Hercules settled himself on his bed, and listened as his freinds made
themselves ready for bed. He was mighty glad they didn't have to get up in
the morning. Everyone was worn out - Iolus and Jason must be exhausted,
they danced almost every dance. The room slowly quieted, and as Iolus blew
out the candle by his bed he called out sweetly, "Pleasant dreams, Jason."
The sounds of quiet breathing filled the room. The silence lasted only a moment.
The alarm bell shattered the stillness, and in the dark, Hercules could hear the feet of every cadet hitting the floor at a dead run. They all knew the drill, Kyron had pounded it into their heads. The alarm bell was the signal for every cadet to drop what they were doing and assemble in the the practice room. In case of an emergency, they would have easy access to weapons, along with whatever weapon they managed to grab on the way there.
"A drill? Now?!" Iolus' voice was shrill. "First he gives us the night off with no duty, then he pulls this? That's just cruel." In spite of his complaining, Iolus was running just as fast as anyone, and had managed to pick up a wicked assortment of knives along the way.
"That's Kyron for you." was all Hercules answered. The cadets were quickly assembled. Hercules was surprised to notice that Jason was the last to arrive. And he looked winded. Jason quickly filled in between Iolus and Hercules. "Guess the dance took more out of me than I thought."
Before Hercules could reply, Kyron stepped before them, along with Detrion, another teacher at the Academy. They scanned the faces of the young men and woman before them. Kyron nodded his pleasure at the group. "You assembled quickly, as you were taught. I will see Jason now, the rest of you may return to your beds. No more drills tonight."
With some grumbling about being sent back to bed with no explaination, most of the cadets returned to the dorm. After exchanging a glance with Iolus, Hercules hung back to see why Kyron needed to see Jason. He was Jason's friend after all, and if he was in any kind of trouble, Hercules wanted to help. If nothing else, Hercules and Iolus would be able to vouch that Jason had been at the dance all night.
Jason looked perplexed. "Kyron? Is there something wrong? Is my father alright?"
The centaur answered. "Your father is fine, Jason. But, how are you feeling?"
Hercules and Iolus crept closer to hear. "I'm fine, Kyron. Just a little tired from all that dancing tonight."
Detrion nodded grimly. "That's what we were afraid of. Where did you get this?" He pointed to the dream charm that Jason still wore around his neck.
"A girl gave it to me, at the dance." Jason moved to take the charm from around his neck so Kyron and Detrion could have a closer look. "No!" they shouted simultaneously. Jason froze.
Hercules stepped forward. "What's going on? Why can't he take it off?"
Detrion had stepped up to Jason and held the charm in his hand. "This is evil. Evil magic." Jason started to look alarmed. Detrion let the charm fall back against the young man's chest. "I've only read about this kind of charm. It's a good thing we have wards set up to alert us to hostile magic or we wouldn't have caught this in time."
"Caught this? Caught what?" Iolus moved in closer to stand on the other side of Jason. Though the boys did it unconsciously, Kyron was proud to see them close ranks to try and protect their friend. He would need their help before this was all over.
Detrion's voice took on a lecturing tone. "This charm Jason has is filled with insiduous magic. As soon as he put it on it began to drain his stregnth. If he had taken it off right now, it would have taken all his stregnth at once and killed him outright." The three young men looked horrified, and Kyron looked grave. "What we have to do now is make sure Jason stays awake long enough for Kyron to find a sorcerer who knows how to counteract this spell. I don't know enough to do it myself, and if the counterspell isn't enacted correctly, the mistake could kill Jason too."
Clearly not wanting to, Jason asked, "What happens if I *do* fall asleep."
Detrion replied somberly. "You will never wake."
Kyron clasped the young prince's shoulder. "I will leave now. I have a friend who lives about a day's run from here. I believe he knows enough magic to counteract this spell." Jason nodded numbly. Kyron turned his attention to Hercules and Iolus. "I will need you two, along with the other cadets, to help Jason stay awake until I return."
Iolus, being Iolus, in spite of the situation was unalbe to hold back from cracking wise. "Well then, I guess that lets you out of Master Petrion's class for now...he always puts you right to sleep." No one else seemed to appreciate the humor.
"Don't worry, Kyron. Jason will be awake when you return. We won't let you down." Hercules said this last to his friend. Jason nodded his acceptance and thanks. With no further discussions, Kyron headed for the door. The cadets could hear the sound of galloping as soon as he made it to the courtyard. "Don't worry Jace, he'll be back in no time." The three men stared at the empty doorway as if to speed Kyron on his way with their thoughts.
The sounds of quiet breathing filled the room. The silence lasted only a moment.
The alarm bell shattered the stillness, and in the dark, Hercules could hear the feet of every cadet hitting the floor at a dead run. They all knew the drill, Kyron had pounded it into their heads. The alarm bell was the signal for every cadet to drop what they were doing and assemble in the the practice room. In case of an emergency, they would have easy access to weapons, along with whatever weapon they managed to grab on the way there.
"A drill? Now?!" Iolus' voice was shrill. "First he gives us the night off with no duty, then he pulls this? That's just cruel." In spite of his complaining, Iolus was running just as fast as anyone, and had managed to pick up a wicked assortment of knives along the way.
"That's Kyron for you." was all Hercules answered. The cadets were quickly assembled. Hercules was surprised to notice that Jason was the last to arrive. And he looked winded. Jason quickly filled in between Iolus and Hercules. "Guess the dance took more out of me than I thought."
Before Hercules could reply, Kyron stepped before them, along with Detrion, another teacher at the Academy. They scanned the faces of the young men and woman before them. Kyron nodded his pleasure at the group. "You assembled quickly, as you were taught. I will see Jason now, the rest of you may return to your beds. No more drills tonight."
With some grumbling about being sent back to bed with no explaination, most of the cadets returned to the dorm. After exchanging a glance with Iolus, Hercules hung back to see why Kyron needed to see Jason. He was Jason's friend after all, and if he was in any kind of trouble, Hercules wanted to help. If nothing else, Hercules and Iolus would be able to vouch that Jason had been at the dance all night.
Jason looked perplexed. "Kyron? Is there something wrong? Is my father alright?"
The centaur answered. "Your father is fine, Jason. But, how are you feeling?"
Hercules and Iolus crept closer to hear. "I'm fine, Kyron. Just a little tired from all that dancing tonight."
Detrion nodded grimly. "That's what we were afraid of. Where did you get this?" He pointed to the dream charm that Jason still wore around his neck.
"A girl gave it to me, at the dance." Jason moved to take the charm from around his neck so Kyron and Detrion could have a closer look. "No!" they shouted simultaneously. Jason froze.
Hercules stepped forward. "What's going on? Why can't he take it off?"
Detrion had stepped up to Jason and held the charm in his hand. "This is evil. Evil magic." Jason started to look alarmed. Detrion let the charm fall back against the young man's chest. "I've only read about this kind of charm. It's a good thing we have wards set up to alert us to hostile magic or we wouldn't have caught this in time."
"Caught this? Caught what?" Iolus moved in closer to stand on the other side of Jason. Though the boys did it unconsciously, Kyron was proud to see them close ranks to try and protect their friend. He would need their help before this was all over.
Detrion's voice took on a lecturing tone. "This charm Jason has is filled with insiduous magic. As soon as he put it on it began to drain his stregnth. If he had taken it off right now, it would have taken all his stregnth at once and killed him outright." The three young men looked horrified, and Kyron looked grave. "What we have to do now is make sure Jason stays awake long enough for Kyron to find a sorcerer who knows how to counteract this spell. I don't know enough to do it myself, and if the counterspell isn't enacted correctly, the mistake could kill Jason too."
Clearly not wanting to, Jason asked, "What happens if I *do* fall asleep."
Detrion replied somberly. "You will never wake."
Kyron clasped the young prince's shoulder. "I will leave now. I have a friend who lives about a day's run from here. I believe he knows enough magic to counteract this spell." Jason nodded numbly. Kyron turned his attention to Hercules and Iolus. "I will need you two, along with the other cadets, to help Jason stay awake until I return."
Iolus, being Iolus, in spite of the situation was unalbe to hold back from cracking wise. "Well then, I guess that lets you out of Master Petrion's class for now...he always puts you right to sleep." No one else seemed to appreciate the humor.
"Don't worry, Kyron. Jason will be awake when you return. We won't let you down." Hercules said this last to his friend. Jason nodded his acceptance and thanks. With no further discussions, Kyron headed for the door. The cadets could hear the sound of galloping as soon as he made it to the courtyard. "Don't worry Jace, he'll be back in no time." The three men stared at the empty doorway as if to speed Kyron on his way with their thoughts.