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Anger of the Demi God

Xena watched as the Centaurs and men abandoned their homes. She hated to see this but there was no choice. The main Centaur army however was with Callisto and on the other side of the army of Hercules. With all that had happened recently, deep down Xena felt like a failure.

Things had gone from bad, to worse, and only a small miracle had occurred that even allowed for the existence of Callisto's army at all. Xena needed to find a way to turn this around, a way to strike back at Hercules. She couldn't kill the beast, but maybe she could wound him. Arethian approached her asking in a smoky voice, "Xena, are you alright?"

Xena nodded, "I'm fine… we need to set this place on fire. Burn it to the ground."

"What? These are our homes."

"Would you rather Hercules do it, and take everything of value your people own to help himself a long way."

Arethian nodded, "You're right. It just hurts to see my village destroyed."

"I know…"

"This place holds my memories, my childhood, and my life. You see that small boulder?"

Xena glanced to her left, "Yes…"

"When I was just a small little thing, I used to chase my friends around it. Further down was my favorite field. I used to lay in that on long summer's eve. That house, I had plans of raising a boy of my own one day, just like I was, right there…"

Arethian paused, gathering himself as the warrior stood there, taking it all in. Finally he said, "One day this war will be over, and I'll rebuild it, and when I do have a family of my own, my son will be raised right there in that house."

Xena paused, "We get through this war, I'll help you rebuild."

Arethian smiled for a moment, "Xena, you truly are a friend of the Centaur people. I'll tell them so you don't have to. It'll make it easier hearing it from me anyway."

Arethian grabbed a torch as he raised his voice, "Friends! Family, it is not enough we leave, we must leave nothing for Hercules army to devour…"

The other Centaur and men gathered to watch him as he took his torch and approached his home that his father had lived in, and his father before him. Within seconds the fires began to spread as the whole house became engulfed. The others soon followed suit as Xena watched the whole village go up in flames.

Xena fought hard to control her emotions; war is a tragedy that begets tragedies.

The warrior stated with a finality in her voice, "Let's go Arethian, we need to hurry if we're going to stay away of the main army of Hercules."

8

The camp of Callisto

Kaleipus stood next to Callisto as his eyes fell upon a new light in the Horizon. It wasn't in the proximity of Hercules army; it seemed further away from where the Corinthian-Theban soldiers would be.

"What do you think it could be?" Asked the Centaur.

"Hercules can't move his army that fast. It can only mean one thing, Xena made it to them in time, and they are employing scorched earth tactics."

Kaleipus breathed in for a moment, then with sadness in his voice, "At least my people will be safe, We can always rebuild…"

Callisto did not smile, but deep down, there was a certain relief. Had Hercules targeted her, the army would have been finished, but now units were arriving from all over southern Greece. From little platoons of town guards, to units of the larger city states. They're losses at the battle of Argos were already being replaced by the reinforcements. Soon she'd be ready to contest Hercules in battle again, and that place, would be Arcadia… home of the Arcadian Centaurs and the perfect place to mount a major defense, since she knew Hercules would be moving that way anyway.

This time, there would be no pompous moron of a King forcing her to step down. After the last defeat, Jason had already informed her, that no man who draws breath will replace Callisto as commander of the army. Now she had his confidence, and the confidence of the army, she just needed to prove she was worthy of it.

Hercules, Selenta, Gabrielle, and Herici were marching at the head of the army as they approached the camp. What they found was the camp ablaze, and no Centaurs anywhere.

Hercules stepped forward clinching his fists, "The Centaurs! Where are they?"

Gabrielle was relieved to see that the Centaurs were gone, but did not show it. Xena must have reached them, and got them out. Hercules was barely containable as his face was read with Anger. Everyone but Herici stepped back from the Demi-god. Herici however didn't seem to care if Hercules was upset, instead he was just staring at Gabrielle, a fact that made the bard feel very uncomfortable. It was almost as if he could look right through her.

Hercules approached snapping everyone's attention back to him. He first approached Herici, then he approached Selenta, then finally Gabrielle. Dark thoughts were going through the Demi-God's head as his anger refused to abate.

Finally turning back towards Selenta, he said through clinched teeth, "Selenta… They can't be far, take the Theban Army and pursue them into the forest. Kill every Centaur you find, even children. I will not spare any of them."

"Why only the Thebans? Why can't I take some of the Corinthian men?"

Hercules glared at her, "Those are my orders, and you shall follow them."

Gabrielle watched the standoff for a moment, she could tell Selenta was very close to refusing this order, but Hercules would likely strike her down if she did. It was a tough spot, and neither was willing to back down. At other times, Selenta could count on her Thebans to back her up in a moment of frustration between the two leaders, because Hercules didn't want to lose half the army in the process, but at this moment Hercules didn't seem to care.

Selenta was about to speak in protest be Herici arrived at her side, "If it were fine with you Commander Hercules, I would like to send 500 of my soldiers with her. I think they'd serve you and Selenta well in hunting down the Centaurs."

Gabrielle watched as the single hand of Herici landed on the female warrior's shoulder. It was in that moment that Selenta seemed to shrink, and her protest was abated. Hercules then eyed Herici, "Very well, you may send some men to join her; that is if she will follow orders…"

Selenta was about to open her mouth again as she felt the tight squeeze of Herici's hand, finally she nodded. "Your wish is my command."

Gabrielle's eyes diverted to the soldiers of Thebes, who had their hands on the hilts of their blades. Reluctantly they released their grips from their weapons.

Selenta with a dark look on her face turned to her men and signaled for them to follow her. She had some Centaurs to hunt down. With Herici heading towards his tent, that only left Gabrielle standing with the angry Hercules.

Hercules approached the Bard who know felt very vulnerable, wishing instead that she might be under the strange gaze of Herici instead of under the dark angry breath of Hercules.

Looking down upon her, he asked, "Xena, how is she these days."

Gabrielle knew the Demi-God was still in a terrible mood, but she choose to answer honestly, "She's angry about you and what you've done."

Hercules raised a single eyebrow, "I bet she is." Hercules put his arm around the bard's shoulders pulling her closer, something that made her inwardly tremble in fear.

Hercules then added in a dark tone, "Did she ever tell her that I could have killed her once? To think she can judge me when without me, she'd be dead."

Gabrielle struggled as she felt his strength, "Yes… she told me."

"She ever tell you that we were lovers?"

Gabrielle swallowed, "Yes… She said there were sparks there but it didn't work out."

Hercules smiled, "Sparks indeed. Perhaps it would have worked out if she'd wanted it to…"

Gabrielle paused, "What do you mean?"

"She left me, to pursue her own path. All that effort to save her, and she deserted me at first opportunity." Suddenly Gabrielle began to feel his strength more than ever as Hercules continued, "I hate for that! I would have loved her!"

"But you sent her on her way; you helped her turn away from evil. You unchained her heart."

Hercules stopped, for a moment he seemed lost within himself. Gabrielle thought she saw some conflict in his eyes, but suddenly the coldness returned. "I should have killed her."

Hercules released the bard and went back to his camp. For a moment, Gabrielle thought she saw something. Maybe, just maybe, the Hercules that he once was, was still alive deep down buried in the heart of this murderous tyrant that had stood beside her. Still, Gabrielle wondered if he could be reached. So much anger, so much darkness, such hatred. Perhaps that was the last glimmer of life from a dying corpse that was the Hercules of old.

"Perhaps you're looking at this from the wrong perspective."

Gabrielle jumped back at the comment; it was Aphrodite that was now in front of her as she had just materialized.

"What do you mean?" Asked the bard.

"I must admit, it's clever. If you could bring back the good Hercules then you could rule this army." Aphrodite slowly approached the bard, seemingly drawing Gabrielle in with her eyes.

Gabrielle shot back, "Is that all you want? For me to lead this army."

"You must admit, its perfect Gabrielle. He takes out the real strength of Greece, and then you take him out. Turning him good perhaps, though I have better ideas, that of which I will get to. But think about it, let Hercules do what he does, and he breaks Greece leaving his own army as the only power left in Greece. Then remove the Demi-god, and with a heavy heart, you take command of the army in order to reestablished order and peace in the society. The one to right the wrongs that are being committed. The Greeks would worship below your feet, because you aren't tainted like he is."

Gabrielle didn't reply to the main point but instead focused on a single detail that the former Goddess of Love mentioned, "What do you mean better ideas?"

"Oh, my idea is a little more based in reality than yours. You turn him good and that gets him out of the war, so to speak, except that he can still command the army, and that now suddenly he's going to get in the way of what you want to do. Turning him good doesn't solve the problem, you want him dead."

"You mean kill him."

Aphrodite jested, "Gabrielle, how else is he going to die?"

Gabrielle shook her head, "I'm not going to kill my friend."

"Your friend was inches away from killing you. His temper, his rage, he's an uncontrolled beast, a monster. Frankly, everyone is better off he that is dead."

Gabrielle reached out, "Why kill him? Why not turn him good, like Xena, and Callisto. He was good once, it can be done again."

Aphrodite smiled, "You are such a good person at heart. No, it's too late for him. Even Callisto doesn't have this many lives on her conscious. The entire population of Athens… No one outside of Corinth and this coalition will ever follow him; even the Thebans do so reluctantly."

Gabrielle raised an eyebrow, "That was your plan all along wasn't it? Wipe out the strength of Greece, use Hercules as a sacrifice, and then hand it over to me. Or is there more, is it really that simple, or perhaps even you, are a tool for something more."

Aphrodite stammered, "Our… my plan is working well. I've made the place for you to take, you'll have this land under your control and you can institute the reforms you want to. You just have to take it. Even if you don't, Hercules won't live forever, many will want his blood. Why not use that to your advantage? I can set it up for you. That dagger in your boot, the one that once belonged to Brutus, which you used to kill him with, it would be perfect. With a little help, together, Hercules can be destroyed."

"I won't kill him."

"Well, soon the time to replace Hercules will be here. You need to collect your thoughts and prepare yourself for the time when a new leader is needed. After all Gabrielle…"

Aphrodite touched the bard's cheek, "I like you, but if you aren't willing, perhaps Selenta will have more interest in my offer."

Aphrodite disappeared leaving Gabrielle by herself to contemplate everything that had occurred. Perhaps it was too late to save Hercules…