Destinies to Fulfill
Chapter 8
by Xat
The original general disclaimer in the first section is applicable to all future sections I write.
They walked hand in
hand along the river bank, not speaking a word, just enjoying
each others
company and the peaceful sounds of a new day. Finally they came
to a stop near a small grove and
sank into the soft, springy grass. Off to one side was a small
rivulet, the water caught between it’s
banks moved tranquilly along its course, never looking back as if
it knew it’s destiny and accepted
what it had to offer, whether its purpose was to join with
Poseidon's mighty ocean unbound and free
or to be sucked up by a thirsty plant, finding eternal peace in
the gift which was in it’s power was to
give. Life.
‘Nothing is as soft as water, yet who can withstand the
raging flood?’
The words of her former mentor floated into her mind. She sighed
inwardly and prepared herself for
the inevitable flood of emotions wash over her. Grief, sadness
and regret could well up in her even at
the sight of an everyday object. She drank it everyday, she
bathed it everyday, she caught her food
from it everyday and her eyes reflected it everyday. If that was
an accurate insight into the state of
her mind then it was no wonder why people saw her as they did. It
was rather depressing really. She
hated herself and she hated herself for what she was going to do
now.
'Well, it's not as if you haven't broken his heart before Xena,
it will just be another notch on
your hilt and then we can resume our never ending battle.'
Her inner voice whispered from the darkest depth of her soul.
Like a chilly breeze on a freezing
night, making her very core shiver with apprehension. She sighed
again but this time it was clearly
audible.
Hercules had been lazily drawing patterns with his finger on
Xena's thigh when he heard the soft
breezy sound come forth from Xena's slightly parted lips.
"Whattcha thinking?" He asked kissing her kneecap and
resting his cheek against her bronzed,
muscular thigh.
"Nothing that would not tire your brain as if you were to
try and solve the enigma of life."
Hercules laughed "I have no interest in searching for the
meaning of life for I have already found
mine."
Xena smiled and wondered if anyone had ever said anything that
sweet about her before. A light
blushed burned in her cheeks as she realized that no-one had.
"Anyway," she said avoiding the subject "I'm
surprised we had the strength to walk here much less
decipher hidden meanings and riddles of life that have plagued
man for eternity."
He moved up behind her so that she leaned against him. "I'm
surprised we were able to wake at all."
Xena closed her eyes and leaned further into his strength and
warmth. She placed his hand over her
lower belly and confessed shyly. "I can still feel you
throbbing inside me."
He had spent all night inside her. Her sweetness had not
satisfied his desire for her, only encouraged
it until it became addictive. He was selfishly pleased that he
had claimed her and in such a way that
he knew no other man could, and yet at the same time knew that
she had successfully marked him as
her territory too. No woman had a snowball's chance in Tartarus
of even coming close to satisfying
him now much less endure a night of marathon sex in which they
had made love at least twelve times.
He caressed her belly before guiding his fingers down the inside
of her leg, resting them just below
her groin. The fact that she could still feel his presence within
her, stirred up something primitive
inside him. It was almost animal.
"Do you like it?" He asked all of a sudden having the
urge to know what she felt, knowing that he
would burn inside her forever.
"Mmmmmmmmmmmhmmmmmmm . . .. " She moaned sensuously.
"Tell me what it feels like." he encouraged.
"It feels wonderful, like there's finally a part of me that
I can love, its all the luxuries of the world
inside me. I can feel you claiming me as your own . . . . I love
knowing that I am yours." She
whispered.
Slowly, deliberately he let his fingers slip into her. She arched
against him but he held her tight against
him with his free arm, preventing her from achieving any sense of
relief. He could still taste her from
last night and he wanted to do so again, but first he wanted her
to ache for him as he did for her. At
first he stroked her gently but gradually they became harder as
he reclaimed his home. Her skin
glistened in the sunlight, covered with a sheet of sweat. Her
reaction to him turned him on more till he
was unable to ignore the calling of his manhood.
Removing his fingers from her warmth he laid her on the soft
blanket of grass. Stripping of their
clothing quickly he lifted her and settled her against his hips
so he sunk as deep as possible in her.
They reached their climax together, not knowing what the
consequences of their actions would be.
Xena awoke to a tickling sensation in her toes. Still half-asleep
she tried to ignore it with no success
so she wiggled them hoping that it would go away. When that
failed to her brain began to work. It
felt like someone was licking her toes!
"Hercules are you licking my toes?" She asked
accusingly.
No answer. She thought again. 'It couldn't be him, I can feel his
body against mine.'
The realization made her open her eyes suddenly and roll off
Hercules to squat in a defensive
position. The sudden movement woke Hercules too and both were
face to face with a panther cub.
The cub looked like a little fluff ball with two penetrating blue
eyes peering out from tuffs of dark
brown fur.
Xena rose angrily and slipped her shift over her head. The cub
looked questioningly at her before
running over to her to rub against her leg. Hercules laughed as
it licked her ankle and flopped
contentedly across her foot. Xena sighed at looked at Hercules.
Hercules laughed even harder at her
expression. Xena looked back down at the fluff ball who was using
her foot as a pillow and bent
down to pick it up. Once she had hold of it, it began to squirm
until she held it against her chest.
Hercules walked over to her and ruffled the cub's head. The cub
sneezed in response.
"You like it there huh?" Hercules asked the cub.
Xena gave him a death look.
"Well I don't blame you, I like it there too."
"Don't encourage it!"
"You can't keep on calling it 'it'. You have to give it a
name."
"I do not. She is not a pet."
"Why not?"
"If you like her so much, you keep it."
"How 'bout we both keep it." Hercules looked straight
into Xena's eyes in time to catch them flicker.
"I can't."
"Why?" He asked softly already dreading the answer.
"I have to go."
Hercules turned so his back was facing her, he was unable to look
at her any longer, and started
pacing.
"Well, at least you told me this time."
"Hercules . . . . . . ."
"Are you going to give me the courtesy of telling me
why?"
"Because I love you."
"So you are leaving me because you love me?" Hercules
spread his arms out wide "Does that not
make sense to anyone else around here?"
"Would you let me explain?" Xena pleaded.
Hercules sat down abruptly. "Go ahead."
"I love you Hercules and I despite my past you have to
believe me when I say that if I hurt you again
. . .I . . . . . I couldn't live with myself."
"Your hurting me now."
"Your father was determined to get me out of your life one
way or another. And I know you
Hercules, even on your last breath you would never stand by and
watch someone be killed let alone
the woman that you love."
"But . . . . "
Xena held up her hand for silence. "What it all comes down
to is this. As long as I'm around Zeus
will continually try to kill me and you will keep on getting hurt
or killed trying to protect me. I can't
live with that."
"But we love each other, Isn't that worth it."
Xena knelt down in front of him, placing the cub onto the ground.
"Yes love is worth it, but I'm not."
"And what about me, am I worth it?"
Tears began to flow freely down their faces.
"It's the way it has to be . . . . . . . ." Xena
whispered. "I'm sorry."
She led her lip to his and kissed him gently until he pulled away
forcefully and stood.
"I can't . . . . I can't say good-bye Xena."
"I know."
Hercules turned and began to walk away.
"Hercules?" Xena called after him to which he slowly
turned around. "Take the panther with you . . .
please . . . I want every time you are feeling lost or lonely to
look at her and remember all the
beautiful times we had together."
As if on Que. the panther cub ran up to the Demi-god and jumped
into his arms. Hercules let his
eyes rest once more on the Warrior Princess before turning and
walking away from her life.
To be continued...
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