Militat Omnis Amans (Every Lover is a Warrior)

By Kevin Beckett

Chapter X - Docendo Discitur

(One Learns by Teaching)

Barring divine intervention
There is nothing between you and I
And if I carelessly forgot to mention
Your body your power can sanctify
Come feed your hunger your thirst
Lay it down the beast will die
You can question my heart once again

Am I your passion your promise your end
I say I am
Yes I am
Your passion your promise your end
Yes I am

Yes I Am

Melissa Etheridge, Yes I Am

illow looked at the twin of her lover standing before her and asked, “who are you?”

“Lady,” replied Buffy’s twin, “my name is Sonya.”

“Ok Sonya,” continued Willow as she began to pace back and forth, “you say you were called. Who called you?”

“One night, as I was sleeping, the Goddess came to me in a vision and told me that I was needed here.”

“She did say that she would provide help,” commented Buffy, speaking for the first time since finding out that she had a twin sister on this world.

“That’s true,” replied Willow, “but I just don’t have the energy to deal with this right now.” Turning to Amana she continued, “Amana, I’m way too tired, dirty and hungry to deal with this now. Find them some rooms, maybe on the third floor, get them feed and cleaned up, and we will discuss this at dinner.”

Willow then turned back to Sonya and said, “Sonya, this is Amana, she is going to make your group comfortable, and we will continue our discussion tomorrow.”

“Our thanks, Lady,” replied the other young woman.

“Ok, Buff,” said Willow as she grabbed her lover’s hand, and practically ran towards the door to the baths, “on to the baths.”

“Alright, lover,” replied her very confused soul-mate, “but what’s the rush?”

“Too much input,” replied Willow, “I’m going to need some time to digest it all.”

“I’m kind of spooked myself,” answered Buffy as they entered the passageway leading to the baths.

“Its more than being spooked,” said Willow, “given the similarities between this world and ours, I should have considered the possibility, but I didn’t. Now the reality is here and I’m the one in charge.”

“You’ll deal,” said Buffy softly as she drew her lover into a comforting embrace, “just as we have dealt with everything so far.” Buffy ran her fingers through Willow’s now very long red tresses, marvelling once again at its texture and softness. Both women had let their hair grow over the last few months, Willow’s now reached to the small of her back, with Buffy’s reaching well below her backside.

“Lets bathe,” she continued, “and talk about other things, and once we’ve had a chance to relax and regain some balance we will worry about our new guests.”

Later that evening, after Buffy and Willow had had the opportunity to bathe and change into clean clothing, the entire strike force was assembled in the common room of the inn eating dinner.

Turing to Amana Willow asked, “what does this development mean, and what do you recommend we do now?”

Frankel hemmed and cleared his throat before saying, “Amana, if you please, I think that I may be able to provide some incite on this matter.”

“How’s that?” asked Amana, “do you think that this has something to do with what we are trying to accomplish?”

“Not directly,” replied the sage, “at least I don’t think so.”

“Then what do you think,” asked Willow.

“In my initial research of the various worlds, and in the development of a theory to explain it all, I determined that this ‘twinning’ of specific people might be possible. That is to say given similar conditions, on similar worlds, people might come together in the same manner, to produce children, and that those children would meet and produce children and so on. However, in looking at the mathematics of this aspect of the theory I put the odds of this actually happening at an astronomical level.”

“How high,” asked Buffy softly, “are we talking like one in a billon or so?”

“More like one in an octilliard,” replied Frankel.

“Huh,” asked a very confused, and numerically challenged, Buffy.

“One followed by fifty-one zeros,” answered Willow.

“If we factor in other things,” continued Frankel, “such as surviving the demon onslaught, travelling through dangerous territory and knowing just where to travel to, the odds of Deity help not being involved are too small to warrant consideration.”

“Ok,” said Willow, “I’m willing to buy into the idea that they, or at least Sonya, received some Devine help, and that there may be plans going on that are bigger than we are, but I need some more info before deciding what to do with them. Amana, what did you learn as you were getting them settled?”

“A few things,” replied the older mage, “first that they were all ‘called’, however, based on their accents, they have all come from various parts of the country. Second, as a result of this geographical diversity, some will have been travelling for only a few weeks; others would have had to start travelling shortly after you arrived in February. Third, they are all tired, filthy and very undernourished; apparently conditions out in the countryside are bleaker than we thought. Some of them told me that they’ve been chased and harassed from the moment they started. Fourth, they all congregated in one area down the mountain, it was only a few days ago that Sonya said it was time to come up and find this village. Apparently only Sonya was told how to find us, and she had been waiting until everyone arrived before heading up the mountain.”

“Well, as usual,” said Willow, “that answers a number of questions, but asks a bunch more.”

“Such as?” asked Buffy, still not totally comfortable with the idea of having a duplicate on this world.

“Such as why they are here,” replied her lover, “and what we are going to do with them.”

“Those questions can wait until tomorrow,” said Aiofe, “lets finish dinner and get to bed.”

“That is an excellent suggestion,” continued Bridie, “if I’m not mistaken the two of you have lots of work to do - after all you are going to be hand-fasted in four days.”

“Not that I was going to forget,” said Willow as she stifled a yawn, as the exhausting efforts of the day overtook her adrenaline high, “but you’re right, I definitely need to get some sleep, and soon.” Willow looked over at Buffy, who was sitting next to her, and noticed that the slayer was beginning to nod-off, “and judging by my lover’s droopy eyelids, she’s not doing much better.”

“What,” asked a sleepy Buffy, “what are you three talking about?”

“Nothing love,” replied Willow, “just that it’s time to get to bed.”

“That I can deal with,” said the Slayer as she slowly pushed herself up from the table and stretched her arms above her head, “bed, smooches, snuggle and sleep.”

The four young women then said their goodnights to the rest of the group and headed up to their room. As they were leaving Amana turned to Grael and asked softly, “everything going to be ok?”

Grael thought for a moment before replying, “I think so. This might prove to be a catalyst that Willow needs to come to a solution to our problem.”

The two older mages then fell into general conversation with Daithi, Frankel and the other guardsmen, discussing the work yet to be done on the inn, what was to be done to get ready for the upcoming wedding ceremony and other, safe, topics of dialogue. As the evening wore on, the various members gradually left the table to their own beds eventually leaving only Amana and Grael sitting before the fire.

Amana poured the two of them another glass of mead before turning to her long-time friend and lover asking, “is this all going to work out?”

“I believe so.”

“But…” prompted Amana.

“But, I think that it’s going to take a lot more work before we’re done.”

“I agree, and I think that Buffy taking the step of making the relationship between them permanent, at least here, is a good start.”

As she was speaking, Amana noticed that she had been joined by another presence on the back of the chair. Looking back, she saw Shadow-cat stretched out along the chair back, basking in the heat of the fire.

“Shadow-cat,” she said softly, “what are you doing down here? Is it too noisy upstairs? Come down and curl up on my lap.” Amana said, patting her lap as an invitation.

Shadow-cat looked down, weighed the effort versus the benefits; deciding that a nice comfy lap was better than the back of the chair, and jumped down onto

Amana’s lap. She curled up into a ball and began to purr softly thinking, “maybe I’ll get an ear scratch to.”

Amana proceeded to do just that, absently stroking Shadow-cat as she took up the conversation, “I don’t know how the two of them do it.”

“Do what?”

“Cope.” Seeing a quizzical looking in Grael’s face she continued, “just look at what the two of them have been through, then ask yourself if you would have handled it as well as they have, especially given that they are so young, and not from this world.”

Grael thought for a moment before replying, “you know, as usual you’re right. I’ve been so wrapped up in survival and making a secure base here that I never gave it any thought. What got you thinking about this though?”

“Yesterday, when Buffy came to me for help. As we were talking I just began to realize all of the things that have happened, and the stress that that would be putting on a person.”

“This is obviously leading to something.”

“You know me far too well,” replied Amana laughing, “but I do in fact have a plan.”

“And that is?”

“Oh, you’ll see,” said Amana, with a twinkle in her eye, refusing to divulge any other information.

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Elsewhere on the mountain, other beings were in less comfortable surroundings. The demon Junulak, the imp Talor and the quasi-human Hugh were sitting around a small fire, which did little to alleviate the subzero temperatures, in a glade near the edge of the tree line. The three of them, along with nearly one-hundred other demons, who were bivouacked in the nearby trees, had been working their way through the mountains for the last four months, trying to find out where the slayer and the rest of the humans with her had gone to ground. It had been a search without any signs of success, or ending.

“At least we know where they aren’t,” commented Hugh, “that must be good for something.”

“Just perfect,” replied Talor sarcastically, “we’ve managed to search, what, maybe five percent of the mountains. That’s a real accomplishment. Much more of this type of success and our dreaded master will be using our bleached bones for fang-picks.”

“You’ve got that part right,” added Junulak, “I don’t know how much longer we will be able to put him off with reassurances of ‘soon’.”

“At least he’s been too preoccupied to wonder all that much about our search,” added Talor, “with all of the forces he’s been taking from us for the various attacks he’s conducting, we could always claim that we haven’t got enough solders to do the job properly.”

The initial force of nearly five hundred demons that the three of them had taken into the mountains had been slowly reduced to the less than one hundred that remained. The various offences that the demons had underway were requiring more and more resources, and the demon master that controlled this sector had been required to strip Junulak of almost his entire force. However, all three of them knew that that would be no excuse for their failure to find the humans they had been tasked to find.

“Junulak,” said Hugh tentatively, “I know that you’ve been reluctant to attack the small villages and hamlets in the fear that it would force those that we are looking for either out of the mountains or deeper into them, but I think that we are going to have to start interrogating some of the local population to see it they know anything.”

“I agree,” added Talor, also being very careful in choosing his words, “the time for subtlety has gone.”

“I’ll give it some thought,” replied Junulak as he stood up from the fire and began to walk through the woods.

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Breakfast the next morning found Sonya and her group of ten women sitting with Willow’s task force. After they had all had a chance to eat most of their meal, and had an opportunity to make small talk in an effort to get to know each other better, Willow turned to Amana and seeing her answering nod, stood up to address the group. She and Amana had talked earlier in the morning and had come up with a plan, and a schedule for their guests.

“People,” Willow said as she cleared her throat waiting for the various side conversations to die down, “people, can I have you attention for a moment.”

After she had everyone’s attention she then continued, “now that we’ve had a chance to get to know each other a little bit, I think that it’s time that I outline what my plans are for our newcomers over the next few days or so.”

That statement had the effect that Willow was looking for, as everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to face their acknowledged leader.

“First,” she said as she began her outline of the plan, “I wish to offer a welcome and a home to Sonya and the other women who came in with her. They have all endured much hardship and peril in order to get here, and I want them to know that they have now found a home, and I hope in time some new friends.” With that statement, there were shy smiles of relief on the faces of the young women, they had all had small internal fears that they would not be welcomed, and that they would be sent on their way. Now they knew that they once again had a place to call home, and, in time, people that would be there for them.

“Second,” continued Willow, “I would like to stress to our new friends that everything comes with a price,” seeing a few questioning looks on their faces she added with a little smile, “there is still a lot of work to be done on our quarters here, and as you might guess, you will be involved in doing that work.” They all relaxed with those words, they were used to hard work and realized that they would be required to assist everyone in the work that was going on in the village, in order to truly make this village their new home.

“Third, as you may have figured out by now, some of us are mages, and if I may be permitted a moment of false modesty, pretty powerful ones at that. So, we are going to put all of you through a series of tests, to see if any of you have magic potential. Frankly, we are doing this because we are going to need all of the help we can get before we are done.” This caused a minor amount of concern amongst the young women. Most of them had never even considered that they may have magical abilities, and were worried about what the tests entailed. However, they knew that they had been called by the Goddess to this place in order to help humanity in its need, and knew that they would therefore be required to do what ever it took to be of assistance to this powerful woman who was addressing them. Seeing the slight looks of worry on several faces Willow said softly, “don’t worry, the tests are totally unobtrusive, and will not be done without your consent or full understanding of what is happening.” Reassured by Willow’s words, any worry that the women were feeling was relieved.

“Fourth,” continued the Arch-Mage, “we are also going to arrange for the eleven of you to receive some arms training, since I think that magic alone is not going to solve our little problem. Trust me on this one you will reap ‘all’ of the benefits of the training.” The young women were all pleased at this news. They, for the most part, had never learned to defend themselves and had at various points in their lives felt distress when in situations where they were not able to help themselves. They knew that they would not become ‘superwomen’ with the training that they were going to receive - especially in the short term, but that it would help build their self-confidence, which they were beginning to understand they would need in the future.

“Fifth, and in my humble opinion the most important,” with this there were some snickers from Aiofe and Bridie, “we are having a little celebration on Friday, to which you are all invited.” There were broader smiles at this information, a celebration, for whatever reason, was more than welcome after weeks of uncertainty and perilous travel.

“Finally, I’ve come up with a tentative schedule for you. We have planned for the eleven of you to spend the next month or so helping with the work on the inn, and on gaining some proficiency with arms and armour. Then we will have you work with Daithi and the other guardsmen in one, securing the village and two, working through the surrounding area checking for trouble before it can find us. We also hope to have you seek out and find other people who might be able to assist me in the task at hand before winter locks us in.” This plan was more than acceptable to the young women, they would be given work of great importance and would be able to directly assist Willow in the task that she was given.

“Now,” continued Willow, “before I finish dominating your time, and let you all get back to your breakfasts, are their any questions?” Willow waited a few moments and when it became obvious that nobody would ask a question, at least in a group situation, said, “well that’s good then, now lets finish eating and get the day underway.”

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For the rest of the day the new arrivals were subjected to various examinations by members of Willow’s strike force. They were measured and outfitted for new clothing, since what they had arrived in was no longer wearable. They were also measured for arms and armour, although it would be several weeks before the leatherworker and the blacksmith would have their various pieces of equipment ready. Throughout the day they were taken individually to meet with Willow, Amana and Grael in Willow’s workroom to have their magical potential assessed. Finally, they were all assigned work to do; some of them to make their rooms on the third floor more liveable, and others to help Frankel and Daithi with the multitude of other tasks that still needed to be done on the inn and its various outbuildings. In the meantime, both Aiofe and Bridie were busy collecting the various items that Grael and Amana required for the upcoming nuptials. Buffy spent the day being a runner for Willow; finding the women to be tested and bringing the three mages their lunch and supper.

By the end of the day, the three mages had been able to appraise all of the young women. As the sky moved from twilight to darkness, they were sitting before the fire in Willow’s workroom discussing their findings, the remains of a hastily consumed dinner on the table in front of them.

“Goddess,” said Willow with a soft sigh, before draining a glass of fortified wine, which Amana had allowed under the circumstances, “I’m exhausted. I never thought that it would be so draining to test for magical potential in someone.”

“I agree it’s not the easiest job,” replied Amana, “but at least its done.”

“Not to much to show for the effort though,” said Grael, “only two with more than a rudimentary level of ability.”

“All that means,” added Amana, “is that most of them, including Sonya I might add, were chosen for something other than their magical ability. In time we will find out what it is, of that I’m certain.”

“However,” said Grael, “having them here will solve one little problem.”

“That is?” asked Willow.

“We will be able to use them to fill out the circle at the hand-fasting,” replied the older mage, “up until now we only had Frankel, what with you, Buffy, Aiofe, Bridie, Amana and myself all fulfilling other roles.”

As Grael was finishing her sentence there was a soft tapping on the door to the study, followed by the entrance of Buffy, Aiofe and Bridie. Buffy went up to Willow and proceeded to plant herself on the arch-mage’s lap, tucking her feet under herself as she did so.

“To what do we owe this totally pleasant interruption?” asked Willow before giving her lover a welcoming kiss.

“Its just that the three of you have been in here since before lunch,” replied the Slayer, “and that its now well after dinner; so, we are going to kidnap you and take you to bed.”

“After all,” added Aiofe, with just the hint of an impish smile crossing her face, “you do need you rest.”

“Why do I get the feeling that ‘rest’ is the least of your concerns?”

“Do I hear a note of disbelief,” answered Bridie, “what, don’t you trust us?”

“Well,” replied Willow, as she stood up from the chair, while still holding Buffy in her arms, “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that I am aware of what trouble the three of you can get up to once you put your collective minds together.”

The four young women then took their leave of the senior mages, before heading to the baths and then to their room for the evening. Watching the women leave the two older mages marvelled at the resilience of youth, and its attitude that there could be a solution to every problem.

Grael turned to Amana and said softly, “I’m now convinced, more than ever before, that she will find an answer.” He stood up and stretched his tired muscles before continuing, “the support she is getting from not only Buffy but also the other two has gone a long way to giving me that confidence. Not to mention the maturity and confidence that she displayed here today.”

“I agree, but only if she has the time,” replied Amana cryptically, as she also stood up and banked the fire before the two of them headed out to see if they could find some people for some non-magical conversation and companionship.

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An hour or so later four, now very clean, women were in their room, each wrapped in a large towel, engaged in casual banter. The room was very comfortable, with a large cheery fire roaring in the fireplace. It was doing a wonderful job of heating the room, it would only be later, after the fire died down and was banked for the evening that the temperature in the room would begin to fall. The excitement of the upcoming wedding between two of their number was creating a playful mood in them all. This humour had manifested itself in the bath, where the four of them had spent more time trying to dunk each other and in other water play, rather than getting themselves clean.

“That’s like totally not fair,” complained Willow, to the other three, as she stood in the middle of the room with her head bent over to the side her long hair reaching to mid-calf, “I’m never going to get the water out of my ears.”

“What’s not fair?” asked Buffy, sitting cross-legged on the bed drying her hair, attempting and failing miserably to act innocent.

“The three of you ganging up on me there at the end,” replied Willow, shaking her head as she continued to try to get the water out of her ears.

“Only after you used your magic to create that wall of water,” said Bridie, who was standing with Aiofe before the fireplace soaking up the heat pouring from it, “you knew that we wouldn’t be able to stop it.”

“Who was it that was sending little bolts of water at the others,” retorted Willow, “and don’t try to claim it was Aiofe or Buffy, I know they don’t have any control over water, and that you do.”

“Ok,” said Buffy, as she stood up from the bed, “we were all guilty. Now can we make it up to you?”

“I suppose,” grumbled Willow, “how?”

“Trust me,” replied her lover as she pulled out from the dresser an opaque silk scarf, “first let me blindfold you.”

Buffy proceeded to blindfold Willow before guiding her to the bed. Once Willow was comfortable on the bed, Buffy striped away her towel, leaving the arch-mage naked. After extinguishing all of the lights in the room with the exception of the fire she and the other two women then took up positions on the bed around their friend; Buffy between Willow’s legs, Aiofe and Bridie on either side of Willow.

“What are you doing,” asked Willow.

“Shush, lover,” replied Buffy, “just try to stay still and let us make you happy. Oh, try not to peek through my eyes either.”

With that Buffy, Aiofe and Bridie began to simultaneously stroke Willow’s arms and legs using only the tips of their fingers. It had an immediate result. Where they trailed their fingers the hairs on Willow’s skin immediately became erect, where they had not yet caressed, goose bumps appeared. Willow, who had been holding her breath in expectation of what was going to happen, exhaled softly, almost in a moan. More was to come. Buffy gestured to Aiofe to pass over the pitcher of water. She then carefully began to pour, almost dribble, the water over Willow’s stomach, watching as it traced over the curve of her pregnancy, then leaning over to catch the driblets of water with her tongue, before they could hit the bed.

Willow was consumed by the sensations being caused in her body by her friends. She was behaving herself and not peeking through Buffy’s eyes, so the anticipation of what body part would be attended to next was causing her to squirm and moan. She began to lick her lips, and as her excitement progressed her nipples hardened, as she eagerly waited for the next sensation. Seeing this Aiofe gestured to Bridie who immediately leaned forward and presented a nipple for Willow to suckle. Willow swiftly drew in all of the presented nipple and areole, and began to suck and nibble as if she were a newborn babe. Aiofe then reciprocated, by first licking and then sucking on Willow’s rock-hard nipples. While sucking on one, she manually manipulated the other, before having her nimble fingers replaced by Bridie. This stimulation, in time, caused a small amount of foremilk to appear, which both women lapped up, treating it like ambrosia. The production of albeit even a small amount of milk, followed by the suckling of her breasts, caused a surge of excitement to course through Willow’s body, which manifested itself in the immediate lubrication of the cleft between her legs. Sensing the sexual enhancement of her lover’s anticipation, Buffy began the next phase of her pleasuring.

Willow was amazed at the reactions her body was producing. She was aware of the pleasure being given by her nipples being suckled. The continuing tracing of fingertips, water and tongues on her skin, and her increasing sexual anticipation. As Willow continued to suckle on the offered breast, Buffy began to softly blow on her engorged clit. Once she was certain that she had all of Willow’s attention, Buffy began to drip water from her fingertips directly onto the tip of her lover’s clitoris, followed by her blowing onto the drop of water to evaporate it. This was a new form of water torture, torture by pleasure. Buffy timed every drop carefully, insuring that Willow came near to a climax, but that she didn’t crossover. As the sweat began to pour from her body, Willow moaned, bucked and squirmed in an attempt to climax. All of her efforts to find release ended in failure due to Buffy’s excellent knowledge of her lover’s body. Finally, after Buffy had judged that Willow was more than ready, she leaned forward and simultaneously sucked on Willow’s clitoris while she inserted two fingers deep within her lover’s vagina to stimulate the sensitive internal tissue. Willow exploded in what became a cascade of orgasms, one peak higher than the last, as all three women continued to stimulate and pleasure various parts of her body.

Finally, Buffy and the others first slowed, and then ceased, their attention to Willow’s pleasure. Willow lay in a pool of sweat and sexual fluids, panting softly for nearly ten minutes before she gathered her wits together and softly said, “you’re all forgiven.”

<Beyond happy. I love you. Goddess you do know how to trip my breakers.> That thought chased around in Willow’s head, she knew that it had triggered some sort of recognition, but was too thoroughly satiated to pin it down, “oh well,” she thought, “whatever it was will come back to me eventually.”

All four women then began an evening of mutual pleasure, using all of their creativity to try to find new ways of stimulating each other. Late in the evening, as they all lay in a tangle of limbs under the covers of their bed, Willow turned to Aiofe and Bridie and said, “I am so happy that we found you two.”

“I’m glad,” replied Bridie, “and I must admit that it’s been our pleasure also.”

“Obviously,” quipped Buffy, “if the last three hours wasn’t pleasure, I think that I’d die experiencing it.”

“You know what she meant,” said Willow as she stuck Buffy with a pillow, “quit being so obtuse.”

“Obtuse,” replied Buffy as she replied with a pillow of her own, “thems fighting words woman.”

Buffy and Willow immediately began a pillow-fight, and as errant strikes began to hit Aiofe and Bridie they also joined into the fight. After twenty minutes or so, with pillows and covers scattered throughout the room, exhaustion set in and the four women ceased their battle, remade the bed and snuggled in before resuming their conversation.

“Now,” said Willow, “before we were interrupted, I think that I was appreciating the friendship that we have formed with both of you.”

“We too have come to see you and Buffy as close friends also,” replied Bridie.

<Lover, what’s this leading to?>

<Buff, we need to think of something to give them as bridesmaid’s gifts.>

“Ladies,” continued Willow, “on our world its traditional for a bride, or in our case the brides, to give a gift to their maid of honour, or in our case maids. So, since neither Buffy or I have a clue what to get you, we have decided to let you choose something, and if it’s in our power to do so we will give it to you.”

“This is new to us,” replied Aiofe, “but will you allow us some time to think it over and let you know?”

“Of course,” said Buffy, “take all the time you need. Just let us know before the hand-fasting.”

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The next three days flew by, as everyone became involved in preparations for the upcoming nuptials. Amana and Grael worked with Aiofe and Bridie in making sure that everything was ready for the ceremony. Frankel worked with Sonya and the other new arrivals to clean the common room of the inn, which would be used for both the ceremony and the feast, which would follow. Daithi and the guardsmen spent their time cleaning and polishing their arms and armour; Buffy had asked them to be guards of honour for the wedding, a job that Daithi had immediately accepted.

At last, the day arrived. Buffy woke with a start, with more than an hour to go before the dawn broke over the mountains. This was far earlier than she usually awoke and it took a moment for her to register the reason why. There was a warm empty space beside her, a space that would normally have been occupied by Willow. Moving quietly, to not disturb the other women, Buffy left the warmth of the bed and wrapped herself against the pre-dawn cold in a thick dressing robe. As she was leaving their room thinking to herself, “I wonder where she has gotten herself to,” she wasn’t that surprised to receive an answer.

<I’m in the kitchen.>

Lynda was one of the three village women who had been hired by Willow to cook for her strike force. She was a wizened older woman who had seen and weathered much hardship in her life and was a steady source of country wit and wisdom.

<Couldn’t sleep, so I decided to get up and watch the dawn. Care to join me?>

Just under ten minutes later Buffy joined her lover in the kitchen. Both young women had dressed in thick woollen pants with a heavy down jacket, more than adequate defence against the cold pre-dawn temperatures. Buffy went up to Willow, who was sitting at the kitchen table and reached around to give her a good morning hug and kiss.

“Worried,” she asked as she slid into the chair next to Willow, “it is the big day.”

“Not worried,” replied the Arch-Mage, “after all, I don’t think you are going to leave me at the alter or anything like that. I think I just needed some time to collect myself before chaos settled in around here for the rest of the day.”

In fact, it looked like a small amount of chaos had already descended on the inn. Lynda and the other cooks, in addition to four other women who had been drafted into assistance for the day, had all been hard at work for several hours. They had been baking mountains of breads, cakes and pastries for the festivities. Later they would begin on the preparation of the equally large amounts of vegetables and main dishes which would be needed to feed the entire village, at one point in the day they would be joined by Amana who would be responsible for the final, and secret, seasonings of the head table dishes.

“Till be a grand day Sara,” said Lynda to one of the other cooks as she took another batch of bread out of the baking ovens, “I still remember the anticipation I felt before my wedding day.”

“How, you old goat,” replied the other woman good-naturedly, “you can’t remember that far back.”

“I remember better than you, you old biddy,” retorted Lynda, “you don’t even remember the name of your first husband now do you?”

Willow and Buffy gathered their breakfast and took their leave as the two cooks continued their usual teasing, which had been a constant presence in the kitchen since they’d started, and according to other locals had been going on for years.

The two young women headed out of the inn and climbed a short distance above the inn to a place that they had found a few weeks earlier and had made their own. It was a sheltered copse of woods, with a large flat outcropping of stone. It looked down on the inn and the village and offered an unobstructed view of the eastern slopes of the valley. They sat on the ground, wrapped themselves in a blanket that they had brought with them, and ate their breakfast looking out at the crystal clear pre-dawn sky, filled with stars.

“Everything will be ok,” offered Buffy as reassurance, “I’m positive that Amana will have thought of everything.”

“I know,” replied Willow, “Its just that I’ve been thinking.”

“Yes?”

“It’s just that I sometimes wonder if I am the right person for all of this.”

“All of what?”

“You, my magic, you, this leadership thing, you, the baby, you, the responsibility, you, the power that I can wield in my hands, you, the job I’ve taken on, you, my family - who must be worried sick by now, you, what the Goddess has planned for us, you.”

“I admit,” replied Buffy after a moments pause, “that I too have been worried about some of that, particularly about our friends and family, but I couldn’t think of any two people better suited, or able to handle it. Once we get home, we can worry about the family thing. They’ll be so happy to see us they just might overlook the marriage and babies. Now fess-up, what has led you to this train of thought on what is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life?”

“Well, for one thing, I’ve been told that you are supposed to reflect on your life on your wedding day.”

“And?”

“And, they told me what they would like as gifts.”

“When?”

“Last night, after you had collapsed asleep, we got to talking.”

“And?”

“They would like me to make them pregnant, with each other’s baby.”

“What!” Said Buffy as she turned to look at her lover, incredulity written on her face.

“You heard me, they want to have children and they asked me to do the deed so to speak.”

“What did you tell them?”

“That I’d think it over and talk to you before answering.”

“That’ll teach me to fall asleep after great sex,” said Buffy who after a moment of thought then continued, “can you even do something like that?”

“Oh yes,” replied Willow softly, “I can.”

“Oh!”

The dawn began to break over the mountains. Both women turned to the east and sat hand-in-hand in quiet reflection as the blue-black of the pre-dawn sky was first pierced with streaks of pink, then reds before giving way to a mix of pastels as the stars slowly dissolved in the eastern sky. The first rays of the sun then began to creep over the mountain, casting long shadows down into the valley and the village. They watched as the crest of the sun peeked over the mountains the sky exploded in a mix of blues, yellows and reds as a new day was born.

“Wow,” said Buffy softly, “that never ceases to amaze me.”

“It is a wonder,” agreed Willow, “now what do we do?”

“I don’t have to think this one over,” replied Buffy, “we owe them, and I know that you are ok with it so, as you no doubt already knew, we do it. One thing though.”

“Yes?”

“If I can, I want to help.”

“I was going to ask anyway,” replied Willow with tears beginning to run down her face, who then turned to her lover and embraced her in a bone-crushing hug.

“You were afraid I’d say no.”

“No,” said Willow, “I knew you’d agree, but I didn’t know if you were willing to help.”

“I admit that it is a little freaky,” replied the slayer, “but, where you go, I go.”

“Yes Ruth,” replied Willow with a small laugh.

“You are really happy about this,” said Buffy as she delicately kissed the tears away from Willow, “I think I understand but why?”

“It allows me to do something powerful with my gift,” replied Willow, “that isn’t destructive.”

“I love you,” was the only reply that Buffy could make, as she reciprocated Willow’s hug.

Both young women then noticed that they had been found, for coming up to their seating area were Aiofe and Bridie, determination written large on their faces.

“Oops,” said Buffy stifling a giggle as she stood up, brushing some dirt from her pants, “I think our masters for the day have found us, and have come to scold us.”

“Yep,” replied Willow as she too stood up, “I can’t understand how it’s supposed to be our day, when everything we do is organized by others.”

“You two have been very naughty,” said Aiofe as way of a greeting when she and Bridie reached the copse of woods, “we’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“Good morning ladies,” replied Willow, “and how, pray tell, did you know where to find us?”

“Lynda finally told us about this place,” replied Bridie, “after, in her words, you had had enough time to see the dawn.”

“Apparently,” added Aiofe, “this has been a popular spot with the villagers for a long time.”

“Well,” said Buffy, “our secret is out, and we willing put ourselves in your hands for the remainder of the day.”

“Why thank-you,” replied Aiofe, “we barely have enough time now as it is.”

“Lead on,” said Willow.

As the four women headed down to the inn, Buffy turned to Aiofe and Bridie and softly said, “oh, by the way, yes we would be more than happy to help the two of you.”

Aiofe and Bridie stopped in their tracks and immediately, and profusely, began to thank Willow and Buffy. They had wanted this for a long time, but had known that it would never be possible. Then, almost as if a gift from the Goddess, Willow and Buffy arrived, and what had been impossible had now become possible.

“Thank-you,” said Aiofe, for what had to be the twentieth time, as she and Bridie continued to hug both Willow and Buffy, “we could never thank you enough.”

“You’re more than welcome,” replied Willow, “I can only hope that you and yours will have a long, long life.”

Hand-in-hand the four women then continued down to the inn to commence preparations for the hand-fasting later that evening.

----------------------------------

First Buffy and Willow were taken to the baths, where they received a long sensual bath with special herbs and oils in the water. Aiofe and Bridie also used soap which had had herbs infused into it during its making. After the bath, both brides were treated to a long luxurious massage, which also made use of a selection of oils, which Amana had provided. After the massage, both young women then had their hair washed and once it had been towelled dry, fresh mountain flowers were woven into their marriage braids.

By now it was lunchtime, which Amana had arranged for the four women to have in the private dinning room that she and Buffy had recently cleaned. It was a light lunch, with a clear soup followed by a simple roast chicken salad. Aiofe commented, “don’t want your butterflies to upset your stomach now, do we.”

In fact, both Aiofe and Bridie were also beginning to feel anxious about the upcoming events of the day. They would all have a significant amount of work to do once the ceremony started. Once it was over, they would have even more work to do before they could call it a night.

The afternoon passed with Buffy and Willow secluded in a solitary vigil, each spending the time thinking about themselves, their love and the seriousness of the ceremony to come. In the tradition that they would be wed in, and given the type of hand-fasting that they were going to do, their bonding before the Gods would be forever. Even though they both knew that they were making the right decision, this time apart allowed them to focus, and to confirm in their own mind that choice, before they had to do it before their community. During the vigil, they wore the plain white robes in which they would start the ritual.

Finally, it was an hour past sunset, and an hour to moon rise, time for the ceremony to begin. All of the furniture in the common room had been stacked against the walls, leaving a space more than adequate for the ceremony and the guests. The room had been decorated with countless flowers. Candles and the fireplaces provided the heat and illumination to the room. The working circle had already been laid out on the old oak floorboards, with the alter and the candle stands also in place. The room was already full with all of the guests, who were standing outside of the circle, surrounding it four deep.

Amana took one last look around the room and saw that everything was ready. She gestured to Daithi that she was ready for the ceremony to begin and then she and Grael walked to the centre of the circle, with their presence alone they caused the various conversations in the room to cease.

“We are gathered here in this time and this place,” she began, “to witness the joining in the eyes of the Gods two people whose love for each other has brought them great joy and happiness.”

As she spoke the ritual opening words Frankel, Sonya and the rest of the recent arrivals took their places in the circle. Amana then continued, “the union of two people brings with it the hope for all and the hope for the triumph of love over hatred. Our law is that life is the practice of love unto humanity. Without love, life is worthless, without love, death has no rebirth. Love is anterior to life, posterior to Death, initial of Creation for it was with love that the Goddess created all. If we learn nothing in life except this, it is enough.”

“Blessed be,” responded all of the people in the circle and in the room.

Grael and Amana then began the ritual proper, with the casting of the circle. Amana beginning the litany with, “We cast this circle of ancient lore;” as she continued the opening prayer she was followed by Grael casting the elements, and Sonya who slew flower petals as a symbol of the nuptials.

Once the circle had been cast, Amana and Grael grounded themselves before drawing up the power they would need for the remainder of the evening. Once they were satisfied, they called forth the quarters, paying special attention to the East and South, the patron quarters for Buffy and Willow.

It was then time for the entrance of Willow and Buffy. Grael cut a gate in the circle and then called out, “guards, if it is their will, pray bring forth the vessels of love so that we may join them for all time in the eyes of the Goddess.”

Daithi then led his fellow guardsmen into the room, followed by Aiofe, Bridie, Willow and Buffy. As they approached the circle, the guardsmen split up, with each taking up a position at the quarters. The four women remained before the gate, with Aiofe and Bridie standing behind Buffy and Willow.

Once the guards of honour had reached their positions, Grael turned to Buffy and Willow and asked, “Is it your true desire to walk this path together?”

Both women answered, “it is.”

“Then enter and let us celebrate the joining of your love and lives.”

After the four young women took up their places before the alter, in the direct centre of the circle, Amana then started the ritual by saying the invocation to the Goddess starting with the words, “Mother Goddess, we seek you presence before us today as we join your servants in a bond that seeks to glorify your gift of love.” Amana continued, asking for the assistance of the Goddess in providing for Buffy and Willow, and petitioning her blessing on the union.

Once the invocation had been completed, Grael brought forth his wand on which the rings were placed. As Grael and Amana each held one end of the wand, Grael said, “Gods who surround us at all time, we use these rings as symbols to show the bond that these two women will share, a bond with no beginning and no end.” He then addressed Buffy and Willow directly by saying, “place these rings on each other’s fingers, to signify your new status as partners and revel in your new found unity.” Grael was using the traditional litany for the hand-fasting of mages, he knew that Willow and Buffy were already joined by bonds which were deeper and stronger than those of marriage, however, since the vast majority of those present in the room were ignorant of the link between the two women, this ceremony would provide the reassurance that they, the community, needed. As Willow and Buffy placed the rings on each other’s fingers there was a brief flash of intense light around the rings, it appeared that the Goddess was indeed taking personal attention to this particular union. When the light subsided, somehow both Willow and Buffy realized that they would now never be able to remove the rings.

Grael then began the next part of the ritual by saying, “who is it that brings these women to be joined?”

“We do,” replied Aiofe and Bridie.

“Do you come as witnesses to their vows, and pledge to assist them in the fulfilment of them?”

“We do.”

He then turned to all of the guests and said, “know now that we are to join these women in marriage. Is there any reason for this union to not occur?”

He waited a few moments before continuing, “know that this union has been proposed and is unopposed by the community. From this day forth let no man or woman question this union, or disparage it. They would only bring shame upon themselves for doing so, and would dishonour the Gods by their words and actions.”

“Blessed be,” responded all of the people in the circle and in the room.

Amana then provided the instructions to the newly wed. She raised her hands above the brides and said, “Above you are the stars, below you the stones, as time passes remember that like a stone your love should be firm, and likewise like the stars you love be constant. Let you great intellect and the link of your minds help and guide you in your partnership. Let the power of your bodies, and the strength of your will, bind you together and keep the passion of your love ever strong and ever burning. Make the troubles you incur and the happiness you find be the glue that keeps you inseparable. May the children you share be a source of joy and proof of your love for each other and for humanity. Be patient with yourself, with each other and with your children, for disagreements will occur, but if you remember this day, and your love for each other, they will pass by quickly, and will help deepen your understanding for each other. Be affectionate, in public and in private. Do not fear the ignorant, for remember that this union has been sanctified by the Gods, and they are the only judges of you and yours. Remember your friends, forget those who have wished you ill, it is only through forgiveness and love that you will find true happiness and eventual rebirth on the great wheel of life.”

Grael took the cup, which had been filled with a strong red wine, and after sipping from it passed it to Willow saying, “take this, the fruit of the earth, and drink from it. May it foretell the bounty of your bodies, and the strength of that fruit.” Grael was once again continuing the standard ritual, for it was more than obvious to everyone in the room that both Willow and Buffy’s bodies were more than ‘fruitful’, after all they were now over twenty-one weeks pregnant, and definitely beginning to show.

Both Willow and Buffy inwardly chuckled as they sipped from the cup, both realizing that in this case, the form of the ritual was more important than the substance. Once they had passed back the cup, Aiofe and Bridie went up to them and removed their robes, leaving them naked in front of the alter. Aiofe and Bridie then bound Willow and Buffy’s hands together. The couple then raised their joined arms above their heads and began their prayer of binding by staring into each other’s eyes while saying, “You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself. However, since we have declared that we both wish it, so I give to you all that is mine to give. You cannot command me for I am a free person, but it is my desire to serve you for all my days. The nectar and honey, will taste sweeter as it comes from my hand to your lips. I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night, the eyes and mind into which I smile in the morning. I pledge to you the first bite from my plate and the first sip from my cup. I pledge to you my body and my soul in living and in dying, each equally in your care. I shall shield your back from all harm as you shield me. I shall not slander you, nor you me. I honour you above all save the Gods, and when we quarrel, we shall do it away from the ears and eyes of others. We shall not tell strangers our troubles or our grievances, but work together with each other and those who care most for us to solve our differences. This is my vow to you, before these witnesses, before these guests and most importantly before our Gods. I make this vow as I came into the world, with nothing to shield me from the elements, and with nothing that can hide any deception. This union that we undertake is the joining of equals, it is the Alpha and Omega, and it is done in the full knowledge that our joining will be for all time, and will transcend even our deaths on this the mortal plane.” As they finished their vows they lowered their hands, and clasped them together.

Buffy and Willow had worked long into the previous night on the wording of their vow. They knew it was their declaration before the alter and the Gods, and wanted to insure that they put into words the depth of their love for each other. They had also composed the response, which Amana would say, that would consecrate the union.

Amana stood before the alter then turned to face Buffy and Willow before beginning the sanctification with the words, “these promises have been made by you in the presence of the sun and the moon, by fire and by water, by day and by night, by land and by sea. With these vows you have promised to yourselves and to the God and Goddess that neither will command the other; that neither will possess the other. You will be partners in all you thoughts, deeds and duties. If one drops the load, the other will pick it up. If one shames the other, her own honour will be forfeit, for untold generations, until she repairs what was damaged, and finds that which was lost. If you fail to keep these oaths which you have taken today, the elements will rise up, seek you out, and destroy you.”

Amana turned to Aiofe and Bridie, and said, “you who have been called to witness these vows have you done so with honesty and love in your breasts?”

“We have,” replied both women.

“As witnesses to this union it may become your duty to assist this couple in living up to their vows. Do you undertake this task willingly?”

“We do.”

“Then recite your vows, and become true witnesses before the Gods.”

Aiofe and Bridie then turned and took up positions, one to either side of Buffy and Willow, and facing each other, orienting themselves so that all four of them were lined up with the quarters. They then said together, “Buffy, Willow, I have agreed with love in my heart to witness your union of love. I pledge to bare true witness to any and all to the strength of your vows. I pledge to help and assist you so that you are able to fulfil your vows, if you should ever need that help. I accept this burden joyfully since it is a burden of love. I accept this duty willingly since it is a true symbol of trust. And I will do all that I can to live up to this trust that you have placed in my hands.”

Grael then began the final litany to the couple, “Willow, Buffy, you have vowed to consider each other to be your partner in all things, for all time. I ask you one final time is this your true and faithful wish?”

“It is,” replied both young women.

“Blessed be,” responded all of the people in the circle and in the room.

Grael then took his dagger and cut the cords that bound Buffy and Willow’s hands. Then he took each woman’s right hand and carefully made a cut across her palm. Once he was certain that the wounds were bleeding he looked up at both of them saying, “the vows you made will now be bound forever by the mingling of your blood.” Grael then had Willow and Buffy clasp their right hands together; he then clasped both of his hands around theirs saying, “I now seal your wounds, and with that seal you vows and declare you one before the Gods and your community.” He concentrated and used a small amount of heat to sear the wounds, leaving a small pale scar.

“Blessed be,” responded all of the people in the circle and in the room.

“I love you,” whispered both women as they leaned forward to kiss their spouse, to the cheers and congratulations of everyone in the room.

Aiofe and Bridie then came forward and handed the newlyweds new robes of pure white silk, trimmed with blue, red and gold knot work. Willow wrapped a pure white cord three times around her body before tying it, while Buffy wrapped a silver and grey cord once. As they were dressing, Amana and Grael once again gathered up the power that they had raised, in preparation for the closing of the ritual. They thanked the quarters, and then dismissed them. They thanked the God and Goddess, and asked them to continue to look out for the newlyweds, and the community that they had joined. They then released the power that they had raised before they broke the circle, ending the ritual, and beginning the party.

And party they did. The tables were once again set up in the common room while Lynda, and the other kitchen staff, began to bring out platters laden with food. The bar was opened and ale, wine and cider began to flow merrily. Aiofe and Bridie were responsible for the organization and running of the party, and had stationed themselves behind the bar in an effort to maintain some semblance of control. Everyone knew that the party was going to degenerate into a wild time for all; it was their job to make sure that everyone enjoyed the trip.

Once everyone was seated, the feasting began. Fish, fowl and beef were all served with breads, pastas and boiled grains. Puddings and stews were offered, along with salads and jellies. Everything was wonderful and several animated conversations were conducted simultaneously. It was an ideal forum for bonding the villagers to Willow’s strike force. At the head table Buffy and Willow sat with Frankel, Grael and Amana; there were also places for Aiofe and Bridie, however neither woman was able to remain in them for very long.

Then the dancing began, everyone danced with everyone else until the entire community nearly dropped from exhaustion. Once everyone had burned off their excess energy, they all resumed their seats while the cooks brought out the cake, and pitchers of mulled cider. Buffy and Willow then called their bridesmaids over, to sit beside them, as the gifting began. Each family took their turn to come up to the happy couple, congratulate them and offer them a small handmade token. The newlyweds received items such as preserves, shawls, sweaters and other handicrafts. Buffy and Willow took the time to greet each family, and to find out more about who they were, what they did and what their reactions to the war were.

Finally, Amana and Grael came up to the happy couple. They embraced after which Amana said, “ladies, I don’t have a craft for you. However, we have noticed that the two of you have been coping with a lot over the last few weeks, so I have arranged for the two of you to have a little getaway. I’ve found a small cottage at the north end of the valley, about six kilometres away, and have arranged for the two of you to stay there for the next three weeks. It will give you some time to unwind and recharge before winter, and let you catch up on your rest, which as your midwife I know you need.”

Buffy and Willow were both stunned by the thoughtfulness of the gift. They would be able to take a true honeymoon, and spend some time to put into context all of what had been happening. Willow summed up the feelings of both of them by replying with a simple, “thank-you, for everything.”

It was now well after midnight and the party was beginning to wind down. Willow, Buffy, Aiofe and Bridie took their leave and headed up to their rooms to try to get some sleep, Amana had indicated that the two newlyweds would be heading to their honeymoon cottage in the morning.

<Are you up for a little work?> Willow asked as they approached the door to their room.

<Depends.>

Willow turned to their friends and said, “I don’t think any of us want to wait three weeks or more. If you still desire it, we will give to you our gift tonight.”

Aiofe and Bridie turned and looked at each other, both with relief written on their faces. They had hoped that they would receive their gift, but were not willing to ask knowing how tired Buffy and Willow would be. Now their desires, dreams and hopes would be answered.

“Oh yes,” they both said together, “we still desire it, and thank you. Are you sure it won’t be too tiring?”

“No problemo,” answered the Arch-Mage, “I’ve got three weeks to catch up on my sleep.”

The three women entered their room noticing that some thoughtful soul had built up the fire in addition to providing several pitchers of water along with clean glasses.

“Ah,” said Buffy, “that’s so nice of whoever.”

“I agree,” said Bridie, “I never even thought about it.”

“Now ladies,” said Willow, “I need you in your birthday suits and on the bed.”

“Yes boss,” replied Aiofe with a giggle as she and Bridie rapidly shed their clothing.

“Now,” continued Willow once Aiofe and Bridie had settled on the bed, “Buff, you stand on the far side of the bed; ladies you hold hands and let’s get this on.”

Willow took up a position across from Buffy, <now lover, I need you to hold my hand, and put your other hand on Aiofe’s belly, just below her bellybutton.>

Buffy did as instructed, meanwhile Willow looked deep within both women searching for their fallopian tubes. “This is way too weird,” she thought to herself, “maybe I should take up anatomy, I’d be certain to get an A.”

She found what she was searching for, the egg cell which was accompanied by its usual collection of nurse cells. <Buff, do you see this?>

<Yep, now what?>

Both women then worked together, first to isolate the cells, then to create pure sterile water in a glass. Willow then transferred the eggs to the pure water, keeping track of them at all time. Using her knowledge of biology and her skill as a mage she then forced the two egg cells together, and started the process of mitosis thinking, “genes are genes, now let’s get this dance going.”

Willow watched carefully as the two groups of chromosomes fused together to form the zygote, then as that one cell divided several times, finally, after three hours, and with little time left in the night, she carefully split the zygote, to create two identical bundles of eggs, which would, in approximately two hundred and sixty days, turn into a set of identical twin girls.

Waking Buffy, Aiofe and Bridie who had all fallen asleep hours earlier, she then worked with her lover to transfer a zygote back to the fallopian tubes of each woman, to reunite it with its nurse cells for the journey to the uterus and eventual implantation.

“That’s it,” said Willow as she completed her task, “congratulations.”

Bridie summed up the feelings of both her and Aiofe by embracing Willow and whispering, “thank-you.”

“You’re welcome,” replied the arch-mage, “now, if the three of you don’t mind, I’m going to collapse. Buff, you can carry me to the cottage since I don’t think I’m going to wake for hours.”

In fact, all four women collapsed in sleep. Later that morning, three hours after dawn, the door to their room was gently opened and Amana looked around the edge of it. Seeing the four still forms on the bed she thought to herself, “let them sleep, we can always send them up to the cottage tomorrow.” Closing the door, she returned to the common room to let Grael and Daithi know that they wouldn’t be taking the newlyweds anywhere that day.

----------------------------------

Not far to the north of the village, about twenty-five kilometres away, a demon army was surrounding a small hamlet, in preparation for an attack that would happen at dusk.

Looking over the disposition of the troops in his command, the quasi-human Hugh thought to himself, “finally Junulak has agreed to get some information by force, rather than by stealth. Hopefully by tomorrow we will have the answers we need.”

Even farther away, in his stronghold, the demon lord was taking stock in the progress of the war to date. Sitting in his personal study, he reviewed several battle reports, making careful notations on a map of the area that occupied a large table in the centre of the room. It was a duplicate, in a smaller scale, of the map on the wall of the command room and he used it to work out plans before he presented them to either his superiors or to his generals. He frowned as he looked at one symbol on the map, which represented Junulak and his small force of demons. “I’ve got to resolve that issue, soon,” he thought to himself, rubbing his talon tipped hands together as he did so. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep the existence of a slayer secret from the command staff.

Turning to his desk and sitting down he continued his thoughts, “I’ll give Junulak one more month. If he doesn’t show any results by then I’ll eliminate him and his entire force along with anything or anyone else who knows about the slayer.”

Continued in Chapter XI

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