Previously on Soul Desire (7/14):
Xena nodded again. "All right." The warrior princess stood and cracked her knuckles. "When your spirit separates from your body, I want you to join with my spirit. As one, we stand our best chance of doing some serious damage to Alti. Are you ready?"
Everyone nodded. Lois set her jaw. Her children were in danger. And Lois was ready to go to hell and back again if that's what it would take to keep them safe. She had the passing thought that not even a mother bear protecting her cubs was more frightening than she was at the moment.
"I'll have to do this the quick way," Xena said, apologetically. "There's no time to do all of the ceremony and incantations that normally go into this. Everyone, sit on the floor."
When they were all seated on the floor, Xena knelt before them. She started with Iolaus. Quickly, she rammed the index and middle fingers of both of her hands into the sides of his neck. Lois remembered the move. She'd seen Xena use it against one of the thugs who had attacked them in ancient Greece when Clark was kidnapped by the gladiator traders. The move worked on a person's pressure points, and blocked off the flow of blood to the victim's brain. Before Lois could speak, Iolaus had collapsed and Xena was onto Gabrielle.
"What are you doing?" Lois demanded.
"Killing us," Xena replied as Gabrielle fell to one side.
In the next instant, the raven haired warrior jammed her fingers onto Lois' pressure points. Lois instantly felt a tightening in her neck muscles and a lightheadedness. She found it difficult to think and harder to breathe. She struggled against the pain that shot through her body. Blood flowed from her nostrils. She touched a hand to the blood, examined it without comprehending, then keeled over to one side, oblivious to her head striking the carpet.
******
Lois felt her life slipping away from her as the flow of blood to her brain was blocked by Xena's pinch. The pain was unbearable. At first, she fought against it. But at Xena's urging to go with it, Lois loosened her grip on the world of the living ever so slightly. It was just enough to allow herself to slide closer to death. She felt herself detach from her mortal body. She opened her eyes, now fully in the spirit realm, and found herself looking down on her unmoving body. Lois felt a sensation of vertigo as she looked down upon herself.
She saw Xena put the pinch on herself, saw the blood trickle from the warrior's nose as her life ebbed away. Lois watched as a translucent image of Xena floated up from the seemingly lifeless body on the floor. Xena stretched and flexed, reacquainting herself with the spirit realm. Xena grinned, pleased with what she had accomplished.
"Are we dead?" Lois asked fearfully. She was surprised to see that she could speak in this state.
Xena shook her head. "No. We're just in the spirit realm now."
"Are we going to die?" Lois pressed.
Xena shook her head again. "No. Time doesn't flow the same here as it does in the mortal world. We should be able to drive back Alti and return with plenty of time for me to undo the pinch."
"Should?" Lois asked. "You mean you don't know?"
Xena shrugged. "It's not an exact science, but I've done it before with great success."
"Oh, well I feel a whole lot better," Lois said dryly.
"I can go back into my body and undo the pinch on you," Xena said. "If you want me to, that is."
Lois shook her head defiantly. "Not a chance. I'm coming with you."
A flash of light in the room caught Lois' eye. Ares materialized. He saw the bodies on the floor and checked for signs of life. Lois was surprised at the war god's gentleness and concern. Guessing what had happened, or perhaps having been filled in from Aphrodite, Ares spoke to the empty room around him.
"Go get her, Xena," he urged. "I'll keep watch here."
"All right, everyone. Merge your spirits with mine. As one, we stand a chance of being stronger than Alti."
Lois drifted to where Xena was. It had been many years since her three day stint as Ultra Woman after a red Kryptonite laser had transferred Clark's powers to her. But she'd apparently never forgotten how to control the power of flight. Maneuvering in the spirit realm was a lot like flying, she realized. She reached Xena and allowed herself to sink into the warrior woman's spirit. She felt Gabrielle and Iolaus join them.
It was a disconcerting feeling. Lois was aware of every thought, every movement of the others. Her mind remained independent, but it was merged with those of the others, like a network of computers. She no longer remained in control of her muscles and limbs. Xena was in complete control. And that was unnerving as well. Lois had never really been all that good about relinquishing control of anything to anyone else. To not be in control of her own body (so to speak) was unsettling, to say the least. Lois felt herself become much stronger, as her essence was reinforced by those of the others, and as her own spirit bolstered theirs in return.
"All right everyone. Hang on!"
Xena shot off, exiting the house through Clark's open window. Lois watched as the world sped by beneath her. It felt strange to see the world through Xena's eyes.
Lois was aware of Gabrielle and Iolaus, and their unease with the flight. She tried to reach out to them to reassure them, trying to share memories of flying with Clark and feeling so safe in his arms. After all, flying with Clark was one of her favorite activities. Flying with Xena now was little different, and even, perhaps, slightly more freeing. She'd forgotten how incredible it was to fly under her own power, without being nestled safely against Clark's solid, comforting chest. True, she wasn't currently moving under her own power, but it was close enough. She decided that she didn't care all that much for the freedom and that she vastly preferred flying in Clark's arms.
She continued to watch as Metropolis rushed passed her. Xena deftly avoided the obstacles that stood in their way - telephone poles, buildings, people walking down the sidewalks, and taxis racing to deliver their passengers to their destinations. Lois was duly impressed by Xena's agility in the unfamiliar landscape. She felt the same sentiment coming from Gabrielle and Iolaus.
"How do you know where to find Alti?" Lois asked. She spoke aloud but the question was uttered only in the minds of the joined friends.
Lois sensed Xena shrug. "I know Alti. I know the energy she gives off. All I have to do is follow it to where ever it takes me. We need to hurry though."
Xena's voice was a ghostly, disembodied sound. Lois felt like she was trapped in some vast, empty chamber without end, and listening to a voice that she could not see. The effect gave her the creeps. She would have shuddered, had she been able to.
Xena forced herself to move faster. Metropolis receded behind them as they sped over the city limits. Office buildings gave way to trees and mountains. The spirit realm seemed to heighten Lois' senses, or perhaps it was an effect of having her soul melded with three others. But Lois could smell the clean scent of pine and earth in a way that she never had before, save for the days she'd been custodian of Clark's powers. She had completely forgotten what that was like, how overwhelming it could be.
Clark.
Lois wondered where he was and if he was facing trouble. A cold finger of worry tickled her brain and made her nonexistent stomach clench. She felt Xena's mind tug at her own, urging her to remain focused on the task at hand. Stubbornly, Lois shut Clark out of her mind. She tried to open her mind to let Xena take charge of that organ too. Too much was at stake for Lois to get distracted now. And if Xena needed to fight her, valuable strength would be lost. Lois felt Xena's gratitude at Lois' determination to help, no matter what the cost.
Xena began to follow a winding road; the surrounding woods becoming too thick for her to avoid the trees. To slow down was to give Alti the advantage, and the merged group of souls refused to give the shamaness any more of a head start on them than was possible. Lois could feel the grim determination in each of the others. Xena careened around the turns, pushing them faster.
Ahead, on the road, Lois could see a pack of motorcycles tearing down the road. Lois held her breath as they grew closer, then let it out in relief as they swerved around the bikers. Through Xena's eyes, she got the fleeting impression of seven middle aged bikers racing down the asphalt. Xena left the bikers in the dust. Moments later, they veered into the oncoming traffic lane to pass an eighteen wheeler. For what felt like a long time, they saw nothing else. Then, in the distance, they saw a lone motorcycle riding down the center lane. Lois could feel the evil emanating from the rider.
The rider's head snapped up, somehow sensing Xena's presence. The bike's blinker went on as the rider pulled her machine to the shoulder of the road. Xena followed as the rider pulled the machine back behind a screen of trees and brush. One leather booted foot put down the kickstand as the rider killed the engine. One leg swung over the seat as the rider dismounted. Both hands came up and pulled the helmet away.
"Xena, I know you're here," the woman said in a raspy voice.
The voice reminded Lois of her second grade teacher, Mrs. Roberts, who had been a two pack a day smoker for forty years. Lois took a brief second to get an overall impression of the woman. Her adversary was very tall and painfully thin, dressed in tight, dark jeans and a black leather jacket. Dark makeup ringed her eyes and only served to highlight her high, gaunt cheekbones. A length of auburn hair hung passed the middle of her back. A tribal looking necklace hung about her neck and she moved with all the grace and threat of a stalking wildcat.
"Alti?" Lois asked, not really needing an answer.
"Alti," Xena confirmed.
Before Lois knew what happened, she saw Alti collapse to the ground, eyes rolling to the back of her head. A second later, the spirit of the shamaness lifted up from her inert body. Lois watched as a couple of dead leaves tangled into the woman's hair in the light breeze. Both Alti and Xena alighted on the ground. They stood apart, each eyeing the other warily.
"Oh Xena," Alti crooned evilly. "It's been too long."
"Not long enough," Xena countered.
"And you aren't alone," Alti observed. "You're brought along your little friend. Gabrielle, wasn't it? And a man. Since when has the great Warrior Princess ever needed a man? And Lois, so nice to meet you. Thanks for making it so easy to find you. Once I have you and your children, your dear husband won't dare to oppose me. His soul will be mine."
"You don't know Clark," Lois shot back, heatedly. The words came out in Xena's voice.
"Oh but I do," Alti said. "I know that the second he knows that you're in danger, he'll be flying off to the rescue. Straight to me. Straight to Dahak. I can hardly wait to watch as his life drains from his body."
"Enough," Xena commanded. "I didn't come here to chat."
"You don't stand a chance against me," Alti boasted. "Partnering with Dahak has vastly enhanced my powers."
"We'll just have to put that to the test, now won't we?"
"You're a fool, Xena."
"That may be," Xena returned calmly, "but I'm not going to stand aside and watch you murder innocent children."
"Still bitter over the curse I put on your son," Alti observed tauntingly.
"This has nothing to do with Solan," Xena replied evenly.
"Don't lie to me, Xena. I can see the hatred burning in your eyes."
Lois felt the warrior's phantom muscles as they coiled and readied themselves for the attack. Without warning, Xena rushed at Alti. She collided into the other woman, knocking the shamaness off balance. Lois felt the collision as surely as if she, herself, had been the one to hit into the woman. As one merged mass of spirits, whatever Xena felt, they all felt. Lois sensed Gabrielle and Iolaus recovering from the attack as well. Alti was only momentarily stunned. She recovered quickly, delivering a blow to Xena's stomach. Lois felt the air rush out of her nonexistent lungs.
Xena seemed relatively unfazed by the blow. In an instant, she was on her feet again. Alti took another swing at Xena, who deftly parried it with one strong arm. Alti tried the other hand. Xena grasped it with her free hand. The shamaness struggled, bringing up a knee to strike at Xena. Xena was faster and brought her own knee into Alti's midsection. The shamaness staggered back a step as Xena loosened her hold on the other woman's wrists.
Alti recovered quickly and sprang at Xena. But the warrior princess took a defensive stance and turned the other's momentum against her. Alti went sprawling into the dirt, landing directly on top of a sharp rock. The stone left a gash in the woman's left leg. Blood flowed from the wound that opened up in the shamaness' unmoving, mortal body. Lois gaped in surprise. In her mind, she heard Gabrielle explain that what happened to the spirit manifested in the real world. Inwardly, Lois groaned. She hadn't expected that. She had hoped that whatever happened in the spirit realm would stay there. But she had to admit, it made sense. Why else would Xena hope to slow Alti down by battling her in the spirit world if it didn't affect the living body?
Alti pushed herself off the ground. Xena stood ready, waiting for whatever attack would come next. The two stood facing one another, unmoving, for a long moment. Then, together, they rushed at one another. Feet left the ground as they flew towards each other. They clashed together in midair, each one grabbing the other's forearms. The force sent them spinning off towards the trees. Xena's back smashed into a pine tree, narrowing avoiding being impaled by a sharply broken off branch. Alti kept her grip on Xena, only loosening one hand long enough to grab Xena around her throat. Lois felt the incredible power in the shamaness' grip as it tightened. She felt it become harder to breathe, even in this spiritual state. A flash of fear seared through her mind.
Xena's free hand was immediately on Alti' hand, trying to pull the vice-like grip off her neck. Alti laughed evilly, tasting victory.
"Pathetic," Alti gloated. "You came all the way back from the dead and didn't even offer me much of a challenge."
"Be careful what you wish for," Xena hissed through clenched teeth.
She wrenched her other arm free of Alti's grasp and used it to bash her rival square in the face. There was a crunch as the shamaness' nose broke. Blood gushed from the woman's physical nose. Alti flew backwards, putting some distance between her and Xena. Xena gasped as she took in a deep breath. Lois felt her lungs burning. But Xena didn't stop to rest. Using the pine tree as a springboard, she flew at Alti, mustering all of the speed that she could in the short distance between them. She caught Alti in the throat and forced her back against a cedar tree.
Xena's fingers curled around her enemy's neck and began to squeeze.
For one horrifying moment, Lois was afraid that Xena was going to kill Alti. True, the woman was after Lois' kids, but Lois was terrified of being part of a murder. She felt Xena reassure her that, even if she wanted to kill Alti, the shamaness was too powerful right now. They would need the stone that Clark and Hercules were retrieving. Lois relaxed a little.
Alti's eyes continued to bulge as Xena squeezed her throat. Finally, the woman mustered her strength and head butted Xena. Lois felt her head blossom into a starburst of pain. Xena quickly recovered, even as Alti slipped out of her grasp. Xena was on her immediately, tussling with her in mid-air once more. A swift kick from the warrior princess sent her foe crashing into an oak tree. Her left arm caught a branch and twisted into an unnatural angle. Lois heard the dry snap of bone as the arm broke. Xena didn't relent. She flew at Alti and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. Another quick move broke the shamaness' other arm. Two more rapid blows broke both of Alti's legs. Still holding on to Alti, Xena forced the other woman's spirit onto a broken off branch of the tree. The wood easily passed through the gossamer spirit, impaling the woman through her left shoulder. Blood burst from a new wound on the woman's inert body. Xena smiled with grim satisfaction at her handiwork. Alti screamed in rage rather than pain.
"There. That ought to keep you busy for a while," Xena said, pleased with the picture before her. "Oh. Was that enough of a challenge for you? Because you disappointed me."
"You'll pay for this, Xena," Alti swore. "When Dahak is released back into this world, you'll be the first one he captures. Death will be denied to you while he tortures you. You will watch as the world crumbles before his might."
"Save it," Xena said, delivering a punch to Alti's gut and driving the air from her lungs. Xena floated back away from the broken shamaness, eyeing her with cold distain. "This is your last warning, Alti. Leave Clark and his family alone."
"Never," Alti swore again. "I will have his soul, if I have to kill half the world to get it."
"And then what? You turn it over to Dahak and become his slave? That doesn't sound like the Alti I know. She'd never settle for playing second fiddle to another. Do you want to know what I think? I think that you plan on attaining Clark's soul for yourself and betraying Dahak. I've got news for you. Even the gods themselves were too afraid to betray Dahak when he was at the peak of his strength."
"The gods! The gods are weak! Doddering old fools well past their prime. Face it, Xena. You're outmatched this time. I'm stronger now than I have ever been."
Xena raised one eyebrow. "Oh? Doesn't look that way from where I'm standing." Her voice sank to a dangerously calm hiss. "I won't warn you again. Back off. Leave Clark and his family alone. Or I swear on the head of any god you name, I will kill you."
Alti laughed. "The power of Dahak flows in my veins now. You may kill me, but my soul will come back again and again."
"We'll see about that."
Xena floated even further away from Alti's wrecked body. When she was a safe distance away, she finally put her back to her old enemy and sped away from the scene of the battle. She swiftly retraced her earlier path, heading straight back to Lois and Clark's house. A few times, Lois urged Xena in different directions, giving her shortcuts back to the house. Xena gratefully took the advice, speeding up even more as she rushed through the city. Oddly, Lois felt no better after the confrontation with the powerful shamaness. In fact, she was more afraid of the woman now than she had been before. She tried to bury that fear, so as not to let Xena, Gabrielle, and Iolaus know.
At last, Lois' house was in sight. Xena zipped into the living room through the same open window. Their unmoving, slowly dying bodies remained on the floor where they had been left. Ares was sitting on the couch, his booted right foot on the coffee table, and his sword laying across his lap for easy defense, if need be. Xena hovered above their bodies and Ares stirred, as though he could feel their presence in the room. In fact, he could feel Xena's presence, so attuned to her as he was.
"Okay everyone," Xena said. "I need you to separate from me and go back into your bodies now. I'll undo the pinch on myself and get to each of you as soon as I can. Just remain calm. Once your soul reconnects with your body, you'll feel the strain of the pinch again as it prevents the blood from reaching your brain. If you struggle, you'll only be in more pain and hasten your body's move towards death. We should have more than enough time, so just stay calm."
Lois felt Iolaus separate himself from the entangled mass of souls that they currently were. In a way, Lois mourned the loss of that connection. It was strangely comforting to be so close to her friends, now that she was getting used to it. She felt Gabrielle start to peel away from the group next. Lois set herself to freeing her spirit. It was harder than she thought, but after struggling for only a moment, she felt herself come free of Xena at last. She floated above her body and then gently sank down into it once more.
Instantly, she felt the pain and strain of the pinch on her body. The muscles of her neck were clenched. She felt the blood trickling from her nostrils. She felt the warm, sticky fluid running down her cheeks as she lay on her back. She had the craziest thought of the blood as some sort of war paint. Every instinct in her body wanted to fight against the pinch that was stealing her life force. Stubbornly, she tried to remain as calm and serene as possible. She wondered what Xena was up to, but found moving her head to be too taxing of a task.
Seconds later, she felt Xena's warm hands on her neck. With a quick jab of her index and middle fingers to both sides of Lois' neck, the warrior released the pinch. Instantly, Lois felt her muscles relax as relief flooded her body. She gasped for air and sucked in a large lungful, as though she'd spent too much time underwater. She coughed as her body readjusted itself back to normal. After a moment, she found that she had enough strength to sit up.
Iolaus and Gabrielle were doing the same as she was. Gabrielle was coughing, gagging on the air that she had been denied. Xena seemed to be in the best shape out of all of them, But then again, Lois knew from Gabrielle's stories that Xena had been under the pinch many times before. Iolaus raised one hand and wiped away the blood beneath his nose.
"Now this I didn't miss," he said as he looked at the blood covering his fingers.
"Welcome back to the land of the living," Ares said.
Everyone ignored the god.
Lois wiped the blood from her nose with the back of one hand and inspected it. "Wow," she said at last, looking at Xena. "Now I know why that technique is so effective when you use it to question people."
Xena nodded distractedly. The wall clock chimed and Lois looked at it without understanding. Less than half a minute had passed since she and the others had first gone under the pinch. She gaped and Xena noticed.
"Like I said, time flows very differently in the spirit realm," Xena explained.
Lois nodded. "Do you think we put Alti out of commission?"
Xena shook her head. "Probably not. She's strong, very strong. She wasn't lying about that. At best, we've slowed her down."
"How long do you think we have?" Gabrielle asked.
"There's no telling. It could be days before she heals or hours. I wish I knew. But I'm betting on hours."
"Okay, so what do we do now?" Iolaus asked, standing up and starting to pace.
Lois could see that he was itching for a real fight. She sympathized with him. She also had a hard time sitting still when facing a threat. She could see that Xena felt the same way.
"There's nothing we can do," Xena said with a heavy sigh. "We can't do anything until Hercules and Clark get back with the stone." She turned to Ares. "Thanks for keeping watch. I guess I owe you one."
Ares only nodded his acknowledgement.
To Be Continued...
