Iolaus won the race by an easy length, to the surprise of a lot of people who expected one of the rangier, long legged competitors to win. Hercules managed to hide his smirk as he collected his winnings. Growing up with Hercules as a team-mate had honed Iolaus' natural talents to perfection and his size belied his strength, speed and stamina. He was frequently underestimated. Hercules was right there cheering when Jason held up his friend's arm and presented him with the ribbon and offered him a drink the silver double handed winner's cup. As Iolaus' sipped, he met Hercules eyes, wrinkling his nose at the taste of the wine. Hercules bit back a laugh, clapping enthusiastically along with the others and wrapping an arm around Iolaus' shoulders when he came to his side, winner's ribbons fluttering brightly around his upper arm.

"I'm starving, Herc," he announced cheerfully above the noise of the crowd.

"Then let's do lunch," Hercules suggested.

"One of your better ideas. I could eat…"

"Excuse me for interrupting," Coronus said quietly as he loped up to them. His face was pale, his expression grim and he looked as if he was holding himself tightly under control by the skin of his teeth.

"Hey, are you okay?" Iolaus looked up at him in concern.

Coronus nodded weakly and gripped his shoulder for a second. "I will be, but thank you for asking. Hercules, Jason would like to see you."

"What, now?" Hercules gave him a disappointed look. He was hungry too and he had been waiting for the race to be over so he could eat with Iolaus. In a few hours, the games would be over and he was nervous enough to need to be distracted if he was going to be able to eat.

"Yes, now," Coronus said steadily. "Come on."

Iolaus nudged the demi-god in the ribs. "Look on the bright side, Herc, Jason must think a lot of you. You stand a pretty good chance of making it onto the quest."

"I wanted my lunch," Hercules complained.

"I'll save you some of the sweetbread rolls you like," Iolaus offered.

Hercules sighed. "Yeah, okay. Get the ham and pickle ones," he grumbled. "See you later."

Iolaus grinned at him as the demi-god stomped off with Coronus. When Hercules looked back, he was deep in conversation with Talaus who was looking uneasy about something. He could feel his freedom slipping away and responsibility creeping up on him in its place and not for the first time he found himself wondering if maybe he had grown up faster than he should.

* * *

It was the grim expression on Idas' face that told Hercules what he was going to find. Coronus had led him to the private wing of the lodge house where Jason and the others were staying.

"Who is it?" he asked as they halted at the closed door. Idas rapped on the wooden panel sharply.

"Mendicas," Idas answered gloomily.

"The scribe?" Hercules was shocked. Pompous and soused though Mendicas had always seemed, Hercules would never have expected him to be murdered somehow. Lynceus opened the door, beckoning him and Coronus inside.

The room was light and airy, painted with pale pastel colours. A stack of amphora on the trunk against the wall told their own silent story. Jason stood by the window, his hands clenched in the small of his back as he gazed out through the half-open shutter at the beach below.

Mendicas lay on the bed, huddled into a ball with his limbs cramped tight by spasming muscle. An amphora lay in shards by the body, clamped so tight in his grip that it had shattered and spilled wine like blood to soak into the bed in a pinkish stain. There was no sign of blood anywhere and Ranberus was present, examining the body. Hercules was surprised to see the healer. Jason had quietly kept him out of the other murders. Unless this wasn't murder, but something else…

"Jason?" Hercules queried quietly.

The prince took a deep breath and turned to face the new arrivals. "Coronus came to get Mendicas to fill out the records on the race," he said quietly. "He found him like this and called Ranberus to help."

Hercules shot a quick look at Coronus. "You okay?"

"I've felt better," Coronus admitted. "Jase, if you don't need me…"

Jason nodded. "Go get some fresh air."

Coronus gave him a grateful look, shot a quick look at Mendicas and then hurried out. Idas closed the door quietly behind him.

"He's blaming himself," Jason observed. "They were arguing before this happened. He thinks if they hadn't been and Mendicas hadn’t gone off in a huff…"

"It would have happened a little later is all," Ranberus interrupted. He was sniffing one of the broken shards, grimacing at its scent. "I've known Mendicas for a long time. He's always been a drinker."

"You think wine killed him?" Jason asked, almost hopefully.

"I think what was in the wine killed him," Ranberus corrected. "It was poison that did this."

"Poison?" Jason echoed, glancing at the body. "Was it suicide?"

They all shivered at the suggestion and eased back a little from the bed.

"No," Ranberus said however, offering the amphora shard to Jason. "It was in this. More than enough to kill a man."

"Or several men?" Hercules asked sharply.

Jason frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"That looks like the amphora they filled the winners cup from," Hercules explained. "He took it from Coronus when he went off in a huff."

"They were arguing about how Mendicas buying cheap wine and watering it," Lynceus agreed. "Then drinking the good stuff himself."

"You can't think Coronus would…" Jason paused, eyeing Hercules' expression uneasily.

"The winners cup," Hercules blurted, his eyes filling with horror. "Mendicas filled the winner's cup with that stuff. Iolaus!" Swinging around in panic, he nearly bowled Lynceus over as he hurled open the door and barrelled off down the corridor.

Lynceus looked over at Jason in dawning horror. "Iolaus won the race…"

"Ranberus! Grab your gear and move it!" Jason bellowed, grabbing the healer's arm even as he yelled orders. "Iolaus will need your help. Idas, stay here. Lynceus…."

* * *

Iolaus was feeling strange, almost floaty, as if he wasn't really connected to the ground. Actually, considering how far above the ground he was, he was probably right. He was walking the balance beam in his bare feet, taking part an impromptu match with Aethalides to see who was better at a balancing. Talaus was off taking part in the climbing race otherwise he would probably have joined in.

Iolaus paused in mid step, convinced that the beam was bending under his feet. His confidence seemed to ebbing away and he could feel his knees trembling. He studied the beam suspiciously, knowing that looking down was always a bad idea. The ground seemed to be receding as if he was floating higher and higher. Suddenly determined to get down off the beam before he fell, he took a step forward and a surge of dizziness swept over him.

"Iolaus? Are you okay?" Aethalides voice seemed to come from far, far away. Not teasing, or mocking, but genuinely concerned.

Get me down… Iolaus could hear the words inside his own head, but he couldn't say them. He eased another step forward and the world shimmered around him. For a horrible second, the ground below seemed to open into a vast blue white chasm of ice, dropping away beneath him for mile after mile of glacial depth. Transparent ice took on shimmering shades of blue and white and grey and something shot up at him out of the depths, a spiky shape that he had seen once before, its fanged maw gaping open…

His foot touched the beam again and the tremor of the wood beneath his weight snapped him from vision to reality and the knowledge that the beam was breaking beneath him, dropping him into that ice filled chasm….

* * *

Hercules heard the sharp crack of breaking beam as he galloped over the sand and saw Iolaus topple forwards and fall. "No!" It was a long drop and he knew Instinctively that this was it, this time he wasn't going to be there to catch him and Iolaus was going to get hurt and it was all his fault…

He exploded through the shocked crowd, knowing that he was bare seconds too late and that all it took was seconds…

And saw Polydeceus nip smartly underneath and catch Iolaus deftly in his muscular arms. The big man staggered under his weight but he held Iolaus secure before lowering the hunter to the ground and kneeling anxiously beside him.

"He's out cold," Aethalides exclaimed in alarm, feeling his throat for a pulse as Hercules barged through to his friend's side. "My father will kill me."

"Look at that beam!" Castor growled, leaning over his brother and resting his hand on his shoulder. "That's half sawn through. He could have been hurt badly if you hadn't caught him…"

"Later," Hercules growled, elbowing Aethalides to one side so he could check Iolaus' pulse for himself. He glared at the Herald. "Were you warned about this?"

"My father never said a word," Aethalides admitted.

Iolaus groaned, distracting all of them as he opened his eyes. "What?"

"Lie still. Ranberus is on his way."

"Don't think I'm hurt," Iolaus argued, lifting his head for a second then sinking back again. "Uh …maybe I’ll lie down for a while."

"Maybe you’d better. You've been poisoned."

"No, I’m fine…"

"You've been poisoned," Hercules insisted.

"But I…" Iolaus protested feebly.

"Poisoned."

"Poisoned?" Iolaus widened his eyes at him.

"Yes, lie still," Hercules rested a warm hand on his forehead, alarmed by the cold clammy feel of his skin. "Has anyone got a cloak? He's freezing."

Aseus handed over his and Hercules quickly wrapped it around his friend as, to his relief, Ranberus puffed up with Jason behind him and knelt beside them. The healer checked Iolaus' pulse then delved into his satchel for a clay bottle. With Hercules supporting Iolaus' shoulders, he persuaded the young warrior to drink the contents down, ignoring his feeble complaints about the taste.

"Will he be all right?" Jason asked in concern.

"Depends how much he took," Ranberus answered as he kept his fingers on Iolaus' wrist. "Iolaus? How much did you drink from the winners' cup?"

Iolaus gave him a foggy look, feeling distinctly weird and increasingly nauseous. "Sip or two…was horrible…" He made a grab at Hercules' hand, clinging to him tightly. "I think…" With a small squeezed out whimper, he rolled over and threw up violently.

"Excellent," Ranberus exclaimed.

"Excellent?!" Hercules bellowed in fury even as he caressed Iolaus' hair soothingly with one hand and wrapped an arm around his quaking shoulders.

"He threw up," Ranberus explained.

"I can see that!"

"It was either that or stick my fingers down his throat," Ranberus retorted. "And he looks like the kind to bite."

"Damn straight," Iolaus gasped, shivering violently. "Why's it so cold?"

"The shock to your body," Ranberus said gently, tucking the cloak more firmly around him. "Don't look so scared now. Let's get you to bed and I'll give you something to make you feel better. Do you think you can stand?"

"If someone helps me up." Hercules was quick to grab him and half lift his friend to his feet. Iolaus hung on his arm desperately as the demi-god wrapped the too long cloak around him. "Stop fussing," he scolded however and pushed away, swayed wildly and toppled over backwards. Jason caught him under the arms and lowered him to the ground, grinning down at the miserable young warrior.

"That first step is always tricky," he teased.

Iolaus grimaced at him. "I don’t feel well," he complained pathetically. "Why does everything have to spin so much?"

"Because you're ill," Jason said gently. "Lie still, Suntop."

"Oh, no, not you too…" Iolaus moaned and closed his eyes.

"He really shouldn't exert himself," the healer fussed anxiously. "Hercules, do you think you could carry him?"

"It's not a matter of whether or not I can carry him, it's whether or not Iolaus will let me carry him," the demi-god observed wryly.

"Right now, he's going to do as he's told," Jason said grimly before Iolaus could open his mouth to argue. "One thing a captain expects of his crew is that they take orders."

"I'm not one of your crew yet," Iolaus mumbled, then ruined his display of defiance with a small whimper of distress that distracted both him and a worried Hercules from Jason's mysterious smile.

"Come on, Iolaus, don't fight me for once," Hercules said kindly, scooping his friend off the ground, cloak and all.

Iolaus groaned as his head spun violently at the movement and he closed his eyes, fighting down more nausea. He found it easier to rest his head on Hercules' broad shoulder and concentrate on not feeling nauseated than think about the sway of Hercules' movement as he walked. It wasn't so embarrassing if he didn't have to look at all the people staring at him. Through the roaring in his ears, he heard the rumble Hercules' voice made in his chest as he spoke. "Jason, what about the poison? If it's in the winner's cup…"

"You worry about Iolaus, I’ll worry about the cup," Jason answered from far away. "I sent Lynceus to find it."

Then everything went fuzzy and grey and, to his relief, the world kind of drifted away…

* * *

It was growing dark when Iolaus woke reluctantly from a too deep sleep that had been full of dreams of ice caverns and monsters calling him from silently gaping mouths. He vaguely remembered Hercules helping him undress and climb into bed and hearing his own voice quavering as he complained bitterly how cold he was. Ranberus' voice had been a quiet buzz in the background as Hercules bundled the furs around him, tucking them in against the small of his back and under his feet until Iolaus could hardly move. Not that he cared, with their warmth and the gradual lessening of his nausea now that he was lying down, he had started to feel a fraction better. Ranberus had given him another potion to drink and he remembered threatening to hurt him if it made him nauseous again, but he remembered nothing after that except warm fuzzy darkness after them and the relief of sliding into sleep.

Now he pried his eyes open and focused fuzzily on the last sunshine spilling through the shutters, throwing golden beams across the black furs and red blankets of his bed. Sighing, Iolaus snuggled down a little further, hunting after more sleep. He supposed he should feel hungry, but a painful little twinge from his stomach told him that he really wasn't interested. As sleep slipped elusively further away, he became aware of others things. The way his shoulder itched where he'd been bitten, the chilly feeling deep down inside him and the way his head felt like it was being squeezed tight as if a cord had been tied around his temples and was being pulled tight.

Unnerved, Iolaus clawed his way out of the furs and sat up, massaging his neck and temples until the tension eased. "Too much sleep," he muttered to himself, looking around his room. He had half-expected Hercules to be there and was a little put out that there was no sign of the demi-god. A flicker of unease ran through him as he realised he really didn't want to be on his own. Hearing voices in the corridor outside decided him to move and he listened curiously as he reached for his clothes.

"Coronus, there's nothing to see," Ranberus was saying firmly. "It was little more than a scratch in the first place." Sitting on the edge of the bed, Iolaus wriggled into his pants, scratched his shoulder irritably and then grabbed for his jerkin.

"But it itches!"

"That means it's getting better," Ranberus replied patiently. "Look, you can see it's fine for yourself."

Iolaus stamped his feet into his boots and pushed cautiously to his feet. He wobbled a little and he still felt a fraction dizzy, but the horrible swirling had stopped. Keeping one hand on the wall, he made his way carefully to the half open door and eased out into the corridor. He was spotted instantly.

"What are you doing up?" Ranberus demanded, bearing down on him.

"I couldn't sleep any more."

"Nonsense."

"My shoulder itches…" Iolaus looked past the healer to Coronus for back up. Coronus had obviously slipped into his festival finery for he was wearing black leather pants and vest over a copper tunic that brought his hair to blazing life.

"Perfectly normal," Ranberus assured him primly.

"I have a headache."

"All the more reason for you to lie down."

"My headache feels better standing up," Iolaus answered back and stood his ground as Ranberus attempted to shoo him back into the room. "Where's Herc?" he appealed to Coronus.

"He was here all afternoon, but Jason wanted him for something. So I offered to, uh…" Coronus considered saying baby-sit and changed his mind at the look Iolaus gave him. "…bodyguard you."

"Like I need a bodyguard," Iolaus sniffed.

"You need something," Ranberus muttered.

"I heard that!" Iolaus complained indignantly.

"You were meant to."

"Oh…" Somewhat at a loss, Iolaus stood still as the healer fussed over him, checking his pulse, peering into his eyes and finally taking a look at his shoulder. "Can I go now?" Iolaus asked hopefully at last. "You don't expect me to miss the last night of the games, do you?

"I suppose not. All right," Ranberus said reluctantly at last. "I suppose it won't hurt you to get up and walk around for a little while."

"Cool!" Iolaus chirped, glad of the prospect of company.

"But no wine, though."

"What?" Iolaus braked and protested on general principles. "Aw, come on…"

Ranberus gave him a grim look. "You were poisoned this afternoon. It's sheer luck that you weren't killed. A mouthful or two more and there would have been nothing I could do." He paused, meeting Iolaus' uneasy eyes. "I'm not being mean, kid," he said more gently. "But wine on top of what you've been through is really going to make you seriously ill. Besides which, it’ll react with the potion I gave you and you won't know which way up you are."

"I don't think he knows that usually anyway," Coronus chuckled.

Iolaus glared at him.

"You needn't think it's so funny," Ranberus said however. "I'm expecting you to watch him."

"Me?!" Coronus exclaimed in dismay. "But I…"

"You volunteered to be his bodyguard, remember?" Ranberus reminded him pointedly.

"Yes, but…." Coronus shot a sharp look at Iolaus, certain he saw a huge grin vanishing form the hunter's face to be replaced by a look of limpid innocence.

"Do you want to tell Hercules how he wandered off all alone and helpless?"

"I'm never helpless!" Iolaus protested.

Coronus swore bitterly and grabbed Iolaus' arm. "Come on before he changes his mind," he grumbled at him. Iolaus wriggled out of his grip and fell into step beside him.

"Does your arm itch?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah. Your shoulder?"

"Yeah," Iolaus and Coronus exchanged a look.

"It's probably the magic. Ranberus said we were getting better."

"Yeah…" Iolaus chewed his lower lip thoughtfully. "You seen Talaus?"

"He was on the beach a while ago. Some sort of knife throwing contest. He and Aethalides were doing pretty good."

"Was Talaus okay?"

"A bit jumpy maybe. But considering what's happened, it's not surprising. He asked about you."

"Hmmh."

"Hmmh? Hmmh what?" Coronus asked suspiciously.

"When I talked to Talaus he said he was having a twitchy feeling, like something was going to happen. He said it usually happens when the weather is going to change, but sometimes…"

Coronus shrugged. "It looked like a change in the weather was brewing, but as long as it holds off until the party is over, why worry? It's probably his imagination anyway."

Iolaus looked up at him slowly and didn't answer. He wished he had had time to talk to Hercules about Talaus' feelings before Jason had sent for the demi-god. It was that 'But sometimes…' that worried him. Iolaus had learned to trust both his own and Hercules intuition even before Cheiron started to teach them.

"Hey, come on. Brighten up, sunshine," Coronus interrupted his thoughts. "You've got good reason to be happy."

"I have?"

Coronus grinned at him. "Trust me, Iolaus, you have very good reason. Take my word for it."

* * *

Propped against the wall of Jason's room, Hercules gazed through the shutters at the soft golden light of gathering dusk, wondering how Iolaus was and wishing he could slip away to check on him. On the table lay the shards of Mendicas' amphora, the winner's cup and the disks they had found on the scribe's body. Jason was fingering the disk they had found tucked into Mendicas' wine stained tunic, staring at it as if it would tell him his secrets if he could only look at it for long enough. Archivus sat at the other end of the table, looking through the notes he had made. Jason had sent Lynceus and the others to start the banquet before someone started a riot.

"There's so little to go on," Archivus said reluctantly into the silence.

Jason put the disk down carefully and looked at the bard. Hercules pulled out a chair and sat down, looking from one to the other of them. "Tell me what you think," Jason urged.

"I think," Archivus said slowly. "That the killer must be either Perides or someone like him. They’re too random to be connected."

"Charbyis could have been murdered by malice," Jason said slowly. "To make us look bad. When Aldis gets over his shock…"

"Which is why we have to find out who really killed him," the bard said quickly. "Jase, I really think he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was an easy victim. So were the two tumblers."

"One of whom looked like Iolaus," Hercules said softly.

"It could mean this is an opportunistic killer, someone who likes to kill blondes."

"Mendicas wasn't a blond," Archivus pointed out.

"That could have been accidental if the target was Iolaus…" Jason said thoughtfully.

"But there was no guarantee that Iolaus would win and drink from the cup," Hercules argued. "The poison was meant for anyone who drank it. Possibly whoever put the poison in the wine, knew Mendicas would drink it too. The killer wanted to kill as many people as possible. Did anyone check the wine for the feast?"

"I sent Idas to do it. And I had a word with the Seers."

"There's certainly enough of them," Archivus muttered. "Did they tell you anything?"

"Dark deeds are afoot according to Mopsus. Amphiaraus looked vague and muttered a lot of gibberish about glaciers…Idrion said something about beware the jabberwock and Idmon started burbling about the thing changing into a dog. They’re all totally weird if you ask me, but they did say the wine was safe."

"What's a jabberwock?" Archivus asked curiously.

"I have no idea. When I asked Idrion, he looked at me and giggled. Hercules? Do you know?"

"Never heard of it," Hercules admitted.

Jason sighed heavily. "I don't suppose it matters," he muttered, glancing ruefully at Archivus. "So, your opinion is what?"

"Well, after discussing it with Aethalides, we think the killer was hired to sacrifice people to stir up the ice demon deliberately."

"Why?" Jason demanded sharply. "To destroy the Argonautica?"

Archivus shot a quick look at him, grabbed a stray scroll and scribbled on it. "Good one, Jase, that'd make a great name…"

"Archivus, stay with us will you?" Jason begged wearily. "I've got to go talk to these guys in a minute."

"Oh, oh yeah. Sorry." Archivus gave his scroll a longing look but resolutely re-rolled it. "The most likely idea is that the killings are connected to us. The alternatives are that it's a simple raving lunatic among us…"

"Simple?" Hercules echoed in disbelief.

"Or a that it's a hired assassin who wants us to think it's a lunatic while he carries out his sacrifices for someone wanting to raise the ice demon. As to why, well you can either go with the raising the ice demon for its own sake theory or that King Pelias is behind everything and you’re not as paranoid as you think, Jase."

Jason sighed again and rested his head in his hands. "In the end, I'm going to have to turn it over to Pelias, aren't I? It doesn't matter why when the end's the same," he said bitterly. "Prencious is right. We have to stop everyone from leaving until the killer is found. The palace guards are going to have to search the entire complex until they find the answers. Pelias is never going to let me forget this. The quest is ruined." Angrily he slammed one fist into the table hard enough to hurt then winced and he sucked his hand in pain.

"Unless we find the killer first," Hercules said quietly.

"What?" Jason looked at him in surprise.

"If this was to stop the quest for Pelias' sake, it's all ready done. If not, and the killings are sacrifices to raise the ice demon, then it isn't over yet. Something else will happen because this is the last night, the last chance to shed enough blood and fear to raise the ice demon. And if we can defeat it, then the quest will be off to a good start."

Archivus sniffed. "Oh, that's very encouraging," he muttered. "I was looking forward to a good night out…"

"I like your confidence," Jason said thoughtfully, however, ignoring the bard.

Hercules grinned at him. "You tend to pick it up when you hang around Iolaus a lot…"

Jason met his eyes for a second and smiled faintly. "He does seem to have that effect on people," he said quietly. "So do you."

"Me?" Hercules blinked in surprise and blushed.

Jason's smile widened. "One way or another," he continued seriously. "There's no more we can do tonight. If Hercules is right, we may find ourselves fighting an ice demon, if not…"

Archivus leaned forward. "Are you going to tell our, uh, guests that there might not be a quest?"

"No, I'll announce the chosen as agreed. Even I don't lead the quest, Pelias may send someone else in my place. I don't intend to ruin the party unless I have reason," Jason paused, a amused light entering his eyes as he shrugged ruefully. "At least I won't have Pelias glaring at me all night. According to his Seer tonight is an inauspicious time for him to leave the palace."

"Inauspicious huh?" Hercules mused. "Convenient…"

"Maybe," Jason admitted. "Or maybe he's got a good Seer. Either way, let's go party on, dudes."

* * *

Once they had been noisily greeted by the partygoers - all of them eager and excited to see who would be chosen - Hercules slipped away. He needed a few minutes away from Jason to think things through for himself. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that he was right about the ice demon. He wanted to bounce his ideas off Iolaus, trusting his friend to pick at any holes for him.

Hercules found Idas at the barbecue. A huge pit had been dug in the sand for an ox earlier and it had been roasting all day, the delicious sent of roast meat making Hercules' mouth water and reminding him that he hadn't eaten. There were swordfish and tuna steaks wrapped in herbs and dribbled with fine sauces, roast vegetables, rich strong cheeses and freshly baked bread. Hercules grabbed a huge chunk of bread and a platter and gathered up as much food as he could without being rude.

While he ate and looked around, Idas told him that he had seen Iolaus up and around on the beach and that he had seemed to attempting to shake Coronus off from tailing him. Going in search of his friend, Hercules found Aethalides and Talaus arguing wine with Domesticles and Lettus. Talaus told him that he had seen Iolaus heading down to the pier and that he hadn't seemed to want company when he suggested he joined them. For some reason, Talaus seemed jumpy and Aethalides was definitely distracted by something, gazing off into nowhere as if listening very hard for something.

Telling them that he would bring Iolaus back, Hercules scrunched off across the damp sand to find his friend, feeling his own unease increasing. The beach was lit by torches that flickered in the sea breeze and turned the damp sand to dark bronze under his feet. He found Iolaus down on the pier, apparently not doing anything except gazing out to sea with a distant expression on

his face. Making sure that a board squeaked under his feet so he didn't get a knife in the ribs for sneaking up on him unannounced, Hercules ambled up behind him and draped an arm around his shoulders. Iolaus leaned automatically into his side, looking tired.

"Dinar for them," Hercules prompted softly.

"The wine dark sea," Iolaus answered. "Do you ever think about how big it really is? How deep and dark and dangerous? We don't really know what's down there in the depths."

Hercules was surprised enough to hesitate before he responded, his eyes drawn out into the darkness. The sea looked much bigger at night, darker and colder and menacing. The ink dark water was crested with wave caps of blue white, eerie in the night as they rolled and gurgled over the shore, sucking away the wet sands as the ocean encroached on the land. The ever present sigh of the surf sounded almost like the breathing of some huge monster.

"It scares me sometimes," Iolaus said even more quietly. "Yet it excites me, too. I want to know what's out there, Herc. Looking at the ocean makes something inside me tingle."

Hercules blinked and looked down at his friend. He couldn't see his face, only the pale gold glimmer of his hair in the darkness. "What brought this on?" he asked curiously.

"I'm not sure," Iolaus tugged away from him and turned to face him, lifting his chin so that he actually looked up at Hercules instead of studying his chest. "I...Herc, when I fell off that beam…"

"That wasn't your fault," Hercules said swiftly. "Lynceus said someone sawed through the beam then pasted it over so you couldn't see it had been cut. Someone could have been killed. If Polydeceus hadn't caught you…"

"You’re not beating yourself up about that, are you?" Iolaus grumbled.

"Well…"

Iolaus slapped him on the chest. "Stop it," he scolded. "Coronus told me about the beam. You two would make a real pair going around blaming yourself for every out of place nail. And you interrupted me…"

"Sorry," Hercules mumbled. "You were saying?"

The bright blaze of indignation in Iolaus' eyes faded and he looked round uneasily. "I, when I fell, I think I saw something."

"You mean like who cut the beam?" Hercules asked sharply. "Because when I get my hands on whoever did that….

"No," Iolaus said slowly. "I think I saw the ice creature…"

"What?"

"Well, it was like I was looking into this huge chasm of ice right beneath me and I saw it coming up towards me…" Iolaus hesitated, biting his lip as Hercules stared at him. "I dreamed about it too, when I…I don't think I imagined it, Herc. Unless it was the poison…."

"The poison, yes…." Hercules grabbed his wrist and set off back up the pier.

"Look, I know you don't believe me but it felt real. Like it was coming…"

"Did I say I didn't believe you?"

"No, but…."

Hercules slammed to a halt and grabbed his shoulders. "Sometimes when someone is ill the way you were, it makes them closer to the veil."

"Veil?"

"Uh, never mind. But sometimes you can see past that, see things that aren't in our world."

"Like god things?" Iolaus said cautiously.

"Yeah, like god things, spirit things. I've felt it, Iolaus, I feel it's coming and now you do too. We have to tell, Jason…" Hercules broke off, yanking Iolaus protectively closer as a shadow swept over him. A wolf whistle echoed down from above as Iolaus angrily elbowed him off.

"What's with you?!" he growled, tugging down his purple suede tunic. "It's only Zetes."

Hercules ignored him, staring at the winged shape circling over him. It was as if a demon arrowhead floated over him on wings of fire and it took him a moment to adjust his vision and see that the arrowhead shape was in reality a wing made from black, purple and jade green silk and that the flames came from the torch Zetes was carrying.

Zetes waved at him, then twisted his body, zooming away low across the beach to where Calais was settling his own flying wing to the beach.

"They've brought the torches to light the bonfires," Iolaus explained, prodding Hercules in the ribs to snap him out of his awe.

"But they were flying…"

"Yeah. Cool, isn't it?"

"Why didn't they flap like birds?"

"I don't know for sure, it's something to do with thermals and air currents apparently. Some guy called Daedalus made the wings for them. Calais says they're called gliders. He offered to take me up and teach me to fly."

"No," Hercules decided promptly, grabbing him and setting off again as he remembered he had been on his way to see Jason.

"No? Why not? You can't tell me what to do!" Iolaus yelped, squirming out of his grip on his wrist but still following him.

"Iolaus, I've seen how much trouble you can get up to on dry land, let alone in the air!"

"How about on the water?"

"What?"

"Jason's voyage?"

"Oh, shut up," Hercules grumbled

"My point…" Iolaus chirped.

Hercules snorted and stomped on ahead, knowing that Iolaus was smirking as he trotted happily after him but Iolaus wanting flying lessons was the least of his problems right then.

* * *

Zetes and Calais were presenting Jason with the torches when Hercules and Iolaus caught up. Taking the torches, Jason moved to light the circle of brands around the dais that had been set up at the beach edge. Archivus had got a conch horn from somewhere and was blowing on it furiously, calling the feasters to the dais in between pausing to catch his breath.

"Stay put," Hercules told a miffed Iolaus and pushed forward to beckon to Jason.

"Cool fly past, huh?" Zetes commented, ambling over to Iolaus' side.

Iolaus grinned at him. "Way cool," he agreed. Zetes was probably a fraction taller than his twin, and his dark grey eyes were almost the colour of charcoal. He had let his thick wavy hair loose from its ponytail, its unusual storm colour highlighted by startling flashes of blond among the dark pewter. He was wearing simple black leather, tight-fitting for streamlining but inlet with flashes of blue.

"There you are!" Coronus barked, appearing out of nowhere to loom over Iolaus. "I thought I told you to stay put at the barbecue!"

"I got bored," Iolaus retorted.

"I'm supposed to be watching you."

"Well, you’re not doing it very well," Iolaus pointed out. "Where'd you get to anyway?"

Coronus sighed heavily and scratched at his arm. He had already decided that there was no point in arguing with the diminutive warrior. "I had a quick look round for Perides."

"Oh? Did you find him?"

"No one's seen him. I'm hoping he decided to leave."

"It's not very likely."

"I can hope."

Iolaus considered this for a moment, then nodded towards the dais where Archivus was wheezing for breath. "That's one way to shut him up," he observed.

Coronus grinned. "About the only way," he agreed cheerfully.

"Ssh," Zetes hushed them both. "Jason's about to speak."

Coronus raised an eyebrow at him, detecting a hint of awe in his voice. But he noticed Iolaus turned his gaze to the dais too, showing Jason more respect that he did anyone else except perhaps Hercules.

"I'm not going to keep you all standing around waiting," Jason began.

"What about my speech?" Archivus squeaked in protest.

"What about it?" Jason glanced at him casually.

"I wrote it especially!"

"I know and I'm very grateful for the way it kept you quiet," Jason told the pouting bard with a grin. "Now, where was I?"

"Not keeping us waiting," Polydeceus observed wryly

Jason gave him a sternly quelling look that was ruined by his smile. "As I was saying, I know you all want to get to the feasting, so I’ll tell you now who I would like to ask to join me and my companions on this quest." He held out his hand to Archivus and, with much under his breathing muttering, the bard handed over a sheaf of many times rolled scroll. Jason untied the ribbon and held it up. He took a deep breath before he began, "In alphabetical order, Actor, Admetus of Pherae, Aethalides, son of Hermes…"

Iolaus brightened up and waved to the Herald who looked stunned but delighted.

"Amphiaraus the Seer," Jason continued to read, smiling when a popular name drew a cheer. "Ancaeus the Axe of Arcadia, Ascalaphus, Aseus…" He glanced up, grinning at the look on Ascalaphus face as he looked at his brother.

"I can't go without-" Ascalaphus began.

"And his brother Ialmenus," Jason went on hastily, winning a laugh. Iolaus listened closely, paying attention to the names of people he knew. "Butes, Castor and his brother Polydeceus-"

Another cheer went up, making Iolaus miss the next few names.

"Domesticles….Euphemus the swift footed-."

Iolaus grinned, recognising the man who had beaten Hercules at the swimming. He held his breath, then slumped in disappointment as Jason continued on, "Otus of Sparta, Polyphemus, Talaus…"

Iolaus whooped in delight and waved at Talaus as the young man stood and gaped stupidly at Jason.

"Me?" he squeaked. "Me?"

"He's a …" someone began.

Jason pinned the speaker with a dark eye. "A very good climber, yeah, I know. Why do you think I picked him?" Turning back to Talaus, he winked at him and then glanced at Archivus. "I thought these were supposed to be in alphabetical order?"

"I dropped the notes and didn't have time to put them back in order while I was writing your speech," Archivus retorted sarcastically.

Jason sighed and went on. "Okay, in no particular order then, Idmon the Seer, Idrion the Seer, Tiphys-"

"Can't have too many Seers," Coronus observed.

"Artemus, Hercules of Thebes-"

A huge cheer went up at that and Iolaus grinned in delight, punching Coronus in the arm. "I knew it! I knew he'd do it…"

"Jason? I won't…" Hercules' voice boomed out from the crowd.

"And before I get any more interruptions," Jason said dryly. "Iolaus of Thebes-"

There was another cheer at that and Talaus lunged across to hug his friend. Iolaus let him get on with it while he gaped at Jason then looked around numbly.

"What's the matter?" Coronus asked curiously.

"Is there someone else with my name here?"

"No," Coronus chuckled then dodged as Hercules homed in on his friend and swept Iolaus off his feet in a laughing bear hug.

"We're going, Iolaus! We’re both going!" he whooped in glee as Iolaus squirmed free. .

"It's not a mistake?" Iolaus said weakly.

No, Suntop," Coronus said reassuringly. "No mistake. We all voted for you and Hercules. We all voted for Talaus and Aethalides too."

"Calais, and before I get lynched, his brother Zetes…" Jason was still reading from his list. "Lettus, Mopsus the Seer…"

"I still can't quite believe it," Hercules commented, standing next to Iolaus with his arm draped around his shoulders. Excitement had swamped his other worries and for now he was simply happy to be standing there listening to Jason.

"Believe it," Coronus said warmly. "You two were a popular choice. Come and have a celebration drink with me."

"You know I can't drink," Iolaus pouted.

"You can't?" Hercules looked down at him in surprise.

"Ranberus told me not to because of the poison," Iolaus complained.

Coronus chuckled. "Hercules, you and I can drink then. We can get some fruit juice for the kid."

Iolaus kicked him in the ankle and lunged after him. Hercules held him back. "You deserved that, Coronus, don't pretend you didn't," the demi-god observed mildly.

Clutching his ankle, Coronus glared at Iolaus, slowly melting into a smile. "Yeah, I guess I did at that," he admitted. "He may be little but he's vicious."

Iolaus bristled, attempting to claw out of Hercules' grip. "And worth ten bigger men," Hercules commented and Iolaus subsided, looking up at him in surprise.

"Which is why he was picked," Coronus pointed out, grinning at Iolaus. "Bright, beautiful and dangerous. Who could resist?"

Iolaus stuck his tongue out at him.

"We could go and eat," Hercules suggested, wistfully recalling the scent of the roasting meat.

"Food?" Iolaus perked up. "Lead me to it. I'm starving."

"I should have known nothing would stop your appetite," Hercules teased in relief.

"Hey, I didn't get to have lunch!" Iolaus protested.

"Well, maybe some broth," Coronus said thoughtfully. "Ranberus did say…"

Iolaus rudely told him where Ranberus could go and what he could do with himself when he got there. "I'm hungry. Maybe I can't drink any wine, but I can still eat!" He prodded Hercules in the ribs. "Show me the food…."

* * *

A couple of hours later on his way back to the long table where he had left his partner, Hercules frowned, realising that Iolaus had company. Some of the men who had failed to be chosen had been busily getting drunkenly rowdy and there had been several fights already that Prencious was getting more and more angry about having his men breaking up. This time one of the Spartans had decided to corner Iolaus and was flicking a knife backwards and forwards in his hands in front of his blue eyes, while his friend stood close enough to threaten the hunter with his own drawn knife.

Setting down the tray of food he was carrying, Hercules approached in his best stealth demi-god mode and kicked the second Spartan in the back of his knee. With a howl of pain, he crumpled and Hercules plucked the knife out of his hand before clobbering him with the hilt. Seizing his chance as his aggressor was distracted, Iolaus flashed forward and twisted the knife out of the other Spartan's hand, then held it angled threateningly upwards at his chest.

"Threaten me, would you?" he hissed.

Hearing the boiling of a temper tantrum, Hercules plucked the knife out of his hand and gave the Spartan an ugly look. "You looking for trouble?" he demanded, ignoring Iolaus' indignant splutter. "Because I’ll let Iolaus slice and dice you if you are."

The Spartan scowled. "You don't scare me," he sneered. "You may have tricked Agride but…" He paused, gaping at Hercules as the demi-god casually juggled the two knives. Moving faster and faster until they were a hypnotic blur of silver.

"Catch," Hercules ordered, tossing one of the knives to Iolaus then lunging at the Spartan. Before the man knew what was happening, he was pinned on his back on the table, one hand holding his wrist clamped to the wood. Flipping the knife over to catch it by the hilt, Hercules tapped the knifepoint between the man's fingers, speeding up until the blade started to splinter the wood. "How long do you think I can keep this up?" he asked conversationally.

"Before or after you draw blood?" Iolaus asked. He had folded his arms, resting his chin on one hand as he absently held the knife against his jaw.

"Or chop off a finger?" Hercules grinned savagely, concentrating too hard to notice the quick uncertain look Iolaus flashed at him.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" the Spartan gasped. "It was a joke."

"Am I convinced?" Hercules asked. "I don't think so…"

"I'm sorry!" the man screamed.

"I'm still not…"

"Herc, let him go," Iolaus urged softly. "You're coming perilously close to bullying him, big guy."

Hercules winced and dropped the man so fast he slid off the table to the ground. The Spartan didn't bother to bluster or threaten, he grabbed his groggy friend and hurried off into the darkness of the beach, looking nervously over his shoulder at them to check they weren't being followed as they went. The demi-god stared at the knife for a long moment then drove it into the table in disgust.

"I don't know what happened," he muttered.

"It's the atmosphere. Can't you feel it? Like something coming?"

Hercules glanced at him then lifted his head, his long hair swirling in the sea breeze as he sniffed the air. "Yeah, magic…" he said bitterly. "You feel it too?"

Iolaus nodded slowly. "I wanted to kill him," he said slowly. "That isn't like me. It isn't like either of us."

"No," Hercules put a hand on his shoulder and felt better for the contact. He looked around him, aware of the threatening mood that was spreading over what had been a cheerful celebration. "Let's go and find Jason. I think he should know about this."

* * *

To Iolaus' annoyance, Jason took Hercules off to one side to talk to him, giving the young hunter a pointed look to stay out of the way. Irritated and feeling more than a little sulky, Iolaus stomped off in a huff. Sometimes he felt like no one ever took him seriously. Even Hercules tended to be over protective at times. So he'd been poisoned. It was no big deal. He bounced back fast, he always had. Okay, so he felt like going back to his room for a nap but it had been a long day! Maybe if he sneaked off no one would notice. And Hercules worried it'd serve him right…

"Why the scowl?" Aethalides asked curiously, ambling over to fall into step with him as he headed for the lodge house. Talaus came up on his other side, tankard in hand.

"Yeah, lighten up! We're Argonauts!"

Iolaus smiled at Talaus' enthusiasm instinctively. "I know, but that ice demon thing is still making me…"

"Jumpy?" Aethalides suggested, glancing around warily. He fingered the little silver bell he had won for ringing the bell on the rock. He had persuaded Lettus to row him out to the rock and then he had flung a throwing knife at it.

"Twitchy?" Talaus put in.

"Nervous, but both of those are good. Hercules' is talking to Jason about it. Haven't you noticed how tense everyone seems?"

"Lynceus was saying it was time to separate the Argonauts from everyone else anyway. There's supposed to be a ceremony for us in the main hall," Talaus replied. "Hey, you want a drink?"

"Not right now, thanks," Iolaus told him politely.

"You’re not giving it up because you’re an Argonaut, are you?" Talaus asked, peering at him suspiciously.

"What give you that idea?" Iolaus laughed.

"Coronus said it was going to be a dry voyage."

"He's teasing you, Tal," Aethalides chuckled.

"Oh yeah, he's real good at that," Iolaus snorted.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to get another drink while it's free anyway," Talaus retorted, saluted Iolaus with his tankard and then headed off towards the beach and the wine casks.

"Aren't you going with him?" Iolaus wondered.

"Not right now." Aethalides shivered, hugging himself. "You’re right about everyone being tense. Talaus feels it too. He gets bad… vibes, I guess you’d call them."

"He told you about that?" Iolaus said cautiously as he started walking again, wandering into the labyrinth of paths leading back to the lodge house. He had the pattern figured out by now and didn't bother with the path markings.

Aethalides inclined his head, his wavy chestnut hair swirling around his face. "I pried it out of him. But I'm betting he told you first. You feel it too."

"Not the way he does. I guess I've hung around Hercules long enough to pick it up."

Aethalides smiled the mysterious little smile of his that Iolaus suspected he would end up finding extremely annoying after a while. "You know, Hermes mentioned both Hercules and you to me. But especially you," the Herald smirked.

"I haven't done anything to attract his attention!" Iolaus protested. "And don't you look at me like that or I’ll think you’re exactly like him."

Aethalides giggled unexpectedly. "No way," he said easily. "But he told me to offer you his protection."

"I don't need it," Iolaus retorted firmly, stalking on ahead of him.

"Hermes told me to stay close to you tonight," he said conversationally.

Iolaus stopped and swung around to face him in surprise. "He did?" he asked in astonishment.

"He's very fond of you."

"Don't I know it," Iolaus grumbled, folding his arms.

"I don't mean…oh, never mind. I don't suppose I know him any better than you do really. Did you hear something?"

"Such as?" Iolaus eyed him warily as the Herald came to his side.

"I'm not sure. Like something moving." Puzzled, Aethalides peered at the ground, frowning. "Something down there…"

Equally baffled, Iolaus peered at the path. "What? You can hear the worms wriggling?"

Aethalides gave him a dirty look. "Nooo," he replied sarcastically. "Like ice cracking…"

"Oh," Iolaus met Aethalides' eyes uncertainly. "It's coming then."

"You've seen it," Aethalides guessed.

"At the pool…" Iolaus offered hesitantly.

"No…" the Herald said quietly. "Since then. You've Seen it coming."

"I don't do visions. It was a hallucination. The poison…"

"Wasn't damn well enough thanks to Mendicas…"

"What?" Iolaus gave Aethalides a hurt look.

"I didn't say anything." Aethalides responded uneasily.

"Then who…?"

"I did," Perides purred and whipped out of the darkness, his black cloak falling away from him like wings. Aethalides yelped once and went down in a boneless heap as the assassin passed him like a shade. Iolaus barely had time to get his hands up to protect himself then blunt fingers stabbed into his throat and under his collarbone and his own legs collapsed under him. Perides caught him, pulling his head up and back and placing a knife across his throat. The blade was painted black, not even a glint of metal showing in the torchlight.

Iolaus reached for his wrist, but his hands felt as heavy as solid bronze and wouldn't move any more than his legs would. His body felt numb and lifeless and that was almost more terrifying than the cold touch of the blade on his throat.

"Do you know how much trouble you've caused me?" Perides demanded irritably. "I thought I’d got you last night but it was one of those damn tumblers." Iolaus wanted to answer, but his tongue wouldn't respond and he was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. Perides moved closer, his knee digging uncomfortably into Iolaus' bruised back. Leaning down, he rubbed his cheek along Iolaus'. "I think perhaps I’ll take my time and carve you up properly. You and Aethalides over there. The pair of you offered up as a nice messy sacrifice. Thanks to your little conversation I know why the priest wants you so much. It's because of Hermes. Hermes sealed up the ice demon and the priest wants to hurt him by sacrificing two of his favourites to it." Perides paused, drawing back a little. "It's almost…poetic. I approve." Iolaus couldn't speak, but he rolled his eyes towards Aethalides, wondering if the Herald was still breathing. "Don't worry, you'll both be awake. I wouldn't want you to miss anything. And I promise you'll feel every kiss of the knife…"

* * *

Striding back along the beach edge, Hercules could feel a weird sensation creeping up on him, as if someone was soundlessly calling his name. Without thinking he swerved towards the path to the lodge house and came to an abrupt halt, colliding with Coronus as he trotted out of the darkness. Coronus weaved backwards and nearly ended up on the ground before he caught his balance.

"Aren't we the solid one?" he grunted.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I'm not sure…" Hercules turned in a small circle, scanning his surroundings. The party on the beach was breaking up as Lynceus sent the Argonauts to the banquet hall for the dedication. "Where's Iolaus?"

"Last I saw him he was with Aethalides and Talaus. I was looking for them for the…"

"I thought you were watching him?" Hercules growled.

"He doesn't need me to do that. He knows not to drink. Now where are you going?" Coronus hurried after the demi-god's long legged strides into the darkness.

"I'm not sure." Hercules didn't know where he was going, but he knew instinctively that it was the right way. The voice he couldn't hear was sending approving feelings.

"You're supposed to go to the dedication."

"After I find Iolaus."

"He'll probably already be there."

Hercules hesitated. "No, no, he's not," he said however. "Something's wrong. Come on, hurry." The demi-god broke into a run, racing down the pathway through the shadows. Coronus glanced back at the beach, then loped after him.

* * *

Iolaus could feel a panic-stricken whimper attempting to fight its way out of his numb throat, choking him as Perides very gently laid him down on the ground and stripped out the laces of his purple jerkin with the knifepoint. He lifted the silver bell around his neck with one fingertip, studying it with an condescending smile before letting it slip through his fingers.

"Of course, everyone else will on their way to the dedication now. We won't be interrupted…" Perides pressed the cold flat of the blade against his stomach, drawing a cross on his flinching skin. "X marks the spot…." He whispered as he pressed the knife tip down, drawing blood. Iolaus felt the pain, felt his stomach clench helplessly at the hot splash of blood trickling across his skin…

Hercules exploded out of nowhere, tackling the assassin around the waist and hurling him bodily off Iolaus. They crashed to the ground, rolling over and over across the ground until they thumped into the wall. Perides went limp and Hercules pushed himself up, peering at him suspiciously.

"Iolaus? Come and give me a hand…" he called urgently. "Iolaus?" He shot a look back at his unmoving friend, then scrambled back to his side. Kneeling over him, he peered anxiously at his stomach, frowning at the sound of his ragged breathing. "Iolaus, it isn't that bad. What's wrong? Say something…" He scooped up the hunter's hand, squeezing his cold lifeless fingers.

Iolaus wanted to desperately, but all he could do was widen his eyes at him, feeling his terror increasing as he struggled to breathe.

"What…?" Coronus panted up out of the darkness and leaned over the demi-god.

"He doesn't seem to be hurt but he won't speak… I don't know what's wrong…" Hercules was close to panic, showing his youth for once.

"I do," Coronus said grimly and dropped to his knees. "It's okay, Iolaus…" His hand stabbed out, fingers forming a blunt triangle as he jabbed at the nerve points Perides had hit.

For Iolaus an explosion of pain burst from the numbed points, pins and needles burning through his body as he whooped in a great gulp of air. "Aethalides…help…him…" he croaked as the itch in his throat made him start coughing.

Coronus was already on his way, rolling the Herald on to his back. and briskly releasing the nerve holds. Like Iolaus, Aethalides sucked down a gasp of air and started coughing. "Take it easy," Coronus soothed, catching him as the Herald doubled up. "It's all over…"

"Iolaus?" Aethalides peered around him, focusing on Iolaus in relief as Hercules helped the hunter to sit up and gave him a fierce hug of relief. "You okay?" Iolaus managed to nod. "I could hear Perides but…"

"Where is Perides?" Coronus demanded.

"Right there where I…" Hercules tore his eyes away from Iolaus to point then swore. The assassin was gone but a whisk of black on black movement told the demi-god where he was in the alleyway. He caught the knife that hissed out of the darkness a split second before it took out Iolaus' throat, then lunged to his feet.

"Herc, don't!" Iolaus yelped as the demi-god dived into the shadows after the fleeing assassin.

"Stay with Coronus," Hercules yelled back, then he was gone vanishing into the night after Perides. Coronus leaped to his own feet and grabbed Iolaus as the hunter struggled shakily to his feet. His buckling knees dumped him straight back to the ground.

"There, you see? You’re in no shape to chase them. Rest for a minute."

Unable to stand, Aethalides crawled over to them and collapsed on the ground next to Iolaus. "Did you hear…?" he asked hoarsely.

Iolaus nodded, his breathing evening out as the pins and needles started to fade. "He said the priest wanted us as sacrifices because of Hermes…"

"Because Hermes sealed the ice demon in," Aethalides agreed.

"Then Pelias isn't involved?" Coronus asked, crouching beside them. "Jason will be thrilled. But what priest are you talking about?"

"Perides didn't say. Help me up, will you?" Iolaus held out his hand to him.

Coronus sighed but did as he asked, helping Iolaus to his feet and steadying him then turning to get Aethalides upright too. He barely had the Herald on his feet and steady before he had to grab Iolaus by one shoulder and gently turn him back around. "The dedication is this way," he told him dryly.

"But Hercules went that way," Iolaus responded determinedly.

"And you're not." Coronus scolded. He shooed Aethalides ahead of him, then steered Iolaus after the bard. Iolaus was still too unsteady to fight him. "Do you really think Hercules will appreciate you tottering along after him and getting in his way when you can barely walk? No? Didn't think so. Besides which, the dedication is important…"

* * *

Perides melted into the shadows, breathing fast but quietly. Damn but the demi-god was fast. And, like a dragon hound on the scent of fresh blood, he wasn't giving up. For one of the few times since he had become a professional assassin, Perides started to wonder if he was going to get away cleanly. On a normal assignment, he would never have been pursued in the first place, but then this wasn't a normal assignment and he was still kicking himself over agreeing to it. He still wasn't even sure why he had taken the priest's money that day at the quayside.

He had been fresh off the ferry, looking for a place to hole up for a few days to make sure no one tracked him from his last assignment in Delphi. He hadn't wanted another assignment, but he had been intrigued by the idea of the games and Jason's quest and curious enough to see what kind of fools the deposed prince would attract. The priest had offered him a lot of money and the chance to assassinate a demi-god - a first for him and a fascinating new challenge. He knew he should have thought it through carefully as he usually did but something had opened his mouth and made him agree before he had even checked the lay of the land.

Bad move, he told himself grimly. One assassin in the midst of a bunch of would be heroes was asking for trouble, but no, all he had felt was an unfamiliar surge of adrenaline excitement at the challenge. He should have known how high the odds against him would be and stayed well clear. And now that he had come to think about it, how had the damn priest known he was an assassin in the first place? He didn't exactly advertise it to all and sundry. He didn't carry cards saying assassin for hire. One or two might suspect, but a priest?

Suddenly realising he was letting his thoughts wander, Perides pulled himself together and took a quick inventory of his weapons. His best throwing knife was gone of course, snatched from the air by the damn demi-god and he made a mental note to check for that particular ability the next time he came up against one. He still had a varied assortment of other knives and daggers concealed in useful places about his person. What was left of the poison he had slipped into the amphora was still in his pouch. And that had been a near disaster as well. The potent poison should have killed the winner and had every one screaming in panic. Instead it had killed some damn wine-guzzling scribe and allowed Jason cover it up. Then there were the wire garrottes in his bracers, a quick tug on a ring and a length of wire pulled free and could be easily looped around a throat. He had even cut off someone's head with one once. A quick lick of a smile crossed his face at the memory of the sweet hot rush of blood as he finished his inventory.

Down the back of each bracer he also carried, the thin stiletto blades with which he had finished of that idiot Charbys. The man had been a damn fool offering to pay him to kill Jason so he could take his place and then threatening to expose him if he refused. Killing him had been a personal pleasure that he would have enjoyed even if the priest hadn't paid him for it.

He could no longer hear footsteps. Hercules appeared to have missed his hiding place and gone straight past. Time to go. The priest had had his dinars worth and Perides wasn't going to wait to have his neck stretched. If the priest wanted any more sacrifices, he could do them himself. He was out of here.

He oozed out into the alleyway, rippling on silent feet into the shadows.

The fist came out of nowhere, smacking into his jaw with a violence that had to be felt to be appreciated. He was sure he felt bone crack as oblivion descended on him with a crash of darkness.

* * *

Standing in the flame lit banquet hall, Iolaus peered around him, his attention wandering as he grew bored with the speeches. Archivus seemed able to pontificate about anything and everything. Jason was now giving his speech which was all about valour and heroism and honour and wasn't impressing Iolaus in the slightest. It sounded far too much like a general pumping up his Hoplites for his tastes.

"And so I give you the quest," Jason announced, lifting his gold goblet high. "All for one and one for all!"

"All for one and one for all!" came back a roar of acclaim as goblets crashed together in toast.

"Heroes all!" Aethalides called in excitement. Beside him, Talaus sloshed half the contents of his goblet over Polyphemus in his enthusiasm to join in. The big man simply looked down at him and sighed, rolling his eyes and grinning as Talaus hastily brushed at his tunic.

Iolaus sipped his own fruit juice that Coronus had handed him with a warning glare. He wished Hercules would hurry up and come back. He was starting to worry about the big lug. Monsters were one thing, human monsters quite another. Hercules didn't have much experience with the human kind. He was far too trusting.

"Damn, Jason's going to let Prencious burble," Calais groaned from behind him. "Zetes, now's our chance. Let's get out of here. Iolaus? You coming?"

"I've got to wait for Hercules."

"Give us the highlights later then. If there are any," Zetes urged. "We're going to sneak in a night flight to that bell."

Iolaus looked after them wistfully as they slipped away, absently fiddling with his own silver bell. The twins were the only other men he knew who hadn't been drinking. Don't drink and fly, Calais had told him, you end up crashing. But he would have liked to see them ring the bell. He was tired of listening to speeches and the nerve holds Perides had used him on still twinged now and then in frightening reminder of how close he had come to not being here at all. Maybe the speeches weren't that bad after all….

"In the name of Pelias, I welcomed you here," Prencious began. "In his name you have proved yourself worthy warriors, nay even heroes, who rise to meet the challenge of his great and mighty quest."

"If it's his quest, why isn't he going?" Polydeceus muttered. Castor was leaning on his brother's arm, looking distinctly glazed. It was an expression that a lot of other faces reflected when Iolaus looked around him.

"But it is a false quest. A quest of hubris the celebrate the evil of Hermes' betrayal…."

Hermes was a lot of things, but never evil, Iolaus thought nervously, wondering what was going on here. On the dais Jason and his immediate companions were gazing at Prencious in awe, hanging on his every word.

Suddenly uneasy, he started to back up, wanting to get some fresh air and maybe persuade the twins to help him look for Hercules. The demi-god would probably know what was going on since he seemed to have the inside track with Jason. Instead he backed into a solid body. Expecting it to be Hercules, he turned to look up eagerly and found himself gazing up into the face of a stranger. A large, heavily muscled and even more heavily armed stranger. Startled, he took a step back and shot a quick look around him. Now that he looked he could see other unknown faces among the Argonauts, armed guards in Pelias' livery.

"A trap…" Iolaus turned to yell and was instantly seized and held pinned, a large hand covering his mouth as a dagger pricked into the middle of his back.

"Not a sound," the guard whispered, hustling him forward towards the dais. "Or I'll run you through. You don't want to interrupt the Priest."

"But there is a greater sacrifice for you to make. A way for you to undo the great wrong that was done by Hermes to Areophagus. It is fitting that you give your lives to undo the spell that Hermes laid in place, cursing Areophagus to the eternity of the undead. Now with your blood, mighty Areophagus will rise again!"

Jason and Coronus had moved to the back of the dais, drawing back the heavily brocaded tapestry of fighting sea monsters. Behind it was what Iolaus at first thought was a solid wall, but as he watched it split open down the middle and slowly ground open with a scream of tortured stone to reveal a torch lit passageway beyond that seemed to lead down into the depths of the earth.

Stalking between them, Prencious lifted the hem of his ornate blue and silver robe and started downwards. Jason and Coronus fell into step behind him and Iolaus' guard dragged the captive hunter after them. Behind him, Iolaus could heard the other Argonauts following, the rush of their breathing and the tramp of their feet moving in unison into the darkness the only sound as they were carefully herded downwards by the flanking guards.

* * *

Perides came to slowly, testing blood from his split and swollen lower lip. He focused on the booted feet in front of him first, the brown leather clad legs above them.

"Awake are you?" Hercules demanded, crouching in front of him.

"Obviously." Perides could see no point in arguing. His wrists were bound securely behind him and, although he flexed his fingers to make sure, his bracers were gone. Hercules had him trussed like a chicken.

"Don't bother looking for your weapons. I removed them," Hercules told him.

"So, go ahead then. I'm ready."

"Ready for what?"

"For you to kill me. Every assassin is ready for that."

Hercules considered this. "I wasn't thinking of killing you," he said slowly.

"Torture then?" Perides asked in amusement. "Excuse me for not taking you seriously, but you're not the kind to do it. And well, even if you were, frankly, I've been tortured by experts. I never told them anything. And I got away," he paused, smiling icily. "And I killed them for it."

"I believe you," Hercules argued, studying his boots.

"So if you’re not going to kill me or torture me, what are you going to do? Make me see the error of my ways? Better men than you have failed at that."

Hercules gave him a cool look that did more to scare the assassin than any anger. "I need a few answers," he said mildly. "I want to know who hired you to do the killings."

"What's it worth if I tell you? My freedom perhaps?"

"That would be up to King Pelias to decide. But you attempted to kill Iolaus and Aethalides tonight, plus you killed the others didn't you?"

"I never said that."

"Doesn't matter I suppose. Going after Iolaus and Aethalides was enough to hang you."

Perides smiled mirthlessly, wincing at the pain in his jaw. He suspected the bone was cracked after all. "I doubt I'll hang."

"Hmmh." Hercules' fingers drummed on his thigh for a moment. "Do you know who I am?" he asked finally.

"Hercules, son of Zeus," Perides said promptly. "Born to Alcmene in Thebes, one brother by the name of…"

"So you know I'm the son of Zeus?" Hercules interrupted.

"What about it?"

"You ever think about the Underworld?"

"What about the Underworld?"

"I mean really think about it and what's likely to happen to you when you get there? All those people you killed, you think they simply disappear and that's it? It's all forgotten? Nooo, it doesn’t happen like that. Hades talks to all of them and he keeps records. Detailed records. He knows all about you, Perides."

"So what?" Perides snapped.

Casually inspecting his nails, Hercules continued, "So what do you think would happen if I killed you and asked Hades nicely to find out from you what I want to know? Would you refuse him?"

"You're bluffing."

Hercules gave him a glittering look. "You killed Nemo and Doeia right on Hermes' doorstep. Hermes doesn't appreciate that kind of thing. He loathes sacrifices. You murdered Mendicas, possibly by accident since you poisoned the winner's wine and he drank most of it. And you murdered Charybis."

"Charybis deserved it," Perides spat. "The bastard threatened to expose me if I didn't kill Jason for him."

"You wouldn't kill Jason?" Hercules was startled by the appearance of a moral. It lasted for all of a second until Perides answered.

"Of course I would. But not because some jumped up little sod threatened me. And, I might add, Aldis knew about it. He wanted the bastard leading the quest in Jason's place so he could take Acastus' place as the king's heir. Acastus was going to have a little accident some where along the way."

"No wonder Aldis has been keeping quiet," Hercules murmured. He had been wondering about that. No doubt he was worried about Perides speaking out to save him own neck.

"He's got more sense than his brat has," Perides admitted. "Look, we can make a deal. Let me up and I'll tell King Pelias himself about Aldis if you want me too. You can save Jason's reputation and let me go."

Hercules' eyes hardened again. "I've told you what I want from you. Who hired you to kill these people?"

"Technically," Perides said carefully. "They were sacrificed, not murdered. You saw the disks?"

"Yes…"

"Sacrificial disks marking the victim for the gods."

"Except they weren't for the gods, were they? They were for the spirit of the ice demon."

"Same thing. Technically I was sanctioned to do it."

Hercules scowled, his fists clenching on his thighs. "I don't accept that," he said with bitter anger. "Murder is murder."

Perides shrugged, recalling what the priest had told him. "Sacrifice," he said firmly. "You can't touch me, Hercules."

"But the gods can. Sacrifices to anyone other than them make them very, very angry!"

Perides hesitated, realising he was cornered.

"Do you know who these sacrifices were made to?" Hercules demanded. "Do you know what the gods will do to you if you sacrificed to their enemy?"

Perides swore under his breath. "The bastard priest tricked me," he hissed in stunned understanding.

"Yes," Hercules agreed. "He got you to do the sacrificing to raise the ice demon, knowing that you will be the one to take the blame. And once the ice demon is raised, he’ll have its protection."

Perides twisted onto his side and shoulder, staring up at Hercules as he moved swiftly out of reach. "Untie me," he ordered.

"Why should I?"

"Because then I’ll take you to the priest so I can kill him. I’ll do him for free."

"You know who he is?"

"I know," Perides hissed. "I know exactly who he is." He started up at Hercules with blazing eyes. "And I know that if you don't free me Prencious will kill all your precious Argonauts."

* * *

Keeping a wary eye on Perides as he trotted ahead of him, Hercules acknowledged the sense of unease he felt as they loped through the darkness. He had reluctantly freed the assassin rather than have to carry him, sensing that something nasty was happening. The feel that he needed to be somewhere that had been bothering him had changed in the last few minutes, from an nagging insistence to a worry that Iolaus and his new friends were in trouble.

The doors of the banquet hall were open, letting fresh air swoop inside. Somehow it made the building look eerie in the flickering light of the torches on the steps. He let Perides enter first, then followed warily. At first he thought the hall was empty, then there was movement to one side and Zetes crept out of hiding.

"It's Hercules and….Perides," he called over his shoulder, eyeing the assassin warily. "What's going on?"

"I was going to ask you that," Hercules responded, turning his attention to Calais as he led Aethalides out of the shadows.

"We're too damn late," Perides spat, standing on the dais as he glared around him and finally stared at Hercules. "You delayed me too long."

Hercules ignored him. "You guys okay?" he asked.

Aethalides held up his bloodied hands. "Sort of."

"What happened?" With a quick step forward, Hercules captured his wrists and examined the split flesh, relieved to find his hands cut and bruised only.

"Something weird," Zetes began.

"We decided to leave early," Calais added.

"To fly out to the bell."

"But the doors were locked somehow."

"Like by magic?"

"So we were going to come back."

"Only it was like everyone was under a spell."

"They all walked through the doorway." Calais pointed at the wall behind the dais.

"Following Prencious," Zetes added. "You don't seem surprised, Hercules."

Hercules looked over at Perides. "I'm not," he said bitterly. "Only angry that he had me fooled."

"We managed to grab Aethalides. But everyone else…" Calais shrugged miserably.

"What about Iolaus?" Hercules asked anxiously.

"Two guards had hold of him. He was about the only one who didn't look like he was under a spell," Zetes explained.

"Jason and the others?"

"They were all in a trance," Calais answered miserably.

"But you three weren't affected?" Hercules pressed.

"I was," Aethalides said sadly. "Apparently I did my best to claw my way through the solid stone. Zetes and Calais did their best to pull me off but…" He shrugged. "I can remember doing it but I couldn't stop myself. It was if something was pulling at me, calling me. Then it suddenly stopped."

"What kind of spell could do that?" Hercules wondered, reflecting on the strange pull he had felt. .

"One that needed a drug," Aethalides answered promptly. "I knew what was happening but I doubt if most of the others did. Maybe a few like you and me, but the others…" He shook his head.

"Nightseed," Perides said, making them jump and reach instinctively for their weapons. He smiled coldly. "Prencious put it in the wine for the toast. I watched him prepare it." He met Hercules' blue eyes, his lip curling into a sneer. "We need to get through this doorway, big boy. Let's see you use those muscles of yours."

Hercules glared at him, but stalked up onto the dais. Aethalides and the twins flanked him, watching Perides suspiciously. Shrugging the assassin moved aside and leaned against the wall with folded arms. Hercules wished he wouldn't do it, it reminded him far too much of Iolaus. Turning his attention to the wall, he frowned at the elaborate carvings decorating the white stone. "These look familiar," he murmured.

"They look like the ones on the disks," Aethalides offered, running his fingertips over the blocks.

"He's right, they are," Perides said coolly.

"Do they mean anything then?" Hercules demanded.

"No idea. Only saying I've seen them before," Perides answered.

"Are you going to help us or not?" Hercules retorted. "Because if not…"

"They’re your friends, not mine. I don't know how to get in there. Ask your pet Herald."

Aethalides shot a glare at him, then up at Hercules. "Did you really ask him to help?"

"When Iolaus or anyone else is in danger, I'll take any help I can get," Hercules answered grimly.

"After threatening me with his relatives," Perides muttered under his breath.

"You'd dance with Hades?" Zetes murmured in awe.

"Hades doesn't dance," Hercules and Aethalides both said at the same time and then stared at each other in surprise.

Hercules recovered first. "Did either of you see how Prencious opened this wall?"

"We weren't watching, " Calais admitted reluctantly.

"Prencious was back there," Aethalides said however. "Jason and Coronus pulled back the curtains…"

"Show me," Hercules said quickly.

The Herald hesitated, retreating across the dais until he was standing where Prencious had been. "It as right here. He turned towards the wall and…oh…" Aethalides started at the floor for a moment, then flashed a quick triumphant grin up at Hercules as he motioned at the entwined horn symbol etched into the dais. Setting his boot heel into it, he pressed down and with a slow creak that vibrated through the dais, the wall once more split open.

Perides flitted forward but before he could enter, Hercules grabbed his shoulder. "Not so fast," he said grimly.

"You mean you want me to guard your back?" the assassin mocked.

"No and I don't want you in front of us either," Hercules said grimly. "Zetes, Calais, you two watch him closely. Aethalides? You’re with me."

"Isn't it nice to have relatives you can trust," Aethalides said dryly, trotting into the gap. Hercules followed him hastily, not wanting to let the Herald get too far ahead of him.

"I guess we are at that," he murmured.

Aethalides flashed a grin at him over his shoulder and kept moving.

"After you," Zetes said politely, bowing to Perides. The assassin gave him a dark scowl, then noticed that Calais was fingering the long bladed knife through his belt as he watched him. Irritated, he stepped through the portal into the torch lit corridor beyond, his jaw aching as his teeth ground in frustration. He wasn't used to being ordered around by mere nobodies. His usual victims didn't know what hit them, but these ones were the kind to enjoy fighting back. It crossed his mind as they descended into the sloping passageway, that perhaps his initial response to targeting Hercules' friend had been the right one. He should have left him alone. All he had done was draw the demi-god's vengeful rage down on him.

Distantly echoing up from below, he could hear chanting as they following the straight cut passage with its intricately carved stone wall panels glorifying Areophagus and the blood thirsty sacrifices performed in his name. Glancing at them as he passed, Perides found himself smiling faintly and wishing he could pause to examine them more closely. The more he saw of this Areophagus being, the more he felt that they were kindred spirits somehow.

* * *

Iolaus was scared. Deep down, knee shaking, stomach churning scared. So scared that he felt sick with it. And though he had good reason to be afraid, he couldn't understand why he was this terrified. The fear seemed to be welling up through the cold stone under his feet and freezing his bones, turning his blood to ice water. His teeth were chattering in the bitter cold of the underground cavern where the Argonauts had been taken. Behind him his two guards stood as if they had been carved out of stalagmites, one of them holding Iolaus' arms bent painfully behind him after his initial struggles to escape.

It was hard to make out all of his surroundings in the dim light, but the he knew the other Argonauts were there, pale shadows among the flame lit darkness. A circular stone wall inset in the centre of the floor was filled with a thick layer of solid ice that was cracked and broken as if the very waves of a vicious sea had been frozen. It was surrounded by an outer ring of six columns incised with symbols that Iolaus couldn't quite make out in the torchlight. Between each column stood a black metal torch stand. On opposite sides of the ring were twin black tessellated stone platforms reached by steps that were flanked by two torch stands.

Standing on one of the raised platforms, Prencious held his hands out over the ice, chanting for all he was worth as his breath misted in the freezing cold air.

Nothing seemed to be happening, except for the fear levels rising even more. Iolaus could feel something mortal inside him trembling in trepidation, as if some inner sense told him something very, very bad was happening and any mortal with any sense would be far, far away by now. Iolaus looked around him anxiously, hoping to see some sign of conscious thought on the faces of his companions. All he saw were the dull beatific expressions of the happily awed as they stood like statues, awaiting their orders. Jason stood close to the edge of the ring, staring up at Prencious as if he was the most wonderful thing in the world.

"Jason!" Iolaus yelled at him without thinking, throwing himself against the guards grip. "Jason! Do something! You’re a prince! Remember the quest! Remember the throne you want?! Remember you’re our captain!" Iolaus broke off with a grunt of pain, hammered to his knees by the guard's heavy fist. The second guard grunted in annoyance and hauled him back to his feet by his grip on his upper arms.

Very slowly, Jason turned his head to follow Iolaus' movement, a faint frown crossing his face. As Prencious continued to intone, the frown faded again and he looked up at him with intent interest.

Prencious flicked a glance towards the hunter, barely hesitating in his chant. After a few moments, his voice rose to a crescendo and then fell silent. And in the hush, he beckoned. Wordlessly the two guards hustled the struggling Iolaus forward and onto the platform directly opposite from the priest. Smiling kindly, Prencious met his eyes. "Welcome, brother," he purred.

Iolaus tore his eyes away, looking down at the ice below. If he could only break free…

The ice was moving. Not melting, but moving as if the whole surface was squirming. Deep down in the glacial ice he could see something serpent like squirming and writhing, sending out those waves of stomach clenching fear with every lash of its coils.

The priest held out his hands as if warming them to an invisible fire in the ice. "Oh mighty Areophagus, These men come before you to be cleansed of their hubris. They come to offer you their blood and their lives in sacrifice…."

"No, I don't!" Iolaus yelled, doing his best to kick one of his guards and getting roughly jerked off balance. "I'm not willing to be sacrificed."

"An unwilling sacrifice is the best kind," Prencious replied smoothly, beaming at him. "Fear and loathing are the spice. You have been chosen as worthy by Jason himself."

"Not for sacrifice!"

"Blood for blood, life for life," Prencious replied coolly.

"Where's Hercules when I need him?!" Iolaus muttered under his breath, twisting in his captors' grip as they pushed him to the edge of the platform and held him there. Being the voice of sweet reason was not something Iolaus considered as one of his best talents. He usually left that kind of thing to Hercules, but right then he didn't seem to have much choice. "Now look, your highness," he began, pressing back against his burly guards. Prencious focused on him, a disconcerting pale blue shimmer to his grey eyes. Iolaus turned his head away, reluctant to meet that gaze. He didn't know what kind of a hold the priest had over the others, but he was betting it was some kind of magic that he didn't dare succumb to now.

"Your highness?" Prencious repeated with an amused note to his voice. "I think I like that. A suitable title for one who is to be the ruler of Greece."

Despite himself Iolaus very nearly met his gaze in sheer shock at the man's gall. Snatching his eyes away, he studied his toes, hoping he was giving an impression of terrified humility. "Your highness," he repeated carefully. "You have shown your power to us, your unworthy followers." The words nearly choked him. Sucking up to anyone had never sat well with the hunter, let alone to this pompous loon. Dangerous loon, he reminded himself at Prencious' next words.

"Sacrifices," Prencious corrected mildly, examining his fingernails. He might enjoy the flattery but he wasn't to be distracted that easily.

"You are so great and powerful, yet you have not truly given us the time to appreciate that greatness." Prencious seemed to be lapping it up, but Iolaus wasn't sure how much longer he could keep going. He wasn't even that sure where he was going with it, only that it was delaying the moment of his sacrifice. "Surely, oh wise and powerful master, you would allow us the time to prepare ourselves properly for this sacrifice, so that we may truly give out our best in your honour. We would be the true and dedicated core of your followers…"

"And you were doing so well," Prencious sighed.

Iolaus slumped. "I'm not used to polishing the pride of an egomaniac," he retorted sarcastically. "Look, this Areophagus of yours is no more than the homicidal spirit of an ice demon killed off by…."

"Zeus," Prencious said easily.

"…Zeus?" Iolaus echoed uncertainly then rallied, "Don't you realise that if you help him to get free then he’ll turn Greece into a glacier. He'll wipe out our entire civilisation."

"And we will begin again," Prencious agreed calmly. "Only with me to lead the people we will rise up stronger and more powerful and become a civilisation that will rule the world. And when we worship, we will worship Areophagus as we were meant to in the beginning. So shall it be…."

A murmur of voice rang round the room, echoing Prencious like the whisper of waves on shore. "So shall it be…"

"Kneel before the coming of the Great One," Prencious urged, lifting his hands so that the sleeves of his robe fell back from his braceleted arms.

Terrified, Iolaus looked around him at the bowed heads as guards and Argonauts alike knelt. His bodyguards held him tight with an arm apiece, their awed eyes on Prencious. "The Gods won't allow this!" he yelled.

"Where are the Gods?" Prencious answered coldly. "Do you see them here? No, they defeated him once by trickery because they dared not face him themselves. Now they cower behind their sons and their sons shall fall to the scythe of Areophagus' breath. So shall perish all our enemies! Rise mighty Aerophagus, come feast upon the banquet I have spread before you…"

A layer of ice shattered, forced to explode upwards in a glittering shower of blue white shards that rained like daggers among the gathered men as something hit it from below. A snake like form shot up from the depths, writhing under the thin remaining layer of frozen water, blue black scales slicing through the final layer of ice as it struggled to burst free then fell back, not yet strong enough to escape its icy cage.

"Feed our master with the blood of his enemy's favourite. Cut his throat," Prencious ordered, stabbing one hand towards Iolaus.

For a split second Iolaus didn't realise they meant him, then he saw the glint of the blade and instinct took over. He threw himself against the guard on his right, avoiding the knife. The guard behind grunted in annoyance and grabbed a handful of hair, jerking his head back. Iolaus went with the pull and flung himself backwards into him, slamming his head back and feeling bone smash as he flattened the guard's nose. The grip on his head loosened enough for him to tear free and jab his knee into the other guard's groin, then he spun, expecting the first guard to be recovering and on the attack. Instead he looked into glazing eyes in a pallid mask, blood bubbling from the guard's mouth as he moaned and looked down at the knife driven through his chest.

Iolaus jerked back, shocked. "I didn't mean…" he stammered.

The guard's lip curled and he staggered, toppling over the edge of the platform onto the ice below with a muffled thud. Iolaus stared at him as he lay there, the blood oozing into the ice, warming it with its heat then the ice seemed to writhe and cracked open like mouth. The body fell through into what should have been a shallow pool of water beneath the surface, but instead it seemed to fall forever, growing smaller and smaller as it twisted and turned, tumbling from icy spike to jutting spire. Then it vanished into darkness and there was silence.

"Make him show humility!" Prencious roared.

In response, the guard grabbed Iolaus, twisting his arm so hard behind his back that Iolaus thought his shoulder might break. He forced the hunter to the ground with the grip, holding him bent double with one hand gripping the back of his neck. From somewhere far below, the earth seemed to rumble and quiver, trembling as something shot upwards. This time it was travelling at speed. Iolaus could see it coming through the ice, bursting up like a hideous tongue from that cavernous maw of ice.

The ice shattered under the pressure and the creature burst free, ice water streaming from its blue black scales as great chunks of snow and ice sizzled and melted in torrents, dripping from its writhing thickly muscled body. Its spiky head twisted this way and that, the blood speckled white ice peeling back from its pure black face where the fiery blue orbs of its eyes glowed. The ice fanned out around its head, forming a vicious collar of diamond white spikes, each barbed and blood tipped, glinting cruelly as they flexed.

Iolaus watched in terror, too frightened to take advantage of the startled guard loosening his grip on his neck. Areophagus' serpent like body continued to writhe as if things that Iolaus would really rather not know about were moving within it, the skin splitting as multicoloured spikes emerged, popping out along the length of its body. The oval face twisted and contorted, forming a lipless mouth with blue white ice for teeth and a thick blue black pointed tongue that circled the rough mouth.

And Iolaus was absolutely, point blank sure that the thing was not only looking at him, but that it remembered him…

* * *

Perides wasn't quite sure why, but he could feel a creeping sensation crawling up the back of his neck. The sensation of fear wasn't entirely unknown to him, although it had been a long time since he had felt it. He had grown used to being in control of any given situation. He was the one with the knives, but right now he was the captive and his potential victims his guards. Disruptive words rose unbidden but useful to his tongue.

"Tell me," he said quietly, glancing back at Zetes and Calais as they followed him. "Why are you doing this?"

"What do you mean why?" Calais asked.

"Question too difficult for you?" Perides sneered, not bothering to look back again. Insults were always a useful weapon. Ignoring the potential threat of his guards to him another.

"No, I meant that your question did not offer sufficient information for me to be able to formulate a suitable reply. Elucidate." Calais replied coolly, unperturbed.

Perides felt a tiny bit more tension creep into his shoulders. Today was definitely not going the way he had planned when he had got up. "I can understand why Hercules is doing this. He's a macho muscle man. He's got to do this or look like a wimp. Aethalides is well, he's basically strange. But you two, you seem smart enough. You could be long gone on those wings of yours, so why come back? You don't have anything to gain by risking your necks following Hercules."

"There are several answers," Calais said carefully. "Some of which you being who and what you are wouldn't be unable to understand."

Perides resisted the urge to look back with an effort. He knew when he was being insulted too. Calais' voice was filled with disdain.

"Such as honour," Zetes put in.

"Loyalty," Calais added.

"Friendship."

"All of which will get you boys killed," Perides said smugly.

"So will money." Zetes said dryly. "And walking across a street in Athens. And sometimes you get killed simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time when there's an assassin about."

"You'll change your mind when you grow up. If you grow up…"

"Let me put it simply, we’re Argonauts and these people are our friends," Zetes retorted.

"You hardly know them," Perides argued, genuinely confused.

"We're sons of the gods."

"And that's going to save you?"

"If we're doing what we're meant to do."

He glanced back. "You mean you think this is expected of you?" he sneered. "Look, the gods saved your necks and made sure you weren't around when the others were taken. They're not going top make a habit of it. You should have taken the hint that Jason's quest isn't popular and got away. They don't want you here!"

"Has it occurred to you that we weren't captured with the others so that we could rescue them?" Zetes asked. "Jason has been promised this quest. We want to see that that promise is kept."

"That's for the gods to do," Perides argued.

"But perhaps we act for the gods," Calais pointed out. "Don't you see? When a man cries out for help, sometimes the help he gets is mortal. He gets what he needs, no more, no less. Maybe we stayed free not so we could escape, but so we could help the others to escape."

"You’re both crazy," Perides grumbled.

"And you’re hoping we'll think twice and let you go," Zetes mocked. "How dumb do you think we are?"

Perides didn't answer, annoyed that his ruse had failed. Although he did wonder why he had bothered with it in the first place. He was usually much better at guessing at motives and these two practically shone with the hero light. And speaking of shining heroes….

"Shut up back there," Hercules growled. "We're almost there…"

* * *

To Iolaus intense relief, Areophagus swung away from him, its lidless eyes scanning the room. There was no curiosity in its gaze, only a swift searching as it looked for an escape route. The water that had melted under the intense pressure from below gushed over the sides of the ring, rapidly refreezing as the temperature dropped rapidly with the coming of the ice demon.

Prencious gazed up at Areophagus his respectful awe fading a little as he realised his master wasn't even looking at him. "Oh mighty Areophagus," he intoned solemnly.

The massive head swung towards him, its spiked collar bristling as it arched over him, examining him with implacable intensity.

Prencious quailed a little under that stare. "Oh, m-mighty," he began again, controlling his stammer. "Mighty Areophagus, lord of ice and snow, ruler of this ancient land, it is I, Prencious, who have woken your from your tortured captivity, roused you to new awareness…"

Iolaus could be wrong, but he was pretty sure Areophagus didn't look happy about something. He wasn't actually all that sure that the ice demon actually understood what the priest was saying. Prencious however seemed to have no doubts.

"It was my voice that reached down into your eternal sleep and roused you again. Who called you back to the world to do as you will with it. It was I who fed you with fresh blood to give you back mortal flesh…"

Areophagus looked down at him and roared, an ear blasting shrill scream of sound like ice ripping open a glacier. Vast undercurrents of depth rang through that voice, the tortured screams of mountains as avalanches tore loose. It was wordless and cruel an utterly devoid of any intelligence.

Prencious flinched back a step, blasted by freezing air. "Yes, my lord," he stammered. "Of course, you hunger." He waved one hand at the kneeling Argonauts. "See what I have brought you? Fresh flesh, fresh warm blood to give you back your strength. All of them are yours. In return I ask only that I may lead at your side. That I may rule for you over this land while you seek the pleasures that you have been so long denied."

"Are you out of your mind?" Iolaus yelled without thinking. "This isn't Areophagus! This is what's left of a spirit after a thousand years in the ice! You've given mortal flesh to a maddened poltergeist. Whatever intelligence it might have had is gone!"

"Be silent!" Prencious yelled at him.

Areophagus swung its head back Iolaus' way, staring down at him as its long blue black tongue flicked over its tongue. There was no intelligence in the ice prism eyes. But it knew him the way any animal would.

"Send it back, Prencious, send it back now. While you still can!"

"I am not the master here…I do as Areophagus commands…"

"This can't command and you can't control it! If you let it feed, it'll destroy everything. Is that what you want?"

Prencious licked dry lips. His expression expressed that he had his doubts, but he was too proud to admit to a mistake and too greedy to let his chance of ultimate power slip through his fingers without a struggle. "I will rebuild a new world," he argued. "A new and beautiful world…"

Iolaus shook his head at his ravings and made a swift sideways lunge, kicking his guard's feet from under him with the unexpected manoeuvre. The guard however recovered quickly, throwing his arm around Iolaus' legs and tipping him back to the ground, struggling to pin him down.

"Seize him!" Prencious screamed. "Don't let the sacrifice escape and you will be rewarded."

There was movement among the guards as one or two-edged forward, greed overcoming their fear. Iolaus squirmed frantically, thwarted by the bigger man and his own sore body. Wrapping his hand in Iolaus' mop of blond hair, the guard jerked his head back and drew his dagger, pressing it against his exposed throat.

A spiky shadow fell across them, plunging them both into darkness and the guard froze, looking over his shoulder.

"Yes, oh yes," Prencious crooned in delight. "Seize your sacrifice. This one is a favourite of those who betrayed you…"

Areophagus lunged like a cobra, its needle sharp fangs arching forward as it snapped at its victim, sinking an the arm length into the man's body. The guard barely had time to scream before his lungs were pierced. Iolaus was flattened under the weight of the blow, felt the scrape of the fangs down his back, then the guard was lifted off him.

Terrified he shot a look over his shoulder and saw Areophagus free the body from its fangs with a toss of its head, catching it in mid air with a deft snap and starting to gulp it down. As it swallowed, Iolaus could the guard's body extending the sides of the ice demon's throat, before massive muscles constricted and crushed it, squeezing further down.

The tongue flicked out, tasting its fangs then it looked down at Iolaus again and lunged. Iolaus dived out of the way, shoulder rolling off the platform and feeling the icy wind brush his back as the ice demon missed him. As he landed on the sheet of ice now covering the floor, he skidded, the silver bell around his neck chiming as he tumbled to a halt against the feet of the guards. The two man grabbed him, yanking him upright and holding the hunter in front of them as a shield.

Areophagus, however, reared up and back, an eerie fearful cry echoing from within it as it twisted and turned, shaking its head wildly at the sharp clean sound of the bell.

Iolaus' eyes widened and he made a grab at the necklace, but his guard twisted his arms brutally behind him and held him pinned. "Don't be a fool! Let go of me!" Iolaus protested.

"Oh no, you're next, not us, snake bait," the guard retorted grimly.

"Do you really believe that that thing is going help Prencious or anyone else? It's a monster!" Iolaus argued. "It has to be stopped not fed!"

"Damn right it should be, but I'm not going to be its breakfast. No one made me a hero." The second guard shoved Iolaus forward onto the platform and towards the ice demon. Areophagus peered down at them suspiciously and drew back a little, suddenly wary. "What do you want us to do with him, master Prencious?" the guard called to the priest.

Prencious was staring up at Areophagus in shock, stunned that the ice demon had taken a guard instead of the sacrifice he had so carefully chosen. "Cut his throat," he ordered shakily, shakily recovering his poise. "Cut his throat and throw him to the…feed him to our master…"

"With pleasure. Here, hold him." The first guard drew his belt knife as his colleague held Iolaus in a relentless arm lock.

"Pick on someone your own size," someone hissed from behind them. The guard holding Iolaus looked round in shock and got Jason's metal bracer smack in the teeth as the prince hit him backhanded. Stunned, the man loosened his grip and Iolaus wrenched free, ducking under the knife blade driving into his face. Jason punched over his head, his bracer cracking the man's jaw as Iolaus kicked the other guard in the groin.

Areophagus screamed and struck, fangs extended as the flurry of movement excited it. Jason grabbed Iolaus around the waist and flung them both backward, tumbling them off the platform. One of the guards screamed in horror, then his voice cut off. Iolaus looked back in time to see the lower half of the man's body flop to the platform, gushing blood and other things while the upper half of him disappeared into Areophagus' maw. The second guard lay crushed flat under a massive coil, split flesh oozing blood and straw coloured fluid across the black tessellated flooring.

"Come on, come on," Jason tugged at the hunter impatiently, dragging him to his feet and propelling him away from the ice demon.

"How?" Iolaus stammered, surprised to find that he needed Jason to hold him up for a moment. "You were out of it…"

"I'm not sure," Jason admitted. "I remember you yelling at me then the bell and…Duck!" Jason flung them both flat as Areophagus struck without warning, missing them both and slamming into a stone column.

"It didn't like the bell," Iolaus remembered as he crawled behind the column, towing Jason with him. The other Argonauts were waking from their daze, retreating towards the walls and attacking anyone who got in their way. Fights were breaking out all over as Prencious' loyal followers fought to restrain the Argonauts and herd them back towards the ring and Areophagus. "Jase!" Iolaus grabbed at the prince's arms. "Where did the bells come from? Who gave you the idea for the bell test?"

"Not now, Iolaus," Jason said grimly, reaching for his dagger as he prepared to join the fight.

"Yes, now!" Iolaus tightened his grip.

"A stranger gave me the bells as prizes. They gave me the idea for the bell test. Iolaus, this is not the time…."

"What stranger?"

"I don't know. Tall, green eyed, dark haired," Jason shook him off in exasperation.

"Looked like Aethalides?"

"On a dark night with a following wind, maybe! Stay put!" Abandoning Iolaus, Jason ran out into the fray, blocking with his bracers and stabbing with his dagger as he cut his way towards Coronus.

"Jason!" Lynceus had spotted the prince. He and his brother were fighting back to back, protecting Archivus between them. The bard wasn't much of a fighter, but he had got a dagger from a guard and was using it ferociously if not skilfully. "The doors are locked!"

"Argonauts to me!" Jason yelled over the din of battle and the screams of the ice demon in a feeding frenzy. "We'll cut our way out!"

"Hermes," Iolaus whispered, staring at the silver bell shimmering on its chain against his chest. "Hermes…if you have anything to do with this, help us…before Areophagus kills us all."

Closing his fingers around it, Iolaus looked up at the ravening Areophagus and uncurled himself, slowly pushing to his feet with one hand on the smooth white stone of the column. Hermes had chained this thing's raging spirit once, it had to be possible to do it again. But how? He trusted Hermes more than he trusted any of the others of his kind. And for some reason that he couldn't even explain to himself, he felt that he needed to act in his name. Something compelled him to ease out into the open and confront the ice demon alone and unarmed with nothing except the trust that Hermes wouldn’t let any harm come to him…

* * *

Perides folded his arms, watching disdainfully as Hercules and Aethalides examined the solid bronze doors that sealed the end of the passageway. On either side of the double doors huge serpent like statues arched up and over, their fanged mouths looming menacingly above them as if eager to snap them up for supper, their cobra hoods spiked and lethal looking. Engraved into the stone walls around them were numerous depictions of gory sacrifices. Perides rather appreciated their quality and the artistry of the priests involved. He also wondered if is was being half breeds that stopped this bunch noticing the cold, or simply heroic machismo that made them pretend not to notice that the temperature had dropped the further below ground they went. There was even frost shimmering on the walls and heads of the stone serpents.

"Hey look," Zetes nudged Calais in the ribs, pointing to two long panels that appeared to have been carved over the top of the original design. "Isn't that Zeus and Hermes?"

"Where?" Hercules and Aethalides both said together, jumping nervously.

"Here on the wall," Zetes run a fingertip over the cool stone.

"Let me see," Aethalides came eagerly to his side. "These carvings are magnificent," he murmured as he examined them. "So precisely cut…"

"We don't have time," Hercules complained, hammering one fist on the doors in frustration. "Something terrible is happening in there. I can feel it!"

"And hear it," Calais said nervously as an eerie scream cut thinly through the doors.

"But this may hold the answers we need," Aethalides argued.

Hercules shook his head, pressing closer to the doors and straining to hear what was going on inside. It sounded like a fight had broken out…

"This is the story of how Zeus killed Areophagus and Hermes sealed him into the depths of the earth," Aethalides translated as Zetes peered around him. "They used a trick to force him down here into a trap…" He jerked upright, clasping the silver bell around his neck. "Hercules, they used the sound of silver bells!"

"Big deal. Does it tell you how to get this door open?"

Aethalides shot a look of exasperation at him. "The sound of the bells was like that of running water, melting water," he said insistently. "Areophagus is an ice demon. Rising temperature is anathema to it."

"So we barbecue it! What about the door, Aethalides!"

"They used the bells to chase it down here," Aethalides went on determinedly. "If we use them now it should help us drive it back. We'll need fire too, but if I can remember the words…"

"Aethalides…" Hercules rumbled, taking a threatening step towards him. "Iolaus is in there up to his neck in trouble. So are Jason and Coronus and Talaus and a lot of other people. Are you going to stand there and spout…"

"…we should be able to banish it again. Assuming…"

"Aargh!" Hercules spun away from and kicked the door, forgetting everything except his frustrated fury and hurling it all into an attack on the doors. The doors being made of mere bronze buckled around the lock, crumpling like gold leaf as the enraged demi-god tore into them. Gripping the bent edges, Hercules tensed his broad shoulders and ripped them wide, wrenching them doors from their hinges and hurling them aside.

He looked into a scene of chaos, of men shoving and running in all directions as battle raged across the floor. In the midst of it all, Areophagus loomed, screaming in joy as it lunged and snapped, taking an arm here, a leg there…

"That does it," Hercules snarled. "Now I'm mad…" He stomped forward, pole-axing a guard fleeing for the now open doors and relieving him of his sword as the man thudded to the ground. The demi-god stepped over him without missing a beat, only dimly aware of Zetes and Calais coming up on either side of him, their long bladed knives flashing as they sliced their way forward.

"There's Jason!" Aethalides was behind them, slicing and stabbing at anyone who came too close with his own dagger. Perides had vanished when Hercules glanced back, but to be honest he no longer gave a damn about the assassin one way or another right then.

"I see him," Hercules grimly, hacking his way towards the prince. Guards fell back out of his way, melting aside warily from his path.

Jason, Lynceus, Idas and Coronus had formed a battle formation and were threatening Areophagus as best they could, preventing the ice demon from breaking past the stone columns flanking the ring and escaping into the main area. Areophagus seemed to be avoiding them, darting through the columns to snap at anyone unwary enough to come within reach. But it also couldn't seem to get past the columns. It was as if it was pushing against an invisible cloth, straining against it until it was flung back.

Hercules could feel a tension in the air, a simmering of familiar energies playing across his skin. A cold shiver run down his back even as his warm breath misted in the air. Sometimes cloth rips…

"Hercules, do you feel it?" Aethalides panted, popping up at his side. "There's a cage around it."

Hercules jerked his head in a tight nod. "A cage that's starting to give way," he said grimly. "Can you fix it?"

"I don't know," the Herald admitted.

"This is not a good time to have second thoughts," Hercules retorted, looking up at the columns. They formed a second ring overhead, interlaced symbols running in a complicated design all the way around the heavy stones. "If we can't kill it by magic, can we kill it the old fashioned way?" he demanded.

"I'm not sure. It seems to have a physical form so it must have fed," Aethalides winced under the look Hercules gave him and then rushed on. "It depends how strong it is. I think magic…"

"You do things your way, I’ll do them mine. Jason!" Hercules charged forward, battering his way towards the prince.

"Hercules!" Jason yelled back. "Get your blond friend!"

Hercules hesitated in mid stride, then followed the sweep of Jason's sword as the prince indicated Iolaus with a savage thrust at an attacker. Iolaus was further around the side of the ring, sneaking cautiously towards the ice demon. Something silver glinted between his fingers as he paused, hiding behind a stone column as Areophagus swung in his direction.

"Those damn bells," Hercules snarled and launched towards him, fighting his way through the heaving crowd. "Iolaus! You stay right there!" he screamed, hoping his partner would hear him over the noise, hoping he would have the sense to obey him for once.

Iolaus could tell from the shadows that Areophagus hung over his hiding place, swaying gently from side to side. He held his breath, swallowing down on the terror rising around him and held very, very still. Movement provoked snakes…

The stone under his hands as he pressed against it grew warm, his fingers finding the symbols carved into it. Rather than risk looking up at the ice demon, he focused on the symbols, his mind's eye finding a pattern among them, finding a face looking out at him and slyly winking, sensuous lips silently whispering…

With a savage hiss Areophagus darted around the side of the column, its blue eyes filled with ice chasm depths as the torch light glinted of the iridescent sun caught whiteness of its spikes. Dazzled by the glare, Iolaus looked into those eyes and was lost, trapped by the same magic Prencious had used to ensnare the Argonauts. Areophagus hissed again, this time in triumph. Opening his jaws wide, his tongue flicked the air, tasting the scent of an old enemy on this tasty fragment of prey. This one belonged to the One who had sealed it in the ice for so long…

Iolaus couldn't move, cold terror froze his limbs and dread dragged him down into the depths of despair.

Areophagus screeched and lunged…

And someone tackled Iolaus from the side, tumbling him off the steps and down into the gap between columns and rings, tumbling him over and over in a tangle of arms and limbs until he thumped into a column base and had all the air knocked out of him.

The ice demon smacked into the steps, shattering stone with the force of the impact. Screaming in frustration it withdrew, wreaths of steam sizzling off its spikes as it retreated to the cool centre of the ring.

"Iolaus!" Bounding up the steps, Hercules skidded to a flailing halt on the edge before he fell over and peered down at his partner. "Talaus? Are you two okay?"

Talaus sat up shakily, shoving back his mop of hair before he wriggled off Iolaus. Sprawled on the stone underneath him, the hunter lifted his head, flipped his blond hair out of face with one hand and stared at him.

"What?" Talaus said nervously.

"You saved my life," Iolaus blurted.

"Makes us even," Talaus mumbled, colouring.

"It does?"

"For Eropnis'."

"That isn't exactly the same…"

"Uh guys?" Hercules looked up at Areophagus nervously as the ice demon once more swung towards them.

"You don't know him the way I do. Did I hurt you?"

"You are kind of heavy, but…" Iolaus admitted ruefully. "Yike!"

Hercules have given up hoping to attract their attention and jumped down beside them.. Grabbing the pair of them bodily, he dragged them out from behind the column as Areophagus lunged between the stone pillars to get at them. Iolaus and Talaus both dived for it instinctively with Hercules right behind them. The crunch of cracking stone as Areophagus hit a column jarred the entire room and hurled them off their feet, but this time it was Hercules who landed on top, flattening out to protect the pair of them as the impact dislodged chunks of stone from the ceiling above.

Once more, Areophagus retreated back into the ring, screaming his displeasure as his icy skin smoked and distracted by the Argonauts attacking on the other side of the ring. Hercules eyed it warily as he pushed up a bit then shot a look round for the others.

"The bells! The bells!" Aethalides was screaming, hopping up and down and gesticulating wildly as he swung his bell necklace around his head. "Ring the bells! Jason! Ring the bells!"

Hercules swore but dug into his belt pouch for his own bell. He shook Talaus with his free hand. "You heard him...Iolaus?"

"Gerroff!" Iolaus wheezed from underneath. "Y'eavy…."

"Oops, sorry," Talaus pried at Hercules and managed to squeeze out from under him, freeing Iolaus to gasp for breath.

"Here, shake this," Hercules growled, shoving the bell at Talaus. "And stay put…" Leaping to his feet, Hercules bounded back into the fight, attacking the men who had cornered Jason from behind with a war scream that chilled the blood.

"Who does he think he is?" Iolaus grumbled bitterly as he lurched to his hands and knees. His bell chimed, swinging freely around his throat and clinking against his talisman. Around the room other bells started to jingle and chime, like a ripple of water running through the sound of fighting. Although only the most uninhibited of the younger Argonauts had continued to wear the bells after winning them, even the most dignified of them had kept them tucked somewhere about their persons.

Areophagus screamed, enraged by the sound of the bells jangling against its skin and entangling its nerves. It reared up, its sinuous body writhing as it hurled its heavy coils against the columns that trapped it in a desperate effort to escape the fleeting cracked ice images in its memory. It had heard that sound before and it had led to destruction…

"There's nowhere for it to go," Talaus guessed.

"No," Iolaus agreed, his blue eyes narrowed with anger.

Seeing that expression, Talaus winced. "You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you? Hercules told us to stay put."

"Like I ever do what he says," Iolaus sniffed, gathering his feet under him as he got up.

"Anyone who can, get out!" Jason yelled, his powerful voice rising over the fading din of battle. "Aethalides is going to use a spell!"

Talaus bounced up beside him and grabbed his arm. "Iolaus…"

"I heard. But I want that son of a bitch Prencious," Iolaus told him viciously. "This is all his fault and I don't want him to escape. Do you?"

"No," Talaus admitted.

"Then come on. Help me find him."

"Agreed," Talaus inclined his head and swept his gaze across the chaos of the room. The fight was more or less over. The numbers had been about even but Prencious guards' had fanatical belief on their side that had thwarted the Argonauts at first until survival instinct and fury led Jason's men to overthrow the priest's minions. The last few skirmishes were fizzling out, but the main focus of attention was Areophagus and the group confronting it.

Jason, Hercules, Lynceus, Coronus and the others had encircled Aethalides in a protective ring while the Herald chanted, struggling to draw up the power to banish Areophagus once more. Archivus clung to his side, supporting him.

"Something's wrong," Iolaus muttered. Like Talaus his gaze had been drawn to Jason, mostly because that's where Hercules was but he was eyeing Aethalides uncertainly.

The Herald kept faltering, shooting nervous glances up at Areophagus as it hung over them, staring silently down at them like a snake waiting to strike. The bells ware holding it at bay for now, but for how much longer?

Iolaus had the feeling that the ice demon was waiting for Aethalides to make one tiny mistake…

"How can you tell? You know magic?"

"No, but something feels…" Iolaus shot a quick look at Talaus, checking out his uneasy expression. "Don't give me that. You know what I mean. You feel it too."

Talaus shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "No…"

"Get over it," Iolaus snapped, pausing to scoop up a sword from a fallen guard. "You got it? Use it. Come on. I'll bet it's Prencious who's got his oar in this. Maybe we can help…"

When Iolaus trotted off, Talaus followed him, flexing his hand on his sword hilt. He got the same kind of feeling around Iolaus as he did around Jason and Hercules, that he could trust this guy with his life. "There…" Iolaus hissed at him suddenly, pulling Talaus to his side and nodding towards a dark gap between columns and stone wall. "Prencious, like the rat in a hole that he is. Come on, let's get him…"

Hercules suppressed a groan as he spotted Iolaus. The hunter was circling around the ring with Talaus on his heels, the two of them moving like a couple of shades. To his surprise, he felt a flicker of envy towards Talaus taking his place at guarding Iolaus' back.

"What is it?" Jason refused to take his eyes off Areophagus to look at him. "Problem?"

"You could say that," Hercules muttered.

"Trouble?"

"That's him."

"You mean Iolaus. What is he up to now?"

"I'm not sure. He and Talaus…" Hercules broke off, suddenly realising where Iolaus was headed and exactly whom he was stalking as he caught a glimpse of bright robes. With Areophagus such a huge threat to them all he had forgotten all about the betrayal of the priest for the moment, but Iolaus hadn't. And nor had someone else.

Creeping up on Prencious from the other side of the ring was the night black shadow of Perides.

* * *

Iolaus spotted Perides first and hesitated, then quickened his stride and loped forward. Talaus sped after him, staying close and ready. As they slipped past the columns, Prencious saw them and stiffened, warily turning to face them and putting his back to the ring.

"You can't harm me," he warned flatly.

"You watch us," Talaus shot back.

"He's ours, Perides," Iolaus snapped however, circling the priest to confront the assassin.

Prencious flinched slightly staring at the killer in surprise. "How did you…?"

Perides oozed out of the shadows, ignoring Prencious as he focused on the young hunter. "You have talent," he observed. "And luck. But if it wasn't for Hercules…"

Iolaus lifted his chin. "You think you can take me on?" he challenged, ignoring Talaus' tug at the back of his jerkin.

Perides looked him up and down and smiled very faintly. "In a year or two I might take you up on that," he mused. "Right now, you’re below the limit. I’d have to throw you back."

Iolaus' blue eyes flashed with rage and he jerked a step forward, halting only because of Talaus grabbing his shoulder.

"This is not the time to get distracted," the thief hissed. "It's Prencious we want." For a moment Talaus thought Iolaus was going to attack the assassin anyway, he could see the muscles twitching in the hunter's tightly clenched jaw. Then Iolaus very deliberately turned his back on Perides and glared at Prencious.

"Send it back," he ordered curtly.

"Or what?" Prencious sneered.

"I'll kill you."

"I don't think so. Jason chose his heroes well. You're all moralistic do gooders."

"I think we've been complimented," Talaus murmured, surprised to be included.

"He meant it as an insult," Iolaus said bitterly.

"But a true one," Prencious purred, his lip curling in disdain. "You can't harm me. You can't touch me. Isn't that right, Perides?"

The assassin stood close to the priest, watching him the way a cat watches a distracted mouse. His hands hung loose at his sides, motionless as a snake.

"Answer me, Perides. Explain to these two youngsters how dangerous it would be for them to attack me," Prencious ordered.

Iolaus tilted his head very slightly towards the assassin, giving him a questioning look.

"He is…dangerous," Perides admitted. "He has magic."

"Tricks of the trade," Prencious said in dark amusement and gestured towards Areophagus as the ice demon hung over them. "I am the key to his power on earth. Through me runs his strength."

"Is that true?" Iolaus asked sharply.

"You think I’d lie about my own abilities?" Prencious sneered.

"I wasn't asking you," Iolaus shot back.

Perides' lips curved in a thin smile. "I wouldn’t know. I only know what I've seen."

"Then why are you here?"

"To protect me as he was paid to do," Prencious interrupted, annoyed at being ignored.

Iolaus turned very slightly and met the assassin's unreadable eyes. His eyes might tell him nothing, but instinct offered answers. Whatever else Perides was up to, he wasn't here to support Prencious.

"You can’t defeat me. Kneel before me," Prencious demanded, his tones ringing about them. "You shall be my slaves."

"I'll kneel to no traitor!" Talaus yelled and rushed the priest, drawn knife glittering.

* * *

Hercules gritted his teeth. A priest was one thing, an assassin another. He couldn't let Iolaus and Talaus go up against Perides on their own. "Jason…" he began urgently. Then Aethalides gasped and swayed, sinking to his knees as if a hammer had fallen on him and he knew Iolaus would have to handle things alone.

Areophagus flung back its head, its triumphant roar echoing around the room. A blizzard blew up from the ring, filling the air with a swirl of ice and snow and freezing wind. Hercules staggered, putting up one hand to keep his whipping hair out of his stinging eyes. A dim shadow swung over him in the darkness and he lashed out, his sword biting scaled flesh. Areophagus screeched and retreated, but not so far this time, sensing Aethalides' weakness and biding its time…

"Aethalides, come on! You can't give up!" Jason urged.

"M'sorry," Aethalides gasped, clinging to Archivus as the bard supported him. "Something's blocking me…draining me…"

"Such as what?" Hercules demanded.

"I am the key to the lock to shut it into the cage…" Aethalides whispered, looking up at Areophagus as it screamed again, its icy breath freezing the very air so that hailstones fell around them in a rattle of stones that sliced the skin. "But the key is still in the lock….I can't…can’t close it."

"What is he talking about?" Idas demanded. "What lock? Where?"

Hercules looked around anxiously, searching for some clue as to what the Herald meant. A surge of fear that had nothing to do with Areophagus' emotional broadcast went through him as he realised Iolaus had vanished into the blizzard.

"It's not a real lock, it's a metaphorical one," Jason said abruptly. "It's Prencious. He's holding the portal open."

"Then we have to kill him," Ialmenus said grimly. "Where is he?"

"Over there," Hercules said grimly. "Iolaus and Talaus were after him." He met Jason's eyes anxiously as the older man crouched beside Aethalides. "So is Perides."

Jason looked up at Areophagus, now an iridescent shadow in the snow. "Go," he said quietly. Hercules nodded, took a step and then ducked as Areophagus swung down out of nowhere, knocking him off his feet and sending him rolling across the floor. Ascalaphus yelled in pain as he too was flattened, scales slicing open his shoulder as the ice demon lunged past him at Aethalides. Jason hauled the Herald bodily backwards as Ialmenus launched a berserk attack on Areophagus. Hercules scrambled upright, hacking at the sinuous neck between jaw and spiked hood.

Areophagus screamed and snapped, twisting amongst the clouds of snow and ice in a frantic effort to snap one of them up, then retreated a desperate blow from Hercules sheared off a neck spike and sprayed them all with ice cold fluid.

"Ick, blood!" Archivus exclaimed, batting at his soaked clothes.

"No, ice water," Jason corrected. "Ascalaphus?"

"I'm okay," Ascalaphus wheezed, leaning on his brother as Ialmenus helped him up, his hands questing over him anxiously. "Really, I'm okay, bro. Only scraped…What?" He broke off, hearing a low vibrating chant rising around them as Aethalides struggled back to his feet, his green eyes dark as emerald as intoned, lifting his hands skywards. Coruscating sparks flashed about his fingertips, swirling into a web of light as his voice rose powerfully over the scream of the wind.

"They must have got to Prencious," Lynceus guessed hopefully.

Holding one hand to his eyes, Jason stared into the wind, feeling its biting chill fading as the swirling air currents subsided. A drift of snow settled around them as the visibility slowly improved…

He could see the dais where Iolaus and Talaus had been confronting Prencious and Perides. But he couldn't see them now…

"Jason?" Hercules begged. Poised like an arrow for flight, he strained to be off, every line of him screaming his need for action.

"Yes, go…"

Hercules was off instantly, racing across the ice slick floor and disappearing into the snowy mists towards the dais…

Aethalides changed languages and the air shuddered and crackled, the fires on his fingertips exploding outwards to hit the columns and zip around the circle. Where the green fire touched, the columns exploded with blazing light, liquid flames rushing upwards towards the upper ring of stone and fountaining outwards. From the ring, a curtain of shimmering light descended, crashing floorward and cascading outwards in waves of burning green gold light that melted the ice wherever it touched.

From where Jason and his companions stood they felt it hit the ground like a wall of bronze, solid and immovable. And from out of the mists, they heard Hercules scream in anguish….

"Jase?" Ialmenus whispered.

"Go. I'll guard Aethalides. Help Hercules…" Jason didn't know what was going on out there in the mists, but Hercules obviously needed help.

"No…" As Iolaus leapt after Talaus in panic, Prencious took an instinctive step back and looked at Perides. Shock flashed across his face as he realised the assassin wasn't going to help him, then he flung out one hand; his fingers hooked and twisted like a claw.

Talaus slammed to a halt, shock skimming his features as he twisted in pain and clutched at his chest. The knife fell from his numb fingers and he dropped to his knees, struggling to breathe.

"Talaus!" Iolaus caught him, cradling his friend as the thief convulsed in agony. Areophagus screamed and a blizzard swirled around them, enclosing them in a wall of swirling snow and cutting ice.

Prencious smiled nastily, closing his hand a little tighter. The snow swirled around him, cocooning him in a space of free air. Talaus jerked wildly, his mouth opening on a soundless breathless scream as the ice sucked the air from him chest.

"Let him go!" Iolaus yelled at the priest in fury.

"I hold his heart in my fingers," Prencious purred, easing a step closer to them. "As fragile as a butterfly it flutters and beats, the cold of the eternal depths turning to ice within him. I can crush his heart and rip it from his body with a mere gesture."

Talaus convulsed again, his dark head rolling against Iolaus' supporting arm.

"Please…" Iolaus blurted in anguish, shivering in fright and cold. He sensed Areophagus was winning but he didn't care. He didn't want Talaus to die. "This isn't necessary…"

Prencious shook his head. "A sacrifice for Areophagus…"

Iolaus grabbed Talaus' knife without thinking, twisting to throw it at the priest. Instantly his hand felt as if was frozen, his flesh freezing, the vicious cold biting his bones. The frosted knife tumbled from his nerveless fingers as he huddled around his arm in pain.

Talaus convulsed again, his eyes wide as his skin turned blue white. His struggles were becoming weaker. With a hiss, Iolaus lunged again at the priest and was smashed down by a stabbing pain lancing through his chest like a spear point, the agony of it was unbelievable. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move for fear of increasing the agony. Through the fog of his vision, he saw Talaus go limp, his head hitting the ground with a soft thump.

"Bastard…" Iolaus wasn't sure how he got the word out or where the strength came from to get his feet under him and start to struggle to his knees. Then his chest seemed to be closed in giant's fist and squeezed until he felt something would burst. He could see Prencious dimly through the shadows gathering around him

"I warned you," Prencious sneered. "I cannot be harmed…" The priest jerked suddenly, a look of complete and utter astonishment crossing his face as he crumpled, clutching at his throat and struggling to breathe.

Perides stepped back, rubbing his fingers together as he stared down at the priest with glittering eyes. "Unless you’re distracted…" he purred nastily. He crouched, peering into Prencious' purpling face. "Unlike you I don't do magic. I use science. Nerve points. But every bit as effective." The priest clutched at his knee, his fingers digging in as he gave the priest a pleading look. Perides brushed his hand off in disgust and moved out of reach. A faint sound from the still conscious hunter made him look down at Iolaus as he huddled against Talaus. "Maybe you'll survive if he passes out first," he observed and turned away. Then he stopped, staring out over the room, his face an emotionless mask. "Sod it," he said abruptly and turned back, picking up the knife as he leaned over Prencious. "You deserve to die slow," he hissed bitterly. "But these two don't…"

The blaze of emerald light exploding through the mist of snow above them startled him, making him flung up one hand instinctively as he looked up and saw the curtain descending. He never hesitated, but leapt to his feet, vaulted over Iolaus and Talaus and dived, rolling off the steps and under the edge of the energy wall before it hit the ground with an earth-shaking thud.

Iolaus gazed after him with glazed eyes, unable to move as the pain throbbed through his body in sharp edge waves. He saw a shadow beyond the shimmering green gold wall and thought he heard Hercules screaming his name, but the cascading energies of the wall drowned out all sounds except a low roar like the rush of a waterfall…

Gradually he turned his head, looking towards Prencious as he heaved and gasped on the steps like a landed fish. Then he started to crawl towards him, dragging himself towards him inch by painful inch. If he and Talaus were going to die, then they wouldn't die alone. Perides had seemed to think that killing the priest would release both of them. And cold blood or not, Iolaus would do anything to free Talaus and himself…

Within the energy wall, the snow had stopped and the air started to clear rapidly as warmth started a rapid thaw. In the midst of the ring, Areophagus screamed, thrashing in pain as the heat bit into its scales as the cold had gnawed on mortal flesh.

Iolaus collapsed, unable to breathe for pain and exhaustion. On top of his recent poisoning, he was asking too much of his body. A few moments rest was all he needed, only a few….

Prencious turned his head towards him, his eyes bulging as his purple lips moved in a silent plea for help.

"Free us…." Iolaus hissed. "And I will…."

Prencious' eyes rolled and Areophagus screamed, its head darting down towards them. Its frozen breath blasting Iolaus back several feet, rolling him over and over until he thumped into Talaus. Baring it teeth, Areophagus cocked its head to one side, studying them then suddenly whipped back to the priest and hissed. Its crest of spikes rippled, flattening back along its body then rising again as purple light glittered iridescently. It opened its mouth, arching over Prencious as it inhaled.

Prencious couldn't scream, his throat and chest were sealed tight, but a horrible mewling sounds escaped him as the bruised light played over him and a blue white flash seared his body. Energy poured from his mouth and nose and eyes as Areophagus stripped the living energy from the priest to feed its own weakening body. Prencious' body started to desiccate, drying out rapidly as the skin wrinkled and the flesh shrank. His hands curled into tight fists as the tendons contracted and his eyes shrivelled…

Iolaus gasped as the pressure on his chest suddenly released and he collapsed, his head landing on Talaus' back where he could hear a weak wheeze. A surge of desperation made him struggle up, grab Talaus by one arm and start to crawl towards the barrier. He could feel its warmth playing over him, encouraging him with the tender energies he could feel teasing his skin in welcome. Reaching it he pressed one hand against its warmth and felt it turn solid as rock against his fingertips…

There was movement on the other side and through the rippling surface, he could make out Hercules, pressing his own hands to the barrier, seeking to reach through to him. Iolaus shook his head in misery and slumped against the wall, too drained to struggle anymore. He slid down to the floor, putting one arm around Talaus' shoulders and waited for Areophagus to turn to them…

* * *

"Iolaus!" Screaming in frustration, Hercules pounded on the wall, feeling it bounce under his furious fists. He felt like an arrow had ripped through him when he saw Perides dart to safety and the wall fall between Hercules and his partner. The assassin had vanished into the last of the mists before he could get his hands on him, not that he had given it a moments thought as he ran to tear open the wall with his bare hands.

Now Iolaus was only inches away but he might as well have been on the other side of the Aegean for all the good he could do. The barrier was impenetrable. He knelt when Iolaus slid to the ground, pleading with him in a shout not to get up. "You can't do this, Iolaus!" he begged, pressing against the wall in anguish. "You can't…." He paused, feeling the softness of the energies under his desperate hands. This close to the ground, it seemed a little weaker. He dug at it, feeling it give and let his fingers slip under the very edge. For all the good that did…

The word whispered through his mind.

Hercules rose to his knees, tucked his fingers under the edge of the barrier and heaved, putting all of his strength into it, exerting every inch of muscle and bone and spirit into lifting the wall. Warm air puffed around his ankles as it lifted a fraction…but he could feel his muscles cracking, bone creaking…

"Heave!" Ialmenus was suddenly beside him, grabbing the edge of the barrier and hauling right alongside Hercules.

"Put your backs into it, boys!" Ascalaphus was on his other side, feet braced, muscles bulging as he heaved. Other Argonauts surged up out of the mists, Polyphemus and Polydeceus laying hold and hauling for all they were worth. Otus grunting with effort as they lay siege to the wall. Castor and Calais adding their determined strength.

"Almost there!" Coronus flung himself, squirming into the gap they were creating. It was like pushing through syrup, but he forced himself through, laying hold of an ankle and dragging on it. Talaus slid across the floor, limp as a leaf. Zetes grabbed him, dragging him free so Coronus could lunge back under for Iolaus. He had to wriggle further under, closing his ears to the worried complaints of the others but all to frighteningly aware of the weight of the barrier starting to press down on him again.

He grabbed at Iolaus, winding his fingers into his jerkin and tugging. Something seemed to be holding him back….

Coronus snarled and pushed with his toes, ignoring Zetes grab at his hips to stop him.

Areophagus bellowed and lunged, snapping up Prencious desiccated body. Coronus was almost, almost sure that he heard Prencious give some sort of cry before he disappeared into the ice demon's maw. Then Areophagus swung towards Coronus and a spear of bruise coloured light shot out, cracking into the platform near Iolaus' feet and leaping up, lashing out to circle the hunter's ankle and vault up his leg.

Coronus felt the hunter's body vibrate and twitch with a convulsion.

"Oh no, you don't!" Coronus yelled and lunged. He grabbed Iolaus' upper arms and heaved, flinging himself backwards. "Pull!" he screamed. "Zetes, pull!"

Zetes pulled, hauling on Coronus with all his strength and wrenching Coronus back under the barrier as it started to sink and squash him.

"HEAVE!" Ialmenus screamed. "Put your backs into it, ya bunch of daisies!!"

The barrier lifted, not much only a fraction or two, but it was enough. Coronus popped free like a cork from a flagon, pulling Iolaus with him. Zetes scooped Iolaus' legs out of the way of the crushing wall of energy as the Argonauts dropped it as a screaming Areophagus reached the gap on the other side.

Then there was silence apart from the murmuring rush of energy. Hercules staggered away from the wall and dropped to his knees, reaching for Iolaus and gathering him up in trembling arms. "We've got to get away from here," he urged, but didn't have the strength to get back to his feet.

"No, listen…" Coronus caught at his arm, listening Aethalides' powerful voice rolling around them. "I think…"

"Get down!" Ascalaphus yelled in dawning understanding and flung himself on his brother, dragging him to the ground and kicking Polyphemus' feet from under him on the way. Castor and Polydeceus dived flat, squashing Lettus between them. Otus dropped down beside Calais, covering him with one arm. Hercules folded himself over Iolaus and Talaus as best he could, glad of Coronus and Zetes squashing in beside him to protect the unconscious pair.

Then the world caved in around them.

Overhead the ring, sizzling with energy abruptly closed inwards, snapping shut like an iris and dragging the columns inwards with it into a dome. The stone columns flexed and slammed the ring - now a solid stone disk - downwards, smacking it down on top of a screaming Areophagus. Squashed beneath its weight, Areophagus struggled and roared, forced down under the incredible forces brought to bear against it. For a few moments it thrashed, its coils escaping under the rim of stone, then abruptly the last coil vanished under the edge and the disk slammed down. Energy exploded, pouring like liquid fire from the columns and scorching out around the disk. Stone melted and ran forming an unbreakable seal as the entire ring was mused into one massive block of solid rock. With a final massive whumpf of sound, the plasma fires dissipated and the energy wall collapsed with a hiss, waves of shimmering green gold energy flickering eerily across the floor and eliminating the last of the icy mists as they broke against the outer walls.

"Wow," a small voice said in the sudden awed hush that fell. "Now that's what I call a show."

Hercules looked down at Iolaus in disbelief, stunned to see his blue eyes open and alert if somewhat glazed. "Is Talaus okay?" Iolaus asked weakly, pushing at Hercules weakly. He blinked as Hercules brushed his thumb across his temple, pushing back a tumble of snow damp blond curls. "Huh? What?"

"Nothing, Iolaus, nothing at all," Hercules said gently. "Coronus?"

"Talaus is well out of it, but he seems to be okay…"

"On your feet!" Jason barked abruptly from where he hovered beside a softly chanting Aethalides. "I want everyone topside now."

"But Jason…" Lynceus began in protest.

"I said now!" Jason roared. "Don't you argue with me! Move it! Carry anyone who can't walk. Ialmenus, Ascalaphus, round 'em up! Archivus! Don't stand there scribbling! Move yourself, man!"

The Prince's note of command got them all moving. Polydeceus scooped Talaus up, gently settling him over one broad shoulder as he headed for the doors. Iolaus struggled upright with only a little help from Hercules then promptly folded again as his leg buckled under him.

"Uh, maybe I’ll stay here," he said shakily, clutching his numbed leg in pain.

"Not with Jason in this mood, you won't," Lynceus said grimly. "This isn't over yet."

Hercules wrapped an arm around Iolaus and lifted him back to his feet. Reading his expression, Iolaus sighed tiredly and patted his chest. "Go on you, big lug. I can make it. Go help someone who can't."

Hercules hesitated, gazing down at him anxiously. He really, really wanted to stay with his friend even though his morals called him away. "Coronus?" he said at last. "Can you make sure he gets out of here? I've got to help the others."

Coronus gave him a thoughtful look and then nodded. "No problem," he agreed.

"Well, go on then. I can't," Iolaus urged.

Hercules gave him one quick hug, then raced off to help Ialmenus and Ascalaphus. Iolaus watched him go gloomily, then looked up at Coronus. "Come on then," he urged irritably. Smiling faintly, Coronus offered him his arm to lean on as he took a limping step. "I don’t really need your help, you know," Iolaus warned. "You could help someone else."

Coronus glanced around. "Everyone seems to be pretty much covered. Let's get you over to the doors, then I’ll stay and herd the others along. Someone needs to bring up the rear."

Iolaus snorted and took a heavily limping step, heading for the doors with grim determination written all over his face. "I hope Talaus will be okay," he muttered under his breath, desperate to take his mind of his aches and pains the fear still curdling his stomach. He jumped in surprise as Coronus ruffled his mop of curls.

"I'm sure he will be," he said quietly. "Archivus! There you are…"

"Where else would I be?" the bard snorted as he hovered by the doors, shooing people through ahead of him; among them were some of Prencious' surviving guards, now helping or being helped by the Argonauts. He eyed Iolaus in concern. "You look terrible."

"Gee, thanks. I feel so much better now," Iolaus retorted sarcastically.

"Take care of him for me, Archie…"

"Don't call me Archie," Archivus complained. "I've told you…"

Coronus grinned and ignored him. "I'm going to help Jason."

"I wouldn't bother if I was you," the bard said however. "When he said he wants us all out, he means it. Aethalides has that look of his that means something's up."

Leaning against the wall Iolaus looked up at them, then peered anxiously around them in search of Hercules. He didn't want the demi-god hanging around down here if there was any chance of Areophagus coming back.

At the edge of the collapsed ring, he could see Aethalides standing with his head flung back and his arms outstretched, his muscles taut with strain. Jason was yelling at him, gesticulating wildly as he lost his temper. Hercules was hovering anxiously, clearly pleading with both of them.

"Is it me or is it getting hot in here?" Coronus wondered, wiping the perspiration from his face.

"It's getting hot," Iolaus answered absently, feeling the heat in the rock under his fingers.

"Don't stand there gawping," Ialmenus growled as he jogged up with Ascalaphus and Lynceus, herding the last few stragglers ahead of them into the tunnel. "Jason wants us out and he means it. Come on, kid, that means you too…" Iolaus shook him off as the bigger man caught his arm, squirming around him. Before he could head for Hercules, however, the demi-god loped up with a grim expression on his face and grabbed the hunter.

"Let's go," he ordered grimly, giving Iolaus a tired grin as the hunter looked up at him worriedly.

"What about Jason and Aethalides?"

"Jason will bring him. Now come on. Aethalides can't hold it much longer."

"Hold what?" Iolaus demanded, looking anxiously towards the Herald. "Shouldn't we help?"

Under their feet the ground shuddered suddenly, a muffled rumbling starting far, far below. Hercules grunted, grabbed Iolaus and flung him over his shoulder, ignoring his indignant squeak of surprise. "Run. Before the whole damn lot goes," he ordered the others and took off at a sprint, hearing them pounding along behind him as he raced for the surface.

Jason gritted his teeth, shooting a worried a glance at the doorways. To his relief, he saw Coronus disappear from view, leaving the room empty except for himself and Aethalides. He wasn't quite sure what the Herald was up to, but he could feel a strange itchy sensation on his skin as if something was rubbing the air the wrong way.

Aethalides rolled his eyes at him. "Are they…gone?" he gasped.

"We're the last two," Jason told him. Aethalides nodded and bowed his head, dropping his aching arms as he whispered the last few words of the spell. His knees melted under him as he finished and he dropped, catching himself on his hands, sweating and shaking all over with exhaustion.

The ground shivered, the rumble far below growing louder and louder.

Jason grabbed the young Herald and yanked him to his feet, dragging him towards the doors. Aethalides stumbled after him, his eyes glazed. "Please, I need to rest…" he begged.

"Later," Jason told him grimly.

"Please…" Aethalides stumbled, barely able to control his feet.

Jason swore and swung around, ducking under his arm to swing him across his back. Then he ran for it, feeling the ground shake under his feet as huge fissures opened up in the stone. Overhead the ceiling cracked, showering them with stone. As Jason ducked into the passage with Aethalides, he glanced back and saw the frightening sight of red hot rock starting to drip from the ceiling in long plumes of seething lava, molten rock welling from the fissures in the floor an bubbling across the rapidly melting stone…

Jason put his head down and ran for all he was worth, catching himself against the wall as the floor convulsed beneath his feet and behind them the ceiling caved in…

* * *

The Argonauts waited anxiously on the steps outside the main hall, a silent grim face group of men who felt the earth tremble under their feet and feared what was happening below. Polydeceus had gone to take Talaus to Ranberus and some of the others had gone with him to help with the wounded. Hercules had wanted Iolaus to go with them, but the hunter wouldn't move.

When Jason emerged from the main hall, half-carrying Aethalides at his side, a huge cheer went up as the Argonauts rushed to greet their grimy leader. "What happened down there?" Archivus demanded, quill at the ready.

"Aethalides brought down the roof," Jason responded, giving the Herald a tired grim.

"I did? I don't remember…" Aethalides mumbled. "Can I lie down now?"

"Yes, you can," Jason agreed. "Idas, look after him for me."

"Okay, but I want the whole story later. Come on, kid…" Idas pulled Aethalides' arm across his shoulder and led him away.

Wearily Jason turned to the others. "Look, guys, the whole thing's been sealed off by molten rock. The room's full to the roof and the tunnel's gone. And the ice demon's underneath the whole lot. Tomorrow, I am going to have to explain all this to Pelias but right now all I want is a stiff drink and a hot bath. We still have a quest to organise…" Another cheer went up at that and Jason was scooped up and carried off by the laughing Argonauts.

Grinning in relief, Hercules turned to Iolaus then looked round wildly in search of him. A tug at his ankle made him look down to find the hunter sitting on the steps at his feet. With a faint sigh, Hercules plopped down beside him and put an arm around his shoulder. "Hey, you’re shaking!"

"Nah, it's the ground," Iolaus said tiredly.

"No, it's probably shock. You and Talaus both got clobbered," Hercules fretted, hugging him closer and resting his chin on top of his head. Iolaus leaned against him and closed his eyes, too exhausted to argue with him.

"Ah hah! There you are!" Coronus exclaimed as he jogged back up the steps. He had gone with Polydeceus to help with the wounded. "Iolaus, Ranberus wants to see you."

Iolaus opened one eye to look at him, yawned drowsily and peacefully snuggled back against Hercules. By the time Hercules dared to pick him up, he was already limp as a sleeping cat.

* * *

Much as he appreciated the men's, no his men's, enthusiasm, Jason wished they would leave him alone for five minutes to get his thoughts in order. He hadn't been kidding about needing the bath. And although the wine was helping, he was starting to fantasise about hot water and a decent loofah. Archivus was reporting back about the wounded, Lynceus and Idas were organising repairs and walling off the main hall before anyone became adventurous enough or drunk enough to consider exploring. Things suddenly seemed to be happening very, very fast and his head was starting to spin when the Seers arrived.

Jason blinked at them in surprise as they trotted up in a ground silence spread around them. "Oh, there you are," he observed sarcastically. "I was wondering where you’d got to."

"Pelias sent for us," Idmon said gloomily. "Can we talk?"

"Go ahead." Jason leaned back in his chair and waved one hand languidly.

"In private," Idrion added firmly.

Jason looked down his nose at them, then sighed and levered himself to his feet. Wordlessly, he led them down the corridor to his own rooms and waved them inside. "All right, so talk," he ordered. "And let me tell you something, if this was a test of the early warning system you four are suppose to represent, you failed miserably."

Amphiaraus glanced at the others. "We weren't allowed to warn you," he answered.

"Not allowed? Who decided that? Pelias?"

"The Gods," Idrion corrected.

"The Gods promised me this quest would succeed," Jason growled. "Men were killed down there fighting one of their damn leftovers!"

"You will win the Fleece, but not all who go on the quest will survive," Mopsus murmured, staring with disconcerting intensity at the end of his nose.

"Uh…" Jason eyed him warily.

Amphiaraus folded his hands in front of him, "The demi-gods…"

"…are demi-gods…." Idmon added.

"Where they walk…" Idrion said.

"We cannot See…." Amphiaraus finished. Mopsus only hummed to himself, his crossed eyes empty as he looked into some inner world.

"Did you or did you not See what would happen here?" Jason demanded angrily. "Did you know men would be killed here?"

Idmon nodded slowly. "We knew…"

"We Saw…" Idrion said sadly.

"And you said nothing!? I could have saved them!" Jason screamed in fury, his fists bunching as he took an angry step towards them.

"No, you could not," Amphiaraus said firmly, meeting Jason's eyes with his own crystal grey gaze. "What we See…"

"We See…" Idrion whispered.

"As to when may not be known…." Amphiaraus said.

"It is not always given…" Idmon continued.

"That we should speak it…" Idrion said softly.

"What will be…" Amphiaraus added.

"Will be…" Idrion finished.

"What good is an early warning system that doesn't warn me?" Jason demanded bitterly.

"Pelias will lift no hand against you," Mopsus observed, rocking slightly on his heels. "He fears you and your Argonauts now."

Gritting his teeth, Jason glared at him, feeling his own eyes watering in sympathy as the Seer squinted at him. "Wonderful," he said sarcastically.

"In our vision, we were not with you," Mopsus told him. "But with Pelias. For this…"

"…was a test…" Amphiaraus said suddenly.

"A test of you…" Idmon said.

"And your men…" Idrion went on.

"Have you learned from it?" Amphiaraus asked.

Jason opened his mouth to yell at them in fury and then hesitated.

Idrion nodded. "You have learned. These are your men now, your crew…"

"Forged in fire…" Idmon said. "The Argonauts will stand together…"

"Where you lead…" Mopsus whispered.

"They will follow…" Amphiaraus agreed.

"Into Ares' vale of the dragon…" Idrion purred.

"And beyond…" Amphiaraus smiled.

"Remembered as heroes all for all time…" Mopsus' voice rang out around the room.

Idmon lifted his head, locking eyes with Jason. "So shall it be…"

* * *

Hercules paused in the morning sun, stretching lazily. Breakfast had been a somewhat makeshift affair since the lodge house servants had been thrown into chaos after the events of the night before, but there had been ample hot food to go around in the end. With neither Mendicas or Prencious to guide them, they didn't seem to know quite what do to do and Domesticles had stepped into his own organising them into preparing breakfast for a crew of hungry Argonauts. Hercules had found himself in the midst of things as Lycneus seconded him, Otus, Polyphemus, Polydeceus and Ares' sons into tidying up some of the chaos.

Now he was glad to slip away and eager to find out where Iolaus had gotten to. He had slept alongside the hunter in Talaus' room, since Talaus himself was being closely watched by Ranberus. But he had lost sight of him at breakfast when Jason ordered the hunter to go and rest. Iolaus slipped away to check up on his friends and spend the morning with Talaus while Hercules was helping rearrange things to make the wounded more comfortable. Hercules considered they had been lucky that even the most seriously hurt would survive.

"Hercules!"

The young demi-god winced as Jason hailed him and hunched his shoulders. He had been responsible and unselfish all morning and all he wanted was ten minutes to find Iolaus and share some lunch with him as he had promised. Unaware of his martyred expression, he straightened up and gave the prince a look of polite query.

"Don't look at me like that," Jason chuckled however. "Are you going to see Iolaus?"

"Yeah…" Hercules admitted warily.

"Great. Do me a favour then. Tell him and Talaus to stop taking pot shots at the damn bell! The competition is over and they’re driving me crazy ringing the damn thing! They're in for crying out loud!"

Hercules relaxed with a broad grin. "Iolaus is pretty nifty with a slingshot," he said happily.

Jason swatted his shoulder. "The pair of you are pretty nifty all round," he said solemnly. "I wanted to tell you that I appreciated what you did last night."

Hercules' smile faded a little. "I only wish we could have caught Perides. There's been no sign of him."

Jason shrugged. "I doubt if there ever will be. He was probably killed when the roof gave way. I doubt if he could have got out with the rest of us watching."

"I'm not so sure," Hercules said slowly. Perides hadn't survived as an assassin without being cunning. And the Argonauts had been too intent on escape to worry about him if they saw him.

"Hercules, stop worrying. One way or another, he's long gone. Now go on, take five."

"Thanks, Jase," Hercules said warmly and started off towards the beach, deciding to take his advice and forget about the man. Before he could got more than two steps though, he froze, staring in dismay at the entourage making its way across the patio. King Pelias himself, flanked by at twenty of his servants scattering flowers at his feet and shading him against the sun with a purple silk canopy. "Jason?" Hercules looked back at the prince.

"Go," Jason said easily. "I can handle Pelias. We understand each other."

"But after what happened…"

"I have it from a reliable source," Jason said dryly, thinking of his Chorus of Seers. "That he wasn't involved in Prencious' plans. He owes us one for disposing of Areophagus and I intend to collect. For one thing I want to point out what you told me Perides said about Aldis' plans for Acastus. Now go on. Pelias and I are going to discuss things."

Half wishing he could stay and listen, Hercules loped off, noting Pelias' strained expression of horror at the disaster area around him as he trotted past. Vaulting the wall, he dropped to the beach below and then loped towards the pier where Iolaus and Talaus were sitting in the sunshine. Out over the water, Zetes and Calais swooped and dived in the gliders, chasing their shadows across the waves.

"Hey, Herc!" Iolaus greeted him happily as Hercules flopped down on the sunbaked planks between them. "Finished being boring?"

"Hey yourself. Finished being lazy?" Hercules grinned back.

"Only following instructions. Ranberus told us to rest," Iolaus told him, his grin belying his sober tone. "Right, Talaus?"

"Right," Talaus still looked pale and a little scared around the edges, but Hercules could tell that spending the morning in Iolaus' lively company had done him good.

Hercules sat up and draped an arm around each of them; surprising Talaus into a grin at his acceptance and making Iolaus flash him a smile of grateful understanding. Iolaus really wanted Hercules to like Talaus and the demi-god knew it. It wasn't even that hard when he thought about it. Talaus was a likeable kind of guy and he was brave enough to risk his own neck for a friend. That made him okay on Hercules' scrolls. He gave Talaus a careful squeeze.

"Talaus, I owe you one," he told him.

"You do?" Talaus gave him a blank look.

"For saving Iolaus' life when you tackled him," Hercules said steadily. "I won't forget that."

"But you and the others saved me," Talaus pointed out warily. "That makes us even."

Iolaus was gazing at Hercules thoughtfully. "Not where Herc is concerned," he said quietly, nudging Hercules in the ribs. "Huh, big guy?"

"Right…Suntop," Hercules agreed deliberately.

Iolaus opened his mouth to complain, then paused and smiled wickedly back at him.

"Plenty of time," he murmured, leaning forward to look at Talaus around Hercules' broad chest.

"Right, Talaus?"

"Right, Iolaus," Talaus agreed, meeting his bright blue eyes.

Which one of them it was that started to giggle first, Hercules wasn't quite sure but he got the distinct feeling that sooner or later he would find out why and oddly enough he didn't care. Iolaus was happy. Talaus was happy. And that made him happy. He was looking forward to this voyage amongst his new-found friends. To adventure and excitement that would win them all fame and glory.

Heroes all!

Let the quest begin!

oooOooo