Through hooded eyes Scylla watched as Spike and Drusilla averted their gaze from the holy icon. Several other Sages began to move closer, brandishing blessed weapons of their own.

"Yeah," Spike replied, flicking his cigarette away, ember glowing in the desert night. "You and the boy scouts. But I've eaten my share of those little monsters as well. The Order of Sages. More like the Order of bloody posers."

Spike's features contorted, shifting to the guise of the vampire, his eyes flashing with fury. He turned to face the Sage commander, reaching out and plucking the crucifix from the man's grasp. The vampire's flesh sizzled where he held the holy item, but in a movement like a blur, he plunged its pointed end into the leader's throat, then let the holy implement fall to the sand.

"I've killed two Slayers and Dru a third. We've culled our share out of the Council of Watchers," he said to the dying man as he shook the burning pain from his hand. "You twits aren't fit to wipe their bums."

Drusilla put her fingers to her mouth and let loose with an ear splitting whistle. Scylla was intrigued as the shadows all around the temple of Amun-Ra suddenly seemed to come alive. A swarm of vampires streamed from the darkness to descend upon the Order of Sages. They tried to defend themselves and several of the vampires were impaled or decapitated, but the vampires' numbers were too great even for the sacred weapons wielded by the Sages. Soon enough their screams filled the air and their blood showered the desert floor.