The King and the Enemy

11

Authors Note: the above picture is of Emily Browning. She is the closest person that resembles how I picture Xena in my head. Hope you guys enjoy :)

When the horse is out of sight from the prison Xena brings her arms up quick and puts the shackles around her fathers throat. He struggles against her and the horse rears as her father pulls roughly on the reins sending then tumbling into the street. Xena lands on her shoulder her father on top if her, still struggling against her chains.

The king gasp for breath and then elbows Xena in the side. She cried out in pain briefly loosening her grip of the shackles around her fathers throat. He almost slips away before she tightens her grip once more.

Xena was weak from the venom of the lizard creature and but she put all of her strength in chocking the life from her father.

The kings struggling stated to died down but it only made Xena tighten her chock hold even more. Soon he laid unmoving on top of her.

She kept her choke hold on him, making sure he was dead before she released him. Her arms ached and her wrist were bloody from the shackles digging into her skin. Her arms and hands had claw mark scratched into them from her fathers futile fighting.

She just had enough energy to push the king off her when Thor and Loki appear above her.

She held up her wrist weakly and said, "Think you could do something about these?"

"Put you wrist on the ground as far apart as you can get them," Thor stated pointing Mjölnir at the ground. Xena did as she was told twisting her aching body to do what Thor requested. Thor knelt down beside her and raised his hammer. Xena closed her eyes, knowing what he was going to do. She heard the clang of the hammer against the chains and her wrist fell apart.

"Thanks," she said getting to her feet unsteadily.

Loki grab her arm and steady her. "Let do what we came her to do," the group started walking back to the prison. Loki keeping a hold on Xena to make sure she didn't fall over. He could tell she was having a rough time staying up straight since she was leaning heavily against his arm.

Getting back to the prison, there were no guards posted outside yet.

"There are many guards inside. You'll have to take out a few. When I was being escorted out I saw your friends. They're in the high security portion of the prison close to the hospital wing." She paused before continuing. "I don't know if I'll be able to make it that far,"

"I thought they cured you," Thor said.

"They did, but the venom from the lizard and the antidote, it basically drains you. I've only known a few people who've gone through what I just did and they went into a coma for about a week before they finally recovered. The coma helps you regain strength while the venom leaves the body."

Loki looked down at Xena. He really looked at her. Her skin was ghostly white and dotted with beads if sweat. Her eyes were blood shot and he felt her shaking slighted against him.

"I don't know if she will make it either," he whisper to Thor.

Thor studied Xena. She griped his brothers arm tightly trying to keep herself standing. He could tell she was using Loki to support herself. She looked like death.

"I'm about to pass out," Xena says breathlessly just as her grip on Loki lessens and she sinks to the ground. Loki caught her in his arms as he and Thor knelt down. "Take the last left, then take the first right and then go through the third door on the right, go down the stairs and take a left and you should find your friends." Xena said before her eyes closed and she passed out in Loki's arms.