Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
Additional Note (Please Read): This tale is a companion with, The Conqueror & Ri: A Twist of Destiny. If you haven't read both stories' chapters preceding this one, you should do so now. Thank you to all my wonderful readers and my Beta, Jinxie. A special shout out to Marijke Bush.
Xena & Gabrielle,
A Turn of Fate,
By, Ahkiken
Chapter 37: Rising Animus
The monk had lifted the empty bowl that Xena kicked over, and cleaned the wasted remnants of okayu off of the floorboards. Ri would've offered assistance, albeit, she dwelled in profound consternation for her circumstances, referring to the Warrior Princess' bellicose deportment for a missing object, which she'd been accused of stealing. In hindsight, why would she hazard taking any of Xena's possessions when the dark-haired woman hadn't only threatened her about lying, but had also tried to physically assail her earlier in the room that she was compelled to leave.
'What if she returns and blames me for another phantom slight?' Ri's solicitude made her stomach queasy and she had to press down on the bump that was located atop her wrist to quell the nausea. 'If Xena does come back, no-one can succor me from her. Two people had rushed to my defense and paid for it.'
Massaging her throat to soothe its discomfort, she reminisced how Kenji was thrown halfway across the cabin for intervening between Xena and herself. Nor could Ri forget the Shogun's rebuke against Xena's menacing approach, and what she'd done to him to prevent further trammel to her aggressiveness. Xena did release the leader of the Samurai from the excruciation she'd produced, but it had left them at odds with each other.
'And it's all because of me!' Ri felt like she was the impetus for their friction, preceding her remembrance of the Shogun's oath to not fail protecting her again and the thin laceration on the side of Xena's neck. 'Oh, no...'
Ri covered her mouth with her hands, wondering in horror if the Shogun truly had chosen to challenge Xena, and died trying to honor his affirmation to beget her safety.
"What have I kindled?" She questioned audibly, garnering Kenji's notice.
Dropping the wet cloth into the basin, Kenji descried her, prompting him to ask, "Ri-Kun, what has happened?"
Swiftly, Ri had risen to her feet, declaring, "I've made something terrible occur. I...I think the Shogun fought Xena-Sama and... Oh, gods of Mount Olympus, have mercy on me."
As quickly as she'd stood up, Ri collapsed back onto the floor, crying for repentance. She didn't want to be the reason a man had lost his life. The storyteller already had the death of Krykus and his men bearing on her soul, now she quite feasibly was the agent for another's demise.
The monk diminished his surprise to see Ri unceremoniously fall down, and dashed to her aid. "Are you alright? Let me get you-"
"No!" Ri screamed, pushing Kenji's assisting hand away. "You don't understand! This... Everything that's happening... I'm to blame! If I would've told my uncle what was going on, he could've helped me! But I didn't say anything, and...it's too late!"
Meleager's pleading intonation breached her mind.
'Tell me what troubles you. We can solve it together.'
The Chancellor of the Realm had practically entreated for Ri to apprise him of what was afflicting her to cause the future apprentice of Aristotle to postpone the trip to Attica and the Academy of Performing Bards in Athens. Despite submitting to his pleas, she withheld the crucial information from him, having faith that the Conqueror of the Grecian Empire could alter the destiny that the Omphalos shard had plotted out for her, since it was the ruler who'd presented the shining jewelry to her to begin with.
Kenji watched hopelessly whilst Ri wailed once more. Being a monk of Shinto, he never found himself in a position to allay females who were in great despair. Notwithstanding, he reverted to consoling her the same way he did before. Kneeling, he crawled toward the strawberry-blonde and gently settled her head on his lap. At first, she was reluctant to be placed in such a delicate arrangement, but after he tenderly began caressing her long hair, Ri succumbed to the calming ministrations.
Her bellowing cries hadn't entirely ended, however, they lowered enough for Kenji to be heard, "Other than what took place with Xena-Sama, I don't know what else is wrong, Ri-Kun. Nevertheless, I swear that nothing dreadful has befallen the Shogun, nor will peril befall you from-"
"Don't...don't say it, Kenji-San" Ri barely whispered, interrupting him and her own sobbing. "If I hadn't gotten teleported to this Terra, the Shogun wouldn't have spoken those words either. Now..."
Ri couldn't bring herself to enunciate what she feared had ensued with the Shogun's life. He should've let Xena abuse her and perhaps his health would not have ever been put in jeopardy. By battling the pugnacious warrior, he'd risked his health, and the former Handmaiden knew it. Vocalizations that espoused variance could make Xena upset and downright ructious, so it wasn't hard for Ri to imagine what a wound would adjure her to do. If the Shogun had succeeded inducing an injury, which the dried blood on Xena's skin attested to, she'd kill him posthaste.
Renewed tears streamed from her aqua irises. "Shogun, I'm sorry."
Ri's pronouncement dazzled Kenji. "Why are you apologizing to the Shogun, Ri-Kun?"
Looking upwards to the monk's face, Ri averred, "I believe Xena-Sama murdered him in combat."
{X&G}
Stomping through the second and first tiers with no clear destination in cognition, erstwhile losing the will to keep her darkness abated, the Warrior Princess was visibly distraught. Noting Xena's angry appearance and the two unsheathed swords she carried, most of the loitering Samurai were wisely quick to get out of her pathway, not greeting their trainer at all. The minority who did choose to acknowledge her was ignored and had to hastily move before getting knocked down by her charging gait. Xena didn't ruminate on any of them, because she was focusing on a method to unleash the pent-up energy within her that had aggrandized to overwhelming proportions.
'I need an egress to my rising animus by channeling it outwards, rather than containing it inwards!' Xena rationalized. 'But how?'
Xena recalled that the second squad of Samurai were waiting for her to commence their duels, ergo a source to let loose. She hoped that their Shogun hadn't dismissed them. Her ratiocination ceased perceiving the dark side as an unwelcoming visitor and liberated it from its feeble shackles, allowing the battle-lust to engulf her. The events of what betide with Harukata and Ri had become evanesce from Xena's contemplation whilst she displayed a feral smile in anticipation for the impending fray.
Ascending the stairs to the main deck, Xena joyously espied that the entire second group remained, with the addition of Samurai from different squads whom didn't belong. A mass of them were sparring together, while the others observed their countrymen's engagements. She viewed the scenery, briskly formulating a plan of manipulation to contend against her students without seeming inimical about it. Walking to the center of the platform, a max of them saw her and started to denote that Xena's presence had to correspond with an announcement regarding the Samurai's competitions.
"I want every member of the second squad to line up!" She yelled. "Those of you who aren't associated with this group, I ask that y'all remove yourselves from the bottom deck!"
As the nonessential men, who belonged to divergent groups, embarked on dispersing to the upper deck, many of the second squad Samurai became baffled after recognizing that they were standing beside associates who'd already partook in the dueling qualifications. A few wanted to query their raven-haired sensei about it, but taking her riled mien in account and the blades she held, they stayed silent.
'Hurry the hell up!' The beast roared inside Xena, who was unjustly impatient at the movements of the superfluous stragglers, and then she noticed the Shogun's elite third-in-command.
Having veridical knowledge of his Shogun and Xena's confrontation, Koska was weary of her motives. Because of his firm belief of the Bushido code, and intolerance to impudence, he was reproached by Harukata's harsh glare, causing him to beseech for absolution. Acquiring humiliation for defending the principles the Shinto clan adhered to, Koska was dismayed to deduce that Xena could do anything she wanted without being subjected to retribution. Therefore, he had to stand by and watch the disrespectful, yet, armed woman prepare to do whatever she desired to the unbeknownst Samurai.
Gripping the handle of his katana, Koska traversed forward and stood in front of Xena to quietly assert, "You have some gall to show yourself after what occurred with the Shogun."
Discerning that Koska was aware of their acute battle, a dark eyebrow rose above Xena's cerulean orbs. "Ah, so you know. Is everybody else privy to that insight as well?"
"No, but in time, they will be." He rejoined. "You are despicable, and will soon find yourself in grave duress."
Understanding that Koska was angry had fueled Xena's excitement, and provoked the beast to ram the confines of her chest. Howbeit, being observant of the way he'd chosen to whisper his anguish, in lieu of attacking or yelling to draw attention, she distinguished that he wasn't going to challenge her, and halted assaulting him.
Stepping closer, Xena silently said, "If you aren't cogitating on using your weapon, I advise that you remove your hand from its hilt."
Comprehending that he couldn't neglect his Shogun's decree, Koska was recalcitrant while unclenching the katana's handle.
"Good." Xena's grin was superficial, belying her temerity as she muttered, "Now, dismiss your ass off of this platform, before I take your katana and shove it down your throat."
Her moxie made Koska's fingers twitch, wanting to unsheathe his sword and impale Xena on its blade. Withal, he was bound to abide by the Shogun's enjoin, and chose not to retaliate. Knowing that he was already contravening, 'cause he'd disregarded Harukata's command to steer away from any contact with the Warrior Princess, Koska grudgingly traipsed to the stairs that led to the top deck. From there, he would keep an eye on her to ensure that she doesn't fatally mishandle the second squad.
Abstracting her leer off of Koska's ascension to the highest platform, Xena addressed the aligned men, "Today we are going to do things a bit differently! Rather than pairing y'all up to clash with one another, you all will be fighting me!"
Once her avowal ended, the two hundred Samurai commenced eyeing each other, mumbling their perplexity at Xena's instructions.
"Did we aggrieve you somehow, Xena-Sama; similar to what the first squad had done?" One man probed in a panicked expression.
Xena came ready to absolve their worries. "No, Yasu! I need to ascertain how disciplined you all have become by engaging every one of you!"
"Half of us who'd previously competed, can we be exempted from this, whether we'd prevailed or failed in our prior bouts?" Shou queried, inclined to get a pass from contending with his instructor.
"Absolutely not!" Xena blared more forcefully than intended, because of the bloodlust's impatience to start the competitions. "If anyone of you achieve defeating me, that individual will rise to become my greatest student, and I'll teach him how to utilize pressure points!"
"Like the technique that Gabrielle-San had used on Neji?" A Samurai from the rear inquired.
"Yes..." Xena's voice had lacked its austere tone, for she was reminded of her missing fiancée.
While numerous comrades in the second squad had begun to positively accede to the prospects of learning sui generis abilities, Xena ruminated on Gabrielle. She would forever blame herself for what had bechanced the trim Amazon. Not even all of Xena's many skills could prevent her soul mate from switching places with Ri. That cogitation was enough to cause the inner darkness to strongly beckon to exact some form of revenge on anybody in hopes of attaining a sick manner of appeasement.
"Thus y'all know the reward for defeating me, but don't be wary of failing, 'cause this will not affect the remaining contests. Meaning, that those of you whom were victorious over their opponents in the previous duels will continue onwards regardless. The ones who didn't procure a win will return to training by themselves!" Descrying contented visages on the men, Xena elucidated, "The rules for dueling apply, and to assist you guys, I'll be summoning three members from the group to face me together! This exercise is to test teamwork, endurance, and combat tactics! Are y'all prepared?"
"Yes, Xena-Sama!" They all shouted.
"Let's begin!" The warrior who was donned in only her battle-dress let the terrible beast envelope her thoroughly. "Keiko, Taro, and, Yasu, step forward!"
The trio whom was called had withdrew their katanas and slowly advanced on Xena. She simply stayed motionless, awaiting their course of action. Taking the lead, Taro swung his blade, almost losing his grasp on the katana when Xena's longsword impacted it. Feeling the pulsation from the powerful brunt run through his forearms, Taro's nerves got the better of him and he became uncertain about how to proceed with a second assault. Lapsing ceremony, his musings came to an abrupt cessation after a roundhouse to the temple of his head knocked him unconscious.
Keiko and Yasu glanced at one another, then attacked Xena without devising a proficient strategy to take her down. She blocked every strike of their swords, permitting them to spend unnecessary energy on trying to overwhelm her defenses. Cognizant of Yasu's fatigue, she kicked his kneecap, causing him to falter, beforehand of using both her blades to disarm Keiko. Hitting the defenseless Samurai in the windpipe to incapacitate him, Xena's intuitive senses relayed that Yasu had regained balance, and was preparing to connect his weapon with her unprotected back.
She instantly preempted him by crouching low and executed a spinning clip to sweep his feet, before arising to deliver a sidekick to Yasu's midsection whilst he was still in midair, sending the Japian flying. The spectating second squad scrambled out of the way as Yasu landed on the floorboards with a thud. They gazed at the three men who had easily gotten felled by Xena, ruminating which one of them was next to be demonstrated on.
"This will not do!" Xena proclaimed, dissatisfied. "I've taught you all how to endure a physical confrontation by learning to reserve stamina! I apprised y'all of formations to greatly trounce your adversaries with collaboration! Unity is the key to survival, and division is a guaranteed source for death! I demand to see progress!"
Noticing the Samurai's disheartening faces, and wanting to cajole them into continuing playing her game, Xena dropped the longsword.
"Surely three blades can overpower my one!" She emitted, getting the results she sought when the men's attitudes elevated. "Hoshiko, Kanan, and Minato, let's go!"
Granted they put up a preferable offense in contrast to their defeated compatriots, Koska viewed Xena immobilize the three Japians. Subsequently, she summoned the next few warriors to oppose her might, thereupon another, and another. With every Samurai she downed, a sinister smile graced her lips, and it impelled him to feel unmitigated umbrage at the scene. Still, he kept his eyes on the bottom deck and its occupants, wanting to engage the Warrior Princess as well.
Most assuredly he knew that her combative expertise was formidable, but Koska would wager his against hers. His compulsion to wipe the evil beam off of her countenance was surmounted only by respect for Harukata. He pondered if the Shogun had grown afraid of Xena after their bout. Trying to cast the ridiculous notion aside, he couldn't discount the Shogun's adamant mandate to leave her be. Hence, a tinge of fear resided in his inner conscience at what type of monstrosity Xena, the fire trigger of Higuchi, could truly become once disenthralled.
Xena jumped backwards from Chiyo's horizontal swipe, and snapped her right foot behind her to lunge forward, speedily delivering a diving fist to his jaw. Chiyo groaned aloud, prior to falling onto the deck in pain. Their mentor beheld the singular Samurai, and she was livid. She had burned off a lot of steam and just broke a sweat, though the blue-eyed warrior was counting on being pushed to releasing some of her restrained talents.
"Mystified defines my dissatisfaction best." She explicated, relinquishing the Sacred katana. "You are the last one, Anzio. I am unarmed, so please, make this exciting."
Espying his fallen comrades, Anzio didn't repine to share their fate. He gripped his sword and charged towards Xena, swinging its blade in all angles to gain a collision with her flesh. The evasive sensei repeatedly avoided Anzio's attacks by swaying sideways, and during his vertical slash, she captured the katana's steel between the palms of her two hands.
"You'll have to do far grander than this." She kneed him softly in the stomach, letting him crumble onto his knees.
Anzio knew Xena wasn't resolved on hurting him with her recent blow, but was warning him to concentrate and memorize the many moves she'd incorporated in their training. 'If I had someone fighting alongside me, I could've possibly orchestrated a successful double team assault. Nonetheless, I'm on my own, and Xena-Sama did teach us valuable one-on-one combat tacks. Beating her is out of the question, but if I appropriate everything I'd learnt, perhaps I'll impress her."
"Time's up, Anzio." Xena professed, lifting her leg high for a crushing axe kick.
Anzio dodged the descending heel by rolling to the side, picking up Xena's longsword in the process of standing.
Observing her challenger holding dual swords, the dark side undulated with renewed purpose. "Yes! Come at me, Anzio! Pretend that I am Yodoshi! Hit me with everything you got!"
Wasting no time, he began swinging both weapons synchronically, urging Xena to tap into her superb reflexes to obviate every one of his thrusts and slashes. Attentive that she was on the defensive, Anzio superseded his strikes when he aimed a low kick to Xena's ankle, almost making her lose her footing. The near instability was a cost to her, as it presented an opportune moment for the Samurai to direct the Warrior Princess' sword at her shoulder. Disregarding her wellbeing, she seized the sharp blade within the confines of her left extremity.
Sighting the blood seeping through her wounded hand, Anzio was confounded that she effectively apprehended the longsword and gaped into his tutor's facial features, spotting a sliver cut on her neck, too. Before he could react and employ his katana, Xena capitalized on Anzio's bemusement, kicking the weaponry out of his clutch. Still arresting her sword in her bleeding palm, she punched Anzio in the nose with a right jab, invoking it to gush blood and for him to yield the handle of Xena's blade so he could nourish the pained nasal cavity. Although she had to handicap herself, Xena was proud of him, and the beast unenthusiastically returned to its imprisonment in the depths of her psyche.
"You exceeded my expectations, Anzio." She extolled, grasping her longsword by the hilt, and he couldn't contain his joviality from the approbation. "Your nose shouldn't be broken. Sit down and tilt your head back. The bleeding should stop momentarily."
Sitting to do what Xena had recommended, Anzio bestowed a goofy smile and nursed his damaged nostrils while viewing her as she bent to retrieve the Sacred katana off of the floorboards. Her goal accomplished, she decided to stride to her empty cabin. Ere to abandoning the main platform and strolling below deck, Xena wittingly spied Koska, silently daring him to confront her for the treatment of the second squad.
To her astonishment, he did nothing.
To Be Continued...