Unlocked

Part 3

-flashback-

The day three years ago in the beginning of spring where the world was just waking up from its winter hibernation, the trees had just begun to flower. I held James hand as we walked to Xander and Mrs. Cellers place to help out at the bar we were carrying baskets full of wild berries that bloom only in the early spring and could flavor deserts as well as cure migraines.

Screams echoed from the center of town in front of us people started to panic running away from whatever was causing the uproar. Glancing at my brother curiosity outweighed caution and we put the baskets filled to the brim with the wild berries and started to jog towards the commotion. The screams were now joined by the roar of fury made by a beast, my ears hurt but I continued further.

The marketplace was drowning I torrents of blood and bodies littered the ground. A massive form of a great lion was in the center of the carnage, its great mouth lined with blood covered teeth the horns of one of its heads had gore handing off of them like decoration. Its snaked tail's mouth open wide flange dripping with venom. Standing in my home where my whole childhood it was a snarling chimera.

I stood frozen in shock my muscles refusing to respond to my demands and the intended to run, I could faintly Jaxs trying to pull me into action. In my desperation to do something, I stumbled

backward tripping over one of the fallen and fell landing with a splash in a growing pool of blood. Covered in blood. Scraping my hands and elbows. I watched with horror as the beast started to walk toward me until I could feel its warm breath on my face. Raising a paw with impossibly long claws, the chimera was about me when an icy spear sliced off the offending paw.

''Leave her alone!'' my brother shouted. He was holding out a had that was surrounded by white mist.

With another cry, the chimera leaped toward my Jax, obviously outraged by his now missing paw being chopped off. The cable stones beneath me started to rumble and shift. Earth shot up out of it position dealing a mighty blow to the chimera's side. You could hear an audible crack when the pillar of rock made contact sending the massive beast flying to other side of the square. Getting up from where it landed the chimera abandoned Jax and started to hurl itself towards me, paw outreached to kill. It was knocked back with a mighty gust of wind that through the lion away from being before making a protective barrier around me. I could still see what was going on though. Jax raised his hand once more toward the beast. Witch in a flurry of light caught fire.

An agonized scream erupted from the lion's mouth as it burned leaving nothing behind but ashes. the wind barrier lowers and Jax comes rushing to me.

''Oh my god are you ok! Are you hurt?! You're covered in blood!. He asks inspecting me from head to toe.

''Me, hurt? You were the one fighting the Chimera, are you ok,'' I answer even though he was completely unscathed.

''But all the blood...?'' He trails off looking confused.

''Not mine'' I say solemnly looking at the corpses. He visibly relaxes now that he know that I am ok. Silence overtook us as we took in the carnage around us then I dared speak the question I was dreading the answer.

''What you did.... Was that..... Magic?'' I say hesitantly.

''I guess it was'' he says quietly so I can barely hear. My heart stops. He had to leave to go to the Academy, he was going to be forced to leave.

''No you cant go!'' I shouted tears started to pour out of my eyes. All Jax did be hug me. We sank down to the ground not caring if it was still covered in blood. We sat there for minutes, hours, days I did not know but all I can remember is being James strong arms crying until I was out of tears.

-flashback end-

The next day I woke up at Xanders bar Jax nowhere to be found. The governor had shipped him off.

Under normal circumstances, he would have had at least a week's notice. But him having the rare gift to control all four elements the academy did not want to waste any time getting him to their felicity.

''...a....na.....ana....Ariana!'' Mrs. Zellers yelled at the top of her lungs her nose almost touching mine.

''None of that now,'' she said much quieter backing up from my face.

''None of what?'' I asked stupidly

''Remembering, one should not dwell on such things she says with an all-knowing smile.

''How did you,'' I start to say but are interrupted by her again

''You scrunch up your face and have this all depressed look in your eye when you are thinking about your brother, it's not very becoming,'' Mrs. Cellers explains dumping the now peeled and chopped potatoes into the large pot of boiling water.

''Thank you.'' the whisper was almost inaudible

The creak of the door opening alerted me that a customer was at the counter. I went out to help them with whatever they needed my I went through the day like usual trying my best to seem friendly and welcoming in the outside which was so contrary to the raging sorrow that I held within ever since my brother left for the academy.