"DUCK!"
Startled, Hercules dodged low while spinning n his heel, trying to find where the attack was coming from.
"Don't just sit there, grab that duck," yelled Iolaus. "Maybe if we catch it and give it to the cooks, we'll eat something good for a change. Hercules joined Iolaus and Jason in the fray attempting to coral the luckless duck.
A while later, and with one squaking duck, Hercules turned to his friends and asked, "Where did this guy come from?"
"Oh, we found him near Kora's. Chased him here since," explained Iolaus, trying to maintain his hold on the duck. The three friends walked on toward the academy, joking and jostling what they hoped would be their dinner. All of a sudden, Jason stopped walking and started sniffing the air.
"You guys smell that," he asked, his royal nose scrunched in disgust.
"Oh, it's just Iolaus," joked Hercules, receiving a punch in the arm from his friend.
"No, it smells like something's..... burning."
All three looked at each other and ran in the direction of the academy, dropping the duck in their haste.
They ran through the gates to find black, billowing smoke rising from the roof of the academy, while fellow cadets tried to extinguish the blaze.
When they had finally squelched the flame, Hercules turned to Cheiron and asked "How did this start?"
The centaur glanced around his blackened academy and mentally assessed the damage."We were going about our normal drills with the beginning cadets," he started,"when there was a piercing whistle and a loud 'thunk'. There were several more of these until a flaming arrow flew in through the window and landed on the hay we use to cushion the floors. Next thing we know, there's smoke everywhere. Luckily, someone dumped the water urn onto the hay.I think it'll just take a little re-thatching the roof and scrubbing these walls to fix the academy."
"Do you have any idea who fired the arrows," asked Iolaus.
"I have a fairly good idea," answered Cheiron, staring hard at Hercules.
Uncomfortable at being the object of the headmaster's stare, Hercules finally stammered out
"Who?"
"An amazon."
"What? What do you mean?" asked a very alarmed Hercules.
"The arrows were the kind that amazons use. And only amazons use flaming arrows to drive enemies out into the open. You should have learned that in Fighting Techniques class, or did you join Iolaus in naptime for that one," said Cheiron.
"Hey, I didn't sleep through that one, I wasn't even there....ooops." Iolaus looked down at the floor and started to back away.
"Why would the amazons attack us? We offered them hospitality and saved them from Leceus. They have no reason to attack us," exclaimed Hercules.
Cheiron placed a calming hand on Hercules' shoulder. "I know the amazons are your friends, but this is exactly the sort of thing an amazon would do."
"Maybe it's a god. Maybe Strife or Discord or someone is trying to mess with us. I don't believe Cyane would do anything like this." By now Hercules was really distraught.
Jason chimed in, "Why don't we find the amazons and ask them if they know who might have done this? It could be someone trying to frame them."
Cheiron thought for a minute, then finally nodded briefly. "You may go, but also know that I am sending a message to my kindra so they know what happened, in case it was the amazons who attacked us."
"Don't do anything 'till we get back," Hercules practically yelled as he, Jason and Iolaus ran to their dorms to get their packs.
As the three youths hiked their way across the foothills of Greece in their quest for the amazon camp, little did they know they were being followed. A figure darted in the shadows, just a few yards behind them, tracking their every move.
Evening was fast approaching, and finally the boys decided to rest. Iolaus went in search of firewood, Jason hunted for small animals for dinner, and Hercules set up a spit to roast whatever Jason caught. A short while later, with the fire built up and three fat rabbits roasting over the flame, the boys settled back to discuss their plan.
"Let me talk to Cyane, I know her the best. I can't believe any amazon would do this." Hercules fully believed in the amazons innocence.
"I don't think they did this either, but what other explanation is there? You heard Cheiron, it's an amazon arrow and an amazon way of fighting. And if it were Strife or Discord, we would have had more trouble by now," stated Jason.
Iolaus suddenly perked up, and shook his blond curls as he looked around in every direction. "You guys hear that?"
"Hear what," asked Jason.
Iolaus slowly stood up, saying "Jase, you just might get your wish of Strife or Discord doing something else."
All of a sudden, a loud shriek echoed through the air. The boys tensed with anticipation of an attack, turning every which way so not to be caught off guard. A fierce thrashing and rustling of bushes followed, and suddenly Lilith jumped out of the bushes.
"THERE'S A MONSTER BEHIND ME," she screamed and ran to the middle of the boys' camp.
"Lilith, what are you doing here?" Hercules asked bewildered.
"You guys are always leaving me. I wanted to go with you, I could help you! Besides, I was an amazon for a while there."
"Yeah for all of a week," said Iolaus.
"I learned more in a week of being an amazon than you'll ever learn," she challenged.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Why I oughta--"
"Lil?" asked Jason tentatively.
"What!"
"Your bag is in the fire."
"By the gods," she exclaimed as she rescued her pack from the flame.
Finally Hercules stepped in, knowing Iolaus and Lilith would go at it all night if no one stopped them. "Guys, why don't we get some sleep, so we can find the amazons tomorrow."
"Yeah, Iolaus, you need your beauty sleep for your amazons," taunted Lilith with a smirk.
"Hey, they just don't know what they're missing," said Iolaus.
"Actually they do and that's why they stay away from you --"
"HEY!" yelled Jason. "Go to bed!"
"I don't see you with a man, Lilith," Iolaus said under his breath as they laid down.
Hercules and Jason exchanged a look, for they knew they wouldn't be getting much rest.
The sun rose high in the sky before the cadets awoke. As they packed up their camp and continued on their journeys, their minds were on different things.
"Gosh, I'm hungry," said Ioluas.
"Must you always think about food, Iolaus," asked Lilith.
"Oh, but I must--"
Jason decided to jump in before they started attacking each other. "Guys shut up already!" He turned to Hercules, who hadn't said much since they left the academy. "Herc, what's troubling you?"
"What? Oh, sorry Jase. I'm just thinking about that archer.It couldn't have been one of the amazons. They wouldn't do something like this."
"I know. That's why we're looking for them, remember? Hey don't worry about it I'm sure Cyane--"
The rest of Jason's words were drowned out by shrill whistles that echoed throughout the forest. All of a sudden figures dressed in wild clothes fell from the trees and formed a circle around the cadets. They had frightening masks that were huge and hid their faces and necks. The figures closed in to attack, before one of them whistled again and they stopped.
"Hercules?" asked a figure, raising her mask.
"Simula?"
"What are you doing here," asked the Amazon. The other figures were removing their masks to reveal more Telequir Amazons.
"We were looking for you. We need to talk to Cyane. Why isn't she with this hunting party," asked Hercules.
"She's a little ill, so she stayed in the village today," answered Simula. "Follow us."
The cadets and the amazons walked as a group back to the amazons camp. As they walked into the village, Hercules saw a familiar figure and called out to her. "Cyane!"
The Telequir leader turned towards the voice and a smile lit up her face. "Hercules!"
Hercules started running towards Cyane at the same time she started running towards him. They stopped about a foot away from each other. Hercules reached out a hand to shake while Cyane went to embrace him, followed by a reversal of greetings. Finally they just gave each other little waves and said "Hello."
"What brings you here? A vacation from the academy, perhaps," asked Cyane.
Iolaus, always on the look out for a chance to talk to girls, interrupted what Hercules was going to say with "It's something very, very serious. Very serious indeed. How are you doing Cyane, I haven't talked to you in a while?"
Hercules shoved his friend out of the way. "Someone attacked the academy. Cheiron thinks it was an amazon, because he used flaming arrows and the arrows were amazon in design."
"None of the amazons have left the village besides Simula and her hunting party. It couldn't have been one of us," answered a bewildered Cyane.
"Is there anyone you can think of, anyone at all who would do this and make it look like an amazon," asked Hercules.
"Only one who would be an amazon," answered a voice from up the hill. "Me."
Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice. There standing on top of a hill stood a tall girl with streaming blonde hair, holding a bow in her hand. As the girl started down the hill, the onlookers noticed that sections of her hair were braided and pulled back to keep the rest of the golden mass out of her face. Finally, she reached the end of the hill and said "I am the one who fired on the academy."
"Why would you do that," asked Iolaus, who was staring at the newcomer.
"The headmaster is a centaur and centaurs are the enemies of Amazons," she replied.
"And just who are you to take on an Amazon's role? Are you a member of another tribe," asked an outraged Cyane.
The girl placed her bow on the ground and removed her quiver of arrows before she spoke. "I am called Medea. I come from lands south of here, near Athens. And I want to be an Amazon. You must let me join you, Cyane, so one day I can be as fine a warrior as yourself."
"You want to be an amazon so you attack an academy and endanger the lives of students who are not cenaturs," Hercules practically yelled.
"I was not speaking to you, Blondie, so butt out. You are a male so you can never know the power that amazons have," answered Medea, her blue-green eyes snapping.
"Hey, look, I was an amazon for a little while, and amazons don't attack innocent people," yelled Lilith.
"The cadets are freinds with that centaur and therefore enemies of amazons."
"Actually," began Cyane, stepping in, "Cheiron happens to be a friend of the Telequir Amazon Nation. He gave us hospitality from Leceus of Athens who would have made us slaves by Zeus' doing."
Her words earned her a hard stare from Hercules. "Sorry Hercules, no offense." Cyane turned to Medea. "You want to be an Amazon, follow me. You'll begin training."
"One quick thing," Medea said and pointed to Jason and Iolaus. "What are they staring at?"
Medea and Cyane began walking back towards the encampent talking about Medea's previous training and origins. Hercules, Jason, Iolaus, and Lilith all stared, before Hercules finally set off after them at a jog. When he finally caught up to them he said "Cyane, can I talk to you for a minute..... alone?"
Medea gave him a look, which he returned, as Cyane left Medea and walked away from her with Hercules.
"What are you doing?"
"Taking in a new recruit," she answered.
"She attacked the academy! How can you want her for an Amazon," asked Hercules incredulously.
"Herc, think about it. If I don't take her in, she's going to keep doing damage until I notice her. At least this way I can keep an eye on her and make her behave."
"By giving her what she wants? How can that be good? You're gonna teach her to fight and she'll leave and try to kill Cheiron!" Hercules was really upset by Cyane's decision.
Cyane shook her head. "Not if I can teach her right from wrong," she said and walked back to Medea.
Meanwhile, Iolaus had stopped staring at Medea long enough to walk over to her.
"Hey there! I'm Iolaus," he said, extending his hand for a shake.
"That's nice." Medea didn't even look at him.
"Uh huh. Um...."
"Do you have something to say?"
"I'm a friends with Cyane. Well, not really friends, but Herc's my best friend and he and Cyane--"
"What do you want, Iolaus?" Medea turned to face him.
"I just, well I, I mean, uh -- wanna tour of the forest?" "Tour the forest," he thought to himself.
"Tour the forest," she thought to herself. "Not right now, but thanks for asking."
"Yeah," he said, and walked toward Hercules. "Hi Cyane," he said as he passed her.
"Yeah," she answered.
As the cadets watched Medea training with the amazons, they discussed what to do between themselves.
"I think we should tell Cheiron so that he can do something about this," stated Hercules forcefully.
"What would he do? He'd come and try her and that would make the Amazons mad. 'Sides do you wanna get on Cyane's bad side," asked Lilith.
"No, but I want her to be punished somehow for attacking the academy."
"Herc, you and Cyane are close. You should know that she probably has some idea. She's a good person," reasoned Jason.
"Yeah I know, but.... how could she? Iolaus, what do you think? Iolaus?"
Iolaus had slowly walked away from the group and stood watching Medea work out. The way she moved with the weapons, the way her hair caught the light of the sun and turned it into molten gold made him want to hold her. He stood there transfixed, admiring her skill with the sword she was working with, all the while wishing he could be the kind of guy who would make her want to be as dedicated to him as she was to her weapons.
Lilith's not-so-gentle pat on the back shook Iolaus from his reverie. "Where are you?"
"No where, just thinking about something. She's really pretty isn't she," he asked, still watching the would-be Amazon.
"Yeah. And you're Iolaus. Snap out of it!" Lilith turned and walked away.
Iolaus made a face behind her back and shoved off the tree he had been leaning against to walk over to the group.
"One of us should go back so that Cheiron doesn't worry about us," Jason was saying.
"You're right. But I'm staying here to watch that Medea," Hercules said.
"Yeah and that's not all," joked Lilith. "Jason and I can go back, and you and Iolaus will stay here and 'watch' Medea."
The cadets walked down the hill towards where the Amazons were training and went to where they had dropped their packs. As Jason and Lilith were about to leave, Cyane jogged over with a worried look on her face. "Are you all leaving so soon?"
"Not all of us. Just Jason and Lilith are going back to the academy to tell Cheiron what's going on here," Hercules answered.
"Wait a minute. If you tell Cheiron that Medea shot the arrows and he comes after her, as a sister of the amazons he can not punish her without retribution."
Jason stepped in before Hercules and Cyane got into a yelling match. "Don't worry Cyane, we'll tell him what happened. I doubt Cheiron will be extremely unreasonable."
"If you believe so," she answered.
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