WHEN THINGS ARE TRULY BIZARRE

Xena walked slowly though her gardens she hadn't found anything apart from the foot steps which Iona had showed her. It was now midday and every report was coming back the same, no werewolf. She put a hand on her face feeling the frustration mount how did such a huge monster like that go in and out of her palace with out being seen or even heard? She slowly walked away from the main gardens breathing in deeply as she moved across the grounds that had the visitor's balcony rooms which was the last area which she'd not walked through. Frankly she didn't expect to see anything, this was a closed off area in every sense, visitors could see the view of the main gardens but the huge wall of the palace looped around the whole area.

This was purely for their own protection so there were always guards watching them to ensure that they wouldn't be hurt. It was also the area in which she hosted outside dinner parties as it had fountains and a huge outdoor pool which guests could swim in. She breathed in deeply only to stop as she caught sight of something laying on the ground in full view. She walked forward realizing why the others hadn't noticed it, it was lying in amongst some fallen tree branches and its colour made it so it blended in. She moved her hand grabbing hold of the end the branches cracked as she forced it free in one swift motion. She stared at it for a long moment, feeling the confusion hit home.

It was the antler of a deer at least that's what it looked like but there was something truly odd about it. It wasn't like any deer horn she'd ever seen before the look was all wrong. Unlike a deer horn the ark of the horn was bent and twisted in two different directions and on top of this it had no points it was still coated in velvet. It hadn't been broken off ether it was as if it had just come off in the same way any animals did when the mating season was over. It was bizarre on every level and it was like nothing she'd ever encountered before. She breathed in pulling her dragger free from its place in side her right boot slicing it across the velvet only to blink as black coagulated blood began to run free exposing orange stained bone which looked diseased.

The smell was putrid like rotting flesh she ignored it as she caught sight of a second horn lying close by which was identical to its counterpart and tangled up in the thick fallen branches. She walked away from the other horn only to feel her foot dip suddenly in to the ground almost causing her to trip up. She looked down slowly realizing that her boot was standing inside a huge foot print there was another opposite it where the ground had been forced down deeply. Again this hadn't been notable as the gardeners hadn't gotten around to cleaning up this area yet the grass was very long here hiding things from sight.

She pushed the grass away seeing the deep print which was bigger than her own foot by the looks of it, it was a deep hind print. This monster had to be at least seven foot tall possibly more, if this foot print was anything to go by. The ones Iona had found had only shown part of a front paw and the claws of the hind foot. She felt a strange sensation over take her this was embedded because the monster had jumped forcing its feet down before it leaped. She felt her eyes drift upwards as she eyed the balcony directly above her. She felt her body freeze as she caught sight of dirt marks scuffed in to the lower part of the stone no doubt from where the claws had shifted as the monster had gotten inside.

"Empress?"

Xena turned meeting Demetrius concerned gaze, she slowly stood up fully stepping back watching as he caught sight of the huge foot print which she had, had her boot in. "I've found more." Demetrius leaned down looked at the huge foot prints. "The gods mock us with the share presence of these vile monsters." Xena folded her arms watching as he stood up. "Makes the stuffed one I own not look so corny doesn't it?" Demetrius shook his head. "So it was here as well?" Xena eased up the horn watching as he took it from her hand the disgust showing as the smell hit home. "I've found this as well, and as you can see it's not from a deer."

Demetrius turned the horn in his hands seeing the rotten bone. "Smells like it's full of disease..." Xena raised an eyebrow. "There was another it's lying among those branches by the tree I didn't cut it open but I'm guessing it's the same inside. What ever this werewolf is it's unlike any I've ever heard off, from my understanding they don't have horns." She turned to face him. "There's something which is really bothering me as well, these deep prints were made by this monster jumping upwards." She raised her finger pointing to the balcony above them. "It leapt up on to that balcony there you can even see the dirty scuff marks left by its claws."

She breathed in deeply. "I need you to tell me right now whose room that is because I believe I know but I want you to clarify it for me?" Demetrius breathed in deeply gods this day was getting worse by the second he folded his arms looking up slowly at the balcony. "That room is Gabrielle's." Xena shook her head. "I believe its time I invited her to dinner." Demetrius sighed aloud. "She did take a blow to the head there is a chance she may have been very deeply under the sedative the healer gave her and my not remember a thing." Xena narrowed her gaze. "That's true but there has to be a reason why a hulking werewolf got in through my palace walls and went in to her room and then left and maybe she can shed some light on it.

8

Gabrielle slowly opened the door to the room watching as huge room came in to view which was filled with food. There were huge racks of meat all hanging on high hooks at the far end of the room. On the left side of the room were basket full of fruit and vegetables all of it was laid out neatly so everything was easy to find. When she'd woken up this morning her stomach had left like it was full to bursting point despite that she hadn't eaten anything and she'd felt sick. Yet now she felt fine in fact she felt better than fine and she really wanted to eat something once more. Her nose had led her to this room which was filled with wonderful smells which spoke volumes to her stomach.

On the right side wall were full of cheeses, all in different types and sizes above them were smocked meats of all kinds. She slowly walked over to one of the baskets easing out a red apple looking at it. She slowly took a bite hearing the crunch and then tasting the intense flavour, which was oddly bitter tasting. She eyed the apple for a moment strange somehow she thought it'd be sweeter, but then it had been a long time since she'd had real food. There was no way she was going to touch that barley porridge again. She took another bite somehow she wished she could remember how everything else tasted.

"You know you can order food through the kitchen, you don't have to come in to the storage room to take it."

Gabrielle turned sharply meeting the brown eyes of a big boned woman who had shoulder length mousey brown hair which was plaited. She was in her early forties and was in a green dress which had a white pinafore. A wide smile filled her face as she winked in her direction, she slowly lowered the apple which she eating. "I don't know where the kitchen is." Kalika looked at the young woman for a long moment catching sight of the deep scar on her right eyebrow she put a hand on her chin as it clicked who this woman was. She was the woman from the pit the Empress's little mystery she had, had a violent episode of some kind yesterday. Though no one had told her the full details, frankly though she wasn't partial to palace rumour she preferred fact.

She looked at the short blonde haired woman she didn't look dangerous it was also clear that her eyes had healed and she could see once more which in her view was wonderful. She put her hand on her chest. "My name is Kalika I'm the palaces cook and you are?" Gabrielle looked up slightly. "Gabrielle." Kalika smiled as she moved closer to the young woman seeing her forest green eyes follow her movement. "So Gabrielle what would you like to eat no doubt your bored of barley porridge by now?" Gabrielle eyed everything around her. "I don't know, I can't remember what all these food taste like apart from cheese, for some reason I remember how that tastes."

Kalika raised an eyebrow. "You're not in to casu marzu cheese are you? Because that's very hard to order in and the kitchen staff really hate it." Gabrielle looked up slightly. "Casu marzu?" Kalika raised an eyebrow. "You know maggot cheese?" Gabrielle felt her smile turn to disgust. "That sounds vile, I may not remember what things taste like but I hate the idea of my food being alive when I'm eating it." Kalika clapped her hands together. "Thank you, gods! You have no idea how much I loath ordering in that awful cheese for guests." She smiled pulling up a number of foods. "So you don't remember how food tastes well this should be fun, I have so much here that you can try out. I'm sure I can get those taste buds on your tongue working again in no time at all."

8

Phantasos walked up the hall he turned the corner feeling the annoyance take over where was Gabrielle? His healers had told in that they'd seen her walking around the palace apparently she was doing very well despite her incident the other day. He turned the corner, feeling the anger take over he loved this palace it was beautiful but at the same time it was like rabbit warren. He watched as one of the servant women passed him by a young woman in her late twenties with medium length black hair, dark brown skin and warm hazel brown eyes, she was wearing a simple white peplos with a red belt. "Thaleia!" The woman turned to look at him as she finished cleaning one of the statues she was part of the cleaning staff who made this palace look beautiful.

He knew her very well due to her history her mother Fedora was the child minder in the palace who took care of the all the other servants children during the day and sometimes the night. Her farther had been a slave from Alkebulan who had been granted freedom in Rome by his dying master. He had later moved to Greece to serve in the army which under the Empress's rule allowed both men and women to serve regardless of origin and religion. He had worked his way up the ranks to join the elite royal guard and some years later he had met her mother. Thaleia had been born inside the palace and she'd grown up here. Her farther had died in battle against the Spartans who had, had an uprising some years back. He was sure that she missed him deeply though she never said anything.

She was a quite woman who kept herself to herself and did her duties he wasn't even sure if she had any friends. He watched as smile appeared on her face. "It's so good to see you how are you?" Thaleia looked at the cloth in her hand. "Same as always." She put her finger on the statue she'd been cleaning. "I think this statue is a pain it's always so dirty." Phantasos raised his hands. "Well you make everything look so beautiful it's a pleasure to see it shine because of your hard work." Thaleia smirked. "Ever the flatterer, you never change." Phantasos felt his smile widen. "You wouldn't have happened to have seen a woman at all would you?" Thaleia raised an eyebrow. "There are a lot of women in this palace you'll have to be more pacific."

Phantasos laughed raising his hands. "I'm looking for a young woman with short blonde hair and forest green eyes not very tall, who has an old healed scar on her right eyebrow." Thaleia looked down only to look up sharply. "Ah yes I did see her not long ago, she was walking towards the kitchens, I think she was lost, she looked slightly confused if you know what I mean." Phantasos laughed putting a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you you're a life saver, you have no idea how long I've been searching for her." Thaleia smiled putting a hand on his. "Well I'll let you get on with finding her." Phantasos stepped away from her raising his hand as he broke in to a run heading to wards the kitchen.

He stopped as he smelt the cooking food he looked in side the huge kitchen itself seeing three men and women who were preparing the guards thick goat and vegetable threw which was bubbling and frothing. Another three were separately preparing the afternoon lunch for the servants on another hot stove. She wasn't anywhere in side the huge kitchen. He turned hearing voices from the store room he slowly opened the doors to the huge room opposite instantly catching sight of the young woman who was talking with the head cook Kalika who was offering her small pieces of food to taste. He coughed clearing his throat watching as they both turned to look at him.

He put his hands together. "Ah there you are Gabrielle I was searching for you I heard that you've been up and about today." Gabrielle swallowed the salted the meat in her mouth. She recognised the voice instantly which was the head healer Phantasos but this was the first time she'd seen his face, it was strange how she'd assumed that he was younger but now seeing him in the flesh he was clearly older. She looked up slowly. "Phantasos?" Phantasos clapped his hands together. "Yes that's right is nice that you remember my voice." He walked forward slowly watching as Kalika looked up. "I'm sorry I need to take her off your hands, she's due for a check up." Gabrielle blinked. "I am? I don't remember anyone saying anything to me."

Phantasos eased up a ringed finger. "Well you left your room early this morning you have no idea the kind of chaos that went on this morning?" Kalika stood up dusting off her dress. "What kind of chaos, I didn't hear anything?" Phantasos raised an eyebrow. "Apparently there was a werewolf inside these walls but there's no need to worry, every room has been searched and it wasn't found clearly it had brains as its gone now." Kalika snorted in disgust. "I doubt any dirty monster like that would survive inside these walls, disgusting beasts if you ask me the sooner their wiped out the better." Gabrielle narrowed her gaze. "What's a werewolf?" Phantasos turned putting a hand on her shoulder. "There nothing you need to concern yourself with, you're a guest here and this a palace matter." He watched as she stood up slowly. "Now be a dear and come with me, I need to check you over." He turned to Kalika. "Sorry to take her off your hands this is very important." Kalika smirked. "We were done here anyway and I need to get back to my helpers in the kitchen, gods know they'll burn the after noon dinners if I'm not there as a guiding hand."

End of part 8

Silvermoonlight

Alkebulan is the ancient name for Africa