Chapter 64

The rest of December and the first three weeks of January passed in a bout of yet more training. Xander, Sheila, Amy, and I, aided by the Neuroplasticity Enhancing Circlets, Fatigue Cures, Alchemical Bruise Healing Salves, and Memory Enhancing Potions, managed to get in the equivalent of a year and a half's worth of training in. Xander mentioned something about all these training multipliers acting as some kind of Hyperbolic Time Chamber, but the reference was pretty lost on me. What it effectively meant was that in the five months I'd been in Sunnydale we'd managed the equivalent of around six and a half years of training. 

When combined with Chi, that meant that Sheila and Xander both had the first Dan or equivalent in their chosen Martial Arts styles, Muay Thai, Wado-Ryu Karate, Western Boxing, Judo, and German Poleaxe for Xander and Hung Gar, Bajiquan, Pencek Silat, Wudang Jian, and Seven Star Praying Mantis for Sheila. Not only that, but Xander and Sheila both managed to learn various Combos and Techniques of Master Tung Fu Rue, Master Gen, and the Great Kung Lao. By the time that Buffy's birthday rolled around in Late January, I considered both of them ready to go out into the field without my help. All they needed was to increase the power of and control over their Chi to really be a terror to the demonic populace.

Amy was something of a different story. Her Chi wasn't exactly potent, but she made up for it with mystical capability. She still managed to get first dan or equivalent in Baguazhang, Shaolin Snake Style, and Escrima Knife Fighting, though she didn't have the Chi capability to get her first dan equivalent in any other Martial Arts styles even with the other training multipliers she could make use of. Instead, she focused on her magical potential and managed to learn my entire repertoire of spells, alongside enchanting and alchemy. In the time we'd been training together, Amy had become a witch of considerable capability, far too advanced to be called an apprentice or initiate.

By the time Buffy's birthday rolled around on the twenty-eighth of January, I had to admit to myself that my apprentices no longer required my training. All of them could be expected to hunt on their own and come out on top of most situations. Sheila and Xander could handle a Master Vampire with a hundred-twenty years of undeath under their belt on their own, while Amy could handle a Master Vampire with a hundred-fifty years of undeath under their belt on her own, magic allowing her to punch above her weight class. All could handle low-level demons and some of the weakest mid-level demons by themselves. It was a curious feeling to see them so capable.

For my part, since waking up, I had the equivalent of fifteen years worth of training under my belt. I could deal with a Master Vampire with two-hundred-eighty years of undeath under their belt on my own, along with most mid-level demons. I had mastered the Chi combos and techniques of Master Tung Fu Rue, Master Gen, and the Great Kung Lao, and had begun learning the Chi combos and techniques of Master Gotetsu. I had also mastered a repertoire of various spells and would be considered a Master of the Sixth Circle by the Wizards of Kasim the Terakan Sorcerer's homeland of Zakhara in the Dimension of Aebeir-Toril. It was actually pretty exciting if I'm being honest.

I mentioned to Amy, Sheila, and Xander that they weren't my apprentices anymore and that they were all fully qualified Hunters on their own merits now. That was on the sixteenth of January and they seemed to be excited about the prospects of being able to go out and hunt on their own. Excited enough to insist on celebrating, at least. Unsurprisingly, it was Xander who broached the topic of a celebration to mark their 'graduation' to fully-fledged hunters.

"Come on, we've gotta go out and do something fun! The Bronze, maybe?" Spoke up Xander.

"Nah, this seems like it's worth more than us going to the usual spot. There's this new joint that opened up in Oxnard called the Ironworks we oughta check out! I hear they've got a kickass band playing out there tomorrow night. Crucial Taunt out of Chicago! They're supposed to be playing a few gigs out here and in LA as a promotion thing, since they just got signed and I've heard good shit." Offered Sheila.

"I've heard of them too. Sounds like it could be fun." I agreed.

"Sure, why not? It isn't like we've gotta stick around town, now." Shrugged Xander.

"Ames? How about you?" Pressed Sheila.

"Sure. It sounds like a good time." Agreed Amy.

"Bitchin! Looks like we've got a plan!" Grinned Sheila.

As it would turn out, Crucial Taunt was every bit as good as the rumors claimed they would be. The Ironworks was a club run out of the old Ventura Steelworks in Oxnard, which also didn't lend itself to carding when the bartenders were presented with a couple hundred bucks. I drank Penn Pavel Ale and ate nachos at a table with my group as we watched Crucial Taunt wail on a Cover of Ballroom Blitz by Sweet. The night was pretty damn fun and we ended it with a sweep through Oxnard for any Vamps or Demons, coming away with a kill count of twenty-two Minions, two Masters, one lowe-level Boretz Demons, and one D-class Oni from Makai. 

That netted us a hundred-fifty-thousand dollars in cash, three houses, six cars, one enchanted leather duster which one of the Master Vampires had been wearing, and one enchanted Oni kanabo. The Duster and Kanabo went into my bag of holding for Oz and study respectively. Meanwhile, the cars were sold for half-price at various used car lots the next day, netting us a further sixty-nine-thousand dollars in cash. The Houses went on the market and netted us a further four-hundred-twenty-three-thousand dollars when the last of them was sold two weeks later. All told we each wound up one-hundred-sixty-thousand-five-hundred dollars richer after splitting the loot five ways, plus Oxnard found itself free of demons and vampires.

Of course, Xander, Amy, and Sheila officially graduating from being my apprentices didn't mean I was done with teaching, not by a long shot. Willow's Boyfriend Oz decided he was going to join in on our training when he had time outside band practice. He showed up on the twenty-sixth looking for help. As it turned out, he'd been bitten by his toddler cousin over the holiday break, not ordinarily something to be worried about, but his cousin was a werewolf. He had been hoping that there was something that I could teach him to control his change. Fortunately, he had been bitten the day after the full moon on Christmas Day, so there were a few options available to him that weren't normally available to people. 

"So, since your first change hasn't happened yet, there's a few ways we can play this. A wolfsbane potion taken before your first change can make it so you don't end up changing. Then, there's the Inner Voice Method, which usually is useful for folks whose Lycanthropy runs in the family. It uses willpower and meditation to retain your humanity so you can be yourself while changed. I happen to know a potion that can aid in that method, though off the top of my head, I only know one person who's managed it without sitting in a Monastery in Tibet for a few years working at it, and Jon Talbain's an outlier in a lot of things. Finally, there's the Matoka Shaman Ritual which uses Shamanic Magic to control the change and stay yourself." I listed.

"Which one would you recommend?" Questioned Oz.

"Wolfsbane Potion is the easiest. I brew it up, you drink it, and that's that. It completely avoids the change, though. Next to that would probably be the Inner Voice Method. I have a potion that can help bolster your willpower and fortify your mind so you can change and still be you. It's not a one-and-done like the Wolfsbane Potion, though. You'll need to drink the willpower potion and keep focused on maintaining your humanity every full moon or you'll slip into a feral state the next time you aren't. The hardest is probably the Matoka Shaman Ritual. Not only is it ritual magic, which requires precision, but you need to form a Shamanic Bond with your inner wolf. It is permanent, though, and also allows you to shift between Man, Wolf, and Hybrid form at will." I explained.

"What do we need for the Matoka Ritual?" Queried Oz.

"I'll need to gather a few things and we'll need to head out into the desert three days before the full moon. You need to drink a potion and there needs to be a spirit quest that I can't go with you for. In the meantime, though, there's meditation to work on, and learning some type of martial art so you're in tune with your body wouldn't hurt." I answered.

"Huh. I always wanted to learn Karate. Never had the chance, though." Mused Oz.

Over the course of the month I had him with us, he learned Shotokan Karate, Meditation, and some Shamanic Knowledge, which would help him forge a bond with his inner wolf. The force multipliers I fed him helped him greatly and he managed to get roughly a year's worth of subjective training in, getting roughly to Sixth Kyu in the time he trained with me, along with learning the basics of the Shaman's Art, though as I only had downloaded knowledge of an initiate's understanding of Shamanism myself, that wasn't saying much. I supplemented my Sorcerous Knowledge for a lot of intermediate or advanced Shamanic Knowledge myself and had to research bits that were crucial.

By the time we had to head out into the desert on the Twenty-Third, though, Oz was as prepared as I could make him. His willpower was focused, his mind ready, he had the needed Shamanic Knowledge and was in tune with his body. We headed out into the desert outside of town where I built a fire out under the stars, fed it sage, copal, and palo santo, and had him drink a potion made of several mystical, psychoactive, components. Almost as soon as Oz downed the potion and breathed in the incense smoke from the fire, he passed out. Now it was time to play the waiting game. I spent two days under the stars, watching Oz and making sure he didn't die. He woke up on the twenty-fifth a changed man. 

"Did it work?" I asked.

"You tell me." Smirked Oz before changing into a hybrid wolf-man form before my eyes. Unfortunately, doing that wrecked his shirt and jeans and as he changed back, his outfit hung off him in tatters.

"You might have wanted to pack a change of clothes before you did that." I snorted before reaching into my bag of holding and tossing him a fresh t-shirt and pair of pants. As Oz got dressed, I doused the fire and soon we made our way back into town. I stopped at the local Whammy Burger drive-through to grab breakfast for everyone before we returned to training for the rest of the month.

Aside from the training and helping out of Oz, though, there was a bit of interpersonal drama that unfolded. Willow had mentioned to Cordy that I was living with Amy and had gotten her a bracelet for Christmas the day that Cordy had returned from her family holiday trip to Europe. The ensuing argument took time and Cordy's own present to quell. Fortunately, I was able to do that via reassurances and the tactical application of expensive jewelry.

If Mrs Summers thought that the bottle of Champagne I'd gotten her had been expensive, she should have seen the necklace I'd bought Cordelia. Twenty-four Karat gold with diamonds and coral. The necklace alone cost over twenty-two-thousand dollars, but the enchantment woven into it was priceless, one I learned from Kasim's spellbook. Protection From Evil was anchored on the diamonds and coral, which not only made Cordy impervious to mystical compulsions from Evil beings but also made it difficult for said beings to even touch her. It was well worth the money.

"This is beautiful." Breathed Cordy.

"So are you. It's also enchanted so you won't have to deal with any of the demons and monsters I deal with on a regular basis. Not unless you want to, that is. The enchantment will protect you from attacks and mystical compulsions from Evil beings, but the protection lapses if you attack. It puts the ball for interaction entirely in your court." I informed.

"Huh. You know, that's super thoughtful. And you're just roommates with Amy?" Pressed Cordy.

"I swear, there's nothing going on between Amy and I. She's literally just living with me because it gets her easier access to my mystical library." I repeated.

"And how expensive was her bracelet compared to this?" Questioned Cordy.

"Her bracelet was only around three hundred dollars. Yours was over twenty-two-thousand." I insisted.

"Ok. I believe you. You owe me a night out, though." Nodded Cordy.

"As you wish." I grinned.

We went out for dinner at the Third Street Brasserie again, though fortunately, this time I didn't run into the Mayor again. That happened on the night of the twenty-eighth and Cordelia and I wound up back at my converted loft. I started playing my Guitar for her and one thing led to another. We both wound up in my bed, shirts off, and ready to actually take our relationship to the next level. Somehow, I didn't have the guts to broach the topic. Cordelia did, though. As we broke apart from our frantic make-out session, Cordy spoke up.

"Go get a condom." She said.

"Are you sure? We don't have to go any further if you don't want to." I pointed out.

"Just hurry up before I chicken out." Insisted Cordelia.

I nodded and said, "Yes ma'am." 

I went to grab a Condom from my bathroom and when I returned, Cordy hadn't changed her mind. Suffice it to say, we had a very good night. A very good, very long, very passionate night. When I woke up the next morning, however, Cordy was gone. She had left a note on the nightstand letting me know that she had to make it home before her mom woke up so as not to get a lecture, but that she was looking forward to the next time she stayed over. I grinned at that, my ego puffed up at having apparently satisfied her last night. Not too shabby, considering it had been my first time.

Unfortunately, I would learn later on that Buffy and Angel had also done the horizontal mambo the same evening. That knowledge alone would be enough to make me run screaming into the night in gibbering terror at the thought of Buffy naked with the walking, STD-laden, corpse that was Angel, the man who'd been turned into a vampire at the time of the Seven Year's War. That wasn't the only problem to occur from that, however. We found the first of the bodies on the night of February Second, along with a taunting note signed by Angelus. Apparently, Buffy and Angel doing the deed had broken Angel's curse.

As a result, three-quarters of the Whirlwind was loose in Sunnydale. . .

XXXX

AN: Little bit of a time-skippy chapter here. We're in the home stretch for Season Two of Buffy. Xander, Amy, and Sheila are all fully qualified independent Hunters now. Ulysses can now handle Master Vampires who were turned in seventeen-eighteen, along with most Demons up to the upper tiers of Mid-Level. Meanwhile, Oz can now control his Werewolf form. Ulysses and Cordelia are also moving forward in their relationship.

Of course, the fact that Angelus, Spike, and Drusilla are now all up and about, working together, means that that was all done just in time for the Whirlwind to get the band back together. They're missing Darla, mind you, since she got dusted in Season One, but they'll be compensating with other members. I'm not just talking about the Judge, either. Angelus has plans to hold tryouts for a fourth member.

Other nineties stuff in this chapter includes mentions of the Matoka Shamans, one of which, Mortal Kombat's Nightwolf, is one of Raiden's other Chosen. Then there's the mention of Jon Talbain from Darkstalkers, the Wolfsbane Potion Cure comes from Big Wolf on Campus, the D-class Oni is from Yu Yu Hakusho, Whammy Burger is from Falling Down, Penn Pavel Ale is from That Seventies Show, Crucial Taunt is Cassandra's Band from Wayne's World, and Zakhara and Circles of Magic are from Second Edition Dungeons and Dragons.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the start of the Angelus arc.

Stay tuned. . .