Mind Games

By Ronan

Authors Note: This story uses characters and makes mention of events that happened in the following stories: If Daring A God Is Dangerous, What If You Dare A Mortal? by Rhiannon and Rescued?? by Ronan. It is not necessary to read those stories to understand this one, but I do recommend it.

The characters of Alynn and Lysia belong to Rhiannon, who has my gratitude for allowing me to take them over. I owe her thanks as well for her support, counsel and most of all her patient editing of this story.

I'd also like to thank Morgan, without her honest critque and great suggestions this story wouldn't be what it is.

WARNING: This story contains scenes of graphic violence and rape which some readers may find offensive. If you are under 18 or if this type of material is illegal where you live please leave now.

This story is not intended to violate any copyrights held by MCA, Universal Studios, Renaissance Pictures or any other entity involved in the making of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys or Xena: Warrior Princess.

Brooding. That's what he was doing, he knew it but acknowledging the problem didn't seem to help. He needed something new, an idea, anything to break him out of this circle he was in. Lately he'd suffered one setback after another. Every time he came up with a plan someone showed up to upset everything. If it wasn't Xena with the insufferable Gabrielle in tow then it was his half-brother Hercules and his little friend Iolaus.

He shifted on his throne. Xena. If he could just get rid of the annoying Gabrielle he was certain that he could bring Xena back to him. But how? The two were rarely apart anymore. He'd set Strife to keeping an eye on them; right now that was all he could do; besides, it certainly kept the pest out of his hair.

A negligent wave of his hand and a picture formed in front of him. Hercules. That was no good. He couldn't do anything to Hercules directly without Zeus having a fit. The indirect attempts he'd made had been total failures. He was about to dismiss the vision when another figure joined Hercules. Iolaus. The little runt had saved Hercules' life more than once and done his share to ruin some of his best plans. Unlike Gabrielle however, Iolaus had the habit of leaving Hercules and going off by himself. "Yes" he hissed. "Iolaus. Just the diversion I've been looking for." He sat up straighter, starring intently at the scene before him. As the two men clasped forearms and spoke, he realized that Iolaus was once more intent on spending some time alone. He watched eagerly as Iolaus left Hercules with a jaunty wave. It didn't take him long to recognize the area Iolaus was passing through and a wonderful plan formed.

Ares' laughter echoed in the quiet temple long after the god had disappeared.

Alynn quickened her pace as the lake came into view. She was anxious to get to the campsite. She hoped that she'd find Iolaus waiting for her, but she wasn't sure. When she'd gotten the news that she would finally be able to have a few days free, she'd only waited long enough to send the message scroll to him before heading out. She wasn't going to take the chance that her long awaited free time would be cancelled yet again. So now she could only hope he was waiting for her, or would show up soon.

She swallowed her disappointment as she spotted the place they had camped the last time. There was no sign that anyone had been there recently. 'Give the man a chance Alynn!' she chided herself. 'He may not have even received your message yet.' She tried not to think about the fact that he might not be able to come but it wouldn't go away. 'Ah, well. At least you'll have a few days of peace and quiet.' She could use it too she acknowledged to herself. The last few months had been anything but peaceful for the Amazons and all of them were feeling the strain. With a sigh she set down the pack she carried and started to make camp.

Methias watched the woman as she went about setting up her camp. The presence of an Amazon here was not welcome news. In fact he had a bad feeling about this whole business but one didn't argue with the god of war, especially when Ares was in that mood. So here he was with a dozen of his best men spread throughout the area. He'd chosen each man personally, knowing from past experience that capturing Iolaus wouldn't be easy even with Ares' backing. The fact that Ares wanted him alive and relatively undamaged made things even more difficult. Methias had spent several hours working out a few different ideas while waiting for word of Iolaus.

He'd been surprised and disturbed when one of his men brought him the news of the Amazon's presence. Methias considered himself a smart man; he believed the Amazons' reputation as fighters couldn't be totally untrue or they wouldn't have survived. That meant this Amazon was dangerous and he would have to take her into account in his plans. The possibility that she might interfere made the odds decidedly against him.

Thinking hard he quietly crept back down the hill. He'd have to take care of her first he decided. Calling for his second in command, he started to outline his plan. He'd take ten of the men, leaving two strategically positioned to keep watch for Iolaus. Once they had the girl the men could be sent back out. Satisfied he watched as the messenger left to alert the men at their various posts. Turning back to his second he gave one last order. "Take the net with you, Gorius. I want the Amazon taken alive. I may just find her useful."

Alynn turned at the sound of someone approaching, a greeting already on her lips. The words died unspoken as she realized the man coming toward her wasn't Iolaus. Keeping a wary eye on the stranger she cautiously began edging closer to the pile of supplies. Her sword resting on top. A moment later she was cursing herself for relaxing her guard as more men began appearing from the woods around her. She realized she was surrounded. For a long moment no one moved.

Out of the corner of her eye Alynn caught a movement and reacted without thought. Leaping away, she rolled and got her hand on the hilt of her sword, but before she could draw it she was trapped. A heavy net thrown by one of the men settled over her, hampering her movements. Desperately she pulled a knife and tried to free herself. She kicked out at the first man who approached, hearing a satisfying yelp of pain in response. She wasn't given much time to celebrate though, as the man's cry signaled a mass rush. Before Alynn knew it, she was on the ground. She smelled the rank breath of one of her attackers as she struggled fruitlessly. The last thing she saw was a man's face leering at her before a wave of pain was blessedly followed by unconsciousness.

Methias nudged the woman with his foot, ready to jump back if she showed any reaction. Satisfied that she was safely unconscious he ordered his men to make sure she was unarmed, then tie her up. He was aware of Gorius moving up beside him and glanced over to see how the man was doing. The Amazon's kick had gotten him in the crotch. Gorius had only just stopped vomiting. He was growling with rage as he moved past Methias. One look at him told Methias that if he wanted the woman alive he'd better intervene.

"Gorius, man, are you alright?" Methias grabbed him by the arm and turned him around.

"I will be as soon as I've dealt with the Amazon bitch!" Gorius' eyes never left the unconscious woman.

"Later!" Methias met Gorius' glare head on. "Right now I've got a use for her. One that requires her intact."

"There's only one good use for bitches like her! And I intend to teach it to her!" Gorius tried to push past, but Methias blocked him.

"I said later. Unless you plan on explaining to Ares how Iolaus managed to escape…" Gorius stopped at the threat. Methias could see him weighing his desires against the possibility of incurring the wrath of the god of war.

Fortunately the decision was taken out of both their hands by the arrival of one of the lookouts. "He's coming!" the man gasped, out of breath from the long run.

Gorius looked at Methias. "Alright, but after we have him…"

"Then you can have your revenge," Methias agreed. Raising his voice he quickly gave the instructions to set their trap, watching with satisfaction as the men quickly obeyed. At long last, the waiting would soon be over.

Iolaus sauntered along the path, whistling one of his favorite tunes. Alynn's message had been a total surprise, but a welcome one. It couldn't have come at a better time. He was looking forward to spending a few days relaxing and enjoying himself by her lake. A grin lit his face as he remembered the night the two of them had spent together in that place. Alynn had certainly been full of surprises. He felt a familiar tightening in his body as he wondered what she might have in store for him this time.

It was in this pleasant frame of mind that he rounded the curve in the path and saw Alynn's camp. It looked like she'd arrived first. He'd made it fully into camp and set his pack beside hers before he felt the first twinges of alarm as he spotted her sword near the pile. He looked closely at his surroundings, quickly spotting the signs of a fight. Iolaus had noted signs of others in the area earlier but since they all seemed to be single tracks, he'd dismissed them. Now he cursed himself for not paying more attention. He felt his gut clench with worry. This did not look good. If Alynn had won she'd still be here. Keeping a cautious eye on his surroundings he examined the marks. At least eight men, probably more, he couldn't be sure. Not that long ago either.

A twig snapping had him reaching for his sword, spinning around to confront the man stepping forth from the trees. "Methias." Recognition was a cold lump in his stomach. He'd run into the man once, years earlier with Hercules. It had not been a pleasant experience. He drew his sword and backed up a few feet as Methias calmly paced forward into the clearing.

"I'm so glad you remember me Iolaus." The voice was casual, almost friendly but it sent chills down Iolaus' spine.

"How could I forget a butcher like you?" Iolaus watched him warily; wondering what Methias was plotting. He would have his men close at hand, Iolaus knew. The man was basically a coward, though a cunning and dangerous one. Methias preferred to have others do the dirty work for him.

"Ah yes, some of my best work that." Methias grinned. He seemed content to continue trading sarcastic pleasantries but Iolaus had had enough.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. "And where is Alynn?"

"Alynn?" Methias' smile grew larger. "So that's her name. And you seem to know her.. well well.. that is interesting."

"Enough of your games!" Iolaus growled his worry for Alynn growing. Methias was one of the most dangerous opponents he and Hercules had ever faced. If the man had Alynn in his power there was no telling what he would do to her. "Where is she?"

Methias gestured and his men began to show themselves, forming a circle around the hunter. Iolaus cursed under his breath; there were more of them than he'd thought. As the last two men entered the clearing he snarled with rage. Alynn hung limply between the two, her hands bound behind her; at this distance he couldn't tell if she was alive or dead. "Put down your sword and surrender, Iolaus," Methias ordered, "or watch your 'friend' die." As he spoke another man moved up behind Alynn and grabbed her hair. Pulling her head back, he placed a knife at her throat; the blade drawing a few drops of blood as he pressed it in. "Do it now."

Iolaus' mind raced trying to come up with some possible way to get them both out of this alive but he knew that anything he tried would only get Alynn killed. "My patience is wearing thin," Methias' voice cut through his thoughts, "Put your sword down now. Remember, no tricks or the girl dies."

Iolaus' hand clenched on his sword, every instinct in him urging him to fight. Slowly he forced himself to relax his grip and let the sword drop. As the men swarmed him, roughly grabbing his arms and forcing his wrists behind him, he ignored them. "Let her go, Methias, you have what you want."

"Let her go?" Methias' laugh was cold. "Oh no, she's coming with us. Call it insurance." He glanced over at Alynn and smiled. "Besides, she has a debt to pay to Gorius." Leaving Iolaus cursing and struggling uselessly against the ropes that now bound him, he walked away, calmly ordering his men to prepare for their journey.

Iolaus dropped to his knees as two men roughly flung Alynn's body to the ground in front of him. More than anything he wanted to be able to reach out and touch her, to reassure himself that she was alive and would be alright, but the ropes binding him prevented it. He was reduced to a careful visual examination; what he saw wasn't very reassuring. She was breathing, but the rapidly spreading bruise near her temple worried him; a blow to that area of the head was dangerous and could be fatal.

Ignoring the men around them he called her name, hoping to get her to respond. After several minutes he was rewarded with a flickering of her eyelashes and a moan. "Come on, Alynn," he exhorted, "Wake up. It's me, Iolaus."

She groaned again and slowly opened her eyes. "Iolaus?"

There was a dazed look in her eyes and he could tell she wasn't quite focusing on him, but he smiled at her anyway; at least she was awake. "Yes, Alynn, I'm here."

She instinctively tried to sit up and Iolaus saw her confusion as she realized she was bound. "What? Why? What happened?"

"Take it easy," he tried to sooth her. "We've been captured by a warlord named Methias, but don't worry we'll get out of this." He kept his worries about how they were going to do that to himself.

"So the bitch is finally awake." The cold mocking voice interrupted them. Iolaus looked up to find the man who had held the knife to Alynn's throat standing over them. The man nudged Alynn with his foot and she instinctively kicked out at him. He jumped back adroitly avoiding her. "Not this time bitch."

Iolaus launched himself at the man, managing to intercept the kick he'd intended for Alynn. He bit back a gasp as he felt it connect with his ribs, sure that at least one was broken. He felt men grabbing his arms and forcing him up onto his knees; then a hand grabbed his hair and yanked his head up. "And she has a protector."

Iolaus glared back at him, trying not to wince as the hand tightened cruelly in his hair. "Leave her alone you bastard!"

The man laughed. "What? Afraid someone else will get a taste of what she's been giving you?" He released his grip on Iolaus' hair. The men holding him dragged him the rest of the way to his feet. Iolaus watched rage and horror battling within him as the man moved away. He tensed as he realized that Alynn was now on her feet as well, similarly restrained.

As the man reached out to Alynn, Iolaus roared and tried to break free but the men holding him knew their business. They forced his bound arms up behind him until he was bent almost double and had totally ceased to struggle. He heard Alynn cry out. Iolaus forced himself to focus on her in spite of the pain in his shoulders. What he saw made him ignore everything else in order to try to get free.

Alynn's head was aching and she was still a bit dazed as she watched the man tormenting Iolaus. She was only vaguely aware of what was happening when two men grabbed her and hauled her to her feet. A wave of dizziness washed over her and she nearly passed out again. She fought off the darkness as she heard Iolaus cry out, trying to concentrate on what was going on. Suddenly a hand grabbed her hair pulling her head back and a mouth covered hers. Her eyes flew open. She tried to pull away as the man who had been taunting Iolaus forced her mouth open, his tongue beginning to probe within. Her stomach churned at the rankness of his breath, the foul taste of him.

She struggled against the hands holding her but they only tightened their grip. She felt the man's free hand fondling her tits through her tunic and heard the laughter of the men holding her as her struggles increased. She shuddered, her body jerking in pain as the man cruelly pinched one of her nipples.

Alynn closed her eyes, trying to distance herself from what was happening to her body. She could hear Iolaus shouting. Tears filled her eyes; what was happening to her now was such a stark contrast to the dreams she'd had. Sternly she blinked them back, refusing to allow these men to see an Amazon cry.

A moment of relief as the man's hand left her tit was quickly followed by horror as she felt him caress her thigh under her skirt. She couldn't control the tremor that wracked her as she felt him begin to play with the soft folds of her clit. Then he moved on and her entire body clenched in protest as he slowly inserted a finger into her vagina. That first finger was soon joined by a second then a third and her mind reeled in horror as he began to finger fuck her. His tongue imitated the actions of his fingers, plunging in and out of her mouth; each time penetrating farther until she thought she would gag.

"Gorius!" The shout barely penetrated her awareness but the man paused in his use of her. Pushing his fingers in as far as he could, he released her mouth and whispered in her ear, "Later". Leaving her shaking with revulsion and fear he released her and turned away to answer the call. Her stomach heaved. She barely managed to contain her nausea as the men still holding her traded jests at her expense. Just before darkness once more claimed her, she saw Iolaus still struggling to reach her.

Methias was not pleased with the little scene he had interrupted. Gorius needed to learn to control himself better, there would be plenty of time for his little games after they had camped for the night but right now they needed to get moving and damaged prisoners would slow them down. He managed to control his temper long enough to order the men to move out. He frowned as he realized the Amazon was barely able to stand. Iolaus was in little better condition after his struggles to free himself. Lord Ares would not be pleased if anything happened to the little runt before Methias delivered him and he'd take that displeasure out on Methias. He ordered the woman tied onto the back of his horse; that would take care of her for now. He'd have a talk with Gorius later.

Iolaus struggled back to his feet as soon as the men holding him down released their grip. Spotting Methias, he lunged for him but the guards were too quick, catching him before he reached the man. "Damn you, Methias, keep your goons away from Alynn!"

He shook with rage as Methias simply smiled at him. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Bastard, you promised to leave Alynn alone if I surrendered!" he growled.

Methias raised one eyebrow and smirked. "No, I promised I wouldn't kill her," he reminded the hunter.

Ignoring the cursing hunter, Methias ordered the men to get moving. "You two keep an eye on our friend here," he told Iolaus' guards. "Keep him moving. Let me know if he tries anything. Ares wants the little runt in one piece. His orders don't say anything about the Amazon." Iolaus watched as Methias turned away, his blood running cold as he realized that Ares was behind this.

The day's march was a blur of pain and rage for Iolaus as he struggled to keep up with the pace his captors set. His shoulders ached and burned from the strain put on them earlier; he feared that one was dislocated. His hands had long since become numb from the tightness of the ropes binding them but through it all his biggest concern was Alynn and what might happen to her when they stopped for the night. Ironically he found himself praying that Ares would show up to claim him before the group was forced to stop. At least he'd have a chance of getting Ares to claim Alynn as well thus saving her from Gorius' plans though he couldn't be sure the god wouldn't decide to use her in some other way.

Iolaus was still trying to come up with a plan when he realized the group was leaving the trail. His heart sank as the men began to set up camp. He watched as two men carelessly cut the ropes binding Alynn to Methias' horse and allowed her to slide to the ground. He tried to go to her but one of his guards caught him and pulled him off in another direction. As they brought him to stand between two trees, one ordered, "Stand there and don't move, or it'll be curtains for your little girlfriend." Iolaus glared but did as he was told, promising himself that he would make them pay later.

Iolaus sensed one of the guards moving behind him and tensed, wondering if this would be the opportunity he'd been waiting for. As the man cut the ropes binding him, he acted. Spinning he caught the man behind him by surprise and hooked a foot behind his leg, sending him crashing to the ground. Turning back he charged recklessly at the guard in front of him, bowling the man over by sheer force. Rolling he came back to his feet and took off. Ignoring the shouts, he dodged through the camp, his gaze desperately seeking Alynn. He nearly froze in horror when he finally spotted her.

Alynn was on her stomach; Methias' foot in the middle of her back pressing her down, the point of his sword resting between her shoulders. "You don't listen well, do you, shorty?" Methias' smile was cold with menace as he ordered, "Seize him!" Iolaus fought the urge to struggle as the men grabbed him, hauling him away. All too soon he found his arms drawn up and stretched painfully tight as they tied him between two trees. Once they were satisfied that he wouldn't be able to free himself, they left.

Ignoring his own pain and discomfort, Iolaus searched the camp for some sign of Alynn. He finally spotted her being carried by one of his guards. He was slightly relieved that they seemed to be heading in his direction. At least he would be close to her, though he didn't try to kid himself that that would be any kind of protection for her. Still, he had a better chance of doing something if she was nearby and he admitted it was easier on his nerves than being left to wonder and worry.

Iolaus had never felt so helpless as he watched two guards unceremoniously dump Alynn's limp form and then begin to pound stakes into the ground. All his cursing and exhortations to them to help her were ignored as the two went efficiently about their task. All too soon for Iolaus' comfort they had Alynn's wrists securely tied to the stakes. Their casual comments left him no room to doubt what Gorius had planned. He began desperately trying to get free as the two men left.

Methias watched as Gorius stalked around the camp seeing to the last details. He could tell from the way the man kept glancing at the area where the prisoners were that Gorius wouldn't wait much longer before carrying out his revenge. From the excited whispers he'd overheard the men were all waiting anxiously, anticipating a good show. He'd even heard a few wondering if Gorius might be willing to share his prize and decided that now would be a good time to have that conversation he'd thought of earlier.

Catching Gorius' attention, he motioned the man to join him out of hearing distance of the men. Methias could tell from the look on his face that Gorius was not happy with another delay. "What do you want, Methias?" he asked belligerently.

"About your plans for the Amazon," Methias continued quickly before Gorius could explode, "I don't care what you do with her. I just want it understood that she's to be alive and able to travel tomorrow."

Gorius relaxed slightly and nodded his agreement, "She traveled today didn't she?"

"She can travel that way again," Methias agreed. As Gorius turned to leave he added, "One more thing. No sharing her."

"What?" Gorius turned back startled and surprised at the order.

"You heard me. I don't want trouble among the men. I doubt she'd survive if all of them took a turn on her." Slowly Gorius nodded his agreement, it put a crimp in his plans but at least he'd have the pleasure of using her this night. As if sensing his thoughts, Methias clasped his shoulder. "Don't worry. After we deliver the runt to Ares, you can do what you want with her."

Gorius smiled back at him. "Perhaps you'd even like a taste of Amazon then, eh, Methias?"

Methias laughed and waved Gorius off. "Perhaps I will."

Alynn woke with a jerk, sputtering and coughing as water was poured over her face and head. She blinked, trying to bring a hand up to wipe her eyes only to discover she was securely restrained. Still dazed she looked up to see a man standing over her. At the sight of him, the day's events came back with a rush and she felt fear curl in the pit of her stomach. Gorius, at least that's what she thought she remembered hearing him called, knelt down beside her.

"Remember me bitch?" he asked as he fondled her tits. "I promised you we'd have some fun together tonight." Alynn glared at him, trying to bring her knee up high enough to get a good kick. He was ready for her. Before she knew it, he was straddling her hips. She could feel the hard length of his cock pressing against her stomach. She bucked trying to dislodge him but he only laughed his hands busy with the laces of her top. "Soon bitch. Right now I want to see what you're hiding here." His grin broadened as he undid the last of the laces and pushed her top back, exposing her tits to his gaze. "Oh yes, beautiful. I'll bet the little runt there just loves to play with them."

Alynn's eyes widened in horror as she realized Iolaus was tied nearby and could plainly see everything. She felt a flicker of shame that he should witness what was going on, but it was banished when their eyes met. In his, she saw only helpless horror and outrage on her behalf. She tried to keep her gaze on him and ignore what Gorius was doing; determined to give the man as little satisfaction as possible.

At first it was easy to ignore what was happening as he rubbed and lightly squeezed her tits. A sudden sharp pain caught her unaware as he grabbed one sensitive nipple and gave it a vicious twist. Her back arched and she desperately bit back a cry of pain. "Pay attention bitch." She closed her eyes, fighting to hold back the tears of pain as he continued to pinch and twist the sensitive flesh. Soon she was gasping, no longer able to control her body's reaction to the pain. As if this was the signal he'd been waiting for he ceased his tormenting of her tits and she felt his weight shift.

Alynn began to struggle wildly as she felt his hands pulling her skirt down. She kicked and twisted, fighting him. Then her skirt was gone. She tried to keep her legs together but he used his weight to force first one knee and then the other in between them. The rough material of his trousers rubbed harshly against the sensitive flesh of her thigh. Fear shook her as he fumbled with his belt. She closed her eyes as his rigid cock was exposed. She felt it, hot and hard, against her opening. Then he was forcing himself into her and she couldn't hold back her scream.

Iolaus nearly wrenched his arms out of their sockets when he heard Alynn scream. He struggled against his bonds, cursing helplessly. He was no stranger to rape. He'd seen its aftermath many times. But those women had been strangers. This was Alynn. His Alynn. He closed his eyes trying to shut out the sight before him, but he couldn't close out the sounds.

Alynn's single scream had been the only sound she made as Gorius grunted his way to completion. Now she lay limp, barely conscious. She didn't even try to resist when he leaned forward and kissed her. She flinched as he pulled out of her body and rolled away laughing. "Don't worry bitch, the night is young and we'll have plenty more opportunities for fun," Gorius told her, "but right now, I need to get something to eat."

Iolaus could see the dark blood trickling down Alynn's thighs. He knew Gorius had hurt her badly but didn't dare ask anyone to help her. At least not anyone mortal. Bowing his head Iolaus silently begged Artemis to hear him. It was the only thing that he could do for Alynn. That and hope that the morning came soon. It was the longest night of his life.