•••

"Damn," Xander whispered. "This place is..."

"It looks like an earthquake hit," Spike finished for him. They stood on a ledge, looking out over an alpine vista of tumbled boulders the size of mountains. The vampire jumped when he saw an enormous, raging beast tearing through the barren landscape.

"Easy now," Doyle murmured, keeping himself in front of the other two men. He felt Spike press against him and knew that Xander was watching the vampire's back. "That's the Minotaur. I'm sure you know the story, so I won't bore you with the details."

"Regardless of any cow-costumes and bull-stuff, we do have to get past that, right?" Xander inquired, watching the animal froth and foam. He didn't see any real reason to want to do that, other than to get out of this hellish place.

Doyle looked around briefly. "This damage is pretty recent, actually. I'm thinking it's because of some stuff that's gone on up top, in your world." He frowned. "Maybe if we run right when he's heading that way, we can make it to the river," He continued, pointing to where the Minotaur began to circle a small mountain of rubble.

Xander nodded and reached for Spike's hand. The vampire pushed his hand away, only to turn back around and pick Xander up bodily. Doyle began running, his pace far speedier than a human's. Spike simply carried Xander as they made their way past the vicious animal and hit the banks of the Phlegethon.

"That went well," Xander said as Spike set him down gently. "And eww... is that blood?" He asked, grimacing at the boiling river in front of him.

"Er..." Doyle began. "Chiron? Joyce sent--"

"I know," Chiron said, wading through the river to step onto the bank. Another centaur followed him out. "Doyle, Xander, Spike." The man's head bowed respectfully. "I believe Nessus will carry you over. Do be watchful of the arrows; it is ever our duty to maintain the punishment of the violent."

Xander accepted Chiron's help in climbing on Nessus' back. "Oh, sorry," He mumbled as his sneakers dug into the beast's sides.

"It's not a problem," Nessus said obligingly. Spike was soon sitting behind Xander, pulling the human back to lean against him. When Doyle climbed up, he pressed tight against the vampire and motioned to Chiron.

"Get them across," Chiron directed, waving Nessus off.

Xander drew his feet up as the blood rose to swirl around Nessus' chest. They were on a ford, but the river was rushing so quickly that the liquid threatened to overtake them. "You do this very often?" He asked Nessus, ducking to avoid a huge spray of blood.

"Yes, but it is not often this bad," Nessus answered. "The bad stuff in your world is wrecking havoc down here."

"Oh. So... what did these people do again?" Xander inquired.

"They murdered," Spike whispered. "There's the Master, see?" He pointed to a bald head that barely stuck out of the water. As they stared, another centaur shot an arrow into that egg-shaped skull.

"And that one, he's Mr. Trick, the Mayor's lackey," Xander exclaimed. "Actually, there are a lot of vampires in here."

"More here than almost anywhere," Doyle confirmed. "Since most vampires don't progress much past the usual murder and mayhem. You'll see some lower down, though."

"If they made a name for themselves?" Spike inquired hesitantly. Xander hugged him with warm arms and whispered that Spike had better stop planning on taking swimming lessons. There would be no synchronized blood-swimming for the blonde vampire, not on Xander's watch.

Doyle shrugged. "Dunno." He winced as Nessus took aim at a handsome, dark-haired young man who was clawing and screaming at another sufferer.

"Woman! Thieving, lying woman! Bane of man, you whore--" Nessus' arrow silenced the man's raging, and he sank back down into the river.

"Uck, that's nasty," Xander said. "I saw brains on that one."

Nessus soon reached the far bank and knelt so that the men could slide off. "Head down that path," He said, indicating one of several cuts in the rocky soil. Xander and Spike watched as he waded off into the river, back towards Chiron.

"So, what's next, oh fearless leader?" Xander asked Doyle as he took up Spike's hand and began down the path behind Doyle.