DISCLAIMER:
The character of Gabrielle unfortunately doesn't belong to me but to
all the great people who all created and worked on the fantastic
television show Xena: Warrior Princess for six years...But
hey
I can still dream. hehe :p
The rest of the characters belong to me and i've taken liberties with some
historical figures for the purpose of the
story.
VIOLENCE/SEX:
Definitely a lot of violence and definitely some sex and love between two
women as well but its not graphic (At least not to me. lol :) ) and is an
essential part of the plot.
LANGUAGE:
Yep there is some swearing too but not enough to really be bothered about.
TIMELINE:
This is actually set about a year after the series ended but will refer back
to some events in the show and there's the possibility of meeting a few old
friends too along the way.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
I've been planning something like this since Xena: Warrior Princess ended
years ago and have really been playing with the idea for about a year now
and the gift of a complete Xena DVD set on Christmas Day with the movie 300
got me really, really inspired into writing this.
FEEDBACK:
I'd love to hear from anyone who loves this story or hates it or has any
suggestions because I'm seriously thinking of turning this into a story series
at
ClairesStoriesandPoetry@hotmail.co.uk
SUMMARY:
An encounter with an Oracle about the fate of her Warrior Queen and a nightmare
of her own death lead a young warrioress on a perilous journey to seek out
a girl with a chakram.
PROPHECY OF DEATH
PART 1
By
GABRIXENA 2007
...
In a time of ancient gods, warlords and kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero.
She was Xena, a mighty princess, forged in the heat of battle...And her courage truly did change the known world.
But her story of honour, courage, bravery and sacrifice you all ready know.
There is a new story of honour and courage to be told now with a brave new warrior.
Gabrielle:
Warrior Bard of Potedaia.
In order to tell you Gabrielle's story I must tell you something of
mine.
My Roman name is Julia.
I was once the daughter of the most powerful man in the known world and then the wife of an another.
But I was not born Roman...
I am a Greek.
A Spartan.
Named Leaina 'Lioness' in honour of all my mighty ancestors who with their pride for their city and love of the people all met glorious ends in battle fighting for the greater good.
But Egypt is where I follow the family destiny as the mighty lioness, using the army to help the people in need I bring honour and glory back to a nation almost long forgotten in the sands of time after the death of it's greatest Queen.
The known world's attention has fallen back on Alexandria, it's gaze upon the palace where Queen Cleopatra's heir, the child of Caesar, finally is allowed to sit upon the throne with the blessing of the Roman Empire.
They had honoured Caesar as a god after death because in spite of being a vicious, murdering tyrant no man had ever brought so much glory and victory for Rome and it's people while he lived.
And no one would dare kill the child of a most beloved god without unleashing his wrath upon them so the child was raised by the new Emperor and his sister as a member of the Imperial family.
Growing into a brave and noble woman just like her Mother who continiously sacrificed herself for the good of her people but nothing like her Father except that she has inherited his skills of warfare and finally become Egypt's greatest Warrior Queen.
For six years she has been my one true friend and we have never been apart.
Until now...
When I find that I am alone walking naked and barefoot in the desert beneath a blood red sky.
And there are blood stained bones that crack beneath my feet in the barren wasteland and an eerie, large shadow that follows behind me without an owner.
Then a huge crack appears in the sand in front of me and opens up the bowels of the earth to reveal the shadows owner.
A red skinned monster of muscle and veins with glowing orange eyes burning like fire and a huge sword in each of its hands dripping with blood.
'War and beauty...Everything I've ever wanted in a woman.' It growls at me and for a moment the sky turns black then arrows land all around me.
They fall like rain behind me forcing me forwards until i am beneath the swords and the blood drips down upon my head.
When It feels like i am christened in blood the drips stop and i look up into the glowing orange eyes to see the monster gazing lustfully at me.
Then I am hypnotized, rooted to the spot as the demon strikes at me and I close my eyes feeling the warmth of my own blood as it hits the sand.
I open my eyes again to find myself in bed covered with sweat and trembling.
Just a nightmare.
I sigh with relief and close my eyes in the hope of sleeping again but the warm bed clothes seem to choke me.
So I get up and walk over to the balcony and for a moment step out in the cold, refreshing night air.
Then looking down and realizing I'm naked I hide in the shadows in case anyone sees me and knows whose bedchamber this is.
Because though my sleeping companion is unmarried, in the old Egyptian laws which she has embraced so wholeheartedly sharing a bed with her is punishable by death unless we are married.
And no council in it's right mind will ever let her marry her most loyal servant instead of a husband who can produce heirs to the throne.
So in the day we pretend to be little more then friends but because our rooms are next to one another and can be reached through a secret passageway the night is always ours.
I smile at the thought of this and wrap the curtain around me in a kind of toga and head dress so that I can admire the stars shining in the sky above but in doing so I knock over a jug on a table on which the curtain had rested then helplessly watch it smash loudly to the floor.
The noise awakens my sleeping companion who upon finding my side of the bed empty begins calling my name worriedly in the darkness.
This is the Warrior Queen of Egypt.
Zenobia, the bravest, most brilliant and most beautiful woman in the known world.
Untangling my self from the curtain I come back inside and sit upon the edge of the bed thinking of the right words to explain myself when she raises herself up and sits at my side.
"I'm sorry...Did I wake you?" I say sweetly seeing her eyes the colour of deepest night are filled with anger at being woken from her sleep and sit on her lap holding her in my arms and using my hands to gently rub her shoulders until I feel her own arms holding me gently and her head resting on my shoulder.
Then she lowers us back on to the bed, looks up at me and smiles lovingly.
"What's wrong? She asks concerned when I turn my face away from hers so that she doesn't see the sadness in my eyes.
"Zenobia, I must tell you something---" I begin sadly only to find the remaining words swallowed up by the most tender of kisses on the lips.
"Whatever it is. It can wait until morning." She murmurs moving lower to place tender kisses upon my neck and throat.
"But I spoke with the Oracle today. She says that Egypt will burn and we will die unless..." I blurt it out hoping that she'll understand me only to see her eyes seemingly grow darker as they did when something upset her.
"Unless what?" She asks her face grim and her voice mixed with disbelief and anger.
"Unless I go out alone into the known world and find a girl with a chakram." I explain and am relieved when the grim look on her face eases to the warm, loving one with which she has always looked at me.
"So this is why your wondering around in the middle of the night unable to sleep and breaking my priceless things?" She asks mirthfully and laughs a little her bright black coloured eyes sparkling as she does so.
"Please don't laugh. What the Oracle said today isn't a joke to me." I say then growing angry that she would laugh at my beliefs and trying to move from her embrace.
"Yes, I know. Your people do nothing without consulting the oracles first and you believe every word that they say to you." She counters using her slightly greater weight to keep me playfully pinned beneath her and starts kissing my neck once more.
"No, we use their words to guide our course of action in the matter. Someone else makes the decision whether to carry it out or not." I counter with a whisper in one of her ears which makes her stop and look up at me with a puzzled yet curious expression upon her face.
I had seen it many times before when she knew something i did not and had tried to keep it hidden from me until it was necessary for me to know.
"Leaina, I received word this evening from a loyal citizen that there is now a mysterious warrioress living at a tavern in the city with a strange round weapon on her side. She explains seriously and is unable to look at me.
Knowing that she is ashamed for lying to me I say Zenobia's name in the hope that she won't punish herself and am rewarded when she looks at me once more and begins to speak:
"In the morning I want you to personally go to the tavern and ask her to come here with you as my personal guest. Then together we will prove this so-called prophecy of death wrong."
"But...What if she isn't wrong?" I say confused and she looks at me kindly.
"Leaina, have faith in me my love and trust me, I know everything will be all right." She says with a smile moving to kiss me once more and I kiss her first, tender but passionately, turning us over so that i am the one on top.
"Do you trust me though?" I ask seriously pulling back to look at her then pin her beneath me as she had done to me.
"Never." She answers with a bemused look on her face closing her eyes as her lips meet mine once more and for a while we lose ourselves in tender passion.
The last, sweet, memory either one of us would share together...