The shocked warrior fell backwards dropping his water skin as he stepped closer to him. He sniffed the air only to snarl in disgust as he grabbed the man by his armoured collar. “A warrior of Ares!” He pulled him up high in to the air ignoring his screams of terror. “Did your god send you here?” He raised his other clawed hand causing vines to shoot up they grabbed the other warrior before he could escape. The screaming man was slammed in to the floor as the vines wrapped tightly around him securing him. Denes shivered in panic. “Yes Ares sent us! Please we beg mercy we thought you weren’t real!” Christos snarled eyeing him. “Well I am real! Why did your god send you here? Was it to steal my healing waters or just to try and desecrate my birthplace?”

Denes pulled up his hand. “He wanted your healing waters! Please don’t kill me!” Christos roared in the warriors face showing off all his razor sharp teeth. “Why does he want my waters?” Denes shivered he knew he’d just had a horrible moment of bladder weakness. “He wanted us to steal some of your water and bring it back to him.” He swallowed. “He wants to make a copy of it for himself so he could use it to heal his warriors in battle.” Christos narrowed his gaze. “Does he now…” He tightened his grip on the man’s collar. “Well you can send him a message from me tell him that I’ll kill the next warrior he sends up here to steal from me! I’ll kill every one that follows until he comes himself!”

He sneered. “Also tell him that if I do face him in battle I’ll wound him in the same way Horn Hind did and I’ll send him limping back to Olympus! The warriors Xena and Gabrielle created me and like them I dislike him greatly.” He squeezed tighter. “Those who steal and those who bring war aren’t welcome here. In this region only have three gods of worshiped myself and Aphrodite and Hephaestus!” He leaned closer. “And if you dare to break any of her statues I’ll break you in half!” Denes swallowed as he looked at the god. “We won’t we swear! We’ll deliver your message!” Christos eyed the general. “Get out…and don’t ever return to this place!” He threw the man watching as he landed hard against the catapult. “I’ll kill you both if you ever return here!”

He releasing the vines from the other man he watched as they both ran away their boots scrambling as they tried desperately to run faster. He turned watching as a flash of white light hit the air along with white and red rose petals, he smiled as he turned to the goddess of love. Aphrodite giggled slightly. “I love how you get them to run away like that.” Christos put a hand on his chest. “Hey you know I’d never kill them unless they give me no choice. Normally a good scare always seems to ensure that they never return.” Aphrodite raised a hand slightly. “I know it’s late, and you would prefer to be asleep but Hephaestus wants to show you his latest creations. It’s totally cool its one of those cat statues that springs to life.”

Christos shook his mane as he turned slightly. “I’d love to, I love looking at his new creations.” Aphrodite patted his arm. “Come on then stud muffin you know how my husband hates to be kept waiting.” Christos walked slowly forward. “Well I never like to keep him waiting or you for that matter.” He put a clawed hand on her shoulder. “You can fill me in on the latest happenings.” Aphrodite looked up slowly at the moonlight she patted his clawed hand. She was looking forward to filling him in on all that was goings on. It was funny she had never really seen the moonlight as beautiful until after the events with Lycaon. She smiled as she patted his hand again. “Come on spirit of the forest I’ll fill you in on everything.”

End of part 64

End Of Book One

The original version of this story was written in 1999, this is complete rewrite with mayor plot changes. The title was Not Human Anymore, which has been changed in the new version.