By raistlyn
cmasters@sky1.net
Disclaimer: Xena, Gabrielle, Argo, and anyone else from the show aren't mine. I'm only taking them out for a test drive. I'll return them in one piece. After a wild ride that is.
This may have a little violence so be warned. I think it's alright otherwise.
Gabrielle grunted as she slammed against the wall. Before she could fall a large hand grabbed her
throat and lifted her again. Her feet were dangling in mid air as she looked down at her attacker. She
fought the blackness that crept around the edges of her vision, as she watched the man smiling at
her. 'Glad he's enjoying this,' she thought as he lifted her even higher. Her throat and lungs burned as
she gasped for air, and a part of her would gladly welcome the black bliss that was taking over her
senses, but another part of her screamed to stay conscious.
"Put her down Lorn, I think she's had enough."
Gabrielle's legs failed to hold her as she crumbled to the ground. Almost immediately she felt the same rough hands grab her arms and pull her into a chair. Catching her breath she looked up to see who had spoken. She saw a thin, pale man standing before her. His hair was white and hung down to his shoulders, and dark circles graced his eyes. He sneered at her with perfectly white teeth as he waited patiently for her to gain control of her breath. "I guess you're wondering why you're here."
"Kind of." Gabrielle answered as her breath came back.
She watched the man pace the room and took the time to study her surroundings and herself. The room was small and as far as she could see there was only one way out. That one way was blocked. She probably wouldn't be able to move very fast anyway. her back ached terribly and she knew it was going to be one big bruise. Her lip was split from a well placed back hand from Lorn. Her whole face felt like it had been crushed and she continually had to blink away blood from a cut over her eye. She looked up again as the man turned back to her.
"If you think this is some revenge trip against the Warrior Princess, you're wrong. Actually I admire Xena for what she was. This isn't even about you either really. You see I'm a scholar, and like any good student I study extensively. You just happen to be a part of those studies."
"What kind of studies? See how long a defenseless human can hold out against an ogre?"
The man laughed, but Lorn tightened his grip on Gabrielle's arms, bending them back until her shoulders felt like they were being pulled from their sockets. He finally stopped the pressure but kept his grip tight. "Well I see the threat of physical harm isn't enough to stop that electrifying spirit of yours. No, that's not what I'm studying, although it was interesting to watch. Actually I am a student of fear, and I must say I have high hopes for you."
"What exactly are you expecting to learn from this?" Gabrielle asked. She glared at the man, who thoroughly seemed to be enjoying himself. That thought scared her. If he was enjoying all this then it might not stop anytime soon and she didn't know how much longer she could hold out. Just sitting up now was a test of strength. 'Gods, Xena where are you? Do you even know I'm missing?' The thought raced through Gabrielle's mind before she scolded herself. Of course, Xena knew she was missing. She was quite sure she had been here for a few candle marks at least. Although she didn't know where here was or how far they were from the village.
Gabrielle had hoped to spend a quiet afternoon shopping before going to Amazonia the next day, but just as she was getting into it this had happened. She had just walked past an alley, on her way to a fabric booth when she was knocked out. That's all she remembered before waking up to the large buffoon beating the Tartaurus out of her. That was not a way she enjoyed waking up. "Fear Gabrielle, is quite possibly the most powerful emotion of all. Love, happiness, anger, all the others can be controlled by a person's fear. You may spin your tales about the Warrior Princess but your reputation is just as well known. Everyone knows you face the same things as Xena in your journeys. Everyone expects Xena to be able to face down monsters and warlords, but not a village girl who has no real training in such dangerous situations. Your courage is quite possibly the strongest I've seen in a while, with the exception of Xena and of course Hercules."
"What does that have to do with monkey boy beating me until I can't see straight?" The comment earned another laugh, and a low growl from Lorn. Gabrielle screamed out at the pain of her shoulder being dislocated. The man's laughter faded as he sneered at the large man behind her. His eyes seemed to go completely black as he spat a command in his direction. "Lorn, I thought I told you that was enough."
Lorn gasped as he looked up at the man. He could have easily broken him in two, but he never made a move toward him. To Gabrielle's surprise he backed away, and she could see that he had started to shake violently. "I'm sorry, please forgive me." He stammered out the words and almost cowered in the corner as he waited for his punishment.
"Leave us. We'll talk about this later." The frail man spat the words, and watched with hateful eyes as Lorn left the room. "As you see Gabrielle, the careful application of terror is also a form of communication."
"You're sick." Gabrielle breathed as she fought down a wave of pain. The man grinned evilly as he leaned closer to her.
"You'll change your mind soon. You'll see I'm a genius. Lorn was nothing but a brute when I found him. He was especially hard to break, but now he is a near perfect subject. He faired well from the experiences, most lose their minds. I have high hopes for you Gabrielle. You'll fight me every step of the way, and I don't want anything less. When I'm done you'll be perfect in my standards or you'll be completely insane. Maybe both."
The man laughed, and the sound alone chilled Gabrielle to the bone. 'Xena, you better find me quick.'
Xena cursed herself for not staying with Gabrielle. She had found the bard's staff laying in an alley, and had seen the imprints of her body as it hit the ground. Fear had consumed her at that point as she followed the drag marks through the dirt, fully expecting to find the bard dead at the end.
She hadn't of course. All she saw were more prints from several men and wagon tracks. She was now following those same tracks, which she had lost sight of hours ago. She was going on instinct now. Darkness wrapped her surroundings in black shadows, but Xena wasn't about to stop.
Her senses blazed as she heard movement in the woods. She pulled Argo to a stop and slowly dismounted. She listened carefully as she heard hushed voices moving toward her. "Why do we have to do this?"
"Because, Trexis said that warrior woman would try to come after her friend and we have to stop her."
"What makes him think we can stop her. Have you heard the stories about this woman?"
"Yeah, well what do you think Trexis will do if he finds out we didn't try.?"
"What makes you think you'll see Trexis alive?" Both men spun to the new participant in their conversation to see Xena flying through the bushes toward them.
She grabbed them both by the neck and rammed their heads together, and watched as both slid to the ground in mindless heaps. She quickly surveyed her surroundings again to see if she had any more company. Satisfied that she was alone she grabbed one of the men and forced him to wake up. His eyelids fluttered open and she quickly pinched his neck, and sneered at him. "You have about thirty seconds to live, so you better start talking."
The man looked at her with true fear before speaking. "If you want the girl take her. Through those trees is the compound." A thin line of blood had started tracking it's way out of his nose. She started to release the pinch but his hands came up to stop her. "Please, if you have any mercy don't."
Xena looked at the man letting the confusion show on her face. She quickly released the pinch and sent the man into the depths of unconsciousness. She looked through the trees and could see the compound in the bright moonlight. "Maybe later," she said, "Right now I got to go get Gabrielle."
Gabrielle pulled herself off the floor as she heard the commotion outside. She watched as the door she was trapped behind flew open, and showed what it was hiding.
"Xena!" Gabrielle said as she started toward her friend. The figure turned toward her causing Gabrielle to stop where she was. The blue eyes were cold and distant, and she seemed to be covered in blood. It dripped from her sword and hair as she glared at Gabrielle.
"You had to get kidnaped again didn't you? I can't leave you alone without you getting into trouble. Well this was the last time." Xena raised her sword and swung.
Xena head shot up as she heard the tortured scream coming from down the hall. She quickly dispatched the last man she was fighting and headed toward it. She ran into the room on the end, and almost fell to her knees in shock. Gabrielle was huddled in the corner, shaking uncontrollably, small whimpers escaped her body as she tried to get closer to the wall.
Xena approached the small form slowly, and crouched beside it. "Gabrielle? Gabrielle can you hear me?"
Gabrielle looked up, took one look at Xena then screamed before falling into unconsciousness. Xena jumped backward at the ragged scream. She watched as Gabrielle fainted, and slowly came face to face with her fears. "Gods, Gabrielle what did they do to you?"
Of course she got no answer. She swiftly and gently lifted Gabrielle in her arms and checked her over. The little bard's face was covered in bruises and a cut went from the bridge of her nose to her temple. She saw the dislocated arm, and faint bruise marks around her wrists where someone had been holding her.
She slowly made her way out of the compound, trying to keep her senses alert and to stop the tears that threatened to fall. Xena walked through the halls and saw the place deserted. Even the men she had left unconscious were gone. The compound itself had almost been too easy to get into. Most of the guards had just let her pass, but when she had to fight, they reacted in a crazed fashion.
She remembered the guard that had thrown himself on her sword, then laughed as he slid to floor and died. They were almost as bad as the Horde. None of them cared whether they lived or died, and it was obvious most of them were insane.
The door she had entered through was still standing wide open. She walked out carefully, watching the woods for an ambush as she whistled for Argo. The mare came obediently to her side in minutes and knelt when she was commanded.
Xena finally got them both into comfortable positions, then steered Argo back through the woods and toward the road. She cradled the bard in her lap and kept a tight grip on her in case she woke up and became frightened again.
Once on the road it was simply a matter of where to go. She didn't feel safe going back to the village or trying to find a place to camp. The only other place that was close was Amazonia. She spurred Argo into a gallop and sped through the night toward safety.
The moon had long ago set. Dawn was only a few candle marks away. Xena eyed the trees around her and heard the first bird whistles that signaled an Amazon scout party. She stopped Argo and waited patiently. Soon an Amazon contingent jumped from the trees in front of them.
"Xena? What happened?" The amazon woman said raising her mask.
"Solari, I need a healer." Solari motioned for a runner to go ahead of them, before turning back to the warrior, and her queen.
Solari knew that the runner wouldn't get there much earlier than they would but every second counted. Xena set Argo into motion, with Solari jogging beside them. Gabrielle had made no sounds or movement since they left the compound, and Xena was starting to get worried. The bard must have had quite a scare, but Xena had no idea what it was. Several things ran through her mind, each more unpleasant than the last.
They arrived in the village with the healer waiting for them at the gates, along with Ephiny. Xena held Gabrielle with one hand while she slid off Argo. Several Amazons came forward with a stretcher, only to be totally ignored by Xena who carried the bard all the way to the healer's hut.
Melas the healer followed closely and took over as soon as Xena laid her charge down on the cot. Ephiny moved in behind them and watched the healer work. With Xena's help the healer quickly re-set Gabrielle's shoulder and started to work on stitching the cut over her eye.
Ephiny tapped Xena on the shoulder and motioned for her to follow her outside. She walked out the door and nodded to Solari who was still waiting there. "Xena, what happened?" Ephiny asked.
Before Xena could answer another wild scream, split the calm of the early morning. The three of them ran back in to see Melas picking herself up of the floor and Gabrielle standing against the wall of the hut. Xena walked toward Gabrielle slowly. "Gabrielle, it's alright it's me, Xena."
"Xena? Oh Gods, Xena don't."
"Don't what Gabrielle?"
Gabrielle moved quickly and pulled a dagger from her boot. She slashed at Xena who moved just before the air was split by the sharp blade. "Gabrielle! Where did you get that?"
"Trexis, where is Trexis? He gave this to me. I have to protect myself now. Everyone's trying to kill me."
"Gabrielle I'm not going to kill you."
Gabrielle's eyes grew hard, and cold. "That's right Xena, you're not you've already tried, and you failed. You won't get another chance, because I'm going to kill you first."
Xena looked in shock at Gabrielle as she pointed the knife directly at her. "What are you talking about? I'd never try to kill you Gabrielle, you're my best friend." Xena took a step closer and Gabrielle swung at her again.
"Don't come any closer Xena. I mean it."
Xena stopped. Behind her she Ephiny take a step closer. "My queen, Gabrielle, listen to me. Xena would never do that. Please you have to trust us. Tell us what happened."
"How do you know Ephiny, you weren't there. No one was there. I had to face him alone!" The knife dropped a little, as Gabrielle addressed her regent.
Xena spoke again trying to reach Gabrielle. "Please Gabrielle trust me."
The knife did drop then as Gabrielle crumbled to the floor in a mass of tears. Xena was there instantly, pulling her friend into her arms. "Xena, he's in my mind. He won't leave. No matter how hard I fight him he's always there. He takes my strength as quickly as I can get it."
"Shh. Gabrielle I'm here. He won't get you, we'll stop him. He'll never come close to you in Amazonia."
"You don't understand!" Gabrielle screamed as she broke out of Xena's hold. She started to pace, as her words became frantic. "He doesn't have to be here to get me. He's in here, in my mind. He knows my deepest fears and he uses them to fight me. I'm sorry Xena no sword is going to defeat that."
Gabrielle stormed out of the hut. Xena followed closely, and she was being followed by Ephiny and Solari. Gabrielle stopped in the town square, suddenly falling to her knees.
Gabrielle looked at her surroundings. "I don't think I'm in Amazonia anymore." She was surrounded by a deserted village. 'This looks familiar.' She looked around again. 'Poteidaia? What the ....'
"Gabrielle!" A voice screamed. She spun and saw her sister Lila running toward her.
"Lila?" Gabrielle watched her sister as she ran toward her. As she got closer Gabrielle saw that she was covered in blood. Fear charged through her and she started to run toward little sister. Lila stopped and looked at Gabrielle with pain filled eyes, before she fell forward in the dirt. Three arrows had planted themselves into her back successfully ending her short life.
"Lila! NO!" Gabrielle slid to a stop by her sister's body and looked down in disbelief. Through her tears she could see the blood mixing with the dirt. There was no doubt in her mind once she saw it. Laughter floated to her as she searched for its source.
Through her grief she had not seen the three men approach. They grabbed Gabrielle roughly and threw her to the ground and held her there. She fought like a trapped animal, but no matter what she did they held on. "Gabrielle, this is your fault."
Gabrielle looked up and saw her sister, still covered in blood pointing at her. "If you had just stayed here. Stayed with me, this would have never happened."
"NO!" Gabrielle screamed as darkness took over.
Xena, Ephiny, and Solari breathed a sigh of relief as Gabrielle stopped fighting them. She now lay limply in the square, between the three of them. Solari wiped blood from her lip where Gabrielle had punched her. "What happened?"
"I think Trexis just payed her a visit." Xena answered as she carefully picked her up and carried her back to the healer's hut. "And I think I'm going to go pay him a visit."
Solari looked down as Gabrielle started to groan. "Gabrielle, can you hear me? Wake up."
"Lila? Where are you?"
"No, it's me Solari. Your still in Amazonia. It was just a dream...or hallucination...or whatever."
Gabrielle came awake quickly and looked up at her friend. "Where's Xena?"
"She's outside with Ephiny, do you want me to go get her?"
"No! Don't leave me. Couldn't you just yell for her or something?"
"Ok. XENA, GABRIELLE'S AWAKE."
"That was good."
"Thank you." Solari said as she moved aside when the tall warrior came barreling into the room.
"Gabrielle are you alright?" Xena said as she took the bard's hand.
"Besides being scared out of my mind, I'm fine."
"Gabrielle I'm going after Trexis. I don't want to leave you, but it's the only thing I can think of. Ephiny and Solari will stay with you until I get back."
Fear showed in Gabrielle's eyes as Xena spoke. The warrior put a gentle hand against Gabrielle's forehead.
"I understand Xena. Just be........." Gabrielle never finished what she was going to say, because the room disappeared.
Darkness. At least it was at first. Gabrielle's eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light. 'I'm in a cave.' she thought. Her eyes were drawn toward a faint light coming from the end of the corridor, and instinctively she moved toward it.
Her progress was halted by the ground coming up to meet. 'What in Hades did I trip over?' She looked back and almost lost her stomach. "Iolaus?! Oh Gods, Iolaus!" Staring at her with sightless and accusing eyes was the best friend of Hercules. Gabrielle stood quickly, only glancing down long enough to see the dagger sticking from his chest.
She turned and ran around the corner trying to stop the tears and screams from escaping. She cast a fearful glance backward, before she ran face first into something hanging from the ceiling. "Hercules! Not you too?"
Hanging from the ceiling was the son of Zeus. His neck was broken. Gabrielle turned and spied a second body. She slowly moved toward it not wanting to see who it was but knowing she had to. Joxer lay in a pool of his own blood. She backed away slowly, and bumped into yet another body behind her. She spun into the handless body of the King of Thieves.
Gabrielle ran until she came to a cavern in which a full scale war was taking place. The ground was littered with bodies. Both people she knew and people she didn't. A high pitched scream broke the silence of the cavern, and sent a chill to Gabrielle's heart. The battlecry of Callisto.
"Oh Xena, it looks like this is the end. I have your chakrum, yet again. Your friends are either dead or have deserted you. And you're ready to give up. Well, it was fun while it lasted wasn't it?"
Xena barely stood on two shaky legs. One arm hung limply at her side, while the other gripped desperately at her sword. Her breath came in ragged gasps.
Callisto flung the chakrum, and laughed with glee as it buried itself deep in the Warrior Princess's chest. Xena eyes bulged in shock as she sank to her knees, then fell forward into the dirt, driving the chakrum farther into her body.
"Next." Callisto laughed as she looked at her surroundings. "Oops, killed them all."
"Xena! NO!"
Ephiny and Solari were taken aback by the horrid scream that flowed from the bard. Xena grabbed her friend and held her tight as she slipped into merciful unconsciousness. "I think it's time I payed Trexis a visit."
Xena looked again at the deserted compound. After she left Gabrielle it had only taken her a few candle marks to reach it again. She waited and watched but had seen no sign of anyone. She knew Trexis was there though. She knew it.
Xena entered the compound quietly. There was no sign of anyone. She made her way quickly past the room she had found Gabrielle in, and headed farther down the hall. At the end she found another larger door. Carefully she pushed on it, surprised as it creaked open easily. Inside, several torches were lit. She walked in to find a frail man sitting at a table, calmly reading.
"I was wondering when you would show up." He said.
"Well this party's just getting ready to start."
"You're right about that warrior. But I think I should tell you, anything you do to me, will be done to Gabrielle as well. We're linked now. So it's not going to be that easy to kill me."
"Well, I'm sure I'll find a way."
The man laughed. He calmly stood and studied Xena carefully. "What do you fear Xena? I don't think it would be death. Someone with your job just can't afford that. How about losing your friend? I think that scares you, maybe terrifies you, but that's not what I'm looking for. No, I think I know what you fear. You fear your past. But mostly you fear those people that you hurt."
Xena narrowed her eyes and silently wondered what this man was up to. Before her very eyes the room changed, and was replaced by a village square. Trexis laughed harder as angry shouts, came at her from all directions. Dark figures charged her from all directions, baring weapons of all kinds, from swords to garden rakes. She tried to defend herself as best she could but she soon realized that her best efforts weren't going to be good enough.
Gabrielle laughed at Ephiny and Solari as she watched them play cards. She had only woken up a short while ago to see the two accusing each other of cheating. When they caught her watching them, they were at her side in seconds. She almost had to order them to continue with their game, and not worry so much.
Solari sat back grinning in her chair, when she showed her cards. Ephiny glared at her before throwing her own down. "I still say you're cheating."
"I am not, I'm just very good at this game."
"Uh huh."
Gabrielle laughed at them both, thankful for something to keep her occupied. She had almost panicked when she woke up and found Xena gone, but quickly realized that she was doing what she thought would help. Gabrielle dropped her cup of water, while another shockwave of fear rolled through her. Ephiny and Solari were next to her in a heartbeat, trying to ask what was wrong.
"Xena." Gabrielle whispered as once again the interior of the healer's hut faded.
Xena grunted as another blow forced her to the ground. All the villagers were on top of her now, not holding anything back. Darkness threatened her, and she knew that this was how she was going to die. She had already resigned herself to this fate, which seemed only fitting.
Before she could dwell on it anymore, she heard the crack of wood on metal, and quickly she could see the sky again as her attackers were beaten away. Xena caught the sight of a familiar staff as it crashed its way through these hallucinated villagers. Gabrielle's face replaced the sight of clubs and shovels, as she leaned over her fallen friend. "Xena are you alright."
"Gabrielle? What are you doing here?" Xena croaked out.
"Oh, just hanging around."
"Oh."
Gabrielle smiled down at her before turning to face the figure of their fears. Trexis looked back at Gabrielle in a state of disbelief. She smirked at him before taking a few steps closer. "So now you decide to pick on my best friend."
"Gabrielle, I must applaud you. You have definitely been my greatest challenge yet. Think of the power you could have if you joined me."
Gabrielle smiled brightly as she walked closer to her tormentor. The smile quickly turned to a scowl. "What do you fear, Trexis?"
Trexis's smug look faded quickly as he watched the small bard advance on him and swing her staff hard into his stomach. He bent over double as his ability to breathe momentarily left him. "You don't expect me to join you. You expect to own me. You went into the privacy of my thoughts and took the ones you thought would break me the quickest." She swung the staff again this time catching Trexis under the chin causing him to land on his back.
"Well, I have something to tell you Trexis. YOU CAN'T HAVE ME!"
Gabrielle arched the staff high and brought it down in a devastating arch. Even as she executed the swing, the imaginary world slipped away and she slowly became aware of Ephiny and Solari standing over her. "Gabrielle, are you in there?" Ephiny asked.
"Yeah, Ephiny I think I'm fine. In fact, I think every thing is going to be back to normal."
Xena looked down at her small companion, as she walked beside Argo. "So Trexis was laying there crying?" she asked.
"Yeah, you really scared him to death. He didn't even argue when I took to the jail in the village."
"He got what he deserved. Who knows how many people he drove insane? I didn't know fear could be so crippling."
Xena dismounted and stood beside Gabrielle. She rested her arm across the bard's shoulders. "Fear's only crippling if you let it. If you can use your fear then it can be like an ally."
"Yeah, well I learned something from this I think."
"What would that be?"
"All's the same in fear and madness."