As day broke, Xena watched Argo trot away after setting the mare free. Not wanting her beloved horse to get caught in the chaos that would soon be upon them, and uncertain that she and Gabrielle would survive the day, the warrior thought it best to send Argo away. Once Argo was out of sight, the warrior retreated back into the armory to finish preparing for what she felt might very well be her final battle.
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Back inside, Xena began moving a large container of oil, hoisting it up to the upper level of the building. Once done, she climbed back down the ladder and looked toward Gabrielle, who was laying unmoving in the shadows of the encroaching sun, and tentatively called out to her.
XENA
Gabrielle?
GABRIELLE
(Weak tone) I'm still here. I think. Strange, I seem to have moved beyond the pain.
XENA
Here. I have a poultice ready for you.
GABRIELLE
(Weak tone) No, Xena please, don't bother with that. I can't fight. I can't help you. So please, just leave me here. At this point, I'm nothing more than a distraction to you.
XENA
But you're my source, Gabrielle.
Xena walked over and knelt beside the ailing bard as she continued.
XENA
When I reach down inside myself and do things that I'm not capable of, it's because of you.
She gently cupped Gabrielle's cheek as she softly stroked her thumb over the soft skin.
XENA
Don't you know that by now? So no matter what might happen today, we'll see it through together, all right?
Xena smiled softly before placing a gentle kiss on the young woman's lips, and then lifted Gabrielle into her arms and over her shoulder as she walked over and carried the bard up the ladder.
XENA
(Soft tone) There you go.
Once on the upper level of the building, Xena eased the bard down onto another makeshift bed of hay she had prepared and covered her with a blanket.
XENA
You good?
Gabrielle coughed a bit before replying.
GABRIELLE
(Weak tone) Yeah.
XENA
Okay. Listen, I'm gonna put the boiling oil over by the ladder.
Xena nodded toward where she had just carried the blonde.
XENA
If you see them start climbing up, just push it over onto them.
GABRIELLE
(Weak tone) But, what about you? You'll be down there with them.
XENA
You won't have to worry about that. If they make it to the point where they're coming up here, then that means it's already too late for me.
There was a moment of silence that passed between them as the meaning of what the warrior had just said sank in, until Xena stood to climb back down the ladder.
XENA
Until the other side, whether it be in this life or the next.
She turned to leave until she heard Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE
(Weak tone) Xena, wait.
The warrior looked back at the young woman.
XENA
Yeah?
GABRIELLE
(Weak tone) Watch out for a man with a double-edged sword. I had a dream, he came through the roof and…
Gabrielle paused, not wanting to vocalize the possibility of Xena being killed right before the warrior was about to face what was her biggest battle to date alone. So instead, the blonde just told her the same thing she thought every time she watched the woman running straight into danger.
GABRIELLE
(Weak tone) Just be careful.
A small, sad smile crossed Xena's lips.
XENA
Always looking out for me, huh?
GABRIELLE
(Weak tone) Always. I loved you, Xena.
Xena moved back to where the bard lay and helped the woman sit up before wrapping her in a tight embrace.
XENA
I love you too, Gabrielle. You're my best friend, my family. Always remember, no matter what happens, nothing will ever change that.
The warrior pulled back slightly as she placed one more kiss on the bard's lips before continuing to speak.
XENA
'Til the other side, then. We'll be together.
GABRIELLE
'Til then.
Gabrielle laid back down as just a few moments later, the sound of multiple horses could be heard stampeding their way and Xena rose from her spot beside the bard with her sword in her hand.
XENA
They're coming.
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The sound of the approaching army growing louder, Xena stood pressed up to a wall of the upper level of the armory as she peeked through a crack to take stock of what exactly she was dealing with. Outside, she could see what looked to be multiple horses coming up over a hill. All of which were being ridden by soldiers wearing Persian armor. Signaling that the invading army had indeed arrived.
With an unseen scowl sent their way, Xena flipped down from the second story and moved to the building's large doors. She peered through the crack to gauge their distance once more, before taking hold of both doors and pulling so they flew open as she let out her famed battle cry, causing the army to stop dead in their tracks as they stood baffled by the brazen and bold behavior, most assuming that it was a call for hidden troops to launch their attack. That was until they realized there was no one else coming, and the leader called for the archers to open fire.
The archers lining up their shots, Xena Quickly shut and barricaded the doors once more, before stepping back and waiting for their next move as she heard a series of arrows hit the other side of the door. Hearing the commotion, Gabrielle managed to sit up slightly to see the warrior woman below, as a moment of silence passed before giving way to a sudden rumbling that began to cause the walls of the whole building to shake. Then, as if they were some sort of monster straight out of a scary story, one of the soldiers' arms burst through a wooden board that Xena had put over all the windows and began to claw away at the rest of the boards until he and several others started to climb in. Though she had hoped the boards would last longer, Xena stood unintimidated as she swiftly seized her chakram from her side and sent it flying to cut a rope that was holding back a large log embedded with multiple wooden spikes that then swung toward the window. Several painful groans rang out as the spiked contraption impaled multiple soldiers who had been trying to enter through the window, as a couple died instantly, while others remained stuck on the spikes alongside their dead allies as they tried both painfully and unsuccessfully to dislodge themselves from the spikes. Until they eventually stopped struggling and fell still like the others.
Meanwhile, with the windows now completely blocked, the invading army's focus shifted to the doors. Which they were able to easily break down through sheer numbers before flooding into the armory as Xena stood ready despite the odds.
With several soldiers charging her, Xena reached over and picked up a stick from the fire that she had been using earlier and grabbed a bottle of ale that she had gotten out of their things and sipped on while setting everything up for the battle. Taking a big mouthful, the warrior held up the flaming stick and proceeded to spit the alcohol at the open flame, causing it to erupt in a large plume that set the men coming at her ablaze. Screaming in agony, the soldiers flailed helplessly as they felt themselves being burned alive, and Xena switched to using her sword and continued to fight against the others that were still rushing into the building.
Blood splattered onto the ground as the dark-haired woman's blade cut into another soldier. Then, while leaving him to fall, she plunged her steel through a different soldier's midsection, twisting her blade within him before yanking it out to fight the next man who came at her. Letting out an angry yell, Xena swung at another Persian soldier, cutting his arm to make him drop his weapon, before bringing her blade back the other way and catching him across the throat before moving on to the next soldier, and then the next, with seemingly no end to the onslaught in sight.
As the battle waged on, Xena kicked a soldier away before driving her blade into his chest. Then, with an angry yell, she slashed at the first unfortunate soldier that came within her reach, slicing open his midsection and turning to drive her blade into the next nearest enemy to her.
Meanwhile, Gabrielle kept watch from where she lay above the chaos as she watched another soldier come at Xena who responded by kicking his knee, which caused the man's leg to buckle from under him and fall. He looked up just in time to see the warrior woman with her sword raised above her head, pointed straight down, before she swiftly plunged it down, scraping against his sternum as it sank into his flesh. With another yell, the raven-haired warrior woman yanked her weapon out of the now-dead soldier as a spray of crimson spattered the ground and carved her way through another enemy that rushed her. Gabrielle felt her heart start to pound as she watched the exact scene from her nightmare seemingly playing out before her very eyes.
GABRIELLE
(Thinking to herself) No, Xena.
A few more bodies fell to the ground after meeting Xena's blade, as the bard looked up to see the roof shake as just a moment later a man dropped through and landed on his feet directly behind the warrior.
GABRIELLE
Xena, behind you!
Fearing that her nightmare was about to become reality, Gabrielle fought with everything she had to move but could barely get off her blanket before she saw Xena duck and grab a spiked mace from a dead soldier lying at her feet before turning around as she stood and swung the weapon up, crashing it into the man's face and dropping him to the ground where he then remained motionless.
As more Persian soldiers poured into the armory, Xena continued using the mace, as she swung and bashed a few more of the enemy in the skull, which even with their helmets, killed some of them on impact. While others, though not dead, laid twitching and, or semi-conscious at her feet. She swung the weapon again and again, but despite her efforts, Xena was beginning to become overwhelmed as more and more soldiers kept coming toward her and began to spread out and surround her. One man lunged to stab at her and managed to graze the warrior's side and received an angry fist to his face in return. Another Persian soldier landed a cut to the back of the woman's shoulder. In response, Xena threw her elbow back into the soldier's nose before raising her sword to block another weapon's strike. When yet another enemy grazed her leg with their spear, the raven-haired woman let out an enraged shout as she swung at the soldier but missed, only knocking off his helmet as he leaned back out of her reach. That was until Xena grabbed the spear's pole and yanked it toward her with the man still holding the other end she drew her head back before sending it forward to connect with his, dazing him as he stumbled back a step or two before feeling the sharp pain of Xena's sword being buried into his stomach.
Retrieving her blade from the soldier's flesh, Xena was just barely able to block an axe strike that was coming down over her head as she yelled and shoved the man off of her before throwing the mace straight up and embedding the spikes in the ceiling and jumped to hold onto the mace's chain as she kicked at the soldiers trying to grab her feet to pull her down,
XENA
Gabrielle, the oil! Do it!
Seeing the warrior woman in peril, though barely able to move, Gabrielle clawed her way out of her makeshift bed as fast as her weakened state would allow. Meanwhile, Xena kicked at another soldier who grabbed at her foot as she felt her grip on the chain beginning to slip, and she shouted for the bard again as she began being pulled down toward the mass of Persian soldiers waiting to tear her limb from limb.
XENA
Gabrielle, hurry!
Gabrielle crawled toward the pot as fast as she could as she heard Xena, who was pulled further down the chain, shout to her again.
XENA
Gabrielle!
Finally reaching the container, the bard used every bit of strength she could muster to tip the container over before collapsing completely as the soldiers below screamed from being burned as the scolding liquid was poured over them, which freed Xena from their grasp. Once able to move again, the warrior continued to ascend the chain while taunting the soldiers under her.
XENA
Come and get me!
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Outside, Xena's battle cry rang out as she burst through the roof and flipped in midair before planting her feet on top of the building as the Persian forces that had gathered on the rooftop charged toward her. Spinning to dodge one of their swings, the warrior was unable to avoid the second and received another cut on her arm as she maneuvered behind the first man as she turned her sword down and thrust it behind her, burying its blade into the soldier behind the first man's stomach. And as the soldier still in front of the warrior woman turned around, he was met with the sight of Xena pulling her weapon from the man behind her and him falling dead. Then before the still-living soldier could react, in one fluid motion, Xena turned her sword upright once again and thrust it forward in to his neck, causing him to make a sickening gurgling sound as he choked on his own blood, and she withdrew her weapon and let his limp body fall and roll off the roof to the ground below. Then as a third man came at her, the warrior woman yelled as she jumped up and planted a powerful boot to the soldier's chest, stomping down and driving him straight to his back, and crashing through the roof to land on the floor of the armory where he laid amongst the other slain bodies of his comrades below.
But then, as the dust settled, Xena saw a figure standing amongst the carnage that looked to be moving toward where Gabrielle laid, only to be cut off when she was forced to move in order to avoid another soldier that had climbed up to the roof, leaving the bard alone and defenseless.
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Laying right where she had collapsed after dumping out the oil barely able to keep her eyes open as she struggled just to breathe again, amidst the chaos above, Gabrielle heard the creaking of the old building's floorboards and able to hear that Xena was busy fighting on the roof, lifted her head to see a familiar face smiling down at her with a sinister look in their eyes as the tip of a sword was pressed against the young woman's chest.
DORIAN
(Sinister tone) Told you I'd be back with help.
TO BE CONTINUED…