Both Xander and Cordelia were blown back by the force of the creature's destruction. His head ringing, Xander staggered to his feet, looking around wildly for Cordelia. She lay in a heap on the other side of the chamber. Throwing off the effects of the blast as his body healed, Xander hurried towards her. He knelt beside her still form and gently turned her over, praying she was alright. He found a knot on her head and blood trickling from it.

"Cordy, honey. Are you alright? Please be alright, I know we can't grow old together, but we can still have decades. Just please open your eyes and glare at me. Tell me not to hover or something."

"How about I tell you rubbing that sore spot on my head hurts and to knock it off?"

"That works." Xander said, relieved as Cordelia opened her eyes. "We did it, Cordy. We beat the demon!"

"Yeah, is it my imagination or am I healing? Because my head isn't hurting anymore and the knot I was feeling where you were rubbing, is going away."

"It's not your imagination. Maybe whatever made it so you have active powers is also affecting your healing rate. We'll have to ask our parents when we get back. Artemis did say there were things she needed to talk to you about."

"She did, didn't she? Alright, let's finish this. Help me up." Xander steadied Cordelia as she got to her feet. Looking around, Cordelia spotted something they hadn't seen earlier.

"Xander, there's another area behind here. See the way the the wall is, from head on it looks solid, but from the side, you can see a small opening. Didn't our parents say there was a place in here where we could put the Priors staff so you could Call the Gathering?"

"Yes, they did. Let's check it out." Moving cautiously, because if Xander's learned anything it's the dark can hide nasty surprises, he led the way forward. They found another area behind the chamber the creature had been in. And a surprise. "This must how it keeps up on what goes on up top and keeps the Game going." Xander said, examining some kind of pool with grey liquid in it. "What is it?"

"A divining pool." Cordelia said. "And I'm not sure how I knew that. Look Xander, this must be how the creature controlled it." Cordelia pointed to a round pink crystal ball set into the side of the pool. Xander began to examine it.

"It looks like it's plugged in. I think this is where we plug the Priors staff in. I'm going to try pulling it out. Stand back please, Cordy. We don't know if there are booby traps. I'm surprised it didn't see us coming if it's got this thing."

"Maybe because we have the blood of gods. That might have hidden us from its view. Gods can't come in where they're not invited, but we're not gods, but there has to be something that hides us from its view."

"It would explain why they made us using their blood. To give us that advantage that others wouldn't have. We'll have to ask them. Alright, lifting the crystal ball out and putting the Priors staff in." The staff lit up. "Now, Duncan said the Calling was a call that immortals can't ignore. It may be a literal gathering, but given that there are about 10,000 world wide, I don't think so. I think the Call is just a means of making them pay attention. I need to know what exactly I'm going to say once I have their attention."

"Tell them the Game is over, the Prize has been claimed, no one will be rulling as a god. The Prize is the truth about why immortals exist. That they were created to be the warriors of the gods against the creatures of darkness, the vampires and hostile demons. That the Game was a corruption of their purpose and now they have a choice. But if they choose to continue issuing challenges to each other, they will find that their blood now has the power to make holy ground. And they know the consequences of fighting on holy ground."

"That should work. Some will still want to test it, but they won't be able to ignore the Call, let alone the fact that Call has been issued. The belief has always been that the Gathering will be Called to declare the winner of the Game." Xander held out his hand to Cordelia. "Don't cut off my finger, okay. Just cut it."

With a half hearted glare, Cordelia drew one of her daggers and cut his finger. Xander touched his finger to the Prior's staff and issued the Call and the message. All around the world, immortals stopped what they were doing, fighting, working, making love and heard the Call in their heads.

Duncan and Richie had been sparing. Both stopped and turned in the direction of the cave from which the Call was coming. Cassandra looked up from where she sitting with Faith, the two had been sharing the pain of their trouble lives. Cassandra had thought sharing her past and how she'd learned to deal with it, might help Faith recover from her own. "Cass, what's up?" Faith asked, waving her hand in front of Cassandra's face and not getting a response.

Amanda froze just she was about to enter a house she planned to rob. Fortunately she was in the shadows and the owner didn't have guards. All of them, along with all the other immortals worldwide heard the message of the Call. The Game, the Prize claimed, the truth known, test at your own peril.

How long would it take before it was accepted?