WHERE THE SCALES AND SKIN REFLECT THE RAINBOW
Lila looked up slightly she could see a number of people in the distance along with some other strange creature which was walking beside them on all fours. She stood up slowly watching as Lector did the same. "I see someone!" Betcherrygah stood up slowly. "Finally they are here and not a moment to soon it seems." He watched as the group came closer he could see his old friend leading them towards him. He stood up eyeing the old Bunyip who was one of the oldest in this land. He walked forward watching as Amaroo looked up as he moved towards him. "Well my old friend it has been a while." Amaroo looked up slightly. "Yes it has, I brought some guests with me they got lost."
Lila watched as her sister came in view she looked tired and worn down Xena was walking opposite her, she didn't think as she ran towards her wrapping her arms around her before she could react ignoring her surprise. "Gods Gabrielle I was so worried about you." Gabrielle took in a deep breath as closed her eye wrapping her arms around her sister. "I got lost." Lila pulled away eyeing her for a long moment. "It seems we all got lost." Gabrielle raised both eyebrows. "Who else is here?" Lila turned looking at the other who had seated themselves in the dark shade watching them. "Sophia and Damokles are both here." Gabrielle took in a deep breath great this was going to make everything even more difficult than it already was. Lector came forward putting his hand on Xena's shoulder. "Typical of you to get yourself lost." Xena raised an eyebrow putting a hand on his. "You know me, I like the adventure." Lector laughed as he eyed her. "No I think you just love the attention personally."
Xena felt a smile form. "Well I always get your attention so I must be doing something right." Lector turned shifting her forward. "Well we have a camp and there's lots of water so let's get you." He turned eyeing Bastiaan who nodded respectfully in his direction. "And Bastiaan some water and get you all in to the shade." He turned eyeing the rather attractive curly blonde haired woman who was close to Lila and the dark haired man who looked bored and tired. "Who are those two?" Xena shook her head. "Long story I'll tell you about them when we get to the camp." Lector nodded walking towards the camp watching as the others slowly followed. "Sure, it's this way." Ares ignored the confusion as he walked in to the dark shade. He sat him self down next to the camp fire trying to ignore the pain in his shoulder then lay back against the stone breathing in deeply eyeing Sophia and Damokles. "Do you have any water?" Damokles raised the water holder which Lila had made from the hard shell of a fruit which had been opposite the lake.
Ares took hold of it taking a drink from the shell he then passed it to his sister who took it taking a long drink. He looked up as the others seated themselves. He watched as Aphrodite passed the shell to Bastiaan who smiled taking a long drink before passing it over to Xena who drank slowly enjoying the taste before passing it to Gabrielle who drank slowly before passing it back. Lila turned eyeing the strange blonde haired woman with sea blue eyes and the man behind her who was dressed in dark leathers who were now seated by the fire. "Who are those two? They weren't with us when we came here." Gabrielle breathed in deeply turning to Aphrodite and Ares. "Allow me to introduce to Aphrodite the goddess of love." She paused before speaking ignoring the shock as it spread across her sister's face. "She's a good friend of my self and Xena." She turned eyeing Ares. "Next to her is Ares the god of war." Lila stepped back in shock. "Those two are Greek gods!?" Gabrielle moved her hand through her hair in frustration. "Yes." Lila rolled her eyes. "Seriously is there anyone you don't know?"
Gabrielle tossed the empty water skin she had been holding watching as it landed on the floor. "Please can we not do this right now, I'm tired and hungry and I've done nothing but walk all morning to get here." Aphrodite moved ignoring the painfully sunburn watching as Lila looked up clearly mesmerised by her presence. Even in mortal form she could still catch the attention of others she put a hand gently on her shoulder. "Don't blame Gabrielle for not saying that I was her friend. She's just had a lot to deal with in these past few months and I know she wanted to tell you, she just wasn't sure how." She raised her hand. "Or even if you would believe her." Lila stood still for a moment she blinked shaking her head feeling her self snap out of her haze. "Oh I just thought that she was holding things back, again." Aphrodite shook her head. "Your sister has a good heart it's the reason I'm her friend you shouldn't think bad things like that of her, she always means well." Lila watched as she stepped away she lowered her head realizing that the woman was speaking the truth. Despite that her sister could hold things back she didn't do it on purpose. Gabrielle took in a deep breath as watched Aphrodite step away from her younger sister who had fallen under her spell a spell which she remembered falling under the first time she had met her. "I'm sorry Lila I should have told you."
Xena looked up slightly meeting Lila's gaze. "I'm as much to blame as Gabrielle we had no idea how to go about telling you that we know some of the Greek gods in person." Lector looked at her for a long moment. "Well I can understand that I mean I wouldn't have believed you if you had told me that." He eyed the dark haired man who now looked annoyed. "Doesn't explain though why he's got sunburn." Ares looked up slightly. "I have sunburn because this place has made me and my sister mortal!" Xena looked up sharply watching as he shuffled slightly getting more comfortable. "Please excuse the god of war…manner aren't his strong suit." Bastiaan sneered slightly. "Among other things…." Ares turned eyeing Bastiaan in disgust he raised his hand to speak only to stop as he caught sight of Xena's ice cold gaze. He breathed in lowering his head this was wasn't worth his time, he was tired and all he wanted to do now was to sleep and try and ignore the pain of the sunburn.
He looked up slightly he could see Amaroo talking with a strange little old man in the distance clearly a native the tribal marking said it all along with the little bird on his shoulder no doubt it was a pet. He breathed in closing his eyes he didn't care what they were talking about all he wanted to do now was go to sleep. Amaroo eyed the group who were now all sitting down in the dark shaded area under the mountain. "Clearly our land is not as it should be, none dreamers in the place of dreamers and vice versa." Betcherrygah eased up his finger stroking his bird's chest. "Yes it does seem that way my old friend but I thank you for binging the right ones to the mountain."
Amaroo shook his thick mane. "Yooralla is here I saw her." Betcherrygah turned feeling the annoyance take over. "She should not be here, I forbid it!" Amaroo turned slightly. "You are being far too hard on her Betcherrygah and you cannot forbid her from Uluru it is only our leader who can do that and he has said nothing regarding the subject." Betcherrygah folded his arms. "She was never meant to obtain the power she did, it was not her place." Amaroo ran a clawed hand through the hot red sand. "What is done is done and none of us can change it now, she only did what she thought was right." Betcherrygah eyed him for a long moment. "What she didn't wasn't right she broke with tradition and her hanging around with that Aztec abomination does nothing to her credit."
Amaroo felt a smile form. "Everything happens for a reason Betcherrygah, there are no accidents in this land you are still young you have yet to see the way the lines merge in the sands." He turned looking up at the Uluru. "There are three dreamers and we need another guide send for Koorong, he'll be needed." Betcherrygah breathed in deeply. "The young man is probably neglecting his duties and chasing Kanguru's across the desert." Amaroo narrowed his gaze. "Then he won't be hard to find, bring him to me old friend." He watched as his friend's body bust in to white and green light the light faded away revealing a green budgerigar that flew away from him heading in to the distance. The time had finally come to call up on his great leader he turned not thinking as he roared with all his might listening as the sound echoed across the mountain.
Lila looked up sharply. "What in the gods name was that all about, why is that creature roaring like that?" Gabrielle looked up sharply only to feel the sudden pain as an ear spitting screech hit her ears she put her hand on her head trying to ignore it as it penetrated her ear drum. She watched as everyone around her grabbed their ears trying to take the pain. She looked up watching as a huge snake like head appeared high above her at the very top of the mountain its strange scales reflecting the light causing patterns of rainbow coloured light to reflect off each and every scale on its body. The serpent closed its huge razor toothed mouth its screech dissipated, the yellow and orange eyes glowed as the huge head shifted as the huge two clawed fingers with huge black claws appeared over the edge.
A huge mane of white and black feathers came in to view as it long snake like neck appeared this mane of feathers was similar to that of Quetzalcoatl but not as huge and it had on mayor difference there was a band of black and white feathers which was running along the snakes back going right down to its tail. Two huge white and black feathered wings appeared as the massive being to climb downwards towards them. At the tail tip was a thick black and white feathered tip. She froze seeing the panic in her sister's face as the serpent that was slightly smaller than Quetzalcoatl carried on his assent his huge body shifting down the rock face.
The huge head twisted as the feathered mane suddenly shifted forward ruffling in a similar manner to how a peacock shook its tail feathers as a long light pink forked tongue flicked out. She breathed in deeply as the being eyed them as it walked past them casually the lower end off its huge body twisting in a snake like manner as it wrapped in to a coil. Gods she had seen this serpent before in her dream like vision she felt her lovers hand as it found her shoulder. She could once more feel herself reliving visions of Quetzalcoatl all over again and she could feel her stomach twisting in to a painful knot of fear. She could see the fear and surprise in the faces of the others as well. She breathed in deeply trying to steady herself as the serpents yellow and orange eyes widened. A wide smile suddenly spread across its mouth open mouthed which formed in to a razor toothed grin as it looked at each one of them over in turn. A young male voice hit the air. "Guests oh I do love guests, it's been a while sine I've had guests from another land at least."
Aphrodite looked around her everyone was frozen their faces filled with uncertainty, she could see fear in both Gabrielle's face and Lila's and Ares was completely still but she could tell by how tense that he was also afraid. She slowly stood up walking slowly towards the serpent whose wide grin became wider. "Are you Ngalyod?" Ngalyod turned watching as Amaroo sat down on his hind legs close to his tail watching, he turned flicking out his tongue as he eyed the beautiful curly blonde haired woman who was clearly a goddess. "Yes I am." He raised a clawed finger eyeing the little goddess who was now mortal. "You must be Aphrodite the goddess of love it is a pleasure to meet you in person I've heard so much about you." He lowered his neck breathing out a stream of rainbow light which hit her covering her. The dark haired man with the black beard and dark leathers suddenly got up running towards him pulling his sword free so it was pointed upwards at him. He eyed the god of war for a long moment. "That's very impolite." Ares sneered as he eyed him. "What did you just do to my sister?!" Ngalyod watched as the rainbow light faded away as goddess coughed painful as her sun burned skin slowly healed.
He didn't think as blew the rainbow smoke straight at him throwing him clean of his feet causing him to slam in to the ground back first. He swung his neck back lowering his feathered mane seeing the smoke clear and the god of war coughed painfully as his burns slowly began to heal. He raised his clawed fingers bringing them down hard forcing him in to the ground. "Show some respect this is not your land, you own nothing here." Aphrodite eased up her hand. "Please let him go he didn't mean to be rude he was just protecting me." Ngalyod leaned forward so he was with in inches of the war god who froze in place despite that he had raised his sword. "Let me be very clear here you have no power in my land, here you're mortal and here you can die!" He pulled his clawed fingers off the god of war who painfully staggered to his feet. "Only those who are dreamers have any power here and your no dreamer." Aphrodite breathed in deeply. "Please he meant no wrong, he's only came here to protect me." She turned seeing that everyone was now frozen still not daring to move. "I was the one who wanted to speak with you, I was sent here by Zeus to see you."
Ngalyod moved closer flicking out his tongue. "I see and what is it that you wish to ask of me?" Aphrodite moved closer. "Its your dream world there's something wrong with it, strange creatures have been coming out of it, they've been taking Seers all waking ones. The Greek oracle of Delphi she said she saw rainbows in the sky before she was taken." She watched as a sad look spread across Ngalyod's face he ran his two clawed fingers through the red sand before looking up. "These creatures they look like demons but they have tribal makings." He uncoiled his tail pointing it at Amaroo. "Like his?" Aphrodite nodded calmly. "Yes just like his, are you doing this, are you taking waking seers?" Ngalyod breathed in deeply feeling the anger take over. "I'm not doing any off this!" Aphrodite breathed in deeply. "Then who is doing this?" Ngalyod breathed in deeply. "A god came here three weeks ago the ugly bastard demon appeared in side my dream time!" He shook his mane. "He took everything from me!" Aphrodite took a slow step forward. "What did he take from you, your power?" Ngalyod shook his head. "No he took control of my dream time and he took something else something I hold very dare to me."
Aphrodite looked up catching sight of something in his eyes an expression she knew all to well. "He took someone you love, didn't he?" Ngalyod lowered his gaze. "Yes he took someone I love and if I enter the dream time he'll kill her, I'm at the bastard's mercy." Aphrodite moved forward putting a hand on his clawed finger. "Who do you love is it a mortal or another goddess?" Ngalyod narrowed his gaze. "My lover is the dragon goddess Ouroboros." Ares looked up sharply. "You're in love withOuroboros?" The next moments turned to agony as the snake god's tail slammed in to him forcing him in to the ground then wrapped around his mid section squeezing slowly. Ngalyod felt his teeth grind together as he spoke. "Yes I'm in love with her! She had no place to go after you kicked her out of Greece the other gods in other lands wouldn't allow her stay. She found her way here to my land where I let her in." His eyes slowly narrowed as he wrapped his lower coil tighter. "You hurt her purely because she was a threat to your power! Yet she didn't do anything to you other than take your worshippers from you. She's a kind and gentle soul and she didn't deserve to be treated that way by you Ares!"
End of part 46
Silvermoonlight
Kanguru is the Aboriginal word for Kangaroo.
