"Come on! Get up!"

The Rat! Every time he shook my shoulder, a jolt of lightning passed through my body. He was holding something up to my lips... food... he stuck a dirty finger into my mouth and forced it open. I could taste the same disgusting gruel they had been feeding me for the past couple of weeks... months... years... how long have I been here anyway? I swallowed everything they gave me... they only give me enough to keep me alive.

I could feel a liquid being poured into my mouth... I swallowed instinctively. It burned my throat and I felt nauseous... I gagged on the foul liquid. I felt hands drag me to my feet and reach under my arms to help support me. I tried to walk but my legs wouldn't obey. I was dragged down a dark hallway to a door... the door looked familiar... but I didn't know from where.

The door opened and I was dragged inside. This room was very well lit and my eyes started to tear from the painful light. I opened and closed them several times until they had adjusted to the brightness. Kurtan was in the back of the room wearing a large cloak that seemed to move of its own accord. "Xena, do you wish enlightenment?" His voice was soft... soothing...

I nodded my head and watched his hands slowly emerge from the within the folds of the cloak. They threw open the cloak in a grand gesture and I fell to my knees. I could see everything! The creation of the world... the birth of the Greek gods... my own life... as well as everyone else's! The light grew in intensity until it blinded me and I closed my eyes to block out the painful light.

I heard Kurtan speak softly... "Take her away. She has seen the light."

I don't remember how I got here... in this alley... but I know that I must kill the evil ones...

I don't remember how I can fight as well as I do... but soon there is a pile of bodies lying around me... another man comes towards me swinging a sword and instinct kicks in and I duck his sword and swing with my own... soon, he too lies at my feet, his blood spilling out onto the rough ground... There are only a few people left standing in the carnage... blood is everywhere... but that is the cost of destroying evil...

"Gather the dead and let's go!" The Rat told the rest of us.

"Why do we carry away the dead?" I had been out on several missions and our dead had always been taken back to the dungeons. "So that the evil ones can be condemned to hell. The true believers who have died here will be taken to Kurtan so that he may put them in a place of honour by his side."

"But..." I had so many more questions...

"Enough! Let's go!" The Rat walks ahead and pushes some of the slower worshippers to make them move faster. I begin to follow but smell something good... something that I can vaguely remember... food! I look into one of the side rooms and see a huge banquet laid out. I can barely restrain myself as I run to the table and grab a drumstick. I had just taken a bite and was ready to swallow when I heard a voice behind me...

"Drop it!" I drop the turkey leg without question and swallow the piece I had in my mouth, hoping he didn't notice. "This food may be poisoned! You'll be fed when you get back. Now move it!" I nodded and looked longingly at the food before I glanced at Rat's face and walked out of the room. I don't like him, but I obey him because Kurtan speaks through him. I can vaguely remember resisting Kurtan at first... I can't remember why... it was so foolish of me to resist. But now I'm part of his holy family.

We return to the dungeon and the Rat turns to me... "Sit over there until someone comes for you."

"Where's Kurtan?" I wondered what Kurtan did when we were on missions.

"He's busy. You'll see him later." The Rat shoved me to the side and I sat watching him. I really didn't like him! How I would love to just wrap my hands around his scrawny little... No! I shouldn't be thinking that! Kurtan wouldn't like it and I don't want to make Kurtan angry. "What are you looking at?" The Rat growled.

"Nothing," I replied and looked down, away from his hateful gaze.

"Good! Why don't you think about the glory of Kurtan!" He kicked me hard before he walked away and through a doorway. I heard a lock click into place after he closed the door. Lock... a vision of a handsome man... with dark hair and a goatee... he was king... of something... I can't remember.

I look at the door where the Rat disappeared. Part of me wants to strike out. I would love to kick in a few of the Rat's teeth! I smiled as I thought of this... but I don't do it. I know the truth... but why do I feel bad? It feels like part of me is missing... but I can't remember what. I have been given the wonderful gift of enlightenment. To turn my back on that would be a sin! To turn my back on Kurtan would mean certain death! Hell's fire and agony would be my reward for doubting Kurtan!

Fire... I can see a hot poker... Damn! It's so hard to remember! Maybe it's because I'm always so hungry... my stomach grumbles so loud I can't think. Almost feels like I've been drugged... drugged? Is that why the food tastes so weird? I can almost remember... the demon... Kurtan... Kurtan the demon? No... I can't think clearly...

"Hey, Xena!" The Rat had returned. "Come on, Xena. We've got a job to do."

A job... whose job... "Kurtan's work?" I was still weak and didn't feel well.

"Of course. There is an enemy of Kurtan. He wants you to take care of him." I nodded weakly and stumbled to my feet.

Outside the castle...

"Are you sure she's in there?" Gabrielle asked doubtfully. The old castle in front of her was covered in ivy and filth. The walls looked like they were ready to collapse. The stench of human filth reached her and she covered her face with a piece of cloth.

"Get used to the smell. We'll have to go in there if we plan to rescue her," the man beside her responded. "Time to get our make-up on."

Gabrielle nodded and reached down to put on her wig and apply some face paint. She glanced at the man next to her and smiled, as he was almost totally unrecognizable. She'd seen him do this before, but it still amazed her at how skilful he was at changing his appearance. "How do I look, Autolycus?" she asked.

He shook his head and added some more charcoal to her face and hair. After a few minutes of adjusting and smudging, he looked at her closely and nodded. "It'll do. We should only be in there a few minutes at the most. And remember to slur your speech! We don't want to draw attention to ourselves." He took a deep breath and sighed. "Are you ready then? Okay, let's go."

Gabrielle nodded and followed him into the abandoned castle. She remembered her last visit to the city guards; they still had no information so she decided to call in some help. She knew Autolycus was in the next town and that he had some feelings for Xena. He responded to her summons and when she explained the situation to him, he willingly agreed to help her find her best friend. They had watched the city streets for days before picking up the trail of several vigilantes that had just killed a man for selling drugs in the street. The trail led here and they had watched the place for several days before they saw Xena leave with a group of filthy people. She was poorly dressed and scrawny looking. She shuffled along with the others, without looking up.

Gabrielle wanted to run and help her friend but Autolycus had pulled her down and made her wait. "She looks like she's drugged. If it wasn't for the fact that I know her, I would almost swear that wasn't her!" Autolycus had commented and Gabrielle had noticed the thief discretely wipe a tear away from his cheek. They were going to follow the group, but there was very little shelter and Autolycus was worried about getting caught. So they waited... until now.

They walked inside the dismal heap of bricks and glanced around cautiously. Several vagrants were lying about the ground, some were barely conscious and didn't look up as they passed. Autolycus bent down and shook the shoulder of one man. The man looked at the thief with empty eyes.

"Where's Xena?" the thief asked in a raspy voice.

"She's doing the will of the great Kurtan," came the weak reply.

"Great." Autolycus stood up and motioned to Gabrielle. Together they made their way back outside to their hiding place.

"What do we do now? Do we go after her?" Gabrielle asked.

"We have to. The way she looked yesterday, she can't last much longer in there." Autolycus said in a firm voice. The two adventurers followed the trail of Xena and her captor across half the city until they finally saw a small rat-faced man and Xena standing at the corner of a building.

"There he is! You must destroy the evil one!" The Rat spoke softly, urgently. I looked at the man who I was to kill and thought I recognized him... but he kept changing. One moment he was a friend of my mother's... and the next he was a demon... friend... demon... I shook my head to try to clear it and suffered a wave of nausea. I gripped my sword as firmly as I could and stepped away from the building towards the person. He turned toward me and smiled... or was that a sneer?

"Xena! We've been so worried about you! Come with me! Your mother has been worrying herself sick over you. Gabrielle has sent for a friend of yours... Autolycus, I think it was. They've been looking everywhere for you! They'll be overjoyed to see you again."

I let him ramble on. I was right in front of him when I raised my sword. The look of fear on his face made me pause... what was I doing? This is my friend! He knows Gabrielle and Autolycus... I lowered my sword and backed away... I wasn't sure what to do...

"Xena! What are you doing? Kill him!" The Rat's voice came from behind me. "But... he's my friend... he knows Gabrielle... he's not a threat to Kurtan..." I tried to explain to the Rat...

"He's a demon! If you don't kill him, then I will!" the Rat ran out from behind me, knocking me aside and tried to attack the man.

"No! Stop!" I tried to stop him... but someone else got there ahead of me. Someone with long hair and someone else... I look at them confused... I think I know them... they look familiar.

The two people ran to attack the Rat, but he scuttled toward me and grabbed my arm. "Xena!" I knew that voice, she was my best friend once... a long time ago... in another life. She reached for me and the Rat slashed her arm, drawing blood.

"NO!" I screamed and leapt at the Rat. I hit him as hard as I could and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Good work, Xena! Come on! Let us help you get back to your mother's." The female said. I shook my head and tried to get away... but she kept grabbing at me... trying to stop me. I lashed out and she backed away. I could see the confusion that was written on her face… it mirrored mine.

I backed away from them and finally turned and ran. I had no idea where I was going, but I knew I had to get somewhere to cool off. I passed a butcher shop in the next street and crashed the door open. Food! Everywhere I looked... there was food... several dried meats were hanging from the ceiling and trays of cooked meat were lying on the counter. I dug my hands into the cooked meats and stuffed them into my mouth... what heaven! The food was like ambrosia to me! I grabbed some more cooked meat and devoured it... several of the trays were empty when I grabbed some of the hanging meat and ate that as well.

I ate until I could eat no more and my head began to clear... I was able to remember more and more. The two people in the street were Gabrielle and Autolycus! My friends! The man I was about to kill was my mother's best friend! Someone who she has romantic interests in, if I am not mistaken. I left the butcher shop and wandered into the early morning streets. I didn't know where I was going, but I just wanted some peace and quiet... to remember some more... and figure out what I was to do now.

In the Amphipolis Gaol...

"Kurtan is acting as some kind of god. He has gathered all the homeless in the city and keeps them drugged. At first he sent them out to kill the criminals, but then he wanted to start killing everyone he could find."

The guards stared unbelieving at the rat-faced man sitting before them. The old guard sighed and rubbed his chin. "So you want me to believe that a bunch of homeless people have killed all the criminals? Why should I believe that? And what has Xena got to do with this?"

"You should see what he has them do! They believe he's their saviour and they're willing to do anything he tells them to. As for Xena, Kurtan wanted the challenge of trying to convert her. He did a pretty good job too, if ya ask me! If it weren't for those two," he nods his head in the direction of Gabrielle and Autolycus, "she would have killed her mother's boyfriend!"

"But... why? Why are you doing this?" Gabrielle asked.

"Kurtan is going to take over Amphipolis! You can't stop him." The rat- faced man sneered.

"We'll see about that!" Autolycus retorted.

Somehow I wound up just outside of Amphipolis. I feel awful! My head is reeling and my stomach feels like it's on fire. I throw up the meat I ate earlier and lay down. My whole body starts to shake, but not from the cold. I'm going through withdrawal. I close my eyes hoping it's over soon.

A few hours later I feel better. My head is clearer and I can remember almost everything. For the past several months, I have been a prisoner of Kurtan... his slave... I have killed again. Kurtan drugged... tortured... brainwashed me. He broke me. That's never happened before. I wonder what I should do now... I want to run to my mother's and hide away... forever. But if I do that, he'll win... I can't allow that.

My only choice is to confront him. I might be killed... but it's better than living the rest of my life in fear. I get to my feet and raise my head... I have to go back... I have to face Kurtan.

I crept back into the dungeon... there were very few people around. I wonder where the others were? As I turn a corner, I can see them... listening to Kurtan. As I look upon Kurtan now, he looks like any other man, nothing special about him. I crept through the back of the crowd... no one seems to notice me. That's good. With everyone enthralled with Kurtan's speech, I should be able to creep around without any interference.

Near the back of the dungeon, I saw a door that had a padlock on it. I grabbed a nearby brick and smashed the lock open. The door swung open and my jaw dropped as I saw the contents of the room. The bedchambers of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, were not as plush as what I saw before me! I wasn't sure what I expected... but this sure wasn't it! I walked in and closed the door behind me. The bed had the softest velvet pillows... and oriental rugs covered the floor... ornately carved chests, trimmed in gold were at the foot of the bed... gold statues... Kurtan had amassed a fortune in this one room!

What a con man! Kurtan fooled everyone! He turned innocents into vicious killers... and he did it all with drugs and poor people! Amazing! I can't wait to see the expression on Kurtan's face when the guards grab him. Shouldn't be too difficult to clear this old castle out. I'll bring the guards down first thing tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see Gabr...