DARKNESS

Xena's sword made a loud rustling sound as it fell to the ground from the impact of general Lynx's brutal attack. He showed no mercy on the training ground, not caring to hold back as he showed her his superiority in the mastery of blades.

She crawled vigorously,struggling to get her sword and balance back on her feets but Lynx gave no room for that. Finally, she was at the mercy of his blade, his sword was placed under her chin so that making any wrong moves could lead to her being severely injured.

"You're still too weak." General Lynx spoke angrily, throwing down his blade as he walked away disappointed. In a flash, Xena saw the perfect opportunity to strike back but General lynx, being a skillful warrior, quickly intercepts her attack by sweeping her off her feet.

He shook his head indicating more disappointment, then he stretched forth his hand to pull her up from the ground so they could get clean and then head to the dining table for lunch sensing she must have been famished after the long training session.

During lunch, Lynx noticed that Xena wasn't eating. He wondered what could be the matter but he refused to interfere because he believed she was on a path to self discovery. He was concentrating on his meal when Xena's voice which spoke softly interrupted him.

"I can't remember the last time I saw daylight, do I need to be mad at my family for casting me down here, what if the fortune teller was right, it's true, maybe this is really where I belong. I miss my mom, dad and…"

Before she could complete her statement, General lynx went wild. He smacked his hand violently on the table to shun Xena's thoughts on how her parents treated her.

"Are you crazy, the same people who were able to send their own offspring to this cursed land? You still consider them family? How pathetic, no wonder you're so weak. You're a weakling."

Lynx's voice was raised to the max.

Xena couldn't hold back the tears in her eyes as she lashed back at General lynx with the same fury, "What do you know about my family? Nothing, absolutely nothing! They just wanted to preserve their kingdom from me. Can't you see what I have become, A monster!"

He chuckled darkly; with pain evident in his eyes he asked a disturbing question,

"And what do you know about the dark realm?"

She opened her mouth to speak but there was nothing to say. Seeing her inability to answer, he repeats her statement,

"Nothing, absolutely nothing!"

"Do you know how many savages I've fought just to protect you? I've been here longer than you've been born and I will sacrifice any chance I have to get you out of here because unlike us, you don't deserve to be here, you don't belong here! Your parents and whosoever believes what the fortune teller said doesn't deserve the light because their heart is full of darkness".

"No I don't think so! They did this for the Kingdom. I can't destroy what my ancestors spent aeons to build, I have a heart unlike you, I'm still human. Who knows what staying here for what might be a million years has done to you. You only care about revenge! That's why you're not able to leave this place!"

In anger, General lynx threw an apple at her storming away without saying a word. On the contrary, Xena was quite happy, this was the first time she was left alone since she arrived in the dark realm. Her head screamed freedom but her conscience couldn't help but judge her. She had hurt the only person she knew who had taken care of her since she was five.

She went to her room pondering on his words that repeatedly rang in her head;

"Their hearts are filled with darkness!"

It hurt her to know that the people she called her own didn't think twice before throwing her down here.

"Indeed the truth is bitter, he was always right". I need to apologize to him," she said immediately she realized her mistake. She placed her hands on her chin, her head remained furrowed and she pouted her lips, wondering where he could be.

"I've never gone out without him before, truly I am a weakling, no wonder I didn't want to take revenge anymore, my heart was too weak to face my family, But not anymore. I will find you General.

Xena prepared herself to go look for the General. She took her blade, her daggers, knives, and even her wooden spear as she set out for the deadly wild. With her sword she cut the poisonous vines and with her voice she called loudly but got no response.

Her echoes attracted the beasts of the dark realm and also sent bats and other strange birds flying. After a period of intense search for the general, she felt weak. She leaned her back against a pine tree with little or no life left in it. Just when she thought she was resting, she heard a growl and perceived it was a werewolf.

It was a huge furry and yellow eyed werewolf, twice her size. Its fur was black as the night and its canines were so long it could sink deep into any flesh, destroying the bones without leaving any remains. She held up her wooden spear in a defense stance,

"If this is how I die, just know I did this for you General."

She charged fearlessly onward with her spare pointing towards the wolf. She attacked with everything she had but she noticed the animal kept looking at her amusingly and didn't try to attack her. After a while, he pounced on her and started licking her face which got her startled. They had never met any animal that was this friendly. It was either you kill or you get killed that was the principle of the dark realm.

"What? How could this be," Xena asked herself,

"Am I lucky or could this be a dream?"

She hit herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

Xena stood up confidently, she tried to move away but the wolf didn't let her. It wanted her to ride on him, he wanted to assist her, because she was too weak.