"It's almost a shame that we have to go back to school," Hercules sighed wistfully as he ambled along the winding country path that led from the river back to Cheiron's Academy. It was the late afternoon of a glorious day, ablaze with sunshine in a sky so blue it hurt the eyes to look at it. Flowers were everywhere, filling the sun-gilded air with their rich heady scents. Cheiron had given his students the day off and the friends had seized the chance for a trip to a fishing spot they had wanted to check out ever since they discovered it. A day spent lazing around, swimming and catching fish by hand had left them both lazy and contented.

Prowling along beside him and beheading the weeds along the verge with his sword, Iolaus shrugged. "Got to go back sometime," he pointed out. "Now's as good a time as any."

Hercules glanced at him. "I thought you enjoyed school."

"I do. But I don't like exams."

Hercules chuckled. "Who does? Hey, maybe we could ask Melissa to be our tutor."

"Our tutor?" Iolaus echoed, looking up at him with a grin. "Don't you mean, your tutor?"

"I thought you wanted help with your exams?"

"I didn't say that. I said I didn't like them. I always get nervous and forget the answers. But a tutor won't help."

Hercules frowned, seeking a way of inveigling his friend into accepting the idea. "She might. Melissa's supposed to be good at maths."

"That ain't all you hope she's good at…" Iolaus muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"How's maths going to help me with a sword fight?"

"Well…" Hercules had to admit he wasn't exactly clear on that himself.

"Besides, you only want to impress her with how clever you are."

"I do not!"

"Sure you do! That's why you've spent all day talking about finding this giant that's bothering King Kurete's people. You want to impress her by going out there and driving it off."

"Who says?!"

"I do," Iolaus grinned at him impishly. "You've got a major crush on her. Don't know why though. She's so much older than you."

"She is not! And I do not have a crush on her."

"Why so defensive then?" Iolaus skipped out of reach as Hercules swung at him.

"I'm not. Melissa's…nice. And she's not old!"

"I didn't say that. I said she was older than you."

"There's nothing wrong with an older woman. Besides, she's not that much older than I am."

"How do you know?"

"I asked."

Iolaus laughed. "Oh boy, I bet that impressed her!"

Hercules blushed and studied his toes, vividly reminded of how she had glared at him. It wasn't his fault he didn't know how to talk to girls!

"I guess older women can be fun…" Iolaus mused absently to himself. "They don't yell, they don't tell and they’re grateful as…."

"Iolaus!" Hercules yelled indignantly.

"What?" Iolaus gave him his most innocent look. "Say, do you think she'd go out with me now you've blown your chances?"

Hercules gave him a murderous look. "No," he growled.

Iolaus giggled and punched his arm, dancing out of reach. "I'm kidding, Herc. I wouldn't do that to you."

"You’d better not," Hercules told him. "I'm going to find a way to really impress her."

"By beating up on a giant? Come on!"

"It was only an idea, but now I think of it. It is what I'm good at."

"Honest, Herc, there are easier ways to impress a girl."

"Oh yeah, like what?"

"Well, give her some flowers. Or, better yet, some pretty jewellery."

"I can't afford jewellery. What am I supposed to do, give her something I stole?"

Iolaus shot a startled look at him and coloured in unexpected anger. "I never gave anything I stole as a gift to anyone!" he retorted with indignant bitterness. Swinging his sword over his shoulder, he strutted on ahead, his shoulders tense with insulted hurt

Wincing, Hercules hurried after him. Iolaus wasn't exactly proud of his career as a thief and - although Hercules suspected that he was quite proud of the fact he had been a good thief – tended to be unexpectedly sensitive about it when an inadvertent remark hurt his feelings. This time Hercules figured he had wounded his pride without meaning to. "I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean it that way," he placated in a conciliatory tone.

Iolaus didn't answer but stalked on in silence.

"Hey, come on, Iolaus," Hercules urged. "Don't be like this."

"Like what?"

"Like this." Hercules gestured expansively.

"Did I say anything?" Iolaus shot a glare at him.

"No, but you have the loudest silence of anyone I know." Realising he had genuinely hurt his friend by unintentionally hitting a sore spot; Hercules went on to apologise properly. "I really am sorry. I said it without thinking. I didn’t mean to imply you’d do anything like that. Honest, Iolaus!"

Iolaus slumped slightly and shrugged. "I know you wouldn't," he sighed. "Only sometimes…"

Hercules cautiously put an arm around his shoulders. To his relief, Iolaus didn't push him away. "I know," he said gently. Sometimes some of the students had loud mouths and vicious tongues. Iolaus always gave as good as he got and never let it show when his feelings were hurt, but Hercules knew him better. The diminutive warrior had good armour, but underneath it his feelings were easily hurt.

Iolaus flicked a glance at him and steered the conversation back to its original subject. "But I'm right about Melissa. Fighting monsters is all very well, but while you're off getting squished like a bug some other guy is going to be cuddling up to her."

Hercules frowned. "What else can I do?"

"Talk to her. They like the sensitive guy stuff…."

"I'm not sure I can do that," Hercules muttered doubtfully. "I never know what to say to girls."

"It's easy. Tell them how pretty they look, and what a nice dress they’re wearing…"

"What nice legs they’ve got…"

"Did you say what I think you said?" Iolaus gave him an astonished look.

"Yeah….I want to…to…." Hercules blushed furiously.

"What?" Iolaus prompted, his eyes bright with curiosity.

"She's gorgeous, Iolaus. And she's bound to be experienced. And I want to, you know…that."

"Oh…" Iolaus shut up and the two of them walked on in silence for a while.

Desperate to break the nervous silence, Hercules finally ventured a comment. "She makes me feel all…fluttery…."

"Fluttery?"

"Yeah. Don't laugh."

"I wasn't going to," Iolaus admitted ruefully. "I know exactly what you mean."

"You do?"

"Fluttery describes it perfectly. You see some gorgeous girl and you get this really weird feeling and your mouth goes all dry and then you've got to start holding your scrolls down really low in front of you…." Iolaus broke off, his fair skin betraying his blush even more than Hercules'.

"You get that too, huh?" Hercules said in relief.

"Oh yeah. It's natural."

"How do you know?"

Iolaus shot an embarrassed glance at him. "My father gave me 'The Talk'."

"Oh…" Hercules wished he had someone who would do that. "Well,…um…well, did it help?"

Iolaus chewed his lip for a moment. "I'm not sure. I mean the gist of it was if I get a girl in trouble, he's either going to geld me or make me marry her. Or possibly both. I wasn't too sure what he was talking about, so I asked him."

"You didn't!" Hercules gave him a stunned look.

"I did." Iolaus grinned mischievously. "How else am I supposed to learn anything? Cheiron always says we should ask questions if we don't understand something."

"Yeah, but…about that? Weren't you embarrassed?"

"Kind of. But I think my father was more embarrassed than I was. He started telling me about the birds and the bees and how they dive into mud and get baked to create man….

"Are you sure about that?"

"No," Iolaus admitted uncomfortably. "He really confused me and I lost track. So I told him I’d got the point." Iolaus smiled mischievously. "It was weird. I mean he's a General. He's been a soldier all his life and it's practically all soldiers talk about. But he was really embarrassed. He couldn't even look at me half the time. I've learned more from listening to the soldiers talk than anything else."

"Yeah, but don't you get weird ideas from that?"

Iolaus ducked his head. "Yeah…." He admitted. "Some of them are very weird."

"I don't think Melissa would appreciate weird," Hercules said dryly.

"Guess not." Iolaus brightened up. "So, why don't you ask Alcmene what to do?"

"Are you crazy?! I can't ask her something like that!"

"Why not? She's a woman."

"No, she's not! Get real! Why don't you ask Automedusa?"

Iolaus shot a chagrined look at him.

"You didn't!" Hercules exclaimed in genuine awe.

"No, but she keeps giving me these little pep talks," Iolaus muttered. "That's even more embarrassing."

Hercules gritted his teeth when Iolaus fell silent, but his curiosity was simply too much for him. "What does she say?"

"Mostly about romance and stuff. You know about the flowers and the gifts and the talking…"

"That's where you got it from?"

"Don't knock it. It works," Iolaus retorted indignantly.

Hercules nodded. He had to admit Iolaus had a point. The blond youth attracted more than his fair share of girls as far as his fellow students were concerned. "Anything else?" he prompted, hoping for some insight that would make sense out of the whole confusing business.

"Yeah. She says when you meet the right girl, it'll feel so natural there won't be anything awkward at all about…you know….that…Which sounds kind of hopeful…"

Hercules blinked and studied his friend's profile, the light dawning on him slowly. "Iolaus, I thought you’d…. Are you a virgin?"

Iolaus slammed on the brakes so hard Hercules almost fell over him. "Am I what?" he hissed indignantly.

"You heard. Are you a virgin?"

"What kind of a question is that to ask a guy? Have I asked you that!?" Iolaus paused, then flashed a defiant look up at him. "Are you?"

Hercules blushed. "I asked you first."

"I'm not telling."

"Neither am I!"

"I don't see why not," Hercules retorted. "If you aren't you’d say so…"

Iolaus squared up to him, bristling like a wet cat in fury. "So would you!"

Hercules glared back at him, aware that he was blushing. The two of them so intent on out staring each other that neither of them noticed the distant rumbling noise until the earth started to vibrate beneath them. Then they grabbed at each other for support and looked round wildly as the sun was blotted out by a vast shadow falling over them.

"And what do we have here?" a deep booming voice rumbled over them with a blast of air. "I spy a couple of trespassers on my road."

"Yike! It's a giant." Iolaus gasped as he gaped up at the giantess looming over them. Dressed in leather armour that strained over her impressively stocky figure, she wore strange necklace of large white beads that bobbed against her armoured, ample cleavage.

"I can see t'that…" Hercules stammered.

"A giant giant…." Iolaus stuttered, releasing Hercules' arm and taking a nervous grip on his sword.

"That's giantess, boys, can't you tell?" The giantess leaned forward, displaying her grubby cleavage to them. Iolaus recoiled, blushing furiously, but Hercules leaned forward to stare.

"Herc!" Grabbing his arm, Iolaus pulled him back as the giantess took a swipe at them that barely missed and skimmed over their heads. "Quit staring at her!"

"I'm not, I was looking at her necklace," Hercules protested shakily as the giantess laughed and straightened up again.

"This is no time to start appreciating jewellery!"

"It's made of skulls, Iolaus. Human skulls…."

"Oh that makes me feel so much better, " Iolaus groaned. "Come on, let's get out of here!"

"Not so fast, my beauties," the giantess roared, slamming her hand down to block any sudden dart back up the path. "Where's my payment?"

"What payment?" Hercules retorted.

"Why the one for using my road, of course," the giantess replied, sounding surprised.

"It isn't your road."

The giantess looked slowly around her then peered down at Hercules again. "I've decided it belongs to me. And I don't see anyone around here who says otherwise."

"Well, I do!" Hercules retorted angrily. "You let us pass, or else!"

Iolaus groaned and covered his eyes with one hand.

"Or else what, my little virgins?" the giantess queried.

"What did you call us?" Iolaus yelped.

The giantess chuckled. "I can smell you, pretty boys. Nothing I like better than virgins bones to make my bread. So tasty…" She leered at the pair of them. "Pity you ain't bigger though. We could have had some fun…"

Iolaus snarled and lunged to attack, only to be yanked back by the scruff of his tunic by Hercules who was starting to have second thoughts. "Are you out of your mind?!"

"You were the one who didn't want to pay her!"

"Yeah, but I never mentioned attacking her!" Hercules retorted.

"She insulted us."

"Only if you are a virgin. And there's nothing wrong with being a virgin."

"Oh yeah? Well, tell me that again when she's doing her baking!"

"So what's it to be, boys? Pay up now or I'll turn you into bonemeal," the giantess continued, oblivious to their argument.

"What's the price?" Hercules demanded.

"Ay yi yi…" Iolaus turned away in disgust.

The giantess frowned. "Well, let me see now. There's two of you…"

"Gee, you can count…" Iolaus mocked.

"One of you with a smart mouth," the giantess added darkly. "Course, you’re only half size but then your friend Big Boy makes up for that…"

"Half size?" Iolaus choked.

"Shhh!" Hercules hushed him frantically.

"A hundred dinar should about cover it."

"A hundred dinar!" Hercules and Iolaus chorused together.

"Each," the giantess cackled. "So, come on, boys, pay up."

Hercules and Iolaus looked at each other doubtfully. Neither of them had actually seen that much money all in one place in their lives. "Um, what if we don't have that much money on us?" Hercules asked cautiously.

"Why then, I’ll take my payment out of your hides," the giantess retorted, grinning evilly as she twirled a finger in her gruesome necklace and leaned closer. A couple of the 'beads' still had hair and scraps of flesh attached. Hercules swallowed in nausea, hearing a noisy gulp from his friend that told him Iolaus felt the same way. "A couple of new baubles will suit me right fine," the giantess continued and grabbed at them.

Cheiron's training served them well as Hercules and Iolaus dived for cover in different directions. The giantess' fist crashed into the earth between them, her fingers splaying out in a flicking motion that caught both boys and sent them sprawling.

"Gotcha, you little bug…" the giantess crowed triumphantly and made a grab for Hercules as the closest. Pinning the stunned young demi-god to the ground with one hand, she started to scoop him up with the other as Hercules squirmed desperately and pried at her fingers.

Screaming wildly, Iolaus darted in under her wrist and stabbed at her hand, slicing his sword across the back of her fingers and opening a deep gash with the blade. With a howl of pain, the giantess let go of Hercules and swiped at Iolaus with her good hand, narrowly missing the blond warrior as he ducked and rolled clear.

Freed, Hercules scrambled after Iolaus, grabbing his friend's arm to pull him up along with him as they ran for cover. As the giantess straightened up, sucking her wounded hand and glaring around her, the two youths dived into hiding in the undergrowth.

"You okay?" Iolaus panted.

"Yeah. You?"

"She missed me. Let's get out of here."

"No." Hercules locked his fingers around Iolaus' wrist. "We have to stop her."

"We have to what?!"

"Look, what if it's a merchant she stops next time? Or some kids? They won't stand a chance against her."

"Neither do we," Iolaus pointed out.

"She'd eat them alive."

"That's what she's planning on doing to us if she catches us!"

"We're warriors."

"We're students!" Iolaus corrected. "Show some sense, Herc. We should go back to the school and get help."

"I'll bet this is the giant that's been terrorising King Kurete's people," Hercules muttered thoughtfully. "Something must have made her move on…"

"Look, I know you want to impress Melissa, but getting us both killed is not the way to do it!"

"Come out, come out wherever you are, pretty ones. Therma won't hurt you," the giantess called in a rough approximation of a croon.

"Therma? Iolaus, I'm sure it's the same one…."

"Oh wonderful. So that's where she got the necklace from. She ate everybody over there so she's come here for dessert?"

"Listen to me, boys, we can make a deal…" Therma continued as she surreptitiously searched the area. "There's no need to be hostile about this. I was only teasing you."

Hercules and Iolaus exchanged an incredulous look.

"Be reasonable now. I only want to talk to you."

"We've got to find out what she's up to," Hercules whispered.

"No, we don't," Iolaus retorted, grabbing at his arm nervously.

"Yes, we do. We can't go running back to school without any information."

"We already know what she's up to!" Iolaus argued. "She's looking for lunch!"

"Maybe she really does want to talk," Hercules retorted and wriggled out of his friend's grip.

"Hercules! Come back!" Iolaus yelped after him as the demi-god scrambled out of hiding and ran out where the giantess could see him.

"Oh there you are," she beamed at him, showing her pointed teeth in what was probably meant as a reassuring smile. "But you’re all alone. Where's your delicious, I mean delightful little blond companion?"

"Uh, he's around," Hercules answered warily. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"I wanted to talk to the pair of you," Therma corrected. "Call your friend out here. I won't hurt you."

Hercules hesitated and folded his arms. "Iolaus doesn't want to talk to you, so you'd better talk to me instead."

Therma frowned ponderously. "He's not scared of me is he?" she asked mockingly.

Hercules distinctly heard Iolaus growl in the bushes behind him and suppressed a grin behind one hand. "Maybe a little wary. You did nearly squash us after all."

"Aw come on now, I was only teasing," the giantess chuckled. "If I’d meant to squish you I would have done. You tell him I don't mean no harm and to come and talk to me now."

"Well, maybe if you tell me what you're doing here, he will," Hercules bargained.

Therma frowned at him. "Now, I already told you that. I'm here to collect my payment."

"But you have nothing to do with this road. You didn't build it. You don't own it. Why should we pay you?"

"Because I make it safe for travellers to pass this way."

"It's always been safe."

"You see how good I am? I don't think a few dinars are too much to pay for people to travel safe from robbers and mercenaries and wild animals."

Hercules scowled to himself, wondering if the giantess really believed what she was saying. "But we never had a problem with any of those things before you came along," he pointed out patiently. "Why should we have a problem with them now?"

Therma glared at him belligerently. "I can tell you one thing there, boy, if you don't pay up then you’re going to have trouble with me."

Hercules flinched back a step from the gust of her breath, then caught himself. "People aren't going to stand for it. This is a free road. And there are people who will fight you to protect it."

"For the sake of a strip of dirt? I doubt it!" the giantess snorted. "I know how your kind think. You'll pay because it's too much trouble not to."

"That's not true!" Hercules protested. "We're not going to pay because this is a free road whatever you say! And there will be warriors who come out here to drive you away!"

"That's what you think!" she bellowed.

"King Kurete's men drove you out, didn't they? That's why you’re here! You're the one who's really scared!"

The giantess roared in outrage and slapped at him. Hercules jumped and dived, rolling out of the way.

"Next time they'll kill you, Therma!" he yelled. "You have to stop behaving like this!"

"No, I don't!" the giantess roared, swinging at him again and demolishing a tree in the process as Hercules scrambled desperately out of the way.

"Why are you doing this?" he shouted at her. "We're not your enemy!"

"The whole world's my enemy. And you in particular, Hercules!"

"Me?! What did I do?!"

"It's what you're going to do, you little menace!" Therma screamed, her voice rattling the treetops. "You and your kind! Heroes! Bah! Squatters the lot of you! The world rightfully belongs to us! To the Titans! There's no room for you and your kind!" With a scream of rage, she lashed out at him again, smashing another tree to splinters.

Hercules dived flat behind a boulder for safety and looked round wildly for Iolaus, hoping his friend was safe amid the wreckage of the forest as Therma laid about her in her fury.

"Where are you, you wretched half breed?!" she roared. "I came here looking for you and I won't leave without your skull as my trophy!" Lashing out again, she pulverised the boulder Hercules was hiding behind to pieces, barely missing flattening Hercules along with the flying shards and splinters of rock. As he yelped and ran for cover again, he heard Iolaus yell his name. Diving headlong into the bushes, he looked round wildly to see Iolaus halfway out of cover to come to him.

"I'm okay! Get back!" Hercules warned, frantically motioning him back. Iolaus lifted his hands in helpless frustration and scrambled back into cover.

Catching a glimpse of his movement however, Therma scowled and swung towards the hunter's hiding place. She took another swipe at the forest, tearing a tree bodily from the ground and tumbling Iolaus from concealment amongst the bushes torn up with it.

"Run, Iolaus!" Hercules spotted his friend at the same moment as Therma.

"Ah ha!" she screeched in triumph and swooped, grabbing the dazed Iolaus before he could untangle himself from the snarl of branches that had landed on him. The young warrior yelled in panic as he was lifted from the ground and held high overhead by the giantess. "Look, what I've caught, Hercules! Your precious little friend! Want to see me squish him?" She drew the squirming Iolaus closer to her face so she could see him properly as she tightened her massive fist around his body. She leered in pleasure as he gasped in pain for air and pried frantically at her grimy fingers.

"No!" Hercules scrambled to his feet and ran out in front of her. "All right, you win! Put him down, Therma! He hasn't done you any harm!"

The giantess paused in crushing her victim and loosened her fingers enough that Iolaus could suck in a whooping gasp for breath and sag limply over her hand.

"Iolaus!" Hercules yelled at him in alarm and got a feeble wave from his friend in response. Desperately seeking a way to help, Hercules looked round wildly and spotted the sword Iolaus had dropped. He edged towards it cautiously. Perhaps if he stabbed her in the ankle, she might drop his friend…

Therma snorted in disgust and shook the hunter like a rag doll.

"Don’t do that. I'll throw up…." Iolaus protested faintly.

"You do and I’ll rip you limb from limb," the giantess snarled.

"Then I really will throw up..." Iolaus hissed dizzily, hugging his abused ribs.

"Mortals are so fragile," Therma muttered disdainfully and glared down at Hercules, her eyes glittering in rage as he reached for the sword. "Don't be stupid," she warned, squeezing Iolaus until he squeaked. Snarling at the threat, Hercules withdrew reluctantly from the sword. Therma nodded in satisfaction and loosened her grip again. "So, what will you pay me for him?"

"What do you want?" Hercules demanded bitterly.

"Don't Herc…" Iolaus protested faintly and was shaken roughly back into silence.

The giantess chuckled. "I told you what I wanted," she reminded Hercules. "Two hundred dinars."

"I don't have two hundred dinars!!" Hercules protested.

Therma studied him for a long moment, then turned a thoughtful look on her captive. Iolaus flinched as she drew him closer to her bared teeth.

"Look, isn't there anything else you want?" Hercules begged desperately.

The giantess paused consideringly, then looked down at him again. "Maybe…" she said slowly. "Or maybe I'd rather squish your little friend here like you would a grape…"

Iolaus yelped in pain as she took his head between forefinger and thumb and squeezed.

"All right, all right! What is it?" Hercules ran closer, aware that she only had to move her sandled foot to crush him now.

"For a start, I want my payments for protecting this road. Then I want to be left alone by your wretched kind. I don't want no one coming around here looking for a fight."

"Okay. Put Iolaus down and we’ll arrange it."

"Oh no, you arrange it first. I'm not stupid," Therma sneered, tightening her grip a tiny fraction and making Iolaus moan in pain. "And there's something else."

"What?" Hercules demanded.

"I want Cheiron," she answered grimly. "I want you to go fetch that lousy rotten centaur here where I can kill him. I'm going to make an example of him."

"I can't do that," Hercules protested. "I can't betray him like that!"

"No?" Therma eyed him bleakly and then shifted her grip. Iolaus' gasp of relief was short lived as she transferred her hold to his arm. "Maybe you want me to convince you? Maybe I should start pulling his arms and legs off…." Iolaus screamed as she twisted his left arm from the socket then he sagged unconscious, unprepared for the unexpected agony. Therma cackled cruelly and reached for his other arm.

"NO!!" Hercules screamed too. "Please, Therma, I'll do anything. I’ll fetch Cheiron for you! Don't hurt him any more!"

Therma pursed her lips, studying him as she weighed the unconscious warrior across her open hand. "Go on then," she urged. "You’ve got until nightfall."

Hercules gaped at her, took a step back and then stopped. "How do I know you won't kill him while I'm gone?"

"You don't," she answered. "But I'll tell you one thing, if you don't go, I'll eat him right now." She lifted Iolaus high over her head, dangling him over her open mouth and rolling one eye down at Hercules. "Go on, brat. Go fetch me Cheiron. He'll make a better snack than this little mouthful."

"If you hurt Iolaus again, I'll kill you," Hercules warned her grimly.

"Yeah? You and whose army, half-breed? Go on, brat. I'm getting peckish!"

Trembling in rage, Hercules turned and ran into the forest. He didn't know what else to do except fetch Cheiron. He couldn't rescue Iolaus and fight the giantess on his own. She had too big an advantage over him while she held his best friend hostage.

* * *

Iolaus woke to the sound of a muted rumbling sound that he didn't at first recognise, then it dawned on him that it sounded like a huge stomach rumbling after missing a meal. Groggily recalling the giantess, he pried his eyelashes open and peered around the wrinkled leathery cave he lay in. Instinct made him suppress his yelp of terror as he realised he was held, cupped within Therma's hand against her stomach.

"Damn mortals, get everywhere," she was muttering darkly to herself. "Can't trust 'em."

Iolaus gingerly took an inventory of his limbs, having to bite back another howl as he awoke the burning agony of his left shoulder. Despite his good intentions, an inadvertent whimper escaped him as the muscles flexed automatically and tensed the joint. Instantly his whole body was jostled as the huge tree trunk like fingers closed around him and he was lifted up to Therma's eye level.

"Awake again, little morsel?" she commented, sounding amused.

"Where's Hercules?" Iolaus demanded shakily.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't!" he shot back.

"I ate him."

"You liar!"

Therma grinned. "Now, now, bite size. Mind that smart mouth of yours."

"You tell me where he is, or I'll, I’ll…." Iolaus floundered, at a loss.

"Or you'll what?" she mocked. "Beat me up?"

Iolaus glared at her and did the first thing he thought of, he kicked her in the eye with all his strength. Therma screamed in surprise and dropped him.

Iolaus yelled in horror as he realised how far up he was, then tucked himself into a ball as he crashed into the heap of the giantess' belongings scattered on the ground around her. He landed on her folded coat, its softness saving him from killing himself as he rolled and tumbled down its folds. He narrowly missed landing in her rough fireplace and crashed into the stones she had used to surround it, ending up in a sprawl on the dirt with his shoulder screaming in pain.

As he struggled to crawl dazedly away, Therma scooped him up into one hand. She had her other hand clamped over her eye as she sat cross-legged on the ground in her makeshift camp. "Vicious little animal," she snarled as she squeezed him painfully tight and looked round for something to put him in. She chose her battered cooking pot, dropping the hunter carelessly into its clay confines with a grin. "Save me time when I come to cook you later," she cackled as she peered in at him. "Now, you tell me why you went and kicked me like that?"

"What did you expect?" Iolaus demanded breathlessly as he righted himself and cuddled his throbbing shoulder for support as he knelt up. "I have a right to want to escape, don't I?"

She raised en eyebrow at that. "No," she said dryly. "You’re lunch. Would you expect a rabbit to complain?"

"That's different!"

"Not to me it isn't. You mortals are only prey to me." She sat back, settling herself comfortably beside her campfire and digging a battered scroll out from among her belongings. "Now, how shall I cook you? I have a few vegetables. Maybe a nice stew?"

Iolaus shuddered miserably and huddled against the cold clay side of the cooking pot. She couldn't really have killed and eaten Hercules, could she?

"Or fillet of mortal, sautéed with Centaur perhaps. With cream of demi-god soup to follow…" Therma leaned forward, peering in at Iolaus again. "You’re very quiet, titch. Don't you fancy cream of demi-god soup? You need feeding up. Maybe I'll keep you a while until you’re nice and plump."

Iolaus gave her a filthy look. "You’re never going to catch a Centaur," he retorted. "There aren't any around here."

"Oh yes, there is. One in particular; Cheiron. Your friend Hercules went to fetch him to exchange for you."

"He wouldn't do that!"

Therma gave him an odd smile. "No, he's so loyal and honourable that he couldn't. But he can't leave you to your doom either. So what do you think he's going to do?"

"Me? How should I know? He’ll probably abandon me," Iolaus lied bitterly. "As soon as he was out of your reach he'd have forgotten all about me."

Therma snorted. "A likely tale. I saw the way he looked when I caught you. He came out to save you when he could have run away. He'll be back with some cunning plan to rescue you. I'm counting on it."

"You are?" Iolaus blurted.

"Of course. He'll come rushing back here with Cheiron and all the others students from your precious school to attack me. All I have to do is kill the lot of them. A nice banquet that will be. Maybe I'd better look up a few more recipes."

"Don't be so sure you'll win."

Therma cackled. "I have Ares on my side. How can I lose?"

"Ares?" Iolaus echoed.

The giantess nodded as she lifted a leather bag into her lap and emptied it out, taking out several twists of parchment. "We came to a little arrangement. I come here and wipe out Hercules and the rest of you wretched would be warriors and I can have this valley all to myself."

"And you believed him?" Iolaus forced himself to laugh.

Therma eyed him in dark amusement. "Not really. But I know Cheiron from way back. He's killed more than one of my people. Its time to repay him. That's good enough for me. Now, let's see what spices I have here….Basil, thyme, nutmeg…Ah cinnamon…" She sniffed one of the packets and grinned, sprinkling the fine contents in on top of a spluttering Iolaus. "I'm almost tempted to roast you with some mint…"

Spitting and spluttering as he was smothered in a rain of spices, Iolaus shook his fist at her. "You’re not going to scare me!" he yelled.

"Oh, I hope not. Terror makes the meat so bitter. Why don't you settle down? Have a nap. I gave Hercules until nightfall. It won't be long now."

"And you expect me to sleep?" Iolaus laughed hysterically.

"You have anything better to do?" the giantess asked sarcastically as she picked up a lid for the cooking pot. "Now, hush up, mouthful," she ordered as she clapped the lid down on the pot. "I have recipes to read and you're distracting me…"

* * *

"All right, Hercules," Cheiron called softly, halting his young companion. "This is close enough. You remember what to do?"

Hercules nodded, wiping his sweating hands on his jerkin. "I have to tell Therma that you're behind me. I told you Iolaus was hurt and you sent me on ahead to tell him help was on its way." He bit his lip, glancing at the hill. The place were he had left Iolaus was only a few hundred yards away now and he bitterly regretted being forced to abandon him in the giantess' clutches.

"Hercules?" Cheiron prompted quietly as he checked over his longbow. The Centaur had grimly refused to bring any of the students clamouring to help rescue Iolaus. Having one of them in trouble was enough for him.

"Is this really going to work?" Hercules asked anxiously.

"There isn't time for anything fancy," Cheiron answered. "This is the best chance Iolaus has. You'll be the distraction while I move into position. I don't suppose she's still holding on to him, so your task is to get to him and help him get away."

Hercules nodded obediently. "I wish I knew why she was doing this."

Cheiron smiled bitterly. "Some of the other races could never learn to live with your kind the way we have. My people fought hers a long time ago. They were descended from the Titans and bitter about the Gods giving mortals what they thought belonged to them. I remember Therma all too well. She was young then, but every bit as vicious as the rest. We let her go because she was so young. We thought she could learn to live with mortals. It seems we were wrong and she wants her revenge. The Titans could never tolerate mortals and that rubbed off on some of the giants."

"But why me? What did I ever do?"

"You were born, Hercules. You were born," Cheiron chuckled wearily. "Therma sees you as no different from the rest of the Gods." He clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a firm push. "Now go on, go and distract her while I get into position."

* * *

Huddled in the dark of the cooking pot with only Therma' reading her recipes aloud in ponderous halting tones to listen to, Iolaus was wondering if he had ever been more miserable in his young life. This was not quite how he had planned to end things. He hadn't even had a chance to prove himself properly as a warrior yet! The cold stab of fear inside him chilled him with its intensity and he had clamp his teeth together to stop them chattering.

"Char groo…char gri…" Therma's booming voice stumbled over yet another phrase. She might be able to read, but she wasn't very good at it.

"Chargrilled!" Iolaus screamed, battering one fist on the side of the pot as his misery spilled over into temper. The booming nearly deafened him.

There was a short silence, then Therma lifted the lid off the pot and glared in at him. "Are you criticising me?"

"No! I'm saying you can't read!" Iolaus snapped.

"How would you like to be a kebab?" the giantess asked coldly, showing him the wooden skewer she had been carving while she read. "They taste better when the meat's still fresh and squirming."

Iolaus yelped in dismay and ducked, scrambling around the side of the pot as she poked the skewer in at him. His efforts to stay unimpaled by the sharp end made her laugh cruelly and pick up the pot by its metal handle, shaking it to watch him rattle and slide in its worn depths.

"You’re a slippery one and no mistake," she cackled. "Maybe I’d better soften you up a bit. Tough meat sticks in my teeth something rotten."

Lying panting on the bottom of the pot as he clutched his arm, Iolaus glared at her. "I thought you’d already tenderised me," he spat.

"A bit of boiling will do the trick," Therma mused, ignoring him as she picked up a waterskin. "Should get a nice bit of stock out of you…"

"I already had a bath!" Iolaus yelped as he scrambled to his feet and clung to the side of the pot as a torrent of water rushed in on him, followed by a giant handful of whole vegetables that battered him to his knees under the water. Humming to herself, Therma lifted the pot and stuck a thick branch through the handle as Iolaus surfaced from the stock, choking and spluttering and shoving his wet hair out of his eyes.

"Don't look so worried, titbit. I'll be sure to cook you properly. I like my meat well done."

"You told Hercules you’d wait!" Iolaus shouted desperately.

"Why, so I did. I must have been lying!" Therma cackled evilly as she suspended the pot over her campfire and started to poke up the flames. "'Course, he should have been back by now if he was coming. So I guess I was wrong. He really doesn't care about you."

Clinging to a bump in the clay, Iolaus panted for breath as he drooped in despair and exhaustion. It looked as if Therma was right. It would have been suicide for Hercules to risk coming back for him. And Cheiron was nothing if not practical. Losing one student was better than risking the whole school. Even if Hercules had wanted to return, the Centaur would probably have stopped him. Iolaus sniffed and scrubbed his face on his shoulder, gloomily aware of tears stinging his eyes.

"Not that you'll ever know whether he turns up or not," Therma continued gleefully, dropping what amounted to a handful of flour to her and a bagful to Iolaus in on top of the warrior.

Iolaus groaned, scraping it out of his hair. The water was starting to heat up as the giantess stirred up the flames under the pot. So, which is worse? Boiling or drowning? I can't say it's something I ever wanted to find out about personally…but I think drowning would be good…

"Therma! I'm back!" Hercules' voice had a slightly hysterical note in it as he screamed for the giantess. He sounded a long way off.

He doesn't know where the camp is, Iolaus realised in dismay.

"Oh, blast…It's the brat," Therma grumbled. "I was looking forward to a snack."

"Hercules!!" Iolaus screamed his friend's name, none too sure that the giantess wouldn't cheat and ignore Hercules. "We're here!"

"Shut up, pest!" Therma snapped and slammed the lid on the pot, plunging Iolaus back into darkness. Plastering himself against the wall, Iolaus did his best to listen to the muffled noises from outside and ignore the too close crackling of the fire at the same time.

* * *

Hercules bounded into the clearing, the sweat running down his back turning ice cold as he looked up at the grinning giantess. He had been terrified when he reached the path and found Therma missing. He had tracked her huge footprints into the forest and up the slope, moving as fast as he could without losing the way. Dimly he was aware that this was going to change Cheiron's plan, but he hadn't dared waste time going back to warn the Centaur. It was almost dark and he didn't trust Therma to keep her word.

"Back so soon?" Therma mocked sardonically. "I’d given up on you."

"Where's Iolaus?" Hercules demanded, looking round worriedly.

"Where's Cheiron?" she answered.

"Following me. I told him Iolaus was hurt and came on ahead. Let him go, Therma. You promised."

"I've eaten him," Therma said flatly. "I got bored waiting for you."

Something turned red-hot inside Hercules' mind, a brilliant blood crimson flash crossing his thoughts. He lifted Iolaus' sword that he had found on the path and took a step toward her. "You promised me…" he said woodenly, then paused, shaking his head to clear the white-hot rage from his mind and concentrate. He was almost sure he could hear Iolaus yelling for him. A shade? No, a shade wouldn't sound that hysterical. Iolaus is here somewhere, but where? He forced himself to stay calm. He needed to distract Therma and give Cheiron time to catch up. And he needed time to find Iolaus…

"No, I didn't," she retorted. "Why should I make a bargain with you?"

Hercules took a deep breath, focusing on Iolaus' muffled voice. "If you make a bargain then you should keep it."

"Mortals don't."

"Have you ever made one with a mortal that you've kept?" Hercules shot back, edging closer. Iolaus didn't sound that far away and there was a faint echo to his voice that suggested he was inside something. A pocket maybe? Or a bag? But where?

"Why should I bother?"

"If you've never given us a chance, why should we give you one?"

"I don't need one. I know what your kind are like. You never keep a deal."

"I have. I'm here. Cheiron's coming." Hercules slid a look around the campsite, his eyes darting from the giantess to her tumbled belongings. A flicker of movement made him glance towards the roaring fire and focus on the cooking pot as it rocked wildly over the flames. He missed Therma's answer as understanding dawned.

"No doubt with a pack of vermin to finish me off. What kind of a fool do you take me for?" Therma snorted and lunged to grab the demi-god. Hercules darted forward and jumped, somersaulting over her wrist to slam into the support of the cooking spit. The impact broke it at ground level and the weight of the suspended cooking pot did the rest, pulling the whole contraption over. The cooking pot hit the stones around the firepit with a thud that cracked the clay and dislodged the lid, spilling the contents across the dirt.

"Iolaus!" With a yell of relief, Hercules ran around the fire to get to his friend as the hunter tumbled out of the cooking pot, gasping for air.

"Oh no, you don't! He's mine!" Therma grabbed the demi-god from behind as he reached Iolaus, ripping him the ground like a carrot from the dirt. When he looked down all he could see was the moist red carpet of her tongue surrounded by a snaggle of teeth.

Dazed, nearly drowned and half-boiled Iolaus looked up groggily as Hercules was plucked into mid air and dangled over the giantess' maw. With a wild yell, he grabbed the sword Hercules had dropped when he was snatched and launched himself at Therma, attacking her feet, legs and ankles with a fury that would have done a Nemean Lion proud. Even with his hunched left shoulder throwing him off balance, his attack was savage enough to make Therma yelp and hop in pain before she reached down to swat Iolaus away with a flick of her hand

Crushed in her fist, Hercules saw Iolaus flung across the clearing, crash into the undergrowth and go limp. The demi-god went berserk in fear and fury. Screaming his war cry, he smashed his fists into Therma's jaw as she scrubbed at her bleeding feet, battering at her with all his strength and enough power to stun her. The giantess loosened her grip and he slithered free, landing on her shoulder and kicking her in her already swollen eyeball.

As Therma roared in distress and straightened up, Hercules leaped clear. He hit the ground rolling and came up running, determined to somehow get Iolaus to safety. The giantess screamed behind him and Hercules heard a whooshing sound, then something hit him in the back and he was knocked flying, tumbling over and over and over until he crashed into the stones of the firepit and lay there dazed, bruised and bleeding.

With Therma's screams ringing in his ears, Iolaus groggily lifted his head and peered out of the undergrowth that had broken his fall in time to the giantess belt Hercules across the clearing with a tree trunk as if he was no more than a toy ball. The demi-god crashed into the firepit and lay still. With a whimper of panic, Iolaus looked round for a weapon. His sword was too far away, dropped when Therma swatted him and he had nothing else.

Except ingenuity and old hunter's skills.

Ripping a chunk of fabric from the end of his already ruined tunic, Iolaus twisted it into a rope and grabbed up a handful of pebbles to stuff into it then staggered to his feet and lurched out into the clearing.

"Hey! Ugly!" he screamed as Therma.

The giantess looked up from prodding Hercules with the tree trunk and glared at him. "Who you calling ugly?" she snarled.

"You, you hag!" Iolaus yelled as he whirled his makeshift sling around his head and let fly. The handful of pebbles hit her in the face, spattering like hail.

"Why, you little…" Outraged, the giantess dropped the tree on top of Hercules to hold him pinned and came after Iolaus.

Iolaus scrambled backwards, not having to feign a limp to lure her after him. A tangle of branches caught his feet and he went down, groping desperately for more ammunition. His hand closed on a rock the size of his fist and he shoved it into the sling frantically.

"This time I'm going to spit and roast you," Therma snarled as she loomed over him. "It's kebab time…" As she reached for him, Iolaus swung the sling and threw it with all the strength he had left. He missed his target of her eyeball and instead hit her on the bridge of the nose, smacking her right between the eyes and drawing blood.

A stupefied expression crossed her face as she put up one hand to the wound, then her eyes closed and she toppled backwards. The ground shook as she landed, a huge cloud of debris rising with the impact. Silence settled over the clearing with a pattering of falling pebbles.

"Timber…" Iolaus whispered, then clawed his way to his feet and limped as fast as he could around her to get to Hercules. The demi-god was crawling slowly out of the wreckage of the tree as he got there, his face a bruised and bloody mess. "Herc!" With a surge of relief, Iolaus stumbled up to him and fell into his arms, hugging him wildly. "I thought she'd killed you!"

Hercules laughed shakily and hugged him back before setting him down on his feet. "She nearly did. She almost landed on me."

"Uh yeah…sorry. I didn't expect that to happen."

"So what did you expect to happen?" Hercules asked curiously, rubbing his aching shoulders.

"Uh…"

"Did you have a plan? Or were you hoping she'd kill you too?"

"Hey! It was no worse than your plan!"

"Cheiron's plan," Hercules corrected as he edged closer to the giantess. "And I wasn't making it up. He should be here by now…"

Iolaus glanced at Therma nervously. "Do you think I killed her?"

Hercules shrugged. "I think so," he admitted.

"Guess again," Therma rumbled and grabbed, seizing the demi-god tight before he could jump clear. Instinctively Iolaus darted forward to grab her fingers, struggling to help Hercules pry his way loose. Opening her eyes, Therma focused on them groggily and then snatched at Iolaus too. "Gotcha, you slippery little pests."

"Let us go!" Hercules shouted as the giantess pushed herself up on one elbow.

"Nah! I'm hungry. So, which one shall I eat first? You?" She leered at Hercules then dangled Iolaus in front of her. "Or bite size here? I want to watch you squirming while I eat him, Hercules."

"Let them go, Therma," Cheiron's cold voice crackled across the clearing like frost.

"What? Oh, it's you," Therma snarled, her voice dripping with venom as she looked round dazedly and focused on the Centaur as he stepped out of the undergrowth "You think you and a bunch of students scare me?"

"I didn't bring the students. I came alone," Cheiron answered. He was carrying his bow with an arrow notched and ready to fly. Not even Hercules could string that bow without help and all the students knew the Centaur could put an arrow through a tree trunk with it.

"I have hostages," Therma pointed out, lifting Hercules and Iolaus.

Cheiron inclined his head gracefully. "True. But this has gone far enough. You've killed and butchered your way across the land and now it ends. Put them down. I don't want to kill you."

"You couldn't…"

"You’re forgetting. I know how to kill you." Cheiron lifted the bow a fraction, aiming between her eyes. "I see one of my students got in a lucky shot already. Came close, did he?"

"Oh yeah, him." Therma scowled and shot a glare at Iolaus. A low snarl erupted from her and she yanked the hunter closer, lifting him to bite his legs off. Iolaus howled in panic, kicking and struggling wildly.

"Let him alone!" Hercules wrenched furiously, clawing at the fingers wrapped around him.

Cheiron fired, his expression grim as he let fly the arrow. The bronze barbed arrow slammed into her face, smashing through the thin bone between her nose and forehead and piercing fatally deep. Her eyes crossed and she toppled again, her arms flailing the air wildly as she went down like a landslide, blood spurting from her nose.

As her hands loosened, Hercules tore his way free and leaped frantically. He caught Iolaus in mid air, driving the hunter away from the teeth gnashing and grinding with the giantess' last thought. They landed on her shoulder as she hit the ground and then slithered off her arm, hitting the ground in a tangle of limbs. Hercules grabbed Iolaus and lifted him bodily, flinging them both clear as Therma's arm came down nearly on top of them. The impact them made the earth shudder and flung them both off their feet into a bruised heap.

With all the breath knocked out of him, Hercules lay still, gasping for breath and gratefully aware of Iolaus' weight lying across him. A faint groan as the hunter stirred made him lift his head and peer at him, shoving Iolaus' blond hair back to so he could see his face.

"You okay?"

"That's a damn stupid question!" Iolaus hissed at him sarcastically. "Nooo, strangely enough I'm not!"

"Sorry," Hercules apologised hastily as he sat up, supporting Iolaus with an arm around his waist as he struggled up beside him. Hoofbeats thudded across the earth, paused beside Therma then trotted over to the students.

"Having fun, boys?" Cheiron asked, peering down at them.

"Did you kill her?" Iolaus demanded.

"No, 'thank you for saving us', Cheiron?" the Centaur asked dryly.

"Oh uh, sorry. Thanks. I didn't meant to be ungrateful," Iolaus paled as he scrambled to his feet and swayed. Hercules leaped up and caught him, mindful of his hunched shoulder. "Only, did you?"

Cheiron chuckled, allowing the impertinence for once as he caught Iolaus by the chin and gave him a gentle shake. "I understand, Iolaus," he said softly. "I killed her. She gave me no choice." Iolaus let out a gusty breath of relief and sagged, leaning against Hercules for support. Cheiron looked Iolaus up and down, checked Hercules' battered appearance and smiled ruefully. "What is it with you two that you can attract trouble even on a fishing trip?" he chuckled. "Let me have a look at that arm of yours, Iolaus. I think I’d better strap it up for you until we get back to Tydeus…"

* * *

"Really?" Ithis leaned across the table in the Academy's dining hall, gazing wide-eyed at Hercules and Iolaus as they told their tale. The red haired student was on clean up detail, but was happy to wait while the two late comers finished their meal in return for hearing their story.

Hercules nodded, tapping the bridge of his nose. "Iolaus hit her right here."

"It was a lucky shot," Iolaus muttered around a last spoonful of thick lamb stew.

"Apparently that's how you kill a giant. It's their only weak spot…" Hercules went on proudly, slathering the chunk of fresh baked bread he had torn from the loaf with butter and passing it to Iolaus. With one arm in a sling, Iolaus was finding it impossible to do anything that required more than one hand at the moment. Tydeus had set his dislocated shoulder and tightly strapped up his twisted ankle after first pouring a painkiller down the protesting young warrior. Iolaus was still feeling drowsy from the effects and Hercules was under strict instructions to see to it that Iolaus went straight to bed after the evening meal was finished.

"Cheiron killed her," Iolaus pointed out, taking a bite of the bread. He was finally starting to get some colour back and relax, Hercules was pleased to note. A good meal always bucked Iolaus' spirits up.

Ithis propped his chin in his hands and gazed dreamy eyed at the plastered wall. "What a story," he sighed. "I wish I could have an adventure like that."

"You’d have been welcome to it," Iolaus snorted, gingerly touching his sore shoulder and exchanging a glance with Hercules.

"At least Melissa will be impressed," Hercules smirked happily.

"Ithis! Where are you with those dishes?" Maeve the cook called from the kitchen.

"Oops, gotta go guys," Ithis grabbed the stack of dishes he had made and scurried off to the kitchen.

Hercules grinned back at Iolaus, taking a bite of his richly buttered bread. "You'll feel like a hero tomorrow after you've had some sleep," he teased.

"Any one in particular?" Iolaus retorted sarcastically. "What's heroic about nearly getting eaten? That and a dinar will get you a room for the night."

Hercules chuckled and draped a careful arm around him, hugging him gently. "Depends how you tell the tale," he pointed out and broke off as Maeve emerged from the kitchen and came over to the table. Ithis trotted at her heels with plates, cutlery and a pitcher of cream. Beaming at Hercules and Iolaus indulgently, the cook deposited a large golden brown pie in front of them.

"Here you go, boys. A peach pie for the heroes of the day," she announced, dropping a kiss on the top of Hercules' head and ruffling Iolaus' mop of blond hair. "Dig in now and then get off to bed. Cheiron's given you tomorrow off, so eat up and enjoy."

Ithis winked at them as he deposited the pitcher between them and then ran after Maeve as she made her way back to her kitchen kingdom. Hercules and Iolaus exchanged a look.

"One of Maeve's peach pies all to ourselves?" Hercules murmured in awe.

Iolaus dipped a finger in the cream and grinned smugly. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he urged. "Cut it up."

Hercules chuckled and grabbed the knife, swiftly cutting them a large slice each of pie and pouring cream over both.

"You know something, Herc?" Iolaus murmured as he licked his spoon in pleasure after his first bite.

"What?" Hercules asked, muffled by a mouthful of peaches.

"I could get to like being a hero..." Iolaus grinned and broke into giggles.

Hercules stared back at him, then started to laugh too, certain that one day the bards would be telling heroic tales about the both of them.