Dragon wing mercenary

Disclaimer in chapter one

Buffy was out on patrol with little more for company than her stake. She could faintly hear the beating of wings, but it was some how different to the sounds that the birds made; it was larger. She slowly followed the sounds of the pounding air; she stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the sound of someone landing in the leaves.

Buffy had a good idea of what was making the sounds, but just to be sure she kept her stake raised. She kept her back to the crypt wall as she crept around to find what was making the sounds. Without a sound she watched a familiar figure walk through the leaves towards the flowers covering the yard. The dark person lent down to pick one of the reddest roses in the bushes; secretly smiling they tucked the rose inside their jacket before slowly and silently extending their giant wings and gracefully flying away.

Buffy was highly confused, “Ok then Mr Stalker, no prizes for guessing where you are going with that.” She turned to continue her patrol.

“Is there a reason why you are following me slayer?” Buffy fell to the ground through the shock.

“Is there a reason why you have to sneak up on me you, you well just you!” Buffy struggled for the right words, but while getting up had enough conviction to add, “And is there a reason you just happen to be around when bad things happen?” Buffy stood dusting herself down,

“Now you should know with these slayer senses of yours. I’m not there when bad things happen, I’m always there.” The shadow picked Buffy’s stake from the ground and walked over to her holding it out as a peace offering.

“You knew that I was there when you were on patrol the first time we met, you just didn’t listen to your head, which is why you didn’t listen to my warning. You knew that when Willow left for the Bronze that she had got into trouble, you could tell by her manner; but you even knew why she was safe. Face it slayer you’ve known about me from the start, that’s why when you were held up you didn’t even react. You knew I was there.” Buffy had sat on a headstone listening to the dark figure waiting to get a word in edgeways.

“But you’re not following me, so why are you here? Surely there’s nothing here for you.” Buffy walked through a spot of moonlight. “So why are you actually here, in Sunnydale I mean?” The figure met Buffy in the moonlight, she saw all the features that stunned Willow, the deep eyes, defined jaw and most of all Buffy saw the figure before her. “Hang on here, you’re a girl?! Ok now I really am confused.” The perplexity shone through Buffy’s expression, none of this made sense to her at all.

“I think, you ask too many questions slayer. Maybe you could find what you want from your watcher; after all I am led to believe there is no scholar like Rupert Giles.” The figure turned dismissively from Buffy and made their trademark exit leaving Buffy to run the cryptic comments through her head.

“Why would Giles know anything about girls with wings? Since when did Giles know about girls? Why does she know about Giles? Xander’s right, this is messed up.” She shrugged and went about her merry slaying ways.

***

Sable silently opened the window to Willow’s room; she took a few moments to watch her peaceful sleeping. There was no way she could possibly tell her anything concerning her presence, she had tried so hard to try and explain but there were never any words. She hated herself for the coward’s way of letting her know; she had written down a reference to one of the oldest books in Giles’ collection, and she knew how smart Willow was. Snapping back to reality Sable shuddered and shook her head bringing her back to reality; she carefully removed the crimson rose from her jacket and placed it with the note. With one last lingering look at the sleeping beauty she made a swift exit into the ever pitch night of Sunnydale.

***

Midnight at Sunnydale Park, two shadowy men walked. Well one walked, the other skulked behind while one walked. A stern voiced trailed from the pair,

“Why isn’t she here yet? It’s getting late.”

“I-I-I don’t know, its n-n-not like her to be late,”

“For your sake you best hope she will get here soon.” The followed flinched at the snappy return.

“Good evening Gentlemen.” Sable sauntered out from the trees before the two similarly dressed men.

“You are late Sable, and you better have a damn good reason.” She winked back in response. “Yes, quite. I assume that the plans are running smoothly? And that the witch is disposed of?”

Sable flinched. She knew what the plans were, and why she was a part of this. She was already for the go ahead a few days ago, but she couldn’t bear to see anything happen to Willow now; she had broken all the rules by getting to close. “Ah well, you see. Smoothly, yes. Disposed of, no” She stared at her boots, averting her eyes from the glare of her commander.

“WHAT? You where supposed to have at least taken her away from the Slayer, and you haven’t even done that? What have you got to say in your defence?”

She kept her head down, “Nothing sir, just give me a little more time that’s all.”

“This isn’t like you Sable; you’re the best we have for this. Now finish the job, otherwise we risk losing the final instalment from our clients. The final phase will be initiated in 2 days.”

Still with her head down, the two figures each burst an equally impressive wing span before soaring off into the remainder of the evening.

Sable slowly walked through the park towards the grave yard; she found the ever present tranquillity of Church yards soothing, and yet some what insulting.

What did these people do to deserve eternal rest in their God’s back yard? She spent her whole life working, fighting for what she needed to survive; it had never ended, it would never end.

She walked and thought further appearing to be oblivious to the vampire following her. She had smelt him a while back and thought nothing of him, she still ignored him.

But that was the irony she loved here; there were those that died naturally who had “earned” eternal rest. Then there were the vampires, selfishly taking human life, primarily blasphemous by taking the life that only their God had the right to do. Then doubly blasphemous, these creatures robbed the dead of their eternal rest!

“Wow” she thought, “Their God must be pretty pissed about that”

Carefully she removed the glove from her right had to reveal a semi human hand, but where her fingers should have been, sharp talons took their place. She shone a secret smile to herself, before spinning around to plunge her bare claws through the vampire’s chest.

The vamps expression made her laugh out loud, “Pl-ease! Not everyone that looks human are good enough to eat my dusty friend, you should know that!”

The vampire evaporated into a cloud of dust as Sable continued her walk. “Just what I need.” She sighed, “Runner boys checking up on me”