"Heart of Darkness"
Chapter Eighteen
Honesty Is Such A Lonely Word...
Mariah paced the room as she waited for Xena to return.
Gabrielle and Myklos tried to get her to rest, but the teacher was
filled with a restless, nervous energy. She stalked the room liked a caged
lion, her exhausted, ring-encircled eyes looking for Xena.
Mariah was angry. Angry that she and Xena had been targeted, angry
that she had been invaded, angry that it was Galvous, and angry that this
was affecting her life and affecting the lives of the people she loved the
most.
Gabrielle's heart ached for her friend. Myklos's heart ached as
well. He wanted to take Mariah in his arms, hold her, protect her. He
finally arose, went over to her, and put an arm around her. "You must
rest," he insisted gently but firmly. He looked in her bloodshot eyes, and
Mariah could see the love on his face. Her anger left her. Her heart
broke.
"Oh, Myklos," she sobbed as she buried her face in his shoulder.
He held her close, not saying anything, letting her ride out the emotional
storm that had built up inside of her for so long. He looked at Gabrielle;
the bard nodded in understanding, grabbed her staff, and stepped outside to
let them have some privacy.
Mariah's crying gradually tapered off, but Myklos refused to let
her go. "Do you know how long I've wanted to do this?" he asked softly,
his hold on her tightening as he burrowed his face in her curly hair. "By
the gods, I love you, Mariah. I love your strength, the way you embrace
life...I love everything about you." He cupped her chin so he could look
directly into her weary blue eyes. "Don't shut me out," he pleaded.
"There's so much you don't know about me," she whispered tiredly as
she looked at him. "I love you too, Myklos, and there's so much I've been
afraid to tell you..." she trailed off as she slid her hand down his cheek.
"I know," he said softly.
She looked at him, her eyes narrowing.
He laughed gently. "Mariah, I know I'm not *that* fascinating.
Every time I want to talk about you, to learn more about you, you turn the
conversation back to me. Let me tell you this: whatever has happened to
you, whoever you are...it doesn't matter. It doesn't change the fact that
I love you, and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I can
think of nothing better than waking up next to you every morning for the
next fifty years."
She looked at him a long time before finally making up her mind.
Crunch time, she told herself. "Come here," she said quietly, as she led
him to the table. "Sit down. This is going to take awhile." They sat
down, Myklos holding her hands. Swallowing hard, her voice shaking
slightly, she told him her strange story.
His eyes widened when she told him where and when she was from, how
Xena and Gabrielle had found her and saved her life, her battles with
cancer, and the battles taking place in her dreams. Myklos said nothing as
he held her hands and listened to her tale.
"So you see," she said finishing, her voice weary. "I couldn't
tell you; I couldn't tell anyone. I didn't want to endanger the ones I
love. Especially you." She stopped talking and looked down at the floor,
waiting for Myklos to say something, anything.
Myklos looked at this girl who had stolen his heart. As he
listened to her, he found that his love for her grew as she detailed the
strange and wonderful events that led her to him. He loved her courage in
her fights for survival, and loved her all the more for her wanting to
protect him. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Well, I *do* have
one question, Mariah," he said, his voice serious. "Since Gabrielle and
Xena are the closest people you have for family, when can I talk to them to
ask permission to marry you?"
Her head shot up as she looked at him, his brown eyes sparkling
merrily. "You mean, after all that, after everything I told you, you
*still* want to marry me?" She was astounded at this turn of events.
He grabbed her in a warm embrace and held her close. "I told you,
my love," he said murmuring in her ear. "You are my life. I love you.
How can I make you realize that?"
She ran her fingers through his thick black hair, a smile on her
face, the love shining in her eyes, one tremendous weight now off of her
shoulders. "Oh, I'm sure we can figure out a way," she teased as their
lips met in a passionate kiss, a promise of more to come.
The door opened. Gabrielle looked in, saw the couple locked in
their embrace, and coughed delicately. Mariah and Myklos broke off their
kiss. Gabrielle saw the look of contentment on her friend's weary face,
and smiled. She remembered she had that look when she was with Perdicas.
"I hate to interrupt," she said. "Xena's coming back, and Elkton's with
her." Even though the bard had been outside, Xena left orders for her to
remain close, so she had inadvertently heard most of Mariah's conversation
with Myklos. She was ecstatic that her friend had found her heart, her
soulmate.
Xena entered with the Mystic Head Priest. The warrior looked at
Mariah, still in Myklos's arms. Even though her friend looked tired, there
was a lightness on her face and a look in her eyes that wasn't there
before. She introduced the Mystic. "He's here to help you, Mariah."
Mariah looked at the Mystic. "Thank you for coming," she said
simply. "What do you need me to do?"
-------------------------
Chapter Nineteen
Take A Trance On Me...
Elkton led Mariah over to the table and sat her down. He motioned
Xena, Gabrielle, and Myklos to stand off to one side. The Mystic looked
around, found a candle, and brought it over to the table. He sat across
from Mariah.
"Xena's told me about you and what's been going on with you," he
told her. "I want to try something," he said as he lit the candle.
"You've remembered a great many of your dreams; there still may be
something locked away, something that may help us fight Morpheus and
Galvous if the worst happens and you are taken to the Dreamscape. I want
to hypnotize you. You'll be absolutely safe, I promise."
Mariah only briefly hesitated before she gave assent, but she had
one condition. "Myklos, Gabrielle, Xena...I want them here with me," she
insisted. She saw a look on Xena's face. "It's OK," Mariah told her
warrior friend. "Myklos knows about me. *All* about me." Xena looked at
Gabrielle; Gabrielle nodded to her, smiling. The warrior looked at Mariah
and smiled herself, understanding written on her face.
Elkton agreed, but cautioned them that they would have to remain
quiet, that only he could ask Mariah any questions during the session. He
directed Mariah's attention to the candle. "Look into the flame, Mariah,"
he said, his voice getting soft. "Concentrate on my voice. The more you
hear it, the heavier your eyes feel."
Mariah's eyelids began to droop slightly as she listened to
Elkton's soothing voice.
"That's right. Don't fight it, Mariah. Embrace it. Relax." The
teacher's eyes began to close. "Breathe deep, Mariah. In and out. Close
your eyes, dear. It's too much effort to keep them open. You're perfectly
safe. You're surrounded by those who love you." Mariah's breathing became
deeper, as Elkton took her deeper into a hypnotic state.
When the Mystic was satisfied she was under, he began to question
her, asking her things he already knew to assess her reliability under the
hypnosis.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Mariah Evans." she replied.
"What did you do before you met Xena and Gabrielle?"
Mariah launched into a brief explanation of her twentieth century
life before her slip on the ice.
"Very good. What do you do now?"
The flute player detailed the events of her new life in Tyldus.
"Excellent, Mariah. Now these next few questions may be difficult
for you to answer, but your friends are here with you. You're safe.
Please answer them if you can. What do you fear?"
A troubled look appeared on Mariah's face; she found it difficult
to answer. "The dreams." She broke off, a light sweat forming on her brow
and upper lip.
"You're doing fine. Breathe deep. There you go. What do you fear
in the dreams?"
She panted as she struggled to answer. She was near tears as she
listed the fears which her dreams explored.
Myklos looked angry. He whispered to Xena. "How much longer will
he put her though this?" The warrior put her hand on his arm to reassure
him, although both she and Gabrielle suffered as their friend suffered.
"We're almost through, Mariah. Only a few more questions," Elkton
said. "Deep breaths. Another. One more." Mariah struggled to regain
control. "You're doing fine," Elkton soothed. "Tell me one thing about
your current life that Morpheus and Galvous don't know."
Mariah smiled in her trance. "Myklos," she said. "They don't know
I'm going to marry Myklos."
A look of pure joy crossed the merchant's face. Xena raised an
eyebrow and looked questioningly at Gabrielle "I'll explain later," she
whispered to the warrior.
Elkton frowned. She couldn't hide that bit of information. She'd
probably dream about it that very night. He continued. "This is
important, Mariah: tell me one thing about your twentieth century life
that Morpheus and Galvous don't know."
Mariah thought for a moment. "Nike," she said softly.
"Nike?" Elkton repeated, his eyes narrowing. "The goddess?"
"No, the shoe. It-it was a nickname my students had for me because
I always wore Nike brand sneakers." A small smile came to her lips at the
thought.
Elkton shook his head, a little bewildered. It would have to do,
he thought to himself.
"I want you to do something, Mariah," Elkton said. "I want you to
bury something deep inside your subconscious where no one can find it.
Bury it so deep you won't think about or even *dream* about it. Bury the
name Nike and the shoes associated with it. If you are ever caught in the
Dreamscape, Mariah, Nike will help you find your way. Repeat it."
"Nike will help me find my way," Mariah said.
"Say it again."
"Nike will help me find my way."
Elkton sat back. "If you're trapped in the Dreamscape, you'll
remember Nike when you're at a moment of need. I want you to rest now.
You're going to wake up soon, Mariah, and you'll have no memory of what we
just discussed. No memory at all. When you awake, you will feel safe,
protected. You will feel rested as if you had slept for several hours. On
the count of three, you'll open your eyes. One. Two. Three."
Mariah's blue eyes fluttered open and she looked around the room.
"How do you feel?" Elkton asked her.
"Better," Mariah replied. "Not as tired. Hungry, even." Her
stomach rumbled, and she looked at her friends. "Do you think I could get
something to eat?"
She didn't understand why they laughed. "Come on," Gabrielle said
smiling at her. "I think we *all* could use a bite to eat! Let's go."
-------------------------
Chapter Twenty
The Wedding Bells Will Start To Ring...
They left the house and went to Clytos's inn. Mariah and Myklos
walked ahead, arm in arm, deep in conversation, while the other three
walked behind, Gabrielle filling in Xena and Elkton on what occurred
between Mariah and Myklos while they were at the inn.
When they arrived at the inn, it was late, but the place was still
crowded. Clytos found them a large table, and soon Xena, Gabrielle,
Elkton, Mariah, and Myklos were seated around it.
"Are you feeling better?" Clytos asked Mariah as he wiped off the
table. He noticed the shadows around her eyes.
"Yes, I am." She looked at Myklos. "Should we tell him?" Myklos
nodded, his face breaking into a broad grin.
Mariah grabbed Myklos's hand. "We're getting married, Clytos," she
told him, her blue eyes shining despite the dark rings encircling them.
"Congratulations!" he said, kissing Mariah on the cheek and shaking
Myklos's hand. "It's about time you got her to come around," he teasingly
scolded the merchant, who blushed at the words. "What took you so long?
First round's on me, in honor of the bride. What'll you have?" They
placed their order and Clytos went to the bar to fill it. He soon returned
with their drinks, took their food order, and went off to the kitchen.
Gabrielle couldn't resist. "Um, Myklos?" she asked, a smile
threatening to break on to her face. Myklos looked at her.
"You still haven't asked Xena or me if it's all right for you to
marry her." Xena rolled her eyes affectionately at her best friend. They
all shared a laugh. A thoughtful look suddenly appearing in Myklos's eyes.
"You're right, Gabrielle," he said. He looked at the bard and the
warrior, his face and voice suddenly serious. "I know you two are the
closest people Mariah has to family; in fact, you *are* her family, and I
would like your permission to marry her. I love her. I would give my life
for her." He looked in Mariah's weary eyes, his love for her enveloping
her.
Xena looked at the young merchant, liking what she saw. Yes,
Myklos would make her friend from the future happy. Very happy. She
smiled and looked at Gabrielle, who nodded her head in agreement. "Very
well, Myklos. You have mine and Gabrielle's permission to marry her. But
on one condition. Marry her soon so she won't have the opportunity to
change her mind!"
"Not a chance!" Mariah said, laughing with the rest of them. Even
though she was tired, this was the most relaxed she felt in days. Mariah
turned to her fiance. "So when do you want to tie the knot?" she asked
him.
"Summer solstice," he answered immediately. "Three days from now."
"You don't give a girl a whole lot of time, do you? Well at least
it'll be easy to remember our anniversary," she teased. Clytos appeared
with their food. She addressed the innkeeper. "Clytos, we want to marry
on the solstice. Could we have a little party here after the wedding?
Would that cause any inconvenience?" Clytos reassured her it wouldn't.
She turned toward Elkton. "I have a favor to ask of you. Would
you perform the service?"
Elkton was flattered. "Of course," he said, patting her hand.
"I'd be honored."
Mariah turned to Gabrielle and Xena. "Would you two stand up with
me? It's a custom where I come from to have the best friends of the bride
be a part of the wedding."
"We'd love to," Gabrielle answered, Xena nodding her head as she
took a drink of her wine.
As they ate, they planned out the events of the simple ceremony and
the reception afterward. It was after dinner that they began to discuss
the more pressing, serious issue.
Elkton broached the subject first. "Mariah, Xena and I discussed
what's been happening to you. We both agreed that you need to keep a low
profile until the solstice. Somebody will have to be with you all hours of
the day for your protection. This time of the year is Morpheus's strong
period. If he's going to make a move, he'll make it soon. Very soon," the
Mystic said grimly.
Mariah, deep in thought, looked at the Mystic. "Will this ever
end?" she asked him. The light began to go out of her eyes as she thought
once again about her predicament.
Elkton was quiet before he spoke. "It will end by solstice. If
you're not in the Dreamscape by then, you will be all right. We've got to
keep you safe for three more days. Then it will be over."
"What's to say he won't come after me in the future?" the teacher
asked, her voice weary. Her mind was still a bit fuzzy from her lack of
sleep.
Elkton smiled gently at her. "After your wedding night, he can't,
remember?" he said simply. Mariah colored slightly at the subtle innuendo,
suddenly remembering her and Gabrielle's discussion. Consummating the
marriage would take care of *that* type of innocence!
Gabrielle, seeing the blush on her friend's tired face, spoke up.
"It's getting late. Why don't we all get some sleep? Xena and I will stay
with Mariah tonight. Let's meet here tomorrow at midday for lunch."
Everyone agreed. Elkton went to his room, and Myklos escorted the
women back to Mariah's home, kissing Mariah goodnight. The women went in
and unpacked Xena's gear and readied themselves for bed. Mariah insisted
on taking the floor. "And I'm too tired to argue about it," she said with
a gentle smile, trying to stifle a yawn. She was desperate for a good
night's sleep. "You two decide between yourselves who will get the bed.
Good night." She rolled over and was soon asleep.
Her friends watched over her, hoping, wishing, she would have a
quiet night.
Sometimes, wishes don't come true.
-------------------------
Chapter Twenty-One
Rage Against The Machine...
Mariah slept.
As she slept, she dreamed.
She was back in the brick-lined room of the Dreamscape, a
reddish-orange glow filling the room. The teacher was at a wedding. Her
wedding. She looked around. She wore a simple dress and held a bouquet of
flowers in her hands. There was a man standing next to her. Galvous!
"What do you want?" she snarled at him. "Haven't you done enough?
Gods, can't you just leave me alone?"
"Oh, my dear, so rude...and just when we were getting to know each
other better," Galvous purred, chuckling.
Mariah glared at him. "Oh, I know all about you, Galvous.
Murderer. Warlord. Kidnapper." She spat the words at him. "I know as
much as I want to know about you." She turned away.
In the dream, Galvous grabbed her, an iron grip on her arm. "Don't
you *dare* turn your back on me," he hissed.
She struggled to pull free. Myklos appeared by her side. The
merchant never saw the dagger in Galvous's hand as the warlord plunged it
into his heart.
"NO!" Mariah screamed as she watched her fiance crumple to the
floor, dead. "Damn you, Galvous!" she yelled at the warlord while he
laughed at her. "You murdering *bastard*!"
Her screams woke her up, a rage filling her heart. Xena and
Gabrielle were by her side. She pushed passed them, grabbed her staff, and
ran out into the night. Xena and Gabrielle exchanged a worried glance and
quickly followed their friend out into the darkness.
Mariah ran until she stumbled. She picked herself up, grabbed her
staff, and began walloping on the nearest tree, screaming at the top of her
lungs.
"I've had it! Do you hear me? Damn you Galvous! Damn you
Morpheus! Damn the both of you!" Her staff beat a furious rhythm against
the tree. "I can't take this anymore! You want me, then come and get me,
you miserable little pissants! I'd rather face you two in the Dreamscape
than endure another night of this!" She continued whaling on the tree,
bark flying, swearing up a storm, a wild look in her eye.
Xena and Gabrielle caught up with her. They approached her
carefully. This was a side of their friend they had never seen before,
never before suspected. The rage emanating from her was almost palpable.
"Mariah?" Gabrielle said. "It's OK. Come on. Put the staff down
and come back into the house."
Mariah didn't hear her as she continued her beatings and rantings.
"You hear me, Morpheus?" she said, screaming in the night. "I'm talking to
you! Stay away from my friends, stay away from me, stay out of my mind!
Do you hear me? BECAUSE I HAVE HAD IT!" These last words were punctuated
by ferocious blows. Xena was surprised the staff hadn't split under the
enormous strain.
"Mariah, put it down," Xena began.
The teacher turned on her, totally consumed by the rage, pain,
frustration, and anger. Her face was almost unrecognizable. "Don't TELL
me what to do!" Mariah raised her staff against the warrior and advanced on
her.
Reacting quickly, Xena took a defensive stance. Her hands shot
out, hitting the pressure points that would render her friend unconscious.
She caught Mariah as she crumpled to the ground.
Xena held her close, tears coming to her eyes. How much more could
Mariah take, she wondered. The teacher was cracking under the strain. She
looked at Gabrielle and saw the look of understanding on her face. Xena
hated to knock her out, but Mariah had left her little choice. With
Gabrielle's help, the warrior carried Mariah back to the house.
-------------------------
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Morning After...
Mariah's head and hands ached as she slowly awoke to sunlight
streaming in through the window.
She found herself on the bed. That was strange, she thought. She
knew when she went to sleep last night she was on the floor.
She sat up slowly, cradling her aching head in her hands. Her
hands throbbed. She looked at them. They were wrapped in cold wet towels.
She looked at them, puzzled.
She looked around. Gabrielle was fixing breakfast, and Xena walked
over and sat next to her on the bed. "How are you?" the warrior asked as
she checked her friend's pulse, unwrapped her hands, and looked into her
shadowed eyes.
"I don't know," she answered wearily. "I'm not exactly sure what
happened. A lot of it's a blur."
"What *do* you remember?" Xena prompted.
Mariah thought for awhile. "I had another dream. I was in the
Dreamscape. This time, Galvous killed Myklos at our wedding." She shut
her eyes at the memory, her body spasmed. "I remember a little: I woke up
and ran out of here." She looked at her hands as she flexed them
painfully. They were still red and slightly swollen. "I had my staff,
didn't I? I remember yelling, screaming, beating on something..." she
trailed off.
Xena looked at her. "You lost it last night, my friend," she told
her gently. The warrior filled her in on what happened and how she had to
subdue her.
Mariah looked in horror at her friend. "I went after you? Oh,
Xena, I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me."
"It's all right, Mariah," the warrior began.
"No it isn't," Mariah said, interrupting her, her voice upset.
"Last night, I could've hurt someone. I-I don't know how much more I can
take. That rage...it just overwhelmed me. I've never felt like that
before. I didn't know I had it in me." She buried her head in her swollen
hands.
Xena reached for her and held her close. "You only have to deal
with it three more days, and during those days, Gabrielle or I will always
be by your side. I promise. We *will* get through this."
Gabrielle came over. "Think you could handle some breakfast?" the
bard asked softly, putting her hand on the teacher's shoulder.
Mariah looked at her friends. "I'll try," she said.
Xena escorted her outside to get cleaned up. When they returned,
Gabrielle had the food on the table.
They sat down. Mariah's appetite didn't do justice to Gabrielle's
cooking. Her heart and stomach just weren't in it. Her friends watched
her as she pushed the food around on her plate, eating some of it, but not
enough. Her eyes were sunken and bloodshot, her hands still slightly
swollen from the previous night's vigorous workout.
Xena stood up. "I'm going to check on Argo and see Elkton. You
two stay here. Don't leave the house, OK?" She headed off to the stable
and the inn.
From a distance, Krius's men watched her leave. They knew they
would have to be careful, quiet, cautious to successfully carry out their
plan.
It would soon be time.
-------------------------
Chapter Twenty-Three
Living On The Edge...
Argo was fine, so Xena went to the inn. Clytos saw her and greeted
her. Elkton was at a table finishing up breakfast. Xena joined him.
She told the Mystic what happened to Mariah last night. He
listened as the warrior told her story, his brow furrowed.
"She's on the brink, Xena," Elkton told her. "It won't take much
to send her over."
The two sat in silence, thoughts whirling through their heads.
----------
There was a knock at the door. Gabrielle carefully checked to see
who it was. It was Myklos. He warmly greeted the bard, and went over to
his fiancee, giving her a kiss. He looked at her face. "Another bad
night?' he asked her.
The look on her face gave him all the answer he needed.
Gabrielle stood watching them, leaning on her staff, her back to
the closed door. She felt the door shove violently into her back, knocking
her to the floor as Krius's men entered the house, swords drawn. Krius
himself held his blade against the back of Gabrielle's neck as she lay on
the floor, dazed from the terrific blow she had taken. Myklos rose; a
solid punch to his head took him out, sending him to the floor to join
Gabrielle. One of the men raised his sword against his unconscious form.
"Wait!" shouted Mariah. "Stop it! Don't hurt them!"
Krius looked at her. "We won't...if you cooperate."
The teacher swallowed hard as she looked at her friend and fiance
lying on the floor. "What do you want, Krius?" she asked the warlord, her
voice almost inaudible.
Krius's reply was short but not sweet. "You. You're coming with us."
Her eyes narrowed. "Where?" she asked suspiciously.
"You'll soon find out," he told her.
Krius addressed his men. "No harm is to come to any of them.
Morpheus's orders." Mariah stiffened, her eyes widening in alarm when she
heard the name. Krius continued. "And whatever happens, the flute player
is to remain awake at all times. Tie them up and gag them. Quickly." Two
men grabbed Mariah, gagged her, and bound her hands in front of her. The
still-dazed Gabrielle and the unconscious Myklos were dragged to two nearby
chairs and tied securely to them. Gags were placed around their mouths.
Krius walked over to Gabrielle who was slowly returning to her senses.
"Can you understand me, bard?" he asked. Her glare told him she
could. She remembered him well after their encounter earlier that year.
"When Xena gets back here, tell her Morpheus and Galvous expect her in the
Dreamscape. If she doesn't show, Mariah dies. You tell her that." He
turned to his men. "Put a blindfold on her and let's get going." Mariah's
world went dark as a cloth covered her eyes. Rough hands grabbed at her.
She stumbled as she was pulled out of her house. She felt herself being
lifted in the air and put on a horse. A man sat behind her, holding her
tight so she wouldn't fall off. The man spurred the horse; she grabbed,
found the pommel, and held on. She felt herself moving at a high rate of
speed.
The Dreamscape beckoned.
----------
Gabrielle struggled against the ropes that held her to the chair,
silently berating herself for what happened. Her back hurt where she was
hit. She heard a groan. Myklos was slowly coming back to consciousness.
----------
Xena looked at Elkton and rose to her feet. "I'm going back to the
house. Let me know if you think of anything. We'll be back around
midday."
The warrior walked to Mariah's. Her eyes widened when she entered
the house. Gabrielle and Myklos were gagged and tightly bound to two
chairs and there was no sign of the teacher. She quickly went over and
removed Gabrielle's gag.
"What happened?" she asked as she untied the bard. She saw the
beginnings of bruising on her friend's back.
"Krius. He took her." Gabrielle quickly explained what happened.
She looked at her best friend. "He said if you don't appear in the
Dreamscape, Morpheus and Galvous will kill her."
Xena's eyes narrowed. "Untie him, will you?" she said gesturing at
the still-groggy Myklos. The warrior went outside to look for tracks.
She found tracks all right; lots of tracks, going off in several
different directions. Damn, she thought to herself. Which to follow? The
warrior scanned the area looking for clues. Gabrielle soon joined her.
"Any idea which ones are Mariah's?" the bard asked her.
Xena sighed. "No...and time is against us. Let's make sure Myklos
is OK. And then we need to see Elkton as soon as possible." She looked at
Gabrielle, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you want to do
this? Morpheus is after me, not you. You don't have to come into the
Dreamscape with me if you don't want to."
The bard looked at her. "Both you and Mariah are my closest
friends, Xena," Gabrielle replied, her voice quietly adamant. "I would go
to Tartarus if I had to. Let's go."
-------------------------
Chapter Twenty-Four
A Long Day's Journey...
From the grim looks on Myklos's, Gabrielle's, and Xena's faces,
Elkton knew immediately that something was wrong. Xena filled him in on
what happened.
Elkton paced the room as he thought. "They'll probably take her to
the Psychic Caves. And it would take you too long to fight Krius's men to
get to her." He looked at the warrior and the bard. "It looks like the
Dream Passage is your only hope of saving her."
"How much time will we have?" Xena asked him.
"Not much," replied Elkton. "Three hours, maybe four. The N'Kama
oil can't give you more than four hours." He looked at the warrior.
"You've been there before; you know what to expect. Remember: you have to
find the exit door at the end of the Dream Passage. If you don't, you'll
die. Both of you." His glance shifted to Gabrielle. "Do you know what
you're up against? Since you're going in together, everything you see will
come from both of your minds. You could see anything and everything you've
both experienced since the two of you have been together."
The bard nodded. "I'm ready. Let's do it."
Myklos looked at them. "What about me? I just can't sit here
while-while," he couldn't finish the statement.
"*I* need you," Elkton told him simply. "Come with me, all of you.
We need to prepare."
----------
Mariah felt the horse slow from a gallop to a walk. Hands grabbed
her and hauled her down from the animal. Still tied, gagged, and
blindfolded, she was marched for what seemed like hours. Stopping
suddenly, she felt someone untie her hands. A door clanged as she reached
up to remove her gag and blindfold.
She was in a cell. She walked over and shook the bars. Nothing.
She was locked in tight. She moved over and sat on the bunk.
She waited.
----------
"It's time," Elkton said as he mixed the last of his concoctions.
The room was filled with lit candles.
Gabrielle and Xena were seated on long wooden tables. Buckets of
N'Kama oil were on the floor next to the tables. Elkton brought a cup over
to each of them.
"Drink it," he said. "After you drink it, lie down."
Xena and Gabrielle did as they were instructed. Myklos began
dripping the N'Kama oil liberally on their bodies. Elkton carried the cup
containing a mixture of the fire of dreams. As the Mystic stirred it, the
flames grew larger. He lifted two spoons from the cup, spoons heavy with
the mixture. He reached over and placed one spoon on Xena's head, leaving
a small burning square on her forehead. He did the same to Gabrielle with
the other spoon. He put a piece of strong leather in each of their mouths.
"Bite down hard. Both of you." He brought his hands over their
eyes, closing them as they bit down on the leather. They could hear
thunder in the distance.
"May the gods walk with you," he said softly as he blew out the candles.
Each girl tensed, stiffened, then relaxed.
They were on their way to the Dream Passage.
----------
Morpheus called Galvous over.
"This is better than I thought. The bard is joining Xena in the
Dream Passage. I can get my revenge on her, too. I'll make their trip
through the Dream Passage very memorable, especially for Gabrielle. She'll
never forget it; if she survives. And Xena will have two friends to worry
about." Morpheus laughed. "But first things first; it's time for Mariah's
tests. Get her ready."
"With pleasure," Galvous grinned. "Which challenge would you like
her to go through first?"
Morpheus thought for a moment. Oh, where to start! "Let's make it
interesting, shall we? In her dreams, she's shown she has many fears.
Let's use the Wheel of Torment. She'll spin it three times. Each
challenge will be based on the fear she spins. Let her think she has a
chance."
"As you wish," Galvous said. He turned and left the room.
The former warlord had been looking forward to this for months.
----------
Mariah sat on the bunk in her cell, her back leaning against the
wall. She drew her legs up to her chest, rested her head on her knees, and
closed her eyes. The teacher wrapped her arms around her knees and
massaged her raw, aching wrists and throbbing hands. Although physically
and emotionally drained, she felt a strange sense of peace. It was the
peace of the acceptance of her grim situation. She silently blessed
Gabrielle and Xena for telling her about the Dreamscape. Now that she knew
what she was up against, she could better deal with it. It's battle-mode
time, she thought to herself grimly. The fire of survival burned hot and
deep within her heart as it had in times past. She knew she had the fight
of her life on her hands, literally and figuratively, and she psyched
herself up for it. If she was going down, she would go down fighting. No
whimpering, no begging, no pleading for mercy...don't give them the
satisfaction, she told herself. Be a cocky, defiant, tenacious, arrogant
pain in the ass. You survive, girl, you *live*. You've got too much at
stake: Myklos. Xena. Gabrielle. Your friends. Your life.
Thoughts whirled through her weary mind. She told herself to
focus, concentrate, to hold out against whatever they did to her until Xena
and Gabrielle could reach her. No fear, she coached herself. Don't make
it easy for them. You've fought before, and you will *damn* well fight
now! Hell, girl, you've beaten cancer twice, paralysis, dealt with leaving
your time, your home...and you've made a new life for yourself here.
You've got a lot to live for, a lot to fight for, and you fight as hard as
you can for as long as you can.
A song from an old movie began playing over and over in her head.
Eye of the tiger, she thought to herself, eye of the tiger.
She heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She looked up and
saw Galvous standing outside her cell door. Two guards were with him.
"Galvous...so nice to see you again," Mariah said sarcastically,
grinning at him, shifting gracefully into her battle-mode, the smile not
reaching her weary, bloodshot eyes. She wanted to keep him off-balance.
Mariah was tired, not defeated. Not by a long shot. She would show this
half-baked son of a bitch just what she was made of.
He grinned back at her. She looked exhausted, whipped. Black
rings and shadows encircled her blue eyes. "It's test time, teacher," he
said to her.
"Oh?" she responded. "And just how many tests will I have to take,
Galvous?"
"Three," he said, lying smoothly and she knew it. "And if you pass
all three, then you go free."
A strange gleam appeared in her eyes. "Oh, sort of like, 'if it
doesn't fit, you must acquit,' hmm?" She saw the confused look on his
face, loving every moment of it. It did wonders for her morale. She'd
beat this bastard at his own game, she thought, him *and* Morpheus.
Girding herself up, she rose to her feet and walked to the cell door.
"Well?" she demanded. "What are we waiting for? 'Lead on, Macduff,'" the
former high school English teacher said mockingly, quoting Shakespeare.
"'And damned be he that first cries "Hold Enough."'"
-------------------------
Chapter Twenty-Five
Danger Zone...
Xena and Gabrielle opened their eyes. They were by themselves, no
sign of Elkton or Myklos.
They were surrounded by brick walls lit by a reddish-orange light.
"Are we in?" Gabrielle whispered to her friend.
"Yeah. Why are you whispering?" Xena asked, arching an eyebrow.
Gabrielle looked up at her best friend and shook her head in mild
exasperation. "Never mind," the bard said.
Xena grinned at her, putting a hand on her arm to pull her along.
"Come on. We don't have much time."
They began their journey to find Mariah.
----------
Elkton kept a close eye on both women as Myklos continued to drench
them with the N'Kama oil.
The Mystic noticed a slight change in their bodies. There was some
tightening around their foreheads and cheekbones.
He began to help Myklos cover them in the oil, praying they would
make it in time.
----------
Galvous led Mariah from her cell to her a room, the teacher flanked
by the two guards.
The room was dominated by a large wheel. Mariah looked at it
closely. The spokes were labeled with a variety of human fears: loss,
death, survival, anger, rage, pain, loneliness, doubt, failure, physical
injury...it seemed endless.
Neither said anything as they glared at each other. Galvous broke
the silence first.
"We know much about you, my dear," he began.
"Yeah, I just *bet* you do," she said sarcastically, interrupting
him, her eyes flashing despite the awful shadows surrounding them. "What
do you want with me anyway? You two have gone to a lot of work just to get
revenge on Xena."
"I'll admit that's what the initial plan was. But that was before
we learned about you, future girl," he laughed. "We get to have our cake
and eat it too. We'll take care of Xena and Gabrielle. They'll never even
reach you. They'll never figure out how to get through the door at the end
of the Dream Passage. And you, Mariah...you're the unexpected bonus, my
dear. After you fail in your challenges, you're all ours. You and all
that wonderful knowledge of the future you have locked up inside that
pretty little head of yours. Morpheus will put your knowledge to good use,
never fear. We've seen just a small portion of it, but don't worry. We're
looking forward to learning *everything* you know. And we *will* learn all
that you know. You can bank on it."
"In your dreams," she retorted sharply. "And the pun *was* intended."
Galvous continued as if she hadn't spoken. "As I was saying, we
know much about what you fear. The three tests you will face deal with
your fears."
Mariah said nothing. She had suspected as much. She mentally
psyched herself up for the first challenge.
She didn't have long to wait.
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