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The Eight Servants of Chaos

AN1: This chapter occurs during the exact time that the battle of Argos occurred during the previous chapter.

AN2: With this chapter, I'm happy to say that I'm going to begin more regular postings. However, I've made some changes to how I post, as you will see in the coming weeks. Thank you all for being so patient.

8

Xena nodded, as she got on Argo. They had to run, and run fast. Something bad was coming, and coming for them fast. She could feel it in her bones. It was about to get real ugly. Suddenly, Ares jumped onto the back of Argo.

Xena demanded, "What are you doing?"

"You're going to need me, besides, I helped cause this, I should help fix it."

Xena shot in sarcasm, "See, if this was your attitude normally, we wouldn't have issues, now would we?"

Ares nodded as Xena kicked Argo. The warrior was heading north, away from the battle that was about to start, whatever it was that was coming after her, she didn't need them attacking Callisto's army.

Xena could already hear the noises of things moving through the air. Ares glanced back behind them, seeing eight darkness filled beings behind them, chasing them at equal speed of the horse. Ares shouted, "Whoa! Xena, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Xena turned her head back towards the sounds, "By the gods… they're flying.

One of the dark creatures spoke. "I am the voice of Chaos, and we are the Eight Guardians of Chaos. Surrender the Heart of Chaos, Chaos demands it! Bow to his will!"

Xena threw her chakram at the creatures, but a single bolt of energy from them deflected the chakram south, toward Arcadia.

Ares shouted, "That can't be good!"

"No, it's not!"

Ares looked up, seeing a blackened creature above him, "Xena…"

Above them, the snarling created stared down. Two large triangular blades hooked upon chains. He seemed to be able to control them at will. The thing spoke. "I am Precision. The most accurate, you can't avoid my aim."

Xena maneuvered her horse as best she could to avoid the first blade. Ducking on instinct, the second passed over her, and passed through Ares.

Ares groaned, "That hurt…"

The first blade stuck into the ground, trying to obstruct the horse's path, but Argo shifted her hooves and avoided the weapon. The second blade swung at the horse's feet, but Argo leapt above it. Precision appeared in front of them as Argo charged further north as Xena shouted, "Hold on!"

Argo pulled a hard right turn that nearly tossed Ares off her back. The blades missing each of them by mere inches. Ares wanted to fire a bolt, but he couldn't. If only he had his full powers.

Suddenly a voice shouted, "Precision… Enough. It's my turn."

Another creature appeared floating beside Xena and Ares. Xena stared over at it, blue eyes wide at the grinned devious beast. It spoke. "I am Pain, and I will make you scream in agony like you've never done before. When I'm done, even death won't be enough of an escape for you."

Ares tried to fire a bolt of energy, forgetting about his depowered self. Instead he found himself nearly falling as sudden pain over took him. Xena gritted her teeth as it felt like her nerves were on fire, especially her legs which felt like they'd just been broken again. Aching and burning, both tried to hold on. Even Ares being a god couldn't shield him from the pain he know felt.

"Pain! Pain!" Shouted the creature as focused his evil energies on them even more.

Ares shouted, as Xena grimaced, but neither would give up, not for all the pain in the world.

Pain's sinister voice echoed, "Give up the Heart of Chaos!"

Ares asked, not remembering his actions an hour ago with Xena, "What is the Heart of Chaos?"

Xena through teeth shattering waves of pain, she replied, "Alti was after it! It contains Chaos's power, he wants it! Presumably so he can regain his power!"

Another being shouted "Pain, enough let me try! I am Entrapment!"

Ares eyes got big as he starred out in front of him. "Xena…"

Feeling the relief as the pain abated, Xena looked forward in horror as a dozen chain linked blades appeared in front of them. They shot at Xena, seemingly alive. Xena ducked the blades as best she could but right now, she had to put her trust in Argo, to dodge the bladed death that was coming for them. Argo jumped, and shifted avoiding several blades in the process.

Argo jumped at a blade coming for her feet, but Ares caught one in the chest, taking him down to the ground. "Dammit!" shouted the warrior princess, giving a simple whistle to argue that translated to, 'Get the hell out of here,' the warrior leapt from her horse dodging another blade in the process, landing on her feet with Sword in hand.

In a loud shriek, Entrapment shouted, "Give up the Heart of Chaos, or you will be desiccated."

Xena rolled out of the way as a blade landed in the ground, beside her, she jumped on the chain, running so fast that gravity seemed unable to catch her; she leapt up, kicking the being in the head. Falling to the ground, Xena avoided three more blades.

Then another voice shouted "Entrapment enough! I will try!"

Xena's eyes redirected to her left to see a floating being with a large Scythe in hand, "I am Speed, and I'm much faster than any mortal can ever be."

Ares stood up, fists balled up, but Speed drove his Scythe into the war god's chest, and then withdrawing the weapon, he smashed him in the head with the blunt in. Ares fell over in pain. Ares was glad he was immortal, and yet the pain made him wish he was dead.

Xena ducked a lightning quick strike, avoiding another blow, and then ducking to the ground. Her instincts were guiding her now, as no normal human directive to her limbs would have allowed her to avoid the being in front of her. Xena rolled, barely dodging the Scythe.

Another voice shouted, "Stand back!"

Xena rolled her eyes, as yet another creature prepared for its attack.

"I am monstrous!"

"No doubt!" Shot the Warrior Princess.

The being stood 10 meters in front of her as Xena awaited what it would do, then it began to shift its form, spouting horns upon its head, and its beginning to resemble that of a bull. Resembling the Minotaur, Xena barely avoided a potentially mortal shoulder tackle. Turning around she saw the Minotaur looking beast take to the air, and it's head's shaper turning into that of a lion's head. It became what Xena could best describe as a Griffon. Xena rolled out of the way of a large pounce, turning around the warrior glanced at the creature again, as it took upon the shape of a giant cobra.

Xena dodged a lethal bite, raising her sword to strike; she yanked her arm back in pain as her sword was knocked away by a tail swipe. The creature struck at her again, as Ares dived in front of her again, taking a direct teeth strike to the arm and tossing the war god aside.

Landing on his side, Ares shouted, "You really know how to provoke people."

Xena turned to reply, but then hearing a sound, she turned back and saw that the creature morphed into a dragon, and begun spewing fire at them. Feeling the heat, Xena was only barely able to avoid the flames. Her body was tiring out, against all eight of these creatures, she knew she would be unable to keep it up against them. She noted that two creatures hadn't yet joined the battle.

One of them came forward, another dark fiend, but this one seemed to have a blue lightning colored power reverberating on its body. "I am power, and I'm going to strike you down, and retrieve Chaos' sacred crystal."

Xena rolled out of the way of lightning strike, and then dodged a single ball of energy. Ares rose to his feet, as the being aimed a blast at him, but the war god concentrating his currently limited godly powers, he managed to catch the blast and send it back towards the beast, allowing Xena to get some distance between her and the creature. Though it bought Xena some time, Ares was forced from his feet by an energy blast. Worn, Ares raised his hand in an attempt to continue the fight, but it fell to the side.

The final creature motioned forward, this one sounded different, like thousands of voices instead of one. "We are Ravenous! Surrender now!"

Xena grabbed her sword, "I will never surrender!"

The creature flew apart into hundreds, if not thousands of creatures that were roughly the size of a small cat. Together they slammed Xena to the ground. Covered from head to toe, Xena struggle with the creature as best she could, but the pain from the beasts overwhelmed her, as her hand fell to the ground.

Then one of the creatures flew into the air with a single Crystal in its hand. "I've got it! I have the heart of Chaos!"

The other creatures joined it, and regained its form as Ravenous, holding the crystal in hand. "We have the Crystal, Chaos, our mission is complete!"

Ares ran to Xena, feeling a surge of relief that the warrior princess was still alive.

The creature known as the Voice of the Eight seized the Heart of Chaos and shouted, "Your will is done!"

Voice stood there with his heavy spike ball in one and the Crystal in the other, as a new figure arrived in a purple poof of smoke. Xena shouted, "Herici!"

"It was never Herici, only I, the God of Chaos, Trial, and Choice. I am Chaos!"

Chaos held the crystal in the air as purple energy begin to swirl. Ares helped Xena to her feet as he shouted, "What's happening?"

"Something very bad!"

A massive blinding purple light emanated everything around them, forcing Xena to shut her eyes. Then after a moment, the light faded and Xena stared forward she stared onward at the being now standing before her.

The first was that of a large man, wearing purple robes and a purple grown. His look wasn't of the court jester that Xena had been used to when she was in the land of Chaos, but rather that of a powerful overlord. This wasn't a Chaos looking for fun; this was a Chaos who was on a mission.

The second being was a woman that was all too familiar to Xena. She was worn, and haggard. Xena observed as Chaos turned towards her, as she lay at his feet. "Hello Alti, It seems I've inadvertently freed you from your own prison."

Alti tried to get up as a bolt of purple energy hit her, "Stay down you dog. Though you are no longer held inside the crystal, you are not free. You are my slave, and you will do only as I command."

Purple energy grabbed Alti and held her in the air, bringing her close to him. "You really thought you could have ever outwitted the God of Chaos." He slapped her across the face, and then forced her upon the ground. "Grovel slave!"

Xena watched in amazement as Alti groveled before him. Xena grabbed her sword and started to go further, but a shot from Chaos slammed the warrior princess to the ground. Then Ares began to charge, but with the flick of a finger, Ares to, found himself against the ground, rocks imbedding his clothes.

Chaos turned to the body of a third being on the ground. It was the god Anarchy, "You have served me well Anarchy, but your body is no longer any use to me, except as material for consumption."

Chaos concentrated his power on Anarchy, and Xena watched in horror as Anarchy disintegrated and his atoms were absorbed by Chaos. Then the God of Chaos turned towards Xena, "Xena… how nice to see you."

Xena grabbed her sword, but Chaos struck it away, saying with a sinister laugh. "You have no power here, nothing does. You're attempt to kill me has failed, and I have returned."

"So, are you going to toy with me again?"

Chaos raised a finger as if to say something thoughtful, but then stopped himself. Finally he said, "In due time. I have much to accomplish."

Chaos turned to Ares, "Warn your family Ares. The time of the Olympians has come to an end, all the gods of this world will either serve me, or cease to exist, and Zeus and his seed will be the first ones to go. This world, this earth, is now mine!"

Ares shouted, "We will never submit to you."

"Like you even have a choice…"

Xena stepped forward as Chaos now turning his attention to her, stated, "I'd save your energy Warrior Princess. I haven't time for you right now, but Hercules does. He'll be here shortly enough. It seems he was looking to take vengeance upon me, but I think you will do nicely. Should be a fun match, especially with Callisto and Gabrielle not too far behind. The three of you together might be able to kill him… Enjoy Warrior Princess, enjoy!"

Chaos cast a massive purple bubble around himself, and the eight, and his slave Alti, and they disappeared.

Ares stood there for a moment, his powers were already beginning to return to him, now that he finally had the answers, no doubt Zeus had been watching from above.

Ares stated, "Good luck Xena, if anyone can beat my brother, it's you."

Xena watched as he disappeared. The Warrior Princess picked up her sword, readying it for battle, because out in the distance she could see, the Son of Zeus was approaching.