The characters Xena, Gabrielle, Argo, Velasca, Ephiny, Solari, Siri, Eponin et. al. are the property of Renaissance Pictures and Universal Studios. Any modifications made to the characters beyond that described in the television series, Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, are strictly that of the author's own imagination.

     Novella Three, "Shattered Dreams," contains some profanity, scenes of graphic violence and death, and a hint of sexual tension. If any of the above is disagreeable to you, or you are under the age of 18, please select another piece of fan fiction work to enjoy.

     "Shattered Dreams" is the third and concluding story in a three story trilogy, "Worlds in Collision," detailing an epic conflict between Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry, and the Amazon nation. It would be a prudent precaution to read the previous novellas, "Baccha Moon Rising" and "Fallen Nation," if you want to comprehend the events unfolding in "Shattered Dreams."

     The "Worlds In Collision" trilogy is a so-called "lost" adventure that takes place immediately after the second season X:WP episode "The Quest" and immediately before the second season X:WP episode "A Necessary Evil." Furthermore, Velasca is alive and well at the beginning of the trilogy, and not an insane goddess trapped within a hardened lava pool with Callisto. It also introduces some characters from the fourth season H:TLJ episode "Prodigal Sister" because while they weren't known to viewers of the Xenaverse during X:WP's second season, they were known to the Amazons.

     Above all, please enjoy the story. If you have any constructive comments or questions concerning any of the stories, drop me, M. Keck, a line at the following e-mail address: storymaster74@yahoo.com. Finally, thank you for reading my work. It all comes from the heart.

     "How are you dealing with Eponin's transformation into a Baccha?" Gabrielle asked. She was sitting next to Ephiny, who just stared straight ahead into eternity.

     "I never took into consideration how vulnerable she was," Ephiny replied sadly. "It took me over an hour yesterday to even convince her that I wasn't the Baccha I appeared to be! And after I told her about Artemis and our crusade to destroy Bacchus, all Eponin could talk about was joining the cause." Ephiny drooped her head. "I should have known that Thraso might counterattack before I managed to liberate her personality ... but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine she would create another Baccha in an effort to subdue me."

     Gabrielle glanced over at Thraso, who remained sullenly silent. "Don't mind me, princess," she spat bitterly. "I'm doing a great job punishing myself for my actions."

     "You thought you were under attack and frenzied," Gabrielle offered. "You seem to be forgetting that all of us here know what it's like to be a bloodsucker -- by Tartarus, we're all still technically Bacchae."

     The conversation fell silent when Xena entered Ephiny's lodge and sat down heavily. "I just saw Eponin not too long ago," she announced. "She was being escorted in by Lysara and another scout I don't know -- both of them looked downright happy to have another sister join the ranks of the Bacchae."

     "There's nothing we can do about it now," Ephiny said quietly. "I have the ability to give one more sister a degree of mental freedom, and I've already decided to take Siri."

     "If you're going to make your move, I suggest you do it soon," Solari observed. "Siri has made plans to return to her tribe tonight. She told me that she misses her mother, Mayem, and the companionship of Lucenne, one of her closest friends."

     Ephiny acknowledged Solari's advice with a curt nod. "That's a five day journey one way on foot-- Mayem's tribe is one of the farthest ones from Themiscrya, almost right on top of those Thracian villages we'll be setting out to conquer tomorrow morning."

     Everyone fell silent when the hides cloaking the lodge's entrance were pushed aside by Diana. Hmmm. Something looks so strange here, she thought warily. Ephiny, Xena, Solari, Gabrielle and Thraso all together -- some of the nation's greatest minds gathered together to discuss military strategies I suppose.

     "What do you want?" Xena finally snapped after Diana remained strangely silent.

     "Our great queen, Velasca, demands your immediate presence in her lodge," Diana said. "Bring your lieutenants with you -- you're going to need them."

     "Why?"

     "Because your battle plans have been compromised. The Thracians know all about our impending attack on them," Diana replied suavely.

     "That's impossible," Xena rumbled. "Nobody outside of myself, Velasca and my trusted lieutenants knows anything about the battle plans." She glared at the interloper. "You're not implying that I have a leak in my command structure, are you?"

     Diana's mouth fell open in genuine shock. "I am implying nothing, sister. I am simply relaying Velasca's orders."

     "How have Xena's plans been undermined?" Thraso asked unexpectedly. Her voice held a measure of disbelief.

     "That is for Velasca to tell you," Diana remarked. "Now get moving -- Velasca's impatience is legendary, especially when she's angry. And she's really angry today."

     "Our failure to negate the towns on our northern perimeter within Thrace has led to the needless deaths of our sisters Antiope, Nadia and Arista," Velasca pronounced solemnly. "This act of war cannot go unpunished."

     Xena and Gabrielle exchanged surprised glances. This was news to them -- there was something out there actually capable of killing a Baccha. "Why do you blame the Thracians for the attack?" Xena queried. "It could have been one of Bacchus' dissatisfied subjects, an angry god or a preemptive strike by Eribas and the other peasant Bacchae."

     "Yes. We have no idea of how low our non-Amazon allies have run on blood," Gabrielle said. "Furthermore, the deaths occurred deep within our territory ... I find it hard to believe that Thracians could have penetrated that far."

     Velasca shook her head venomously. "I already discussed possible culprits with Diana and we both eventually came to the conclusion that the attackers were Thracian," she lied. Velasca ignored the sarcastic, Yeah, right! look Diana tossed in her direction. "They're the only ones who have the capability left to offer some kind of resistance -- all the other possible rabble-rousers were destroyed by our enforcers!"

     "Have there been other attacks?" Ephiny interrupted, looking steadily at Velasca.

     "No ... not, ah, any that I've heard of," she sputtered angrily. "Why?"

     "Have there been any unusual activity among the Macedonians, Thracians or Eribas and Caria's forces?" Ephiny asked, ignoring Velasca's question.

     "There has been nothing out of the unusual," Velasca said firmly. "Now answer me -- why are you asking such idiotic questions?"

     Ephiny blanched. "Call them what you will, but I think we're making a big stink out of a minor debacle."

     Solari's curiosity was piqued, and she asked, "You consider three of our sisters' deaths a 'minor debacle'?"

     "Their deaths are tragic, yes, but I think the attack is part of something larger," Ephiny said defensively. "The only problem is ... we're not looking at the larger picture!"

     "I don't care what you think," Velasca declared hotly. She turned to Xena and growled, "I'd rather have that damn army of yours rolling tonight, but Diana has told me that dawn's first light tomorrow is the earliest you can leave! No more delays -- do you understand me?!" Xena nodded, but remained silent. Velasca grumped, "Good. Now get your butts out of here, all of you! If anything else goes awry, I will be more than happy to promote Ariel, Helen and Arianna from second-tier lieutenants to first-tier lieutenants!"

     Outside of the Queen's Lodge, Xena pulled Ephiny aside and whispered, "What were you talking about when you mentioned something larger?"

     "I don't know yet," Ephiny replied honestly. "I won't have any further information until the last of the representatives from the outlying tribes come in tonight for the weekly briefing about the state of the nation."

     "And?"

     "And they'll bring with them any news concerning dead patrol groups," Ephiny replied. "If my hunch is correct, the deaths of Antiope and the others weren't coincidental -- I'm hoping I can establish a pattern with more information. But I can't do that until I know what's been happening in the outer marches of the Amazon nation."

     "When do the representatives get here?" Xena asked.

     Ephiny began counting mentally. "Before Bacchus conquered the nation, it took the farthest tribes at least three days to get a representative to Themiscrya via horseback," she calculated aloud. "Since all the Amazons are Bacchae now, and need less rest, a horserider could conceivably reach Themiscrya in two days."

     "No, no. When does the meeting begin?" Xena asked, exasperation in her voice.

     "Tonight, in about six candlemarks," Ephiny said. "That's when the last rider should arrive. I'll attend the meeting to see if any new information arrives."

     "What about Velasca? Won't she be there, too?" Xena asked. She saw a young Amazon approaching her and bared her teeth menacingly -- the intruding Amazon quickly got the message and left. "Hurry up. We're beginning to draw unwanted attention from our admirers."

     Ephiny smiled grimly. "Velasca has made me attend the nation meetings in her place since I was initiated," she confided. "I guess she got tired of listening to the bureaucrats, as she called them."

     "Good. That means we'll be the first to know about any additional slayings," Xena rumbled.

     Ephiny slipped into the vast communal sleeping lodge and surveyed the interior -- trying to get a glimpse of Siri. Dozens of young women were in various states of undress, readying themselves for a good night's sleep by themselves or, if they were lucky, with a beloved companion. Ephiny glanced out the entrance and grew worried; the sun was beginning to set low in the sky. Solari was pretty sure that Siri was still in Themiscrya, but she must have been mistaken, Ephiny thought slowly.

     "May I be of some assistance?" an unfamiliar voice asked behind Ephiny. She spun around and realized that the voice belonged to Lexoria. "You seem to be looking for a sister -- who is it?"

     "Siri. Have you seen her lately?" Ephiny asked softly.

     Lexoria shook her head. "I know the name, but not the person. She wasn't from Themiscrya, was she?"

     "No, she wasn't," Ephiny muttered. She was growing more distressed by the second. "Do you know where she is? I've been looking all over the village for her."

     "I think she left for her tribe's lands," Lexoria supplied. "She looked awfully homesick."

     "When did she leave?!"

     "About two candlemarks ago. Why?"

     Ephiny cursed under her breath and scrambled from the lodge. She ran over to the stables to get a horse, but they were empty. Since when did the scouts and patrol groups need over a hundred horses to carry out their duties? Ephiny thought angrily. Only Argo was there -- and she whinnied and leaned away when Ephiny got near her. Animals must be able to sense when something isn't right about a person, Ephiny thought sourly. It looks like I'm going to have to do some fast running ... Siri's got at least a two candlemark lead on me.

     Actually, Siri was only a candlemark away from Themiscrya. She was resting off the side of the path, bemoaning her situation. If only I had been bitten right away, when Velasca upstaged her own trial, then I could have ridden back to Chorosis with Mayem and the other tribal representatives, she thought sadly. She rummaged around in her rucksack and pulled out a gourd filled with hard liquor. It isn't Athenian wine, but it's the best stuff they were able to cook up on a day's notice. Siri pulled out another gourd, this one filled with fresh blood, and then a large empty mug. She mixed a liberal amount of liquor in with an equal part of blood and downed the dizzying concoction in a single gulp. Whooee! That's powerful stuff! she thought happily. And then she passed out.

     For once in her life, Ephiny was grateful to Bacchus. Her stamina and strength had doubled since her transformation and now the enhancements were coming into use. She had been running non-stop for a little over one candlemark when she finally spied a figure slumped over next to the path. Ephiny slowed down and listened intently to the forest around her. Good. None of my patrolling sisters are nearby -- I can finish this business up without interruption. She tiptoed over to the slumped figure and lifted her chin. Yes! It is Siri! Ephiny thought triumphantly. She glanced around the young woman and saw the nearly empty liquor and blood gourds. Ooh, Siri. I didn't know you were the type to mix and drink ... you generally don't do that unless you're experienced. She looked down at the snoozing young woman and smiled, exposing her fangs. Obviously, you weren't experienced, Siri. Then she stooped over and bit Siri square on the neck.

     "You could have given me some warning, you know," Siri grumbled. She rubbed the nearly healed bite wound on her neck and grimaced. "By Artemis! You sure know how to leave your mark on a woman."

     "Ha, ha. Real funny," Ephiny replied lightly. "You were drunk and passed out ... and an easy target. I couldn't resist the temptation. Especially after my last attempt to free a sister went, shall we say, to Tartarus."

     Siri glanced at her liberator. "What went wrong?"

     "Thraso managed to initiate Eponin before I was able to free her mind from Bacchus' machinations," Ephiny said glumly. "Shit happens -- but I just wish it hadn't happened to Eponin."

     The sound of pounding hoofbeats silenced the women. Siri stared into the distance and saw the horse drawing nearer. "It looks like our ride back to Themiscrya is here. Shall we flag her down?"

     Ephiny nodded. "And what a coincidence the rider happens to be a representative from your tribe bringing in the weekly tactical and societal report."

     Siri jumped up and began waving wildly at the thundering horse, which came to a sudden stop. Siri recognized the rider immediately and yelled for joy. "Lucenne! What in Art, er, Bacchus' name are you doing here?"

     "Mayem figured that since I wasn't the most skilled fighter, I would do better as a courier," Lucenne replied slowly. Her fangs glinted dully behind her swollen, crimson lips. "Our tribe's peripheral attacks against the Thracians are going well! Mayem alone picked off seven men the other day."

     "I love friendly reunions, but we must get to Themiscrya as soon as possible," Ephiny interrupted gently. She gestured at Lucenne's horse. "May we hitch a ride with you?"

     Lucenne nodded agreeably. "Anything to help my sisters out ... especially you, Siri."

     Siri acknowledged her friend's compliment and climbed up on the giant horse, followed by Ephiny. Lucenne poked the horse gently and the threesome vanished into the early evening.

     The meeting started out diplomatically enough, but it quickly degenerated into accusations and counter accusations. It was no surprise that Ephiny, as the Queen's representative, was the target of most of the accusations. But she was damn good at tossing counter accusations right back with the best of them.

     "Eight of our finest scouts have vanished in the last week and a half!" a representative rumbled ominously.

     "Eight?!" another asked incredulously. "By Bacchus! We've lost ten scouts!"

     "It's all Velasca's fault!" a third representative cried out, pointing an accusatory finger at Ephiny. "Where's this damn golden age that she promised Bacchus would deliver us as his followers?! All I've seen since are empty celebrations and stagnation since the fall of Pella! If this is Velasca's version of a golden age, I'll gladly proclaim that she's a mere shadow compared to Queen Hippolyta!"

     Ephiny raised her arms, silencing the two dozen or so representatives. "This bickering isn't getting us anywhere," she said needlessly. She motioned to one her sisters, who stepped forward with a large, ragged piece of papyrus. Ephiny proceeded to scrawl out topographical features and the general locations of Amazon villages and tribal lands.

     "How's a map supposed to bring our infighting to a diplomatic end?" Lucenne asked curiously.

     "I want each one of you to mark out the approximate locations of where each of your scouts vanished," Ephiny explained to the assembled group. "And don't ask why -- just do it!"

     A candlemark later, Ephiny hoisted the marked map up on an easel, so all could see it. Well before this time, she had seen a pattern developing -- now she wanted to see if the others had also seen it. "Well ... see anything unusual?" she asked coolly.

     "The attacks -- they're all in a fairly straight line!" Lucenne said, giving voice to her thoughts.

     Smart girl, Ephiny approved mentally. She might not be much of a warrior, but she's got great potential as a true stateswoman. "You are correct," Ephiny said earnestly. "From the first missing scout group just inside our border to the most recent missing groups south of Mayem's lands, the attacks are nearly linear in nature."

     "Someone or something is making a beeline through our lands!" another voice cried out, interrupting Ephiny. "Who dares to violate our heartland like that?!"

     Oh Hades! Here we start to go again ...

     "It's the damn Macedonians!" an older woman rumbled. Her elaborate black ebony war mask was accentuated a pale body with festooned with colorful feathers. It was obvious her voice would carry weight. "It looks like they're trying to link up with the Thracian barbarians!"

     "We have to stop them!"

     Ephiny held her hands up again. "And that we will ... by smashing the Thracian villages along our northern frontier within days!"

     "That's what Velasca promised us weeks ago!" the older woman huffed. "We should have been gorging ourselves on Thracian blood long ago -- and yet we find ourselves here, still discussing military options!"

     Hmm. Another potential loose cannon ... Velasca said Bacchus wanted the villages taken peacefully with no bloodshed -- man or otherwise, Ephiny wisely thought silently. I won't try to explain that to her now, though. "Xena is moving her forces out in the morning," she said aloud. "So that part of our grand plan will finally be achieved. That will leave only the pitiful remnants of Dion's army between us and the rest of Greece." Ephiny pointed specifically at the older representative. "And since your tribe's lands are the southernmost of the Amazon nation, I expect it to be in the forefront of any action to prevent future infiltrations like the current one!"

     The older Amazon was somewhat taken aback at the veiled accusation that her tribe had somehow allowed killers into the heartland of the Amazon Nation. "Say what you will, Ephiny, but my tribe will stand strong despite the unusual abilities of these enemy intruders!"

     "What's so unusual about them?" Ephiny asked sarcastically. "That they can apparently kill supposedly immortal Bacchae at will, is that it?"

     "It's no joke!" her adversary flared.

     "No, it isn't," Ephiny agreed. "But keep in mind that we are trying to take over peoples and lands that haven't been in the Amazon fold for centuries, if ever! It was plausible that our efforts would bring out the best in our foes ... and whatever is killing our immortal sisters is one of their machinations!"

     A deathly calm silence had descended over the representatives. Only now was the enormity of Ephiny's statement beginning to soak in. And a fearful undercurrent began to flow through them, as it does through any predator on the hunt: What other surprises might the current enemy and future enemies have at their disposal?

     "No other questions?" Ephiny asked imperiously. A moment later, "Then so be it. Return to your lands, my sisters. Rest well knowing that soon we will have treated water supplies and that both the Macedonians and Thracians will finally lay in bloodied heaps at our triumphant feet." She raised her sword. "To our lord Bacchus!"

     "It's not quite as bad as I made it sound to the nation's representatives," Ephiny explained. She unfurled the map and laid it out for the others to examine. "They're all getting restless -- even with Velasca. It's only a matter of time before something bursts and they go on the war path with or without Velasca's approval."

     Xena put aside the last part of Ephiny's statement and continued to study the map. Solari, Siri, Thraso and Gabrielle crowded around the map as well. "Well, we're leaving in a few hours to deal with the Thracians," the warrior princess commented. "A few days of hard marching and we'll be on the outskirts of the Thracian villages -- we'll have to make our move to liberate the nation sometime during that marching period."

     "We can't take an army with us," Ephiny sputtered. "We would become a prime target for attack, even though we are nearly immortal, and there would be too many prying eyes."

     Thraso spoke up, a degree of confidence in her voice. "Then leave the army here -- make up an excuse that will pass Velasca's inspection -- and take a select group of our sisters whom you trust implicitly to distribute Hera's special dust into the nation's water supply ... ,"

     "But we can't do that until we get our hands on some ambrosia ... ," Siri interrupted.

     "And we'll never be able to distribute the mixture in time to all of the nation's water supply before Bacchus compels our sisters to do something dastardly," Gabrielle added. "There's simply too little time and too many wells."

     Ephiny held her hands up, silencing the group. Xena looked on and nodded approvingly. "That is where your unfamiliarity with your own nation is to our benefit, Gabrielle," she said warmly.

     "What's that supposed to mean?" Gabrielle shot back defensively.

     Ephiny pulled out a quill, dipped it in an inkwell, and walked over to the map, where she proceeded to scrawl in a squiggling, wavy line. "I forgot to put that little topographical feature in before," she announced.

     Gabrielle studied the line for a moment before voicing her realization. "It's the Thermodon River," she said slowly. "And it traverses the entire length of the Amazon nation from the northernmost tribes to the southernmost tribes."

     "Yes. Don't you remember we crossed it when we brought Velasca into the nation's land?" Xena said gently. "At that point it was a border water, but most of the time it winds through the heart of Amazon land -- providing most, if not all, of the tribes' drinking water."

     "All we have to do, Gabrielle, is drop the dust/ambrosia mixture into the Thermodon's northern waters where it enters Amazon territory," Ephiny explained. "The current is swift, so the treated water will spread down the entire length of the river and its tributaries in a matter of days. Our sisters will drink from the waters and, voila!, they will be changed back to their normal selves. Mentally, at least."

     Siri stepped forward. "But that still leaves the ambrosia! Where will we get it?"

     "The Ambrosia Chamber is located somewhere on our route to Thrace," Ephiny explained. "But for the life of me, I cannot remember the way there."

     "We'll cross that bridge when the time comes," Xena said cryptically. "I'm sure that either you or Gabrielle will have a snippet of reference in the old brain that we can use to get there."

     Thraso joined the conversation again. "So this is what we're going to do: We leave the army here and go by ourselves to the Thracian villages. On the way, we will make a secret detour to the Ambrosia Chamber, hope for a miracle, and then combine Hera's dust with the ambrosia. Once we reach the northernmost waters of the Thermodon in Amazon land, we'll pour the mixture into the river and let nature take its course and ... ," she paused and took a deep breath, " ... then we finish up our little journey at the Thracian villages. Does that sound right?"

     "I believe so," Ephiny concurred.

     "That it is," Xena affirmed. "Once we reach the villages, perhaps we will find out who or what slaughtered our patrol groups and why."

     Zelius had spent both his waking hours and sleeping hours over the past days trying to devise a solid enough plan to present to Crassius so the Athenian could avoid gutting the Amazon nation. But no matter how hard he tried, Dion's second-in-command could not fashion a plan concrete enough to withstand all the criticism that Crassius and, more importantly, his superiors in Athens could direct at it. By Hades! I can't even figure out a plan that escapes criticism by my own internal thought processes! Zelius thought dejectedly. He scrunched up another scroll and another worthless plan and tossed it aside. He was alone in his command tent, and four dour guards outside the tent made sure it stayed that way.

     Truthfully, though, the Macedonian general wasn't alone. He reached out and grabbed a mug, in which a golden liquid sloshed around noisily. He took a deep draught and savored the cool liquor as it warmed his body. He knew it was wrong to drown his sorrows in hard liquor, but the pressure was building and time was growing short. No plan. No word from Astyanax. Nothing from the Amazons. What am I supposed to do?! Zelius thought angrily. Just then the flap to the command tent was flung open and the blinding brilliance of the morning sun lanced into the general's bleary eyes. The Macedonian didn't see Crassius stride in, but he heard the man's voice. And the disapproval in it.

     "Drinking again, eh?!" he asked curtly. Without warning, Crassius grabbed the mug from Zelius' trembling hands, and took a tentative sip of the golden liquid. He grimaced and smashed the mug on the hard dirt floor, speckling Zelius with drops of the swill. "For Zeus' sake! At least you could choose some genuine wine, Zelius, instead of pap that's lucky to pass for beer!"

     Zelius ignored the Athenian's tirade. It was only the third one in as many days. "I usually don't drink, Crassius, but the stress has been getting to me ... ,"

     "That's no excuse and you know it!" Crassius interrupted harshly. "It's obvious that you haven't formulated a way to keep our armies from gutting the Amazons -- just look at the abuse you're putting yourself through!"

     "I give up ... ,"

     Crassius had had enough of Zelius' self-pity. Humph. No wonder he never got above second-in-command! the Athenian thought angrily. A moment later, he reconsidered his thoughts and decided he was being a little too harsh on his co-commander. The man's been through the loss of almost everything he holds dear ... so I'll cut him a little slack. But only this one time! Crassius grabbed Zelius' face and squeezed hard, directing the Macedonian's eyes up to look directly into his own. "You're not giving up! That's the easy way out -- and I'm sure your illustrious predecessor and friend, Dion, wouldn't approve."

     Zelius jerked his head away from Crassius' tightening grip and glared up at the general, knowing what he said was right, but still trying to deny the truth of it all. "Explain the purpose of your visit. I'm assuming there's more to this than just bawling me out and making me feel guilty."

     "Our advance forces are setting out from Dium two days from now," Crassius said shortly. "I just thought it would be appropriate to inform my co-commander of the timetable."

     Two days?! Zelius thought frantically. Gods! How time flies when you least want it too! "I, ah, I ... ," he mumbled weakly, still trying to figure out the appropriate response.

     "Spit it out, man!"

     The Macedonian general was growing desperate. He suddenly spat, "I've got a man who's infiltrated the lands of the Amazon nation! He's attempting to make contact with normal Amazons to warn them of our impending attack against occupied Macedonia and -- eventually -- them!"

     A deathly silence descended across the command tent, punctuated only by Crassius' agitated breathing. The imposing Athenian general slammed his hands down on the table Zelius sat at, but the Macedonian held his ground, refusing to give up what little dignity he had left during the present situation. "Do you realize the risk that you've taken with that liberty?!" Crassius breathed. "You may have just signed the death warrant for all of Greece!"

     "How?!" Zelius sputtered indignantly. "I sent him off fully equipped with Dryad weaponry and orders to reach some Thracian towns which border the Amazon nation's frontier in Thrace!"

     "You what?!" Crassius whispered furiously, barely succeeding in keeping his voice low. "Do you realize that the odds of your man finding any normal Amazons is next to nil?! Bacchus isn't known for being a sloppy conqueror ... when he attacks and conquers things, they tend to stay conquered because he's a thorough ruler who weeds out any and all opposition! And takes advantage of any resources he has access to -- in this case, the Amazons!" The Athenian began to pace around the tent, but he was far from being finished with Zelius. "And he's armed with Dryad weaponry. Great. Just great. Do you realize that if he gets captured or killed, Bacchus will become aware of not only our numbers, but the fact that we are armed with Dryad-based weaponry!"

     "And timetables," Zelius added quietly.

     Crassius rolled his eyes skyward. Tell me it can't get worse, Zeus. Please tell me that it can't. Upon hearing no reply from the king of the gods, the Athenian simply shrugged. Oh well. Didn't expect one anyway. He resumed staring at Zelius, but his temper cooled considerably as he calculated the odds. A minute later, he spoke, saying, "Your effort was noble, Zelius, but it will not change the timetable or the original attack plan. I'm willing to wager that if Bacchus hasn't launched a preemptive strike yet, he's not aware of your little ingenious plot. And even if he was, I don't think it's possible for him to muster the Amazons fast enough to halt our advance into his territory."

     With no further ado, Crassius whirled and left the command tent, his voice trailing behind him. "If I were you, Zelius, I would snap out of your little depression. Your plans may have fallen through, but don't despair yet. We're quite a distance from Amazon territory -- and something may yet enlighten you." The Macedonian heard his compatriot's parting words, but did nothing but remain seated ... deep in thought.

     Astyanax arrived near the perimeter of the largest Thracian town and slumped down next to an ancient, twisted oak tree. The scout was exhausted and covered from head to toe in scrapes and bruises. Gods! That last Amazon tribe was a Hades of a challenge -- especially that one who called herself Mayem! he thought miserably. And I thought it was hard crossing the heartland of the Amazon nation! He hadn't felt sorry for himself in a long time and was enjoying the experience when the horrible stench hit him like a rock from a catapult. It was then that he realized something was terribly wrong. He stood up and skulked in closer to the edge of the town for a closer view. Fortunately, the trees went right up to the edge of the meadow in which the town lay, so its inhabitants didn't see the intruder peering in.

     The Macedonian scout saw women. More women. And then even more women! They were scurrying everywhere through the part of the town that Astyanax could see. Hmm. That's strange -- I thought I left the last of the Amazon nation's land about a candlemark ago, Astyanax thought, studying the women. They're obviously wearing Amazon clothing and carrying Amazon weapons ... but this far out of their official territory?! For an instant the scout thought that maybe he was too late, that maybe Bacchus had also overrun this Thracian town, along with its neighbors. But he knew that couldn't be possible because he had just seen numerous women from Mayem's tribe exercising and working themselves up for some sort of impending offensive. He had also heard the names Xena, Ephiny and Thraso, among others, mentioned. But the only name he recognized was that of Xena, the warrior princess who had terrorized many peoples before apparently reforming herself. Maybe they're the surviving Amazons that Zelius told me about! Astyanax thought, growing excited. He was right! There are ...

     Then he saw the bodies. Dozens, if not hundreds, of them. Closer to the hundreds, Astyanax thought morbidly. They were laid out in neat rows, but many of them still hung ominously from hastily erected gallows. And every single corpse was that of a male who had been stripped naked. Many had wounds on them, as if they had gone down fighting. Others, those of the little boys and ... Gods! No! ... male infants were a pale shade of blue, as if they had been asphyxiated. Astyanax felt himself beginning to retch, but managed to get it under control before his last meal of beef and beans came back up his throat. It was replaced by a sense of growing anger and rage. All of his objectivity had been stripped away upon sight of the little bodies. It's ONE thing to kill an adult who can defend himself! But it's ANOTHER to kill those who can offer no resistance!

     Heedless of his own safety and his low supply of Dryad-based arrows, Astyanax brought his compound bow to bear and sighted it on the nearest Amazon warrior. A second later the air was split by an arrow that imbedded itself in the woman's chest. She jerked spasmodically, stiffened, and fell to the ground dead. Another arrow screamed from the bow. And another. And yet another. When it was all done five Amazons lay dead, cut down in their prime and never knowing what hit them. Why aren't they bursting into flames?! Astyanax thought, his rage cooling only slightly. They should be nothing more than ash piles by now -- what's going on?! Suddenly the canopies of the nearest trees began to rustle and tremble; eight Amazon warriors dropped to the ground, surrounding Astyanax in a loose circle. Four were armed with crossbows and four had nasty looking swords. And then the battle was joined.

     "You'll never take me alive!" Astyanax roared. He released another arrow, but it was expertly deflected by one of the women's swords. The next thing the scout knew, two crossbow bolts had imbedded themselves in his own compound crossbow, rendering the weapon useless. It was eerie because none of the Amazons wasted their breath with senseless catcalls or taunting -- they simply circled their prey silently, prepared to counter his every move. They're almost like land sharks! Astyanax thought furiously.

     The scout was so preoccupied with his eight adversaries that he never saw the ninth Amazon, who stood on a branch directly over him. She scowled silently and then jumped down on her foe, sending him crashing to the ground, knocking the Macedonian unconscious. "Take him away," Tauri said curtly. "His eventual death will be long and drawn out, but not before he provides some of us with daughters. His seed, when combined with our essence, should create strong daughters."

     Two Amazons unceremoniously grabbed Astyanax and hauled him off while the other six schlepped back up into the trees, vanishing from sight. Tauri shook her head in disgust and muttered, "Five of my sisters killed in cold blood. So much for our vaunted patrols." She fell silent and brooded, vowing to increase the practice allotment for the scouts by at least ten candlemarks a week. Because if we don't get our collective act together soon, we'll be of no use to our other sisters and, worse, will probably become mincemeat if other Thracians try to retake these towns..

     Velasca was standing side by side with Xena, surveying the assembled ranks of Amazon warriors. As far as the eye could see were row upon row of neutral faced women, their golden eyes shimmering in the morning light, razor-sharp fangs concealed behind swollen, crimson lips. Other Amazons didn't show a single physical sign that they were really Bacchae, doing a better job of concealing their true nature than many of their other sisters. There were at least ten rows of warriors, one hundred in each row, for a total of one thousand ground troops. Behind these rows were five rows of horse mounted women, three rows of women in chariots and last, but not least, two rows of rather ordinary looking Amazons -- which, of course, was the farthest thing from the truth. They were really special forces women who did scout work, sabotage, subterfuge and other dirty little deeds that would occupy too much time of the regular army's attention. All together, there were slightly over two thousand Amazons at Xena's beck and call, a force larger than the one that conquered Pella and crushed the resistance in other Macedonian villages and towns. And, best of all, this was only the first of three battle groups -- the other two, of similar size and strength, were still organizing for the eventual march on the mainland cities of Greece. All together, the three battle groups represented half of the Amazon nation's combat strength, the other half being represented by warriors who would stay behind to protect their homeland from any surprise attack.

     "I'm not taking any of these fine warriors with me," Xena said out of the blue.

     Velasca felt what little color she had left draining from her pale face. She turned on the warrior princess and snarled, "I don't think so, Xena. I've given you plenty of leeway to make your own decisions regarding our foray into Thrace and have earned the animosity of some of the others in the process. But this goes too far ... nothing you say will allow me to accept this crazy change in plans."

     "Want to bet?" Xena asked coolly, golden fire burning in her unearthly eyes.

     Solari saw the warrior princess' eyes flash and knew that was the cue to pull Velasca aside. So she did and whispered, "Remember your little tirade last night about how Xena's plans may have been corrupted?"

     Velasca nodded, then protested, "But what does that have to do with now?! I thought that issue was settled!"

     "Xena wouldn't tell me the specifics, but she has an inkling that the Thracians know all about our impending attack on them and have made proper preparations to stall it -- and they don't care if we're Bacchae or not," Solari said quietly. "She feels that if we take an army into their lands, it will be a bloody battle ... ,"

     "We would win!" Velasca interrupted hotly.

     "Of course we would," Solari hissed. "But in the process we would have to kill hundreds of men and only Bacchus knows what collateral damage -- dead women, destroyed towns and burnt out land -- might occur."

     Velasca nodded unhappily, recognizing the logic in Solari's argument and, conveniently, Bacchus' original commandment for as little bloodshed as possible. "Then so be it. Xena may carry out her latest revised plan with my blessing." A short pause, then, "Did she tell you anything about it?"

     Solari shook her head mournfully. "All I know is that she's taking me and a few others along with her," she said truthfully. "And it involves a quicker way to reduce our bloodthirstiness and take over the Thracian villages with little or no bloodshed."

     "Then leave as soon as possible," Velasca said. "By the time you and Xena return, I expect to be less bloodthirsty and all three battle groups will be prepared to roll upon our lord's command. And I expect to have the heads of the leaders of those Thracian villages!"

     Solari nodded curtly and scurried up the coronation deck to confer with Xena. Velasca, however, remained at the base of the deck, brooding to herself. Is it just me, or can't the warrior princess seem to make up her mind?

     Xena pulled Solari to the back of the deck, away from Lysara, Electra and the numerous other lieutenants who crowded the deck to the point of near collapse. "Did she buy your story?" the warrior princess asked quickly.

     "She seemed to ... ," Solari glanced nervously at Velasca, who by this time was telling Diana of the change in Xena's plans, " ... but I wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her."

     "I don't trust many people -- and Velasca most certainly isn't on my short list of those I do trust," Xena said emphatically. "Let's get moving before she has one of her mood swings and changes her mind."

     With that the two women slipped away from the crowd of lieutenants and the battle group, which was marching in formation past the coronation deck, oblivious to the change in plans. A minute later Xena and Solari were in the stables where Gabrielle, Ephiny, Thraso and Siri waited patiently with six horses saddled up and ready to go. One of the horses, Argo, carried the pouches which contained Hera's magic dust.

     "It's a go," Xena said shortly. She mounted Argo and looked down imperiously at the others. "Have we got everything for the trip?"

     Thraso patted her steed's saddlebags, which contained gourds of fresh blood. "There's enough blood in here to keep us well stocked for several days and ... ," she gestured at Gabrielle's steed, " ... emergency rations in Gabrielle's saddlebags, should they become necessary."

     "All were missing is the ambrosia, the map to the Ambrosia Chamber and, of course, the Dagger of Helios," Ephiny chimed in.

     Xena grimaced. "That's where we might need a miracle, Ephiny. Time is short and some celestial intervention might become necessary if this mission is to succeed." The warrior princess didn't mention Artemis by name, but everyone knew that was the miracle she was indirectly referring to.

     With no further ado, the last of the Amazons mounted their steeds and followed Xena into the daylight and past the imposing timber walls which protected Themiscrya from her more powerful enemies.

     When Astyanax finally regained consciousness, he found himself bound to a thick post apparently in the center of the Thracian village. The scout, his head still pounding from the impact of Tauri's body, looked longingly around the village, trying to put a brave face on a sad situation. I finally get to one of my destinations and instead of finding a normal Thracian village, I find out that it's been taken over by some old-styled Amazons, he thought angrily. By Hades! I thought the last of the child-killing Amazons had been wiped out by internecine warfare decades ago! Humph. Guess I was wrong.

     "What brings you into land claimed by the Amazon nation?" a woman's voice asked coldly.

     Astyanax, who had been gazing off to the side, looked straight ahead and spied an elaborately painted Amazon who had a rather imperious looking war mask perched on her head. The scout thought he recognized her -- especially the feet. "Hey, aren't you the one who jumped on me?" he asked, attempting to change the subject.

     "Answer my question!" Tauri hissed, sensing Astyanax's diversionary ploy. "What brings you here?"

     The scout refused to answer and looked away. "My name is Astyanax. That is all you will get out of me."

     Enraged by his reticence, Tauri stalked forward, grabbed Astyanax's crotch and squeezed. Hard. "Well, if you want to be that way, I guess I've got a few hours to burn," she said conversationally. Tauri exerted some more pressure, eliciting a groan from the tortured scout. "You look pretty ragged and worn out, although your weapons stock still looked pretty full. By the way, the construction of your weapons look so alien ... ,"

     "Please ... stop," Astyanax finally wheezed. Even though he tried to conceal it, there was a great deal of agony behind his words. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

     Tauri smiled and released her excruciating grip on the man's balls. "That's more like it. Now, for the third time, what is the purpose of your violation of our lands?"

     "I am a scout for Zelius, who was Dion's second-in-command in the Pellan army," Astyanax explained, feeling some color returning to his face. "Bacchus, the Olympian god of wine and revelry, has been waging war against Macedonia and the Amazon nation -- and has conquered both peoples." A brief pause. "The Athenians, Spartans and Corinthians are massing with the remnants of Zelius' army in Dium in preparation for an invasion of occupied Macedonia -- and to gut the Amazon nation at the same time. Furthermore, every soldier will be armed with Dryad-based weaponry, like I am, or was, I guess."

     Tauri digested the flood of information, finding most of it hard to believe. My Amazon sisters conquered by Bacchus?! All of Macedonia under that bloodsucker's rule?! Hmm. If any of that's true, it would explain a lot of the recent disappearances of our remaining males along the frontier with the Amazon nation. Contrary to what Astyanax believed, not all of the males had been slaughtered by Tauri and the rest of the newfound Amazons. Only those who resisted, which were many, met with untimely ends and, unfortunately, those male children and infants who had been in the presence of their mothers when the changeover had occurred.

     "So you are an advance scout sent to probe our weaknesses and strengths?" Tauri asked coolly. Then, growing more agitated, "Why, I'll personally show you just how strong ... ,"

     Astyanax sensed he was losing control of the situation. "No! I wasn't sent probe your defenses," he cried out. "I was sent by Zelius to find any unchanged Amazons in these Thracian towns so I could warn them of our allies' plan to gut their nation."

     "To warn us?" Tauri asked incredulously.

     The scout nodded vigorously. "But this wasn't what I quite expected ... ," he paused, taking in the sheer number of women and lack of men in the village, " ... I thought there would be more men than women here because of an impending Amazon mating cycle."

     "There were a lot of males here, until we rose up against them and reclaimed our Amazon heritage," Tauri declared hotly. "Those who resisted were killed, as were those who were in the wrong place at the wrong time ... ," May Artemis forgive us for the slaughter of the innocents, " ... but others are being allowed to remain temporarily as breeding stock both for us and our other Amazon sisters, who will be arriving soon."

     Astyanax perked up. "What do you mean by other sisters?"

     "The voice told us they would be arriving to help unite us with the rest of our nation," Tauri replied.

     "A voice ... ?"

     Tauri scowled. "Enough! I don't believe a word that you've say, interloper! You're here merely because of your insatiable desire for sex -- and murder."

     "Listen to me! That isn't really why ... ,"

     Tauri smacked Astyanax, silencing his protestations. "You killed five of my sisters mere hours ago, and the penalty for that is death," she hissed. "The only reason you remain alive is because of your cunning ability to sneak into our territory -- hopefully some of that ability will transmit into the daughters you will help create."

     "I will not be degraded as Amazon breeding stock!" Astyanax replied forcefully. "I am here on an official military mission -- it can't be compromised merely for your reproductive wants!"

     Tauri withdrew her sword from its sheath and with two quick slashes, had cut Astyanax's clothing open. She motioned to two nearby guards and they proceeded to rip the scout's clothing off, leaving him completely naked and horribly humiliated. "You have to believe me!" he yelled, still trying to convince Tauri of the truth.

     By this time, a small crowd had gathered in the square ... including three young women who waited patiently a slight distance away from the rest of their sisters. Tauri motioned to the first one and said, "You will be the first -- may Artemis grant you, and the nation, a daughter!"

     The auburn-haired warrior nodded gravely and proceeded to remove her armor. She advanced quickly upon the restrained Astyanax and began to work her magic.

     "You're doing it again, aren't you?" Zeus rumbled. The lord of the Olympian gods was not in a happy mood, what with the events revolving around his illegitimate son's grab for power over the mortal world. "You still haven't forgiven him for simply being born and this is just another effort to destroy him!"

     Hera had heard enough. She whirled on her husband and hissed, "Nonsense, Zeus! If I wanted him dead, I could have done it a long time ago."

     "Yeah, right. You've been saying the same thing about Hercules since the day he was born!"

     "Don't even go there, you womanizer!" Hera snapped, deliberately baiting Zeus. "I'll admit that Bacchus' questioning of my intentions is irritating, but I have overlooked them ... ," so far, anyway, she thought, " ... and continue to aid him in small ways."

     Zeus had suspected all along that Hera was the power behind Bacchus' throne, but to have her admit it so freely in front of him still sent a jolt of surprise through him. "That is strictly forbidden, Hera, and you know it!" he replied coolly. "Bacchus is forbidden from expanding his influence in the mortal world past its present level -- as are the other Olympian gods!"

     "I've done nothing that will upset the current balance of power," Hera rationalized. "Nor have I expanded my presence or that of Bacchus in the mortal world."

     "Then what have you done?" Zeus asked. He motioned at the banks of life bubbles that surrounded the arguing couple. "Tell me and let me see for myself."

     The Queen of the gods carefully weighed her options and then decided to show her hand. "I've merely enabled Bacchus' followers to reduce their reliance on blood, which will result in more stability in their lands," she explained. "Furthermore, I had a hand in the creation of a new lieutenant for Velasca -- which will result in a better defense for the lands controlled by both the Amazon nation and Bacchus." She glared at her husband and adopted an aggressive stance. "See?! I've been a stabilizing force ... nothing more."

     Zeus revealed his ace card. "Then how do you explain your actions in the Thracian villages and towns bordering the frontier of the Amazon nation?" he rumbled. "That resulted in chaos and the deaths of many innocents -- including children!"

     "I never did anything ... ,"

     "Don't underestimate my capabilities!" Zeus roared, his anger palpable now. "I may have a lot of responsibilities, but that doesn't mean I'm not watching what you and the other Olympians are doing! For goodness' sake, I am the sky god -- what do you think I am, blind?!"

     Sometimes it sure as Hades seems like it! Hera shot back mentally. "Those women are of Amazon descent anyway, and there was great anger bubbling beneath the placid surface," she replied hauntily. "All I did was give them the encouragement to take their rightful place -- nothing more!"

     Zeus knew Hera was being truthful for once. The women in the Thracian villages were of Amazon blood and had been held down by their husbands and other males. And he also knew that his wife's actions were less than altruistic. She has basically prepared them to be taken over by Bacchus and his bloodsucking Amazons, he thought angrily. Now it's only a matter of time before Bacchus tries to claim them as his own -- thereby breaking my decree against expanding his earthly empire. Then I'll have to take action, thereby polarizing the gods and forcing a showdown!

     "Zeus?" Hera asked, put off guard by her husband's burning silence.

     "Never mind me," he shot back. "You're right about those women being of Amazon descent -- but that's all!" He walked away from Hera, fuming.

     "Aww. Are you going to pout now that you've lost another argument with me?" Hera snidely asked. "Go sit in a corner and suck your little thumb?"

     Zeus was terribly tempted to smash Hera to the floor with a blast of energy, but held back. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me," he lied before vanishing in a flash of light.

     Hera sniffed haughtily. "You're such a loser, Zeus," she muttered. And then she, too, vanished in a haze of light.

     Thankfully, Zeus was long gone and didn't hear the poor choice of words that Hera had used. He materialized on the top of a tall, snowcapped, mountain somewhere in the heart of Asia Minor and sat down on a bare outcrop of rock. The king of the Olympian gods looked longing up at the clear night sky, staring at the billions of stars and one of the galactic arms as it rose up seemingly into infinity and beyond. Zeus was acutely aware of that Hera's manipulations, and that of the others, would eventually destroy the Olympians. Just as the Titans had fallen from power, so would the Olympians.

     None of the gods could see what the future was, but Zeus sensed it wasn't a pleasant one -- at least as far as the Olympians were concerned. Seemingly immortal to those who didn't yet know better, and all we can do is conduct internecine warfare and get our delights in abusing those who can't defend themselves against us, Zeus thought unhappily. It's only a matter of time before we ourselves are replaced by an even greater force ... the force that represents wisdom, knowledge and love. Even though he couldn't be positive about it, he was certain that a time of great upheaval would precede the blooming of this force -- and wasn't sure just how long the turmoil would last.

     "We were charged with the protection of this planet, and we have failed horribly in the task," Zeus grumbled to himself. "Soon we will be made to answer for our transgressions against this world and its inhabitants."

     Velasca was furious. A day had passed since Xena had left with her little group of lieutenants to single-handedly complete a mission that was supposed to take thousands of warriors to see it through. And Velasca had been left to inform the gathered Amazon armies -- a little over 6000 women -- that they would have to sit around and twiddle their thumbs while waiting for Bacchus' call to attack and conquer the mainland cities of Greece.

     And they had become enraged. Not that it surprised Velasca, but she didn't like being the target of catcalls and, worse, questions pertaining to her sanity and intelligence. She had fended off the anger and calmed down her sisters with alcohol-laced blood, but Velasca still felt used by Xena and the others. So here she was, packing a travel bag with gourds of blood and making sure her blade was razor sharp and ready for action.

     "Diana, you are now in charge of Themiscrya's affairs, in addition to our forces stationed here," Velasca said through gritted teeth. She was still furious. "The warrior princess and her entourage implied that the waters of the Amazon nation would be treated within a few days, so make sure everyone ingests it when the time arrives."

     Diana nodded, then asked, "When do you expect to return?"

     "That all depends on how my confrontation with Xena and her group goes," Velasca explained. "If it goes well, I should be back within a few days. If not -- well, I might not be back." She stood up, slung the travel bag on her back, and added, "I don't like being used, even if it was with the blessing of our lord! I am the Queen of this nation and shall have no information held back from me ... and that's exactly what they have done with me! They played me for a fool!"

     And then Velasca was gone, leaving Diana alone in the Queen's Lodge. "But, but ... ," Diana protested weakly to the empty lodge. Then she lamely added, for her own benefit, "You never asked Bacchus for his side of the story."

     Several minutes passed before Diana finally got up enough nerve to leave the lodge. She trudged toward the commons, where Velasca's lieutenants awaited. Sirius, Electra and Lysara are just going to be so thrilled that Velasca has gone off on her own personal crusade, Diana thought sarcastically.

     Astyanax didn't want to open his eyes. His entire body was sore from an evening of degradation and humiliation. It seemed like the entire Amazon village had had their way with him, but the scout knew better. Only three women. Who would have ever thought that three women could have driven a man to edge of insanity with their insatiable thirst for sex?! he thought miserably. The brunette warrior had taken an hour with him, then the blond had had him for nearly three hours and then, then ... I'll never forget the raven haired warrior. Now she was the definition of insatiable. He hoped that all three were pregnant now so they wouldn't bother him for another night. I hope their labor lasts for days on end! he cursed silently.

     A sickly sweet smell invaded his nostrils, and Astyanax forced his eyes open. It was a brilliant afternoon and the heat was beginning to get to him -- but that horrid smell was of more immediate concern. He twisted his head and saw four immense piles of bodies that were in the process of being burned. It didn't take the scout long to realize that the clouds of smoke rising from the fire was the source of the cooking chicken-like odor.

     "Trying to cover up the evidence of your atrocities, eh?" Astyanax snarled at the two women guarding him, unable to hold back his anger. "Don't you morons know that the world will eventually find out about it?!"

     One of the guards sauntered over to the scout, studied him for a moment, then hissed, "We're hiding nothing! The funeral pyres are the traditional Amazon way of freeing the dead permanently from their physical bodies. Even if the dead were, for the most part, the men who oppressed us in life!"

     Astyanax grimaced as the second guard stepped forward and slapped him across the face. He willed the pain away from his inflamed face and stared resolutely up at his captors. If these are what normal Amazons are like, I'd hate to see them as sex-crazed bloodsuckers, he thought. "Look, I'm sorry if my words hurt you," he replied quietly, his anger gone. "I'm just vocalizing what uninformed outsiders would think of the practice. Warning you, perhaps."

     The first guard spoke up. "The voice said that burning the bodies was also sanitary thing to do -- otherwise we might get some sort of sickness from the decomposing corpses."

     Interesting, Astyanax thought. A mysterious voice that is guiding some of the actions of these new Amazons. Joy! Just what this world needs -- more mindless followers of some deity who could care less for mortals. Nonetheless, the scout remained curious about the origins of the voice and asked, "Do you have any idea who it belongs to?"

     "Artemis," the second guard replied shortly. "She called herself Artemis -- goddess of the Amazons."

     Astyanax had heard of the goddess before, and telling her worshippers to burn the bodies of the dead -- even that of the enemy -- sounded like something the honorable goddess would do. But Astyanax remained suspicious about the wanton killing of so many children. Hmm. That's definitely not the province of the goddess of the hunt and childbirth, he mused. "Look, if you believe everything that voice says, then why can't you believe me when I swear upon Zeus' name that the Greeks are trying to kill not only Bacchus, but yourselves as well?" he asked reasonably.

     "Because you are a man and, to top it off, you killed my sisters," a chilly voice snapped.

     Astyanax twisted his head away from the drug-crazed guards and saw a very familiar figure approaching him. What did she call herself -- Tari? No. Tauri. That's it! Tauri! "I saw bodies -- lots of dead bodies, including children -- and I reacted on instinct," the scout replied defiantly.

     Tauri stared coolly at the guards and they got the message: no interaction was to be allowed with the prisoner. After they had slinked off a short ways, Tauri shifted her gaze to Astyanax and replied, "I took the liberty of retracing your route through our territory ... ," an ominous silence, " ... and am satisfied that you came alone, with no companions." She squatted next to a bucket of water and withdrew a sponge from it. Tauri stood and made a beeline for Astyanax, where she squeezed the sponge over his face.

     The scout greedily licked up as much of the water on his face as possible. "I told you I was a scout for Zelius' army, that I came to warn you about your nation's impending doom," he mumbled between slurps.

     "Then where is this so-called army?" Tauri snapped, withdrawing the sponge.

     "As far as I know, they haven't left Dium yet," Astyanax replied. "But I can't be absolutely sure on that -- my intelligence is well over a week old."

     Tauri glanced at the guards, who slipped away, leaving her and Astyanax alone with each other at the center of the village. "I have ways of making you tell the truth," she purred. "And they can be pleasant and excruciating at the same time."

     Astyanax was about to protest again, then realized the it was futile. I've arrived during a full-fledged Amazon mating cycle -- and Tauri and the others won't listen to reason until the time is over, he thought. He slumped over into a submissive pose. Time is of the essence, and all they -- okay, okay, me too -- can think of is sex, the scout thought self-consciously.

     "The others told me of your endurance last night," Tauri said in a low, lilting voice. "And if you thought they were good, you haven't ... ," she unsnapped her leather skirt and unhooked her leather breast armor, " ... seen anything yet."

     And then, with an animalistic snarl, she had Astyanax pinned to the post and was groping for his member.

     The meadow provided an excellent place to set down for a few hours rest, relaxation and supper for the Xena's weary band of travelers. The sun was getting low in the sky and it wasn't long before a small campfire was burning and gourds of blood were being passed around. For once, though, the gourds remained half full after feeding -- none of the group members were keen on the idea of losing control of herself on such an important mission.

     "How close are we to the Ambrosia Chamber?" Thraso asked. She idly ran her pink tongue over her long, sharp fangs, slightly discomfited that they -- and the other Bacchae accessories -- hadn't vanished after her encounter with Ephiny during the aborted picnic with the regent and, unfortunately, Eponin.

     Xena didn't reply immediately, trying to remember from memory the route that had been outlined by the map book that Autolycus had carried. Which reminds me -- I hope he returned it, along with the Dagger of Helios, like he promised me he would, she thought. Aloud, the warrior princess said, "Well, we've been following the Thermodon for quite some distance, and it flows fairly close to the chamber itself. So I'd say we're quite near it, probably ... ," she pointed up at some nearby hills, catacombed with caves, " ... up in those hills somewhere." Xena glanced at Ephiny, and asked a silent question.

     The regent held her taloned hands up helplessly. "Don't look at me. I only glanced at the map book once and never thought we'd need it again." Ephiny, in turn, looked at Solari.

     "Uh-uh. I followed you," Solari replied.

     Xena sighed. "Okay, I get the picture. No one seems to remember anything except for me. How typical."

     "Our time is limited, so we should figure out what the best plan of action is," Gabrielle interjected. All heads turned to look at her. "I suggest we split up into two groups -- Xena and myself will retrieve the ambrosia, one way or another, while Ephiny and the others continue the journey to the Thracian villages. We will rejoin you at the Thermodon river in time to combine Hera's magic dust with the ambrosia and release the mixture into the river's waters." The bard paused, thinking. "Then we can find out what all this hoopla is that Bacchus has with these Thracian villages he's so bent on initiating."

     Xena nodded in discreet approval of her bard. She's becoming more assertive every day -- and I like that, the warrior princess thought. She patted Gabrielle on her back and smiled. "I believe we can split up into two groups right here ... this is as close as we can get to the Ambrosia Chamber and remain together."

     "But why?" Siri asked. "Why split up our numbers?! We'll be more exposed that way!"

     "The area surrounding the Ambrosia Chamber, even though technically in Amazon territory, is mystical in nature," Xena explained. "It's my belief that if too many mortals approach the chamber at any one time, it may 'shift' to another position -- one that we have no idea where to locate."

     "Huh?" Siri huffed. "Explain that one to me."

     "Ambrosia was never meant to be ingested by mortals," Gabrielle supplied. "But during the epic conflict between the Titans and the Olympians, the latter needed an ambrosia supply base from which to draw energy during their battles on Earth. So the Ambrosia Chamber came into existence ... and to keep mortals away from it, a mystical zone was placed around it. If a certain threshold of life -- flora or fauna -- encroached upon its position, the chamber would automatically relocate to a new, unmapped, location."

     Thraso digested the knowledge and then asked the obvious. "So what's the threshold?"

     And Xena told a little white lie. This is something that Gabrielle and I have to deal with personally, she rationalized. Bacchus corrupted us, the Amazon nation and the rest of Macedonia -- if we can obtain even a small amount of ambrosia, then it will mean the beginning of the end for that horned bastard! "Two, maybe three people, tops," Xena said firmly. She glanced over at Ephiny and Solari -- both of whom knew better -- but they remained knowingly silent. "Of course, that's only an educated guess ... but there's no room for error here."

     A moment passed before the warrior princess spoke again. "We can only hope that nothing has disturbed the peace of the Ambrosia Chamber since our last visit here."

     "What visit?" Thraso asked, genuinely confused.

     Ephiny smiled tightly. "You weren't around for that incident. Suffice to say that Velasca nearly realized her dream of uniting the Amazon nation under her leadership, coincidentally leaving Gabrielle and Xena dead in her wake. Then there would have been another war against our nearest Centaur neighbors ... ,"

     "It's a long story," Gabrielle cut in. "Velasca's actions in the Ambrosia Chamber and her prior attempt to sabotage my coronation as the Queen led to her banishment from the Amazon nation."

     "Hmm. Sounds like an interesting story. You'll have to explain it in detail to me in the future," Thraso said.

     "So that's the game plan then," Xena interrupted in an attempt to bring the discussion back to where it had started. "We split up at dawn's first light and recombine our forces at the northern waters of the Thermodon, just before crossing over into Thracian territory."

     The group nodded its silent consent and it wasn't long after that sleep descended on them like a heavy, wet blanket. There were no pleasant dreams for any of them -- only nightmares of blood, sex, death and destruction.

     And, not too far away from the camp's perimeter, a pair of glowing golden eyes flared in anger. Velasca had arrived just in time to overhear her lieutenants' planned treachery.

     Ares sat on his throne, studying the various weapons of war that lined the walls of this particular temple that was dedicated to the Olympian god of war. Spears. Shields. Swords. Metal-studded whips. Armor. Even the occasional Amazon war staff. If there was an implement of war, it was in the temple -- most of the loot brought as offerings to Ares by his bloodthirsty followers. Combined together, the weapons offered an air of coldness to the bleak, dark air of the temple.

     Coldness is only one of the emotions I'm experiencing at the moment, Ares thought distantly. He turned his attention to a pool of energy that shimmered languidly in front of him -- images passed to and fro within the pool. Images of death, destruction and now ... betrayal. Velasca feels that she's been betrayed by her patron, Bacchus. If only she knew the truth. The workings of the gods are much more complex than she could possibly imagine -- especially in her present state. The god of war stood and stretched slightly before starting to pace impatiently in front of his throne. For once Ares was glad that none of his followers were present to witness his momentary indecision. He struggled to hold back his emotions, which had grown considerably hotter since he had started pacing. Finally, it was too much and he let loose.

     "You're all such idiotic fools!" he screamed up at the cavernous ceiling, his anger directed at his unseen Olympians brothers and sisters. Not to mention Zeus and Hera. "Can't any of you see what's going on?! I've waited since Artemis' trial to find out if any of you would see the whole picture -- and you haven't!"

     Indeed, that was exactly what Ares had done. He had waited and waited in this temple, zealously wondering if any of the other gods could see the intricate picture that the Fates were slowly, but surely, weaving. Now even his patience was exhausted at the obliviousness exhibited by the so-called all-knowing Olympian gods. He alone, besides Artemis and the late, lamented, Strife, knew about the goddess of the hunt's intervention on behalf of her beloved Amazons. Even Zeus and Hera were unaware of the ambrosia that Artemis had given Ephiny -- although Zeus had sentenced her to time in Tartarus for her reticence in revealing what she had done.

     No one heard Ares' outburst. Which was just as well, because the god of war was about to change the odds again. Hera and the others have had a fair shot at deciphering the whole picture -- and they have failed miserably, Ares thought angrily. I'm withdrawing myself from my mother's camp -- she's bound to lose anyway -- but I'm not leaving this whole damn affair empty-handed! The god of war knew he was risking the wrath of Hera, but he wasn't too worried about it after centuries of butting heads with his father, Zeus. If the worst happens, she'll just give me the silent treatment for a few decades ... she needs my assistance too much to leave me out in the cold for too long a period of time, Ares thought.

     The plan he had in mind would salvage something from this miserable little expedition into mortal affairs while keeping his reputation as a god to be feared intact. The Amazons and other mortals may well win against Bacchus if they keep on their present course, but I'll get my pound of flesh yet -- especially those beautiful and warlike Amazons -- if it's the last thing I do, Ares mused. A low, rumbling laugh began reverberating throughout the temple as the war god contemplated his plans with even more delight. And if Bacchus, Hera and the others get burned in the process, then so be it!

     It was the dawn of another day -- but it was anything but beautiful for the people of Lagaria. Almost their entire village lay in ruins after an entire night of fighting against the bloodthirsty Bacchae who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere to put down the border village's insurrection against Bacchus' rule. Fires continued to burn sporadically throughout the village -- a large hut that was called home by eight family members, now all dead, the village council's chambers, which lay in scorched wreckage and, worst of all, the village's communal well, which had been collapsed and plugged up by the evil bloodsucking women.

     In the village square, two dozen women were on their knees were lined up in a row. An equal number of Bacchae women stood imperiously behind them -- it was painfully obvious what fate was about to befall some of the surviving women of rebellious Lagaria.

     "You rebel women don't deserve the fate you're about to receive," the Baccha commander rumbled as she stalked back and forth in front of her captives. She had once been a mother in a nearby village, but that had all changed the night the Amazon enforcers had came through, forever changing her life. "But our lord Bacchus -- soon to be your lord as well -- insists that all of his female subjects eventually join the ranks of the Bacchae!"

     The commander nodded and a muffled scream filled the morning air. Seconds passed and other cries joined hers as six of the prisoners were bitten by their captors and began the agonizing transformation into newborn Bacchae. The remaining eighteen women stared at their changing neighbors in slack-jawed fascination -- but one of them had heard and seen enough.

     "Bacchus can go to Tartarus!" she hollered at the top of her lungs. The Baccha behind her immediately tried to silence her, but the peasant jerked forward and continued screaming. "You may have killed our men and children, but you will all pay for your sins!"

     "You cannot escape your fate ... ," the Baccha commander began, but then she fell silent. The cool, morning air began to tremble slightly as the ground beneath started shaking ever so slightly. The other Bacchae looked at their leader, also sensing the eerie vibration -- unable to comprehend its meaning. Then it dawned on the commander and she whirled toward her sisters and snapped, "Take up defensive positions and prepare to ... ,"

     One, then two arrows slammed into her back with such force that they poked through the front of her bloodied chest. Who dares to injure me?! she thought angrily, spinning around to face her doomed attacker. Don't they know that Bacchae are impervious to mortal weaponry?! A third arrow came seemingly out of thin air and embedded itself into the commander's forehead. The vibrations continued to worsen and the Bacchae leader was growing downright furious. She reached to pull the shaft from her head -- that one being the most disconcerting -- but froze as a burning sensation centered at the impact points began and spread through her body. The burning quickly grew white hot and the commander screamed wordlessly as otherworldly flames shot out of her fanged mouth. She stumbled and fell to the ground squirming and convulsing.

     Moments later, she exploded. The entire episode, from the time of the initial arrow impact to the detonation, had taken less than thirty seconds.

     Then the vibrations became more pronounced and the Bacchae cowered behind their neighing steeds, unable to assault an enemy they couldn't see. The peasant women scrambled out of the village square, desperate to get away from what looked to them like the opening volley by an enraged god -- they were led by the brash young woman whose words had apparently triggered the attack. The Bacchae saw their victims escaping, but could do nothing about it as they were pre-occupied with their own survival and dealing with the six newborn Bacchae, who were only now coming to their new senses.

     Then the attackers appeared. Rounding a bend in the village leading to the square over a hundred mighty armored stallions and proud armored mares came into view driven on by their riders. Behind each rider sat an archer -- and the arrows began to fly in earnest. Some missed their marks -- because of the rough perch offered by the horses -- but the majority hit their Bacchae targets, who began to burn and explode. The bloodsuckers returned fire, knocking six riders from their steeds, along with eight archers, but that was all the casualties suffered by the attacking party. Five minutes later, the last of the Bacchae had fallen and the attack group had split up to cover the remnants of the burned out village, searching for any straggling Bacchae. The leader of the group remained in the village square on his prancing steed, surveying his surroundings as group healers set up impromptu medical facilities in a desperate effort to save those wounded in the attack.

     A peasant woman appeared from one of the nearest burned out huts and ran toward the liberator. But happiness was the last thing on her mind. "Why?" she screamed mindlessly. "Why did you kill my best friend?"

     The leader stared wordlessly at the shrieking woman, unsure of what to say. I wasn't expecting this kind of reception from those we just liberated, he thought coolly.

     Just then another young woman, followed by about a dozen others, came up and calmed down her hysterical neighbor. She looked up at the apparent leader of the attackers and said, "Please forgive Riis for her emotional reaction." She gestured at one of the insignificant dust piles -- all that remained of the Bacchae -- and sighed. "Her best friend had just been transformed into a Bacchae, and was subsequently killed. Talk about timing, eh?"

     The leader dismounted and extended a gloved hand. "I imagine I'll just have to get used to it," he said gruffly. "The name's Questanax -- whom do I have the honor of addressing?"

     "I, uh, I don't have a name," the woman replied sheepishly. "I was a slave woman to my mistress prior to the arrival of the Bacchae -- her husband was the leader of this community." Questanax raised his eyebrows, but remained respectfully silent. "She offered herself to the service of Bacchus when the Amazon enforcers rolled through ... I think in an attempt to rule Lagaria after her husband was killed in the fighting following the uprising of Bacchae all over Macedonia."

     "And?" Questanax finally asked.

     "She got transformed into a bloodsucker, all right, but she was shipped off to another part of Macedonia as just another slavering Baccha soldier," the woman added. "So much for ruling Lagaria, I guess." She pointed at her abdomen, which was beginning to bulge out. "I wasn't taken immediately because of my pregnancy -- a seer said I have a little girl growing inside of me!"

     Questanax nodded sagely. "Well, it looks like we got here not a moment too soon, judging from the situation you were in, along with your neighbors. Maybe now your daughter will be born into a normal world and live a long and prosperous life."

     Your forces should have arrived last night, before the Bacchae got wind of our little rebellion and put a bloody end to it, the former slave thought despairingly. Before those bloodsuckers killed the men and children and burned down almost the entire village. "By the way, just who do you represent?" she asked aloud. "The last we heard was that Dion's army had been completely destroyed."

     "I am Captain Erianius Questanax and this here ... ," he gestured around at his personnel, " ... is one of ten Macedonian scout groups that have just made a coordinated assault on the borders of our occupied homeland. We should be hearing shortly about the success of our brothers-in-arms."

     Suddenly the small group of women grew animated as they digested the information. "You mean, the rumors weren't true then?" one of them asked. "The Pellan army wasn't destroyed?! General Dion wasn't killed?!"

      Questanax held his hand up, silencing the group. "The rumors were only partially correct. Suffice to say that enough of the Pellan army was left to regroup in Dium and -- with the aid of our Grecian allies -- to arm themselves with new weapons and greatly expand our numbers." He paused, thinking. "Dion, however, is dead. His successor, Zelius, has shared his command with the Athenian general Crassius, who brought in the reinforcements."

     Another outburst of frantic questions. Several minutes passed before the pregnant former slave got her compatriots to quiet down. What did a simple slave woman do to earn the respect of the remaining village women? Questanax thought idly. There's obviously more to her than what outward appearances indicate. He listened intently as she finally spoke up. "How can Lagaria assist you?" she asked. She gestured at the burnt out huts and the larger community structures, some of which continued to smolder. "There's not much here, but surely there's something that we can do to assist our liberators."

     "I must continue our probes deeper into Bacchae territory, but I'll leave two dozen or so soldiers here to ensure Lagaria remains in Macedonian hands," Questanax explained. "Instruct my men about the ins and outs of the territory both within and without the village and feed and board them. In return, you will be defended and, perhaps, some reconstruction can be started on the most vital of facilities ... ," he glanced over at the collapsed well, " ... starting, obviously, with the need for drinking water."

     He wheeled his stallion about and began barking orders to his men. Minutes later the entire square was packed with Questanax's scout force. Before vanishing into the morning sun, he glanced back at the slave woman and added, "I'll be leaving the wounded here as well. Furthermore, within the hour heavy forces will be arriving to permanently fortify our grip on this land." Without any further words, he slapped his horse and disappeared, followed by his men and, last but not least, the lessening vibration of shaking ground as the scouts moved away from Lagaria.

     The group of village women quickly dispersed, intent on assisting the remaining soldiers in any way possible. The former slave ended up at the side of a healer, who was putting the finishing touches on an archer's bloodied arm. "What did he mean by 'heavy forces'?" she asked quietly.

     "The actual ground armies led by Zelius and Crassius," the healer remarked. "There will be tens of thousands of troops accompanied by catapults, chariots and other such stuff." He saw the woman staring into the distance and tried to comfort her. "Questanax's group and the other scout groups are only the beginning of the attack -- they were meant to soften up the Bacchae ... ,"

     "They're going to die, aren't they?" she asked shortly.

     Fine. She wants the truth, then that's what she'll get. "More likely than not, yes, they will die ... all of them," the healer said in an emotionless voice. "As we progress deeper into occupied Macedonia, the Bacchae will become more numerous and the fortifications harder to crack. The scouts will die, but in doing so they will have delayed Bacchus and his minions long enough ... ," an uncharacteristic grin spread across the man's face, " ... for our main forces to slam into the disoriented remnants of the Bacchae who will still be reeling from the initial attacks."

     "We're going to win!" the archer whose arm had just been repaired chirped up. "Nothing's going to stop us now!"

     The former slave turned away from the healer and his charge and mumbled, "But at what cost?"

     Xena and Gabrielle picked their way over the rocky path leading up into the cave-pocked hills that marked the perimeter of the Thermodon River valley. The duo had left Ephiny and the others at the crack of dawn hours ago, the only words exchanged being solemn farewells. This is the most critical part of the mission, Gabrielle thought. If we cannot obtain the ambrosia we so desperately need, then it's over. We'd still be able to lessen the bloodthirstiness of our transformed sisters ... but a Baccha is still a Baccha, bloodthirsty or not. The bard glanced over at Xena, but no words came from the warrior princess. Only the steady footfalls of the pair and the clip-clop-clip-clop of Argo broke the eerie silence.

     "How much longer is it going to be before we reach the Ambrosia Chamber?" Gabrielle finally asked. "This route is different from the one Autolycus and I took during your extended out-of-body sequence!"

     Xena looked briefly at the blazing morning sun, made some quick calculations, then replied, "Another day or so, I imagine. Probably tomorrow morning at the latest." She fell into an awkward silence.

     "Do you want to talk about it?" Gabrielle asked, sensing the emotional struggle going on within her friend.

     "About what?"

     Gabrielle gestured around her, taking in the valley below and the sky above. "Anything. The last month or so hasn't been exactly normal -- even by our standards." When Xena maintained her silence, the bard decided to coax the warrior princess along. "How about Velasca? She sure seems to have taken a shine to you after you joined the ranks of the Bacchae."

     "What of it?" Xena shrugged. "Before Ephiny freed me from the mental chains of the Baccha I had become, I was the type of warrior that Velasca would have automatically trusted and enjoyed being in the company of: naturally evil, full of lust and, to boot, calculating and intelligent." The pair came to a halt and Xena gazed into Gabrielle's eyes, which still shimmered into a golden hue whenever the bard became excited -- or worse. "Her actions brought out the worst in you as well -- remember when we first arrived at the Amazon nation's borders with Velasca trussed up on Argo? When you sliced open Dion's hand and tasted his blood?"

     The bard looked down at her feet and, after a minute, nodded slightly. "I remember everything." The pair resumed walking. "Do you truly think that Velasca is to blame for this whole affair?"

     Xena shook her head. "If I did, we wouldn't be attempting to obtain ambrosia. We would be heading for the nearest Dryad burial ground to retrieve some bones to impale Velasca upon," she said. "No ... Bacchus is the true enemy here. He must be destroyed once and for all!"

     The sun rose higher in the sky and the warrior princess and the bard drew ever closer to the elusive Ambrosia Chamber, both still in earnest conversation. Time passed unnoticed by the two friends and lovers, who were finally speaking to each other as themselves and not as brainwashed bloodthirsty Bacchae. They concentrated so much on reaching their destination and talking that neither one -- even with their enhanced Bacchic senses -- realized that they were being trailed by their worst nightmare.

     Velasca was on the prowl. And when she was finished, there would be nothing left of her traitorous lieutenants. There will be no mercy this time ... my price will be in blood! she thought. Then, almost as an afterthought, Hmm. I wonder what Baccha blood tastes like?

     Ares materialized in the middle of a howling blizzard -- and was immediately impaled by nearly a dozen bluish ice shards. Hmm. The lowest level of Tartarus hasn't changed since the last time I was here, the god of war thought as he idly removed the shards from his body. It's still one big everlasting blizzard -- a great place for a party!

     Fortunately for him, Ares had appeared on the rough, winding path that he and Hephaestus had used to gather the materials that the god of the forge had deemed necessary for one of his crazy projects. Hopefully this one, whatever it is, will work, Ares thought sarcastically. He began walking along the path, deftly avoiding the snow-filled gullies and hidden fissures from which issued the cries of the damned and those who hadn't watched their footing. After nearly two hours of traveling, the first of the ice-covered granite pillars appeared in the distance, blurred by the driving snow. Ares walked by them all, ignoring the bound figures -- for the most part, they were the worthless Titans ... although some of the figures were demi-gods and goddesses and mortals who had been troublemakers while on Earth. Or some who just simply pissed an Olympian god off and found themselves here soon afterwards, Ares thought as he passed two slumped, forlorn figures who had had the temerity of challenging the god of war to one-on-one personal combat.

     Another hour passed -- Ares was enjoying his little tour of Tartarus now that he was here on his own free will and not as a prisoner -- before he finally found the person, or rather, the goddess he was looking for. Despite her heavy chains and obviously emancipated condition, she stood tall and defiant against the raging blizzard. Well, she certainly is holding up well, considering how short a time she's been here, Ares thought smugly.

     "Artemis! My dear, dear sister -- how's it going today?" Ares asked haughtily. His smile broadened when the goddess of the hunt turned her head and looked at him coldly. "Here, let me pull this out ... ," Ares began, and then unceremoniously ripped a rather large shard of ice from Artemis' shoulder.

     The goddess winced as the pain shot through her nearly frozen immortal body. But the fire continued to burn in her eyes. "What in Hades' name do you want, Ares? Have you come here to enjoy my misery?"

     Ares held his hands up in mock surprise. "Now why would I want to do that?" he asked nonchalantly. He began to circle the pillar malevolently, then leaned in and whispered into Artemis' ear, "So, how does it feel to be humbled and humiliated? How does it feel to be almost ... ," he spat the word out distastefully, " ... mortal?!"

     "I shouldn't have to answer idiotic questions that you already know the answer to," Artemis hissed. Her thinly veiled reference to the god of war's earlier imprisonment in Tartarus wasn't lost on him. "So stop wasting my precious time -- surely you have some mortal war or two to keep an eye on, hmm?"

     Ares laughed uproariously. "War is my business, my illegitimate sister. And, yes, there are several on-going and soon to be conflicts brewing that need my expert guidance." A brief, but pregnant pause. "One of them, of course, involves your precious Amazon nation -- which stands at the precipice of victory ... or utter defeat."

     "Bacchus ... ," Artemis muttered under her breath.

     "Ah, yes, the horned freak that Zeus somehow sired with a mortal woman," Ares replied. "And soon he'll be leading the Amazons into a suicidal war against the invading Macedonians and Greeks."

     Artemis stared into Ares' eyes. "Suicidal? How?! As Bacchae, the Amazons are nearly immortal -- how can an army of mortals destroy ... ," she fell silent, stunned at the possibility, " ... no, it can't be ... ,"

     Ares gestured and a pool of energy materialized. It slowly cleared to show a close-up scene of a raging battle that looked to be taking place somewhere in the southern third of Macedonia. Soldiers clashed, catapults released their deadly loads into the enemy's rear areas and chariots and war horses slashed in and out of the fighting. The view began to pull back, revealing a vast battlefield pockmarked by brief, but brilliant, detonations and many dying men and their proud steeds. But what caught Artemis' eye was the strange glint of the weapons being clutched and fired by the Macedonian and Greek soldiers.

     "They're all armed with Dryad weaponry," the goddess of the hunt marveled. "And their kicking ass ... ," her demeanor suddenly went from intense curiosity and hidden joy to a severe case of suspicion. "Okay, Ares, what role did you play in arming them with supernatural weapons?"

     Ares shrugged. "I had nothing to do with it. Perhaps Zeus was right -- he said that the mortals had the ability within themselves to throw Bacchus for a loop," he explained. "Perhaps this is one of the manifestations of the true potential of the mortal world." He paused and grinned wolfishly, the eternal blizzard howling around him totally forgotten by now. "Now can you just imagine the carnage that will result when -- not if -- but when Bacchus throws his Amazons up against those who would liberate Macedonia from his grasp? Probably be a meatgrinder ... ,"

     "Release me!" Artemis demanded hotly, knowing damn well what Ares was alluding to. If my Amazons go into that war thinking they're immortal -- oh, they'll be wiped out, despite their innate fighting and stealth skills. "I won't allow them to be destroyed by a monster's mad dream for dominance over the mortal world!"

     And, to her eternal surprise, Ares complied. He stared long and hard at the golden chains which kept Artemis bound. After a minute they began to flicker and flash and -- inevitably -- exploded into nothingness. Then, in another unexpected gesture, the war god offered his sister a handful of regenerative ambrosia , which she wolfed down without a second thought. Artemis' body began to immediately repair itself and she looked stronger within seconds.

     "You know that the first thing I'll do is aid my people in anyway I can, don't you?" she asked Ares.

     "Ah, no. I thought we could have some milk and cookies," Ares replied sarcastically. "Of course I had that in mind when I released you! What do you think I am -- a fool?!" A brief pause. "Wait, don't answer that last part."

     "What kind of game are you playing?" Artemis asked caustically. Her bow and a quiver of arrows appeared in her hands. "Is this some sort of move for additional power and prestige among the Olympians?"

     Ares remained silent, pondering his next words. This is a game, all right, Artemis. But I've only started to move my pieces! "I have a soft spot in my heart for the Amazons," he exaggerated. "I don't want to see them go marching off the proverbial cliff like a bunch of lemmings."

     "Have you ever thought about exchanging titles with Hermes?" Artemis asked.

     "What do you ... ," Ares began, but then fell silent. It finally hit him -- and angered him. "I am not the god of thieves and lies!" he roared.

     "Could have fooled me," Artemis snarled. She turned away and began to dematerialize. I have to find Apollo and Athena and get them out of this ice-bound pit, she thought. But before she could completely vanish, she overheard Ares' parting words.

     "Don't forget now -- you owe me two favors!" he mocked. "One for freeing you and another for giving you the life-restoring ambrosia ... and I will collect on my debts!"

     Artemis knew that her brother was speaking the truth. She could only hope that the price for his unexpected assistance wasn't too high. What kind of game is he playing with Zeus now? she thought as she became a part of the storm, and yet not a part of it.

     Ares watched his sister vanish without acknowledging his last words and laughed. The game's only beginning ... my pound of flesh has yet to be exacted. And then he, too, was gone.

     "You have failed me." The ominous words rolled through the dimly lit throne chamber and the two supplicants, who were on their knees, trembled involuntarily. "I entrusted you with the security and santicity of our lands, Eribas and Caria," Bacchus continued. A crimson pool of energy appeared in the air and slowly cleared into the view of a fiery battlefield. "Dion's second, this Zelius, has already advanced deep into southern Macedonia ... ," the wine god whirled to glare at Caria, " ... and you! Whatever happened to those tripled defenses you promised me?!"

     Caria shivered. "I said it would take a week ... ,"

     "You are a failure!" Bacchus screamed, ignoring Caria's truthful statement. "At least Eribas carried out her assignment -- and quite quickly, too -- and finished off those damn villages who harbored the killers of Lana's patrol group!" The wine god clenched a taloned hand into a fist and squeezed ... and Caria began to gasp and choke for breath. She clawed at her constricting throat, but it was useless.

     "Please, stop!" Eribas cried out, leaping to her feet. She stepped between her lord and Caria, shattering Bacchus' concentration -- and his noncorporeal grip on Caria's neck. "This invasion of our land can still be stopped! Allow us to take over command of our front line Bacchae -- Caria and I will turn the tide together."

     Bacchus visibly cooled off. "You two have one chance to turn this debacle around," he said imperiously. "If you even show a hint of defeat ... well, I'll simply call in our Amazon allies and let them finish off Zelius and his friends."

     "We will not fail," Eribas said firmly.

     "And how do you two -- who have absolutely no tactical or military knowledge -- plan on keeping your promise?" Bacchus asked unequivocally. "Immortal or not, Zelius has something up his sleeve that's allowed him to take away our land with impunity."

     "Savagery," Caria said simply. "When we arrive at the front, we will break all the rules of conventional warfare! For every advance made by the mortals, we will slaughter as many of our subjects as we can get our hands on! We will poison their wells and sow salt in their agricultural land!"

     Eribas smiled at her sister's words, and added her own. "We'll assume a scorched earth and very bloody policy. It will be so bad that the land won't be able to support the invading troops ... and no one will be left alive to welcome their arrival -- or to aid them." She laughed cruelly. "Sooner or later, Zelius will sue for peace, just to stop the slaughter of the innocents!"

     "Perhaps my faith in you hasn't been misplaced after all," Bacchus replied, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

     "Then we shall take our leave ... ," Eribas began.

     "Oh, you'll be leaving," Bacchus interrupted. "But not by normal travel methods." He raised his hand and pointed a taloned finger at his lieutenants. And they promptly vanished -- immediately transported to the worst of the fighting. "Good hunting my Bacchae ... make our enemies' worst nightmare the literally truth!"

     "All hail to the Macedonia and her Greek allies!" Zelius cheered and lifted a mug of ale over his head. "May the war started this day end with complete obliteration of Bacchus and his filthy Bacchae!"

     His cheer was echoed by the hundreds of men gathered in the center of the makeshift war camp. Amid the clinking of wooden mugs and numerous small talk, dozens of young women danced wildly around a blazing fire ... celebrating the liberation of their villages and towns from the demonic rule of the Bacchae. More than one of them had already developed premature crushes on the some of the soldiers who had freed them.

     Through this whirlwind of activity Crassius alternately wound and pushed his way to Zelius' side. "Watch how much you consume, Zelius," he muttered to the Macedonian. "You're an intelligent and wise man, but your weakness for alcohol may be your undoing."

     "What?! Are you trying to be a party-pooper now, my Athenian friend?" Zelius challenged. He wasn't inebriated, but was in a playful mood. "Come on! Lighten up, even if it's only for one evening! Our brave men made great strides today in the war against Bacchus ... don't rain on the parade."

     Crassius glared at the younger man. "Son, you haven't seen me party yet, let alone get down," he snapped impatiently. He grabbed his counterpart's arm. "Come on, I've got something to tell you ... ,"

     "I'm not leaving my men," Zelius said shortly, jerking his arm away from Crassius. "As their general, it's important that I be seen circulating among them and not aloof -- and you should be joining me!"

     "Amazons."

     The smile on Zelius' face was instantly wiped away with that single word. "What about them? We're not even close to their lands -- Hades! We still have to re-take Pella!"

     "Follow me," Crassius said in no uncertain terms. "I'll tell you all about it."

     A few minutes later, the two men had returned to the command tent in which waited a visibly nervous captain. Crassius motioned at him. "Go ahead. Tell Zelius what the townsfolk of Xaltos told you about the Amazons."

     "They're coming," the captain said shortly. "Apparently the townsfolk overheard some of the Bacchae bragging about how their numbers were going to be tripled within a week. Bacchus foresaw our impending attack ... and has made contingency plans to deal with it."

     "That will be enough, captain," Crassius said, and dismissed the man. The Athenian turned to face Zelius and, despite his best efforts not to, spat on his counterpart's boots. "Well?! How do you feel now that Bacchus is well aware of our plans ... thanks to that scout you sent in to find the so-called innocent Amazons!"

     Zelius held his tongue for a moment. I don't want to speak in the heat of the moment, he thought angrily. "Then how do you explain the large advances our forces have made within a single day?" he finally asked aloud. "We've liberated dozens of villages and towns and re-taken large parts of southern Macedonia!"

     "It's all a ploy!" Crassius replied hotly. "Think about it. Your scout was obviously captured, interrogated and then probably killed. Using the information provided by your late, beloved scout, Bacchus had a general idea of what we were planning in Dium ... ,"

     "Astyanax wasn't aware of all of our plans!" Zelius retorted. "Even if he was captured -- and I don't think he was -- his knowledge would have been outdated!"

     Crassius slammed his fist on the table. "That doesn't matter! All Bacchus needed to know was that something was going on! And now he's lured us deep into his territory -- and has called in his Amazon reinforcements."

     "That's mere speculation!" Zelius replied loudly. "Rumors, nothing more! Besides, all of our soldiers are armed with Dryad weapons ... the Amazons are good fighters, but we would outnumber them and they don't know what we're armed with!"

     Crassius strode over to a crude tactical map that showed approximate unit positions and casualties. "Weapons don't make a man into a good soldier," he said quietly. "That is the province of learning and training. What I'm trying to say, Zelius, is this: We are taking anywhere from light to moderate losses. We no longer have the same number of men as we started out with this morning."

     Zelius studied the map and added his own observation. "Our scout forces are still out ahead of the main body of the army ... that's where our losses are really becoming significant," he said.

     "Yes," Crassius agreed. "We've taken territory, but it's serpentine in nature and our supply lines -- especially to the scouts -- are becoming stretched." He turned to his counterpart. "In other words, our head -- the scouts -- are too far out ahead of the body -- the main troops."

     "We've gone too far in our exuberance," Zelius admitted, seeing it all taking shape on the tactical map. "Bacchus will send in his Amazons to rout our scout forces and sever the supply lines. Then, amid the confusion, he will lash out at main forces -- it will be a bloodbath, Dryad weapons or not."

     Crassius nodded his assent and added, "It takes us weeks to replace a soldier who has fallen in battle. All it takes the Bacchae is mere minutes ... grab the nearest unchanged woman and transform her into a bloodsucker. Voila! Another nearly immortal follower that Bacchus will use against us!"

     The acrimony between the two men was now nearly gone. They were now totally focused on the much larger picture -- and it wasn't looking good. Just to be on the safe side, I had better hedge my bets and go on the assumption that Astyanax was captured and interrogated, Zelius thought. It's the only way ... ,

     "About those Amazons," Crassius harumphed. "Have you devised any other plan that might allow us to avoid spilling their lovely guts on our swords?"

     Zelius shook his head. "My ace card was Astyanax. He was my best shot at warning any remaining Amazons who hadn't been turned into mindless Bacchae."

     "Then you're aware that it's only a matter of time before the inevitable collision happens, aren't you?" Crassius asked slowly. "I will carry out my superiors' orders ... not because I despise the Amazons -- which I don't -- but because it's the militarily expedient thing to do."

     Zelius' shoulders sagged slightly. "I don't like it one bit -- but Bacchus is really leaving us no other choice," he admitted. "Without the Amazons at his beck and call, his empire will collapse into anarchy and confusion -- and what little discipline there is among his peasant Bacchae will also go out the window."

     "I can already hear it: conquerors of the Amazon nation," Crassius said to himself. "And once the terrible task is done, I can only pray that the gods will forgive us for our own transgressions."