FF: Two Worlds (Chapter 17: Meetings)

["cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Title: Two Worlds
Chapter 17: Meetings
Series: Royalty (Book Three)
Author: Cilia
Edited and Revised by: Brndn
E-mail: cilia@xxxxx
Feedback: Please god yes
Distribution and Archiving: Sure go for it
Summary: You know this dont you?
Missting Parts: E-mail me and I'll send you what you need.
Notes: A Big Thanks to my beta "brndn" for getting me started on this again
and Ollie for plot line helping.

Two Worlds
Cilia

Chapter 17: Meetings

Buffy crept through the undergrowth like a cat. She had a fairly good idea
who these spies were and she was intent on finding them first. She was
following soft footsteps, not audible to a normal being. Even if she did
complain about some parts, she did have to admit, the enhanced slayer senses
were cool.
Two humans and an elf, she thought to herself, and quickly crawled deeper
into the bushes. She watched as three hooded figures walked stealthy past
her position before standing up from the bushes.
?Did you come here to join in the fun or just sneak around the forest?? she
joked. Startled, the trio turned around.
?Buffy? But?how?? Cordelia trailed off, looking around.
?I?m a General.? Buffy answered with a shrug, as if that would explain
everything. ?I get a scouting report every few hours,?
Cordelia and Stjar?a nodded but Grimm still looked confused.
?We?re only fulfilling the mission laid upon us by King Vitor,? Stjar?a said
in the defense.
?Who?s this?? Buffy asked with a look as she walked up to the group.
?Name?s Grimm,? he answered as he extended his hand. He also offered the
petite blonde a grin, one that usually worked pretty well with the ladies.
However, something was very un-ladylike about the way this one was glaring
at him.
?Charming, I?m sure,? Buffy sneered. She had seen that silly grin too many
times before. She ignored the hand and walked over to Stjar?a.
?What am I supposed to do with you guys?? she asked. ?I mean you?re my
friends. Well, at least two of you are,? She looked over at the stranger
with a smirk, ?But you set out from the castle without orders,? she stated.
?Out of fear for my safety,? she continued, pacing, ?Does the king even know
you?re here? Oh, what am I gonna do with you tw?three?? she finished with a
huff.
?Um?we could join you.? Cordelia stated.
?What?? Both Grimm and Stjar?a exclaimed and looked at her.
?Well, she is a General. And armies always need mercenaries and from what I
?ve heard, you are kind of hard pressed for soldiers, right?? Cordelia
explained.
?I?m authorized to bring whatever mercenaries I chose into my division,
since we belong to no house.? She did a slow turn and pondered, ?I know you
two can fight,? she commented and turned to Grimm, ?But what about you??
The blonde man stepped forward with a way-too-pleased-with-himself-grin,
?Well, maybe I could start by returning this,? he said and handed her the
dagger that had always rested on her hip.
?A thief?? she sighed.
?Correct madam,? he said with a silly bow as she snatched the knife from
him.
?Very well then. I guess I could use a thief from time to time.? She locked
eyes with the thief, ? However, you will be expected to fight. If you don?t
fight, I?ll kill you myself. I?m going to make it very clear that this is my
only offer,? she said as she took a step back and looked over the three.
?Understood,? Cordelia swallowed before the rest could answer.
?Follow me,? Buffy said and turned.
?Is it me or is she? well? different?? Cordelia asked out of the side of
her mouth.
?I guess you never met Al?x during the war, did you?? Stjar?a asked.
?Well duh??
?Regular people often develop a very different persona when they assume a
command,? Grimm stated seriously before Stjar?a could answer.
Both girls looked back at him, ?What? Just because I?m a thief I can?t know
anything.?

They had walked into the cave and right passed the guards. It seemed likely
they were going to be stopped until Buffy simply waved them away.
?Mercenaries,? she had explained to them in a word.
When they had reached the center of their encampment, the green banner
waving, Buffy called to her second-in-command with an arm gesture, ?I have
some fresh recruits for you,?
?We are lacking a scouting party, ma?am.? Xare answered as she looked up
from her list.
?Good, then lets get them started on the program. Make sure they get plenty
training time with the other soldiers,? Buffy stated.
?Of course. And ma?am, you asked me to remind you of the strategic meeting
with the house rulers,? Xare said and surveyed the fresh recruits.
?Thank you, Number One. You?re in command until I return,? Buffy said and
left the camp and her very confused friends.
?This way,? Xare said and motioned for them to follow.
Grimm merely shrugged and fell in step behind the shapely female drow, while
Stjar?a and Cordelia shared a look before following.

These meetings were something Buffy had hated from the start and this was
only her second one. The Houses always plotted and schemed amongst
themselves while waiting for Queen Piratess to arrive. The general sat with
her chair cocked back and her feet on the table as she picked at her
fingernails with her dagger. She had made a point of not showing too much
respect, if any, for the rest of the houses during these meeting. On the
table in front of them rested the black ball. By taking the ball from the
table, you voted yes and leaving it meant no.
The more time she spent with the council, the more she wished she could be
back with her regiment, or hell, even with the common soldiers. They were
regular people for the most part. People she could relate to. Some
high-ranking house members had, of course, left their houses, but they at
least respected her and were rather likeable. Once you got to know them, or
beaten the crap out of them one time around.
The tent became silent the moment Piratess step into it. Buffy?s feet
disappeared from the table, and she even straightened in her chair.
?Are you?re soldiers ready to march?? she asked and everybody around the
table removed their respective balls.
?Very well.? She started with a satisfied nod, ?We will march in one days
time. Prepare your soldiers,? she said, ?Now, is there any other business??
Buffy placed her ball back onto the table and quickly glanced around the
table. Several remained under the table, but a couple appeared on the table.
She sighed inwardly; these things never went fast enough.
After too many candle marks, the meetings ended, with three house leaders
complaining about Buffy?s lack of respect. These people are worse than
Brits. Giles would fit right in with?
The sounds of the others leaving brought her back from her musings.
?Queen Piratess, a moment of your time?? Buffy said after getting the
queens attention, ?In private?? she added.
?Of course, General,? Piratess said and motioned her to follow.
As they walked across the compound towards the queen?s tent, Buffy
explained, ?I apprehended three scouts outside our camp a short time ago,?
?Hostile?? she asked, looking quickly at her general.
?No! No, friends off mine actually. They, uh, were following me. It seems
they were worried about my well being,? Buffy explained.
The queen smiled, ?Shall I guess whom??
?Cordelia, Stjar?a and a human named Grimm. I recruited them for my
regiment,? Buffy said.
?Good thinking. Keep me up to date, general,? Piratess said and pulled back
a flap to enter her tent.
?Of course, Tessa,? Buffy said with a small grin as she lowered her mask
for a second. The Queen smiled back. A strange friendship had formed between
the two women over the past few days and it was clear to everyone who was
watching. The houses stayed clear of openly attacking Buffy among the
soldiers, they left that for the meetings.

Buffy returned to her encampment and found Xare overseeing a
training session with the fresh recruits.
She had approached her first officer, making plenty of noise. It was never
wise to sneak, or even seem like you were sneaking, up on a drow. ?We march
in a day,? she said.
?I?ll prepare the soldiers,? Xare answered with a salute.
?No, that?s okay, Number One, I?ll do it.? Buffy said with a slight wave.
?How are they measuring up?? she asked.
?Stjar?a and Cordelia are already excellent fighters, a good team. But the
human, well, needs work,? Xare reported. ?No offense, ma?am.?
Buffy chuckled, ?Remember, I want them as a scouting unit, not heavy
hitters,?
?Heavy?hitters, ma?am?? Xare queried.
?Sorry. Uh, front line soldiers,? Buffy explained and the added with a
grin, ?And don?t wear that boy down too much.?
?Yes ma?am. But I think he?s a little pale for my tastes,? Xare nodded.
?I?ll inform the soldiers,? she said and marched into the central training
area, she made it a point to be seen by her entire brigade.	A General
spending time with her soldiers was good for morale. It gave them sense of
being appreciated. At least she hoped it did.

-

Willow sat in a lotus position, her eyes closed. She had
discarded her thick, red, mages robes in favour of the thin white one. Her
red hair flowed freely down her back and the sunlight that came though the
ancient mage tower?s single window seemed to glow off the silver streaks.
The day was growing old and she had made little progress since her morning
meeting with Vitor.
She had never really taken to Astral Projecting, or spirit walking, as some
called it. The objective was to free your spirit of the mortal coil. The
thought of having her spirit floating outside of her body gave her the
wiggins. Even during her younger, wilder days, before she had found love in
Buffy, it had never appealed to her. Like her and Buffy, a spirit and the
body should be together.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and focused on her oldest friend
in the world. He may be known as Al?x Sun in this realm, but to her, he
would always be Xander Harris. Just then, a strange sensation flowed through
her and she found herself floating. Wow, she whispered to herself as she
looked down at her body. She then turned her gaze to the outside world and
focused. ?Where are you Xander??
She floated out through the single window, across the Great Forest. Focused
on Xander?s spirit, the mage sought the pure fire that was his essence. She
passed though rock and over an underground city. She slowed as she flew over
Joyce. Her wife?s mother was being nurtured by a blond elf, which looked up
as she passed her, but returned to her task of dressing the wounds.
?Xander,? she called out as she took semi-corporeal form inside the room
she had found him in.
He looked up from cleaning his weapon and smiled at the redhead. ?You took
your time,?
?Always the planner.? She smiled back, ?Speaking of which, King Vitor wants
to know what your plans are?? Willow asked.
?The Dwarven Council will decide, probably, in a day or two whether or not
march on Necris. I believe the source of our problems lies there,? Al?x
explained.
Willow nodded. ?Yea, we came to the same conclusion,?
?So how are things back home??
?Well. we?re allied with the Drow, if that?s what you?re asking. Buffy was
selected as general by Queen Piratess,? Willow answered.
?That was to be expected. Hey, I know this is a strain on your power, so I?
ll make this short. Tell Vitor that the dwarves will be there for the battle
of Necris and I will be at his side when the time comes,? Al?x stated.
She could not doubt the warrior?s words. ?Will do,? Willow said. As she
started to fade, she turned a concerned eye towards the injured woman?s
room, ?and Xander, talk to Joyce,? and she was gone.

Xander looked down at his sword and turned it over in his hands. It was
actually a dragon?s tooth, exquisitely carved. He was at risk of becoming a
dragon himself, he realized, alone and lying in a cave somewhere. Leave it
to Willow to get him thinking. He stood, shook his head, and left his room.
This place was bound to have seamstress of some kind, somewhere.

Willow floated back across the lands, over the trees and through the clouds,
the strain on her spirit decreasing, as she neared her physical body. Then
something hit her, violently blowing her of course. She spun in the air and
looked up to see a dark robed figure hovering above her, it looked to be
Death itself.
?Puny Mage,? it said in a voice that sounded like breaking glass.
?Wh?who are you?? Willow asked as she tried to gather her aura around her.
?I? am Chaos,? the being answered and with a spin, threw out it?s hands.
Willow screamed as a wave of darkness washed over her. She could feel her
physical body, in the mage tower; jerk as if a bolt of lightning had struck
it. She tried to conjure a spell, a cantrip, anything, but she couldn?t
concentrate. So instead, she focused on Buffy, their unborn child, Joyce,
Xander, everything she counted among order and light in her life. Her mind
filled with the thoughts of love warmth. She opened her eyes and screamed
again as she was literally slammed back into her body. She rolled off the
bed and crawled to the door, feeling heavy and numb. She managed to open the
door into the room where Amy waited. Her apprentice was already up and
heading towards the downed mage.
?We?re?in?trouble?? she muttered before closing her eyes and collapsing on
the floor, seemingly unconscious.

TBC....