The aftermath of the battle was being quietly cleaned up. Most of the
Dragons were still unconscious from fighting and losing and were being
taken into the city by most of the Shang to be imprisoned. There were only
a few deaths, and those were being buried out in the forest.
The cadets were sitting with Kel for support; Lilith had found a skin filled with water, which Kel gratefully accepted. Jason had found her gear in a corner of the barn; she still had her sword, but her haversack and traveling robe had been thrown to wild dogs that had been in the barn to drive them away and torn to shreds. Kel gave back to Hercules most of his strength, just enough so that the both of them could stay awake.
While resting (the hours of beatings she had received were now starting to take their toll) and watching the clouds change colors from the rising sun from inside the barn, a Shang warrior came up to Kel, who was surrounded by the cadets. It was the blond man who had kept Jetar busy so that Kel would have her chance at him. At closer inspection, he was tall, well-muscled, a black headband with a phoenix encircled by a ring of fire pictured on the center of it, tied through mussed dark blond hair. His teal blue eyes radiated concern as he knelt in front of Kel.
"How are you feeling, Kel?" he asked gently, his voice a surprisingly smooth baritone.
"I think I'm in love," whispered Lilith, lovestruck by the handsome warrior.
"I'm fine, Justane. You'll excuse me if I skip introductions, but I have question and I assume you have the answers."
"I understand. I'll try to explain everything, just ask me anything else at the end. I suppose I should start with the undercover agents we sent."
Hercules interrupted. "The four that got killed, right?"
Justane took a deep breath. "Yes.and the fifth one that lived."
"The fifth?" Kel asked, surprised. "Who was it?"
"Reskal."
Kel and the cadets were shocked speechless; Justane used their silence to call out to the front of the barn, "Come on out, Reskal; they know."
He appeared from outside the doorway, looking relieved, tired, and even a bit nervous all at once.
"Reskal? He was.?" Kel managed to squeak out.
"Yes, I was," the former Dragon confirmed. "That's why you're alive; Hercules and the others too, also how the rest of the Shang got here."
"But if you're supposed to be one of the good guys," Iolaus asked flatly, "Then why are the other four Shang dead"
Reskal's face grew sad. "I had no idea what had happened until it was too late. I was returning from Athens; Jetar told me what happened. I saw their bodies. I've had nightmares ever since."
It was silent for a few moments for everyone. A man's voice broke the awkward silence from outside the barn. "Reskal!"
Excusing himself from Justane and the others, he left in the direction of the voice. Hercules couldn't help but think, why does that voice sound so familiar?
Justane went on. "As soon as the palace got hit with the first 'accident', High Master Vedaren called a meeting of all Shang warriors. We immediately recruited Reskal to be undercover from then on, so we'd have someone on the inside who would be there from the beginning; Reskal was the only one capable of being believable of becoming a Dragon."
"What about the accidents he caused at the palace?" Kel sounded skeptical. "He broke Odanna's arm!" And upset, too.
"Those were all planned. We knew what it would take to be a Dragon and what it would take to stay that way and that you could heal whatever injuries came about. And it worked."
"And he's been undercover all this time?" Jason asked.
"Yes, which is why he's relieved beyond belief, his life isn't hanging by a thread day in and day out anymore."
Kel was furious. "And what about the attack on the Academy? Iolaus could've died."
The Phoenix had an apologetic look on his face. "That was under Jetar's orders; if he had disobeyed, Jetar might've killed him and sent someone who would've completely destroyed the Academy. We were hoping you could heal up anything that happened."
Kel was absolutely outraged, but before she could say anything, Hercules clapped a hand over her mouth and quickly asked, "How did you know where to find us?"
Justane looked grateful for the subject change. "We've been following Kel at a distance ever since she left Shang, we wanted to make sure everything went to plan. Reskal knew about the whole thing and got a message to us somehow about the attack on the Academy, so we didn't accidentally waltz right into their camp. We watched the whole thing; the attack on the Academy, the sword fight, Kel's dash into the forest. Unfortunately we had no idea where she had disappeared to- by the way, nice job on covering your tracks, Kel; Lansek had no idea where you were."
She felt calmer than just a few moments ago; one corner of her lips turned upwards in a small smile. "You're kidding- Lansek? He was the best tracker we had at the palace."
Justane nodded. "Except this time, you vanished without a trace. So we started searching. We had to hide when a centaur came running through the forest. We followed him, but he ended up carrying- I believe it was you, Hercules- with an arrow through your shoulder. Going farther, we found a clearing with blood smeared on some ferns and also tracks leading northwards to Corinth. So we left; going through the forest was hard with horses. When we got to Corinth we had no idea of where the Dragons' meeting place was, so we search for an eternity before Reskal found us. He had about twenty men with him and we had to quietly take care of them before any of them could carry the alarm back to their headquarters. Then he led us to this barn; we arrived just in time to see Jetar's sword in the air above Hercules. I immediately ordered Myara to fire that first shot. The rest, you know."
They all nodded quietly. Sensing their need to be alone, Justane quickly excused himself.
The cadets were slightly upset by the Phoenix's explanation. "I can't believe this," Jason started. "The least they could've done is have told you what was going on."
Kel shook her head. "It's understandable- it's the Shang way. It wasn't necessary to let me know what was going on; in fact, it probably made my story more believable."
"But what about everyone who got hurt, or could've been hurt?" Iolaus asked.
"All in all, this was the safest way to defeat the Dragons with the least amount of damage. I'm not entirely too happy about it, but it was certainly better than an all-out war."
Hercules couldn't help but think, Well, there's something to be said about a warrior's code of honor.
"Come on, guys, we should probably be going now." Kel got up slowly, and cadets followed suit. They walked outside to the front of the barn, which faced the rising sun. The serenity of the scene contrasted dramatically with what had happened in the last hour. A few Shang warriors were lounging about on the cool, dewy grass, resting from digging graves for the Dragons who had been killed. Most of the others were still in Corinth, most likely trying to wake up prison officials to secure the remaining Dragons. One of the female warriors, who was talking with Reskal (who looked a touch on the pale side), saw Kel and the cadets come out and approached them.
"Now I think I'm in love," Iolaus said softly, as he watched the pretty blond woman come up to them.
Jason elbowed him in the ribs. "You're always in love."
"I'm glad to see you're all right, Kel," the woman said, her unusual purple eyes sincere. "I overheard a little of what Justane told you. I'm sure you remember my brother's tendency to be a bit straightforward, if not brutal, in these things sometimes."
"Yes, I remember. Myara, these are friends I met at the Academy- Hercules, Iolaus, Jason and Lilith; everyone, this is one of my best friends from Shang, Myara the Unicorn."
Quiet greetings were exchanged, along with a whisper from Lilith to Iolaus, "Iolaus, you're drooling." Finding out he wasn't, he retaliated with a swift poke to Lilith's side.
Myara hid a smile and went on. "I'm one of the Masters at Shang, of archery to be more precise."
Hercules put in, "Oh, yeah, Justane said that you were the one who shot Jetar in the arm. Thanks, you saved my life."
Myara blushed slightly but laughed it off. "Hey, don't mention it, all in a day's work. Oh, by the way, did you see what happened to Reskal just now?"
"No," Kel answered, looking over at him leaning against a giant tree. "Is that why he looks so pale?"
"Yep; right before you came out, Ares paid him a visit."
"Great, what did he want now?" Hercules muttered.
"Actually, it was about you," Myara said amusedly. "Something about a deal and you being dead or something. What does he have against you?"
"Typical," Hercules said. "Yeah, he's my half-brother; my dad's also Zeus."
"Nice to see sibling rivalry exists even in immortal realms. Anyways, Reskal said that there was never a deal, since he never said he would kill you- no deal, no death. And, of course, since it seemed Reskal was right, Ares got even more furious, told Reskal that he'd better hope that their paths never cross again, then vanished."
"Well, let's hope that they never do," Hercules said. "Ares can keep a grudge for an eternity."
The five of them talked for a while with the rest of the Shang warriors until the rest of the Shang returned from the city.
Justane came up to Kel and the cadets, who were talking to the Falcon about tracking skills. "Sorry that took so long, but it seems none of the prison officials are morning people. Are you all ready to go home?"
"I think so, we just need to get our horses," Lansek answered. To the cadets, he asked, "Did you all walk here or do you need a ride?"
"Actually we left our mounts in that old abandoned stable over there," Jason replied, pointing over the stable where they had left their horses on their way to rescue Kel.
Justane smiled. "That's where we left ours; we hoped the other horses wouldn't mind a lot of company. So I guess we can ride with you guys back to your academy, then head home."
"Well, you guys don't have to leave that quick, do you?" Iolaus asked, looking over at Myara, who was talking with a few of the other female Shang. "I mean, if Kora has empty rooms in her inn and Cheiron probably won't mind if some of you stayed the night in the Academy, get new provisions and stuff. Cheiron'll probably ask you to stay longer to teach us cadets some of the stuff you do."
Justane stroked his chin reflectively. "I'll have to discuss it with the others; doesn't sound too bad though. After spending the last few weeks in the woods, cooking over fires, and sleeping in shifts on the hard ground, a soft bed and a warm meal sound terrific."
The whole group walked down to the stable-turned-horse hotel. Once mounted, about a dozen Shang left (including Myara to Iolaus' disappointment); these were the Shang sent to wander the land in search of adventure and knowledge, coming back to Shang occasionally to share what they learned in their travels.
Although Kel was the only one who came to Corinth without a mount of her own, one of the Shang, Farran the Tiger, aptly named for his flaming red hair, found where the Dragons kept their horses and she used one of theirs, a sturdy tan mare. On the way back, a decision was made. The rest of the Shang shared Justane's view on shelter for the night; they'd try to get rooms at Kora's. The cadets made many friends along the way among the warriors- Farran, Aidan the Fox, and many others. After a brief stop for a late lunch and to let the horses rest, Hercules decided that this might be the last opportunity to talk to Kel privately, so shortly after they started off again, he quietly asked her if they could talk alone. She agreed and the two of them maneuvered their horses to the back of the group and dropped back a bit, so they could talk in normal tones.
"So where do you want to start?" Kel asked.
"I have no idea, I have so many questions," Hercules answered. After a short moments' pause, he asked, "How about 'What are you?' You're definitely not like anyone I've ever met, and I've met a lot of people."
Kel chuckled. "No, I'm not at that. Nor like anyone else you'll ever meet. Well, I can't tell you what I am, not exactly, because even I don't know. I only remember what my parents looked like, but never their names, nor our race. My first real memory is of Master Torias finding me when he was only a novice and I only an infant. Not much you can go off of."
"Yeah, I guess. And your healing abilities?"
"Part of my heritage, I suppose; separates me from humans and deities."
After some silence, Hercules cleared his throat. Well, here goes. "Kel, there's something to have to tell you."
She turned her head to look at him, her golden eyes catching his blue ones with a steady gaze. "I know."
Hercules smiled a little. "But I didn't even say anything."
"It's about how you feel about me, isn't it?"
Hercules felt his jaw drop in surprise. "How did you-"
"Hercules, there's something you should know about me. I'm a telepath."
"A what?"
"A telepath. A mind reader."
Oh no. So she had known all along.
"A touch telepath, to be more specific; but I can still sense emotions even when I'm not in contact with someone. I sensed you were nervous before you started speaking, and along with your thoughts from the time I had to heal both myself and Iolaus back at the Academy, I just put two and two together."
"Oh."
"And I just wanted to say a couple things. First, I'm flattered really; for only knowing me for so short a time and in that situation with the Dragons, you were really sweet. But I'm still deeply in love with love with Liam, although he's been dead for two years."
"Oh. Guess he was pretty special."
"Yes, he was, in so many ways. And so are you."
"What do you mean?"
"The reason why I'm not over Liam is because our minds were already bonded in a way that one could never be complete without the other- a side effect of my heritage. And when he died, I couldn't feel his presence anymore and it still tears me up inside. But I've discovered that your mind is just as compatible as his."
"So. that means that you and me.?" Hercules saw a small glimmer of hope.
"Yes, it does. But not now. Perhaps in different times and circumstances, we could've been together. And maybe we can in the future, but not now."
Hercules' heart fell. "I see."
Kel looked over at the subdued demigod and leaned over to lightly punch him in the arm. "Hey, cheer up. I said maybe someday, right? Besides, after I leave you might meet some girl that's gonna absolutely take your breath away and you won't even remember me anymore."
Not likely. "Maybe."
"Trust me, a nice guy like you isn't gonna stay single forever."
Hercules chuckled. "Thanks. So are you gonna be staying the night with us again tonight?"
"I don't know. I do need to catch up with my friends."
"Oh come on, you've got the entire trip back to your palace to catch up. We probably won't see you ever again after you leave."
"Ha ha, all right. I'll stay, if it won't be too much trouble."
"No trouble at all; just try not to go beating up any more of our cadets."
They both laughed, then, catching up to the rest of the group, continued on their way home.
* * * * * * * * *
The next morning was a familiar scene, although the sun was rising this time, not setting. The four cadets and Cheiron were outside the open front gate, Kel with them, her horse in tow, Justane and Lansek both a short distance from the Academy on horseback, waiting for her.
"Too bad you can't stay, Kel," Jason said. "Even if we would have to endure daily beatings, er, practices." A mischievous twinkle shone in his eyes.
"Careful, Jason, or I can leave you with a last beating, er, practice for you to remember me by," Kel answered, an impish twinkle in her eyes. "But really, I just need to go home."
"Just don't forget us, ok?" Lilith asked.
"I won't, I promise. I'll try to visit down here again if I can, too."
"Yeah, sure," Iolaus dismissed quickly. "Do you think you could get Myara to come back and visit?"
"We'll see, but don't hold your breath."
"Kel!" Lansek called.
"Well, it looks like it's time."
"Safe journey, Rekelen of Shang," Cheiron said formally, extending his arm towards the Cobra.
She grasped his arm warmly. "Stay well, Headmaster Cheiron."
Letting go, she stepped back and made as if to go, but then walked over to Hercules. She held up one hand, looking him squarely in the eye. "A gift, if you want it."
Puzzled but curious, he nodded.
Stepping closer to him, Kel put her hand up to his face, placing her fingers on specific points. Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath.
Hercules closed his eyes also. He felt Kel's presence in his mind, warm, soothing, filling his mind with information. It came in fast; Hercules struggled with the flow of it, until it died down and he could sort through it all.
Both Justane and Lansek knew what was going on, but like the others, they could only watch in fascination as a faint golden glow passed from Kel through her fingers into Hercules.
After only a few moments, the glow disappeared; they both opened their eyes, and Kel removed her hand. Hercules could only stare into her eyes, as if not believing what just happened. Kel whispered something to Hercules that the others couldn't hear. She then hopped up on her horse, joined Justane and Lansek, and they all rode off.
The cadets and Cheiron came up to Hercules, who was still staring off in Kel's direction, his eyes in a trance-like state.
Iolaus leaned over to Hercules, also staring off towards Kel, and asked quietly, "What happened? What'd she say?"
Hercules whispered, still in a trance, "Remember."
Just as Kel was about to ride out of view, she turned her head and looked back. As Hercules saw her as she sat upon her mount- dangerous as the cobra she was named for, yet beautiful as a rose- in his mind's eye, he saw her as she truly was- a warrior suited to the cool climates of her home, the Shang palace, a place to which she had just shown him every step of the way.
The cadets were sitting with Kel for support; Lilith had found a skin filled with water, which Kel gratefully accepted. Jason had found her gear in a corner of the barn; she still had her sword, but her haversack and traveling robe had been thrown to wild dogs that had been in the barn to drive them away and torn to shreds. Kel gave back to Hercules most of his strength, just enough so that the both of them could stay awake.
While resting (the hours of beatings she had received were now starting to take their toll) and watching the clouds change colors from the rising sun from inside the barn, a Shang warrior came up to Kel, who was surrounded by the cadets. It was the blond man who had kept Jetar busy so that Kel would have her chance at him. At closer inspection, he was tall, well-muscled, a black headband with a phoenix encircled by a ring of fire pictured on the center of it, tied through mussed dark blond hair. His teal blue eyes radiated concern as he knelt in front of Kel.
"How are you feeling, Kel?" he asked gently, his voice a surprisingly smooth baritone.
"I think I'm in love," whispered Lilith, lovestruck by the handsome warrior.
"I'm fine, Justane. You'll excuse me if I skip introductions, but I have question and I assume you have the answers."
"I understand. I'll try to explain everything, just ask me anything else at the end. I suppose I should start with the undercover agents we sent."
Hercules interrupted. "The four that got killed, right?"
Justane took a deep breath. "Yes.and the fifth one that lived."
"The fifth?" Kel asked, surprised. "Who was it?"
"Reskal."
Kel and the cadets were shocked speechless; Justane used their silence to call out to the front of the barn, "Come on out, Reskal; they know."
He appeared from outside the doorway, looking relieved, tired, and even a bit nervous all at once.
"Reskal? He was.?" Kel managed to squeak out.
"Yes, I was," the former Dragon confirmed. "That's why you're alive; Hercules and the others too, also how the rest of the Shang got here."
"But if you're supposed to be one of the good guys," Iolaus asked flatly, "Then why are the other four Shang dead"
Reskal's face grew sad. "I had no idea what had happened until it was too late. I was returning from Athens; Jetar told me what happened. I saw their bodies. I've had nightmares ever since."
It was silent for a few moments for everyone. A man's voice broke the awkward silence from outside the barn. "Reskal!"
Excusing himself from Justane and the others, he left in the direction of the voice. Hercules couldn't help but think, why does that voice sound so familiar?
Justane went on. "As soon as the palace got hit with the first 'accident', High Master Vedaren called a meeting of all Shang warriors. We immediately recruited Reskal to be undercover from then on, so we'd have someone on the inside who would be there from the beginning; Reskal was the only one capable of being believable of becoming a Dragon."
"What about the accidents he caused at the palace?" Kel sounded skeptical. "He broke Odanna's arm!" And upset, too.
"Those were all planned. We knew what it would take to be a Dragon and what it would take to stay that way and that you could heal whatever injuries came about. And it worked."
"And he's been undercover all this time?" Jason asked.
"Yes, which is why he's relieved beyond belief, his life isn't hanging by a thread day in and day out anymore."
Kel was furious. "And what about the attack on the Academy? Iolaus could've died."
The Phoenix had an apologetic look on his face. "That was under Jetar's orders; if he had disobeyed, Jetar might've killed him and sent someone who would've completely destroyed the Academy. We were hoping you could heal up anything that happened."
Kel was absolutely outraged, but before she could say anything, Hercules clapped a hand over her mouth and quickly asked, "How did you know where to find us?"
Justane looked grateful for the subject change. "We've been following Kel at a distance ever since she left Shang, we wanted to make sure everything went to plan. Reskal knew about the whole thing and got a message to us somehow about the attack on the Academy, so we didn't accidentally waltz right into their camp. We watched the whole thing; the attack on the Academy, the sword fight, Kel's dash into the forest. Unfortunately we had no idea where she had disappeared to- by the way, nice job on covering your tracks, Kel; Lansek had no idea where you were."
She felt calmer than just a few moments ago; one corner of her lips turned upwards in a small smile. "You're kidding- Lansek? He was the best tracker we had at the palace."
Justane nodded. "Except this time, you vanished without a trace. So we started searching. We had to hide when a centaur came running through the forest. We followed him, but he ended up carrying- I believe it was you, Hercules- with an arrow through your shoulder. Going farther, we found a clearing with blood smeared on some ferns and also tracks leading northwards to Corinth. So we left; going through the forest was hard with horses. When we got to Corinth we had no idea of where the Dragons' meeting place was, so we search for an eternity before Reskal found us. He had about twenty men with him and we had to quietly take care of them before any of them could carry the alarm back to their headquarters. Then he led us to this barn; we arrived just in time to see Jetar's sword in the air above Hercules. I immediately ordered Myara to fire that first shot. The rest, you know."
They all nodded quietly. Sensing their need to be alone, Justane quickly excused himself.
The cadets were slightly upset by the Phoenix's explanation. "I can't believe this," Jason started. "The least they could've done is have told you what was going on."
Kel shook her head. "It's understandable- it's the Shang way. It wasn't necessary to let me know what was going on; in fact, it probably made my story more believable."
"But what about everyone who got hurt, or could've been hurt?" Iolaus asked.
"All in all, this was the safest way to defeat the Dragons with the least amount of damage. I'm not entirely too happy about it, but it was certainly better than an all-out war."
Hercules couldn't help but think, Well, there's something to be said about a warrior's code of honor.
"Come on, guys, we should probably be going now." Kel got up slowly, and cadets followed suit. They walked outside to the front of the barn, which faced the rising sun. The serenity of the scene contrasted dramatically with what had happened in the last hour. A few Shang warriors were lounging about on the cool, dewy grass, resting from digging graves for the Dragons who had been killed. Most of the others were still in Corinth, most likely trying to wake up prison officials to secure the remaining Dragons. One of the female warriors, who was talking with Reskal (who looked a touch on the pale side), saw Kel and the cadets come out and approached them.
"Now I think I'm in love," Iolaus said softly, as he watched the pretty blond woman come up to them.
Jason elbowed him in the ribs. "You're always in love."
"I'm glad to see you're all right, Kel," the woman said, her unusual purple eyes sincere. "I overheard a little of what Justane told you. I'm sure you remember my brother's tendency to be a bit straightforward, if not brutal, in these things sometimes."
"Yes, I remember. Myara, these are friends I met at the Academy- Hercules, Iolaus, Jason and Lilith; everyone, this is one of my best friends from Shang, Myara the Unicorn."
Quiet greetings were exchanged, along with a whisper from Lilith to Iolaus, "Iolaus, you're drooling." Finding out he wasn't, he retaliated with a swift poke to Lilith's side.
Myara hid a smile and went on. "I'm one of the Masters at Shang, of archery to be more precise."
Hercules put in, "Oh, yeah, Justane said that you were the one who shot Jetar in the arm. Thanks, you saved my life."
Myara blushed slightly but laughed it off. "Hey, don't mention it, all in a day's work. Oh, by the way, did you see what happened to Reskal just now?"
"No," Kel answered, looking over at him leaning against a giant tree. "Is that why he looks so pale?"
"Yep; right before you came out, Ares paid him a visit."
"Great, what did he want now?" Hercules muttered.
"Actually, it was about you," Myara said amusedly. "Something about a deal and you being dead or something. What does he have against you?"
"Typical," Hercules said. "Yeah, he's my half-brother; my dad's also Zeus."
"Nice to see sibling rivalry exists even in immortal realms. Anyways, Reskal said that there was never a deal, since he never said he would kill you- no deal, no death. And, of course, since it seemed Reskal was right, Ares got even more furious, told Reskal that he'd better hope that their paths never cross again, then vanished."
"Well, let's hope that they never do," Hercules said. "Ares can keep a grudge for an eternity."
The five of them talked for a while with the rest of the Shang warriors until the rest of the Shang returned from the city.
Justane came up to Kel and the cadets, who were talking to the Falcon about tracking skills. "Sorry that took so long, but it seems none of the prison officials are morning people. Are you all ready to go home?"
"I think so, we just need to get our horses," Lansek answered. To the cadets, he asked, "Did you all walk here or do you need a ride?"
"Actually we left our mounts in that old abandoned stable over there," Jason replied, pointing over the stable where they had left their horses on their way to rescue Kel.
Justane smiled. "That's where we left ours; we hoped the other horses wouldn't mind a lot of company. So I guess we can ride with you guys back to your academy, then head home."
"Well, you guys don't have to leave that quick, do you?" Iolaus asked, looking over at Myara, who was talking with a few of the other female Shang. "I mean, if Kora has empty rooms in her inn and Cheiron probably won't mind if some of you stayed the night in the Academy, get new provisions and stuff. Cheiron'll probably ask you to stay longer to teach us cadets some of the stuff you do."
Justane stroked his chin reflectively. "I'll have to discuss it with the others; doesn't sound too bad though. After spending the last few weeks in the woods, cooking over fires, and sleeping in shifts on the hard ground, a soft bed and a warm meal sound terrific."
The whole group walked down to the stable-turned-horse hotel. Once mounted, about a dozen Shang left (including Myara to Iolaus' disappointment); these were the Shang sent to wander the land in search of adventure and knowledge, coming back to Shang occasionally to share what they learned in their travels.
Although Kel was the only one who came to Corinth without a mount of her own, one of the Shang, Farran the Tiger, aptly named for his flaming red hair, found where the Dragons kept their horses and she used one of theirs, a sturdy tan mare. On the way back, a decision was made. The rest of the Shang shared Justane's view on shelter for the night; they'd try to get rooms at Kora's. The cadets made many friends along the way among the warriors- Farran, Aidan the Fox, and many others. After a brief stop for a late lunch and to let the horses rest, Hercules decided that this might be the last opportunity to talk to Kel privately, so shortly after they started off again, he quietly asked her if they could talk alone. She agreed and the two of them maneuvered their horses to the back of the group and dropped back a bit, so they could talk in normal tones.
"So where do you want to start?" Kel asked.
"I have no idea, I have so many questions," Hercules answered. After a short moments' pause, he asked, "How about 'What are you?' You're definitely not like anyone I've ever met, and I've met a lot of people."
Kel chuckled. "No, I'm not at that. Nor like anyone else you'll ever meet. Well, I can't tell you what I am, not exactly, because even I don't know. I only remember what my parents looked like, but never their names, nor our race. My first real memory is of Master Torias finding me when he was only a novice and I only an infant. Not much you can go off of."
"Yeah, I guess. And your healing abilities?"
"Part of my heritage, I suppose; separates me from humans and deities."
After some silence, Hercules cleared his throat. Well, here goes. "Kel, there's something to have to tell you."
She turned her head to look at him, her golden eyes catching his blue ones with a steady gaze. "I know."
Hercules smiled a little. "But I didn't even say anything."
"It's about how you feel about me, isn't it?"
Hercules felt his jaw drop in surprise. "How did you-"
"Hercules, there's something you should know about me. I'm a telepath."
"A what?"
"A telepath. A mind reader."
Oh no. So she had known all along.
"A touch telepath, to be more specific; but I can still sense emotions even when I'm not in contact with someone. I sensed you were nervous before you started speaking, and along with your thoughts from the time I had to heal both myself and Iolaus back at the Academy, I just put two and two together."
"Oh."
"And I just wanted to say a couple things. First, I'm flattered really; for only knowing me for so short a time and in that situation with the Dragons, you were really sweet. But I'm still deeply in love with love with Liam, although he's been dead for two years."
"Oh. Guess he was pretty special."
"Yes, he was, in so many ways. And so are you."
"What do you mean?"
"The reason why I'm not over Liam is because our minds were already bonded in a way that one could never be complete without the other- a side effect of my heritage. And when he died, I couldn't feel his presence anymore and it still tears me up inside. But I've discovered that your mind is just as compatible as his."
"So. that means that you and me.?" Hercules saw a small glimmer of hope.
"Yes, it does. But not now. Perhaps in different times and circumstances, we could've been together. And maybe we can in the future, but not now."
Hercules' heart fell. "I see."
Kel looked over at the subdued demigod and leaned over to lightly punch him in the arm. "Hey, cheer up. I said maybe someday, right? Besides, after I leave you might meet some girl that's gonna absolutely take your breath away and you won't even remember me anymore."
Not likely. "Maybe."
"Trust me, a nice guy like you isn't gonna stay single forever."
Hercules chuckled. "Thanks. So are you gonna be staying the night with us again tonight?"
"I don't know. I do need to catch up with my friends."
"Oh come on, you've got the entire trip back to your palace to catch up. We probably won't see you ever again after you leave."
"Ha ha, all right. I'll stay, if it won't be too much trouble."
"No trouble at all; just try not to go beating up any more of our cadets."
They both laughed, then, catching up to the rest of the group, continued on their way home.
* * * * * * * * *
The next morning was a familiar scene, although the sun was rising this time, not setting. The four cadets and Cheiron were outside the open front gate, Kel with them, her horse in tow, Justane and Lansek both a short distance from the Academy on horseback, waiting for her.
"Too bad you can't stay, Kel," Jason said. "Even if we would have to endure daily beatings, er, practices." A mischievous twinkle shone in his eyes.
"Careful, Jason, or I can leave you with a last beating, er, practice for you to remember me by," Kel answered, an impish twinkle in her eyes. "But really, I just need to go home."
"Just don't forget us, ok?" Lilith asked.
"I won't, I promise. I'll try to visit down here again if I can, too."
"Yeah, sure," Iolaus dismissed quickly. "Do you think you could get Myara to come back and visit?"
"We'll see, but don't hold your breath."
"Kel!" Lansek called.
"Well, it looks like it's time."
"Safe journey, Rekelen of Shang," Cheiron said formally, extending his arm towards the Cobra.
She grasped his arm warmly. "Stay well, Headmaster Cheiron."
Letting go, she stepped back and made as if to go, but then walked over to Hercules. She held up one hand, looking him squarely in the eye. "A gift, if you want it."
Puzzled but curious, he nodded.
Stepping closer to him, Kel put her hand up to his face, placing her fingers on specific points. Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath.
Hercules closed his eyes also. He felt Kel's presence in his mind, warm, soothing, filling his mind with information. It came in fast; Hercules struggled with the flow of it, until it died down and he could sort through it all.
Both Justane and Lansek knew what was going on, but like the others, they could only watch in fascination as a faint golden glow passed from Kel through her fingers into Hercules.
After only a few moments, the glow disappeared; they both opened their eyes, and Kel removed her hand. Hercules could only stare into her eyes, as if not believing what just happened. Kel whispered something to Hercules that the others couldn't hear. She then hopped up on her horse, joined Justane and Lansek, and they all rode off.
The cadets and Cheiron came up to Hercules, who was still staring off in Kel's direction, his eyes in a trance-like state.
Iolaus leaned over to Hercules, also staring off towards Kel, and asked quietly, "What happened? What'd she say?"
Hercules whispered, still in a trance, "Remember."
Just as Kel was about to ride out of view, she turned her head and looked back. As Hercules saw her as she sat upon her mount- dangerous as the cobra she was named for, yet beautiful as a rose- in his mind's eye, he saw her as she truly was- a warrior suited to the cool climates of her home, the Shang palace, a place to which she had just shown him every step of the way.