Disclaimer:
This story contains adult themes depicting explicit sexual
relations between consenting adult women. If you are under the age of
18 or reading this material is illegal where you live, please do not
read further. The author accepts no legal responsibility for
non-compliance with this warning.
Author's Note:
This story is considered to be a loose sequel to Down To The
Darkness and as such, some of the events that took place in that
story are alluded to here. Although it is not necessary to read Down
To the Darkness, it wouldn't hurt ya.
************
Prologue:
Nestra was running, running hard. "Running hard towards what used
to be." A line from a poem crazily echoed in her mind. Her lungs
burned hotly and her legs felt as if they were mired in quicksand.
Sweat poured from her forehead and her ebony skin glistened in the
moonlight. Her jet-black braids were drenched and smacked against her
back as she ran. Her cinnamon colored eyes were wide with terror. No
matter how hard she ran, she didn't seem to be gaining any ground on
her pursuer. She recognized a familiar laugh that cackled in her
ears. But Nestra was baffled, that sound was in front of her. She
pulled up suddenly and stopped. It was Callisto, her friend. Just
then she turned around and behind her was Xena, the Warrior Princess.
The fierce warrior arced her immense sword over Nestra's head and
plunged it deep into her heart.
Nestra jumped awake with a start. Damnit to Hades, Xena again.
Nestra sighed to herself. She took in a deep breath and re-positioned
herself against her lover, Brissea, who slept fitfully at her side.
She stared up into the coal black sky where the stars were sprinkled
across the gods' heavenly landscape. Very little light illuminated
the dense copse of trees that clustered near the stream. Their near
fatal encounter with Xena had made Nestra's sleeping patterns erratic
at best. It was all the two warrior women could do to get as far away
from Xena as possible. Damn that Leica, Nestra cursed her friend who
had been so stupid as to challenge the best warrior in the land.
Nestra was a brave soul but she was no fool. She had tried to warn
Leica just as she had tried to warn Callisto but both her friends
were now dead at the hands of the frightening warrior.
For the past half moon, she rarely slept for more than a
candlemark at a time. Frequently, she dreamt of Xena's giant sword
pointed at her throat, her dazzling blue eyes blurred by bloodthirsty
savagery. Eyes that had been void of compassion. Eyes that would have
sliced her throat without a second thought if not for the sweet and
innocent bard that somehow managed to keep Xena's temper under
control. Frankly, she was quite amazed that the strawberry blonde had
succeeded in stopping Xena from killing Nestra and Brissea back in
the cave. Nevertheless, in her nightmares, Xena's sword gouged her
throat every time.
Nestra turned on her side and held her lover more tightly. She
knew Morpheus would not visit her for the rest of the night but just
holding the woman in her arms was enough to momentarily allay her
fears. She buried her face into Brissea's light brown hair, trying to
think of anything but Xena. She failed. Her thoughts were heavy as
she remembered the first time she had ever laid eyes on the Warrior
Princess. It had been four winters past when she and Brissea had been
one of Callisto's legions. It was a day she would never forget for as
long as she lived.
Nestra was jolted out of her reverie by a sound in the dense
woodlands. She urgently shook Brissea awake and leapt to her feet and
automatically withdrew her sword from its scabbard. Brissea's eyes
shot open and she quickly clambered to her feet, unsheathing her
sword as well. A figure emerged from the trees. Her lemon colored
hair cascaded around her shoulders, radiating in bright contrast
against the dark cloak she wore.
"Good evening, ladies."
"Callisto!" both women gasped in unison.
"Were you going to kill me with those puny little swords?" she
laughed. "Well, I have news for you. Not even Xena can kill me now!"
Chapter 1
Callisto had been walking steadily for days making progress toward
her intended goal. She supposed she could make use of a horse or
other means of transportation, including a mere wave of her hand, but
she wanted to savor every waking hour. Never before had she noticed
the wonder of Gaia's green foliage, or the tender flowers that
sprinkled the landscape. The smells that assaulted her seemed brand
new, no matter if fair or foul. She absorbed every nuance as if it
was the very first day she had ever walked on a dirt trail.
Every so often, the trail was marked by evidence of Xena's
passing, accompanied by the little brat, of course. However, Callisto
knew that nowhere was safe for the Warrior Princess. She tenaciously
pursued Xena and Gabrielle just as fiercely as the Harpies hounded
intruders into Hades' domain. Callisto turned her face up to meet the
heat of Apollo's journey across the brilliant blue sky. It took her
back to the fateful day when the destinies of she and Xena became
inextricably intertwined and would be for all eternity. Tartarus or
the Elysian Fields no longer made a difference. Callisto would follow
Xena to the end of time.
She took a glimpse into her past and for as long as Callisto could
remember, retribution against Xena had always been her mission. There
had never been a time in Callisto's young life when she did not want
the Warrior Princess to pay for the murders of her mother and sister.
The fire that annihilated her tiny village was a mere ember in
comparison to the searing inferno in her heart that snuffed out any
light or compassion she might have known. Xena was to blame for that.
The Callisto she knew was created on that black day so many winters
ago when Xena's army swept through Cirra. And Callisto would spend
the rest of her eternal life making sure the Warrior Princess never
forgot it. Eternity was a long time, indeed, she thought.
Callisto smiled to herself as she realized she would have the
pleasure of tormenting Xena for as long as her little heart desired.
Poor Hephaestus was kind enough to grant her that honor. She reached
into her pocket and fingered the necklace he had given her as a means
to own her. But she had other plans for that necklace and was certain
that it would look so charming around Xena's neck.
She thought of how Xena had supposedly changed her ways since she
met the little brat. Callisto laughed derisively at Xena's misguided
notion that she would be able to gain entrance into the Elysian
Fields by turning her efforts to fighting for the greater good. She
went over some of the deeds in her mind, unchaining Death, helping
Ares get back his godhood, freeing Prometheus, releasing Cecrops from
Poseidon's curse. She rolled her eyes and spat on the ground when she
thought of that one. The former warlord was becoming a hopeless
romantic in her old age. Must be the little brat's doing, Callisto
mused. No matter, she sighed; none of those "good" deeds held a
candle to the scars Xena left on Callisto's wicked soul. One lifetime
for Xena would never be enough to claim redemption and Callisto was
there to collect her debt in full.
Her introduction to the Warrior Princess would forever be a scar
that wove a dark strand through the tapestry of her soul. She
remembered it as clearly as if it had happened just yesterday. She
was in the middle of her twelfth summer and she had been playing
outside with Theodorus in the mid-day sun. A high cerulean sky
betrayed no omen of what destruction would soon visit the sleepy
village. Theodorus was her only playmate. Callisto liked him because
he understood her and let her be in charge. Then, without warning,
she heard the mighty roar of many horses as they rumbled through the
village at breakneck speed. Above the din, she heard the battle cry
of a fierce and angry woman. A warrior's cry. The Warrior Princess.
Callisto stood frozen amongst the carnage unable to move, her eyes
and soul battered by the destructive acts that swirled around her.
Miraculously she remained unscathed. She watched in horror as Xena's
army annihilated the villagers she had known since she was a baby.
Many of the townsmen were run through with huge metal swords. Arrows
darted through the air and found their human targets. Blood gushed
out of large gaping holes. Tresephus, the blacksmith, the man who
occasionally let Callisto watch him forge tools for the town, was
beheaded before her very eyes. She wanted to look away but her body
betrayed her and she remained glued to the grimy earth that flowed
freely with bloody red rivulets.
And then the flames swept over them, devouring every hut and
dwelling in its destructive path. No one would come out, as they were
too fearful of Xena's army, too fearful of her wrath. They would
rather face the scathing heat than Xena's sword. Callisto heard her
mother and sister's screams above all else. Theodorus pleaded with
her to run away but she couldn't. She wouldn't. It was a nightmare
that was soon to end. She was certain of it. It had to be a dream.
She didn't want to believe it was real. No god would be so cruel as
to let the vision before her actually happen. She cursed Morpheus for
not allowing her to awaken from such a horrific nightmare.
Then Callisto saw her. A powerful woman warlord in warrior garb.
She wore black leather, cold armor, a sword, and a round metal
weapon. Fear, awe, respect, and admiration commingled with Callisto's
deepening hatred. The ruthless warrior was the cause of her
demolished home and the anguished cries of her family. Xena trotted
up on her horse and surveyed the smoldering ashes. Callisto had but
one question for the Warrior Princess.
"Why?"
Xena barely registered a passing glance at the young girl. She
began to shout orders at her men to collect the spoils of the village
or what was left of it. And without a backward glance, Xena stormed
out of the hamlet as suddenly as she came. Callisto never got an
answer to her simple question.
Several candlemarks after Xena's army trailed a cloud of dust out
of Cirra, Callisto remained crumpled on the ground with her face
buried in her arms. Her arms hugged her knees tightly as she rocked
herself back and forth. Her eyes were clamped shut but still she saw
heads and body parts sliced into oblivion.
When she paused to look up on occasion, she did not see the few
survivors that prayed to the gods for mercy. Nor did she hear their
moaning wails for help. Neither did she hear Theodorus' pleas to
leave. The only sensation that registered was numbness. She prayed to
any god that listened to wake her from this nightmare but they only
answered her with silence.
As Apollo's chariot made its descent over the horizon, she became
vaguely aware that a hand had been shaking her for some time and that
a voice was attached to it.
"Callisto!" Theodorus shouted in panicky bellows. She turned to
look at him for what seemed like the first time that day. She noted
the sheer horror reflected in his eyes and realized his eyes were not
only a mirror to his soul but to hers as well.
"Callisto! What are we going to do? Callisto!"
Do? Callisto wondered. She would go get her mother. Yes. Mama
would know what to do. She rose to her feet.
"Theodorus, we'll have to ask Mama." She started to walk towards
the spot where her dwelling had once been. Theodorus grabbed her by
the arm.
"She's dead, Callisto!" he cried in anguish. "Everybody's dead
except us!" Callisto ripped her arm away from his grasp and ran
toward the place where her hut should have been. She searched the
smoking remains for her mother. Two burnt bodies clung together,
blackened by the flames. Callisto imagined the scene of their final
desperate moments and squeezed her eyes shut to block it out. She
didn't succeed.
She slowly turned to face Theodorus as she plainly came to the
realization that this day's atrocities had been real. A mask
blanketed her features as all emotion drained from her soul. A
faraway gleam clouded her eyes and in that moment, Callisto knew her
life would be changed forever. She vowed to herself that Xena would
live to regret this day for the rest of her entire life.
Chapter 2
The rain beat heavily on the roof of the tavern. From the centre
of the stage, Gabrielle's voice competed with nature's insistent
tapping for the attention of her captive audience. Many of the
townspeople, including a few children, did not want to venture
outside until the storm had subsided. Despite the late night, they
remained glued to their chairs. For the proprietor, business was
excellent. For the bard, Xena was making a simple pleasure extremely
difficult. Even though Gabrielle should have been grateful that she
and Xena had a chance to earn some extra dinars, she could care less
about their fortuitous circumstances. Her eyes honed in on the
warrior's muscular leg as it was propped up on a table for sheer
comfort. Xena casually sipped from a mug of port. Gabrielle smiled to
herself as she noticed Xena's long leg took up more room than
necessary considering the crowded tavern but she knew no patron would
dare challenge the warrior's desire for a wide berth.
Gabrielle continued her bard's tale, unconsciously letting her
eyes languidly travel along Xena's well-defined curves momentarily
resting on the dark apex of her undergarments. Her face flushed and a
warm current flowed through her as she thought of Xena's warm centre
hidden beneath the cloth. She quickly looked away and continued
reciting the story she knew from practiced memory. Her eyes darted
noticeably around the room as she made a conscious effort to avoid
Xena's supple leg.
Nevertheless, her eyes were drawn back to the Warrior Princess.
Self-conscious of her minor slip-up, she caught sight of Xena's
twinkling blue eyes. She watched as Xena's tongue slowly spread
across her upper lip caressing the soft opening. Her lips glistened
in the candlelit room. Gabrielle was entranced by the bold
demonstration of her many skills. A nervous giggle leaped out of the
bard's mouth and she lost her place in the story. She glanced at Xena
who feigned innocence at causing the disruption and took another sip
of port. Oh Xena, you will pay for this later, Gabrielle promised the
warrior silently. She took in a deep breath and finished the story
holding on to a steel will not to look in Xena's direction again.
Mercifully she concluded the story, inhaled deeply and strode over to
Xena's table determined to wipe the smirk off the warrior's face.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gabrielle approached Xena's table; her eyes were narrow slits as
she contemplated various tortures she'd make Xena endure later in
their room. Her eyes gleamed at the erotic thoughts that danced in
her head and a stabbing pang of longing gathered between her legs.
Xena arched her eyebrow in recognition of the sparkle in the bard's
eyes. Unexpectantly, a small boy of not more than eight winters ran
up to Xena's table barging in on their silent communication. Agitated
by the interruption, Gabrielle stood and hovered near the table.
"Xena! You're really her, aren't you!?" he exclaimed. "You really
know Hercules?!" the boy was beside himself with excitement.
Xena laughed at the boy and patted his shoulder. "Yes I do," she
said matter-of-factly. As the boy chattered on incessantly about the
warrior's adventures, Xena caught Gabrielle's steady gaze and slyly
grinned at the bard's sigh of frustration. She pointed one finger at
Gabrielle and with a tilt of her head, beckoned her to come closer.
Not knowing what to expect, the bard acceded to her soundless
command. The boy continued to prattle on about Xena's conquests. Xena
interrupted him.
"Excuse me, what's your name?" Xena asked determined to find the
boy's parents so she could join Gabrielle in their room.
"Landreus," he answered.
"Landreus, are your parents here?"
"Yes, my father's here somewhere. And so's my sister. She loves
you too, Xena!" he explained excitedly as his head bobbed and weaved
in search of a familiar face. Just then, the boy spotted his father
coming towards the table. He waved frantically for them to join him
as Xena turned to the boy.
"Hold on just a minute, Landreus, I want to talk to my friend
here." The boy nodded agreeably and raced over to his father and
sister. He pulled them reluctantly toward the table of the
intimidating warrior.
Xena pulled the bard down to her ear level. "Go to our room and
wait for me. You know how I'd like to find you," she suggested
seductively. She discreetly flicked out her tongue and brushed
lightly against a corner of Gabrielle's ear that sent shivers through
her. The bard giggled to hide the passion that ran rampantly through
her and croaked out a meek "sure" before she started for the room.
"Oh, and Gabrielle." Xena held on to her hand, not letting the
bard go just yet. "Don't start without me," she said as she squeezed
the bard's hand to emphasize her point. It took a moment for
Gabrielle to fully comprehend what the warrior meant and when she
did, her face turned a bright red as she hurried to their room.
Landreus, in tow with his sister and father, reached their table
and blurted out, "She's really nice, Father, you'll really like her!
Aren't you glad we got caught in this storm?" Xena groaned inwardly
and quickly thought of a plan to ditch her unwanted companions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gabrielle had removed her boots and all her clothes as she
patiently waited for Xena to get rid of the happy little family. She
lay on her side and thought of the warrior's long lithesome body
covering her own and getting lost in the soft velvety skin that
melted all reason from her mind. She had toyed with the idea of
withholding her favors from Xena as payback for causing her slip-up
on stage but she wondered how long she would be able to hold fast to
that promise without succumbing to Xena's alluring presence. The
longer she waited, the more impractical the idea became. All she
could think of was to leap on top of the warrior and ravish her
luscious body within seconds of her arrival. It was all Gabrielle
could do to keep her hands from wandering to the hot liquid between
her legs. Slowly, a wicked idea began to formulate in her mind. A
wide grin spread across her face.
Nevertheless, Gabrielle didn't notice the silhouetted figure that
lurked just outside the window as it waited for the redheaded bard to
be joined by the dark-haired warrior.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xena hurried through the hall that led to their sleeping room in
the back of the tavern. She'd finally been able to disengage herself
from the talkative boy and his family. She smiled as she anticipated
the lovely woman that awaited her. She reached the door and unlocked
it to find the bard's exquisite nude form as beautiful as a flower in
the Elysian Fields. Her mouth went dry and she self-consciously
swallowed. She shut the door behind her.
"What took you so long?" Gabrielle grinned at her teasingly. Xena
stood frozen just inside the door and carefully removed her armor and
weaponry. Her eyes clouded over in uninhibited passion as they
traveled slowly along Gabrielle's delectable curves. The bard lay on
her side propped up against a pillow. One hand rubbed the smoothness
of her inner thigh and Xena imagined her cheeks melting into the
delicate skin. The bard's legs were slightly open and they revealed
the glistening moisture that shone through the wispy hairs. As she
waited for Xena to approach the bed, Gabrielle's hand played with her
damp red curls.
"You didn't start without me, did you?" Xena answered her question
with a question. Her dry throat made her voice crack. She licked her
lips and her breathing increased markedly. She definitely didn't want
to discuss the babbling little boy. She moved closer to the bed and
began to remove a leather greave from her wrist when the bard kneeled
up on the bed.
"Here, let me do that, you sit down." Gabrielle motioned for Xena
to sit on the edge of the bed, then slid off the bed and stood
between Xena's supple thighs. Xena complied with the bard's wishes
even though she felt a strong compulsion to ravish her despite being
fully clothed in her leatherwear. Xena held her arm out so that the
younger woman could unbuckle the leather greave from her wrist. The
warrior's hand trembled and only her best efforts kept it still. She
couldn't help but notice the leisurely pace Gabrielle was setting and
nuzzled the bard's neck to speed things along.
"Wait, Xena, I want to undress you first," Gabrielle insisted and
gently pushed back Xena's shoulders to give her some space to
maneuver. "Sit back, let me undress you," she said. Her eyes gleamed
as she grabbed hold of Xena's other wrist and began to unhook that
accoutrement as well. As she unsheathed the greave from the warrior's
wrist, Gabrielle licked the palm of Xena's hand and followed a wet
trail to just below the leather band at the warrior's bicep. She
removed the band and continued her oral assault on Xena's muscular
arm. Tiny goosebumps erupted along Xena's skin and a wave of desire
settled in her loins.
"I don't know how much more of this sweet torture I can take,
Gabrielle," Xena grinned. One hand caressed the bard's buttocks as
the warrior pulled Gabrielle closer to her but still the bard
resisted.
Gabrielle laughed. "A lot more, Xena. Do you know how long I've
been waiting for you?" she purred. She removed the other leather band
as she spoke and then licked the inside of Xena's elbow. The warrior
gasped at the contact on an especially sensitive place on her body.
She was beginning to enjoy this tortuous little game. Gabrielle's hot
breath followed Xena's arm until she reached the strap of her leather
tunic. Her hands reached up to peel the leather strap down Xena's
arms and exposed her breasts to Gabrielle's touch. The bard gently
massaged the soft mounds, the nipples hard as pebbles against her
palms. Gabrielle's eyes never left contact with Xena's as her crystal
blue eyes grew dark with hunger. The bard claimed Xena's lips and
slipped her tongue inside. The warrior moaned loudly as their tongues
intertwined in an erotic dance of passion. The bard's hands continued
to massage Xena's breasts and pinch the erect buds. Finally, Xena
could take no more and leaned back on the bed taking the smaller
woman with her.
"Oh no, no, Xena. Not yet," Gabrielle teased pulling herself
upright and away from Xena's grasp. She stood up and eyed the
warrior's prone body, whose legs were draped over the side of the
bed. Xena sighed and gave in to the bard's desires. Although she
wouldn't admit it aloud, she rather enjoyed Gabrielle's aggressive
overtures. It was a switch for them, but, after all, she liked
catering to the bard's every whim.
Gabrielle kneeled between Xena's legs and carefully unbuckled her
knee bracers. Next, she began unlacing the extensive ties on the
warrior's boots. She took her time knowing that the longer she
prolonged her little task, the longer Xena would have to wait. She
grinned to herself confident that the payback she was meting out to
Xena clearly balanced the playful torment she had received on stage.
She only hoped that she would be able to hold out as long as she had
originally planned. Her hands quivered on the warrior's boot and she
was grateful that Xena could not view them from her angle.
The bard removed Xena's boot and carefully positioned the
warrior's freed foot between her legs. Her bare toes slid
effortlessly against Gabrielle slippery triangle as the bard licked
broad circles on Xena's bare thigh. Xena gasped and bolted upright.
"Gabrielle . . . "
"See what happens when you tease me so much?" she asked innocently
as her mouth continued to graze random patterns on Xena's thigh. "You
shouldn't torture me so on stage."
Xena grinned as she rested back on her elbows. "Is that what this
is about?"
"Hmm," Gabrielle answered, but did not remove her lips from Xena's
silky skin. Her mouth seemingly had a life of its own as it traveled
to the wet spot in the middle of Xena's undergarments. Gabrielle
inhaled the intoxicating aroma and it took all of her self-control
not to rip off the rest of Xena's outergarments to reach the divine
elixir. Instead she let her tongue swipe a taste from the cloth and
continued her path down Xena's other thigh and back to the remaining
knee bracer.
Xena inhaled a sharp breath and grabbed hold of the bedsheets as
she felt Gabrielle's tongue brush against her wet centre. Only her
years of training in strict discipline kept her from taking control
and spurring Gabrielle along. In another way she could not explain,
the restraint needed for her not to dominate excited her more than
she cared to admit. She laughed at herself because only Gabrielle
would ever have the privilege of her unconditional surrender. She
could just hear the word around town now --"Xena: Warrior Wuss". A
smirk crept onto her face as she lay back on the bed and awaited
Gabrielle's next move.
The bard finished unlacing Xena's boot and removed it. Quite
frankly, she was surprised that Xena had been patient for this long
but she enjoyed the willing surrender of the mighty warrior. She was
amazed at how much discipline it took to restrain herself from
ravishing Xena and she made a mental note to let her do all work next
time. But for the moment she was going to see this thing through for
as long as she could.
"All right, Xena, stand up," the bard encouraged and pulled the
warrior up from the bed. Gabrielle began to unlace the complicated
ties at the back of Xena's tunic. Her hands trembled slightly and she
noticed Xena's increasingly rapid breath. Gabrielle swallowed
nervously as she held on to her precarious self-restraint. Finally,
Xena shrugged out of her tunic and Gabrielle completed the undressing
by removing the warrior's undergarments. Without turning around, the
magnificent warrior waited for Gabrielle to do with her as she
pleased.
The bard wrapped her arms around Xena's waist and stroked her taut
stomach. Her breasts crushed against Xena's back as she cupped the
warrior's mounds with wandering hands. She murmured into Xena's back,
"Go lay on bed. On your stomach."
"Yes, my Queen," Xena answered playfully. She lay on her stomach
as Gabrielle drew in another deep breath. The bard's tongue flickered
over the base of Xena's spine and dampened the fine hairs that
collected in the sensitive area. Xena emitted a low grunt into the
pillow. Gabrielle continued a steady trail of kisses along the
warrior's spine and brushed aside Xena's long ebony hair as her lips
finally came to rest at the back of Xena's neck. She hoisted her body
over Xena's and covered the warrior's back with as much of her
smaller body as possible. The contact ignited lightening bolts
between them as Gabrielle felt herself melting into the warrior's
lithe frame. She took a few moments to regain her composure. When she
heard Xena moan beneath her, she grinned with satisfaction. She just
might be able to last longer than she thought.
Gabrielle's mouth found an enticing spot at the side of Xena's
neck that she nibbled on. She sucked on it for several moments as
Xena groaned non-stop into the pillow. Her hips ground helplessly
into the bed as she found no release from Gabrielle's tortuous lips.
"Xena," she purred.
"Hmm?"
"I think I like this," Gabrielle said.
"Do you now?" Xena tried to lift up her head to look behind her.
"Oh no, not yet, Xena," Gabrielle grinned. "First, you have to
agree to let me do everything to you, you can't take over." She
examined the spot on Xena's neck to see if she left any evidence of
her passion. She decided, yes indeed, it would look pretty in the
morning light.
"Okay, I agree," Xena said exasperated. "Please Gabrielle, I need
you," she pleaded, her voice husky with desire.
Gabrielle gave Xena room to roll over and straddled the warrior's
waist. She could see that their little role reversal was creating as
much excitement for Xena as herself. Her wet centre slithered against
Xena's abdomen and she knew that soon she would have to quiet her own
fire as well as Xena's. She harnessed a Herculean urge to take Xena
right then. Instead, she guided her breast to Xena's mouth and the
warrior hungrily suckled the erect bud. Xena's hand squeezed the
fleshy mound of the bard's other breast. Gabrielle moaned in ecstasy,
no longer able to hold back her fading restraint. She pulled her
breast away from Xena's lips and covered them with her own. She took
possession of the warrior's mouth using her tongue to seek out any
remaining resistance. She found none. Xena was hers.
Gabrielle's hand began its exploration down Xena's pliant flesh
and the warrior's legs parted to welcome her carnal invasion. The
bard broke away from Xena's kiss as her hand discovered the liquid
fire between her legs.
"Let me in, Xena!" Gabrielle moaned loudly and plunged two fingers
into the hot inferno.
"Yes! Gabrielle!" Xena exclaimed as her back arched up
instinctively to meet the bard's thrusts. She wrapped her arms
tightly around Gabrielle's waist as she held on against the wave of
passion that consumed her. Her delirium built into unfathomable
ecstasy when Gabrielle thrust a third finger inside her. Each thrust
brought with it the bard's possession of her until she became one
with her lover's soul and unreservedly abdicated to the Amazon Queen.
It took Xena only a few more strokes before the raging fire washed
over her and took her in a tidal wave of sheer bliss.
It took Xena several moments to get her breath back. Gabrielle
slowly extricated her fingers and watched the warrior's face as she
regained some semblance of lucidity. She showered her lover's face
with gentle kisses, her mouth finally coming to rest over Xena's, her
fingers intertwined in her thick black hair. The warrior responded
with a renewed onslaught of fervor ignited by Gabrielle's kiss. The
bard rocked her hips against Xena's thigh as her juices soaked the
warrior's skin. She broke away the kiss and murmured softly in Xena's
ear.
"Please, Xena, let me come," she moaned in breathless gasps.
"Yes . . . scream for me," Xena panted.
Gabrielle whimpered at Xena's words and reclaimed the warrior's
mouth. The rocking against Xena's leg increased steadily and harder.
Soon she knew she would go over the edge as she held on to Xena for
dear life. The noises that emitted from her throat increased in
volume and she knew when she tumbled into the precipice she would be
screaming. Suddenly, a surge of heat filled her and extended to every
fibber and nerve. And with it came a wail that started in the pit of
her stomach and erupted into her throat. She passed the scream on to
Xena and the warrior swallowed the wail as if it were her own.
From the window, the mysterious figure watched the entire scene in
amazement knowing full well that it would be one of the last times
Xena and Gabrielle would have such an intimate rendezvous.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The roar she heard became the sound of many horses. Hooves pounded
on the dried out dirt. She looked up to see a huge sword gleaming in
the sunlight. The rider swung it menacingly at anything and
everything in its path. Other soldiers flanked both sides of the
leader's huge war-horse. She heard many screams in the din but above
all else she heard the screams of her mother as the fire burned down
the only home she'd ever known. She heard the battle cry of the
leader of the destructive army and it sounded familiar. It was a
woman. A warrior woman. She turned to the sound that rang in her ears
and saw the monstrous sword arc toward her. She looked into the
fierce blue eyes that glowed with excitement as they anticipated
another swift kill. Instantly, she recognized the face. It was her.
It was Xena. The Warrior Princess.
"NO!" Xena shouted.
Xena's eyes flew open. She sat up on the bed and took in deep
gulps of air to catch her breath. Gabrielle stirred briefly in her
sleep but didn't awaken. The night air that came through the window
was cool against her hot and sticky skin. Another demonic nightmare,
she thought. When would they end? This one seemed more vivid than
usual, she thought. But actually it was no different than the
countless other nightmares she'd endured over the years. This time,
she had been in Cirra and she watched as she, as a warlord, skewered
everyone in sight. She was about to murder a small girl, who must
have been Callisto, she surmised. When would that woman ever stop
haunting her? she wondered.
The warrior sighed and lay back on the bed. She wrapped her arm
around Gabrielle's waist, hugging her lover closer to her. She kissed
the side of her head and thanked the gods again for bringing such a
sweet soul into her life. Is it any wonder she sleeps so soundly?
Xena mused. A broad smile spread across her face as she clearly
remembered their resplendent lovemaking from the night before. She
marveled at the bard's ability to penetrate the many layers she'd
created to protect her heart. But Gabrielle sliced through those
layers with the ease of a blade through thin air and what the bard
gleaned was true. It was as if Xena were transparent and Gabrielle
could see clearly through to her soul. She knew no one except
Gabrielle would ever have been allowed to possess her like she did
last night. Xena gave Gabrielle a soft peck on her shoulder and
examined the younger woman's slack features in her untroubled
slumber. It would be just fine with Xena if she died right there in
her lover's arms, never to awaken again. Moments later, she fell back
asleep.
Chapter 3
For three summers Callisto and Theodorus roamed the countryside.
Almost all of their idle time was spent practicing many ways and
means to defeat Xena. Callisto quickly learned from her childhood
friend varied techniques in fighting and soon surpassed her mentor.
Although they were of the same age, Theodorus had been privileged as
a boy to practice self-defense with the town's militia. Of course,
those humble farmers had been no match for the Warrior Princess so
Callisto promised herself she would be. Every traveler on the road,
who even remotely knew any kind of fighting skill, she badgered into
teaching her. Most would, just to get the little blonde kid out of
their hair. She also kept her wild streak intact so as to deter any
man who would dare get further ideas.
Every day Callisto and Theodorus tracked Xena's army going mostly
unnoticed as they kept their distance. On occasion they would cross
paths with her soldiers in a crowded tavern but never did they come
face to face with Xena. Callisto knew if her plan were to work, her
identity would have to remain anonymous. Of course that didn't stop
her from getting close enough to wonder at the powerful effect Xena
left in her wake.
It was just after she had survived her eighteenth winter when
Callisto saw a completely different side to the dark warrior. She and
Theodorus sat in a hideaway tavern frequented by warriors called the
Wicked Wing in Athens. It was dusk and they leisurely ate their
evening meal. An attractive woman emerged from the back room with a
strong-armed warrior behind her. He pecked her cheek and pressed some
dinars into her hand as he waved goodbye and left the tavern
directly. Callisto eyed the woman with curiosity, fascinated by the
long chestnut curls that hung loosely around her shoulders and framed
her cherub face. Her smooth olive skin glowed faintly in the
candlelit tavern. Her dress flowed freely about her curvy figure and
the deep plunge of her neckline revealed voluptuous breasts. Callisto
surmised she was at least ten winters older than she was, but
nonetheless, the woman radiated an understated beauty. The woman
casually returned to the back room from whence she came.
Shortly thereafter, a band of soldiers noisily entered the
half-empty room. Callisto immediately recognized the lavender colors
of Xena's army. The sparse crowd didn't recognize the identifying
crest until it was too late. The magnificent Warrior Princess entered
the tavern. Her men cleared a space for her and guided her to an
empty table across the room. She sat, evidently expecting a meal and
port to be brought to her. Both were forthcoming. Xena quickly downed
the contents of the mug and ordered another.
Callisto upturned her lip in disgust. There was no way in Tartarus
she would ever drink that stuff. It would dull her senses and
distract her from her reason for living, her mission to destroy the
Destroyer of Nations across the room. No, she wanted to keep every
nerve fiber intact, every memory intact, every nuance about Xena that
would make revenge upon her that much sweeter. Nevertheless, she was
mesmerized by the imposing presence before her. Xena held her
unwavering attention.
"Xena!" a woman cried out. It was the same unassuming woman who
had enthralled Callisto earlier. The woman sprinted to Xena's table
and the warrior hugged her tightly. She planted a long wet kiss on
the woman's mouth. Callisto watched in fascination as the woman sat
comfortably on Xena's lap. The warrior's hands roamed playfully
underneath the woman's dress as she nuzzled her neck affectionately.
They were obviously very intimate friends, Callisto concluded.
Callisto bit her lip to hold back the rage that threatened to
consume her. For reasons she could hardly fathom, a wave of jealousy
washed over her as the lovely woman responded under Xena's touch.
Part of Callisto wanted to be Xena and explore the woman's luscious
curves but another part of her, a much stronger part, wanted to be
the woman on which Xena lavished all her attention. She cursed the
gods for the little war being waged inside her.
Distractedly, Callisto wondered what it would be like to be
seduced by the power that was Xena and her faced flushed at the
possibility. She had no idea what it would be like to give herself
completely to another woman but she imagined Xena was a woman who
threw herself headlong into these passions. She envisioned herself
sitting in Xena's lap and then having the warrior succumb to her
pleasures just before she slit her throat.
She thought about the mediocre experiences she'd had with
Theodorus. She had only joined herself with him twice. Once, just to
see what it was like and a second time to make sure she wasn't
mistaken about the first. Mostly, she had been bored. Sure, there had
been a bit of pain, but after the suffering she'd already endured at
the hands of Xena, it was weak by comparison. Theodorus never made
her loins tingle or her face flush the way the dark warrior was
making her feel in the noisy tavern. Someday, she vowed to herself,
she would get her satisfaction.
Xena quickly finished her meal and rose from the table, her old
acquaintance in tow. The woman led the warrior to the back room from
which she had initially emerged. Callisto's eyes followed the two
women. She composed herself and stood to leave.
"Let's go," she instructed Theodorus.
"Callisto! What are you going to do?!" he whispered hotly. He saw
the glint in her eye and didn't like it one bit. He knew that
Callisto could be extremely erratic and the wild streak in her
spurred her on many times. But he didn't want his childhood friend to
ruin their plans for Xena. They had been following the notorious
warrior for too long.
"Let's go, I said," she answered through gritted teeth and headed
for the door. But not before Theodorus saw the reddish tinges in her
face and knew Xena was the source of her agitation. He followed
meekly behind her.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For three days and three nights, Callisto and Theodorus waited for
Xena's army to leave Athens. They kept to themselves, easily
remaining anonymous and out of sight. Her soldiers were never the
wiser. When they left town, Callisto sauntered over to the Wicked
Wing to ask the brown-haired woman a few questions. She pressed some
dinars into the barkeep's hand and asked for her favors. The man eyed
her suspiciously, and then a smirk crept up the corners of his mouth.
He dropped the dinars on the counter.
"Aren't you a tad young to be asking about her, go home to your
mother, little girl," he chuckled, then turned his back on Callisto.
He'd made a big mistake.
Instantly, Callisto leaped across the counter and onto his back.
She jabbed her dagger at his throat and one arm cut off the air to
his lungs.
"Now. The last time someone told me I was too young to do
something was my mother," she paused for effect. "She's dead now, you
know." She let those words sink in on the now terrified barkeep. "Now
you go find your beautiful friend and tell her I want to see her."
Callisto pressed the tip of the blade harder into his throat and drew
a minuscule drop of blood to emphasize her point.
"I.I.I.I.I . . . will," he stammered. "SSSShe's in the bbback
rrrroom."
"Good. Now take these dinars to her. I wouldn't want her to think
I'm not a good paying customer." Callisto released the barkeep. He
rubbed his neck and to his horror, he saw the blood she had drawn on
his fingers. Quickly, he picked up the dinars from the counter and
raced to the back room. Moments later, he returned. He nodded at
Callisto.
"She'll see you now," he announced as he wiped his brow nervously
and eyed her warily.
"I knew she wouldn't think I was too young," Callisto snickered.
She strolled nonchalantly into the back room to meet the brown-eyed
beauty that had touched Xena.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"How can I be of service to you?" the brown-eyed woman asked. She
was seated on the bed; a low cut dress emphasized her well-endowed
chest. Her long curly hair fell loosely around her shoulders and
Callisto instantly wanted to get lost in her wild tresses.
Callisto's voice caught in her throat as she drank in the radiant
beauty before her. To her surprise, she was trembling. She had always
prided herself on having nerves of steel but her anticipation for the
past three days overwhelmed her. This was the woman who had touched
Xena. This was the woman who would provide her with still more
weapons and knowledge to defeat the Warrior Princess. It took
Callisto a few moments to regain her composure but she did so with
due haste and found her voice.
"I.I.I.I . . . never . . . you . . . so beautiful," she faltered,
stumbling over her words like the childish girl she was expected to
be. She bowed her head in feigned innocence pretending to be ashamed
of her desires.
"Come here, young lady," the woman beckoned and patted the space
on the bed next to her. "Don't be afraid. What's your name?"
"Neenah," Callisto meekly replied as she drew closer to the
enticing woman. She sat on the bed and nervously fidgeted with her
fingers. She pretended to be reluctant to make eye contact.
"My name's Isiphae," she said as she encircled one arm around
Callisto's shoulders. "My friends call me Isi. Now tell me why you're
here."
Callisto giggled and her words faltered again, "I . . . you know,"
she smiled shyly.
"Don't you know any girls your own age that you could . . . " she
left the question unfinished as she remembered the barkeep's wild
story of how desperate this young girl was to see her. "No, no of
course not," she added quickly. "Why else would you be here?"
"Yes, please teach me," Callisto pleaded innocently. She turned
her body towards Isiphae and buried her face into the woman's wavy
locks and breathed in the scent of her beauty. She wrapped her arm
around the woman's waist and moaned deep in her throat. Xena was
here, she sighed with glee, Xena smelled this scent, Xena licked this
velvety skin, Xena aroused this woman's passions. Although she'd had
never made love to a woman before, she instinctively knew what to do.
It had helped her immensely when she had vividly imagined it for the
past three days as she anxiously awaited Xena's departure to fulfil
her dreams.
Callisto searched for Isiphae's mouth anxious to taste the mouth
that had only very recently tasted Xena. The woman held her back.
"Wait, no need to rush," she said as she pushed Callisto away from
her. "Here, why don't you take these clothes off." She began to
undress Callisto as the blonde girl watched her intently. She
breathed in the power she felt at knowing her plan was working to
perfection.
Shortly thereafter, the two women were naked on the bed, their
clothes a heap on the floor and their bodies intertwined in the
afterglow of heated passion.
"Neenah?"
"Hmm?" Callisto answered her mind deep in thought. She had
surprised even herself with the intensity of the climax she'd reached
by Isi's dexterous fingers. She had not expected to enjoy her little
task so much. She had expected their lovemaking to be a little more
exciting than her encounters with Theodorus but not by much. After
all, her visit to Isiphae was only a small part in her overall
mission. Up until now, she had always thought that love was a trick
nature played to get people to reproduce. She didn't realize that
there could be more than a little pleasure in the physical act
itself. She smiled deviously. Eventually, she promised herself, she
would find out what this simple pleasure would be like with Xena.
"Neenah?" Isiphae repeated.
"Yes?" Callisto was coaxed out of her reverie.
"When you . . . um . . . let go, did you know you called me Xena?"
Puzzled, Callisto said, "I did?"
"Yes, you did. Do you know Xena?"
"Which Xena?"
"The warrior, some people call her the Warrior Princess," Isi
confided.
"Oh, that Xena, actually I don't know her, do you?" Callisto
raised herself up on one elbow to watch Isiphae's reaction. She was
pleased that Isiphae had taken the bait so easily.
"Yes, she's a friend of mine," Isiphae answered. Is that right?
Callisto thought, I didn't think that evil woman had any friends.
"What's she like? I heard she's pretty scary," Callisto enthused
breathlessly.
"Well, all I know is she's a brave warrior and she's good to me,"
Isiphae answered, her face beamed at her recent memories with the
warrior. Isi's excitement did not go unnoticed by Callisto. However,
she decided it would be a good time to change the subject. If she
continued with her plan, there would be plenty of time later to get
all the information she needed out of the brown-haired woman,
including the curious scar above Isi's right breast. She was sure it
was a mark left by Xena.
"I'm sure she is, but let me be the one who's good to you this
time." She kissed Isiphae on the lips and closed her full mouth over
the older woman's. "Teach me how to please you, Isiphae," she
murmured as she anticipated the taste of Isiphae's wet centre where
she was sure Xena's mouth had been very recently.
Chapter 4
Gabrielle awoke to the sound of birds chirping. She automatically
reached for Xena but the warrior was missing. She surmised Xena was
probably getting them breakfast and her stomach growled in
anticipation. She got up to wash her face at the basin and reminisced
about their previous night's lovemaking. Goddess, she had been brave.
She knew Xena was hardly the most patient person in the known world
and she was pleasantly surprised that the stoic warrior had let
Gabrielle have her way with her. She was amazed at how aroused Xena's
surrender had made her feel but in a way it was the best thing that
could have happened to them. It made her feel like the bond between
them was on more equal footing.
When Xena retreated into brooding silence after they encountered
the Horde, Gabrielle had initially been unable to penetrate the
fortress surrounding her heart. But when she finally did, they'd both
come out of the ordeal with a richer and fuller understanding of each
other's needs and last night was a testament to the deeper trust they
shared. It was all Gabrielle could do to keep her heart from bursting
with love. She sat and furiously began writing on a scroll.
A quiet knock on the door interrupted the bard's concentration.
The door opened slightly and Xena stepped in. She carried a tray of
food filled with fruit, cheese, bread, and two mugs of tea.
"I see you're finally awake, sleepy head," she smiled.
"Who could sleep?"
Xena laid the heavy tray on the small table, careful not to
flatten any of Gabrielle's scrolls underneath it. She waved her hand
in a grand gesture at the food on the tray.
"My Queen, are you ready to eat?" Xena questioned in mock
subservience. She curtsied deeply, bowing her head to the Amazon
Queen.
"Eat?" she nodded at the tray filled with breakfast goodies. "Oh .
. . you mean food?" she laughed. "Are we going to pick up where we
left off last night? Are you going to serve me?" She tilted back her
head and held her mouth open.
Xena raised an eyebrow at Gabrielle's question.
"Yeah right!" they both laughed in unison and delved into the
scrumptious food.
Between mouthfuls, Gabrielle asked, "So where are we off to now?"
"I don't know, no where in particular."
"I've got a great idea, Xena! There's a Summer Solstice Festival
in Aulis. It's Apollo's longest journey of the year. I heard they're
having a bard's contest. Can we go, huh? Please, please, please?"
Gabrielle pleaded exuberantly.
For a moment Xena was caught up in the bard's enthusiasm. Then she
groaned inwardly at the thought of another crowded festival. With
people, lots of people. By the gods, she wondered, surely there must
be somebody in dire straits that needed her to save them. Like, right
now, in some quiet little village somewhere, anywhere. Nevertheless,
she knew she couldn't deny Gabrielle her wish but it would come with
a price, she thought mischievously. A wide grin spread across her
face.
"Yesssss, Gabrielle, we can go to Aulis but first, I'd like to
have my way with you. Come here, my precious bard." She held out her
arms to gather Gabrielle into her loving embrace.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For an entire moon cycle, Callisto managed to enjoy the pleasures
of Isiphae's favors. She catered to the woman hand and foot and in
exchange for food and shelter, persuaded Isi to allow her to be her
personal maidservant. Not that Isi really needed one, but Callisto
convinced her that she could never do without and made Isi wonder how
she had managed her entire life without the blonde girl's attentions.
Callisto stayed out of Isi's way when she serviced her clients but
never strayed far from the older woman's side during her free waking
hours and comfortably filled the empty place beside her while she
slept. Indeed, she had persuaded Isi that all she wanted was a roof
over her head and slyly reminded her that the road could be a pretty
harsh place for a young girl.
Callisto quickly learned that Isiphae reveled in her role as
teacher and used that to wiggle herself into a spot in Isi's heart
right next to Xena. To Callisto's never-ending surprise, Isi
unleashed a wild fury inside her that needed only to be extinguished.
It became a delightful little by-product that Isi happily fulfilled.
However, the only thing that really mattered to Callisto was what
clues she could divine from Isiphae to peer into Xena's soul. And
being with Isi made her feel like she was somehow inside Xena's
encampment, somehow inside the inner workings of her mind, and
somehow inside Xena's wicked heart.
She queried Isiphae about the scar above her right breast. It was
a simple "X". Callisto was certain that Xena had made that scar and
not by accident. At first, Isi was evasive about its significance but
Callisto was persistent and before long Isi was dreamily reminiscing
about her days when she rode with the Warrior Princess. Callisto's
heart was once again gripped by the duality of her emotions. She felt
an intense hatred and jealously for Xena for having Isi as her lover
and as well as a fierce envy that Isi was at Xena's side as part of
her army. It took all of her self-control to reign in her emotions so
that Isi would not see her true intention. Her intention to wipe Xena
off the face of the earth.
Callisto left Isi soon after. She made some lame excuse that she
needed to visit her mother but truth be known, she knew Xena would be
back in Athens soon. Callisto did not want to encounter the warrior
face to face. That could wait for a later time, when Xena would not
know who she was or what she was up against. She informed Theodorus
that they would be leaving in the morning. He packed their skimpy
belongings and waited for her at first light.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So what do they call this contest again?" Xena asked. She rode
atop Argo while Gabrielle walked beside her. They had been walking
all day in the bright sun and would soon need to find a campsite.
Xena scanned the countryside looking for an appropriate setting.
"A round robin tournament," she answered.
"Robin? Like the bird?"
"Yes, like the bird. I don't know why they call it that, that's
just what it's called. Bards compete against each other and one by
one are eliminated, depending on how good or bad the story is. The
last bard standing is the winner," Gabrielle patiently explained.
"But what's a bird got to do with it?"
"I don't know. Nothing, I suppose, but it's been called that for a
long time." The bard was at a loss as to how to explain it further.
"But a bird? Why don't they call it a scroll tournament? Or a word
tournament? What's a bird got to do with it?"
"Xena, will you get off the bird, already," Gabrielle said,
exasperated. "It's a contest, a tournament, and the best bard in the
end, wins."
"Well, why don't they just call it a word tournament?"
"Because . . . " Gabrielle started to stamp her feet in
frustration when she realized Xena was toying with her. Sometimes it
was hard to tell when Xena was teasing or not, and even now she
wasn't sure how far back in the conversation the warrior had been
kidding. Gabrielle stopped dead in her tracks.
"Xena, you know what? I know just the perfect story to tell that
will win this contest for sure. It's about a warrior, high and mighty
on her horse who carried a big sword, a lethal chakram and a deadly
whip. She was known around the land as the Xena, the Warrior Princess
. . . "
"Gab--ri--elle . . . " Xena knew this story was headed in a bad
direction.
Gabrielle continued her tale. "Then, one day she met a tiny little
bard, so fragile and petite and helpless, who eventually learned how
to wield an expert staff, not to mention an expert lascivious
tongue."
"Gabrielle!" Xena leaped down from her horse as the fast-talking
bard sped up her words to race through to the end of the mock tale.
Xena marched toward her in feigned anger.
"And the next thing everybody knew, the high and mighty warrior
princess let this tiny little bard have her way with her and
miraculously, overnight, she became Xena, the Warrior Wuss!"
Gabrielle barked out the last word and hightailed it down the trail
at breakneck speed knowing full well that Xena would have no trouble
catching her. She was not disappointed.
Before Gabrielle had a chance to whirl around to see how far back
Xena was, the warrior swept the smaller woman off the ground and
swiftly had her draped over one shoulder. Gabrielle struggled to get
down and her fists pounded on Xena's back, but it didn't matter. The
warrior was much stronger and she'd taken worse poundings during any
number of fights in her life.
"Put me down, Xena!" Gabrielle shouted, only half seriously. She
loved it when Xena flexed her muscular arms and showed off her
impressive strength.
"Tell me again, Gabrielle, what story were you going to tell
everybody in the known world?" Xena asked calmly, a menacing tone
colored her words. Argo obediently trotted behind the two women as
Xena spotted a perfect place to camp in the green forestry.
"Nothing!" Gabrielle gasped, as she half-heartedly tried to kick
her feet to get down but Xena held fast with ease.
"Funny, I remember something about a mighty warrior, or was that a
wussy warrior and a tiny little bard. Hmm, tiny little bard with a
libid . . . what was that word again? . . . lecher . . . no . . .
lasciv . . . ah! that's right, lascivious tongue," she grinned. "Let
just see how lascivious it is, shall we?" she said as the warrior
strutted off into the woods with her bard flung across her shoulder.
A cloaked figure blended into the woods and soaked in the playful
scene between the warrior and her bard. May the gods help us all, she
groaned inwardly. Don't those two ever stop? she wondered. Go on,
Xena, she whispered into the wind. Have your little fun with the
little brat, but it won't be for long. Oh no, not for long, she
promised.
Chapter 5
Callisto and Theodorus had been walking for days. They had heard
tell that Xena's army was headed due north so they traveled in that
general direction not quite knowing what they would find. But the
life of following Xena had become quite an adventure and Callisto
cherished the fact that Xena had no idea she was being followed which
she knew would make her revenge that much sweeter. How to catch her
unaware was the biggest question. Xena had many guards not to mention
an entire army to protect her. Even so, Callisto knew her own amateur
skills were no match. After surviving nearly 19 winters, she knew she
was still a mere babe in the woods. She was improving every day with
her sword but that round metal weapon Xena carried was lethal and
held at least one advantage above all else. She knew of no other
warrior who possessed one let alone had expert skills with it.
Somehow, she knew, she would find someone, anyone who could teach
her.
"Callisto!" Theodorus shouted.
The blonde girl was snapped out of her reverie by the approach of
a large man on a horse. He strutted with the confident air of a man
who had found an easy prey. He dismissed Theodorus and lustfully eyed
Callisto.
"Hey, little girl, why don't you leave that boy and come travel
with a real man?"
A smirk crossed Callisto's face as she eyed the man on horseback.
She squinted into the mid-day sun. "Ha! Let's see, choices, choices,
choices. Hmm. You. A huge and ugly lecherous lout, or my friend here,
a boy just barely schooled in the ways and wiles of a woman," she
taunted as she imperceptibly readied herself to draw her sword.
Theodorus visibly flinched at Callisto's words. He knew they were
being used as a weapon to disarm the much bigger and more experienced
man but sometimes Callisto's razor sharp tongue was even too much for
him, and he had known her all his life. He was hurt by her
implication that he had no chance with her.
The large man's face reddened at Callisto's words even though he
had no doubt he could easily dispatch of the boy and have his way
with the young nubile girl. He had been on the road a long time and
he couldn't remember when was the last time he had pleasured himself
with such a succulent flower as this sweet thing. She had a foul
mouth and a clear lack of respect to be sure, but he knew that after
several rounds of pleasure seeking, he could fix that.
He dismounted from his horse abruptly and quickly knocked
Theodorus unconscious with the hilt of his sword before he knew what
hit him, then started after the blonde girl. Callisto glanced at her
fallen comrade and a feral grin lit up her face. She instantly
withdrew her sword and enjoyed the quiet assurance the familiar
handle gave her.
"So, I see you want to play rough," she grinned and waved her
sword menacingly in his direction. The two of them faced off against
each other in defensive combat. Callisto had no doubt she could take
the bigger man because she knew that she could use his weight against
him. She wasn't surprised by the clumsy dismount from his horse and
she'd be damned if she would let this idiot force himself on her.
"I'll make a deal with you," she offered. "There's really no need
to force me to do anything." She eyed him warily despite the
knowledge that she had his undivided attention.
"OK, what's the deal, little girl?" he asked, amused by her pluck.
"Simple, we fight. If I lose, you do what you want with me.
However," she paused, "if you lose, you make a hasty retreat out of
here unless you want to meet Hades before your time," she threatened.
The man then made a fatal mistake. He threw his head back and
roared with laughter.
"You're going to defeat me with that puny sword of yours?!" he
thundered. "You?!?!? A little girl?!?!?!" he roared.
Callisto was taken aback by his reaction, but any sliver of fear
she'd felt immediately vanished by the ridicule that reverberated in
her head. She did not see a scraggly and lone warrior before her, nor
did she hear his jeering laughter as his own. All she heard was Xena
laughing at her, Xena and her soldiers. Laughing and laughing and
laughing. There was only one thing Callisto could do and before the
man realized his error, Callisto had driven her sword deep into his
beating heart. No longer would Xena's soldier laugh at her ever
again.
The man dropped to his knees. He opened his mouth to speak, his
eyes wide with astonishment and anger, so aghast was he that such a
young girl would have the audacity to murder him in cold blood.
"Little . . . girl?" were the only words that managed to escape
his lips before Callisto twisted her sword with a vengeance. Even she
herself was stunned by the vehemence with which she'd struck him. It
was the first time she'd ever taken a human life and her face glowed
with the power that invigorated her. She had often wondered if she
would have the courage to actually kill the Warrior Princess and now
she knew for certain. She would.
"Tell Hades, it was Callisto who sent you, not Xena!" she spat at
the fallen man as she kicked his crumpled body for good measure. But
the man didn't hear her; he had already departed for the River Styx.
Behind her, Theodorus groggily got to his feet. He saw the
stricken man on the road.
"Callisto! Is he dead?" Theodorus asked in wonderment.
"Yes," Callisto answered calmly. "Let's go." She walked away in a
daze from the bloody scene on the road, not bothering to wait for
Theodorus to follow. In a way, she was glad that he lagged behind.
She had just crossed over the threshold from blood innocence to the
realm of the guilty and she knew it was a place from whence she would
never return. Despite her best efforts to control herself, her entire
body surged with a carnal lust and she knew that soon she would have
to make a private trip to the woods so that she could release the
hunger that promised to swallow her whole.
Chapter 6
"Tell me again how she escaped?" Hades bellowed as he sat in his
throne, not believing his ears. Hephaestus, master craftsman and God
of Fire, peeked around the imposing God of the Underworld and out the
window behind him. At the moment, the flames of Tartarus were a much
more pleasant distraction. He wanted to look anywhere except into the
furious eyes of his uncle.
"Ssshe . . . " Hephaestus stopped. He was ashamed that he had let
Callisto escape his domain. She had easily tricked him and he was
even angrier with himself than Hades. But Hades was more powerful
than he was and maybe his uncle would have pity on him and get
Callisto back. He was tired of being alone and considered a lesser
god because he was lame. True, his expert metal work earned him a
place on Mount Olympus but he was certain that having an immortal
beauty like Callisto at his side would enhance his image.
"Look, Hephaestus, I tried to warn you. She has an evil heart.
I've seen it with my own eyes. She was in Tartarus for a time, you
know, and that is where she should go back to----"
"NO!" Hephaestus bellowed. "The Fates brought her to my domain
when Xena sealed her in the lava. You can't make her go back to
Tartarus now, she's a goddess. She should be with me." He didn't tell
his uncle that when Callisto had been at his side, she informed him
in no uncertain terms that she would much rather spend an eternity
suffering the blazing heat of Tartarus than grant even one candlemark
to Hephaestus. But what Callisto wanted right now didn't matter,
eventually she would grow to love him. He was certain of it. He had
to be. If only his uncle would help him. Hades had helped him once
before, he could do it again.
Hades clamped down the rising fury inside him when he thought of
how Hephaestus could be so gullible when it came to women. Everyone
knew how his former love Aphrodite had played him for a fool.
However, Callisto was another matter, Hephaestus was no match for the
Goddess of Evil. Their original deal was that Hephaestus would make a
golden necklace to capture Callisto under his spell and become his
mate until the end of time. Before Hades liberated Callisto from the
lava, he placed the medallion around her neck, but somehow the blonde
woman managed to remove it and escape the lame God of Fire's domain.
Hades surmised she had used her quick-silvered tongue.
"She talked you into removing the necklace, didn't she?" Hades
queried. He demanded to know the truth before he proceeded.
Hephaestus only bowed his head and nodded, disconsolate that yet
another woman had deceived him.
Hades contemplated his decision. He was skeptical that his naive
nephew really knew what was good for him. Hades was certain his new
request would only bring him heartache. The God of the Underworld
heaved a deep sigh. He even felt pity for the lame smith-god who had
forged many wondrous tools and weapons for the gods on Mount Olympus.
Surely, that in and of itself was worth something.
"Okay, for now I will allow her to remain among mortals, even
though she should be burning in the fires of Tartarus."
"Hades, don't, please," Hephaestus begged.
"Don't worry, for now she will be free, but . . . "
"But, what?" Hephaestus queried and waited for the inevitable
favor his uncle would demand in return.
"Have you been following Callisto's actions since she escaped?"
Hades asked.
"Yes," he replied with resignation. "She's been following Xena
again."
"Yes she has, it's quite a remarkable obsession, actually.
Callisto is nothing if not tenacious." On some level, Hades even
marveled at the evil woman's single-minded determination. He supposed
that it was that same single-mindedness that allowed her to break the
necklace's spell.
"What about it?"
"She still carries the necklace with her and I have a feeling she
will try to capture Xena with it."
"Hades, what are you saying?" Hephaestus was taken aback by the
implication. "If the necklace is placed around Xena's neck . . . "
his voice trailed off and he broke out into a wide grin when he
thought of what a prize Xena would be at his side. Either way, he
couldn't lose.
"Exactly, Hephaestus. Xena would be unable to resist just like any
other mortal woman. On the other hand, if Xena gets it back around
Callisto's neck . . . " he paused, "either way, you will have your
wish." Hades didn't bother to mention to Hephaestus that if Xena
somehow managed to ensnare Callisto with the necklace, he had no
intention of letting the woman escape the Underworld again, goddess
or not. An excellent solution began to develop in the back of his
mind.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nestra awoke from a deep slumber in the hour before dawn. Apollo
had yet to peek over the horizon. She and her lover, Brissea, had
been riding horseback for three straight days in order to catch up
with Xena and Gabrielle, barely stopping to eat or relieve themselves
in the woods.
After their midnight chat with Callisto, the newly created Goddess
of Evil wouldn't let them rest. Somehow their former friend had
managed to first escape from the Underworld not once, not twice, but
three incomprehensible times. She had to be a real charmer with the
gods, Nestra mused. This time, she came back as an immortal goddess
after Xena confined her to the fiery lava. Miraculously, Callisto
managed to escape that destiny as well. She had returned with more
powers than anyone ever dreamed imaginable. She now enjoyed the
natural gifts of a goddess and like all goddesses, possessed the gift
of knowing a mortal's thoughts. Nestra didn't want to think about
that for very long. Sure, she knew Callisto had crossed over to well
beyond the threshold of insanity long ago, but what she didn't want
Callisto to know was that she was sure Xena would find a way, any way
to defeat her. And Nestra was certain she would prevail. The dark
warrior knew she would endure a painful death if Callisto knew she
was even thinking such a thought but she couldn't help herself. In
her mind, it was the unmistakable truth.
Nestra gazed unseeingly at the open sky as hues of purple and
blues began to color the vast landscape. It would be another hot day
but at least much of their time would be occupied with conspiring
against Xena and her little companion. She sighed inwardly, again
troubled by her part in the shadow dance Callisto had already begun
with Xena.
Despite the nagging doubts Nestra had about Callisto's triumph
over Xena, she didn't really feel like she had a choice. Many winters
ago, Callisto had actually been her friend, however, over the years,
her obsession with Xena had deteriorated into a vector from which
Callisto could not escape and Nestra had watched with a growing
realization that the blonde warrior would never be free.
When Nestra and Brissea first met Callisto, she intrigued them.
The blonde warrior told the horrific tale of how Xena had destroyed
her entire village and killed her mother and sister in the ensuing
fire. Callisto's hardship struck a deep chord within Nestra as she
had lost her own mother when she was just past her 13th winter. Even
though her mother had accidentally drowned in a river, Nestra always
blamed Artemis for allowing it to happen. Artemis, the protector of
the Amazons, was supposed to protect. She remembered how her
burgeoning hatred eventually turned into a bitter distrust for any
god and a disdain for the many rules and rituals assigned to the gods
by the Amazons. She couldn't have left the Nation soon enough at the
beginning of her 17th summer. She had been lucky that Brissea
followed her even though she had yet to survive her 16th winter. The
two of them had been inseparable ever since.
Several moon cycles passed before they met Callisto and her
budding legion. She remembered with a laugh how Nestra and Brissea
had naively admitted to the blonde warrior that they wanted to join
Xena's army. At the time it didn't seem as hilarious.
"THEY WANT TO JOIN UP WITH XENA!" Callisto had roared and doubled
over with laughter for several minutes as her men, about twenty of
them, joined her in loud guffaws. Nestra had been taken aback by
Callisto's apparent disrespect for the infamous warrior.
As an Amazon child, Nestra had looked forward to meeting the
legendary Warrior Princess for what seemed like her entire life. Xena
had been a brave heroine in the eyes of many Amazons, especially
during the war against the Centaurs. She was a bit of rebel, too,
Nestra noted. She had always wondered why Xena wasn't an Amazon. In
her mind, the legendary warrior had the heart and soul of a true
Amazon and yet she remained apart from them.
Then one day, her perspective on Xena changed radically and Nestra
would never forget the imprint Xena left on her that momentous day.
Shortly after Nestra and Brissea banded with Callisto, the blonde
warrior recruited Nestra for an intriguing stealth mission. They were
to observe Xena's camp at close range, nothing more. After what she
saw, however, Nestra never wanted to accompany Callisto on one of her
secret excursions ever again.
They silently hid amongst the trees that overlooked Xena's
encampment. Callisto had become an expert at stealing past the scouts
and found a discreet locale in the dense foliage to watch the
activity undetected. Callisto's intention was to gather information
on Xena - her strengths, her weaknesses, what Xena ate at each meal,
who her lovers were, when she visited the relief tent, and other
little details that would fulfil Callisto's promise to destroy the
Warrior Princess. At the time, Nestra was just beginning to discover
the full scope of Callisto's deadly fixation and frankly, it scared
her. But no matter, she would do what Callisto asked.
They had been waiting immobile in the trees for some time, the
only comfort was that they were in the shade and thus sheltered from
Apollo's beaming rays. Nestra's muscles began to ache and stiffen up
in their cramped position. Suddenly, there was movement in the camp
below. Xena strode purposefully out of a huge tent. A young woman ran
after her shouting, "Please, Xena, don't! It's not her fault!" The
woman was crying, her hair and clothes disheveled as if she had been
in a wrestling match and lost. Incongruously, Xena's appearance was
pristine. Her flowing black hair cascaded behind her as a breeze
gently lifted both her hair and cape away from her muscular frame. In
the bright sun, her black leather glowed darkly against her bronze
skin, the contrast making the leather seem richer and smoother. The
metal swirls of her breastplate reflected off the sun and Nestra's
eyes were magnetically drawn to the tiny silver chains that hung from
her wrists. The scabbard that protected her sword rested menacingly
at her side, its presence an obvious comfort to its owner. She
nonchalantly tinkered with a leather greave on her forearm as she
confidently sauntered to the middle of the campgrounds. She did not
bother to acknowledge the woman's frantic pleas.
Nestra was stunned. Her heart raced inside her chest and a light
sweat covered her body. She struggled to control her breathing as the
Warrior Princess exuded a majestic power that entranced her beyond
anything she had ever dreamed. The calm control of Xena's body belied
the murderous rage that shone in her icy blue eyes. They held no
emotion save a blazing fury. It was her eyes that made Nestra
involuntarily shudder. Inwardly, she laughed at herself for having
the naive and preposterous notion that she could have simply walked
up to Xena and volunteered to join her army. In that moment, she was
certain that if she had been any closer to the raven-haired beauty,
she would have simply dropped dead from the power of her gaze. If
looks could kill . . . she thought crazily. Mesmerized by the vision
before her, she completely forgot about Callisto and their secret
objective and focused her entire being on the irresistible Warrior
Princess.
Xena stopped. "Cretus!" she shouted. A man came running out of a
tent and Nestra simply assumed it was her first in command.
"What is it?" he questioned.
"Where is she?" Xena asked flatly. She stood with her hands on her
hips, her voice void of all emotion. The woman from the tent had
followed her every step of the way but she no longer pleaded with
Xena. Loud sobs wracked her body.
Cretus began to open his mouth to speak, then stopped. He nodded
an acknowledgement to Xena then jerked his head to another soldier
galvanizing a pair of soldiers into action. They ran to get the woman
in question. Cretus stood silently at Xena's side.
Shortly thereafter, a woman was brought before Xena. She
hopelessly struggled against the soldiers that held her arms as they
forcefully pushed her in Xena's direction. The fear in her wide eyes
was absolute and spoke of a foreboding certain death. Her face was as
white as a puffy cloud in the high blue sky. No breath entered her
lungs, as she seemed frozen in place by Xena's cold piercing eyes. At
the sight of the struggling prisoner, the woman beside Xena began
shouting and pleading again. Xena didn't flinch and indifferently
ignored her.
"Xena! Please! Don't kill her! It was my fault! Please! My fault!
My fault!" she babbled. Without concern for her own life, she grabbed
hold of Xena's forearm with both hands and tried to hinder the
warrior from getting to the restrained woman. This time, Xena stopped
and turned. Her eyes met the overwrought woman's as they lidded over
in a searing hatred. The woman jerked her hands away and stumbled
backwards as if struck by an unseen force. Helplessly, she continued
to cry in silence.
Xena slowly turned to the captive woman.
"Just tell me the truth, Maedea. Did you lay down with my Cela?"
Maedea began to open her mouth and speak but no words came out.
Her silence answered Xena's question more than words ever could. Her
vocal chords were sealed mute by the overwhelming knowledge that she
would soon be a passenger on Charon's boat. Xena confirmed her fear.
In the blink of an eye, Xena deftly reached for her sword and in
one swift motion plunged her sword to the hilt through Maedea's
heart. After a meaningful grunt, she extracted the dripping blade and
pivoted around to face her lover. Before the woman had a chance to
register Xena's sudden movement, the warrior swung her blade in a
backward arc and sliced a clean gash across Cela's abdomen.
Instinctively, Cela's hand reached up in a futile attempt to hold on
to her intestines but not before Xena had swiped her abdomen a second
time in the opposite direction. Cela collapsed lifelessly to the
ground, her hand uselessly clutched at her mutilated stomach. Xena
took in a deep breath and stomped back toward her tent as her bloody
sword led the way.
"Get rid of them!" she yelled over her shoulder.
Nestra cried out. Instantly, Callisto clamped her hand over her
mouth but it was too late. Xena and her soldiers heard her and looked
up in their direction. Quickly the camp was spurred into action to
capture the intruders.
Callisto shouted at her to run and Nestra ran blindly through the
trees as she followed Callisto's lead. Amazingly, she was glad to be
able to run after witnessing the horrifying murders. She was certain
that if she had stayed hidden in the trees a moment longer she would
have vomited or fainted to the ground below. Running felt good.
Running away from Xena. Running away from certain death. Running away
from the Warrior Princess. Gratefully, she saw their horses where
they left them as she and Callisto escaped the clutches of Xena's
army by what must have been a mere stroke of good fortune.
Callisto and Nestra arrived safely back in camp. When the horses
stopped, Nestra rolled off her mare and tumbled to the ground.
Brissea raced over to help her as Callisto dismounted.
"What happened?" Brissea asked worriedly. She didn't like the pale
complexion on Nestra's face. As if on cue, Nestra vomited without
warning. Brissea held her and looked over at Callisto questioningly
for an answer.
"What happened, damn you?!" Brissea demanded, an edge of fear
crept into her voice.
Callisto laughed. "Xena, the Warrior Princess happened! Your role
model. The 'true' Amazon. The one you two wanted to join up with.
Well, I suspect after what happened today, you won't be volunteering
anytime soon."
"Why . . . why . . . did you take me there?" Nestra spat the words
out as she struggled to catch her breath. "You knew that would
happen, didn't you!" she accused.
"Why I had no idea!" Callisto giggled. "That was just a fortunate
coincidence. She showed her true colors, though, didn't she? Red.
Like blood. Her lover had no idea Xena would kill her too!" She threw
her head back and howled with laughter. She noticed Brissea and
Nestra did not join her. She furrowed her brow and frowned.
"I guess it's true what they say. Amazons really don't have a
sense of humor, do they?" She sighed.
Nestra was shaken out of her reverie when Brissea opened her eyes
and squinted at the sunlight. She looked around the campsite and
immediately remembered where they were.
"Is it time to go yet, Nestra?" she asked.
"Yes it is, sweetie," Nestra answered and gave Brissea an open
kiss on the lips. When the kiss ended, Brissea made no attempt to get
up from their bedroll. Nestra remained in place as well.
"Nestra, are you as worried as I am?" Brissea frowned. In all
their adventures on the road, she had never had such a bad feeling
about something. Callisto being a goddess was beyond her mortal
comprehension.
"Yes I am, but all we can do is let this thing play itself out. We
do what Callisto says and she takes care of Xena. All we can hope for
is that it stays between them. We lead Xena to the bait and that's
it. I really don't think Callisto will trouble us after that. And
besides, we were good friends not too long ago, before Xena killed
her and, you know, all this happened."
"I know. Nestra, but when I think about it, it's very scary. I
mean Callisto has all this godly power and she wastes it on Xena."
Brissea shook her head sadly. "I just don't understand it."
Nestra squeezed her lover more tightly and kissed the top of her
forehead. "Don't worry, this will soon be over, one way or another,"
she assured her. She sighed.
"We better get going, we want to catch up to them by mid-day."
"Wait, Nestra." Brissea stopped her from rising to her feet.
"Let's make love before we go," she urged, "in case . . . you know."
Brissea didn't finish her sentence as Nestra descended upon her lover
with a fervor and desperation neither one had ever experienced.
Chapter 7
Xena stretched her long legs and arms upon awaking at first light.
She and Gabrielle were both naked and Xena was content to just lie
there all day with Gabrielle's soft curves molded into her own.
However, she knew that if they wanted to reach the festival on time,
they'd have to get going fairly early. She squeezed Gabrielle one
last time before she stood up and went to fetch some wood for their
morning fire. They would need to break the night's fast before they
began their journey.
When Xena returned from the woods, she ignited a small fire and
lovingly stared at the sleeping bard. Her heart swelled with an
almost painful joy. She couldn't remember a time in her troubled life
when she had been so content and ease with herself. There was
something about this gentle woman that brought out the best in Xena.
It was a part of her she didn't even know existed until the vibrant
young woman entered her life. No one would have believed that she was
the same woman who had struck fear in the hearts of so many as the
Warrior Princess and Destroyer of Nations just three short summers
ago. She knew Gabrielle lead her away from that path time and time
again and Xena had no idea why the Fates were gracious enough to
cross her dark soul with Gabrielle's bright one. All Xena knew was
that there was nothing she wouldn't give to follow Gabrielle wherever
she led for the rest of her life.
Gabrielle stirred briefly in her sleep, pushing aside the blanket
they'd shared when her smooth thigh escaped its hiding place. Xena
grinned mischievously and licked her lips. She had an idea of how she
would wake the bard up.
She hovered over the sleeping woman and whispered, "Gabrielle."
She ran a strong hand along the younger woman's well-muscled thigh,
massaging the taut skin until she found the sparse hair between
Gabrielle's legs. The bard didn't stir one bit. Xena wondered how far
she could go before Gabrielle awakened and she bent down to taste the
fine hairs in between the bard's most private part. Xena's tongue
made languid circles in Gabrielle's reddish triangle purposely
avoiding the nether lips that she knew were already beginning to
swell with arousal. Gabrielle moaned softly in her sleep and this
tiny acknowledgement, albeit unconscious, spurred Xena to continue
her oral assault voraciously.
"Xena . . ." Gabrielle moaned.
Xena wasn't quite sure if Gabrielle was fully awake, but no
matter, she wasn't going to deny herself the taste of the young
woman's sweet nectar. Her mouth eventually reached the bard's wet
centre and she lapped up her essence in sheer amazement. If Gabrielle
was this aroused in her sleep--Xena didn't finish her thought when
the bard's hand entwined her fingers into the warrior's dark hair.
Gabrielle pulled her closer and urged her on in a quiet desperation.
Xena moaned deep in her throat when she knew that Gabrielle was fully
conscious. The bard's hips began to move to Xena steady's rhythm. The
warrior buried her tongue inside Gabrielle and relished the golden
honey that flooded the hot opening.
"Oh Xena!" Gabrielle panted, her body contorted to the expert
ministrations of Xena's tongue.
Xena groaned loudly. She never tired of the wondrous pleasure that
indulging Gabrielle gave her. Working feverishly, Xena's tongue
traveled deftly to the tiny bud in dire need of attention. She
smothered it with her mouth as Gabrielle's hips rose off the ground
to meet her.
"Oh Xena!" Gabrielle exclaimed again. "Let me . . . . . . .ah!"
Words escaped her as Xena drove two strong fingers inside with
frenzied abandon. Her digits matched the beat set by her skilful
tongue. She brought Gabrielle to the brink and then let her topple
over the edge in a delightful cascade of undeniable ecstasy.
From her perch on a nearby tree, a blonde warrior observed the two
lovers with godlike discretion. She silently mimicked the sounds and
utterances that escaped the bard's lips. "Oh Xena!" she mouthed in
feigned ecstasy. "Oh Xena!" Oh, give me a break! You little brat,
Callisto spat out disdainfully. Despite her wish to deny it, she was
equally torn between wanting to be Xena's lover and wanting to plunge
her massive sword into her heart. But first things first, she
thought. Once again she toyed with Hephaestus' necklace as her face
broke out into a feral smile. Dear sweet Xena would suffer
exquisitely, she vowed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Xena? Do you think you could wake me up like this every morning?"
Gabrielle asked hopefully.
Xena grunted and smiled in spite of herself.
"Your wish is my command, my little Amazon Queen, but I don't
think we'd ever go anywhere if I did."
"Yeah, you're right," Gabrielle laughed.
"Come on, we better get going," Xena urged. Actually, she didn't
want to move from the hollow of Gabrielle's neck but they had already
wasted precious candlemarks indulging themselves in the open forest.
Xena knew that if they wanted to reach Aulis by the Summer Solstice,
they would have to pick up their pace. On the other hand, Xena mused,
if they dallied here, Gabrielle would be forced to ride Argo behind
her for the entire ride. At any rate, they had to get moving. With
great reluctance, the warrior planted a final kiss on Gabrielle's
lips. She rose to get dressed and began to gather up their
belongings. They quickly finished and began their journey in the
direction of Aulis riding one behind the other atop Argo.
Less than a candlemark later, Xena spotted two warrior women on
horseback that looked vaguely familiar. She brought Argo to a halt
and quickly dismounted. Gabrielle followed her lead.
"Gabrielle, get behind me," she warned. The warrior's hand
immediately fingered her chakram and she prepared herself to withdraw
her sword. As the women drew closer, Xena recognized the strong dark
woman with the long braids and her companion, not much smaller but
with pale skin and shoulder-length, light-brown hair. They were the
warriors she had nearly killed back in the cave near Athens.
"Xena, aren't they the women from Athens?" Gabrielle whispered
anxiously behind her.
"Yes . . . just stay close. I don't like this."
The women stopped their horses a fair distance between Xena and
themselves, not quite sure if the warrior would hear them out.
"Xena, we have a message for you," Nestra began as she got
straight to the point. "It's from Callisto!" she shouted.
Gabrielle quickly shot a glance at Xena. Both she and Xena knew
that Callisto had been trapped in the lava pit alongside Velasca. How
could anyone escape that? she wondered.
"Is that right?" Xena asked as she withdrew her sword from its
scabbard. She wanted to hear more but she did not trust these two
women even for the slightest of moments.
"Xena, we mean you no harm, we are willing to throw down our
weapons as a show of good faith." Nestra nervously waited for an
answer. The Warrior Princess was the best warrior in the land and
could have already taken both of them out within a blink of an eye.
But she had no choice except to believe that Xena's little companion
would somehow exerted a calming influence on the volatile warrior.
"All right then, throw down your swords. Slowly," she added. With
obvious relief, they both complied. "Now dismount and ease away from
your horses," Xena ordered. "Careful, now. Any sudden movements and
you're both dead," she cautioned. Both women dismounted as
instructed.
As soon as the horses were well away from the warriors, Xena
propelled herself into an acrobatic flip and landed in front of
Nestra and in one swift motion rammed her against the nearest tree.
Her eyes blazed in undisguised fury as she pressed her forearm hard
against Nestra's windpipe. Gabrielle had her staff trained on Brissea
to allow Xena's interrogation.
"Now you know and I know that Callisto's dead! So what's your
little game? Do you want me to finish the job I started back in the
cave?"
"No! I'm not lying! I swear it!" Nestra shouted, suddenly
panicking that Xena would really kill them after all. "Ssshe's really
alive! We saw her!" Thinking quickly, Nestra remembered added proof.
"She said you were going to Aulis! For the Solstice!" Xena shot a
glance at the bard and knew full well that only she and Gabrielle
knew of such a thing.
"Let's say I do believe you, and Callisto is alive, what does that
evil bitch want?" Xena pushed her forearm harder into Nestra's throat
for emphasis. Nestra coughed and gasped through her rapidly closing
windpipe. Well, if that isn't the frying pan calling the kettle
black, Nestra thought with contempt. After seeing the colorful lives
of both women, neither of them had a right to speak of evil.
Nonetheless, she kept her perceptive thoughts to herself.
"She's got Isiphae!" she choked.
Gabrielle gasped audibly. This encounter was quickly deteriorating
from bad to worse. A surge of jealous envy passed through her even
though she knew the indisputable truth that Xena was hers and hers
alone.
"Where?!" Xena barked.
"Back . . .in . . . Athens," she sputtered. "Xena, let me talk,"
she pleaded. Xena relented. With her skills, she knew these two women
could be easily dispatched of, warriors or not. However, before she
released the ebony warrior, Xena groped behind her leather garb and
withdrew the woman's concealed dagger. She aimed the blade menacingly
close to her throat.
"So start talking," she said.
Nestra took a few moments to breathe. "Callisto's holding Isiphae
for ransom until you come to Athens. She says you two have some
unfinished business." Gabrielle snorted at that comment.
"How did she come back?" Xena didn't want to tell Nestra the full
circumstances of Callisto's demise. She wanted to make sure that her
tale had a ring of truth to it.
"I don't know, she only said the gods were kind to her." Nestra
was clearly lying, but Xena saw no need to pursue this further. The
fact that the gods brought Callisto back was all she needed to know.
She may indeed be an immortal goddess.
"So are you saying she's a goddess now?" Xena queried, still not
quite believing this fantastic tale, although many people were still
in awe of the fact that she herself had come back from the
Underworld.
"Yes! She's definitely a goddess but she walks among us. I don't
think they'd ever allow her a place on Mount Olympus." Despite the
seriousness of the situation, Xena gave Nestra a half-crooked smile.
She was absolutely right about that.
"Where is she in Athens? At the Wicked Wing?" Gabrielle's
shoulders noticeably flinched at the name of the place where she'd
sought out Xena the last time they were in Athens.
"No, she said we should accompany you into the City and when we
get there, she'll give us further instructions." Nestra hoped this
would be enough to convince Xena to go.
"All right, we're going. Start walking." Xena pushed her forward
onto the road. She decided the two warriors would be easier to keep
an eye on if they were on foot. Gabrielle and Brissea followed suit.
"What about our horses?" Nestra questioned. "We just can't leave
them here."
"You'll stable them in the next village. I'm sure Callisto won't
mind. If she's a goddess, like you say, she has all the time in the
world." Xena handed Argo's reins to Gabrielle and took hold of the
other women's horses. They would leave all three at the next village.
Nestra nodded agreeably and moved down the road. All the while she
kept in mind that the most important thing for her and Brissea right
now was to stay alive. Their horses were a small price to pay in
exchange. She hoped that Xena hadn't detected her small lie, but the
warrior hadn't seemed to notice. Later, if Xena resorted to using her
pinching fingers on her, Nestra had a back up plan all ready as a
confession for "the truth". Callisto had at least taught her that
much.
Again she wondered how she and Brissea had been ensnared by the
deadly dance Xena and Callisto played with each other. She had no
idea what Callisto was up to but as far as she was concerned, she and
Brissea were there to deliver a message and fulfil a duty. Nothing
more. When that was done, she and her lover would depart as fast and
as far away from Xena and Callisto that Hermes' winged feet could
take them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just before darkness descended on the land, the four women
prepared a campsite. The horses had been left at a village along the
way as they continued their journey to Athens on foot. Xena took
Nestra with her to hunt for small game, as she did not want the two
warriors to be left alone with Gabrielle. Of the two women, she
decided Nestra was more dangerous. Gabrielle and Brissea remained
behind. They tended to the fire and arranged their respective
bedrolls.
For a long while, the campsite was filled with an awkward silence,
neither woman knew quite what to say. The last time they'd seen each
other, Brissea had been an unwilling participant in the kidnapping of
Gabrielle by her friend Leica. She avoided Gabrielle's eyes and
focused on her immediate tasks. Eventually both women were drawn to
the warmth and comfort of the fire. Brissea spoke first.
"So you're really the Queen of the Amazons?"
"How did-----," Gabrielle began but she knew it was no secret,
however, she declined to go into further details. "Yes I am," she
simply answered.
"We used to be with the Nation," Brissea stated wistfully. For the
life of her, she wished she could have been in any other situation
than the one she and Nestra were currently mired in.
"You were? What happened?" Gabrielle asked curiously. "Sorry, you
don't need to tell me if it's too painful," she quickly added when
she saw the look of despair on Brissea's face.
"No, it's not the Amazons," she said. "It's just this." She waved
her hand to mean their current predicament. "The Amazons were
actually good to me, I have no quarrel with them."
"So why did you leave?"
"Nestra," she answered. "When she left the Amazons, I had to
follow her. She didn't want me to go with her, she said I was too
young. But I knew what was in my heart; I had to go with her. She
needed someone at her side. She needed me." Brissea allowed a small
smile to escape her lips as she thought of her deep love for the
ebony warrior.
"You and she are . . .um, . . . an item?" Gabrielle asked. She did
not really want to pry but she was intrigued nonetheless.
"Yes, we are as one," Brissea confirmed.
Gabrielle grinned and nodded, "I know how that feels," she said,
clearly thinking of Xena.
"Gabrielle----," Brissea started then stopped.
"What? What is it?"
"Can I ask you a personal question?" Brissea asked apprehensively.
"Sure," Gabrielle nodded.
"How do you it?"
"Do what?"
"How do keep such control over Xena?"
"Control?" the bard asked, confused by the question. "I don't have
any control over Xena. She makes up her own mind and believe me, once
she does, not even I can't stop her,"
"You stopped her back in that cave," Brissea reminded her, and
still trembled at the memory of how close to death she had actually
been. Both her and Nestra were as certain as the rising sun that it
was the end.
"Look, I'm sorry about that, but Xena really wasn't herself that
day. She was just going through a bad time and sometimes she just
gets a little crazy when someone threatens to harm me. I'm sorry
about what happened to Leica. Really, I liked her. She just caught
Xena in a bad moment," Gabrielle said apologetically.
Brissea looked at her incredulously. "You really believe that?
That Xena was just going through a bad moment?"
"Yes, she's changed. Really. I know there have been some bad
stories about her, but that was a long time ago, she's trying to make
up for it now. You should see all the good she's done since then."
Gabrielle tried to sound convincing but inside she was desperately
trying to rationalize Xena's actions. Sometimes she just couldn't and
Leica had been one of those times.
Brissea just shook her head at Gabrielle's naiveté. No
wonder Xena liked this little slip of a girl. Xena had her
spellbound, and she swallowed it - hook, line and sinker.
"Did you and Nestra know Xena before?" Gabrielle asked even though
she was afraid of the answer. Clearly, this woman had at least known
about Xena in her warlord days.
"Well, not personally, but we've seen some things," she replied
vaguely. She did not really want to tell Gabrielle what Nestra had
seen Xena do to an unfaithful lover. It would serve no purpose to
hurt the girl maliciously. Brissea didn't elaborate further and the
bard didn't press her.
They sat and stared into the fire, each of them lost in thought,
when they heard Xena and Nestra return to the campsite.
Chapter 8
"What is it?!" Callisto barked without looking up. She and
Theodorus were going over maps in her tent. Priameus, her security
lieutenant, entered apologetically.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's a woman here that insists on
seeing you. She's been banned from the camp but the scouts say she
hovers on the perimeter all day long. She's been there for a quarter
moon now."
"Yes, yes, yes, now why are you telling me this, Priameus? You
know how to handle those kinds of things all by yourself, don't you?"
she asked sarcastically.
"I know, but she says she has a gift for you," he said and waited
for Callisto to let him go on.
"Let me know when you get to the point," Callisto snapped as she
intently examined a particularly fascinating area on the map. "Here,
this is an excellent locale," she said to Theodorus, pointing out a
spot on the parchment.
"Yeah, the river should cut them off nicely. There will be nowhere
to run," he smiled, pleased with himself that he was offering
Callisto useful information.
"She says it's a chakram," Priameus interrupted again. He watched
both Callisto and Theodorus look up at him for the first time, "and
that you would want to know."
"Bring her in," Callisto replied indifferently. She didn't want to
let on how excited she was at the prospect if what he said was true.
Priameus exited the tent briefly and returned with a curly
blonde-headed woman in tow. He half dragged her into the tent
ignoring her resistance to being pushed so forcefully. He had no idea
how this woman had gained an audience with Callisto despite his best
efforts to prevent it.
The woman smoothed out her loose dress and fussed with her long
curly locks in an attempt to look more presentable. She straightened
herself up and approached Callisto, who leaned back against the front
of her desk. The woman bowed her head and said, "Thank you for
granting me a few minutes of your time, my Warrior Queen."
Callisto grinned, mildly charmed and intrigued by the subservient
respect granted her. "You have something for me?"
"Yes, a chakram."
"Where is it?"
The woman reached behind her and withdrew the round metal object
from a sack. She handed it to Callisto. Callisto examined the
chakram, noticing the sharp metal edges and the weighty feel of
authenticity. She knew it was not Xena's as there was no pattern or
design on it, just a beautiful shiny smoothness that reflected back
the power she held in her hand. She saw the weapon as her final piece
in her mission to defeat Xena. Her heart swelled with the knowledge
that the demise of the Warrior Princess was about to begin.
Theodorus shifted nervously behind Callisto. He recognized the
woman, Leica, as one of his former lovers and in fact had been the
one to ban her from the encampment. The woman had pestered him
obsessively about Callisto, when finally he concluded that the erotic
gratification simply wasn't worth it. He already knew he had confided
too much about Callisto but Leica was skillfully adept at making him
talk much more than he'd ever wanted. He only hoped Callisto wouldn't
find out all that he'd said.
"How much do you want for it?" Callisto asked, as she knew that
everything came with a price.
"There's only one thing I want," Leica said quietly. "Let me help
you defeat the Warrior Princess. You've been searching for this
weapon for a long time and it should give you the ultimate means to
defeat her."
"And how would you know that?" Callisto asked. Only a few people
knew of her search for the elusive chakram. She was not one to
believe much in oracles, only blabbermouths. She noticed that the
woman glanced almost imperceptibly in Theodorus' direction. Callisto
turned to face him and he immediately looked away, unable to meet her
dark gaze.
"Still unable to control yourself during the heat of passion,
Theodorus?" she spat at him.
"Callisto, I.I.I.I . . . didn't . . ." he stopped, as he knew full
well there was no way out of his dilemma. Callisto always knew when
he was lying.
Breaking the tension in the air, the woman fell to her knees,
clutched Callisto's hand, and smothered it with gentle kisses.
"Please, Callisto, let me ride with you. I want to see Xena die as
much as you do." Callisto let the woman continue with her feeble
pleas, and actually enjoyed her humble overtures. Occasionally, she
indulged herself in a fanciful gift befitting a Warrior Queen. The
woman had guts if nothing else. She looked up at Callisto adoringly.
"I could be of great service to you," Leica offered.
"Is that right?" Callisto turned to Theodorus who, at the moment,
looked like he would rather be in any other tent in the known world.
"How good is she, Theodorus?" she sneered. "No, no, never mind, don't
answer that. I'm sure you were too busy blabbering to notice."
Theodorus' face reddened at Callisto's caustic words. If only things
were different, he thought, and he had the courage to tell Callisto
that her words hurt him more than a biting whip's lash ever could.
Instead he stood there stoically and waited for the verbal onslaught
to end.
"Leave us," Callisto ordered. Theodorus gratefully headed for the
exit.
"Theodorus!" Callisto snapped and waited for him to turn around.
"For now, you're still alive, but don't ever take that for granted."
She casually dismissed him from the tent and turned her attention to
the kneeling woman.
"Get up," Callisto commanded. The woman rose to her feet. She was
several inches taller than Callisto and that excited the blonde
warrior even more knowing that she held the taller woman's desires in
the palm of her hand.
"What's your name?" Callisto asked.
"Leica."
"Leica, tell me more, do you know how to use the chakram?" she
asked as she withdrew a dagger from her leathers. Leica visibly
shuddered not quite sure what Callisto was about to do with the
lethal weapon waved menacingly in front of her.
"Nnnno, bbbut I know a man that does, he could train you," Leica
stammered. In spite of her fear, there was something alluring, almost
ethereal, about Callisto's sensuous movements. Her heart pounded in
her chest and her throat constricted in anticipation.
"I see," Callisto said as she reached out and used the blade to
slide Leica's dress first over one shoulder and then the other. Leica
gasped at the cold metal against her increasingly warm skin. She had
been waiting for this day for many moons and never dreamed that
Callisto could be so exquisite. Of course, she would have to keep an
eye out for the blade but for the moment, Callisto appeared to be
content to play. Callisto's dagger inched the sleeves down to uncover
her breasts and Leica suppressed an urge once again to fall to her
knees.
"So when can this man be in camp?" Callisto questioned, her voice
low and seductive.
"Within a . . ." Leica took a sharp intake of breath as Callisto
brushed the cold metal tip against a nipple that instantly stood at
attention. Callisto grinned at the reaction she'd caused.
"When can he be here?" Callisto asked again as she turned her
attention to Leica's other nipple that ached to be caressed.
"In a day or two," Leica managed to utter. Her entire body was on
fire and raged with an intense need for Callisto's touch.
"Good," Callisto said as she pulled away her dagger and returned
it to its sheath. "Now you go and find him and bring him back here."
She rearranged Leica's dress so that her full breasts were covered up
once again. It took a moment for Leica to realize that Callisto was
dismissing her. She was at a loss for words, so bewildered was she by
Callisto's sudden actions. She was disappointed but swallowed hard to
control herself. She wanted so much to please Callisto despite the
monstrous lust that the blonde warrior provoked in her.
Callisto turned her back to Leica and began to study the parchment
once again.
"Don't come back without him, Leica. In the meantime, I'll hold on
to the chakram," she called over her shoulder.
"Yes, my Queen," is all Leica said before leaving the tent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nearly six lunar cycles passed before Callisto grew tired of
Leica's attentions. It had been a long time for her to be with one
lover but Callisto was more accustomed to answering to no one. As far
as she was concerned, Leica had served her purpose so she had
dispatched the woman to embark on a dangerous mission. Leica, so
eager to please Callisto, willingly agreed. Her mission was to
infiltrate Xena's army and curry the favors of her 2nd lieutenant,
Cretus. Callisto had been rather impressed by Leica's seduction of
Theodorus and knew that he was not one to easily blurt out secrets,
despite the vicious insults she'd hurled at him. He would not have
lasted at her side for long if he were.
Callisto was flattered by Leica's determined efforts to claim her
heart and on some level, she succeeded. But Callisto's heart was not
available to anyone save the Warrior Princess. It was time for Leica
to move on. Callisto was certain that the blonde woman would be the
perfect spy. All she needed to do was get all the information
necessary and report back to her. If she was discovered and killed in
the process, well, such was life. She'd simply get someone else to
replace her. There was nothing that could stop Callisto now.
For the past several moons, she had been practicing with her
newfound weapon, the chakram. It became her friend that always came
back to her. She was an eager student who practiced from sunrise to
sunset. In the beginning, she repeatedly cut her hands when catching
it but she ignored the pain and concentrated only on becoming an
expert with the round metal weapon. The time had come for Xena to
meet her Fate and Callisto would deliver her Fate.
"Callisto!" Theodorus shouted excitedly as he entered her tent.
"It's Leica! She's back!" Callisto was instantly on her feet.
"So soon?" Callisto asked incredulously. "Only a half moon's time
has passed! Where is she?!"
Moments later, Leica entered Callisto's tent, apparently
disheveled from a frantic ride on horseback.
"You're not going to believe what happened!" she exclaimed
breathlessly.
"What?!" Callisto snapped.
"Darphus took over Xena's army! He's dead now but she stopped him
from killing a baby then he talked the rest of her army into
overthrowing her and she ran the gauntlet and somehow sur------"
Leica chattered excitedly.
"Leica!" Callisto shouted. "Slow down! Are you telling me Xena
doesn't have an army anymore?!" she asked, highly skeptical that she
could be the benefactor of such good fortune. If it was true, she
knew she'd have to move fast before Xena had time to build a new
army.
Leica paused to collect herself. She inhaled several deep breaths
before answering.
"Yes! Darphus took over her army and made her run the gauntlet. I
guess he didn't think she would survive but she did. Then Hercules
killed him," she finished.
"Hercules, that do-gooding weakling?"
"Yes, Hercules, the son of Zeus, but here's the kicker," she
paused for effect even though she already had Callisto's rapt
attention. "Xena helped him," she announced dramatically.
"She helped Hercules? I thought she tried to kill him." Callisto
quickly summed up the bizarre turn of events in her mind and
evaluated their significance.
"She did, but when Darphus turned against her, she joined up with
Hercules to defeat him. But get this," Leica boasted, proud that she
was the messenger of such fantastically good news for her Warrior
Queen, "she says she wants to do good now." Leica joined Callisto in
a hearty laugh.
"Oh no, no, no, Xena," Callisto said to the phantom vision of Xena
in her mind. "You don't get off that easily. Oh no, no. All you've
done is make my little task a lot easier. Don't worry, you will pay
for your crimes just the same," she vowed. "Hercules, indeed," she
sneered and shook her head.
Turning to Leica, she asked, "Is Cretus in charge of her army
now?"
"No, he's dead too and the rest of them disbanded. The first
chance I got, I raced back here to tell you."
"Very good work, Leica," Callisto smiled and planted a
full-mouthed kiss on the woman's lips. She hugged her close and
murmured, "Now go freshen up. Come back when you're finished, you
know how I'd like you." She took full possession of Leica's mouth
with a frenzied hunger that surged through her loins. Oh yes, she
thought to herself, this will be a night for a grand celebration.
As soon as Leica left, Callisto clasped her hands together with
glee. Very soon, my sweet, she said to Xena. Very soon, we will meet
and your life will never be the same, she promised. She busied
herself with details of her plan to introduce herself to Xena, which
included finding out what was the best poison to incapacitate the
great Warrior Princess. And soon after that, she had a special little
job for Theodorus.
Chapter 9
Gabrielle browsed through the crowded market in Athens. She was
not really paying much attention to the shopkeepers and their wares
but she needed to get out of the tavern the four women had secluded
themselves in for the past four days. Nestra told them that Callisto
would give further instructions once they got to Athens, but Xena was
getting more and more impatient and her nerves were frayed beyond
reason. It was all Gabrielle could do to not conk her on the head to
settle her down. She decided to go for a walk and the busy
marketplace was a comfort to her. The market was more boisterous than
usual as people were preparing for the upcoming Summer Solstice. She
wistfully thought of how nice it would have been to be in Aulis
rather than back in Athens waiting for a message from a deluded
immortal goddess. Why the gods of Olympus allowed such aberrations
was well beyond the bard's mortal understanding.
Gabrielle scanned the merchants' wares, unconsciously keeping one
eye open for a Summer Solstice gift for Xena. It was only fair since
the warrior gave her the toy lamb for the Winter Solstice. Quite
unexpectantly, she spotted a beautiful golden necklace displayed on a
table and she was magnetically drawn to it. It would look gorgeous
around Xena's neck, she gushed. She picked up the fine craftwork and
examined its intricate details. Its weight was much lighter than it
appeared and the round gold medallion was embossed with swirling
flames that extended out from an open eye. The pupil of the eye was
filled with a glittering azure gemstone. Gabrielle succumbed to the
hypnotizing beauty of the magical necklace.
"You like it?" queried the merchant, who immediately recognized a
guaranteed sale if he ever saw one. The entranced look in the bard's
eyes told him he could practically charge anything he wanted.
"How much?" Gabrielle asked, not taking her eyes off the dazzling
jewelry piece.
"Just fifty dinars," the merchant casually stated.
Gabrielle snapped out of her trance and nearly shouted, "Fifty
dinars?!?!"
The vendor backed off. "Sorry, I was just seeing if you were
paying attention," he joked half-heartedly. "Forty dinars."
The bard smirked and narrowed her eyes, doing her best Xena
imitation, "Yeah, right. I'm sure you would have taken 50 dinars, no
problem. I'll give you twenty." Gabrielle was determined not to pay a
dinar over twenty-five. She fingered the jewelry again and enjoyed
the smooth and flawless metal that somehow soothed her inside. Once
again her eyes were drawn to the piece and she saw the flames shimmer
in the bright afternoon sun. She envisioned Xena's naked and sweating
body in the throes of passion while the radiant medallion dangled
from her neck.
"Thirty five and not a dinar less. You know, they say that piece
was made by the smith-god, Hephaestus, himself," the merchant boasted
as he tried to tack on added value to the admirable craftwork.
"Thirty five," Gabrielle said distractedly. She no longer cared
about the number of dinars it cost, she only knew she had to give
this necklace to Xena, her Warrior Princess.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xena was growing extremely agitated as she waited impatiently at
the inn. They had been in Athens for four long days and still no word
from Callisto, her long time nemesis. She had driven Gabrielle to
utter frustration and the bard escaped to the marketplace to get
away. Nestra and Brissea were upstairs in their room. Xena sipped on
a mug of port but she hardly tasted it.
The warrior openly ogled each patron as they passed by her table.
She intently examined their faces for quirky nuances that might
identify Callisto as an ordinary passer-by. When they first arrived
in Athens, she immediately went to the Wicked Wing, as it was the
most logical place to go despite Nestra's denials. However, Isiphae
was not there and had not been seen for several days. Xena was again
worried for her safety. There was no telling what lengths Callisto
would go to get her revenge. The warrior had no idea how she would be
able to harness Callisto's immortal power once she confronted her,
but she decided she would face that danger when it came.
Out of the corner of her eye, Xena caught a glimpse of a blonde
woman in a dark cloak scurry past the entrance of the inn. Xena
instantly leaped to her feet and raced out the door to follow. She
instinctively knew that it was Callisto and followed the cloaked
figure to the stables. She tiptoed to the door and peered into the
barn. Although she saw no sign of Callisto, her suspicions were
confirmed about the two warrior women. Nestra and Brissea were busily
readying their horses for departure.
"Going somewhere, ladies?" Xena strolled into the barn. Before the
two warriors could look up, Xena launched into a running start,
catapulted in to a high arc and landed behind them. She kicked a
swift blow to Brissea's stomach as the woman grunted in pain and
crashed into a pile of hay behind her. The horses whinnied nervously
from the sudden movements in the stable. Before Nestra had a chance
to respond, Xena's lightening quick fingers cracked a sharp pinch to
the nerves in her neck. The dark woman fell helplessly to her knees
and gasped for breath. The veins in her neck erupted into twin rope
chords as the flow of blood to her brain was instantly cut off. Xena
casually circled the fallen woman in triumph.
"Now, you have 30 seconds to tell me where Callisto is," she said
with a feral smile that did not reach her eyes. "Oh, and where's
Isiphae?!" she demanded through gritted teeth.
Nestra's light brown eyes were wide with terror. The vice at her
throat made it impossible to breathe. She began to see darting spots
before her eyes and she feared she would not be able to answer Xena's
questions in the span of 30 seconds.
"Isiphae . . . trick!" she gasped as a trickle of blood began to
seep from her nose.
"Let me see if I can translate your answer. Isiphae wasn't
kidnapped, that was a trick by Callisto to get me to come to Athens."
Nestra nodded vigorously. It was too painful to talk even though
she knew her life depended on it.
"So where's Callisto? I saw her come in here," Xena asked with a
calm that belied an unrelenting fury that would soon explode to the
surface.
"Don't . . . know . . . said . . . you . . . would know!" Nestra's
vision started to blur and the panic in her voice was unmistakable.
"Another translation. You don't know but she said I would know
when she got here?"
Nestra nodded desperately and pleaded with Xena through her eyes
to be released.
Xena finally relented. She didn't want to kill her, as she knew
that Callisto had used these poor women as pawns in her deadly game.
Nestra dropped her head to the ground and rolled over to suck in much
needed oxygen. She coughed repeatedly and when she finally gathered
some semblance of control, Xena yanked her up by her leathers and
pushed her against a wooden beam. Her eyes were dark with rage.
"Listen to me, and listen good. You are going to tell me
everything you know. I don't really want to kill you but I will if I
have to. Are we clear?" Xena thumped her hard against her chest with
her forearm for emphasis.
"I don't know anything else!" Nestra cried, her thoughts
immediately zeroing in on the small lie she had told Xena earlier
about who brought Callisto back from the Underworld.
"Which god, Nestra?" Xena heard Brissea rise to her feet behind
her and snapped her head in her direction. Her eyes shot her a
warning glance that promised another painful kick if she chose to
interfere. Brissea stopped in her tracks, worried but grateful that
her lover was very much still alive.
Nestra was not surprised by Xena's apparent mind reading ability,
a testament to the many skills the warrior was known to possess.
Xena's cruel interrogations were legendary and Nestra had always
thought that she would be a brave enough warrior to survive one and
stick to her deceptive story. But after experiencing it firsthand,
there was no way she would want to test her courage like that again.
She saw Brissea's concerned grimace over Xena's shoulder and she
thought of life with her lover versus Hades and Death. Suddenly, it
was clear, there was only the truth. She licked drops of blood from
her lips that had trickled from her nose and began talking.
"She said it was Hephaestus-----
"Lame Hephaestus? The God of Fire?"
"Yes, he's the smith-god too. She said he released her from the
lava. Then she escaped his domain. She didn't tell us how."
Xena gradually released her hold on Nestra as she saw the final
truth in the woman's eyes. Hephaestus? Xena wondered, what does he
want?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gabrielle approached the barn, oblivious to the tense encounter
between Xena and the two women. When she returned from the
marketplace, she discovered that Xena was gone. She left the prized
necklace in their room so that she could surprise Xena when this
whole ordeal was over. She was pleased with herself that she had
found such a wondrous gift for her beloved warrior. As soon as
Callisto was safely back in the Underworld, she vowed, she would
shower Xena with gifts more often. Sometimes she worried that she
took Xena too much for granted, especially in times like these when
she was in imminent danger.
The barkeep at the tavern told her that Xena had hurriedly left in
the direction of the stables. Gabrielle surmised that it must have
something to do with Callisto. She quietly approached the barn. She
hoped to catch them unaware and would assist Xena if need be.
Instead, she overheard Xena speaking with Nestra and Brissea. The
tension was palatable.
"Why are you two doing this?" Xena asked, apparently annoyed at
the two warrior women.
Brissea spoke up. "Believe it or not, Xena, Callisto was our
friend!" she spat out irately. She was still shaking and angry from
the harsh treatment Xena had given Nestra.
"She has to be stopped," Xena replied evenly. She still shuddered
at the idea of Callisto running around loose as an immortal goddess.
"Look, Xena," Nestra interrupted. She didn't want to set the
warrior off again. "We have no qualm with you. We know you and
Callisto have it out for each other. We just want to get out of your
way. We're done here. Whatever is going on between you and Callisto,
that's your business."
"It's not just my business!" Xena exclaimed, the anger again
rising in her voice. "Doesn't it bother you that she's out there
loose somewhere? This Goddess of . . . of . . . Evil!"
"Like you have room to talk," Nestra replied bitterly. "When you
get tired of that little girl, are you going to kill her too?" The
brown warrior knew she shouldn't be provoking Xena this way, but she
couldn't help herself. She was sick of Xena preaching to them about
what was right and wrong from her hypocritical high horse.
Xena closed in on the warrior and narrowed her eyes, "What are you
saying?" her voice low and ominous.
"Remember Cela and Maedea? I saw how you murdered your lover in
cold blood," Nestra stood tall in her warrior garb and arched her
broad shoulders. She foolishly refused to back down from the
confrontation with Xena that was quickly careening out of control.
Xena darted her eyes back and forth as she scanned for the
familiar names in the recesses of her past. She settled on a bright
sunny day when her own sword took the life of her unfaithful lover
and her deceitful paramour. A stab of pain ripped through her stomach
as she steeled herself against the memory. Her lover, Cela, had held
a special place in her heart and she bared Xena's mark. When Xena
found out about her secret affair, she immediately confronted the
other woman. She became possessed by a murderous and jealous rage and
quickly lost control of her senses. She clearly remembered her
intention to kill Maedea but then her vision went black and the
events that followed were hazy and blurred. Her sword seemingly
became a life unto itself and in the blink of an eye, both women were
dead by Xena's own hand. Sometimes it was hard for her to fathom that
she was the same person that had once traveled down that dark and
treacherous road.
"Yes, I remember," Xena said sadly as her shoulders visibly
sagged. "I killed them both," she admitted remorsefully. "But how did
you-----"
"I was in the trees. You chased after us, remember?"
Xena simply nodded.
Nestra almost felt sorry for the warrior whose eyes had glazed
over in sorrowful regret. The last thing she expected to see on the
infamous warrior's face was sincere remorse.
Gabrielle could no longer listen. She shut out the words that
swirled around her like angry stinging bees. She backed away from the
stable and briskly walked in the direction of the marketplace. She
didn't hear or see anyone in the crowded streets. Tears blurred her
eyes as Xena's blatant confession to the murder her lover echoed
through her brain. She didn't know how she would ever reconcile this
part of Xena's horrific past with her own forgiving soul.
Nestra turned to retrieve the horses that were packed with their
meager belongings. "Look Xena, I just think that so-called 'evil' is
in the eye of the beholder," she said quietly. "We just want to get
out of here, okay? We can't help you." Solemnly, Brissea and Nestra
led their horses out of the barn.
Xena followed forlornly, not really seeing the warrior women as
they walked away. She only thought of how she would never be able to
conquer the monstrous demon she once was. It still remained very much
a part of her dark soul.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Goddess of Evil watched the entire scene from a shadowy corner
in the loft. Oh Xena, you're so pathetic, she jeered at the
retreating warrior. Do you really think that being sorry for what you
did will ever change things? Never, my sweet. Never! I told you that
you would know I am here when the time comes, but I have news for
you, Xena, by the time you find out, it will be too late.
Callisto giggled as she vanished from the stables, anticipating
her godly appearance before the great Warrior Princess.
Chapter 10
Callisto sat in the growing darkness of the small room above the
tavern. She lovingly caressed the golden necklace as she awaited
Xena's arrival from the stables. The little brat had easily succumbed
to the bewitching allure of Hephaestus' handiwork and was gracious
enough to buy the cherished item for her beloved Warrior Princess.
This was all too easy, Callisto rejoiced gleefully. She supposed she
could have used her godly powers in a more forceful or open manner
but having Xena's precious little bard strike the killing blow to her
soul was an opportunity too good to pass up. Her entire body tingled
with anticipation for the moment when Xena saw her past and future
collide into a whirlwind of fire that would take her down to the
Underworld and Hephaestus' domain. So far, everything was working out
perfectly. She could hardly believe that her final retribution
against Xena was at hand. The many long years of fierce determination
had paid off in this single delightful moment of reckoning.
Callisto hadn't anticipated the little brat to go running off
after hearing the revealing discussion in the stables. That had been
a fortuitous happenstance and it worked perfectly with her new plan.
She had expected that Xena's precious little bard would present her
with immortal destiny at Hephaestus' side, but instead, the brat ran
away. No matter, Callisto would make sure the bard was distracted
long enough not to disturb her final encounter with the Warrior
Princess. For the life of her, she couldn't understand what Xena saw
in the little brat. Oh Xena, save me! Oh Xena, help me! Callisto
mimicked. And when the irritating blonde wasn't whining, she was a
non-stop chatterbox. It was a wonder Xena didn't kill her just to get
the little fool to shut up.
Callisto knew she had missed her chance to kill the brat twice,
but her latest scheme promised to be much worse than Death. A mortal
death would have been too good for these two. No, what she had vowed
to Xena was that she would kill her soul and separating her from the
little brat forever would do just that. She wondered how things could
have been different. How the Fates' path led Xena down the
destructive road to Cirra but allowed the warrior to save the
Potedeian girl from slavery. What had she done to anger the gods? she
wondered bitterly. She and the little brat were about the same age
and yet their lives were on opposite ends of the spectrum. She could
have easily been Gabrielle if the fork in the road had not led the
Warrior Princess to her door along with death and destruction. But
little of that mattered now. The course of her Fate had changed
dramatically and so would Xena's.
She heard the faint footsteps of Xena in the hallway and quickly
concealed the necklace in the chest of drawers beside the bed. Xena
opened the door.
"Xena, what happened?! You look pale. Did you hear from Callisto?"
"No, Gabrielle," Xena sighed. She began dismantling her armor and
removed her chakram and sword as well. She avoided meeting the bard's
eyes. "But Nestra and Brissea are gone."
"Why? Don't they want to help us?"
"No, they don't, but they told me who brought Callisto back," Xena
said wearily. She was tired of fighting her past and the reminder
from Nestra and Brissea was enough to make her give herself up to the
nearest hanging judge. The warrior sat heavily on the bed. She
briefly debated relaying her disturbing conversation with Nestra and
Brissea but she was too afraid that Gabrielle would flee the moment
she heard the story. For her own selfish reasons, Xena needed to have
Gabrielle by her side while she fought Callisto and then she would
decide what to do after that. For the moment, though, she remained
silent.
"Who?"
"Hephaestus," Xena said quietly.
"The god of fire? But why?"
"I don't know," the warrior frowned.
This is too delicious, Callisto smiled inwardly. She had expected
that Xena might detect her deception immediately, in which case she
would have gone to her second plan. As it was, though, Xena was so
heavy laden by the guilt of murdering her long dead lover; she could
not look directly in the bard's eyes. If she had looked closely she
may have seen a gleam in Gabrielle's eye that was at odds with the
gloomy circumstances. Callisto presented herself in the bard's
likeness and easily mimicked her mannerisms to perfection. However,
she was careful not to underestimate Xena's perceptive instincts.
Callisto kneeled behind Xena on the bed and became the
ever-helpful bard.
"Here, Xena, let me rub your shoulders," she offered. "You've been
too tense." Xena let Gabrielle massage her tight muscles. After
several moments, Xena could feel the tension gradually dissolve from
her body. She surrendered to the bard's strong, pliant fingers, and
rode the melodic wave of Gabrielle's sultry voice.
"Yes, Xena, relax. Everything's going to be just fine. You worry
too much. Don't fight it, things will work out in the end. I could
give you peace, Xena. I'll give you peace if you let me."
Peace, Xena thought. That's all she needed was peace. Despite the
diabolical tethers that lashed out from her past, she clung to
Gabrielle's words as her only rope of salvation. She reached behind
her and pulled the bard into her lap and smothered her mouth with
frenzied abandon. She desperately wanted Gabrielle to love her and
the bard's soothing voice convinced her that all would be forgiven,
if only she had the courage to tell her. She pulled back from their
breathless kiss and gazed into the emerald pools of the only woman
who truly loved her.
"Gabrielle, I have to tell you something," she said.
"Shhhh, you don't have to say a word," Callisto hushed her. She
didn't want Xena to start confessing anything. All she wanted was
satisfaction. The fire within her had been simmering for ages it
seemed and the liquid flames were nearly raging out of control. Xena
would not deny her this time. Callisto leaned forward and buried her
face into the warrior's raven mane. Oh, how long she had waited to
breathe in Xena's musky scent. She whimpered slightly as she nipped
tiny bites along the side of Xena's sensitive neck.
Xena offered no resistance as she tilted her neck to receive
Gabrielle's gentle nibbles. She was constantly amazed by the
seductive power the younger woman held over her. The horrifying scene
in the barn melted away and her craving for Gabrielle overwhelmed her
with a compelling need. Her hands sprang to life and she fumbled to
untie the laces of Gabrielle's top, desperately anxious to have the
bard writhing beneath her touch. The bard's breasts emerged from the
confining cloth and Xena pounced on the soft mounds eager to soothe
her face against the pliant flesh. Her exploring tongue found an
erect nipple and she sucked greedily on the inviting bud.
Callisto moaned loudly, her breath coming to her in short heaving
gasps.
"Oh Xena!" she cried, doing her best Gabrielle imitation she'd
learned in the several days spent following the warrior and her bard.
Xena trailed a wet path to her other breast and she guided the
warrior's open mouth to the nipple that ached for equal attention.
She held on tightly to Xena's shoulders and arched herself closer to
the warrior as she reveled in the hedonistic pleasure. Xena's hand
groped for her skirt, yanked it off her hips and tossed it on the
floor. Callisto searched for Xena's succulent mouth and her tongue
explored the warrior with wicked abandon.
Xena was lost in an almost painful need to take Gabrielle. She
inhaled deeply, as she could smell the bard's juices wafting up from
her wet centre. She quickly found the source of her desire and Xena
slid her fingers along the slippery opening. She broke away from the
bard's kiss and a deep growl escaped her lips.
"By the gods, Gabrielle, you're so wet tonight," Xena moaned hotly
in the bard's ear.
"Yes Xena, I've waited for this for so long," Callisto panted
breathlessly.
Xena smiled inwardly at Gabrielle's definition of a long time. It
had only been four days. She continued to explore along the bard's
outer lips, then slowly inched her way into the steaming opening.
Unable to prolong her need much longer, Xena plunged her fingers deep
inside, finding no resistance from the eager bard. Gabrielle pressed
down hard on the digital penetration and began rocking her hips
against Xena's hand. The warrior kept up a steady rhythm and easily
slid in a third finger. She sucked on a spot near Gabrielle's
collarbone and held the bard tightly as her hips bucked wildly
against her insistent thrusts.
"Take me. Take all of me," Xena growled.
"Yes, Xena! Yes!"
Callisto never wanted the moment to end. She had envisioned the
erotic scene for nearly her entire life but she had never dreamed it
could be this divine. Her trembling body was alive with years of
unfulfilled passion as it cascaded over her in unrelenting waves.
With godlike control, she withheld her imminent climax for as long as
she could. With each thrust of Xena's strong fingers, she savored the
vibrating current that swept through every pore and cell. Finally,
she could no longer hold back and surrendered to the tidal wave that
washed over her.
"Xena!" she screamed as the warrior bit down hard on her shoulder
just as Callisto exploded into orgasm.
Spurred on by Gabrielle's display of ecstasy, Xena succumbed to
her urgent need for release. She lifted the smaller woman from her
lap and laid her down on the bed. Quickly, she unhooked her leather
tunic and removed her garments until her nude figure glowed faintly
in the muted candlelight. Her blue eyes sparkled with unbridled
desire and Gabrielle beckoned to her enticingly. She descended upon
her beloved bard with her lithe frame. Her skin melted into the soft
curves and she hungrily sought out the bard's delectable lips once
again. The fire between her legs ached with a longing as she smeared
her juices against the bard's thigh.
"Xena," Callisto whispered. "Let me please you, I want you so
much."
"Oh yes, Gabrielle, I need you."
Callisto was delirious with prurient lust. All she thought of was
burying her face into Xena's luscious nectar. Her lips lit a fiery
trail along the sloping curves of Xena's breasts, as she devoured the
fleshy mounds that quivered in her wake. Xena entwined her hand
through her hair and urged her down to her wet centre but Callisto
refused to be rushed as she languidly circled elaborate patterns
along Xena's taut abdomen. Her fingers dipped into the warrior's
slippery mound and she voraciously licked the delicious juice from
her skin. Callisto broke out in a wide grin when she heard Xena moan
above her.
"Gabrielle, I can't wait any longer," she pleaded.
Callisto continued her random lingual patterns as she leisurely
blazed a path to Xena's dark triangle. She relished in the powerful
effect she was having on Xena even though she knew that the warrior
thought it was her Gabrielle. No matter, Callisto thought, she would
get her revenge soon enough. That thought heightened her furious
passions and her mouth found the dark hairs that signaled the
entrance to the warrior's secret treasures. Callisto rubbed her cheek
against the rough hairs, smearing her skin with the sticky juices
that seeped out. She twirled her tongue through the tiny hairs, not
quite wanting to imbibe on Xena's tasty treats just yet.
"Gabrielle, let me . . ." Xena pleaded again as her hips gyrated
helplessly.
"Beg me, Xena," Callisto teased and paused momentarily from the
maddening slow torture. "Beg."
Xena was nearly crawling out of her skin with a maniacal lust. She
remembered the bard's little game from before but this time it took
much more of her self-restraint. She immersed herself in the complete
and utter surrender of Gabrielle's conquest, despite her overwhelming
need for release. How much longer she could hold out, she wasn't
sure.
"Please, release me, Gabrielle" the warrior panted. "Please," she
begged.
Callisto heard the magic words, and burrowed her tongue deep into
Xena's overflowing centre. She hungrily lapped up the carnal juices
and savored the sweet taste of ambrosia on her palate. She delved
into the velvety folds and wanted to get lost in the flowing heat of
Xena's core. The warrior's thighs clamped tightly against her cheeks
and she relaxed into the supple smoothness of the quivering flesh.
Her tongue delicately uncovered the tiny bud hidden beneath its hood
and the warrior cried out with pleasure.
"Oh Gabrielle!"
Xena held tightly on to Callisto's head and the goddess rejoiced
in sheer ecstasy. She was at the threshold of her long awaited
satisfaction. Three fingers deftly entered Xena and the warrior rose
up from the bed to meet her plunging thrusts. Callisto lifted her
head to watch Xena intently as the warrior thrashed wildly with
untamed fervency. She replaced her thumb on the sensitive nub and
continued her overzealous onslaught that carried Xena to the brink of
orgasm. Finally, the warrior lifted her back in a high arc and
stiffened for several moments before she dropped down to the bed,
spent and weak.
Xena took several long moments to catch her breath and invited the
bard to rest on her chest. Callisto happily obeyed and the warrior
held her tightly as she caressed the soft curves of her back. The
goddess breathed in the fragrant remnants of Xena's sweating body and
knew she would remember this moment for the rest of her immortal
life. She was certain Xena would never forget it either.
"Xena." Callisto said.
"Hmm," Xena replied, not quite wanting to speak just yet.
"I bought a present for you at the marketplace," she purred.
"You did?"
"Yes, for the Summer Solstice," Callisto answered. "It's right
here, let me show it to you."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sun began its descent over the horizon as Gabrielle made her
way through the city streets of Athens. She was surprised at how late
it was. She only meant to take a walk after witnessing the disturbing
scene in the barn, but somewhere along the way she fell asleep near a
comfortable tree. It was quite unlike her, but she thought that maybe
the shocking events of the day made her unusually tired.
Gabrielle played out the scene in her mind for the umpteenth time.
She had so many questions to ask and there were no rational answers.
How could Xena murder her lover? she wondered. What made her do it?
Was the woman's only crime infidelity? Or was there a larger picture
that Nestra didn't know about? And what exactly did Nestra see? Xena
admitted to killing two women, were they both her lovers? Marking her
lovers was one thing, but killing them too? To Gabrielle, that was
beyond justification.
The bard had so many questions bouncing around in her head that
she was getting dizzy all over again. And she was scared. For the
first time since she'd met Xena, she was afraid of the dark warrior.
Would Xena kill her, too, if Gabrielle were to be unfaithful? The
bard knew as long as Xena was in her life, she could never love
another. But she wondered what would happen if Xena falsely accused
her or someone else of infidelity and attacked them before asking
questions. On a number of occasions, she had seen the warrior accost
any number of men who dared to cast an appreciative eye in the bard's
direction. Although she was sometimes annoyed by such volatile
behavior, she also felt protected in a special kind of way. But not
now. Now, she felt like she was in danger.
Gabrielle was willing to forgive Xena for crimes and atrocities
she'd committed during her warlord days. In her mind, somehow she
justified those acts as acts of war. She knew war made people do
crazy things, things they would later regret. But how could killing
her lovers have anything to do with war? She was at a loss as to how
Xena could justify these horrific crimes. She wasn't even sure she
wanted to tell Xena what she knew. Maybe it was best that she just
leave Xena in Athens and go back home. Her heart ached painfully as
she struggled to put one foot in front of the other and headed out of
the City gates.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Callisto rose from the bed and retrieved the prized necklace from
its hiding place. She clasped the jewelry in her hand and nearly
squealed out loud in her joy. She turned back to face Xena, and kept
one hand hidden behind her.
"First, Xena, you have to sit up and close your eyes," Callisto
teased playfully.
"All right," Xena smirked as she sat up, closed her eyes and
waited expectantly.
Callisto kneeled beside her on the bed and dangled the necklace
around Xena's neck, holding the chain away from her chest. She held
her fingers steady and paused before she closed the tiny clasp that
would seal Xena's eternal fate. Callisto wanted to wait until the
warrior fully comprehended her intention.
"Okay, you can open your eyes, now."
Xena looked down and lifted the item with her hand. She beheld a
dazzling medallion, made of a pure smooth gold. The embossed flames
shimmered in the candlelight and the azure pupil cast off a twinkling
sparkle.
"Do you like it, Xena?"
"It's gorgeous, Gabrielle," Xena said, stunned by its magnificent
beauty. "You bought it in the marketplace?"
"Well, actually, Xena, Hephaestus gave it to me, and now I'm
giving it to you," Callisto smiled.
"Hephaestus, the smith-god?" Xena asked bewildered. "Heph--?"
The warrior whirled around sharply to face Gabrielle as a wave of
recognition crashed down with the weight of colossal boulders. As
Callisto promised, it was too late. Instantly, she clipped the
necklace into place. Xena's strength and willpower evaporated from
her body and her eyes glazed over in a hypnotic trance. The warrior
fell back heavily on the bed and her arms were pinned to her side by
an unseen force. Try as she might, she couldn't remove the delicate
chain that clung to her neck like a massive anchor.
"Xena, my sweet, be a good dear and tell Hephy I said hello,"
Callisto jeered at the fallen warrior. She threw her head back and
howled with laughter. The moment of truth had finally arrived as she
celebrated her long awaited triumph over the Great Warrior Princess.
The last thing Xena saw before she disappeared into oblivion was
her beloved Gabrielle transform into the wicked Goddess of Evil named
Callisto.
Chapter 11
Clank!
A flood of images enveloped Xena as she spiraled down in to a
twisting whirlwind of fire. She was helpless to do anything save
succumb to the breakneck speed that plunged her into the ocean of
fiery lava. Pieces of her life whizzed by haphazardly until they
melded and reformed into a massive whole that was her. Finally she
settled into a throne at Hephaestus' side and the God of Fire
rejoiced at her grand entrance.
Clank!
The scenery changed and Xena laid in a luxuriant canopied bed fit
for a queen. She wore a silky white dress that molded the curves of
her body in a perfect fitting. The cursed jewelry of the smith god
clung to her neck as a reminder of her imprisonment. Her mind flashed
upon sporadic images of what transpired. She saw Callisto's evil grin
as she transformed from Gabrielle into unspeakable horror. She also
saw the real Gabrielle as she gazed lovingly into her eyes.
"Gabrielle, I'll always be here" Xena whispered.
Clank!
Again Xena tried to move her arms and remove the burdensome
necklace, but her arms felt bolted in place and she could not move a
single muscle. Her anger boiled over as she railed at herself for
being so stupid not to catch Callisto's game in time. She was heavy
laden with the knowledge that Hephaestus had the intention of holding
her captive for all eternity. She was a prized possession to be sure.
Clank!
Eternity, she thought. Oh what she wouldn't give to be with
Gabrielle until the end of time. A tear escaped the corner of her eye
as she yearned to be with her beloved bard and heal the gaping hole
in her heart. She remembered the soft tresses of her golden red hair
and how the wispy ends sometimes tickled her face when she hovered
above her. Her smile could melt away any doubt Xena held before
battle and a few simple words could ease the pain of her past. I love
you, Gabrielle, she whispered into a vacuum of time. Imperceptibly,
the vice that gripped her soul lessened somewhat and she moved a
finger for confirmation. Yes! she exclaimed, and moved a second
finger. Suddenly, an image of a distraught and forlorn Gabrielle
walking on a road away from Athens appeared before her. Her heart
agonized at the vision and she thought of nothing but enveloping her
lover in her strong arms. Silently she railed against Callisto for
separating her from the woman she loved more than life itself. Fury
and rage clouded her senses and Xena could think of nothing but the
ways and means to end the goddess' reign on immortality. Any glimmer
of hope for escape she'd felt just moments before disappeared as
quickly as it came. The hatred that filled her soul clamped down on
her and held her steadfastly against the prison that was her fate.
Clank!
"Xena, I can't lose you again!" Gabrielle cried. Those words
filled Xena's heart as Gabrielle's face loomed before her with love
and acceptance. In that moment, she knew that being with Gabrielle
was her eternal fate. To her amazement the invisible binds on her
again seemed to lessen and with instant clarity she knew she had
found the key to her release.
Clank!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the glare of the mid-afternoon sun, Nestra kept up a steady
pace on horseback along the road that led away from Athens. After
leaving the great city in the late afternoon before, she and Brissea
set up camp overnight, well outside the City gates. Since first
light, they had been travelling at a steady but leisurely pace. The
dark warrior was only too grateful to get away from the troubling
events in recent weeks that put her and Brissea smack in the middle
of Xena and Callisto's never-ending feud. Frankly, she was quite
surprised that they had escaped unharmed although for a moment back
there in the barn, she was certain she would have paid the fare for
Charon's boat by now. Nestra cast a lingering gaze at her companion
of the past four summers. She wasn't one to converse with the gods
much, but if she had, she would have thanked each and every one of
them for granting her and her lover their lives. She was anxious for
things to get back to their regular routine.
Not for the first time since they left Athens, Nestra's recalled
the look of genuine remorse on Xena's face when the former warlord
admitted to the bloody crimes Nestra witnessed. She was taken aback
by Xena's candid disclosure. She had expected a feeble explanation,
or justification, or a weak excuse for her actions but instead Xena
offered none. What she did was take complete responsibility for her
crimes and conveyed a sincere regret. Maybe that little girl was
having a transforming effect on her, Nestra mused. In the short time
they spent together on their first excursion to Athens, Nestra
noticed that whenever the young woman was around, Xena noticeably
softened her demeanor. The difference was quite subtle, to be sure,
but Nestra noticed and found it curious more than anything else. At
the time, she was certain Xena was only using the innocent girl for
whatever pleasures that could be had, but now she had her doubts.
Maybe Xena really was in the love with the strawberry blonde.
Nestra perked up in the saddle as she spied a lone figure in the
distance. It was vaguely familiar and she silently motioned to
Brissea. They kept their pace and as they got closer, they recognized
the young woman as she strolled along, seemingly oblivious to her
surroundings.
"Gabrielle?" Nestra pulled her horse alongside the young woman as
Brissea kept back a few paces.
The bard did not respond or break her stride as she studied the
scenery before her; however, she did not appear to see anything at
all. Nestra quickly looked back at Brissea and shook her head. She
dismounted from her horse and Brissea followed suit.
"Gabrielle, where's Xena?" Nestra asked worriedly. Something bad
had happened, she knew, she could feel it in her bones.
"I don't know;" Gabrielle replied, her eyes distant and glazed
over.
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know." Again the bard responded as if in a complete
hypnotic trance. She continued to walk as she barely acknowledged
that she had encountered the two women, let alone recognized them.
Nestra didn't like the sound of any of it but she knew that she had
to help the innocent girl. She was certain Gabrielle's lonesome
appearance had something to do with Callisto and Xena's
confrontation. The girl must have been walking all night long, Nestra
surmised. Her clothes were dusty from the road, and sweat matted the
bangs of her hair. Her cheeks were grimy, her mouth parched and her
eyes were void of their usual gregariousness. She put her arm around
the young woman's shoulders.
"Nestra, I don't like this," Brissea cautioned, her voice low and
scared. She looked around in all directions for a sign of danger
lying in wait.
"Yes I know, but we have to help her."
Brissea quickly agreed.
"Gabrielle," Nestra began, "have you been walking all night?" She
stopped the bard in her tracks. Gabrielle twisted away from her and
stared up into the bright sunlight. She did not bother to shade her
eyes from its brilliance.
"I guess I have," she answered, then started to walk again.
Nestra quickly caught up with her and spun her around.
"Gabrielle, you have to stop." She shook the girl firmly as she
tried to jolt her back to reality. "Gabrielle, you have to get some
rest. Have you eaten anything?"
"No, I ha--------," the bard started to say and then collapsed to
the ground.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clank!
Xena managed to raise her hand to her stomach. She used her
formidable powers of concentration to focus solely on her love for
Gabrielle. She pictured her smiling face, her animated expressions
when she unfolded a story, her emerald eyes when they gleamed with
passion, how comforting her arms felt when they wrapped around Xena's
waist when they rode Argo together.
Clank!
Every time a wayward glimpse of Callisto or any other dark thought
entered her mind, Xena would lose ground and become stationary once
again. Come on, Xena, she chided herself, think of Gabrielle.
Gabrielle, she whispered to the absent bard, I'll be there soon, my
love. Again Xena went through a pattern of images of her sweet
Gabrielle. After several long moments and with great effort, one
finger reached up and snagged a link on the accursed necklace. The
warrior yanked it off and the necklace broke in two, releasing Xena
from its captive spell. Xena jerked up from the bed and magically,
the white gown disappeared, only to be replaced by her armor and
weapons. Xena was on her feet instantly and rushed to the doorway.
She cocked an ear to listen for the direction that Hephaestus'
workroom would be.
"Very good, Xena. You surprised me, I thought you would go the
other way."
Xena whirled around to greet the person who spoke those words and
came face to face with Hades, God of the Underworld.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gabrielle watched intently as she saw herself make love to Xena.
It never failed to stir her loins when she saw how she made her
beloved warrior writhe in the throes of heated passion. She stayed
rooted to the spot beside the bed, transfixed by the scene that
played out before her. Then she and Xena were finished and Gabrielle
watched herself get up from the bed and retrieve a golden necklace.
The necklace from the marketplace, she remembered. The handiwork of a
god, Hephaestus. That's odd, Gabrielle thought, she didn't remember
giving Xena the necklace. She watched as she placed the necklace
around Xena's neck. To Gabrielle's shock, the warrior fell back as if
stricken and the bard heard herself say, "Xena, my sweet, be a good
dear and tell Hephy I said hello." Xena's body disappeared and
Gabrielle watched with horror as she herself transformed into Xena's
arch nemesis, Callisto.
"XENA!" Gabrielle shouted and sat upright, visibly shaken from her
terrifying nightmare. She quickly scanned her surroundings and tried
to place where she was. Xena was no where to be found.
Nestra and Brissea raced to her side. The bard had been sleeping
since they found her on the road the day before. From mid-day to
mid-day counted twenty-four candlemarks and now it was a good four
candlemarks past that.
"Are you all right?" Brissea asked worriedly.
"Where's Xena?!" Gabrielle asked excitedly. Nestra and Brissea
exchanged a look.
"We were hoping you could tell us, Gabrielle," Nestra spoke softly
and tried her best not to worry the young girl unnecessarily.
"Yesterday, we found you walking along the road."
"Yesterday? I've been sleeping all this time?" She threw off the
bedroll and scrambled to her feet.
"Yes, Gabrielle, you need to rest. You had been walking all night
from Athens, with no food or water." Nestra tried to put a comforting
hand on the bard's shoulder to get her to at least sit back down, but
Gabrielle brushed her off.
Brissea picked up where Nestra left off, "You were in a daze and
we tried to ask you what happened but you didn't know. Do you know
where Xena is?"
"Callisto," the bard said contemptuously as her eyes narrowed with
grim determination. "Xena's in trouble. We have to go back to
Athens," Gabrielle said. She hurriedly began packing things without
waiting for the two warriors to help her.
"We only have a few more candlemarks of daylight left," Brissea
warned.
"How did I know we were somehow going to end up heading back to
Athens?" Nestra asked rhetorically. "Again." She took in sigh of
resignation and shook her head. After a moment's hesitation, she and
Brissea helped the bard gather up their belongings.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What did you mean when you said you thought I would go the other
way?" Xena asked. She stood before Hades' throne and gazed upon the
flames of Tartarus. The God of the Underworld had offered her a seat
at the massive table but she opted to remain standing.
"You chose love, Xena. I undoubtedly expected you to use your
hatred against Callisto to escape. It worked wonders for her. She
even talked her way out of it but she didn't try anything but hatred
as her motivation."
Xena remembered her initial struggle and how hatred weakened her
but her love for Gabrielle gave her all the strength she needed.
"Yes, I saw that, Xena. But it was not so long ago that it would
have been the opposite for you just as it was for Callisto. I'm sure
Aphrodite will be proud of you. And Ares? Well, I'm sure he's
crawling out of his skin with rage." Hades allowed a small smile to
curl the corner of his mouth.
"What do you want me to do?" Xena asked impatiently. She was
anxious to be reunited with her beloved bard.
"Callisto belongs in Tartarus, Xena. Everyone knows that, but
capturing her will be a problem. She's a goddess now and possesses
all our powers. She's been hiding ever since her triumph over you. I
want you to lure her out, to be the bait, if you're up for it. If
there's anything I've learned about Callisto, it's that she plays a
one-note tune with single-minded determination. And you're it. In a
way, it's quite fascinating, but she must be stopped. So you lure her
in and let me do the rest. I have special plans for the wayward
goddess."
"Can you do that, Hades? I thought the gods weren't supposed to
interfere." Xena was hopeful of seeing the ultimate demise of her
hated rival but she was skeptical of the heavy price she would have
to pay for Hades' favor. On the other hand, if she wanted to be with
Gabrielle ever again, she would risk everything.
"That's only for mortals, but she's not a mortal anymore. She's a
goddess now. What did you call her? Oh yes, the Goddess of Evil. What
a moniker. But she's not a true goddess, Xena, only a goddess by
accident. I seem to remember a certain warrior princess leading her
to the ambrosia, do I not?"
"And your point is?" Xena raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Hades
to prattle on and circle around the heart of the matter.
Hades took in a deep breath and sat back in his throne. He pressed
his fingertips together and formed a steeple as he guided his index
fingers to his pursed lips.
"I want you to help me, Xena, but hear me out first." Hades stood
up to face Xena and looked squarely in the stoic warrior's eyes.
"Like I said, I want you to lure Callisto out of hiding and distract
her long enough so I can do what I have to do." He paused. "But I
must caution you, if she kills you, you will end up back with
Hephaestus."
"But I thought-----" Xena began, a puzzled look on her face.
Hades shook his head. "You only escaped the necklace's power but
it was because of me that you escaped his domain. I can only give you
this opportunity to change your fate, but if you fail, well, you will
have to be resigned to the fate Callisto set for you. Of course, if
you win, you will be mortal again and a new thread begins."
"Hades, you know I have no choice. I must go back to Gabrielle,"
Xena said quietly, her heart once again burning from her need to be
with the love of her life.
"Go." Hades said simply and waved his arm. Xena vanished from the
room.
Hephaestus appeared in the room moments later.
"You let Xena go?!" the God of Fire asked incredulously.
Hades sighed heavily as he grew weary of having to placate his
naive nephew.
"Next time, Hephaestus, pick women who don't have such strong
wills." And with that, Hades casually dismissed the lame smith-god as
he turned around to admire the soothing flames of Tartarus.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gabrielle rode behind Nestra as they galloped along at a steady
pace toward Athens. The three women wanted to gain as much ground as
they could before nightfall. They knew they would have to make camp
shortly as none of the women wanted to travel in the darkness despite
the urgency to rescue Xena.
The bard's stomach churned yet again as she thought of the vicious
tricks Callisto must have foisted upon Xena. She was sure her
nightmarish vision had actually happened and it was not a part of her
unconscious fears. She was constantly bewildered by the capacity
Callisto possessed to conjure up such vile and rancorous acts for
Xena to endure. Gabrielle was grateful that she herself was incapable
of such maliciousness.
"Let's stop here," Gabrielle yelled behind Nestra. The three women
dismounted, hastily tethered the horses and set up camp. As the women
settled in, the blazing fire became the focal point of the small
party as each one was lost deep in her own thoughts. They sat sipping
tea made from a few herbs Brissea retrieved from her saddlebag.
Gabrielle broke the silence.
"I have to know if it's true what you said about Xena slaying her
lover," Gabrielle stated quietly at the fire. There was a quaver in
her voice as she wasn't sure she wanted to hear an honest answer.
Initially, she had been terrified of Xena and what she was capable of
but the more she thought of how much she loved Xena and how much she
needed her, the more she would be willing to forgive. However, she
refused to do it blindly, she needed to know the truth and she needed
to know why.
Nestra glanced quickly in Brissea's direction. Brissea nodded at
her lover and confirmed what she knew in her heart was the right
thing to do. Nestra knew Gabrielle's statement was directed at her
and she concluded that the young woman must have overheard the
conversation in the barn. She decided that Gabrielle deserved to know
everything and make her decision based on the truth.
"Yes, that's what I saw," Nestra answered, her gaze on the fire.
"There were two women. Were they both her lovers?" Gabrielle
asked, this time turning to face Nestra as she searched her light
brown eyes for genuine sincerity.
"No," Nestra replied. She relayed the entire story but omitted a
few of the more gruesome details. She saw no need to spitefully hurt
the girl who she guessed as a bard, had a particularly vivid
imagination.
Gabrielle had but one question. "Why?"
"I don't know," Nestra answered quietly.
"How did you find out? Did you overhear us talking in the barn?"
Brissea queried.
Gabrielle nodded, too overcome with emotion to speak. Tears
brimmed her eyes.
"Gabrielle, listen," Nestra put her arm around the overwrought
bard's shoulders. "I never would have thought it possible, but Xena
is a changed woman. I don't know what happened that day, but all I
know is what I saw the other day in the barn. I saw genuine remorse
in her eyes. It was as if she wished she could take back that day and
make like it never happened. Let me tell you, I hadn't expected that.
All these years, when I thought about confronting her with it, I
expected her to justify it somehow, to give herself an excuse, but
she didn't. She has truly changed and believe me, I'm shocked."
"Really?" Gabrielle asked. A small smile creased her mouth. It was
satisfying for her to hear old combatants of Xena's acknowledge that
she had changed from her days as the Warrior Princess. But Nestra
wasn't just acknowledging it, the ebony warrior was praising Xena,
and that felt extra special to Gabrielle. The burden on her heart
began to noticeably lighten.
"Yes, really," she said. "Gabrielle," Nestra added with more force
than she intended. A strong hand firmly squeezed the bard's shoulder.
"I don't know how you did it, but you've changed Xena, you really
have. I see the way her demeanor alters when she's around you. It's
subtle, but it's there. Don't let this one thing ruin the love you
share with her. You two are as one as we are," Nestra gently patted
Brissea's thigh and felt her lover close her hand over her own.
"Trust me, that kind of love doesn't happen very often. But
Gabrielle, you don't want this thing to come between the two of you,
talk to her," Nestra finished.
"I will," Gabrielle smiled. "Thank you."
"Gabrielle," Xena said as she emerged from the dark forest. All
three women leaped to their feet.
"Xena!" Gabrielle exclaimed and raced across the campsite and into
the warrior's loving embrace. "Are you all right?" she exclaimed
breathlessly as she prodded Xena's body in search of injuries.
"Well, maybe she is and maybe she isn't," a familiar voice
taunted. "I already dealt with you one time, Xena. Why don't you just
be a good little girl and stay dead, hmm?"
All four women peered into the dark night as Callisto; the Goddess
of Evil shimmered into view.
Chapter 12
At the distinctive sound of Callisto's voice, Xena and the two
warriors simultaneously withdrew their swords. Gabrielle readied her
staff. The evil goddess twirled her blade as she prepared for battle.
"Don't tell me you're going to spoil it by bringing your friends
into it, Xena?" Callisto scoffed.
"No, I'm selfish that way, I'd thought I'd keep your demise all to
myself," Xena deadpanned as she closed the distance between her and
Callisto while at the same time, created a larger gap between the
goddess and Gabrielle. Without further direction, Nestra and Brissea
knew to let the two enemies fight it out. Gabrielle silently watched
in excruciating horror as the indomitable Callisto returned to
torment Xena yet again.
Glancing at Nestra and Brissea, Callisto sneered, "I see you two
finally got your foolish wish to follow the Warrior Princess. So
follow her to her death!" And on the last word, Callisto lunged at
Xena.
Xena easily defended herself against Callisto's thrust. She
whirled around and laterally swiped at the blonde warrior, who easily
blocked her. Stroke for stroke and parry for parry, the two evenly
skilled warriors forged a blazing heat that was matched only by the
fury in their eyes. The cool night air resonated with the echoes of
their deadly metallic dance. Xena was the first to show signs of
tiring, however, and Callisto, as an immortal goddess, barely worked
up a sweat.
"What did Velasca say, hmm?" Callisto jeered in between strikes.
"You can't keep this up forever, Xena. I can."
"It won't take forever," Xena repeated the same prediction she
gave Velasca, however, the dark warrior knew she was tiring and would
soon have to make her move. After a few more swipes and thrusts,
whirls and twirls, she knocked Callisto down to one knee and used the
momentary lapse to her advantage. She climbed the bark of a nearby
tree and somersaulted in a high arc, landing behind her hated rival.
As soon as Callisto spun around, Xena was upon her and clutched at
her leathered armor. She shoved her hard against the broadside of a
tree and pressed a strong forearm across her windpipe. Their faces
were so close; Xena could feel the blonde warrior's breath against
her cheek. She wasn't quite sure what she would do with Callisto, as
she knew mortal death was not an option. Unfortunately, in that
moment of hesitation, Callisto wedged an opening that only an
immortal goddess could slink through.
"That's right, Xena. You can't kill me, so what will you do with
me, hmm?" Callisto's whispered words were meant only for Xena. The
dark warrior found herself drawn against her will to the pouting full
lips of her nemesis. The blonde goddess' beguiling chestnut eyes made
all of Xena's surroundings fade away and she saw nothing save
Callisto, who beckoned her and enticed her to join her forever in the
Elysian Fields or Tartarus, wherever she wished.
"You can't resist me, my beautiful warrior princess, can you?"
"No," Xena sighed breathlessly.
Xena released her steely vice across Callisto's chest and her lips
parted to accept the goddess' invitation to Paradise. Helplessly,
Xena began to drown in a melting pool of fire. She dropped her sword
and grasped Callisto's shoulders tightly as she pulled the smaller
warrior closer to her. The blonde goddess dropped her sword as well
and she deftly removed Xena's protective breastplate. It landed on
the ground with a thud.
Gabrielle's eyes hardened when she saw Callisto seize her fearless
warrior in an erotic kiss. And with the removal of Xena's armor,
Gabrielle was unwillingly led to thoughts she didn't want to imagine.
Was there no end to the sickening depravity that Callisto would foist
upon the two lovers? she wondered.
"Callisto! Get your perverted hands off of her!" Gabrielle
shouted. The blonde warrior withdrew from Xena with a flamboyant
smack of her lips.
"I'd say she likes my 'perverted' hands just fine," Callisto
grinned as she traced a delicate line along Xena's jaw with one
alabaster finger. Xena confirmed Callisto's words as her face tilted
up to meet the goddess' caress.
"Can your touch compete with a goddess', hmm?" she taunted
Gabrielle. Callisto cast a quick glance at the bard, then resumed her
searing kiss with Xena. Without thinking, the bard took a step in
their direction.
Inexplicably, Xena spun Callisto around so that her back was
against the tree and, as a result, the blonde warrior was exposed to
open space. Xena kept her strong muscular arms wrapped around the
evil goddess and held her firm, her open mouth never breaking
contact.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Callisto, you are oh so predictable."
A figure appeared behind Callisto and before he spoke, the blonde
goddess knew the end had finally arrived. In a panic she tried to
pull away from Xena but the warrior held her in a lip-locked kiss of
death.
Hades clipped Hephaestus' golden medallion around the wayward
goddess' neck and her shrieks reverberated in the still night air.
Her godlike form twisted and shrunk into a minuscule funnel that was
sucked into the eye of the necklace. Then the God of the Underworld
tossed the necklace into the air and caught it in a tight fist.
"Well, I guess that's that," Hades announced triumphantly and
inhaled a deep sigh of relief. "Thank you, Xena," he said as he
extended a hand to Xena, who had fallen to one knee. Gabrielle raced
to her side to help her to her feet.
"You took long enough! That was too close for comfort," Xena
admitted with a shake of her head. Despite her victory over Callisto,
she was still weak and shaken by the goddess' nearly fatal wicked
spell.
"What do you mean? I was waiting for you to turn her around,"
Hades replied in mock indignation.
"Well, I was a little . . . um . . . pre-occupied at the time,"
she retorted. Xena wiped away the sweat on her forehead with the back
of her hand and held Gabrielle's waist with the other. "Is that it
then? Is she gone for good?" Xena asked. She wanted Hades to confirm
what she already knew to be true.
"As long as I rule the Underworld, she is. Don't worry, I have a
special place for her. Trust me, Tartarus won't be good enough." And
with a deep bow, he thanked Xena once again and disappeared into the
darkness.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As soon as Hades vanished, Gabrielle wrapped her arms around
Xena's neck and clung to her as the warrior circled the smaller
woman's waist. Neither woman said anything for several long moments
as they held each other in a tight embrace. Xena spoke first.
"Gabrielle, I'm sorry, I had to---------," Xena began.
"It's okay, Xena, she's gone, that's all that matters," she said
softly as she reached up to reclaim her warrior's lips that only
moments before had nearly been doomed to Callisto's fate. Xena
fervently returned the kiss as the realization of how close she came
to losing Gabrielle forever sunk in.
"We'll see you in the morning," Nestra said quietly as she and
Brissea began to gather up their sleeping gear. They would camp
several meters away to allow the two women a private reunion.
Xena reluctantly withdrew from Gabrielle. "Um . . . yeah . . .
first light," she said distractedly, not taking her piercing gaze
away from the bard's glimmering eyes. Neither woman spoke, as they
stood transfixed by each other's love.
The warrior slowly leaned into Gabrielle and tenderly brushed her
lips with her own. Xena allowed her mouth to convey what simple words
could not. They had been through so much recently that she had almost
forgotten what it felt like to be home in Gabrielle's embrace.
Welcome home, Xena, her entire being seemed to announce. Xena lifted
the smaller woman and carried her over to the bedroll and gently
rested her on the ground. She lay beside Gabrielle and enveloped her
in her arms, not wanting to let go or do anything else.
"Just hold me, Gabrielle," she whispered. And Gabrielle did. For
most of the night, they stayed that way until roaming hands
rediscovered their amorous pathways. Neither woman slept very much
all night.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epilogue
Hades watched over the warrior woman and her bard until they
retreated to their bedroll. Slowly, and with a contented smile on his
usually grim face, he turned his attention back to his domain and his
cherished Helmet of Invisibility. He lifted the helmet and
scrutinized a new jewel recently added to the design originally
forged by Hephaestus. There was an unmistakable familiarity to the
spherical shape embedded in the metal helmet. Hades grinned at the
embossed flames that surrounded an almond shaped eye that glared back
at him with furious contempt. Be well, Callisto, he said to the brown
eye that glowed brightly, I was right, Tartarus is too good for you.
The God of the Underworld gently placed the helmet back on his table
and turned to face the flames of Tartarus that never failed to bring
him peace.
The End
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