Gabrielle, Goddess of War
“There is something going on, and I don’t like it!”
“What do you mean, Oh Perfect One, something’s going on?”
“Just what I said! Every bit of chaos I’ve been creating is being undone. Every time I think I’ve got a bunch of stupid villagers beaten down and miserable, I go back to gloat, and they’re happy, and not worried about ANYTHING!”
“How can that be, Your Deliciousness?”
“That’s what I’m talking about! How stupid can you be?”
“I am a moron, Your Magnificence! I have the intelligence of a horse dropping!”
“Yeah, well, what’s new?”
“Perhaps it is one of their gods? After all, this IS their domain, not yours.”
“Don’t be ignorant! Except for those few minor demigods who can barely keep themselves alive, the only real gods left are Ares and Aphrodite. And we both know Ares isn’t one to go around rescuing mortals. And Aphrodite’s only concerned with making everyone fall in love so they can live happily ever after, not stopping disasters. No, it’s someone or something else. And I intend to find out who or what it is, and to put a stop to them permanently! And for your information, I WILL reign over these lands, you can bet your wretched life on that!”
“Isn’t this the most beautiful morning? I just love this time of day. Everything seems so fresh and alive. Don’t you think so, Xena?”
“Huh? Oh, sure. Great. Good to be alive.”
“Okay, what’s the matter? Now I know you don’t mind getting up early, so what is it?”
“I was thinking about how wonderful the past month has been. You know, every few days there’s an unnatural flood or drought or epidemic somewhere. I just can’t wait to see what’s in store for us today.”
“Maybe you’re right. There have been some strange things going on lately. But it’s nothing I haven’t been able to handle.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about. It’s what’s been causing it I’m concerned with.”
“Well, you do have a valid point, I’ll admit, but until we actually know something definite, then all we can do is keep on helping to undo the crises as we come to them.”
“If this lowly, worthless sack of nothing may make a suggestion?”
“What? And it better be good!”
“Why not create some unparalled calamity, and then stay to watch not only the helpless people in their misery, but to wait until this -- this THING, comes to destroy your delicious handiwork?”
“I can’t believe it! At last an idea worthy of my ears. Perhaps when I kill you it will be swift and painless.”
“A million thank you's, Your Radiance! Your mercy knows no limits.”
“Just don’t let it get around, I have a reputation, you know.”
“Oh yes, Your Brilliance. And a horrific reputation it is!”
“Of course. Now go! Let me take pleasure in my contemplation of the catastrophe to come.
“So, let me see, what kind of tragedy can I come up with? I’ve done floods, and drought, and locusts. Diseases and pestilence take too long. I’m tired of fires. But what about lightning? I don’t think I’ve done that yet. A storm. Yes, a lightning storm! Something that would even impress Zeus, if the old fool was still around. Perfect! Now, to find a village. It can’t be too small or it won’t attract the kind of attention I want. But if it’s too large then whoever is spoiling my fun may not have compassion enough for a big city full of wickedness. No, it has to be just right. There! That’s the one I want! The farms look prosperous enough, and the town is just about the right size. This is going to be fun - for me. Come on, whoever or whatever you are! Show yourself! I’m waiting!”
“Xena! We have to go, now!”
“Why? What’s the matter?”
“There’s a terrible storm with massive lighting bolts and tornadic winds! They’re destroying everything! There’s no time to break camp! We’ll have to do it later.”
“Okay, I’m ready to go, but where?”
“Poteidaia! The storm is destroying my home!”
Grabbing Xena’s hand, Gabrielle and the Warrior Princess disappeared from their campsite and instantly materialized just outside the city. It was almost as dark as night as the clouds and drenching rains hid the sun. The winds were blowing in from all directions, creating small, powerful whirlwinds that uprooted trees and overturned carts and tore apart the less sturdy buildings.
But worst of all was the damage from the lightning bolts, dozens of them at a time, striking the thatched roofs, exploding them apart, causing fiery straw to fall into the homes on top of the inhabitants. Everywhere, people were running into the streets to get away from the conflagrations, only to be struck down and incinerated.
Gabrielle hesitated, unsure of what to do first.
“A shield!” Xena shouted to her, trying to be heard over the deafening peals of thunder. “You need to create a shield between the clouds and the village!”
Gabrielle nodded that she understood and she put out her hands, her fingers extended toward the town. From them, a pale blue sheet streamed out, spreading out as it climbed up over the tops of the buildings. Wider and longer it grew, until the entire town was protected from the devastating bolts that hit and then were absorbed into the sheet.
Still holding her left hand out, maintaining the protective cover, from Gabrielle’s right hand, a fine mist of water was emitted that was carried by the still blowing winds throughout the village, dousing the many fires.
But as soon as they were out, she had to resume using both hands to keep the barrier from disintegrating, for the lighting had intensified in strength fourfold. And then there were two, then four times the number of lightning bolts hitting it.
From high above, the goddess Hellvatia looked down as the clouds thickened and the deluge began. She smiled as the lightning bolts began hammering the helpless village. Waving her hands, the winds began to tear apart the city from the ground. And just as it looked as if the city would be destroyed, from the opposite side, she saw the pale blue sheet of energy expanding as it covered and protected it.
Enraged, she doubled, then doubled again the number and the force of lightning strikes. But it was no use, the protective shield held firm.
Hidden within the clouds Hellvatia moved toward the source of the barrier, and saw a petite blond woman, arms outstretched, creating the sheet of protection that thwarted her. But she waited, choosing instead to study the woman on the ground, who looked so tiny, yet wielded so much power.
As she watched, she noticed a tall, dark haired woman by her side. From her clothes, it was obvious she was a warrior of some kind. Probably not one to by trifled with, at least by mortals. Why else would she be allowed to accompany...?
What is she? A sorceress?’ Hellvatia thought to herself. No, she’s too powerful to be a mere sorceress. Then she must be a goddess. But which one? What’s her name? Well, whoever she is, her powers aren’t to be taken lightly. But how curious that she seems to want to protect the humans. What kind of god would care about such vermin?’
Realizing she needed to know more, Hellvatia allowed the storm to abate. And as the lightning faded away, and the winds died down, and the rain slowed to a drizzle, she watched the two on the ground. And when she saw the two women embrace in celebration of their “victory” over the storm, she smiled.
Another weakness -- not only is she concerned with the welfare of the villagers, but she seems particularly fond of the warrior woman.
Gabrielle continued to protect her village until the storm died out. And as soon as it did, she and Xena embraced, congratulating each other, but only momentarily.
“Xena, if you will, I need you to go through the town and help gather up the wounded and get them to me. I’ll stay here and begin Healing those that can find me. Try to concentrate on the ones that are burned the worst.”
Without hesitation, Xena began organizing search parties made up of the ones who had escaped injury. As she began to bring the dying to Gabrielle, the Goddess of Healing found she was at the point of being overwhelmed. As soon as their burns and wounds were healed, those individuals left to find others who needed her help.
“This has to stop,” Hellvatia said to herself. “This goddess irritates me to no end. She’ll soon see who has the greater power.”
Xena had just laid another of the victims down next to Gabrielle when a bright orange-red flash appeared two dozen paces from them. Gabrielle looked up to see a tall, pale-skinned woman with fiery red hair and eyes, dressed in scarlet and ever-moving fabric standing there.
“You will pay for your interference!” Hellvatia said as her threw her two hands out in front of her. As she did, from each hand a bright, red fiery orb was hurled into the kneeling Gabrielle, hitting her in the chest and face. The force of the orbs propelled her backward fifty, a hundred, two hundred paces away.
But before she could savor her act, from the corner of her eye she saw, too late, a flying disk coming at her head. Before she could react to it, she was struck was and spun around, almost losing her footing. Never before had she been hit so hard by a mere mortal’s weapon!
As Hellvatia recovered she saw the disk had returned to the dark haired warrior. They acted together Hellvatia threw one of her orbs at Xena just as Xena threw the Chakram a second time. The two weapons collided right in front of Xena. The Chakram only blocked part of the energy of the sphere, which split the Chakram into its two parts, each which flew harmlessly past on either side of Hellvatia.
An instant later, Gabrielle materialized next to the fallen Xena. She placed one hand on Xena’s chest, preserving her life. With the other hand, which was now a fist, Gabrielle sent out a pure, pitch black battering ram of energy, which caught Hellvatia in the midsection, driving her backward and upward.
The force of it sent her crashing through several trees. Fighting as hard as she could, Helvetia was helpless, and could only ride its power until she was well out of sight from the village. Then suddenly it was gone.
Angry, and surprised at the ferocity of the attack, Hellvatia decided to withdraw for the moment. It was obvious this goddess, whoever she was, was not going to be so easy to defeat. She would revise her strategy, and make her plans to destroy this interfering nuisance.
Gabrielle kept up the repelling energy only until the woman in red was out of sight, then placed both hands on Xena, trying to keep her from dying. But even though she had barely been hit by the power of the fragmented orb, which would have killed an ordinary human, she was in danger of Crossing Over.
Despite her ability to Heal, Gabrielle was only able to keep Xena from dying, such was the deadly force of the orb. But for the moment it would have to do. There were still dozens who were hurting and close to dying that Gabrielle had to attend to. Xena would have to wait. But first, she put a shimmering yellow protective aura around her, to keep her safe from, and unmolested by, the curious.
But as the purple and violet glow from her hands healed and revived, Gabrielle couldn’t help but wonder, and worry, about this unknown entity. She had to be some kind of god. And after her work in Poteidaia was done, she would go to Ares. Perhaps he would know who she was.
By the time Gabrielle had healed all those she could, and had comforted the ones whose friends or family had died, the sun was setting. But she still had more to do. The town was almost totally destroyed from the fires and the wind. So Gabrielle produced two fiery orbs of her own, and as they rose high above Poteidaia, they produced a brightness that rivaled the sun, allowing her to see the damage.
Beginning at one end of town, Gabrielle walked through to the other side, repairing the walls and doors and windows and roofs of the shops and homes as she did. This done, she allowed the two spheres of light to die out, leaving only the crescent moon’s pale light to shine down on Poteidaia.
She then returned to Xena. And taking her in her arms, she closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to bring her out of the coma, but to no avail. She held her until half the night had passed but Xena would not wake up.
Beginning to doubt herself and her Healing abilities, she concentrated one more time, and she and Xena appeared in Aphrodite’s Great Hall on Mount Olympus. The Goddess of Love wasn’t there so Gabrielle laid Xena on one of the long tables, trying to make her comfortable. She took a pillow from one of the low couches to put under her head, and covered her with the softest blanket she could produce. She then sent out a silent call to the Aphrodite, over and over until she appeared.
“Hiya, Gabby. What’s...? Oh! What’s wrong with Xena?” Aphrodite’s mood changed from being happy to see Gabrielle, to one of concern over Xena.
“She was hit with some kind of energy ball from some female god with red hair and eyes. I was able to drive her away, but I can’t seem to Heal Xena. I didn’t know what else to do but bring here.”
Aphrodite put one hand on Xena’s forehead. “She’s burning up! And there’s something else, but I can’t quite figure out what. It’s like there’s some kind of curse or something. Maybe Ares would know.”
And before Gabrielle could speak, Ares appeared. As he examined Xena as Aphrodite had done, Gabrielle gave them both a quick description of the violent storm and the encounter with the red goddess.
“Whatever is wrong with her, it has to do with this other goddess,” Ares told her. “Somehow she and Xena are connected. It’s like a part of her is inside Xena keeping her poised on the brink of death. If I’m not mistaken, if you kill this god, then the part of her in Xena will die also. And she should wake up as good as new.”
“You keep saying if’ and should’ but what if you’re wrong? What if she can’t be killed? Or, if she can, what if it kills Xena, too?”
“Gabrielle, as much as I hate to say this, any god can be killed if the right weapon is used. As far as whether or not Xena will die, I would hope not, but I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty.”
“So tell me this, then who IS she?”
“I have no idea. In fact, I didn’t even know there was another god in Greece.”
“How could you NOT know? Surely you must have been aware of everything that’s been happening!”
“Like what?”
“Like WHAT? Floods and fires and locusts! What do you think I’ve been doing the past month?”
Both Ares and Aphrodite shrugged their shoulders.
“I’ve been doing everything I could to make things right. I just don’t see how either one of you couldn’t see what’s been going on.”
“Because those things don’t matter,” Ares said. “Just as long as my armies are victorious, I’m happy.”
Gabrielle shook her head in disbelief. “Aren’t you even a LITTLE bit curious who this goddess is?”
“I guess I am,” Aphrodite said. “Without the other gods around, it might be nice to meet a new one.”
“Take my word for it, you DON’T want to know this one. She’s trouble, I can tell you that. And I have a feeling she’s going to make problems for both of two before it’s over with.”
“Well, maybe,” Ares said. “But there hasn’t been a deity yet that the God of War couldn’t handle.”
“Well, you keep telling yourself that. In the meantime, it looks like I’m going to have to be the one to confront her and, most likely, deal with her.”
Ares laughed. “And just what is the big bad Goddess of Healing going to do? Cure her into submission?”
“I’ll do whatever I have to. And if it comes down to it, I’ll fight her to the death.”
“You really think you have it in yourself to kill another god? As I recall, it wasn’t so easy for you to live with yourself after killing a mortal back when you were one.”
“Like I said, I’ll do whatever it takes. And I’m not as helpless as you might think. You might be surprised just how easy it would be for me to change from the Goddess of Healing to the Goddess of War.”
Ares started to laugh again, but then he realized she might be right. She had learned from the best. So maybe she could be a goddess of war. And maybe even HIS Goddess of War.
Maybe I should keep an eye on her,’ he thought. And it probably wouldn’t be such a bad idea to check out this other god, as well.’
“I guess that’s something I’ll have to see to believe,” he told her, not tipping his hand.
“I guess it is.”
Then Gabrielle turned to Aphrodite. “Will you watch over Xena for me while I’m gone? I know it’s a lot to ask but I don’t know anyone else to turn to.”
“Hey! What about me? I care about her, too,” Ares exclaimed.
“Are you going to stay here, guarding her, for as long as it takes me?”
“Gabrielle, I’d love to, you know that, but....” Aphrodite started to say, when Gabrielle grabbed one of her hands with both of hers.
“Please, Aphrodite, there’s no one else. You know I wouldn’t ask you if there was any other way. It won’t take me long, I promise you. Please!”
“Sure, Gabby,” she said, smiling affectionately. “I always did have a soft spot in my heart for you two. Go on. Take care of business. Xena will be fine.”
Gabrielle gave the Love Goddess a big hug. “Whatever and whenever, you just name it, any favor,” she said in Aphrodite’s ear.
They broke apart and Aphrodite said, “We’ll see.”
“So what’s your plan?” Ares asked.
“I really don’t have one right now. I have to find her first, then I’ll know what to do.”
Ares shook his head. “And you don’t think she’ll be expecting you?”
“I don’t know, probably. But she knows my powers are at least as strong as hers. Maybe she won’t be so eager for another confrontation. Maybe she’ll just leave.”
“Or maybe she’ll be waiting until your back is turned.”
“Well, there’s that, too. But I’m not getting anything done here just talking about it. Aphrodite, thanks again, I’ll be back before you know it.”
And without another word, Gabrielle disappeared in a flash of golden sparks with silver trails.
“I’d better keep an eye on her,” Ares said as he flashed out.
Aphrodite put one hand one Xena’s forehead, it was still too hot.
“Well, Xena, I guess as long as you’re with me, it’ll be okay.” And then with pink sparkles she and Xena disappeared.
“Just who does she think she is? The insolence of her! Did I tell you what she had the nerve to do? She hit me with some kind of energy battering ram! ME! She actually attacked me!”
“A decidedly cowardly act, Your Most Flawlessness. She must be punished.”
“Punished! HAH! Destroyed, is more like it. Beaten and destroyed! Beaten, tortured, and then destroyed!”
“A fitting consequence to such a despicable act upon your Most Glorious Body.”
“At least I took care of her friend. She won’t be throwing any weapons around anytime soon, if ever again.”
“So when will you kill this hateful monstrosity, Your Delightfulness?”
“Whenever I feel like it! Now get out of my sight before I practice on you!”
Gabrielle returned to Poteidaia, not only to make sure everything was, as much as possible, back to normal, but to look around for any clues that would tell her anything at all about this violent goddess. But any that there might have been were long since washed away with the rain, blown away by the winds, or destroyed.
Wait a minute,” Gabrielle said to no one in particular. “I’m a goddess. I should be able to find her just by concentrating. I’ve done it with Ares and Aphrodite, no reason why it shouldn’t work with her.”
Gabrielle closed her eyes and let her awareness blend in with her surroundings. As her perception expanded, she became conscious of the living essence of each creature her mind touched. Wider and wider her search took her. Then suddenly, she felt an evil life-force, stronger than she had anticipated.
“Looking for me?”
Gabrielle opened her eyes, and as she did she was driven to the ground by an incredible force, and held there, unable to move.
“You really didn’t think it was over, did you?”
Gabrielle struggled. But she was unable to move even one hand. Her powers were useless unless she had something to channel them, to direct them.
Suddenly, she felt herself being picked up, higher and higher until she was far above the roof tops. Then she was crashed into the ground. The force of it drove the wind out of her, blurring her vision and rendering her incapable of rational thought. Hellvatia lifted Gabrielle up again and again, each time slamming her into the rocky ground harder and harder, enjoying herself.
“Life is good,” she said to no one, laughing out loud.
“Maybe not as good as you think.”
Hellvatia turned around to see who spoke, and was hit with an energy ball, causing her to lose contact with Gabrielle. Shaking it off, Hellvatia threw one of her own, but it was met and neutralized by the second one thrown by Ares.
“I guess I should have been a bit more curious,” he said. “But it’s never too late.”
“Too late for you,” Helvatia replied as she threw out a dozen orbs, circling around, some coming up behind him. But before he was hit, Ares disappeared and then reappeared off to the side of her. He hurled several of his own, but they were met by Hellvatia’s. After a while it was obvious it was a standoff, neither was able to penetrate the other’s defenses.
Gabrielle slowly regained her wits, but before she was completely back to normal, Hellvatia changed her tactics and once again attacked her. Before either Gabrielle or Ares could act or react, Hellvatia had Gabrielle high in the air.
“I can kill her now, or you can leave,” she said to Ares. “And I don’t mean just leave this village. I mean leave this country, and leave this part of the world.”
Ares hesitated, and as he did, Hellvatia, who was bluffing, knowing she couldn’t kill Gabrielle outright, sent her crashing into Ares. The power of their collision plunged them deep into the ground, sending out earthquake-like shock waves that toppled trees and knocked down the larger buildings of Poteidaia. As the people ran from their homes in panic, Hellvatia laughed again, long and hard.
But her laughter was short lived. Both Gabrielle and Ares materialized on either side of her, but she was ready for them, and threw out spheres of energy, again and again, driving them backward. They were hit repeatedly with the deadly orbs, giving neither of them a chance to fight back. Finally, in desperation, both Ares and Gabrielle flashed out at the same time, giving Hellvatia the victory. Both of them rematerialized back on Mount Olympus in the Great Hall of Aphrodite.
“Where IS she?” Was Gabrielle’s first words, looking around at its emptiness. “What did she do with Xena?”
“I think a better question would be, What are we going to do about that other god?’ “
“I can’t be concerned about her right now. Aphrodite was supposed to be guarding her. She promised!”
“Xena’s fine,” Aphrodite said as she and Xena appeared. “You didn’t say I couldn’t take her with me, you just said to watch over her, which I was. Just not here.”
“Aphrodite! Don’t you know what Ares and I have been doing? How could you take her away from here? This is the only safe place there is!”
“Don’t think so,” Hellvatia said from behind them. “There’s no place that’s safe from me.”
And her energy orbs plowed into the three of them, throwing them against the walls. But before they could recover and attack, Hellvatia had Xena up in the air near the ceiling.
“Any chance she would survive?” Hellvatia asked. “It’s a mighty long, hard fall to the floor. Good chance she’d split open like a ripe melon.”
“You do anything to her, harm her in any way, and I will hunt you down and kill you in the most painful ways you cannot imagine,” Gabrielle promised in a quiet, deadly tone of voice.
“We all will,” Ares said. “There is no place on this earth you could hide.”
“Don’t have to,” Hellvatia replied smugly. “It looks to me like as long as I have this pitiful excuse for a warrior in my hands, all of you are pretty much powerless to do anything. One wrong move, one stupid mistake and you’ll see her die.”
“You DON’T want to do that,” Gabrielle said, trying to keep her temper under control. “Why don’t you leave Xena out of this and maybe we can find some kind of agreement, that we can all live with?”
“Do you really think I’m that stupid? We both know that just as soon as I release her, all three of you will attack me. Not that I can’t handle the three of you, but why bother? Besides, there is a bit of my spirit inside your friend keeping her unconscious and right at the edge of the Abyss. If you kill me, she dies.”
Gabrielle, Ares and Aphrodite looked at each other, their eyes flashing back and forth, each hoping the other would have an idea, something, anything!
Then Aphrodite spoke, slowly, as if she were trying to understand what Hellvatia had said as she was talking. “So killing you means that the little bit of you in Xena will kill her. So, if the part of you that’s in Xena dies, does that mean that you will die, too?”
Immediately, Gabrielle fell to the floor, unconscious. At the same time, Hellvatia grabbed her head, shrieking the scream of the dying. And before anyone could do more than watch, she turned into a pillar of flame and was consumed into nothingness. Not even an ash was left over.
Slowly, Aphrodite helped a weakened Gabrielle to her feet. At the same time Ares, who had caught Xena, sat her down in one of the over-stuffed chairs. Gabrielle then went to Xena and embraced her. As she did, a pale violet glow surrounded them. It wasn’t long before Xena was back to normal, but Gabrielle was still weak.
“How long was I out?” She asked.
“A half dozen heartbeats,” Ares told her.
“You’re kidding! It had to have been longer that THAT! Hellvatia and I struggled for what felt like an eon before I was able to defeat her. And if it hadn’t been for Xena’s soul fighting with me, we still might not have succeeded.”
“It may have seemed like almost an eternity to you, in Xena’s mind, or wherever you were, but it was almost no time out here,” Ares said.
“Does anyone know where she came from?” Xena asked. “And more importantly, are there any more like her?”
They were all silent, waiting for one of them with the answer to speak up. No one did.
“Well,” Ares said after a while. “I think I should pay a visit to the Norse gods, and the Egyptian gods, and any others I can think of. Because if there ARE more like her, then I would imagine they would appreciate the warning. Xena, care to come along? I mean, you’ve dealt with Odin and his little group before.”
“Sure. If you don’t mind, Gabrielle. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Grinhilda.”
“Of course I don’t mind. And while you’re there you can say hello to Beowolf for me. In the meantime, I have a bit of damage control to take care of back in Poteidaia.” Gabrielle said.
“So what am I supposed to do?” Aphrodite asked, on the verge of a pout. “I want to be helpful, too.”
“Why not see if you can find Hercules?” Gabrielle suggested. “It probably wouldn’t be such a bad idea if he knew about that Hellvatia.”
“Oh, a good idea!” she said enthusiastically. Then almost to herself, “You know, it’s really too bad he’s my brother. He is such a Hunk. Sometimes I am so tempted....”
Then seeing the shocked look on everyone’s face, Aphrodite gave them a small, embarrassed smile.
“Bye, now,” she said weakly, and flashed out.