Incoming, war heavy chapter! I had a great time writing this chapter for some reason :D
Chapter 43 –Rebellion: Part I
Xena drummed her fingers on the tabletop, overlooking the print that her daughter and Gabrielle drew over the last two weeks. She hummed while placing markers on several spots on the parchment. Anastasia stood by her, watching over her shoulder. She placed a pin on north Scythia and then wrote down various areas that she wanted to explore over the next week.
"I'm going to northern Scythia to scope out the tribes," she said.
Anastasia crossed her arms. "Can I come along with you?"
Xena frowned and turned to face her daughter. "You will stay here."
"But mom," she complained and saw that familiar glare she received as a little girl. "It'll only be a few days. Let me come, please?"
Xena focused back on the map. "No."
"Why not?"
"Because I said so."
Ana rolled her eyes. She heard that several times throughout her life. "Mother, I won't be a burden to you. I can see a lot better now! I want to come."
Xena snarled and slammed down her pen and spun around. "I said no!"
Her eyes averted to Arielle and Aurora making their way across the room. She was thankful for the interruption and gave one final glare towards Anastasia and went back to writing down specific coordinates. She could hear her daughter cursing in their mother tongue in a very mocking tone. She closed her eyes for a moment to calm her temper and then kept writing.
Arielle held onto her daughter's hand and peered at the map. "How's it going?"
"It's going," Ana chided. "Hello, tatli kiz," she bent over and pinched Aurora's cheek.
"Mother, I wanted to talk to you about Cera," Arielle whispered and took Ana aside. "I'm a little worried about her. Her baby was supposed to arrive nearly two weeks ago."
Anastasia smiled. "I just saw her this morning. She seemed fine to me. Don't worry, the baby will come when it's ready," she reassured her concerned daughter.
"Yes but given what happened last time, I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly," Arielle said in a hushed voice. "She hasn't been eating a lot in the last week."
Ana gripped her daughter's hand. "You're very sweet to be so concerned about your sister. You know the last few weeks are always the toughest."
"How can you be so calm about this? Mother, you know what happened to her last time!" she hissed. "All I'm saying is that if she doesn't have the baby soon then we'll have to do something."
Xena couldn't block out the voices any longer and released a throaty groan. "Could you two talk elsewhere? I'm trying to work."
In the armory Gabrielle checked off everything on her list for Xena's upcoming excursion across the Steppe region of Scythia. She had the shadow of Kuba following her as she inspected all of the weapons and saddles for the horses.
She held up one of the swords and didn't think it would up to Xena's standards. She'd seen her spouse use several swords from different parts of the world and Scythian swords weren't considered the best since bows were their go-to weapons.
"Do we have any other swords?" she asked.
"Is there something wrong with this one?"
Gabrielle smirked. "It's just…a little outdated. This sword looks like it was made over a decade ago."
"I can have more swords made within a week," he said.
"It's alright. Xena has plenty of swords." She moved on to look at the saddles.
She checked off the number of saddles, bows and swords in her journal. She walked around the armory and then a flash of black caught her eye. Gabrielle walked to the window and opened the latch of the glass and put a hand over her eyes to block the blinding sun. Black smoke rose into the sunny sky on the north side of Neapolis.
An explosion set off on the west area of the city and Gabrielle quickly closed the window and shoved her journal into her bag and brushed by Kuba.
"Governor, is there something wrong? Is it the swords?" he called.
"The city is on fire!" she shouted and ran out of the room. "Inform Arielle immediately!"
Cera never thought she could sleep so much. She found herself dosing off in the middle of conversations and yesterday she fell into a light sleep sitting in a chair while her mother was talking to her. She was told to stay in bed and all she ever did was sleep all day and most of the night.
Today was the only day that her exhaustion didn't overcome her. She willed herself to stay awake and that wasn't difficult due to her child constantly moving around. Sitting in bed, leaned up against the headboard of the bed, she felt a jab in her ribs and gasped.
She slid against the pillows and felt the jarring kicks to continue to hit against her ribcage. She saw Mirac come in the room and he climbed onto the bed and kissed her forehead. She pushed down on the top of her belly to urge the child to move elsewhere so she could breathe properly.
Mirac grinned in spite of his wife's distress. He watched in awe at their child toss and turn inside her.
Over the last two weeks the physician kept telling them that the baby would arrive any day but that remained to be untrue as they continued to wait. Mirac didn't like to see Cera in so much discomfort and he felt helpless.
"Did your mother check on you today?" he asked.
She nodded and stared down in mild horror at the violent movements of her child. She huffed and looked up to Mirac who was very amused. She lightly pat his cheek to knock him out of his daze.
He shook his head and then stroked her belly gently. "Gülü is a little too comfortable in there, wouldn't you say so?"
She settled into the pillows and attempted to maneuver around until she found a comfortable position. After several attempts she gave up. She bent her legs and continued to stare at the child inside who gave her womb quite a beating. The door creaked open and she lifted her head up to see who was the lucky one to bother her today. Aurora ran inside and hovered over the edge of the bed.
Aurora smiled and hopped onto the bed. "Your tummy is huge!" she exclaimed and Cera tiredly smiled in response. "Is the baby coming soon?"
Mirac glanced at the little princess. "We hope so."
"My mother said to grandma khatun that she is worried about it," Aurora said nonchalantly.
That struck fear in Cera and she began breathing heavily. Mirac's eyes widened at her sudden disturbance and rubbed her arm to soothe her. He wished that Aurora hadn't come in here and said that. He was going to be stuck with a worried woman all day now.
"She said she's gonna do something about it soon if the baby doesn't come," Aurora said with a big happy grin not knowing her words would possibly upset her aunt.
Cera hyperventilated and held her face in her hands, sobbing profusely. Mirac comforted her with an arm around her shoulder and she buried her face into his chest. Aurora's smile disappeared in an instant and she nervously fidgeted with her hair.
"Don't cry, Tezye Cera," she attempted to calm her wailing aunt. "Oh…ahm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make her cry."
Mirac released an irritated sigh. "It's alright, Aurora. Could you get your mother?"
Aurora nodded and slipped off the bed. "I'm…really sorry."
Peace at last. Xena forced both Ana and Arielle out of the room when she could no longer take the chatter. She continued to mark the map and write down the spots she wanted to scout in the next few days. Mumbling under her breath, she ran her finger on the map.
Someone entered the vicinity and the end of the charcoal pencil broke when she pressed too hard on the parchment. She took a moment and closed her eyes, hoping that it was a maid or someone who wasn't of any importance.
"For the love of god," she mumbled and turned to face none other than her spouse. "Can't you see I'm busy? I told you not to disturb me."
"The northern part of the city is up in flames," Gabrielle spoke plainly.
Xena raced to the windows and leaned out off the ledge and her mouth parted at the large clouds of smoke hovering over the city. A clap of light flickered in the west and then another in the north. The palace was far from these areas but she could hear screaming even at this distance.
"Did you tell Arielle?"
"Kuba is on his way to tell her," Gabrielle placed a hand on Xena's shoulder. "The Antes are the only people who could've caused this."
Xena's head drooped. "We need to stop the fires before it spreads across the entire city. First; we barricade the palace just in case we're attacked. Second; we need to relocate all of the children to a safe place."
"There's a lounge on the second floor."
"You can be in charge of that," she slapped the back of Gabrielle's shoulder. "I'll round up the soldiers to guard the palace walls."
Arielle stood with her arms out as the maids dressed her body with armor. Bronze gauntlets were tied around her arms and then a chest plate was put on. She held the front of the chest plate while the women behind her buckled it quickly. Pauldrons were then placed on her shoulders and she lifted her arms for the straps to hook underneath.
She lifted her long hair to a pile atop of her head while the maids finished dressing her. With a final look in the mirror, she adjusted her armor and her sword was handed to her along with her bow.
Aurora opened the door and her jaw dropped when she saw her mother clad in bronze and black armor. Arielle saw her daughter's reflection in the mirror and panic settled in her core. She sheathed her sword and made her way over to her puzzle-faced daughter.
"Wh…where are you going?"
Arielle smiled, cupping her daughter's face. "I have to go help the people. They're in trouble and they need me."
The princess touched the pointed metal pauldrons on her mother's shoulders. "You're coming back, right?"
"Don't worry tatli kiz." She kissed Aurora's forehead. "I'll be back." she saw the fear in her eyes. "My brave princess isn't scared, is she?"
Aurora half smiled and wagged her head.
"That's my girl. Come on, you should be with the others." She grabbed Aurora's hand and ushered her out of the room and escorted her down the hallway.
"But, mom! Teyze Cera wants you!"
Arielle halted. "Cera? What's wrong with her?" she couldn't afford any more distractions. "Go tell your grandmother. She'll take care of Cera." She knelt down and clasped Aurora's arms. "Make sure you take care of your cousins and don't argue with anyone!" she pricked Aurora on the nose.
"I promise I'll keep them safe."
Arielle grinned and kissed the princess' forehead. She then brought her into an embrace and dug her fingers into Aurora's hair, inhaling the sweet scent of rose water.
"Khagana, we should go," said Kuba.
She nodded and pressed her lips to Aurora's forehead for the final time, holding back tears. She smiled and whispered, "I love you very much."
"I love you too." Aurora caressed her mother's cheek. "Don't get hurt."
Xena climbed the stairs to the second floor and walked outside to the wall where archers were lined in a row with their bows and arrows ready. She scoped out the city and just as she predicted: the fire spread. The west and north were completely engulfed in flames and the fire was now spreading in the east.
The citizens began packing their carts and fled to their homes. Most of them stood watching the fires and were too dumbfounded to move. Xena walked along the wall and then heard the loud stampede of horses galloping away from the perimeter of the palace. She looked over the ledge and saw Arielle leading a legion of soldiers into the city.
She averted her eyes and said a silent prayer, hoping that Arielle would be safe. She put her worries aside and cleared her throat audibly, stalking around the wall.
"We are going to protect the palace at all costs!" her voice boomed along the wall. "If we are attacked do your best not to harm any civilians!"
Kuba joined her on the wall and was a bit winded from charging up the stairs. "Lieutenant," he flagged her down. "The Khagana has left the palace and has set a legion to guard the walls below. She informed me to notify Khagan Bayan. I sent a message by falcon."
She nodded. "What about the children?"
"Governor Gabrielle is taking them to the lounge. Food and other supplies will be brought to the room as well."
Xena furrowed her brows and tapped the hilt of her sword. "Are you sure that is the safest place for them to be?"
He inclined his head slightly, "it is the most well guarded room in the palace. I will have several guards posted outside the doors," he saw doubt in her eyes. "The room is hidden behind a wall. Nobody will know it's there unless they've been in the palace before. There are no windows or exits," he informed her.
Good, she thought. Some of the angst she felt exited her mind. At least the children and women would be safe if the palace was invaded from within.
"Lieutenant!" a soldier ran from the opposite end of the west wall. "Riots in the inner city have started. They're moving towards us."
Xena followed the soldier and looked in the direction he was pointing to. She could see torches and citizens scattering from their homes and the large market square. It was too far for her to see who was starting the riots but it was clear that outsiders were the cause of the uproar. This was planned for weeks. It had to be.
She had flashbacks of the riots that started in Pannonia. She and Gabrielle were nearly stoned to death by the tribe. Eksama ignited fear and malice towards Anastasia and now the same was being done to Arielle. But by the looks of it, the Scythians weren't conforming to the riots. They weren't joining in and instead opposed the invaders.
"We will wait for them to attack us first!" she yelled at the archers. "Do not fire until I give the command!"
Mirac stayed with Cera for a long time hoping that Arielle would enter the room. He managed to calm his wife down but he was getting antsy the longer they had to wait. His pacing around the bed was no help to Cera as that made her worry more.
He stared at his teary-eyed wife and sat on the edge of the bed. He took her hand and told her, "I'm going to find your mother. Someone should've come in here by now." He kissed her knuckles and gave a reassuring smile.
Cera wiped her eyes and sat up and folded her legs. Loud screeches of women and children echoed in the streets below and Cera's mouth gaped. She put a protective hand over her child and gawked up at Mirac.
He ran to the windows and saw civilians running down the street in front of the palace. Men on horseback trailed behind, wielding swords and held lit torches. The horsemen all had blond or red hair and were of fair skin. They threw the lit torches to the homes surrounding the palace and trampled over the fleeing citizens.
Mirac backed away frantically. "I'll be right back."
Tears streamed down Cera's cheeks and she begged him not to leave her alone. He felt conflicted on how to go about this situation. He needed to alert someone and he was sure everybody knew what was happening outside.
Above them, on the outer wall, Xena gave commands to the soldiers. Cera breathed heavily and buried her face in her hands. Mirac rushed to the doors and they swung open before he could grab the handles. He thanked god when Anastasia arrived.
Anastasia ran across the room and kissed Cera's cheeks. "Are you alright?" she asked and Cera nodded her head, continuing to weep. "Do you feel any pain or discomfort?" she placed her hands on Cera's belly.
"What's happening out there?" Mirac asked.
"Riots erupted across the city." She wrapped an arm around Cera and helped her off the bed. "We have to go to the lounge. Everyone is ordered to wait there until it's safe to leave."
Mirac lend a helping hand and grabbed onto his wife's arm. "Will the physicians be there?"
"Yes. The guards will show you the way," Ana gently pushed them towards the doors.
She ran to the windows and squinted her eyes to get a clearer look at the chaos. She didn't have to see in order to know what was happening out there. She heard her mother screaming at the soldiers and then saw a rain of arrows shoot into the crowd.
Gabrielle passed by Mirac and Cera then entered the room. "Anastasia." she touched the khatun's arm. "We need to go stay with everybody else."
Ana slowly nodded and left with Gabrielle, hand in hand. "Are you going to aid my mother?"
"No, she put me in charge of keeping you all safe," the moment she said that, Anastasia froze. "Ana…she will be fine by herself."
She could see that Anastasia was wavering on the orders. That look in her eyes was something that Gabrielle didn't want to see. She wanted to go outside and help, Gabrielle could see that but she couldn't allow that to happen. Xena could be heard again from the outer wall, ordering the archers to keep firing.
"Anastasia," she grabbed the khatun's hand. "I'm going to need you to keep it together. All of the children are very scared. I need you to put on your brave face for them. They won't be scared if you show them that you aren't. You're the khatun of the empire."
Ana took in a deep shaky breath and laced her fingers with Gabrielle's. "Alright," she relented.
Gabrielle smiled and then they hurried out of the room together.
The horse skid to a halt and Arielle jumped off, drawing her sword. Citizens ran by and bumped her shoulders. She whistled to her soldiers and pointed at the burning cathedral.
"Put out this fire!" she ordered. "Make sure all the citizens are out of harm's way!"
The men began distributed water from the huge well in the center of the courtyard. Meanwhile, Arielle pushed her way through the frazzled Scythians and scouted the area to look for any people that could be trapped in certain areas of the cathedral. She ran through the yard and coughed from the black smoke.
She put a hand over her mouth and continued running. She entered a burning chapel and pieces of the beams above her fell, nearly crushing her. Coughing violently, she exited and ran to the next few attached buildings. There was no one in sight which was a good thing for now.
She came to the stables and cut the horses loose and slapped their hind legs. The animals fled the stables and she turned around only to be surrounded by pale skinned men armed with swords and maces.
Arielle gripped the hilt of her sword and looked over her shoulder at her soldiers who were putting out the cathedral fire. She was alone and she was outnumbered. Citizens running by saw the ambush of men surrounding her.
Two men came at her and she clashed swords with one and kicked a man in the gut. He stumbled but came at her again. These ten men were twice her size in weight and height. She gritted her teeth, holding the weight of the man's sword above her head.
A few Scythian citizens grabbed pitchforks lying on the ground and loudly cried out. A pitchfork was driven through one of the attacker's spine and exited through his chest. Blood poured from his mouth and he staggered before he fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Arielle smiled and swiped her leg around to knock her enemy off his feet. She twirled the blade and plunged it into his chest as he lay on his back. She reached behind her and rammed her other attacker into a wall and slit his throat with a clean swipe of the sword.
Two men down and another eight to go.
Feral-eyed, she spun around and then took a slice to her back. She let out an agonizing scream and arched her back. Her cloth armor was cut through by the blade and the hot summer breeze stung the gash splayed across her back.
She growled and elbowed the man in the jaw and with a hard shove her palm to his forehead, he lost his footing. Her boot met his chest and then she stabbed him in the thigh. She couldn't focus just on one man and circled around to meet the other attackers.
The two common citizens were continuing to attack her enemies. Arielle raised her eyebrow and then more citizens came to aid in the fight.
Five men fell to the ground. Three were left standing.
Arielle found herself in the middle of the circle with the Scythians holding the pitchforks. They pressed their backs together, facing the remaining attackers.
"Your help is much appreciated!" she praised the men.
"We are here to serve you, Khagana!"
Arrows soared over the soldiers' heads on the grounds. Xena ducked down when an arrow came straight for her. She looked up at the arrow that was stuck in between the mortar on the stone wall behind her. She ripped the arrow down and broke the shaft in half with her knee.
"Son of a bitch," she muttered.
She kept her head down and grabbed Kuba's arm and yanked him down forcefully. He squatted beside her and covered the top of his blond head from the raining arrows.
"Why aren't the soldiers doing anything on the ground?" she growled.
"You said not to harm any civilians, khanum," he reminded her. "They are trying their best to hold back the Antes."
Xena popped her head over the ledge and grabbed one arrow midair. She caught the archer who shot at her and he didn't even have the mind to conceal his identity. He had the audacity to show his face out in the open without a care in the world. She tossed the arrow over the wall and marched behind the archers.
One archer stood behind his fellow mate and she grabbed the bow strapped to his back. The young soldier looked around and followed her.
"Lieutenant!" he cried. "Lieutenant, I can shoot it for you!"
"No need, boy. I'll be borrowing this for a moment." She stole a few arrows from another soldier's holster and loaded the heavy bow while she climbed the stairs of the west tower.
When she reached the top of the tower she looked out at the area. There were way too many civilians around so she couldn't shoot aimlessly nor did she want to. She loaded the bow and felt the weight of the sturdy weapon in her hand and plucked the bowstring. She wished Arielle were here. This bow was probably far beyond her normal pull strength.
She settled her body against the open window and drew the string back close to her cheek. She aimed at one of the canopies where the man who tried to shoot her was. Her arm shook at the amount of weight she pulled and she released the arrow.
At least she did something right. Xena smiled as she watched the canopy fall on top of a group of Antes men and then it caught fire from the lit torches. The archer who shot her as tangled in the canopy and tried to escape from the flames.
She gave a self-satisfied snicker. Her celebration was cut short when more horsemen appeared from deep within the city limits. Her smile was wiped off her face and she ran down the spiraling staircase and tossed the bow to a soldier who stood by the tower.
"Excellent shot, khanum!" Kuba commended with a big smile.
Xena knew she was going to feel a sore shoulder tomorrow. Bows were never her weapon of choice but she appreciated the compliment. She grabbed Kuba by his shoulder and pointed at the mass of Antes horsemen lined along the apartment buildings.
"Where are they coming from?" she angrily slammed her fist on the wall.
There was one positive and that was north Neapolis was finally snuffed of its fire which meant Arielle was able to stop the fire from spreading further. The bad news was that the fires in the west spread out into the countryside where all the greenery was.
She took Kuba aside away from the range line. "Do we have any other weapons besides bows? We can't keep firing arrows. It's not doing any good. I'm not going to do this all night and it's obvious the Antes aren't going to stop coming. I can't let them siege the palace walls."
Kuba took a mental inventory of the armory and rubbed his chin. "We do have javelins. When they're airborne they splinter into knives."
Xena's eyes widened. "Where are those?" she was a bit too eager to see how those worked.
"In the armory," he said and she tried to push him away to retrieve said weapons. "Khanum, those are dangerous range weapons. They will harm the citizens."
She looked out at the burning city and frowned. "Most of the civilians are far from the palace walls. I just need to deter the Antes."
The Nezak family was huddled on one side of the room, gathered as the large family that they were. Mirac and Cera were seated on a sofa together not far from the Nezak circle. Anastasia glanced around the large suite and found the children altogether being entertained by Austraia. She faintly smiled at the redheaded princess. Austraia was nothing like Eksama but Ana had a difficult time finding a soft heart for Eksama's daughter despite her kind nature.
Gabrielle stood by the false wall, listening for the soldiers outside. She wanted to make sure that all news from outside was immediately reported to her. Hours passed by and there hadn't been word yet.
She assumed that no news was good news but she was getting a little concerned that there was no word on Arielle's whereabouts yet. Perhaps it was a good thing that everyone was stuck in a room together and nobody could hear a thing. It certainly kept the children at ease.
Yana spoke to her brothers and briefly tried to speak Cera but she couldn't get the girl to utter a word to her. She made her way across the room and stood in front of Anastasia. She waved her hand in front of the khatun's eyes.
Ana blinked and stopped picking at her nails. "Yana," she wearily grinned.
"I think the midwife should examine Cera."
Ana looked around the crowded room. "In here? Where people can watch?"
Yana smiled weakly. "We will put a screen up. Hopefully we'll be able to keep my sister in laws away. As you know, they are very fond of Cera."
Ana looked at the Nezak women and nodded. "I will get the midwife then." She grabbed Yana's hand. "Try not to cause alarm. I don't want to upset Cera and cause distress for everyone else," she whispered.
The twin princes approached Gabrielle and tapped their fingers on her leg. Gabrielle smiled at the boys and knelt down to their eye level and then ruffled their finely combed hair.
"Gabby, will we be here for a long time?" asked Aman.
"Yeah, will it be like last time in Pannonia?" Aladar questioned.
She chortled at their identical facial expressions; both curious and skeptical of their situation. "We'll be safe here. I don't know how long we'll be stuck in here but Austraia has lots of fun games you can play." She saw Farah sulking in a lonely corner of the elongated sofa. "Maybe your mother can play chess with you two. She loves that game."
Aman sighed. "She's still sad about Teyze Rabia."
"I bet playing a game with her would cheer her up," she advised but the boys were doubtful. "Give it a try, okay?" she said and they ran off to go see Farah.
Smiling, she heard a knock on the wall. While everyone was occupied with their own conversations and activities, she opened the door slightly and met face to face with an Avar guard.
"The Lieutenant General is still on the wall, pushing back the Antes," he told her.
That was somewhat of a relief. "Is there a chance they could break into the palace?" she kept her voice low.
"That is unlikely, governor. Khagana Arielle is still in the city. She was able to put out the fires in the north."
"Let me know if something else happens."
In the west, Arielle cleared out several homes filled with mothers and children. She ran inside one of the houses to make sure nobody was caught in the crossfire outside. She checked every house and made sure her men were able to fend off the Antes who threatened to attack her.
She ran across the street and found corpses of young men, or should she say boys, lying in the middle of the road covered in their own blood. Gripping her wounded arm, she proceeded to ensure her people's safety. She put her safety on hold during this entire escapade.
Arielle leaned against one of the buildings and took a good look at the huge gash across her upper arm. She lost one of her gauntlets earlier in a brawl with three Antes soldiers. The area was void of any activity minus her men who tried to put out the massive fires.
Her vision began to falter and she noticed a man with golden braids standing over by a tavern across the road. She forced herself to stand upright and unsheathed her sword. Her heart raced and she rolled her sore shoulders back, approaching the man.
Aleksander smiled and came at her, unarmed and unwilling to put up a fight.
Several of her men rushed to her aid and Arielle noticed his weapon was not drawn. She put up a halting hand to her men and they backed down, lowering their weapons but kept a close distance. She tried not to show weakness despite the writhing pain in her every limb of her body.
"Empress. The night is near," he said, charmingly smiling at her. "You've got quite a lot of wounds," he pointed to her ripped pants and sleeves.
Bruises, gashes and bleeding wounds were painfully obvious. She held her tongue and clenched her jaw.
"You must think you've won," she scoffed.
"Destroying your capitol is only the first step, empress." Aleksander took a step closer. "Your entire state will be ripped apart and soon so will your empire."
Arielle arched an eyebrow. "So, Chieftain Mezamir sends you but doesn't show his face." She waved the sword around with a malicious grin then laughed aloud. "Your ruler is a coward."
He trailed away. "We will see more of each other in the future, empress. Good luck with the fires." He bowed and rounded the corner of the building.
She was able to release a moan and wrapped an arm around her sore midsection. Blood seeped from her stomach and drenched her bare arm. Her eyes drifted to the fires that never seemed to stop spreading no matter how much water was poured onto the buildings. Screams filled the air as did the thick heavy black smoke.
Arielle walked back to her soldiers and stumbled along the way. She put a hand to a building than began to wane. Another step forward and she felt her legs were about to give out. She'd been running around all day and tried her best to keep her city in line. She forced herself to keep her mind alert and went to grab a soldier by his collar.
His eyes enlarged, impressed by her strength given her lean frame. He was shoved into a wall of a building, one of the few that weren't disintegrated.
"What is happening at the palace? Did I not send someone to report back to me hours ago?"
"The…Lieutenant General is manning the perimeter of the palace, your highness," he nervously told her. "The walls haven't been breached but they are running out of ammunition," he said and Arielle nodded.
She took the canister of water off his belt and drank it quickly. The water ran down her chin and neck. She wiped her mouth and shoved the metal container into the soldier's chest. She looked at the burning buildings that were slowly snuffed out. The soil was charred and covered in soot. It rained ash over the city and her raven curls were blanketed by the fire's remnants.
"Are they using ballistic weapons at the palace?" she called over her shoulder.
"No, your highness. Not that I'm aware of."
She brought her eyebrows together and marched to the soldier and grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall again and again until his helmet fell to the ground.
"Do not give me reports of uncertainty!" she spat in his face. "What do you mean 'not that you're aware of'?" she held his jaw with her palm and squeezed his cheeks together. "You are to be aware of every little detail! Don't ever say something like that again. Do you understand?"
"Yes, khagana!" he plead.
"Unacceptable," she hissed. Arielle took a step back, allowing the soldier to recover. "I want you to go tell the Lt. General to send scouts to every district of Scythia and see if there are more riots and fires. I can't have my entire state in ruins."
The ground rumbled and shook beneath her feet and she frowned at her miffed soldiers. Off in the distance there was a loud boom and Arielle covered her ears. She ran towards the sounds of screams up ahead and another explosion went off in the east.
"What the fuck," she snarled.
She climbed the stairs of a building that had its roof caved in. She stepped on the debris of what was left of the roof and saw the countryside in the east in flames. She roared, releasing the frustration pent up inside her and jumped off the roof and took initiative to speak to her people gathered in a large circle of the western square.
She hopped onto a statue of a winged angel and stood on the shoulders and wings of the statue. She raised her hand to grab her citizens' attention.
"People of Scythia!" she shouted and the crowd fell silent. "I will make sure to compensate your losses financially!" another explosion was set off and she began to lose the people's interest. "I will rebuild the city!" she regained their attention. "Unfortunately I cannot bring back the lives you've all lost!"
"What about our homes? Where are we going to stay?" a woman shouted in the crowd.
The people collaborated with a herd of whispers. Arielle panicked and didn't want to lose their focus or she was going to have a riot among her own people just like what happened to her mother in Pannonia. She clapped her hands loudly and the whispering ceased.
"I will make arrangements for you all to live in a safe place until your homes are rebuilt." She saw by the looks she received that her words were simply not enough. "I will contact King Khushnavaz, my father, in Armenia; my motherland. He will provide homes for everyone," she said with a smile.
The people whispered to the ones next to each other and Arielle jumped off the statue. She waved her hand at the soldiers to head to the explosions in the east.
The ground forces were down by a third and the archers along the walls were running out of arrows to shoot. Xena stood behind a tower so not to be caught in the crossfire. The Antes were probably the most relentless group of people that Xena ever encountered. They now were beginning to climb the wall with their bare hands.
Kuba rounded the tower wall and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Khanum, our archers are no longer serving a good purpose by shooting at the enemy."
She twirled the veil of her headdress around a finger and listened to the sound of men crying out for aid. She'd seen several archers fell to their deaths off the wall when they were struck by arrows. She had minimal weapons to work with and the space was too small to use catapults. If she were to use those they would miss the enemy entirely and harm hundreds of innocent bystanders.
"There were more explosions in the east," he regretfully reported.
"We're going to stop firing," she said.
Kuba paused with concern. "Pardon?"
"I said we're going to stop firing. We're going to have to put more men on the ground. Arrows aren't going to stop the Antes and we're running out ammunition anyway."
It wasn't something she liked to do but it was pointless to keep this up. The only way to put an end to this was to use brute ground force –the old fashioned way. This wasn't the best area to have a battle occur but there wasn't much of a choice.
Loud horns were heard from a distance and Xena whipped her head around. She ran from her hiding spot to the wall. A group of over fifty horsemen wearing wings attached to their backs galloped into the city coming from the east. They definitely weren't part of Arielle's army. They looked far more tribal and wore fur coats. Their wings were made of real feathers and gave an appearance of vultures.
"Who are they?" she asked the advisor.
Kuba smiled. "That is the Hinukh tribe."
"The tribe Tzes Bey is from?" she questioned and he nodded. "Why are they wearing those wings?"
The Hinukh men rode into the thick of the chaos and immediately jumped from their horses and attacked the Antes men, wielding more than swords. Tzes Bey stuck out in the horde due to the size of his wings. He carried two axes with him and various weapons tied to his fox pelt around his neck.
"They wear wings as a scare tactic," said Kuba. "I've heard that it increases their speed on horseback but I can't prove if that is true."
Xena raised an eyebrow at the battle on the ground and so far the Hinukh tribe had done far more damage than the Avars. Their strategy reminded her of the old days when Attila reigned. The tribes had a unique fighting style and wore different pelts and headdresses to tell one tribe apart from the other. Now everything had changed so drastically.
All of the old tribes were exterminated due to many entities and most tribes now lived under Avar rule. They completely lost their identities in the empire except for this tribe that didn't even belong to the Huns at all.
Impressed with the Hinukh tactics, Xena smiled. "I'd like to speak with Tzes Bey again. I may have misjudged him."
"Yes, khanum."
She turned away from the wall. "Any word on Arielle?"
"As far as I know she is still putting the fires out."
Xena nodded and wore a worried frown. "Do you know if she's hurt?"
Kuba reassured her, "I will find out."
A portion of the lounge was sectioned off for the midwife to examine Cera. It was a challenge to keep all of the children away as they were very curious and stricken with boredom. Behind the screen that was set up, Cera laid down on a sofa sprawled with a sheet. Anastasia sat down beside her daughter, holding her hand. Yana stood at the end of the sofa, inspecting the midwife's examination thoroughly.
Cera stiffened at the woman's fingers slip inside her and she squirmed at the mild discomfort. Even though she had examinations once a month the process never came easy to her. She kept her gaze to the ceiling so she wouldn't have to look down to see what tools the physician used.
She felt cold metal scrape her skin and she pinched her mother's hand, biting her lip.
Anastasia ran her hand over Cera's forehead. "Relax, tatli kiz. You'll only make it harder if you don't," she whispered.
Yana leaned downward and peeked underneath the sheet that draped over Cera's legs. The midwife pulled out the tool and set the rod on the tray of other tools. She let the sheet down and then stood up to come around to stand beside Cera who stared at her fearfully.
"Well? Is there a problem?" asked Yana.
The midwife looked at the intrusive Chieftess. "I'm not finished yet," she said bluntly. She smiled softly at Cera. "May I have a look?" she asked.
Cera looked over at her mother and Anastasia gave a curt head nod to the midwife. Cera's dress was pulled back, exposing her bare stomach and the pair of cold hands touched her skin and she flinched. The midwife pressed her palms firmly on the sides of Cera's abdomen
She pushed her fingers on the lower abdomen close to Cera's pelvis and heard the princess make a soft moan in response. She pulled away and kept inspecting, her hands roving over Cera's belly, pressing down on several spots.
Cera could tell that her child didn't like being pushed and jostled round and she didn't find it too comfortable either. She winced as she felt her unborn child react to the intrusive shoving and nudging by pressing up against her ribs.
"Have you experienced any cramping?" she asked, keeping her eyes focused on her patients.
Cera shook her head and Anastasia spoke for her daughter, "no, she hasn't."
The midwife nodded, humming quietly. "Any bleeding?"
Cera furrowed her brows and Ana answered, "No."
"Any signs of distress from your baby?" she cradled a hand on Cera's lower abdomen and frowned at the movements she felt.
Ana replied, "no."
The midwife paused. "I want the princess to answer, khatun."
Cera eyed her mother worriedly and then shook her head at the midwife who waited for her answer.
"I see." The midwife pulled Cera's dress back down and smiled briefly. "Thank you, princess." She washed her hands in a basin of water and wiped them dry. "Khatun, may I speak with you?"
A lump formed in Anastasia's throat and she let go of her daughter's hand. "There's nothing to be worried about," she smiled and kissed Cera's forehead. She left the bedside and joined the midwife to talk alone.
Yana came to Cera's aid and helped her to sit up. "I'm sure everything is fine." She reassured her.
Cera gawked at her mother whispering with the midwife and an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she waited for them both to return. Yana traced her fingernails on Cera's back trying her best to soothe her worries.
Anastasia dismissed the midwife and then circled back around to speak to her daughter. She smiled and sat on the edge of the sofa and rubbed Cera's arm.
"She's going to prepare a medicine for you," Ana said cautiously and Cera fluttered her eyes. She chose her words carefully. "It will induce labor and hopefully in the next few days you'll deliver your baby," she said with an uncertain smile.
Cera breathed heavily and put a hand to cover her eyes.
Yana asked, "what do you mean hopefully?"
"Well…" Ana hesitated, "it could take several days but she said we shouldn't wait any longer." She titled Cera's chin to meet eyes with her. "Your body has shown no signs of going into labor, Cera. This has to be done, I'm sorry."
Cera took in a deep breath and she fought back tears. She looked into her mother's warm eyes and nodded.
Ana left to go inform Gabrielle of what was going to happen in the next few minutes and Yana grabbed her arm, pulling her aside from prying eyes and ears.
"She cannot give birth in here. There are too many people," Yana whispered.
"Where should she give birth then? We can't leave this room until my mother says so, Yana. I didn't ask for this to happen and neither did Cera." She rubbed her shoulder and gazed at the children sitting together, playing a game of backgammon.
Yana leaned in close, noticing the nerves that plagued Anastasia. "There is something else you aren't telling me," she observed. "You can't tell Cera obviously but you can tell me. What else did that woman tell you?"
"Nothing. I'm just anxious," Ana faintly smiled.
Gabrielle leaned against the false wall and heard voices from the other side. She looked around the room and thankfully everyone was preoccupied by conversation and games. She pulled out her sword and waited for the voices to dissipate. She was ready to attack until she heard Xena's voice and relaxed.
With a sigh of relief, she opened the door and smiled warmly. She embraced Xena briefly and her clothes smelled like burnt wood.
"I haven't heard anything for hours! What's going on out there?"
Xena sighed. "The Antes have fled the perimeter but the city is still burning." She took off her coat and aired out her tunic. "How's everything going in here?" she gestured to the mass of people.
"The children don't seem too worried," whispered Gabrielle. "Anastasia eased their concerns."
Xena nodded with a bright smile. She saw a cloth screen on the far side of the room and there were several maids hovering in that area. She also saw Mirac's sisters carrying a basket of linen above their heads and hurrying to unravel the sheets.
"What's happening over there?" she nudged her head.
Gabrielle made a face. "The midwife examined Cera earlier. I'm not sure what's going on over there now."
Without responding, Xena made her way to disclosed area and all of the maids paused at her presence. Cera sat up on the sofa and by the shimmer of her eyes she was overjoyed to see her. Xena grinned and maneuvered her way around the area and the maids made a path for her.
She took off her leather gloves and cupped Cera's cheek. "I would hug you but I'm filthy," she joked.
Cera clasped her hands together, smiling from ear to ear.
"Mother?" Anastasia called from behind.
Xena turned and left Cera's side. She felt like she was interrupting and as soon as she cleared the area, the maids began laying out sheets and poured water into two basins. She contorted her face in confusion and grabbed Ana's arm and led her away from the crowded space.
Anastasia answered her mother's questions before asked to. "The midwife is giving Cera medicine to induce her," she whispered.
Xena looked back at her granddaughter. "I trust that there isn't anything to worry about…"
"No, not yet anyway," she muttered. "Did Arielle return?"
"I asked Kuba to send more soldiers out to help her," Xena said, lowering her eyes for a moment. "She hasn't come back yet."
"But you know where she is." Ana hoped. "Mother!"
Xena gripped her daughter's shoulders. "Not at the moment," she saw panic settling in Anastasia's face. "Hey, we're going to find her. Focus on Cera. She needs you more right now. I have to go talk to Tzes Bey and I need Gabrielle to come with me."
She stared into her daughter's distant eyes.
"Anastasia, are you listening to me?" she snapped her fingers and caught her attention again. "I said I'm taking Gabrielle with me."
Ana slowly bobbed her head.
"Since you're going to be occupied with Cera I need you to assign someone else to be in charge of everyone here," she said calmly. "Where's Farah?"
Anastasia frowned. "She's…sitting with Soran and Pamira."
"Starting now, Farah's in charge. Don't worry," she pecked her daughter's forehead. "We'll find Arielle."
Xena joined Gabrielle who was waiting patiently by the door. Several guards were posted outside and waited for them to leave so they could go speak with the Hinukh Bey. Tzes was escorted into the palace and lingered in the foyer with a couple of men who were searched and stripped of their weapons until further notice.
"I don't think I should've told her the truth about Arielle," she muttered.
Gabrielle sighed. "She would've been angry if you lied to her."
Aurora came running up to them and Xena forced herself to smile. "Grandma khanum!" she grabbed hold of Xena's hand. "Is my mom back? Can we go to our rooms now?"
"I'm afraid you'll have to stay here a little while longer," she said.
Aurora let out a huge sigh. "Can I see mother? Is she here?"
Gabrielle took over and knelt down. "She's very busy helping the people and you want her to help them, don't you?"
Aurora nodded.
"Gabrielle," Xena motioned for them to take their leave.
She gripped Aurora's hands. "Farah's in charge so make sure you help her keep everyone in line."
"I can be in charge too?" the princess thumbed her chest.
"That's right and I know Farah will appreciate the help." She smiled and rose from the floor.
Xena stifled a laugh and walked out of the room with her wife trailing behind.
"You've always had a way with children. You say one thing and they listen to you, no questions asked."
"That's because I have a gift," Gabrielle said proudly.
Kuba ran towards them breathlessly and almost tripped over his own boots before coming to an abrupt stop in the middle of the hallway. He thumped his chest with his fist to clear the lump of air and coughed.
"The Khagana has been located."
They couldn't celebrate yet. Gabrielle said, "but there's more…"
"Unfortunately yes," he took in a deep breath and added, "she's in the countryside in the east. She followed the rioters who fled the city by herself. A soldier said that the leader of the rioters is lead by Bishop Salman. There's an entire cavalry of Antes."
Xena snarled, "Arielle…" she said with a guttural rumble. "She's going to get herself killed!"
What has Arielle gotten herself into now?
And little Cera can't catch a break. We'll see what happens in part two ;)