Chapter 7

Xena said her farewell to Kin and left him to direct the procedure of unloading all of his wares for trade. She hadn't had the patience to stay and help, not when she was so close to finding Gabrielle.

She set off straight for that cursed town, the town of Higuchi. After much walking, she arrived there to find a brand new, thriving village, without a trace of the last two fires Xena had experienced. She stood at the edge of town for a bit, overcome with its new immensity, then plunged forward into its streets. Where should she start? Maybe Gabrielle had stayed at an inn before leaving. She should have been a well known hero, after helping Xena defeat Yodoshi. She entered the nearest inn.

From inn to inn she walked, without a trace of Gabrielle. The inn keeps didn't even respond to the name "little dragon warrior," a title Xena was sure Gabrielle had earned after receiving that beautiful tattoo. After combing through the entire city, she reached the last of the inns, and found much the same answer there as anywhere else. Finally she consented that Gabrielle hadn't earned the fame she deserved.

The inns had proven a dead end, but Xena wasn't about to give up, not after traveling all this way. So she continued her search, this time in bars and taverns, horse stables and the alchemist shops. Every public building she entered, she asked the same question. Did you ever hear of Gabrielle, the battling bard of Potedia? Have you ever heard of the little dragon warrior, a girl on whose back was inked in a dragon of protection? No. Not a single person knew. Finally, exhausted, she sat down on a bar stool in the middle of town. She slapped down one of the 15 dinars Kin had insisted on paying her, and asked for something strong.

"and some change." She glared menacingly at the barkeep, who didn't even blink.

"Sure thing, miss!" he said, ducking under the bar. He came back with one silver and a couple bronze coins that she did not recognize, as well as a bottle that, when uncorked, she could smell from across the counter.

"Thanks" she said wearily, and took a sip. It burned pleasantly down her throat. "Hey, you ever heard of a battling bard of potedia? May also be known as the little dragon warrior, the dragon bard, or some other such silly name?"

"Um, no miss, I can't say I have."

Xena pivoted on her stool to gaze around the room, when something shiny caught her eye. There, over the fireplace, was a beautiful katana and …her ying-yang chakram. She whirled around to face the bar. The barkeep was already at the other end of the bar. She closed her eyes halfway and concentrated on calming her emotions. This was it. This is where she would get some answers. Maybe she had simply been asking the wrong questions. Her eyes snapped open again as the man behind the bar passed her in search of another bottle.

"Hey you. Come here." She said as calmly as she could.

"Just a mo'…" he went back to the other side of the bar again, and Xena had to fight the urge to jump up and grab what was truly hers, and kill the bar keep in the process. But she needed more than just the weapons. She needed answers. Finally the barkeep returned.

"Yes?" He asked, his eyes roaming the long counter for anyone who might need him next.

"That thing, over the fireplace, it's real pretty. Where'd you get it?" The man's attention was suddenly completely hers, and he smiled, it seemed, despite himself.

"My ancestor won it in a battle against Xena, the warrior princess."

"Really." She said flatly. "I'm dying to know the whole story. Please…" The bartender needed no further persuasion. He dove into his story.

"My ancestor Morimotto was a brave man. He fought against this woman with legendary skill and strength, and defeated her! Cut her head clean off! Then he found out that her spirit was up to something on Mount Fuji, and quickly went there to stop her from doing something horrible. There he met her spirit as well as her little friend with that round killing thing. He destroyed Xena's spirit and while doing battle, kicked her little friend straight down the mountain! He brought those weapons back as proof. He was a downright hero!" His grin slowly deteriorated under the withering look on Xena's face.

"And how long ago was it, that all this happened?"

"Oh, forever ago." He said, "must have been hundreds of years since then. I think it must have been… 4? Yeah, 4 hundred years ago at least." He looked at Xena, searching for the look of admiration he usually got when revealing such ancient roots in the town of Higuchi. But he was disappointed. The look on her face was one of shock, not reverence. He glanced in her cup. No, it was mostly there. Then, without warning she threw it back and swallowed it all in two gulps. Then she got up, went over to the mantle piece, and tugged the weapons free of their iron pegs.

"Hey! Hey! What are you doing?" The barkeep leaped over the counter and grabbed Xena's hand, trying to stop her. But she threw him back against the counter, where he cracked his skull and went out cold.