The flash of lightning lit the predawn skies of Thebes. Dark grey, angry-looking clouds converged in a small clearing at the edge of the forest. The early morning air was cool but the atmosphere seemed to absorb the electrical charge from the threatening skies.

A lone figure entered the clearing and knelt before a crudely made wooden altar. It was constructed of old logs and boulders and in the very center a bowl with red liquid began to glow. The figure waved a hand over the bowl and orange and red flames shot up from it causing an evil grin to spread over the supplicant's face.

"Hera. O great one! I am here. What is thy bidding?"

Suddenly large and foreboding eyes the color of peacock feathers looked down on the blue-skinned servant that knelt on the ground before her.

"What is my bidding?" the disembodied voice replied harshly. "My bidding is what is has always been! Destroy that which is the evidence of Zeus' betrayal of me! The one who calls himself hero!"

Thundered crashed about the Blue Priest as the gill-like slits in his neck fanned in and out with his growing excitement.

"Hercules," he intoned, a sadistic look in his bulbous eyes.

"Yes," Hera answered coldly. "My bastard stepson thinks he can save the world, and all the pathetic little mortals on it!"

"Yes he is quite annoying," her priest replied. "What, my lady, would you have me do?"

For several heartbeats silence reigned. Then a clap of thunder nearly deafened the blue-skinned servant of Hera.

"You will kill him!" the voice shrieked with finality.

"Yes, mighty Hera!" he replied with a slight bowing of his head. "How shall I accomplish this? How shall I destroy the half god son of Zeus?"

In response a streak of lighting in the shape of a dagger lit the skies and then fell to earth in front of where the Blue Priest knelt. The servant picked up the dagger with reverence and held it up toward the darkening skies.

"One prick from the dagger will weaken him. Two, and he dies," Hera instructed and then she was gone, leaving only the faint scent of sulfur hanging in the early-morning air.

"It will be done," the Blue Priest vowed and left the clearing.

"Ahhhh, my insatiable wife!" Iolaus groaned with amusement as he tangled his hands in her brown locks and guided her head lower.

Her tongue reluctantly left his belly button as she crawled up his body and laughed, "You knew this before we married."

"I know," the hunter sighed as she ran her tongue across his chest. "And still I married you! Ania, what was I thinking?"

"Hmmm," Ania thought aloud, nibbling along his strong corded neck. "Perhaps you were thinking...how wonderful it would be to have this woman make love to me every night for the rest of my life..."

Ania found his earlobe and sucked it in greedily setting Iolaus' whole body on fire. Gods! How had he ever survived without this woman? They'd only been married a week, and Iolaus felt as though they had been together like this forever.

He trembled in anticipation as she gently ran her tongue along his ear. "Oh my love...that had to have been it..."

Her scent was intoxicating. He inhaled deeply the floral fragrance of her hair before he carefully pulled it aside exposing the delicate white flesh of her neck. He was amazed yet again at how sweet she tasted. He sighed audibly as he kissed along her neck and throat.

"You are enjoying yourself, my husband?" Ania asked in response to his sigh.

"By the gods, Ania," he replied near breathlessly as he pulled back to see her beautifully flushed face, "I love you."

"And I you, my mighty hunter," she murmured as she took his lips with a hunger born of their newly formed union. They'd made their vows to each other six days ago, and since then had only left their marriage bed to eat and take care of personal needs.

"Oh Iolaus! " she moaned, straddling his waist and bending to place warm kisses on his chest. "My love...your five minutes are up. I need you again...right now! Oh gods, Iolaus, please!"

The hunter was only too happy to oblige her. With a low chuckle, he reversed their positions in one fluid movement and began to bathe her in the heat of his love.

Ania was completely lost in the sensation. All that existed was Iolaus. His lips on hers. His hands burning across the terrain of her body. He'd been her first lover, and she knew beyond all else, that he would be her only lover. Surely no one else on earth could make her feel the way Iolaus made her feel. Surely there could be no feeling more pleasurable than to be loved by him.

True, when the hero had first returned to Thebes to see a betrothed Iolaus, he had a hard time believing it, and an even harder time accepting it. Sure he was happy for his friend, but marriage? Iolaus and marriage? But after seeing the sparkle in his eyes whenever Ania was in the vicinity, the demigod realized just how much they loved each other.

So to give them their privacy, Hercules had busied himself around his mother's home. Until this morning when Teamos, one of the villagers, came to him with news that his niece, Cella had been kidnapped during the night and taken by soldiers to Hera's temple at the edge of the village. Although not surprised by the man's tale, he knew that he had to help him before another innocent person suffered at the hands of the evil queen of the gods.

After assuring Teamos that he would find and bring back his niece, Hercules let a hesitant Alcmene know what he was doing and that he would be back soon.

"Son, please be careful," Alcmene had told her son. "You know what Hera is like."

"Only too well," the half god had replied. Then he kissed his mother on the cheek, smiled and promised, "I'll be fine."

As he made his way down the dirt road that led out of Thebes, he recalled none-too-fondly that his last encounter with Hera had been only a few weeks ago when he and Iolaus went to help the villagers of Gargarencia. His stepmother had fought against him in the form of the Amazon Queen Hippolyta. Three casualties were the result, including both Hippolyta and Iolaus. Of course, Zeus had turned back time, and none of that had ever happened, but still, it wasn't a very friendly mother-son visit.

Just as the demigod crested a small hill he saw the smoke from Iolaus and Ania's chimney. Hercules chuckled. 'I wouldn't have thought they'd need a fire to keep warm.'

He really wanted to stop and say hello but he forced his feet to keep moving past the little house Iolaus had recently built. For one thing, he didn't want to disturb them, and for another, he knew that Iolaus would insist on coming to the temple with him and memories of Gargarencia and how close he'd come to losing Iolaus were still too fresh in his mind. No, Iolaus would stay home where he'd be safe. Well, as safe as a man with a beautiful and eager young bride could be.

The sun was high over head when Hercules reached Hera's temple just outside Thebes. No attendants, no acolytes and no guards. The demigod was well aware that Hera had planned all this just to get him here.

'The woman really needs another hobby,' he thought as he approached the steps leading up to the temple.

Even if it was some sort of trap, the villager's niece could still very well be in danger. She was his main concern right now.

Placing a sure hand on each door handle he pulled open the huge wooden temple doors. It was dark inside, so he waited just a few seconds to let his eyes adjust. It didn't take very long to see what was going on inside though.

"Welcome Hercules!" the Blue Priest greeted. Then with a wicked smile he addressed the small, frail-looking girl chained to the altar before him. "Look, my dear Cella...we have a visitor."

The demigod felt the bile rise in his throat as he watched the girl turn frightened blue eyes in his direction.

"Cella is to be sacrificed to the great Hera!" the priest announced proudly as he looked skyward. Then lowering his gaze to the half god he added, "Unless of course, you would like to take her place."

"No one is going to be sacrificed," Hercules replied through clenched teeth. "Hera's just going to have to find another way to entertain herself. Now the girl and I are leaving."

"I'm sorry Hercules," the Blue Priest replied with a smile. "I'm afraid I can't allow that." Then in one quick stroke he raised the dagger high and plunged downward. Hercules dove toward the altar and managed to grab hold of the priest's hands just before he embedded the blade in the girl's abdomen. There was a brief struggle over the dagger and then the priest wrenched it at an odd angle. The demigod never even felt the scratch of the blade. Instantly, Hera's servant gave up the knife.

"Nice try," Hercules deadpanned. Then he threw the knife, embedding it in the center of Hera's peacock statue. The piece of porcelain shattered and the knife fell to the floor. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we've made other plans for the evening."

The Blue Priest watched quietly as the demigod effortlessly broke the chains that held the girl to the altar. He picked her up and intended to carry her back home to her uncle. Something strange however made him put her down.

The face of Hera's servant broke out into a huge grin as he casually bent over to pick up the knife, the demigod's blood still staining the blade.

"Come on, Cella," Hercules said, holding out his hand to the girl. "Let's get out of here, huh?"

Cella nodded eagerly but let out a startled cry when Hercules stumbled against one of the offering tables that lined the center aisle of the temple.

"Hercules! Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

Hercules shook his head to clear it, but that only seemed to make things worse. His vision swam in front of him and he found himself leaning heavier on the table. A strange burning sensation started at the base of his spine and crawled slowly up his back until he felt as though he couldn't hold himself upright any longer.

"Hera!" he cried angrily. "What have you done?!"

Hercules got no answer but he knew he had to act fast to save the girl.

"Cella! Go!" he disentangled his large hand from hers and gently pushed her toward the door. "Run Cella!"

He could see she was hesitating.

The Blue Priest began to laugh evilly.

"It's ok, Cella!" the half god assured her with a smile. "You'll be safe now. Just go back to the village!"

The girl screamed as she watched the demigod crumple to the floor. The Blue Priest was advancing in their direction so she bolted from the temple and ran without looking back.

"Oh Iolaus..." she whispered as she studied her husband. "Whatever did I do to find someone like you?"

Blissfully happy, she carefully snuggled up against him and fell asleep.

She didn't know how long she had dozed but she sat upright when she heard the loud knocking at the door.

"I wonder who that is?" Iolaus pondered as he pulled on his leather pants.

Almost surprised to see him awake, Ania turned to her husband and said, "I hope nothing is wrong."

"Stay here," he replied and kissed her soundly on the lips. "I'll go find out."

Iolaus opened the door to find a scared young girl trembling on his doorstep. He recognized her from the village.

"Cella?" he asked, kneeling before the girl. She'd been crying and he wiped the remaining tears away. "What's wrong, honey?"

"It... it's Hercules," she sniffled. "He...he saved me from the bad blue man. But now...now the bad man is hurting Hercules!"

Iolaus' mind went on red alert. Bad blue man. The Blue Priest. Hera's Blue Priest.

"You did the right thing coming here, Cella," the hunter smiled. "Now where are Hercules and the blue man?"

"The temple...the big ugly one...right before you get to the stream??"

"I know which one, sweetie," Iolaus nodded his head then called to Ania. "I want you to stay here with Ania until I find Hercules and bring him back ok?"

"Uh huh," Cella nodded.

"Iolaus...Cella, what's happened?" Ania asked when she saw the girl's tearstained eyes.

"Hera. That's what happened."

The little hairs on the back of Ania's neck stood on end at the mention of the queen of the gods' name. "Oh no!"

"Apparently her Blue Priest used Cella as bait to get Hercules to her temple," Iolaus explained as he hurriedly donned a blue long sleeve shirt and grabbed his sword and sheathed it. "Herc's in trouble. I've gotta go help him."

Ania's heart constricted at his words. Oh gods protect him, please. Bring him home. She stood silently, her hands on Cella's shoulders as Iolaus came to stand before her. He placed his hand on her cheek and brought her lips to his. The kiss lingered long enough to let Ania know just how much he loved her.

"Be careful Iolaus!" she cried as the hunter forced a smile and bounded down the front steps.

Ania knew when she married Iolaus that there would be many a day like this. Times when he and Hercules would face bandits, warlords, monsters and the servants of Hera. In a small way, the young girl wished her husband could just leave all that behind so he'd be safe. But she was well aware that Iolaus couldn't live like that. He and Hercules had been fighting back to back since they were children. They were the best of friends, and she knew that she could never come between them.

Ania also knew that even though Iolaus had dedicated his life to fight injustice alongside Hercules, there was a special piece of his heart that he'd set aside for her and only her. She had no doubt that her husband loved her beyond measure, and when they were alone together in the night, she knew that sharing him with Hercules and the rest of the known world was well worth it.

Still, that knowledge didn't stop her from worrying about him at times like these.

'Oh gods, be careful,' she silently prayed.

Then looking down she realized that Cella still stood there, watching her with a worried look on her face.

"Don't worry sweetheart. They'll both be fine," Ania assured her. Then with a smile she added, "Are you hungry? Let's go see what we can find. I'm not exactly the best cook, but I'm sure we can come up with something."

And with that, Ania glanced once more after her husband and ushered the little girl into the kitchen.

When Iolaus reached the temple, he slowed just a bit. He glanced around quickly as he unsheathed his sword. No one was around. Not a good sign, he thought. Sprinting up the steps he realized the door was ajar. He peeked inside and what he saw made his heart constrict.

Taking a deep breath he pushed his way into the temple, sword at the ready.

"Okay, pal! Party's over. Let him go. NOW!" Iolaus shouted at the Blue Priest.

"Iolaus?" the sound that came from Hercules' lips was barely above a whisper. But in his blue eyes was a mixture of relief that his friend had come for him, and also regret that because of him, Iolaus had to get mixed up in Hera's insipid little games.

"Ah! Iolaus...mighty warrior and hunter extraordinaire!" the Blue Priest mocked. "So glad you could make it to your friend's execution."

Iolaus looked to where Hercules was chained to the altar. The look on his tired face was one of, no, it couldn't be...it was defeat! Hercules could break those chains like snapping a twig. Still, he just lay there. Something was definitely wrong.

The shadow of confusion that crossed the hunter's face was not lost on Hera's servant.

"You're wondering why your friend does not struggle? Break his bonds and escape like the demigod he is?" the Blue Priest taunted, waving around a wicked-looking dagger as he spoke. "Hercules? Would you like to explain or shall I?"

No sound came from Hercules' mouth. He only turned his face back to look at the monster who loomed over him then returned his sad expression back to his friend's puzzled one. He struggled briefly against his bonds but quickly gave up. The demigod was vaguely aware now that Hera had somehow poisoned the dagger. It seemed to drain him of all strength physically and emotionally. His limbs felt like lead. And he was so tired. On some level he knew that Iolaus was watching him...waiting for him to say or do something. Hercules merely looked at him as if to say, 'Don't bother, my friend. Nothing can be done.' But Iolaus refused to listen to that nonverbal plea. Hercules was absolutely not going to just give up and let Hera win! He wasn't going to let him! They'd come through way too much for that now.

"What have you done to him?" the hunter demanded, approaching the altar slowly, sword pointed at the blue-skinned man. "Tell me!"

"Of course, Iolaus," he replied casually. "I'd like nothing better. You see, as you may have guessed, the great Hera is not pleased with her stepson."

"Great Hera my --"

"Consequently," he cut the hunter off, "she devised this marvelous little plan to lure him here. Of course it worked, because the great Hercules can never refuse a call for help. Even when he knows it's probably a trap. And indeed it was, for one tiny scrape from this little dagger has transformed him into the pathetic piece of weak flesh you see before you."

A sense of panic driving him on, Iolaus closed the distance between himself and the altar on which his friend lay.

"And might I say, that he will be much easier to sacrifice to Hera this way," the Blue Priest continued proudly. "No struggling. No fighting."

"That's where you're wrong you slimy, gill-faced piece of muck!" Iolaus replied. "You're gonna get a fight alright! From me!"

"Iolaus...don't," the demigod managed to gasp as he watched his friend and partner face off with the Blue Priest.

"Herc! This is not the time for arguments!" Iolaus replied as he began to circle the blue-skinned monster. "Me and the gill-man are just going to have a little talk, right?"

"My words to you shall be this dagger in your heart!" the Blue Priest growled. He was quickly tiring of this little man and his insults. "I'm sure the great Hera would be doubly pleased to see the both of you sacrificed on her altar!"

The Blue Priest lunged forward with the knife but the hunter easily dodged the angry servant. He crouched low to avoid the next swipe the blue man made and charged his legs, taking him to the ground. Quickly rolling away from Iolaus, the Blue Priest hissed in anger and jumped to his feet.

"You're not making a very good impression, I can tell ya that much!" the hunter taunted as he swung his blade down and across, ripping the blue cloth of the servant's robes.

"This is none of your concern little man!" the priest replied, again circling Iolaus, dagger raised high. "Hercules' death has been Hera's decree since the day he was born! The sentence will be carried out, and there's nothing that you can do to stop it!"

"Sorry, but I have to disagree with you on that," Iolaus retorted and landed a round house kick to the man's jaw.

The Blue Priest stumbled backwards, surprised and stunned by the blow.

"You are really starting to annoy me, mortal!" "Can't say as I'm sorry," the hunter smirked as he plowed into the man, knocking him to the ground. Kicking the dagger from his hands, he added, "Maybe if you'd learn some manners, people would be a little nicer to ya!"

The Blue Priest sat bolt upright only to discover the hunter standing over him, his sword pointed at his neck.

"Now, undo whatever it is you did to Hercules," Iolaus ordered. "And just maybe you'll keep that grotesque head on your shoulders."

The priest's eyes narrowed as he stared up the blade to Iolaus' determined face. Closing them briefly, he started to laugh...a low, uneven, cruel laugh.

"Do it!!" Iolaus yelled, the man's laughter slightly unnerving him.

"I've just had a message from Hera," the Blue Priest said with a sick smile.

"I don't give a damn what she--"

"Hera says, congratulations Iolaus," he continued gleefully. "Congratulations on your marriage to the beautiful, sweet Ania."

For a moment, Iolaus knew real fear. An icy hand gripped his heart and he had to make a concerted effort to steady himself.

"Ahhh, I see she's hit a nerve, yes Iolaus?" he chuckled.

Iolaus spared a glance in Hercules' direction. He lay there motionless.

"Herc!" Iolaus yelled. "Herc, look at me!"

No answer. Gods, was he even alive?? Using all his might, Iolaus managed to drive the rising flood of panic down and turned back to the priest.

"Undo...what you've done...to Hercules," he repeated in measured tones, each word coming through gritted teeth.

"Don't you even want to hear Hera's proposal?" the Blue Priest asked with mock hurt. "Tsk, tsk, Iolaus. I suppose Hera will just have to make the choice for you."

"What choice??" Iolaus demanded.

"Well, little man, it goes like this," he explained, clearly enjoying every moment of this torture. "Walk out of here now. Leave Hercules to be sacrificed to Hera."

"And if I don't?" Iolaus snorted with disgust. "Hera's gonna use me for target practice? Rain down lightning bolts on me?"

"Oh, no. No, you'll be quite safe from Hera's wrath," he went on. "But your beloved Ania won't see out the next three winters."

"NO!" he growled. Then he dropped his sword to his side and moaned weakly, "No..."

"It's your choice, Iolaus," the priest taunted. "Whom do you love more? Your best friend...or your wife?"

"Damn you Hera!" Iolaus shouted to the ceiling. "That's an impossible choice and you know it!!"

"Difficult perhaps," the mocking voice of the queen of the gods suddenly filled the temple. "But certainly not impossible!"

Her harsh laughter mixed with that of the insane Blue Priest. Iolaus looked to the altar. Damn it Hercules! Say something! Wake up! How can I even think of risking Ania's life when I don't even know if you're still alive!!

The hunter felt sick. He was trembling and he couldn't think straight. He saw Ania's face before him, worried for his safety. Gods he loved her so much! And Hercules...how could he abandon his best friend? They'd been through so much together. Tartarus! This WAS an impossible choice!

"Hera will have what she wants!" the Blue Priest replied with an evil laugh. "One way or another!"

Then the Blue Priest turned back to the altar and plunged the dagger downward.

"NOOO!" the hunter cried. Spinning around he swung his sword in a wide arc, effectively severing the Blue Priest's head from his body.

Gasping for breath, the hunter dropped his sword and stumbled against the altar. The Blue Priest's headless body still held the poisoned dagger in its limp hand. Iolaus had killed him only moments before that dagger had reached its target. The hunter took Hercules by the shoulders and shook him none-too-gently.

"Herc!! Do you hear me? Wake up!" the hunter cried in a mix of anguish, desperation and mindnumbing pain.

Suddenly, the demigod's eyes flew open.

"Iolaus??" he asked, sitting up quickly. He instantly realized that whatever spell Hera's knife had put on him was gone. His strength was back and he felt fine. What had just happened, however, was pretty much still a blur. "Iolaus, are you alright? Wha...what happened?"

Following Hercules' gaze toward the Blue Priest's head, Iolaus replied tonelessly, "Same story, different day."

Then, averting his sad blue eyes from his friend's inquiring ones, he bent to retrieve his sword and resheath it.

Hercules looked at his best friend with confusion.

"All I remember is...Hera's spell...I lost my strength...I...I couldn't move...I couldn't save myself. Iolaus, you...you saved my life."

The hunter nodded in acknowledgement, but he wasn't really listening to the words coming from his partner's lips. Of course he had to stop Hera from killing him. What else would he have done? He'd always done it in the past, and he knew he'd always do it in the future. But this time, Iolaus knew he had paid a price. This time, Hercules' life had come at a great cost. And the thought of what that actually meant made the hunter physically sick. He ran from the temple and was violently ill.

Hercules ran after his partner, a worried expression marring his bright blue eyes.

"Iolaus! Iolaus are you sure you're okay?" he demanded, a hand placed lightly on his friend's trembling form.

"I'm fine, Herc," he lied, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

There was no way in Tartarus he was telling his best friend that saving him had just cost Ania her life. That would kill Hercules as well. Maybe not physically, but mentally and emotionally.

"Come on Iolaus," Hercules quietly prompted. "What happened in there that you're not telling me?"

No way in Tartarus.

"Nothing, Herc, really," Iolaus managed with a forced grin. Gesturing back to the temple he said, "I don't know why I ran like that. Should've just been sick right there in old cow face's temple, eh?"

Hercules nodded but remained silent, his hand still resting on his friend's shoulder. He knew Iolaus was hiding something from him. He knew him too well to think otherwise. But he also knew him well enough to know that he wasn't going to talk about it until he was good and ready. And when that time came, the demigod would be there for him. Just like Iolaus was always there for him.

"Herc?" the hunter's voice brought Hercules from his reverie.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Can we go home now?"

"Sure, sure. Let's get outta here," the big man said, leading Iolaus from the temple.

Once their visitors had gone, Iolaus had picked up his wife, carried her to their bedroom and proceeded to make love to her with an urgency he'd never known. She was so thankful that he had made it back home to her safely, and her body and soul's passionate response to his had caused the hunter to weep. Ania had gently wiped away her husband's tears and then kissed his eyelids closed, whispering soothing words about how emotionally draining his lifestyle could be before falling asleep in his arms.

'What have I done?' he asked silently. 'Gods, what have I done??'

Could he have done anything differently? If he'd left Hercules to be sacrificed, he could never have lived with himself. But could he live with this? The fact that he'd chosen Hercules' life over Ania's? Gods...it hurt so much to think about it! Damn Hera! She'd put him in an impossible situation just to see him squirm. She'd forced him to decide who lived and who died. That wasn't supposed to be his decision! All he had wanted was a happy, love-filled life in a nice, comfortable home with this beautiful woman that lay at his side. His decisions should be minor ones--what crops to plant and when, when to sell or keep the livestock, whose turn it was to wash the dishes! NOT who lived and who died!!

And yet he'd made that decision. Because his life was not that of a simple farmer, but someone who'd chosen to fight with Hercules and consequently incur the wrath of more than a few gods. He'd been forced to make a decision and he'd made it. But what had it already cost him? And what would it cost him yet? The mere thought of it ripped through his soul like the dagger with which the Blue Priest had threatened Hercules.

He was brought back to reality as the woman next to him stirred and snuggled deeper into his embrace. He tightened his arms around her and dropped a soft kiss on her sweet smelling hair as the agony he felt threatened to overwhelm him completely.

"I love you Iolaus," she whispered sleepily, smiling happily against his warm chest.

"I love you Ania," he replied, managing to keep the quiver from his voice, as he stroked her back lovingly.

"I'm so happy," she said. "We're going to together forever, aren't we, love?"

He never knew if her question had been rhetorical or not, but he did the only thing he could do.

"Yes my love," he whispered, this time not trusting his own voice. "Forever."

And as he closed his eyes against the tears he could no longer hold back, the only sound he heard was Hera's cruel laughter.

The End
7/30/99

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