DISCLAIMER: The characters of Xena: Warrior Princess remain the property of MCA/Renaissance Pictures and Studios USA. No copyright infringement is intended and this is a non-profit story.

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I believe insanity and hatred are the most powerful forces in the universe. Both give life a blinding purpose and are by far the hardest of all motivators to quench or kill. Both became my inspiration the day the destroyer of nations, the warrior princess attacked my village.

My name is Callisto of Cirra…well, of the pile of ash and bodies that used to be Cirra. My home. I was 14 when Xena and her army made happiness a vague memory for me. Now I am 16 and I have followed Xena and her army since that day. I watch her from a distance, and I will one day kill her. No, I will make her suffer as she has made me suffer, and she will beg for death’s warm release.

I know Xena, I have studied her. She became the evil that she is because a warlord attacked her village and killed her brother. Well, at least he had a chance. He died with a sword in his hand, not like my mother and sister cowering in our small house as they died. So it was Xena’s duty to seek revenge for her brother’s death, and now, it is my right. Every battle she fights I watch with a strange mix of hatred and awe. She is my mentor, my creator. Just as Cortese and Caesar created her, and she longs to kill them both. It’s funny that, these people give us a reason to live, a purpose like no other…to be the avenger. I find a dry irony in the fact that without her, I may have become a normal village girl, married, had children, instead of what I am rapidly becoming. My life is building up to one great battle and I will be ready.

It’s not much of a life I lead now. I follow her army, stealing food from her camp, living in the trees, like an amazon. And I watch her men do their drills, I practice them, and I become stronger. I practice my skills on bandits and highway men who expect me to be easy pray… I am not. I may not be ready for my great battle with Xena, but I can fight. My first kill was only a moon or so after I left my village. I was in my camp, cooking some fish I caught (before I had the skills to steal), when a man entered my campsite. He was one of Xena’s men, I recognised the seal upon his armour. "Hello there girly" He said leering at me "You lost?" I stood without fear pulled back my hood. "Oh, my, you are a pretty little thing aren’t you?" he said advancing "Stay away from me, or die" I said noting the sword at his side. I looked at the small knife in my hand and back at the soldier who was laughing at my threat. I glared at the seal on his chest, aimed and threw the knife into it, and I found myself smiling for the first time since I lost my family as his shocked face registered that he was seconds from death. I walked over to his collapse form and whispered into his ear "You are the first. The first of many" then I kissed his cold cheek softly "Thankyou for the sword". I removed my knife from his chest and turned the fish with it.

Now I glance affectionatly at my sword. I look over at the fires of Xena’s camp from my vantage point. I am hungry, time to visit my enemy.

Xena had settled down to eat in her tent when she heard the guard at her door talking to another soldier.
"We found this little thing stealing food from the supplies. I thought Xena would want to see this" The warlord’s ears pricked up at the mention of an intruder in her camp. Usually, her men dealt with intruders without the need to bother her. She stood up and exited the tent. The guard backed away instantly and Xena looked at the soldier holding the cloaked figure "What is it Malphas. You wanted to disturb me to show me a boy stealing food?" The soldier pulled the cloak off and pulled at the girl’s hair, showing Xena her face. "No" the soldier said proudly "I just thought this might amuse you". Xena smiled, it had been a while since there had been another female in her camp. She turned to the soldier "Thank you" she said indicating for Malphas and the guard to bring her inside and tie her up. The men tied the small blonde woman to the chair where Xena had been sitting, in front of the food and left hurridly.

Xena smiled threateningly at the young girl, the night had suddenly gotten more interesting.
"What can I do for you?" she said to the small woman sitting in her chair. "Well, I was about to eat when your men caught me" the girl said, disgust evident in her voice. Xena walked around the bound youth and ran her fingers gently along her cheek, the girl pulled back defiantly.
"Yes, you were stealing from me" Xena pulled her hand back and slapped the girl viciously across the face "I don’t like theives."
The girl spat the blood that the slap had caused to spill from her mouth at the warlord’s feet "I don’t like murderers."
Momenterilly Xena’s face revealed her shock at the girl’s boldness before her warrior mask returned, and she smiled calmly. "Well, I don’t do it for the popularity". Xena picked up a piece fruit from in front of the girl "Hungry, thief?" she said putting the apple close to the girl’s mouth. The blonde child looked up at Xena "Your face has repulsed me beyond hunger". This time Xena couldn’t disguise her shock and rage at her captive’s words. She grabbed at the girl’s hair and slammed her head into the table in front of her. She leaned over the spitfire and said clearly in her ear "It is not polite to insult your hostess." "Go to Tarterus," the girl swore before Xena’s next punch rendered her unconscious. "Guard!" Xena shouted to the man at the door, who rushed in at her command "Get this girl out of here, keep her bound, and see that I’m not disturbed again."

My eyes are closed, and I listen. The guards are talking about me. The guard from outside Xena’s tent is telling the others about what I said. They laugh about what their commander will do with me. They boast about what they would like to do to me. I think about what I will do to them. The guard from Xena’s tent, I think I will snap his neck. Malphas, I will slit his throat. I like necks, they are so vulnerable, so easy to kill someone there, so quick. Before I kill her, I must learn Xena’s neck pinch.

If I even get the chance to kill Xena, that is. After two years of stelthly stalking my foe, I am repulsed by how easily I was captured. My self-efficacy has never been high, but now I am nausuated that I may have destroyed my chances at the peace I will finally find when Xena’s warm blood is soaking my skin, all because I was contumely and careless. No, I will use this opportunity to better know my enemy, and then I will escape.

I can feel the dried blood caked on the left side on my head. I think my lip is split, and I’m sure my left eye is black. I open my eyes and narrow them again quickly because of the pain. I check my retraints. My arms are tied to a pole at my back, and my feet are bound together. They are all secure. My sword is gone. I glance around. There is a small table at the other side of the tent. My sword is on it. I look up the pole I am bound too. It is clearly the support pillar of the tent, it branches close to the top, and other pieces of wood are nailed to it. Only a staffs length from where I sit. I struggle to my feet and reach my arms as far above and behind my head as my bindings will allow. My roped wrists are merely a hand’s length from a protruding nail. If I jump at it…

Xena marched towards the tent where her prisoner was being kept. She was looking forward to another encounter with the child. She was amazed by the girl’s defiance. Not one of her men had ever looked at her so completely fearlessly, no one had since…Ceaser. The warrior strode into the tent.

She found the girl leaping, arms twisted painfully towards a loose nail on the beam she was secured too. Xena again stopped to admire the child. Her persistence, her fearlessness in the face of pain and death reminded Xena of herself as child, and she was torn between the desires to annihilate or nurture this reminder of her own propensity.

Xena took advantage of the girl’s distraction to watch her struggle against the nail, pain evident in her features. Enjoying the futile determination of her captive, she smiled from the entrance of the tent. With a snapping sound the ropes gave way and the girl fell face first on the ground. Xena slowly began to applaud as the youth shook her head and leaped to her feet. "Well done" Xena said smiling patronisingly "Although I would have lured the guard in, and quietly disarmed him, using the weapon when he had left to free myself. Much less painful than your way."

The girl stood awkwardly, wary but unafraid, unsure whether to assume a defense pose or not when the warlord approached her. She stood to her full height and braced her feet.
"Now, thieves in my camp are usually treated to a lashing or ten, lose a finger, and then are released". She walked behind the blonde and put her hands on her shoulders roughly. "But you, seem to have a burning hatred for me, which I respect". She pulled the child head up to look into her eyes. "But it would not be in my best interest to free you". She teased the girl. "Who knows, you may one day become a threat to me…when you grow up". The child glared at her. "So perhaps I should just kill you now". She smiled pleasently. Deep brown eyes stared accusingly.
"It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve killed helpless children". Xena looked thoughtful and continued to try and frighten the girl. "No, I suppose it wouldn’t be…but you’re hardly helpless are you?". She ran her hands down the bantam wiry frame, feeling the small but defined muscles under her fingers. "Why, I’m sure you could stand up to many an attacker". Her hands went back to the tense shoulders and she leaned in towards her ear. "But not me".

She moved towards the girl’s sword on the table, picked it up and examined the blade. "Nice sword" she said walking back too the child "Did you steal or kill for it?" she queeried, pointing the weapon at the girl.
"A gift" The child smiled sweetly.
Xena was impressed. "Really? One of my men gave it too you?". The small woman looked surprised that Xena knew the sword was from her army. "I don’t believe that".
The warrior approached the insolent youth and slid the blade along her collar bone, grazing her neck. Both women watched the small, clean trail of blood wind it’s way down the sloping neck, and spread a dark patch on the girl’s top. Xena’s eyes shifted from the stain to the deep brown eyes "Do you know how many children come to me to avenge their father’s or brother’s deaths at my hand?"
The deep eyes bore into her own. "Fewer than are justified, no doubt".
The warlord smiled again "Yes, I suppose so. Only the stupidest of orphans I create seek revenge, do you know why?" She tilted the young face towards hers and leaned in closely. "Because I am not an easy enemy, and those who try to avenge always seem to end up dead." The warrior’s hand gently touched the cut she had created, and then followed the path the thick liquid had chosen, coming to rest on the discoloured top. "But those were always young men. You remind me far more of me". She handed the sword back to the confused girl. "And that resemblence may save you. If you can be…tamed". The small hand tightened around the sword hilt. The warrior continued. "You see young men with fire in their eyes are a dinar a dosen, their people flame it, but most villages crush that fire in a girl." She moved in closer to the girl and gently ran her hand along the wiry shoulders. "I could flame that fire, if it could be…redirected". The smaller woman shuddered when the warrior’s breath tickled her neck, followed by her tongue. The blond momentarily, visibly relaxed into the touch, before lifting the sword in her hand to strike at the warrior. Xena quickly disarmed the girl with a laugh and moved her hand to tighten around the small throat, her expression a mix of amusement and rage. "Pathetic". She spat at the child who struggled to breathe. "You want a battle with the Destroyer of Nations? Is that what you want? You could be a figure in my army, instead you choose death?" The warlord dropped the small form to the ground and spun around to leave. "So be it".

I spit after the retreating warlord, and rub my neck. The guards rush around me and pick me up. I claw and fight them before I am again restrained, this time in chains and my feet are tied. I manage to sink my teeth into the cheek of one of the young guards, tearing the soft flesh from his face as it is were cooked chicken. He screams and I spit the flesh from my mouth and lick the blood off my teeth with a feral smile. He backhands me across the face, swearing and clutches his wound. The others pull him away and finish with the chains. Then they all leave and I am alone again with my thoughts.

The metalic taste of the blood on my lips reminds me that the cut on my throat is still leaking slightly, and I scream with frustration at the need to wipe at the trailing blood and at the spot where Xena’s mouth touched me. I am repulsed by her, and yet in some way, I am also aroused, which makes me want to scream again. The guards are laughing now, mocking my frustration over my confused feelings. I feel now, that not only is my enemy outside, by she has filtered inside of me as well, and I am more vulnerable. Even my own body turns against me and betrays my hatred as my mind replays the feeling of her breath on my neck with vivid accuracy. I suppose that lust is not linked to reason, but I feel I have less control. I will still of course kill her, given the chance, and...maybe I can use this to my advantage. Maybe if I appear to agree to her offers I can shift the balance…

I call to the guard at the door to send in his leader, I am ready to bargin.

Xena sat in her tent and waited for the guards to bring her the girl. She was not willing to pay another visit to her prisoner, it was much better tactically to bring her into her quarters to surrender. The flaps opened and four of her men lead the girl in and tied her to the center pole in the room. Xena then dismissed the guards and told them to remove the men at her door also. Malphas began to protest "Xena, she is dangerous, it would not be wise for us to be too far away. Look what she did to Derotine" The guard pointed to a rather crumpled young soldier with a large piece of his face missing. Xena smiled at the handiwork of the blonde hellcat. "That’s going to scar." Her grin faded as she turned back to Malphas and said threateningly "Do you doubt that I can handle this child?" The guard began to perspire and mumbled "er..of course not, but…" "Then leave." Xena commanded, sitting on the pallet. The soldiers slowly filed out of the tent, like repremanded children and left the two alone.

Xena turned her attention from the retreating guards onto her prisoner, and a dangerous smile played upon her lips.
"I like what you did to my guard." she said untying the girl and slowly circling her like a hunted down animal "Much more resorceful than I would have given you credit for."
She picked up the girls’ chin and looked directly into her eyes.
"So full of rage. How am I to trust that this is truly a surrender, and not a trick? You can’t even hide your hatred."
The blond stared back. "I make no claim that my hatred is gone, but it has little to do with surrender."
The warlord smiled and tilted her head slightly. "How so? Surrender is all about having lost that fire, becoming hopeless, and giving in too your enemy."
"Would you have wanted the surrender of one so pathetic?" the youth retailiated.
"If not for fear or hopelessness, why give in at all?" Xena queeried, truly surprised by her prisoner.
"Because I see that any attempt to kill you would never succeed, and so I want the next best thing."
"And what is that?"
"I want to learn from you. I want to become like you. I want to be so inhuman that I feel no fear, remorse or hatred for anything. Only ever growing power."
"Is that what you think I am?" Xena laughed "I am honored."
"I think your power overcomes your pain, and that is what I want."
Xena looked at the girls’ face and saw the grief etched into her delicate features, and felt the twinges of remorse. This child, so much like her with the loss of a childhood to rage and fury. What the girl said was true, her pain was overshadowed by her power, but as she stared into the eyes of an innocent whose destiny she had changed, she felt the ache and regret that she had sought to repress. She turned away from her prisoner.
"I am not so inhuman."
The younger woman moved slowly towards the warrior, confused by the change in her tone. Xena turned suddenly back towards the girl, her warrior mask having returned, and pinned her against the pole.
"And when that power and strength fail, what then? What would you be left with?" She pressed, fearing her own emotions, and the future of her control. The child leaned closer.
"My hate." She said before her lips touched those of her captor. Xena moved into the kiss and the two women fought for control. The warrior’s hands moved the girl’s wrists behind her back and she pulled the blond into her as the kiss deepend. The older woman explored the muscled back of the girl in her arms. From in the warlord’s embrace, the teenager gently removed Xena’s chakram from her belt with one hand as the other snaked around the taller woman’s shoulders. Xena began to bite and nip her way along her neck, as the girl raised the weapon and imbedded it deeply into the warlord’s side. Xena pulled back in pain and surprise, and clutched her gushing wound as the blond picked up a chair and brought it down upon her head. Xena groaned and fell to the ground, staring above her at the youth who was suddenly in the position of power. The warrior grunted and pulled the circular blade from her flesh and readied herself for her opponent’s attack which never came. The girl had abandoned her opportunity to finish off her enemy, and fled the tent.

Throwing my cloak over my shoulders I leave the tent and run to the stable beside the water trough. If I had more time, I would take Xena’s horse, but any will do and soon I am leaving her camp at a gallop. I know that Xena will soon be hot on my trail, it will not take her long to recover from my blow and follow me, but I believe that she will come alone. Embarrassed by my escape, she will not alert her men who warned her of me. I wonder, did I see regret in her eyes? Sorrow for my loss? I know that is why I could not kill her in her tent, as she rythed in pain, I could not kill her like that. Perhaps I am weak, but I could not do it. I will kill her when I see hatred in her, as she lunges at me, as she thrusts her sword, soon enough. And with the injury I inflicted, I may have evened the odds somewhat. I look behind, the warrior princess is gaining on me, and I scream and urge my horse on. Looking ahead I see the woods, and move towards the cover of trees. I have no illusion that I will be able to lose her, nor do I believe she will give up and return to her camp, I am simply looking for a place for our showdown, where I may have some advantage.

There is only so much you can learn from observation. The only way to truly learn to fight like Xena, is too fight her. Ahead I see a clearing with several large rocks and a low hanging tree. Perfect. I slow my horse, and jump down. I have no weapons, but I check the saddlebags of the panting animal and find two small daggers. I smile a sly thanks to the well prepared warrior who owned this beast. I tuck one of the daggers in my boot, the other I bury in the ground beneath the low hanging tree, and climb into its branches. I wait as I hear the warlord approach and flip down from her horse to land in the middle of the clearing below me. This is it.

Xena flipped down from her horse and whinced from the pain of the wound in her side. She quickly assessed the situation. Her enemy was clever. This child, who wanted so badly a showdown with her, had selected an excellent battle ground, and she smiled with an odd sense of pride at the action. She pulled her sword from it’s place at her back and called out.
"Let’s finish this little girl."
From the tree above where the warlord stood, the young woman jumped down to land in front of the warrior. She gestured to her empty hands.
"I’m unarmed."
Xena’s eyes raked the girl’s clothing for signs of a hidden weapon. She knew that there must be one, that this foe was not so foolish as to attempt hand to hand contact with her without some concealed advantage. Her gaze stopped at the lump in the side of the blond’s right boot, and she considered that her own boot danger was much less obvious. It would seem they were about even. The warlord grinned, placed her chakram on the ground in front of her, and threw her sword back, to land in the sand about four paces behind. The blade sticking out of the ground, shaking slightly was a beacon that the battle had begun.

Xena lunged towards the blond who ducked slightly to the side enough to pull out her small weapon from her boot. She grinned at the warrior.
"Oops, I forgot, I am armed." She swung the blade wildly at the warlord screaming as she thrust the dagger forward. Xena kicked at the weapon, expecting it to fly from the child’s hand, but instead she held on, her arm propelled painfully back from the force of the kick, making a loud snapping sound. Xena reached for her own boot dagger and smiled.
"Aren’t we both forgetful." The small blond switched her dagger to her left arm, as the right lay limply by her side, and lunged towards Xena’s exposed wound. The warlord caught the girl’s hand and squeezed the blade from her small fingers as she squirmed.
"You won’t give up, even though you know you can’t win." The warrior said, almost frustrated by her suicidal determination.
"Never" The girl spat before kicking Xena with all her might in her still leaking wound. Xena roared and relised the younger woman’s hand, and clutched her side strongly with one hand. With the other she backhanded the teenager across the face, propelling her into the trunk of the tree. The sound of her back hitting the wood made a defening thud, and the girl fell to the ground. Xena glanced at the child lying face down in the dirt, and assuming the end of the battle, bent to retrieve her chakram.
Small fingers gripped the hilt of the dagger hidden beneath the sand, and with a strength gained from pure abhorrence, the blond flung the weapon at the warlord. The tiny blade spun through the air before piercing Xena’s leg. The warrior pulled the weapon from her flesh, and hurled her chakram at the thick branch of the tree above the fallen girl. The branch creaked and fell towards the ground, as the child screamed. And as the wooden bough crashed down over the figure, the screams abruptly ended. Xena picked up her sword, climbed on her horse, and rode slowly back to her camp.

I open my eyes and see that I am in a small hut. There is a woman beside the cot I am lying in and she is washing me. She notices my concious state and calls for her husband. A gentle looking farmer walks over beside my bed. He smiles at me. "There, there child," he pulls a blanket over my body, "you’re safe now, and you’ll soon be strong again soon." He grins gently at his wife, and then looks back at me. "But you’re lucky to be alive after that fall! What is it with children and tree climbing? Hmm? I can’t seem to keep mine out of the tree’s either, like little monkey’s!" He laughs to himself, and I strain to see the rest of my surroundings. The house is modest, with a fireplace and a pot of stew cooking. In the middle of the room, three small children play with wooden dolls and weapons. The wife gets up and walks over to the pot, fills a bowl with the steaming liquid, and brings it back to me. I try to sit up, but the man gently pushes me back down.
"Ah no, not yet young one, not for a good while, you’ve broken quite a few ribs and your arm, and you have a nasty bump on the noggen, but you are a lucky little girl." I resent the childlike reference, but am grateful to be alive. I look at this family and their dwelling. It’s almost like what my home was like, and for the memory I am both comforted and enraged. I have failed. But at least I am alive and will get the chance to try again. When I am strong, I will come for Xena. I will be the avenger. The woman lifts a spoon to my mouth "Come on my girl, you need your strength."

Indeed I do.

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