REALMS OF FIRE AND BLOOD

Akemi watched as the purple and red light faded away once more revealing the huge room of the temple with its tall pillars. She shrugged her shoulders trying to get rid of the ache in them. She eyed Ehecatl who tensed his shoulders slightly as he stepped away from the other two warriors and the Blood Jaguar's sister who all looked around in confusion. Tlaloc stopped in mid motion as he turned staring at the huge room all around him with it massive walls all covered in imagery. He felt his breath get caught in his throat as he looked at the huge golden and jewelled calendar with its floating sections. These sections had thirteen crystal skulls all with red and white glowing eyes while a single golden skull was close to the centre.

He turned only to find him self staring at six floating circles all coated in gold and gemstone. He felt his eyes dart as he looked around feeling even more confused where in hell where they? This wasn't another god's keep and it sure as hell didn't bare any resemblance to anything he'd read about. The floating calendar with its pendent at the centre was even more confusing. He turned eyeing Amoxtli whose confusion was slowly turning to realization. He stopped still ignoring the sudden stinging in his left eye as he turned to her seeing that Lila was doing the same. He was sure that Amoxtli had the answers he could see it in her eyes.

Amoxtli looked as truth of the calendar hit home, she had only seen a sketch of it long ago when she had been a living child she had always remembered it. She had snuck in to the scroll library with her friends and had seen this ancient torn piece of scroll open on the table, two priests had been arguing over. There argument was over who should own it as it was a priceless scroll one of the few in Mexica which showed C'thulon's mighty time device. She'd become afraid as they started to fight and had fled not looking back. She had come to remember the image so clearly with its floating parts and fourteen skulls. In her later existence she had come to know that it was to do an ancient myth from the city of Teotihuacán.

This myth told of a device so powerful it could change things. That was all she'd heard but she had always assumed that it was a myth, which had no real truth. Her gaze drifted upwards to the pillar of light flowing upwards and the red light flowing downward from the calendar, it was all true it had to be what else could this be? She turned eyeing the Star Coyote who was reloading her strange hand held weapon. "I don't know whether to be really impressed or really disgusted at you." She moved a step closer. "How did you even accomplish this? I thought no mortal hand could turn on the great creation of the elder god!"

Akemi shook her head as pulled up her musket. "It was really easy, but I've had a very long time to work it all out." Tlaloc blinked as he stepped forward. "This is the creation of the elder god?!" Akemi eyed him disgust. "You're so quick." She stepped forward. "I turned it on and right now I have control of time its self." She flipped the pistol in her hand. "How else do you think I was able to get this?" Amoxtli breathed in feeling the panic hit home. "You can't do that you can't control time it's forbidden!" Ehecatl laughed enjoying how mocking his laugher sounded as he turned to her. "You're as small minded as I used to be, you just don't get it do you?"

He turned eyeing the device. "This device is as powerful as the elder god himself he can't stop what we are both doing here, no one can. We can do what ever we please with time!" Tlaloc raised his hand. "Do what ever you please look at what you're doing? Its insane you can not change what you please in time and expect to get away with it!" Akemi shook her head. "I already have changed what I please and believe me when I say your descendants have no future, because the whole of Mexica is going to burn." She smiled enjoying the shock as it spread across his face. "Your gods will abandon you and you will all be wiped out by a force you can not stop no matter what you do."

Amoxtli stepped forward. "If that's true then why steal Lila, she's no threat to you in time?" Akemi felt a cruel smile form. "Tell me you're not that dense? Because I thought it was really obvious." She turned eyeing the Greek girl so that was her name Lila. "Lila is going to help me she's going to make it so that the Blood Jaguar never existed." Lila stepped in front of both Tlaloc and Amoxtli she could feel an ugly knot twisting in her stomach. "What do you mean never existed? Akemi narrowed her gaze. "I'm going to make sure that your sister dies before she ever gets born." She smirked slightly. "Let's just say your mother is going to have a very unfortunate miscarriage."

She looked up enjoying the look of horror as it spread across Lila's face. "But don't worry you'll still be born I'm sure, the only difference is you'll be an only child." Lila narrowed her gaze trying to grasp the words what the lunatic Japanese's woman was truly saying. "You're going to kill my sister?" Akemi moved a step closer. "Yes, frankly I'd thought you'd be happy about that, I mean your only here because of her." Lila sneered slightly. "I'm here because of you! Weren't you listening to the first time around, you caused all this?" Akemi eyed her for a long moment. "It may have skipped your notice Lila, but that person you call your sister isn't your sister, she's from a different time!"

Lila looked up slightly. "No as a matter of fact that hasn't skipped my notice I know exactly who and what she is. As much as I've tried and deny it the truth is simple. I don't condone what she does and how evil, cruel and brutal she is despite this she is still my sister. Because of that I will still protect her from people like you." Akemi laughed enjoying how mocking her laugher sounded as she came to stand in front of her. "You can't even protect yourself." She poked the musket harshly in to her stomach. "So tell me Lila what chance do you stand of stopping me? From where I'm standing it really looks like you don't have a choice."

Lila met her dark brown gaze. "I do have a choice!" Akemi snarled aloud as she pulled the pistol up to her face. "No you don't have a choice and I'll tell you why you don't have one. If you choose not to do as I say right here right now I will hurt you! I'm assuming you've had enough time to find out about pain is since you arrived in Mexica." She sneered slightly. "How ever Quetzalcoatl did hurt you in his keep I'll hurt you so much more! Let me also make it very clear that if you still don't comply with me, those two little guarding post you call friends are both going to die. If it hasn't come to your attention they are almost living now and it won't be long before I can kill them!" She leaned closer enjoying the look of uncertainty and shock as it spread over Lila's face. "Believe me when I say that I will kill them because their lives are forfeit at this moment in time!" She leaned closer pushing the pistol savagely under her chin. "So we can ether do this the really hard or the easy way, that will be your one and only choice!"

8

Gabrielle felt her gaze drift upwards over the spire of light it had to be huge if she could see it even from this distance. There was something very mesmerizing about it. It seemed outer worldly as if it was not meant to be here in this place right here and right now. No that wasn't it, it was the feeling of familiarity. Why was it so familiar though? She'd never seen it before in her life she didn't even know what it was, she moved a step closer. Why was she so drawn to it? It was beautiful to look at she wasn't going to deny that all she could really fathom was that its light had some kind of power which was emanating outwards. "It must be huge if we can see it from here."

Xochipilli looked up sharply eyeing the huge spire of light what the hell was it? He'd never seen anything like it before but every part of him was telling him that it wasn't good. Spires like these didn't come out of on where and his gut was telling him that it was in the direction of Teotihuacán which made him feel even more unnerved. He looked at Gabrielle she might be mortal but if anything she was right about the size it had to be massive and the fact that it was breaking the clouds and going in to the heavens themselves showed that it had to have phenomenal power. Power that couldn't even be measured he moved forward gently putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're right that is a huge spire."

He turned looking at her for a long moment. "It shouldn't be here though and I feel that we will need to tell the others about it quickly." Gabrielle lowered her gaze. "I understand." Xochipilli shook his head. "I'm sorry I know that you deserve to spend more time here." Gabrielle slowly met his gaze. "No I'm just happy that I got see this place, it makes me feel privileged." She leaned over running her fingers over one of the flowers. "It reminds me of a time when I was younger in my other life when I used to spend time just enjoying the flowers." Xochipilli leaned over slightly. "Why did you stop?" Gabrielle carried on moving her fingers over the Yellow Torches petals. "I took the warriors path."

Xochipilli breathed in deeply. "You can always go back to smelling the flowers there will be a time and a place." Gabrielle felt a sad smile form on her face. "I doubt that, I'm not that person anymore." Xochipilli leaned over picking the flower up and putting it carefully in to her hands. "I believe you can be that person again." Gabrielle stared at the flower in her hands she breathed in deeply. "How can I ever be that person again? I kill people it's all I've become good for in these past few seasons of my life." Xochipilli shook his head as he put his hand under hers. "I think you just need to find that part of you again and I feel once you do every thing will finally fall in to place once more."

He eased up his other hand watching as a steam of multicoloured light hit the flower in her hands. It would keep it alive and perfectly intact for a very long time. "You should never stop believing that you can find that part of your soul, you of all people deserve to find it." He carefully closed her hands around the flower. "When all this is over I believe that you will find the peace that you seek in your life." Gabrielle looked up slowly. "How?" Xochipilli moved his other hand rubbing her back gently. "Let Xena help you, I think she wants to help you find yourself again." Gabrielle breathed in painfully. "I know she wants to, I'm just afraid to let her in, I'm afraid of how things are going to be in the future and how they'll change." Xochipilli moved his hand to her shoulder. "She loves you through and through Gabrielle, you need to let her in and trust her." He leaned forward. "She only wants what's best for you, I also believe that she really wants everything to change and that is going to be good for the both of you." Gabrielle looked at the flower in her hand for a long moment she let her eyes drift over its beautiful petals. She closed her eyes taking in a deep breath as she pushed it in to her leather gauntlet before turning to look at him. "Thank you."

8

Xena looked up meeting Huitzilopochtli's golden gaze. "What does he mean by time device?" Huitzilopochtli looked up getting ready to speak only to stop as Xochipilli appeared close by with Gabrielle in a shower of multicoloured flowers. He breathed in deeply watching as Gabrielle stepped away the shock spreading across her face as she caught sight of Tezcatlipoca. Tezcatlipoca roared only to feel the painful sting of the sun gods axe he pulled his clawed hand ignoring the pain as he met her surprised gaze. "You're dead! I saw you die!" Gabrielle stepped closer to him feeling her eyes dart for a moment before she refocused her thoughts. "Well I'm not dead and it's all thanks to ethereal myth."

Tezcatlipoca sneered watching as a cold smile slowly spread across the Warrior Princess's face. He didn't know what was worse, being beaten up by Chantico again or having to watch the dark haired warrior woman gloat over the fact that her lover was still alive. He breathed in deeply eyeing her. "Answer something for me Warrior Princess because I'm curious?" He found himself sneering as he spoke. "You don't have the right equipment to pleasure your lover she can't bare your children which makes her useless in terms of continuing your line. So why did you even bother to bring her back at all?" Xena took a step forward she could see the anger as it spread across Chantico's face obviously the goddess saw this as a very personal stab at her own relationship as well.

She looked at him for a long moment before speaking, keeping her voice even. "Bastard, I don't care that she can't bare my children or that I don't have the equipment to give her children. To answer your question though I'm with her because she's all that matters to me." Tezcatlipoca laughed. "Oh that so pathetically cryptic, I'm not impressed." The next moment turned to agony as a ball of lava suddenly hit him in the face causing him to howl in pain. Chantico watched as he used his clawed hand to wipe the still red hot lava of his snout. It turned to hot ash and then black dust as it hit the floor. He held his snout trying to take the burning pain.

Chantico sneered slightly eyeing the jaguar god who was in pain. "I found her answer very much to the point you bastard, so should you." Xena eyed her for a long moment. "Thanks." Chantico turned slightly. "Don't mention it." She moved past her sitting her self back down on Xochiquetzal's throne. Huitzilopochtli put his axe back in place against Tezcatlipoca's throat. "Tell the Blood Jaguar your message!" He sneered poking the weapon in harder. "Now before I do something that will really put you in a lot more pain!" Tezcatlipoca turned eyeing the Blood Jaguar who gave her lover a smile, before she turned to look at him her face becoming unreadable. "The Star Coyote sends you a message Blood Jaguar."

Gabrielle stepped closer he was talking about Akemi she felt her hand instantly form a fist as she tried to stop the feeling of rage which began to burn in the pit of her stomach. She spoke feeling her teeth grind together in the process. "Go on." Tezcatlipoca smiled slightly ignoring the burning sensation on his nose. "She has stolen Quetzalcoatl's prize and she's waiting for you at the temple of C'thulon." Gabrielle looked at him for a long moment feeling his words slowly sink in. She looked up feeling her eyes dart as she tried desperately to keep her voice even. "So your telling me is that, that bitch has my sister and that she's in Teotihuacán?" Tezcatlipoca felt a smile form. "That sums it up perfectly."

Gabrielle put a hand on her face pushing her hair back in frustration, this was just great! She had wanted Akemi to be seriously wounded, she'd hoped that when she'd stabbed her in the back that it had been enough to paralyse her or break something permanently. She could still hear her last mocking words in her mind saying, don't feel bad I'll take good care of Xena for you. There were very few moments in her life when she'd felt such intense anger and that had been one of them. She breathed trying to control the feeling of desperation and anger. She closed her eyes feeling an odd calm fill her senses allowing her to focus once more which. This strange feeling gave her a sense of inner strength.

She opened eyes turned slowly to jaguar god who was looking at her in confusion. "Why did she take my sister to the birth place of the gods?" Tezcatlipoca sneered as he looked up. "I don't know, she just wanted me to tell you the message." Gabrielle moved a step closer to him she wasn't afraid of him in fact just like Ares she didn't care right that he was a god. "Yes you do know." Tezcatlipoca looked up watching as for just an instant the green eyes seemed to glow as she came to stand fully over him. Gabrielle eyed his furry chest which was missing its pendent. The room became so quite around her as she leaned forward her calm voice once more breaking the silence. "Don't be a fool, your not in any position to play games, there are four gods here who really want you dead."

She felt a smile form. "This is a game that you can't hope to win and we both know that. So you can ether leave here alive or you can die, so ask yourself which is in your best interest?" Tezcatlipoca eyed her for a long moment why wasn't she angry anymore? Why wasn't she afraid, it was so unlike the Blood Jaguar to be this calm? There was something about that which he didn't like, not because it scared him but more because he couldn't work out her next move. She was looking right in to his eyes and he couldn't read her emotions. She was normally so readable that was what had always made the Blood Jaguar you could always tell what her next violent role of the dice was going to be.

He raised a clawed hand eyeing her. "She has control of time she merged my pendent with her own and now she's turned on C'thulon's device." Xochipilli breathed in deeply. "The spire outside, that's the device isn't it?" Huitzilopochtli looked up sharply. "What spire outside?" Xochipilli put a hand on his chest. "There's a huge spire off white light going up to the heavens." Huitzilopochtli turned back eyeing Tezcatlipoca in disgust. "C'thulon will destroy you for turning the time device on!" Tezcatlipoca narrowed his gaze. "I didn't turn it on! The Star Coyote turned it on I was just sent here to give you this message!" Xena stepped forward looking at the jaguar god. "Wait so let me get this straight, Akemi or the Star Coyote as you all call her has the ability to travel through time?"

Tezcatlipoca laughed slightly eyeing her. "Oh you're so perceptive." Xena sneering at him before turning away to meet her lover's calm gaze. "And this time device is in, what is the place called again?" Gabrielle looked down slightly. "They call it Teotihuacán or the birth place of gods it's where C'thulon created the first gods of Mexica." Huitzilopochtli looked up slightly meeting Xena light blue gaze. "Our grandparents were born in that city they lived there among the first humans and demons for eons. C'thulon feared that the mortals would help the gods and use his device of time against him. So he got rid of everyone in the city including his children and sealed up the device of time for good."

Xena looked at him for a long moment. "What do mean when you say he feared mortals would help the gods?" Tezcatlipoca smirked slightly as he eyed the warrior woman. "Is it just me or are you just a little dense Warrior Princess?" Huitzilopochtli snarled slightly as he eyed him. "You say one more rude remark and I will do to you, what I did to Xochipilli!" Xochipilli eyed the jaguar god. "You wouldn't want him to do what he did to me to you it was very painfully on my private parts." He turned slowly to Xena ignoring the sun gods look of surprise. "From the myth I've heard that the device of time can only be turned on by mortal hands but those who turn it on will truly feel C'thulon's wraith."

Huitzilopochtli shook his head. "Yes that's true they will unsure his wraith but as the device grows more powerful the more difficult it becomes for him to stop it working, at full power it matches his own. There's more though my father told me that it brings about a terrible fate that effects the power of every god in this world but I have no idea what that effect is." Tezcatlipoca felt a smile form oh this was just so rich. "I could tell you that but you'd have to let me live and you'd have to tell me what your all doing here gathering in this place as social gatherings are forbidden." Huitzilopochtli looked down slightly. "You don't know the answer you are just trying to save what is left of your hide!"

End of part 102

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