MY VISIONS MY DREAMS MY NIGHTMARES

Lila looked down feeling herself getting lost in her thoughts she had never considered her self as important. She had always been the younger sister of Gabrielle. May be the truth was that she was had come to consider herself as living in Gabrielle's shadow. Lector was the only one who hadn't seen this shadow as he had seen her for who she was and at first and had no idea that she had a well known family member. She hadn't told him at first because she had been unsure as to whether he was genuine. She'd found out that it was genuine and the truth was that he'd only heard odd bits about Xena but he didn't know that her lover was Gabrielle, her sister. She remembered that he'd been surprised but this surprise was more over her sister being a warrior than anything else.

He had believed that no one other than her father had served in battle, as far as her sister being with another woman he didn't seem to mind. Not everyone she had come across had been so kind regarding that issue. It had sometime hurt her feelings when they'd said horrible things about her sister in front of her. Her mother had told her to ignore it as it was the way of the world and some people could be very cruel and unkind when it came to issues that they didn't understand. That hadn't made her feel better though it just made her even more concerned that everyone would label her in the same way even though she had no attraction to women what so ever.

The men that had become before Lector hadn't been kind ether they'd been rude and obnoxious and she had come to find out that the only reason for their advances had been because they wanted to be part of the family which had her sister's and Xena's name on it. Not because they cared or even loved her in any way. Yes she had lived in Gabrielle's shadow to long and now a part of her wanted to break out and become her own person. She had never known where to start though, she was no warrior and she never liked violence she really didn't have the stomach for it. Right now she didn't know what she wanted to be only that she wanted to be more.

She looked up meeting Tlaloc gaze. "You call me this opposite to my sister but I don't know how I can be, I can't see myself being anymore than a bread maker's daughter, I want to be more I just don't know how." Tlaloc leaned over slightly. "Then I would say that you have all ready begun on changing your life if you are starting to question it." Amoxtli breathed in deeply stepping forward. "We'll have to return to the keep." Tlaloc turned gently putting his hand in her face. "It's going to be okay." Amoxtli breathed in as she eased out her dagger. "Nothing about this is going to be okay, we are both starting to feel things and I was supposed to be punished!"

Tlaloc didn't think as he grabbed her hand with the dagger in it. "What are you doing?" Amoxtli put her hand on his gently prying it free. "I just want to try something I'm not going to hurt myself." Tlaloc felt his eyes dart. "What are you going to do?" Amoxtli breathed in sharply. "Just trust me I have a feeling and I have to know if its right." She eased her dagger forward putting the tip again the thumb she pressed down only to feel the stab of intense pain as a drop of blood ran down her thumb. She breathed in deeply as she eased up her hand watching as it ran down it. "What the hell?!" Tlaloc took hold her hand bringing it towards him. "You felt the pain?"

Amoxtli swallowed watching as he carefully took hold of thumb she winced slightly unused to the pain. "Yes." Tlaloc looked up slightly. "I have a question and its going to sound stupid but do your insides feel odd. You know as if their…working?" Amoxtli put her free hand on her stomach for a moment. She looked up slightly. "Yes my insides have felt like that since I woke up this morning, I've even felt the blood rushing in my ears and it feels like my hearts beating." Tlaloc eased his hand slowly forward he slowly untied one of the top laces then eased his hand in to the opening feeling the warm skin underneath.

He moved his hand feeling her breath in sharply as he touched her breast he looked up sharply. "I'm sorry that wasn't intentional." Amoxtli swallowed as she looked up. "It's not that, your hand feels cold." Tlaloc felt the smile as it spread across his lips that sounded so nice in some strange way. He pressing gently down on her skin, he could feel it a deep rhythmic heartbeat it was such bliss to his ears. It was a sound he hadn't heard in what felt like a very long time. Hearing hers just felt so much better than hearing his for some reason. He eased his hand out gently retying her bodice, as he felt his smile widen. "I can feel your heartbeat."

Amoxtli eased up her hand putting it carefully on her chest she breathed in sharply as the felt the rhythm thud. "I can hear yours to." She pulled away sharply. "Its like our flesh it's becoming real." Tlaloc breathed in sharply. "No one must know about this we can't give anything away not even a word. We should pretend that we are the same Quetzalcoatl doesn't seem to know about this and it should stay that way." Amoxtli felt her eyes dart. "How can he not see this he's a god he knows everything?" Tlaloc shook his head. "No he doesn't if he did he would have already called me in for kissing you. He hasn't called us in ether despite that you haven't been beaten." He eased up his hand putting it gently on her arm. "I believe your god is loosing his power over us."

Amoxtli shook her head. "That's impossible." Tlaloc leaned over putting his other hand on her arm running his fingers down it gently. "I know how impossible it seems but look at us we are both starting to become living. What ever is causing this beyond your god and we are now benefiting from it." He leaned forward gently kissing her lips before pulling away. "I need you to trust me." Amoxtli looked up feeling the panic over take her. "No, please I don't want you to leave me alone in here!" Tlaloc eased up his hand putting it on her face. "I'm not going to leave you in here I wouldn't do that."

He breathed in deeply stepping back. "The twelve when they hurt you did they ever hurt you but not bleed you?" Amoxtli looked down slightly feeling the pain in her voice. "Yes." Tlaloc breathed in deeply as he leaned over kissing her cheek. "I have an idea, but it means that I'll have to hurt you." Amoxtli looked up sharply. "Hurt me?" Tlaloc breathed in painfully. "Please you have to trust me I need to knock you out to make it look like you passed out. Believe me I don't want to do this to you I just have to make this look real for both our sakes." He eased out his hands. "Please forgive me you don't deserve this you've been through to much."

He breathed in again as he put his arms around her feeling her put her head on his chest. Amoxtli breathed in closing her eyes. "I understand just make it…" She didn't get a chance to speak as everything blacked out in to darkness. Tlaloc grabbed hold of her it had made it had been a sharp blow quick to her head. He slowly brought her down to the floor easing out his dagger, he hated himself for doing this but it had to look like she had been sexually assaulted. It sickened him to say the words even in his head, it also made him sick to think that people would even do that to her. He moved her skirt slicing the edges close to her upper thigh pulling it slightly to break the patterns so it would look like she'd struggled.

He moved his dagger up ripping the edges of her bodice and fraying the patterns. He leaned over putting his dagger away as he picked up her limp body putting it over his shoulder. He turned to Lila who was keeping quite. "If Quetzalcoatl asks she was quite thought out the twelve's brutal punishment." Lila nodded following him as he walked out the room carrying Amoxtli with him she looked up slightly. "Do you really love her?" Tlaloc turned to meet her gaze he calmly nodded his head. "Yes I do." Lila looked down slightly. "She hasn't said that she loves you." Tlaloc held the unconscious woman tighter. "She's had a lot of pain in her long existence."

He looked down sadly. "Unimaginable pain and suffering and I don't expect her to turn around and say those words to me just like that. I only hope that one day far from now she will." He looked up as they walked towards the keep. "I need you to put on a very horrified face for me, can you do that?" Lila nodded sharply before looking down as they entered the room. She swallowed as Quetzalcoatl turned to look at them both his red eyes narrowing. Quetzalcoatl flicked out his tongue as he came forward. "Did the slave suffer!?" Tlaloc didn't think as he threw Amoxtli down on the pillows close by. "She took her punishment five times over but never screamed once great serpent god."

Quetzalcoatl didn't think as he swung out his tail around violently grabbing hold of the Greek girl raising her in to the air. He smiled seeing the terror in her eyes. "If you dear to mock me in the same way your sister does, I will make sure that they do the same to you." He pulled the coils up wrapping them around her chest and her throat squeezing very slowly. "Or I will break your ribs one but one." He flicked out his tongue. "First though I have a vision to show you another taste of your sisters disgusting arrogance." Lila felt the pain as his coils slowly tightened around her chest as he leaned closer his cold voice hitting the air. "You would be very foolish, if you dared to mock me in the way she did." She looked up painfully not being able to break away as the red eyes began to glow and the pain hit her mind once more. She breathed trying to take the pain as his glowing eyes pieced through her mind like a hot knife. She wanted to cry out but she couldn't all she could do was fall in to the darkness of the memory as it forced its way in to her mind.

8

Gabrielle breathed in deeply as she turned to Itzli. "How far?" Itzli eyeing her in disgust the bitch this was the second time she'd asked that. "Your impatience is annoying." Gabrielle pulled up the pendent which had come from the fertility goddess's temple she eyed it for a long moment looking at the odd design on it. "Be quite!" Itzli breathed in deeply turning in her direction. "It's over the next ridge." He folded his arm feeling a cold smile form. "Quetzalcoatl won't give back your precious map Blood Jaguar he'll kill you before he hands it over to you." Gabrielle didn't think as she pulled out her sai blade pushing it under his chin with violent force. "Do you want to die?"

Itzli felt the cold blade as it pushed against his chin. "You won't kill me you need me, you don't know Mexica like I do, you won't survive here with out my help." Gabrielle forced the weapon further up enjoying his look of pain. "I don't need you, you bastard." Itzli felt a cold smile form. "Oh but you do, you just aren't ready to admit it yet." Gabrielle eyed him for a long moment despising the truth in his words. "One day I'm going to kill you." Itzli heard his cold laugh as it hit the air. "No you won't and I'll tell you why you won't because you don't know what real violence is yet. You haven't seen the heart and soul of Mexica or felt its grasp."

He looked down slightly enjoying her look of confusion. "All you know is that C'thulon rests here and with out me you will never find him. If you don't find him then you will never be able to resurrect your dead female lover." Gabrielle felt her teeth grind together as she pulled the blade out from under his throat. "You don't know anything about me!" Itzli laughed enjoying how mocking his laugher sounded. "I know that you're a fool and you only got that pendent because Tezcatlipoca fell through the roof." Gabrielle breathed in sharply as she carried on moving speaking through gritted teeth. "That's a miner detail you arrogant bastard, I got the pendent and that's all that matters."

She looked up coming to a stop staring over at the embankment bellow which was quite it was a deadly silence and it made her stomach twist. She wasn't willing to show off this fear the truth was that she was more terrified of Quetzalcoatl than she wanted to admit right now. She had been having nightmares about almost being eaten alive by him for days now. She put her hand on her lower chest trying not to remember the agony as his coils has cracked her ribs one after the other. She closed her eyes trying to push all these thoughts from her mind as she stepped slowly down the embankment towards the blood stained rocks. She turned seeing that Itzli was moving just as slowly.

She took another deep slow breath as the smell of death hit her nose, she wanted to throw up. She paused coming to a stop in front of the lake's bloody stones. She slowly eased the pendent off from around her neck, as she took a slow step closer the water. She had no idea how to word her request she turned as Itzli came to a stop next to her. She raised the pendent higher as her words hit the air. "Quetzalcoatl I have brought you what you wanted!" She felt her body freeze as the huge head broke the surface followed by the massive mane of feathers causing water to come down hitting the ground all around her. She swallowed looking down slightly watching as the huge neck rose higher.

The huge serpent's huge face came towards her stopping inches from her body. Quetzalcoatl felt his teeth grind together. "Stupid inbred Greek you do well to remember that no mortal should ever demand my presence!" He flicked out his tongue moving it across her shoulder. "You are missing something." He moved it slowly down her back flicking slightly. "Yes you're missing your tattoo the one you burnt out my mouth with. I could kill you where you stand now couldn't I not?" He pulled his head back feeling an evil smile spread across his face. "I could chew you till you die and listen to your screams as they echo through this jungle."

He moved his tongue feeling the weapon which was now lodged in the back of his throat trying to ignore the pain as he lowered his gaze. "Killing you wouldn't please me right now though." He leaned over ignoring her ice cold stare. "Answer me one question though." Gabrielle narrowed her gaze as she looked up. "What's that?" Quetzalcoatl laughed coldly. "Did that bitch Xochiquetzal take you to bed?" Gabrielle eyed him in disgust as her cold voice hit the air. "Give me my map!" Quetzalcoatl eyed her for a long moment. "You shall have your map after you place the pendent in front of you on that rock." Gabrielle looked up sharply. "You first..."

Quetzalcoatl leaned closer. "Give me my pendent!" Gabrielle breathed in deeply feeling her anger start to rise. "I want my map! Give to me or you won't have your pendent!" Quetzalcoatl flicked out his tongue. "You arrogant little Greek, you should not tempt me, nothing would satisfy me more than the sight of your dead body!" Gabrielle sneered as she slammed the pendent down on the rock keeping her voice even. "Give me my map you bastard!" Quetzalcoatl slowly eased up his tail end pulling the pendent free of the rock with his tail end. He eased it up eyeing it for a long moment. "You are very noble to your word inbred Greek, this is the true Tlalli pendent, in all its glory."

He turned eyeing her. "You are also a stupidly brave Greek, others have failed were you have succeeded." He turned the pendent watching as the sun light shone over it causing its gold to gleam. "If I didn't hate you so much, I'd admire your courage." He leaned over her breathing out watching as the purple streams floated through the air. They slowly formed in to a large rolled map which was torn at the edges it landed hard on the stone in front of her. "Take your map and get out of here before I kill you." He snarled eyeing Huitzilopochtli's warrior. "You did well but don't think that I'll free you. Your punishment will be to serve this inbred Greek as her slave until she frees you."

He felt a cruel smile form. "Or until you die in battle." Itzli breathed in painfully as the huge serpent hit the water sending it flying upwards as he disappeared underneath which momentarily causing the waters to churn and bubble before going as still as death itself. He looked up slowly feeling himself freeze. He could already see the cruel smile forming on the Blood Jaguar's face as she snatched the map turning to look at him as the realization of the god's words hit home. He could see the spark of knowing in her green eyes as she realized that she had power over him and it was power which she could use against him.

8

Lila felt the pain as the vision stopped in an instant she felt the crushing force as the coils began to squeeze her chest causing her to cry out in agony. Quetzalcoatl sneered as he slowly leaned forward. "Your arrogant sister had three ribs broken this way, I wonder if you'll survive the same kind of pain?" He squeezed tighter flicking out his tongue. "Do you know how snakes squeeze their prey?" Lila shook her head trying to stop herself from screaming as the coil tightened fully around her chest. It felt like she had a wagon pressing on her rib cage it was agony. Quetzalcoatl felt his teeth grind together. "Snakes don't shatter limbs when they coil, they constrict as you breathe out slowly. They tighten their coils slowly flattening your lungs until you can't draw breath." He felt a cruel smile form. "Agonizing isn't it? It must be far worse for you, your sister's body was built to take punishment you on the other hand are not and I can't wait to see how you deal with pain when your first rib cracks." He squeezed tighter he was so looking forward to hearing the first rib bone start to crack.

"Put that mortal down I wish to speak to you."

Quetzalcoatl turned sharply watching as Manaia's face came in to view the smaller god spread his wings as he shook off the water. He sneered turning back to the Greek girl. "I'll be finished in a minute." Manaia shook his head as he pulled himself out of the water using his huge claws to move him self forward. "Would you not humour me for a while?" He eyed the girl who the feathered serpent was squeezing he had not been sleeping he'd heard all that had been going on. Quetzalcoatl hadn't changed one bit he still treated his people like they were no more than things. He had moved further across the floor it disgusting him how willing this god was when it came to sexual assaults and slaughter.

He turned slowly hearing the girl finally scream as one of her bones started to crack with the pressure. "If you do not wish to humour me then I do not wish to stay." Quetzalcoatl looked up sharply eyeing the Greek girl before looking back at him. "Very well..." He didn't think as he tossed her savagely from his coils throwing her towards the wall. Manaia don't think as he brought his tail up stopping the girl in mid flight gently wrapping his lower fish like coils around her. He put her on the floor next to the other passed out warrior ignoring the feathered serpent's cold look. He treated mortal like toys that could be broken, he did not care that a throw like that could shatter the skull or break the pelvis.

He hated hurting mortals, it was such an easy thing to do it was true but it didn't make it right on any level. Just because you have the power in your hand gives you no right to use it on those weaker than yourself. He watched as the male warrior ran over helping to move the young girl away as she held her chest painfully. Her ribs had not broken but one had cracked and it was causing her intense pain, pain he could not fix at this moment. He turned watching as Quetzalcoatl pulled himself out of the water fully. "I am very hungry I wish to feast on fresh meat but not that of your mortals." Quetzalcoatl moved forward. "I'll have my vermin cook you up something."

Lila lay still on the floor she could already feel the tears coming to her eyes her chest was on fire with pain. It wouldn't stop it just kept coming in waves over and over again something had been broken she was sure of it. She turned seeing both gods leave the room as her everything started to go out of focus. She couldn't stop her self from throwing up it just happened she felt the dizzy spell over take her whole body. She hit the floor fully on her side only to feel a gentle pair of hands move her further across the floor. She looked down again feeling the spinning in mind intensify as she passed out in to darkness.

End of part 94

Silvermoonlight