"We will! Come on Gabrielle!" said Xena.

Xena set the pace, jogging along the forest path with Gabrielle doing her best to keep up. Every now and again Xena stopped to check for signs of tracks that would indicate the passing of a large creature. Eventually the trees thinned out and they came face to face with a sheer cliff. Dotted at its base were several cave entrances. Xena studied them for a while, then turned to Gabrielle.

"This is the one we need! See the relief of the wine goblet? A sure sign of Dionysus."
"And you think the creature went in there as well?" asked Gabrielle.
"Think about it." said Xena, "After a treasure is stolen from his Temple Dionysus sends out a creature to find the thief!"
"Then why did it take the farmers wife and daughter?" puzzled Gabrielle.
"Thats what confuses me too."
Following Xenas hunch they made their way slowly into the darkness.

Soon they came across torches in sconces which lit the roughly hewn tunnel with a flickering eerie light. The drip of water on stone pervaded the place and more than once they were surprised by bats startled from their roosts. After what seemed ages they found a set of stone stairs leading upwards. With Xena in the lead they followed them until they emerged into a great hall. Slits in the roof let in the feeble light from the overcast sky outside and the scent of incense burning on several altars filled their nostrils.

"Start searching!" ordered Xena.

Gabrielle made her way around the Temple hall checking behind altars and under tables heaped with bottles of wine offerings. Behind a large statue of the God she found a tall wide doorway that had been previously hidden from view. Suddenly a heavy slow clumping noise began to issue from inside. Gabrielle backed off slowly, then gasped in horror as the thing emerged from the dark doorway...

Xena heard Gabrielle call her name and whirled to see a massive demonic looking creature moving to the center of the hall. It had a massively muscled, red skinned humanoid form with a huge head bearing curled rams horns. Xena saw Gabrielle backing defensively away from it.

"Thieves!" it bellowed.
"Not thieves!" retorted Xena, "We are seeking to return the ... whatever it was!"
"You shall pay for profaning the temple of Dionysus!"
"No! We are not your enemy!" shouted Xena, but the creature began to advance on her and Gabrielle.

Xena drew her sword and Gabrielle readied her quarterstaff, both assuming fighting stances. The demon was slow and lumbering but Xena didnt want to be caught out. As it swung one huge fist at her she backflipped out of its way.

"Its slow but dont underestimate it Gabrielle!" warned Xena.
"No problem!" she replied, using her staff to vault over and incoming fist.

Xena avoided the next blow it aimed at her easily and swung around with her sword intending to slice deeply into the demons wrist. But as the blade made contact there was a dull thud and it rebounded off of its leathery skin!

"I think we may have a problem!" she noted aloud.