leaves him with Gabrielle in a hidden cave and sets out to confront the boy's family. Arriving at the boy's home, Xena is surprised to find the aging patriarch Anteus genuinely tom apart by the decision to sacrifice his young son. His elder son Maell, however, angrily insists that God has commanded Icus' death and orders Xena to return his brother.
Xena refuses and leaves. She soon grows suspicious of Maell's real motives when she learns that he was the one who instigated the community's worship of a new Supreme Deity shortly after Anteus made it known that he was going to break with
