Do You Take This Vampire?
(Highlander/Xena/Last Vampire/Roar/Robin Hood/King And Raven)
by Ben Church
b_church@yahoo.com
Feedback! Please!
I don't own Fergus, Will, or Michael or Macleod or Gabriel or
Methos or Sita or Amanda. Here we go!
Tut went over the last minute arrangements with Sita.
They'd both opted for a small ceremony with friends. Since Sita
was basically agnostic, and Tut had not been able to find anyone
with knowledge of Ancient Egyptian Marriage Ceremonies, they
settled for a justice of the peace. Not terribly romantic, but
they didn't mind. They would bring their own romance to the
wedding in the form of their vows.
The caterer was hired, the band as well. All the plans had
been made.
"If I'd made more friends I could have had a bridal
shower." Sita mused. "But my lifestyle didn't quite accommodate
that."
"No, I suppose not." Tut agreed, remembering how she was
when they'd been reunited. She'd mellowed considerably since then.
"However, I've been informed that you will still have a bridal
shower."
"What?"
"Gabrielle and MacLeod's lady friend are planning it. They
didn't tell you?"
"No I haven't-" The phone rang.
Sita picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
"Hello, is this Alisa?"
"Yes it is, who's this?"
"This is Gabrielle, Tut's friend." came the voice on the
phone. "I called to confirm plans for a bridal shower."
Sita grinned and looked at Tut. "You've got the strangest
timing." she whispered to him.
"I know."
"Mac!" Tut shouted. "Over here!" He'd come to meet his newest
Immortal friends, Connor and Duncan Macleod and Amanda at the airport.
The two Macleods headed for his position.
"Congratulations." Duncan said, as they reached him.
"Thanks Duncan." his smile faded, and his tone turned more
somber. "I'm sorry about Richie."
Duncan's face darkened. "Thanks."
Connor sighed. "Let's not all get depressed." he said. "Show
me this fiancee of yours."
"Gladly." Tut said, smiling again.
"This is going to feel weird." Seymour said, shaking his head.
"Why? You've never thought about one day giving away a bride?"
"Oh sure," Seymour grinned. "But my daughter. Not a woman
who's several millennia my elder!"
"Don't be making age jokes mortal." Sita smiled. "I know all
your deepest darkest secrets. I could ruin you. Or kill you with my
little finger."
"Sita," Seymour reminded her. "You ARE my deepest darkest
secret."
"So how'd you two meet?" Connor asked, on the way to the
hotel. Sita was going to meet them there. Tut and Sita had agreed
that immediately after the honeymoon, they would buy a house. The
apartment was just too, poor.
"Um," Tut paused. He had discussed with Sita whether or not
to tell them. "It's a long story." he said.
Sean Fogerty reeled in response to the huge Quickening he
sensed, immediately after setting foot into the terminal at National
Airport. FOUR Immortals were nearby, in fact, they were congregating.
"Terrific," he thought. "This I don't need. It was all I
could to explain to mom and dad how I know a guy in LA who invites
me to his wedding. Sigh."
He knew he couldn't run, they'd already sensed him. He sighed
and lugged his suitcase to the baggage check.
He saw them out of the corner of his eye. A large, bald man
with a mustache, an attractive woman with reddish blond hair, a man
with black hair, and another with red hair. They'd seen him.
Fortunately for Sean, they seemed to have no more interest in
a fight than he.
"Sheez," Sean thought. "I've been Immortal for less than a
year. Is this how my life's gonna be? Jumping every time I sense
another Immortal? Wish Tut had been able to stay longer. I could use
some more training."
June 1997
Sean clung to the cliff-face, swiftly reconsidering his
decision to go hiking by himself. Or, more specifically, to try to
scale the cliff he was now hanging from.
"Okay," he thought. "No more handholds. Fine, I can handle
this. I'll just go back. No problem."
It was probably the "No Problem" that doomed him. No sooner
had he thought it, then the holds he was using, all collapsed at once.
He didn't feel much when he landed.
A little while afterward, he awoke. Then he felt the pain.
He tried to sit up, but his head began swimming and buzzing all at
once, and his stomach dropped out.
"Sorry about that," a voice said. "The Quickening plus the
healing can be a bitch. I've been there."
In surprise, Sean shot into a sitting position, and immediately
regretted it. His back and legs and neck gave loud cracks, and he was
certain they were snapping back into place.
"Easy," the voice cautioned. "The first time is always the
worst. Give yourself time to heal."
Sean decided to try to open his eyes. Crouched before him,
once his vision cleared, he saw a young man, not much older than him,
with long black hair.
"Uh," Sean tried to say hello, but his voice wasn't
cooperating.
"I've got something very strange, and very important to tell
you."
Present
It had been a very strange thing, but when Tut demonstrated the
healing, well, Sean had become a believer. Sean had been one of the
few lucky ones. His "death" had been unwitnessed, therefore his life
had been undisrupted. So far. He knew that couldn't last, but Sean
didn't want to think about that.
His apprehension heightened when the other four Immortals
boarded the same plane he did. They were flying first class of course.
"They must be old." he thought. Then he sighed. He couldn't avoid it
forever. He might as well find out their intentions.
He headed for first class, feeling slightly self conscious.
The four sensed him coming, but did not let on. He stopped by
their seats and waited for them to acknowledge his presence. When they
did, he introduced himself.
"My name is Sean Fogerty." he told them. "I'm not looking for
a fight, and I hope you aren't either."
The bald man's eyebrows shot up in recognition. "Pleased to
meet you." he smiled. His voice bore a trace of an Irish Accent.
"I'm Fergus, this is Michel De Verduer, Gabrielle, and Will Scarlet."
Now it was Sean's turn to start in recognition. "THE Will
Scarlet?" he asked incredulously. "As in Robin Hood and his Merry
Men?"
Will grinned ruefully. "I'm never gonna get rid of that Merry
Man moniker am I?"
"It's really good to meet you Sean." Gabrielle said, shaking
Sean's hand. "Are you going to Tut's Wedding?"
Sean shook his head in amazement. "You're all friends of Tut?"
"That we are." Michel said. "Tut's told us about his new
student."
"That's more than he told me." Sean told them. "But then, he
wasn't able to stay long. I'm hoping to catch up on some training after the
wedding."
"I don't see why not." Fergus said. "Maybe we could give you
some pointers as well. We were all warriors when we were mortal."
"Well," Gabrielle corrected him. "Primarily I was a bard, but
I had my share of battles."
Tut hung up the phone with a sigh. "That was the Sunnydale
crew." he told Sita. "They thank us kindly for the invite, but
apparently the Slayer's run off, so they can't make it."
"Anything we need be concerned about?" Sita asked pointedly.
"Nope," Tut assured her. "Apparently it was trouble at home.
Her mom found out she was the Slayer and reacted badly. Beyond that,
no one knows."
"Ouch."
"Yeah."
Fergus was beginning to feel left out. Of his companions, he
alone was not associated with anyone truly famous. Michel had known
Arthur and his knights, and Merlin. Gabrielle had fought alongside
Hercules himself. And of course Will had been one of Robin's band.
And this new, untested Immortal Sean, was absorbing their stories
like a sponge.
"I'm sorry?" he was jolted from his brooding by Sean asking him
a question."
"I was hoping you could tell me what Ireland was like before
Christianity was forced on you." the young Immortal said. "I've always
been interested in that time period."
Fergus smiled. "I was hoping I'd get a turn at storytelling."
Sita sat in a chair by the bed, reading an Anne Rice book. She
loved the Vampire Chronicles for the same reason she'd loved Dracula.
The Mayfair Witches saga was another favorite of hers.
Tut lay sleeping soundly, she was glad he didn't snore. As a
Vampire, she needed only three hours of sleep. She hadn't told Tut
that. It was the only secret she kept from him.
She didn't mind though. Yesterday they'd gone to see the movie
Armageddon. The song by Aerosmith "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"
summed up her feelings nicely.
Tomorrow night would be the Bridal shower and the Bachelor
Party. Tomorrow morning the final guests would arrive. She set the
book down and looked at Tut.
She wondered if she would start getting "cold feet". But she
was fairly sure that wouldn't happen. She smiled to herself. Krishna,
it seemed had finally smiled upon her, and given her a love that could
last for all time.
Sean was jolted awake at the sound of a food cart being wheeled
down the aisle. The jetlag was starting to set in. But the plane
would landing soon the captain told him. Then he'd be able to adjust
to the time change.
Tut sat impatiently in the terminal, waiting for the
announcement of the arrival of his friends' flight. He could hardly
wait to see them again, they were some of his oldest friends, and his
newest protege.
He must have missed the announcement, for he heard voices behind
him that immediately alerted him to his friends' presence's. That and
the multiple quickenings.
Greece, BC
Tut hit and rolled, coming to his feet in one smooth
motion. He neatly caught the sword that had been knocked out of
his hand into the air, just before he'd been thrown to the ground.
His opponent smiled slightly and attacked again. He
parried with a grunt and counterattacked. Feinting, he made as if
to over extend his reach again. The gambit worked. He pulled back
quickly and brought his sword against his opponent's throat.
"Not bad." she said. Lowering her sword. "Lesson's over
for today."
Tut smiled with relief, then sheathed his own sword. "Dare
I hope I'm improving?" he asked. "I know you let me win."
Xena shook her head. "Of course I let you win. But don't
let that get to you. You're a natural. In less than a month
you'll be beating me for real."
"I find that hard to picture." Tut grinned. "To my knowledge,
you've never been defeated in battle."
"Hercules beat me." Xena admitted.
"Doesn't count. He's half God."
They headed back to camp, where Gabrielle was amusedly watching
Joxer try to start a fire.
"Ten to one when he does get one going," Gabrielle whispered to
Tut. "That he'll set the whole forest on fire, and only the fire
circle will remain untouched."
"I heard that!" Joxer complained. He threw down the flint in
his hand. "How can I create fire when I'm constantly surrounded by
skeptics?"
"Apparently," Tut smiled. "You can't."
"Exactly!" Joxer exclaimed. He immediately set to work once
more.
"Joxer," Gabrielle groaned. "Please let someone else do it!"
"Not a chance." Joxer grunted. "I'll prove to you I can start
a fire!"
Tut sat down and waited. He expected to be waiting a while,
but finally Xena ran out of patience and started a fire quickly.
Tut had come to Xena a month ago, after completing his training
with Methos. He had taken his first head, but only just barely. He'd
begun scouring the world for people to teach him, and when he'd heard
of Xena's prowess, he'd come looking for her.
It hadn't taken long to convince her to teach him. All he'd
had to do was save Gabrielle's life. Since then, they'd become great
friends.
"So what do you think you'll do when you get through here?"
Gabrielle asked Tut. "Go find someone else to teach you?"
"Probably."
Xena wondered for the hundredth time why it was so vitally
important that he learn to be a warrior. Then she saw him tense.
"What's wrong?" she asked, a split second before she heard the
rustling in the brush.
A tall, sinister looking man came out of the bushes, his sword
drawn. Tut drew his sword as well, as did Xena. She stepped
protectively in front of Joxer, Gabrielle and Tut.
"What do you want?" she asked suspiciously.
"Those two." The man said, pointing to Tut and Gabrielle in turn
with his sword. "Let me have them and you and your buffoon," he
sneered at Joxer. "Will be allowed to live."
Xena grinned in anticipation of the fight to come. "I don't
think that's gonna happen." she said.
"Xena." Tut said calmly. "Let me handle this."
Xena looked surprised. "What? Do you know him?"
"No." Tut said. "But trust me. This is not your fight. No
matter what happens, you mustn't interfere."
Xena didn't understand, but did trust him. "If you lose.
"I'll kill him."
"Of that I have no doubt." Tut smiled wryly. He approached the
man. "I am Tutahnkammen."
"I am Kahn." the man said. He was, by Tut's guess, from Tibet.
"We should take this away from prying eyes." Tut said.
"No." Kahn grinned. "Let them see our power. I've heard of
this Xena. She can handle the shock."
"Fine." Tut said. And without further banter, he attacked.
Xena watched the fight with mixed emotions. While she was
impressed with Tut's skill, no small amount of it due to her, she was
also annoyed that she didn't know what was going on. She held her
breath as for a moment, it looked as if the other man would win. But
at the last minute, Tut used another move Xena had taught him.
He flipped over the man's head, slashing at him as he came
down. Kahn screamed as Tut's sword raked down his back, almost
dropping his own sword. He spun to attack Tut, but the boy was already
gone. He'd dropped and rolled back in front of the man. Rising, he
ran Kahn through.
Grunting, Kahn dropped his sword. Tut kicked away and withdrew
his sword.
"There can be only one." Tut muttered. He beheaded Kahn.
Xena's eyes widened. The discharge of lightening was unlike
anything she'd ever seen. She reached Tut's side when the storm ended.
He knelt, gripping his sword, sucking in each breath as he recovered
from whatever it was had happened.
"What in Zeus' name are you?" She asked him, helping him up.
"That's kind of a long story." he started.
Ireland, 4th century AD
"Got to hand it to you." Tut said to Gabrielle. "The trick with
the cuffs worked great."
"Thanks." Gabrielle smiled. "Can't lay claim to it though.
Autolycus taught it to me."
"Autolycus." Tut grinned. "Didn't realize you knew him."
"You met him?" Gabrielle smiled. "Why does that not surprise
me?"
"You know," Tut mused. "Now that you mention it, that move did
look familiar. Autolycus taught me a few tricks as well."
Gabrielle sank down on a rock, sighing in exhaustion. "Remind
me never to swim that far again." she said.
"Only if you remind me never to get myself captured by Roman
Slavers again." Tut grumbled. He set his head in his hands, sighing.
What was supposed to have been a harmless visit to his homeland
had turned into a very trying experience. Arrested for some imagined
offense (something about not having the proper clearances for travel or
something), he and his friend had been sold into slavery, and had
escaped from the ship on it's way to one of the larger Islands off the
Western Coast.
"So where are we now?" Tut wondered aloud.
"Who knows?" the younger Immortal answered. "I thought for a while we were headed
to Britannia," she shuddered, she'd not enjoyed her last trip there. "Could be some uncharted
Deserted Isle."
"Well it's not deserted." Tut disagreed. "This trail must have
been made by somebody."
Two days later:
The crowd cheered as Gabrielle knocked the larger man off his
feet once again.
Tut stood by, shaking his head. "I almost feel sorry for him."
"Don't." Connor said. "Fergus challenged her, now he has to
deal with it."
Soon after their arrival on the island, Tut and Gabrielle had
been found by Connor and his friend, Fergus. It seemed that this
Island was only beginning to feel the Romans' presence, and Connor
was leading United Clans in an effort to stop them.
Though offered a way off the island, Tut and Gabrielle refused.
Both had had their respective lands conquered by the Romans, and they
were eager to help prevent it from happening again.
Gabrielle and Fergus had hit it off right away, trading stories
of their respective battles. Finally, Fergus had lightheartedly
challenged her. Connor assured Tut that is was a high compliment.
Gabrielle extended her hand to the big warrior. He glared
ruefully at it, then accepted it. She helped to his feet with apparent
ease.
"Good fight." she smiled. "To tell you the truth, I haven't
had a challenge like that in...a long time."
"Oh," Fergus grumbled. "I'm glad I could be of service."
"Aw c'mon Fergus!" Tully, a black, former Roman Slave grinned.
"Don't be such a sore loser!"
"Somebody help me!" a man at the entrance of the camp
shouted. He staggered in, blood pouring from his shoulder.
"By Zeus!" Gabrielle exclaimed. She rushed to the man's
side with the others close behind.
Caitlin caught the man's right shoulder while Gabrielle
applied pressure to the wound.
"Get us some clean rags and water now!" Tut called. He
then rattled off a list of herbs."
"Galen had some of those I think." Tully said, and ran to
fetch them.
"You know something about medicine?" Fergus guessed.
Tut smiled wryly. His people had practically invented
modern medicine, though the Christians had almost put a stop to it,
claiming it was the devil's work. "I know a bit." he admitted.
"I know this man." a woman standing nearby said. "His
village was not far from mine."
Despite his distress, the man laughed. "Was is the right
word. We refused to surrender to the Romans. In fact, we'd just
made the decision to join you in your alliance, when we were raided
in the night. They burned the village to the ground, and only I
escaped."
"What happened to the others?" Connor asked softly, afraid
of the answer.
"They were taken to the fortress, to be sold as slaves."
Connor's face darkened, as did everyone else's. "That's not
going to happen." he swore.
"There's the convoy." Connor said pointing. He and Fergus
were crouched, hidden. The others were hiding further ahead, waiting
to ambush the Romans.
"There's only about ten of them." Fergus said. "Not counting
the villagers. Does this seem too easy to you?"
"Yes." Connor said. "We need a plan."
"Do you really think they'll attack?" one Roman asked.
"Certain of it." his Commander told him. "They couldn't resist
the bait. Wait till they find out the villagers are really my spies."
Longinus sighed. He wondered if this trick would work any
better than any other plan. He could care less. All he cared about
was that there were others on the Island who were cursed almost as he
was. Perhaps their way out of their curse would work for him. Who
knew?
Tut knew right away something was wrong, as did Gabrielle. It
was just too easy. "There has to be a catch." Tut said. Then he saw,
there were no women or children in the convoy. But his observation
came too late. They attacked.
The people being herded to be slaves cast off their cloaks and
attacked.
"I knew it!" Gabrielle shouted over the noise of battle. She
knocked out two with her staff.
"Hey Gab!" Tut grinned. "Here's a move I bet you haven't seen
for a while!" He leaped up on one of the Roman's shoulders and
proceeded to knock people out from his perch.
"Hey!" the female Immortal shouted indignantly. "You never
told me that Iolus taught you that!"
As the battle progressed, Tut noticed that he and Gabrielle were
slowly being herded in a specific direction. Suddenly, they found that
the roman soldiers were leaving them alone.
"Greetings." Longinous said.
Tut was stunned. He recognized this man. He had been at the
crucifixion. He had stabbed the unfortunate Galalian in the side with
his spear.
"Who are you?" Gabrielle asked. She had not been present at
the event, she'd been back in Greece, searching for any sign of her
Gods. She'd found none.
"I am Longinous." the man said. "And like you, I have been
cursed with Immortality."
"You're not like us." Tut told him. "We can sense our own
kind."
"Perhaps not. But I ask you anyway, kill me."
"What?" the Egyptian asked, incredulously.
"Kill me. I have searched for death all over, and not found
it. My hope is that you, who are most like me will be able to deliver
it."
Tut looked at his companion, who shrugged. Tut nodded, and
turned to the Roman.
"Very well." he said. "I hope this frees you." He swung his
sword, slicing cleanly through the man's neck, in a blow that should
have taken off his head. But it did not. The wound healed before the
blow was fully struck. Longinous sighed.
"Thank you for trying." he said. "I'm almost resigned to my
fate now." He turned and shouted an order to the Romans in Latin.
The battle was over.
"Perhaps we shall meet again." the old man said.
Some Centuries Later, Somewhere in England
The buzz came over him as he rode down the road. The fog was
still heavy, but Tut could just make out a body lying in the road.
He reigned in, and dismounted.
The wound on the young man's stomach was already healed, but he
hadn't woken yet. The buzz was weak, the wound had been his "first".
With a gasp, the man came to. His eyes darting to older
immortal.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "What happened?"
"I was hoping you could answer that question to me." Tut said.
"I found you here, a fatal wound in your stomach." Tut explained about
Immortals, and proved it to the man, by cutting his hand.
"My name is Tutankhamen." he introduced himself. "What's
yours?"
"Michel De Verduer." he said.
"Strange," Tut said. "You don't quite look French to me."
Michel sighed. "I am not. I was born Micah of Greenfarm.
It's long story."
"One I'd like to hear." Tut smiled. "We have time. But tell
me, who was it killed you? And, you seem to be accepting your
Immortality quite well."
"To answer your second question, I have witnessed Sorcery first
hand, so this kind of magic is not so unusual. To answer your first
question, it was a large man, a barbarian. He wore the skull of an
animal on his head as a helmet."
"The Kurgan." Tut's blood ran cold. "You're fortunate to be
alive. I wonder why he spared you?"
"Beneath his notice maybe?" Michel suggested.
"We should get out of here." Tut said. "I don't sense him, but
he may come back to finish the job."
Still More Centuries Later, Sherwood Forest
"Are you ready Tut?" Will asked. The were perched above the
road, waiting for a man on horseback to ride under them.
"Indeed Infidel." Tut grinned.
Will sighed. "I'm never going to get you to stop calling me
that am I?"
"No."
"Well never mind then. Let's go!" Will jumped out of the tree
just as the quickening hit Tut.
"No Will wait!" Tut laughed. Then, realizing it was too late,
leaped from the tree after him.
Michel swore as Will hit him from above, knocking him from the
saddle.
Will got to his feet just as Michel did, both drawing their
swords at the same time.
"Your money or your life." Will demanded.
Michel sensed the dim Quickening that marked the young man
before him as a pre-Immortal, but he also sensed the full Quickening
of another-Then he saw Tut, shaking his head in amusement. "Is he
kidding?" he asked.
Will started. "You know him?" he asked Tut.
"That I do." the Immortal told him. "And, I doubt he'd be
averse to aiding us in our cause."
"You cause?" Michel was confused at first, then realized what
he meant. "You're both with Robin of the Hood." he smiled.
"We are indeed."
"Excuse me," Will said. "But I would certainly appreciate an
introduction."
"Oh," Tut smacked himself in the head. "Of course! Will
Scarlet, meet Michel De Verduer. I know he doesn't look or sound
French. It's a long story. Now Michel, what are you doing here? Last
I heard you were serving in Richard's court while he was away at the
Crusades."
"Well, I was. But word in the courts, is that Nottingham has
plans that the King should know about. So I came to play spy."
"I think we'll get along great." Will smiled.
Back to the Present
"About time you showed up Methos." Sita heard Tut say after
opening the door.
She'd met his old friends Will, Fergus, and Gabrielle, and his
new student Sean, and become reacquainted with Michel that afternoon.
Then there had been a knock on the door when Tut and her had been
cleaning after their visit. He'd gone into the other room to answer
it.
The color drained from her face. Her perfect memory pulled his
face from the millennia of experience. She dropped what she was doing
and rushed into the front room. He looked exactly how he did when
she'd met him. When she'd killed him.
Methos looked at the girl that his protege was too marry, and
gasped. Like floodgates opening, memories that had been long since
buried by the eons rushed to the fore.
Pre Bronze Age
Several people had already fled, the rumors of monsters
increasing. Some even said that Demons inhabited the new arrivals.
But Methos knew better. Yaksha and his entourage were just
travelers from a strange land. Naturally they would be a bit
mysterious. But they were also rich.
Sita smiled as she heard the soft footsteps behind her. She
was young, she'd only been a Vampire for 50 years, but she could still
tell when she was being followed.
The man was skillful, she had to give him that. But by
tonight he would be dead, and she would be full. She slowed, making
it look as if she wanted to buy something from a vender. As a last
minute decision, she did buy something. Something expensive, making
herself a more appealing target.
Methos followed her a distance from the vender before making
his move. He hurried up behind her, and dragged her into a convenient
alley. He grinned as she struggled. Maybe he'd have some fun with her
as well as rob her. He shoved her against a wall.
Making it seem like a random flailing, Sita backhanded him
across the face, using less than a fraction of her true strength.
Still, it was enough to sting. He swore, and plunged a knife into her
stomach. He pulled it out and threatened her with it. She just
grinned.
She grabbed his wrist, and his throat, and soon it was him
against the wall. She smiled wickedly and, still holding him by the
throat, pulled up her tunic, so he could watch the wound heal.
Methos gasped and looked at his intended victim, terror filling
him. "You," he choked out, her hand tightening. "You really are a
demon!"
"Yes," she whispered. "I am." She raised a nail to his
jugular and prepared to slice.
"Please," he begged. "I don't want to die."
"Then you should never have been born." she hissed in his ear.
Sita opened his artery and drank her fill. Dropping his
drained body on the ground, she wiped her mouth and let out a quiet
burp. She smiled, satisfied, and headed back to the inn.
Methos came to in the dark alley an hour after she had left.
He felt his neck in shock, there was no trace of the injury, but he
remembered quite clearly being cut.
"What has happened to me?" he muttered. Then he remembered the
stories he'd heard, that these demons could make others like them. Had
she done the same to him? Then why leave him in the alley? He shook
his head in frightened bewilderment. He staggered out of the alley.
To be Continued...
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