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Callisto's Boots

Callisto and Iolaus was at the head of a small pack of horsemen and centaurs as they charged toward the camp of Hercules. Callisto was upset, but she tried to keep it to herself. Gabrielle was gone but she didn't have any idea where the bard was at. Xena was going to be furious when she returned, she only hoped that Gabrielle didn't get captured or something.

Iolaus turned his head towards Callisto, something was on the blonde commander's mind, and not knowing what it is, he thought to ask, but he knew what Callisto's answer will be. She would say not now, let's get on with the march, we've got a small battle to prepare for. He hoped that whatever it was, it wouldn't affect Callisto's judgment any. This small raid that they were doing was a very dangerous task, which if done wrong could cost everyone greatly.

8

A lone soldier bearing the colors of Thebes ran into the village shouting, "Hercules is coming, Hercules is coming!"

No one responded, so he shouted louder, "Hercules is coming to destroy you all!

Finally a single Centaur emerged, "What in Hades are you shouting about!

The soldier struggled to catch his breath, then finally he said, "Hercules, he's coming and he aims to wipe you all out."

The center turned around calling out to a couple other Centaurs nearby, "Get everyone up! We've got preparations to make!"

He turned his head back to the man as he said, "Thank… you?" The soldier was nowhere to be seen.

The soldier had just made it out of town when suddenly a dark light erupted from his body; once the light had cleared it wasn't a soldier anymore, but Aphrodite in her tight black leather pants and top.

Aphrodite had to keep her promise to Gabrielle somehow. This seemed to be the best option, when Xena arrived, she'd find a group of Centaurs already getting ready to move out, she might still have to help give them more time, but this would be the difference between success or failure. She didn't want to admit she was afraid of Hercules, but deep down she was. Worst of all, she knew that Chaos was behind his dark turn, and that meant that the demi god, unknowingly had the support of the God Chaos in what he's doing.

But for Aphrodite, for reasons she couldn't fully explain herself, Gabrielle was important to her, and she wasn't going to risk losing this chance to have her within the goddess's world.

8

Fadric of Delphi was one of the guards on duty that evening. In a couple hours the Army of Hercules would resume its towards the Centaur Village, but the battle that had occurred so recently left the army tired and won, and they'd needed a short rest. Fadric naturally cursed is ill luck, he'd survived some of the heaviest fighting and was completely worn out, and yet here he was marching around on duty only to march more in just a couple hours.

He was tired of war and burying friends, he just wanted a break from the violence. Suddenly he heard something, turning his eyes towards the dusky tree line he scanned for the enemy... but found nothing. Shrugging her muttered, "Probably a deer."

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest, didn't know what it was he looked down and found a round metallic object sticking out of his chest. He struggled, "Shit…"

Sudden a horse emerged seemingly out of thing air and a single female hand gripped the object, removing it from his chest, and then riding onwards. He looked around for a moment, unable to draw further breath he nodded with a momentary smile; he'd get to see his buddies again. He fell to the ground… dead.

8

Callisto placed her Chakram back on hook reaching instead for her crossbow that was holstered on the side of her horse. She led the small force leftward keeping towards the edge of the camp, each firing arrows at the enemy. The men of Hercules were not ready for battle at all; some of them were even still sleeping, only to awaken to find an arrow in their abdomen.

Taking aim, Callisto fired a single bolt which flew through the air, impaling itself into the throat of a soldier who'd just emerged from their tent. Suddenly she noticed an arrow coming at her, which she managed to catch with her left hand, seeing up ahead the man who fired the weapon, she strung the bolt upon her crossbow and took aim. The enemy soldier was struggling to load his next bolt when the one he'd previously fired impacted into his skull killing him.

The whole army of Hercules was caught completely by surprise, which Callisto thought was justice considering how badly the previous raid that Hercules had earlier launched upon Callisto's army had harmed them. Now the tables were turned as her group of horsemen struck down groups of warriors all across the field.

Shouting, Callisto drew her sword and slashed another warrior across the chest as they charged onward, but they could see the raid could not continue much longer as the men of Hercules were already rallying around. With a single signal into the air, the raiding party starting to change direction and make their escape, however Callisto wasn't quite ready to leave as she wanted to get one last look at the camp.

She made a most important sighting, her boots, sitting on a table with several other boots. She shouted, "Iolaus, get them out of there, I'm getting my boots back!"

Iolaus shot her a double take, "Wait? What?"

"My boots! I'm tired of the ones I'm wearing, they don't fit me right and they don't even belong to me, I borrowed them from Gabrielle."

Iolaus nodded as Callisto gave her horse a slight kick, she'd remembered losing her boots before when she was captured by Hercules and now was the time to reclaim them. Slashing through two warriors on the ground she moved closer to the tent. She dodged three arrows as she charged onward, but it still seemed so far away…

What she didn't notice was that her small band of soldiers was cheering for her off in the distance, as the army of Hercules all focused their attention on her. Suddenly, again without Callisto's knowledge her army made one final charge shooting arrows into the backs of the soldiers of Hercules and finally causing them to break off their pursuit of Callisto, which was just enough to allow her to make that final charge where she cut down a single soldier and snagged her boots from on top of a table, and made her way back out. Seeing her soldiers still fighting, she grunted in annoyance, but that didn't matter as she charged her way back out of the camp.

Then suddenly she almost stopped in place as she saw a very familiar blonde headed woman. Charging fast as she could towards her, she pulled out her sword ready to fight and die to save that woman.

"Gabrielle? What are you doing here? Get on!"

Gabrielle saw the extended hand of the warrior, "I can't… I'm with them. Tell Xena I'm sorry!"

Callisto dodged an arrow saying, "What are you saying! We haven't the time to discuss this!"

Gabrielle stepped back, "Just go Callisto…"

Callisto's hand dropped to her chakram, but she dropped the idea, she shoot the bard a cold stare, and then took off, taking a small graze on the shoulder in the process. Callisto couldn't believe her eyes, she wouldn't, never in her wildest dreams would she imagine Gabrielle would defect… suddenly, a single sinking feeling overcame her as she instantly realized one intangible truth. Ares must of had something to do with this…

Callisto rejoined her army as they soldiers were cheering her on, but Iolaus saw something was wrong so he moved his horse up towards her asking, "Callisto?"

Callisto eyed him coldly, "I told you to retreat, disobey me again and I'll have you flogged!"

Iolaus surprised replied, "What's going on?"

"Maybe you should ask Gabrielle…"