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The moon was full;
shining with an eerie crimson sheen across the forest, creeping with blood
red intensity into each and every fold of leaf and crack of tree until the
wood itself seemed to drip with gore. Iolaus could feel it enfolding him
leaving an iridescent sheen upon his skin. Somewhere in the woods behind him
he could hear the wolves baying at the Blood Moon as the hunter became the
hunted, could hear shrill voices chanting….
Bacc-hus, Bacc-hus, Bacc-hus…
The ghoul came
fast, slithering on its snake like body and lunging towards him out of the
darkness, its serrated toothed maw gaping wide as it lunged at his throat.
He dodged, diving to the frosty ground and rolling back to his feet to run
again. The ghoul caught him with a sweep of its tail, snatching his feet
from under him as it once more lunged. The fanged maw closed on his thigh,
chomping deep into his cringing flesh as he screamed…
And woke in a cold
sweat of sheer terror, his scream locked in the back of his throat. Sitting
bolt upright, Iolaus swung his feet to the floor and fought to control his
trembling as he rubbed the vicious cramp in his thigh.
"Iolaus?" Hercules
mumbled sleepily from the other side of the room. "You okay?"
"Yeah, it's
n'nothing. Go back to s'sleep," Iolaus stammered.
There was silence
for a moment then the demi-god rolled onto his side and lit the lamp beside
his bed. "It doesn't sound like nothing," he observed as he pushed himself
up on his arms and peered through the dim light at his friend. "And it
doesn't look like nothing. You’re shaking."
"I'm not." Iolaus
looked away from him, finding himself instinctively scanning the inn room
for signs of the monster in his nightmare.
"Yes, you are."
Hercules climbed out of bed to push the window shutter open and let some
fresh air into the room before he sat down beside Iolaus. He put a hand on
his shoulder, feeling his shivering. "You feel feverish."
"Not really. Leave
me alone, Herc. It was only a bad dream."
Hercules frowned at him and
left his hand where it was, noting that Iolaus made no effort to shrug him
off. "About what?"
"You don't want to know,"
Iolaus managed a shaky laugh as he flexed his leg. The cramping pain in his
thigh seemed to be wearing off at last.
"Anything that could freak you
out has to be bad," the demi-god said calmly. "Talk or I torture you."
Iolaus flashed a startled look
at him and grinned ruefully. "It was nothing, really. I dreamed about the
Bacchus Blood Moon and the ghoul."
"It's been a while since you
had that one," Hercules commented in concern.
"It's been a while since the
Blood Moon," Iolaus snorted and kept his head down so Hercules couldn't see
his chagrined expression.
The demi-god glanced at the
moon glowing pale as frost beyond the window. It was low in the night sky,
filigreed silver instead of rich as cream. Bad weather could well be on the
way and he was glad the local farmers had finished gathering their crops.
The weather had been strange recently, cold when it should have been warm.
Wet when it should have been dry…."We can move on tomorrow if you want," he
suggested slowly.
"And miss the festival?" Iolaus
protested. "Besides, we promised to help with the Tug of War. You wouldn't
want me to think you’re scared of a challenge are you?"
Hercules chuckled. "I think I
can beat you at a game of Tug Of War."
"We’ll see about that!"
"You and whose army? Besides,
you’re the one with the weird dream."
"Don't even joke about it!"
Iolaus yelped and shuddered violently, startling them both with his
reaction. Hercules tightened his grip on his shoulder.
"You know, I think you are
feverish," he said seriously as he felt how warm Iolaus was considering the
cool night air. "Maybe you should get back into bed."
Iolaus raised an eyebrow at
him. "Getting a little fussy, aren't you?"
"Well, I wouldn't want you
finding any excuses when you lose, now would I?"
The hunter grimaced at him and
gave Hercules a shove to make him stand up. Sliding back under the blankets,
he pulled them up to his chest and then settled back with his arms folded
behind his head.
Hercules eyed him for a moment
before he closed the shutter and padded back to his own bed to gratefully
slide his cold feet under the covers. There was still a warm spot where he
had got out and he snuggled into it blissfully.
"Herc?" Iolaus said drowsily.
"Yeah?"
"You did kill the ghoul, didn't
you?" the hunter asked in a small hopeful voice.
If Hercules hadn't known his
friend had had good reason to be scared of the monster that had come close
to killing him, he would have teased him about his nightmare, instead he
smiled in understanding. "I killed it, Iolaus," he promised. "And I burned
what was left. There's no way it can come back."
Iolaus sighed in relief and
turned onto his side, burrowing down among the blankets. "Good," he murmured
sleepily.
Lying still, Hercules listened
to his friend's breathing even out as he fell asleep and sighed. He was glad
he had been able to reassure his friend, he only wished someone could do the
same for him. Maybe the one he had killed could not return but he knew of
nothing to stop Bacchus creating another one.
* * *
The cowled figure
knelt on the cold stone floor, huddled as close to the flagstones as it
could get as the tall black cloaked woman entered the cavern with her blonde
haired servant scurrying at her heels.
"What are you doing
here?"
"I have information, mistress.
Important information, mistress," the cowled figure answered, bobbing
obsequiously closer to the floor.
With a sniff, she gestured him
to get up. "Stop grovelling, man. It is bad enough that I have to deal with
the likes of you without having to put up with your snivelling ways."
"Yes, mistress." He scrambled
to his feet, keeping his cloak hood tugged tight around his face.
"Now, what is you want?" she
demanded as she settled into her throne of bones and propped her long, black
leather clad legs on a stone footrest shaped like a skull.
Swallowing nervously, the man
eyed her legs and took a shaky breath. "It is Hercules, mistress. He arrived
a few hours ago in the village."
"And you came all the way out
here after dark to tell us? How brave of you," the servant sneered, her eyes
glinting maliciously.
"I obeyed Mistress Attis'
orders,” the man mumbled, giving her a look of mingled fear and loathing.
"Excellent. And does he have
his companion with him?" Attis asked as if neither had spoken.
"The blond warrior is with him
as you said he would be, mistress. They are going to stay for the festival."
Attis smiled, her tongue
flicking over pure white teeth. "Excellent," she purred once more. "Our
master will be most pleased."
The man shot a look up at her
and cringed, tugging his cloak closer still around him as he eyed her
lengthened incisors. "May I go now, mistress?"
Attis nodded, waving him out
with a flick of long fingers. The man scuttled for the door, avoiding the
large stone walled pool with its rust coloured stones that lay in the middle
of the floor.
"We should kill him before he
tells Hercules."
"He will tell no one. His fear
of us, of me, is far too great for him to risk betraying us." Attis
shifted and sat up in her throne, propping her chin on one hand as she gazed
into the walled pool. "Soon the crucible will once more fill with the blood
of the innocent and from their blood will rise Bacchus' Servant." Attis
turned her head, her long blue black hair a shimmer of shadow in the
torchlight as she smiled and ran a finger along her perfect lips. "Think of
it. Hercules killed the master's minion, now he will see the new Servant
arise…I find it all so poetic somehow. Don't you?"
* * *
The following morning Hercules
stretched blissfully in the warm air, glad to see that it had dawned bright
and clear with the promise of being hot. It was a good day for the Festival
of Dionysus and he had been happy to help with the last minute preparations
to get things ready. He might even be persuaded into sampling a little of
the local brew. Absently glancing round, he straightened his best dark brown
suede tunic and started towards the buffet tables. It seemed like forever
since he had been this relaxed and happy.
"There you are, Herc. I've been
looking for you. Where'd you go so early?"
Hercules glanced round at his
friend as Iolaus bounced out of the inn. He too was dressed in his festival
finery; a hyacinth blue shirt that brought out the colour of his eyes and a
wine red suede jerkin over his black leather pants and boots. "Nowhere in
particular. I was awake early so I thought I’d let you sleep in."
"On a festival day?"
Iolaus gave him a horrified look.
"You looked like you needed the
sleep after your nightmare."
Iolaus shot a hunted look
around him and came closer. "Not so loud. I don't want everyone to know."
As his friend came to his side,
Hercules chuckled and draped his arm affectionately around him. "Don't look
so worried. I haven't told anyone. And you haven't missed breakfast."
Iolaus shrugged him off with an
indignant look. "As if that's all I care about," he said hurtly as the demi-god
tugged him towards the buffet tables laid out under the trees in the shade.
Food was free the day of a festival and the women had been cooking for days
in anticipation. "I wanted to help out."
"I think we've both done enough
of that already," Hercules soothed as Iolaus bounced over to examine the
breakfast layout. The demi-god helped himself to a mound of eggs and bacon
on a fresh bread trencher and sat on the seat under the trees, watching
Iolaus happily sampling the almond pastries before he chose the scrambled
eggs.
"They cook great food around
here," the hunter said cheerfully as he perched beside his friend.
"Well, you'll need all your
strength for the Tug of War later," Hercules assured him blandly.
"We'll see. Muscle power isn't
everything."
"Got a few hunter's tricks
planned, have you?" Hercules probed with a thrill of curiosity. He loved
Iolaus' devious plans: even when the hunter did put one over on him there
was never any malice in it and Hercules rarely guessed what he was up to
until it was too late.
Iolaus simply gave him a bright
grin. "I'm not telling," he answered.
Tilting his head to one side,
Hercules considered this. "I'm sure I can pry it out of you."
"Why? You've never managed it
before."
"Greetings!" The loud hail made
them both look up and grin as they saw the plump figure of the innkeeper and
festival organiser hurrying towards them.
"Hello Basil," Hercules
responded with a friendly wave.
Basil swished to a halt in
front of them in a flurry of bright red robes. He was a little out of breath
as he bobbed a polite bow to them. "Greetings most honoured guests, I trust
you are relishing our humble offering of a repast?"
"What?" Iolaus said blankly,
glancing sideways at Hercules.
"He wants to know if we're
enjoying breakfast."
"Oh. Why didn't he say so
then?"
Hercules grinned and turned
back to a faintly bewildered Basil. "Breakfast is fine, thank you. Is there
anything we can help you with?"
"Oh, no, no, that's quite
unnecessary I assure you." Basil enthused, wringing his hands together as he
spoke. "You're finding your accommodations satisfactory? No strange
disturbances? The beds are comfortable? "
"Why's he asking about beds?"
Iolaus hissed suspiciously. "And what doe he mean by 'disturbances'?"
"The inn is perfect," Hercules
said loudly, giving the hunter a quelling look.
"I mean, I know we're sharing a
room, but…."
Hercules dug an elbow in Iolaus'
ribs and spoke up while the hunter wheezed theatrically. "We're having a
wonderful time, Basil, and we're looking forward to the festival. When do
the revels begin?"
"Oh, any time now. And we are
so looking forward to you taking part in the Tug Of War. You don't
mind, do you?" Basil gave the demi-god an anxious look.
"Iolaus and I are thrilled to
be asked," Hercules told him solemnly. "When does it start?"
"As soon as you’re ready. But
please, do finish your repast first. I'll have a servant bring more eggs. If
you'll excuse me…"
"He's strange," Iolaus murmured
as Basil fluttered back into the inn.
"He reminds me of Salmoneus,"
Hercules replied thoughtfully.
"At least Salmoneus speaks
proper Greek," Iolaus retorted. "I'm not sure what Basil speaks."
"Fluent innkeeper, I suspect,"
the demi-god chuckled.
"Whatever. I never understand a
word. You finished with that bacon?"
"Get your own!" Hercules
yelped, fending his friend off as Iolaus sneaked a slice of bacon from his
trencher. "You've got more moves than an octopus!"
* * *
Several hours later the
festival was in full swing with dancers dipping and swaying everywhere to
the bright music of a trio of bards. A huge table had been set up in the
middle of the square and was piled high with food. Three large casks of the
best wine from previous seasons made the table bow under their weight.
Cautiously sipping a brew of
apple wine, Hercules leaned against a wall while he got his breath back from
a strenuous bout of dancing and watched Iolaus whirling a pretty young red
head around the square as if she was as light as a feather. Where his friend
got his energy to keep going from Hercules never knew. Iolaus never seemed
to stop and rest for long.
"Ah, Hercules, there you are."
Flushed from a beaker of wine too many, Basil bore down on the demi-god with
an amiable grin. He waved a wine jug at him. "Care for a sample of Dionysus'
Finest?"
"I'm fine, thanks," Hercules
showed him his own beaker and was surprised when the innkeeper took it away
from him.
Taking a mouthful, Basil
swilled it around his mouth then spat it out with an expression of disgust.
Pouting, he tossed the rest of the contents away. "Call that wine? Now,
this is what I call wine," he told him, sloshing a large portion into
the beaker and shoving it into Hercules' unwilling hands. "Taste that."
Hercules took a polite but
reluctant sip, feeling the wine scald his tongue and burn down his throat
like acid. His eyes watered in pain. "Uh…great…." he managed to
stammer huskily.
"Smooth….huh?" Basil
beamed at him. "Make it myself. If anyone's going to win Best Wine this
festival it's going to be me. Now, the Maenads of Dionysus have made a small
request."
"What kind of request?"
Hercules croaked suspiciously.
"Well, they always choose a
Harvest Prince for the festival…" Basil lowered his voice and shot a shifty
look around him. "….as a er….fertility symbol so to speak,"
"Oh?" Hercules was starting to
feel even more suspicious. "Who is it?"
Basil gave him a weak smile. "Er,
this is dreadfully embarrassing which is no doubt why the Maenads asked me
to tell you."
"Tell me what?" Hercules wasn't
about to be used as a fertility anything if he could help it.
"Their ritual selected Iolaus."
Basil blurted. "Please, don't be angry. I did tell them they had to be wrong
and the ritual meant you, but they insist Dionysus wants it to be
Iolaus and I really don't know how to argue with them…" Pausing warily, the
innkeeper peered up at the demi-god. "Why are you laughing?" he asked in the
same tone of voice someone might ask a barbarian what he meant to do with
the axe he was brandishing.
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all,"
Hercules chuckled. "I'm sure Iolaus will be delighted to help out."
Basil pouted. "I hope so. If I
can ever get close enough to ask him. He seems to be avoiding me." Glancing
at the beaker of wine he held, Hercules could understand that. "I don't
want them to scare him."
"Why would they scare him?"
"Well, there's a ritual
kidnapping, you see. I wanted to warn you so you wouldn't be concerned. I
assure you there's no violence involved. The Maenads are nothing at all like
Bacchanites."
Hercules considered this for a
moment and then nodded. "I doubt they'll scare him even if you don't tell
him," he said mildly. "But I'll let him know for you."
"Oh, thank you," Basil said
gratefully. "Now, drink up. Enjoy." Hercules smiled weakly and took a tiny
sip of the wine as Basil looked round, spotting a friend in the crowd. "Hey,
Lovis! Stay right where you are! I've got the winning brew right here!" As
the innkeeper hurried off towards a dismayed looking farmer, Hercules looked
round shiftily and emptied the beaker into a convenient window box.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, shame on you,
Herc!" Hercules jumped a foot as Iolaus spoke up from right behind him. "You
realise you've killed that plant off now, don't you?"
"Self preservation. Have you
tasted that stuff of Basil's?"
Iolaus nodded solemnly. "I
spilt some on the table, it blistered the wood."
"I'm not surprised," Hercules
muttered with feeling. "Did you hear what Basil said?"
"Yeah. It sounds like fun."
Iolaus' eyes sparkled in anticipation.
"It probably involves sampling
their wine or something." Hercules lied solemnly. Knowing exactly what kind
of orgiastic rituals the Maenads went in for, he figured his friend would
have more fun finding out about them for himself. "I'm afraid you'll find it
very boring."
"Oh…" Iolaus' face fell so
fast, Hercules had to fight a laugh.
"Did you get bored with
dancing?" he asked instead.
"No," Iolaus said, promptly
cheering up. "It's time for me to thrash you in the Tug Of War." Hercules
raised an eyebrow and looked around him very deliberately. "It's down by the
stream," the hunter told him.
"I wasn't looking for that."
"No? What then?"
"Your army…."
Iolaus gave him an indignant
glare. "Oh, you're going to be sorry for that," he assured him.
Hercules grinned at him. "Loser
cooks dinner next time?"
"What? Burnt rabbits again?"
Iolaus snorted as he led the way across the square.
"I have a new recipe."
"Really…?" The hunter retorted
sarcastically.
"Quail with roast almonds…."
Iolaus slammed to a halt,
thought about it and then slid a look up at his friend. "Roast almonds?
That's a temptation…."
"I know your addictions,"
Hercules teased. "You on for the bet?"
"What if I lose?"
"Trout with tarragon." Hercules
was extremely fond of Iolaus' campfire cooking – to the detriment of his
waistline.
"Okay, but you do the fishing."
"And you catch the quail."
"I’d rather catch the almonds.
They don't fly so fast."
Hercules laughed, but before he
could say anything there was a yell of warning from the far end of the
village and the pounding of approaching hooves.
"Amazons ho!" went up the cry.
Hercules groaned and before
Iolaus could protest, sprinted across the square. The last thing the demi-god
wanted was to see the peaceful festival erupt into violence.
"Hercules!" Iolaus darted after
him, doing his best to flag him down. "Hey, Herc! Wait up! Listen!"
Ignoring him, Hercules
positioned himself across the entrance into the square and folded his arms,
glaring at the approaching band of Amazons and doing his best to look
suitably menacing.
"Hold!" he roared in his best
demi-god tones. Surprised by his audacity, the Amazons reined in, their
horses eddying around him as they gazed down at him in amused curiosity.
"Hey, first time we got a good
looking welcome committee," one of them commented, tilting her blonde head
to study the demi-god's rear view.
Hercules shot the young Amazon
a wary glance. They didn't seem to be violent, but it was always hard to
tell what might set Amazons off.
"Things are looking up," an
equally young brunette chuckled. "How about it, handsome?"
"How about what?" Hercules
growled.
"Don't be dense, Herc," Iolaus
panted, wriggling between the horses to his side. "They’re guests!"
"What?" Hercules gave him a
startled glance.
"The elders always invite them
to the festivals. Basil told me so. It's good relations."
"I'll say!" the blonde Amazon
chuckled enthusiastically. "You up for some relations?"
Iolaus glanced up at her and
grinned back, but was distracted before he could answer.
"Hey! Blondie!" An excited
yelp came from further down the street as a second group of Amazons trotted
their horses up to see what was going on.
Iolaus glanced round warily at
the nickname, then grinned hugely as he saw a six foot two, red haired
Amazon swinging lithely down from her horse and striding to meet them.
Without a word she wrapped both arms around the hunter and yanked him up
close for a deep kiss. The other Amazons rode past, laughing and teasing and
making ribald comments that made Hercules blush.
"Hey, come on, Amaryllis. Leave
some for us!" the young brunette complained, nudging her fellow Amazon in
the ribs when the kiss proved to be far more than a mere peck on the mouth.
"Find your own, Azalea."
Amaryllis retorted as she released a breathless Iolaus and tapped him on the
end of the nose with one long finger. "You've been practising your kissing,
sexy. I do hope you've been practising with other portions of your
anatomy besides your lips? Or do I have to take a whip to you again?"
Iolaus coloured. No one could
embarrass him quite as easily as Amaryllis. She always seemed to know
exactly what to say.
"Whip?!" Hercules
echoed, raising an eyebrow at his friend.
"It isn't what you think!"
Iolaus yelped, going scarlet. "It's only the way she says it that makes it
sound, sound…!" The hunter floundered to a halt, glaring at Hercules as he
gazed at him in amused disbelief.
"Whatever happened to share and
share alike?" the blonde Amazon complained.
"I caught him, Aster, he's
mine," Amaryllis retorted, studying Iolaus with a predatory glint in her
eyes. "You can play with Hercules; assuming you can catch him and Arum will
let you."
Two pairs of eyes turned
thoughtfully to the demi-god. Hercules squirmed in chagrin and took a step
backwards. "Now, ladies…."
"You’re Hercules?!" Azalea
asked mildly.
"Yes…." Hercules admitted
reluctantly. After all, he couldn't very well lie. Particularly when Iolaus
would probably drop him right in it if he did.
"Ooh…we've heard all about
you," Aster cooed in appreciation.
"Arum told us lots of things,"
Azalea added with wide grin.
"Lies, all lies…." Hercules
stammered, shooting a wary glance round for the dark haired Amazon.
"Oh, I do hope not."
Amaryllis chuckled and looked
up from her lazy perusal of Iolaus that was making the hunter feel like
steak on a plate. "You'll have to check it with Arum," she warned as she put
her arm around the warrior's waist.
"Aw, come on, what she doesn't
know won't hurt her. We can drag him off into the trees for a while…." Aster
argued.
"First come, first served. You
know the rules."
"But it's a Mating Ride!"
Azalea protested.
"And it'll be your last if you
don't follow the rules. Go and play." Pouting, the two Amazons reined up
their horses and circled the two men, following the other Amazons into the
square. Amaryllis gazed after them watchfully for a moment, her hand idly
caressing Iolaus' hip. Finally she turned an astute look on Hercules. "You
needn't worry. There won't be any trouble from us," she told him. "This band
comes here for every festival apparently. The villagers make them really
welcome if you know what I mean?" She winked broadly at both men.
"I think so," Hercules mumbled.
"You've joined their band then?"
"Temporarily, yes," Amaryllis
admitted.
"Um, I see. Arum isn't with
you, is she?"
"Course she is," Amaryllis
chuckled. "They'll be along soon. We ran into a little trouble on the road."
"Serious?" Hercules asked in
concern.
Amaryllis tossed back her hair
as she laughed. "With us involved? What do you think? A petty skirmish with
an odd looking bunch of would be Amazons. I'll tell Arum you’re looking for
her."
"Uh, no, that's won't be
necessary," Hercules muttered.
"Do you good, Herc," Iolaus
teased, knowing perfectly well that Hercules' efforts at celibacy stood no
chance when Arum was around. The black haired Amazon simply wouldn't take no
for an answer.
Amaryllis laughed and pinched
Iolaus on the rear end, making him yelp and leap away from her indignantly.
"Do you good too, sweet hips. Care to go flatten some hay with me?"
"Not right now," Iolaus said
weakly, doing his best to ignore the heat of her eyes. "We're taking part in
the Tug Of War."
"Sounds like fun," Amaryllis
said happily, rubbing her hands together and inhaling deeply enough of the
fresh air to make both men stare at her spectacular cleavage. Her flint blue
eyes sparkled in amusement as she noticed their appreciation of the view and
she deliberately flexed a little more. "So what end do I get to pull?"
"What?!" Hercules and Iolaus
both exclaimed at the same time.
"I meant the rope, naturally,"
Amaryllis said dryly. "But if it's three in a bed you want, I'm always
game…."
"We'll stick to the rope,"
Hercules said hastily, ignoring Iolaus' efforts to hush him. Iolaus
groaned, guessing what Amaryllis was going to make out of that.
"Ooh, kinky. Arum never
mentioned you were in to that."
"I meant for the Tug of War!"
Hercules yelped.
"Oh, of course you did, Legs. I
know that." Amaryllis purred lazily as she set off into the square: leaving
Hercules with the distinct impression that she definitely hadn't believed
him at all.
* * *
Rubbing his hands down his
leather pants to dry them, Hercules picked up the thick rope and glanced
across at Iolaus. His partner was happily organising his team of villagers
into place on the rope, cheerfully bossing and teasing them until they were
in position while desperately ignoring Amaryllis' bawdy comments. It didn't
help that the Amazon's teasing was setting the other women off and he had to
keep dodging to avoid getting pinched black and blue.
"The Amazons are coming! The
Amazons are coming!" Basil's youngest son, Daedlion, yelled as he raced
across the site towards his friends and slammed straight into Amaryllis as
she turned to see what he was so excited about. He bounced off her cleavage
and landed in the grass on his back as she gazed down at him disapprovingly.
"Not yet I'm not, but I plan
to," she said cheerfully, throwing a lecherous glance over at Iolaus. The
hunter ducked his head in embarrassment.
"Um, the Amazons are coming
over to my place for wine?" the teenager added hopefully, as he looked her
up and down.
"Daedlion! Watch your manners!"
His older brother yelled indignantly from where he was taking up his place
in the Tug of War.
Chuckling, Amaryllis caught
hold of Daedlion's hand and hoisted the blond youth back to his feet. "Come
back when you finish growing up," she told him, shooing him towards his
friends. The other boys accepted him into their midst with an excited babble
of chatter. "Boys will be boys," Amaryllis commented to Hercules as he
glanced at her curiously.
"You don't mind?"
Amaryllis shrugged. "Human
instinct. We’d be stupid to ignore it. Besides, it's fun. Right, Blondie?"
"Right," Iolaus agreed as he
ambled over. "Ready to get beaten, Herc?"
"No. Are you?"
"With Amaryllis on my side how
could we lose?" Iolaus retorted and, taking the startled Amazon by the hand,
he led her back towards his team.
"Do you want to ruin my
reputation as an Amazon?" Amaryllis hissed as she impatiently tugged her
hand free. Her blush belied her glare and only made the hunter grin,
unperturbed. Tugging on a lock of red hair, he pulled her down and whispered
something in her ear that made her laugh before she snatched the opportunity
to kiss him on the mouth. She swatted him on the rear end as he bounded to
the back of the rope to take his position.
"Ready, Hercules?" Amaryllis
called as she took her own place.
Digging his feet in the soft
ground, Hercules curled the rope around his hands and yelled back that he
was as they took up the slack. There were two women, Dillon, the village
healer, plus Amaryllis and Iolaus against the demi-god. Hercules thought it
was about even as he leaned back against the pull on the rope and stood his
ground. With much heaving and yelling his opponents sought to drag him
forward, enthusiastically encouraged by the crowd that had gathered to
watch.
"Come on, Herc! I thought you
were going to win!" Iolaus yelled from the back. "Put some muscle into it!
Flex 'em, Herc!"
Hercules growled under his
breath and heaved, determined to pull all of them flat on their faces. To
his astonishment the team staggered forward, but remained upright despite
his efforts. Feeling the sweat break out on his back and start to trickle
down his skin, Hercules stepped up his efforts – still with no more effect
apart from a rustle of muttering.
"I need to drop out!" Dillon,
who was at the front, called out. "I can't afford to be a healer with rope
burns!"
"Herc?" Iolaus called
questioningly.
"No problem." Hercules eased up
so that the Dillon could release the rope and step back. "You want to get
someone else?"
"Nah!" Iolaus answered
cheerfully and the rope tightened firmly.
Once more Hercules heaved,
taking up the minimal amount of slack before he again met solid resistance.
Still the villagers wouldn't budge hard as he heaved. "Are you cheating?"
he called suspiciously to his friend.
"Who? Us?" Iolaus called back,
wide eyed with innocent as he leaned ostentatiously back against the pull of
the rope. "We had our oats this morning, that's all."
Hercules grunted and heaved
again to another whisper of muttering. The woman at the front staggered and
went down on one knee and for a moment Hercules thought he had them, but the
rope remained as taut as ever. Dillon hurried forward to help the hobbling
woman out the way.
"Want to give up?" Amaryllis
called, waving one hand at him.
"No!" Hercules bellowed back
and stamped his heels into the ground, determinedly striding back a step
before he had to admit that the rope simply wasn't moving. The second woman
suddenly let go and doubled over, clutching at the small of her back and
limping out of the way.
Hercules stared. Only Amaryllis
and Iolaus remained and the demi-god knew without a doubt that he was
stronger than either of them. So why weren't they moving? Amaryllis glanced
over her shoulder at Iolaus, bracing her long legs astride as she leaned
back and the pair of them heaved in unison. Hercules slithered a bare
fraction forward then pulled back and Amaryllis slipped and went down on her
rear end.
"Oh now look! I'm covered in
mud!" she wailed as she sprang to her feet, backing away from the rope.
Hercules gaped at her. Since
when did Amaryllis ever care anything about a little dirt? Shooting a
glare at a laughing Iolaus, he grinned evilly and hauled. Iolaus leaned
back, bracing himself against the sudden yank and not moving. Hercules' jaw
dropped. This was impossible!
"What's the matter, Herc?"
Iolaus called mischievously. "Lost your touch?"
"I.…What have you done?!"
Iolaus' laughter bubbled over
into a waterfall of delighted giggles and he let go of the rope, stepping
well clear as it remained stretched taut. For a moment Hercules couldn't
believe it, then he saw the huge ancient tree the rope had been securely
tied around. All the time he had been straining against a solidly rooted
tree with nowhere near enough leverage to affect it.
"You’re slow, Herc!" Iolaus
yelled teasingly and legged it through the laughing crowd before the demi-god
could make a lunge to grab him.
"I'm going to get you for
this!" Hercules roared, flinging the rope to the ground and belting after
his partner with a huge grin of pleasure in the chase. It felt wonderful to
forget who and what he was for once and simply indulge in some fun for once.
Iolaus was fast and skilful,
ducking and weaving through the crowd as Hercules pursued him back into the
village and across the square. The demi-god finally cornered him among the
market stalls set up at the far end of the square, trapping him in the
narrow alleyway between the blacksmith's forge and the wall of the Temple of
Hestia.
"Cheat, will you?" Hercules
growled, prowling towards his friend.
"Now, Herc," Iolaus held up
both hands in placation. "You never said I couldn't have a tree on my team."
"You…!" Hercules lunged and
grabbed, missing as Iolaus danced out of reach but whipping sideways to get
between him and freedom. "Not so fast, my friend."
Iolaus backed up, looking over
Hercules' shoulder with his eyes widening in horror. "Behind you…"
Hercules frowned and glanced
over his shoulder, then swung back and caught his partner as Iolaus sprinted
past him. Hoisting the squirming hunter off his feet, he held him up over
his head and well out of reach of any tricky handholds. "You didn't think
I'd fall for that, did you?" he chuckled.
"It was worth a go," Iolaus
laughed back. "You did last time."
Hercules snorted and stomped
back into the square, ignoring Iolaus' protests as he looked around. He
lowered the hunter onto his shoulder, holding him in place with an
unbreakable grip. "Now, what shall I do with you?"
"Aw, come on, it was a joke!"
Iolaus yelped. "What happened to your sense of humour?"
"Not a thing," Hercules
answered cheerfully, spotting exactly the people he wanted and heading
towards them. "People are laughing, aren't they?"
"Yeah! At me!"
The Maenads, dressed in their
colourful dancing costumes, looked like a bed of wildflowers as they oversaw
the distribution of the wine. They watched Hercules carrying Iolaus towards
them in eager anticipation.
"Hey, come on, put me down,"
Iolaus protested as he peered around Hercules to see where they were going.
"I don't want to sit and taste wine!"
Hercules laughed and tightened
his grip so Iolaus couldn't squirm off his shoulder. "I thought I’d deliver
your Harvest Prince to you, ladies," he announced as he deposited Iolaus on
his feet in the middle of the circle of women. Iolaus shot an uneasy look
around him at their excited faces and then glared at Hercules as the demi-god
firmly held him in place with a grip on his shoulder. "I'm afraid he's a bit
shy…"
"I think we know how to deal
with that," the High Priestess said dryly, gesturing to the Maenads. With a
ripple of giggles, the Maenads closed in on the hunter, wrapping ropes of
flowers around his wrists and a strand of tiny blue flowers around his neck
to act as a lead rope.
"I'm gonna get you for this!"
Iolaus yelled indignantly as they then led him across the square towards the
lone tree in the middle. Hercules ambled after them, curious as to what
they'd do next. Backing the reluctant hunter up against the pine tree, they
bound him in place with ropes of flowers around his chest, waist and thighs
and placed a circlet of flowers on his head. A basket was positioned at his
feet and the High Priestess came to stand in front of the warrior.
"I am Zora, priestess of
Dionysus. Do you know what is required of you?" she said mildly as the other
Maenads hurried back to the square.
"No," Iolaus admitted warily.
By now he was starting to feel a tiny bit anxious about what they had
planned. He doubted it was going to be painful and he knew he could break
the ropes if he needed to escape in a hurry. Hercules wouldn't let anyone
hurt him, but letting him have the life embarrassed out of him was another
matter. The demi-god was standing at a safe distance with his arms folded
and a huge grin of amusement on his face.
The priestess smiled at him
and gently patted him on the chest. "Don't worry. You'll enjoy it," she
assured him. "To ensure fertility for the village we capture a single
attractive male…." She paused and frowned slightly. "You are single,
I trust?" Iolaus nodded reluctantly, unsure whether he was being
complimented or not. She smiled in satisfaction and continued. "Each woman
in the village who wishes to then accepts your sacrifice to ensure fertility
for herself and the village."
"What sacrifice?!" Iolaus
yelped in alarm.
"Why, a kiss of course," the
priestess answered, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "What did you
expect?"
"I er, I…." Iolaus blushed. He
knew of at least one fertility rite that involved tying a man to a tree and
whipping him until he came. It had always sounded acutely painful to him.
Sex and pain didn't go together at all as far as he was concerned. He
noticed that Hercules was grinning at him in wicked merriment and sent him a
ferocious glare. "Why me and not Hercules?" he demanded finally.
"You are a mortal and he is
not," she answered simply. "A few small coins are also requested from each
supplicant as a gift to the Temple of Hestia."
"To Hestia?" Iolaus echoed in
surprise. "Not to Dionysus?"
The priestess shook her head.
"As Maenads we serve Dionysus, as women we look to Hestia who protects
hearth and home. It is Hestia who protects our village."
Iolaus relaxed. He knew that
any Temple of Hestia would take in anyone who needed help and had had reason
in his own youth to be grateful for its protection.
"Do you accept the honour of
being Harvest Prince?" the priestess asked and then leaned forward to
whisper something in his ear. Iolaus shot a startled look at her as she drew
back.
"Really?" he said curiously.
"By any Maenad I choose?"
"As a thank you, yes." The
priestess inclined her head as she opened a leather pouch on her belt and
started to dab his bare skin with perfumed oil.
"Okay. I guess can manage a few
kisses…." Iolaus glanced over at Hercules who winked at him and nodded in
approval. "But you’re gonna pay for this, Hercules, you are going to pay….!"
* * *
A few kisses is one thing, this
lot is quite another,
Iolaus reflected as he surrendered his mouth to yet another passionate
female. The first five or six, he had enjoyed, but after that they tended to
blur together unless the girl was either particularly passionate or
particularly gorgeous or had wayward hands. He had soon discovered that if
they got a bit too familiar and he was driven to a yelp, Zora would bear
down on the woman in question with a thyrsus in her hand and a determined
look in her eye to drive them off.
Aster drew back slowly from her
kiss, a speculative look in her blue eyes. "You know what Amaryllis doesn't
know…" she began.
"No," Iolaus said firmly.
"I've got a couple of gold
coins for Hestia…." the Amazon hinted as she touched his sword belt.
Iolaus' expression settled into
a stony glare. "I'm not for sale. Go away."
"Come on now…."
A soft smacking sound from
behind Aster made her look round into Zora's cool grey eyes. The priestess
was slapping her thyrsus across one hand as she frowned at the young Amazon.
"He is neither a slave, nor for sale," she informed her briskly. "You had
your kiss and much good may it do you. On your way."
Aster glared and drew herself
up to her full height. "I am an Amazon," she said threateningly.
"So?" Zora retorted. "You are
also little more than a child who needs to learn her manners."
Aster reached for her sword in
fury. "I am not a child!"
"Leave her alone, Aster. You’re
peace-bonded," Iolaus reminded her sharply, flexing against the ropes that
held him. "Besides, she's a priestess and Amazons don't attack unarmed
women!"
Aster hesitated, then slammed
her sword back into its sheath and stalked away. "Thank you," Zora murmured,
inclining her head gracefully to the warrior. "But I am armed." She lifted
the thyrsus meaningfully.
"I noticed, but it was my
pleasure," Iolaus responded, licking dry lips. "When do I get out of here?"
"Sundown."
"Sundown! I can't last that
long!"
Zora raised an eyebrow at him.
"Well, I mean…." Iolaus
squirmed in embarrassment.
"Or until the women are
finished with you," Zora qualified. "I suspect you may be here all night.
Apparently you kiss well."
Iolaus rolled his eyes and
decided to save his strength, wishing he didn't kiss well right then.
After a moment, Zora strolled back to her shady spot a few yards away and
settled down with the basket of coins. He watched her for a while, grateful
that no one else seemed to be coming over from the square, and was
contemplating a quick nap when he realised someone was approaching.
Hercules ambled across the
square to the priestess and spoke to her softly. She looked up, smiling at
the demi-god in a friendly fashion and chuckling at whatever he said.
Frowning, Iolaus strained to hear what they were saying but the light breeze
whisked away their words. When Hercules tossed a handful of coins in the
basket and turned towards his friend with a huge, evil grin however, Iolaus
gaped at him in disbelief.
"Herc?" he questioned warily as
the demi-god strutted towards him. "Hercules?! Don't you dare
even think it!"
Hercules said nothing, his grin
widening as he watched Iolaus attempt to wriggle round to the other side of
the tree. Then he leaned with one hand against the tree above the hunter's
head and gave him a slow, lazy smile. "Well, hello…" he purred in
his best seductive tone.
Iolaus' eyes went wide with
panic. "Herc, you wouldn't!" he stammered. He knew that tone of old. "Have
you been drinking?"
Hercules only smiled and
delicately brushed a golden curl away from the hunter's ear.
"Hermes?" Iolaus questioned;
half-hopeful, half-afraid it was the Herald. At least he knew what Hermes'
lecherous intentions were.
"Nope…." Hercules leaned closer
and blew in his ear.
"Hercules?!"
Iolaus screamed indignantly at the demi-god, squirming at the tickling
sensation.
"Yes, suntop?" Hercules purred
absently as he tugged playfully at a curl.
Iolaus shook his head free.
"I've still got my feet free," he warned in a dangerous growl. “You lay so
much as a lip on me and I’ll kick you where it hurts! And don't call me
suntop!"
Hercules gave in with a burst
of laughter. "You should see the look on your face! I only brought you some
water, what did you think I was going to do?"
Iolaus went scarlet. "You know
damn well I thought you were Hermes!"
"Oh yeah, sure, you did!"
Hercules laughed as he swung a waterskin off his shoulder and held it up so
Iolaus could take a long drink. "You want me to bring you something to eat?"
he asked as Iolaus gulped thirstily.
"No. Couldn't you rescue me
though?"
"What? Surely not getting
bored, are you?"
"Very funny. Can't you find a
monster or something that you need my help to fight?"
"You mean lie?" Hercules
said, wide eyed. "I couldn't possibly do that."
"Oh, a great lot of help you
are. Go away," Iolaus told him irritably.
Hercules chuckled and put the
waterskin down. "I'll check on you later," he said mildly, lightly slapping
his friend's shoulder before he started back towards the square.
Iolaus let out a long groan and
sank heavily back against his tree. Either he was slipping or Hercules was
getting more devious. "Hey, Zora?" he called as a thought hit him. "Have I
got a quota to make?"
"A quota?" she echoed in
surprise. "Of kisses? No…."
"How about if I pay you to let
me go?"
The priestess shook her head
and chuckled. "And what of your reward?"
Iolaus sighed heavily and
shrugged, wriggling his shoulders into a more comfortable position against
the tree. Right then the only reward he wanted was to be released. He closed
his eyes, concentrating on feeling the sun warming his body into relaxation
and sinking into a light doze.
It was the chink of coins that
made him open his eyes and look round, curious to see his latest visitor.
His eyes widened as he saw Amaryllis stalking briskly towards him, her whip
slapping lightly against her leather-clad thigh. "Uh oh…."
"Hiya, sexy," she greeted him,
as she looked the hunter up and down before leaning against the tree beside
him as Hercules had.
"You get one kiss and that's
it."
"For two gold coins I should
get a lot more than that," Amaryllis scolded, tapping the whip handle
lightly against his chest.
"Two gold…. Where did you get
that kind of money?"
Amaryllis shrugged lazily and
ran the handle down to rest on his belt buckle. "I fleeced a couple of dice
players."
"Dice players?" Iolaus echoed.
"It wasn't that hard. I did the
drunk and dumb routine and they fell for it like a right pair of morons."
The whip handle slid lower and Iolaus gulped.
"Don't you dare…."
"Dare what?" Amaryllis purred,
shifting her body so that Zora couldn't see what she was doing as she slid
the whip handle deliberately between his thighs in a sensuous caress.
Iolaus rested his head back
against the tree and fought the urge to respond that blazed through his
body. He met her eyes coolly. "You’re being unfair," he said flatly.
Amaryllis grinned. "I'm an
Amazon. Since when are we fair to men?" She leaned closer, her soft lips
teasing his. "Remember the barn?"
Iolaus closed his eyes, feeling
the heat rushing through his body as his memory supplied full details. "Ay
yi yi, do I ever!"
Amaryllis laughed and grabbed
his bound wrists. Yanking his hands up over his head, she captured his
mouth, kissing him into willingly silent submission. The kiss turned into a
duel of challenging tongues and passion as Amaryllis pressed as close as she
could get to his hard muscled body. When they finally had to surface for
air, the Amazon stepped back, meeting blue eyes that had turned smoky with
desire and hunger. "Mine," she purred in satisfaction and ripped the flower
ropes away from his chest, waist and legs.
"Hey…." Iolaus protested
feebly. "I'm supposed…."
"Hush up, Blondie, you’re
bought and paid for," Amaryllis said briskly and ducked, yanking him over
her shoulder and off his feet. She sagged a little under his weight but
turned to face the startled priestess as she got up. Tossing a couple more
gold coins to her, Amaryllis winked broadly. "Iolaus and I are going to go
and er…complete your fertility ceremony the old fashioned way. Don’t wait
up," she said cheerfully and strode off into the woods with an acutely
embarrassed Iolaus over her shoulder.
"You know you could ask…" he
growled as he wriggled his way to his feet.
Amaryllis snorted, idly
flicking her whip out to behead a few flowers. "Sure, I could, but ravishing
you is so much more fun… " she said cheerfully as she then grabbed his hand
and bodily yanked him after her into the undergrowth.
* * *
"Hercules!"
The demi-god looked up from his
tankard of ale, peering over its wooden rim at the breathless youth
sprinting across the square to where he and Dillon were having a quiet
drink. The healer rolled his eyes at his brother's enthusiast rush and
sighed.
Panting to a halt beside their
table, Daedlion leaned on the wood and gasped out his message. "Hercules,
you’d better come at once. Iolaus has been kidnapped."
"Kidnapped?" Hercules echoed
sharply, slamming down his tankard and starting to his feet. "How many of
them were there and which way did they take him?"
"Only one and into the woods…."
"One? What was he? A giant?"
Hercules had difficulty imagining anyone kidnapping Iolaus on their own, at
least not without a noisy struggle that the demi-god would have been sure to
hear.
"No, it was that red haired
Amazon. She was dragging him…."
"Oh, her," Chuckling in
enormous relief, Hercules sank back on his seat and drained his ale. "I
thought you were serious for a moment."
"But I am serious!" Daedlion
yelled.
"You didn't hear him yelling
for help, did you?" Hercules pointed out.
"No, but…."
"Daedlion, Iolaus and Amaryllis
are old friends. The last thing she's going to do is hurt him," Hercules
explained reassuringly.
"But she had a whip and
everything!"
Seeing the way Dillon raised an
eyebrow, Hercules grinned at him. "She won't hurt him…much."
"But…"
"She's an Amazon. They like to
play," Dillon told his brother.
Daedlion glared at him,
obviously annoyed by their amusement. Turning his back on them, he stomped
off muttering under his breath. Dillon watched him for a moment then turned
a thoughtful look on Hercules. "How broad minded is your friend?"
"Iolaus? Pretty unflappable.
Why?"
"Well, Daedlion's of the age to
be curious."
Hercules eyed him for a moment
then laughed. "You mean he’ll go watch?"
"He might…" Dillon admitted
uncomfortably.
"I doubt if he'll be able to
find them. But even if he does, I think they'll catch him before he can see
much…."
* * *
"Iolaus?" Amaryllis murmured
lazily as she lay sprawled on her back in the forest glade that she and the
hunter had found to share their pleasures in.
"Mmmh?" Iolaus lay on his
stomach beside her, his head cushioned on her tanned midriff.
"I think we should think about
going back," she told him, idly combing her fingers through his tangled
golden curls where they tickled her skin.
"Already?" Iolaus lifted his
head enough to give her a sleepy look from under half closed long eyelashes.
Amaryllis shivered in delight
under his smouldering gaze and with a growl grabbed him by the shoulders,
kissing him thoroughly.
"We could stay here," he
pointed out as few minutes later as he lay on his back with the Amazon
sprawled comfortably across him.
"Arum will be waiting for me."
"So?"
"So, it isn't easy keeping a
group of young Amazons under control. You know what our tempers can be like.
It isn't fair on her to make her watch them all herself."
Iolaus sighed as, reminded of
her friend, Amaryllis rolled off him and reached for her scattered clothes.
"Besides," she went on as she
tossed his leathers to him. "Won't Hercules come looking for you soon?"
Iolaus grimaced, acknowledging
the truth of that. He hadn't exactly stopped to tell Hercules where he was
going and he might get a tiny bit worried by his friend's unexpected
disappearance. Reluctantly, he slid to his feet and started to pull on his
leathers. Amaryllis watched in silence, her flint blue eyes avariciously
taking in his sunlight and shade dappled body until she could stand no more
and took a prowling step towards him.
"Ah, ah, ah," Iolaus scolded,
holding up one hand to fend her off. "Think of Arum."
"Arum who?" Amaryllis retorted,
reaching for him. Catching his hips, she pulled him determinedly towards
her.
Iolaus linked his own arms
around her waist and grinned. "Then there's…" He stopped, tilting his head
warily to one side. "Did you hear something?"
"Nope…" Amaryllis purred as she
tugged open his unfastened shirt.
"I did. It was kind of a
growl…."
"That was me…."
"No. It was definitely a
growl."
"Be fair, Blondie, and stop
distracting me."
Iolaus frowned and caught her
wandering hands. "I mean it, Amaryllis, I heard something. Sounded like a
wolf."
"A wolf?" Amaryllis' attention
snapped back into place and she looked round, scanning the bushes as
intently as Iolaus. "I can't see anything."
"No, but I heard it. I'm sure
of it."
Amaryllis looked from him to
the bushes and back again and decided not to take any chances. She caught up
his hand briskly. "Come on then, let's get back to the village. I've still
got plans for you that don't involve you being a wolf's supper."
* * *
"Well, it's a difficult
decision, but…." Hercules hesitated; weighing the merits of the honey glazed
berry pie against mead soaked apricots. Both were delicious and he was hard
pressed to choose between them. Where was Iolaus when he needed him?
The women gathered around him
gazed at him expectantly, each one hoping it would be her dessert he picked.
"I think possibly….the berry
pie first and the apricots second," he rushed out the answer, hoping they
wouldn't maul him too badly in their disappointment. The plump brunette who
had baked the pie let out a yip of glee, flung her arms around the demi-god's
neck and kissed the startled Hercules soundly on the mouth. She let go
equally suddenly and went scarlet in embarrassment, hiding her face in her
apron. To Hercules' intense relief his decision seemed to be a popular one
and he was allowed to gracefully retreat from the round of congratulations
that followed.
Strolling back across the
square Hercules found himself wondering seriously where Iolaus had got to.
He was starting to have an uneasy feeling that grew stronger the longer the
hunter was out of sight. He wasn't sure why. Something in the air seemed to
be disturbing him, grating on his nerves more and more as the afternoon wore
on. The breeze was starting to turn into a chill wind and overhead clouds
were brewing, threatening rain to finish the day.
"Hercules?" A worried looking
farmer trotted up, shooting a shifty glance around him to see if anyone else
was within listening range.
"Yes. It's Lovis, isn't it?"
Hercules recognised the man as one of Basil's friends. "What can I do for
you?"
"We er, we have a little
problem. Could you come, please?"
"What kind of problem?"
Hercules asked warily as he nonetheless followed the farmer back the way he
had come.
"I’d rather not say. Basil
asked me to fetch you."
Puzzled, but curious, Hercules
lengthened his stride as the farmer broke into a jog and led him across the
square and out to where the Tug Of War had been held earlier. There was a
gathering of men at the edge of the woods as they crossed the stream by its
narrow bridge and Hercules felt his unease grow at the sight. Somehow he
didn't think he was about to be invited to a drinking party. The men watched
him come and silently stood back, letting Lovis and the demi-god through
into the tangle of undergrowth beyond.
As soon as he entered the
clearing a fifty yards or so further on, Hercules felt his tension crash
over him in an icy wave. There was a blond haired body on the ground, only
the ashen pallor of the skin suggesting that the man wasn't merely curled up
under a tree asleep. Basil, Zora and a dark haired young woman in Hestial
robes were standing over the body, watching as Dillon finished his
examination.
Hercules moved closer, shoving
rudely past Lovis to get a better look at the body and exhaling in relief as
he realised his fears were invalid. It wasn't Iolaus. "What happened?"
"We're not sure. Yuna here
found him." Basil gestured to the young woman standing close to the high
priestess.
"He was lying there….I didn't
know he was, was…." Yuna shuddered and turned away, burrowing into Zora’s
arms in a fit of tears.
"I thought we should call you,"
Basil went on soberly. "We hoped you might know what to do."
Hercules frowned and knelt next
to Dillon. "I take it you don't think this was an accident then?"
"Look for yourself," Dillon
replied grimly and moved back so Hercules could view the body as the healer
tilted the limp head to one side. The neck was bruised but surprisingly
clean considering the twin holes punctured deep into the flesh. "He was
drained of blood…."
Hercules felt his skin crawl as
he went cold all over in horror. He knew of only one creature that killed in
this fashion.
"Do you know of anything that
could do this?" Basil asked.
"Do you?" Hercules looked up at
him questioningly.
Basil gazed back at him
uncomfortably.
"Oh say it," Zora snapped
irritably as Yuna moaned in distress. "It was a Bacchanite. What else could
it be?"
"We don't have their kind in
this village!" Basil protested indignantly. "You promised when you came here
there were no Bacchanites among you!"
"And there aren't. My followers
are Maenads. We serve Dionysus, not his brother Bacchus." Zora told him
impatiently and turned her attention to Hercules as he stood up. "You of
all people should know the difference between Dionysus and his brother."
Hercules sighed and nodded
wearily, aware of how often the twin Gods were confused by mortals. They
were like two sides of a coin: darkness and light, good and evil. Hedonistic
pleasure lover Dionysus loathed the maliciously licentious Bacchus and their
natures were reflected in the activities of their followers. But the twin
Gods very lives were entangled and one could not exist without the other
whether they wished to or not. "Zora is right. It was a Bacchanite."
"How much harm can one
Bacchanite do?" Lovis asked nervously from where he stood listening at a
safe distance.
"Depends how hungry it is,"
Hercules muttered. "And whether it is only one Bacchanite. They have a nasty
tendency to travel in packs."
"Like wolves?"
"Rumour has it they can turn
themselves into wolves," Dillon murmured uneasily, glancing around him at
the suddenly menacing woods.
"It isn't rumour," Zora said
crisply. "You’d better bring this poor young man to the Temple Of Dionysus."
"That might not be exactly
tactful…," Basil said cautiously.
"Perhaps not. But he was killed
by a Bacchanite." Zora raised a meaningful eyebrow at them. "There are
certain purification rituals to be observed."
"For the sake of his soul,"
Dillon murmured, nodding to himself.
"That too," Zora agreed dryly.
With a shudder, Hercules
understood exactly what she meant. A male victim would not become a
Bacchanite, but a zombie could rise from the remains if precautions weren't
taken. "Basil, I think the party is over. Can you recall everyone to the
village?" Hercules knew that Iolaus and Amaryllis weren't the only ones to
sneak off to celebrate the fertility festival in private and there were
likely to be couples scattered all over the woods.
"We can sound the horn," Basil
answered. "Zora? Would you mind? I’d better help Dillon and Hercules." Zora
nodded and she and Yuna set off back the village. After a quick glance
round, Lovis scurried after them.
"Do you know who he is?"
Hercules asked as he helped Dillon arrange the body.
Basil nodded gloomily. "He's
one of Daedlion's friends. I wonder what he was doing out here all alone."
"If he was alone…." Dillon
muttered. "If he came out here with a girl and the Bacchanite bit her too…."
"I think that's enough
speculation, son," Basil interrupted him. "Let's get him back to the village
and then figure out what we’re going to do next."
Hercules said nothing as he
helped them lift the body. He was too busy worrying. If Dillon was right
then this poor youth's companion might be turning into a Bacchanite even as
they talked.
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