Date: Sat, 30 Sep 1995 13:17:22 -0400 Reply-To: Andrew Duty Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Andrew Duty Subject: War of Ages Part 4 Culo softly walked up to Methos and followed his gaze down to the gold medallion. "You are familiar with this piece?" Methos's head turned in a start as if he had been snapped from a trance,"You killed him didn't you?" "Yes I did.",Culo said bluntly,"You know it was actually one of the most interesting quickenings I ever took. He actually believed I couldn't take his head. He just stood there with this remarkable look of peace in his eyes. I'll never forget that look of disbelief and betrayal he had as I cut his head from his body." A sudden flush of rage rose in Methos. Culo was one of a very small number of people left could still raise this level of emotion in him. Then as soon as it came it slipped away like the memories of a midnight's dream. Ut-napishtim had been dead for centuries and Methos lost his yearning for revenging it thousands of years ago. Culo gently placed his hand on Methos's shoulder and nodded towards the door. He led Methos out then locked the door to his treasure room shut. He ushered Methos through, the hall down the stairs, and over to the banquet hall. The hall was large and luxurious. Long ornate tapestries hung on either wall and a bright chandelier above the dining table bathed the room in soft yellow light. The table itself was long and wide big enough to easily sit eight. A large menu of items had been prepared. Food of every sort waited for them. Dishes from around the world in every nationality ranging from the simple to the exotic. The aroma filled the room and tantalized the appetite. "I didn't know what you liked so I got a little of everything.",Culo smiled. Culo gestured towards the chair at the head of the table nearest to the halls entrance. Once Methos had been seated, Culo sat at the opposite end near the kitchen entrance. They began filling their plates and a long silence hung over them as they ate. "This is awkward. ",Culo finally said. " Well what did you expect?",Methos asked,"Hi Culo, how's it going? Hey do you remember that time you half-hacked off my arm? Gee I'm glad it healed so nicely. It sure was great to get you back when I buried you in that Egyptian tomb. Gosh how did you ever manage to get out?" "Well I certainly didn't expect that. Really though after all of this time there is so much for us to talk about. I thought we could reminisce about old times. I mean there really are so few of the old gang left." "I know. You killed them all.",Methos said flatly. Culo's lips turned to a thin smirk,"As I recall a good many of their quickenings reside in your body as well." "Only the ones who deserved it." "We all deserve it Methos." Methos laughed quietly,"You know you may be right. Sometimes I think all of the old ones are damned for starting this game. Maybe its better that there are so few of us left now." "Methos,Methos...",Culo chided,"We didn't start the game the game started us. If we hadn't discovered the rules the ones after us would have. Honestly, how long do you think it would have taken them to start coming for our heads once they sorted it all out. Either way if they had discovered it or we did, all of our old friends would still be dead. We had to play the game it was our destiny." "Right again. Still I cant help feeling it was all for the best. Once you reach a certain age it is hard to keep your passion for it all. We cant all be the Kurgan.....thank god." "Ahhh..the Kurgan. Now there was an immortal. In all of my life I have never encountered an immortal better suited for our game. Oh how I envied his determination. He was so focused, his entire existence was the game. And the fact that he was able to keep it up for over three thousand years! How many others have we seen cowering on holy ground or renouncing their part in the game by that age. You would not believe how deeply it saddened me to see what Darius and Constantine turned into. Why when we were their age we were just starting to play the game! They all seem to lose their spirit so early these days.",Culo said wistfully. "We had the luxury of ignorance. By the time we finally figured out what the rules were and what we were suppose to do it was all brand new for us. For many it was the only excitement left, I mean we had done just about everything else. That's why there was such a frenzy of violence in those early years. Most didn't even know they could die and those that did were cutting down everyone they encountered." "Well luckily there were those who taught the ignorant.",he said raising his glass to Methos. "Still the immortals of today do seem more rushed to get into it than we were." "Yes like the Highlander. I couldn't believe it when I heard he killed the Kurgan, part of me still refuses to accept it. Kurgan was ancient even by our standards. It just doesn't seem right that someone as young as MacLeod should have taken his quickening. I still believe he cheated. Ive run over the battle a thousand times in my head and there is no way that young pup should have won." "Well they start a lot younger these days. MacLeods new student (Duncan not Connor) defeated another immortal within a month of joining the game. In fact with in six months he already had the quickening of an immortal thirty times his age." Culo's eyebrows raised and his jaw dropped slightly. "That's amazing! You know in our day an immortal had to wait centuries before taking a head. Why I had to wait over a thousand years!" "Yes, I know.",he said bitterly. "Now Methos that was entirely different. I was an animal back then running over anything that got in my way. I had know idea what I was doing with you or your mate. I was just lashing out blindly at her. It was just blind luck that I stumbled on the means to kill her. You however must have know what you were doing. I mean, you saw how I did it. Tell me did your first opponent know he could die?" "No....no he didnt.",he answered sorrowfully. =============================================================================== Syrian Desert 3093 B.C =============================================================================== The hot desert sands burned into Methos's blistered feet. He was tired and thirsty but he dared not rest and let his feet heal. He only had enough water to last a few more miles and couldn't risk losing valuable time. The loose tan robes he wore helped shield him from the sun and the sweat soaked cloth helped cool him. As he walked his heart was gladdened by ever increasing vegetation and near by hills that would allow him a better view of the lands before him. He climbed up the steady rocky slopes and stopped at the hills zenith to survey the plains before him. Before him the lands dropped into steady long plains. In the distance he spied a small farm with fields of dry grasses and a pen stocked with goats. Between the field and the pen a small round mud hut with a stone well in front and the carcass of a goat held over a large fire on a spit. Two small children worked the fields cutting the tall grass to make hay for the goats. Methos smiled as he headed down the hill, his luck was changing. As he approached the children timidly ran into the fields and hid. As he grew closer to the hut a strange mixture of excitement and adrenaline coursed through his body collecting around his temples. Another immortal was near by. In all of his life the number of immortals Methos met equaled the number of fingers on his hand. Mya and Azmear were dead, Ut-napishtim was gone, and Culo was a world away. The discovery of new immortals no longer surprised Methos. He didn't know how many there were but Methos was sure he was about to add another to the list. The brown cloth curtain that served as the huts entrance swung open and a strong heavy set man with curly black hair and matching beard stepped out. He took a long look into Methos's eyes then smiled a broad grin. "I am Hezebar! Welcome to my home!",he said clasping Methos's hand in friendship. Methos smiled in relief and before he could say a word was shepherded into the mud hut. The inside was sparsely furnished but very clean with a wood plank table by the door and a large bed opposite the entrance. Goats skins were placed over the bead and many clay pots stored food nearby. On the floor by the bed sat a very slender middle aged woman with long brown hair with long streaks of premature gray. Black and red marks covered her olive skin and she never took her eyes off of the floor. "Bring us food, woman!",Hezebar ordered. The woman shot up in a bolt and nearly ran over Methos to the door. Hezebar gestured at the table and Methos sat while Hezebar seated himself at the other end. Within minutes the woman had returned with the two children Methos saw in the fields as well as another he had missed, two girls and a boy. The boy was the eldest appearing to be at least nine years. The girls were closer to the same age than the boy appearing to be five and six respectively. They like there mother were dotted my red and black marks and were also extremely thin. The children scurried over to the bed and sat beside it letting the blankets hang off over them. The woman placed two plates of goat meat before them never lifting her eyes from the ground. An uneasy feeling settled over Methos. He did not like what he was seeing. "This is a lovely home you have ",he said,"and a beautiful family. Tell me are the children yours?" Hezebar howled with laughter,"Ha! These worms are no off-spring of mine. Those insects cowering under my bed aren't even worthy of being called children. Mine would never be so weak.",he said defensively. Hezebars's words helped confirm a suspicion that had been growing in Methos for Ages. He now fervently believed his kind could not have children of their own. At first he thought he couldn't have children with Mya because they were both different but he had tried with mortals but still never had children. He had spoken on this subject many nights with Ut-napishtim who had also tried to have a family before his days as a priest. But he also was unsuccessful in his efforts. He could see Hezebar was ashamed that he could not father children of his own at it looked like he took it out on those around him. Hezebar took a bite into the goat meat then spit it out in disgust. "What is this!",he said grabbing the woman by the hair and forcing her to look at it "This is disgusting! What are you trying to do poison us! Are you trying to embarrass me in front of my guest?" Hezebar stood and pushed the woman's face into the plate until she couldn't breath. Methos reflexively jumped up and pushed Hezebar away. Hezebar was dumb-founded he just stood there out of shock. The woman ran over to the bed and shielded the children with her body. "They don't want you here do they?",Methos asked. "It doesn't matter what they want. They are nothing!",he answered eyes filled with rage. "This is wrong. I cant let you do this." "Get off of my land! Leave here now!" Methos just stood there not quite sure what to do next. Fury built inside Hezebar until it exploded into violence. He rushed Methos tackling his ribcage lifting him up and throwing him out side of the hut onto the ground. "Leave now or I shall beat you unmercifully until you wish you could die!",he roared in rage. Methos just lay there watching like a spectator as Hezebar screamed obscenities at him. His face had turned bright red and small goblets of spittle fell from his lips as he screamed. Methos backed away and looked into the field. He could see one of the sickles the children used to cut the fields sitting in the tall grass. He stood up and slowly walked to the field. He could hear Hezebar screaming behind him. He bent over grabbed the sickle then hid it behind his back as he headed back towards the hut. Hezebar couldn't believe Methos would return. His anger grew into madness as Methos drew near. "I wont let you continue doing this to them." "Fool! They are nothing!",he roared,"They are animals to be used for our pleasure like the oxen in the fields or the goats in the pens. We are gods and they are our chattel. When I found them I killed her mate and claimed their farm. That's how it is. When Ive used them all up, I'll find another and another. That's how it always has been and that's how it always will be. How can one like me be so stupid? Have you spent your entire life wandering the desert in hunger and want? You can have anything you want and you waste it. Begone, there is nothing you can do. We can not die but we can suffer and if you wont leave I will bury you in that well for eternity." A sudden calmness came over Methos. He realized he could not reason with Hezebar and at the same time knew he couldn't allow him to continue. The mortals lives were so short. It was so unfair that they would have to live every day of their brief life in pain and misery serving one such as Hezebar. It was they who should be treating the mortals like gods for the immortals had the greatest gift of all. For a split second he was afraid he would share Azmear's fate but Culo did the same thing and was not punished. The words of Ut-napishtim came back to him 'never fight on holy ground' and this ground was anything but holy. As Hezebar moved forward Methos swung the sickle from behind his back with all of his might. Hezebar instinctively moved back but it was too late. Hatred changed to astonishment as the sickle tore his head from his body. Methos stepped back in horror dropping the sickle. He had never killed another human being before in his life. He had fought men before but he could never summon the strength to kill them life was so valuable to him. He had hunted animals of every sort but this felt different this was a man. A light wind kicked up from the plains. A light glow began to emanate from Hezebars body. Methos had seen this twice before and wanted no part of it. He ran into the field as fast as possible but it was too late. Hezebars body rose into the air showering sparks down onto Methos. Small static charges began building around Methos. At first the tingling sensation felt a little pleasant but slowly built in intensity. Small arcs of electricity ran up and down his fingers. Suddenly a long bold of energy lashed out from the body paralyzing Methos in his tracks. Methos spun around in fear. All he could see was the bright blinding light of body as lightening tore into him. As the large bolts hit Methos screamed in pain. Stray discharge lit up the grasses around him like a bon fire. Soon he could hear or see nothing at all. Methos had lost all control he felt totally weightless like an invisible giant had pulled him up to the tips of his toe. Then the body exploded with energy pouring out of it like a fountain into Methos. As the lightning burnt into his eyes images and emotions flowed into him. For a second he was Hezebar. Everything he ever thought or did was there. Then with a final bolt Methos lost all sense of identity completely. For a brief instant he was everything. All of the questions he had ever asked and a million he hadn't were answered. He was in complete union with everything that existed and it was power unlike he ever imagined could exist. Then just as quickly as it began it was over. Methos dropped to his knees like a puppet with its strings cut. Hezebars body dropped to the ground with a thud. The knowledge he had experience quickly began to disappear. He chased after them but they slipped away like sand running through his fingers. It had been the greatest feeling he had ever experienced. He could see now why Culo wanted more. A flash of fear ran through him. What if that power stayed longer with each head. What would someone like Culo do with all of that power? He couldn't allow that to happen no matter what. Methos stood and headed towards the well. He filled his gourd and as he put the water bucket down he could see the woman standing by Hezebars body. She looked up at him for the first time, smiled, and walked back into the hut. All feelings of remorse or guilt he had melted away with her smile. He turned from the hut and headed off to Babylon. =============================================================================== =========================================================================