Due to eye surgery, I will have to take a break from writing and posting this story. Thank you for reading, and I will continue it when I can.
Hercules struggled in the unbreakable chains, more afraid than ever. He wanted to call for his father, to cry out for help from the gods. But that was impossible. All around him, the gods lay still on the forest floor. They were weak and helpless, all except for Triton and Hercules, who didn't know what was going on, but they were frightened. They had been abducted after school and had awakened wrapped in the chains that were unbreakable for even gods, let alone demigods.
A man strode into the clearing, holding something that looked an awful lot like a needle. Hercules hated needles, and Triton whimpered, his pupils contracting as he stared at the gleaming liquid in the needle.
"I'm sorry to do this to you two," the man said. "But I have to rid the world of your kind. I know you didn't choose to be born into this mess, but you must be destroyed."
Hercules didn't dare to move as the sharp tip pierced his skin. The injection was icy cold, and he gasped as the power in his veins seemed to vanish. He couldn't even stand up anymore, and he collapsed to the ground, unable to even groan. He was tired, so tired, and he fought to stay awake. If he fell asleep, he knew it would be the last thing he saw before entering the Underworld. Triton's body thumped beside him, and his cousin let out a pathetic whine, which was all he could manage. This was it, they thought. They were actually going to die.
Pan watched the two boys as the man leaned over them, sorrow in his eyes. He turned and nodded at Tyche, who mussed her hair then sprinted into the clearing, panting and frightened. Pan let out a ghastly howl, which echoed through the woods. He felt Autolycus, invisible yet present, slip by him and head for their uncle and cousin.
Their father had been adamant that this was what they had to do, but they were afraid of that needle after seeing every single god besides Hermes himself injected and taken down. There was little chance of him using that needle on Tyche, as Hermes told them that the liquid inside was for gods and demigods specifically. And Tyche was in her human form, without her golden skin. Still, Hermes had done something he very rarely did and distilled his essence of luck into five vials and gave them to his children with firm instructions on when to take them.
Pan could still taste the glorious golden liquid on his tongue, the best, sweetest taste in the world, better than even nectar. And he watched as the man spun to see Tyche, looking ready to lash out, but when he saw she was human, he dropped the needle and caught her. She was a great actress, and she looked panicked.
"It's after me!" she shrieked. "Kill it! Kill it!"
Pan smiled and let out another howl that would chill the bones of most mortals. Tyche pointed and blubbered, terror in her eyes. The man assured her that she would be alright, and Pan brought his hands up and ordered the forest to clash and dance as if a storm roared around them. Tyche screamed and took off again. The man, bewildered, followed quickly, shouting for her to calm down.
The satyr moved at once, hurrying out to get to his uncle. Autolycus had already picked the locks on the chains and as soon as the man was gone, he leaned down and hefted Triton over his shoulders. Pan glanced around distastefully at the other gods and goddesses. Normally, he would have been inclined to save them all, despite their terrible behavior, but Hermes was clear. Pan and Autolycus were only to grab Hercules and Triton and then run as fast as they could, covering their tracks behind them.
"Pan, hurry up!" Autolycus hissed. "He's coming back!"
Pan knelt down and copied Autolycus's hold on Hercules, heaving him up and draping him over his shoulders. Hercules shifted and whimpered, but Pan shushed him, and he went limp. There was a noise, and both gods turned and began to sprint. The forest crashed and branches rattled around them as Pan made the roots of the trees writhe and dance behind them to cover their tracks. The earth seemed to boil like water in a pot.
They ran for miles, the two limp bodies over their shoulders, fear thundering in their hearts for their sister. Whoever this man was, he was dangerous even to the gods. They knew this to be true. Why else would their father take two weeks to distill his luck into a drinkable form?
Two hours later, after running through fields and over hills, around towns and villages, and through four different forests, they got to the clearing. Panting, sweat covering every inch of their trembling bodies, they nearly collapsed. They were lucky to have made it so far, and they knew if it hadn't been for their drink of liquid luck, they would have fallen miles ago.
Daphne hurried over and ordered the other nymphs to take the boys from Pan and Autolycus and settle them near the fire.
"Hermes said to keep them warm," she said, authority in her delicate voice. "Quickly girls, they will not harm you."
Pan couldn't speak as he and his brother flopped back to the ground once Hercules and Triton were safely away. He sucked in air with greedy gulps, and it still wasn't enough. Autolycus lay beside him, clutching at his chest and gasping for air. Every muscle in their bodies burned from the exertion. They were gods, yes, but even gods had their limits. Mortals rarely got to see them reach their limits, but after over two hours of running, both Pan and Autolycus had reached theirs. Their hearts thundered in their ears, and they grew dizzy as black edged on their vision.
Daphne and one of the air nymphs, Callidora, hurried to fill skeins with water, and they quickly brought them to the two gods. They knelt down and allowed them to sip between great gasps for air. Their breathing began to slow, and they took longer draughts of the water until the skeins were dry, and the two nymphs went back to get more.
"Do you need food?" Daphne asked.
Pan nodded, gulping down the water. "How long will it take?"
"We already have food prepared. Hermes told us to make a hearty meal for you. We chose pork souvlaki," Callidora said.
She and Daphne retrieved two large helpings of the food, with a side of fresh summer fruits and cups of wine. Pan and Autolycus tried to sit up. Every muscle screamed in protest, but Daphne pulled out some seeds and sprinkled them near the two gods. Pan clenched his fist and beautiful, thick bushes sprouted up. With the nymphs' help, they sat up and leaned against the full, soft leaves of the bushes.
"I suppose Dad also said you have to feed us?" Autolycus grumbled.
"Yes," Daphne replied.
The two gods didn't complain. They didn't know how their father had known so much about what was going to happen, and they were eager to ask him. But when they asked Daphne, she told them that he was off with Hermaphroditus and Angelia. No, she told them, he didn't say when he'd be back or what they were doing. All she knew was that he took Pegasus and told them to make a huge meal.
The two gods were handfed by Daphne and Callidora. There was no getting around it, as they couldn't even lift their arms, so they talked quietly between bites of food, shooting out theories of what was going on. Then a whinny sounded above them, and they craned their necks upward to see Pegasus coming down to land with Cassandra and a normal satyr on his back. Icarus was flying with his wax wings, and he landed gently beside the winged horse. Hermes slid to a stop in the clearing, Hermaphroditus on one arm and Angelia on the other. He released them then took off again, blurring away faster than the eye could see.
"What are you two doing?" Angelia asked, her eyes wide.
"Eating," Pan croaked.
"What happened?" Hermaphroditus asked.
"We ran two hundred miles," Autolycus groaned. "With those two." He nodded toward Hercules and Triton, who were wrapped tightly by the fire.
"Where's Tyche?" Angelia asked tightly. "She went with you. Surely you didn't make her run two hundred miles!"
Hermes slid to a stop again behind Pan and Autolycus, Tyche on his arm. She looked tired and frightened, and she clung to her father until she saw Pan and Autolycus. Peeling herself away from her father, she dropped beside them, trembling from head to foot.
"My luck almost ran out," she whimpered. "He almost caught me. He blamed me for them being gone. He came after me and I ran. I couldn't outrun him forever. There's something godly about him. He knows too much. If he can make the gods weak, what will he do to a mortal?"
Hermes surveyed the clearing. The nymphs were naturally hanging back away from Icarus and Phil, though they didn't mind Cassandra. Icarus and Cassandra were staring with pale faces at the unconscious Hercules and Triton. Phil stared around with no idea of what was going on. Hermes noted that his children were all present and accounted for. He sighed.
"Well, let's eat!" he said, forcing cheerfulness in his voice; they didn't need to know how relieved he was.
The nymphs moved at once, hurrying to fill plates and pass them around to their guests. Hermes took a heaping plate, sat down beside his unconscious brother, and began to shovel food into his mouth. Daphne and Callidora turned back to feed Pan and Autolycus, who looked more embarrassed now that there were others present who weren't family. Icarus and Cassandra sat down and took their plates but didn't eat. Phil didn't even accept the plate, his drawn face focused on his student, who looked deathly ill. Triton had a purple pallor about his green face, while Hercules had a green tinge to his skin.
"Tyche, dear, come and eat," Hermes said quietly.
"I don't think I can," Tyche whimpered.
"Angelia?"
"I'll help her," the tall woman said at once. She grabbed two plates and began to help Tyche eat.
Hermaphroditus sat down beside his father and began to chew on the souvlaki. "Dad, I don't get it. I know that we know Icarus and Cassandra, but why the satyr?"
"If I hadn't brought him here," Hermes said shortly. "He would have been killed. Ambrose knows much more than you think about what he's doing."
Phil's head jerked up. "Killed? Who woulda killed me? What does this have to do with Herc lyin' here like he's…"
The satyr trailed off, unwilling to even think of Hercules being dead. Hermes finished his plate, set it aside, then crossed his legs.
"When Cassandra collapsed in the forest three weeks ago," Hermes began. "I caught her and saw her vision. For a week, I was very sick, trying to fight the curse that Apollo gave her that nobody would believe her visions. Then I got better and began to distill my luck into liquid form for my children. I knew that all of the events that happened today would happen because Cassandra saw it. It was such a powerful vision that she doesn't remember it, and I wouldn't remember it either, except that I am a god."
Pan swallowed his last bite and cringed as he tried to find a comfortable position. "So that's how you knew," he said quietly.
"Yes," Hermes replied. "I have saved Hercules and Triton from Ambrose, and because of that, Phil, Cassandra, and Icarus. Their parents have no idea where they are, and they will not be harmed. They will panic when they discover that they won't come back. Hercules's mortal parents are safe. Ambrose is only after gods and goddesses and their offspring. As for his and Triton's godly parents, I don't believe they will die, but they are not safe for now."
"Wait, so Zeus and Poseidon are…" Phil swallowed.
"They've been captured, and they will be turned mortal," Hermes said. "Ambrose is an expert chemist, and he has distilled hydra's blood in such a way, not to kill them, but to drain their godly powers and abilities. So as of right now, Triton and I are the only official gods left."
There was silence, then Hermes stood up. "Auto, Pan, let's get you to bed. We need to sleep for a while. It was a draining day for all of us." He turned to Phil, Icarus, and Cassandra. "The nymphs will take care of your sleeping arrangements for tonight. And there had better not be any funny business with the nymphs, Phil." Hermes's eyes glowed silver for a moment. "Or there will be divine retribution. Am I clear?"
Phil nodded. "Will the kid be okay?" he asked quietly.
"Hercules and Triton will wake up tomorrow morning. They will be weak for a while. Past that, I don't know. But they are alive, and they will be fine. In time, at least. There was no way to stop the injections."
With that, Hermes strode over and gingerly picked Pan up. Pan didn't complain, and Hermes dashed off. After retrieving Autolycus and Tyche, Angelia and Hermaphroditus followed their father to their cabin. The stars came out, and the night was full of the noises of nocturnal creatures. Hercules and Triton slept on, and one by one, the others followed them into dreams. Out of the nymphs, only Daphne stayed behind, trusting that Hermes would protect her from Phil. She knew she had nothing to worry about with Icarus, Hercules, and Triton. Her sisters needed their rest, anyway. So she stoked up the fire, tucked Hercules and Triton more firmly into their blankets, and sat down to await the dawn.