Chapter 5

Circe sobbed over her broken scepter and remained in the dark cave by her lonesome self. Ares left her with Damian so she could wallow in self pity and child-like behavior over something so small and meaningless. He thought it'd be best to leave her be for the evening but he returned the following day, expecting her mood to change, but it didn't.

Damian smiled up at him and greeted him with a hug. The war god pried his son's arms off his leg and approached the sulking sorceress.

"Circe, why are you still on the floor blubbering like a baby?" he asks and folds his arms.

She refused to answer and Damian eyed the broken pieces of the scepter's sphere on the ground and sighed. He didn't wish to see his mother so upset, although he wasn't entirely sure what the cause of her distress was.

"You!" she stood up and pointed her finger in Ares' face. "This is your doing!"

"Me?" he laughed and smacked her hand. "You are crying over a scepter. Just conjure another one!"

She growled and threw the useless scepter across the cave. "Don't you understand? I cannot cast any spells without my scepter! It is the source of all my magic!" she yelled and the realization was clear on Ares' face. "Now I am stuck here with no magic!"

He scratched his bearded chin and pursed his lips. "What you're telling me is that…you can't change Athena's warriors back and Xena is stuck as a dog. Is that what you're telling me?"

"Actually, she's a wolf," Damian corrected. His father frowned sternly at him and he backed away to hide behind his mother's dress.

"Yes!" she hissed. "I cannot leave this realm without my scepter. I am stuck here and it's all your fault."

Ares snickered. "You're worthless. That's what you're saying, isn't it? The mighty sorceress from the underworld is useless without a simple magic stick," he laughed aloud, his voice echoing throughout the cave. "Athena is going to throw a fit and who's going to be at fault? ME!"

"You find a way to get me out of this, Ares!"

His hearty laugh roared inside the cave and she shoved him backward. "This is your mess, witch."

She smirked and sauntered over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. "You wouldn't want your precious warrior to remain a canine forever, would you?" she whispered and his smile faded. "I didn't think so. Find her and that blonde girl."

"After what just happened I don't think Gabrielle is going to trust me," he snickers.

"Oh? I imagine not. You're the god of lies. Your brim is filled with lies –so many lies –that it begs to overflow at any moment!" she snarled and pushed him away from her and she began to pace in circles. "There is a way to get another scepter but I will need help."

"I'm not going to help you."

"Not you!" she waved her hand and smiled. "Send the blonde one to the River Styx: cross the river of woe and ask Charon to take her to Medusa's lair. She will be able to help me. She is forbidden to come to the mortal realm and now I cannot leave this wretched place. How the tables have turned!"

The war god's eyes darted around the cave and he cleared his throat. "Aphrodite wasn't joking when she said to send Damian to the River Styx," he snorted, finding that joke to be so ironic at this moment.

"Your sister is a nuisance to her own existence. Off you go!" she shooed him away. "Tell your canine warrior the plan."

He rolled his eyes and was about to leave until she held up her hand. "What is it now?!"

She grabbed their son by his shoulders and pushed him forward. "Take Damian with you. He will aid the blonde one in the underworld. He can cross two realms but I cannot. He will make sure that the gorgon gives them the correct scepter."

Ares scoffed. "I am not leaving him in the hands of the bard."

"Do it! Or else your warrior stays the way she is forever. Poor Xena, a pity that she was in the way just at the right time. Go on, Ares, time's wasting away!"

By the river outside of the village, Joxer picked at the berries on a bush while Gabrielle stood by watching her canine friend drink from the water. Argo picked some fruit from a tree and came back with enough for everyone.

Argo looked at the sadness across the bard's face and placed the satchel of fruit on the ground and walked over towards. Both of them looked at the warrior pacing around the river in the blazing sun, her shiny black coat glistening in the sunlight much like her dark hair.

"We'll find a way to turn them back, Gabrielle."

The petite blonde sighed and felt hopeless at this point. She didn't know what kind of trouble they were getting into when they came to this village but now she wished they would've never came in the first place. None of this would have happened but if they hadn't come then she wouldn't have found out what happened to all of those men.

It was going to be difficult to explain to the village magistrate that all of the men in town had been turned into beasts by a crazy witch. That sounded so unbelievable it'd probably be best to tell them that they all joined a cult strictly for worshipping a strange unheard of deity.

While Argo was worried about her master and somewhat even Joxer, she didn't have much desire to turn back into a horse. She liked living as a human and liked interacting with people instead of remaining silent and observing. She also felt responsible for this mess. Perhaps Gabrielle was right, she thought.

She pulled the bard aside. "Gabrielle, I want to apologize to you. I shouldn't have said all those horrible things about you and pushed you."

Gabrielle looked up questionably at the tall blonde. "It doesn't really matter anymore." Her eyes darted back to Xena who was now lying in the grass, staring at the calm river.

"It matters to me. This would've never happened if I didn't make you so angry. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Sighing, she relented. "I forgive you but we need to focus on Xena and Joxer right now. I can't stand looking at either one of them like this." She groaned and dug her fingers in her hair. "What are we going to do? Xena always has a plan! I don't have anything! I don't even know where to start. This is a disaster."

"Maybe we should go tell the village that we found the men in that witch's cave?" Argo suggested.

"I –I don't think that's a good idea. Those men are beasts, literally. It will cause a riot and that won't solve anything." She now felt they were heading in the right direction somewhat. "Where do we go from here?"

"I wish I had an answer for you."

Ares walked over to the two blondes with a beaming grin. "I have one option for you ladies."

Gabrielle snatched her staff from the ground and pointed it at him. Xena turned and walked over, snarling, showing all of her sharp canines to the war god. Ares raised his eyebrow and took a step back whilst holding his son's hand.

"We don't need your help, Ares! You've helped enough. I can't believe you were going to give Xena to that sorceress!"

He rolled his eyes. "It wasn't like that. None of this was supposed to happen!" he yelled and eyed Argo, narrowing his eyes. "You look familiar."

Her face paled. "We met earlier."

He took another look at her, scanning her from head to toe. "There's something weird about you."

Finally, someone agrees, Gabrielle thought to herself. "Ares, we don't have time for this. Tell us what you want or be on your merry way."

Ares' eyes were firmly planted on Argo thus making her incredibly nervous. He approached her and she backed away slowly. He looked into her brown doe eyes and sniffed her blonde wavy locks. Gabrielle was disgusted by the way he was looking at her and then peered down at Xena who equally was not keen on his behavior either.

"Ares, what are you doing?"

He was mere inches away from Argo's face and she breathed heavily, leaning up against a tree. He smiled, pulling away and turned to the irritated bard and her canine warrior. "Animals everywhere," he said and Argo bit her tongue.

"Anyway, I have a way for you to turn Xena back but you might not like the conditions."

"We will do anything!" Argo pleaded.

"I bet you will," he says with a low chuckle. "Damian!"

He ran out from behind a huddle of bushes and Gabrielle stepped back, allowing the small child to run towards the war god. "Um, what is that child doing here?"

"He's Ares' son," Argo whispered.

Gabrielle laughed. "Come on, really."

Argo looked at her seriously and the bard cringed.

"Oh…okay…" she rubbed her arm and looked to Ares. "What's your idea, Ares? Are you really here to help us or are you going to feed us to the sorceress?"

He mocked her with a sassy smile. "Cute, Gabrielle, real cute. Circe has no magic right now because her scepter is broken. No magic equals no human Xena. You get me?"

The two blondes looked at Xena and frowned sadly.

"What do we have to do?"

Ares grins, nodding his head. "Go to the River Styx in the underworld. Find Medusa's lair. She is good pals with Circe."

"Of course she is," Gabrielle mutters.

"Oh and, you have to take Damian with you. He knows the way."

She chortles and trailed over to the war god and his son hiding behind him. "You want us to take your son to the River Styx with us? And we have to go see Medusa? This sounds like a death trap, Ares!"

"I don't make the rules. You get a new scepter from Medusa and take it back to Circe then everything will return back to normal."

"As if I'm going to trust that witch with a scepter. Look what she did to Xena!"

He nodded. "I have eyes, Gabrielle." he gripped Damian's shoulders and presented him to the women. "Damian will be your guide. Best of luck to you and don't look into Medusa's eyes," he winked and stared over at Argo and shook his head. His disappeared and his laughter echoed in the skies.

Damian frowned up at Gabrielle and he folded his arms. "I don't like mortals."

"I gathered your mother doesn't like mortals either," she spat back.

"No, especially ones with big mouths like you!"

She gasped. "You're a little –"

"Gabrielle!" Argo interrupted and grabbed her arm. "Let's not upset the boy. He has powers."

"Hmm. Right…okay Damian, you're supposed to be our guide to the underworld. Do you know where to go? Are you really going to help us?"

The boy smiled deviously. "What's in it for me? I don't care about your stupid friend."

Xena silently came around and bit the boy's leg and he yelped. Both Gabrielle and Argo stifled impending laughter.

"This is a bad idea. Making deals with Ares is always a bad idea!" the bard slapped her forehead and Xena nodded her head, listening closely and silently.

"Looks like you girls don't really have a choice," said the boy while he rubbed his bitten leg. "So, what's it gonna be? I take you to see the gorgon or let your friend remain a wolf forever?"

Gabrielle crossed her arms, irritated by the boy already and their journey hadn't even begun. She didn't have time to deal with all of these interruptions. It was bad enough that Ambrosia had to come around and now this. She really felt like the gods were against her this week.

"Okay Damian, your mother doesn't have any magic. Don't you want to help your mother?" she played along with his little manipulative game.

His lips parted and he rubbed his chin. "You make a good point," he mused. "But I make all the rules! You girls have to do what I say all the time! You understand?" he pointed his finger in their faces.

Argo sighed. "This is going to be a very annoying trip."

"Watch your mouth, blondie," he warned her. "And you too. You have a big mouth," he said to Gabrielle and she widened her eyes. "Let's get a move on. Oh and tell your friend not to bite me anymore or else I won't help you girls."

Gabrielle frowned down at her warrior companion. "You heard what he said. Behave yourself."

"This is a horrible idea!" Argo lamented and covered her face.

"Do you have a better idea?"

She shook her head and Damian snapped his fingers. "Are you gonna stand there or what? Come on! I don't have all day, ladies."

Argo and Gabrielle grumbled as they followed after the boy. Argo whispered, "What'll happen when we get the scepter? Should we give it to the witch?"

"In her dreams. I am not letting her touch that thing until we turn Xena back."

"But we don't know how to use it!"

Damian frowned and looked over his shoulder. "Stop whispering. You two walk too slow. We gotta get to the River Styx soon. Charon runs a tight schedule."

"Tight schedule," Gabrielle mocked.

He halted and spun around, glaring at the bard. "What did I say about whispering? This is why you got trapped in my mother's cage. She should've turned you into a worm."

She gasped. "That's it!"

"Gabrielle, no!" Argo held her back and the boy half smiled. "Don't let him get to you. We have to do what he says." She advised and the fuming bard lowered her staff. "Show us the way, Damian."

"Excellent. Follow me." He waved his hand.