A bloodcurdling scream shattered the calm night. I leapt out of bed, ripping the covers off of me. My flaming sword appeared in my right hand, lighting up the bedroom. I blinked as my sleepy brain realized there was nothing there. The scream came again, and I realize that it is in my own head.

“Mommy?” Auria yawned as she rubbed her eye. Lil seemed so asleep she was dead to the world.

“Stay here, sweetheart. Mommy will be right back.” I dismissed the sword and kissed the top of her head.

The scream in my head got louder as I stepped out of the room, and eventually led me to the top floor, to the attic. They grow quieter now as I head into the ancient dusty space, and when I reached the open door I saw why.

Danae, the elderly oracle sat on the edge of her bed, one hand over her eyes. There was a blue glow leaking through her fingers. Her head was tilted back, as she mutterer under her breath. I hovered in the doorway; for only a fool interrupts a witch.

“I see a boy, a young warrior. A spear of destiny pierces his chest, blood sprays his friends, his sister. They stand under the gaze of the goddess, in the cradle of civilization. You must hurry, there is not much time.” Her eerie pupil-less eyes opened and she stared at me.

“Must you always be so vague?” I sighed, leaning against the doorframe. The oracle’s lips parted to reveal a yellow-tinted smile.

"No creature should know too much about their own future. It makes the Fates nervous.” She said, turning her face away, though in the darkness, I can only see her eyes shift.

“How long does he have?” I asked, suddenly concerned that this may be Anders team at risk. Mostly, the old bat spewed random futures, but this was oddly specific. The old woman hummed.

“Maybe a day… Maybe minutes. It is hard to say. My vision is weak, he is too far.” She rocked back and forth as she spoke, under a pile of quilts. “I believe you will find old friends in the city. Young friends, but old friends."

Danae turned all the way around to face out the small circular window pointed out over the courtyard. This was her way of telling me that she would give nothing more.

I nodded at the woman, then headed back downstairs. Back in our suite, Auria is fast asleep, but Lil was sitting up against the headboard. I started to get dressed.

“They’re in Athens.” Lil sighed. I paused and raise an eyebrow at her.

“The kids. Your precious humans." She said, turning away. She tossed her cellphone at me, a message open from one of her 'Old World' contacts.

“Thank you.” I mumbled. I was half expecting an argument.

“Just don’t do anything stupid, like die.” Lil said, pouting. I snickered and crawled onto the bed, over top of her.

“When have I ever done something stupid?” I said, kissing her cheek.

Lil glanced down at the bed where Auria was asleep and I blushed.

“She doesn’t count.” I smiled.

Lil opened her mouth to argue the point but I leaned over quickly, pressing our lips together, hard. She was stunned, but I soon felt her mouth curve into a smile.

~*~

The cobbled streets of Athens were a maze of old and new buildings. The Mediterranean sun bore down on my head as I wandered. Eventually I found the place I had seen on Google Maps. A shabby hostel that, if I remember correctly, used to be a brothel at the height of the empire. I guess that made sense, for who I was meeting.

I didn’t bother knocking when I reached the door. The room was tiny, with two twin sized beds, two bedside tables, a bathroom, and not much space between. A young muscular man with olive skin was startled by my arrival, jumping out of the bed, covering his nether with a pillow. He said something to me on Greek, before running out of the room. As I turned back to the bed, the woman laying on her back changed from a pale skinned blonde to a red skinned demon. Her long pointed tailed flicked about behind her as she looked up at me with yellow eyes.

"You could have knocked." She said, wisps of a French accent leaving her lips. She sounded perturbed, but the smile on her face told me otherwise.

"Were you expecting someone else?" I asked her.

“I thought I had more time. Or at least, he thought he did.” She replied from behind me. Suddenly, the succubus on the bed disappeared and the real one walked out of the bathroom, towel over her head, wearing only her underwear. Her skin was patched with red scales up her legs and on her sides. Her long tail trailing behind her.

“You have seen the Chosen here?" I turned to ask, getting to the point.

"Oui, not too long ago, at my favorite café. They caused quite the ruckus." She said lazily. I rolled my eyes and my hand, gesturing for her to get on with it.

“Perhaps a few hours ago. The went to the Parthenon." She finished drying her hair and threw the towel onto the bathroom floor.

"I always wondered why Mistress Lilith would keep something like you so close to her, but I think I'm starting to see the appeal." She said looking over me.

I cringed and tried to maintain my composure. If Anders' team was truly in trouble, I needed to get there, now.

"I guess I'll take that as a compliment, but I really have to be off." I said, summoning my harp. The golden instrument hummed with celestial energy as I struck a chord and teleported away from the hostel to go help the Chosen.

I teleported into the catacomb tunnels as a ray of radiant sunlight in a place otherwise untouched by sunlight. I can sense the trail of several human lives deep within, and two remarkably closer. My wings fold up behind my back; it is difficult to hide my true form when I'm using the magic of the harp. In front of me, two of Anders' Chosen stand, one being propped up by the other.

"Erik and Dyson I presume." I greeted. The two stared at me slack-jawed as I approached.

"I guess I really am dead this time, if angels are coming to get me." The one I assume is Dyson joked. I cringed at the use of the word 'angel'.

"I have come to rescue you. I was alerted that you may be in danger and I couldn't let anything happen to Anders'...the gifted Chosen of the Order." I said, trying to remain formal. Erik pointed down the hallway, his face was pale and he looked like he was run ragged. I assumed not all of that was because of my sudden appearance.

"Well, I don't know about saving us, I think you may be too late for that." Dyson said. Erik nodded, helping Dyson limp down the hallway, where I could sense the other life essences.

"Are you injured? May I help?" I offered, in the interest of making this trip faster. Before Dyson could answer, I reached out with my hands and touched his legs, the soft glow of my healing magic repairing his damaged limbs. I felt a bit dizzy as I stood back up; using so much celestial magic all at once was beginning to take it's toll.

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"Uh, thanks. I always wanted to be a glow worm." Dyson offered, but I ignored him and followed the two boys down the tunnels toward the others.

The crossway up ahead was lit by more torches, and we approached cautiously, trying not to startle the others. The last thing I needed was a group of Chosen pointing their weapons at me. I stepped into the light, opening my mouth to speak, when a glint of something caught me eye. On bloodstained dirt, lay an innocent white gold chalice. My heart leapt into my throat, and my stomach fell to my knees.

I was simultaneously overjoyed by the sight of one of the holiest artifacts, thought to have been lost, and utterly outraged that it lay forgotten on the ground. My hand reached out, I called to it. The cup shivered, then leapt through the air. My fingers clutched the stem, and I brushed the sand off its side. Its beautiful gold is tainted with patches of green, but the power that it radiates has not been lost.

"Uh, this lady said she's here to save us." Dyson said to the group, breaking me from my trance on the Grail. I looked down at the others.

“Where did you get this?” My voice came out as almost a hiss. It was hard to breathe, holding the Holy Grail.

The youths froze, as though they were a renaissance painting. They spun on me, looking ready to draw weapons, but each of them looked just as haggard as the first boy. The one who, I guess is Amelia, was on her feet quickly. Her face twisted with recognition, confusion, and then anger.

“Hey! That’s mine!” She shrieked like a child. I glared at her. But then, in a flash, the Holy Grail was in the girl’s hands. She looked just as surprised as I felt.

She was bonded to it. Without a Bonding Ceremony. Perhaps even I underestimate this generation. Or my understanding of the Ceremony was tainted.

“Amelia,” I relaxed my posture, and took a deep breath to calm myself. Her big grey eyes raised to meet mine. “How is it you came upon the Grail?”

She hesitated for a moment, glancing down at her brother, who was still sitting on the bloody floor. He was covered in his own blood, and surrounded by his friends. Although, strangely, he seems uninjured. My guess was that the prophecy was about him. I watched as Erik moved to Ethan's side, looking him over and then hugging him, which reassured my thoughts.

“We were ambushed by that guy, and a bunch of golem.” She gestured to a pile of gory remains, mixed in with shreds of clothes and an Artifact gun. “There was also this other guy, called himself Damien. He had the Spear of Longinus, and he…” Her lip trembled, and she looks down at her brother. The faces of everyone darkened, except Ethan, who tipped his head and looked up at her with big innocent eyes.

“I see.” It was concerning that this Damien character kept coming up. First, arriving to speak with Lil, and then being on Anders and Chase's radar. He had assaulted and killed on of the Chosen. He posed a much bigger threat than we had initially thought. Amelia shifted uncomfortably.

“After that, it’s kind of a blur… There was a woman, I followed her. She said she was Athena, then she gave it to me. She told me to use it on my brother.” She told me. The others looked at her, just as surprised as I did.

I suddenly saw them for what they were; tired, traumatized group of youths, who just wanted to be done with whatever was going on.

“Now, why don’t we see about getting you all home?” I smiled. They glanced around, hesitant.

“Ethan kind of just came back to life, and none of us know who you are, so forgive me for asking but uh, who the hell are you?" Orion piped up, in the most nonchalant voice he could muster.

“I feel fine, I can walk.” Ethan moved to stand up. A hand on each shoulder, one from Amelia and the other from Tadashi, forced him back down. He pouted, but seemed to resign himself to remaining seated.

"Forgive me, my name is Seraphina. I am a friend of Anders Pendragon and an ally of the Order of Vigilance." I bowed slightly. The group of them stared at me for a moment and they all kind of shrugged.

"That still doesn't explain how you plan on getting us all out of here?" Orion added. I summoned my harp once more, and my black feathery wings unfolded, celestial energy filling the space around me. Some of their eyes lit up with excitement and wonder, but some of the others were incapable of any further emotional reaction. I didn't blame them.

“Are we ready to go?” I asked.

“Yes.” A chorus of voices responded, as if at the end of a tiring field trip.

~*~

We all appeared suddenly in the front lobby of the Cathedral. I staggered as we all materialized again, drained completely of my energy and magic. I had never attempted to teleport that many people at once before. The Chosen stumbled about, with Dyson wandering off to vomit, the harp's magic having taken its toll on them as well. I looked up to see a stunned Anders standing in the front entrance hallway, a newspaper rolled up under his arm and a coffee in his hand. He held a donut in his mouth, which well to the ground as he gawked at us all suddenly appearing.

"Sera?" He said, concern filling his voice. "What happened? Why are you all here?" Anders moved to my side and tried to help me stand, but I waved him aside; for the moment, it was easier to stay on my knees. He knelt beside me and brushed some of the loose hair that had fallen from my braid, behind my ear. I smiled at him, and touched his hand. When he was sure I was okay, he started fussing over the Chosen, like a worried father.

Erik went to work, immediately debriefing Anders on their situation, and I watched as his face went through a range of emotions. Both Ethan and Erik had almost died and they had gone against orders. There was anger and disappointment on his face, but I watched as Anders grabbed Erik and pulled him close, holding his head to his chest. The others wandered over slowly, and formed into a group hug. I could hear soft sobbing, likely Anders, coming from the embrace.

I had always thought of the Order of Vigilance as being very mechanical. It was run as a covert operation, much like the military secret agencies of the human world, but a lot of the recruits, these Chosen, were young. The reason for this, like the military, was probably to get as many years of service out of a species that only lived for a finite and considerably short period of time. But also, because young minds were the easiest to mold.

But young minds also had a lot of their own things going on. Relationships both built on loyalty and lust. Friendships fostered into brotherhood. Familial emotions, either good or bad. Not to mention the raging hormones. It occurred to me that the Order, or at least this version, run out of the Cathedral in Toronto, was like a small family. Although Anders was not the parent of any of these youth, he felt that kinship with them. He was friends with a lot of their parents, putting him in an Uncle-like role. They were his, for all intents and purposes.

Lost in these concepts of human-like emotion, I realized, that maybe he wasn't a bad father after all.

When Auria was born, we had both agreed to keep it a secret. I was not human, and the Order of Vigilance would frown on him for having a child with me. He was also deeply invested in bringing the Cathedral branch back to 'its former glory', as he had put it. He was committed to memorializing the team his old Master had run, and spent days working long hours alone at his desk. He hadn't had the time for Auria and I, so I suggested that we find somewhere else to be.

He had reacted emotionally to my request, but ultimately understood, that for my safety and the safety of our child, it was best that I sought shelter at the Manor. Mistress Lilith had welcomed me with open arms, and provided support to me and Auria when we were desperately without. She became like a second mother to my child and that was when our relationship also became emotional. She had always resented Anders, not just because he was a human man, but because he had effectively abandoned us. Now that Auria was grown, and Anders had learned to be a parent, through these young adults, I could see why he wanted to be more involved.

I watched as he spoke with each of them, knowing them all on a personal level. He had such a fatherly tone, and took interest in each of them and their different personalities. Behind all the hair gel and crappy suits, there really was a heart of gold in that poor man. A heart that had been shrouded in darkness and burdened with purpose.

A heart that I had once loved so deeply.

It was nice to see him like this, and I felt a warmth inside myself that I had been able to bring them all back to him. His eyes locked on mine as the Chosen filtered out into the underground bunker and he returned to help me to my feet.

"I can't thank you enough. I had no idea they were going through such a hard time. I wish they had of contacted me." He said, holding my shoulders.

"I was informed of their urgent need by an old oracle at the Manor. But it was actually Lilith who had tracked them down." I told him. He grimaced, but nodded.

"Please send her my thanks. I hadn't expected her to help us like that." He told me, fussing over my blouse and hair. I went to swat him away, but the look in his sad grey eyes told me it was coming from a loving place.

"I hadn't expected her to help either. Perhaps you two can form an alliance yet." I chuckled as he rolled his eyes.

"Really though Sera, I'm so thankful you got them back to me. The fact that Erik almost died fighting Scylla and Ethan was..." I could tell it hurt for him to even mention it, so I pressed a finger against his lips. Anders' eyes softened.

"There has been a lot going on, for everyone lately. And we have much to figure out about this Modern Demi-God individual. But for now, please, just take solace that everyone is safe and sound." I said, tracing the tired marks at the corner of his eye. He smiled and nodded, resting his head against my hand.

"I missed you." He said after a moment. I felt myself blush and I pulled my hand away from his face.

"I know." I said, turning to walk down the hall toward his office. He might have taken it as sarcastic, but deep inside of me, there was a feeling I was desperately trying to quell.

"Humans..." I muttered to myself, a reminded that although Anders was special to me, he was just that.