"Let's put a pin in that for a moment, shall we?" Cassandra said. "I'll do a diagnostic on Cordelia when I do one on Xander. Let's get back to the prophecy."
"Yes, the next line is perplexing for me." Giles told them. "The truth shall be known and man's warrior, the Slayer, no longer hidden behind. I don't know what that's supposed to mean since the Slayer was created by the gods and it's their scared duty to protect humanity."
"The Watchers Council are the only ones who believe that." Duncan said. "Not even the Council of Watchers believes it. Most people believe that humans created the Slayer and given the Watchers Council's motto is the Council fights evil, the Slayer is the tool by which we fight, I have to agree, you're hiding behind the Slayer, so you can claim you're doing the fighting when you're actually not. And vampires predate immortals and Slayers, but immortals don't predate Slayers. The oldest known immortal wasn't the first after all."
Giles looked incredulous. "Slayers weren't created by the gods?"
"The prophecy would seem to confirm that, Giles." Xander pointed out. "I always thought it was weird that there was just suppose to be just one, how is one person supposed to fight all the vampires in the world? Human hunters do more damage to vampires then Slayers and if the immortals turned their attention to hunting vampires, they would be eliminated."
"Given that we're immune to turning and poisonous to them, while Slayers are an enticing lure, I'd have to say there's a lot of truth to what Xander's saying." Duncan agreed. "And hunting vampires is so much nobler a cause then headhunting for a nebulous Prize."
"You may be right." Giles said. "The last line is 'and the warriors made by gods will lay low the creatures of evil forever more.' Finding and destroying vampires and demons may be why immortals were created. And they keep getting created because you've been diverted by the Game."
"So Cordelia and I are suppose to end the Game somehow and Cordelia is the only one who can lay claim to the Prize, which is something that can allow us to speak to the gods directly?" Xander summed up the prophecy.
"Now I know why you have a reputation for seeing though prophecies." Duncan said. "Even before we knew the details of the prophecy you were saying we should be fighting the vampires instead of each other and you said the One might be something totally different then what participants in the Game believe it is. You suggested it might be something specific or one person alone who could lay claim to it. You were right both ways, it looks like. Only one person, a person with the blood of a god can lay claim to the Prize, which is something that will allow you to speak to the gods."
"Now we just need to find out where the Prize is." Xander said. "And that's not an impossible task at all." He added sarcastically.
"Well Conner is still searching for manuscripts and anything connected to our origins and the origin of the Game. Maybe once he finds something, we'll know more." Duncan said. "For now Cassandra needs to do diagnostics on you both and find out what your connection, if any, to the gods is."
"I agree." Cassandra said. "And I need some special ingredients for these diagnostics, so I'm going to run to the nearest Magic store and get them. It'll probably take me about an hour round trip. I'll be back as soon as I can." She left and the rest continued discussing the prophecy.
"Well Xander, it looks like you just might get your wish." Duncan said.
"My wish?" Xander asked.
"Well, you didn't use the word wish, but you did wonder if there's a way to end the Game and Nakano said, you're a Game changer. It seems he meant that literally."
"Huh, I can end the Game and Cordelia can lay claim to the Prize, which is apparently a way of speaking to the gods. Maybe she's supposed to ask them how I can end the Game. With my luck, there probably is a demon responsible and I have to fight it."
"Champion's usually do have to fight something." Duncan agreed. "I had to fight Arhiman."
"And given the beliefs about the Game and the Prize and how they appear to be somewhat twisted from the prophecy, it is likely that something knew about the prophecy and deliberately presented the twisted beliefs. A demon would do that." Giles agreed.
When Cassandra arrived back from the Magic store she set about doing the diagnostics.
"I'll start with you, Cordelia. If you do have a link to a god this spell will cause your aura to glow gold and a line will flow in the direction of your divine ancestor. Up, if it's Artemis for example, down, if it's Hades." Cassandra cast her spell and Cordelia's aura turned gold, a trailing line of gold reached towards the sky.
"Well, I think that confirms it." Cassandra said. "Cordelia is related to a god or goddess, one from the upper realms."
"You're not just a Queen, you're a goddess." Xander quipped.