10

They kept their heads down although there wasn't any sign of the beast nor was there any other life as they stared at the cavern that was surely the lair of the beast, a big void in the mountainside before a dry flattened expance dotted with disgarded scales and claw sheaths which in the gloom looked more scary." Right I'm going in." Lycus said hefting his shield ready to go and he couldn't wait to get on with it. Xena raised her hand." Wait, there's a rat snooping around I want to have a word with first." she said pointedly and they moved back as Ares suddenly appeared looking less than pleased." I take exception to that I'm a god I don't snoop." Xena shrugged her shoulders." So why were you watching us then if you wasn't snooping? The question is, who for? " Ares pursed his lips he assumed an indifferent air then he turned suddenly flashed a devistating smile at Gabrielle." ARES." Xena shouted wondering what he was up to and the god looked back at her very annoyed, he didn't like being shouted at by mortals, it just wasn't the done thing." Hey I'm not deaf. So what's your problem." he glared at her and Xena went on." You've been behind this all along, pulling everyone's strings. You started getting the gods to fight each other and you tricked Helios at the Amazon village that was some feat useing Zeus to keep him in one place." Ares sighed and looked bored." One dosn't use the king of the gods." Xena smirked. " No? manipulate then, and messing with Aphrodite's spell my that has gotta be a no no in the rule book as well, but for what ? because it wasn't just to keep me off my guard with what it was doing to Gabrielle." " You have been busy working all that out." Ares chuckled." I gotta admit I did enjoy watching you with your little girlfriend getting her knickers in a twist." Gabrielle groaned reddening at the thorght of him watching them as they made love. Xena stiffened and growled as the God of War bent close to the girl, Gabrielle felt his hot breath on her face. Normally she would have been repelled by it but instead she was instantly stimulated and felt herself swoon. Then he looked back at Xena for her reaction, he got none but he knew it was killing Xena to see him affect the bard like that. He turned his full attention on Xena again and she felt the same wave of heat go through her. though it was the fire of battle that drove her, the feeling and need to distroy and she forght to keep it in check. He was trying to make her lose it she thorght and Ares purred smugly Xena shook her head." You bastard you are still trying to get me to kill Zeus for you." Ares smiled." Not you alone, Thyrus It's stronger but I had to get Zeus to come this way, it wasn't hard you had seriously upset him with what you did at the village." Xena stood back realiseing she had been tricked again. She had seen him strike Zeus during the battle and hadn't thorght of it since. Ares was still trying to involve her in his rotten little plan to take everthing." I won't do it and I'll tell him Ares , I wont help you." she said angrily " That's why I'm takeing a little insurance, the bard. You will fight Zeus or I will have her, front, back and sideways before I kill her. How is that for an incentive." He grinned wickedly then grabbing Gabrielle he flashed out taking her with him.

Xena swore." Well done way to go Warrior you really told him." Lycus said angrily and he gave her a slow hand clap an ironic applause for what she had done and Joxer looked panic stricken." He didn't mean it. He wouldn't do that would he? where has he taken her " his face greyed with fear." Probably to the Halls of War." Xena knew only too well that the god would do as he threatened her mind raced trying to think out the possibilities and her options but all she could think of was the worst of them. Not that not her not Gabrielle. She might have known Ares would hit below the belt but he had never used the rape card to her, until now. To threaten Gabrielle with that, it was just the pits. Gabrielle was always the perfect victim to him in their deadly game but he hadn't gone this far before. She had hit upon the true reason for what was happening but she had pushed Ares too far in saying so. Now he was going to make her pay for it and punish her by useing Gabrielle to get his way because she had shot her mouth off at him." But that's leagues away it will take ages, we'll never save her." Joxer moaned breaking her thorghts he was sickened by the thorght of what Ares threatened and Xena knew she could never get to Gabrielle in time, the girl would be raped and dead long before she got there and Gabrielle in the currant state she was in. Xena shuddered in sudden horror. Even normally Gabrielle wouldn't be able to fight him off it but the way she was now it would be impossible for her, oh this was a real nightmare and if she were able to save her how would Gabrielle be then? how would she feel ? Xena could barely keep herself from exploding and she had to remind herself that it was what Ares wanted. An angry and uncontolled Xena would be so easy for him to manipulate. That was no good this was not the time to be angry, she had to think of a way if she wanted to get Gabrielle back safe and she had to keep her mind focused or the god of war would not only have his way with the bard he would get his heavanly kingdom all to himself. She couldn't let that happen no matter what happened to her, or Gabrielle.

As soon as Ares set Gabrielle on her feet she let her fists fly yelling." It's your fault it, you did this to me." Ares blocked every blow she tried to land and he pushed her away as if swatting a fly. Gabrielle fell to her knees and tried to collect her thorghts as she caught her breath and she began to look around the chamber. There were swords and shields hanging from the walls, a fire burning in the grate and a huge bed covered in furs set against one wall, it was very austire but it was clean and tidy, it wasn't a cell but she was a prisoner non the less and she felt very alone and vunerable all of a sudden. She was in the god's own chamber in his Hall and temple and it was a long way from the mountains, Xena was far away and couldn't help her." Don't bother looking for an escape yes it was me but dont think this is about you, like I said Xena needed an incentive and what better way than to take you off the scene. Dont think you are of any importance." " It was more than that, what you said was more than just taking me off the scene. Your gonna use me to make Xena do what you want." she said accusingly as he bent to pick her up. The touch of his hands on her sent a shiver down her spine as she lay in his arms and he laughed at the way she blushed again knowing what it was doing to her and what she was feeling. He tossed her on to the bed amongst the furs like she was a feather and Gabrielle groaned." No Ares." Ares leant over and Gabrielle felt a blast of pure sexual desire that she couldn't resist as he smiled down at her." The way you are right now it wont be much of a rape, will it? I want the throne and Xena knows I'll do anything to get it and if she goes against me she will know you have suffered because of her. So you see it's a win, win situation for me." his voice growled full of cruel menace behind the smile. Gabrielle sat upright." It wont and you know it, Xena will stop you NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS." Gabrielle couldn't help from shouting defiantly and Ares smiled." That's why I said I will have you. Do you think she will defy me knowing that? Oh I could give you to one of my armies but Xena would make short work of them to get you back and it would hurt her more to know that it was me, that I did it, It will remind her of all the times we had." He let the words hang there between them letting their meaning sink in. Gabrielle remembered Xena once telling her of when she had given herself to the god and the bard had wondered what it would be like but now she didn't want to know and she watched him as he walked across the room." Either way you had better pray Xena thinks more of you than of making any peace with Zeus." Before she could answer Ares disappeared in a wave of hot sparks.

Gabrielle sank back and buried her face and let her stinging eyes and hot tears fall and wet the pillow of soft fur. Xena had made her frustrations easy to endure but now every once of her body was screaming to be made love to. What a joke, Ares was going to rape and kill her if Xena didn't do as he demanded and if it wasn't so horrible an idea she would have laughed at it. But it wasn't funny when her body was betraying her like this and she tried not to think of it but her mind was playing tricks on her and she only felt worse, she didn't want to find herself enjoying it with Ares. She had accused Xena of infedelity with Ephiny because she had felt betrayed and jealous, but she had never thorght what it must have been like with Ares. She didn't want to think of it now but that damn spell was makeing her think of things. She might well of thorght it in the moments when she had been at her most frustrated but now she didn't want see the pornographic images running through her head. Xena had accused her of acting like a whore in a fit of rage was that because of the spell too? when she had the chance to do it with Lycus she couldn't because her love for Xena had been the barrier. She couldn't think of anyone than Xena and she couldn't think of doing it with anyone else other than Xena. Ares had been behind that too it had all but tore them apart with the pain of jealousy but it was also what had stopped her from doing what she would have regretted. They were just getting over that but how would Xena feel if she thorght she had enjoyed what Ares intended. It would be the ultimate betrayal and not just because it was Ares. Though she would be dead she couldn't bare the thorght of Xena thinking such a thing of her.

" What was that about a spell?" Lycus asked breaking the silence as they sat there watching the sky slowly darken. Nobody dared to mention the words and say what they were thinking and neither man wanted to broach the subject as they saw the storm that was in Xena's face. Xena was fighting her own battle inside just trying to hold back the anger and fear she was feeling. It felt like a knife in her gut and there was nothing she could do to stop it and Gabrielle's sexual longing and her frustration put another spin on the situation with Ares mixed up spell had done to her. It wasn't right Gabrielle had suffered quite enough lately she didn't deserve this. Lycus question rang in her head suddenly and she stared at him and Joxer looked away." Aphrodite put a spell on us as a kind of thank you but Ares doctored it and it had adverse effects." she said flatly." What sort of effects?" Lycus asked innocently and Joxer gave him a dig in the ribs, Xena rolled her eyes." Just know it did." she said flatly." I have a question." Joxer said suddenly and gulped as Xena turned her killer gaze to him." What are we going to do about it? we can't leave her to be." he stopped and couldn't say what they all knew. For once he wasn't blustering it came from the genuine concern he felt and it touched Xena deeply as she saw it was hurting him too. But of course it would Joxer loved her too she realised." I'd be lying if I said I knew what to do. I messed up and Gabrielle is going to be hurt for it." she admitted. The two men looked at each other and Joxer said." And you can't kill Zeus either our lives wouldn't be worth a dinar if Ares wins."and Joxer sighed." But that means we'll be condeming Gabrielle to,to, and not even you could can be in two places at the same time to stop that." he finished with difficulty and Xena's mouth quirked sadly she couldn't come up with anything to make him feel better and she left the men sitting there in the encroaching darkness waiting for the morning to come.

" So sad." A voice said behind her and Xena turned to see Aphrodite looking apropriately dressed in a dark blue diaphanus chiton that hid her curves in it's silken folds." Well you've done enough damage between you and your family if your so upset by it don't you do something Goddess of Love." Xena said thickly Aphrodite stared at her." What do you expect me to do! barge into the Halls of War and rescue Gabby it's more your line of work than me." Xena sighed." You could take me there." " Yes but Dad is waiting for you to show your face at dawn and Ar is epecting you to try something, you'll have the both of them to contend with and I'll be in for a grilling if they found I'd helped you, bro is a real mean b when he's feeling vengeful." Aphrodite said with a shudder and Xena frowned." Are you saying you wont?" Aphrodite struggled visibly with that, she had come because she had felt the love's hurt between her two best. Xena and Gabrielle were meant to be together and Ares interferance with her potions and abduction of the bard was a total affront to her ministrations as the Deity of all that was love. Since this war had begun love was being pushed out and she had felt the same everywhere and it was turning the world into a chaotic shambles ." No I think I'm saying I will. " Aphrodite said deciding finally.

Xena looked into the eyes of the would be warrior." Joxer do you really want to help?" Xena asked suddenly and Joxer looked hurt." Of course I do oh I know what you think I'll screw it up or something but I would do anything to get Gabrielle back safe." Xena smiled." No I just want you to know the risk and what it will mean if we lose." he sighed. " I know what it will mean." She looked at the young man who hadn't said anything expecting him to complain or something but Lycus nodded." i want to help." If Xena could get Gabrielle back then he was still in with a chance and she wouldn't be around to stop him from killing the beast he thorght. Xena rose slowly." It won't be easy and it's going to take a good deal of timeing. We'er going to change places." she said looking at Joxer. " What!" " I'll explain listen will you." She growled and he jumped in utter surprise." I'm going to be YOU." he said in a small voice. They didn't have much time as she saw the sun begin to rise above the horizon and Xena told them what she was going to do.

Zeus much prefered to fly it was more impressive than just appearing in front of mortals which he thorght was unnessesarily flash as he came to stand some feet from the woman who had just walked out into the open space." So what's this I can't believe you are giveing up?" " No I'm just fed up with this, arn't you? chaseing me around. You know you've been had, taken for a fool. Ares started this to keep you busy while he's worked to take your throne from you." Xena said slowly moveing toward the edge." He introduced you to Lysippe didn't he knowing you would take more than a passing interest in her and that set the other gods on a path of confrontation." she said. There wasn't much point in her trying to make peace with him so she was going to tell him the truth in the hope he would get it. Zeus was showing increasing annoyance he didn't like what she was refering to and he didn't like being called a fool and he suddenly threw a bolt at Xena. She jumped clear and he threw another and she somasaulted sideways as a third bolt flashed past her and went into the cave's mouth. There was a sudden roar from inside and Thyrus lumbered out and let out a flash of fire from it's mouth at Zeus covering him in flames and Xena jumped again behind a clump of bushes while the king of the gods was busy with an infuriated drakon.

She began to quickly strip, first the breastplate dropped to the ground and then the battledress followed by the gauntlets, greaves and boots. Joxer stood naked and she tossed her stuff over to him while Lycus helped him to dress into Xena's various pieces and plonking the wig cut from his fur jacket completed the disquise. Then the two men ran out to the open to join in and confuse the situation further as Xena dressed in Joxer's mess of an outfit disapeared with the goddess.

Aphrodite was still giggling when she appeared with Xena at the edge of the sea cliffs above the temple complex. Seeing Xena dressed as Joxer was funny but Joxer had looked apsolutely ridiculus in Xena's battledress and phoney hair and she was still laughing about it. Xena looked at her." Are you sure you want to stay out here will you be alright?" Aphrodite shook her head." I wont be able to go in I have no powers in his domain so you have to bring Gabby out and then I can get her away, it's a pity I would have loved to see you kick Ar's ass for him." she said with a naughty looking grin. Xena was surprised." The Goddess of Love approveing of physical violence! that's not like you." Aphrodite crossed her arms over her sparcely covered chest." Normally no but in this case he's messed with all of us and besides he's really asked for this." Xena looked at her and nodded." Ok be ready then." and then she turned and walked to the thick stone outer wall and began to climb to the top.

Thanks to all who have taken an interest and your thorghts are welcome Sorry this chapter has taken so long to do but I hope I got it right.