Part 13:
Gaul:
Abnoba walked inside a room that was mostly bare with the exception of a large mirror hung on the wall. Her eyebrow rose when she saw Brigandu and Taranis standing in front of it, watching the images of Aer in her mortal guise and Adora talking as they walked towards the school.
Taranis turned his head briefly when he heard Abnoba's approach. "You're just in time for the show," he murmured, then turned back to face the mirror.
"How thrilling," Abnoba replied dryly as she came to a halt next to Brigandu. She crossed her arms over her chest and the three watched in silence as the two walked inside the school. The mirror's image changed to inside the building, where Adora pointed towards an older man. She then excused herself and walked into Foon Li's class.
There was a slight shimmer as Aer changed herself to look exactly like Adora just as Stephanos rounded the corner. "Adora" greeted the young man with a huge smile, which he returned and she surreptitiously pointed at him, zapping him with a tiny jolt of blue-white lightning. Stephanos' eyes glazed over for a split second when the jolt hit him and then regained their focus. His warm and open smile quickly transformed to an oily smirk.
"Adora" pressed herself up against Stephanos and spoke to him in a low murmur. Eve burst into the hallway just then, slightly out of breath from her sprint back from Gabrielle and Joxer's home.
Taranis chuckled softly as they watched "Adora" reach up and kiss the temporarily bewitched Stephanos forcefully on the lips, to Eve's complete astonishment. "Aer knows how to go for the jugular, doesn't she?"
Abnoba pursed her lips together, unimpressed. "Normally she prefers to go for something much lower than that," she observed. "Being subtle is a concept that's completely lost upon her, I'm afraid."
Brigandu and Taranis exchanged glances. "It doesn't matter how she gets the job done, Abnoba. The point is that she's started to create a deep fracture in Adora and Eve's friendship," Taranis noted. "Would you have done any better?"
Ice-blue eyes glittered at the unspoken challenge in Taranis' voice. "My methods are simply different than hers," she replied, her voice brittle. She turned back to Brigandu. "Excuse me," she murmured.
Brigandu inclined her head slightly. "Of course," she replied softly, her left eyebrow rising as she watched Abnoba leave. She sighed as she turned back to the mirror to watch what was happening. "Was that necessary, Taranis?" she growled. "Abnoba's right. Aer is capricious at the best of times..."
"Yes, and that's why she's perfect for this assignment," the thunder God interrupted before Brigandu could continue. "She's more than capable of reaching into the darkest recesses of mortals' minds and bringing out the worst in them, no matter how innocent and good they seem to be on the surface. Her methods may be unorthodox in execution, yet she's never failed to get what we want."
Brigandu nodded slowly. "True," she allowed reluctantly. She watched in silence for a minute before she spoke again, her brow furrowing. "My son is summoning me," she murmured, closing her ebony-colored eyes for a moment.
Taranis didn't bother turning around to gaze at her. He merely nodded as she left the hall to find Teutales, not noticing the troubled expression on her beautiful features.
Earlier that morning, Greece:
Hercules' eyes widened as he woke up with a start shortly past dawn, a frown furrowing his forehead. With a soft grunt, he rose to a sitting position in his bedroll and turned towards his still-sleeping companions. "Weird," he muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Could've sworn I heard someone yelling... Must've been a dream..." he mumbled, rubbing away the stiffness in his neck.
Deciding to leave his two companions alone for a little bit before rousing them for breakfast since they were going to be doing some hard traveling over the next few days, Hercules slowly rose to his feet, stretched to get the kinks out of his body, and headed to the water for a quick swim, grabbing a cloth to wipe himself dry post-swim. Stripping down to his shorts, he ran to the water and once he had waded far enough, he dove in and swam around for a while.
Hercules swam back to shore, feeling refreshed, if not content, from his dip. His thoughts turned back to yesterday's events as he walked onto the beach, using a cloth to dry himself off and the dark blond eyebrows drew together with a frown. He sighed as he put his clothing on and began walking back towards camp.
Iolaus and White Dove were both awake and the hunter was getting a fire started for their breakfast. White Dove smiled when she saw the tall demigod approaching and signed, Good morning.
"Hi," Hercules greeted his best friend's wife with a warm grin, which she returned. He then turned to Iolaus, who had just gotten the fire lit. "Hey…"
"Morning Herc," Iolaus said, lifting a hand up to muffle a loud yawn. "What a night! Couldn't seem to get comfortable at all," he continued, frowning as he arched his neck to get rid of a crook in it. "Must've had a stone or something underneath the pelts," he grumbled as he tossed some fish into the now-hot frying pan.
Hercules chuckled at his longtime friend's continued inaudible growling as he eased himself down onto the ground. He then turned towards White Dove, who looked troubled as she put dishes out. "Is something the matter?" he asked while he pulled out the last of their flatbread and a round of cheese from his pack. He cut the round into three equal sections and put them on the plates.
Iolaus turned curiously in his wife's direction when he heard the concerned tone in his longtime friend's voice. "Are you feeling all right, sweetheart?" he asked, his blond eyebrows furrowing together in a frown. He shifted position so that he could watch both of his companions and their breakfast at the same time.
I'm fine, White Dove signed in reassurance. Perhaps last night's supper didn't go over so well in my stomach, she teased.
Hercules' face fell - he had cooked their meal the previous evening.
Iolaus brought his hand up to his mouth, hiding the sudden grin that sprang to his lips. His blue eyes twinkled with mischief as he gazed at his wife then at Hercules. He started to laugh, but quickly covered it with a faked coughing fit when he saw his friend glaring at him.
White Dove smiled at the demigod's outraged facial expression and she couldn't help but start giggling. I'm kidding! The meal was delicious.
"You're still the better cook though," Iolaus chimed in, now laughing openly at the chagrined expression on his friend's face.
White Dove gently hit her husband on the arm. Stop teasing him, my love - and if you're not careful, you're going to burn the main part of our breakfast.
Iolaus quickly turned his attention back to the fish, which were ready to be taken off the fire. "Jeez! Don't you people have anything better to eat than that? Yuck!"
"And good morning to you too, Aphrodite," Hercules sighed as the Goddess of Love appeared from a shower of pink sparkles in front of the three friends.
The Goddess' nose wrinkled as the scent of fried fish rose to her nostrils. "It was a rhetorical question, 'kay?" she grumbled. She tossed her curls over her shoulders as she turned around to face Iolaus and White Dove. "Good morning, lovebirds," she added in with a gorgeous grin and a cheeky wink.
White Dove smiled and signed a good morning in response and Iolaus used the back of his hand to wipe his mouth. "Morning," he mumbled before attacking the remainder of his fish with gusto.
Aphrodite stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Eww! Like where did you learn your manners, Curly?" she asked. "Gross!"
"Aphrodite..." Hercules said in a warning tone.
"Okay, okay, okay! All right, already!" the Goddess threw her hands up in surrender. She snapped her fingers and a pink overstuffed chair appeared behind her. She smiled and sat down in the seat, prettily crossing her legs. "Might as well make myself comfortable while you guys chow down," she observed.
Iolaus sighed and shook his head in response. White Dove put a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder to get his attention. He looked at her and rolled his eyes. She made a "let's make the best of a weird situation" gesture and turned her attention back towards her food.
Iolaus cleared his throat and smiled up at Aphrodite, who warily returned his gaze. "So, where is..."
"Tall, Dark, and Grumpy?" The Goddess twirled a blonde strand around her index finger and changed position in her chair so that her long and shapely legs were propped over an armrest. "Taking care of some totally last-minute stuff in Thessaly," she sighed, rolling her eyes.
Hercules growled low in his throat. "So what else is new?" he snapped, finishing the last of his breakfast and rising to his feet. His fists clenched together and his nostrils flared out briefly as he tried to control his temper.
"Don't you start with me, big bro!" the Love Goddess warned, momentarily putting a hand to her forehead as she also rose to her feet. "Daddy is so gonna owe me big time for putting up with the two of you after all of this is over!" she muttered under her breath and snapped her fingers. The oversized pink chair disappeared into the ether in a flash of golden sparkles. She pointed her right index finger at the remains of the mortals' breakfast and a sizzling bright pink bolt shot from it. There was a flash of light as the camp was tidied up and their supplies neatly placed in their packs.
"Uh... Thanks a lot, Aphrodite," Iolaus said, picking up one of the packs after rubbing the aftereffects from the zap away from his eyes.
"No problemo, Curly," Aphrodite replied as she shrugged her shoulders. "Hey!" she suddenly exclaimed with a big smile as she raised her left hand. "I can..."
"We're walking, Aphrodite," the demigod stated firmly.
"But, but, but...!" the Goddess began protesting.
"NO ZAPPING!"
"Oh, all right! Fine, then!" Aphrodite agreed reluctantly, rolling her eyes as she turned away to glance at the calm seas for a moment. "Like have it your way already!" she sighed, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head as she did. There was no response from the three. Puzzled, she turned around to see that they were already making their way off the beach and heading towards inland. "HEY! WAIT FOR ME!" she called out.
"Glad you could join us after all," Hercules said with a laconic grin as Aphrodite walked over as quickly as she could in her slippered feet to the others.
The Love Goddess rolled her eyes. "Like whatever! Let's get this show on the road, huh?"
A flash of blue-white light to the small group's right indicated the arrival of a darkly scowling God of War.
"Here comes trouble with a capital T," Iolaus muttered.
Don't, my love, White Dove signed, shaking her head. It's going to be difficult enough as it is to keep the two of them from going to blows over the littlest thing…
The blond hunter nodded in silent agreement as the two half-brothers hostilely sized each other up. "Yep. This is definitely going to be a fun next couple of days of traveling…"
Aphrodite sighed and shook her head. "Daddy-kins, having to put up with these two will so mean major payback after all this mess is over!" she murmured. She raised her index and middle fingers to her lips and to Iolaus' shock, she let loose with a loud, piercing whistle that made Hercules and Ares turn and stare at the Love Goddess in astonishment.
"ALL RIGHT! YOU!" Aphrodite pointed at the grumbling War God. "Stand next to her!" she jerked her thumb in White Dove's direction. Ares didn't move from the spot he was standing in. She stormed over to him, reached up, and yanked his ear down to her lips. "I SAID: MOVE IT!" she screeched over his protesting yelps.
Hercules chuckled as Ares moved over to stand next to White Dove, rubbing his very sore ear. "Serves you right!" he gloated.
The War God growled under his breath, but in a remarkable display of restraint, he refrained from raising his hand to throw a fireball at his laughing half-brother. He settled for sneering at Hercules instead. "You just wait until this is over, Jerkules! Then you'll get what's been coming to you for a long time!" he threatened.
"Stuff it, Ares!" Aphrodite then whirled around to face her half-brother. "And you knock it off with the smart-mouth remarks, Herc! I wouldn't have to go to these totally grody extremes to keep the two of you separated if both of you weren't acting like spoiled brats in the first place!" she snapped, wagging her index finger at him like she would if scolding a naughty child.
The demigod blinked in surprise, but didn't say a word as he stood next to Iolaus. Aphrodite looked down at herself. "Well, if I've gotta hoof it like the mortals do, I might as well be dressed for the occasion." She waved her hand over her head and her outfit changed into a simple outfit that was similar in appearance to White Dove's without the fringes. "Lead on, Curly!"
Iolaus sighed and the motley crew started their journey.
