DARK SHADOWS ECHOING IN THE WAKE OF TIME
Akemi turned slightly as she felt the pain as the wet cloth of fire heart was put against her burnt shoulder causing her to yelp in pain. Ehecatl looked up slightly. "How long have you lived alone?" Akemi eyed him in disgust. "Long enough…." Ehecatl looked up wishing that he could smile in the face of her disgusted look. He moved the cloth hearing the water sizzle as it ran clear. "You don't have to be alone you know." Akemi eyed him as she grabbed the cloth from his hand. "Have you ever been to the seventh hell?" Ehecatl looked up slightly. "No I haven't." Akemi sneered slightly as she stood up. "Well I have, it's a lonely place were they make your after life a misery, so don't patronize me with your talk about being lonely!"
She raised her hand slightly. "I don't need anyone least of all you!" Ehecatl breathed in feeling the pain as her words struck home like knives. "Then you don't need Xena. You just wanted her because she's not yours and pure spite is the reason that you're alive and the Blood Jaguar is now dead?" Akemi turned sharply throwing the cloth aside. "No that bitch is dead because she deserved to die!" Ehecatl looked at his skeleton hand. "Why is that, fill me in because I feel left out when it comes to the details? I know that you hate her and I know she was your rival and that you seem hell bent on possessing her lover the Warrior Princess, even though it's clear that the woman hates you. Am I getting all of these details right or did I miss something out?"
Akemi turned eyeing him as she took a step forward. "Fine I'll tell you what you want to know! I had Xena once she was in my Japanese teahouse which was a limbo between life and death. I wanted her to stay after she'd killed my demon father Yodoshi in his after life but I knew she wouldn't so I set her up so she'd be forced to stay with me." She raised her hand. "I made it so she had to free all the 40,000 souls my father had condemned." She sneered slightly. "It took her a very long time to free all those souls, years on earth pasted by. I was so close to making her mine and then C'thulon shows up, he had been sent by Gabrielle to get Xena back. I stood up to him and paid the price, an eternity of suffering in the seventh hell!"
She turned sharply. "The Blood Jaguar or Gabrielle as I call her condemned me! You don't know how happy it made me to see the light die in her eyes!" Ehecatl eyed her for a long moment he felt no anger only a sense of pity for the woman standing in front of him. She was suffering inside, a suffering he knew all to well. The world had wronged her and she had wronged the world, the truth was she probably didn't know what she wanted anymore. She just thought she had, to have what belonged to someone else. He looked up slightly. "You know that Xena will never love you." Akemi snarled aloud as she eyed him. "She will love me! I'm going to make it so!"
She turned grabbing the gold collar then smashing it down hard against the table watching as the pendent was thrown free, it landed with a clatter on the hard surface. She didn't think as she grabbed it easing it up. "With this I can change so much! With this I can make everything the way it should be. Allow me to show you a hint of its power." Ehecatl looked at her for a long moment. "Mortals can't use godly pendants unless the god allows it." Akemi sneered slightly meeting his red gaze as she pulled up her own pendent freeing from her neck. "You really think in one dimension don't you?" She slowly eased up both pendent so he could see them. "You think that things are always separate."
She smiled slightly. "Allow me to open up your field of vision." She eased up both pendants then turned them so they faced each other. Red light steams blasted out from her pendent while purple came out from the other, both steams of light met in the middle with immense force. "Not all things are just things they can be bent and twisted." She eased away her hands watching as both pendants floated in mid air there light steams keeping them fixed in position. She smiled as she moved her fingers up to the ring on her own pendent slowly turning it. She watched her pendants interlocking symbols moved outwards from the centre in a cog like motion revealing empty space.
She moved her fingers to the other pendent pressing down part of edge watching as curved hooks shot out. "One thing isn't just a thing its many things." She moved her hand pushing the time pendent towards her. "Like a puzzle, a part may be powerful but together they are something else beyond imagination." She watched as both pendants slammed together the time pendent hooks working their way in to the holes made by her pendant whose symbols rose upwards allowing the other pendent to lock with it. These symbols slowly moved downwards as gaps in time pendent appeared. The time pendent symbols slowly moved aside allowing her pendent symbols to move downwards filling in the now empty spaces. There was a flash of purple and red light which blasted outwards as the now merged pendants finished combining. Akemi grabbed the floating pendent which still had her chain on it as she turned to look at Ehecatl whose red gaze was filled with shock. She smiled as held it up fully so he could see it clearly. "This is but a taste of what you don't know and don't understand! You have no idea of the wonders that can be brought forth when you realize that two things can become one!"
8
Coaxoch slowly looked up watching as the training ground came in to view it was huge grassy area which was over twelve meadows long. It wasn't as full as normal but that was to be expected since most warriors were dealing with those who'd been captured from the enemy's city. He had seen this field over and over during his un-dead lifetime. He had watched thousand of warriors come and go some and die in glorious battle while others had lived on and been given noble status. Some had even gone in to politics while others had settled for a peaceful life. So many names and faces some long gone while others he still saw now in their old age telling stories to their grandchildren.
No line stood out more than Ahexotl's, his father had also been head of living armies as had his father before him. Even the daughters of his line had been warriors. Ahexotl's daughter at this moment was training along with his two sons and no one was yet sure who would take over from their father when the time came. In this region and number of other regions owned by some of the other gods women could train as warriors. People from lesser background could also train to become warriors and in doing so could push up there families status. Also in their regions along with this one any abuse against status or background among warriors was not tolerated.
He smiled slightly as he caught sight of Ahexotl the big man was barking out orders once again, which was making the training warriors really work harder in the sparing. He turned seeing the Blood Jaguar slowly follow him he turned watching as the big man moved towards him. Ahexotl raised his weapon as he smiled slightly. "About time you showed your face Coaxoch!" Coaxoch smiled slightly as he eased up his hand watching as the Blood Jaguar came to a stop next to him. "I was busy, as you can see I brought someone of great importance." Ahexotl turned slowly meeting the glowing green gaze of the Blood Jaguar. "Ah look who has finally come to grace us with her beautiful presence."
He moved quickly grabbing her hand ignoring her surprise. "So tell me how is life as a hummingbird warrior?" Gabrielle turned staring at the big man whose nose had a long scar going across it bridge. "Hello…have we met?" Coaxoch leaned over slightly watching as confusion spread over Ahexotl's face. "She's doesn't remember her life for some reason…so please be gentle." Ahexotl turned sharply. "What? How the hell can she not remember being the Blood Jaguar, how could anyone not remember that!?" Coaxoch looked up slightly. "I do not do know and it is not our place to say." Ahexotl turned back seeing the confusion in the glowing green eyes as he let go of her hand. "Welcome to the training ground Blood Jaguar my name is Ahexotl, I am the leader of the living armies."
He leaned over her slightly. "We've met before it's just your mind being as blank as it is now you may not remember it." Gabrielle looked at him for a long moment he wasn't familiar at all which she found frustrating. She breathed in deeply looking at him. "Thank you, I'm sorry that I don't remember you, I'm sure I liked you when we met before. Ahexotl gave her a wide grin as he leaned over to Coaxoch's ear lowering his voice to a whisper. "Your not kidding it really is empty in there…she wasn't impressed with me the last time we met." Coaxoch sighed aloud turning to him lowering his voice he watching as she started to look around her. "She seems very innocent now if you ask me, I wouldn't like any one to take advantage of her."
Ahexotl smiled slightly. "Who wouldn't want to take advantage of that? I bet she really knows how to deliver, I envy our god and the Warrior Princess." Coaxoch sighed aloud. "She doesn't remember the Warrior Princess." Ahexotl folded his arms. "It's that bad then? In others words the doors are wide open but no ones storming the temple?" Coaxoch looked up slightly. "Yes and I believe any part of her life with the Warrior Princess is not to be mentioned." Ahexotl shook his head. "That a crying shame I always wanted to hear about their sexual escapes I bet she's got some really good ones." Coaxoch shook his head slightly. "You know your father was never as perverse as you are at times."
Ahexotl turned slightly. "Yeah well my old man was always too much about honour and rules when it came to women. I believe in his rules I just like to have more fun." Coaxoch sighed aloud. "You have children from three separate women, when are you going to settle down?" Ahexotl pulled up his hand. "I love all my children I have ensured that they all have what they want and that their mothers are well cared for." He shrugged slightly. "Settling down can wait." He turned realizing that the Blood Jaguar was looking at the warriors with curiosity. "So does she fight?" Coaxoch raised his hand slightly. "That is what I am here to find out I don't believe our god would strip her of that. Even if her mind can't remember her body should no matter what."
Ahexotl smiled slightly as he took a step forward. "Well then let's see if she can remember." He didn't think as eased his axe free as he moved closer to her he snarled as he brought the weapon around full force. Gabrielle felt her world slow down as she caught sight of the weapon in the corner of her eye as it came towards her turned back. She could feel her feet moving on their own, before she could stop them, she could feel every nerve in her body firing all at once which felt even stranger. Her whole body moved faster shifting to one side as the weapon swung past her face narrowly missing jaw. She could feel her heart racing faster as the big man turned to look at his grin widening. "What are you doing?!"
Ahexotl smiled looking in to her shocked green gaze. "What does it look like I'm doing, I'm trying to find out if your any good in battle!?" He didn't think as he swung the axe again only to watch as she ducked narrowly avoiding it. He swung it again only harder seeing her leap back narrowly avoiding the razor edges which skimmed past her stomach. He could see Coaxoch watching close by his arms folded as his glowing eyes narrowed, he moved forward swinging the weapon again. He turned back eyeing the Blood Jaguar who ducked again. Coaxoch probably wouldn't like what he had to do next but it was necessary. He snarled turning back to meet her glowing green gaze. "You have weapons so fight me you coward!"
Gabrielle stepped back she slowly looked down only to feel her hands move of their own accord before she could even stop them. She felt her hands grip both weapons hilts which were inside leather holders, which were tied to her sandals. The gleaming steel shone as both weapons came free from the holders in a sharp motion. They were called sai blades she knew that without thinking about it as she raised them higher watching as green blasted outwards from the central blade on each in a weaving pattern. Everything seemed to slow down for one shocking moment, she had no idea what she was doing yet her body was just guiding her.
The most freighting part was that she could feel herself being lost in its movement she felt her feet slide in to position in an instant. She could see the axe coming at her but this time she didn't care for moving she could feel her right sai blade flying upwards. She felt the force as both their weapons smashed together hard. Ahexotl smirked as he pulled back narrowly avoiding the other sai blade as it flew past his face as he pulled his weapon back instantly. He felt the force as both their weapons met again. He could see her anger starting to surface as his axe as it came towards her. He snarled slightly her speed wasn't the issue here her anger was.
He wanted see how in control of it she was if she'd been brought back right then she should be able to stop it at ant given moment. He felt the force as both their weapons met once again. He pushed down hard feeling both weapons grind together as he turned eyeing her. "Come on you can do better than this!" Gabrielle pushed the blade up higher twisting it slightly trying to get one of the weaving tips around locked in to his axe. She turned eyeing the man in front of her something told her that this was a game or maybe a ploy to see if she could fight. She narrowed her gaze feeling her anger slowly begin to diminish as she gained control of it fully. She looked up slightly. "You just want me to get angry? Why would you want that from me?"
Ahexotl looked up slightly. "Clever girl…." He pulled the weapon away only to watch as she ducked in an instant as he swung it over her head in a violent motion. "I see you're still as smart as ever Blood Jaguar." He turned only to feel the pain as her weapons hilt slammed in to his shoulder as he turned around, he stumbled back taking the pain. He knew what he had to do next and it was necessary, he raised his weapon in a slow swing, only to watch as the claws came up grabbing his weapon. His axe was twisted free from his hand in a violent motion. Gabrielle narrowed her gaze as the axe hit the floor she didn't think as she brought up the other sai blades tip pressed it against the big man's throat.
Ahexotl moved his gaze he could see Coaxoch moving towards him he raised his hand stopping him, before slowly meeting her gaze. "Do it! Kill me Blood Jaguar!" Gabrielle stopped in mid motion so this was the truth of the game he wanted to see if she would kill him. She felt herself freeze in mid motion as she looking at her hand which was starting to shake. She gripped the weapon tighter trying to stop it why would she want to do that? Why would she want to take life away it felt so wrong, she looked at the blade as she pulled it away from his neck. "I have no wish to take away your life." Ahexotl slowly eased his hand up easing her weapon down gently. "I apologise this was no more than a test we just wanted to see if you could remember how to fight."
He smiled slightly. "I'm sorry for being rude, it was the only way to do what was necessary." Gabrielle looked at him for a moment as she stepped back looking at her weapons. "I think I understand." Coaxoch moved forward watching as Ahexotl moved towards him he could see the Blood Jaguar moving the weapons in her hands in twirling motions as she stared at them. She seemed almost mesmerized by them and surprised by what she could do with them. He stepped back as Ahexotl came closer so he was out of ear shot of her. "Well?" Ahexotl sighed aloud. "It's all there as you say, but I believe that there's a serious issue." Coaxoch folded his arms slowly. "What kind of issue?" Ahexotl slowly met his glowing gaze. "Did you see her weapon hand shake?"
Coaxoch looked up slightly. "Yes I did and I believe that may be because in her eyes you'd be her first kill as she has no memories of her past." Ahexotl sighed aloud. "You have no idea how much I hope that, that is the reason for her stalling. When I looked in to her eyes at that moment I saw no killer instinct what so ever and that is not good." He raised his hand slightly watching as the Blood Jaguar carried on playing with the weapons in a childlike fashion. "If she can't kill then we have a serious problem. I'm just hoping that her killer instinct is still in there and that it's just buried. Other wise you're going to have to seriously break her in and its not going to be very nice for any of us."
He eyed the Blood Jaguar. "I mean look at her…maybe it's just me but she seems so…" Coaxoch breathed in deeply. "Innocent?" Ahexotl looked down slightly. "Yeah innocent, was the word I was looking for, its just she's an innocent who has lethal combat skills. She also playing with her weapons right now like it's a game…." Coaxoch looked up slightly Ahexotl was right about this it was serious. He breathed in deeply watching as the Blood Jaguar carried on playing with her weapons. He was sure that this was no more than a bump in the road which his god could fix. "I'll speak to Huitzilopochtli he may be able to fix this problem she has."
End of part 57
Silvermoonlight
My apologises, ended up posting the wrong chapter I posted 47 instead of 57.
