Chapter 23

They were sharing a bed just about every night. Jianjun's tent was more luxurious than sleeping under the stars, but Xena did miss her and Gabrielle's arguments about the constellations. What was more, together she and Jianjun made an unstoppable team. Xena had been put in charge of one hundred thousand men of the highest skill who followed Xena wherever she and Jianjun went. Through Jianjun, she had great influence on the overall strategies of the Wei kingdom army. Every night they would have intense discussions on strategies and training. Jianjun learned a lot from Xena, and slowly he was starting to think like her. Slowly, he was even starting to fight like her. And now, they might even develop a secret weapon with the help of a Shaman.

Xena couldn't be happier. She would have moods, though. She continued to dream of her past whenever she slept next to her new old lover, and sometimes the memories would deeply disturb her. When the Aravt would finally awake in her arms, she would try to confess them.

"Jianjun, there are things that you should know about my past and the past we shared together. I've done terrible things, made terrible mistakes-"

"Xena," she shivered at the name he only called her in private, "you have been nothing but a blessing to me since we found each other. Again, I mean. There is no point in exacerbating problems we had in a life I don't even remember. Whatever you did, I love you anyway. Telling me things that would only make you relive the pain is pointless. Whatever went wrong, I forgive you."

"But I've hurt you, I might hurt you again…"

"Xena, I don't think you are capable of hurting me on purpose. Even if you do me wrong accidentally, how could we plan for that?"

"Well-"

"Xena. Drop it."

"Ok."

Xena realized that Gabrielle's new form could sooth her inner demons better than even Eli could. Suddenly Xena realized that this was the first time she had spared a thought for Eli since explaining to Jianjun how she had gotten a body, and that was at least two and a half moons ago. Why, she hadn't seen Eli's scroll since around the time she had found Gabrielle's soul. It didn't matter now that she had the living, breathing Gabrielle to fill up the void in her chest.

Xena was becoming a fierce force behind the Wei kingdom's armies. They swept through their enemy like a swarm of locusts, devouring any nomad they came upon. In Xena's strategy, a living enemy could only become a dead enemy. Jianjun had to stop her a couple times from chasing after their retreating foes, determined as she was to finish them off. She became brutal with her war prisoners, often executing them just so that she wouldn't have to spare the man power to escort them to the nearest prison. She even treated her own troops inhumanely at times, giving them smaller rations so that she could afford complicated new weaponry. The lust for power was eating her up, but she refused to allow herself a thought for taking over the army from Jianjun. This was his war, but even Jianjun, who had the soul of the soft, gentle Gabrielle, was often harsh and cruel. With Xena he was soft and loving, but his strategies often revealed a coarser side, such as when he would forcibly take supplies from his own countrymen, even if it was essential for survival. On the field the two shared their lust for battle, and on still nights they would share their lust for each other. They fed off each other, together creating a powerful force that drove their armies from one victory to the next. They were unstoppable.

Her victories however did not sooth the thirst for more power, the hunger that Jianjun had started within her when he had mentioned that she may be able to move outside her body, just as a spirit. She thought of it every night as she slipped into sleep beside her lover. Xena had decided that Jianjun had probably forgotten his suggestion and had determined to bring it up with him again when he came back with shaman's robes and a live deer that he quickly hid in the horse stables. Apparently he had finally found a way.

That night the two of them slipped out into the horse's tent, dismissing the guard as the entered. The deer was a young buck with budding horns and fearful eyes. First, they made a large fire in the center of the tent. Jianjun pulled some dried plants and some powder out of a pouch and threw it on the fire, giving the rapidly warming tent a thick haze of smoke. Jianjun instructed Xena to take off her cloths as he dressed himself in the shaman's robes. Once he was clothed he beckoned Xena closer. Taking a pot of black ink he decorated her body with symbols, using a fibrous plant as a brush. When he had finished he put the pot aside and began a slow chant. Xena danced slowly around him and the fire, becoming slightly intoxicated by the fumes. Jianjun went on and on, and Xena guessed that he was slowly getting faster. The tent began to spin along with her dance, and a dizziness pulled at her senses. Finally he jumped to his feet, shaking his whole body in a fit of rage. Jianjun reached into his boot, drew a long knife and flung it across the fire with one fluid movement. Xena tensed into a cat position as it flew over her head where she had just been dancing, burying itself in the proud chest of the young buck. Jianjun let out a terrifying scream as the buck jumped frantically this way and that, spraying blood everywhere as it tried to break it's bond to the main support of the tent. The canvas swayed and shuddered violently as the buck dropped to its knees at the end of his rope, then collapsed on the floor. Jianjun lifted its head and placed a bowl beneath the wound, baring his teeth wickedly at the creature as its eyes glazed over, turning the jet black into an empty dull grey.

Jianjun thrust his hands into the bowl and spread the sticky crimson blood over the ink symbols that had dried into Xena's skin. Then, with a fire in his eye, he lifted the blood to his lips and drank deeply. Xena shuddered, remembering its intoxicating effect. When he had drained the bowl his eyes rolled backwards and he collapsed on the floor. Xena immediately dropped to her knees at his side. She lowered her cheek to his mouth, and after a full minute she sobbed with the realization that he was not breathing.

She heard a gasp behind her and spun around onto her feet to see a soldier gaping stupidly at the scene before him.

"A woman!" he managed, "She's killed him!" he shouted.

Without thinking, Xena flipped over the fire and grabbed hold of the soldier's head, twisting it sharply until she heard a 'crack!' from his spine. The dull thud as the soldier's body hit the floor was accompanied by a familiar shout of triumph. Xena spun and saw a horrid sight before her. Hovering above Jianjun's body was a terrible spirit with his exact likeness. It's face cracked in an evil grin.

"Get away from him!" Xena shouted, looking about for her sword. It jetted forward and she had to dive out of the way. Picking up her sword she swung it at Jianjun's doppelganger, who merely laughed again.

"You think your little toy is going to stop me from finishing you off?"

"You killed him! You're going to have to pay for that!" She swung again, this time lunging straight toward the spirit, but it let out a wave of energy that lifted Xena into the air and flung her back, where she landed hard on the floor, knocking the wind out of her. Gasping for air, she struggled to get up, glaring at her attacker.

"I am a demon of darkness, you cannot oppose me!"

Well I know an angel of light, she thought. "Eli!"

As soon as she had spoken the name, a new strength filled her. Her skin glowed and she floated to her feet, her hair whipping backwards off her face. The demon cackled and jetted towards her again, but she put out her hand to stop it, and upon impact the spirit was blasted away, spinning head over heels through the tent walls and into the night.

"Run!" something whispered in her ear. She nodded and followed the advice, but not before throwing on a large shirt and gathering Jianjun into her arms. Heaving the corps onto the back of a horse, she leaped on behind it and urged the horse into a full-out gallop. She left the camp with the body of her soul mate rocking back and forth smoothly with the movement of the running horse. She couldn't bring herself to look at it, so she simply rode on into the night, her tears mixing with the soft drizzle of a light spring rain.