ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY, YADDA,YADDA,YADDA...A BIT MORE ACTION IN THIS ONEMAYHEM AND DISMEMBERMENT ENSUES...HOPE YOU ENJOY. spirit
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Gabrielle continued to carry the book in a firm grip, aware at this point that their survival might actually depend on its cryptic pages. She was pleased that she'd been able to come up with the correct spells that allowed them to move past the last gateway, but she was becoming increasingly concerned that the further they traveled into the underworld, the harder it was going to get.
She glanced at Xena out of the corner of her eye as they walked, somewhat annoyed by the levity with which the warrior was approaching the whole journey. Of course, she mused, it might just be Xena's way of keeping the bard loosened up and focused. Gods knew that her mind was never as sharp as when she and the warrior were trading verbal barbs, but Xena didn't seem to be particularly troubled by the strangeness of their situation, or unsettled by the seriousness of their predicament.
That worried her in no small measure. Then again, she seemed to be anxious enough for the both of them.
The path they followed wound on like a tunnel cut through solid rock, and while it was relatively quiet, she took the opportunity to look around. She gave a wry mental smile. If they got out of here alive, she was going to have enough stories to fill the Academy with scrolls, though she doubted anyone would believe them. She ruminated silently on her history with the warrior that stalked at her side, eyes darting from shadow to shadow, assessing and monitoring for hidden threats.
She and Xena had certainly walked a road less traveled in their time together. They had covered thousands of leagues, and several lifetimes worth of adventures. Thiers had been a partnership in the truest sense, and though they had been together a relatively short time in span of years if you didn't count the twenty-five seasons asleep in an ice cave, it had encompassed an eternity of experiences. They had come to rely on one another, for strength and solace and companionship. They had found love of a type and depth, not often accomplished by most of humanity. The fact that it had been apparent to almost everyone but themselves, was a matter that she would puzzle over for a long time, should they be fortunate enough to escape their current situation.
And love the stoic warrior, she certainly did. She was only just beginning to feel the stirrings of an unaccustomed passion that seemed now to be an integral part of that love. The desire to touch, to feel the warmth and the sinuous play of muscle and bone beneath questing fingers. The overpowering need for the tactile, and having it accepted. She had always been one to touch, reaching out unconsciously to lay on hands in comfort, or compassion, or even in play. Xena had always felt uncomfortable with that aspect of her friends nature, being naturally reticent, though she had been more tolerant later on.
Gabrielle was seeing another side of her love now, however. Even as they trod this dim pathway, the warriors hand would snake out to steady a faltering step, or rest it casually at her hip. Each time it happened, the bards heart would skip a beat, her breath would catch for a moment, and a brilliant smile would flash on her surprised face. She could grow used to this rather quickly. She only hoped this this journey would not prove to be her only opportunity to experience their newfound comfortableness.
Testing the boundaries, Gabrielle nervously reached out and grasped the warriors hand, entwining their fingers and drawing her closer to her side. Xena glanced down at their clasped hands, up to the bards face noting her smile, and giving her a lopsided one of her own, allowed the connection. The bard wasn't really sure why she was so hesitant, after all, they had recently made love and you couldn't really get more intimate than that. But their experience on that level had had a certain…urgency, mixed with a touch of desperation. This was altogether different somehow, and a silly grin lit her features as it became obvious that Xena relished the contact equally. Gabrielle could almost forget the fact that they were on the road to judgment and possible annihilation. Almost….but not quite.
" Xena?"
" Yeah…I see it too." The warrior gently disentangled her hand from the bards, and fluidly drew the katana from over her shoulder.
" Do you suppose that's one of the "mounds" the book mentioned?" She asked in a soft voice.
" It would appear so…maybe you should get ready for trouble,' she answered as Gabrielle took a firm hold on her staff.
Trouble was precisely what they got.
The "mound" appeared to be no more than that, just a pile of dirt and rocks that protruded out of the floor of the cave, directly in their path. But as they approached, a low rumble began, sounding as though it was coming from the bowels of the earth itself. Her gaze never wavering, the warrior none the less cracked a smile and said, " Sounds like your stomach when it's empty."
The bard shot her a look of pure venom, " or yours when you've eaten your own cooking," she hissed in return. Watching the mound with haunted eyes, she began to notice that the sides were vibrating, and that at the summit the soil seemed to be…boiling as though something were clawing its way out from the inside.
Suddenly, she felt like her staff, while her preferred method for defense, was simply not pointy or lethal enough for what might be emerging. She quickly dismantled it and put it in her pack, then grabbed her sai from her boot tops, and crouched into an attack stance.
Xena nodded approvingly and said, " Whatever it is…here it comes…"
From the very top of the mound, a skeletal hand trailing strips of dirty linen, broke through the surface, followed by another, and yet another. Then an arm emerged, and a head also wrapped in strips of cloth. Finally, an entire body clawed its way out and stood swaying for a moment, before turning an empty gaze towards them. Another joined it, then another and another until at least a score stood at the peak, all of which had turned towards them, heads lifted as though they were sniffing the air. Slowly the small army of mummies began their descent and when they reached level ground, spread out to surround the bard and warrior, shuffling closer and closer, tightening the circle.
When they were within reach of the katana they stopped, and the first of those that had emerged spoke in a voice that seemed to echo from the depths of a crypt, " The Warrior Princessssssssss…" it hissed, " she who sent us each to this place of shadowsssssss," there was a long pause and then a deep malicious laugh,
" come to join us at last….come my brothersssssssss, let us welcome her to her new hoooooooome."
Gabrielle's hair stood on end, " Ughhhh," she shivered, " Now that is just plain creepy." She edged closer to the warrior and whispered, " Any idea how to defeat these guys?"
Xena gave the bard a wicked grin and replied, " Hack 'em into confetti would be my suggestion."
The bard found the idea sound and nodded in agreement, " Ok then….let's make swatches."
They sprang towards the line, Xena's katana flashing in the torchlight as it arced towards the first mummy, taking off an arm, then pivoting and removing the leg on the opposite side. The linen wrapped appendages dropped twitching in the dirt, and the mummy followed, trying to inch its way towards them like a lopsided
Crab. With a grimace of distaste, Xena removed the head, and though it writhed impotently, it came no closer.
Gabrielle danced just out of reach of the grasping arms, striking repeatedly with her sai, but doing little damage. " XENA?!" she shouted, " This isn't working." The warrior glanced quickly at her partner and replied, " The sai aren't going to help," she unclipped the chakram from her waist and shouted back,
" Catch the sword," and tossed it to the bard who caught it neatly and proceeded to hack at anything that came within reach.
Xena pulled the chakram apart and grasping one half in each hand, began spinning through the crowd of mummies, removing arms, legs and heads with each pass. Piles of amputated limbs littered the floor of the cavern. Gabrielle fared much better with the katana, and Xena took a minute to admire her partners mastery of the japa blade. With controlled sweeps, she cleanly removed head after linen clad head until none of the stumbling, grasping undead remained standing.
The warrior and the bard, both breathing heavily stepped back to stand close to one another and survey the scene. " Are you ok?" Xena asked as Gabrielle prodded a torso with the tip of her sword and shuddered in revulsion.
" Yeah," she replied distractedly, " You?"
The warrior actually chuckled, " Yep, never better…now THAT was more what I envisioned."
Gabrielle shook her head and gave her friend a sour look, " Well….I'm certainly glad for you that the underworld is finally "living", and I use the word euphemistically, up to your expectations."
In mid chuckle, Xena's face suddenly became serious, " Uh….Gabrielle?
The bard had closed her eyes and was resting her forehead on the hilt of the katana she had placed blade down in the dirt between her feet. She glanced up, and seeing the look on her partners face said, " What?"
Xena took a step back and gestured towards the jumbled piles of severed limbs, " Ummmm, you might want to consult your book….they seem to be…mending themselves."
Startled the bard glanced where Xena was pointing and let out a little moan, " Hades!," she replied and scrambled to get the book out of her pack as several of the torsos were busily engaged in reattaching arms and legs and struggling to their feet.
The bard dodged behind Xena, book in hand and offered her the katana, " Just keep them off me for a few seconds."
The warrior nodded , replying with a snarl, and began once again removing the reattached body parts savagely. She could hear Gabrielle frantically flipping through pages and muttering to herself,
" GABRIELLE!" she growled, "Sooner would be better than later!"
" I'm LOOKING." the bard shouted back, " I think I've found something…" she took the katana from Xena mid swing and replaced it with the book, " The passage about enemies…read it!"
Xena took a step away from the battle and began to read, "
Hail, Am-a-f (Eater of his arm), I have passed over the road. I am Ra. I have come forth from the horizon against my enemies. I have not permitted him to escape from me. I have stretched out my hand like that of the Lord of the Urrt Crown. I have lifted up my feet even as the Uraei-goddesses lift themselves up. I have not permitted the enemy [to be saved] from me. As for mine enemy, he hath been given to me, and he shall not be delivered from me. I stand up like Horus. I sit down like Ptah. I am strong like Thoth. I am mighty like Tem. I walk with my legs. I speak with my mouth. I chase my enemy. He hath been given unto me, and he shall not be delivered from me."
Without raising her eyes she said, " Is it working?" When she didn't get a response she looked up and Thoth stood next to Gabrielle. He had his eyes closed and his lips were moving silently, he then pointed at the mound and the mummy parts began slithering back towards the crater at the summit, trailing strips of linen, and howling in dismay. Within seconds, they had all been sucked back into the depths and the cavern was filled with silence once more.
The God of Wisdom then opened his eyes and turned to the bard, " Well met little scribe," he smiled, his eyes dancing, " That was exciting, wasn't it?"
Gabrielle could only shake her head.
