Warlord Daze

The following is a bit of alternative fiction based on certain characters from the Xenaverse. It is not meant to infringe on anyone else's rights.

Sovereign laughed; Hard. It was as if the indomitable dark beauty told him a good joke, the kind that moves beyond sniggering and makes the belly shake. "What was that?" He questioned the skies, mocking, "A bee? No, a wasp. A wasp has stung me?" He turned back to her with a glittering smile. Then his arm cocked back as if being pulled like a sling. He laughed at the sword in her hand, "Little wasp, my sting is greater." Lightening careened down his arm, as if it were a flooding river, and screeched like a bitter spirit.

Xena moved, letting the sandals carry her, cutting on her way. The leather and thigh split like a sausage that was unable to contain bubbling heat any longer. Blood poured. She laughed, despite herself, not enjoying things at all, but feeling the pull of his spill. She didn't pause, but flickered back to where she'd been before.

He gaped at her, then sneered, "The wasp has wings I see. I'll keep that in mind this time." Sovereign ignored the pain, hefted his body into the air and landed like a cat besides the overturned basket. He collected the glowing bits of light as if they were marbles, two or three to a hand. "I have plenty of stingers," he barked in a laugh, enjoying himself. He was aroused as never before. Gods, he'd take her on this ground, before he killed her. He'd just have to avoid toasting her, too much.

Xena kiya'd just as he began throwing the bolts. She cut him, the other thigh, then it was a case of quickly quickly dodging. He flipped and moved out of her way too, but despite his strength, with the speed of the wings, she was faster than him. Still, it was as if he could see where she was, no matter how fast she went and lightening followed her trail. Sometimes she could feel the heat of it crackle through her body. She ignored that. Meanwhile, the armies had long since stopped fighting to watch the real battle which powered up the field with light and sound.

Xena didn't care though. There was no fear in her heart, no worry for an outcome, only murderous bloody rage. She thought about how to get him, what would make him suffer as she had, as her lover had. Nothing would, of course. But she could wear him down, and then take his heart. Her purposes had changed. Before, she was trying to save Hercules, and open the vortex. Now she didn't care. After one sleek bit of lightening struck a far tree they paused. She grinned at him, as if he were her lover, inviting. Death and decision were in her eyes.

He grinned back, thoroughly enjoying the game. There were cuts all over his body, none of them so deep as to kill him, all of them painful. It felt good to him. He was amazed that he was feeling at all. No one else had done this. No one else had stood up to him this way. Even the Gods ran in fear from him. But she. . .she teased him. .stung him. He ducked quick, gathering more of the sky's fire, "Care for a little more, wasp?"

She didn't have to answer, Xena had accepted the challenge when they'd begun. She waggled her sword in front of her, mocking Sovereign's manhood, "Gonna make you drain and then cut it all off for you Hercules." She smirked, then hefted the sword again.

"Don't call me that," The air hissed with the bolt. "I hate that name," the Sovereign said petulantly. He could feel the sweat begin, but enjoyed that too. He couldn't remember the last time he'd shared water with the air.

Xena tisked, "Too bad. It's what the world knows you by. It's what I'll call you. Hercules." She spat the name out like a slap. It stung him worse than those cuts. It brought him to a towering rage, and she cut him some more with each fling of lightening, pausing to whisper the name over and over into his ears.

"You BITCH!!" She could have been His lover. She could have been, but he really really hated that name.

"Oh. You haven't begun to see the bitch. . .Hercules." Slash. Gods, he was going to have scars. It never occurred to the Sovereign that she was doing more than playing with him. But he hated the teasing and spent his strength and almost every single bolt he had trying to tag her. She moved quick though, carried by much more than the wings upon her feet.

He didn't really feel the weakness set in, until suddenly, he just couldn't stand anymore. Blood pooled at his knees, where a single glowing stone rolled in front of him. He felt too weak to pick it up, but knew he must. He reached, intending to make this one count, trusting that he could make the target before the game was completely over.

"Ah ah," she said, slicing quick, down and hard. She grinned fiercely at the popping sound.

Sovereign's arm slid slowly off of his shoulder and plopped redly to the ground. He blinked in surprise, feeling his life begin to seriously pour out, "Wha. . ." He shivered as his body instinctively tried to stop the bloodflow, but couldn't.

"You shouldn't have hurt her, Hercules." Her voice was searingly cold, and it seemed she would pull his very skin off with just her words, "I'd have forgiven you almost anything. Anything." He looked up at her, trying to gage his chances. "Capturing I could forgive, But you had to hurt *her.*" She shook her head, almost sadly. "I can't forgive that. She's everything to me, all I have left. You tried to take that away." Madness. It was sheer madness in her voice and eyes. The sovereign watched her carefully. He would have his moment. The mad always gave the game away, didn't they. He could live without an arm, if he timed it right.

It seemed as if she wavered tiredly, the sword held limp in her hand as she accused him. That's when he took his chance, reaching quickly, grasping. He held the heated stone of light in his hand, cupped it fully, lifted. He heard the trill of her voice, felt the chill of it stop his heart. The sword entered the top of his shoulder. He felt it cleave through him as if he were a piece of meat, and knew when it had swung free by the droplets of blood that sprinkled the ground. Then he watched as his other arm parted from the body he'd taken for granted.

She backed away from him and lowered the sword so the point angled directly at his chest. He looked up, not even having time to plead. She didn't even bother sneering, "Goodbye, Hercules." Sovereign closed his eyes, glad that it would all be over soon. She lunged forward.

The tip of the sword pricked his skin, but stopped. He could feel the edge of it inside, but there was no following pressure. He opened his eyes one at time and smiled in evil relief. Saved.

Xena grimaced in a kind of pain. Her wrist was held in a solid grasp. The power of her lunge dissipated and she felt herself being dragged back by the veiled Goddess. The voice in Xena's ear was soft, but commanding, "You can not kill him, Xena."

He felt the sword tip leave his chest, blood spilled where it had been, but Sovereign didn't care. He was in love. "Hera," he said gratefully. She really did have such good timing.

Hera didn't look at him, though her voice acknowledged his presence, "Sovereign." Gradually she pushed Greece' Warlord back. It was amazing how difficult it was, but eventually Xena's foot moved and the warrior stumbled. Hera pushed Xena's arm down and ignored the hate-filled look she received. "You can not, Xena." Hera's gaze intensified, "You must not."

"You may stop me now, but I'll get him eventually," the dark woman sneered. Hercules was a dead man.

"You don't understand, Xena. It is not for the reason you think." The Goddess and the warrior stared at each other. Hera's gaze was remarkably, unexpectedly gentle. Her green eyes reminded her of another.

"Excuse me, but I'm bleeding over here." The Sovereign's voice was shaky. His paled complexion spoke of imminent death.

Couldn't have that. Hera let go of Xena, forcefully pushing the warrior back. "So you are. Let me help." The Goddess waved her hand. Sovereign breathed a quivering sigh of relief and knew everything was going to be okay.

He looked at his shoulders, noting the muscle and bone were still visible, though the bleeding had stopped, "Don't I get my arms back?" He tried to summon a winning smile.

Hera bent at the knees, and placed her hand over the Sovereign's. She scooped the lightening out and held it gently in her palm. Then, as she unbent, she said, "We will see." She looked quietly at Xena, "Stand aside warrior. Your job is done." The dark haired champion stared at Hera as her brain tried to register the words. The Queen of the Gods pursed her lips and sighed. She truly hated playing the bad guy, then coming in for the rescue. It always confused people. "Aphrodite! Would you please help your niece?"

The love goddess flickered in besides the warrior and gently took her arm, "Come on Xena, you are needed elsewhere." Aphrodite carefully took the sword from the shattered woman's hand, let it thunk into the ground, and led the warrior quietly back to the platform. The Goddess stood by her, as Xena knelt. A whimpering shocky Gabrielle was passed into the dark woman's arms. Part of the warrior's mind noted that the wounds had been closed with skin. Xena didn't know whether to thank her father or hate him. She didn't get a chance to make the decision because Ares flickered away.

A grey-eyed goddess, donned in robes of authority, sparkled into view besides Hera. She nodded at the Queen mother. "I am ready," she said. Hera handed the goddess the hind's blood necklace. Athena turned, and faced the Sovereign.

"Hera?" Sovereign felt a fear tighten in his belly.

"You have debts to pay, Sovereign. My children have suffered because of you." The Queen of Olympus didn't sneer, just pointed out the fallacy of his thinking, "Did you really think that your promises of power mattered to me?" She laughed, "I've been the Queen of the Gods for centuries. My husband is a slut, but he's still my husband and," Now she was sneering, "I *want* him back."

"Oh Gods." Sovereign whispered, realizing his error. Fear crept upon his features.

"Indeed."

Two Gods appeared besides what used to be the strongest man in the world. They paced forward. Artemis leaned to pick up one arm, but Ares stopped her with, "No, not that one. It was my favorite." The goddess snorted and let the God of War have his pick. She took the left one.

The goddess voice carried, "We accept this arm as payment for our Amazons, who have given their lives, and for our queen who has sacrificed greatly that the world may live."

Athena nodded regally. The mortals could hear every word, every judgment. Weapons had fallen to the ground, and human beings sat or stood awaiting the outcome and feeling the shock of it. A scale appeared to the side of the Goddess of wisdom. There was a clinking sound as one of the bowls was filled. The scale didn't tip much. Artemis bowed to the Queen, kicked dirt at Sovereign's bloody knees. Then she disappeared.

Sovereign's brow knitted in determination. He was many things, but he wasn't a coward. He didn't care if Hera helped or not. He would figure a way out of this. He awkwardly tried to stand, to protest. A strong arm pushed him back down to the ground. He looked up into Iolaus' stern face. "You're not going anywhere."

Ares lifted the other arm and waved it casually in the air as he looked Sovereign in the face, "I accept this arm in payment for the scores of warriors he wasted and for the advice he ignored." Ares leaned close to the maimed strongman, " You should have listened to me at the very beginning. Things might have been different." His glance flickered to Xena and her mate. His expression turned ugly.

The kick was solid, brutal and the resulting howl could be heard in the silence that had taken over the battleground. Ares voice carried and sent a thrill of acknowledgement through the crowd, "That's for Gabrielle." The Sovereign wheezed as he tried to cover broken ribs with nonexistent arms. Ares continued as if oblivious, "I'll tell you now, what I told you then; I may harass them when they're being. . .stubborn. . ., but NO one *fucks* over my chosen." The punch landed hard and bruising, "That's for Xena." Ares sneered at the Sovereign, debating whether to tell more, but the world wasn't ready to hear that Xena was his daughter. . .and that Gabrielle had become his also. . .It was a secret to keep in the family. He stepped away from the wounded demigod. "Last piece of advice. Choose your battles more carefully next time. It's a real bad idea to piss Xena off." He sniffed, "It's an even worse Idea to betray *me.*" He stopped, then grimaced, "But then, I told you that a LONG time ago." The scale tipped some more as Ares made his way back to Xena's side.

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This page was last updated: May 11, 1998

İMay 1998

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