Disclaimer:
Tortured Soul is a work of fanfiction.
Any characters mentioned or implied in this story that are in any way related
to the television shows Xena: Warrior
Princess or Hercules: The Legendary Journeys do not belong to the author of
this story or the webmaster of this site.
They belong strictly to MCA, Universal Studios. This story is not meant to infringe upon their
rights or the rights of the actors who portray these characters. The events depicted in this story are
fictitious, and any similarities between persons or organizations, living or
dead, is purely coincidental. The
back-story theme of Season Five included in this story is not the authors in
any way and is the sole property of MCA, Universal Studios. The only characters that are mine in this
piece are Darius and Variea. Also, this
story is not to be copied in any way without the consent of the author of this
piece of fanfiction.
Warning:
This story contains scenes of graphic violence as well as implied sexual
behavior and situations between a man and woman. If this disturbs you please do not read this story.
Authors note: This story is set some time before the Xena
episode Looking Death in the Eye of the Fifth Season.
Questions?
Comments? If so, please contact
me at: thewarriorzemos@yahoo.com
or zemosms@aol.com
.
Darius
lay there on his bedroll, twitching and turning, his breathing hurried, his
heart thudding in his chest.
Dark images tormented him: memories of people—men, women, children
screaming—crying out in pain. Their
faces so innocent. So sweet. So real.
They tormented him, calling out to
him, asking him why he had killed them.
Their number was so great that he couldn’t count them.
Night after night they tormented
him. They called him names. Murder,
killer, coward, monster, just to name a few.
He
cried because of them—cried in his sleep, a soft moan of distress erupting from
his pain-filled face. And, what troubled
him most of all was that whenever he tried to answer their insistent questions
of why he’d took their lives, he discovered one thing: he couldn’t. He didn’t have an answer.
Their
moans of pain tormented him and consumed him with guilt. He couldn’t escape them. They were his constant companions. Constant reminders of the pain he’d caused.
Their
faces were bloody. Their forms
grotesque. Their bodies were decaying
before his very eyes as they reached out to him with outstretched arms—skin and
muscle falling off to reveal the sickening gleam of bone—
And
he awoke with a jolt, screaming out loud, completely drenched with sweat. Then his heart beat and breathing slowed and
returned to normal.
Darius
exhaled loudly and then sighed with relief.
Suddenly very glad that the things he’d seen had only been a nightmare.
Of
course he knew that they were only dreams afterwards, only to be fooled night
after night as he experienced them again and again.
But,
perhaps, they’re not dreams at all, his mind whispered. Perhaps they are simply the souls of those
that you have killed coming to you to exact revenge.
Darius
shook these thoughts away almost violently and rose to his feet, putting on his
vest and belt, which contained his sword.
Then he slid on his boots. He
didn’t have to worry about his pants since he slept in them night after
night.
Then
he sighed, wiping his face tiredly.
And, suddenly, he started walking, realizing that he needed very much to
get some fresh air.
Soon
he found the room he wanted and entered it ever so quietly. He’d chosen this particular room since it
was one of the few rooms that had a window in it. And a rather large one at that.
He
turned and stared for the window only to stop dead in his tracks.
Beside
the window stood Variea, dressed only in a white nightgown. Darius cursed silently. I didn’t expect her to be here, he
thought sourly. He turned to leave the
room.
“Darius?”
Variea asked, trying to make out his form in the faint light of the moon. “Is that you?”
He
sighed inwardly before turning back around.
“Yes, Variea, it’s me Darius.” He answered, walking toward her. He stopped when he got near her, standing on
the other side of the window.
For
a moment the two of them stood there, letting a breeze of the peaceful night
air whip over their bodies and ruffle their hair.
“So,
what brings you here at this time of night?” Variea asked.
“Ah,
I couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d get some fresh air.” Darius said.
“Same
here,” Variea replied.
Gods,
she’s beautiful! Darius thought, taking in her beautiful form. Then, on the trail of that thought: I wonder what she’s got on under that
gown? Can’t be much. Maybe nothing at all? Lustful visions of her well-toned body
dancing through his head, flooding his veins with desire. Stop it! he thought, giving himself a mental
slap across the face. You know about
Athena’s policy on relationships and sex!
So get any thoughts of you and her together out of your head right
now ‘cause it ain’t gonna happen!
Darius
sighed inwardly, realizing that as much as he hated to acknowledge these
thoughts, he realized that he must.
They were right. If Athena found
out they were together and had broken her policies then the punishments would
be severe. He didn’t know if the
goddess would kill him but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she would
waste no time in having Variea killed. And
Darius realized that he couldn’t—wouldn’t allow that to happen, knowing
that he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if she died because of his
selfish desires.
“It’s
beautiful, isn’t it?” Variea asked, breaking his thoughts. He looked up to find her looking out the
window up at the night sky. “The night,
I mean. Everything about it is
so…magical. Don’t you think?”
“Yes,
it is beautiful.” He replied, looking in turn up at the night sky.
A
few seconds passed, the crickets chirping softly, followed by the gentle
breeze, both sounds seeming to combined to form a sweet lullaby that was so
sweet that it served to put everything to rest in the chaotic world around
them.
“Darius?”
Variea asked, snapping him out of his trance.
He turned back around to find her staring intently at him, her
expression completely serious.
Variea
gathered her strength, realizing that she couldn’t hide it any longer. She had to tell Darius the truth about how
she actually felt about him.
“There’s
something I feel I must tell you and I can’t keep it hidden for any longer.”
Variea said.
“What
is it, Variea?” He asked, concern for her clearly evident on his face.
Variea
exhaled, sighing loudly and looked down at the floor, wondering how she was
going to do this. Then she met his gaze
once more. “Darius, I don’t know how to say what I’m about to
tell you but I can’t hold it back any longer.
I have to get this off of my chest.
Darius, I…I…”
“You
what?”
“I
love you,” she answered.
He
only stood there, completely stunned. He
was about to reply when, suddenly, Variea reached forward, landing a passionate
kiss upon his lips.
Several
seconds passed, both of them lost in the moment, Darius realizing that he
should stop this, but unable—or unwilling to make himself do it.
Finally,
the kiss ended and the two separated.
Variea was about to come back for more when Darius stopped her.
“No,
we can’t do this,” He breathed.
“What? Don’t you feel the same way?” She asked.
“Yes,
but, I…” He started to reply.
“Then
don’t deny it?” She said, putting her finger to his lips to silence him and
gazing into his eyes, seeing the same level of desire she felt for him burning
in them. She wants me? He thought in
disbelief, stunned by the very notion of it.
Then
Variea grabbed him, kissing him even more passionately than before. Unable to resist any longer he gave in and
returned her kisses with some of his own.
She
pushed him gently to the floor, bringing one leg over so that she was sitting
ontop his groin.
It
was then he realized that she did indeed have no clothes on under that gown of
hers as the bare skin of her pocketbook rested on his organ, which quickly
began to swell under the heat that seemed to pour from her, a faint moan
escaping from her lips, her breathing becoming hurried as she arched back,
suddenly absorbed in this new sensation.
“Yes,” she breathed, her eyes begging him to give her the relief she so
desperately wanted. To make love to
her.
Darius’s
heart began to pound, his breathing hurried, every fiber of his being begging
him to honor her request—and suddenly a new thought burst forth in his
head: Athena. She’ll kill her if I do this! His mind screamed.
“No!” He shouted, pushing
Variea off of him almost violently as he rose to his feet. “Athena will kill you if she finds out that
we slept together!”
“I
don’t care about Athena!” Variea shouted, rising to her feet.
“Variea,
what are you saying?!” Darius asked.
“I
saying that she doesn’t have the right to tell us what we can and can’t do as far
as our private lives go. So, I could
care less about her little policies.” Variea said, angrily, turning away from
him.
“But
I do care about them.” Darius replied, walking over to her and turning her
around by her shoulders and placing her hand in his. “Variea, I care about you—I love you and if you died
because of me I don’t know what I’d do.” Darius said, trying to hold back
tears.
“I
know you do,” she replied softly, stroking his face gently with her free
hand. “But…”
“But,
what?”
“Darius,
I don’t know if I want to work for Athena anymore.” Variea answered, realizing
that it was true. She was having some
serious doubts about the goddess and her forces.
When
she’d first joined Athena’s elite squadron of archers she’d done so because their
organization had been one of honor, strength, virtue, and courage. Everything she’d failed to find in society
she’d been able to find in them.
In
truth, it had been an honor to have been chosen as a member of Athena’s archers
considering she’d worked so hard to become one. Not to mention that not only were they the best warriors Greece
had to offer but they were also one of the few places that was reserved for
women only. Truly only the best of
warriors were accepted as members in this club.
Here
lately, however, she was having some serious doubts about the same
organization. It seemed that, somehow,
over time, it had begun to lose those qualities that had first attracted her to
it in the first place. That and it
seemed that Athena had changed too. At
one time she had seemed to have stood for everything that was holy and
just. Now it seemed that killing an
innocent child was perfectly fine with her.
But do I really want to serve a goddess and an organization that are
willing to kill an innocent child? Variea thought only to realize that she
already knew the answer to that question.
No she did not.
“I’ve
been having serious doubts about Athena and her squadron.” Variea
replied.
A
few seconds passed as the two broke eye contact, both looking around the room
for answers.
“Variea?”
Darius asked, breaking the silence that had enveloped them.
She
met his gaze evenly. “Yes, Darius?”
“Do
you think I should kill this child? Am I doing the right thing?” He
asked, his voice becoming strained.
She
sighed inwardly, letting a few moments of silence pass between them before
turning her attention back to him. “I
can’t tell you the answer to that question, Darius. I’m afraid that’s something you’ll have to figure out on your
own. I think, however, that in your
heart you already know the answer to that question. But whatever decision you make I’ll stand by it.”
Darius
sighed, nodding to himself, realizing that he would have to find an answer to
that question on his own.
Then
she kissed him yet again, this time softer than before, seeming to use her love
to caress his tortured soul. They fell
to their knees. And suddenly, Darius
broke contact, placing his head on her lap and sobbing softly, overcome by the
sadness of what he’d become…of what the gods had made him to be. Memories of all the pain and suffering he’d
caused flashing through his head.
“I’m
sorry,” he said weakly, looking up into her beautiful eyes, only to see that
they were filled with compassion.
“No,”
she said firmly. “It’s alright to cry,
Darius. Everybody cries at some point
in their lives, Darius, and your no exception.
Don’t be afraid to let it all out.”
And,
as he took in her words, he found that they only made him want to cry even
more.
“Shh,
it’s okay. You go ahead and let it all
out, baby. Okay?” she said softly,
pulling him to her chest in a warm hug.
He hugged her back fiercely, almost as if he was afraid she’d vanish
into thin air.
“Don’t
leave me,” he whimpered softly in a childish voice, resting his head on her lap
once more.
“I
won’t,” she reassured him, stroking his head gently.
“Variea?”
“Yes,
Darius?”
“Why
do you love me? What have I done to
deserve this? I’m a monster and I don’t
deserve your love.” Darius replied quietly.
She
bent over, kissing him gently on the forehead.
“Well, that’s too bad ‘cause you got it.”
Darius’s
only response was to snuggle up to her like a little child and strengthen his
grip on her as if he were afraid to let her go.
Darius
smiled, realizing for the first time in his life that he felt whole. It seemed that all his life he had always
lacked something and that was love. And
as he thought back he realized that this must be true because never in his
entire existence had anyone shown him love.
That was, until now.
Why
exactly Fate had given him someone like Variea he didn’t know. But, perhaps, he didn’t want to know, caring
only instead that she loved him and wanting to keep that love in his life at
all costs. It was then that he realized
that now that he’d found it he didn’t want to let it go. And, ultimately, he realized that he’d die
to protect Variea and not even Athena herself would take her from him…even if
it meant his death.
“Darius?”
Variea asked.
“What
is it, my love?” He asked, sitting up.
“I
was thinking about leaving this place soon but I can’t do it alone. Will you help me?”
“Variea,
I’ve tried to run away from the gods before and, no matter what I did, they
always seemed to find me. I can’t escape
from them.” Darius said.
“Your
right. You can’t escape from them.”
Variea answered. “But together we can
escape from them. Athena and the gods
don’t have dominion over every place in the world. If we can make it to Egypt then they can’t touch us. After all, they don’t rule over Egypt so
we’ll be safe there.”
A
few seconds passed as Darius took all of this in. “Okay,” He said at last, “I’ll do it.”
“Great! Whenever you’re ready you come and tell me
and we’ll leave as soon as possible.” Variea said almost shouting.
Then
the two embraced, kissing each other tenderly.
For
the next hour or so they remained together.
Darius seeming thrilled by the whole experience. And, after gathering a little courage, he
even dared to explore her body gently with his hands, as she did, in turn, with
his body. But, at the same time, they
both realized that they had to be careful least they get too carried away and
end up having sex anyway.
Finally,
after both of them had tired of this, Variea grabbed Darius’s head, pulling it
close to her own. “Now, you get some
rest and you go do whatever it is you feel you have to do tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay,
but only if you’ll promise me that you’ll be careful and watch yourself
tomorrow.”
“I
promise,” She said with a laugh only to end up kissing him again.
Then
they both said their good nights to each other, kissed once more, and left the
room to go their separate ways.
A
few seconds passed as nothing moved in the room. Then a figure emerged from the dark, shadowy recesses of a corner
of the large room. The figure hadn’t
meant to be in the room when Variea and Darius had stumbled into it. It had only come here for a breath of fresh
air as well. But, regardless of this,
it had seen and heard all. Poor Darius
and Variea, if only they hadn’t been so wrapped up in each other, perhaps, they
would have noticed the figure in the room.
But
they hadn’t noticed it and now they would pay dearly.
The
figure headed for the door, and, being as quiet as possible, it opened the
door, stepped through, and closed it and headed on its way.
************************************************************************
Somewhere
in the forest, the cry of an owl erupted through the trees. Xena whirled around toward the sound,
pulling her sword from its case before it dawned on her that what she’d heard
had only been an owl hooting and not the footsteps of an approaching
assassin. She sighed, sliding her sword
back into its case, and let her hands drop to her side.
Then
she turned back around and resumed her duty of keeping watch over Eve,
Gabrielle, and Hercules, all of which were sound asleep at the moment.
Xena
sighed once again, remembering how she’d managed to get the night watch. It had been shortly after their conversation
about Darius and the gods when Hercules had declared with a yawn that he was
going to turn in for the night. He
hadn’t gotten far, however, before he’d been stopped by Xena who’d suggested—or
rather demanded—that they should decide who would keep watch while the others
slept.
But
this had proved pointless after the three of them had argued heatedly about who
this person should be as none of them wanted to keep watch, preferring to sleep
instead.
So
finally Gabrielle had halted the argument, declaring that they should draw
straws and that whoever got the shortest straw would become the unlucky
individual to get to keep watch over the others.
Well,
as luck would have it, Xena ended up with the shortest straw, much to her
dismay. Either because he wanted to be
fair to her or because he saw the displeased look on her face, Hercules
suggested that they take turns keeping watch, each person taking only a few
hours at a time after which someone would take their place.
Xena
looked up at the night sky, taking in the stars, which seemed less like stars
and more like gleaming jewels. Finally,
her eyes came to rest on the moon.
Although she couldn’t be sure, she guessed that, judging from it’s
position in the sky, that meant that it was probably somewhere near midnight.
Xena
looked back down at the surrounding forest, a smile slowly spreading across her
face as she realized that in a few more hours she’d be able to wake up someone
to replace her and fulfill her duties as night watchman.
Xena
chuckled softly, knowing already who she would pick: HERCULES!
The
tall, groggy demigod wouldn’t be pleased when she woke him up but it was better
she chose him since Gabrielle was a heavy sleeper and probably wouldn’t want to
get up unless you spent several hours pestering her. As a matter of fact, Xena thought, nothing short of an explosion
would stir her from her slumber.
Xena
laughed silently, a mischievous gleam flashing in her eyes and her smile
transforming into a devilish grin as she pictured Hercules trying to wake the
sleeping bard. Boy, won’t he be in for
a surprise?! She thought. Then she
sighed, shaking her head, pushing the thought from her head and turning her
attention back to the matter at hand.
Xena
scanned the dark shadowy outline of the surrounding brush, using her sharp
vision to search for any trace of a hidden attacker. Finding nothing menacing lurking out in the brush, her eyes
finally came to rest on Eve, who lay nestled in a few blankets under the
protection of Hercules’s outstretched arm.
Xena didn’t know exactly what, if any, protection the sleeping demigod
could give her daughter should an unexpected attack occur. But for some reason unknown to her, seeing
Eve near him brought her a sense of peace that she couldn’t explain.
Seeing
Eve with Hercules also brought back memories of before she’d stared on her
adventures with Gabrielle, when she and Hercules had shared a passionate, yet
brief relationship together. As the
years passed, however, they began to drift apart considering they never got to
spend any time together and never knew where the other might be next.
Xena
smiled as she took in the handsome form of the fair-haired son of Zeus,
remembering on several nights past when she’d entertained lustful fantasies of
being in the embrace of his strong arms as he made love to her. And, even after all these years of their being
apart, she wondered that if he made advances toward her if she’d refuse.
Xena
also knew from talking to Gabrielle that the bard had said that she’d even
entertained such thought concerning the demigod. Which didn’t surprise Xena at all considering almost every woman
in Greece would probably throw themselves at him, just to say that they slept
with the mighty Hercules.
Xena guessed that, in the end, that she still had
feelings for him. But she knew that
there could never be anything between them considering the demanding aspects of
their jobs.
Not
to mention that part of her feelings for him mostly derived from the fact that
he had been the first person in her life to show her the pain and suffering her
misdeeds as an evil warlord had caused.
True,
Gabrielle may have been the one to have given her hope and kept her from
returning to her evil ways, but it was Hercules who had helped to generate the
spark which had made her give up her evil life and start on the path of good.
And,
Xena knew, because of that, she would always be grateful to him.
Xena
stretched her tired muscles, wishing that she was asleep at this very
moment. It wasn’t that she minded
watching over them—especially Eve—it was just that after the day she’d had she
really wanted to do nothing more than curl up somewhere and fall fast asleep.
Xena
turned around and started to head toward the opposite side of the camp, when
she stopped suddenly.
The
hair on the back of her neck stood up, as a chill moved down her spine—and then
it came, that familiar, dreadful tingle she always felt whenever a god was near
her but remained unseen. Clearly, she
was not alone.
Xena
whirled back around, drawing her sword.
Her body remained tense as she tried to figure out who this particular
god or goddess might be. Then it hit
her, the realization painfully obvious, making Xena give herself a mental kick
in the rear. “Ares,” she said darkly,
almost as if the name were a dirty word.
And,
as if on cue, the black, leather-clad God of War appeared before her in a flash
of blue light, laughing loudly.
“Hello,
Xena. You know, you never cease to
amaze me. How do you do that anyway?”
Ares said, clapping his hands together, smiling broadly, and shaking his head
before sighing loudly.
“Call
it intuition,” Xena replied. “What do you
want, Ares?”
“Do
I always have to be after something?” he asked innocently.
“Cut
the crap, Ares. I’m not in the mood to
play your little games. Okay?” Xena
replied venomously.
“Who
said I’m here to play games? I came
here to offer you a deal.” Ares answered, walking up to her and then behind
her, tracing her shoulders with his hand before leaning toward her.
“Give
me a child.” He said, whispering seductively into her ear. Then, suddenly, he was in front of her once
again. Xena hated when he did
that. First he’d be in one place then
he’d pop up in another without her knowing it until after he’d done it. She slipped her sword back into its case.
“You
already know the answer to that question, Ares.” Xena replied.
“Do
I?” Ares asked softly.
“The
answer is no, Ares. I’ve told you that
already. So, why don’t you do me a
favor and accept it.” Xena said, walking up to him until they were almost
nose-to-nose, almost shouting.
“Xena,
Xena, Xena,” Ares chided, shaking his head.
“So quick to make your decision, are you? I thought I taught you better than that. I don’t know if you’re willing to acknowledge the truth yet but sooner or
later you will. The other gods are
relentless and they’re not going to stop until they destroy your baby.”
“Maybe,
maybe not. That remains to be seen.”
Xena replied, backing up a step. Ares
laughed, clearly amused at her words.
Xena
exhaled loudly. She’d had enough of
this. “That’s it!” She shouted,
throwing her hands up into the air.
“I’m waking Gabrielle and Hercules up.
I’ve had enough of this!”
And,
for some bizarre reason, this only caused Ares to laugh even more.
“I
don’t think that’s going to be possible.” Ares replied, now behind her. She whirled around, anger creeping onto her
face.
“What
do you mean?! What have you done to
them?!” She asked between clenched teeth.
“Oh,
well, I’m afraid they’ll be out for quite awhile, or at least as long as I’m
here. I put both Hercules and Gabrielle
as well as Eve into a deep sleep. Let’s
just say I wanted us to have a quiet meeting with no interruptions.”
“Oh,
yeah, well, how do can I be sure that this isn’t some sort of elaborate trap
set by Athena?”
“Xena,
have a little more faith,” He said with a laugh. “I only put them under so I could talk to you alone. Although, I must admit that the thought did
cross my mind to use the opportunity to kill Hercules but I didn’t.”
“And
why not?” Xena asked.
“Because
may be I’m not here to kill him or anyone else that matters to you. Did you ever think about that?”
Xena
cocked an eyebrow and took in what he’d just said.
“Xena,
what do I have to do to convince you that I’m only interested in the welfare of
your baby?!” He asked, throwing his hands up into the air.
“That’s
the problem, Ares, you can’t.” Xena answered coolly.
“And
why is that?”
“Because
you’re Ares and you always lie!” Xena shouted.
“Really?”
He replied, suddenly behind her again.
She spun around. I’m really
getting annoyed with that little stunt of his! She thought.
The
two of them fell into silence, neither of them speaking for several seconds.
“Ares,
let me ask you something, and it’s about Darius. I’ve heard rumors that he’s been known to have killed kings and
warlords amidst their kingdoms and armies.
There any truth to that?” said the warrior princess, breaking the
silence that had enveloped them.
“Of
course and those are just a few of the things he’s done. Truth is, he’s the best mortal assassin
Olympus has to offer. And, now that the
whole ordeal with Eve has started, the Order, particularly Athena, is looking
to him more and more everyday as a means to end it and solve all their
problems. And I’m sorry to say, Xena,
that, despite your vast training, that you aren’t capable enough to deal with
him. And that goes for Hercules as
well. I saw what happened today,
Xena. I know how close he came to
killing Eve and then Hercules.” Ares said.
“But
how do you know that?” Xena asked.
“I’m
a god, Xena. I have my ways.” Ares replied
sarcastically with a slight laugh.
“Besides, I don’t think you need to concern yourself with that. You see, in the end, Darius doesn’t need to
defeat you or Hercules to kill Eve. All
he really needs to kill Eve is an opportunity, no matter how small of
impossible it is, and he’s already proven that once today when he defeated you
and Gabrielle. Given that he’s on your
tail, as well as the gods, it’s only a matter of time before your daughter’s
time is up. Consider that, Xena. Think about it and then tell me if my offer
is really so bad after all.
“But
don’t take too much time on it, Xena.
‘Cause, given the relentlessness of the other gods, Eve may not have
that much time left.” Ares said before disappearing in flash of blue light.
Xena
stood there, knowing that he was wrong.
But, at the same time, she wondered what would happen if it turned out
that he was right all along and Eve ended up dying because she’d failed to heed
his words. Would she be able to live
with herself then?
Xena
sighed, telling herself that she was over worrying and that, in the end,
everything would be alright before turning around and resuming her watch over
the others.
************************************************************************
Gabrielle
kneeled down by the water’s edge of the small pond and dipped the bucket into
its cool surface. Then, with a small
grunt, she pulled it out of the pond’s still surface and set the bucket onto
the dry bank, water sloshing noisily over its sides.
Then
she proceeded to repeat this process with another water bucket that she had
brought along as well.
And
just think, Gabrielle thought sarcastically, when you’re finished with this
you’ll get the joy of lugging both of these heavy things back up to the
village!
Gabrielle
sighed, remembering how she had gotten this assignment.
Shortly
after breakfast, just after the sun had rose, Xena had suggested that they head
toward a nearby village that was only a few miles away considering that there was
an old friend of hers that owned an inn there where they could stay and lay low
for a few days.
So,
after an unanimous vote, the group had headed toward the village, arriving
shortly before noon. Once there they
had headed for the inn, and, once inside, had been welcomed by a kindly,
elderly gentleman by the name of Dirk.
After
that they had all settled into the only available room in the place. It was then that Gabrielle had decided that
she needed a bath only to be informed by Dirk that there wasn’t any water in
the inn for that. So, being the
good-hearted person that she was, Gabrielle had immediately suggested that
someone do the deed and go and fetch the water.
But
what little good mood she’d had had up until that moment had quickly faded away
when she’d seen the funny expressions Hercules and Xena both wore. They had given her a look that had instantly
made her regret ever opening her mouth in the first place.
“Hey,
that’s a great idea!” Hercules exclaimed, picking up some water buckets that
just happened to be lying on the floor and tossing them to her, both of which
she caught easily. “So, why don’t you
just mosey on down to this village’s local water source and get us some water?”
“But,
Hercules-“ Gabrielle had started to protest.
“Ah,
quit your whining, ya little baby! You
were the one who wanted the bath so it’s only fair that you get the water. Now get going.” Xena said. And then both the warrior princess and the
son of Zeus had begun pushing her toward the door, much to her protests and
hadn’t stopped until they’d pushed her right out of the door into the hallway
where they’d slammed the door in her face.
Sighing
loudly and muttering obscenities under her breath, Gabrielle had headed out of
the inn.
And
when she had discovered that the village didn’t have a well, she had stopped a
passerby and asked them where the nearest water source was only to find out to
her dismay that it was a pond which was located a few miles from the village.
It was
that very pond that she was at now.
Gabrielle
pulled the bucket from the water and set it down onto the bank. Then, grabbing both buckets by their
handles, she rose to her feet.
Beyond
the pond was a grassy plain, which stretched on for as far as the eye could
see.
Gabrielle
started to turn around and head back to the village when she suddenly
stopped. She gazed out along the vast
plain. She wasn’t sure but she thought
she saw something. A group of men
perhaps? Using her sharp vision,
she studied the object, which was fast approaching.
And
then as it got closer it dawned on her that what she was seeing was more than a
mere group of men. It was an army,
massive in size. Probably the largest
she’d ever seen! As they got closer she
saw that they were covered in black leather from head to toe and carried silver
shields in front of them.
Then
Gabrielle froze, finally able to read the symbols that were etched on their
shields. This was no average army. These guys belonged to a god or goddess. Gabrielle squinted her eyes, trying to use
the symbols to determine which god it was—and then it hit her, the realization
sending chills down her spine. These
were Athena’s men and they were headed straight for her! Gabrielle frowned. No, they can’t be heading for me, She thought, They
probably don’t even know I’m here yet.
So that means their heading for…
“THE
VILLAGE!” She shouted, dropping the buckets.
“They’ve come after us no doubt!”
I’ve got to warn Xena and Hercules! She thought.
Then
she turned and headed back toward the village.
************************************************************************
Back
at Dirk’s inn, which was actually a combination of an inn/tavern, Xena leaned
back in her chair, downing her glass of ale and slamming the mug on the table
before her. At the moment the tavern
was filled with people all of whom were engaged in a conversations, which
filled the tavern with a steady roar.
On
the other side of the table sat Hercules who, at the moment at least, held Eve
in his comforting arms. He gazed down
at the child, lovingly, a warm smile on his face.
“I
think she’s taken quite a likening to you.” Xena said, smiling at the sight of
them together.
“I
guess she has,” Hercules replied, not taking his gaze off of Eve as he spoke.
“Here
you go, Xena,” an elderly gentleman said, setting two glasses of ale on the
table, “compliments of the house.”
“Why,
thank you, Dirk,” Xena said kindly, looking up at the elderly gentleman, who
had gray hair, blue eyes, and who was dressed rather simply. His wardrobe consisted only of a meek, brown
shirt, pants and shoes. “I’m sure my
friend and I will enjoy them very much.”
“Good,
good. Glad to hear it and if you need
anything else you just tell me and I’ll make sure you get it.” Dirk said,
smiling from ear to ear. Then he turned
around and headed back for the tavern’s bar.
“So,
what’s his story?” Hercules asked, looking up from Eve and turning his
attention to Xena.
“Ah,
I saved his son from being run over by a runaway wagon a year or so ago. He’s been grateful to me ever sense. Not to mention he’s a heck of a nice guy and
a good friend.” Xena replied.
Hercules
nodded and then turned his attention back to Eve, while Xena downed her glass
of ale.
What
Xena had neglected to mention to Hercules was that not long ago she’d heard
rumors that his son had died after drowning in a nearby pond and, because of
that, Dirk had turned away from the gods and embraced the teachings of Eli to
heal his pain over the loss of his son.
Not that Xena could blame him, considering that the gods often had a
habit of promising to help their followers and then abandoning them in their
greatest time of need.
Suddenly,
the door to the tavern burst open and Gabrielle came running through, coming to
a stop when she got to Xena.
“Xena,
there’s an army heading this way and they’re going to be here any second!”
Shouted a nearly hysterical Gabrielle, causing everyone else in the tavern to
stop talking and turn their attention to her.
“Did
you see any markings to identify who they might belong to?” Xena asked.
“They
belonged to a god—“ She began.
“Which
god?” Hercules asked, his attention completely on Gabrielle.
“They
were Athena’s men, I’m sure of it.” Gabrielle answered. At this both Xena and Hercules stood up.
“Where
did you see them at?” Hercules asked.
“On
the plain not far from a pond which is a few miles from here.” Gabrielle
answered.
“Okay,
let’s go.” Xena said, grabbing the sling up off of the floor. Hercules carefully put Eve into its snug
folds before Xena slipped it onto her back.
“Xena,”
Dirk said, walking up to them. They
turned to face him. “I have a back door
to the place. I can show it to you if
you’d like. It could provide you with
an easy escape.”
“Okay,
show it to us,” Xena said.
“Xena,
wait, what about Argo?” Gabrielle asked.
“We
haven’t got the time to go get her. If
we get time later then we’ll come back for her. But I’m sure she’ll be just fine
for now in the local stables where I left her.” Xena answered.
Then
Dirk started forward, followed by Xena, Gabrielle and then Hercules. Once they had worked their way to the back
of the room, Dirk led them down a series of hallways, before coming to a stop
at a door located on what had to be the back wall. Dirk opened the door, revealing a brown, dirt plain that
stretched on for several yards before coming to a stop at a dense wall of trees
that marked the start of the forest.
“Go
on, Xena, I’ll stay here and stall them for you.” Dirk said.
“Are
you sure you want to do that? They’re
liable to kill you if you do. You’d be
safer if you came with us.” Hercules said.
“No,
my place is here. Now go, before they
get here already.” Dirk said.
“Then
you be good now, ya here? And be
careful, okay?” Xena said, patting Dirk on the back. Then they all clasped hands with him and
said their goodbyes before Xena, Gabrielle, and Hercules stepped through the
door and headed on their way. Soon they
were out of sight as they were quickly lost in the arms of the thick forest
beyond them.
“Goodbye,
my friends. May Eli watch over you.”
Dirk said, watching the forest they had disappeared into for a moment longer
before turning around and, gathering all of his strength, prepared to face down
the approaching army. Then, sighing
inwardly, he walked forward, heading back the way he had come to the front of
the tavern.
************************************************************************
Soon,
Athena’s army arrived and it wasn’t long before the lead commander had everyone
in the village lined up in the street with the army facing them. In the back of
Athena’s troops stood Variea and her fellow archers. And, near the front of Athena’s army stood Darius, who watched
the crowd with both a sense of detachment and pity. It wasn’t their fault that the people Athena was looking for had
decided to stop and rest in their village.
But Athena wouldn’t see it that way.
They’d be lucky if she didn’t kill them all, which she was probably
prone to do just for the sheer fun of it.
Or at least that was his opinion anyway and Darius really hoped that,
just for once in his life, he was wrong about her.
Suddenly,
Athena, Hades, and Hephaestus appeared in flashes of light not far from him.
“What
is the status on the current situation?” Athena asked the commanding officer.
“We’ve
searched the village and there appears to be no sign of the fugitives. We believe they may have escaped and that
these people may know where they went.” The commander said, gesturing to the
crowd before him.
“Well
then, that is a shame, now isn’t it?” Athena asked, turning to the crowd,
malicious intent clearly evident in her eyes.
The people shuddered and cowered in fear, afraid of what she might do to
them. The Goddess of War and Wisdom
walked forward, stopping when she was a few yards from the crowd…and smiled.
“If
anyone should tell me where they went they shall have my favor.” Athena stated,
seeming to talk at the crowd instead of talking to them. “But also know that if anyone lies to me
then they will die. Now, who
knows which way they went?”
No
one spoke.
Athena
was about to say more when a soldier handed the commander a piece of cloth,
whispering something in his ear.
“Excuse
me, my goddess? Please forgive my
interruption but I just received this from one of my men.” He said, walking
forward and handing it to Athena. “I
was told that it came from one of the rooms in the inn.” The commander bowed before her before
scampering back to the safety of his fellow troops.
Athena
examined the piece of cloth closely before wrinkling her face in disgust. “Who’s is this?!” Athena asked the crowd,
holding the cloth up in the air as if it were diseased. The cloth was white and scrawled upon its
surface were some teachings of Eli.
Silence.
“If
no one will claim this then I will have to kill all of you to ensure that the
offender is punished. Is that what you
want?” asked the goddess of war and wisdom coldly, her smile never leaving her
face.
The
people looked at each other uneasily but otherwise made no effort to speak.
“Very
well,” Athena replied, preparing to pull her sword from its case on her side.
“Wait!”
Cried a figure from the back of the crowd, who had already started making his
way to the front. The crowd quickly parted for the mysterious
man, who stepped through the opening they had created and stopped when he was
at the front of the them. It was Dirk.
“You
dare to defy the gods with fifth such as this?!” Athena asked hotly, dropping
the cloth to the ground in disgust.
“Well,
I’m sorry, but I don’t think I had much of a choice in the matter, goddess! I prayed to you and your order to protect my
son from harm and do you know what happened?!
He drowned and not ONE of you did anything to stop it! So, I don’t think I’ll go on serving an
order that’d let my son die regardless of my service to it!” Dirk spat
venomously, his sudden outburst causing those closest to him to flinch
involuntarily.
Athena
grit her teeth, her face turning red with rage. How DARE this—this lowly mortal think he can speak
to me this way?! I AM A GODDESS
and won’t be treated in any other respect! Athena thought darkly.
Athena
started forward to draw her weapon, hell bent on doing nothing less than
gutting her intended target like a fish when she suddenly stopped, a better
idea popping in her head almost instantly.
She turned and walked back toward her army.
“Kill
him!” Athena shouted to Darius.
“But
he’s only an old man!” Darius protested, an incredulous look filling his face.
“DO
IT OR I’LL DO IT MYSELF!” Athena screamed at him, literally shaking with
rage and giving Darius one of the coldest looks he’d ever received. And, somehow, Darius got the impression that
if he didn’t do as she asked right here, right now, that she’d do nothing short
of beat him black and blue, regardless of the fact that there were other people
watching.
Darius
turned, sighed inwardly and drew his sword, walking toward the old man,
stopping when he was several feet from the crowd.
“Come
forward,” Darius commanded Dirk.
Dirk
obeyed and stepped in front of Darius.
“Fall
to your knees.” Darius said.
Again
Dirk did as he was commanded and fell to his knees.
Then
Darius raised his blade high over his head, preparing to behead the kindly old
man named Dirk. It was bad enough that
he had to kill him. So the least he
could do for the guy would be to make his death as quick and painless as possible.
Dirk
looked up at Darius and the two locked gazes.
And it was in this moment that Darius saw that the old man seemed to
have lost his animosity toward the gods which had been quickly replaced by fear
and it was also in this moment that Darius saw how truly afraid the old man
was.
Darius
sighed inwardly once more, his eyes swimming with apology for what he was about
to do. “I’m sorry,” He said softly,
pitching his voice so only Dirk could hear it.
The old man nodded slightly, his gaze seeming to say, “I know you
are. Now you do what you have to,
son. My time has come.” Then, struggling to hold back the tears that
threatened to burst forth from his eyes, in a stroke like that of lightening,
Darius sent his sword hurtling toward Dirk’s head, cutting it clean off. And, with two, sickening thumps, both the
head and the body both fell to the ground.
The
crowd looked on in horror, some of the women who were mothers turned away to
shield their children from the gruesome sight before them.
Darius
resheathed his sword, turned around, and walked back toward Athena and her army
with his head held low, his heart already consumed with guilt, his face an
expressionless mask that hid the torrent of emotions swirling around inside of
him that threatened to erupt to the surface at any moment. He may be the assassin for the Olympian
order but that didn’t mean he had to like his job because of it.
“Search
the village again! I’m sure we’ll find
some sign of where they went.” Athena said to the commander.
Then,
as the army dispatched to follow her orders, Athena, Hades, and Hephaestus all
disappeared in separated flashes of light.
Less
than an hour later, Athena’s army had found the tracks of the three fleeing
fugitives behind the inn.
Athena’s
commander stood in the center of the village, eyeing the people suspiciously.
Then,
in a flash of light, Athena appeared before him.
“What
have you found?” She asked him.
“We’ve
found the tracks of the fugitives behind the inn, heading due west towards the forest.”
He replied.
“Excellent. Get your army moving at once. Once you find
them follow my orders I gave you earlier to a ‘T’. Understood?” Athena said.
“Yes,
my goddess. We will not fail you.”
“See
that you don’t. Now move out.” Athena
commanded coldly, before disappearing in a flash of light.
“Alright,
troops!” the commander shouted to his men.
“Let’s move out!”
Then
Athena’s army, archers, and Darius headed out of the village in the direction
of their fleeing prey.