Amazon Vision

Xena, Gabrielle, Eve and Kallopiea were walking around a busy market in the heart of Greece. The market was huge and filled with weapons, food, and luxuries. "Come on Xena for once in your life enjoy the thrill of a good day in the market, the bargains, the gifts, come on." "Gabrielle I am not haggling with some greedy merchant for something I don't need." "But it's fun, just enjoy yourself." "I can enjoy myself without buying anything." "Fine but me, Eve and Kallopiea will though." Gabrielle said undiscouraged. "Actually Gabrielle, I am with Xena on this one, no offence." "Kallopiea you're just sticking up for Xena because she taught you a new move with your axe this morning." Xena smiled smugly, "Kallopiea doesn't like shopping either that's all." "Eve your coming with me right?" "Sure." Eve said smiling and Gabrielle lead her to the nearest merchants tent. "Now this is why I come shopping." Xena said pointing to a luxurious tavern. "Come on Kallopiea, we're going eating." "What do you think of this?" Gabrielle said showing Eve a black translucent scarf. "It's nice." Eve replied. "Nice enough to buy?" Gabrielle asked. "Defiantly." Gabrielle smiled and walked over to the merchant, "How much for this?" She asked "15 dinars." "15! I'll give you 3." "3 isn't anywhere near what it costs. 10." "4!" "7!" "7 it is." Gabrielle said and walked out of the tent pleased with herself. "Well do you have anything without liver in it?" Xena asked the barkeep. "Chicken Broth." "That will do." Xena and Kallopiea went over to a nearby table and sat down waiting for their meal. "So where are we going after we leave the market?" Kallopiea asked. "Where-ever we're needed." "You do not plan much do you?" "I don't always get the opportunity to plan where I go next, we just go." The barkeep came over with two beautifully decorated bowls in his hand, he put them down on the table and Xena and Kallopiea looked inside. The broth was very, very think and looked like it had been rotting for days. Kallopiea looked at Xena, "Appearances can be deceptive." She quickly noticed that Xena was looking strange, as if the sight of the broth had triggered a thought. Suddenly Xena fell from her chair to the floor. "Xena!" Kallopiea shouted and quickly knelt down next to her. "Get me some water." Kallopiea demanded to the barkeep. "Xena are you OK?" Xena looked up at Kallopiea but Kallopiea's face was different, it was covered in blood. Suddenly the room got hot and the surroundings changed. Immediately Xena knew it was another vision, "Kallopiea look out." Xena screamed as Kallopiea almost stepped into a small pool of lava. Then something came up behind Xena, as she turned around her sword was kicked to the ground by the huge demon behind her. Before she had a chance to pick it up the creature hit her leg with a mace. The impact threw Xena back, as she was trying desperately to avoid the lava Gabrielle started attacking the creature. Xena stood up and joined in along with Kallopiea. Then something cold hit her face she saw Kallopiea standing over her with a mug of water in her hand. "Are you OK? You fainted." "Yeah I'm fine." Xena said standing up. While doing so she felt a pain in her leg and fell down again. Xena looked at her leg and saw a huge bloody patch where the mace had hit her. "How did you get that?" Kallopiea asked. "Where could she be?" Eve asked, "We had only been gone a second." "There" Gabrielle pointed to the tavern where Xena and Kallopiea were, "Xena likes her food." Eve and Gabrielle entered the tavern and saw Kallopiea trying to help Xena to her seat. "What happened?" Gabrielle asked. "Another vision." Xena replied. Gabrielle noticed Xena's injured leg. "How did you get that?" "In my vision I was hit on the leg by a mace." "And it came through into reality?" "Apparently. Gabrielle, the only person I know who can hurt you in the present using pain from the future is…" "Alti!" Gabrielle interrupted. "Xena we have to go to the Amazons and see if we can stop her." "I agree." Xena said reluctantly. "What can the Amazons do?" Kallopiea asked. "In each Amazon tribe there is a Sharmaness, she is a healer who can help you with problems from a different plain of existence." Gabrielle told her. "I do not understand." "I'll explain on the way." "Mother, I can't go. Not after last time" Eve said. "I have to leave anyhow and keep spreading Eli's way." "Eve..." "I'll see you soon." Eve said concerned. "Tell me how it goes OK?" "I will." Xena said and hugged Eve, Gabrielle did the same and then Eve left. "Come on Xena, we have to leave." Kallopiea rushed. "OK." Xena replied and got up with the help of Gabrielle. "So what you are saying is that Alti is using magic." Kallopiea said. "Basically yeah." Xena replied. "But she is dead?" "Well that's never stopped her before." Gabrielle joked. "How far away is the Amazon village?" "Not far now, see that forest." "Yes." "It's the Amazon forest, once we get in there we will be spotted by an Amazon and taken to Varia." "What if an Amazon doesn't see you?" Kallopiea asked. "They always do." Xena said. There was a comfortable silence between the three, which lasted all the way to the forest. After reaching the centre of the Amazon land Xena stopped and spoke, "This is not right." She said suspiciously. "We should have been noticed by now." Gabrielle confirmed. "Let's pick up the pace, I want to see what's going on." Xena said quietly, the three warriors started to run through the forest. Xena leg was still not perfect but she was running fast. They reached the Amazon village and saw it was ruined, the Amazon huts had been destroyed, training apparatus was ruined and no one was to be seen. Gabrielle saw sound smoke rising into the air and went to see where it was coming from. Towards the end of the Amazon village the Amazons where gathered, circling ten fires, each with the body of a dead Amazon being cremated. "Xena, Gabrielle!" Shouted one of the Amazons, they looked over and saw Varia coming towards them. "What has happened here?" Xena asked. "The tribe of exiled Amazons have a new leader and have been attacking us since you left last time. Our numbers are low, very low and each day more of our sisters die." "How did they find a new leader so quickly?" Gabrielle asked. "She used to be an Amazon but was exiled years ago by Ephiny." "Ephiny? But that would make the Amazon old." "She is still young and she fights like no other Amazon. She is too fast, too strong. Some of the sisters think she is a Goddess." "Varia what's her name?" "She calls herself Velasca." "Velasca!" Gabrielle shouted surprised, "But Xena we killed Velasca." "No we trapped her and Callisto in a lava pit. She must have been rescued by the exiled Amazons after Riana was killed." "Um…who is Velasca?" Kallopiea asked. "I'll explain later, Varia when did Velasca last attack?" "The last attack was a few hours ago." "Have you ever attacked her?" "We did try but she killed many of our Amazon sister so we retreated. Xena is there something you can do?" "If you let Gabrielle lead the remaining Amazons we might be able to find away to destroy Velasca." "OK." Varia said and looked at Gabrielle. "You have control of the Amazons." Varia took of her Amazon Queen amulet and gave it to Gabrielle. "Kallopiea," Xena started, "you have to find somewhere safe to hide while Gabrielle and I go with the Amazons." "I will not hide I am going to fight, that is what you have been training me for." "No it's to dangerous." "I do not care, you are unable to stop me." "Oh really." Xena picked up Kallopiea and threw her over her shoulders. "We'll see about that." "Xena put me down, where are you taking me?" "If you aren't going to hide willingly I'm going to force you." Xena walked into Varia's Amazon hut and sat her down on the chair. Before Kallopiea had time to get off Xena grabbed some rope from a nearby table and started to tie her to the chair. "What do you think your doing?" Xena didn't answer until the ties where secure. "We'll be back soon." "Xena!!!" Kallopiea shouted as Xena ran out of the hut. "Ready." Xena said to Gabrielle. "Varia round up the Amazons, tell them to get as many weapons as they can." Varia nodded and ran off to do as Gabrielle asked. "Xena what about your visions?" "We'll deal with them later, right now we have to stop Velasca." Varia soon returned with the Amazon tribe and explained to them they where going to attack Velasca. "Gabrielle, the Amazons are at your command." Varia informed her. "Let's go!" Gabrielle shouted inspirationally. "This is pathetic, how could she leave me here tied to a chair." Kallopiea moaned to herself. "You would think she have more respect for me then that, I mean what if I was attacked. I feel so stupid, she never even tied up Joxer…Joxer…Joxer that is it." Kallopiea thought of an idea. "JOXER! JOXER!" She shouted, suddenly she heard a thud outside the tent and realised it was Joxer, "JOXER! I am in here help!" Joxer come running in clumsily, "What…Kallopiea are you alright?" "Do I look alright?" "How did you get tied up?" "Well it is a long story, please untie me." Joxer ran over to her and tried to undo the ropes but his hands went straight threw. "We have a problem." "What can you touch?" "Well let's see there's the floor, people I can touch people and weapons not food though, or horses." "Joxer cut the ropes with your sword." "Oh yeah great idea." "Hurry Joxer." "OK, OK." After a few minutes Joxer managed to get all the ropes off of Kallopiea, she quickly stood up and ran out of the hut. "Hey wait for me." Joxer shouted after her. "That's their village." One of the Amazons told Gabrielle." It's surrounded by their tribe and is impenetrable." "What weapons do they have?" Gabrielle asked. "Normal swords and staffs those kind of things." "We need a distraction, if some can draw their attention away from this side of the village then we can attack from behind." "I'll cause a distraction." Xena said and took out her chakram. She threw it perfectly on target to a poll keeping up one of the huts, the entire hut collapsed and Velasca's tribe ran over to see why. "Attack." Gabrielle shouted and the Amazons ran up behind a group of people still staring at a hut. The surprised Amazons retaliated but were not winning. While Gabrielle's tribe were fighting Xena started to look around for the biggest hut to find Velasca who was not outside. Quickly she saw it and ran over to it. Carefully she looked in and saw three amazons in there guarding Velasca. Xena burst in and with in second knocked them all out and stared face to face with Velasca. "Xena." Velasca said surprised. "I thought you would be dead by now." "You thought wrong." Xena replied and started attacking Velasca. "Archers!" Shouted one of the commanding Amazons of Velasca's tribe, "Fire!" Suddenly dozens of arrows started flying to the air. "Take cover!" Gabrielle ordered her army. Immediately they complied and hide behind a small hut. But after only a few seconds the arrows penetrated the hut and it began to give way. After a few more seconds the arrows were reaching the Amazons and they were desperately trying to dodge them. "Xena you can't bet me I'm a Goddess remember." Velasca said while thrusting a sword at Xena. "That's what you said last time Velasca, and I've got better since then." Xena replied while dodging the sword. She quickly retaliated with a kick to the stomach, the impact sent Velasca to the ground. Before Velasca stood up Xena hit her on the head with the hilt of the sword making Velasca slightly dazed. Meanwhile outside the Amazons were still trying to dodge the arrows of Velasca's tribe. Gabrielle watched helplessly as the Amazons started to fall dead to the ground. "Gabrielle what do we do?" Asked one of her tribe. "We need to take out the archers." Gabrielle ordered, she looked around the camp and spotted five archers each high up of a platform, in desperation Gabrielle screamed, "Throw your weapons at the archers!" The Amazons complied and started throwing spears and swords into the air aiming for the archers. After a few seconds two archers were still firing and the Amazons no longer had any weapons. Gabrielle decided to do as she had commanded and aimed for one of the archers with a Sai. She took a deep breath and threw it, the Sai went spinning through the air and pierced the heart of one of the archers. Then she aimed for the second but before she had the chance to throw it she was shot in the stomach with an arrow. Instantly she fell to the ground, sending the arrow further into her stomach a scream managed to finds it way out of her lips. Then another arrow came down at her, but missed and landed next to her hand. Again another arrow flow at her, this time on target but before it hit she felt someone lying over her to protect her. She looked up expecting to see Xena and was surprised. "Kallopiea!" Kallopiea screamed at the impact of the arrow in her leg. Before the archer had a chance to fire another one Kallopiea took her axe off her belt and threw it high in to the air, a sigh of relief was heard by Gabrielle as the axe went crashing into the side of the Amazon's bow destroying it. The Amazon got down of the high platform and ran off with the rest of Velasca's astonished tribe. Kallopiea quickly got off Gabrielle, "Are you going to be alright?" She said worriedly looking at the arrow in Gabrielle's stomach. Gabrielle tried to respond but couldn't. "Gabrielle where's Xena?" Gabrielle pointed to the hut where Velasca and Xena were fighting and Kallopiea ran over to it. As she was about to enter Xena came out dragging a tightly bound Velasca behind her. "Xena quick, Gabrielle is hurt." Kallopiea told her while pointing to Gabrielle who was still lying on the ground. Xena gave Kallopiea the chains to Velasca and ran to help Gabrielle. "Gabrielle." Xena said staring at Gabrielle's injured body, "It's OK everything is going to be OK. Varia get me…" "I remember." Varia said remembering her wound last time they met. Varia return quickly with the necessary things and Xena began to help Gabrielle. Kallopiea came walking over with Velasca still in chains, "Is she going to be OK?" She said. "I think so." Xena replied positively, "Her wound is at the side of her stomach and didn't hit anything." Xena noticed Kallopiea was holding an arrow covered in blood, she finished sowing up Gabrielle and looked at Kallopiea suspiciously. "My leg was injured." Xena looked at the hole in her leg, it was gushing with blood. "Sit down." Xena demanded, Kallopiea gave Varia Velasca's chains and did as Xena asked. "This is why I told you to say in the camp." "Sorry." Kallopiea said, "I thought I could help." Xena noticed Kallopiea's axe was gone, "What happened to your axe?" She asked. "I threw it at an Amazon archer." Xena looked back at Gabrielle's unconscious body and saw some blood on her leg, she stopped sowing up Kallopiea and went to find the wound, but couldn't find one. Then Xena realised what had happened, it was Kallopiea's blood. "No I'm sorry." Xena said comfortingly while continuing to heal Kallopiea, "I should have trusted you enough to bring you with us. How did you get out of that rope?" Xena laughed. "I called Joxer and asked him to remove them." Kallopiea said smiling. "Well you must be the first person who's asked for Joxer's help." Xena finished on Kallopiea's wound and walked over to Varia, "There used to be a centaur village not far from here, it is where the amazons and centaurs made peace do you know it?" "Yes." Varia replied. "To the south of it is a river of lava, take Velasca there and throw her in." "No!!!" Velasca scream. Varia took a few Amazons and left with Velasca. "Xena." Gabrielle said trying to sit up. Xena quickly turned and looked at her, "Gabrielle you're awake, how do you feel?" "Like I had an arrow in my stomach." Gabrielle admitted. "I think I can stand though so let's go back to the Amazon village and get you to a Shamaness." "That can wait." "No Xena, you helped me now let someone help you." Xena helped Gabrielle off the ground and started walking back to the Amazon village with the rest of the Amazons and a hobbling Kallopiea. Just over half way to the village they watched as Joxer came running over to them. "Hey, I told you to wait for me." He said. "There was not time." Kallopiea defended. "Well I'll let you off this time but next time you wont be so lucky, no one leaves Joxer the Mighty behind." Joxer looked down and noticed Kallopiea's bound leg. He walked over to her and help her to walk the rest of the way back to the Amazon village. "Is the Shamaness's hut still intact?" Gabrielle asked the second they entered the village. "Yes." Replied Varia's second in command. "Is the Shamaness still alive?" "I'm the Shamaness, my name is Atokia." Said on of the Amazons stepping out of the army. "You have to help Xena…" Gabrielle said and explained the problem. "I will do my best." Atokia replied and lead Xena and Gabrielle to her hut. Inside was a mixture of different ingredients including herbs and things from animals Gabrielle glared at each one. "I will need some of Xena's blood." Atokia said and cut Xena's hand as graciously as she could. She got a bowl and put some unrecognisable ingredients into it with the small amount of Xena's blood. Once the mixture was ready she put some of it under Xena's left and right eye and did the same to herself then took Xena's hands as closed her eyes. Xena and Gabrielle watched as her breathing started to get heavier and suddenly she fell to the ground. Gabrielle bent down and helped her up. "Are you alright?" She asked. "Yes!" She replied sternly. "Xena the visions are not coming from the witch you described." "Then who are they coming from?" Xena asked. "Someone higher then that, someone more powerful. The place in your visions is something from your future but there is one detail you missed from watching them as you can not feel them as I can." "What is it?"" Gabrielle asked concerned "Yourself, Xena and your friend Kallopiea are not just on a quest as you expected in your vision." "Why else would we be in hell unless…." Xena quickly interrupted Gabrielle. "Unless we got into Hell the same way as everyone else, we died and were sent there." "In your vision you are all dead." "But I was an Archangel in the first vision." Gabrielle explained. "I can not tell you more then I know." Anokia said and left the hut. Joxer and Kallopiea burst in. "What did she say, was it Alti?" Kallopiea asked. "No." Xena replied. "Then who is doing it?" Joxer joined in. "We don't know, Kallopiea I was thinking maybe you should stay here with the Amazons for a while." Xena said. Kallopiea's expression saddened, "Why?" She asked. "Because I think the Amazons could teach you a lot, and besides they need to make their numbers up after what has just happened." "You would be doing them a favour." Gabrielle added. "OK." Kallopiea said a bit confused, "If this is about disobeying you then I am sorry." "No, Kallopiea if it wasn't for you disobeying me today then Gabrielle would be dead, you did the right thing. I just need you to do me a favour and stay with the Amazons a while. OK?" "Yes." Kallopiea said and walked out of the hut. A few hours later Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer were preparing to leave the Amazon village when Kallopiea came over to them. "I shall see you soon." Kallopiea insured. "Make sure you do that." Xena smiled back. "Bye Kallopiea." Gabrielle said. "Bye." With that Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer left. About ten minutes away Joxer blurted out the questioned he had been dying to ask all day. "What was that for, don't you like her?" "Joxer, in my vision Kallopiea is dead. I can't let that happen and by letting her come it is guarantied to happen." "Oh!" Joxer said, "Well I better go and keep her company then." Joxer smiled and ran off laughing. "Xena do you think it will come true, us all dying and going to hell?" "I don't know, but I know one thing." "What's that?" "The only people who could be behind it are Eli, who would never hurt me by letting the pain come through on to real life. And…." "Michael." Amazon Vision by Kitana copywrite Kitana 2002©

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