AS THE DEMONS BREACH MY SOUL AND TEAR AT MY HEART
Akemi looked up slightly as she rolled out another scroll she rolled it up throwing it with the rest of the pile. She eyed the priest who was starting to look nervous. "This isn't it! I want the scroll on the crystal skulls!" The priest swallowed as he looked up. "Right away great Star Coyote." He turned moving through the wall of scrolls and records. Akemi sat down in the chair ignoring the screams from out side, which were getting closer. "Hurry up! I have business to attend to!" The priest moved faster pulling a gold painted scroll free. "I have it." He pulled back as she snatched it from his hand. "It's a very old scroll please be careful with it." Akemi sneered at him as she unrolled it. "Be quite…"
Her eyes slowly travelled over the imagery. "So this is the myth?" The priest looked up slightly. "Yes, I believe that's all it is but no mortal has ever gotten in to the city of gods to try it, they have all died." Akemi looked up slowly. "They were all fools." She turned sharply watching as the door was shoved open by a female skeleton warrior who was trying to put her jaw bone back in place. Akemi eyed her it was the same warrior she'd seen at on the main street. "What are you doing here? I told you to deliver those scrolls to the temple." The female warrior turned in confusion as one of the higher ranking skeletons warriors appeared behind her. "I'm not from the store house I'm from the animal pens, great Star Coyote."
The higher ranking warrior pushed her back savagely. "Someone fought her in an alley and took her form. I saw this person in her form go in to the store house!" Akemi looked up sharply. "What the hell?!" She couldn't believed she'd been fooled it wasn't possible! She felt every muscle in her body tense as she stood up causing the chair to thrown back. Her gaze met the nervous female skeleton warrior's. "Who took your form?" The warrior's red gaze widened. "I don't know! It was a man and he spoke about something being taken from him. Then he smashed my head off with his axe." Akemi slowly moved closer to the female warrior. "Did he say what that was?"
The female warrior raised her skeleton hand. "No he didn't …" Akemi blinked as she narrowed her gaze the sudden rush of realization hit her all at once. She screamed in anger bringing her fist down on the table full force causing it to rattle. "That bitch!" She could feel her teeth grinding together as the rage took over, she had been tricked! She pulled up her hand watching as a trickle of blood started to flow down her knuckles. Gabrielle had been standing right in front of her and she hadn't seen it! It all made sense now the feeling she'd had about the skeleton warrior being alive rather than dead. Even the cold hatful look she'd reserved when they'd knocked in to each other.
The blonde bitch was mimicking one person than another, that's how she'd gotten in to the city she had to be using the Tonatiuh pendent! It was the only godly item that had that kind of power! It was also a counter pendent, to the one her master had given her. This meant she couldn't see though its spell unless she knew what to look for. How could she be so stupid she'd had her in her hands, she could have killed her there and then! She narrowed her gaze something didn't make sense though, why hadn't Gabrielle killed her? She'd had the perfect opportunity at the time she hadn't been wearing her headdress. A blow to the head would have killed her if it had been hard enough.
Why had she let her live? Gabrielle didn't let anyone in Mexica live it just wasn't something she'd ever done in these lands. She'd heard the stories of the Blood Jaguar so many times. She liked to kill and torture people she got a thrill out of it. Was Gabrielle trying to be noble? After her downfall Gabrielle had never been noble, her code of honour had been twisted in to something dark and cruel. She doubted that nature had changed Mexica brought out the worst in Gabrielle. She was surprised that Xena wasn't disgusted and put off by how evil this dark side was. She had probably seen it in its glory before she'd been captured yet she was still completely loyal to the other woman. She sneered in disgust the Warrior Princess just didn't realize who she really needed.
"Star Coyote?"
Akemi breathed in slowly and deeply pushing her emotions under as she met the gaze of the higher ranking warrior who looked confused. "I want five warriors now! We are going to find the Blood Jaguar, I know her and I know she'll double back on herself. It means she'll still be at the store house." She eased up the scroll giving the priest a cold look. "I'm keeping this, I need it." The priest moved forward his panic showing. "You can't it's a sacred scroll!" Akemi eyed him in disgust. "I can do what ever I please! I'm the Star Coyote and my master is far more powerful than yours." The priest backed away bowing his head slightly. "As you wish, Star Coyote." He looked down the fear showing in his face.
8
Gabrielle turned slowly catching sight of what she had wanted to find, a smaller store house which stood close to main temple. It wasn't a very large building in fact it wasn't much bigger than a house. She ignored the screaming and chaos going on around her, as warriors with rope and chain in their hands ran by. All of it was to stop the crocodile that was still loose she closed her eyes as the sound of someone house being smashed was heard in the distance. Her gaze drifted slightly as three more warriors run past her all of them searching the street. They were looking for her every one now knew she was here, they just couldn't find her.
They were checking house by house even climbing up on to roofs trying to see if they could find the person she was posing as. She moved towards the building walking through the open doorway, she found herself stopping just outside the main room. A young priestess could be seen inside she was wearing only white and red which symbolized that she wasn't a full priestess yet. In the room with her were four living warriors of very high rank. All around them were strange items and weapons from every land some she recognised others she didn't. Some had to be spoils of war while others had been obviously traded for cocoa beans with the Cuban traders or taken from the Xiuhcoatl shore.
An older man and a young woman were guarding the door, while two other men were looking at the odd items trying to work out what they did. The priestess was sitting the centre of the room on a chair with a desk in front of her. She was drawing images of all the items, although her frustration was mounting as the two warriors who were trying to find out what the items were, were arguing. The dark haired man close by eased up a Jian sword with a dragon headed hilt. Its long thin blade shimmered in the low light as he swung it in a chopping motion. "Why would any fool want this weapon?" He thrust it outwards watching as the blade flexed. "It twitches like a dying snake, when it's used." He threw the weapon on to the table ignoring the priestess's cold look. "You should categorize that one as worthless."
He then picked up an opium pipe looking at the long smoking tube which was wrapped with material. "What's this for?" The female warrior at the door rolled her eyes. "Here we go again, please great Jaguar god kill me now." The shorter warrior close by raised his hand slightly. "It's for making alcohol." The dark haired man sneered slightly. "Please you can't drink alcohol with this it's probably used by healers to check the body." His shorter companion laughed. "Next you'll say it's used for sucking up ants!" The priestess sighed aloud. "Put it down…you're both ruining my concentration!" The dark haired warrior put the pipe down, he smirked slightly. "Okay…but he's got to see this." He moved to the edge of the room pulling a long sai blade free from a tall stand flicking it upwards. "Blood Jaguar claws!"
The shorter man eyed him. "Is it one of hers?" The dark haired man narrowed his gaze as he grinned. "No it's not one of hers, but it's the same type…we still haven't worked out how to use them." He put the weapon back on the stand. "Now here's something really good." He eased the small red and black curtain back revealing four weapons. It was her lover's sword and both her daggers the one for her boot and her breast dagger her whip was also hanging up with them. The dark haired man eased the breast dagger free. "Guess who owns these?" The shorter man grinned slightly. "The Blood Jaguar's lover?" The dark haired man smirked slightly. "Oh yes, and once she dies these are going to be displayed for all to see in our god's room of the conquered."
He flipped the little blade. "They are just here temporarily." He eyed the dagger again. "Still don't understand why this one has a curved hilt though." He placed the small dagger back on the display as he eyed the long sword in its thick scabbard. "Apparently she didn't even get in a single blow our god brought her to her knees just like that you'd think the bitch would have at least had some fight in her." The older man at the door grunted aloud. "Pathetic if you ask me, the Blood Jaguar was never that weak." He shook his head. "I've seen her lover at the top of the temple. She's been chained in godly gold and silver shackles she looks rather pitiful in my opinion. I don't see why the Blood Jaguar is so obsessed with her."
The female warrior turned sharply. "What does she look like? I've heard rumours of her being all black like a wolf?" The older man smiled slightly. "Oh yes she is all black. Long black hair, tanned light brown skin she also adorns black leather which has burnt gold armour, she's also very tall for a woman. Her eyes are unique, there as light blue as the sky and there quite striking." The younger dark haired man smiled as he tapped swords hilt with his finger. "You say that but rumour has it that the Blood Jaguar is the more striking one, her hair is as gold as sun. She has skin which is cream in colour and eyes as green as the jungles and forest." He turned slightly. "They say if you look in to her eyes it'll be the last thing you ever do."
Gabrielle breathed in as she walked in to the room her gaze narrowed as they all turned to look at her. She didn't think as she used her other hand to slam the door shut in one violent motion. They all looked at her as they instantly went in to position all of them looking nervous. Apart from priestess who leaned forward slightly. The older warrior bowed his head. "How may we serve you?" Gabrielle eased up the scroll piece slowly with Xena's weapons sneering slightly. "You should be more careful with your documents they seem to be going astray." The priestess narrowed her gaze slowly she seemed unafraid as she stood up snatching the document from her hand. "I'll keep that in mind…."
She eyed her for a long moment. "Is there anything else you wanted or did you just come here for a living view?" Gabrielle wanted to laugh, despite the feeling of anger that was churning in her stomach over what these people had said about her lover. She smiled widely ignoring the others looks of fear. "You know I can kill you…for that loud mouth?" The priestess looked up her face showing very little emotion. "No actuality you can't…you see my social ranking is higher than yours. I can go in to the temple keep itself while you can only go to the stairs and drop your scrolls off." Gabrielle slammed her hand down hard on the table watching it rattled, she watched as the girl's cold gaze met her own.
She grinned slightly she had to play this role to its limits. "Such spirit…." The priestess narrowed her gaze something wasn't right, it was the way the light was falling on the skeleton warrior's bones. She blinked seeing the flicking of living flesh it was there for a split second then it was gone. The others hadn't seen it they couldn't see it they didn't have the training to see through the illusion. She leaned over easing her feathered wooden staff free as she smirked. "You should really try to do a better illusion…the one your wearing is really poor." She didn't think as she slammed the staff end up watching as it hit the skeleton warrior directly in the face. Gabrielle stumbled back the blow wasn't that hard but it still hurt like Tartarus, she shook her head trying to clear the stars.
The priestess knew the illusion had shattered as the skeleton warrior stumbled back as the bones instantly faded away she slowly moved to stand in front of the desk. She found every muscle in her body going stiff with utter terror. She wasn't the only one she could hear the terrified screams of the others as the red Eagle warrior's headdress raised and the burning green eyes met her own. Her whole world had slowed down as she dropped her staff to afraid to pick it up she was going to die as was everyone else in the room. The warriors had pulled up their weapons but they were afraid and none of their weapons were steady. Gabrielle shook her head again snarling aloud as she brought up the Aztec axe, she could see the fear all around her.
The priestess was frozen on the spot to afraid to move, she snarled aloud rubbing her face again. She felt a cruel smile start to form on her lips as she slowly stepped forward enjoying the looks of fear and drinking them in. She came to a stop in front of the young woman who fell to her knees her fear over taking her fully. She had forgotten this feeling it had been so long since she'd felt it, the feeling of fear and creating it. She raised the weapon higher drinking it in it was such an intoxicating rush which filled her sense all too quickly. She suddenly found herself stopping as she looked up catching sight of her reflection in all the weapons gleaming metal which reflected back like mirrors.
She could see her own cruel smile looking back at her, she felt herself breathe in painfully. Was this her? Was this what she had become? Was this the monster of her nightmares? She lowered her weapon feeling all her rage dissipated in an instant. This was the Blood Jaguar this was the vile shadow that she loathed and despised. She could feel her stomach twisting and she felt like she wanted to throw up. How weak she was to allow herself to walk back in to this vile shadow. She narrowed her gaze taking in a very deep breath trying to recompose her self. Xena had said that she'd found keeping away her dark side so hard and she had never truly understood her words until this moment.
Black shadows were so easy to walk back in to they tempted you and intoxicating you like a drug. Slipping back was so easy with the right push she lowered her head meeting the young girl's gaze she could see the fear in her eyes as clear as crystal. It was the look of knowing her death was coming and this would be her last seconds of alive. How disgusting could she be, she was threatening a girl who had done no more than see through her illusion how low could she possibly sink? She only wanted to hurt her because she was afraid and she'd been caught. Hurting innocents didn't come easy to her? That was what she was doing now wasn't it? She was about to cross that line with out even realizing it.
She slowly lowered the axe seeing confusion wash over the girl's features and the other warriors. She took another deep breath pointing to her lover's weapons keeping her voice even. "Give me those weapons." The girl's eyes darted. "Your…not going to kill me?" Gabrielle slowly lowered herself on to one knee so she was in front of her. "No I'm not…I just want my lovers weapons." One of the warriors stepped forward raising his weapon higher she turned sharply eyeing him. "Don't make me kill you…I don't want to kill you or anyone else in this room." The dark haired man stopped in mid motion eyeing the older warrior who shook his head, he slowly stepped back. The older man breathed in looking at the others. "I believe the Blood Jaguar is giving us our lives, we should take this offer graciously."
Gabrielle slowly stood up pulling the young girl to her feet gently she could feel her shaking still with fear. The older man narrowed his gaze meeting hers. "What's your price for our lives?" Gabrielle looked up slightly. "There is no price…I just want my lovers weapons." She watched as the young priestess walked up the wall pulling the weapons free. She quickly put them on the table swallowing as she stepped back the older warrior looked up slightly. "Why so merciful Blood Jaguar, you are not known for your mercy?" Gabrielle eyed him for a long moment. "My fight is not with you it's with your god and his vile elite." She picked up the weapons putting them in her bag which she flung over her shoulder. "If you want to see the sun rise you'll leave now, the other gods are coming."
The older man looked up he could see the truth in her eyes she wasn't bluffing, she meant every word. He raised his weapon. "Then you're giving our lives in full by telling us this?" Gabrielle stepped back slowly. "Yes." The female warrior turned in confusion. "You can't let her walk out of here the whole of the city is looking for her!" The older man raised his hand silencing her. "Yes we can and we are going to!" Gabrielle turned walking back towards the young priestess who started to breathe faster. She moved closer slowly raised her hand watching as the girls eyes shut tight and she shivered in panic. She slowly pulled one of the red feathers free from her headdress.
The girl's eyes snapped open as she stepped back. "I need this…you took my form from me and I need another." She leaned closer. "You understand don't you?" The girl nodded franticly she stopped still then leaned forward. "I'm sorry…I never meant to frighten you." She slowly turned away ignoring the girls stunned surprise. She slowly placed the scrolls on the desk as she stepped back she no longer needed them. The priestess form would get her up to the top of keep and inside if necessary. She slowly pulled the door open while raising the feather in her hand watching as the pendants gold light touched it causing her skin to shimmer in starlight as she took the priestess's form.
8
Akemi moved faster watching as the warriors followed her, she turned the street seeing the store house came in to view. Her gaze narrowed as she came closer to the door both the un-dead guards looked up instantly. She snarled aloud eyeing them in disgust. "Did you fools let a female skeleton warrior in here earlier?" The first warrior looked up in confusion. "Yes we did, great Star Coyote, why do you ask?" Akemi eyed the five warriors behind her. "Well she wasn't a skeleton warrior she was the Blood Jaguar!" Both guards looked at each other in shock the first turned sharply. "We didn't know! She looked just like us." He turned slightly. "We didn't see her leave, she's still in there, I think." Akemi sneered slightly. "Move aside and open the doors you fool!"
She watched as both warriors instantly did as they were told pulling the huge wooden doors back. The huge room inside which was pitch black apart from two torches which had been lit. She eyed the warriors behind her. "Get in there and find her!" The warriors looked at each other nervously she snarled aloud as she eyed them. "Now!" She looked up slightly watching as they ran in to the huge building she slowly followed them. One of Xena's best tactics was to double back on herself to confuse people. She'd go in a building survey it then leave, she'd then walk around the city and then go back to the building to lay her trap. This had to be what Gabrielle was doing when they'd knocked shoulders, she was no doubt coping Xena's strategy.
She could already see people gathering outside trying to see what was going on in the store house. In the distance she could hear the sound of building being smashed and screaming as the crocodile carried on moving further through the streets, she was going to deal with it once this was over with it was just getting annoying now. She eased her pendent up watching as the red light pulsed out from it as she walked in side the dark room, she could see the skeleton warriors looking around unlike her they could see anything in this darkness. She felt her sandals squelch something she slowly looked down catching sight of a trail of thick black sticky liquid on the floor.
She pulled up her foot watching as it stuck to it like a thick disgusting resin she breathed in sharply only to cough because of the strong smell of sulphur. Her gaze darted there where trails of it all over the floor the skeletons warriors were ignoring it as they looked around them. She looked down at the thick black liquid trails again, it was Greek fire it had to be it matched every description she'd read. A disgusting thick liquid which smelt vile, she felt herself freeze something was wrong here. Gabrielle wasn't stupid she wouldn't just put this put trails of it all over the floor. Her gaze moved sharply as the answer hit home, this whole thing was a vile set up of some kind! She stepped back seeing that the keys to the animal pens where lying on an open sack of coca beans.
Her world suddenly slowed down as she watched a skeleton warrior move his hand towards it. "Don't touch that!" She felt the panic take over as he pulled the keys up staring at her. "Touch what?" She felt her breathing quicken as she caught sight of the fine threads attached to keys as the skeleton warrior pulled them up fully. The next moments turned to panic as she watched one of the lit fire torches fall off the wall. As the thread that had been holding it was pulled taught forcing it out of its holder. The torch opposite it fell as its thread was also pulled taught, she felt her self freeze as the torches hit the pools of Greek fire setting them alight causing the room to come alive with fire light as the burning black liquid trails were set alight.
She could see now as she turned to run that there where three thick trails all were being set alight and they all led to the huge wooden barrels of alcohol at the far end of the store house. Whose wooden lids had been coated in the thick liquid, the alcohol was pure and not diluted it would be like black powder going off the explosion would an inferno of flames. She'd seen the seventh hell in all it glory and she didn't want to go back there! The thought terrified her she'd rather take the punishment of living a twisted life than kneel in front of the demons of the seventh hell again. She didn't fear, pain or even sorrow or even her bones being shattered, or her body being mutilated and deformed. She feared death though, she wasn't immortal she was just a powerful servant with privileges.
Those privileges didn't include being brought back from the dead she was also far from her master's grasp. He also wouldn't approve of her personal revenge. She didn't want to face him or death, because one would be no better than the other. She'd do anything to keep herself from being in that position even if meant loosing one of her body parts. The flames were setting the sacks of food alight as they sped towards the barrels she moved faster feeling the scolding heat behind her. Her breathing quicken as she burst in to a run not caring to look back at the surprised skeleton warriors who would be blown to bits any second now. Who would spend the next three months putting what was left of them selves back together.
She saw the explosion as it went off in the corner of her eye, an inferno of red flames spread outwards consuming everything in their path. She slammed in to the door forcing it half open only to be thrown through it full force by the next explosion as it went off. She felt the agonizing pain as she slammed in the dirt outside on her front. She turned seeing that the doors had been blown apart by the force of the explosion which had sent the guards flying. Both were trying to pick themselves off the floor. She looked up only to feel the searing pain as she realized that her shoulder was on fire and her skin was burning. She didn't think as got up and ran towards the fountain close by, she shoved her shoulder in to the cold water watching as the flames went out. She pulled her shoulder out trying to take the stinging pain. Her gaze darted as she watched two skeleton warriors run out of the building both alight with flames. She stepped aside as they both jumped in to the fountain deeper waters putting out their flames instantly. She closed her eyes putting her burnt shoulder back in to the water only to grit her teeth as the shearing pain came again.
End of part 43
Silvermoonlight
Thank you for all your kind reviews HAZMOT :)
