Coming Out of Exile: The Strength of A Father's Love
By Moon Mistress

Chapter Sixteen

Planning to make good on his promise in the near future but feeling Calla could benefit from a little time alone, Kanan had Ares chained along side Annie, Jack and Sam in the small room where the exceedingly hot fire burned in the small pit.  Calla he had taken to his old room here in Hell’s Prison and there was locked safely away while Kanan sat in the same building being informed that the Shadows of the Undead had been easily defeated by the UPs and that the Grand High Lady Bitch’s odd plan had been extraordinarily effective.  Daniel Jackson, his son and a man named Duncan MacLeod had been seen creeping along the banks of the River Styx but they’d been lost shortly after their arrival and no one appeared to know just where they were or even if they’d been able to cross the River at any point.

“What the hell happened to you?” Jack exclaimed as Ares, shirtless and drenched with his own sweat and Ichor, was pushed onto the bench by three Shadows while a fourth chained his wrist.  With what little moisture he had left in his Ares spit at them before they could turn and walk out through the open door.

“Move,” Annie mumbled and pushed the astonished Jack O’Neill out of the way. Settling next to Ares she did as Calla had done and ripped shreds of cloth from the hem of her nightgown.  If it was anyone else she probably wouldn’t have hesitated but it wasn’t anyone else this was her Grandfather In-Law.  “That is if you don’t mind, I can help you. Well, a little anyway.” Ares only answer was to slump on the bench so that she could get to the rather delicate area. Very carefully Annie spread the black leather pants apart at the waist to view Calla’s previous work. The piece of cloth was soaked through with Ichor that was still dripping from the wounded area.  Annie very deftly undid it and took it off of him she looked over at the pitcher of water wanting only to wash the wound before rebandaging it but thought better of it.  Several times since arriving in this rather hot sweltering place Jack had picked up the pitcher and heaved it against the floor or the wall or even into the glowing fire pit only to have it return to the small table where it would sit and sweat, its ice never melting, looking cool and inviting to the parched throat and thirsty soul.

It was Evil Water as far as Annie was concerned and she wouldn’t go near it.  Unfortunately for him, Ares’ wound would have to stay dirty for now but as soon as she got him back to the Upperworld she’d have her work cut out for her.  It would need cleansing and stitches and who knew how many pints of Ichor—from some kind donor—to replace what he’d lost.  Surely that was a great deal judging by how soaked his pants were and how covered his torso was with the thick red stuff. Hopefully they would get back home before it began to puss and rot.

“Well, aren’t ya gonna answer me, big guy?” Jack asked as he looked past Annie’s shoulder to see that it was even worse than he’d originally thought. Ares’ penis wasn’t filleted or diced or anything like that it was gone.  He looked up to see Sam on the other side of Ares peeking at the same empty space between his brawny legs with curiosity and something that looked like sorrow in her blue eyes.  “Kanan do that to you?”  Of all the rotten things Ares had done in his life it served him right to be without his cock now. Maybe he wouldn’t be so big and bad stop strutting around like a peacock thinking he was Gods’ Gift or something.

“I did it.” Ares growled through gritted teeth.

Jack’s hazel eyes grew wide with shock and disbelief. “Say again?” Involuntarily Jack pressed his legs tighter together before crossing them and putting a hand over his own delicate area.  The sight of the missing member made his more than just uneasy it was almost as if Jack were having sympathy pains for Ares as he tried to imagine a situation which would cause his to cut off his penis and came up empty.

“You heard me, O’Neill…I did it.”

“What the hell would ever possess you to do that?” Sam asked remembering those hot days and nights so long ago when Ares was her lover.  She loved Jack with all her heart but a tool like Ares’ was hard to come by and a good find when you did.

“Bastard wanted to use me to hurt my Daughter.  I refused.” Ares sneered.  “I’m not going to play his games.”

“Good call,” Jack said with a mixture of admiration and wonder as he let out a low whistle as he patted his own sacred place making sure everything was still in tact.  “Where is she?”

“I don’t know.  Kanan separated us when we got back here.”  Now Annie was padding up one swatch of cloth and pressing it against the gaping wound while she tried to tie another around the stump to keep the first bandage in place.

“Where’d you get the knife?” Sam asked still curious knowing she should turn away from the sight but unable to do so.

“Calla had it,” Ares grumbled. “What do you care? Either of you. I should think you’d be very happy about this, O’Neill.” Yes, she did have the dagger but when they were ushered out of the cage it was gone. Ares didn’t know if it had fallen into the River of Fire or if Calla had somehow been able to disguise it once more.  She was tired, so very tired, he couldn’t imagine her having the strength to shield even the smallest object from Kanan’s sight never mind Ares’ large dagger.

“Me?” Jack pointed to himself. “Ah, I don’t really care but, ah, well, it is quite something. Daniel on the other hand, now Daniel,” Jack pointed to the now empty space between Ares’ muscular legs, “I’m sure he’ll be ecstatic over this.” Jack smirked.

“Do you have it?” Annie asked in a rather shy voice and felt the blood drain from her face when Ares glared at her.

“Have what?”

“It,” Annie mumbled and gestured toward the same place Jack was. “You know…” she leaned in a little closer to him and whispered. “Your penis.”

“No, I don’t have it!” Ares thundered and pushed her away.  “What do you think I’m going to do? Carry it around with me like a souvenir?”

“Well, ya did it to Laran.” Jack piped up with a bit of glee in his voice. He couldn’t help but feel happy and disgusted by Ares at this moment.  The old bastard finally got what was coming to him but still, a man’s manhood was man’s manhood and no one should be going around chopping it off.

“Those were his balls,” Ares corrected, “not my cock.”

Annie didn’t want to be caught in the middle of this little pissing match. “I just meant that if you had it and we get out of here it’s possible it could be…” she stumbled for a moment not knowing if she put forth the idea in front of Jack who seemed so happy at the new loss. “Reattached.” Annie finished.

“Yeah, you could be the next John Bobbit!” Jack said and laughed outright. “They put his back on and he went and did a porno movie after. That’s something to look forward to, isn’t it?”

“I’m so glad my pain amuses you O’Neill,” Ares intoned darkly, “what else should I expect from you?” He grumbled he turned away from him to see Sam staring at him rather wistfully. “What’s wrong with you?”

Annie didn’t give her the chance to answer. “Look,” she grumbled and put her free hand on her hip. “This isn’t funny, ok? He’s hurt. Would you laugh if it were Daniel?” She chastised Jack and then turned back to Ares. “I’m sorry there isn’t anything else I can do for you while we’re down here. I know it must hurt a lot.”  Jack’s mouth dropped open when Annie gave a sad grin and ran her hand along Ares’ rough cheek. “As soon as we get out here I’ll get you fixed up, ok?”

The hand on his face was warm and soft as Ares looked up into her pretty blue eyes.  “Now I know why Nicholas married you.” Ares covered her hand with his own. “You’re a good woman, Annie to sympathize with an old fool like me.”

“She’s a doctor, it’s her job to feel sorry for you.” Jack said with a sarcastic smile.

“Stop it!” Annie cried. “All this bickering! It’s just bullshit!”

“He did it to himself!” Jack said flippantly. “You heard him.”

“Yes, I did.” Annie said softly. “He said he did it so he wouldn’t be forced into raping Mom! I know you hate him but doesn’t he get any credit for that?”

If one didn’t get a few Brownie Points for that what the hell could you get them for? Jack looked over at Ares, “Sure he does,” he mumbled. “Why not?” Jack put one around Sam and brought her in close to his sweaty body.  “This fighting isn’t going to get us anywhere anyway.”

**

Kanan’s prison cell was miniscule to say the least.  If Calla took more than a few small steps in any direction she smacked into a wall she couldn’t see in the blessed darkness!  Kanan had the small sliding window near the top of the door closed so not even the barest bit of light shone in to keep her company.

The floor was nothing but dirt and ash as she walked upon it the debris ground into the wounds at the bottom of her sore feet.  The walls were hot like the dirt floor but they were covered into something that felt awful and smelled even worse.  Whatever it is was it was thick like slime but gritty like pumice, having nothing to clean her hands with after touching it she had no choice but to run them along the flanks of her own body transferring the nasty stuff from palm to sides in long smearing trails.  All around her she was enveloped by the scents of sweat, piss, blood and shit coming together in a heady full-bodied mixture.  Kanan spent two years chained in this room and only the Gods knew how long the previous occupant had been in here.

With her feet aching and her head swimming in a cold darkness that only she could see and feel Calla hoisted her body up onto the small bed. Bed? It was more like an elongated chair. It too was covered with a thick layer of slime and grime.

She remembered seeing Kanan strapped there and thinking how appropriate that was, that it was good for him to suffer so.  When did she become so pious and unforgiving?  Sitting with her bare back wedged into the corner of the grimy wall and her knees drawn up under chin Calla remembered Hades asking her if she wasn’t going to plea on Kanan’s behalf and she had not.  The thought had fluttered through her mind and she knew that if she told Hades to let him go that he would do just that but instead of sparing Kanan she thought it better to let him rot.  Maybe she should have shown mercy to him back then. She might have if there hadn’t been Colleen to consider.  Calla just couldn’t have Kanan running around loose even if it was in Tartarus while Colleen collected her Rightful Reward in the Elysian Fields.  She was certain her other children were also enjoying the break from their cruel father.

Out. Out. Out.

There just had to be a way out of here!

Calla rocked back and forth hugging her knees while she bit down on her thumb trying to see something…anything!...in this damn darkness.  It was chilly in here then again perhaps it was just a normal temperature and her body was still rapidly cooling from being so near the molten lava so long. Either way she was cold and began to rub her legs swiftly trying to build up friction to keep her body warm.  It did nothing to stop the goose bumps from breaking out or her nipples from hardening to a point where it caused a bit of discomfort.  Her body ached enough as it was but most of all it was mind that was weary.  Kanan crept in and had a good look around. Undoubtedly, Kanan had a grand old time making her seduce her Father driving him to the point of madness and beyond.  Her stomach turned as the sight of Ares’ Ichor spewing forth from a place where a white and more pleasurable liquid should be ushering from danced behind her closed eyes.

Where was Ares now?

Where was Annie?

Jack?

Sam?

There was no time to rest there had to be a way out of here.  Rising on blistered feet she walked across the gritty floor once more and felt along the door jamb. There was nothing she could get a grip on as the door had an outer lip which sealed it tightly to the wall. Even if she could get her fingers in there she’d never get the heavy iron door to swing open even the tiniest bit.  She reached through the small hole with the wrought iron bars and tried to slide open the little window if only to get some type of fresh air—as though there was such a thing in here!—into the small hell hole.  It wouldn’t give.

Frustration grew quickly as she began to bang on the door with open palms and then with closed fits. Hitting the tough old iron again and again until her knuckles began to bleed.  She kicked it, threw her body against it, screamed at it, cursed it and still it wouldn’t open.

On the other side Kanan stood smiling a satisfied grin listening to her rail against her helplessness.  She wanted to play then they’d play by his rules. Sooner or later she’d give him exactly what he wanted.  If he had to bring her little cohorts in one by one and slice their throats in front of her, well, he didn’t have a problem with that.  First he’d let stew a little while longer.  Wait until she was good and ready to play.

“Go find Jackson.” He growled to the Shadow nearest him.  “Bring him to me when you do.”

End of Chapter Sixteen
Coming Out of Exile: The Strength of a Father's Love
by Moon Mistress
a/k/a Lisa Beth Darling
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Chapter Seventeen