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M'Lila

No one owns anything, except wall street, and it sucks

The next morning, Xena stepped out upon her deck to greet her crew and the prisoner. She observed that Caesar was still in his place tied to the mast. No doubt uncomfortable, she would have to give him better quarters if he stayed much longer. But still, he continued to fascinate her, the man's will and arrogance made it seem as if he said something, then it would occur.

However, she took notice of something else, a faint noise, breathing perhaps, or a rustling. With a couple quick hand signals, Tellus, Lyserius and some other men followed closely behind her as they neared a basket.

Xena pulled her sword, aiming it at the basket as she said, "Don't move, do you hear me? Don't make a move."

Lyserius approached, "What is it?"

"We have a stowaway."

Xena removed the fur on top of the basket when in a blur someone popped up and jumped into the air.

The person made a swift kick to Xena's face, which she ducked. Xena was barely able to catch up as she dodged finger jabs to her head. Xena could see those jabs were meant to do some damage, then Xena kicked out, but the dark skinned person grabbed her leg, jabbing it with her fingers, Xena suddenly collapsed in pain, her leg rendered useless.

Lyserius pulled his sword but was to slow to act as he got a foot in the face. Tellus was the next to try to move in on the attacker, but with a quick leap, the stowaway was now behind him. Suddenly, he felt helpless as a pair of jabs nailed two points on his neck from behind. Tellus collapsed, helpless as the blood was cut off from his brain.

As Tellus lay on the ground, Xena was in a daze of wonder; she'd never seen such skills before. She couldn't help but to watch, especially since she couldn't do much else at the moment. The attacker continued to take down Xena's soldiers with ease while hoping around the ship.

Xena watched as the attacker climbed the mast at remarkable speed, taking the crow's nest she turned and caught a dagger, taking it she leapt across the ship, sticking the dagger into a sail and using it to slide back down to the deck below. Xena was so transfixed that she didn't notice that Caesar was staring right at her. He'd taken notice hidden behind those blue eyes a lust for those skills, he realized Xena's draw for power including the acquisition of ability.

Once she made it to the ground, a soldier grabbed a spear and attempted to use on the stowaway but she grabbed it then sticking it into the deck she twisted around in the air kicking everyone who tried to get near her. Xena finally decided that enough was enough as she pulled her own dagger and sent it sailing through the air cutting the line dropping one of the sails onto the attacker, immobilizing her.

Xena using a sword as a walking stick climbed back to her feet and approached the now defeated attack who was just uncovered from the sail. The attack, knowing defeat awaiting on her knees for the execution that was certain while Xena approached. Xena with her free hand uncovered the hood as the men all stepped back in shock at seeing it was a woman.

Xena took in the sight of the dark skinned woman whose face shown defiance despite her position on her knees, then asking, "What did you do to my leg? Fix it!"

She stayed there unmoving.

Xena gestured at her leg, "My leg! Fix it!

She waited for a moment, then with a moment's jab, Xena regained feeling in her leg.

Now able to stand freely Xena said to her men, "Bring over Tellus, she can fix whatever she did to him."

Suddenly the woman spoke in a language completely unknown to Xena. Xena asked, "What's she saying?"

Caesar suddenly spoke, "She said it's too late him."

Xena peered down at the body of Tellus as Lyserius lifted up her head, he was dead. Lyserius pulled his dagger shouting, "She's killed him!"

Xena reached with her hand to hold him back, even as the force of his attempt to kill him put more pressure on a still sore leg, "Wait!"

Her eyes darted back to Caesar, "You speak her language. Tell her, I'll spare her life if she teaches me how she did that."

The dark skinned warrior quickly acknowledged Caesar as he spoke to her in her own language. She waited as she considered her options. Xena's look of determination revealed her intent to kill this girl if she didn't agree. The woman finally nodded in agreement. Xena commanded, "Take her down below."

Xena didn't mind losing Tellus that much. She had grown tired of him, his brainlessness, and his constant attempts at challenging her. The dark skinned woman did Xena a favor with his death.

Caesar added, as if trying to get Xena's attention in some way, "Be careful, runaway slaves are very dangerous people."

Xena was quick to question that kernel of knowledge, "How do you know she's a runaway?"

"She speaks Gallic, but she's clearly from the land of Pharaoh. Probably abducted as a child by raiders from western Gaul."

"Western Gaul huh? Why do you say that?"

Caesar continued, "Gaul is divided into three parts, each area speaks its own different dialect. One day I'll conquer all three provinces."

Xena once in awe of his confidence, now seemed to suspect that he was overconfident and arrogant, too arrogant, "How can you be so sure of yourself?"

"I told you I'm…"

Xena interjected, "Oh that's right. You're fated to rule the world. Do you really believe that?"

Caesar maintained his air of confidence in the face of Xena's challenge, "Of course. Each event in our life is part of a great plan. There are no accidents. Only destiny."

Xena, transfixed on him and his words, asked, "Who shapes this destiny? The Gods?"

Caesar replied with a warm grin, "Perhaps, or it's the blood in our veins, our souls, our desires, our will. They're all in it together weaving the tapestry we call, destiny."

Xena smiled, "Well, I can tell you one thing about your destiny." Caesar shot up a single eyebrow as Xena continued, "You're fated to have dinner in my cabin tonight." She broke off the conversation with a sweet smile and walked away. She couldn't see Caesar's arrogant smile as she left him behind.

Xena was not one to wait around, as the first chance she could get she went down to visit her prisoner, whom she spotting trying to find a way to undo the chain on her ankle with her back facing Xena. Xena casually tossed the keys at her. The captive stopped, then slowly glanced behind her to see Xena standing there. Finally, she took the keys and quickly freed herself.

She turned to see Xena removing her armor and weapons. Xena was attempting to show that she meant the captive no harm. She approached the girl sticking out her fingers in a jab-like motion, "Show me that thing you do."

The girl hesitated, but then started to bow towards the knee, but Xena quickly stopped her, "No." The captive shot a questioning look at Xena, "No, not on my leg, show me on my neck."

The dark skinned girl shook her head, she did not want to show Xena that, trying to hide some unknown fear, but Xena persisted gently, "Yea… C'mon." Then the girl nodded and with a quick stab of the fingers Xena was down. The flow of blood cut off from her brain, Xena could only struggle as the captive looked on arrogantly, "That was too fast… Now take it off and do it again, slower."

But the girl just stood there giving Xena a cold stare as her voice raised, "Take it off. C'mon!" Xena was helpless before the dark skinned woman. Finally she jabbed Xena's neck real quick and Xena fell back again, this time feeling the blood flow restored. She finally took notice of the bit of blood coming out of her nose and wiped it away.

Xena gritted her teeth once and let out a very silent growl while she returned to her feet, "You've got some sense of humor."

The captive did a double take, as if suggesting that she was innocent, but truth was, Xena learned a lesson here. It's not just a tool of death; it's a tool of power as well. One that can be used to achieve a gain in many things, including information.

"Now teach me how you did that?"

The captive again pulled her fingers out and was about to jab Xena's neck, but Xena stopped her, "No not on me, teach me on yourself." The captive put her fingers to specific points at the base of her neck, showing that is where Xena should jab. Then Xena put her fingers on the spot she pointed at, feeling the blood flowing under her skin. The prisoner made a quick adjustment to show Xena the correct placement of the fingers,

"Here?" The captive nodded, and then nodded that she was ready.

Xena pulled back and then jabbed forward sending the prisoner to her knees. She looked up, nodded once, as if to say undo it. Xena reached down and removed a small pendant from the woman's neck, but did not undo the pinch, instead choosing to devote her time to staring at the pendant and ignoring the increasingly desperate and dying woman.

Treating it as almost an afterthought, Xena squatted down, waiting just a few seconds more, and then finally released the pinch. The captive grabbed her neck thankfully that she wasn't dead. Xena smiled, "You see, I can play too. C'mon." Xena pulled her to her feet and escorted her out of her prison.

Xena guided the woman through the ship as she said, "You are free, no more chains. I've got a place for you to sleep." Xena realized that the woman couldn't understand Xena, but still she spoke to her anyways. Xena wanted to make sure the girl was comfortable, after all Xena wanted to learn some of those others skills while she could.

Soon Xena took her to a room that was empty, opening the door. It was Tellus' room as each of the captains had their own places to sleep, and since he was dead, he wouldn't need it anymore. Xena smiled as the dark skinned woman walked inside. Xena stated, "Get comfortable, sleep. I'll be back later."

The woman looked at Xena as if to say thank you. Xena nodded back, and then left her in the room to herself. She herself had a dinner date with Julius Caesar to attend.