GABRIELLE, TITAN
by VP19
Disclaimer: The Xena and Hercules characters are the properties of Renaissance Pictures and Universal. No endorsement of this story by Renaissance or Universal has been given or is implied.
Note: This episode is set during the early seasons of the series.
Chapter 1
"I don't know if I've ever told you this, Xena, but--I..."
"You what?" Xena said with a grin.
"...I envy you for all the feats that you can do," Gabrielle said, slamming down her staff on the ground with extra emphasis. "You have such incredible strength and agility."
"Since we've met, you've really improved your ability in battle," Xena replied. "I don't mean to sound patronizing, but you've become a good little warrior."
"That's the problem--little," Gabrielle said. "For all the improvement I've made, I will never have your prowess simply because of my size."
"The Fates blessed me with the advantages of stature and physical strength, just as they blessed you with the ability to be a bard. I envy you for your talents."
Gabrielle smiled. "True, but if you worked and worked at it, you could make yourself a bard if you wanted to. I can never be as big and strong as you. At times, I wish I were, just to know what it's like."
"Most of the men I fight are bigger and stronger than me," Xena said. "Physical prowess is wonderful, but you have to have the mind and determination to go with it. Don't cry over what you don't have." She paused. "I doubt we'll reach town before nightfall. Take that right fork up the road, go to the lake and get us some fish for lunch. I'll take the left fork and set up a camp. See you in a little while."
"Sure," Gabrielle said, examining her staff to see if it could serve as a fishing pole.
* * *
"So you've heard of ambrosia?" Moclanus asked his new assistant Corocles as they sat at a table in the alchemist's house.
"Who hasn't, sir? It's the golden food that turns mortals into immortal gods."
"Are you aware that there is another form of ambrosia?"
The youthful Corocles squinted at him. "What are you talking about?"
Moclanus smiled. "It is even rarer than the golden ambrosia. You know about the Titans?"
"Certainly. They were a race of giants whom the gods defeated and turned into stone."
"Well, it turns out the Titans had their own version of ambrosia. It's purple, and--"
"Let me guess," Corocles interjected. "Any mortal who consumes purple ambrosia becomes a Titan?"
"Grows to titan size is more like it." The alchemist paused. "It's extremely rare, but I have been able to find a small supply of this purple ambrosia." He pointed to a cupboard. "I retrieved from the cavern where the Titans are now reposed in stone."
"So what are you going to do with it? Take it and become a giant?"
"No, for the simple reason that any mortal eating it would rapidly outgrow any clothes, causing all sorts of problems with modesty and comfort. Even a giant is quite vulnerable when naked."
"I suppose so," Corocles said, smiling.
"Instead, I have been able to duplicate the formula in liquid form. For example, you could immerse a group of soldiers in a public bath, put a cup of the liquid purple ambrosia into the water, and soon you would have a battalion of titan-sized soldiers in battle gear, ready to fight."
"The armor might be a bit rusty, but I guess the trade-off would be worth it," Corocles said innocently.
"It is to Seramus," the alchemist said. "I will be paid handsomely for helping his cause."
"Why would you work for him? He's heartless." Moclanus clasped his hands behind his head.
"It's time I looked out for myself. That's all I'll say," returning to his explanation. "It also appears that the effect of the liquid only lasts for a few days before the mortal reverts to normal, and that any water that comes in contact with the liquid will have the growth properties for only a few minutes. There are two other things you should know about purple ambrosia."
"And what are they?"
"First, the gods would love to get their hands on the substance," Moclanus said authoritatively. "They have plenty of powers, but do not have the ability to change their size. It has been said that the first god to consume purple ambrosia and reach titan proportions will become more powerful than Zeus."
"And second?"
"Any mortal who consumes purple ambrosia runs the risk of being turned into stone, just like any Titan, if the proper scroll is read aloud before they return to original size. But let's get back to the matter at hand."
"I'm sure we'll see some warriors come to the lake soon, ready to grow," Corocles said. "Before that happens, Seramus and I agreed that we should try it on a non- soldier, in case there are any side effects we don't know about."
"Don't make me your subject, then," Corocles said.
"I'm sure we'll find one soon."
There was a knock on the door. Corocles opened it to find two warriors holding a small blonde woman captive. She was kicking and screaming, but to no avail. "We found her at the other end of the lake, fishing," one warrior said.
"So?" Moclanus said.
"This is Gabrielle, the bard for Xena," the other warrior said. "We believe she and Xena are headed to town to battle Seramus. My companion Arimedes will hold her prisoner here while I go to the village."
"I see," the alchemist replied.
"Xena will get suspicious if I'm not back by nightfall," Gabrielle said, seething.
"What do we care?" Arimedes replied, laughing derisively. "Tie her up." His fellow warrior quickly did just that.
At the other end of the room, Moclanus whispered to Corocles. "I think I have an idea. Give Arimedes some wine, the most potent wine we have."
"Do you want me to put the liquid ambrosia in it?"
"No, no, that would defeat the whole purpose. Here's my plan..."
* * *
It was now mid-afternoon, and Xena was getting anxious about Gabrielle as she fed Argo and set up camp. "It must be a bad day for fish," she muttered. "She couldn't have lost her way."
* * *
Arimedes enjoyed the company of the alchemist and his aide as he watched over Gabrielle, but he was beginning to grow more drowsy as the day went on. Soon he dozed off while Moclanus and Corocles were in an adjoining room.
My chance to escape, Gabrielle thought to herself. She quietly, but quickly, slithered out of her bond, furtively ran out the door and saw the bank of the lake not far ahead of her.
"Here's our chance," Moclanus said after hearing her leave. "Go out the side door."
"Sure," Corocles said, running out with a cup of the liquid purple ambrosia.
As Gabrielle dove into the lake, not looking back, Corocles ran to the edge of the water, quickly poured the purple liquid into the lake, then ran back into the house. "Are you certain this will work?" he asked Moclanus.
"It should."
"What's the point in doing it with her?" the assistant said. "She's fighting Seramus."
"There's something about human nature you don't understand, my young man." He smiled. "How will she and Xena be able to work together when Gabrielle--the smaller and weaker partner--is suddenly five times Xena's size? Xena will feel humiliated, puny, and Gabrielle will be unaccustomed to her new stature and probably will savor being the bigger one, but people will be scared of her. It will foment dissension between Gabrielle and Xena--while Seramus and his troops coast to an easy victory. By the time the women warriors straighten things out between them, Gabrielle will have returned to her original size."
Corocles shook his head. "I hope you're right. Otherwise Seramus will have our heads."
"In that case, we become titans."
* * *
A feeling of ease fell over Gabrielle's body as she swam along the lake. As she remembered it, the area she fished in was at the other end, some distance away. Funny, she thought as she continued her stroke, it doesn't seem quite so far as it did. Must be the excitement of escape.
As she swam, her left arm hit against a fish. She picked it up out of the water; it looked awfully tiny. No surprise given her lack of success before her capture, she thought. Did the warriors take the fish at the other end? If not, they may still be good for supper...
Not too many minutes later, she reached the end of the lake and climbed ashore. This wasn't the area she had originally been in, she thought. Look at all those dwarf trees, barely taller than she was.
"I must be lost," Gabrielle said to herself, shaking herself to dry off. "Perhaps Xena is nearby."
She began yelling. "Xena! Xena!!", then stubbed the toe of her still-wet boot. She picked up the small object, which amused her. It looked like a miniature version of her staff turned fishing pole, with several more tiny fish nearby.
Xena heard a loud cry from Gabrielle. "She must be lost," she muttered. "But I didn't think the lake was quite so close. Come with me, Argo. We must find her."
Moclanus looked out the from the front door, and could make out an unnaturally large female figure at the other end of the lake. "My boy, I think it works!" he said, shaking Corocles' hand. "Go to Seramus' camp and have him send us some soldiers."