TORTURED SOUL
Chapter 1 Part 6
by Joseph
Ezell
Disclaimer: Please See Part One
Gabrielle emerged from the woods
and into a small clearing, followed closely by Xena, with Hercules taking up
the rear.
Suddenly, the bard came to an
abrupt stop, holding up her hand, gesturing for her companions to do so as well.
“Why are we stopping?”
Xena asked, fear for the safety of her child and adrenalin from the attack still
coursing through her veins.
“Xena,” The warrior
bard panted heavily as she bent over and rested her hands on her knees and turned
towards her friend. “I don't know about you guys, but I've got to stop
and catch my breath from a minute. I mean, we've been running through that forest
forever, I'd say at least for a few miles anyway.
Several seconds passed as the
warrior princess thought about what Gabrielle had just said, all the while,
carefully weighing her options.
“Alright,” Xena said
at last, placing a warm hand on Gabrielle's shoulder, an affectionate smile
instantly filling her face, “but only for a few minutes, okay? Athena's
army could be here at any moment.”
“Okay,” Gabrielle
answered, glad that she could at least rest her tired muscles, even if only
for a few minutes.
Xena and Hercules scanned the
outline of the surrounding forest, realizing that they both could use a breather
as well as it wouldn't do for either one of them to become tired out and collapse
on a run from Athena's army.
Just then, Eve began to cry.
Xena quickly took the sling from off her back, wondering if, perhaps, her daughter
needed to be fed as it had been awhile since she'd last fed her.
Xena held the sling with Eve
still nestled safely inside its folds out in front of her, a warm look of gushy
love spilling out across her face as she caressed her adorable child gently.
Eve cooed, giggling happily, making it seem that all she really needed was affection
from her mother to sustain herself and nothing else.
Gabrielle took in the sight
of the exchange of love between mother and daughter, a pleased grin spreading
across her face.
Hercules smiled as well at the
sight of Xena and her daughter before him, although briefly. He sighed before
turning back around, seeming unable to truly enjoy the moment as he eyed the
tree line of the forest that they'd just come from only moments before nervously.
Athena could be on them in a
matter of minutes and he wanted to be ready for it when and if it happened.
Clearly, Athena would stop at nothing to get at them and kill Eve and he wasn't
about to get caught with his pants down if it happened. He would be prepared
for it and if it happened he'd meet it head on and without mercy.
Suddenly, the smile that had
been trying so hard to claim his face up until now, quickly fell away, only
to be replaced by a tense, grim expression of worry. Then, before he could react,
a dark form burst forth from the shadowy confines of the woods in front of him,
and, in one fail swoop, lunged for the mighty hero, hitting him square in the
waist. The force of the blow sent him crashing to the ground with a hard thud.
Hercules rose to his feet, only
to find himself face-to-face with the one person that he wanted more than anything
in this world not to see at this moment: Darius.
************************************************************************
The two men eyed each other
warily. Hercules sighed inwardly, realizing that when Darius had told him that
his curse was that he was too good that he wasn't kidding. Even though
they'd managed to defeat him at least three times already the man just kept
on coming, pursuing and attacking them relentlessly in his mission to kill Eve.
Hercules briefly considered trying to talk Darius out of his quest to kill Eve
but then decided against it as he realized that it wouldn't do any good. Darius
was hopelessly committed to his mission and wouldn't consider any other option
other than the one Athena and the other gods had given him. Sadly, Hercules
realized, Darius was indeed their enemy and it was about time that he start
facing up to that fact.
Hercules shook these thoughts
off, realizing that he needed to resolve this whole situation right here and
right now. So quit standing around and do it already! He thought.
Darius sighed inwardly, wishing
he were anywhere but here as he watched Hercules charge forward.
The two mighty warriors met—and
began exchanging some of the most brutal blows imaginable that would have made
even the most battle-hardened of warriors faint of heart.
Hercules somehow succeeded in
blocking one of Darius's blows—and in the same instant grabbed his arms,
pinning them to his side. “Give it up Darius! This game's over with! I
know you're smarter than this! So do me a favor and stop playing Athena's little
game!” Hercules shouted, knowing in his heart that there was no reasoning
with the assassin of the gods—but hoping at the same time that he was wrong
and that there may still be some tiny shred of hope for the tortured warrior.
“I'm afraid that I must
play, Hercules,” Darius said smoothly. “I have no choice in the
matter. Eve must die.”
Suddenly, Darius reared back,
and, like a coiled spring, unleashed a bone-jarring head but that sent his opponent
reeling backwards.
Hercules recovered quickly,
his face contorting in rage and turning a fiery red. “You know, you're
really starting to piss me off!” He said through clenched teeth,
his voice full of animosity.
Darius didn't reply, choosing
instead to send a punch flying toward the man of might, which hit him square
upside the head. Hercules recovered quickly, a look of disgust spilling across
his face as he glared at his opponent. Darius stared right back, his own face
devoid of emotion, making him look all the world like a cold-blooded killer.
Then the fight resumed once
more, both warriors charging forward and engaging in a brutal battle…the
outcome of which was completely uncertain.
************************************************************************
Xena looked at the ongoing fight
before her, her face darkening with dismay, fear, anger, and a few other emotions
that she couldn't identify at the moment.
Then, as she ran through these
emotions one right after the other, she was hit with a sudden and brutal realization.
One that she wasn't that thrilled about but knew was the only way to stop their
seemingly unstoppable enemy and save her daughter's life.
The warrior princess sighed
inwardly, turning to Gabrielle and trying with all of the effort that she could
muster not to let any of the emotions she was feeling at the moment spill across
her face.
Xena gazed at her friend, her
heart breaking when she saw that she seemed to be feeling the same things that
she was feeling.
“Gabrielle,” Xena
said, walking over to the warrior bard.
“What is it, Xena?”
Gabrielle asked, somehow getting the feeling that she wasn't going to like what
Xena was about to tell her. And why is that? She wondered.
“Gabrielle, I want you
to take Eve. If Darius gets past Hercules—I'm going to have to stop him
myself.”
“Xena, what are you—“
Gabrielle began only to be cut off just as fast by Xena.
“Gabrielle, listen to me!”
Xena said through clenched teeth, all the while trying not to burst into tears.
“I'm going to stop Darius one way or the other. I'll kill him even if it
means that I have to die in the process.”
“Xena, don't say that!”
Gabrielle cried, tears sliding down her smooth cheeks.
“I'm sorry, but it's the
only way!” Xena replied, unable to restrain her emotions any longer, tears
flowing down her face as well.
Xena used one hand to hold the
sling and let the other rest on Gabrielle's shoulder. “Gabrielle, listen
to me, okay? There's something else that I need for you to do for me. If it
looks like I'm about to lose in the least little bit I want you to run through
the woods and never look back.”
“But if he gets past you
how am I going to protect Eve? Xena I can't fend him off, he's too powerful.”
“Gabrielle, it won't come
to that. And even if it does you'll think of something. Whatever happens
do whatever it takes to protect Eve.” Xena answered, noticing real quick
that the bard didn't like her answer at all. “Look, I don't like it anymore
than you do but it's the only plan I've got. Okay?”
For several seconds Gabrielle
pondered Xena's words carefully, not liking any of them in the least little
bit, but unable to come up with a better plan of her own. Finally, she sighed
inwardly, nodding helplessly.
Xena handed Eve over to Gabrielle,
the warrior bard quickly slipping the straps of the sling onto her back and,
with Xena's help, slipping Eve gently inside its comforting folds.
Then the two friends stared
at each other intently, each unsure of what to do next. “Come here,”
Xena said, pulling Gabrielle into a strong embrace, each crying softly as they
both knew that this could probably be the last time they saw one another alive
again.
Finally, after saying their
goodbyes to each other, both warriors pulled away from the embrace, each silently
wishing the other well.
Xena stared at her friend for
a few moments longer, praying that everything would be alright for her in the
end and that she'd get to see her again soon, before turning back around to
face the ongoing battle before her.
Xena quickly wiped the tears
away from her eyes, her expression hardening into a mask of sheer determination,
and readied herself for the surely inevitable fight that was before her by drawing
her sword. And it was then that she vowed that if Darius somehow managed to
get past Hercules he wouldn't live to see another day because she'd make sure
of it…no matter what it might cost her in return.
************************************************************************
Meanwhile, Darius and Hercules
were still locked in a heated battle, each hoping for the death of the other.
Each determined to win this battle at any cost.
At the present moment Darius
had somehow managed to get his arm locked securely around Hercules's neck into
a sleeper hold.
Both men grunted loudly, savage
cries of rage escaping their lips, their faces contorting into expressions of
sheer determination as each pitted his strength against the other's. Hercules's
hands were locked around Darius's arm and, at any moment, the assassin of the
gods knew that the tall demigod could and would succeed in breaking his
arm in two. That's why I have to kill him now, least he should succeed in his
task, Darius thought, realizing even as he did so how much he really didn't
want to kill the noble hero—and at the same time—seeing no other way
around it. When it came right down to it he was out of options, plain and simple.
One way or another Eve must die. And, as far as Darius was concerned at least,
he could tear himself up over Hercules's death later. Right now, like it or
not, he had a job to do and it was high time he start living up to that responsibility.
Suddenly, Hercules gained the
upper hand and, grabbing Darius by the belt and the throat, the man of might
managed to pry him off of him, lifting him high into the air—and in the
same instant—slamming him to the ground with a bone-shattering thud.
For several seconds Darius lay
there, too stunned to move as almost unbearable pain consumed his body, his
vision filling with strange colors, the whole world spinning around and around,
threatening to fade out of focus at any moment. Then Darius shook his head,
clearing it of the nonsense he'd been seeing and, slowly but surely, began to
regain his bearings.
He looked up only see the massive
shape of Hercules advancing steadily upon him, preparing to do who knew what
to him. Darius relaxed and cleared his mind, letting his warrior instincts take
over.
And, just as Hercules was about
to grab him, the assassin to the gods suddenly reacted, his leg snaking out
in the blink of an eye, catching the tall demigod square in the chest totally
by surprise. Hercules stumbled backwards from the sheer force of the blow, a
loud “oof” escaping his lips as Darius flipped flopped to his feet.
Hercules quickly regained himself,
a loud roar of defiance erupting from his lips. Then both warriors ran at each
other, their meeting inevitable. Finally, both clashed, each combatant engaging
in a hellish battle that was frightening to behold indeed.
Darius and Hercules struck at
each other relentlessly, each blocking and receiving blows at an undistinguishable
rate. This exchange went on for several seconds before Darius prevailed, landing
a solid punch to Hercules's chest that sent him reeling backwards.
But, just as Darius was about
to advance upon Hercules, the tall demigod quickly recovered and launched himself
at his opponent, diving for his waist with his arms stretched out before him.
Hercules was just about to hit
his target when suddenly Darius jumped into the air, drew his sword, and used
his feet to propel himself off of his enemy's back through the air, causing
Hercules to hit the ground with a hard thud, where he skidded for several feet
before finally coming to an abrupt stop at the base of a small tree.
************************************************************************
Darius flipped overhead, his
blade clashing with Xena's in a blinding shower of sparks—and a second
later, landed with a hard thud. And, wasting no time, the assassin of the gods
struck at the warrior princess relentlessly, their blades clashing repeatedly
in an explosive ching, ching! of sound.
Xena grunted loudly and, using
all of her warrior prowess, managed to block Darius's almost unforgiving attack—but
just barely, as he attacked again and again, seeming to want nothing more than
to cut her to pieces.
Both warriors continued in their
attacks, neither of them wanting to give in to the other as they struck out
at each other again and again, their attacks so fast and so brutal that
it was utterly impossible to determine who was lashing out at who!
And, just as Xena was preparing
to end this whole thing, Darius beat her to the punch and, in one fail swoop,
disarmed her and pivoted on one foot, sending her crashing to the ground with
a lightening fast kick to the legs.
Darius stood over his fallen
opponent, coldly surveying her with the face of the trained professional that
he was and that the gods had made him to be—and yet—at the same time
his eyes reflecting that all-too-now-familiar emotional intensity that she knew
beyond a shadow of a doubt was coursing through his body, threatening to make
him lose his focus and nerve. Such a shame he won't listen to it, Xena thought
sadly, half of her wanting to pity the tortured warrior in front of her, while
the other half coolly informed her that no matter what she said or did he was
fully intent on completing his mission and killing Eve. Xena shook these thoughts
away in an instant, immediately looking for a way to escape her now seemingly
eminent death, all the while knowing that no matter what she did she was dead
for surely her soon-to-be killer would not hesitate to end her life and ultimately
do what he had to do to complete his mission. But, regardless of what happened,
she could only hope that Gabrielle would somehow be able to protect Eve. Please
be okay, Eve. She silently wished her child, Please survive and know
that your mother will always love you.
Gabrielle stood there, her breaths
coming out in quick gasps, realizing that she needed to take Eve and run as
far away from this place as she could, and yet unable to tear her eyes away
from the sight of her best friend lying on the ground at the mercy of an unforgiving
killer. All the while thoughts whirled at lightening speed through her head
as she was torn between running for the relative safety of the nearby woods
with Eve or staying behind to help out her friend.
Darius stood over Xena, raising
his sword high over his head, preparing to deliver the blow that would kill
the noble warrior before him and ultimately end the warrior princess's existence
forever.
“Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”
Hercules screamed, as time seeming to slow down to a crawl.
Darius stood there, all sounds around him as well as everything else vanishing
at that moment except for two things: his own heart thudding in his chest and
the sight of his fallen opponent before him, a defiant and yet resigned expression
filling her face.
Darius stood there, his breathing slow and steady, sweat covering every inch
of his body, as time continued to slowly tick by. All the while images flashed
through his head: Variea lovingly stroking his face, Athena giving him his orders,
the haunting look in the old man's eyes just before he'd killed him. Stop
it! Darius shouted inwardly to his brain. But it would not stop. In fact,
if anything, the images only seemed to increase in ferocity and strength, flashing
faster and faster until they became an almost steady blur.
Finally, it stopped, a new image
coming to his hazy and confused focus: Eve's face as she looked up at him with
her innocent, little eyes. And it was then that he was hit by a sudden realization:
he couldn't do this. Killing Xena's child and the rest of these people was wrong
and he knew in his heart that it wouldn't solve anything and, ultimately, that
their deaths would be useless to him and completely unnecessary.
Regardless of what happened,
Variea was waiting on him and all he had to do was give her the word and they'd
be off to Egypt, away from the Greek gods.
He may not have been able to
escape the gods in the past, but, perhaps, with Variea's help, now he would
be able to. Perhaps now things were different. Perhaps now he had been given
a chance to escape from the nightmare that had been his existence for so long
and all the torment he'd received forever. Perhaps now he'd finally be able
to live the life with Variea that he'd longed for for so long and never been
given before. He could only hope.
But whatever happened, Darius
knew that the window of opportunity for this peaceful life may already be closing
and that he'd be a fool to not seize it while he still had the chance. He nodded
inwardly, now knowing what he had to do.
Darius lowered his weapon, sliding
it back into its case on his side and offering a hand out to a stunned Xena.
She looked up at him, confusion and disbelief playing across her face as she
cautiously took his hand and was instantly pulled to her feet.
Darius reached down, grabbing
Xena's sword from off of the ground. “Here you go,” He said, throwing
it to a still stunned Xena. “I believe this belongs to you.”
Xena caught the weapon, instantly
sliding it into its case as Gabrielle and Hercules quickly joined her by her
side, both wearing looks of confusion and disbelief of their own.
“Why did you do that?”
Xena asked, still unable to process what had just happened.
Darius smiled, finally feeling
like he'd done something right for once in his life. “Let's just say that
I've had a change in heart.”
“But I don't get it.”
Gabrielle began. “Your orders were to—“
“My orders mean nothing
now.” Darius stated simply, cutting her off before she had time to finish.
Then his smile faded, a serious expression instantly filling his face. “Look,
Athena's army will be here at any moment. When that happens I won't be able
to help you. So I suggest you leave now.”
“Come with us. We can help
you—“ Xena began, suddenly feeling very grateful to him.
“No, I have to be here
when Athena gets here or she'll become suspicious and come looking for me.”
Darius replied.
“Darius, if she finds out
that you let us go, she won't hesitate to kill you.” Hercules warned.
“Don't worry. I can handle
her. Now get going before I change my mind.” Darius answered.
With that said, the three heroes
all nodded and ran to the woods, stopping briefly to gaze at their newfound
friend for a few moments longer before turning and disappearing into the thick
brush of the surrounding forest.
Darius stood there and looked
on for a few moments longer at the spot where they'd been in just moments before
and then turned away from the surrounding brush and gathered all of the courage
that he could muster as he waited for the inevitable arrival of Athena and her
troops. And, yet—at the same time he couldn't help but smile on the inside
as he realized that he felt better than he had all day.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Darius,
a pair of watchful eyes lay hidden amongst the brush. The owner of those eyes
had seen it all. In fact, you could say that it hadn't missed a thing. It had
also been the same unknown witness to Darius's and Variea's meeting last night
and had, snuck off to follow him when Athena had told him to go after their
enemies simply out of curiosity of whether or not he would kill their foes.
Now that it had seen what had just happened it now had its answer.
The silent figure took one last
look at Darius before turning around and rushing back into the depths of the
woods—and back to Athena and her army.
************************************************************************
Thirty minutes later, Variea and the other archers burst forth from the woods,
followed closely by Athena's army. They came to a stop only moments before Athena
appeared before them in a flash of light, followed a few seconds later by Hades
and Hephaestus as they appeared in separate flashes of light behind her.
“Report,” Athena barked,
turning her attention to Darius.
“I'm sorry my goddess,
but they managed to escape from my grasp and I was unable to subdue them. For
my failure I will gladly accept any punishment that you may give, even if means
my death.” Darius said, bowing before her with all of the humbleness that
he could manage, hoping that she would buy his act and that this wouldn't the
last breath he took.
Several seconds passed by as
Athena eyed him coldly, Darius noticing with growing discomfort that her hand
was resting on the helt of her sword, making it that much easier for her to
kill him before he even had time to react. The goddess of war and wisdom sighed
inwardly and, for a few moments, briefly considered killing him, and then, just
as quickly, decided against it. Whether she wanted to admit it or not he was
just too important to her right now alive.
Finally, Athena smiled, her
overwhelming sense of pride erasing any previous rage she may have had against
him at the sight of his display of total reverence to her. Then she sighed,
the smile that had been claiming her beautiful face quickly falling away only
to be replaced just as quickly by the emotionless expression that she usually
wore.
“I'm honored by your loyalty
to me, Darius but that won't be necessary. You have earned my forgiveness for
the moment at least, thus sparing your life.” Athena told him calmly. “Rise,”
She commanded.
Darius did as he was commanded
and rose to his feet.
“Alright people! I think
we've all had enough excitement for one day. Let's head back to the temple.
We'll strike at our enemies first thing in the morning.” Athena said, turning
to the rest of the group, suddenly feeling very weary. She'd wasted enough time
chasing her prey today. And after all the resources she'd lost today she felt
that the battle against her enemies could wait until tomorrow. Right now all
she wanted to do was to go back to her temple and relax for the rest of the
afternoon. Clearly, she didn't need the rest but, the way she figured it, she'd
earned it after all she'd been forced to suffer through today.
Then, with that said, Hades,
Hephaestus and Athena vanished in separate flashes of light, while everyone
else turned around and began the long journey through the woods to Athena's
temple.
Darius walked closely behind
them, silently bidding the time until he would be able to escape with Variea
from the gods and perhaps then, finally have the one thing that he had wanted
more than anything for so long: freedom.
************************************************************************
Later that day, shortly after
the sun had descended below the horizon and darkness had fallen upon the land,
bringing with it a breathtaking blanket of stars, which covered every inch of
the night sky and everything under it, Darius stood in Variea's bedchamber,
holding Variea's hands with his own, a huge grin plastered on his handsome face.
Variea smiled back at him, clad only in her white nightgown, and returned his
smile with one of her own, making her seem to Darius less like a woman and more
like the radiant creature she truly was.
She is truly a sight to behold,
isn't she? Darius thought, literally beaming both inside and outside. What did
I do to deserve such a beautiful woman? He wondered silently in awe of her very
beauty, still trying to take in the fact that this woman—this angel—loved
him at all. She knew about his past—all of the horrible things he'd done—and
yet, she still loved him anyway. He shook his head inwardly, still incredulous
at the whole thing. At the moment, they were the only people to occupy the small
room.
“So, are we really going
through with it?” Variea asked excitedly, hardly able to keep the joy that
filled her heart from bursting forth from her. “Do you really want to leave
for Egypt tonight?”
“Yes I do. We'll leave
tonight, unless of course you don't want to?” Darius asked, hoping against
hope that she wouldn't say yes to that question and put their trip off to another
night as he didn't think he'd be able to stand being here much longer.
“No problem at all,”
Variea replied. “Then it's settled. We leave tonight.”
“Are you sure…?”
Darius asked questionably, still trying to make sure that she was indeed ready
to do this.
“Of course I'm sure, Darius.
I'd gladly follow you to the ends of the Earth if that was the only way to be
with you.” Variea answered, looking into his eyes with open admiration
and love. Darius smiled even more, his heart aching at her words so much that
he thought it would break. But he didn't care. As long as he was with Variea,
somehow, he knew that no matter he did or what happened, she would always be
there for him and no matter what she would always love him. And, for some reason
that Darius had yet to comprehend, that made him feel better than he'd ever
felt before.
“But how are we going to
do this?” Variea asked, her face turning very serious all of a sudden.
Darius looked at her, his face
losing its joy at once as his heart began to fill with fear and doubt.
On the battlefield earlier in
the day, after he'd spared Xena's life and let her and her baby and friends
go, he felt so sure of his chances of success of escaping from Athena and the
other gods because when he'd thought of Variea being at his side, their escape
had seemed so certain—so real—that he'd felt that nothing could
or would stop them.
But now that he was at the threshold of that moment he wasn't so sure about
their chances anymore. What if they failed and Variea was killed because of
it? Could he live with the knowledge that he'd had a hand in her death? Somehow,
Darius knew the answer to that question almost immediately: he could not. And,
ultimately, Darius also knew that if that happened and she died because of him,
he would have to kill himself because, at that moment, life simply wouldn't
be worth living anymore.
Before Variea had announced
her love for him he had no one—no reason for living. And now that
she was his he felt strangely complete in a way. And it was then that he vowed
to both god and mortal alike that even after he had taken his life that he would
never work for the gods again. Dead or alive.
“We'll leave later tonight,
around midnight when everyone else has gone to bed and the gods will surely
have returned to Olympus.” Darius answered, gripping her shoulders reassuringly.
“Agreed.” Variea said,
nodding quickly.
“Good, and Variea, I promise
I'll be by your side all the way and I'll die to protect you, okay?”
“Okay,” Variea said
with a small laugh, her face once again transforming into the work of art she
truly was.
Darius smiled back at her and
for a moment neither of them spoke, each choosing instead to gaze into the other's
eyes.
It was Variea who finally made
the first move, walking slowly up to Darius, closing her eyes, and planting
a gentle, yet very sensual kiss upon his lips. Then she pulled back,
casting a questioning glance his way. “Should I go further?” her gaze
seemed to be asking.
As if to answer that question,
Darius pulled her close, claiming her lips with a passionate kiss of his own,
his hands gripping her body and pressing it against his own as she did his.
Both of them seeming to do it out of instinct rather than desire.
As the kiss continued, Darius's
hands began to travel all over Variea's body. Finally, one of them came to rest
on her leg and began traveling slowly up its smooth, soft surface. It was mere
inches from the secret treasure chest that was between her legs, when he suddenly
became aware of what he was doing and stopped his progress abruptly. He pulled
away from her slightly, Variea's gaze seeming to only egg him on, her eyes pleading
with him to proceed. All the danger posed by Athena totally forgotten for the
moment.
“You know, we can if you
want to,” Variea breathed, barely suppressing a moan. “We can do whatever
you want. She'll never know even know about it.”
“Yes she will.” Darius
replied simply. “She'll know everything. She's a god after all and they
always know about such things.”
It was then that Darius stepped
back from her, removing his hands from her body, his heart aching at the loss.
In truth, it was then that he realized that he'd never wanted a person so badly
in all of his existence as he wanted Variea at this very moment, not only in
physical desire but also in the heart as well. Sex wouldn't be simply a means
of obtaining physical pleasure. Rather it would simply be a way for him to express
physically all of the love he felt at this very moment for her.
Darius sighed inwardly, wishing
that things were different for them, but knowing that they weren't. Soon, Darius
thought. Soon we'll be free and all of that will change.
“Okay, I understand. But
when we get out of here and escape from the gods I trust you won't deny me that
pleasure then?” Variea asked.
“I wouldn't dream of it.
But if I do I trust you'll persuade me to change my mind?” Darius asked,
faking seriousness.
“Oh you bet I will,”
Variea answered, her eyes promising him untold pleasures on that day. Darius
turned away, blushing like a little schoolgirl.
“Darius, are you blushing?”
Variea taunted.
“No,” He answered
stubbornly.
For a few several beats neither
of them spoke. Then, suddenly, both of them burst into a fit of uncontrollable
laughter, each turning to one another and grinning stupidly. It was the kind
of laughter that only those in love could truly understand.
After an undisclosed amount
of time, it could have been thirty minutes, it could have been two hours later,
Darius stepped out of Variea's room into the silent hallway of the temple and
was about to say goodbye to Variea and close the door, when she came forward
and practically attacked him, claming his lips with her own in a passionate
kiss that was even more intense than all the others that had come before it.
In fact, the kiss lasted so long that Darius began to wonder if it would ever
end. Then, before he even was aware of it, the kiss did in fact end and
Variea pulled back, gazing deeply into his eyes.
Darius was about to say goodbye
and leave, when he suddenly found himself in yet another kiss with Variea, the
vague realization hitting him that he'd been the one to initiate it. Variea
moaned, closing her eyes as she let herself be lost in the moment. Darius continued
to kiss her for several moments longer, the rest of the world seeming to cease
to exist in that moment, leaving them all alone, before pulling away from her,
abruptly ending the whole thing.
“Soon, my love,” He
whispered in her ear, “Soon, all of this will be over with and we'll have
each other totally to ourselves.”
“I'll be waiting,”
Variea replied.
Then, gazing deep into her eyes,
he pecked her lightly on the lips, took her hand in his own, kissing it gently,
before turning around and walking off down the corridor to his room.
************************************************************************
Darius walked down the corridor
for several seconds before the hallway came to a stop, opening up into a large
room beyond it.
He cleared the last remaining
bit of the hallway and entered into the large room, which consisted of bare
stonewalls, a floor and a ceiling. In fact, the only objects to adorn the room
at all were three doors, one of which was located in the corner of the wall
to his right, while the next one was actually a set of double doors that lay
in the far corner on the wall to his left. Darius figured that both of them
probably led to one of the many passageways that twisted and turned only to
lead you deeper into the temple. As for why Athena wished to have one of her
temples constructed in this way, Darius didn't have a clue. Don't have a clue
and don't care, Darius thought. Just have to go to my room, lay low, and when
the time is right, get Variea and the two of us will flee and, hopefully, leave
this place forever. Darius shook these thoughts away and turned in the direction
he meant to go, toward the last door, which was located on the wall that he'd
just exited from, via the hallway, and that would led him down a long hallway
that would eventually led him to his room. He sighed and started for the door,
reminding himself that he would only have to endure this place for a few moments
longer and then, when the time came, he would finally be free and happy with
the woman he loved to keep him company.
“Darius,” Athena called
from somewhere behind him.
He turned, facing the direction
her voice had come from just in time to see her appear in a flash of golden
light. “What is it that you wish of me, my goddess?” He asked humbly,
bowing slightly in respect.
“We need to talk,”
She answered sternly, her face an emotionless mask, while her eyes were as cold
as ice.
Then Athena snapped her fingers,
and, in a flash of light, Variea appeared several feet away from him, off to
his left.
For several seconds Variea stood
there looking bewildered as she tried to figure out what had just happened.
She stopped when she saw Athena. “My goddess, why have you summoned me
here?” She asked Athena.
“Silence!” Athena
replied coldly, causing her to do just that, the sudden volume of rage in her
tone, making both Variea and Darius jump involuntarily. “You'll speak when
only I wish for you to speak and not a moment before then!”
Seeming satisfied at Variea's
response to her words, Athena turned her attention back to Darius. The goddess
of war and wisdom smiled, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword.
“Darius,” Athena mused,
looking all the world like she couldn't decide whether to explode into a fit
of rage or a fit of uncontrollable laughter, “tell me again what happened
when I sent you after Eve when Xena, Gabrielle, and Hercules left the battlefield
earlier in the day.”
Darius frowned, not liking at
all where this was going. “You know very well what happened, my goddess,
they managed to escape from me before I could subdue them.”
“Do I?!” Athena asked
sharply, her face becoming deadly serious. Then she laughed, shaking her head.
“Oh, you little liar. You never learn do you?” She chided much
as a mother might do to a naughty little boy, before snapping her fingers.
On cue a woman stepped into
the room from the shadowy recesses of the set of now open double doors. She
was one of the archers. And, without one word, the woman turned her attention
towards Variea before placing an arrow on the string of her bow, pulling the
string back, and pointing it at her.
Variea looked at the woman and
recognized her immediately as her second in command. A woman she'd thought was
a friend.
Darius stared in horror at the
scene before him, desperately knowing that he needed to do something to save
Variea but at the same time knowing that if he made the slightest move toward
her he might just give the woman the excuse she needed to kill her.
Athena cast a look at the woman
and began to speak. “Velana's been quite helpful to me. First she saw you
and Variea together the night before today. Then she saw you today when you
spared Xena's life and let her and her child and friends go.” Darius cast
a look of surprise and true fear Athena's way, as he suddenly realized that
his worst fears had just come true: Athena knew of his relationship with Variea
and of his treachery toward her.
“Now imagine my surprise
when she came to me after the battle today and told me that you had lied
to me.” Athena said, turning around and walking slowly along the wall to
his right a few feet, lightly tracing it's smooth surface with her fingers,
looking all the world as if she were actually talking to herself rather than
anyone else. Then she stopped abruptly and spun around on her heel, a sweet
smile plastered on her face, her eyes full of malicious intent, seeming to throw
daggers at him.
“You know, Darius, I would
have let you break the rules and keep the girl. I mean, as long as you killed
Eve, what did I care? The only thing that mattered to me was that you got the
job done.
“But you didn't do
that, now did you?! You lied to me, Darius!” Athena shouted,
her voice taking on a deadly tone that somehow made Darius realize what she
was planning to do. That she was planning on making him suffer for his treachery
toward her by having Variea killed right in front of him.
“ My goddess, please, don't
do this! I'll do anything you ask from now on! Just don't kill her!” He
pleaded desperately.
“You LIED to me,
Darius!” Athena continued, her voice full of animosity, her body
literally shaking with rage, acting as though she hadn't even heard him. “And
if there's one thing that I can't stand IT'S A LIAR!”
“No! Wait!-“ Darius
began, only to be cut off by Athena as she continued in her monologue, now oblivious
to his protests in her now blind and consuming rage towards him.
“And with that said I'm
sure you'll understand it when I tell you that this was the only punishment
I found suitable to fit the crime.” Athena finished, tipping her head towards
the archer.
Velana nodded in understanding,
and, before Darius could react, released her grip on the string of her bow,
sending the arrow slamming into Variea's chest.
Variea stood there, time seeming
to slow to a crawl as she looked in disbelief down at her chest, noticing that
the arrow had pierced her heart before collapsing to the floor on her knees
with a bone-jarring thud, the rest of her body toppling like a ton of bricks.
“Nooooooooooo! No! “
Darius shouted, rushing over and kneeling beside her fallen form. Then he took
her, holding her gently in his arms.
“Come on baby! Don't leave
me! Don't go! Please don't go!” He begged her, his voice trembling, tears
streaming down his face as he gently removed a strand of hair from her face.
“Darius,” Variea said
lovingly in a whisper, reaching up and gently caressing the side of his face.
Then her hand dropped away suddenly, and, issuing one final breath, Variea passed
away, leaving Darius all alone in the world.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Don't go!” Darius screamed. “Come on baby! Don't you leave
me! Don't you give up on me!” Darius cried, shaking her body roughly, not
wanting to accept her death. Then he stopped, the realization hitting him with
the force of a hurricane. Darius grabbed Variea's still form, clutching her
tightly to his chest and burst into a torrent of tears, his whole body shaking
as he was racked by one massive sob after another.
Meanwhile, the woman (Velana)
looked on at the scene before her, and, suddenly, became overcome with emotion,
perhaps because she realized that she had just killed her best friend, or perhaps
she did have a conscious after all and it had suddenly arrived on the scene
and had decided to reveal itself with a vengeance. Either way, it didn't matter,
because whatever the reason she dropped her bow, causing it to hit the floor,
clattering loudly before it finally came to rest at her feet. “What have
I done?” She asked, looking at her hands, her voice almost an inaudible
whisper.
Darius looked up suddenly, whipping
his head around in her direction, a dark look instantly passing over his face.
And as he looked at her a dark smile of understanding slowly crossed his face,
his eyes filling with that same dark understanding as well.
Slowly he rose, wiping his face
with the side of his arm and drawing his sword from its case on his side as
he turned toward her.
“Darius, wait! Athena made
me do it! I didn't want to but I had no choice! She said that if I didn't do
it she'd kill me!” Variea's assassin pleaded, causing Athena to arch an
eyebrow. They were all lies of course since she'd done everything to alert Athena
to their activities.
But her cries fell on deaf ears,
and in the blink of an eye—before she had any time to react—Darius
rushed forward, and, in a stoke like that of lightening, severed her head from
her body, both of which fell to the floor in a sickening thud.
“Hmm, interesting,”
Athena said lightly, clearly impressed with how fast he'd killed Variea's killer.
“Alright, Darius, you've
had your fun but the party's over. We've got a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
Athena replied, with a slight laugh.
Darius turned to face her, casting
a not-so-pleasant look her way. Then he laughed, shaking her head. “You
know, Athena, I could take the beatings, suffer the punishments, and basically
take all of the crap you and the other gods put me through all my life.”
Darius said darkly. “But this…this I won't take!”
“Darius, don't be stupid.
Killing her was the only way to make you realize what you'd done—“Athena
began.
“She was the only woman
that I ever loved! She was the only woman to love me! She knew what I was…what
I had done…and she loved me anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!”Darius screamed at
the top of his lungs, his voice choked full of emotion, literally on the verge
of tears, all the while making Athena flinch involuntarily at the volume of
rage that spilled forth from the depths of his being.
“Well, one way or another
I'm going to make you pay for this!” Darius promised her darkly.
“Darius, are you insane?!
I'm a goddess! You cannot kill me!” Athena declared.
“Good,” He answered
venomously, a dangerous gleam filling his eyes. “'Cause when I get through
with you you're going to wish you dead!”
It was then that Athena realized
that she had pushed him too far by killing Variea and, because of it, she had
lost that precious control over him that she so cherished. Athena sighed inwardly
and drew her sword, now knowing that a fight between them was inevitable.
Suddenly, with a chilling cry
of rage, Darius raced forward and literally threw himself at his opponent.
When the two met, Darius wasted
no time at all, bringing his sword flying down toward Athena—and with a
loud CHING!, a shower of sparks erupting from off of the blades. Their
swords separated—an with an even more bone-chilling roar of rage erupting
from his being, Darius sent his sword flying at Athena's head, only to hit her
sword instead. But, he remained unfazed, and acting like a wild animal, he reared
back and struck—hitting her sword again, and again, and again, and again!—leaving
Athena struggling with all of her might to deflect his blows. Darius struck
at her madly, his sword careening off of walls and the floor as he tried to
hurt her in whatever way possible. All the while an almost never-ending stream
of rage coursed through his body, transcending any he'd ever known! Nothing
else mattered now. What little he'd had to hope for in life was now gone and,
because of it, so had his reason to live.
As a matter of fact, as far
as Darius was concerned, he had only one purpose now and one purpose only and
that was to make Athena feel as much pain as was humanly possible. One way or
another Athena would pay for what she'd done. She would pay dearly for having
Variea killed! He'd make sure of it.
Then Darius rushed forward,
impaling Athena with his sword.
Athena stumbled backwards, and
then she regained control of herself, looked down at the “object”
that was currently lodged in her stomach, and looked back up at Darius. She
cocked her head, giving him an “Oh, please!” look with her eyes, before
sending him flying backwards with a brutal backslap to the face that caught
him right under the chin, the force of the blow sending him flying back through
the air.
With a loud thud Darius
landed on the floor next to a wall, a loud “Oof!” escaping his lips.
Then, slowly, he rose to his feet. Darius lunged at his opponent, a ferocious
battle cry erupting from his lips.
“Darius, please, stop this
childish display right now, before I—“ Athena began, only to have
Darius respond by hitting her upside the head with a brutal punch.
The goddess of war and wisdom
stumbled backwards, giving Darius the opportunity he needed to attack. And not
wanting to give her a moment to recover, Darius tore into her, descending upon
her like a plague of darkness, pummeling her with punches and kicks to numerous
to count, the sheer force of the attack sending Athena reeling backwards. But
Athena quickly recovered, unleashing a hellish combination of blows his way.
Yet, Darius fought on, a never-ending
howl of rage erupting from the depths of his being, as he was fueled by the
unrelenting pain that only grief can provide, his vision clouded with a seething
rage that seemed to block out all thoughts except for one: hurting Athena in
whatever way possible.
Darius continued to unleash
a deadly assault of punches and kicks, taking blows just as fast as he dished
them out. And yet, somehow, he seemed to be unaware of the physical pain his
opponent's blows had dealt to him.
Then, issuing a savage scream
of her own, Athena descended upon Darius, landing several solid punches to his
body, on of which hit him square in the chest, sending him flying back into
a wall. With a deafening crunch, Darius hit the wall, a huge crater forming
from the point of impact as cracks spiraled out from it.
Darius groaned loudly, his face
contorting in pain as he fell, hitting the floor with a massive thud, chucks
of stone raining down on him.
“I've had enough of this
foolishness, Darius!” Athena said harshly. “Now, why don't you be
a good little boy and quit this before you get hurt?”
Then she turned around. “Go
to your room, Darius and get some rest. We're going to have a long day ahead
of us tomorrow.” And with that said, Athena sighed inwardly and began walking
away from him.
Darius groaned, reaching out
and grabbing a nearby piece of fallen stone from off of the floor. “Don't
you walk away from me!” He screamed, throwing the piece of stone at
Athena. The stone hit her in the back of the head and shattered instantly, causing
her to stumble forwards. Athena quickly recovered, and whirled back around,
a murderous look spilling across her face.
Darius rose painfully to his
feet, holding his ribs with one of his hands, every fiber of his being screaming
out in pain. “We're not through yet!” He cried, his voice stained
with the almost unbearable pain that now coursed through his being.
Then he staggered forward, lunging
himself at his opponent with all of the strength that he could muster, his face
contorted with pain and rage. Athena stretched out her arm, releasing a massive
stream of energy that slammed into Darius's chest and sent him flying back thorough
the air, pinning him to the wall.
As the energy continued to hit
him, his whole body shook, cry after cry of agonized pain erupting forth from
his being. Athena smiled, gazing at him with a kind of sick fascination, thoroughly
lost in the moment.
Then she released him, causing
him to fall to the floor like a ton of bricks. Athena turned away from him a
sweet smile of malicious glee filling her face. “See what happens to those
who defy the gods.” Athena stated. Suddenly she spun around on her heel
and began walking casually toward him, a smug look now filling her face.
Darius watched her approach
him with growing horror and dread, his body so tired and filled with pain that
he could no longer move.
He'd given it everything he'd
had in his mission to defeat Athena and avenge Variea's death and he'd failed
miserably. What would happen to him now?
“No,” He cried out
weakly as Athena placed her hand gently on his forehead.
“Aw, come on now, Darius.
You should have thought about that before you decided to oppose me.” She
said softly, laughing harshly, a sadistic smile slowly claiming her lips.
Athena shook her head and sighed
before sending a surge of electricity coursing thorough his body that rendered
him completely motionless. Then, placing her hand out in front of her, in a
flash of light, an object appeared in her grasp. It was a golden necklace, a
few jewels and intricate designs covering it it's shiny surface.
Athena gazed deep into Darius's
eyes…and smiled, placing the necklace around his neck.
Suddenly, Darius's body arched
back violently, the necklace seeming to take on a life of its own as it began
sending bolt after bolt of electricity coursing through his
body—then it began changing shape, conforming itself so that it fit perfectly
around his neck like a collar. Then the necklace stopped shocking Darius and
he dropped back to the floor and slumped back against the wall—and was
no more.
Athena chuckled to herself,
unable to contain her amusement any longer. Sighing inwardly, she healed him
of his injuries. And, after making a few adjustments, she released him and stood
back to admire her handiwork.
“Darius rise,” She
commanded.
Darius did as he was commanded, rising smoothly to his feet with inhuman ease.
He opened his eyes, which were now lifeless, completely devoid of whatever it
was that had made him Darius. Whether or not Darius still existed in that now
inhuman frame of a man was uncertain. But one thing was certain: Darius
was gone, leaving behind an empty shell of a man—a machine that would obey
orders without question.
“Darius, listen to me and
understand,” Athena said slowly as if she were talking to a child. “You
have one objective in this world and one objective only from now on and that
is to kill Eve and destroy anyone or anything that gets in your way. Do you
understand what I have told you?”
“Yes, my goddess,”
The machine-like warrior that was now Darius replied tonelessly, his tone slightly
inhuman. “Eve will be destroyed and all those who try to stop that destruction
will be destroyed as well.”
Athena smiled and began to laugh.
She had won. And as far as she was concerned Eve was as good as dead. And if
Xena, Hercules, Gabrielle or anyone else got in her little assassin's way they'd
be sorry that they did.
Part 7