Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here that appear in the hit syndicated TV Show, Xena: Warrior Princess. I do, however, own any and all original characters.
Summary: Eve has a secret, and it will cost her everything to keep it safe.
My Callisto
By
Mystik
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Xena glanced from one man to the other, contemplating to herself the odds of beating them. One had a club, two had pikes, and the rest had swords. Their armor seemed very good, made of a silverish alloy she had never seen before.
The warrior came to one conclusion: piece of cake.
"Why do you want to kill us?" asked Gabrielle as she and Xena turned around in circles with their backs pressed together.
"It has been ordered," replied the leader, stepping closer to the two woman. Engraved into his armor was a picture of the gorgon Medusa, her snake-hair waving wildly and her mouth open in a dangerous snarl.
"Ordered by whom?" said Xena, skillfully twirling her sword then pointing it to the three men closest to her. In all her years of experience, she found that intimidation was the main downfall of warriors. And it was always funny to watch them pee in their trousers.
"You don't need to know that, 'cause we're about to kill you, wench!"
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"…and so Thracia finally told Sarcadus she loved him, and they lived happily ever after. The End." Eve rolled up the scroll she had been reading from and placed her sleeping daughter on the bed. "Sleep tight, Little One." She kissed her child's forehead softly and quietly left the underground room.
Eve found Virgil in the tavern sitting by himself. After ordering a drink at the bar, the young woman sat down across the table from him. "Listen, Virgil, are you sure you don't want to go home? I'm sure your mother would love to see you," suggested the woman, seeing that his face was troubled and deep in thought.
Virgil set his drink down and laced his fingers together, leaning forward to make their conversation more private. "We've already been over this."
"Yeah, I know… my mother will rip you limb from limb if you don't stay with me," muttered Eve with a sad little sigh. Sometimes her mother ruled her life while she wasn't even there, as if Eve were still just a child and nothing more.
"It's not just that," said the man, pushing his chair out from under the table. "I care about Callie… and I also care about you." He left the tavern before Eve could register the weight of what he had said.
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"Sorry, boys, but I still have a few years yet before I die," announced Xena before lunging for the closest man. "AL-AL-AL-AL-AL CHIIIIIIIAAAAAAAA!"
She lashed out at him with her sword, hurling her chakram into the air at the same time. He parried her swing and pushed her back into a tree. As she rubbed her spine, he waved her back over, mouthing 'Come and get it'.
"You're getting rough with the wrong woman, buster." She jumped up and ran at him, sword extended. He quickly moved out of the way, kicking her in the back as she passed.
Xena ducked and rolled across the ground as two pikes and a club went flying over her head and slammed into two trees. "One at a time, men. There's plenty butt-kicking to go around. Whoa!" She caught a dagger right before it jammed into the space between her eyes. "Ah, damn!" The knife dropped from her bloody fingers onto the ground, staining the grass dark maroon. She looked up at the four men surrounding her. "No more playing around."
Gabrielle parried a sword and kicked her attacker's feet out from under him, knocking him unconscious with a swift punch in midair. She then scurried out of the way as two men came charging at her, letting herself chuckle a bit as they rammed into each other and fell to the ground, out cold. Three more men surrounded the bard, swords menacingly poking at her.
"I've seen Xena do this a million times," thought the bard out loud. She jumped into the air as the men charged. The blonde came down on the men's sword tips, pushing the blades harmlessly into the ground, and spun around with her fists extended, knocking the three men down. "Ow!" She looked down at her bruised knuckles and cursed, "Damn it! Xena always makes it look so easy!"
Xena rolled out of the way as a club came down not inches from her. Rolling the other way, she stopped before a pike crushed her skull. "What is this, 'Pick on the Warrior Princess' day?" She got to her feet in a crouching position and grinned devilishly. The remaining men all came at her and she thrust her legs out, spinning around and around with her hands holding her up as her feet knocked them all down.
She grabbed the only one still conscious and put The Pinch on him. "I've just cut off the flow of blood to your brain. You have thirty seconds to tell me what I want to know. Who sent you?"
The man struggled to get up, but with no avail.
"Don't bother trying to move. You'll just make your death come sooner... twenty seconds."
"We were sent by… by Satri. She wishes to keep the child of… Livia for ransom…"
Xena took The Pinch off and glared at him. "What ransom?"
"She knows that Livia has a great stock of money in the Roman banks, and now that Livia is no longer a commander and no longer has the strength to kill in cold blood, Satri wants all the money for her own. She doesn't fear for her life."
"What child?" asked Xena, suddenly realizing what he had said.
"Young Callisto, the girl Satri is caring for, and daughter of Livia."
SEVEN YEARS AGOLivia rammed her sword through the chest of a nearby villager, all but laughing as he sank to the ground. Thick, dark red blood gurgled and bubbled on his lips, down his chin, and onto the sand-covered ground until his heart no longer pumped. She grinned and kicked his lifeless body into a fire for the sheer joy of the smell. The smell of death.
Of fresh blood.
She raised her sword to her face and licked the blood from it, reveling in the coppery taste; the smooth, thick texture. A demonic chuckle escaped her lips.
Two villagers tried to attack her at the same time, but she kicked one in the face, ramming the bone back into his brain and killing him, then grabbed the other man. "Say hello to Callisto for me. Tell her that her footsteps are fun things to follow in," she whispered before slitting his throat, starting at one end of the jaw bone and making an arch-shaped cut to the other. "But I'm making my own blood trail."
Frothy red bubbles spilled out of the man's mouth as he fell to the ground, dead. His blood leaked from his neck and pooled with the blood of his kinsmen, creating a dark red lake of death that spread from one end of the town to the other.
A white flag went up from the village's City Hall and Livia commanded her army to stop, making sure to kill just one more man before halting the attack.
The mayor of the village stepped forward. His arm had almost been ripped out of its socket, the flesh torn and tattered, with deep sword marks running up and down it. One of his eyes were badly damaged by a sword point. "We surrender. You are the new ruler of this village. Take what you wish and do what you will."
Livia pushed a body off her sword, grinning evilly as it fell to the ground with a dull thud. She snapped her fingers and her lead archer killed the mayor.
"Thank you for the surrender. We will enjoy pillaging and using this town as a post to stock up on supplies," she purred dangerously to the old man's dead body, then addressed the hiding villagers. "If you do not return to your huts we will burn all empty huts and when we find you… we'll burn you right along with the hovels you refer to as 'home'… Search the village!"
PRESENT"…I was so lost in my bloodlust that I barely had time to acknowledge the growth of the being inside me. I had loved the child at one time, but after awhile Verus's coddling and babying me because I was pregnant grew old and I started despising the source of all that unneeded attention. I didn't leave him, no. His allied power was much too important and my feelings for him were still strong beyond compare, only I didn't know it…"
SEVEN YEARS AGOLivia inhaled deeply the scent of burning wood and scorched flesh. Some villagers had chosen to try and escape, but what a mistake that had been. They had been no match for her trackers, and were thrown into the fires of their homes alive. Like the burning fires of hell, their very souls were burned through and through. Their screams of agony and pain could be heard echoing off the nearby mountains.
Cesarius approached Livia and saluted.
"Report," commanded the woman as she concentrated on a burning home, watching the bodies inside it slowly disintegrate.
"We lost two warriors, ma'am. All the huts that were found empty were first looted then burned, as you commanded."
Livia gave him an evil, yet somewhat satisfied smile. "Good boy. Please inform the men to return all goods to the supplies caravan before picking out the villagers that are to be sold as slaves. I want this place up and running, but take as many people for slaves as possible."
"And if they should resist?"
Livia turned her back to the man and looked around. "Cesarius, what do you think?"
Cesarius grinned gleefully. "So you mean we can…?"
"Yes. Kill 'em! Slit their throats and watch as they sink to the ground in a puddle of their own self-pity and agony. That is what you may do."
PRESENT"… after conquering that one village my men starting believing they were unstoppable… and that is just what they became. Our bloodlust increased, we were killing more and more with each village we took. Crucifixion became a favored way of ending lives. The men loved the feel of driving metal through bone and the—the flesh. But soon I became too pregnant to fight, and that's when the men turned against Verus…"
SEVEN YEARS AGOVerus stormed towards Livia's tent, his mind bubbling with anger for how she had mutilated the people of the last village she had conquered. "Livia!" he called, then was roughly pushed back by Cesarius and Dephon before he made the tent flap. "What's the meaning of this, Cesarius, Dephon?"
The two officers crossed their arms, narrowing their eyes at him, but said nothing.
"Get out of my way before I have you punished," ordered Verus, definitely not in the mood for this kind of attitude.
Cesarius chuckled and pushed Verus even farther back from Livia's tent. "Oh, and whatcha gonna do? Huh, huh? You gonna pelt me with flowers until I laugh?" he mocked, shoving the commander into a supply cart.
Verus glared at the Roman and pushed him out of the way. "If you'll excuse me, Cesarius." He went into Livia's tent without giving the men a backwards glance.
The men laughed at his back as he walked away, Dephon calling, "Go ahead and run away. We have plans in store for you."
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Livia looked up as Verus came into her tent. "What do you want now, Verus?" she asked him in a bored tone. She was sitting at her war table with her feet propped up on a chair to relieve the weight from her swollen ankles.
"I'm begging you to stop this, Livia. That satyr village you captured today, it was totally irrelevant to your conquest for Athens. You're not immortal, Livia, and if you begin to believe it someone will conquer you."
The young woman looked up into his face and narrowed her eyes. "You know, Verus, at first glance you seem like a perfect gentleman, a guy who does no wrong with women. But realize this: I'm in the prime of my life and pregnant. I love you, I really do, but the more I think about it the more I know you used me. You used me for an heir of warrior blood. Sparta is in desperate need of new leaders, and you lied your way to me just to get a child from a woman worthy of Sparta. Not only that… but you believed that I would be obligated to create an alliance with you for the safety of our child. Well it's not going to work, Verus."
"Livia… that was the first plan… but it's changed now. I love you."
"That's what I thought. Guards! Please show Verus and his army the backwoods."
PRESENTEve wiped a tear from her eye and sniffled. "I sent him away with his army but he made sure to stay at least half a day's ride behind me. He loved me as well and didn't want anything happening to me or our child." She sniffled again and wiped away more tears, refusing to look Virgil in the eye as she continued. "One night, after conquering a satyr camp, the pains began…"
SEVEN YEARS AGOLivia was looking over a map of the remaining villages she had yet to conquer until she reached Athens. There were about fifty more villages and small towns, each about a day's march away from each other. The young commander had been strategically moving around Athens in a spiral form, slowly surrounding and trapping Greece's capital.
"It'll take too long for us all to capture every single village. I want the army split into three parts and sent with an officer to start conquering villages at assigned points. We'll meet three miles southeast of the village Ignocia in four weeks' time," she said to the three officers to be sent with the armies.
Dephon, Daemon, and Cesarius nodded.
"And if Verus should interfere?" asked Dephon.
"Should he have the guts to show his face here, you are to bring him to me alive. I'll deal with him in my own means. Leave me now."
Her three highest rank officers saluted and left the tent.
As soon as they were gone Livia doubled over and lay on her bed, holding her stomach in pain. "Gods help me," she whispered to the darkness, her bottom lip quivering in pain.
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Dephon turned and continued his patrol of the southern border. His dark eyes searched for anything unusual, knowing that Verus's army lay somewhere watching this side of camp. With a sigh, the captain pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders; watching as his breath came out in puffs of steam.
"Dephon," said a voice from the darkness.
The Roman turned around then gasped as two hands reached out and snapped his neck. He was dead before he hit the ground. Verus solemnly said a prayer to Hades for the fallen officer and moved farther into Livia's territory.
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"Just relax, Livia," said Livia's personal healer, Satri, as she stroked the young commander's forehead. "This is your first birth and it may take a little more time. You're not very far along at all, and the pains are just beginning."
"That's so comforting," snapped Livia.
There was a knock at the door and Livia threw on her cloak. "Come in," she said as she stood with the help of Satri.
Cesarius came running in, short of breath. "The satyr's have gotten loose!"
Livia ran outside and elbowed a satyr in the face as he passed by, bending down the best she could and tying his hooves together. "Tie them up! Make sure they don't leave camp, and if they get away you have permission to kill them!"
As her men rounded up the beasts, she caught sight of Verus standing like a rock amidst the chaos of a river. His arms behind his back, his eyes caught her in a cold gaze that they held until neither could stand it.
"Verus, what do you want?" she hissed, stepping closer to him.
Her men were bound to see him in a moment and, considering their hatred for him, would probably kill the Spartan commander in less than a heartbeat. "Let's talk," he called.
"You let the satyrs loose, didn't you?" accused Livia, her anger boiling. How dare that—that man interrupt her plans for fame and fortune. Didn't he know what an opportunity for her this was? "Didn't you?" she screamed, on the verge of tears.
He said nothing in reply, only looked down at his boots guiltily. He hadn't meant to turn her against him like this…
"No talk. Get out of my camp," she commanded with an icy glare.
"As you wish, Milady."
PRESENTEve paused long enough to take a drink. "We rounded up as many of the satyrs as we could, including the leader. I went outside to speak with them despite the pains…"
SEVEN YEARS AGOLivia's cold blue eyes traveled from one satyr to the other, daring them to speak. She stopped a few feet away from them and grinned devilishly. "Give yourselves up now, beasts, or prepare to meet your twisted maker."
The leader of the satyrs, whose name was Franco, replied solemnly, "Do what you will with us, She-Devil, for your hatred will someday lead to your death."
Satyr's were faun-like creatures with sharp horns, deadly hooves, and thick black or brown fur either on the lower part of their body or from the neck down. They were good fighters and were known to attack innocent travelers who passed through their land, but they could also be hired out as protectors of villages who gave them crops in return.
Livia laughed evilly, then straightened out her face and began to walk towards the seven captured satyrs. "I am the Destroyer of Nations. It has been foretold by the God of War that I shall someday be empress of Rome. Then, one day, I shall carry the heir to Rome's throne, and my child will rule on in Augustus's place. I have had his favor since I was a mere child and I have spent my life proving myself to him.
"You filthy beasts are nothing more than pawns in my ascent to the most powerful woman in the most powerful empire in the world. Slavers pay high prices for broken-in satyrs and merchants give even more for their fur and horns."
"What shall we do with them, Milady?" asked Cesarius, bloodlust shimmering in his black eyes as he yanked on the chains of the satyr he was holding at bay. The satyr's hooves faltered and he fell flat on his face, horns digging into the ground.
"Crucify them. Crucify them all!"
PRESENTXena angrily hurled her stuff into Argo's saddlebags. "A child! She has a child and she never even mentioned it! How could she?! I thought we reached an understanding of truth!" she huffed, her rage building by the moment.
Gabrielle grabbed Xena's arm before the warrior pulled a muscle or--or burst a vein or something of that nature. "Xena, calm down. You don't know that that man was telling the truth and the only way to answer your questions is to find out where Eve is and speak with her about it. So just calm down and we'll figure it out like we always do, okay?"
Xena sighed and nodded glumly. "Fine."
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"Did your army crucify them?" asked Virgil curiously. He had been taking notes on the story and was sure that this would someday become a real moneymaker.
Eve took another drink and swallowed deeply. "Well, Cesarius pulled out a hammer and some nails but before we could get the satyrs in check, a runner came up yelling that Dephon was found dead at the southern border. I knew instantly that that was how Verus had gotten in. But there was nothing I could do, because my child's time was soon at hand and the pains were getting worse…"
SEVEN YEARS AGO"What shall we do, milady?" asked Daemon, looking to the woman, his hands wringing themselves out nervously.
Livia held in a groan as a pain moved through her body. "Crucify the satyrs and place their corpses outside Athens. Then those Greeks will finally know what's soon coming to them." She turned to go back inside the safety of her tent, and then whirled back around as the sound of metal hitting metal was made.
Verus shoved Cesarius to the ground then turned to Daemon. The Roman drew his own sword, but before he could get a good handle on it, two thuds were made as his head and his body both hit the floor. Verus freed the remaining satyrs and jumped on his horse, running away with the beasts before Livia's men could react.
"You may have won this battle, Verus, but you'll never win the war!" Livia called after him, her hatred for the man not increasing but definitely not decreasing. "Five extra sentries at every border, ten extra scouts at each compass point! Cesarius, find some slaves and then execute the plans we had for the sentries. I am not to be bothered while I am inside my tent for any reason."
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Two Athenian soldiers approached the two crosses with bloody corpses on them. The dead bodies had been totally mutilated, hands ripped and fingers torn off, bone and all. Blood leaked from the back of their necks, right where the neural connection had been broken along with the spine. Their feet were shredded into jagged edges of flesh and bone, so that no flesh remained but the parts above where a nail had been driven through.
On one of the corpses the leg had been ripped in two at the knee, the sun-parched bone sticking out in horrific ways. On the other one the elbow had been shattered, then the arm bent the wrong way with the hand barely attached by the shredded flesh of the wrist.
But the most horrifying of the bodies were their eyes. Their cold, screaming eyes that remained pinned open with small tacks so that they would remain that way forever. Eyes that reflected pain and immense suffering, of deaths that would make one want to spend eternity in Tartarus instead of feel the agony of their bodies twisted in grotesque ways.
Mothers turned their children away; men and older boys felt the tears welling up in their eyes. The sight aroused an anger inside them that they had never felt before, yet mixed up inside that anger was an inescapable fear. A fear of their fate, if they should meet the same deaths as these poor souls… a fear of their killer, one more demonic than Callisto ever was… a reminder of how horrible Xena had been.
Nailed to the crosses' v posts were the words:
"'See what kind of deaths are coming to you, and fear the name 'Livia' for it means 'doom' in all languages, and 'suffering' in Greek'," read one of the soldiers to the gathered crowd, right before falling to the ground, dead.
An arrow with a note attached to it protruded from his chest.
The other soldier read the note out loud, "'Fear. Fear what is coming to you, for it is worse than what this man has suffered, and far more painful than what the men on the crosses suffered through before finally leaving this realm. You have been warned.'"
PRESENTXena dragged Argo farther into the stall, quickly taking off all their gear and washing the mare down. "Sorry for all the rush, Girl, but we gotta go find Eve before that Satri lady gets to her."
Gabrielle finished with her own horse and followed her friend as Xena exited the stables. "So what're we going to do now?"
"First we're gonna find Satri and take care of her… then we're going to make sure Eve and Virgil are alright."
"Ooh, we kick butt yes?" asked the bard anxiously.
Xena grinned and nodded. "Yup. That's exactly what we're gonna do."
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Eve continued, "The people of Athens were terrified and the guard was doubled. But I had it all planned out. I was going to conquer the surrounding villages and prevent any communication between them, taking long enough to douse some fear in Athens, then strike when they least expected it to happen. But that night, a few of my plans changed…"
SEVEN YEARS AGOLivia groaned in pain and grasped Satri's hand even tighter. "Do the problems ever cease, Satri?" asked the commander through her pain.
Satri simply moved away and poured boiled water into a bucket. "This problem will soon be over, milady, and then you are on a dead run for the empress of Rome."
"You will be handsomely rewarded for this, you do know that?"
"Yes, I do."
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Cesarius held his hand out to steady his men as Verus's army came marching in perfect unison over a nearby hill. He watched silently as the Spartan commander approached, sword still sheathed as a sign of temporary peace. "Verus, back so soon?" he said sarcastically. It was a hatred-filled sarcasm, and that hatred was building by the moment.
"Cesarius, let me pass. I simply wish to talk with Livia," called Verus sullenly.
"She's done talking with you. I think she made that quite clear when she kicked you out of her tent, lover-boy," sneered Cesarius. His men snickered in the background.
"Let me pass, Cesarius, or else."
"Or else what? I know, how about a fight to the death, huh?" The Roman drew his sword threateningly. "Army versus army, lead man versus lead man. You up for it?" He held out his hand, gesturing for Verus to accept the challenge.
"Yes, that would be nice, Cesarius. Army… attack!"
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Livia moaned and let her head fall back as a contraction swelled and ebbed inside her.
"Don't push yet, Milady. What I want you to do is chew on this ice until I tell you to push, alright?" said Satri as she spoon-fed her commander some cold compresses.
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"YAARGH!" Cesarius lashed out at Verus, who jumped out of the way. Verus turned and slashed Cesarius's eye, making the Roman cry out in pain. He then roughly shoved him to the ground and kicked the Roman officer in the side until he was unconscious.
The Spartan commander ran over to Livia's tent, waiting for Satri to exit before going inside himself.
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"Livia," he whispered as he entered the tent.
The young woman looked up tiredly. "Verus… what're you doing here?" she asked, speaking slowly and carefully. A groan escaped her lips.
Verus smelt her breath. "You've been drugged with some kind of root. That's all the better, 'cause I'm going to get you out of here. Army life is no life for our child, okay? I'll be right back."
Livia smiled at him and took his hand. "I love you, Verus." She had to say it, if only for just one more time. For somewhere mixed up in all her hatred and spite for the man, she knew she loved him with all her heart.
"I love you, too, but right now I have to get you and the baby away from here!" He ran outside but came face to face with a sword point.
"I can't let you do that, Verus," hissed Satri. "Livia promises me too much for you to take her away now. I have so much to gain from her." She pressed the tip of her weapon into his neck.
"You're a traitor."
"Me? No, no, no, no, no. See, you are the one who left. You are the one who freed the satyrs and rescued them from Livia's use. You are the one who got her pregnant and it is you who shall pay for it," said the healer dangerously. She swung out at the Spartan man and sliced his leg wide open, causing him to double over in pain.
Cesarius came running up and Satri turned to him.
"You take it from here," she said to the burly man before once again entering Livia's tent with a few herbs and swaddling clothes.
"Don't have to tell me twice."
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"Come on, Livia, push!" urged Satri, keeping her voice below the sounds of the heated battle outside the tent.
Men were grunting, groaning, dying just outside the thin walls of the tent, their swords creating thunder as they met. It was raining blood everywhere, from both Spartan and Roman soldiers.
Livia gasped in pain and leaned back on her elbows.
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Verus parried Cesarius's sword with his, pushing the Roman officer back a few feet, next to the large bonfire that lit the entire camp. "Why're you doing this?"
"Livia is the only hope Rome has to conquer Greece. Then we'll expand our empire to Egypt, Indus, Chin… and Sparta." He grabbed a flaming piece of wood from the fire and thrust it forward, first burning Verus's sword hand, and then his leg wound.
Verus cried out in pain and kicked Cesarius away, even closer to the fire. He put a hand to his leg and moved towards the fallen Roman.
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"AAAH!" Livia cried out, pushing with all her might to rid her body of the child inside.
"Just a little longer, Livia! Come on!" shouted the midwife.
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Verus stopped approaching Cesarius. The Roman's eyes widened in fear for his life. "Mars forgive me for killing one of his best, but I must do this to get Livia out of here," he said, raising his fist to knock the Roman into the fire. Cesarius grabbed his sword and thrust it into Verus's chest. The Spartan commander flinched, but could not stop his onslaught, as it had already begun. He pushed Cesarius into the fire.
Both armies stopped their fighting for a split second as agonized screams of utter suffering rang through the air. It was the shout of a man suffering, dying slowly. Cesarius's blood-curdling scream bore right into every man's soul and made him shiver with fright. It was as if Tartarus had been opened up in the middle of the camp and the wails of the tortured were leaking through.
Then the screams stopped. Cesarius died, his scorched body still lying in the fire's flaming-hot coals and logs.
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"AAH! VEEEEEEEEERUUUUUS!" called Livia, pushing once again. An angered baby cry broke out, filling Livia's ears and melting a portion of the ice around her heart.
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Verus turned and began his trek back to Livia's camp, his vision red around the edges as all his muscles began shutting down. He stumbled and lacked the strength to get back up, sharp pains all over his body as his blood pressure slowed.
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"It's your daughter, Livia," said Satri, turning to her commander with a void look on her face. She held the crying newborn in her arms, wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Livia half-smiled. "A girl? It's a girl?" she looked up in exhaustion. The tiny baby was covered in red wrinkles, like a giant raisin. On top of her head was a halo of golden hair, and, when the newborn's eyes finally opened, bright baby blues peeked out.
Satri handed the wailing baby to her mother and tugged on Livia's arm. "Come on, Livia, we have to go!" Livia groaned and stood with all her might, heavily leaning on Satri as they exited the tent.
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Verus looked up and coughed blood, his face stained with the dark liquid. Livia stopped and looked at him, suddenly oblivious to her daughter's wails.
"My… ch-child."
"It's a girl, Verus," whispered Livia, holding out the newborn for him to see. "See? It's a healthy little girl." Her lip quivered.
Verus smiled, then his arms sank to the ground. His eyes closed as his body slumped. His heart stopped, his breathing halted. He was dead.
"Verus? Verus, wake up!" called Livia as Satri gently pushed her onto a wagon. "Verus no! Come back, Verus!" she sobbed as the wagon began to move away. "Verus, don't leave me!"
PRESENTEve stopped and broke down, letting the tears fall freely down her face. She began to wipe them away when she felt a gentle hand wipe them away for her. "Eve… it's alright," whispered Virgil, pulling the woman close.
For the first time in his life, Virgil realized the pain and suffering she had gone through. She never had a mother or father; never had friends, only professors and caretakers; had to live with thousands of men who didn't give a damn about her feelings; her first love had been killed by one of her soldiers; she had been persecuted again and again for her past deeds; and had been forced to give her only child away.
He stroked her hair comfortingly. "Eve, I'm so sorry. That must've been so horrible for you."
She leaned into his soothing touch and coughed a few times, her sobs still ragged and deep. "I loved him so much… but my hatred for the rest of the world… for myself… got him killed. I was the one who killed him, Virgil," whispered the young woman, closing her eyes. "It was all my fault! I killed him! His blood is on my hands!" she screamed, sobs raking through her body.
"No, no you didn't," said the man quietly, rubbing her back. "I now realize what you've gone through, Eve, and I don't blame you for anything you did. The Fates twisted your life, and none of the deeds you ever did were not provoked."
Eve sniffled, her sobs slowly subsiding as she began to feel safe tucked away into his safe, strong arms. For the first time in her life, she felt safe. "Thank you Virgil. You're the most caring person I've ever known."
Virgil just smiled and kissed the top of her head, rubbing small circles on her back as she began to fall into a restless, nightmare-filled asleep.
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Xena burst into the house they had stayed at the night before and saw Satri staring out the window. "Come here!" she shouted, chasing the woman as she tried to run away. The warrior pounced on the dark woman, sitting on top of her and tying her hands behind her back. "All right, I want some answers."
Gabrielle helped her friend drag Satri to a seat and tie her to the chair. "Tell us about Callisto, now!" demanded the bard, her own dislike of this woman equaling but not exceeding Xena's.
"Callisto was the woman who killed your husband, Gabrielle. I look up to her for causing you that kind of pain," sneered Satri, spitting at her captors.
The bard delivered a firm slap to the dark woman's face. "Don't play around with me! Tell me right now or I'll have Xena snap your
neck!"
Satri was reluctant, but replied, "After Livia gave me full care of the child she sent me a total of one thousand dinars a month to take care of her. Mars gave us a safe room to keep the child in, and that's where I live. Callisto is seven years old, and her mother still hasn't found safety as the empress of Rome, and never will."
Xena glared at her. "Come show us this room, and don't even think about trying to escape. My chakram will show you the River Styx if you even think about it!"
Satri grinned and whistled shrilly; so high-pitched in fact that Xena and Gabrielle had to cover their ears in pain. She broke her ropes and knocked her would-be captors to the ground. After making sure the warrior and bard were tightly bound hand and foot, she ran out the door.
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Eve had fallen fast asleep in Virgil's arms and he carried her over to the large bed, covering her with the blankets. As he watched the woman sleep, he was unaware of Callie curiously watching from the other side of the room.
"Eve… you've suffered so much. I never realized the pain one can go through. I have loving parents, more brothers and sisters than I know what to with-" he smiled at the thought "-and a place that I can always come home to.
"I guess I always took that for granted, ya know? After hearing your story I can't really blame you for killing my father… In a way, I admire how you survived through all that. I know you don't see yourself as the best person in the world, but I think someone would be wise to choose Eve as their idol, not Livia.
"Because that's who you are: Eve. Livia is dead. The seemingly immortal woman is dead and in her place rules Eve, the one who's lasted through it all. If only you could see how you're a different person now. I know I do." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, wiping away a few dry tears from her rosy cheeks before exiting the room.
Callie looked after him with a smile. "Yes!" she pulled the covers over her head and giggled in pure delight.
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Virgil idly stirred his ale with his finger, deep in thought. He realized that, as he had watched Eve sleep, there was a large part of him wanting to climb into that bed and protect her from all her pain, all her suffering. But there was always that smaller part of him that said it would never work out, that their differences would only drive them apart. His feelings for her were so mixed up…
"Move out of the way!" barked a big, burly man.
Virgil looked up and saw about twenty soldiers with the gorgon Medusa engraved in their armor approaching. He then looked to the door that led to Callie's chamber, then back to the men. At that moment his paternal instincts settled in, and he jumped up.
The men saw him and one of them began running for the door. Virgil took off at the same time, his long legs covering more ground than the soldiers'. He threw the door open and slammed it behind him, all the while calling, "Eve! Eve wake up!"
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Eve jerked out of her sleep as Virgil's distressed voice reached her ears. The heightened senses she had inherited from her mother also allowed her to hear the shouts of the men just outside the door. "Callie! Callie, come on," urged the woman, jumping from the covers and grabbing her pack. "Get some clothes and let's get outta here!"
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Virgil grunted as the door burst open and he was pushed to the ground. He looked up at the chuckling men, his eyes narrowed into a glare.
"Let's finish this guy before getting the child. It's not like she and Livia will be going anywhere through those dirt walls!" said the leader of the men, moving to kick Virgil.
"AARGH!" One of the soldiers fell to the ground, unconscious, as a pot collided with his head.
Virgil looked up to find Eve and Callie standing in the doorway, Eve with a pair of wooden chobos in her hand and Callie carrying three packs.
"You better move out of the way, boys, before you learn what the Bitch of Rome is like when she's mad!" Eve shouted, pushing Callie farther back. "Stay here," she whispered to the small child.
One of the men went at Eve, but Virgil brought his hands around and knocked the soldier across the face and out cold. The poet then ducked as the leader tried to slice his head off. He jumped up and kicked the leader in the face, knocking him unconscious.
Eve twirled her chobos around her head skillfully, knocking the first man to approach her in the chin. He fell to the ground with a shattered jaw. Another soldier ran at her, club extended, but she threw her weapon at him and the chain wrapped around his neck. She ran forward, grabbed both handles of the chobos, and squeezed them so hard that the man passed out from lack of breath.
Virgil ran over to join Eve and they looked at the remaining men while holding Callie behind their bodies protectively.
"Up and over?" asked Virgil, looking to Eve.
"You sure you can handle it?" she replied, grasping Callie's hand even tighter.
"Hey, I have some experience," he retorted as he took Eve's hand into his. "On three. One… two…"
"YAAH!" shouted Eve, pulling Virgil and Callie with her as she vaulted into the air. They flew through the air and landed just behind the men. "Go! Go!"
The trio ran out the door and closed it behind them just as the soldiers were about to cross the threshold. Virgil held the door shut while Eve set the lock, taking the key and throwing it into the fire.
Virgil dropped his head against the door and gasped for breath. "How do you people live like this?" he asked Eve, putting a hand over his heart.
Eve ran to the window. "Those were Satri's men. She wants Callie. We have to get out of here before she sends reinforcements."
The man looked to Callie, who was clinging to her stuffed bear. "Alright. Come on, Callie," he said to the small girl, taking her into his arms.
"Excuse me," said the tavern keeper, stepping forward. "I have a back door you can use if you want to. It leads straight into the woods where you'll be safe."
Eve smiled at the elderly man. "Thank you." She began to walk towards the back of the tavern with Virgil and Callie right behind her.
"Good luck to you. And you," said the tavern keeper, stopping Virgil, "keep your wife and daughter safe."
Virgil was about to protest about the comment about them being his wife and daughter, but knew he didn't have that much time to spare. "I will, sir."
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Xena jerked her chair closer to Gabrielle's. "Almost there," said the warrior, having already chewed through her gag. "I'll untie yours first." She gave one last jerk and their hands met.
The warrior immediately began to work with Gabrielle's ropes, concentrating on feeling her way through the knot.
"You know, when we get outta this, I'm going to smack you so hard you'll be in pain for days," warned the bard impatiently.
"Since when is this all my fault?" protested Xena as she pulled the last string on Gabrielle's ropes, setting the bard's hands free.
"Since it wasn't mine!" retorted Gabrielle as she began to untie Xena's ropes. "I have the right mind to leave you tied up like this."
Xena grinned devilishly and said, "Please do."
The bard slapped Xena on the arm and sighed with frustration.
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Virgil stopped running for a second and looked over his shoulder at Callie, who was now riding on his back. "You okay?"
The girl nodded and buried her face in the back of his neck.
"Eve! We have to find a place to rest!" he called to the woman, who was just a few paces in front of him.
"I know. We have to find a—a cave or—or something secluded like that. If Satri's men should attack us at night…"
Virgil looked around and spotted a particularly overgrown patch of forest. "Hey, what about over here?" he called, moving forward through the brush.
Eve turned and narrowed her eyes at the spot Virgil was heading towards. "Be careful…"
The man timidly pushed back a fern leaf, revealing a small cave with an opening just big enough for a person to fit into it.
A deep growl erupted from the opening.
"OH MY GODS!" Virgil jumped back as a wolverine came charging out of the hole. The man tried to run but his foot got caught in a vine. The beast came closer, saliva spraying from its open mouth and gleaming canines. Its bloodshot-red eyes hungrily stared at Virgil and Callie.
Just before it sank its teeth into Virgil's arm…
WHAM! The wolverine went flying into a tree and was knocked unconscious.
Virgil removed his arm from his eyes.
Eve looked down at her bloody arm with an almost scared look on her face. She then turned it over to reveal a slashed-wide-open palm. Her arms began to shake, her legs failed her and she sank to the ground.
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Xena unsheathed her sword as they exited the house. "Alright, Satri, come out! Come out now, before I have to get ugly!" Beside her, Gabrielle shifted her weight nervously, twirling her sais in her hands.
The two women looked up into the trees as an evil laughing reached their ears. Satri swung onto a large branch so she was visible to the duo. "Aww, look at that. The great Warrior Princess and the Battling Bard helpless on their own turf… pitiful." She flipped out of the tree and onto the ground. "I can't believe my mother expected to learn something from you."
Xena's eyes widened in horror as memories of Satrina came flooding back to her mind. Of course! Why hadn't she seen the resemblance sooner? Satri--Satrina? "Damn it."
Satri cocked her head and smiled crazily, a very 'Callisto' smile. "My men are searching the woods for your child and her child as we speak. But ya know, even if you kill me, they'll kill your daughter before you can get to her."
Gabrielle glared at the woman. "You bitch. Using an innocent child as a pawn just to get a few dinars."
"Livia was going to take her away! My life depends on the fee she pays me to take care of that child! She has endless currency, and I want it!" screamed Satri.
Xena took her chakram off its hook. "You'll have to live to get it, remember?"
Satri unsheathed her own sword and ran at Xena. "AAAH!"
The warrior stood her ground until Satri was about to ram her. She then thrust out her sword and Satri halted her onslaught.
Blood trickled down her chin.
"You've gotten lost in your hatred and greed, Satri. Your mother was the same. There's no way to be a formidable enemy when you don't plan, you don't think. You only act, and act out of cold blood and anger. That's why you're dying right now," whispered Xena, pushing the woman off her sword.
Satri fell to her knees and smiled up at Xena. "Well, I guess you're not the same as Livia, are you? She lost the ability to kill in cold blood, but apparently you haven't." She gasped and collapsed in a pool of her own blood.
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Virgil pressed a wet cloth to Eve's wound and worriedly stroked the woman's forehead. Callie busily prepared some bandages and ointments to prevent infection.
"Ugghh…" Eve moaned and turned her head to one side, opening her eyes. "What—what happened?" she asked, looking to Virgil.
"I was going to ask you that. I think you knocked away the wolverine with your arm and it tore up your hand. Then you fainted and we got you in here after tying up the beast," replied Virgil, accepting the bandages from Callie.
The woman put a hand to her pounding head. "It was the—the sight of my blood. Just looking at it brought back all those memories… memories of killing person after person in cold blood. I just couldn't handle it… they give me nightmares, Virgil."
Virgil brushed her forehead affectionately with his fingertips. "We'll help you with that."
Eve looked around the neat little cavern. At the back was a hot spring; there was a skylight in the ceiling covered with bushes so that you could have a fire and the smoke wouldn't take up the entire room, yet still preventing the rain. The entrance was a small tunnel that you had to crawl through for at least ten feet. "Now I see why the wolverine wanted this so bad."
Virgil chuckled and finished wrapping her arm. "Yes, but from what I've heard, caves around these parts get really cold at night."
"It's the soil, it doesn't contain heat as well as it does the cold. Very loose."
"Did you bring any extra blankets?" he asked, putting away the medical supplies.
"No."
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Xena bent down and ran her hands through some sand. "They went by here. The tracks are about five hours old."
"Five hours?! Xe, don't you think we should rest awhile?" begged Gabrielle. "Please? Pretty, pretty please?"
The warrior sighed and nodded. "Okay. It'll be getting cold soon, anyway."
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Eve lathered her hands and ran them along her arms, letting the sweet-smelling soap clean her skin, leaving behind a smooth, sensual fragrance. She leaned back against the rim of the spring, letting her head rest there while she closed her eyes, enjoying the ecstasy of the feeling.
"Mind if I join you?" asked a deep voice.
The woman looked up into the face of Virgil, her gaze never traveling farther down than the bottom of his chin. "Okay." She dropped her head and closed her eyes once more.
He slipped into the water across the spring from her and flinched at the heat. It took a few moments for his body to adjust to the temperature, but soon he was reveling in the calming water. As they both sat there in the pool, Virgil's mind drifted to Eve. He imagined her wonderfully fit body, her nice, coppery tan from traveling… he mentally smacked himself. The man opened one eye and looked at her relaxed face before closing it again. I wonder what she's thinking about… he thought.
Oh gods, that body! thought Eve, inwardly squealing with delight as she imagined Virgil's luscious body. She opened one eye, stealing a glance at him before closing it again.
Callie giggled at the two adults. "And they think I have an active imagination!" she said to herself as she unfolded her bedroll.
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Gabrielle finished cleaning the frying pan and set it down, sighing deeply. "Xena, if you don't let me have that vacation in Lesbos after this I'm going to…" she warned, shaking a fork at her warrior.
"I'm really sorry about all this, but ya know the saying… 'Duty calls'."
"Actually, I've never heard that before."
"Whatever you say, Love," replied Xena with a chuckle, kissing her bard lightly on the lips. "I personally guarantee you three-hour foot rubs every day for a month after this. And a vacation to Lesbos."
"Can we see Sappho?"
"We can see Sappho," confirmed the warrior, pulling Gabrielle close and nuzzling her neck. "I spoil you rotten, you know that?"
Gabrielle chuckled and captured Xena's lips with her own.
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Eve woke up from her nap in the pool and caught Virgil looking at her. She smiled as he quickly glanced away. The man turned a deep shade of red as Eve moved closer to him. The young woman leaned forward, her faces just inches from his and…
TBC…