The Xena Scrolls
By: Gabrielle Bard of Potedia
Scroll#51: The Furies
October, 47 B.C.
Pain and tragedy are powerful forces. They often lead one down the roads of emotional turmoil. The fates can be as evil in their deeds as the gods they serve beneath. Xena and Gabrielle had been through a lot together. They had almost lost each other many times. Their lives had led them on a challenging journey yet there was a need for the warrior princess to visit family beyond the bard. Gabrielle understood this for she often found herself missing her sister Lilla, and her mother and father back home in Potedia. It was fortunate for the friends that they had found themselves winding their travels back through Macedonian territory. This was where Amphipolis was located. It was just north of the coast near the border to Thrace west of the Strymon River. The warrior princess appeared to be delighted, and at ease to finally be near familiar territory again.
As Xena, Gabrielle, and Argo traveled north along the main road parallell to the Strymon Gabrielle had decided that gambling would be an excellant way to pass the time. She was looking to challenge the warrior princess to a foot race. Xena seemingly refused to take the risk of losing to Gabrielle. The bard was delighted that her friend was seemingly doubtful of certain victory against her sidekick. Xena tried to avert the challenge stating that she did not like to gamble all that much. Gabrielle found this to be an amusing and weak arguement against the race. She was quick to remind Xena that her life was a gamble everyday. This was hardly a solid reason not to accept the bard’s challenge to a foot race. Xena realized that the bard had trapped her within her own words which the warrior princess had always known to be Gabrielle’s strongest asset. She was a professional with words. The warrior princess quickly surrendered to Gabrielle sighing weakly as if there were a tinge of boredom to the idea of yet another friendly travel game. This was something Gabrielle was also famous for. She then asked Gabrielle what the stakes would be since playing the game of gambling seemed inevitable at this point in the conversation.
As soon as Gabrielle realized that Xena was in she soon thought of what her prize should be. She gleefully told the warrior princess that she would be cooking breakfast on the following morning which was a chore normally reserved for the bard. Gabrielle was feeling playful, confident, and triumphant. She was certain to win the foot race if Xena had easily caved to the idea of the gamble. Xena then looked to Gabrielle as if she were nuts. The warrior princess could not believe that Gabrielle would imagine that she would be able to cook a decent meal. As the bard pondered this comment she knew that Xena was right. Cooking was definately not one of Xena’s many skills. Yet Gabrielle soon had a new idea. She requested that Xena would collect all of the firewood for their camps every night for a week.
Suddenly Xena was very willing to participate for she had an immediate request from the bard if she were to win the foot race. Xena was practically begging for Gabrielle to agree to making her special dumplings with red sauce. The bard realized that the stakes were high for it was not easy to gather the ingrediants needed to make the dumplings. The other problem with this request was that the dumplings took an entire day to perfect. It had been a long time since the bard had even had the time to sit around and make her dumplings for their latest adventures had kept them at sea much of the time. Not to mention that Xena had died, and Hercules had almost died during the same period. Gabrielle thought of this and decided the gamble would be worth it for the chance to cut out firewood detail for a week. Everyone seemed to be satisfied with the bets placed and now it was time to put the words into action. Gabrielle picked the tallest cypress along the road to Amphipolis and pointed it out with her staff. She had determined that the cypress would be the finish line. She pushed Xena behind her as she began to take her position. Xena held the bard’s arm firmly asking her friend to remind her of the lead that she had been asked to give to the bard. Gabrielle reminded Xena that it had been three large strides in front to give Gabrielle a fighting chance at winning.
Gabrielle began to slowly take three large strides forward into her starting position as Xena prepared for the signal to begin. The bard began to shout out the three commands to begin; however, after the second she began to move forward. She had actually decided to give herself a few additional strides. Xena would not be able to argue for after the second command was given she should have assumed the race would commence. Gabrielle dashed forward confident that she had finally out smarted and out witted the warrior princess. As she dashed full speed forward the bard could hear the sounds of the warrior princess closing in. Gabrielle found it rather odd that Xena would have chosen to race by flipping her way to the finish. It didn’t matter. This only made Gabrielle’s win that much easier. As Gabrielle was only a few strides away from reaching the cypress she jumped up into the air throwing her arms out in triumph as she shouted out to declare her very first victory over Xena.
As the words of victory were ringing through the air Gabrielle was suddenly startled by the presence of the warrior princess barely a nose length away directly in front of her. The warrior princess had flipped over the bard just in time to steal the victory away from Gabrielle. Xena’s celebration of victory was nothing more than a slight smirk to patronize the bard. This led to Gabrielle finding frustration with Xena and her tactics. It seemed that the warrior princess would do anything to win despite promising a three stride lead in the begining. The bard’s enthusiasm of victory quickly deflated into an accusation of cheating against the warrior princess. Gabrielle pointed her staff in the direction of the warrior princess shocked by the sudden invasion of personal space. The warrior princess wasted no time in responding to the bard’s harsh critisicm. Her face quickly turned into extreme intensity as if the warrior princess were suddenly angry. Xena swiftly drew her sword ready for a fight as Gabrielle quickly backed off of her earlier accusation of cheating. Gabrielle knew that she didn’t want to battle Xena. That had not been part of the gambling arrangement. The bard soon tried to take back her pettiness as she quickly backed away from Xena who slowly stepped to her left and then looked just beyond the bard’s shoulder. Suddenly Gabrielle realized that Xena’s intensity was not as a result of her cheating comment, but of something else Xena had spotted down the path beyond her. The bard suddenly heard the laughter of men behind her.
Gabrielle moved with Xena slowly as she heard the sounds of footsteps and then laughing men approaching behind her. She quickly spun around to the left facing the men to rejoin Xena within a defensive stance. Without taking one eye away from the approaching party of men Xena gently ushered the bard to move just behind her. Gabrielle’s ability to read Xena’s actions had improved greatly over time. She took Xena’s non-verbal command without a single word or inquiry. The bard had put great trust into all decisions made by the warrior princess for Xena had never lead the bard astray. Xena’s sudden tense silence was soon followed by a relaxed body language and tone. Gabrielle still felt extremely cautious of the situation yet Xena was seemingly comfortable and at ease. It was amazing how the warrior could instantly adjust her tone and demeanor. Xena opened up a casual conversation despite the fact that there were ten warriors standing before her weapons drawn hungry for a battle.
The warrior princess inquired the leader of his intensions. He responded just as casually back to the warrior princess. His reflection of the warrior princess’s ease was amazing as the bard continued to observe the transaction of words. She even found herself lowering her staff slightly attempting to relax as Xena had been able to do. The warlord responded candidly explaining that he was indeed out for a morning hunt and that Xena was the prey. Xena could not resist the mystery or the details of why he would choose her to hunt down. The warlord calmly explained that there had been yet another bounty placed upon Xena’s head. His motive was to take his men and find Xena in order to collect the bounty. With that statement he twirled his sword flashing it as a threat that the battle would begin, but Xena quickly countered with more words. She was demonstrating rule number one again hoping to avoid battle the bard presumed.
Then Xena spoke with ease as if making a friendly joke explaining to the warlord standing just feet in front of her that she assumed that there were easier ways to make a dinar. She accompanied this statement with a threat of pain as if it were a last effort to avoid what she felt was an unnecessary fight. Then the warrior princess rubbed her nose and looked down as if it were some kind of signal or test to see if her enemy would take the advantage. He barely flenched his body as he made a slight move forward. Instantly the warrior princess responded casually into a bold blunt move into battle knocking the warlord across the chest with the handle of her sword. The warlord was taken by complete surprise as he fell to the ground windless. Within less than a moment the entire scene exploded into a bold forceful battle. Xena fought with great energy as she countered an attack coming in from the left. The bard quickly backed into position ready to strike down any of the men Xena had thrown back into her space. Gabrielle was approached by an attacker whom she broadsided across the chest with her staff reflecting the move she had just witnessed Xena pull on the warlord with her sword handle.
It worked brilliantly allowing the bard to be prepared for the second attacker just in front of her now. She undercut his legs with the opposite edge of her staff throwing him violently onto the ground. As the bard looked behind her she sensed that there were yet two more sets of boots approaching her from behind her. Gabrielle quickly twisted back to the front of the battle and dug her boots into the ground firmly. She pushed her staff long down low to undercut two more attackers. The two warrior women had created a circular fighting stance recycling the enemy right back into the other to keep them from gaining their advantage of numbers. The warrior princess drilled a thunderous kick into the chin of the enemy as she swung back around to take on those that Gabrielle had flattened down onto the ground. Xena kicked one from behind and then spun around forward to face another in sword combat. He fought her with double swords as Xena defended against his advances. The bard could hear Xena’s short battle cries as the struggle between the two ensued.
Soon Xena took a shot with the handle of her sword knocking him to the ground. For a few short moments it appeared as if the battle was going to cease. Then something strange happened. The warrior princess carelessly decided to throw her sword to the ground leaving herself disarmed against ten warlords. Xena fought hand to weapon combat as if it were a game rather than life or death. It was as if she were playing with the enemy without the thought of the danger involved. She smashed heads together, and reached out kissing a warlord’s arm. The warrior princess jabbed her fingers in the eyes of another. As Gabrielle continued to battle on she began to notice the sounds of the battle on the other end of the circle. They were abnormally strange. Xena’s battle cry was not the same as she flipped another warlord over her shoulder behind. Gabrielle’s eyes flickered away from her battle over to the warrior princess to notice she was behaving ridiculously. The bard was certain that this was not the best time for a friendly joke. Gabrielle called out to Xena between breaths, but before she could receive a response two more warlords approached her armed with swords. As they charged in for the kill Gabrielle quickly disarmed them with her staff knocking them under the chin and then spinning around for the final momentum. She knocked them off of their feet and then looked back to Xena who was seemingly doing well despite her sudden craziness.
Gabrielle caught a glimpse of Xena disarming her attacker, but then as he approached going in for the tackle the warrior princess stopped him pulling up her hands into his face. Then she instructed him to wait for a moment as she picked up his sword handing it back to him. She was like a child unable to realize the mistake of handing a weapon back to the enemy. This was unlike Xena. Gabrielle was extremely puzzled as she watched the confusion unfold. Even the warlord was seemingly confused. Gabrielle thought for a moment that this could be a new unconventional battle tactic although it seemed highly unlikely the warrior princess would ever resort to this. The bard watched as Xena urged the enemy to attack her. Xena then kicked his sword out his hand sending it directly up into the sky floating high above. Then she sent a kick across his face as he wobbled unconsciously eyes rolling into the back of his head. Suddenly his sword landed upon his skull knocking the warlord out cold.
As he fell to the ground Xena snapped up her sword off of the ground with her boot by the handle and caught it effortlessly. Then she lifted up her sword above her head and sniffed her arm pit exclaiming that she loved the smell of warrior sweat in the morning. The warrior princess then pulled back her hair casually and walked back down the path where she had left Argo just before the foot race had begun. Gabrielle shouted out to the remaining conscious men lying on the ground commanding them to move on. She checked to make sure those who still lied down motionless were alive. Once Gabrielle had confirmed that there had been no deaths she looked up to notice the warrior princess was eating one of the apples from Argo’s saddle bag and twirling her chackram on the edge of her fingers. It was as if Xena were in her own little childlike world. Gabrielle was intrigued yet irritated by Xena’s strange new behavior. As Gabrielle approached Xena the warrior princess shouted out with excitement over the greatness of her chackram. The warrior princess continued explaining that she had discovered it to be more than a weapon, but an exciting toy. Then the warrior princess turned away from Gabrielle as the bard was about to interject a comment. Gabrielle watched as Xena began to juggle the apple and the chackram ignoring Gabrielle. The bard wanted to say something, but she was unable to express anything. She was confused yet becoming greatly concerned for Xena’s mental health.
Finally Gabrielle had decided to reveal her concern to the warrior princess who just turned back to the bard and denied that there was anything wrong. She even called Gabrielle by the wrong name. Then she jumped into a backward flip onto Argo’s saddle landing upon her horse facing the wrong direction. Argo was startled as Xena spit out her apple and replaced her chackram into its loop upon her hip. Then she smiled candidly and exclaimed that she had never realized how wonderful the view was from that angle upon her horse. She was seemingly excited about the prospect of riding backwards into danger only to see where one had been. For a slight moment Gabrielle wanted to laugh at Xena’s idiocy, but that moment passed quickly into worry for the bard. She was watching Xena attempting to understand what was transpiring within the warrior princess’s mind. She decided to approach Xena with a serious question. The last thing the bard wanted was to offend Xena in such a way that would curb her mood into violence. Gabrielle reminded Xena of what the warlord had said about there being a bounty upon Xena’s head. The bard was concerned that Xena appeared to have no curiosity about the bounty. The bard demanded to know expressing concern if Xena was at all worried about this information. The warrior princess responded by jumping off of the back of her horse flipping up into the trees above and then finding some fancy acrobatics down landing just in front of the bard.
Xena responded cryptically explaining that she was indeed interested yet she was not certain the warlord would elaborate on what else he knew. This response to the bard’s question was semi normal despite the fact that the warrior princess appeared only about half serious with a cryptic tone. The cryptic part was a comfort as the bard reminded Xena of her famous pinch interrogation. She was certain that it would work. It always had before. Gabrielle began to think that the warrior princess might be just playing a game with her for pushing Xena into her gambling game unwillingly. The bard decided to play along for the moment. Xena raised her finger as if a gesture of faith in the bard’s idea which intrigued Gabrielle although she found herself to be confused by Xena’s reaction to the statement. The bard followed the warrior princess over to the leader of the warlord group who was just begining to find his way back into the realm of consciousness.
Xena quickly jabbed her fingers into his neck before he could realize where he was as Gabrielle knelt down beside Xena listening to the interrogation. The warrior princess explained her procedure to the victim reminding him that the flow of blood had just been cut off to his brain. As usual he had only thirty seconds to respond. Xena’s first question was outrageous. She demanded to know how old the warlord was when he had lost his virginity. Gabrielle attempted to scold Xena. Xena responded by commanding Gabrielle to shut up although Xena did not refer to her as Gabrielle, but Maivis. Then the bard looked to Xena realizing that her friend was not in control of her own actions which made Xena lethal. The man could die if someone did not regain control of the warrior princess even if it was not the warrior princess herself.
Surprisingly an answer to the ridiculous question came from the warlord struggling for a breath. Xena did not approve of this answer and asked for another response. The warlord quickly submitted stating that his virginity was lost at a much later age. Then Xena looked to the bard again referring to her as Maivis explaining that asking nicely was the only way to get good information. Gabrielle had been counting down the seconds. Time was running out. She had to get some real answers if Xena refused. Gabrielle quickly looked to the dying warlord and asked him desperately for answers to the mysterious bounty on Xena’s head. His breaths were more difficult now as he explained that it was the priest who had ordered Xena’s head. Gabrielle demanded of him the identity of the priest. The warlord barely breathing now struggled to say that it had been the priest at the temple of the furies.
Gabrielle sat back for a moment and thought of this knowing that if there was any other information to dig out this was the last chance. Then it occurred to her that there was no more information that could be mined from the pinch interrogation. She remembered the legend of the furies as Xena asked the warlord what the capital of Assyria was. This snapped Gabrielle back into the moment as she demanded forcefully that Xena release her victim from certain death. Xena’s response was slow and seemingly without concern or awareness. She was certain that the warlord could answer more questions. The amount of questions was not the issue. Gabrielle was certain that they had all that they needed, and that there would be more information in a trip to the temple of the furies. The bard looked to Xena again demanding with a glare that the warrior princess release the man from his pain.
Finally the warrior princess released the warlord within the last moment. She jumped up from the ground as if annoyed and irritated that Gabrielle had demanded that her game of life and death end before it had begun. The bard jumped up following Xena demanding to know where the warrior princess was going. Xena answered shortly stating that she was going for a bite to eat. Gabrielle then wanted to know what Xena had planned to do about the issue of the furies. Xena’s answer was sarcastic as she had determined that the furies could feed themselves without her. This confirmed that Xena was in serious trouble as the bard demanded that the warrior princess focus on her problem of being unable to control herself or her own thoughts. Xena turned to Gabrielle reminding the bard that missing breakfast always made her cranky.
For Gabrielle this was different than a cranky morning with an empty warrior stomach. Gabrielle grabbed Xena’s arm firmly to hold onto her moment of focus. She explained her theory of how serious Xena’s trouble was revealing a small portion of the mystery of the furies. The legends had told the bard that the furies often punished their victims by persecution which had only explained the bounty on Xena’s head. Only the priest of the temple of the furies would have that kind of authority. As for Xena’s insanity Gabrielle was uncertain of how to release Xena from it. Gabrielle tried desperately to reach Xena explaining that the madness was the real problem. Xena’s response was seemingly on track with Gabrielle and for a slight moment the bard felt a sense of relief. Yet the warrior princess made a joke of her situation at best. She exclaimed that she had never felt better a day in her life as she playfully slapped the bard’s checks with her hands and turned to move onto the next uncertain moment.
Gabrielle struggled to hold onto Xena’s focus firmly grabbing the warrior princess by the arm again forcing Xena to look her in the eye. The bard felt that if she could not reach Xena’s mind she should try to reach out to Xena’s heart. Gabrielle demanded that they go to the temple of the furies to investigate things further. Xena then looked to Gabrielle as if formulating a plan. Then her look turned to spite as if this were just another game. It was like a battle of wills and the competitive side of the warrior princess was not about to lose it to Gabrielle. Gabrielle asked nicely hoping that she could revert Xena back to the moment of the game with the warlord’s interrogation, but Xena swung her head away refusing to give in. Then Gabrielle spoke softly asking with concern and with her heart. Gabrielle begged Xena to do it for her friend even if Xena could not do it for herself. For a moment Xena’s eyes flickered of suspicion and then she smiled gleefully and agreed that they should go to the temple. The warrior princess then moved into the next moment flipping backward upon Argo and shouting out a childlike command for go. Then she kicked Argo’s sides and laughed hysterically as they rode down the path. The bard was becoming frustrated, but she was certain that Argo was aware of Xena’s madness as well. Xena’s horse would not let her get far without Gabrielle.
Gabrielle and Argo had spent the entire day trying to keep Xena under control. The bard had difficulty focusing on coming up with a solution beyond the temple of the furies. After hours of playing Xena’s child-like games of fury and madness the bard had finally wrangled the warrior princess into camp for the night. Of course it had been made possible by an agreement that they would pick daisies until sunset. The warrior princess was no help in gathering the firewood or starting the fire. She spent several moments seated upon a large log next to the camp fire. The bard paced as she tried to think of how to solve the delema. She remembered that the furies had been known to punish people for their crimes with madness or persecution, but she had never heard of a person being punished by both persecution and madness at the same time.
As the bard paced about the campfire she spoke her thoughts out loud. The warrior princess casually interrupted with sarcasm as if asking Gabrielle why she suspected that the warrior princess was crazy. For a moment the bard thought that maybe there was still someone in there underneath all of the madness as she approached the warrior princess who fussed with a headdress of daisies. The bard went for the last dinar of hope asking the warrior princess if she felt even a drop of concern for herself at this juncture. The warrior princess answered seemingly concerned only for her vanity as she stared into the copper plate adoring her leafy flowered head laurel. It appeared that Xena was only amused as Gabrielle’s irritation rose nearly to a breaking point. The bard demanded to know if Xena was concerned about the depths of what was going on inside her mind within the past day and within the current moment. Xena just shrugged off Gabrielle’s concern joking about how her mind was the last place the bard wanted to venture into. The warrior princess described her condition as terrifying at best as if it were nothing at all. Then she proceeded to ask about the leafy laurel wondering if she should lose the daisies.
The bard’s resolve within the situation had been spent. She was now totally exhausted from the mind tricks and clever mental gymnastics Xena had been demonstrating all day long. Gabrielle turned away from her hopeless friend deciding that the only way to come to a solution would be over a good night’s rest. Not only that, but with any luck the warrior princess’s sudden breakdown might be gone once she had worn herself out with the daisies. Upon lying down the bard’s eyes closed sending her into an instant deep rest yet it did not last the night for Gabrielle found herself awakening while the stars were still out. When she awoke she noticed that there was no sign of Xena within her bedroll. Gabrielle quickly rose from her groggy state into an alarmed concern. She looked about the camp frantically to find that Xena was not there.
Not only that, but there was evidence of a greater more sinister madness for Xena had left her clothing behind including her breast plate and armor. Even Xena’s weapons were left unattended. This was unlike the warrior princess. The bard wondered if the bounty hunters from the previous day had returned to capture the warrior princess within her weakened state of mind. There was little time to consider this for the bard had to find her friend. Gabrielle ran for her staff and then began the task of tracking the warrior princess. She quickly realized that where ever the warrior princess had gone she had gone there alone. There were no signs of a struggle. The tracks were the footprints of a person not wearing boots. In fact the foot prints were of the the warrior princess. Gabrielle followed them to the Strymon and then to a small village in the early morning darkness. As she approached the scene she saw the warrior princess standing before a frightened crowd of villagers holding a large burning torch. The flames were immense, intimidating, and extremely hot. Xena was completely vulnerable and defenseless yet her darkness echoed as she lashed out at the crowd.
Gabrielle heard the warrior princess’s sinister words as she blindly accused the people of the village of being shameful for their heinous crimes. The bard heard the warrior princess shout out that she had come to take retribution for the actions of the innocent villagers. Gabrielle rushed to Xena’s side as the warrior princess continued the madness exclaiming at the top of her voice to the people of the village that she was to take her retribution in flames. Gabrielle suddenly realized that Xena was about to burn down their village. Gabrielle knew that the warrior princess was in a fragile state of mind. Even within her vulnerability Xena was dangerous. The bard sensed that she was more dangerous now and had to be handled gently. As Gabrielle approached carefully she stood by Xena’s side softly asking the warrior princess what it was that she had been doing. Xena firmly explained that she was simply delivering the people into their wrath of justice. It appeared that Xena was convinced that they were all evil and that their evil had to burn. Gabrielle looked out into the faces of the crowd. Most of them were the startled faces of women and children. Innocent young eyes gazed upon their enemy in disbelief and fear. There were no evil people in sight. Gabrielle was confused yet alarmed by the suddenly irrational behavior Xena was now displaying. Xena was getting worse.
Gabrielle was firm yet still soft as she demanded of Xena what crimes these innocent people had committed. The warrior princess lashed out with a powerful uncontrollable anger declaring that they had all crucified the women and children. The bard’s heart broke as she felt powerless to stop Xena and to rescue her friend from the uncontrollable madness. Gabrielle reached out to her friend desperately as her eyes welled up with tears. She grabbed hold of her friend’s face and pulled Xena’s eyes forcefully into her own. Gabrielle hoped to convince Xena of the reality that the warrior princess could no longer see. The bard lashed out under her breath within a whisper of frustration that there were only women and children standing before Xena’s own wrath. Gabrielle continued to paint the picture of reality for the mad warrior woman whispering under her breath softly that they were afraid of Xena. For the innocent could not see Xena’s world or Xena’s reality. They could not see the warped mind that Xena carried within. The moment of madness seemingly dissipated into deep regret and sadness for the warrior princess began to cry like a child who was hurting inside. Gabrielle realized that she had to diffuse Xena’s fears and the fears of the innocent standing before them as she asked Xena calmly to hand over her large burning torch. The bard gingerly took the weapon of fear and laid it aside into a harmless resting place.
For a moment the warrior princess had seemingly snapped out of her madness back into reality as she sadly commented with defeat that she was indeed in trouble. It was as if it had been difficult for Xena to admit that she had been defeated by her own madness, but that did not matter to Gabrielle. For the first time in almost a day the warrior princess had finally realized that Gabrielle’s pleas with her friend had not been part of a game. For the first time Xena’s mind had found its clarity within the situation. Gabrielle had only wanted to help Xena restore her sanity. The bard looked to her friend as she searched for a covering for the warrior princess. She explained that although the warrior princess was defeated for the moment there was still hope. Gabrielle was intent on helping Xena find those responsible for her madness. Xena would not lose this battle. Then the bard covered Xena and softly explained the importance of why she had wanted to visit the temple of the furies the day before. Xena’s mind was open to this idea long enough for them to return to camp and prepare for the journey to the temple.
For the next several hours it was an ongoing struggle for Xena to compete with her madness. Gabrielle could see her friend’s suffering and her pain. It was difficult to watch Xena struggle so hard within herself, but it was a fight Xena had to partake in to survive. The warrior princess was within a battle of her own wits. Gabrielle spent the morning hoping to help Xena by connecting with her friend’s emotions. It had seemed the only way to control the madness up to this point, but the effort was constant and draining the bard’s emotional energy. When the two friends had finally been able to reach the temple of the furies after veering off into several distractions Gabrielle was barely able to contain herself from bursting out against the madness. Gabrielle finally resorted to restraining Xena’s hand keeping it firmly within her grasp. As she dragged her friend into the temple Xena flopped about like a child as if it were yet another game. Gabrielle shouted out to her friend to restrain herself from the madness as they approached the priest in the temple.
The priest looked up calmly to notice the commotion within his temple. He immediately recognized the warrior princess as the friends approached him. For a moment it appeared that Xena was able to pull herself out of the madness, but the moment did not last. The priest knew that Xena had come to ask about the bounty on her head. Xena’s response was not serious. In fact she was candid as she reverted into a child like remark asking the priest to take her head for it was driving her crazy. As the warrior princess spoke those words she put her finger into her mouth and then reached out to touch the priest’s forehead with it. Just before Xena could make contact Gabrielle grabbed her friend frantically and pushed Xena behind her desperate for the answers she seeked about Xena’s madness.
The bard’s concern for her friend was growing larger as the priest stated the obvious. Xena had been punished by the furies with both persecution and madness. He surmised that Xena’s crime must have been quite appalling for this to happen. The furies punished few with both crimes. Gabrielle’s concern grew into frantic worry unable to imagine what crimes Xena had committed in her past that the bard was unaware of. She demanded of the priest Xena’s crimes. He stated that Xena’s crime was simply a breach of duty. When Gabrielle heard this she was hopeful that the answer would be simple and the solution possible as the priest explained that Xena was to avenge the murder of a family member. Gabrielle was suddenly confused for the only member of Xena’s family she had known to have been murdered was her brother Lycious. That had seemingly been resolved, but then Xena responded lashing out at the priest. She instantly grabbed him by the throat with passionate anger declaring that she had indeed avenged her brother’s murder. Anyone whom had stated otherwise was lying.
Gabrielle suddenly snapped out of her confusion and surprise as she slowly tried to restrain Xena again. Yet Xena was beyond restraint. The warrior princess threw the bard away from her as she prepared to kill the innocent priest. Gabrielle shouted out to Xena hoping to divert the warrior princess away from her madness for a single moment. The priest prepared to speak his last words as he struggled to state that it had not been Xena’s brother the furies were angry over. Gabrielle quickly asked the priest who before his certain death delivered by Xena’s madness. The priest struggled again to get out the words revealing that it was Xena’s father whom had been murdered. This seemed to quiet the madness for another moment as Xena loosened her grasp slightly upon the priest’s neck as he struggled to breath. Gabrielle could see the wheels of reason spinning with in her friend’s fragile mind as it searched for the illusive answers. As Gabrielle again tried to slowly approach and calm the warrior princess Xena released the priest from death and began to pace about the temple. Gabrielle approached the priest hoping to help him regain his breath as she asked the priest who had murdered Xena’s father. The priest barely able to speak now stated that he did not know that answer.
This was not what Gabrielle had been looking for. Xena’s problem was not any closer to being solved than it had been as they had entered the temple. Gabrielle felt a bit of panic, but she quickly realized that she could not allow herself to panic. Xena needed her to be strong now more than ever. Gabrielle approached the pacing warrior princess who seemed to be within her own panicked madness. Gabrielle asked Xena if she wanted to sit down for a moment hoping to get the warrior princess to calm down, but Xena’s response was a sudden forceful push of rejection. Xena pushed Gabrielle away as if in great pain and fear as the warrior princess dashed out of the temple leaving Gabrielle behind with the priest. Gabrielle instantly knew what Xena was trying to do. She was trying to protect Gabrielle, but Gabrielle could not let Xena go out into the world alone with her madness. The bard was willing to risk her own life to save Xena no matter what it would take. Without Gabrielle Xena might hurt many innocent people. Xena was more dangerous now, yet as vulnerable as a young child.
Keeping up with Xena was nearly impossible for the bard as the warrior princess sprinted through the forest off of the beaten path. Gabrielle tracked Xena’s frantic movements following the prints of her warrior boots into the depths of despair. The boots weaved in and out of the trees leaping over a pile of dead trees. Xena had dashed in and around spinning in circles. There were places in which the earth was out of place as if Xena had stopped within a frantic panic. As Gabrielle followed the desperate trail she could hear the sounds of Xena’s madness echoing through the trees. First Xena screamed out enraged against Baccus, and then she dashed on through the trees. Gabrielle could hear the sounds of Xena’s boots hitting the fallen leaves and then she heard the sound of Xena’s sword leaving its sheath. The bard saw a flock of birds just ahead and there she watched as the warrior princess swung her sword about, enraged and afraid. It was as if Xena were swatting at dryads as she screamed out within the agony of her madness. The warrior princess’s movements were out of control as she fought against the thin air above her. Xena was focused on whatever it was that only she could see within the depths of her own mind.
Gabrielle could see how sick her friend was and helpless Xena had become. She was out of control and reality was nowhere to be found. The bard tried to approach Xena carefully and calmly from behind. As Gabrielle walked slowly to approach the warrior princess, Xena’s warrior senses kicked in. The warrior princess swung around violently ready to face her enemy. She kept shouting out Callisto’s name as she began to charge forward to attack. Gabrielle shouted out trying to reach the warrior princess within all of the babbling words and fear. Xena raised her sword for the kill swinging it violently in the direction of the bard. Gabrielle could see the madness within Xena’s eyes as she ducked the attack. She tried desperately to regain Xena’s attention away from the visions of madness which now infested the warrior princess. The bard’s heart was racing with fear, but not for her own safety. She was afraid that Xena was beyond even her endless love for the warrior princess. Gabrielle’s heart sank feeling that her friend was gone yet she still fought to regain Xena’s mind. First she tried to reveal that it was Gabrielle that stood before Xena and not the vision of Callisto. She asked the warrior princess calmly to put the sword down, but Xena was too disoriented to understand the request. Her eyes flickered about as if she could not even see the bard standing an arm’s length before her.
Gabrielle continued to try to break through the madness as she begged Xena to put down the sword and allow the bard to help her friend. With frustration building within Gabrielle shouted, hoping to get through the babbling madness. She was certain that the next step beyond the temple of the furies was to find out who murdered her father. Gabrielle was desperate to approach the warrior princess to disarm her and get control again. Xena was more difficult this time than back at the village earlier that morning. She was refusing the bard’s help this time as she shook her head unable to accept that she was out of control. Just as Gabrielle was about to make full physical contact with Xena she was overtaken by Xena’s madness. Before the bard could finish telling Xena about the misfortunes of another man whom had suffered madness for the death of his mother Xena’s madness had taken over. Gabrielle was now fearing that her life was about to end at the hands of the warrior princess’s uncontrollable madness.
Xena now had Gabrielle restrained and her sword pressed to the bard’s neck. Gabrielle continued to try to get more words in explaining that Orestes had not avenged his father, but the warrior princess had now slammed the bard up against a tree and begun to tie her friend up. With the cold blade of Xena’s sword still pressing across Gabrielle’s neck and chest the bard stood quiet, calm, and still. Her chest rose and fell with fear for the next moment she would have to endure with Xena’s madness. Xena spoke through the madness in her usual cryptic way babbling something about the gods and how human beings meant nothing to them. She compared people to beetles and went onto say that people were toys for the gods and would be killed for their sport.
Gabrielle felt the vines Xena used to tie her to the tree tightening across her arms and wrists. The bard was uncertain as to what Xena’s madness would do to her. Gabrielle felt Xena’s hand running through her hair and across her face as the sword tightened across her neck. The bard closed her eyes for a moment and took a sudden deep breath hoping that Xena was still in there somewhere within the jumbled mess within her mind. Xena continued to speak to her as she stroked Gabrielle’s head and shoulder softly as if trying to communicate her true intentions despite the madness. She apologized cryptically to the bard that she would have to leave Gabrielle behind for she was fully aware that she could not be trusted within her madness. Then the warrior princess smiled as she slid her blade across the bard’s body off into the woods. The bard heard the sound of the blade scraping the trees echoing through the woods as if it were death whispering into her ears.
For a few brief moments the bard was still in shock, but as she heard the sounds of Xena’s warrior boots disappearing into the distance Gabrielle snapped back into reality relieved that Xena had not yet been able to kill her best friend. It meant that there was still time to save Xena from her madness, but Gabrielle was even more irritated and frustrated than before. She was keenly aware that if Xena was able to leave her friend behind then it meant that the warrior princess was still rejecting Gabrielle’s help. Gabrielle was hurt by this thought as anger began to build within. That choice had not been as a result of Xena’s madness, but her lack of confidence in Gabrielle. Gabrielle began to forcefully remove herself from the vines which she found to be not very difficult. The warrior princess had not tied her very tightly. Xena was on the move and she had to stop her friend from hurting anyone else for they might not be so lucky as the bard had just been. Only Gabrielle’s pride had been injured for the moment. Yet the bard was determined to win her battle against the madness.
Gabrielle followed Xena’s trail once again following it into and through a nearby warlord’s camp. The bard found that most of the men within the camp had been pummeled by the warrior princess for they were all passed out upon the ground. She continued carefully through the camp hoping to attract little attention to herself. The bard noticed that the trail of the warrior princess led toward Amphipolis. This did not shock the bard, but it became a bit of a comfort. Xena had gone to see her mother. It would be easy to find Xena, but Gabrielle could only hope that the warrior princess was able to control her madness long enough to protect her own mother.
Soon Gabrielle reached Cyrene’s tavern and ran inside within a panic. She was extremely concerned for both Xena and her mother. Instantly the bard spotted Cyrene with Xena lying down upon one of the tavern tables. There was no one else in sight. Gabrielle called out to Cyrene as she approached. Xena’s mother was tending to her very ill daughter wiping Xena’s face gently hoping to calm the madness. Cyrene spoke up and spoke to Gabrielle about the madness which had consumed her daughter without mercy. Gabrielle was shocked that Xena had been able to tell her mother what had happened to her, but Cyrene interrupted explaining that her daughter was incoherent. It was the story of Orestes and of how the furies had punished him for not avenging his father that Cyrene spoke of. Gabrielle was surprised to know that Cyrene was familiar with this story. Cyrene continued explaining within her own sadness that she had hoped this day would never arrive.
This led Gabrielle to realize that Cyrene had the answer to the problem. She inquired Xena’s mom of what she had known about the fate of Xena’s father. Cyrene continued as if she were talking to herself out loud that Xena’s father had been murdered. There was regret in Cyrene’s voice as Gabrielle found herself to be almost relieved yet still concerned about the unknown. Gabrielle softly asked if Cyrene knew who had murdered Xena’s father. Cyrene answered with a soft affirmation.. She stopped stroking Xena’s forehead and then slowly turned away as if she were agonized by her own knowledge. Cyrene walked away from Gabrielle without a word as Gabrielle followed pursuing Xena’s mother for the answer. The bard begged Cyrene with her heart for the answer to the mystery so that she and Xena could bring the murderer to justice in order to satisfy the furies.
Slowly Cyrene turned to face Gabrielle and then gently spoke the bard’s name. She then posed a question to the bard. She asked if Gabrielle felt that Xena could go through with the murder of her own mother. Gabrielle was shocked at this simple question. It was the answer to the riddle of the furies. It was the solution to the madness yet there was tragedy in the thought and the idea that Cyrene was guilty of murdering her daughter’s father. Gabrielle could not wrap her mind around the thought and was unable to grasp what would drive a mother to commit such a tragic crime. The bard refused to believe it as she spoke her thought out loud. Cyrene moved forward closer openly confessing to the murder. Gabrielle stepped back still in disbelief of the facts.
Cyrene continued as Gabrielle stood motionless within the tavern. Xena was now sitting upright still dazed within her madness although for the moment it
was quiet. Cyrene approached her daughter explaining that it had happened when Xena was only seven years old. Her father had come home from the temple of Ares with in a drunken rage. He had told Cyrene that Xena had to die. Cyrene suspected that Xena’s father had only been confused by the priest. She thought that maybe the priest had demanded that Xena be sacrificed to the god of war. Cyrene had known Xena’s father to have been very dedicated to the god of war. She was now speaking directly to Xena who appeared to be listening within the madness. Her mother continued explaining that she had gone against Xena’s father’s wishes. She would not allow her daughter to be sacrificed to the gods. His response to a mother’s love was to kill Xena’s mother too.
Cyrene’s recounting of the memory was a painful one as she continued explaining that Xena’s father then went out to the stables to sharpen a knife for the blood letting. She described his preparation for the sacrifice as a methodical one. Gabrielle could only imagine that Xena’s father had taken the seven year old out to the stable with him and prepared her upon his alter. Cyrene had been forcefully dragged out to the stable where she must have killed him to save Xena from sacrifice. Cyrene’s weapon of choice had been an ax. The god of war had gotten his sacrifice either way. It seemed that the god of war had been obsessed with Xena for her entire life. Gabrielle found herself sitting at the next table feeling the emotion of a mother’s love and the conflict of Cyrene’s difficult choice. It was exactly the same situation that had occurred with Orestes. Cyrene paused for a moment as if waiting for Xena to respond, but all was quiet. Then Cyrene joined Gabrielle sitting down with her as Gabrielle broke the silence hoping to move the moment of sadness forward.
Cyrene responded agreeing that Xena’s circumstance was exactly the same as that of Orestes. She continued explaining his mother had also killed his father which made his obligation by the code of the furies to kill his mother in order to avenge his father. Gabrielle then inquired if Orestes had actually avenged his father. She wanted to know if the act of murdering his mother had released him from madness. It was an uncomfortable, but necessary question. Cyrene did not have the answer. All that she knew beyond that was that Orestes lived in the village of Andreas not far from Amphipolis. Gabrielle pondered this information for the moment. She was not certain that killing Cyrene was the answer although it appeared to be the only solution within the moment. Even Cyrene was aware of this although not completely comfortable with in herself. Gabrielle sensed this. She decided that the next step would be for her to make the trip to Andreas to find Orestes and the solution to the problem which faced them.
With hope Gabrielle looked to Cyrene and tried to offer comfort and understanding despite the feelings deep within both women. Gabrielle then spoke with confidence and told Cyrene that she would go off to Andreas. There she would find the way out of the mess. Then Gabrielle took Cyrene’s hand into hers and rose from the table. Cyrene sighed with relief that the bard was not judgmental of a mother’s actions. Gabrielle reached out and gently stroked Cyrene’s shoulder as she moved toward Xena. The bard stood before her friend feeling Xena’s hopelessness. The situation seemed impossible, but Gabrielle could not believe that it was. She spoke to Xena softly knowing that Xena was still with in somewhere. Gabrielle continued to offer her hope to Xena determined that together they would get through it all. Gabrielle could not remember a time or a moment in which the two friends did not triumph over the obstacles they faced. The bard reached out to stroke her friend’s shoulder knowing that it was the only way to communicate the feeling inside. Then Gabrielle left the tavern with the determination and the hope to defeat the furies for it was the only way out.
Her journey to Andreas was only a few hours walk. When Gabrielle arrived there she found herself guided to the village asylum. Gabrielle was confused for Orestes should have been released from madness according to the code of the furies. The village man whom had brought Gabrielle to Orestes explained that the code of the furies was all a lie. Avenging the death of his father could not possibly release Orestes for how could Orestes avenge the death of his mother when he himself was the killer. His punishment from the furies for this crime was unimaginable. Gabrielle knelt down before the man chained to the moldy walls of the basement of the asylum. It was dark, and dreary, and musty. This was a most unpleasant place to spend one’s last days upon earth. Gabrielle looked into the old man’s eyes. He was lost within his incoherence and alone. It was a fate worse than death itself. His soul was empty and defeated. Gabrielle’s heart sank into the pit of her stomach as she imagined that man chained to the wall as her best friend. The bard could not allow Xena to kill her mother. It would free no one. Panic and alarm began to rise within the bard as she quickly rose from Orestes and began the hurried journey back to Amphipolis.
When Gabrielle had finally returned to Amphipolis she found that both Cyrene and Xena were gone. Her heart raced with concern as she scoured the village looking for Xena and her mother. Some of the people of Amphipolis had heard that Xena had taken Cyrene to the temple of the furies to be sacrificed before the god of war and the furies. Gabrielle wasted no time in finding them. She hoped that she was not too late. After running for hours Gabrielle finally reached the temple. The sun was low in the sky as Gabrielle busted through the temple doors hearing Xena’s voice screaming for the kill. Gabrielle looked across the temple alter to see Xena there with a dagger raised above her head. She was about to commit the crime and seal her fate forever. The bard shouted out to Xena not to kill her mother. Gabrielle kept talking to explain why it would not work and release Xena. Just before she could reach the warrior princess to stop her physically, Ares, the god of war restrained the bard and covered her mouth so that she could not speak. His grip was solid, strong, and tight. Gabrielle could feel his power running through her skin and did not dare to move another step forward. She did not struggle.
Xena then spoke to Ares as if pleased by his action against the bard. Gabrielle then looked to Xena and tried to speak through Ares’s grasp hoping to reach Xena in some small way. Then Gabrielle looked to Cyrene who was preparing to face her own death. Xena raised the dagger above her head once more preparing to kill her mother. Gabrielle again tried to get out a word through the god of war as she looked to Xena with pleading eyes. The furies stood before the alter awaiting the deed and then Xena suddenly paused as if she had been hit by a small moment of clarity. Still holding the dagger above her head Xena’s mind went over the details. Gabrielle could see the warrior wheels spinning despite the heat of the moment. Then the god of war became impatient asking the warrior princess about the delay. Xena spoke asking herself out loud why she was about to kill her mother. Gabrielle had somehow been able to reach Xena with her presence. The bard did not know how long Xena’s clarity would last as Ares responded explaining the code of the furies to Xena once more. He was more than ready for the sacrifice of Xena’s mother.
Then Xena moved back into madness entranced by Ares’s words and again she prepared to kill her mother raising the dagger above her head. Gabrielle again tried to get out a word through Ares’s grasp stopping Xena again. Xena looked up to Ares and went over the details of her situation again as if delaying for something. Ares responded with an impatient affirmation of Cyrene’s crime. Then he demanded that the warrior princess show her mother no mercy. Within the next moment Xena babbled something seemingly incoherent as if she had forgotten what was going on around her. She asked how her mother could have killed her father if he was very much alive. This statement was confusing for everyone who witnessed it. Gods and mortals were astounded by Xena’s strange revelation. Gabrielle searched Xena’s eyes as Ares released his grip of the bard distracted by Xena’s madness. He countered to the furies stating the obvious that Xena was indeed crazy. Xena continued explaining that she was still thinking of killing her mother for fun despite the fact that her father was still alive. Everyone was captivated by Xena’s madness as Gabrielle found herself trying to sort madness from clarity. Xena was rapidly shifting between the two states of mind. It was difficult for the bard to keep up. Gabrielle sensed Xena was fishing for a sudden solution to the problem.
Then Xena stated before the furies, and to all who witnessed the moment that Ares was her father. The furies were now intrigued by this shifting of events. Xena continued candidly asking her mother to take another look at the mythic lover whom had given her Xena. Ares brushed off the idea as nonsense asking why Cyrene had not mentioned this fact before the current moment. Xena countered Ares’s statement with the unexpected. Referring to Ares as “daddy” Xena drove the point home to the furies that he was her father. Then Xena urged Gabrielle to do her bard thing. Gabrielle was uncertain of what Xena was asking of her in the moment. She was still sifting through the mood swings, but it suddenly all became clear. Xena needed Gabrielle to set up the legend and the myth to fit all of the pieces together to implicate Ares as her father.
The bard released herself from Ares’s grasp and began to tell the women’s tales of their exploits with the god of war. It has often been reported that while the husbands are away at battle the god of war will take their forms and visit the beds of each of their wives. Gabrielle was not certain that this was what Xena had been looking for, but it seemed to fit the situation. The bard began to question things for herself wondering if Ares was indeed Xena’s father. It would explain Xena’s amazing natural abilities. She could be the female version of Hercules. The god of war glared in the direction of the bard irritated that she had been able to implicate him into Xena’s mad ideas. He approached the alter where Xena stood before her mother. Xena then asked Cyrene to tell the furies about the night she was created.
At first Cyrene was lost, but she too was able to follow what Xena was trying to put together. Cyrene began to explain how Xena’s father had unexpectedly come home from a distant battle to be with her in a night of passionate love. Ares then looked to the furies expressing his displeasure with the entire charade. Xena’s next question was posed to the furies. She wanted to know if they eavesdropped on their victims while they tormented them. The head of the furies responded that they often listened in on the mortals they tormented. Xena then asked them if they had overheard the conversation that she had had with Ares when she had planned to throw herself over a cliff to save her mother. Then Xena looked to Ares and teased him about how she had been able to set him up for this moment. The furies did not respond until Xena again asked if they had heard the conversation with Ares. They affirmed that they had heard. Then Xena joked about their scantily clad red outfits. There wasn’t much clothing to cover the women who took the forms of the furies as their existence.
Xena did not linger on that point too long for she asked them if they wondered why Ares had chosen the word “jealous” to describe the man who was supposed to have been her father. The head furies looked to Ares and asked him for an answer to the question of the word jealousy. Ares realized what Xena had put together. She had created an excellent defense and way out of insanity. She had turned her trial of defense into a trial in which he was now the defender of his own actions. He calmly explained to the furies that when he spoke of jealousy he had meant that Xena’s father had been jealous of the attention that his wife had paid to their daughter. The god of war stated that it was common for mortal men to become jealous of the attention their wives paid to their children.
Xena was not beaten with Ares’s argument over jealousy. Instead she was fueled with an even bigger story. Xena approached Ares and pushed him on the shoulder playfully. She told her view to the furies explaining that shortly after Ares had planted his seed into her mother creating Xena, Cyrene’s husband returned home. Thinking that he had impregnated his wife Xena was born. Years went by without him knowing any different until one day he arrived to worship his favorite god at the temple. On that day someone, maybe a priest or even the god of war himself revealed the truth of Xena’s creation to him. This led to the jealous rage which forced Cyrene to kill her own husband with an ax to protect her child and then led to the present circumstances. It all made perfect sense until Ares laughed nervously yet with godlike confidence. Then he repeated forcefully that he was not Xena’s father. Everyone looked to the furies who looked to Ares and then to Xena. They wanted to know why Ares would go to all the trouble to drive Xena insane. Ares was delighted at the question posed by the furies. Everyone shifted their focus back to Xena. For a moment it seemed that he had finally beaten Xena at her own game. Yet Xena had the perfect retort. First she delivered a complement to Ares telling him that he had made a bit of sense to her when she had spoken with him during her earlier attempt at suicide. This was disheartening news to Gabrielle. Then Xena went onto explain to the furies that a mad Xena would be more sympathetic to Ares’s world view. Again her madness made perfect sense.
Xena smiled with craziness in her eyes and then looked to the furies to check their response. It was obvious that they were not totally convinced. Xena continued talking to Ares explaining that he had made sense of life to her when they had been talking earlier. She went onto explain that the best part of it all was the fact that once she killed her mother she would be doomed to complete dependence on her father for eternity for she would never be free of her madness. Then Xena drove her argument home stating that she could prove all of this to be true. Her final solution was to fight against Ares in a one on one combat. Xena was sacrificing herself in front of everyone. If she was going to be doomed it would be on her terms. She would die in battle against the god of war. There was no other glorious end for her. She explained that if she was half god she would be able to hold her own in a battle against a god. It was a challenge to Ares. He would have to kill her or let her go. The tables had turned in Xena’s favor. Ares could not win this battle of wits. By this point in the spectacle even Gabrielle was beginning to believe that Xena was half god. Xena’s arguments were too convincing to believe otherwise.
The curiosity of the furies was heightened as Ares again stated firmly that this entire story was ridiculous. Gabrielle could not determine who to believe. The god of war with his genuinely intense statements or the mad warrior princess. It was obvious to Gabrielle that Xena’s mind was still extremely sharp. Xena was somehow still in control despite her madness. The furies looked to Ares who appeared to be almost disgusted with Xena’s suggestion that she could hold her own against the god of war. Then the furies asked Ares what he was afraid of. It was obvious that he did not have the desire to fight Xena. Xena smiled candidly and declared that Ares was afraid of the warrior princess. Then she explained why driving her points home. Xena declared that she was indeed a half god and crazy beyond control. Suddenly the warrior princess charged forward toward Ares with her sword. Ares dodged the move. He had not expected the warrior princess to charge him so quickly. He had to adjust into battle mode. It was obvious to all who witnessed Xena’s trial before the furies that her actions were extremely unpredictable. Ares’s god-like movement gave him the advantage of quickness. He had disarmed Xena of her sword within seconds and defended himself with solid strength and brawn. Xena did not let up or allow the furies to see weakness within her for this battle was to regain her wits. Without pure warrior determination, power, and drive Xena would be doomed if Ares did not kill her first.
For several moments the two battling forces exchanged blocks and punches only to find themselves within a stalemate. Cyrene was below the blows upon the temple alter unable to remove herself from with in the middle of the intense action above her. Xena had to find an opening for Ares was going to demonstrate that he was superior by immorality for Xena would tire out if he held her out long enough. Finally, Xena was able to break through finding a small opening within Ares’s defense. She delivered a powerful blow to his face. If he had been mortal his nose would have been broken instantly from the force. Ares fell backward surprised by Xena’s offensive move. He did not fall though as a mortal would have landed flat on his back. Instead his powerful aura absorbed Xena’s force and he fell forward onto Cyrene’s chest. Xena made a sexual joke about his relations with her mother further bruising his god-sized ego. Ares was being enticed into the fight of his life as he suddenly recovered and prepared to prove that Xena was truly mortal. Xena grabbed the chandelier above and swung over the alter driving both of her warrior boots firmly into his chest. Using all of her warrior strength the force of her double kick drove Ares’s body across the temple into the wall.
The building shook with the power of an earth movement as Xena had already planned her next move before she would make it. This was Xena’s battle strategy. It was as if she were playing a game of chess. The warrior princess was seemingly always just a few battle moves ahead of Ares so that she could hold her advantage of being unpredictable. She had to be able to counter Ares’s unbeatable strength. Gabrielle watched as Xena flipped gracefully through the air and landed below the tapestry rods. Then she thrust herself up into the air jumping to grab hold of one of the outer golden plated rods. Xena hung awaiting her foe’s arrival and response to her challenge. She had taken the battle onto a higher level. The god of war was angry and his aura delivered a hard feeling through the souls who witnessed the battle. It was an eerie moment as he flipped backward across the temple to the opposite wall where Xena awaited him. He then thrust himself up into the air grabbing hold of the opposite tapestry rod. Gabrielle saw his eyes disappear within his head and then reappear with a passionate fire of anger. Xena had the god of war tied up within his passions. It would be the perfect diversion of his attention which would allow Xena an even larger advantage against him.
Xena flipped down onto the second level of tapestry rods and enticed Ares into battle. He responded without thinking. His passions guided him down onto the opposite side as he met Xena down below. Xena then yanked her sword from her scabbard upon her back. Gabrielle found herself extremely impressed for she had remembered that Xena had been disarmed. The warrior princess’s moves had been so quick and swift that Gabrielle had missed the moment of the battle in which Xena had rearmed herself with the sword. Xena charged forward above giving a firm battle cry into action as Ares reflected Xena’s moves following right into Xena’s trap for him. Gabrielle watched as their swords clashed with intensity. The entire temple shook as they fought. With each clash of the sword the floor shook beneath ever so slightly. Ares went high with two swings of the sword and then low offensively as Xena defended high then low. His aim had been to knock her off balance, but Xena had been ready for his move. Instead she pushed him back with two kicks one to the face and one low as he began to lose balance. Xena moved high across Ares charging for his head. He recovered easily ducking the move and then returned powerful kicks. Xena defended his kicks seemingly effortlessly. Ares then went for the high move across Xena’s face, but missed as she created distance between herself and his sword. She ducked his offensive in full control until he disarmed her parrying into the middle with his sword.
The bard watched helplessly as Xena’s sword flew through the air across the temple violently leaving Xena without a weapon to defend herself against Ares. Yet the warrior princess was quick as she kicked Ares high into the chin sending him backward as she flipped up off of his chest backward landing at the edge of the tapestry rods miraculously recapturing her sword. She gave a confident battle cry affirming her power against Ares as she looked to him and smiled delighted that she had been able to carry the battle this far. Then she moved forward simultaneously with the god of war as both flew through air forward clashing swords in the middle. Gabrielle saw the sparks of their power as each landed on opposite ends of the tapestry rods. Ares attempted to intimidate the warrior princess with his own deep battle cry, but it did not have the same thrust that Xena’s did. They again repeated the previous move clashing swords in the middle creating powerful sparks, but neither could seemingly gain the advantage large enough to defeat the other in battle. Finally Ares had enough of Xena’s little games. It was obvious that the god of war was not used to being the victim of manipulation. He wasted no time in charging forward across the tapestry rods on foot. His powerful drive forward was seemingly going to drive the warrior princess from her perched position, but instead she had been prepared for his move. She drove forward just as he was about to strike with kicks of fury. Xena drove him back across the tapestry rods and then over the edge.
Ares recovered although it was clear that he had not been prepared for that move. He rolled down entangled with in the tapestry, but then reversed the gravity with his god force and thrust himself back upon the tapestry rods. Gabrielle watched as he then tore the tangled purple and gold tapestry from his body enraged that the warrior princess was proving the impossible. The bard was uncertain if Xena had thought this far ahead into the battle. She could see that Xena had planned on that last move to have been the end. Now the true strength would be told as Ares charged forward, but then Gabrielle noticed that Xena had already repositioned herself. She had already dashed across the tapestry rods to meet Ares attempting to rob him of some of his momentum. As the god of war clashed forward Xena defended allowing him to drive her back. His moves were high, but not well-controlled. He was too impatient for a win and the advantage. Xena took this lack of self-control from the god of war and armed him with false confidence. Just as he had driven her back to the edge of the tapestry rods Xena defended wide pushing Ares’s weapon powerfully away from its offensive. Unsuspecting, Ares again was taken by surprise. Xena used his moment of surprise backhanding him across the face then kicking low hoping to rob him of his balance again. Ares returned the low move unaffected by it. The high move had been more potent, but not enough.
The two exchanged simultaneous kicks and then Ares drove downward with his sword. Gabrielle could see that fatigue would soon take hold of Xena if she did not find a way to end the duel soon. Xena absorbed Ares’s drive down upon her blocking with her sword and then using the power of her legs to push the momentum back into her favor. Again Ares was surprised by the move as she regained the advantage and kicked his weaker leg. This sent both of them backward and off balance, but both recovered. They were now below grabbing hold of the tapestry rods. Ares had realized where Xena’s true power was, her legs. The warrior princess met him in the middle of all of the hanging tapestries as they exchanged powerful kicks against one another. Xena then did a double kick pushing off of his stomach and then using that momentum to swing back and grab hold of his waist with her legs upon her return. She locked him into submission and then knocked her forehead into his which sent them both falling. They fell down to the next level of hanging tapestries.
Xena’s sword and Ares’s sword rested there, but the god of war was quicker to his feet. As he rose to retake the advantage he prepared to take Xena’s life with one powerful thrust. His pride had been bruised badly and he had to prove himself now more than ever. The warrior princess reached desperately for her sword behind her not allowing herself to take her eyes off of the enemy. She had to be ready to defend for his next move. Xena allowed Ares to feel the certain victory and then as she held her hand up to take the blade she used her leg to rob him of his advantage. In that same moment the warrior princess had retrieved her sword and then flipped down onto the floor of the temple. She grabbed the bard and turned her to face the god of war who was now recovering again and fully ready to strike with all of his godly force. He sailed through the air bearing down upon his enemy as Xena told the bard that she was planning to use her as a shield. Gabrielle now found herself in the middle of the two most powerful forces she had ever witnessed. She was about to become the sacrifice. Xena was truly mad beyond doubt. As Gabrielle prepared to take Ares’s blade through the chest, Xena threw the bard down out of the path of the god of war and used his sword against him. She deflected his advance sending him right onto his temple throne. Xena had successfully disarmed and beaten the god of war in a fair battle.
She turned to face Gabrielle, and all who witnessed the battle declaring candid victory as she laughed playfully and danced with delight. Ares just watched the scene disgusted that he had been defeated by a mortal. His hopes for controlling Xena had been destroyed. There was no way for him to win the trial now. With that Xena and Gabrielle went to the temple alter to release Cyrene from her binds for she was no longer in danger. Xena did not have to avenge her father since he was clearly there alive and well before the jury of fury. The warrior princess then approached the furies and their head priest declaring again that she had proven herself. Xena stuffed some fruit into her mouth only to spit it back out reporting to the lovely furies that the priest had been leaving them rotten fruit. The furies appeared displeased by this as they looked to the priest who was in shock of what he had just witnessed. He was unable to respond to the accusation. Xena affirmed her victory again to the furies awaiting their release of her mind. With that the head of the furies reached her arm out with her thumb facing down. She slowly turned it back up as Xena’s mind began to clear from its imprisonment. Gabrielle was delighted to see that Xena was finally free of her torments. The warrior princess looked to her mother with love and concern for her actions against Cyrene over the past day. Then the furies looked to Ares assuring him that they would report his misdeeds of the sacred trust to the Olympian family. Gabrielle looked to Ares to see his reaction to this defeat as the furies assured their priest that they would discuss the issue of rotten fruit later. Ares was casual in his response to the furies as if unconcerned about being the black sheep in the family. He was confident that they would come begging him to help them with something in the future. The furies disappeared instantly to report him to Zeus.
Ares then looked to Xena and inquired the warrior princess if she truly believed that he was her father. Xena responded that it did not matter if he was or he was not. What was important was that the furies believed in the idea. Ares then rose from his place on the temple throne and applauded Xena for her efforts. He complemented her for her brilliance despite the madness and stated that if he was indeed her father he would have been very proud of her actions. Cyrene appeared to be unamused at the god of war’s meddling in her daughter’s life. Xena’s mother glared at him as if she had known some kind of secret. With that Xena motioned Cyrene and Gabrielle to leave the temple. As the three prepared to leave Ares interjected a comment of his own. He did not understand why Xena cared so much for the bard. Gabrielle looked to Ares disgusted that he would even make that comment. It did not matter for both Xena and Gabrielle had defeated him in proving that Xena deserved a pardon from eternal torment.
Later that day after the excitement had died down Gabrielle found herself having time to analyze it all and to reflect. She realized that Xena’s gift of anticipation was a little unsettling. As Gabrielle brought wood back to the camp to set up the fire for the evening she approached Xena stating that it was obvious that the warrior princess would know what Cyrene would say for Cyrene was her mother. Yet Gabrielle was uncomfortable with the idea that Xena had also known exactly what the bard would say within an unpredictable moment. The bard expressed to the warrior princess that she was not sure if the idea of being predictable was a comfort or something to fear. Xena just responded joking that she had known that Gabrielle would even approach her with this concern. Gabrielle was playful as she gently slapped the back of Xena’s shoulder. It reminded her of being with Lilla again for a moment. Xena was Gabrielle’s family now and it was a comfort to have Xena back to normal. Just then Cyrene began to speak with grief to Xena almost whispering of Xena’s father. Gabrielle decided that she would leave Xena alone with her mother out of respect. It had been a difficult day for both of them. Many old wounds and regrets had been reopened. Despite Xena’s lost hopes of ever meeting her father in life to discover a better understanding of herself, Gabrielle knew that Xena would forgive her mother no matter the truth. Xena loved her mother very much and could not hold the murder of her father against Cyrene. Cyrene had done it with a mother’s love for her daughter. There was nothing to forgive for Xena had been given life despite the dark deed that her mother had been forced to commit. The lessons of the gods are selfish for their tricks pleasure no one and are ill tragedy for all.
