Odyssey

by Chrysim

Ares is at it again, sending Hercules and Iolaus upon an incredible odyssey in a bid to thwart the God of War's nefarious scheme!

ODYSSEY by Chrysim

Author's note: In this story, on a whim, I've divurged from both myth and canon. Read and you'll soon see what I mean but I do not believe it'll cause anybody any sleepless nights. ;-)

Jason and Alcmene were delighted by Iphicles's wedding present. A sleek new ship built in secret by the shipwrights of Pharos as an expression of the new Corinthian king's gratitude and happiness over their nuptials.

" Everybody knows how you love the sea, Jason, so I thought you'd appreciate a new ship to mark this new chapter of your life. Perhaps you can take your new bride for a honeymoon cruise now. ", Iphicles said simply, holding his wife's hand.

Raena smiled at Alcmene, " Did you know that your son was such a romantic? "

Alcmene was in the act of replying when the sounds of running feet distracted everybody's attention.

Several seconds later Iolaus came racing into the audience hall with Hercules close on his heels.

Jason, Iphicles, Alcmene and Raena looked at each other knowingly as Iolaus skidded to a precise halt in front of the throne. Hercules pulled up right beside him.

The two couples surveyed the breathless pair of friends standing before them.

Hercules: tall, lean and powerfully built, with a mane of light brown hair streaked with gold and piercing blue eyes. Compassionate, intelligent, dynamic, and courageous.

The ideal legend.

Iolaus: an athletic, compact powerhouse built for speed, with wild blonde locks and vivid blue eyes. Spirited, passionate, clever, and fearless.

The ideal friend for any legend.

Standing side by side, they could honestly be mistaken for brothers and often were. They complimented each other so well because they were so different.

Hercules was thoughtful, easy-going and patient.

Iolaus was impetuous, exuberant and excitable.

Danger, excitement and trouble seemed to precede, surround and follow them wherever they went.

In battle they were an incredible, nearly invincible team.

Hercules with his size and tremendous strength and Iolaus with his agility and ingenuity. Together they formed a formidable partnership.

Individually, they were merely great.

They were almost inseparable and had developed a very intuitive, unique friendship over the years.

Hercules's mother Alcmene was always worried about her son but knowing Iolaus was with him gave her some peace of mind. She was quite fond of her little sister's youngest son. After herself, there was no one else who cared as much for Hercules's welfare as Iolaus did and Alcmene was comforted by that knowledge. Jason and Iolaus were old friends and had shared many adventures together before Jason became King of Corinth. When Hercules had come to Corinth to join in the quest for the Golden Fleece after finishing his education with Chiron and completing his Twelve Labours, he and Iolaus had picked up where their childhood friendship had left off as if they'd never been apart. They were all very good friends and now, with Jason's marriage to Alcmene, family too.

All three in their own way had caught the attention of the gods somewhere or sometime in their life and had survived their inevitable meddling... thus far.

Now, as these two inveterate adventurers finally caught their respective breaths, the other four people knew that trouble couldn't be far behind.

His azure eyes bright with excitement, Iolaus spoke first, " By your leave, ", he said politely. He was fully aware that, while they might be family, they were also royalty and deserved his respect, " There's a slight problem we need to discuss...", he continued, frowning vaguely, puzzled by their expressions of perspicacity.

He looked up at Hercules and shrugged. Hercules had seen those looks before and completed Iolaus's sentence, "...which, I'm sure, doesn't come as a surprise to any of you."

Iolaus nodded his comprehension of the situation. As he spoke his expression became very grave, " We just got word that Rhynox is on his way from Kozani to Nicrosetti with a new army. There's just one way to get there in time. "

Hercules looked at Jason, " We need a ship. If we sail before night-fall, we can get to Nicrosetti ahead of Rhynox. "

Jason was shaking his head, " Hercules, this is the season of storms. Long voyages in these waters at this time of year are not just dangerous, they're foolhardy. "

Hercules felt his temper slip alittle bit. There was something in Jason's tone which irritated him these days. Ever since the former Corinthian king had married his mother, Hercules had been unaccountably touchy about everything Jason said to him. This was no exception, " We'll just have to take our chances, Jason. It's early yet, maybe we'll get lucky. "

Hercules looked at Iolaus, " How many times has he sailed in the stormy season, eh? "

Iolaus folded his arms across his chest and shook his head, " Uh-uh, I'm not getting into this. "

Hercules frowned, " Into what? "

Iolaus shrugged his eyebrows at his friend and turned away so Hercules wouldn't see the smile trying to break out on his face.

It was rather reassuring, when Iolaus thought about it, that Hercules and Jason were behaving this way. Most stepsons and stepfathers had their differences afterall, as much as natural sons and fathers did. Why should this pair of legends be any different?

The funny thing was that, in this case, Hercules either didn't want to admit he was acting like a petulant twelve-year old or maybe he just couldn't help himself.

Jason could be somewhat overbearing at times. Perhaps, with his new role in Hercules's life, he was just trying to provide a good father image. Taking into account that Jason was not one who did anything in half measures, Iolaus felt that maybe he was unconsciously over-doing it just a smidge.

Iolaus watched Jason as he spoke, noting the annoyance on his face and in his voice, " Are you questioning my judgment? Do you think I'm making this up or something? I'm telling you this for...",

"...for your own good. ", Iolaus finished, throwing his hands up in the air, exasperated. He looked from Jason to Hercules, " Can we please be done with this father-son-jealousy-rivalry business and get back to the real issue here?! " , he implored impatiently.

Normally Iolaus would've been the perfect person to speak to both Jason and Hercules in such a way. He had a knack for making people look at themselves. However, he was friend and relative to both of them which put him in an awkward spot at times like this.

" What are you talking about? ", Hercules asked, his face a perfect mask of bafflement.

Iolaus gave him his most severe 'you-know-what-I-mean' kind of look.

Hercules shrugged, at a loss for words.

" I have no idea what you're talking about, old friend? ", Jason professed defensively.

Iolaus stared at the ceiling. He wanted to scream with frustration but he swallowed his impulse, running a hand slowly over his face to help clear his mind. He took a deep breath before trying again, " Look, you're arguing for no reason. It is the stormy season and Jason has sailed in the stormy season before. The point is, do we sail in the stormy season? " With his hands on his hips, Iolaus looked at his friends expectantly.

Iphicles had listened to the exchanges between his brother, his predecessor and his cousin. It'd been quite amusing but now his limited attention span had been exceeded so he said, " I'm not a seafarer by any stretch of the imagination but I've made it my business to learn all I can about Corinth and its surroundings. Stormy season or not, there are some very treacherous passages between here and Nicrosetti that must be navigated with extreme care. I have to agree with Jason. You should re-consider travel by sea, brother. "

Iolaus saw the stubborn stance Hercules took and, somewhere deep inside, a part of him sat down and howled in total frustration. This was going from bad to worse. First, father-son, now brother-brother. How dysfunctional could this family possibly get? Never mind, he didn't really want to know...!

" We have no choice, Iphicles. To go by land will take days. Nicrosetti will be in Rhynox's power by then. Do you want Ares's prize student to defeat the Pyrrheans this time? You know Rhynox won't stop at Nicrosetti, don't you? His next target will be Flagra! Your former kingdom and Raena's home! After that, he'll destroy Thebes and then there'll be no stopping him from attacking Athens or Corinth or both! ", Hercules responded with surprising calm though his eyes blazed with suppressed emotion.

There was a profound silence following Hercules's blunt reminder about Rhynox and Ares. The violent God of War had educated Rhynox in the arts of warfare, destruction and death himself. Although Hercules had defeated Rhynox long ago, Ares had since made his protégé immortal so once again he was on the rampage. Rhynox's natural primary goal was revenge. His first choice was Nicrosetti, the city where Hercules had defeated him before.

In his imagination Iolaus saw the ugly face of Rhynox jeering triumphantly as the people of Nicrosetti were slaughtered at the hands of his vicious hordes. He saw the city walls crumbling while Ares listened to the screams of terror and torment with sadistic rapture. Iolaus's hand spontaneously flew to the hilt of his sword. He had to do something to prevent such a disaster,

" Enough! Storms and perilous seas be damned! Even if I have to swim, I'm going to Nicrosetti... now! ", he said passionately, his blue eyes shimmering with the ferocity of his resolve. He took a step towards the door.

Hercules's strong hand grabbed him by the arm before he could take a second, " Wait a minute, Iolaus. As always, we swim together. ", he said quietly. They exchanged looks of tacit comprehension and started to march towards the exit.

Jason hurried after them, catching up to them at the far end of the hall, " Hercules? Iolaus? Wait! "

The two friends turned as one.

Jason was solemn, " I still say this is a very risky endeavour but if you won't change your minds, then take the Targus. It's the best ship to make this trip with. Good luck. "

Hercules was contrite, " I'm sorry I was so difficult in there, Jason. I guess the heat of the moment got the best of me. "

Iolaus winked at his former partner as he turned to follow Hercules, " Thanks for the ship, Uncle Jason! I'll give Rhynox your best regards. "

As he watched them rush away, Jason stroked his chin thoughtfully and his soulful eyes were troubled. A sense of unease crept up his spine prompting him to call after them, " Be careful! I don't want to begin this new chapter of my life by losing my best friend or my stepson at sea." He turned to re-enter the audience hall, " Besides, I haven't even sailed the Targus myself yet! ", he said wistfully.

The Targus was a handsome vessel made of the best and strongest materials. Usually it was manned by a crew of the best seamen in the world but, because there was no time to summon the rest, they sailed with only six.

In the stern, the helmsman and pilot were stationed atop a special deck which overlooked the rest of the ship. Directly below them was a cabin for the captain who, in this case, was Hercules. In the middle of the ship was a massive, high mast and in the bow there was a shorter, smaller mast. When both sails were unfurled, the ship sped through the waters like a comet in the sky.

The skies were a clear sapphire blue when the Targus set sail. Hercules loved to sail almost as much as Jason did but seldom got the opportunity. When he'd accompanied Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece and on a number of other adventures in bygone years, he'd learned a thing or two about sailing. After an hour or two of reminiscing with the helmsman, Hercules took the rudder himself.

Meanwhile Iolaus had enthusiastically put some of his infinite energies towards helping the skeleton crew. He, being such a proponent of speed himself, loved the exhilaration of skimming over the waves at a pace unattainable on land. It was the greatest sense of freedom he could imagine.

The day-time portion of the trip was spectacular if uneventful. It was while Hercules and Iolaus were asleep in the cabin that the weather and their luck changed drastically.

Hercules and Iolaus were virtually thrown out of their bunks by the churning waves. It was still the dead of night as they made their way out onto the deck. They were greeted by the stinging, blinding fury of hard rain driven by berserk winds. The seas were a heaving, roiling black mass that tossed the Targus effortlessly, like a leaf caught in some frenzied cataract.

Hercules made his way up to the helm while Iolaus struggled towards the bow where the sail had torn. Two of the sailors were fighting to cut it loose.

As Hercules took control of the rudder, the exhausted helmsman yelled into his ear, " We're in very dangerous waters, Hercules. I don't know how close we are to land. I'll go get the pilot. He went down below to check his charts. " Hercules could barely open his eyes against the lashing of the rain and wind but when the lightning flashed he was able to see that the skies and sea all seemed to be one.

One colossal dark demented entity devoted to the destruction of the Targus.

A great wave slammed into the ship, almost knocking Hercules from his position. If he hadn't already been grasping so firmly to the rudder he might easily have been swept overboard.

He was straining to see into the bow where Iolaus had gone when a section of dislodged railing came flying through the air.

He saw it at the last minute and turned, trying to avoid it but the jagged fragment struck him on the back. It gauged a deep wound just below his right shoulder-blade. His whole shoulder was numbed by his injury and Hercules, grimacing obstinately, decided that to remain at the rudder was futile.

Crawling on his hands and knees, Hercules abandoned the rudder and made his way towards the ladder intent on rendering assistance to the others below deck.

As he reached the ladder, the ship was wrenched in the opposite direction and Hercules was flung through the air to land heavily on the lower deck. Winded, he threw himself into the open hatchway just as another wave poured more water into the hold.

He was swept down the steps and plunged into the dark, flooded bowels of the Targus. He couldn't see anything but lots of things were floating in the rising waters as he struggled deeper into the ship searching for its crew.

His calls went unanswered and Hercules realised that he was alone just as he discovered the reason for so much water to be in the Targus so soon.

A huge breach had been made in the Targus's port side below the water-line. With every wave, more water rushed in through the ever-widening gap. Most likely the men who'd been down here had been inexorably swept out into the seas through that puncture or had drowned, caught unexpectedly by the rapidly rising waters.

Hercules sighed at that tragic thought and began to make his way back to the hatchway.

Iolaus and the two sailors managed to cut the small sail loose after a great struggle. They were making their way towards the stern when a great wave knocked all three flying.

As he tumbled across the pitching deck, Iolaus grabbed at part of the rigging from the great central mast and held on for dear life. When the deck settled back into a more natural angle, Iolaus climbed shakily to his feet. He held onto the rope with his right hand, using his left to shield his eyes as he tried to locate the others. Over the howl of the wind and the thunder of the waves, he somehow heard one of the sailors yelling for help.

He was clinging precariously to the far railing, terrified. Iolaus made his way across the slippery, bucking deck and had just locked hands with the endangered sailor when an even bigger wave smashed the ship, almost capsizing it. Iolaus held his breath and held on fiercely as the wave surged over him. He was swept off his feet and slammed against the deck. His elbow and wrist were severely wrenched as they took the full weight of the other man. Iolaus felt his grip begin to slip as the ship was tilted to an almost perpendicular degree.

As it rolled back again, part of the rigging failed. Both men slid across the deck. The sailor hit the railing but the rigging, which had tangled itself around Iolaus's right arm and upper body, yanked him back with an abrupt jolt. That strain and the sailor's impact with the railing together proved too much for their tenuous grips.

Even as he felt his hold fail, Iolaus desperately tried to grab the man again but the rigging limited his movement.

The ship was rocked in the other direction by the waves and Iolaus was hurled across the deck away from the point where the sailor had vanished.

With eyes tightly closed against the relentless storm and a bitter sense of loss Iolaus let his distress fuel his own determination as yet another wave tried to wash him into the sea too.

Lightning and thunder accentuated the mighty undulations of the seas while savage winds drove the torrential rain and whipped the waves into even greater fits of fury.

The Targus was no match for such a potent force. She was hammered and pummelled by the merciless waves until, with a sound that panicked even the stout hearts of Hercules and Iolaus, the maiden vessel was smashed ruthlessly against one of the great hazards Iphicles had cautioned them about.

The water inside the Targus was up to Hercules's armpits and his progress was severely hindered by floating debris and unseen obstacles beneath the water.

As the Targus met her fate on the rocks several huge overhead beams collapsed on either side of Hercules. Miraculously his reflexes saved him from harm but it was clear that he now had only one way out of there.

Circumventing one of the beams, Hercules made his way back towards the rupture.

The disintegration of the ship was violently underway as Hercules braved a gauntlet of snapping timbers and buckling sheathing while trying to keep his presence of mind in the frigid darkness.

He was almost to his objective when the portion of the ship beneath him shattered against the rocks.

Hercules was lifted up by the invading waves, battered against a part of the Targus and then swept helplessly into the cold swirling waters amidst other splintered debris from the demolished vessel.

The sturdy rigging Iolaus had hung onto so tenaciously for so long dragged him with it as the gigantic mast was ripped from the ship's planking and thrown into the agitated sea. Within minutes it was the only recognisable part of the ship that remained.

As Iolaus clung to the mast trying to keep his head above the excited waves he suddenly felt a body bump against his. He peered anxiously over his shoulder and smiled with immense relief at the welcome appearance of his partner. As their eyes met, a fresh reserve of determination strengthened their resolve.

Together, they could do anything. Even survive being wrecked at sea.

For a very long, trying time the two friends endured the tempestuous waters. Their great buoy was inexorably pounded and thrashed against the rocks until it was half its original size but still they refused to relinquish it.

Their bodies were raked across jagged half-sunken rocks or tossed violently against others as the cold, deep waters chilled them both to the bone.

At one point Hercules was thrown against the rocks and the mast pinned him there underwater while Iolaus frantically tried to push it off of him.

Gaining a slight purchase on a fragment of the rock, Iolaus heaved with all his might. Hercules added his own effort and finally the thing was shifted. He bobbed to the surface gasping for air and turned to thank Iolaus for his help. His friend was nowhere in sight.

As the mast shifted, Iolaus lost both his scant foothold and his hold on the mast. In the roiling surf of the rocks he was instantly swept away. He kept his wits about him, though, and didn't panic.

Presently his alertness paid off as he was slammed against a very large rock. Iolaus dragged himself out of the water and tried to locate Hercules. It was extremely difficult to see in the savage rain and wind-driven spray but Iolaus persisted until, not far away, he saw the mast with Hercules draped over it.

Immediately Iolaus abandoned his refuge and jumped back into the churning sea. Though a strong swimmer, the under-tow and the currents among the rocks were deceptive and powerful.

Half-way to the mast a sudden vortex from a submerged current seized Iolaus's legs and sucked him down into the murky depths. He struggled wildly but couldn't break free. Just when he thought his lungs would burst right out of his chest another force of nature named Hercules grabbed his arm. His friend hauled him to the mast and held him against it while he caught his breath.

Eventually the storm-tossed survivors became aware of a sound even louder than the thunder, the roar of the waves and the howling of the wind all put together. The waters became less agitated but alot swifter running. The faster the water became, the harder it was for them to hold on and the louder that sound grew.

The mast gyrated in the racing waters and became lodged between two great pillars of rock. As it collided with the rocks, Hercules lost his hold and would've been completely swept away but for Iolaus's quick thinking.

Grabbing a length of the tattered rigging, he let go of the mast and let the roaring waters carry him away too. Because of his much lighter body mass, he caught up to Hercules quickly.

However, even with the rope at its full capacity there were still afew feet between him and Hercules. So Iolaus coiled the rope around his wrist and hand and let the torrent stretch his body full length. Hercules lunged for him, his huge hands clamping onto his leather boot eagerly.

Iolaus felt the added strain on his wrist and shoulder as he twisted to give Hercules a hand but more importantly he felt the mast beginning to buckle. Fortunately it remained intact long enough for the pair to make it back to the twin rocks. Iolaus crawled up onto one and Hercules hoisted himself onto the other.

When they'd caught their respective breaths they looked beyond the rocks towards that tremendous noise.

Iolaus couldn't believe what his bleary eyes saw.

Even the worldly Hercules was impressed.

Not far beyond where they lay shivering in the pelting rain and wind was a gigantic whirlpool. As they stared at the stupendous spectacle, the very last vestige of the Targus snapped, splintered and was rapidly swallowed by the awesome aquatic abyss.

When the wonder had worn off Iolaus pulled his knees up under his chin with his back to the wind and rain. He rubbed his numb arms in a vain attempt to warm them against the chilling spray and rain. Less than ten feet away on his damp sanctuary Hercules was just as cold and perhaps more miserable. His shoulder and back ached like an abcessed tooth.

Hours passed and the storm began to die. The rain stopped and the wind vanished. The lightning and thunder disappeared into the distance and the waves grew steadily calmer.

Neither Iolaus nor Hercules noticed.

Iolaus, with his head resting on his hands atop his drawn-up knees, was fast asleep.

Hercules was also asleep on his side with his great arms folded across his chest.

It was dawn before Iolaus was awakened by the cry of seagulls flying overhead. He slowly raised his head wincing at the stiffness in his neck. The skies were overcast but the rain and wind were gone.

With eyes still stinging from the briny water he surveyed the horizons in all directions. A smile lit his weary face as he spotted land, " Hercules! Herc, wake up.", he shouted happily.

Hercules stirred. He sat up slowly also rubbing his stiff neck. He squinted at Iolaus and saw him pointing behind where he was sitting. He turned and there in the distance was land. His heart sank alittle though at the idea of swimming that far.

Atleast they wouldn't have to contend with that amazing whirlpool. It had vanished along with the rest of the storm.

Iolaus was tired but still full of energy. He took one step back and then several forward, launching himself high into the air between the two masses of rock. He turned a perfect somersault in mid-air and landed lightly beside his partner. Hercules looked up at him, " Show off! ", he muttered as he pushed himself to his feet. " Do you think there are any sea monsters around?, " Iolaus asked rhetorically, " We've been through just about everything else there is to go through. " He glanced up at Hercules and noticed his pained expression, " Are you okay? You don't look so good. ", he said, fresh concern glinting in his eyes.

Hercules was feeling grouchy but Iolaus's sincere interest made him smile, " My back is killing me. Nothing to worry about." , he said dismissively. Iolaus hadn't noticed Hercules's injury until then.

Now he examined the wound carefully. It was deep but the salty water had helped stop the bleeding. He took off his jacket, turned it inside out and ripped the lining out of it despite Hercules's protests. He then tore the lining into strips and applied his modest bandage to the wound, " It may not ease the pain much but maybe it won't get infected any worse than it is.", Iolaus said hopefully as he put his jacket back on.

The sea was as smooth as a mirror. Just the faintest hint of a breeze played in Iolaus's tousled blonde hair and cooled Hercules's feverish forehead.

" Do you have any idea where we are? ", Iolaus asked, not eager to enter the water again.

Hercules shrugged his broad shoulders, " We're lost! ", he said simply, wincing at the pain.

Iolaus made a face over that Herculean understatement, " Oh good, I'm glad to see that your wit has dried out. ", he retorted with measured acerbity.

Iolaus was a man of shadow and light. He had many hidden and just as many conspicuous talents. His sense of humour, love of laughter and often acerbic wit were some of his most self-defining trademarks.

He looked up at Hercules and sighed, " This is only the second time I've ever been shipwrecked. I once spent two months castaway on a desert island... but I sure hope history doesn't repeat itself this time. I really didn't like it much then and I certainly don't like it any better now. What do we do? "

Hercules realised that Iolaus was deferring to his expertise because, over the years, he'd been shipwrecked atleast half a dozen times, " Well, we have two choices as I see it. We can stay here and wait for another ship to come along or we can try to swim to that distant shore. ", he said seriously, " Our chances of rescue in the stormy season in the middle of a major navigational hazard are pretty slim. "

Iolaus nodded fatalistically, " That's what I was afraid you'd say. " He looked at the dull sky, " The weather looks like it could kick up anytime. We better get going while the seas are quiet. "

Neither of them moved. For some time they stood side-by-side staring into the distance, lost in thought.

Hercules was thinking about Jason and what he'd said. He just wasn't used to having a father. In some ways he resented Jason for imposing himself in his life. Then again he was very pleased to have somebody he admired so much become such an integral part of his family now. He'd just have to work harder on tolerating Jason's fatherly inclinations.

Iolaus's thoughts were a mixture of regret and curiosity. He was saddened by the realisation that only he and Hercules had survived the Targus's sinking. Six good men literally down the drain. He chastised himself for being so insensitive even if it was the truth. Self-reproach turned to excitement as curiosity over that distant land intensified.

The wind began to pick up and the seas started to turn choppy. Spray from the wind-driven waves abruptly interrupted their respective reveries and brought them back to reality.

Iolaus took several steps forward before Hercules grabbed his arm, " We go together.", he said simply when Iolaus turned for an explanation. As impatient as he was, Iolaus understood Hercules's rationale. These waters were treacherous -- as he'd found out already. It was better to stay together and meet any possible difficulties together. So he waited for Hercules's signal and then they jumped back into the frigid grey-green waters. Side-by-side they set out for the small black smudge on the horizon called land.

For the first half of the swim they made excellent progress. The waves weren't too rough and they encountered no strong under-tows or currents. However the weather deteriorated as the day lengthened. It started to rain again and the seas began to grow more restless. The speck of land had become a looming grey wall of granite wreathed in wispy white mists by then. It did little to inspire the two exhausted swimmers as they treaded water about a mile off-shore.

Shortly thereafter Iolaus began to feel the groping tentacles of a powerful current ensnare his legs. It became increasingly difficult to make any headway the closer he got to land. Iolaus was soon so preoccupied just trying to break away from the current and stay afloat that he didn't notice that he and Hercules were drifting further and further apart.

Suddenly Iolaus found himself in the middle of a sea-weed forest. The long, rope-like rubbery plants tangled themselves around his legs and arms while the current continued to tug him relentlessly deeper into the vast kelp garden.

Iolaus found the harder he struggled the more entwined he became. Several times he was dragged under the waves and only through stubborn determination managed to fight his way back to the surface. Iolaus felt an alarming rush of panic course through his body as he was sucked down again. He came up coughing and choking, terrified.

By then he could barely move his tangled legs and his arms and body were almost just as snarled. Time after time he found himself hauled down by the insidious vegetation. Every time seemed to take him deeper. Inevitably he was carried so far down into the dark water that Iolaus realised he'd never find his way back to the surface in time.

Instantly he ceased all of his struggles. With intense concentration and mental discipline Iolaus slowed his heart rate. This was a technique he'd learned almost by accident some years before. His mastery of meditation had endowed Iolaus with a complete understanding of mind over matter. He'd used this procedure before to save his life not knowing whether it would actually work or not. This time he employed it with absolute confidence.

Finally Iolaus bobbed to the surface. He took several deep, luxurious breaths before tearing the fronds from his arms and body. Encouraged to still be alive, he then turned his flagging energies to the liberation of his legs. While there was an ounce of energy left in his body he wasn't going to give up.

While Iolaus was fighting for his life Hercules was being stalked by a sea serpent attracted by the smell of blood. Hercules's wounded back had ulcerated and blood was seeping through the bandage. He was aware that he must be losing blood because of his light-headedness and unusual torpidity yet there was little he could do about it except persist. It wasn't until he felt something lightly brush against his foot that Hercules realised he had company.

It was then that he missed Iolaus for the first time. Hercules berated himself for not paying closer attention to his cousin. If he'd found the current difficult he knew that it had to be even harder for Iolaus. His spirited ally was very strong and had exceptional stamina but there were limits to his abilities. He'd never admit to any, though, which was probably why he hadn't called for help when he'd gotten into difficulty.

Alot of good swimming together had done for either of them!

Suddenly the serpent showed itself briefly as it eyed its prospective meal with large amber eyes. Hercules sighed. Battling sea monsters was not something new for him. On two different occasions he'd actually been swallowed by huge monsters. The last time was only recently when Hera had sent a monster to disrupt Alcmene's marriage to Jason. Fortunately this one was too small for a similar episode to happen. It was perhaps fifteen feet of rough, glassy scales and had a serpentine head and mouth. A mouth replete with sharp teeth and four impressive fangs. Hercules realised that, while it might not be able to ingest him at one gulp, it could still do serious damage with those teeth. It was even possible those fangs were poisonous.

In addition to those threats were the facts that Hercules was in a weakened condition and he was in the serpent's element not his own.

His situation was grave and about to get worse as the serpent vanished beneath the waves.

Not far away Hercules noticed that there was, scattered at the base of an imposing perpendicular headland, a colony of large, weather-beaten rocks. Without hesitation he immediately set out towards them rather than remain a sitting target.

Just before he reached the outer perimeters of the rocks the serpent seized Hercules's right foot and pulled him down into the black waters. Hercules twisted and grabbed one of the serpent's pectoral fins. He wrenched the appendage brutally and the serpent released his foot. Hercules immediately kicked for the surface.

Even while he was gasping for air Hercules resumed his course to the rock formations. The serpent tried again but misjudged Hercules's movements and only bumped against him. It knocked him roughly against one of the rocks, though, further aggravating his wound.

Grimacing, Hercules found a rock big enough for him to crawl up onto. As he pulled himself out of the water, the serpent shot up on the other side of the rock and spit a fine spray of burning venom which covered Hercules's face and body. His eyes and skin felt like they were on fire as Hercules recoiled from this unexpected assault. He tumbled back into the water rubbing his inflamed eyes.

The briny sea instantly relieved his discomfort. Through bleary eyes Hercules cast about for the serpent trying to anticipate where or when it might attack next.

It sped towards him from the open sea and Hercules's only warning was a split-second before it reached him when its gaping mouth appeared above the waves. His strong hands grabbed the upper and lower halves of the serpent's jaws and forced them shut. The serpent thrashed and struggled ferociously but Hercules's grip was unbreakable. With as much of his mighty strength as he could muster under the circumstances Hercules slammed and pounded the serpent on the sharp, jagged rocks until its tough scales had been reduced to a pulpy, bloody mess. When the creature dangled limply from his powerful hands Hercules tossed its body as far away from him as he could.

Iolaus was swimming with the vigour of a second-wind when the serpent's mangled body sailed over his head and splashed inertly in the kelp jungle he'd just escaped from. He realised from long experience the likely source of such a strange spectacle and scoured the waves ahead with profound interest. He soon located Hercules and plunged towards him enthusiastically calling as loudly as he could over the wind and waves, " Hercules! Wait a minute! Hercules! "

Hercules had abandoned the rocks and was once again headed towards the coast when he thought he heard a familiar voice somewhere behind him. He stopped and turned immediately searching the undulating waves hopefully.

A flash of lightning illuminated the darkness and his sharp eye caught its evanescent reflection off of Iolaus's dampened but forever golden hair. His pain and exhaustion faded against the great upwelling of relief and happiness inspired by such a welcome sight.

Iolaus grinned from ear-to-ear as he eased up beside his friend, " Leave it to you to find a sea monster to cap off this thrilling saga. ", he commented with damp irony.

Hercules put on his best feigned scolding expression, " And just where have you been all this time? ", he demanded.

Iolaus unwound a last piece of weed from his arm and threw it over his shoulder, " Oh, I've been meditating. ", he said vaguely but Hercules knew from Iolaus's serious eyes and tone of voice that something alot more substantial had transpired. One day Iolaus would tell him about it. Just as someday he'd tell Iolaus about his adventure.

Right now, however, they really didn't have time for idle chit-chat. Side- by-side they set out on the last leg of their aquatic marathon.

It wasn't long before Hercules staggered through the foaming surf onto the wet sands of solid land. Iolaus was too tired to stand and crawled on his hands and knees until he was out of the water. Hercules sat beside him as he lay sprawled face-down on the sand. For a long time neither of them moved.

Finally Hercules looked around at their new surroundings. They were on a small horseshoe-shaped beach tucked into a slight concavity in the otherwise unbroken granite cliffs. Behind them the forbidding cliffs were partially hidden by a small lush patch of jungle.

Hercules was a well-travelled individual. Only Iolaus had as much demographic and geographic knowledge as he'd accumulated over the years. He'd visited hundreds of cities, states, nations and territories in the course of his adventures. He knew the whole Mediterranean region as expertly as some men knew their own backyards. Where specific cities were, specific governments and the best routes to or from just about everywhere. He had friends... and enemies far and wide. Iolaus was the only person Hercules knew of who'd actually ventured further than he had.

While Hercules had been getting an education from the renown centaurian sage Chiron, the adventure-seeking Iolaus had wandered into the enigmatic lands of the East. For several years he'd lived in those exotic lands learning their mystic martial arts and other valuable knowledge.

Eventually the two friends had met in Corinth where they'd both arrived to join Jason on his legendary quest for the Golden Fleece.

They had become a team so naturally that it was, as far as Hercules was concerned, pre-ordained. He was positive that his father had intentionally caused such a rare and remarkable mortal to enter into his life. An unspoken, spontaneous gesture of support for the almost impossible task he'd chosen to make his life's work. The one and only good thing Zeus had ever done for him.

Iolaus believed in destiny. From the very first time he and Hercules had stood back-to-back in battle he'd known it was meant to be. It was his fate to stand beside this phenomenal son of Zeus and to help him bring justice, peace and harmony to an otherwise cruel, violent and unforgiving world.

Hercules had sailed past these formidable rocky escarpments several times before without any trouble and he knew the territory beyond it was very mountainous. On the far-side of that vast mountain range lay the states of Atholea and Pyrrhea. The city of Nicrosetti was the capitol of Pyrrhea and that was their destination.

Hercules sighed deeply contemplating the daunting journey that lay ahead. He was an experienced mountain-climber but he hadn't done anything to compare with the degree of difficulty just these cliffs were going to be.

He looked at Iolaus and worried even more. If he was going to find these cliffs tough then it stood to reason that Iolaus was going to find them even tougher. Mountain-climbing wasn't new to him either but these cliffs would give experts serious cause for concern. Still, there was no way around it. The only way off this beach was straight up.

Iolaus sat up with a familiar glint in his eye and Hercules smiled shrewdly, " How are you, Iolaus? ", he asked rhetorically. He already knew what the answer would be.

" I'm famished! ", Iolaus answered as he jumped to his feet.

Hercules chuckled to himself. He was constantly amazed by Iolaus's appetite. He was almost always hungry and when he ate he did so as if he hadn't eaten for days. Which was sometimes the case. His lust for food was as healthy as his lust for life. Anything but anything was potential food. Hercules had seen Iolaus devour everything from insects to raw fish and everything in between. The reason for his voracious appetite was self-evident.

Iolaus was the most active, indefatigable, relentlessly exuberant human being Hercules had ever met. He slept very little, was usually in non-stop motion all day and was always ready for more. It was like having a whirlwind for a companion sometimes. Just being around him could be exhausting.

Iphicles, for instance, found Iolaus's hyperactivity a constant source of amazement and amusement. There was never a dull moment when Iolaus was around.

Hercules's more focussed, calm nature had definitely had a moderating effect on him. He'd actually become far more relaxed in recent years. His serious pursuit of meditation and his unique regimen of Tai Chi also helped to balance his energy levels. Experience and Hercules's willingness to teach him intangibles such as tact, discretion and diplomacy had dramatically curbed Iolaus's recklessness. Now atleast he counted to ten before plunging blithely into trouble... most of the time.

Iolaus approached the jungle fringe, shielding his eyes with his left hand as he tried to peer up into the tall trees. When he found what he was looking for, Iolaus dashed to the tree and began to climb it eagerly. Hercules watched him from a distance. In a few moments several bunches of bananas landed in the soggy sand and Iolaus headed back down.

Inspired by Iolaus's example Hercules discovered a cocoanut tree but instead of climbing it he simply shook it. He had to move fast to avoid being clobbered by the falling cocoanuts. By the time Iolaus was back on solid ground Hercules had collected six cocoanuts to add to their banana bonanza.

Iolaus wasn't content with their fruitful bounty. He found a long, thin twig and walked to the edge of the beach where the waves were still hitting the shore in a frothy frenzy. Crouching, Iolaus prodded the saturated sands patiently until he located what he was searching for. Then he took his dagger and, with a deft flick of the wrist, sent a crab catapulting through the air.

Hercules carefully retrieved the little creature while Iolaus repeated his probing. Before long they had six crabs to supplement their other food.

Starting a fire in a torrential downpour didn't seem like a reasonable possibility and Hercules wasn't looking forward to eating raw crab. Luckily Iolaus wasn't discouraged by the wet weather.

He was, afterall, an experienced hunter and tracker, used to living completely off the land. Within minutes he'd built a lean-to big enough for both of them and a firepit. Using his trusty dagger Iolaus dug a shallow pit in the sand and lined it with some small stones he'd collected. As Hercules watched with interest Iolaus stripped some bark from a nearby tree. He brought the bark back beneath the lean-to and peeled off the outer layer. What was left was dry, ready to be burned pulp.

It took awhile to get the fire lit but eventually it caught and Iolaus handed Hercules a long branch, " Stick a crab on the end and hold it over the fire for afew minutes. ", he said, demonstrating the technique. Hercules copied him and soon they were both enjoying the succulent crabmeat.

Hercules was feeling much better out of the rain with some warmth and nourishment. His back still hurt, though; something Iolaus didn't miss.

While Hercules ate his second crab Iolaus knelt behind him and examined the wound. It was badly infected. There was only one cure that Iolaus knew about to stop the bleeding and kill the infection.

Cauterisation.

" Hercules, your injury is bone-deep and won't heal without some kind of treatment. What does your medical expertise recommend we do? ", Iolaus asked, hoping Hercules had a better solution than his.

" There's only one thing to do in this case. ", Hercules replied. He looked directly at his friend and didn't need to say what that solution was, " Ever done it before? ", he asked.

Iolaus nodded but not enthusiastically, " I've cauterised afew wounds in my time. I've even amputated the odd leg and arm. When you're a warrior you see alot of mutilation and gore. Some men develop a thick skin or resistance to such bloodshed but... some don't. "

It was plain to see that Iolaus wasn't eager to undertake this duty. He'd do it, though, because there was no other choice. He'd do it because, if he didn't, Hercules very well might die and that was a chance Iolaus wasn't willing to take.

Hercules slapped his cousin on the back, " I'm in good hands then.", he said in a reassuring tone. He took off his shirt and laid face-down on the sand.

Iolaus took out his dagger and reluctantly placed its blade in the fire. Then he straddled Hercules. He'd set one of the empty cocoanut shells out in the rain to catch some fresh water for this express purpose. He placed the shell and some of the lining/bandage beside them.

Iolaus closed his eyes and steadied his nerves. When they opened again they were as hard as blue ice. Iolaus picked up the red-hot knife, " Are you ready, Hercules? ", he asked in a voice that held no hint of his inner strife.

Hercules replied, " Do it! "

Iolaus saw Hercules's muscles tense and he didn't hesitate. With a firm, steady hand he pressed the burning knife against the raw wound. Hercules flinched and buried his face in his arms as Iolaus performed his reluctant task as quickly and as thoroughly as he could.

The smell of burning flesh turned his stomach but he swallowed his bile and refused to quit. When he was satisfied that the whole wound had been seared Iolaus dipped the bandage in the cool rainwater and placed it over the terrible injury. Then he jumped to his feet and ran several yards away where he fell to his knees and was violently sick.

Afterwards, ashen-faced, Iolaus returned to Hercules's side. His cousin had passed out but his breathing was normal and his pulse was strong. Iolaus picked up his dagger, rammed it into the sand to cleanse it and put it back in its sheath.

He took a deep, shuddering breath. Atleast he hadn't become one of those hardened, cynical veterans without any trace of humanity left in their glassy eyes. If anything the suffering of others hurt him more not less as the years went by. There was so much of it; he really ought to have gotten used to it by now. Somehow he knew that, even if he tried to, he never would.

Iolaus draped Hercules's shirt over his slumbering form and put some more of the pulp on the fire. Then he crossed his legs and put his hands together, palm to palm, in front of his face. Closing his eyes, he made a tent-like structure with his hands by pressing his fingertips against one another and spreading them slightly apart. His lips moved wordlessly as he began to meditate.

All the turmoil, trouble and strife of existence disappeared and Iolaus felt a fresh sense of serenity and calm slowly infuse his body, mind and soul. His hands dropped into his lap and he smiled faintly, chanting soundlessly while the storm raged and Hercules recuperated on their sandy refuge.

Hercules woke up as if from a deep sleep, very groggy and disoriented. The pain in his back soon reacquainted him with reality, though, as he sat up. Iolaus was nowhere to be seen but Hercules noticed his footprints leading into the jungle.

The weather had markedly improved. The rain had stopped and the sun was even sporadically breaking through the fast-moving clouds. The wind was still quite strong and the seas were still hostile but Hercules was grateful that the rain had finally let up. He felt as if he'd been water-logged forever.

He stood up and stretched. His back still hurt but not as badly as before. His shoulder was stiff as he put his shirt on but, all in all, he felt almost refreshed.

He turned towards the jungle. Evidently Iolaus was his old self, as curious as always. As he followed the tracks Hercules ate a banana and wondered just what his friend was trying to prove.

Iolaus had meditated for some time until the rare brilliance of a sunbeam glinting in his face had broken his concentration. Hercules was still asleep as Iolaus removed the bandage and rinsed it in his cocoanut shell full of fresh rainwater. He examined the wound and was pleased that it had not festered or swollen. These were good signs that the infection had been successfully excised. He put the damp cloth back over the crimson welt and covered Hercules again with his shirt.

Then he'd decided to take advantage of the break in the weather to do some exploration of their locale. It had been a very long time since Iolaus had found himself in the humid, dense, cacophonous, claustrophobic confines of a tropical jungle. He hadn't particularly enjoyed it then either but that was perhaps because he'd been alone, sick and lost. This time his instincts kicked up the minute he entered the dripping, steaming foliage. Obeying his instincts faithfully, Iolaus tread with extra stealth. As he penetrated deeper into the jungle, the more humid and gloomier it became.

A sudden rustling in the vegetation on his right stopped Iolaus in his tracks. Before him was a small clearing but he was reluctant to venture out into the open when he had the feeling he was being watched. He scrutinised the thick ferns and undergrowth to no avail.

He turned around intending to skirt the clearing and came face-to-face with an enormous python suspended from one of the trees. Taking an involuntary step backwards, he tripped on a root and lost his balance. Twisting in mid-air, Iolaus landed face-first in the very place he'd sought to avoid.

When he attempted to get up, he realised his intuition had been as accurate as ever. His hands and knees sank into the thick, brown quagmyre and Iolaus instantly comprehended the peril he'd fallen into... quicksand!

His feet disappeared into the soup as he lunged for a nearby tree root. It was just out of his reach. He had no solid substance against which to propel himself and knew the more he struggled the faster he'd sink. So he stopped fighting and his body sank no further. He was waist-deep by then and risked moving only his head as he frantically sought something with which to pull himself out of the lethal mud.

The solution came slithering up behind him and he saw it just out of the corner of his eye. The python was perhaps twenty feet long and almost thicker than Iolaus's lean, lissome body. Because the serpent's mass was so well distributed it didn't sink into the bog. Iolaus took an extra moment to confirm that it was still entwined around the trunk of a tree and then wrapped his muddy arms around a portion of its rubbery frame, inching his way anxiously along the huge snake's length. It helped by returning to solid ground itself.

The bog was very reluctant to give up its prize but Iolaus slowly dragged himself clear of it.

As he let go of the python in favour of a tree for the last few feet of his struggle, the snake made its move. Before Iolaus was totally clear of the quicksand the python struck with incredible speed. It seized his muddy right foot and dragged him into the dense undergrowth so unexpectedly and so powerfully that Iolaus's grip on the tree was easily broken.

In the blink of an eye Iolaus found himself snared from head to foot in the python's bone-crushing coils. Colossal pressure began to squeeze the breath from his body as he struggled to reach his dagger. The python twisted and exerted even more of its tremendous constrictive power. Its grip was now so tight that Iolaus couldn't breathe let alone move and the strain on his muscles and bones was excruciating. Yet, he could still think.

To save his life Iolaus gambled on subterfuge. He played dead. He even held his breath to convince the python that its prey was expired.

It worked. The python's grip relaxed as it slowly unwound from around Iolaus's limp body.

The minute the last coil had retreated it was Iolaus's turn to demonstrate his speed. He kicked the python's thick body with his other foot and pulled his trapped one free. Then he scrambled to his feet and grabbed the nearest vine. The python reacted but a fraction too slow as Iolaus sailed over the muddy quicksand and hit the ground on the other side running.

Hercules lost Iolaus's trail shortly after he entered the jungle because of the dense undergrowth and the gloom. He found his nerves were strangely on edge as he slowly made his way through the humid, oppressive vegetation. Some monkeys howled in the trees overhead, distracting him. He didn't hear the panther until it burst from the bushes.

Hercules spun at the sudden commotion and flung himself instinctively out of the panther's path. The animal roared as it landed and whirled to attack Hercules as he stood ready afew yards away.

The animal growled but hesitated perhaps perplexed by its intended prey's size or lack of panic. It was very large itself and Hercules, who had no weapon, didn't care to battle those sharp claws and teeth bare-handed.

When the panther leapt, Hercules leapt too, straight up. He seized an overhanging branch and the panther's massive paws just scraped the soles of his boots.

The branch snapped under the strain of Hercules's weight and he landed perfunctorily in some ferns with the branch still clutched in his hand. He lost no time springing to his feet and once again spun to confront the fierce fangs of the persistent predator.

Hercules avoided contact by throwing himself vigorously to the side. He had just enough time to get back on his feet before the panther sprang at him yet again. Hercules swung the branch in his hand and hit the panther with all his might. It disintegrated into a million fragments on impact, seriously stunning the panther. It fell insensible at his feet. Hercules didn't squander the opportunity and dashed into the jungle quickly leaving the dazed panther far behind.

Iolaus ran until he stumbled, tumbling head over heels, before finally coming to rest against the base of a large tree. He was trying to clear his spinning head when Hercules came crashing through the thick foliage and tripped over his outstretched leg. Hercules fell into some bushes and when he extricated himself, turned and saw Iolaus sitting beneath the tree half-covered in mud.

He shook his head, " What happened this time? ", he asked in an awed somewhat exasperated voice.

Iolaus got to his feet in embarrassed silence more intent on checking that he was all in one piece than answering a question that was rather self-explanatory. His muscles were still tingling from their recent constriction but otherwise he felt good. Alot of the mud had fallen away from his legs during his flight and the rest had dried.

Rubbing his arms vigorously to remove the dusty layer of caked mud, Iolaus tilted his head towards the jungle interior, " If we keep going in a straight line we have to come to those cliffs sooner or later. We've got atleast five more hours of daylight left. Let's go see what we can find. "

Hercules paused, not especially excited about spending any more time in this jungle, but he knew that Iolaus was right. Sooner or later they had to get to those cliffs. Speed was of the essence if they were going to get to Nicrosetti in time to make any difference.

They set out together in the direction that Iolaus had already been but he held Hercules back when they reached the clearing. Indicating the obviously disturbed surface of the mud pit, he said with grim facetiousness, " Mud baths aren't quite what they're touted to be. "

Hercules looked at his ally seriously, " How did you get out of it? " Iolaus was scouring the trees above them apprehensively as they carefully detoured around the danger, " There was this gigantic python... decided I was an easy lunch... I never want to see another snake again! ", Iolaus explained haltingly. Hercules listened in silence and joined him in his surveillance. He didn't particularly like snakes either.

Once they were clear of the scene of Iolaus's earlier adventure they moved with more assurance and speed. As they went deeper into the jungle, it seemed to get alot darker. The rare patches of sky they could see seemed bright enough so Hercules surmised the gloominess was because of the dominating towers of granite that they could now see through the thinning undergrowth. The trees were very tall but ground level foliage was meagre because of sunlight deprivation.

The terrain became progressively rocky. Soon they found themselves in a large open area covered with lichen-encrusted boulders and very straight, tall trees. Iolaus heard the sound of rushing water up ahead and suddenly realised that he was very thirsty.

With the balance and agility of an acrobat, he hopscotched his way across the boulder-strewn obstacle course. Within scant minutes, he landed lightly beside a lively babbling brook. Hercules was close on his heels. For a big man, he moved with impressive ease.

Iolaus washed his hands first before cupping them and taking a sip of the cold, fresh water. Hercules was just bringing his hands up to his mouth a third time when Iolaus jumped to his feet excitedly, " Hercules, look! A cave. Maybe it's a way out of here? "Hercules stood with his hands on his hips and followed the cliff wall all the way to the top. It was a very long way up. He looked at Iolaus, " There's only one way to find out, isn't there? ", he replied and jumped across the splashing brook.

Iolaus grinned, " Maybe our luck has changed. " he said, skipping over the brook and overtaking his friend easily. He was tired of this jungle and he was certainly not looking forward to climbing these cliffs. Just possibly this cave was an easier route to the top.

As they got closer it became obvious that it wasn't a cave at all. It was a narrow, uneven fissure that some large boulders had become lodged in and so gave the appearance from a distance that it was a cave. Iolaus's enthusiasm didn't diminish as he stood in front of the false cavern, " Even better. Maybe it leads to the other side. ", he mused.

Hercules peered into the covered crevasse, " It's not very dark in there. Maybe it does open up farther in. "

He had to duck to fit through the gap as he lead the way. It was a tight, awkward trek through the boulder and rock lined canyon. After a steep uphill section, they emerged into an even narrower but open passage. The granite walls rose on both sides so straight it was as if they'd been designed that way. Hercules had to move in a crablike sideways fashion in most places because it was so tight but Iolaus had no difficulty. Sometimes it was an advantage not to be big.

Abruptly their progress was blocked by a very large boulder. Hercules had trouble finding a satisfactory footing on the rocky floor of the hairline fracture. Iolaus had no problem. He straddled the rocks by standing on two conveniently positioned granite deformities on opposite sides of the crack.

When Hercules saw Iolaus's improvisation he laughed, " Alright, smart- aleck, since you're so clever, go ahead and push that boulder out of our way. " Iolaus was, as usual, game to try and, pressing his shoulder against the boulder, he shoved with all his strength.

It was a toss-up over who was the more surprised when the huge boulder actually moved. Because of his forward momentum Iolaus almost went with the boulder as it rolled away. As he teetered, struggling to reverse his progress, Hercules quickly stepped in front of him. He held Iolaus back as the boulder thundered down a very steep and rocky mountain slope. Now with an unimpeded view, they stared in unison at the sight before them.

Nestled between high rugged peaks that formed a roughly circular valley lay a desert. On every side towered snowcapped mountains. As far as the eye could see they loomed in a never-ending chain. Far below them was a bleak inland sea of grey-coloured sand. It too stretched far into the distance, following the mountain ranges faithfully.

Iolaus stepped down beside Hercules, " Look at all those mountains. It doesn't matter which way we go. We're going to have to climb to get out of here. ", he said irritably. He eyed the desert with distaste. He'd seen deserts before but this one looked very odd. It didn't look particularly hospitable either but, then again, what desert did?

Hercules sighed, " I've heard tell of but never actually seen this kind of desert before. It's very unusual. Instead of being arid and scorching hot, it's dry and cold. Especially at night. It's called an alpine desert plateau. It's probably alot easier to traverse than these rocky slopes. What do you think, you two-legged mountain goat? "

Iolaus normally would've elected to stay in the mountains but he was more interested in just getting out of this region; the faster, the better.

He looked at the sun and took his bearings. He knew in which direction Nicrosetti lay but he had no idea how far. Iolaus pointed to their left, " Nicrosetti is in the west, beyond those mountains. I remember seeing a mountain range on the horizon from the city parapets. Maybe it was these that I saw. ", he said hopefully.

Hercules recalled mountains too but those had been to the north of Nicrosetti and they were in the south. Still, Iolaus was right about the direction they needed to follow.

They carefully made their way down the rocky mountainside towards the desert. As they got closer, it got bigger. By the time they stepped onto its grey sands what had seemed like a day of travel had become a more realistic two or three day long trek.

The sand was like a frozen black sea. Some dunes were mere ripples while others were very steep. There was every now and again a forlorn tuft of coarse grass or sand-swept boulder to break the monotony of the vast undulating wastes. The sand itself was loose, deceptively deep and traction was difficult. Iolaus found their progress tediously slow and tiring, especially dune-climbing. Hercules just found it boring.

As the sun set behind the majestic mountains still atleast a day's walk away, they paused for a rest on top of a high dune. Iolaus was leaning against a boulder sand-blasted to an almost polished finish while Hercules was examining some sand-bleached bones nearby.

Between the red glare of the sunset and the darkening sky, just above the mountain peaks, Iolaus thought he saw something in the air. He stood up and peered intently into the distance and there he saw two black dots, rapidly growing as they moved in their direction, " Hercules! We might have trouble. ", he called, excitement dancing in his azure eyes.

Hercules squinted into the sky and soon saw what Iolaus was talking about. To see them from this distance those somethings would have to be very large. There was no cover and escape in these unstable sands was impossible. Hercules went back to the pile of bones and hefted what had once been some animal's foreleg. It was better than nothing.

" Iolaus, get behind that boulder and stay down. Maybe they won't see us. ", Hercules instructed as he crouched behind a large brittle hillock of straw- coloured grass.

Night fell and everything disappeared beneath its ubiquitous veil. Hercules was just beginning to think that perhaps they'd over-reacted when he detected a faint vibration in the air. A permeating sense of evil accompanied the strange sound and he instinctively tensed.

The moon came out from behind thick, billowing clouds to shed enough light to see by.

With great care, Iolaus peered around the boulder to check on his friend. He saw a large, dark shadow drop from the sky and land just in front of the grass knoll where Hercules was hidden. In the pale moonlight he couldn't see well enough to distinguish what it was but it was clearly dangerous and that was all he needed to know.

Iolaus stood up and was just reaching for his dagger when another black shape exploded out of the darkness. He only had time to turn his shoulder before something very hard and powerful hit him, bowling him head-over-heels down the dune.

He somersaulted out of control until finally rolling to a jarring stop at the very bottom. Smarting from the blow that'd sent him on the dizzying trip he'd just taken, Iolaus pushed himself shakily to his knees. Even then he was too light- headed and had to put a hand out to keep himself from falling over.

As he struggled to regain his faculties, Iolaus was completely unaware that an avalanche of sand was silently roaring down the dune towards him. It swept Iolaus helplessly before it until finally washing over him like a great grey wave. When the dust settled there was no sign of him except for one of his boots.

Hercules had seen the shadow fall too but unlike Iolaus, he saw what it was quite distinctly in the moon's soft glow. Standing slightly taller than his own lanky height was an obsidian nightmare. Its iridescent skin glistened in the half-light. Two glowing red eyes glared unblinkingly at him as he stood up to face this half-human half-monster conglomeration known as a gryphon.

It moved quickly for its size and Hercules immediately discovered that it was as powerful as it looked. It intercepted his intended blow, grasping his arm with a black hand augmented by scythe-like talons. Hercules countered by snapping its head back sharply with a powerful punch. It retaliated by trying to disembowel him with its other claw but it was Hercules's turn to intercept.

With as much impetus as he could generate in the unstable sand Hercules lunged forward. The gryphon was pushed back a step or two before Hercules thrust his knee ruthlessly into its mid-section. Its grip on his right arm slackened enough for him to free it. Letting go of the gryphon's other claw, Hercules retreated alittle to gain some manoeuvring room.

As the gryphon stormed at him, he swung his makeshift club. It struck the gryphon on the side of the head and shattered in a small cloud of white dust. The gryphon was momentarily deterred. Just as Hercules was about to make his next move, the moon disappeared behind the clouds and the gryphon vanished into the darkness.

Casting about anxiously in all directions, Hercules was ready when the gryphon abruptly leapt out of the pitch-black night. He dove to the side and the gryphon missed him, landing on all fours in the sand. The moon reappeared as Hercules leapt onto the creature's back and tried to put a head-lock on it. The gryphon was equipped with two very strong and versatile wings which it used to sweep Hercules from its back. As he regained his footing, the gryphon angrily lashed out at him with its vicious claws but he jumped back out of their reach.

As he slowly backed up, Hercules bumped against the boulder. With the sudden realisation that Iolaus wasn't behind it another worry was added to the one represented by the large burnished black creature bearing down on him. Hercules quickly devised his next strategy and timed his move to perfection.

As the enraged gryphon charged towards him, its ferocious claws poised for bloody mayhem, Hercules waited until the very last possible second before hurling himself off to the side. The gryphon couldn't react soon enough and smashed head- long into the boulder. Hercules seized its neck in both his strong hands. He applied great pressure and twisted until there was a sharp snapping sound and the gryphon instantly collapsed to the ground. Staggering away from the site of his deadly battle, Hercules turned his thoughts to his remaining worry.

Iolaus.

Being buried alive was a brand-new experience for Iolaus; one he wasn't too impressed by. He pushed as hard as he could upwards and felt great pressure on his back as his lungs began to burn from oxygen deprivation... again. He also felt the blanket of sand covering him unmistakably give alittle. Using fear and desperation to his own advantage, Iolaus pushed harder and kicked his trapped legs as best he could.

Iolaus's considerable determination as usual paid handsome dividends as he erupted from his premature grave with a mighty gasp.

Immediately his instincts told him danger was close by even though he couldn't see anything. While the moon was bright in the sky above, down between the dunes it was still deep, dark shadow.

Shaking the sand out of his hair and clothes, Iolaus stumbled to his feet. He drew his dagger and moved in a slow, cautious circle, relying on his sixth sense implicitly. He reacted uncannily when his opponent charged out of the darkness, two great sets of incredible talons poised to rend him to shreds.

All he saw were those incredible claws and two smouldering red eyes. Iolaus faded away from the groping talons while swinging his right leg forward in a low arc, sweeping his opponent's legs out from under it. It fell heavily on its side but lashed out with one of its powerful wings, knocking Iolaus spinning off-balance.

Before he could recover, the creature was on him, grabbing his right arm in its powerful grip. Iolaus's tough leather arm-band protected his forearm from the claws but the hand applied painful pressure. Stubbornly Iolaus refused to relinquish his weapon. Grimacing, he threw himself backwards, ramming his boot into the creature's mid-section as he hit the ground and sent his opponent flying over his head. It was more than enough to snap the creature's grip on his arm.

Iolaus rolled to his feet as his foe lashed out wildly with its claws. He jumped, trying to evade them, but the tips of one of the creature's talons hit his right ankle, sending him crashing to the ground awkwardly.

The large beast threw itself at him before he could get up but Iolaus held it off with his strong legs. Using those athletic, spring-loaded legs of his, he kicked his opponent solidly in the face and then rammed the stunned creature ferociously in the breadbasket with both feet. The power of his kick sent it careening backwards in a daze. As his foe stumbled off-balance, Iolaus pressed his advantage.

Evading its wildly flailing, lethal hands, he tackled his enemy to the ground. He held one of its claws at bay with his left hand and pinned the other with his right foot. Although the creature struggled mightily, Iolaus was able to sink his dagger into its chest a split-second before being dislodged by his opponent. Uncertain whether his dagger had found its mark, Iolaus scrambled to his feet, ready for more.

When he saw the motionless black shape lying in the sand afew feet in front of him and knew that it was dead, he relaxed. He sighed with satisfaction and relief, glad to have survived to fight another day. He had a lump on the back of his head and his arm ached but, all in all, acceptable complaints considering the alternative.

He retrieved his dagger and then quickly struggled up the dune, anxious about Hercules.

He met his friend on his way down and together they returned to the top. Staring at the large black creature Hercules had conquered, Iolaus asked, " What are they? " He'd never seen anything like them in his life and sincerely hoped he never would again. Hercules answered, " They're gryphons. Part-human but mostly bestial. There aren't many left because their malicious natures have drawn them into battles like this one tonight, with similar consequences. It just goes to show that size, strength and viciousness are no match against courage, intelligence and determination. "

Iolaus laughed humourlessly, " Yeah, right! Add providence to your list. One false move and... ", he swept his hand across his throat to graphically demonstrate his point.

Hercules patted Iolaus on the shoulder, " Think positive, Iolaus. Gryphons are very powerful, aggressive beings. We just defeated two of them. Not many people can claim to have done the same. Trust me, we had to have more than just luck on our side to do it, too. ", he said brightly as they set off into the night.

The night brought with it strong winds that whipped the sand into a stinging nuisance and bitter cold temperatures.

Iolaus pulled his jacket tightly about his slender frame in a futile attempt to keep warm. If he hadn't known any differently, he would've believed he was stumbling half-blinded across the northern icefields instead of a desert. The loose, ankle-deep sand was very fatiguing and in some places it was even deeper.

When they came upon a mound of large sand-smoothed boulders, Iolaus tapped Hercules on the shoulder, " Let's take five, Hercules. ", he yelled into the howling wind.

In the lee of the boulders they sat with their backs pressed against the cold granite, grateful to be out of the blinding sand-storm. Iolaus examined Hercules's wound and smiled, " It hasn't swollen and only bled abit. Looks like it's healing fine. ", he reported in an encouraging tone of voice.

Hercules swivelled his neck to-and-fro, fighting his fatigue and the stiffness caused by the cold. " How's your arm? ", he asked, noticing that Iolaus was massaging it again.

Last year Iolaus had had that same arm, wrist and thumb broken and dislocated by Makeos, a brutal warlord bent on avenging himself on the two persons he blamed for his brother Demetrios's death, namely Hercules and Iolaus. Under-estimating Iolaus was the last mistake Makeos ever made.

Although his injury was very painful, it hadn't kept Iolaus from fighting. Consequently it'd taken alot longer for it to heal completely and possibly it still wasn't as strong as the left. It still didn't keep Iolaus from fighting. Then, again, Hercules hadn't met anyone or anything that could.

Iolaus stopped rubbing his arm and drew his knees up tight against his body, trying to conserve all the precious body heat he could but he still shivered, " Hercules, have you ever heard tell of anybody freezing to death in a desert? ", he asked, trying to keep his teeth from chattering.

Hercules draped a powerful arm over Iolaus's shoulders and moved up right against his trembling friend, " Maybe someone all alone would die of the cold but we're not alone. ", he said softly into Iolaus's ear when he looked up at him inquiringly.

Iolaus smiled, already feeling better, " Just so long as you don't want to hold hands. ", he joked to cover his embarrassment at their unusual intimacy.

He settled his head on his forearms which rested across his knees and was soon sound asleep.

Hercules smiled at Iolaus's jibe and closed his eyes. He was cold and tired but his determination was just as strong as ever. Whatever it took, they would cross this desert and scale those mountains. They would get to Nicrosetti and somehow he would defeat Rhynox. One immortal dispenser of death and war was all the world could cope with. Two would very likely destroy it and Hercules knew he had to prevent that at all costs.

Once again his father was being ambivalent. On one hand Hercules knew his father disliked Ares intensely yet, on the other, he allowed the malevolent God of War to wrack havoc with impunity.

Many of his father's decisions and actions were beyond Hercules's comprehension. They had never been very close and never would be. Still, Hercules couldn't help but wish for some common ground, a place where they might share an inkling of mutual thought or feeling.

One day his feud with Hera had to end. Not until his days on earth were over and he was in Elysium with Dejanira and their children, would he even contemplate forgiving his father.

Until then he would never stop defying that witch or her despicable son Ares. Hercules's passionate train of thought got his blood running hot and as he fell asleep, the cold temperature seemed to bother him much less and he was able to rest alot more comfortably.

Iolaus woke up slowly. He wearily stifled a yawn, stretched his tired legs and flexed his sore right arm. Hercules was sound asleep and looked so peaceful that he decided not to wake him just yet. With a step as soundless as that of a mouse, he rose and walked to the edge of the high dune they'd camped on.

The sun was just rising behind the black towers in the east and the desert was still shrouded in shadow. The wind had died away, however, and Iolaus now found the cold air invigorating. He looked back the way they'd come and marvelled at how much distance they'd covered in such a short space of time. Especially since, at times, he'd felt like they were getting absolutely nowhere. Iolaus turned to the west and quesstimated that they could probably reach the foothills before sunset, barring any unforeseen interruptions or distractions.

Iolaus turned back towards the boulders and grinned when he saw that Hercules was sitting up. As Iolaus began to approach his friend, he thought the expression on Hercules's face was very strange. It seemed, for some reason, alarmed.

Before he had a chance to ruminate further something very hard struck Iolaus in the stomach so forcefully that his feet were knocked completely out from under him.

Hercules was already running to his rescue by then. Though Iolaus couldn't see what had attacked him, Hercules could all too clearly.

His godly powers allowed him to see other gods and their minions which mortals otherwise couldn't.

Iolaus lay shuddering on his side, gasping spastically for air, in total bewilderment. He rolled onto his back and tried to sit up. He was still too badly winded, though, and had no strength. With an agonised groan Iolaus fell back, holding his traumatised midriff.

He was baffled to see Hercules throwing punches and generally acting as if he was in a fight. A sudden realisation dawned on him. Something he couldn't see was responsible for this attack on him. He scowled resentfully. Confounded meddling gods!

Abruptly what felt like dozens of hands grabbed Iolaus's legs and began to drag him through the sand. He twisted and kicked, fighting fiercely. Whether it was the gods he defied or not, Iolaus's spirit was as uncompromising as ever.

He lunged towards the invisible forces clamped onto his legs and noticed footstep-like depressions in the sand appear. Iolaus aimed his blows in their direction. His fists made definite contact with... something. Iolaus was encouraged by that even though he couldn't tell if he'd made any impression on whatever it was he'd hit.

Hercules had his hands full fighting his way through the hordes of ugly demons known as sand-sprites. They stood about Iolaus's height but were much heavier. They were strong and vicious, with yellow eyes, rough leathery skin, reptilian tails and two horns projecting from their foreheads. The sand-sprites weren't pleasant to look at and they didn't have very good dispositions either. They staged a vigorous vanguard action against Hercules in order to keep him from rescuing his ally.

These hideous creatures were not Hercules's main worry, however, because he knew what their intentions were. Sand-sprites had one purpose in life. To gather food for the Sand-King. Hercules had never seen sand-sprites or a Sand-King before but he'd heard of them from his mentor Chiron. They dwelt exclusively in deserts and were semi-divine which was why Iolaus couldn't see them.

Hercules found the sand-sprites an aggravation and a nuisance. They were tenacious and for every one he knocked away, two took its place. His progress was severely hindered by their collective frenzy and despite his unwavering efforts, the sand-sprites held the advantage through sheer numbers.

Hercules was tripped by one of the sand-sprite's reptilian tails and fell heavily. Before he could recover scores of the sand-sprites jumped on top of him.

Their blows and attempts to restrain him only enraged Hercules all the more. He shook them off as if they were made of paper.

With his deep blue eyes blazing ferociously, Hercules turned to recommence his rescue bid.

Iolaus's attempts to free himself from whatever were dragging him relentlessly across the sands served only to provoke them. More hands grabbed his arms and, though he continued to struggle, they held him tightly while a multitude of feet and fists pounded his vulnerable body.

Iolaus continued to resist. In fact, the abuse being rained down upon him seemed to increase his defiance until his struggles finally forced whatever was hauling him across the sands to stop.

He wasn't able to break free of his captors, however, as even more hands took hold of him. His arms were twisted behind his back as savage fingers closed around his throat and squeezed.

He kicked with the fresh vigour of desperation. With a singular burst of strength, Iolaus got his legs free and abruptly pushed himself backwards, sending himself and all those that were trying to constrain him, cascading wildly down the steep dune.

By the time Iolaus reached the bottom, he was free of any nuisances. He was also incredibly dizzy and had great difficulty standing up. Iolaus's motivation was Hercules. He was so determined to lend his cousin support that he crawled on his hands and knees half-unconscious until he toppled face-first onto the sand, groaning from his ordeal, momentarily incapacitated.

Hercules saw the attack on Iolaus in all its barbaric fury and was further incensed. His fresh anger lent extra zest to already potent blows and the sand- sprites couldn't withstand his ferocious onslaught. In the interests of self-preservation, they backed down alittle.

Hercules remembered Chiron telling him that if one sand-sprite's blood was spilled, any others with it would suffer too. It was an unusual bond called symbiosis. Hercules didn't know whether sand-sprites were immortal but he decided that there was no time like the present to find out.

Hercules plunged down the dune until he finally reached Iolaus. His friend was semi-conscious and totally unaware that multitudes of sand-sprites were closing in on him again. In his present condition, there would've been little Iolaus could've done to protect himself against another assault.

However, with Hercules's precipitous intervention, the sand-sprites backed- off, reassessing their strategy. Through a haze of pain Iolaus allowed Hercules to take his dagger. He squinted curiously as Hercules threw it and marvelled that, whatever target his friend had hit, it shrieked quite stridently.

Almost immediately there was a veritable symphony of identical cries from all around them. Hercules nodded, satisfied, as the sand-sprites all vanished. They were indeed immortals. Hercules shook his head disparagingly. They didn't merit such a gift.

Hercules looked at Iolaus who frowned as he wiped away a trickle of blood from a split-lip. His eyes were their usual lucid blue as he looked up at his partner, " What in the hell just happened? ", he asked, mystified and clearly annoyed to be so.

Hercules got to his feet and helped Iolaus get to his before answering, " We just had a little run-in with another rare life-form called sand-sprites. As bad as they are, atleast we were able to avoid the Sand-King.", he explained, beginning to descend the dune.

Iolaus pursed his swollen lips pensively, frowning even harder, " These sand-sprites must be divine, right? That's why I couldn't see them. There were alot of them too. How did you get rid of them? ", he bombarded Hercules in a rapid-fire burst of irrepressible curiosity, " What did they..."

Hercules put his hand up, stopping Iolaus in mid-sentence, " Are you alright? That was quite a beating you took. ", he inquired, completely changing the subject.

Iolaus was sore all over but otherwise the worse he felt was embarrassed over being rescued yet again, " I feel fine, Hercules. Stop worrying about me. Isn't it bad enough you had to save me from these sand-sprites, do you have to humiliate me more by being a mother-hen, too? ", he replied, much more sharply than he'd intended. He regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. He had a regrettable habit of expressing his emotions without thinking beforehand.

Iolaus held out his hand contritely, " By the way, thanks for your help. You know I appreciate it even if I put my foot in my mouth sometimes. ", he said in an apologetic tone.

Hercules understood Iolaus had his pride. It was only natural that anybody as adept and as self-reliant as his ally, should find it awkward to accept let alone acknowledge assistance no matter what the circumstances. He also knew better than anyone how emotional and opinionated Iolaus was prone to be. As far as Hercules was concerned, it was all part of his best friend's charm. It stood to reason, afterall, that a fire that burned as brightly as Iolaus did had to give off a few sparks every now and again.

He shook his partner's hand warmly, " Apology accepted though it isn't necessary, Iolaus. I only did what you would've done if our roles had been reversed. As for that mother-hen crack... ", he slapped Iolaus hardily on the shoulder, " Well, I'll stop worrying about you when you do likewise about me, buddy. "

Iolaus, who was prepared to argue, closed his mouth, at a loss for words. He frowned with sudden, curious insight. Funny... how he'd never seen their relationship quite like that before.

The dunes just seemed to be getting higher and higher as they continued to trudge through the deep sands towards their destination. Mid-way up one particularly steep dune that seemed to tower infinitely above them Hercules paused to allow Iolaus to catch up to him. Iolaus was only afew feet away when the sands beneath Hercules's feet suddenly disappeared and he with it.

Iolaus spurted in alarm the last few feet and threw himself blindly into the small black cavity that had swallowed Hercules so abruptly.

The structural fault that Hercules's considerable stature had finally caused to fail had formerly allowed sands to seep through it for a long, long time. There was, as a consequence, a large mound of relatively soft sands accumulated that served as a welcome landing point.

Hercules had just moved and was pushing himself to his feet when Iolaus came diving through the hole with a yell. He landed almost exactly on the same spot Hercules had vacated.

Hercules shook his head in exasperation, " Iolaus, what are you doing? "

With a groan, Iolaus turned over and wheezed, " Well, I didn't want you to have all the fun. " His landing had knocked the wind out of him again but not as severely as the sand-sprites had done.

" Great! Now instead of just me being stuck in this hole, we're both trapped down here. ", Hercules admonished his impetuous cousin as his eyes began to adjust to the gloom.

Iolaus sat up, stung by Hercules's criticism, " I thought we should stay together no matter what. ", he countered petulantly, also beginning to turn his attentions to their new environs.

As they moved away from the sandpile and deeper into the cold, damp gloom, columns and arches loomed into view. A beam of light streaked through the aperture high above and revealed ornate, startlingly vibrant mosaic murals on the walls and beautiful sculptures covered in ages worth of dust. Yet what really awed them was the scale of this place. The room into which they'd fallen was vast.

Hercules and Iolaus looked at each other in wonder. " Wow! This must be the ruins of some ancient city. ", Iolaus whispered as he squatted and brushed away the sand and grit from a colourful, ceramic tile floor.

Hercules pointed, " This may be an ancient city but it isn't abandoned. "

Iolaus looked up and saw there were torches flickering in a cold draft. He frowned, " If a city was totally buried in sand, would there be any wind inside it? ", he asked speculatively.

Hercules was pleased by Iolaus's quick turn of mind. " Now you're using your head.", he said affably, " Where there's wind there's a way out.", he added as he strode towards the archway where he thought the draft was coming from.

Iolaus stood up and felt a fresh eddy of air flit through his hair. His expression, already pensive, turned to puzzlement. The breeze he felt had not come from the direction Hercules was headed. Iolaus looked up into the gloom of the high ceiling realising where his aberrant draft had come from. His sharp eyes searched the overhead shadows as his sixth sense set a rush of adrenalin coursing through his veins.

Iolaus was already running and only had time to yell Hercules's name as a warning before a fireball sizzled through the dim, dank air and exploded inches from his flying heels!

The powerful concussion lifted Iolaus off the ground and hurled him half- way across the chamber. He collided with one of the very unyielding massive columns and tumbled, insensible, onto the cold, dirty floor.

Hercules spun at Iolaus's frantic yell of alarm and saw the glittering green dragon fire its fiery missile before he could react. Though he was at Iolaus's side immediately Hercules didn't get a chance to help his ally as the dragon roared and prepared to fire again.

Hercules jumped to his feet and dashed for the protection of another column trying to draw the dragon's attention away from his helpless friend. The dragon wasn't particular about its targets.

As he dove behind one of the finely carved pillars, another fireball slammed into it with tremendous force. The column cracked as Hercules clambered to his feet behind its shelter. He glared at the sparkling dragon hovering yards away and then frowned. There was something very familiar about that creature.

Just as the dragon was about to unleash another shot Hercules remembered where he'd met it before. He stepped out boldly from behind the column, " Braxas? Is that you? ", he yelled as loudly as he could at the floating beast.

Instantly the dragon turned its great yellow eyes towards him and swallowed its flame, " Hercules?! What are you doing here? ", it said in a bewildered youthful voice.

Hercules heaved a great sigh of relief at this incredible coincidence.

Not long ago a particularly conniving warlord named Adamis had tried to use the adolescent dragon as a weapon to reclaim territory he'd lost in a rebellion. Hercules had defeated Adamis and set Braxas free despite Iolaus's reluctance to allow a dragon to fly around and possibly terrorise people. Braxas was a gentle creature at heart. To put Iolaus's concerns to rest it'd promised to return to its home on Tarsus.

Iolaus woke up with a start and yelped at the pain his sudden movement provoked. Grimacing, he pushed himself to a sitting position. He saw two dragons spinning in the air just in front of two jittery Hercules'. They all seemed to be talking. He shook his head and looked again. His double-vision cleared and he saw that Hercules was, indeed, talking to the dragon. Iolaus staggered to his feet holding his pounding head.

Even in his rattled state Iolaus remembered well the only talking dragon he'd ever encountered, " So, Braxas, let me guess; you took a wrong turn at Euboea and somehow ended up in a city buried under a desert in the middle of nowhere. ", he yelled, wincing at the sound of his own voice as he stumbled towards Hercules and Braxas.

The young dragon set down on the floor and looked at Iolaus with its huge yellow eyes, " I'm sorry, Iolaus! I didn't recognise you! ", it said apologetically.

As Iolaus stopped beside Hercules, blood from a deep abrasion just above his left eyebrow trickled down the side of his face. With inordinate composure Iolaus wiped at the ticklish rivulets. He looked up at Braxas and his cobalt eyes virtually pulsated with barely controlled anger, " You could've killed me, you great big green menace! ", he complained crossly, " You could've killed Hercules too! With a friend like you, who needs enemies! "

A shimmering opaque tear fell from Braxas's eye and splashed over Iolaus; soaking him from head to foot.

Hercules smiled as Iolaus spluttered; shaking the moisture irritably from his hair. Hercules's amusement turned to amazement though as the nasty cut over Iolaus's brow and even the split-lip he'd suffered in the battle with the sand- sprites faded and disappeared.

" Dragon-tears! I remember Asclepius telling me about them. They can cure anything. ", Hercules commented with sudden comprehension.

Iolaus was justifiably amazed as every ache and pain he'd accumulated recently miraculously vanished. He looked at Braxas in astonished gratitude and an idea hit him, " Hercules, take off your shirt.", he said urgently.

At first Hercules was inclined to protest but the look on Iolaus's face convinced him that it would be much better to just indulge his friend so he did as he was asked.

Iolaus rubbed his hand on his wet jacket and then gently touched Hercules's wound. In a few seconds the ugly painful injury had completely healed without a trace.

Iolaus looked up at the young dragon and said sincerely, " Thank you, Braxas. "

Hercules folded his muscular arms across his chest, " Okay, young dragon, how do you come to be here? Tarsus isn't anywhere near this place. "

If a dragon could look sheepish that was the expression on Braxas's face as he replied, " I was on my way to Tarsus, Hercules, when I smelled something so delectable that I had to come and see what it was. Outside this hidden city is an oasis. In that oasis grows a rare fruit called Halcyonia. "

Braxas paused as Hercules nodded, " I've heard of Halcyonia. It's an ingredient the gods use in ambrosia and nectar. "

Braxas smiled, " Yes, and it really is heavenly! This oasis has only a limited supply of Halcyonia. I intend to stay here and keep it for myself. "

Iolaus was worried, " Braxas, Halcyonia is the food of the gods. It'll make you immortal. They may not want you to have it. Is it worthwhile to risk their wrath? "

Braxas sounded quite grown-up as he replied, " The gods have plenty of Halcyonia. If they want this patch, they'll have to fight for it. "

Iolaus was admiring the chamber once again, " I wonder what happened to the people who once lived here? "

Hercules looked around too, " Cities rise and fall. Entire civilisations grow, flourish and seem to be everlasting. Then one day they're gone. Nothing lasts forever. I'm sure the people who lived here never thought their city would someday be lost, buried in sand and forgotten. "

Iolaus's curiosity was in full swing. He took one of the torches and wandered into the next room as Hercules began examining one of the intricate wall murals.

Braxas was hungry after his conversation about Halcyonia and sailed through one of the archways in search of a meal.

Iolaus explored the huge building for hours. Everything was extremely rich and opulent. He chuckled to himself as he entered yet another room that was piled high with coins, gold talens, precious jewels, jewellery, gold and silver-plated goblets and plates, ornaments and priceless regalia.

He couldn't wait to tell Salmoneus about this lost city with its incalculable treasures. It would drive Hercules's avaricious little friend crazy. None of the riches interested Iolaus except for a small collection of weaponry.

Since Hercules had sacrificed his dagger to vanquish the sand-sprites Iolaus had been weaponless.

Against other men he could fight quite happily without the benefit of a weapon. Yet against monsters and other non-mortals he felt more prepared and effective with the added insurance of some kind of weapon.

Iolaus passed over the ostentatious pieces and chose a large dagger with an etched silver-plated handle and a keen edge. It's black leather sheath was embossed with a stamp of Pegasus; the legendary and immortal ivory-coloured winged stallion.

As Iolaus fastened the sheath to his belt and turned to leave, he was attracted by an elaborate bow. He picked it up, frowning, at its familiarity. Then he saw the arrows and dropped the bow in contempt.

It was one of Hera's archer's bows.

Crafted by Hephaestus naturally.

Whoever the people had been who had lived here they certainly had collected everything imaginable.

He picked up one of the arrows contemplatively. These arrows of Hephaestus' could kill an immortal. They could kill a god or the son of a god too. Hera had tried to kill Hercules with similar arrows on several occasions.

Iolaus's eyes darkened with hatred.

That vile harpy had very nearly succeeded too.

He snapped off two of the arrowheads. When the time came he would make new arrows for them. He dropped the ultra-deadly tips in a secret pocket on the inside of his jacket with grim satisfaction.

Now, he was ready.

Hercules found a library in his explorations. He couldn't read any of the plethora of scrolls because he didn't know the language but he found some charts and maps that were interesting.

This city had existed long, long ago. Long before Greece was anything more than a collection of nomadic shepherds. It was during the height of Fantasia when gryphons, dragons, gargoyles, and other mythological creatures were more common than mortals.

Hercules smiled, finding it both fitting and ironic that Braxas had decided to make this place its home.

In another part of the expansive building Hercules found a laboratory. He couldn't read the labels on the jars, boxes and bins but his nose and medical knowledge demystified most of their contents.

Hercules had an extensive knowledge of alchemy and medicine thanks to his cousin Asclepius and his mentor Chiron. The only one with more expertise was Hercules's brother Apollo, the omnipotent Sun God.

Hercules used his education to help whomever needed it.

Apollo practised his exclusively for the other gods and their minions and favourites. However, Apollo had taught his son Asclepius everything he knew.

Eventually Hercules caught the scent of Halcyonia and drifted out into Braxas's precious oasis.

There he found not only Halcyonia but other rare and unique plants, animals and other objects.

There were Euphor trees. Euphoria was a very, very rare aphrodisiac.

There were Xanthallian orchids. Xanthallian venom was a potent, lethal hallucinogenic... as he and Iolaus had found out thanks to the depraved Callisto.

There was a beautiful magenta-coloured Phoenix. Arrows fitted with Phoenix feathers never missed their mark.

There was a mermaid in the oasis lake and a pair of unicorns browsing in the lush grass beneath a Chimera tree. A specific quantity of Chimera berries could turn whoever ate them invisible.

As Hercules sat down at a white granite table and ate some of the bounty of food provided by the Cornucopia, he realised here was a very special refuge for very special plants and animals. Perhaps Braxas hadn't chanced upon this place so accidentally afterall.

Not long after Hercules and Braxas had started a relaxed conversation, Iolaus found his way to the enchanted garden too.

Hercules handed his friend a melon, " Sit down, Iolaus, and eat. We have to leave here soon. Braxas is going to carry us as far as the mountains. He doesn't want to leave this place for too long.", he said as Iolaus hungrily obeyed.

Braxas watched Iolaus for afew moments and then smiled at Hercules, " He eats more than I do! Where does it all go? "Hercules snickered as Iolaus shrugged his shoulders, " It doesn't go to waste shooting fireballs at people. ", he said quietly, a roguish sparkle in his eye.

Braxas nodded sagely, " Ah, I'd forgotten about that tongue of yours, Iolaus. It's sharper than any dagger; truer than any arrow. "

Iolaus made an incredulous face, " For a dragon, you've got a very thin skin. ", he observed.

Then his expression became serious, " Braxas, take what I say with a grain of salt. I mean you no harm. You cured Hercules's painful wound and, believe me when I say this, you saved me alot of suffering. I'm grateful to you for all your help. Thank you, you great big green menace.", he said, looking straight into one of the young creature's unblinking yellow eyes.

Braxas smiled, " Next time I'll look twice before I shoot. ", he promised good-naturedly.

It was Hercules's turn to be serious. Looking at his friend frankly, he said, " Iolaus, once we leave this place we can never again talk about it. There are too many rare things here that we must preserve by our silence. Nobody else learns of this place from us, right? "

Iolaus looked around at the garden and sighed, " My lips are sealed. I hope this place exists for a long, long time to come. " As he admired the beauty that surrounded them, he murmured, " I wonder what this place was called? "

Hercules answered his friend simply in an equally awed voice, " Nirvana. "

Braxas gently lifted Hercules up in his great claw and placed him on his shoulder. He did the same with Iolaus. When the two were comfortably positioned Braxas soared into the sky.

They flew over Nirvana and then Braxas set off for the mountains. In a very short time Braxas landed on a mountain meadow on the far side of the mountains. They waved their farewells as Braxas took off on his return flight back to his beloved garden.

Iolaus pointed towards the horizon, " Nicrosetti! ", he shouted excitedly.

Barely visible on the blue horizon stood the defiant battlements and parapets of Nicrosetti. All around the city rose thin plumes of smoke which Iolaus noted, his voice thick with anger and disgust, " Rhynox's army is burning all the outlying villages! " It was a classic pre-siege manoeuvre. Establish a buffer zone so no help could get in and no plea for help could get out.

They looked at each other and wordlessly began to run towards those distant walls. In the dwindling daylight it was a difficult journey because they often had to stop and hide from Rhynox's roving patrols.

By night-fall, however, they were within sight of Nicrosetti's walls. Approaching the city at night was out of the question. Pyrrhean archers were the best in the Mediterranean and if anybody neared their city they wouldn't be asking questions first and then shooting.

So they decided to spend the night in a tiny hamlet nestled between a dense woodland and the broad river that ran alongside Nicrosetti. The chieftain of the village recognised Hercules, " Welcome, Hercules. I am Aemon, mayor of Virnica. ", the elderly man said politely.

Hercules didn't recognise him but assumed they'd met somehow on one his visits. He shook Aemon's hand and clapped Iolaus on the shoulder, " This is my partner, Iolaus. We've come to help defend Nicrosetti from Rhynox. ", he said.

Aemon shook Iolaus's hand, " Welcome to Virnica, Iolaus. It's our honour to host two of the most illustrious heroes of our time. "

He insisted that they join him for dinner. Hercules was just about to ask Aemon why Virnica hadn't been burned like all of the other villages they'd passed on the way when several villagers burst into the hut in obvious terror, " Aemon, horsemen with torches are coming! "

Aemon stammered in alarm, " What? But I gave them our gold! They were supposed to spare Virnica! "

Hercules and Iolaus looked at each other and shook their heads. Aemon grasped Hercules's arm in desperation, " Please, Hercules, you can save Virnica! We'll give you anything you want. "Hercules glared at the man and he removed his hand. " I'll help Virnica because it's the right thing to do. I ask only that you learn something from this, Aemon! "

Hercules looked for Iolaus but his friend was already gone.

Iolaus had been eager for battle all day. The stinging clouds of smoke from the plundered villages had done more than just irritate his eyes.

He ran to the village well and seized the bucket there which was full of water. Whirling it over his head he let it go as the first two riders bore down on him. He spun behind the cover of the well as the soldiers were struck by the pail and knocked from their horses.

As the two riderless horses thundered past in a cloud of dust, Iolaus raced around the well to where the six other riders had hurriedly halted to avoid trampling their fallen comrades.

Launching himself into the air Iolaus slammed into the nearest soldier with a powerful flying two-footed kick that not only drove the soldier out of his saddle but smashed him into the man next to him so they both lost their mounts.

Iolaus rolled to his feet and narrowly escaped a spear that thudded into the ground beside him. An arrow zinged into the dirt between his feet and he wisely decided on a strategic retreat.

He moved to his right but one of the soldiers cut him off. Iolaus grabbed the fist and wrist of the soldier's sword-hand and blunted his intended blow momentarily. The soldier kicked him hard in the face. Iolaus let go of the soldier's arm and, holding a hand to his bleeding nose, scrambled for cover.

Only there wasn't any.

The four remaining soldiers gloated at his predicament. They'd trapped him in a ring formed by their great war-horses.

Iolaus drew his dagger and wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand. His eyes glittered with defiance in the dim light cast by the torches they still held.

Hercules heard the commotion and ran towards it as fast as he could. The first two soldiers Iolaus had unseated were just back on their feet when he arrived. They didn't have time to raise their weapons before he grabbed them each by the scruff of the neck and slammed them into each other. They collapsed as if made out of straw.

Hercules then reached up with his huge hands and yanked one of the riders from his horse before he knew what was happening. He went sailing through the air and landed in the middle of the growing pile of insensible bodies beside the well.

The riderless horse bolted and Iolaus capitalised on that opportunity. He dove and somersaulted away from the swinging swords of two of the soldiers and the arrow shot by the third was caught in mid-flight by the lightning reflexes of Hercules. He snapped the arrow in two and the pieces fell to the ground as he advanced on the trio.

Hercules caught one of the soldiers by the sword-arm, twisted and he slid out of his saddle, dropping the torch that had been in his other hand.

The archer backed his horse up to give himself a better shooting angle as Hercules's rock-hard fist sent the soldier in his hands to dreamland.

As Hercules intercepted the other soldier's sword blow, Iolaus took careful aim.

" Hercules! Incoming! ", he yelled, cocking his arm and sending his silver dagger spinning through the cool evening air.

Hercules heard his warning and shoved against both the soldier and his horse. They all shifted several feet leaving a clear path for Iolaus's knife as it swooshed past.

Iolaus's aim was as true as ever, striking the archer just as he released his shot. The arrow went up in the air as the archer was knocked from his horse and it clunked into the ground afew inches from his crumpled body.

With his long reach, Hercules seized the last soldier by the throat and lifted him off of his horse. He dropped his sword and torch as he tried to pry Hercules's fingers from his throat. Hercules waved bye-bye and then hit him with the same hand, putting his struggle to rest. He dropped the man and looked around at the limp bodies and unmanned horses.

Iolaus was stamping out one of the torches as Aemon approached the battle scene, " Absolutely magnificent! ", he said in a simpering tone that only exacerbated Iolaus's temper.

He dabbed at his still slightly leaky nose and said with typical verbal fire, " You are a fool, Aemon! Gold is a very poor defence against any aggressor! You're just lucky we happened to be here tonight or your precious Virnica would be just another bonfire by now! "

Aemon was rankled by Iolaus's tone but he nodded, trying to appease his ire, " The gods must be on our side. "

Aemon literally cringed at Iolaus's angry response to his statement, " The only god involved in this matter definitely isn't on our side! "

Iolaus marched off into the gloom, muttering angrily to himself.

Aemon watched him depart as Hercules strode to his side, " Your friend has a hot temper, Hercules. I didn't mean to offend him. "

Hercules looked at Aemon severely and snapped, " A word of advice, Aemon. Next time, give credit where credit it due. It was Iolaus's courage that saved Virnica tonight. Not the gods or your gold. "

Aemon was cowed by Hercules's wrath.

" A simple thank you would've done wonders to cool his fire... ", Hercules concluded reproachfully as he walked away, "...and mine. "

Iolaus followed a well-worn path down to the river. He squatted and dipped his hands in the frigid waters. Then he held his cold wet hands against his hot face and gingerly wiped his tender nose.

Through the trees he could see the sentry fires flickering in the gentle evening breeze atop the high walls of Nicrosetti. Iolaus sat on the riverbank and sighed.

This was certainly not his first battle eve but it was the first time he'd ever had such a feeling of destiny prior to a fight. He'd taken part in several monumental, history-making battles in his career too. Never before had he had such an uneasy premonition that this battle would not only change his life forever but, somehow, change life itself.

Iolaus heard the crunch of a foot on dirt and turned to see the inspiring image of Hercules striding towards him illuminated in the pale light of the torch he carried.

" Iolaus, are you alright? ", he inquired as his friend stood up to greet him.

" Yes, thanks to you. Your timing is impeccable, Hercules. Another minute and I would've been skewered! Thanks. ", Iolaus said earnestly, his eyes still shimmering with residual excitement in the faint torch light.

Hercules smiled, " Alittle exercise is good after a big meal, don't you think? "

They laughed and returned to the village. Aemon arranged for them to sleep in the village council chamber but Iolaus was too restless to sleep.

As Aemon and his councillors monopolised Hercules's attentions, Iolaus wandered around the village. He passed the mill-house where the surviving seven enemy soldiers were locked up. He remembered his dagger and wondered how he might reclaim it. He heard some men talking in the field next to the mill-house and stopped to investigate. Three villagers were arranging the burial stones around the body of the archer he'd slain.

Iolaus called to them, " Excuse me, but did any of you guys see a silver- handled dagger? "

One of the men nodded, " A handsome weapon it were too. We gave it to Nestor the blacksmith because he's the local weapons expert. "

Iolaus waved in acknowledgement of his assistance and set out to find the smithy. Soon he heard the clang of metal on metal and followed the sound to the forge.

In the sweltering heat and harsh light of the foundry Iolaus found a massive man with powerful arms, shoulders and neck that rivalled Hercules's brawn. The smith's head and face were covered in black hair and beard giving a bearish impression and, as Iolaus neared the anvil, it seemed his dark brown eyes were appropriately wild too.

The smith paused in his work to smile at Iolaus, " Welcome, friend. What brings you to the smith at this hour? "

Iolaus's sharp eyes noted the man's crippled leg without seeming to and he smiled briefly, " I've been told that you have a silver-handled dagger? It belongs to me and I'm here to retrieve it.", he said succinctly.

The smith wiped the perspiration from his brow, " I knew it belonged to you, friend. I saw the fight from here. You're very good! "

The smith lead him into his adjoining shop. As Iolaus perused the variety of weapons and armour displayed about the shop, the smith produced the silver-etched dagger.

" It's a fine knife. Very keen and strong. It suits you."

Iolaus had chosen two arrows and a bow. He set the weapons on a table and looked at the smith questioningly, " What does that mean? "

The smith shrugged, " I've known men like you in my time. Quick on their feet. Fast hands. Nerves as cool as the steel of this dagger's blade. Deadly, with or without a weapon. Natural-born assassins. I'll warrant you have an impressive tally of victims to your credit. If you need any weapon or gear, help yourself. "

Iolaus decided that he didn't especially like this person. He picked up his dagger and put it in its sheath, " All I need is what's on this table, friend. " Iolaus laid some dinars on the table and reached for the arrows.

The smith's great hand was resting on top of them and didn't budge despite Iolaus's clear attempt to take them. He looked up at the dark behemoth with smouldering agitation, " Do you mind?", Iolaus said in a tone that gave voice to the fierce fire in his eyes.

The smith still didn't remove his hand, " A brave heart like yourself, if properly equipped, could be as invincible as Ares himself! ", he exulted and quickly piled a quiver, a sword, a shield and some armour on the table, covering the items Iolaus had already chosen in an attempt to persuade him to take his kind offerings.

Iolaus's thoughts were anything but kind. Outraged, he abruptly swept all the equipment onto the floor. As the items clattered into the dust, he leaned across the cleared table. He glowered at the ebullient smith with such hostility that the towering man was dumbfounded and grew silent, " Be thankful, friend, that you are wrong about me! I'm no callow farm boy who's never seen a battlefield but I'm no vile assassin either! Perhaps you crave the bloody carnage propagated by Ares so badly because your disability bars you from battle but I abhor it! All of it!"

His tirade stupefied the smith. He stared at Iolaus as if he were speaking a foreign tongue that he couldn't comprehend.

Iolaus retrieved the bow and arrows he'd chosen and as he stormed out of the shop, paused to conclude, " Somebody like you, who profits from war, will probably never understand but Virnica wouldn't have needed to be saved if not for Ares! "

He returned to the council chamber where he quickly replaced the arrowheads with the ones from his pocket. Across the room Hercules watched him busy at his task but he had no idea the significance of the arrows yet.

Early next morning the villagers escorted them to the bridge crossing the river. Aemon gave a banner to Hercules and then shook his hand warmly, " Take care, Hercules. This flag is known to the sentries and will gain you easy entry to Nicrosetti. Come back to Virnica after this battle is won so we may all celebrate together. "

Aemon accepted Iolaus's hand and as they shook, the old man met his fiery eyes and smiled, " Thank you for your help, young lion. " Iolaus smiled, graciously acknowledging the old man's amends and then ran to catch up with Hercules.

Mists still lingered in the orchards and farmlands that surrounded the city and the countryside was quiet and deserted.

Rhynox and his army had driven Nicrosetti's forces easily back behind her stout walls. Now the invaders were camped less than a mile away. There were still roving patrols scouring the countryside for spies or anybody else they could terrorise.

None were suicidal enough to come very close to Nicrosetti however so they were able to approach the gates unhindered. The sentries not only recognised Aemon's flag but they recognised Hercules aswell. The gates opened cautiously and without hesitation the two friends dashed inside.

They were escorted directly to the war cabinet of King Marius. As they were about to enter the chamber Iolaus hung back, unusually indecisive.

Hercules turned and looked at him inquiringly, " Iolaus? Are you coming? "

He shook his head, " Uh, no, Hercules, you go on. I have no business..."

Before he could finish his sentence Hercules grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him to his side, " Iolaus, this is no time to be modest. I've always respected your experience and input, my friend. Whenever I go into any war council I want you by my side. We are a team; on the battlefield and off of it. ", he said earnestly.

Iolaus took a deep breath and followed Hercules confidently into the room.

King Marius was an older man of average height and alittle rotund. He had thinning grey hair down to his shoulders, pale blue eyes and a ruddy complexion.

When he saw Hercules the king jumped from his chair at the head of the large table around which all his officers were gathered and hurried to welcome him enthusiastically, " Hercules! You are a sight for sore eyes, young man! I feared you'd been lost at sea. "

The king escorted Hercules to a chair at his right hand side.

Then the king turned to Iolaus, shook his hand and indicated the chair beside Hercules, " Welcome back to Nicrosetti, Iolaus. Please, sit down. "

Hercules smiled at Iolaus's bewilderment. It was obvious he hadn't expected to be recognised let alone accorded such a warm greeting.

' Well ', he thought, ' it's something you better get accustomed to and the sooner, the better, my friend. '

Although Iolaus hadn't quite realised it yet, he was becoming something of a legend in his own right.

As far as Hercules was concerned, it was well-deserved honour and hard-won respect that his ally had earned a long time ago.

Still, it was better late than never.

Iolaus put his arrows on the table in front of him where Hercules noticed them for the first time. He'd seen Iolaus make them last night but it was only dawning on him now just what kind of arrows they were.

He shot Iolaus an enlightened glance. His cousin nodded his head affirmatively.

A mix of emotions played across Hercules's face.

Alarm that Iolaus would dare to use something crafted by the gods against the gods...

Anger because Iolaus hadn't disclosed his intentions... and, primarily...

Pride in his friend's unbelievable ingenuity...

For there in plain view was the salvation of the world.

King Marius cleared his throat loudly and Hercules realised the king was talking to him. Shaking his head, he smiled self-deprecatingly, " I apologise, your majesty. Can you please repeat that? "

King Marius smiled indulgently, " Of course, Hercules. I was just asking you what your preferred strategy would be? Stay here and wait for Rhynox? Or meet him on the plains? "

Hercules looked at all the faces turned to catch his every word and then patted Iolaus on the shoulder, " I'm not a military man so my opinion means nothing but my great friend Iolaus is a distinguished veteran of many famous battles. His observations are worth heeding. ", he said eloquently.

Iolaus was initially totally taken aback by Hercules's adroit manipulation of focus but he recovered with admirable alacrity.

Relying upon the same nerve that had seen him through countless battles, he stood up to address the receptive officers, " Since you now know that Rhynox has an overwhelming numerical advantage it'd be suicide to go up against him again on the field of battle. ", he said with authority, " He's not a patient nor particularly bright leader. He leads by virtue of his aggression and cold-bloodedness. He won't bother with sorties nor will he test defences. When they come, they'll come en masse. An awesome, seemingly limitless flood of barbarians, with one goal in mind. "

He looked at King Marius, " The complete obliteration of Nicrosetti and the deaths of every person they get their savage hands on! "

After a brief strategic pause Iolaus's luminous eyes were poignant as he concluded, " Keep your men behind the protection of Nicrosetti's walls. Let Rhynox come to you on your terms. He won't hold the advantage for long against the superb combination of your ace Pyrrhean archers and Hercules! "

His words met with wholehearted and unanimous approval from every man in the chamber. Relieved, Iolaus sat down and muttered to Hercules under his breath, " I'll get you for this! ", he promised as his ally grinned at his lingering embarrassment.

King Marius said, " Thank you, Iolaus, for demonstrating your incalculable wisdom. We shall indeed wait for Rhynox to come to us. "

The king quickly left the room with his officers and in afew moments Hercules and Iolaus were by themselves.

Hercules closed the door and turned on his ally, extreme severity blazing in his indigo eyes, " Just what were you planning to do with those arrows, Iolaus? ", he demanded bluntly.

Iolaus opened his mouth to speak but Hercules didn't give him a chance. " Those arrows were made by Hephaestus. I know you know that. Do you realise what the gods would do to you if you used those against any of them? "

It had been a very long time since Iolaus had seen Hercules this upset. However, he understood completely the risk he'd taken. Despite Hercules's grave misgivings he honestly considered it worthwhile, " Hercules, I'll use these arrows if doing so will save the world. ", he said with ultra-calm determination. He slipped the bow over his shoulder and looked at his worried friend with unwavering commitment in his clear eyes, " I don't care what the gods do to me so long as Rhynox and the threat he poses to the world dies here. "

Hercules was thoughtful for a moment and then said, " The gods won't allow a mortal like you, Iolaus, to use a weapon crafted by Hephaestus to kill an immortal and live to tell about it. "

Iolaus was quick to follow Hercules's train of thought. It was his turn to be upset, " Wait a minute, Hercules. It may be suicide for me to use these arrows but it's even worse if you use them. You're a god! Your father won't protect you from Ares or Hera if you use these arrows, will he? "

Of course, he wouldn't.

Zeus might be Hercules's father but his paternity had always been more a curse than a blessing for his son. He'd never shown Hercules even the faintest trace of fatherly compassion or responsibility.

It'd be foolish to expect him to exhibit any in this matter.

Iolaus had thought this all through very carefully already. There was no other feasible alternative.

His mind was irrevocably made up and not even Hercules would change it.

He looked passionately into Hercules's regal blue eyes, " The consequences are just too catastrophic to let you take the risk this time, Hercules. The world needs you, my incomparable friend. It will certainly survive without the likes of me. "

With that Iolaus snatched his arrows and headed for the door. He sighed dejectedly as Hercules barred his way, his huge arms folded intractably across his broad chest. The last thing Iolaus wanted to do was have a physical confrontation with Hercules but it didn't look as if he'd have any alternative.

He made a slight move towards the door. Hercules countered but instead of going towards the door Iolaus spun and jumped onto the massive table. In the twinkling of an eye he slid across its polished surface and leapt out an open window before Hercules was able to take more than afew steps.

As he vanished Hercules slammed his fist down on the table in frustration.

" Damn! He's even faster than Hermes! ", he complained, racing out the door.

Iolaus didn't know Nicrosetti that well, having only been in the city once before, but he had no trouble losing himself in the crowds. It was packed with people from the surrounding countryside, livestock and national soldiers.

Iolaus was intent on securing a vantage point where he'd have a clear shot at Rhynox.

Suddenly bells began to ring and the people started to run in all directions. Soldiers scrambled to take up their defensive positions and Iolaus was almost trampled by a troop of cavalry headed for the gates.

From the relative safety of a doorway he watched as the cavalry charged out onto the plain to confront the attacking swarms of Rhynox's forces.

The bells stopped ringing and Iolaus realised that the bell tower would make an excellent observation post.

Getting to the bell tower was an exercise in patience and tolerance. Iolaus's size and agility, however, were great advantages in the maddening crowd. Soon he stepped inside the tower doorway with a sigh of relief.

He'd just closed the door when he heard a sound behind him and whirled. This time he wasn't quite quick enough.

Hercules's hands grabbed Iolaus's right arm firmly and plucked the arrows from his grasp simultaneously, " Let's finish our conversation shall we, my friend? ", he said sternly.

As the sounds of battle began to echo all around them Iolaus remarked, " Better make it quick, friend. "

Hercules released his arm.

" You might consider yourself expendable, Iolaus, but I definitely don't. Some day Olympus will be just like Nirvana. Lost and forgotten. Nothing but a myth. It's the exemplary lives of men like you that will give mankind an immortality that will outlive the age of gods. Trust me, my dear friend. You have more to live for than you dare imagine! "

Iolaus was spellbound by Hercules's emotional dissertation. There was nothing he could say in the face of such eloquence.

He gave his bow to Hercules reluctantly. A nagging concern resurfaced, " If you kill Rhynox and Ares tries to avenge him, will your father allow it? ", he asked as Hercules fit one of the arrows to the bow and started up the stairs to the belfry.

Hercules shrugged his shoulders, " It doesn't matter as long as the world is saved, right? "

Iolaus would've argued further but just then the door burst open.

As three enemy soldiers stampeded into the room, Iolaus drew his dagger.

He took two running steps, leapt into the air and kicked the leading soldier's sword flying from his hand.

He grabbed the soldier by the arm and with a deft twist of the wrist, flipped him hard onto his back in the dust.

As he rolled out of the path of the second soldier's blow, Iolaus lashed out with a foot and knocked the man reeling. He and the third soldier collided awkwardly.

Springing to his feet, Iolaus cast his dagger in one smooth, fluid motion. The second soldier's follow-up stroke was abruptly cut short. He toppled on top of the first soldier.

The third soldier stepped around his two fallen comrades and heaved a spear at Iolaus.

Iolaus dropped to his knees as the spear sailed over his head and impacted a wooden beam directly behind him.

As the last soldier drew his sword and charged, Iolaus somersaulted across the small room and snatched up the sword dropped by the first soldier.

He twirled the sword in his hands deftly and the last soldier hesitated in the face of his evident dexterity.

Iolaus didn't.

With one devastating two-handed stroke Iolaus broke his enemy's sword blade.

As the soldier back-pedalled in shock, Iolaus completed the rout with a powerful backhanded blow. The soldier fell neatly beside his comrades.

Iolaus retrieved his dagger and then bolted up the steps.

Hercules had meanwhile found his intended target. As Iolaus rushed to his side, he let the arrow fly.

Rhynox was strutting above a portion of the battlements that had been breached. The soldiers of Nicrosetti had established makeshift barricades around the breach and the famed Pyrrhean archers were trying to decimate the enemy.

As Hercules's bolt tore into Rhynox, footsteps on the stairs called Iolaus away before he could witness him tumble from the ramparts into the scene of carnage below.

Iolaus met the new enemy at the very top of the stairs. As soon as the first one emerged, he launched himself into the air and sent that soldier and everyone behind him crashing back down the stairs with a punishing two-footed flying kick.

He was just climbing back on his feet when a missile from an enemy catapult rocked the bell tower. Iolaus scrambled to avoid some debris and turned to say something to Hercules when the ominous presence of Ares materialised between them.

The God of War was a large-sized individual with dark eyes, dark hair and an even darker heart.

Hercules faced his brother without trepidation, " You look alittle peeved, Ares? Are you having a bad day? ", he asked with such verve that Iolaus laughed out loud before realising it. His hand flew to cover his mouth but it was already too late.

The sinister God of War slowly turned to face him. In grim silence he eyed Iolaus for some moments during which time Hercules moved to stand beside his ally. Iolaus was grateful for the support because he felt as if his knees were going to give any second under Ares's hostile scrutiny.

In a voice harsh with hatred Ares said, " Know this, mortal! The only reason you are still alive is because I respect Hephaestus. Do not tempt me again! "

He turned his malevolent eyes on his brother, " As for you, Hercules. Die! "

The second of Hera's arrows came soaring towards Hercules. Iolaus was again quicker on his feet and stepped in front of Hercules seeing that his friend fearlessly stood his ground.

Even as Hercules pushed Iolaus out of the way, a blinding bolt of lightning streaked out of the clear blue sky and disintegrated the missile in mid-flight.

Iolaus raised his sword and would've attacked Ares if not for Hercules holding him back. Then all three were distracted by the dramatic materialisation of Zeus.

The King of all the Gods appeared as a refined elder and his voice was reminiscent of a typical patriarch, " Enough! "

He spoke to Ares first, " You respect Hephaestus but defy me? You are a fool. "

Zeus turned away from the seething Ares and addressed Hercules, " You are a troublemaker, son. Already Hera is howling for you to be punished. "

Hercules's eyes were already flaring with petulance at his father's chiding but at the reference to Hera they exploded, " Punished?! Just the mention of her loathesome name is punishment enough! ", he said hotly. Zeus glared at him so intensely that he sullenly refrained from further comment.

Zeus looked at Iolaus.

Hercules's dauntless ally was completely petrified. His sword slipped out of his paralysed grasp as the King of all the Gods smiled at him, " We gods seldom bother to get to know mortals very well. Yet there have been exceptions when a rare mortal catches our eye as you have done. Virtue as strong as yours merits reward. "

That was too much for Ares, " Reward? He's just a pathetic human, father! He dared to bring a weapon meant only for the gods here, intending to use it himself. His only reward should be the most agonising, ignominious death possible! "

Hercules took a step towards his evil brother, " Hear this, Ares! If any one of you Olympian freaks so much as looks at Iolaus the wrong way, I'll make you wish you weren't immortal! ", he grated, behind eyes as hard as blue steel.

Zeus's patience expired and he thundered, " Silence!"

He paused to re-establish his demeanour before continuing, " Ares. You tried to use a weapon of Hephaestus's hand against my son in violation of my edict forbidding any god from endangering him. Return to Olympus to await my sanction. "

With a terrible scowl Ares vanished.

" Hercules, you have killed an immortal with a weapon crafted by Hephaestus. Think twice before misusing these godly weapons, my son. You risk offending Hephaestus. There are enough gods critical of your deeds. Don't alienate them all. "

The look on Hercules's face conveyed his absolute indifference.

Zeus reached towards Iolaus but he took an apprehensive step back. Zeus smiled at him benevolently as an ethereal orb of pale blue energy shot from his outstretched hand and suffused Iolaus in its aura while he spoke, " Brave ally of this headstrong son of mine, I grant you the gift of divine perception. From this day forth you may see all gods no matter what guise they wear; invisibility, metamorphosis, impersonation. None shall deceive you now. "

Zeus disappeared in a flash of light and Iolaus staggered as the strange halo vanished too. Hercules steadied him, " It's over, Iolaus. How do you feel? "

He looked at Hercules and said, " Well, it turned out much better than I thought it would. ", in a voice cracking with relief.

Hercules grinned at his friend's ashen face, " Get used to it, Iolaus. You heard my father. They've got their eye on you. "

Iolaus rolled his eyes in exasperation as he picked up his sword and followed Hercules down the steps of the bell tower, " Great! As if they don't already meddle enough! "

They stepped out into the heart of the battle. The Pyrrhean soldiers were waging hand-to-hand combat with stubborn bands of enemy soldiers. Within seconds of leaving the bell tower both Hercules and Iolaus were engulfed by the fighting and swept in opposite directions.

Hercules obtained a staff capped in copper that was twice as thick as a normal one. With this weapon he was even more formidable.

Wave after wave of enemy soldiers poured through the breach into Nicrosetti and, as he battled, Hercules worried that the impromptu barricades thrown up by the Pyrrhean defenders weren't very effective at stemming the tide. He decided it was time to recapture the breach.

He strode up to a Pyrrhean commander and shouted, " Gather some of your men and follow me. " The commander recognised Hercules and did as he asked.

King Marius had instructed all of his soldiers to follow Hercules and Iolaus in the battle and to do whatever they demanded.

Neither Hercules nor Iolaus were aware of that fact, however, until long after the battle was over.

With a squad of Pyrrhean militia providing protection for the workers, the rebuilding of the wall commenced.

Hercules climbed over the debris and held off the enemy while the wall was rebuilt behind him. Man after man fell against his mighty ardour and the superb Pyrrhean archers who lent him support.

A pile of bodies quickly surrounded the almost mended breach.

Then, just as it seemed the breach had been closed, a huge rock launched from the enemy's catapult exploded behind Hercules and destroyed the wall again.

Hercules was thrown to the ground by the concussive force of the missile.

As he battled to his feet against a fresh onslaught of opponents, he noticed the swirling dust-storm of fast approaching enemy chariots.

He turned and called to the Pyrrhean militia, " Get that wall rebuilt! Hurry! "

Then, with indigo eyes burning with determination, he tore avidly into the hordes of enemy that surrounded him on all sides.

Iolaus meanwhile employed his borrowed sword with customary acumen until one blow of his was deflected and it struck the cornerstone of a building and broke.

Undeterred, he switched to his dagger and his martial arts skills to clear a path to the barricades.

As he fought, Iolaus noted that several Pyrrhean soldiers joined him. At one point, he turned to survey the ongoing melée and was surprised to find almost an entire brigade had somehow gravitated into his sphere of influence.

He had no way of knowing that they were simply obeying their king's directions.

Iolaus vaulted over the barricade, searching for Hercules. He was afew yards away from the nearly completed wall when a missile smashed it to pieces again.

Iolaus hit the ground and avoided the worse of the explosion.

As he jumped to his feet, he saw Hercules climbing to his outside Nicrosetti's walls.

Iolaus began to rush to Hercules's support when he found himself face-to- face with a giant of a man.

One blow from this gargantuan opponent sent Iolaus's dagger flying from his hand.

Iolaus grabbed the soldier's arm intending to intercept the next blow. The man was so strong that Iolaus was forced to his knees and the sword hovered perilously close to his neck before he was able to elbow the behemoth in the mid-section and roll backwards heels-over-head out of danger.

As Iolaus retrieved his dagger, his opponent raised his sword above his head in both huge hands.

Iolaus timed his move perfectly.

As the man brought his sword down, Iolaus dove forward between the man's widely spread legs. As he rolled between them, Iolaus sank his dagger into the giant's right hamstring.

The soldier screeched in agony and collapsed to one knee.

Iolaus's eyes flared with aggression. Now his enemy was a manageable size.

He caught the larger fighter's head in a flying scissor-lock and dragged him down into the blood-soaked dirt.

As he scrambled to his feet, his opponent swung his sword and nicked him on the left bicep.

Iolaus barely even noticed it as he jumped into the air.

Spinning in a patented, controlled air-borne power-pirouette, he kicked the sword from his opponent's firm grip and snapped his head back sharply with a simultaneous kick to the chin.

Iolaus landed gracefully afew feet away and wheeled, ready to continue the battle, but his opponent was out cold. Iolaus grimaced now as he felt the sting of his injury but despite the pain he could tell it was nothing more than a flesh wound.

He snatched up the sword which his opponent had used to inflict it and dashed towards the gap where a flood of enemy soldiers were making repairs impossible.

Iolaus's party of Pyrrhean infantry had caught up to him by then. He turned to them, " Act as the construction team's bodyguards. We've got to get this wall rebuilt! "

They linked up with the group of soldiers that had followed Hercules and progress on the wall increased.

Just before he bounded over the wall, Iolaus collected a bow and a quiver full of arrows.

He found an empty patch of ground slightly to Hercules's right just under the shadow of Nicrosetti's high walls. Iolaus knelt on one knee and took aim.

One of the enemy soldiers raised a sword and prepared to assault Hercules as he was grappling with three others. Hercules saw the threat and was moving to evade it when an arrow dropped the soldier abruptly at his feet. Hercules glanced over his shoulder and smiled as Iolaus fired again. Another soldier hit the dirt as he shouted, " Don't worry, these aren't Hephaestus's arrows! "

Hercules shook his head over Iolaus's limitless exuberance and pointed at the storm of chariots rushing towards them, " Better broaden your sights, Iolaus! "

His friend's smile hardened as he saw the chariots and realised the action was about to escalate, " Awesome! Moving targets! ", he muttered with building excitement.

Several of the Pyrrhean soldiers who'd attached themselves to Iolaus and Hercules scurried over the waist-high portion of the new wall to join them.

Hercules energetically dispatched the three opponents he'd been fighting and moved closer to Iolaus as the chariots got nearer. Naturally the enemy were converging on the breach and therefore on them.

The first charioteer to reach them wore armour and carried an impressive shield but Iolaus's sharpshooting penetrated his defences.

With his very first shot, Iolaus sent the soldier tumbling into the dirt.

Hercules kicked the vehicle as it passed him and tipped it over on its side, sending the chariot driver flying into the dirt too.

The horses tried to run but Hercules grabbed their bridles. He ripped their harnesses free from the immobilised chariot and then swung himself up onto the back of one. Iolaus snatched up the first discarded sword he saw and then leapt onto the other.

As magnificent as he was on solid ground, Hercules was even more devastating on horseback.

Using his powerful arms and legs he kicked and punched three more charioteers out of their vehicles.

As the third one thudded to the ground, Hercules wheeled to face a horseman who was almost as large as he.

His opponent whirled an evil spiked mace over his head and then savagely swung it at him.

The horse Hercules had commandeered was high-strung and reared at the close proximity of the other horse.

It was an unexpected move which caught Hercules off-guard. He tumbled out of the saddle as the mace struck his leg just above the knee.

As he hit the ground grimacing over his injured leg, Hercules's hand brushed against a shield from one of the fallen charioteers.

He climbed painfully to his feet favouring his sore leg. The horseman was in the act of dealing another blow with his mace but his quarry was too swift even hampered by injury.

Hercules held the shield by the edge and tossed it like a discus.

It soared through the air, smashed against the horseman's breastplate and spilled him from his horse onto the bloody ground. He staggered to his feet and drew his sword.

Another chariot roared towards Hercules as he concentrated on his sword- wielding rival. Yet, above the clamour of battle, he somehow heard the rumble of the chariot and patiently bided his time. When he judged that the chariot was near enough, Hercules dropped to his knees and the spear cast by the charioteer passed harmlessly above his head. His rival dodged it aswell and pressed his attack.

Hercules grabbed the rear half of the chariot. With unsurpassed determination and strength he planted his feet obstinately and the chariot's progress abruptly ceased. Both the charioteer and the driver were thrown out of the chariot precipitously as the horses strained against Hercules's brawn. They dragged him several yards before his awesome muscle brought them to a standstill. As the sword of his opponent sliced through the hot air towards him, Hercules released the chariot. Propelled by the power of the straining horses and lightened of its usual load, the chariot shot into the air. Before his rival could move, the hurdling vehicle crashed into him and this time he did not rise from the ground.

Hercules limped over to his horse and climbed back into the saddle, ignoring the bloodied smear on his pants.

It wasn't a serious wound and he soon put it out of his mind as he charged with fresh vigour into the fray.

Another catapult missile sailed over the battlefield outside Nicrosetti and slammed into the battlefield inside its walls.

Iolaus paused in his fighting to search for the catapult. When he located it about a mile across the plain he spurred his horse towards it eagerly.

Hercules looked up from his toil in time to see Iolaus bolting across the fields away from the battle. Then he saw the catapult and realised what Iolaus intended.

He dealt the charioteer he was battling a powerful back-handed blow and snatched the huge double-edged battle-axe he was brandishing from his weakened grasp. He rammed his foot against the chariot and over-turned it, sending both its occupants sprawling among their many previously fallen comrades. Waving the awe- inspiring axe over his head, Hercules sped off after his intrepid ally.

Behind him the breach was nearly mended and the enemy were beginning to retreat under the deadly hail of the superlative Pyrrhean archers.

Iolaus rode low in the saddle of his charging horse to present as small a target as possible. Arrows whistled all around him but none struck until he was twenty feet away from his objective.

There an arrow pierced the shoulder of the horse and it crashed to the ground. Iolaus went flying through the air but hit the ground in a tightly curled ball. He somersaulted wildly half a dozen times before rolling onto his feet with amazing grace, alittle dazed but none the worse for wear. His eyes were as cold as the tempered steel he brandished at an encroaching band of wary foes.

Iolaus heard the thunder of a horse coming towards them very fast. He peeked over his shoulder expecting to see some retreating enemy but smiled as he recognised Hercules.

The enemy threatening Iolaus fled as Hercules bore down on them. Iolaus pursued them as Hercules's horse flew past them all.

Hercules whirled the axe three times above his head and then threw it with all his might. It struck the thick centre beam on the destructive machine. It split with an audible rending sound beneath the awesome force of Hercules's attack.

The part of the contraption that held the projectiles snapped under the stress of the massive fissure, dumping its load on the ground and sending its attendants fleeing for their lives.

Iolaus had exchanged his sword for several torches and now tossed them onto the pile of kindling that had once been a colossal weapon of mass destruction. As flames shot into the humid air, several arrows narrowly missed him in the thickening smoke and he decided not to linger.

Satisfied that the catapult had been successfully sabotaged, Hercules swung his horse back towards Nicrosetti.

As he rode up beside his fleeing ally, Hercules reached down and grabbed him by the arm. Iolaus eagerly jumped up onto the horse behind him and they galloped away in a cloud of dust and arrows.

The enemy were in full retreat as they thundered towards Nicrosetti. They were within yards of their original position when the horse stumbled on the myriad numbers of bodies and tossed its riders onto the blood-soaked ground.

Hercules climbed to his feet wearily on one side of an over-turned chariot while Iolaus rolled to his on the other.

They were the only two living people in that place.

As they looked at each other over the spinning wheel of the chariot, they could hear the clash of battle echoing from inside Nicrosetti.

Hercules looked around at the mounds of bodies, the litter of discarded weapons and the wreckage of chariots. His eyes were hard with bitterness over such a monumental waste of life.

Iolaus turned and began walking towards the gates of Nicrosetti which were just around the corner from where they stood.

The fight wasn't over yet.

Hercules sighed and slowly followed his friend.

Just as they reached the broad wooden gates, they creaked open.

A troop of Pyrrhean cavalry thundered out of the city to ensure that the retreating enemy stayed that way; in retreat.

Iolaus dashed through the gate and back into the thick of the action. Hercules was close on his heels.

This time they were inseparable. Against Hercules's mighty flying fists and Iolaus's powerful flying feet, the enemy retreated back behind the makeshift barricades. Scores of Pyrrhean soldiers had joined the two awesome heroes by then and the famed Pyrrhean archers began to take a toll on the cornered enemy.

Once Hercules ascertained that all of the segregated enemy were confined behind the barricades, he signalled to the archers to cease their lethal havoc.

Iolaus spun, waving his arms in the air, " Lower your weapons. Stand back. Stop fighting now! ", he shouted to the Pyrrhean soldiers above the battle din. The bemused surprise on his face when they actually obeyed his words made Hercules smile broadly.

He strode to the barricades and demanded, " Drop your weapons or you will not live to see tomorrow! "

The battle-weary Arean soldiers looked from Hercules's imposing figure to the battlements lined with crack Pyrrhean archers and then back to the throngs of Pyrrhean militia just waiting for the chance to annihilate their sworn adversaries.

With remarkable synchronisation, they began to discard their weapons onto a pile in front of Hercules.

When the last knife had been thrown on the ground, an ecstatic Iolaus ran to his partner's side as the Pyrrhean soldiers exploded into joyous pandemonium.

Hercules greeted his beaming ally as if they'd been apart for years, shaking his hand vigorously and slapping him on the back heartily.

Hercules and Iolaus were congratulated and praised by all as the battle ended and the celebrations commenced.

Side-by-side, blood-stained and sweat-soaked, the two weary allies watched as the enemy were marched away to imprisonment in Nicrosetti's dark dungeons.

Iolaus looked sideways at his illustrious friend, " What're the chances that this is the last time we need to do this? ", he asked, despite being certain he already knew the answer.

Hercules looked at Iolaus frankly, " This is a never-ending story as long as Ares lives. I just hope he doesn't resurrect Rhynox again. "

Iolaus was thoughtful, " What do you think Zeus will do to Ares for trying to kill you? "

Hercules shrugged, " Whatever he does, it won't stop Ares for long. "

Iolaus said quietly, " He did save your life today, though. That's something new for him. " He watched his friend's face as he spoke and was pleased that Hercules allowed himself the tiniest of smiles,

" Yeah, he sure does work in mysterious ways sometimes. "

Soon people everywhere were dancing and rejoicing in their victory.

Some soldiers mysteriously materialised and carried them triumphantly on their shoulders through the euphoric throngs of grateful Pyrrheans to the royal palace where King Marius was waiting.

On the steps of the palace, Iolaus looked at Hercules and wagged his sweat-dampened head, " Piece of cake! "

As the populace of Nicrosetti cheered lustily they shook hands, laughing at their running joke, and then turned to salute the people.

They were still laughing as they strode side-by-side into the throne room. A great cheer went up and King Marius joined them in the centre of the room,

The king raised his chalice high above his head, " Three cheers for Hercules! ", he shouted and a chorus of exuberant cheers rocked the room.

Again King Marius raised his chalice, " Three cheers for Iolaus! ", he exhorted and another boisterous round of cheering erupted among the assembly.

Then Hercules and Iolaus graciously sat down to a stupendous feast with King Marius and his generals and nobles.

Many hours afterwards the two great friends found themselves alone on a terrace somewhere in the palace.

Hercules stifled a yawn and took a deep, contented breath. He was tired but he was well pleased with the events of the day. His leg throbbed mildly beneath its bandage. It was just a temporary souvenir from an event he'd never forget.

Iolaus tugged absently at his own bandage. He was feeling alittle overwhelmed by the magnitude of all that had transpired.

It was only just registering that he'd really seen Zeus, the King of all the Gods in person and that he had actually raised his sword against Ares, God of War.

It was all because of Hercules. He owed his life to that extraördinary person many times over but the words to express how he felt were elusive. He could only hope that his actions had been, and always would be, more eloquent.

" Hercules? What exactly did your father do to me? ", Iolaus inquired quizzically.

Hercules laughed and grabbed him gruffly by the shoulders, shaking him playfully, " All it means is that we now have one more thing in common, my friend. "

Iolaus giggled, " Well, this has been one trip I'm never going to forget! "

Hercules nodded, " We sure have been through alot, haven't we? I was afraid we'd never get here in time."

Iolaus looked expressively into Hercules's eyes, " I never would've made it if not for you. Thank you. ", he said, abruptly serious and sentimental, " You are the best friend any man could ever have. "

Hercules placed a huge hand on his friend's shoulder and said sincerely, " There's nobody I'd rather have by my side than you, my friend. "

Alarm suddenly flashed across Iolaus's face, " What are we going to tell Jason when we get back to Corinth? He's going to kill us! He didn't even get to sail in the Targus! "

Hercules shrugged, " Jason will understand, Iolaus. He's been shipwrecked before. ", he said uncertainly. His eyes were full of devilment as he asked, " Have you ever been to Pharos, Iolaus? I hear it's a very interesting place."

Iolaus knew that look and he knew when he was being setup too. He shook a finger at his friend and tried to keep a straight face, " C'mon, Herc, you can do better than that? As it happens, I have been to Pharos. It's about as interesting as Ares is kind-hearted. "

A wicked fire sprang into his eyes, " Besides, the solution is simple. "

Hercules cocked an eyebrow and awaited Iolaus's momentous solution, " We blame it on the gods. ", he said with not quite convincing seriousness.

Hercules nodded thoughtfully for a moment and then burst into laughter.

Iolaus smiled, " Well, I'd do just about anything to avoid Pharos. ", he explained lamely.

Hercules stopped laughing and asked, " Where do you want to go? We'll compromise, okay? You choose somewhere and then afterwards we go to Pharos. It shouldn't take very long just to commission a new ship. "

Iolaus grinned, " Yeah, but how long will we have to stay away from Corinth until that ship is ready? Six months? A year? What'll your mother think? "

Hercules began to laugh again, " It'll all work out, don't worry! Do we have a deal? "

Iolaus eyed his friend shrewdly, " Let's discuss where I want to go first, shall we? "

King Marius offered Hercules and Iolaus one of his ships to take them back to Corinth but they graciously declined.

After a lively debate they'd decided to go north into the wilderness of Thessala en route to the kingdom of Kavalla.

Their vibrant ally Xena and her side-kick Gabrielle were reportedly in Amfipolis, Kavalla's capital, these days.

Iolaus thought it'd be interesting to pay them a surprise visit especially since neither he nor Hercules had ever been to Kavalla before.

That was Iolaus's contribution to the itinerary.

Afterwards they'd head back south to dull Pharos. Iolaus had a feeling it'd be a long time before either of them saw the white walls of Corinth again.

The grateful Pyrrhean king gave them two of his prize stallions for their journey, " Take care. Please give King Iphicles my best wishes. I hope that next time we meet, it'll be under far different circumstances. ", King Marius said as Hercules and Iolaus prepared to depart.

Hercules looked at the high walls of Nicrosetti and smiled warmly at her king, " Thank you for your hospitality, your majesty. Should Nicrosetti ever need our help, you know where to find us. Good-bye. "

Then he spurred his horse forward through the gates while Iolaus waved to the cheering throng as he galloped after his ally.

About a mile from Nicrosetti where the ashes of the catapult they'd sabotaged still smouldered, Iolaus reined his horse to a halt. He looked back at the high, proud walls of Nicrosetti and took a deep breath.

It had been such a near disaster but somehow things had worked out just right. He didn't care what the future held. All that mattered was that there would be a future!

Smiling, he hurried to catch up to Hercules.

The End