Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
Additional Note (Please Read): This story is tied in with my other tale, The Conqueror & Ri: A Twist of Destiny.
Xena & Gabrielle
A Turn of Fate
By Ahkiken
Chapter 2: Past Misdeeds
The mysterious warrior was on the offensive, swinging her sword, desperate for a direct hit. Her smirking foe continuously allowed the hectic attacks.
"You know." Xena started to say, descrying that her challenger was becoming winded with every strike. "You're going to tire out if you keep attacking me this way."
Taking another swing, the auburn-haired masquerader bellowed, "Shut up and fight back!"
Xena blocked the so-called Destroyer of Nations' slashes six times, expounding, "If I attack, I'll hurt you."
"You can't injure me." Her blade connected with Xena's again. "I am the Destroyer of-"
The tirade was cut short with a perfectly timed parry, and an elbow to her stomach, forcing the young female to drop on both knees.
"You held onto your weapon. That's a sign of a decent contender." Xena commented, sheathing her sword and snatching the weaponry out of the defeated warrior's loosened clasp.
Xena's downed opponent was coughing, trying to get her bearings and needed air into panting lungs.
"An adequate fighter." Xena went on. "But not of the caliber you claim to be."
"I am Xena." The pretender lied again.
"No, you're not." A voice impugned.
Looking up slightly, the breathless woman recognized the pretty, short-haired blonde walking towards her.
"You!" She sounded astounded. "Shouldn't you be on your back somewhere?"
Suddenly, realization hit her.
'Where are my men? Little blondie couldn't have trounced them?' She thought, fear gripping her heart. "Who... Who are you?"
"My name is Gabrielle. This here, is the one and only Xena." The bard introduced herself and her companion.
'Is it possible? They can't be the Warrior Princess and the Battling Bard of Potidaea... No way!' She'd wrongly deduced. "Ridiculous."
Gabrielle stood beside Xena. "Show her what you can do."
"You want me to use the pinch?" Xena asked incredulously.
"No, silly. The chakram." Gabrielle clarified.
"Oh." Xena mouthed as her hand let the yin-yang chakram free.
The charlatan watched the disc bounce on the barks of trees and split in two, ricocheting off other obstacles before finally becoming singular again, finishing its trek back into Xena's clench. Mesmerized by what she witnessed, the surprised spectator couldn't inhibit staring at the legendary couple, whilst Xena clipped the razor-sharp circlet on her right hip.
Raising a shaky finger in their direction, she stuttered, "You're Xe...Xena, and the bard Gab...Gabrielle."
"Yup. And the horse you wanted, her name is Argo." Xena replied.
"Impossible." The imposter muttered in amazement.
"Not unfeasible." Gabrielle chirped in. "That's Xena's original warhorse's mare; Argo Jr."
"I wasn't alluding to the horse. I..." She stayed mystified when Xena aided her onto unsteady feet. "There's rumors saying Xena and her scribe is dead. Contrary to those whispers, close to two years ago, I heard that they were seen around the Chalcidice, traversing home after twenty-five years of their disappearance."
"Can you cease referring to us in the third person. We're alive, not deceased." Xena retorted.
"You both are so young." The warrior professed, regaining her breath and balance.
Gabrielle softly nudged Xena's ribs, joking, "Some of us are, more than others."
Allowing the playful quip from her soul mate to pass, Xena began appraising their would-be robber's features up closely.
'Definitely russet hair, light-brown eyes, and an undoubtedly young-looking face.' Her assessment completed, Xena articulated, "You look youthful as well. I would guess no older than twenty seasons."
"Nineteen, actually." She corrected, her eyes downcast. "Nineteen Autumns."
'Ah, we're getting somewhere.' Xena mused. "Now that you're cognizant of whom we are, who are you?"
"And why are you running hither and thither claiming to be somebody you're not?" Gabrielle added, ignoring Xena's mild annoyance at using verbose, bardic words.
"My name is Tanya of Larissa in Thessaly." Her eyesight elevated to the Warrior Princess' visage. "Many people speak 'bout you, Xena. They'd tell anecdotes of how you were an evil warlord bent on bringing misery and death to anyone. With that reputation, it earned you the title: Destroyer of Nations."
"That was Xena a lifetime ago." The petite Amazon vented defensively.
"I didn't mean any offense." Tanya apologized.
"Yeah, 'cause roaming 'round pretending to be me isn't offensive at all." Xena chastised, folding her arms.
Tanya studied the ground. "Like I averred, many people talk, and that was a few of the things I've heard. Other voices... Majority of travelers whom would visit us in Thessaly would avouch tales of how you stopped the Thessalian Mitoans War."
Memories flooded Xena's senses with scenes of that fateful day more than three bygone decades. Beyond the fact that she was a skilled strategist and a magnificent leader when it came to tactical warfare, Xena hadn't taken a place on the frontlines of battle. Instead, it was her ability as a unique medic that helped end the strife.
Tanya went on elucidating, "They disclosed you'd saved numerous lives that day, and kept both belligerents' soldiers' souls from Hades' clutches."
"You shouldn't believe everything you hear." Xena responded.
Tanya's head shot up. "Not even from my own father? He told me you didn't just rescue lives, but had stolen back a spirit from the underworld god himself. An essence that was...is very special to you."
"Father?" Xena inquired.
"Marmax." Tanya evinced.
"Your father is Marmax?" Gabrielle was befuddled, recollecting the angry, determined man who'd crossed her and Xena's path. "The leader of the Mitoans?"
"Yes." She made clear in advance of turning her focus fully on Xena. "Is it true?"
Xena went silent while her greatest fear that day washed over her.
[I'm not quite certain how I got myself into this.
I mean, I am Xena. Once proud Destroyer of Nations. I could have been empress of Corinth, if not all of Greece right now. Not here, stuck between two opposing forces inclined on murdering each other because of different faiths.
Fools.
My sword hasn't killed a single person. In lieu of that, I'm inside this Thessalonian temple trying to save Thessalians and Mitoans alike. If my enemies were to detect what I've become, they would be laughing at me. The ones whom are dead and buried would be turning in their unmarked graves, if they didn't suffer my frequent grotesque wrath. Otherwise, besides a grave, their heads would be hacked off and rotting on pikes.
Speaking of disembodied individuals, there's one here who I'd relish throttling. Galen... Argh, what a useless healer! Solely good for praying to a non-caring god, who I am positive doesn't give a damn. Deities are nearly as worthless as Romans; nothing but letdowns.
Believe me, I know.
I'm glad I took leadership over this hospice. Numberless soldiers had died already, but I'm sure if I hadn't taken command, lots of others would be ferried across the River Styx on Charon's boat, whereupon they wouldn't be amongst the living.
At least my life isn't completely negative.
I am not totally ungrateful to Hercules for setting me on this road; the path of the Greater Good. I'll be forever in his debt. Though I'm seeking redemption for my past misdeeds and helping a lot of strangers, I still wish for death sometimes.
That's what I deserve.
However, I been doing this Greater Good thing for almost a year and I'm growing accustomed to it. Besting warlords, gods, titans, and psychotic avengers, calms my inner turmoil. Saving maidens, couples, families, villages, and these warring men's lives, brings me a sense of...
Peace.
Especially now, whilst I hand Ephiny's Centaur baby to her. Such a shame what happened to Prince Phantes; to suffer a horrible demise. Funny how things work itself out; good people die and the bad mostly prosper. Albeit gazing at the facial expression on Ephiny makes me forget about conflicts and death. The pure importance here, is life. Gabrielle prizes moments like these. She would love being with her Amazon sister during this juncture right now.
Where is Gabrielle?
Gradually, I am aware of commotion going on behind me. Dashing to discern what's the problem, I scrutinize Gabrielle lying on a patient's gurney. How can this be?
What has occurred?
I hear a guy's reiteration of how his child got lost outside the temple, and Gabrielle volunteered to find him. Gods, she is so kind. So selfless and...
Stupid!
There's a war going on! She knows that! Why would she try traipsing through skirmishes!?
Naïve...
Yet, I can only be mad with myself. I brought us to this Tartarus-hole. All I can do is find out what's wrong and assist her.
Wiping down Gabrielle's perspiring skin, her body starts convulsing uncontrollably without warning, prior to becoming still.
"What's happening?" Marmax queries.
"I don't know! Gabrielle!" I shout.
"She's dead." Hippocrates declares sadly.
"She is not dead, I wouldn't let her." I snarl. "Come on, Gabrielle, wake up."
She's just sleeping. I'll shake her. She hates it when I do that.
"Come on, wake up. Come on, wake up." I repeat, shaking her. "Wake up, you're scaring me."
As I realize that she's not breathing, nor is her heart beating, I feel an unknown pain within me.
"Wake up. Gabrielle, breathe. Come on. Come on, breathe, breathe." Becoming afraid, a rush of panic overwhelms me.
I ken these emotions, but this growing, pained sensation...
It's... I can't call it.
"Maybe she just needs air." I announce to no one in particular. "I need to get some air in her lungs."
Leaning, I place my mouth atop hers with the intent of breathing life into her.
"Come on, Gabrielle, breathe!" I blare, continuing my method of resuscitation.
"Please, stop it. She's dead now. She is in a better place." Hippocrates tries to force me to accept.
It simply makes me further determined.
"Get out of my way! You don't know anything!" I scream at him.
He backs off and I return concentration on my main concern.
"Don't you listen to him." I beg her, knowing she's alive.
Hoping she will reveal those aqua irises for me.
"Come on, I know you're in there, prove it." I'm irritated, close to hysteria. "You can show him. Come on. Wake up and breathe."
I'm shaking her a bit roughly now. How dare she wiggle her way into my life merely to leave me. To die on me. It should be me lying here dying. This is to be my fate, not hers. Never hers.
This unsettling pain... It's surging...
"You never ran from anything in your whole life. Come on, fight!" I yell, hitting her chest hard.
Next, I hear Marmax's tonality, "Xena."
"Fight!" I pound her again.
"Xena! It's time to stop now." He asserts, grasping my attention. "Let her cross over peacefully."
"What do you know?" I snap, 'cause this bloody contention is all his gods be damned fault. "You've killed so many."
Marmax gazes at me, explicating very gently and concisely, "So have you. Let it go."
He is right. I was...am a killer. A murderer of thousands, whether innocent akin to Gabrielle, or guilty like Caesar. I've botched protecting her the same way I had failed Lyceus, M'Lila, Anokin, and...
I bring sorrow and sadness to the surface of my very carefully closed heart. Gabrielle is not them. She won't end up like 'em.
"No!" I roar, refusing to let go and see reasoning. "No. Come on, Gabrielle. Come on. Come on."
I'm holding her in my arms, beating the Hades out of her chest. I've surpassed hysterics while the tears roll down the sides of my cheeks unchecked. I don't care, I love her, and now she's trying to do the same thing she has done to me twice already throughout our journey together; abandon me. Except this time it'll be permanent.
"Don't leave me. Don't you leave me!" I am weeping openly, pounding her frame, and silently daring for someone to interfere or disturb me so I can make Marmax's pronouncement veracious by killing everybody around me. "Don't leave me! Don't leave me! Wake up! Wake up!"
I need Gabrielle. I'm nothing without her support and belief in me. My pleading vocals must reach her...
It has to.
I hit her again, crying, "WAKE UP!"
Gabrielle's pupils open wide, her lips parting and gasping for oxygen. My eyes lock onto hers and something in my internal core click. Strange, I didn't think that painful feeling had anything to do with my heart.
"You're Asclepius!" The hack forcefully affirms to me, falling on his kneecaps. "You've come back to Gaia."
"Get up, Galen. I'm not Asclepius, you should know that by now."
Afterwards of glowering at the old fool, I peer into Gabrielle's greenish-blue irises.
"It's Gabrielle who performed the miracle." I kiss her forehead, grasping her strongly. "Didn't 'cha?"
I finally identify that clicking in my heart. My soul, if I truly have one, felt complete now that I've gained Gabrielle back.
It is love...]
A gentle palm rested on Xena's shoulder, evaporating the remaining memories.
"Xena." The bard became concerned anent to her soul mate's doleful countenance. "Are you alright?"
The Warrior Princess nodded that she was fine, and distinguishing Xena's appearance, Tanya believed she'd acquired her answer.
"It's true." Smiling from ear-to-ear, she gestured at Gabrielle. "It was her, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
Xena's short response provoked Tanya to guffaw, and the duo was thrown off by her outburst. "I can't believe this. You two are my heroes! But you, Xena... You saved my dad, rescued villages from terrorizing warlords and bandits. I've even overheard hearsay that you fought the gods and became a God Slayer. I knew you were familiar to me, but couldn't put my finger on why or how. I'd subconsciously recognized you from the description almost everyone described."
"Alright. Alright." Xena tried to get the excited teenager to calm herself. "I'm confident Marmax apprised that I am no longer a warlord. Notwithstanding, you try to steal my identity as the Destroyer of Nations. Why?"
Tanya blushed, explaining, "I didn't mean to. I wanted to travel, you know? See the world. A couple of years ago, some Larissians claimed to have seen you two in the areas of Stagirus and Argilus, heading to Amphipolis. I had implored my father to allow me to go, but he stated that the road was no place for a woman. Unfortunate perils can happen, caused by slavers, ruffians, anybody for that matter. I still wouldn't give up."
"So you left?" Gabrielle understood it was the wrong decision to choose, although it was the one she had selected. "And became what your father cautioned."
""Yeah, but no way did I pack up and leave. My father and I worked out a nice agreement first." Tanya proclaimed, seemingly happily.
Xena's head lowered to Gabrielle's ear, and she whispered, "Every farm girl isn't like you, my love. They cannot run off to follow dangerous strangers who'd protected them, their sister, and friends from slavery."
Gabrielle glared into her eyes, mocking, "It paid off, didn't it? Here I am with you after all these years."
Xena had gotten lost in the moment, placing a soft kiss above Gabrielle's golden crown. "Yeah, you are. I won't forget you'd also safeguarded my life when you followed me home and prevented the villagers from stoning me."
Tanya espied the pair with great interest. The manner that the dark-haired warrior stared at the blonde bard spoke volumes.
"Are you two... Um, it's none of my business, but are you both...lovers?"
She and Xena had shared a confidential intimacy for so long, Gabrielle didn't perceive how to reply. A handful of individuals literally knew, whilst others guessed, and in this case, quizzed.
Xena ignored the question, countering with her own, "So you and your father worked out something. What was it?"
Tanya decided to bow out from her investigation of the historic duo's relationship.
"We agreed if he trained me to wield a sword better than most, I could go out into the world. Extensive story short, I'd learned, but upon my arrival in the Chalcidice territory, I kinda..." Tanya's explanation trailed off.
"'Kinda', what?" Xena prompted.
Releasing a sigh, Tanya continued, "I ran into some men and kicked their butts. They were no match for me. I felt invincible by defeating them."
A grin formed on Tanya's mien.
"Did you kill any of them?" Gabrielle probed.
"No." Xena proffered her judgment. "She didn't kill anybody. Did you, Tanya?"
It was a rhetorical query and they both acknowledged the forthcoming, truthful utterance, "No. They prodded who I was and how did I fight so diligently. So, I told them-"
"You were Xena." Gabrielle smiled, knowingly.
She could understand what it was like to crave mimicking an incredible combatant apropos to Xena's prestige. In a bygone period, the novice Amazon Princess impersonated the Warrior Princess, though it was for the Greater Good.
"I told them that I was Xena, but they chose to call me the Destroyer of Nations. I tried to thwart 'em from using the appellation, nevertheless, they kept on chanting it and swore loyalty to me. It was so...intoxicating." Tanya admitted.
Xena knew all too well. "The power, huh? It'll compel you to do things you'd never surmised you would."
"That is exactly what happened. Soon, I was harassing townsfolks whom I'd deemed inferior to me. I've worked myself up to this point of trying to rob you and give Gabrielle to my men. This is the worse I had ever done in the fortnight I've been hanging with them." Tanya appeared gloomy. "Please, forgive me."
"No harm, no foul." Gabrielle noticed that Xena gave her a side glance because of the avowal. "What?"
Airily cutting her eyes at Gabrielle, Xena predicated eloquently, "No harm, Tanya, 'cause it was us you and your hooligans came up against. Nonetheless, it's a foul for leading these men on to such a destructive and bellicose course."
Tanya looked downward again in shame.
"Promise us something." Gabrielle verbalized.
"Anything." The younger teen was eager for a second opportunity to do better.
"Dispose your merry band of thieves to the wayside if they can't fight for the Greater Good." Xena proposed.
"Greater Good?" Tanya was unfamiliar with the term.
"Serving a purpose that's more than yourself. Like aiding others the way we do." Xena divulged, flipping Tanya's sword handle first, relinquishing it to her.
Tanya sheathed it at her hip while Gabrielle informed her, "And halt using Xena's name."
"I will stop. Thanks for giving me another chance."
The two warriors beamed.
"You're okay, and tell your father we said hello." Gabrielle pronounced.
Tanya became troubled. "Well, I was hoping-"
"That bitch kicked me!" One of the men shouted, vehemently.
The three females turned to espy the outcry, and Gabrielle pegged him as the first man she'd attacked post flipping off of Argo II.
Thereon, Tanya began stepping to him. "Jargas, it's cool. I've made a terrible mistake."
"No error, Destroyer. Let's beat their asses!" He exclaimed.
"Here we go again." Gabrielle expelled a breath, gripping a single sai.
"No, Jargas. They're heroes." Tanya planned to reason with him, totally forgetting who she was pretending to be. "They are Xena and Gabrielle."
"Wait, I presumed you were Xena? Ain't that what you fucking told us?"
"I apologize, Jargas." She dithered. "I... I lied. I'm not Xena. My real name's Tanya, and I want to fight for what's right. I want us all to fight for the Greater Good."
Jargas' cerebration was steaming. Not only was this bitch not the Destroyer of Nations, but she made fools out of him and his friends for two damn weeks. Whereas, what could he do? He didn't want to get kicked in his chest twice. Slowly a faint, mischievous grin formed on his lips.
"That's the real Xena?" His inquiry was taken as a peace treaty, impelling Tanya to assent with a vigorous nod. "I would love to greet her and apologize."
"Really! You're not mad at me?" She was a bit mistrustful.
'Damn straight I am!' Jargas secretly ruminated. "Of course not. She's the spectacular Xena. Come on, introduce me. I want to fight for this Greater Good crap, too."
Tanya was giddy with joy. She really liked Jargas, and was happy that he was choosing to succor the helpless alongside her. Showing her back to him, and ambling forward to the tall and trim women, her excitement dwindled to dread once she took stock of the cropped blonde's facet.
Gabrielle warned, "Tanya, watch out!"
Spinning around quickly, Tanya saw Jargas as he raised his dagger from his wristband to stab her. The teenager couldn't react fast enough and utterly accepted that she was going to die.
"You deceiving bitch!" He accused with rage in his pupils.
The small blade was descending to impale Tanya between her breast-bone. Before she could comprehend what happened, a sai was embedded into Jargas' striking arm.
"Shit!" He grunted loudly, gawking at the strange weapon that pierced his skin, making him drop the knife.
Tanya was too shocked to move, cogitating frightfully, 'He could have killed me.'
"Get away from him, Tanya!" Xena hoped to get her attention, but to no avail.
Jargas noted Tanya's pause, seizing the advantage by shoving her down with his good arm, and knelt slightly to pick up the dagger. Preceding an attempt to use it again, a sharp prong pierced Jargas' heart, and the last sight he scanned, prior to weary eyes rolling into their sockets, was a diminutive hand holding the hilt to another one of those peculiar weapons that protruded from his upper arm. Exhaling his final breath, he fell to the ground.
Xena ran over, lifting Tanya to her feet, as Gabrielle crouched to pluck her sais from Jargas' lifeless figure.
"Are you alright?"
Tanya's mind remained in a haze.
"Are you all right?" Xena repeated, jerking her shoulders to get the auburn-haired teen to focus.
"Yes... Yes, I'm okay." She mumbled, viewing Gabrielle whilst she cleaned the blood off of her twin weaponry on Jargas' shirt.
'Great. I have soiled my hands by taking a life again.' The velvet-clad Amazon was glum.
Reading her lover's deportment, Xena chimed, "There's a stream we can make use of to get cleansed, but it's farther from Mende."
"That is fine." Gabrielle consented, arising and depositing her sais inside the straps on her boots.
"Tanya?"
"Is he...he... I...I never spied a...a murdered corpse, Xena. I've seen someone unconscious. Hurt even, but not...not..." She babbled, gaping at her slain comrade.
"Do you have a horse or anything you need to take?" Xena interrogated.
"Yes."
"Well, grab them, we need to go." Xena commanded, strolling to Argo with Gabrielle trailing her.
Tanya spotted her deserted goons groaning on the ground. "What about them?"
"They'll keep, unless you want to stay here with 'em." Xena mounted her mare, and the bard settled behind her.
'They probably will try to kill me also.' Tanya feared, running into the bushes to her hidden steed to gather personal items and saddle up.
Guiding her horse out of the foliage, she commenced getting on it, earning Xena's support.
"Good choice." Working Argo II into a slow trot, Xena queried, "Ready, Tanya?"
The reddish brown-haired teenager acceded, "Yes."
"Yah." Xena urged, coaxing Argo to gallop to their modified destination with Tanya shadowing as well.
To Be Continued...