THERE IS BUT ONE WILL AND ALL OTHERS KNEEL TO IT
Xochiquetzal watched as her bedchamber came to view she moved her hand causing both the doors to slam and the heavy bolt to lock. She didn't want anyone in here not for the rest of the night. She turned looking at Chantico who seemed totally out of her depth in her bedchamber. She moved forward gently meeting her lips again desperately trying to feel every part of her body as she moved her hands. Chantico pulled away feeling how much it hurt to do so, there was a question which was burning in her mind and it needed it answered. "Please…just stop." She stepped back feeling her self fall on to the bed, she took a long deep breath she was so tired and worn down. She looked up feeling Xochiquetzal's hands on her shoulders.
Xochiquetzal felt her gaze dart as she leaned against her. "What is it?" Her voice was a whisper. Chantico breathed in deeply. "Tell me the truth did you sleep with mortals in my absence?" Xochiquetzal pulled away sharply somehow she knew this question would come. She just hadn't expected it now when they'd just gotten back to her temples keep. She lowered her gaze she couldn't lie about this, Chantico had been honest with her about why she had tried to kill her ex husband. Now she had to answer for her wrong doings. She breathed in painfully sitting on the bed next to other goddess whose good eye was looking at the floor. She wiped her tears away focusing herself as she took of her head dress. "Tezcatlipoca told you that didn't he?"
She breathed in painfully. "He told you that while I was with him, I spent my nights with mortal men and women who he killed if he found them with me." Chantico nodded as she kept her good eye to the floor. Her mind was still in overload, she knew she shouldn't be asking this now it wasn't right. She took of her headdress throwing it on to the floor ignoring the sound it made as it impacted with the stone. "Yes he told me that…." Xochiquetzal turned slowly. "What he told you was true…I thought you were dead. I did it to spite him, I hated him so much. It was my way of getting back at him for all the suffering he caused me. All I thought about was you all the time, I gave those mortals their fantasies while I changed them so they looked like you with out them even knowing…only one ever refused me and lived to see day light.
She looked down putting her head in her hands. "I understand if you think me as disgusting because of what I did, it's no less than I deserve." Chantico blinked as she slowly eased up her hand running it through the other woman's hair. She was too spent to feel angry she also didn't have the heart to put Xochiquetzal through any more pain. They'd both been through to much pain, she had hidden herself away in fear and she hadn't come back, what this beautiful goddess meant to think or do? It sounded like desperation on Xochiquetzal's part that she'd done this. It was that same desperation that had made her believe that the only way to win this woman's love back was to kill her ex husband.
She moved her hand easing the other woman's head up so her eyes met her own. "No I'm not disgusted with you and I don't hate you in any way. I just wanted to know the truth. I'm a coward who ran in to the shadows making you believe that I was dead, what right do I have to judge you?" She turned looking at her other hand as she pulled away. "I just wanted to know…I just needed to know why…that's all." Xochiquetzal looked down again. "If I could take it all back, I would, I didn't care for any of them. I used them as tools and made them all look like you, and it cost them their lives." Chantico raised her hand. "Please let's not talk about this anymore…I'm tired, I need to sleep." She didn't think as she pulled the other woman closer. "Please just hold me…."
Xochiquetzal slowly wrapped her arms around the other goddess's waist as she lay back on the bed. She felt the goddess of fire pull her closer kissing her gently on the lips, before lying back on the pillow. She watched in silence as the good green eye met her own for a long moment before closing, the other unseeing eye closed along with it. She breathed in deeply she had wanted to say so much more, but she now knew that, that wouldn't be possible until morning. Chantico was spent completely of her powers and just had no more energy left to talk. She breathed in feeling the grip around her waist tighten. She moved her fingers running them over the scars on the taller woman's arm.
There was so much left unsaid between them, and they'd just have to deal with that later. She narrowed her gaze she could feel her brother presence in the main keep along with the Warrior Princess's. She was also sure that Itzli had brought the woman here to save her. She breathed in sadly not that Xena would care for being saved, not after what she'd lost. She wanted to talk to her brother but the truth was she just didn't have it in her to leave this spot right now to confront him. She needed this time alone with Chantico so badly. She moved her hand up running it over the other woman's facial scar in a gentle motion. She was as beautiful as she remembered her being the scar changed nothing.
She lowered her gaze, it seemed as her dreams came true Xena hadn't been so fortunate and that didn't fill her with happiness, only a deeper echoing regret. She would do everything in her power now to fix the damage she had done to Xena's life. She had wronged the Warrior Princess in every way possible by turning her lover away when she'd needed her help, which had led to her death. She moved her fingers through Chantico's hair, realizing now that she starting to feel tired and worn down herself. She'd deal with all this later after she'd rested. Maybe then she'd be ready to face all the demons which she'd caused. She closed her eyes slowly there was so much she had to do and when she woke up she'd have to face it all.
8
Xena groaned painfully as she opened her eyes, she could feel something warm moving across her body. She blinked watching as everything came slowly in to focus. She could see the fertility goddess's inner keep now as clear as day her gaze moved as caught sight of Xochipilli who was moving his hand across her shoulder she turned watching as sad smile appearing on his face. She blinked narrowing her gaze. "What are you doing?" she choked hearing how small her voice was even to her own ears. Xochipilli smiled as he met the Warrior Princess's confused gaze. "I'm healing you." He slowly took hold of her damaged arm which had been bandaged easing it free of the rope binds. He took a long breath as he began to unravelling the bandages. "I've numbed all the pain…so you can't feel anything in your damaged arm."
He watched as her flayed arm and hand slowly came in to view he signed aloud seeing that her gaze was focused now on it, he could see the shock in her eyes. "Don't trouble yourself Xena I can heal this, you will not loose your arm." He slowly put his hand above the red muscle watching as the white light blasted outwards from it. He breathed in deeply watching as the skin began to reappear as it moved slowly up her lower arm. It inched slowly upwards covering her wrist and then finally her hand completing its cycle at the top of her fingers which twitched slightly as the nails slowly grew back. He turned looking in to her shocked gaze. "I apologise but this next part will hurt…I have fire up all your nerves again to give you back the feeling in your skin."
He took hold of her hand arm watching as the white light burst out from under his palm. He looked up seeing the light travel up her nerves under her skin causing her muscles to tense. He turned hearing her sudden cry of pain as the light inside her nerves and muscle faded away. He pulled back watched as the white light faded in his palm. He looked at her arm and hand. "All as good as new, try moving your hand." He watched as she moved her fingers slowly then her whole hand tensing it in a fist before turning her wrist in a circular motion. She felt him let go as she moved her arm fully, her gaze slowly met his as she breathed in painful. "Thank you."
She turned slightly seeing that her leathers along with her boots were lying near by all had been lain out neatly. They had also been cleaned of the dirt and dried blood. Her weapons had been cleaned by the looks of things along with her bronze armour which was laid out next to the clothing. She blinked taking in a deep breath as she caught sight of the Chakram which was gleaming in the low light. Xochipilli breathed in deeply, he had emptied the keep for a while of its warriors only Itzli and Ohtli remained. He could see them both standing close by remaining perfectly quite. Sadly it was the right thing to do right now, he knew what would transpire next would not be good. He paused watching as the dark haired woman pulled her self up in to a sitting position keeping the fur skin wrapped around her body.
He could see the pain in her eyes even now, how do you tell someone that the person they love more than anything in the world is dead? He breathed in deeply he could sense that she knew it though. He could feel her inner emotions and pain which she was hiding from everyone, but this brave face would not last long. He looked up watching as Itzli stepped forward holding a scroll with the silver ribbon wrapped around it, which had been wax sealed. He breathed in slowly. "Itzli saved your life, he brought you here." He looked up watching as Itzli came forward kneeling down next to her bed lowering his head out of respect. Itzli breathed in painfully as he lowered his head further ignoring the Warrior Princess's surprise. "I pledge my loyalty to you, as I pledged it to Gabrielle. I will serve you until you no longer request my services."
He slowly eased up the scroll he hadn't been looking forward to this moment he wasn't ready to see her pain. He had watched Gabrielle suffer this same soul crushing pain and loss, it had been awful then and it would no different now. He took a deep breath as he raised the scroll in one hand slowly. "Gabrielle freed me from her services not long after you were captured. Her last order was to give you this scroll, which she made for you." Xena eyed him for a long moment she didn't recognise him, it wasn't just his scars which had completely disappeared. Or his headdress and clothes which were different with more orange in them, it was much more. She didn't recognise the personality, the warrior she had known had been bitter and twisted but this man standing in front showed none of that.
The eyes looking back at her weren't those she remembered so clearly there was no of hated or resentment in them. This mans eyes were filled with sadness she could also hear this same sadness in his voice along with understanding. He was kneeling to her and pledging his loyalty, which surprised her even more, she couldn't ever remember him being so loyal. She slowly eased the scroll out of his hand eyeing the silver ribbon, it was one of her lovers she had always wrapped her scrolls with silver ribbons. She took a long deep breath as she put her hands up to the wax seal. She had brought the younger woman a wax kit in Apollonia as a gift, so she could seal her letters to her family and stop others reading them.
She breathed in painfully seeing the small image of a fox on the red seal, which was leaping up its tail moving in mid air. She ran her fingers over the wax before pushing her thumb in to it watching as it broke the seal. She could feel her hands shaking as she slowly unravelled the scroll watching as the Greek words all written by her lover came in to view.
Xena If you are reading this then I have died trying to fight Tezcatlipoca at his main keep. I hope that I fought well and that my death was honourable and not one of a coward and a murder. Something that I have called so many times in the lands of Mexica because of all my cruel, twisted and violent ways which have been nothing but shameful. Before I left I freed Itzli from my services I hope beyond all my hopes that he's here with you now and that it was his noble actions that have saved you. Though I can not say these words I hope that you'll tell him that I thank him for filling my last order. He knows everything about Mexica and he can help you in every way in rescuing my sister from Quetzalcoatl's keep.
Please tell my sister when you see her that I'm truly sorry, I never meant to hurt her I just lost my way. Tell her and my family that I love them when you return to Greece. Tell them that I never meant to cause them any suffering or pain and that I was trying to right all my wrongs in these lands before I died in the jaguar gods keep. I just wanted to say that as I go to ether the seventh hell or the hummingbird heaven to await my eternal fate, know that I love you. I love you more than life itself there is nothing that I wouldn't give you, no place I wouldn't go to save you. I want you to know that every moment I spent with you was bliss. Every time I woke up in your arms I was in the Elysian Fields and every time we kissed I felt like you were touching my soul.
I'm truly grateful that the last night I spent with you was a blissful, you soothed my very soul and gave me a moment of peace in which I could no longer feel the demons trying to breach the walls of my heart. That night will always remain in my memories forever along with all the other joyful memories you gave me. I could not ask for anything more, for you gave me everything that my heart desired. Know that I was truly happy and I had no regrets in giving up my life so that you can live yours. You'll always be a part of me Xena just as I will always be a part of you. I will never be able to put in to words all that I feel for you and I feel that it would take more than thousand words to say everything in my heart at this moment in time.
Just know that I'll love you forever just as you'll always love me.
Gabrielle.
Xena breathed in as all the painful emotions started to hit her like a crashing tide all at once. She could see her lover dying in front of her eyes all over again, it was no nightmare it was all as real as it could ever be. She'd had not wanted to accept it, or to take it in yet now she couldn't stop the explosion of intense pain in her chest. She couldn't stop her cry of anguish as it hit the air it was long, loud and full of pain. She felt the tears as they started to steam down her face and she couldn't stop them falling. She didn't care who was watching her or how weak she looked in there eyes, she no longer had the strength to control the pain inside.
She had lost the only thing that meant anything to her, why had it ended this way? Why was she being punished so?! She had spent the best part of her life trying to do the right things! She put a hand on her face as she cried harder the truth was more than she could take. Her lover had died because she hadn't been strong enough. She hadn't been able to free herself from Tezcatlipoca chains to save her! She was weak in the face of the evil gods of Mexica, who could commit such evils in front of her face and she was powerless to stop them! She had been powerless against them and people like Akemi who had had somehow gained favour with these evil beings.
She was going to kill her! She didn't care if she had to spend the rest of her life hunting the little bitch down! She'd make Akemi beg for her death, she'd do it for Gabrielle. She'd make it so that the Japanese bitch's death was one that the whole of Mexica would talk about! The Star Coyote would a distant and bloody memory when she was done with her! Itzli watched as the dark haired woman carried on crying he stood up slightly seeing the pain in Xochipilli's face. He could see shock in Ohtli's he breathed in feeling his own shock he hadn't expected this to be her reaction. She seemed like such a strong woman who hid all her emotions, yet in this moment she had just crumbled as her pain and anguish broke through.
He breathed in deeply he thought no less of her tears or her sadness though. How can you hide such pain when the one you love has just died? How do you cope with seeing their death at such close quarters as she had? She was not weak, she would have been weak if she had kept this pain inside and let it rip her apart slowly. She was strong for letting it out and allowing her barriers to crumble, there is no weakness in crying just as there is no strength with out fear. He moved forward slowly putting a hand on her shoulder gently. "I'm so sorry, she was so brave and she loved you so much." Xena snarled aloud jerking her shoulder out of his hand in a violent motion. "Get off me!" She watched as he stepped back quickly she could feel her tears starting all over again. "I hate Mexica and I hate you! Because of you people my lover is dead!" She felt her teeth grind together as she tried to control her emotions, she put her hand on her head feeling the tears as they carried on running down her face.
8
Itzpapalotl snarled as felt the water blast outwards as she appeared. She sneered as she looked at the murky water at her feet how she hated these swamps. She turned smelling the air which was thick with death, her gaze drifted to what was causing it. A monstrous crocodile's body was lying in the water on its front. It was a huge rotting corpse which had Coyotes and birds swarming around it picking at it but all were very nervous. As they should be there was no normal creature here, not in this dark swamp. He had lived here half his long life and his reputation for killing was truly legendary. He was feared by everyone who ever had to walk through this region.
She walked past the crocodile's dead body he was Milintica the grand serpent, the undeniable grand majesty of these swamps. This was proof of that, no other monster would be able to kill another of his own size, but then Milintica was ancient snake, who'd had many challenges. Only the Blood Jaguar had ever done anything serious to him by taking out his eye with her claws. She stepped further in to the swamp, coming to stand perfectly still as the water in front of her started to churn violently. She watched as all the birds around the dead body took flight. The group of coyotes bolted instantly disappearing in to the deep jungle. The huge brown and green constrictor broke the surface in front of her sending water everywhere as his huge jaws opened showing of their curved teeth.
He swung his huge head his one good red and yellow snake eye meeting hers, while the other stared in to nothingness. She smiled raising her hand watching as his massive coils broke the surface as his neck rose higher in to the air as he hissed. "Now don't be so moody Milintica, you know you can't kill me." She felt her smile widen as she raised her skeleton hand. "I'd kill you in a heartbeat." Milintica good eye slowly narrowed as he pulled his huge coils back. "What do you want?" He knew she could understand him all the gods of Mexica could understand the language of snakes their god king was a snake just like him. Humans on the other hand were arrogant flesh bags who didn't open their ears to listen.
They believed that because something didn't speak it had no self conscience and that made it a lesser life form. Still their lesser musing didn't mean that much when he was crushing their bodies and then swallowing them whole. Weapons meant little against coils that press against the chest like stone its self. That after all is the will of the animal kingdom everything is food at the end of the day. Those who grow the biggest can have more of it, oh how he liked flesh, the way it smelt the way it tasted, the way the blood flowed down his throat. He had once been a slave to a god, but now he was slave to no one and his will was the only will in this swamp.
He eyed the dead crocodile no other would ever challenge his dominance his gaze moved to the goddess. No one but the gods had any power over him, they could kill him and he hated that. "What is your will…skeleton god?" Itzpapalotl smiled slightly. "I have a proposition for you." Milintica eyed her. "I do not care for your propositions…why would I care for that which I have no need off? I do not suffer the flesh bags need for gold or kingdoms." Itzpapalotl laughed slightly. "What if I was talking about the one who took out your eye?" She watched as he swung his head, oh how nice she now had the beasts full attention. Milintica eyed the crocodile's dead body again. "I hate the green eyed one! She was here…she escaped from me and left me with this rival who I had to destroy!"
Itzpapalotl looked up slightly. "Well I know where she is right now…I could tell you but if you believe you're above my offers then I'll leave." Milintica lowered his neck. "I wish to know, I wish to destroy and consume her body!" Itzpapalotl smirked looking up slightly. "By the time you get to her she'll be resurrected as a flesh and bone hummingbird warrior, it'll be a hard challenge for you." Milintica hissed in anger. "I do not care that it will challenge my coils! I do not care that the green eyed one has hummingbird feathers! I wish to wrap her in my coils and shatter her bones and rupture her still beating heart!" Itzpapalotl looked up slightly. "Well I'll tell you where you can find her but first I need to know something…a secret of C'thulon, they say that you've seen his walls."
Milintica swung his coils as he came closer to her face. "I know all the secrets of Mexica yes I have been inside the walls of C'thulon's chamber where he sleeps. He did not see me for his dreams were too deep and I have no flesh bag feet to hit the floor with and cause echoes. I slithered up to his stone walls and read all his secrets." Itzpapalotl laughed slightly. "Then tell me about the origins of the crystal skulls." Milintica let out a long drawn out hiss. "That is one of the most interesting secrets of all, for it is all part of a puzzle a puzzle that can not be solved by the gods. It's a puzzle that only flesh bag hands can solve and if they ever succeed the sea between the beginning and the end will no longer have any meaning."
End of part 51
Silvermoonlight.
I'm not sure that Xena's moment of pain works, if it's wrong or way off character please feel free to put across your thoughts folks
