Chapter 10
The Thracians had moved to stand on the path that led to the sloping entrance of the labyrinth. The officer squatting down sifting dirt through his fingers in boredom, the commander pacing to relieve stress and impatience. Suddenly an object was hurled in to view from down the slope. The officer stood slowly and the commander moved to stand next to him. The large black object slammed in to the ground and rolled several feet, ending its journey with the bulls eyes staring lifelessly up at the sky. A small patch of blood stained the ground next to it. The eyes of the collected men looked from the severed minotaur head to the crest of the entrance slope. Slowly coming in to view, bobbing up and down as she walked, came Gabrielle. Her blonde hair cresting in to sight, then her face then the rest of her, until she were fully visible to the gathered Thracians. The commander and his officer eyed each other warily then looked back to Gabrielle, now standing with her hands on her sword belt, staring at them.
“The Warrior of Eli!” Whispered the officer. He put his hands on his belt and shouted. “You kill the beast?”
“I did.” Shouted back Gabrielle uncaringly.
“My scout…” Started the commander.
“Is dead!” She shouted back grimly.
The woman before them made no movement, just stood watching them. The officer leaned in and spoke quietly. “This may not end well, we have the trader woman’s ship and her cargo. Maybe we should take that and leave.”
The commander turned a heated glare on the man and shoved him away in disgust. “Speak like that again and you can be the one to explain to your king why we return empty handed.” He spat on the ground in front of the officer. “Coward and fool.” He turned his attention to the motionless Gabrielle. “You kill my scout?”
Now Gabrielle moved. But instead of towards the Thracians she stepped to her side, turning to face them side on. She said nothing, only now turning her head to watch another figure come in to view next to her. First the dark hair followed by the stern face and the body, now clad in leather and bronze.
The commander took a step forward in wonderment at the sight of the woman joining Gabrielle on the top of the slope. “God Killer.”
“She did.” Shouted Gabrielle eyeing the commander coldly.
The Thracians spoke amongst themselves nervously. The Warrior of Eli had managed to cull half their number on her own, now she was joined by the God Killer. The commander dropped his hands to his sides.
“it can’t be.” He said to himself. He then shouted the words. “It can’t be. Xena’s dead.”
“I beg to differ.” Shouted Xena angrily. Slowly Xena started walking the path towards the Thracians, Gabrielle falling in beside her, her hands still firmly on her sword belt. Several Thracians soldiers stepped back involuntarily as the two women now stood before the commander and his officer. “You can let us go, or we can go through you.”
“Not likely.” Snarled the commander.
Xena casually looked at the severed minotaur head. Gabrielle smiled sweetly. “My friend here killed that thing herself, between us do you really think you’re going to fare any better?”
The commander puffed out his chest and raised his chin. “I will have that armour off you.” He stepped back and drew his sword and waved a hand signalling his men to spread out and encircle the two women. “Whatever power in that armour brought you back will be mine.”
In instant reaction both Xena and Gabrielle drew their own weapons and readied themselves against the Thracians. Standing back to back they watched as the gathered men surrounded them, swords drawn, nervous looks on every face.
“Take it then.” Smiled Xena.
The commander waved his men forward. “Get me that armour.”
The first Thracians to attack swung their long rhomphaia swords wildly, relying on the huge weapon to do the work for them. The first blade strike against Xena came down intended for her head. She swiped it away with her shorter Xiphos and kicked the man in the stomach. She watched him double over holding his body with one hand, his sword lowered in the other. Bringing her own sword to bare she smashed its pommel in to the back of the mans helmet. Despite the protective item her sword dented its surface and the man dropped to the ground out of the fight. Another moved to take his place. His rhomphaia swung flatly in front of him, hoping to disembowel the warrior woman. Jumping back and avoiding the blade with ease Xena now brought her own sword down against the mans arms. Severing one at the elbow. The man screamed loudly and stumbled away, his weapon forgotten, clutching his arm with his remaining hand.
Behind Xena her companion was locking swords with her own attackers. As one came at her bringing his sword over his head in a strong but clumsy swing, Gabrielle raised her own sword blocking the heavy rhomphaia. Another rushed her from her right forcing her to kick out landing a booted foot in the mans groin. She watched briefly as the man collapsed, both hands holding his most sensitive area. The Thracian holding the sword she’d blocked snarled and pushed his sword heavily down on hers. With her right foot still not on the ground, Gabrielle twisted to her body right and leaned left under the rhomphaia. She grunted with the effort of forcing the larger sword away from her. Fast as she could she brought her sword back in an upwards swing and sliced the Thracians armour open from his belly to his chin. Her foot finally came back to the ground leaving her in a balanced stance to take on another attacker.
The commander watched as the women cut his men down seemingly with ease. Their skills and desire to stay alive clearly greater than that of his men. Of the ten men, including himself, there were now only five left standing. The officer was now facing Gabrielle, his sword gripped in both hand. The huge, curved blade glinted sunlight off its razor sharp edge. Twisting the weapon above his head in both hands he brought the blade down with surprising speed and ease. Gabrielle smashed at the blae with her own sending it veering off to one side. But the strike had left both off balance and they rushed to ready themselves again. Gabrielle feigned an attack to the mans face and then spun her sword for his left side. The officer jumped back and deflected the incoming sword and lifted his above his head once again in a smooth well practiced move.
Xena spun her sword in her hand and smiled wildly at the two Thracians who were taking turns to swing their weapons at her. Neither able to capitalise on the two on one situation because of the proximity Xena had managed to hold them to. Their rhomphaia blades too long for the extreme close combat she was forcing them in to. One lunged forward, his sword tip swinging up from the ground. Xena closed the gap between her and her attacker blocking the blade with her own. As she did so the second Thracian rushed in with his sword over his head. Xena lowered her head and shoulder barged the man, sending him backwards and off balance. Twisting her short xiphos in her hands she rammed the weapon upwards and in to the stomach of the first Thracian. The man dropped his sword and fell to the ground clutching the bloody hole in his armour. Xena slipped the sword from the dying man and readied herself against the second now recovering from the barge.
The commander stared in disbelief and anger as the women dealt with his men. Taking down each one as they engaged in combat. The officer was still in a face off with the Warrior of Eli, and the last soldier was now only just picking himself up off the ground after a failed attack on Xena. As the man tried to stand, the wind knocked well and truly from him Xena stepped forward and grabbed the top of his helmet and tilted his head back. The man tried to scream but Xenas sword cut his throat. I a dramatic flare Xena slashed her sword across the mans throat and let the blade travel in to the air above her head as she turned to face the commander.
Taking her first steps to the commander she watched Gabrielle and the officer. The short blonde was ducking under a swipe of the officers sword intended no doubt to decapitate her. As she ducked the weapon Gabrielle the stood and cleanly speared the officer through the throat with her own sword. A look of surprise and terror crossed the officers face as Gabrielle withdrew her sword and watched the man drop lifelessly to the ground with a dull thud. Gabrielle turned to join Xena in her advance on the commander. The man was walking backwards away from them, his sword raised but only half-heartedly gripped in his shaking hands. He watched Gabrielle step over the dead bodies between him and her, while Xena spun her sword in her hand.
In a last desperate attack the commander speared his sword forward at waist height and then withdrew as a counter from Xena was brought against him. Her sword sailed through thin air as he pulled his sword back. He watched as Gabrielle idly stepped away from him to his right. Clearly allowing Xena to join him in combat. He ignored the blonde and concentrated on the taller woman now slowly walking ever closer. With more effort and no doubt the last of his bravery the commander raised his sword above his head and lunged forward. Xena leant back on her feet and swiped her sword up and across her front. The commanders sword was deflected harmlessly off the shorter blade. The man fell sideways off balance, stumbling in the dirt. One hand outstretched to stop himself from falling over completely. Xena watched as he staggered and stumbled before her. He managed to steady himself and twisted to turn and face her again. Still backing away slowly as she pushed ever forward.
The commander stood himself to his full height and breathed deep to calm himself and gripped the long handle of his rhomphaia firmly in front of his chest. Xena stepped closer and closer, her stern look unchanged during their whole encounter. Changing his fighting stance the commander now twirled the long handle in his hands and spun the blade about his head. The weapon coming to rest by his side, the tip pointing forward. Deeming Xena close enough he lunged forward and twisted the blade up, shouting as he did so. Calmly and with what seemed like little effort on her part, Xena twisted sideways on to the man and slashed upwards with her own sword knocking the commanders up and over her head. With practiced ease she then rolled the handle in her hand and pushed her sword backwards and in to the commander. The blade burying most of its length in the man just below his sternum. Xena pulled the sword free and watched the commander fall to his knees, wide eyed in surprise. Gabrielle watched as Xena walked from the dead man slumped on his knees, his chin to his chest, eyes wide and lifeless.
“I can’t believe you were worried about these guys!” Taunted Xena as the pair strode from the scene.
Gabrielles mouth dropped open. “Who said anything about being worried!” She demanded. “I’ve been fighting these people for weeks and you come along when there’s barely any left…”
Xena stopped and turned to look down on the furious face of Gabrielle. Now she couldn’t stop a smile creeping on to her face. “I have to take credit for something after being gone all those years.”
Gabrielle raised a fist and tried not to laugh at her love knowing now that she was teasing her. Instead she threw her arms about the warrior woman and held tightly about her waist. “It’s good to have you back Xena.”
“It’s good to be back.” Agreed Xena taking hold of Gabrielle. She looked down in to Gabrielles smiling face. “Now, you said we can go anywhere and do anything?”
“I did.” Replied Gabrielle.
“So, where do we start?” And she looked out over open island of Crete and beyond.
The End.