WARNING:
This chapter is kind of dark and scary and VIOLENT!! Readers, you have been warned. I don't want any email telling me how disturbing this was.
Arachnophobia – Part Ten – Into the Caves...
(The original title to this was 'Into the Caves to Dance with Danger', but I decided it was too long, and too lame...)
Author's Note: Okay, we lost the softball game, but only 'cause our coach was tired and cranky...... and he picked a fight with the umpire... But that's all.
Another Note: Okay, I just got back from Cleveland a few hours ago. That's why there was no update for so long... Dear god, that was the longest week of my life!!! As you can tell, I dislike kids. (But, I DID get $100 out of it!)
Thanks everyone!!
-- LAST TIME – Part Eight, Iolaus Troubles (What else is new?)
' "You ready?" asked Herc, glancing at his friend.
"As always," the Golden Hunter replied.
And with that, the pair of warriors entered the pitched-black abyss...'
Arachnophobia – Part Ten – Into the Caves... (The best part of the whole story!!!
"Shouldn't we have a torch or something?" Iolaus' voice echoed through the tunnels.
"If you can find one, I'd be more than happy to light it for you," Hercules' voice replied, with just a hint of humor in it.
"Great..." grumbled the hunter, "We're stuck in a pitch-dark cave, and no light..."
His complaining earned a quiet laugh from his friend, and for that, Iolaus had to grin. Secretly, however, he was glad it was so dark. They couldn't see two feet in front of their faces, which might be good in some cases.
'At least Herc can't see me cringing and wincing like a baby every step we go,' Iolaus thought of his ankle, once again cursing his clumsy stupidity.
"And," he added, "besides all that, I'm hungry."
"Very surprising, Iolaus," Hercules replied, sarcastically, "Very surprising."
They continued to feel their way along the damp, sticky, slimy wall in a blind manner, when there came a muffled thump, followed by an, "Oof! Damn it!"
"Herc, you okay?"
"Ugh... Found a torch..." replied the demigod.
"Oh, good," Iolaus suppressed a mad urge to chuckle.
He could hear his friend setting the torch down, preparing to light it.
A quick resounding scrape of metal on metal from Herc's gauntlets brought a shower of red, orange, whit and red sparks. In the flash, they both could see sparks land on the fatter end of the stick, catch and ignite, throwing orangish-red light over them.
"Hah, that's better," Hercules said, standing up.
Iolaus nodded, careful to keep his face free of any pain, now that they had light.
So, with nothing else to do or say, they continued walking.
A few hours later, he was starting to get annoyed. He was starving, tired and his ankle was killing him.
"I think we should call it," said the blonde.
Oh, yeah, that could work," scoffed Hercules.
"It's better than walking around half-blind without a clue as to where we're going!" Iolaus stepped around at least the fifth rotting skeleton they had seen.
'Another victim of the unknown beast,' thought the hunter, following Hercules into a particularly large cavern.
A hand hit him softly in the chest, stopping him.
"What'd you say?" asked the demigod.
"I said it's better than walking around half-blind."
"No, after that."
I didn't say anything."
Than what was it?"
"I dunno," Iolaus answered, "I didn't hear anything. What was it?"
"I'm not sure, but it sounded kind of like hissing," Hercules continued to try and explain.
"Um, Herc?" Not receiving a reply, Iolaus just continued to stare around the demigod's thick arm.
He could swear he saw something moving, just in the shadows. The movement was accompanied by a very faint scrittering sound. A feeling of unease crept into Iolaus' gut.
"Herc! I think I found your noisemaker!"
"Huh?"
Any other time, Iolaus would have laughed at the bewildered expression on his friend's face. But now wasn't the time.
The thing in the shadows screeched and launched itself at the heroes.
"Look out!" Iolaus shouted, shoving his friend out of the way, the torch spun out of his hand and clattered into the corner.
The hulking mass flew by, grazing the hunter on the upper arm, leaving a thin, red line. They crashed to the floor, landing hard.
"You all right?" asked Hercules, seeing the cut.
"Just a scratch," Iolaus replied, barely glancing at the stinging injury.
The thing positioned itself for another attack, but this time, the pair was ready.
They stood up, their faces highlighted by the fallen torch.
"Here we go," Iolaus heard his partner mutter.
The hunter drew his sword and held it at the ready as the creature launched itself at them again. It flew past the warriors just as they dived out of the way. Iolaus to the left, and Hercules to the right.
"Okay, the healer said this thing was venomous, so watch out for its fangs!" Hercules yelled.
"Got it!" Iolaus called back.
"Delicioussssss new ssnacksss for me," it hissed, leering at Hercules.
Uh, Herc, it's talking. The thing is talking!" Iolaus stated, his face pale.
The beast took a few more steps toward the demigod, out of the shadows. The fire illuminated the body of a giant spider. The great hairy beats was black, with midnight blue spots on its back. Sharp yellow fangs dripped acidic green toxins to the rocky floor.
"Yeah, um, Iolaus? I noticed!" Hercules backed up a few more steps, looking around at his surroundings for something to use as a weapon.
"Hera sssendsss ssssweet flesh for me to devour," the arachnid dripped more acid to the ground.
"Not today, pal!" Hercules leapt over the beast in a graceful front flip, but was caught unprepared for the thread of silken web that was shot at him and wrapped around his right leg. The monster yanked on it, and the demigod crashed to the gravel and landed in a heap.
The spider stalked towards the fallen demigod with surprising speed and agility.
"Herc! Get up!" Iolaus yelled, still pale.
The man didn't move as the eight-legged freak of nature pounced, spurring the terrified man into action.
Iolaus dove towards Hercules, covering his prone body with his own as the fangs came down, piercing through the purple vest and into the hunter's flesh.
He could feel the venom being pumped into his body. The yellow fangs withdrew, leaving gaping, bleeding holes in his side.
"Herc, wake up..." Iolaus croaked, as the monster flung him aside into the wall, making blue and white stars dance in front of his eyes.
When his friend didn't move, Iolaus staggered to his feet, swaying dangerously, and yelping as quietly as possible when he took a step forward. He knew he only had a very limited time until the poison took him.
"Over here... ugly," he said, drawing his sword, his own blood making the hilt slippery.
"Ssssuch a brave fool..." it hissed, softly, almost in awe.
"Your point?"
"You fool, you are already wounded, asssside from my venom," it sibilated. (hissed)
"So?" snapped the blonde, glancing at Hercules, who was still lying seemingly lifeless on the ground. "Bring it on!"
The hunter's vision swam and the monster standing in front of him wavered. It felt like crushed glass power was running through his veins. His head throbbed terribly, but he wouldn't have it any other way. If he was to go protecting his best friend, then so be it.
"It isssss too bad you will not live to sssssee another day."
"If I die, you're coming with me," he panted, taking a few steps towards the disgusting creature.
"So you think, little man,"
Even in his poisoned, pain-dazed mind, the 'short' dig infuriated him.
"Well, come on, web-for-brains, bring it on!" Iolaus snickered, raising his sword.
All at once, the monster charged at the shorter man. Iolaus didn't have time to register what was happening before the thing's huge, hairy body crashed into him, sending him flying into the wall. The blonde's head cracked against the rock with a sickening 'thwack!'
Blood trickled down his neck as Iolaus turned his head in time to see the giant thing coming at him again.
The arachnid caught him in the lower chest and crushed him into the wall.
'Can't... breath...' was the only thought he was able to have, as his ribs cracked and splintered.
He gripped the greasy back-hair of the spider; there was nothing else he could do. There was nothing he could do about it as he fought for air. Black spots began to invade his vision as the weight pressed against him harder and harder.
A burst of adrenaline shot through him, allowing Iolaus to lift his sword and slash downward, hitting the brute in one of its many eyes.
It reared back, squealing in pain while it flailed its front legs. Iolaus tried to dive out of the way, but his oxygen-starved body wouldn't respond. He just stood there.
Time seemed to slow down as he watched the spindly, greasy-haired pincers flail around, one of which sliced a shallow cut below his left eye.
'So this is how I go,' he wondered, watching the swinging appendages, 'Well, at least I bought Herc some time. I just hope to the gods that it was enough,'
Another one of the monster's legs hit him, making him stagger back a step. Then, it seemed, all Tartarus broke loose on him.
Blow after blow hailed down on him. Iolaus was bent double, clutching his stomach, struggling to remember how to breathe after he was hit in the stomach.
The same leg whipped at his back, tearing through his vest and leaving five or six bleeding gashes. Then, all at once, a white-hot pain erupted from his right shoulder.
Iolaus cried out weakly from the pain, trying to get away from his monstrous assailant. He just had no energy left to fight back. The venom and loss of blood was proving to be too much for the usually energetic hunter. All he could do now was let the beast beat on him until Hercules woke up, that was his only choice.
"May... the gods have mercy... on your soul... when my... brother wakes up," Iolaus whispered as vehemently as he could muster.
On that note, Iolaus' gashed, poisoned, and bleeding body crumpled powerlessly to the floor, but that didn't stop the creature from continuing to rain blows on him.
Finally, mercifully, as suddenly as it began, everything stopped. The weight of the disgusting creature was lifted from Iolaus' broken body and for one terrible moment, the brave warrior thought the monster turned its attention back to the unconscious demigod.
Thankfully though, through his haze of intense agony, Iolaus saw that it was none other than Hercules who had pulled the arachnid off him.
"Iolaus!" he yelled.
But the creature was between he and his friend. Quickly, Hercules cloth-lined the monster to slow it down, and he ran to his side.
Iolaus' skin was pale and cold. His eyes were closed and his heartbeat was barely even a flutter.
And he wasn't breathing...
TO BE CONTINUED...
NEXT CHAPTER: Part Eleven (No name yet.)