Agnes


By Briar

CHAPTER ONE

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Ares, God of War, from 
Xena:Warrior Princess. I am simply borrowing him for the length of this story, 
and will return him intact at the end.  This story is for the amusement and 
entertainment of my friends in the Ares and Xena Shippers club. I promise to 
return the character intact when I am finished with him. I am making no money 
from this story.

Something was WRONG. Agnes wasn't sure what, but it was something important, she was sure. She was only five years old, the oldest child of the God of War and his favored priestess. She had two younger sisters, one of which was only an infant. She was becoming more and more agitated as time went by. Finally she trotted down to the nursery, where her mother was feeding the baby. As she entered the room she quietly walked over and looked at the baby. The baby seemed to be fine, but SOMETHING wasn't. "Mama?" she asked. "Yes dear?" she replied. "Mama....something's wrong." Her mother looked at her for a long moment then asked "What makes you think that?" "I don't know, I just know that something is wrong! It's like a bad smell in the air or something. I just know it's wrong."

Elsie finished feeding the baby, and pulled her dress back into proper place. She then placed the sleeping baby in the cradle. Another moment was spent in getting another priestess to watch over the child. Then she took Agnes by the hand and led her into the main sanctuary. She walked up to the majestic throne at the back if the room and bowed briefly. The God nodded in return, then took a quick look at Agnes with one raised eyebrow before looking back at her mother.

Her mother motioned to him that it was a private conversation, and he stepped down from the dais and walked with them into an inner room. They could be private there. She then informed him that Agnes was having a bad feeling that something was WRONG, emphasizing the word wrong, but that she couldn't pinpoint the feeling. He looked at Agnes again with a slight smile on his face. She was beginning to show some power. Now to figure out what the problem was. He asked her several questions, but she just didn't know how to tell what she felt. He then asked her to think of each person she knew and speak their name out loud. She said "Mama." then "Daddy." still nothing. She continued naming each person she could think of. When she came to the name Janisse, she suddenly had a cold shudder wrack her body. The obvious reaction was enough to bring Ares into motion. Janisse was an older priestess who had gone on a journey to another temple several days ago. She was to have returned later today with some scrolls for the library.

He quickly went to a large mirror, and began scanning for Janisse. He soon found her laying in a bloody heap beneath a tree. The area around her was scuffled as though there had been some kind of a battle. She had her sword in hand, and there was blood on the blade. He quickly pinpointed her position, then disappeared in a cloud of blue sparkles. His form appeared by her side. He did a swift examination, and found her alive but badly hurt. He gathered her and her belongings into his arms and transported himself back to the temple. He arrived in the healer's quarters with a bellow. The healer almost jumped out of his skin. He had been sitting there reading a scroll about medicine when Ares had appeared, and the bellow startled him. He immediately put down the scroll and leaped into action. Janisse was partially undressed so that he could examine the injuries. She had taken a wound to the shoulder, one to the thigh, and a nasty blow to the head. Her purse was missing from her belt, but the thong that had held it there was still attached. It had been cut with a sharp instrument. Theft was not unknown but it seldom happened to a priest or priestess of the War God.

There was an excellent reason for this fact. The God of War was known for having a terrible temper and using it whenever he was displeased about something. Seldom anything so simple as a beating for irritating him, more likely a lightning bolt, turning the irritant into a pile of ash. This had happened numerous times during the past. Each time reinforcing the fact that you just didn't do anything to anger him. As soon as he knew that Janisse would live, he disappeared again. He soon was examining the scene with much more care than before. There were the tracks of three men, large tracks, which explained a few things. Janisse was an older woman, an excellent fighter, but no match for three young men ganging up on her. They would be dealt with.

He tracked them to a clearing some distance away. There he found them quarrelling over the small amount of money they had gotten. He drew his sword, and leaped into view with a bellow. The three intended targets were startled for just a moment, they ran in different directions, each man for himself. The slowest to turn and run was overtaken in half a dozen strides. One quick slice removed his head from his body. The God then turned to see which was closest of the remaining targets. He stepped into the aether and reappeared in the path of the second man. This guy skidded to a stop, then tried to turn and run the other way. He was cut in half, sideways, and both pieces continued to flop for a moment.

In the meantime, the third had made real progress in his flight, but it didn't do him any good. Appearing in his path, with sword drawn and waving menacingly, the god brought him to a screaming stop. At least this one tried to fight. He drew his sword and tried to defend himself. Again it did him no good. The God played with him for a few moments then tired of the game. One flashing cut took him out. It entered near one shoulder, proceeded downward and to the left, through the rib cage and breastbone, and exited near one hip bone. There were entrails splattered all over the ground. He then gathered up the money pouch and coins from the three bodies and returned to the healer's quarters. He placed all the coins in the pouch, made a new thong for it and attached it to Janisse's belt.

By this time she was awake. The healer had patched her up, and given her something for the pain. "But....how did you know?" she asked. "You have Agnes to thank for the help. She felt that something was wrong, but didn't know what or how to find out what it was. She is developing talents, rather unusual talents, and we're going to have to start training her to use them." was his reply. The look of pride on his face said it all. Only a small number of children born to a God and a mortal ever developed any talents. Some developed great strength, or long life, or some other small gift. To develop something beyond those things was very rare, very rare indeed.

CHAPTER TWO

A very few days later Agnes began training under some of the older of the priests and priestesses. She learned her letters, she began learning the leaps and tumbles she would need when she began swordplay. She spent long hours sitting quietly on a stool and listening to the basics of magic. Then she went outside to learn more exercises. She began weight training. It wasn't much at first, but she needed to strengthen her wrists, forearms, and other joints and muscles before going on to other things. She learned all kinds of stretching and flexing motions to be done before she started on any of the more serious exertions. She ran every day, regardless of the weather. For a while there her mother worried about her, but soon came to realize that Agnes was enjoying every moment of it.

Two years had passed, and Agnes had just had her seventh birthday. One of the older priests had been promising her that when she was older he would teach her some small magics. She had barely finished her birthday celebration when she appeared in his study, seated herself on a stool, and waited for him to notice her. She knew better than to distract him while he was working. It was only a short while later that he put down the vials and other tools, and turned to look at her. "Yes?" he asked. She grinned at him, and promptly said "I'm older now." He looked puzzled for a moment, but then the reason for her comment got through. He had promised that when she got older he would begin to teach her some magic, she was now older if only by a year. He had actually meant quite a lot older, but that wasn't what he had said. She had him over a barrel. She had taken him at his word. Now he had to deliver.

He began with some very simple things, but she handled them with ease. He got a little more complicated. She still had no trouble. She read well enough to get through the more simple books, the ones they usually started younger priests on, and was doing better than some of his older students. much older students. He was reporting every stride forward to her father, who was more and more pleased as time went on. Her other teachers were reporting as well, and there wasn't one bad report in the bunch. Her only lack was a tendency to daydream occasionally. Since the higher orders of magic required imagination this was not considered to be a flaw, rather another marker on her path.

She was sitting under a tree one day, between lessons, and was watching a butterfly on a flower. A bee joined the butterfly. They coexisted in peace, each working on a separate side. After a few moments each moved on to different flowers. Her gaze was drawn to a small rabbit which was grazing on clover not too far from her position. She had learned that if she stayed still the creatures usually wouldn't notice her. She watched for several moments until the small creature froze suddenly. She looked slowly around to see what had frightened it so badly. At first she saw nothing, but then she saw a wolf moving through the edge of the woods. It was ignoring the rabbit, but then the wind shifted and brought her scent to him. He hesitated, circled around sniffing carefully, then began to stalk her. She was tempted to run, screaming, back toward the temple, but knew that she couldn't possibly outrun him. What to do?

Fear caused her muscles to freeze like the rabbit. Her mind was working furiously, but her body refused to move. Then she remembered something she had read in the grimoire. She held out her hand, and began to concentrate on it. A small spark of light appeared in her palm. As she concentrated on it it began to grow. As it reached the size of a small stone, she threw it at the wolf. It wasn't a very powerful lightning bolt, but it was enough to seriously frighten the wolf when it exploded almost in his face. He spun in his tracks and took off into the forest. Her father appeared at her side. He had been busy with something else when he became aware of a gathering of power. It had been a complete surprise to find that his daughter was the gatherer. He had immediately come to find out what she was up to. Arriving just as the blast knocked the wind out of the wolf and turned him on his tail had quickly made him aware of the need for her act. She wasn't supposed to be able to do that.

It was years before she was ever able to do it again. Only the fear and great need had allowed her to do it then. Her teachers had often tried to get her to do it afterwards, but she just couldn't seem to get her concentration together enough to create a full lightning bolt. Several times she had been able to create a spark of light in her palm but that's all. They weren't really disappointed by those facts, as she wasn't supposed to be able to do even that. She picked up the magical arts very quickly, but some things she had been forbidden to even try.

One of the things that fascinated her was something she had seen her mother do. One day her mother really wanted a cup of tea. They were out in a garden house with no fireplace, no wood, and nothing to make a fire with. Her mother took out a tea kettle, filled it from the spring, and then walked to the center of the garden house. Here was a low square flat stone with knobs at each corner. She placed the tea kettle to one side, raised her hands before her about 12 inches apart, then began to chant softly. A circle of flame appeared between her hands. It burned brightly, and she could feel the heat from where she was standing to one side of her mother. Her mother gently lowered her hands and placed the circle of flame in the center of the stone. She then placed the tea kettle on the knobs, above the ring of fire. It continued to burn until the tea water was boiling, then stopped abruptly.

In the meantime her mother had reached into a cupboard and drawn out a cup and saucer. she then removed a small tea pot, and a container of tea. Soon she had her tea, and spent the afternoon with Agnes, regaling her with tales of magic and mystery. Several of the older students were having trouble with that same magic fire. They would hold their hands out, chant the words, the fire would appear, then *poooof* it was gone again. Over and over they went over the proper spell, but the fire refused to remain in their grasp. Late one night Agnes thought she had figured it out, but wanted to be sure before actually trying it. She trotted down to her father's bedroom door and tried the latch. It didn't work. She tried it again, still it didn't work. She then concentrated fiercely on the latch, and it clicked open.

She trotted over to the bed, jumped up near the foot, and startled her parents out of their minds. She was watching as her father was bent across her mother, kissing her face and neck. He came abruptly to a sitting position as awareness of her presence obtruded on his awareness. Her mother said softly "I thought you locked the door." He replied "I did, another new talent manifesting itself. He was sitting there with no shirt, and it was the first time she had ever seen his hairy chest. She tentatively reached one hand out and stroked it gently. Her father grasped her hand quickly and held it away from him. "What caused you to come here at this hour of the night?" he asked gruffly. "Well you said you'd explain things if I needed you to, and I do." He groaned softly to himself. How did he get himself into these situations? "All right, what kind of explanation did you have in mind?" he asked. "Well I was watching some of the older students trying to make a ring of fire like Mama does. The teacher does it easily, but when they try, it just goes *poof* and disappears again." They chant the same words, make the same gestures, but it doesn't work for them. Do you have to *will* it to stay burning?" He was surprised that she had figured it out for herself. He replied "That's right, you have to will it to remain in force, and if you waver for even a moment, it'll go *poof* just like you said." She grinned and said "I thought so."

She scooted back over to the edge of the bed and prepared to leave. "Wait just a moment young lady." her father said briskly. "Now about the latch on the door. It wasn't stuck, it was locked, and in future I want it to stay locked, do you understand? A locked door means do not enter, come back later. In fact at night it means come back in the morning. Am I making myself clear?" "Oh, okay... but watch this." She had taken several steps from the bed, turned back, waved her arms in grand gestures, then began to chant. She held both hands out in front of her body, flames suddenly appeared and stayed, burning brightly. Her mother gasped. The circle of flames was much larger than she herself could manage. Agnes calmly looked at the flames, back to her parents, then at the flames again. She clicked her tongue and the flames disappeared without a trace. Her father turned to her mother and said. "Another STRONG talent manifesting itself."

CHAPTER THREE

It was now three years later, Agnes had just turned ten. She was a skilled fighter already. Her magical talents had continued to develop, and there were few adult priests and priestesses who could match her magic. Her body was beginning to blossom and develop into a young woman. So far she had no interest in the boys. All the boys she knew were no match for her, and most were actually afraid of her. She was almost as tall as her mother already. In fact she already stood shoulder tall, and her mother was a tall woman. Her mother had recently given birth to her fourth daughter, and as a nursing mother, the top of her gown bulged in a most voluptuous manner. She wore the black gown of a favored priestess, with the War God's medallion around her neck on a silver chain.

A major general in the army of the King had come to make offerings for the victory he had won over a rival neighboring Kingdom. He had returned with great treasure. Kegs of a fortified wine which he had never tried before were only one of the gifts he had brought. He had also brought extra kegs so that they could celebrate the victory properly. They broached the extra kegs, poured mugs of the fortified wine (Brandy) and drank to their success. As he usually had several mugs of wine, he never stopped to think that this might not only smell stronger than regular wine, but be stronger as well. As a matter of fact, by the time he had finished five mugs, he was in a terribly state. He thought that he was the most important man to ever make offerings in this temple. In fact he was at the stage where he thought he could do no wrong.

He had never been toward the back of the offering room, but as he was wandering around he came to a curtained doorway with notices on both sides saying Private, keep out. He saw it as a challenge, and promptly pushed the drapes aside and entered the corridor hidden behind them. As he staggered down the hallway he noticed a young woman walking ahead of him. She was slim, and obviously young, but he liked them young. He called out to her to wait for him. She had turned quickly, seen what condition he was in, and had swiftly continued toward a doorway. She had been mentally calling her mother. She felt the connection take hold, and by the time she reached the doorway, Elsie was standing just outside it. Agnes came to an abrupt stop, turned, and glared at the general.

Now the general liked young girls, but then he got a good look at the woman in the doorway, he ignored the black dress, the silver medallion, and everything else. All he saw was that magnificent cleavage. He began to lick his lips. He reached out with his right hand, while his left hand began to rub his cod piece. "Hey pretty lady, I was interested in the girl before you showed up, but you're much finer. Come to me, I'll show you a good time." By this time he had grabbed himself firmly with the one hand. Agnes could feel a dark dirty feeling emanating from the man. I almost made her want to vomit with disgust. Her mother on the other hand wasn't in the least intimidated. She held out a hand, ordering the general to stop. She then addressed him in a cold clear voice. "You are in a private area. Remove yourself at once." He just grinned and leered at her. "And just what do you think a pretty little lady such as yourself can do to stop me? I'm bigger, stronger, and much more skilled in close combat than you are." A feral grin appeared on her face, then she took the talisman in her hand and called "Oh Ares......?" The God of War appeared at her side. She kept her gaze on the general. Ares turned to see what she was looking at.

The general was rubbing himself briskly at this stage. He stood there with legs spread somewhat, and the right hand reaching toward the priestess and their daughter. The obvious conclusion was that he had been making unwise advances on one or the other of his girls. He looked back at Elsie with head cocked to one side and a raised eyebrow. She cocked her head to one side also, raised one eyebrow, nodded at the general, then giggled. Agnes saw the whole exchange, and marveled at the fact that although they hadn't said anything, they were obviously communicating. She couldn't pick up the thoughts clearly, but she was sure they could. The War God turned suddenly and let loose a bolt of lightning that landed exactly between the feet of the general. The power of the bolt traveled through the floor, up the legs and to every part of the general's body. The charge caused serious muscle spasms to wrack his whole body. Somehow he managed to keep on his feet as his body jerked spasmodically in all directions. Arms jerking and twitching, facial muscles in constant motion, legs half buckling and weaving, he managed to get back out through the curtained doorway.

The God of War then began asking questions as to what had been going on. When he learned that the general had been planning on *playing* with his daughter until her mother showed up, and had then changed his plan to include Elsie as well, he was furious. He turned stiffly on his heel and passed through the doorway in pursuit of the general. He found him standing some distance from the temple, waving his hands about and finally holding them out before his chest. The general was just making a comment about the woman who had melons on her chest when the men suddenly came to attention. As they quickly straightened up, the general had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He turned slowly only to find his worst nightmare awaiting him. Ares announced coldly "The fact that you were in a private area, the black gown and silver medalion Elsie was wearing about her throat, all should have told you that the woman was my Favored Priestess. The girl was my daughter. You dared to try to lay a hand on them both. I will see that you never do such a thing again. Ares drew his sword, and calmly began cutting off pieces of the general. His screams did him absolutely no good. The expression on the God's face never changed. His face was an unfeeling mask. Pure seething rage exuded from his person. No one offered to help the general, in fact they all stood back so as not to be included in the bloodletting. When the last bit of blood had drained from the corpse, the God blasted the pieces into ash with lightning bolt after lightning bolt. He then returned calmly to the temple.

Agnes was still standing beside her mother. They had both heard the screams and finally several great blasts of lightning. Her mother turned to her and smiled. "He won't be bothering you again, dear heart, I can assure you of that.." Agnes was pretty sure of that herself. She had once seen her father in that type of cold rage. The two men who had incurred that wrath hadn't lived for long. In fact they had pled for death before they received it. She had been at a point out of her father's view at the time, and her father hadn't realized her presence until the matter was over. He had taken time to explain that he was sorry she had seen what happened, but that matters couldn't be allowed to go on like that. Those men had disobeyed a direct order which, in turn, had caused many other men to die needless deaths.

Strolling with her mother back into the room she had come from, Agnes asked the question that had been bothering her for several minutes now. "Mama.....? "What, dear?" her mother replied. "Were you mentally talking with Daddy out there?" "What makes you ask that?" was the first reply. "Well neither of you spoke a word, but you both knew what the other was thinking. All I got was a faint buzzing noise." Her mother laughed briefly then continued. "Yes we were in communication, and yes it was mental in nature. Your father and I have been tied together for a great many years now, ever since the ceremony that made me his Favored. We are linked for life." Agnes nodded shortly and said. "I thought so. Kind of like you and me, but stronger, right?" Her mother nodded in reply. They had always been aware of each other, unlike the other children, and it gave them a bond that the others would never share.

Her father returned to the room, smiled at both of them, then seated himself on one of the divans. "I don't think either of you will ever be bothered again." he stated calmly. I have just finished informing the priests that strangers will not be allowed in the private areas again. Someone will be keeping an eye on the doorway at all times. Guards have been stationed in the throne room, whose only duty is to watch the private doors and remove attempted trespassers." He nodded to himself in assurance. Agnes walked over and sat beside her father. "The way he looked at us felt dirty, daddy. I didn't like it at all. It made me sick, made me want to go take a bath." Her father took a long look at her before he spoke.

"There are many men out there who aren't suitable companions for children. He was one of the worst. I had heard rumors of things that had gone on in the palace and other areas. The law hadn't done anything yet, so I thought it was only rumors. He had been extremely cagy in his choice of *playmates*. None of the people who were involved were in any position to protect themselves. I have notified the authorities of his attempts here. They are going to reconsider the reports they had received, and maybe justice can be done for the people he wronged.

CHAPTER FOUR

Two more years had gone by, Agnes was now twelve. She had the figure of a woman, but still was totally innocent about the ways of the world. New students would look her over, and a few made a pass at her. She just ignored the whole thing. If she was on the practice fields and someone tried to get a little too close and personal, she simply let fly and threw them across the field. It didn't take too many of those throws to make them think twice about bothering her. The few who continued were noted by the teachers, then taken aside for counseling. When they found out that she was the twelve year old daughter of the God, they soon found other people to play with. She had no real friends. Even her sisters were not close to her. They had no interest in the temple, they had no interest in the arts of war, in fact they had no interests in common with her at all. They liked to play dress up, have tea parties, and play with the other girl children in the area.

Her mother and father were the only ones that understood her at all. Her powers were still manifesting themselves, and increasing in strength. She was now able to lift small objects with her mind. She had relearned to create and throw lightning bolts. There wasn't a door in the temple she couldn't open the locks of, but her father had forbidden her to enter a locked room. She just unlocked them for practice, then re locked them. One of the oldest priestesses had caught her in the act of unlocking the library door. She had observed the whole thing, and had given a sigh of relief when Agnes simply re locked it. That door had one of the strongest magical locks that had ever been developed. Only three people in the temple, other than the God and the Favored priestess were able to unlock it. She had remained unseen until Agnes had gone about her business, then had made a quick trip to the throne room. She motioned to Ares that she had a matter of importance to discuss with him, and he had relegated the rest of the day's matters to a senior priest.

They had retired to an inner room, and shut the door before she blurted out. "My lord......your daughter.....she can unlock the library." He had looked askance at her, then started chuckling. He remembered the night long ago when Agnes had unlocked his bedroom door and come trotting in. He was glad he hadn't been involved in any more intimate matters when she had jumped up on the bed. The next thing was to find out if she had entered the library. There were documents in there that were unfit for a child of any age. It would be many years before she would be allowed free access to that room. The question remained unasked. It had been anticipated. "My lord, she unlocked the door, tried the handle to see that it would open, then re locked it and went walking off." He laughed again. He had been very stern when he had told her no more walking through locked doors. He was glad to see that she had listened.

The very fact that she could unlock that door was brought to the attention of both her mother and the head priest. Both had been aghast until they learned that she hadn't actually opened it and gone inside. They couldn't punish her for unlocking it, she had never been ordered not to. Her orders were that she was not to *enter* a locked room. There was a difference, but only technically. A feeling of pride swept over her mother that Agnes was even able to unlock the door, and more so that she didn't enter. She could be trusted to obey orders from her father at least. That was a good thing to know. Agnes was developing some powers that could be dangerous if unchecked. Her father was going to have to keep a close watch on that girl, but only to keep her from trying some thing that would endanger herself or others.

One night she was bored, and couldn't sleep. She got up, got dressed, and went outside for a walk. She strolled the temple gardens for a while, then went out the gate and up toward the temple woods. The moon was really bright and she could see clearly where she was going until she reached the edge of the woods. She felt no fear, only a strange yearning, so she continued into the edge of the trees. She soon found herself in a moonlit clearing. She began to dance and hum a merry little tune. Spinning slowly around in great circles, she soon reached the center of the clearing. Here she stopped, reached her hands high over her head, and began to sway to the music, slowly turning in place. A shadow moved at the edge of the darkness. It slowly crept forward, moving only when her back was toward it. It suddenly began to whine softly. The sound broke her reverie. She turned and stared at the creature that was so close. It was a dog, scrawny, starving, and apparently injured. She moved slowly closer to the creature, murmuring soft words of endearment. "You poor dear, did someone hurt you, are you hungry?" The dog whined again.

The light wasn't good enough for her to get a good look at the injuries, but she could see that there was a lot of dried blood on the coat. The dog was apparent unable to stand and walk. He was still only a large pup, and she carefully picked him up and carried him home with her. When she got there several people were waiting for her. First in line was her mother, closely followed by her father. Several priests and priestesses stood a little to the rear. She had been missed. Her father had a frown on his face as she drew near. Her mother was the first to see that she was carrying something in her arms. "And what is that thing you're carrying?" Elsie asked.

Agnes hesitated for a moment, then pushed past them all and into the back door of the temple. She made no reply at all, just set the dog on the floor of the kitchen and began gathering a pan of warm water, several cloths, and some special soap that was used for washing wounds. She began cleaning up the worst of the mess, drying as she went. She was careful not to tear off the many scabs she found. Her father stood quietly to one side with a considering look on his face. He didn't disturb her, as it was plain that she was seriously earnest about her actions. Her mother also stood there for a few moments, then she moved in to help.

"What happened?" her mother asked as she continued to help. As talking wouldn't interfere with what she was doing, Agnes filled her mother in on her actions of the evening. When she got to the point of finding the creature crawling up to her, her father began to look dangerous until she explained that it was whining for help. The animal just lay there while they continued their ministrations. Agnes brought the dog some clean cold water, which it lapped eagerly. Her mother was putting bandages on the animal, so she went looking for something to feed him. There were some scraps of a roast that were left in the pantry. She took a knife and cut off a few small pieces. It wouldn't do to give him too much at once. She brought the meat out and gave it to him. He looked at her questioningly, and she urged him to eat. After the first cautious bite, he soon finished it all. He lay there panting. Now her father sat down beside her and asked just what she had thought she was doing, going out into the night like that. She replied that she just had to go. It was as though something had been calling her.

Ares moved over to examine the dog, it lolled it's tongue at him in a smile. He checked it thoroughly to see that it didn't carry any kind of disease that might harm his daughter. It seemed to be disease free, only injured badly, and the injuries appeared to be from a sword. The pup was good natured and friendly, not the type of dog that you would usually try to kill. There had to be more to the story than that. He asked Agnes again about where she had found the creature, then disappeared for a while. He found the place in question, and soon found the trail where the dog had dragged itself to the clearing. He backtracked, and found an old man laying dead in the path. From the tracks, he had been attacked by three others, and had been defended by the dog until it was too badly wounded to fight any more. The attackers had then robbed the man and gone on. That was enough for now. He would continue again tomorrow.

He now knew that the dog was good, that he had defended his master to the end. If his daughter could pull the pup through, it was welcome to stay. The morning came before he knew it, and he went back out to track down the killers. They had killed inside the temple woods, which were supposed to be a protected area. They were not going to get away with it. What if they had come upon his young daughter? He shuddered to think what might have happened to her. She was a good fighter, but she had had no weapons with her last night. He was going to have to speak about that with her. The perpetrators hadn't gone far. They were staying in an abandoned house on the other edge of the woods. He slipped quietly up on them as they sat there discussing their day.

"I just hope we can find someone with some real money." commented the first man. The second replied with "I do too. That old man was more trouble than he was worth with that dog defending him like that. He didn't have enough on him to bother with." The third man only adjusted a bandage on his leg. It was showing traces of blood. Apparently either the dog or the old man had gotten in one good strike anyway. The God suddenly appeared before them in all his glory. He radiated strength. The first man suddenly swallowed rather hard. "Uh....guys." he said. The others looked up, saw the God standing there with arms crossed, drew their swords and attacked. His sword was in his hand before they even got close. The first man went down with a slit throat. The second took a sword to the heart, and the third turned and ran.

Ares took his time going after the third man. Like a cat, he sometimes liked to play with his prey. He allowed him to get quite a distance, then stepped into the aether and appeared in his path with sword outstretched. The man ran himself onto the sword, and fell slowly off with a surprised look on his face. Now that that matter was taken care of, the God returned to the temple for breakfast with his family. He informed Agnes that he had found the men who had hurt the dog, and that they wouldn't be doing it again. She grinned happily up at him and nodded. "Can I keep him, daddy? Oh, please, can I?" She had folded both hands before her in a beseeching gesture. He grinned and said that if the dog made it back to health that it was welcome to stay. She thanked him profusely, finished her breakfast and headed for the kitchen.

CHAPTER FIVE

The dog had grown considerably, and had become her constant companion. He slept at the foot of her bed, sat calmly on the sidelines as she went through her exercises, and even sat quietly during her sword drills after he had attacked her sparring partner the first time and been reprimanded. He soon caught on that this was all in fun. After that he would check with her to see if she needed his help, and then sit quietly by after she made the hand motion for sit. She had taught him a great many hand motions. In fact some of the hand motions she used on the dog were the same ones she had learned in training. Quiet, lay down, sit, stay, crawl forward, were just a few of the ones he learned. He would make a good scout, he already knew the signs, and his scenting ability was incredible.

Every year the God of War held training maneuvers. He took over a whole section of forest not too far from Corinth. Temple was put against temple in these games. Two temples at a time would be assigned positions at opposite sides of the woods. Each would have an objective to which they were supposed to move their troops. The troops consisted of 40 or 50 trainees with supervising priests. Each had a banner on a pole which was to be placed in the ground in front of the leader's tent. Inside the tent was a locked chest with an unknown object inside. Points could be gained by capturing enemy soldiers, snaring the banner, or by opening the chest and retrieving the object inside. No one but the head priests knew what was in the chest.

Agnes was now fifteen, and was involved with the war games. The dog went with her. They had the job of sneaking up on two sentries and taking them out. They couldn't be hurt, because they were actually only playing the enemy. She and Warff slipped up behind the first sentry with no trouble. She signalled Warff to get directly behind the man, then used a short length of rope to toss over his head and yank. When the man tried to step back, he tripped over the dog. By this time Agnes had a piece of cloth gagging him, and was well on her way to having him tied up. The second sentry came strolling over in her direction. She couldn't take the chance of him seeing what she was doing, so she threw a rock off to one side. Finishing the first man, she stalked the second. He was checking the area in which she had thrown the stone very carefully. He found the stone, and suddenly turned to find her right behind him. He opened his mouth, and was suddenly struck from behind by a heavy weight. Warff sat there atop him with tongue lolling as she tied the second man. He appeared to be laughing.

Several teams were in motion, each with an assigned task. Hers was to take out sentries so that others could try for the banner. A third team was trying for the contents of the chest. Everything had been going according to plan, when the banner group got caught. The camp came alive in a hurry. People spread out and carefully examined the area about the camp. Agnes and Warff were just far enough away to avoid the search. The third group wasn't quite so lucky. A searcher spotted one of them, and made an outcry which brought others running. Agnes stayed in place, hunkered down in the brush, and watched the whole thing. The whole camp was in jubilation that they had caught the raiders, in fact they were in such an uproar that they cleared the area around the enemy headquarters. She waited until things began to die down again, and crept slowly up to the back of the tent. She used her knife to make a slash in the back wall of the tent. Then she walked over to the chest. The lock was no problem with her talents. A soft click was the only sound as the lock was removed and the hasp was opened. She quickly removed the contents, then re locked the chest. She then slipped over to the door flap. Peeking through it she could see that most of the celebrants were still involved in a victory dance. She pushed her head slowly out through the flap. There was no one watching her area. Agnes chuckled softly, moved forward to the pole, worked the banner loose, then disappeared back into the tent.

Warff had been waiting there for her. Now he moved out through the back of the tent, scouting for any intruders. When he returned, Agnes slipped out and away from the tent. She made good time back to her own camp. She had hidden both the banner and the scarf inside her shirt. She then reported that the other teams had been captured. She kept her success a secret for the time being. A week later the two leaders met. One was bragging about the capture of the two groups of raiders, but seemed a little nervous about something. Her leader was curious. Neither had been able to gain supremacy over the other. Each had done some fancy maneuvers to avoid the capture of their banners and treasures. Twice her team had come close to the camp, and once someone had been unable to spot the banner in the other camp. Then they saw it, but it didn't look quite right. Now the time had come to prove that they had the goods. Each leader took out a banner, each leader took out a chest. One of the banners looked a little strange. A closer examination showed that it was in fact a fake. Then they opened the chests. One was empty. There was a major outcry at this.

Agnes stepped forward, stated that she had managed to capture both trophies, and then drew out the real banner from inside her shirt. She grinned then and took out the contents of the chest from her shirt. Both leaders were dumbfounded. One leader had been aware of the loss of the banner, but had not been aware of the capture of the treasure. "But how......?" the opposing leader asked. "While you were celebrating the capture, I cut my way into your tent, unlocked the chest, removed the contents, re locked it, then took the banner and escaped." "BUT... " her own leader started to say. "Well I didn't want the games to end that soon, so I kept quiet." she continued. Her own troops then started catcalls toward the other troops. "A 15 year old girl can outdo you." The God suddenly appeared. The two leaders then tried to explain how they had been tricked, that they had been following orders exactly, that they weren't at fault for the way things had turned out. Ares soon got to the bottom of the story, then chuckled. Count on Agnes to make things interesting. He soothed the two leaders, complimented them on their tactics in the campaign, and sent them all home. He then took Agnes aside. "I'm trying to get these people to work together. I want them to be a team. To watch each other's backs, and to complete their assignments without a lot of heroics. You were a bad example of my principles. I'm proud that you could complete the mission by yourself, but I wish you could have worked as a team." He then hugged her and transported both she and Warff back to the temple.

That was something Agnes had never mastered. She could not transport large items. Small things she could send and receive, but her own weight was too much for her. She couldn't enter the aether either. It frustrated her no end that she couldn't do it. She could sense it. She was aware if someone was near her while in the aether, but she couldn't quite get there. Her father told her not to worry about it, that normally it took a full god to do that. That made her feel a lot better. She was only a little better than half. Her mother was a descendent of Apollo. It was several generations ago, and didn't amount to much at this stage. Usually one in a generation would show some sort of power, but never anything earthshaking. Her mother's brothers and sisters were quite ordinary people. One of the sisters had married into the aristocracy, and lived in a large house with gardens in the city of Corinth.

CHAPTER SIX

Agnes was now 16, and had been sent to live with her Aunt. Poor Warff had been left behind with her mother and sisters. It had been made clear that she was to learn what life outside the temple was like. Each of the girls when they reached sixteen were to go through the same training. One of the things they were to learn was proper manners. Their mother had given them basic manners, but to travel in high society they needed more than she could teach. Her Aunt was named Clara, and was an absolutely beautiful person. Her face and figure were perfect, her clothes were always chosen for the best look possible, and were in perfect taste. At first Agnes had been in awe. She was a very pretty girl, but had never taken any real pains with her looks. She wore pretty much the same clothes the trainees wore, although they were usually of a better quality of material. Black tunic and slacks were the common uniform. She had usually worn her long chestnut hair in a braid that fell to the bottom of her tunic. Here she had a wardrobe of beautiful dresses to wear, and she wasn't at all comfortable in them. Each morning the maid assigned to her would arrive to set out her clothes and help her dress. Then a great deal of time was spent on her hair. Her face was made up, then jewelry was chosen and placed about her person.

This just wasn't her. She endured it for several months, but when that air head tried to seduce her in the garden, it was just too much. He was the pampered son of a major lord. He was accustomed to getting his way. He thought he could get away with anything, and was horrified when she not only refused him but broke his arm in the process. He complained to his parents, who complained to Aunt Clara, who took Agnes aside and tried to reason with her. Agnes refused to be reasoned with. She informed her aunt what had happened, and that she had told the young man to keep his hands to himself. He refused to stop, just got more aggressive as he went. She had warned him again, but he just continued putting his hands in improper places. She had then grabbed him firmly by the wrist, and brought the arm down over her knee. There had been a loud SNAP, and he had begun to scream. She had just calmly continued on with her stroll in the garden. Servants had come at the scream, and had taken him to a healer. The arm would mend, but his self assurance had been seriously shaken.

Things got so bad that Agnes was shunned by polite society. Invitations to her aunt clearly stated that Agnes was NOT included. There had never been any other trouble, and her Aunt was very unhappy about the situation. She had finally called upon Ares himself. He appeared in her drawing room with a raised eyebrow. She explained the situation, and that Agnes was not being treated well because she had defended herself against an idiot. He suddenly grinned at her and asked when the next party was. She told him, and he told her to announce to her hostess that she was bringing the God of War and his guest to the party. The hostess was elated. This would make her one of the most successful hostesses in the history of Corinth. The God of War, himself, coming to her party. She had promptly announced the fact to all her friends. They had told their friends, and her list of guests was soon enlarging at an incredible rate. She had sent for more edibles, more wine, and other things that no reputable hostess would overlook or run out of. She spent a small fortune dressing the rooms that the guests would be entering. Then, of course, she also had to dress herself appropriately. She purchased a flamboyant dress with ribbons, and talked her husband into buying her more jewelry for the occasion.

The big night finally arrived. People had been gathering in groups to discuss the guest of honor. When he finally arrived, it was with Agnes on his arm. She was perfectly coiffed, excellently dressed, and wearing a necklace that outshone any other in the room. She also had a matching bracelet and earrings. They were the most beautiful emeralds they had ever seen. The largest was the size of a robin's egg. They were separated by diamonds and opals. The dress was also emerald green, the exact shade of the stones. Her face was slightly flushed, because she knew how people felt about her. She would not back down however. She was here, and she was going to enjoy herself. The young man in question had promptly made an ass of himself. He had said in a loud voice "Who let her in?" There was sudden silence on every hand. People began to draw back from his position at the side of the dance floor.

"I did." was Ares' reply. The God simply passed him as if he weren't even there. Agnes, on his arm, also ignored the jerk. This was just more than he could stand. He obviously didn't recognize who he was talking to. He thought his high birth made him untouchable. He soon learned differently. As he grabbed the God by the arm, he stepped in close. This was a serious mistake. One fast move had him gasping as he was thrown across the floor. He still wasn't going to listen to reason. He was sputtering as he picked himself up off the floor. He tried to attack from the rear, but that didn't work either. At the last second, his prey moved aside, and he wound up on the floor again. Now he was practically frothing at the mouth. One of his friends tried to stop him from making any more of a fool of himself than he already had. The friend received a punch in the jaw for his trouble. As the friend dropped to the floor, the God had reached his objective. Ares stood at the top of a small dais at the end of the room. He raised his hands, and the near silent room attained complete silence. "I have a bone to pick with you people. Since when does a pampered pup outrank my daughter? Since when has the daughter of a God been open to being manhandled without defending herself? I want an answer to these questions."

The silence continued for a moment until the young man in question started screaming insults at Agnes. He called her a tease, and other things not even that nice. The God looked at him for a moment, then threw a lightning bolt at him. It wasn't a very powerful one, just strong enough to shock and stun, but the youth just screamed harder and continued with the insults. The second bolt was considerably stronger. It knocked him unconscious. "I want it to be known that I expect my daughter to be treated with respect from this date on. I will have no more of these accusations, I will have no more of the shunning, I will deal with anyone who ignores these requests. Is that perfectly clear?"

The silence was broken with sounds of agreement. Murmurs swept from one end of the room to the other. The young man in question suddenly drew a knife and threw it at Agnes. The knife stopped in midair, switched ends, and propelled itself back into the chest of the thrower. There was a moment of stunned silence before the pandemonium struck. People ran screaming from the room. Women fainted dead away. Some were fortunate to have friends nearby to catch them, others were not that fortunate, and fell to the floor in a stupor.

That party had been the talk of the town for months afterwards. Agnes was treated with respect, invited to every function for people her age, and was even invited to weekend house parties. She had fun for a while, but then it got to be just the same old thing day after day. There were no challenges, nothing to do but house calls, dances, strolling in the park, and similar tame activities. She was just about fed up with the whole thing. She requested to go back to the temple, but was refused. She was expected to stay and learn whatever she could about life outside the temple. There were no lack of beaus after they found out that she was more than just the daughter of her aunt's sister. It would have been a real feather in the cap of any young man that could win her heart. She just wasn't interested in any of them. Most of them were so shallow that they could not even discuss serious subjects with her. Her own education left most of them incapable of speech. The few she met who could discuss things sensibly were usually much older than herself, and often widowed. She wanted desperately to just go home, but it was not to be for quite a while longer.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Two years later, when her next younger sister was due to arrive for her turn with the aunt, Agnes again asked to return home. Again she was refused, so she determined to take matters into her own hands. She slipped out a side door in her dark tunic and slacks. She was wearing her medallion against the front of her shirt. She managed to get well away from the house before she was missed. Once she had escaped the vicinity, she made her way to the nearest temple to Ares. Here she entered the great doors, passed down the hallway, entered the throne room, and approached the altar. Two younger priests moved to intervene. The older priest officiating behind the altar, suddenly recognized her, whistled and motioned 'all clear'. The younger priests suddenly veered to either side and passed her by. She continued up to the altar. She then drew a small knife and made a slit on her hand. As the blood dripped slowly on the altar, she dedicated herself to the service of the God of War. The high priest nodded slowly, then gestured her to approach the side of the altar. She did and he made the sign of acceptance.

A moment later the God appeared. One glance at the bloody knife gave him to understand what she'd done. He nodded briefly to the high priest, then took her by the hand and disappeared with her. Her sudden appearance in the room with her mother was a shock. The fact that her father was with her didn't change the fact that she was supposed to be in Corinth. Her mother opened her mouth to speak, but her father shook his head. He then announced that Agnes had taken her vows to the temple. He would be making arrangements at another temple for her initiation. Her mother looked somewhat disturbed for a moment. Her father then said "I was thinking of Cecil." She suddenly smiled and nodded. "A good choice, I think, kind and understanding." she said softly. Agnes' father nodded in agreement. Her aunt was promptly informed of the change in plans.

Cecil was an intermediate priest at another temple. He was gifted above most in Magic, was thoughtful, kind, and remarkably patient. It was going to take all of these qualities to manage the initiation of such a strong willed girl. Agnes had only a slight realization of what was involved. She would be required to give up her girlhood, and achieve womanhood before she could serve in the temple. Her father had chosen someone who had the experience, patience, and authority for the job. Cecil had achieved excellent results in the past with strong willed young women. Two of her mother's friends had been initiated by him and had told her mother what a remarkable time they had experienced in the process.

The arrangements had been made in record time. Agnes was taken to the other temple by both parents. She was sternly ordered to pay attention to all that Cecil would teach her, to keep her temper in check, and to show all obedience that she would show her parents. She was prepared by several of the younger priestesses, who whispered and giggled during the entire time that they were dressing her. They told her she was really going to enjoy this night. Her hair was brushed thoroughly, and braided up into a coronet. Then it was pinned in place. She wore a long sleeved white gown with a v neck. It was almost sheer, and she was embarrassed until they provided a thin robe to go over it. Now only vague glimpses of her body could be seen. She was still uncomfortable. She was soon being escorted down the hall to a pair of double doors.

The doors opened onto a room that appeared much like her father's. It had a huge four poster bed with black draperies pulled back at each corner. There were two divans separated by a low silver table before the fireplace. Various chests and tables made up most of the other furniture. A monstrously large rug covered almost the whole floor space in the room. It seemed really familiar. She was escorted to the bed, the robe was removed, and after the women giggled their way out the door, she was left alone. A few moments later, an attractive man entered. He brought a jug of wine, and two glasses. He came over near the bed and pulled out one of the nearby tables. The two glasses and the jug were placed thereon. He came to sit on the edge of the bed, smiled at her and introduced himself as Cecil. She shyly greeted him with the sheet pulled up over herself. He paid no attention, just asked if she would like a glass of wine. By this time she was getting really nervous, and her mouth had become dry. She nodded briefly and he poured two glasses. He held both out so that she could choose. The wine went down very smoothly. It was a fine vintage, one that she had often tasted in Corinth, and she enjoyed the flavor very much. He sat there making conversation as they drank. He told her a little about himself, the various forms of magic he enjoyed, and other things that slowly reduced her nervousness. He drew her out a little as to her own preferences in magic.

By this time the wine, the familiar discussions of magic, and his quiet manner had eased her jitters considerably. He drew her face toward him, and gently kissed her lips. He observed her reaction very carefully. She felt no threat, so she simply accepted it, revelling in the sensations it created in her. He kissed her again, a little longer, with just a little more feeling. She was enjoying this. It was totally unlike that jerk in Corinth. When he moved to kiss her again, she was more than willing. She was eager. At the slightest suggestion from him, she parted her lips, and their tongues intertwined. His arms slipped about her and drew her closer to his chest. By this time the sheet was slipping down, and she wasn't even aware of it. Her arms went about his neck and she returned the kiss with real feeling. His hands began stroking her back and sides, slowly increasing the pressure, then tightened firmly about her. The kiss deepened, her body arched against his, her breathing began to come faster, and he gently pushed her away.

She wanted more, she wasn't sure what more she wanted, but she wanted MORE. He poured them each another glass of wine, and waited for her to finish it before he made the next move. He lifted the sheets and got into bed. She moved over to give him more room. He removed his robe and tossed it to one side. He had the same sort of hairy chest her father had. She looked at it for a long moment, then began stroking it gently. The sensation was one she had almost forgotten. He drew her head down and kissed her again. She moaned softly. His hands began to stroke her again, moving slowly up her hips, across her rib cage, and finally he began to massage the front of her with his thumbs. She was beginning to feel heated. The sensations swept over her entire body, and began to center themselves low in her abdomen. There was an empty sensation. One she desperately wanted to fill, It wasn't too much longer before he fulfilled her every desire. She was ready, willing, and ever so eager to oblige.

This was the temple she would be serving at. Warff was brought to her after her initiation was completed, and she and Warff moved into their own small room. Her duties were light, at first, as she got to know her way about the temple and environs. She had been introduced only as Agnes, and was treated just the same as the other junior members of the temple. Only Cecil and the high priest knew who she actually was. Things had gone well until the day one of the teaching priests was telling the students about a magical lock on the chest he was holding that could only be opened by a very senior priest. Agnes had promptly stated that she could probably open it. The other students had laughed her to scorn, until she straightened her shoulders and marched up to the front of the room. She had then placed one hand over the chest, muttered something too low for anyone else to hear, and the lock clicked open. There was a sustained indrawing of air throughout the room. Even the teacher was amazed. Most of the senior priests had been unable to unlock that chest. Just who was this girl anyway? When asked, she had simply replied. "I'm Agnes."

It was not much longer before she moved in with Cecil. They were married before the year was out. It was hoped that since they both were highly gifted in magic that they would also have gifted children. Unfortunately that was not to be. Agnes had three miscarriages, but never carried to full term. She continued to live happily with Cecil until his death twenty years later. She was thirty nine at the time, and continued to serve the temple alone. She was often sent out to perform other duties. These duties often involved dangerous magics, but she was up to the task. She and Cecil had developed many new uses for the magics they already knew, and had gone on to discover other varieties. She had done well, and had made both of her parents proud.

The End