UPON THE SETTING SUN

Gabrielle slowly walked outside of the keep Xochipilli had given them food and drink but she had no appetite for it. She'd watched as her lover had just tucked in along with Itzli. Maybe it was because of her day or her blow to the head. How many blows to the head was she going walk away from…would there be a day when one would end her life? She shook her thoughts of looking at the sun which was starting to set on the horizon. She looked down at the city bellow watching as people moved around. She wanted to see the beauty but she couldn't, she'd never seen the beauty here as much as she tried and as much as she wanted to. There had been no beauty in her soul when she'd come here and being here again just made her feel lost. She'd been feeling lost ever since she'd come a shore, she didn't feel in control of her emotions and she could already feel the darkness in her soul reaching out to clutch her heart. A part of her liked this darkness and liked committing violent acts and causing suffering to others and that part of her was haunting her so much.

"I come here to think as well, I find it relaxing."

She turned seeing Ohtli who was standing close by she hadn't noticed him before she'd been too deep in her own thoughts. Ohtli paused meeting her gaze. "I was told you had no conscience but it appears you do…what's troubling you?" Gabrielle smiled but it was a sad smile. "My soul…" Ohtli looked up slightly he took a step forward. "You judge your soul…I'm surprised." Gabrielle lowered her gaze. "I have nothing to be proud of…" Ohtli blinked he took a step closer to her. "Some would disagree." Gabrielle sighed aloud. "They've never looked in to my soul they don't see how evil part of it is." Ohtli raised his hand to say something but stopped he could see the guilt and hurt in this young woman's eyes with out her needs for words.

She was fighting some inner battle and she just wanted to say her feelings aloud because she was too afraid to say them to her partner. She just wanted to say these feelings aloud so someone could hear her even if they didn't care for listening to her. Her felt his gaze dart he had heard Xochipilli's words from the stairs and he was right this wasn't the same Blood Jaguar. This was someone else who was seeing herself for what she'd been and was desperately trying to compare herself to that person who was now haunting her. He breathed in deeply as he got ready to say something only to stop as her dark haired partner walked out with some food and drink on a wooden tray there were a number of pastes and meats on it as well as soft tortillas.

She had a rolled one in her hand which she was biting in to, he calmly walked back towards the keep he felt no need to invade their privacy. Xena smiled as she looked at her lover who was looking out at the sun set. "Hey." Gabrielle turned to the taller woman watching as she placed the tray down. Hi." She lowered her gaze slightly. Xena took another bite out of her flat bread which could be rolled, it tasted really good. "I brought you some food, you have to try this red paste it tastes delicious." Gabrielle raised an eyebrow. "I don't care for crushed grasshoppers." Xena stopped mid chew. "What?" Gabrielle turned slightly. "Grass hoppers it's made from the really big ones."

Xena didn't think as she turned spitting what she was eating out in an instant, she coughed trying to clear her throat. "Itzli told me it was made from meat!" Gabrielle looked down slightly. "In Mexica bugs are one of the meat groups." Xena put a hand on her stomach trying not to think about the fact that she'd just eaten four, whole bread wraps crammed full of the paste and other things. Gabrielle turned slightly she eased one of the drinks of the tray. "Drink this it'll calm your stomach." Xena took the drink eyeing the black liquid she took a slow drink before pulling away. "Chocolate with vanilla." She finished the goblet then calmly placed it down on the tray as she moved closer to her lover. "You've been quite are you all right?"

Gabrielle looked down sadly. "Do you ever feel like your loosing yourself?" Xena raised an eyebrow slightly. "What do you mean?" Gabrielle looked up slightly. "Do you feel like you don't know yourself at times?" Xena moved closer. "Sometimes I do yes…." She stopped feeling herself breathe in slowly and deeply. She stepped slowly forward so she was standing over the younger woman she could see the pain her lovers green eyes. "What's wrong Gabrielle?" Gabrielle breathed in sharply. "Your right I am ashamed of what I've done here…I've been hiding something from you…I was afraid. I didn't want to tell you. I know it was wrong and I'm so sorry…."

Xena moved her hand up slightly putting it on her shoulder moving her fingers gently in soft motions. "What did you do Gabrielle?" Gabrielle put a hand on her face feeling her voice break. "I killed people…." Xena felt her gaze dart. "Sometimes you have no choice Gabrielle, I taught you that." Gabrielle lowered her gaze. "It wasn't in self defence…." She could feel pain rising in her chest and her stomach twisting painfully. "I killed twelve people in cold blood." Xena blinked trying to focus herself. "They attacked you?" Gabrielle shook her head. "No I killed them because I wanted to… I wanted them to suffer before they died and I enjoyed every moment of it."

She pulled away from her lovers grip feeling the tears as they ran down her face. "They call me the Blood Jaguar because I kill with out mercy! I played with these men and women and got pleasure out of seeing the light dim in their eyes." She put both hands on her face feeling herself shiver. "I chopped them up and I sprayed the feathered serpent's walls with their blood…." Xena felt her lovers words finally register in her mind which felt like it took forever. She blinked finally feeling herself come back in to being as she met her lovers tear streaked face. Gabrielle lowered her head. "I murdered them all." She kept her eyes low. "That's why people run away from me their terrified that I'll kill them…in the same way."

Xena stood still she felt completely lost for what to say, her emotions felt jumbled and confused. She could see that her lover wasn't lying she could see it in her eyes but she didn't want to believe it. Gabrielle had only ever killed once before like that but it had been to protect her. Her back had been broken and she had been completely helpless as the Roman soldiers had lunged at her. Those images had never left her mind, not being able to move on the dirt ridden ground of the Roman prison camp. Her lover screaming desperately at her to get up and she couldn't for all her effort. It had been her own greatest weapon that had broken her own back and all she could was cry out weakly at her lover who didn't stop as she killed the men coming at her.

Her lover hated to kill she'd always hated to kill yet now she was hearing this and it didn't feel real, it wasn't Gabrielle! Gabrielle wasn't evil she was the evil one. She was the one who got pleasure out of watching people fall under her sword. She stopped still staring at the younger woman finally finding her voice, she tried to steady herself. "Why Gabrielle?" Gabrielle looked up slowly. "I wasn't thinking straight I wanted to get revenge when I was betrayed by the feathered serpent. I killed his elite warriors then I stole his godly items." Xena stepped forward feeling her anger rise up all too quickly. "How could you do that Gabrielle? How could you kill like that, your better that that!"

Gabrielle turned sharply. "Oh I see when you do things wrong it's fine but when I do it, it's wrong!" Xena breathed in sharply feeling her teeth grind together. "You're better than me! You taught me how to be like you, you taught me to be a good person!" Gabrielle moved sharply feeling her anger burn even more intensely. "I'm not a good person!" She didn't think as she grabbed the tray throwing it full force at the wall causing food and drink to fly everywhere. She ignored her lovers shocked expression. "You've always put me on that Tartarus of a pedestal and the truth is your wrong! I'm cruel and I've done evil things to people." She raised her hand. "You shouldn't look up to me!"

She stopped suddenly feeling all her rage burn out as it was replaced with sadness and over whelming despair. "I'm evil inside and it's eating away at my soul I can feel it all the time now it's like it's trying to break me like it did when I was here before." She eased up her hand wiping away the tears as they began to fall again. "I can't be your guide anymore…I don't know who I am…I feel lost." She slowly walked away. "When I look at myself in mirror…all I see is the Blood Jaguar…." She carried on moving no longer caring which direction she was heading in. She had just wanted for her lover to accept what she'd done but that hadn't happened. She had been a fool to even think it would she was meant to be her lovers light but all she was showing her was the darkness.

She felt weak and so alone she had failed the Warrior Princess in every way possible. She couldn't bring back the dead and she couldn't take back anything she'd done. She carried on walking down the steps, she used to believe that she was strong but the truth was she was weak. She had just been far too proud to admit it even to herself. Xena turned sharply she didn't know what to do! She didn't know what to say! She pulled her hand up to her face feeling a tear run down her face. She needed to think she knew even before she put her foot down that she was walking in the opposite direction away from her lover. She walked these steps before and yet still she couldn't stop her stride. Gabrielle watched as her lover walking away in the opposite direction. The taller warrior would want to leave by tomorrow and all she could do was let her go. May be it was better this way, none of this was her lovers fault it was all this was her own making, she should've come here alone to fix it. They'd both walked in opposite directions before and now once more it looked like they would be doing it again. She ignored the warriors as she reached the bottom of the temples steps. She wanted to disappear to fade away the only difference was this time she deserved it. She had become evil and now she was paying the price for it.

8

Lila opened her eyes painfully her body felt awful like it had been run over by a chariot not that she knew what that felt like but it probably felt just this. She pulled her head up off the pillow painfully only to feel herself loose all her strength as her head started to pound like a drum. She watched as a bowl was slowly pushed close to her. She was about to push it away but the twisting her stomach caused her to grab it pulling it closer. She breathed in trying to hold herself back only to fail and grab the bowl pulling it up as she lost the contents of her stomach in one go she groaned in pain. She really shouldn't have drunken all that alcohol she should've known better.

"I told you that alcohol wasn't good for you."

Lila looked up meeting Amoxtli's white gaze. "Please don't shout…my head hurts…." Amoxtli kneeled down slowly she carefully placed her weapon down. "Would you like something for the headache?" Lila groaned again feeling mind swirl painfully. "I think I'm going to throw up again…." Amoxtli sighed placed a cup of green liquid next to young girl. "Drink this…it tastes awful but it'll help." She breathed in slightly what she wouldn't give to have a hangover or even feel one again. To even know what alcohol tasted like as she drank it she sat down looking around her. "I'd love to know how you feel right now." Lila took the drink in the wooden cup as she sat up painfully. "No you wouldn't…." She took a gulp only to grimace in disgust. "This tastes worse even than what I just threw up!"

Amoxtli watched as she finished the cup. "My mother used to say when ever you play you always have to pay." She looked down sadly her mother and father had been dead for a long time being un-dead she'd outlived them both. She used to watch them from a distance not daring to step through the trees that led to her home which was in small village outside the main city. She watched as for years had drifted by and her parents had, had another daughter. She'd watched her sister had grown up happy and married. She still visited the graves of her mother and father every year until fifteen years ago. She'd given up hope, something had died in side and she saw no point to it anymore. She knew her sister still lived at her parent's house with her children and husband but she was too afraid to go back and visit.

She looked up hearing the sound of tears she slowly met the girls sea blue eyes. Lila wiped away her tears painfully. "I miss my mother…we'd be making bread together now." Amoxtli moved her hand up slightly to the girls face wiping some of her tears away. She smiled sadly. "I feel such envy that you can cry for those you love and miss and I cannot." She pulled her hand away watching as Tlaloc appeared the big man walked slowly forward he slowly sat down saying very little. His gaze slowly fell on the young Greek girl. "I assume you have a hangover?" Lila sneered slightly as she turned away from him. "I'm fine." She looked down slowly refusing to meet his gaze which wouldn't leave hers.

The next moments turned to panic as water came down all around her, she watched as both warriors instantly looked at each other. They instantly got on to their knees lowering their heads. She breathed in seeing the feathered serpent's body as it rose high above her. The gods red eyes narrowed as he flicked out his tongue. Quetzalcoatl sneered slightly looking at his warriors. "You pathetic grovelling head warriors tell me what has become the warriors I sent in to battle!" Tlaloc swallowed as he kept his eyes low. "Mighty feathered serpent your first unit was killed by the sun god's warriors. You're second was successful and defeated the Jaguar gods troops."

Quetzalcoatl eased out both his huge wings stretching them. "Send more warriors to the west! I want the sun gods border breached!" Tlaloc lowered his head further. "Yes great one." Quetzalcoatl turned his head sharply looking at his other head warrior. "Tell me do you remember what dieing in my stomach was like?" Amoxtli looked down not daring to meet his gaze. "Yes mighty feathered serpent." Quetzalcoatl flicked out his tongue as he came closer opening his jaws so they were with in inches of her face. "You've been very foolish haven't you?" Amoxtli felt her gaze dart in panic. "I don't understand great one…." Quetzalcoatl narrowed his gaze. "Oh but I think you do warrior…are you trying to be a kind voice because kind voices are meaningless in my region?"

Amoxtli breathed in sharply. "I was merely saying what I said to give false hope great one…." The next moments turned to agony as the snake gods tail flew out of the water smashing in to her. She felt the pain as she slammed in to the stone wall close to the steps. She groaned as she looked up seeing the anger in the serpent god's eyes. Quetzalcoatl sneered slightly as he heaved himself half way out of the pool. "You worthless warrior do you think me a fool! "He snarled slightly. "You will pay for your words of nobility!" Lila watched in horror as the snake god's jaws came down on the fallen woman, causing her screams of pain to hit the air as bones cracked. Amoxtli felt the pain as the darkness closed in around her as the jaws came down slicing through her body. All she could do was scream as her flesh was torn and her bones where broken. She was going to die! She felt the jaws they carried on biting down. The teeth cut through her body like razors she breathed in only to feel calm over take her, her death was her freedom.

"Great lord!"

Quetzalcoatl turned sharply watching as a lesser living warrior came running in to his keep the young man instantly kneeled. He could feel the warrior still moving inside his mouth and the blood dripping down his lower jaw. He didn't think as he threw her damaged body from his jaws watching as it landed close by in a crumbled heap. His jaws had cracked her bones and torn most of her fake flesh frees revealing the damaged bones underneath, it which would all heal again. It would a very painfully ordeal. He turned eyeing the warrior who remained kneeling. "Yes…" The young warrior looked up slightly. "The god Manaia has returned to these shores, we saw him moving through the jungle to the east."

Quetzalcoatl turned slowly. "Manaia has returned…" He watched as the young man nodded his gaze turned to the fallen warrior. "Next time I'll send you to the seventh hell!" He turned slamming his jaws in to the lower ranking living warrior the young man's screams of agony hit the air as his blood spattered across the floor. The crack of his back bone was heard along with his final scream of death. Lila watched as the feathered serpent carried on moving with the dead body in his jaws. His slammed his claws in to the steps as he made his way out of the keep disappearing from sight. Tlaloc didn't think as he ran over to where Amoxtli was lying.

He could see that half of her flesh had been torn off and her leg and her arm were bent at odd angles, a number of her ribs were cracked and out of place. He kneeled down watching as her good eye met his the other was closed. "Amoxtli…" Amoxtli grunted aloud she was already in to much pain to think straight. "That bastard…I wish he'd just finished me off." Tlaloc raised his hand. "I'm going to reset your arm and your leg…" Amoxtli looked up sharply. "I can do it myself!" Tlaloc ignored her as he grabbed her exposed arm forcing it back in to place which caused her to scream in pain. He quickly moved doing the same to her leg he had to work quickly before her fake flesh started to grow back. If it grew back over her broken bones she'd be in constant pain.

He moved back to her fingers on both her skeleton hands, forcing them back in to the right position. He ignored her scowl of anger as he pulled her in to a sitting position and started to work on her ribs. She obviously wasn't used to having anyone's help and she didn't expect any help. Had her whole un-dead life been this way? Her painful cries kept on penetrating his thoughts as he forced the ribs back in to the correct position then put weight on her cracked collar bone realigning it. "Is there anything else that's broken?" Amoxtli eyed him she couldn't move her body only to wince, even the slightest movement hurt. "My lower jaws not straight…" Tlaloc moved his hand to her mouth seeing all the loose hanging flesh and her jaw bone.

She was right it wasn't straight he pushed sharply hearing it crack back in to place. "Anything else?" Amoxtli groaned painfully. "No nothing else…." Lila didn't think as she grabbed the white material close by which was lying around. She tore it in to strips before moving towards the seriously hurt un-dead warrior. All the woman had done was try and tell her about her sister when she'd been drunk and she'd received this for it. She kneeled down raising the bandages watching as Tlaloc eyed her. "Will this help?" Tlaloc eyed her he grunted aloud taking the strips. "It'll do…." Lila watched as Amoxtli's good eye met hers. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean for this to happen…you were only trying to tell me about my sister." Amoxtli felt a smile form though it was hard to tell it was one with her exposed lower jaw.

She suddenly started to laugh causing Tlaloc to eye her in confusion. "It's not your fault…I've always had a big mouth and I was happy to tell you." Tlaloc eyed the wounded woman. "You got this because you told her about her sister! What did you tell her?" Amoxtli smiled again. "I told her that her sister had her reasons for killing the twelve and that she should ask you about her." Tlaloc stared at her shock. "Why did you say this?" Amoxtli ignored the pain as he began to wrap her exposed flesh with the bandages. "I was trying to be noble and if I had to do it again, I'd do the same thing! I just wanted one moment to do something meaningful." She raised her skeleton hand ignoring the pain it took Tlaloc took it gently. "Stay still I need to bandage you…."

8

Huitzilopochtli rose his hand watching as Coaxoch pulled his weapon up slightly. "Enough…" Ares snarled in anger trying to ignore the pain in his head as he got to his knees. "Bastard!" Huitzilopochtli laughed slightly. "I don't cause the suffering that you do lesser war god, which begs the question who's more of a bastard, me or you?" He eased up his hand. "If this lesson has taught you anything it's that for every vile game you play some one innocent pays the price." Coaxoch turned slightly. "Again?" Huitzilopochtli shook his head. "No Coaxoch, go find peace in my city I'll call for you again when I need you." He watched as the head warrior's body blasted in white light reforming back in to that of a humming bird.

The tiny bird flew away leaving the keep he smiled for a moment before turning back to the lesser war god. Ares stumbled to his feet painfully he didn't want to take in anything he'd just seen it wasn't his problem! Why should he care about mortals felt! He was a god he was higher up the creation ladder! He'd been born to rule mortals in that way…that was the point of his existence wasn't it? He stumbled again wiping the blood that was flowing down from his nose he breathed in looking at for a long moment he was bleeding! He closed his hand feeling it form a fist. His gaze slowly drifted to Gabrielle's clothing. "Why do you keep that irritating blonde's clothes here on display? Did she win you over with her talk about love and kindness?"

Huitzilopochtli narrowed his gaze feeling his anger burn slightly he slowly put a hand on his chin. "Why do you call the Blood Jaguar that?" Ares sneered in disgust. "Because that's what she is an irritating little blonde." Huitzilopochtli raised an eyebrow. "The Blood Jaguar I know is full of violence she has no fear of death, she kills so beautiful, I know no warrior to match her. She did not speak of any of things you've mentioned ether." Ares eyed him for a long moment. "Are we talking about the same person?" Huitzilopochtli leaned back in his throne. "If we are talking about the owner of those clothes then yes I believe we are." Ares sneered slightly they couldn't be talking about the same person, Gabrielle had no spine when it came to killing even as a werewolf she'd only killed because she was loosing her mind.

Ares eyed the clothes again he felt his mouth form a cruel smile. "Your Blood Jaguar shares her bedroll with a woman." Huitzilopochtli raised an eyebrow. "A lot of people in these lands share their bed with more than one gender including some of the gods." He turned slightly. "Is your comment supposed to hurt my pride in some manner?" He put both his hands together. "You shouldn't try to be clever in my presence I've seen all your cold talk before, I used to use it myself." Ares narrowed his gaze in annoyance why couldn't he anger this pompous Aztec fool? Comments like that normally worked even on his father. Huitzilopochtli smiled slightly. "I don't really mind who she shares her bed with, one day she'll be sharing mine that is all that matters."

Ares laughed slightly causing the sun god to pull back surprise. Huitzilopochtli narrowed his gaze. "Tell me why do you laugh? Is my voice amusing you?" Ares turned sharply meeting his amber gaze he put his hand on his chest. "You actually want Gabrielle, Xena Warrior Princess's lover? The most pitiful peace loving fool I've ever met…seriously what do you see in her?" Huitzilopochtli smiled slightly. "Gabrielle is that her real name?" Ares turned sharply. "You didn't know her real name?" He raised his hand as he laughed coldly. "You love the irritating side kick of the greatest warrior on earth and you don't even know her real name." Huitzilopochtli breathed in the younger god was trying to bait him how pitifully.

He raised his hand feeling a smile form. "I've heard of the Warrior Princess I know that she's the Blood Jaguars lover. Personally I thought she was something of a coward. She died in Japan and left the Blood Jaguar all alone, if there was ever a sigh of running away and dieing of a lost cause, then the Warrior Princess shows that in all her glory." He watched as the lesser war god turned the anger burning in his face he raised his eyebrow obviously the fool couldn't take his own medicine. It wasn't hard to tell that he had a thing for the Warrior Princess his defensive posture was speaking volumes. He smiled slightly. "It was not the Warrior Princess who destroyed Itzpapalotl's bloody temple or set free Xochiquetzal from Tezcatlipoca clutches.

He looked up slowly. "It was not the Warrior Princess who killed the twelve elite warriors of the feathered serpent and stole his four godly items and in doing so affected the balance of the Aztec gods." He stood up slowly from his throne. "It was not the Warrior Princess who stood before C'thulon father of all creation itself to request a wish." He came to stand over the younger god. "Where was your Warrior Princess then? To answer your question she was dead and with out the Blood Jaguar she wouldn't be alive now for you to fawn over. If it weren't for the Blood Jaguar you wouldn't be here ether, after all weren't you the last of the Olympian gods not so long ago?" He moved away sitting back down ignoring the look of surprise on the younger gods face. "Weren't you sitting on Zeus's empty throne wishing that your godly line hadn't faded away? The Blood Jaguar is far from what you claim I would have thought that even a god of your standing could see the power in her soul…since you don't it means that you have so much more to learn."

End of part 28

Silvermoonlight.

That's a very good question Haxan, I don't think anyone actuality likes Itzli. That's a very good theory and it will be answered with in the next few chapters.

Thank you Haxan and HAZMOT for all your kind reviews and feedback.