Hello everyone,
Evelyn here,
with segment three of “Resurrection: The Return of Xena Warrior Princess”by Evelyn F. Altimer-Fain. Enjoy
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Nightfall found the three sitting by a low fire to ward the desert night’s chill. Gabrielle and Virgil wait patiently for Hoshi the begin his tell. Hoshi briefly looked at the two seated across from his and felt a spark of envied which surprised him. Not truly understanding this new emotion, his pushed it aside and began speaking.
“There is really very little to tell, for you, Gabrielle, were presence and you know the details of the rise and death of Yodoshi, the Dark Lord of the Land. Without the help of you and Xena thousands of would be still trapped within that evil one”, said Hoshi.
“Yes, I remember”, said Gabrielle.
“Well, my friend after you sailed from the land, it was discovered that after Yodoshi death his spirit was still very powerful and held control on his allies in the south and the east.”
“Wait a minutes. Are you saying that Yodoshi has returned?”
“Oh no, my friend, he is very much dead and trapped in the underworld”, said the little monk. “Yet, after his true death, his two evil allies, both very powerful and greedy warlords appeared and avenged the Dark Lord’s destruction.”
“What warlords?” said Virgil, echoing Gabrielle’s unspoken question.
“Aye, you did not know of them, said the little monk. “ Before Akemi return to Higuchi to kill her father, Yodoshi, he was a very powerful warlord and ruled all that laid to the North and West of Higuchi and the other surrounding lands. However, as the all poor of the land knew he did not rule alone. His companions were Khika, the evil warlord in the East, and Tomyko, warlord of the South. While Yodoshi lived, these three warlords razed, raped, and pillaged their way across Japan’s providences as far as the land of Chin. No one was spare their cruelty and Tomyko knew Yodoshi ruled in the city Higuchi and that Khika secretly wanted it. That Khika wanted to rule over Higuchi even if it meant a civil war between he and Yodoshi was no surprise to the Dark Lord. But, the only thing that held Khika back was feared Yodoshi’s dark magic.”
“But why would Khika risk making a mortal enemy out if such a powerful warlord as Yodoshi asked Gabrielle as the firelight played off the gold of her hair and reflected the deadly sharpness of the stilettos tuck in readiness in her boots. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
“The answer to that it is the part of the story that Akemi never told anyone but Xena. Yet, many of us have speculated that when Akemi found out about her father’s cruelties that the knowledge turned daughter against father”, said Hoshi.
“You’re talking in riddles”, said Virgil.
“What’s this great secret that you are referring to?” Asked Gabrielle.
“No one in Higuchi knows the whole true but many suspect that if the vengeance Akemi sought against her father was great of enough for her to want to kill him with the of the great warrior princess, Xena, than it is a grave secret. That Yodoshi was a crude master was enough but I suspect more, and the partnership between Yodoshi, Khika, and Tomyko terrified and destroyed many in our land.
However, after killing Yodoshi, Akemi was right to seek purification of her crime by her own death and afterward to bring her ashes to the temple. To fail to so as we all know served to bring Yodoshi back into the world as the Dark Lord of the Land where he who reaped in the soul of the unsuspecting men with the unwilling help of Akemi and the Dark Lord other two evil companions”, said Hoshi
“We know all this", said Gabrielle. “But what does this have to do with Xena now. She is dead”. A sharp pain of remorse coursed through Gabrielle strong, athletic body and a shadow of sadness not there moment ago darken her normal azure tinted eyed.
“Tomyko is dying and now that his end is nearing he had been visited by great regret and the evil resting on his soul,” said Hoshi, “He wants to atone for his wrongs before he dies. He wants to reveal the great secret of what really happened the night that Xena was in the city of Higuchi. The secret contains the answer to why so many of the villagers died while trying to stop her from bringing Akemi ashes to the temple”.
“I still don’t understand”, said Gabrielle. “The villagers stopped Xena because they didn’t want their temple defiled by the sin of Akemi crime.”
“No, Gabrielle”, said the monk. “Villagers were bewitched by the Khika promises of better treatment and future prosperity. All he needed to do was to see to it that Xena never made it to the temple was to place little gold here, and ease a few levies there. Khika wanted Higuchi and its the surrounding provinces, and only Yodoshi presences stopped him.
For years, Khika searched for a way to rid himself of Yodoshi, but as it turned out Akemi had reasons of her own and to Khika delight ended her father’s reign for him. Then knowing that Akemi would attempt to atone for her crime, Khika set his plan and readied his magician to bind the dark lord”, Hoshi said.
”What you are saying is that Khika used the villagers to delay Xena arrival to the temple and when the Yodoshi made him first appearance as the Dark Lord of the Land, his magician was suppose to entrapped Yodoshi in a spelled that would have render him a slave to Khika own evil ambitions”, said Gabrielle.
“Yes”, said the little monk.
“But, something went wrong’, said Virgil.
“Yes, said Hoshi looking at the young warrior, Virgil, at Gabrielle side. Again, he felt a twinge of envy that made him cast his eyes to fire. He did not understand why the Virgil’s present discomfited him. “Yes, something went wrong. Khika put too much faith in his magician and disregarded all the legends about the dark one.”
Gabrielle, who was flushed with suppressed angry, asked. “Did Xena die in vain?”
“That I will leave for Tomyko to tell you”, said Hoshi. “We are only a day and a half from his palace, and what he says and gives you will bring better understanding. So, let’s rest now and start out in the morning”, said the little monk.
“Rest!” Gabrielle shouted, as she jumped to her feet. “You think we should rest after what you just told us. She turned on her heels and started towards the horses.
Hoshi and Virgil both rose and ran after her. The little monk said, “Gabrielle, I have told you all that I know, and we would never find the palace in this darkness. This desert is deadly enough in the day, and Tomyko’s spies had set traps for intruders and raiders, which are impossible to see at night.
Gabrielle stared out into the darkness trembling with indecision and rage. Her friend have given her life to save the souls of countless of people who she now believe were responsible for their own deaths. Great tears welled up in her eyes, but she brushed them away. Refusing to cry in front of the men, she turned back to the camp and the warmth of the fire without looking at her two companions.
Virgil and Hoshi exchanged glances after they watched Gabrielle lie down and wrap herself into her bedroll so that she faced away from the flames. The two men were still uneasy with each other, but they wordlessly walked together back to the camp for their own needed rest.
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