AN: Hey guys thanks for the reviews. Here's the next part.
Hercules and Iolaus had been walking for hours. Despite how determined Alex was to stay awake, she quickly fell asleep against Hercules's shoulder. Iolaus and Hercules had exchanged a glance and smiled at each other. The girl was strong, but her exhaustion was stronger.
They finally came to a small village at dusk. They went straight to the inn, getting stares every so often at the young girl that Hercules was carrying. She didn't exactly fit in with the clothes she was wearing.
Iolaus walked up to the inn keeper. He was a big man, built with that kind of hard fat that let you know he was strong. He was bald, wearing blue pants, no shirt, and black leather cuffs around his wrists.
"Excuse me, but we're going to need three rooms."
"Better make that two," Hercules interjected.
Iolaus turned to look at his friend. "Why only two?"
"Because I don't want her waking up alone in a strange room, and besides that I don't want her taking off."
Iolaus nodded. "Makes sense, I guess." He turned back to the in keeper. "Make that two rooms."
The inn keeper got a brood grin on his face. "Your friends getting lucky tonight huh?"
Iolaus's jaw went tight. First of all he didn't like to hear anyone talk that way about Hercules. Secondly, the girl was just a baby. Probably no older than thirteen he figured.
"No, my friend is not getting lucky!" He exclaimed. "Can't you see the kid is hurt? He doesn't want her to be alone."
The innkeeper laughed. "Sure buddy. Whatever you say."
"Iolaus let it go," Hercules said before his friend could respond. "Just get the rooms."
"How much?" Iolaus barked.
"12 Dinars."
Iolaus's jaw dropped. "Twelve Dinars! Are you insane?"
"Take it or leave it."
"Iolaus just give him the money."
Mumbling under his breath, Iolaus pulled the money out of his coin purse and handed it to the inn keeper.
"First two doors on the right," The big man said with a smile. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
"I bet it has," Iolaus replied sarcastically.
Then he turned and followed Hercules who was already half way up the stairs. The three of them walked into the first room and Hercules set Alex down on the bed. He covered her with the blanket and walked over to where the pitcher and basin sat.
"At least they keep fresh water in here," Hercules said.
"For twelve dinars this place should be a palace," Iolaus replied.
Hercules smirked and then poured the water from the pitcher into the bowl. He grabbed the rag that was on the same table and dipped it in the cool water. Hercules walked back over to the bed and sat next to Alex.
Hercules started cleaning the blood from her face with the cloth. It didn't take long for it to become a deep crimson color. Head wounds always bleed badly, it doesn't matter who you are.
"Think she'll be all right?" Iolaus asked.
The bigger man nodded. "I think so. I think that she just needs some rest."
He dipped the cloth in the basin. The water became a rich red.
"Iolaus can you get some fresh water from the pitcher please?"
"Sure thing Herc." Iolaus took the bowl, walked over to the window, and flung the red water outside. He then proceeded to pour fresh water into the bowl and walked back over to his friend.
"Thanks."
Iolaus walked over and sat on the other side of the bed. As he did Alex's eyes shot wide open.
"It's all right," Hercules told her.
Alex looked around and saw that she was in a room, in a bed, with two men that were much bigger than her. She looked down and noticed that she was still fully clothed. Keeping that wonderful thought in mind, she started scooting up the bed, until she was against the wall. Unfortunately her quick movement caused a searing pain through her head. She put the palm of her hand to her forehead.
"Calm down," Hercules tried again. "I'm just trying to clean you a little."
"Please," Alex whispered, hand still to her head. "Please just let me go."
"Hey, relax," Iolaus told her. "You're in no condition to go anywhere."
Hercules could see the fear she was trying to conceal. She was so scared and he didn't understand why. The only thing he knew for sure is that wherever she had come from, he didn't think it was a pleasant place.
"Alex, where are you from?"
She lowered her hand from her head. The pain was starting to subside. She drew her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them.
"No where. I'm from no where."
"Come on," Iolaus said. "Everyone's from somewhere."
"Not me," She replied. "I'm from no where."
"Well, Alexandra from no where," Hercules said. "Won't your parents be worried about you?"
She looked away and shook her head.
"Of course they will be," Iolaus said. "You're what thirteen?"
Alex shot him a glaring look. She knew she was small for her age, but most kids who lived on the streets were. There weren't a lot of healthy food choices when you have no money.
"I'm seventeen." She looked away.
"You're small for seventeen," Iolaus said. "What does your mother feed you?"
"My mothers dead. She died when I was eight," She mumbled.
Hercules sighed. "I'm sorry."
Alex shrugged. "Don't be. It was a long time ago."
"Alex, where's your father?"
"Who knows? He took off when my mom was pregnant with me." Then she shook her head. "Why am I telling you all of this? I don't even know you."
"Maybe you just need to tell somebody," Iolaus told her.
She shook her head again and crawled off the bed, stumbling as she did so. Hercules was instantly there catching her in his arms.
"You are in no condition to be out of bed."
Alex pulled out of his arms. She swayed for a moment, but managed not to fall.
"Don't touch me!" She exclaimed when she could see straight. She started pacing. "This is a dream. Just one big freaking nightmare."
Hercules crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not a dream Alexandra."
"You only wish it was," A new voice stated.
Hercules and Iolaus both turned to face the far corner of the room. Alex was already facing the new person in the room. He was standing in the corner, dressed in all black, with his arms crossed over his chest.
"How did you.." She asked. "I mean that's impossible. You just appeared."
"Then obviously, it's not impossible, now is it," The man said.
Hercules walked up so that he was standing next to Alex. "What do you want Ares?"
"Nice to see you too brother."
"I'm positive this isn't a social call," Hercules told him.
Ares laughed. "Now why would you think that?"
Suddenly screams resounded through out the village.
"Call it a hunch," Hercules said.
Iolaus ran over and looked out the window. "It's Discord and a bunch of Ares' flunkies. They're attacking the village."
"I'll ask you again Ares," Hercules said with anger in his voice. "What do you want?"
Ares smiled and pushed away from the wall. He started walking in circles around Hercules and Alex. Hercules tried to inch closer to Alex, but she kept inching away from him.
Ares came to a stop in front of Alex. "I want you."
"Forget it creep," Alex exclaimed.
He reached out to touch her messy hair, but she slapped his hand away.
Ares laughed. "You have spirit. I like that."
More screams echoed through the room.
"Hercules," Iolaus said. "It's getting pretty bad out there."
"What's it going to be brother? One girl, or an entire village?" Ares asked.
TBC.What will Hercules do? Please Review
Hercules and Iolaus had been walking for hours. Despite how determined Alex was to stay awake, she quickly fell asleep against Hercules's shoulder. Iolaus and Hercules had exchanged a glance and smiled at each other. The girl was strong, but her exhaustion was stronger.
They finally came to a small village at dusk. They went straight to the inn, getting stares every so often at the young girl that Hercules was carrying. She didn't exactly fit in with the clothes she was wearing.
Iolaus walked up to the inn keeper. He was a big man, built with that kind of hard fat that let you know he was strong. He was bald, wearing blue pants, no shirt, and black leather cuffs around his wrists.
"Excuse me, but we're going to need three rooms."
"Better make that two," Hercules interjected.
Iolaus turned to look at his friend. "Why only two?"
"Because I don't want her waking up alone in a strange room, and besides that I don't want her taking off."
Iolaus nodded. "Makes sense, I guess." He turned back to the in keeper. "Make that two rooms."
The inn keeper got a brood grin on his face. "Your friends getting lucky tonight huh?"
Iolaus's jaw went tight. First of all he didn't like to hear anyone talk that way about Hercules. Secondly, the girl was just a baby. Probably no older than thirteen he figured.
"No, my friend is not getting lucky!" He exclaimed. "Can't you see the kid is hurt? He doesn't want her to be alone."
The innkeeper laughed. "Sure buddy. Whatever you say."
"Iolaus let it go," Hercules said before his friend could respond. "Just get the rooms."
"How much?" Iolaus barked.
"12 Dinars."
Iolaus's jaw dropped. "Twelve Dinars! Are you insane?"
"Take it or leave it."
"Iolaus just give him the money."
Mumbling under his breath, Iolaus pulled the money out of his coin purse and handed it to the inn keeper.
"First two doors on the right," The big man said with a smile. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
"I bet it has," Iolaus replied sarcastically.
Then he turned and followed Hercules who was already half way up the stairs. The three of them walked into the first room and Hercules set Alex down on the bed. He covered her with the blanket and walked over to where the pitcher and basin sat.
"At least they keep fresh water in here," Hercules said.
"For twelve dinars this place should be a palace," Iolaus replied.
Hercules smirked and then poured the water from the pitcher into the bowl. He grabbed the rag that was on the same table and dipped it in the cool water. Hercules walked back over to the bed and sat next to Alex.
Hercules started cleaning the blood from her face with the cloth. It didn't take long for it to become a deep crimson color. Head wounds always bleed badly, it doesn't matter who you are.
"Think she'll be all right?" Iolaus asked.
The bigger man nodded. "I think so. I think that she just needs some rest."
He dipped the cloth in the basin. The water became a rich red.
"Iolaus can you get some fresh water from the pitcher please?"
"Sure thing Herc." Iolaus took the bowl, walked over to the window, and flung the red water outside. He then proceeded to pour fresh water into the bowl and walked back over to his friend.
"Thanks."
Iolaus walked over and sat on the other side of the bed. As he did Alex's eyes shot wide open.
"It's all right," Hercules told her.
Alex looked around and saw that she was in a room, in a bed, with two men that were much bigger than her. She looked down and noticed that she was still fully clothed. Keeping that wonderful thought in mind, she started scooting up the bed, until she was against the wall. Unfortunately her quick movement caused a searing pain through her head. She put the palm of her hand to her forehead.
"Calm down," Hercules tried again. "I'm just trying to clean you a little."
"Please," Alex whispered, hand still to her head. "Please just let me go."
"Hey, relax," Iolaus told her. "You're in no condition to go anywhere."
Hercules could see the fear she was trying to conceal. She was so scared and he didn't understand why. The only thing he knew for sure is that wherever she had come from, he didn't think it was a pleasant place.
"Alex, where are you from?"
She lowered her hand from her head. The pain was starting to subside. She drew her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them.
"No where. I'm from no where."
"Come on," Iolaus said. "Everyone's from somewhere."
"Not me," She replied. "I'm from no where."
"Well, Alexandra from no where," Hercules said. "Won't your parents be worried about you?"
She looked away and shook her head.
"Of course they will be," Iolaus said. "You're what thirteen?"
Alex shot him a glaring look. She knew she was small for her age, but most kids who lived on the streets were. There weren't a lot of healthy food choices when you have no money.
"I'm seventeen." She looked away.
"You're small for seventeen," Iolaus said. "What does your mother feed you?"
"My mothers dead. She died when I was eight," She mumbled.
Hercules sighed. "I'm sorry."
Alex shrugged. "Don't be. It was a long time ago."
"Alex, where's your father?"
"Who knows? He took off when my mom was pregnant with me." Then she shook her head. "Why am I telling you all of this? I don't even know you."
"Maybe you just need to tell somebody," Iolaus told her.
She shook her head again and crawled off the bed, stumbling as she did so. Hercules was instantly there catching her in his arms.
"You are in no condition to be out of bed."
Alex pulled out of his arms. She swayed for a moment, but managed not to fall.
"Don't touch me!" She exclaimed when she could see straight. She started pacing. "This is a dream. Just one big freaking nightmare."
Hercules crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not a dream Alexandra."
"You only wish it was," A new voice stated.
Hercules and Iolaus both turned to face the far corner of the room. Alex was already facing the new person in the room. He was standing in the corner, dressed in all black, with his arms crossed over his chest.
"How did you.." She asked. "I mean that's impossible. You just appeared."
"Then obviously, it's not impossible, now is it," The man said.
Hercules walked up so that he was standing next to Alex. "What do you want Ares?"
"Nice to see you too brother."
"I'm positive this isn't a social call," Hercules told him.
Ares laughed. "Now why would you think that?"
Suddenly screams resounded through out the village.
"Call it a hunch," Hercules said.
Iolaus ran over and looked out the window. "It's Discord and a bunch of Ares' flunkies. They're attacking the village."
"I'll ask you again Ares," Hercules said with anger in his voice. "What do you want?"
Ares smiled and pushed away from the wall. He started walking in circles around Hercules and Alex. Hercules tried to inch closer to Alex, but she kept inching away from him.
Ares came to a stop in front of Alex. "I want you."
"Forget it creep," Alex exclaimed.
He reached out to touch her messy hair, but she slapped his hand away.
Ares laughed. "You have spirit. I like that."
More screams echoed through the room.
"Hercules," Iolaus said. "It's getting pretty bad out there."
"What's it going to be brother? One girl, or an entire village?" Ares asked.
TBC.What will Hercules do? Please Review