STREAMS OF DARKNESS FLOW LIKE THE COLD BLOODY TIDE
The Star Coyote eased up her pendent ignoring the looks of surprise on all the skeleton warrior's faces as the red light cleared. Ehecatl turned slightly. "Your master gave you a teleporting pendent?" The Star coyote smiled slightly. "Oh it's much more than that, my master's toys make anything your god has look pathetic." Amimitl looked at the three un-dead warriors behind him. "This is insane you all know that right?" Ehecatl eyed him grinding his lower jaws teeth against his top jaw. "Don't be such a coward." Ehecatl looked around him he could see the fertility goddess's city in the distance. "The Blood Jaguar kills, cripples and manes people! She wiped the floor with the feathered serpent's twelve elite…if they couldn't take her down what makes you think we can!?"
He pulled up his skeleton hand. "You only brought three warriors we need an army to take her down!" Ehecatl grunted aloud. "We don't need an army, we have the Star Coyote." The Star Coyote turned eyeing Amimitl. "You doubt my abilities?" Amimitl narrowed his glowing red gaze. "I doubt you'll bring the Blood Jaguar down." The Star Coyote smiled slightly looking at the steep embankment to her right which a huge swamp at its very bottom. "Do you know what's down there?" Ehecatl eyed the swamp. "A swamp lake, are you trying to be funny?" The Star Coyote eased up her pendent watching as it glowed red. "In those depths is the beast Tlalli."
Amimitl closed his hand. "Tlalli was killed by the Blood Jaguar!" Ehecatl folded his arms in annoyance. "You fool that was Milintica the grand serpent and she didn't kill him. She just blinded him in one eye, he's still in this region and he's still missing his eye." The Star Coyote gave him a cold look. "What's down there will make Milintica seem mild." Amimitl sighed aloud. "How do you even know that she'll even come this way? You said her and her partner have flying horses." The Star Coyote smiled again. "It's past the time when she could have flown she's obviously trying to get in more sleep. She's not stupid ether she will follow the safest route to avoid the other gods borders not because she's afraid of their armies but because she needs to keep her lover safe."
She turned pointing at the mountains. "This is the safest path if you want to avoid Itzpapalotl's region." Ehecatl nodded calmly. "She's right her whole route has been very careful planned. Why do you think she's here, the fertility goddess may not like her but she knows she'll be less brutal to her than the other gods?" Amimitl laughed slightly. "It almost sounds like she's trying to be noble for her lover's sake." Ehecatl turned sharply. "The Blood Jaguar isn't noble she doesn't know the meaning of the word." The Star Coyote adjusted her weapons slightly she narrowed her gaze. "In that you're wrong she's was very noble once, but Mexica twisted her heart and crippled her soul. Now she can't help the violence it's become part of her nature and in that we have something in common."
Amimitl grunted aloud. "I can't believe she's sleeping with a woman…I always figured that she was screwing Itzli, he seems more her type." Ehecatl laughed aloud. "Itzli is more her type, he's such a bastard…him and his older brother Tlaloc. Tlaloc now serves as a head warrior to the feathered serpent and Itzli is bound to the Blood Jaguar until she frees him from her service." Amimitl shook his head. "They were the first to stumble up on the Blood Jaguar and look what happened to both of them, their living in hell." The Star Coyote put a hand on her scabbard she had waited so long for this, the tension was eating her up from the inside out. She watching as a huge ripple flowed through the marsh lake bellow.
8
Itzli breathed in smelling the early morning air as he walked down in to the keep it was time to oust the Blood Jaguar out of bed. He stopped looking down as he caught sight of the clothes littered across the floor. He felt his gaze lower as he caught sight of the green halter top with its light green shoulders lying at his feet, his gaze drifted very slowly to the dark leathers lying close by. He rolled his eyes groaning aloud, great just great they had, had one of those nights! He was so not looking forward to this. He leaned down picking up the green halter top looking at it he had never got his head around the Blood Jaguar's clothing. Why was she wearing greens and browns as colours and not reds oranges and yellow like she normally wore?
He moved forward only to stumble on one of the warriors boots, he breathed in, in annoyance why couldn't they put their clothes in the corner and not all over the room? He watched as they both came in to view, despite the fur skin covering their bodies he could tell they were both naked. The Blood Jaguar was fast asleep on her side while her lover had an arm wrapped around her waist. "Blood Jaguar." He sighed aloud as he walked up to the Blood Jaguar's side of the bedroll he dropped the halter top next to her watching as she mumbled to herself. For someone who was such a vicious warrior she was a real heavy sleeper and she also moaned like a child when she got woken up. He moved his hand pushing her shoulder. "Come on wake up you lazy…!"
He didn't get a chance to say anything else as Xena's hand slammed in to his neck wrapping around his throat in a vice grip. He turned looking in to the ice blue eyes feeling him self choke painfully. Xena sneered slightly, eyeing Itzli. "Here's lesson number one, no one wakes Gabrielle up but me." She paused tightening her grip. "She isn't lazy ether, so keep your vindictive words to yourself." Itzli raised his hand. "I got that…" Xena didn't think as she threw him watching as hit the floor hard on his back. Itzli coughed painfully as he sat up meeting the Warrior Princess's gaze. "I forgot that you can understand what I'm saying." Xena narrowed her gaze. "I know you've insulted her before, so I'd be more careful with your words in future."
Itzli grunted aloud ignoring her cold gaze. "The Blood Jaguar is mean and cruel she's only behaving because." He eyed the scattered clothes again. "You're rubbing of on her and its softening her up, in more ways than one…." Xena looked at him not bothering to hide her look of disgust. "I think you just don't like that you're seeing the real Blood Jaguar and that she's a different person to the one you remember." She grinned slightly. "The thought that she might be kind and noble scares you, because you liked the Blood Jaguar who killed the feathered serpent's elite and who enjoyed being cruel. Because of that you won't accept the, Blood Jaguar who feels with her heart and soul." Itzli snarled aloud. "I preferred it when you couldn't tell what I was saying your face was more amusing back then." Xena grunted aloud. "I preferred it when I couldn't understand you."
Itzli folded his arms as he stood up the Blood Jaguar had told her lover about the elite, now their argument out side the keep last night made sense. He hadn't caught all of it but he'd looked out of the shadows just in time to see the Blood Jaguar have a violent outburst and throw the food tray at the wall. The rest of the argument he didn't understand because of the Greek language but it had been intense and they'd both walked off in different directions. This was obviously their way off making up, he looked down slightly. "I'll come back when you're both dressed…" Xena watched as he disappeared from sight as he walked back up the keeps stairs. She turned slightly shaking the younger woman's shoulder. "Gabrielle…" She shook her again hearing her lover half mumble something. "It's morning."
Gabrielle slowly opened her eyes she brought up her hand rubbing the sleep out of them. "Hi." Xena gave her a slight smile. "How are you feeling sweetheart?" Gabrielle yawned stretching slightly. "Much better." She leaned over gently kissing the dark haired warrior who grinned as she pulled away. "Thank you." Xena took hold of her hand kissing it. "My pleasure." Gabrielle sat up wrapping the fur skin around her self using her other hand. "We should get up I don't think Xochiquetzal will be happy that we made love on her floor." Xena laughed slightly. "Should we count how many times we've done more than slept on Aphrodite's temple floor?" Gabrielle smiled again. "Yes but she doesn't mind, Xochiquetzal will."
Xena looked up as she started to laugh. "Well there was that time when we were both very drunk." Gabrielle watched as her lover wrapped the other fur skin around herself. She slowly stood up keeping her fur skin around her body as she held her lovers hand. "Xena I did not enjoy waking up in Ares's Hall Of War…I mean of all the places." Xena smirked slightly. "Did you remember his face though when he appeared two days later with some lame deal?" Gabrielle eased her hand free she grabbed her lover's leathers tossing them to her. "Yes I do, now put some clothes on." Xena grinned knowing her smile was naughty one. "You're so demanding." Gabrielle raised an eyebrow. "Xena, please."
8
Xochipilli looked at his sister who was standing at the entrance to the keep, he watched as the Blood Jaguar's servant repacked the winged horses and put back on the living ones gear. Xochiquetzal met her brother's gaze. "I can't believe you did that!" Xochipilli turned sharply. "Did what?" Xochiquetzal turned sharply. "You know what!" Xochipilli raised his hands. "The Blood Jaguar was sad and I was very curious, all I did was nudge her thoughts in that direction. I didn't know it was going to start something like that." Xochiquetzal folded her arms. "You are a terrible liar, you just had to know what the difference was between them and none soul mate couples."
Xochipilli shrugged. "You know as well as anyone that a souls energy peaks at the high of love making or violence." Xochiquetzal breathed in sharply. "So, what did you find?" Xochipilli met her gaze. "A perfect balance very powerful and so well made, Zeus really put a lot of effort in to their creation. Their souls are fined tuned beautifully. Even their appearance isn't random, their crafted in a way that they'll know each other when they see each other in every life time." He eased up a hand. "These two are also very old, much older than most of the souls I've seen, which is why their so strong together. They've already had a lot of lifetimes together by the looks of it." Xochiquetzal raised an eyebrow. "Have they always been women?" Xochipilli shook his head. "No, they've both switched gender quite a lot but they've always been lovers from what I could tell."
Xochiquetzal breathed in deeply. "Was what Xena said true, is the Blood Jaguar the lighter soul?" Xochipilli nodded calmly. "Yes she is, but her soul appears to be suffering. It's very unbalanced and it looks like someone tried to damage it very recently and they did it very violently. It hasn't healed yet from the blow. There's something else to it looked like her body had gone through transitions of complete change." Xochiquetzal looked up slightly. "You mean she changed in to something else?" Xochipilli raised his hand. "Yes a complete change in which she could change back to her human self again. Though this change is no longer in her body her soul still has a piece of what ever it was and because of the damage it's not been able to merge with her soul fully."
He shook his head. "Xena's darker soul on the other hand is fine but like the Blood Jaguar there's a piece of something still inside it. Something really evil from what I could tell. She's in complete control though and what ever this is, it's having no affects on her what so ever. Unlike the Blood Jaguar it's fully merged with her soul and it's become a part of it." Xochiquetzal breathed in sharply. "What would happen if their souls were separated completely but both of them were still alive?" Xochipilli tensed up slightly. "If any fool were stupid enough to do that he or she would be sealing his or her own doom. One being unbalanced and out of control is bad enough as we've seen but two would be terrifying. They wouldn't stop until they found each other so they their souls could heal and rejoin.
He shook his head. "The damage they could do before that would be unimaginable, that is the full extent of Zeus's flaw in them. It's also the reason all my attempts at making souls mates have failed. I didn't give them this flaw I made them perfect, but the flaw is essential." Xochiquetzal raised an eyebrow. "I always thought flaws in the lesser gods creations were due to their share ignorance and their washed out powers." Xochipilli looked up slightly. "I agree that most of what the lesser gods churn out is washed out creations. This creation which Zeus has made isn't one of those you have to respect the share effort he put in to it, if nothing else." He raised his hand. "These two aren't the only pair, there's hundreds more like them from what I've heard."
He breathed in deeply. "I do think the Blood Jaguar and her partner are one of the oldest pairs though." He smiled slightly that though excited him somewhat, he now wanted to know what the other older pairs were like. At least now he knew what he was looking for and where to restart with his own versions. Xochiquetzal turned slightly as her smile faded. "My apologise brother but I have things to do, we can talk about this later." Xochipilli watched as she turned away the depressed posture returning all too suddenly. "You're going to Chantico's region aren't you?" Xochiquetzal turned slightly. "I owe it to her to protect her people and help them rebuild."
Xochipilli narrowed his gaze. "I think you go there in hope that she'll return…I think you believe that she's still out there." Xochiquetzal looked down slightly. "See that the Blood Jaguar and her partner are safely led out of the city when their ready." Xochipilli smiled slightly watching as she disappeared in a blast of multicolour. He looked down sadly he wanted her to be happy again he hadn't seen her give him a genuine happy smile in ages. His gaze turned as he watched the Blood Jaguar appear closely followed by the tall dark haired warrior, he gave them a smile. "Good morning, how are you both?" Gabrielle breathed in deeply smelling the fresh morning air. "We're good." Xochipilli raised an eyebrow. "I trust you both had a good night?" Xena smiled inwardly. "It was very good."
Gabrielle turned meeting the love god's gaze she breathed in deeply. "Thank you for saving Xena." Xochipilli turned sharply he felt his grin widen. "Well, well I heard you didn't apologise for anything and that you're never sincere, I'm so glad that, that myth about you wasn't true." Gabrielle lowered her gaze. "It was true…I just don't want to be that person anymore." Xochipilli smiled slightly. "You know all Jaguars have teeth and claws and everyone's knows their sharp and that they are strong and savage and that they kill. They forget though that the Jaguar is also gentle and caring, those same teeth pick up helpless cubs and those same claws are used to play with them and teach them how to be noble Jaguars."
He raised eyebrow. "I believe you're the same as the Jaguar it's just very few have seen your kindness and your ability to do good and that you're noble." He smiled slightly watching as Ohtli stepped forward. "You just have to show more people who the real Blood Jaguar is. I'm sure they'd be surprised and that they'd look up on with new eyes." Xena eyed the god of love. "You remind me of someone I know back home." Xochipilli folded his arms. "Would that be Aphrodite your goddess of love?" Xena raised an eyebrow. "Yes." Xochipilli shook his head. "I've heard all about her I've been told that she does my blood line proud." Xena smiled as she put an arm around her lover's shoulder. "Oh she does you proud it was her meddling that brought us both together a long time ago."
Xochipilli laughed slightly. "Now that, I would love to have been there to see." Gabrielle smiled slightly. "She a friend of ours I think you'd really like her." Xochipilli turned slightly. "Maybe when a kinder king of the gods rules over these lands I may be able to leave these shores to visit her. At present I have to protect my people from the creator gods and their vile armies, so I can't leave." Xena lowered her gaze. "May be a time will come when you can leave." Xochipilli smiled slightly. "I can only hope." He looked up slightly. "If you run in to any trouble please come back here, I'll be more than happy to help you out." Gabrielle looked up slightly. "What about Xochiquetzal?" Xochipilli folded his arms. "Xochiquetzal is just a little down right now she's really a very kind person."
Ohtli smiled as he walked forward raising the clawed weapons in his hand. "He's right she's very kind really, it's just a shame you haven't seen it." Xena narrowed her gaze. "I'll believe that when I see it." Ohtli slowly placed the Blood Jaguars claws in her hand. "He's telling the truth she's is very kind, she's just really misses Chantico." Gabrielle lowered her gaze. "I know how she feels." Xochipilli breathed in deeply. "I firmly believe that Chantico is alive." He leaned over putting a hand on her shoulder. "Please tell Chantico to come home if at any time during your journey you find happen to run in to her." Xena raised an eyebrow. "We will if we see her."
Xochipilli nodded calmly. "Thank you." He turned seeing that Itzli was coming up the stairs. "I believe your winged animals are ready now. Where do you both intend to go from here?" Gabrielle slowly placed both sai blades back in her boots she raised her hand towards the mountains. "We were planning to go past the border of Itzpapalotl's region." Xochipilli looked out at the mountains. "I'd say that is the safest route." He pulled back grinning. "I'm sure you'll both be fine." Xena nodded calmly. "Thank you for saving us when you did." Xochipilli smiled as he stepped back. "Think nothing of it." Itzli scowled slightly as he came to stand next to Ohtli. "Your horses are ready…"
8
Quetzalcoatl flapped his wings harder he turned his head slowly to the jungle bellow. He had ignored the screams from his people as he'd flown over his city and onwards over the thick jungle. He wanted to find Manaia it had been to long, he flew faster watching as his tail slashed past the trees. He was close he could feel him even from this distance. He sneered slightly as he came crashing down on to the jungle floor bellow, not caring that his landing wasn't very good as it tour the leaves of the trees and ripped up the earth. He had wanted to put that Greek girl in her place but it could wait for another time, this was so much more important. He narrowed his gaze catching sight of the beautiful god as he crawled across the ground.
Every shining scale caught the light and the feathers gleamed with their green patterns. He smiled as he watched him carry on moving. He wasn't sure if he'd been heading this way or if he was going else where. It was obvious by his gold eyes he knew where he was going he always did. He moved closer flicking out his tongue enjoying the taste of the other god's energy. He moved slowly closer no doubt the god would realize that he was not far away but it wouldn't hurt for him to play a little. He crawled forward making his movements as slow as possible. He placed his claws carefully down so as not to make any noise as he stalked closer getting his tail ready to strike as he flicked the tip.
Manaia carried on moving he stopped turned slightly, he had heard the crack of the trees in the distance and felt the pulse of vile energy. He'd made no attempt to show that he'd heard it. He already knew it was the feathered serpent the vile god was stalking him like some predator homing in his prey. He could feel him even from this distance. He knew all too well with the Aztec gods it was better to play naive they liked it more it gave them a sense of power. He didn't get a change to think that thought further as the snake like body crashed in to his. The coils wrapped around his own body tightly he ignored the pain as he tried to free his body. Only to feel the stronger bigger coils as they wrapped around his chest.
"Now, now don't struggle…"
He breathed in deeply this was like being in a snake ball during the mating season at least looking at his coils and Quetzalcoatl's and how wrapped up they were, it would look that way to a passer by. Quetzalcoatl tightened his coils keeping the smaller god firmly in place. "I'm not going to hurt you Manaia you know I would never hurt you." Manaia felt the coils loosen he turned meeting the feathered serpents red gaze. "Please free your self from my body." Quetzalcoatl tightened his coils. "Not just yet I want to know why you didn't stay with me!" He tightened his coils using them to force the smaller feathered head back. "There was so much I could have taught you, so much we could have learnt from one and another."
Manaia felt the tongue flick against his beak. "Forgive me, but learning has never been one of your better qualities. There fore I had to leave, I also had other obligations in my own lands that mattered to me at the time." Quetzalcoatl sneered slightly. "You just left in the middle of a dark night with out saying a word, do you know how much that angered me?!" Manaia narrowed his gaze. "I left because I didn't want to be your friend." Quetzalcoatl sneered in disgust. "I didn't want a friend! I wanted a companion some one for company!" Manaia kept his expression placid so the feathered serpent couldn't read his feelings. The thought of being with this vile god disgusted him on so many levels. "Perhaps when you've learnt to give rather than take then you'll find what you desire."
Quetzalcoatl pulled up his coils wrapping them higher around the smaller god's neck. "I'm king of the Aztec gods! I can have everything I desire!" He narrowed his gaze. "That means I can have you! Just like I have everything in the world that's mine! After all you can change your gender I've seen it." Manaia breathed in deeply. "I will not become female again because you want it…nor will I use my powers again just to amuse your whims." Quetzalcoatl laughed slightly meeting his golden gaze as he loosened his strangle hold. "Well you did learn something from me after all you learnt how to stand up for yourself." He felt his smile widened. "Now why don't you cut out your foolish rebelling and come with me." Manaia narrowed his gaze. "Do I get a choice in the matter?" Quetzalcoatl smiled slightly. "No one has any choice in Mexica their choices are made for them." He pulled up his tail tightening his grip round the fish scale throat. "You understand that don't you?" Manaia breathed in deeply. "Then I will come with you but only in you promise to help me. I'm sure there's some price we can both agree on." Quetzalcoatl tightened his coils again. "I'm sure you can for fill any price Manaia."
8
Tlaloc looked at Amoxtli who was saying very little he could hear her moans of pain. He could see her skin growing back but it was incredibly slow. She was grinning and bearing it but the truth it had to be indescribable pain. He looked up gazing at the blood all over the floor that boy had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lila stood up slowly she walked over to the table her gaze drifted across the food none of which she wanted. Her gaze turned to Tlaloc who was seated on the pillow next to Amoxtli whose body was wrapped in the thick material bandages. She breathed in deeply stepping forward trying to keep her emotions tightly wrapped up. "Why did my sister kill the twelve elite?"
Tlaloc snarled aloud as stood up, he walked forward so he was towering over her. "You dare ask this question now? After what's just happened!" Amoxtli raised her hand. "The feathered serpent isn't here Tlaloc he's gone to find Manaia." Tlaloc raised his hand. "That changes nothing." Amoxtli looked up slightly. "It changes everything and you know it." She breathed in deeply meeting his gaze. "Please can't you just let your fear go, just this once?" Tlaloc raised his hands. "I'm not afraid! I just don't want you take any more punishment! The feathered serpent may take out the rest of his anger on you, I don't want that!" Amoxtli laughed slightly. "You almost sound like you care, about me."
Tlaloc pulled back sharply. "I do care about you!" Amoxtli eased up her damaged hand, she was glad at this moment that part of her face was missing because her lips would have given away her surprise. "Since when?" Tlaloc moved past the Greek girl ignoring her surprise over the turn of the conversation. "Since you told me about what the twelve elite did to you." Amoxtli blinked. "I didn't think you cared I mean like I said before you do the same, but its all just words." Tlaloc breathed in deeply she was putting up a barer again to block him out. He sighed aloud as he came to stand over her. "Don't be this way." Amoxtli looked up slightly. "What way should I be? You tell me that! You tell me how I should be, if you know better!"
Tlaloc pulled out his weapon Amoxtli eyed the axe blade she narrowed her good eye. "Be the warrior? Don't bother with that speech I've heard it all before." Tlaloc didn't think as he threw the weapon to one side watching as it hit the table embedding itself in the wood. He slowly kneeled down in front of her taking hold of both her hands before she could pull them away. He breathed in deeply he was no good at this, he felt weak even being like this. His whole life he'd been told that to show any affectionate emotions were a form of weakness. "I need you to trust me…I need you to be my friend. I want to be your friend but you're making it hard for me, you keep blocking me out."
He looked up slightly. "I know I deserve that I know I've never been kind to you but with everything, you have to start somewhere right?" Amoxtli looked up slightly feeling unsure of her self again. None of this felt real, the person she had loathed for so long was trying to hand her an olive branch. He looked so unsure of himself at the moment like a child who didn't know whether he should put his foot in the water to test it. She breathed in looking at Lila. "Then tell her what she wants to know…she has a right to know." Tlaloc nodded he knew he was fighting a loosing battle and the only way to prove anything was to do as she asked. "As you wish." He smiled as he stood up trying to hide that he felt so weak and pitiful at this moment in time.
He turned eyeing Lila he slowly walked towards her until he was standing over her, he narrowed his gaze as he felt his teeth grind together. "Your sister came here looking for C'thulon." Lila breathed in taking a slight step back not liking his menacing presence. "Who is C'thulon?" Tlaloc breathed in deeply. "C'thulon is the god of gods, an elder god who created everything." He turned slightly. "He was the first god ever to be born un to this world, he created the Aztec gods, whom all the lesser gods are descended from, including your pathetic Greek gods." Lila looked up meeting his gaze. "Why would my sister go to this elder god?" Tlaloc laughed slightly. "Is that not obvious, it was to change time itself."
Lila looked up slowly. "Why would she change time though? Why would she do all that she's done!" Tlaloc narrowed his gaze. "Because her lover was dead and she wanted to bring her back. Selfish desire brought her here and selfish desire drove her to do everything she's done!" Lila blinked as she stepped back. "Xena died…." Tlaloc sneered slightly. "Yes she did, I've heard it wasn't good death ether, she was apparently beheaded then her naked body was hung up on display." Lila blinked as she pulled back feeling her hand move to her mouth as the shock set in. "Who would do something so horrible to Xena?" Tlaloc slowly moved away from her. "I don't know, but I think they probably did it because they hated your sister." He shook his head as he breathed in deeply as he walked towards the table. He slowly leaned on it before turning to meet her confused gaze. "The truth is no one really knows for sure. All we do know is that the Warrior Princess died and the Blood Jaguar brought her sadness and despair to Mexica and that sadness made her a legend in these lands."
End of part 30
Silvermoonlight.
Xochipilli reference to a piece of soul was from the previous story in which Xena and Gabrielle's bodies were taken over by the Titan armours. The human armour Iseron took over Xena's body while Gabrielle's was taken over by the werewolf armour known as Horn Hind. Both left a piece behind when they where forced free from their bodies.
