14
The two sentries paced around the flat roof of the temple watching over the town below which wasnt an easy thing considering it was pitch dark and their torches to highlight the enemy didn't light the area below very well. The two men watched the houses still standing with more care tonight with a jittery nervous feeling now since seeing the woman warrior come back with the girl and another fighter and Onagru expected trouble of some kind and he warned them to take special care. A fear now ran through the barracks that Micha and his crazy goddess were not strong enough to fight her off. She had come back when they crowed about getting rid of her for good and the feeling hadnt got any better since the word went round that Onagru had another prisoner in the cells. The guardsmen knew they were in the front line if there was going to be an attack and none of them wanted to face another battle." Dickus? " Petracles called but kept his voice low." Nah nuffing. You? " Dickus called back and went on looking but Dickus never never knew if Patracles answered. He suddenly felt a pain and he callapsed against the wall. Patracles didnt hear the limp body being lowered down only a sound of a sharp snap. He turned to the noise and saw the dark form of his mate holding his pike and then turned back to his watch and the black form melted into shadow again. A moment later he was hit from behind and gently lowered and finished off with the same neck snap.
Xena tied the two pikes together and then to the dead man with the end of a rope she had played out when she jumped from the nearest tree to the temple wall. The other end of the rope was tied to the lowest branch and the rope hung in the gap between. Blending into the darkness again she desended the stair down to the next level. It wasnt well lit on this floor as there were many shadows and the warrior moved and disappeared into the darkest recesses as a guard passed by, he nodded to another sentry and walked down the sairs. Not exactly sure where Leia would be Xena went for the obvious place first, the cells in the cellar as she watched the sentry guarding the stairway slowly walk past her without noticing her and she followed silently, grabbed the dagger at his belt and stuck it in him and he went down without a murmer. She dragged the body over to a door and checked the room was empty then shoved him in and pulled the door closed. She moved on silently and made her way down more stairs down to the next level, it was the ground floor where it was brightly lit with many torches burning in the hall. There were soldiers and servants going to and fro busily and she waited for the right moment then sprinted across the open space and plunged into darkness at the cellar stair. As she suspected there was a sentry at the door and he went down with a dagger in his chest.
Xena got in to the cellar and amongst the stores stacked against the walls there were three little doors each with a bar across the centre. Xena went to the first cell and pulled at the bolt of the door and swung it open and she heard a voice inside." XENA." Leia's voice came out of the darkness. " Leia. Is that you are you alright? keep your voice down." Xena said going in. " Yes yes I'm fine, there's another prisoner here she must be in the next cell please Xena." she showed she was tied." Ok we'll find her." Xena reassured her as she cut the leather at her wrists and ankles and Leia got up and immediately ran out and struggled with the bar of the next door cell then Xena took over and pulled at the bar. It creaked open and they saw a shapeless form lying huddled in the corner of the tiny airless cell and the two women went and knelt down beside the prisoner." It's alright we won't hurt you, we're come to get you out." Leia said reaching out and pulled at the dirty rag covering her. In the gloom all they could see was an unconcious blood covered face and discolouring bruises under the mop of dirty blonde hair. Xena looked down the body more bruises and cuts and she realised she had to carry her.
" Oh my." Leah groaned feeling sick." Put her on my back." Xena said and unclipped the sword at her shoulder and transfered it to her side where her chakram normally hung and Leia lifted the limp body on to her back as Xena held the arms and rose to her feet. They checked the third cell before moving fast they left the cellar, stopping only to avoid detection when a group of the guard were marching past the stairway and they ran quietly across the hall and up the next two flights and reached the temple roof and Xena laid the woman down by the dead guard and the rope. As Xena looked at the face in the moonlight she recognised the prisoner she had been carrying. It was Gabrielle. How could this be? Somehow she had been captured how had this happened? only a short while ago they had been together her mind screamed with a sickening fury as she stared at the beloved face so bruised and beaten." That's that's Gabrielle!" Leia said shocked." Yes I know." Xena answered tightly realiseing she had to put her thorghts on hold. They wernt out of danger yet and she showed Leia the secured rope running to the ground and ripped the rag into strips. She twisted a couple together and hung it over the rope and showed Leia how to hold the ends." You slide down and I'll follow with Gabielle." she said as Leia looked over the top with widening eyes." Just don't let go and try not to make any noise. Jump off when you get to the tree. Go." she said and Leia shut her eyes as Xena gave her a push and watched as she sailed down and jumped, landing in a heap. Tieing Gabrielle's hands together and then around her neck, she twisted the rest of the strips around her right hand and grabbed the rope and holding Gabrielle with her left she pushed off. The added weight made her slide down faster than Leia and as she jumped she landed on her feet to not let Gabrielle take the impact." That was good fun, I'd love to do that again." Leia whispered looking flushed." Another time perhaps." Xena said as she put Gabrielle over her shoulder and led them off through the dark shadows, back to the forest camp.
Deimos jumped up as Xena bowled through the bushes to where everyone was waiting and the people gathered around the women as Xena laid Gabrielle down." What happened to her? " Deimos asked." They took their revenge." Leia said and Deimos groaned." This is all my fault I should have stuck to her plan." Xena shook her head." It's not your fault, They did this and if it wasnt for you insisting I go after Leia I wouldn't have known she was even there." She said looking at Gabrielle with the feeling and sense that she had let her down. The healer pushed through the group and immediately took charge and told Xena where to lay her down. She did and stood back to let Kara take over as she was the better healer." Caro fetch water and put it on to boil. Give me some room you lot, go." she lifted Gabrielle's eyelid and turned to Xena." Xena go find some Hemlock or something." she ordered her and Xena stared at her." That's a dangerous poison." " She'll need a strong sedative." She said firmly and Xena turned and ran off to find her something. She came back with the plant leaves moments later and Kara looked them over approovingly gave it to Leia to prepair. Gabrielle lay unconsiously twitching as if reliving a nightmare. Kara said to reasure." Let me make my examinations now go warrior leave me to my job and I'll come and tell you what I know." then she turned back to her charge and began her work.
Deimos looked at Xena." If only I had done what she said and she wouldn't have been caught and this would be over now." he moaned." You said that before, What are you talking about a plan? " Xena asked as the two walked to the outer edge of the trees ajoining the fields as Deimos told her of Gabrielle's plan." And the bombs are still there? " she asked." Yes there are stashes all over town ready to go. Gabrielle was going to use them against Callisto." " She was going to fight her with those? " Xena paled realising that Gabrielle had to deal with things and make her own decisions regarding Callisto and her phoney priest while she had been away." Yes didn't she tell you? " Deimos asked and Xena shook her head. No she hadnt. They hadn't talked about plans and Gabrielle had only asked questions about Jan and she hadnt mentioned what she had done and Xena hadnt asked the more pertinant questions of what had happened while she had been away and that she realised she should have." Give me the lowdown after I went. I need to know everything." He told her and then went on to explain Gabrielle's plan. She thorght it wasnt bad as plans went and worth a try given that they had no time for another, she knew as soon as it was light Callisto would insist on coming for them.
Kara had finished and she got up and walked over to where Xena was standing." She's lucky to be still alive isn't she. How bad is it? " Xena asked." Yes lucky, badly beaten that you know nothing broken though, but there is something else that's worrying me." The woman took a moment and then said." She became very agitated when I tried to examin her it's a common reaction when someone has been raped." The word struck Xena like a knife. It was sickening, hideous. Raped. " There is no permanant damage there I checked. Was she a virgin? " Xena shook her head and suddenly felt cold and heavy as the horror sank in. Raped. Not that, not Gabrielle it was monsterous.
Xena had seen it, and it's aftermath many times, women and girls even boys and children dishonoured and brutalised. It was a crime but all armies even her own took them as spoils of war when capturing a town or village it was a part of war and conquest even when it was frowned apon by some leaders, and she might have become a victim of it herself but for her fighting skills. To some extent she had even done it to others taking what she wanted of them and Xena had learned to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to what went on. But not anymore that was a thorght long over to Xena. It was a crime pure a simple and it demanded justice of the crimminal who had done this.
Not Gabrielle she thorght as blind rage swept through her. Not Gabrielle she thorght feeling guilty that she hadnt gone in search of Gabrielle when she had stormed off. She had never thorght couldnt imagine it happening to Gabrielle it was too horrendous a thorght. She was so kind and loving she didnt deserve to be treated like that, not by anyone. The healer put her hand on Xena's and felt her shudder as she went on." I can heal her physical hurts but to cure the mental pain she'll have, that's going to need a lot of help and a very strong love to get her through that." she said wondering what Xena was really thinking as the warrior nodded." Whatever she wants whatever she needs I'll do it." Xena said thickly but she wasnt really listening or thinking about love right now. She looked up and saw the first rays of the sun, it was dawn and they would be coming and she would be ready for them. She would find and kill the one who had done this. None of them would escape her Callisto, Micha all of them, there would be no place in the world where they could hide, and him she would hunt him to the ends of the earth and he would die as slowly and painfully as she could.
Sunrise and it was time to change the guard. The new sentries noticed the man on the stairs and missing and the guard went on and then they discovered the bodies on the roof and the rope still tied to one of them and the alarm was raised. They found the prisoners were gone too and another dead man and Onagru looked absolutely furious as they laid the corpses side by side on the hall floor. How could Xena kill four guards and come through the temple, free the prisoners and get away with nobody knowning until way too late to do anything about it? They were worse than useless he fumed at them. And telling Callisto ! he had to and the goddess would go nuts about this he said not relishing the prospect. If Xena could do all this with impunity he might as well fall on his own sword he thorght wondering what he should do now. He ordered the men to prepair for battle and turned to Micha." Call her." he bellowed at the priest feeling a sudden fear in his bones.
Xena with Churchill and Jan and as many men who were willing and able to fight moved out of the forest prepaired to finsh this once and for all. Theron followed but stayed well back from them. Deimos pointed out where the little stashes of fire bombs were and Xena saw the little piles as they walked on. She could see Callisto and Onagru coming toward them in front of the guards while Micha stood back by the temple and she heard a shouted order to the men and Xena picked two handfulls of the little bottles and walked on toward them.
Callisto readied a ball of fire at Xena." You didn't waste much time." she called stopping and Xena shrugged." No point in waiting when your invitation was so... Compelling." Callisto laughed." Gabrielle looked so sad and lonely when you came back with your new girlfriend and you hadn't even noticed it had you. What a friend you are flaunting your new lover in front of her I thorght she could do with a bit of livening up. See how thorghtful I am? " Callisto purred maliciously. Xena reeled. What girlfriend? then she saw Jan standing nearby looking somwhat confused and suprised. Was that why Gabrielle had got upset and walked away, had she been jealous of Jan? she turned a glare to Callisto." You liar, you just wanted to hurt her and gave her to a sicko." She said flatly." Callisto tutted at her." Don't give me that bull your precious Gabrielle had such a rosy coloured view of love well she's learnt a different view now and that you've abandoned her she'll hate love forever. I win Xena whatever you do now." She said triumphantly, then Callisto raised a hand to throw her fireball and Xena gave a yell and threw the bottles at Callisto. Callisto tried to hit them away and she smashed the bottles and drenched herself in the motorbike's petrol and the ball in her hand caught. Callisto disappeared behind a sheet of flame and in fear of suddenly becoming a torch Callisto screamed and beat at the growing flames and ran to the watertrough while Xena made a dash for the next cache of Gabrielle's arsenal.
Throwing bottles everywhere Xena set alight to anything that would burn, the surounding buildings, anything causing chaos amongst the men of the guard who didnt know whether to fight her or the fires. Micha tried to stop the temple from the flames but even that caught while Onagru shouted orders for the men to charge. Churchill drew his sword and long dagger and started laying about him and Deimos and the others followed his lead joining in the battle as Xena aimed for her true objective Micha. She ran for the shaman cutting men down who tried to stop her and she got to him and her hand reached out and closed around the young man's throat as she caught him stopping him from speaking out any spell. By the water butt Callisto had put out the flames on her and turned to see what was happening. Soaked with the petrol as she was she couldnt use her godly fire to fight with and Xena with Micha in her hands literally around his throat, she couldnt expect him to do anything either. Screaming bitterly in her frustration Callisto could see already that things were not going her way.
Hidden behind some rubble out of sight Theron was speaking the words of the Guardian's obscure tongue unseen as he watched what was going on. With Micha unable to do anything he called apon the goddess Gia for the Orb to appear. It did and began hovering ominously near Callisto and she let out another agrieved scream and Xena thumped the boy shaman knocking him out." You have a choice Callisto, die here or go back to the time you came from and die there." Xena shouted firmly. There was no choice in her her demand it was that and nothing else and Callisto knew it.
Every time they met it came down to the same issue between them. Death. Their anger and hate, and Cirra. It hung over them like ghost in Urgit's riseing flames. The one thing that united and divided them. It would always be there with them ending in death for one or both and like the fires of Urgit all around them it suddenly seemed the most fitting of scenes to Callisto and she gave a bloodcurdling scream drew her sword and launched herself at Xena at a flying run. The swords clashed. Back and forth they went in a vicious circle of motions. Screaming, kicking, slashing, tradeing blow for blow so fast it was hard to follow and they did all stop to watch the fight. The two women broke off and skirted and then met and clashed again as fast as the first time. Sometimes stumbling over the fallen or crashing into the onlookers they went back and forth meeting each blow for blow. Callisto attacked and attacked, getting madder as she couldnt get past her adversary's defence. Like for like Xena was covered in nicks and scratches but she wasnt slowing any, kicking low to Callisto's legs to unbalance her each time her sword got close and knocking her back frustrating the madwoman even more. Callisto swung wildly but couldnt break Xena's defences as she was steadily being pushed back. Xena twisted the sword blocking a blow and swept Callisto off her feet and she jumped up cheekily blew Xena a kiss and then jumped into the Orb. Theron sprang up from his hiding place gabbled the words quickly and closed the Orb.
The remaing temple guards Knew that all was lost and seeing they were abandoned by the goddess and with Micha captured and with no Onagru suddenly and nowhere to escape to they just laid down their weapons and surendered. Xena turned and walked to where Micha lay and grabbing his shirt she pulled him up by the material and stared at the unconcious face and saw it twitch. He wasnt as 'out' as he appeared. She roughly shook him until his teeth rattled." A word of warning turd. The last person who played dead to escape me ended up dead for real. Now who was it? spit it out. Who did that to Gabrielle." she growled and Micha opened his eyes in terror. " I didn't, it was Callisto she told him to." " His name you sorry piece of shit." Xena hissed and balled a fist at Micha and knew if he didnt say it she was going to beat it out of him." Onagru." he yelped wincing and Xena let him go and he dropped to the ground at her feet and she put a foot on his back to keep him there. She looked about and then to the others." I saw him where is he where did he go? " Everyone looked around and it soon became clear that the slime had done a runner and Xena sighed. It wasnt over yet, not by a long shot.