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Battle of Arcadia

Callisto was at the head of army as she started to speak. "Today, we face down Hercules, the hero turned e…"

One of the soldiers shouted, "Look!"

Callisto averted her eyes northeast of her position. Light and energy was filling the northern sky. Callisto bit her lip, there was a battle going on up there, and she wagered that Xena may be the one in that battle. Staring ahead, she had had her own battle to face.

Suddenly she heard a noise. Leaping from her horse, she managed to catch a flying object just inches from the head of a soldier. It was Xena's Chakram. Callisto bowed her head, "Xena is in trouble. We need to get to her quickly."

"The Army of Hercules has arrived!"

Callisto looked upward, "Ok men… ready your arms and armor, prepare for war, don't back down an inch. Today we fight to end this destructive conflict, once and for all."

Just as she said that, Callisto noticed something odd, Hercules was nowhere to be seen and now Selenta was the one marching towards them. Callisto and the rest of the soldiers stared around for a moment. Callisto called out, "Iolaus, come with me, we're meeting the commander, whoever that might be."

After a few moments, Callisto and Iolaus approached Selenta and Gabrielle as they met on the field of battle, just moments before the arms would engage. Selenta bowed. Callisto gave her a fake grin of happiness, "Got a promotion? And a sidekick too… you're having a wonderful day."

Selenta shot back, "We've never really met have we? Hi, I'm Selenta, and you must be? Oh right… that little girl from Cirra. Heard all about you…"

Callisto didn't rise to provocation, "Killed any more innocents today?"

"Not as many as you have I'm sure."

Callisto's hand itched for the chakrams at her belt. Her eyes turned to Gabrielle, "What about you? It seems everyone is betraying everyone these days? First Hercules, now you… Why did you defect Gabrielle!"

Gabrielle shrunk back, she wanted anything to explain to Callisto that it was Ares plan to uncover who was really behind Hercules.

Selenta shot, "I don't think the bard is going to be of much help to you. You see, the annoying blonde belongs to Hercules's army now…"

"No I don't."

Selenta turned to Gabrielle who approached rode to Callisto's side. Gabrielle said, "My job was to learn who was really behind Hercules. It was Ares's task. Now I know… it's Chaos who caused Hercules to be like he is. Nothing good can come from serving him, Selenta."

Selenta stated, "I don't know… he does good work on hands."

Callisto eyes Gabrielle, mouthing, "Ares… I knew it." Gabrielle nodded back at her, sadly.

Selenta gritted her teeth, "Fine, die with them on the field of battle. Today will belong to the army of Selenta!"

"Selenta?" Callisto questioned.

Selenta grinned, "That's right. You really think that Chaos really intended the hot headed Hercules to run this army forever. Right now, to the north. I know you see those lights, flashes of purple and blue. Chaos is putting down Xena, and soon he will put down Hercules. That of course, leaves you, the bitch Gabrielle, and all those pathetic men standing behind you. Today… will belong to Chaos and Selenta."

Selenta turned back and started off towards her army, but then stopped turned her head partway back, "Oh… don't bother surrendering, today, we're gonna kill you all."

Callisto eyed Gabrielle as she tried to speak, but Callisto cut her off, "Not right now, we don't have time. You were there serving Ares. You did something stupid, but right now, we've got a battle to fight, this other stuff will wait till later."

Gabrielle shrunk back at the harsh comment, but she was right. Callisto, Gabrielle, and a speechless Iolaus rejoined the main army.

The two armies began marching. The Centaurs rode alongside the main cavalry units on each side. The Athenians, rebel Corinthians, soldiers of Argos, and others groups filled out the center. Just behind them, along with archers from various city states, included 500 archers belonging to the temple of Athena. Together, they numbed about 20,000. Selenta however commanded 30,000 men. However the Spartans were close. Extremely close. If Callisto was lucky, they'd join the battle before it was over.

The two armies locked spears and swords along the dusty ground, while the Cavalry circled around the main army, fighting with the enemy horseman along the way. Gabrielle stood alongside a group of rebel Corinthians with her staff ready for action.

The clashing of swords and the dying of men replaced all other sounds as Callisto now on foot, armed, sword and Dark Chakram charged forward slaying any that would challenge them. Iolaus with his sword drawn, was ready to meet the attacking enemy.

Phantes and Kaleipus charged forth with swords, sweeping the bladed weapons into the chests of the enemies. Selenta twisted with her double swords aimed hard at the army of Callisto, taking down any in reach.

Athena's archers fired over head in a dangerous maneuver that few archer units would be willing to try, firing arrows over their allies. However, with Athena's archers had the skill to make it work, as the arrows pelted the soldiers of Selenta.

Kaleipus found himself pinned in as the more numerous horse warriors of Selenta were quick to surround them. Kaleipus deflected several strikes from the attackers. Dodging a lance, he removed the arm the warrior who attacked him, taking him out of the fight. But looking around, he saw that he was surrounded, and wouldn't last long.

Suddenly the circle was broken as a group of Centaurs emerged. It was Arethian and Borias, who'd arrived in time to join the battle. Knocking dozens of enemy attackers off their horses, Borias and Arethian dispatched the enemies in a single shot. Kaleipus grasped the arm of Borias, "Glad you made it friend, now… let's take it to them."

The 500 Centaur warriors joined their fellow Centaur brothers and charged forward, forcing the enemy horseman to begin to retreat.

Meanwhile, Callisto wasn't doing so well, the higher numbers were proving to much for the men already in battle. Callisto tossed both chakrams, killed a half dozen men. Catching the eye circular blades she leapt forward twisting madly, killing many warriors in seconds.

Gabrielle found herself pinned down by two spearman warriors, finding her staff knocked from her hands. Down on the ground, she reached into her boot and grabbed her dagger. The same dagger she'd once used to kill Brutus. She knocked her attacker to the ground, and aimed the dagger at his throat. Suddenly she stopped. This wasn't her. She'd fight in battles, but she never killed. At least not until recently. She used to fight a different way.

Gabrielle threw the dagger to the ground, rolling forward seizing her staff, she returned to her feet, with the blunt weapon in hand, knocking three men to the ground with solid shots to each of their heads. Turning with the staff in hand, she smashed a soldier in head, knocking him out as well. This was how she used to fight. Smashing a soldier in the eye, she realized, this is how she used to be, and this was how she was going to be again.

No more desire for blood, no more anger. She couldn't let that poison her. Nailing a soldier in the ribcage, she twisted bringing the blunt weapon to the jaw, taking another soldier out. Charging forward, she brought her staff out. She was going to fight the way she used to fight, before Chaos had corrupted her. At this moment, in this battle, and from this point on, she decided, she wasn't going to let the things that Chaos, and Brutus had done to her, drag her into a pit of darkness anymore. She was going to rise above it.

However, despite all this, the army of Callisto was losing ground, and fast. Callisto needed something… anything. It couldn't all end here. Suddenly, there the air filled with a new noise. A new group of men shouting. The armies stopped fighting for a moment. Callisto turned her head towards the south, "The Spartans."

The Spartan warriors had arrived. A single man in kingly garb stood in front of the army shouting, "Today, the Spartans avenge our losses at Argos. Today, we establish that we are Sparta, and those are our allies, and we will not let any enemy tear them asunder. Today, we Spartans, will fight! To win!"

The army of Sparta, numbering 5000 men charged forward. All of the men were hoplites, each wearing there deep maroon cloaks bearing long spears. The warcries of Sparta was a sight to behold as they smashed into the army of Selenta, forcing her on men on the defensive. Selenta and her main unit of swordsman charged forward at the enemy Spartan soldiers.

Selenta wasn't about to be defeated. Or at least that was what she thought. On the northern flank, the Cavalry with Borias, Phantes, and Kaleipus, where tearing her soldiers apart, in central front, Callisto, Gabrielle, King Jason, and Iolaus were charging forward. Her soldiers were holding as best they could, but under the onslaught, they would not last forever.

The Spartans tore through the southern flank like a hot knife through butter. A soldier shouted, "Selenta! We must retreat!"

Selenta sliced his head off, "We will not retreat."

Selenta lept into the air, filled with rage. Her two swords cut through the pikes of the Spartans, stabbing several at within seconds. In a rapid motion, she knocked a Spartan Officer to the ground, as she sliced the throats of several more warriors around him. She surged forward, cutting down man after man in a matter of seconds. In her blind rage, she sliced through almost 18 Spartans.

However behind her, the army was giving ground fast. Withdrawing back into her front line, cutting down enemies along the way, she shouted, "Kill them! Spare no one!"

Selenta stabbed two warriors who started to retreat. Selenta shouted, "I'm going to gut every single enemy on this field, and if you don't fight, I will gut all of you when I'm done! Fight… or DIE!"

The army pushed back with all their might spurred on by Selenta's force of will. Despite the addition of the Spartans, the army of Selenta proved to be strong, forcing Callisto's men, and her allies back several steps. Selenta just kept pushing forward, killing man after man.

Her losses weren't important. If they win here, they can wait for reinforcements and destroyed the remnant of the resistant forces. Selenta smiled as Callisto struggled to hold them back. She was winning, even with the Spartans arrival and the decimation of her cavalry units, she was still winning, just barely, but barely was enough.

Suddenly a soldier approached Selenta, "Flags… to the south west!"

Selenta turned; she saw two types of flags, one from Athens, one from the Island City state known as Rhodes. She looked forward, their enemy saw the flags too, and they were fighting back hard now. Selenta looked back as what looked to be several thousand people emerging on the plains. She had to retreat. She shouted, "To Corinth! We will hold them there! Withdraw!"

Callisto saw the retreat, shouting at the top her lungs, she pursued. "Kill them! Kill them all!"

A small group of about 2500 men separated from Selenta's army as they moved to disappear over the horizon. With her sword out, the blonde warrior cut through man after man effortlessly. Blood splashing on her face, she removed the head of an attacking soldier. She didn't take notice of her allies pulling in around her, crushing the small unit that was left behind to do a rear guard action, she wanted to kill.

Within a few seconds more, it was over. Selenta's army was about to disappear over the horizon. Soaked in blood, with bloody paste dripping from her sword and chakram, Callisto stared at the bodies, snapping out of her bloodlust. She didn't want this… an empowering sense of guilt came over her. She resisted the urge to breakdown, and told herself as she stared at the massive field of bloody dead, they had won a victory here.

Gabrielle was only 10 meters north of the position. Sitting on one of the few unoccupied spaces on the battlefield. Holding the dagger in her hands, the same dagger that killed Brutus, she thought about her choices. The decisions she had made. She'd gone too far, she lost herself in the land of Chaos and she never really found it again. She stared outward at a grouping of bodies, reminded of the pit of Amazons she'd seen months ago. It disgusted her.

What had she become? What is this monster inside of her? She had not killed today, but she could have, she even tried to. No, this was too much. She could not go down this path, this wasn't her. She would not become a killer. She killed one man, out of her own free will, and she'd never forget his death. He, Brutus, had deserved to die, but she, Gabrielle, had been the hand that killed him. One death was enough. Gabrielle threw the dagger to the ground again, this time for the last time. She looked away, seeing the hand of a woman.

Looking up, it was Callisto. Gabrielle smiled weakly as Callisto helped her to her feet. Gabrielle looking downward, "Have I become a monster?"

Callisto looked directly into the Bard's watery green eyes, "Think about who you are talking to her. You are as far from monster as I am from innocent. I know you made some mistakes, and I heard about Brutus, but that is far away from a monster, which I was. You didn't slaughter innocents…"

"But I did…"

"No! Chaos had you under control. Maybe Xena skates the edges with this on you, because she's afraid of how you might react to her. Your feelings matter much to her, I felt them. I'm not the same way, I'm going tell you the black and white truth. You need to stop tormenting yourself over things you're not responsible for."

Gabrielle wanted to argue, but Callisto help up her finger informing the Bard to be queit.

"Listen, I know you feel you did those things, but you need to realize that you didn't. Simple as that. You had no control over those actions, so you didn't do it. Your control was taken from you, your mind was taken against your will, and you could even call it a rape of the mind. You've done nothing wrong there…"

Gabrielle bowed her head, she didn't have any control over her actions when Chaos took control of her, back in the land of Chaos. Still, she questioned, "I bear the scars, and the knowledge of what I've done, and how I did it…"

Callisto replied, "We all bear the scars of what happened to us. I've been the victim as well, and I don't mean just Xena. The man who first trained me to be a warrior, abused me, however much of the core knowledge of who I am as a fighter comes from what he taught. It'll never go away… Just use the knowledge for what it's worth and leave the rest where it belongs, in the past."

Gabrielle sighed, "Yea…" She wasn't feeling magically healed, but she wasn't denying Callisto's words either. She would need time, but for now, she was going to fight the darkness within her, and try to become closer to the person she once was. She had to.

Gabrielle, then changing subjects, "Well… What now?"

Callisto remembered what Selenta had said. "Xena is over there to the north, fighting Chaos, and Hercules is coming that way as well. We have to get to her."

"I'm coming with you."

Callisto turned to Borias who'd just rode up on her, "Borias, I need your horse. Gabrielle and I have to get to Xena now. Here are the orders, take the army, and go to Corinth. Set up for a siege since they'll be inside. I'll try to join you soon, but for now, we must help Xena."

Borias nodded, "Yes ma'am."