Xena dreamed, the colours were vivid but this time it was no spell, she could sense it easily as her eyes fell across that accursed beach, that dark place that still haunted her memories. The crosses were there, standing stark and ugly against the seascape, but thankfully she was not upon any of them, each was empty of any bodies.

The sea crashed upon the shore as the clouds above her darkened, rain would soon be coming. Suddenly she felt a presence behind her and whirled around, her sword drawn, poised for the kill. The lone figure of M'Lila met her battle hardened gaze. Xena's eyes widened and her sword became limp within her hand, falling carelessly from her grasp.

"M'Lila?"

Xena's eyes took in every inch of her friend, fully aware that it had been years since she had last looked upon her. Her dark curled hair fell onto her shoulders and the familiar red band was tied around her brow… and her eyes, Xena had almost forgotten just how beautiful her eyes were, large, expressive and guarded.

M'Lila nodded and gave a weak smile. She then pointed at the crosses and said a word in her own language. Xena sighed and rolled her eyes skyward.

"Even in my dreams we can't speak." She laughed and M'Lila gave a soft chuckle, she then pointed again at the crosses, her eyes becoming insistent.

"Something's wrong?" Xena questioned, her brow furrowing in thought. Her eyes fell over the crosses once again, taking them in, hating the way they made her feel slightly nauseous.

M'Lila nodded eagerly and said one name, "Caesar." Her thick accent made it hard for Xena to understand but finally she nodded and repeated the name.

"Caesar." Her eyes narrowed as she watched the waves lapping closer, the tide was coming in…

M'Lila grabbed Xena's shoulders and pulled her into a warm embrace. Xena closed her eyes, cherishing the long forgotten feeling of holding someone that meant something, that had a place still in her heart, she felt her eyes stinging with tears as she held her long departed friend close.

M'Lila brushed her soft lips against Xena's cheek. "The girl" she whispered hoarsely, as if just speaking were a great burden, the effort almost too immense. She gave a strangled cough and moved closer. Xena felt her breaths coming labored against her ear and she whispered two last words, pushing them forth as if they were her very last gasp.

"Wake up!"

Xena jolted awake, her body jerking her into a sitting position. She looked about the dark tent, the candles had long since burnt to nothing, She placed a cooling hand to her heated brow and closed her eyes tightly, the feelings and memories tearing into her soul and wrenching long buried emotions back from the depths she had interred them all those years ago.

She glanced to her side and saw the dim outline of Markis lying nearby, the fur half covering him, still passed out from the wine. Xena gave a forced soft laugh, trying to bring herself back from the dangerous place she felt she was falling into. She could not afford to let these emotions soften her will, her men would not follow her and more importantly she would lose respect for herself. This is what she had worked for, this power and she wouldn't let it go, not for anyone, not even for M'Lila.

She pushed herself up from her bed and walked groggily over to one of the fresh candles, lighting it with a quick flick of flint. The small tent was thrown into a faint glow and she turned, her hands searching the small table for the wine jug, she finally brushed it and poured herself a cup. She took a long drink and then gagged, her eyes becoming wide as the irony, familiar taste hit her tongue. She quickly spat it out onto the ground and touched the remaining liquid that was upon her lips, rubbing it between her fingers and bringing it to her nose. She sniffed, smelling the sweet, tangy aroma, confirming her fears; the wine had been tainted with blood. Xena curled her lip in disgust and spat once again, throwing the cup to the ground with a snarl.

She reached carefully, silently, for her sword, the smooth, cool handle stilling her confusion and the blood that pounded within her ears. She listened intently, a sly smirk trying to pull its way onto her lips as the excitement and adrenaline of battle began to pulse through her. After some time had passed, when she was certain that there were no sounds of danger, she turned her gaze back to Markis, her posture relaxing a little. She picked up the candle and went to him, her thoughts upon waking him to the potential danger that could still be lurking close at hand. The light cast away the shadows and Xena recoiled in horror at what met her eyes. He had been torn in two, his limbs half eaten, she could clearly see the sharp, pointed teeth marks ravaged into his flesh… and his face… Xena turned her head at the sight, his cheeks and lips had been eaten away and his eyes were open in silent terror.

She abandoned the candle, both hands upon her sword, for the first time for many years Xena felt the slight brush of fear touch her heart, whatever had done this deed was not human, she jerked her head in the direction of the slave girl… She crept slowly towards the back of the tent… the bed was empty and M'Lila's words rang within her ears.

"The girl"

Before Xena could dwell upon this, think over the warning, a sudden sound of ear splitting chattering sounded from every corner of the room, Xena gave a cry of anguish as she was forced onto her knees by the deafening noise, it seemed to worm its way into her mind, demanding her sanity. Her sword was abandoned as she wrapped her hands over her ears and let out a scream. Her thoughts appeared to be swimming, swirling, growing further apart from her grasp…

…she couldn't go down now, she would not be defeated.

She set her jaw and, grabbing her sword, once again forced herself up onto her feet, her eyes stinging with tears of effort and she ran, burst through the flap into her encampment. Her only thought was to rally to her men; they could face whatever it was together. She meant to let a resounding scream erupt from her, alerting all to her side, but her eyes widened in dread as the carnage spread before her gaze in waves of gory red and bone white. The tents were ripped to shreds, and her men… Oh Gods her men… She had never seen anything like this: their bodies hanging from trees, littering the ground by the hundreds, their innards gutted, eaten; none had faces, just grinning skulls or grisly messes of sinew and cartilage… pieces of them were strewn across the ground before her like some sickening welcoming carpet.

Bile rose threateningly within her throat as her thoughts tried to grasp some kind of meaning, some kind of explanation to it all. How could they all be dead, her army was great, how could anything kill so many… how could anything have done this in one night?! She suddenly came to the chilling conclusion that she was truly alone, whatever had done this was not of this world. Men she could fight easily against, but spells and sorcery… that was Alti's domain, and how she bitterly wished her old teacher was by her side now.

She took in a lung full of stale sanguineous air and tried to think, she could perhaps reach the horses, if they still lived she could ride to the other encampment, to the rest of her men, but even in this moment of danger Xena couldn't help the bitter disappointment grasping her at the thought that Rome would not be hers. She took a few cautious steps forward, her mind drifting in the deathly silence… perhaps she should call upon Ares… she quickly dismissed the thought, she could never lower herself to beg him, to plead for his assistance.

She increased her stride, ignoring the corpses, stepping over them when she had to; trying to keep her mind focused upon getting to the horses… she would try to find Alti once she was safe and find out what this was… She racked her memories; Alti had taught her so much of magical creatures but Xena had not been interested, more in tune with battle and learning new fighting skills than fairytales.

Xena could see the place the horses were bound and her heart sank with a sickening feeling, all lay dead and in a similar state to her men. She cocked her head as the faint chattering reached her ears and a slight sweat beaded her brow. She whirled in the darkness, her sword ready, she'd fight them, she knew she could, that she could win, but that insistent chattering would not cease, it made it impossible to think. It grew louder as her eyes tried to source them, to see her enemies… and then through the darkness she saw hundreds upon hundreds of pairs of eyes, glowing red and fierce like the embers of a fire. They peered at her out of the inky blackness and the noise grew ever louder, Xena's grip on her sword faltered and it clattered to the ground, she placed her hands over her ears once more as it grew maddening in pitch… She knew now there was no escape, she would soon be just like her men… defeated and eaten. The thought disgusted her to her very core…

"They are going to drive me insane first!" Her mind rambled as she fell back to her knees and wave after wave of screams tore from her lips. Her mind suddenly fixed upon something in her myriad of churning thoughts, she remembered what they were… Sandmirks, small rat like creatures, about two feet in height with razor sharp teeth, summoned from the depths of the darkest places to do biddings for the old ones, the creatures that still wove ancient powers. She could see the memory of Alti sat at their campfire relating the gruesome stories of them with relish… not that any of this mattered, she could not remember if they could be defeated, the noise was eating into her mind, swallowing her thoughts. Xena would have laughed at her life being cut short, her victories unfulfilled… her goals wasted by no more than rat like creatures, it was no better than dying at the end of a farmer's pitchfork… Yes, she would have laughed at her fate if only the pain had not been such torturous agony.

She felt a trickle of warm liquid between her fingers as her ears began to bleed and her body could take no more, she sank down onto the ground and let her hands fall away letting in the death knell that was hers alone… she would die unafraid. She rested one arm across her breast and felt the movement of her chest as her lungs worked and her breathing slowed. Her eyes glazed over and gradually she allowed them to close… her mind flashed one more attempt at self preservation, a name, it just reached her lips in a slurred, whispered, mumble…

"Ares."

Even in her crazed mind she knew it wasn't enough to bring him and she smiled… she supposed in a strange way she had won after all, he would never get the chance to hear her beg.

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Ares sat within the great hall of one of his many domains. The throne he sat casually upon was decorated in skulls and other gruesome images. His brow was furrowed, his eyes speaking silently of intense anger. She had known he was there, he could sense that she knew… that little 'show' had been for his eyes, had been meant to enrage him and it had worked, she had made him furious. He glanced up and surveyed the dark hall and all its many spoils of war, none of it meant anything, he was angry because it meant nothing to him. He was The God of War, these riches and the sound of steel upon steel in the heat of battle should make his heart beat faster, but over the last few years the only thing that stirred anything in him was Xena.

He pursed his lips; could it truly be that a mortal had caged his heart… the thought was ludicrous, ridiculous and impossible. No, it could not be so; it was an obsession that was becoming a little too dangerous. He had already heard the murmurings of the other Gods, how he hardly ever spent any time in Greece, always chasing after 'The Destroyer of Nations' like a puppy dog begging for a kind word or a scratch behind the ear… and they were beginning to mock him.

Perhaps a few months without visiting her were in order, he could prove that he was still the feared God he had always been, show the mortals here in his homeland that he could still cast misfortune upon them, and it would give Xena time to think upon her life without his power at her beck and call.

He had heard rumors that Hercules, his pious half brother was destroying his temples, many in Greece thought the God of War had departed the land altogether. He would move his attention onto the many warlords that could use his guidance and use his powers to bring destruction upon those that believed him powerless. He smirked; this plan would suit all his purposes well. He rose from his seat and straightened his body ready to appear before some startled mortal who would do his bidding… He stilled, he thought he had heard a voice calling out to him; it was so faint, desperate… he could not make out who it belonged to. He shrugged and disappeared within a burst of light.

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I had a lot of fun writing this chapter even if it is on the gory side haha. If anyone knows what Sandmirks are then I comend you for being an 80's Child and knowing of a certain film featuring dragons lol The Sandmirks always scared me as a child and I've wanted to use them in a story for a while but never got the chance until now although I changed their myth a little to suit myself.

Thanks again for all the reviews hope you keep them coming ;)