Day of Silence

Author’s Note: This is in response to the February 2003 Challenge which was to write a story that includes the following lines: Hercules got up and headed across the field towards the lake. "Iolaus," he said as passed him, "why are there fish falling out of the sky?" It is loosely based on the short story “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs. I mean no copyright infringement on his tale or on characters owned by Universal Studios/RenPics. I’m not profiting by this story, and if I do, may Strife appear at my door bearing gifts. Comments always welcome.

“Herc, would you hurry up?” Iolaus demanded impatiently, his hands on his hips as he turned around and glared at his friend. “I would like to make it to Corinth sometime this week.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” the young demigod grumbled, catching up with his waiting friend. “But it’s not my fault we got off to a late start. I’m not the one whose vacation got delayed by Feducious.”

“I can’t help it if old Fiddle Face has my number,” the blond declared self-pityingly. “Really, whoever heard of a tutoring session on the last day before spring break? I think he was just trying to suck any remaining joy out of having a week off from the Academy. But I’m not going to let him ruin my fun.”

“Very noble of you,” Hercules told him wryly. “But thanks to your last test scores, now we’ll be lucky to make it to Corinth before dark.”

“So?” Iolaus shrugged. “Who’s afraid of the dark?” He gestured broadly at the quiet wooded road before them. “It’s not like anything’s going to happen out here.”

As if in direct rebuttal to his words, the peace of the forest was suddenly broken by shouting. Giving his partner a sheepish grin in exchange for the pointed glance he received, Iolaus started to sprint down the well worn road, with Hercules right beside him. The two cadets quickly came upon the source of the ruckus and immediately assessed the principle players as a gang of four bandits picking on a hapless traveler.

“Hey!” Hercules called out, commanding their attention. “Let him go!”

“Get out of here, kid, before you get yourself hurt,” one of the men snarled over his shoulder, barely sparing them a glance.

“Maybe you didn’t hear my friend,” Iolaus chimed in, his eyes flashing with eager anticipation as he bounced slightly on the balls of his feet. He’d been locked up for too many hours that day, having facts and figures that he could care less about drilled into his brain when all he really wanted was to be on the road, heading for week of luxury in Corinth. It had left him just itching for a good fight. “He told you to let him go. So why don’t you do it, old man, before you get yourself hurt?”

The bandit let go of the misfortunate traveler, shoving him roughly to the ground as he turned to face the punk kid in front of him, his lips twisting into an evil smile.

“You want to play with the big boys, Junior? Well that’s just fine with us. Welcome to the big leagues.”

He rushed at Iolaus, but the lithe cadet dodged his lunge easily, using his momentum to send him sprawling gracelessly across the road with a well placed kick. Spinning around, he met the second man coming at him head on, blocking his punches and lashing out with a volley of his own. Hercules took on the other two men, grabbing one by the arm and hurling him into a nearby tree and dropping the other in his tracks with one hard right to the chin. He turned to check on his partner, seeing the blond still sparring with his opponent while the first bandit got to his feet and approached him from behind.

“Need a hand?” the demigod called out.

“Sure,” Iolaus responded cheerfully.

Hercules gave his friend a round of due applause as Iolaus felled his foe just in the nick of time to whirl around and catch the man behind him with a brutal roundhouse kick. As the bandit doubled over in pain, a stinging punch sent him crashing down to the ground. He writhed for a moment, making a feeble attempt to struggle to his feet before going limp in the dirt.

“All right,” Iolaus panted slightly, jumping over the prone man before him and moving up to his companion for a round of congratulatory back slapping. “Not bad for a couple of kids, huh?”

The demigod agreed, then went over to the traveler who was still crouched in the middle of the road, extending a hand to help him up.

“Are you all right?”

“Why did you do that?” the man demanded sharply.

The two cadets glanced at each other, confused over what sounded like accusation in his tone.

“We were just trying to help,” Hercules said finally.

Something flashed in the man’s face, and his demeanor quickly changed.

“Yes, of course,” he babbled rapidly. “Forgive me. I owe you both my life. You must let me repay you.”

“That’s not necessary,” the demigod assured him. “We were glad to help.”

Iolaus sent his friend an annoyed glare. Hercules was one of the smartest guys he knew, but he could also be one of the densest. It seemed to routinely escape his attention that his partner didn’t have a mother that could afford the Academy’s tuition, and that he had to work hard in order to support himself. Which meant that long nights busting his butt at Kora’s cut into his study time, a fact that also seemed lost to the demigod. Iolaus had a good heart and he hated to see anyone hurt or oppressed, always willing to dive in and do what he could to stop it. He never asked for payment, but if a richly dressed traveler wanted to toss a few dinars his way in thanks, he didn’t see the harm in accepting it. From the cut of the man’s robes, he had plenty to spare, and it would go a long way in easing a very heavy burden from the young cadet’s shoulders.

“Please,” the man insisted, reaching into his bag and pulling out a wrapped bundle. “You would honor me by accepting a gift of my gratitude.”

“Now we can’t say ‘no’ to that, Herc,” Iolaus pointed out quickly before his companion had the chance to refuse again.

“I give you this ancient treasure,” the traveler announced, turning on the blond cadet, his dark eyes seeking an ally. “Do you accept it?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

The man shoved the parcel into his hands, a look of what appeared to be relief coming over his face.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Hercules asked, frowning a bit over the man’s odd behavior. He’d been roughed up a little by the bandits, and the demigod was concerned that he may have gotten a kick in the head to go along with his blackening eye.

“I’ll be fine now,” the traveler sighed, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “Thank you. Both of you.”

And then he was gone, striding rapidly down the road, almost at a run.

“That was weird,” Iolaus murmured, but he quickly turned his attention away from the disappearing man to the parcel in his hands. He unwrapped the cloth eagerly, but his enthusiasm died a quick death as his ancient treasure was revealed.

“What in Tartarus is that?” Hercules asked, wrinkling up his nose as he peered over his friend’s shoulder.

“You got me,” the blond replied. “It looks like some kind of shriveled up hand. Ew!” He tossed the item off into the woods in disgust, shaking his head. “Some treasure. I’d say we just came to the aid of an escaped lunatic.”

“Well let’s get out of here before the lunatic’s friends wake up,” the demigod suggested, putting a consoling hand on his partner’s shoulder. “At this rate we’re never going to make it to Corinth.”

The skirmish, brief as it was, had put them even further behind schedule, and the two cadets resumed their journey at a quickened pace as the shadows began to lengthen across the road. They covered a few miles in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Hercules was trying to shake the bad feeling that had come over him. He didn’t know if it was because he was half god or if the constant threats of his divine relatives had forged in him a natural, instinctive warning system. But he seemed to have the knack of knowing when something was wrong, and after the encounter with the strange traveler, the knot in his gut was telling him that something was indeed brewing, and that something definitely meant trouble.

“Do you think Jason will have a feast for us?” Iolaus asked, finally voicing what had been going through his own mind.

“He knows you’re coming,” Hercules grinned. “So I’m sure he’s well stocked up.”

“This is going to be great, Herc,” the blond smiled dreamily. “A week with nothing to do but lounge around the castle. Lots of good food and pretty girls to wait on us hand and foot. At our beck and call. Dying to carry out our every desire...”

“Iolaus, we’re going to visit Jason, remember? Not to some Athenian brothel.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he sighed. “I just wish we were in Corinth already.”

“Hey! What are you boys doing? Get out of there!”

Hercules turned to look at his friend, who was gazing back at him with confused, startled eyes. He slowly climbed to his feet as Iolaus followed suit, slipping a little in the muck.

“What just happened?”

“I don’t know, Iolaus,” the demigod murmured, shaking his head as he took in his surroundings. “Come on.”

Disjointed, but in a hurry to get out of the pig pen for numerous reasons, least of all the irate farmer screaming at them, the cadets quickly hopped over the fence and tried to regroup.

“We’re in Corinth,” Iolaus suddenly realized.

Hercules had just reached the same conclusion, recognizing the alley where the livestock for sale was displayed behind the large, bustling marketplace.

“But how?” the blond wondered.

“I don’t know,” the demigod repeated. “Let’s just get to the castle. We can try to work it out there.”

Jason couldn’t hold back his ample amusement as his two old friends were announced and then formally presented to him, covered with drying mud and something else a bit more sinister smelling.

“I probably should know better than to ask,” the king greeted them with a less than regal burst of laughter. “But what in the name of Zeus happened to the two of you?”

The two cadets exchanged a look, not having an answer for their friend.

“Never mind,” Jason chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. “Go get cleaned up. I’ll find you some clothes, and then you can tell me about this latest adventure over dinner.”

“I really don’t like this,” Hercules muttered as they were quickly escorted to a waiting bath, the servants just as eager as they were to clear the air, so to speak.

“Look on the bright side,” Iolaus commented cheerfully. “It’s probably good for the skin.”

“Not this,” the demigod clarified impatiently, waving a hand over his muck covered body. “This.” He waved at the general air. “What just happened. How one minute we were on the road and then suddenly we’re wallowing in Corinth. Something is definitely going on here.”

“You worry too much,” the blond informed him, shrugging out of his vest. He was about to toss the garment on the floor, but paused, frowning slightly as he detected a small bulge.

“Maybe,” Hercules sighed, removing his own shirt. “I’ve just had a bad feeling ever since we bumped into that traveler. Maybe dealing with the gods has just made me paranoid.”

“Maybe not,” Iolaus said softly, reaching into the inside pocket of his vest and pulling out the ancient treasure that he distinctly remembered pitching into the woods. “Maybe there is something going on here.”

“I know what this is,” Jason declared, reaching back into his mind for the tale he’d been told many years ago. “King Cebeus used to visit my father a lot when I was little. He didn’t have any sons of his own, so he used to spend time with me. You know, he’d bring me presents and play with me, and he always told the greatest stories. I remember him telling one about a monkey paw that had the power to grant wishes.”

“This thing grants wishes?” Iolaus asked, the full plate before him momentarily forgotten as he took the shriveled hand back from Jason.

“That makes sense,” Hercules mused. “You wished to be in Corinth, and then here we were.”

“Cool,” the blonde breathed, his blue eyes glowing with excitement. “Just think about what we can do with this thing! We’ll be rich, for starters.”

“Forget money,” the demigod told him. “We could singlehandedly wipe out famine and disease throughout Greece. No more floods, or earthquakes...”

“Whoa, hold it, you two,” Jason commanded authoritatively. “You haven’t heard the rest of the story yet.” He made sure he had their attention before continuing. “This paw seems like a blessing, but it’s a curse in disguise. It grants wishes, true, but in such a way that they backfire on the owner. I mean things to make your little mud bath seem like paradise. So you can’t use it, not even for noble purposes. You have to destroy it, Iolaus.”

The cadet looked at the object in his hand. It was a little icky, but it didn’t appear to be that bad. And it just seemed like a colossal waste to destroy something so powerful. Something that would make all his wildest dreams come true, and let him do a little good for humanity while he was at it. There had to be another way.

“Maybe it’s just in the wording of the wishes,” he suggested hopefully. “If you phrase them carefully...”

“Iolaus,” the king told his friend gently, understanding his hesitation. “This is an instrument of evil. There is no way around that.”

With a heavy sigh, Iolaus rose from the table and moved over to the fire, pausing only a second before he heaved his treasure into the flames. He returned to the table, his depression soon alleviated by a pretty young girl setting a generous portion of sweet honey cakes before him. Hercules hadn’t shared his partner’s desire to make the monkey paw work for them, and as he sampled his own dessert, he was just glad the thing was gone.

The three friends stayed up late into the night, talking and reminiscing, with a good bit of laughter and joking thrown in. When they finally decided to turn in, Iolaus and Hercules went up the stairs together to the rooms that they always used when they visited the castle.

“Are you happy now?” the demigod teased his companion. “Secure in the lap of luxury?”

“Oh, yeah,” Iolaus sighed contentedly. “You’ve got to admit, this is the life, Herc.” He bid his friend goodnight and entered his room, flopping down on the soft bed and folding his hands behind his head. It was hardly his first visit to Corinth, but he still couldn’t help feeling a little awed by the fact that he was treated like an honored guest when not so long ago he was a thief living on the streets. While he generally preferred a more simplistic lifestyle and enjoyed the great outdoors, it was still somehow redeeming to him to periodically be pampered and spoiled. It went a long way in easing the ‘worthless’ stigma with which he’d long since been branded.

Rolling over on his side and propping his head up with his hand, Iolaus glanced around the elegant room, illuminated by a few candles giving off a soft light and an even softer fragrance. Everything he needed had been provided for him, and he knew anything he wanted would be delivered as soon as he asked. Not that he wanted for anything more, he realized, rubbing a hand absently over his full stomach.

“Well, maybe one more thing,” he grinned, turning to lay on his back once more. His thoughts drifted to the pretty girl who had served them dinner that night. Her long, soft hair had brushed against his arm, and she’d had the sweetest smile he’d ever seen. Warm brown eyes, and incredible... other assets as well. “I wish she were here now,” he murmured wistfully.

A loud, terrified scream rocked the entire castle. Hercules had just lain down, but he immediately bolted up, tugging on his clothes as he stumbled to the door. He didn’t falter, but dashed down the corridor to Iolaus’ room, instinctively knowing that if there was trouble, his friend was bound to be in the middle of it.

“You’re off the hook,” Jason announced as he entered his study, finding his friend pacing restlessly before the fire. The king suppressed a smile as he poured a goblet of wine, not sure who had been more startled by the incident. Certainly the hysterical girl, who had been deep in the throes of passion with one of the guards, was understandably upset to find herself suddenly in a strange man’s bed. But Iolaus, who generally counted strange occurrences as a part of daily life, had equally been unnerved to have a naked girl dropped into his lap. And the guard, last but not least, had not taken it well when he discovered what had happened to his missing fiance. But now that everything had been sorted out and all parties had been calmed and appeased, Jason could see the humor in the situation, even though Iolaus was not finding the matter funny.

“Thanks,” the cadet murmured, taking the proffered wine and settling into a stuffed chair by the fire. Jason poured himself a goblet and took a seat across from his friend, sipping at the rich liquid as Iolaus downed half his glass in one swallow.

“Here,” Hercules called out as he entered the study. He tossed an increasingly familiar object to his partner. “I found it under your bed.”

Iolaus caught the monkey paw, but immediately set it down on the arm of his chair, looking at it with distaste and not wanting to touch it. The thing was growing creepier by the minute.

“I guess it’s not so easy to destroy,” he muttered, gulping down the rest of his wine.

“I don’t suppose King Cebeus ever told you how to lift the curse?” Hercules asked hopefully, perching himself on the arm of Jason’s chair.

“If he did, I don’t remember,” the king replied thoughtfully. “But unless anyone has any other ideas, I’d say he’s our best bet in terms of finding one. His kingdom is only about a two day journey from here.”

“I’m in,” Iolaus volunteered quickly, wanting nothing more than to be rid of his ancient treasure, understanding completely now why the traveler had been so eager to give it up. Hercules also agreed to the plan, and Jason stood up, stretching broadly.

“It’s late,” he declared, stifling a yawn. “Why don’t we all try and get a few hours sleep? Then we’ll set off first thing in the morning.” The king fixed a pointed look on Iolaus. “And in the meantime, be careful what you wish for.”

Being the king, Jason had access to several modes of transportation that would have shortened their travel time considerably. But, being the king, he was forced to bear a burden of great responsibility to his people and his kingdom. Most of the time, he was honored to have that duty, but he couldn’t deny that he frequently missed the good old days, adventuring with his friends. He missed being on his own, without tripping over someone every time he turned around. People advising him, petitioning him, waiting on him, pampering him... That got old in a hurry. So he longed to recapture a little of the freedom of his pre-king days with the only two people left in the world that still treated him like one of the guys and allowed him to just be himself. Ignoring the panic his council entered into when he informed them he was not only making the trip on foot, but was doing so without so much as a single guard, Jason shouldered a meager bag of supplies and set off with his friends.

Hercules and Iolaus didn’t mind the walk. In fact, they preferred it, for they missed their friend just as much as he missed them, and they were just as eager for a small taste of the ‘good old days’. And the weather was perfect for traveling. The sun shone warmly over the earth, making it comfortable but not yet too hot. A gentle breeze wafted over the land, stirring up the scents of the spring flowers and pushing large, puffy clouds across the bright blue sky. And for once, the road was free of trouble. So apart from some good natured jostling, the trio found their journey to be a peaceful one.

As the sun began to descend in the sky, promising a clear, mild night suitable for sleeping under the stars, they decided to stop and set up camp in a clearing that was adjacent to a small lake.

“We’re about halfway there,” Jason reported as he began unpacking their supplies. “If we head out at dawn tomorrow, we should arrive before nightfall.”

“I’m going to try my luck at the lake,” Iolaus announced, untangling his fishing line.

“I guess that leaves me to get the wood.” Hercules said, knowing full well he’d also be required to do the cooking if his partner managed to land anything, which was a likely scenario. Obligingly, he rose and headed off for the patch of woods next to the clearing to scrounge for firewood. It was a mindless task, and he let his thoughts wander as he filled his arms with tinder. So as he bent over to pick up a branch, he was taken completely by surprise when something struck him in the back of the head. The demigod whirled around to find a sunfish jumping and flopping on the ground behind him.

“What the...?” He looked up just in time to dodge a large bass that came sailing his way. Dropping his armful of wood, he began sprinting out of the trees, back to the field, as a variety of Piscean life rained down from above. As he reached the clearing, he spied his two friends down by the water, also doing a nimble dance in an attempt to avoid the slimy projectiles. With his attentions diverted, the demigod got nailed by a sturgeon big enough to send him crashing to the ground. Shaking his head to clear it, Hercules got up and headed across the field towards the lake. "Iolaus," he said as passed him, "why are there fish falling out of the sky?"

“Just for the halibut?” the blond replied cheekily. The demigod was not amused and gave his friend a hard glare. “It was an accident.”

“Well, make it stop!”

“I tried,” Iolaus protested. “Nothing happened.”

“Here, let me try,” Jason offered.

The cadet handed the monkey paw over to the king, and immediately the fishy rain halted.

“How did you do that?” Iolaus asked.

“I didn’t do anything,” Jason replied, perplexed.

“Well, see if you can make it clean all this up,” the blond suggested, glancing around at the array of dying fish all around them.

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” the king said hesitantly.

“You want to spend the night on a bed of dead fish?” Iolaus demanded, wrinkling his nose at the thought.

Jason paused, considering his options. The entire area was littered with fish, and there was no way they could clean them all up themselves. Spending the night there was out of the question, and he really didn’t want to pack up and find a new place to camp, a suitable distance downwind, especially since darkness was rapidly falling. He turned the monkey paw over in his hands, the power of the object making him forget his own previous warnings.

“I wish all these fish on the ground were gone,” he declared confidently.

At first, nothing happened. But then Hercules grew distinctly nervous as he glanced at his friends.

“Do you hear that?”

The two mortals fell silent, and after a moment they detected the sound that the demigod had already heard.

“What is that?” Iolaus whispered.

The noise grew louder, and all three mutually decided that standing in the middle of the field, up to their knees in dead fish, was probably not the best position to be in. They took off running for the woods, diving behind a fallen log just as a massive horde of vultures descended from the sky. There were hundreds of the large, black birds, and they blanketed the clearing, snapping at each other as they fought over the fish. The three young heroes watched the scene in a sort of fascinated horror as the birds ripped the fish apart and devoured the pieces in a matter of minutes. But the fascination quickly wore off as the avian army ran out of carrion in the field and began moving into the woods. They were scavenger birds, but they were apparently not above nipping at living flesh in their maddened frenzy.

“Jason, give me that paw,” Hercules commanded urgently as his friends armed themselves with sticks to beat back their winged foes.

Almost forgetting that he had the cursed object, the king tossed the monkey paw to his friend. As soon as it was in the demigod’s hand, the flock of birds took flight, blocking out the newly risen moon as they filled the sky in a great, black cloud. Then they were gone, and the peace of the night was restored.

“Well,” Iolaus commented finally. “That’s one way to clean a fish.”

“I can’t believe you,” Hercules said in annoyance, turning on his friend. “All you had to do was just not wish for anything for the span of two days. How did you possibly manage to screw that up?”

“I was hungry,” Iolaus answered him, growing defensive over the accusation. “And it just slipped out. I’m sorry.”

“Well, that makes it all better,” the demigod muttered as he got up and headed back to the clearing. “Just let us know when we can trust you to think with your head, instead of your stomach.”

“I didn’t mean it,” the blond grumbled, his feelings clearly hurt.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jason reassured him, clapping him on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go salvage what’s left of our camp and try and get some sleep.”

The king sorted through the supplies, rationing what was left of the food into three equal piles. It wasn’t much, but he figured it was enough to hold them over until they reached the next village. He tossed his waterskin to Iolaus, who collected his own and the demigod’s and headed for the lake to fill them, singing at the top of his lungs as he went.

“What’s he so happy about?”

“He’s not happy, he’s sulking,” Hercules informed his friend as he folded up his bedroll. “He’s doing that just to annoy me.”

“You’re the one who yelled at him,” Jason said, wincing as a particularly painful off-key note reverberated through the clearing. “Why do I have to suffer too?”

“No such thing as an innocent bystander, I guess,” the demigod shrugged. He tried to tune out the unrelenting warbling, but Iolaus knew him well and knew exactly how to get under his skin.

“He’s not going to do this for the rest of the day, is he?”

“He’ll have driven me crazy long before then,” Hercules sighed. “I’m already getting a headache.” He didn’t think his partner could go any louder, but Iolaus surprised him, increasing his volume so that the demigod wouldn’t miss any of his rendition while he was down at the lake. “I can’t even hear myself think! By the gods, I wish he’d just shut up.”

Instantly, Hercules’ eyes went wide with horror as he realized what he’d said, and he jumped to his feet as the field fell deathly silent.

“Jason!” The king was obviously surprised to receive his unexpected visitor, but there was no mistaking his delight as he welcomed the young man into his chambers. “It’s good to see you, my boy.”

“You too, Cebeus,” Jason beamed, enveloping the old man into a warm hug. He stepped back, indicating his companions behind him. “These are my friends, Hercules and Iolaus.”

“Any friends of Jason are welcome here,” the king told them. “But to what do I owe this visit?”

“We were hoping you could tell us one more story,” Jason began, looping an arm around his puzzled friend’s shoulders as they led the way over to the waiting chairs by the fire.

“I wasn’t ever sure if it really existed,” Cebeus murmured, examining the monkey paw as carefully as his fading eyesight would allow. “I’d heard the legends many times, of course, but I never knew for certain if there was any truth to them. I can’t say that I’m happy to know this is more than a myth.”

“We’d really appreciate it if you could tell us everything you know,” Jason said, putting a hand on Iolaus’ shoulder.

“Yes,” the old king mused, sparing a glance for the silent young man. Ever since Hercules had made his ill-fated wish, Iolaus hadn’t been able to utter even the smallest of sounds, the curse having frozen his throat. “Well,” he began, resuming his scrutiny of the paw. “Legend states that it originated on the dark continent. It was a gift to the people from their gods, meant as a reward to the good mortals that served them faithfully. But something so powerful is always dangerous. It can bring out the greed in the noblest of men, and evil men stop at nothing to be able to possess it. Eventually, it fell into the wrong hands and began to be used for vile purposes. So the gods then cursed it. It still granted wishes, but always with tragic consequences. The paw changed hands rapidly, those that it victimized wanting to be rid of it. And there was always someone new thinking they could outsmart it. Thinking they could get around the curse. But there is no way around it.”

“How did it find it’s way to Greece?” Jason asked.

“I’m not sure,” Cebeus replied. “Some poor soul most likely wanted it as far from him as he could get it and gave it to a sailor or soldier.”

“What happens when the paw changes hands?” Hercules inquired, wanting to confirm the theory that he’d already formed.

“It must be willingly given and accepted,” the old king told him. “Once the former owner relinquishes it, all of his previous wishes are voided. The legends also say that once a man gives up the paw, he can never use it again. It’s power is lost to him forever.”

“And you can’t use it to undo wishes that you’ve made yourself,” Jason concluded, already having seen some evidence of that rule.

“So the stories say.”

“And there’s no way to destroy it?” the young king pressed.

“If there is, I don’t know it,” Cebeus explained apologetically. “Many men have tried many methods. But the paw always returns to its owner sooner or later.”

“So the only way to help Iolaus is to get someone else to take the paw,” Hercules said softly.

“I’m afraid so.”

The demigod took the cursed object back from the king and tucked it away into a pouch at his belt. He didn’t dare look at Iolaus. It was his fault that his partner had been left mute, and he couldn’t bear the thought of someone as gregarious as Iolaus left silent for the rest of his days. But he wasn’t sure if he could unleash an instrument of evil back into the innocent population. Not even to save his best friend.

Hercules awoke from a restless sleep and rolled over to grope for his waterskin. He spied Iolaus sitting on a log, poking at the fire with a stick. His friend looked so sad, it nearly broke the demigod’s heart. He got up, stepping carefully around Jason who was sound asleep, and went to sit beside his partner.

“I’ve got some sweet bread left, if you want it,” he offered.

Iolaus shook his head slightly, and Hercules took it as a bad sign that his usually voracious friend wasn’t hungry, especially for something as tempting as the treat that King Cebeus had sent back with them. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, searching for the right words.

“Iolaus, what I said to you the other night... I didn’t mean it. You know that, don’t you?”

The blond looked up, his clear blue eyes searching his partner’s face in the firelight.

“I shouldn’t have blamed you,” Hercules continued. “Especially since I turned around and did the same thing.” He looked away, swallowing against the lump in his throat. “And I do trust you. I’d trust you with my life.” The demigod blinked against the tears of guilt and regret that were stinging his eyes, glad for the darkness that shielded him. “I’m so sorry, Iolaus. I just hope you can forgive me someday.”

Iolaus reached out and took his partner’s hand. Hercules turned to face him as he pressed his hand against his heart, covering it with his own. The blond’s blue eyes were still sad and his smile was a mere shadow of his usual mischievous grin, but there was no mistaking his silent message. There was nothing to forgive. The demigod reached out with his other arm and pulled his partner into a hug.

“I promise you, I’ll find a way to fix this,” he whispered into his friend’s ear.

Iolaus knew he would try. But he also knew that Hercules would never pawn off such a treacherous toy of the gods on another innocent person. Not that he wanted him to. While the thought of living the rest of his life in abject silence was distressing, to say the least, Iolaus was willing to pay that price rather than live with the fact that he had caused someone else to suffer through an innocent wish gone awry.

But still, Hercules had managed to pull off the impossible before. So while Iolaus wasn’t exactly riding high on optimism, he didn’t exactly count the situation as hopeless, either. The demigod was, after all, a man of his word. And he always kept his promises.

“Maybe Cheiron will know something more,” Jason said thoughtfully as the trio made their way down the road towards Corinth.

“Maybe,” Hercules agreed. Indeed, it did often seem that the centaur’s wisdom was boundless.

“I still think you ought to lock that thing up at the castle,” the king told him, shooting a mistrustful glance at the pouch swinging at the demigod’s waist.

“We can try, but I have a feeling it’s just going to follow me,” Hercules sighed.

“Well, what are you going to do?” Jason asked. “I mean, you can’t avoid wishing for things forever. Sooner or later something’s bound to slip out again.”

“I know,” the demigod said tightly. “I’m just going to have to do the best I can.”

“Maybe it is better to keep it on you, as a reminder,” the king suggested. “And at least you can keep an eye on it. We don’t want to be losing track of something with that much power...”

He trailed off as his companion came to a sudden halt and turned to find him standing tensely in the middle of the road.

“Everyone stay alert,” Hercules cautioned them softly.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure,” he answered hesitantly. “I just got this feeling... I don’t think we’re alone.”

“You know, Hercules, you take all the fun out of eavesdropping.”

The demigod and the king let out a simultaneous groan as Strife appeared in the road before them, while Iolaus had to content himself with an exaggerated eye rolling to express his annoyance.

“Why don’t you go find somebody else to bother?” Hercules announced to the godling. “We’re busy.”

“I can see that,” Strife commented loftily. “And I can also see that you three are up to something. Now are you going to tell me what it is, or do I have to beat it out of you?”

“We’re not doing anything that would interest you,” the demigod maintained.

“Oh, I beg to differ,” Strife persisted with a grin of demented glee. “I heard you talking about something with power, and I can assure you, that most definitely does interest me.”

Jason leapt between his friend and the god, drawing his sword.

“I’ve got him, Hercules,” he called over his shoulder, desperately hoping that his companions were all on the same scroll with him. “I’ll keep him busy. Get the treasure out of here!”

The king lunged at the god, purposefully keeping his stance open and making his swing broad enough so that even Strife wouldn’t have any trouble disarming him. Which the god predictably did, sending the sword clattering away as he secured Jason in a firm headlock.

“Now, what’s all this about a treasure?” he demanded, his beady eyes lighting up with anticipation.

“Don’t tell him anything!” Jason cried, struggling ineffectually.

“Spill it now or I’ll snap his neck,” Strife threatened.

“Ok, don’t hurt him,” Hercules said quickly, most definitely on the same scroll as his friend. “We’ve been entrusted with an ancient treasure that grants wishes. We’re suppose to hide it away for safekeeping.”

“Grants wishes,” the god mused. “Now that doesn’t sound like something that should be tucked away and left to gather dust. It should be given to someone who could put it to good use.”

“Someone like you?” Jason sneered.

“Now that you mention it. Fork it over, kid, and maybe nobody will get hurt. Not today, anyhow.”

“If I give it to you,” Hercules bargained in an even tone. “Do you promise to let him go?”

“Yeah yeah yeah. Just give me the treasure.”

Slowly, the demigod undid the pouch from his belt and held it out. Strife snatched it from his hand as Jason wrenched out of his grasp and moved back to his companions. Crowing over his triumph and doing a most un-godly happy dance, Strife vanished amid promises that they hadn’t seen the last of him.

“You ok?” Hercules asked.

“Yeah,” Jason smirked in jest. “Thanks to you. My hero.”

They both turned to look at Iolaus, who was staring after the vanished god with a huge grin on his face.

“Sucker.”

“You think he’s going to be like this the whole way back to Corinth?” Jason asked, nodding at Iolaus who was bounding down the road a few steps ahead of them, singing for all he was worth, albeit more on key this time since his purpose was celebratory rather than to irritate.

“I’ve resigned myself to the fact that we’re never going to be able to shut him up again,” Hercules sighed, although he didn’t look very heartbroken at the thought. On the contrary, he would be quite happy to never have to suffer through another such day of silence.

“You know, I almost feel sorry for Strife,” the king continued with an amused shake of the head. “How long do you think it will take him to figure out his treasure is really a curse in disguise?”

“Well, he’s not completely clueless. Not entirely. It’ll probably dawn on him sometime this century,” Hercules speculated.

“If it doesn’t kill him first,” Jason laughed.

“I almost feel sorry for Discord,” the demigod stated. “Once he does figure it out, you can bet he’ll be trying to stick her with it.”

“Maybe we should warn her,” the king suggested merrily.

“If she doesn’t know enough to heed the old adage, then she deserves what she gets,” Iolaus declared, having slowed down sufficiently to catch the gist of his friends’ conversation.

“And what old adage is that?” Hercules asked, sure he was about to be sorry he did. And his instinct proved correct as Iolaus turned to them with a cheeky grin.

“Beware of geeks bearing gifts.”

finis

Disclaimer: No monkey lost a paw in the name of ancient treasure during the writing of this story.

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