Yessss, Incubus hissed to himself. She’s the one. Looking down on Gabrielle, he fingered her shorn blonde tresses with a blackened fingernail. She is so exquisite, so good, so very pure.

Incubus had at first thought that Xena was the one he needed. But after finding the core of darkness that still resided within her, he had spotted his true quarry. Xena had walked straight into his trap, he thought gleefully.

He started preparing Gabrielle’s sleeping body, removing the offensive warrior garb of leather and replacing it with a diaphanous gown. She looks so surreal, he considered, like my own personal angel.

He knew about angels, of course. One always came to take away the spirits of he ones that died. He had wanted to capture that purity, but it was impossible since they were not of this realm. Incubus discarded the thought and placed his fingers at Gabrielle’s temples.

“Now, my sweet. We shall become as one.”

Xena awoke somewhat groggy, but in full control of herself. Only moments had passed, but it had been more than enough time for Incubus to set his plans into motion. He had redressed her friend and was now straddling her prone body, his fingertips pressed against her skull and chanting in a foreign tongue.

“NOOOOO!” Xena cried, rushing up off the floor. Her path to the alter was instantly blocked by the worshippers surrounding it that she had overlooked in her distress.

They were Incubi, the sub-human spawn of Incubus. Xena withdrew her sword and twirled it in her hand before leaping with an “AieeAieeAieeAieeAiee”, confusing the Incubi and allowing her to get the drop on them.

Her sword arm flashed and the head of one disciple tumbled from his shoulders. Xena twisted, ducked and slashed inexhaustibly towards Gabrielle, doing her best to cut a path. Incubus reared back, and Xena saw her chance.

She seized her chakram and flung it at his exposed neck. The weapon met it’s target, but reflected off as if he were impermeable to the razor-sharp blade. Xena caught the chakram on it’s return and continued fighting, but mentally groaned, Oh No.

The Incubi demons were still coming at her, and Xena simply reacted, running up one fiend’s body and kicking him in the face as she whirled away. He flew unhindered and crashed against a wooden shutter barring a window.

It burst open, revealing the light from the setting sun. The incubi that had caused the opening screamed and disintegrated into dust. That’s when Xena remembered. The LIGHT!

“GABRIELLE! Wake up! You’ve got to fight him! Come on! Fight!”

Xena’s only hope lay in the fact that they were bonded on more than one level, and that Gabrielle would hear her, even in her subconscious. Xena started flinging Incubi into the waning light, but knew that their time was rapidly diminishing.

Gabrielle floated in a state of euphoria, feeling like she was being made love to once again by her gentle husband, Perdicas, and then by her most secret fantasy, a black haired warrior with callous roughened hands.

They swept over her body and Gabrielle ached deep inside for her combined lovers, arching for their next touch. It was like having the best of all she had ever had or dreamed of.

Until she heard Xena’s call... “Fight!” echoing over and over in her mind.

Why would she want to fight against this? Gabrielle could see a dark haired figure over her and smiled. But wait... the eyes are all wrong. They’re not blue, and too... empty.

Abruptly, it didn’t feel so right anymore. She could hear the chanting now and that broke through the haze surrounding her mind. NO! Not again! Gabrielle was not about to be used as a brood mare one more time; so she struggled with all her senses.

The shadowy figure transformed into the horrid face of Incubus, and she screamed, bucking her body wildly to throw him off. She dislodged the fingers at her temple and planted her feet against the scaly expanse of his midriff. She kicked hard, and he was off of her.

Gabrielle scrambled to her feet and saw Xena pushing the remaining Incubi into the low light. Yes! she thought. The light! That’s the answer!

Gabrielle snatched a flag standard off the wall and broke off the cloth at the end. The pole was strong wood, and it regenerated confidence in her. Gabrielle recalled the lessons of her Amazon sisters and swung the staff at Incubus.

He came at her, determined to finish the ceremony that would plant his child inside her. His clawed hands were extended to grasp her, but Gabrielle smashed at them. He roared in pain and blindly charged her.

Gabrielle swung around in back of him and struck across the back of his head. he didn’t seem affected, but it served it’s purpose when he turned around, facing Gabrielle and leaving his back to the open window. Hmm, head shots don’t seem to work. Better stick to body blows, she decided.

Her weapon beat him unmercifully backwards, never allowing him to get close enough to touch her. He has to be in contact with me, Gabrielle remembered from the vague line on the tablets. Her determination renewed, she beat him closer and closer to the open window. He was only feet away an she knew it was time to call in reinforcement.

“XENA!” she bellowed, and the warrior princess leapt into action, pushing the last demon out and jumping in a flying drop-kick, impacting with the center Incubus’ chest.

He flew towards the window, but managed to grasp the casing with his nails. He hung there for a moment, growling savagely, suspended like a marionette. Xena grasped her sword and advanced. “Stay out of our dreams!”

The last of the light touched him as Xena struck the base of his neck with her sword. His body exploded in a burst of light, while his decapitated head flew out into the night sky. It split into eight different lights and turned into a cluster of stars that hovered just above the horizon. A symbol of eternal irresistibility.

Xena and Gabrielle lay, side by side, later that night on the upper rim of the canyon. Gab couldn’t stand the idea of staying a moment longer in the horrible place, so they had agreed to leave immediately. The residence was curiously empty of people as they left. “Do you think all those people were being controlled by him?” Gabrielle asked as they lay looking up at the stars later that night.

“I’d have to say so. I don’t know anyone that would voluntarily work for a monster.”

“So when Incubus was gone, the people gained control of themselves again.”

Xena said nothing for a moment. She gazed into the darkness of twilight and remembered how powerless she had felt, both before and during the confrontation. “He had more power than anything I could imagine.” Xena said quietly. He had been whatever they dreamed of, stealing a part of who they were in the process.

“He never really had Eve, did he?”

“I don’t think so. I suspect that he found out about her and used her image to get to me. To us.” Xena corrected, looking over at her friend and smiling.

“What is it with me and evil spirits? Do I have a tattoo on my head saying “Attention Evil: Fertile Female & Good Lay available here” or something?”

Xena hugged her. “No, it’s just because you’re so darn CUTE!” she started tickling Gabrielle’s ribs and the bard laughed.

“Hey! I give! I GIVE!” she smilingly called, then cuddled, contentedly, laying her head on Xena’s arm. Her mood turned pensive again as she looked at the newest stars in the night sky. “He’s gone for good now. Isn’t he?”

“I hope so.” Xena answered. Above them, the new stars were shining bright, deceptive in their charm and beauty.

Note: I've taken some liberties with regard to creating a master and background for Incubi. They are commonly referred to as Incubi or Incubus. They were blamed throughout history for "unexplained pregnancies". The offspring is called Cambion. That is the exact word used, and there is not a shortened version of it. Part of Authurian Legend is that the magician Merlin was a cambion, born of a nun and an incubus.

The symbol used at the top of each page is called the Aegishjalmur. It is a islandic symbol of irresistibility painted on the body when seeking a mate. I discovered it in a book of charms and amulets that is very old. I'd tell you what the name of the book is, but the majority of the cover and opening pages has been torn off.