Path of Forgiveness

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - A PARTING GIFT FROM THE GOD OF WAR

I walked back into the Amazon camp, to be greeted by the angry face of Varia. “What?” I asked her indignantly as she stared me down.

“You little SLUT!” she screamed at me, pushing me backwards and onto the ground.

Anger crossed my face and I got up from the ground and growled, “You really don’t want to be doing that, Varia.”

“Or what? What is the Messenger of Peace going to do to me?” She taunted, angry tears staining her face,

I laughed, “The Messenger of Peace will do nothing, but the Bitch of Rome will do this.” I raised my hand and punched her clean across the face.

Varia got knocked back, shocked that I would hit her. She screamed and came at me, and we fought hand to hand for awhile, as we gained a lot of onlookers. She turned around and backhanded me across the face, so I stuck out my leg and tripped her, making her fall to the ground.

“EVE!” I heard, before I was grabbed from behind from my Mother, and Varia by Gabrielle. I struggled against her, but even my Mother’s strength was too much for me.

Varia spit on the ground beneath me, and rage boiled inside of me. “You’re disgusting!” She screamed at me. “The minute you leave me you run to go lay with ARES?!”

“Jealous?” I said, laughing, but Mother turned me around to face her.

“WHAT?!” She asked, in disbelief.

“It’s none of your business, Mother,” I said, as I shook myself from her grip.

“No, that’s where your wrong, Eve. This IS my business. What on earth made you...?”

But she stopped in mid sentence as I felt my stomach begin to twist inside of its self. I knelt over and vomited on the ground beneath me, coughing.

“Oh my Gods...” Mother said, as she looked at me.

“Dinner last night must not have agreed with me,” I said as I stood up, wiping my mouth.

“Xena...” Gabrielle said in disbelief as she pointed to my stomach. “Look.”

I looked down at my own stomach, it seemed a little bigger, I had to admit. “So what? I’m just bloated.”

“He impregnated you, he made sure of that,” Mother said in disbelief as she looked at me.

I laughed a little, “What? You’re crazy. I’m not pregnant, and even if I was, it wouldn’t effect me this fast.”

“A child from a God grows at an unnatural pace,” Gabrielle said softly, “I should know.”

“You two are INSANE!” I yelled, looking back and forth between them.

“Think about it, Eve. Why do you think he would come to you while you were in your most vulnerable state? Why would he LIE with you like that?”

“Why do you CARE?!” I screamed, “I told you stay out of my life, and I meant it!”

“Eve...”

“I don’t have to stay here to listen to this. ARES!” I screamed.

Ares appeared beside me, and Xena drew her sword at him. “Ares I warned you...”

He laughed, and stood behind me, “Careful Xena, wouldn’t want you to hurt your precious daughter... or my heir, your grandchild.”

Xena just growled at him, and he continued mockingly, “Regret restoring my Godhood yet?” He touched my shoulder and said, “Come Livia, let’s go.” Before having us both disappear in a blast of blue light.

*****

“He would have taken her to Olympus,” Xena said to Gabrielle, as she sheathed her sword. “We need to go after her, we can’t leave that child there with Ares.”

“Have fun with that,” Varia said, before she walked away, only to be turned by a hand on her shoulder.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Xena asked her in a testy tone.

“You don’t actually expect me to go up there and save her, do you? Not after what she did!”

“Varia,” Xena said calmly. “Think about it, did she act the way Eve would act right now? Do you honestly think that EVE would lie with Ares? He’s found some way to turn her back into Livia, which means that you are our only hope of getting her back.”

“Why me?” Varia asked incredibly.

“Because your in love with her,” Gabrielle said, coming up next to Varia. “And what’s more, she’s in love with you.”

“Livia is not in love with me.”

“Livia is the same person as Eve, underneath. They might have very different personalities and a way to go about things, but underneath they are the same person! Just because she’s Livia now, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t make you her true soulmate.”

“But... I saw it...” Varia said, sickness bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

“And was it the same as when she lay with you?” Xena asked her. Varia didn’t answer. “Well, was it?”

“No,” Varia said, looking away, trying to not remember what she saw but seeing it in her mind’s eye anyway. “It was violent...”

“Exactly,” Xena said. “So who do you think she really wants... needs even?”

Varia was silent for a moment, then said finally. “Fine, I’ll come.”

“Alright,” Xena said, facing Gabrielle now. “We don’t have much time. Less than half a day maybe, before she gives birth. We need Aphrodite to get us there, do you think you can convince her?”

“I’ll try,” Gabrielle said. Then called out, “Aphrodite!”

“Boy, aren’t you two the most neediest mortals on the planet,” Aphrodite said as she appeared next to Gabrielle. She sighed exasperatedly but smiled, “What do you need now?”

“Another favor,” Gabrielle replied. “Please.”

“I don’t know,” Aphrodite said wearily. “If I keep doing you favors I might end up known as a helper to mortals.”

“Do it for me, as a friend, please?” Gabrielle asked.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes playfully but relented, “Alright... shoot.”

“We need to get to Olympus,” Xena said.

“Olympus?” Aphrodite asked confused, “Why?”

“Ares took Eve there,” Xena said. “I need to get her back.”

Aphrodite still looked confused but relented, “Alright, all aboard.”

Xena, Gabrielle, and Varia took a hold of Aphrodite, and in an instant they were gone, and on Mt. Olympus.

TBC....