It was late morning when Cyrene entered her daughter's room.
"Oh gods, Xena, are you alright?" - Cyrene asked when she saw her daughter all pale sitting near the bucket of vomit on the floor. "You're burning," she said as she touched her forehead.
"I don't feel so well" - she said as she hugged the bucket again. "Probably I ate something" - she lied as she raised her head. "Don't look at me like this, I'll live". Cyrene sensed lying, she sat down next to her daughter on the floor.
"Xena, what is going on? What was Ares doing here?"
"I can't tell you. But, mom, you are in danger and you have to leave Greece as soon as possible."
"Am I in danger? Me? It's you who has a broken hand, young lady. What is happening between you and that god? Why can't you leave Greece?"
"I... I have something that is his. I can't hand it to him. If I do, this world will be in great danger. If I don't, you'll be. Please, mother, leave, just for a few months until I deal with this, please."
"Alright, but I'll be calmer if Gabrielle stays with you".
Ares was right - because of the poison, she felt bad all week. She expected bleeding which indicates the end of her pregnancy but it never came. The week of sickness, however, stretched to weeks of nausea and leg cramps. The child was obviously sucking strength from her.
The news about Xena's condition spread and warlords who weren't aware that War God really cared about his Chosen began to come and challenge her. Ones were seeking revenge, others - glory, hoping that she would just pass out during the fight and be easy prey. For their disappointment that never happened until that one day...
She was in her third month. The hot sun was shining and heating the already hot weather even more, as she and Gabrielle fought the band of thugs, who wanted their death. Xena felt extremely bad in the morning and still felt weak after morning sickness. Sometimes, in situations like these, she regretted refusing to drink the potion Ares tried to give her so many times, the potion which he had said would make all symptoms easier. Despite her condition, she managed to knock two thugs out, but when a third came, everything went black in her eyes and she fell to the ground unconscious.
Gabrielle was occupied by her opponents as she saw the thug raised his sword. She realized that she wouldn't be able to save her.
Suddenly the thug's hand was caught by a strong grip of God of War. The thug screamed as if someone was peeling his skin alive and lost hold of his sword as the god tightened his grip strong enough to crush the thug's bones. Other thugs stopped their attack on Gabrielle at that scream immediately and now all were just staring at two men before them. Fear struck their faces as they heard their leader's bones broke at every kick and blow the God of War gave him. Soon the thugs' leader couldn't stand, his arms, legs were visibly broken, his face was moist with fear and pain. At that moment they realized who was standing in front of them and knew that their fate was already decided. They turned their backs to run, but with Ares' "Oh no, you don't", a fire fence appeared around them and he began killing them one by one, throwing some of them into the fire fence, forcing horrible screams and pleas for mercy.
Gabrielle has never seen him or anyone else so brutal before, he was literally breaking them. "Stop it, stop it, Ares!" - she screamed as he was killing them, but did not dare to come between them. The bard realized that the only person who could stop this nightmare was lying on the ground unconscious. Now she was sure that if Ares has ever wanted Xena dead he could simply crush her bones at every blow. She ran to Xena, but as soon as she approached her, was blown a few meters away from her.
The first thing the warrior princess felt when she started to regain consciousness was the feeling of being lifted by the throat to her feet, then a slap to her face sent her to the ground again. The first thing she smelled was burned flesh of a screaming man and a dead silence afterward.
"No! No, don't you DARE hurt her!" - Gabrielle yelled with Xena's sword in her hand.
"Fine - make her drink one bottle till sundown or I will", – he threatened before disappearing and left 6 bottles of potion near them.
She regained her consciousness fully a few minutes after. That's when she noticed how crippled these men had been before they died. She fought numerous battles but the sight she saw in front of her shocked her. She always suspected that Ares was going easy on her. Even during the incident with the Furries, she knew deep in her heart that he wouldn't kill her.
She remembered their encounter in the camp a couple of months ago - his blows were stronger, more powerful, he even used his godly powers against her. The same happened on the dock. All this showed that this child was very important to him and she was both afraid to have him or lose him even if she loses him in case of an accident.
"Do not touch what belongs to Ares" was carved on the chest of the man hanging on the tree with a branch in his heart. Now Xena remembered Ares' threat to kill everyone she loves too well. It seemed that the easiest way out of this nightmare would be her own death.
"We have to bury them, Gabrielle". The bard nodded in approval. The warrior tried to remove the man from the tree but couldn't - Ares' power fence stopped her. They buried the others but had no choice but to leave him as he was.