Sunset found Hercules near panic in the small campsite. Iolaus had left
hours ago, he should be back be now. He had long since past the point of
deciding how to harass Iolaus about this little lag time and had progressed into
the more terrifying realm of imagining all the possible horrors that could have
befallen his best friend.
"I should never have let him go alone." He muttered to himself,
completing another circuit of the small clearing. Pacing back and forth in front
of his bedroll had done nothing save wear a groove into the earth, so he had tried
a different route. This one was in danger of becoming as worn as the first one.
Hercules was beginning his fortieth circuit when he heard the scream. It
was a high pitched, mournful sound, full of terror and desperation. A started, all
his senses brimming with fear for his missing friend. He relaxed slightly as it
registered that the scream had been female and couldn't possibly have been
Iolaus. He waited but the scream did not repeat itself.
Hercules was torn. Someone was in trouble out there. He had a impulse
to run to the rescue, but his missing friend held him back. If Iolaus returned to
find him gone, what would he do? _He'd panic. That's what. Then he'd run off
to find me, and we'd be stuck doing this little dance all night._ The young demi-god
resumed his circuit. He had no idea what to do in this situation. Someone was in
trouble out there, and yet if he ran to help he'd be abandoning his best friend.
With a cry of frustration Hercules rushed to kick out the fire and scrawl
a message into the dirt for Iolaus should he return. With a backward glance at
the empty camp the blonde headed off in the direction of the scream, using the
dim light from the rapidly setting sun to guide him.
He came upon the river quickly, stopping once or twice to examine
snares that Iolaus must have set earlier. At least his friend had made it this far.
Finding the river rushing by Hercules paused; unable to decide which direction the
scream had come from. *Down river.* A voice called in his head. *Just trust me.
You'll find you're answers down river.* The voice repeated, oblivious to Hercules
start of surprise.
Not knowing exactly why, Hercules turned down river and followed the
bank, still trying to figure out where that voice had come from. One of his divine
relatives maybe, or maybe just intuition. He didn't know. Nor did he care as he
rounded the next bend and saw evidence of a violent fight. He stopped short, a
cold knot of fear hardening in his chest. A dark stain covered an area about the
size of a small barrel, but when Hercules knelt next to it he saw that it had
already dried. The fight must have taken place a long time ago. He could only
hope that Iolaus had not been involved, or if he had, that he had not been hurt.
With a sigh the demi-god stood up, he was losing light fast. And still he
saw no sign of the woman in distress, though he had found the cause of her
distress. *Keep going. More to find.* The voice was back.
"What do you want?" He angrily asked the air, fighting down the
gnawing worry he felt inside. *Go further. You friend is in trouble, find the
girl and you will find him.* _Girl? What girl?_ Hercules was now thoroughly
confused; though he continued down river for lack of any other ideas.
The sun had just disappeared below the horizon when Hercules came
upon the spot where Hera's archers had ambushed Iolaus and Shiri. The brilliant
light of the full moon allowed him enough light to see the small beach. A glint
of metal caught his eye and he moved closer, finding the dagger Shiri had
dropped. He frowned, something wasn't right. Looking up slowly he searched
the clearing more carefully.
And there it was. It taunted him, a lifeline to his friend, a tantalizing
clue to his whereabouts: Iolaus' vest. The very same vest he had been wearing
only hours before when he had set out to catch their dinner. "No." Hercules
breathed, dropping to his knees beside the garment. Upon closer inspection he
was relieved to discover that the vest was free of bloodstains.
"Iolaus!! Where are you?" He called suddenly. No answer, the chirping
of birds and singing of crickets the only response. "What happened to you my
friend?" He asked nobody in particular, not really expecting an answer.
So when a musical female voice sounded from behind him he almost
jumped out of his semi-divine skin. "They were taken."
The demi-god dropped the vest, whirling quickly to face the woman,
and stopped dead. Before stood a vision dressed in expensive hunter's dress. The
iridescent eyes and astral shine around her body left no doubt to her identity.
Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt.
"Artemis? What are you doing here?" Hercules managed to gasp out.
Even after years of meeting up with those family members of the divine nature,
Hercules was still shocked when someone new appeared to him. As Artemis was
doing now.
"Your friend needs help, as does a follower of mine. I am here to aid
you in finding them."
"Why?"
"I have no wish for harm to befall either of them." Hercules looked like
he was about to interrupt but the goddess held up a hand to forestall any protests.
"Hera's archers have taken them to a warlord's camp. It lies not far from here to
the east. Hurry, my brother. They need you."
The goddess' image began to fade as Hercules struggled to find his
voice. "Why did they take them? What does Iolaus have to do with any of this?
Artemis, wait! Please. What is going on?"
None of his protests had any effect, soon the astral form was
completely gone, only an echo of her voice remaining, "Hercules. Find them
before it is too late. This man serves Hera; nothing good can come of this if he
is not stopped. Find them."
"Right, like I planned to just leave Iolaus there." Hercules muttered to
himself as he found himself alone once more in the woods. He picked up the
vest at his feet, running his fingers over the rough patchwork, hoping that
wherever he was his friend was safe and warm. Though judging by Artemis'
strange warning he wasn't, and wouldn't be until Hercules found him.
"I'm coming, my friend. Hang in there." He whispered to the trees. His
mind awhirl with horrific pictures of his friend's fate Hercules turned and
sprinted back to the camp. He paused there only long enough to gather up the
supplies that the two boys had brought before he was off running again. This
time towards Corinth. If he was lucky he could make it to Jason's by daybreak.
From what Artemis had said, he was going to need help to get to Iolaus. And if
help didn't come in the form of three dozen palace guards, then he didn't know
what else to do.
Artemis watched the young demi-god as he charged through the words
and smiled softly to herself. Her young half-brother would see this through.
Hera had truly gotten overconfident by bringing the mortal friend of Hercules
into this. And Artemis would be there to enjoy it. No one harmed her followers,
or claimed them for her own. Not while the Goddess of the Hunt had any say in the matter.
Shiri awoke with a start, all her senses on full alert. She didn't know
what had awakened her; a deep-rooted sense of dread had suddenly kicked in.
She opened her eyes and looked around at her surroundings, startled to find
herself lying on soft furs, a thick chain attached to a heavy iron ring around
her neck. Her arms and legs were free but the chain attached to a thick wooden
post in the middle of the tent. The tent looked oddly familiar, but still Shiri
couldn't seem to place it. Her head hurt, a lot. And her thoughts were still
fuzzy. The last thing she remembered was bathing in the river, a water fight
with a blond stranger...Iolaus. And then...It hit her suddenly. The archers,
the arrow, the overwhelming drowsiness, then nothing. Until now, when she had
woken up in a tent, chained... _Uh oh._
"Okay, just relax. There's a way out of this. You know there is. You've
just got to find it." The redhead muttered to herself as she pushed herself up
into a semi sitting position. That small movement sent pain racing through her
skull. She ignored it and concentrated on taking inventory of her surroundings.
She was relieved to find that she was indeed alone in the tent.
So, she was back where she had started. Narius had caught up with her
and there would be hell to pay if she couldn't find a way out of this tent
before he got back. She choked back her rising panic at that thought and
concentrated on finding something to pick the lock on her collar with. Nothing
presented itself so she cautiously moved to the end of her tether, hoping to
reach one of Narius' daggers or any other slim object.
Her heart was heavy with dread as she searched in vain for a way to
free herself. Narius had learned from his previous mistakes, he no longer left
objects slim enough to slip into a lock in her vicinity. The situation was not
looking good. And they had Iolaus somewhere.
The thought of the young hunter, dragged into this mess, was almost
too much to bear for the young Amazon. For an instant she even considered
pleading for his life, she was ready to sacrifice anything for the kind soul who
had risked himself to help her. But she knew that such a display would only
make it worse on the young man. If Narius knew the extent of her feelings for
him, he would use him as a tool to get to her. She'd already caused him enough
pain; adding guilt for something he couldn't control would not help matters.
No, this was something she had to deal with without letting it slip that
she cared for this brave boy. Cared for him in a way she hadn't felt possible.
Not until a few hours ago had she thought that a man could possibly be so kind,
so trusting and caring. "Now is not the time, Hun. You still have to find a way
out of this, remember? Maybe you could postpone your silly little daydream until
a later date, huh?" She muttered irritably to herself.
There were no lock picking tools available to her so she looked for the
next best thing, something sharp and heavy. Her eyes lit upon a heavy battle-axe
lying several feet away. It was just outside her range of motion. But if she
stretched...Almost...Got it! Pulling it in closer with her toe she grinned
triumphantly, reaching down to heft the heavy weapon off the ground she turned
to her chains and swung with all her might.
There was a loud clang and a brief flash of sparks but the chains
remained intact. Knowing that she had only moments before a guard
investigated the noise and sounded the alarm, Shiri swung again and again. The
metal did not break and she swore in frustration, looking up quickly at the
entrance to the tent. No sign of trouble just yet. She kept at it. The damn
thing had to break eventually.
She was in mid-swing when she heard the harsh laughter behind. The
sound was hauntingly familiar and she felt her soul freeze up. Taking a deep
breath to calm her racing heart beat Shiri slowly turned to face the dark haired
warlord who stood in the doorway.
The big man merely grinned at the look of angry defiance on her face.
"Up to your old tricks again? I'm afraid it won't work this time. Those chains
were forged by Hephestus himself." He grinned maliciously at her. "You won't
be going anywhere for a long time."
Shiri remained silent, the axe still held ready in her hands. When she
didn't respond to his taunts Narius' grin wavered slightly, "I've missed you.
Those other girls can never do what you do to please me." He told her matter of
factly "All that 'Please, don't hurt me. Spare my life.' crap I get from them.
It's nice to have a real challenge once and awhile..." He looked her over lustfully.
"Just try it asshole." Shiri growled, raising the axe slightly.
Narius stopped and looked at her for a moment. "Oh, yes. The weapon.
I'm afraid I can't allow that, though it would make it more interesting...Sorry,
dear you'll have to hand it over." He held out his hand expectantly.
Shiri just looked at him like he'd grown another head. "Right. I'm just
gonna give it to you. Dream on. You'll have to take it from my cold dead
fingers." She informed him.
"My dear, you seem to have forgotten who's in charge here." Narius
said around his chuckle.
"What's the matter, Narius? Too scared to take on a little girl in a fair
fight? Coward."
"I don't need to prove myself to the likes of you."
"Oh really? Well how about that time you couldn't get it up? Or the
one when you bawled like a baby all night. Come on, tough guy. You're
nothing, nobody. If you didn't have that little witch backing you up you'd be
dead in a ditch somewhere!"
Narius' face went red and Shiri shut up. Maybe that hadn't been such a
great idea after all. She froze and watched him carefully, muscles tensed.
"You couldn't have escaped without help. That brat we found with you
had something to do with it."
Shiri gave him a withering look. "You figure that out all by yourself or
did you have to ask Hera?"
He glowered at her and took a step forward, but halted as she raised the
axe and growled. "If that's the way you want it. I had hope our reunion would be
a little less...violent. But you leave me no choice." He opened the flap slightly
and called to one of his guards, never taking his eyes off Shiri. "Bring the boy,
make sure he is well bound." The guard nodded and scurried off.
"Leave him out of this."
"Oh, feelings for the brat? If you don't want to see him hurt you'll lay
down your weapon."
"Not on your life."
"Have it your way." Narius simply smiled and sat carefully in his chair.
A muffled curse was heard outside the tent, followed soon after by shouts and
running feet. Narius looked up, startled, while Shiri hid a grin. Iolaus was giving
them a run for their money out there. Something thudded against the tent wall and
she heard someone scream in pain. Narius glared at her and she carefully schooled
her expression into fierce defiance, but inside she was cheering.
After several long minutes the sounds of a struggle died down
somewhat and the flap flew open. Iolaus was then dragged in, kicking and biting
at his captors. Despite his efforts they held him fast. He was bleeding freely
from several cuts and a dark area around his right eye foretold a wicked black
eye in the young man's future. When he saw Shiri he broke out in a wide grin.
"Fancy meeting you here!"
Narius stood and glared at the young hunter, as he stalked around him.
He stopped and turned to Shiri, "Quite the little hero, isn't he?" He asked,
drawing a dagger. Iolaus struggled harder against his captors and almost broke
free before two more rushed to hold him. "Give up your weapon and I might let
him live."
Iolaus spat at the warlord. "Coward."
"Now, little man. I'm willing to forgive that little infraction, provided I
get a little compensation..." He traced the dagger down Iolaus' jaw line and looked
expectant. "Now, about that axe..."
Shiri growled in frustration. She had no doubt that Narius would kill
Iolaus, whether she gave up the axe or not, it was only a matter of time. Time
Iolaus didn't have if she didn't play along. With a sigh she closed her eyes and
dropped the axe to the floor, positioning it so it fell against the chain. Nothing
happened, though it was worth a shot.
"Now kick it away..." Shiri gritted her teeth and did as she was told.
She never took her eyes from Iolaus' blue-eyed gaze. "See. That wasn't so hard,
was it?" The big man gloated, stepping away from the blond hunter. Shiri
inwardly breathed a sigh of relief at this, even as he headed in her direction.
He stepped into the area bounded by her tether and tapped the dagger
against his palm. "I've been trying to decided what sort of welcome home
present I should give you, my dear. It's only been two nights...but minutes can
seem like hours when one can't distract himself." He took a step closer and Shiri
backed up.
"Hey!" The shout from the doorway drew the attention of both the
hunter and the prey. Shiri's head shot up in alarm as she cast a warning glance at
Iolaus. He ignored her and continued. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, big ugly.
Where do you get off doing this? She isn't your property slime ball so get the
hell away from her."
Narius stopped his advance and turned to look at the seething hunter.
Iolaus strained against the restraining arms that held him back, baring his teeth at
the larger man. "Spirited brat, aren't you? I can see why Shiri took to you. You have
the same spark that makes her so enjoyable. Perhaps you will be as much fun to break
as she has proved to be..."
"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you? Make you feel all high and mighty
to beat up on hapless prisoners? I know a Cyclops with a better sense of fair play
than you."
Shiri momentarily forgotten, Narius moved closer to the youth. "I'd
watch what you say in my presence, maggot. No one speaks to me like that and
lives to tell the tale."
"Well there's a first time for everything." Iolaus shot back, undaunted.
Narius lashed out, backhanding the youth viscously. Iolaus spit out blood,
managing to splash some on the warlord's expensive leather pants. "That all you
got?"
Narius snarled and moved to hit him again, but Iolaus was no longer
there. Taking advantage of the warlord's anger and distraction he had pulled
down with all his weight, catching the men holding him off guard. Over
balanced they went tumbling on top of him in a mass of flailing limbs. Always
the master at squirming out of tight situations Iolaus managed to crawl out from
under the pile of bodies. He stood to find himself face to face with a raging
warlord.
Flashing his most disarming smile Iolaus didn't hesitate. He whipped
back his bound hands and connected solidly with Narius' face. He followed this
with a kick the taller man's mid section that doubled him over.
Shiri meanwhile had recovered from her initial shock, she moved as
quickly as the chain binding her would allow, grabbing up the axe she had
recently discarded and stepping into the paths of the four guards. "Hiya fellas!"
She said brightly, a wolfish grin plastered on her face, "Care to dance?"
The four of them stared at her for a moment before the spell was
broken as Shiri attacked. She raised the axe high and charged screaming a war
cry at the nearest guard. He hurriedly back peddled. But he didn't get out of
range in time. Shiri's blow caught him high in the right shoulder and he went
flying backward, crashing into one of his comrades. The man carelessly tossed
away the dying soldier in his arms and glared at the girl.
The other two backed out of her reach, Shiri cursed inwardly in
frustration at the chain that inhibited her movements. The soldier before her
swung his sword and she blocked the thrust with her axe, he pressed onward,
backing her around the post in the middle of the tent. He thrust at her again and
she backed away again, promptly tripping over the chain that lay behind her
ankles.
Flat on her back she looked up at the man above her and brought the
axe up to block a downward sweep. Undeterred he simply tried again, keeping
Shiri off balance so she could not get to her feet. She scrambled backward until
the chain pulled taut and there was nowhere left to go. She felt a brief pang of
regret and fear for Iolaus, but it was replaced immediately but an immense
feeling of relief. She would no longer be forced to endure the living Tartarus
that Narius had put her through.
A shout from the other side of the room halted the downward swing of
the deathblow that would finally put an end to her misery. With a sinking heart
Shiri looked up.
"Stop!" Narius roared, his face red with rage. He whirled and hit Iolaus
across the side of his face with a mailed fist, the blond spun and dropped to the
floor. He did not move.
"NO!" Shiri cried out in anguish. "Iolaus!"
The soldier above her paid no heed to her words; he looked at his boss
with a look of pure terror, his hands seemingly frozen in position above his
head. Narius ignored the limp body of the hunter and stalked forward.
"Just what do you think you are doing?" he demanded even as the man
dropped his weapon and stepped away from the girl. "You dare strike my
property? You were going to kill her! No one touches my property! NO ONE!"
"Yes m-my lord. O-of course not. I was merely teaching her a l-lesson,
sir." The bearded man stammered, backing away from the advancing warlord.
"I would not be so quick to dole out punishments if I were you." Narius
growled, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"But, my lord. She attacked us..."
"And that gives you reason to kill her?" Narius exploded, he was now
shaking with rage. Shiri slowly dragged herself to her feet; her eyes fixed warily
on Narius. He ignored her; his attention fixed solely on the unlucky soldier. As
quietly as she could Shiri inched her way to where Iolaus lay. The other two guards
were busy watching the confrontation between their comrade and Narius and paid no
attention to her actions.
She couldn't quite reach the hunter's side, the length of chain severely
restricting her movements. She could, however, reach his foot. So she reached
out and shook it gently, calling his name softly. He did not respond and Shiri bit back panic. She could see his chest rise and fall from where she lay; at least he was still alive. She clung to that as she searched for a way to escape from her current predicament. The argument had escalated, and she knew it was only a matter of time before Narius tired of the man's fear and simply killed him. She had to work quickly.
She shook Iolaus' foot again, provoking a small moan. It wasn't much
but it lit a spark of hope within her. "Come on Iolaus!" She whispered fiercely,
shaking his foot more insistently. He groaned this time and shifted to grab his
aching head. "Iolaus! Get up!" She shot a nervous look over her shoulder;
Narius had apparently gotten bored. The other man was now lying in a bloody
heap on the tent floor.
Iolaus was now sitting up, his bleary eyes attempting to focus on the
girl in front of him. "What?"
"Shhh... Narius hit you. Do you have a weapon, anything?"
Iolaus shook his head slowly, glancing up, past her shoulder at the
commotion by the door. "What's going on?"
"We're back at Narius' camp. He wants to use you to get me to co-
operate."
"Don't let him..."
"I can't help it! I don't want to see you hurt. So, promise me. Whatever
he does to me he's probably already done before. I can handle it. I don't want
you making yourself into a target. No more distracting him, okay?"
"But what about you?"
"I'll be fine. I've handled him for over a year now. It's you I'm worried
about...Hera's demanded an offering in a few days, during the full moon..."
Iolaus' eyes widened. "Hera... Does he know who I am?"
"As far as he's concerned you're just a kid who helped me. He doesn't
know."
A barely audible sigh of relief from the hunter revealed his true fear,
even as he put on a brave face. "It'll be okay..."
"I know." She flashed him a small smile. "Just don't..." Iolaus opened
his mouth to speak, even as his blue eyes widened, alerting her to the danger.
The chain at her throat jerked hard, sending her tumbling backward with a gasp.
Narius then grabbed a handful of her auburn curls and hauled her to her feet.
Several guards rushed in and gripped Iolaus securely before he could move.
"Now, where were we?" Narius purred in her ear. His rank breath was
hot on the back of her neck. She suppressed a shudder.
"We were just talking about all the ways I'm gonna kick your ass when
I get out of here." She informed him. She felt, as well as heard, him laugh.
"Not quite what I had in mind." He motioned to his guards and
suddenly Iolaus was shoved into the waiting chair, chains wrapped securely
around his body. The guards then turned to leave, waiting just outside the door.
"Ahhh, much better. It gets rather crowded in here..."
A foot to the back of her knee sent Shiri to the ground and Narius
leaned over her, a dagger in his left hand. She tried to kick out at him, but he
straddled her knees, effectively pinning them, while he bent forward to claim
her mouth with his.
She squirmed beneath him, trying to get away from his foul stench. But
nothing she did could keep him away for long. He caught both her wrists in a
powerful grip and held them above her head while he thrust his tongue into her
mouth. Shiri shut her eyes and tried to distance herself from what was happening
to her body, as she had always done before. A strip of leather wound itself
around her wrists, immobilizing them.
Narius sat up, still straddling her legs and grinned at her. He licked his
lips in anticipation and toyed with the dagger in his hand. "Pay attention, boy.
This is how you pleasure a woman." He informed Iolaus who was straining
against his chains angrily. Narius simply chuckled and drew the dagger slowly
along Shiri's jaw line.
She glared at him and spat in his face. "I love it when you do that." He
told her, casually wiping the spittle from his cheek with one hand, while the
other found her breast beneath the faded leather. He moaned softly as he felt
her beneath his touch once more.
Iolaus lost it. He had barely contained his rage when Narius had forced
Shiri to kiss him, but this he could not stand. "Hey, asshole! Get your hands
off her!" He screamed but got no reaction. So he launched into a very detailed
description of Narius' personal habits. This got some attention. Narius paused
in his exploration of Shiri's body long enough to shoot him a look that could
stop a wild boar in its tracks. To Iolaus, however, it was a sign of victory.
He grinned, "Oh, hit a little too close to home?" he asked innocently, "Well,
they say the truth hurts..."
Narius' face darkened, if there was one thing he hated, it was to be
interrupted while he was with one of his girls. "Guard!" He shouted, and a man
quickly entered the tent. He took a quick look at Shiri struggling beneath the
warlord, before his gaze found Narius' glare. "Find something to gag him with,
would you? I don't like interruptions." The guard simply nodded and proceeded
to obey the order, despite Iolaus' taunts and protests. The task complete he
then returned to his post, leaving the warlord to smirk at the seething hunter.
"Better. Now watch closely..."
He slid the dagger through the laces of her bodice slowly, letting each
thread part, allowing the material to loosen ever so slightly before continuing.
Soon the laces were completely destroyed and the leather slid off to expose the
twin mounds of Shiri's breasts. Narius grinned. "Now the real fun begins, eh,
precious?" His callused fingers roamed around her newly exposed skin and Shiri
squirmed uncomfortably.
Once more he leaned forward to kiss her, ignoring the muffled screams
coming from behind him. Shiri bit his lower lip as hard as she could, tasting
the coppery tang of blood. He pulled back quickly, wiping blood from his lip and
backhanded her. Shiri felt his hand roam further down her body, stopping just
below her skirt, she bucked desperately, trying to stop what was happening. But
his hand continued upward, and Shiri could only lock eyes with the terrified blue orbs that stared at her from the chair, and pray. _Artemis, help us. Please, I beg you._ Then Narius took her violently and all coherent thoughts fled from her mind as her world shank to those expressive blue eyes that seemed to share every moment of her misery.
hours ago, he should be back be now. He had long since past the point of
deciding how to harass Iolaus about this little lag time and had progressed into
the more terrifying realm of imagining all the possible horrors that could have
befallen his best friend.
"I should never have let him go alone." He muttered to himself,
completing another circuit of the small clearing. Pacing back and forth in front
of his bedroll had done nothing save wear a groove into the earth, so he had tried
a different route. This one was in danger of becoming as worn as the first one.
Hercules was beginning his fortieth circuit when he heard the scream. It
was a high pitched, mournful sound, full of terror and desperation. A started, all
his senses brimming with fear for his missing friend. He relaxed slightly as it
registered that the scream had been female and couldn't possibly have been
Iolaus. He waited but the scream did not repeat itself.
Hercules was torn. Someone was in trouble out there. He had a impulse
to run to the rescue, but his missing friend held him back. If Iolaus returned to
find him gone, what would he do? _He'd panic. That's what. Then he'd run off
to find me, and we'd be stuck doing this little dance all night._ The young demi-god
resumed his circuit. He had no idea what to do in this situation. Someone was in
trouble out there, and yet if he ran to help he'd be abandoning his best friend.
With a cry of frustration Hercules rushed to kick out the fire and scrawl
a message into the dirt for Iolaus should he return. With a backward glance at
the empty camp the blonde headed off in the direction of the scream, using the
dim light from the rapidly setting sun to guide him.
He came upon the river quickly, stopping once or twice to examine
snares that Iolaus must have set earlier. At least his friend had made it this far.
Finding the river rushing by Hercules paused; unable to decide which direction the
scream had come from. *Down river.* A voice called in his head. *Just trust me.
You'll find you're answers down river.* The voice repeated, oblivious to Hercules
start of surprise.
Not knowing exactly why, Hercules turned down river and followed the
bank, still trying to figure out where that voice had come from. One of his divine
relatives maybe, or maybe just intuition. He didn't know. Nor did he care as he
rounded the next bend and saw evidence of a violent fight. He stopped short, a
cold knot of fear hardening in his chest. A dark stain covered an area about the
size of a small barrel, but when Hercules knelt next to it he saw that it had
already dried. The fight must have taken place a long time ago. He could only
hope that Iolaus had not been involved, or if he had, that he had not been hurt.
With a sigh the demi-god stood up, he was losing light fast. And still he
saw no sign of the woman in distress, though he had found the cause of her
distress. *Keep going. More to find.* The voice was back.
"What do you want?" He angrily asked the air, fighting down the
gnawing worry he felt inside. *Go further. You friend is in trouble, find the
girl and you will find him.* _Girl? What girl?_ Hercules was now thoroughly
confused; though he continued down river for lack of any other ideas.
The sun had just disappeared below the horizon when Hercules came
upon the spot where Hera's archers had ambushed Iolaus and Shiri. The brilliant
light of the full moon allowed him enough light to see the small beach. A glint
of metal caught his eye and he moved closer, finding the dagger Shiri had
dropped. He frowned, something wasn't right. Looking up slowly he searched
the clearing more carefully.
And there it was. It taunted him, a lifeline to his friend, a tantalizing
clue to his whereabouts: Iolaus' vest. The very same vest he had been wearing
only hours before when he had set out to catch their dinner. "No." Hercules
breathed, dropping to his knees beside the garment. Upon closer inspection he
was relieved to discover that the vest was free of bloodstains.
"Iolaus!! Where are you?" He called suddenly. No answer, the chirping
of birds and singing of crickets the only response. "What happened to you my
friend?" He asked nobody in particular, not really expecting an answer.
So when a musical female voice sounded from behind him he almost
jumped out of his semi-divine skin. "They were taken."
The demi-god dropped the vest, whirling quickly to face the woman,
and stopped dead. Before stood a vision dressed in expensive hunter's dress. The
iridescent eyes and astral shine around her body left no doubt to her identity.
Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt.
"Artemis? What are you doing here?" Hercules managed to gasp out.
Even after years of meeting up with those family members of the divine nature,
Hercules was still shocked when someone new appeared to him. As Artemis was
doing now.
"Your friend needs help, as does a follower of mine. I am here to aid
you in finding them."
"Why?"
"I have no wish for harm to befall either of them." Hercules looked like
he was about to interrupt but the goddess held up a hand to forestall any protests.
"Hera's archers have taken them to a warlord's camp. It lies not far from here to
the east. Hurry, my brother. They need you."
The goddess' image began to fade as Hercules struggled to find his
voice. "Why did they take them? What does Iolaus have to do with any of this?
Artemis, wait! Please. What is going on?"
None of his protests had any effect, soon the astral form was
completely gone, only an echo of her voice remaining, "Hercules. Find them
before it is too late. This man serves Hera; nothing good can come of this if he
is not stopped. Find them."
"Right, like I planned to just leave Iolaus there." Hercules muttered to
himself as he found himself alone once more in the woods. He picked up the
vest at his feet, running his fingers over the rough patchwork, hoping that
wherever he was his friend was safe and warm. Though judging by Artemis'
strange warning he wasn't, and wouldn't be until Hercules found him.
"I'm coming, my friend. Hang in there." He whispered to the trees. His
mind awhirl with horrific pictures of his friend's fate Hercules turned and
sprinted back to the camp. He paused there only long enough to gather up the
supplies that the two boys had brought before he was off running again. This
time towards Corinth. If he was lucky he could make it to Jason's by daybreak.
From what Artemis had said, he was going to need help to get to Iolaus. And if
help didn't come in the form of three dozen palace guards, then he didn't know
what else to do.
Artemis watched the young demi-god as he charged through the words
and smiled softly to herself. Her young half-brother would see this through.
Hera had truly gotten overconfident by bringing the mortal friend of Hercules
into this. And Artemis would be there to enjoy it. No one harmed her followers,
or claimed them for her own. Not while the Goddess of the Hunt had any say in the matter.
Shiri awoke with a start, all her senses on full alert. She didn't know
what had awakened her; a deep-rooted sense of dread had suddenly kicked in.
She opened her eyes and looked around at her surroundings, startled to find
herself lying on soft furs, a thick chain attached to a heavy iron ring around
her neck. Her arms and legs were free but the chain attached to a thick wooden
post in the middle of the tent. The tent looked oddly familiar, but still Shiri
couldn't seem to place it. Her head hurt, a lot. And her thoughts were still
fuzzy. The last thing she remembered was bathing in the river, a water fight
with a blond stranger...Iolaus. And then...It hit her suddenly. The archers,
the arrow, the overwhelming drowsiness, then nothing. Until now, when she had
woken up in a tent, chained... _Uh oh._
"Okay, just relax. There's a way out of this. You know there is. You've
just got to find it." The redhead muttered to herself as she pushed herself up
into a semi sitting position. That small movement sent pain racing through her
skull. She ignored it and concentrated on taking inventory of her surroundings.
She was relieved to find that she was indeed alone in the tent.
So, she was back where she had started. Narius had caught up with her
and there would be hell to pay if she couldn't find a way out of this tent
before he got back. She choked back her rising panic at that thought and
concentrated on finding something to pick the lock on her collar with. Nothing
presented itself so she cautiously moved to the end of her tether, hoping to
reach one of Narius' daggers or any other slim object.
Her heart was heavy with dread as she searched in vain for a way to
free herself. Narius had learned from his previous mistakes, he no longer left
objects slim enough to slip into a lock in her vicinity. The situation was not
looking good. And they had Iolaus somewhere.
The thought of the young hunter, dragged into this mess, was almost
too much to bear for the young Amazon. For an instant she even considered
pleading for his life, she was ready to sacrifice anything for the kind soul who
had risked himself to help her. But she knew that such a display would only
make it worse on the young man. If Narius knew the extent of her feelings for
him, he would use him as a tool to get to her. She'd already caused him enough
pain; adding guilt for something he couldn't control would not help matters.
No, this was something she had to deal with without letting it slip that
she cared for this brave boy. Cared for him in a way she hadn't felt possible.
Not until a few hours ago had she thought that a man could possibly be so kind,
so trusting and caring. "Now is not the time, Hun. You still have to find a way
out of this, remember? Maybe you could postpone your silly little daydream until
a later date, huh?" She muttered irritably to herself.
There were no lock picking tools available to her so she looked for the
next best thing, something sharp and heavy. Her eyes lit upon a heavy battle-axe
lying several feet away. It was just outside her range of motion. But if she
stretched...Almost...Got it! Pulling it in closer with her toe she grinned
triumphantly, reaching down to heft the heavy weapon off the ground she turned
to her chains and swung with all her might.
There was a loud clang and a brief flash of sparks but the chains
remained intact. Knowing that she had only moments before a guard
investigated the noise and sounded the alarm, Shiri swung again and again. The
metal did not break and she swore in frustration, looking up quickly at the
entrance to the tent. No sign of trouble just yet. She kept at it. The damn
thing had to break eventually.
She was in mid-swing when she heard the harsh laughter behind. The
sound was hauntingly familiar and she felt her soul freeze up. Taking a deep
breath to calm her racing heart beat Shiri slowly turned to face the dark haired
warlord who stood in the doorway.
The big man merely grinned at the look of angry defiance on her face.
"Up to your old tricks again? I'm afraid it won't work this time. Those chains
were forged by Hephestus himself." He grinned maliciously at her. "You won't
be going anywhere for a long time."
Shiri remained silent, the axe still held ready in her hands. When she
didn't respond to his taunts Narius' grin wavered slightly, "I've missed you.
Those other girls can never do what you do to please me." He told her matter of
factly "All that 'Please, don't hurt me. Spare my life.' crap I get from them.
It's nice to have a real challenge once and awhile..." He looked her over lustfully.
"Just try it asshole." Shiri growled, raising the axe slightly.
Narius stopped and looked at her for a moment. "Oh, yes. The weapon.
I'm afraid I can't allow that, though it would make it more interesting...Sorry,
dear you'll have to hand it over." He held out his hand expectantly.
Shiri just looked at him like he'd grown another head. "Right. I'm just
gonna give it to you. Dream on. You'll have to take it from my cold dead
fingers." She informed him.
"My dear, you seem to have forgotten who's in charge here." Narius
said around his chuckle.
"What's the matter, Narius? Too scared to take on a little girl in a fair
fight? Coward."
"I don't need to prove myself to the likes of you."
"Oh really? Well how about that time you couldn't get it up? Or the
one when you bawled like a baby all night. Come on, tough guy. You're
nothing, nobody. If you didn't have that little witch backing you up you'd be
dead in a ditch somewhere!"
Narius' face went red and Shiri shut up. Maybe that hadn't been such a
great idea after all. She froze and watched him carefully, muscles tensed.
"You couldn't have escaped without help. That brat we found with you
had something to do with it."
Shiri gave him a withering look. "You figure that out all by yourself or
did you have to ask Hera?"
He glowered at her and took a step forward, but halted as she raised the
axe and growled. "If that's the way you want it. I had hope our reunion would be
a little less...violent. But you leave me no choice." He opened the flap slightly
and called to one of his guards, never taking his eyes off Shiri. "Bring the boy,
make sure he is well bound." The guard nodded and scurried off.
"Leave him out of this."
"Oh, feelings for the brat? If you don't want to see him hurt you'll lay
down your weapon."
"Not on your life."
"Have it your way." Narius simply smiled and sat carefully in his chair.
A muffled curse was heard outside the tent, followed soon after by shouts and
running feet. Narius looked up, startled, while Shiri hid a grin. Iolaus was giving
them a run for their money out there. Something thudded against the tent wall and
she heard someone scream in pain. Narius glared at her and she carefully schooled
her expression into fierce defiance, but inside she was cheering.
After several long minutes the sounds of a struggle died down
somewhat and the flap flew open. Iolaus was then dragged in, kicking and biting
at his captors. Despite his efforts they held him fast. He was bleeding freely
from several cuts and a dark area around his right eye foretold a wicked black
eye in the young man's future. When he saw Shiri he broke out in a wide grin.
"Fancy meeting you here!"
Narius stood and glared at the young hunter, as he stalked around him.
He stopped and turned to Shiri, "Quite the little hero, isn't he?" He asked,
drawing a dagger. Iolaus struggled harder against his captors and almost broke
free before two more rushed to hold him. "Give up your weapon and I might let
him live."
Iolaus spat at the warlord. "Coward."
"Now, little man. I'm willing to forgive that little infraction, provided I
get a little compensation..." He traced the dagger down Iolaus' jaw line and looked
expectant. "Now, about that axe..."
Shiri growled in frustration. She had no doubt that Narius would kill
Iolaus, whether she gave up the axe or not, it was only a matter of time. Time
Iolaus didn't have if she didn't play along. With a sigh she closed her eyes and
dropped the axe to the floor, positioning it so it fell against the chain. Nothing
happened, though it was worth a shot.
"Now kick it away..." Shiri gritted her teeth and did as she was told.
She never took her eyes from Iolaus' blue-eyed gaze. "See. That wasn't so hard,
was it?" The big man gloated, stepping away from the blond hunter. Shiri
inwardly breathed a sigh of relief at this, even as he headed in her direction.
He stepped into the area bounded by her tether and tapped the dagger
against his palm. "I've been trying to decided what sort of welcome home
present I should give you, my dear. It's only been two nights...but minutes can
seem like hours when one can't distract himself." He took a step closer and Shiri
backed up.
"Hey!" The shout from the doorway drew the attention of both the
hunter and the prey. Shiri's head shot up in alarm as she cast a warning glance at
Iolaus. He ignored her and continued. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, big ugly.
Where do you get off doing this? She isn't your property slime ball so get the
hell away from her."
Narius stopped his advance and turned to look at the seething hunter.
Iolaus strained against the restraining arms that held him back, baring his teeth at
the larger man. "Spirited brat, aren't you? I can see why Shiri took to you. You have
the same spark that makes her so enjoyable. Perhaps you will be as much fun to break
as she has proved to be..."
"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you? Make you feel all high and mighty
to beat up on hapless prisoners? I know a Cyclops with a better sense of fair play
than you."
Shiri momentarily forgotten, Narius moved closer to the youth. "I'd
watch what you say in my presence, maggot. No one speaks to me like that and
lives to tell the tale."
"Well there's a first time for everything." Iolaus shot back, undaunted.
Narius lashed out, backhanding the youth viscously. Iolaus spit out blood,
managing to splash some on the warlord's expensive leather pants. "That all you
got?"
Narius snarled and moved to hit him again, but Iolaus was no longer
there. Taking advantage of the warlord's anger and distraction he had pulled
down with all his weight, catching the men holding him off guard. Over
balanced they went tumbling on top of him in a mass of flailing limbs. Always
the master at squirming out of tight situations Iolaus managed to crawl out from
under the pile of bodies. He stood to find himself face to face with a raging
warlord.
Flashing his most disarming smile Iolaus didn't hesitate. He whipped
back his bound hands and connected solidly with Narius' face. He followed this
with a kick the taller man's mid section that doubled him over.
Shiri meanwhile had recovered from her initial shock, she moved as
quickly as the chain binding her would allow, grabbing up the axe she had
recently discarded and stepping into the paths of the four guards. "Hiya fellas!"
She said brightly, a wolfish grin plastered on her face, "Care to dance?"
The four of them stared at her for a moment before the spell was
broken as Shiri attacked. She raised the axe high and charged screaming a war
cry at the nearest guard. He hurriedly back peddled. But he didn't get out of
range in time. Shiri's blow caught him high in the right shoulder and he went
flying backward, crashing into one of his comrades. The man carelessly tossed
away the dying soldier in his arms and glared at the girl.
The other two backed out of her reach, Shiri cursed inwardly in
frustration at the chain that inhibited her movements. The soldier before her
swung his sword and she blocked the thrust with her axe, he pressed onward,
backing her around the post in the middle of the tent. He thrust at her again and
she backed away again, promptly tripping over the chain that lay behind her
ankles.
Flat on her back she looked up at the man above her and brought the
axe up to block a downward sweep. Undeterred he simply tried again, keeping
Shiri off balance so she could not get to her feet. She scrambled backward until
the chain pulled taut and there was nowhere left to go. She felt a brief pang of
regret and fear for Iolaus, but it was replaced immediately but an immense
feeling of relief. She would no longer be forced to endure the living Tartarus
that Narius had put her through.
A shout from the other side of the room halted the downward swing of
the deathblow that would finally put an end to her misery. With a sinking heart
Shiri looked up.
"Stop!" Narius roared, his face red with rage. He whirled and hit Iolaus
across the side of his face with a mailed fist, the blond spun and dropped to the
floor. He did not move.
"NO!" Shiri cried out in anguish. "Iolaus!"
The soldier above her paid no heed to her words; he looked at his boss
with a look of pure terror, his hands seemingly frozen in position above his
head. Narius ignored the limp body of the hunter and stalked forward.
"Just what do you think you are doing?" he demanded even as the man
dropped his weapon and stepped away from the girl. "You dare strike my
property? You were going to kill her! No one touches my property! NO ONE!"
"Yes m-my lord. O-of course not. I was merely teaching her a l-lesson,
sir." The bearded man stammered, backing away from the advancing warlord.
"I would not be so quick to dole out punishments if I were you." Narius
growled, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"But, my lord. She attacked us..."
"And that gives you reason to kill her?" Narius exploded, he was now
shaking with rage. Shiri slowly dragged herself to her feet; her eyes fixed warily
on Narius. He ignored her; his attention fixed solely on the unlucky soldier. As
quietly as she could Shiri inched her way to where Iolaus lay. The other two guards
were busy watching the confrontation between their comrade and Narius and paid no
attention to her actions.
She couldn't quite reach the hunter's side, the length of chain severely
restricting her movements. She could, however, reach his foot. So she reached
out and shook it gently, calling his name softly. He did not respond and Shiri bit back panic. She could see his chest rise and fall from where she lay; at least he was still alive. She clung to that as she searched for a way to escape from her current predicament. The argument had escalated, and she knew it was only a matter of time before Narius tired of the man's fear and simply killed him. She had to work quickly.
She shook Iolaus' foot again, provoking a small moan. It wasn't much
but it lit a spark of hope within her. "Come on Iolaus!" She whispered fiercely,
shaking his foot more insistently. He groaned this time and shifted to grab his
aching head. "Iolaus! Get up!" She shot a nervous look over her shoulder;
Narius had apparently gotten bored. The other man was now lying in a bloody
heap on the tent floor.
Iolaus was now sitting up, his bleary eyes attempting to focus on the
girl in front of him. "What?"
"Shhh... Narius hit you. Do you have a weapon, anything?"
Iolaus shook his head slowly, glancing up, past her shoulder at the
commotion by the door. "What's going on?"
"We're back at Narius' camp. He wants to use you to get me to co-
operate."
"Don't let him..."
"I can't help it! I don't want to see you hurt. So, promise me. Whatever
he does to me he's probably already done before. I can handle it. I don't want
you making yourself into a target. No more distracting him, okay?"
"But what about you?"
"I'll be fine. I've handled him for over a year now. It's you I'm worried
about...Hera's demanded an offering in a few days, during the full moon..."
Iolaus' eyes widened. "Hera... Does he know who I am?"
"As far as he's concerned you're just a kid who helped me. He doesn't
know."
A barely audible sigh of relief from the hunter revealed his true fear,
even as he put on a brave face. "It'll be okay..."
"I know." She flashed him a small smile. "Just don't..." Iolaus opened
his mouth to speak, even as his blue eyes widened, alerting her to the danger.
The chain at her throat jerked hard, sending her tumbling backward with a gasp.
Narius then grabbed a handful of her auburn curls and hauled her to her feet.
Several guards rushed in and gripped Iolaus securely before he could move.
"Now, where were we?" Narius purred in her ear. His rank breath was
hot on the back of her neck. She suppressed a shudder.
"We were just talking about all the ways I'm gonna kick your ass when
I get out of here." She informed him. She felt, as well as heard, him laugh.
"Not quite what I had in mind." He motioned to his guards and
suddenly Iolaus was shoved into the waiting chair, chains wrapped securely
around his body. The guards then turned to leave, waiting just outside the door.
"Ahhh, much better. It gets rather crowded in here..."
A foot to the back of her knee sent Shiri to the ground and Narius
leaned over her, a dagger in his left hand. She tried to kick out at him, but he
straddled her knees, effectively pinning them, while he bent forward to claim
her mouth with his.
She squirmed beneath him, trying to get away from his foul stench. But
nothing she did could keep him away for long. He caught both her wrists in a
powerful grip and held them above her head while he thrust his tongue into her
mouth. Shiri shut her eyes and tried to distance herself from what was happening
to her body, as she had always done before. A strip of leather wound itself
around her wrists, immobilizing them.
Narius sat up, still straddling her legs and grinned at her. He licked his
lips in anticipation and toyed with the dagger in his hand. "Pay attention, boy.
This is how you pleasure a woman." He informed Iolaus who was straining
against his chains angrily. Narius simply chuckled and drew the dagger slowly
along Shiri's jaw line.
She glared at him and spat in his face. "I love it when you do that." He
told her, casually wiping the spittle from his cheek with one hand, while the
other found her breast beneath the faded leather. He moaned softly as he felt
her beneath his touch once more.
Iolaus lost it. He had barely contained his rage when Narius had forced
Shiri to kiss him, but this he could not stand. "Hey, asshole! Get your hands
off her!" He screamed but got no reaction. So he launched into a very detailed
description of Narius' personal habits. This got some attention. Narius paused
in his exploration of Shiri's body long enough to shoot him a look that could
stop a wild boar in its tracks. To Iolaus, however, it was a sign of victory.
He grinned, "Oh, hit a little too close to home?" he asked innocently, "Well,
they say the truth hurts..."
Narius' face darkened, if there was one thing he hated, it was to be
interrupted while he was with one of his girls. "Guard!" He shouted, and a man
quickly entered the tent. He took a quick look at Shiri struggling beneath the
warlord, before his gaze found Narius' glare. "Find something to gag him with,
would you? I don't like interruptions." The guard simply nodded and proceeded
to obey the order, despite Iolaus' taunts and protests. The task complete he
then returned to his post, leaving the warlord to smirk at the seething hunter.
"Better. Now watch closely..."
He slid the dagger through the laces of her bodice slowly, letting each
thread part, allowing the material to loosen ever so slightly before continuing.
Soon the laces were completely destroyed and the leather slid off to expose the
twin mounds of Shiri's breasts. Narius grinned. "Now the real fun begins, eh,
precious?" His callused fingers roamed around her newly exposed skin and Shiri
squirmed uncomfortably.
Once more he leaned forward to kiss her, ignoring the muffled screams
coming from behind him. Shiri bit his lower lip as hard as she could, tasting
the coppery tang of blood. He pulled back quickly, wiping blood from his lip and
backhanded her. Shiri felt his hand roam further down her body, stopping just
below her skirt, she bucked desperately, trying to stop what was happening. But
his hand continued upward, and Shiri could only lock eyes with the terrified blue orbs that stared at her from the chair, and pray. _Artemis, help us. Please, I beg you._ Then Narius took her violently and all coherent thoughts fled from her mind as her world shank to those expressive blue eyes that seemed to share every moment of her misery.
