The Switch

THE SWITCH 3
PART THREE

 

 

The next morning, Tori awoke early, before most of the rest of the folks who were crammed around the fire pit. Nobody wanted to chance returning to their homes just yet, so they had decided to sleep in a circle around the fire, moving in close to one another to keep warm. Four men at a time would keep watch for a few hours and then wake the next shift.


 

Iolaus had been on guard earlier that night and was still sound asleep. Tori stood up in place and looked around at all of the people. What in Tartarus am I still doing here? she thought. I've got to get out of here before I get caught. She began to
gather her things and was ready to continue on her quest to get back homeen oen one of the men that was on watch stopped her.


 

"Hey, lady! Where do you think you're going? You can't be going off by yourself. Ares' men might still be out there."

 

"I can take care of myself, thank you," she called back. "Please, tell Iolaus that I said 'good-bye,' will you?"

 

The man nodded his head at her. "Why don't you tell him, yourself?"

A quick feeling of nervousness washed over her as she turned around to see Iolaus standing there. His head was tilted slightly to
the side; he had one hand on a hip, and was tapping his foot. He looked at her through unbelieving eyes.

 

"I know you weren't thinking of leaving here alone, Tori," he said with concern. "There is no way that I'm letting you travel by yourself."

"Iolaus!" she protested.

 

"Don't 'Iolaus' me. I've made up my mind. It's the least I can do in return for your help yesterday."

 

"No, really," she argued, "I prefer to travel alone. You don't owe me a thing. Really! I'll be fine."

 

Right about that time, some of the other villagers woke up and started mumbling in confusion. Iolaus turned around to see what was happening.

 

"Hey, my dagger's gone," one man said. "Mine, too," said another. "Someone stole my necklace!" "And my dinars!"

 

Oh, Tartarus! Tori thought.


 

Iolaus slowly turned back around and stared at Tori through narrowed eyes. Now he knew why Tori wanted to get out of there so quickly and why she didn't want him to tag along.

 

As soon as Tori saw that "busted" look in Iolaus' eyes, she made a break for it. Iolaus charged after her, yelling to one of the men standing guard to stop her. The guard didn't move quickly enough to bring her to a halt, but he was able to grab her tunic and slow her down enough for Iolaus to tackle her to the ground a moment later.

 

All of the possessions she had taken from the villagers spewed out across the ground as she hit the dirt. She struggled lightly with
Iolaus, trying to get free from under him, but she didn't really wto dto do anything that would hurt him. He had been kind to her, and seemed to genuinely care about her, so she wasn't about to do something drastic to him now.

 

"Get off of me! LET ME GO."

 

"No. Not until you tell me what you're doing with all this stuff." He grabbed hold of her flying hands and pinned them to the ground above her head.

 

"I stole them. What did you think?"

 

Her truthful answer surprised him and he let go of her hands and got up.

 

"Why?" He offered her his hand to help her from the floor.

 

She pushed it away and rose without help, dusting herself off. The villagers began to gather around them now.

 

"Because, that's what I do! I'm a lowly thief, not some hero like you've been treating me. Just a thief!" she spat.

 

Suddenly, a few of the men rushed her from behind and restrained her arms behind her back.

 

"She's probably is working with Ares' army." "Yeah, she must be a spy." "Stealing our weapons, so we have no defense against them," the people started accusing. "She was going to go join up with them." "Tie her up!" "She's not getting away with this."

 

"People, people, please! I'm sure she's not a spy," Iolaus said in her defense.

 

"How do you know, Iolaus?"

 

"I don't really. I just don't think she is."

 

Tori looked confusingly at the blonde hunter. Why was he sticking up for her?

 

"Well we don't! Tie her up. We'll figure out what to do with her later."

 
pitepite Iolaus' protests, the villagers secured Tori to a tree. All the fighting she had done on their behalf now forgotten. Tori glared at everyone. So typical of people to assume they know everything about you. Now, how was she to get out of this mess? In all her years of thieving, never once had she been caught. And now, here she was, all because that stupid Iolaus had to be concerned about her safety and stop her from leaving. She would have been long gone if it wasn't for him.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

 

After a meager breakfast that the women had amazingly thrown together with some grains and berries they had found close by, the group had assembled, once again, to discuss various options about their situation, as well as what to do about Tori.

 

Iolaus had offered to go and find Hercules, who was rumored to be not far away in the next town or two, but thought he shouldn't go by himself. He would never be able to fight off more than three or four soldiers at best, and they all knew that there was more than that out there.

 

They didn't have to wait long for their speculations to be verified. Ares' army suddenly rushed them again, and as the women and children were ushered to the safety of a small rock alcove, the men engaged in another hand-to-hand battle.

 

Unfortunately, Tori was still tied to a tree, just outside of where they were all fighting. She held still, hoping that no one would
notice her in this vulnerable position. But that didn't last too long. The general had spotted her and was moving towards her with his sword in hand.

 

"Oh, looky here. It's that little bitch that sent me flying across the room last night," he chuckled to himself. She was all tied up and waiting for him to pay her back for that little move. "You must be a gift from Ares to be so conveniently waiting for me TO KILL YOU!" he said as he approached her, lifting his sword to strike.

 

She struggled, hopelessly, against the ties that held her. She looked into the man's cold eyes and knew that this was the end for her. She closed her own eyes as her body tensed up, waiting for the deadly blow to occur.

 

But it didn't happen. Instead, she heard the man cry out in agony and when she opened her eyes, she saw that his striking arm had been severed off and was lying at her feet. The general was clutching his hand over the bloody stump where his arm had been, a look of horror on his face as he ran off into the cover of the woods.

 

Tori watched him as he left, and then turned her head to see who had saved her. Iolaus was the only man near her at the time. He was fighting another soldier and when he succeeded to disable him, he rushed over and sliced through the vines that held her to the tree.

 

"We can sure use your help, Tori. You up to it?" he said, gasping to catch his breath.

 

"You bet!" she responded. Tori was always up for a good fight. It's what she lived for lately.

 

Iolaus grabbed an abandoned sword from the ground and tossed it to her. Within minutes after Tori had joined in their battle, the villagers started defeating Ares' men. It had been obvious to everyone that the addition of Tori had made all the difference
between winning and losing. Soon enough, Ares' men retreated one by one until they were all gone.

 

Tori hobbled over to a rock to sit down. One of the men had sliced a nice cut into her leg during the battle. It wasn't too bad, looking far worse than it really was, but it was enough to keep her from walking on it for too long.

 

Iolaus rushed to her side. "Are you okay?"

 

"Yeah, it's just a little flesh wound, that's all. What about you, are you okay?" There was a hint of concern in her voice.

 

"Oh, sure. Not a scratch on me!" Iolaus smiled. "Here, let me take a look at that." He crouched down and
started to examine her leg. "Looks a lot worse than it really is. I guess you'll live," he joked.

 

Tori just looked at him in amazement. She couldn't believe that there were still people in the world that were as kind and honest as the man in front of her. Too bad he's not taller, I snatch him up in a hot minute! she thought. "Iolaus?"

 

"Hum?" He didn't look up from her wound, concentrating intensely on the task of wrapping it with his shirt.

 

"Thanks!"

 

He looked up finally. "For what? Wrapping your leg? It's nothing."

 

"No, for saving my life," she said softly.

 

"Oh, you saw that, did you? Well, now were even," he said, placing her foot back on the ground and standing. "There, that should stop the bleeding."

 

He smiled at her and offered her his hand. This time she accepted it and he helped her to walk back to where the rest of the folks had gathered.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

"WHAT?" the God of War abruptly stood from his casual 'leg lounging over the arm' position on his throne. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T GET ANY VIRGINS?"

 

"My Lord, please forgive me. The people - they fought back. My men weren't prepared and we were taken unexpectedly."

 

Ares slowly walked to the general and circled around him, eyeing him with scrutiny. "Tell me, Dimitre, is that how you lost
your good arm? You were taken completely by surprise?"

 

"Yes, Master. I did not see it coming."

 

"And tell me, this happened suddenly?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"Without being provoked?"

 

The general was silent. Ares walked back up the two steps leading to his throne and turned around, crossing his arms in front of
his chest.

 

"Your insolence is unacceptable! How dare you return to me empty handed! You are no soldier," he spat. He unsheathed his sword. "You don't dve tve to hold a sword in my name. And you never will again."

 

"No! My Lord, please," the general pleaded.

 

Ares lifted his weapon and swiftly cut off the man's other arm.

 

The general cried out in agony as the pain swept through his body. The blood started to flow everywhere and Ares smiled wickedly.

 

"Guards!" he yelled. Two men quickly entered the room. "Remove him. And clean up this mess," he commanded. "I guess if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself," he sighed before disappearing in a
flash of blue and white light.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

It had been decided that Iolaus needed to find Hercules and bring him back to help them fight off Ares' men as soon as possible.
He and three other men, would leave that night. Tori begged to go along, but Iolaus was trying to convince her to stay behind and protect the others. She and Iolaus were the best fighters in the group at wat wasn't a good idea for both of them to be gone.

 

"But, Iolaus, these people don't even like me. Not after what I did, you know, stealing their stuff. They don't trust me. Besides, I have no reason to stay."

 

"Tori, that's just not true. Sure, they might have felt that way before, but they know how good of a fighter you are. They know that, if it hadn't been for your help, then none of us might still be here. They're grul -ul -- they just don't show it. Can you blame them? Under all this stress?"

 

Tori looked down at the ground and casually kicked a small rock. "No, I guess not."

 

"And you have a very important reason to stay," Iolaus continued.

 

"Oh, really? What's that?" Tori asked, looking into Iolaus’ face with her eyebrows raised.

 

"Your own life."

 

"My life?" she cackled. "Isn't is obvious that I can take care of myself? You've seen me fight."

 

"It's not you that needs to be taken care of. It's Victoria."

 

"Victoria? What does she have to do with it?"

Iolaus paused and looked around him before answering her. "You really don't know, do you?"

 

"Know what?"

Iolaus studied her face. She really didn't have any idea about the rules of the two universes. He sighed to himself. Well I guess it's time I told her that I know where she's from, he thought.

 

"Come on. Let's go find somewhere private to talk."

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Under a cloak of invisibility, Ares surveyed the group of villagers from a nearby tree. He had caught a glimpse of Iolaus and some female walking off away from the group and he grumbled to himself.

 

"Iolaus! That meddlesome do-gooder. So that's the reason why they came back empty handed," he said to himself.
"I wonder if Hercules is here, too?" Ares thought, but then shook the idea from his mind. "No, Dimitre would have used Hercules for an excuse as to why he didn't have the virgins."

 

Ares thought about using his powers to take the women, but it was so much more fun to do it physically. Besides, he could
teach that little blonde runt a lesson or two. Now that would really be fun!

 

Ares continued to watch the group, deciphering which of the women were still virgins and which were not. Then someone caught
his eye and he licked his lips. It was Victoria. She was still dressed in her wedding attire, although it was dirty and torn, now. Her long, brown hair still had its shine and curl, and gracefully framed her sullen face. Her eyes were puffy and red from her constant crying over losing her husband and three friends. She looked sad and lost, almost pathetic, a perfect subject for molding and reshaping, Ares thought. So vulnerable and easily influenced, and rather pretty, too. She might have some potential as a plaything. Too bad she had no warrior skills. Finding a replacement for Xena was always in the forefront of his mind.

 

He would have to be sure to snag her along with the rest. But she wouldn't be sacrificed like the others. No, he wanted to keep this one for himself.

 

"Until later, my dear!" he said, looking at Victoria before disappearing.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

"For Zeus' sake, Iolaus, would you just spit it out already!" Tori said, losing her patience with the blonde hunter.

 

"All right. All right. Just sit down, will you?"

 

Tori sat on a fallen tree and crossed her legs, looking at Iolaus impatiently.

 

"Tori, I know where you are from. You're from the other side, the alternate universe."

 

Her mouth dropped open in shock at his words. "But . . but . . .how did you . . ?" Her words faded off as the shock set in further. She never thought anyone would believe her if she told them. But now, to have someone tell her that he already knew about it, she never would have thought it.

 

"How did I know? Because, I've been to the other side. I know all about the Sovereign, and the vortex, and the nowhere land in-between. And so I know a little something about the rules of our two worlds."

 

"Yes, go on." Tori's eyes widened as she listened to Iolaus attentively.

 

"Well, as I'm sure you've figured out, for every one thing on your side of the realm, there is an exact opposite on my side."

 

She nodded. "Yes, that's why I thought I knew Cal and the others at first. But then, after I met Victoria, it dawned on
me. She is the complete opposite of me. Pretty, feminine, . . . helpless. Nothing like I am."

 

"Exactly!" Iolaus confirmed. "But did you also figure out that without one, there can be no other?"

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"I mean, once someone on this side ceases to exist, so it is on the other side - and vise versa."

 

"What are you saying, Iolaus? Are you trying to tell me that if I died, so would Victoria?"

 

"Yes."

 

"But that means . . . No, that can't be true, Iolaus. Please tell me that isn't true." Tears began to form in her eyes upon the realization that since Cal and the others were dead here, they were also dead back home.

 

"I'm sorry, Tori." Iolaus reached over to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

 

She brushed him away and stood up. "You're lying! You're just telling me this so I will stay and defend these people. Well it won't work. I don't believe you."

 

She ran off in a heap of tears. Iolaus thought about chasing after her, but figured she needed a little time for everything to sink in. If she wasn't back before dark, he would go find her.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

As the darkness approached, Iolaus became concerned that Tori hadn't returned yet. They were supposed to set out soon to find
Hercules, and he really would feel much better if he knew Tori was here, and all right. He thought that perhaps she wouldn't be returning at all.

 

It was only until after the villagers had convinced Iolaus that they didn't need her "protection" that he finally agreed to drop the subject and head out to find Hercules as planned.

 

Iolaus and the three other men had been on the road for about an hour when they ran into trouble. Ares’ men suddenly surrounded them and the fighting began once more.

 

The Gf Waf War, himself, had materialized to lead his men; only he had disguised himself as an ordinary man. The men knew it was Ares, but anyone else wouldn't have known him from Adam. He had specifically instructed his army to leave the short, blonde man alone. He wanted to tend to him personally.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Not too far away from where the commotion was happening, Tori had taken refuge in a small cave. She was devastated by the realization that her friends, her only family, were gone and she would never see them again.

 

She cursed Cupid, swearing to take revenge on him one day. How could she have been such a fool? To think she actually believed him when he said they would never have to see him again.

 

Tori laughed to herself. "Well, I guess that you could argue that you weren't lying. You probably never were going to let me return home again. I guess that would make what you said the truth. I'll probably never see you again. And I know now, neither will the guys," she told the night sky, thinking Cupid might actually be listening.


 

The more she thought about Cupids betrayal, the angrier she became. The rage she felt was causing so much energy and pent-up frustration that she could no longer sit still. She had to move. She really wanted to beat Cupid's head in, but since that couldn't happen, she began to run. Her adrenaline was coursing through her body and she no longer even acknowledged that her leg was still slightly injured.

 

Then she heard the fighting. She slowly approached the action and her anger flared up even further when she recognized Ares' men
fighting with men from the village again. She shook her head. "Don't these guys ever give up?"

 

But it was what she saw next caused her to lose it. There, pinned against a tree a few feet above the ground, was Iolaus. His face was red at first and then started turning blue from lack of air. The seemingly huge soldier was choking him with one very large hand. The man was laughing wickedly. He seemed to take great joy in this action against Iolaus. Tori didn't recognize this solder. She had seen the others during the last attacks, but not this one. He had dark skin and dark eyes and long, wavy, dark hair. Evil seemed to radiate from his skin and Tori found herself attracted to him right away. She always did like the “bad boys.” That's why she went with Cupid when he had approached her years back. Gods, did they ever have some fun together. His dark influence over her gave her what she had needed to become a true warrior - the ability to kill without remorse.

 

But the sight of Iolaus touched something inside of her. She realized that he was her only real friend left - in either world. She shook her thoughts from her mind and charged at the large man with everything she had.

 

Ares suddenly found himself on the ground with a sword pointed at his throat. He looked up at Tori's hardened face and laughed.

 

"Well, what do we have here? A woman?"

"A warrior!" she responded. "The last one you'll ever see."

 

"Is that so?" Ares said, raising one eyebrow. The he quickly grabbed her sword with his hand and flung it to the side. He was on his feet instantly and drew his sword.

 

Tori rolled and grabbed her sword in the process and stood again, ready for a fight. The two engaged in battle. One always successfully fending off the other's attack. Neither one getting the upper hand.

 

Ares, of course, was just toying with her. He could have easily wiped her from the face of the earth, but Tori was fighting with such
aggression, such passion, that he was rather impressed with her fighting abilities. She was better than anyone he had seen in a while, male or female, and wondered where she had gotten her training. She was so impressive, that one may have thought that he had trained her personally, but he knew he had not. The curiosity burned within him like an unquenchable thirst. He had to
find out. He needed to know if there was someone else out there that possessed the same battle skills as he did. If that were true, he could have serious trouble on his hands one day.

 

Suddenly, he moved on her, knocking her sword from her tiring hand, and backed her against a tree. He laid his sword across her neck and pressed his body against hers into the tree and stared her in the eyes.

 

"You fight well, my dear. Where did you learn to fight so well?" he asked her in a seductive voice.

 

Tori glared at him with cold eyes and then looked over at Iolaus, who was still passed out at the foot of the tree where Ares had dropped him.

 

Ares took her chin and forced her to look at him. His face was even closer to her this time. "ANSWER ME!" he commanded.

 

Tori suddenly felt his power wash through her and the heat of it seemed to settle between her legs. She looked into his dark eyes and then at his full lips and found herself wanting to kiss him. Tori was never one that men found easy to control, so when she did find herself in a helpless situation, it turned her on immensely.

 

"ANSWER ME!" he said again.

 

Tori's eyes narrowed and she spat in his face. This angered Ares and he tossed his sword aside and backhanded her so hard, he knocked her out cold. He shoved her down next to a still unconscious Iolaus.

 

"Oww, you are a tough one, I'll give you that! It's a good thing I like that in a woman or you'd be dead right now."

 

He motioned to his men to pull back and disappeared in a flash of blue and white light.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

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