Enchanter

Chapter 24

As Cas walked down the hall he made sure to walk calmly, but yet he knew he had a sense of urgency. He knew that even though Jaxs wasn't with him others would still be watching. He couldn't help but wonder if this was a trap of sorts. Another person out trying to get to him, to watch him fail at magic.

Yet he could help, but want to believe that it was an ally. He needed someone that he could trust. Slowly he opened the door to the building where all of the training rooms where. It was a big, expansive hall filled with hundreds of doors. Cas closed his eyes and allow the building to show him the way. Five steps later he bumped into a door and laughed.

Slowly he knocked on the door. With a creak it opened. He peered in to see that there was only darkness as far as the eye can see. Immediately he dropped to the ground a scrawled the symbol for light. Spheres slowly came out from the stone and floated in the room illuminating it very dimly.

As he took a step in he felt almost another one's presence in the room. "Hello," he said looking from behind. Right away he noticed the door was closed. As fast as he could he drew a line across his heart, a spell of ricochet.

Immediately, he felt a pressure on the lower part of his back. But the spell that Eli taught him held true and the entity was slammed across the room. As he turned around the creature had regained its balance and was charging at him. Cas could not tell what it was, all he knew is that it was fast, but he was quicker. As it stormed at him one more he whipped a ribbon of light towards it. Slowly, the creature fell to the ground and faded leaving only a sword burning red hot.

"I knew it was you," said a familiar voice from behind.

He didn't even turn around, "I knew it was you in the cafeteria Alice."

As she walked by him she said, "That's not my name." She approached the sword and reached out her hand Cas tried to stop her. She stared back at him calmly. "Don't worry about it." Almost as if by command the blade turned cool to her touch. "I am now a fire elemental, like Cash." As she sheathed the blade she spoke solemnly, "And thus my name is now Cia, Michael's Heavenly fire."

At that moment he now understood why it was that she appeared to be different. It was in her eyes. They no longer were eyes that saw justice in the world, but those that lacked mercy. "Alice, I mean Cia. You're frightening me."

"I'm frightening myself." She turned to him with despair on her face. "I don't know who I am anymore, besides a monster.

Slowly Cas approached her and held her in his arms. "Everything will be okay." He felt his shoulder become wet from her tears.

"No it won't be," she sobbed. "My mother's gone, my father will disown me if he ever figures it out, the clan who I've call my family for years now will only see me with disgust, I-" she paused, "I have no one anymore."

"You have me," he said simply. "I will be here for you."

For the longest time after that they remained silent holding each other, in the dimly lit room. They were nothing but each other. What they had was more than a physical bond between two, but something more deeply ingrained.

When they pulled apart Cia appeared to more like herself. Closely, she looked into a corner of the room and whispers, "Burn." A small dot caught flame and incinerated. "Someone has their eye on you."

"Yeah the pilgrimages are kind of trying their hardest to make sure I fail."

"Oh really." Alice looked at him, "Remember Mr. Johnson?"

"Yeah, worst history teacher ever. If you didn't tutor me I would have failed his course."

"Well I didn't let you fail then and I'm not going to let you fail now." She snapped her fingers and the room lit itself, the orbs of light slowly faded. Now Cas notice that there was a large stack of weapons in the corner. As she picked up a dagger she struck it in the ground, it metal turning white hot. Slowly a shape formed into what looked like another Cas.