Chapter 12
Callisto prowled the length of her cave, moving with the feline grace of a large cat. She could not forget the taste of the other woman's kiss nor the tingling that burned her mouth as she longed for the flavor again.
There was something different about that one's touch. Callisto had initially presumed her to be the twin of the woman who made the offer, but no. Her touch, while just as hungry, was different. The surrender she gave to Callisto was unlike anything Callisto had ever known, not in her mortal life, undead, immortal or even godling. Though Callisto knew it had something to do with the strange words that she spoke, Callisto wanted to know that surrender again.
"Thinking of my sister are you? She has that effect." Aillia's voice drifted through the darkness.
Callisto whirled around."You did this to me. You made this two fold." She snarled at the figure moving out of the shadows, her fingertips glowing dangerously.
"Desire burns hotter when it burns both ways." Aillia purred to the blonde woman vis goddess. "You are familiar with that, aren't you?" She knew that when the time came, it would be easier to sacrifice the blonde goddess when she got Ankh back. A small price, she was too volatile, too much undisciplined power. Aillia knew there would be no defenders from the Olympians for her. They had little use for ambrosia induced gods.
"Why? You promised me..." Callisto could care less about Xena, she wanted Ankh again. Her desire for vengeance had become consumed by her desire for the silver eyed woman she had possessed.
"What? I promised you what you wanted to hear. You are causing much distress to the warrior. She is troubled by your appearance, and your desire for her friend." Aillia smiled, planting yet another kernel in such fertile soil."Xena would keep her away from me? I don't think so." Callisto's eyes narrowed, one more thing that Xena would take away from her. Not again, not with this. She was no helpless child anymore, she would destroy the warrior princess. "She tries and there is no place on this or any other plane she can hide from me."
"You have no need to fear, Ankh cannot stop the trembles that course through her body every time she thinks of you. You will have her again, tonight."
Callisto's lips curved into a slow feral smile, she ran her hands unconsciously over her abdomen and hips. "Good."
The three travelers approached from over the hill towards the village. Ankh quietly responding to Xena's questions. Gabrielle could not bring herself to say anything more. She remembered the hallucination - it was a hallucination wasn't it - from the sweat lodge in the Amazon village. The gentle caress of the goddess's fingers as she stroked her brow. The sting of the slap. She was trying to reconcile the news about Callisto. Every time she thought that she had found forgiveness for the blonde witch, the scab was ripped off and the pain bled through again. She no longer knew what the source of the pain was, whether from the quick death Callisto had given Perdicus before her eyes, or the torment that Xena suffered continually at Callisto's hand. If Perdicus were still alive, she would still be in Potedia, tending the farm, and waiting to hear news of Xena's further exploits. She would never have known the passion and power of her friend as her lover. Of course, she wouldn't also have known the pain and hurt that came from Xena's fury. Her heart would not have been made whole. Gabrielle shook her head slightly, this was meant to be. Never had she felt more complete than when she was at Xena's side. And the pain of her lover's violence had devastated her. So much hurt had been between them and where ever there was pain - there was Callisto. The thread of her life had bought her here, and unfortunately, Callisto's thread was woven in to the tapestry of her life.
"Not too much further." Ankh spoke up to no one in particular. Xena had ridden most of the day, and Gabrielle had walked on the other side of Argo. Ankh knew that she could fault neither one of them for their distance. What of her other friends, where were they?
She wished that she could speak to Dhomb, of all of them, he was her closest ally. She had to save them, or else offer to trade herself for their freedom. What she would do about her own lover she did not know. Ankh did not believe that Aillia would just let it go between them. She sighed. Her mind drifted back to Callisto, despite the news, her mind and body were not of the same opinion. She could not control her body's response everytime a memory of Callisto flashed unbidden through her mind.
Screams from below shook each of them from their thoughts. Xena hee-yahhed Argo into a gallop down the hill. Gabrielle and Ankh both sprinted down after the warrior princess. Xena reached the village with her sword arm flashing as she bore down on the attackers. The soldiers fell easily beneath her blade, she could see more pouring in from the south. Argo lashed out with flying hooves to those that dared to come closer. Off to the side, Xena saw the leaders, there were more than one, standing. Not yet joining the fray. Xena flipped off Argo and landed squarely on two soldier's backs before pushing off to land on her feet. Her face was lit with glee as she advanced on 3 angry soldiers.
Gabrielle and Ankh joined the fracas, Gabrielle striking out with her staff, Ankh with her hands and feet. "Ankh!" Xena yelled as she tossed a sword towards the woman. Ankh shook her head and let the sword fall to the ground beside her as she somersaulted away from the strike bearing down on her. She leapt to her feet and swung one leg into an arcing kick across the face of her attacker. Two quick punches and he toppled backwards.
"Ankh!" A man's voice cried out. Ankh turned towards the sound of the voice."What are doing here, defending these people?" A tall figure strode towards her.
"Dhomb?" A smile spread across Ankh's face.
"Why are you defending this village of slavers?" Dhomb stopped in front of Ankh, green eyes blazing down at looked up at the handsome face of her dearest friend.
"Village of slavers? What are you talking about?" Confusion dimmed her smile.
Xena saw one of the commanders stride over to Ankh, were they talking? Why was she not surprised?
"It's true, then, Sharia said you had gone mad. You fight beside the Warlord Xena." The man snarled down at Ankh.
"Dhomb! No, this is Ai..." Ankh didn't finish her sentence, stumbling backwards as he backhanded her.
"I'm sorry Ankh. I cannot stand by and let this happen." Dhomb moved towards Ankh, his eyes watched her dearest friend move towards her, knowing he believed that she was truly on the wrong side of the battle.
"Ten thousand curses on you Aillia." She thought as she leapt away from his next attack.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be." He whirled around to block her attack.
"No Dhomb...I am not on the enemy." Ankh skipped back and kicked him across his strong jaw while his defense was still down where her last attack had been.
"Lover." A voice purred from behind Ankh, Ankh turned and saw the face of her blood bound lover, Sharia. "Sharia." Ankh saw the rage that burned in her eyes, thin blue beams of fury. "Don't Sharia." She whispered as her lover attacked.
"How could you leave us like this? How could you leave me?" Sharia growled, her clawed fingers barely missing Ankh's stomach. Ankh watched as the rage consumed her lover, her beautiful face transforming into a mask of hate. A snarl curled her lips back, exposing sharpened teeth, her hands lethal claws.
"Sharia, no...I didn't leave you." Ankh protested, her head snapping back as Sharia hit her soundly across her face. She stumbled back, trying to move away from Sharia and Dhomb. She watched the muscles ripple across Sharia's body, her skin transforming into black and white diamond scales.
"You are not here anymore!" Sharia's screamed her rage, her claws dragging across her heart as she lunged for Ankh again.
Xena dispatched the last of the soldiers, and hurled her Chakram through the air towards the creature and the man advancing on Ankh. A glancing blow knocked the man unconscious and ricocheted off the creatures shoulder. Xena snatched the weapon out of the air, amazed that the creature was unscathed by the blow. The creature turned, howling and with long loping strides headed for Xena.
"Ne'sharias'tiembe!" Ankh called out, her hands moving in intricate patterns before her. Her head throbbing from Sharia's blow. The creature stopped in it's tracks and turned to glare at Ankh. The sound of a horn from the hilltop made Xena and Ankh both look to see a retreat being called. Another sound and the creature that was Sharia turned and ran back for the still figure of Dhomb. With one arm she scooped him up and turned to face Ankh. "How could you betray me?" The icy fire in blue eyes softened for a moment as she ran past Ankh.
"Sharia..." Ankh whispered, before realizing that her lover was racing towards Gabrielle who had just lowered her staff as the soldiers began their retreat back up the hills. Xena saw the creature heading towards Gabrielle and both Ankh and Xena cried out."Gabrielle!"
Gabrielle turned in time to see the creature bearing down on her, she tried to raise her staff, which did not come up fast enough to deflect the black and white forearm across her forehead. She lost consciousness before the creature had also scooped her up and raced towards the top of the hill. Xena and Ankh raced after the creature, Xena whistled for Argo, cursing when she did not appear. The creature that was Sharia turned and faced the two women headed towards her. On either side of her stood a small delicate woman and massive dark haired man."Arnaia! Zanten!" Ankh called to her former comrades, her breath burning in her lungs.
A schism opened beneath her feet and she tumbled forward. From the corner of her eye, she saw Xena falling forward as well. She tucked and landed on the soft dirt before springing off again. When she and Xena landed on the other side, there was no sign of the army or Sharia or turned and glared at Ankh. "Where are they? What have they done with Gabrielle?" Her voice was threateningly low. Ankh shook her head, "I...I don't know...I don't know anything about this land...To the nearest temple of Hecate I would guess." Ankh did not know what she could do to quell the warrior's anger and fear. Xena wrestled the rage that threatened to explode. She needed to get away from this woman, this harbinger of dark desires.
"The next town due East has a temple I am sure. Meet me there in 2 days time. I need to speak to someone. If you are not there, I will do whatever I need to to get Gabrielle back." Xena said in the same quiet voice, turning back towards the village. Her eyes scanned the area, looking for her familiar golden mare. She saw Argo tethered tightly to a tree, legs tangled in roots that curved suspiciously from the ground surrounding the horse.
"I will be there." Ankh replied softly, settling to her knees on the dry grass beneath her. She waited until she heard the sound of galloping horse hooves receding. She finally made her way down into the village and helped them tend to their wounded before getting back on the road, heading away from the setting sun.