The Love of War

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the Hercules/Xena characters. They belong to Renaissance Pictures. I don't profit from my writing of fan fiction. I simply write because I was watching Karl Urban in the Chronicles of Riddick and flashed back to some of his earlier roles. While he didn't show up in any of the alternate universes shows (bummer), I thought that Cupid as the God of War would be fun to write.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I refer to the episode *"Lifeblood" in which Selma Blair was a guest star. And, I have made reference to soap in this and previous chapters, but soap wasn't brought to the Mediterranean until Rome began its conquest of the British Isles.

WARNING: This chapter has male/male interaction (sort of). I warned you in the summary and I’m warning you now. If same sex pairings makes you uncomfortable, then the bulk of the Xena fan fiction isn’t going to appeal to you.

The Love of War, Part Seven

Ares watched his nephew concentrate on the family having a celebration of the youngest child's Natal Day. The girl looked to be about two years old. A pretty child with glossy brown hair and eyes. The older children ran around and danced, but the father stood off to one side and wore a melancholy expression. The elders of the family watched him with almost resigned expressions, like they had hoped for better, but weren't surprised to have him not joining in with the fun.

"Hiya, Unc." Evidently the God of Joy's concentration wasn't so focused that he missed his uncle flashing in.

"Hiya, kid. Why does this celebration need you?" Usually Natal Days and weddings gave Erin a buzz without him having to work at it.

"The little one's mother died giving birth to her. Since then, the father can't look at her without remembering what her birth cost him. It hits him the hardest today." Strife didn't take his eyes from the scene in front of them.

"Oh." Then giving this man a little Joy would take the effort of his nephew.

Strife stepped up and moved around to stand behind the father's back. He laid his hands on the man's temples and they started to glow. Slowly, the melancholy expression faded to be replaced with bittersweet joy. Strife stepped back as the man seemed to shake off the dark shadows that had clung to him and sat down next to his youngest child. Ares felt the love flow out of the man and to his daughter. A little of that love flowed toward Apollo's realm, to the dead wife, but the man sat down and pulled the little girl into his lap to pop a lush berry into her mouth. She giggled and laid a sticky hand on her father's cheek. He was able to smile at her without tears.

Strife stepped back with a satisfied gleam in his eyes as he surveyed his work.

"What did you do?" Ares asked quietly.

"I reminded him that his wife always wanted a little girl and that she was very happy for those few moments she had with their daughter before she died. And, I also reminded him that she would probably hit him over the head when he joined her in the afterlife if she found out that he didn't give their daughter enough love for both of them. She was a spirited woman." Strife grinned.

The two gods walked away from the celebrating family and over a hill. Ares looked back at the man surrounded by his family. His nephew really did good work.

"An interesting thing happened the other day," Ares said casually. He didn't want to alert Strife of his and his mother's plans for him.

"Oh? What was it?" Strife's ears perked. Uncle Ares always had the juiciest gossip.

"The Fates brought a woman from the future back here." Messing with the time line was very unusual; word would spread fast through the Olympian grapevine. Most of the other gods would leave the mortal alone, though; angering the Fates was not a good idea. But, if Strife had one annoying characteristic, it was curiosity. Ares sometimes wondered if his father was part cat, his nephew was so curious.

"Really? That's rare." The God of Joy's voice showed interest. "Wasn't the last time they brought someone back when they yanked that modern girl to start the Amazons?*"

"Yep. They dropped this one near one of the Big Bad's temples with just the clothes on her back and a few pastries."

"Really? How is she doing?"

"Better than I would have thought," he replied. "She did have to fight off three would-be rapists, though. Bandits, lurking near the road."

"What was scum like that doing hanging around Cupid's temple?" Strife asked, amazed. Cupid didn't really have a problem with his followers taking what they wanted from peasants. Spoils of war, and all that. But, he frowned on petty banditry as being beneath the dignity of warriors. Plus, if they were by the road leading to one of his temples, it was likely that any loot they got was meant as offerings for him and his priests. Cupid would be Not Amused by anyone stealing from him.

"They must have had a death wish, alright." Ares grinned. Bandits stealing from the God of War tended to come to exotically violent ends. "The mortal took care of them, though."

"Oh?"

"She killed them on the floor of his temple."

"They were stupid enough to chase her in there?" If they were that dumb, they deserved whatever happened. "And she killed all three?"

"First time that she ever killed, too. According to the mirrors, she took the first two by surprise as they came through the door, and got the last in single combat."

"Sounds like she'll fit in around here pretty well," Strife observed.

"Oh, yeah. She'll fit in great." Ares said wryly. "What was really good about the whole thing was that she cleaned up the temple after she was finished." Ares chuckled. That last tidbit would appeal to Erin. It showed thoughtfulness and self reliance. She was unwilling to let someone else clean up her messes.

"She did?" Interest sparked in Strife's voice. Most warriors would think that clean up was for underlings. Usually, only assassins cleaned up after themselves, and only when their jobs required it.

"Spent the rest of the afternoon dragging off the bodies and wiping up the blood." Ares confirmed. The two gods fell silent for a moment.

"Strife, maybe you should go and see her tomorrow." Ares said in a considering tone, like he had just thought of it. "She's probably confused and unhappy. She might need a little bit of your attention." Hopefully a lot of your personal attention, Ares continued silently.

"Sure, Unc," Strife agreed. "I can swing by and brighten her day."



Cupid prowled the Halls of War in a foul mood. The priest he'd fucked last night hadn't even taken the edge off his arousal. He'd left the mortal a limp, slightly sore puddle of satisfaction. The man had been barely conscious by the time Cupid had figured out that no matter how many times he came, he was still ready for more. He had cleaned the bed with a thought before he left, rather than leave his servant laying in the cum from both of their climaxes. It wasn't the priest's fault that his willing body hadn't been enough. The picture of Jessie and his cousin Strife was now permanently burned into his brain. The thought of a toss of Jessie's chestnut hair, or Strife's pale blue eyes peeking up at him was enough to get the Staff of War as hard as a mace.

Cupid considered starting a few brawls for the hell of it, but he knew that it wouldn't help. The thought of getting Jessie into his bed had been challenging and arousing, but now he was thinking of his cousin in the mix. His cousin, the Wimp of Joy. The happy-go-lucky god who got slightly green at the sight of blood. At least Jessie hadn't quailed at the thought of killing to defend herself, and she hadn't thrown up, Erin got nauseous at the sight of a bloody nose.

No! He wouldn't think of that anymore. He'd get that spirited mortal screaming out her pleasure at the end of his cock and not think of sandwiching her between him and his cousin. Not think about her writhing between them, begging for a release from the torment of having them both stroke inside her. Not think of sliding his rod into his cousin's willing ass while Jessie was going down on Strife. Not think of seeing Strife and Jessie in limp sprawls on his bed, exhausted from his loving.

No! Not thinking that!

His prowling brought him before his scrying mirror. He brought up Jessie's image. She was still at the temple, listening intently to Demetrius and Nikos' briefing on her route to Delphi. He could tell that she drinking in the information and he was pleased to see that she was taking notes in her own language. She was already dressed to go and Cupid could tell that she wasn't going to spend another night in his House.

Well, good. He could begin his conquest when she was on the road. It was one thing to grab one of his servants for a little tension relief, most of his people knew better than to read too much into his interest when he just showed up and ripped their clothes off. Singling out one for his personal attention, like he was planning with Jessie, was something he knew better than to do while she was among his priests. Some would be excited at the thought of housing one of the mortals that he favored, but showing that kind of favor to one who didn't even worship him might cause tension. While it wasn't his priests' place to judge who He deemed worthy of his attention, why cause problems when she would be alone and isolated in just a few hours?

Besides, he didn't want an audience for what he had in mind. A predatory grin twisted his lips as he blanked the mirror. He could wait a little longer for her. It would make the pleasure so much sweeter.

Jessie carefully folded and rolled the tunics that she had been wearing for the last two nights and put them into one of the saddlebags. Demetrius told her that they were now hers as well. She had made another objection that they were being too generous, but both men had told her not to insult them by refusing their gifts. Jessie hadn't argued anymore. Having more than two outfits to wear was a good thing.

She had seen more of the interest in Nikos' eyes, but it looked like he wasn't going to act on it. Good. If he had been born in her time and universe, she would have definitely welcomed his attention. Strength and intelligence were definite turn ons for her, and alpha males her preferred taste. Not to mention that the evidence of his previous battles stirred the primitive instincts in her. He had faced his enemies and they had died, not him. He would be a good breeding specimen. Jessie was more aware of her instincts and the fact that most women wouldn't admit that they thought along those lines, or been even aware that they were thinking in those terms. But Jessie knew that she did. The difference in her and Nikos' ages wouldn't have been an issue if he was in Vegas or if she was sticking around, but she was leaving.

Her jeans and tank top had been waiting for her along with a cloak. When she opened one side of the bags, she found a small cast iron pot and a small frying pan. Both would be useful. A small skinning knife and a cake of soap rounded out her supplies. Her map was open on the table. She dusted a little sand on the fresh ink to get it dry, but decided to leave it open for a few more moments to be sure that her notes didn't smear. She looked critically at her pile of clothes. Hmmm, maybe she could compact it a little more? She sighed and rolled her jeans for the third time.

She wrapped her new gold combs in her tank top so that they didn't roll around in the pack. This time, all her new gear fit in the one side of the saddle bags without straining the seams too much. The ink on the map was dry, so she rolled it and slipped it into a leather, water-proof canister and shoved it into her pack. Jessie laced her segmented skirt on. She wiggled her toes in her new boots. Her sandals were more comfortable, but wouldn't be proper for riding. Speaking of that, it was time to meet her new mount. She hefted her bags over her shoulder and looked around at the room she'd been in for the last two days. It was familiar now in a world that was pretty unfamiliar, and she was almost sorry to be leaving it, but she needed to know why she was here. She was pretty sure that she wouldn't find out here. No, it was time to go. Before she stopped wanting to, before she became too comfortable in this temple.

She stepped out into the hall and firmly closed the door behind her.

She walked down the hall to the entrance of the main room. Why hadn't she noticed the throne at the foot Cupid's statue behind the altar? Jessie was pretty sure that she would have noticed the large, carved stone chair when she'd shed her blood on the altar. Maybe the priests had brought it back with them from their trip? Yes, that must be it.

A pair of young priests was polishing the scratches that the bandit's armor had made in the stone floor. Another young priest was cleaning the new throne with wide eyes and slightly trembling hands. The other two were studiously ignoring the large chair behind them. The flickering light of the torches added to the light streaming into the room from the windows above. It must be a bitch of a chore when those needed washing, considering how far off the floor they were. The room seemed to hold a welcoming feeling for her now. She had shed blood in this room, hers and others, and then regained her center through martial meditation the next day in this room. Her breath came out in a long sigh, alerting the young priests to her presence.

All three got to their feet hastily and bowed to her. Jessie tried to hide her confusion and nodded her head in acknowledgement. They kept standing, shifting back and forth on their feet, as if waiting for something. Vast silence filled the room.

Nikos entered from the entrance on the other side of the room and took in the situation at a glance. He could see the confusion on the initiate's faces and the bewilderment in Jessie's eyes. She honestly didn't know why they were deferring to her. News of her noteworthy first kill and the way that Demetrius was treating her had swept through the temple grapevine like wildfire. The priests had guessed the reason and were already treating her like the Lord's Consort. Before he had married Psyche, Cupid had had many lovers. Each one was treated with respect by His priests, especially the women, because they could bear the god's offspring. To have a child of War in a temple was a great boon. True, there hadn't been many, but each one had brought renown to their home temple during their lives. Since his divorce, Cupid hadn't shown much interest in mortal women. Now that the possibility that he was going to break his long fast with Jessie, the priests were hoping that she would return to this temple if she became pregnant. Demetrius was careful in his screening of new acolytes, choosing ones that wouldn’t get jealous if the god favored another with His attentions. If Jessie had her child at this small temple, it would be a very welcome event. The fact that she had no idea of the God's interest in her hadn't occurred to them.

"Return to your duties." He instructed calmly. The younger priests jumped, bowed to the Second, and immediately returned to their cleaning. Jessie turned to him and gave him a grateful smile that lit her entire face. Damn. He wished his Lord hadn't marked this one for Himself. He returned her smile and beckoned her over to him.

She crossed the room, pausing to bow to the statue of her 'host', and followed him as he turned and left his initiates to their scrubbing.

He led her to the familiar walls of the armory. He nodded to the walls where weapons hung.

"Choose."

"I should object, you all have given me so much already, but I'll admit that I was not looking forward to traveling without weapons to the next village." Jessie set her packs down on a table and took a sword off the wall and hefted it. Too heavy, she decided. She spent a few minutes testing the weight and balance of several likely candidates, finally settling on one that looked a little like the one that the Xena of the other universe carried, but it wasn’t an exact copy. She sheathed it and slid it through the belt loop to set it on her hip. Nikos nodded wordlessly at the other wall where bows were hung. She went over and chose one.

"That one has a very hard draw on it," Nikos told her softly. "It might be a bit much for you."

"I'm a bit stronger than I look." She shrugged, but replaced the bow. A man that had served War for as long as Nikos would be an accurate judge of martial abilities. She let her fingers trail over another one and looked at Nikos with a lifted eyebrow.

"That one has a heft to it, but you could probably draw it."

She nodded and started the process of stringing it. She set the loop of bowstring at the bottom of the bow and then set the curve of the bow around her ankle. Jessie grunted a little as she drew the top of the bow down to the other loop. If she couldn't string it, she shouldn't take it. She kept a steady pressure, drawing the curve of wood tighter until she could slip the last loop into the groove at the top of the bow. She stepped out of the bow and grinned at Nikos.

He returned her smile and handed her an archer's glove. Jessie slid the protection over her fingers and drew the bow. About a seventy pound draw, she guessed. Using it on a regular basis would definitely make her arms ache at first, but it would be useful. She knew the basics of archery, but she hadn’t shot a bow in a very long time. Jessie had the feeling that she was going to get a lot of practice on the way to Delphi.

She unstrung the bow with a grunt while Nikos got a quiver and arrows. Then he motioned for her to follow him out. She followed him outside to the courtyard where Demetrius waited with a beautiful chestnut mare. In fact, the mare's coat was almost the exact shade of chestnut as Jessie's hair.

"Demetrius-how?" This couldn't be an accident.

"I don't know, Jessie." He admitted in his gravel crusher voice, but he was grinning like a loon "But this lovely lady here has been in our stable for about six months, long before you ever arrived. I will admit that when we were outfitting you, this horse was on my mind."

Jessie stepped forward and allowed the mare to sniff her hands.
She was already saddled so Jessie slung the bags across her back. Nikos came forward and hooked the bow and quiver to the pegs on the saddle made for that purpose.

"Is she war trained?" Jessie asked. If this was a battle steed, she was going to have problems. She didn't know any of the signals to give the horse.

"No, trail bred." Nikos told her. The two highest ranking priests of the temple watched as Jessie ran her hands all over the horse, acquainting the mare with her touch. The horse craned her neck around to watch her curiously. The mare was something of a clown of the stables, but very good natured.

"She has a very soft mouth, so be gentle in your handling of her." Demetrius relayed the instructions of the temple's Stable Master.

Jessie nodded and hooked a water skin over the pommel and started scratching the mare under her halter. The mare closed her eyes in bliss. Jessie looked at the saddle and decided she could probably ride semi-comfortably on it. She was used to a western saddle, but she wasn't likely to get one of those and had no idea how to construct one. She adjusted the stirrups to the length she was used to from her rides with Kate.

Jessie raised her eyes to the two men on the steps of the temple. They were both watching her with calm expressions. Of course, she was pretty sure that the two of them could receive news of a complete massacre with calm expressions. It wouldn't do to let the underlings think that they couldn't handle anything that the gods decided to dish out. She handed the reins to the young man standing next to her and bowed low to the Priests of War.

"Thank you." She said simply with heartfelt gratitude. They acknowledged her thanks with regal nods.

"I should get going." She stated. They nodded again.

"Safe journey, Jessie." Demetrius wished her.

"Fair skies on your travels, Jessie." Nikos said with a bittersweet smile. He really wished that the Lord hadn't singled this one out, but maybe she would come back after Cupid was done with her.

"Honor and renown to your temple and names," Jessie wished back as she took back the reins and mounted. She had read enough fantasy and science fiction to know that that was a good salute. She sat for a moment in the saddle and then turned her mount to the road, starting her journey.

The two men watched her leave until she rounded a turn in the road and was gone from their sight. Nikos heaved one last sigh.

"Do you really think that she won't go to Him easily?" He asked of his superior.

"I think that our Lord is in for some surprises with that one." Demetrius smiled.

***Thank you all reviewers! Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to drop me a line.