Author: Alicia
Rating: PG
Summary: Priestess Ashta's resentment of the young goddess grows...
Disclaimer: There's no way in Tartarus that I own them, Baby!
Ares brought his fist down onto the table...hard. The small table
trembled beneath his strength, but held firm as the other occupants of the room
quaked in their leather boots. "Why can't you people do anything
right???" the God of War bellowed.
Priestess Ashta set the tray of drinks she was holding down onto the
now-still table. She watched in silence as her god sat furiously at
the head of the table.
The four warlords got own on their knees and begged their god's
mercy. "Lord Ares, it wasn't our fault! There was a - "
The eldest of the men got no further. A dog-sized Hydra ran into the
room, followed by a tiny slip of a girl. Xena. The God of
War had no patience for Snuggles' little brother at the moment, his inept
warlords were enough of a task. Ares growled in warning. "Get that
Hydra out of here!"
Ashta concealed her glee at the young goddess' fallen expression. The
priestess had been on the receiving end of Ares' temper, having struck Xena when
she first came to this Temple of Ares. As the years passed, Ashta watched
Xena's movements with silent hatred. All her life, Ashta had wanted to
become Ares' companion, but all of that had been forsaken within one day of her
arrival at the temple. She wanted her revenge and maybe Ares was too angry
at his charge to care if she got it...
Xena's bottom lip trembled at the sight of Ares glaring down at her from
his seat at the head of the table. Never had she experienced that look of
utter impatience and indifference. He'd always looked at her with
love and understanding in his eyes. Without bothering to see if Boopy, her
newest pet, had left, Xena ran out of the room and escaped to her
bedchamber.
Ashta smiled with appoval and took the empty tray back to the
kitchen.
*~*~*
Ares tried to ignore the scene that had passed and attempted to get back to
the task at hand, but it wasn't easy. He hadn't meant to take his
frustration out on his little Xena, but she and Boopy had interrupted an
important meeting at the wrong time. More than anything, he wanted to go
and find her to explain what had happened, but he had to deal with the four men
who stood before him.
"What are you planning to do about the situation in Antala?" Ares
demanded.
The youngest man, Peracles, bowed his head and spoke up. "My Lord, we
had problems with - "
Ares broke in. "I don't recall asking where you went
wrong! What do you plan on doing about it???"
*~*~*
Ashta watched the little goddess, slumped on her large bed, Boopy at her
feet, licking her skin. Xena sniffled as she patted the baby Hydra.
"I'll make him sorry, Boopy...I'm gonna - "
Her one-way conversation was interrupted by the Priestess standing in the
doorway. Ashta knew what was going through the young goddess' mind as she
threw a few things in a small satchel bag. "Don't forget this..." she
said, holding a breast dagger by its handle, between the tips of her
fingers.
Xena didn't even think to question how the priestess had obtained it, since
that particular dagger was supposed to be in Ares' bedchamber and no priest or
priestess was allowed access to his private quarters. She stepped closer
and went to grab the dagger, when Boopy bit into Xena's leather boot and held
her back.
The goddess looked down at her newest friend and frowned. "What's the
matter?" She didn't see Ashta come closer and move to stab her.
Boopy abruptly let go of Xena's boot and let out a weak flamey breath. The
bottom of Ashta's robes caught on fire and the priestess screamed. Xena
screamed in reaction and jumped back from the flames. She was too shocked
and scared to do anything.
The screams alerted the others and one of the priests ran to get
Ares. By the time they all reached Xena's bedchamber, the flames had
reached the rope belt that held the priestess' robe closed. Ares
immediately put the fire out with a wave of his hand. He picked Xena up
and held her close. "What's the matter, munchkin? Why didn't you put
it out yourself?"
Xena buried her head in his shoulder. Ares rocked her and stroked her
hair gently. She wrapped her arms securely around his neck. He
watched as two of his priests helped the priestess to another room where they
could treat her burns. As they moved her, his gaze zeroed in on the dagger
laying on the floor. "What's that doing in here?" he asked.
He felt Xena's arms tighten around his neck. One of his priestesses
picked it up. "Lord Ares, there's blood on the tip," she informed
him. As he went to grab it, Boopy did the same thing to him as he'd done
to Xena: he bit into Ares' leather boot and tried to pull him back.
"Don't touch that!" came the booming voice.
Everyone turned to the now-visible King of the Gods. Zeus waved his
hand and the breast dagger disappeared. Ares frowned. "That was
Xena's."
Zeus shook his head. "No, it wasn't. It belonged to
Artemis. The dagger was stolen from one of her temples yesterday.
The blade had been dipped in Hind's Blood, Ares. That priestess meant to
kill Xena..." his voice drifted off as he disappeared.
Ares didn't ask any questions. He transported Xena and himself to
where his priests were attending the burnt priestess. He sent a deadly
glare her way and waved his hand. Both she and her brother
disappeared. He didn't bother to explain what he was doing. It was
time he took charge of his temples.
"We're going to Mt. Olympus for a while, Sweet," he whispered to the
goddess he continued to hold in his embrace. She whimpered her
assent. Ares transported them to his chambers on Olympus and put her to
bed, she'd had enough to deal with that day. As an afterthought, he
transported Boopy to Olympus as well and told him to watch over Xena. The
baby Hydra jumped up onto the bed and planted itself next to Xena, resting its
head on her legs and promptly fell asleep.
Ares' mirror appeared before him. He focused on something and the
image appeared. He watched without emotion as Ashta and Arcon were stoned
to death by a village of his worshippers...
The End