Strolling down a country road, Gabrielle expresses her delight that Xena is taking her to a Sappho poetry reading for her birthday. She also pleads with Xena not to pull any of her traditional birthday pranks, but when Gabrielle peers through the telescope Xena hands her, she is left with a ring of soot around her eye. Xena's laughter is halted by a sudden shriek that sends the women to investigate. Zarat and his band of religious zealots are about to sacrifice the virgin Genia by hurling her off the edge of a cliff when Xena and Gabrielle intervene and order them to drop the girl. A battle ensues during which Zarat grabs the girl and tosses her off the cliff. Xena dives over the edge with her bag in hand and as she plummets, she pulls out the Helmet of Hermes. As soon as she puts it on, she begins flying and is able to grab hold of Genia and execute a safe landing. Believing she has crossed over to the other side, Genia regards Xena with awe and confesses she's always dreamed of being sacrificed. As Xena and Gabrielle try to make sense of this new twist, they hear the zealots heading their way and the three women take off. Once safe in the forest, Genia bows before Xena, certain that she's a god. Xena explains that she was able to fly only because of Hermes' helmet, and even goes so far as to cut her own finger to prove she bleeds and is therefore not a god. Genia becomes angry and accuses them of ruining her life. Determined to sacrifice herself to the Almighty, she begins holding her breath until Xena and Gabrielle offer to introduce her to a real god on their way to deliver the Helmet to Thebes. Meanwhile, the zealot Frankus enters the lair of his father, the warlord Ferragus, to inform him that the sacrificial virgin has escaped. When Ferragus learns that Xena rescued Genia using the Helmet of Hermes, he orders his son to seize it from her.   The next morning Xena, Gabrielle and Genia enter Aphrodite's temple and find the goddess of love bathing with two gorgeous young studs. Inviting Aphrodite to Sappho's show, the four set off. As they travel, Aphrodite desperately tries to convince an unimpressed Genia that she's a real god. At a tavern in the Thebes marketplace, Aphrodite magically creates an exact replica of the bag containing the Helmet of Hermes that Xena has been carrying to match the new shoes she also magically produced for Genia and herself. Meanwhile, Frankus, who has been secretly following the women, tells Ferragus where they are. Flanked by his goons, Ferragus arrives at the tavern and orders Xena to turn over the bag containing the helmet. When she refuses, his men attack, but Aphrodite manages to swipe Xena's bag and hide it. Xena orders Aphrodite to take Genia to safety while she and Gabrielle finish fighting the thugs. Grabbing one of the bags, Aphrodite and Genia flee while Gabrielle, seeing the remaining bag, snatches it. Ferragus notices this and grabs the bag from Gabrielle, which is actually the one that contains the helmet, and escapes with it. Frantic, Xena and Gabrielle take off in search of Ferragus and the helmet. As Aphrodite and Genia continue shopping, Genia, who is now completely devoted to the goddess, asks Aphrodite to cast a spell on her that makes her feel as if she's in love. Aphrodite orders her to pick a guy and Genia, scanning the crowd, points to Frankus. Once the spell is cast, Genia and Frankus look at one another and rush into each other's arms. Arriving at Ferragus' lair, Xena and Gabrielle are shocked to see Frankus enter with Genia, whom he introduces to his father as his fiancée. Aphrodite joins Xena and Gabrielle and the three devise a plan to save Genia and recover the helmet. Disguised and pretending to be Genia's parents, Xena and Aphrodite enter the house with Gabrielle, who is posing as a barber. When Ferragus is persuaded to let Gabrielle trim his hair for the impending nuptials, he takes the helmet off and places it gently in its bag. While Aphrodite breaks Genia's love spell, Xena discreetly swaps bags, handing the one with the helmet to Genia, who is magically transported by Aphrodite back to the Thebes marketplace where she is immediately captured by Zarat and his men. Back in his lair, Ferragus is seething over having lost the helmet when Zarat enters and offers to help him.   Inside the zealot's temple, Genia is about to be sacrificed when Xena and Gabrielle barge in. As Xena moves toward Zarat, Ferragus swoops in wearing the helmet and a battle breaks out while the rope holding Genia burns rapidly. With some fancy maneuvering, the real Helmet of Hermes ends up safe with Aphrodite and Xena and Gabrielle emerge triumphant. Genia thanks them profusely for saving her life and teaching her the ways of the world. Later that night, Xena surprises Gabrielle with an amazing birthday present. Wearing the Helmet of Hermes, Xena takes Gabrielle by the hand and the two fly over Sappho's outdoor show, listening to the beautiful poetry together as it floats up from the ground below. DISCLAIMER No fish guts were harmed during the making of this motion picture.