Xena and Gabrielle thwart an attack by female archers on Amphipolis' border guards. Xena instantly blames Ares, but he tells her that Athena, who is also afraid of the gods' demise, is the perpetrator. Concerned for Amphipolis' safety, Xena and Gabrielle ride into town, unaware they are being surrounded by Athena's warriors. While Xena reunites with her mother Cyrene, Ares offers to assist Athena, but she declines his help. Later, Xena and Gabrielle rally the villagers to help protect Eve. Athena arrives and demands that Xena hand over the baby. Xena refuses and the battle begins. While Gabrielle and some villagers lead a frontal attack, Xena leads another group through underground tunnels. Realizing Xena is underground, Athena sends her head warrior Ilainus to seal off the tunnels with Greek Fire. As the deathly fire races towards her, Xena uses her chakram to collapse the tunnel and divert the Greek Fire out into he battlefield. Realizing they're losing the battle, Xena calls on Ares to help her defeat Athena. Ares, who had previously offered to fight with Xena if she gave him a son, is skeptical of Xena's sudden change of heart and disappears. Meanwhile, Gabrielle gives a pep talk to disgruntled villagers and explains they aren't just fighting for Xena, they're fighting for their freedom from the gods. Ares appears and Gabrielle offers herself in place of Xena, which leads him to believe Xena's offer is genuine. Ares tries to reason with Athena and offers to take Xena and Eve away. Athena rejects his offer and Ares returns to his temple to find Xena seductively waiting for him. The two begin to kiss and Xena asks for Ares' word in keeping his half of the bargain. Ares agrees, but their brief passionate interlude is interrupted when the wall of the temple explodes. Cyrene emerges from the rubble to inform Xena that Gabrielle has launched another attack on Athena's army. Ares offers to take Xena away but she declines. Xena rushes to stop the battle and surrenders her daughter. Just as Athena is about to kill Eve, Ares intercedes and begins to fight Athena. Xena takes on Ilainus and kills her while Gabrielle and the villagers force Athena's army to retreat. Athena disappears with Ilainus' body. With the battle over, Ares wishes to pick up where he left off with Xena. But Xena quickly replies that she never technically asked for his help, so owes him nothing in return. Frustrated, Ares vanishes and Xena and Gabrielle admit to Cyrene they had set him up from the beginning. DISCLAIMER Post Production was under siege during the production of this motion picture.