Chapter Twelve:
Callisto was in Hell. Literally.
After dear Xena had stabbed her with the knife covered in hind's blood, she had found herself in this cheery little spot. To say she was upset to be denied oblivion once more would be an understatement. And, if things weren't already bad enough, there was the torture.
Callisto was endlessly assaulted by phantom images of Xena and Gabrielle. They taunted her, teased her; keeping her in constant misery and pain. She couldn't escape them. This was to be her punishment for all eternity.
It wasn't fair! Why her? What had she done? She was not the guilty one! It was all Xena. Xena was the one who should be suffering, not her. Everything she had done, had become, was because of Xena.
Xena. Her creator. Her destroyer. The day the Destroyer of Nations had arrived at Cirra was a day that would forever remain burned in Callisto's memory. That was the day she began down her path of death and destruction. A path dedicated only to one thing: making Xena suffer the same way she had suffered. And, for a moment, she had succeeded.
In an ironic twist of fate, Gabrielle's daughter, Hope, the evil demon-child of Dahak, killed Xena's beloved son Solan. Xena's screams of pain and heartbreak had been music to her ears. However, her elation at her victory was short-lived.
Callisto had been driven by the belief that once she had made Xena pay for the death of her family, she would be able to move on. In her mind, she was only doing the right thing and was not guilty of any crimes. After all, she was just bringing down a monster. A monster who had the blood of countless innocents on her hands. But, when she finally repaid Xena, nothing changed.
She felt no different. Instead, her passionate anger and lust for revenge were replaced by an emptiness. She no longer felt anything. She had become a shell of her former self. In the end, Xena still won. All she had left was the hope of finding peace in oblivion. And, she was even denied that.
Since her arrival in this dark place, her hatred of Xena, if at all possible, had seemingly grown stronger. Her only comfort was in the fact that she knew Xena was now all alone. The irritating blonde had taken a plunge into a lava pit with her daughter in an attempt to save Xena's life. The poor dear had always been so deluded! Now, she had paid for her stupid belief in Xena's goodness. The thought of Xena's pain at her loss gave Callisto a small bit of relief from her torment. Plus, it had been a great way to get Xena to stab her! Too bad it hadn't turned out exactly like she planned. Oh, well.
She turned her attention back to the ghostly figures of Xena and Gabrielle. They were, as usual, saying something annoying that she didn't really feel like listening to right now. In a fit of rage, she picked up the nearest sword and took a swing at them, releasing an ear-piercing scream in their direction. The sword passed through the phantoms as it always did, striking nothing but air. The figures rippled then disappeared.
She heaved a sigh of relief. They were gone for the moment. She didn't have very long before they returned, so she decided to make the most of it. She laid down on the ground and closed her eyes. Hopefully, she would dream of killing Xena in a slow and painful fashion. That always made her feel better!
Suddenly, she began to feel very strange. She opened her eyes to see a bright light surrounding her. She tried to move without any success. Whatever strange force this was had her in a strong grip. All of her struggling did nothing but tire her out. She screamed in frustration as the world faded out for a moment. When it finally came back, she looked around in surprise. She was no longer in Hell.
"Welcome, Callisto. It's been a long time," a very familiar voice said.
She wildly looked around until she found the source of the voice and smiled brightly when recognition instantly set in. "Well, if it isn't my dear friend Velasca! Long time no see! Let me guess? Was that lava pit getting lonely without me?"
A flicker of annoyance passed over Velasca's features. "I see you haven't changed any. Still as charming as ever." She folded her arms and said, "But, this isn't a social visit. The only reason you're here is because I have a little proposition for you. Something that I think you will find quite interesting."
Callisto giggled. "My, am I flattered! I'm only here a minute and you have already insulted me and offered me a job! What an honor!" Her expression momentarily turned serious. "So, what fun activity do you have planned for me? I do hope dear Xena is involved. I never got the chance to thank her for stabbing me, you know." She grinned wildly again. "Oh, by the way, do you know your precious little Gabby is dead? Seems she took a little fall. I guess you missed your chance at revenge!"
Velasca coldly smiled at her. "My, my, aren't we a little out of touch? I guess news doesn't travel very fast in Hell. Not only was Gabrielle not killed, but she and Xena both died again later and came back to life. But, since you're dead, you wouldn't know all that, would you? Besides, that all happened a very long time ago. Welcome to the twentieth century."
"Twentieth century? That means..." her voice trailed off.
"Yes, you are now in the future. And, we're not in Greece anymore. I'm afraid Xena and Gabrielle have both been long dead for centuries. Oops! I guess that means you missed your chance at revenge too," Velasca taunted her.
"You know, I'm starting to remember why I wanted to kill you," Callisto thoughtfully said. She reflexively reached back to draw her sword and was surprised to find it there. She looked down and noticed she was wearing her customary outfit instead of the white dress she had had since her arrival in Hell. With her other hand, she felt that her shorn hair had returned to its normal length. She slowly drew her sword all the way out. "And, since Xena isn't here to keep me busy, I guess I'll just have to settle for a rematch!" With that said, she let out a scream and charged Velasca.
Velasca reached for her own weapon, eager to have a little fun. But before she could take a swing at the insane goddess, a blast of energy sent Callisto flying against a wall.
Callisto groaned in pain as she raised herself to her hands and knees. She had the feeling that she wasn't quite dead anymore. She glared in the direction that the blast had come from and saw an old man lowering his hand. "Now is that any way to treat a guest? I'm insulted."
"I really don't care," the man answered her, anger and impatience in his voice. "As Velasca told you, the only reason you're here is because I have a use for you. I won't tolerate this childish behavior. From either of you," he continued, pointedly looking at Velasca as well.
Callisto stood up. "You have a use for me? And, just who are you? Velasca's new playmate?"
"Be very careful with how you address me. You're only here and alive because of my magic. If you agree to my offer, Velasca will restore you to full god status. Otherwise, you're going straight back to Hell," he sternly told her.
Callisto laughed and turned to Velasca. "I like your new friend. He's just as annoying as you are." She turned her attention back to the man. "Your silly threats don't frighten me, old man. I'm quite used to Hell by now. But, I still don't know who you are or what you want."
He nodded. "My name is Scarab. What I want from you is very simple. I want you to do what you do best. Go and destroy a few places in the city. Burn anything and anyone you like except for one little boy, who you will learn about shortly. It is that simple."
"What's the catch?"
"No catch," he promised. "Only a reward for your help."
Callisto cocked her head. "A reward? What could you possibly offer me?"
"The one thing you have longed for since the destruction of your family."
"Peace," she said, a small smile forming on her lips.
"Peace," he nodded. "Oblivion. Something not even death could give you." "Ooh, I think I'm going to like it here!" Callisto began to laugh wildly.
On Mount Olympus, the goddess named Tia approached the throne of her mentor Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and patron to the Greek Amazons. The Tracker of the Gods kneeled and bowed her head.
"You summoned me, Great Huntress?"
Artemis smiled slightly at the mortal-turned-goddess in front of her. It was very rare for Tia to show respect to anyone, even the other gods. "Rise, my protégé. I have a mission for you," she commanded.
Tia rose up to her full height. "What must I do?"
"Two dangerous enemies of both the gods and the Amazons have been set free into the world. It is the will of Zeus and myself that they be brought before us for justice," Artemis explained.
"Who are they?" Tia asked.
"One is the goddess Callisto. Someone has gone back in time and taken her from Hell almost exactly one day prior to her involvement in the Julius Caesar affair. If she is not stopped and returned to her proper place, it will have grave consequences on our timeline and existence."
"Has there been any affect yet on our Callisto?"
"No. She still remains in Paradise with her family. However, her release is what alerted us to the absence of the other. It is believed she is the one responsible for allowing the unknown third party to bring Callisto to the present." Artemis paused and looked Tia directly in the eyes. "She was taken from her prison here on Olympus."
"Velasca," Tia growled softly. She clenched her fists tightly in centuries-old anger. "I've been waiting a long time to confront that bitch again. How long has she been out?"
Artemis mentally flinched at the vehemence in the other woman's voice. "As far as the Fates can tell, Callisto was taken from the past not more than four hours ago. Velasca must have been freed at least a day or two earlier." The first encounter between Tia and Velasca had not gone well. The battle had quickly turned personal for the two former Amazons and only the timely intervention of Xena had prevented Tia from breaking several sacred laws.
"Their current location is unknown. That is why your services are required. You are the best hunter and tracker I have ever known. If anyone can find them, it is you," Artemis told her.
"Thank you, my teacher," Tia accepted the compliment, the anger and hatred still apparent in her voice. "I will not fail you."
The Goddess of the Hunt nodded. "I know you won't. However, mind your feelings towards Velasca. Don't let them distract you from your mission," she warned her. "If you are not careful, your anger will be your downfall."
Tia glared angrily at Artemis. "My feelings are not your concern. I will handle my quarry in any way I see fit. There is no need for you or Zeus to worry. Your 'justice' will be served."
"You hate her."
"Extremely."
"Even more than the other one?" Artemis knew she was treading on dangerous ground by bringing her up.
"How dare you," Tia accused furiously. "I will never hate anyone more than her. You know that. She tried to take my love away from me. For that, I will never forgive her."
Artemis shook her head and sighed. This was the only subject Tia refused to discuss, yet it was the one she most needed to talk about. "This is what I meant. This woman has been out of your life for 3500 years, yet you still harbor these feelings of animosity towards her. Don't you think it's time to let it go?"
"Let it go? Let it go?!" Tia asked incredulously. "How can you even say that? You weren't there. You didn't see the way she looked at him, even after I warned her what would have happened if she ever touched him. You have no idea what it was like to know that she was with him all the time. He spent more time with her than me." She smiled in a way that made Artemis very uneasy. "She deserved everything she got, although I personally think death was too good for her."
"How did she die?" the senior goddess asked, dreading the answer for some unknown reason.
"She and my husband were two of the guardians of the crown prince. The prince, Rapses, had disappeared and the guardians were sent to find him. Little did they know that they were walking into a trap," Tia narrated, the anger lessened in her tone. "My husband, Rapses, and the other two guardians died out on the battlefield. The tramp was still alive when a second search party went looking for them. She lived long enough to tell the pharaoh the identity of the assailant, who just happened to be his most trusted advisor."
Tia paused and smiled another of her mysterious smiles. "It's funny, the royal physician said she should have made a complete recovery. She died a few days later anyway." Her expression quickly changed into one of pure business. "But, you didn't summon me here to talk about my past. Is there anything else you wish me to do?"
"It is imperative that you also find the mysterious third party involved. This individual or group of individuals is to be stopped by any means necessary. I leave the method of punishment entirely up to you," Artemis told her, knowing the full implications of her statement. She had seen Tia's "punishments" before and felt ill just thinking about them. Even Ares could be more humane than the Tracker of the Gods.
"I understand. Thank you, Great Huntress. I promise that I will not fail you," Tia vowed.
"Of your success, I have no doubt. But, I beg you, remember what I have said this day. I wish you a good journey."
Tia knelt and bowed once again and teleported herself away.
"She's pretty intense, huh, sis?" said a voice next to Artemis. She turned to see her sister, Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, materialize next to her. "I definitely do not want to be on that girl's bad side!"
"What do you want, Aphrodite?"
"Can't a girl just visit her sister? Besides I was in the neighborhood. I was visiting my baby boy and his family. Bliss is growing into a big boy," she told her. "So, what's up with Miss Attitude? Who was that person she was having a hissy fit about?"
"I'm not exactly sure of the entire story myself, but apparently, before she came to Greece, she was married and another woman developed a crush on her husband," Artemis explained.
"Ooh, let me guess! Our sweet little Miss Attitude didn't take it too well, did she?"
"I have a feeling she may have had a hand in this girl's death, but that's nothing more than a suspicion right now," Artemis told her.
"That's way harsh! I knew Tia was a bad girl, but not that bad," Aphrodite said in astonishment.
Artemis looked at her sister curiously. "Do you think she still loves her first husband?"
"I don't think she loves anymore, period. The only thing I think she does is hate everyone," the Love Goddess said. "She really scares me," she continued. "And, very few things scare me. Well, very few things besides bad hair days."
"I think you're right," Artemis nodded in agreement. "I just hope she can keep her hatred under control for the duration of this mission. I fear the consequences if she fails."
"Bummer."
Chapter Thirteen:
Matt plopped himself down on his couch for a nice, long nap. After suffering through two boring lectures, all he wanted to do was sleep.
Just as he was about to jump headfirst into dreamland, the phone rang. "Man," he grumbled as he reached behind him to grab the ringing menace.
"This better be good," he told the person on the other side, not really caring who it was.
"Oh, it's good all right," came the energetic reply. It was none other than Kait. "Operation: Scroll Search is a go!"
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Matt asked her, knowing full-well that she did.
"Yeah, I do," she said, matter-of-factly. "It's two o'clock. In other words, nap time."
"Very good," he told her. "Since we're clear on that issue, I'll talk to you later. Bye!"
"Not so fast! Hold it right there, buster!" Kait exclaimed. "If you think I'm letting you off so easily, think again!"
"Kaity! This is part of my Tuesday-Thursday routine. You know me, pretty set in my ways and all that jazz," he tried.
"Yeah, right. Come on, this'll be fun."
"Yes, if illegally trespassing on a crime scene is your idea of fun," he countered. "I think I'll be sitting this one out, thank you very much. I can't afford to end up in jail right now."
"Aw, come on! We can pull it off easily. No sweat! Trust me," Kait implored.
"Trust you? Do you remember what happened the last time you asked me to trust you and go along on one of your crazy schemes? We ended up in detention for a week!" Matt reminded her. "There's no way I'm coming!"
"That was back in high school! Besides, it wasn't my fault! We were set up!" Kait defended. "But, anyway, that's not the point. The point is that Aunt Miranda needs our help. We both know that the police aren't going to find crap."
Matt got quiet as he thought about it for a minute. Finally, he said, "Why do I let myself get talked into these things?"
"Because you love them as much as I do," Kait teased.
"You realize that we have class tonight don't you?" he asked her.
"Don't worry about it. We can copy Tina's notes tomorrow night. You know how thorough she is," she told him. "That girl hasn't missed one class all year! She's crazy, I tell you!"
Matt heaved a sigh. "So, where do I meet you and Aunt Miranda?"
"In front of that sphinx-thing. Aunt Miranda thinks there may be some kind of entrance to the museum inside it," she informed him. "Be there in an hour."
"I'll see you then. Bye," he said as he hung up. He could just picture the victorious expression on her face at convincing him to help her once again. As usual, he found himself agreeing to join her on one of her crazy quests. One day, his inability to resist her was going to get him into trouble.
Presley and his friend Walter Lu brought their skateboards to a halt in front of the entrance to Golden Gate Park. School was out for the day and the boys decided it was a perfect day to get in some serious skating practice.
"So, Presley," Walter said, "you're not planning on pulling a repeat performance today, are you?"
Presley cringed. He had been in the middle of attempting a very difficult move when he had caught the mummies in the corner of his eye. Taken by surprise, he had lost control of his board and landed flat on his butt. He had given Ja-Kal quite a lecture that day, not that it had done any good. The hunter was just as overprotective as ever.
"Hey, I was distracted!" Presley defended himself. "It's not like you've never fallen either."
"Yeah, but the way you fell was classic," Walter teased. "That scream of yours is really adorable!"
Presley grinned, "You're asking for it, aren't you?"
"Who me?" Walter replied innocently.
"No, your sister!" Presley exclaimed. "Speaking of Cynthia, how is she these days?"
"Besides being the most popular freshman in her class? She's still a major pain in the butt." Walter cocked an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you still have a thing for her."
"I'm way over her," Presley reassured him. "Believe me. I finally realized that she wasn't my type."
"And, just who exactly is your type? Mary Sue O'Brian?"
At the mention of Mary Sue's name, both boys began to laugh hysterically. Mary Sue, a recent transfer student from a catholic school, was the biggest slut in the entire student body. Rumors abounded about her immoral activities being the reason she was kicked out of her previous school.
"Yeah, I can just see it now. I become Mary Sue's number one boy toy," Presley joked. "I'd be the envy of every guy in the school."
"Almost every guy. I already have my eyes set on someone else," Walter told him, mock-seriously.
"Who?"
"Your mom!" Walter blurted as he skated off into the park. "Race you to the pit!"
"You're going down, Lu! No one talks about my mom like that, except me!" Presley shouted after him. "See you after you come in second place!" He raced after him.
Callisto materialized in a secluded area of the park. Her assignment was to attract the attention of the mummies and keep them busy while Velasca grabbed the boy.
She inspected her surroundings. She was in a wooded area filled with tall trees. There were no people around for her to terrorize. Hmm, she would just have to go looking for some! Causing destruction was no fun without an audience!
She went off looking for victims.
"Glad you could join us, sleeping beauty," Kait commented as Matt arrived at the museum.
Miranda smiled at him. "Thanks for coming. We can really use your help."
"Sure. No problem. Breaking into a crime scene is one of my favorite hobbies," Matt told her sarcastically.
Kait punched him in the arm. "Very funny."
"It was, wasn't it?" Matt told her.
"Cut the antics, you two," Miranda interrupted them. She spread out a map on the top of a flat brick wall. "I grabbed this the last time I was in the museum. This shows the layout of both the main building and the sphinx attached to it."
Kait peered at the map. "Look at this, the corridor right here, which begins inside the sphinx, leads right into the exhibit behind the Xena Scrolls room." She pointed with her finger. "Here's what I think we're gonna do..."
Velasca followed the boy's trail to Golden Gate Park. This was the same place she had sent Callisto to create a distraction to attract the guardians. If the boy was here as well...
She smiled to herself at all the possibilities that had just sprung up before her. She would be able to destroy the mummies and grab the boy in one swift blow. It would be a most enlivening afternoon.
Presley and Walter were almost to the skateboarding pit when they were assaulted by the sound of screaming and running.
"What's going on?" Walter asked, a little nervous at the sound of the mass panic.
Presley fingered his amulet. "I don't know," he told Walter, "but I think we should go check it out."
"Are you crazy? It could be dangerous!" Walter warned him.
"Exactly! People could need our help," Presley reasoned.
"But, we're just kids. What could we do?"
"Come on, Walter! At least come with me to see what's happening," Presley told him.
"Oh, okay," he gave in. "Let's go."
The two boys swiftly skated off in the direction the sounds of commotion were coming from. When they arrived on the scene, their mouths dropped open in complete shock. A woman, who was dressed in a strange leather outfit, was literally shooting fire from her hands and burning everything in sight. She was laughing wildly and attacking anyone or anything that got near her. There were several bodies, either dead or badly injured, scattered throughout the area.
"I think we'd better get out of here," Walter stammered, his voice full of fear and shock.
"Yeah," Presley managed, unable to pull his eyes away from the carnage, " I think you're right. Let's go!"
As they skated away, Presley lagged a little behind and grabbed his amulet. "Guys, you better get to the park RIGHT NOW!"
Inside the Sphinx, the mummies were jolted out of their rest by their amulets and the sound of their prince's voice. The four guardians bolted out of their sarcophagi.
"Our prince needs us!" Ja-Kal told the others.
"With the strength of Ra!" the four shouted simultaneously to call their armor. Immediately, their animal armor appeared around their bodies.
Rath quickly went to look at the Pyramid. "Young Rapses is in Golden Gate Park," he informed the others.
"Then let's get moving!" Nefer-Tina added. "Get into the Hot-Ra, boys!" She ran towards the garage with the three others close behind.
Nefer-Tina jumped into the driver's seat while Rath sat next to her and Armon took his place in the rear. Ja-Kal called his wings and flew off ahead. Nefer-Tina hit the ignition and slammed her foot on the accelerator. The Hot-Ra tore down the launching ramp.
Miranda, Kait, and Matt were headed for the Sphinx when they saw something that shocked them. The mouth of the stone building suddenly dropped open and a ramp extended down to the ground. If that weren't strange enough, they then saw an armored figure fly out of the mouth and an unusual looking car race down the ramp and onto the street at full speed.
"Holy Shit! What the fuck was that!" Kait exclaimed.
"How the hell should I know?" Matt replied.
Miranda was too stunned to say anything. She just stared after the car barreling down the road.
Kait was the first to recover. Her sense of adventure kicked in full-swing. "Let's follow them! Come one! I think they're headed for the park!" She ran off after the weird car.
Matt and Miranda looked first after Kait, then at each other.
"She's completely crazy, isn't she?"
"I keep trying to tell her that, but she never listens to me," Matt said. "So, do we follow her?"
"Although it's against my better judgment, we have no choice. Kait probably will need our help," Miranda told him.
"I'm going to regret this, but you're right. Let's go."
They proceeded to go after Kait.
Presley leaned heavily against a tree, desperate to catch his breath. He closed his eyes for a moment. He had never felt so exhausted in his entire life. He had lost his board a while ago when the mob of fleeing people had bumped into him, separating him from Walter. He did not know how long he had been running. He was hurt from being knocked down several times and could feel the blood running from several cuts and gashes.
He did not know where he was exactly. After losing his board and Walter, he had run in any direction he could in an attempt to escape the flood of terrified people, not really paying attention of where he was going. He hoped the mummies could find him.
Who was that woman? What was she? Why was she here? She did not look Egyptian, so he did not know if she had been sent by Scarab to capture him or not. But, he could not risk getting caught in any case. After seeing what she had done to all those innocent people...
Suddenly, a hand painfully gripped his shoulder. "So, you're the little brat the old man wants so badly," a female voice cheerfully spoke. "Not too good at hiding, are you dear?"
Presley opened his eyes to see the woman who had been massacring the park goers. He felt his terror instantly renewed and strengthened. He struggled against her hold on him. "Let me go!"
"Oh, no! Not before I have a little fun with you," she grinned. "The old man only said you needed to be alive. He never specified what condition you had to be in."
Presley struggled even harder, growing more terrified by her words. "HELP!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. He didn't care who saved him at this point, just as long as he was saved.
"Let the boy go," an authoritative male voice broke in.
"Ja-Kal!" Presley shouted, feeling relieved. He turned to the woman. "Now you're in real trouble."
"You must be one of the annoying guardians Scarab spoke so highly of. Well, I'm afraid the boy stays with me. He's my ticket to finally getting what I want," she told him.
Ja-Kal nocked an arrow, which burst into flame as he aimed his bow at the blonde. "I will not ask you again. Release the boy now."
Out of nowhere, a blast of electricity hit Ja-Kal directly in the back. He fell to his knees with a cry of pain, dropping his bow.
Presley gasped as his head guardian went down. "Ja-Kal!" He looked up to see another woman enter the clearing, this one with dark hair.
"The boy is no longer your concern," she coldly told the fallen form on the ground. "Callisto, take the boy and return to Scarab. I'll take care of this one and his companions when they arrive."
"And let you have all the fun? I don't think so," Callisto stated,
The second woman grew angry. "This is not one your silly games! I order you to leave!" she commanded.
"You're ordering me? No one orders me to do anything! I stay where I want to stay and I want to stay here," Callisto retorted stubbornly. She threw Presley roughly to the ground. "Don't even think of going anywhere, my precious," she told him.
While the two insane women continued arguing, Presley crawled towards where Ja-Kal was weakly trying to get up.
"There it goes!" Kait shouted as she chased after the golden car. The car suddenly turned off the road and tore into the wooded area of Golden Gate Park.
Matt and Miranda followed their overeager companion. The three of them stood at the place where the car had disappeared. On the ground, they could easily make out the fresh tire tracks.
The threesome ran down the path left by the speeding car.
In front of her, Nefer-Tina could see the clearing where Rath said the prince was located. She hit the brakes and brought the Hot-Ra to a stop. She retracted the glass dome and she, Rath, and Armon jumped out to face this latest threat to their charge.
Nefer-Tina scanned the scene to access the situation. However, the first thing she saw was Ja-Kal. Presley was trying to help him stand up. She rushed over to help, leaving Rath and Armon to take care of the enemy. She didn't even bother to see what it was.
"What happened? Are you two all right?" she asked, noting Presley's condition.
"Those crazy ladies happened!" Presley told her. He pointed to where Rath and Armon were. They were fighting two women. "Scarab sent 'em to get me!"
"Who are they?"
"The fair-haired one is named Callisto," Ja-Kal said, pain in his voice. "The other has yet to reveal her identity."
"Velasca." The three of them turned to see the dark haired woman standing behind them. "My name is Velasca, the God of Chaos. Hand over the boy and no one else will be harmed."
"I think I hear something coming from up ahead of us," Miranda said. "It sounds like..." she trailed off.
"Like what?" Kait wanted to know.
"A battle," Miranda finished.
Matt looked uneasy. "Maybe we should, you know, turn back now."
"No," Kait shook her head. "We've come too far. We have to see this through."
They continued running, coming to a stop when they reached the end of the tracks. They gasped at the scene spread out before them.
At one end of the clearing, a man wearing strange armor and a blonde woman wearing leather clashed swords. Near them, another armored figure, this one rather obese, laid on the ground not moving. Across the battlefield, another armored warrior, this one most definitely a woman, faced off with yet another scantily clad woman, this one a brunette. Standing behind them, the same man who they had seen fly out of the sphinx protectively shielded a young boy.
"Ja-Kal," the woman in armor told the man behind her, "get Rapses to safety." She cracked a lethal looking whip to ward off her opponent, who easily dodged it.
"But, Nefer-Tina, we can't leave you guys behind!" the boy cried out.
"Nefer-Tina's right," the one named Ja-Kal told the boy. "Your safety is all that matters."
Suddenly, the blonde shrieked and knocked the sword out of the hand of her opponent. She jumped into the air, flipped, and drove a hard kick to his midsection. The man doubled over, clutching his stomach and dropped to the ground. The woman then leaped and flipped again, covering a seeming impossible distance, only to land in front of Ja-Kal as he was about to run off with the boy.
"Leaving so soon?" she giggled madly.
"Wait a minute!" Miranda said. "I know that boy! He's Amanda Carnovan's son. Presley. I think his name is Presley."
"Amanda's the museum lady, right? We gotta save him!" Kait exclaimed.
"But, what can we do? We don't even know which ones are the bad guys!" Matt put in.
"I have a pretty good idea," Kait told him. "The weird armored ones are trying to protect him. They said so themselves and Presley seems pretty attached to them."
Miranda thought for a moment. "I have an idea. Follow my lead." She burst out into the open, leaving two very stunned young adults in her wake. She approached the blonde from behind, who was too busy verbally tormenting her victims to notice her. "Hey you! Pick on someone your own size!" she shouted.
The woman spun around angrily. Miranda gasped in surprise as soon as she saw the woman's face.
She was completely identical to Miranda.
Chapter Fourteen:
Miranda stared in shock at the evil woman in front of her. How was this possible? Who was she?
"My, my, what a lovely surprise!" the woman exclaimed in a cheery voice. "We seem to have a few things in common!"
Miranda staggered backwards, unable to find her voice. Her mind was reeling at this strange turn of events.
"We simply must have a little chat!" her mirror-image continued. She smiled and moved closer to Miranda, sheathing her sword.
Kait and Matt stood where Miranda had left them, feeling completely helpless as they watched.
"We've gotta save her!" Kait declared.
"No, we can't risk it," Matt told her reasonably, although his heart agreed with Kait. "Better we help Presley while the two monster chicks are distracted. He seems to be the one in the most danger."
Nefer-Tina thrashed her whip at Velasca once again, only to have the mad goddess avoid it as easily as before. This futile dance had been going on for gods-knew-how-long with no progress on either woman's part. She felt her arm beginning to weaken from fatigue. She hoped Ja-Kal had taken Presley to safety by now.
"Give up. You won't be able to keep this up for much longer anyway," Velasca remarked casually. "I sense your strength waning."
"Never," Nefer-Tina declared. "My life is unimportant. The prince's safety is all that matters."
"You remind me a lot of Xena," Velasca told her. "She was as stubborn and noble as you are. And, just as annoying."
"I'm honored to be compared to such a great warrior," Nefer-Tina replied. Even if I'm not worthy of it, she thought to herself.
"Don't be. She was misguided and weak. She had the potential to be the most powerful warlord in the world but threw it all away to help the pathetic scum that populate the world," Velasca told her. "I grow tired of this. It's time to end our little game..."
"Run, my prince!" Ja-Kal ordered Presley. A woman had just come out of nowhere and her distraction of Callisto had bought them both some time. As soon as his charge was safe, he could go back and help the others. Especially Nefer-Tina...
"Presley! Over here!" shouted a new voice. Both looked to see two people running towards them.
Ja-Kal immediately recognized them as Nefer-Tina's friends Matt and Kait. What were they doing here?
"Don't worry," Kait said. "We're friends."
Presley looked at Ja-Kal, who nodded at him. "Go on," he urged. "I believe we can trust them."
"We're friends of Dr. Larson," Matt explained, pointing to the woman with Callisto. "Your mom worked with her on the Xena Scroll exhibit."
"We met briefly at the opening," Kait added, grabbing the boy's hand. She looked at Ja-Kal. "Will you be all right?"
He glanced over his shoulder to where Nefer-Tina was barely holding off Velasca. "Yes. I have to help the rest of my team. Now go!"
"But, Ja-Kal!" Presley protested as Kait began to pull him away.
"Come on, Pres," Kait softly said, squeezing his hand. "Matt, let's go!"
Matt was staring as if transfixed by the fight between Nefer-Tina and Velasca. He shook his head. "No, I'm gonna stay and help." Before anyone could stop him, he rushed off to help Nefer-Tina.
"No, Matt!" Kait shouted from the edge of the woods. Presley was already out of sight.
Rath and Armon, who had finally recovered enough to rejoin the battle, hurried over.
"What in the name of Ra is going on here?" Rath demanded to know.
"A fight," Armon supplied helpfully.
"They're friends," Ja-Kal informed them. "Rapses will be safe with the girl. Come, we must help Nefer-Tina and Dr. Larson."
Matt ran over to where the armored woman was fighting. He did not know what he could possibly do to help, but he was determined to try.
Just then, the bad chick went on the offensive and knocked down the other one. Gathering up his courage, Matt stepped up behind her.
"Is this a private party or may anyone join in?"
The armored woman on the ground looked up at him and her mouth dropped open. "Matt?" she asked in a very familiar voice.
The evil one turned to face him. "This is none of your business, boy. Go away." With that, she blasted Matt directly in the chest. His body went flying several feet backward before hitting a tree.
As he fell to the ground, Matt could faintly hear Kait scream his name. Then, everything went black.
Miranda heard Kait's cry and looked to see what had happened. To her horror, she saw Matt lying flat on the ground, smoke rising from his motionless body. "Oh, no! Matt," she whispered to herself.
"Was he a friend of yours?" came the irritating voice of Callisto. "My condolences. Oh, well, back to business."
Miranda was appalled by Callisto's sudden heartlessness. Up until now, she had only ranted and raved about how Xena had wiped out her entire family and village and how she missed them so much. As impossible as it seemed, this woman appeared to be the very same Callisto she had studied in the Scrolls. Her mercurial nature fit the description perfectly.
Apparently, thanks to Miranda, she was now convinced someone had survived the destruction of Cirra. Unfortunately, it was true: Miranda was the direct descendant of Callisto's younger sister. This goddess, who was supposed to be dead, was her ancestor.
"As I was saying, before we were so rudely interrupted, you're my family now. We have to stick together, you and I."
"I may be a member of your bloodline, but I am not a member of your family," Miranda told her. She would have to be very careful to not get Callisto too angry at her. The stories of her exploits in the Scrolls were enough to give anyone nightmares.
Callisto shook her head and made a clucking sound. "I'm disappointed in you, Miranda." She smiled. "Join me. We can make Xena's family pay for what she did to us both."
Kait felt the world go into slow-motion as Matt was shot down by Velasca. No! she mentally screamed. Please don't let him be dead! Not before I tell him how I feel, she prayed desperately. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
She looked at the goddess who had harmed her best friend. Velasca was smiling, admiring her handiwork. Kait could tell she had enjoyed it.
Finally, something snapped inside of her. She became determined to make Velasca pay for what she had done to Matt. Her eyes became filled hatred towards the God of Chaos.
"Monster!!!" she screamed. Driven by a tearful rage, she charged towards the goddess.
Velasca turned towards the direction where someone had shouted her name. To her surprise, someone was barreling towards her. Good, someone else wanted to take her on. This would be fun.
However, there was something familiar-looking about the girl coming at her. But, it couldn't be who she thought. It was impossible.
"Xena?"
Nefer-Tina watched her friends being taken down one by one, her heart caught in her throat. She hardly felt someone grab her from behind and lift her to her feet. She leaned heavily against the body supporting her.
"Are you all right?" was asked of her.
The question startled her. She turned her head to see Ja-Kal, who was the one holding her up. She felt herself flush at being so close to him again, but this was not the time or place for her romantic feelings for him. "The prince?" she asked him tiredly.
"Safe," he assured her. "Your friend Kait took him out of here before coming back."
"Good," she said, standing up straight. She pushed her fatigue aside. "We have to see if Matt is, you know..." she began, unable to finish.
"I know," he told her. "I know. But, now Dr. Larson and Kait are the ones in the most need of our help."
Velasca held her ground as "Xena" rushed towards her. She was puzzled, however, by the lack of her distinctive war-cry or any fancy acrobatics that were Xena's trademark in battle. It was very odd.
Velasca erected a force field extending several feet in front of her. As the oncoming attacker reached the field, she was propelled backwards. She tumbled to the ground and curled up into a ball.
The goddess approached the injured girl and took a good look at her. She was wearing modern clothing. She also looked much younger than she remembered.
This was not Xena at all. It was one of her descendants.
"Foolish girl," Velasca taunted her. "You may look like Xena, but you are nothing like her." She kicked her hard in the small of the back.
The girl screamed and rolled to her hands and knees. She raised her face to Velasca. "Xena was my ancestor," she told her defiantly.
"Then you'll be joining her shortly. You're not as good as the real thing, but killing you will be almost as satisfying," Velasca said. "Goodbye."
Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light filled the clearing. "That's enough!" boomed an authoritative female voice. The source of the voice began to materialize.
Nefer-Tina gasped and began to back away, her body shaking in long-remembered fear as she saw the identity of the new arrival.
It was Tia.