Meetings in Strange Places, Part III: Alone. And Then Not

 
[After this]

Geburah feels colder to Wesley this time. And, perhaps because he last journeyed here with Illyria, the solitude feels much more intense. He can almost imagine the wind whistling mournfully over desolate hills and ancient ruins.

Of course, there's never so much as a breeze in the Death Realms.

Hardly any sounds either. Other than the crunch of gravel, sand, and bone beneath his feet.

Which begs the question, really. How did one get gravel and sand in the absence of wind or water? Perhaps he can ponder that on his way to wherever he's going.

The Great City, most likely. Where he had gone the first time, though not when he returned with Illyria. But now, once again, he feels the same, subtle pull that led him to it before, though it must still lie some distance away. There is certainly no sign of it from here.

Marvelous. He'll have plenty of time to reflect on how ill-advised this all is.

He has some protections, at least. What wards and charms he could cast and assemble at Milliways and still bring with him here. They won’t be much good if something actually finds him, but they should make that detection a good deal more difficult. Stealth remains his best defense along the way. A pity, then, that the Door has left him in the middle of a miles-wide plain. He must remember to thank the Landlord for that.

If something does find him? Wesley looks down at his right hand, clenched in a fist. He has the strength for a strong blast. Perhaps even two now. Much more than he’d been able to raise against Vail. It will have to do.

Time wasted, really. To have been in Milliways as long as he had and not sought out one of the mages to help him hone his ability. To have spent so much time instead re-reading texts he had read so many times already. Foolish.

Wesley can't help but notice that his self-critiques still come to him in his father’s voice.

It's going to be a long journey.

Wesley shifts the haversack more comfortably on his shoulder and passes over the crest of another 'hill' (barely high enough to notice, really), and starts down into another shallow 'valley'. He's almost near its bottom when a portal abruptly opens and deposits a protesting Angel right at his feet.

Angel.

Angel.

“--NO!! NOT AGAI—UNH!!! ....Unhhhhh.”

Wesley stares open-mouthed.

Angel’s tumble to the ground has left one arm flung over his eyes and a fine covering of dust over his long coat.

“OK,” Angel’s voice comes from under the arm of his coat. “I can tell you’re there. And I'm really hoping you're not an enemy, because I was having this great moment.”

“Ghhhh,” Wesley says.

“Not much of a talker, huh? I know how that is. At least you don’t smell like an ene--.” The arm jerks away from his eyes.

Angel stares.

”WESLEY?”

Wesley is still with the open-mouthed gaping. It seems to be really working for him at the moment.

Angel’s face lights up with a triumphant “Ha!” as he rolls to his feet. “Look at you!” He waps Wesley’s arm a couple of times. “Solid and breathing, just like Illyria said.”

“...Angel," Wesley finally voices in disbelief.

And does the thought of embracing a compatriot and ally--a friend thought lost forever--in a full and heart-felt manhug occur to both of them? You bet it does!

And, look! There it instantly goes away again! Replaced by a whole lot of stammering and manly coughing!

“So... Wes!” Angel grins winningly as if he had anything remotely to do with his sudden arrival here. “Should have known I'd find you here at..." He looks around. "...Milliways? Doesn’t look like much of a bar.”

“Uh, no. Actually, this is Geburah. Otherwise known as the Death Realms.”

“I thought you were at the End of the Universe.”

“Normally, yes. But I decided to come here.”

“...Why?” Angel turns back to Wesley, really hoping he’ll have a sane answer ready.

Wesley has to admit that’s an excellent question. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“You’re trying to fix everything on your own again, aren’t you?”

Wesley looks away. ”Yes.”

“Yeah.” (Some things never change..) “Even Illyria figured you’d be trying to do that. She’s been acting all protective about you. It’s... weird.”

“I imagine.”

“Anyway," Angel's confident smile is his story and, by the Powers, he's sticking with it. "Not a problem. We’re both here. Now we can get you out.”

“Angel... I really don’t think it’s going to be quite as easy as all that.”

Angel is already looking around again. “Uh, Wes. There’s not really a lot of--.”

“No, there isn’t. Other than rock and shattered bone. Those seem to be the only resources the Death Realms have in surplus.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I came here to find out what I can about the intentions of the Senior Partners and Cyvus Vail.”

“You were at a bar that connects to the entire universe, and instead you came here for that?”

“Yes.”

“...OK?”

Wesley sighs. “There is some kind of connection between this place and Vail. I can feel it. I’ve felt it before. And I have reason to think there may be a similar connection of some kind between Geburah and the Senior Partners. I just need to keep walking that way until I find it.”

“Why that way?”

“It’s how things are done here.”

“Oh. Right. Got it,” Angel replies, making a mighty effort to sound still confident, and to his credit, nearly succeeding. Though not quite.

Wesley appreciates the effort, nonetheless. It's a Champion thing, he recognizes well.

And even if it isn't entirely convincing, it still makes Wesley feel better than he has in a very long time.

[Continued]