Atlantis

= Atlantis, Chapter Five =


Spike and Xander entered Tara's chamber with a sense unease. There was something off in the air, something neither one could explain. Thelsea was standing next to Tara's still body, her head bowed. At the sound of their footsteps, she looked up with solemn eyes. "I'm afraid she has slipped back under."

"Bugger." Spike sighed, rubbing at his face. He walked over to Tara, looking down into her face. "Did she say anything?"

"No." Thelsea replied. "She merely opened her eyes. I called for you immediately, of course. Her power is still recharging. I do believe what I saw was a surge. She was able to awaken due to that, but her power resources are still limited. She will need more rest."

"Well, hopefully Wesley and Gunn will find something." Xander offered Spike.

"And where are they?" Thelsea questioned.

"Umm, out." Spike said, shrugging.

"They seek knowledge." Thelsea said, simply. "Hopefully, your Wesley will not look for it in the wrong place."

"He's going to find a library." Xander said.

"Yes, but some places are open and others are not." Thelsea told him. "He must chose which threshold to pass. Perhaps he will be lucky."

With that said, Thelsea slipped past them and out of the antechamber. Spike immediately turned on Xander. "See? That's why I don't trust her."

"And yet she fed you earlier." Xander rolled his eyes. There was a pause in the air. "Do you think Tara will be okay?"

"I don't know." Spike shrugged. He walked over to Xander and slipped an arm around his waist, pulling the taller man toward him. "Do you feel it? That strange sensation in the air? It's like... Something is here."

"I feel it." Xander said. "Hope it's nothing bad..."

Blocks away, Wesley was becoming rather frustrated. They had found a library, but were unable to go inside. Apparently, their appearance were not appreciated. The scholars within refused entry to a beggar and slave boy. For Gunn, the strange thing was the man had indicated Wesley was the slave boy. After that confrontation, Wesley insisted they find another library. He babbled on about alternate dimensions, wormholes, and the effects of time differential as they walked. Gunn remained quiet, letting Wesley's constant voice comfort him.

They finally found a smaller library on what Gunn claimed to obviously be the bad side of town. The streets were hardly as clean as the market. People slumped into the corners of alleys. Others wandered close to them, looking starved and desperate for something that Gunn couldn't identify. A shudder ran through him as he recognized the different signs around him. This was a hot spot for druggies.

The library wasn't much better than the street. Inside they could hear what appeared to be music and laughter. The building had a single torch lit by the door, with a small sign reading: Library of Dionysus. With a small frown, Wesley approached the wooden door and knocked hesitantly. He turned back to Gunn. "That is strange. I wasn't aware that the god Dionysus was a supporter of literature."

"Who is it?" A sing-song voice asked. A small panel in the door opened. They could see half the face of a young man.

"We request the use of your books, please." Wesley replied. The man looked between Gunn and Wesley.

"Books." The word came out as a hiss. "Yes, of course. Books."

"Ah, Wes?" Gunn whispered. "I'm not so sure about this."

"Do you have a better idea?" Wesley asked as the man closed the small panel and began unlocking the door. "If it's bad, we will turn right around and leave. But we will never forgive ourselves if this place is legitimate."

"Point taken." Gunn said with a sigh.

"Enter, good sirs." The man's voice hissed through the now opened door. Gunn gave Wesley a look, before entering in front of him. Wesley followed him and the door slammed closed. Gunn felt his jaw drop and eyes widen at the sight before them.

Xander watched as Spike paced before him. The vampire was restless and more than agitated. An abandoned cup of blood sat on the nearby table. Spike hadn't touched it. They had spent most of the afternoon with Tara, watching as she slept. Finally, they had retreated to their room. The darkness was creeping into the room. The torches and candles showed the shadows lengthening. Wesley and Gunn had yet to return.

"You should eat." Xander said softly.

"I'm not trusting her blood. I'm not trusting her at all, pet." Spike replied, not pausing in his pacing.

"You'll get dizzy if you don't eat, Spike." Xander told him. He sat down on their cot, crossing his legs Indian style. "I know you're worried-"

"Of course I'm worried!" Spike interrupted. Xander sat back and prepared himself for a good, long Spike-rant. "It's nearly dark and Wesley and Gunn are out in this bloody city by themselves."

"They do have each other." Xander pointed out.

"Yeah, but a load of good that's going to do them!" Spike exclaimed. "They are too busy making goo-goo eyes at one another to notice what's around them! Then, Tara supposedly wakes up-"

"You think Thelsea's lying to us?" Xander asked.

"I don't know." Spike admitted. "But something is going on in that room, Xander. That place was so... electrified with something or someone that even you felt it! Pet, something isn't right around here. I don't know what it is, but I'm planning on finding out."

"What are you going to do?" Xander jumped to his feet and grabbed Spike's arm. "We need to wait for Wes and Gunn to come back, Spike. Just wait until then. They might know something we don't, okay?"

"They should have been back by now." Spike said. There was a moment of silence, in which time their eyes connected. Spike finally looked away, taking a deep un-needed breath. "We should search for them."

"Where?" Xander asked, though he didn't stop Spike from dragging him out of the room. They hurried down the hall, making their way to the front door. "How are you going to find them? Do you think you can track their scent? Spike! You don't even know them that well."

"I know their scent, though." Spike replied. "They're rather distinct."

"What do they smell like?" Xander asked, his curiosity unable to go without asking. They were feet from the door when Thelsea appeared. She stood close to the shadows, her arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"Like strength and knowledge, love." Spike told him softly.

"You are leaving." Thelsea stated, her voice holding a hard edge that they had not heard since first coming to the temple.

"Figured it was time to find the rest of our party." Spike explained. He made for the door, but Thelsea's voice stopped him.

"There is much you do not know." She said. "There is much... I do not see. Leave here and I will be unable to see what I already can. Stay here, and I may continue to help you."

"You see? See what?" Spike demanded.

"You do not believe Artemis would make a normal woman to be her High Priestess, do you?" Thelsea raised an eyebrow.

"You're a seer." Xander whispered.

"How did you know-?" Spike started.

"He need not to know." Thelsea interrupted. "The things you seek are here, if you look in the right places. A part of him knew that, and that is all it took to find the truth."

"What do you mean... You can't see if we leave?" Xander asked.

"This is the land of the huntress; the temple of her power." Thelsea replied. "I am her servant, and therefore only worth my weight in power when in her company. Leave the presence of Artemis and my power will no longer reach you."

"So, you can't see where Wes and Gunn are?"

"No. I saw what they meant to do, but not the path they would choose." Thelsea said. She closed her eyes, a grimace crossing her features. "The path of literature and the path of destruction. They approached a fork in the road. Which, I wonder, did they select?"

"Most likely the destruction." Spike looked skyward. "It's always the destruction."

"We don't know that." Xander pointed out.

"You don't know anything." Thelsea calmly said.

"It's not like people are lining up to explain this bloody place, now are they?" Spike retorted. "We haven't left this damn temple long enough to find out anything!"

"Insults. Fascinating." Thelsea smirked. Then, her eyes went wide. A soft wind seemed to sweep through the temple, causing a few candles to flicker out. Taking a deep breath, she locked eyes with Spike. The hazel irises dilated and the specks of gold glowed for one small second. "And the door that was once opened, the path that once could be walked, shall close. You seek home, and yet some are already there. Find the secret... Find the answer... And your wish shall be received."

"Thelsea?" Xander said softly. Thelsea's body stiffened and her head dropped forward. A few gulps of air later, she looked at them once more. "Was that... A vision?"

"Something is wrong." Thelsea said, ignoring Xander. "A presence does not belong here, and yet... How to get rid of it, I wonder?"

"You feel it, too." Spike glanced at Xander. "The thing in the air."

"Closing in on us, trapping the air in our lungs? Yes, I feel it." Thelsea took a step back, moving into the shadows. "It is my duty to destroy it. It endangers the sacred house of Artemis."

"What is it?" Xander asked.

"Something that has existed since the beginning. Soft and sweet, yet hardened by the isolation that once held her." Thelsea's voice replied. "It feels familiar, yet not."

"What are you doing?" Spike asked.

"I'm going to... Pray."

The sound of footsteps echoed through the front hall as Thelsea left them. Xander ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. Spike was looking back and forth between where Thelsea's had departed and the door. A frown formed on his face and he let out a growl. "This is bloody ridiculous."

"Well, what do you want to do?" Xander asked. "If something is here, like you and Thelsea seem to believe, then don't you think we should stay and protect Tara? Wes and Gunn can take care of themselves... If they aren't back tomorrow, we'll go look for them."

"I-" Spike started, before the room suddenly became enveloped in light. Both raised a hand to block it, turning in what appeared to be it's direction of origin.

The doors to the inner sanctum were opened, something that had not happened since the men had entered the temple. The light was bright, but not so bright that they couldn't make out dancing colors of green, brown, and blue within the harsh white. The sanctum was barely seen, except for faintly moving shadows. They could make out figures, who kneeled before another figure. The rest was unable to describe, the blinding light burning out any other shapes.

"Was is that?" Xander asked, allowing Spike to pull him behind his body. Peeking over the vampire's shoulder, he clutched at Spike's duster, as though afraid Spike would suddenly disappear.

"I don't know, pet." Spike replied. "But I think we're about to find out... It's moving toward us."