The following is a bit of alternative fiction based on certain characters from the Xenaverse. It is not meant to infringe on anyone else's rights. If you don't agree or disapprove, please go read something else.
Eudora was worried, naturally enough, about her lover. It wasn't so much that she enjoyed being yelled at or accused, but usually, no matter how mad Velona was, she came back. There was a rumble of thunder. It shivered through Eudora's bones and she knew, just as solidly as she drew breath, that Velona was in true danger.
So two of her soulmates went looking; Xena, a warrior beyond ken and intellect superb and Arete, whose sense of direction never failed and whose strength rivaled Hercules. It was inevitable that they found the spot. And that's all it was, a scorched piece of earth near a partially hewn tree. At the moment, it wasn't raining, but Xena wasn't holding her breath. They'd be wet pretty soon if they didn't seek shelter.
There was evidence of dragging, but no struggle. Xena sniffed the earth, fond that the scents had been erased by the lightenings'. "There had to be," she said to her lover, "At least two here."
"I see no prints, aside from Velona's," the blonde pointed, her expression grim. She may not have liked how Velona treated Eudora, but she wasn't seeking the woman harm. "Here and here." There were scuffed trampled marks where Velona had obviously kicked the ground.
Xena gave a shake of her ebony locks. She'd seen. "mmfph," she grunted. She waved the torch over the ground, "Look how the ground is burnt here." There were two long scraggly lines extending from the middle patch. She spotted something that sparkled and knelt. The ear cuff. The symbol of Rank. Velona would be too proud to lose this. She was unconscious then. Xena frowned, her brows creasing in thought "It's like the lightening grabbed her somehow."
Xena considered and nodded to herself. She spread her hand along the scrumbly surface of the burnt earth. The charred remains of the grass dusted at her touch. "Only a God would do this." Her eyes, sparkling like sapphires, looked up to the heavens in Mt. Olympus direction. She uncrouched with a sneer and brushed her hand against her leathers.
"But why?" Arete asked.
Xena grimaced and handed the blonde the torch, "The God's don't need a reason," she said archly, "they just like to play their games." She looked one more time around the spot where Velona met the fates, "I'll bet you anything this has to do with that Aulix fella."
"mm." The blonde pulled the sword out of the ground, as if it hadn't been burned into the earth's surface. "But what have the Amazons done to displease the Gods?" Arete asked, searching her mind for some clue, anything." Xena nodded the direction she wanted to go and started walking. It was a good thing their strides were evenly matched.
"Arete, as far as I know nothing, but then," Xena quirked an evil grin, "I've had several Gods angry at me for no particular reason." She brushed aside a bit of foliage with her arm, "All it takes is one being pissed. No doubt, those that like to give me grief will start targeting you because you're my lover. Don't worry though, You get used to it, and not all of them are bad."
Arete blinked, "Like Aphrodite and Artemis."
Xena grinned, "Oh yeah, they're good." She paused and looked seriously at the queen's other consort, "But they're not the one's I'm worried about."
-------------------------------------------
They returned with the evidence in hand and Eudora immediately mourned, crying out. She was held by both Jacosta and Iovene as her body trembled it's grief. She had known, she had known.
"There's no evidence of death," Xena said, trying to soothe. "She's just missing." Of this she was more confident than she had reason to be. There had been no tracks, but there had been no body either.
"There's no evidence of life," the red head cried and her soulmates' hearts wrenched within them, "If she could come back, she would."
"If." Xena said, "Alive we'll find her and bring her back. Dead, we will find her and give her honor, I swear." She reached and touched the red head's freckled shoulder.
"And I," Arete avowed, touching the other.
Jacosta whispered in Eudora's ear, "and I," and another emotion trembled through the young woman's body. Then Iovene's voice, also soft, gave promise in her other ear and she remembered that she was alone no longer. Something strengthened within her, confirmed.
She lifted her tearstained face and drew a deep breath. Ancient words, she'd not seen written upon the scrolls, came to her lips as judge, "A majority speaks. Shall it be so?" There was an acknowledgement that welled from the deepest part all present, a sparkle of commitment. In Skula, two awoke and gave agreement before drifting back to sleep and thinking they'd dreamed it. Their consent was felt by all. It was unanimous. "By the covenant, so be it."
Of those who were conscious, there was no doubt in any of them that Velona would be found, one way, or another.
Xena, helped Eudora stand. "Let's get what rest we can. The dawn's not too far away and I'd like to get back to Skula. We'll begin from there." The redhead nodded quietly and clutched at Jacosta's thin powerful arm. The priestess looked into Xena's eyes, unsure whether to be happy or grieving. She was reassured by Xena's slight smile. "Go on now, I'll keep watch." The warrior had some serious thinking to do.
That night Eudora slept between Jacosta and Iovene, comforted. Xena and Arete split the watch and thought quietly during their time. Velona remained in the sky, unaware and in a state that hovered between life and death, but not as alone as she had believed.
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These pages were last updated: March 12, 1998
İMarch1998