Essentially this is a Joxer/Ares story, but like in many other Xenaverse stories,
they'll all get to play. We have lots of stuff in here! Violence and sap. People get
hurt and they fall in love. Yes, love. All kind of sex will be found in this story
too. Explicit and implied, f/f and m/m, consensual and mild non-con. No hetero
stuff, though. I'm not that twisted... <g>

Be warned. You will find a plot here. I've been reading Greek mythology and I
found some different interpretations of the Fates. They're sometimes called the
daughters of Moira, the Lady of Destiny. Sometimes they are called 'the
Moirai'. I went with the former. Yes, I know that in 'Judgement Day' the Fates
made the great tapestry, but for some reason their mom decided to handle it
now.

Not exactly the way you made the challenge, Raonaid, but true love is true love.
Thanks for inspiration and advice!

And the city of Tanagra mentioned here is a real Greek city. I don't think
Darmok and Jalad ever met there...<g>

Feedback makes me write more! (great, now I'll never get any mail again...)

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OF FATE AND WAR
by Viccy

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A man's character is his fate
                        ~Heraclitus

Moira stared at the loom, frowning at the strange-looking thread. She examined
the tapestry and noticed that the thread had been perfect in the former design,
but now it clashed with the other colors. It was too bright and too thick to be
used at that particular place.

She closed her eyes and stroked the thread, summoning the image of the person
it represented. As she realized the identity of the thread she sighed. She couldn't
ask her daughter to cut it without completely destroying the tapestry, but using it
as it was, was also unacceptable.

"Daughters!"

Three women appeared next to the loom. "You called us?"

Moira nodded. "Look at this thread."

Clotho and Lachesis leaned over the loom and surveyed the thick, red cord.
Lachesis raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"It's ruining the great design. It's too thick and too bright!" Moira gestured at the
loom and her daughters saw that she was right. The soft, pale shades of the
design would look totally insignificant if the red thread was used. As the only
bright color, it would dominate the whole tapestry.

"Do you want me to cut it?" Atropos' voice was eager.

Clotho rolled her eyes. "Get real, Atro. You know he can't be killed."

"Girls, girls," Moira chided. "I'd like some suggestions."

"Change the pattern of the tapestry."

"Change the color of the thread."

"Change the thickness of the thread."

Moira squinted her eyes. "I'll think about that. Thank you, daughters." She
fingered the annoying thread and then continued working with the tapestry.

Her daughters looked a little confused. "Was that all?"

Moira was just about to nod and dismiss them, but then she noticed a bright
blue thread that had been almost invisible among a bunch of black cords. It
looked like it was out of place, too. And it wasn't supposed to be left
unnoticed. She cocked her head. "Actually there is one more thing."

"What?"

"Lachesis. Would you please measure this for me, dear?"

Lachesis took the blue thread into her hand. After a few minutes of examining it
her eyes widened. "I can't. It should be the thread of an ordinary mortal, but the
length of it is changing constantly. But it's too thin to be the thread of a God. It's
like this man has two possible destinies."

Moira nodded. "Good."

"What are you going to do?"

The Lady of Destiny smiled. "I will change the pattern of the tapestry, the color
and the thickness of both threads."

Clotho bit her lip. "How?"

"Come closer and I'll tell you."

The three women listened to their mother and then began to laugh.

"Of course! And the only way to combine those two threads is by..."

"....making sure that they find true love with each other," Lachesis ended
Clotho's sentence.

Atropos wiped the tears of laugher from her face. She hadn't had so much fun in
centuries. "That's a perfect plan. Should we contact Aphrodite and Cupid?
They'll be needed in this."

"No. I don't think we should involve them. You know how our little red thread
hates to be manipulated by 'Dite. Do you think you could manage on your
own?"

The Fates nodded. "You can count on us."

"Remember, it really has to be true love. That's the only way to unite the
threads."

Moira saw her daughters disappear and grinned. "I've always loved violet..."
Then she continued with her work.

The God of War was feeling pensive. He'd just witnessed another family
argument, trying not to listen to the insults his mother screamed and dodging the
lightning bolts his father had been throwing at everything that moved. Since his
parents weren't able to kill each other, they seemed to live just to hurt one
another. Unfortunately their favorite weapons against each other were their
children. 'One dysfunctional family. I wonder how long this will go on? A war is
one thing. Being forced to witness this eternal battle is pure torture!'

He scratched his beard, thinking what to do next. He could go to Athens and...
No. Even that wouldn't make him feel better. Maybe he should just destroy
something, like all the vases in his temple. Or the temple itself. Maybe even the
entire city.

Ares got to his feet and walked to the room where he'd put his Sword after he'd
recovered it from Sisyphos. Stroking that hard metal blade always made him
feel better. And it would be wiser to try to calm down instead of blowing up the
city. He smiled at the thought. 'Since when have I begun to think before acting?'

He touched the Sword and closed his eyes as he felt the power rush through
him. He could feel all his body start to tingle, making the tension dissipate. It
was impossible to stay agitated for long with the awesome power of War
wrapped all around him like a warm blanket. The hard metal felt always warm
and there was a soft humming sound coming from it. Soothing him. When he
could once again think of something other than amateurishly killing someone, he
sighed and let go of the blade.

Maybe he could now concentrate on that little battle that would take place in
two days a few miles East of Athens. He could even turn it into a real war if he
put some serious effort to it. That would definitely bring him much more
satisfaction than just aimlessly mutilating some stupid peasants. Not that doing
that wasn't fun on occasions, but it really seemed petty in his current mood.
Maybe later.

As soon as his fingers left the Sword, the blade began to glow. Ares felt the
glow with every fiber of his being and opened his eyes just in time to see the
Sword that held his powers disappear.

"No!" his dismayed exclamation rang in the room. He tried to reach for the
Sword mentally, and realized that he couldn't. His powers had disappeared with
the weapon. "What in Tartarus is going on in here?"

The walls of the room began to crumble and when the stones hit the floor, they
disappeared. Instead of seeing the familiar landscape of the North slope of the
Olympus, there was just a big cavern outside his chambers.

Ares looked around and groaned. He'd been in this cave before. "Why am I
here, daughters of Moira?"

A low chuckle floated towards him from the shadows. "You're here to begin
your journey, Ares. "

"Journey to where?"

Three robed figures approached the God. "Not 'to where'. To 'into what'. You
were born to be the God of War, but your destiny clearly states that your path
lies elsewhere."

"What?" Ares' voice was full of outrage. "I am the God of War. That's my
destiny! Now, give me back my Sword!"

A cold breeze blew dust into the air, making the man cough. When he could see
again clearly, his eyes widened. The Fates had pulled their hoods back and
were now standing in front of him, holding hands and staring right into his eyes.
Into his soul.

"Hear us, Ares, son of Zeus. The Sword that holds the powers of War lies in
the Great Temple. It must be claimed before the third full moon shines above
your head and it must be done by a true warrior."

Ares shrugged. "So I just have to go to Sparta and claim it."

The Fates' laughter was malicious. "No, you can't claim it. Only the one who
doesn't seek for it and makes the proper sacrifice is the right person to wield it."

"What sacrifice?"

"You'll see. You'll be sent now to the mortal world, where you'll meet people
you must accompany to Sparta."

The God frowned. "You just said that I can't claim the Sword. Why should I go
to Sparta?" 'This can't be happening. This has to be some twisted joke played
by some idiot. Strife, perhaps.'

"This is no joke." The Fates looked at each other and then Atropos nodded.
"You must be present when the Sword is claimed. If you're not, or if you're
late.." She stared at the man until he was just about to ask and then continued.
"The Sword will be a prize in a contest between three champions."

Ares swallowed hard. "Who?"

"Strife, Discord and Hades." Clotho saw his jaw twitch and smiled. "You see,
it's your choice. The Sword will be claimed by one of the people you will travel
with, there will be a completely new player in the game, or there'll be a war in
Olympus. Either way, your destiny is to go to Sparta and to be present when
the new God of War is born."

"What if I refuse to do anything? If my choice is to stand still."

"Then you'll die and the Sword will be destroyed. And you'll spend forever in
Tartarus with Hades."

With that Ares realized he had lost. "Who are the men I'm supposed to travel
with?"

Lachesis raised an eyebrow. "We didn't say anything about their gender, did
we?"

Joxer was quietly humming his song as he walked to the edge of the village.
He'd been traveling with Gabrielle and Xena for two weeks now and he wanted
some time alone. Actually the suggestion to go and do something on his own
had come from the women, but it had sounded like a very good advice. That
way everyone would be happy. He'd get a chance to pray to his God and his
friends would have some time to...

The would-be warrior didn't want to think too much about what the women
were most probably doing at that moment in their room at the inn. After having
a crush on Gabby for over two years, it was now hard to see her in love with
someone else. But then again, it wasn't the first time something like that had
happened. Joxer shook his head, remembering how he had stood next to the
beautiful blond woman, witnessing her getting married to another man. He only
hoped that Gabrielle would have more time with Xena than she'd had with
Perdicus.

Joxer looked around. 'I wonder if this is the right place. The blacksmith did say
that the temple is in this direction, but this looks more like a cave than a temple.'
He shrugged. Sometimes there wasn't even a building, just an altar in the
woods. Apparently people thought the God of War didn't really care about a
temple as long as there was some place where the offerings and sacrifices could
be left.

The man stepped into the cave, not bothering to light a torch. There was always
a fire burning somewhere in Ares' temple. He walked forwards, but after a few
steps he stopped and frowned. The place didn't smell right. And there wasn't a
fire anywhere in the cave either. Joxer walked back outside and lit one end of a
branch he had picked up earlier. It was his duty to find out what was wrong
within the place. He was a warrior after all.

He held the torch in his left hand and drew his sword with the right. Then he
re-entered the cave.

Joxer looked around and shook his head. The gruesome mural on the wall
clearly indicated that it was a place where the God of War could be
worshipped. He slowly advanced into the main temple area and bit his lip as he
saw the altar.

There were no weapons, no food offerings, no carcasses of dead sacrificial
animals. The only thing on top of the stone altar was a parchment scroll that
seemed to glow somehow. The faint glowing seemed to pull the young man's
undivided attention to the scroll, and Joxer approached it hesitantly and then
reached out for it. He was overwhelmed by the need to read what was written
on the parchment and he began to fumble with the ribbon that tied it open as
fast as he could. It was hard to hold the sword and the scroll in the same hand
and the young man winced as the sword fell to the altar, making a huge noise.

Someone groaned and Joxer jumped back as a large figure rose from behind
the altar.

"Who...Who are you?" Joxer couldn't help stammering.

"Who are you?" The man behind the altar asked.

Joxer wanted to say that he had asked first, but then decided to answer. After
all, maybe the intruder would feel less confident once he heard who he was.
"I'm Joxer the Mighty."

The other man stepped into the range of the light. "And I'm..." His eyes rolled
up and he crumbled on top of the altar.

Joxer dropped both the scroll and the torch. "Ares?"

Gabrielle hummed a little happy tune and watched her lover dress. "Are you
sure you don't want to come back to bed? This is the first time in two weeks
that we have some privacy. " She stretched, letting the sheet slide lower,
exposing a pink nipple.

"Stop that! I have to go and check Argo. I think there's something wrong with
his left front leg. There might be a pebble under his shoe." Xena fastened her
belt. "You know what will happen if his hoof gets infected."

"Will you come back after you've found out what's wrong?"

Xena walked to the bed and bent down to kiss Gabrielle. Then she pulled the
sheet up to cover the tempting round breast. "Are you kidding? Nothing in the
world could keep me away from you."

"Good. Now hurry..." Gabrielle frowned as she heard someone screaming her
name in the hallway. "What's going on out there?"

Xena opened the door and a very upset Joxer stumbled in.

"Joxer? Are you all right?"

The man was panting. "Xena. Ares. Cave. Altar. Scroll."

Xena shook her head. "Calm down. I don't understand a word you're saying.
Take a deep breath and try again. Slower this time."

Joxer nodded. "I went to Ares' temple and..."

"Why?"

Xena threw a dark look at Gabrielle. She wasn't all that interested in the
would-be warrior's religious convictions and was afraid that the man would start
to babble about the importance of the Gods in his life. She thought he might be
one of those people who can go on and on about spiritual things without really
saying anything, boring others to tears. Fortunately, for Joxer's health, she was
wrong.

"I'm a warrior and he's the God of War," the man explained simply. "As I was
saying, I went to his temple and saw that there was something wrong. I went
inside and noticed that the place was dark and I got a torch and I..." He was
trembling again.

"All right. What happened next." Xena was getting a little worried when the
usually overly self-confident man didn't even try to hide his fear.

Joxer closed his eyes. "I saw a parchment on the altar and picked it up. I guess
I was curious, but it wasn't really my fault. You see, it was glowing. Then I
dropped my sword and the next thing I saw was Ares standing in front of me."

Gabrielle sighed. Obviously she'd done something very wrong recently to
Annoy the Gods this much. All she'd wanted was a few days vacation with the
woman she loved. "What did he want?"

"I don't know. He fainted before he had the chance to tell me."

"Fainted? Joxer, are you sure it was really Ares?"

He nodded. "I know what my God looks like. Anyway, when he fainted, I
decided to come and get you two." He didn't think it was worth mentioning that
he had actually panicked and ran like a rabbit, realizing where he was going to
only when he was rushing into the corridor outside the women's room.

Xena threw Gabrielle her clothes. "We'll wait outside." She escorted Joxer out
of the room.

When Gabrielle was ready, the three of them headed to the cave. At the
entrance, Xena lit a torch she'd brought with her and drew her sword. Gabrielle
took a firmer grip of her staff and Joxer sighed. He hadn't even picked up his
sword before he ran out of the cave earlier.

They walked inside the cave and looked hesitantly around. Xena walked in
front of the others. When they reached the altar, she gasped.

"What is it?" Gabrielle's whisper sounded loud in the eerily quiet temple.

Xena didn't even bother to whisper. "Joxer was right. It is Ares. And he's
unconscious."

"What do we do now?"

"I don't know. The fact that he's here could mean many things. This could be yet
another game he's playing or maybe there's really something happening on
Olympus."

The would-be warrior gestured at the parchment that was next to the Immobile
form of the God. "What about that?"

The warrior princess picked up the scroll from the floor. "Hold the torch,
Gabrielle." She unrolled the parchment and read out loud. " 'The time for the
real God of War to appear has come. To claim the powers of War, the One
must claim the Sword that holds the power. In the Great Temple, in the
presence of the former God, will the final sacrifice be made and the world will
see the true face of War.' "

"What does it mean?" Joxer asked.

"It means that once again we're in trouble."

Ares rolled over and groaned.

"How are you feeling?"

He opened his eyes and tried to sit up, but the room seemed to spin around and
he lay back down. "Where am I?"

"You're at the inn. We found you in your temple and brought you here."

Ares frowned. The voice was familiar. "Xena?"

"The one and only. Would you mind telling me what happened?"

The former God tensed. "What do you mean?"

Xena chuckled. "Don't play coy, Ares. I read the scroll."

"What scroll?"

"The one that explains that you're no longer the God of War."

Ares sighed. Then he sat up, groaning as a piercing pain flashed through His
head. "The Fates took my Sword. They told me that it was someone else's
destiny to be the God. They gave me some instructions and then kicked me out
of Olympus."

Joxer stepped a little closer. "Can we help you somehow?"

Ares' answering glare was poisonous. "Yes. For starters, you can shut up."

The smaller man flinched. Then he saw the way the former God was squeezing
his hands together and sighed. It almost seemed like Ares was... nervous. That
thought made shivers run down Joxer's spine. Seeing a God--even a former
one--worried about something, made him afraid. It also shut him up.

Gabrielle looked at Xena. "We have to find the Sword. Do you think it really is
somewhere in the Great Temple?"

Ares laughed harshly. "I know it's there."

Xena raised an eyebrow.

"Like I said, the Fates gave me some instructions. The Sword's in Sparta."

"We'd better go there and try to fix things somehow." The warrior princess
remembered what had happened the last time the God of War had lost his
Sword.

"So you want to be the new God? 'Xena, the Goddess of War'?"

Xena frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ares looked down into his hands. "The Fates said that someone must claim The
Sword before there have been three full moons. They also said that I have to be
there, but I can't re-claim the powers." He sneered. "And apparently I'm
supposed to travel with you."

The women looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "What will happen if
we're too late?"

"A war in Olympus."

"Then we must leave as soon as possible. It'll take us over two moons to get to
Sparta."

"Xena, wait! How can we be sure he's telling the truth?" The bard eyed the
bearded man suspiciously.

Xena smiled and then swiftly hit the alleged former God in the neck with her
fingers.

Ares' eyes bulged and he began to gasp for breath. He fell to the ground.

The warrior princess watched as his face turned crimson and then hit him again,
allowing the blood to flow into his brain freely. "I think he's telling the truth."

"Of course I am!" Ares coughed. He wanted to jump to his feet and rip his
former protégé's head off, but since he didn't have the strength to move, he
decided against it. And to stay as far away from Xena as he could.

He was already starting to have second thoughts about all this. Maybe it Would
have been easier just to... No! He wasn't a quitter! He couldn't just let himself
be dragged to Tartarus without putting up a fight. Anything was better than that
place. It wasn't the climate or the warlords that worried him. Hades did. The
pompous 'Lord of the Underworld' would spend eons ridiculing him.

Gabrielle saw her lover's expression and sighed. "I'll go and pack."

It soon became clear that the former God wasn't as bad a company as the
warriors had feared. Mostly Ares kept away from the others and when he had
to talk with them, he was as laconic as possible. It was hard to travel with the
person who had caused Xena and Gabrielle so many worries and pain in the
past, but by the time the first full moon had passed, the women began to get
used to having him around. They just left him alone as much as possible.

The only one who didn't seem to mind Ares' presence at all was Joxer. The little
man chatted with him like he did with everyone. At first the former God ignored
him completely, but he soon found out that Joxer's outrageous stories and funny
observations kept his mind distracted from the fact that his life as it had been
was now irrevocably over.

Ares spent most of his time trying not to think about his mortality. His whole
identity had been centered around his godhood. Sometimes he had a fleeting
thought that maybe he was nothing without his powers. That thought was
banished immediately and he tried to keep his mind on the mission, wondering
what would happen at Sparta. To him, that would really be the end. Beyond
that there was just a big, black hole.

The first two weeks had been easy going. The roads were well paved and the
weather had been fine. People in that part of the country were poor but friendly
and there had been no bandits or armies to hinder their journey. There was also
an inn for every night and that was an enormous relief for the women. If they'd
had to spend every single moment in the company of Ares and Joxer, they
would have gone mad.

After they'd traveled for over half a moon, things changed. There were still inns,
but more often they had to camp in the woods for the night. Every once in a
while they'd see burned villages. Ares had to use the sword Xena had bought
him almost every day as they were attacked by small bands of men. At first they
thought that they were ordinary robbers, but soon it became clear that
something big was going on. Some of the attackers wore uniforms and carried
banners of warlords. Some looked like they were just ordinary peasants, but
others were obviously mercenaries. The people who attacked the little group
usually just tried to kill all four of them, but occasionally some of the
mercenaries seemed to recognize Ares. That didn't make them go away, quite
the opposite. The only difference in those fights was that the attackers tried to
take Ares alive.

The friendly people they encountered told them about big armies that were all
trying to annihilate each other while moving towards Sparta. The rumor had
spread that there was some kind of treasure waiting there.

Those rumors didn't exactly improve Ares' state of mind.

Atropos yawned. "This is so boring! The only thing that those two have done in
all this time is talk! The only excitement comes from having to cut more threads
than usual." She fingered her dagger and frowned. "And this needs sharpening."

"Come on, Atro. He did steal Joxer's hat."

"Oh, please," Atropos harrumphed. "Every sane person in Greece would have
done that!"

Clotho was about to start screaming if her sisters didn't stop arguing. "Would
you two please stop that petty bickering! It won't bring those two together.
And we have to make them a couple. If they don't fall for each other, Mom will
be pissed!"

"You're right," Lachesis capitulated. She squinted her eyes and then grinned. "I
think I know a perfect way to drive those two into each others' arms."

"How?"

"We'll have one of Ares' family members join the party."

Atropos frowned. "I wanted to do this without the other Gods!"

"Not Gods. Think, Atro. Who's the perfect relative to drive the ex-God of War
insane enough to consider Joxer as something more than just a diversion from
his worries?"

Xena frowned as she looked at Gabrielle. The bard seemed to be hovering on
the brink of exhaustion. They had been walking since dawn, stopping just once
at noon to grab some lunch. There had been a huge battle a few miles to East,
where the armies of three warlords had tried to butcher each other and the
warrior princess thought it was best to continue to the next town even though it
was already getting dark. It would be safer to stay in an inn.

She laid her hand on her lover's shoulder. "Can you go on? I don't think it's
more than a mile to the town."

"That's good, 'cause my feet are killing me!"

"We'll get a nice warm bath in the inn and I'll rub your feet if you want," Xena
whispered.

Gabrielle's expression brightened. "Really? I'd love to have a foot massage.
Among other things we can do when we have some privacy."

"Those 'other things' sound very good. At first a hot meal, then a hot bath."
Xena leaned closer to the bard. "Then some hot..." She whispered the rest to
her lover's ear and then gently nipped the lobe.

Gabrielle blinked and then sped her pace.

The inn was clean and the food was cheap. The place was almost full, but Ares
and the others were the only warriors there. The innkeeper looked a little
worried as he saw that they all carried weapons, but Xena's assurances that
they were just passing through--and the seven dinars she gave him-- made him
smile and welcome them to his inn.

Gabrielle looked a lot better next morning and even Ares smiled a little as they
continued towards the sea. He'd been so tired last night that even Joxer's
snoring hadn't bothered him and he'd fallen asleep the moment his head had
touched the pillow. It was amazing how quickly he'd gotten used to enjoying
such small pleasures.

They stopped at noon to eat a cold lunch and then continued on.

Gabrielle was the first one to smell the sea. "Xena! Is there something you
haven't told me?" When she saw the apologetic look on her lover's face, she
groaned.

"What's wrong?" Joxer walked closer to the women, wiping his brow with a
scarf. His helmet had mysteriously disappeared a few days after the four of
them had started towards Sparta, leaving his head exposed to the swords of the
bandits and the sun.

The bard sighed. "Nothing's wrong, Joxer. Yet."

A little before sunset they saw a small clearing and Xena guided Argo there.

"We'd better stay here for the night and go to the town early in the morning. It
might not be a good idea to stay in a place like Hitna for the night and we won't
be able to get a ship this late." Xena smiled at Gabrielle, who was looking a little
pale. "You know that we'll never get to Sparta in time if we don't cross the gulf.
I know you'd rather walk a hundred miles, but..."

"I'm all right." The bard hugged her lover.

Joxer looked at the women and then cleared his throat. "I should go and get us
something to eat."

Ares squinted his eyes. "I'll go and pick up some firewood." Ever since the first
time they had camped, he'd done his share of the chores. That was the only way
to 'pay' for the food and other commodities Xena and the others had provided
him, for the Fates had sent him to the mortal world without money. He didn't
like the idea of being taking care of. If he had to travel with Xena and her
friends, he wouldn't tolerate being treated as some kind of a charity case.

Joxer caught some rabbits--with Xena's help. Gabrielle began to rummage
through her herb bag to find proper ingredients for a spicy stew.

They ate in silence. The only sound in the dark night was the singing of a robin.

Xena cocked her head. "Did you hear that?"

"The bird?" Joxer blinked.

"No. Humans. Someone's coming towards our camp."

Gabrielle frowned. "I don't hear anything."

The warrior princess got to her feet. She was just about to draw her sword as
someone ran into the clearing.

Gabrielle grabbed her staff and jumped right behind Xena. Another figure
entered the camp and she turned to face it.

"Wait, Xena. It's me." The first man's voice sounded familiar.

The bard raised her staff and then lowered it again as she recognized the blond
man in front of her. "Iolaus?"

"It's good to see you again, Gabrielle."

Xena laid down her weapon. "Come and join us. We still have some warm stew
left if you're hungry." She gestured towards the pot.

"Thanks. We've been running the whole day and didn't even stop for lunch."
Iolaus squatted in front of the fire and then froze as he recognized the man sitting
next to Joxer. "Herc, look!"

Hercules glared at Ares. "What's he doing here?"

"We're taking him to Sparta."

The demigod shook his head. "So he's a nuisance even as a mortal."

"How did you know about that?"

"Yesterday we ran into a bunch of warriors who were fighting with each other.
After the fight was over, we questioned the sole survivor and found out that
Ares wasn't the God of War anymore. Apparently some kind of a magical scroll
appeared in every Temple of War in Greece, telling the warriors that there's a
vacancy on Olympus."

Ares winced. So much for keeping it a secret.

Xena looked worried. "It could drive every single warlord in Greece into
fighting with each other."

"That's one of the reasons we were on our way to Sparta. The sooner someone
claims the Sword, the better." Iolaus sighed. "And we must make sure that the
new God will be..."

Hercules completed his sentence. "Someone we can trust." He glanced at his
half-brother. "Unlike the former one."

"I thought you never kick a man who's already down." Ares sneered. "Nice to
see I was wrong."

"You won't get any sympathy from me. After all you've done to me and the
people I care for, you got just what you deserved."

Iolaus nodded. "I agree. Let's see how you like being one of the 'insignificant
mortals'."

Ares stared him straight in the face, but didn't say anything. He didn't want to
aggravate the warriors unnecessarily. It was a long way to Sparta.

"You're welcome to travel with us." Xena's words eased the tension a little.
"We'll reach the sea tomorrow and we have to continue by ship. There might be
some pirates and six have better odds against them than four."

Hercules nodded. "Sounds like a plan. It's safer to go together."

Joxer saw Ares grimace. He noticed the way the demigod was glowering at
Ares and sighed.

The following morning dawned with a cold rain shower and the warriors hurried
to Hitna. Hercules and Iolaus went straight to the waterfront to get them a
passage across the gulf.

Xena looked at Ares and decided that it would be a good idea to keep the
half-brothers as far from each other as possible. "It'll take us four days to cross
the gulf. Let's go and buy some food."

Gabrielle nodded grimly.

The ship was small, but neat, and the captain and the crew looked reliable.
After getting Argo safely on board, Xena and the others went below decks to
examine the living quarters. Ares stayed on the deck. There was just one little
cabin for the passengers, but there were enough hammocks for them all.
Gabrielle took one look at the swaying sleeping places and then swallowed
hard.

After spreading a blanket to the floor Xena sat down and patted the place next
to her. The bard lowered herself to the blanket. The warrior princess leaned her
back against the wall. "We should try to rest now. There won't be much time for
us to sit in the next few weeks. "

"I just wish this damn thing wouldn't sway so much." Gabrielle's face was white.
"I hate ships!"

Her lover smiled and pulled her to her arms. "Come here, love. I'll hold you."

The bard looked up and smiled at her. Xena planted a lingering kiss on her lips
and then closed her eyes.

Hercules looked at the two women with his mouth open and then he gestured to
Iolaus and Joxer to follow him back to the deck. He led them to the stern,
completely ignoring his half-brother, who was still standing there.

Iolaus tried to muffle a giggle. He'd rarely seen his friend so shocked.

The demigod grabbed the front of Joxer's tunic into his fist. "What was that all
about?"

"What? You mean Gabby and Xena?" The would-be warrior coughed as
Hercules' grip tightened. "I guess that's what you meant. I was a little amazed
myself when I found out, but I must admit that..."

"Answer me!"

Joxer blinked and then nodded. "Gabrielle told me that after she came back
from the dead, Xena told her how much she loved her. And she told Xena that
she loved her too. Isn't that romantic? Knowing someone for years, loving them
and finally having each other." For some reason he didn't mind the fact that
Gabrielle was taken anymore. His sense of romance had overran his feeling of
disappointment.

Iolaus looked away from his friend. He wasn't certain he could maintain a
cheerful expression after Joxer's sentence. Not, when the would-be warrior had
voiced his fondest dream. Loving his friend, knowing him for decades, dreaming
of the impossible. He was glad that the women had found each other but at the
same time he was burning with envy.

"Aren't you happy for them? Do you think they shouldn't be together?" Joxer
frowned as he tried to understand why the warriors were looking so
uncomfortable. Were they jealous or something?

"Oh, please!" Hercules looked annoyed. "Of course I'm happy for them! They
both deserve some happiness. I was just a little surprised!"

Iolaus just nodded.

The sea was relatively calm the next day and Gabrielle spent most of her time
on the deck, watching the waves while throwing up. Xena tried to make her feel
better by rubbing her back and singing to her quietly. Unfortunately it didn't
work. She even tried to use the wrist-pinching method, but after Gabrielle saw
Joxer munching on a piece of squid, she decided that sea sickness wasn't all that
bad after all.

A little after noon, one of the sailors yelled and pointed to the West. Hercules
came running to the place the women were standing as soon as he saw the ship
that was getting closer to theirs. "Pirates."

Joxer was just coming up from the below decks. He glanced at the five warriors
standing by the railing and then walked closer to them. He saw the worried
looks on their faces and inched closer to Ares. He thought that if there was
going to be a fight, he might watch the former God's back, just like Gabrielle
and Iolaus did for their heroes.

The other ship was closing in on them and Xena's eyes widened as she saw the
tall, bald man standing at the bow. "Polypos!"

"What? I thought he died a few moons ago in that big storm." Hercules tensed.
"But he's not just a pirate and there aren't enough ships passing through here for
a pirate to make a living. I guess he's heading to Sparta too."

"Ho there! Xena? Is that you?" The arrogant-looking man on the pirate ship
howled.

The warrior princess looked resigned. "Yes, Polypos. It's me."

"My oh my. Could that be Hercules and his sidekick, Idiotus standing next to
you?"

Iolaus didn't even bother to answer his puerile insult.

"And look! It's the former God of War. How nice that you're taking care of
him now that he has no powers. Tell me, Ares, how does it feel to be weak and
humiliated? It must be so frightening in this big world without your big Sword."

Joxer saw Ares' knuckles go white, but the man showed no other signs of how
much Polypos' words had stung. The former God smiled a little. "You tell me.
After all, you've been weak and pitiful for all your life. Surely you must know by
now how it feels." He cocked his head. "Now what was I thinking? Sorry, I
forgot that it took you two years to learn how to tie your own sandals.
Emotional processing must be quite beyond your capabilities."

Polypos' face was livid as he motioned with his hand. The pirate ship began to
move farther off. He obviously didn't know how to answer Ares' comment
verbally or maybe he just didn't understand it. His ship was bigger than the one
Ares and the others were sailing on and soon it was far ahead of them.

Xena sighed. "That wasn't very wise, Ares. You know what Polypos is like.
He'll make you pay for what you said."

"He can always try."

Hercules glowered at his half-brother and then turned to Xena. "Will he try to
attack us?"

"No. He knows that Ares is needed in the temple. My guess is he'll do
something to delay us, just to annoy us."

She'd just finished the sentence, when Polypos proved her right. A dozen
burning arrows flew across the air and soon the big sail of the ship was on fire.
Hercules and Xena moved at the same time. The others watched as they first
cut off all the ropes that went from the mast to the sides and then cut off the
mast itself. The captain of the ship cursed as the burning piece of wood hit the
water.

"Now what do we do?" Joxer asked.

Hercules looked around and sighed. "Now we'll row. Thank Gods this is one of
these modern ships with both sails and oars."

It took them seven days to reach the shore. There had been a storm two days
after Polypos had burned their sail and it had been hard to row after that. Half
of the oars had been cut as the huge waves had hit the little ship.

Joxer was the first one to land his feet on the beach. He scurried around for a
few seconds and then fell right on his face. The others moved more cautiously
as they noticed that the fact that the land didn't sway made them queasy.

Gabrielle was rolling around in the soft sand, kissing the ground all the while.
Finally she got up, spat the sand out of her mouth and glared at Xena. "Next
time, I'll swim."

"It's all right. It's all dry land from here to Sparta." Xena hugged her tight.

Hercules looked at Iolaus, who was trying to stay on his feet, even though it
seemed like the ground was pulling him down. He wrapped his arm around his
friend and grinned. "Hold onto me, Iolaus. The spinning will stop soon." He ran
his palm up and down the smaller man's spine.

The blond warrior shivered and then took a few deep breaths. "I'm all right,
Herc. You can let go now." He removed the hand from his waist. Iolaus looked
down and staggered away from his friend.

"Good. Now let's go. We still have a long way to go."

Xena went to help the sailors with Argo and when the all their belongings were
packed on his back, they continued their journey.

While they'd been crossing the gulf, they had all been too busy to talk about
anything, but now that they were on the road again, the warriors spent most of
the evenings sitting by a fire, talking about everything that had happened since
they had last seen each other.

Hercules told them all about Alcmene's death and the things that had happened
while he'd been on Olympus with his father.

Now that it was all over, Gabrielle rather enjoyed telling the story of her death
and recovery. Xena continued by telling Hercules and Iolaus how she'd treated
her friend like a delicate vase for days after her return, finally annoying the bard
so much with all the pampering that they'd had a big fight. The argument had
ended when Gabrielle had yelled to Xena that she was fine and that she didn't
understand why the warrior princess was acting like a mother hen.

They'd both been astonished when Xena had yelled back that she loved
Gabrielle more than life and she'd rather die than lose her again. At that point of
the story Xena's voice broke and she grabbed her lover into a tight embrace.
Hercules smiled as the two women kissed. No one noticed the pained look on
Iolaus' face.

Not all the stories were that emotional. The warriors talked about old friends
and relatives and then reminisced some of their adventures together. Those tales
were entertaining, but they also excluded Ares and Joxer. If either of them was
mentioned, it was rarely in a positive way. Ares had been a prominent figure in
everyone's life, but his presence was never welcomed. Joxer wasn't really sure,
but it seemed like the other warriors didn't see their old adventures quite the
way he did. It was almost like they found him amusing somehow.

Maybe the feeling of being outsiders was one of the reasons why the two men
began to spend even more time together. The younger man never failed to cheer
the former God up, but surprisingly he also knew when Ares wasn't in the mood
for his presence. Ares on the other hand seemed to be improving his patience
and treated the little man almost like a person. He didn't bother to get annoyed
by Joxer anymore. It was useless anyway. Nothing he did or said made the
would-be warrior go away. And the truth to be told, he didn't even try very
hard to drive Joxer away. Now that he was getting to know the man better, he
seemed to be tolerable traveling company.

Hercules and Iolaus did nothing to hide their feelings towards the man who had
tormented them in the past. The demigod addressed his half-brother only when
he had to, keeping the contact as brief as possible. The women seemed to
realize what was going on and they kept their friends busy.

But it wasn't always possible to work as a buffer between Hercules, Iolaus and
Ares. That was the occasion one night, about a week after they had begun to
travel all together.

Xena and Gabrielle went to take care of Argo, while the men built a fire.
Hercules and Iolaus had been amazed when theyy'd seen that Ares didn't just
wait to be served, but he really worked for his food. Hercules couldn't believe
that the former God wasn't working on some scheme while acting like a 'helpful
mortal', but neither he nor Iolaus made any comments when Ares dropped an
armful of wood near the fire.

"I've always wondered why you two don't have a horse," the former God
mused, startling even himself by actually saying it out loud. "Or two. It would be
tiresome for the mount to carry two big men. Not to mention how awkward it
would be."

Iolaus' eyes were hard. "I don't think that's any of your business."

"I was just trying to make conversation. No offence intended," Ares shrugged.
'What did he think I meant?'

"Ha!"

Hercules laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Ignore him. He's not worth it."

The former God flinched. That sounded too much like what he sometimes
thought about when he couldn't sleep. He tried to keep the fear out of his mind,
but it all came flooding back to him. 'If I'm not a God, who am I? Am I
anything? How will I survive without my powers? By leaning on others? No
way. I'd rather die.'

"Would you like to come and help me catch some fish? I love fishing, but I don't
like doing it alone." Joxer wanted to give the man a chance of getting away from
the others without losing his dignity.

Ares understood immediately what the smaller man really meant. He saw the
enthusiastic look on Joxer's face and realized that basically the offer was
genuine, not just made out of pity. Surprisingly he didn't feel patronized, and he
nodded. "If you wish." The two of them headed towards a near-by stream. 'At
least if I learn how to catch fish, I'll be able to feed myself. Hunting isn't all that
easy as a mortal. I bet fishing isn't either.'

Joxer looked at the man beside him and cleared his throat. "I don't have any
fishing poles so we have to use our hands. It'll get us wet, but if this place is as
good as it looks like, we'll get plenty of fish."

"All right. Show me how it's done." 'What is it with these people and fish? This
does not bring up good memories!'

The younger man pulled his boots off and quietly waded into the stream. He
waved at Ares. Then something caught his attention. An eel. He crouched and
followed a long, shadowy figure with his eyes. As the eel approached him, he
lunged forward and grabbed the fish, splashing water all around him.

The corner of Ares' mouth twitched as the young man squealed with delight and
then tried to keep a hold on to the slimy eel. He watched Joxer wrestle with the
snake-like fish and finally ended up helping him carry the catch to the bank. The
two men looked at each other over the still moving fish and then the little warrior
burst into laughter.

"Let's get this fish ready," Joxer grinned.

"Ready for what?"

Joxer howled with laughter. Ares thought about what he had just said and then
chuckled too. "You'd better not be laughing at me!" 'Or I'll throw you with your
catch!'

"Of course not!" Joxer tried to sober up and then saw the amused glint in the
other man's eyes. He snorted and then giggled. "All right! Maybe I did laugh at
you. But just a little!" He couldn't help remembering the way Xena had once
used a cart full of fish as a weapon.

The former God tried to scowl at the man, but failed miserably. "That means
that you get the honor of getting the fish ready." He closed his eyes and
managed to say with perfectly calm voice. "Ready for anything."

"All right. You get us another one." Joxer pulled a small knife from under his belt
and began to cut the eel. He was quite adept at skinning it, considering that his
whole body shook with laughter at the same time.

To his surprise, Ares enjoyed fishing enormously. It was quite exhilarating to
follow the fish silently with his eyes and then carefully sneak his hand near it. In
about an hour he had caught half a dozen fish. The would-be warrior cleaned
them as he threw them to the bank one by one.

When the two men returned to the camp, it was time to make dinner and Joxer
quickly fried the fish. Ares' good mood evaporated under Hercules' hard gaze
and he spent the rest of the evening brooding.

Joxer looked at the two men and sighed. He hoped that the rest of the trip
wouldn't be as gloomy as the dinner was. He had really enjoyed spending time
with Ares and had been disappointed when good humored fisher had
disappeared the second they'd returned to the camp. He'd always dreamed of
being able to spend some time with the God of War. And even though
technically Ares wasn't that anymore, the little warrior had been overjoyed of
their fishing-trip.

To Joxer, the Sword had never meant War. How could a man worship an
object anyway? To him War had always been the man sitting a few paces away
from him. And he had the feeling that that wouldn't change even if the owner of
the Sword did. And he didn't hate War. Quite the opposite.

The would-be warrior yawned and decided to go to sleep. Going through
philosophical things was extremely tiresome. It made his head ache. And he
knew that if he wanted to think about Ares, he could do it in his sleep. As
always.

The next morning's bad weather didn't brighten Ares' mood. The wind was
blowing dust and leaves into the warriors' faces and it was almost impossible to
see more then a few paces in front of them. They saw a small cave nearby and
waited there for the worst of the storm to pass. After an early lunch they
continued their journey.

A few hours after noon, Xena suddenly stopped and cocked her head.
"Someone's coming this way."

"I hear them too," Hercules frowned. "About ten men, all... Look out!"

A few arrows flew towards them. Joxer hid behind a tree. Xena and Hercules
covered their sidekicks' bodies with their own. It was a good thing that the
attackers weren't very good at aiming and all the arrows missed their targets.
The warriors got to their feet just in time to see a group of mercenaries running
towards them. Xena's war cry echoed in the forest as she threw her chakram
and made the first two mercenaries dive to the ground. Unfortunately the
chakram hit a tree and Xena had to draw her sword.

The fight was ugly. Ares and the others were outnumbered almost two to one
and the mercenaries really knew how to fight.

Most of the attackers seemed to remember that Ares was needed alive. Two of
them however seemed to be too far gone in the bloodlust and came charging at
the former God.

Ares might not be a God of War anymore, but he still knew how to fight. He
simply stepped back as the first man swung a battle-ax at him and then shoved
his sword into the mercenary's stomach. The other attacker was right behind the
first one and Ares knew he was too close to the dead body to have a proper
space to fend off the second mercenary.

He jumped to the side and then howled with dismay as his foot caught a fallen
branch and he fell on his face.

Ares heard a shrill war-cry and grimaced, waiting for the sword to pierce his
back He was amazed when he didn't feel the blade hit him, and as he raised his
gaze from the ground, he saw his opponent just starting towards him.

The former God jumped to his feet and with a fast lunge forward, killed the
warrior who had tried to kill him. He turned to Joxer and saw the would-be
you stand the sight of blood?"

"Not when it's my own," Joxer mumbled and then fell on his knees.

Ares saw blood flowing from under the man's fingers and cursed. "How did you
manage to get hurt?" 'Stumbled into his own sword, most probably.'

"I couldn't let him kill you." The words were spoken through clenched teeth. "I
had to delay him somehow, and tried to take him on my own. Unfortunately he
was a little better with the sword than I am."

'He risked his life for me? Why?' The former God felt an annoying pang of guilt
as he realized that if the situation were reversed, he probably wouldn't have
jumped between Joxer and the sword. He pried the younger man's hands off
the wound and examined it. "It's not fatal. Sit down, I'll see to it that you're not
in danger and when the fight is over, I'll tie that up."

Joxer nodded and shifted his position so that he sat down on the ground. Ares
scanned the area and saw that the others had taken care of most of the thugs
and were currently getting rid of the last few. His help wasn't needed. He
walked to Argo and grabbed Gabrielle's medical pouch.

Ares returned to Joxer and helped him to remove his shirt. He pulled bandages
out of the pouch and, after wiping the wound with a rag on which he had
poured some wine, he began to tie it. He saw the young man grimace with pain
and decided to distract him from what he was doing by asking some questions.
"Why did you risk your life to save mine? Because I'm needed in the temple
when one of them claims the Sword?"

Joxer looked a little embarrassed and mumbled something.

Ares frowned. "What?"

"I said that I couldn't let a friend of mine die." He saw the astonished look on
Ares' face and hurried to continue. "I mean that I consider you as a friend. You
don't have to like me or anything."

The former God didn't know what to say. People had always hated him,
worshipped him or feared him. It was the first time anyone, God or mortal, had
ever called him a friend. He continued wrapping the bandage around the
younger man's chest and then tied a knot to it, so it wouldn't slip. 'I didn't spend
decades on battlefields for nothing. At least I can do this for my... companion,'
He refused to think about the fact that he had almost called the little warrior
'friend'.

Joxer waited for Ares to answer him and then sighed. "I'm sorry if I said
something stupid."

"You didn't. I was just thinking how I could thank you."

The little warrior's smile was beatific. "You don't have to thank me."

Ares shook his head. "I owe you my life. I can never thank you enough for
that." He shivered when he realized that if Joxer hadn't intervened, he'd be in
Charon's little boat at the moment, heading towards eternal stay in Tartarus. "If
there's ever anything I can do for you, just let me know." He didn't know what
prompted him to say that, but he meant every word.

Joxer's eyes widened. "I think I'm going to..."

Ares caught the young man as he fainted.

"What are you doing?"

Gabrielle's angry words made the former God spin around and drop Joxer to
the ground. "Nothing."

"Don't lie to me. What did you do to Joxer?"

The others came closer to the arguing couple. Apparently Joxer was the only
one who'd been seriously injured, even though there was a small trail of blood
on Iolaus' upper arm. Hercules' eyes were cold as he looked at his half-brother.
"What's going on here?"

"He did something to Joxer!" Gabrielle snarled.

Ares sneered. "What was I supposed to do? Let him bleed to death?"

Xena walked to the unconscious man and knelt beside him. "He was wounded
and you helped him?" Her voice betrayed her astonishment.

"So what?"

She shook her head. "Who would have thought? Hercules! Help me carry him
to Argo. We need to get away from here."

The demigod eyed Ares suspiciously and then nodded. He stepped closer to
Joxer and tensed. He stared at the two dead mercenaries and then turned back
to Ares. The look he threw at the former God was full of contempt. "You never
change, do you?"

Ares smiled a little, not bothering to answer. He was so used to hearing his
half-brother's sanctimonious rubbish, it didn't affect him in any way. A few
moments later Hercules just lifted Joxer up and carried him to the horse.

They camped early that evening. Joxer had regained consciousness and he was
now lying next to a little fire, wrapped in a blanket. He'd been unusually quiet all
evening, jumping every time he heard a loud noise. Xena had examined his
wound and had reluctantly announced that thanks to the bandage, it had
stopped bleeding and it looked like it would heal without leaving a big scar.

Ares didn't even bother to look smug. He just laid his blanket as far from
Hercules as possible and then ate his supper in silence.

After eating the warriors took care of their weapons and Argo.

Xena put out their small fire and then wrapped her arms around Gabrielle. The
blonde nuzzled closer to her and sighed. "Good night, Xena."

"Good night." She kissed her on the forehead and then closed her eyes.

Hercules looked like he wanted to say something, but then he just wrapped his
blanket around himself and lay down. Iolaus followed his example.

Ares lay on his back and watched the stars shining above. They seemed
different through mortal's eyes. Before he'd been able to see their relative
distances, but now they looked like they were all just little pins attached to the
curtain of the night.It wasn't actually all that unattractive.

He smiled. Apparently there was more to being a mortal than he had thought.
He rolled to his side and then heard a half-muffled whimper coming from the
man lying closest to him. He sat up and addressed Joxer, "Are you in pain?"

"No," The smaller man whispered.

The former God shrugged and then lay down again. Maybe he could get some
sleep now.

For a while the only sound in the clearing was the deep, even breathing of
sleeping people. Then Joxer whimpered again.

Ares opened his eyes and saw that the little warrior was trembling. "What's the
matter with you now?" Even though he was really beginning to like the man, it
annoyed him that he couldn't be quiet when he was trying to get some sleep.

Joxer's shivering intensified.

"Joxer?" The former God cursed and crawled closer to the young man. "Are
you all right?"

The warrior tried to say something, but instead of words, the only noise he
managed to produce was a strangled sob. His whole body shook with it.

Ares sighed and then hugged the young man. Joxer clung to him and began to
cry. The bigger man was surprised when he began to gently rock the little
warrior and murmur calming words. Joxer trembled in his arms and he squeezed
the man tighter, trying to convey by mere touch that everything was all right. He
wasn't all that surprised that the little warrior was reacting like this. He knew for
a fact that Joxer had never killed anyone and the way his life had been
threatened earlier must have shocked him. But then again, even some of the
most fearsome warriors cried sometimes after a battle, too.

He didn't even know when his own tears began to fall. He'd been in control of
his emotions ever since he'd been kicked out of Olympus, but now he couldn't
keep all the hurt and feelings of humiliation inside anymore. The last weeks had
been the worst of Ares' life. At least last time his Sword had disappeared, there
had always been hope that he'd get it back. Now there was no hope at all. He'd
tried so hard to act like he was over losing his powers, keeping a calm and
cynical facade. And now that facade was crumbling. He cried silently, muffling
all possible sound into the young man's soft hair.

He felt Joxer's shaking subside and raised one hand to his own face to wipe
away the evidence of crying. The young man didn't look up, though, and soon
Ares heard him begin to snore. He held Joxer for a moment longer, enjoying
how he felt in his arms. It had been so long since he'd held a warm body close
to his. He'd been so upset by his mortality, that he hadn't really thought about
physical pleasure since he'd lost his powers. And even though there was nothing
sexual in their embrace, it made the former God feel very good.

Joxer seemed to like being held too and burrowed closer to Ares. The former
God stroked Joxer's back gently, making the man mumble something in his
sleep. He smiled sadly and then laid the man down. He covered the slender
form with a blanket and then went back to his own sleeping place.

It took him a long time to fall asleep. He kept thinking of what had happened,
completely stunned by his own reactions. Usually he abhorred weakness and
ridiculed it. The people who openly displayed their vulnerabilities disgusted him.
The frail ones were just to be hunted by the strong. But Joxer didn't disgust him,
quite the opposite. Somehow he felt honored to have the younger man trust him
and let him witness the outlet of his emotions. The little warrior had needed him.
Not as Ares, the God, but as a man, who could hold him and comfort him. And
who could be held and comforted in return, even though Joxer probably hadn't
even noticed his grief. It made Ares feel odd. Not superior or inferior, but
equal. For some strange reason that didn't bother him. At all.

Ares drifted into the arms of Morpheus with a little smile on his lips.

Because of Joxer's wound, the warriors took the next couple of days easy.
When it became obvious that the young man was healing, and the cut wasn't
festering, they continued their journey just like before.

Joxer and Ares never talked about what had happened that night. It wasn't
really embarrassing, just a little awkward. It was easier just to act like nothing
had happened. But they both knew that something had changed between them.
Joxer continued being friendly towards Ares and the former God tolerated it,
but now it was more than just two people spending time together because they
didn't have anything better to do. They were both beginning to each take the
other one's presence for granted, walking automatically with each other, hunting
or fishing together every time they had a chance.

The others didn't pay any attention to them. They couldn't use the roads
anymore, because there were so many soldiers patrolling for them and it was
hard to scramble through the forest, following small paths. The way Ares spent
his time wasn't very high on the warriors' list of interest. They had other things to
worry about. As long as the former God didn't cause any trouble, everything
was fine.

They hadn't encountered any other warriors all afternoon and when they
camped a few miles from a big lake, Hercules thought it was safe to build a fire.

"It'll take us about a week to reach Sparta. I hope there'll be people still alive
there when we get there. Some of the armies have probably already gotten
there, and if they decide to fight in the city, innocent bystanders will be in
danger."

Iolaus frowned. "What about the temple? Maybe someone has already taken
the Sword."

"Impossible." Ares shook his head. "The Fates said that it can't be claimed if I'm
not present." He waited for a nasty remark about him being useful for something
and was a little amazed when he didn't hear one.

Hercules just nodded. "Good."

There was an uncomfortable silence and then Iolaus cleared his throat. "So, we
haven't really talked about what will happen when we do reach Sparta. Which
one of us will try to claim the Sword?"

Gabrielle looked startled. "I always thought that Hercules..."

"I will, if that's the only way to stop the Sword from falling into some warlord's
hands. But I don't really wish to become a God again." Hercules turned to
Xena. "What about you?"

The warrior princess looked at her hands. "I'm not sure."

"Maybe you should think about it."

"I have."

Joxer looked at Ares. The former God was busying himself with cleaning his
sword. Apparently he didn't want to upset the other warriors by interfering in
their conversation. Actually it looked like Ares was trying very hard not to even
listen to the others. The smaller man leaned closer to him and whispered, "I'll go
and check Argo. Would you help me, please?"

Ares nodded. He really didn't want to sit there and listen to the others haggle
over the thing that meant to him more than anything in the world. "That's a good
idea. I should get us some more firewood too."

The two men got up and quietly walked away from the others.

Gabrielle looked at her lover. "Will you try to claim the Sword or not?" The
whole idea made her cold.

Xena sighed. "I don't know. I don't think I could handle that kind of power. I
know all too well how strong my dark side is."

"But what if you have no choice? What if Hercules gets hurt, or there's a delay
and you're the only one of us that'll be there in time?" The bard's voice was
hoarse with unshed tears.

"If it comes to that, I will try to claim the Sword."

Gabrielle sobbed and Xena wrapped her arms around her. "It's all right, love.
Nothing will ever come between us, I'll love you no matter what. Becoming a
God wouldn't change anything." They both knew she was lying.

Xena looked pointedly at the men and sighed as they got up and walked to the
edge of the clearing.

Iolaus leaned against a tree. "I hate this mission."

"I know. I'm not overly thrilled by it either."

"I wish we'd never heard of this thing. I wish we could just turn around and
walk away."

"What's the matter with you? Do you want us to quit?" Hercules' voice was full
of dismay. "And let some warlord become the God of War?"

The warrior shook his head. "It's not that."

"Then what's this all about?"

"If Xena becomes the new God of War, she'll be immortal. Do you know how
Gabrielle would feel?"

Hercules shook his head.

Iolaus smiled sadly. "I do. She'd feel herself about two feet tall. To love a God
means that you'll always be inferior, dependant on your lover. Wondering how
long it takes until the man you love with all your mortal soul gets bored with you
and finds someone else."

"It would be better than to live in fear for yours and your loved one's life. Do
you really think you want to live in a world where War is controlled by someone
like Draco or Zagreus?"

"No." The blond man's voice was small. "I'm sorry, Herc."

The demigod grinned. "There's no need to be sorry, Iolaus. We're all tired and
that makes us edgy." He patted the smaller man on the shoulder and moved as if
to turn back towards the fire. Then he stopped. "Who were you talking about?"

Iolaus shook his head. "What? When?"

"Just a minute ago. You said something about 'a man you love with all your
soul'. Obviously you weren't talking about Gabrielle."

"No, I wasn't." He was so tired with all the hiding, all the lying. "I was talking
about myself."

Hercules looked at him straight in the eyes and then sighed. "I'm sorry."

"For what? You're not responsible for how I feel."

"But..." Hercules averted his eyes. "I guess I just thought ... Forget it." The
demigod didn't think he should say it. He was probably wrong anyway.

Iolaus looked baffled. "You thought what?"

"This sounds really egoistic, but... I thought you were talking about me."

The warrior's mouth fell open. "What?" Then he began to laugh.

Hercules blushed. "I know it sounds silly. I just thought..."

Iolaus was gasping for breath. "Who do you think I meant? Autolycus?
Iphicles? Joxer? Of course I was talking about you, you idiot!"

"I was right and you call me an idiot?" Then the demigod blinked. "You really
love me?"

"I've loved you for years, Hercules. I know exactly how Gabrielle will feel if
Xena become a Goddess. I just have to remember what happened a few
moons ago."

Hercules' eyes were full of pain. "What do we do now?"

"Nothing. Nothing's changed."

"You're wrong, Iolaus. Everything has changed now."

"What do you mean?" Iolaus asked with a small voice.

"I know now that I don't have to suppress the urge to hold you close and tell
you how much you mean to me. It's been pure Tartarus since I realized that I
don't just love you as a friend or a brother."

The blond warrior's eyes widened as Hercules stepped closer to him and pulled
him into his arms.

Iolaus closed his eyes as he felt his friend's lips on his. Hercules' tongue brushed
his lips and he opened his mouth to let it in. He reveled in the taste of the tongue
moving inside his mouth, exploring, tasting. He pulled back for a second to get a
breath of air and then latched onto Hercules' mouth again. This time it was his
turn to do the exploring.

Hercules' hands roamed on the blond man's back and then slid under Iolaus'
vest. The feel of the bare skin made him moan.

The sound made Iolaus push himself away from the demigod. "No! I can't do
this."

"Iolaus..."

"Don't! I can't do this now. In a few days you'll probably be a God again. I
can't stand having you for a short while and then losing you. I can't spend the
rest of my life grieving for what we had and then lost." Iolaus ran into the forest.

Hercules slammed his fist into a tree. The pain in his hand didn't diminish the
pain inside, but it gave him a point he could focus at. And he had to concentrate
on something else than the horrid empty void where his heart used to be. He'd
loved and lost before, but not this way. Iolaus was the only constant thing in his
life. They'd always been together, through good things and bad. Now when
they'd finally told each other about their feelings, the idiotic quest was keeping
them apart. Tearing them apart.

"Hercules?"

He spun around to see Joxer standing next to him. "What?"

"I was just wondering if it's all right to go back to the camp? I saw Xena and
Gabrielle... kissing and I thought to ask you before I..." The smaller man looked
a little embarrassed. Actually what the women were doing went far beyond
'kissing', but Joxer thought he'd spare the demigod from the details.

"I think we should give them some privacy."

Ares appeared from the shadows with an armload of firewood. He saw the two
men standing close to the edge of the clearing and frowned. "Is something
wrong?"

"No. Hercules just thinks that we shouldn't disturb the ladies."

"Ah." Ares glanced at his half-brother. "Where's Iolaus?"

"He had... something to do." Hercules winced at the weak tone of his voice. He
wished that the others wouldn't notice.

Joxer stepped closer to him. "Are you..."

"I think we should all get some more wood. It's damn cold out here." The
former God looked a little grumpy.

Hercules nodded and then bent down to pick up a twig. Ares walked back to
the horse and muttered so quietly no one heard him, "A perfect opportunity to
get even and I helped him get off the hook. I must be losing my mind!" He
shook his head. 'It has to be this mortal body I'm in. Weak body brings out
hidden weaknesses.' He didn't want to think about the fact that if he'd annoyed
his half-brother, Hercules would have probably squashed him into a small, wet
stain on the ground. Ares wasn't a fool. He knew when it was prudent to retreat
with dignity. To fight another day.

The warriors spent the next few days avoiding the groups of mercenaries that
also seemed to be heading towards Sparta. A day before they reached the city
themselves, they encountered a huge army that was waiting for something. They
waited in the woods for about half an hour to see why the soldiers just stood
there. When a small band of mercenaries arrived, they got their answer. The
soldiers attacked the mercenaries immediately and made sure that none of them
survived. The bodies were dragged to the forest and then the soldiers resumed
their waiting.

Hercules looked disgusted. He fingered the hilt of the sword Xena had forced
him to carry. "I hate this!"

"I know. But think about it this way. When the warlords are busy fighting each
other, they're not hurting any innocent people." The warrior princess tried to
cheer him up without much success.

They quietly left the disgusting scene behind.

They camped after dark. It was a bit cold, but they didn't dare to make a fire.
They quietly prepared a cold dinner and then sat on their blankets.

Hercules sighed. "I wonder how many of the warlords will ever get to the
temple. All this killing..."

"I heard that over thirty armies were set to get the Sword. Now there are only
about ten left." Xena looked grim.

Ares was shaking his head.

"What?"

"To think that I missed one of the biggest campaigns of this century."

Iolaus looked shocked. "You really are disgusting."

The former God smiled sadly. "I am what I am. Or what I was, actually. It
would take more than just a mortal's lifetime to change me." 'Even if I wanted
to. And I don't.'

"You could do it. I did."

Ares looked at Xena and snorted. "You have no idea of what you're talking
about. You spent less than a decade doing what I did for millennia. I was war.
It's not just what I did, it's who I was." He knew that the others would never
understand what he was trying to say. They saw War as mindless killing.
Burned villages, rotting bodies. And he couldn't deny that it was a big part of
what his former job had been. A rather enjoyable part too. But War was also
about courage and hope. Letting people find things in their lives that were worth
defending, worth dying for. Without War, life would become boring, stagnant.
And change, the very essence of life, would be missing. Without some
organized chaos, all progress would cease.

"You mean that if you could claim your sword back, you'd be just like before?"
The warrior princess couldn't believe her ears.

Joxer bit his lip to keep from coming to defend his friend. He thought Ares
wouldn't want a two-bit warrior helping him.

"Yes. Nothing's changed." 'Except that I now someone calls me a friend. But
that's just one man. Well, maybe I would leave Joxer alone. What's the point in
tormenting him anyway?'

Hercules stared at his half- brother for a while and then sighed. "I don't think we
need to talk about this anymore. Let's just finish our job and then part as...
civilized people." He could never forget that Ares had been a major player in
the game that had caused Serena to... No, he wouldn't think about that or he'd
probably slug the former God. He'd just tolerate his presence for one more day
and then walk away.

Ares nodded.

The demigod swallowed. "We'll have a new God of War tomorrow."

Iolaus and Gabrielle flinched.

"It could be one of us, but it could as well be someone else. I'm sure that the
Fates won't just give the Sword to the first person who reaches the temple."

Xena looked worried. "There might be some kind of a challenge or some tests."

Ares nodded. "That sounds right. And there will probably be a very high price
to pay if you fail."

"So have you decided which of you'll try to claim the Sword?" Joxer felt he had
to ask.

Xena shook her head. "No."

Hercules frowned. "I thought..."

"You have as much to lose as I do." The warrior princess smiled sadly at Iolaus.
Even though she spent every waking hour with her lover, it didn't mean that she
hadn't noticed what was going on with her friends. "Whoever gets the Sword,
two hearts will be broken."

"But we aren't..."

"You may not be lovers, but that doesn't mean that you don't love each other.
Don't fool yourselves by pretending that tomorrow will be any easier for you
two than it is for Gabrielle and me."

Hercules nodded. "I know."

Iolaus didn't say anything. He just turned and embraced his friend. When he felt
the demigod close his arms around him, he brushed his lips against Hercules'.

"Iolaus?"

"She's right. Whatever we do, or don't do, won't change the way I feel
tomorrow. But I know how I want to feel tonight." He raised his hand to
Hercules' face. "I want to feel loved. Cherished."

Joxer saw the hungry look on the demigod's face and turned away. He noticed
that the women were looking at each other the same way and he whispered to
Ares. "I think it would be best if we moved our blankets to the forest."

The former God winced as his half-brother groaned and began to kiss Iolaus
like his life depended on it. He nodded at Joxer, grabbed his blankets and
followed the smaller man to the woods. He really didn't want to see one of his
most annoying relatives doing the face to face version of the horizontal zorbas
with Iolaus.

They found a small, but comfortable treeless area not too far from the camp and
laid the blankets on the ground.

Joxer sat down and sighed. "I wish they had more time."

"What do you mean?" 'They really don't know much about being a God. Sure,
there are rules that forbid making a mortal lover immortal. So what? Rules are
made to be broken.'

"Love, Ares. They have found true love. Something that is very rare in the
world." He lowered his gaze to the ground. "I'm a little envious."

"Because Gabrielle loves Xena instead of you?" For some reason Ares didn't
like the sound of that.

"No. I never really loved her. It was just..."

Ares smiled. "You had a crush on her."

"Yes." Joxer nodded.

"Then what is it you envy?"

"The love they have. The one thing I've always wanted -- besides being a great
warrior, of course -- is to find someone to love."

The former God looked surprised. "Then why did you always direct all your
prayers to me? Wouldn't 'Dite have been a better choice?"

"I never even thought about it." Joxer looked thoughtful and then shook his
head. "No. It would be cheating."

"What do you mean?"

"Praying to a God just to get something. It doesn't sound right. People should
worship the Gods because they..." He realized what he was about to say and
clamped his mouth shut. The other man had taken his declaration of friendship
very well, but somehow he doubted that he'd be as understanding if he used the
word 'love'.

Ares frowned. "What?"

"Nothing." Joxer faked a yawn. "I'm exhausted. I think I'd better get some sleep
now." He lay down with his back at Ares.

The former God decided it would be best to leave his fr...Joxer alone. He didn't
obviously want to talk any more about love and Ares understood him well.
What in Tartarus would a former God of War know about love? Or about
friendship for that matter? 'But that's just it. I'm not a God anymore. Some day I
might want to have someone to love.' The thought didn't make him feel any
better. The only mortal -- the only one -- he'd ever really genuinely liked was
Joxer. The others seemed to irritate him constantly. Or they wanted something
from him. Power or glory. The only thing Joxer seemed to want was his
company, his friendship.

One man out of tens of thousands he'd known. And tomorrow they'd most
probably go their separate ways.

Perhaps it was his fate to live alone.

"Poor, poor Ares," Lachesis sniffed. "That's so...."

"Pathetic!"

"It's not pathetic, Atro! It's romantic!"

Atropos sighed. "Let me see if I understand correctly. Joxer's always loved him,
and has spent most of the last two moons glued to his side, cheering him up and
mooning over him. Now he's having warm feelings towards Joxer, but doesn't
even consider the fact that it could be love. Our little warrior's all but screamed
his feelings out loud and Ares still thinks that all he wants is friendship. I'm sorry,
sisters, but I'd call that pathetic."

"Pathetic, romantic, who cares? The point is that if they don't find true love, their
threads can't be united! I don't even want to imagine what'll happen to the
tapestry then. Do you want to go to Mother and tell her that we failed?" Clotho
smiled as Atropos shook her head. "Good. I think it's time we showed Ares just
what exactly he's missing."

"How?"

Clotho bit her lip. "I'm not sure. We can't just go there and tell him that his fate
is actually to fall in love with that little warrior. You know what he'd do if he
heard that."

"You're right. So we have to have a plan."

Something woke Ares in the middle of the night. He looked around and then
sighed when he didn't see anyone. He sat up and reached for his sword just in
case, then, remembering that he'd left it in the camp, he cursed under his breath.
He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been, leaving his sword out of reach. If
someone had attacked them, he wouldn't have been able to defend Joxer. He
rolled his eyes and quietly got to his feet.

He sneaked towards the main camp. A few steps from the clearing he froze.
'That's ridiculous! They're still at it?'

"Of course they are. This may be the only time they have."

Ares jumped around and glowered at the three women standing right behind
him. "Shush!"

"Oh, they won't hear us." Clotho waved her hand. "It would be rude to interrupt
them now."

The man glanced over his shoulder involuntarily and then turned back to the
Fates with his face red. He really didn't want to think about Hercules and sex.
Not with Iolaus, not with anyone. The whole concept was nauseating. He tried
to banish the image of his half-brother using Iolaus' body almost as a blanket,
trying to get as much of it over him as possible. 'At least that way I didn't see
anything...' A muffled scream made him look again and then he shook his head
resignedly. 'Oh, my!' So, maybe 'nauseating' hadn't been the right word after all.

Atropos had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. It wouldn't
have been proper for the one who cut the thread of life to giggle like a schoolgirl
and then push the former God of War aside so she could have a look too. "We
came here to give you some advice."

"What kind of advice? How to get on with my so-called 'life'?"

Lachesis shook her head. "No. You need to know what to do tomorrow. You
know you still have things to do, don't you?"

"What things?"

"Um, we can't tell you." Clotho grinned apologetically.

Ares counted in Latin from X to I. "If you can't tell me, what are you doing
here?"

"I didn't say we can't tell you something. Just not everything."

"For instance, how to get to the temple. It's been sealed off since you lost your
Sword."

"Since you took it, you mean." Ares didn't even try to keep the resentment out
of his voice.

"Whatever. You..." Clotho winced as she heard another scream coming from
the camp. "Just go and get your sword and we'll all go back where you're
sleeping. I don't feel all that comfortable eavesdropping on those two."

The former God's eyes widened. "You can't be serious! You want me to go
there? They'll skin me alive!"

"Don't be silly. You'll be invisible, and so will be your sword once you touch it."

"No way in Tartarus! I'm not going there!"

Atropos smiled. "Fine. I don't mind cutting Joxer's thread if someone attacks
him. Or maybe he can even survive a battle with a real trained warrior. Stranger
things have happened."

Ares closed his eyes for a moment. 'I hate her. I really do. We all know that he
wouldn't have a chance!' He sighed and then stepped quietly to the clearing.

The Fates smiled at each other. Lachesis sent a mental apology to Atropos. 'He
still doesn't get it! Maybe you're right. It is a bit pathetic.'

To her surprise her sister shook her head slightly. 'No. It's romantic all right. He
didn't even think what to do. As soon as he realized that Joxer might be in
danger, he had to act.' Her smile widened. 'But he won't admit it easily. Not
even to himself.'

Ares walked straight to his sword, keeping his eyes on the ground all the while.
He grabbed the weapon and then headed back to the Fates. He'd taken only a
few steps from his gear when he heard Hercules moan his lover's name.

He couldn't help it. He had to look. His half-brother was writhing under Iolaus,
pulling the smaller man closer to him and gasping his name with every exhale.
Their movements were frantic and soon they both shuddered with completion.

Iolaus slumped against Hercules. "That was great!"

"Yes it was. Dear Gods, Iolaus. I can't understand why it took us so long to do
this!"

"We were both scared. This thing we have is pretty intense after all. Don't
worry about the past." The blond warrior kissed his lover's throat. "Or the
future. We have each other now. That's all that matters."

Hercules raised his hand to Iolaus' head and slowly stroked his head. "I love
you. No matter what happens, I'll always love you."

Iolaus mumbled the words back against the demigod's skin and then yawned "I
think we'd better try to sleep now."

Ares stood there and watched the lovers doze off. He swallowed hard. He was
so envious of the closeness his half-brother had with the blond man. And not
just the physical thing, even though that had looked hot too. The two men
seemed to share a bond he couldn't even comprehend.

"Are they asleep?" Gabrielle's whisper started the man.

"I think so."

"Good. I wanted them to have some peace. And now it's our time."

Xena kissed the bard. "Time for what? Do you want to talk or..."

Gabrielle pulled her closer. She squirmed against her lover's body and then
gasped, "We can talk later."

Ares walked away. He didn't want to witness another couple expressing their
love to each other. He walked to the Fates and nodded to them. "Let's go." He
didn't look if they followed him back to where Joxer was snoring.

The Ladies sat on the ground and gestured to Ares to sit on his blankets. Clotho
glanced at Joxer and cocked her head. "He looks so young when he's sleeping.
Young and lonely." She grinned at her sisters as the man in front of them turned
to look at the sleeping young man.

The former God smiled a little as he saw that Joxer had pushed the blanket off
him and was now hugging it tight. He looked so cute when he was sleeping. The
young warrior was wearing only his pants and Ares frowned as he saw the
angry-red scar in Joxer's side. 'Clotho's right. But when he's awake, he's so
cheerful all the time, it's hard to remember how lonely he's been all his life.
Almost as lonely as...' He blinked and then turned back to the Fates. "Get to the
point. I'd like to get some sleep tonight."

"All right. Tomorrow, when you get to the temple, the only thing that can open
the door is the touch of your hand." Lachesis squinted her eyes. "We have
forbidden fighting in Sparta, but that doesn't mean that all the warlords obey
that. There might be some danger for your group. There are armies against the
six of you."

Ares grimaced. "So I have to open the door." His voice dripped sarcasm. "Is
that it? I'm here as a doorman?"

"Oh, no. You have much more to do than just that."

"What else?"

The Fates looked at each other and then Clotho cleared her throat. "That's all
we could tell you." A flash of light and they were gone.

The former God wanted to scream. 'I can't believe it! They come here, tell me
that something important happens tomorrow and then disappear without
explaining. I hate that! And that door-thing. They didn't really have to tell me
that. I designed the damn doors to answer to my touch!' He lay down and
wrapped the blanket around him. 'Damn busybodies.'

He had the distinct feeling that the Fates were somewhere, laughing at him.

Joxer looked at the sky and yelled to Gabrielle. "How long until we get there?"

"Three more hours. That's one hour less than it was the last time you asked.
Remember? It was an hour ago!" The bard snarled the last words.

The little warrior looked a little hurt and walked closer to Ares.

They'd been up since the dawn and they'd already walked for over two hours.
Hercules and Iolaus hadn't said a word all morning. They were walking hand in
hand, lost in thoughts, both wearing similar wistful expressions. Xena and
Gabrielle didn't look wistful. The warrior princess' face was a unreadable mask,
but her lover's wasn't. Gabrielle looked mad. She threw dark looks at Ares and
Joxer every once in a while, almost daring them to make a comment. And when
the would-be warrior had, she'd been ready to bite his head off.

The former God smiled at the man. He didn't want him to worry. The little
warrior's good mood was something he needed at the moment. "So, Joxer.
What will you do after this is all over?"

"I don't know. I think I'll go wherever the road takes me." Joxer frowned. "I
think Xena and Gabrielle need some time together after this and I'll be traveling
alone. Unless..."

"What?"

Joxer looked a little embarrassed. "I was just wondering if you'd like to..."

Ares raised an eyebrow. "You want me to come with you?"

"Yes! I mean that it's really lonely when you travel...alone."

The former God was speechless. 'He wants my company?' He saw the anxious
way the other man was looking at him and smiled a little. 'What on earth do I
say to him? Do I want to be with him? Of course I do, but...' "I have to think
about it."

Joxer grinned. "Sure. Just tell me when you've made a decision."

"I will." Ares nodded and patted the young man's shoulder. 'My goodness! He
really must like me. And I guess I like him too. He's a good friend.' He realized
what he'd just thought and groaned.

"Ares? Are you all right?"

The former God looked at Joxer's worried face and surrendered. "I'm just fine.
I was just thinking about your suggestion and since I have no other plans, I
guess I could..." He shook his head. 'This is no way to talk to a... friend.' He
tried again. "I think it might be fun to travel together."

The smaller man's mouth fell open. "Really? That's great!" Then he laughed.
"I've always wanted to be a part of a hero-sidekick -duo!"

"And which of us is which?" 'Joxer the Mighty and his faithful sidekick Ares, the
former God? Not likely!'

Joxer stopped laughing and looked at Ares. "You don't really have to ask that.
I'm not that delusional."

"Sounds good." The former God touched the younger man's arm. He saw Joxer
smile radiantly and grinned back at him. 'So I don't have to spend the rest of my
life alone. And neither does he.' Even though he didn't want to admit it, he felt
relieved. The young man was a perfect companion for him.

The streets of Sparta were deserted. All the people were hiding in their houses.
Xena tied Argo in front of an inn and then they all sneaked towards the temple.

The warrior princess raised a hand and then peeked around a corner. She
pulled her head back quickly and gestured the others to follow her. There was
no one in the next alley. At the end of it, there was a fruit vendor's cart and the
warriors crouched behind it. They moved the fruits so that they could see into
the big square in front of the temple.

There were over three hundred people trying to gain entry to the temple of War.
Different groups were standing at a clear distance from each other and all the
warriors were glaring at the other groups, waiting for the others to make the first
move. All the little armies were approximately the same size and although the
tension in the square was palpable, no one seemed to be ready to start the final
bloodbath.

One of the groups looked different from the others. The warriors didn't have
uniforms and they looked much more disciplined than the others. That could
mean only one thing. One of the warlords had managed to survive.

Xena took a sharp intake of breath as he saw the warlord's banner. "Polypos."

"Polypos? How on Tartarus did that pompous little ass get this far?" Ares
sounded genuinely astonished.

Joxer recognized most of the flags and armor designs. There were five different
parties besides themselves, waiting to gain an eentry to the temple. Ithacans
Spartans, Atheneans, Polypos' little army. He leaned closer to Ares and
whispered, "Who are those people next to the Ithacans? I've never seen anyone
dressed like that."

"They come from Tanagra. They're savage, but very intelligent. That's a
dangerous combination."

Iolaus frowned. "How will we get to the temple? They'll kill us as soon as they
see us."

"No, they won't." Xena walked to Ares. "Give me your sword."

The former God looked dubious but handed her the weapon. Xena gave it to
Gabrielle. Then she drew her own sword and pointed with it at Ares' chest. "If
we all claim that he's our hostage, they don't dare to attack us. Everyone knows
that he's needed."

Ares looked furious. "What a dignified way to return to the place I used to rule
at."

"I'm sorry, but this is the only way. Hurry up, we don't have all day."

Hercules, Gabrielle and Iolaus all moved next to Ares with their swords drawn.
The warrior princess quirked up an eyebrow. "Joxer? Don't just stand there."

Joxer shook his head. "I will not raise a sword against... him."

The pause in his words was so slight that only Ares seemed to notice it. 'I will
not raise a sword against a friend. Thank you, Joxer.' It was disgustingly sweet
and sappy, but it made him feel better anyhow. The former God nodded at him
and then turned to Xena. "I think four against one is a sufficient threat."

She sighed. "You're right. Let's go."

They got up and walked to the square. As soon as the soldiers noticed them,
Xena yelled. "Stay right where you are! If you try to attack us, Ares dies and no
one gets the Sword."

One of the Atheneans stepped one step towards them, but the leader of that
army gestured with his hand and his second-in-command shot an arrow to the
man. "You heard her! Ares is needed here."

"What are you all waiting for?" Gabrielle's voice was hard. "Isn't the Sword
inside the temple?"

Polypos sneered. "No one can get in. We even tried a battering ram, and the
door didn't budge."

Ares gestured his companions to walk to the door and, when they were there,
lower their swords. After they had complied, he pushed the huge door open
with one hand. He looked at Polypos and laughed at his crestfallen expression.
"You're right, it's impossible to open. Maybe you should go back home and
practice with something easier. Like the door to the barn."

Joxer smirked and then winked at him.

All the groups entered the temple. As soon as the last person was in, the huge
doors closed and a light flashed in the center of the great hall. A gasp escaped
from almost every warrior. The three Ladies were respected and feared in all of
Greece.

The Fates looked at the contestants and when they saw Ares standing next to
Gabrielle and Joxer, they smiled.

Clotho raised her hand. "Here will be decided the fate of the Sword."

Hercules sighed with relief. At least it would be settled now. There would be no
more unnecessary deaths.

Lachesis took her sister's hand and chanted. "Only six contestants can enter the
place of the challenge at a time." She gestured with her free hand and a big arch
appeared about ten feet from the door to the inner sanctum.

Atropos' words made shivers run down everyone's spine. "If someone who is
unworthy tries to enter, the person's thread will be cut."

Gabrielle nudged Xena. "Does she mean..."

"Yes, Amazon. I mean death." Atropos' voice was amused. "Six companies
have arrived here to claim the Sword. One of each group must now step
forward."

Five burly men walked towards the portal, the leaders of the official armies and
Polypos. Xena and Hercules looked at each other. Gabrielle was trying not to
look at her lover. Iolaus seemed to find the floor as interesting as she did.

Xena pulled a coin from a leather pouch. "I guess this is the only way to
decide."

Hercules nodded.

The warrior princess threw the coin into the air and all four warriors followed it
with their eyes as it flipped around and around. Xena held out her hand and
when the coin was just ten inches from her palm...

Joxer's hand grabbed it. "I'll challenge for the Sword." He stepped forwards.

Gabrielle looked aghast. "Joxer, no. You can't..."

The Fates' words echoed in the great hall. "When there are six, no one can
withdraw from the challenge." They walked to the arch. "Now you will walk
through the portal and then we will move to the place where the sacrifice will be
made."

Polypos cocked his head. "What sacrifice?"

Atropos glared at him. "You'll find out if you get through the portal."

There were no more questions after that.

The six men standing in front of the Fates looked uncomfortably at the stone
arch and then the Spartan walked straight through it. As he passed the portal,
the air around him shimmered.

Clotho's voice rang like a bell. "He is worthy."

One by one the other warriors followed the first one. As each of them passed,
either Clotho or Lachesis declared them suitable.

Joxer looked at Polypos and the bald warrior laughed. "You'd better let me go
first, little man. I don't want to spoil my boots by stepping on your carcass."

Polypos stepped to the arch and turned to wave at his soldiers. He moved
forward and the air around him began to tingle. He stopped and began to
squirm. Cold, blue flames burst out of his body and Polypos began to scream.
He fell on the floor and began to writhe in pain. As the flames intensified, the
screams dissipated. Soon he was lying silently. In a few minutes his whole body
had been incinerated.

Atropos' voice was like Macedonian winter. "He was not worthy to claim the
Sword."

Clotho stepped closer to Joxer. "The six are no longer. You can withdraw your
challenge if you choose to."

The man swallowed hard and then turned to his friends. Gabrielle was gesturing
him to return to them and even Xena nodded at him.

Hercules' voice was soft as he addressed the would-be warrior. "You don't
have to do this, Joxer. There's no shame in withdrawing the challenge."

Joxer looked at the worried faces in front of him and then turned to see the lone
figure standing by one of the fireplaces. Ares looked straight into his eyes and
then shook his head slightly. "It has to be your decision." He wanted to pull the
younger man away from the danger, but he felt he had no right to do it.

The Fates waited patiently as the young man pondered his situation. He didn't
even want the Sword. He just wanted all his friends to be happy. Joxer
scratched his chin and sighed. "My decision." Then he walked towards the arch.

Gabrielle closed his eyes and reached for her lover's hand with hers. She felt
Xena tremble slightly and grimaced, waiting for the screams to start.

"He is worthy." Lachesis' words echoed in the hall.

Joxer couldn't believe he had actually passed the test, and he felt a cold sweat
rising to the back of his neck. If the first test had been this serious, who knew
what waited them behind the door.

The Fates waved their hands and the arch disappeared. The door to the inner
sanctum opened slowly.

"Step inside, warriors. The Sword awaits you." The three Ladies said in unison.
Then they turned to face Ares. "Your task begins now. You will follow us." It
wasn't a request.

Xena watched as the contestants, the Fates and the former God disappeared
into the main temple. She turned to Hercules and saw that the demigod was
praying silently. "Who are you praying to?"

Hercules' eyes were haunted. "I don't know."

Joxer looked around. The inner sanctum of the temple of War looked the same
as it had looked all those years ago when he had secretly sneaked inside when
his family had come to Sparta to celebrate the Summer Solstice. He'd been nine
years old. His father had been furious when the priests had found him and
dragged him out of the temple. Joxer could still remember how he couldn't sit
for two weeks after both his father and Jett had 'discussed' with him his little
trick. But seeing the inside of the Great Temple had been worth the beating.
He'd been devoted to the God of War ever since.

There was a big stone altar in the middle of the room and there were swords
and battle axes all around it. The room was quiet, empty, and none of the huge
braziers had a fire in it. It was like the place had been abandoned years ago.
There was no life in there. That thought made Joxer shiver. Without life, even
War was just Death.

The Fates moved to the center of the room. Clotho and Lachesis went to both
ends of the huge altar, but Atropos walked around it and then turned,
addressing the warriors. "This is the altar of War. The place where the final
sacrifice will be made."

The Ithacan warrior frowned. "What's the sacrifice?"

Atropos focused her gaze on Ares. "He is."

The former God of War gasped. "What?"

"Ares, the Sword's last bearer. You have taken many mortal lives, by your own
hand and by the hands of your followers. You have felt the essence of your
victims' lives gushing through your fingers. Seen their blood color your altars, the
blades of your followers, the battlefields..."

All the Fates laid their palms on the cold stone and a gleaming dagger appeared
in the middle of the altar.

"Now you're a mortal." Atropos turned to the warriors. "To have the Sword,
one of you has to take him on his own altar. Only when you hold the dagger in
your hand and he lies there with his life essence spilling on the cold stone, will
you have the Sword."

The Athenean drew his sword. "I'll take him there."

"Remember, you must take him on the altar and you have to use the dagger. If
you kill him somewhere else, the Sword will be lost forever." Clotho warned.

"I'll remember."

The Fates nodded and then moved away from the altar. Lachesis waved her
hand and a sword appeared in Ares' hand. "Defend yourself if you wish to. You
can only use that weapon. If something happens to it, you will not have another
one. " She looked at the Athenean. "Do you want to challenge him privately
or..."

"Stay and watch as I slay the mighty Ares." The warrior's eyes gleamed.

The others withdrew from the two warriors and watched as the Athenean
attacked the former God of War. It was the last mistake he ever made. After
just a few thrusts and parries, Ares pushed his sword through the warrior's
heart. He nodded at Atropos.

She smiled and gestured with her hand. "His thread is cut." She looked at the
four men standing next to her sisters. "Who will challenge for the Sword?"

The Tanagran stepped forward. "I will." He had a little smile on his bearded
face. "Now we'll see if you really are all that good without the Sword."

Ares just raised an eyebrow.

Clotho opened her mouth and then closed it when the warriors didn't even wait
for her question before starting the fight.

The Tanagran was definitely a better fighter than the Athenean had been and it
was impossible to predict which man would win. The two warriors fought hard
and after what seemed like eternity, both men stepped back from each other
and lowered their weapons. Both wiped sweat off their foreheads and then
continued the fight.

The Tanagran squinted his eyes and then made a low sweep with his sword,
which Ares parried quite easily, and then brought the weapon back in contact
with the other man's with all the strength he could manage.

The blade of Ares' sword broke, leaving him holding the hilt and about ten
inches of blade.

"Now I'll take you!" The bearded warrior practically screamed.

Ares was panting hard, but he still managed to laugh. "Not likely."

Joxer gasped as the Tanagran's sword almost slashed Ares' stomach open. It
was awful to just stand and watch. Unable to help the man who meant so much
to him, both as a God and as a friend. As a man. He had no idea of what to do
if Ares killed all the other warriors. He knew he could never hurt him. He
couldn't push a man he cared for on the altar and take ...

His eyes widened. That phrase sounded strange. It was almost like from one of
his favorite stories, where the hero had to do exactly as the priestess told him
to, but by taking the orders literally, he managed to survive every ordeal the
Gods threw to his path. Even the Harpies.

'Oh, my God...' Could that be the answer?

The one he still considered as his God stumbled and fell on his knees. The
Tanagran lunged forwards and Ares rolled away from him, jumping to his feet.
He kicked the bearded warrior in the stomach and swirled around. The remains
of his sword sliced the warrior's throat open.

Joxer sighed with relief as the Tanagran fell to the ground, gurgled and then
went limp.

Atropos made another cutting motion with her hand and smiled. "His thread is
cut. Who will be the next one?"

Joxer hurried to answer. "It's my turn to challenge him."

Clotho nodded. "Do you want..."

"It would be nice if you'd all step outside. Please."

The Fates gestured at the door and the two remaining warriors walked out of
the room, back to the great hall.

Joxer waited until he was alone with Ares and then laid down his sword. "Even
I could kill you now. You're exhausted."

Ares wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I could take them."

"Unarmed? I don't think so. Besides, you have to get through me first."

The dark eyes gleamed. "I won't fight you, Joxer. I owe you my life." Ares'
expression was earnest.

The warrior bit his lip. How on earth could he even suggest... "I'm not asking
you to give your life to me."

"I'm not doing this for you. I'd rather see a friend as the God of War than any of
those bastards that are waiting behind that door."

"That's not what I meant." Joxer smiled shyly. "Even though hearing you say that
means a lot to me." 'He called me a friend!' Ares' words encouraged him to go
on. He couldn't ask it from a God, however a former one. But he could ask it
from a friend. "I've been thinking about Atropos' words. She said that to claim
the Sword, one of us has to take you on your altar."

Ares shuddered. "And my life's essence must be spilled all over it, while you
hold the dagger. I heard her."

"Yes, but her exact words were 'take him'. Not 'take his life'. Do you see the
difference?"

"Of course I do! I'm..." The former God looked sad. "I was a God."

Joxer took a deep breath. "I know only one way I can take you. One way that
doesn't kill you." He walked to the altar, not daring to look at his friend.

Ares walked next to him and fingered the dagger absentmindedly. "What are
you saying?"

The warrior reached out with his hand and touched the bearded cheek. "Will
you give yourself to me? Will you let me take you?" There was no way to
misinterpret his words.

Ares looked at him with his mouth open and then burst into laughter. "Joxer the
Mighty? You should have called yourself Joxer the Sly." He saw the other man
raise his eyebrows and sobered up. "Yes. This is a perfect way to beat them at
their own game."

"I'm not doing this because of them, Ares." Joxer's voice was sad, but firm. "I
can't kill you, but I can do this. I want to do this. But only if you want me to.
Do you?"

The former God felt a wave of tenderness rushing through him. He leaned closer
to the smaller man and kissed him. 'If he's right this'll safe my life. If he's wrong,
I'll probably die happy. It's a win-win situation.' "Yes, Joxer."

Joxer looked dazed. He put his hand carefully on Ares' shoulder and then slid it
under his shirt. When the other man just smiled, he latched his mouth on the
bare neck. He nibbled the man's throat and then began to pull off his clothes.
The former God stood still for a moment and then began to help him. It didn't
take long to get them both undressed.

Ares looked at the naked man in front of him. He remembered what Joxer used
to call himself when he introduced himself, before he had settled to 'Joxer the
Mighty' and smiled. "Magnificent."

The pale man blushed. His eyes slid over the bigger man's body and licked his
lips. "Yes, you are." He shook his head. "I can't believe that this is happening.
It's like a dream."

"Believe it." 'A dream? Has he dreamed of this?'

"And I can really have you?" Joxer sounded almost pleading.

Ares looked uncomfortable. He really wanted to go on, wanted Joxer, but
being taken on his own altar... 'My former altar. Is this really more humiliating
than being killed would be? At least I'm doing this voluntarily.' The thought that
he was actually giving, not being merely taken, made him feel a little better. Just
a little.

Joxer shivered as he saw the man he'd loved for years turn his back on him.

Ares bent over the altar, bracing himself. He looked over his shoulder and
smiled at the warrior. "What are you waiting for?"

Joxer felt his hands starting to tremble at the sight. He walked closer to the wall
and picked up a lamp from the corner. "I think we could use some oil." 'I think.
I hope he doesn't know how new this is to me.'

The bigger man shuddered.

Joxer laid the lamp on the altar and then pulled the other man up. "Not that way.
I want to touch you first." He ran his fingers up the muscled arms and then
leaned closer to kiss Ares. He opened his mouth to invite the other man in and
closed his eyes as he felt the tongue slip through his lips. The former God's kiss
was passionate, but surprisingly gentle. His hands roamed Joxer's back and
pulled him close.

"No, don't do that!" Joxer squirmed as Ares' hands brushed against the scar on
his side.

"Sorry. Does it still hurt?"

Joxer chuckled. "No, it itches."

"Oh. I have to find some other place to grab then." The former God kissed him
again and moved his hands to the smaller man's buttocks.

The warrior gasped as he felt Ares' erection press against his and then ground
his hips against the other man's. They moved against each other, in a frantic
rhythm, but then Joxer pushed away from Ares. The former God tried to pull
him back, but his hands grasped only air as the smaller man knelt in front of him.

Joxer kissed the muscled stomach and then slid his hands up Ares' inner thighs.
He nuzzled the hard cock with his cheek and then touched it hesitantly with his
lips. The man in front of him moaned and he kissed it again. Then he took a firm
hold on it with his hand and licked the tip of the erection. A big hand grabbed
the back of his head, urging him to continue and he began to explore every inch
of the straining cock with his tongue. After tasting the erection thoroughly Joxer
shifted his position so that he was closer to the altar and reached for the lamp.
He put it down next to him and then opened his mouth to engulf the big man's
cock.

He dipped his fingers into the oil and raised his hand to Ares' opening. He kept
licking and caressing his cock while he worked a finger inside the former God.
He moved his finger slowly in and out and then added another one. He'd once
heard two men talking about this special place inside one's body and was
determined to find out if they'd been correct. He probed deeper and then
almost choked as Ares suddenly thrust hard into his mouth and groaned.
Apparently there really was such a place.

Joxer felt the man relax and twisted his fingers around one more time. Then he
looked up. "Are you ready?" When he saw the dazed look on the bearded face
he smiled. "I guess you are." He stroked his own cock with his slick hand,
spreading the oil all over it. Even the light touch made him shudder. He'd never
been so excited before.

Ares groaned when he felt the fingers leave him. He watched the warrior rise to
his feet and touch his chest. When Joxer began to gently turn him around, he felt
the first hint of panic. Could he really do this? The young man hugged him tight
and he felt the hard erection rub against his buttocks.

Joxer nuzzled the sweaty neck and then whispered into Ares' ear. "You feel
wonderful. All hard muscle. Smooth as marble." He pushed the man slowly to
the altar. "You have to lean forward now. That's it. Everything's just fine."

The former God bent down and rested his elbows on the hard stone. The panic
was intensifying now and the indignity of his position felt almost impossible to
bear. The idea of letting Joxer take him had sounded all right and so far
everything the warrior had done had felt good, but to let him do this was
something different.

He couldn't. It was impossible to let the man do it. "Let go of me, Joxer. I
can't..."

Surprisingly the smaller man only tightened his grip on the former God. "Yes you
can. There's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm doing this because I want you, not to
get the Sword!"

"Joxer..."

The young warrior swallowed. "I can't stop this. I can't let you die in the hands
of the next warrior that walks in here. I care for you, Ares." He gently stroked
the other man's side. "You have to let me do this!"

The former God didn't say anything for a while. Then he lowered his forehead
to the cold stone and spread his legs a little wider. "Do what you must."

Joxer flinched like he'd just been slapped in the face. He let go of the man and
stepped away of him.

"What in all the Furies' names are you doing now?"

"I can't force you. Even to save your life." The warrior saw the astonished look
the former God threw over his shoulder and smiled a little. "Not very ruthless,
but that's the way I am. It's one of those friendship-things."

Ares knew he was beaten. 'Damn him. Why did he have to say that?' "If you
really want me, take me."

"Really? 'Cause I do want you. More than anything else in the world."

"I will not beg, Joxer." The former God growled between clenched teeth. The
knowledge that he wasn't just a piece of meat sacrificed at the altar of War
wiped off most of the feeling of indignity.

The warrior walked back to the altar and touched hesitantly the sweaty skin.

"Just do it. Now, Joxer!" Ares was panting hard, trying not to shove the
younger man off him. His pride was screaming that he couldn't possibly go
through with it, but he knew that he had to. 'For me. Not for the Sword. He's
doing this because he cares for me!'

Joxer moved himself to the position and guided his cock to the opening. Before
he pushed in, he leaned down and kissed the muscled back. Then he closed his
eyes and slowly entered Ares' body.

There was a sharp piercing pain and Ares reveled in it. This he could handle.
Pain, suffering. He felt the young man push deeper and muffled a scream into a
groan. It was like he was being torn in pieces. The next thrusts felt the same. He
grabbed a hold of the edge of the altar and waited for the next wave of agony
he knew was coming, when Joxer pulled away from him and grabbed his hips
tighter.

A small twist of hips and the warrior thrust back into him. This time Ares did
scream, but not out of pain.

Joxer froze instantly. "Did I hurt you?"

"Move!" The former God's groan was a command. "Again!"

The warrior smiled and then rocked his hips. He felt Ares push back and knew
that he was in Elysia.

Ares couldn't believe what was happening inside him. As a God, he'd always
been in total control of his body and mind. Nothing had ever felt so good, so
overwhelming before. It felt almost like he was losing himself. It was all so
confusing. He shouldn't enjoy being taken like this. It was degrading, humiliating,
exciting...

He moved to meet Joxer's thrusts. When he heard the younger man sobbing his
name over and over again, he knew that as long as his lover was as far gone as
he was, everything would be all right. He wailed, "Joxer..."

"Don't...make...me ...stop..." The warrior panted with the effort to cease
moving. "I need you. Gods, I lo..." The rest turned into a throaty moan as the
man under him bucked against him.

'Stop? Is he out of his mind?' Ares had sworn to himself that he wouldn't beg,
but his gasps turned into words without him even realizing it. "Please, please,
please, more, now, please..." He'd never in his life felt so out of control as he
did at that moment. Never before had he let someone else be in charge of him.
The strange thing was that he didn't care. The thought, that right then he'd say
anything, do anything to please the smaller man, to make him let him come, only
made him burn with desire. And he trusted that the man above him would give
him all the pleasure he wanted, and wouldn't ridicule him.

Joxer bit his lip and then moved his right hand to his lover's cock. He began to
stroke it in time of his thrusts and this time he didn't hesitate when he heard his
name groaned.

Ares was rapidly approaching his release. "Oh...I'm... Joxer! I'm going to.."

The man on top of him tensed as he heard those words and then began to move
faster. He was filled with the need to come, but a small part of his mind was
screaming that he was forgetting something essential here. He pushed the
thought aside and thrust harder into the tight passage. His hand stroked Ares'
cock harder and any time now he'd feel the man's seed flowing over his fingers,
flowing to the altar...

Joxer's eyes flew open and he groaned. His left hand grabbed the dagger at the
same moment as his lover began to spasm and came into his hand. The smaller
man let go of Ares' cock and laid his palm on the altar, spreading the come to
the hard stone. He felt Ares shudder and then let the dagger slip to the floor,
grabbed a firm hold on the lean hips that were still moving against him and thrust
harder into the pliant body. He lowered his face to Ares' back and whimpered
against the sweaty skin as he came.

The warrior slumped on top of Ares and lay there for a while, trying to catch his
breath. When he finally felt calm enough, he slowly disentangled from the former
God. He stepped a few feet away from the altar and wrapped his arms around
his chest.

He wasn't sure how Ares would react now that it was over. He had practically
forced the bigger man to have him. Maybe he'd be humiliated by the way he'd
begged and writhed under him. Maybe he'd even hate Joxer for that.

Joxer began to shiver and soon his whole body was shaking. His skin felt
clammy and he was having trouble breathing.

"Joxer?"

The slender warrior looked up as he heard his name. Ares was standing by the
altar, looking at him with a worried expression on his face. He opened his
mouth but nothing came out.

'Post coital depression? Why?' Ares sighed. "Do you feel bad because you
fucked me?"

Joxer flinched. "No."

"Then why are you acting like..." The former God silenced. "Are you afraid that
I feel bad because you fucked me?"

The warrior nodded.

Ares walked closer to him and took his face into his hands "I'll say this just
once. I enjoyed every minute of it. If possible, I'd very much like to do it again.
If you ever repeat that to anyone, I'll kill you with my bare hands." 'I really can't
believe that I don't want to strangle him right now. If it was anyone other than
Joxer, he'd be dead now.' He smiled. "And next time we'll try it the other way
around."

"Oh, yes..." Joxer sighed. Then he shook his head. "But you're a...."

"Not anymore. I'm as mortal as you are. At least for the moment." He smiled
wryly. 'I can't believe that I completely forgot about that.'

"What do you mean?"

Ares grinned. "Why did we have sex?"

'Because I've always wanted to. Because of how I feel. I...' Joxer's eyes
widened. "Oh my God!"

"No, Joxer. My God. Every warrior's God." Ares brushed the stunned young
man's lips with his thumb. "We'd better get dressed before the Ladies return."

They pulled on their clothes in silence. When they were ready, there was a
knock on the door. Without waiting for an answer, the Fates entered the inner
sanctum. Behind them came all the remaining warriors from the hall.

The leader of the Ithacans frowned as he saw that Ares was alive. He turned to
Clotho. "You said he did it. That the prophecy is fulfilled."

She smiled. "And it is."

"But he's still alive!"

"The prophecy never mentioned taking his life."

The Ithacan shook his head. "I demand to hear what happened here! How did
he manage to claim the Sword?"

Hercules leaned closer to Iolaus and whispered, "I wouldn't be that impolite to
the Fates, but I'd really like to know that too."

Iolaus nodded.

Clotho turned to Joxer. "Your choice, champion. Do you wish to tell them?"

"No." The warrior stared her straight in the eyes. "I don't."

"So it shall remain a secret."

The Ithacan stepped forward. "That's not good enough. How..." He cocked his
head and then a disbelieving look spread on his face. "You didn't..."

Atropos raised a hand. "Be quiet."

"...kill him, so ..." The Ithacan convulsed as Atropos' hand made a cutting
motion. Then he fell on the floor.

"Anyone else want to ask a question?"

The Spartan leader shook his head.

The Lady turned to Hercules. "I believe you sounded a little curious."

Hercules grinned. "Curious, yes. Stupid, no. If you say he claimed the Sword, I
believe you."

Atropos nodded and then the Fates walked to the altar. Lachesis bent down
and picked the dagger up from the ground. She laid it on the altar and then her
sisters also took a hold of it. The small blade began to glow and then there was
no dagger anymore. In its place was a beautiful, shining Sword.

The Ladies stepped back, gestured at the altar and said in unison. "Joxer. You
have claimed the Sword. Take it, it is yours."

Clotho smiled. "It's yours to have."

"Or to give away." Lachesis' voice was warm.

Atropos nodded. "Or to destroy."

Joxer stepped closer to the Sword and then reached out with his hand.

Xena couldn't help smiling as she saw the man she had always thought as a joke
take up the Sword of War. Joxer gasped as he raised the heavy blade and then
a look of wonder spread all over his face.

Everyone except Joxer's friends and the Fates fell on their knees.

Hercules glanced at his half-brother, expecting him to try something, and was
amazed to see a genuine smile on his lips.

The Fates turned to face the kneeling crowd. "Hail the new God of War."

"Wait!"

Everyone stared at the young God. Joxer was frowning. The moment he had
raised the Sword, he had heard a distant echo of something he had said when
he had helped Xena and Gabby the last time that Ares had lost his Sword. 'Me,
Joxer. The God of War. You may bow now.' It sounded as ridiculous and
unreal now as it had sounded then.

He walked a few steps away from the altar. "I know I'm a God now, but I still
need to ask you a question." He smiled wryly. "Actually it's more like a
confirmation."

Clotho nodded. "Ask. We will answer."

"What will happen if I destroy the Sword?"

"There will be no God of War. Ever again."

The God squinted his eyes. "That doesn't mean that there will be no more war
and fighting. If I destroy the Sword, only the force that controls war will die."

All the three Fates nodded. "That is correct."

Joxer looked at the Sword in his hands. "So it can't be destroyed. But I can't
keep it either." He smiled at his friends. "I just wanted to be a warrior. I never
even dreamed about being a God." 'And now that I know the power this thing
wields, I know that I'm completely unworthy to handle it.'

Hercules nodded. "I know the feeling. The power is quite overwhelming, isn't it?
That's the main reason I'm here now, instead of being on Olympus."

"So what will you do with it?" Iolaus sounded wary.

Joxer walked to him and looked straight into his eyes until the blond man turned
his face to the side. Then he moved to Xena.

Gabrielle stepped in front of her. "Please, Joxer. You know she doesn't want it
and offering her the powers would be cruel. I don't want her to sacrifice
everything she is just because she's too honorable to let the Sword to fall to
someone who might misuse it. " Her voice quivered. "I beg of you. Don't do
this!"

"Then do you want it?"

"No." The bard's voice was firm. "I already have all I want."

Joxer smiled wistfully. "I know. And what you have is even more powerful thing
than this Sword is." He patted Gabrielle's shoulder. "None of you wants to be
the God of War. It's too big a responsibility. Too big a burden." He sighed. "To
me too."

He didn't even bother to consider the other warriors in the inner sanctum.

Ares' eyes widened as Joxer walked towards him. He was regretting not trying
to grab the Sword more and more every second and knew that Joxer could
read it in his mind. 'I'm glad the Sword went to someone I care for, but it should
have returned to me. I need it! I can't go on living as a mortal. That's not who I
am.' He didn't want to see the compassion or pity in the young God's eyes and
tried to turn away, but found out he couldn't.

Joxer took hold of the blade and then knelt in front of Ares, offering the Sword
to him, hilt first. "I believe this belongs to you."

Xena gasped and took a step closer to the new God. Lachesis raised her hand
and the warrior princess froze. A glance at her friends told her that they couldn't
move either.

Ares swallowed. "Why? Why are you giving it to me?" His hands itched to have
the Sword, but he couldn't move. He was stunned by the mere idea that Joxer
would give him back the powers.

"Because you are War." The God smiled. "And besides, I'd rather see a friend
as the God of War than any of those bastards." He gestured at the other
warriors.

The man recognized the words and nodded gravely. He reached out slowly and
took the Sword.

Joxer was glad he was already on his knees. The feeling of the power rushing
from him into Ares made him so weak, he thought for a moment that he'd fall on
his face. He shook a few times and then raised his eyes from the floor to the
God standing in front of him.

Ares was looking at the warriors who didn't look all that 'warrior-like' anymore.
A cruel smile spread to his lips. "You have one minute to get out of my temple.
Those who fail, say hello to Hades from me."

The warriors scrambled to their feet, running to the door as fast as they could.

As the last of them had left the inner sanctum, the God of War cocked his head.
"Oops. Did I forget to open the front door?"

The dismayed, panicked screams answered his question.

Ares grinned at Atropos. "Time's out. I hope your dagger is sharp. You have a
few threads to cut."

She nodded and then both she and the God vanished.

Clotho sighed. "There they go again." She gestured with her hand and the inner
sanctum's door slammed shut, muffling the sounds of the screams.

"Thank you sister." Lachesis grimaced. "I hope they'll clean it after they finish."
She looked at the four immobile figures in front of her and giggled. "Sorry."

Xena threw a disgusted glare at her.

Joxer was standing by the altar, staring at the distance. He heard footsteps
behind him and turned to see his friends walking towards him.

Xena was the only one who looked calm enough to talk. The others'
expressions varied from murderous rage to bubbling hysteria.

"Why, Joxer? You know what he's like. You would have been so much better
as a God than he will ever be."

The man shook his head. "No one could have bettered him in being the God of
War. Not me. Not you. Not Hercules. I didn't really change anything, I just
made things the way they used to be."

Hercules took a deep, calming breath. "But why? What on earth made you
even think about giving the Sword back to him?"

"Why? Because I've worshipped him all my life. He's my God and I love him."

Joxer's answer startled the demigod. He blinked. "You mean you still worship
him after you've seen him as a man? An angry and rather irritating man, I might
add."

"You're talking about my God, Hercules." The smaller man's eyes blazed.
"Don't ridicule my devotion or my love to him."

"I'm just trying to understand. I hope you don't expect him to thank you or
anything. He might even kill us all for witnessing his disgrace. A God who
became a man."

Joxer looked calm. "He won't harm us."

"How can you be sure of that?"

"Yes, Joxer. What makes you think that I wouldn't tear off your limbs one by
one and then watch you bleed to death?"

Hercules grimaced as he saw his half-brother standing right beside him. "You'd
really be so ungrateful after all he's done for you?"

"Do you want my gratitude then?" Ares had to fight against a goofy smile and
sneered at Joxer instead.

The smaller man shook his head. 'I want you to love me like I love you.' "I don't
want anything."

Ares roared with laughter. "Do you lie to all your friends?" The young man was
far braver than he'd ever thought, throwing all that emotion at him, knowing that
he could use it against him. If he'd found out about Joxer's feelings before he
lost his powers, he probably would have. It was amazing how mortality brought
a different perspective to life. He was a God again, but all the things he'd figured
out while being a mortal were still true. Including the fact that he enjoyed the
man's company.

"Whatever makes you think you're anyone's friend?" Xena sounded amused.

"Shut up. Answer me, Joxer." The God's expression softened. "Am I still your
friend?" Joxer had to make the commitment first. It wouldn't be right for the
God of War to get all mushy, but Ares knew that if the man didn't make some
declaration of his feelings, the other warriors wouldn't leave them alone. At least
Hercules wouldn't. He'd begin a damn campaign bent on 'rescuing' Joxer from
his half-brother, making it impossible for the God and the warrior to concentrate
on each other.

"You're everything to me. My friend. My God. The one I love."

Xena groaned and covered her eyes with her hand. "Oh, Joxer..." That was the
craziest thing she had ever heard.

The little warrior smiled at his God. "So, my friend. What happens next."

Ares walked behind his altar and sat on the throne. "I thought we could
celebrate. I'm back where I belong and everything's great!" He saw the way his
half-brother grimaced and laughed. "What? You don't feel like celebrating?
Then you could all just leave. There's nothing for you here anymore."

Joxer's shoulders drooped.

"Except for you, Joxer." The God's eyes twinkled. "After the stunt you pulled,
you belong to me."

Hercules stepped in front of the young man. "What do you mean? Joxer doesn't
belong to anyone but himself."

Ares raised an eyebrow. "All right. Joxer. Leave my temple and never return.
As soon as you step out, you'll be a great warrior and you'll never have to pray
to me again if you don't want to. Isn't that what you always wanted?" He
already knew the answer.

"No! I don't want you to make me a warrior. I want to belong to you." Joxer
walked to the altar and climbed on top of it. He lay on his back. "If you want
me, I'm all yours." He remembered that they had audience and didn't add the
obvious, 'take me, I'm yours'. He could wait until they were alone.

"You bet you are." The God got up and stepped to his altar. He leaned down
and for a moment his lips hovered over Joxer's. Then he looked at the gaping
warriors. "It's not really all that polite to stare at a religious act. I think it's time
you all left. See you later. Much later." He waved his hand and turned all his
attention back to the man.

Xena saw Joxer raise his hand to caress Ares' neck and quickly guided her
friends to the door before the God got really angry. The Fates followed them.

As they left the inner sanctum, Gabrielle grabbed her lover's arm. "We're just
leaving him there? Ares could kill him!"

"I think Joxer has enough stamina. Even for a long 'worshipping'." Xena grinned.
Hercules and Iolaus just looked stunned.

Ares' voice floated to the main hall. "I meant all the way out, people!"

There was a small silence and then the warriors heard Joxer mumble something.

"You're right. It is rather uncomfortable. Let's go to my place at Olympus. I
assure you that the bed there is very comfy."

After that the only sounds in the temple were the hurried footsteps of the
warriors. As soon as they got out, the door closed and Hercules sighed with
relief. Some things should stay a divine mystery.

The Fates cleared their throats. "We must go now. All is how it's meant to be
and we're needed somewhere else. We will meet again."

Xena frowned. "You mean this was all supposed to happen?"

"Yes." Clotho smiled. "It went just like we had planned." More or less. She
nodded at her sisters and then the Ladies disappeared.

"We came all the way here for nothing! We weren't needed. We didn't even
change anything." Hercules sounded disgusted.

Iolaus grinned. "I think we did, Herc. I'd say we'll have at least a few moons of
peace and we have some new, interesting ways to celebrate that." His hand
strayed to Hercules' well shaped behind.

His lover blushed.

Gabrielle looked speculatively at Xena. "They have a point. Why should Ares
and Joxer be the only ones having some fun. I say we find the best inn in Sparta
and stay for a day or two. Or even for a week."

They all looked at each other and then Hercules pointed at a tall building.
"That's the 'Laughing Lion.' The best inn there is. If we hurry up, there might
even be some dinner left for us."

Even Atropos was giggling as the Fates flashed into their mother's chamber.

Moira looked at them and smiled. "Did you have fun, girls?"

"Oh, Mother! I've never laughed so hard! The look on Hercules' face when he
realized what was going on..." Lachesis snorted with laughter. "It was so hard to
maintain the reputation as being one of 'the Fates'. You know, mysterious and
fearsome. All I wanted to do was to roll on the ground and giggle!"

Atropos nodded. "I don't think I've ever had so much fun in my life!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves. Now I can continue with the tapestry."

The Fates looked at her. Clotho cleared her throat. "You mean that was it? It
really worked? But... What happens next?"

Lachesis nodded. "Yes. How will those two go on? How long is Joxer's thread
after all?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes!" The Fates said in unison.

Moira's hands flew over the loom for a moment and then she gestured her
daughters to step closer. "Look."

Joxer stretched, enjoying the enormous size of the bed, and groaned, "I'm
starving!"

"Stop whining. It's been only three hours since lunch!"

The warrior rolled to his side and fingered his God's chest. "Yes, but we had
quite an exercise after it. I'm just a weak mortal. I can't continue worshipping
you properly without some food."

"You have a point." Ares sat up reluctantly. "We'll have to change that."

"Great. I'd like some roast boar and..."

"I wasn't talking about food."

Joxer grabbed the God's arm. "I didn't mean to complain. Don't send me
away!"

"Please! Do you really think I'd let you go? Ever?" Ares hoped that what he
was about to do would take away Joxer's feeling of insecurity. It would become
really annoying if the young man continued worrying for nothing throughout the
centuries.

The warrior stared at him. "You mean that..." He couldn't finish the sentence,
fearing that he'd just make a fool out of himself.

Ares waved his hand and a small plate appeared in front of him on the bed.
"I've always liked the way ambrosia looks. It's just like someone's brain."

Joxer grimaced. "And you expect me to eat it after you shared that little thought
with me?" He looked at the red heap of quivering food and then got up. He
stood at the foot of the big bed, not making a move towards the plate.

"Don't you want to be immortal?"

"Yes, I do." The warrior looked at his God. "But for the right reason. If you
want me with you forever."

"I do." The God smiled, wondering if Joxer would ever really understand how
much he meant to him.

"Then say it. If you say it, I'll believe you"

Ares looked uncomfortable. "I've said it a few times, haven't I?"

"If I don't count the time in Sparta, you've said it three times in all this time
we've been together. That's once every fourth moon, Ares. And besides, you
only say it in bed."

"I'm still in bed." The God grinned. He wanted to see if the man would push it.

Joxer looked stern. "Then get off!"

Ares moved to the floor, muttering darkly, "I thought I was the God here... 'I'll
worship you, Ares. I'll obey your every whim, Ares.' Right." When he was in
front of the smaller man, he cleared his throat. "Share my immortality... Joxer,
the Mighty. Happy now?" 'Next he'll ask me to sing it. No way in Tartarus!'

Joxer kissed him and smiled. "Always when I'm with you." He grabbed a piece
of the ambrosia and lifted it to his lips. "I love you, Ares."

"I love you too. Now, do you think you're immortal enough to get back to
bed?"

Clotho raised her hand from the tapestry to wipe off a tear. "That's so sweet!"

"Yes, it is! I'm so glad everything turned out fine!" Lachesis gushed.

Atropos just sighed.

Her sisters glared at her. "Come on, Atro! It's one thread. You can't be that
petty!"

"Gotcha!" Atropos grinned. "Actually I think it's worth it. I really meant it when I
said I haven't had this much fun in ages!"

Moira nodded. "Your task with those two is over. At least for the moment."
Then she continued with the tapestry, the thick violet thread making the design
perfect.

The Fates left the chamber quietly. When she was certain their mother wouldn't
hear, Lachesis looked at her sisters. "So, how about a little bet, sisters? I say
that he'll sing it by the end of the century."

Clotho squinted her eyes. "Where?"

"Anywhere. Even in his temple."

Atropos snorted. "No way. It'll take at least a millennium! And even then, he'll
change most of the words."

They continued towards their rooms, still arguing about it.

And The Lady of Destiny smiled.

##########

THE END

All you who worship the Old Gods. I wrote this story with the notion that 'Ares'
here really is just a TV-show character. And the Lady and her daughters...
Well, all pagans know that She really has a sense of humor. This was written
with joy and love. I would never, ever be disrespectful to any of the Gods! Or
to you. Blessed be!