STORY SUMMARY: Takes place after the events of Sacrifice II. When Dahak finally arrives in the world, an alliance is formed to defeat the One Great Evil between Ares and Xena who is still trying to cope with the loss of Gabrielle.

DISCLAIMER: This story is not intended to violate any copyrights held by MCA, Universal Studios, Renaissance Pictures or any other entity involved with the making of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys or Xena: Warrior Princess.

WARNING: This story is rated NC-17 and contains graphic sex between a man and a woman. If you are under 18 or if this is illegal where you live, please go away.

Massive trees canopied the forest in darkness allowing only slivers of moonlight to guide the robed procession to their destination and the task, which lay ahead of them. Leading the procession was a priest in a dark red robe named Cratos who regally sat atop a large gray horse, followed by a large wagon carrying a wooden sarcophagus which contained the remains of the one who would ensure the arrival of their lord and behind the wagon, following on foot, the most faithful to their cause.

A look of unwavering determination was etched on the face of Cratos as he led the procession through the shadowy forest. The monumental goal, which had eluded them for months, would finally take shape in the return of the great high priest that would prepare the way for the one true god.

Reaching the chosen spot, hidden from view by the dense, dark forest, the procession came to a halt and the ceremony of resurrection began.

A large full moon pierced gray-rimmed clouds. Marching from the forest shadows, two large men in black hooded robes, dragged two bound and gagged young women into the moon-glowed clearing. The faithful, standing in a circle, bowed their heads in homage. The two young women were forced to stand in the center. Wide-eyed with fear, the women struggled, unable to detach the firm grips on their thin arms. What place was this? The first woman followed the eyes of her captors.

On a rectangular slab, Cratos kneeled in quiet prayer over a small altar composed of dark oak planks. The first woman glanced at the second hoping to exchange hope then looked away. Watching Cratos kneel, the second woman suddenly started struggling harder than she ever did before. Both women had their gaze fixed on Cratos who now stood at the altar.

Placing a huge cedar bucket in the center of the altar, Cratos grinned at both women fighting their binds with all their strength. He kissed the edge of a long ivory bone-handle dagger. Moving in ritualistic stroll, he came to the first woman and roughly grabbed the back of her neck.

"By the powers of Dahak!" he shouted in an ear-piercing yell as he savagely slit her throat with the dagger.

The second woman tried to scream through her tight gags. Husky chokes exhaled the last of the first woman’s young life. Followers of Dahak swaggered in murmured prayers. While the second woman wriggled and wept, Cratos carefully directed the severed neck over the wooden bucket filling partly with streaming blood.

He shouted to Dahak again. "May forever be his reign!"

The second woman fainted, held upright only by the strong arms of her black hooded captors. Discarding the lifeless corpse of the first woman, Cratos stepped closer, seizing the neck of his next victim and repeated the brutal ritual.

Standing by the sarcophagus, Cratos removed the wooden lid while those gathered in a circle, joined hands and began a monotone chant in unison, "POWERS OF DARKNESS...POWERS OF DEATH...RESTORE THE LIFE OF OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST."

While the followers continued their monotone chanting, Cratos held the bucket of blood over the remains in the sarcophagus and made this request. "I call on you, powers of darkness and death, with this innocent blood, restore flesh to bones, air to shriveled lungs and beats to a long stilled heart." Cratos poured the blood over the bones in the sarcophagus until they were covered. With this task completed, Cratos took his place in the circle around the sarcophagus and joined in the chanting.

Suddenly, a strong wind moved through the forest. Trees swayed under strong gusts. Dried brown leaves from the forest ground swirled in the air. The night sky was now filled with black clouds, which blanketed the full moon leaving the forest in total darkness. Those gathered, chanted faster and louder.

The blood in the sarcophagus bubbled. A red mist rose from the bubbling blood and engulfed the sarcophagus in its entirety. Then as quickly as it began, the wind ceased, the swirling leaves returned to the ground, the trees stood silent and the clouds moved on exposing the forest to the light of the full moon once again. The red mist lifted, returning the sarcophagus to view. The chanting stopped, and all gathered now stood staring at the sarcophagus.

Two flesh-covered arms gripped the sides of the sarcophagus pulling the rest of the flesh-covered body into a sitting position. The body in the sarcophagus proceeded to stand, surveying the people gathered around him. The man was of average height. He had an impressive tan muscular form. Most would say the features of his face were attractive with a sinisterness just below the surface. His hair was light brown, curly and short. His eyes were hazel, his nose somewhat broad, his lips thin and a cleft in his chin. The man stepped out of the sarcophagus. Cratos stepped forward to address him.

"Welcome back Exalted High Priest Minos, I am Cratos, your brother in the order of Dahak." He handed Minos a cloak to cover his nakedness.

Taking the cloak and still surveying his surroundings, Minos’ hazel eyes focused on the man before him. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Twelve summers your highness."

"And what of the Dark One? Has he come back yet?" Minos asked.

"No. Our attempts to free him have been disrupted by our enemies, a warrior woman in particular named Xena. That’s why we have awakened you so we will finally be victorious."

"Xena, huh?" The high priest had a look of surprise on his face. Minos had known Xena since she was a child and the last time he had seen her was when she led the villagers of Amphipolis to victory over Cortese’s army. He wondered if she would remember him. Minos had heard of her encounter with Julius Caesar and its results sending her down the path of darkness, which he always knew, was her true destiny. Now she fought for good which Minos thought was a waste. "Our enemy is strong but we are stronger and will overcome them." The gaze of his eyes hardened and filled with unwavering determination. "And when our lord arrives, with him will come a darkness no one will be able to stop."

Jett stared at the man who had just entered the room from where he sat at a small wooden table. "Wow bro! You certainly have changed since your last visit."

"It’s the new improved me. How do you like it?" Joxer had a huge smile plastered on his face as he strutted around the small stone room, modeling his new look for his brother.

Gone was the silly looking get-up Joxer had worn on his last visit. There was no helmet or handmade armor, which got more laughter than stares of respect and fear. A sleeve-less brown shirt replaced it, along with brown leather pants and matching boots. Even his usual pasty white skin was replaced with a nice tan that complimented his new attire.

"You really look great." Jett’s eyes took in his brother’s surprise transformation.

"And check this out!" Joxer’s voice carried the excitement of a child as he quickly seated himself in the chair across from his brother. He rested an arm on the table and flexed a bicep. "Feel this."

"That’s some muscle tone you got there Jox." Jett ran a hand over his brother’s bicep. "What have you been doing to get this?"

"I’ve been learning how to fight," Joxer replied with pride. "I now know how to use a staff as a weapon. I wish I could show you but no weapons are allowed in this place." Joxer looked around the stone walled room, its one barred window and the burly guard who stood in silence by the door.

"I think it’s great you are finally learning how to fight but why now? You better not be following in my footsteps." Jett had a stern look on his face.

"I had to learn how to fight because I am Xena’s new sidekick." Joxer stuck out his chest. "I even bought a horse so we can ride side by side like a real crime-fighting duo."

"Please! You expect me to believe that," Jett snorted. "How can you be Xena’s sidekick when she already has one, the hot little blonde?"

"Because Gabrielle died two months ago." Joxer bowed his head as his mind drifted back to that tragic day. He told Jett about Xena’s fight with Dahak’s cult and how Gabrielle gave her own life to prevent the arrival of the one great evil.

"I am sorry Joxer," Jett said softly after he heard all the tragic details. "I know how much you loved Gabrielle and it must really hurt since you never shared your feelings with her."

"That is something I will regret for the rest of my life," Joxer said softly.

"How is Xena coping with Gabrielle’s death?"

"I guess she’s coping as best as she can. Xena keeps her feelings so guarded, it’s hard to tell what she is feeling."

"You mean her best friend dies, and Xena has showed no outward grief whatsoever?" Jett had a look of shock on his face.

"I wouldn’t say that...after Gabrielle fell into the lava pit, Xena collapsed in a crying heap. I had never seen her like that before...so heart-broken and lost...it really scared me," he said softly. "After that, Xena seemed to shut off her emotions and did what was she had to do. She went to Poteidaia to tell Gabrielle’s family about her death. I really felt sorry for Xena as she stood there and let them blame her for Gabrielle’s death. But it didn’t seem to bother her at all; it was like she agreed with the awful things they said. After that, we went to the Amazon nation. I was allowed to witness the memorial service the Amazons held for Gabrielle along with some of her other male friends who were there, like Autolycus, you remember him don’t you?"

"Oh, I remember him all right," Jett replied with a touch of resentment, his thin lips twisted in a smirk.

"I thought Xena would finally open up and share the grief she had buried inside since she was surrounded by so many friends who loved Gabrielle too but no such luck. She wouldn’t even open up to Hercules. And that’s the way it’s been the past two months." Joxer had a frown on his face as he let out a weary sigh. "Gabrielle’s death is a forbidden subject where Xena is concerned so I really have no one to share my own grief with."

Joxer leaned across the table and spoke in a softer voice. "You may think this is silly, but sometimes before I go to bed at night, I talk to Gabrielle’s spirit and tell her all the things I should have when she was alive. I have even told her about the big changes I have made in my life and hope it makes her proud."

"Nah, that’s not silly," Jett said, shaking his head and waving a hand nonchalantly. "You know, they always did say, the dead can hear your thoughts and it probably gives Gabrielle peace of mind knowing the people she left behind are moving on with their lives." Jett firmly put a hand on one of his brother’s shoulders. "Since you travel with Xena on a full time basis now, you really should try to get her to open up about her feelings. Bottling up such emotions is not healthy and in her line of work, could lead to distraction which could get you both killed."

Joxer swallowed hard and stared at his brother wide-eyed. "I can’t do that!" he whined. "Gabrielle was the only person I ever knew who, despite Xena’s intimidating looks, could get her to speak about unpleasant stuff." The chair creaked as Joxer leaned back against it.

"Yeah, that’s probably too big a task even for the new improved you," Jett admitted. "I have been on the receiving end of Xena’s warrior skills and she is definitely not someone you push into doing something."

"She has buried herself in the good she started with Gabrielle and that should be the perfect medicine to heal her grief. Why, in the last two months, we have taken on three warlords, two slave traders and a gang of thieves." Joxer had a smile of true pride on his face. "I am meeting Xena later today in Sestos. The town is the latest victim of some young warrior named Brontes. He and his men have been terrorizing a few towns asking for protection money."

"It certainly looks like you are finally living the hero’s life you always wanted. I really am proud of you."

"Thanks," Joxer said, bowing his head slightly. It really meant a lot to him to hear Jett express pride in the changes he had made in his life.

"Time’s up," the guard said in a loud monotone voice from where he stood by the door.

"Well, it looks like I gotta leave." Joxer rose from his chair. "I’ll come back to visit you real soon."

"Before you go, I have something I want to give you." As he stood, Jett removed a wrapped package from underneath the table where it had rested on his lap. "It was checked out before I wrapped it so you can go ahead and take it." Joxer accepted the package from his brother.

Before Joxer left the room, the two brothers embraced each other. "Now you take care of yourself," Jett ordered. "All of those baddies you are taking on can be pretty vicious. I know, because I use to be one of them."

"I will be careful," Joxer assured. They broke their brotherly embrace as the guard unlocked the door and Joxer left the prison.

When Joxer reached Otis, the chestnut brown gelding he had bought, he opened the package Jett had given him. Inside the package was a box of oatmeal cookies with a note...

I have been assigned to kitchen duty and

made these myself! All the other prisoners

loved them, so I figured I’d finally share my

new talent with my brother. Enjoy!

Jett

Joxer cautiously bit into one of the cookies and was surprised it actually tasted good. He gave one to Otis who greedily accepted the cookie so he gave him another before mounting the horse and heading for Sestos.

Joxer was nibbling on the last oatmeal cookie when he finally reached the dirt-covered road, which led to Sestos. Joxer looked up at the sky. He had a few more hours of sunlight left and should reach Sestos before nightfall.

Singing birds could be heard throughout the forest as Otis rhythmically trotted down the road. Thick branches of trees on both sides shielded out most of the rays from the hot summer sun, which created shadows and cooled the soft breeze that blew along the road. Joxer quenched his thirst with the water he kept in a goatskin on the side of the saddle. He had not seen another soul for miles and was surprised when Otis slowly approached what appeared to be a body lying on the road. He thought the person might have been the victim of a robbery. Joxer dismounted Otis and slowly approached the form lying in the road. When he stood over the curled up form, he could see it was a young man, probably in his late teens and looked pretty battered. Covering his body was a tattered cloak. He poked him lightly with his staff. Getting no response, he kneeled by the young man’s side to see if he was alive. Suddenly, the youth bolted upright, hit Joxer’s arm hold the staff, knocking it from his grasp, then pulled Joxer to where his face was mere inches from his.

"Don’t move, or ya dead!" The youth had a toothless sinister grin and a wild look in his eyes. He held a dagger in his right hand and the tip of the blade touched the skin of Joxer’s throat.

"I’m not moving." Joxer tried to remain calm as he felt the dagger nicking the skin of his throat. His eyes were glued on the young man before him.

Since the cloak no longer covered the young man, Joxer could see he wore leather and some armor. On his right forearm was a large tattoo of a scorpion. Xena had told him all the warriors following Brontes had such a tattoo so the youth must be one of them. "What do you want?"

"I need your horse so I can get outta here. I had a run-in with some kickass warrior chick not far from here and I wanna be long gone before she can come after me. But she may not be so lucky when she runs into Brontes and the others. They were headed in her direction." The young warrior once again had that sinister toothless smile on his face as a snicker escaped his lips.

Joxer knew the woman the man referred to had to be Xena. And by his battered condition, she had given him a pretty good beating before he managed to escape.

"Go ahead, take the horse. Just don’t kill me." One of Joxer’s hands rested on the ground, which he had used to slowly scoop up as much dirt as he could.

"Sorry, but I gotta kill ya," the warrior sighed with a touch of regret. "If I let ya live, the others will think I’m goin’ soft."

Before the warrior could slit his throat with the dagger, Joxer quickly threw the dirt he had collected in his hand directly into the young man’s eyes.

"Ow, my eyes!" The young warrior immediately brought both hands up to his eyes to stop the burning the dirt thrown in them had caused.

Joxer had moved away from the warrior to retrieve his staff, which he now held, prepared to attack the man. Having removed some of the dirt from his eyes, restoring partial vision, the warrior stood and lunged at Joxer with the dagger. Swiftly swinging the staff, Joxer made contact with the warrior’s wrist, knocking the dagger from his grasp. Joxer followed up with a smacked to his face with the brunt of the staff in a quick swing spinning him around. The young warrior was still pretty banged up from the beating Xena had given him earlier and didn’t put up much of a defense against Joxer’s assault. When the warrior lunged at him again, Joxer poked him hard in the stomach with the staff. As he stood doubled over in pain, trying to catch his breath, Joxer viciously whacked the staff hard across his back. The young warrior howled in pain, which was quickly silenced when Joxer delivered a final swift whack to the warrior’s face, knocking him into unconsciousness on the dirt covered road.

Breathing deeply, Joxer wiped the sweat from his forehead after which, he retrieved some rope from his saddle to tie up the warrior. When the man was securely tied, he hoisted him onto Otis’ back. Joxer was on foot as he led Otis down the dirt road in the direction that Xena had last been seen.

The sound of clashing steel broke the peaceful silence of a summer afternoon in the forest. Earlier victims of the confrontation either lay unconscious on the ground or retreated out of fear as far as their battered bodies could take them to hide safely in the dense green foliage. There were now only two combatants who continued to disturb the peaceful tranquillity. The larger of the two was a tall, muscular young warrior out to make a name for himself called Brontes. The life he had chosen had not yet scarred the handsome features of his face. He had left the army of an aging has-been warlord to form his own small band which now terrorized the villages in the area into paying for ‘so-called’ protection from other ruffians. But Brontes had plans that went far beyond the meager spoils collected from small villages. He wanted major conquests, which would have people trembling at the sound of his name and surpass the deeds of those of yesteryears. Brontes’ opponent was one of those who he had looked up to and now wanted to outshine. As he stared at his opponent, he thought about how her defeat at his hands would secure his place in history, the warrior who took out Xena, Warrior Princess.

As her sword repeatedly clashed with her opponent’s, Xena thought how much of herself at that age she saw in him, arrogant, brash, obnoxious and ambitious. For over a decade, she believed bloodshed, conquest and power would fill the hole in her heart caused by a great pain that began her journey down the dark path and earned her the title Destroyer of Nations. But three years ago, she abandoned her warlord life and now fought to protect the people who once had been her victims. The temptation to return to her former life was always there and with Gabrielle’s help, she was able to tune out its dark call. But Gabrielle was dead and she now fought her inner demons and the dark forces of this world without the spirited bard.

In the past two months, Xena had kept herself busy by taking on a whole slew of baddies just like Brontes. By the cocky look etched on his face, she could tell he was already basking in the fame he dreamed of achieving once he took her out.

Brontes mightily swung his sword at Xena’s neck and torso, which she astutely blocked, with her own powerful swings. On the last connection of their swords, both channeled all their energy into the swings trying to subdue the other. The clashing steel screeched and sparks flew in protests.

"You didn’t think some unknown like me would give you so much trouble." Brontes pressed his sword against Xena’s trying to force her back. "My advanced level of skills caught you off guard, didn’t they?"

"No one would ever accuse you of lacking self confidence." Xena let out a loud cry as she shoved Brontes and his sword away from her then delivered a hard kick to the young warrior’s face, rattling him a bit.

"Nice move but I am bigger, younger and stronger." Brontes came at her again, ferociously swinging his sword with his large muscular arms. The added power behind each swing threatened the grip Xena had on her sword as she blocked the slashes to her face, arms and midsection. Brontes let out a loud roar with the last powerful slash of his blade. The force behind it sawed Xena’s sword in half, leaving in her hand, the hilt and jagged remnants of the blade.

"Well, it looks like the power of youth has triumphed over the experience of age," Brontes boasted with a cocky smile as he continued to viciously slash his sword at Xena, now weaponless and being backed into a large tree.

As she dodged the deadly slashes of Brontes’ blade, Xena caught a quick glimpse of her chakram, which was embedded in the branch of a tree high above their heads. Earlier in their confrontation, she had thrown her chakram, which Brontes had expertly caught; a fete she had only seen Callisto do outside of herself and had to admit impressed her. Xena swiftly dodged another deadly slash of Brontes’ blade, saw an opening in his defenses and delivered a hard kick to his midsection then cut his face with the jagged remnants of her sword she still held.

The big man stumbled back, wide-eyed. "You cut me bitch!" Brontes growled as he ran the fingers of his left hand over the torn flesh of his previously smooth and flawless left cheek. He stared at the blood covering his fingers then gazed at Xena with murderous rage.

"That’s gonna leave a nasty scar," Xena said with a wicked grin on her face. "Now you will fit right in with the rest of your warrior buddies."

Brontes let out a furious yell as he ferociously swung his sword at Xena. She ducked the deadly blow mere seconds before it could sever her head from her neck and the blade ended up deeply embedded in the trunk of the large tree directly behind her. Growling in frustration, Brontes struggled to dislodge his sword from the sturdy tree trunk. With Brontes’ attention elsewhere, Xena made a move to retrieve her chakram.

"Ayi yi yi yi yi yi yi yi yi," she cried, while leaping into the air in the direction of the tree branch where her chakram was embedded.

When Brontes heard Xena’s war cry, he turned his attention from his stuck sword to see her leap in the air in the direction of her chakram. With one mighty pull, he was able to finally free his sword. "Oh, no you don’t!" he growled while leaping into the air.

Xena executed a somersault over the tree branch, reached out with a hand and pulled her chakram free. Before she had completely cleared the branch, Brontes’ massive body collided with hers and the branch, breaking it from the large tree, sending all three plummeting to the ground below. One of his large hands was around her throat, tightening the grip as they descended towards the ground. She slashed at his arm with her chakram, which did little to lessen his strong grip. She made an attempt to slash at his thick neck but her efforts were cut short when they hit the ground with an earth-shaking thud.

Xena’s body had absorbed most of the impact, which was intensified by Brontes’ 200+ pound frame on top of her, doubling and spinning her vision. Her hold on the chakram was broken when they hit the ground and the weapon rolled away to be hidden in the thick grass. She weakly tried to remove his hand from her throat before he knocked her into unconsciousness with the brunt of his sword.

Panting heavily, Brontes stared at her unconscious face already starting to bruise from where he had hit her with the sword. "I have to give you credit, you are a pretty tough babe." He ran a finger through her hair. Brontes didn’t know if Xena could hear him or not but he continued to talk to her unconscious form anyway because he was just that cocky. "I use to look up to you until you got tired of being a warlord and decided to be a hero. It made my stomach turn hearing how you now championed justice and traveled with some ‘goody goody’ bard chick. Some of your old warlord buddies rejoiced and I along with them, when word spread about the death of your little friend in your fight against Dahak. We thought the old Xena, the Destroyer of Nations, would return and bring death and destruction to the land again and power to all warlords." He ran a finger down one of her cheeks. "Traveling with that bard made you soft and weak. And you have remained that way even after her death, what a waste. But your name still carries a lot of respect and that can help me when it is known all over Greece that I am the one who took out the warrior princess." He shifted his hulking weight atop her body. "Boy, they weren’t kidding when they said how hot you looked." He stared at her unconscious face with lust in his eyes. "Before I kill you, I might as well see what it’s like to make it with the warrior princess." One of his large hands had made its way under her leather skirt and now rested on her undergarment, ready to rip it off.

The brunt of Brontes’ sword had knocked Xena into unconsciousness but not for very long. Keeping her eyes closed after regaining consciousness, she listened to the young warrior’s diatribes. He made a big mistake when he brought up Gabrielle’s death. Lying there with her eyes closed and hearing his words brought back the images of her best friend’s death, which still haunted her. With the images, came all the pain, the anger, the rage that had been swelling up inside her the past two months and now was about to be unleashed.

When Xena felt Brontes’ hand on her crotch, she immediately opened her eyes. His face was descending toward hers for a kiss and he was taken completely off guard when she took his nose in her mouth and bit down hard. He screamed out in pain as his body jerked atop her. One of her hands found the growing bulge in his crotch and squeezed it viciously, taking his screams up a few octaves. Letting out a yell of her own, Xena tossed Brontes’ 200+ pound body off her as she quickly stood to face him. The big man was on his knees; one hand rubbing his teeth-marked nose while the other covered his injured crotch.

"I’m not some defenseless village maiden, who will be taken by force!" Xena now stood a few feet away from the kneeling and now speechless warrior upstart. "You had so much to say a few seconds ago. Did you lose your voice when I crushed your manhood in my hand?"

"I’m going to enjoy killing you bitch!" Brontes’ face had reddened and a vein stood out on his large neck.

"Well, come and get me," Xena taunted with a wild look in her eyes as she increased the distance between them. "And you shouldn’t need this." One of her hands had been behind her back, which she now made visible to him. In her hand was his sword, which she had retrieved, unnoticed by him. She hurled the sword at a tree where it embedded itself.

Brontes let out a loud roar as he took off from his kneeling position charging right for Xena. She issued a yell of her own when she leaped over his head. Putting the breaks on his powerful charge, he quickly turned to try again. But she had already returned to the ground and quickly delivered several hard punches to his jaw, which staggered the big man.

"Do you still think I’ve gone soft?" Xena delivered a hard kick to his midsection then another punch to his face. Weaving and wobbling, Brontes managed to stay on his feet. He weakly threw a punch at her. Easily dodging the feeble assault, Xena grabbed his arm and hurled him backward into a tree. Brontes slumped to the ground after his contact with the large unmovable object. "Not bad for a washed up ol’ has-been wouldn’t you say?" Xena asked as she stood some feet in front of him. The wild look that was in her eyes earlier now had a cold hardness to it.

Shaking his head to regain some focus, Brontes stared at Xena from his slumped position against the tree. The only evidence of their intense battle on her person was the bruise on her face where he had earlier hit her with his sword. She also showed no signs of injury from her hard impact with the ground in that earlier fall. If anything, she seemed to have grown stronger since that incident. He, on the other hand, was the worse for wear. He could feel a sting in his cheek from the torn flesh and his ribs were sore from her hard kicks. His left arm had cuts inflicted by her chakram. He leaned over to spit out blood and a few teeth her hard punches had knocked loose. The branch they had earlier dislodged from a tree was lying next to him. He grasped it firmly in his right hand when he stood to face Xena again.

"Well, the babe is tougher than you thought and you need a weapon after all," Xena stated as Brontes came at her swinging the large branch with as much force as he could muster from his battered body.

Xena ducked the first swing and delivered a hard blow to his back. She halted his next swing with a hard kick to his bruised ribs, which staggered him back. She delivered another kick, which connected hard with his right wrist, knocking the large branch from his grasp. Before the branch could hit the ground, Xena caught it in her right hand, fiercely swung it making harsh contact with Brontes’ face, breaking his nose in the process. She shoved the large branch hard into the big man’s stomach, stumbling him back into that earlier large tree.

"You cocky punk! You should have killed me when you had the chance!" Xena hit the ground hard with the large branch she still held snapping it in two. She hurled the piece still in her hand into some bushes as she approached Brontes who only remained upright because of the tree behind him.

The big man made a feeble attempt to attack Xena, which was halted by a hard knee to his groin, slumping him back against the tree. She delivered several backhands to his once handsome face almost knocking him into unconsciousness. She grasped his large neck with a hand as she stared into his glazed over eyes.

"If my friend, whose death you rejoiced over was here, she would say you have suffered enough and want me to stop and I would have listened to her." Brontes coughed as she tightened the grip on his large neck. "But she is not among the living any more and right now, that is more of a pity for you." Xena formed a fist, and pulled back, ready to continue her assault on the fallen warrior.

As Joxer continued his journey down the dirt-covered road leading Otis with his bound, unconscious prisoner lying across the horse’s back, he was glad he now had some friendlier company. Walking next to him, leading his own horse, was a young man named Pythias who was from the town of Sestos, which Brontes and his men had been terrorizing. Some of the town’s residents had decided to venture into the forest to take on Brontes’ band of terrorists. Pythias had gotten separated from the small group and was trying to find the others when he came upon Joxer. He filled Pythias in on his confrontation with the unconscious man atop his horse and now they both headed in the direction the man had said he had last seen Xena.

They had been traveling in silence when Joxer heard Xena’s familiar war cry not that far ahead of them. They picked up speed and stopped when they came to a partial clearing just some distance from the dirt-covered road. Joxer spotted Argo standing just on the outskirts of the clearing. He saw Xena standing in front of a large tree and she appeared to be pummeling unmercifully a warrior slumped against the tree.

"Stay here Pythias." Holding his staff firmly in his right hand, Joxer took off in the direction of the clearing.

As he ran towards Xena, Joxer saw the unconscious bodies of warriors lying in the grass. They must be some of Brontes’ men he thought. And the big man slumped unconscious against the large tree, who Xena continued to pummel, must be their leader Brontes.

Joxer thought Xena was beating a dead man because he looked to be in such bad shape. The tough warrior was reduced to a broken heap as Xena continued to pound his blood-covered face. When Joxer stood a few feet away from the two, he could see movement in the fallen warrior’s chest indicating he was still alive but he wouldn’t be much longer if Xena continued her vicious assault on him.

"Brontes is out cold Xena, you can stop hitting him."

"Back off Joxer!"

The tone of her voice somewhat frightened him but if he didn’t stop her, she would surely end the man’s life.

"Xena, you could kill him." She ignored Joxer’s words as she continued to pummel the fallen man’s face.

Joxer took a deep breath. He knew what he had to do. Firmly holding the staff, he approached Xena and swung the staff at the back of her head. But before the staff could make contact with her head, Xena grasped the end firmly in her right hand as she turned to face Joxer. The hard look in her eyes somewhat frightened him. She viciously yanked the staff from his grasp and threw it some distance from them.

Joxer was very scared now and tried not to voice it when he spoke. "You left me no choice Xena. Brontes is unconscious but you seem ready to kill him anyway." Xena silently stood there staring at him with a hard look. "We have to take him to Sestos and turn him over to the magistrate." Joxer made a move towards Brontes which Xena halted by roughly grabbing one of his arms.

"Taking him to Sestos will only delay the inevitable which I can take care of right here."

"You don’t know that Xena." A chill went down Joxer’s spine upon hearing her response. "Brontes deserves a trial."

"Brontes deserves death!" she snapped. "He’s never going to change. I know, I use to be just like him and in many ways still am."

"You are not like Brontes anymore. You have changed."

"Have I really?" There was a wicked gleam in her eyes which bore into Joxer. "Now leave me so I can finish what I started." Xena turned her attention to Brontes once again.

"But Xena..."

That was all Joxer was able to say before Xena grabbed him by the throat with her left hand covered in Brontes’ blood. "Are you deaf??!!" she yelled as she backhanded him across the face, leaving a smear of the fallen man’s blood on one of his cheeks. "Go away!!" She hurled him some distance from her. He landed on the grass with a resounding thud. Xena spotted her chakram in the grass and retrieved it before getting back to Brontes.

"Gabrielle," she whispered. Xena suddenly felt light-headed and leaned an arm against the tree on which Brontes was slumped against. She leaned against the tree a few moments more before hooking the chakram on her waist and standing up straight. She looked at her hands, which were covered in blood. She looked at Brontes, slumped unconscious against the tree in a bloody heap. Then she looked to where she had thrown Joxer. He sat in the grass with a young man kneeling by his side. His neck and face were smeared with Brontes’ blood where she had grabbed and smacked him. A trickle of blood fell from one of his nostrils. Had she hit him that hard?

"What’s happening to me?" she asked softly while looking around her. "I gotta get out of here." She let out a loud cry as she ran towards Argo, did a somersault in the air and landed on the mare’s back. She let out another yell as she hit the mare’s sides with her boots urging the horse to take off quickly.

"Wait Xena! Don’t leave!" Joxer yelled as Pythias was helping him to his feet. Both men watched as Xena quickly rode by them and headed down the dirt road leaving a cloud of dust behind her.

Faster and faster Argo galloped at Xena’s insistent urgings. She hoped the faster they went the dark images now clouding her mind would disappear but they didn’t. The images, which had haunted her sleep these last two months, were now here, in her waking hours. She saw Gabrielle’s face as she stood embracing Hope then she fell into the lava pit. Xena now had a view inside the fiery pit and heard Gabrielle cry out her name one last time before a ball of fire clouded her from sight forever. Xena tightly closed her eyes as tears formed around the edges. When she opened her eyes, she saw the grassy clearing she had just left. She saw Brontes’ bloodied, pulverized face and battered body. She also saw Joxer whose face was covered in blood as he looked at her in fear. Xena once again heard Gabrielle’s voice begging her not to become a monster. Tightly closing her eyes, she urged Argo to go even faster.

Argo had been galloping at top speed for some time now, so her golden body was soaked with sweat. Not wanting Argo to collapse from exhaustion in the summer heat, Xena slowed her down and eventually brought her to a stop where the road made a flowing river visible to view.

Xena dismounted Argo, took hold of her reins and led her down to the river’s edge. The mare greedily lapped the water to quench her thirst. As she watched Argo find relief from the summer heat in the cool waters of the river, Xena wished she could find relief from the sweltering anger she felt within.

Brontes’ talk of Gabrielle’s death brought to the surface all the pain, anger and fear she had buried within her the last two months. She wondered if she would ever be able to contain it again. There was a large uprooted tree lying near the river, which Xena went to, leaned her arms against it, and bowed her head.

"Why did you do it Gabrielle?" she whispered. "Why did you have to die?" she said in a low voice. "WHHHHHHHHHY?" she yelled at the top of her lungs as she raised her head to the heavens. Her voice echoing through the forest, shattering the silence of the late afternoon.

"I was the one who was suppose to die not you !" she screamed as she began pounding her fists on the fallen tree before her. "You could have handled my death. You were always the stronger one." She pounded her fists harder against the fallen tree, its rough bark slicing her hands. "You were my soul, my better half and when you died, all the good in my life went with you." With her last words, she collapsed on the ground in a sobbing heap as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

It was the first time she had cried since that tragic day in Dahak’s temple two months ago. Since that day, she had buried her grief deep inside and appeared as sturdy as a rock. She had refused to share her feelings with Joxer or the others that mourned Gabrielle’s passing.

Xena had chosen to go on with her life by burying herself in the good she started with Gabrielle. But her heart was not in it anymore and it was starting to show. When she dug deep within her soul, she could not find any of the good she learned from Gabrielle but only the demons of her pasts and it scared her.

What she feared most and had tried to prevent for the past two months had happened that day. The pain, anger and rage had slipped through the wall she had built up and along with them, her dark self. Brontes may have been a warrior but he was unconscious and completely defenseless when she tried to end his life. The next time, it may not be a warrior but some poor, defenseless villager. And what about Joxer? He had been with her the whole time during the bumpy journey the past two months - Dahak’s temple, Poteidaia, the Amazon nation, all her bad moods, the deafening silence and now this. Joxer had made changes in his life that would have made Gabrielle proud but she would not be proud of the behavior of her best friend.

Xena got up from where she laid by the fallen tree, went down to the flowing river and knelt by its edge. She rubbed her hands in the cool water, washing away Brontes’ blood and also her own thanks to the pounding her hands had received on the rough bark of the fallen tree. She splashed some water on her face and ran her wet fingers through her hair. With her focus so shattered and the demons of her past threatening to take control again, Xena knew she could no longer continue the good she started with Gabrielle without putting innocent people at risk. Maybe if she went somewhere that had always brought her peace, she could find her focus again and continue the good like Gabrielle would have wanted. But first, she had to find Joxer. She owed him an apology and she wouldn’t blame him if he wanted nothing to do with her again but she was determined to speak her peace. Xena mounted Argo who began a slow trot down the dirt road. She figured Joxer would take Brontes to Sestos so that’s where she headed.

An orange red hue painted the sky as day bowed to the coming night. Finally arriving in Sestos, Xena brought Argo to a stop outside a small stone structure with barred windows, dismounted and went inside. She immediately noticed the jail cells which had been empty that morning when she spoke with Cadmus, the town magistrate, were now filled with the surviving members of Brontes’ gang.

Battered and bruised, they gazed at her with hatred as their minds recalled their disastrous confrontation with her earlier that day. In a cell by himself, laid Brontes on a mattress of hay. Xena slowly approached his cell to get a better look at him. His swollen pulverized face was covered in bandages and one of his arms was in a sling. His breathing was labored, as he appeared to be in a deep sleep.

"Despite the beating you gave him, he’s gonna live," a voice said with a touch of disappointment from the other side of the room.

Xena quickly turned to see who had spoken. At a desk piled high with a stack of parchment sheets, sat a young man. As Xena walked over to the desk, she immediately recognized the man as the one she had seen that afternoon kneeling by Joxer’s side when she abruptly took off.

"I know Joxer will be glad to see you Xena. He has been filled with worry ever since you took off like you did." There was a look of anger on the young man’s face with his last statement. "My name is Pythias," he said when she stood on the other side of the desk.

"Where can I find Joxer now?" Xena ignored the young man’s anger that was clearly directed at her after what he saw her do to Joxer that afternoon.

"Cadmus took him to Chloe’s Inn and Tavern to celebrate the capture of Brontes and his gang."

"Thanks," Xena said softly as she turned to leave the jail.

"Joxer is certainly more understanding than me," Pythias said with a slightly raised voice to Xena’s departing form. "You may want to wallop me after you hear what I say but I don’t care."

Xena stopped dead in her tracks and turned to stare at Pythias.

"Just because you are some hot shot hero doesn’t give you the right to slap people around, especially those you claim to be your friends."

Xena came back over to the desk and stood with her hands leaning on it. Despite what he had earlier said about not caring if Xena hit him for his comments, Pythias had a look of fear on his face as he stared at her.

"You’re right. My behavior was inexcusable and I hope when Joxer hears my apology, he can find it in his heart to forgive me." She then left the jail, headed for Chloe’s Inn and Tavern.

Chloe’s was filled with many residents of Sestos celebrating the capture of Brontes and his gang. Xena scanned the gathered multitude looking for Joxer.

"Xena! I’m glad you finally got here," Cadmus bellowed as he stumbled towards her, clearly drunk from celebrating.

"I was told Joxer was here with you, where is he?" Xena did her best to ignore Cadmus’ ale laden breath.

"For some reason, he didn’t feel much like celebratin’ so he went to the room we set aside for him upstairs," Cadmus replied, after which he let out a loud burp. "You’re gonna stay and celebrate with us aren’t you?" He grabbed one of her arms to halt her departure.

"Maybe later, but first I must speak with Joxer." Xena gently removed her arm from his grasp.

"Well, his room is at the top of the stairs, on your right," Cadmus said after which he collapsed in a chair directly behind him.

Xena left the gathering and headed up the wooden stairs. When she stood outside the door of Joxer’s room, she took a deep breath before hesitantly knocking on it.

"Who is it?" Joxer asked from inside the room.

"It’s me...Xena. May I come in?"

She heard him unlock the door, then open it, standing just on the other side as she walked into the room. After he closed the door, Joxer stood next to the bed near the door while Xena stood next to a small table in the room. His face and neck were clean of the blood smears. No bruise or mark was on his cheek from where he had earlier received one of her hard backhands, which greatly relieved Xena.

"Joxer, I am so sorry I hit you. I was angry with Brontes, then I took it out on you. I didn’t hurt you did I?"

"My head has been smacked around so many times from me falling over my own feet, so no, you didn’t hurt me," Joxer said with a slight chuckle. "I am new to this hero stuff and should not have interfered. You have a lot more experience and knew what you were doing."

"That’s where you are wrong Joxer. I lost sight of what I was suppose to be doing and would have committed cold blooded murder if you hadn’t arrived when you did."

Joxer was truly surprised by Xena’s admission. "You may have wanted to kill Brontes but you didn’t and that is the most important thing," he said. "Ya know, when I was talking to Jett about you earlier today, he said something like this could happen. You hide your feelings about Gabrielle’s death…you won’t talk about them with me or anyone else…and then there’s the sleepless nights, it’s really not..."

"I didn’t come here for a psycho-analysis Joxer," Xena angrily interjected. "I only came here to express how truly sorry I am for hitting you, now I’m leaving." She headed past Joxer for the door.

"Xena wait, don’t leave." Joxer grabbed one of her arms, realized whose arm he had grabbed and quickly let her go. "Please stay. I promise not to do any more analyzing."

Xena halted her approach towards the door and went to stand by the only window in Joxer’s room and gazed out at the rolling hills in the distance outside of Sestos. "I have to go away for awhile Joxer," she said wearily. "My actions this afternoon made me realize my focus to continue the good I started with Gabrielle has been smashed to pieces. I have to find a way to regain that focus, if that is at all possible."

"Where will you go?" Joxer softly asked.

"I was thinking of going home to Amphipolis," Xena replied as she turned to face him. "I was always able to find peace, a sense of calmness there and that is just what I need to regain my focus again."

"Would you mind if I tagged along?"

"I don’t mind. But I don’t know why after the way I have treated you."

"Friends aren’t just there in good times Xena. The real test is sticking it out through the bad times."

Xena walked over to stand in front of Joxer. "Thanks." Her lips transformed into a faint smile as she put a hand on one of his shoulders. "I want to get to Amphipolis within the week so we should leave tomorrow."

"Can’t we stay a couple more days?" Joxer pleaded. "The people of Sestos are so grateful you freed their village from Brontes’ terror, they want to throw a banquet in your honor tomorrow."

Xena let out a weary groan. "You know how I hate that kind of stuff Joxer."

"I know you do, but it would mean so much to the people of Sestos to show their thanks in some small way. They even have a room ready for you across the hall from mine."

"All right, I will stay the next couple days, but then we leave for Amphipolis."

"That’s all I’m asking," Joxer said with a smile. "You look tired, why don’t you go to your room and I will have a barmaid bring some food up to you."

"That’s okay Joxer, I’m not hungry. I would like to go to my room but I have to get Argo settled in the stables first."

"I can do that. You go ahead to your room and get some rest."

"I really don’t deserve a friend like you Joxer." She gave his shoulder an affectionate squeeze before quietly leaving his room and heading for hers across the hall.

After Xena’s departure, Joxer left his room and headed out of the tavern to get Argo settled in the town’s stables. While he was removing the saddle from Argo’s back and settling her in the stall next to Otis’, he decided when they reached Amphipolis, he would speak to Xena’s mother privately about her mental state these past two months. He knew Xena really needed to unburden herself of all the pent-up emotions she had been holding in since Gabrielle’s death. Earlier events of that day re-enforced what he had told his brother about him clearly not being the person who could get Xena to deal with her grief and pain. He now believed Cyrene was the one person who could do just that.

It had been one month since the successful resurrection of exalted high priest Minos. And during that month, Minos orchestrated a plan to free his dark lord from his fiery prison without interference from their enemies. Everything was done with the utmost discretion. Followers had roamed throughout Greece collecting people to be used for sacrifices to free Dahak. The disappearances of these people could not draw attention, so only those with no family connections were chosen, the village beggar, the homeless orphan, the stranger in town, the shunned prostitute. These people could disappear and no one would care enough to ask questions.

When enough sacrifices had been collected, Minos gathered the followers on the isle of Thera, near the volcanic mountains called Santorini. In the past few weeks, there had been enough small eruptions to frighten the isle’s resident into leaving. This left the isle deserted and the perfect place to hold the arrival ceremony for Dahak.

The gathering took place at a temple discovered by Minos in the island’s mountains. It was abandoned to ruin long ago due to the volatility of its location in the volcanic mountain range. The once white marble was now gray due to volcanic ash and along the floor was a huge crack, which almost divided the temple in two. The condition of the temple was of little concern to those gathered. All that mattered was the triumphant return of their dark lord without interruptions from their enemies.

As the blood red-orange sun bowed to the darkness of the coming night, the ceremony for the arrival of Dahak began. Large drums belted out a rhythmic beat to celebrate the arrival of their lord as scantily clad, masked girls danced erotically about the hall. The light from the torches throughout the temple glistened off their exposed flesh adding to the sensuality of their dance. As the dancing continued, followers gathered in red hooded robes, which seemed the color of blood when struck by the illumination of the torches.

Standing center stage, in front of the multitude and wearing a black robe was Minos. On his face was etched a sinister smile of triumph. His month of hard work was finally coming to fruition in this ceremony that would free Dahak from his prison. With his arrival, the world would enter an age of darkness, which would bless the faithful and smite their enemies. Minos raised his arms to announce the start of the ceremony. The drums and dancing ceased as all eyes fell on him.

"My brothers and sisters, the sweat of our hard work this past month will finally take form with the coming of our lord. Bring forth the sacrifices."

Two tall burly men in red hooded robes opened the door to a cage covered wagon sitting inside the large hall and ushered out fifty sacrifices consisting of men, women and children. After a month of captivity, all were a bit thin, in rags with their hands bound in front of them. The women in the group screamed in fear and cried, children with dirty tear stained faces cried out for their long dead parents, some of the men were gaunt, frail beggars who bowed their heads and accepted their fate, while those with a little fight left in them tried to break free but were beaten into submission by their robed captors and dragged along to the dark fate which awaited them.

As the sacrifices were assembled before Dahak’s followers, Minos gazed on them with a comforting smile as he addressed them. "You people should not be frightened by death. You should feel honored your innocent blood will sanctify the arrival of the true master of this world."

As the followers bowed their heads, Minos raised his head towards the temple’s ceiling and called on the dark forces of this world. "Powers of darkness, we, the humble servants of Dahak, call on you to use our bodies as vessels to praise the Dark One and sanctify this holy ground."

Suddenly, a strong howling wind moved through the temple causing the torches to flicker and some to be extinguished. Some of the intended sacrifices screamed in fear. The strong wind swirled around all in the temple for a moment then dissolved.

Minos lowered his head and pulled back the hood of his robe exposing his face and fiery red eyes. "Let the sacrifices begin!" he bellowed with insidious glee to those gathered in front of him.

Followers raised their bowed heads and pulled down the hoods of their robes revealing fiery red eyes, which matched those of Minos. From the sleeves of their robes, each retrieved a dagger and went for the bound people before them. The scene, which followed, was shear terror. Some captives screamed. Some ran for their lives only to be caught by followers overtaken by the powers of darkness and bloodlust. That dark night, fifty men, women and children had their throats cut open and their lives’ blood spilled to free Dahak from his fiery prison. Streaks of blood marred the faces of Dahak’s faithful, covered their hands and deepened the color of the red robes they wore. The massive amount of spilt blood covered the entire floor of the temple’s main hall, even filling the crack, which ran the floor’s length.

As the spilt blood filled the crack in the floor, the temple shook from the eruptions of nearby volcanoes. Loosened stones fell from the ceiling and the ceremony’s participants had to run for safety. The crack in the temple floor expanded, exposing lava boiling just below the surface. As the temple continued to shake, the boiling lava increased in its intensity, catapulting a huge lava ball from its depths, which landed on the temple floor. Abruptly, the temple stopped shaking, the crack in the floor closed and all was quiet. No longer fearful of falling stones, the followers stepped from their hiding places to inspect the scene.

The huge orange-red lava ball gave off a light of its own in the now dimly lit temple. It also generated an unbearable heat, which kept those gathered at a distance. The fiery ball began to pulsate, mesmerizing all that gazed on it. As the pulsating increased in intensity, the lava ball grew brighter forcing all gathered to shield their eyes. Blood staining the temple floor was drawn to the large ball like lead to a magnet and soon the floor was as it had been before the bloody massacre. Now with a bright red hue caused by the absorption of blood, the large ball continued to pulsate and emit a blinding glow as it began to shrink in size, taking on a form, which appeared human. Soon after, the pulsating stopped and the glow dimmed to non-existence. When everyone unshielded their eyes, there appeared to be a man standing before them with his eyes closed. He was very tall, bald, with greenish brown scaly skin which covered his slender muscular body. When he opened his eyes, they were yellow in color with red slits instead of black round pupils.

"Welcome back lord Dahak." Minos fell to his knees and bowed before the being in front of him. The others gathered mimicked Minos’ movements.

Dahak gazed upon all those before him until finally focusing on Minos. "Arise Minos," he said in a deep raspy voice.

Minos did as ordered. When he stood facing Dahak, he took the black hooded cloak he held in his hands and covered his dark lord with it. Minos turned to face the multitude before him. "Lord Dahak is proud of tonight’s triumph but now he must meditate. He wants you to remain here and celebrate his glorious return."

Those gathered rose from their kneeling positions and shouted in unison, "GLORY TO DAHAK! GLORY TO OUR LORD!" The music began again, followed by dance of celebration. Minos and Dahak left the festivities and proceeded to a small room off the main hall of the temple.

Once inside the small room, Dahak walked around, running his scaly hands over his arms and chest covered by the black cloak. "It feels so good to have a body again," he said in a pleased raspy voice. Minos smiled as he gazed at his dark lord who reveled in the feel of the stone floor against feet and the material of the cloak against his body. There was a clouded old mirror hanging on a wall, in front of which Dahak now stood.

"Forgive me Dark One, I forgot to have one of the faithful remove that before your arrival."

"It’s all right," Dahak assured. "I usually don’t like to see myself when I am in this state but after so many years without a body, I am just relieved to be flesh again." He was still gazing at the reflection of his serpent-like face in the old mirror. "Has there been any news about Hope?" His gaze was now fixed on his closest confidant.

"No, my lord. She must be dead," Minos softly replied.

"She is not dead," Dahak firmly stated. "I can feel her life-force. Continue the search until she is found."

"Yes my lord. Anything else?"

"Now that I am back, we can set about freeing the others. With their legions and the faithful, I will establish my kingdom again which will sweep the earth bringing death and destruction to those who stand in the way."

"It shall be as you wish Dark One," Minos stated with a sinister smile. He left the small room and let his dark lord meditate. After Minos left, Dahak sat in the only chair in the small room. He closed his eyes and began to rebuild his strength for the laborious task of reclaiming his true form.

Castor had chosen to live alone, secluded in the dark forest. This was his own self-imposed punishment to atone for the horrible crimes he had committed in the past. But about three months ago, he was given a reprieve when a mysterious young woman walked out of the forest and into his life...

As Castor relived the past three months of his life, he felt his heart breaking as he sat at the table and watched Hope prepare the last meal they would share together, for she was leaving tomorrow morning to parts unknown. He looked at Phaedra, now twelve, who sat at the table and watched her mother too. Normally she would be helping her mother prepare the meal but her heart just wasn't up to it that night. Phaedra was also disappointed her mother had chosen to leave her in Castor's care and not take her wherever she was going. When the meal was ready, Hope joined Castor and Phaedra around the table. All three sat in silence and picked at the food on their plates. Someone had to break the deafening tension in the room so Castor decided it would be him.

"Why won't you tell me the real reason you have to leave?"

"After everything Castor has done for us, you do owe him that much mother," Phaedra added.

"I told you all I am able to Castor. And I thought you understood my reasons for leaving after the long talk we had yesterday Phaedra."

"I listened to your reasons but I still don't understand why you have to leave," Phaedra replied. "I think the three of us could put our heads together and come up with another way to handle the situation that would keep us all together."

"I have gone over the situation in my head countless times...my leaving is the only solution," Hope firmly stated.

"Since your mind is definitely made up, I won't say another word." Phaedra’s mouth was twisted in a sad frown as she fought back tears that threatened to pour from her eyes any moment. "I guess I'm not as hungry as I thought." The girl got up from the table and quickly departed through the cottage door.

Castor had been sitting back watching the exchange between mother and daughter. When Phaedra left the cottage, Castor decided to forge ahead with the subject on everyone's minds.

"I know you haven't told Phaedra and I the entire reason for you leaving but I was able to figure out it has something to do with the gods. Which one, your father, Phaedra's or both?"

Hope sighed. She knew Castor was having a hard time accepting her decision to leave, so she decided to answer this question.

"Yes Castor, it does involve the gods, my father to be exact. That's why my leaving is the best solution to the problem. You know there are things about me and Phaedra I haven't shared and you chose not to pry and I thank you for that." Hope had a faraway look in her eyes as she continued to speak. "My father has people, his devoted followers, who won't stop looking for me and Phaedra." She now stared into Castor's eyes with a concerned look on her face. "If I stay here, they will find us and that would mean death for you. If I go to them, once they have me, they will forget about the child and she will be safe."

"If these people are that dangerous, won't deceiving them about Phaedra put your life in jeopardy too?"

"They won't kill me Castor. I have a great purpose that I must fulfill for them," Hope replied with a touch of sadness in her voice. "My father is a powerful god. If you go up against him, you will surely die and I can't let that happen." Hope reached across the table and held Castor's face in her hands. "You must accept it when I say my leaving is the only choice we have."

His concern for her safety was somewhat lessened with her reassurance that her father would not hurt her but he couldn't deny the emptiness which would come to his heart when she left. Castor had only known Hope for three months, but knew once her mind was made up, there would be no altering it.

"Well, if I can't change your mind, I guess I have to accept your decision," Castor said in a defeated tone. He rose from the table and left the cottage to join Phaedra.

After Castor left, Hope rose from the table to clear up the leftovers of their dinner. As she went about her tasks, she thought about her life over the past three months. In her short existence, it was the only time her life wasn't consumed with fulfilling her father's dark plans. She had spent time with a person, a mortal, and not viewed him, as a sacrifice needed to free her father. Castor was her equal and not an inferior whose life she had any right to end. Hope wished she could open up to him about the dark events of her short life like he did with her but they were still too fresh in her mind and with the discovery of a conscience brought her shame.

Hope finally understood what love was. She had learned about love between a mother and child before and after Phaedra's birth. Castor had taught her about the love between a man and a woman. The only experience she had with any man had been Ares. Neither had felt any love or passion for the other. Hope was fulfilling her part in her father's dark plans and Ares was protecting his immortality. She was quite surprised when Castor had revealed his past admiration for the war god and had thought about telling him Ares was Phaedra's father but decided against it. Revealing Phaedra's paternity would have only led to him asking more questions for which Hope would not have been able to answer.

Hope and Castor had never shared their love for each other physically but they had opened up their minds and hearts to one another. She had shared as much as she could with him, the only other person being Phaedra. Hope's stay at Castor's secluded cottage had made her forget her father's dark purposes for herself and her child. She had found a way to make sure Phaedra was useless in his dark plans. Hope had tried to make up for her past misdeeds with a brand new life for Phaedra and her leaving would secure that.

Over the last week, Hope had felt a dark presence slowly take shape in her mind. It was Dahak! Her father had somehow entered the world without her assistance. The feeling of this dark presence grew stronger with each passing day. Hope knew her father would feel her life force and send his devoted followers to search for her. They couldn't be allowed to locate the cottage, it would mean certain death for Castor. And if her father ever discovered what became of The Destroyer, there was no telling what he would do. Hope's few months of living like a mortal were sadly over. When she thought about the acts her father would order her to commit and their effects on her newly discovered conscience, she could no longer hold back the tears and let them flow freely down her cheeks.

At daybreak, all three occupants of the tiny cottage awoke to their final morning together. Hope packed the few belongings she had accumulated in her three-month stay at the cottage. Castor and Phaedra busied themselves preparing food for the journey, which lay ahead of her. Castor had some money, which he gladly gave her. There was a village on the outskirts of the forest where Hope could buy a horse, which would ease the rest of her journey.

When Hope was ready to leave, all three gathered outside the cottage for a teary good-bye. They first shared a group hug, and then Hope individually hugged the only two people who had ever touched her heart. Hope then set off on the long journey ahead of her. Before they were out of sight, Hope turned around one last time. Castor and Phaedra were still standing in front of the cottage, holding each other as tears ran down their faces. Hope gave one last wave before she disappeared from their view.

As Hope walked through the forest, she thought about the wonderful discovery she had made thanks to Phaedra and Castor. She had discovered within herself what she thought was impossible, a human heart which could love. She also thought back to the irony of discovering Castor knew someone who played a key part in her own life - Xena. The past three months had lessened Hope's hostility towards the warrior woman but remnants still remained. With her father's arrival, Hope knew Xena would be right in the forefront to stop him. Maybe by then and with the help of her newly discovered conscience, she would have the courage to join Xena in her fight against Dahak's dark plans for the world.

It had been one month since Xena, accompanied by Joxer, had returned to her home village of Amphipolis. Some quiet time was in order for both after two months of non-stop battles with the ruffians of Greece. And for Joxer, he had finally found the one person who he believed could get Xena to release the sorrow she carried within over the loss of Gabrielle. Upon hearing Joxer's summary of Xena's state of mind since the tragedy, Cyrene had tried to talk to her daughter regarding Gabrielle. But Xena made it perfectly clear she would handle her grief in her own way and if Cyrene wanted her to stay, she would not bridge the subject again. After that, Cyrene decided to leave the subject alone, for now anyway, and just enjoy having her daughter home again.

Cyrene did have success in getting Xena out of her leather and armor and into some dresses. Joxer had only seen Xena in the intimidating leather and was truly surprised at how gentle she looked when she dressed like the other village women. He particularly liked a powder blue dress Cyrene gave Xena. It complimented her crystal blue eyes and accentuated her tan skin, not to mention it managed to show off her well-toned body. Joxer knew someone like him had a snowball's chance in Tartarus of being with a woman like Xena but that didn't stop him from having his fantasies. And he did have the consolation of being her "sidekick".

Xena did help her mother with duties around the tavern. She saw to taking care of some much-needed repairs. She also dubbed as a barmaid waiting on tables. Cyrene didn't ask her to cook any meals since that was clearly not her forte' but her skill with a knife was greatly appreciate when vast amounts of meats and vegetables needed to be chopped.

Joxer kept himself busy by helping out as a barkeep. He served the usual, mead, ale, wine and some of his own creations, which the tavern's patrons seemed to like. Joxer was enjoying his stay in Amphipolis but he was becoming restless. Ever since he learned how to use a staff, he now craved the opportunity to use his newfound skills on an opponent. But Amphipolis was the home of Xena, Warrior Princess, and no one dared cause trouble there. Joxer was itching for some excitement that would let him use his new skills but he didn't feel right leaving his friend who, despite protests to the contrary, needed help.

It was midday, and Joxer was tending bar in the tavern, his usual routine nowadays, busily preparing one of his own concoctions for a patron when he heard a woman call out to him.

"Hey barkeep, fix me up with a large mug of ale."

"I'll be with you in a minute." He gave the regular the concoction he ordered, then got the mug of ale for the woman. "Here you go miss." When he set the mug down on the bar, he finally looked at her. The woman had a beautiful tan face. She had short curly blond hair cut in a bob. Her eyes were exotic and light brown in color. Her lips were full with a pouty look which Joxer thought was sexy.

"Thanks," the woman said in a velvety tone. Her pouty full lips transformed into a warm smile as she stared into Joxer’s brown eyes.

Joxer broke the mutual stare to return to his duties behind the bar. He wondered who the woman was. He had never seen her in the tavern before so she must be just passing through. The woman stayed seated at the bar for a while, so Joxer couldn't get her off his mind. He even took the opportunity when he had to tend to some duties away from the bar to get a better look at her. He could now she was petite in stature but she looked like she could definitely take care of herself if trouble arose. She looked to be in her late teens. Her body was all tan hard muscle, which Joxer could easily see since she wore little. She was dressed in a brown leather halter-top with a short brown skirt to match and brown warrior boots. On her back was a scabbard containing a sword and at her waist was a dagger. The woman now had a plate of chicken to go along with a refill of ale.

"I was told Xena was back in Amphipolis and hung out at this tavern," the woman said to Joxer when he was behind the bar again. She took a couple bites out of the chicken leg she held in a hand. "I haven't seen her since I've been here. Do you know where she is?" she asked in between chewing the chicken in her mouth.

"Xena is taking care of tavern business for her mother and won't be back until later in the day. I'm a friend of Xena's, maybe I can help you."

The woman swallowed the chicken and eyed Joxer curiously. "Where is Xena's blond woman friend, Gabrielle?"

"She died a few months ago," Joxer softly replied.

The woman was clearly taken aback by this news. "I'm sorry to hear that...Xena must be devastated."

"We both are, Gabrielle meant a lot to me too." Joxer eyed the woman curiously. "You certainly seem to know a lot about Xena."

"Well who doesn't? Xena was a feared warlord and now she's an admired hero. Stories about her acts of heroism have spread thanks to Gabrielle's gift as a bard. These stories inspired me to help others. But right now, I'm in need of some help which only Xena can provide."

"Well, I travel with Xena now," he said proudly while sticking out his chest. "I'm Joxer, her new sidekick in her fight against evil, so like I said before, maybe I can help you."

The woman stared Joxer up and down, which made him feel somewhat nervous. "Okay, I guess it couldn't hurt to tell you my problem."

Joxer got a barmaid to cover for him at the bar then led the woman who was carrying her mug of ale and plate of food to a table in a quiet part of the tavern.

"My name is Gwenyth," the woman said once they were seated at a quiet table. "I've been an admirer of Xena's ever since I first heard the stories of how she gave up her life as a warlord and decided to fight for the weak and helpless." The last few morsels of food on her plate were downed along with a quick gulp of ale. "A little over a year ago, I joined an academy in Axion run by Anteros an old Spartan soldier. I was the only female but I was able to hold my own against all the male cadets." There was a large smile filled with pride on her face. "We have a three month break before classes start again so I returned to my home village."

Joxer had been listening to her with genuine interest. He thought the woman looked like she could take care of herself and now that he knew she attended an academy, he was sure of it.

"But enough about me." Gwenyth wiped her hands on a cloth napkin as she got more comfortable in her chair. "You sat at this table to find out about my problem so I guess I better tell you."

Gwenyth came from the village of Mantis, which was located on the remote isle of Kos. Two months ago, she came home to discover several residents of her village were stricken with a mysterious illness. At first they appeared to have flu symptoms, then their bodies were covered with scaly red sores. After the sores, came deep sleep, labored breathing then death. The local healer was baffled by the ailment. As residents continued to die, people panicked when others started to show signs of the mysterious ailment. Prayers and sacrifices were offered to the gods to free them from this plague that had attacked their village but no god responded. Twenty of Mantis' residents were dead and those who remained thought death awaited them too until strangers came to the village.

About a month ago, a group of ten people, men and women came to Mantis. The group claimed to be disciples of Natas, the one true god. Natas had heard their prayers and had sent his disciples to help the village of Mantis. The disciples went to the hospice where all those sick with the illness laid dying. Their leader, who called himself Damon, stood in the middle of the hospice with his head and arms raised and called on the true purity of Natas to free the people from their affliction. Suddenly, there was a light so bright in the hospice that all present had to shield their eyes. As quickly as the light appeared, it vanished. When all unshielded their eyes, those who were sick were now completely healed. The red scaly spots had vanished from their bodies. Those in a deep sleep were now awake. The residents of Mantis rejoiced and were truly grateful to the Disciples and their god Natas.

After the miraculous healing, the Disciples stayed in Mantis. They began teaching the beliefs of their god Natas. Some of the villagers became Disciples of Natas. It seemed with the miraculous recovery from the mysterious illness and with the blessing of Natas, Mantis would go back to being the quiet little village it always was but that was not so. Not long after the arrival of the Disciples of Natas, the volcanoes on the isle started to erupt with no warnings after being dormant for years. What made it so strange, was the eruptions seemed to coincide with the secret initiation ceremonies for new members into the Discipleship. Villagers who became Disciples were acting drastically different. Gwenyth didn't really pay much attention to the changes in other villagers until her sister became a disciple and now behaved like a total stranger.

"I have never been one to be big on the worship of gods and I don't down those who are but I have this bad feeling about the Disciples of Natas," Gwenyth said. "My village has mostly benefited since their arrival but I can't shake the feeling they are too good to be true. That's why I came to Amphipolis looking for Xena." Gwenyth absentmindedly twisted the cloth napkin with her hands. "Being a big admirer, I have tried to keep track of her adventures. I don't know much about her run-ins with this Dahak cult but I do know she was successful in stopping the arrival of the One Great Evil." Joxer had a fearful look on his face at the mention of Dahak and his cult. "I'm not trying to say the Disciples are anything like Dahak's cult but I do believe they are dangerous and will lead my village to ruin," she quickly stated. "When I think of the changes in my sister's behavior, I'm convinced some type of mind control is involved."

"What you have told me has definitely got me interested," Joxer said.

"I know most would dismiss my worries as paranoia. I wouldn't have bothered Xena if I didn't think the Disciples' true motives were sinister. I'm confident in my skills, but I have the good sense to realize I may be in over my head and could use the help of a seasoned veteran in such matters."

"After her run-ins with Dahak, Xena has no love for cults that deceive people," Joxer said. "When she returns, I will fill her in on what you told me. I can guarantee she will check it out at least."

"Well, that is all I am asking for now. I am staying down by the harbor with a friend named Zelus. I will be leaving tomorrow morning and need to hear from Xena by tonight to make arrangements for our passage on a ship to Kos." Gwenyth bid Joxer good-bye then left the tavern.

After Gwenyth left, Joxer buried his face in his hands. He couldn't believe what he had just done. Joxer told this woman Xena would come to Mantis to rid it of this deceitful and possibly dangerous cult when he knew she was in no state of mind to help anyone. In the past month, she still had not dealt with her grief over Gabrielle's death and seemed resided to the idea of staying in Amphipolis indefinitely. Joxer couldn't help himself. What Gwenyth revealed had intrigued him and he was just itching for some excitement after spending a month in the tranquillity of Amphipolis. He also couldn't leave out the fact he thought Gwenyth was very attractive and the part it played in him wanting to help her. Joxer desperately wanted to go to Mantis to check out this cult but knew Gwenyth really wanted Xena's help and would have never accepted just his alone.

Joxer sat for an hour pondering what he should do when he decided to share his dilemma with Cyrene. He found her in the kitchen stirring a huge pot of lamb stew over the hearth. He filled her in on Gwenyth, the Disciples of Natas and how the woman thought they spelled trouble for her village and wanted Xena's help.

"You should go down to where Gwenyth is staying and tell her Xena will not be able to help with this cult problem," Cyrene suggested. "Maybe she can find someone else to help before she leaves the mainland."

"Yeah, you're right Cyrene," Joxer admitted. He went to a table and picked up a big chunk of carrot that hadn't made it into the stew. "I do owe the woman some honesty after she bared all her fears about the safety of her village to me." Joxer shoved the carrot chunk into his mouth as he headed towards the kitchen door to leave for the harbor when he stopped abruptly. "Why should Gwenyth have to find someone else to help her? I can do it." He mumbled while chewing on the carrot pieces in his mouth.

"What did you say?" Cyrene asked.

Joxer swallowed the carrot, then repeated himself. "I said Gwenyth doesn't need to find some else to help her because I can do it."

"Are you sure Joxer? From what you told me, if Gwenyth's fears about the Disciples are correct, they could be very dangerous."

"I can handle it," Joxer confidently replied. "You have to remember Xena sent me to find the Hind's blood dagger which everyone wanted...Ares, Callisto, and Hope. I found it and safely brought it back to Xena right under all their noses. If I can handle that, Mantis shouldn't be such a problem."

"But what will you tell Gwenyth when she ask where Xena is?"

Joxer's face was twisted in deep thought as he pondered an answer to this inevitable question. He smiled when one came to him. "I will tell her Xena had to take care of other matters first and will join us in Mantis in a few days." He looked at Cyrene who had a skeptical look on her face. "There may not be much to this Natas cult so I should be able to wrap up the whole matter before Gwenyth even realizes Xena is not coming."

Joxer was pretty pleased with the solution to the problem he had created for himself when another worry crept into his head. "I forgot about Xena. I just can't walk out on her when she's in such bad shape."

Cyrene stopped her preparations on the stew and now stood facing him. "It's all right Joxer. You have your heart set on helping Gwenyth so you should go," she assured him. "You have done all you can for Xena. I let my joy over her being home so long blind me to her serious problem. She is hiding in this village instead of facing her pain and moving past it. I have tiptoed around this subject long enough. I will get Xena to open up about her feelings one way or another." There was a hard look of determination on Cyrene's face when she spoke her last words. Joxer thought solving the problem in Mantis would be far easier than Cyrene getting Xena to face her grief.

"I will cover for you," Cyrene said reluctantly.

"Thanks." Joxer had a relieved smile on his face as he gave her a huge hug. He wished Cyrene luck with Xena before he went to his room above the tavern, packed a few things, then headed for the harbor in search of Gwenyth.

When Xena returned from her errand later that day, Cyrene told her Joxer ran into an old friend, a fisherman from an island off the coast and would be spending a few days with him. Xena was glad Joxer was getting away for awhile. She knew Joxer enjoyed his duties as barkeep but she sensed his boredom with Amphipolis' tranquillity. Xena wanted him to have a good time with his friend.

When Xena returned from her trek along the cliffs on the outskirts of Amphipolis, she found the tavern empty of its usual patrons and immediately knew her mother had a plan in the works concerning her. She was about to leave when she got a whiff of the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. Xena recognized the familiar smell and decided to stay. She had her guard up as she sat down at a nearby table. Cyrene came through the kitchen doors with a tray carrying a large pot and a bowl, which she set in front of Xena who lifted the lid.

"Ooh, dumplings with the red stuff inside!" Xena declared with true excitement. "This is one of my favorite dishes!"

"I know it is. The last time you and Gabrielle were here, she told me how much you liked them and gave me the recipe. This is the first time you have been home since then and I decided to give the recipe a try."

"Well, I am glad you did." Xena dished out a sizable portion of the dumplings. "I am starving and this is just the kind of stuff that sticks to your ribs."

"You enjoy them then." Cyrene was still smiling as she departed for the kitchen and let Xena eat in peace. When Xena had finished eating, Cyrene came back into the bar room, sat across from her and spoke with carefully chosen words. "Hiding in Amphipolis is not going to erase the pain of Gabrielle's death. It will destroy you unless you release it and allow yourself to move on with your life."

Xena got up from the table and headed for the tavern's door to leave when Cyrene quickly ran in front of her and now stood blocking her exit.

"Move out of the way mom," Xena ordered with a hard look in her eyes.

"I am not moving," Cyrene firmly replied with a hard look of her own. "I realized some time ago you were not meant for the simple village life. I was never more proud than when you left your warlord life to champion just causes. And that is what you should be doing now instead of wasting away in this village. But you can't do that until you put your pains and fears over Gabrielle's death to rest once and for all."

"I knew you had something like this planned when I entered the tavern and saw it empty of the usual patrons so early in the day." Xena began walking around the tavern like a cornered animal. "I should have went with my first instinct and just left but NO I had to be a glutton for punishment and decided to stay when I smelled the dumplings." She went behind the bar and leaned with her hands resting on it. "Joxer had the good sense to stay away from this topic but you just won't drop it will you mom?" The irritation in Xena's voice was clearly evident.

"I wouldn't be a good mother if I didn't try to help one of my children who is clearly in pain," Cyrene replied in a loving tone. "I know I was too consumed with my own grief when Lyceus was killed to offer you any comfort and that was a mistake. I want to comfort you now, in this time of loss. I am begging you Xena, please share your feelings with me." Tears were forming in Cyrene's eyes with her last words.

Xena didn't intend to make her mother cry. Maybe it was time to finally release all the pain she carried within her the last three months. She bowed her head for a moment then looked up at her mother. "You want to know what I have been feeling? I will tell you." Cyrene seated herself at one of the stools in front of the bar as Xena, in a low voice, began to pour out her heart. "At first, I felt like someone had ripped my beating heart from my chest it hurt so much. Every time I closed my eyes to sleep I would see Gabrielle's face right before she plunged into the lava pit---that look in her eyes." Xena's own eyes were now filled with tears and her voice started to crack. She cleared her throat before she continued. "After the pain came the anger. I was angry with myself for allowing my hatred for Caesar to take us to Britannia and into Dahak's web. I was angry with Dahak for choosing Gabrielle to bear his demon child. I was angry with Hope for not staying dead. I was angry with Ares for his manipulations in this whole mess. I was even angry with Gabrielle for choosing to die in my place."

Xena rested her arms on the bar in front of her and slightly bowed her head. "Now, I have chosen to feel nothing. It is better for me and those around me." Xena looked her mother straight in the eyes. "When Gabrielle plunged into that lava pit, she took all the good in my life with her."

Cyrene took Xena's hands resting on the bar and squeezed them in hers. "You are wrong Xena. You have a goodness within that Gabrielle helped you nurture and it lives on after her death."

Xena removed her hands from her mother's grasp. "At first I thought that was true and tried to continue the good I started with Gabrielle. But in the weeks after her death, I found it harder and harder to stay focused on helping people. Then what I feared most happened." Xena summarized the events of her encounter with Brontes for her mother.

"I understand why your actions would scare you Xena. What happened was due to all the emotions you have been carrying within since Gabrielle's death and unfortunately they were released in violence. But now you must openly face those emotions and deal with them in a less threatening manner."

"Some time ago, I made a promise to Gabrielle, that if she were to ever die, I wouldn't become a monster again. When I reach within myself now, all I find is the darkness of that monster and it scares me," Xena said. "When I felt my focus starting to crumble, I started overworking myself, taking on every maggot and slimeball Greece had to offer. I was hoping one of them would allow me to keep my promise to Gabrielle by killing me before the monster within could escape again."

Xena's words truly frightened Cyrene. She hadn't felt like this since Xena was driven mad by the Furies and talked of taking her own life. "Letting someone kill you is not the answer. You are strong and will get through this. I will help you, Joxer will help you."

"I am not as strong as everyone thinks," Xena confessed. "Things have happened in the last six months which have brought me to the breaking point and I don't think anyone can help me. I thought coming home would bring back the focus my life needs but it hasn't helped either." Xena came from behind the bar, went to the tavern's door then stopped and faced her mother. "You are right about the dying part, at the hands of another anyway. They always did say if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." Xena quickly exited the tavern.

Cyrene frantically got up from where she sat at the bar, ran to the tavern door and yelled, "Xena come back!" But when she opened the door, Xena was no longer in sight. Cyrene slumped into a chair at a nearby table and buried her face in her hands. She then prayed to the gods, hoping one of them would stop Xena from taking her life.

"Gabrielle always believed you didn't like her but you miss her too don't you girl?" Argo whinnied and nuzzled her more. She gave Argo an apple from a nearby bag on the floor, which the mare greedily accepted. Joxer's horse Otis was in the stall next to Argo's. The horse saw Xena give Argo an apple and snorted. "It certainly wouldn't be right to leave you out, now would it boy?" She went to his stall and gave him an apple too. She gave him a gentle rub on his brown face then headed for the cliffs on the outskirts of Amphipolis.

When Xena reached the cliffs, she sat in front of a large tree and watched the sun make its decent in the sky. A late summer wind with touches of autumn blew with a slight chill. She listened to the waves of the Aegean as they crashed on the rocks far below the cliff. Xena was lost in her thoughts when she felt a familiar tingle crawl over her skin and let out a sigh of weariness. She did not need this now. "Just go away Ares! I am not in the mood for one of your visits!"

A puff of white smoke appeared then dispersed, leaving in its place, the tall, dark and stunningly handsome God of War clad in his trademark black leather standing just on the side of the large tree.

"Now Xena, is that really the way to greet an old friend?"

"You are NO friend!" Xena snapped as she now stood facing Ares with contempt in her eyes.

"True...what we have goes beyond friendship," he said in a low husky voice with a devilish grin on his face.

"Why are you here Ares? Why aren't you suffering some painful punishment for selling out the other gods to Dahak?"

"Oh, you would have liked that I'm sure," he smirked. "The other gods did have a severe punishment all planned for my supposed betrayal so I went away until this misunderstanding could be cleared up. I finally got them to see the situation my way but they still didn't like my methods and saw fit to reprimand me, no wars for six months. I am not happy but I do have other projects to occupy my time."

"And it is still a reason to celebrate for you. Once again you dodged receiving what you truly deserve for your never-ending schemes and manipulations."

"I really am surprised at you Xena. I thought you, of all people, would have realized by now I only joined Dahak to find out his plans and make sure they failed. You know I want to be top god and that can't happen if I'm Dahak's lackey."

"So, let me get this straight, you only pretended to join Dahak. And I guess that was also pretending when you joined with Hope to create the Destroyer."

"Do I detect jealousy?" Ares asked with a sly grin.

"Don't be ridiculous!" she snapped. "I couldn't care less who you sleep with."

"To put your mind at ease, I was only with Hope to gain Dahak's trust."

Xena sighed and rolled her eyes, "I really don't need to hear this."

"Oh, but you do." Ares moved closer to Xena. "I won't deny I found Hope attractive but she lacked the fire and passion I have come to expect in my partners." Ares gazed deeply into her eyes then brushed her raven hair back with a hand before lightly caressing a cheek. There was a longing in his voice when he spoke his next words. "I just got back today and you were the first person I had to see."

"Am I to be flattered by this? Because I'm not." Xena quickly whipped her face away from his caressing hand. Her crystal blue eyes blazed with coldness and hatred as they focused on the war god’s handsome face.

Ares let a soft chuckle escape his sensuous full lips. Over the years, he had built up considerable tolerance to Xena’s hatred of him and had predicted a rather icy reception considering their last encounter. "Despite my absence, I still kept tabs on your activities. You have been in a sorry state since the little bard's death." Xena rolled her eyes and let out a disgusted sigh as the god continued to speak. "That atonement and hero path you traveled with her wasn't really you and now that it has come to its long overdue end, you can get back to your true talents." There was a smugness to his tone as he folded his muscular arms across his broad chest.

Xena was really in no mood for one of Ares' attempts to get her back. She hadn't forgotten his blatant guilt in her friend’s death and his presence brought her anger against him to the surface. "I always knew you were a shameless, soulless bastard but to come here after the part you played in Gabrielle's death and to think I will just jump back into your warlord fold really is an all time low for you." Xena had moved closer to Ares and now was right in his face. Her gaze spewed daggers of sheer hatred for the dark god before her. When she spoke again, the venom was clear in her voice. "If I had the Hind's blood dagger in my hands right now, I would GLADLY plunge it into your black heart!!!" Trembling with rage, Xena moved some distance from Ares and turned her back to him.

"I will admit I wanted the bothersome blonde to kill Hope in your place but you can't blame me for her death."

Xena faced Ares again with a look of disgust in her eyes for his brazen attempt to deny responsibility. "Gabrielle would still be alive if you hadn't called in the favor she owed. You knew she couldn't let me kill Hope if my death was a guaranteed result. You just admitted to wanting Gabrielle to kill Hope and knowing you like I do, if she died in the process that was even better. Well, she is dead, I'm now alone and you think vulnerable to your manipulations. But I am going to repeat what I once told you, I would rather DIE than come back to you!"

Ares let out a weary sigh before he spoke. "I called in the favor Gabrielle owed me as was my right but she still had free will like all mortals." He stared at Xena who returned his gaze with one that was full of contempt then he continued. "I reminded her what would happen if you killed Hope. Gabrielle told me she accepted your fate but obviously hadn't. But she had accepted Hope having to die. So she chose the option that would keep you alive and ensure Hope's death, she would kill Hope." Xena again turned her back to him but he continued to speak anyway. "My eyes were glued on Gabrielle when she made the move to save your life and kill Hope. She could have easily pushed Hope into the lava pit, instead she chose to embrace Hope and plunge into the lava pit with her. Gabrielle's death had nothing to do with the debt she owed me. She died because of her guilt over the part she played in Dahak's evil. He decided her fate when he chose her to be the vessel to bring his evil child into the world. I won't deny not being the least bit saddened by her death but if you want to blame someone, you better look in Dahak's direction."

Xena bowed her head as she listened to Ares' last words. For the past three months, every night had been a restless sleep as her mind relived that tragic moment in Dahak's temple. In her heart, Xena knew Ares was right. Gabrielle had made a choice and the favor owed Ares was not involved. She made her choice based on what Dahak had done to her. Gabrielle had been specifically chosen to bear Dahak’s evil child. Being the mother, Gabrielle felt responsible for all the evil Hope would bring into the world and that's why she had chosen to die with her daughter. Xena had known Gabrielle still carried guilt about Hope but she hadn't known to what extent until it was too late to do anything. Not recognizing Gabrielle's pain would probably haunt Xena for the rest of her life.

"Look Xena, I didn't come here to fight. I actually need your help."

Xena had a look of true surprise when she turned to face Ares again. "Help you? What makes you think I would ever do that?"

"I know, you despise me too much to ever help me again. But what if I told you that you would not only be helping me but all those pathetic mortals you care so much about?"

"I'm listening."

"Dahak has entered our world." Ares knew he had captured Xena's interest when she moved closer to hear what he had to say. "I don't know how he did it considering Hope is dead and his cult is scattered but somehow he managed to free himself."

"How can you be so sure Dahak's free?" Skepticism was written all over Xena’s face.

"I spent time with him and know his presence. It is a darkness like nothing I have ever felt before and pure evil. For the last week, I have had the same feeling and it's getting stronger which can only mean he is in this world."

"If Dahak is free, you and the other gods should join forces and defeat him," she plainly stated "Why come to me?"

"I figured you would be a lot easier to convince considering your past dealings with Dahak. Besides, you have in your possession the one substance, which can kill any god including him. Speaking of which, where is the Hind's blood dagger you earlier wanted to plunge into my black heart?"

"It's some place where you will never get it," she replied smugly. "I knew the dagger was too dangerous to keep so I gave it back to Hercules. He said he would permanently dispose of it."

Ares knew he had a snowball's chance in Tartarus of getting the Hind's blood dagger from Xena but he just couldn't resist the urge to ask of its whereabouts. He rolled his eyes and sighed. "That's just like my foolish half-brother. I can't deny my disappointment over the loss of the dagger but I do have some other ideas on how we can defeat Dahak."

"What is this ‘we'?"

"Oh come on Xena...we have had our disagreements but we both agree Dahak is evil and must be stopped. We were an unbeatable team in the past, just think of what we will do to Dahak."

"Sorry Ares, but I can't help," Xena flatly stated.

"What do you mean you can't?" Xena's refusal to help really took Ares off guard and the surprise was visible on his face. "Now that Dahak is free, he is going to exterminate all who stood in his way and we are both at the top of that list." He could see his words had no effect on her. "Since you obviously don't care about your own life, what about all those mortals you have protected for the past three years? You know what awaits them now that Dahak is here. Can Xena the hero really stand by and do nothing?"

"If you are right about Dahak, I know the horror that awaits the world but my involvement would only make matters worse." Ares had a puzzled look on his face in response to her answer so she continued to clarify it. "I have had time to think since my last fight with Dahak's cult. I had to ask myself was my fight with him really worth the personal losses? First Hope kills Solan, then Gabrielle sacrifices herself to atone for the part she thought she played in Dahak's evil." Xena stared into Ares' eyes. Any other time, she would have never made a confession like this because he would have just used it to get her back but now she didn't care and emptied her soul. "The two people who inspired my heart to do good are gone. When I look inside, all I find is darkness and it threatens to consume me again. If I use darkness to fight Dahak, I am afraid I could be lost to it forever and that would be just as dangerous for the world as Dahak's evil."

"You shouldn't fight the darkness but embrace it," Ares firmly stated. "The darkness gives you the thirst for revenge, the fire, the rage, and strength we will certainly need to fight Dahak."

"I can't let you walk away so easily Xena," he said in a domineering tone. "Do you remember what I told you here on this very cliff? That life has to be taken, beaten and formed into your own image?"

"I remember and I understood what you meant. But the only image I see is dark and that is not what I want my life to be." The weariness in Xena's voice was clearly audible. She stepped around Ares and continued to head for Amphipolis when he appeared in front of her again and pushed her back. She was starting to get angry with him again. "Hey, what is it with you?" she snapped.

"You will be making a big mistake and I can't let you."

"I am not changing my mind!" Xena said through gritted teeth. "Now move!"

When Ares stood his ground, Xena walked around him and continued towards Amphipolis again. She had only taken a few steps when Ares appeared in front of her again and pushed her back. "All right, that's enough!" Xena declared as she pulled her sword from the scabbard on her back and swung it at Ares who jumped out of the way as he unsheathed his own sword. Xena swiftly swung her sword at Ares again who deftly blocked the incoming blow with his sword.

When Xena left her mother's tavern, she had every intention of ending her life. But as a warrior, suicide was unacceptable so by the time she reached the cliffs, that idea had been abandoned. Since she couldn't die by her own hand and none of the ruffians she encountered had what it took to do the job, she would have to find someone else. As she and Ares continued to cross swords, her contempt for him was at its fever pitch and fueled her attack against him. Once again, he wanted his own way and was trying to bully her into submission. Well, she wasn't having any of it, she said no and meant NO. Ares swiftly swung his sword, which connected ferociously with Xena's. The sound of the connecting metals echoed throughout the cliff-side along with the war cries of the two combatants competing with the sounds of night creatures awakening from their daytime slumber and the crashing waves of the Aegean.

By the look on his face, Xena knew Ares was quite amused by their heated confrontation.

He may be amused now, but she also knew he had a fierce temper. Maybe if she took their confrontation up a few notches he could be goaded into killing her and do what she and others couldn't. With a ferociousness of her own, Xena quickly slashed her sword at Ares' neck, which he quickly blocked. With lightening quick speed, she spun and slashed her sword at his midsection, which he blocked as she spun again and slashed her sword at his legs, which he blocked as well. But Xena saw an opening in his defenses and delivered a swift kick, which connected with his midsection sending him back a few feet. The kick had taken him off guard but he had an impressed devilish grin on his face as he mounted his attack against her. With an intense fierceness, he slashed his sword at her with lightening quick speed multiple times, which she astutely blocked, but the backhand he delivered made contact with her face and took her off balance for a fraction of a second. Ares had a devilish grin on his face which she returned as their swords made contact again.

Ares had meant it when he said, he didn't come for a fight but he couldn't deny the enjoyment he got when their swords first connected. His confrontations with Xena were like no other and always sent his blood surging through every vein in his body. But as their sword fight progressed, he realized her game plan. She wanted to anger him enough where he would kill her. Xena's mental state was far worse than he thought. Ares' earlier amusement had vanished. He had to put a stop to this now. When Xena thrust low at him with her sword he blocked the thrust which sent sparks into the air as the metals connected then swiftly kicked the sword from her grasp sending it flying through the air to be embedded in the trunk of a nearby tree. Before she could mount an attack, with lightening quick speed, he hooked her legs landing her flat on her back. He quickly jumped on top of her, completely covering her body with his own, restraining her movements.

"Get off me!" Xena yelled while squirming beneath Ares' body.

"I will when you drop this death wish," he firmly stated.

Xena managed to free her arms, which Ares immediately grabbed tightly by both wrists in his strong hands and brought them to rest above her head. Despite the futility of trying to escape, she continued to struggle beneath his body. Ares now held her arms by the wrists with one hand freeing the other. His patience with her was running thin. He held her chin steady with his free hand and with a look of aggravation on his face said, "Dammit Xena! Why must you always be so stubborn?" Then he kissed her.

The kiss infuriated Xena all the more; increasing her squirming which prompted Ares to deepen the kiss. She tried to scream out of sheer frustration but his mouth on hers muffled it. Realizing that squirming wouldn't get Ares off of her, Xena decided to lie still.

When she finally ceased squirming beneath him, Ares broke the long kiss. He stared deeply into Xena’s crystal blue eyes that sparkled with a fire that aroused him like no other. He maintained the strong grip on her wrists that still rested above her head but released the grip on her chin and began to softly stroke her right cheek with a finger.

Xena had hoped her actions would get Ares to break the kiss but she was surprised when he did so immediately. As she gazed into his deep brown eyes, she saw the desire overflowing in them. She felt his finger caressing her right cheek and could have turned her head away from this light touch but didn’t. Xena was opening her mouth to say something, when Ares began claiming her luscious lips in many short kisses.

"We can't do this," she said breathless.

"Yes we can." Ares kissed the soft warm flesh above her breastplate.

"Stop it right now. I mean it!" Xena held Ares away from her with her hands placed firmly on his shoulders.

Ares looked at her face, knew she meant it, let out a disappointed sigh and rolled off her onto the grass. With Ares no longer on top of her, Xena moved into a sitting position, slowed her labored breathing, then stood and walked over to the tree near the cliff's edge where her sword was embedded. When she reached the tree and pulled her sword from its trunk to place in the scabbard on her back, Ares was already behind her.

"That must be some war waging in you now." His tone dripped with amusement.

Xena turned around and eyed Ares with a puzzled expression on her face. "What are you talking about?"

"You despise me yet want me at the same time. One minute, you want to run me through with your sword and the next, you return my kisses with a need that matches my own. The part that wants me came close to declaring victory tonight." There was an air of extreme confidence with his last statement.

Xena now eyed Ares with a bewildered look on her face. "Your conceit never ceases to amaze me."

"Don’t try to cover by bringing up my ego. The kiss felt good and you were into it just as much as I was. Admit it."

Xena walked over to the cliff's edge and now stood with her back to Ares as she gazed at the Aegean, which appeared black with only the moonlight glistening off it. Her raven hair blew in the night wind. "All right, I will admit it, the kiss felt good," she softly confessed. "But that was a momentary lapse in judgment. When I saw the danger our actions could lead to, I had the sense to stop it from going any further."

"Danger use to excite you Xena." Ares now stood behind her on the cliff. "As you know quite well, I can be somewhat dangerous." He glided a finger down one of her arms, getting a shiver out of her. "That was part of your attraction to me and still is."

"I won't deny that use to be true, but I no longer need or want that danger in my life."

"Oh really?" Ares grabbed one of her arms, turned her around and pulled her to him.

"What do you think you are doing?" There was a defiant stare in her eyes.

"I am going to prove you are wrong." Ares held her chin with his other hand and tenderly brushed his lips against hers. He pulled back, stared into her crystal blue eyes a few moments before claiming her lips again but with a deeper kiss.

"Admit it Xena, you want me just as much as I want you," he huskily whispered. Xena didn't speak but he could hear her shallow breathing and feel her hands roaming his back. He stopped teasing her ear as he reclaimed her mouth with his. Xena could no longer deny what she felt and now returned his kisses as she wrapped her arms around his neck, melding their bodies. As the passion of their embrace intensified, their kisses got more demanding, stoking the fires, which burned in both. In between their frenzied kisses, Ares spoke, "Say it, you want me don't you?"

"YESSSS," Xena gasped as she grasped Ares' head with her hands and brought his lips to hers once again. A moment later, they both vanished from the spot in a puff of white smoke.

When Xena opened her eyes, she was no longer on the cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea but in a large room. She broke her embrace with Ares and walked around the room while his eyes followed her visibly filled with desire. One of the room's stone walls was covered with a mural depicting an intense battle scene. A large mirror with an intricately designed gold frame hung on another wall by a large window through which poured the light of the full moon. A large roaring fire in a hearth, which encompassed almost an entire wall, provided the only other light. Part of the stone floor was covered with an animal skin rug. In one corner was a heated tub. A black and gold lounge chair stood in front of the hearth. There were two tables in the room. On one were several scrolls and on the other sat a wine bottle, a goblet and a bowl of fruit. And last but not least, there was a huge bed against the wall across from the hearth. The bed was covered in blood red silk sheets whose color was accentuated by the flames of the fire. Above the headboard hung an intricately designed shield with two crossed swords beneath it.

After taking in the sights around her, Xena knew where she was, Ares' bedchamber in his fortress located high in the mountains of Macedon. During her time of service to him, she had spent many nights in this room. It had changed a bit, but a lot still remained the same. Xena stood at the foot of the bed. There was a seductive look in her eyes as she beckoned Ares to her with an index finger. When he was in front of her, they stood face to face, and stared into each other’s eyes. Xena tossed aside her sword and chakram as Ares did the same with his own sword. Ares proceeded to pull Xena into an embrace for a kiss when she halted his intentions with her hands placed firmly on his chest. She could feel his heart beating rapidly under one of her palms and knew the intensity of his desire.

"Before this continues, I want to make it clear, this doesn't mean I am coming back to you," she said in a firm tone.

"The thought never crossed my mind," Ares said, anxious to proceed. Xena looked at him with skepticism and a raised eyebrow. "Okay, so the thought did cross my mind but I know it would take more than sex to get you back." Her hands were still planted firmly against his chest indicating she was still hesitant about continuing their activities so he quickly came up with something to ease her mind. "We are just former lovers spending a night together for ‘old time sake’ and nothing more."

Ares' last statement was enough to satisfy Xena. To be honest, she was just as anxious as he was to continue their activities. Besides sharing a lust for battles, both had insatiable appetites for sex in their past relationship. It had always been memorable and explosive. That's why she now let Ares claim her mouth with his tongue. Xena knew she was crossing into dangerous territory if she let her activities with Ares reach their climatic conclusion but at this point, she didn't care. Since Gabrielle's death, she had turned off her emotions to feel anything to keep the darkness at bay. But the kiss with Ares on the cliff had broken through the wall she had built unleashing a desire shared by both which would harm no one if acted upon.

Soft moans could be heard as their tongues parried and their hands frantically roamed over each others bodies. Ares pulled at Xena's clothing. He could have removed her clothes with a single thought but actually removing them with his hands added to his desire. He removed her armor, which fell noiselessly to the rug covered floors. He proceeded on to her armbands, gauntlets and leathers leaving only the light brown shift she wore under her leathers on her body. He stepped back and inspected the form he uncovered, letting his eyes rake over her body. The shift clung to her flat stomach, waist and hips, it accentuated her full breasts, which rose and fell sensuously from her excited breathing. "By the gods, you are beautiful," he said in a low lust-filled tone as his eyes took in the vision before him.

Xena pulled Ares to her, removed his gauntlets then his vest exposing his chiseled, heavily muscled torso. "You’re quite a hottie too," she sensuously drawled while gazing into his deep brown eyes as her hands explored his muscular frame.

Ares softly chuckled as he buried his hands in Xena's hair, pulled her closer to him then hungrily claimed her mouth with his. When the straps of her shift fell from her shoulders, his hands seized upon the opportunity to free her breasts from their confines, which he proceeded to squeeze and caress. Xena arched her back as he moved his mouth to her breasts and teased a nipple with his tongue causing a soft moan to escape her lips. He teased the other nipple before moving back up to bathe her neck in kisses. His hands roamed down her back and now rested on her buttocks, which they firmly squeezed before they found their way underneath her shift to pull down her undergarment. As Ares explored her body, Xena explored his. She ran her hands over the bulging muscles in his arms, over his strong back and firm ass. When she ran her hands up his thighs and proceeded to massage the straining bulge in his crotch, reveled by its large size that she remembered well, he pulled her hands away and huskily whispered, "Not yet, you need this more than I do."

Ares gently pushed Xena into a sitting position at the foot of the bed. He knelt at her feet and pulled her undergarment that was at mid thigh all the way down until it was off. Xena eagerly watched as Ares removed her shin-guards and boots. He knelt between her legs and massaged each with a hand wondering in their softness and silkiness. He proceeded to caress her right leg with feathery light kisses, giving her inner thigh extra attention which sent tingles through her body. When he got to the top of her thigh he moved to her left leg and gave it the same attention. But this time when he got to the top of her thigh he moved his head to her crotch. Xena could feel his breath on the sensitive flesh between her legs and held her own as she waited in anticipation. When she felt his tongue lick her most intimate of areas, she gasped. She spread her legs wider to give him better access. With varying speed and pressure, his tongue dragged back and forth, traveling over the bud of her womanhood with each trip. "Ohh...ahh...your tongue...hasn't lost...umm...its touch," she gasped.

Ares stopped his licking to gaze up at her from his kneeling position between her legs. "And you are just as sweet as I remember," he huskily replied after which he returned to ‘feasting' on her womanhood.

She leaned back on her hands and let the tensions of the day leave her body. The more her body relaxed the more she was able to respond to Ares' persistent licking and soon the room was filled with the sound of her moans. As Ares continued his pleasurable assault on her womanhood, he lightly ran his hands over her calves, thighs and stomach and up to her bare breasts, which he squeezed. A heat, centered in her nether region began to spread throughout her body as her concentration was consumed with the voyage of his tongue. A throaty moan escaped her lips when Ares plunged his tongue deeply into her, moving in and out, flicking her engorged nub every time. Involuntary gasps escaped her lips. Her nipples hardened into pebbles. Xena didn't know how much more she could take.

One of Ares' muscular arms was wrapped around a thigh as a leg dangled down his back. His head was buried between her legs as he mercilessly licked and sucked her highly stimulated flesh. Xena was now leaning back on one hand as she ran the other through Ares’ hair. Her eyes were closed as the moans pouring from her lips took on a deeper tone. She was now leaning back on both hands and lifted her hips, which brought her mound closer to Ares’ face and the pleasurable torment of his probing tongue. The release she craved came when Ares' ravenous licking and suckling of her engorged nub brought her over the edge. Xena cried out in sheer pleasure as her body convulsed in wave after wave of an orgasm. After Ares claimed every drop of the sweet nectar that poured from her core with his mouth, he looked up at Xena with a sly smile on his face. By then, Xena had regained some of her composure to return his gaze. She tossed aside her shift and moved up the bed with a ‘come and get me look' on her face. Ares crawled onto the bed like a panther stalking its prey. When his body was above hers, he removed his leather pants and boots with a thought, then lowered himself onto her body while he claimed her mouth with his.

Xena reveled in the feel of Ares' hard body against her soft warm flesh. She felt his hard staff pressing against her abdomen and rubbed suggestively against it in anticipation of its inevitable penetration of her core. Ares reveled in the feel of Xena's body. His strong hands roamed the perfect blend of firm muscles and soft womanly curves. As their desire grew, their kisses and caresses became more demanding as they began to tumble about the bed like gladiatorial combatants, who vied for dominance.

Ares decided to let Xena take control, so on their last tumble he remained on his back with her on top of him. Xena saw she was in control and eagerly forged ahead. She started with his handsome face that she caressed with feathery light kisses before hungrily claiming his sensuous mouth with her own. She moved to his left ear, which she teased with nibbles and licks, the earring as well. She proceeded down his neck to his chest with soft kisses and leisurely licks. Ares' pleasure grew as Xena continued her loving ministrations on his body. She teased one nipple with her tongue while she rubbed the other with her fingers, which stoked the growing fire in his groin. She now sat atop him, straddling his body and let her hands roam his muscular torso. His body had always excited her. It was like sculpted stone. She reveled in the feel of it, the bulging biceps, the well defined pecs covered with black chest hair and rock hard abs. Xena softly kissed and caressed all of these muscles leaving Ares breathless.

He looked at her with anticipation when he saw her hovering over his hard staff. She gripped his member, its deep rich color paling her hand, the heat of it warming her skin as blood continued to flow into it, hardening it all the more. Xena opened and closed her fingers around the throbbing organ with a rhythm that just about drove Ares mad with desire. The blood engorged organ jerked strongly as it grew bigger when Xena began to lap it with her tongue. A groan of pleasure escaped Ares sensuous mouth as she leisurely licked every inch of his shaft from bottom to top. She caressed his shaft with feathery strokes as she suckled the blood-engorged head, teasing it with her tongue, causing throaty moans to escape his lips. Ares wanted to grab hold of her head and thrust his stiff rod, now aching from its hardness, into her mouth but decided to do it Xena's way and see what she had planned. When Xena heard his breath coming faster and faster, she pulled her mouth away and moved up to straddle his hips with her eagerly receptive mound just inches away from his stiff rod.

Xena had planned on bringing him over the edge with her mouth. But it had been so long since she was with a man and she needed to feel him inside of her NOW. She lowered herself onto his waiting hard staff, taking an inch of him at a time into her core, basking in the feel of him as he filled her. Ares reveled in the feel of her warm depths against his tumescent organ. Together they moaned with the completeness of their union. Xena rose up until only the tip of his staff remained inside her then she came back down on his pelvis. She repeated this motion again and again, gradually building to a rhythm. As Xena rode his hard staff, Ares gazed at her beautiful face and its changing expressions as her pleasure grew. She gazed down at him and let her inner muscles grip his stiff rod causing a moan to escape his lips, which increased her own desire. His hands squeezed and caressed her breasts, while his thumbs stimulated her nipples. Xena grabbed his hands in hers and brought them to rest above his head on the plush pillow as her torso now covered his.

"Oh gods," she moaned, when her change in position changed the angle of her impalement on his stiff rod. Xena's hips never strayed from their set rhythm as she hungrily claimed his mouth with hers while adding to the stimulation of her already hard nipples by rubbing them over the hair on his chest. Ares' tongue teased the inner walls of her mouth. With his stiff rod caressing the walls of her womanhood and his tongue filling her mouth, Xena was close to reaching the breaking point. The pleasure she felt was exquisite which she expressed in soft whimpers. She was in no hurry for her glorious ride to end. Xena broke her hungry kiss with Ares and sat atop him again. She shook her raven hair out of her face causing it to fall about her shoulders as she slowed the tempo of her strokes to put off her release a while longer. Ares' hands now gripped her hips and with each of her downward strokes, drove her harder onto his pelvis, pushing his stiff member deeper into her core causing moans and sighs to escape from both.

The light of the full moon cascaded through the large window. The glow of the flames glistened off their bodies and its crackling sounds mingled with the moans and groans of the coupling pair as they worked their bodies in frenzy toward mutual release. Xena increased the tempo and now savagely rode Ares with a relentless rhythm. Faster and faster she moved as she felt her own orgasm growing nearer with each stroke she made, each time she came down on his pelvis and her engorged nub made contact with the base of his shaft, rubbing quickly and deeply before she rose up again. Ares met each of her downward strokes with an upward thrust elevating them both closer to that plateau of sheer ecstasy. When the pleasure within reached a level she could no loner control she cried out as she was overtaken by a shuddering orgasm. Its intensity poured out of her like a wave and Ares felt its impact on his stiff member with his last upward thrust bringing about his own satisfied groan of release as he exploded deep inside of her. Gasping, Xena collapsed on top of Ares' heaving chest. His spent member was still inside her, as his strong arms held her tightly against him after the fusion of their powerful energies.

Some time later, Xena rolled off of Ares' body and laid next to him. A pleased sigh escaped her lips. "That...was incredible."

"It certainly was," Ares said with a proud smile. "Care to go at it again?"

"I'm up for it if you are," Xena responded in a sultry tone.

As Ares hungrily claimed her mouth with his own, he thrust himself deeply into her. He broke the kiss to stare into her eyes. "Gods, how I've missed you," he whispered before he reclaimed her mouth and his hard member began to move within her depths building to a rhythm. Ares thrust his tongue in out of her mouth in perfect timing with the rhythmic thrusting of his hard staff. Xena ran her hands up and down his back before gripping his firm ass pulling him deeper inside of her as his thrusting brought her ever closer to the breaking point. When he felt her body beneath him close to erupting, he abruptly pulled away. Xena's body was left waiting and aching for release. She raised her hips to meet his body. When she could stand it no more, he thrust into her again and again, deeper and deeper, at a faster pace. She lavished his face with soft kisses as he vigorously thrust in and out. When she was close to an orgasm again, once more he pulled back. This time he stared into her crystal blue eyes. He saw the look of yearning to have him back inside and waited for her to voice her desire. "Ares, please," she panted. Hearing her beg, brought his desire up another notch. He recaptured her mouth as he thrust back into her eager depths. Xena wrapped her arms and legs around him and matched his rhythmic thrusting. As their bodies moved together, their passion soared to new heights. This time, there was no holding back her rapturous release. She cried out his name as her body was cascaded with orgasms.

"Ahhh," he groaned as he felt the impact of her orgasm on his throbbing member deep inside her. Ares continued pounding into her, fusing them into one entity, as another orgasm poured out of her. The walls of her womanhood pulled at his hard member, mercilessly gripping and releasing it, finally bringing about his own orgasm. He grunted in satisfaction as it poured out of him while thrusting still deeper into her. His body shuddered as he felt the impact of another orgasm pouring from her body. "Ohhh Xena," he moaned as her inner muscles held his stiff rod in a pleasurable embrace, milking it of his seed to fill her shuddering depths.

Sometime later, Ares held Xena in his arms as she lay against him sleeping with peace and contentment for the first time since the tragic events at Dahak's temple. Her head rested on his chest beside an arm and a leg was draped over his. Ares ran a hand through her hair. He gave her an affectionate squeeze and decided to let her sleep a while longer before waking her to continue their carnal activities.

Telamon and his crew had been at the dig sight for three months and had still come up empty. He was beginning to think taking this assignment had been the biggest mistake of his life. Maybe somehow he could bow out of this gracefully with his head in tack. The scrolls saying this was the place could be wrong. Ares wouldn't hold this debacle against him would he? Telamon wished he had kept his cushy job as head priest in Ares' main temple in Thebes. When he thought back to the day Ares gave him this project, which he eagerly accepted, he could kick himself.

The unscheduled meeting with Ares three months ago seemed a lifetime ago now. Telamon wondered how much more time would be given to the project before Ares would call it a bust and sent everyone home. His faith in finding the twelve chests was fading but his digging crew was still optimistic. The work was divided into shifts so the digging went on nonstop. Telamon's crew had been picked by Ares himself and consisted of eager young warriors itching to make a name for themselves and looking for easy money. When Ares told them about twelve chests made of pure gold buried near Abdera, they couldn't resist. The warriors could have the gold chests. Ares only wanted the contents, which they would consider worthless.

The full moon was high in the night sky and the tide of the Aegean fully engulfed the beach near Abdera. Telamon was in his tent located on a large cliff outside of Abdera looking at maps deciding where they should conduct their next dig. Once this assignment was over, he never wanted to see another beach again. He had lived in Thebes his whole life and didn't like life by the sea. Crawling around in damp caves left him chilled to the bone so he was always cold. Telamon was exhausted from the day's work and was about to turn in for the night when one of the young warriors came running into his tent.

"Priest Telamon! Come quick! We found something!" the young warrior excitedly cried as he hurried out of the tent with Telamon in tow.

They headed for the edge of the cliff where they climbed down a rope ladder to the beach below, which led to the caves where the digging was being conducted. The tide had rolled in so they were up to their knees in seawater as they made their way to the cave. When they got to the cave, the other men on the shift were crowded around something in one of the corners. When the young warrior and Telamon approached, the diggers parted so Telamon could see their find. Sitting on a rock was a gold chest, which looked like the one Ares had showed him in the scroll. Telamon quickly went to the chest, ran his hands over it and smiled.

"Men, we finally did it!" he said overjoyed while looking at the triumphant faces of the men around him. "Take this chest to my tent," he ordered. "I must contact Lord Ares at once and report our find."

When Ares awoke her, Xena didn't think their passion the first time around would be topped but they surpassed it. Each had a need that was more raw and wilder. No words were spoken as their bodies communicated for them, rhythmically moving together in sensual unity, the thrusting, the welcomed pounding, pushing both closer toward magnificent release. The moans and groans of pleasure came from their very souls. When the pleasurable tension that was building within finally erupted, they cried out in unbridled ecstasy as powerful energies rippled through their bodies again and again fusing them into one. They embraced each other to still their trembling bodies in the afterglow.

Xena was now thoroughly exhausted and fell into a deep sleep in Ares' arms. Being a god, Ares could go for weeks without sleep so he watched over Xena as she slumbered and relived their night together in his mind. When Ares came to Xena on the cliff, the most he hoped for was an alliance against Dahak. A night of unbridled passion with his warrior princess was the farthest thought from his mind and a welcomed surprise. He didn't get the alliance like he wanted but that could change after the night they spent together.

It felt so good having Xena in his arms again, to feel her soft warm body cling to his as she slept. Ares' pleasant thoughts about Xena were suddenly interrupted by a priority prayer, which started ringing through his head. "Damn," he whispered under his breath. He didn't want anything to interrupt his time with Xena. He closed his eyes to concentrate on who was sending it. When he got a mental picture of the sender, he opened his eyes and whispered the name, "Telamon." He was the high priest in charge of the special project near Abdera. Ares had told Telamon to only contact him when he could report significant progress. Well, he must have found something so Ares decided to check it out.

Ares gently lifted Xena off him and laid her on the bed, careful not to wake her. He got out of the bed and with a thought, his body was once again covered in black leather. He pulled the blood red silk sheets covering Xena's sleeping form closer around her before he sat on the side of the bed and gazed at her sleeping face. He took a hand and ran the fingers down one of her cheeks before lightly planting a kiss on her forehead. Then he vanished in a puff of smoke headed for Abdera.

The gold chest sat on a table in Telamon's tent, as the high priest was on bent knees with his head bowed reciting the special prayer Ares gave him to report important findings. Telamon couldn't wait to see the pleased look on his lord's face when he showed him the chest. After reciting the prayer a few times, Telamon looked up and saw his dark lord standing before him. He was wearing his trademark black leather and on his face was a look of annoyance.

"You better have something of significance to report Telamon, because I was in the middle of a very important development and don't appreciate being called away." Ares’ tone was very demanding as he folded his well-muscled arms across his broad chest.

"I am sorry to disturb you Lord Ares." Telamon nervously rose from his kneeling position. "But we did make an important find, it's one of the twelve gold chests." Telamon pointed to the table on the other side of the tent where the chest was set.

Ares went over to the table and inspected the chest. He opened the lid and gazed at the contents inside, which were very old, scrolls. He picked them up and carefully inspected them, unrolling some to check the writing. The earlier look of annoyance was no longer on his face. He was pleased with what he saw.

"Great work Telamon! I knew you would come through for me."

"Th-Thank you m-my lord," Telamon replied, stammering a little "I live only to serve you."

"How is it going finding the other chests?" Ares ignored Telamon's words of allegiance as he continued to inspect the scrolls.

"We are still looking for them my lord...around the clock."

"Good." Ares turned to face Telamon. "If that's all you have for now, I will just take the contents of this chest and be on my way. You know how to reach me when you find the others."

"Of course Lord Ares."

At that moment a young warrior ran into Telamon' s tent and was about to speak when he saw Ares, stopped dead in his tracks and bowed his head. "Lord Ares, I didn't know you were here I'll come back..."

"It's all right," Ares interrupted. "Go ahead and state why you came in here."

Looking at both Ares and Telamon, the young warrior spoke, "We just found three more gold chests." The excitement of the find was evident on the young warrior's face.

Ares looked at Telamon. "It looks like I will be staying a while longer."

As the rays of the morning sun poured through the large window of the bedchamber, Xena treated herself to a bubble bath in the chamber's heated tub. The warm water added to the exhilarated state of her body. Her night with Ares was a pleasurable reminder of just how amorous he could be with his lovemaking. He had a power; an intensity that enabled her body to reach levels of passion no mortal lover could ever evoke. She sunk lower in the tub, reveling in the feel of the warm water against her skin, still basking in the afterglow.

Xena's thoughts drifted back to the previous night. She searched within her soul and had not one regret over her night with Ares. At that moment in her life, it served a great purpose. Their night of passion had invigorated her very being. The dark cloud of despair that had hung over her head since Gabrielle's death was finally lifting. She actually had the confidence in herself to keep her darkside at bay, maybe forever. She started to feel like Gabrielle was still there, in her heart, still guiding her down the right path. She would continue what she started with Gabrielle three years ago and make her proud. Xena had to chuckle when she thought of the irony of the situation. The one person who wanted her darkside to be dominant again had unwittingly helped to suppress it, enabling her to stay on the right path. As she thought of Ares, she wondered where he had gone. She hoped he was not off starting a war, which would break the condition, set up by the other gods.

After the long hot bath, Xena got dressed. She was standing in front of the large mirror brushing her hair when she saw Ares' image shimmer into sight directly behind her in the mirror. "I was wondering when you would return." She stopped brushing her hair and turned to face him. "I was gearing myself up for the long hike down the Macedonian mountains to get back to Amphipolis," she jested.

Ares embraced her and gently kissed her lips, then looked into her crystal blue eyes. "I wanted to be here when you woke but there was a pressing matter, which took longer than I thought." He fully released Xena from his embrace and she went over to the lounge chair and sat on the end.

"Will this pressing matter lead to war?" she asked in a curious tone.

"No. It's one of those non-war projects I told you about."

Xena couldn't detect any deceit in his demeanor and decided he was being truthful.

Ares looked at the hairbrush lying on the chair next to her, then noticed the bread, cheeses and fruits on one of the tables. "I see you got what was necessary to take care of your needs and something for breakfast."

"The servants were very helpful in those departments," she replied. "I was surprised to see some of the same people from my warlord days are still here."

"Good help is hard to find and once you do, you hold onto it." Ares noticed the change in Xena's disposition. Her crystal blue eyes had an added sparkle to them. "I see your state of mind has vastly improved since our meeting on the cliff."

"Yes it has," Xena replied with big smile on her face. "I want to thank you."

"There is no need to thank me Xena. I can't take all the credit. It takes two and you were fabulous." There was a look of remembrance in his eyes.

"I wasn't referring to the sex, although it truly was out of this world," she said. "What I am talking about goes beyond the passion brought by lovemaking. Last night led to a rebirth for me. You saw my state of mind on the cliff, broken and defeated…I wanted to die." She could see she had Ares' undivided attention as she continued to speak. "When I got up this morning, I was rejuvenated. For the first time in three months, I looked forward to what the day would bring. I also regained the confidence I need to battle the demons within and continue the good I started with Gabrielle." Ares did not look too pleased when he heard her last statement. "That's why I was thanking you." Xena got up from the lounge chair, walked over to Ares and stood facing him. She took both his hands in hers and affectionately squeezed them. "My night with you was the catalyst which helped me take charge of my life again."

"It's good to know the tough and fiery Xena is back and if I played a part in her return, I am glad. Does this mean you will ally yourself with me against Dahak?"

"I'm leaning that way but there are some other matters I must first put to rest," she replied. Before Ares returned, Xena had thought a lot about what he said concerning Dahak's arrival. The One Great Evil probably expected her to bow out of the battle against him after suffering two shattering losses, first her son then her best friend. She would not give him such satisfaction and would be there in the fight against him. But before she could give Ares a definite answer, she had to settle a few things with Cyrene. Her mother had probably worried about her all night and she had to put her mind at ease. "I still think you should talk to the other gods."

"I will talk to the other gods, although I doubt it will do much good," he grumbled. "I wanted a firm yes from you but I have enough patience to wait." There was now a smile on his face. "Now if you are ready to go home, I will send you back."

"Yes I am."

"Before you go, there was something else I had to say."

Xena looked at Ares expectantly.

Ares pulled Xena into an embrace and kissed her one last time. When he leisurely broke the kiss he stared into her crystal blue eyes. "That's my way of saying I enjoyed last night and if you ever want to get together for ‘old time sake' you know how to reach me," he said in a low husky voice.

"I will keep the offer in mind," Xena replied in a sultry tone.

Now with a sly grin on his face, Ares released Xena and sent her back to Amphipolis.

Back and forth, back and forth walked Cyrene as she paced the floor of her tavern. The sun had risen a few hours ago, but she hadn't bothered to get dress yet and still wore her nightgown. Her eyes were red from crying and lack of sleep. Her head throbbed from the tension headache, which had plagued her all night. Maybe she should have run out after Xena and tried to stop her, she thought. What if Xena jumped from the cliffs and her body had been washed out into the Aegean Sea?

Abruptly, Cyrene stopped her pacing and stood in the center of the tavern. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her fingers against her temples. She had to stop thinking negative. Xena could have just needed time to clear her head. She could have bunked down for the night in the woods. After all, she was quite use to sleeping under the stars. Cyrene was trying to replace her negative thoughts with positive ones when she heard the creak of the tavern's main door. Quickly opening her eyes, she turned towards the door. The worry she had felt a moment ago was replaced with pure relief.

"Thank the gods you're all right Xena!" Cyrene embraced her daughter in a big hug. "You certainly are a sight for tired, red eyes."

"I'm sorry I worried you mom." Xena returned her mother's tight embrace. "I hope you didn't stay up half the night because of me."

"Well, I did just that. When you stormed out of here last night, I thought it would be the last time I would see you alive. But fortunately, I was wrong. Where did you go?"

"I went to the cliffs." Xena took a seat at a nearby table and was joined by Cyrene. "Despite my running out of here last night, it really did me some good to finally share all the emotions that had been swelling inside me these past few months. I finally put my fears and pain out in the open and am now ready to deal with them."

As she sat across the table from Xena, Cyrene had a big smile on her face upon hearing her daughter's words. "Well, I'm glad our little talk helped." She noticed the added glow in Xena's cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes. "So, what happened after you reached the cliffs?"

"I sat under a large tree and did some much need soul searching. It was painful but I let my mind relive the day Gabrielle was taken from me forever. She chose to die in my place because she believed the world would be better off if I remained in it. Since that awful day, I have been haunted by the fact that someone like Gabrielle, so full of good and love for others would value my life, someone with the blood of thousands on her hands, above her own. No matter the situation, Gabrielle always had faith I would do the right thing when I sometimes had none. She died for that faith and for the last three months, I feared that faith had been misplaced." Cyrene took Xena's hands, which lay, on the table in hers. "My darkside taking control again was part of a larger fear and that was failure. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to live up to the faith Gabrielle had in me. I thought ending my life would prevent me from failing her but that would have been far worse. I finally realized dying would mean Gabrielle sacrificing her life was done in vain. I have to go on living. That's what she would want."

Cyrene's heart was now overcome with pure joy. The tension headache, which had plagued her all night, was even starting to clear. "Oh Xena, you don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that."

"I don't just want to live, I want to continue the good I started with Gabrielle. I still have my fears but Gabrielle was a great teacher and the lessons she taught live on inside me. Confidence in myself is also coming back and with it, I will conquer these fears plus keep the inner demons buried as well."

"I'm going to hate to see you leave, but I realize Gabrielle lives on in what you do now and it is the best medicine to heal your grief." Cyrene’s eyes were becoming misty. "Now that you will be helping people again, I might as well tell you where Joxer really went." Cyrene revealed to Xena, everything Joxer had told her regarding Gwenyth, the Disciples and their mysterious god called Natas.

"Joxer made me promise not to tell you but over the past few days, I haven't been able to shake the feeling he has gotten in over his head taking on this cult by himself."

"You did the right thing telling me mom." As Xena’s mind absorbed what her mother had revealed, she couldn't help but think back to what Ares had said about Dahak being in this world now. "I know Joxer wants to prove he can tackle a situation without me, but he may have gotten himself involved in something far more serious than he can handle."

"Do you think Joxer could be in danger investigating this cult?" The worry Cyrene had felt earlier was starting to return.

"If my suspicions about this cult are correct, he very well could be. I must get to Mantis as soon as possible."

As she stood up from the table, Xena felt guilty as she looked at her mother. Cyrene had obviously been up most of the night worrying about her and she was the worse for wear. She gently put a hand on one of her mother's shoulders. "I want you to go back to bed and get some rest. You can have one of the hires open up for you later."

"I will be just fine Xena," Cyrene assured. "I don't want you to feel bad. Worrying about your children comes along with motherhood and I have become quite a pro." There was a slight smile on her face before she took a firm stance. "Now you should be running along to the harbor. You have to get to Kos and make sure Joxer is all right."

Xena knew there was no arguing with her mother so she kissed her on a cheek then left the tavern and headed for the harbor. There, she boarded a ship, which would take her to the isle of Kos.

The volcanoes on the isle of Thera continued their rumblings, which made it unsafe for the inhabitants to return to their villages but the perfect place for Dahak's main base of operations.

Without the worry of discovery by overly curious villagers and his enemies oblivious to his return, Dahak rebuilt his strength and formulated a strategy. With the help of his exalted high priest Minos, Dahak began the implementation of his dark plan which when completed, would encompass the whole world in his evil.

Dahak was in one of the temple's smaller rooms. He lay on a marble table, his greenish-brown scaly body free of the black cloak and totally exposed. But the table on which he laid was shrouded entirely behind a thick black curtain. He was in deep meditation, which was needed for the tedious task of restoring his body to its true form. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't take long for his true form to return. But being without a body for so long had lengthened the transformation process. His arms, chest and face were already covered with smooth golden brown skin and the rest of his body would soon be as well. The meditation was all consuming, but Dahak still had a strong sense of the world around him. Minos had entered the room and now stood on the other side of the curtain waiting for his dark lord to acknowledge his presence.

"You may speak Minos," Dahak said in a deep raspy voice from behind the thick black curtain.

"My lord, there is still nothing to report about Hope's whereabouts. Should we continue the search?"

"No," Dahak firmly replied. "Hope now knows of my arrival and will come to me. What is your progress on freeing the others?"

"The operation is running smoothly. The largest island is under our control and the smaller surrounding ones are soon to follow. The Olympian gods show no interest in our activities so we can now move on to the major cities."

"Hold off on the major cities a while longer," Dahak ordered. "I have something else planned for them and don't want our activities uncovered by the gods."

"It will be as you wish Dark One."

"I will choose when the Olympian gods know of my return and when they do, it will be their doom," Dahak said.

Minos could not see his dark lord's face but knew there was a sinister smile on his lips and had to smile himself.

High above Greece, the senior gods of the ruling council gathered on Olympus for their monthly meeting to report on the state of the Pantheon and the condition of the mortals who worshipped them. These meetings were held in the large, white marbled Great Hall. The members sat at a large, extensively carved, wood table made of mahogany which stood out in stark contrast to the glistening white marble. The members of the council sat in large mahogany wood chairs with red velvet padding on the seats and backs. Each chair's back had a carved symbol on the top, which represented the council member who occupied the chair.

The ruling council was made up of twelve deities, six gods and six goddesses. Zeus as King of the Gods presided over the council meetings and sat at the head of the table. Hera, his wife and Queen of the Gods, normally occupied the chair at the other end of the table but it was empty since she remained trapped in the abyss of Tartarus after losing a confrontation with Zeus' demigod son Hercules. The other ten members of the ruling council sat at their places around the table. The five goddess were: Athena - goddess of wisdom and war, Artemis - goddess of the hunt and moon, Aphrodite - goddess of love, Demeter - goddess of grain and fertility and Hestia - goddess of the hearth and domestic life. The gods were: Poseidon - god of the Sea, Hades - lord of the dead and ruler of the underworld, Ares - god of war, Apollo - god of prophecy and atonement and Hermes - god of riches, trade and good fortune.

Each deity reported on the state of his or her individual domains. There were no unusual events to report from the mortal world, just the typical day to day drudgery of being human: some sickness, a few diseases, and famine here and there. The one area that was silent was human conflict. Because of the condition Ares agreed to, there was no war in the entire territory over which the Olympian pantheon had authority. Mortals had all the other discomforts of their lesser existence but they could not complain there was no peace. Most of the gods seated at the table reported discontentment of the mortals who worshipped them and really seemed at a loss over what to do. Since his ability to instigate war was squelched, Ares really didn't have anything new to report so he spoke last at the meeting.

"You have all seen to making my reports short with your condition of no war for six months but the peace mortals are enjoying will be short-lived now that Dahak has entered our world."

Gasps of shock mixed with mumblings were heard around the table in response to Ares' statement.

Athena took it upon herself to speak for the others around the table. "Ares, what are you trying to pull now? Everyone at this table knows Dahak's latest attempt to re-enter the world was stopped by Xena. Besides, he has been trapped for so long that his powers have obviously been drastically reduced for him to be stopped by a mere mortal. Dahak is not free and I don't believe he ever was a true threat to us."

Ares rolled his eyes. Athena may be the goddess of wisdom, but sometimes she could be so dense and this was one of those times. "Xena is mortal but an extraordinary one. She stopped one of Dahak's attempts to re-enter the world but he is persistent and has unfortunately returned." Ares let his eyes wander over his fellow gods and goddesses seated around the table. "Has everyone forgotten the trouble Dahak caused in Persia? He almost succeeded in wiping out that pantheon of gods." This last statement caused nervous chatter around the table. "For months, I warned you about Dahak but you all chose to ignore me. Since Dahak was able to free himself, he has obviously grown stronger and will now set about undermining our authority." More nervous chatter is heard around the table as Ares continued to speak. "There may be no wars, but most of you still reported discontentment among the simple mortals which he will surely use to his advantage. Ordinarily, I would say let the mortals get what they deserve but sitting back and doing nothing will bring about our own downfall therefore we must stop him before he builds a stronghold."

Athena was now clapping as Ares finished his statement. "I must say dear brother, that was truly one of your better performances. You actually seemed sincere as you tried to scare us into believing Dahak is free." Athena looked around the table at her fellow gods and goddesses. "He's just trying to get us worked up in a panic so we will lift the six months no war condition. I knew he'd pull a stunt like this, just not so soon."

Ares was about to shoot off a venomous retort at his sister when Aphrodite chimed in. "Geesh Athena, take a chill pill. I think Ar is telling the truth and we gotta defend ourselves or face a total wipeout."

"It figures you would believe him," Athena sneered. "I have always believed that your numerous dalliances with men were shrinking your mind and you provide proof of that every time you open your mouth to voice your so-called opinions."

Ares sat back and watched with an amused look on his face as his two sisters continued their verbal assault on one another.

"You know Athena, some time with a man might do you some good." Aphrodite retorted. "It might even liven up that stale wisdom of yours and who knows…it might even help you in the looks department but you could never be the knockout I am."

It appeared an all out cat fight was about to take place between the two goddesses when Zeus took it upon himself to halt it from continuing any further by asking the question which had been on the minds of most gathered since Ares made his shocking statement. "Ares, how do you know Dahak has entered our world?"

"I know this because I have felt his presence." Some around the table snickered at this remark.

"No one else at this table has felt Dahak's presence," Poseidon stated. "How come you are the only one who has?"

"I can't really say why only I can feel his presence...maybe it's because I'm the only one in this room who has spent time with Dahak. He has a coldness...a darkness...a pure evil like no other. In the past week, the feeling has intensified which can only mean Dahak has returned and his threat can no longer be ignored by Olympus." Ares gazed around the table at his fellow gods and goddess. "Even Xena heeded my warnings when I informed her of Dahak's return."

Positive murmurings are heard at the mention of the famed warrior woman's name.

"Ordinarily Ares, your former Chosen backing you up would have given you my support," Artemis said. "But I have been watching her since the death of my Amazon Queen. Gabrielle was the anchor, which kept her grounded in goodness to fight the evils of this world. Since Gabrielle's death, she seems to have lost her focus and is very close to going down the dark path she once traveled with you. Everyone at this table is quite familiar with your obsessive goal to get Xena back in your warrior fold. The recent dark state of her mind has obviously made her more pliable to your words and has allowed you to reach the goal which has eluded you for three years."

More murmurings were heard around the table, when Hades decided to add his two dinars to the discussion. "You say you can feel Dahak's presence because you spent time with him. And why is that? Because you pretended to join him so you could disrupt his plans," Hades said. "The only reason this council decided to believe your reasons for the phony alliance with Dahak is because we know you all too well. It has always been your goal to be head god and actually joining Dahak would have disrupted that. That's why you couldn't deny your intentions for the Hind's blood dagger Hercules gave Xena which weighed heavily in this council's decision to reprimand you with no war for six months. How can you expect us to trust your word about Dahak when you have done so many things to undermine the very authority of this pantheon and grab all the power for yourself?" Mumbles in agreement with Hades' statements are heard around the table.

"Hades is right," Poseidon said. "We can't forget Ares' other attempt to get Hind's blood from the other world which cost Strife his life. No one can deny he planned on keeping us in line or maybe even killing us by using the Hind's blood." Mumblings in agreement with Poseidon's comments are heard around the table.

"You are all missing the point. This is not about me and my so-called misdeeds. It is about Dahak's threat to us all and putting aside our petty differences to fight him."

"That's where you are wrong Ares," Hades stated. "It is about you and all the ways you have deceived and undermined this council in the past in your attempts to obtain power. Athena has a point and this may be just a scheme to get us to lift the no-war for six months condition." Hades stared hard into his nephew’s eyes as he sat across from him at the table. "Xena has helped me on past occasions so I know of her strengths. But she is still mortal and for her to stop Dahak so easily means he can't be the threat you have made him out to be. You are going to have to give more than a ‘feeling' if you expect me and others at this table to believe you." There were mumblings at the table mostly in favor of Hades' comments.

"I'm afraid Hades is right Ares," Zeus said. "Considering your past deeds which are quite memorable to all present, you will have to provide this council with solid proof of Dahak's arrival before we can believe you." More mumblings are heard in agreement with the King of the gods.

"You are all being fools!" Ares said, trying to control his temper. "I am not going to sit back while Dahak plots my destruction."

"You better not be formulating some scheme that will anger this council or you will be punished severely with no chance of a reprieve," Zeus said in a very firm tone. "Have I made myself clear?"

"Yeah, crystal clear," Ares said through gritted teeth.

When Zeus adjourned the meeting, Ares stormed out of the Great Hall and headed for his residence on Olympus. When he got inside, he released the anger he held within by tossing about the room busts that sat atop stone pedestals. Lying in marble chunks about the floor were the busts of Hector, Achilles, Ajax and Agamemnon. When Ares stood before the bust of Alexander the Great, he decided to let it remain in tack and instead collapsed on a nearby lounge chair where he just sulked.

Ares had been sitting there for a while when Discord appeared in a puff of smoke behind the chair. The goddess was dressed in black leather and lace which made her porcelain white skin stand out all the more. Her long black hair hung loose and wild down to her waist. From behind the chair, she stood and began to massage Ares' shoulders.

"I heard about what happened at the council meeting." Discord glanced around at the marble chunks lying about the floor as she loosened the tension in Ares’ broad shoulders. "Those pompous, self-righteous fools chose to ignore your warnings about Dahak until you can provide hard proof. What are you going to do?" She stopped massaging his shoulders and sat facing him on the lounge chair.

"I am going to move ahead with the plan I have been working on to stop Dahak for good," Ares firmly replied. "I did what Xena suggested and talked to the other gods. They chose not to believe me so they are on their own. I know she will eventually agree to the alliance I suggested so it will just be me and her taking on Dahak."

"Xena! I figured she would want your head on a silver platter after what happened at Dahak's temple. How did you ever manage to get her to agree to an alliance with you?" A touch of jealousy could be heard in her voice.

"Oh, she was fuming with rage when I showed up and very stubborn at first. But eventually, I got her to come around." There was a sly grin on his face and a faraway look in his eyes.

"So that's where you went on your first day back." Discord noticed the look in Ares' eyes and decided to change the subject. "Well, enough about Xena," the goddess stated flatly. "Let me take your mind off of that unproductive meeting." Discord was playing the seductress as she glided a finger with a long red nail up Ares' chest and moved in for a kiss.

Ares halted her intentions by grasping her arms and holding her away from him. He had a look of annoyance on his face. "I am not interested."

"Why not? Is it because you got your fill with Xena the other night?" Discord had an intense jealousy regarding Ares' involvement with anyone and Xena was at the very top of that list. She had already let her jealousy raise its ugly head so there was no stopping her now. "I saw the look in your eyes. You slept with her didn't you?" she asked in a venomous tone.

"Don't start with me!" Ares growled as his anger started to return. He got up from the lounge chair to increase the distance between himself and the jealous goddess.

Discord knew she had walked into dangerous territory but Ares' fixation with the warrior woman had gone on long enough. For three years now, he had tried to get her back with no success. It was time to move on to greener pastures. "So, you got her back in your bed for one night, BIG DEAL!" she snapped. "That only happened because she's been an emotional wreck ever since her friend's death. It won't change ANYTHING---she's still not coming back. But that won't discourage you will it?" Discord eyed Ares curiously. "Honestly, the way you act sometimes---if I didn't know you so well, I would swear you're in lo..."

"Enough!!!" Discord was really starting to get on his last nerve and he wondered why he had ever talked Artemis into restoring her body. She was a lot easier to deal with as a chicken. "Xena is NOT a topic open for discussion. You have overstayed your welcome and better GO!" There was a hard look in his eyes.

Discord got the message loud and clear. With a huff she left in a puff of smoke.

Discord was fuming with rage when she left Ares' residence on Olympus. She decided to go to the one place that had a calming effect on her, the gardens near Hera's temple in the city of Argos. Since her mother's entrapment in the abyss of Tartarus, Discord took to tending the gardens and spent a lot of time there. The gardens were a haven for her mother's favorite bird, the peacock. The scents of the many flowers in bloom filled the air.

As she sat on a marble bench, Discord lost herself in dark thoughts. Damn Ares! Damn Xena! If Ares had finally reclaimed the warrior woman that was just fine with her! His precious Xena was mortal after all and would eventually die. When that day came, Ares would come crawling back to her and she would make him pay! Discord's mind drifted further as she thought of ways to make Ares suffer when the time came so she didn't sense the figure behind her until he spoke.

"A beautiful goddess like you shouldn't fret over a god like Ares," a baritone voice said from behind Discord.

Startled, Discord jumped up from the marble bench and turned around to see who had just spoken. She was mesmerized by what she saw. Standing not that far from the marble bench, next to a rose bush, was a stunningly attractive man. He was slightly taller than Ares. He had wavy black hair with flecks of gray that framed his face and came to his shoulders. The beauty of his face could match that of any god on Olympus. It was perfectly shaped. The skin was smooth and golden light brown in color. He had crystal blue eyes, which seemed to stare right through to her soul. His nose was slender and straight. He had a full sensuous mouth, which was rosy in color. He wore black leather that clung to his slender muscular form. He wore polished black leather boots, which gleamed in the sunlight. Billowing down his back, was a long black cape. At his waist, hung a sword whose black and gold hilt was the only part visible above its scabbard casing. On the middle finger of his left hand, was a ring in the shape of a dragon's head.

As Discord's eyes took in the vision before her, she finally found her voice to address the handsome intruder. "This garden is off limits to mortals," she said with as much authority as she could muster at the moment.

"I am not mortal," the stranger plainly stated in a baritone voice that sent chills through Discord's body.

"You're not?" she asked curiously. "If you are immortal, how come I have never seen you before?"

"I arrived in Greece not that long ago. I heard about the beauty of Hera's gardens in Argos and decided to come see them."

"Oh," was all Discord could say as she lost her voice again.

"When I entered the gardens, I could sense your anger and your thoughts. It is a gift from my immortality." The handsome stranger now had a smile on his face that revealed perfect white teeth. He walked over to Discord and stood in front of her. Being petite, she had to gaze upward to look into his face. The stranger grasped her hands in his and brought them up to his lips as he proceeded to lightly kiss their backs. When the stranger's soft lips touched her hands, a shiver went through her whole body. "Ares isn't good enough for you," the handsome stranger said when he stopped kissing her hands.

"How do you know about Ares?...About Me?" she asked in a breathless, quivering tone. She was losing herself in the depths of the stranger's crystal blue eyes.

"I told you it is a gift I inherited with immortality. I have to go now." He let go of Discord's hands and moved away from her.

When the stranger let go of her hands, Discord's mind started to clear and she anxiously spoke. "Wait! Who are you? Will I ever see you again?"

"I am someone who wants to be your friend," the stranger stated with a smile. "And you will see me again." The stranger then vanished in a flame of fire.

Her legs somewhat shaky, Discord sat on the marble bench again. As her mind relived this unusual encounter, she looked at her hands which the stranger had kissed and could still feel the sensation of his lips on her skin.