Gabrielle awoke in extreme pain, for she had landed hard. Glancing quickly around, she realized what she'd landed on... a large iron cage filled with large black birds. They all had bald heads and fierce-looking talons. They made no sound, didn't even move, they just stared at her with hungry eyes. They had been trained by their master well.
She tried to slide off the cage, but stopped when a bolt of pain shot through her back and left arm. Oh, this isn't good, she thought and lay back down. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and concentrated on her injuries. Her arm didn't feel broken, just terribly sprained. Her back felt like it had been pummeled, but she couldn't feel any serious damage, but enough damage that she couldn't move.
But she had to move. She had to get away from this cage and those birds before they got too hungry and started picking at her through the bars. She could tell that's what they wanted to do.
She brought her arm slowly to her chest and held it there, wincing with pain. Taking another deep breath, she began to move her back a little at a time, stretching the muscles slowly. It hurt like Tartarus, but she could stand it. She rolled gingerly onto her right side. Oh, I shouldn't have done that! She shut her eyes tight against the pain that followed, but stayed on her side and soon the pain lessened to a bearable degree.
She looked down into the cage again. And blinked. The number of birds had suddenly doubled! It's just the pain, she told herself. It's making me see things. She looked down again. I've got to be seeing things!
Gabrielle knew she had to sit up, so she braced herself. Quickly moving her right arm, she managed to push up onto her elbow. Groaning, she steeled herself against the waves of pain and forced her body to keep moving. Pushing against the cage beneath her arm, she finally got upright. Halfway there. Her breath came in short gasps and her sight was blurred by tears. All that's left is to get down.
Fortunately, the ground was only about five feet down. Gabrielle scooted gingerly over to the edge, first one hip, then the other. Each movement sent sharp tendrils of pain up her back, but she kept going. She had to. When she'd finally reached the edge, she began to turn around so she could lay on her stomach and climb the rest of the way down.
It took her all of ten minutes and over a dozen curses to get into position. Her forehead was beaded with sweat. Her back felt like it was on fire. Her arm throbbed.
And the birds continued to stare at her with those hungry eyes.
Suddenly one of the birds flew at her from inside the cage, squawking loudly. Gabrielle cried out, startled. Losing her grip on the bars, she dropped down to the ground. her legs folded under her, and as the rest of her body slammed against the floor, everything went black.
*****
Xena was quickly dragged down to an underground part of the castle. The guards gained her cooperation by assuring her if they didn't return to Volicis, her little friend would meet a quick death. Since Xena had no way of knowing where Gabrielle was, she wouldn't chance it. They were none too gentle with her, shoving her repeatedly against the wall and pulling her awkwardly down the stairs. The constant yanking on the shackles was chaffing her wrists raw. Opening the gate and dragging her into the cell, they brought her to a large torture rack that had been set up in the middle.
"Oh goodie," she mumbled as they hoisted her up onto it and screwed her shackles onto the cranks at each end of the rack.
"QUIET! Volicis will be here soon." The guards gave harsh tugs on shackles then left the cell to stand outside.
Xena pulled her arms and legs hard, but there was no give to the chains. She pulled again, trying to twist her wrists inside the shackles. The slightest slip could help, but they were so tight as if glued to her skin. Footsteps echoed from the hall, so she relaxed, waiting for Volicis.
The gate creaked open and Volicis stepped into sight. He walked toward the rack, twirling her chakram between his fingers like a toy. He glanced briefly at Xena, "Comfortable?"
"Oh yeah, sure. After this is the mud bath, right?" she said in a bored voice, raising an eyebrow.
Volicis gritted his teeth, "It'll be fun finding out which part of you goes first, your body or your sense of humor." He grasped the handle of the upper crank and began turning it. Xena felt her arms being pulled tighter and tighter above her.
"I should've put your little friend in here, it's not like you need to be any taller!" he chuckled, still turning the crank. The clicking of the gears as they locked with each turn became deafening. Xena's body was soon stretched tight, and even with her body fully relaxed there was no slack.
Volicis stepped to the lower handle and began slowly turning it, watching Xena with gleaming eyes. Her breath came out in ragged gasps, the pain almost overwhelming as her body was stretched so tight she was lifted above the table. He stopped cranking and leaned over the table, glaring at her. Xena's body twitched, the muscle fibers tearing inside having been stretched beyond their range of motion. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain.
"O-kay...now...y-y-our...turn!" she gasped.
"No, no, I'm happy to say you get every turn, Xena." Leaning down closer, he glided his rough hand across her cheek and over her throat, traveling slowly down.
Xena felt bile rise in her throat at his touch. "This the kind of foreplay your wife liked?"
His eye went wide and he snapped his hand away from her as if burned. In a flash the back of his fist slammed across her face. It took everything inside Xena to keep from crying out as her body shook from the impact. When she opened her eyes again Volicis had left her side, but she could hear him behind her head rummaging under the table.
His voice was low and filled with barely restrained fury behind her, "You're going to die now, Xena. Slowly and with great pain." He came around the table and face her, his eyes hard, "Enjoy your last moments. I know I will." He turned on his heel and left the room, motioning for a guard to close the gate behind him.
Xena lay there, confused as to why he didn't stay to witness this slow, painful death he promised. Sniffing the air, she quickly realized why. A searing heat bled through the table under her from the fire he'd started.
"This must be how the rabbit we ate last night felt," she mumbled.
*****
Gabrielle was jolted awake by a hard slap on her face. A guard stood over her with a satisfied grin. Dazed, she tried to remember where she was.
"She's awake, sir!"
Her mind cleared immediately and her senses returned. All of them. The throbbing in her head, the searing pain in her arm, and the terrible clenching in her back made her wish for another blackout. She heard a laugh. A soft laugh, but a laugh. She couldn't imagine what was funny about any of this.
"Good!" She recognized Volicis's voice. He walked over and smiled down at her, "Hello there. I thought you'd like to know that your friend Xena will be landing in Tartarus very soon."
Her eyes narrowed, "What did you do to her? Where is she?"
He just shook his head, "I don't know who you are, but you seem to be important to Xena. That makes you useful to me. Very useful." He noticed that she still lay on the floor. "You must have had quite a nasty fall. In a lot of pain, are you? Hmm..." he looked around the room, then smiled, "Take her over there, Darus." He gestured toward a far wall.
Gabrielle barely managed to keep from crying out as she was lifted from the floor, but a few whimpers still escaped. She inhaled deeply to keep from passing out. Across the room, behind the iron cage, were five sets of manacles set into the wall. She grimaced, This doesn't look good.
Sure enough, Volicis had the guard lift her off the ground and lock her wrists into the iron cuffs. The guard then let go of her to let her hang.
She screamed as pain seared through her arm and down into her chest. Her arm felt as if it was tearing out of its socket. The muscles in her back stretched and burned. It was too much! She could barely breathe. She couldn't even feel the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Her blood thundered in her ears, but she still heard Volicis's sickeningly cheerful voice.
"Save your tears, girl! This is nothing compared to the pain you'll be experiencing next." He strolled over to the cage and reached a hand in. Stroking one of the birds, he smiled, "These birds are some of my best trained pets. Obedient, loyal, and oh-so deadly. It took me years to train them not to attack everything that moved. They only attack their food, which is attached to those lovely bracelets you're now wearing. They haven't eaten in a few days, you know." With an almost loving gaze at his birds, he turned away and headed for the door. He leaned against the entrance and crossed his arms.
Gabrielle was breathing heavily, trying to block out the pain, but every breath brought on a fresh wave. Volicis's voice cut through, "When the cage is opened, your flesh will be picked from your bones. A nasty way to die, really. Not to worry, dear girl, you won't be suffering alone. Xena is just below you, suffering a delicious torment, as well. The look on her face when she hears your screams of agony will be quite entertaining, I'm sure."
The thought of Xena suffering caught her attention. She shook her head, "Please no! Xena....changed!" was all she could get out.
Volicis snorted, "Save your breath! Your pleas will not save her. Or you." He considered her for a moment. "You're probably an innocent in all this," he shrugged, "but it must be done. Xena will pay for what she's done." With that he shoved away from the door, nodded to the guard and disappeared down the corridor.
The guard Darus climbed onto the cage and gripped a handle attached to one edge, pulling the door up. "Release them!" he shouted.
At those words the birds began to flap their wings furiously, jumping excitedly around the cage, squawking in delight at the meal hanging for them.
She tried to slide off the cage, but stopped when a bolt of pain shot through her back and left arm. Oh, this isn't good, she thought and lay back down. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and concentrated on her injuries. Her arm didn't feel broken, just terribly sprained. Her back felt like it had been pummeled, but she couldn't feel any serious damage, but enough damage that she couldn't move.
But she had to move. She had to get away from this cage and those birds before they got too hungry and started picking at her through the bars. She could tell that's what they wanted to do.
She brought her arm slowly to her chest and held it there, wincing with pain. Taking another deep breath, she began to move her back a little at a time, stretching the muscles slowly. It hurt like Tartarus, but she could stand it. She rolled gingerly onto her right side. Oh, I shouldn't have done that! She shut her eyes tight against the pain that followed, but stayed on her side and soon the pain lessened to a bearable degree.
She looked down into the cage again. And blinked. The number of birds had suddenly doubled! It's just the pain, she told herself. It's making me see things. She looked down again. I've got to be seeing things!
Gabrielle knew she had to sit up, so she braced herself. Quickly moving her right arm, she managed to push up onto her elbow. Groaning, she steeled herself against the waves of pain and forced her body to keep moving. Pushing against the cage beneath her arm, she finally got upright. Halfway there. Her breath came in short gasps and her sight was blurred by tears. All that's left is to get down.
Fortunately, the ground was only about five feet down. Gabrielle scooted gingerly over to the edge, first one hip, then the other. Each movement sent sharp tendrils of pain up her back, but she kept going. She had to. When she'd finally reached the edge, she began to turn around so she could lay on her stomach and climb the rest of the way down.
It took her all of ten minutes and over a dozen curses to get into position. Her forehead was beaded with sweat. Her back felt like it was on fire. Her arm throbbed.
And the birds continued to stare at her with those hungry eyes.
Suddenly one of the birds flew at her from inside the cage, squawking loudly. Gabrielle cried out, startled. Losing her grip on the bars, she dropped down to the ground. her legs folded under her, and as the rest of her body slammed against the floor, everything went black.
*****
Xena was quickly dragged down to an underground part of the castle. The guards gained her cooperation by assuring her if they didn't return to Volicis, her little friend would meet a quick death. Since Xena had no way of knowing where Gabrielle was, she wouldn't chance it. They were none too gentle with her, shoving her repeatedly against the wall and pulling her awkwardly down the stairs. The constant yanking on the shackles was chaffing her wrists raw. Opening the gate and dragging her into the cell, they brought her to a large torture rack that had been set up in the middle.
"Oh goodie," she mumbled as they hoisted her up onto it and screwed her shackles onto the cranks at each end of the rack.
"QUIET! Volicis will be here soon." The guards gave harsh tugs on shackles then left the cell to stand outside.
Xena pulled her arms and legs hard, but there was no give to the chains. She pulled again, trying to twist her wrists inside the shackles. The slightest slip could help, but they were so tight as if glued to her skin. Footsteps echoed from the hall, so she relaxed, waiting for Volicis.
The gate creaked open and Volicis stepped into sight. He walked toward the rack, twirling her chakram between his fingers like a toy. He glanced briefly at Xena, "Comfortable?"
"Oh yeah, sure. After this is the mud bath, right?" she said in a bored voice, raising an eyebrow.
Volicis gritted his teeth, "It'll be fun finding out which part of you goes first, your body or your sense of humor." He grasped the handle of the upper crank and began turning it. Xena felt her arms being pulled tighter and tighter above her.
"I should've put your little friend in here, it's not like you need to be any taller!" he chuckled, still turning the crank. The clicking of the gears as they locked with each turn became deafening. Xena's body was soon stretched tight, and even with her body fully relaxed there was no slack.
Volicis stepped to the lower handle and began slowly turning it, watching Xena with gleaming eyes. Her breath came out in ragged gasps, the pain almost overwhelming as her body was stretched so tight she was lifted above the table. He stopped cranking and leaned over the table, glaring at her. Xena's body twitched, the muscle fibers tearing inside having been stretched beyond their range of motion. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain.
"O-kay...now...y-y-our...turn!" she gasped.
"No, no, I'm happy to say you get every turn, Xena." Leaning down closer, he glided his rough hand across her cheek and over her throat, traveling slowly down.
Xena felt bile rise in her throat at his touch. "This the kind of foreplay your wife liked?"
His eye went wide and he snapped his hand away from her as if burned. In a flash the back of his fist slammed across her face. It took everything inside Xena to keep from crying out as her body shook from the impact. When she opened her eyes again Volicis had left her side, but she could hear him behind her head rummaging under the table.
His voice was low and filled with barely restrained fury behind her, "You're going to die now, Xena. Slowly and with great pain." He came around the table and face her, his eyes hard, "Enjoy your last moments. I know I will." He turned on his heel and left the room, motioning for a guard to close the gate behind him.
Xena lay there, confused as to why he didn't stay to witness this slow, painful death he promised. Sniffing the air, she quickly realized why. A searing heat bled through the table under her from the fire he'd started.
"This must be how the rabbit we ate last night felt," she mumbled.
*****
Gabrielle was jolted awake by a hard slap on her face. A guard stood over her with a satisfied grin. Dazed, she tried to remember where she was.
"She's awake, sir!"
Her mind cleared immediately and her senses returned. All of them. The throbbing in her head, the searing pain in her arm, and the terrible clenching in her back made her wish for another blackout. She heard a laugh. A soft laugh, but a laugh. She couldn't imagine what was funny about any of this.
"Good!" She recognized Volicis's voice. He walked over and smiled down at her, "Hello there. I thought you'd like to know that your friend Xena will be landing in Tartarus very soon."
Her eyes narrowed, "What did you do to her? Where is she?"
He just shook his head, "I don't know who you are, but you seem to be important to Xena. That makes you useful to me. Very useful." He noticed that she still lay on the floor. "You must have had quite a nasty fall. In a lot of pain, are you? Hmm..." he looked around the room, then smiled, "Take her over there, Darus." He gestured toward a far wall.
Gabrielle barely managed to keep from crying out as she was lifted from the floor, but a few whimpers still escaped. She inhaled deeply to keep from passing out. Across the room, behind the iron cage, were five sets of manacles set into the wall. She grimaced, This doesn't look good.
Sure enough, Volicis had the guard lift her off the ground and lock her wrists into the iron cuffs. The guard then let go of her to let her hang.
She screamed as pain seared through her arm and down into her chest. Her arm felt as if it was tearing out of its socket. The muscles in her back stretched and burned. It was too much! She could barely breathe. She couldn't even feel the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Her blood thundered in her ears, but she still heard Volicis's sickeningly cheerful voice.
"Save your tears, girl! This is nothing compared to the pain you'll be experiencing next." He strolled over to the cage and reached a hand in. Stroking one of the birds, he smiled, "These birds are some of my best trained pets. Obedient, loyal, and oh-so deadly. It took me years to train them not to attack everything that moved. They only attack their food, which is attached to those lovely bracelets you're now wearing. They haven't eaten in a few days, you know." With an almost loving gaze at his birds, he turned away and headed for the door. He leaned against the entrance and crossed his arms.
Gabrielle was breathing heavily, trying to block out the pain, but every breath brought on a fresh wave. Volicis's voice cut through, "When the cage is opened, your flesh will be picked from your bones. A nasty way to die, really. Not to worry, dear girl, you won't be suffering alone. Xena is just below you, suffering a delicious torment, as well. The look on her face when she hears your screams of agony will be quite entertaining, I'm sure."
The thought of Xena suffering caught her attention. She shook her head, "Please no! Xena....changed!" was all she could get out.
Volicis snorted, "Save your breath! Your pleas will not save her. Or you." He considered her for a moment. "You're probably an innocent in all this," he shrugged, "but it must be done. Xena will pay for what she's done." With that he shoved away from the door, nodded to the guard and disappeared down the corridor.
The guard Darus climbed onto the cage and gripped a handle attached to one edge, pulling the door up. "Release them!" he shouted.
At those words the birds began to flap their wings furiously, jumping excitedly around the cage, squawking in delight at the meal hanging for them.
