@Xenite Country
Dark Revelations
By Skkye Blue
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Shipper Fan Fiction @Xenite Country Dark Revelations |
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Webmaster Note: To make this story load a little easier in your browser, it has been split into several web pages. You will find the link for the part of the story below at the end of each page. Dark Revelations (Chapters 28 thru 31) CHAPTER 28 After almost a week of travel, the three horses and their five riders were on the road, which led into Amphipolis. "A circus is in town!" Lycus’ crystal blue eyes beamed with excitement as he gazed at the colorful top of a tent visible above the trees. "I think you’re right," Xena said from behind him as the pair sat atop Argo, who trotted closer towards Amphipolis. "Ooh, can we go to the circus?" Lysia turned to gaze up at Cyrus who sat behind her on Xerxes. "I don’t see why not," Cyrus replied. "While you are staying with Xena’s mother, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind taking you." "But I wanna go now." Lycus was anxious for some fun after spending hours on the back of a horse. "We are all going to the tavern, so you two can meet Xena’s mom and unpack your things," Cyrus firmly stated. "You can go to the circus later." Both children had disappointed looks on their faces. "Ever since I was a kid, I always loved it when a circus was in town and before we leave, I sure would love the chance to check this one out too," Joxer said with child like excitement. "I could take the kids to the circus, while you two take their things to the tavern." "Well?" The children anxiously asked in unison as they waited for a response from Cyrus. "You both can go," Cyrus replied. Both children now had pleased smiles on their faces. When the traveling party reached Amphipolis, the streets were filled with people who had come to see the circus. Joxer dismounted Otis then helped both children down from the backs of Argo and Xerxes. Xena held Otis’ reins so the horse would follow Argo as she and Cyrus made their way to the tavern while Joxer and the twins headed for the circus. Xena and Cyrus took the horses to the stables, unloaded the children’s things and headed for the tavern. When they reached the tavern, the place was packed with people who had come to see the circus. Xena lead their way through the crowd, headed for the kitchen where she figured her mother would be. Cyrene closed the cellar door located in the floor of the kitchen, then picked up the two large jugs of ale and headed for the barroom. "Xena, you’re back!" Cyrene said with surprise when she saw her daughter walk through the kitchen door. She set the two large jugs on a nearby table, then embraced Xena in a big hug. "And, I’m in one piece." Xena returned the hug. "I want you to meet the dear friend I told you would be coming back with me," she said when they broke the hug and Cyrene took notice of the man with long curly blond hair standing behind Xena. "Mother, this is Cyrus." "It’s a pleasure to finally meet you Cyrene," Cyrus said with a big smile. "I’m always happy to meet one of Xena’s good friends." Cyrene thought Xena’s friend looked very competent and reliable which somewhat diminished her fears over her daughter’s alliance with the God of War. At least now, Xena wouldn’t be around Ares alone. Recent events in Xena’s life made Cyrene doubt her daughter’s judgment concerning the war god. "Where is Joxer?" "He took the children traveling with us to see the circus," Xena replied. "What children?" "They are Cyrus’ wards, a boy and a girl...twins, to be exact." When it was initially decided that the children would go to Greece, Xena had also made the decision to tell Cyrene they were her children. But now, Xena knew once Cyrene was told she would badger her about the identity of the father. If Cyrene knew the father was Ares, it would just lead to a rehash about her fears regarding their alliance so Xena decided to stay silent about the children’s parents. "I figured they could stay here, while we meet with Ares. You don’t mind do you?" "No, of course not," Cyrene replied. "It will be nice to hear the laughter of children around here. I can put them in the two rooms across from mine." "C’mon Cyrus, we can take their things up to the rooms, I’ll show you the way." "You two can do that later," Cyrene said. "I’m taking these two jugs out to the bar, then I’ll be back and I want you two sitting at that table over there, eating the stew I just prepared which should be a welcomed meal for you both after a week of eating what the forest provides." Cyrene quickly exited the kitchen. "I guess a home cooked meal is in order," Xena admitted. "Oh, I’ll say," Cyrus added. "I don’t know how you make it eating that stuff we found in the forest on a daily basis." "It’s an acquired taste," Xena confessed. "Well, you can have it," Cyrus stated flatly. "Give me home cooking any day." He deposited the children’s belongings on the floor, grabbed a bowl sitting on the table and helped himself to the freshly prepared stew simmering over the hearth. Xena got a bowl of stew also then joined Cyrus at the table. "There’s one more thing I got to handle, then I will join you two," Cyrene said as she briefly came back into the kitchen to get another jug then departed to the barroom again. "Oh, and I expect to hear all about your trip back to Greece," Cyrene said as she stuck her head through the door then disappeared. "I don’t think she wants us to leave," Cyrus said when they were alone in the kitchen. Xena knew her mother disapproved of her alliance with Ares and wouldn’t be surprised if she was trying to stall their meeting with the war god. "You are probably right," Xena said. "But we will leave. There is too much at stake and my mother is one of the few people who knows that better than anyone." ********** Joxer and the twins were having a good time as they explored the variety of entertainment the circus had to offer. The children cheered Joxer on as he participated in a few events. He was only victorious in one. For his prize, he picked out a large green stuffed toy dragon, which he gave to Lysia. Joxer stopped at the booth of a vendor selling candy and decided to buy some for the trio. "Let’s check out the tent that looks like a rainbow," Lycus said after Joxer rejoined them. The trio was approaching a small tent that had red, blue, orange, green, yellow and purple vertical stripes. "Come learn all from Agatha the sooth...sayer," Lysia said as she read the sign outside the tent. "Joxer, what’s a soothsayer?" "It’s a person who knows stuff before it happens," he replied. "Cool, let’s go in," Lycus said with excitement. The trio made their way through the strands of blue and black beads hanging from the doorway of the tent. Once inside, they immediately noticed how dark it was despite the bright sunshine of the afternoon and were overwhelmed by the smell of floral incense. "This place is creepy, let’s go." Lysia tightly held Joxer’s left arm. At that moment, the trio was startled by the sound of a lamp being lit. The lone bright orange flame made the contents of the small tent visible to view so their gaze focused on a round table draped with a black cloth set in the middle of the tent. At the table sat a figure wearing a black cloak with a large hood. "C’mon over dearies, I wun’t bite," the cloaked figure cackled in a scraggily voice. Joxer and Lysia cautiously approached the table but Lycus boldly strolled over to the table and sat in the only chair across from the soothsayer. Joxer and Lysia stood on either side of him. "I’m Agatha and fer one deener, I’ll tell yer future." Joxer reached in his money pouch and pulled out one dinar, which he set on the table between them. A wrinkled hand with bony fingers, knobby knuckles, and long sharp yellow nails quickly reached out and grabbed the lone dinar. "Put yur hands on the table boy," Agatha ordered. Lycus did as she commanded. The soothsayer quickly grabbed his small hands with her bony ones which somewhat startled the child and his two companions. Lycus thought her hands felt rough and ice cold against his. Despite the large hood and the shadows it cast, Lycus was able to see some of Agatha’s face. It was very wrinkled and thin. She had a pointy chin with a few gray hairs growing from it. Strands of snowy white hair stuck out of the large hood. Lycus could see her gray old eyes peeping out from the shadows of the hood, staring intently at his face. "You boy are named Lycus," Agatha said in a raspy voice. "The girl standin’ next to ya is yer...sister...Lysia." The soothsayer’s gray old eyes were now staring at Lysia and made the young girl feel somewhat uncomfortable. "Put yur hands on the table," Agatha commanded as she continued to stare at Lysia. Reluctantly, Lysia set her small hands on the table next to her brother’s. Agatha still held Lycus’ right hand as she now held Lysia’s in a firm grasp. The young girl had to fight the urge to yank her hand away because the soothsayer’s felt so cold and rough. "I feel a power...a great power...comin’ from ya both," Agatha whispered. "A power like the gods." The soothsayer’s words were no surprise to the twins since their Uncle Cyrus had told them their powers were gifts from the gods. And Xena had told Joxer the children had special gifts so the soothsayer’s words were no surprise to him either as he stood there silently watching the soothsayer read the twins’ fortune. The soothsayer quickly turned over the right hands of both children and ran her boney fingers over the small palms. Her gray old eyes stared intently at the two small palms she held in each hand. "I see a woman...a warrior woman..." "It must be Xena!" Lycus interjected with excitement. "Quiet, ya must remain quiet, ‘til the readin’ is dun," Agatha stated in a firm raspy voice. "Oh, sorry," Lycus whispered. "I see a warrior woman...and...the war god," Agatha said. "They must protect ya from a great evil...the Demon Snake. He wants ya both but he’s goin’ for the boy first." Lycus was excited about the possibility of meeting a god but the soothsayer’s words regarding a demon snake sent chills through his body. It reminded him of the snake man in his nightmares who was coming after him. "Will the demon snake get me?" Lycus anxiously asked, forgetting to remain silent until the reading was over. "I can not say...it is too clouded," Agatha softly replied, her face in a frown, adding to the wrinkles. "You girl...are the key...to the power that can stop the demon snake." The soothsayer’s gray old eyes now stared at Lysia. "How will I do that?" Lysia had a perplexed look on her face also forgetting the silence rule. "When the time is right, you’ll know. Many things will happen in the months ahead and ya both must be strong." With her last words, Agatha sat back in her chair. "Is that all?" Lycus asked. "Yup, fer only one deener, that’s all ya get," the old soothsayer replied. "It will cost ya five deeners a piece to get the rest." The twins were curious to hear more and now looked at Joxer expectantly. "Ten dinars! That’s highway robbery!" Joxer declared. "C’mon kids, we are leaving." He ushered the twins towards the opening in the tent. "But dun’t ya wanna know yer own future? It’ll only cost one deener," Agatha said to Joxer’s departing form. "Do it Joxer," Lycus said. "Yeah do it," Lysia added. If they couldn’t hear all that awaited them, they wanted to hear at least what was in store for Joxer in the future. "Oh...all right," Joxer said grudgingly as he walked back over to the table and tossed a dinar onto the black tablecloth. He sat in the lone chair across from the old soothsayer and then put both hands on the tabletop. The twins stood on either side of him. The soothsayer grabbed his hands and ran her boney fingers over his palms just as she had done with the children. "I see...that warrior woman again...you are fightin’ by her side, and I see...another woman...she is very close to ya...she is very beautiful with long curly auburn hair." Joxer knew the warrior woman the soothsayer referred to had to be Xena. He had no clue who the other woman was. He obviously hadn’t met her yet and this rather intrigued him. "I see something else." Agatha’s face was drawn up in a twisted frown. "Ooh what is it?" Lycus asked with excitement. "It’s very dark...very angry and very..." Agatha’s voice dropped off as she peeped through the hood of the black cloak she wore and stared hard into Joxer’s face with old gray eyes. A wail escaped her thin lips and her body began to tremble under the black cloak as she quickly released Joxer’s hands from her grasp. "Ya must go now," she said abruptly. "But what didja see?" Lysia asked. "I saw nuthin’," Agatha quickly replied. "Go...please just go!" she demanded as she covered her wrinkled face with her bony hands. "Let’s do as she says." Joxer rose from the table. He led the twins out of the soothsayer’s tent. "I saw evil...a great evil," Agatha whispered after the trio had departed. Her bony hands were shaking as she brought a bottle from underneath the black tablecloth and quickly put it to her quivering thin lips. ********** Once outside the soothsayer’s tent, the trio started walking in the direction of the big top. "What was wrong with Agatha?" Lycus asked. "I think she saw somethin’ that really scared her," Lysia said. "Agatha was an old drunk who didn’t know what she was talking about so just ignore everything she said." Joxer had smelled the wine on her the minute they walked over to the table. "Now, you two are really going to love the acts under the big top. They have acrobats...as a kid they were always my favorite part of the show...and trained animals from around the world." Joxer and the children were crossing into the Town Square when yelling could be heard above the usual chatter in the street. "Why don’t you watch where you’re going you clumsy oaf!" One man shouted. "You’re calling me a clumsy oaf?!?!" The second man yelled. "You’re the one who bumped into me!!! And look what you did to the vase I bought for my wife." Joxer and the twins quickly made their way through the gathered crowd to view the disturbance. Two men stood facing each other, about to come to blows, while the turquoise colored ceramic pieces of a vase lay on the ground around them. "That vase cost me twenty dinars and you’re going to replace it!" The second man yelled as he gave the first a rough shove. "You were a sucker to pay that!" The first man yelled shoving him back. "And I’m not shelling out dinars for your clumsiness!" Joxer had learned a lot fighting alongside Xena these past few months and took it upon himself to squelch this quarrel before it turned into a brawl. "Gentlemen please!" he said in a raised voice while stepping forward out of the crowd and approaching the two men. "There must be some way for you to settle your differences without turning this into a fist fight." "You should mind your own business!" The second man growled as he swung a fist at Joxer, which connected with his jaw, knocking him to the ground. "Hey, leave the guy alone!" A man yelled as he stepped out of the gathered crowd. "He was only trying to help!" The man swung a punch at the second man. Soon, several men, not wanting to be left out of a good fight, joined in the ruckus. "C’mon Lysia, let’s get outta here." Lycus dragged his sister away from the growing crowd. "But what about Joxer?" "Oh, he’ll be okay." Lycus took a quick glimpse at Joxer who was lying on the ground, rubbing his jaw. "Let’s go have some fun." There was a devilish smile on the young boy’s face. Lycus was drawn to a dart-throwing booth, so that’s where he dragged his sister. A game between a few people had just concluded and a new one was about to get underway. "Hey mister, can I play?" Lycus asked when he and Lysia stood before the vendor running the booth. "I’m afraid not sonny," the vendor said as he gazed down at the children. "You’re too young." "But my brother is really good," Lysia said. "He always beats the servants." "The servants, huh?" the vendor said with a chuckle. "Oh c’mon Pindar, let the little boy play," a man, standing at the booth said. "What are you, afraid he’ll actually win and clean you out of merchandise?" Some others gathered snickered at this comment which angered Pindar. "The kid has no money, so he can’t play!" Pindar snapped. "But yes I do." Lycus pulled a dinar from a pocket. "See, the kid does have money, so let him play," the man said. Others gathered voiced the same sentiments. "Oh, all right," Pindar muttered as he took the dinar from Lycus and handed him some darts. "Lycus, where didja get that dinar?" Lysia whispered in his head. "I got it from Joxer’s money pouch when he wasn’t lookin’," he replied. "But that’s stealing!" The girl stared at her brother wide-eyed. "Joxer had so many, he won’t miss it," Lysia just stood there staring at Lycus as he took his spot next to the others about to participate in the next game of darts. Sometimes she wondered how he could be her brother and this was one of those times. Lysia was brought out of her thoughts when she felt something wet on her left hand. She looked down to see a black mastiff licking her hand. "Are you lookin’ for a friend?" Lysia asked the dog as she now stood before it, holding its face between her hands and staring into the animal’s big, brown, soulful eyes. "We can both watch Lycus win the dart game." She rubbed her hands behind the dog’s ears, which the animal seemed to really like. Then they both found a spot to watch Lycus play darts. ********** Joxer rubbed his sore jaw as he wandered down another street looking for the twins. Joxer thought he had an understanding with the kids---a truce---no more pranks---against him anyway. He had shrugged off the incident in the forest regarding his clothes. Joxer remembered the pranks Jett would coerce him into pulling and what the twins did to him paled in comparison. He thought with volunteering to take them to the circus and the good time they were having that they were now friends. But the twins had proven that underneath those innocent faces were the devious minds of little harpies who ditched him the moment they were given the chance. Joxer had been looking for the twins for almost an hour when he noticed the hoopla gathered around the dart-throwing booth. He decided to take some time out from his search for the twins to check out what had everybody so psyched. Lycus had won ten games in a row, which had drawn quite a crowd around the dart-throwing booth with people amazed at the ability of such a young child. "Here’s a dinar, let me play the kid, I know I can beat him," a man said as he stepped from the gathered crowd. "I’ll give it a shot too," another man said as he stepped forward. Lycus eagerly accepted the challenges. Lysia stood nearby, holding a sack full of toys her brother had won. The black mastiff still stood next to her. Lysia was looking around the crowd, when she saw a familiar shirt pass in a blur. She moved some ways through the crowd, until she saw the familiar shirt again and its wearer. "Uh oh, trouble," she murmured then she headed back towards the dart-throwing booth. "Lycus, Joxer is comin’ this way!" the boy heard his sister shout in his head. "Uh, I gotta go now," Lycus quickly stated to Pindar and the two men getting ready to challenge him. "But the game is just getting started," Pindar said. "Sorry, but I’m just a little kid and I gotta go home so…bye." Lycus quickly departed from the booth, found Lysia and then both quickly moved through the crowd, followed by the large dog. Once out of the crowd, the children started running down the street. "Hey you two, wait!" they heard a voice cry out to them when they had gone some distance down the street. Lysia turned around to see who was calling to them. It was some man she didn’t recognize. "C’mon Lysia, we havta keep goin’." Lycus pulled at her arm. "But it’s not Joxer, it’s someone else." Lysia came to a stop. Lycus groaned in disapproval but stopped with his sister. "Boy...you two...certainly move fast," the man gasped when he stood before the children. "Why were ya yellin’ at us?" Lysia asked. "I have a little girl around your age who I promised I would get a stuffed toy griffin at the circus. The last one available in the entire circus was the one you picked at the dart-throwing booth. You have a bag full of toys and I was wondering if you would let me have the griffin." "We’ll let ya have it for five dinars," Lycus stated. "Five dinars! That’s a lot of money for a stuffed toy griffin," the man said. "Gee Lycus, that does sound like an awful lot for the toy," Lysia agreed. "Not for the only stuffed griffin left in the whole circus," Lycus firmly stated. "Besides, the man promised his little girl he would get her one and I know how I feel when grown-ups don’t keep promises. So, how badly do ya wannit?" Begrudgingly, the man took five dinars from a pouch and handed them to Lycus. Lysia retrieved the stuffed toy griffin from the sack she held and gave it to the man who then departed the way he came. "Now I can give back the dinar I took from Joxer and still have four dinars left for us," Lycus said with a pleased smile. "Where did that dog come from?" He finally noticed the large animal standing next to his sister. "Oh him, he was standin’ by the dart-throwin’ booth." Lysia looked down at the dog. "He musta followed us when we ran down the street." "Well, if he wants to follow us, I guess he can." Lycus rubbed a hand over the dog’s back. The children, along with the dog, turned down an alley to avoid Joxer who they knew was still looking for them. The alley opened onto another street, which led to the big top. The street was packed with people headed for the large tent to see the show, which would begin in a matter of minutes. The trio quickly moved through the crowd and ended up at the makeshift camp of the circus performers behind the big top. "We’ve been runnin’ around for an awful long time. We should let Joxer find us now," Lysia suggested as the trio walked down one of the many rows of circus wagons. "We’ll go find Joxer but I wanna see if there’s any cool stuff back here." Lycus’ eyes quickly scanned their surroundings. "There’s nothin’ but old wagons back here," Lysia complained. "Hey, I didn’t know a circus in Greece would have one of these!" Lycus ran over to a large cage. "This one is bigger than Jai." Lysia now stood by him. Both children were gazing at a large tiger that nervously paced the length of the cage. The animal acknowledged their presence by roaring at them but continued to pace the cage. "Jai is still a cub but he’ll probably get as big as this one." Lycus put a small hand through the metal bars. The tiger bared its large sharp teeth and growled as it approached the hand inside the cage. The animal sniffed the small hand as its golden eyes stared into the calm blueness of the young boy’s eyes. Suddenly, the animal lay down and began rubbing its large furry face against the small hand. Lysia now inserted a hand through the metal bars and began petting the tiger too. The black mastiff was still with the children and did not appreciate another animal getting all their attention and started barking and jumping up and down. "What’s the matter with him?" Lycus glanced at the barking dog. "I guess he feels left out." Lysia stopped petting the tiger and kneeled before the dog. The animal happily wagged its tail as it covered the young girl’s face with licks, causing her to giggle. But the dog was not satisfied with only Lysia noticing him. The animal went for Lycus who had his back to him, as he was still engrossed with the caged tiger. The dog grabbed the slingshot sticking out of the boy’s pants and took off running. "Bring that back!" Lycus took off after the dog, followed by Lysia. The black mastiff held the slingshot securely between its jaws as it raced up and down the rows of circus wagons followed by the twins. The animal was confident its two legged pursuers were no matches for the speed of its four legs. But that confidence quickly evaporated when the large dog ran down a row of wagons which led to a dead end. The animal turned around and watched as the children steadily approached it. "Drop the slingshot!" Lycus slowly approached the cornered animal. Lysia was next to him as they moved closer to the dog. Obeying the command, the dog immediately dropped the slingshot, backed several feet from it, and then sat down. Lycus picked up his slingshot and inspected it for damage. "You’re lucky there are no teeth marks." He angrily stared at the dog. "He probably took it ‘cause he wannit ya to play with him too." Lysia now stood by the dog and gently rubbed a hand down its black back. "Yeah, I guess." Lycus shoved the slingshot into a pant pocket. "We better go find Joxer now." Lycus had started walking back the way they came when a blinding bright light suddenly appeared in front of him. "Hey, what’s goin’ on!?!?" The child quickly brought his hands up to his eyes to shield them from the brightness. When the brightness appeared to dim, Lycus removed his hands from his eyes and that’s when he noticed someone standing in front of him. The row was still shrouded in a thick haze making it difficult for him to see but Lycus knew whoever stood before him was not the large dog or Lysia. The young boy was gazing upward to get a glimpse of the stranger’s face, when a large hand reached down and touched his left shoulder, then everything faded to blackness. Lysia had also shielded her eyes from the blinding light and uncovered them when the brightness dimmed. She tried to scan the thick haze looking for Lycus but didn’t see him. Lysia had cautiously started moving through the thick haze, with the large dog by her side, when she got a glimpse of a tall dark figure moving towards her. The child stopped moving and remained planted where she stood, fear beginning to race through her body. Lysia couldn’t see a face but it did look like whoever it was held something in an arm. As the figure got closer, she realized the something held in an arm was Lycus! Lysia shrugged off the fear as she stared at her brother’s limp form and took off headed for the tall dark figure. "What didja do to Lycus!?!?" she yelled, getting ever nearer to the tall dark figure. "What didja do to my bro..." Lysia’s question was cut short when the figure reached down; touched her right shoulder and all faded to blackness. Before she could hit the ground, the tall dark figure scooped her up in his free arm. The tall dark figure, now holding the limp forms of both children in his arms, was still shrouded by the haze, when a sharp whistle escaped his lips. The black mastiff immediately ran over and stood by his side. Then as quickly as it had appeared, the thick haze vanished, along with its four occupants. CHAPTER 29 "Lycus was definitely wrong for doing it but I can’t help but laugh ...every time...I think of Joxer... climbing that tree...BUCK NAKED...trying to get his clothes...off that branch," Xena said in between hysterical giggles. "When he finally reached them...they fell out of the tree... on their own." "And when Joxer realized...how high up he was...he was too scared to come down...and you had to climb up after him," Cyrus giggled. "I guess Joxer...would have sat...NAKED...in that tree...all day...if Lysia hadn’t told us... where he was." Cyrus broke into uproarious laughter along with Xena and Cyrene. "After that humiliation, Joxer was afraid to take a bath for the rest of the trip," Xena said when the laughter died down. "Well, it certainly sounds like Lycus made the trip enjoyable for all, except Joxer," Cyrene said with a chuckle. "During the children’s stay, I will have to make sure I don’t end up the victim of such pranks." "You should be able to handle them just fine," Xena assured. "You have far more experience dealing with children than Joxer." "Oh, I’ll say. I’ve had plenty of practice dealing with children, who love to play pranks." Cyrene narrowed her gaze on Xena. "Oh c’mon mother, I wasn’t that bad." Xena took a sip from the mug she held in a hand. "So, Xena liked to play pranks too?" Cyrus asked with an intrigued look on his face. "She was always up to something and Lyceus right along with her," Cyrene replied. "Toris tried to keep an eye on them but they always managed to ditch him." "That certainly sounds familiar." Cyrus stared at his friend with an amused grin. "We never did any harm...just your typical childish pranks," Xena said. "But we did keep mother and Toris on their toes, wondering what we would do next." "Well Cyrene, get ready to be on your toes again because these two will definitely keep you there," Cyrus said. "If it was just Lysia, I could say it would be a smooth sail. But when you add Lycus and how he manages every time to coerce his sister into participating in his mischievous pranks one must be prepared for ANYTHING...and I truly mean that. But with your mothering skills and experience, I have no doubt whatsoever that you will be able to handle whatever those two throw at you." "Why thank you for the vote of confidence." Cyrene tapped her mug against the one Cyrus held before putting it to her lips. "I would say Joxer seems to have mastered child care considering how long they have been gone," Xena said. "And that means both kids should be bone tired when they get here, so we can just feed them and then send them off to bed," Cyrus said. "I think it’s time I got their belongings settled in their rooms." Cyrus rose from the table and retrieved the children’s belongings sitting in a corner of the kitchen. "When you go up the stairs, their rooms are at the end of the hall, the two doors on the right," Cyrene said. Cyrus departed the kitchen, headed for the children’s rooms. "Xena, when will you and Cyrus be leaving to meet with Ares?" Cyrene rose from the table and started to collect the dirty dishes. "When Joxer and the children return from the circus and we get them settled in here. Are you still worried about my alliance with Ares?" "I would be lying if I said no but knowing Cyrus will be working with you has eased some of my concerns," Cyrene replied. "I’m glad he will be working with us too." Xena rose from the table and headed for the kitchen door. "Where are you going?" Cyrene quickly asked. "Argo was favoring her right front leg, so I’m going to the stables to make sure it’s nothing serious." Xena wondered what had her mother so jumpy. "Is that okay?" "Oh yes...of course," Cyrene replied with a chuckle as she wiped off the table with a damp cloth. Xena eyed her mother curiously. Cyrene was definitely up to something, she was sure. But right now, she didn’t have the time to figure out just what and departed for the stables. "Was that Xena I saw leaving the tavern?" a man asked when he entered the kitchen a few minutes later. "Yes it was Castor." Cyrene deposited the dirty bowls into a bucket of water. "Well, did you tell her?" Castor anxiously asked. "No," Cyrene sighed. "We agreed to do it together." "How do think Xena will react when she hears the news?" "At first, she will probably be in shock. But then she’ll be so overcome with joy, there are no words to describe it." Cyrene had a huge smile planted on her face, as did Castor. "Considering what Xena is about to face, this is the best news she can get." ********** Phaedra strolled into the stables humming softly to herself. She had spent most of the day inspecting the sights, wonders and crowds that came with the circus which arrived in Amphipolis a few days ago. Phaedra had enjoyed the seclusion of Castor’s cottage deep in the forest but it was truly invigorating being around so many people. It also inspired her to write and that was the reason for her coming to the stables since it was the only quiet place in town. Four days ago, Phaedra arrived in Amphipolis with Castor in search of Xena, who both thought could help them find Hope and possibly help with the problem her mother wouldn’t share with them. Ever since Phaedra discovered the warrior woman from her dreams was indeed a real person, she was curious to meet her. But now her reason for wanting to meet Xena had taken on a whole new meaning. Considering she was the product of a union between a god and a half-god and had grown from a tiny infant to a young woman in a span of only three months, Phaedra knew she was quite unique. But two days ago, she discovered mysteries about herself, which completely overshadowed her unusual origins. Something happened to her that was so amazing; she couldn’t contain her feelings and had to express them in words. Phaedra opened the leather bag, which hung at her waist, gazed at its contents and smiled. She had just bought a fresh new scroll, a quill and a bottle of ink from a merchant and was all set to record her unusual experience to someday share with others. Phaedra decided the hayloft would be a comfortable place to write and was about to climb the ladder when a familiar sight caught her eye. Phaedra walked over to the golden horse with a white mane, standing in a stall next to two other horses. "If Argo is here, that means Xena is back," she said with a giddy smile as she approached the horse. "I wonder if you can tell it’s me even though I don’t look the same." Phaedra stood in front of Argo and held the mare’s face between her hands. "I never thought you liked me and only tolerated my presence for Xena’s sake, but did you miss me Argo?" She stared into the horse’s big brown eyes. Argo snorted and swooshed her long white tail. "I don’t know if that is a yes, but just the same, I am glad to see you." Phaedra smiled as she rubbed a hand down Argo’s golden face. "Well Argo, I see you’ve made a new friend." Xena stood by the stable’s doorway. "I was just admiring her golden coat and white mane. She is a beauty," Phaedra said nervously. For the past two days, she had longed for this moment, but Xena’s sudden arrival had caught her completely off-guard. "Don’t say that too loud, or you’ll give her a bigger head than she already has," Xena jested as she approached the mare. Argo whinnied in protest. Phaedra silently watched as Xena inspected Argo’s front right leg and walked the horse around some. "I guess it was just fatigue from the long journey. You appear to be all right now girl." Xena patted Argo on the side. "By the way, my name’s Xena. What’s yours?" "I’m...Phaedra." "Well, nice to meet you Phaedra," Xena said with a smile. She then proceeded to the stable’s doorway to leave. When Phaedra made her startling discovery two days ago and shared it with Castor and Cyrene, the older woman had requested to be present when Phaedra talked with Xena. But the young woman was so overcome with joy over seeing Xena, that she decided to share her discovery with the warrior woman with just the two of them present. "Wait Xena! You are just the person I came to Amphipolis to see," Phaedra anxiously stated. "Oh, really?" Xena halted her approach towards the stable door and now faced the young woman. There was a curious look in her eyes. "I guess I should start from the beginning." Phaedra nervously pulled on the strap of the leather bag, which hung from a shoulder. At that moment, if she could shake herself, Phaedra would have. For the last two days, she had gone over the moment when she was finally face to face with Xena countless times and now that the moment was here; she was actually having trouble finding the right words. "A few weeks ago, I started having horrible dreams in which I saw my own death," Phaedra said softly. "I also had visions where I saw you." Xena moved from her position by the stable door and now stood closer to Phaedra as the young woman continued to speak. "Castor…the dear friend traveling with me… thought the godly blood running through my veins was the cause for the dreams and the visions." On hearing Phaedra’s connection to the gods, Xena raised an eyebrow and had a look of intrigue on her face. "Four months ago, my mother brought me into the world with Castor’s help." Phaedra stared directly into Xena’s crystal blue eyes when she spoke her next words. "My mother’s name is Hope." Xena’s eyes widened with realization then took on a hard edge. "So, Hope survived the fall into the lava pit. I really shouldn’t be surprised. Gabrielle should have named her Phoenix." Xena began circling Phaedra like cornered prey. "That makes you the first of the dreaded destroyers." Xena looked Phaedra up and down. The young woman had an attractive oval face, olive complexion, straight nose, full rose colored lips, emerald green eyes and long curly auburn hair pulled back and tied with a black bow with a few curly strands framing her face. She was almost as tall as Xena and slender built. She wore a royal blue shirt, olive green skirt and black walking boots. She looked no different than any other village maiden. "You don’t look evil, but then again, neither did Hope." Xena stopped circling Phaedra and stood facing her. The hardness of her face revealed her intentions as she unsheathed her sword and pointed it at the young woman before her. Phaedra’s green eyes widened with surprise as she quickly stepped back to increase the distance between herself and the deadly blade. "I understand your angry feelings regarding Hope but you must hear all I have to say." "I have heard all I need to." Xena viciously swung her sword at the young woman’s neck. Phaedra quickly dodged the deadly blow; her eyes fixed on Xena, as she continued to move away from the warrior woman. "Did your evil grandfather send you here thinking you would be able to persuade me to join him?" Xena continued to pursue Phaedra around the stables, her sword held firmly in her right hand and ready for attack. "I’m not working with Dahak. I’m here because I want to help you defeat him." Phaedra was so focused on Xena and her drawn sword, she didn’t notice the pitchfork lying in her path directly behind her until she tripped over it. Fear was in her green eyes as she laid on her back and tried to move away from Xena who was steadily approaching her. But one of her arms was tangled in the strap of the leather purse and slowed her movements. "Do you really expect me to believe that?" Xena now stood over Phaedra’s fallen form. She raised her sword above her head and prepared to bring it down upon the young woman lying before her. Phaedra knew she had to stop Xena before she did something she would truly regret. Phaedra had never shown much interest in her godly powers but she did experiment with a few tricks. "Xena, DON’T!" Xena was bringing her sword down for a blow that would surely kill Phaedra when she felt a strong force yank her sword from her grasp. Her eyes widened with surprise as she watched her sword impale itself in the wall at the other end of the stables. No longer able to use her sword, Xena unhooked her chakram from her waist. But before she could attack the fallen young woman with the deadly round object, it too was pulled from her grasp and embedded in the ceiling of the stables. With her two trusty weapons gone, Xena was still determined to attack Phaedra, and approached the fallen young woman with a murderous gleam in her eyes as she desperately tried to crawl away from her. "Please Xena, STOP!" Phaedra used her powers to hurl Xena into a wall. Xena hit the stable wall with a loud crash then slumped to the floor. The collision with the wall left her severely dazed as she tried to stand only to collapse to the floor again. Her glazed over eyes tried to focus on Phaedra as the young woman finally rose to her feet again. "I didn’t want to do that Xena, but you left me no choice. You have to LISTEN to me." Xena only groaned and rubbed the back of her bowed head with a hand. "Let me tell you how I die in the nightmare I mentioned earlier," Phaedra said. "I am falling and heading straight for bubbling lava. The lava is in a pit and as I look up, I see you kneeling by the edge of the pit and you yell out to me one last time...you say my name...Gabrielle." Ignoring the ache in her head, Xena quickly raised her bowed head and stared at Phaedra. "I know my words come as a shock to you Xena. I was in shock too when I discovered my true identity," Phaedra said. "Two days ago, after waking from that same horrible nightmare yet again, memories of my life flooded my mind...Potidaea, my parents, Lila, Perdicus, even Joxer but most of all you." Phaedra’s emerald green eyes stared into Xena’s crystal blue ones. "You can’t be Gabrielle," Xena said hoarsely. "Hope and Dahak drove her to her death and she is gone forever." "I am her Xena and I can prove it," Phaedra pleaded as she stared at the fallen warrior woman who rolled her eyes and let out a snort upon hearing her words. "I remember your last words to me before we went into Dahak’s temple. You didn’t want me to feel guilty when you were gone." "Lucky guess," Xena said nonchalantly as she finally stood and began to brush away the straw clinging to her limbs. "You said a lot had happened to us over the past year and there were times when we were both confused," Phaedra said softly. Xena had stopped brushing the straw from her person and now stood staring at Phaedra struck by her last words. "But you still thought I was the best thing that ever happened to you and I gave your life meaning and joy..." Phaedra lost her voice and just stood there staring at Xena. Xena’s mind absorbed Phaedra’s last words. She thought of all the mornings she would awake wishing the tragic events of Dahak’s temple just a nightmare and her beloved Gabrielle was still alive, sleeping peacefully in the bedroll next to hers only to be hit with the cold reality of the bard being gone forever. Now she stood face to face with a young woman who had just recited the last words she spoke to Gabrielle the day the bard died. And to top it all off, Phaedra was claiming to be Gabrielle. Was it the truth or the art of deceit inherited from her evil grandfather? Throughout her many travels, Xena had seen many unexplained wonders and supernatural fetes so Gabrielle being brought back to life was fathomable but could something she secretly prayed for have actually come true? Xena stared hard at the young woman before her. Her appearance was completely different from Gabrielle’s but Xena had to admit there was a familiarity in those green eyes she hadn’t noticed before. "Gabrielle...is it really you?" she asked, her voice starting to crack. "Yes, Xena...it’s me," Gabrielle said with tears of joy in her eyes as she started to approach Xena. "Oh, Gabrielle," Xena sobbed as walked to meet her in the middle of the stables. All was quiet in the stables except for the sobs of joy pouring from the mouths of the two women, as they stood in the middle of the stables, tightly embracing each other. Then, abruptly, Xena broke their embrace. A large smile was planted on her face stained with tears of sheer joy. "This is the happiest day of my life...you’re alive Gabrielle," she said. "YOU’RE ALIVE!!!" she shouted as she began to playfully spin them around the stables. As they spun around the stables, Xena shouted "You’re alive!!!" again and again. Gabrielle’s joyous laughter mingled with the shouts of her friend. She had never seen Xena so emotional before and truly liked it. Argo glanced up from the hay she was nibbling to stare at the spinning women for a few moments before returning her attention to the tasty hay. Both women were starting to feel dizzy from the spinning and collapsed on a large pile of hay in a corner of the stables. Both were laughing hysterically as they lay on their backs in the pile of hay. Xena flailed her arms around, tossing some hay in the air, which landed on them both. They laughed so hard, their sides were aching and when the laughter finally ceased, they gazed into each other’s eyes. "Oh Gabrielle, how I’ve missed you." Xena pulled her friend close for a tight embrace. "I missed you too Xena." Gabrielle tightly hugged her friend back. CHAPTER 30 The search for the twins was well into its second hour and Joxer was starting to panic. He was so sure he would have found them by now after speaking to the vendor at the dart-throwing booth and several in the crowd gathered around it. When Joxer had given a description of the twins, all had immediately recognized them as the boy who was an extraordinary dart player and the little girl who held his toy winnings. They had abruptly run off only a few minutes before Joxer arrived at the booth. He had quickly taken off in the direction they were last seen headed. But the crowd had grown so large due to the show about to get underway at the big top, so it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Joxer was beginning to think he would never find the twins. And to make matters worse, he could feel a headache forming in the back of his head. Joxer hoped this one didn’t bring along that angry voice. Once this mess with the twins was settled, he would definitely make an appointment with the town physician to find out what was going on inside his head. Joxer thought maybe by some small chance, the twins had made their way to Cyrene’s tavern and that’s where they were right now. The little harpies were probably sitting around a table laughing at how they had ditched him and made their way to the tavern by themselves. He decided to head for the tavern and hoped Lycus and Lysia would already be there. When Joxer arrived at the tavern, it was filled with people who had just left the show under the big top. Chatter about the amazing fetes just witnessed could be heard throughout the room as people satisfied their thirst and filled their stomachs. Joxer’s brown eyes quickly scanned the room, looking for the twins among the crowd but didn’t see them. They may be upstairs, in their rooms, he thought. Joxer was making his way through the crowded tables, headed towards the stairs when he heard a familiar voice call out to him. "So Joxer, I see you survived your outing with the twins at the circus." Joxer hesitantly turned in the direction the voice had come. He saw Cyrus, with a mug in his right hand heading directly towards him. "Yeah, I made it back in one piece all right," Joxer said when Cyrus stood before him. "We all had a great time. The kids were really no trouble at all." "Well, that’s good to hear," Cyrus said with a pleased smile. "Where are the twins?" "Oh, the kids are upstairs, checking out their rooms." "But how can that be when they don’t even know which rooms are theirs?" Cyrus narrowed the gaze of his hazel eyes. "So where are the kids really Joxer?" "Nothing gets past you does it? " Joxer chuckled. "What I meant to say was that the kids wanted to check out their rooms and ran off looking for you so you could tell them which ones are theirs. They are somewhere in this crowd." Joxer stood tiptoed and scanned the crowd like he was trying to locate the twins. "You don’t know where they are, do you?" Cyrus calmly asked. "Of course I do," Joxer chuckled. "They are in this tavern...somewhere." He continued to pretend to be searching for the twins among the crowd. "It’s okay Joxer, you don’t have to pretend anymore, I know the twins are not here." Cyrus put a hand on Joxer’s shoulder. "I should have warned you something like this could happen. Lycus loves to ditch adult supervision so he and Lysia can explore by themselves." "Uh, now that you’ve mentioned it...the twins did ditch me when I tried to break up a fight," Joxer admitted, slightly bowing his head. "I have been trying to find them for the last two hours. The vendor at a dart booth and others remembered seeing the twins but nothing after that. It’s like they vanished." "They haven’t vanished Joxer, they just don’t want to be found. We better go find them. It will be dark soon." Cyrus put his empty mug on the bar, then departed the tavern with Joxer. "Since they are hiding from us, how will we find them?" Joxer asked as the pair started walking down the street. "Lycus and Lysia know I don’t tolerate these pranks, so when they see me, they will know the game is OVER," Cyrus firmly replied. Despite the sun descending in the sky, the streets of Amphipolis were still filled with people. The circus was putting on an evening show under the big top and people were preparing for it. Joxer took Cyrus down the street, past the dart vendor and through an alley. They ended up on the street that took them directly to the makeshift campsite of the circus performers located behind the big top. "Do you really think the kids would come back here?" Joxer gazed around at the many wagons. "There’s nothing back here that would catch their attention." "They might have if they figured it was the last place you would look for them." "That’s true, and I never did search back here," Joxer admitted. The pair decided to check the wagons to see if any of the performers had seen the kids and split up to cover more ground. Cyrus went down to the last row of wagons alongside some cages. He didn’t see any of the circus performers in sight as he approached a cage containing a tiger. The large animal paced back and forth and let out a growl when Cyrus approached the cage. On the ground, by the cage, was lying a gray sack. Cyrus picked up the sack and inspected its contents. The sack contained many stuffed toy animals along with a wooden toy soldier and an Egyptian princess doll. Cyrus remembered Joxer recounting for him, his conversation with the dart vendor who had said that Lycus had won several prizes at his booth, all toys. Cyrus gazed at the dirt around the cage and noticed several footprints the size of children’s walking boots. There were also the prints of an animal, probably a dog. Cyrus was sure the prints were those of the twins and the bag of toys was probably theirs too. The children wouldn’t just leave the toys and had to be close by, maybe in one of the wagons. Holding the sack of toys firmly in a hand, Cyrus started walking down a row of wagons, hoping he would find the twins in one of them. Joxer was walking down a row of wagons, when he saw a young woman, come out of a purple tent on top of one and proceeded to hang what look like several costumes on a clothes line. She was petite, with long brown hair and a slender athletic body. Joxer figured she was probably one of the acrobats performing in the circus. "Excuse me miss, can I have a word with you?" Joxer asked when he stood on the other side of the clothesline, facing her. "What’s this about?" The woman hung the last costume on the line and then gave Joxer her full attention. Joxer crossed under the clothesline and now stood before her. "I was wondering if you had seen some kids back here...a boy and a girl...dark hair, tan complexions, about so tall?" "As a matter of fact, I did see some kids like you described but that was at least an hour ago. I was in my wagon trying to get some sleep...I have a show to do tonight...when I heard yelling. I looked out my tent and saw a little boy and girl chasing a dog down the row of wagons. I just figured it was kids being kids and went on to take my nap." The woman noticed the disappointed look on Joxer’s face. "Sorry I can’t be of more help but I do hope you find them." The woman retreated into her tent atop the wagon to get ready for the night show under the big top. At least he now knew the twins had indeed made their way to the makeshift camp, so Joxer wasn’t completely disappointed. If one person had seen them, maybe others had as well, and maybe they were still in the camp, in one of the wagons. Cyrus was exiting a wagon after talking with a circus performer who hadn’t seen the children and about to head for the next wagon when he realized he had reached a dead end. The wagon he had just exited was right up against a stone wall of a large building. Cyrus was about to head back the way he had come when he noticed again, footprints the size of children’s walking boots in the dirt near the wall and the wagon. Cyrus was in a crouch position over the small prints in deep thought. The children had indeed been back there, but where were they now? The children had to know he had joined Joxer in the search for them, so why were they continuing the prank? As he rose to his full height, Cyrus had to admit he was starting to worry about the twins. The dead end prevented Cyrus from checking more wagons so he headed back the way he came. He had only gotten halfway down the row, when a blinding bright light suddenly appeared before him, which he immediately shielded his eyes from with his hands. When the brightness dimmed, Cyrus removed his hands from his eyes. He was still shrouded by a haze but the outlines of the wagons on either side of him were visible to view. Cyrus had slowly started walking down the row, when he suddenly saw a tall dark figure moving through the haze towards him. At first, he couldn’t see a face, but as the person moved closer, the features of a face slowly came into view until Cyrus knew exactly who was approaching him. "Ares...why am I not surprised this is your doing?" Cyrus shook his head in disgust. "What are you up to now?" The former Watcher’s hazel eyes suddenly widened with realization. "The children! What have you..." Cyrus’ question regarding the children was cut short when Ares’ right fist made hard contact with his jaw, knocking the former Watcher back several feet, right into the stone wall, which he slumped against, unconscious on the ground, the sack of toys he had held lying next to him. The circus performer Cyrus had been talking to just a few minutes earlier, heard the commotion, peeked out his tent, saw the strange haze, didn’t like it and retreated into the safety of his tent again. Ares now stood over Cyrus’ unconscious form with a scowl on his face, which masked the anger boiling just below the surface. With one hand, he lifted Cyrus by the collar of his shirt, off the ground. The war god stared with contempt at the unconscious face of the former Watcher a few moments, before they both vanished along with the haze. ********** "I am so sorry I tried to kill you." Xena’s face riddled with guilt as a hand softly caressed her friend’s left cheek. "It’s okay Xena," Gabrielle assured. A hand now held onto Xena’s which was caressing her face. "I had essentially just told you I was the destroyer, so your actions were understandable. Besides, I was never really in any danger." There was a confident smile on Gabrielle’s face. "Oh, I’ll say. You handled yourself rather well indeed." Xena rubbed the back of her head. "I tried to be as gentle as I could," Gabrielle sheepishly stated. "But I haven’t been comfortable with the powers that came along with this body and don’t use them very often, so I guess I’m kinda rusty." "From now on when you use those powers, just make sure I’m not the target." "I promise," Gabrielle said with a faint smile. "Now, could you please remove my chakram from the ceiling?" "It would be my pleasure." Gabrielle gazed up at the chakram embedded in a wood plank of the ceiling. A moment later, the chakram dislodged itself from the ceiling and floated down to land in the hay next to Xena, who hooked the round metal object to her waist. "So, who do I have to thank for this welcomed miracle?" Xena’s crystal blue eyes sparkled as they gazed at her best friend. Both were now sitting crossed legged on the pile of hay, facing each other. Gabrielle took Xena’s hands in hers and squeezed them with affection. "Hope is the one who saved me." She stared into her friend’s eyes waiting for her reaction. "Hope?" Xena whispered as she removed her hands from Gabrielle’s grasp. "You are telling me that Hope brought you back to life after you tried to kill her for the second time?" Xena had an eyebrow raised in disbelief as she leaned back on her hands. "I know it’s a surprise considering her history, but she’s the one who actually brought me back." "Well, I can’t wait to hear this," Xena snorted. "After I plunged into the lava pit with Hope, we were both falling, then we hit the boiling lava. I lost sight of Hope. My screams of pain practically ruptured my eardrums as the lava consumed my flesh." Gabrielle saw the look of sympathy in Xena’s eyes as she listened to how she died. "Then, I must have died because all went black and I didn’t feel the burning pain any more. After that, I was bombarded with all these emotions, anger, rage, jealousy, loneliness, bitterness...and it was so dark and so cold. I was afraid I had ended up in Tartarus, then I heard Hope’s voice call out to me. She told me my body had been destroyed by the lava but she had captured my spirit and it now resided in her." Xena’s head rested on her hands as her bent arms rested on her thighs. She was thoroughly entranced as she listened to Gabrielle’s tale. "Hope’s body now housed both our spirits. I could see, feel and hear things again but through her body. We were still in the lava, weightlessly floating. The lava could not destroy Hope’s body since she had taken on immortality after her rebirth," Gabrielle said. "What I experienced was so incredible, that the only thing I can compare it to was the time your spirit entered my body and we shared a consciousness. Being that close to Hope finally allowed me to see my daughter from a completely different perspective. On the outside, she appeared to be a grown woman but on the inside, she was still a child...a very scared and confused one at that." Xena rolled her eyes, but remained silent. Hope was the one person on which they would probably always have different opinions. "All those emotions I felt earlier were coming from Hope and the most powerful one was jealousy. Hope was very jealous of you." Gabrielle stared into her friend’s crystal blue eyes. Xena had a look of genuine surprise on her face. "Hope always believed I loved you far more than her, my own daughter. I abandoned her in Britannia, I poisoned her after she killed your son Solan, then I tried to kill her again and myself when I plunged us both into that lava pit so you could live. And in Hope’s mind, everything I did was because I loved you and hated her," she said, slightly bowing her head. "In the centaur village, I told Hope that I loved her and I meant it. What I hated were the acts she committed in the name of her father and that’s why I had to stop her." Gabrielle had a look of agony on her face with her last words. "My mother felt the same way about me," Xena softly stated. "She hated the horrible things I did as a warlord but she never stopped loving me." "Hope didn’t believe that’s how I truly felt about her until we shared the same consciousness. Just as I could feel her emotions, Hope could feel mine and was finally able to believe that I did indeed love her," Gabrielle said. "This discovery had a profound effect on Hope, so much so, that the Destroyer still growing inside her was in danger of dying." Xena had a perplexed look on her face upon hearing this. "The child fed off Hope’s dark emotions...jealousy, anger, fear, rage. These emotions made it strong...gave it life. When Hope realized I loved her, the power of those dark emotions started to fade and with it, the life force of the Destroyer. The child was near death when Hope transferred my spirit into the body of the dying destroyer. With no dark emotions on which to feed, the spirit of the Destroyer died but its body remained unharmed and it became the new home for my spirit. The Destroyer would have been male and a hideous monster but the goodness of my essence altered the sex and the appearance," she said. "After I entered the body of the destroyer, all the memories of my life faded and didn’t start to return until my rapid growth spurts. The last one put me at the age you see me now and with it, came all the memories of my life as Gabrielle." Xena had never heard such an amazing story and was truly in awe. "I always knew you were the stronger one and after hearing what you went through, there’s not a doubt in my mind that is true," she said. "You said earlier that you came to Amphipolis with a friend. Is Hope here too?" "Hope left us over a month ago so I don’t know where she is. That was my original reason for coming to see you. Castor and I thought you could help us find her. But since then, Castor has filled me in on what Hope told him about her reasons for leaving and I can only assume she is with Dahak." Gabrielle bowed her head. "The unique experience you shared with Hope strengthened your mother-daughter bond but I’m afraid her bond with her father is much stronger...maybe even unbreakable." "No Xena, I refuse to believe that," Gabrielle firmly stated, as she stared at her friend. "Castor and I were there when Hope left and she was truly broken up about it. And now I know the only reason she left was to protect Castor and me from Dahak. She is no longer consumed with her father’s plans for this world." "Well, for your sake Gabrielle, I pray that you are right." "Cyrene will probably be mad that I told you I’m alive without her. She wanted to see the joy on your face when you heard the news, so we agreed to do it together." "I think she will understand that it worked out for the best with us being alone when you told me. These last two days must have been hard for you, not knowing when or if I would show up." "I was pretty anxious to see you but I had Castor for support. And your mother did a good job of passing the time by telling me what happened during my absence. She told me all about your confrontation with Dahak and her finally revealing to you that he is your real father. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard that one." "I didn’t want to believe Dahak when he first told me about our ‘connection’ but by the time mother admitted his words were indeed the truth I had pretty much prepared myself for that possibility." Xena rose from the hay and leaned against the wall of a nearby empty stall. "At least now I know why I was so good at being evil." A slight chuckle escaped her lips. "C’mon Xena, this is Gabrielle, your best friend, back from the dead, so you can tell me how you really feel about this news concerning Dahak." She had also risen from the hay and now stood facing Xena. "There really is nothing more to say about that subject." Xena saw the skeptical look etched on her friend’s face. "I will be just fine Gabrielle. I really haven’t given much thought to Dahak being my father and have focused all my energies on killing him." Gabrielle knew discovering Dahak was her father had to be tearing Xena up inside. The bard also knew she was the one person who could get Xena to share her true feelings regarding this shocking discovery. But she also knew with all that was happening, the timing was not right to get into a deep discussion about her friend’s father and decided to just drop the issue for now at least. "I see Cyrene was not exaggerating when she told me how determined you were to stop Dahak despite recent discoveries. From what I understand, you are so focused on defeating the One Great Evil that you have even allied yourself with someone who should be your enemy." "I see mother has filled you in on my alliance with Ares, and from your tone, I take it you share her sentiments that this alliance is a big mistake." "Yes I do," Gabrielle firmly replied. "I understand and wholeheartedly support your decision to be in the fight against Dahak. But I don’t understand why you have to team up with Ares to do it. You know he can’t be trusted." "I teamed up with Ares because the other gods are oblivious to Dahak’s return and won’t help," Xena said. "And Ares has in his possession scrolls which will lead us to a sword that can kill Dahak. And I happen to know the one person who can translate those scrolls and lead us to that sword." "I know all about your friend coming to Greece to help in the fight against Dahak and I think it’s great but it doesn’t erase the concerns I share with your mother regarding this alliance with Ares and when I think of what’s happening between you two and..." Gabrielle’s voice trailed off as she bowed her head. "What do you think is happening?" Xena moved closer to her friend. "My mother told you something, didn’t she?" "It’s nothing, just forget I said anything," Gabrielle quickly stated, a blush forming in her cheeks. "What did my mother say?" Xena held Gabrielle’s chin and forced the bard to look at her. "C’mon Gabrielle, out with it." "Cyrene is afraid you will go back to Ares." Gabrielle removed her chin from Xena’s grasp as she avoided looking at her friend. "And what reason did my mother give you for thinking this?" The bard continued to avoid her friend’s gaze and remained silent. The red hue painting her face deepened in color. "I’m waiting for an answer to my question Gabrielle." Gabrielle fidgeted a little before finally answering Xena’s question. "Cyrene told me you...you slept with Ares." The last part was barely audible but Xena was able to hear every word. "I can’t believe her!!!" Xena slammed a fist against the stall wall. She turned from Gabrielle and started walking around the stables. "You certainly weren’t exaggerating when you said my mother told ALL that happened during your absence." Gabrielle’s eyes followed her friend as she angrily stalked the stables. Xena now stood by her sword embedded in a stable wall, which she dislodged and placed in the scabbard on her back. "And silly me assumed you two would have had plenty to talk about with your resurrection and Dahak’s arrival. But those two topics obviously were not as stimulating as I thought because you two felt the need to delve into the recent developments of my sex life." Her words dripped heavy with sarcasm. Xena now stood inside an empty stall, facing Gabrielle, with one of its walls between them. Her hands firmly gripped the top of the wall. "Cyrene only told me Xena because she knows just like I do, how much you despise Ares and for you to...to sleep with him is a definite sign you are not thinking clearly." "You know, I expected this kind of reaction and that’s why I never wanted either of you to know." "Since you already knew how your mother and I would react, this tryst with Ares being a HUGE mistake has crossed your mind too?" "Yeah, the thought did cross my mind but only for a brief moment…and despite your and my mother’s certainty that my actions were those of a woman with a clouded mind, sleeping with Ares was the first clear-headed decision I made after your death." "Xena!" Etched on Gabrielle’s face was a look mixed with fear and shock. She didn’t believe that Xena really meant a word of what she just said. Gabrielle figured she was just being stubborn because she felt like her mother and best friend were ganging up on her. "I’m not trying to scare you Gabrielle," Xena sighed. "We haven’t talked much about my past with Ares but I know how perceptive you are so you probably figured out some time ago that we are former lovers." "Yeah, I did figure that out quite a while back," Gabrielle admitted. "After your death, I tried to continue helping people like you would have wanted but I felt myself reverting into the evil person I use to be. I thought coming back to Amphipolis would help me regain the focus I needed to stay on the right path but it didn’t. I was so afraid that I wouldn’t be able to keep the promise I made to you and become a monster again." Xena gazed at the sympathetic look on Gabrielle’s face. "In shark smelling blood fashion, Ares showed up and delivered his same old pitch about me joining him but this time he threw in Dahak’s arrival and us working together to defeat him." Xena leaned against the stall wall between them. "For the umpteenth time, I turned him down but he refused to take no as my answer so we ended up crossing swords. What happened after that was totally unexpected by either of us." A chill went down Gabrielle’s spine as she thought about her friend letting a snake like Ares touch her. "When Ares first kissed me, I knew it was wrong and resisted. But when he kissed me the second time, it brought back memories of what it was like being with him and a lot of those memories were actually good," Xena confessed. "I know this will sound like a contradiction, with Ares being a war god and all, but I always felt safe and at peace whenever he held me in his arms." Xena stared intently at Gabrielle’s face. The bard’s eyes were filled with confusion as she listened to her best friend explain recent intimacies with the god who was always causing trouble in their lives. "I guess the best way to describe what was happening to me is to declare it a war...the person I am now, thanks mostly to you versus my old evil self. I was afraid the old me might win so I was desperate to find peace and as shocking as it may sound, being with Ares actually helped me find that peace and I was able to keep my promise to you." Both women now stood in silence facing each other. Gabrielle knew Xena was anxious for her to say something. After hearing Xena’s explanation of these rather shocking events, Gabrielle had to admit that maybe her friend’s brief tryst with Ares wasn’t as bad as she thought. "This is something I never pictured myself saying but if being with Ares helped you stay on the hero’s path, then maybe, it wasn’t so wrong after all." "I know my mother will always see it as wrong but I am glad that at least you see it my way," Xena said with a faint smile. "After everything you told me…yeah…I guess I can see it your way," Gabrielle admitted. "I would have loved to have seen Ares’ face the morning after, when you told him you were going to continue helping people." Gabrielle now had a devilish grin planted on her face. "Talk about major disappointment." "No, Ares was not too happy when I told him. But knowing him like I do, he only sees this as a minor setback and is already concocting yet another scheme to get me back." "No one would ever say Ares lacks persistence," Gabrielle snickered. "He probably sees what happened between you two as a partial success since he did manage to get you back in his bed." "Gabrielle!" Now it was Xena’s turn to have the color of her face deepen to red hues. "Oh, c’mon Xena, I have seen the way Ares looks at you," Gabrielle teased. "He does not just want you back to lead his armies. He wants you back as a lover too." "Really, Gabrielle..." "And we can’t leave out that massive ego of his," the bard interjected. "The conceited bastard probably thinks that with the right seduction ploy he can get you horizontal again, and this time around, he will be irresistible and you will finally come back to him." Gabrielle now had a very proud look on her face. She hadn’t known Ares as long as Xena but she felt she had known him long enough to figure out how his mind worked and was confident with her speculations regarding the war god’s next move to try to win Xena back. But she was completely oblivious to the uncomfortable look on Xena’s face, which clearly indicated she longed for a conclusion to this topic that she wished had remained private. "But Ares will soon discover that any romantic intention he has towards you won’t get any further than the fantasies of his diluted mind. What happened between you two was a one time thing which you have no intention of ever repeating." Gabrielle finally looked at Xena and saw the uncomfortable frown on her face. At that moment, a sickening thought entered her mind. "Oh gods Xena, please tell me what happened between you and Ares was a one time thing." The moment of silence seemed to last forever before Xena finally spoke. "Well, what happened was really a two time thing." Xena avoided Gabrielle’s gaze as she started picking at splintered wood protruding from the top of the stall wall. "TWICE!!! You slept with him TWICE!!! Gabrielle turned her back to her friend and plopped down on a block of hay, situated on the other side of the stall wall. A long exhausted sigh escaped her lips. "I guess you are back to siding with my mother again?" Xena no longer stood inside the stall and was now facing her friend. "Gee, what part of my reaction gave it away?" Gabrielle snorted as she folded her arms across her chest. "Oh for Zeus’ sake, it was just sex...and it’s not like I’ve never done it with him before!" Xena just wanted this subject to die already. When she dreamed of Gabrielle’s miraculous return, this was the last thing she pictured they would be discussing. "How can you say that Xena? We are not just talking about some plain ol’ harmless mortal man. We are talking about Ares, the god who threatened to kill you if you didn’t come back to him, put Callisto in your body and sent you to Tartarus, had the Furies punish you with insanity and his most recent stunt which we can be sure won’t be his last was to have the Fates cut your life-thread if you killed Hope." "I don’t need to be reminded of how Ares has tormented me." "Well, I think you do need reminding because on two separate occasions, you willingly had sex with the god who is responsible for so much trouble in our lives." Gabrielle stared hard into the crystal blue eyes of her friend. "Xena, do you want to go back to Ares?" "No, of course not," Xena quickly replied. "Even if it’s just some small part…waaaay down deep inside that wants this you could tell me you know...because now…it’s pretty obvious to me that some part of you must still be attracted to him despite all that he has done...for you to do what you did with him." "Oh, all right Gabrielle, I will admit it. A part of me is still very much attracted to Ares," Xena confessed in a weary tone. "The attraction has always been there and for a long time, I did a pretty good job of suppressing it...until recently." Xena saw the color drain from Gabrielle’s olive face as she spoke her last words. "I truly believe the first time had a purpose beyond pleasure and that was keeping me on the path I traveled with you...helping people. After the second time, I knew continuing to give into this attraction would lead me right back to Ares and my old life which is my past and has NO place whatsoever in my future." There was a firmness to Xena’s voice that matched the determination in her crystal blue eyes. "You don’t know how relieved I am to hear that," Gabrielle sighed while staring up at her friend. "I hope you know the only reason I keep harping on such an intimate topic is because I only want the best for you, which in my mind clearly ain’t Ares. What he has done to you...to us...is burned into my brain and I don’t want to see you get hurt." "It’s okay Gabrielle," Xena sighed as she let a hand brush back a curly auburn strand hanging in her friend’s face. "I know what you said was out of love and concern for my well being. I would do the same for you." Xena took Gabrielle’s hands in hers, squeezing them affectionately as she stared into the bard’s green eyes. "But I don’t want you to worry about me and Ares anymore. The only thing between us now is this alliance to defeat Dahak and once that is accomplished, things will go back to the way they were." "I’m saying a lot of things today I thought I never would but I’m actually looking forward to the same old, same old because working alongside Ares will be downright bizarre," Gabrielle said with a smirk. "And since he never liked me, I can’t wait to see his face when he discovers I’m alive." "No, he won’t be happy. And it will really tick him off that you were saved by using the body of his own child. But that’s his problem and I really don’t care if you being alive bothers him. I’m ecstatic you’re alive!" Xena pulled Gabrielle to her feet and gave the bard a tight hug. When they broke the hug, there was a large smile planted on Xena’s face. She ran a finger down Gabrielle’s left cheek. "Your new look will take some getting use to and you’re almost as tall as me now but I will adjust." "My new look will be a lot easier to adjust to than when we thought you would be stuck in Callisto’s body," Gabrielle said with a sly smile. "That’s true," Xena said. "And wait ‘til Joxer sees you. He’s gonna flip. And wait ‘til you see him, he really has changed and for the better." "Cyrene told me he has become very skilled with a staff. I may be kinda rusty and might have to spar with him to get myself up to speed again." "I know Joxer would love that," Xena said. "And when we tell Joxer about this welcomed miracle, we’ll make sure mother is present to make up for her missing when I was told." "Let’s go tell him now, Joxer’s at the tavern right?" "He took the kids traveling with us to the circus but that was a few hours ago, so they should be at the tavern by now." "Kids? Cyrene didn’t mention anything about children traveling with you." "That’s because they originally weren’t suppose to be coming with us but there was a last minute change," Xena said. "The children are Cyrus’ wards. They are six year old twins, a boy and a girl to be exact and they really are two great kids." Xena’s eyes were sparkling and a smile was planted on her face as she spoke of the twins. "I can see you have taken pretty quick to these kids." Gabrielle couldn’t help but notice the sparkle in her friend’s eyes and the huge smile on her face. "You will be too when you meet them," Xena said, still smiling. "They are friendly, funny, loving, smart and oh so cute." "Well, these kids have definitely captured your heart, which I know is not easy to do so let’s get back to the tavern so I can meet the children who accomplished such a fete," Gabrielle said with a wicked grin. CHAPTER 31 There was a clear sky on this autumn night. Large torches lit up the streets of Amphipolis as some residents enjoyed the various games offered by circus vendors while others hurried through the streets to attend the last big event of that day, the evening show under the big top. "I can’t believe that this could happen to me twice in one day," Joxer muttered. "First the twins and now Cyrus." He had spent the last hour wandering up and down the rows of wagons which made up the makeshift camp of the circus performers searching for the missing twins and Cyrus who appeared to have disappeared as well. Only a few of the performers Joxer caught in their tents remembered speaking with Cyrus about the twins but none had seen him since. And none recalled seeing the children. Most of the performers seemed to be in a hurry to prepare for the evening show under the big top and not willing to give Joxer’s questions much attention. When the sky had blackened to night, Joxer decided to give up the search. Walking slowly, Joxer maneuvered his way down a crowded street, headed for Cyrene’s tavern. "Oh, my head is killing me," he groaned while rubbing the fingers of his right hand against a temple to soothe the building pain. Joxer had no idea how he was going to tell Xena he lost first the twins then Cyrus. When he reached the tavern, Joxer wearily walked through the door. The tavern was still pretty full with people. He decided he needed something to soothe his aching head before he talked to Xena so he headed towards the kitchen. Joxer had just reached the kitchen door and was about to walk through it when suddenly; he was grabbed by a shoulder and swiftly turned around to face the bar again. "It’s about time you got here. I thought we would have to send out a search party," Cyrene said with a huge smile before embracing Joxer in a big hug. "So, did you and the children have a good time at the circus?" "Yes, but..." "You can tell me all about the show later. There are some people you must meet." Cyrene’s eyes sparkled and a large smile was planted on her beaming face. She firmly held Joxer by the left elbow and dragged him through the packed tables to a somewhat quiet corner in the tavern. "Can’t I meet them later? I have to get something for this headache," Joxer pleaded as he rubbed his right temple with his free hand all the while being dragged through the tavern by Cyrene. "Spending the whole day with small children can do that to you when you’re not use to it," Cyrene chuckled. "I’ll get something for your headache. You just sit down at this table." Cyrene departed for the kitchen to get Joxer some relief from his headache. "I see you survived your excursion to the circus." Xena was seated at the table Joxer stood before "Did the kids have a good time?" "Yes, we all did…Uh Xena, about the kids..." "You can tell me about the fun you guys had later. There are some people I would like you to meet." Xena’s eyes were sparkling just like Cyrene’s and a huge smile was planted on her beaming face. Joxer noticed his friend’s glowing demeanor and thought these people must be something very special as he finally looked at the two individuals seated at the table with Xena. The first was a brown-skin man with curly black hair who Joxer had never seen before. Even from his sitting position the man looked very large. He was definitely someone Joxer did not want to have as an enemy. Joxer couldn’t help but stare when he let his gaze fall on the second person sitting at the table with Xena. It was a beautiful young woman with emerald green eyes, an olive oval face, and long curly auburn hair pulled back with a large black bow. Some stray curls framed her lovely face. Joxer thought there was something familiar about the young woman when he remembered what Agatha, the soothsayer, had revealed to him. So, the drunken old hag had been right after all about him meeting a beautiful young woman with auburn hair. As Joxer pulled up a chair to join the trio at the table, he hoped the large man with the beautiful young woman was not her husband. "Joxer, this is Castor," Xena said. "He was a warrior in my army but he had the good sense to leave that life long before I did." "It’s good to finally meet you Joxer." Castor gripped Joxer’s right forearm in a friendly gesture. "In the last two days, I have heard quite a lot about you." Castor’s words made Joxer all the more curious to know the importance of these two strangers seated at the table. "And this young woman sitting next to me is...well, I think I’ll let her tell you who she is," Xena said with a huge smile. As Joxer stared at the woman sitting next to Xena, waiting for her to introduce herself, he suddenly notice a familiarity about her green eyes but at the moment couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. ********** "You don’t know how many times I dreamed of this moment and here it is." Joxer’s voice was about to crack and his brown eyes were somewhat misty. "Someone, pinch me to make sure I’m awake." "Sure," Cyrene said. She had returned to the table and now sat with the four. There was a sly grin on her beaming face as she made a move to pinch a big hunk of Joxer’s arm as he sat next to her. "Whoa, I was just kidding." Joxer moved his arm away from Cyrene’s reach. "I know this is not a dream." Joxer gazed into the green eyes of the woman sitting across the table from him, remembering their familiarity, as he held her hands. "You really are alive." "Yes Joxer, it’s me," she said with a big smile on her face. "I know I look a whole lot different but I’m still the same Gabrielle you’ve known for two years." "I don’t care what you look like so long as you are back." Joxer had a huge smile on his face as he let a hand touch one of her cheeks with affection. "And to think that Hope is responsible for you being here...unbelievable." "Yeah, that one threw me for a loop too," Xena said. "But according to Gabrielle and Castor, Hope has changed and no longer wants to slaughter humanity for her father. In fact, it appears she wants to stop him just like we do." "That’s why I must find Hope and let her know she doesn’t have to fight Dahak alone and we can help her," Castor said. "And Hope could tell us exactly what Dahak’s plans are regarding those fallen Watchers you told us about Xena," Gabrielle said. "It would be good to have someone on the inside who could tell us Dahak’s timetable on freeing the others," Xena admitted. "But since we don’t know where Hope is, we have to concentrate on getting those scrolls translated and finding that sword which can kill him. Speaking of those scrolls, mother, have you seen Cyrus, I want him to meet Gabrielle and Castor?" "Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Cyrus in quite a while." Cyrene gazed around the crowd in the tavern. "Maybe he’s upstairs with the kids, getting them settled in their rooms. I would sure like to meet them before they go to bed." "Me too. C’mon Xena, let’s go upstairs so I can meet these kids you’ve been raving about," Gabrielle rose from her chair, along with Xena, Castor and Cyrene. "Uh, before you guys go upstairs, there’s something I gotta tell you." Joxer remained seated in his chair. "You better sit back down." "All right Joxer, did something happen that I should know about?" Xena asked after all had reseated themselves at the table. Her gaze was fixed on Joxer, waiting for him to reveal what he knew. "Cyrus and the twins aren’t upstairs," Joxer softly replied. "Then where are they?" Cyrene asked. "I don’t know where they are," Joxer quickly mumbled then he took a quick sip from the mug he held in a hand. "What do you mean you don’t know where they are?" The twins should have come back with you from the circus." Xena said. "Well the truth is...I lost the twins hours ago," Joxer stammered "What!?!?" the others at the table said in unison. Joxer was caught off guard by everyone’s reaction and spilt some of the mead out of the mug he held in a hand. "Joxer, tell me the whole story now," Xena ordered. Joxer set the mug he held on the table and cleared his throat before he spoke. "When I couldn’t find them by myself...I came back here and Cyrus went back out with me to search for them...said the kids liked to ditch adult supervision and should have warned me about it. We went to the camp of the circus performers...we split up to cover more ground. I talked to some who had seen the kids and when I went to find Cyrus to see how things were going with him...he-he was gone...I searched until sundown but did not find him or the kids...it’s like they vanished." "Why didn’t you say something when you first got here?" Xena asked, trying to stay calm. "I tried, but first I had to get something for my headache...and then Cyrene brought me over to this table...and I guess it slipped my mind with all the news about Gabrielle being alive," Joxer sheepishly stated as he slightly bowed his head. "I’m sorry Xena." "It’s okay Joxer," Xena assured. The features of her face softened somewhat as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Joxer already felt bad enough and she didn’t want to make him feel worse. "You know, the last show under the big top just got under way, I bet that’s where Cyrus and the kids are," Castor said. "You’re probably right," Gabrielle said. "From what Xena told me about these kids, it certainly sounded like they could be very persuasive. Maybe they convinced Cyrus to take them despite the running off incident with Joxer." "Why didn’t I think of that?" Joxer slapped a hand on the tabletop. "I’m going to the big top and see if I can find them in the crowd." Joxer rose from the table. "Wait Joxer, there is something else I want you to do instead," Xena said. "I found out that Hercules is visiting his brother King Iphicles in Corinth. I need you to go there and tell him he must come to Ares’ fortress in Macedon as soon as possible." "Sure thing Xena. I will get Otis ready and leave right away." Joxer departed for the stables. "Hey Joxer, wait up, I’ll give you a hand." Castor rose from the table and headed after Joxer. "Everything seems under control here, so I guess I will tend to those dirty dishes." Cyrene departed for the kitchen. "Boy, did I pick the right time to show up," Gabrielle said when she and Xena were alone. "So, Hercules is going to join us in having to put up with Ares. Are you sure this alliance thing will work?" "The world is at stake here Gabrielle so we all will have to make it work." Xena had a faraway look in her eyes as she rose from the table and headed for the tavern door. "Uh Xena, where are you going?" Gabrielle had also risen from the table and trailed after her friend. "I’m going to find Cyrus and the twins." Gabrielle felt something wasn’t right and closely followed her friend as they exited the tavern. ********** Ares gently brushed a long curly black lock off the child’s sleeping face then let a finger trace her jaw-line. A soft smile crossed his lips. She looked so much like Xena, the same nose, mouth, and chin. She even had her mother’s fire. He was very impressed with how she shrugged off her fear and charged him when she thought he had harmed her brother. Ares rolled up a sleeve of the child’s shirt and gazed at the birthmark on the little girl’s upper right arm. The star-shaped mark greatly resembled the star carved in the blade of the Holy Saber - the sword that contained unfathomable power and meant Dahak’s destruction. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he ran a finger over the mark on the child’s arm. The ultimate power that he had craved for centuries would finally be his and he would owe it all to the very fruit of his own loins. Ares turned his attention to the child lying next to her on the lounge chair. He ran a hand through the child’s thick curly black hair. Just like the girl, the boy had inherited his hair. Ares gently held the child’s chin and stared at his sleeping face. Again, a soft smile crossed his lips. Darius had certainly been right when he said the boy was the spitting image of him. The child had his cheekbones, chin, mouth and nose. The boy had also inherited other traits from his father, which Ares intended to bring to the forefront in the child. He released the child’s chin and just sat on a side of the lounge chair, staring in awe at the faces of both sleeping children. Ares had often wondered about the kind of child he could have produced with Xena and he had been somewhat disappointed that there was none from the time when they were lovers. But a week ago, he discovered that was not true - and not only one child but two were born out of that relationship. Ares was anxious to meet these children that had been deliberately hidden from him, and started monitoring the movements of Xena’s traveling party as soon as it was made possible by their entrance into Olympian territory, looking for the opportune moment to grab both children. The moment came when Joxer volunteered to take the children to the circus. Ares used a little divine intervention to cause a fight between two men knowing Xena’s new "sidekick" wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to play peacemaker. From frequent monitoring, Ares had been able to pick up on Lycus’ love of mischief, so he whispered in the boy’s head, the idea of ditching Joxer, which the child eagerly did, along with his sister. Ares watched the activities at the dart throwing both and was very impressed with the boy’s skills with darts and now longed to get some weapons in his hands. Both children had great endurance and the power of telepathy. But those abilities barely scratched the surface of the children’s true potential. Ares knew there was far more and planned on testing both children to see the true extent of the godly powers they possessed. Ares rose from the lounge chair, went behind his throne and pulled a velvet rope hanging from the gray stone wall. A moment later, two female servants in black robes entered the hall. "Yes, my lord," the two servants said in unison. "Take the children to the rooms prepared for them." The two servants immediately went to the lounge chair; each picked up a sleeping child then exited the throne room. Ares had a wicked grin on his face as he thought about Xena. She would be in for a surprise when his messenger informed her of the changes he had made to her plans regarding the children’s stay in Greece. Now Ares had to check on the condition of his most recent guest. ********** Cyrus let out a low groan as he slowly opened his eyes. For some reason, his whole body seemed to ache. "It’s times like these that make me wish I had remained a Watcher," he muttered. He realized he was lying on a hard stone floor. Slowly and with much discomfort, he raised himself into a sitting position. Cyrus was seated on the floor next to a table with a set of chairs. Using one of the chairs for support, he slowly rose to his feet and immediately sat himself in the chair. Since his neck felt stiff, Cyrus maneuvered his whole body on the chair so he could take in his surroundings. He was in a stone walled room with no windows with many lit candles for light. Two of the four walls were lined with shelves loaded with numerous scrolls. Being immortal meant he couldn’t die but unfortunately he could feel pain if inflicted by another immortal. Cyrus let out another groan as he leaned back in the chair and began to rub his sore jaw as memories of what happened flooded his mind. He remembered searching for the twins in the wagon camp of the circus performers when Ares suddenly appeared before him in a haze of light. He had deduced that Ares was responsible for the disappearance of the children and proceeded to question him about them when the war god punched him in the face. Cyrus closed his eyes as he cradled his bowed head in his hands while his arms rested on the table. The fear Xena had expressed before their trip to Greece had unfortunately come true. Somehow, Ares had found out about the children. And now that they were in his possession, Ares would never let them go. Cyrus wondered if Xena knew yet that Ares had the children. When she did find out, he hoped she wouldn’t do anything drastic. Cyrus had opened his eyes and was raising his bowed head when Ares suddenly appeared standing in front of one of the scroll-covered shelves. The war god still had the same aura of darkness and danger, which encompassed his whole being as when Cyrus first met him over six years ago. The former Watcher also noticed the anger in the war god’s eyes, which was clearly directed at him. "I see you have finally recovered from that punch I delivered to your jaw." Ares let a slight chuckle escape his lips. "You are very fortunate to be immortal because if you weren’t, that punch would have instantly snapped your neck." "Where are the children and what are you up to Ares?" "The children are somewhere safe, sleeping peacefully. As for what I’m up to, I am only taking back what belongs to ME." "The children are not your property Ares." "But that’s where you are wrong Cyrus. Do I need to remind you of the laws of the country in which you reside that clearly state that children are the sole property of the father?" "I am quite familiar with the laws of Persia," Cyrus replied tartly. Ares now stood in front of the table where Cyrus sat and leaned his hands on it as he stared hard into the hazel eyes of the former Watcher. "How do you think Ahura Mazda will react when he finds out one of his closest confidants, someone he thought the epitome of honor and truth, looked him dead in the face and LIED to him?" "Ahura Mazda follows the letter of the law and I respect him for that but I did what I thought was right and would gladly do it again." "And who are you to decide that I should be denied access to my own children?" "It’s what Xena wanted and I agreed," Cyrus replied. "Xena was angry, confused and didn’t know what she wanted!" Ares snapped. "Yes, when Xena showed up on my doorstep in Persia she was all of those things which only increased when she discovered she was pregnant," Cyrus said. "In the months that followed, Xena did some soul-searching and made the decision to leave the life of war behind and start fresh, somewhere far away with the children. But that changed when you showed up in Persia. You just couldn’t let her go then and from what I understand you still can’t now. Why is that?" "Those reasons are my business and I don’t have to explain myself to you," Ares curtly replied as he rose to his full height. "You know Xena will never let you get away with this Ares and I will help her." Cyrus stared hard at the war god standing before him. "There really is nothing either of you can do since you don’t know exactly where the children are," Ares nonchalantly replied as he inspected the dagger he now held in a hand, longing to slice open the throat of the meddling do-gooder with it. "How do you expect us to all work together when you pull a stunt like this?" "Oh, you will find a way," Ares calmly replied. "I know how much mortals mean to you and Xena and you two would never let your anger against me jeopardize their fate." There was a confident grin on the god’s face as he sheathed the dagger on his person. "You know, if you weren’t so crucial to me destroying Dahak, I would already be tormenting you for meddling in my personal affairs but since that is not to be, at least for the moment, you might as well get to work on what you were brought here to do." Ares waved a hand over the table at which Cyrus sat and it was immediately covered with numerous scrolls. Cyrus picked up one of the scrolls and unrolled it for inspection. It was written in the language he spoke as a Watcher, Celestic. "This is just a fraction of the scrolls you will need to translate for us to find the Holy saber. When you translate these, I will make the rest available to you." Ares was through talking with the former Watcher and was ready to leave him to his translating duties. "Wait!" Cyrus said in a raised voice before Ares vanished from sight. The god stared at him with a hard look on his face. "I would like to see the children...make sure they are all right." Ares let out an annoyed sigh. "The children are fine Cyrus. They are now with their father where they should have been all along and your concern for them is no longer warranted!" With his last statement, Ares vanished in a blinding burst of silver light. ********** "Why are we going to the stables Xena when Cyrus and the children are probably at the big top near the edge of town?" Gabrielle asked as they entered the large wooden structure. "Cyrus and the children are not under the big top," Xena replied. "Then where exactly are they?" "I don’t know where they are exactly but I know who took them...Dahak." "Dahak!" repeated Gabrielle with true surprise as her mind began rationalizing the motive behind such actions. "So, you think Dahak found out about Cyrus, why he came to Greece and grabbed him so he couldn’t translate the scrolls that will lead us to the Holy Saber?" "Yes, I do." Xena now stood in the stall next to Argo and tightened the saddle on the mare’s back. "And I guess Dahak grabbed the kids to use as leverage to stop us from coming after him, which I think is really evil," Gabrielle said with a twisted frown. "Oh, it is more than just leverage he’s after," Xena said. "Lycus has been troubled by a nightmare about a horrible monster coming for him and I know Dahak is behind it." "Wow, that’s got to be frightening." Gabrielle’s arms were wrapped tightly about her as a creepy chill went down her spine. "But what could Dahak possibly gain by tormenting a little boy with nightmares?" "Dahak may be thinking of using Lycus in the evil he has planned for the world. But I think first and foremost he is trying to rattle me and figured this would be the best way, especially after what he did to Solan." Xena saw the puzzled look on Gabrielle’s face after her last statement. She turned her attention from Argo and now stood facing her friend, gently placing her hands on the bard’s shoulders as she stared into her face. "The twins are not just two orphans in Cyrus’ care...they are my son and daughter." Gabrielle’s green eyes widened as her mind fully absorbed what Xena had just confessed. "The children are yours? Why didn’t you ever tell me? Surely you knew I could be trusted with such a secret?" "It’s not that I didn’t trust you Gabrielle. In fact, I did plan on telling you about them but then we got caught up in Hope’s rebirth, Dahak and then… you died. I’ve always had to be very careful that the children’s existence remained hidden from their father." "Who is their father?" Before Xena could answer Gabrielle’s question, both women heard a strange noise on the roof of the stables. "What was that?" Gabrielle gazed up at the stable’s ceiling. "I don’t know but I intend to find out," Xena said. Both women walked over to the stable door and slowly opened it. The full moon provided enough light making the area outside the stables clear to view. The flutter of bird wings could be heard as both women were now shrouded in a large shadow. Within moments, the shadow was gone, exposing the area outside the stables to moonlight once again. "Xena, look!" Sitting on a wooden fence, some feet from the stables was a fierce-looking large bird. "It’s a vulture," Xena stated. "A vulture! There’s nothing dead lying around so why is it here?" Gabrielle tried to hide her fear. "This vulture isn’t looking for food." Xena started to approach the bird. "What are you doing!?!?" Gabrielle tightly held Xena’s left arm halting her approach towards the menacing bird. "It’s all right Gabrielle. I know this particular vulture. We go back a long way." "You know this...vulture?" "Yes, his name is Ibycus. He belongs to Ares." "Why am I not surprised?" Gabrielle muttered. "Ares’ choice of pets leaves a lot to be desired." "Ibycus isn’t a pet Gabrielle. He’s a messenger." Xena now stood directly in front of the large bird still perched atop the wooden fence. An amethyst stone hung from a silver chain around the large bird’s feathered neck. Upon closer inspection, Xena found a folded piece of parchment strapped to one of the bird’s legs, which she removed. She unfolded the parchment sheet and read its contents... Just thought I would let you know that Cyrus is here at my fortress in Macedon and at this moment, is translating those very important scrolls we need to defeat Dahak. I also have the children who came to Greece with you. I figured it was time they met their father. Ares "Oh Zeus, he knows!!!" Xena whispered with a wide-eyed stare on her face. "But how!?!?" Xena forgot about the bird and quickly went back into the stables, still clutching the sheet of parchment. Gabrielle followed Xena back into the stables, her mind paying close attention to her friend’s reaction to Ares’ letter. "We were so careful," Xena muttered as she viciously tore up the sheet of parchment, the shreds falling to the stable floor. "I knew it was a mistake to bring the children to Greece. I KNEW IT!!" "So, it wasn’t Dahak who took the twins but Ares and I guess he has Cyrus too, right?" Gabrielle asked in a slightly raised voice, which made Xena suddenly remember she was not alone and she turned to face her friend. "Yes," she replied softly, slightly bowing her head. "He’s the one you’ve been keeping the existence of the children from," Gabrielle stated with solid certainty. Her mind was quickly registering the shocking conclusion she knew her last statement implied and she found it difficult to voice her thoughts. "So, that means...that Ares...that the twins...that he’s..." "Their father," Xena finished as she stared into the stunned face of her best friend. "That’s right Gabrielle, Ares is the twins’ father."
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