THE 33 KEYS: Key 2 - ANSWER THE CALL "Listen for that Perfect Beat"

CHAPTER 3: THE PERFECT VIRUS

"That's easy," Fantum's voice thunders, eyeing the earth with scorn. "We do what Mother should've done all along. We kill them! We kill them all, and make sure their kind never exists to threaten our existence again!"

Xaxu turns her back on Fantum and looks toward the second witch – the red wand.

"Qira, what do you think about the humans?"

"They're too divided," she replies, her voice a warm blanket of comfort.

"On that we can all agree. But be more specific."

"For starters, they're divided on race."

"I remember we did our best to help them out with that."

"What good that did. Even the mixed races have their opposition."

"So how do we solve this division?"

"Force them to see that all races are connected to one source."

"Easier said than done. We've been trying that since their kind existed. Nothing works!"

"How about we make them mutate into one race?"

"Like your eyes?"

"Not rainbow-coloured. I meant bring all the colours into a mud of cohesion."

"Hmmm, interesting," Xaxu replies. "And how do you propose we do that?"

"A virus."

"A virus! So we make them sick to fix them? That sounds crazy."

"I like the sound of it," Fantum interjects, but then decides against continuing after Xaxu flashes a deadly look her way.

"Yes, a virus," Qira replies. "We breathe upon them, all of us at once, so that our united breaths prompt their races to merge."

"Interesting," Xaxu says. "Tell us more."

"They'll slowly blend until one day they all look the same."

"And where do we put this virus?"

"The blood. Where else?"

"Ah, the blood!" Xaxu sighs. "We tried that too. Remember? Didn't work back then."

"Of course I remember."

"Tell us; why should it work now?"

"This time will be different," Qira protests. "Their blood won't just be the same. They'll look the same too. Trust me. This is definitely going to work."

"Blood. Appearance. None of it matters if their thinking won't change. We need a more permanent solution than what you're suggesting."

"Like extinction?" Fantum slips in. And once again Xaxu ignores her.

"I agree with you, Xaxu." Qira jumps over Fantum's input. "They need to think as one."

"That's the only thing that'll stop our drain."

"Their deaths will stop our drain!" Fantum shouts. "Instant death even better!"

Qira turns to her appalled.

"Mass murder is not the change we need. Not when Mother's children are lost among them."

"Mother's children are the reason we're in this mess," Fantum replies. "If it wasn't for them, we'd still be with her."

"She'd have cut your tongue out by now," Xaxu says.

"Or not! With them not around, we'd have nothing to argue about."

"Sometimes even I don't know why you bother," Qira says disgusted. "All your constant babbling is useless."

"Qira, on that we can agree," Xaxu says then follows with a note of finality. "However, your plan is not an option. But at least you raised one good point."

"What's that?"

"We had one job to do. Mother left us here to look after them. We're supposed to be training their minds. And so far we're failing. So one of us had better have a good answer or we'll all be too drained for that bloody war of hers."

"Well, you don't want my well thought out plan," Fantum mumbles.

And Xaxu ignores her again.

"Raea?"