FIC: Two Worlds (Chapter 8: Passage of Time)

["cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Hello dears,
Well you asked for it and here it is. Presending from the quial of sage
Cilia, the eight chapter of the epic story Two Worlds.
This is for you Bill.

Title: Two Worlds
Chapter: Eight: Passage of Time
Author: Cilia
E-mail: cilia@xxxxx
Feedback: Please god yes
Distribution and Archiving: Sure go for it
Disclairment: You know it.
Summary: You know this right?
Notes: For missing parts contact me (cilia@xxxxx)


Two Worlds
Cilia

Chapter 8: Passage of Time
A week past filled with training session and hanging around the castle
grounds getting some sun, an activity that they had spent hours explaining
to the elves, who found it funny as hell. So Buffy and Willow had decided to
spend the day exploring the castle which was turning out to be a bit more of
challenge then they had expected.
"I'm telling you Buffy! We are lost!" Willow exclaimed.
"No were not, the big room with the armor is just around this corner," Buffy
said and as they stepped into a large hall.
"The dining hall," Willow muttered sarcastically.
"At least it's not the same one we walked into the last time," Buffy offered
with a nervous smile, "I think," she added.
"Why don't I just teleport us back?" Willow asked and raised her hand.
"No," Buffy stated and grabbed Willow's hand, "we'll just have find our way
back the old fashioned way," she said.
"You mean stumble around for hours?" Willow asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yep," Buffy exclaimed and leaned against the wall.
The next thing they knew they were spinning around and then came to a halt
with slam.
"Wills you okay?" Buffy asked.
"Think so," Willow stated as she fumbled around in the dark.
"Could you give us some light?" Buffy asked.
"Sure and by the way I hate trapdoors," Willow said and raised her hand.
"Let there be light," she thundered.
"Being a little dram." Buffy's voice trailed off as she looked over the
place they had found themselves trapped in.

-

Somewhere on the borders of the Kingdom of Elves.

Al'x walked over the burned ground. Joyce stood at the edge of the forest
clenching and unclenching her fists as she desperately fought to control her
rage. He was quite , thinking and planning. His troops were dead. In his
minds eye he thought back to the moment the fight had broken out.

They had just broken clear of the edge of the great forest, after traveling
for a week and morale was good. The elves had even risked talking to Joyce.
Then, it came like a dark tidal wave a hoard of goblins and ogres. They
appeared to be coming straight from the mountains in the east. Still there
was no logic to the charge, but they outnumbered them twenty to one at best,
but they fought and his troops were killed of one by one. Then Joyce had
screamed, the fire within her once again flared to life and the field became
engulfed in flames. It had spread out from the center of the battle in a
great ball of fire, only he had lived. Now his clothes were nothing but
ashes on the ground and the black dragon hide armor glistened in the
afternoon sun
Al'x looked up at the reddening sky as a screamed pierced the calm.
"Why!?" Joyce screamed.
Theris watched calmly from where she floated on the wind above the burned
battlefield. Al'x had of course known about the high elf following them
through the forest since the night she had revealed herself to Joyce.
"Calm yourself Joyce," Theris said in her calm voice and gently lowered
herself to the ground.
"But I killed them?!" Joyce stated.
"No, you didn't, we were the last three standing when you used your flame,"
Theris explained calmly.
"How can you be so sure?" Joyce asked.
"Everything is connected and high elves sense that connection," Theris
explained
"So you knew they were dead?" Joyce asked and the fire in her eyes faded.
"Yes and that there was nothing we could do for them, nor is there anything
they would have wanted done, they lived as warriors and died as warriors,"
Theris said in low voice.
"Are you both quite done," Al'x said in a firm voice.
Joyce looked at Theris, then over the high elves shoulder at Al'x, nodded
her head, stood up and dusted off.
"Where do we go from here?" Joyce asked.
"We complete the mission and avenge our comrades," Al'x stated and looked to
the mountains as he hoisted the supply back onto his shoulder.
"Great," Joyce muttered as she turned her gaze towards the mountains that
rose like a solid gray wall on the horizon.
"Dwarfen lands," Theris explained as they continued they're walk which now
promised to be a long one.

-

Stjar'a sat on the branch of her favorite tree in the forest and dangled her
feet. She stopped as she the rustle of leaves as someone came jumping from
branch to branch.
"Star, you here?" Cordelia called out as she landed in a tree close by.
"Over here Cordy," Stjar'a called out with a smile. That little nickname had
been invented last night after she had told her lover the meaning of her
name. She looked up when Cordelia landed gently on a branch above her.
"You're getting good at this," Stjar'a commented.
"Still fall down though," Cordelia said and rubbed her butt.
"So any reason for you racing through the woods?" Stjar'a asked.
"The king wants to see us," Cordelia explained as she allowed herself to
drop down to Stjar'a's branch.
"Lets go then," Stjar'a stated as she seemingly floated down to the ground
and landed without a sound. Cordelia followed with a little bit more noise.
They both broke into a run as they landed.
"Any details?" Stjar'a asked as they raced through the forest.
"None, but I've got a feeling that it has something to do with those raids
we've been hearing about,"
"Have Al'x and Joyce reported back then?" Stjar'a asked.
"No and they were last seen heading towards the mountains in the east,"
Cordelia answered.
"You really keep up with all the rumors don't you?" Stjar'a asked.
"Want to hear what Amy and the King did last night?" Cordelia asked with a
grin as she increased her speed.
"Oh no you don't," Stjar'a muttered and increased her speed.
"Hey," Cordelia shouted as a near blur streaked past her.

When Cordelia arrived at the doors leading into the throne room Stjar'a was
there leaning against the doorpost.
"Been here long?" Cordelia asked as she stole a kiss.
"Shorter than the last time," Stjar'a answered as she knocked on the large
doors. The doors opened to reveal King Vitor talking to his advisors.
"Remember to kneel," Stjar'a whispered as they walk towards the throne.
They were halfway to the throne when the doors burst open and soldier ran
into the throne room and past them, nearly knocking Cordelia over.
"Your highness," the man said and kneeled, "a group of dark elves just
appeared in the courtyard," the man reported notably out of breath.
Vitor was on his feet in an instant.
"You two with me now," he stated as he strode past Stjar'a and Cordelia,
"and you two find Slayer Buffy and Mage Willow," he ordered the guards at
the door.

-

Buffy and Willow stared blankly at the massive collection of weaponry in
front of them.
"This must be an old armory of sorts," Willow muttered as they navigated
between racks of spears and swords.
"Spoils of war would be my guess, or a burial tomb," Buffy stated as her
archeology lessons kicked in.
"Who would bury someone in a secret chamber next to the dining hall?" Willow
asked obviously disgusted at the notion.
"I didn't say it was a good guess," Buffy said and ran her fingers over the
dust, "probably build during war time and then sealed up later," she stated.
"So how do we get out?" Willow asked.
"We teleport of course," Buffy stated with a grin, but then the grin fated
as her senses tingled, "Do you feel it?" she asked.
"Someone is expending a lot of magical energy close by, we better get
going," Willow stated and raised her hand.
"Wait," Buffy stated as she saw something glisten in the back of the room.
On a stand at the end of the room there was a decorated sword still in its
sheath. Buffy carefully lifted it up and blew the dust off it. Silver,
resembling a katana or a scimitar, but unlike any she'd seen the elves use.
The black handle was decorated with a red stones, rubies or this world
equivalent would be her best guess and the sheath was also dark, but lined
with silver. She saw no obvious writings on it. She carefully drew the sword
out.
So this is mythril, she thought as she saw the sparkly silver blade.
It was fairly large sword and two handed. A king's weapon no doubt and it
felt right in her hands.
"Buffy we really should be gong," Willow stated and snapped her wife back to
reality.
"Do the spell and put us down in the courtyard entrance," Buffy stated as
she fastened the sword onto her belt.
"Here goes," Willow said as she crossed her hands in front of her and with
in a bright light they were gone.

Cordelia turned another corner as they raced towards the courtyard, she
could see that Vitor was worried and so was Amy which they had passed on the
way. At first Vitor had insisted that she returned to her quarters, but the
young witch wouldn't hear of it. Stjar'a didn't look too happy either.
"Dark elves equals bad right?" she whispered and Stjar'a gave stiff nod.
There was a bright flash of light as Buffy and Willow appeared in front of
them in the doorway leading into the courtyard. Outside a cloaked woman
looked up with red eyes. The Dark Ones were among them.

TBC...