evil personified heading of them being Lady and her maid were heading to to the slayers domain. When Willow said of Angel’s warning it took Buffy a while to know they were the ones.

Buffy, Willow and Giles disregarded tales of her being the evil personified until Spike spoke of her with great admiration. He said of the time the menfolk of a village suffered from her rage.

Spike spoke of Natalie as a princess who ceased to be 15th in line for the throne the night she was sired, sired by the devil! As most of the men of the village soon found out.

They sought to keep their identity secret they only stopped during the night, and then only whenever the thirst became too much. When the thirst rose on them they were able to pass through the towns.

As the nights passed, getting closer to Natolie’s father Ruprecht’s new home. Eventually Natolie was able to direct Elsbeth to the castle where her father was staying.

Unknown to both Natolie and Elsbeth, Natolie’s father had taken a human as a friend. The first afternoon there they met her; Ruprecht announced he had a woman who cleaned the rooms of the castle

Elsbeth grinned to Natolie. “That explains why there is hardly any dust here.” Elsbeth stared at Ruprecht, she was taken aback in horror that he could let a human into his home. “And you haven’t had a drink from her yet, why not?”

Ruprecht said he wanted her to be human and stay human he said she should not have to choose between having a job and being a vampire. Ruprecht apologized to Miss Eleanor Rigsby I’m sorry, I have visitors that I haven’t told you about.

Eleanor was surprised to meet his daughter. “Which one is your daughter, and are they both the same as you Ruprecht - Vampires?”
Ruprecht was shocked, “I tried to be so careful not to let you know.”

Eleanor smiled. “I knew of vampires long before you came here Ruprecht. The one that was here before you. He would often take people from the village on that day that I had been chosen by the villagers to be the next victim that was your first day here, I expected to die.”

“So when you asked me to work for you, but I had to wear a necklace of herbs I knew you could be trusted, trusted not to kill me that is and thank you, I did appreciate it. The neck laces? You said you put the herb Monkshood on them, I know the herb by the name Wolf’s Bane.”

Eleanor gave a letter to Ruprecht, inviting him to a village meeting at two in the afternoon the following day. “That will now include your daughter and her friend,” said Eleanor. She added she would go to the meeting and announce the three of them.

But Eleanor did not return as planned so Ruprecht, Natolie and Elsbeth went to the village to meet the villagers, not finding any sight of them or Eleanor they became worried. In the village square they saw Eleanors body hung on the Gallows Tree.

It was there that Natolie revealed the demonic evil within her, Elsbeth observed how the villagers were willing to sacrifice Eleanor even though she tried to help them. Please Natolie, show her that someone here is worthy of her friendship.

They went to where the village menfolk had met in the village meeting hall Elsbeth saw Natolie’s eyes start to fill with fire, going to stand next to her, Elsbeth recognized the deformed figure of a demon.

Her eyes had turned red, her clothes and skin had become a darkened grey shiny sinewy skin that melded to look as if wet leather, then Natolie outstretched her once beautiful arms, now they were glistening sinewy wings with talons that glinted in the moonlight.

She put the fear of all that could be to those in the village hall, her scream was like a screech that made the teeth of humans shatter. So much for the humans who had tortured and killed Eleanor. She who Natolie had once considered a friend. Buffy gazed in awe to Willow and Giles.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

The Odd Couple

Part 2

Willow heard the tones of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird on the portable record player as she entered the library. “Are you allowed to play music like that in here?” asked Willow. Giles didn’t care, with two vampires who are spoken of as evil personified are coming.

Giles heard that they had set their sights on him, he had never experienced vampires following him specifically from one country to another. He was worried and he was concerned about them as Spike spoke of them with admiration.

Buffy said she would find out what form of admiration he viewed them with. Till he was told he counted the days until they arrived. It hadn’t occurred to Giles that Angel had meant from LA he thought it was from England, Giles was wrong.

Xander was in the Bronze soaking up the joys of watching new dance steps when he noticed the two girls dressed as he expected the goth loving Steampunks to dress the low cut dresses with big bustle’s. They stood out from everyone else.

Xander was incensed with their beauty, he wondered what drew him to them. Then it struck him they had the same draw on him as the vampire Willow had, then it became obvious to him they were vampires but different from most they liked human company.

Next morning Willow and Buffy found Giles in a tizz, he was moving quickly, those jobs he had put off from the previous few weeks suddenly now had priority. “What is wrong?” asked Willow. Giles faced her and Buffy, “Do you even feel new vampires coming here?”

Buffy wanted to but couldn’t say yes, Willow asked what the concern was. Giles told her that Xander told me last night that the two vampires, of evil personified are here, they were in the Bronze last night. “How could you not feel vampires like them,” Giles asked Buffy.

Buffy was upset at not knowing of the vampires presence. “I always feel when a vampire is near,” said Buffy. “Giles, Willow why are you staring at me?” Giles pointed at her, Buffy looked down to her jeans, she wanted to see if she had remembered to do her zip up that morning. "What?"

“Not on you Buff, behind you!” exclaimed Willow. Buffy turned and was face to face with them. “So, you are the Vampire Slayer and he is your Watcher, hmm he only knows what otherr humans tell him, they get it wrong quite often, they tell you what is, like you will know if a vampire is near."

"If a vampire is young enough not to control itself you will know if it is near, but when you come face to face with a vampire as old as Elsbeth here you need to forget the watchers,” said Natolie. “And you what type are you?” asked Buffy. “Elsbeth is a vampire but a human demon I am a demonic human, the sole daughter of my sire, the Devil, I have far more powers.

For starters if I wish it you can feel me.” “Yes, yes I can feel her, she has far more power than Angel,” said Buffy, “How did you do that, it is as if you turned the on switch off,” said Buffy. Natolie smiled to Buffy, “I did, the vampires you have met have all been young,

Elsbeth and I were born in the year twelve ninety three and sired in the year thirteen twelve, you have a lot to learn,” said Natolie. She faced Giles, then Willow. “I see the evil played with you once but not now, want to learn what it kept from you the good?”

Willow wanted to say she had once almost destroyed the world but something told her not to. “I’m glad you listen to your better half, if you had told me how you almost destroyed the world I would have ignored you, as it is you have a lot to learn.

It isn’t just that the flowers in Portugal are connected with here, what you need to know, see and feel is that there is life in the ground that keeps the flower alive. That a person who is good at growing plants, keeping them alive with green fingers is a Healer.

And that Healer has the power of the earth, the soil of the earth can take the seed of a tree and keep it in the ground yet release it in several years and have it grow into a massive acorn tree, the Healer can give a type of death then bring it back to life, want to learn that Willow?”

Buffy could see that Willow wanted to know that more than anything, Buffy did want to know more but the thought of being taught by a vampire seemed a bit weird, then she realised what was holding her back, she wanted to be told it was okay by another vampire, Angel.

“Where do we need to go?” asked Buffy. Elsbeth smiled to them, “Why do we need to go anywhere when you can learn better in a place you feel safe.”


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

The Odd Couple

Part 3

Buffy watched carefully as both Natolie and Elsbeth dodged where the clouds allowed the sun’s rays to shine on the land. Willow noted how they seemed to know where to stand to avoid the sun’s rays, Natolie told Willow they had learnt long ago how to hit a moving target.

They needed to calculate where the moving object would be, where it had come from and where its destination would be. Add to that they needed to understand why it moved as it did the speed and if any variations were about to be caused by them or a third party.

Elsbeth asked Willow where she thought Witchcraft came from, the witch herself, nature or from the ground. A witch may do magic by thought by hand movement or by using spells that contain the use of a herb of the intimate knowledge of what properties the plant might hold.

Natolie told Willow that not many of her kind knew how to do magic at birth, all had to be taught in one form or another. Whatever way was chosen the brain had to know that such power was available to her and once the power was gained she only needed to access it.

Willow wondered why they saw it right to teach her? “When you have been around as long as we have there comes a need to have friends, just as when we were first created, you were in the right place at the right time.”

“So when do you have knowledge from?” asked Buffy. Elsbeth asked both of them if they had ever read a book that started with the term in the beginning Buffy asked her if she meant the beginning of mankind or the planet?

Natolie grinned then laughed, if no one was about at the beginning of the planet how would they know. Willow looked to her then at the ground. “I am not sure how to respond to that, did you say the word as a matter of course or was if intentional?”

God had man rise from animals and start to live though when he created human beings to replace the Neanderthal he began to feel his dreams were becoming to be in fruition. He left earth to make gains in the universe, one group of mankind was being bullied.

Ten group positioned themselves to attack at will. Rather than allow the others to win their leader taught them how to retaliate, he had fight and plan and create themselves as better he had then learn to run faster, to be stronger and see in the dark. For an attack to work the leader

Had some of them practice sign language then he had them learn to talk to each other though out of sight and out of normal hearing range. The first attack was on a group that had master the use of fire to cook with.

A lone female had been left to prepare the groups food, a stick with burning fire was taken, the woman had them stop she asked if she would be treated fairly. The leader of the attackers agreed so the woman said she knew how to make the fire.

That group was controlled by one who they deemed as God though that one they named as The Devil. With all the groups abilities the group began to be feared by all others, the group became known as monsters; they became known as vampires.

“Some of that original group of humans does exist, as does the God the original group created. I am here as testament to that,” said Natolie, “You are descendants of the humans who are guilty of causing the Creationism of vampires.”

“And they are guilty of continued growth, as such they make Evolutionism a reality of them.
With the continuance of them they needed to find greater power. It was a witch they learned from though it was not exactly a witch,

As once was they would sit on the rocks and caused the waves and currents to bring the wooden sailing ships to their doom, they found power and fuel to survive in the people of those ships. For centuries they were known as Sirens.

The beginning of the metal ships started to bring about their downfall, ship crashed onto the rocks but many escaped. If you wanted to know where the Siren’s frequented all you need do is see where man’s first line of protection was; the lighthouses.

Where did the Sirens go, they changed the name they were known as, though it was what they were, Siren’s, the witches of the waters of the seas and oceans. Now those sirens are here, Elsbeth looked at Willow and smiled.

“I see you like the idea of having the name of a Siren rather than that of a witch,” said Elsbeth as she grinned to Willow. “I see you are happy though I’m not too sure about your friend, it isn’t that seeing you as one name or the other upsets her,” said Natolie.

“Though it is when I regard you, I always used to think of you as demon but now I see you as a type of human,” I’m not sure how I should relate to that.” Natolie stared at her for a moment or two. “Your friend Spike you know he was as evil as yet you treat him as good

(Natloie continued) it is the same for Angel, the only variation I see is how they got their souls returned. How would you react to each of them if God’s gift to all who passed his judgement at the pearly gates was for them to live in heaven and be the holder of a soul?” asked Natolie.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

The Odd Couple

Part 4

Back at the house that Willow had chosen to live in Elsbeth told her of the witches circle, that the line that depicted the boundary of evil was often drawn with salt though if the ultimate in power was to be invited the circle should be drawn with flour.

That the flour best used should be plain flour with a 10% of salt mixed to the container to be used before the contents were used. For a greater degree of safety a pentacle ought to be drawn about the circle.

Willow explained that she would cause the magic to be by thought, only using props such as maps when other people were included. Buffy asked them how they knew so much of what others did or were said to do.

Natolie told Buffy that when she had lived for a couple of hundred years she allow herself time to learn others manner of living life. Of how others had chosen to give joy to others one such wonder was the song Jerusalem by William Blake.

And did those feet in Ancient times walk upon England’s mountains green. And was the holy lamb of God on England’s pastures seen. And did the countenance divine Shine forth upon our clouded hills and was Jerusalem builded here amongst these dark satanic mills.

Bring me my bow of burning gold, bring me my arrows of desire, bring me my spear O clouds unfold bring me my chariot of fire. I will not cease from mental fight nor shall my sword sleep in my hand till we have built Jerusalem in England’s green and pleasant land.

Natolie said how much she liked to sing that song she did however wonder what secrets it held as there were no mountains in England. She had often wondered what lay on the banks of Lake Windermere in the Lake District.

Natolie’s father Ruprecht approached them, he said he had spent much time in the bookshelves of second hand book stores that preferred books of what the Devil could do, and thereby what powers his daughter would have.

About to explain what his daughter was capable of a group of Christians attacked them and cut off Elsbeth’s head then Natolie’s head Ruprecht was chased away. As it was the Christian’s had no idea who Ruprecht was.

In the room where the attack was held a surprised at a fragment of a broken mirror at the reflection of her decapitated head. She blinked as she realised that she was whole again. She thought to herself that there was more to this demon thing than she had thought.

About to get up and walk away her father suggested she looked at the pile of dust that was Elsbeth, even though she was as gone as could be Ruprecht told Natolie that the Devils power were wonderful. Ruprecht told his daughter to ask her friend to return.

Natolie looked at the pile of dust she knew of as Elsbeth, she so wanted see her friend again. Not seeing any sign of movement in the pile of dust she turned to face her father, just after that she felt a hand on her shoulder, she recognized the voice of Elsbeth.

Angel had just joined them, he had never seen that before, surprised he stared at Buffy and Willow. Giles used to say that we vampires get stronger as we get older from what I’ve seen here they get wiser in the phenomena known as occult as well.

Willow realised her knowledge of the craft had many paths to follow and depending on who was telling her what it was would depend on the route taken. Willow asked Natolie and Elsbeth if she could follow them to learn more of the magic of the craft that they knew.

Buffy hugged her friend and asked her to keep in contact.


THE END