A/N:  Like my new Xena drawing? Ql°-°l   Ok you can laugh now…  The Q is suppose to be her hand holding the Chakram… Really, stop laughing… Well, at least read the story… hope you'll like it… Enjoy!

IV

Even if Ares had a new mission in mind he couldn't forget that they had finally reached the Dark City and that they were about to enter a place a few mortals and immortals had been to.

He walked behind Xena and Gabrielle, always watching the blond with a suspicious eye… but what could he ever do with her standing so close to Xena? Yes he was the god of war, powerful and mighty and handsome but he had one weakness, he was afraid of the warrior princess, it was hard to explain, but the fury of the destroyer of nations was enough to send him right back to the Olympus. Ares looked at the two friends talking in front of him… and that was why he loved her.

The city opened up in front of them and they looked at it with astonished eyes.

"It's so dark!"

"An yet the bright blonde woman surprises us with another wise observation" Said Ares as he reappeared the torch so they could see the city they had just walked in.

The city was big and beautiful. Marvelous statues and buildings decorated it. It had everything any city would desire bridges, pillars, roads, and much more. There was only one little tiny minor problem… the city had no light and everything was black.

"How do people see?" Asked Gabrielle as she contemplated the city.

"They don't" Said Xena "The habitants of the city are neither human or gods, they are a strange breed that has hunted this place since the beginning of days. Those creatures are hurt by the light of day, they are able to see in the dark but normal light hurts them, that is why the city is completely black.  They are said to perform many rituals and have many treasures, gold, precious stones, magical elements, ambrosia and even rarest stuff.."

"What are this rituals you talk about?"

"Nobody knows for sure, but some even said human sacrifices and that sort of things… I think maybe that woman we encounter was held  hostage here with some more and she somehow managed to escape."

"How could some one escape this place if they cant see?"

"I don't know"

"And how are we suppose to find the other girls that are here? Xena, do you know where to start?"

"We'll just have to look for them"

"It's not that I'm suggesting anything" Said Ares as he leaned into a column "but maybe we can try to find the treasure chamber as we look for the mortals, you know, now that we are here and all?"

"It was to figure that you only came here to get some treasure" Said Gabrielle in a preaching tone.

"It was to figure that the puritan blonde nerd would have a problem with it" Said Ares without moving a bit.

"It's just that we are trying to help people not get some treasure…" The rest of the words Gabrielle had to speak were lost as her voice mysteriously disappeared.

The god of war laugh loudly as Gabrielle tried in vane to speak or maybe demand her voice back.

"Ares" Was all Xena had to said to make the mighty and powerful god of war give the small and complaining mortal her voice back..

"… and the world would be a better place if only people like…"

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Asked Ares as he tried to ignore the loud and preaching words of the annoying mortal. 

Xena only ignored him as usual and kept walking into the city inspecting every building and trying to figure out where the captives could be.

Suddenly  they were turned into pin balls and they forever bounced in the stairs of the dark city.

The End.

(Ok, ok just kidding, please don't kill me… forget the last sentence… on to the story)

Suddenly the torch the lighted the city disappeared and they stood in the darkness waiting for something to happen and it did.

TBC…

A/N: Evil cliffhanger I know… but that at least would make you look forward for the next  chapter and maybe, just maybe give me a review. I'll give you a hint… I work faster if I get reviews….  ^_^x