The Tour : Chapter 10

Xena organized the campers quickly. Izzy stayed out of it, and watched briefly as the adventurers prepared themselves. She called Tok to her and knelt down, whispering in its ears as she smoothed her hand over its alert skin. Melosa happened to be close enough at one point to hear the last two words the demoness gave before the daggite slipped out of sight. "Tok, Hunt."

Perdicus and Salmoneus found themselves in the middle. The stronger fighters planned to make a ring around the weaker two. Oriena loaded the quarrels into the crossbows for herself and Melosa. Marcus prepared his bow. They'd have at least a few good shots.

Izzy swore softly, once she was able to make out the approaching plainsmen. Damn Him Damn Him Damn Him. The growl started in her throat before she could stop it. She turned and snapped out, "I'll take care of the big one!" Then she was running.

It was an eerie moment for Xena. Deja vu from the other side. She recognized in a vivid revelation that it could have been her on one of those gigantic mounts. In fact, it had been her at one time, waving a sword, running at trampling speed, across a plain. Gods.

She watched as Izzy moved impossibly fast, roaring so loudly she could be heard over the din of the hoof beats. She saw the "big one" and he was huge, massively built, broad shoulders and slim hips (for his size). The rack on his head was easily the length of her arm, on either side. It curled up and split like a deer's. His skin was the color of refined copper. He was laughing and his laugh met with Izzy's roar and clashed. He raised his sword and yelled his "men" forward. Xena could see that quite a few of them bore the mark of Tartarus.

Then the leader jumped off his mount, started running towards Izzy and sprouted wings; hand span after hand span of a leathery set of wings. He took flight, going low. Izzy leapt and they were grappling, clawing and snarling. Xena's heart shot straight to her throat, because the blood was flying. . and she didn't know whose it was. The tribe leader pulled the female Tartaran in the air, high high above the battlefield. The warrior came nigh unto forgetting that there was a problem on the ground. The fighting above was incredibly vicious.

Melosa shouted, "Xena!!" The warrior's attention immediate fell to the present and oncoming problem. She raised her Chakram, shouted to Marcus and they let loose the first volley. Three riders went down from her Chakram alone, their necks were sliced almost clean through. The round disc was bloody by the time it returned to Xena's hand. Marcus' shot impaled one solidly in the chest and it went down with a loud scream. The Amazons got off one shot before they had to drop the crossbows and pull their swords. Tok roared from out of nowhere and tackled a screaming tribesman. That's when the plainsmen knew they were in trouble.

Marcus, Melosa and Oriena pulled in close around Perdicus and Salmoneus. Xena did her thing. Her ulating cry was pierced the air and she flipped high high up like a damned native. Her sword drove into the chest of her victim and she kicked the woman off the mount and took control.

It wasn't Argo, but it was trained. In moments she had a sense of its movement and was riding the striger as if she'd done so all her life. She turned the mount to face off against its former owners and suddenly it was mayhem. . . for the plainsmen. She blazed through her opponents, enjoying the sound of her whistling blade and squishy noise it made when plunged deep into something's chest.

Tok attacked with a neat precision that only daggites have. She obediently kept close to the blue eyed warrior and struck on one side while Xena took the other. The olive skinned woman never had to worry about her back and once she realized that, she didn't.

The Amazons fought valiantly. It was a severe disadvantage to be on the ground, but when they had the chance they decided to even the playing field. . .the Amazon way. Oriena, it turned out, had powerful legs and she made a full body jump that dumped one rider to the ground, but left her standing precariously on the mount. She grinned at Melosa and pulled her up. Then they started creating a ruckus of their own.

Marcus went down after saving Salmoneus' life. Something snapped in Perdicus. The human who was pulling the sword out of the dark man's chest never knew what hit him and the farmer beserked out into the battle.

Salmoneus would have dragged the body away, but there was nowhere to take it. He looked up and caught sight of the most amazing thing. He could hardly credit his eyes, but far above him it seemed that Izzy was wrapped tightly around the demon. They didn't seem like they were fighting anymore, in fact, if he wasn't mistaken they were. . . It wasn't until he felt the whiz of air just above his head that he was able to drag his attention back to his own dangerous situation.

He managed somehow to duck under the striger and away from the sword. He heard the cry before he saw the body slump off. He turned and saw Xena. There was blood and gore all over her body, but she seemed okay. She winked at him and gave an ironic smile.

Izzy pushed off of the plainsmen leader with a growl and let herself fall, feeling the wind push against her body. When it seemed like she was this close to slamming into the ground she let her own wings unfurl. She picked up a spear that was impaled in the ground and used it to smack at the impertinent rider who thought he could shoot her down. He went flying. Then she gathered a startled Salmoneus in her arms and lifted him away from the carnage.

One musical note blew out from the horn taken from the leader's belt. The plainsmen, who'd been frantically, unbelievably, losing, began pulling back from the battle. The strigers herded together obediently. The one's under Melosa, Oriena and Xena's control pulled together on one side and the one's under the plainsmen's control gathered on the other side. The dead and injured were left on the ground.

The leader stepped lightly down from the air and waited with his arms folded over a vested chest. There was some severe scarring over the place where his heart would be located. There were deep deep scratches, gouges, and bites all over him. He looked like he didn't mind. He was grinning widely.

Perdicus was still fighting, despite what looked like and obvious called truce. The individual was trying to get away, but the beserker wouldn't let him past. In fact, it looked like he was close to finishing the tribesman off. Xena dropped off the striger, handing the reigns quickly to Melosa. She ran and got the Perdicus' attention by giving her cry. He turned, and with a wild look in his eye, swung at her with his sword. She leapt behind him and punched him when he turned around. He fell down in a lump.

The human sized, blue hued, Tartaran Perdicus was fighting bowed quickly. He wore no horns. She snarled, "Go!" She was still feeling the pounding of her blood. He ran to the other side, bowing once quickly when he passed the leader. She picked up Perdicus, carried him to where Marcus lay staining the ground and set the man down carefully, affectionately. She stood up just in time to see Izzy land and set Salmoneus down.

"Have a nice fuck?" Xena asked angrily as she dropped the Perdicus' sword to the ground. There was an unexpected tinge of jealousy in the remark. She could feel it in the back of her heart. She didn't know where it came from.

Izzy growled back, her eyes still a little wild, "I've had better." Izzy stalked off to meet with the leader. Her tail was twitching in angrily. Salmoneus stared at Xena, then back at Izzy.

He didn't know if it would help. "Xena, she said she just wanted to distract him long enough. . ." The warrior waved a hand out.

"Save it." She brushed a suddenly weary hand through blood crusted hair. "I don't care," she lied. "She can do whatever she wants. She's just the damned tour guide." Sal opened his mouth, then shut it.

Marcus began groaning. Xena knelt down quickly and gently touched the man's hand. He opened his eyes and smiled weakly. Well there was one question answered. She kissed him tenderly on the forehead, promised she would be back, asked Salmoneus to take care of him, and then made her way to where the demons were talking.

His name was Mylek. Izzy was painfully poking him in the chest, giving him a verbal hate massage, when Xena arrived. The blue eyed human stalked forward, listening to the "negotiations," that were taking place.

Xena stepped up besides Izzy, giving the demoness a baleful glare. The red woman sneered and Mylek used the opportunity to grab the jabbing hand. He held it close to his heart. His voice rippled sexily through the valley. The ex warlord blinked and tried to place the accent. She recognized it, though not the voice. He said, "Your humans fought honorably, Izzy." He made a sideways glance and smiled broadly. His teeth sparkled in the light, "Especially your warrior woman." Xena blinked at the tone of voice and phrasing and felt her heart thump once against her chest.

Izzy looked shocked. Then angry. She started in defensively, "You bastard. Don't you dare start your lame attempts at matchmaking. You know I don't. . ."

The warrior took a really good look at Izzy and suddenly perceived the bloody bloody cuts and gouges on the demoness body. She didn't gasp, but lifted her eyes and knew with a certainty that it pained the red woman. She wasn't the only one who noticed. Izzy was so involved with being angry at Mylek that she didn't notice the stares.

He grinned evilly at Izzy and spoke quickly covering up what she was going to say with his words. "I promise you and yours a safe haven. You may have the strigers that you've won this day. Come join us. We will set up a feast that even your humans may enjoy." He leaned in, "There will be baths" he promised.

Izzy opened her mouth, ready to blast him. Xena spoke up, grinning mirthlessly, "I know I could use one."

He inhaled deeply, tasting the air on his forked tongue, "Oh! It was a fine. . .battle." He leered down at Izzy, who yanked her hand away from his and growled. There was such a fire in this one. He was lucky she hadn't taken his heart again. He was more lucky that she had given it back.

He nodded at the blue eyed warrior, "Of course. We'll set up tents for you." He smiled down at Xena, and listened to the way her heartbeat increased, "You may night with us. Then tomorrow, you may be on your way. Is this not fair?" Xena nodded slowly and looked at Izzy.

The demoness closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. "It's fair." Then she poked him in the chest again, "But if you so much as *say* anything out of line, I'll take that tongue of yours and rip it out. Understood?"

Mylek laughed. Gods. He glanced over in Xena's direction and then back at Izzy. It was good to see them again.