As they returned to where they left Eli and Jaxs the fight was over and they saw them simply looming over one of the bodies. "What happened Eli," Cas said approaching.
Looking up and seeing Cia Eli said, "I could ask you the same."
"Resurrection by the phoenix spirit," Cia said shrugging her shoulders. "What can I say we live is a pretty messed up world Eli."
"Right," Eli said trying to act casual. Look at the siren brother he continued, "Dock here killed his brother. He said he didn't feel right taking those powers and what it was doing to his brother."
"So why is he just laying here," Cas asked.
"Because, he casted several spells of retribution on himself," said Jaxs. Lifting Dock's arm he revealed the dark and heavy scrawls looming over his skin. "I have never seen this many on one person before. Truly he chose a punishment that matched his crimes."
"He not going to be waking up any time soon, literal eons will pass before that happens." Eli lifted the siren brother's eyelid, "But that's the least of our problems."
Looking inward Cas saw a cosmic battle of red, gold, and blue. "How is this possible?"
"One of them died so they receive whatever their other half had," Jaxs said.
"We cannot let Christopher know that it's possible to have all three powers," Cas said.
"Agreed," Cia said.
"So how do we hid this," Alistair said asking scratching his head.
"Plain banishment," Jaxs suggested. "We have enough people to make it happen."
"I supposed your," right Eli groaned. "Everyone we need to do this quickly. Place your hand over his heart and say the word after me." Touch the body Cas could feel the torment of his soul and almost felt sorry for him. "Through time and space we give you pilgrimage."
Repeating the words their eyes flickers the magic of their powers in complete unison. The body of Dock became encased in crystal and faded from reality. "Now that that's done I think we should probably get a move on it."
"Why haven't reinforcements shown up yet," Alistair snapped.
"Because the keeper of the balance is in charge of them," Cas said. "And she is a Judas."
"So how do you suppose that we move on," Alistair asked.
"We need to get to the others," Cas said looking around. "Obviously the second gens must have fled there. Probably a cake walk since they just got there powers."
"All rightly," said Jaxs. "Alistair can take Cia and I can transport the rest of us."
"I don't think that's necessary anymore," said Cia. "I don't have fire running through my veins anymore."
"Well that's good news I always enjoy when me an Alistair can transport together. We call it artic wind."
In a spiral of wind and ice, the spun forward destroying everything in their path and left a reminiscent amount ice instead. Once they dispelled Cas was relieved to see a building that was intact. "Come on guys we need to go," Eli said noticing the demons storming the hall.
They gates began to open as several people began to shout for them. Cas made sure to launch arrows at the approaching demons filled with energy so that they went off like grenade in the sky. "Five points," she shouted looking at Cia.
"Oh yeah, check this out," she said. Stealing one of his arrows she said, "Starlight," and handed it back to him. Launching the arrow it erupted into a cosmic blast of light that burned the demons before it even made contact. "I think that's one hundred points."
"What? No way had I shot the arrow."
"Let's call that an assist."
"Will you two just stop and get in here," Eli said at the top of the steps.
They were laughing until they made it to the top of the stairs and saw the faces of all the scared initiate. You could tell who the second gen where. They all coward in a corner refusing to make eye contact with anyone else besides their own.
Rebecca, Alistair sister, stood at the top of the podium. "Initiates, rejoice for more of our warriors have returned." She smiled, "And they have brought the light bringer with them. Our troops will be here in no time."
"I wouldn't count on it," Jaxs said. Suddenly, he stood beside Rebecca on the podium. "The fighters of our world will not be coming anytime soon. The Balance does not wish for us to be saved."
As Jaxs went into detail about what they had experienced Cia's eyes became fixated on Rebecca. "Are you okay," Cas asked.
"She was there," she said. "She wore a white cloak and tried to become one of Christopher's disciples."
"How do you know," Cas said as his heart was racing.
"I don't know. It's like I'm getting snapshots of her, there."
Cas whispered to Eli, "What was the first siren's ability."
"Retrocognition, the ability to see in the past." He looked at Cia, "Does she?"
Cas nodded his head and then nudged toward Rebecca. "Get ready," he said trying not to bring any attention to them. As fast as he could he pulled back an arrow and pointed it at Rebecca. "Don't you dare move," he screamed at here.
There was a panic in the crowd. Mentors began to stand up to disarm Cas, but Eli stopped them. "As a Defender I claim this act legal under the balance federations."
"On what grounds," said a mentor.
"On the grounds that she is a traitor to the magic order," Cas said not taking his eyes off of Rebecca.
"I'm am not," Rebecca pleaded. "I was here the whole time."
"Really, because my retrocognition would suggest otherwise," said Cia.
All colour drained from Rebecca's face as she laid her eyes on Cia. In a moment of panic she began to bolt from the podium Cas arrow met her leg. Pulling back another arrow he said, "Next time you won't be lucky."
As she was pulled up by two mentors she began to scream, "You're supposed to be dead. I saw him kill you!"
"I don't die easily," Cia said walking up to her and punching her straight in the jaw. "You deserve a lot more than that."
"Why, Rebecca," Alistair whimpered.
"Why does anyone do anything," she said. "I wanted power and I grew tired waiting for you to die." She looked at him straight in the face. "If you had just died like you should have months ago I wouldn't have had to resort to such and act."
"Take her away," Alistair said.
While she was being dragged down the hall she kept on shouting. "I will get it, any day now you will die Alistair!"
With her disappearance came an unsteady silence. Everyone was looking at Cas and Cia. "They want you to talk to them," said Jax. "They trust you."
"What do I say," Cas said looking a bit panicked.
"I don't know, something." Jaxs snapped his fingers and Cas was placed on the podium.
"Well," Cas said uneasy. "I didn't come here prepared to do anything like this." Looking around he saw the fear in everyone's faces. Taking a deep breath to collect his thoughts. "But then again none of were. I mean about a year ago my biggest fear was getting into college. Now, it's staying alive." A bunch of people laughed at his sarcasm. "I didn't get here through beating heads in or killing the greatest amount of demons. I got here through perseverance and teamwork. You all need to understand that this isn't something that you can do alone, but it is something that you need to do."
The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves. "Let him finish," Alistair said.
Nodding in approval Cas thanked him and continued. "We have the potential to fight, but yet we're cowering in a building. The demons are not just going to go, we need to kick them out. In order to stay alive we need to fight. So I ask you all who will stand with me and take back the academy grounds?"
Holding his fist in the Cas shined his eyes green and waited for others to do the same. At first no one did and then one by one their eyes began to flicker and shine with the colours of their people. By the end, there was no one who didn't have their fist in the air waiting to fight with their weapons by their side.
"Open the doors," Cia said.
With one last pull the doors swung open and the students began to charge. Within a matter of minutes the demons surrounded students. Still they fought in a valiant effort to eliminate all the creatures through the night.
"We need to get to the emergency defence unit," Jaxs suggested slicing through several crows at once. "There are emergency sigils for something like this."
"Great," said Cas shooting an arrow in the air to help a student three feet away. "Lead the way Jaxs." Cas pulled another arrow from his quiver and launched it. "I'm almost out of arrows."
"Hold on, tight then." Jax grabbed onto Alistair's arm and they began to once more create their signature move of artic wind. Stopping in front of a building made completely out of sky meatal Jaxs announced. "This is as far as I can take you." Already demons were swarming.
"Go," Eli said to Cas and Cia. Looking at Jaxs and Eli he said, "We can handle this."
Right away they ran to the door and shut it making sure to place a spell of lock to ensure their safety. Inside they found all the guards murdered where that sat. "They didn't even stand a chance," Cas said moving to the only free computer. He found himself not morning and wondered if that was something that he got from Cia, the warrior's will to morn later.
"Move aside," she said cracking her fingers. "In my witch hunter days I was known for my hacking." Within mere minutes she found what they needed. "We might have a problem. Someone conveniently got rid of the last symbol."
Pulling up the file on the main screen Cas observed the intricate lines. "This is way out of my skill set." He tried to look at it with his inscriber eyes, but it only made his head hurt. "These things take years to properly formulate with a team of encoders and inscribes working side by side."
"We can't just give up now." Maybe I can find a drive with it still in there.
"No that will take too much time. Try using your retrocognition and I'll use my precognition."
"Of course," she said.
Closing there eyes they both began to search time for their answer and each found it at the same time in a different way.
"The code is the symbol for heal," Cas said.
"I got sacrifice," she said with certainty. "What could that mean?"
"I don't know, but we should probably still with the past on this." Scrawling the symbol that Cia had said, he submitted the protocol to the data base. "Get ready, we don't know what will happen."
They ran outside to see that all the building began to rebuild themselves from the energy of the demons. No longer was there a sense of urgency in the air. As Cas began to search for his friend he found himself in horror. Jaxs was on his side holding his abdomen.
"Jaxs!" Cas ran toward them.
"What happened," Cia inquired.
"To many demons," Jaxs said coughing up blood as he spoke. "Damn I guess that I won't be getting any older after all." He was laughing with a smile on his face.
"Don't say that," Alistair said. "Let me try the spell again."
Knocking the threads away from Alistair's hand Jaxs looked at him with anger. "Don't, you need to save your strength for the others." He looked to the sky, "I am surely not the only one who is injured."
"I don't care about them," Alistair felt the mark on his arm.
Cia looked up to Cas, "Maybe that's why you saw the symbol of heal in the last slot, because it's how we healed all of the people."
"That's ridiculous," Eli scoffed. "You can't just replace sigils like that. It would have dire consequences."
Cas looked over to where Alistair stood only to find him missing. "Oh no." Cas began to run for the door. "We have to stop him!" But it was too late. The walls began to emanate with an energy so pure and inviting that it left Cas feeling refreshed and destroyed at the same time.
Jaxs strung up to his feet and abruptly ripped them all into the control room. "Alistair," He screamed. "You stupid-." He stopped and dropped to his feet. Inside the chamber was Alistair, turned to crystal. It was then, that Jaxs began to shed tears of pain as he grasped at his mark and screamed.