Legacy

by fyre

Only a month after returning from Egypt, Hercules and Iolaus receive a desperate plea for help from Persia, and face the possibility that they may make the same mistakes that led them to disaster in Sumeria all over again.

Legacy

by fyre

Sequel to "Whose Death is it Anyway?"

by fyre

and

"Home is where the Heart is" or How Hercules got his Groove Back

By Martha Wells Wilson and

Kimberly Rector

Inspiration thanks to Valentin and her first story "Matters of the

Heart" found in the Iolausian Library!

I was fortunate to be allowed to help write a very small portion of this incredible massive alternate Season 5 story arch. For the whole series go to the Less than Legendary Journeys website

http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/chimera/legends.htm

Story arch order (roughly)

1)"Whose Death is it Anyway?"

2) Home is Where the Heart Is

3) Legacy

3.5) Walking Back from Persepolis

4) Home is the Hunter

5) The Perils of Perseus

6) Dark Hunt

Also in this Universe check out:

Norse by Norsewest

When Hellmouths Collide (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Hercules TLJ crossover)

FEEDBACK: a_sayyar2118@hotmail.com

ARCHIVE: http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/chimera/legends.htm

The Less Than Legendary Journeys

TIMELINE: Alternate Season 5. See earlier works in the story arch at this and the other site.

DISCLAIMER: This story was written just for fun and is not an attempt to make money or infringe on any copyrights or trademarks. Only the original ideas contained within the works on this nonprofit web site are the property of their authors, and please do not copy these stories to

any other website or archive or print without permission of the author.

NOTE: I do not profess to be an expert on the ancient religions, faiths, or cultures depicted in this story. This is my own personal work of fiction based on some creative rewriting of history and myth. The myths and heroes that are mentioned later in the story do exist however though they have been adapted for this story. I mean no disrespect to any faith or culture and advise

readers not to take the political and religious allusions in this story as fact but rather research yourself before coming to conclusions.

"You look beautiful."
"Oh please."
King for a Day

Prologue

"Wear," she ordered frantically, shoving the silky pile of fabric into his face as she hopped over the pile of cushions on the floor, other women scattering like leaves before her frantic flight. Iolaus took one look at the bundle of cloth and threw his hands up in despair. "Mahasti, this isn't going to work! I'll be discovered in a Grecian second!"

"Wear! Iolaus wear!" She gestured frantically, lapsing back into her native singsong tongue, hands stubbornly on her hips. Realizing that firmness wasn't garnering the correct results she let her lower lip quiver ever so slightly and let her deep eyes fill with tears at the thought of what could happen to him.

"Mahasti, don't ..." Iolaus began guiltily as he looked from her delicate features to the other women in the room. They all turned to gaze at him, practically cooing their sorrow as if he was already captured and headed towards his rather unpleasant fate. "Samira, Farideh, Nazreen ... please all of you don't cry. I know you're just trying to help, but--"

Farideh stood up gracefully from her cross-legged position on the pillows to finger his golden hair with wondrous reverence. "Iolaus wear?" she pleaded, eyes wide and hopeful.

The whole room seemed to hold its breath waiting for his answer. Sighing, Iolaus nodded his agreement. Samira clapped her hands and the others laughed in approval, voices trilling like nightingales back and forth in their quick language. Farideh smiled shyly up at Iolaus' blue eyes and let her fingers drift light as butterfly wings across his face.

Ooooh boy! Iolaus swallowed mightily. By the gods, how do I get into these messes?

Farideh's hands had drifted lower to rest lightly on his chest. Or the more important question is, Iolaus thought distractedly, Who do I thank for this?

She took another step closer and Iolaus lost all train of coherent thought.

***

"I could use a hand."
clap clap clap "Bravo!"
Stranger and Stranger

Part I

"That's it then!" Hercules announced triumphantly as he drove his shovel into the ground, resting his hands on the handle.

"Good," Iolaus agreed as he wiped the sweat from his brow with one tired hand, leaving a smear of dirt in its place. "Let's go swimming or fishing or anything that involves cool water."

"What?" Hercules asked in amazement. "You want to take a bath?"

"What I want it to do something that has nothing to do with sweating. It's hot enough as it is!" Shading his eyes, he gazed up at the sun. "Sometimes I think Helios does it on purpose. You get some crazy project nagging at you and he just happens to drive closer to the earth." Hercules ducked his head to hide a smile of amusement at his irreverent friend.

"Iolaus, it doesn't matter what the weather is, you'd find some way to use it to your advantage."

"I would not!" he countered indignantly as he began to take his pick back to the barn. "I thought this was to be a vacation and what do we do? We spend the day digging drainage ditches for winter at the beginning of summer." Iolaus looked back at the demigod who had picked up his shovel and followed close behind his shorter friend with an easy stride. "I mean, do you see anyone else," he gestured to the surrounding countryside, "doing this kind of work in boiling weather?"

Hercules made a great show of turning around and looking for other people on the farm. "Nope, I think you're right there, Iolaus, there's no one else," he agreed in mock seriousness.

"Very funny, Herc. Very funny. At this rate Iolaus will never have to tell another joke again," Iolaus muttered as he headed into the cool shade of the barn. With a clank he leaned his pick up against the barn wall and then raised his arms over his head and stretched mightily.

"You really should put that away," Hercules warned as he walked past his friend to stack his shovel up in its appropriate corner.

"Jason obsesses too much," Iolaus replied. "So it's a couple of paces away from where it should be and look, the world's still standing," he finished in a dramatic voice.

Hercules chuckled silently as he glanced over his shoulder at his partner. "Would it kill you to move it?"

"I don't know," Iolaus said with a shrug. "Would it?" he asked impishly.

The innocent question sparked too vivid and too recent memories for the demigod. It had barely been a month since their return from Egypt, two months since Iolaus had been risen from the dead and suddenly all the old teasing comments took on double meanings, making them sharper than any sword.

Hercules cleared his throat and turned. "Iolaus--"

Any further conversation was interrupted by the clatter of hooves approaching. Turning, both men headed back out into the sunshine and waved in greeting as Jason approached.

"Just like him to show up once all the work is done," Iolaus grumbled just loud enough for Jason to hear as he took a few steps over to a water trough and began scrubbing some of the dirt off his arms.

"You know royalty. They hate to get their hands dirty," Hercules replied scoffingly in a similarly carrying tone as he leaned against the barn wall, trying to hide in the shade.

"I heard that," Jason announced, trying to glare his two friends silent.

"So how's Iphicles?" Hercules asked with a grin.

"Is the palace still standing with all those dignitaries and envoys showing up for the trade conference or has war broken out already?" Iolaus called over his shoulder at the former King of Corinth.

"Give it time, Iolaus. Give it time." Jason laughed as he dismounted, patting the beast's neck with a thoughtful hand. "I see you've finished the ditch already."

"Yeah," Iolaus said, glancing at the project in question. "Mr. Mighty Son of Zeus doesn't believe in water breaks." Hercules shot the hunter a haughty look of mock disdain before reaching for the bridle clasps on Jason's horse.

"Good, then you can get cleaned up and come with me," Jason decided with a nod, halting the demigod's actions.

"Trouble?" Hercules asked, brow drawn in mild concern.

"Possibly," his stepfather hedged. "You have that many kings and queens from all over Greece in one place with the Persian envoy coming, and there is bound to be trouble. Iphicles thinks that with us three there he'll have enough clout in reputation alone to keep all Tartarus from breaking loose."

"He does have a point," Iolaus agreed, splashing water on his face and shaking his head rather than searching for a towel to dry himself. "After all, you are Hercules."

"Thanks for reminding me," Hercules put in sarcastically. "Without you I'm sure I wouldn't be able to remember that at all."

"He does have his uses," Jason agreed, staring at the blond critically.

"Yes, he does, doesn't he?" Hercules nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Iolaus' blue eyes narrowed and before either man could dodge, a wave of water descended, soaking them thoroughly.

"Hey!"

Hercules lunged for his errant partner but Iolaus slipped past him and into the house with a giggle. "Dry off before you come in!" The hunter called from inside in the same tone Alcmene had used hundreds of times when they had been growing up.

"You know, if it wasn't for my divine blood I swear I'd be grey by now," Hercules muttered with a mischievous grin as he headed up the porch steps after his friend.

Jason reached up to touch the slivering hair at his temples. "Tell me about it!"

"Thank the gods you're here," Iphicles hissed through a tight smile. "What took you so long?"

Jason, Hercules, and Iolaus shared a glance and shrugged in unison before dismounting. "We uh ... we had to clean up first,"Hercules explained as he clasped his brother's wrist in greeting.

"Next time dry off before you come," Iphicles told him wryly, eyeing their damp clothing.

"So what's the problem?" Iolaus asked softly as he scanned the palace and its inhabitants with a practiced wary eye.

"Have you ever seen over a score of different royal families from Greece and beyond all in one room at the same time?" The king asked flatly.

"Ah." Iolaus' eyes widened at the thought. "I take it that's a rhetorical question."

"I wish the problem was rhetorical, I wish this whole trade conference was," Iphicles said with a sigh, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "At this point I need you here more as a show of strength and reputation than anything else. I know how you hate to drop names, Hercules, but this time it's a necessity."

Hercules smiled his understanding and slapped his brother lightly on the shoulder. "Anything we can do to help, just let us know."

Iphicles began walking through the courtyard, the others on his heels. Liveries from a dozen different kingdoms and flags from a score or more decorated the ramparts of the stone palace. The building itself looked scrubbed and polished and positively glowed in the bright sunlight. Assistants and councilmen ran to and fro sweating in their expensive embroidered tunics as they rushed to finish their assigned tasks. Children dodged underfoot chasing one another, laughter echoing across the courtyard as their nursemaids called after them.

"It's like a madhouse," Hercules noted in awe.

"I know. But this is an unprecedented event. For so many kings to bring their families here under a banner of peace is unheard of. This trade conference has to go well. The last thing we need is war on an even larger scale."

"Don't worry," Hercules assured the king, trying not to trip over a foreign prince who seemed intent on catching a small yapping dog. "I don't think the gods will bother us today. Besides, Ares may be a glutton for blood but he still has Greece's interests as a whole to protect."

"Thank the gods for small miracles," Jason murmured with a smile, dodging a flapping old woman who sounded like a screeching harpy as she called her young royal charge to a halt.

Iphicles suddenly pulled up short and raised a hand for the others to stop as well. He waited respectfully as several large armed men paraded forward towards a large tent that had been set up adjacent to one wing of the palace close to the gardens. It completely segregated part of the garden for private use of whichever envoy had been granted rooms in that particular wing. The four men watched as a clump of people, sex and age indeterminate since they were wearing cloth sacks that covered them from head to foot even in this sweltering heat, passed by them completely surrounded by the armed men.

"What are they? Tent salesmen representatives?" Iolaus whispered curiously.

"They're part of the Persian envoy," Iphicles replied out of the corner of his mouth. Hercules shot the hunter a quick silencing glance.

Iolaus thought for a long moment. "That doesn't answer my question," he put in a little louder.

Somewhere from beneath the covering robes a distinctly feminine giggle sounded and Iolaus' eyes immediately sought the sound. A single delicate hand reached up and halted the procession and the tent-like people clustered together and peered at the group of men from around their bodyguards, their soft musical voices rising and falling as they studied them.

"Now you've done it," Hercules said through clenched teeth. But Iolaus wasn't listening, his attention firmly fixed on his spectators.

"What is the problem here?" A cool voice interrupted and the demigod, king, and argonaut turned to see the arrival of what could only be another member of the Persian envoy. Immediately the soft musical voices coming from behind the armored guards halted as if they were children caught doing something forbidden.

The olive-skinned young man caught sight of Iphicles and bowed respectfully, white robes flowing around him. "Your Highness, forgive me. I am Javad, assistant to the King Dariush's Trade Vizier Amir."

"It is an honor that you and your people accepted my invitation on behalf of Greece," Iphicles responded magnanimously. "These people are part of your envoy?" He continued, gesturing behind him at the phalanx formation around the tent-like people.

"Ah yes." Javad nodded, a little embarrassed as he cast his eye over Iphicles' party, hesitating when he reached Hercules and stopping completely at the sight of Iolaus. "Do forgive them, but they've never seen a man with light hair before. To them it is a wonder from the gods."

"Really?" Iolaus all but squeaked. From behind him the voices rose in laughter once again and the hunter cast a look of wonder behind him. Hercules had seen that look before and merely groaned and buried his head in his hands.

"Forgive these foolish women." Javad bowed again and motioned for the party to continue on its way. "If you will excuse me, your highness."

Iolaus blinked and watched the armed unit disappear into the obviously segregated wing of the palace.

"Iolaus?" Hercules grabbed hold of his friend's shoulder and shook him soundly to get his attention. "Iolaus!"

"Huh?"

"Iolaus, we came here to prevent a diplomatic incident, not start one." He reminded the hunter in a amused clipped voice.

"I know that!" The blond retorted indignantly. "I can behave."

"I've yet to see that." Jason whispered to Iphicles, who tried hard not to laugh.

Iolaus shot the former king a murderous look as the foursome began walking towards the palace steps again. "Why on earth are their women wearing sacks in this weather? And what's with the armed guards? I thought only a minimum of weapons could be brought to the trade conference."

"It's a special case," Iphicles explained. "The Grand Vizier brought them with him. They're part of his household. Those armed men are eunuchs and are here to protect them per the Vizier's orders."

"Is he married to all of them?" Iolaus asked in amazement.

"I didn't actually come out and ask him that, Iolaus. It's not something that comes up in the introductions," the king put in sarcastically.

"Iolaus, maybe they wear all that clothing because they're really really ugly," Hercules suggested in desperation as they passed a set of Corinth's own sentries. He knew from long experience that once Iolaus' curiosity latched onto something he'd pursue it to the end.

"Oh really?" Iolaus replied archly, with a glint of humor in his eyes. He knew what Hercules was trying to do. "Tell me another one! Who guards hideous women from other men? Besides," the hunter glanced curiously over at the gardens, "they didn't sound ugly."

Iphicles laughed. "Since when are you the expert?"

"It's his gift," Jason put in sagely. "He can hear a naked woman from yards away."

"What?" The king sputtered, wheeling around to face Iolaus who was standing there arms crossed, a look of supreme confidence on his face. Iphicles glanced at his brother who was trying hard not to laugh.

"I've seen him do it!" Hercules attested, raising his hands as if to show he was honest. "So has Jason."

"Really?" Iphicles asked in amazement.

Iolaus shrugged in an unconcerned manner. "It's a gift." He brushed past the king and kept talking, "I mean what would be so wrong in saying 'hi' to the ladies?" He stopped and struck a thoughtfully dignified pose. "It would be a cultural sharing that could transcend the boundaries of language."

Hercules snorted in amusement. "You're a fraud."

Iolaus turned and grinned at the demigod. "Maybe, but don't let it get around."

***

"That's not important to me. What is important is the fact that I've got it and you don't!"
The Prize

Part II

Iphicles shook his head in defeat; he knew when to abandon a conversation. "Come on, Hercules, let's go impress some people." He led his famous brother over to meet the Macedonian party that had been covertly watching the exchange from the steps of the palace.

"They look like vultures coming in for the kill," Iolaus said as he and Jason hung back from the descending dignitaries.

"I know," Jason agreed, more than a little sympathetic to his successor's plight.

"Diplomacy! Give me a straightforward head-bashing any day."

"Didn't you help your cousin in Attica with some peace plan?" Jason asked him curiously as they avoided the stairs and took a side entrance into the cool stone palace.

Iolaus ran his hand through his tousled hair and nodded. "Yeah. And let me tell you, some of those kings were really weird. King Phaedron had this policy of having no one talk directly to him. You had to talk to your own advisor who would repeat it to the king's advisor who--"

"Would tell the king, yes I know," Jason finished with a laugh. "I met with King Phaedron once. It was damn annoying."

"I know, but see he told me that it started as a joke and--"

"Wait wait wait!" Jason said, stopping to face the hunter. "He told you?"

Iolaus grinned. "Yeah, I got sick of it. It took forever to get Orestes' proposal across to him so I finally--"

"Why would you be talking to Phaedron?" Jason bewilderedly interrupted yet again.

"Iolaus!"

Both men turned to see two approaching warriors, one with silver hair and the other a youth, both in armor.

"Hector! Linus!" Iolaus greeted them with a raised hand.

The older warrior reached out and to both Jason and Iolaus' surprise, hugged the smaller man tightly. "I heard you'd been killed. Hercules sent a message to the Queen saying you'd died and then one a few weeks ago saying you were alive! We didn't know what to think with all the rumors going around that Hercules went mad and killed you." He pulled back and held the blond at arms' length, studying him as if to make sure it was really Iolaus.

"It's all right, Hector, Hercules ...fixed it," he explained weakly with a smile. "Perseus is not a reliable source of information. I'm fine, Hercules is fine, we're all fine."

"I swear you've got more lives than a cat," the warrior said, shaking his head, trying to hide his obvious happiness. Linus, beaming over his father's shoulder, reached out and grasped Iolaus' wrist in his.

"It's good to see you again, Iolaus. The Queen will be overjoyed with the news."

"Niobe's here?" Iolaus asked softly with a sad nostalgic smile.

"Yes, the entire League is here ..." Hector trailed off as he shared a panicked glance with Linus. He suddenly swung back around to face the hunter. "You can't be seen here, my Lord."

"My Lord?" Jason echoed in utter confusion.

The three men turned and for the first time acknowledged the presence of the argonaut. Hector shot Iolaus a slightly sheepish glance for the slip up while the hunter endeavored to cover for him. "Hector, Linus, this is Jason of the Argonauts, former king of Corinth. Jason," Iolaus continued, gesturing towards the two soldiers, "Hector and Linus are aides, advisors and head of military for Niobe, Queen of Attica."

"Nice to meet you." Jason nodded, taking their wrists.

"My Liege." Both men greeted the argonaut respectfully.

"Just Jason," he assured them, holding up his hands.

Introductions now over Hector, practical as ever, turned to face Iolaus again, his voice strained. "Sir, the entire League is here and while it is blessed news that you are alive, seeing you would ... have some of the kings wondering if the King of Attica was alive as well," he finished as delicately as possible.

"Ohh. I hadn't thought of that," Iolaus said, rubbing the back of his neck ruefully. "That does present a problem. I mean it's bad enough that I'm walking around after being dead but resurrected royalty ..."

"Exactly, my Lord." Linus nodded his agreement, relieved that Iolaus understood the delicate predicament that this could cause.

"What's with this my Lord stuff?" Jason asked again.

"Ah ... nothing, nothing," Iolaus assured him quickly with a forced grin and a short laugh. "Just an old joke. Look Jason, tell Hercules that since practically all the royalty of Greece is here that Orestes' cousin can't be seen."

"That doesn't make much sense."

"Trust me, he'll understand," Iolaus assured the former king as he wiped his hands quickly on his pants and began to look around the palace as if getting his bearings. "I'll just hide out for a while; I'll be around if you need me."

"Hide out?" Jason repeated blankly. "Where, not to mention why?"

Iolaus shot Hector and Linus a worried glance. Both men drew themselves up smartly and the elder warrior informed Jason in his most officious tone that, "It's a matter of top Attican security. Information is only released on a need-to-know basis."

"Yeah," Iolaus agreed hurriedly as he began heading back the way he and Jason had come.

"Wait! How will we find you? Where will I say you are if Hercules asks?" Jason called out after the vanishing form of the hunter.

"Tell him I've gone to promote the kingdom's image," Iolaus yelled back with a sunny grin.

Jason, Hector and Linus exchanged bemused glances. "Now what in Tartarus is that supposed to mean?" Jason wondered aloud.

***

"They can turn your life upside down, you know? It can-- it can drive you out of your mind with love, make you do things that are absolutely crazy!"
The Green-Eyed Monster

Part III

Stealthily Iolaus crept towards the east wing of the palace. It was slow going. The place was swarming with people of all ages, the very halls echoed with the noise which made it a little easier to slip unnoticed by royalty and soldiers alike.

He knew he was getting close as the number of people dwindled drastically. He wasn't sure why but he was incredibly curious about these Persian women; the very fact that they were guarded and hid themselves made them fascinating and while Iolaus had no plans of seducing any man's wife he thought it couldn't hurt to sneak a look at what was underneath all those robes, if they even were wives.

The eunuchs stood impassive at the open archway that led into one of the larger aired chambers that exited into the gardens and the tent Iphicles had had his men set up. Even from a distance Iolaus could hear the distinct cadence of women's voices mingled with the sound of several instruments and water splashing. But first, the guards.

For several minutes Iolaus watched the two men. They stood unmoving, seeming to be a part of the stone arch behind them, almost inhuman. They didn't even blink.

Okay, Iolaus thought, time for a plan. I can't go through so I better go around.

Ducking back around a corner, he started to examine the stone walls of the corridor. It had been more than a few years, but if he remembered correctly ...

Running his fingers along the stone underneath an ornate purple wall-hanging with the seal of one of the numerous factions that had come to the conference, his callused fingers caught on the slight crack in the pattern of masonry. Cautiously looking over his shoulder to make sure he was quite alone, Iolaus slipped beneath the cloth and behind the wall.

"Sing it again, Mahasti. Please sing the legend again," the girl with the small drum in her lap urged as her fingers began tapping out a rhythm in firm sweeping motions.

"I'm tired, Nazreen. Let us wait until the day cools," she protested, leaning back against the pillows strewn over the floor.

"Then tell us of the time he made his lunch on a dragon's back and nearly lost his life. It's my favorite one and they say that the Greeks have heroes like him. Perhaps one of the men in this strange country has actually slain a dragon like Keresaspa."

"By making fools of themselves? Keresaspa is a myth, Nazreen," Fatima scolded as she selected a grape from the fruit bowl, eyeing it critically before popping it into her mouth. "Dead long ago if he was ever real."

Nazreen wilted visibly, her hands halting their playing.

Mahasti shot Fatima a disapproving glance before sitting up regally and laying her hands in her lap and starting the epic. Nazreen sat up in delight and the other women gathered close as the drum began to play.

" ... the horned dragon who, horse-devourer, men-devourer, yellow and poisonous, had yellow poison mounting on him to the height of a spear. On the back of this dragon Keresaspa the hero happened to stew his meat in a kettle at lunch time. The monster began to be hot and perspire: he darted forth with a jolt spilling the boiling water: heroic Keresaspa fled in terror."1

"What kind of a hero flees in terror?" Fatima complained contritely as she chose another grape.

"One who knows when to fight and when to run. I'd like to see you make lunch atop of a poisonous dragon," Samira countered. "One look at one and you'd probably faint dead away."

The other women hid their laughter and Fatima proceeded to turn her back on the group and pout.

"Enough of music and stories. They are better in the cool of the dark when we can dance, not in this oppressive heat," Pareevash announced, fanning herself without relief.

"The stone is still cool," Zohreh offered, still picking at the stringed instrument in her lap, filling the air with carefully chosen resonant notes.

Mahasti lifted the hair off the back of her neck and stretched like a cat. "Anything to cool off," she agreed, padding barefoot over to a space in the wall not covered by tapestries. Pressing her back against the stone she leaned, resting her cheek on its cool grain.

"How is it?"

"Well, Farideh, it's not much," she reported, "but it's--"

Suddenly the wall-hanging beside her rippled and flew off the wall and fell to the ground with a crash and a very human groan.

How could I have forgotten that stupid step? Iolaus berated himself for tripping as he tried to force air into his lungs once more. It's forty paces down, twelve to the left, six to the right, hop OVER the stupid step and then up the stairs to the balcony.

Someone or something was tugging at the thick cloth around him. Iolaus wriggled, trying to aid in his own escape and quite suddenly he was free. Shaking his head, he looked up, praying to whoever would listen that it was not the eunuchs, that he hadn't miscounted the steps to the small balcony overlooking the main chamber, that his curiosity hadn't gotten him into trouble once again.

Seven pairs of dark wide eyes stared down at him in shock.

"Uh ... Hi!" Iolaus waved in embarrassment at the ladies.

The women's quarters, Iolaus thought softly with a helpless giggle as he pressed a hand to his chest, trying to breath properly again. Well, there are worse places to land.

"It's him," Nazreen squeaked at last. "It's the Golden One from outside."

"By Atar, he's so light," Fatima breathed in wonder, abandoning her grapes in an instant. "Does he stay indoors all the time?"

Samira leaned over cautiously, staying just out of arms' reach and peered curiously at the stranger's face. "His eyes are the color of the sky." The others in disbelief edged closer, trying to get a glimpse of the miraculous sight, and Iolaus shifted back, trying to figure out what they were doing.

Farideh reached out lightly towards the fair head of hair, but hesitated before touching it since Iolaus flinched away, unsure why the women hadn't called for their guards.

Maybe that Javad guy was telling the truth. They've never seen anyone who looks like me before.

"Do you think it's real? It looks like sunlight or spun gold," she admitted with a laugh to her "sisters."

Their attention momentarily diverted, Iolaus regained control of his purpose and moved quickly to his feet. The women scattered like frightened birds, backing away just to be safe.

"Whoa! It's all right, I'm not going to do anything. I promise," Iolaus soothed, holding up his hands to show he was unarmed and harmless. Well, sort of. The women eyed him warily but gave no indication that they believed him. "Look ladies, it was nice meeting you but I'm not supposed to be here, I just wanted to see what you looked like, from a distance," he added hastily, "from a distance and then find some place out of the way to stay until the conference is over. I wasn't going to spy on you, I'm not that kind of guy! I just wanted to see what you looked like and you seemed so interested in the fact that I looked different so I decided ..." Iolaus' voice trailed off as he searched the faces of the women again and realized that he was babbling and these women didn't understand a word he was saying. "Ah look, why don't I just go on back and we'll forget that this ever happened." Stumbling over the tapestry he picked it up and began to step back into the secret passage, hoping his intent would smooth out the misunderstanding in a way words couldn't, when seven identical cries of dismay stopped him.

One of the women, dressed in a skirt that seemed to be nothing more than several diaphanous pieces of cloth tucked into her belt and a top that Aphrodite wouldn't be found wearing, placed a careful hand on his gauntleted arm.

"Stay?" she pleaded.

Iolaus looked from her to the other women who were all gazing at him entreatingly. They looked so lonely and hopeful that he'd stay, so very curious about him.

Herc is going to kill you, a part of him warned ominously.

Oh, who asked you? he thought in disgust.

1 Taken from the Yasha 9:11, one of 24 hymns praising heroes found in the Avesta.

***

"All we learn at the Academy is responsibility."
"Yeah, if something goes wrong Iolaus is responsible."
Inn Trouble

Part IV

The women clustered around where he now sat amid a mountain of cushions. They approached in pairs and eyed him in wonder,discussing in unnecessarily low tones in their own language the strange bright foreigner in their midst.

Iolaus was trying hard to keep a straight face but the women were so comical. They overcame their shyness and fright quickly and now reached out to finger his hair and turn his face towards them so that they could peer into his blue eyes.

I don't know whether to be honored or insulted, he thought to himself with a chuckle. One woman approached with a bowl of fruit in her hands and offered it to him with a smile. He grinned and reached for a piece of melon that lay orange in its rind, but before he could touch it the woman speared the piece of fruit for him with a sharp pronged stick and motioned him forward so that she could feed it to him. As the sweet watery tang of honey melon practically dissolved on his tongue he came to his conclusion.

Definitely honored.

Hercules had kept his polite company smile on so long his face hurt. Nodding and shaking hands with yet another king from the gods only knew where he leaned slightly towards his brother and asked tightly, "Does you face hurt?"

"Imagine doing this for a living," Iphicles replied as he waved greetings to another in a long line of minor dignitaries."Greetings to you from Corinth."

"Is it any wonder I didn't want to be king?" he shot back with a smile.

The sound of footsteps and controlled breathing heralded Jason's arrival. The argonaut quickly joined the two men on the throne dais where Iphicles stood greeting guests, Hercules by his side. The demigod moved aside to make room for his stepfather, hands brushing the arms of Iphicles' throne. They were not gilded in gold the way they had been in the alternate time line he'd had Zeus send him to, but the carved designs felt oddly familiar and comfortable to his touch.

"Thank the gods you're here," Iphicles forced the words through a clenched smile. "You're the only one who's ever been able to deal with the Ionians."

"Where's Iolaus?" Hercules asked in a low voice, not wanting his voice to carry in a throne room designed for exactly that purpose.

"We ran into members of the Attican party," Jason began, taking Hercules aside as Iphicles continued making small talk with his guests.

"Attica? Queen Niobe?" Hercules asked quickly, grasping tightly to his friend and stepfather's arm.

"Iolaus told me to tell you that Orestes' cousin couldn't be seen with all this royalty around," Jason repeated the hunter's odd words faithfully. "It was very strange, Hercules. These two soldiers kept calling him 'my lord' and 'sir' as if he was a nobleman."

"Orestes!" Hercules remembered with a loud moan. Iphicles shot him a look over his shoulder and several other various officials, dignitaries, and royalty eyed the former king and the son of Zeus curiously.

Lowering his voice once again and walking farther away from the diplomatic chaos behind them, Hercules muttered to himself,"Orestes, I totally forgot. Iolaus can't be seen here. Thank the gods that one of us has some sense. So he's going to hide out until he can slip away, right?" the demigod pressed.

"I don't know how. There's guards everywhere, checkpoints to pass at every entrance. Iphicles is being very careful about security," Jason said anxiously.

Hercules thought for a long moment, brows furrowing as he and Jason ducked into an alcove off the side of the throne room that offered them at least the illusion of privacy. "The passages," he breathed. "Remember that network of passages Iolaus found that one time we were playing keep-away?"

"Yeah, he always won, the little sneak," Jason replied with a fond grin.

"You were furious when you found out," Hercules reminded the former king, elbowing him in the ribs with a smile.

"Only until he showed me them," Jason retorted defensively. "I'd completely forgot. We really should tell Iphicles. They were useful."

"For sneaking out of protocol lessons you mean," the demigod said with a laugh. "So now we know how, but then there's where.Iphicles already lent out our usual guest rooms. Queen Melissa and her husband have mine and I think Dirce has Iolaus'."

"Well, Iolaus did say something odd before he took off," Jason admitted reluctantly as he leaned back against one of the stone pillars of the alcove decorated with garlands of flowers for the conference.

"What?" Hercules asked, feeling just a little wary at the sight and sound of his stepfather's sudden reticence.

"Something about promoting the kingdom's image."

"I still don't see why I have to wear blue," Iolaus muttered, keeping up his steady commentary as the women helped him slip into his disguise even though they could only understand maybe a mere fraction of what he said. He'd finally agreed to their odd plan at their tearful insistence but still didn't understand why they didn't just let him leave the way he had come.

"Amir! Master Amir!" Zohreh repeated again and again in a frantic voice, her soft hands callused from years of playing music fluttering like birds as she tried to explain.

"It's okay, I get the picture," Iolaus soothed her, catching hold of her hands gently. "Your husband, if he is your husband, and master," he practically spat the word, "is coming. Boy, would the Amazons have something against this system. Women locked up as prizes," he muttered to himself as Mahasti and Samira wrapped the yards of voluminous fabric around him to hide him from their master's sight. "But you know, this really isn't necessary, I can just--"

"Iolaus quiet!" Fatima ordered sternly, placing two fingers on his lips before resuming the task of disguising the hero.

He had given up his vest and leather pants for some billowing trousers that reminded him of the ones he'd worn in Egypt only a few months ago. Over these a long sleeved tunic that belted at the waist and then fell past his knees. It was embroidered with golden and bronze swirls and geometric designs. They had veiled his face and added bangles to his bare feet and wrists and draped a cloth over his fair hair, but not without touching it in reverence once again.

Iolaus also noticed that they too dressed in a similar fashion of veils and heavy jewelry all made of fine gold. Arrayed in the colors of the rainbow the seven women quickly placed him unobtrusively to the side of the chamber and then knelt before the door, waiting for their lord.

But the hunter couldn't keep quiet. "Look, why don't you let me just leave now before I cause trouble?" Iolaus asked, standing up, yanking off his veils and pulling back the tapestry that led to his freedom.

"No, no!" Farideh cried and the other women latched onto him with lightning speed. "Stay!"

"Ladies, I'd love to but I don't think Trade Vizier Amir is going to be very happy!" he explained, flustered by their insistence. "It's been wonderful meeting all of you and you've been really very kind but--"

"Stories," Nazreen demanded, stamping her foot with a crash of bangles, her voice quivering as she spoke the Greek words. "Iolaus tell stories. Stay."

"Nazreen, I've been telling you stories all afternoon," Iolaus replied, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "You don't understand half of what I say."

"Iolaus can't leave," Mahasti added softly, shaking her head and pointing towards the passage and then out beyond the room at the hall. "Guards."

"Guards? You mean in the hall?" he repeated in apprehension. That means I can't go out the way I came, the place will be swarming with people.

"Oh great! I'm trapped!" Iolaus muttered in disgust, his new clothing flapping as he began to pace back and forth, rubbing his chin in urgent thought. "And even if I could leave, they don't want me to go. The curse of popularity!" Outside, the echo of approaching footsteps had all eight of them look up in horror. The women immediately turned back towards the hunter, eyes pleading for him to understand and not go.

"They'll kill me if I'm caught," he tried to tell them but they seemed to disagree.

"Not kill, not kill," Samira countered in broken, strained Greek. "Cut," she said finally, making a snipping motion with her fingers and a very convincing shearing sound.

"Cut?" Iolaus squeaked, eyebrows rising as he thought back to the eunuchs guarding the women. "Well," he concluded, straightening the rumpled veil with his hands as his voice seemed to rise an octave. "I guess I've joined the ranks of Amir's wives until further notice."

Hercules had to push his concern over Iolaus to the back of his mind and once again assume his position beside Iphicles along with Jason as they dealt with the arriving members of the Trade Alliance Iphicles hoped to create. Some of the royal families Hercules knew and was on good terms with, other were openly hostile and it was only their greed or paranoia that had forced them to accept Iphicles' invitation.

After finishing the pleasantries with King Phaedron and the other League members, they had met Niobe. She inquired anxiously about Iolaus and was relieved to hear from Hercules himself that Iolaus was well. While it was interesting to meet the Queen of Attica in this time line, who was every bit as beautiful and regal as the demigod remembered, Hercules was more than ready to abandon diplomacy for the much more interesting act of locating his errant friend.

Anything, including ditch digging, in this heat is better than this, he thought as he wiped the sweat off his upper lip. The stones that had been cool around the blazing noon hours had now taken on the heat of the day and the inside of the palace was like an oven. Windows had been thrown open and it was now the cooling air of approaching dusk that people sought, not the shade indoors.Hercules pitied the assistants and dignitaries in their heavy formal tunics.

"A hundred down, one more to go," Jason murmured, catching the collar of his vest with his finger and stretching it away from his neck, trying to get some circulation of cool air the shifting breezes were bringing.

"Who's left? I think we've met every person claiming to have authority in trade from here to Chin!" Hercules answered, more than a little tired.

"Persian envoy. Smiles please," Iphicles ordered, rising from his throne which he had finally sat in several sunwidths ago, to greet the Trade Vizier.

"Vizier Amir, it is a distinct pleasure that your king sent you to hear our proposal," Iphicles announced smoothly.

Amir placed one pudgy hand on his chest and bowed obsequiously. "Your Majesty, High King of Corinth. I bring greetings from your high cousin King Dariush from his fair kingdom at the foot of the mountains between the fair bountiful inland seas. He has me speak for him and wishes to thank you for the invitation."

"Your king and yourself are most welcome," Iphicles offered with a faint yet ambiguous smile that never reached his dark eyes. Persia was too often Greece's mortal enemy not to be cautious now.

Amir bowed again, his maroon robes of state hanging about him like limp sails, his heavy chain of office looking as if it was weighing him down. Javad, who bowed in unison, moved quickly towards the heavyset man and whispered something in his ear.

"Ah!" The Vizier straightened as if energized. "I nearly forgot to extend my thanks to you, Your Majesty. The prize you left me is most fair, most fair." He simpered. "I've never seen hair quite that color before. You are most generous to your guest, Your Majesty. My King will hear of this."

"Thank you," Iphicles replied carefully, casting worried glances first at Jason who looked as puzzled as he did, and then at Hercules, who seemed to be growing faint, the blood leaving his face at an alarming rate. Fair prize? Odd hair color? Gift? Hercules' mind frantically put together the pieces and saw only disaster. Iolaus!

"Your Majesty." Both men bowed again and shuffled off, the king nodding his approval, waving them off even as Hercules shot Jason frantic looks over his brother's head, mouthing words and gesturing frantically.

"What was he talking about?" Iphicles asked in a slow measured tone that belied his anger and confusion as he looked to his brother and laced his fingers together so tightly the knuckles gleamed white.

Hercules swallowed, hands guiltily caught midmotion rising quickly to rub the back of his neck ruefully and he laughed weakly. "Nothing! Nothing at all, just a ... little mix up that Jason and I are going to fix Right Now."

"Oh! Oh, right!" Jason agreed quickly as he circled behind the throne to join Hercules as he began backing out of the empty chamber.

"We'll just go ..." Hercules pointed vaguely behind him. "Fix this." He smiled and let out a breathless laugh.

Iphicles merely raised an eyebrow.

Laughter quickly beginning to sound like a whimper, Hercules grabbed Jason by the arm and yanked him out of the room.

Iphicles took off his crown and dropped it on the floor and then buried his head in his hands. "I don't want to know. I don't want to know."

"No!" Iolaus shook his head. "No, no, no, no, NO! I am not going to Amir. This is the stupidest plan I have ever had the misfortune of being a part of. And believe me I've been part of some doozies, let me tell you."

"Story?" Nazreen asked hopefully as she helped the other women change Iolaus into some clothing that was a similar cut to his last disguise, except this had the consistency of Aphrodite's wardrobe and was golden.

"No, not now, Nazreen. Iolaus has to figure out how to protect his virtue from his new husband," the hunter responded through clenched teeth.

"Shh," Zohreh soothed as she pressed a goblet of wine into the blond's hand.

"Zohreh," Iolaus began in exasperation. "A drink won't help at a time like this!"

"Amir, Amir," she insisted, gesturing towards the cup as she sprinkled some pungent herbs into the liquid. She lapsed into her native tongue, trying to explain, despite the language barrier, through pantomime.

"Ohh. I get it," Iolaus said with a growing grin. "Get him to drink it and then it's good night sweet Vizier." The girls nodded their approval and helped Iolaus to his feet. "Hey, it works for me!" he agreed, spreading his arms and bowing his respect to the women with a dramatic flourish. Mahasti gestured upward with her hands and for a moment Iolaus stared at her in bewilderment until she patted her throat and raised her melodic voice an octave.

"My voice? Sure I can do that," Iolaus said with a laugh, voice rising and taking on a feminine touch. They laughed and clapped their hands in approval and then led him forward to the arch where the eunuchs waited, stone-faced as ever.

"Well, I always wanted to give acting a try," Iolaus murmured to himself with a short strained laugh.

***

"What are you doing?"
"I'm getting in touch with my feminine side."
"Okay, I'm going to go...away from you."
No Way Out

"Taking care of that kid is a challenge."
Iolaus Goes Stag

Part V

"That idiotic ...brainless ... brash ... foolish ...unthinking .... Arg!" Hercules cried out in frustration. "I can't even insult him I'm so mad!" he informed Jason as he dragged the bewildered argonaut behind him.

"Who? Iolaus? What did he do now?"

Hercules halted his mad dash down the deserted corridor and wheeled around to face his stepfather.

"Iolaus ... Is In ... The Vizier's Harem," Hercules began slowly and deliberately, "And Will Soon be escorted to the Vizier's bedchamber as a gift from the King of CORINTH!" Hercules reached behind one of the wall hangings and found the secret catch in the wall, and ducked into the darkened passage, Jason right behind him. "I can't believe he's doing this to me." Hercules told the world at large in a lost tone as he stalked along the passage more by instinct than counting. "It's been less than three months and he's already courting disaster. We might as well take up summer residence in Egypt at Kheper's house! I'm sure Nesmut would be happy."

Jason was trying very had to keep a straight face but it was becoming more and more difficult. "This isn't anything new,Hercules," he began, attempting to calm the tense demigod."Remember when Iolaus got caught having a picnic with those Hestial Virgins when he was supposed to be guarding the temple with the other cadets? I swear Fedutious nearly had a heart attack," the argonaut recalled, descending into laughter. "The look on Cheiron's face -- I thought he was going to cry."

"He had every right to be upset," Hercules retorted, trying hard to hold onto his annoyance, but found himself smiling at the memory despite himself. "We thought they'd been kidnapped and we were looking everywhere for them and there was Iolaus having a picnic."

"Well, the Virgins were happy," Jason offered with a shrug as he wiped the tears of mirth from his eyes.

"Iolaus isn't going to be very happy if he's caught. If he's lucky they'll only kill him," Hercules said, rolling his eyes as they made their way through the darkness.

"Ooo! I hope he's all right!" Fatima said, wringing her hands together, too upset to eat. "Zohreh are you sure the potion will work on Amir? You know how persistent he gets when he thinks he's being amorous."

The other women nodded or groaned in agreement, rolling their eyes as they thought of the Vizier they were bound to.

"Iolaus can handle himself," Nazreen piped up authoritatively, nodding vigorously. "He's as brave as--" There was a crash and a curse from behind the newly rehung tapestry and the sound of male voices. Sharing a look of astonishment the women hurried over to the hole in the wall, Samira having the forethought to grab a large vase just in case.

Mahasti took a deep breath to steady herself and motioned for Pareevash to pull away the wall hanging.

Hercules and Jason shielded their eyes from the sudden light and the demigod quickly pulled his friend to his feet, both of them staring a little stunned at the sight of seven young women watching them. One of them was even brandishing an urn.

"Damn step," Jason murmured to his friend. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Hercules replied as he smiled at the women. "Hi," he began. "Have you seen a friend of mine about so high," the demigod held his hand up to just at his shoulder, "with blond hair and blue eyes?"

The women didn't even blink, though the one with the vase raised it a little higher.

"His name is Iolaus?" Hercules finally asked, spreading his hands in helplessness at the language barrier.

To his surprise his best friend's name seemed to do it. "Iolaus!" The one with the vase repeated, lowering her makeshift weapon and smiling broadly.

"He's been here all right," Jason muttered into his hand, trying to hide his laugher from the demigod.

Helpful hands guided both men out of the passage and into their chamber that didn't let go once they were free. The women peered at Jason and Hercules, fingering their clothes and their hair. They were fascinated with the length of the demigod's bronze hair and they couldn't help but run their hands over Jason's face.

"What are they so interested about?" Jason asked, a little confused.

"I think it's the fact that you're clean shaven," Hercules replied, trying to keep his dignity intact as one of the shortest women in the group motioned imperiously for him to lean over so she could reach his hair. As her hands drifted lower he caught them in his with an embarrassed smile. "Ladies, this is all very flattering but we need to find Iolaus."

At the mention of his brother's name the women grew very worried. Their voices rose in volume and one of the women threw herself into Jason's arms, sobbing loudly.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Hercules called, raising his hands and his voice to stop the chaos around him. "One at a time, please."

Though they may not have understood the words, they got the gist. The women quickly silenced and the one clinging to Jason wiped her eyes, kissed him on the cheek, regained her composure, and drew back to join the others.

One of the women stepped forward and began to speak. "Iolaus take to Amir. Wear ..." she trailed off in frustration and motioned to the clothing she and the others wore.

"Iolaus is wearing ... women's clothes?" Hercules guessed, a little taken aback.

"Clothes. Woman's clothes," she repeated, nodding, sending her earnings swaying and her bangles clinking against each other.

"He's gone to Amir's bedchamber dressed as a woman?" Hercules clarified, hoping to the gods he'd heard wrong.

The woman looked over her shoulder at the other women and spoke to them in a low voice for a moment. There were several replies before she turned back to face the men. "Yes," she affirmed with a nod.

Hercules moaned and buried his head in his hands as Jason tried valiantly to contain his laughter. "I don't believe it. I just don't."

With a sigh, Amir put down the goblet and smacked his lips appreciatively. "A fine beverage," he said, smoothing his mustache and thin beard with sweaty fingers. "And now my Little Passion Flower..."

Iolaus backpedaled away from the groping man as he reached from his chair to grab him. "Tell me about yourself first, sir," he said anxiously as he waited for Zohreh's potion to take effect. "I mean, it's not every day I meet a Grand Vizier."

Amir stood and gave a low chuckle, swaying on his feet, Iolaus' goblet of wine definitely not his first. "My fair one, your words are sweeter than honey to me, but sweeter still is thee."

"Poetry." Iolaus nodded with a strained high pitched laugh as he tried to put the bed between them. "That's so ... romantic."

Wiping his hands on his maroon robes, staining them, the Vizier circled around to come closer to his gift. "Oh shy one! My love for you will be gentle as the rain. Unveil yourself before your husband for the night, show me your fair hair full of light."

Iolaus circled away as quickly as possible, his borrowed jewelry crashing loudly. "Full of light? Oh reaaaallly! Tell me . . tell me more Amir."

"Unveil yourself first!" Amir begged him, playfully drunk.

"First you've got to catch me," Iolaus informed him in a singsong voice.

The Vizier picked up the pace and began to chase after Iolaus a little more earnestly as his amorous nature took hold. "Don't run from me, daughter of barbarians. I find your hair silky, your smell intoxicating!"

Iolaus was beginning to feel a little dizzy as he darted around the bed for the dozenth time, his bangles clinking merrily. "That's the ... nicest thing anyone's ever said to me, Amir." Come on potion do your stuff! he pleaded. I haven't got all--

"AHHHHHH!"

The Vizier made an unexpected lunge across the bed between them for his newest wife and with a yell Iolaus tried to pull away. Amir managed to catch hold of his bare foot and held on tightly from where he lay sprawled on his stomach.

"What are you--? Let GO!"

"Ohh! Such exquisite ankles. You could drive a man to distraction!" he cried out drunkenly before collapsing with a groan on the bed, finally unconscious.

Iolaus yanked himself free and tore off the suffocating veil and ran one hand through his hair in exhaustion. "Finally!"

The sound of explosive laughter brought the hunter up suddenly and he stared around the room, tensed and ready for a fight. From behind yet another ever-present tapestry a tall figure stumbled into the room clutching his sides and laughing uproariously, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Tell me he was struck with Cupid's arrows," the demigod finally gasped.

"So my hero's finally come to rescue his fair damsel in distress," Iolaus began darkly, not at all happy that the chase had been witnessed by his best friend and brother.

Hercules sighed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I can't believe I told Jason you were the one with sense. I take back! I take it all back!"

"Well, you took your sweet time jumping in! I thought he'd never fall asleep," Iolaus scolded, hands on his hips, quite a sight bedecked in gold and silk.

"What, and miss his poetry recitation of your many virtues?"Hercules teased mischievously.

"I do have good ankles, don't I?" Iolaus agreed with an irreverent grin, turning this way and that to study his feet with rapt attention.

"Don't start with me," Hercules said, suddenly firm and all business, pointing accusingly at the hunter. "This whole fiasco has been an--an unmitigated disaster! And once we are out of here I'm going to do ... do something!" the demigod sputtered the ineffectual threat. "You nearly ruined the conference!"

"Uh-huh. Then why are you turning purple trying not to laugh?" Iolaus asked with a sly grin and a raised brow as he crossed his arms.

"I'm angry, and isn't that your job?" Hercules countered.

"No, it's not, and you're not angry you're hysterical. You're laughing on the inside! I can tell," Iolaus assured him with a knowing smile as he mussed up the sheets of the bed to make it look as if the Vizier had had a wild night, leaving a few choice bits of jewelry lying about with a couple of veils.

"I am not," Hercules replied stubbornly, sounding for all the world like a sulking child.

"If you were angry your nostrils would flare," Iolaus pointed out with a laugh as he ducked behind the wall hanging and into the secret passage.

"Iolaus!" Hercules called out and hurried after his friend as the hunter snaked his way along the passage, remembering to hop over the step. "Just what did you think you were doing? A place has a distinct Keep Out order and guards around it and you walk right in!"

"Like this?" Iolaus asked as he ducked back into the harem.

"Iolaus!" Several of the women cried out in relief as they flocked around him.

"It's all right Pareevash, I'm fine," the blond soothed the first woman who had reached him and now clung to him fiercely. "Ladies, this is Hercules, my friend I was telling you about," he said, motioning to his friend.

Nazreen immediately abandoned the mortal and latched onto the demigod, trying to get him to lean over once again. "W-what is she looking at now?"

"Your eyes, buddy. Blue is a big tourist attraction for these women," Iolaus responded with a smile as Nazreen took firm command of the demigod, leading him over to another nest of the cushions that seemed to populate all available floor space. "Let me just change. Nazreen, Samira ..."

Samira detached herself from Iolaus and helped Nazreen seat the flustered demigod. "Wait, we don't have time. Iolaus and I have to... "

Another woman approached with a fruit bowl and a bowl of water and a clean cloth. "No, thanks, I-- We don't have--" Hercules began, trying to explain to the over attentive women that they really needed to leave before any other disaster descended from on high.

"Eat," she said firmly as she popped a grape into his open mouth, halting his words.

Hercules swallowed quickly, trying to turn around and see what the one called Samira was doing on the divan where she now knelt behind him. "What are you-- no, I don't think..." Her hands came down firmly on his shoulders and neck and began kneading away with practical efficiency. "Mmmm, that feels good," Hercules murmured to himself as the young woman undid all the knots the day had made in his back.

The wall hanging rippled and heralded the arrival of the former argonaut. His entrance went unnoticed. Iolaus seemed to be changing with the help of four very attentive women and Hercules seemed to be entranced by whatever Samira's hands were doing to his shoulders.

"Hercules," Jason said with a growing smile on his face.

The demigod didn't answer and Iolaus came to join the former king, a large grin on his face at the sight of his partner as he straightened the cord that held his amulet around his neck with Mahasti's help.

"Hercules," Iolaus said a little louder. "Greece to Hercules?"

"What?" the demigod's eyes snapped open and he realized that the woman with the fruit basket was peeling him a grape, Samira was still doing wonders for his back and Nazreen had her head in his lap. "Oh! Um ... excuse me," he muttered, feeling heat flush his face as he gently extracted himself from the ladies' tender ministrations.

"He's so cute when he's embarrassed," Iolaus informed Jason.

The king nodded with a chuckle. "Yes, they all are at that age."

Sending them both dirty looks, he marched over to the secret passage, grabbing Iolaus firmly by the vest as he went to prevent a long drawn out farewell. "Iolaus, stop grinning like an idiot and come on!"

"Ladies, it's been a distinct pleasure for both me and my partner," Iolaus called out as he was dragged backwards by his friend. He winked at them and waved.

"Distinct pleasure my ass, you nearly started a war," Hercules grumbled as he tried to hide his embarrassment at being distracted by the women. "Who needs Ares when I have you?"

"You mean both of you. I saw you, Hercules, you would have stayed there until the cows came home," Jason pointed out with a laugh as he waved goodbye to the ladies and ducked into the passage,straightening the wall hanging and closing the wall behind him.

"I--I didn't want to be rude," Hercules said defensively as he let Iolaus wiggle out of his grasp. "They seemed very nice."

"Sure, that's what they all say," Iolaus informed him with a roll of his eyes that was even visible in the dark passage as he pushed past the demigod with a quiet laugh.

"That's--that's not what Iphicles will say when he finds out," the demigod warned ominously as they trudged along.

"Oh, come on. You saw them. They're lonely; I didn't even do anything. They spent the whole day admiring me, feeding me, admiring me, singing and dancing, admiring me and bathing ..." The blond's voice trailed off into a dreamy silence that was only broken by Jason's sputtering.

"We," Hercules began firmly, "are going to find you a room far faaar away from everyone else where you will stay until we can get you out of here, and once this is over we are going to have a loooong talk about invading other men's harems," he promised.

"Oh yeah, like I do this every day!"

"Hopeless, utterly hopeless," Hercules muttered.

"That's what I've been telling you for years!" Jason replied with a good-natured laugh. "Now you listen!"

***

"I feel obligated."
"You'll recover."
Beanstalks and Bad Eggs

Part VI

"Would you just go?" Hercules demanded in exasperation as Jason stepped quickly under the demigod's arm and into the corridor outside the segregated wing of the palace.

"All right, all right. I'm going! I'm going!" Iolaus replied, raising his hands in defeat as he remained in the passage. "But I still expect you to bring me something to eat!"

"Later," the demigod insisted firmly, dropping the tapestry back down to lie against the wall.

"Sending me to my room," a voice muttered from behind it. "What am I? A seven year old?"

"Is there something I can help you gentlemen with?" a smooth accented voice intruded. Jason and Hercules spun around to find that Javad had come up behind them. He had shed several of his layered robes, though he still gleamed brightly in white, bringing out his darkened olive skin. He seemed quite young for his position assisting the Trade Vizier, yet there was an air of quiet confidence around him that spoke for his competence in the intricacies of court.

"Just checking," Hercules said with a vague, disarming smile. Javad may have seemed like a perfectly nice gentleman, but Persians and Greeks hadn't exactly been friends since the remnants of the first Persian Empire, and mortal enemy of Greece, had taken most of Persia back from Alexander's successor, general Seleucus.

"I am sorry we were not introduced properly earlier in the main hall or out in the courtyard. You are Hercules, correct?"

"Yes, and this is Jason, former king of Corinth." Javad inclined his head respectfully towards the older man. "Was there something you needed?" Hercules asked carefully.

"I have heard of you and your companions' exploits. Even as far as Persia the name of Hercules is synonymous with hero," Javad said carefully, not really answering the question.

"That's all very flattering but ...?" Hercules trailed off expectantly. He'd had enough of the tedious cloak and dagger political double talk for one day and did not have the patience for any more.

"Walk with me please," Javad urged both men as he turned away from the harem's private wing. Jason and Hercules exchanged a glance and then followed warily. "It is not something the Trade Vizier has the authority to discuss but we have ... a problem," he admitted in a low voice, looking cautiously over his shoulder to see if they were being watched.

"What type of problem?" Hercules asked, slightly confused by the young man's anxiousness.

"A monster has taken hostages near one of our cities that lies between the Zagros and Elburz mountains. It is a great poisonous creature and has hidden them on top of Mount Demavend, near one of our sacred temples," Javad admitted in a rushed whisper, eyes darting around, a little fearful.

"Wait, why are you telling me this if your kingdom doesn't want anyone to know?" Hercules said, halting not only Javad's flow of words but their frantic pace down the corridors of the palace.

"If you don't have the authority, and neither does your trade Vizier, why risk it and come to us?" Jason demanded, crossing his arms, his voice commanding.

Javad looked from the former king to the hero and then back again. Realizing that neither was going to settle for anything less than the whole story, he sighed in defeat. "My sister is one of those taken," he confessed, staring at the ground, refusing to meet their eyes. "Everyone has given up hope, but legends tell that it is possible to defeat the monster and rescue those taken."

"A legend?" Hercules repeated in puzzlement.

"The monster was imprisoned in the mountain far, far back in time by a great hero who could not defeat it alone. You, Hercules, and your companions could come and finish the deed begun by our ancient ones. You are the greatest hero in the known world," Javad insisted hopefully. "And the only one I can turn to."

Hercules turned from the pleading young man, a little stunned by the request. It echoed familiarly in his ears of another request for aide that had ended in absolute tragedy. He had never been able to turn away from a cry for help; Maven had been right that it was indeed his battle against evil that defined him. But was it also what defined his best friend? Iolaus had been reluctant to go to Sumeria but had followed Hercules despite his misgivings, and had been crushed to death physically, spiritually, and mentally.

It seems, Hercules thought despairingly, swallowing hard in the pregnant silence, that history is repeating itself.

"Are you still mad at me?" Iolaus asked in a teasing tone when Hercules finally stormed into the room that Iphicles had hastily assigned them for the night in the ensuing chaos of the conference.

The demigod's eyes snapped up almost in surprise as if he'd expected to find himself alone. Iolaus stood by his bed, unpacking the sack of stuff Hercules had insisted he bring with him so that he wouldn't start bouncing off the walls when the conference began to drag for days. On the table lay the remnants of the meal Hercules had sent up to the cloistered man earlier. For a moment he hadn't the faintest idea what Iolaus was talking about, and then the day's events came back to him. Did that really happen today? he mused darkly. It feels like a lifetime ago. Hercules shook himself suddenly and fumbled for an appropriate answer. "I think you learned your lesson."

"You sound like my mother. Hades, you sound like your mother," Iolaus said with a laugh, abandoning his pack as he sat on the edge of his bed, idly playing with his hunter's knife that the two of them had forged a few years ago. Funny, the blond thought, we never did get around to making Herc's knife.

The incident in Amir's room returned with resounding clarity, banishing the darkness and Hercules began to chuckle. "I wonder what she would say if she saw that little bedroom scene."

"Why didn't you come in earlier and save me from dishonor?" Iolaus demanded, looking at his friend indignantly as he leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees, chin in one hand while the other toyed with the blade.

"I don't think I would have been much help," Hercules admitted with a full-grown laugh as he collapsed on his own bed, pleased to find it was very comfortable. "I was on the floor trying not to howl with laugher as he proclaimed your beauty. Anyway I knew you'd get out of it, I just wanted to see how! Ah ..." he sighed, propping himself up on one arm to look at his friend. "That was the best laugh I've had in a long time."

"Glad I could help, buddy," Iolaus replied, sarcasm dripping from his words. He eyed his brother carefully, sensing something beneath the smile that still hovered on the demigod's face. "Something wrong?" he asked lightly.

There was a shadow that flitted quickly across Hercules' blue eyes. "No, nothing's wrong."

"You sure?" Iolaus pressed, staring at him intently. "You seem kinda ... I don't know tense, distracted."

"It's nothing," Hercules assured him, trying to pour as much conviction and confidence into his words as he could. They didn't need to discuss this now, not now or ever.

"All right Herc, spill it," Iolaus said with a faint giggle as he sat up and reached behind his vest to sheath his knife safely out of sight.

"What?" the demigod queried with a look of puzzlement. Inwardly, Hercules cringed at the sight of his partner's blue searching eyes. They never miss anything, he thought with a touch of anger that quickly evaporated. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Whatever it is that's bothering you."

"Nothing's bothering me," the demigod insisted as he idly reached with his left hand behind his head to pound the pillows experimentally. Iolaus shot him his patented "Oh please" look and Hercules sighed, hopeless. Dammit, why does he have to ask about this now? Why can't he just let it be? Why can't I just brush it off, just order him to drop it and forget about it? Hercules knew the answer even before he voiced the questions in his head. It was the same response to why he felt as if his heart had just been squeezed by a giant vice. It was because Iolaus was his best friend. No, more than friend, brother and family, and the past few months had only brutally shown Hercules how much he needed Iolaus. And that need, that friendship and kinship demanded honesty.

"Well ..." Hercules began carefully, sitting up on the edge of the bed, less than three paces across from Iolaus, rubbing the back of his neck ruefully and stopped himself suddenly. It was the second time in one day he'd done that, done something that was so Iolaus it scared him. Maybe I picked up more from carrying his heart around than just some very vivid memories, he rationalized, pushing the new question out of his mind for the moment. "There's this monster..."

"Great!" Iolaus crowed, slapping his knees and grinning. "Finally something we can do around here that's actually productive. Let's go kill it and we'll be back in time for the end of the conference." With that Iolaus rose to his feet and began to pack up the sack of stuff he'd been unpacking: a carving knife, some blocks of wood, a whet stone, some pieces of parchment and an odd papyrus scroll he must have brought from Egypt that Hercules had never seen before.

"Iolaus..." Hercules called, trying to recapture his friend's undivided attention.

"What kind of monster? Slimy? Fire breathing? Seaworm?" Iolaus fired the questions out so rapidly that Hercules couldn't have answered them even if he wanted to.

"Iolaus!"

"Huh?" Iolaus looked up from his now full sack, pulling the ties together and knotting them absently. "C'mon buddy, give me something. I like to know what we're up against. Or can't you tell?" Iolaus prodded teasingly, seemingly completely unaware of the concerned expression in his friend's eyes, a stark contrast to his exacting observance earlier. "That'd be a first! You're always so good with descriptions. When we retire we should co-author a book. I can see it now," the hunter announced dramatically, moving his right hand slowly through the air as if reading a sign. "Monsters, the Complete Compendium and Hero's Guide. Salmoneus could market."

Frustration mounting, Hercules stood up. "Iolaus would you just listen? What we're up against isn't in Greece!" The second the confession left his lips, Hercules would have done almost anything to take it back. Iolaus didn't look all that concerned but the demigod could have sworn that for a moment there was panic in his brother's eyes, panic he had inflicted. Swallowing, Hercules sat on the edge of his bed and reached up to urge Iolaus to sit back down across from him.

"Isn't in Greece," Iolaus repeated emotionlessly as he dropped his pack between his feet with a thump. "Then ... where is it?"

Hercules took a deep breath. "Persia."

"Persia. Huh. Passed through there once," the blond announced in an idle sort of way, but he would not meet the demigod's eyes, wouldn't look at him.

"I know, you told me," Hercules said with a nod.

Iolaus seemed to think about it for a moment, brow creasing in confusion. "No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did, you told me all about the cities and those weird creatures with long tails on their faces and those lumpy horses that spat and how you ..." Hercules trailed off as it suddenly came back to him when Iolaus had said those things to him. It was right after I bumped into him at my ... shrine. We were going back to the palace, MY palace.

"H-how do you ... when did I--?" Iolaus began, wide-eyed as he furiously tried to remember when he'd told Hercules about his trip East. His partner knew he went. That was after ... Ania died, he thought hesitantly, feeling the stab of remembered pain just thinking his beloved wife's name.

"It doesn't matter, Iolaus," Hercules insisted quickly, placing a hand on the hunter's arm. Now's not the time, shouldn't drop too much stuff in one day, Herc, he ordered himself bitterly. "I'll explain ... later."

Iolaus stared at him for a long moment before agreeing to let it drop. For now. "Okay. So you told the envoy--"

"Javad, Amir's assistant. The one we met outside."

"You told Javad we were coming back with him?" Iolaus asked, trying to clarify the situation that had suddenly sprung up in front of him.

"Of course not!" Hercules practically bellowed in response to his brother's seemingly innocent question. Iolaus pulled back slightly in surprise at the suddenness of the outburst.

"You said no?" he said in astonishment. "You--you never say no! Not to women or monsters."

Hercules stood and walked a few steps towards the door and then doubled back, running a frantic hand through his hair as Iolaus watched. "I didn't say no or yes! I didn't say anything! I said I had to...discuss it with you," he finished, spreading his hands in front of him hesitantly.

"Oh," Iolaus said with a raised brow. The blond stood. "Hercules, would you rather not go to Persia and kill this monster and let it terrorize innocents--"

"It has some hostages," Hercules admitted, suddenly exhausted.

"Okay, Let this monster hold people hostage...wait wait wait wait." Iolaus halted himself, waving his hands in the air. "It takes a long time to travel from Persia to Greece. How does the Persian envoy know that they're still alive and not the last remnants of monster indigestion?"

"I don't know," Hercules replied as he sank back down on the bed and rubbed his face in his hands. "I don't know anything about this monster or this country or these people," he said, muffled into his hands. "How do we know we can trust them?" he asked simply, looking up searchingly at his brother as if Iolaus would somehow have the answers he so desperately needed. "What if they're not telling us something and we go there in good faith and--and ..."

"Something happens," Iolaus finished for him softly, eyes filled with compassion, compassion directed at him that Hercules had not expected.

"Yeah," Hercules whispered, nodding once and then looked away, eyes fixing on the floor. "Iolaus? At the risk of sounding incredibly selfish I--I don't think I could go through this again. I mean, fourth time's the charm right?" he asked with a humorless laugh as he looked back at his friend. "I can't...lose you, you're all the family I have." His voice broke and he knew that wasn't completely true, he had Jason and Iphicles who were more related to him than Iolaus was, but that's what it felt like sometimes.

Iolaus sat down next to him, elbows resting on his knees as he gestured expressively with his hands. "Hercules, saving people and vanquishing monsters is what you do--

"What we do," Hercules insisted firmly; if anything the recent months had brought that lesson home again.

"What we do," Iolaus corrected shyly, "and there are going to be monsters outside of Greece. I mean, we've killed or become friends with practically all the ones from the Macedonian frontier to the tip of the Peloponnese. Didn't you say we should expand our horizons?" he asked candidly, meeting the demigod's eyes, unafraid that he was echoing Hercules' own words from before Sumeria,unafraid because Hercules needed to see him like this.

"If, if I tell Javad we agree to go with him," Hercules began carefully, "will...you be all right with that?"

Iolaus' gaze drifted and became slightly unfocused as he thought in silence. "I don't know," he admitted softly before snapping to life once again and turning back to his friend. "Will you be?"

"As long as you're at my back I think I can manage," Hercules replied with just a hint of a smile touching his lips.

"Not going anywhere, buddy," Iolaus informed him with firm confidence as he slapped the demigod on the shoulder and leaned over to yank off his boots.

"But we agree that we go into this carefully," Hercules added hastily.

"Right." Iolaus nodded sagely as he stood to throw off the covers of his own bed. "No ticking off the local gods."

"No trusting complete strangers," Hercules said seriously as he scooted back to lay on the pillows.

"No splitting up."

"No invading other men's harems."

Iolaus grinned and then quickly put on his injured Iolaus look as he collapsed on his own bed. "Oh come on, you never let me have any fun."

Hercules lobbed a pillow at him. "Go to sleep, Iolaus."

But as they settled in the darkness, sleep eluded the hunter deep into the night.

***

"You know, what I think we need is a really big shoe."
Web of Desire

Part VII

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Jason asked urgently as he handed the demigod his pack.

Hercules raised the strap over his head to rest against his shoulder using the motion to sneak a quick glance behind him at Iolaus. His partner was laughing with Iphicles about something-- Probably his adventure yesterday -- as the king wrote an official pass that stated the heroes' business to the king of Persia.

"These people need our help," Hercules answered his stepfather with a shrug.

"That's not what I mean," Jason countered sternly. "I mean did Iolaus ..."

"We...talked about it," the demigod admitted slowly, remembering the conversation from the night before. Hercules had woken the following morning to find Iolaus' bed abandoned, the hunter exercising silently in the center of the room. They had had breakfast and descended to inform Jason and Iphicles of their plans. "You don't have to worry."

Iphicles and Iolaus came to join both of them by the window and the king handed Hercules the rolled up parchment stamped with the seal of Corinth. "It's not much use against armed soldiers, but if diplomacy is the Persians' weapon of choice then this may help."

"What route do you plan on taking?" Jason asked as Hercules tucked the scroll safely away.

Iolaus and Hercules shared a quick look, seeming to come to silent agreement in an instant. "We'll travel with Javad up through the strait at Hellespont and into the inland sea to the east side and then head down the mountains to Persepolis."

"Sounds like a plan," Iphicles approved, slapping his brother on the shoulder. "Vizier Amir is staying with most of his advisors except Javad, who is taking the first reports back to King Dariush. So you'll be traveling with the Persian the whole way."

"Maybe," Iolaus hedged. "He isn't the only one who knows the way," he said with a grin.

"Be safe," the king said, clasping wrists first with Hercules and then with Iolaus. Jason hugged his childhood friends briefly with one arm, smiling though his dark eyes were wary.

"Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it," Iolaus informed him with a laugh, trying to put everyone at ease. The tension was so thick the air felt heavy. He heaved a dramatic sigh. "Too bad Amir isn't sending his household back with us. Now that would be a trip."

"Go on!" Jason shoved both men towards the door. "Go on before you ruin everything!" he joked, eyes shining now.

"All right, all right!" Iolaus said with a laugh as he winked at Hercules.

Hercules smiled in return, slapping the hunter on the shoulder. "Let's get this show on the road."

They hired Marcus to sail them through the strait, his new ship gleaming with fresh paint. Hercules and Iolaus helped on deck while Javad suffered below from nausea. The wind was brisk and the summer currents in their favor. They made a quick stop at Hellespont for supplies before heading into the inland sea.

Javad rested on the dock as Hercules and Iolaus helped load fresh water onto the ship.

"Are you all right?" Hercules asked the swaying man, trying not to smile at his predicament as he lifted one of the barrels and started up the gangplank.

"Tell the dock to stop rocking and I think I'll be able to live."

Iolaus stifled a laugh as he came off the ship to get another load. "You didn't have to come with us. You could have walked north through Thessaly, Macedonia and Thrace and just taken the ferry across here or at Sestos."

"Like I would be welcome in Macedonia," Javad retorted. He was going to say more but his stomach protested and he ran frantically to the edge of the dock and rid himself of breakfast.

"He does have a point," Hercules admitted with a raised eyebrow as he headed up to the ship.

After dark from the deck where Iolaus sometimes sat long into the night, he could see the distant lights of the Greek city-states that dotted the coastline as they headed inland towards the Caucasus mountains.

They disembarked at the foot of the mountains, sending back messages to Iphicles and Jason. Javad, still very pale and very thin, wanted to wait in the city for a caravan but Iolaus was eager to get going.

"I've done this before, you just head south east until you find the pass between the mountain ranges and bang! Persepolis!"

"I'm not so sure ..." Javad began as he shouldered his pack.

"Trust me," Iolaus assured him as he filled his waterskin at an open fountain in the city plaza.

Javad shot Hercules a worried look, not at all comforted by the demigod's repressed chuckle.

"All right gentlemen, I will purchase the camels and we will be off."

"Camels?" both men echoed, Hercules curiously, Iolaus in surprise.

"Uh-uh! No camels!" Iolaus said firmly as he shoved the stopper into his waterskin and crossed his arms with finality. "Absolutely no camels. We are walking."

"What's a camel?" Hercules asked, interest sparked by his friend's disapproval.

"But we must have camels in the desert," Javad insisted. "Being from Greece you are unaccustomed to desert travel. A camel will be invaluable."

"Iolaus, what's a camel?" Hercules asked again, hands on his hips, patience wearing a little thin.

"Didn't you pay attention to anything when we were in Egypt?" Iolaus countered in amazement. " I don't know, Herc." The hunter shook his head and continued, the teasing tone of his voice evident, "First you ignore those humongous pyramids and now--"

"I was kind of busy, remember?" Hercules reminded his friend with a soft smile.

"Yeah," Iolaus said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"So what's a camel?"

This was one argument that Javad won, at least part way. They bought one camel. Iolaus would not tolerate more than one. The smell he declared was enough to drive him crazy. Hercules had to admit the hunter was right. The animal was the most awkward looking creature he had ever seen, with a gait that reminded him of the time when Ares had cursed Autolycus and Iolaus with gigantic feet. Not only that but the creature was more temperamental than a mule and seemed to find Iolaus as fascinating as the women in the harem had.

"Well, it's female, what did you expect?" Hercules responded with a laugh to Iolaus' mutterings.

"I just wish it would find someone else to nuzzle."

The desert nights were cold but despite Javad's initial misgivings he'd found that Iolaus had an unerring sense of direction and was leading them with the expertise of any native dweller to the land. They sat around their camp that used the craggy rocks to block the wind. Around the flickering fire the men sat eating dried provisions and drinking camels' milk.

"I'll take first watch," Iolaus told the men as he made himself comfortable leaning up against the rocks.

"We're leagues away from anyone. Do you really think they're bandits out here?" Hercules asked as he finished the last of his milk.

"There are no bandits," Javad said in an almost shocked tone. "King Dariush is very very strict about keeping the peace and order in his provinces."

"I'm not worried about bandits, I'm worried about camel spiders," Iolaus responded gratingly. Javad suppressed a shutter.

"Camel spiders? What, do they have lumps on their backs too?" Hercules wondered with a faint smile, guessing that Iolaus was trying to play a joke on him.

"They are so big," Javad explained, making a fist to show the demigod, "and they inject their victim with numbing venom and then eat away at the living flesh. A camel can have leg eaten down to the bone before they realize that the spider is even there. In my village men have told stories of how they can sit on your face in the middle of the night and eat away--"

"I think he gets the picture, Javad." Iolaus elbowed the advisor in the side as he watched the blood drain from his friend's face.

Hercules glanced down at what was left on his plate, feeling slightly sick. "Well, that does it for tonight's meal. Thanks Javad."

"Now you see why I don't like camels," Iolaus muttered as he looked towards the animal which lay curled up slightly to one side of the camp snuffing and shifting in the sand.

Despite the threat of camel spiders and amorous female camels in general the journey to Persepolis was uneventful. They arrived at the outskirts of the grand city, nearly twice the size of Athens, a teeming metropolis surrounded by smaller towns and villages. The clothing was bright, the spices from the food frying in the markets along the way filling the air as men and women and children's voices echoed in their singsong tongue as well as accented Greek. The first thing they did was sell the camel, which said goodbye to the hunter by slobbering all over him. Hercules and Javad couldn't help but laugh.

"I hope whoever buys you either deserves you or eats you!" Iolaus whispered to the cow-eyed, unrepentant animal.

The city itself was absolute bedlam. The streets were packed with people, the buildings colorful and made of mud brick and stone, wood being something of a luxury. Fountains, bath houses, and food stalls dotted every corner and Iolaus pointed out the craftsmen's district where the smoke from the metal smiths filled the air and kilns fired delicate pottery. Traders from India and Chin filled the market along with Sumerians, Egyptians and Greeks. Persepolis seemed a meeting place of a thousand different peoples from all over the known world. Javad lead them past libraries and fancier stone residences into the royal district. At some point they picked up a royal escort whose scimitars gleamed brightly in the summer sun.

"Uh...these are the good guys right?" Iolaus asked in a low tone.

Javad nodded. "The king is expecting us."

"I hope so," Hercules murmured as he eyed the armed men cautiously, hands clenching and muscles tightening.

They passed through a heavily guarded gilded gate and into the most magnificent garden they had ever seen. It was filled not only with flowers and trees but with animals. Brightly colored birds and furry creatures, exotic fierce cats and reptiles sunning themselves on the mosaic of stones. They turned a corner on the cobbled path and stared up at the palace.

"Wow," Iolaus breathed and looked at Hercules who was also staring at the building in wonder. And he's seen Olympus, the hunter reminded himself. "And the king needs our help?"

***

"If I should die, think only this of me. I'll be back to get you."
Major Star, Black Adder Goes Forth

"It just keeps getting better and better."
One Fowl Day

Part VIII

Iolaus was bored out of his mind.

Javad led them through the maze of rooms in the palace until finally stopping in a small anteroom decorated with carved stone and gold. Several richly dressed men had come and conversed with Javad in low tones and then the Javad had asked for the scroll Iphicles had given to Hercules. The armed escort instructed the Greeks to sit with nondescript grunting noises while Javad was led on, most likely to see the king.

Tired and thirsty, Iolaus sat on the bench against the wall and swung his legs back and forth, scraping them lightly against the stone floor.

Hercules turned and shot him annoyed glance. "Stop that."

"Why?"

"You're rocking the whole bench; it feels like we're on a ship."

Iolaus held still and leaned back against the wall. "How long has it been?"

"Less than a few minutes from the last time you asked," Hercules informed him with a small shake of his head. "Something is definitely going on."

"Well, why not go find Mount Demavend on our own? I'm sure it won't be too difficult."

Hercules sighed and leaned back as well. "Iolaus, we don't know where it is or exactly what kind of monster we're dealing with. And besides Javad-- Iolaus, would you just hold still!"

"What? What now?" Iolaus asked indignantly, looking over at his friend.

"You're shaking your leg. It feels like an earthquake," the demigod said, pointing at the offending appendage.

"I am not!"

"That's because the second I mentioned it you stopped," Hercules pointed out in exasperation.

"Oh, really?" Iolaus sat up. "You don't know what--"

The door suddenly opened and both men sprang to their feet. Javad entered, looking a little drained as if he'd just been put through a wringer. He seemed flustered and kept fidgeting with his robes and the heavy gold torque that now clung to his throat. It had most likely been gifted to him by the king.

"The king wishes you to go to the shrine. There the priests will give you the information you require. King Dariush is grateful for your assistance," the younger man told them formally and then handed Hercules a scroll. "He is also pleased with King Iphicles' greetings and sends back his own."

"That's it?" Iolaus asked in astonishment.

"What Iolaus means is, he doesn't want to see us?" Hercules clarified hastily, not wanting to give offense as he took the scroll.

"Why?" Javad asked in surprise. "Jahangir should be able to answer your questions." At the sight of their still puzzled expressions he continued, "The king cannot deal with every matter personally. He runs a whole empire, not just one city-state. He has also recently remarried and is anxious to spend time with his new bride. That is what advisors and priests are for. Perhaps if you rescue the hostages he might speak with you," he placated.

"No, it's all right. We don't need to see the king. It's just that things are done differently in Greece," Hercules said quickly, holding up his hand. He shared a look with his brother. There was something going on that they weren't being told about and that put both of them on alert for possible danger.

"So," Iolaus said, slapping the sides of his legs absently."Where's this shrine?"

"In the center of the city," Javad said, gesturing behind him in the appropriate direction. "The king has honored me with being your guide in Persepolis. I will take you there and Priest Jahangir will tell you of the monster and the newest kidnappings done by the beast."

"Congratulations on your promotion," Hercules offered gesturing to the new torque as Javad led them back out through the labyrinth of corridors.

Javad seemed to jump slightly and smiled weakly. "Thank you. It was...unexpected."

The crowds parted before Javad, his station and rank being all the passport they needed through the teeming streets. People bowed, others nodded in greeting tersely. The young Persian seemed very uncomfortable with his new position, almost as much as the common people in the streets. I wonder if I looked like that to Ania and Iphicles when I was king, Hercules wondered absently. He tried to relax, but the sudden change in Javad's countenance was putting not only him but Iolaus on edge. The blond's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, knuckles white.

They climbed the steps of the shrine, which was a large public building used for more than just worship, but also as something of a court house judging by the numbers of chained men that guards dragged to and from the side entrances.

The floors were covered with fired tiles of blue, and banners of purple intertwined with black decorated the walls. Silently Hercules and Iolaus followed, made uneasy by Javad's sudden lack of conversation. Earlier he'd been the most prolific tour guide they'd ever heard and now he walked quickly and without words.

A brass gong sounded as they entered what was the shrine. A bright fire blazed atop an altar and the room was filled with supplicants and priests conversing, praying and offering sacrifices. The smell of lamb filled the air along with sandalwood incense most likely imported from India. At least it's not myrrh, Hercules thought to himself. Wouldn't do good to sneeze now.

A cowled priest descended along with an acolyte who greeted Javad with a bow.

"Tell your master Jahangir that I bring the heroes from Greece, Hercules and Iolaus." The young man gestured, introducing both men to the silent shadowed priest, though his words were to the acolyte.

The priest replied but not in Greek, his voice deep and soft, and the acolyte translated in a low respectful voice, "He greets you and our honored guests and would see them by the sacred fire to learn if they are the champions we seek."

Javad started forward and hesitantly Iolaus and Hercules followed. They'd never had to be approved by their "employers" before helping people. But then things were definitely different in Persia.

Standing on the top step before the fire, Jahangir and the acolyte on their left, Javad on their right, they watched in unsure silence as the priest motioned for the acolyte to put a bowl of dried herbs and spices into the fire. The priest's voice rose in prayer and the flames hissed as they hungrily consumed the sacrifice.

Obviously pleased, the acolyte bowed again. "Atar the bold good warrior finds you well, brave one! We have waited centuries for your arrival and now you have come at long last."

"Centuries?" Hercules repeated slowly and shared an embarrassed glance with his friend. "I ah-- don't think so."

"We haven't been in the monster slaying business that long," Iolaus said with a laugh. "Though sometimes it feels that way."

"The fire doesn't lie," the Priest spoke up in Greek suddenly, startling both men. The acolyte moved aside to let his master speak. "Truth has always been an ally of the light. Atar has always served Ahura Mazda."

"You can speak Greek," Hercules stated, feeling a little uncomfortable. "Why the translator then?"

"It was not necessary for you to know unless you were he whom we have waited for," the priest responded smoothly, his voice and accent familiar but unplaceable. He turned to Javad. "Tell the king that he has arrived."

"The king knows we've arrived," Iolaus put in helpfully. "We were just there."

"He knows that Hercules son of the deity Zeus and his companion Iolaus have arrived, but he doesn't know that you are he whom we have waited for," Jahangir replied, smile evident in his voice as he descended the steps, passing curious onlookers who seemed quite interested in what was going on.

"Oh," Iolaus said shortly as he, Hercules, and Javad turned and started down after the priest, leaving the acolyte to tend to the fire. "Well, then if Hercules is who you've been waiting for, let's get to it. What kind of monster is it?"

"How many hostages does it have?" Hercules asked.

Jahangir laughed and turned to face them. "What's so funny?" Iolaus inquired suspiciously.

"Hercules is not who we've been waiting for. It is you," the priest said, pointing at the hunter.

The demigod, hunter and Persian shared surprised glances and then started talking all at once.

"Me?" Iolaus said, eyes widening as he looked anxiously at his friend. "I thought Javad asked for you!"

"Iolaus?" Hercules repeated in surprise and then turned to the blond. "Javad did ask for--"

"Priest Jahangir with all due respect, I thought Hercules was--"

The robed priest held up his hand to silence them. "What you thought and what is are two different things," he explained firmly before focusing his words on the hunter. "Only you can defeat the demon, the spawn of the Great Lie himself. You are Keresaspa, hero of old resurrected and reborn for your sacred duty." Jahangir took a step closer and pushed back his hood slowly, dark eyes meeting Iolaus' blue ones. "Only you can defeat the monster sprung from Azhi Dahaka's mortal wounds."

Iolaus paled, taking frantic stumbling steps away from him, gasping in shock not only at the priest's words but at his face that rose like a specter from the past, promising death and chaos.

It was Gilgamesh.

***

"Is he insane or am I crazy?"
"Which question would you like me to answer first?"
Yes Virginia, There is a Hercules

"Actually I want you to leave him completely alone. I don't want him any more confused than he already is."
Love on the Rocks

Part IX

Not again! I didn't do this to Iolaus all over again! Hercules thought wildly, staring first at the priest who wore the face of the man who stole away his brother, and then back to Iolaus who looked absolutely terrified, gaping at the monster.

With one quick stride, Hercules moved to stand between the hunter and Jahangir and grabbed the man by the front of his white linen robe and lifted him effortlessly off the ground. "What do I have to do to make you stay DEAD!?" Hercules demanded, voice rising to fill the shrine. People and acolytes who had watched before with interest, now backed away in fright at the assault on their priest. Someone went running for the guard and voices rose in a storm of frantic sound.

Javad hesitated only a second in bewilderment before rushing to the demigod's side and trying frantically to get Hercules to release the priest. Jahangir did not aid Javad in his futile efforts to gain freedom. He simply stared at the son of Zeus curiously and in puzzlement.

"Hercules! You must release the priest! An attack upon him is sacrilege!" Javad pleaded but the demigod was not listening, his mind spinning with furious thoughts.

I did it again! I brought Iolaus straight to him! How could I have been so trusting, so stupid?!

"Hercules," Jahangir's voice penetrated the demigod's mind."Iolaus," he reminded him, motioning with his head towards the hunter.

Hercules turned around anxiously to look for his friend but the blond was no longer behind him. He spun around and caught sight of the familiar figure of his best friend slipping out of the room even as armed guards, scimitars drawn, rushed in. Snarling in fury, Hercules unceremoniously dropped Jahangir. "Iolaus wait!" he called after the hunter, ignoring the confused soldiers and running after his friend.

"Are you all right?" Javad asked as he helped the priest to his feet.

"Fine. We must go after them, Iolaus must fulfill the prophecy."

"Iolaus!" Hercules rushed down the corridor and toward a garden courtyard where the shadowed form of his brother leaned heavily up against the archway, hand pressed against his chest over the faint white scar, the only physical reminder of the horrors of Sumeria. "Iolaus, are you all right?" the demigod leaned over and peered anxiously into his friend's downcast eyes and then to his hand on his chest. "Does it hurt?"

Iolaus shook his head quickly, too quickly by Hercules' estimation. The blond had always been a rotten liar. Gods, what have I done? Hercules cursed inwardly as he rested a hand on Iolaus' shoulder. He's hardly talked to me about what happened with Dahak in his body or on the Paths of the Dead and I drag him to Persia! "Iolaus?" Hercules tried again, searching for some response other than the hunter's forced, pain-filled attempts to slow his breathing."Iolaus, I thought we said we weren't going to split up while we were here," Hercules finally said.

Iolaus' eyes snapped up for a moment and filled with regret and guilt. "I--I'm sorry Herc, I shouldn't have--"

"Hey, I was just kidding!" Hercules put in hastily, shaking him slightly. "A joke, buddy. Glad you're still with me."

"Yeah." Iolaus nodded, racing heart finally slowing and he let his hand drop from his chest as he leaned back against the wall and sighed heavily. "I just didn't expect ..."

Hercules glanced back down the corridor and saw Javad and the priest wearing Gilgamesh's face watching them from a distance, out of earshot. "Neither did I," he replied softly, guilt burning in his blue eyes.

"Herc," Iolaus put in softly, pushing aside his own discomfort in an effort to help his brother with his. "You didn't know. There was no way you could know!" Hercules did not answer but pulled back and merely stared at the wall, eyes distant, remembering how it felt those long lost months when in ignorance he had carried his brother's heart, kept it safe from Dahak.

Almost as if reading his thoughts, Iolaus asked quietly, "Dahak's dead, right?"

"That's what Kheper said," Hercules answered slowly, unblinkingly. "He seemed very sure."

"So whatever this is, it's just one of his monsters left behind, like one of Hera's monsters," Iolaus continued, trying to put things into perspective in a calm and collected manner. Hercules doesn't need to see me worried. Not now.

Hercules shook himself out of his reverie and stared in frank amazement at his friend's steady explanation. "I-- I guess so." He stuttered. "We could ask."

Iolaus nodded slowly, refusing to look down the corridor where the priest and Javad waited. "Sounds like a plan," he said as he licked his dry lips.

Hercules ran a hand over his face, suddenly feeling as if he'd just outrun those fifty daughters of King Thespeis all over again. "I still don't trust him," Hercules confessed point-blank.

Iolaus chuckled weakly. "That's okay, neither do I."

"And I'm not going to apologize," The demigod added firmly,crossing his arms.

Iolaus blinked in surprise at that statement and grinned. "I wouldn't dream of forcing you," he told Hercules in a dramatic, serious voice.

The tall man nodded curtly, lips twitching with a half smile. "Good."

Iolaus pulled away from the wall and stood beside his brother and both faced the two Persians who now began to slowly make their way towards them. The hunter's hand once more clasped his sword hilt tightly and Hercules' hands were clenched so tightly the muscles of his arms rippled beneath his bronzed skin.

"Why didn't you tell me that the monster came from Dahak?" Hercules demanded without preamble when the priest and Javad stopped a few paces out of reach of the two warriors.

"So you have fought the Great Lie." Jahangir nodded slowly in realization of the heroes' odd reaction to his words. "He is banished from this plane now."

"He's dead," Iolaus clarified with iron certainty in his words.

Jahangir finally looked surprised and he shared a stunned glance with Javad. "He is defeated? Dahaka is at last defeated? And you have come to banish his demon spawn!" he said happily.

"We came to banish a monster and rescue hostages on your words alone," Hercules countered, eyes snapping. "No one mentioned demons, or Dahak, or resurrected legendary heroes."

Jahangir bowed. "I meant no offense."

Javad swallowed anxiously and followed the priest's suit, nervous and suddenly very much aware of what this Greek demigod could do to him. "I did not think it important. I thought you had no knowledge of our ways and as a son of another deity you might have taken offense."

It's too convenient, too easy! a hysterical small voice screamed in the back of his mind. At any other time Hercules would have pushed it aside and ignored it. But if anything, the last six months had taught him not to ignore dreams and intuition. They had given him back his brother, he would not silence them now. But what of the innocent people?

"Before we do anything," Iolaus spoke up, somehow voicing his best friend's own thoughts. "We want to know everything and then," he stressed, sharing a quick glance with the demigod, "we'll decide how best to help you."

"I bless the sacrifice and prayer, the good offering, and the wished-for offering, and the devotional offering (offered)unto thee, O Fire! Son of Ahura MazdaWorthy of sacrifice art thou, worthy of prayer,Worthy of sacrifice mayest thou be, worthy of prayer,In the dwellings of men.Happiness may there be unto that man Who verily shall sacrifice unto Thee."2

"You may go," Jahangir motioned quietly to the acolyte who obeyed, but not before glaring at the heroes who dared attack his master. Iolaus shifted uncomfortably where they now sat in a semicircle before the fire in the now deserted shrine. It was unnerving to see Gilgamesh's dark features on this priest. It brought back vivid images of his death, of Nebula, and the knife ...

"If you are with us, I will begin," the priest said and Hercules cut his friend a quick glance as the blond was startled out of whatever thoughts had possessed him.

"Long ago, the Great Lie sought to aid chaos and darkness in its quest to devour the earth. Azhi Dahaka struggled with the fire itself as it struggled with the Light for final victory. It attempted to enter the world a thousand winters ago and was released by a mortal man into our realm." Hercules felt Iolaus stiffen beside him, freezing as if he was suddenly made of stone.

If Jahangir noticed he did not show it. With his white teeth shining in the firelight he continued his slow measured words. "The great hero Thraetaona fought the Lie demon you name Dahak, but found as he cut into him Dahak released a monster. It is said to be a horrible creature sprung from his wounds. Some say it was a dragon, others a snake. Unable to destroy the darkness without dooming mankind, Thraetaona banished Dahak back to his realm and bound the monster, imprisoning him in Mount Demavend to the north of Persepolis. And there he has remained. Until now."

"With Dahak truly gone, the monster was somehow freed?" Hercules asked cautiously.

Jahangir shrugged. "I do not know. The kidnappings began almost a season ago, all of them maidens. Thraetaona rescued some hostages from the monster when he first imprisoned the beast a thousand winters ago."

"I thought--" Iolaus began, clearing his throat, voice subdued. "I thought you said some other hero defeats Dahak and the monster, Keres- something or other."

"Keresaspa," Javad corrected easily. "One of our culture's most celebrated and reckless heroes. It is taught that this warrior would someday be reborn by the Light to defeat the monster before it destroys us all."

"And you think that I am this hero? What about Hercules?" Iolaus continued in surprised disbelief.

Jahangir nodded. "There is no doubt. Atar," he gestured to the fire, "does not lie. He has always allied himself with the Truth. You are he."

"Well, I guess this reincarnation thing of yours has happened before," Hercules whispered to the hunter in a teasing voice.

"Iolaus, you are to travel to Mount Demavend and defeat the monster once and for all," Javad concluded almost regally. "It has been foretold. You are to carry the sacred fire within you until you reach the temple at the peak of the mountain. There you shall emerge victorious."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Iolaus held out his hands in denial as he got quickly to his feet, Hercules joining him. "First of all, I don't work alone," Iolaus felt more than heard Hercules' sigh of relief at that pronouncement and smiled inside, "and second, I am not carrying around fire inside me, I am not carrying around ANYTHING inside me, sacred or no."

"B-but to deny the fire, that is sacrilege!" Javad sputtered before turning angrily towards the priest. "Jahangir tell him that he must--"

The priest merely held up a hand and the young man stopped. "Have you forgotten the stories? Keresaspa was brave and heroic but always lacked the proper respect for the fire. At death he was barred from heaven and prayed to be let in. It was his own tears and the pleadings of the animals and his friends that finally convinced the angels to overlook his reckless irreverent ways."

"Oh great!" Iolaus said, raising his arms in exasperation. "Thanks for telling me!" He looked at Hercules and saw the taller man was trying hard to hide his smile behind his hand, his laughter in a cough. "It's not funny," he announced, crossing his arms and stubbornly jutting out his chin.

Hercules finally managed to control himself and then seriously faced his brother. Javad and the priest watched as in silence the two men seemed to share a wealth of words without a sound. Slowly nodding, Hercules turned to face the two men seated by the fire. "We will go to Mount Demavend together, without the sacred fire and we'll deal with the monster our way."

"But the prophecy--!" Javad insisted, rising to his feet.

Jahangir halted the younger man's outburst yet again as he too stood. "So be it. You must do what you think is right."

As both men turned to go, the priest cleared his throat to stop them. "Wait! If I may ask two questions."

Hercules looked down at the hunter and waited quietly for his friend to deal with it.

"You can ask," Iolaus responded, turning only sightly to glance back at the tall dark-skinned man who wore the face of his murderer.

"How did you defeat Dahak? I felt him enter--"

"And the second question?" Iolaus asked, interrupting the first, the priest immediately realizing he would receive no answer.

"Why-- Why did my appearance startle you so?"

Iolaus was silent for a long moment and Jahangir wondered if this too was overstepping the bounds of privacy when...

"You wear the face of the man who gave Dahak his final sacrifice," the hunter answered shortly and then looking at his brother's face for a moment, he stepped down away from the fire, Hercules right behind him.

2 Shalla, Nyaishes p. 155 Sacred praise for Atar

***

"Let me save you the trip."
"Whoa! I'm not rubbing this guy's bunions."

Lady in Hades

"You sound like you drove each other crazy."
"That's what friends are for."Just Passing Through

Part X

Leaving the shrine Hercules and Iolaus headed through the marketplace as they considered what supplies they would need for the trip up the mountain. Merchants hawked their wares and musicians played at the sides of the streets. Acrobats and jugglers darted in and out of the crowds receiving coins for their skills. Women of various important households were escorted through the streets heavily guarded and heavily veiled. Other women, of a lower class wore less covering clothing but all found the two heroes fascinating. It was almost enough to dispel both the demigod and the hunter's bad mood when they heard a familiar voice call out their names.

Javad rushed behind them, anxious to catch up with the Greek heroes. "Hercules, Iolaus, sirs please! If you are in need of supplies--"

"We'll buy our own, thanks," Hercules responded, slapping the Persian lightly on the back as he shared a knowing glance with his friend.

Iolaus turned to a stall where a woman was selling simple provisions, not to mention rope and spikes for hard climbing. Iolaus wasn't sure of the terrain exactly but he wasn't taking any chances. The proprietress had just finished furiously bargaining with another man before turning her attentions to Iolaus.

The blond gestured to the items and asked, "How much?"

The woman stared at him for a second before whispering to her sister, who stocked their simple stall behind her. In hurried frantic voices they conversed before both women came forward and handed Iolaus the rope and the sturdy iron spikes.

"Thanks," Iolaus said with a smile as he juggled the goods in his arms as he reached to free his hand to open up his money pouch. "How much?"

The women shook their head and kept repeating the same words over and over again as if that would somehow make him understand.

Iolaus turned back to Javad, "What are they saying? How much should I pay them?"

"They say--"

"Keresaspa! Keresaspa!" The women finally chorused bowing to the hunter.

Iolaus' eyes widened and he dumped the rope and spikes back on the counter between them. "Oh no! I'm paying!" He insisted, pointing to his chest with his thumb as if the tone of his voice would convey his meaning. If it did, the women did not seem ready to back down. They shoved the goods once more in his arms, repeating the mythical name and touching their foreheads and their ears in respect. "But ..." Iolaus turned flustered back to Hercules who stood next to Javad. "Herc?"

The demigod merely grinned and shrugged, enjoying his brother's awkward situation. It's about time he sees what its like, he thought to himself with a laugh. Hero worship is not all it's cracked up to be!

"Just smile and say thank you," Hercules instructed, coming up behind his friend.

Iolaus shot him a dark look before grinning weakly at the two awestruck women as he quickly gathered up the climbing equipment and backed away.

"From now on, you do the bargaining," he told his taller friend firmly before casting his glance at Javad. "How did they recognize me? How did they know?"

"Word travels fast in the market. You were quite vocal in the shrine and it is unusual for someone to attack the priest and live," Javad explained with a weak smile, hoping the two Greeks weren't going to hold it against him. "That and you certainly look the part."

"Look the part?" Iolaus asked incredulously.

"Forgive me for not noticing it earlier," Javad apologized as they continued to thread their way among the well kept stalls, Hercules gathering food, oil, and cloaks and more fitting clothing along the way, preferring on this mission not to simply live off the land. "The reaction of Amir's wives should have made me more aware."

"Aware of what?"

Javad hesitated, looking embarrassed. "The fact that even without the fire or divine blood you--" he mumbled the rest of the sentence and the noise of the pantomime down the street didn't help.

"What did you say?" Iolaus yelled over the din, refusing to be put off.

"You glow," the Persian admitted as the demigod handed him their change of clothes to carry. "It's not something I notice, but women do," he clarified quickly.

"I glow?" Iolaus repeated in bewildered disbelief.

"Artemis and the Amazons always did like to call you their Golden Hunter," Hercules interjected sotto voce.

"I thought it was my natural charisma, not a comment on my--my luminescence!"

Hercules grinned as he packed away their supplies and slung the bag over his shoulder. With the hunter carrying his bow and sword it only seemed fair, he rationalized to himself. Besides Iolaus had enough to worry about on this trip without watching their stuff.

"Well that's everything," he announced. "Ready to go, firefly?"

"Ha ha, very funny, Herc."

"Are you sure you know the way, Iolaus? You don't want me to go with you?" Javad asked anxiously as he handed the men their clothes.

"Oh sure!" Iolaus assured him as they headed for a nearby bathhouse. "It's just straight up! How hard could that be?" he asked with a grin. Suddenly serious, he grasped Javad's wrist tightly. "I don't get all of this Keres-whatever but we'll find your sister. I promise."

Javad nodded, swallowing hard. "Thank you, Iolaus. You truly are he."

Iolaus shot Hercules a sideways look and then threw his hands up in the air. "Yeah, yeah! Whatever!" Grumbling and shaking his head, Iolaus headed into the public bath, insisting to give the doorman his coin.

"Hercules," Javad pressed in a low tone.

Smiling, the demigod clasped wrists with the Persian. "Don't worry. He knows what he's doing. Really." Swallowing a laugh, Hercules hurried after the hunter, leaving a slightly bewildered Javad amid the bustle of the afternoon market.

"So," Iolaus grunted as he dug another iron spike into the mountain. "Let's review, shall we?" He looked down at his friend who was shifting for a better handhold amid the steep climb of the mountain face. "We don't know what type of monster it is, right?"

"Right," the demigod said, nodding as he pulled himself up another few feet.

"And we don't know if there are any traps like those egg things you and Xena fought when rescuing Prometheus, right?" Iolaus asked as he tested the spike before scaling higher.

There was the sound of rocks below him before a slightly annoyed voice answered, "Right."

"And this legend leaves out all the important stuff, right?"

"Iolaus ..." Hercules began in exasperation, touching the rope that bound them together gently, when what he wanted to do was tug at it until his friend shut up and focused on the climb.

However Iolaus continued obliviously, "And the very person that gives us what little information we do have looks just like the last guy we trusted."

Hercules hesitated. This was not just random babbling, Iolaus was trying to figure the situation out without coming straight out and saying that he was worried. He probably doesn't want to worry me by letting me know he's worried, Hercules reasoned. But I am worried, because usually he tells me he's worried, or tells me not to worry and then I worry even more--

"Herc?"

The demigod's head snapped up and his eyes met his partner's.

"You did kill Gilgamesh after he ..."

He swallowed hard, very very glad Iolaus hadn't finished the sentence, not now when they were hanging on the face of a mountain about to face a demon Dahak had left behind. "Yeah, I did," Hercules said, trying not to dwell on the mindless fury that had gripped him after the enchanted dagger had gone streaking across the room and embedded itself in his best friend's chest.

The hunter turned back to his spikes, yanking one out and repositioning it higher. "I don't remember," Iolaus confessed after a moment. "How?" he asked, trying very hard to sound nonchalant about the whole thing and failing miserably.

"He called up that wall of fire outside the palace after the eclipse and I was so ..." Hercules tried again. "I threw him into it and...."

Iolaus paused and waited. And waited some more. Finally in frustration he prompted loudly, "And?"

Hercules shrugged as only a demigod could while clinging to a mountain face.

"Kerboom."

"Kerboom?"

"Kerboom. Gilgamesh flamebe."

Iolaus tugged on the rope lightly and the two began moving again, closer now to the outcropping they had earlier decided to camp at for the night before making the final ascent. "Jahangir had that sacred fire of his," Iolaus put in several minutes later.

"Are you trying to make this any more difficult than it already is?"

Iolaus looked down and gave his friend a sheepish grin. "He wanted me to take it into myself to defeat whatever it is we're up against. What if without it we can't win?" the hunter pressed.

"What if you listened to him and it does something horrible?" Hercules countered.

"What if all the hostages are eaten and the thing died of indigestion already?"

"What if there's no monster and they're just leading us on a wild goose chase?"

"What if the monster just wanted a harem of his own?" Iolaus said impishly.

"Iolaus!" Hercules yelled. Ignoring the giggle from above him, Hercules attacked the mountain with a new vengeance. And this is Gilgamesh, and this is Dahak, and this is that spidery soul eater that went after Iolaus ...

"Herc, if we're being paranoid it's possible, it's possible!" Iolaus argued with a laugh as he at last pulled himself up onto the outcropping, finding it much larger than he had expected. Well, there is a temple up here somewhere, Iolaus reminded himself. People usually come up here when there are no demons around. Just because Herc insisted on doing it the hard way ...

"I am not paranoid!" Hercules denied loudly as the hunter helped yank him the rest of the way up. "I don't know how Autolycus and Xena do it. It's hard not to trust people," he admitted, a little out of breath from the ascent, collapsing next to his brother at the edge, tangled amid rope and spikes.

"Well, I guess everyone gets doubts," Iolaus agreed lightly, patting the demigod on the arm patronizingly.

"This isn't doubt, Iolaus," Hercules retorted, shooting his friend a halfhearted glare. "Doubt is what I had after Sumeria. This is ..." The demigod searched for the word for a moment, finally gesturing to Iolaus to help.

"Being paranoid," Iolaus supplied easily as he pulled himself to his feet, arching his back and listening appreciatively to his joints pop, enjoying the way they made his partner wince.

Hercules nodded in unthinking agreement. "Being para-- no, no this is being cautious, looking BEFORE you leap."

"But still leaping," Iolaus added.

"But still--" Hercules broke off and shot his partner a disgusted look.

"Well?" Iolaus pressed.

"Leaping," Hercules admitted.

"My point exactly."

"What are we doing? Hercules moaned, burying his head in his hands.

"We're climbing a bloody mountain, what does it look like?" Iolaus asked in exasperation. Sighing, tone growing more serious, he squatted down to his friend's level. "Look Herc, just help me set up camp for now and tonight you sleep on it. Figure things out," Iolaus said, spreading his hands expressively as he rose. "Okay?"

"Okay," Hercules agreed, before squinting up at his brother, bathed in the afternoon sunlight with a slight smile. "Since when did you get so pessimistic, glow worm?"

Rolling his eyes at the name, the hunter grabbed the pack of supplies off his friend's back. "Hang out on the Paths of the Dead long enough, your whole perspective changes," Iolaus shot back with a caustic grin.

***

"Well whattya think?"
"I think it's inbreeding."
Keys to the Kingdom

"What's wrong with him?"
"Aw, don't ask!"
Just Passing Through

Part XI

Hercules was unsure what had woken him.

Not that I really mind ... he thought to himself sarcastically as he shifted towards the fire. Dreaming is just not as much fun as it used to be, he realized with a suppressed sigh. When he was younger he'd dream about adventuring or meeting his father. Now it seemed as if his mind had nothing to offer but nightmares. Iolaus used to have bouts of that. Hydra dreams, Hercules reminded himself, absently releasing one hand from the cocoon of his cloak to scratch his chin. What I wouldn't give for a nice, safe, uncomplicated hydra dream. Vacations seemed to help. Perhaps after we finish this we should--

There was a crack of wood, and the heat from the fire on his face increased, and the demigod's eyes snapped open, body tensing for battle.

The sight that greeted him was hardly life-threatening but it bothered him just the same.

Propping himself up on one elbow, he stared in muzzy confusion at his friend.

"Why are you still awake?" Hercules all but demanded before he could help himself. He didn't want to be a mother hen about this, but dammit if Iolaus didn't start sleeping soon... The demigod caught sight of something in the hunter's hands. "What're you reading?" he asked, trying to soften and hide the anxiety in his tone.

Iolaus glanced up absently from where he was reclining, practically leaning into the fire to have enough light to see. "Just something I picked up from Kheper. It's nothing."

This brought Hercules to a seated position in an instant. "Nothing as in nothing?" he pressed, lightly lacing his fingers together around his knees, trying to appear that he wasn't pressing, that this didn't concern him at all... "Or nothing as in something?"

Iolaus blinked and then rolled his eyes at his best friend's painfully transparent attempts at subterfuge. "Hercules. It's late."

"Yeah I know, we should both be asleep," Hercules hinted, nodding solemnly.

"Just let me finish this," Iolaus replied, inching closer to the fire, hair so near the glowing embers that Hercules was about ready to leap over the fire and tackle his friend and drag him away from the flames. The hunter, blithely twisted closer, holding the parchment up to the light, eyes never leaving the words. "You know, light reading before bed," he explained absently.

"Iolaus ..." Hercules said through clenched teeth, watching the flames lick closer. He'd promised himself he wouldn't be overprotective, he promised he wouldn't--

To his eternal relief Iolaus sat up just as a gust of wind blew the flames in his direction. The demigod nearly exploded as he let out the breath he had been holding. "I'm fine, Hercules. I'm fine."

Relatively calm now that his friend wasn't sitting in the fire, he gestured to the scroll the hunter was reading. "Does it help?"

"What? Does what help?" Iolaus asked, for the first time really looking at his partner.

"Does reading whatever that is help?"

The blond shrugged, thinking it over. "Sometimes," he admitted as he eyed a more comfortable spot close to the light.

Hercules scooted around, dragging his cloak with him just in case he had to yank the clueless hunter out of the fire. It wasn't snowing at least though the biting mountain air and the clear sky wasn't conducive to warm living. "What is it?" he asked, looking over Iolaus' shoulder. "The Book of the Dead?" he exclaimed. "This is light reading?"

The second the words left his mouth, Hercules wanted to take them back. Kheper had said it was in his divine nature to pester his followers with intervention, but the demigod still thought the Egyptian sorcerer was a few bandages short of a mummy when it came to things like that, for all his powers in bringing back the dead. And he'd be damned to Tartarus if he proved the crazy man right by forcing his best friend to talk about it before he was ready.

"It's actually called the Book of Coming Forth by Day. See, Egyptians are buried with those words written on their wrappings. It guides them through the paths of the dead."

"And Kheper translated it for you and gave it to you as a goodbye gift?"

"No! I sort of... asked him for it," the warrior busied himself by stirring up the fire, refusing to meet his brother's eyes. "I wanted some information. And this isn't the translated version. See, these are those picture heri-whatevers things they have written everywhere," Iolaus said pointing to the tiny, intricately colored hieroglyphs.

"How to pass demons, keep from being eaten by monsters, answer riddles, invoke spells ..." Hercules filled in helpfully, tone darkening with each thought. Definitely not bedtime stories. "Iolaus did-- did you see all these things when you were there?"

The blond warrior didn't answer, didn't even move, simply sat gazing at the twisting flames as they devoured the dry kindling. Shit! Hercules resisted the urge to slap himself on the forehead. Damn, damn, damn! Of all the times to do this. You couldn't wait until this was over and we were back home, maybe in the tree fort. You and your big mouth!

The demigod racked his brain trying to figure out how to fill the silence when Fate once again took pity on him and lent him a hand. "Iolaus, I saw part of it. I was there, sort of."

Iolaus straightened up suddenly, his own dark cloak falling off his shoulders. Luckily he'd exchanged his old vest temporarily for much more suitable attire of a white shirt and brown leather vest. Said he didn't want to get stains on his other one. "You were?" he asked, eyes wide, breaking the taller man out of his distracted thoughts. "You did?"

Hercules nodded slowly, turning his face up to stare at the night sky. "Sometimes," he began quietly, "Sometimes I would dream of this endless desert with a black starfilled sky with this moon just hanging there, its light not touching anything, with these winding paths around the dunes and-- and sometimes I would see you there or see your shadow and you would say things that I didn't understand. It was so dark, so ..."

"Desolate and empty. It stretched out forever and ever for all eternity," Iolaus finished, his light tenor voice hushed and hollow.

Hercules held very still, not even daring to look over at his brother. He had shared something with the hunter he didn't even like to think about, something he'd never told anyone but Kheper. Secretly inside he hoped the fact that he had in some small way shared even the slightest bit of the experience with Iolaus would make it easier for the smaller man to open up about exactly what happened.

An eternity spent among the dead was not something that should be bottled up. It just wasn't healthy.

But Iolaus said nothing, just readjusted the cloak around his shoulders, tucking the scroll very carefully into his pack before settling himself back down beside the fire, the heavens his distraction.

The next morning the two heroes, only slightly rested, stood at the foot of a well kept trail. The path up to the temple was just where Jahangir had said it would be.

"Well?" Iolaus asked.

"Well what?"

"Are we going to go up there," the hunter gestured up at the faint smoke rising from what could only be the temple tucked away amid the peak of Mount Demavend, "or are we simply going to stand here while some still unknown monster does unspeakable things to the damsels in distress?"

"We're going," Hercules announced, not moving an inch.

Iolaus stared sideways at his friend. "No, we aren't," he countered in barely veiled exasperation.

"Give me a minute here," Hercules snapped back somewhat testily.

"Ooo-kay!" The blond rubbed his forehead and took several breaths that he hoped were cleansing. This is going to be such a long day.

Bouncing up and down on his heels Iolaus waited as patiently as he could as the demigod stared at the path, as if daring it to do something treacherous and deadly. I wonder what he expects it to do? Iolaus wondered absently. Turn into a gigantic python and try to swallow us? Or maybe nothing will happen until we step on it. Then it turns into sinking sand or maybe this is an illusion and we're walking right of the face of a cliff ...

"Well?" Iolaus asked again, frustration mounting.

"I don't know!" Hercules all but yelled back. "This is the way Jahangir told us to go."

"I realize that. I was there."

"Ah. But how do we know he didn't want us to go this way?"

Iolaus blinked in confusion. "I thought he did want us to go this way," he said slowly, watching the demigod warily, wondering if his friend had finally lost it. "That would be the ultimate purpose behind telling us, wouldn't it."

"Unless he has some other purpose as well," Hercules explained, rubbing his hands together, getting a look in his eye that was a precursor to some serious property damage.

"Hercules, it's just a path. It's not going to attack us."

Hercules' nostrils flared as he crossed his arms derisively over his chest. "I know it's not--"

"We've been down hundreds of paths together. Thousands even. There is no other way up to the temple unless we backtrack all day and scale the other side of the mountain, which if I may remind you was the easier way but as you pointed out too open. Will you stop worrying? See, I'll show you how safe it is."

With one colossal leap, with a somersault thrown in for good measure, he landed with a battle cry amid the trail. "There? See?" Iolaus turned full circle so his irate partner could view all of him, grey cloak swirling about him. "I'm still in one piece, you're still in one piece. Jahangir didn't lie to us and at least I am one step closer to the ultimate conclusion of this affair. So are you coming?"

"I did not think the path was dangerous," Hercules countered hotly as he stepped forward to join his friend.

"Of course you didn't."

"I was just planning our approach."

"Sure you were," Iolaus agreed as he began to whistle cheerfully, locking his hands behind his head, the very picture of serenity.

Mumbling to himself, Hercules trudged along beside him, the hunter catching the occasional word or two.

"...not taking his word...paths attacking...too open...not paranoia ..."

"OH MY GODS! HERC! DUCK!"

Hercules dropped into a roll instinctively, grabbing hold of Iolaus' shoulder and dragging him along as well. Now on his knees, one hand firmly attached to his friend's shoulder, his blue eyes darted around, scanning the area for danger.

"What? Iolaus, where-?"

"Well, it looked like a duck," Iolaus admitted sheepishly, pointing halfheartedly to the hawk that flew lazy circles to the left of them before lighting on its nest. Hercules gaped at the bird and then at his friend unbelievingly. "How was I to know that it wasn't a tasty mallard?" he asked in all innocence.

"Iolaus! You-- I can't--" Hercules sputtered ineffectively, pointing first at the bird, then at his friend, closing his eyes, opening them; nothing helped.

With a laugh, Iolaus bounded to his feet and took off running down the path, knowing from long experience once the flustered demigod found words he'd be in a lot of trouble.

He barely counted to three before he heard the familiar footfalls race up behind him. He prepared himself and wasn't surprised when the taller man tackled him from behind, throwing them both into another roll before the son of Zeus pinned the laughing hunter to the ground.

"I can't believe you did that!" Hercules fumed.

"I can't believe you fell for it!" Iolaus guffawed in return. "That has to be the oldest hunter's trick in the book!" He pushed at the demigod's arm until the stronger man let him up.

"Have you no-- no--"

"Shame? Dignity? Reverence?" Iolaus asked impishly. "Never," he announced dramatically, dusting himself off as he stood. "I am Keresaspa, sacrilegious is my second name."

"Actually it would be your last name," Hercules countered with a laugh, finally breaking away from the dark cloud of worry that had hung over him all morning. Iolaus yanked his brother to his feet.

"Last names, now there's an idea. Maybe we could start a fad," The hunter mused, gathering up their one pack of essential supplies they had decided on back at their camp earlier that morning. "You know it might work! Those Egyptian names we have? Those could be our last names. Sort of like a secret code."

"A code that all of Egypt knows. That sure would be a secret, Iolaus," Hercules agreed sarcastically as they began walking again. "Hey, why not have them do something practical? Like tell what family you belong to."

"Nah, who would ever go for something like that?" the warrior laughed. "What about what job you have? You'd be Hercules Demigod and I'd be Iolaus Hunter."

"You'd be Iolaus Troublemaker, remember?" Hercules said, poking the blond's side even as he sidestepped out of reach. "Even Cheiron called you that."

"Oh yeah? Well you should be called--"

A piercing cry cut the hunter short and immediately both men stiffened.

"Herc?" Iolaus asked, licking his lips, gripping his sword with one hand.

"You think that was the hawk?"

Hercules shook his head very slowly. "No, I don't think so."

***

"Does this surprise us?"
"Not really."
The Wedding of Alcmene

"So what you are saying is we should shut-up and trust you."
The Sword of Veracity

Part XII

The two heroes tore up the path, the stone temple growing until the monstrosity of architecture carved out of a side of the mountain loomed over them.

Common sense finally conquered adrenaline and an almost instinctive need to protect the innocent and Hercules skidded to a halt, wheeling around his sprinting partner by the arm. "Wait! Not the front door!"

"I'm not going through the front door! I'm going through the second story window," Iolaus gestured once with his bow, arrow already notched and prepared with long practiced movements.

The demigod was about to nod his approval when his friend's words registered. "What do you mean 'I?'" he demanded, unable to keep the annoyance out of his tone "I thought we were going to do this together."

Letting out a long suffering sigh, Iolaus ran his free hand through his already tousled hair. "We are, but it is better if we outflank the guy." Yanking away from the taller man's grasp, eyes already bright with battle lust, the hunter was prepared to jump.

"Iolaus, no! We go together," Hercules said firmly, grabbing hold once again.

"Through the front door?" the blond asked in exasperation. "I thought you just said--"

Waving his hands in dismissal Hercules shook his head. "Forget what I said. Just--"

Again the tortured almost inhuman cry of pain and terror rent the mountain air, bringing unwelcome goose bumps to both men's skin.

"Charge?" Iolaus queried, cocking his head with a smirk, his sense of humor rearing its head as it always did in battle.

Nodding, Hercules couldn't help but smile grimly in agreement. "Charge!"

With a tremendous crash they threw open the large stone hewn doors and ran into the temple, only to be halted by the sight of an old man tending a menagerie.

Breathing hard, Hercules scanned the room for dangers, for whomever had made that plaintive cry moments ago, for guards, for threats, for monsters, for his feelings of betrayal to take shape and steal Iolaus from him once again. The temple's foyer was cavernous, walls bare of frescos or mosaics or tapestries. There were only countless cages, made of finely crafted metal, each barely big enough for its occupant. Birds, forest creatures, carnivores, grass eaters, even fish in a glass bowl-- but despite the numerous creatures there was not a single sound except that from the only creature out of its cage and in the hands of the single human occupant of the temple.

The old man, himself dressed in threadbare robes of linen that had obviously once been very fine, looked up from his work and blinked, curious and unafraid at the intrusion. His eyes were black, his silver hair slicked back and pulled into a queue at the base of his neck. He was strangely clean-shaven and Hercules was not fooled by the robe; the man, despite his age, was well muscled -- that spoke to disciplined training and activity. He stood taller than both of them, hands, however, strangely long and effeminate instead of broad and callused. And his voice ...

"Gentlemen," he greeted them in flawless Greek, his voice deep, the rumble of stones. "Jahangir said you would come and help. I have been expecting you."

When neither hero replied to his greeting, weapons and fists still ready he glanced down at the brilliantly plumed bird in his hand and guessed at their reticence. "Forgive this little one, she doesn't like getting her wings pinioned. But it is for her own good." Carefully he placed the whimpering bird into a tiny gilded cage, where it had not even space to spread its wings. "So how can I help you?" he asked spreading his hands in show of his accommodation to the suddenness of the warriors' intrusion.

"Who are you?" Hercules demanded, refusing to relax. Something here just wasn't right.

"A supplicant," the man replied as he moved towards a table where wine and fruit sat prepared as if he had truly been expecting both men. He moved soundlessly despite his size. "Can I offer you something to drink?"

Neither Greek made a single move forward despite the offer of hospitality. "Jahangir didn't say the temple still had priests," Hercules said suspiciously, hostility eased for the moment. "I would have thought you would have left."

"And desert my duties?" the old man scoffed with a laugh. "Never," he said suddenly solemn, touching his hand to his heart. "I am devoted to the fire. I must guard Persepolis from the demon."

"Like Tartarus," Iolaus spat.

Hercules turned to his partner, surprised by the sudden snarl of hostility. The blond hunter still had his bow drawn, arrow notched, the man in his sights. The hunter was beyond pale, muscles strung taunt, looking like he had just seen a ghost or woken from one Tartarus of a night terror. The demigod raised a hand to his friend who stood tense enough to bolt, wondering if this was the last straw for Iolaus, wondering if this would finally break his partner he'd tried so hard to protect, and yet obviously failed.

"Iolaus--" he began softly.

"No!" the hunter snapped, pulling away from his companion and taking a step to the side, his arrow's aim never once wavering from its intended target.

The old man raised his hands, his voice quiet and filled with understanding and sympathy. "No it is all right, Thraetaona. Keresaspa has always been quick to anger, irreverent, and all that. It's legendary. But this one..." He trailed off, eyes boring into the hunter almost with a hunger, ignoring Hercules' sudden intake of breath and offensive stance at his damning words. "This one has held the darkness, fought it. It stains his very soul, the scars of its claws buried deep." The man, if that was what he was, took a step forward, calm, black eyes sad as they regarded the mortal hero. "You hate me, don't you?" he asked quietly.

"Spawn of Dahak, you have to ask?" Iolaus snarled.

The man nodded slowly, not reacting to the hatred that the hunter was filled with. "Ah, you burn very, very brightly, my friend, but then so do we all thanks to Atar." He turned away for a moment and seemed to come to a decision. "Very well, destroy me." He turned back and spread his arms wide and closed his eyes. "Crush me into oblivion if that is what will grant you peace."

"Excuse me," Hercules broke in suddenly, holding out a warning hand to his partner in case he decided to take this creature at its word. This was too familiar, to reminiscent of the thing that wore Iolaus' form, trying to get Hercules to kill it. "I'm sorry to interrupt you both, but I am just a little confused."

"Are you dense?" the old man asked with honest surprise, eyes popping open to stare at the demigod in a new light. "Kill me. Here I'll make it easy for you." In one quick movement he knelt, Iolaus tensing with the suddenness of it. He placed his hands behind his back and proffered his chest for the arrow. "I am ready to embrace my destiny."

Hercules looked over at his friend, worry filling him. Something was beyond wrong here. This man or monster or whatever was just offering himself to them, not even a token struggle. He had to make sure that they were thinking clearly and were in agreement no matter what they chose to do. There would be no blindly rushing in. Never again. Hercules refused to take the chance. "Look Iolaus, and whoever you are" he added glancing at the kneeling figure "something isn't right here."

"I realize that buddy," Iolaus said in a deceptively calm voice, his jaw clenched, the knuckles on his hands gripping the bow, white. Hercules wondered the bow did not snap. "He is trying to confuse you. Don't listen. Every breath is a lie."

"I am just as much a victim as you, Keresaspa," the creature insisted quietly.

"Then why take hostages?" Hercules demanded.

"I haven't taken hostages." the other replied calmly.

The demigod scowled and looked around the room at the silent animals in tight cages, their existence reeking of wrongness. Oh yeah, right. Like I trust your word, he thought. "Then who took the women?"

"Who do you think, Thraetaona?" the old man asked looking up, black eyes seeming to crawl with darkness.

*Jahangir* was the first thought that struck Hercules. He knew it, he just knew the priest was setting them up. Things were too convenient. The creature had said Jahangir had told him that Iolaus and he were coming. They were being played for fools and Hercules was damn sure he wasn't going to take this lying down.

"We've been set up," he growled taking firm hold of his partner's shoulder, trying to infuse the blond with strength as he shared his revelation. "Iolaus, it's all right now. There is no demon here. It's all right, buddy."

Iolaus shook his head, never once taking his eyes off the kneeling man. "No, it is not all right, Herc. The demon is HERE."

"The demon is Jahangir," The son of Zeus insisted quietly, trying to make it easier on his friend. "He sent us up here, remember?"

"He's the high priest for a deity that is the enemy of Dahak," Iolaus reminded him through clenched teeth.

"High priest?" the kneeling figure exclaimed in surprise. "That conniving opportunistic fool? He hasn't a spiritual bone in his body. A wolf, a wolf in sheep's clothing that one. He seeks power beyond the realms. He and the King's new wife."

*I should have known,* Hercules thought with a groan. "This is all my fault. He must have taken over Gilgamesh's body."

"Uh-uh big guy. Gilgamesh flambe, remember? Anyways, even if you are right, who is our friend here?" the hunter asked, tone turning icy as the Norseland, deadly with intent. "A supplicant, a victim," Iolaus continued mimicking the old man's gravely soft tones. "I've had an eternity to learn to recognize your kind and my instincts are never wrong," he hissed. "Herc, he's confusing you. Playing on your fears, your suspicions. Every breath this...this *thing* takes is an abomination. It is born from the blood of Lies. What you see is not what is. Like the soul eaters in Egypt. You can't see it unless it is dark. Him you can't see unless you have light."

Iolaus looked away from his prey for a moment, naked fear showing for a moment in his eyes. Whatever this thing was it was very strong. If this thing could con Hercules, what chance did--

It was a mistake. Iolaus knew it the second he finally met his partner's dilated eyes, the inky black obscuring the vivid blue.

He turned back just in time to see the creature lunge at his unprotected throat.

***

"I guess, under different circumstances, we still would hate each other."
Porkules

"I wonder if it's poisonous."
"Does it really matter?"
Stranger and Stranger

Part XIII

Iolaus reacted unthinkingly. He pushed Hercules out of reach and brought up his bow in order to block the man. The bow snapped under those spidery fingers, thrown away like so much kindling. The robed man loomed over Iolaus for a second, an obvious effort at intimidation which gave the hunter the opening he needed. Bull kicking his opponent he spared a glance at his friend who was shakily rising to his feet, having knocked over several cages. The animals suddenly freed made no move to escape however, they merely sat petrified as if waiting for the inevitable.

Looking back at the priest -- creature, whatever! -- and finding him unfazed by the blow Iolaus drew his sword and called to his brother.

"Herc! Some help here would be very good!"

"You waste your breath," the thing sad almost sadly lunging again at the hunter.

The mortal warrior dodged barely catching his blade against the man's side, slicing him open to the bone, organs clearly showing through the black blood that coated only the sword, not even staining the robe. The priest didn't even flinch, not even registering the injury, attesting to the inhumanness of the old man.

Iolaus raised his sword as the creature whirled around to face him again after it stopped its forward momentum that led him quite a ways across the temple room, but it was pulled from his grasp like he was nothing more than a child.

"Wha- Herc?" Iolaus looked up in astonishment, his larger friend still holding his wrist in one hand, his sword in the other. His friend had been acting strange ever since they entered this temple to Dahak; Iolaus had no doubt it was a temple to Dahak. He could never forget how that near possession had felt.

Hercules looked down at him with such a sorrowful expression on his face, his eyes still dilated until they were as black as the creature. "It's okay buddy. Let's leave the guy alone and let me take care of you. I think you're just a little confused," he said soothingly.

"WHAT?!" Iolaus roared in confusion. He yanked futilely against his partner's grip, glancing in horror at the smiling visage of the grey haired old man who was advancing slowly, hands already outstretched towards the hunter, hunger now obviously written in his eyes. The thing moved as if it had all the time in the world to carefully stalk its prey and it was in no rush over to the two men. It made Iolaus' skin crawl and he tried to back up, trying to drag himself away from the thing, from the demigod's grasp, trying to reach his weapon with his free hand, desperation at the bizarre situation filling him.

He couldn't fight the creature alone! His strongest blows left it unfazed, and it shrugged off disembowelment as if it was nothing. And he certainly couldn't fight the thing and rescue the hostages -- which he had a sneaky suspicion were the caged animals -- with Hercules' mother-henning him and hypnotized or in a trance or something.

With a sudden sinking sensation, Iolaus knew he and Hercules were going to die and Dahak would ultimately win and--

With a start, Iolaus shook his head, trying to clear it from the haziness that had fallen over it like a veil. Eyes narrowing, vision clearing he turned his attention back to the creature whose step and smile faltered as it realized its control over the hunter slipping.

Making a instant decision Iolaus turned to his friend who was still talking to him in a soft, low voice, as if the blond was another spooked animal in this menagerie from Tartarus, as if he was the one confused and lost in his own fears and worries.

He shook his head and sighed. "Herc I'm sorry," he said.

And then he grasped his brother's wrist and, locating a pressure point, knocked his partner flat with one blow.

Iolaus scrambled for his sword even as Hercules lay back, physically stunned, shaking his head in surprise, and turned to face the creature, wondering if decapitation was the way to go with this thing. The hunter brandished his sword in readiness and realized suddenly that the blood soaked blade was crawling with the same type of blackness as the old man's eyes. Dropping the weapon in panic, he kicked it away from his partner, knowing the monster would take advantage of his momentary distraction.

Unable to twist away from the charging priest Iolaus was thrown to the stone floor and pinned, the other looming above him. Smiling fiercely with delight, its spidery fingers reached out to clasp the mortal warrior's throat even as Iolaus bucked and struggled under the creature's weight, trying to get his arms and legs free.

Lifting him up by his throat and holding him several feet from the floor the thing obviously found Iolaus' weight an inconsequential one. The creature walked forward, ignoring the struggling, kicking hunter in his grasp as he went towards the wooden stairs in the back of the room. Iolaus' struggles knocked over cages and pens and struck the priest numerous times, but the gray haired man wasn't human, nothing Iolaus did made even the slightest impact.

"Herc!" he croaked as he was carried up the stairs. "Hercules!"

But the demigod lay stunned on the floor, mumbling to himself, limbs twitching, lost in his own world, happier there where his fears and suspicions had been realized, identified, and therefore combatible.

The creature spared his struggling captive a gravelly chuckle as the reached the second floor, wood atop stone, masonry giving way to smoothed boards. "Ah, Thraetaona. Always was always a self-righteous bastard wasn't he?" He shared a knowing grin with the hunter as he pushed open a wooden door with one hand, still holding a choking Iolaus in the other. "And still as helpless against me as always. I shall enjoy tearing out his still beating heart and feasting on it," he said introspectively.

"Not-not if...I have an-anything to...say about ...it," Iolaus gasped, hands now clawing frantically and ultimately in vain at the choke-hold the creature had on him. Hercules needed him. He was his friend's only hope against this creature. He had to do this alone.

"Which you don't," the creature reminded him as they entered what appeared to be an aviary with a sacrificial altar to one side. Oh Hades, not a good sign. Braziers and oil lamps illuminated the room needlessly; one half of the wall was filled with open windows allowing the midmorning sunlight in, illuminating more cages with their helpless, silent captives.

"Like...Tartarus ..." Iolaus growled, catching one foot against the raised wooden edge of the altar and pushing forward with all his strength managing to topple the other, landing firmly on top of the creature who still had not relinquished its iron hold.

"Foolish," the creature sighed with only minor exasperation in its voice as it and Iolaus rolled around on the floor, fighting for dominance and control, the hunter's endeavors becoming fueled by desperation under the punishing grip of the other. Iolaus managed to shift quickly and free his hunting knife. Catching hold of the earlier belly wound he'd given the creature, he ripped into the wound with the blade and his bare hands, hoping the pain would distract the creature.

The man didn't so much as tense, blocking Iolaus' blows. It knocked the knife out of his hands, planting its hands on the hunter's chest and shoving him back down onto the floor. Iolaus rolled with the movement, landing a solid punch on the wound, hoping, praying if he did enough damage to one place, eventually the monster would feel it.

He raised his fist again and suddenly noticed the crawling sensation on his knuckles. Looking down he saw the black blood move as if it was gaining a life of its own, growing, crawling up his arm ...

Screaming in horror, Iolaus shook his hand, trying to wipe the stuff off. In his panic he flailed, knocking over lamps and cages, hot coals showering onto the floor. He failed to notice the other's swift pounce and found himself pinned to the floor still screaming, now for the sensation he felt literally eating up his arm.

"Very foolish," the creature commented, long-fingered hands rediscovering their previous handhold on the hunter's neck and beginning to once again exert a gentle but growing pressure. "Didn't Thraetaona tell you why he imprisoned me instead of killed me?" The monster leaned in closer, tightening its grip like a coil around the mortal's throat, as if it were a secret between friends. "My spilt blood creates more monsters, more demons for service to the Great Lie. No matter," he concluded with a shrug, lifting his head to dodge the hunter's weakening blows and thrashing limbs. "You're dead form will do just as well as your live one for my blood offspring."

Choking on his own scream. Iolaus thrashed and moaned as he fought the pain in his arm to slow his breathing and keep consciousness. No, no, no! This was not how it was supposed to be. He'd tricked Dahak, he'd won with the help of his brother. This isn't happening! This isn't happening!

With a hollow puff of air the coals ignited, and fire raced across the oil slicked floor, glowing blue, its hungry tendrils licking at whatever it could reach and consume.

Iolaus turned suddenly, struggling under the inhuman grip, eyes widening as he felt the heat reach for him where he lay in the viscous oil puddle his own fear had created and that now soaked his tunic. Fire. Oh gods, gotta move, gotta move NOW!

The monster did not even turn its head to look at the growing heat, so intent it was on slowly suffocating the hunter when it could easily have snapped his neck. The sadist, Iolaus thought hysterically. The flames did not touch the 'priest' but they reached for him, and he screamed again. Oh gods, oh gods. Burning to death or strangled by this giant, eaten alive by blood. I'm gonna die and Herc, Herc! The sword has blood on it too! Hercules will die too! Oh gods!

With a sudden burst of adrenaline and a strangled howl Iolaus pushed up, managing to shove the priest off his chest and free his arms, but it did no good. His right hand was now alive with the black blood corroding away at his flesh. He drew in one breath to scream as the hands eased on his neck but there was no time even for that before he was slammed back down on the now burning floorboards by the larger man.

A fractured cry and then a tortured scream was torn form his throat despite the inhuman pressure cutting off his air no matter how much he forced his lungs to slow and his heart to calm. His back was on FIRE! So was his hair! Desperately he reached inside, trying to ignore the crisping of his skin. What had Pai-Chang said? He fought the haze of pain, still trying to struggle away from the crushing grip at his throat that caused spots to dance before his eyes, or was it flames, or the blood, or--

("One cannot drive a nail into an empty space.")

The memory brought him back to himself and his burning body with a jolt that he immediately regretted. One cannot burn what isn't there either, Iolaus realized foggily, disconnected even now, floating away from the writhing twisting form his body had become.

I-It doesn't...b-burn, he told himself firmly, making himself believe. He'd fought off Dahak, had spent forever on the Paths of the Dead, he could DO this. It doesn't burn. The blood does not possess me. It cannot consume me because--because I-I haven't really come back, come to make this form, this body my home again. Too much risk. The fire can't have me because I'm not here, I'm NOT here, I'm...not here, I'M ...NOT... HERE ...

"W-what?" The choked gasp from the old man still looming above him broke the hunter from his mantra. He opened eyes he didn't remember squeezing shut and was amazed to see the man stumble away from him, flabbergasted, gaping, grey hair flying everywhere, robe singed but body unmarked.

Iolaus sat up and his eyes snapped to focus on the creature that had just tried to kill him. They latched on unmercifully, catching the monster in human form, his eyes mesmerizing it, holding it as a serpent clasps its prey spellbound.

Sputtering and gasping, backpedaling frantically, it shook its head, raising one unbelieving, pointing finger at the blond hero. "You--you're not dead!" Iolaus got to his feet, finding that he could do so without any pain. He looked down at his right hand and saw the black on his arm turn sickly green and then slide off his skin and fall into the flames below. He smiled brilliantly, though his eyes were as cold as the snowfields far to the north. "Everyone keeps saying that to me." He shrugged in seeming amicability and then took several steps forward, lessening the distance between the two of them before cocking back his fist and decking the monster.

Shrieking inhumanly as if that single blow had done what countless others hadn't done, what a sword to the gut hadn't done: shaken it to its very soulless existence. The priest fell quivering to the floor, curling into a tight ball, covering his face futilely.

Coolly, methodically, Iolaus kicked and laid into the cowering monster, feeling a deep satisfaction as he heard ribs crack and dark ichor instead of blood dripped from the nose and bubbled from the mouth of the creature Dahak spawned. With each blow sparks seemed to fly, what was left of the robes catching fire, eating away at the human form to reveal a sickly blackened creature with three twisting heads and stumpy claw-like arms. Its body was serpentine, pathetically old and decrepit, the heat from the burning oil catching quickly onto the dry wood of the attic and the hutches and cages of the still silent creatures imprisoned there. The heat of the collapsing floor beneath his feet drying away the damning blood into thick dark green ooze, useless and impotent beneath the fiery fury of the Golden Hunter.

"Please...please ..." the creature whimpered.

Iolaus held his blow, watching, waiting impassively where he stood amidst flames that no longer touched him.

The heads lifted weakly, skin drying, cracking, lips bleeding green. "I-I'm not going to...hurt you, not going to hurt you..." it promised moaning, its voice now nothing more than a high pitched whine; it had lost all its former deep quality. It reached up, pawing the air with its burnt stumps of arms. "Let me...let me *help* you..." it breathed, black eyes crawling and pulsing madly with what could only be called kindness and sympathy. "Let me...save you f-from the fire...give it to me..." It struggled closer, almost touching now. Iolaus kicked it away viciously. "Give it to me!" it demanded shrilly, screaming in fury now, all pretense stripped, the bare bones of its obsessive need throwing subterfuge to the winds. "GIVE IT TO ME, KERESASPA! IT'S MINE! GIVE ME THE FIRE! LET ME SAVE YOU! THE FIRE! THE FIRE INSIDE YOU! GIVE IT TO ME! IT'S MINE! GIVE! GIVE! GIVE...!"

The screaming went on and on. Iolaus tried blocking it out by covering his ears but it filled him, filled his head and his heart with the horrible truth. The fire was inside him now, something inside him, he'd invited it in... Snarling in disgust at the creature, blocking out its word, Iolaus lashed out again.

Don't think about it. Don't think about it, Don't think about what it could mean, don't THINK! he told himself in rhythm with his blows. Anything to get it to shut up and go away, to vanish in a puff of smoke; the stench, the sickening sight of it, the whining sound...

Panting, tears caused by the smoke, or the sound, or the flames that filled him-- Iolaus didn't know, didn't care, he raised his hands with a sob and ran them through his hair in hysterical frustration. It just wouldn't DIE! It HAD to die, he had to get AWAY from it. It was poisoning him, he could feel his insides twist beneath its gaze. It had forced him to let something possess him! He had to kill it, kill it NOW! Casting his eyes about the room quickly, desperately looking for a way to kill the creature even as the wooden boards beneath his feet cracked and broke away down into the temple's main room below, the heat rising like a forge, Iolaus caught sight of a serviceable board. Yanking it free and hefting it above his head without another thought other than that of finding relief, he brought it down with a sickening crunch onto one of the heads. It split open like an over-ripe melon, an inhuman cry shattering the air. Heartened by the soul- shivering sound that heralded the end to this gruesome task, he wiped tears from his cheeks with his arm and raised his club again, wanting nothing more than to end this.

With ruthless efficiency Iolaus unhesitatingly squashed the second head, feeling the blood splatter up on his arms and chest, turning to green ichor due to the heat, then sizzle off into vaporous nothingness. Beneath his feet floor boards fell into the room below where his friend waited for him, dead or alive or mindless. The upper levels of the temple made of wood were collapsing into the lower stone levels even as he watched.

Iolaus gazed once more on the disgusting, tortured creature before bringing his weapon to bear once more, snuffing out the last bare of black crawling eyes and never-ending screams with a loud squelch.

Sobbing in relief he dropped his club. He stared at his hands where even now the last of the green ichor smoldered into nothingness, leaving only glowing skin that reminded him of how Hercules had looked when Zeus had given him godhood. Suddenly his ears were filled with a different sound, no less loud. Animal cries, dozens of them squawking, screeching, howling, throwing themselves desperately against their cages and confines, trying to escape. Shaking himself, and wiping his eyes he stumbled over the floorboards even now collapsing in whole sections. He staggered to the cages he could reach and threw them open. The birds flew out of the windows in an instant, the furry animals rushing down what remained of the stairs, heedless of the fact that if they stumbled they would fall to their death, unafraid of the fire, braving it with no hesitation in a frantic escape of the temple.

The hunter took one last look at the creature and his stomach rebelled, hysteria rising like the gorge in his throat. Panicked, Iolaus followed after the animals, tearing down the stairs which caused them to collapse after only two steps. Pinwheeling his arms for balance was futile and with a cry he fell in a shower of burning wood and heated masonry into the blackness below.

***

"How do I look?"
"You look like you're about to pass out."
"That's because I am."
Promises

"You must have something to look forward to!"
"Death?"
"No!"
Stranger and Stranger

Part XIV

Hercules was dimly aware of someone or something screaming. The noise was horrible; he couldn't block it out even within the whiteness that now engulfed his mind with pleasant lassitude.

The sound refused to leave and no matter what he did Hercules could not push it aside. It was the voice of terror and desperation and agony. It was a voice he recognized.

Sitting up, wincing at the pain in his wrist and chest he looked up at the rafters in bewilderment, trying to figure out just what in Tartarus was going on. Glancing hurriedly around the room filled with cages that seemed vaguely familiar, his eyes caught on the nauseating sight of some big, black, crawling...thing inching its way across the floor. He watched as it wrapped tendrils around the base of one of the cages, taking on shape and form, limbs sprouting with horrific speed. It turned his stomach to look at the unholy creature, but its viscous darkness mesmerized him, held him spellbound until as if from nowhere a piece of smoldering wood struck a glancing blow across his temple.

Rolling away, shaking his head and reaching up to find a burn instead of a cut, Hercules stared up and found that the second floor was on fire.

The screaming that had stopped while he sat watching the ebony liquid-monster started again, indecipherable words giving way to wailing screams, inhuman and painful, causing the demigod to cover his ears in a desperate attempt to block the cry.

Gods, what's going on? Where was he? Nothing made sense! He felt the world slipping sideways once again and curled up as tight as he could on the floor, praying that if someone, anyone would stop that cursed sound he'd be eternally grateful.

He was dimly aware of flaming wood falling, knocking over cages and shattering tanks full of water leaving fish to flop helplessly on the floor. The black thing seemed unbothered by the debris raining from above, taking its time, surrounding and consuming the petrified creatures.

And then as suddenly as it had started the horrendous noise cut off, leaving the demigod gasping for breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. Finding he could move once again, he shook free of the paralysis that had bound his limbs and stood up shakily.

All around him the animals were no longer held immobile. The free ones, even the fish were making their way towards the exit with desperate haste, like rats abandoning a sinking ship. The black creature that went on consuming the stragglers, unconcerned and mindless.

Hercules realized he should do something, especially about the monster and the temple burning around him. That thought was foremost in his mind along with What in Tartarus? That thing's just..._wrong._ What just happened here? and most importantly Where WAS Iolaus?

A good portion of the ceiling crashed down behind him, causing the son of Zeus to jump in surprise, breaking his thoughts. Another small herd of creatures came sprinting down the flaming staircase that suddenly cracked with a loud BOOM and toppled sideways on top of the monster.

Hercules watched as the burning structure smashed onto the thing's back sending several rabbits, a mountain lion and a lizard flying through the air to land with various bounces and scrambles towards the door.

The lone human figure landed square on the creature.

The lone human figure, Hercules realized incredulously, was Iolaus.

And he was on fire.

Finally shaken out of his fugue state Hercules rushed forward to aid his unarmed friend, pushing aside thoughts of how, or why, intent on only one thing: Iolaus.

The monster roared as the hunter made contact with it, black ooze giving way to vile green ichor, losing physical shape and solidity. From beneath its rapidly changing surface the recently consumed animals pulled free and scrambled for safety.

The air was filled with a crackling hissing sound of frying bacon. The creak of the remaining rafters reminding the demigod that monster or no they had to get out of the temple, now! Dodging flying missiles and trying not to kick fleeing creatures or trip over cages he ran towards his friend. The hunter slid off the dissolving beast's back, flopping onto the green stained floor bonelessly before attempting to pull himself upright as a stunned Hercules' came to his side.

Iolaus was glowing with the fire that clung to his very skin, the radiance around him literally spitting off sparks. But the illuminating flames did not hide the fact that the hunter's neck was black with bruises, his right arm covered with claw marks. His brown leather vest was missing and his white shirt hung in tatters on his shoulders, exposing bruises and scrapes across his midsection and back. Fine tremors shook his frame and a tear- streaked soot-stained face seemed carved out of stone, more dead than alive. The demigod raised one cautious hand and braved the heat and made contact with the shorter man. Grasping hold of Iolaus firmly he helped the mortal warrior to his feet.

The hunter raised his head, blue eyes so bright they sparkled with an otherworldliness that was beyond even what Hercules had seen gods manifest. There was hysteria in those eyes, hatred, and horror, and a bone deep weariness. But he pulled away from the supporting grip, snarling at Hercules when he reached for the blond again. Standing on his own, his eyes turned, glued to the monster.

"Big sucker," he commented absently in a voice hoarse and raw as he watched.

"Well the bigger they are..." Hercules said forcing a strained chuckle above the sound of the burning building, hands clenching with helplessness, aching to drag his partner out of the temple before he fell flat on his face or the roof fell flat on them.

"The more bruises we have," Iolaus finished wryly. "Such a comforting thought, Herc." He spared his friend a wan smile that did not light his blue eyes with mirth but sorrow instead. "Go on," he motioned. "Get out of here. Leave it to me."

"But--" the demigod began, hovering closer.

"GO!"

For a moment Hercules stood, astonishment etched on his face before he turned without thinking and obeyed the snapped-out command as if his life depended on it.

Iolaus turned, body weary, soul collapsing, towards the melting creature that sizzled and hissed in soundless pain. Balling up one fist and taking a deep centering breath, ignoring the smoke that now filled the near empty temple, he let the blow fly.

Black gave way to green gave way to nothingness as he pounded into what had been his favorite sword. Ignoring his exhaustion he struck out again and again until the thing shrank and collapsed into a cloud of green bile.

Panting, Iolaus turned, refusing to even look around him as he trudged towards the door, tripping and stumbling the whole way. Pushing though the stone doors and leaving the inferno, the nightmare, behind he slammed the door shut behind him, pressing his forehead against the cold stone on the outside, even as the fire purified the desecrated sanctuary within.

Turning, gasping and coughing he leaned heavily against the door, sound fading in and out of focus. *Was someone calling to him?* He wasn't sure. He felt familiar hands grip his arms, but he couldn't be bothered with that now. They weren't trying to kill him so it didn't matter. He only knew his legs could hold him no longer and his mind could no longer listen even to itself. Darkness descended as he slid limply to the ground.

Time faded in and out even as his sense of being did. Sensation became fragmented, physicality an uncertainty. He opened his eyes to find a strange room lit by lamps gleaming in the firelight, midmorning sunshine streaming through an open window, the darkness of night. Sometimes he merely lay there, unmoving, refusing to open his eyes as hands tended to him, cleaned his wounds, changed bandages, brought broth and water to his lips. He was sure he had heard a woman singing, and felt delicate fingers in his hair followed by water, rinsing out the feeling of lather. He felt strong arms resting atop him, warm breath against the back of his neck, a familiar smell of leather and spice surrounding him. A voice, deep and masculine, familiar. He let the feelings wash over him, and chose for the moment to ignore the rest, the whys and the hows of the situation. There was time enough for that later.He slept.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he finally opened his eyes and felt and saw and heard and smelled and tasted all at once, aware of his body, his self. He stared up at a canopy of silk, surrounded by a sea of velvety pillows, covered with layers of blankets. Slowly he raised one hand into his line of sight and found it carefully bandaged and slightly luminescent.

So it wasn't a dream.

Closing his eyes with a sigh Iolaus fought to control the clenching of his heart. It hurt, oh gods, did it hurt right now to be awake, to remember so clearly.

No hysterical amnesia for me. Oh no! I'm never that lucky.

There was something inside him. He could never get away from it, never manage to hide from it or defeat it. It was beneath his skin, closer than his own blood to his very being. And it scared the Tartarus out of him. He shifted gingerly in the foreign bed, trying to figure out where he was hurt and winced when he realized the answer was everywhere. Deciding to brave the world once again-- after all, what else can possibly go wrong? he thought with bitter sarcasm --he forced open his eyes to find his partner sitting beside him as if he had materialized out of thin air.

Hercules wordlessly held a cup to his lips and raising his head a fraction of an inch Iolaus drank what upon tasting, appeared to be warm broth. After several swallows he turned his head away, closing his eyes at the wave of dizziness that motion produced. He opened them again to find his partner looking down at him with solemn sad eyes, a healing burn faint against his temple.

But this was too much. Too much too soon. He couldn't deal with his brother's guilt, or his apologies, or his breakdowns. He'd managed to swallow his grief when Deianeira and the children died to help his friend, managed to help the demigod with Serena according to Hercules' telling of the non-event, stood supportively and unjudgingly by as his best friend ascended to godhood after Alcmene's death, he'd even let the man cry in his hair and wipe his nose on his robe in Egypt but he couldn't face this now. Not now, perhaps not ever again. He was sinking so fast, to even look at his comrade in arms struggling beside him, let alone reach out and help him would kill him. Again.

So Iolaus closed his eyes and let the darkness of sleep claim him, blotting out the glow he cast, suddenly preferring the horror of his dreams remembered to the unforgiving light of day.

***

"I'm Iolaus. Y'know, Hercules' best friend, companion, comrade in arms, renowned in song and story-- I don't know why I bother!"
King for a Day

"You have suffered and you have lost, yet what lies inside you burns brighter than a thousand suns."
Resurrection

Part XV

Wiping at the steamed mirror, Hercules stared at his blurry reflection in the polished bronze. The burn on his temple was nothing more than a faint blemish now, only slightly tender and pale against his tanned skin. The rest of his face remained as it always had; palace living and the generous hospitality of King Dariush kept him well fed no matter how many hours he spent in vigilant watch over his brother.

It shouldn't be like that, Hercules thought grimly. He should be wounded, bleeding, dying. It should be me in that bed, He looked back over his shoulder and caught sight once again of the faintly luminescent form lying so still on the bed. Because it was MY fault.

For perhaps the thousandth time he cursed his own stupidity. He had allowed himself to be manipulated, paralyzed, lying helpless on the floor while his best friend was dragged away to face the demon alone. It was too reminiscent of the time spent gasping on the floor in the stone monument as Gilgamesh drank the nectar of the Sumerian gods. It was a moment of profound epiphany when he had truly realized how deeply betrayal could run.

He had never wanted to feel it again.

He obviously hadn't gotten his wish.

Iolaus had been completely comatose for the whole trip down the mountain, through the tender care of physicians and nurses, through his own careful watch. Sometimes the hunter seemed on the verge of wakefulness, twitching and shifting on the massive bed, but he hadn't truly opened his eyes until a few days ago. Hercules' shivered despite the heat of the washroom. The look of desperation in his friend's eyes still haunted him. His own presence it seemed was not a comfort to his partner, but he remained in the room anyway, refusing to let Iolaus go far from his sight or mind except for rare moments like now when his own body insisted vehemently for the need to be clean.

Leaning back, away from the mirror, the demigod scanned the adjacent room where the blond lay still oblivious to the world. The healers had said he would be fine and Jahangir had requested a meeting with the both of them as soon as they were able. King Dariush had postponed a major feast welcoming back several of his daughters from the monster's clutches in hopes that Keresaspa would be there to join them. But Iolaus had not stirred in over a day and Hercules was growing more and more worried.

Gods, I wish Kheper was here. At least I could trust him to know what to do.

Jahangir had offered his services the moment they had entered the city, but Hercules had pushed him away, refusing any help, carrying the burning hunter through the awed and silent crowd up to the palace where he was given a room, competent healers, and privacy without question.

Sighing heavily he slipped into a pair of soft loose brown breeches and pulled one of the heavy drying cloths around his shoulders beneath his damp hair. Shuffling back into the main room he looked toward the large bed and then out the window and then whipped his head back around at the sight of the mortal warrior sitting up, awake and aware, the golden fire still casting an unnatural glow to his skin.

Swallowing hard, the demigod met the hunter's emotionless eyes, blue for blue. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly,

Iolaus ignored the question. "What happened?"

"You collapsed outside the temple--" Hercules began.

The blond huffed and pushed away the mountain of covers that lay pooled around his waist. "What about-- what about the hostages?" he blinked as he caught sight of the soft billowy pants he wore that reminded him of the powder blue pair he had worn in Egypt. "The animals?"

Hercules had to hold himself back. He wanted to push his friend back down and cocoon him once again in the safely and warmth of the covers, far away from monsters, demons, and burning temples. He clenched his fists and his jaw and shoved the protective, instinctive urge away. "They changed back as soon as they stepped outside. All the women are safe. Some a little worse for wear after that...that thing tried to eat them."

Iolaus was up now, searching through his sack that lay discarded at the foot of the bed and merely nodded, not turning his attention from his frantic activity until the demigod thrust something under his nose for inspection. His amulet hung by its cord, swinging gently. The hunter took it slowly from the outstretched hand, noting that the demigod didn't flinch from his contact, didn't seem hurt by it the way the black creature and the demon had.

Seemingly comforted to Hercules' eyes, Iolaus ducked away from his partner's inquiring gaze and slipped the amulet around his neck and then shrugged into the shirt that had been laid out for him.

"They want to see you," Hercules put in awkwardly. "When you feel up to it," he added hastily. Gods, don't pressure him now! he thought to himself. Iolaus seemed on the edge of losing it completely. "So does the King. He requested an audience with you, with us," the demigod amended hastily. "Sort of a party I guess."

"What does he want?" Iolaus asked, eyes shifting to the side nervously, voice still as close to emotionless as he could get.

"He...uh, he wants to thank you for returning his daughter. Javad's sister."

"Javad's sister?" That caught the hunter's interest.

"Yeah," Hercules ran his hand through his damp hair. "She's one of the King's daughters just like Javad's one of the king's sons. It seems that all the secrecy and the guards with scimitars weren't for us, they were for Javad. His older brother Reza went off and tried to rescue the hostages."

Iolaus' brow furrowed, as if he was remembering some unpleasant incident. *Well he certainly has many to chose from,* Hercules thought darkly. Iolaus asked, "And he died and now Javad is the crown prince?"

"Yeah."

The blond seemed to ponder this for a long moment before coming to a conclusion. "He'll do a good job."

"Yeah, I figured that too," Hercules agreed wishing his brother would stop standing there avoiding his gaze. Suddenly and unexpectedly choked with feeling some part of his brain overrode good sense and found a way to open his mouth before he could stop himself. "Iolaus, I'm sorry."

Iolaus finally, finally raised his eyes to meet his brother's. "For what?"

The taller man floundered for a minute and then found some words that he hoped to the gods fit the circumstances. "For...for not trusting your judgment."

The hunter looked away, shrugging into a dress shirt laid out for him made of dark blue silk by the feel of it. "S'okay Herc. Dahak's kind are good at tricking people. No lasting harm done," he finished quietly, staring at his hand, flexing it slightly, watching the gold and darker reds and oranges flicker across his skin like ripples in a pond.

Hercules took a step forward, reaching out a hand to his best friend when a sudden knock on the door intruded, destroying the moment. The demigod froze, hoping whoever they were they would go away. But another knock at the door followed by a deep voice ended that idea.

"If I may enter, honored sirs?" the voice asked politely.

Jahangir, Hercules thought trying to suppress his irrational dislike of the man.

"Go ahead and let him in," Iolaus said with a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'm decent."

Hercules hesitated for a moment, watching as his friend found his boots and his knife. He then turned towards the door and yanked it open, standing as tall as he could, using his size shamelessly to gain whatever upper hand he might have against the priest who wore the traitorous king's face.

Jahangir was not the least bit bothered by the posturing; he neither acknowledged it with fear or with a smile. He bowed slightly in a silent query for permission. The demigod grudgingly stood aside, knowing the hunter would give him Tartarus for intimidating the seemingly innocent man.

The priest entered and upon sight of the glowing mortal warrior he bowed even lower. "Keresaspa," he whispered almost reverently. "Atar."

Hercules shut the door and moved to stand slightly between the hunter and the priest, crossing his arms on his chest, scowl deepening on his face. He could almost hear Iolaus roll his eyes at the gesture behind him as the blond tugged on the new boots he'd been provided courtesy of a grateful Empire.

"Don't call me that." Not looking up from his boots, Iolaus addressed the priest, all business now, voice cold, ignoring the demigod's very existence. "Tell me you can get rid of this."

Jahangir, raised his head in puzzlement. "Get rid of this?"

Iolaus gestured with one hand, the glow of his skin suddenly bursting into fire. Hercules had to control the urge to grab the pitcher of water on the table and soak his friend.

It won't do any good. It won't do any good, he reminded himself firmly.

"I cannot," Jahangir admitted. "Those blessed as you have been do not seek to be rid of the gift."

Iolaus stood, his very presence forcing Hercules to step away and the priest to take a hasty step back. "I do not consider something forced upon me a gift," he said in a voice made low and rough with anger, face still set in stone.

Jahangir swallowed and shot the demigod a hasty glance. Hercules ignored it. If his brother wanted to rip the priest to shreds he would help, if his brother wanted to ignore the man he would help, if Iolaus wanted to give up fighting and join the Widow Twanky's dance troupe he would help. He would do whatever his best friend wanted he realized with sudden clarity. He owed him that much. Iolaus deserved that much.

"If you can't get rid of it who can?" The hunter asked softly.

The dark skinned man shook his head and bowed again. "Forgive me Keres- Iolaus," he amended hastily at the look of anger that suffused the blond's face. "The fire comes from you. The gift is the gift of life. You of all the people in this world are able to call it up at will, able to bend it to your will," he explained almost hurriedly, as if truly afraid of the mortal's wrath. "The fire did not come from without, it came from within. That is why you and only you could defeat the demon. The late crown prince Reza could not, but you and only you could finish what Thraetona began over a millennium ago."

It was a good explanation, Hercules had to admit. It held truth in it. He knew from the dreams he had shared with his partner while carrying around his heart that Iolaus had learned to do some amazing things. If anyone could burn without being hurt it was Iolaus. But he didn't know these gods or their legends or their heroes. The lack of knowledge frightened him because he would never be able to take anything this man said at face value, simply because of the literal face attached to those words. He looked at his friend, still standing, still glowing. ..

And looked on in awe as the glow faded, seeming to sink back into the hunter's very skin. Only his hair seemed to still have its golden nimbus around it, but it was more from the sunlight through the windows of the room rather than from divine fire.

Iolaus let his head fall back and his eyes close as he breathed a sigh of relief. Flexing his hands he again focused his attention on Jahangir. His eyes opened and Hercules tried not to gasp at the ancient knowledge held there, the otherworldliness that spoke of another man, another time that filled his friend's body.

He was not looking at Iolaus, or at least not ONLY Iolaus.

"We did what you asked," Iolaus, Keresaspa, whoever he was concluded finally, more than a touch of weary sorrow in his voice.

The priest's dark eyes seemed almost sympathetic. "And you have our thanks, Keresaspa."

"It is done then," the man, the legendary hero concluded with a nod, and then its, his presence faded and only Iolaus stood before the two men again.

He shrugged at their astonishment, as uncomfortable as they were about the sudden visitor from another time, another world. "Didn't you say there was a party we had to go to, Herc?" he asked.

Hercules shook himself out of his stupor. If Iolaus wanted a party...Slapping the shorter man on the shoulder he forced a smile. "Let's go, partner."

***

"It's a special friend that can help a man even after his death."
The Vanishing Dead

Epilogue

Iolaus had deserted the party. There wasn't much there that interested him. The king had offered him one of his daughters as a bride, a beautiful young girl with dark brown hair and even darker eyes. The sight of her caused Hercules' jaw to drop and his face go pale as if he recognized her. But the hunter had not been that interested in her, beauty or no. He felt out of place. The awed looks, the quick signs of protection, the frank appraisal by men and women alike, all dissecting him, all judging him. He did not want to be a conversation piece, or a religious icon. He was just Iolaus.

Just Iolaus.

Perhaps if I keep telling myself that one day I'll believe it, he thought to himself wryly.

He looked out at the purpling sky, the city lying out before him, hundreds of lamps flickering below, stars above. His own glow had sunk back beneath his skin as it were. The part of him that was Keresaspa (there was no denying it now) lay at rest as well after speaking from the past, a past that was as much Iolaus' as it was the ancient hero's. They were truly the same person, he would know if he wasn't. But both hero and fire had vanished from sight. Back where it always came from if he believed Jahangir's words.

But right now he didn't believe in words at all, any words. It didn't matter if they came from kings or priests or demigods. He didn't even care for the grateful murmurs of appreciation from the found women and their relieved families. They didn't know how it was. They didn't know anything.

Pai-Chang knew though. So did Huang-Po. The men at the temple understood, words became redundant, unnecessary. They would be right over those mountains, east and just a little to the north. Their temple perched like a hawk on the mountain, balancing like a heron in a running stream.

He could go, Iolaus thought with an insane recklessness that filled his bones. He could go and find peace. It would be all right, accepted to just forget about the physical, about the part of him that WAS Iolaus. It would even be encouraged. He could just hope over the balcony and fall to one of the lower roofs and creep away into the night and no one would find him, not unless he wanted them to.

Not even Hercules.

"Iolaus?"

Speak of the demigod... Iolaus thought with a silent sigh. He didn't turn but was all too familiar with what his partner's expression and body language would reveal if he did. Worry, guilt, barely concealed concern. He'd seen it too many times. He knew the other man by heart.

He felt Hercules shift from foot to foot with impatience behind him before, with a deceptive casualness that hadn't fooled Iolaus ever, he came and rested his arms on the balcony ledge beside his partner and pretended to stare out over the city.

"Nice night," Hercules said after a long pause. "Pretty view."

Iolaus rolled his eyes but refuses to answer. Typical. This was sooo typical. I want peace, he wants small talk. Gods, I wish he'd just come out and SAY it already. Iolaus, I'm worried about yadda yadda yadda, Iolaus you need to words words words, Iolaus don't even think about blah blah blah.... The hunter rubbed his face with his hand. Maybe it was time to shake things up a bit, rock the boat. If not for his sake then for his brother's. He was going to turn into an old biddy well before his time if he didn't stop fretting over Iolaus as if he was some helpless fragile child! Oh well, into the fray. "I was thinking about this temple I visited years ago further east. I was thinking about just going," Iolaus peeked a glance at his friend. "Right now," he continued mercilessly in a blunt tone. "Over the balcony," he mimed the dive with one hand. "Poof! I'm there," he finished, slapping the stone railing in emphasis.

Hercules jumped.

Gotcha! Iolaus thought gleefully. Try and coddle me!

The demigod was still for a long moment before nodding. He'd received a message from Greece asking for his presence in Illyria to deal with a giant but that didn't matter now. "Whatever you want, Iolaus."

Oh brother! The hunter turned to face his friend. "Is that how it's going to be from now on? Anything I want I get?" he asked, voice rising stridently.

Hercules sputtered for a moment but then clamped his jaw shut as if purposefully making himself an easy target for his best friend's ire. Which incidentally made Iolaus even madder.

"Why in Tartarus would you think that that is what I want?" he yelled now, stepping forward and shoving the demigod backward with one push. "Well you're wrong, Herc! Okay? I don't need the quintessential manservant because you feel guilt! Get it through your thick head! You did everything you could! If you're going to blame yourself about what happened up on the mountain then you have to blame me for all the trouble Dahak caused when he had me!"

That got the taller warrior's attention. "NO!" Hercules snarled. "You didn't do anything wrong!" He moved forward and grabbed Iolaus by the shirt and lifted him until they were nose to nose. "I won't have you believing that you failed!"

"And I won't have you believing that either!" Iolaus yelled back, giving as good as he got.

The two men glared at each other, breath heaving until Hercules realized he had Iolaus dangling in the air, an Iolaus whose ribs were still bandaged tight, who was covered in bruises. Slowly he put his best friend back on the ground.

"Iolaus I'm sor--"

"No!" The hunter cut him off with a slap to the chest. "No! New rule. You only get one apology a day."

"That's a stupid rule," Hercules said, pouting. "What if I--"

"I don't care. Do I look like I care? For your information I don't," the hunter crossed his arms and scowled. "Why should you make all the rules?" The blond turned back to his contemplation of the city.

Things were quite for a second and then Hercules leaned back over the ledge next to his friend. Iolaus had a point. "Okay. One apology a day."

"For you," the hunter reminded him pointedly, eyes still fastened out onto the city.

Hercules opened his mouth to protest but shut it with an audible snap. This was not an argument he was going to win and he knew it.

"So are you still planning on heading East?" he asked quietly, unable to hold back, not about this. It was too important.

Iolaus sighed and rubbed his eyes with one bandaged hand. It was tempting. So tempting. He wondered if Hercules knew how bad it was, how much he yearned sometimes for the possibility of peace. And then he wondered whether it was truly worth it without his friend.

He stared down at his hands, and could make out the glow beneath the skin, ever-present like the thin white scar on his chest. He thought of what bits and pieces Dahak had shown him of his brother's paralyzing grief. "It can wait," Iolaus said just as quietly into the perfumed air. "You know, until there's a lull in the monster patrol. Then we can go."

We.

Well, that says it all doesn't it? Iolaus thought with an inward smile. It wasn't really whether or not he could or couldn't make the choice to go somewhere anymore, it came down to how to get his brother to come with him in between the obligations they shared together. We have time, he thought staring up at the stars, feeling contentment wash through him as Hercules' hand came to rest on his shoulder. We have time.

end

DISCLAIMER: Iolaus' virtue was not harmed in this story though his ego was bruised and his reputation was never quite the same after it got out that Vizier Amir found his ankles fetching. The Vizier himself never quite remembered the details of the night. Hercules suffered reoccurring abdominal spasms as a result of the rumors, but is said to be recovering nicely after his unscheduled dump into the cow pond courtesy of his brother. Jason wisely chose to say nothing and Iphicles vehemently denies the event ever happened.

Author's Note: Special thanks to Martha Wells Wilson, Kimberly Rector, Valentin, and all of you who took the time to encourage me, and write thoughtful feedback. You made this story and all those that follow possible.