Stella stared down at the puddle of mud before her. She
shook her head nervously.
"What's happening to Valacia??"
She
turned quickly to Althea.
"What's happening to us??"
Althea lowered her head, pulling her right hand down along her face. She
then gazed out into the forest.
"I don't know." she responded flatly.
A few moments of uneasy silence passed. Althea then picked up a rock and
threw it into some bushes. She slowly shook her head.
"Honestly,
Stella...I-I don't know."
She looked down at the grassy, muddy ground,
biting her lower lip. Her hazel eyes wandered over blades of grass.
"Do
you know how many times I wish I was home?"
Althea looked towards
Stella.
"Do you?"
Stella sighed, looking up into the twilight
sky. She didn't respond. Althea looked back down towards the muddy grass again.
"I wish none of this were real. I wish Attila the Hun wasn't real. I
wish none of what we've seen was real."
Althea grimaced.
"But it is, isn't it? We didn't imagine all this shit, did we?"
Stella chuckled coldly.
"Poor Valacia certainly didn't."
Althea picked up her sword from a nearby rock. She placed its tip on a
rock between her feet, idly trying to balance the weapon on its tip.
"She's lost her mind."
Stella looked towards Althea.
"Ya
think?" she responded with a hint of sarcasm.
Althea gazed at the
ground, the barest hint of a smile curling her lips. But there was no hint of
mirth in it.
"She pinned his hands to that log with those knives, and
started hacking his legs to pieces."
Althea let out a light chuckle.
"Ohhhh, boy. She just started hacking away. The guy was screaming his
ass off."
"Can we really go on with this mission, given the state she's
in? And after all this, to learn that she had been raped by her
father...carrying that inside her all these years...you throw what we're going
through now on top of that...I-I can't see how anyone can stay sane."
Stella licked her lips and faced Althea.
"Can we really
go on with her like this??"
Althea turned towards Stella.
"And
if she doesn't shape up, what's the alternative? Huh? Send her back to Crete? Us
heading along with her?"
Althea looked back down at the rock her sword
stood on.
"Stop talking nonsense."
"Then what?? What if she
snaps again??"
Althea slowly turned towards Stella again. Annoyance
crept into her features.
"What do you suggest we do if that
happens? Huh? I'd like to hear your ideas."
Stella let out a
harsh sight. She abruptly got up and began to pace back and forth. Althea shook
her head.
"I don't like this either, Stella. But we have no other
alternative but to stay with Gabrielle. There's too much at stake. You
heard what Gabrielle said. If Valacia goes off again, she's leaving us behind.
Even if Gabrielle was taught by Xena herself, do you really want her to
go out there alone and deal with the Huns??"
Althea shook her head
vigorously.
"Noooooo, I don't think so. She can't go alone. We can't
risk it."
There was a long moment of silence. Stella stared into the
hazy twilight sky. She spoke again.
"It scares me, Althea. I've never
seen Valacia like this. She's become a completely different person."
"Aren't we all??"
Stella turned towards her.
"Huh?"
Althea rose to her feet. She walked over to Stella, eyeing her with an
intense gaze.
"We've all changed." said the Amazon with an edge
in her voice. "After what we've seen, how can we be the same?? I'm not."
She drew closer, baring her teeth.
"I'm suffering
nightmares. The most twisted, horrifying nightmares I've
ever had. I-I don't know how I'm holding on."
"You're holding on
because we have a mission to accomplish here."
A set of tears
trickled down Stella's cheeks.
"I-I keep dreaming about Yasmin, you
know. Every night. Every...single...night."
She bared her own
teeth and thrust her thumb into her chest.
"But I'm holding it together.
I have to, for the sake of all of us."
Stella drew closer. She
shook her head slowly.
"I think Valacia is losing that ability.
I'm even wondering now if she'll turn on us."
Althea puckered her lips,
and gazed at Stella for a couple of moments in silence. Then she spoke.
"Well Stel, if you really feel that she could turn on us, there's
only one way to stop her if she goes off again."
Stella's eyes narrowed
in confusion. Althea drew closer.
"We kill her."
Stella recoiled
from Althea in horror. Althea grabbed her arm, her lips curled into a snarl. She
yanked Stella close.
"Don't you flinch from me." Althea growled.
"Y-You said-"
"I know what I said!!" Althea hissed. "You
wanted a goddamn alternative? That's it!! Killing Valacia!! You want to
do it?? Can you do it?? Huh?? Can you??"
Stella's lips quivered.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. Althea drew closer until they were almost
touching, face to face.
"No. Didn't think so." she spat in
disgust. "That's the only alternative we have. If Valacia loses her mind
and jeopardizes us and the mission, we may just have to kill her. Add
that to your list of nightmares. See how easy it would be to focus with
that in mind."
Gabrielle stared at the small caravan of
Huns, tugging along their cage of prisoners. There were about a dozen prisoners
in all. They were manacled. All were adults, men and women. Their clothes were
torn, and they looked like they had been badly beaten. They sat on the floor of
the cage, heads bowed. Meldinas turned towards Gabrielle.
"This is the
second time we are doing this. At least with the last group of people, a few of
them were actual soldiers, and knew their way to Constantinople."
Gabrielle nodded.
"Good thing too that I had those maps
indicating where the Huns were. I told them about caves where they could hide
out."
"But these look like they're all civilians, this time."
Gabrielle nodded.
"Mmm."
"We're going to have to take
them over to Constantinople. They can't go by themselves. It's going to add
another week or so to our mission."
Gabrielle shook her head.
"We have no choice. We can't let these animals hold onto these people."
Suddenly, the two women heard footsteps. They turned around. The other
three Amazons appeared. Althea spoke first.
"Yeah-it looks like there
are seventeen Hun soldiers."
Gabrielle nodded.
"Okay. We take
them out, and then we get these people to safety."
"That means we'll be
taking them to Constantinople." added Meldinas.
Stella looked up into
the sky, watching the sun getting closer to the horizon.
"Let's get
cracking on this. We're running out of daylight."
The five women moved
off through the foliage, being careful to stay out of the Huns' sight. Each
woman then settled next to a tree or some thick bushes. Gabrielle and Meldinas
stood a few feet away from each other; Gabrielle by some large bushes, and
Meldinas by a tree. Meldinas un-shouldered her crossbow, and placed two arrows
within it. Gabrielle glanced towards where the other Amazons were, and saw them
arming their crossbows with arrows as well. Meldinas lifted her weapon. She
squinted, took a deep breath, and fired the arrows.
They tore through
the air. Soon, Gabrielle heard the sounds of other arrows being fired. They
found their marks. The Hun soldiers cried out in pain as the arrows tore into
them. As the dead soldiers fell off their horses, the others reared up on their
horses and started shouting to each other. Gabrielle's eyes widened in rage.
"Now!!"
The blonde ran forward, darting through the
brush. As she emerged, one of the men spotted her and quickly aimed his bow at
her. But it was too late. With a flick of the wrist, Gabrielle threw her dagger
at him. It burrowed into his chest. He tumbled off his horse, slamming
head-first into the ground. Two more horsemen rode towards her. Gabrielle ran at
them, a dagger in one hand, and the chakram in the other. She leapt high into
the air. Her feet slammed into the face of one rider. At the same time, she
threw her dagger at the other rider. The knife burrowed into the side of his
neck. He fell of his horse.
The first rider crashed into the ground.
Gabrielle somersaulted back through the air, landing on her feet. A Hun soldier
ran towards her, sword drawn, yelling a battle cry. Gabrielle ducked as he swung
the sword at her head. The blonde snapped out a foot, hitting the soldier in the
jaw. Blood and teeth burst from it. As he staggered back, Gabrielle swung down
the chakram at the hand holding the sword. She chopped it off. The man screamed
in agony. Gabrielle whipped the chakram across his throat. Blood and flesh
exploded from it. He crumpled into a lifeless heap on the ground.
Valacia burrowed a sword into the belly of a Hun soldier, the blade
exiting from his back in a burst of blood and flesh. She yanked the sword out of
him, and he fell. Another ran at her from behind. He swung his sword at her. She
ducked, and thrust her sword backwards into his belly. The Hun soldier let out a
loud, gurgling grunt. She yanked her weapon out, and the soldier collapsed in a
cloud of dust.
Stella swung her sword hard at the Hun soldier, chopping
his head off. The corpse dropped to the ground, spraying blood everywhere. The
head bounced off into the grass. She looked towards the cage where the prisoners
were. They were staring at the battle, shouting cries of encouragement. Then she
saw two Hun soldiers rushing towards the cage, each carrying a large bottle and
a torch. Stella's eyes widened in horror.
"No!!"
An angry
cry came from her left. Stella ducked, just barely missing the sword. She drove
her own hard to the left, hearing a loud grunt. She turned in that direction,
gazing right into the brown eyes of a Hun soldier. His face was filled with
agony, blood erupting from his mouth. Stella kicked him off of her sword and he
collapsed to the earth. She turned towards Gabrielle, who was fighting with a
Hun soldier.
"They're going to torch the prisoners!!"
Gabrielle burrowed her dagger into the belly of the soldier she was
fighting. As she yanked it out, Gabrielle turned towards the cage. She saw fire
roar to life inside it, and soon the cage with filled with hideous screams as
the prisoners were engulfed by it. Terror filled Gabrielle's face.
"NoooOOOOOOOOO!!!"
She ran towards the cage. Three more
Hun soldiers ran towards Gabrielle. Suddenly, from the left side came Meldinas
and Althea. They engaged two of the soldiers in a savage swordfight. The third
lunged at Gabrielle. She somersaulted over his head, landing behind him. As the
man turned around, Gabrielle kicked the sword out of his hand and whipped the
chakram across his throat, nearly cutting off his head. The lifeless body fell
to the earth. Gabrielle then ran towards the cage, which was now completely
engulfed in flames. The screams coming from within were deafening. As she got
nearer, the two Huns who started the fire came running at her, swords drawn.
Gabrielle somersaulted over them. As they turned around, Gabrielle disarmed them
both with a vicious kick. She then sent a right foot hard into the throat of one
soldier, shattering it. He fell to the ground. The other lunged at Gabrielle and
tackled her to the earth. He wrapped his hands around her throat. Gabrielle
quickly jabbed her hands hard into the sides of his neck. His eyes dilated in
shock and agony. Blood erupted from his nose. His eyes rolled into the back of
his head and he fell off to the side. Gabrielle pushed away from him, grabbed
the chakram, and got to her feet. She turned towards the cage-
-but it
was too late.
All Gabrielle could see was the burning skulls of several
people. The screams had died away. The entire cage was overwhelmed with flames.
There was nothing she could do. Gabrielle looked up at the heavens, her face
filled with fury. She let out a hideous scream. The blonde then ran over to a
dead soldier, picked up his sword, and went after the remaining Huns, hacking
away at them along with the other Amazons. Soon, all of them were dead-
-except one.
He ran off into the forest, screaming in terror.
Gabrielle spun in his direction and threw the chakram. It tore through the air
like a falcon, tearing into the back of the soldier's head. Blood, brain and
bone blew out of it in a huge crimson cloud. He flipped over himself and crashed
into the ground.
Gabrielle trembled erratically. She stared up into the
heavens, filled with a blinding fury.
"Ares, you twisted piece of
SHIT!! IS THIS YOUR LEGACY?! IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT THE WORLD TO BE LIKE?!"
She dropped to her knees. Tears rushed down her face in a torrent.
"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAMNNNNNNNNNN
YEEEEEEEEEEEUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!"
Gabrielle curled up into
a ball. The other women rushed to her side. Meldinas knelt down by her and
wrapped an arm around her as she cried. Gabrielle shook violently, her body
wracked with the force of her sobs. The other Amazons stood around them, their
faces grim. Tears trickled down Stella's cheeks. Valacia stepped forward. She
gazed down at the pair. Gabrielle's sobs lessened, and soon she was quiet. But
her head was still bowed. She breathed heavily. Meldinas rubbed her back.
Finally, Valacia spoke.
"You still think I was crazy for torturing that
Hun soldier?" she said flatly.
Gabrielle slowly looked up at her. The
blonde's features were filled with grief and bewilderment.
"W-What??"
"You heard me. You still think I was crazy for what I did?"
She
lifted her sword, pointing it at the inferno that was once a cage. The smell of
burning human flesh permeated the air around them.
"Look at that. Smell
that. And tell me that I wasn't in my rights to do what I did."
Valacia
turned back to Gabrielle, lowering her sword.
"And you just buried your
chakram in the head of a soldier who was running away."
She leaned down
slightly towards Gabrielle. The blonde stared at her. Valacia spoke once more.
"It seems I'm not the only one looking for some vengeance." she said
quietly.
Valaica straightened up. She turned to Stella and Althea, who
looked at her uneasily.
"Let's get the horses."
Valaica walked
off. Althea and Stella bowed their heads, following them. Gabrielle looked down
at the ground, her face filled with shame and confusion. She said nothing.
Meldinas frowned. She continued to rub Gabrielle's back.
Valacia had
her. And Gabrielle knew it.
The days had stretched into weeks.
Long, tiresome, terrifying weeks. During this time, Meldinas and her Amazons had
been exposed to more death than they could possibly imagine. Each new horror
surpassed the last. Even the battle-hardened Gabrielle, with her years of
experience, was shaken profoundly by the carnage and utter destruction caused by
the Hunnish army. Every new city they had passed through was utterly
devastated-each a mirror of the last. The hideous nature of these deaths fueled
a deep-seated loathing and fury in all of these women.
Gabrielle was
saddened and disturbed by the change in the Amazons' demeanors-and yet at the
same time, she knew that this was inevitable. Gabrielle thought back to her more
idealistic days, when she refused to kill. Unfortunately, the bitter realities
of life made her realize that sometimes, killing was necessary. For survival,
and for the defense of one's way of life.
They were now two days from
Northern Italy. Gabrielle knew this from the landmarks. Soon, they would be
entering the Western Roman Empire.
On this day, it was a bright, sunny
morning. Not a cloud in the sky. The four women rode along a dirt path. They
were silent. Not a word had been exchanged in quite some time. They were still
dwelling on the last city they came through, which had over a dozen massive
piles of skulls at its entrance, scores of headless and dismembered bodies of
men, women and children strewn about.
It was a scene that had been
repeated far, far too many times in the past few weeks. The women were
too disgusted and enraged to discuss it. They knew what each other's thoughts
were, and there was little point in talking about it.
Suddenly,
Gabrielle's sharp ears heard screaming, off in the distance. She turned quickly
towards Meldinas.
"You hear that??"
The Amazon queen listened
closely for a brief moment. She let out a sharp nod.
"Let's go!!" she
responded.
The five women rode their horses down the dirt path. They
went around a bend to their right. They saw a small group of travelers who were
surrounded by Hun soldiers. The travelers stood near a horse drawn cart. One of
them was in the grasp of a Hun soldier, who had run his victim through with a
sword. The Hun viciously yanked it out, and the man fell to the ground dead.
Gabrielle's eyes widened in fury.
"Death to the Huns!!" she
screamed.
The Hun soldiers immediately turned towards the women. With
lightning speed, they were upon the Huns.
Gabrielle somersaulted off her
horse, landing on the earth. She drew a sword from behind her back and rushed at
an oncoming Hun soldier. Their swords collided violently. Gabrielle thrust out a
leg, ramming her foot into the left knee of the soldier and snapping it. He
cried out in agony and fell on the injured knee. Letting out a savage scream,
Gabrielle cut his head off. It bounced along the dirt and rolled into the grass.
Another solider rushed at her, taking a brutal swipe at the blonde. Gabrielle
ducked, and rushed forward, burying her sword deep into his belly. She instantly
pushed the corpse off it with a hard shove of her foot. Two more soldiers rushed
at her. Gabrielle drew her chakram and ran at them. She somersaulted over their
heads, landing behind them. As they turned around, Gabrielle swung her sword
across their bellies, and then the chakram across their throats. Blood erupted
from both areas. The Huns dropped to the ground, dead.
Two Huns rushed
at Althea with swords. She quickly drew a knife and threw it at one of them. The
blade buried itself in his throat, and he crumpled to the ground. The remaining
Hun brought his sword down at Althea. She raised her sword. The weapons collided
violently with a loud metallic clang. They parried furiously for a few moments.
The Hun then took a savage swipe at Althea. She ducked, and a half second later
kicked the soldier in the chin with all her might. His head snapped back, blood
and teeth bursting from his mouth. He staggered backwards. Althea swung down at
the arm holding the sword, chopping it in two just below the elbow. Blood
erupted from the gaping wound. The solider screamed in agony. Althea took a
swipe at his throat. The blade ripped across it, causing an explosion of blood
and flesh to erupt from it. The head was nearly severed from the neck. The
soldier dropped to the ground.
A Hun swung his sword at Meldinas. She
ducked and buried her sword into the soldier's groin. He let out a hideous
scream. Meldinas drew a knife and whipped it across his throat. Blood exploded
from the wound. The Hun clutched at it, his eyes bulging out of his head. He
fell to the ground, dead. At that moment, Meldinas heard someone rushing towards
her back. She ducked and heard a sword whoosh past above her. The Amazon queen
thrust her sword back with all her might. There was a loud, wet sound as the
sword burrowed into flesh and bone. A strangled grunt came from behind her. She
yanked the sword up hard, and suddenly, blood splattered over the sides of her
face. She turned around and pulled her sword back. The Hun soldier staggered
away from her, intestines coming out of his belly. His eyes rolled into the back
of his head and he dropped to the earth.
The Hun soldier screamed in
agony as Stella's sword cut across his eyes. He dropped his weapon and stumbled
back. With a ferocious cry, Stella swung again at his head. The razor sharp
blade ripped it in two. Blood, bone and large chunks of brain flew everywhere.
The corpse dropped to the ground.
Another Hun ran at her. Stella drew
and knife and threw it with a powerful snap of the wrist. It burrowed into the
Hun's right eye, all the way to the hilt. The soldier let out a shriek and fell
back onto the ground in a cloud of dust.
Two Hun soldiers flew back into
trees, their chests split wide open. They fell to the earth. The third Hun
soldier stared at Valacia in terror. He ran away from her. Valacia gave chase.
The Amazon was faster. She caught up to him and brought her sword down
across his back. Blood exploded from the wound. He cried out in agony and
stumbled off to the left, dropping his sword. The Hun soldier staggered
back-first into a tree. He stared at Valacia in terror. The Amazon's ice-blue
eyes were filled with rage and bloodlust. The Hun soldier instantly raised his
arms.
"Mercy!!" he cried out. "Merc-"
The blade
burrowed deep into the base of his throat, cutting off any further speech. The
soldier's eyes dilated in shock and agony. With both hands, Valacia ripped the
sword up through the Hun's head, splitting it in two. Blood, brain and bone
erupted from the top of his head in a massive crimson fountain. The soldier
dropped into the grass. Valacia spun on her heel and walked back towards the
others.
It was all over. All of the Hun soldiers were dead.
Several people knelt down by the body of the man who had been stabbed by
the Hun soldier. Two of them, a man and a woman, were crying. The third stared
at the corpse in agony. He placed his hand over the dead man's eyes and closed
them. Five others stood around them. Another man, tall, with snow-white hair,
pushed his way through these five and walked over to them. He gazed down at the
dead man, slowly shaking his head in great sadness. He then looked up. Gabrielle
and the Amazons approached them. The man walked over to the women, his face
filled with profound gratitude.
"Blessed be God that you came to our
rescue. If you had not shown up when you did, the Huns would have killed all of
us."
Gabrielle nodded.
"You're welcome."
She looked over
at the dead man. Her face filled with sadness.
"I'm sorry about your
friend."
The man looked over his left shoulder, and frowned.
"Krastis was a good man. An old friend I had known for many years."
He turned back to Gabrielle and stretched out his hand.
"My name
is Galeius."
The blonde shook his hand.
"Gabrielle."
Galeius looked at Gabrielle and the other women, slowly shaking his head
in amazement.
"You are all incredible warriors. You fight with a
ferocity and fearlessness I have never seen."
"These are dangerous
times." answered Meldinas. "We have to be at the top of our game in order to
survive. Anything less would cost us our lives."
Galeius shook his head
sadly.
"Sometimes, even that isn't a guarantee. We were part of a peace
mission to the Huns. It had failed, miserably. I was accompanied by two dozen
Roman soldiers. We were on our way back to Italy when a large group of Hun
soldiers chased after us. Many of my men stayed behind to fight off the Huns so
that we could escape. They were among the best men in the Roman army. But they
were overwhelmed. More came after us. My ten men were whittled down, one by one.
They were able to take some Hun soldiers to their deaths with them, but it
wasn't enough. Those Hun soldiers that were left were the ones you encountered."
"Then we should leave right away." said Gabrielle. "More could show up
at any time."
Gabrielle looked past Galeius, seeing the two men lift the
dead body and carry it over to a horse-drawn cart near a group of trees. The
other people followed them. Gabrielle turned to Galeius.
"We'll
accompany you to Italy, and protect you."
Galeius smiled in gratitude.
"I appreciate your kind gesture."
"What is the situation between
Italy and the Huns?"
Galeius's smile was replaced by a grimace.
"Not good. The Huns plan war. I have to go back to see Aetius and inform
him of what has happened. He has been gathering as many soldiers as possible in
the event of an invasion. And it looks like that is what will happen. From what
I've gathered, Attila is bent on invading the Western Roman Empire."
"Galeius!"
He turned around. A young man motioned him over with
his hand.
"On my way, Berac!"
Galeius turned back to Gabrielle.
"I'll only be a moment."
"Don't worry. We can talk more on the
road. We should get moving right away."
"Agreed."
Galeius jogged
towards the man. Meldinas took hold of Gabrielle's arm. The blonde turned
towards her.
"Gabrielle, that man is taking us to see the leader of the
Western Roman army!"
"You said that Aetius is the royal advisor of
Placidia and her son, Valentinian the Third?"
"Yes! And we can become
part of this Roman attack force!"
Gabrielle nodded slowly.
"It
would certainly be better than trying to go in through Hun territory."
She turned to Meldinas.
"All right. I'm for this. Let's see how
we can fit into whatever plans Aetius has."
Meldinas nodded. She turned
to the other women.
"Let's get our horses."
The Amazons nodded.
Meldinas and her warriors ran off. Gabrielle gazed at the Roman citizens, who
were climbing aboard the cart, some crying, and some arguing about what the Huns
had done. Gabrielle's eyes narrowed.
Romans... she thought.
It's been a long time.
And now, there was someone even more
powerful than them, threatening to topple their place as a world leader. The
irony didn't escape Gabrielle.
She then ran off to get her horse.
The horses pulled the carriage through the busy city streets.
Gabrielle and Meldinas rode near the front, and the other three Amazons were in
the rear. People were hurrying about. There was also a large amount of Roman
soldiers present, and Gabrielle noticed that quite a few of them were buying
supplies from merchants. Galeius turned towards Meldinas and Gabrielle.
"We should be nearing Aetius's headquarters soon."
Meldinas
nodded. She looked around.
"There's definitely something happening
here."
Galeius frowned.
"They're preparing for the upcoming
conflict-"
"Galeius!!"
Galeius, Gabrielle and Meldinas
looked forward. A bald-headed Roman solider, of middle age, rode towards them.
He was flanked by six soldiers on either side, all on horseback. A warm smile
was on his face. The young man driving the carriage brought it to a stop.
Galeius returned the smile.
"Glaturian! I can't tell you how happy I am
to see you, my friend."
The Roman soldier's face turned serious.
"Where are all your men??"
Galeius frowned.
"Dead. My
meeting with the Huns was a total failure. Not long after we left, the Huns
decided to send forces after us. A dozen of our men stayed behind to fight some
of the Hun forces that were chasing us, and we were left with ten men. They came
after us, picking our men off with arrows, one by one. Our men were able to take
down a few of them, but they were all killed. We were surrounded by Hun
soldiers, and were about to face death, when these brave women saved us. They
are warriors of the first order, and should be commended for their bravery."
Galeius lowered his head, and sighed.
"Unfortunately, before
they arrived, Krastis was stabbed by one of the Huns. He's dead."
Grief
and rage flashed across Glaturian's face.
"Animals...they'll pay.
They'll all pay."
"What is happening with Aetius?"
"He is
amassing troops to leave for Northern Gaul to meet against Attila's forces. We
are leaving in two days."
"And King Theodoric and his Visigoths?"
"They will be joining our forces."
Glaturian nodded.
"I
see."
Gabrielle turned to Galeius.
"My friends and I want to
join your army. We want to fight against the Huns."
Galeius smiled,
nodding with approval.
"And you shall!! We could use skilled, brave
warriors such as yourselves. I will speak to Aetius on your behalf."
Galeius turned to Glaturian.
"These women are among the
fiercest, bravest, and most skilled warriors I have ever seen. If they
wish to join us, we should let them."
Glaturian nodded. He turned to
Gabrielle and Meldinas, smiling in approval.
"Rome thanks you for your
help."
"Can you take us to Aetius?" asked Galeius.
Glaturian
nodded.
"He's nearby. Follow me."
Glaturian turned his horse
around, as did his other soldiers. Gabrielle, Meldinas, and the others followed.
They rounded a corner, and at the end of the small road was a large house. A
group of two dozen Roman soldiers stood in front of it. Glaturian and his men
entered a large pen next to it, and dismounted their horses. Gabrielle, Meldinas
and the other Amazons entered the pen as well, followed by the horse-drawn cart.
The young man brought the cart to a stop. The women got off their horses.
Everyone got out of the cart. Galeius walked up to Glaturian. He frowned.
"Along with Krastis, there are two bodies of Roman soldiers in the
cart."
Glaturian nodded. He turned to his men.
"Remove the
bodies, and take them to the back of the house to be prepared for burial."
The occupants of the cart walked over to where Gabrielle, the Amazons,
and Galeius stood. At that moment, a man stepped out of the house. He was tall,
and had short, silver hair. He was ruggedly built, and muscular. He wore the
uniform of a Roman commander. His gray eyes focused on the new arrivals. His
eyes widened.
"Galeius!"
The man strode over to him. The two men
shook hands vigorously. Galeius smiled.
"Aetius! I thought I'd never see
you again, old friend."
"I'm glad you made it back."
Galeius
turned to Gabrielle and the Amazons.
"If it weren't for these brave
women, we wouldn't have. The Huns chased us down, killing off our soldiers bit
by bit, until we were surrounded. These women arrived just in time, and saved
our lives. They are incredibly skilled warriors-among the best I have
ever seen. They wish to join our army to fight Attila and his Huns. And I
strongly suggest that you allow this. We need the best in our army, and I
say that they are among the best there is."
Aetius turned to
Gabrielle and the Amazons.
"My friend does not make such claims lightly.
If he feels that you can make a contribution to our campaign against Attila,
then I will honor his request. Rome welcomes your help."
He turned to
Glaturian.
"Have them join your platoon."
Glaturian nodded once.
"Yes sir."
He turned to the women.
"Follow me."
Gabrielle and the Amazons followed Glaturian towards the rear of the
house and past it into a large courtyard. Dozens of Roman soldiers stood about,
tending to their horses, cleaning their swords, and checking weapons inventory.
Glaturian and the women stopped before them.
"All right men! Listen
up!!"
The soldiers stopped what they were doing and looked towards
Glaturian. He spoke again.
"I bring grave news. Galeius's peace mission
has failed. No surprise there. However, his party was attacked by Huns on their
way back to Italy. Our men did their best to hold off the Huns. A dozen of our
soldiers stayed to keep some of the Huns at bay while the other dozen stayed
with Galeius and his people. They were killed off one by one, and then they were
surrounded. These women came along and rescued them. Galeius has told me they
are fierce warriors. They wish to join us in our battle against Attila and his
Huns."
The soldiers stared at each other. There was nervous, agitated
murmuring among them.
"Women?!"
Glaturian looked off to his
left. A large Roman soldier, standing over six feet tall, stared at Glaturian
incredulously. He shook his head in disbelief.
"What do you mean that
women stopped the Huns?"
Gabrielle stepped forward. Her eyes
narrowed in malice.
"He was talking about us."
The
soldier glared at Gabrielle with contempt.
"Silence! I wasn't
talking to you."
Gabrielle walked towards the soldier, stopping
before him. Her lips curled into a cold smile.
"Why don't you
make me shut up, you horse's ass."
At this, the men burst
out laughing. The soldier's eyes widened in fury. He drew his sword and swung it
down at Gabrielle. She thrust her arms out and slammed the palms of her hands
onto the sides of the blade, stopping it. The soldier struggled to pull the
blade free, but couldn't. With a harsh cry, Gabrielle kicked the soldier hard in
the left side. He grunted loudly in pain, releasing the sword and staggering
back. Gabrielle tossed the sword aside, then executed a vicious whirling kick.
Her right heel slammed into the side of his face, whipping it off to the right.
Blood and a couple of teeth erupted from his mouth. The force of the blow spun
him around and made him stagger back. Gabrielle rushed forward and threw a
violent left uppercut into the soldier's belly. He instantly folded over, his
eyes dilated in agony. Letting out a piercing scream, Gabrielle swung a right
uppercut with all her might into the soldier's chin. There was a loud crack as
his jaw snapped. He flew back through the air, crashing into the ground in a
cloud of dust. The soldier did not move again.
A loud cheer rose from
the group of men. One of the soldiers rushed over to the fallen man and knelt by
him, checking his face and jaw. He nodded, a warm smile crossing his face.
"She broke Dargas's jaw, all right!!"
"Good!!" shouted one of
the soldiers. "He deserved it!!"
The other soldiers burst out
laughing at the comment. The young soldier rose to his feet, and walked over to
Gabrielle. He stretched out his arm to her.
"I'm Palladus. Welcome."
The blonde took his hand and shook it firmly.
"Gabrielle."
Galturian and the Amazons walked over to Gabrielle.
"Good going,
Gabrielle!!" said Stella enthusiastically.
Valacia glared at Dargas.
"Ya should have stomped him in the balls."
Gabrielle turned
towards her, raising an eyebrow. Meldinas placed a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder,
smiling in approval.
"Galturian!"
The commander turned around.
Ateius and Galeius approached him. Their faces were filled with anger. Aetius
walked past Galturian and glared down at Dargas.
"I want this dog put in
the dungeon for a week."
Aetius looked up at his men, his eyes filled
with fire.
"These women are here on my account!!" he exclaimed
sternly. "They volunteered to join our forces! That and what they did to
save Galeius and his people shows their bravery! I will not tolerate
anyone treating them as less than equals!! They are warriors!! They are
to be respected as such!! If I find out anyone has treated them in the
way Dargas has, I promise you that your punishment will be swift and severe!!"
Aetius drew closer the men. The soldiers gazed uneasily at the Roman
commander. His features were cold and fierce.
"Remember what we are up
against." he growled icily. "We are up against one of the greatest armies the
world has ever known. And in order to defeat this army, we must work in
unison. We are all equals here. These very same women may save your lives on
the battlefield, just as they saved the lives of Galeius and his people."
Aetius's gray eyes wandered over the men. There were a few moments of
silence.
"Do I make myself clear?!" he snapped.
"Yes
sir!!" they cried out in unison.
Aetius turned to Gabrielle.
"My utmost apologies."
She nodded in return.
"Thank
you."
He turned to Galturian.
"Carry on."
"Yes sir."
Galeius glared down at Dargas, shaking his head.
"Disgraceful."
Galeius and Aetius left. Galturian walked over to Palladus.
"Help these women settle in."
Palladus nodded.
"Yes
sir."
Galturian turned to two soldiers.
"Get Dargas out of my
sight."
They nodded, and Galturian walked off. The two jogged over to Dargus, one grabbing his
feet, and the other grabbing his arms. They carried him away. Palladus turned to
Gabrielle.
"You handle yourself very well."
"Thank you."
He looked at the other women, and frowned.
"I happen to agree
whole-heartedly with Aetius. We're going to need all the help we can get.
Attila, from what I understand, is mounting a huge force that includes the
Ostrogoths. Intelligence reports indicate that his forces are massive."
He drew closer.
"I must admit, it's rather un-nerving."
Gabrielle sighed, nodding.
"Believe me, I know the feeling. But
you have to stand up to people like Attila."
Palladus nodded.
"I
know."
He paused a moment, then spoke again.
"Let me take all of
you to your quarters. Follow me."
Palladus walked towards a large, low
beige building. Gabrielle and the Amazons followed.
Several
weeks had passed. Aetius and his army had begun their long voyage to Northern
Gaul. King Theodoric and his Visigoths were among them. Gabrielle and the
Amazons stayed together, but they were able to bond with the men. The Roman
soldiers developed a healthy respect for the independent, proud nature of the
warrior women.
Gabrielle and Meldinas sat together, under a tree located
at the top of a small hill. It was night. The other Amazons lay nearby,
sleeping. Gabrielle and Meldinas gazed at the vast array of camp fires and
soldiers across the plain. Meldinas turned to Gabrielle.
"How will you
know which one is Attila?"
Gabrielle drew the chakram.
"This
will tell me. The chakram seems to be tuned in to the presence of gods. It emits
a warm vibration when I'm in the presence of one."
"But Attila's not a
god."
"I know. But Ares' sword is extremely powerful. It will
emit energy that the chakram can sense. Remember-the sword is Ares' link to the
outside world."
Gabrielle nodded.
"I'll locate Attila."
"We'll stick by you. When you fight Attila, we'll help you bring him
down."
Gabrielle turned to Meldinas. She let out a warm, sad smile.
"Thank you so much for all your help."
Meldinas shook her head.
"No Gabrielle. Thank you. You're a very brave woman. I can see
why Xena loved you so much. The way you care for others...and what you're doing
here...I can't help but feel a deep admiration for you."
Gabrielle
blushed slightly.
"You're welcome. You're not so bad yourself, Meldinas.
Your Amazons couldn't have a better leader. And if your sister is anything like
you, I'm sure they are in capable hands."
Meldinas looked into the night
sky, gazing at the countless points of light. She spoke again.
"What can
you tell me about Xena's brother, Toris?"
Gabrielle chuckled.
"Ahhhhhhh. Good old Toris. Xena's older brother. He was good people."
"That scroll you read. You said that you and Xena were visiting him?"
"Yes. It was the first time that we had seen him in twenty-five years.
Toris was ecstatic when he saw Xena. And it was one of the few times I saw Xena
really happy. They talked quite a bit, what had been happening in their lives,
how things were going for them. It was an interesting time..."
"Here ya go, Xena."
Toris set down the port in front of
his sister. Xena picked up the mug and took a deep pull from it. She licked her
lips.
"Very good."
Gabrielle put her mug down, nodding in
agreement.
"I second that! It's the best port I've had!"
"I knew both of ya would like it."
Toris sat down in his chair,
running his hand through his white hair. He shook his head in amazement.
"I can't get over the fact that you haven't aged a bit in twenty-five
years, Xena. What are you now? Sixty-four summers old?"
Xena shrugged.
"Something like that. I'm not bothering to count."
"Me either."
said Gabrielle. "It's too damn bizarre to think about."
Toris shook his
head.
"Bizarre...yeah."
He looked out his window.
"The
gods really tried messing with ya, but at least ya finished them off, Xe.
Where's your daughter now?"
"She's heading to Chin."
"Hmmm."
Toris sighed.
"Fate is something else, isn't it? You never know
what it holds in store for you. I traveled a bit, tried being a soldier for
hire, fought in countless wars...it wasn't for me. I was restless for a long,
long time. I didn't know what I wanted to do with myself. I just felt aimless
for so long. Eventually, I grew tired of wandering around and I tried my hand at
business. I took the little bit of money I made and started making port for a
living. It took a long while to get going, but eventually things began to pick
up. And here I am."
Gabrielle smiled.
"You've done well for
yourself, Toris. Cyrene would be proud."
Toris shrugged.
"I
can't complain."
His face grew somber.
"But it's hard not having
anyone to share it with."
Xena placed her hand over her brother's.
"How long has it been since she...?"
Toris sighed.
"Two
years now, Xena."
Gabrielle smiled sadly.
"They can hear your
thoughts."
Toris nodded.
"I know. I think about Martha every
second, and about how much I miss her...huh..."
He gazed up at the
ceiling.
"It's so important to cherish the time you have with your
friends. Family."
He held up Xena's hand, and squeezed it. Toris looked
at Gabrielle.
"This...this here has more value that all the money on
earth. Family. Friendship. We have to cherish our loved ones while we have them,
and make the best of those moments. That's the problem with a lot of people.
They lose sight of the fact that everything in this life is only temporary. We
never know what fate has in store. Do we really control our destiny?"
Toris released his sister's hand. He raised an eyebrow.
"To a
point we do. Only to a point. We're not the only players in this game. You can
only control so much. Sometimes, life puts choices in front of you. And other
times, life makes those choices."
Xena nodded slowly.
"No
argument there."
She paused, and spoke again.
"But you still
try, anyway. You fight against the odds. Even if it's a losing battle, you fight
anyway."
"Sometimes, trying isn't enough Xena."
Xena fell
silent. She lowered her head, gazing into her mug.
"No it isn't." she
responded quietly.
A few moments of silence passed.
"So!"
continued Toris. "What happens now?"
Xena looked up at her brother.
"More of the same, Toris. Gabrielle and I will continue to do what we've
always done. Try and make a difference. Help those who can't help themselves."
Toris nodded.
"Hmmmm. How does that make you feel?"
Xena
smiled.
"It makes me feel worthwhile. It gives me a purpose in life."
"That's always a good thing."
Xena turned to Gabrielle, grasping
her left hand.
"And I get to do it with her."
Toris smiled
warmly.
"Even better. You couldn't be in better hands, sis."
Gabrielle smiled shyly.
"Thank you Toris."
The old man
rose to his feet, walking over to the window. He gazed out into the clear blue
sky.
"I hope I get to see more of you, Xena. I can't tell you how much I
missed you."
He turned around to face his sister. A tear rolled down his
cheek.
"You're all I got left in the world."
Xena stood up. She
walked over to Toris, and they exchanged a fierce hug. Tears trickled down
Xena's cheeks.
"Damn straight you'll see more of me, Toris." she uttered
quietly, her voice trembling. "I've missed you too. I promise to visit you
often."
Xena pulled back and wiped the tears from her face, smiling
softly.
"You've got us for a couple of weeks, at least."
Toris
chuckled.
"I sure could use the company. And the help."
They
hugged each other again. Gabrielle smiled warmly at this touching scene. She
wiped tears from her own cheeks.
"It was so good to see Xena
happy, Meldinas. Those two weeks with Toris were probably among the happiest
times in her life."
Gabrielle sighed.
"Little did we know that
six months later, we'd be in Nippon."
"Nippon?"
"Another name
for Jappa."
Meldinas frowned. She placed her hand on Gabrielle's
shoulder. The blonde made a long, quivering sigh. She wiped tears from her face.
"Anyway Meldinas, we should get some sleep."
The Amazon queen
nodded.
"Yeah. We have a long day of travel ahead."
A moment of
silence. Gabrielle turned towards her.
"I understand we're getting
closer to meeting Attila and his forces."
"That's what the intelligence
reports say."
Meldinas took a deep breath. She gazed into the night sky.
"I'm not going to lie, Gabrielle. I'm scared."
Gabrielle placed
a hand on Meldinas's leg.
"So am I."
Meldinas turned to
Gabrielle.
"And yet, I think about what you and Xena tried doing
throughout your lives. Making a difference. I want my Amazons to have a future.
I want to make a difference for them."
Gabrielle smiled warmly.
"You already have. All of you have. The five of you are brave women of
wonderful character. I'm glad to know you all."
Meldinas smiled shyly.
"Thank you. And like it or not, you are an inspiration,
Gabrielle. You always will be for me."
She stood up.
"Good
night, Gabrielle."
"Good night."
Meldinas walked over to where
the other Amazons were and picked up a small leather bag. Setting it up as a
pillow, she laid down on the grass and went to sleep.
Gabrielle gazed at
the crescent moon. It wouldn't be much longer now. They were in the Catalaunian
Plains. Gabrielle had heard reports of Attila's army consisting of tens of
thousands of men. It brought back old memories of all the wars she and Xena had
fought in. Fighting against overwhelming odds...
She took out the
chakram. Gabrielle flipped it over slowly in her hands, studying it.
"Well Xena, here I am again-taking on a warlord-the most powerful one
this time has known."
Gabrielle gazed up into the sky again.
"Keep me company, Xena. Help me find Attila."
Gabrielle looked
back at the chakram. Her emerald eyes narrowed.
"Your reign of terror is
coming to an end, Attila. You're going to die by my hand."
Rage slowly
edged its way into the blonde. She let it fill her. All the countless dead she
had witnessed...all because of the partnership between Attila the Hun and Ares,
God of War.
It would all end for Attila the Hun. Soon.
The savage nature of man...
The never-changing
characteristic of the dominant species on earth.
The drive to conquer
and subdue those who are weaker, the drive to amass as much as possible: land,
money, property, the hearts and minds of others. To be able to dominate, to be
able to control with an iron will.
And one of the most effective ways of
doing this is by fear, torture, and murder. To hammer down the dissenters; to
force them to bend at the knee. To drive any rebellion, criticism and free
thought into oblivion.
The spilling of blood can be an effective way of
molding the human mind.
And yet, this same savagery can be used against
those who would take and plunder. Used to defend the weak, defend the minds and
hearts of men and women who choose to live their lives free of the manipulative
machinations of those who would be the puppet masters; those who would control
what one would think, say, and do.
Oftentimes, these opposing sides are
blurred; those who have the most honorable of intentions, those who have only
the worst of intentions. In life, there rarely is black and white.
In
the case of the great Battle of Chalons, on the Catalaunian Plains of Northern
Gaul, it was quite clear to Gabrielle and the Amazons who was the true enemy...
Attila and his Huns. Attila, the greatest warlord this time had ever
known, perhaps one of the greatest warlords in history...controlled by Ares, God
of War. A world controlled by Ares would be nothing less than absolute hell on
Earth. And Gabrielle was intent on preventing this, at all costs.
The
battle had been raging for hours. Romans and Visigoths against Attila and his
Huns, along with his German allies and Ostrogoths. The carnage was monumental.
Men hacked away at each other, dismembering each other in countless ways. Blood
and innards grew more than a foot deep in many spots. The air was filled with
crimson spray, shouts, battle cries and terrifying screams.
And within
this maelstrom of carnage was Gabrielle and the Amazons, adding to the fray.
Gabrielle ripped her sword across the throat of a Hun soldier. Blood and
flesh burst from the gaping wound. He toppled into a ditch. As soon as he fell,
another Hun soldier rushed at Gabrielle with a spear. But Meldinas came at him
from Gabrielle's right, bringing down her sword across his arms, chopping them
off. Blood erupted from the jagged stumps. The man let out a hideous scream.
Letting out a harsh cry, Meldinas cut his head off. The body crumpled to the
ground, and the head bounced off into the grass.
Gabrielle quickly
looked to her right. A large hill was there, and a massive oak tree was at the
top.
"Let's head up that hill!!" she exclaimed.
Gabrielle rushed
towards it. Meldinas and her Amazons followed. A group of five Huns rushed
towards them. Gabrielle unhooked the chakram from her belt. The first came at
her, swinging down his sword. She blocked it with her own, and swung the chakram
across his belly. Blood, flesh and innards burst forth. The man let out a
gurgled shriek and collapsed. Stella ran ahead of her. The next solder swung his
sword at the Amazon and she ducked, ripping her own across the left side of his
torso. A river of blood shot out of the gaping wound. He cried out and fell to
the earth. As soon as he did, the third solder brought his sword down at her.
Stella blocked it and kicked the man in the groin. He doubled over and she cut
his head off. Valacia and Althea rushed at the remaining two men. Swords
clashed. The Huns and Amazons parried violently for a few moments. Valacia then
stabbed her opponent in the stomach. Althea stabbed hers in the heart. The two
corpses dropped into the grass.
The women then ran up the hill.
Suddenly, Gabrielle felt the chakram vibrate softly. It began to grow warm. They
reached the top of the hill. The women observed the ferocious battle around
them. Gabrielle stared at the chakram.
"Attila is near!!"
Meldinas spun towards her.
"What?!"
Gabrielle quickly
looked around. She peered towards a nearby hill...
And she spotted him.
Attila. King of the Huns.
Gabrielle saw the Sword of Ares in his
hand. Attila stood near a dark horse. He was of medium build, Attila had a long
mane of dark hair. He wore armor over his chest and shoulders, the rest of his
clothes were made of leather and deerskin. He wore thick, black boots. He stood
alone, within the midst of a large group of trees. Gabrielle's lips curled into
a snarl.
"I found him!"
The Amazons stared at Gabrielle.
She pointed in Attila's direction. They saw the Hun leader.
"Are you
sure??" asked Meldinas.
"He's holding the Sword of Ares! I recognize
that sword anywhere! And the chakram is vibrating like crazy!!"
Gabrielle's eyes widened in fury.
"Death to Attila!!"
The Amazons let out harsh battle cries. The women raced down the hill.
As they did, scores of Hun soldiers rushed towards them. The woman hacked their
way through the soldiers. Blood and flesh sprayed all over them. With
difficulty, they fought their way across the grassy flatland towards the foot of
the hill. As they neared it, Gabrielle swung her sword across the chests of two
Hun soldiers, killing them. They dropped to the ground. Gabrielle raced towards
the hill. She glanced back. More Hun solders suddenly surged towards the
Amazons, and soon they were completely surrounded. Gabrielle's face filled with
fury.
"Shit!!"
She rushed up the hill, sword drawn. When
Gabrielle reached the top of the hill, Attila was nowhere in sight. The chakram
was still letting out strong vibrations. She ran into the midst of the trees,
and continued on for a few moments...
Then Gabrielle reached the edge of
a clearing. Dozens of dead soldiers, Roman and Hun, lay within it, some
dismembered. The ground was dark with blood. Her emerald eyes darted back and
forth. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a twig crack. Gabrielle spun around-
And before her stood Attila. King of the Huns. A cold smile crossed his
face.
"So." he began. "You must be Gabrielle. Lord Ares has told me much
about you."
Gabrielle held her sword out before Attila. Her eyes
narrowed into slits.
"You sick bastard..." she growled. "You butcher.
Whatever plans Ares had for you, I intend on destroying them."
The
blonde bared her teeth in rage.
"I'm going to kill you."
Attila laughed coldly.
"Ares, God of War, is at my side. This is
his sword. I have access to his power. You can't stop me."
A
cruel smile crossed Gabrielle's face.
"I can, and will. I've fought
gods. I've killed a god. You think you're a match for me?! You're
nothing but a pathetic coward. You're so weak that you need to depend on
a god's help. And do you really think Ares gives a damn about you?? He's using
you, just as he's used everyone else who's served him."
Gabrielle drew
closer.
"You're nothing but a pathetic little puppet of Ares!!"
she spat.
"And you are about to die, Gabrielle." growled Attila.
"I plan to take the chakram from you. Ares needs it to get out of his tomb. He
has promised me power beyond my wildest dreams, and these dreams are fast
becoming a reality. It only seems fair that I return the favor."
Attila's eyes widened in fury. Letting out an enraged cry, he charged at
Gabrielle, swinging the Sword of Ares down at her. Gabrielle lifted the chakram.
The two weapons collided. Violent sparks of electricity shot around both
weapons. Letting out a piercing scream, Gabrielle rammed her right foot hard
into Attila's stomach, then his face. Blood exploded from his mouth and nose.
Stunned, Attila staggered back. Gabrielle then swung her left foot at his right
hand. She knocked the sword of Ares out of it. It flew through the air, crashing
into the ground.
Letting out a piercing scream, Gabrielle swung her
sword down at Attila's head. Suddenly, his left hand snapped out, grabbing the
oncoming blade and stopping it. A second later, Attila's right foot burrowed
into Gabrielle's face, shattering her nose. Blood burst from it. Her head
snapped back. She released the sword and dropped the chakram, staggering away
from the warlord. Attila flipped the sword in the air, catching it by the
handle. He then took a vicious swipe at Gabrielle. The blonde ducked at the last
possible moment. Gabrielle then swung her right foot with all her might up into
Attila's chin. The warlord's head shot back, a fountain of blood and teeth
erupting from his mouth. He stumbled backwards, dropping his sword. Gabrielle
rushed forward and grabbed Attila by the arms. She kicked him full force in the
groin. Attila's eyes bulged in agony. He doubled over. With a furious cry,
Gabrielle clutched his shoulders and head-butted him again and again in the
face. His nose cracked. Blood spattered everywhere. Gabrielle steeled the
fingers in her right hand and plunged it towards his neck. But Attila grabbed
her hand at the last second. He then delivered a punishing right uppercut into
Gabrielle's stomach. The blow was so powerful that it lifted Gabrielle high off
the ground. Her eyes bulged in agony. She landed on her feet. Attila followed it
with a left to Gabrielle's face. A stream of blood shot out of her mouth. He
then threw a right. More blood flowed through the air. As Gabrielle stumbled
back, Attila rammed a foot hard into her chest. She flew back, crashing hard
into the ground and rolling over her head onto her stomach.
Attila bent
down, picking up the sword of a dead soldier. He raised it and ran at the fallen
warrior, plunging it towards her. Gabrielle suddenly twisted to the right. The
sword burrowed into the ground. Gabrielle quickly got up, grabbed Attila by the
hair, and rammed him face-first into the hilt of the sword. His head snapped
back and he stumbled away, falling into the ground. Gabrielle yanked the sword
out of the ground. She rushed at Attila, plunging the weapon down at his chest.
Attila moved off to the side. The sword burrowed into the earth. He drew a knife
and buried it in Gabrielle's thigh. She screamed in agony. He yanked it out. As
the blonde staggered back, he rammed both feet into Gabrielle's face. She flew
through the air, crashing into the ground near a dead soldier.
The two
warriors slowly rose to their feet, picking up swords that were near them. They
turned to face each other. The two warriors let out battle cries, and attacked
one another.
Meldinas sliced off the head of her opponent. The
headless body fell to the earth. Another Hun came at her, and she buried the
sword in his gut. She then pushed the soldier off it. Meldinas turned to her
right-
-just in time to see a Hun solder run his sword right through
Stella's body. It ripped out of her back in a huge explosion of blood.
Meldinas's face filled with grief and rage.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
Blood gushed out of Stella's mouth. She stared at the Hun soldier, her
face overwhelmed with agony. He yanked the sword out of her body. The Amazon
warrior staggered back and fell to the ground. Meldinas flew at the Hun soldier.
As he turned towards her, she buried her sword in his belly, down to the hilt.
It tore out of his back, spraying out a large stream of blood. His eyes dilated
in shock and overwhelming pain. She yanked the sword out of him, and he dropped.
Meldinas glanced towards Stella. The Amazon's lifeless eyes gazed into
the sky. Fury surged through the Amazon queen. She turned to her right, and two
Hun soldiers rushed at her. Meldina's eyes widened with bloodlust. She let out a
piercing scream and charged at them.
Valacia swung her sword in
a sweeping arc, cutting off the heads of two Hun soldiers in rapid sequence.
Blood erupted from the stumps in a volcanic explosion. It rained down on the
Amazon. The headless bodies dropped to the earth. The Amazon heard footsteps
approaching her rapidly from the right. She turned in that direction. A Hun
soldier charged at her. They swung their swords at each other. Metal collided
against metal. There was a brief, violent parry. Valacia then kicked the soldier
with all her might in the groin. He doubled over, and she swung the blade down
onto his head. It split open like a watermelon. Blood and brain burst forth,
splattering on her. She yanked the sword out. Valacia turned to her right-
And a Hun soldier thrust his sword deep into her stomach, through her
body, and out her back.
Pain erupted through her body, up into her head
in a raging fire. Blood shot out of her mouth in red-black globs. The Hun
soldier smiled cruelly at her. Valacia trembled violently...
The she
dropped her sword and grabbed the soldier's head. With a strangled scream, she
viciously turned it to the right. There was a loud crack. She released him. He
dropped to the ground, dead.
Valacia staggered forward. Grabbing the
handle of the sword, she yanked it out of her. It flew forth, landing on the
ground. More blood burst out of her back and stomach. She let out a gargled cry.
The Amazon took a few more steps. Her blue eyes rolled into the back of her
head. Then she fell and joined her murderer in death.
The blade
tip tore across Gabrielle's abdomen. Blood burst from it. She stumbled away from
Attila. Letting out an enraged cry, he brought his sword down at her. Gabrielle
lifted her weapon. Both blades collided violently. The two warriors began
parrying. Gabrielle thrust her weapon at Attila with lightning quickness, but
the warlord effortlessly parried away each attempt. Attila then went on the
offensive. He forced Gabrielle back towards a tree. Suddenly, he lunged at her.
Impossibly, she pulled off to the left. Attila swung his sword in that
direction. Gabrielle ducked, and snuck in a swipe of her own. Her blade tore
across Attila's stomach. Blood spewed forth. Attila grunted harshly. As he drew
back, Gabrielle whipped her sword up at his face. Attila pulled his head back,
but the tip of the blade managed to nick the right side of the warlord's face.
Blood spurted from the long cut. He cried out in pain and anger, drawing back
further. Gabrielle leaped into the air and rammed her foot hard into his face.
Blood and teeth splattered in different directions. He cart-wheeled through the
air and slammed hard into the ground.
Gabrielle quickly looked off to
her left. Nearby lay the Sword of Ares. The chakram was laying beside her.
Gabrielle knew she would only get once chance at this.
She snatched the
chakram up from the ground. Gabrielle ran towards the Sword of Ares. Letting out
a furious scream, she swung the chakram down with all her might onto the sword.
The chakram split the sword in two. There was a violent explosion. It threw
Gabrielle back through the air, and she crashed into the ground. Huge sparks of
electricity shot around both halves of the sword. Attila groggily looked up. He
saw the sparks shoot up from the area where the broken sword was. He instantly
realized what had happened. Horror filled his face.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"
He looked towards
Gabrielle, his teeth bared in seething rage.
"You Greek
BITCH!!!!"
Attila quickly rose to his feet and rushed at Gabrielle
as she got to her knees. He grabbed his sword from the ground as he passed it.
Gabrielle turned towards Attila and threw the chakram at him. It screamed
through the air. Attila suddenly somersaulted out of its way. It flew
underneath, past him. Gabrielle grabbed her sword and rose to her feet. Attila
landed before her, and the two began to parry violently. After a heated
exchange, Attila snuck in two quick swipes across Gabrielle's abdomen. Blood
erupted from the wounds. Gabrielle cried out, staggering back. Attila spotted
another opening, and swung his sword down the blonde's face. She pulled back as
fast as she could, but the blow was too fast. The tip of the blade cut across
the side of Gabrielle's face, cutting a deep gash in it. Blood burst from the
wound. She screamed in agony. Attila then rammed his foot with all his might
into Gabrielle's face. Blood and teeth burst from her mouth. The blonde's head
snapped back. She flew back into a tree, her head hitting it hard and bouncing
off of it. She fell to the ground.
At that moment, Attila heard a shrill
metallic scream coming at him. His left arm snapped out-
-and he caught
the chakram. Attila studied it for a moment, then gazed at the blonde's fallen
form.
"Let's see how this works on you." he growled.
Attila ran towards Gabrielle. The blonde grabbed a clump of dirt with
her left hand. Attila raised the chakram. As he got closer, she threw the dirt
in the warlord's face, blinding him. Gabrielle lifted her feet. Attila's
momentum sent him colliding with the soles of her boots, stomach-first.
Gabrielle grabbed the warlord's wrists and she flipped him over her. He crashed
into the ground.
Both warriors rolled onto their stomachs. They rose,
but Gabrielle was up first. She kicked Attila hard in the chin. Blood burst from
his mouth. He flew through the air and crashed into the ground, his head hitting
a rock. He rolled onto his stomach. Gabrielle snatched up the chakram, then the
sword. Raising the sword, she rushed at the warlord's motionless form. She aimed
the sword at his back. It was a guaranteed kill-
-then a violent
explosion of blood erupted from Gabrielle's right shoulder, just below her
collarbone. A large arrow tip ripped out of it.
A huge blast of pain
roared through her shoulder. She screamed at the top of her lungs. Gabrielle
stumbled past Attila. She spun around-
-and two more arrows burrowed
deep into her abdomen. Red-black blood erupted from Gabrielle's mouth in huge
globs. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fell to the earth.
Gabrielle lay, trembling violently. The agony she felt was nearly
unbearable. She opened her right eye a tiny bit. The archers were two Hun
solders. They ran towards her. One of them stopped by Attila, kneeling down to
inspect him. The other one drew closer to her. When this soldier got close
enough, Gabrielle quickly sat up and ripped the chakram across his belly. Blood
and intestines burst from it, much of the gore splattering on Gabrielle. He let
out a hideous scream and fell to the ground, dead. The other soldier quickly
rose to his feet and lifted his bow. Gabrielle threw the chakram. It buried
itself in the soldier's throat. He flew back through the air and fell to the
ground, dead.
Attila groaned. He rubbed his head and slowly sat up. He
looked around him, and saw Gabrielle. Wracked with convulsions, she slowly rose
to her feet, sword in hand. Attila stared at her in disbelief. He grabbed a
nearby sword and rose as well.
Gabrielle glared at Attila. Huge globs of
blood dripped from her mouth. She spat out the excess. Gabrielle knew she was
done for. The wounds were too serious, the blood loss too much. She twisted her
lips into a mocking, bloody smile.
"Youvvvvv lost, Attila." she rasped.
"Yeeeeu no longer have access to Arres' power."
She tilted her head to
the side and regarded him for a moment. She could see the fear in Attila's eyes.
Gabrielle noticed that Attila knew she was telling the truth
"All
warlorrrdzz fall. Alllllll uf dem. Yeeeeu no diffrant."
Gabrielle
then got into a fighting stance.
"Yerrrr dayzz are numbered. Yeeu
might kill meee, but I've won."
Attila stared at Gabrielle in
disbelief. He realized he was looking at a true warrior. Mortally wounded,
Gabrielle stood there. There wasn't a trace of fear in her eyes. In fact, she
was smiling at him mockingly. He swallowed hard.
Gabrielle's smile
turned into a snarl. She let out a gargled cry, raised her sword and rushed at
Attila. He drew his sword back and ran at her. Gabrielle swung at Attila. He
pulled back, dodging the blow. Attila moved past her. She turned towards him.
Attila let out a harsh cry and whipped his sword violently at Gabrielle's neck.
The blade tore through it, slicing her head off. A massive geyser of blood
erupted from where it once was. Gabrielle's headless body dropped to the earth.
Her head bounced into the grass, where it rolled to a stop, facing up into the
bright blue sky. Her eyelids fluttered and closed.
Attila stood there,
panting. He stared at Gabrielle's corpse. Fear coursed through him in huge,
pulsating waves. He no longer felt the power he once did. Nor the security. All
he felt was a gnawing emptiness, an uncertainty about the future. He looked
around erratically.
Attila suddenly felt a need to run. Run far away and
regroup his thoughts and plans for the future.
The King of the Huns ran
out of the clearing, disappearing into the midst of the trees.
Meldinas drove her sword deep into the Hun soldier's belly. His
eyes widened in agony. She pushed him off her sword with a hard shove of her
foot. The soldier dropped to the ground. She quickly looked around her. The Huns
and Ostrogoths were being driven back by the Roman and Visigoth forces. They
rushed past her, yelling at the top of their lungs. Meldinas turned towards her
right. Althea ran to her. Her face was ashen with grief.
"Valacia's
dead."
Meldinas's face twisted in murderous pain at the news. She put a
hand to her mouth.
"No...my God no..."
Althea clutched her
shoulder.
"C'mon. We haven't a second to waste. Let's go help
Gabrielle."
Meldinas bit her lip and nodded. The two women made their
way through the angry mass of Romans and Visigoths. They reached the hill and
rushed up it. The two women ran through the thick grouping of trees, finally
arriving at the clearing. They saw corpses lying throughout. Althea turned to
her left and spotted an area where large electrical sparks crackled heatedly.
"Meldinas!!" she exclaimed. "Look at that!!"
The Amazon queen
turned towards her. Althea pointed to the sparks. They rushed over to the spot.
They saw the Sword of Ares, fractured into two jagged pieces, crackling with
energy. Meldinas's jaw dropped in shock.
"Gabrielle did it!!
Gabrielle did it!! She destroyed the Sword of Ares!!"
As they
looked at it, the broken sword soon stopped crackling and disintegrated into
dust. Only smoke rose from the charred spot. The two women gazed at the area in
amazement. They then began to look around.
"Gabrielle!!" Meldinas called
out. "Gabrielle!!"
The two women separated, and began walking
around, calling out to the warrior. Althea gazed at the bodies of the dead Roman
and Hun soldiers that lay about. She looked to her right-
And suddenly
stopped in her tracks. Her face filled with absolute horror at the ghastly scene
before her.
"Meldinas!!"
The Amazon queen spun towards
her, startled by the terror in her friend's voice.
"What's wrong?!"
"I-I-I found Gabrielle..."
Meldinas instantly knew what she
meant. Agony and disbelief filled her face.
"No..."
She rushed
over to Althea's side, and looked. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The evening was crisp, clear, and cool. The sky was filled with
billions of stars. Meldinas and Althea stood before the three funeral pyres,
each burning ravenously. Smoke and ashes rose into the sky. The women had their
heads bowed.
A few yards away, standing at the top of a small hill, the
ghosts of Xena and Gabrielle gazed down upon the women. Gabrielle slowly shook
her head.
"I wish I could have killed Attila."
Xena placed her
right hand on her friend's shoulder. She looked at Gabrielle and smiled softly.
"Gabrielle, you did what you set out to do. You destroyed Ares' sword.
Attila doesn't wield the same power anymore."
Xena placed her left hand
on Gabrielle's chin and turned her face in her direction.
"Attila
doesn't have long to live, anyway. I've got that on good authority."
Gabrielle sighed. Xena drew her into a hug. She kissed the top of the
blonde's head.
"You did good, Gabrielle. I am so proud of you."
"I wonder what's going to happen to Meldinas and Althea."
Xena
looked down at the two Amazons, smiling gently.
"They'll be just fine.
Meldinas is a great queen. Althea is a strong woman in her own right. They'll
contribute a lot to their tribe. It will thrive for centuries to come."
The Warrior Princess turned to Gabrielle.
"It's time to go."
Gabrielle nodded.
"Mmm."
The blonde looked back at
Meldinas and Althea smiling warmly.
"I'm proud to have known you both.
Good-bye, my friends. Have a good life."
At that moment, a slit of light
appeared in the space behind them. It expanded into a large, glowing opening.
Xena and Gabrielle's bodies transformed into shapeless, cloud-like forms. They
elongated and shot into the light. The glowing ball of light quickly collapsed
into a pinpoint and disappeared.
Meldinas placed an arm around her
friend. Althea wiped the tears from her eyes. She bit her lower lip.
"I-I-I'm going to miss them all so much..." she said in a tremulous
voice.
Meldinas gazed at the sky erratically.
"So am I."
She looked down at the leather bag before her. Meldinas reached down and
opened it. She took out the chakram. The light of the fires flickered off its
shiny surface. Meldinas studied it.
"Gabrielle indeed lived up to her
reputation."
Althea nodded.
"She did. She's a true Amazon. A
great warrior."
"Yes she is."
"What will you do with it?"
"I'm bringing the chakram back to our tribe. It and the Dagger of Helios
will be kept in a safe place. A place of honor."
Meldinas looked at the
heavens.
"Thank you, Gabrielle. We'll never forget you or Xena.
Never."
She placed the chakram back inside the bag and tied it
closed. Meldinas picked it up and turned to Althea.
"It's time to go
home to Crete. We have a long journey ahead of us."
The two women walked
over to their horses and mounted them. They rode off into the night.
The
fires continued to burn. The smoke rose high into the air. History had been
made. One of the greatest warlords ever known had been stopped at the Battle of
Chalons, on the Catalaunian Plains of Northern Gaul. History records that it was
due to the bravery and ingenuity of Flaveius Ateius.
But the Amazons of
Western Crete knew better. Victory was due to six brave women, who risked their
lives to save the world...
And one of them was the Warrior Bard of
Potedia.
THE END
If you're interested in
more of my stories, log onto TRABAL CREATIONS.
The Bard's Corner