Alchemy – Chapter Three

“Have you heard of ‘The Ripley Scroll’?” The short, older man asked softly.

Giles shook his head. “No. Well, yes…I’ve heard of it in passing. I haven’t studied the Scroll.”

“Really?” John Crifo asked, disbelief in his tone.

Giles smiled, leaning his shoulder against the wall. “Really. I took a course in alchemy when I was at the Academy. Required learning, they said. I found it fairly…well, boring. I’ve never had to use it.”

John grinned and leaned back in his chair. “Until now.”

Giles laughed and nodded. He turned towards the door, pushing himself from the wall, as his very pregnant wife entered the room.

“Buffy.”

She smiled and shrugged a shoulder. “Anya said you’d be down here discussing symbology…so, I thought I’d come down as well.”

Giles chuckled softly. “Symbology?”

“Yeah…you know the symbols?” She rolled her eyes when she saw the laughter in his green irises. “Anyway…what have you found out?”

“Nothing. Yet.” Giles gestured to John. “We were just discussing the lack of knowledge I have in alchemy.”

Buffy shook her head and sat down. “Weird to think you have a lack of knowledge in anything.”

When John laughed softly, Buffy smiled. “Have you had a chance to look over the symbols?”

John nodded slowly. “I was just getting ready to go over my findings with Rupert. I think, in this instance and based on the order in which the symbols were carved, this is more metaphorical than alchemical.”

Buffy’s eyes widened and she glanced at Giles. “And I thought you spoke in annoyingly long sentences.”

Giles gave her a soft smile before turning back to John. “So, what are you thinking?”

John exhaled a deep breath. “I’m thinking this is something very nasty. And I’m thinking your Slayer may be in over her head.”

“Faith is not my Slayer.” Giles stated automatically.

“Of course, I meant no offense. I merely meant ‘your’ as – ”

Buffy smiled, waving her hand to interrupt the older man’s hasty apology. “No offense taken, Mr. Crifo. Giles knew what you meant. He, uh…still has a few unresolved issues with Faith.”

John nodded uncertainly. “Um, as I was saying…these symbols are taken directly from The Ripley Scroll. However, they are out of order. Something that a true student of alchemy would find very basic.”

He pointed at one of the symbols on the page. “Do you know what this symbol means?”

Giles nodded slowly. “It means ‘philosopher’s stone’. Which means nothing to me.”

“It means a great deal to me.” John stated softly.

Buffy grinned. “Which is why you’re the expert in alchemy.”

“Yes.” John smiled back at her. “Philosopher’s Stone…red stone, white stone. Elixir vitae, luna in crescent.”

Buffy’s grin faded as confusion sank in. “Huh?”

“Crescent moon, eternal life.” Giles responded quietly, his brow furrowed. “Red stone, white stone?”

“Blood cells, I think.” He pointed to another symbol and raised an eyebrow. “This one refers to ‘The Red Elixir Vitae’. Red stone, white stone…blood of eternal life. Not really alchemical in my opinion.”

Giles sat down and focused his eyes on another symbol. “And this one? Nearest I could come up with was ‘creation’.”

“Mm. That’s fairly correct, in its basic form. These were crudely carved. In what looks like the trunk of a redgum tree.”

“There are redgum plantations in Brazil, but I’ve not heard of them in Bolivia.”

Buffy turned and stared at Giles. “Why do you know there are redgum plantations in Brazil?”

Giles offered her an amused smile and shrugged a shoulder. John cleared his throat and ran his hand through his thinning hair.

“This is metaphorical. Blood of eternal life…”

“Vampires.” Buffy stated softly with a heavy breath. “I don’t know anything about alchemy, but vampires, I know…”

“Not just a normal group of vampires, Mrs. Giles.” John started quietly. “These are Creationist Vampires. They’re looking to create more…they’re elitists. Only the best will do. I suggest you speak with Faith and get her out of there now. She’s outnumbered and they won’t strike quickly. They’ll toy with her. They’ll make her beg for mercy. And then they’ll turn her.”

Buffy’s eyes widened. “What?”

Giles swallowed and lowered his eyes. “The only thing a Creationist craves more than the death of a Slayer by his mouth is the turning of a Slayer. And once the Slayer is turned by a Creationist…the results are devastating for everyone.”

Buffy stared at Giles incredulously. “You mean even more devastating than just dying or being turned by any vampire?”

Giles returned the stare. “Yes, precisely. Who knows the ways of the vampire better than the Slayer?”

Buffy’s stare softened. “The Watcher. My God, this has happened before, hasn’t it?”

Giles nodded slowly. “Get hold of Faith. Get her and her entire group out of Bolivia.”

“This is Faith, Giles. You know she’s not gonna just up and leave an entire nest of vampires! There has to be another way!”

“They’ll kill her, they’ll turn her. They’ll attack everyone who knows anything. The only way she’ll be able to make it out of Bolivia alive is to leave now.”

“And what if I can’t talk her into leaving?”

John exhaled slowly. “Because of the threat the Creationists cause, it has always been the way of the Council to destroy any settlements as soon as they are discovered.”

“What? How?” Buffy asked in a worried tone.

“Annihilation of the area.” Giles answered quietly. “There is really no other way. Creationist Sects are few and far between, however…when they’re found – it’s never a good sign.”

“Would Faith be able to survive? I mean, if she won’t leave?”

Giles met her eyes and slowly shook his head. “It’s complete decimation of the immediate area, Buffy. Nothing survives, that’s the point.”

Buffy stood up and began to pace. “How long do we have to get them out?”

Giles and John exchanged a quick glance. John spoke quietly. “Within twelve hours of discovery.”

“Shit!”

Giles tenderly took hold of her arm, stopping her movement. “I’ll send a team ahead of the clean-up crew.”

Buffy lifted her eyes and stared at him. “The ‘clean-up crew’? That’s what you call them?”

“I know it sounds terribly nonchalant, but it’s technically what they do. I can get an extrication team there no more than an hour and a half before the crew arrives. That’s the best I can do, Buffy.”

Buffy sighed heavily and thought for a moment. “Then I guess I’d better get on the phone and start arranging coordination points for the pick-up.”

As she pushed past him and headed to the door, he swore softly and called her name. She turned slowly, but didn’t speak. He took a deep breath, his eyes relaying his regret.

“I’m sorry, Buffy. This is…well, it’s protocol for purposes of safety.”

Buffy gave him a short nod. “I have calls to make. Hopefully, her cell is still working and the battery still has some life in it.”

“If you have trouble, let me know. There are…alternative ways of getting in touch with her.”

“Yeah, I know. But, the less magic, the better.”

She left the room without another word. He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. Shaking his head sadly, he pulled his mobile phone from his pocket and quickly dialled a number.

“Emergency meeting in my office. Liaisons for Extrications and Wet-Works required. Also, I need the last known positions of any associates within five hours travelling distance of Bolivia. My office, ten minutes.”

He snapped the phone shut and looked at John. “I’ll need you to explain your findings.”

“Of course.” He gestured towards the door. “Should you go after her?”

“No. She’ll come to my office as soon as she gets in touch with Faith. I think she’s too angry and upset at the moment. She, uh…she never understood the bureaucracy of the Council. I have to admit, I’m not all that comfortable with this.”

John tilted his head and regarded Giles closely. “It has to be done.”

“I know.” He made his way to the door and paused. “But I don’t have to like it.”

John sighed as Giles quickly left the room. “No. No, you don’t.”

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Buffy burst into Giles’ office. She stopped suddenly when everyone turned to stare at her. She cleared her throat and arched an eyebrow at her husband.

“When did your office turn into Defcon Headquarters?”

Giles furrowed his brow. “I’m sorry?”

Buffy waved a hand. “Nothing, nevermind. Listen…I explained everything to Faith and…she’s ready to go.” She turned her eyes to two men she instantly recognized as Special Ops. “Which of you is pick-up and who is clean-up?”

The young man on the right smiled softly. “I’m the Liaison Officer for Extrications, Mrs. Giles.”

“Then it’s you I need.” She shoved a piece of paper at him. “These are the coordinates that Faith gave me as possible pick-up sites. She’s going to split up her team into three groups…one group at each site. Take three bogeys…simultaneous pick-ups…and get them back here.”

Buffy smiled shyly when the officer raised an eyebrow, obviously impressed. “I used to work with a government agency…for a very brief time. Can this be done?”

“Yes, ma’am. I just need the clearance from Mr. Giles or Mrs. Clayton.”

Giles and Amelia looked at one another and, with a deep and nervous breath, Giles nodded. He turned and met the officer’s eyes.

“Clearance given.”

The young man nodded and stood quickly. “We should be able to leave in ninety minutes.”

“Very well.” Giles answered softly as the officer ran from the room. He turned and looked at his wife. “Buffy?”

Buffy smiled sadly. “Time to talk clean-up, right?”

When Giles merely nodded, Buffy moved to the chair next to his and carefully lowered herself. She looked up and took hold of his hand, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles.

“How does annihilation happen with these guys?”

Giles took his seat next to Buffy, lacing their fingers together. He gently squeezed her fingers as the process was explained to everyone in the room.

After all was explained, Buffy realized that there would be worse ways. At least they weren’t using napalm or atomic bombs. Daylight harnessed in the nosecones of the projectiles that would be dropped into the area would be the main weapon. The explosions themselves would take out the redgum plantation, along with the Creationist Temple that would undoubtedly be located somewhere within the forest.

Hopefully, Faith and Robin could keep their groups safe for another six hours.