Buffy & The Daughters of Gaia Ch. 02

Finally, Meg alone opened her eyes. "Spirit of Oak, Lurker in the Woods, hear our call. With green and blessed heart we beseech thee, hear our call. As maidens of the forest, we come to you. Hear our call. In darkness, we are bound. Hear our call. Spirit of Oak, appear! By the summons of Gaia, APPEAR!"

As her cry disappeared into the forest, silence descended on the glade. With nervous anticipation, she waited. Just when she thought it had not worked, the bark of the tree rippled and the face of the demon surfaced.

"What is it The Daughter of Gaia seeks?" it said, in a sibilant hiss.

"For three moons we have fed you. The beating hearts of men have been your banquet. Now, we need you to repay the debt. Seek your mistress, She of The Deep Woodland, and take her our plea. Beg her to grant her humble servants the power to do her bidding. Bestow on us the magics to vanquish her enemies and smite the civilisation of man."

"Agreed. Wait in supplication until I return." With a hiss like an angry snake, the hollow eyes and black maw melted away. Wordlessly, all five Daughters of Gaia knelt and, placing their hands on their knees, bowed their head.

Gradually, the moon slid across the sky. Coldness bit and the pain of cramped limbs gnawed at them, but none moved. For hours they waited. Finally, the demon resurfaced.

"Daughter of Gaia, the Earth Mother had listened to your petition. The power you seek will be yours."

Megan's face contorted into a grin of satisfaction.

The tree-demon was not finished, though. "There is a price. To receive the bounty of She Who Walks The Wild, you must take her essence into your immortal soul. Bind your heart to her will." The creature paused for its words to sink in.

"Do you have enough faith in your Goddess to agree to such a thing, Megan Connelly?"

Meg's heart raced. She moistened her lips. It was more than she could ever have hoped for. Gaia loved her enough to share herself with her! Too overcome to speak the words, she nodded. A sob sounded in the dark.

"Meg, you can't!" Ruth had tears running down her cheeks. Jody, Mary and Kim all had a look of horrified denial on their faces.

"Shut up!" Meg spat. She turned to face the tree-demon. "I gladly give my soul to my mistress. Let her take it and we shall be one."

"Very well, child." With a snarl, the oak spirit spat a gob of sap into Megan's face. It struck her so hard that she flipped backwards. The sticky fluid twitched and flowed across her features. As she screamed in panic, it poured into her mouth and nostrils. It choked her with a bitter taste, as well as stinking of decay and wet earth. The young witch struggled and writhed on her back in the glade. Her fingers tore at the disgusting fluid, but it was like trying to pick up treacle.

Suddenly, she convulsed and her hands beat against the grass. For what seemed like forever, she twitched and rolled. Gradually, her struggles faded and then she was still. Her body lay in the grass, arms outstretched and one leg bent beneath her.

Her friends stared in numb shock. Ruth had her hand pressed to her mouth. Wide-eyed, she stared at the motionless form of her friend. The girl she loved beyond life itself.

"M..Meg?"

Silence.

"Megan?"

When she got no reply, Ruth began to get to her feet. Her legs were so cramped that she gasped in pain and had to push herself up with her hands. "M...Megan?"

Suddenly, the crumpled form of the witch was tossed into the air. With a loud crack, her body flipped and hung, suspended several feet above the ground, in the middle of the clearing. The tan of her skin darkened to the shade of old wood. Ripples coursed along under her skin. At her neck and wrists, moss sprouted. Her hair writhed and changed from black to dark green. Hidden in its tangled mess were dozens of dead leaves. Her eyelids snapped open, but her blue eyes were gone. All that remained was a dazzling green light.

Megan threw back her head and cackled.

"I can feel it all! The breath of the beech tree, as it lives its long life. The frantic heartbeat of the bat as it flits through the darkness. The endless flow of the brook as it searches for the river. Everything!"

"Oh, the power. Such raw, primal power." Almost in wonder, the dryad looked down at her own hands. "The very forces of nature, and all the beasts of the land, are now mine to command!"

She looked at each of the witches, one by one. "You, my coven, shall serve me well. Together we will bring the wilderness to this town!"

Effortlessly, she glided to the ground before them. With a look of mad glee in her eyes, she stepped up to The Spirit of Oak. Like a proud mother, she gently nodded at the tree-demon.

"The power is now mine. Listen for my call and obey." Lovingly, she stroked the bark of its hideous face. "You have done well, my little messanger. Tonight, you shall have your reward."

Megan turned to The Daughters of Gaia. "I seem to remember that we had already decided who the next male sacrifice was to be. Let's see how the Summers girls like it when we feed their boy toy to the tree!"

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TO BE CONCLUDED in "Buffy and The Daughters of Gaia 03" in which Xander gets to have a special party with several of the Scooby girls.

FROM THE AUTHOR

Thanks once more to ALIEN47 and OMEGAZONE. Your help is invaluable.