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These pages were last updated: November 23, 1997
ŠNovember 1997
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.
SQUICK alert: This Tartarus for Hell's sake! Expect grodities.
Xex Alert: Yep there will be. Sizzling Hot, but later.
The beach had been a nice relief, from the pulsating heat of the Tartarus desert. Izzy had been right. The water was sweet and cool. Even Xena had shucked off her boots and let her feet revel in the pleasant chill of the liquid. She felt something nibble at her toe, but when she pulled her foot back, the toe was still there. Apparently it wasn't a meat eater. She didn't want to test the waters too far though. This was Tartarus. She limited her steps to the point where the water washed up on the wet dark sand, and her feet. It was a moment of unexpectedly pure bliss.
Tok splashed mightily into the water, ignoring the startled yells of the Amazons where were suddenly much cooler and wetter than they expected to be. When they waved threateningly at it, the creature thought they were playing and immediately started running back and forth along the waters edge as fast as it could go. The Amazons were soaked by the time they figured out what was going on, but they were also laughing.
Salmoneus was oddly quiet as he rested his feet and body in the moist sand. Marcus asked him what it was like and all the merchant did was look up at him and say, "It was different than I expected." Perdicus started to ask what that meant, but Salmoneus' attention was diverted by the sight of a tall red form striding into the water.
He still felt warm and tingly along the left side of his body. He was more affected by the experience of seeing Hidad than he expected. He watched as Izzy stopped her wading. The water splashed lazily at her knees. She brought her hands up and rested them on her hips and looked out and out. Salmoneus wondered what she was seeing.
Xena knew it wasn't safe to assume anything, yet curiosity got the best of her. She also figured, for whatever reason, that Izzy hadn't deliberately brought them into danger. Yet.
Her long legs carried her forward, until she was feeling the wash of the liquid brush against her mid thigh. Her voice was calm, betraying none of the heat she felt in the demoness' presence. "What are you looking at?"
Izzy's lips curled up. "Elysia."
Xena blinked. "What?"
The red skinned female lifted her hand. "Elysia. It's on the other side." Xena looked out with her powerful eyes and could just make out, barely, the white sail of a ship and rugged outline of lush green lands.
"Zeus! How far is it?" She lifted a hand to cover her eyes and tried to gage the distance. The other hand, mirrored Izzy's and rested on her hip.
The demoness smirked. "In Tartarus, Elysia is always closer and *farther* than you think." She nodded out, "You can see, but you can't touch. It's like a lover you want, but can't have. It's too far away." The pitch of her voice dropped sadly.
"You have someone over there." It wasn't a question. The warrior could just barely make out figures in the boat.
Oh, Xena was smart. It would be best to remember that, the red skinned woman thought. Izzy pursed her lips and contemplated the answer. "Well, she should be over there. She deserves it. She deserves happiness."
"You don't know? I thought the dead could hear a mortal's thoughts. If she loved you surely she called to you. Before." Xena dropped her hand and quit staring out over the water and took a stilling breath. She looked up at the creature besides her. Gods Izzy was at least two heads taller than she was.
Izzy shifted the weight of her body and turned to look at Xena through narrowed eyes, "After a certain point, it doesn't matter. I quit listening a long time ago." Oh it was so easy to form a lie on these lips, Izzy thought. She continued, "It was something I couldn't have," and as well as truth.
"You gave up hope."
"I accepted things as they are." The demoness grinned, very wickedly, and Xena was suddenly reminded how sharp those teeth were. Izzy held out a red hand. A claw poked out of one finger so quickly, that the warrior barely had time to move out of its way. Xena stepped back quickly, suddenly on her guard. Izzy's lips twisted. "See what I mean?" The warrior looked up, startled, and felt the impact of the lesson. . .and its familiarity.
A very important question came to mind and she opened her mouth to speak, but Izzy was already turning. She clapped her hands together and the noise pealed across the water. "Time to move folks. We got a ways to go!"
The field was beautiful. It was lush and green. There were flowers and shady trees. A long long knife twirled slowly in the air. Xena touched the tip with her finger, and felt the prick. A trickle of blood spilled from her finger. She smiled grimly. Hades was as good as his word.
It was almost humorous actually. She should have realized it wouldn't be as easy as she'd expected. Xena glanced up at the cross, at Izzy, sitting on the the beam. her long legs and pointed tail curled around the post. Her hands held to the beam. She was looking for something. Tok whined at the bottom, clawing at the post sharply, and the demoness chastised it with a few words. The daggite settled down, but grumped. Izzy looked back out into the pinking sky.
The tents were set up. Salmoneus had already fallen into a deep sleep, overly tired from all that marching around. Marcus was showing Perdicus how to prepare a stew from their dried goods. Oriena was offering some cheerfully given points of advice. Melosa was standing near Xena, a frown fixed on her face. Her arms were folded across her chest and she peered up at the red creature who balanced so easily on the cross. "You're sure this is the place."
Xena skimmed her finger along the knife's edge, angry. "Oh yeah. This is it." She withdrew her finger and scanned around the meadow. "She used to dream about this place. She described it so well, I could see it in my own sleep." She breathed in the sweet air. Gods, that a place as lovely as this should be so nightmarish. She laughed, despite herself. Each to their own Tartarus. Gabrielle, as gentle as she was, created a sweet hell.
Melosa uncrossed her arms and sighed. "We'll find her. I know it." She laid a reassuring hand on Xena's shoulder. The warrior sighed.
Izzy jumped off the cross and landed with a soft thump, just besides Tok, who now grinned happily at her. She gave it a quick pet, the sauntered over to where Xena and Melosa stood conversing. They looked at her, neither of them smiling. Not that she expected them too. She knew the disappointment was hard.
"I've spotted something. It's light enough, close enough, we could go see and be back to camp before dark. If you want. . ."
Xena snarled forward, "If I want? If I want? Of course I want." The irritable warrior turned to Melosa, "Tell Marcus and Perdicus I'll be back." She practically barked the statement out.
The Amazon chose not to be offended, and responded firmly, "Tell them yourself. I'm coming with you." Xena started to say something, then let it go. She nodded sharply and strode to the camp.
It was, as Izzy promised, not far. The two women, who were more tired than they let on, were able to keep up, but Izzy subtly altered her pace, so it was less demanding. She didn't think they noticed. Tok, prowled around the trees and through the low growth, scouting for something tasty.
It spotted them first, and let out a high piercing yowl. There were shouts of startlement, not to mention a bit of swearing as someone wiped off the hot spill from his thighs. Izzy stepped out from the undergrowth, followed by the two warrior women who had drawn their swords. The hordesmen gaped.
Then one shouted, "Duanuran!!!!" The demoness grinned and accepted the handclasp of the fiercely painted leader. He rattled off a few words of enthusiastic greeting before letting her arm go. The she set about making introductions.
"Hunno! This is Xena. She is a great warrior." She waved the woman forward. Xena, unbelieving, but not able to avoid this, made her way up front. She sheathed her sword before accepting the extended arm. The leader clasped her arm firmly.
He nodded. His gaze was penetrating. "I remember you, warrior. You fought with heart. I have deep scars because of you." He pointed at his back and grinned, "Someday, we will trade battle stories and you will tell me how you learned to fight so well."
Xena kept her expression neutral. Her blue eyes blazed with a hidden emotion. "I would like that." They held the clasp a moment longer, then let go at the same time.
Izzy waved Melosa forward, "This is Melosa. She was once the Queen of the Amazons. She is also a great warrior." Hunno extended his arm and grimaced friendly like.
"I have heard of the Amazons. There's a tribe on every level it is said. I wouldn't know." He grinned at the demoness, "Duanuran might." He returned his attention to the Amazon, "They are fierce fighters. Powerful. We honor them. The tribes sometimes trade with Amazons, for we have learned it is not worth the fight." He grinned and Melosa smiled and tried to keep the shock from showing.
She did it very well. Amazons. Tribes. In Tartarus. Artemis!!! Perhaps. . .She let the thought trail off, but images of a joined nation sprang to mind. Perhaps she would even see her sister. Again the clasp was held a moment longer, then released at the same time.
Hunno invited them to sit at the fire, but bid Duanuran to keep that beast of hers away from the roast. Izzy grinned, then whispered to over to Xena unobtrusively, "Fake the eating, drink what they give you." The ex warlord nodded. Izzy passed the same information to Melosa. They both tried to ignore the groaning sounds of the people on the X frames.
Cups were filled and a bits of meat were passed around on leaves. All was accepted graciously and conversation began. Eventually the topic made it's way around to Gabrielle. Xena spoke carefully, telling them that it was Gabrielle who figured out that "Kaltalka" meant water. She told them, that despite her good heart, she was sent to Tartarus.
The hordesmen blinked at her, not quite understanding. Izzy whispered to Xena, "They don't have the same idea of what Tartarus is. To them, this is the equivalent of Elysian fields, with lots of "fighting" and "becoming" levels." She grinned, "Actually they have quite a lot of fun here. They're not affected by . . well that's not important" She smiled toothily at Hunno and continued her whisper, "In their view, I'm a minor deity of a sort. Let me try." Xena nodded, and strove to be patient.
"Hunno. Gabrielle was supposed to be in the dreaming lands, as you are, but she is not here. We have searched the place of her first trial and she has gone. Do you know where she might be."
The leader looked quietly at Izzy, and said nothing for long long moments. He nodded his head slowly, "I know where she might be." He looked at Xena and spoke softly, "If she is not in her place of first learning, she must have gone to walk the wild ways. Sometimes ghost, like ourselves, become unhappy with where they are or sometimes they finish their lesson." He wiggled his hand back and forth, "It is different for everyone." He took a bite of flesh and chewed thoughtfully, "But eventually, all the ghosts. . . They hear of the wild ways, for that is how it is, and then they must wander to find their new face."
This was news to Xena, but then again, she hadn't been in Tartarus that long. "Their new face?" she queried
He nodded. "The wild ways are where the Gods are made. Some choose to become Gods and some choose to become other and some simply wander. They walk the levels, until they are formed, settled, or they find the way to sun's home."
Melosa spoke, "The sun's home." Her eyes began to register awareness.
"It is in the final lands, where the mad gods reign, the sun's home has an opening. There are no guards to keep one out or in. One may go or stay as one pleases."
Xena's eyes went wide as the implication hit, "There's a portal to the Elysian fields, where there's no guards?" Her heart thudded painfully in her chest.
Hunno waved his hands forward and smiled, "Yes, no guards."
Melosa and Xena looked at each other with a sudden vivid understanding. Gods. Gabrielle had tried for the portal!
Xenite Temple | Fan Fiction Site | Home Page
These pages were last updated: November 23, 1997
ŠNovember 1997