Livian Bringer of Twilight: The Warrior Princess's Heir

The Long Road to Enlightenment

Varia was already packed with supplies on the sides of their horses when Belisarius came out with his most trusted sword. He walks to Varia helping her balance the bags so that they don't fall off on their travel. She looks back at Belisarius purposely tipping the bags to his side. "Hey I thought we wanted to balance these bags not let them crush me," Belisarius says. As she tries holding in a laugh, finally balancing the bags again for Belisarius to tie the straps tight to keep it that way smiling. " Well if an Amazon can't help make a killer happy than there's no hope for ya," Varia says still looking at him. "Well you don't suppose this is too much for the horses to carry," Belisarius says. Varia answered sarcastically, " well if they don't want to carry our bows,arrows, swords, and cooking wear to protect them and give them a good meal than I suppose we can leave it all here." Belisarius brushes the manes of his horse, gently feeling now soft it was. "I take that Eve isn't coming with us," Varia asks. "She basically said she'll sleep on it, but I think she meant that  she'll sleep in like a drunken...." Belisarius was interrupted by someone. "I would be careful of what you say next," Belisarius and Varia turn around to see Eve talking to them giving them a smirky glare, "I wouldn't wanna write about how the God killer got his ass beaten by a peaceful Elician." " Wellllll, that would be an interesting tale Eve," Varia says as she walks over to Eve. They embrace each over as though they haven't seen each other in years. "Good to see your Roman face again Eve," Varia says smiling. Eve smiles back shaking her head, "Well you'll be seeing more of my Roman face, I've decided to come with you both." Belisarius walks over to Eve, "I knew you had Xena's sense of adventure." Eve looks at Belisarius, " I said I would come, but I didn't say I would be walking, after all your bard should have something to write on and something to sit on as we make our journey to enlightenment." Belisarius and Varia look at each other smiling, "We kind of figured you would say that," Belisarius says. Varia whistles and out from the stables came the Bishop with a beautiful light brown horse with white manes. It carried on its back a saddle with a little desk on top of its back. "Which is why the Bishop spared no drachmas to give you the 'proper' form of transportation for a bard like yourself," Varia says. Eve walks over to the horse smiling as though she was only seven years old when she first saw a horse. She petted the manes of the horse as it bops its head up resting its head on her shoulder. The Bishop smiles, " she's named after her mother, Argo the Second. This is Argo the Third, and she seems to remember the scent of your mother well." Eve looks up at the Bishop in shock as she returns her gaze at Argo three thinking of how her mother and the first and second Argos' many adventures together. Eve hugs the Bishop, "Thank you Bishop," as tears pour down from her eyes. The Bishop smiles wiping her tears away from her face, "The Path of Enlightenment maybe a long and perilous journey, but in the end I know you will find the answers you have longed for. Remember this, the world is balanced, you must find that same balance between the sword and the heart." The Bishop gives one last hug to Eve before helping her up onto Argo three. "Safe travels my friends, may Eli protect and guide you on this...." The Bishop gets interrupted again by another voice. "Wait Eve," Virgil runs over to Eve carrying something. Eve looks up at him in confusion. "Is Virgil coming with us," Eve thought. Virgil unwraps the cloth revealing a long thick Roman blade, " this belonged to my father, Joxer. I want you to take it with you Eve." Eve shakes her head, "Virgil I can't take this." "For extra protection, just in case. I know my father would want you to wield it, I have to return back to my studies as a Elician. This blade still has some fighting spirit left," Virgil says. Eve remembered Joxer, and that horrific day when she killed him as he tried to save Gabriel. She nodded her head, " I'll bring it with me Virgil, for your father." She puts the blade in her saddle bag. And with that Varia, Belisarius and Eve rode out of the Sancuary and into the great world ahead. As Eve looked back at her home, she tried to understand the Bishops' message. She thought in her mind, " how can one balance a blade with the heart if it's the sword that kills the heart?"