This story is not intended to violate any copyrights held by MCA, Universal Studios, Renaissance Pictures or any other entity involved with the making of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys or Xena: Warrior Princess.
The path that wound its way toward Attica was narrow with barely room for the large man and his smaller sidekick to walk side by side. Large trees and shrubs laced over the path shading it from the rising sun. Steam from the ground rose to meet the chilly air of the morning. It was a few days before Solstice, and Iolaus had promised Erythia a visit during the annual celebration. But as with all good plans, this one had become sidetracked. He grumbled to Hercules as they walked up the path.
"Ah, come on Herc. Autolycus again. Is he on some Grecian crime spree or something?" Iolaus whined.
"It seems that way." Hercules professed.
"I heard last month during the harvest festival of Demeter, he helped himself to King Tibberon's feast and then to the Tibberon Topaz. The month before that, he was heard saying 'trick or treat' to the Morean guard before he knocked him out and stole the Morean Opal. Why do you think he's coming to Attica?"
"It sounds to me like he's trying to get the 12 jewels of Olympus." Hercules answered "Autolycus is only missing the Turquoise Obelisk of Attica and the Garnet of Gelos."
"Autolycus has TEN?" Iolaus said in disbelief.
Hercules nodded, "Myth says that each gem holds power of its own, but a curse is believed to befall anyone who possesses all twelve."
"Um.....Herc? You wouldn't happen to know what kind of a curse, would you?" Iolaus questioned as he stopped in the middle of the path.
"Nope. No one has ever gotten their hands on all twelve. Looks like Autolycus might be a first if we don't stop him. Now, are you coming?" Hercules asked as he began his journey towards Attica once more.
They arrived in Attica in the early afternoon. The crisp morning was replaced by warming sunshine. The town had an air of excitement as the villages were getting ready for their annual Solstice Festival.
As they walked into the edge of town, both Iolaus and Hercules were stopped by a scream. "Help. Help," a little girl cried, "my grandma got run over by a chariot!"
As Iolaus and Hercules began running toward the hue and cry they heard another cry from down the street.
"Help. Help," the guard from King Philantropos' castle was heard saying, "He's stolen the Obelisk of Attica."
Iolaus looked toward Hercules and then looked toward the guard. The guard quickly pointed to the culprit who was hastily making his way toward the center of town. Iolaus could see a familiar figure with dark hair and a green tunic running down the path. He held a turquoise obelisk in his left hand.
"I'll help the little girl. You get Autolycus," Hercules said as he rushed down the new path toward the unfortunate grandmother.
"Why do I always get the dirty jobs?" Iolaus asked as he ran toward town and toward the last place he had seen the King of Thieves.
Autolycus had made his way into the shopping district of the village. Large tent kiosks where the villagers would sell their goods in trade were set up in the middle of the square. Autolycus darted into one trying to escape the frenzied guards that had followed him from the castle.
"We'll be seeing my chestnuts roasting on an open fire, if I don't find a way out of here." Autolycus said to himself as he looked frantically for a back way out of the tent. He turned around just in time to see the guards enter. They were surveying the tent, advancing toward the King of Thieves.
Finally, the thief's eyes lit upon a rack of clothing. Searching quickly for an outfit in his usual 42 long, Autolycus could find only one. Snatching the tunic from the end of the rack, Autolycus escaped into the curtain of clothing just as the guards walked by.
The tunic was unlike any he had seen. It was colored in a bright red wool and had a collar of ermine that continued down and around the hem of the black buttoned tunic. A hat, conic in shape was also lined with the white fur, along the crown. On the tip of the cone, a couple of jingle bells hung from the hat. If the red tunic wouldn't attract enough unwanted attention, he was sure the jingle bells would. Grunting with effort, the thief pulled off the bells and threw them to the ground.
Looking around for something to carry his loot, Autolycus found a burlap sack piled in with a bunch of discarded clothing. He stuffed his green tunic and the turquoise obelisk into the bag. Throwing it over his shoulders, he tried to non chalantly walk out of the tent.
Quickly turning his back to Iolaus as the hunter entered, Iolaus missed recognizing the thief. Cautiously making his way out of the tent, Autolycus attempted to make a beeline for the edge of town.
Iolaus converged on the guards who had managed to loose the thief in the confusion of the holiday shopping.
"How could you loose him?" Iolaus chastised knowing full well that Autolycus was master at escaping any self incriminating situation. "Oh, nevermind," he answered dismissing the guards with both hands as he walked out of the tent in exasperation.
He met up with Hercules outside the tent.
"Autolycus made the slip," Iolaus confessed. "Now what?"
"I think we'll stick around for a while," Hercules said as he looked around the square. "You hungry?"
Iolaus looked at him disbelieving, "You have got to be kidding?"
The men found a small tavern on the outskirts of the square. Iolaus had hastily finished his meal, but continued to poke at a confection that was red but otherwise unidentifiable in its bowl. "Look, it wiggles like a bowl full of jelly," he mused as he stabbed at it with his fork.
"It's cranberry sauce. You like it?" Falafel asked as he walked up to the demigod and his partner.
"Hercules.....Iolaus....it's good to see you."
"Great...." Iolaus intoned, "On the first day of Solstice, Falafel gave to me.....cranberries that go jigg-el-y."
"Hey....that's catchy. You should put that to music." Falafel suggested.
"Thanks Falafel." Iolaus said trying to be polite. "Herc, what are we going to do about Autolycus?"
Hercules hesitated a moment as if thinking it over. "Okay. I think we've waited long enough. It's time to go get Autolycus," he said as he got up from his chair.
"Get Autolycus. Where?" The demigod's partner asked.
"I'll tell you on the way."
Autolycus had made it safely out of the tent, but not much further. Checking back to see if he was being followed, he felt a slight tugging on his pant leg. "Mister, do you have any money you can give me? I'm hungry," the young boy said. His face was full of dirt and his clothes were tattered and worn.
Without thinking, Autolycus reached into his money belt and pulled out a dinar, "Sure kid," he said as he gave the boy the coin.
"What did I just do?" Autolycus asked when he finally came to his senses. He couldn't believe he would give his money away that easily, even if it was to a starving child.
Following the path out of town, he stopped as he heard a couple arguing next to a flower kiosk. "You never give me flowers," the wife said as she chastised her husband.
Before he knew it, Autolycus had reached into his money belt and pulled out two more dinars. "Here's two dinars. Go buy this breathtaking beauty some flowers," he said taking and kissing her hand.
The woman giggled in delight, as her husband stared at the money in his palm.
As they walked back to town, Autolycus shook his head in wonder, "Why would I do that....why she's uglier than a lamia in heat.
By the time another villager walked by, Autolycus had inquired as to where he could find the local toy store and 0orphanage.
When Iolaus and Hercules made it to the orphanage, Autolycus had already arrived. He stood in the common room eagerly passing out toys and presents to the kids. As the children wandered toward the stranger in the bright red suit, he would reach into his burlap sack and pick out a special present for each orphan. The thief actually seemed relieved to see Hercules and Iolaus enter the room.
"Had enough philantrophy, Autolycus?" Hercules asked.
"By the Gods, Hercules, make me stop. You don't know what this is doing to ruin my image as The King of Thieves."
"You can easily stop it by handing over the Obelisk of Attica."
"Here. Here." Autolycus said as he panickally pulled it out of his sack. "What else do you want? Pearls, emeralds," he asked as he pulled out a strand of pearls and a emerald ring he had stolen earlier in the day.
"That's a start," Hercules said, "you can also return the other ten jewels you stole."
"Alright. Alright," Autolycus said, this time appropriately annoyed.
"Nice Outfit. Did you steal it off the rack?" Iolaus commented.
"Ho. Ho. Ho. Happy Solstice to you too, Iolaus."
Iolaus laughed, "Looks like Autolycus is back to his same insufferable self. Feeling better?"
"As a matter of fact, yeah, I am! What happened?"
"Well, it seems that the Obelisk of Attica causes it's possessor to become...how can I say it....altruistic, like King Philantropos in nature."
"Oooh. Yuck." Autolycus said as he made a sour face, "Good thing you guys came along when you did, then. Zeus only knows what else I would have given away." He dropped the burlap bag and rubbed his hands on his leather pants as if cleaning them from some filth.
"Oh, Iolaus....by the way....do you hear what I hear?" Autolycus asked.
"No. What is it?" Iolaus asked.
"Me running out the door," Autolycus answered as he escaped the orphanage.
"Um....Herc, do you want me to go after him."
"No. I think Autolycus will be getting what's coming to him this Solstice," Hercules said as he slapped Iolaus on the back and guided him out of the orphanage. "Let's go home."
The End
