DISCLAIMER The characters of Xena belong to MCA/Universal, Renaissance, and
TPTB, and are used here without permission
It has been months since the destruction of the Gods. Ares now mortal sat alone in the cold suddenly with an unexplained urge he moved outside his cabin, a far cry compared to his palaces and Olympus. The thought of Olympus once again bringing sorrow to his heart.
The fire now lit, and a fog around the hill. Ares looked at his dog who sat there looking at him, despite what he may call him to others in his thoughts he called the dog 'Naya' which in the old tongue that can not be pronounced by the mortals of this time means 'friend with innocent soul'.
I am looking at Naya and I can see in his eyes the question of why I left the cozy cabin for the outside. How do I explain to him that inside there I do not feel cozy but instead damp, claustrophobic, mortal? How do I explain why I did what I did? Does it even matter? And the answer to that is that it does matter. Naya is not just an animal he is exactly what his name says a friend, and he deserves to be treated as a friend. 'Oh Zeus have the mighty fallen so much that we know look at dogs as equals' and I laugh for there is no we; there is no Zeus.
Naya comes closer and starts licking me perhaps to show that he does understand, but most likely because he can hear the pain in the laugh.
'I well tell you why I did what I did, old friend' and as I say this Naya sits on my lap. 'Xena, Hercules and many other mortals ask themselves why we the Gods are so cruel...were so cruel' Naya is looking at the fire and my hand is gently stroking his fur. I make my voice softer so that Naya is calmer, and I realize without the shock that I should expect I truly love this beast.
'We have been in existence when the earth was still in infancy; we have been alive for millennia's. Despite what anybody says they cannot imagine that, how can they when they have lived for barely 30 years. All gods have great memory, while a human can forget what happened a week ago, a month ago, we Gods had a hard task forgetting what happened a century ago let alone a year.'
I think I hear something and as I look around I finally relax because I cannot see anybody 'And we were very involved with our jobs. Despite what everybody thinks we the Gods did not choose what we would be Gods of. Now Xena she chose to be a warrior, Gabrielle chose to be a warrior bard, Hercules chose to be a hero, oh they may have been pushed. I pushed Xena to become a killer, and Hera pushed Hercules to become a wandering hero. But in the end it was there choice. We the Gods did not have that choice. I did not ask to be a warrior I was created as a warrior, don't get me wrong I liked it.....just as I now like to breathe. But after a while I wanted something else, I could not do anything else because if I did then not only would I be betraying myself but I would be betraying everybody...I've told you the story of me losing my sword'
I swear I heard another movement and this time I get up 'Show yourself!' and just as I am going to walk towards a bush where I a rabbit comes out. Naya is barking happily, and I realize how stupid I am, we are downhill surely if there are any trespassers Naya would have heard them.
I sit again with Naya a smile tugging at my lips, but behind that smile there is a sadness *who would see me know anyway*
'Anyway days turned months, months to centuries, centuries to millennia's and to stop myself from going insane with boredom I like every God decided to entertain myself with mortals. And that my furry friend is why we Gods were such Bastards.'
Naya barks and I can not help to scratch his head, it does my heart good to hear his content sigh. 'Don't worry I'm getting to the part why I helped Xena....I told you that we Gods could not change our roles, but that is not true. There is one God who changed his role, this God was created as the God of Butchery and he was called Deathwalker. When he was created the other Gods used his abilities, but they all feared him. Despite the fact that without his abilities the Titans and their minions would have destroyed the Gods all the other Gods treated him just as they saw him..a stone cold killer. This God created a code for himself and started living by that code, and then this God starting using strategy as well as his weapon to attack his enemies. The God became known as Deathwalker the Warrior God. And after the Titans were defeated and Deathwalker had put down his dreaded axe Khanash, Zeus saw that Deathwalker would be more useful as part of the family. A big celebration to celebrate the victory over the titans was called which surprised many since it had been a while since the Titans had been defeated; in this victory he renamed Deathwalker the Butcher or Deathwalker the Warrior God into Ares God of War. Surprisingly his ploy worked little by little the Gods stopped fearing him although the distrust never truly went away, but due to his calling that was to be expected. The God Ares had no friends, imagine that. To live millennia but not having any friends'
Naya looks at me with disbelieving eyes, and I can't help to wonder how smart he is. I do not want pity so I continue with my tale 'Although Ares made love to many woman, he did not love any of them except one, but that is another story.'
Now is not the time to talk about Lucianda 'This was not surprising for Ares was supposed to have no feelings except hunger for conquest or war. And then he started falling in love again with a woman called Xena. He hurt her time and time again hoping she would hate him, despise him because then once there was no chance of love his feelings would die. Ares feared few things but one was that the pain he would feel after losing Xena would equal the pain of losing Lucianda. But despite the fact Xena hated him, was disgusted by his very presence the love although much diminished never truly died out....So when the time came to save her life despite the fact that it would mean the death of his sister he did it'
With tears in my eyes I finish my saga 'But even though I saved a woman I loved over a woman has given me nothing but pain, it does not change the fact that I am killed my sister. Xena may have struck the sword but I was wielding it'
Naya is looking at me with sorrow filled eyes, perhaps feeling my pain and I whisper to him 'Do you know what Ares meant, Ares meant protector of family'
The mist is so strong now and the stars can hardly be seen...I am filled with self loathing.
Farther away Xena and Gabrielle are both crawling away one in thought the other in tears...It has been a long time since Xena has cried.
It has been months since the destruction of the Gods. Ares now mortal sat alone in the cold suddenly with an unexplained urge he moved outside his cabin, a far cry compared to his palaces and Olympus. The thought of Olympus once again bringing sorrow to his heart.
The fire now lit, and a fog around the hill. Ares looked at his dog who sat there looking at him, despite what he may call him to others in his thoughts he called the dog 'Naya' which in the old tongue that can not be pronounced by the mortals of this time means 'friend with innocent soul'.
I am looking at Naya and I can see in his eyes the question of why I left the cozy cabin for the outside. How do I explain to him that inside there I do not feel cozy but instead damp, claustrophobic, mortal? How do I explain why I did what I did? Does it even matter? And the answer to that is that it does matter. Naya is not just an animal he is exactly what his name says a friend, and he deserves to be treated as a friend. 'Oh Zeus have the mighty fallen so much that we know look at dogs as equals' and I laugh for there is no we; there is no Zeus.
Naya comes closer and starts licking me perhaps to show that he does understand, but most likely because he can hear the pain in the laugh.
'I well tell you why I did what I did, old friend' and as I say this Naya sits on my lap. 'Xena, Hercules and many other mortals ask themselves why we the Gods are so cruel...were so cruel' Naya is looking at the fire and my hand is gently stroking his fur. I make my voice softer so that Naya is calmer, and I realize without the shock that I should expect I truly love this beast.
'We have been in existence when the earth was still in infancy; we have been alive for millennia's. Despite what anybody says they cannot imagine that, how can they when they have lived for barely 30 years. All gods have great memory, while a human can forget what happened a week ago, a month ago, we Gods had a hard task forgetting what happened a century ago let alone a year.'
I think I hear something and as I look around I finally relax because I cannot see anybody 'And we were very involved with our jobs. Despite what everybody thinks we the Gods did not choose what we would be Gods of. Now Xena she chose to be a warrior, Gabrielle chose to be a warrior bard, Hercules chose to be a hero, oh they may have been pushed. I pushed Xena to become a killer, and Hera pushed Hercules to become a wandering hero. But in the end it was there choice. We the Gods did not have that choice. I did not ask to be a warrior I was created as a warrior, don't get me wrong I liked it.....just as I now like to breathe. But after a while I wanted something else, I could not do anything else because if I did then not only would I be betraying myself but I would be betraying everybody...I've told you the story of me losing my sword'
I swear I heard another movement and this time I get up 'Show yourself!' and just as I am going to walk towards a bush where I a rabbit comes out. Naya is barking happily, and I realize how stupid I am, we are downhill surely if there are any trespassers Naya would have heard them.
I sit again with Naya a smile tugging at my lips, but behind that smile there is a sadness *who would see me know anyway*
'Anyway days turned months, months to centuries, centuries to millennia's and to stop myself from going insane with boredom I like every God decided to entertain myself with mortals. And that my furry friend is why we Gods were such Bastards.'
Naya barks and I can not help to scratch his head, it does my heart good to hear his content sigh. 'Don't worry I'm getting to the part why I helped Xena....I told you that we Gods could not change our roles, but that is not true. There is one God who changed his role, this God was created as the God of Butchery and he was called Deathwalker. When he was created the other Gods used his abilities, but they all feared him. Despite the fact that without his abilities the Titans and their minions would have destroyed the Gods all the other Gods treated him just as they saw him..a stone cold killer. This God created a code for himself and started living by that code, and then this God starting using strategy as well as his weapon to attack his enemies. The God became known as Deathwalker the Warrior God. And after the Titans were defeated and Deathwalker had put down his dreaded axe Khanash, Zeus saw that Deathwalker would be more useful as part of the family. A big celebration to celebrate the victory over the titans was called which surprised many since it had been a while since the Titans had been defeated; in this victory he renamed Deathwalker the Butcher or Deathwalker the Warrior God into Ares God of War. Surprisingly his ploy worked little by little the Gods stopped fearing him although the distrust never truly went away, but due to his calling that was to be expected. The God Ares had no friends, imagine that. To live millennia but not having any friends'
Naya looks at me with disbelieving eyes, and I can't help to wonder how smart he is. I do not want pity so I continue with my tale 'Although Ares made love to many woman, he did not love any of them except one, but that is another story.'
Now is not the time to talk about Lucianda 'This was not surprising for Ares was supposed to have no feelings except hunger for conquest or war. And then he started falling in love again with a woman called Xena. He hurt her time and time again hoping she would hate him, despise him because then once there was no chance of love his feelings would die. Ares feared few things but one was that the pain he would feel after losing Xena would equal the pain of losing Lucianda. But despite the fact Xena hated him, was disgusted by his very presence the love although much diminished never truly died out....So when the time came to save her life despite the fact that it would mean the death of his sister he did it'
With tears in my eyes I finish my saga 'But even though I saved a woman I loved over a woman has given me nothing but pain, it does not change the fact that I am killed my sister. Xena may have struck the sword but I was wielding it'
Naya is looking at me with sorrow filled eyes, perhaps feeling my pain and I whisper to him 'Do you know what Ares meant, Ares meant protector of family'
The mist is so strong now and the stars can hardly be seen...I am filled with self loathing.
Farther away Xena and Gabrielle are both crawling away one in thought the other in tears...It has been a long time since Xena has cried.