Best Friends, Better Enemies, Chapter 3 & 4Ah, so her name is Xena, the entity discovered, after the two women entered the inn. At first, the innkeeper was hesitant about letting them stay. But finally, with a dark look from Xena and a fearful shudder from the humble man, he conceded to Xena's wishes.
Who is this woman that she inspires such fear in these peasants? Remembering back to a time when he had the same power, the entity sighed, unconsciously transferring the motion to Gabrielle's body.
Xena caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to comfort her friend.
"We're almost finished. Go on up to the room. I'll be up after I get our food."
Weakly, the Gabrielle entity nodded his agreement. Xena watched Gabrielle walk away, stumbling awkwardly on the steps to the rooms. Why is she putting on such a show? Gabrielle wasn't injured that bad. If she had been severely injured, she wouldn't have been able to stay in the saddle the whole ride here, Xena mused. She bears watching very closely. Maybe that bump on the head scrambled something.
Then the innkeeper returned and told Xena the price for the room.
"Five dinars! That's ridiculous. I'll give you 3 dinars..."
Caught up in the negotiation, Xena put Gabrielle's odd behavior to the back of her mind, knowing in her heart that her best friend could be trusted to the depths of her soul.
As soon as he was out of sight of the lower level, the Gabrielle entity decided it was time for a good stretch. Looking around to make sure nobody saw, he balanced Gabrielle's feet on the edge of the stairway and with a spring of muscle, flipped twice through the air to the impossibly high landing at the top of the steps.
As he landed, he exhaled a breath of joy at having the freedom of movement once again. Stopping only a moment to get his bearings, the Gabrielle entity began to sprint down the hall, but a door opening midway down the hall stopped the spirited run.
Emerging was a merchant, scented heavily with perfume and dripping in gold jewelry. His obese body was cloaked in the finest silks and furs. On the whole, he looked like a walking minion to decadence. Without hesitating, the Gabrielle entity moved his new body forward, propelling him into the fat man awkwardly.
"Oomph! You clumsy girl! Watch where you walk from now on. Silly chit!"
Gabrielle stepped away and mumbled. "My humblest of apologies, sir."
The man grunted obscenely and waddled down the hall without looking back. If he had, he would have been chilled to see the look of pure evil on Gabrielle's face as she held the merchant's purloined room key up to the light. Like taking candy from a baby, the entity gloated, as he fitted the key to the lock. It opened soundlessly and Gabrielle stepped inside quickly to avoid detection.
The small room was near to bursting with chests, several of which were open to reveal the jeweled contents overflowing the sides. The entity laughed, coming out of Gabrielle's throat in a grating, cruel sound, totally unlike her normal tone.
She stepped forward and picked up a long strand of pearls, larger in diameter than her thumbnail and glittering coolly in her hand. Looks like I found the key to rebuilding my future, the Gabrielle entity thought sadistically and laughed again. Yes, time to rebuild my empire!
Chapter 4
With her ill gotten gain safely hidden away, Gabrielle returned to the room to wait for Xena. Ah, yes. The beautiful black haired nymph will soon be mine, the entity thought excitedly. Time to set the scene of seduction.
For the next several minutes, Gabrielle's body moved about the room, lighting candles so they twinkled like stars in the deepening twilight. She invitingly turned down the covers of the bed, then took the comb she found out of the pack and slowly started running it through her hair. It pulled slightly on a few snarls, but before long, her reddish-gold locks were flowing with silky ease.
Yes, perfect. Now for these clothes. The entity wrinkled Gabrielle's pert nose at the common clothing her body wore. How shabby, the entity decided, as she pulled off the top and skirt as quickly as possible. I must get this body a different wardrobe. I certainly can't go about in such rags.
Then the entity turned and caught sight of Gabrielle's naked body in the mirror. Not bad, the entity mused. Not too bad at all. Running her hands over her own upthrust breasts and the hills and valleys of her hips, the entity posed Gabrielle's body seductively before the mirror, examining the nubile body he now inhabited. Not exactly my type, but it would do in a pinch.
Abandoning the view of herself, Gabrielle quickly sponged away the sweat and trail grime with efficient strokes. Xena should be back any moment. Must hurry.
After making herself as clean as possible, Gabrielle looked around the room, deciding to wait in the shadows by the window. She rested her naked spine against the wall & surveyed the open room before her. Her lips curled evilly in a smile. Not long now.
