x

The Stand

Disclaimer this!

8

Hercules, Selenta, and Herici watched the soldiers work, putting out the fires, as they stood in among the wreckage that was once the town center of Argos. Aphrodite appeared beside him wearing her skin tight black leather get up. Smiling at this victory she stated, "Well done Hercules, I was worried about Xena and Callisto, and you handled them well."

Hercules rolled his eyes, "Xena wasn't even there. It was some Spartan fool. He didn't last long."

Aphrodite's tone got serious, "My presence will not be hidden from the Gods much longer. Ares is aware of all this, at least somewhat, thankfully Zeus has cast him out of the Pantheon so he has no influence. I can take care of him. You need to move tonight, don't settle in. Eliminate the Corinthian Centaurs and then move east for Arcadia and Mantinea."

Hercules angrily replied, "I don't need a nag! I know what I have to do!"

"Whoa, easy big fella. If you don't hurry Greece will organize and army equal or greater than the one you just defeated. The centaurs must be defeated, take the heart out of the centaur nation."

Selenta shook her head, "I disagree."

Aphrodite zeroed her eyes in on the defiant Selenta, "What do you know mortal!"

Selenta maintained her cool, "I ran with Xena. She would anticipate the move on the Centaurs."

"Xena doesn't command this army," reasons Aphrodite.

"That won't last, with their defeat Xena will take command. Aside from that, there army is weak and their best leaders are among them. We only defeated and killed the Spartan King, but Callisto, Borias, Iolaus, and Kaleipus are still alive, all along with Xena. Now they are weak, and we can destroy them."

Aphrodite shook her head in disdain, "Stupid mortal, you clearly have much to learn about tactics. The correct path is to go to the Corinthian Centaurs and destroy the village, than will take the heart out of the Centaurs; they're the key to this enemy army."

Selenta scolded, "Gods, you think that mortals losing their families will devastate you into uselessness, that will motivate the Centaurs to fight harder instead. Yes, they are the key to the army, so hit them. Not their families.

Hercules shouted, "No one commands me!"

He considered both Selenta's idea and Aphrodite's as well. Selenta's plan had logic, but a voice shouted in his head "kill them all! Even their families!"

He nodded, "We're going to the Centaur Villages.

Selenta gritted her teeth fighting her rage. It was a mistake, a huge mistake. The army wasn't done; they would reform and come back. She knew it, she said it, but, she was ignored. She hoped that this didn't damn the army of Hercules into defeat.

8

Callisto rode at the head of the army as she reclaimed command of it. They'd been through hell and everyone looked at her to take charge again. She felt uneasy at the fact that now she was now in command again, because all these lives were once again resting on her shoulder.

The facts were in the eyes of the men was that two battles had been fought. The first, Callisto was in command and they weren't defeated. In the second battle, she was replaced by the Spartan King and they'd suffered a massive defeat. She was now their commander again, like it or not.

Suddenly one of the soldiers shouted, "It's Xena!"

Xena road in on top of Argo as the men directed their eyes upon her. Xena saw the defeat in the eyes of the men as she tried to ride strong to show the men she was still standing. She knew at the very least, seeing the warrior princess could lift the spirits of the men.

Xena approached Callisto as the blonde woman extended her hand welcoming the dark haired warrior back into the army. Xena asked, "Where is the king of Sparta?

Callisto sighed, "Kleomidas was last seen surrounded by the Army of Hercules. He had a chance to escape, but he foolishly charged Hercules. The rest of the army barely made it."

Xena nodded, she thought of the correct words and said quietly to Callisto so the others couldn't hear her, "Listen, you're looking at this as a total defeat. Don't do that. Speak to the army. Call it a rear guard action; use it to rally the men…"

Callisto nodded, "I hadn't thought of that." The two warriors nodded at each other once before Callisto urged her horse forward.

Once she was in front of her men she stepped down from her mount. She stared into the defeated eyes of the army.

"Listen… We've suffered a terrible defeat. But… we are not defeated."

The men looked at her with surprise as Callisto continued.

"The mistake was made, but it wasn't by each of you. No, everyone one of you fought your all, you gave it all your heart. You stood when the time counted. The defeat was our own."

"However, the Spartan King Kleomidas saw his error. I saw him as he looked around at the slaughter, but he didn't give up. No, not at all. You are saying he foolishly threw his life way, and that is what the leaders of the Army of Hercules are probably saying right now. Calling him the fool of Sparta."

"But that isn't what I saw. I saw a man who knew that he had to save the army that he'd endangered. So, Kleomidas bravely clasped his polearm and he charged at Hercules himself? Why? He knew he wasn't going to defeat the Demi God, that wasn't meant to be. He did it for one reason."

"Because without his action, the entire army would have been surrounded and destroyed. Mistakes were made, and I'm honest about them. But, Kleomidas gave us the chance to try again, and we will try again. This war isn't over, and we aren't defeated."

"Yes the hour is dark for Greece, but it has been dark before, but before, just like now, the men of Greece stand, and I stand with you. Kleomidas sacrifice won't be in vain, we still have a chance to win this war."

One man asked, "How can we stand against the Son of Zeus?"

Callisto continued, "We can because we must. But you won't stand alone. I won't allow Hercules to destroy this land that our people have built for over a thousand years. I won't allow Hercules to do to all of Greece what he did to Athens. Will you stand with me?"

The men stood motionless. No one wanted to react. They each doubted within themselves the ability to fight. The uneasyness of Callisto grew as the army did not act.

"I'll stand."

Callisto saw Phantes emerging from the crowd. She waited, and then another voice, "I'll stand with Callisto and Phantes." It was Kaleipus.

Soon the two Centaur tribes raised their swords. Emboldened by the stand of the Centaurs swords went up one by one at first, then finally the rest of the army raised their weapons each declaring that they would stand with Callisto.

Callisto had commanded the army because she'd been appointed by King Jason, and she'd lost it just like that. In a way, she never really commanded the army, until now. Now the army truly was behind her, it wasn't a desperate plea to her to save their lives from the doom of Hercules; instead it was a pledge of honor. They would fight beside her against the Demi God.

The army would stand, and it would fight!