AN: Firstly I want to apologize to everyone for leaving this story hanging for as long as I have. The only excuse I can give you is that life has been….hectic lately, and leave it at that. I do hope everyone who was into Alek's story will continue to hang in there with me as I try to get some progress made. I have succeeded in completing my move though, so that's at least one thing accomplished. I'll most likely be living out of boxes for the next six months or so but hey it could be worse. Anyway here's the next chapter and with luck the rest should follow in a timely fashion. As always I own nothing but my storyline and OC. Enjoy.


Chapter Six

"Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education."

—Mark Twain


The next few weeks passed in a blur of anxiety for Jason and his friends as they tried to prepare as best they could for the coming Pankration. The tentative plan was for Jason to make a believable showing during his first match before allowing his opponent to score a hit on him with the knife. The hardest part was not knowing who he would be facing in his first match. If he were unlucky enough to be paired with Heptarian or one of the other fanatical fighters that made a living from following the 'circuit', then all bets were off as all of them were known to kill their opponents just for the sheer pleasure of it. His only chance lay in hopefully drawing lots and pairing with one of the lesser known fighters or the ones who were competing in their first Pankration, as they would be the most likely to adhere to honorable combat.

Hercules coached Jason as much as possible on different ways to disarm an opponent without staying in reach of a weapon for more than a split second or two. Pythagoras drilled the brunette warrior on his reflexes; this consisted mainly of the ginger mathematician chucking objects of differing sizes, and weights at Jason from different directions whenever he thought Jason wasn't expecting it; with the usual result of Alek having plenty of practice treating contusions. For Alek's part, she suggested he go for runs on the sandy beaches to build up his endurance, as fighting on sand made it harder to move quickly as well as doing multiple drills of sit-ups and pull-ups every morning and evening. Medusa and Alek together made meals heavy on protein to help Jason build up as much muscle mass as possible, having no idea how strong an opponent might be. Together all of them tried whatever they thought would help get the dark haired warrior past the first round of competition so that he could withdraw without penalty afterwards. Even Hercules was forced to admit that perhaps his student's chances were improving as week by week the size of the brunette warriors biceps noticibly increased as well as his overall body muscle mass. Though Jason had always been fit, now his body truly resembled the statues of ancient Greek gods that were in so many of modern day London museums.

Finally the day arrived that the harbor master Bion announced that the trading season was over until after the summer solstice. All the temporary workers were released with their last wages and instructed to be back to work the day following the end of the festival in three weeks' time. Jason and his friends waited in line to receive their pay and then beat a hasty trail back home. Everything they'd need for a month in the forest had been packed up and ready to go for days. They'd only been waiting for the last trade ships to make port so that they could leave with the assurance of having a job when the work commenced again after the holiday. When they reached the house, they found Medusa and Alek sitting at the kitchen table, busily making arrows as a large pot of chicken stew simmered on the hearth. Both women had jumped startled when Jason had burst through the door with Pythagoras and Hercules hot on his heels. Instinctively Alek had clutched the small jeweled dagger she always carried on her belt now.

"Who's after you" Medusa cried jumping to her feet, "the guards?"

"No one's after us my love," Hercules boomed grinning at Medusa, "We have officially been released from work until after the celebrations and were anxious to see the two most beautiful women in all of Atlantis."

Alek snorted in amusement while Medusa blushed and smiled up at the burly wrestler. "I see you've been hard at work" remarked Pythagoras as he took in the pile of arrows on the kitchen table, "wherever did you come by so many arrow heads."

Alek beamed, "I traded for them," she told the mathematician proudly, "A dozen pies for the shafts, heads, and three chickens."

"A dozen pies!?" Hercules growled, "You got taken Alek. Tell me, which merchant it was and I'll see to him."

"Now, now Hercules, calm down" Medusa soothed the big man, "Alek is a better bargainer than you give her credit for. Just look at the arrows and you'll see."

Jason picked up one of the finished arrows and examined it. Whistling in amazement he passed the arrow to Pythagoras before turning to Alek.

"Nice," he complemented, "I'd say even Pythagoras couldn't have gotten a better deal."

"What's so special about these arrows?" Hercules asked impatiently, after waving the arrow Pythagoras had been trying to show him away.

"The heads are obsidian Hercules, you know—dragon glass!" Pythagoras replied sharply, "They will never have to be sharpened like other arrow heads and they're lighter; which means they can travel farther distances and are far more deadly than regular arrow heads. Plus see the barbs? These can't be pulled out, they'll have to be cut out which means any big game shot with one of these can't scrub them out on bushes or a tree because it'd just push the head in deeper."

Hercules looked rightly impressed as he examined one of the arrows further. There were approximately fifty or so arrows on the table and another two dozen arrow heads and shafts lying ready to be assembled. Each finished arrow head was secured to the shaft by very thin leather strings dyed red, brown, or green.

"The different colors are so we can tell who brought down the game" Alek told them shyly, "Red for Jason, brown for Pythagoras, and green for me."

"Oi" grouched Hercules, "don't I get any?"

"Nope" replied Alek snidely "They're all for us, but I did get you this" brushing aside some of the spare arrow heads she handed the burly wrestler what looked like a foot long gigantic arrow head.

"It's a spear head!" the big man exclaimed pleased and impressed. "An obsidian spear head at that!"

Jason and Pythagoras gathered around Hercules to admire the spear head while Medusa and Alek cleared away the materials and finished arrows from the table in preparation for the evening meal.

That night the house was jolly as the five friends enjoyed the delicious stew and discussed plans for their extended camp out.

"I wish I were coming with you" sighed Medusa, "unfortunately the palace kitchens don't get a holiday."

"I shall be thinking of you constantly my sweet" Hercules promised her faithfully before draining his flagon of small beer.

"I wish you were coming too" Alek grinned at her friend, "I don't know how I'm going to fair being stuck in a forest with three loud rowdy men."

"I beg your pardon" Pythagoras sputtered "I am neither loud nor rowdy at all!"

"We know" Hercules quipped sarcastically, "You make a mouse seem feisty by comparison."

The house rang with laughter the others couldn't hold in at the affronted look on the mathematician's face. Later, while Hercules walked Medusa home, and Jason sat at the table finishing the assembly of the remaining arrows, Alek helped Pythagoras put the last few bundles of herbs he'd picked up on the way home that evening in the packs the four of them would be taking with them.

"I, uh, saw a friend of yours today" Alek hedged as she closed up the last pack. "I was at Master Daedalus' going over some texts that his son brought back with him from Athens" she watched Pythagoras closely out of the corner of her eye.

"Icarus is back?" Pythagoras looked both startled and pleased.

"Uhuh" Alek answered noncommittally, continuing to watch the ginger haired mathematician closely. "I've never had the pleasure of meeting him before, but I must say I was impressed with what I saw."

"W-what do you mean?" Pythagoras asked nervously as he closed up his own pack and put it with the others near the front door.

"Oh just that he seemed very fit for a scholar…I mean it's not every day that you get to meet someone who's nearly as smart as you are 'Py' who also enjoys physical activities as well. Not to mention he's rather good looking and those black eyes…oh", she giggled quietly, "I can definitely understand how easy it'd be for someone to fall for him."

"Oi!-I'm sitting right here you know" Jason grouched from behind them as he stared up at Alek jealously. "Oh not as good looking as you love," Alek assured the dark haired warrior, "no one will ever be as good looking to me as you are." Nodding his acceptance with a grin of her continued devotion he turned back to assembling arrows.

Pythagoras sputtered in indignation, "Firstly I enjoy physical activity as much as the next person. After all it's essential to good health and brain function. Just because I don't run around like a wild man," here he glanced over a Jason, "doesn't mean I don't enjoy the occasional physical activity. And secondly, please don't call me 'Py'; it makes me sound like one of Hercules favorite foods."

The mathematician got a distant look on his face for a moment then shuddered before shaking off the mental image the nickname had wrought.

"Well its either 'Py' or 'Thag'…maybe 'Hag', but that doesn't sound very nice" she mused aloud before shaking her head and continuing, "After all I can't very well call both you and Icarus 'Rus', that'd just be confusing. And the only other nickname for Rus would be 'Icky', and that definitely doesn't sound nice, so I'm afraid you're stuck with 'Py' Py. "

"Why can't you simply call us 'Icarus' and 'Pythagoras'?" the ginger haired genius asked confused.

"Because that's what Alek does," Jason chimed in from the table, "If you're lucky enough to be considered a friend of hers, then you always get a nickname if your name happens to be over two syllables."

"B-b-but she's only just met Icarus" sputtered Pythagoras, "So how is it he's already warranted a nickname?"

"Oh that's easy," grinned Alek, "significant others of my besties always get a nickname too. In this instance it's a good one that can be used in public as I totally approve of your choice."

"M-my choice?" Pythagoras stuttered nervously, "what choice? I don't recall making any choice."

Alek just continued to smile knowingly and shook her head, leaving the mathematician with a fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Anyway," the brunette beauty continued as if nothing were amiss, "I invited 'Rus' to visit the campsite while we're away. He seemed very interested in some of the training techniques that we're going to be drilling Jason on and so I invited him to come spend a few days with us."

Pythagoras stared at her in shock, "I-I-Icarus is going to s-stay in the woods? W-with us?" he squeaked.

"Of course with us," Alek replied clearly amused, "He's not coming out to watch me pick herbs. I thought the two of you would like the opportunity to catch up since he's been gone so long." Suddenly looking up at the mathematician worriedly, Alek bit her lower lip, "I hope that's ok Py, but if you'd rather not then I'll ask him not to" she offered anxiously.

"NO! I-I mean no, that's perfectly fine with me Alek. The more minds we have on this the better the outcome after all" Pythagoras mumbled embarrassed. "I-I think I'll turn in early," the mathematician continued, edging toward his bedroom door like he expected one of them to try and stop him, "Nothing like a good night's sleep to wake fresh in the morning…Night!"

Turning he fled through his bedroom door, yanking the curtain closed behind him. Alek sat down by Jason at the kitchen table and started assembling an arrow, a satisfied smile on her face.

"I know that grin," Jason stated suspiciously, "and it means trouble."

"Why whatever do you mean love?" Alek asked innocently, continuing wrapping the arrow she was working on and refusing to meet Jason's gaze.

"That" he answered, "that right there is what I mean. You're matchmaking again aren't you" he accused.

Alek couldn't keep the corners of her lips from tipping up into a knowing grin but remained silent as she started assembling another arrow.

Jason sighed in defeat, "Just make sure they both feel the same. I don't want Pythagoras getting hurt alright?"

"I would never get Py hurt on purpose you know that" Alek looked up at him sharply, "Besides, it was Icarus drilling me for every detail on Pythagoras and what he's been up to for the last year Icarus has been gone. I just put two and two together that's all, and did you see Py's reaction? He's as gone over Icarus as Rus is over him. They're perfect for each other. Py's smart enough to keep Rus on his toes, and Rus is outgoing enough to help Py come out of his shell a bit."

Jason shook his head and sighed. He knew there would be no stopping her once she got an idea in her head. Personally, he'd wait to reserve judgement until he met this 'Icarus' for himself, idly wondering not for the first time if this Icarus was the one from the Greek myths he'd grown up loving. He had to admit that so far all the legends he'd met fell quite short of the fabled heroes of the stories he'd grown up on. So far Pythagoras was the only figure from history that stood up to the stories Jason had read about him, but he supposed that could be from the fact that as far as Jason had been able to determine, that was because Pythagoras had been a real person in history and not a fable or myth passed down through the ages. Besides, the mathematician was the first person Jason had met when he arrived in Atlantis and had immediately taken the confused and lost young man in without reservation or question. Next to Alek he was the person Jason cared about most and the brunette warrior wouldn't see him hurt in any way if he could prevent it. The two sat in thoughtful silence finishing the last of the arrows before packing them into the three quivers and adding them to the pile of gear by the door, just as Hercules breezed in from walking Medusa home looking vastly content. Soon the house was silent as the four friends turned in early so as to be able to start their journey as soon as the city gates were opened at dawn.