My Immortal VII
Xena awoke naked in the steel embrace of the God of War. He still slumbered. The peacefully rhythmic rise and fall of his chest almost lulled her back to sleep. She studied his masculine but beautiful face. She ached to kiss his ample lips but didn't want to wake him. It was a treat to see him so blissfully unguarded. When the corner of his mouth lifted subtlely, she realized that he had been playing opossum.
"Faker," she accused and pinched his nipple playfully, but hard.
"Ow!" He looked at her with smiling eyes.
Since he was awake after all, she decided she would let herself feast on his luscious mouth. She kissed him fully and deeply. As they kissed she ran her fingers through his chest hair. Their legs were entwined and she slid her toe up and down his muscular calf. Ares' groin stirred, ready for their next round of lovemaking.
Ares cupped one of her heavy breasts in his hand and thumbed the nipple. Xena groaned.
"I could stay here forever." But her stomach growled.
"When did you last eat?" Ares asked, concerned that she wasn't taking proper care of herself. He knew how dogged her determination could be and he was guessing that she hadn't eaten before she embarked on her journey to Hell.
"I'm fine, I just had a bite of you, remember?" She teased and kissed him again.
"Uh-uh, I'm not having you faint or suffer some other ridiculous mortal malady because you forgot to feed yourself."
He materialized a tray filled with fruit, breads, and cheeses. A decanter of red wine accompanied the fare. Ares plucked a fat purple grape and fed it to Xena. She sucked the round juicy pebble from his fingers, letting her tongue caress the tips of his fleshy digits.
'Mmmm good," Xena commented on the sweetness of both the fruit and the god before her.
"Behave," he ordered and snapped both of their clothes on.
Xena sat up, disappointed. "Such restraint, I am proud of you," she mocked.
"We just came back from the dead, Xena! I am not prepared to lose you again."
"Fine," she huffed and tore off a hunk of bread. She figured the sooned she indulged him, the quicker they could get back to their amours activities.
Xena washed down the food with a full goblet of the wine. She took in their beautiful surroundings and remembered to ask him, 'Is this place even real or just a fantasy world that you've conjured up?
He grinned. "This is all for you my dear. I didn't want to risk being interrupted. Do you like it?"
"I do, what do you call it?"
"I don't know, I just created it, I didn't give it a name. Why don't you name it."
"So does that mean we can come back here?' She asked hopefully.
"Anytime you want, so what should we call it? Xenaoplis?" Ares popped a few feta crumbles in his mouth.
"No," Xena answered incredulously. She gave it some thought as she finished the tray of food. "I know, the folks in Vercingetorix's land called a large plain a vega, let's call it Vega."
"Vega, like the star?" Ares asked.
'Sure, the star or the grassy plain." Xena agreed.
"Vega it is," Ares smiled and noticed that Xena was finished with food. He caused the tray, goblet and decanter to de-materialize. All that remained in the realm was Xena, himself, and the bear rug. "So are you ready to go back to the real world or should we stay here a bit longer?" He asked, hopeful that they could pick up where they left off before her impromptu lunch.
'We'll go back in a bit. But first I have another appetite that needs to be sated."
"And how can I help you with that?" He leered.
She shook her head and pulled him on top of her.
Ares complied and began working her clothes off of her delicious body again. He hoped against all hope that when they got back to the real world that the fantasy wouldn't end. As he slid deep inside his warrior, he still had lingering fears that when they got back, she was going to tell him that what happened in Vega stayed in Vega.
AXAXAXAXAXAX
Apollo didn't appreciate the blonde bard's flippant demeanor. Who in Tartarus did the bitch think she was to just walk into the Main Hall and assume Athena's throne for her own? And what was all that crap she had been spouting about Ares' warrior whore? It didn't matter if she descended to the seventh level of Hell, there was no way that MIchael was going to let Ares come back to Olympus, he had given Apollo his word. The golden god wondered if he could convince Eli's messenger to send the bard the way of the Warrior Princess. It had been easy enough to get her to off Ares. Apollo and his hallucinogenic vapors had done the convincing, Michael had given her the power. It was a near perfect alliance. Michael got the vengeance he wanted for Eli and Apollo got his throne on Olympus. They had chosen Eve because they were certain that she was the only mortal on Earth that Xena would not be able to kill to avenge Ares' death.
The dastardly duo, however, had completely underestimated the depth of Xena's love for Ares. More, they had not anticipated Eli's reaction to their deeds. So, when Xena and Ares appeared unscathed in the middle of the Main Hall, Apollo nearly pissed himself.
"Well, if it isn't my loving brother!" Ares sneered.
"Mother, Xena!" Eve and Gabrielle cried in unison.
"Ares," Apollo shook his head in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. MIchael had given his word.
Gabrielle ran into Xena's arms. "I was so worried about you! How dare you leave me like that!"
"Can we do this later? I've got a bone to pick with goldilocks," Xena released the bard and crept toward Apollo.
"You don't have the power to kill gods anymore, Xena," Apollo's hand went to the hilt of the sword he carried at his side.
"You sure about that? You care to tell me how I defeated the King of Hell and got past you BFF MIchael?'
"Xena. . . now wait, hear me out a minute. . " Apollo stammered and walked backwards as Xena continued to advance on him.
Ares leaned against a marbled column and enjoyed the theatrics.
"Let me tell you where you fucked up, Pollyboy! See, what you gods do to each other up here is pretty much your business. You and Ares wanna tear this place apart over who gets to be the big man on campus, that's fine by me but when you brought my daughter into it, I kinda take that personally."
"That part, that was MIchael's idea. He gave her the ability to strip him of of his powers and life."
"I see and you're what? Just a grieving brother?"
"No, look, I just gave her a push in the direction, some hallucinogenics and some suggestive mind tweaking. It doesn't take much to bring out that killer instinct.'
"You used me?" Eve asked. "But I thought this was what Eli wanted. He said that Ares had to be reprimanded and reformed for his part in his death."
"I am guessing that it wasn't really Eli you were talking to, Eve." Gabrielle put a comforting hand Eve's back.
"What, what have I done?"
"Eve," Xena turned to console her daughter.
"No, Mother, he's right! I think I wanted to kill Ares. But not because of Eli or because MIchael told me it was the right thing to do. I wanted to make him pay for turning me in the first place. For turning me and then dropping me like a diseased whore when you showed back up." She turned toward Ares her ire mounting, "That's right, you sick son of a bitch, I wanted to kill you. I wanted to watch you die, but even more, I wanted you to go to Hell! I wanted you to rot there! It's where you belong!"
Xena's concern for Eve's pain had caused her to direct her attention from Apollo which would have been mortal mistake if Ares hadn't caught his brother's murderous intent when he stealthily drew his sword while Xena's back was turned. Ares sent a fireball blazing past Xena and into his brother's oiled chest. The blast sent Apollo crashing into the marble wall. To Ares' chagrin the collision didn't kill the blonde god, it only shook him up. Apollo stood and started charging his own fireballs.
Xena grabbed Gabrielle and Eve and ran for cover. She knew things were about to get ugly between the two gods.
The trio crouched behind a large table. "Mother how could you bring him back? Why would Eli let you?"
"Eve, you're confused." Xena noticed her daughters dilated pupils and guessed that Apollo's drugs hadn't completely worn off.
"I am. I feel a little addled but I know one thing, I know that he his a murdering, self-serving bastard and he belongs where I sent him. I am sorry if that hurts you but it's the truth."
"Eve, I am really not trying to do this right now but let's get one thing straight. He's not going anywhere, not as long as I have anything to say about it. And if you are so into atonement, then why doesn't he get the chance to make up for his sins? You're hurt and you're jealous. He shouldn't have to pay for your sins."
"He's the reason for half of them!" Eve charged.
"Don't, don't blame Ares for the wickedness you've done. Don't blame him for the wickedness that you still long to do. That's on you not, him. Gods know that I tried to blame him for the wickedness that still lingers in me but my dark desires are not his crosses to bear. He has his own. It's not fair to make him carry mine and yours too."
"Xena, I think you better go out there and help him," Gabrielle chimed it and pointed to where Apollo had Ares backed up against a wall.
"He'd never forgive me if I saved him from his brother. This is his fight."
Still, Xena couldn't take her eyes off of the action. Just when it looked like Apollo had the upperhand, Ares brought his elbow up in a bone-crushing blow against the sun god's perfectly sculpted jaw. Apollo stumbled back a few paces and regrouped.
"Enough," Hestia bellowed as she Demeter and Hermes entered together.
The fighting gods turned to their aunts and Hermes. Once they stopped fighting, the rest of the remaining pantheon filtered in, along with many gods of minor station.
"Aunt Hestia," Apollo bowed.
"KIss ass," Ares smirked.
"Boys, have a seat!" They each sat on an arm of the ruling throne of Olympus. She rolled her eyes.
Demeter spoke up, "Aphrodite came to us in confidence this morning. She made us aware of your involvement in Ares' demise, Apollo. We called a council and have come to a unanimous decision."
Xena was shocked! Since when could the Olympians agree on anything? Oh, yeah, when they wanted to kill her daughter.
"What gives?" Ares asked. Apollo was finally going to get what was coming to him! This whole dying thing had worked out so well for him, he was wondering why he hadn't tried it early. First, he got Xena back and now, Apollo was about to get his comeuppance!
"We've decided that the only answer for such a betrayal is banishment." Demeter dropped the news.
"What?" Apollo was devastated. Just minutes ago he was measuring drapes! He was the shoe in for KIng with Ares out of the picture. Now the other gods had decided to kick him off Olympus.
Ares's laugh was dark, deep, hard, and long.
"As for you Ares," Hestia added to Demeter's ruling, "you have brought this woman and her family down on us like a plague. She's brought us nothing but trouble yet you still fawn after her like she is some kind of treasure instead of the curse that she had proven to be. Therefore, we offer you a choice."
"What are you saying?' Ares wasn't laughing anymore.
"Well, nephew," Hestia gestured to the throne, "It's yours, if you swear by it that you will leave her and her family alone. You can have one but not both. You can either be KIng of the Gods or you can continue to pursue a woman who has made it abundantly clear that she has no intention of being your mate. Choose wisely, Ares. If you choose the mortal, you will also be banned from the Pantheon and Olympus."
To his credit, Ares didn't even hesitate. He simply walked to where Xena was standing and took her hand. "She may never agree to be my wife but I would rather have her telling me to fuck off for the rest of her mortal life than have that empty throne any day."
"The key word is mortal, Ares," Demeter reminded. "Once she is gone, you'll spend an eternity banned from your home, for a few years of dallying with her."
"She's worth it." He said and took Gabrielle in hand too. "Hey Blondie, grab hold of the brat," he nodded toward Eve, and then the four of them vanished from Olympus.