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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As Ares repeatedly kissed her, Xena felt a heat begin to spread throughout her body and her heartbeat quicken. She tried to tell herself it was an energy rush from the earlier fight mixed with anger but she knew better. Ares' lips felt soft against her own and revealed a passionate desire waiting to be released. She felt the hardness of his body as he lay atop her. As the heat within intensified, she slowly began to return Ares' kisses. He set her wrists free from his tight grip. One of her free hands now roamed his back while she ran the fingers of the other through his soft, curly, black hair. Xena was able to remove one of her legs from beneath him and it now hugged his waist. Soft moans could be heard from both as she returned his kisses with a need that matched his. When she allowed herself to give into the desire Ares had awakened within, her brain sprang into action as the voice of reason. Have you forgotten whom you are kissing? This is the arrogant, self-centered God of War - Ares remember? He only views you as a lost possession, a plaything he must reclaim! As Xena's brain screamed reason, the heat within started to cool and she turned her head to avoid his lips.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xena didn't halt his intentions because she wanted to prove to herself and Ares that she truly did not want him. After the first tender kiss, Xena smiled inwardly. She had felt nothing proving she didn't want him. But when Ares immediately followed that with a deeper kiss, Xena knew she had made a mistake not halting his intentions from the start. Her heartbeat quickened and the heat from before began to spread throughout her body. Her mind sprang into action again; voicing the same reasons as before as to why she should ignore the pleasurable feelings Ares stirred in her. But her body was empowered by the awakened feelings and soon she tuned out the rational thoughts of her mind. Abruptly, Ares broke the kiss and moved to her neck, which he now caressed with soft kisses. As he kissed her neck, he could feel the increase in her pulse rate. Xena's hands had slowly moved up his back and now held him close to her. Ares had a triumphant smile on his face as he moved to an ear, teasing the lobe with soft nibbles.

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

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

CHAPTER 9

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

Telamon was carrying out his duties as head priest at the Temple of Ares in Thebes as he did each day, when a shimmer of light appeared before him, dispersed and left in its place, his dark lord standing before him dressed in polished black leather. Telamon instantly fell to his knees and bowed his head.

"Arise Telamon," Ares ordered in a rushed tone.

Telamon stood and gazed at his dark lord who was carrying several scrolls in his arms.

"I don't have much time, so pay close attention to what I tell you." Ares walked over to a table and deposited the scrolls. Telamon quickly came to his side.

Ares unrolled a scroll containing a map. "Some objects of great value are buried in the seaside caves just outside the city of Abdera." He put an index finger on its location on the map. Abdera was located east of Macedon along the coast of the north Aegean Sea.

"This is what we are looking for." Ares unrolled another scroll, which contained a drawing of a gold chest. Telamon intently gazed at the drawing, committing it to memory. Around the sides of the chest was strange writing Telamon didn't recognize. On top of the chest was a four-pointed star with a pair of large bird wings underneath and more of the strange writing.

"The chest looks ancient." Telamon continued to inspect the drawing.

"There are twelve chests in all matching this drawing and they were buried eons ago, before the town of Abdera ever existed." Ares rolled up the two scrolls and handed them to Telamon. "The retrieval of these chests is of the utmost importance to me, so I am putting you in charge of the search Telamon."

"Thank you lord Ares." Telamon bowed his head. "I am honored by your trust in me and will not let you down."

"I already have your digging crew picked out and they will arrive at this temple tomorrow. I want this project to begin as soon as possible."

"As you wish," Telamon said.

"I will be away for an indefinite length of time." Ares produced a sheet of parchment, which he handed to Telamon. "That is a special prayer. You can recite it to get in touch with me but only when you have made significant progress in the search."

"Of course lord Ares."

"All the information you need to locate the gold chests can be found in the scrolls I am leaving in your care. Until all twelve are found, their retrieval will be your top priority. Don't disappoint me." With his last statement, Ares vanished.

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

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

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

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

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

**********

Crackling, orange flames from the hearth fire cast golden warm shadows on the dark stone walls of the massive bedchamber. A contented sigh followed by a satisfied smile graced the lips of the war god as he cast his gaze downward to look at Xena who had her head lying against his chest.

Earlier that evening, he had transported the two back to the bedchamber in his fortress located high in the mountains of Macedon. The place was not unfamiliar to Xena, for she had spent many nights there when she served as Ares’ top warlord. This night was like many of those long ago as the former lovers had spent the last few hours getting passionately reacquainted with each other’s bodies.

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

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

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

**********

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Of course Lord Ares."

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

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

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

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

**********

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yes I am."

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

Xena looked at Ares expectantly.

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

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

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

**********

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CHAPTER 10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It will be as you wish Dark One."

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

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

**********

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Why not? Is it because you got your fill with Xena the other night?" Discord had an intense jealousy regarding Ares' involvement with anyone and Xena was at the very top of that list. She knew if she continued, the war god’s wrath may be brought down upon her but Discord had never been one to bite her tongue and she wasn’t about to start now. "I saw the look in your eyes. You slept with her didn't you?" She asked in a venomous tone.

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

Discord had grown tired of Ares’ fixation with the warrior princess. For three years now, he had tried to get her back with no success. It was time for him to face reality---cut his losses and seek conquests elsewhere. "So, you got her back in your bed for one night, BIG DEAL!" she snapped. "That only happened because she's been an emotional wreck ever since her friend's death. It won't change ANYTHING---she's still not coming back. But that won't discourage you will it?" Discord’s dark eyes glared at Ares with a mixture of curiosity and disgust. "Honestly, the way you act sometimes---if I didn't know you so well, I would swear you're in lo..."

"Enough!!!" Ares mentally chastised himself for having Artemis restore Discord’s body. At this moment, she was getting on his last nerve. She was so much easier to deal with as a chicken. "Xena is NOT a topic open for discussion. You have overstayed your welcome and better GO!" There was a threatening look in his eyes.

Discord got the message loud and clear. With a huff, she left in shards of blinding light.

**********

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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