He gripped the cliff face with hands bloody from the jagged edges of the rocks.
He could not remember how long he had climbed, how many times he had fallen. Or worse, been dragged down by the creatures from the pit.
He had forgotten more fight's then most immortals fought in there eternity.
Forcing his straining muscles he forced himself up several more inches of the rock face.
Opening his eyes he looked around at the walls of the pit he was in. It had taken him an eternity but he had almost reached the top. He had almost achieved his escape.
Looking down at the near bottomless pit he gazed over the empty, nearly razor sharp rocks he had climbed, from the multitude that had followed him up only four remained to follow in his steps. With a feeling of loss he thought back to the millions of faces that had gripped the small sliver of hope he had managed to conjure as they started the exodus so many centuries ago.
Shaking off the feeling he quickly turned his attention back to the task at hand, it had been he who had freed the shattered souls so long ago. In a fight that had raged from one side of hell to the other they had forced their way out.
He had led them to this pit and started the climb to the surface. So many had been pulled back to the fiery pits they were escaping, so many giving up hope and sliding back down into the flames.
So many lost because of him.
With rage fueling him he forced his way up again.
Looking up he could see the darkness of a cave, the cold welcoming world they had left so long ago.
He could not remember if it was an eternity or a day before he found himself unable to continue, no longer due to exhaustion but due to the barrier known as the hellmouth.
Waiting for the others in silence he watched the comings and goings of nightlife on the mortal plain.
As the last one reached the top they looked at each other in silence for a moment before nodding.
They knew what was required of them. They where the greatest warriors of the escape, the four generals of his army.
He did not care what their crimes were in life, he knew only that they had redeemed themselves through victory against Gog himself.
Placing their hands against the shimmering barrier the five beings pushed, they knew it would strip them of nearly all their powers, they knew it may well shatter there bery souls. They knew, and did not care.
As his fingertips felt the cold air of the mortal realm he felt his companions start to falter. Their strength was nearing an end.
With a surge he broke the barrier, once free he pulled himself to the edge before turning back, the four were holding on to the edge, lacking the strength to pull themselves to freedom.
Gripping the edge tightly he leaned down and gripped the hand of his oldest general. She had been with him from the beginning, she had watched as he had freed himself from the shackles of Abbedon. She had been the first to rally to his call. In the millenniums since that time neither had asked each others names, it simply wasn't important.
Pulling her up he made sure she was well back from the pit before returning.
This time he grabbed the newest of his generals, a man he had found in the Gladiator pits of Asforoth.
He wiped his forehead with his hand and brought it back with a mix of blood and sweat as he moved back to help the others.
His strongest General had made it up and the two of them helped up the last female, a woman he had brought out of the Abyss.
As the three of them moved back to the other two he idly watched as the hellmouth closed once more.
They rested for a moment before he wiped the blood away from his eyes and forced himself to his feet.
They had been walking towards the surface for several minutes before the first interruption stepped out in the form of several Vampires in full game face.
The lead Vampire looked at the five armored humans with a sneer. "Well boys, looks like dinner has been delivered." He said as he looked at them for a moment before shrugging "Eat the bastards and leave the two chicks for later… I think we need some company tonight"
The Warlord looked the vampires over with disdain before waving off the approach of the others.
The lead Vamp stared as only one moved up. He took a moment to look the human over again. He would almost swear the blood bag was smiling behind the mask.
The Warlord smiled as he slipped into a combat position.
The first move was made by the Warlord.
Moving forward with lightning speed he leapt into a flying clothesline, using his momentum he gripped the neck of the first vampire, swinging around he heard the sickening snap of the creature's neck as he landed a heavy kick to the nose of the second. The force of that impact shoving the nose bone up into the unfortunate creature's brain. Landing from the maneuver he continued to twist until the first vampire joined the second as dust on the cavern floor.
Dodging the clumsy blows of the third vampire he bided his time for mere seconds, ducking under a heavy haymaker the Warlord stepped behind and delivered a straight punch to the small of the creature's back. As the spine shattered the third vampire collapsed to the floor. A heavy kick to the neck ripped its head off before it dusted.
Turning he was mildly surprised when the fourth connected with a heavy right to the temple driving him to the floor. Blocking the follow-up kick he held the leg and lashed out with his own. As his kick connected with the vampire's knee he shoved the held leg away.
The momentum of the sudden twist in the vampire turned the break into something much more drastic as it forced the break to twist, fracturing the bone even more.
As the fourth collapsed the Warlord kipped to his feet, seeing the last two advancing he snap kicked the fourth in the head silencing his screams of pain as the vampire collapsed unconscious.
Snapping a quick jab to the fifth's nose he followed up by grabbing the jaw and jerking, forcibly dislocating the leech's jaw, he quickly followed up with a heavy cross that shattered it and dropped the creature to the floor.
His attention to five nearly cost him as the last vampire pulled a heavy hunting knife and closed carefully with the human that had decimated his children.
Dancing back from the knife slash the Warlord considered his options for several seconds before moving.
As the vampire jabbed again the warrior stepped foreward and grabbed the knife hand in a steel grip, twisting it around behind the vampire's back he grabbed a handful of hair and jerked the head backwards into the blade.
As the vampire collapsed the Warlord pulled a light katana loose and quickly severed the creature's head from its body, it was followed by the fourth and fifth vampires.
Taking a moment to calm himself he quickly wiped the blade clean of dust before returning it to the sheath on his back.
Less than two minutes since the start of the fight the five warriors continued toward the surface
The five walked out of the crypt and as one stared at the sky.
He remembered the last time he had seen it, it was a clear night like this as he and willow where on there way to the Bronze.
Breaking himself from the sight he slowly reached up and pulled the guard away from his mouth and nose.
For the first time in uncountable centuries he breathed air that was free of the stench of demons.
The five stood like that for several minutes before the pains of there past returned.
Taking one last deep breath he returned the guard and moved through the graveyard.
It was several minutes later that the five stood outside a house and looked at the strangers that lived there. A lifetime ago this was his house, his home.
Now it belonged to someone else. For the first time he actually doubted if returning was a wise choice.
Forcing the doubt away he steeled himself and turned to the other four.
None of them remembered when they had last spoken, over the years of fighting they had formed a type of connection with each other.
"So?" he grated out with unused vocal cords "Where to now?"
His first general looked at the others before back at him "School?" she questioned as he thought for a moment.
Making the decision he nodded and the five fell silent again as the melted into the night.
They where halfway there when the sound of a fight drew there attention to a blonde fighting three vampires.
Buffy was beginning to tire, she had dealt with two of the vampires but the last three where proving harder to stake.
A roundhouse kick dropped one.
Moving to finish it off She failed to notice one of the other two rip a gravestone out of the earth.
The five watched the fight for a moment as the blonde managed knock one down, the warlord sighed internally as she lost situational awareness, he realized she would die if he didn't intervene as the vampire hefted the huge chunk of granite over his head.
Stepping forward he pulled a small length of carbon black chain, calculating the distance he lashed out.
One end of the chain was attached to his bracer, the other was attached to a heavy spear head.
As the spearhead embedded itself in the vampires back the warlord jerked the creature away from the blond.
Slipping the Katana out he slashed the legs out of the creature before reversing the swing and taking the six inches from his head.
Buffy finished staking the fallen vampires before reversing he grip and stabbing the second as he came up beside her.
Turning to face the last she noticed the gravestone on the ground of the now empty graveyard.
Watching the blond from the shadows he turned a questioning look to his second in command.
With a nod of understanding she led the general from Asforoth towards the school.
Leading the other two they trailed the blond as she made her patrol.
The Warlord glanced over as his returning second in command slid up beside him and slowly shook her head.
He nodded once as he thought about what to do next, the school was no longer the base, which meant they had to first find the base they were now using. With a sigh he nodded to the four with him.
With a quick nod the four generals headed around the house.
As he watched them go, the Warlord felt the hair on the back of his neck rise, twisting about he glared into the cold eyes of the blonde he had been following.
Dropping low he lashed a kick out to her head, and slowly stood up as the blow passed through her.
The blonde stared at him for several seconds before smiling. "If your gonna kill them in there, leave the blonde alone." she said before smiling and moving foreword "I can make it worth your while."
The warlord could feel the mental persuasion the specter was forcing on him as it moved closer. Focusing his mind he pulled up thoughts of hell and forced them back along the strands the creature had used to enter his mind.
Flinching back the first lost control of its form and shifted to a dark cloud before shifting back to the blond. "You're strong; perhaps I could persuade you to work for me." She offered as the Warlord stared at her for a second before turning back to the house.
The specter stared at him for several seconds before shifting to the dark cloud again. "This planet is dead, my Toruk-Han will sweep the life from the face of the earth and darkness shall reign for all time." It growled.
The Warlord turns and pointedly flips the Dark cloud off before moving from the shadows towards the house leaving an enraged cloud behind him. Walking up the steps of the large house he took a breath before knocking on the door.
Xander groaned as he shifted around the SiT's and opened the door. "Yeah can I help…" he stopped as he looked at the figure before him.
A black burka covered the stranger's face and neck, while an armored grey chest plate and shoulder pads where mostly hidden by the dark Gi. With the Carbon black chain wrapped around him and armored leggings combined with the short Katana by his side and the dual Dark Wushu swords on his back the figure was more then a little imposing.
With a grin Xander took a step back. "So, I guess the Pizza's gonna be late." He said as he took several steps back.
Stepping over the threshold the Warlord looked around as the young women jumped for weapons before looking back at the dark haired youth. "I need the slayers help to open the hellmouth."
Xander stared at the figure for a moment before turning back into the house. "BUFFY IT'S FOR YOU!"