"I think that everyone is asleep Hercules, we'll have to be quiet. Here this is my room, please come in and sit right here I will go get something to take care of the cuts."
Hercules entered Kara's room shutting the door behind him. He watched Kara move into the back room and he sat down on the stool where she had pointed to. He had to admit he was a little worried about being in her room, although, it was something he had thought of ever since he had first met Kara. She had to be the prettiest girl he had ever seen and had wanted to ask her out for the longest time.
"Here we go Hercules."
He hadn't even noticed her enter the room and she startled him.
"Hercules, are you alright?"
"Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking about something."
"You'll have to take your shirt off….so that I can properly clean the wound, that is if you want to or not it's up to you."
He noticed Kara blush as she turned around pretending to move the bandages around. He kind of blushed himself but he was glad she hadn't seen. Hercules stood and began to pull his shirt over his head. Kara looked at the four slices on his side and began to clean them placing bandages over them.
"The bandages will only help a little. You should probably have Chiron look at them just to make sure they are not infected.'
Kara took the washcloth and began to wipe it over Hercules' chest to clean off the dirt and dried blood from his skin.
"Thank you Hercules, for saving my life tonight. I thought that I was a lot stronger then that but I guess not."
"Hercules smiled at her and she blushingly smiled back. He then noticed the blood on her neck again.
"Can I take a look at your neck? I noticed some blood on your neck and I would like to make sure you're alright."
Kara moved her hand to her neck and felt the dried blood down her neck.
"Yeah sure, I didn't even notice that I was hurt."
She handed him a clean washcloth and he moved closer to her to wash off the blood. Under the blood he noticed two spots on her neck and he was somewhat puzzled, they kind of looked like puncture wounds but then again they also looked like scratches.
"I think you'll be alright, I think we might want to put a bandage on it though."
Hercules began to move away from her but she grabbed his hand making him turn back towards her and before he knew it she was kissing him. At first he couldn't believe what was happening but found himself kissing her back. He had never felt this way about anyone before. He pulled her closer and he could feel her nails in his back making him want her more but he knew he had to stop before he lost control so he quickly pulled away.
"Kara, I can't do this….I mean I've wanted to have this happen between us for a while but not this way. I would feel like I had taken advantage of you after what happened. I'm sorry."
Hercules turned around, picked up is shirt, and began to leave.
"Hercules wait, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I have actually wanted this to happen between us as well and I would like to see you again….maybe under different circumstances?"
"I would like that as well." Hercules left her room and headed for his room where he ran into Iolus waiting outside.
"Hercules! Hercules? What happened? It never takes this long for you to get back from doing your chores. Herc, your shirt is torn and why is there blood? Herc, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm okay, it's just a scratch."
"Well what happened?"
"Lets get into our room first Iolus, I don't want others to hear, or wake anyone up. Besides it wasn't anything I couldn't handle."
Hercules followed Iolus into their room closing the door behind them. He moved over to his bed pulling his shirt off as he went.
"After I was done with the chores I began to leave and I heard a scream from the woods. I saw something attacking Kara and when I approached it, it attacked me."
"Kara? Is she alright?"
"Yeah she's okay I took her back to her room and she helped me with this." Hercules turned around and Iolus gasped.
"Oh my gosh Hercules you should have Chiron look at that, it looks really bad."
"I will go see him in the morning Iolus; I just want to sleep right now."
Kara….Kara, The Master calls. The Master calls you; soon you will be a daughter of the Dark Master.
Kara suddenly woke up placing her hand over the area on her neck. It felt like it was burning. She got up and walked over to the mirror on her wall and saw that the area around the wounds had turned black and blue from bruising. What had she heard in her dream? She felt as though darkness was taking over her mind, over her thoughts. She began to feel cold and began to shiver. She quickly wrapped herself in her blankets and passed out.
THE NEXT DAY: LATE AFTERNOON
"Hercules! Hey Herc!" Iolus shook Hercules but he wouldn't even respond. Iolus had left him alone this morning thinking that he needed rest but it was getting late into the day and he hadn't even moved once. Iolus rolled Hercules over onto his back and gasped, the area around the bandages on his side had turned black and blue and when Iolus removed the bandages from the cuts they began to bleed making Hercules jump from his sleep.
"Hercules I think we need to go see Chiron about this. These wounds, they should look a lot better then this and you wouldn't even wake up when I called you."
"I think your right Iolus; I think I might need some help. I feel drained."
"Come on Hercules, Ill help you."
"Hey guys what's going on? Why haven't you…?" Jason walked through the door surprised to see Hercules still in bed.
"Jason come in here and help me get Hercules to Chiron quick something is really wrong with him."
"Oh my gosh Hercules what happened?"
"Jason now is not the time for that lets just get him up."
As the two boys lifted Hercules to a sitting position Hercules' wounds opened more and began to gush blood, they quickly laid him back down putting a towel over the wounds to stop the bleeding.
"Iolus maybe you had better just go and get Chiron, you can explain this better then I can."
"Hang on Hercules, I'll be back." Iolus had never run so fast in his life. He almost ran into a couple people yelling sorry on his way by. When he had finally reached Chiron's office he burst through the door out of breath.
"Iolus? What's going on? Shouldn't you be in class?"
"Chiron you have to come quickly Hercules needs help. He was attacked last night and I could hardly wake him this morning. When Jason and I tried to move him the cuts on his side reopened and there's blood everywhere, you must come quickly."
"Iolus go ahead of me and make sure there are clean towels and water I will be right behind you."
Iolus ran back the way he came and Chiron grabbed a few items from his desk along with a couple of scrolls and made his way to the dormitories.
Iolus startled Jason when he burst though the door "He's coming Herc, Chiron is on his way. Jason we need clean towels, a lot, and some water."
"Iolus what exactly happened to Hercules?"
"I don't really know, Jason. All he told me was that something attacked Kara and when he went to help, it attacked him."
"Kara? Is she alright?"
"Jason, I made sure she was alright before I left."
The two boys looked over at Hercules; he was as white as the moon and was covered in a cold sweat. Chiron came through the door and moved right over to Hercules setting his things on the little table. Iolus and Jason moved to give him room. Chiron removed the towel from Hercules' side; the cuts looked of something he had read. When he looked up at Hercules he noticed his eyes were glossy and unresponsive.
"Hercules, tell me what happened. What did this to you?"
"I was walking back and I heard a scream….it was holding her and when I approached it, it turned to me….dropping Kara, but its face….its face was unlike anything I have ever seen….white….so white, and its eyes, its red eyes. I looked into those eyes Chiron, and I couldn't think, something was in my head. I couldn't move when it came towards me, I froze Chiron, I couldn't move."
"It's alright Hercules, I know how to help, and it will hurt so I want you to bite down on this."
Chiron put a flat stick into Hercules' mouth and he bit down ready for the pain. Iolus could see the fear in Hercules' eyes; he had never seen that before especially from Hercules. Iolus moved back over to Hercules and grabbed his hand. Hercules looked up at Iolus.
"It's going to be okay Herc, just look at me, and squeeze my hand if you need to but be okay."
Hercules nodded at Iolus and then nodded at Chiron who was ready to begin. Chiron nodded back and began to clean the wounds making Hercules groan. Chiron then squeezed some white cream into each cut.
"There Hercules that wasn't too bad now was it?"
Iolus looked over at Chiron and he knew there was still more to come. Chiron then pulled out a needle and thread and began to sew up each wound. Hercules had never felt so much pain, not even Ares had inflicted this much pain.
"Hercules it will be okay."
Hercules began to struggle under the pain and Jason had to grab Hercules' legs to keep him from tearing the new stitches.
"Hercules everything will be okay, you have to calm down."
Iolus put his hand on Hercules' forehead to hold him down. Hercules looked over at Iolus and his eyes appeared red to Iolus before Hercules past out from the pain.
"Its okay Iolus, Hercules will be alright."
"Chiron, you know what attacked him don't you."
"I do Jason, but it is not something you should go looking for."
"But what was it Chiron?"
"I fear, Iolus, that Hercules was attacked by the nameless one. The wounds wouldn't heal because death does not heal."
"But Chiron, I thought those stories were just….stories."
"Hercules is going to need someone to stay with him, he has been through a lot. The medicine I put in his wounds will heal him eventually but he will need his friends near."
"We will stay and watch him Chiron. We will be here when he wakes up."
"Good let me know when he does wake up, I will need to change his dressings and make sure those stitches stay in place, no walking around for Hercules until those wounds start to heal."
The two boys nodded to Chiron as he left the room. Iolus moved a chair over to Hercules' bed and sat down. He never liked to see his friends hurt especially not Hercules. He and Herc had been through a lot together and he would do anything for Hercules. Jason walked over to Iolus and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Iolus, he will be alright. Hercules is strong."
"I know Jason, I know."
Jason looked out the window in the room noticing that the light had begun to fade earlier tonight then usual. "I think I will go make sure Kara is alright before it gets too dark. I noticed that she didn't make it to class this morning."
"Okay Jason, I will just stay here."