Morning came but Xena had been up for at least an hour before the sun peeked above the horizon. Shelappa and Amarice were still sound asleep. Gabrielle, even in sleep, recognized the sounds of Xena saddling up Argo. She forced her eyes to open and yawned widely. Getting up, she wobbled sleepily over to Xena.
"Where are you going?" she rubbed the grittiness from her eyes.
Xena looked over to make sure Xenon was still asleep. "We're going to find Traylek and make sure he doesn't harm anyone else."
"We? As in you and me?" Gabrielle was confused. Although she wanted to help Xena, she didn't know how she could without betraying her vow not to fight. "What about them? You could use their help going up against Traylek."
Hearing this, Ephiny sat up and gently touched her son's face. Getting to her feet, she walked over to listen to Xena and Gabrielle talk.
Xena knew they could use all the help they could get, but she was more concerned with Xenon's safety. "Amarice and Shelappa should stay with Xenon. He needs their comfort and protection right now, and he seems very attached to Shelappa." She leaned her head close to Gabrielle, "And between you and me, I'd rather do this without the gung-ho attitude Amarice has during a fight. She'd wind up in the way."
Gabrielle nodded, "I see what you mean. But Xena, if I go with you--"
"Gabrielle, I don't need you to help me fight Traylek, I wouldn't ask you to do that. I just need you nearby in case something happens to me. So you can let them know and get them away." Xena turned away from her, not wanting to dwell on that possibility.
Ephiny agreed with Xena, but she wanted to go with them to face Traylek. Again, there was no way she could ride with them both on Argo. "Xena, just let me know where you're going," she said, but frowned, realizing they couldn't hear her. Being a spirit was not easy.
"Ready to go?" Xena smile, hands on her hips, seeing Gabrielle wasn't fully awake yet.
Gabrielle roughly brushed her hair back out of her eyes, "Yeah yeah, I'm ready." She was glad Xena hadn't asked her fight, but in truth, she'd want to go with her anyway. She'd want to be with Xena no matter what the outcome of this battle.
Xena raised and eybrow at her and rolled her eyes, knowing she was still half asleep. Walking over to Shelappa to tell her they were leaving, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Seeing no one, she figured it was Ephiny. She turned to Gabrielle and motioned for her to come over.
Ephiny grinned at getting their attention and quickly picked up a stick to write with. When Gabrielle stood next to Xena, she knelt down and etched into the dirt: WHERE?
Xena knew Ephiny wanted to fight for her son, but wasn't sure how well she could fight being a spirit. Respecting her wish, though, Xena took a small dagger from her boot and carved a rough map in the ground. There were ruins of an old castle about twenty miles away and when she'd scouted earlier this morning she saw the smoke of a large campfire in the distance. He was there and wanted to get their attention. She knew it.
She went to Shelappa and gently shook her. She woke quickly, instinctively grabbing Xena's hand. Xena put a finger to her lips, silencing her. In a whisper she explained her plan. Shelappa agreed she should stay and protect Xenon. She was confident Xena could handle Traylek. After a quick warrior's handshake, Xena headed back to Argo.
After seeing them ride off, Ephiny memorized the map in the dirt. She took one last, long look at her son before following them.
*****
Argo raced across the countryside, not slowing until they reached the perimeter of the old castle. The sun had reached its zenith high above. Xena quirked an eyebrow, What a nice sunny day for a battle. They made their way slowly through the trees and bushes surrounding the ruins and climbed off Argo when they reached the edge of the clearing.
"Looks well guarded," Gabrielle mused sarcastically, looking through the bushes. Four men guarded the front, shifting and looking around nervously. Only half of the castle tower remained and two archers where perched on top. They stood very still, as if afraid too much movement would cause the whole thing to fall beneath them.
"Well, he is expecting me, you know," Xena grinned and grabbed Traylek's sword. It was too bulky, too heavy, but she needed to use it. Her own sword didn't have it's power.
Gabrielle, having been through more than a few moments like these with Xena, figured she knew her plan. "So, we wait until nightfall and you sneak in quietly, right?"
Xena was still staring through the bushes and nodded absently, "Yeah, sounds good." Slowly she got up and walked straight out of the bushes, startling her friend. With the powerful sword in hand, she concentrated, her hand glowing. A green sphere emerged. "EEEIIYYAAAAA!" She threw the sphere with all her strength. It hit the ground in front of the guards, whamming them back against the stone tower. The impact of the blast made the already dilapidated tower crumbling under the archers feet.
Xena sheathed the sword and smiled casually over at Gabrielle, "Be right back!" Gabrielle just sighed and shook her head, watching Xena walk toward what was left of the castle. The instant Xena stepped inside the front door, she stepped away from the bushes and ran quickly to an opening along the side wall. There was no way she could stay hid away in the bushes. Her innate curiosity wouldn't allow it. She just had to see what happened between her friend and that madman. Traylek didn't know she was there, and she'd be out of harm's way like Xena wanted. Peeking through a large crack in the wall, she watched with bated breath.
*****
Ephiny didn't seem to tire. It was hard for her to remember that she was more a part of the spiritual world than the physical. Halfway to the ruins, she'd heard the explosion and smiled, knowing Xena had already made it. How would she be able to help her? As a spirit what could she really do? If she couldn't fight, she could at least be there when the bastard got what was coming to him. Well, she'd worry about that when she got there. Turning her attention back to the path, she ran as fast as her Amazon legs could carry her.
*****
Xena walked cautiously through the surprisingly intact doors of the old castle. They expected a whole slew of soldiers waiting to fight, but the place was empty. It was completely in shambles. When the tower had crumbled, it had taken most of the roof with it, but what was left was held up by huge stone columns. She could see the bright, cloudless sky above them and a crisp breeze was quickly sweeping away the musty odor that clung to the moldy rock. Many of the surrounding walls had cracks with vines growing through them. The floor itself was littered with large pieces of ceiling and broken rock.
The crunch of heavy footsteps caught their attention, Xena automatically tensing. Traylek stepped from the shadows across the room, hands clasped casually behind his back. Sunlight shining through the whole in the roof made his scarlet cloak practically glow.
Xena quickly grabbed the sword and raised her left hand, another green sphere instantly appearing. Gabrielle frowned behind the crack when she saw that Traylek made no move to get out of the way. Did he have a deathwish? She held her breath as Xena pitched the sphere at him.
Traylek merely raised his left arm, which glowed a eerie yellow. The sphere hit his arm and disappeared. Xena quickly launched another, but he calmy raised his arm again, absorbing the green ball. She knew it would do no good to try again and her arm was already beginning to burn from the effort.
Smiling grimly, Traylek brought his right hand from behind his back. He held a large sheild which bore a matching pattern to the sword. "We can play all day, Xena, but you'll tire out well before I will," he spoke calmly, assured of his advantage. Xena knew he was right and sheathed the sword again, stretching out her aching arm.
Traylek walked up to her as he spoke, "Obviously you don't recognize the sword, or you would have known it has a matching shield. Do you know where it came from?" Xena merely raised an eyebrow in response. He shrugged, "Call it a gift from the Amazons. As a child my village was raided by a tribe of the warrior sluts! They had no use for males, and I, along with the other boys were sold into slavery."
He gazed at the shield while he told his story, wincing at the reflection of his mask on its shiny surface. "We worked in the silver mines of Gelantros. It was dark and dirty and cold. We were never allowed out of those caves. We dug there, ate there, slept there... we did everything in that black abyss. At night we would tell each other stories to keep from going insane in the darkness. That's where I heard tales about the weapons of Helios. They fascinated me."
Gabrielle's eyebrows shot up. She remembered the dagger of Helios, but had never heard of a sword and shield.
"I was there twelve long years before I was able to escape. I remembered the legends about how powerful the weapons were and that they were hidden. I wanted that power. I had a score to settle. Everyone I told thought I was crazy to follow a childhood legend, but I found them! When no one else could, I found them!" He eyed the sword on Xena's back and gritted his teeth, "Now give me back my sword."
Xena had no intention of giving it back. "How about I give you this!" she ran forward and did a jump side kick, legs perfectly aimed for his face. Traylek raised his arm, and as it glowed yellow Xena made only slight contact before bouncing back. She landed hard all the way across the room, where she lay dazed.
"No!" Gabrielle screamed and ran around the side wall, through the front door. She looked quickly at Traylek, but he merely raised his eyebrows at her and shrugged. He obviously didn't consider her a threat. Keeping an eye on him anyway, she ran over to Xena. Kneeling next to her, she gingerly touched her shoulder, "Xena! Are you okay?"
Slowly, Xena got to her feet. She frowned at Gabrielle, not at all pleased at the danger she put herself in. Standing in front of her friend, she stretched her back and stepped toward Traylek.
"By all means Xena, keep attacking. You'll notice my army isn't with me at the moment. That's because I no longer need them. I am quite powerful with this shield. Invincible, even. The harder you hit me, the harder it hits back," he smiled, completely confident in his power. "So I'll tell you again, GIVE ME MY SWORD!" His voice broke in an unnerving manner that made Gabrielle shiver. This man was past the line of insanity.
Xena grabbed her chakram. "Yah!" she roared, whirling it at him. It howled in the air toward his head, but he merely raised his arm again. It rebounded, flying back at twice its speed. Xena was barely able to catch it, but it jerked her arm back so hard her shoulder joint was wrenched out of place. She fell to one knee at the pain, unable to move her arm.
Traylek stepped closer to Xena with a maniacal gleam in his eyes. Gabrielle quickly stepped in front of her friend, she couldn't let him hurt her. Instinctively, she grabbed two large stones from the ground. In the face of this madman, the Way of Love would have to step aside for a moment.
"No, wait!" Xena yelled just as Gabrielle threw the stones. She threw them quickly, one after the other, hoping he couldn't block both. But the yellow field around his arm grew and easily protected him. The stones flew back and hit Gabrielle hard in her chest and stomach, sending her flying back against the wall beside the door. Gasping for breath, she slid to the floor.
"ALL RIGHT!" Xena screamed. With Gabrielle hurt, there was nothing else she could do. "I'll give you the blasted sword!" She stood, plunged the sword into the floor and stepped back.
Traylek smiled and began to laugh, delighted with his victory. He walked casually over to the sword.
Xena quickly stepped over to the wall where Gabrielle sat and slammed her shoulder against it, hearing it pop back into place. Rubbing the aching joint, she knelt next to her Gabrielle. Laying her gently on the floor, she checked her over. She was barely conscious, her eyes glazed over and her breath coming in painful gasps. Her head had thankfully escaped injury, but there were dark, bleeding bruises on her chest and stomach. Xena swore softly, praying there were no internal injuries. She glared at Traylek as he reached out for the sword.
"HEY!" he jumped back, completely startled. His shield popped out of his hand and floated in the air. While he was distracted, Xena lunged forward and grabbed the sword. Xena and his shield slowly circled him as he stood there in utter shock.
"Wha-? How?" he didn't know what to say.
Xena grinned, "Let's just say an old friend of yours has come to visit." Xena tossed the sword in the air. It arched high up, descended, then stopped in mid-air beside the sword. They floated together, a strange force holding them.
An eerie glowing wave appeared between the two weapons. A mixture of yellow and green ripples began flashing, vibrating. They swirled faster and faster until a bright flash of white pulsed and quickly faded. As Traylek's eyes adjusted, he looked in horror at the figure that appeared.
It was Ephiny.
She stood there, breathing heavily from the strain of being pressed into solid form. Her head felt dizzy and she swayed a little, but she still stood tall and proud. She held the sword and shield low in her hands, they were so heavy. She almost dropped them, but she didn't dare. She wouldn't let that madman get his hands on them again. Slowly, her strength came back and the dizzines faded.
Looking at the weapons in her hands, she felt a rush of reverence. They were legendary among the Amazons. As a child, she'd been told how Helios, the god who drove a fiery chariot of sunlight across the sky, was also a god who loved to make bets. He was forever challenging the other gods to see if they could drive his chariot as well as he. He'd made the challenge to Artemis one day, but she refused. She had her own job to do and didn't have time to waste on stupid bets. Helios didn't take the refusal well, snidely commenting how very difficult it must be to babysit a bunch of girls pretending to be men. All of Olympus fell quiet as Artemis glared at him. Standing toe to toe with him, she calmly accepted his challenge, providing he oversee her duties in return. He agreed with a laugh and they wagered their best weapons on the outcome. Artemis her silver quiver with its endless supply of silver arrows, and Helios his powerful sword and shield.
Artemis had taken over his job as charioteer the next morning. Every god and goddess on Olympus had been saddened by the death of Helios's son Bellarophon when he'd tried to do the same thing. It proved too much for the boy and he'd hurdled out of the sky to his doom. But he'd been just a boy, and half-mortal at that. He hadn't had the strength and divinity to handle such a task. Artemis was the Goddess of the Hunt and her abilities kept her strong and focused. Besides, she rode the moon into the sky every night, so she figured it couldn't be too different. As expected, she'd driven the chariot of sunlight across the sky with ease, even slowing it down a bit midday so mortals would have more light for their fields for good measure.
Helios, on the other hand, had a hard time keeping up with all of Artemis's duties. not only did he have to keep mortals from sneaking into her sacred forest for hunting, he had to watch over the world's virgins, protecting their chastity and punishing those who violated them. He had to listen to and answer thousands of prayers from hunters, virgins and Amazons, and keep track of the animals which were sacred to the goddess. If there was one duty he was unprepared for it was presiding over childbirth. He was eternally grateful for being a male god after seeing what mortal women went through. One job he performed well was getting the moon into the sky at night. That at least was familiar to him.
Returning to Olympus, he was only too glad to hand over his weapons to Artemis, apologizing profusely for demeaning her job and her brave Amazon women. He asked only that she keep the weapons among her Amazons, whom he gained a new respect for after seeing so many go through childbirth. Artemis had agreed, but decided to hide it among their vast territory. Whoever found them would be powerful indeed, and she enjoyed watching her warriors search for them year after year.
Ephiny could hardly believe she was holding the very same weapons. She glanced at the despicable man before her. Imagine such filth as him touching these sacred weapons! It was an insult to the Amazon Nation and Artemis herself! Furious, she took a step toward him, ready to cut him down, but stopped when he backed hastily away from her. UGH! What a pathetic excuse for a man, she thought. His blood wasn't fit to be spilled by this sword.
Walking over to Xena, she held the weapons out to her. Xena looked from them to where Gabrielle lay on the floor. Whistling loudly for Argo, she gathered Gabrielle in her arms. When the mare clopped into the room, she placed her friend gently into the saddle and climbed up behind her. Ephiny secured the weapons against the saddlebags and smiled at the warrior and asked her to take them to the nearest temple of Artemis. She would deal with Traylek herself.
Xena nodded, understanding that it was Ephiny's right. Traylek had commited great crimes against the Amazon Nation, not to mention the personal crime of kidnapping Ephiny's son. His life was in her hands. After a firm grasp of forearms, Xena tightened her hold on Gabrielle and rode Argo away.
Ephiny turned to face the man who'd caused such destruction and grief. he'd murdered her Amazon sisters, taken her son, and hurt her dearest friends. She stretched her arms in front of her and cracked her knuckles. Justice needed to be done and she was going to deliver it. Now that she was solid, it wouldn't take long.
"Come here," she whispered, almost smiling, beckoning him with a finger.
Traylek saw the patronizing gleam in the Amazon's eyes and became angry. How dare she treat him this way, like a child in need of a spanking! This woman had invaded his territory, defeated his army, destroyed his face! Oh, he wished he'd been the one to take down the harlot. He would've enjoyed running her through, but only after cutting up her pretty face. His hands clenched at his sides. A dark rage clouded his mind. Well, as long as she was here in the flesh, he'd have his chance. He'd have his revenge. Oh yes, he would!
With a sadistic light in his eyes and a feral smile, he obeyed her command.
With a growl, he charged at her. The floor rumbled as his feet slammed down, but Ephiny easily twirled out of the way. As he passed she delivered multiple blows to the back of his head. His mask came undone and fluttered to the ground. He slowly turned around, giving Ephiny a full view of his face. She froze. The wounds were worse than she thought.
He trembled with anger for her to see him like this, "See what you did? SEE WHAT YOU DID?"
Ephiny tore her gaze away from his face and straightened her shoulders. Jumping high into the air, she pivoted her hips and whirled her leg over to slam her foot in his face. His head snapped to the side and he staggered, tumbling forward. He reached out and locked his arms around her. Holding her high in the air, he squeezed her in a tight bearhug. Traylek might be slow, but he was extremely strong and Ephiny felt a twinge of fear when she thrashed about and couldn't free herself.
"You're not going anywhere!" He squeezed harder and she gasped as the air was forced form her lungs. She pushed at him but it did no good. Her body felt like it was being crushed in half. With all her might, she reared her head back and slammed her forehead into his. He didn't even flinch, just squeezed tighter. Ephiny's vision began to blur, her chest screamed for air, her ribs were beginning to crack.
Traylek smiled, he could feel the life draining from her. "You're dead, Amazon! When I'm done with you, I think I'll visit your son. Hate to leave things unfinished."
That was a mistake. Ephiny stared straight into his eyes as furious energy surged through her. Her mind quickly cleared and her vision focused. A primal growl escaped from the back of her throat as she swung her foot back with all her remaining energy and slammed it into his groin.
The smile slowly slipped from his face, but his grip remained locked tight. Time seemed frozen for Ephiny, the crushing feeling coming back to her, her mind blanking for lack of air. Her blood was pulsing, throbbing behind her eyes.
Then she slipped from his arms, crumpling to the floor. Traylek immediately grabbed his groin, falling to the ground in pain. His eyes widened and he whimpered like a child. Ephiny panted heavily, her mind rushing from the flow of fresh oxygen, her torso tingling from being released. She wanted to finish him off while he was down, but she needed to regain her strength. She took several deep breaths, before attempting to stand. Before she could move, Traylek crawled to his feet, one hand still holding his injured crotch.
Ephiny scrambled to her feet and assumed a wobbly fighting stance. He lunged at her, clumsily swinging his fist. She easily dipped out of reach and rolled forward back onto her feet delivering multiple punches to his face and chest. Even with his heavy chest armor on, she kept punching. A hard side kick to his stomach sent him flying back against a stone pillar. Ephiny knew she had to take this chance before he recovered.
She flipped backward, making room for a flying kick. Planting her feet on the ground, she ran forward. Leaping up, poised sideways, she aimed her foot right at his head. At impact, his head cracked hard against the pillar. She spun around, connecting the back of her fist with the side of his face. He dropped down and slumped against the pillar. Ephiny crouched and braced her hands on her knees. She'd fought with all she had and now tried to still her racing heart with deep breaths.
Traylek twitched and mechanically got to his feet.
He was getting up? Ephiny couldn't believe it. How could he be getting up?
He stood slowly, a dark empty look in his eyes that made her shiver. "Stupid Amazon! You think you can stop me?" He turned, grabbed the stone pillar, and with a low grunt, he leaned back.
Ephiny just shook her head, disbelieving. There was no way he was going to move that pillar. There was just no way.
But she heard a cracking sound and ducked as small shards of stone began raining down. Traylek's bulging arms shifted the pillar and it broke away, white dust filling the air. He lifted it high above his head with both arms, ready to throw it at her. "Stupid Amazon! STUPID AMAZON!" he screamed and pulled back.
Before Ephiny could move, a low rumbling echoed in the room. She took that as her cue to get out of there and backed away to stand just outside the doorway as the ceiling began to fall. One large piece landed on his right hand. Distracted, he lost hold of the pillar and it crashed down on top of him. Pinned underneath, he tried to wiggle free, but was out of time. "NOOOO!" he yelled as the rest of the ceiling completely gave way. In moments he was buried under the rubble.
Ephiny walked up the the pile, waiting for it to move, for him to rise yet again, but everything was still.
"Where are you going?" she rubbed the grittiness from her eyes.
Xena looked over to make sure Xenon was still asleep. "We're going to find Traylek and make sure he doesn't harm anyone else."
"We? As in you and me?" Gabrielle was confused. Although she wanted to help Xena, she didn't know how she could without betraying her vow not to fight. "What about them? You could use their help going up against Traylek."
Hearing this, Ephiny sat up and gently touched her son's face. Getting to her feet, she walked over to listen to Xena and Gabrielle talk.
Xena knew they could use all the help they could get, but she was more concerned with Xenon's safety. "Amarice and Shelappa should stay with Xenon. He needs their comfort and protection right now, and he seems very attached to Shelappa." She leaned her head close to Gabrielle, "And between you and me, I'd rather do this without the gung-ho attitude Amarice has during a fight. She'd wind up in the way."
Gabrielle nodded, "I see what you mean. But Xena, if I go with you--"
"Gabrielle, I don't need you to help me fight Traylek, I wouldn't ask you to do that. I just need you nearby in case something happens to me. So you can let them know and get them away." Xena turned away from her, not wanting to dwell on that possibility.
Ephiny agreed with Xena, but she wanted to go with them to face Traylek. Again, there was no way she could ride with them both on Argo. "Xena, just let me know where you're going," she said, but frowned, realizing they couldn't hear her. Being a spirit was not easy.
"Ready to go?" Xena smile, hands on her hips, seeing Gabrielle wasn't fully awake yet.
Gabrielle roughly brushed her hair back out of her eyes, "Yeah yeah, I'm ready." She was glad Xena hadn't asked her fight, but in truth, she'd want to go with her anyway. She'd want to be with Xena no matter what the outcome of this battle.
Xena raised and eybrow at her and rolled her eyes, knowing she was still half asleep. Walking over to Shelappa to tell her they were leaving, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Seeing no one, she figured it was Ephiny. She turned to Gabrielle and motioned for her to come over.
Ephiny grinned at getting their attention and quickly picked up a stick to write with. When Gabrielle stood next to Xena, she knelt down and etched into the dirt: WHERE?
Xena knew Ephiny wanted to fight for her son, but wasn't sure how well she could fight being a spirit. Respecting her wish, though, Xena took a small dagger from her boot and carved a rough map in the ground. There were ruins of an old castle about twenty miles away and when she'd scouted earlier this morning she saw the smoke of a large campfire in the distance. He was there and wanted to get their attention. She knew it.
She went to Shelappa and gently shook her. She woke quickly, instinctively grabbing Xena's hand. Xena put a finger to her lips, silencing her. In a whisper she explained her plan. Shelappa agreed she should stay and protect Xenon. She was confident Xena could handle Traylek. After a quick warrior's handshake, Xena headed back to Argo.
After seeing them ride off, Ephiny memorized the map in the dirt. She took one last, long look at her son before following them.
*****
Argo raced across the countryside, not slowing until they reached the perimeter of the old castle. The sun had reached its zenith high above. Xena quirked an eyebrow, What a nice sunny day for a battle. They made their way slowly through the trees and bushes surrounding the ruins and climbed off Argo when they reached the edge of the clearing.
"Looks well guarded," Gabrielle mused sarcastically, looking through the bushes. Four men guarded the front, shifting and looking around nervously. Only half of the castle tower remained and two archers where perched on top. They stood very still, as if afraid too much movement would cause the whole thing to fall beneath them.
"Well, he is expecting me, you know," Xena grinned and grabbed Traylek's sword. It was too bulky, too heavy, but she needed to use it. Her own sword didn't have it's power.
Gabrielle, having been through more than a few moments like these with Xena, figured she knew her plan. "So, we wait until nightfall and you sneak in quietly, right?"
Xena was still staring through the bushes and nodded absently, "Yeah, sounds good." Slowly she got up and walked straight out of the bushes, startling her friend. With the powerful sword in hand, she concentrated, her hand glowing. A green sphere emerged. "EEEIIYYAAAAA!" She threw the sphere with all her strength. It hit the ground in front of the guards, whamming them back against the stone tower. The impact of the blast made the already dilapidated tower crumbling under the archers feet.
Xena sheathed the sword and smiled casually over at Gabrielle, "Be right back!" Gabrielle just sighed and shook her head, watching Xena walk toward what was left of the castle. The instant Xena stepped inside the front door, she stepped away from the bushes and ran quickly to an opening along the side wall. There was no way she could stay hid away in the bushes. Her innate curiosity wouldn't allow it. She just had to see what happened between her friend and that madman. Traylek didn't know she was there, and she'd be out of harm's way like Xena wanted. Peeking through a large crack in the wall, she watched with bated breath.
*****
Ephiny didn't seem to tire. It was hard for her to remember that she was more a part of the spiritual world than the physical. Halfway to the ruins, she'd heard the explosion and smiled, knowing Xena had already made it. How would she be able to help her? As a spirit what could she really do? If she couldn't fight, she could at least be there when the bastard got what was coming to him. Well, she'd worry about that when she got there. Turning her attention back to the path, she ran as fast as her Amazon legs could carry her.
*****
Xena walked cautiously through the surprisingly intact doors of the old castle. They expected a whole slew of soldiers waiting to fight, but the place was empty. It was completely in shambles. When the tower had crumbled, it had taken most of the roof with it, but what was left was held up by huge stone columns. She could see the bright, cloudless sky above them and a crisp breeze was quickly sweeping away the musty odor that clung to the moldy rock. Many of the surrounding walls had cracks with vines growing through them. The floor itself was littered with large pieces of ceiling and broken rock.
The crunch of heavy footsteps caught their attention, Xena automatically tensing. Traylek stepped from the shadows across the room, hands clasped casually behind his back. Sunlight shining through the whole in the roof made his scarlet cloak practically glow.
Xena quickly grabbed the sword and raised her left hand, another green sphere instantly appearing. Gabrielle frowned behind the crack when she saw that Traylek made no move to get out of the way. Did he have a deathwish? She held her breath as Xena pitched the sphere at him.
Traylek merely raised his left arm, which glowed a eerie yellow. The sphere hit his arm and disappeared. Xena quickly launched another, but he calmy raised his arm again, absorbing the green ball. She knew it would do no good to try again and her arm was already beginning to burn from the effort.
Smiling grimly, Traylek brought his right hand from behind his back. He held a large sheild which bore a matching pattern to the sword. "We can play all day, Xena, but you'll tire out well before I will," he spoke calmly, assured of his advantage. Xena knew he was right and sheathed the sword again, stretching out her aching arm.
Traylek walked up to her as he spoke, "Obviously you don't recognize the sword, or you would have known it has a matching shield. Do you know where it came from?" Xena merely raised an eyebrow in response. He shrugged, "Call it a gift from the Amazons. As a child my village was raided by a tribe of the warrior sluts! They had no use for males, and I, along with the other boys were sold into slavery."
He gazed at the shield while he told his story, wincing at the reflection of his mask on its shiny surface. "We worked in the silver mines of Gelantros. It was dark and dirty and cold. We were never allowed out of those caves. We dug there, ate there, slept there... we did everything in that black abyss. At night we would tell each other stories to keep from going insane in the darkness. That's where I heard tales about the weapons of Helios. They fascinated me."
Gabrielle's eyebrows shot up. She remembered the dagger of Helios, but had never heard of a sword and shield.
"I was there twelve long years before I was able to escape. I remembered the legends about how powerful the weapons were and that they were hidden. I wanted that power. I had a score to settle. Everyone I told thought I was crazy to follow a childhood legend, but I found them! When no one else could, I found them!" He eyed the sword on Xena's back and gritted his teeth, "Now give me back my sword."
Xena had no intention of giving it back. "How about I give you this!" she ran forward and did a jump side kick, legs perfectly aimed for his face. Traylek raised his arm, and as it glowed yellow Xena made only slight contact before bouncing back. She landed hard all the way across the room, where she lay dazed.
"No!" Gabrielle screamed and ran around the side wall, through the front door. She looked quickly at Traylek, but he merely raised his eyebrows at her and shrugged. He obviously didn't consider her a threat. Keeping an eye on him anyway, she ran over to Xena. Kneeling next to her, she gingerly touched her shoulder, "Xena! Are you okay?"
Slowly, Xena got to her feet. She frowned at Gabrielle, not at all pleased at the danger she put herself in. Standing in front of her friend, she stretched her back and stepped toward Traylek.
"By all means Xena, keep attacking. You'll notice my army isn't with me at the moment. That's because I no longer need them. I am quite powerful with this shield. Invincible, even. The harder you hit me, the harder it hits back," he smiled, completely confident in his power. "So I'll tell you again, GIVE ME MY SWORD!" His voice broke in an unnerving manner that made Gabrielle shiver. This man was past the line of insanity.
Xena grabbed her chakram. "Yah!" she roared, whirling it at him. It howled in the air toward his head, but he merely raised his arm again. It rebounded, flying back at twice its speed. Xena was barely able to catch it, but it jerked her arm back so hard her shoulder joint was wrenched out of place. She fell to one knee at the pain, unable to move her arm.
Traylek stepped closer to Xena with a maniacal gleam in his eyes. Gabrielle quickly stepped in front of her friend, she couldn't let him hurt her. Instinctively, she grabbed two large stones from the ground. In the face of this madman, the Way of Love would have to step aside for a moment.
"No, wait!" Xena yelled just as Gabrielle threw the stones. She threw them quickly, one after the other, hoping he couldn't block both. But the yellow field around his arm grew and easily protected him. The stones flew back and hit Gabrielle hard in her chest and stomach, sending her flying back against the wall beside the door. Gasping for breath, she slid to the floor.
"ALL RIGHT!" Xena screamed. With Gabrielle hurt, there was nothing else she could do. "I'll give you the blasted sword!" She stood, plunged the sword into the floor and stepped back.
Traylek smiled and began to laugh, delighted with his victory. He walked casually over to the sword.
Xena quickly stepped over to the wall where Gabrielle sat and slammed her shoulder against it, hearing it pop back into place. Rubbing the aching joint, she knelt next to her Gabrielle. Laying her gently on the floor, she checked her over. She was barely conscious, her eyes glazed over and her breath coming in painful gasps. Her head had thankfully escaped injury, but there were dark, bleeding bruises on her chest and stomach. Xena swore softly, praying there were no internal injuries. She glared at Traylek as he reached out for the sword.
"HEY!" he jumped back, completely startled. His shield popped out of his hand and floated in the air. While he was distracted, Xena lunged forward and grabbed the sword. Xena and his shield slowly circled him as he stood there in utter shock.
"Wha-? How?" he didn't know what to say.
Xena grinned, "Let's just say an old friend of yours has come to visit." Xena tossed the sword in the air. It arched high up, descended, then stopped in mid-air beside the sword. They floated together, a strange force holding them.
An eerie glowing wave appeared between the two weapons. A mixture of yellow and green ripples began flashing, vibrating. They swirled faster and faster until a bright flash of white pulsed and quickly faded. As Traylek's eyes adjusted, he looked in horror at the figure that appeared.
It was Ephiny.
She stood there, breathing heavily from the strain of being pressed into solid form. Her head felt dizzy and she swayed a little, but she still stood tall and proud. She held the sword and shield low in her hands, they were so heavy. She almost dropped them, but she didn't dare. She wouldn't let that madman get his hands on them again. Slowly, her strength came back and the dizzines faded.
Looking at the weapons in her hands, she felt a rush of reverence. They were legendary among the Amazons. As a child, she'd been told how Helios, the god who drove a fiery chariot of sunlight across the sky, was also a god who loved to make bets. He was forever challenging the other gods to see if they could drive his chariot as well as he. He'd made the challenge to Artemis one day, but she refused. She had her own job to do and didn't have time to waste on stupid bets. Helios didn't take the refusal well, snidely commenting how very difficult it must be to babysit a bunch of girls pretending to be men. All of Olympus fell quiet as Artemis glared at him. Standing toe to toe with him, she calmly accepted his challenge, providing he oversee her duties in return. He agreed with a laugh and they wagered their best weapons on the outcome. Artemis her silver quiver with its endless supply of silver arrows, and Helios his powerful sword and shield.
Artemis had taken over his job as charioteer the next morning. Every god and goddess on Olympus had been saddened by the death of Helios's son Bellarophon when he'd tried to do the same thing. It proved too much for the boy and he'd hurdled out of the sky to his doom. But he'd been just a boy, and half-mortal at that. He hadn't had the strength and divinity to handle such a task. Artemis was the Goddess of the Hunt and her abilities kept her strong and focused. Besides, she rode the moon into the sky every night, so she figured it couldn't be too different. As expected, she'd driven the chariot of sunlight across the sky with ease, even slowing it down a bit midday so mortals would have more light for their fields for good measure.
Helios, on the other hand, had a hard time keeping up with all of Artemis's duties. not only did he have to keep mortals from sneaking into her sacred forest for hunting, he had to watch over the world's virgins, protecting their chastity and punishing those who violated them. He had to listen to and answer thousands of prayers from hunters, virgins and Amazons, and keep track of the animals which were sacred to the goddess. If there was one duty he was unprepared for it was presiding over childbirth. He was eternally grateful for being a male god after seeing what mortal women went through. One job he performed well was getting the moon into the sky at night. That at least was familiar to him.
Returning to Olympus, he was only too glad to hand over his weapons to Artemis, apologizing profusely for demeaning her job and her brave Amazon women. He asked only that she keep the weapons among her Amazons, whom he gained a new respect for after seeing so many go through childbirth. Artemis had agreed, but decided to hide it among their vast territory. Whoever found them would be powerful indeed, and she enjoyed watching her warriors search for them year after year.
Ephiny could hardly believe she was holding the very same weapons. She glanced at the despicable man before her. Imagine such filth as him touching these sacred weapons! It was an insult to the Amazon Nation and Artemis herself! Furious, she took a step toward him, ready to cut him down, but stopped when he backed hastily away from her. UGH! What a pathetic excuse for a man, she thought. His blood wasn't fit to be spilled by this sword.
Walking over to Xena, she held the weapons out to her. Xena looked from them to where Gabrielle lay on the floor. Whistling loudly for Argo, she gathered Gabrielle in her arms. When the mare clopped into the room, she placed her friend gently into the saddle and climbed up behind her. Ephiny secured the weapons against the saddlebags and smiled at the warrior and asked her to take them to the nearest temple of Artemis. She would deal with Traylek herself.
Xena nodded, understanding that it was Ephiny's right. Traylek had commited great crimes against the Amazon Nation, not to mention the personal crime of kidnapping Ephiny's son. His life was in her hands. After a firm grasp of forearms, Xena tightened her hold on Gabrielle and rode Argo away.
Ephiny turned to face the man who'd caused such destruction and grief. he'd murdered her Amazon sisters, taken her son, and hurt her dearest friends. She stretched her arms in front of her and cracked her knuckles. Justice needed to be done and she was going to deliver it. Now that she was solid, it wouldn't take long.
"Come here," she whispered, almost smiling, beckoning him with a finger.
Traylek saw the patronizing gleam in the Amazon's eyes and became angry. How dare she treat him this way, like a child in need of a spanking! This woman had invaded his territory, defeated his army, destroyed his face! Oh, he wished he'd been the one to take down the harlot. He would've enjoyed running her through, but only after cutting up her pretty face. His hands clenched at his sides. A dark rage clouded his mind. Well, as long as she was here in the flesh, he'd have his chance. He'd have his revenge. Oh yes, he would!
With a sadistic light in his eyes and a feral smile, he obeyed her command.
With a growl, he charged at her. The floor rumbled as his feet slammed down, but Ephiny easily twirled out of the way. As he passed she delivered multiple blows to the back of his head. His mask came undone and fluttered to the ground. He slowly turned around, giving Ephiny a full view of his face. She froze. The wounds were worse than she thought.
He trembled with anger for her to see him like this, "See what you did? SEE WHAT YOU DID?"
Ephiny tore her gaze away from his face and straightened her shoulders. Jumping high into the air, she pivoted her hips and whirled her leg over to slam her foot in his face. His head snapped to the side and he staggered, tumbling forward. He reached out and locked his arms around her. Holding her high in the air, he squeezed her in a tight bearhug. Traylek might be slow, but he was extremely strong and Ephiny felt a twinge of fear when she thrashed about and couldn't free herself.
"You're not going anywhere!" He squeezed harder and she gasped as the air was forced form her lungs. She pushed at him but it did no good. Her body felt like it was being crushed in half. With all her might, she reared her head back and slammed her forehead into his. He didn't even flinch, just squeezed tighter. Ephiny's vision began to blur, her chest screamed for air, her ribs were beginning to crack.
Traylek smiled, he could feel the life draining from her. "You're dead, Amazon! When I'm done with you, I think I'll visit your son. Hate to leave things unfinished."
That was a mistake. Ephiny stared straight into his eyes as furious energy surged through her. Her mind quickly cleared and her vision focused. A primal growl escaped from the back of her throat as she swung her foot back with all her remaining energy and slammed it into his groin.
The smile slowly slipped from his face, but his grip remained locked tight. Time seemed frozen for Ephiny, the crushing feeling coming back to her, her mind blanking for lack of air. Her blood was pulsing, throbbing behind her eyes.
Then she slipped from his arms, crumpling to the floor. Traylek immediately grabbed his groin, falling to the ground in pain. His eyes widened and he whimpered like a child. Ephiny panted heavily, her mind rushing from the flow of fresh oxygen, her torso tingling from being released. She wanted to finish him off while he was down, but she needed to regain her strength. She took several deep breaths, before attempting to stand. Before she could move, Traylek crawled to his feet, one hand still holding his injured crotch.
Ephiny scrambled to her feet and assumed a wobbly fighting stance. He lunged at her, clumsily swinging his fist. She easily dipped out of reach and rolled forward back onto her feet delivering multiple punches to his face and chest. Even with his heavy chest armor on, she kept punching. A hard side kick to his stomach sent him flying back against a stone pillar. Ephiny knew she had to take this chance before he recovered.
She flipped backward, making room for a flying kick. Planting her feet on the ground, she ran forward. Leaping up, poised sideways, she aimed her foot right at his head. At impact, his head cracked hard against the pillar. She spun around, connecting the back of her fist with the side of his face. He dropped down and slumped against the pillar. Ephiny crouched and braced her hands on her knees. She'd fought with all she had and now tried to still her racing heart with deep breaths.
Traylek twitched and mechanically got to his feet.
He was getting up? Ephiny couldn't believe it. How could he be getting up?
He stood slowly, a dark empty look in his eyes that made her shiver. "Stupid Amazon! You think you can stop me?" He turned, grabbed the stone pillar, and with a low grunt, he leaned back.
Ephiny just shook her head, disbelieving. There was no way he was going to move that pillar. There was just no way.
But she heard a cracking sound and ducked as small shards of stone began raining down. Traylek's bulging arms shifted the pillar and it broke away, white dust filling the air. He lifted it high above his head with both arms, ready to throw it at her. "Stupid Amazon! STUPID AMAZON!" he screamed and pulled back.
Before Ephiny could move, a low rumbling echoed in the room. She took that as her cue to get out of there and backed away to stand just outside the doorway as the ceiling began to fall. One large piece landed on his right hand. Distracted, he lost hold of the pillar and it crashed down on top of him. Pinned underneath, he tried to wiggle free, but was out of time. "NOOOO!" he yelled as the rest of the ceiling completely gave way. In moments he was buried under the rubble.
Ephiny walked up the the pile, waiting for it to move, for him to rise yet again, but everything was still.
