With Alcemene's help keeping Jason occupied, and the strong, stimulating
tea she brought, they made it through the night. By the dawn, Jason seemed
to have caught his second wind, and was slightly more coherent. Everyone
was starting to feel the pressure. They had no word from Kyron, but if
fortune smiled, he would be on his way back to the Academy.
Jason was sitting with Iolus and Hercules. Though he was exhausted, his appetite didn't seem to be affected. He spoke between mouthfuls. "We need to do something. Just sitting here waiting is killing me." He grinned with black humor. "Literally."
Hercules grimaced. "Jason, there's nothing we *can* do. Our best bet is to stay here and wait for Kyron to get back. We need to break the spell before we can do anything else."
"I want to find out who did this to me, and why! Of all the underhanded, cowardly things to do! And I want to find out..." he caught Hercules' eye, and Herc could see the pain there. "why Athena was involved." He threw his fork down onto his plate in disgust. "I just can't believe she did this to me. I thought she really liked me."
"Weren't you supposed to meet her today?" Iolus asked.
Jason seized upon the idea. "Yes, I was. If I can go meet her, maybe we can find out who is behind this."
"I don't think this is a good idea." cautioned Hercules. "You're feeling better now, but we don't know how long it will last."
"If we don't find her now, we may never find her." argued Jason. "This may be our only chance!"
"I agree with Jason, Herc. If we don't find out who's behind this, what's to say they won't try again?" Jason nodded fervently. In his confusion he could only see his desire to find out why the girl he thought he knew betrayed him.
"C'mon Herc. We'll be careful. We can take all the cadets with us if you want. I'll even ride into town to save my strength. But I need to see her." Against his better judgment, Hercules conceded. Within minutes, the cadets were assembled and headed into town.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lord Tracius was in a rage again. "Underhanded? Cowardly? Did you hear what that young pup called me?"
Mycene didn't bother to point out that the sleep spell *was* underhanded and cowardly. "My lord, my lord..."
But this time Tracius would have none of it. "I knew I never should have listened to you. I want that boy dead, and I want him dead NOW. By my hand." Tracius turned to one of his guardsmen standing nearby. "Call my men together. We are heading into town. I will have the prince's head!"
"Yes, my lord." The guard ran off.
"Lord Tracius...there is really no need. By the time we arrive, Athena will have already finished him off."
Tracius gave Mycene a withering glance. "No other part of the plan has worked, why should I believe you now? No. The prince will die by my hand today. And tomorrow I bring war to Corinth."
Jason was sitting with Iolus and Hercules. Though he was exhausted, his appetite didn't seem to be affected. He spoke between mouthfuls. "We need to do something. Just sitting here waiting is killing me." He grinned with black humor. "Literally."
Hercules grimaced. "Jason, there's nothing we *can* do. Our best bet is to stay here and wait for Kyron to get back. We need to break the spell before we can do anything else."
"I want to find out who did this to me, and why! Of all the underhanded, cowardly things to do! And I want to find out..." he caught Hercules' eye, and Herc could see the pain there. "why Athena was involved." He threw his fork down onto his plate in disgust. "I just can't believe she did this to me. I thought she really liked me."
"Weren't you supposed to meet her today?" Iolus asked.
Jason seized upon the idea. "Yes, I was. If I can go meet her, maybe we can find out who is behind this."
"I don't think this is a good idea." cautioned Hercules. "You're feeling better now, but we don't know how long it will last."
"If we don't find her now, we may never find her." argued Jason. "This may be our only chance!"
"I agree with Jason, Herc. If we don't find out who's behind this, what's to say they won't try again?" Jason nodded fervently. In his confusion he could only see his desire to find out why the girl he thought he knew betrayed him.
"C'mon Herc. We'll be careful. We can take all the cadets with us if you want. I'll even ride into town to save my strength. But I need to see her." Against his better judgment, Hercules conceded. Within minutes, the cadets were assembled and headed into town.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lord Tracius was in a rage again. "Underhanded? Cowardly? Did you hear what that young pup called me?"
Mycene didn't bother to point out that the sleep spell *was* underhanded and cowardly. "My lord, my lord..."
But this time Tracius would have none of it. "I knew I never should have listened to you. I want that boy dead, and I want him dead NOW. By my hand." Tracius turned to one of his guardsmen standing nearby. "Call my men together. We are heading into town. I will have the prince's head!"
"Yes, my lord." The guard ran off.
"Lord Tracius...there is really no need. By the time we arrive, Athena will have already finished him off."
Tracius gave Mycene a withering glance. "No other part of the plan has worked, why should I believe you now? No. The prince will die by my hand today. And tomorrow I bring war to Corinth."