Xander was sitting on Kingman's bluff only a yards from the temple Willow had raised only a couple of month's ago. Every since that horrible night he had felt drawn there, not that any of his friends were there to notice they had all gone with Willow to England. He spent most of his time out there now, going so far as setting up a semi-permanent camp. He had been changed by the earth energies that Willow had sent into him, what she had taken time to prepare for he was thrust in; like diving into glacial waters.
He had done as much research as humanly possible, delving deep into the books at the Magic shop, and as far as he could tell this was the first time in written history that something like this had happened. Oddly enough this came as no surprise to the young carpenter, he hadn't really expected to find any answers, at the time it felt like a waste of energy but he did it out of habit anyways. So instead he concentrated on the changes that had been invoked in him self. For one he found he was a lot more comfortable away from 'civilization' away from people, so a last month he quit his job and left his apartment.
After repairing the Magic shop he left a letter for each of his friends, all of them were different yet the same in that each was a farewell. Almost as though he knew he was leaving. He didn't even have to turn around to recognize the being behind him, if the voice wasn't enough he had sensed him the second he appeared. Ever since the Willow incident he had been slowly remembering little things.
"It's been five long years since we came to the agreement, five years and a lot of work for all of us." Skip's voice held a hint of pride; he had followed the young man's life closely. Angel was Whistler's pet project, Xander's his Skip knew he had chosen the better of the two. "The Power's have sent me to give you a chose, once again."
As Xander stood he scratched his chest, the burns had left their mark on him and he constantly found himself touching them, scratching them never able to leave it alone. To him they felt alive, as though they were moving with a will of their own. The feeling was very similar to the hyena possession so long ago, three is supposed to be a lucky number and he had been touched by strong earth magic's thrice in his 'career' as a demon hunter.
"Yes, and Gaia has taken notice of you, not only do you hold a reminisce of a strong animal spirit now you hold a portion of her energy with you. It is for that reason amongst other's that you are to be sent away."
Xander started at that, he thought all that mattered was the deal he had made so long ago.
Xander ran out of the library angry at his friends, angry at fate and the world around him. Pushing him self to run faster he charged out of the school doors, not know exactly where he was going only that he needed to go. Xander ran all the way to the Bronze before he stopped, putting his hands on his knees he bent down and started half gasping half crying. Eyes half closed he tried to think about how to find Buffy, how to save her life.
Male Oracle: "We heard your call Kal-El, and it could not be denied. He brings us a gift worth far more then any material object." Female Oracle: "His call is a screaming hurricane of wrath and desperation, a demand that must be acknowledged. He would erase what was once written."
Xander opens his eyes to find himself in a large open room, the large bricks are an off white color. Xander slowly turns around and see two strangely dressed.. demons(?) standing in front of a large archway that seemed to go on forever. A large brown demon (he was sure this time) coming towards them, he stopped behind the two human-looking demons(?). "Demand is such a strong word my Oracles, his scream wasn't directed at you just heard by all of us."
MO: "Yes, but that doesn't change the fact that we cannot change that which is written, the Slayer must die and the Hellmouth vented." FO: "Yes, what is written cannot be erased, but what was unwritten can be ignored. The Outsider can alter what has not been written"
The Oracles and the demon turn to look at Xander, who had begun to back away from them. "Ok, I don't know who the Kal-El guy is I'm sure he's a great guy and everything. Kudos on the empty room here, I can see you three are busy though so I'll just go."
MO: "Time grows short Kal-El and we have come to our decision, now it is time for you to choose." FO: "We shall lead you to one who can lead you to the Slayer, but our assistance comes at a price. You must swear to do us a favor."
Xander looks around again confused. "Ok, listen my name's Xander, but I so need all the help I can get. Is this some kind of Godfather thing? I mean am I going to have put a horses head in some ones bed or something?"
The oracles look at each other and blinked. MO: "That is not the name you were born with, the stars ring out your name Kal-El last son of Krypton. You were not born on this world, yet you shall be of this world. Thus you remain unseen in what is written." FO: "For us to help you, a choice has to be made by you. You must choose freely to go into our dept, once there it is up to us to discharge that dept."
Xander didn't understand at all, Kal-El… Krypton… his parents had told him they had found him in a corn field one day but he had assumed they were just being their normal cruel selves. It all came together in his mind, the meteor shower the way his parents both loathed and feared him. Xander's answer came from instinct alone. "Yes, I formal beseech the oracles aid in this matter."
The third demon walked slowly towards Xander, his hands out to his sides a huge smile on his face. Xander found himself unable to move, when the demon got about a foot away he stopped. "Hi, my name's Skip. I am sorry about this, you just can't remember." With that he put his hands on Xander's temples and an explosive pain shot through his skull. When he opened his eyes he was in front of an apartment door, with a cross in his hand and a plan in his mind.
Xander fell back screaming and clutching his head in pain, Skip sat watching with an almost casual disinterest. Waiting for the young man to come to stop, almost an hour passed before Xander moved again. "You fucking bastard, you knew what would happen and you didn't warn me."
Skip just shrugged, "I'm not interested in your pain, no more then I wanted it to come to this. What you have to understand is I'm here not only to collect the dept you owe me but to save your life. You're being sent away form the Hellmouth."
Xander looked up anger burning in his eyes, for a second his eyes glowed red and then he slumped forward. "Yes, it's that indomitable will that interests me. You fascinate Kal-El stuck down her with mortals that you should be far above, superior to. Yet here you are you chose this path and now you must follow through with it till the end."
"Fuck you, I made a deal with the Oracles not with you. Get out of my town demon and never come back. You're sick, stuck down here with mortals? I reveal in my mortality, I fight for those who can't." Xander stood up, swaying from side to side. If he had any strength at all he would have attacked Skip.
Skip slowly began changing first to the Male Oracle the to the Female. "I hold many forms and more names, I was created before any other. My place is at the feet of her throne, when I say go you go. I don't say these things to insult you, it amazes me power usually corrupts. Yet here you are, you could have left became powerful. Some part of you realized that long ago, but you chose to fight against the darkness."
"Now you must choose once more Kal-El." Skip waves his hand and three oval shaped portals appeared in front of Xander. "These are your options, now pick."
Xander went and peered into each one, the first lead into a world that was fully dominated by machinery clouds covered the sky above the earth. The second was lead into a vast and endless desert. The third and final portal was the most promising, a forest paradise, densely packed evergreens. Inside of the trees were wooden bridges that connected the trees and made a huge tree castle.
Xander looked over at Skip, and nodded. Skip smiled and waved his hand, all but the chosen portal disappeared. Xander looked down and saw his clothing had changed and there was a backpack and two large duffle bags beside him. "Good luck with these your trials, when your body has purged the influences of the Hellmouth then you shall be truly whole once more. Know that we are proud of you Kal-El, and remember we will be watching."
Xander didn't respond he just turned and entered the portal, leaving his adopted home and his family behind.
I didn't fully understand how drastically my life would change the second I walked through that portal. The differences between the world I had left and this one were both subtle and huge, back at home the energies within me were cut off from their source; locked within my body. This would manifest itself as pain in the scars left after Willow's attack, here though I was connected to the planet below me. She could feel me, and I her. Her song resonated through the burn marks on my chest.
I stood there on top of that ridge, the sun was just peaking out amongst the grove of trees I saw through the portal. I saw it all without seeing anything, my senses were tuned below me and not around me. It was like the sweetest drug, and I couldn't get enough. I could feel the burn on my chest pulsating, it was reshaping itself and changing. The feeling set my senses on fire, I could feel myself open in ways I had never imagined before. I reveled in the freedom this place offered me.
In retrospect it was a bad thing, my first indication of the danger surrounding me was a club to the back of my head. At the time I didn't have a name for the pig-like beasts that were set upon killing me. All I knew was I was in danger and I wasn't able to defend myself. Something deep within me snapped, the deep well of elemental energies within me seemed to come alive with purpose. Where before it was passive, responding to the energies below me now it was red, angry… ready to strike out.
I began to scream without knowing why, forcing the energy inside into a form instinctively calling something I still know little about. My screams were loud and primal, piercing into and through those attacking me. Forcing them to stop almost ready to flee, then a gargantuan stone hand rose out of the earth itself. It's coming was a force unto itself, the monsters were thrown back and off their feet. Seconds later the earthen hand grabbed two of them and closed, then smashed down on a group of cowering, whimpering ugliness.
The last thing I saw before falling into unconsciousness was the rest of them being hit with arrows. The hooting of an owl heralded each shot, they came almost impossibly fast. It was a true show of master archery, then nothing more for me for a long time. I had used up most of my energy summoning the earth elemental, even if it wasn't complete it was more then I should have been able to do I think my 'introduction' to Montolio went quite well, all things considered. Even though we were essentially complete opposites we got along quite well, the blind ranger saw more without his eyes then most people did with them. He made the perfect teacher for me, and I the perfect student to him. It didn't take long for me to grow accustomed to this way of life, no pollution and few distractions made life easier.
Orc hunting replaced patrolling for vampires, oh how they learned to fear and hate the two of us. It was only the two of us against the hoards of them, they began calling on their allies to aid in crushing us. With my aid though we had turned that forest glade into a death trap for anyone stupid enough to attack. Finally things evened themselves out, they stayed far away from us and we mostly kept to ourselves.
That all changed the day the third member of are group arrived, almost two years to a day after I got here. That's when everything took a drastic turn and events for Montolio and I grew more serious. I will never regret the actions we took though…