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Disclaimers:The characters of Xena and Callisto are the property of MCA/Universal and Reniassance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended.
Callisto ran a hand through her blonde curly hair. Mother was probably worried sick about her being gone so long. She sighed and turned to the village. *Okay mom, I'm on my way home.* She thought.
As she neared Cirra, Callisto noticed that there was an orange tint to the sky above it. She could hear shouts and screams coming from there as well. She broke into a run.
The village was in chaos. Huts were burning and people were running frantically about. There were soldiers on horseback and on the ground. They were attacking the men and women in the village.
When Callisto entered the town, she barely noticed a woman with dark hair, armor and cloak ride past her with a few of the soldiers. She had to duck around the fighting to try and make her way to her home where her mother and younger sister were most likely hiding.
"XENA! XENA! XENA! XENA!" The warriors were chanting, but the sounds didn't reach Callisto's ears as she finally stopped in front of what had once been her home. She tried to get closer to it but the heat seared her skin. Her throat tightened as she realized that her mother and sister were still inside. Callisto could hear there screams as the fire raged through the hut. *NO!*
Finally the warriors left Cirra, still chanting their leader's name and shouting about what they had just done. But Callisto hadn't noticed. Her eyes were locked on the burning structure before her. She heard the cries of the dying and the strong wind feeding the fires, and the fading sounds of the army.
Callisto stood watching as the fire continued to rage through
what was left of her home. The sounds of the dying were echoing
through her head. The chants of the warriors had mixed in with
those sounds. "XENA! XENA! XENA! XENA!"
The smell of burning flesh and death had filled her nostrils making her nauseous. It had been a long time since she had eaten and it didn't take long for her stomach to empty and dry heaves to start. But the more she took in the carnage around her, the less she was affected by it all and the nausea faded.
Callisto noticed the long handle of a pitchfork that appeared to be protuding from a body. She turned in that direction and realized that it was one of the soldiers. Apparently one of the villagers had been lucky enough to take one of the bastards down before losing their own life. She walked over to the body and looked down into the unseeing eyes of the man. Blood darkened his armor and marked the sides of his mouth. Callisto nelt and examined the body more closely. If she was going to find her enemy she needed to know more about them.
The soldier had markings on the chest of his armor, the shoulders and the helmet. Callisto reached for the part that covered the shoulders and pulled hard. After a bit she managed to pull the piece loose. She stared at it, running her fingers over the surface. The pattern soon memorized, despite the chaos that continued in her mind. Next she pulled the soldier's blood stained sword from his lifeless fingers. Callisto ran her own finger around the edge of the blade. She noticed that he had a dagger sheathed on his belt and took that as well.
Standing again, Callisto looked over the soldier once more. She wasn't sure why, but she suddenly felt like laughing. The sound that erupted from her wasn't pleasent. This was not the sound of someone happy, but of someone who had been twisted by hate and anger.
Now would you consider this finished or unfinished?
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