Episode 36

The whole school seemed to be in an organized uproar. Everyone was tense, on the verge of panic, even, making their way to bunkers, summoning chambers and dorms. Ceri numbly followed Kyioshi as he led them to the dojo.

"Gillian will be briefing the rest of the Centauri. I believe he will meet us there - the seal must be with the Broker."

At an intersection near the school walls Jason, Kylie and Milo left them, diving into some bushes which Ceri knew led to small storage cambers. They were suiting up, preparing to fight. This gave Ceri a prickling feeling he couldn't place - hovering between fear and pride, bordering on anxiety.

Am I going to see them again? he asked the sky. The drones of planes answered him. For some reason Tsae's face appeared in his mind's eye - Ceri shoved it out and bit his lip.

They had reached the dojo now: Kyioshi stopped to bow at the entrance. A small Asian woman appeared, took one look and bowed back, beckoning them forwards. As Ceri passed through the entrance the dojo rippled in front of them and changed into a plain, white room.

Directly in the middle, encased in what appeared to be ice was a small metal box. It rested innocently on a plain stone slab, looking very much unable to give any form of heart disease.

"When do we get to touch it?" Taylor asked immediately.

Kyioshi didn't answer. He walked up to the Janus and reached into the ice. It swallowed his hand whole, distorting it into orange chinks that played over the surface.

"Wouldn't you receive additional abiities?" Taylor asked again, eagerly.

dared to try. There's been cases where you lose certain main organs if you don't follow standard procedure."No." Kyioshi chuckled. "One time only. I hear it's possible with a different seal - but nobody's"

"Organs such as?"

"Skin. An eye or two. Grow horns. Lose your balls - literally."

He plucked it up and removed it from the pedestal.

"Who first?"

*

All prefects with summons had been called to the main gate. Driving pictures of medieval sieges out of his mind, Warren made his way through a building courtyard with Jera in tow.

He never made it to the main gate.

A copter sliced the air above the courtyard, sending the crowd screaming as five suited operatives roped down and started killing the nearest students. There was lightning, there were knives. The few that tried martial arts were blasted into oblivion. Warren reacted quickly, making a spell as he sent Jera to scout. An instant later the barrier came into being, encasing the five assasins.

"Anukh." he whispered.

A girl was next to him before he even completed the sentence. She looked at the five men and a frown creased her features.

"I'm supposed to take them down, am I?"

Warren nodded mutely. The barrier was giving way as one of the men started beating against it, unraveling the magic Warren was maintaining. A bead of sweat slid down his cheek.

"You'd better scarper." Anukh said, throwing him an unconcerned look. This lasted only a few seconds - as Warren watched, her eyes became reptilian and she leapt for the Nobu.

The barrier broke at the exact instance the dragon landed.

Up a curving flight of stairs, Warren had enough time to see how the fght was progressing. The first Oragi threw a lightning bolt at Anukh; she picked him up and toasted him on the spot. the second was more intelligent - he or she conjured knives that aimed true. These impaled themselves into her hide - or tried to, for the most part. Only a katana managed to sink in and it caused far more pain than the lightning. Anukh roared and speared the Nobu with her claws.

Warren had seen enough. Panting heavily, he continued running up and away from his familiar.

"Just where the hell do you think you're going?"

Warren looked up - and straight at a furious Calypso.



Yuki's blog extract
Run run run. They must not know.