Caria
Tagstory written by:
Krissyjj Maddan Aleah Zenia
~*~*~*~*~
Ares laughed as the two women fought bravely. His Priestess, Caria, handed him a chalice of wine as one of the women flew past him. Ares smiled at the last standing one, she had won.
"Very nice, Rini."
"Thank you my lord." Rini said, brushing her black hair from her eyes. "I'm always proud to fight for you."
Ares nodded as the defeated warrior ran out of the temple in tears. "Such silly people. To think she could defeat you."
"I'm glad you have high standards for me, my lord."
Ares nodded, throwing his arm around the little green eyed warrior.
Rini smiled, taking a chalice of wine from the priestess. She brushed her bangs from her eyes again, her hand brushing the small scar in the middle of her forehead, from her first battle with the great Ares. Ares looked down to see the scar. "I wish you'd let me heal that."
Rini giggled. "I think it shows character."
Ares shrugged, sitting on his large skeleton throne. Rini sat down on his leg and sipped the wine.
Ares kissed her softly and drank the wine in one large gulp. The two sat there for a moment, until they both had a sudden pain in their stomachs. Rini whimpered and then passed out onto the floor. Ares reached for her but was overcome by the pain in his on self. "I am sorry my lord." Caria said, watching her master fall unconscious to the ground. "But I'm taking your godhood."
~*~*~*~*~
Rini slowly woke up. She had no idea what had happened or where she was. Then she noticed Ares lying next to her, still unconscious. She looked closer; he looked different somehow. Then she noticed: his sword was missing. That meant his power was gone also...
" Oh no. Ares wake up, you must wake up now". She said trying to wake the him from his deep sleep.
"Mmmm....that's nice Rini." Ares said still in his sleep, smiling and trying to pull her closer to him.
Rini thought why not he can't hurt me now and hit him hard in his chest.
~*~*~*~*~
Ares shot up from off the floor. "What in Tartarus?" He bellowed, looking at the small blue spot on his stomach. "What is this?"
"It's called a brusie, Ares." Rini laughed.
Ares looked around the room in shock and buried his head in his hands. "Not again, I can't take this mortality stuff any more."
Rini rolled her eyes. "What happened?"
Ares thought for a moment. "Caria. She took... took my sword. Oh great, just wait till I get my hands on her..."
Rini looked at him confused. "Why would she do this?"
"Do mortals need a reason for wanting immortality?"
Rini shrugged. "I've never wanted it. Who is she?"
Ares shook his head, standing up painfully. "It's a long story. I'll explain later." The ex-god walked out from the room.
"Where are you going?" Rini called, grabbing her sword from the ground and rushing after her lord.
"Where else? I'm going to find Xena."
~*~*~*~*~
"Xena? What for". Rini asked puzzled
Ares didn't pay attention to Rini's question. Instead he just kept thinking loud as he walked through his temple.
"Perhaps Hercules knows where she is. Damn I hate to ask him, there must be someone else that knows where she is. Joxer perhaps...
"Hello, Earth calling Ares." Rini yelled loud to the now mortal God walking ahead of her.
"What?" Ares asked turning around to face her. " Do you know where she is?
Rini stared at him, trying hard not to yell at him or hit him again. Quietly she counted to ten before she told Ares just exactly what she thought about The Warrior Princess.
~*~*~*~*~
"How dare you ask me that question, Ares. You should know of all people why I hate her."
Ares looked at her in confusion. He'd never asked about her past. She'd come from a small family who'd had been destroy... "Xena killed your family?"
Rini closed her eyes. "Ares. I was friends with Callisto. We were a happy and close family, hers and mine. And you ask me what my problem with Xena is..."
Ares nodded. "I'm sorry, Rini. I had no idea."
Rini shook her head. "Your godhood is more important than my problems with the woman warrior. I know where she is. I'll be back."
Rini took off out of the temple and grabbed her horse, riding away.
~*~*~*~*~
She knelt down to the river, washing her face and drinking some water. Shaking off the headache in her head she heard voices approaching.
"Xena, do you think that this boot goes with this skirt?" A voice said.
"Xena?" Rini whispered and ran toward the direction of the voices.
Xena and Gabrielle continued to walk, unknown that the priestess was right behind them. Rini stepped up behind the women and cleared her throat, forcing the two to turn around.
"You are the woman warrior? The battling bard?" Rini asked in an emotionless voice. Xena and Gabrielle nodded. Rini snickered. "I never thought that I'd see you without blood on your hands, woman warrior. Of all the people I am forced to... what am I saying?"
"What are you saying?" Xena interrupted her jabbering.
Rini shook her head to focus. "Ares. Ares needs your help. Caria... a servant at his temple has taken his sword."
"He's mortal again?" The bard asked.
Rini nodded. "It's beginning to affect everyone. I'm losing control of my anger... for you."
Xena nodded and jumped on Argo. The bard climbed up behind her. Rini ran back to the river and grabbed her horse and the three took off to the temple.
~*~*~*~*~
As the three women rode at a break neck speed toward Ares' temple Rini seemed to be in her own private world, either plotting her revenge, or trying to keep her anger under control. Gabrielle took the opportunity to grill Xena. "You are not actually thinking of helping Ares are you?"
Gabrielle felt Xena sigh and respond, "Yes, I'm going to help him. It is true that he has caused us troubles in the past, but I believe that we would have even more chaos on our hands if he stayed mortal."
Gabrielle frowned at this but made no other comment. Soon they were at the temple and all three dismounted and entered. Xena tried her best not to laugh when she saw the bruise on Ares' midsection, but was unsuccessful and a chuckle escaped from her mouth. "So, you really are mortal. Having fun yet?"
~*~*~*~*~
Ares just throw her a angry look. And tried unsuccessfully to cover up the bruise. That movement made all three laugh.
"It's not funny." Ares said between clenched teeth.
"Believe me Ares." Xena said, still laughing. "It's funny."
Ares just glared at her.
After a few minutes everyone has calmed down enough to her Ares and Rini's story.
"You mean, there is a women running around lose with your sword and power." Gabrielle said after the explanation.
"Wow, It can think." Ares said sarcastic.
"Watch it Ares, you are mortal now. I don't mind a world without you." Gabrielle said and stepped closer to the ex-God.
"Calm down". Xena said stepping between them. "We haven't time for this right now we must find Caria and take the sword back. " And I think I know where to look."
~*~*~*~*~
Where is Caria and how will they all stand each other?J
~*~*~*~*~
Cirrah was a quite place. The villagers weren't anywhere to be seen and there was a deadly silence in the air.
Ares looked around and rode into the village in front of Xena. "She's been here, hasn't she Ares?" Rini asked, knowingly.
Ares nodded. "Xena?"
Xena looked down sadly. "She's not here. She'll be at Olympus."
~*~*~*~*~
"Rini didn't you, Callisto and Caria grow up in Cirrah together?" Ares asked.
"Yes, we where very close friends."
"You three grew up together in Cirrah?" asked an astonished Gabrielle.
"I really don't want to talk about it." Rini said throwing a angry glare at Xena." Not in her company."
"Rini, I know that it's nothing that I can say or do but...". Xena started, but Rini cut her off.
"I don't want to hear it. As far as I know it you are a cold blooded murderer, and I hate you." Then she burst into tears and threw herself into Ares arms
~*~*~*~*~
Xena simply looked Rini up and down and responded, "You would not be the first person, and probably won't be the last."
She shifted her now steely gaze to Ares, but was interrupted by Gabrielle, "You don't have any right to accuse her for that. She has saved countless villages since then. Gods, she has died....would you give her a break for once?"
Rini did not respond at all to this emotional display by Gabrielle. Xena put a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder and spoke to Ares in what could be mistaken for a compassionate voice. "Now, are we going to journey to Olympus...it might not be too late to get your god hood back, or you could stay here with Rini while I go get the sword with Gabrielle. Which will it be?"
~*~*~*~*~
Rini growled at the warrior woman. "You think you're going to leave me here? As if! Come on Ares. I don't see why we need them."
Ares rolled his eyes. "I can't get to Olympus without some help, little one."
"Oh this is bloody wonderful. Stuck with a wimpy war god, a woman warrior who killed my life and an annoying blonde. Yippie." Rini said sarcastically.
"Xena has sav..." Gabrielle began her redeemed speech again, only to have a dagger at her throat.
"Sweetly, dear..." Rini began, whispering in her hear. "If you tell me one more time that I should forgive, understand why, or anything similar to that, I'll be drinking your blood for dinner."
The servant of Ares released the annoying bard and turned to Ares. "What now, my lord?"
Ares looked at Xena. "How do we get to Olympus?"
~*~*~*~*~
Gabrielle stepped back, her staff in hand. "Aphrodite!!"
A bright sprinkle of hearts appeared in the middle of the group, and from that a beautiful woman hugging herself. "Hi little one!" Dite squealed as the glitter vanished and the bard approached.
"Aphrodite, we need a favor." Ares said, stepping up.
The love goddess turned to see her bro standing there, all mortal like. "You're mortal again?" She asked curiously.
Ares nodded. "You remember my servant? Caria?"
The Goddess of Love thought for a moment. "Yea! I member her! The quite one, right?"
Ares nodded. "Is she at Olympus?"
Dite shrugged. "I've been in Sparta for the last three days. But I did hear that Zeus was having some problems with a new goddess. What happened?"
Ares looked at Xena. "We'll explain on the way."
The group got in a small circle and Aphrodite vanished with them all.
~*~*~*~*~
As they appeared from thin air. Xena quickly brought her hand up to catch a chalice that was flying towards Dite and Gabby's head. Xena used her wide linguistic skills and swore in one of those languages. Then quipped, "Well, we must be in the right place, cause this says Zeus all over it. So I say that we follow the path of broken chalices. You agree not so god of war?"
~*~*~*~*~
Ares laughed half heartedly. "Dad's going to kill me."
Dite nodded in agreement. "As if that's new."
Rini smiled and walked down the hall beside the woman warrior. The others followed down the hallway and Rini kept eyeing Xena but finally grew tired of it.
"Look warrior." Rini began. "I know that I got to work with you though this but is there any way that I can trust you?"
Xena nodded as an arrow flew toward Rini's head. Xena caught it and Rini smiled. There, before all of them, stood the new, blue eyed black headed goddess.
"Caria!" Ares bellowed. "I'm going to kill you!"
Caria laughed. "I've been waiting for this, Rini!"
Rini looked confused. "What are you talking about? We were the best of friends."
Caria eyed her angrily. "You don't remember anything do you? I should have known."
Rini looked at her in an confused look. "What are you talking about?"
Caria took a step toward her. "You're the one in brought this warrior to our village. It's your fault our lives were destroyed..."
~*~*~*~*~
"You're kidding." Rini said with anger in her voice. " I didn't do anything, I was only a child and so were you"
"Come one Rini, It was you and your stupid game that brought the destruction to Cirrah ...."
"Game....it was just a child's play....it didn't cause the destruction, Xena destroyed Cirrah for her own pleasure." Rini said looking at Xena, who quietly had stood beside them listening to the accusation.
"Rini...I don't know how to tell you this..." Xena started to say when suddenly someone yelled: " Ares, I should have known that this mess was your fault."
"Great, dad's here". Ares said and tried to hide behind Xena.
~*~*~*~*~
Zeus was furious!!! He'd been chasing this bloody servant everywhere all morning as she terrorized the other gods. Aphrodite was having at fit at what the wretched child had done in her room! Zeus knew, from the moment he saw the child, it was Ares fault.
"A...R...E...S!!!" The Great God bellowed at his son.
Ares winced from the voice, holding his hands to his ears. "Yea dad?"
Zeus pointed to Caria and Rini who stood there arguing with one another. "What is the meaning of this?"
"I can explain." The bard said, stepping up in Ares' defense.
Zeus crossed his arms, waiting.
"It's a kinda long story..."
"Shut up bard!" Rini growled. "This girl," She said, referring to Caria. "Stole Ares sword after drugging him. We're here to get it back." She eyed the bard. "Was that so long?"
Gabrielle's eyes narrowed.
Zeus rolled his eyes and the sword vanished from Caria's hands. "HEY!" She screamed as her immortality vanished from her. Rini laughed as the mortal was sent screaming to Tartarus.
Rini looked over to Xena to see the woman warrior giving a confused look. "What is this game she is talking about?"
Rini looked down at her feet. "You don't remember?" Xena shook her head. "It was a long time ago." Rini said. "Caria and I were just small children, as Callisto was... well... our mother in one way to put it. We loved her dearly." She glared at Xena angrily but then gazed back to her feet. "Caria and I decided to play a game... a game of wits with your approaching army. We went to the first in command, who was not very hard to find. We teased him, angered him, you know what all. He eventually, no doubt, talked you into attacking Cirrah."
Xena thought back to her hairy warlord who had been 1st. She nodded. "I see now."
Gabrielle smiled, thinking it would lift some kind of weight off her shoulders but Rini refused to take the blame she no doubt deserved. "I still hate you. We were children. You should have been able to say no."
Xena was about to argue when Zeus grew tired of the silly grubbling girls. He cursed and sent them back to their spots, Ares in Athens with Rini and Xena and Gabrielle in some village far, far away from Athens.
Ares smiled at Rini when back at his temple with his godhood. "It'll be okay."
Rini growled softly, thinking about her anger. She'd get that warrior woman... if it was the last thing she'd do.
~*~*~*~*~
THE END!