Despite their long- lasting friendship, and despite having seen the demented Olympian at least several times doing his worst and still live to tell the story, Nabucco shuddered at the awareness that the idea of crossing that overly thin line defining their relationship might have come with a price…
He was still dazed, yes, and his head was still spinning after that incredibly powerful collision with the wall- the crowed itself had suddenly gone mute when they saw the stone structure cracking in half- but he was not numb enough yet as not to realize that his clock had just begun to rapidly tick backwards counting what in his mind were the last seconds of his wretched life…
The music itself had died away- somewhere between the moment when the King's shoulder jumped out of place –causing him only a slight amount of pain though compared to what his executioner's sick imagination had already carefully planned for him throughout that scandalizing dance he had so nonchalantly performed with his Chosen- and the moment the now rabid son of Zeus headed his way- the death bringing sound of his heavy leather boots successfully replacing that absolutely soul chilling beat of the barrels that had nearly ruptured everyone's eardrums.
"Like what's the big deal Bro?! You know how it goes here in Bab'…..I mean look around you…Everyone's using it! You know me, I meant no harm. Plus, she was enjoying herself, you saw that…" he struggled to mutter- finding it extremely hard to actually articulate the words- in a rather fable attempt to save himself from the bloody ordeal that was to come.
" Ares no! Please!" the Queen's unnaturally weak, broken voice erupted on the background at about the same time- even if for only a couple of meaningless seconds- but it hardly made an impression. Most of the present guests didn't even bother to glance her way, as for Ares…he was too busy dragging the King out from under a table where he had cowardly sought refuge, to be able to focus on anything else…..
" Get out you stinking weasel! " he growled, grabbing his leg and forcefully pulling him out. He generously welcomed his loyal friend with a few savagely applied punches straight in the nose, and if the first blow literally turned his face into a water fountain, the second , the third and the forth ones were bound to change his physiognomy for the rest of his immortal days…..
" This one is for making eye contact with my Chosen for more than three seconds!" he shouted, once again his knuckles crashing the already damaged visage, eliciting a low moan from his theatrically gagging and chocking on his own blood, victim. Those lamentable moans weren't nearly enough to satisfy the steaming god's thirst for vengeance.
" And this one, is for your fucking nonchalance when addressing her..."
Another punch, the sound of which was almost identical with the previous one, was followed this time by the Queen's piercing shriek, desperate and hopeless just like the whole situation was.
"This is for having touched her the way you did…and this…..this is…..this is just for fun…." he mockingly added before directing one last blow straight in the pit of his stomach, making his dangerously labored breathing become even nosier - come to think of it, it kinda reminded him of the asthma one of his priestesses used to have before he killed her one night, much to irritated by the disgusting sounds she was making while sucking his cock…With her though- putting her out of her misery- now that had been a generous, altruist thing to do….With this empty headed friend of his….now this was another story…..
He couldn't really tell how much time it had passed since he begun hitting Nabucco- he only knew that- strangely enough for a God- his blemished knuckles were starting to hurt, and that the petty excuse for a King was nothing more than a limp, boringly predictable rag doll.
" Ares… ! You're killing him…." Amytis screamed again- uselessly trying to push him away from the heavily bleeding form of the now unconscious King.
"I wish I could…..Sadly, I don't have on me the necessary weapon for that rewarding treat – I didn't suspect I would need it here..- shame on me for having been that reckless…won't happen again, I assure you!" he hissed through clenched teeth before getting a sharp knife out of a boot. " Still, this should do quite fine for a bit of high quality carving…..What should we start with? I was thinking with something he doesn't use often…" he asked- a rhetoric question really, for he didn't have the slightest intention to wait for an answer.
Needless to say, the Queen's skin crawled at the sight of that dreadful dagger heading straight for her husband's chest, and one thing was certain: she acted solely on instinct- pure mindless instinct- when she caught her ex lover's wrist, preventing the blade to actually pierce the flesh deeper than it already had the chance to.
" Ares I'm begging you….Please….he saved your life once. This is how you repay him?! By taking his own?!" the half yelled reproach fell from her lips as bitter and as poisonous as her soul was at the moment…..
"It was for his boundless generosity that I offered you both the gift of immortality in the first place, or has that little detail slipped your mind, Amytis? He has already lived more than he deserves! "
" Do it for me then, for the past that we shared….Please…he's all I have, you know that….."
Oh, the romance! The God couldn't help the half amused, half sarcastic chuckle that started tickling his throat until it gradually tuned into an completely uncontrollable fit of laughter.
" He's all you have….That's funny…..all you have apart from most of the cocks in this room! Is there anyone here who hasn't fucked the Queen?! " he shouted, glaring at the crowd, but no answer came of course. " Well just in case you haven't, I'd suggest you take a shot at her juicy cunt before midnight….she was very horny and unsatisfied just a few minutes ago and well...she's quite a ride, may I add. You should be proud to have such a giving Queen!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.
The silence turned even heavier the moment Amytis' palm collided with his cheek.
" You disgusting pig!" she spat, a silent tear rolling down her visage, but Ares could see right through her…It was not the public humiliation that had hurt her so, but his contempt- and though he had definitely done some damage to her perfectly shaped image, he knew better...He could clearly see the pain in her troubled, teary eyes and he silently congratulated himself for it.….
As surprising as it might seem, he didn't say anything even when she rose her hand to strike him a second time, on the contrary- he laughed….But then, a mere blink later, the laughter suddenly turned from amused to sinister and soon, his fingers were furiously tangling into her hair, with a brutal force throwing her down on the floor, face down, straight in the pool of blood coming from the King's horribly deformed body.
" Can you taste that?! …."he barked, pushing her head down, low enough to make sure that her lips touched the still warm claret.
" Next time we meet, it will be your own blood you'll be bathing in…."
"Ares…" Xena's voice could be suddenly heard from the other side of the room, pulling him into a totally different reality….She was still lying there, in the middle of the stage where he had left her, struggling to get up , but the drugs made it impossible for her to control her muscles…Her body just refused to listen…..
" I'll be with you in a minute Sweetheart…." he let her know while leaning down to whisper to Amytis something that she just had to know before he left…" Do keep in mind that any debt I might have still had with you, is now paid. I should have mutilated you both beyond reconnaissance for your offense….!"
With that and a rough push later, the God left the Queen and headed towards his Princess, who, even drugged as she was, could still pick up on his feelings…..He was angry…even with her….
"Come on darling….Up you go…"
A strong enough pull and she was on her feet, but she didn't need to struggle too long with standing, cause next thing she knew, she was being swept in his arms and her head rested immediately on his chest as if she had been waiting the entire night for that contact…
The bright lights and the ceaseless swirling of the vortex blinded her to the point where even one minute after their little trip ended, she still couldn't see clearly….She did recognize a very distinct smell though as he carefully placed her on the bed, and the delicate feeling of the cold satin sheets was unmistakable….
" Are we home?"
" Yeah…..we're home….." he answered briefly, his voice hardly above a whisper…He was sad….a sadness that only turned into utter astonishment when he felt her probing fingers against his crotch , slowly squeezing and caressing his cock….
"Good…it was about time …." she sensually murmured, her other hand going straight between her legs, massaging herself…..
For once when it came to this type of interaction, the God's veins were flooded not with desire but with something a bit different….