21. The weapon
"You'll need to be a bit more specific than that!" Ares said, visibly annoyed.
"The weapon…we've found it…"
"Are you sure?"
"I think so…"
"Wait a sec…"
Hades stopped his line of thoughts while Ares crossed the room and placed his son on a comfortable couch.
"Stay here Adam…Daddy needs to talk to your uncle here about something really important ok?"
The boy nodded and made himself comfortable on the cozy couch.
"Do you want me to cover you?"
Adam approved, his eyes already closing in…He was tired and drained after all that training with his father. Ares waved his hand and a blanket appeared over his tiny body. The God then caressed his curly hair a moment longer before returning his attention to Hades.
"I'm all ears!" he said with a suddenly serious face, now standing in front of Hades.
The King of the Gods put a book on the table next to him, where maps were spread around.
"What's this?"
"You will see…" he replied searching through the book until he found the right page and pointed his finger at it. "This…this is it!"
Ares took a good look at it.
"A drawn arrow?...Are you telling me that this kind of arrow alone is the one weapon to kill the ever so feared Dahak?" Ares's voice was full of sarcasm. He would have expected something far more challenging.
Hades only nodded and looked at Ares's mocking face.
"It must be... That's what it is said at the bottom of the page: 'The only weapon to kill darkness itself.'" Hades read to make his point.
"We sure looked for everything in that library and before Dahak invaded our home we searched there too… the only thing we've found is this…something that we didn't even know about. It looks like this is it." he only added.
"It's just a freaking arrow, I would have expected something else…Plus where can we even find it….and how in the world did you get this information, anyway?"
Ares was beginning to lose his patience but he kept his voice down not wanting to disturb his son.…
"It wasn't me who found it… Persephone did…She joined us some couple of days ago because she hated to stay alone and…"
"It doesn't matter how and why she joined really…So…are you saying it was in my library?"
"Yes…"
"That's strange because I checked every single book in that damned place, and I didn't see it."
"Well, apparently you didn't do such a great job since my wife found it…The truth is that it was in a dark corner, ditched there, pried from our eyes. She and Aphrodite were chatting when they noticed this book and my wife took it and it so happened that she looked through it- women curiosities- and showed it to me afterwards." Hades answered, taking his eyes off Ares and searching for a map that he just knew he had placed in there…
"Here…This is the place we need to go if we want to retrieve the arrow."
Ares frowned.
"It's not our domain."
"No…and those gods are really possessive of their things…But you will be just fine if you won't draw to much attention to yourself….and that's why I'm coming with you."
"No you are not."
"Ares…"
"I'm going, but alone…"
"Look…I know that you're not well, that your powers are not stable, you took energy from your son and you took some blows too, this little adventure might not have a happy ending for you unless you accept some extra help…"
"I'm fine…I'm not…"
"Don't…you know that travelling so far will take most of your energy, plus our powers are limited there as it is… You can't go alone. Think about your children." the King of the Gods ended on a'we are not discussing this anymore' tone,butthe God of War was, as usual, very stubborn.
"I'm afraid I can't leave then…I won't let my family behind, here with all the gods…so it's your choice uncle…Either I leave alone or I don't leave at all."
"You would put all of us in danger, including Xena, Adam and Eve. Just…"
"If you hadn't insisted for you all to reside here we wouldn't even be having this discussion right now. You'll have to promise me, Hades that when I leave, you will make sure they are your responsibility until I return, that's the deal. You will keep my family safe. No deal no arrow! "
Hades stood there trying to figure out a way to solve this situation. Ares was in no condition to go there alone.
"Look, I will come back, with that arrow intact, just look over Xena and my children while I'm away…I'm not asking you anything more than to keep those gods in their place…and away from my family."
"Ok…I promise!" Hades agreed a few seconds later, seeing that he had no chance in the world to convince Ares otherwise- his nephew was very adamant and hard to win over when he set his mind on something- especially when his family was concerned- Hades must have known better.
"Perfect…I will leave first thing in the morning…I will need that…" he said, taking the book from his uncle's hands.
"Of course." Hades concluded.
The God of War moved across the room where Adam was sleeping peacefully…He took his son slowly in his arms, careful to not wake him up, his little head resting on his father's chest now.
"Hades…Adam would probably stay with Dite until I come back…he does have some difficulties with controlling his powers and if…you know, Dite is not actually used to that kind of powers, so if he needs…"
"I will help him."
"Thanks!"
"You know he looks so much like you when you were little…I mean, look at those curls; you had your head full of them too." the King of the Gods approached the sleeping boy and his father and took a closely look at the child. "But he is nothing like you were." he laughed a bit. "You had a very terrible temper- Zeus was always so angry with you and your inborn stubbornness-" Hades recalled with amusement. "Your father thought you were rash and impulsive and even more when you grew up because you always thought that what you did was right even when it was wrong, never listening to us…Your son on the other hand has a remarkable self control and he is very considerate…"
"Yes he is. He is better than I could ever be." Ares smiled proudly at his son whom he loved with all his heart.
"Well…I will see you when I get back then, uncle!"
"Ok, have a safe trip!"
Within a blink, Ares materialized in his bedroom. It was dark outside and there was no light in the room, except for the fading light of a few candles. He approached the bed careful to not make any noise. He placed Adam in the bed next to his mother and the boy stirred a little but did not wake up. Ares kissed his forehead slowly and took a place in bed behind Xena, closing his eyes, thinking about how he was going to tell her everything that had happened.
"Ares…"
He opened his eyes at hearing her lovely voice and looked at her…She didn't turn towards him because she was playing with her son's little fingers.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." he said, kissing softly her bare shoulder.
"You did not, I was awake. I was waiting for you…Gabrielle told me what happened to Eve…Is he alright?" she asked, her voice full of worry.
He kissed her hair and answered in her ear:
"Is she alright?"
"Yeah…she's sleeping right now…no damage."
"He is too…We trained afterwards and he controlled his powers for a little while…But…"
And that's when she turned to him, looking into his eyes.
"But what?"
"I need to leave tomorrow…in fact in a few hours now, just before sunrise."
"Leave where?" she inquired, standing up, her black hair cascading across her back, her blue eyes glimmering in the dark, piercing through him.
"Hades found the weapon to kill Dahak…It's supposedly an arrow that I need to get from Chin…"
"Chin? That's far away from here. Are you sure about the weapon?"
"Well…It's the only chance we have so I really need to get it. Xena…after what happened with Eve I think that it's for the best while I'm away for Adam to stay with Dite. She's the only one I fully trust..."
Xena nodded in understanding, knowing that she couldn't possibly risk leaving Adam anywhere near Eve until he was in complete control of his powers.
Ares put his head on the pillow and pulled Xena on his chest kissing her head lightly.
"When are you coming back?" she asked softly.
"That I don't know, but as soon as I have the arrow in my hands."
"Are you going alone?"
"It's just an arrow…"
"I know, I was just asking." she replied, kissing his neck.
"Xena…" he started, knowing all too well she wouldn't like this. "I talked to Hades…" he turned to see her better and added seriously. "If anything happens…"
She already knew what that conversation was driving at.
"I don't need a babysitter…" she stated, annoyed.
"You know as well as I do that this is not the case…Given that I'll be away, they might want to try something with you or the children or…I just want you all safe and I want you to promise me that you will take his help if needed…Adam might need it too."
He looked briefly over her at their still asleep son.
Xena bit her lips before answering: "Fine, I promise!"
"Good!" he concluded, gently kissing her lips.
She took back the place beside him and relaxed in his arms, sleep taking her away in but a matter of minutes.