This is my response story to the March 2001 Challenge: write an Young Hercules story including the above list items. At the time, I had never seen any of the "Young Hercules" series, so please forgive any inaccuracies that may contradict the show. Also, this story is not for profit and is not intended to violate any copyrights held by Universal Studios or RenPics. Enjoy, and as always, any comments or criticisms are greatly appreciated.
Special thanks to my zoo director, Jack Brown, for the lesson in how ancient Greeks used to fish for (and kill) octopi. :)
“Herc, come on. Let’s just ditch him.”
“Iolaus,” the young demigod said with a heavy sigh. “We can’t *ditch* him.” But Hercules did have to admit that the idea was not without appeal, and he found himself wishing that he wasn’t saddled with the conscience and diplomacy that his carefree partner sometimes lacked.
“I can’t believe that we’re wasting a beautiful afternoon like this,” Iolaus grumbled in his friend’s ear. They had been whispering, although it wasn’t really necessary. Their companion was mostly deaf and seemed to be a bit feeble minded in addition.
The boys had arrived in Corinth early that morning, eager to see Jason and also excited at the prospect of spending a few days in the lap of luxury. Iolaus especially took delight in being pampered and waited on by the king’s attendants, for the sting of being labeled a no good thief still weighed heavily on his young heart. But when they arrived, they had found a harried Jason ensconced in his kingly duties. He apologized to them for having to neglect them, promised he’d make it up to them later, and instructed one of his advisors to take them fishing. However, said advisor turned out to be a wizened old man, and his idea of fishing was also vastly different from what his young charges envisioned.
“Now then, isn’t this fun?” the man beamed at them.
“Oh yeah, as much fun as a bandit attack,” Iolaus muttered under his breath.
“It’s great, Cephalopodus,” Hercules told the man after giving his friend a discrete kick to the shins. “We’ve never actually been fishing for squid before.”
“Octopus, Herc,” Iolaus corrected him, pasting a fake smile of enthusiasm on his face before going up and slinging an arm around their companion. “Cephalopodus, this has really been a blast, but do you ever do any real fishing? I mean... for fish?”
“There aren’t any fish off the docks anymore. Not since the monster.”
“Monster?” Iolaus and Hercules looked at each other, perking up immediately.
“Yeah, the monster. Came in and ate all the fish. Scared away the ones it didn’t eat. Now octopus is all we can fish for from the pier.”
“Jason didn’t say anything about a monster,” Hercules whispered.
“I vote we ditch the old fossil and go ask him about it.”
Hercules reached out and grabbed the back of his friend’s shirt as he tried to make a break for it.
“Too late,” the demigod told him as Cephalopodus somewhat stiffly rose from the spot on the dock where he had been resting.
“Ok boys, let’s pull up those lines and see what we’ve got.”
The three started hauling up the clay jars that they had baited with bits of meat and submerged below the water, hours ago it seemed. Luck was with the fishermen that day, as all three jars had an octopus wedged inside.
“Now watch closely, boys,” Cephalopodus told them. With a quick yank, he drew the animal out of the jar and bit into it squarely between the eyes, killing it instantly as Iolaus stood and gaped.
“That is disgusting. Ow, Herc, quit kicking me.”
“Believe me, it’s the easiest way to do it,” the old man told them, dropping his octopus into a large bag that he had brought. He pulled out another bit of meat and placed it in his jar, gently dropping it back into the water.
“Forget that,” Iolaus declared vehemently, looking at the dripping jar in his hands. “Enjoy your new home, buddy.” He tossed the jar and the octopus back into the water, watching it sink down out of sight. Hercules, however, was not as quick to dispose of his catch. He peered into the jar, staring at the strange looking creature with great interest.
“How does it manage to squeeze itself into this tiny space?” he wondered aloud.
“Who cares?” Iolaus whispered back desperately. “Did you see what Cephalopodus did? He threw his jar back in. He’s still fishing. That means were stuck here doing nothing for the rest of the afternoon. Herc, I’ve been a good sport about this, but the time has surely come to ditch him.”
The demigod had been half listening to his friend, still fascinated with the animal in his jar. He reached a finger in and poked at it, an action which he quickly regretted. A long, tentacled arm stretched out to wrap firmly around Hercules’ gauntlet. Instinctively, he jerked away, pulling the octopus out of the jar. More arms suctioned onto him as the animal firmly attached itself to the demigod. He tried to extricate himself, but the octopus was wet and slippery and he couldn’t get a grip on it, much to Iolaus’ amusement. Finally, he managed to lodge his hand between the bulk of the animal and pry it away, but he yelped suddenly as the octopus landed on the dock at his feet.
“Wow, did it do that?” Iolaus was no longer laughing as he saw the bleeding gash on his friend’s hand.
“I think it bit me,” Hercules said in disbelief, looking down at the soft mass squirming on the dock.
“I should have warned you about that,” Cephalopodus remarked apologetically, the commotion finally drawing his attention. “An octopus can have a very sharp beak.” He pulled a strip of cloth from his bag and wound it around the cut on Hercules’ hand. “We’d better get back to the castle. I’m sorry to cut our fishing short, but an octopus bite can be poisonous. We should have the healer look at that.”
“All right, Herc. Way to take one for the team,” Iolaus congratulated him as Cephalopodus began gathering up his belongings.
“For your information, this really hurts,” Hercules hissed at him. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and put that thing back into the water.”
Iolaus looked at the octopus, which was still sliding along the dock. Carefully, he nudged it toward the edge of the pier with his boot. He managed to move it a short distance before it reached up to wrap its arms around his leg.
“Uh, Herc? A little help here?”
“Sorry,” the demigod said smugly. “I’m injured.” He held up his hand, displaying the blood soaked bandage as proof.
“Iolaus,” Cephalopodus commanded sternly. “Stop fooling around with that animal and come on.” He and Hercules began walking up the dock, back toward the castle, leaving Iolaus hopping around on one foot, shaking his leg vigorously in an effort to dislodge the clinging octopus.
“I don’t believe it,” Jason laughed as the threesome settled around the banquet table to the impressive meal that was being placed before them. “Two of the academy’s best students, and you get your butts kicked by a little octopus.”
“It wasn’t that little,” Iolaus protested around a mouthful of food. “And anyway, it’s your fault for sticking us with Cephalopodus.”
“Ok, I’m sorry,” Jason grinned. “He’s been the king’s advisor almost all of his life. He tries so hard to be useful, but I have a hard time finding things for him to do. I apologize for pawning him off on you two, but he’s been driving me crazy. I’m actually kind of surprised that you didn’t ditch him.”
“The thought never crossed our minds,” Iolaus said with a smile of pure innocence, ignoring Hercules who was suddenly choking. “But Cephalopodus did say something about a monster,” he added quickly, changing the subject before Hercules could comment.
“A monster?” The king’s brow wrinkled in puzzlement.
“He said there was a monster scaring away all the fish around the docks,” Hercules explained when he had recovered.
“Oh that,” Jason said dismissively. “It’s not a monster, just a sturgeon. A big one. It’s been hanging around the docks, but I’m sure it will move back out to sea before too long.”
Hercules and Iolaus shot each other a furtive look of disappointment. The prospect of battling a monster had been exciting, but now their enthusiasm quickly deflated.
“I have a council meeting tomorrow morning,” Jason continued. “But if you guys want to do some real fishing, I’ll make sure that you’re provided with a boat to take you out into the harbor.”
“Could we maybe lose the babysitter this time?” Iolaus asked, helping himself to his second plateful.
“Ok. I’ll find something else for Cephalopodus to do.”
“Are you Hercules?”
“Yes, I am.” The demigod turned around to see a burly man addressing him.
“I was given orders by King Jason to take you and your friend out fishing.”
“That’s nice of you,” Hercules said absently, shooting a glance at his partner. Iolaus looked rather put out at being under the guidance of yet another of Jason’s men, but he appeared to be resigned to his fate.
“I know all the best spots,” the man assured them. “Come on, my boat’s all ready.”
The boat turned out to be on the small side, hardly big enough for the three of them and the fishing equipment. Iolaus felt that something was a bit off, but Hercules got in the vessel readily enough, so he followed without comment. It was a beautiful day, with the sun bright in the blue sky. Their host, who had told them just to call him Captain, declined offers to help with the rowing, so the boys sat back and enjoyed the ride, teasing each other good naturedly. After a short period, the boat came upon a rocky structure that jutted up out of the sea.
“We’ll get out here,” Captain suggested, pulling up alongside the rocks. Hercules started to climb out, but Iolaus held him back.
“Herc, something isn’t right here,” he whispered.
“What are you talking about?” the demigod whispered back. glancing over to where Captain was trying to untangle his nets.
“Just look around,” Iolaus explained. The rocks forming the miniature island were sharp and slick, and even though they were still in the harbor, the waves were rougher and were splashing up against the structure, shooting a salty spray. “The current’s too strong here. The waves are too rough. There aren’t going to be any fish hanging around here.” Hercules was not as knowledgeable of such things as his partner was, but he could see the logic in his friend’s arguments.
“Then why would he bring us here?”
“I knew you two wouldn’t go quietly,” Captain interrupted them. “I knew you wouldn’t just leave the boat and drown like you were supposed to. But fortunately, Hera had a backup plan.” Almost casually, the man tossed a small spherical object over his shoulder into the sea. Immediately, the water began to boil and churn, rocking the boat fiercely.
“Come on,” Hercules yelled. He leapt out of the boat with Iolaus right behind him. They scrambled up onto the rocks as a large creature rose from the depths of the sea. It was large and thick bodied with a long snake like neck and a mouth full of fangs that it displayed as it hissed angrily. Raising a huge, broad flipper, the creature smashed it down heavily on the boat, reducing it to splinters.
“I don’t think Captain was expecting that,” Iolaus remarked as they ducked down behind one of the rock peaks.
“Serves him right for consorting with Hera,” Hercules muttered. “But right now I’d rather worry about us.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” They watched as the creature finished its assault on Captain and turned to look their way. “How do I let you get me into these things?
“Me?” Hercules turned to stare at his friend in astonishment. “What did I do?”
“You were born into a family of nutjobs for starters.”
“Don’t lay all this on me,” the demigod argued as they retreated back as far as they could, watching the creature begin to climb up on the rocks. “I just wanted to go fishing. You’re the one that wanted a monster.”
“Yeah, yeah. So what do we do now?”
“You distract it.”
“Why do I always have to be the distraction?”
“Because you make the better distraction.”
“But I have the sword.”
“Fine,” Hercules said in exasperation. “I’ll go.” He took a deep breath and charged around the rock towards the creature. After a moment’s pause, Iolaus followed, darting to the opposite side of the monster. Hercules had indeed caught the creature’s attention, and it was snapping its jaws angrily at the demigod. Iolaus also noticed with dismay that it had a large, barbed stinger at the end of its tail. Their task would not be an easy one.
Iolaus crept closer and stabbed his sword into the monster’s side, but he failed to penetrate the armor covering. His blade bounced off the creature’s skin, and it swirled it’s head around to stare at him with evil yellow eyes. Barely dodging the lethal stinger on its tail, Iolaus leapt out of the way and ran to regroup beside Hercules.
“Now what?” he demanded.
“Here, let me try.” Hercules grabbed the sword out of his partner’s hand and moved forward, but not even his divine strength was enough to drive the blade into the creature’s flesh.
“Herc, I think we’re in trouble here,” Iolaus yelled, leaping away from the monster’s tail as Hercules narrowly avoided the snapping jaws.
“What was your first clue?” Hercules called back. Iolaus ducked behind a rock, only to have the creature shatter it into a hundred pieces with a lash of its tail. Quickly, he was up and running, diving behind the rock where Hercules was crouched.
“I suppose we could always try biting it between the eyes,” Iolaus panted.
“Be my guest,” the demigod told him as they scrambled up and fled as the deadly tail came at them once more. They had gone in different directions, and after a moment the creature chose to pursue Iolaus. Hercules still had his partner’s sword, and he used the distraction as an opportunity to get almost underneath the beast. He plunged the blade into the underside of the monster with all of his force, but still failed to do any damage. The creature reared around, and in his haste to back away, Hercules slipped on the slimy rocks and fell back hard. Iolaus saw the jaws closing in on his fallen partner and immediately catapulted himself off the rock he was climbing to land squarely on the monster’s back. The creature whirled its head around in an effort to clamp its fangs into the leg of the one riding it, but Hercules was up and grabbed the long neck. He wrestled with the beast for several tense seconds before firmly pinning its head to the ground. Iolaus went for the tail, managing to get a hold on it without being stung. He did not have the godlike strength of his partner, but he more than made up for that in determination. Straining, he managed to force the tail closer and closer to the writhing body until the two met. The fearsome creature exploded in a great ball of light and force.
The shock of the water revived Hercules immediately. He was a bit disoriented at first, but he soon realized that the sudden demise of the creature had propelled him backwards into the sea. The demigod felt a little shaken up, but he quickly assessed that he wasn’t seriously injured. Fighting the current, Hercules paddled back over to the rocks and pulled himself out of the water.
“Iolaus?” he called out. His only response was the splash of the waves and the quiet whistle of the wind. Growing worried, Hercules called out his partner’s name again and again until he finally found him, lying in a heap among the rocks. He was unconscious, with a large gash on his temple and a few other minor cuts. The demigod tried to quell the rising panic that was welling up inside of him. He looked over to where they had been fighting the monster, knowing that Iolaus must have been propelled the same as he was when the creature had exploded. But it looked like he hadn’t been lucky enough to land in the water. He had been thrown quite a distance, and Hercules knew that the force with which his partner must have hit the rocks was enough to hurt him badly. Trying not to think about it, Hercules occupied himself with stopping the bleeding from his friend’s head wound, but he didn’t have anything to work with. Eventually, Iolaus moaned and his eyelids fluttered as he began to come around.
“Can you hear me, Iolaus?” Hercules asked softly as his partner’s blue eyes tried to focus on him. “Don’t try to move. You’re going to be all right.”
“What happened?” he asked weakly.
“We were fighting that monster that Hera sent, remember?”
“Oh yeah. Is it gone?”
“It’s gone,” Hercules confirmed. “We did it, buddy.”
“Herc, how are we going to get out of here?” Iolaus asked softly.
The demigod didn’t answer his friend, because he didn’t have one to give. He could see Corinth from where they were stranded, but they were too far away to be spotted and they had no means of signaling for help.
“We’ll just have to wait for a ship to come by,” Hercules said finally. He sat down beside the prone form of his friend, frustrated at not being able to do anything to help him. They didn’t even have any water, let alone medical supplies. And to make matters worse, the tide was beginning to come in. The waves began to get rougher, coating everything with a fine mist. Hercules was already wet from his flight into the sea, but he knew the dampness was not helping Iolaus. Although neither one would voice it, they both knew that their little island would most likely be covered in water during high tide.
“You could try to swim,” Iolaus suggested. “I know its far, but you are a half god. I bet you could make it.”
“What about you?” Hercules asked.
“Oh, I’ll just lie here and dream of Kora skinny dipping until you get back.”
“You’d better not let her hear you talking like that or you won’t have to worry about Hera’s monsters finishing you off,” the demigod threatened.
“Seriously, Herc. Go.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Hercules insisted. He knew that he probably could make it back to Corinth, but by the time he did and returned with help, the tide would have covered the rocks.
“Herc, listen to me...”
“No, you listen to me. You’re my partner. We’ve always watched each other’s backs, and I’m not going to abandon you now.”
Iolaus struggled to sit up, prepared to argue, but the pain shot through him and he cried out and slumped back down, curling in a tight ball with his arms clasped around his stomach.
“Are you all right?” Hercules asked fearfully, hovering over his friend.
“This is almost as bad as that day in the orchard,” Iolaus whispered with a faint grin. Hercules smiled, knowing exactly what his partner was talking about. When they were children they had gone to play in the neighbor’s orchard where, despite Alcmene’s warnings, Iolaus had gorged himself with green apples. Consequently, he had been racked with stomach pains. Hercules still chuckled, remembering how Iolaus stared down at his abdomen in disbelief. The look on his face had been priceless as he had wondered how his cast iron stomach and the fruit he loved so much could have conspired against him in so cruel a manner.
“Just hang on,” the demigod comforted. “We’ll find a way out of this.”
But as the minutes ticked by, the water level rose higher, Iolaus’ distress grew, and no ships appeared to help them. Hercules was truly scared as he sat by his friend and tried to reassure him. Iolaus began shivering so badly from cold, that the demigod finally stretched out on the hard rock beside him and wrapped his arms around his partner, trying to give him whatever warmth he could. He knew that something was very wrong with his friend. Iolaus was dreadfully pale, his pulse sluggish and his breathing weak. They had to get back to Corinth and Iolaus desperately needed the healer, but all the demigod could do was hold him and wait.
“Herc?” Iolaus said weakly as they watched the golden sun begin to dip over the horizon.
“What?”
“I just wanted you to know something. You’re the best friend I ever had.”
“Same here, Iolaus,” Hercules replied, rubbing his partner’s cold skin in an attempt to warm him. For a long time, Iolaus had been his only friend. All of the other kids were scared of him, intimidated by his strength and by the fact that he was “different”. They often teased him mercilessly, and their parents were no better, either staring and whispering at him or outright shunning him. It was not an easy thing for such a young boy with a sensitive heart to have to deal with. Until Iolaus came along. He was a rough and tumble child, cocky and mischievous, and somehow able to always roll with the punches life dealt. They had become fast friends immediately, inseparable up until the day that Iolaus had run away from home. Hercules had been crushed. When he had started at the academy, he found that things were no different there. He walked amid the rumors and speculations, mistrust and challenges, until the day that Iolaus once again sauntered into his life. The young demigod didn’t know why, but things were always easier, happier, *better* with Iolaus around. As he was thinking about this, he felt his partner shudder once and then go limp.
“Iolaus,” Hercules whispered desperately. Checking his friend, he saw that Iolaus was still alive but had slipped into unconsciousness. All of the demigods efforts to revive him went unrewarded. As carefully as he could, Hercules picked up his partner and made his way higher up the rocks. The water was almost level with the spot where they were, so he had to try and move higher up to avoid the sea, even if it wouldn’t be for long. Hercules found a reasonably flat surface and sat, cradling his injured friend against him. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the cold rock and sent out a silent plea. He had made it a habit never to ask his divine family for anything, knowing full well they probably would ignore him if he did, but this was an emergency. Swallowing his pride, the demigod asked his father for a miracle.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing Hercules saw was a ship coming toward them. Initially he thought that Zeus had heard him and had sent help, but as the vessel neared he could see the royal flag fluttering. The demigod gently extracted himself from Iolaus and got to his feet. Waving frantically, he resisted the urge to jump up and down in excitement as the ship came closer and closer and he was finally able to make out Jason waving back to him.
“What happened?” the king called out when they got within yelling distance.
“Hera,” Hercules shouted back. That one word was explanation enough. “Iolaus is hurt. We have to get him back to the castle.”
The ship came in and dropped anchor, and Jason and his crew worked quickly to get the two castaways on board. As they were pulling away, turning around to head back to Corinth, Jason gave a final look at the rocks.
“If we’d have been any longer, you guys would’ve been underwater.”
“Tell me about it,” Hercules muttered. “How did you know we were out here, anyway?”
“Cephalopodus,” the king said with a grin. “He said he saw you two sailing off with a strange guy, and then soon after he saw a flash of light come from that direction. We all thought he was just rambling, as usual, but he was so insistent. We couldn’t find you guys anywhere, so we decided it wouldn’t hurt to come out and take a look.” Jason’s grin faded quickly as he looked down at his wounded friend. “Hercules, he really isn’t looking so good.”
“I know,” the demigod said stiffly. “But he’ll be ok. Once we get him to the healer.”
There was a lot of commotion once they docked in Corinth. Iolaus had awakened with a whimper of pain when they tried to move him from the ship. Reaching out, he clasped Hercules’ hand tightly during the journey from the dock to the castle. Even after he slipped back into unconsciousness, the demigod refused to leave his friend’s side, against the healer’s repeated orders. Finally after Jason told him to lay off, the man let him stay, but did a great deal of grumbling under his breath.
“I think you should bring in another healer,” Hercules said to Jason when the man left to get some herbs.
“Hercules, he’s one of the best,” the king reassured him.
“Well, I don’t like him,” the demigod announced. How could he? This healer kept saying things like “internal damage” and “severe injury”. He was supposed to be saying that Iolaus would be fine, not telling them that he probably wouldn’t make it to morning. Sighing in frustration, Hercules got up to pace restlessly around the room. As he passed by the window, a flicker of light caught his eye. He stopped short and blinked rapidly, hoping that his eyes were playing tricks on him. But a second look confirmed it, and a cold fist of fear clenched his heart.
“Jason, stay with Iolaus and don’t let anyone in,” the demigod cried out before he tore out of the room, leaving the confused king to stare after him. Hercules flew out of the castle and raced around the east side, almost colliding with the figure that had garnered such a reaction from him.
“Hello, Hercules.”
“Celesta, I know why you’re here and you’re not taking him,” the demigod said fiercely.
“There’s nothing I can do,” the goddess told him gently. “The fates have already cut his lifeline. It’s completely out of my hands.”
“You are not taking him,” Hercules repeated vehemently.
“Please try and understand that I’m here to help. I’m sorry that you’re losing your friend, but I’m here to ease his transition to the other side.”
“Celesta,” the demigod pleaded. “I can’t let him go. Not like this. It’s my fault Iolaus got hurt. Hera was after me, and he just got in the way. You can take me if you want to, but please, just spare his life.”
“That’s very noble, Hercules. But I’m afraid it just doesn’t work that way.”
“There has to be something you can do,” he insisted. “Please help me. Just give me a little more time.”
“Even if I did that, Hercules, it wouldn’t make a difference. The fates have already....” The goddess paused as a thought struck her.
“What?” the demigod asked eagerly, a ray of hope beginning to dawn.
“There was a time when a mortal was restored after his lifeline had already been cut.”
“Tell me how,” Hercules begged. “I’ll do anything.”
“Have you ever met your cousin, Asclepius?”
“No, but I’ve heard about him. He’s supposed to be a great healer.”
“He was too skilled for his own good. He raised the mortal Hippolytus from the dead.”
“Then he could save Iolaus,” the demigod began excitedly.
“Perhaps, but he may not be willing,” Celesta cautioned. “Zeus punished him for such an unnatural act. Asclepius was banished from Olympus and stripped of his godhood. He lives as a mortal man now. I can’t even be sure that he still has the same skills he possessed as a god.”
“I have to try. If there’s even a chance.”
“Very well,” the goddess sighed. “There are others waiting for me. I’ll grant you a short amount of time to find Asclepius, if you’ll promise me that you won’t let anyone know that I’ve given you such favors.”
“I promise,” Hercules told her. “Thank you, Celesta.” He turned and bolted back to the castle, leaving the goddess to vanish into the night, her candle flickering in the gentle breeze.
Jason’s most trusted servant was immediately dispatched on the mission to find Asclepius after Hercules had told the king about his cousin’s healing powers, omitting the part about Celesta granting him the temporary reprieve. The demigod had scrawled a quick note on a parchment, explaining the situation and asking for his cousin’s help. Initially, he was excited about the possibility of curing his friend, but that energy quickly faded as he realized there was nothing left for him to do but wait and watch. The healer came in to check on his patient, palpating Iolaus’ stomach gently before shaking his head sadly. Hercules watched him leave the room, then moved to sit beside his friend on the bed.
“Hang in there, buddy,” he whispered. “I’m not letting you go without a fight.”
Iolaus was lying still and silent, looking more dead than alive, and a rush of feelings welled up inside the demigod. Hercules was young but not naive. He had seen war, and death, and devastation, but as is the way of youth, he had never felt it applied to him. And he certainly never thought death applied to Iolaus, who was always so energetic and full of vitality. Not even when they were facing the impending tide on the rocks, or when the healer was giving them the grave news, did Hercules truly believe that his friend could die. It just didn’t seem possible. When he had seen Celesta, coming to take his soul, the fact of his partner’s mortality finally hit home. And it had hit hard. Hercules was suddenly confronted with the reality that he could lose Iolaus forever and it had left him shaken.
It also made him realize the depth of his feelings for Iolaus. He had always been the demigod’s battle partner, and they considered themselves best friends. But once Iolaus’ death had become a reality, Hercules realized that his emotions ran a lot deeper than that. Faced with a life without Iolaus, the demigod became aware just how much he would miss his rambunctious friend, and just how empty that life would be. Iolaus was his rock. The strength of the gods did little to comfort the aches of the heart. Much like they had clung to the rocks out at sea that day, Hercules clung to Iolaus for support. Whenever he felt beaten, or scared, or alone, he would look to Iolaus to give him that push to get him back on the right track. Iolaus never failed to stand beside him, and for the first time, Hercules was made aware of just how much he loved the friend that had become his brother. He didn’t know how or why this bond had formed between them, but that night the pain in his heart proved that it was there.
At first, Hercules didn’t know what to make of Asclepius. The man blew in out of the rain with all the grandeur and ceremony of a god, sizing up everything around him with one appraising glance.
“Are you Hercules?” he asked gruffly, moving right up in the demigod’s face.
“Yes, sir,” Hercules replied meekly, taking a step back and feeling strangely intimidated.
“Don’t look like much for being the son of Zeus,” the healer stated, looking him up and down. “But I imagine that will change when you get older.” He slapped the demigod on the back and gave him a grin, taking the offense out of his words. Before Hercules could reply, Asclepius was already busy with Iolaus, examining him carefully and barking orders to everyone in the vicinity. Hercules wisely stayed back out of the way, knowing that he was too anxious to be of any help. Jason finally convinced him to leave the healer to his work and to go and get something to eat. The demigod absently picked at his food and tried to make small talk with Jason, but his mind was occupied with a single thought: What if Asclepius can’t help him?
That thought tormented him as he paced relentlessly through the castle, wondering every five minutes what was taking so long. Jason gave up trying to put him at ease and just offered him silent support as Hercules waited and worried. Servants scurried about back and forth at the healer’s bidding, but none of them could tell him what the status of his friend was. Finally, after the demigod’s patience had been worn through, Asclepius came to them.
“He is very weak and he’ll need time to recover, but he should pull through.” It took a minute for the words to register, but once they did Hercules and Jason let out a celebratory whoop and crushed each other in a happy hug. The demigod rushed forward to shake his cousin’s hand.
“Asclepius, I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much for doing this.”
“Well, what’s wrong?” the healer demanded as Hercules’ grin quickly faded.
“I just hope you won’t get into trouble for this,” the demigod said hesitantly. “I heard about Zeus punishing you before.”
“Hey, I’m not about stand around twiddling my thumbs while a young kid like that loses his life before he even has a chance to live it. Now go see your friend, and leave Zeus to me.”
Hercules thanked him heartily again, and he and Jason raced to Iolaus’ room. Their friend had definitely seen better days, but he was awake and in good spirits, all things considered. The trio engaged in some friendly banter for a few minutes, before Jason delicately excused himself, understandingly giving the partners a moment alone.
“Iolaus, I am so sorry.”
“For what? You didn’t launch me into a rock.”
“No,” Hercules sighed. “But it is my fault. Hera was after me.”
“Just stop right there,” Iolaus told him. “I take an attack on my best friend very personally. If Hera has a problem with you, then she has a problem with me. If she sends a monster after you, then I’m going to help you deal with it.”
“But, Iolaus,” the demigod protested. “You were almost killed. Next time, you might be killed.”
“Nah, that will never happen,” Iolaus scoffed. “Look, Herc. We’re partners. Whatever happens, we face it together. Just like we always said we would, right?”
“Right,” Hercules agreed, shaking his friend’s outstretched hand. “Just do me a favor and don’t ever scare me like this again. I don’t think I could live through it a second time.”
Celesta delicately rose from where she had been patiently waiting as Zeus entered the great hall of Olympus.
“What is to happen to Asclepius?” she asked the king of the gods.
“I’m not sure,” he replied. “I haven’t decided that yet.”
“And me?”
“Officially, you will be reprimanded for breaking the rules.” Zeus took the goddess’ hand and smiled at her, losing all of the sternness in his manner. “But off the record, I want to thank you for helping my son.”
“Zeus, I wish you would go to the boy and tell him that you care for him. The poor thing has an emptiness inside his heart that yearns to know his father.”
“I realize that,” the god said bitterly. “But Hera already has it in for him. What do you think she would do to the boy if I were to take an active interest in his life? Surely, she would destroy him in an instant if she knew just how much pain it would cause me.”
“He’s so young to have to deal with so much anger and spite,” Celesta said, shaking her head sadly as she gathered up her candle and prepared to return to her duties.
“Well, thanks to you, my dear, he doesn’t have to deal with them alone. Let’s try to keep it that way.”
Celesta nodded and smiled as she quietly left the room. Out of all the gods and mortals, she alone could see that underneath Zeus’ dour exterior, he really did have a compassionate nature. With a sigh, the king of the gods moved to the tapestry of time and looked in on his favorite son and his friend.
“Well, my boy,” he whispered. “Another lesson learned. You have found your heart, now let it be your guide. And never take for granted the love that surrounds you.” Zeus looked around him at the silent, empty hall of Olympus. “Believe me, there is nothing greater.”
The End
Disclaimer: No octopi were injured during the writing of this story, although one sea monster did meet with an untimely end.
Monthly Challenge Responses
Home
The Iolausian Library