LOST UPON THE WINGS OF DESTINY
Gabrielle let her gaze drift across the map in her hands she breathed in deeply. She was once again seated outside of the main keep the only difference was it was Huitzilopochtli's. Maybe in hind sight she should have realised that it would come to this. All roads always seemed to lead to one place most of the time. She looked at the map again it was the lay out to Tezcatlipoca's city the best version the sun god had or at least the most up to date. Her eyes moved slightly as she watched the young priestess in white and gold robes shuffle nervously along with the older priest who was dressed in multicoloured robes and a large feathered headdress. His huge gold tipped staff caught the light as he looked at her.
They'd been told to get her anything she required and to please her by the sun god. She looked at the map again for a long moment before looking up. "These large buildings at the far side of the city what are they?" The priestess stepped forward. "Their holding pens for the monsters he keeps Blood Jaguar." She looked down slightly. "You may have heard of the grand serpent Milintica he was one of his pets. He became too strong and big for his pen and was able to break free." Gabrielle breathed in sharply. "Oh yes I know Milintica." The priest turned slightly eyeing the priestess. "Do not treat her as a fool! The Blood Jaguar blinded the grand serpent with the very claws she holds now." He turned sharply. "I apologise for her ignorance, I do hope it doesn't offend you Blood Jaguar." Gabrielle slowly eased herself to her feet. "Please I'm not offended and there's no need to tell her off."
The priest blinked in confusion as he turned to look at her, he watched as the young priestess came forward her surprise showing. "We heard that you have a short temper and that you are greatly displeased by things being wrong." Gabrielle shook her head as she looked up meeting his gaze. "My myth does me no favours please understand that I've learnt to control to my temper since then." She paused adjusting her gauntlets slightly as she smiled trying to make them feel more comfortable. "Tell me your names." The priestess looked up slightly. "My name is Ixtli I'm high priestess of the sun temple." She turned looking at the priest next to her who blinked in surprise. "Olin is high priest of the moon temple."
Gabrielle felt her smile widen. "I guess you know who I am, so I can't really introduce myself." Olin smiled slightly tapping his staff. "No I guess you can't, you're a legend here our great sun god even graced the square with a carving of your exploits Blood Jaguar." Ixtli smiled slightly. "It's a most beautiful carving I know you are a warrior and not an artist but you would love it."
"I'm sure she would, you'd be surprised how much the Blood Jaguar loves beautiful art and poetry."
Gabrielle turned sharply watching as Itzli appeared bringing the horses up the steps. He brought them both around only to stop as he looked at her. She could see the yellow feathers which now graced his headdress along with a new belt and gauntlets as well as sandals. She breathed in deeply meeting his surprised gaze. "The yellow suits you." Itzli slowly eased off the headdress ignoring the priests. "I never thought I'd see you in your true clothes again…it seems strange." Gabrielle lowered her gaze slightly. "Strange?" Itzli took a slow step forward. "Strange, because they don't suit you." He looked at his headdress. "Personally I prefer your others clothes."
Gabrielle sighed aloud. "So do I…." She looked up slowly meeting his again. "Head warrior of the moon temple that must be a great honour?" Itzli moved his hand through the headdresses feathers. "I guess it is…I get yellow feathers and get to play guard post at another temples keep." He breathed in deeply. "Not a great deal of excitement." Gabrielle tapped her boot slightly. "No but you should have it, it's a great honour that you deserve after having to put up with the hell I put you through." Itzli sighed aloud eyeing the priest and priestess who seemed mesmerized by their conversation. "Could you please bring the Blood Jaguar and my self some sweet cocoa?"
He watched as they both left going back in side the inner keep somehow it made him feel better seeing them vanish. "Frankly I feel like an old warrior whose been put in to an early retirement." Gabrielle took a slow step forward trying not to ignore the sadness which was twisting her up inside. "I think you deserve it and when this all over you'll be much happier." Itzli looked down slightly. "I need to you ask you a question?" Gabrielle smiled slightly as she took a step back. "Go ahead." Itzli looked up slightly. "What would be a greater honour doing this, or to do something noble because it was dying request?" Gabrielle felt her gaze dart as she looked up. "A dying request…why do you ask?"
Itzli sighed aloud as he looked up fully. "In the fertility goddess's city I followed you that night, the night you and Xena had bad words. There was a girl who threatened you at the fountain saying that you killed her father." He eased up his hand looking at it. "You didn't kill her father." He turned slightly. "In the Fire Temple that night, he was in the other room…I killed him when he attacked me." He shook his head. "His dying request was that I look after his daughters even to tell her I was her father." He looked at the headdress again. "I lied to you because I hated you. I didn't understand nobility the way I thought I did, I also saw the child as a bastard child and not my problem." Gabrielle turned slowly to face him. "I understand Itzli…I've done evil things who am I to judge you for your wrongs?"
She breathed out sadly. "I had a child once she was a beautiful baby girl." Itzli looked up meeting her green gaze unsure of what to say. He hadn't expected the conversation to go in that direction. "You had a child, what happened to her?" Gabrielle smiled sadly as she ran her fingers over the edge of the platform. "She died." She turned slightly. "I would have given anything to have loved her and brought her up like a real mother should." Itzli looked up hearing her voice catch slightly. "You don't think you were a good mother?" Gabrielle lowered her gaze feeling her breathing sharpen. "If I was a child and I had no father I would want some one just to care and love me, even if he wasn't my own father."
She slowly sat down on the platform. "You're a great warrior Itzli you could teach her great things." She slowly unrolled the map looking at it again. "You could teach her nobility and honour deserving of a warrior of the sun god." She searched the map again following the long aqueducts with her finger. "You'd have a child who would live on and embrace your legacy." Itzli slowly stepped forward looking at the map for a long moment. He watched her green eyes moved across it hiding a hidden pain which she didn't want to share she had avoided his question because of it. Ever since she gotten here she'd been very melancholy, he knew that her lover being captured was probably tearing her apart inside.
Unlike the former warrior he knew who felt like a shadow now she wasn't full of rage and hated. There also seemed to be no want to lash out despite her frustration. All her anger seemed buried although her deep sadness was so clearly evident. He looked up meeting her gaze. "Do you want a child again?" Gabrielle looked down slowly. "Yes…but I guess you come to realize that some things are beyond you, no matter how much you want them." Itzli looked up slowly it was almost sad to hear her say that, being with a woman had been her choice but despite that she could till adopt. Yet it seemed she had given up hoping or even considering the possibility of having a child to follow on in her legacy. That in it's self was saddening, she was such a gifted warrior and yet she had no child to teach those skills.
He looked at the map again feeling the need to break the silence. "What are your plans and how do I fit in to them, I assume we going to somehow get in to Tezcatlipoca's city?" Gabrielle breathed in again. "I'm going in to his city alone I have only two requests for you to for fill. Both will be written down in a scroll for you." Itzli pulled back in surprise. "I'm your servant it's my duty to protect you! You won't be able to get in to the city on your own!" Gabrielle stood up slowly she shook her head sadly. "No Itzli I treated you like you were my slave, no body deserves that." She took a step forward ignoring his shocked gaze. "I'm going to free you from my services…."
Itzli pulled back in shock. "No! I want to serve you…I want to help you. Don't do this to me now, not when I'm being to really like you. Don't do this out of guilt for me!" Gabrielle smiled slightly. "I'm not doing this out of guilt I'm doing it because its right you lost your brother because of my actions. You don't deserve to die for me. You deserve to live on, to have a family and take your place as head warrior in the sun gods moon temple." She looked up slightly feeling her sad smile widen. "I free you from my services." Itzli pulled back crying out in pain, the scars on his face were burning. He stepped back growling aloud. Gabrielle watched as the scars made by her weapon closed up vanishing altogether. She watched as he looked up moving his hand across his healed face.
He came closer his face filled with surprise she slowly lowered her gaze. "You once said that if I freed you, you would kill me." She breathed in sharply. "If you still wish to do so I won't fight you, it's no more than I deserve." Itzli blinked as he stared at her he moved his hand across his healed face again. "I have no intention of hurting you." He looked down slowly, his tongue felt like stone all of a sudden. He wanted to say something truly meaningful right now but the truth was words weren't really his strong suit. Gabrielle slowly met his gaze as he looked up. "You don't have to say anything…I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me."
"Blood Jaguar?"
Chantico walked slowly forward watching as the green eyed woman turned to face her. "Huitzilopochtli asked me to bring me the items you requested." She paused easing up a long golden necklace with a red and gold sunstone symbol on it. "This is the Tonatiuh pendent, from what he told me, you can use it to mimic others. It won't work when you're standing in front of Tezcatlipoca or the high priests though." She turned pulling up a bag. "Here are all the herbs and ingredients you asked for. Though I don't understand why you need them but I made them for you anyway." Gabrielle slowly took the pendent easing it over her head as she took the bag with her other hand. "Thank you." Chantico eyed her for a long moment. "You wouldn't happen to have my dagger of treasures would you?"
Gabrielle slowly met her gaze. "No it was taken from me." Chantico felt her teeth grind together. "By who!?" Gabrielle lowered her gaze slowly. "Xochiquetzal took it from me she wanted something to remember you by. I didn't stop her because I know just what she was feeling when she took it from me." Chantico narrowed her gaze. "What was she feeling, may I ask?" Gabrielle slowly rolled the map up. "Sadness and loss…." She looked up slightly. "Your dagger is waiting for you I think she would give it back to you in a heart beat." Chantico grabbed her arm before she could move away. "Your nothing like your myth, tell me what happened to the real Blood Jaguar?" Gabrielle slowly eased her hand free as she took a slow step back. "She's dieing." She stepped back further it was partly true in a way the old Blood Jaguar was dieing with every heart beat. She carried on walking away feeling the sadness surface which had been here since she'd arrived in the sun gods keep. She wanted Xena back more than anything and she couldn't hide the agonizing pain anymore.
8
Tlaloc looked up slowly it was probably dawn but he had no interest in looking out side. Everyday was the same and it wasn't as if he could see the sun anymore, his sight didn't allow it all he could see was the black sky. He turned watching as Amoxtli eased off one of her bandages showing healed skin underneath. The Greek girl was fast asleep on the floor, although he could tell that she'd had problems sleeping. Her sleep had been fitful at best. No doubt she was having nightmares. This was always the way innocence was broken at the start at least. Fear, doubt and revelation were the things that destroyed innocence slowly.
Very few people in the serpent gods realm knew what innocence was and even less knew what was hope was. The winged serpent hadn't returned but that didn't surprise him Manaia was one of his obsessions. The other god was from another distant land at worlds end or so he'd once been told. When Manaia was in Mexica his attention was always turned for very long periods of time. The truth was everyone in the city bellow was happy at this moment as they could live with out fear, even if it was for no more than a day. A day was better than nothing but it would be only a day or two more then it would end and hell would return once again. He breathed in sadly people lived here in fear, and they were slaves to this fear.
He slowly breathed in feeling the question that had been bothering him for over an hour return once more. He slowly stood up moving over to the Greek girl who was starting to thrash out in her sleep. He leaned down shaking her shoulder hard watching as she woke up instantly. Her breath came out sharply as she tried to calm herself. "You were having a nightmare." He ignored Amoxtli's surprised look as he kneeled down next to the blue eyed girl who looked away refusing to meet his gaze. "I answered your question, now will you answer mine?" Lila wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked up, she looked down miserably. She couldn't have nice dreams anymore and she waking up back in this nightmare!
She breathed in deeply adjusting the Aztec dress. "Yes…" Tlaloc breathed in deeply as he looked down. "Was your sister ever kind? Or has she always been evil?" Lila looked up sharply she slowly folded her arms as she sat up. "My sister was kind once…that was until she got switched with the impostor that you no." Tlaloc blinked as he sat himself down that was not the reaction he was expecting, he raised his hand slowly. "Why do you call her an impostor she's still your sister by birth right?" Lila growled aloud. "Because that's what she is! My real sister never went around cutting people in to little pieces for her own personal amusement. She believed in honour, love, and most of all peace!"
Tlaloc breathed in slightly. "You didn't have a very good night sleep, did you?" Lila narrowed her gaze slowly meeting his. "No I didn't and since when do you care?" Tlaloc shook his head ignoring the sharpness of her words. "Since my curiosity got the better of me." He snorted slightly. "Shame your not in the mood to satisfy it." Amoxtli looked up slightly meeting the Greek girl's cold sea blue gaze, lack of sleep and the stress of being here was finally taking hold. She could also see the first sighs of depression as clear as day. She breathed in deeply pulling off another bandage revealing healed skin. "The people your sister cut in to pieces for her own personal amusement had spent the better part of their entire existence delivering crueller punishments to those weaker than themselves…."
She moved her fingers still feeling the pain which wasn't as bad now. "The bastards had a very fitting end in my view." She moved her fingers again. "You may think it as evil that she toyed with them until they died but I saw them do far worse to those they punished. My only regret is that I wasn't there to watch her do it and that her method wasn't slow enough." Lila slowly turned to look at her. "You saying that does not make my sisters actions right!" Amoxtli turned slightly feeling a sad smile form on her lips. "You've never lived in the world of warriors have you? You don't understand yet the price and pain that comes with holding a sword and that sometimes you can't stop doing the cruel and truly vile things that you do."
She shook her head as she looked down. "I have delivered the same suffering to others and none of what I did was right. I did it out of fear for my god and I've done it for so long that I've forgotten the names and faces of people I've harmed and killed. It's the price I've paid for being a warrior of my standing and warriors like me have paid in Mexica." She sighed aloud. "There is a difference between my self, Tlaloc and the twelve. We do what we do out of fear, they did what they did out of pure pleasure and saw it all as sick game to make everyone suffer." She lowered her gaze. "Problem was they met their match with your sister, because her revenge was a brutal as anything they could deliver."
She breathed out slightly. "Sometimes it takes a real monster to kill other monsters. Believe me when I say any sign of weakness from your sister would have gotten there attention instantly she would be dead today and they'd be alive. Frankly when I think of them being alive I want to spit in disgust, I prefer your sister being alive instead." She watched as Tlaloc nodded as he met her gaze no doubt he understood her view point now on this subject better. She turned back to the young girl. "All warriors pay a price perhaps yours was her sanity, ether way you shouldn't be so quick to point blame. A warrior life is more than his or her sword and it runs deeper than you can possibly imagine."
8
Gabrielle breathed in as she slowly eased the Eagle headdress free from the stand. It was the last piece of her old clothes. She looked up slowly watching as Huitzilopochtli appeared close by. The tall gods smile widened slightly as he came closer to her, he moved his hand running it over her shoulder. "Do you have everything you requested from me?" Gabrielle looked up slightly. "Yes." Huitzilopochtli turned slightly. "I heard that you've freed Itzli from your services." Gabrielle looked at the gold plated mask watching as the red jewelled eyes gleamed as they caught the fire light. "I felt he deserved his place as head warrior of the moon temple." She ran her fingers over the plated gold beak. "He's always served me well."
Huitzilopochtli moved his hand running it through her long blonde hair. "So you choose to go in to this battle alone?" Gabrielle lowered her gaze. "Yes." Huitzilopochtli moved slightly so he standing close to her. "If you would wish it I would have a hundred warriors marching in your name." Gabrielle shook her head. "No…." Huitzilopochtli signed aloud as he came closer. "Why do you always refuse my gifts?" Gabrielle turned looking at Ares who was still passed out on the floor. "He offered me gifts once, gifts to rule the world and conquer it." She turned slightly. "All his gifts made me suffer." Huitzilopochtli snarled aloud eyeing the other god who moaned painfully. "You should not compare me to him he is a lesser."
Gabrielle looked down as she eased two scrolls free from her bag. "This is Itzli's last order when he gets back from the temple of moon could you please give it to him?" Huitzilopochtli nodded calmly. "I would see it as a great pleasure." Gabrielle slowly placed the scroll down on the thrones table along with the other which she'd sealed with hot wax and tied with a silver ribbon. Huitzilopochtli looked at the sealed scroll. "What is the other scroll?" Gabrielle smiled running her hand over the silver ribbon of the second scroll. "It's something that needs to be delivered to the fertility goddess by Itzli." Huitzilopochtli nodded calmly. "Is it an apology for what you feel were your misgivings?" Gabrielle smiled as she walked away from the golden throne. "Yes."
She walked up the steps watching as the sun god followed her he turned slowly to face her as the horses came in to view. "Why do you choose not to stay with me? I would give you all that you crave and all that you desire." Gabrielle slowly eased herself in to the un-dead horse's saddle putting the headdress on the saddle strap she paused for a long moment before meeting his gaze. "I don't belong here." She loved Xena more than life it's self, but it was pointless saying that here, love never meant anything to any god of war. They were all driven by there desires and they took things with out understanding or caring and others suffered because of it. She'd suffered enough with Ares to know that to be the one truth about the war gods.
Huitzilopochtli may be the kindest war god she'd ever met but he was no different. He had given her what she requested and now her time had finally come to face Tezcatlipoca nothing mattered anymore, only Xena did. Huitzilopochtli looked up slightly. "Tell me what will be the signal that Chantico should join you?" Gabrielle looked around slightly as she moved the horse forward. "When black smoke fills the sky over Tezcatlipoca's city." Huitzilopochtli narrowed his gaze. "You do not have to do this, you could here stay with me, if you wish it. I would love you and treat you as you should be treated." He watched as she stopped her horse turning to meet his gaze. "I would never leave you alone to suffer or feel pain."
Gabrielle slowly met his gaze. "Your very kind Huitzilopochtli, but my place is not with you…we both know that." She eased out her hand smiling sadly as she took his gently. Huitzilopochtli watched as she pulled her hand away he eased up the hand she had touched slowly closing it. He breathed in slowly and deeply as he looked up. He narrowed his gaze watching as her horse's hooves hit the floor as she galloped towards the temples edge. The winged horse took flight instantly it flew over his city heading towards Tezcatlipoca's region. He snarled aloud feeling his jealous well up, why did she pick the Warrior Princess over him?! He was far better that her and had so much more to offer. She was a very selfish bitch who had left her all alone to suffer!
He turned sharply why did she deserve her? He felt his hand form a fist as he turned watching as Chantico appeared behind him in a blast of red flames. "What do you want of me?" Chantico stepped forward. "If she dies as you feel she might, would you force her to become yours? Would you drag her soul in to your Hummingbird heaven if it was your choice, rather than resurrect her again so she can see your true sun light?" Huitzilopochtli turned slightly meeting her good green eye. "If you could make time move differently to that which was forced upon you, would you kill Tezcatlipoca if he was at your feet and awaiting his death?" Chantico looked down slightly. "Yes I would." Huitzilopochtli turned slowly to face her. "If I could have that wish I would bring the hurting Blood Jaguar in to my arms and give her all I have. Not because I wish to take away her choice but to give her what should rightful be hers and that is my love and devotion."
End of part 39
Silvermoonlight.
Sorry for the long delay folks, I took a break from writing just to clear my head ready for the next part.
