A New Project II
It had been three days since Xena had left Corinth. Since she'd left her army. Left Borias. Solan. Oh, she'd return to her army. She'd already given orders for them to withdraw and regroup near Thebes. She'd be meeting them in a week. But Borias, his face, she knew she'd never see again. The last look would haunt her forever. The pride and longing he'd carried for the child they'd created ripped at what she had left of her accursed heart. She wished she could rid herself once and for all of the silly sentiments that sometimes oozed from her valves and wracked her body with grief, and worse, hope. What had she been thinking giving that baby to the Centaurs? She should have run the infant through! He'd only grow to hate her. She was certain that Kaleipus would raise the child to despise her. Fate, she was sure, would bring the boy back into her life. And what then? When she was face to face with him as an opponent, would she be able to kill her own son? Her mind, her black soul answered without hesitation in the affirmative. But her heart, her heart wasn't so sure.
She supposed one good thing had come out of Corinth. She'd finally met Ares, the God of War, face to face. She used to wonder what he looked like. As a child, she obsessed about the deity her father so blindly followed, off to war, away from his family, away from her. Ares hadn't proved as impressive as she'd expected him to be. He didn't look gruesome or blood thirsty. She'd seen harder warriors lurking in the corners of roadside inns. Ares was quite the opposite, he was ridiculously handsome and alluring. But she guessed devils were meant to be tempting. What had he meant by being her ally, anyway? She wasn't the type to pay tribute to a god, if that's what he was expecting. And frankly, she was doing fine all on her own. If Borias hadn't turned yellow, they'd be dining in the Corinthian palace tonight. No, she wasn't interested in following any god. Still, she wondered if he could tell her where she could find her father.
The sound of clashing metal brought Xena out of her reverie. She quickly scanned the area and listened deeply, the way that Lao Ma had taught her, outside of herself. Six, maybe seven bandits on the road up ahead. Probably attacking a traveling vendor. Xena would let them finish with the salesman and then see what the bandits had to offer. Quickly dismounting she patted her horse's haunches. Xena scrambled up a tall oak and traveled Amazon style until she could see the action below her. A half-dozen thugs accosted a poor vendor. The man had little more than the coin in his purse. His wares were paltry, his clothes virtual tatters.
As Xena watched the goons manhandle the piss ant of a man, she felt an odd disturbance in the air. She felt as if she was being watched the same way she watched the men below. She checked the treetops above her, there was no one visible. She looked in all directions, nothing. She caught a scent on the wind. It was a new scent to her but unforgettable. Leather and war. Ares was here. But where? Did he have an interest in these men? Were they working with him? What could he gain from attacking an impoverished merchant? If the merchant had something of value then it must have been on the cart somewhere, because the ruffians had stripped the skinny man bare and were kicking him back and forth between themselves.
Xena somersaulted out of the tree and landed in the middle of the melee. The men looked up from their fun, astonished.
"Well, well, boys, whadda we got here?" A well-muscled man, who Xena assumed to be the leader, turned his full attention to the warrior woman.
Ares had been amused by Xena's dramatic entrance. 'Well, she certainly has flourish,' he thought. 'Now let's see if she has any close-combat skills.'
Ares watched in sheer surprise as Xena cut the men's limbs from their torsos as if they were mere flies. When it was all said and done, she stood covered in blood, brains, and bile. She grabbed the merchant by the head of his hair. "So what do you have that is so important to the God of War?" she whispered.
"What?" the man clearly had no idea what she was talking about.
"The only thing of interest to the God of War here is you, my dear," Ares clapped at her handiwork. "And, I must admit. You are truly impressive. You enjoy it!"
Xena shook her head as she looked up to see him standing in the roadway before her.
"Oh, don't bother denying it. Look at you. You're flush with desire. The heat of battle arouses you. You lips are reddened as if kissed by war itself. Your nipples puckered. I'm certain if I ran my hand up your skirt, I'd find you ready for my sword."
"The question is, Ares. Are you ready for mine?" Xena asked and brought her blade up to challenge him.
Ares guffawed and drew his weapon. He'd watched her take down the men. He held an advantage. He'd seen her fight, knew her few weaknesses. She'd never seen him use a sword before.
"Are you going to finish with him or are you saving him for dessert?" Ares waved his blade toward the merchant.
"Oh that," Xena commented dryly and with the twirl of her blade, ran the man straight through the heart. "I'm all yours now."
"Truer words have never been spoken, my dear, dear Xena."
Xena came at him savagely, aggressively. That was her biggest flaw. She lacked patience. She was all fierce fury. It was going to get her killed. Ares parried each thrust, blocked every blow with a grin on his dastardly face.
Xena backed off when she realized that the son-of-a-whore was toying with her. It infuriated her beyond reason. She'd show him. Swinging her blade with renewed determination, she came at him fast. She hadn't expected him to dodge. She was expecting another parry, one she would roll out of and attack his exposed flank.
But he had dodged and swiftly brought his blade across her ass, spanking her with his sword.
"I could've killed you just now. But I have plans for you. Bow to me, swear your allegiance."
"I answer to no god. Only to my destiny." She turned. Shame sat on her face at being bested but she wasn't giving up yet. She brought her sword back at the ready.
"And what is your destiny?"
"I told you. I, Xena: Warrior Princess, am going to be the Destroyer of Nations."
"No, Xena. no. You are destined for far more than that. You, my Warrior Princess, will be the Ruler of Empires. Better to be feared by those you vanquish than to destroy everything and have no one to worship you."
Xena gave it some thought. He had a point. She charged at him again. This time she was ready for him to dodge or parry. But she hadn't been expecting him to disappear outright. Her forward momentum sent her flying to the ground face first. She heard him chuckle although she couldn't see him.
"Cheat," she called as she stood up and brushed herself off.
Suddenly, she felt him behind her again. His hands on her. The same battlelust that raged through her earlier coursed through her with renewed vigor. She'd never felt sexual excitement so intense. His hands roamed over her body freely, warmly, touching everywhere at once, it seemed. She shuddered against him.
"Think about, Xena. Call for me when you're ready." Then the heat was gone. She was standing in the road with nothing but cold, dead bodies.
