After digging through the smell and disgust of human remains, Xena failed to find any weapons. However, she found two femur bones roughly half the size of a sword. The door lifted open and a dozen soldiers swarmed through. Xena stepped back, twirling the bone in her right hand.
"I got a bone to pick with you!" she snarled and ran toward the nearest soldier. He swiped at her with his sword, but she easily blocked his attacks. Shards of bone flew through the air as the sword collided. Xena spun around and belted him on the back of the head. Another two men came at her and she jumped up and kicked them in the face, knocking them to the ground. There were so many coming, she had to knock them out as quickly as possible. Another pair came forward, one wildly and nervously swinging his sword in the air. The second man ran around her. Xena peered behind her, knowing he was about to run her through. She flipped up in the air, timed perfectly, and his sword plunged into the nervous man. Xena landed on her feet, and through all the men, she could see Volicis had come to stand at the gate. Well, if he wanted a show, she'd give him one.
*****
"Ahhhh!" Gabrielle yelled hoarsely as one of her sais lost hold. She dangled by her right sai. Small pieces of rocks showered over her and a long way down to the ground. Slowly she brought her left arm up and stabbed at the rock, wedging the point in firmly. The window was only a few feet away and her arms were trembling from exhaustion.
"Just a few more," she grunted through her teeth, trying to encourage herself. Over and over she stabbed at the rock and heaved her self up until she was finally at the lip of the window. She placed her wrists on the cold edge and peered inside. It was a small room, probably for an archer, and empty. Taking a deep breath, her lungs burning from the cold air, she pushed down on her wrists and lunged over the side of the window. She landed on the floor on her hands and knees, taking deep breaths. She may have been numb from the cold before, but now she was a sweaty, trembling mess from her exertions. Laying down on the cold stone floor, she rolled onto her back and rubbed her aching arms, completely out of energy.
"HEY!" a passing guard yelled from the hall. Gabrielle winced at being discovered, but remained relaxed. "Hey, what are you doing here!" he marched in, drawing his sword.
Gabrielle glanced up at him, a slow, seductive smile forming on her lips, "Oh, just waiting for you." She crooked a finger at him, "C'mere."
The guard lowered his sword, surprised and intrigued, seeing a woman as no threat. He knelt down on one knee and smiled suggestively at her, "And what can I do for you, sweetheart?"
Gabrielle sat up slowly, "Oh, you could come a little closer... closer..." and as he leaned forward, she slammed her fists on the sides of his head. He fell on top of her unconscious. Gabrielle pushed him off of her and shrugged out of her coat, placing Xena's weapons down at her feet for the moment. Quickly undressing him, she put his metal and leather armor over her own outfit. She couldn't help but giggle at his polka dot boxers. The armor was a large fit on the small warrior bard, especially the helmet, but it would have to do. Taking up Xena's weapons, she set out to find her friend.
*****
This time a dozen of the men had come at Xena all at once, knocking her down. Buried beneath a pile of soldiers, Xena felt multiple blows to her back and head. Taking a deep breath, she pushed up as hard as she could, flinging most of them off. She grabbed a dropped sword and slammed it into the ground.
"Eiyiyiyiyiyiyiyi!" she ululated her warcry. Grasping the handle, she flung herself around in a circle in the air, kicking her legs out and knocking the men around her down to the ground. A fresh batch stormed through the door and Xena grimaced. She knew she could hold her own, but for how long? Eyeing the soldiers, she noticed one was particularly shorter than the rest, his helmet slipping down over his eyes. Even in her current situation, Xena couldn't help but smile. Gabrielle wiggled the chakram in her hand, unsure if Xena knew it was her, not being able to see with the helmet over her eyes. Volicis's voice could be heard over the fighting.
"Very good, Xena. Very good. I have over a hundred men, you know. Do you really think you can stop them all?" As he walked through his men, they stopped their attacks, letting him pass. Xena's senses suddenly picked up on something and a new plan formed in her mind. All she needed was time.
"Yeah, I can stop them all, but I'm only concerned with one." She watched Volicis carefully, seeing only hate in his eyes.
"Sorry Xena, but I don't plan on joining my family just yet. Say hello to Hades for me, will you?" he turned on his heel, ready to walk out.
"Volicis!" she called out. He stopped and turned, waiting. "You, uh, forgot something."
Volicis was in no mood to play games, "What is that?"
Xena didn't need to answer. A low growl could be heard as the boar woke. It was hurt, starving, and very very angry. It got to its feet, spun around, and without warning, barreled right through the soldiers. Screams of pain and fear filled the air as they all scrambled around, trying to get away.
Volicis stood still, knowing his own pet would not harm him, having trained it too well. "Stand your ground! STAND YOUR GROUND!" he ordered his men, but to no avail. They knew how bloodthirsty the animal was.
Gabrielle ran over to Xena, her helmet falling repeatedly down to her nose.
"Another new outfit?" Xena took her sword and chakram as Gabrielle handed them to her.
"Ha. Ha." Gabrielle smirked and quickly took off the cumbersome armor and helmet. The skin left exposed tingled in the biting cold, but she knew she needed to be free of the armor's weight to fight.
The soldiers had quickly escaped back through the door, leaving only the boar and Volicis. The animal sniffed at him and a snap from Volicis had it standing still. Xena knew she and Gabrielle had to get past them and through the door, as well.
"Gabrielle, I want you to stay close to me," Xena whispered urgently. Reaching down, she rubbed her aching knees. "And keep an eye on that boar. It's mean and hungry and deadly if it gets too close. If it charges at you, don't wait, okay? Just point those sais and let 'em fly!"
Gabrielle nodded, "No problem." She suddenly grinned, "Besides, I haven't eaten pork in a while."
Xena rolled her eyes, but a commotion at the open door grabbed their attention. Soldiers came pouring back through the door, slowly at first, uneasy about being around the dangerous animal. What kept them moving was a big, burly soldier yelling and pushing them through the door.
Volicis nodded at his burly captain, and waited until more than fifty men had crowded into the pit. They all stood, silently waiting for his command. Volicis pet the boar at his side absently. He was suddenly very tired. Tired of looking at the woman, hearing her voice. Tired of seeing her face in his dreams every night. He just wanted the long nightmare to be over, and there was only one way to make sure of that. Glancing at his captain, he raised a finger and sliced it across his throat, clearly indicating what he wanted. The captain nodded. Volicis turned and walked through his soldiers and out the door.
The captain smiled and pointed at Xena and Gabrielle, "CHARGE!"
The soldiers surged forward like a huge wave. Gabrielle grabbed her sais while Xena continued to walk toward the oncoming men. "Xena?!!" she hollered, having no idea what Xena was doing.
Xena began to run toward the wall of soldiers, then suddenly crouched and sprang high into the air. "AIYAIYAIYAIYAIYAIYAI!!"
She sailed high into a long arc and landed right onto the animal's back. The boar thrashed wildly, trying to buck her off, but Xena held on tight. Furious, the boar began racing around, blindly barreling into the soldiers. Many of the men quickly backed away, leaving a wide path.
"Come on, Gabrielle! Try to stay behind me!" Xena's voice was jarred and broken by the fierce movement of the boar. Gabrielle ran up behind her, but kept a close watch on where the animal might dodge next. She didn't want to be caught in its way. Xena pulled hard on the boar's mane, guiding it toward the open door. Gabrielle raced past them through the door and looked around for a way to shut the door again.
"Close it!" Xena shouted and leapt off the animal's back, hitting the ground and rolling quickly toward the door. Gabrielle spied a large lever near the opening and wrapped her hands around it, pulling down with all her strength. The stone door began to slide quickly back down to the ground. Considering the speed which Xena was rolling toward the opening and the rate at which the door was dropping, it didn't look good.
"Aaaaahhhhhh!" Xena continued rolling, and just as she passed the entrance, the door crashed down behind her.
"Xena?" Gabrielle rushed over to her and helped her to her feet.
"I'm all right." Xena sighed and brushed the dust from her leathers. They turned toward the door as they heard the boar's furious grunts and squeals. They knew the men left behind would have a hard time tiring the angry animal out.
Putting a hand on her friend's shoulder, Xena narrowed her eyes, "C'mon. We need to find our host and repay him for his hospitality."
*****
Volicis sat alone in a vast, cold chamber. It was empty but for the hundreds of plain and exotic weapons that lined the walls, and the large carved stone throne he brooded upon. The back of it was outrageously ornate with sculpted wings and carved bones that extended several feet above his head. The arms were low and intricately carved with swirls and patterns. On the right arm were five peculiarly raised images of skulls in a row, each with a pair of inlaid garnets for eyes. As he tried to relax, Volicis ran his hand over them regretfully, wishing he'd had a chance to use them. Ah well, it was all over now. The Warrior Bitch was dead.
He waited for the peace he knew would come now that he'd avenged his family.
Nothing.
Frowning, he stood and began to pace in front of his throne. The woman was dead. The witch that had killed his beloved wife and small children. Murdered his dear mother. It was all over now! Over! All his hard work, his planning, his training night and day had finally come to fruition! Now was the time for him to relax, to enjoy the sweet taste of revenge. The cool feeling of peace and contentment could now wash over him.
Nothing.
His pace quickened and he ran his fingers frantically through his hair. NO! This isn't the way it was supposed to be! He thought all the pain and fury in his heart would simply vanish, but he felt no different. He could still close his eyes and see his family, how happy they all were together, but his heart was empty. He felt no sorrow, no blinding anger over the memories. He realized that he'd lived with his hatred for Xena for so long, he couldn't feel anything else.
His hands clenched in his hair and he growled out a curse, "Damn you, Xena. DAMN YOU!"
"Hello to you, too."
Volicis spun around toward the door of the chamber. His eyes were wide as saucers when he saw Xena and Gabrielle standing there. His hands slowly let go of his hair and pointed at her. "No...you...," he whispered. How could she have gotten away? How?! "Guards!"
Xena merely crossed her arms. Gabrielle raised an eyebrow and looked down at her boots.
"GUARDS!" he yelled louder, but there was still no response.
Xena looked over her shoulder. "Oh guards!" she called out, turned back with a sly smile on her face and shrugged her shoulders. "Guess they're a little 'boared'."
Volicis did not appreciate the joke. "Xena..." He took a menacing step toward her, "Every night I dream about what you did to my family, and every morning I think of how to kill you for it!"
Xena raised an eyebrow, "So what do you do with your afternoons?"
He couldn't take it. How dare she stand there with that smug look on her face. She should be dead. She should be in pieces at the bottom of that pit, his pet boar gnawing on her bones! Well, he wasn't going to let her stand there and mock him.
"AAAAAARRRGGH!" he charged at her, he hands reaching out for her throat. Xena and Gabrielle merely sidestepped and let him fly past. Gabrielle grabbed her sais and held them in front of her, just in case he came for her.
Xena watched him stumble to a halt and placed her hands on her hips. He may be a half-way decent leader, but a fighter he was not! Volicis jerked himself around and charged at her again. She simply spun away from him and kicked at his backside with the side of her boot.
As Volicis stumbled over to his throne, he realized he was letting his anger make a fool of him. Taking a deep breath, he sat down on his throne and combed his fingers through his hair. He looked up at the two women, his face blank, the fingers of his right hand trailing thoughtfully over the raised skulls.
Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other, unsure of this sudden change. They took a few hesitant steps forward, Xena making sure that Gabrielle was safely behind her. She watched his every move, watched his fingers hovering over the strange carvings, the strange glint that was beginning to gleam in his eyes. She moved her hand slightly, indicating that Gabrielle should wait.
The more steps she took toward him, the brighter the gleam in his eyes became, his lips even began to curl up. Her heightened senses were already on edge, but now they were roaring. Something was up, she could feel it.
She'd walked almost twenty feet from the door when he suddenly smiled. A chill ran down her spine at the sight. When his eyes shifted from her to where Gabrielle stood, she froze and spun around.
Volicis gave a short laugh and slammed his hand down on the first raised skull.
"Gabrielle!" Xena ran toward her friend, but it was to late.
The floor directly beneath Gabrielle fell away. "XEEEEENNNAAA!" she screamed as she fell into the darkness.
Xena slid to her knees on the floor beside the open trapdoor and peered over the edge. "GABRIELLE!" she cried out, but the only answer was her own voice echoing back.
Seeing the shock in her face and the worry in her voice brought a strange feeling to Volicis. He had been devoid of emotion for so long, he almost didn't recognize it, but Xena's tormented face caused the first seedlings of pleasure to grow inside his blackened heart. She was suffering at his hand. That thought brought the first real smile to his lips in years.
Xena stood and advanced quickly on Volicis, drawing her sword, "What did you do to her? Where is she? You war is with me, not her!" She leveled to point of her sword to his throat.
Volicis merely shrugged, "An eye for an eye, Xena. Your friend for my family." His smile widened as that delicious warmth of pleasure spread through him, causing a small chuckle to bubble forth. "Not a fair trade, but I'll take it!"
Xena's face twisted into a snarl and she pressed the sharp tip of her sword to his skin, drawing a thin line of blood.
Volicis froze and frowned at her, "Ah, ah, ah!" He laid a hand over the second raised skull on the arm of his throne, "If I push this, your friend, if she's not dead already, will meet some of my other pets." He lazily swirled his fingers over the details of the carved skull, "My very, VERY hungry pets!"
Xena's ears suddenly picked up on the sound of several heavy footsteps making their way to the chamber. She wanted so much to slice this bag of filth from nose to navel, but she needed him alive if she was going to find Gabrielle. Dozens of guards came running through the doorway, and she could tell they'd had a hell of a time getting past the blood-hungry boar. Many of them had nasty looking gashes and were rumpled and dusty from the effort it must have taken to get past the stone door.
Taking a steadying breath, she lowered her sword from Volicis's throat, "Where is she?!"
Volicis curled his lips into a snarl, "As if I'd tell you anything. Guards! Take her to her custom-made cell!" He pressed the first skull again and the trapdoor sealed back up. Xena wanted to jump through the dark hole herself, but it closed too quickly, and she was left feeling helpless and terribly worried.
Five burly soldiers came up to her and she let them force her sword and chakram away from her. She'd play along... for now.
"You should feel honored, Xena. I designed the room myself, especially for you." He casually stood and walked over to pick up her weapons.
"Can't wait," she smirked as one soldier shackled her arms together behind her and her feet together with a chain between them.
As his men dragged the woman away, Volicis admired the weapons he held. He hung the sword up alongside the many others on the walls of his chamber, but kept the chakram with him. He sat back down on his throne and turned it in his hands, watching the light reflect off its gleaming surface. It was truly exquisite. Holding the weapon close to his chest, he leaned his head back against the cold rock of his throne and smiled. He was pleased by this turn of events, and now that he could feel something, he knew peace he'd been waiting for for so long could not be far behind. He just had to make the bitch suffer the way his family had suffered. Then she would die and his long nightmare would finally be over.
"I got a bone to pick with you!" she snarled and ran toward the nearest soldier. He swiped at her with his sword, but she easily blocked his attacks. Shards of bone flew through the air as the sword collided. Xena spun around and belted him on the back of the head. Another two men came at her and she jumped up and kicked them in the face, knocking them to the ground. There were so many coming, she had to knock them out as quickly as possible. Another pair came forward, one wildly and nervously swinging his sword in the air. The second man ran around her. Xena peered behind her, knowing he was about to run her through. She flipped up in the air, timed perfectly, and his sword plunged into the nervous man. Xena landed on her feet, and through all the men, she could see Volicis had come to stand at the gate. Well, if he wanted a show, she'd give him one.
*****
"Ahhhh!" Gabrielle yelled hoarsely as one of her sais lost hold. She dangled by her right sai. Small pieces of rocks showered over her and a long way down to the ground. Slowly she brought her left arm up and stabbed at the rock, wedging the point in firmly. The window was only a few feet away and her arms were trembling from exhaustion.
"Just a few more," she grunted through her teeth, trying to encourage herself. Over and over she stabbed at the rock and heaved her self up until she was finally at the lip of the window. She placed her wrists on the cold edge and peered inside. It was a small room, probably for an archer, and empty. Taking a deep breath, her lungs burning from the cold air, she pushed down on her wrists and lunged over the side of the window. She landed on the floor on her hands and knees, taking deep breaths. She may have been numb from the cold before, but now she was a sweaty, trembling mess from her exertions. Laying down on the cold stone floor, she rolled onto her back and rubbed her aching arms, completely out of energy.
"HEY!" a passing guard yelled from the hall. Gabrielle winced at being discovered, but remained relaxed. "Hey, what are you doing here!" he marched in, drawing his sword.
Gabrielle glanced up at him, a slow, seductive smile forming on her lips, "Oh, just waiting for you." She crooked a finger at him, "C'mere."
The guard lowered his sword, surprised and intrigued, seeing a woman as no threat. He knelt down on one knee and smiled suggestively at her, "And what can I do for you, sweetheart?"
Gabrielle sat up slowly, "Oh, you could come a little closer... closer..." and as he leaned forward, she slammed her fists on the sides of his head. He fell on top of her unconscious. Gabrielle pushed him off of her and shrugged out of her coat, placing Xena's weapons down at her feet for the moment. Quickly undressing him, she put his metal and leather armor over her own outfit. She couldn't help but giggle at his polka dot boxers. The armor was a large fit on the small warrior bard, especially the helmet, but it would have to do. Taking up Xena's weapons, she set out to find her friend.
*****
This time a dozen of the men had come at Xena all at once, knocking her down. Buried beneath a pile of soldiers, Xena felt multiple blows to her back and head. Taking a deep breath, she pushed up as hard as she could, flinging most of them off. She grabbed a dropped sword and slammed it into the ground.
"Eiyiyiyiyiyiyiyi!" she ululated her warcry. Grasping the handle, she flung herself around in a circle in the air, kicking her legs out and knocking the men around her down to the ground. A fresh batch stormed through the door and Xena grimaced. She knew she could hold her own, but for how long? Eyeing the soldiers, she noticed one was particularly shorter than the rest, his helmet slipping down over his eyes. Even in her current situation, Xena couldn't help but smile. Gabrielle wiggled the chakram in her hand, unsure if Xena knew it was her, not being able to see with the helmet over her eyes. Volicis's voice could be heard over the fighting.
"Very good, Xena. Very good. I have over a hundred men, you know. Do you really think you can stop them all?" As he walked through his men, they stopped their attacks, letting him pass. Xena's senses suddenly picked up on something and a new plan formed in her mind. All she needed was time.
"Yeah, I can stop them all, but I'm only concerned with one." She watched Volicis carefully, seeing only hate in his eyes.
"Sorry Xena, but I don't plan on joining my family just yet. Say hello to Hades for me, will you?" he turned on his heel, ready to walk out.
"Volicis!" she called out. He stopped and turned, waiting. "You, uh, forgot something."
Volicis was in no mood to play games, "What is that?"
Xena didn't need to answer. A low growl could be heard as the boar woke. It was hurt, starving, and very very angry. It got to its feet, spun around, and without warning, barreled right through the soldiers. Screams of pain and fear filled the air as they all scrambled around, trying to get away.
Volicis stood still, knowing his own pet would not harm him, having trained it too well. "Stand your ground! STAND YOUR GROUND!" he ordered his men, but to no avail. They knew how bloodthirsty the animal was.
Gabrielle ran over to Xena, her helmet falling repeatedly down to her nose.
"Another new outfit?" Xena took her sword and chakram as Gabrielle handed them to her.
"Ha. Ha." Gabrielle smirked and quickly took off the cumbersome armor and helmet. The skin left exposed tingled in the biting cold, but she knew she needed to be free of the armor's weight to fight.
The soldiers had quickly escaped back through the door, leaving only the boar and Volicis. The animal sniffed at him and a snap from Volicis had it standing still. Xena knew she and Gabrielle had to get past them and through the door, as well.
"Gabrielle, I want you to stay close to me," Xena whispered urgently. Reaching down, she rubbed her aching knees. "And keep an eye on that boar. It's mean and hungry and deadly if it gets too close. If it charges at you, don't wait, okay? Just point those sais and let 'em fly!"
Gabrielle nodded, "No problem." She suddenly grinned, "Besides, I haven't eaten pork in a while."
Xena rolled her eyes, but a commotion at the open door grabbed their attention. Soldiers came pouring back through the door, slowly at first, uneasy about being around the dangerous animal. What kept them moving was a big, burly soldier yelling and pushing them through the door.
Volicis nodded at his burly captain, and waited until more than fifty men had crowded into the pit. They all stood, silently waiting for his command. Volicis pet the boar at his side absently. He was suddenly very tired. Tired of looking at the woman, hearing her voice. Tired of seeing her face in his dreams every night. He just wanted the long nightmare to be over, and there was only one way to make sure of that. Glancing at his captain, he raised a finger and sliced it across his throat, clearly indicating what he wanted. The captain nodded. Volicis turned and walked through his soldiers and out the door.
The captain smiled and pointed at Xena and Gabrielle, "CHARGE!"
The soldiers surged forward like a huge wave. Gabrielle grabbed her sais while Xena continued to walk toward the oncoming men. "Xena?!!" she hollered, having no idea what Xena was doing.
Xena began to run toward the wall of soldiers, then suddenly crouched and sprang high into the air. "AIYAIYAIYAIYAIYAIYAI!!"
She sailed high into a long arc and landed right onto the animal's back. The boar thrashed wildly, trying to buck her off, but Xena held on tight. Furious, the boar began racing around, blindly barreling into the soldiers. Many of the men quickly backed away, leaving a wide path.
"Come on, Gabrielle! Try to stay behind me!" Xena's voice was jarred and broken by the fierce movement of the boar. Gabrielle ran up behind her, but kept a close watch on where the animal might dodge next. She didn't want to be caught in its way. Xena pulled hard on the boar's mane, guiding it toward the open door. Gabrielle raced past them through the door and looked around for a way to shut the door again.
"Close it!" Xena shouted and leapt off the animal's back, hitting the ground and rolling quickly toward the door. Gabrielle spied a large lever near the opening and wrapped her hands around it, pulling down with all her strength. The stone door began to slide quickly back down to the ground. Considering the speed which Xena was rolling toward the opening and the rate at which the door was dropping, it didn't look good.
"Aaaaahhhhhh!" Xena continued rolling, and just as she passed the entrance, the door crashed down behind her.
"Xena?" Gabrielle rushed over to her and helped her to her feet.
"I'm all right." Xena sighed and brushed the dust from her leathers. They turned toward the door as they heard the boar's furious grunts and squeals. They knew the men left behind would have a hard time tiring the angry animal out.
Putting a hand on her friend's shoulder, Xena narrowed her eyes, "C'mon. We need to find our host and repay him for his hospitality."
*****
Volicis sat alone in a vast, cold chamber. It was empty but for the hundreds of plain and exotic weapons that lined the walls, and the large carved stone throne he brooded upon. The back of it was outrageously ornate with sculpted wings and carved bones that extended several feet above his head. The arms were low and intricately carved with swirls and patterns. On the right arm were five peculiarly raised images of skulls in a row, each with a pair of inlaid garnets for eyes. As he tried to relax, Volicis ran his hand over them regretfully, wishing he'd had a chance to use them. Ah well, it was all over now. The Warrior Bitch was dead.
He waited for the peace he knew would come now that he'd avenged his family.
Nothing.
Frowning, he stood and began to pace in front of his throne. The woman was dead. The witch that had killed his beloved wife and small children. Murdered his dear mother. It was all over now! Over! All his hard work, his planning, his training night and day had finally come to fruition! Now was the time for him to relax, to enjoy the sweet taste of revenge. The cool feeling of peace and contentment could now wash over him.
Nothing.
His pace quickened and he ran his fingers frantically through his hair. NO! This isn't the way it was supposed to be! He thought all the pain and fury in his heart would simply vanish, but he felt no different. He could still close his eyes and see his family, how happy they all were together, but his heart was empty. He felt no sorrow, no blinding anger over the memories. He realized that he'd lived with his hatred for Xena for so long, he couldn't feel anything else.
His hands clenched in his hair and he growled out a curse, "Damn you, Xena. DAMN YOU!"
"Hello to you, too."
Volicis spun around toward the door of the chamber. His eyes were wide as saucers when he saw Xena and Gabrielle standing there. His hands slowly let go of his hair and pointed at her. "No...you...," he whispered. How could she have gotten away? How?! "Guards!"
Xena merely crossed her arms. Gabrielle raised an eyebrow and looked down at her boots.
"GUARDS!" he yelled louder, but there was still no response.
Xena looked over her shoulder. "Oh guards!" she called out, turned back with a sly smile on her face and shrugged her shoulders. "Guess they're a little 'boared'."
Volicis did not appreciate the joke. "Xena..." He took a menacing step toward her, "Every night I dream about what you did to my family, and every morning I think of how to kill you for it!"
Xena raised an eyebrow, "So what do you do with your afternoons?"
He couldn't take it. How dare she stand there with that smug look on her face. She should be dead. She should be in pieces at the bottom of that pit, his pet boar gnawing on her bones! Well, he wasn't going to let her stand there and mock him.
"AAAAAARRRGGH!" he charged at her, he hands reaching out for her throat. Xena and Gabrielle merely sidestepped and let him fly past. Gabrielle grabbed her sais and held them in front of her, just in case he came for her.
Xena watched him stumble to a halt and placed her hands on her hips. He may be a half-way decent leader, but a fighter he was not! Volicis jerked himself around and charged at her again. She simply spun away from him and kicked at his backside with the side of her boot.
As Volicis stumbled over to his throne, he realized he was letting his anger make a fool of him. Taking a deep breath, he sat down on his throne and combed his fingers through his hair. He looked up at the two women, his face blank, the fingers of his right hand trailing thoughtfully over the raised skulls.
Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other, unsure of this sudden change. They took a few hesitant steps forward, Xena making sure that Gabrielle was safely behind her. She watched his every move, watched his fingers hovering over the strange carvings, the strange glint that was beginning to gleam in his eyes. She moved her hand slightly, indicating that Gabrielle should wait.
The more steps she took toward him, the brighter the gleam in his eyes became, his lips even began to curl up. Her heightened senses were already on edge, but now they were roaring. Something was up, she could feel it.
She'd walked almost twenty feet from the door when he suddenly smiled. A chill ran down her spine at the sight. When his eyes shifted from her to where Gabrielle stood, she froze and spun around.
Volicis gave a short laugh and slammed his hand down on the first raised skull.
"Gabrielle!" Xena ran toward her friend, but it was to late.
The floor directly beneath Gabrielle fell away. "XEEEEENNNAAA!" she screamed as she fell into the darkness.
Xena slid to her knees on the floor beside the open trapdoor and peered over the edge. "GABRIELLE!" she cried out, but the only answer was her own voice echoing back.
Seeing the shock in her face and the worry in her voice brought a strange feeling to Volicis. He had been devoid of emotion for so long, he almost didn't recognize it, but Xena's tormented face caused the first seedlings of pleasure to grow inside his blackened heart. She was suffering at his hand. That thought brought the first real smile to his lips in years.
Xena stood and advanced quickly on Volicis, drawing her sword, "What did you do to her? Where is she? You war is with me, not her!" She leveled to point of her sword to his throat.
Volicis merely shrugged, "An eye for an eye, Xena. Your friend for my family." His smile widened as that delicious warmth of pleasure spread through him, causing a small chuckle to bubble forth. "Not a fair trade, but I'll take it!"
Xena's face twisted into a snarl and she pressed the sharp tip of her sword to his skin, drawing a thin line of blood.
Volicis froze and frowned at her, "Ah, ah, ah!" He laid a hand over the second raised skull on the arm of his throne, "If I push this, your friend, if she's not dead already, will meet some of my other pets." He lazily swirled his fingers over the details of the carved skull, "My very, VERY hungry pets!"
Xena's ears suddenly picked up on the sound of several heavy footsteps making their way to the chamber. She wanted so much to slice this bag of filth from nose to navel, but she needed him alive if she was going to find Gabrielle. Dozens of guards came running through the doorway, and she could tell they'd had a hell of a time getting past the blood-hungry boar. Many of them had nasty looking gashes and were rumpled and dusty from the effort it must have taken to get past the stone door.
Taking a steadying breath, she lowered her sword from Volicis's throat, "Where is she?!"
Volicis curled his lips into a snarl, "As if I'd tell you anything. Guards! Take her to her custom-made cell!" He pressed the first skull again and the trapdoor sealed back up. Xena wanted to jump through the dark hole herself, but it closed too quickly, and she was left feeling helpless and terribly worried.
Five burly soldiers came up to her and she let them force her sword and chakram away from her. She'd play along... for now.
"You should feel honored, Xena. I designed the room myself, especially for you." He casually stood and walked over to pick up her weapons.
"Can't wait," she smirked as one soldier shackled her arms together behind her and her feet together with a chain between them.
As his men dragged the woman away, Volicis admired the weapons he held. He hung the sword up alongside the many others on the walls of his chamber, but kept the chakram with him. He sat back down on his throne and turned it in his hands, watching the light reflect off its gleaming surface. It was truly exquisite. Holding the weapon close to his chest, he leaned his head back against the cold rock of his throne and smiled. He was pleased by this turn of events, and now that he could feel something, he knew peace he'd been waiting for for so long could not be far behind. He just had to make the bitch suffer the way his family had suffered. Then she would die and his long nightmare would finally be over.
