THE CRUEL CHOICES WE ARE FORCED TO MAKE AND ENDURE

Ehecatl kept his gaze fixed on the Warrior Princess who stared back unmoved by his cold gaze. He raised his skeleton hand only to stop as a roar hit the air echoing in the distance, only to be followed by screaming. "What was that?" Amimitl moved forward so he was leaning of the platform, he found his gaze focusing instantly on what had made the sound. "Oh Hell…" Ehecatl shoved him aside only to find him self looking down in shock horror as he watched a huge form lumber through back streets at the edge of the city. He leaned closer it was a huge crocodile, from one of the cages someone had let it out! He turned hearing the screaming and panic as it got louder followed by the monster as it roared again.

Amimitl turned sharply grabbing the guard full force that was looking over the platform in horror. "Did you know about this?!" The guard shook his head in panic. "I didn't know anything I was only told about the water!" He shoved him back savagely. "I want a unit down there to catch that monster before it starts to destroy the city!" The guard looked up sharply. "What about the Blood Jaguar you sent many of our best troops to find her?" Ehecatl grabbed him. "Then find others who we didn't send to find her! Then get that monster back in its pen!" He turned slightly only to hear the smashing sound of feet coming towards him, he found himself going still as a huge shadow came to loom over him.

He didn't get a chance to move as a huge clawed hand smashed in to his body sending him flying. He felt the agony as he hit the wall which caused his arm snap off in a painfully motion. He hit the floor hard he coughed painfully as he looked up to meet the eyes of his god. He got to his knees grabbing hold of his arm which was lying close by. "Mighty Jaguar god." Tezcatlipoca moved closer his gaze narrowing. "What is going on here slave?!" Ehecatl pulled back as his god came to stand over him. "Great Jaguar god I meant no wrong…I didn't know what was going on." Amimitl moved forward oh this couldn't get any better could it? He watched as his gods gaze turned to meet his. "The Blood Jaguar has entered your city…."

Tezcatlipoca roared aloud. "What!?" He moved forward watching as the other warrior stepped back. "You let her get in to the city!?" He raised his clawed hand. "I should tear you apart!" Amimitl looked up slowly. "I was not at fault great Jaguar god after all I'm not head of your army." Tezcatlipoca narrowed his gaze as he sneered in disgust. "No you aren't in charge…that much is certain." Amimitl eased up his skeleton hand. "The Blood Jaguar has blocked the main aqueduct in the mountain, cutting off half of the cities water. She also has the ability to mimic our people we aren't sure how." He turned hearing the screaming bellow. "Which is probably how she's managed to free one of your monsters from the pens?"

He took a slow step back. "If I'd been in charge none of this would have happened." Ehecatl stood up painfully. "Your not in charge you bastard, for good reason your not fit to lead only I am!" Tezcatlipoca turned sharply. "Your leadership skills are in question right now slave! You do well to hold your jaw shut before I rip it from your skull!" He felt his gaze dart as he turned back to Amimitl. "Where is the Star Coyote?" Amimitl eased up his skeleton hand. "She's in the city doing something she never mentioned what." He ignored Ehecatl's look of rage as he turned slightly. "Do wish for me to find her mighty lord." Tezcatlipoca turned sharply. "No I don't need her." He slowly moved closer to the Warrior Princess who didn't look.

8

Gabrielle slowly turned her gaze to the building that she had been looking for which stood out because of its white stone walls. It was the emergency food store or at least one of them. It hadn't been in the same place as the map had stated no doubt it had been moved at some point. Her gaze moved slowly as she caught sight of the guards who both looked bored, both were un-dead. The area around the store was mostly empty it was at the cities edge close to one of the temples. She looked at her hand to them she looked just like the un-dead, which was for the best. No living warriors would ever be let in here but the un-dead wouldn't have any issues. Her gaze shifted slightly she could hear the screaming in the distance. The huge crocodile was probably tearing the buildings apart as it moved through the streets.

She looked down sadly letting her gaze travel across the floor, the more confusion she caused the better. It was the only way to draw everyone's attention away from her being here. The more warriors who were preoccupied the easer it would be to get up to the main temple. She breathed in painfully nothing she was doing was right. The people of this city had suffered enough under their god and she was bringing them even more chaos. The truth was that there was no other way to do this. To charge up to the temple wouldn't work and to pose as an elite warrior wouldn't work since everyone knew that she'd done it before and they would be looking out for it.

Nothing she had tried in Greece would work here ether un-dead warriors were far more experienced than any Roman soldiers or Greek Hoplites. They could spot tricks and traps from a mile off and you had to play your role much harder. In the feathered serpents city she'd almost been caught out by her lack of understanding when it came to posing as one of these savage warriors. Hitting innocent people wasn't something that came naturally to her despite how much hate she'd had at the time. Hitting warriors and hurting them because she found it amusing was so much easier. It was a dark truth of these lands someone was bound to suffer most of the time because that was the only way that things could be accomplished.

She hated herself for knowing that was the only way, it made her inside twist. She breathed in putting a hand on her face as she looked up catching sight of the warriors again who both looked in her direction she took in a deep breath as she came closer, the un-dead warrior closest narrowed his red gaze. "Are you here to collect the scrolls?" Gabrielle blinked pulling back slightly. "The scrolls?" The other higher ranking warrior eyed her. "The supply scrolls you little fool!" Gabrielle lowered her head quickly so they wouldn't see the surprise in her face. "Yes I'm here for the supply scrolls." The second warrior turned sharply. "There inside, on the table…get them quickly and take them to our gods keep."

Gabrielle nodded watching as the both pulled the huge doors open she hadn't expected that. It was probably better than what she was about to say anyway. She pulled the bag further up her shoulder as she stepped inside she heard the doors as they were slammed shut behind her. She could see a wooden table in front of her filled with its scrolls. The desk was the only thing that was lit with a small candle, it firelight caused dark shadows to flicker across the room revealing huge bags of open grain and coca beans. Other foods were mounted up like dried meat and fish she walked over picking up a dried meat piece biting in to it. Truth was she was hungry and she hadn't eaten all day.

She might as well eat enough to get her through while she set her trap up, which would go off as soon as someone set it off. It would cause a huge fire to break out in this building. Her eyes moved across the scrolls which she shifted through, they were nothing interesting. The scrolls were just the weekly calculations of food for this building which had all been documented in great detail. This building had been made for harder times, everything had been ether dried or smoked to keep it longer. She'd never understood why people were forced to pay tribute to these gods with food. The Aztec gods didn't eat it they could only drink blood. Unlike the Greek gods who liked to sample human food every now and again.

It was such a waste of food, food which could feed their people she picked up more dried meat as she studied the scrolls. They were quite boring to read despite the beautiful drawings. She moved another scroll aside only to stop as she caught sight of some odd drawings. She eased the scroll back eyeing it, it wasn't for this store house but for a smaller one else where. She narrowed her gaze despite the thick black ink she could see it was a broad sword and a long whip, along with two smaller daggers. The first dagger had a thin blade while the other had a curved hilt. She eased the scroll up higher it was her lovers weapons with out a doubt, that they had been stored but not in the weapons house like she'd expected but in another smaller building.

8

Tezcatlipoca moved closer watching as the Warrior Princess's blood shot gaze slowly met his. "Where is your lover right now?" Xena narrowed her gaze slightly. "What's wrong? Don't know her as well as you think you do?" The next moment turned to agonizing pain as his fist impacted with her mid section causing her to cry out painfully. She coughed trying to take the pain which was much harder in her weakened state, she breathed in slowly and painfully. Tezcatlipoca moved a step closer grabbing her by the throat. "Your in no position to mock me, you are after all the bait…I'm sure when she hears you screaming she'll come running. The sound of you suffering will break her heart…"

He leaned closer. "Now tell me where she is, I'll make your death quicker if you do so." Xena could feel his grip tightening making it harder to breath. "I don't know…where she is!" Tezcatlipoca felt his grip tighten he watched her eyes widened as she tried harder to breath. "Don't lie to me! You know her like you know yourself!" Xena felt the pain as the air in her throat began to lessen. "She isn't like me…we are two different people." She tried to breathe again only to struggle as Tezcatlipoca's grip tightened even more. "I don't…know what she'll do next." Tezcatlipoca narrowed his gaze. "Yes you do Warrior Princess, and you are going to tell me!"

Itzpapalotl slowly moved on to the outer keeps platform she'd heard enough from the inner keeps steps. "She won't tell you anything…you are wasting your breath." She raised her skeleton hand. "The Blood Jaguar is here, let her come to us and then torture her worthless lover." Tezcatlipoca let go of the Warrior Princess's neck harshly. For once the bitch had a point, he could wait this out he wanted the Blood Jaguar to hear her lover's screams when she was closer to the temple. There was no point in ripping the Warrior Princess apart piece by piece when they had no audience. Xena coughed painfully feeling the breath move back through her lungs again she couldn't take much more of this. Her body hurt everywhere, she was also starting to feel truly weak and tired she'd never been imprisoned for this long. She'd always had a means of escape or her captures had, had some form of weakness that she could exploit. She shook her head she just had to survive this a little longer Gabrielle knew what she was doing and she knew how to get her out of this mess.

8

Akemi moved faster through the streets only to watch as five warriors ran past her, what the hell was going on? The city had turned to utter chaos in a matter of hours. She could hear the screaming in the distance as the sounds as the crocodile's tail breaking through a wall hit the air. She turned around the corner only to smash shoulders with a female skeleton warrior who was walking the other way. All this had to be Gabrielle's doing she was the only one who could pull something like this off and get away with it. She was causing distractions all over the city in one form or another, which was causing the army in the city to become scattered. The only thing she couldn't work out was how she was moving through the city.

This city had no underground tunnels or sewer caves, yet she was getting around it completely unseen. The only sighting of her had been in the mountains when she'd brought down the mountain side using the Chakram. This didn't fill her with good thoughts she'd assumed that weapon wouldn't work since she'd changed time, it would also make fighting her harder when they met again. She snarled aloud meeting the skeletons warrior's surprised gaze. "You stupid bitch watch where your going!" Gabrielle stood completely still staring back at Akemi who standing right in front of her. She had gotten rid of the keys to the monster pen in side the store house and in her other hand was the scrolls she had taken, to look like she was the messenger.

She could feel her grip on her weapon tightening as her gaze narrowed, every part of her wanted to swing it at Akemi's head. It would just be so easy and there would be little the other woman could do to stop it. She felt her teeth grind together as the burning hated and rage moved through her system like fire. It would be easer that beating a fish in barrel one quick blow to the head would kill Akemi on contact as long as the force was strong enough. She raised the weapon slightly feeling a cruel smile form as Akemi's gaze met her own. She stopped in mid motion as she watched everyone pass by in what felt like slow motion even though they were running in all directions.

Akemi eyed the skeleton warrior who was still giving her a cold hateful look. She sneered in disgust as she eased up her Katana slamming its tip harshly in to the warriors skeleton warriors covered chest. "Kneel to me you scum! I am the Star Coyote no head is ever higher than mine!" Gabrielle felt her grip on her weapon tighten she could feel the Katana's point digging in deeper causing a sharp pain. She sneered slightly if she killed Akemi here and now her cover would be blown and everyone would know it was her. She had come so far there was no point in ruining it now, not when she was so close and her lover was within her reach. It didn't stop the wanting though and the evil voice in the back of her mind pleading for this woman's death.

Her life had been ruined by this Japanese woman more than once and it was taking every thing she had to restrain herself at this moment. It felt like the Blood Jaguar was trying to claw its way out of her soul in this moment. She wasn't afraid of the Katana which was poking in to her upper chest it was after all no more than a sword. Her gaze slowly followed the weapon's blade down to its hilt, she felt herself stop in an instant as pure disbelief took over Akemi had her Katana! Not the one she'd used in Japan, but the one she'd used in the feathered serpents keep. It was unmistakable with it weaving dragon which adorned the hilt wrapping around it. How painfully ironic to be looking at the blade of the very weapon she used to kill the twelve elite. The very weapon which was a symbol of how twisted and cruel she'd truly become. She felt all the fight leave her in an instant as she kneeled down lowering her gaze to the floor. You always pay a price for your evil acts and now that price was staring her in the face.

Akemi had found her old weapon which she'd thrown over a huge water fall on that painful day. The day she'd battled Milintica and blinded him with her sai blade. She'd been so tempted to throw herself in after it she knew the impact would kill her outright it would be like hitting stone. The sun god had then appearing and he'd stopped her and his offer had taken her thoughts else where in her already dark and troubled mind. Akemi eased the blade away forcefully. "Good at least you know your place." She turned slightly eyeing the scrolls. "Now get out off my sight and take those scrolls up to the main keep!" Gabrielle breathed in deeply as she stood up then slowly walking away. The store house was close by she just had to keep moving, she had complete what she'd started her lover's life was all that mattered.

Akemi sneered as she carried on moving towards the building close by she hated skeleton warriors that weren't obedient. There was something odd about that one though and something didn't feel right. She couldn't put her finger on it but the warriors felt like she was living even though she didn't look it which made no sense. She shook her head she was getting paranoid every warrior who could was looking for Gabrielle while the rest were unblocking the aqueduct. The others were trying to stop the crocodile. It was only a matter of time before she slipped up and if they met face, to face. There was little chance that Gabrielle would hold back she'd want revenge, after all hated always made people weak and made them give in to their desires.

8

Manaia broke the waters surface hard he pulled out his huge feathered wings shaking them. He had needed to rest his trip from one land to another had been tiresome. Every god has a weakness of some kind something that could be exploited it was the price every god paid for his or her immortality. His was that if he drained his power by travelling he had to sleep it off. He looked down in to the lake letting his gold eyes wander he could see Quetzalcoatl coming around the savage god had brought him to this spot so he could rest. It was a huge secluded lake which was surrounded by rocks and had a steep embankment on one side. It would be beautiful if not for the stench of blood and death which his nose could pick up. He eased himself free of the lake, as he yawned then shook his feathers of the water. He'd been asleep to long more than a day in fact, now he needed to find Ares as soon as possible. Or find the god who had him prisoner and if he was still alive barter him in to handing him over. He felt the force as thick coils suddenly wrapped around his tail pulling him back harshly.

"Going somewhere?"

He turned meeting Quetzalcoatl's red gaze. "I was merely stretching my body." He could see that the Aztec god was flagging slightly though. It was very hard to see unless you knew what you were looking for. Mortal eyes would miss the slower movement and miss the snake like tongue as it lapped the air more than usual, the feathered serpent needed blood he was thirsty. He would need to drink sooner rather than later, that was his immortal weakness and the same weakness of every one of C'thulon's children. It was that same weakness that made Quetzalcoatl so vile, as he had the choice to drink blood from the willing but instead he preferred to kill the innocent or even eat them alive.

Quetzalcoatl eased himself out of the water wrapping his coils tighter around the other god. "You wanted my help Manaia, what was it that you desire?" Manaia pulled back feeling the dark energy pulse through his bodies every scale. He felt the forked tongue as it flicked out touching his beak. If he could vomit he would have it was such a vile feeling. He looked up slightly feeling the coils move up to his neck as the feathered serpent rubbed his bigger frame against his. In his life time he had slept with many people human and god alike. He remembered every experience as clear as crystal, the touches the movement even the kisses and the smell of the rooms as they were being intimate with him in his human form.

He had taken that form for them knowing that his true form was too much for them to handle or would frighten them. He'd even changed sex to suit their preference and to make it pleasant for them. In his view the form didn't really matter it was the act and pleasure gained from it. He loved going through the motions and feeling the bliss that came from it. They had all been such pleasant memories with the exception of Quetzalcoatl there was nothing pleasant about the serpent god when it came to intimacy. The bedroom was a cruel and painful affair which was all about dominance. Even in his human form he'd walked away in pain and with bleeding cuts and bruises. He had a much younger god then and the experience had shaken him up on every level.

He'd only compiled because he knew the feathered serpent was a stronger god who could kill him and he had been so afraid to die. He knew he was would remain a prisoner in his keep unless he could find a way out. That way had come but not in the way he had hoped Quetzalcoatl had started to fall for him but it was sick tainted evil love if you could even call it love at all and it had disgusted him. It was a means out through and he'd used it to press the right emotional buttons with the vile god he'd later been able to flee the lands of Mexica. He could see now that, this vile love hadn't faded away. The difference now was that he wouldn't allow the feathered serpent to get his way. He wouldn't be forced in to his bed chamber or to do things he didn't want to.

Love could be a great strength but it could also a weakness to those who didn't understand it or its emotions. Quetzalcoatl was one who didn't understand it and could play on that. He moved slightly flexing his scales causing them to shimmer. "I want the Greek god of war Ares if you have him." Quetzalcoatl narrowed his gaze. "I do not have that foolish bastard, he doesn't interest me." Manaia pulled back slightly. "He is on your shores though I do believe he came here in search of something from what I have been told." Quetzalcoatl turned sharply. "So the fool came here in search of C'thulon after all. Shame he did not come to my lands I would have been there to tear him apart slowly." He smiled slightly as he flicked out his tongue. "You could have watched me extend the hand of death up on him."

Manaia narrowed his gaze what a vile boost, he stretched slightly. "Well I need him you see he has taken an item from me I wish to extend my wraith up on him for his vile behaviour." Quetzalcoatl pulled up his wing using the claws to stoke the feathers of the other gods face. "He stole from you?" Manaia looked up slightly he now had the other god's full attention, Quetzalcoatl's ego had very few cracks but this was one of them. Like any obsessed sick minded creature he would take fully interest if getting something meant he might get something else in return that could be sexual. It was when his lustful primal nature came in to play. Quetzalcoatl leaned closer. "You do not know where the Greek god is?" Manaia turned slightly meeting his red gaze. "No but I thought as you are the mightiest of the Aztec gods and king of these lands you would know his whereabouts."

Quetzalcoatl laughed slightly it wasn't a mocking laugh but more a deep cruel one. "I can find the war god you seek, as soon as you return to my keep. I will have my armies find him, it will be a gift for you." Manaia looked up slightly. "I want him brought to me alive, not in pieces." Quetzalcoatl leaned closer. "You shall have him alive and I will be there to watch as you destroy him." Manaia nodded calmly feeling the coils tighten, he was in way over his head but this was the only way. He didn't know if Quetzalcoatl was ever true to his word, but he had to take this on good faith. Through that was very hard Quetzalcoatl was a vile monster on every level and monsters like him weren't always true to there word.

End of part 42

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