Without Words

PART ONE
The Thansis Kiss

Chapter 1

"It's very simple really. We need Hercules out of the way. If he's around he will interfere and if he interferes we'll fail and you won't become the king you want to be. King Pellius the great will forever be remembered as King Pellius the defeated; unable to produce an heir, unable to extend his kingdom, unable to protect his citizens from all-comers. Is that really how you want to be remembered?"

Pellius looked up from his desk and shook his head, his jowls swinging vigorously. He wanted to be remembered as a powerful king, as a monarch who did something grand, a monarch who was strong. He had to expand his realm he knew that. His small kingdom had always been a laughing stock; he needed it to be a threat. His advisor was using the fantasy he held close to his heart and never spoke of; the fantasy of the conquering hero, defeating all that stood in his way. He also had a not so secret fantasy of having a healthy son as heir to his throne. A son and a kingdom any man would be proud to pass on to his heir. Sighing he waved Tallin to continue, it was still a dream but Tallin seemed to think he could make the dream become reality and Pellius was willing to listen.

As the smaller man standing before him continued to speak, Pellius absent-mindedly picked at the sweetmeats on the silver salver that was always kept nearby, a smile growing on his face. It just might work, he may be the most feared King of all Greece yet, and he may even have the gods smiling on him by the time he was finished.

"Herc? Hercules! Are you sulking? You are, aren't you! Ha!" Iolaus bounced on his toes in front of the bigger man and giggled.

Hercules frowned and tried to walk round his partner, he didn't want to get into this, he really didn't want to get into this. But Iolaus was not going to let him get away so easily; he ran circles around the demigod and gleefully teased him.

"Twenty feet tall."

"It was twelve." grumbled an unhappy Hercules.

"Hair cascading over his shoulders in waves of honey gold."

Hercules glared at his nimble companion and stomped onward.

"A lion-skin over his shoulders, a club in his hand, and - what else? Oh yeah, a beard!"

Hercules mumbled something under his breath.

"Alcmene wouldn't like you saying things like that Herc." Iolaus laughed so hard at the memory of the statue they had come across in the previous town that he had to stop walking, leaning over and resting his hands on his thighs. Eventually he recovered and discovered that he was alone.

"Herc! Hey! Wait up! What about those muscles?"

Giggling and out of breath Iolaus finally caught up with his friend. "You've got to look at the funny side Herc. They meant well, the sculptor only had other people's stories to go on." Iolaus arranged his face into a serious expression, "He did very well, don't you think?"

Unable to hold the expression Iolaus burst into another fit of the giggles, and Hercules couldn't resist any longer, he smiled.

Iolaus pointed at his face, "See! You do think it's funny. Thank the gods for that, I was beginning to think you were an impostor, a fake Herc that one of the gods had planted with me in one of their cunningly stupid plans."

Hercules had to laugh, "Cunningly stupid? Sounds like Ares to me. So, what do you reckon Iolaus ... what would a statue of you be like then?" Hercules clapped his hand on Iolaus' shoulder and started to describe in detail the statue that should stand alongside his.

"Hmmm, it should be about three feet tall, with a golden bow and arrow, lots and lots of unruly blond curls all over its head, and…"

"More like thirty feet high, with a handsome profile and..."

Both men spoke in unison, "Muscles!"

King Pellius watched his Queen with an appraising eye as she leaned over her embroidery work. They had been married for nearly five years and still she had not provided him with an heir. She was barren, not even a daughter in all this time, not even a pregnancy. At least his first wife had managed that much, she had borne three babies, two had died in infancy, the third - a daughter - was a difficult hotheaded teenager. She had been banished from court until she could behave, her maternal grandmother caring for her.

'Knocking a bit of sense into that airy head I hope.' King Pellius muttered under his breath and returned to his more immediate concern. He needed a son; he needed to strengthen his position soon if he was to make any inroads on the neighbouring provinces. He didn't want to always have to be looking over his shoulder afraid of a plot to take over his throne. Pellius had been King of this little land for nearly twenty years and he was tired of its insignificance, tired of being the butt of jokes throughout Greece. He wanted to be remembered for his fire and greatness, not for the modest size of his kingdom.

Tallin had made some sense with the suggestion he had made the previous day; it was well worth thinking about. She wasn't anything special anyway, just related to the right people; not so bad to look at if you liked her kind of austere beauty, but she wasn't any fun. Pellius was tired of looking at her, Queen Elissa the boring second wife. Why had Jocinda had to die? She had at least made the effort to pretend she was happy, this one suffered in stoical silence - it drove him mad and she knew it. He supposed that it was her way of getting revenge for being forced into the marriage in the first place.

Yes, Tallin's plan was looking very attractive, they'd be sure to remember him if it came off. Oh yes, they would all remember him. King Pellius, the man who had destroyed Hercules and become King of half of Greece, and the man to whom so many gods would be grateful. Pellius snorted a laugh and eased his considerable bulk out of his throne, he would talk to Tallin straightaway he must congratulate his Advisor on such a show of brilliance.

Elissa sighed, her husband's presence in the room was always trying, but it was worse when he was planning something. He was definitely planning something; he only ever talked to himself whilst scheming. She wondered if he was working out a way to get rid of her. There would be no children, she had suffered the marriage only because there was no choice, and she would not bear his children. Elissa's grandmother was a healer of seemingly magical abilities; Elissa had always enjoyed spending time with Garcie and so was well able to ensure her continuing lack of motherhood. However, there was a price to pay for her pride and stubbornness, and that price may well be her life.

That was no real hardship; she had left her life behind her when she had come to live in the cold, draughty palace. All she did now was survive each day, and if she could be a thorn in her husband's side all the better. She was beginning to worry though, the advisor Tallin was a little too intelligent and a little too unpleasant for her comfort. The Queen had a feeling that whatever he was planning with her husband it was big.

Iolaus jumped into the air, grabbing at the parchment Hercules held in his hand. "Lemme see, lemme see!" Hercules grinned and held the message above his head, well out of reach of his partner. Iolaus stopped jumping and in his frustration started pacing around the demigod. "Come on Herc. You can't do this to me. Does it really have my name on it?"

Hercules continued to grin and read from the invitation held high above his head, "King Pellius and his Queen, Elissa do cordially invite..."

"What's cordilly?" Iolaus questioned impatiently.

Hercules was never sure if Iolaus was being purposefully obtuse or whether he really didn't know, he decided to ignore the question. " ... do cordially invite Hercules and Iolaus to a gathering at their palace in the kingdom of Meassia on the second full moon after the summer solstice - that's only three days away - in celebration of peace being held in the kingdom for ten years."

Iolaus grabbed at the invitation again, "Lemme see! It really says my name too? Have they spelt it right?"

Hercules laughed and finally gave in, it was always nice to see other people acknowledging Iolaus' part in their partnership, too often the smaller man was overlooked by the grateful crowd in favour of the son of Zeus. Hercules regretted that, although he'd never tell Iolaus, if he did he would never hear the end of it. The demigod watched happily as Iolaus read the invitation over and over again, muttering in disbelief that he had been accorded equal standing to his friend.

"About time too!" he finally said giving Hercules the scroll back. Standing away from the demigod and putting his hands on his hips Iolaus squinted up at his friend, "So, what's the catch?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Hercules pretended not to understand, but Iolaus swept his pretence away with a dismissive wave of the hand and crossed his arms in front of him meaningfully.

"Okay, Okay," Hercules conceded the point, "but it does seem a bit strange doesn't it? I mean I don't know King Pellius at all. We've never even visited his kingdom, and now all of a sudden he's inviting us to this big party. Why?"

"Does he have to have a reason?"

"Yes."

"Well okay, what about this. He knows what great party animals we are and wanting to make this the best party ever, invites us." Iolaus barely looked at the doubting expression on Hercules' face before continuing, " Nah, that's no good. If that were the case, he'd only have invited me. So ... maybe he wants to impress everyone with who he knows. You know the thing, 'Hey! Look at me everyone, I'm friends with Hercules.'"

The demigod grinned as he watched Iolaus strutting around pretending to be the pompous king.

"I've got a feeling, Iolaus..." he finally managed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Something's wrong and 'we' are the ones to sort it out. Save the day. Beat off the bad guys. Fight the good fight. Win against all odds..."

Hercules rolled his eyes, "Find out what Pellius is up to and stop him."

"And this involves danger?"

Hercules nodded.

"Probably."

"The odds will be stacked against us?"

Hercules nodded again.

"We'll be fighting for what's right?"

"We usually do."

"Helping those who can't help themselves?"

"Yup."

"Okay. I just wanted us to be clear. We're not gonna miss the party are we?"

Hercules attempted to cuff Iolaus round the head but wasn't surprised when he missed. He smiled as he watched the smaller man dance away down the road, he was a demigod but he didn't have the energy Iolaus always seemed to exude, that was something else that he loved about Iolaus and would probably never tell him.

Tallin took a deep breath, trying to rein in his growing ire. The Executioner was very good at his job, but sometimes it could be infuriating trying to talk to him. He tried again,

"No, he will deserve his punishment. He plans a very cruel trick on the king. All I ask of you is to ready Thansis and yourself."

The Executioner frowned in concentration and raised a questioning eyebrow.

Tallin took his frustration out on a nearby post, knocking it out of the ground. He replied through clenched teeth, "I know that you're devoted to your job, Executioner. We just want to ensure everything goes smoothly. The king has every confidence that you will be prepared." Tallin used this remark as his cue to leave, and as he walked away he wondered how he could have found a man so stupid and yet so adept at his art.

The Executioner watched the thin man leave, he would do as he was told - he always had - but he wouldn't necessarily like it. Nobody could make him trust the king's advisor.

Iolaus was dazzled by the amazing sight that met his eyes, the huge hall was bedecked with flowers and vines, the walls lined with trestle tables groaning under the weight of the plants and flowers they carried. And amongst the plant-life were statues of the guests, even Iolaus had his own statue - top heavy and crudely made, but Iolaus all the same. He preened over the twelve-inch statue for a moment before he looked round at Hercules. His semi-divine partner was screwing up his face in disdain; the statue in front of him was muscle-bound and had an animalistic grimace on its face. The demigod's statue was also carrying a huge club in one hand and Hercules obviously disapproved.

"I like the lion-skin Herc. It makes you very ... heroic!" Iolaus giggled but Hercules just frowned even more.

"Come on Herc, you're not gonna sulk again are you? It is kinda funny. I mean look at you. Look at me! I'd scare my own mother if I really looked like that."

Hercules sighed and looked down at the two statues, the only difference between this one and the larger than life one they had seen not long before was that this Hercules was clean shaven. It bugged him that so many people saw these things and thought that they were true representations of the demigod. Statues of him always looked so angry, so fierce. He wasn't like that at all, and he hadn't worn his lion-skin since he'd used it to play with his children.

Just then a servant came up to the two men with a tray carrying two goblets of red wine. He bowed slightly and waited for them to take their glasses. Once they had he bowed again and disappeared into the crowd. Hercules looked into his glass and took an experimental sip. It didn't seem to have been watered much, but it did taste quite nice. Iolaus took a big gulp of the wine and Hercules laughed. His friend would never really appreciate the delicate flavours of a good wine. The demigod looked back down at his statue and sighed, he was going to be remembered throughout history as some he-man monster and there was nothing he could do about it.

Iolaus had gone back to preening over his own statue, and Hercules had to smile at that; it was only recognisable as Iolaus because he was wearing his tattered vest and the familiar talisman was hanging around his neck. There the similarity ended, the statue of Iolaus was holding a mace in his hands and his face was set in a snarl. The muscles on his upper body were so large and his legs so small that Hercules didn't think a real man would be able to stand if he were built like that. Taking a sideways glance at his friend Hercules laughed. Iolaus was trying to imitate the ugly snarl on his statue's face and he wasn't doing very well.

"You're nearly as tall as me Iolaus, and I believe you've got more muscles. It's an amazingly accurate likeness isn't it?"

Hercules couldn't keep a straight face, and Iolaus grinned up at him, more than a little bit relieved. He knew how much these statues upset Hercules.

Recovering his composure Hercules took a slow look around the room; almost every monarch and figure of importance in the whole of Greece was present. It felt like a recipe for disaster. How had Pellius and Tallin managed to talk them all into attendance?

It was a pity Iphicles hadn't been able to come; Hercules had received word that his brother had an invitation but wouldn't be attending as he was in the middle of some delicate discussions with one of his neighbours. Hercules noted that those two kingdoms seemed to be the only ones not in attendance.

"Okay Iolaus, time to find out what is going on here. Mingle, but try to remember that we're not here to have a good time, we're here to find out what Pellius is up to."

Iolaus gave Hercules a disgusted look, "We can do both you know Herc." and pushed through the crowds in the direction of the food that was being brought in to the hall by slaves. The huge golden platters were piled high with delicacies to tempt the palate. Iolaus licked his lips in anticipation. He wasn't alone, the guests crowded round the platters forgetting their manners in their haste to grab at the food.

Hercules stayed out of the fray, he sipped from his glass of watered wine and tried to find a quiet corner in which to watch the proceedings.

Iolaus had tasted the food, now he wanted to dance. The music was good, the musicians knew their art and the rhythm was digging its way into his soul, he wouldn't be able to resist for very much longer. Looking around him, Iolaus spotted a lone woman, she was very beautiful, in a distant, somewhat cold manner, but she swayed to the music - she was under its spell. He grinned and moved towards her, instinctively knowing that she would dance well.

Pellius was a little worried, he trusted Tallin but... well, how could this plan work? It seemed far too complicated. He watched the party as it swung into action, everyone was having a good time but...he still couldn't see how the plan would work.

Tallin noticed his king's frown and moved to his side, "Sire? What bothers you?"

"Your plan Tallin. I mean how can you be sure? How do you know that Iolaus will dance with my wife, how do you know that Hercules will disapprove? Why don't we just kill all the kings, poison them or something and be done with it."

Tallin allowed himself a chuckle, "It is tempting I'll admit, but then we'll still have Hercules and his friend to contend with. How many times in the past have they managed to defeat plans for war? Anyway our royal guests are expecting us to act against them, they are alert to that danger. The kings aren't important, Hercules and Iolaus are. Watch, King Pellius, watch and learn. Look - see how Iolaus feels the music, see how the Queen needs to dance. There. Look! See Hercules frown. He disapproves. He can see what Iolaus is going to do, he knows. There, he intervenes, he argues his point, and he gets angry. See?"

"Yes, but how?"

Tallin smiled, "We have a gift King Pellius, we must use the gift as it is given. Let's just say that I was told of their action and reaction. Let's just say that I knew what would happen."

"How?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Tallin looked upwards in a meaningful manner. Pellius, over-awed, stepped backwards, "You mean...? Who?"

Tallin just smiled and continued to watch the ongoing saga unfold in front of him.

Pellius, nervous and awed, averted his eyes, "Ares?"

Tallin still smiled, not speaking.

"Really? He's with us?"

Tallin continued to smile, allowing the king to come to his own conclusions. Ares may be the one who had given him enough knowledge of the two heroes for his plan to work, but it was always wise to keep the full picture to himself. Ares may benefit from the wars, and from Hercules' death, but Tallin would benefit from this too.

Iolaus groaned, he felt as if he'd been trampled by a herd of angry Gods of War. It must have been some party to make him feel this bad but he couldn't remember anything about the previous evening, except the wine. The wine had been very red. He groaned again and tried to sit up. The room spun alarmingly and he held on to the edge of his bed until the dizziness passed. "Some party." he muttered as he tried to get his bearings. The room was empty of furniture; the walls were rock and the bed ... well the bed seemed more like a bench. Iolaus felt a slight twist in his stomach and this time it wasn't because of the wine. Something was wrong here.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked down in confusion, he was wearing silky blue pants, the material was thin and hung in generous pleats which was gathered at his ankles by deeply embroidered cuffs, a flat gold cummerbund completing the picture. There was no sign of his clothes in the room. Iolaus stared down at his bare feet trying to remember what had happened, he got a fleeting impression of himself dancing with someone but he couldn't see whom it was.

What had been going on? Iolaus took a deep breath to try and clear his head and gasped in pain, his ribs were on fire. He felt as if ... uh oh ... yup ... busted ribs. What in Tartarus was going on? Iolaus gingerly tested the rest of his body and discovered various bumps and bruises but nothing that seemed too serious. What was really bothering him was the fog in his mind, why couldn't he remember what had happened?

Iolaus lay back down on the bed, hoping that it would help stop the room from spinning. He closed his eyes trying to picture the party again; this time he saw the regal face of Queen Elissa smile at him, he saw her raise her hand to take his as they stepped out onto the dance floor and then they were swept away by the music.

Chapter 2

Hercules shook his head, still dazed at the speed with which everything had come crashing down around him. He was a prisoner, and his incarceration had the full weight of the law behind it. He was accused of harming the Queen, his mind shied away from the next thought but he could not escape it. He was accused of two counts of grievous bodily harm to people resident within the palace walls. The Queen herself who still lay unconscious and - Iolaus.

His soul screamed at him to take action, do something, anything. How could he sit here doing nothing whilst Iolaus was laying injured somewhere? Hercules couldn't believe that he had been the one who had hurt Iolaus, or the Queen, but ... his mind was foggy. There had been a party, Hercules only remembered accepting one glass of the ruby coloured wine but he felt as if he'd finished a barrel of the stuff by himself. His aching brain was telling him that he must have been drugged, but it was also telling him that if he couldn't remember the previous evening how could he be sure that what they said wasn't true.

The cell he was in was small, the only furniture a low wooden pallet to sleep on. The floor was compacted earth and three of the walls had been carved out of solid rock, he must be underground. He sat on the pallet facing the fourth side of his prison, it consisted of iron bars reaching from floor to ceiling, and he knew that he could rip those bars out any time he wanted to. But he wouldn't do that; justice had to run its course. There would be a trial and the truth would come out then, it had to.

One of the guards came up to his cell and stood looking in at him, Hercules blearily looked up, his head still pounding, his vision blurred. There was only one thing on his mind as he spoke,

"How's Iolaus? Is he all right?"

"How sweet", the guard's voice dripped with sarcasm, "you want to know how your best buddy is - after beating him half to death last night." But the man relented after seeing the anguish on the demigod's face. "He'll be fine. A bit battered, but nothing a few days rest won't cure. He was lucky - no thanks to you!" The guard had been warned not to speak of the punishment Iolaus faced for his own crime.

His disgust with Hercules barely hidden, the guard unlocked the cell and gestured for the demigod to come with him. Hercules was surprised that they had only sent one man, but then decided that the King was bright enough to realise that if Hercules had wanted to cause trouble a few guards could not stop him.

He was taken to the King's private office. It was a large room with surprisingly little furniture or decoration. The rough stone walls were unadorned. The king sat behind his desk, a huge slab of oak resting on two crudely carved tree stumps. He gestured for Hercules to move forward and nodded to the guard who stationed himself just inside the door. As Hercules walked to the other side of the room he realised that there was another man there too. The King's first advisor, Tallin, was sitting in a deep chair to one side of the room, gazing into a roaring fire.

Hercules refused to speak until someone else did, and the silence dragged out. The king just sat and stared up at Hercules with a smug little smile on his face. The demigod recognized that this was not the face of a man who held any concern for the welfare of his wife, more the face of a man whose plans were all coming together nicely thank you very much.

After what seemed like hours Tallin rose from his chair and silently slipped in to place behind the king's right shoulder. It was obvious that he was familiar with this position and comfortable with it. The advisor reminded Hercules of a fox, he had a clean-shaven narrow face, with a long pointed nose and small brown eyes that never stopped darting around the room. He was a sly one and it would do well for Hercules to watch him carefully, but that may prove problematic as he was still having great difficulty concentrating.

After a few moments more, when the king was finally sure that Hercules was not going to break down and confess, he raised his pale blue eyes to Tallin in acknowledgement and Tallin spoke,

"Hercules. You have been accused of a very serious crime. Not only of an act of violence against another guest of his most royal majesty, but also of daring to cause injury to our beloved queen. We are here today to explain the charges to you, and as you are only a visitor, to explain our laws and punishments. If you have any questions at the end of this time we will try and accommodate you with answers."

'Pompous, unctuous, creep!' was what Hercules wanted to say and Iolaus probably would have found something even better. But he tried to focus himself on the words Tallin was saying in his soft, soothing voice. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate though, Hercules found his mind wandering. He was worried about Iolaus; his mind wouldn't rest until he could see for himself that the hunter was all right.

Determined shaking woke Iolaus. Hands were gripping his shoulders tightly and pulling him back and forth, "Gerroff! Herc? What's going on?" But when he finally roused himself Iolaus was silent. Several of the royal guards were in his room, one had his hands on Iolaus' shoulders and was shaking him roughly, and the others were standing silent and watching. Iolaus' stomach plummeted, he knew that this was not good ... not at all good.

"Hi guys, what can I do for you?"

His smile was full of bravado, but the guards weren't impressed, the man holding his shoulders sneered,

"Hah! You won't be so cheerful when they've got you outside, you little ragbag!"

Iolaus would normally have happily swiped the smirk right off of the guard's face but his head was pounding, and the room was giving lurching turns as he tried to focus. Whatever had happened the night before he was really paying for it now. "Leave me alone." he declared and tried to turn away from the men in his room, but they weren't interested in his need for sleep and he was pulled and pushed onto his feet. The Sergeant leered down at Iolaus' outfit, naked from the waist up - except for his talisman, and then there were those blue ... Iolaus shivered with embarrassment. It really wasn't much of an outfit for a warrior; he would just have to brazen it out. How in Tartarus did he get in to this mess?

"I suppose you're waiting for your big friend to rescue you. Well you'll have to wait a long time." The Sergeant leered at Iolaus again, "See he's the one that busted your ribs." He laughed at the shocked expression on Iolaus' face, "That's right. He went berserk. Of course if it had just been you he'd attacked the King would probably have pinned a medal on him, but it's the Queen you see..." the man was delighting in Iolaus' discomfort and wanted to string this out for as long as possible, "She's lying unconscious up in her rooms. They don't know if she'll live."

Iolaus voice was hollow and the Sergeant had to strain to hear him, "What'll happen to Hercules?"

"After you get yours he'll go on public trial. When he's found guilty he'll be executed." The Sergeant and his men laughed as if he'd told a fine joke when he made his last remark, "Of course with you either dead or close enough and him blaming himself, I don't suppose he'll escape will he? He'll just let us take his head!"

The guards pulled Iolaus' hands behind his back and fastened them together with manacles. He could feel the cold of the metal bite his wrists. He felt numb but wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of knowing just how painful this news was, "Aw now, you don't think I'm going to try and escape 'you' do you boys? And there I was thinking we were all getting along so well!"

The men were too stupid or too well trained to rise to the bait and they ignored Iolaus' taunts. Pushing him roughly they guided him outside into the bright sunlit afternoon. They had emerged from a side entrance of the palace and Iolaus found himself standing on a wooden platform in the main square.

Iolaus looked on in trepidation as the square filled with people, they were happily chattering away, some of them pointed at him as they talked and all of them were taking plenty of time to stare up at him. The warrior had never felt more naked in his life. He stage whispered to the guard next to him, "Good crowd isn't it? I suppose I'm the main event ... what exactly are they expecting of me? I wouldn't want to disappoint anyone."

The guard chuckled and gave Iolaus a sideways glance, "You won't disappoint them runt, you squeal don't you?" He laughed again and turned away from Iolaus, levelling his eyes front and staring blankly into the gathering crowd.

For the first time Iolaus noticed the wooden framework that had been built near the front of the platform. It was a simple frame with shackles fixed to the crossbar at just the right distance apart to hold a man's wrists. "And the stage is set." Iolaus whispered to himself, he hoped that Hercules was being held somewhere far away from this place, somewhere where he wouldn't be able to see - or hear - what was going to happen here.

The guards either side of him responded to a silent signal and pushed their captive forward. The crowd grew quiet as they watched the blond stumble into position under the wooden framework, his hands still manacled behind his back. They knew that the spectacle was about to begin. Retribution was at hand. They stared with open hatred at the man who had been so audacious, he would pay and they would cheer.

Tallin walked up the steps onto the platform to the cheers of the crowd; he smiled at Iolaus and turned to the hungry crowd raising an arm for quiet,

"People! We are here today to carry out the wishes of our sorely wronged King. In accordance with laws laid down in the time of Dessander the Third he has the right to vengeance on any man that dares to take his property, or bed his wife."

Some of the rowdier element in the crowd jeered at this comment, Iolaus just stared at Tallin, mouth agape in shock as he realised just what he was supposed to have done. 'The Queen? I didn't ... I mean I couldn't have ... could I?' That was the trouble he couldn't remember, all he could remember was dancing with her. But that dance floor had been a long way from any bedroom; he would never have been so stupid - would he? Iolaus tried to concentrate on Tallin's words as he continued his announcement.

"King Pellius wishes to show his friends and his subjects that he is not a weak man, he wishes all to know that he will not stand for disloyalty or dishonour within his kingdom. It was with a heavy heart that the King passed sentence on Iolaus, a man he thought to be a friend to his people.

"But Iolaus broke that trust held sacrosanct to all decent men and he will be made to pay for his deception in the old way." At this the crowd stirred, many of them had obviously not known what punishment awaited Iolaus, some turned away horrified, but more shouted and clapped in eager anticipation.

"Guards."

The guards moved smoothly, unlocking Iolaus' manacles and lifting him so that they could lock his wrists in place to the frame. The guard holding Iolaus off the ground let go and he felt the full weight of his body pull on his arms. His broken ribs protested and Iolaus gritted his teeth against the pain knowing that this was only the beginning. With difficulty he could touch the boards beneath him with his toes and take some of the weight, but he knew that even that would become a strain before long.

"Uh ... excuse me? But what exactly is the 'old way'?" The bright gleam of hunger in Tallin's eyes was worrying Iolaus. If he knew what was coming he could prepare himself, or so he thought.

Tallin nodded to Iolaus in acknowledgement, barely concealing his irritation at being interrupted. There were guests here who wouldn't know what punishment was intended and Tallin was annoyed at himself for forgetting them. "For those of you who are only visitors to our land I will explain the details of the punishment. Firstly, the offender will receive forty lashes from the Thansis; he will remain on the scaffold until the evening of the second day at which time he will receive a further twenty lashes. At sunset on the third day he will be branded for the adulterer that he is and set free. No one is to give him water or food; the guards are under orders to kill anyone who tries to help him. This man is an enemy of our Kingdom and he must pay as tradition dictates."

Iolaus felt his resolve weaken, three days hanging from these beams, three days without food or water and with a ruined and bloody back. Sixty lashes? He couldn't begin to imagine the pain, but he would endure - he had to. For Hercules' sake.

Tallin had finished speaking and from the edge of his vision Iolaus could see a large muscle-bound man stepping towards him. Turning his head to get a better look Iolaus saw the whip held in the man's hand. Its handle was made of intricately carved bone and the leather was long and thick. Iolaus smiled tightly, 'Iolaus, meet Thansis. Thansis this is Iolaus.' Looking closely at the whip that was so special it had been given a name Iolaus spied the deadly sharpness of one side of the leather lash; it looked like a knife's blade instead of a whip.

"Hey! Nice piece of craftsmanship there, I'd hate you to damage it on my tough old skin, what d'you say we just go discuss where you got it over a nice mug of ale?"

The smile Iolaus received in response was one of genuine pleasure, beatific but not beautiful. The teeth it revealed were blackened and rotting, Iolaus grinned back, "I just know we're gonna be friends."

The man nodded enthusiastically and laughed his mouth opening wide to show the stump where his tongue had once been. Iolaus turned to Tallin, "Hey! I can't make a new friend without knowing his name. How'm I supposed to get his attention?"

Tallin smiled a tight smile, he didn't like this insolence coming from his prisoner, they were normally quaking and pleading for mercy by now. "He has no name. But to us he is known as The Executioner."

"Oh, Okay, well I'll just call him Cutie then. Hey, Cutie, wha'cha doing?"

The Executioner had moved behind Iolaus and now stretched out one hand to touch his smooth back. He ran the palm of his hand up and down Iolaus' skin a couple of times before stepping back and preparing the whip for its work. It was as if he were a craftsman checking the raw material before beginning to carve.

Iolaus took a slow deep breath trying to calm himself and prepare for the first blow. He felt his senses open to the sights and sounds and scents around him; the crowd muttering in rapt anticipation, the brightly coloured clothes they were wearing, and the dazzling blue of the sky. He felt the soft caress of the warm breeze and could smell the many scents mixed within it. Baking bread in a nearby house, the heady perfumes worn by the overheated women watching him, the rancid smell coming from Cutie, the smell of stale sweat that you always get from a large crowd of people, and under it all the smell of fear. He recognised the smell, welcomed it, for it was his fear he could scent and once recognised it could be beaten.

He heard the sound of air parting and Tallin calling out, "One!" and then the leather split his back, and it felt like fire, and it felt like being torn into two, and this was only the beginning.

Hercules was back in his cell, his head was still spinning and full of cotton wool and he could hardly remember any of the things Tallin had told him. The demigod knew that this was not a good thing; he should be trying to get all the information he could. He wasn't being allowed visitors and it was obvious that he wasn't going to be allowed to see Iolaus, so he needed his wits about him - now more than ever before. But it was hopeless, his mind swam, reeling and twisting so that he couldn't grasp hold of any thought.

Gods! There were hundreds of witnesses to what had happened. Everyone had seen the argument with Iolaus. Hercules had been so pompous - as always. Iolaus had asked the Queen to dance he couldn't see a problem. Two people that liked to dance to the music that was filling their souls. He just couldn't see the possible repercussions, the questions, and the accusations. Iolaus could be so innocent sometimes!

And now Hercules was sitting here with the mother of all hangovers, unable to speak to Iolaus. Only being able to rely on the King's comments to comfort himself that he hadn't really 'hurt' Iolaus - or the Queen. He could hardly believe that he could have hurt her, but he'd been so angry with his friend. He shuddered as the angry words came back to him through the fog; "You have no self-control Iolaus! Can't you ever see the bigger picture?"

Iolaus had just laughed and shaken his head, turning away to take the Queen's hand and sweep her onto the dance floor. Hercules sighed in frustration; he felt his fear beating big wings in his chest. What if he really had hurt Iolaus? What if he really was guilty? He stood and began pacing the cell, every fibre of his being told him that Iolaus needed him Iolaus was in trouble. But his head was telling him that if Iolaus was in trouble he'd brought it on himself. That damn flirting way of his, no woman - not even a married one - seemed able to resist. 'Gods Iolaus, what have you gotten us into?'

Hercules sank back down onto the pallet that was his bed and sighed, Tallin had mentioned something about a trial; he would just have to wait until he got his time in court, and he would just have to hope that Iolaus was working on a defence for him.

"Fourteen!"

Cutie knew that he had to keep going until the boss said the word 'Forty'; his shoulder was beginning to feel a pull as he put all his considerable strength into his work. The nice man had smiled at him, nobody smiled at the Executioner; they yelled at him, they told him what to do, they never smiled or offered friendship. Cutie sighed; he looked at the cuts that were opening up on that smooth golden skin, it was sad. Sad to see all that beauty damaged. Cutie was ugly; he'd always known that. His skin was scarred and broken, his face frightened the children, but that didn't mean that he couldn't appreciate pretty things. He liked pretty things. Iolaus was pretty his skin was pretty. He had smiled and given Executioner a name, a name all his own. He'd never had a name before.

"Seventeen!"

He cringed as the scream ripped through his head, he didn't like it when they screamed - but they always screamed in the end, usually sooner rather than later, sometimes even before the first stroke of the lash. But usually there were only a few lashes this was more. He was tired now, he wished 'forty' would hurry up and come; he wanted to go home and sleep. It would have been nice if Iolaus could have come with him, Iolaus had smiled at him, Iolaus was nice.

"Twenty!"

Iolaus felt the wet warmth of his blood running down his back, he'd been right about that whip, the edge was breaking his skin all too easily. The hunter tried to keep his breathing slow and shallow, his ribs still burned every time he tried to take a deep breath. But he couldn't hold on much longer, he was drowning in the pain. All those people out there - watching - and his pride spoke to him, it didn't want them to see him scream. Iolaus could hear a voice whispering to him but there was no one there. He tried to look around him but the slicing agony that fell across his back made him bite back a scream.

'There's no need to hold back Iolaus, remember your lessons. Voice your pain, give it a release, channel it.' It was a familiar voice, one from a far place. Reminding him of just one of the strange Eastern techniques he had once learned.

Amongst all of the agony that was burning through his soul and tearing his world asunder, the voice kept talking to him, 'You have to survive Iolaus - for Hercules, for Elissa, for yourself -you have to keep going. Scream all you like Iolaus, you know it helps. Scream Iolaus, remember the lesson.'

Iolaus remembered his instructor screaming into his face and telling him never to be too proud to shout his pain, or voice his anger. 'Scream, Iolaus. Fight the pain, deny its hold on you.' So when the next fire rained down on his back the hunter screamed. It hurt his ribs, it made some of the guards' laugh derisively; he could hear the comment of one, "Squealing just like the runt he is." but he knew better. The next blow landed as Tallin carefully named it, "Eighteen!"

'Nearly half way, we're nearly half way.' Iolaus felt the muscles in his body losing control; he was shivering as he hung within the wooden frame, some of the tortured muscles in his back spasming painfully. The pain kept growing and he no longer cared that people were watching, all that filled his every thought was the deep red cloud of pain.

Within that cloud he saw the severe expression of the Queen - Elissa - her name was Elissa. He saw her frown and then her face lit up with a smile and suddenly she was an entirely different person. She had smiled at him, she had laughed and nodded when he'd asked her to dance - and he'd known then that he'd been right to do it. Hercules was wrong; sometimes it was worth the risk - if only for a smile. They swept away on the heavy beat of the music, surrounded by red. The thudding rhythm and the red, the blood red air. They danced to the music of his heartbeat, they swept through the ballroom of his pain, and he smiled as he screamed as he danced.

Chapter 3

King Pellius was very pleased, the crowd was large and seemed to be enjoying themselves; a cheer went up with every crack of the lash. He leaned back in his chair and appraised the naked back of his prisoner from his vantage point within the palace; it was running with blood and under the redness he could see deep gashes criss-crossing it. Smiling the King reached for another grape; Iolaus had stopped screaming now, all his energy given over to staying alive. Pellius had been surprised at how much he was enjoying this, after all he wasn't really after vengeance was he, he couldn't care one way or another what his wife did in her spare time. And he knew that in truth Iolaus was just a pawn in a larger game, a means to an end.

And it was the step closer to the king's goal that Iolaus represented that really made Pellius smile, Hercules was a sheep sitting in his little cell, willingly allowing their system of justice to prevail while his friend was being tortured in front of half the populace of Meassia. This time he would be destroyed and Pellius would be the one to do it. Popping yet another juicy grape into his mouth the King watched as the blood turned blue silk to red making the cloth cling to the back of Iolaus' legs. A touch of pure genius those silk barely-there pants; what man would not believe in Iolaus' guilt upon seeing those, what woman would not understand their come hither signal.

Queen Elissa's eyes remained closed as she lay in her bed nestled in the snow-white pillows. She was no longer unconscious she was listening. The palace healer was talking with someone, whispering instructions to bring more herbs. Elissa was the granddaughter of the greatest healer this kingdom had ever seen, she knew what these herbs were for, they were to keep her locked away in that nothing place that hovered between waking and sleeping. They would probably not kill her, unless they were administered over a long period of time and in large quantities but they would keep her successfully out of Pellius' way. What was her husband planning?

Carefully she tried to remember what she could of the previous evening. There had been a party. Her husband had gone to great lengths to ensure she was looking her best. He had chosen her outfit, consulted with the royal hairdresser; he had even complimented her on her clear skin. She had known then that he was planning something for that night, but she had been unable to act.

At the party she had played her usual part, she had been aloof and icily unresponsive to any advances of friendship or diplomacy. She had to be there, she did not have to be nice. But then the music had started to play, and it had reminded her of a time long ago, before her marriage, a time when she had loved to dance. There had been a man, small and blonde, a man that exuded confidence and rhythm with every step he took, a man that had asked a question with his eyes. A question she had no power to say no to, a question regarding music, and the music had already taken her soul. She had found herself smiling, returning his joy, and reaching for his hand.

The next thing she knew they were whirling around the dance floor as if possessed by demons, the power of the music all that mattered. She couldn't remember exactly how it had ended, or when. She did remember, however, finally leaving the ballroom and walking alone up to her apartments, sad that the music had left her, sad that her dance partner could not keep the momentum going. She remembered entering her bedchamber - and that was all. Everything that came after was darkness, until now.

Something kept her from opening her eyes, years of palace life had made her suspicious and she knew better than to trust the healer, Kouros. She heard a new whispered conversation begin, this time it was the guards and what she heard turned her blood to ice. They were speaking of her dance partner, the man with the joyful eyes; they were telling of his punishment for ... bedding her? How could ... but she didn't need to ask. Her husband had planned this with Tallin. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Tallin had planned this and her husband had been a willing accomplice. She heard the guards argue about how to get down to the square before the whipping was over, "There's twenty more to go and I don't want to miss the screaming part." one said to the other, his eagerness obvious in his voice.

Elissa shivered involuntarily; the poor man, he was innocent of any crime; all he had done was be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The poor, poor man. Iolaus, his name had been Iolaus. Elissa drifted away again, Iolaus taking her hand and pulling her back on to the dance floor, a thumping rhythm beating out the music, filling her soul. She looked into his smiling eyes and wished she could warn him, but she was helpless to the music.

Cutie almost missed the signal; his arm was so tired and painful, his eyes so sore from looking at all that pretty skin being flayed from Iolaus' back. His new friend had lost consciousness some time ago, finally giving in to the pain. But the screams still echoed in the Executioner's head, they still hurt the man wielding the Thansis in his huge hand.

"Forty!"

Tallin spoke the final number with regret; part of him was enjoying this 'event' too much to want it to end. But he also knew that Iolaus needed to survive this part of the punishment - it would be all the more painful for his friend to hear of his long suffering that dragged out over days.

He walked over to the Executioner just to make sure that the fool had recognised the signal. He need not have worried; the man was standing with the whip hanging from his fingers, his head down and his whole frame shaking with exhaustion.

Tallin hated having to get this close to the creature, he smelled so disgusting, but he managed to lean in close for a moment to tell the Executioner to get some rest. He would be needed again in just over two days; Tallin needed him to be recovered and able to play his part.

The crowd did not move away from the square for a long time, they stood and looked up at the man hanging from the wooden frame above them. They watched as his head hung down, hair covering his face. They saw the blood that was beginning to pool at his feet. Bets were laid that evening, how long would he last? Would he last until the second round of lashes? Would he survive them? Would he walk away after the branding? They spoke of that in hushed tones, awe in their voices, the thought of a branding so horrible that every mother in Meassia used it as a threat against her most troublesome child.

Nobody thought that the small man in the silk trousers would survive as far as the branding; nobody believed that they would be the first to witness a branding in Meassia for nearly sixty years. None of them knew Iolaus.

The royal visitors had not stayed for long, horrified by what they saw they had made their protests as forcefully as diplomacy would allow and had, in a single body, left the kingdom. One or two had been more vehement in their protest; they knew Hercules and Iolaus and could hardly bear to witness this horror. But, they too were diplomats and realised that King Pellius would more than likely be happy to oblige them with a war. Iolaus would still be hanging from that scaffold, Hercules would still be in his prison cell, and they would be at war instead of working to help their friends.

It was true that Pellius had harboured a hope that at least one of the monarchs would be so outraged they would declare war there and then, but Tallin had been a wise counsel and had known that would not happen. Of all the kings in Greece, the only one who may be willing to take that kind of gamble was not present. Wasn't it unfortunate for Iphicles that he was caught up in these irritating negotiations? No, the visitors would ride home with much to think about; and when they got news of Hercules' death - well, when the recently strengthened armies of Meassia descended on them who could they turn to for help then?

Tallin looked up at the still figure of Iolaus one last time before leaving the platform. As he left he spoke quietly to one of the guards, "Let no one near him. Only the king, the executioner, or I, are to be allowed access. If he hasn't regained consciousness by dark, wake him."

The guard scared of Tallin but not too bright, spoke up, "How do I do that sire?"

"Oh, for goodness sakes! Imbecile. I don't know, throw a bucket of water over him!" he smiled, "Yes, have a bucket of salt water handy. Throw it over his back at nightfall, we wouldn't want his wounds to fester now, would we?"

The guard didn't understand what Tallin meant, but he recognised an order that was not to be disobeyed. He quickly organised the bucket of salt water, and stood it to one side ready for nightfall.

It was beginning to get dark; Hercules rubbed the back of his neck, his head still aching, and looked through the bars into the cell opposite where there was a small window high up in the wall. The small patch of sky was turning a deeper blue. The demigod wished he knew where his friend was, he felt very alone without Iolaus' cheerful banter. It was difficult to know what to do without knowing what was happening outside of his prison cell, and he had no Iolaus to bounce ideas off of. Not that there was very much he could do at the moment anyway, he was accused of breaking the Meassian law and he had no way of proving the claims false, he didn't even know if they were false.

The large oak door leading into this section of the cells slammed open, Tallin came towards Hercules' cell a small smile on his face. Hercules wondered what was making the king's advisor so happy. The demigod stood by the bars arms loose by his sides, wanting nothing more than to reach through and grab Tallin's neck and squeeze, but Hercules knew better and took deep calming breaths. He smiled faintly as he realised that if Iolaus had been with him the demigod wouldn't have needed to calm himself his full concentration would have been taken up with holding the smaller man back.

Tallin stood by Hercules' cell for some time without speaking; when he did finally speak he looked straight into the demigod's blue eyes,

"How are you Hercules? I hope they have been treating you well?"

Hercules nodded reluctantly, he could not complain.

Tallin continued to speak, "Good. I want everything to be fair Hercules. I only want justice to be served. Is there anything you want to know? Is there anything I can do for you?"

Hercules had a lot of questions; unfortunately he didn't know how to ask the right ones.

"Why can't I have visitors?"

"It's a law here Hercules, no prisoner awaiting trial is allowed any visitor except those doing their official duty - such as myself. We had some trouble a few years ago, men died; the king didn't want to take the risk of it happening again. I'm sorry. I know it must be difficult for you to bear your time in our care without your friend's help."

Hercules didn't speak; he missed Iolaus so badly that he couldn't find any words.

"Iolaus wants to see you too, but it cannot be. I'm sorry."

The sympathetic tone that Tallin took was good enough to fool the demigod who was still feeling a little woozy and really wasn't thinking straight. Tallin's act was a good one but Hercules still felt as if there were something else he should be saying, something he should be asking, but he just couldn't seem to think clearly. Silently he wished that Iolaus was with him, Iolaus would be full of ideas. And often listening to Iolaus' incessant chatter was enough to spark an idea; at least his friend might have been able to cut through the fog in Hercules' mind.

"It's all right. You're just doing your job, I understand. Iolaus is all right isn't he?"

Tallin smiled as he thought of the little warrior strapped to the frame, bleeding and unconscious, "Yes, of course he's fine! Don't worry, we're taking good care of your friend."

Tallin had worried that the demigod would ask whether his friend would be punished for his trespasses, but Hercules seemed to have forgotten the reason he was behind bars. He just nodded and accepted the advisor's words.

Tallin made his excuses and grateful for the ease of his visit left the demigod to stew in his own fears. He wanted to pay his little victim a visit, make sure the salt-water had been used to full effect.

Cutie filled the sponge with water and gently squeezed it over the raw back of his friend. He cringed as Iolaus screamed in shock and agony, the executioner hadn't wanted this, he had only wanted to help. But even though helping seemed to be hurtful, he couldn't see any other way. He filled the sponge again and gently squeezed it dry over Iolaus' back. A part of him knew that this way was better for Iolaus than the huge shock that drenching him with the water would have caused. Somehow he knew that he had to take control. Iolaus moaned, the pain filling his body and his soul, and Cutie felt the pain without understanding.

Iolaus had been in another place, dancing with Elissa in the red ballroom again, but now he was back. Rudely returned to this reality. He tried to deal with the pain, but it kept growing, each touch of the salt-water pure agony. He could hear Cutie moan in sympathy and he felt such sadness. The man didn't understand, he couldn't say no to the masters that he only wanted to please. But Cutie felt Iolaus' pain, and he hated what he was being made to do. Iolaus knew this, he could feel it, and he could see it. He had an ally, he only hoped he could find a way to use him.

Cutie gently ran his fingers over the open wound that was Iolaus' back. Tears filled his eyes; he wanted to cry for this man - his friend. He knew that he shouldn't be feeling this way; he knew that he should be rejoicing, but he didn't feel like rejoicing, he felt like crying.

Iolaus' voice was pain filled and cracked, "Cutie? Cutie. I need to..." His eyes drifted out to the square, people still milled about, still watched with greedy eyes. The hunter groaned, "Cutie? Do you understand? I need to... answer nature."

Cutie looked up into the pale blue pain-filled eyes, no comprehension in his own brown eyes.

"I've been up here a long time my friend, I need to... relieve myself."

Cutie finally nodded his understanding, grinning with pride.

"Yes. But..." Iolaus attempted to shrug, and looked as helpless as he felt, "I don't want to... wet myself like a little kid. I'll need... can you help me?"

Cutie took his time to look out at the square, seeing all the people still watching Iolaus, making bets, laughing and joking. He shook his head unable to understand. This wasn't right; a man should be allowed his privacy. Cutie was a big man and he put himself between his new friend and the remaining crowd, blocking their view.

Iolaus found himself having to swallow his pride again, having to rely on the executioner for help, and that was difficult, so very difficult. Cutie was the one that had caused his pain, he was called the executioner but he had also become Iolaus' friend. He was a gentle man with no anger and no hatred in his soul. Cutie helped Iolaus do what he needed to do standing in such a way as to block the view and he was gentle in action and thought.

Iolaus felt tears sting his eyes; it took little now, so little to gain his heartfelt thanks. Cutie studied Iolaus' face closely and satisfied turned to leave. Iolaus felt an irrational fear as his new friend made to abandon him and he cried out, unable to stop himself.

"No, please don't go."

Cutie smiled up at the only friend he'd ever known; he would have told him that it was all right, he would have told him that he'd look after Iolaus - if only he could. Unable to do that much, the executioner gently touched Iolaus on the chest with his fingertips and smiled as if to say, 'It'll be all right. Everything's going to be all right.'

Iolaus thought of Hercules and knew that it wouldn't be all right, not until Herc was free, not until the demigod was safe.

Garcie had not been inside the palace walls for many years, the present king had stopped her from coming a long time ago. She wasn't even allowed to visit her granddaughter. She hadn't spoken to Elissa for five years now, since the wedding. All she'd been able to do was catch the odd glimpse of her at official functions. And all because she'd spoken her mind to a little boy who didn't know how to care for his pets.

The hound had taken too much abuse from its young master and had finally bitten back, literally. It had been a nasty bite, the king still bore a scar on his arm, but Garcie was a good healer and had taken care of the wound. She was not a woman who suffered fools gladly though, and had never been able to keep a rein on her temper. She spoke plainly and never called a cruel little boy anything but a cruel little boy. The boy had never forgotten and once he had become king all those years later, Pellius' first act had been to hire a new healer for the palace.

It had been easy to take up a new life as a healer in the town, her reputation as a good healer was undiminished by her leaving the palace; and over the years it had grown, until now she was considered to be almost divine in her abilities to cure. It was only a good knowledge of plants and a gentle bedside manner sprinkled with a healthy dose of common sense, but the air of mystery that seemed to surround her pleased her customers. Those that could always paid well for her services so the old healer had never tried to persuade the townsfolk of the truth.

Garcie brought herself back to the present as she climbed the narrow staircase to Elissa's rooms. Nobody would dare refuse her entry, just as the guards on the front gate had allowed her in after receiving the sharp end of her tongue so would these sorry excuses for men. She half wished she'd tried this before, but of course before the king hadn't been preoccupied with his plan for ruling the world.

The guards outside the door were reluctant to allow the old woman past but bowed their heads in shame as she gave them a piece of her mind and entered the room. Allowing herself a brief chuckle at their shuffling feet Garcie went to the bedside of her only granddaughter.

Her long dark hair was spread out on the pillow and her skin pale. Elissa had lost weight since her marriage, and there were lines on her brow that hadn't been there before. Garcie quietly cursed the king who had first decreed that it was acceptable for the monarch to choose his bride no matter what her opinion and she cursed Pellius for choosing her kin. Nothing much passed Garcie's quick eye and she spotted the small smile on Elissa's face. Checking that they were indeed alone in the room Garcie quietly spoke,

"Elissa my dear, it's all right, we're alone. I think they're too scared of me to want to be in the same room. How are you?"

Elissa's dark eyes opened and she smiled faintly; "It's good to see you grandmother. I've missed you so much."

Garcie squeezed the hand she was holding, and spoke roughly, "We'll have none of that young lady. Now, tell me how you feel, and what happened. You'd better make it quick in case that fool Kouros comes."

Elissa's voice was weak; she still felt the effects of the drugs that she had been fed even though she had avoided as many of the doses as she could. When she had finished her eyes closed, the strain obvious on her face, "What about Iolaus, grandmother? He's a good man; he was so sweet to me. Is it really bad?"

Garcie hadn't been in the square to witness the barbaric punishment but she had passed through on her way to visit the Queen, "Yes my dear, I can't lie to you. It's very bad. There are still people out there, drinking and making bets. They're turning the whole thing into a festival! I'm sorry Elissa, you say he's a good man and I'm sure you're right, but I don't think that he can survive this."

Elissa turned her head away; embarrassed by the tears she felt stinging her eyes. He was going through Tartarus and it was because of her. If only she didn't love dancing so much, if only ... but Tallin would have found another way, he was too clever by half.

"Tallin's plan... why didn't they just kill me and blame Hercules? Why are they keeping me alive?"

"I don't know my sweet, but whatever the reason I'm grateful. Perhaps the king has grown fond of you over the years."

Both women laughed at the thought of the overweight monarch actually caring for his wife.

"We have to do something!" Elissa's dark eyes bored into the faded brown eyes of the healer.

"I know, of course we do. Perhaps I could get to Hercules. I'm sure he can't know of his friend's fate or he'd have broken out of the cells before now."

"Be careful! Please be careful."

"You too dear Elissa. It's time for a change around here, and it seems that we will have to be the ones who start it. Take care, and try to avoid any more of Kouros' 'medicine'!"

King Selsius was thoughtful as he listened to the others argue. After leaving the city, the visitors to Meassia had decided to travel together to the border, they were nervous and felt comfort in numbers. King Pellius was obviously planning something, and as he had always boasted about expansion, the most likely idea seemed to be an invasion of one or more of his neighbours. Times were hard enough for most of them at the moment, what with the poor crops this year and the barbarian raiders that had been plaguing the area in the last few months.

Selsius cleared his throat and the bickering kings quieted, he was the most senior in age and in standing amongst them, but it was the strength of his voice that commanded silence.

"This is pointless. We all agree that Pellius is up to something, we all agree that it's a terrible thing that is being done to Iolaus - at least most of us do." Selsius looked pointedly at two young princes who lowered their heads in discomfort. They had been jealous of the attention the Queen had given Iolaus and were heartless enough to think that he deserved the torture.

"However, Pellius and that sly man of his hold all the cards. Hercules and Iolaus have been arrested for serious crimes committed within Meassia. There is no evidence to support their innocence and plenty of evidence to support their guilt. Whatever we think of the laws in Meassia, some of our own are even crueller, the bottom line is: the law is the law. Are we willing to go back there with our armies and break the laws of Meassia? Are we willing to wage war? For Iolaus? For Hercules?"

There was an uncomfortable silence, no one present wanted Pellius to get away with this, but they couldn't afford to start a war either, and as the bickering had already shown they weren't capable of creating an alliance with which to overcome Pellius. Selsius hadn't finished speaking,

"You all know that none of us will fight together, we are able to live peacefully side by side, but that is mostly because of Hercules and everything he has done to help us in the past. Which one of you would be willing to let me lead your armies into battle? Because I would never allow any of you to command my men!"

Angry voices were raised and again the bickering started, only this time it was louder. Gathered here were leaders of men, but none of them were great enough to be able to allow somebody else to lead for them, none of them could agree on the most basic point. They couldn't even all agree that Hercules and Iolaus were innocent. There would be no help from these men.

Chapter 4

Iolaus felt a fire in his back, he was dimly aware of people laughing and singing - singing? Gods, they were having a party at his expense. Drinking ale and dancing, dancing! at his... what...? Death...? Possibly. If a miracle didn't happen this would be how Iolaus died. He didn't like the prospect. He particularly hated the idea of an audience that applauded his pain. Sighing, the hunter thought of Hercules, did he know? Was he all right? What would happen to the demigod after all of this was over?

His back was on fire and he had to swallow the urge to scream his frustration - he knew that he didn't have enough energy left. But it was so tempting; the pain was so huge, so overwhelming. What was it that his eastern tutor had told him? 'Use pain, don't let it use you. Take yourself away from its centre - into another world. Feel the pain as a different place, take its rhythm and use it.' He'd never completely understood those words - until now. Now the pain had taken on a red life of its own, now he was dancing within its cruel world, dancing for his very existence.

The people still watching only saw his discomfort; they were unaware of the struggle that was underway within the warrior heart. All their greedy minds could see was a man hanging helpless from the scaffold, hurt, bleeding, fading. They could not see the powerful battle against the encroaching pain. He danced on a ballroom floor with a Queen that he didn't know; he danced for his sanity, he danced for his life.

Tallin climbed the wooden staircase to the platform, noting with approval the empty bucket that stood abandoned beside the wooden framework. He smiled as he looked the broken warrior up and down; taking in the raw and bloody back, noting the dark pool beneath Iolaus' feet, and seeing how his eyes were full of defiance at the same time as they hid their pain. He could afford to smile; everything was going exactly to plan. It wasn't his plan of course - there was no way he could have predicted Iolaus' or Hercules' actions, but it was a good plan and he'd been happy to accept the gift. He knew there was a price, but the price was more of a prize than anything, gaining new kingdoms through battle, esteem through war. What was so bad about that? Ares was now their supporter; it was always good to have a god on your side.

He stood silently by Iolaus' side, watching him. He saw the laboured breathing, he understood the silent agony, and he rejoiced - it was exactly as Ares had told him. All would be well. The little warrior slowly became aware of his adversary as he watched; Iolaus groaned and raised his head, even that small action a supreme effort for him now. His eyes met those of Tallin, they didn't falter and that bothered the king's advisor. He wasn't used to seeing such spirit.

Tallin wanted to tease the blond, but his words dried in his mouth. How could this man be so resilient? His back was a ruined mess, he'd been drenched in salt water, and he'd been hanging from these beams for hours already - yet he was still conscious, still rejecting the superior strength of his captors. It bothered Tallin, somewhere inside he felt the squirming of discomfort - there was something about this man and his companion, the stoical Hercules. Something he couldn't understand. Tallin turned on his heel and abruptly abandoned the platform; he would gain nothing here.

Iolaus allowed himself a tired smile, this round went to him, but it was hard fought and hard won and he knew that he had little left in reserve. He wondered where his new friend Cutie was; Cutie made him feel better somehow, calmer, safer, and stronger. Cutie would be able to help; Cutie could soothe the angry pain. Iolaus drifted away from reality again, his mind taking him back to the dance floor and the thumping beat and the soft hand of his dance companion - Elissa, the beautiful Elissa.

They swept across the floor, consumed by the music. Nothing else mattering, they could feel nothing but the deep resonant beat, hear nothing but the rhythm, see nothing but the red of the ballroom. They were part of the music, intertwined in its power. For a brief frantic moment Iolaus wondered what would happen if the music stopped, but then it's deep rhythmic beat continued and he allowed himself to be carried away.

He tossed and turned on the narrow pallet, it afforded him no comfort and he could not sleep. Hercules sat up suddenly and in frustration threw the tangled blanket across the cell. Every time he closed his eyes he could see Iolaus dancing with the Queen, swinging her around the floor with his eyes lit up and laughing. Hercules wanted to cry, to laugh, and to hit his partner all at the same time. He wanted to shake some sense into him.

'Don't dance with her Iolaus!' he wanted to scream, 'She's not worth it!'

But he didn't, he knew the futility of it. He knew that it was only a dream and that the fateful dance had already happened. What if Iolaus had really kept hold of Queen Elissa's hand when the music was over, what if they really had gone to her chambers? What if...? But Hercules didn't want to venture into such dangerous territory, he wasn't sure he could cope with what he'd find there.

The demigod who always joked that he was never wrong was scared - scared that this time he had been wrong. Scared that Iolaus was guilty of nothing more than a single dance with a needy woman, scared that he had jumped to the obvious but wrong conclusion. Hercules was scared that he had hurt his partner for no reason other than his own self-righteousness. He didn't contemplate any other possibility; he couldn't imagine that this was all a clever deception. He still hadn't considered that if Iolaus had supposedly been found in bed with the Queen that there would be punishment for the adulterous other man.

For once Hercules didn't consider all the options. It was as if his mind had been thrown into a maze and try as he might he couldn't find his way to the centre, or maybe he was so close to the thought that he couldn't see it. If he had been looking in from the outside he could have seen instantly exactly what Tallin and the King were up to and he would have known that Iolaus was in grave danger, but for some reason he was blind to the obvious and his lack of sight would cost Iolaus dearly.

Hercules didn't sleep again that night, but he didn't understand what was causing his restlessness.

The first signs of dawn crept silently into the square. Iolaus had spent most of the night in his semi-conscious world of pain, dancing through the red with his royal partner. Somewhere in the distance the first bird roused itself and sang of the coming day. Iolaus heard and lifted his head painfully. He'd survived the night, it was a new day, and with a new day always came new hope. The hunter felt his heart lift, something had to happen today, something good.

Cutie tip-toed past the few remaining townsfolk who had decided it was too late to go home and had simply curled up on the ground and slept. He wanted to help his new friend and he knew that Iolaus would be thirsty by now, thirsty and in pain. Carefully holding the water-skin to his chest, he hoped that the water he brought would help sustain Iolaus through the heat of the day. Even this early the executioner could tell it was going to be a hot day and Iolaus would have no shelter from the sun.

There were two guards on duty at this late hour, one sat on the steps of the platform and snored softly. The other leaned on his staff his eyes heavy with sleep, he barely acknowledged the executioner as he passed by. The guard hadn't expected such a late shift and hadn't been prepared. Tallin would have been furious had he known. Cutie just knew that Iolaus would need the water; for him this was a frightening prospect, he was going against a direct order made by Tallin. He'd never done that before, he'd never even contemplated disobeying his benefactors before. But Iolaus was different, Iolaus was his friend; and friends were important.

Iolaus smiled when he saw Cutie, but his voice was rough when he spoke, "Good morning Cutie. Nice day isn't it."

Cutie didn't really understand the way Iolaus made everything into a joke but he grinned in response to the tone of voice and held up the water-skin with a question in his eyes.

"Ah, the finest Corinthian wine, straight from the cellars of Iphicles."

The irony was lost on poor Cutie who just frowned in confusion.

"Sorry Cutie, you'll have to excuse my feeble attempts at humour. I'm not at my best this morning. I'd love some water, thank you for bringing it."

Cutie understood that and smiled, a little bashful, he wasn't used to gratitude. Careful not to hurt Iolaus any further he put the lip of the water-skin to the hunter's own dry lips and helped him to sip at the cool clear water. He knew instinctively not to allow Iolaus to drink too quickly and he kept pulling the skin away so that his friend didn't gulp it all down at once.

Iolaus hadn't realised just how thirsty he was until the water was cutting its way through the hot tackiness in his mouth. It felt so good. The hunter had noticed the early signs of a hot day and he knew that he'd need this water if he were to survive. 'A new day and a new hope,' he thought to himself, 'I guess Cutie is that hope.'

When he'd finished Iolaus gave Cutie one of his best grins, "Thank you Cutie. I owe you. Do you see the guards?"

The big man nodded, "Good. Are they still sleeping?" he nodded again.

"Can you free me Cutie? Can you try to get me out of these shackles?"

Cutie stepped back in alarm and shook his head vigorously. Fearfully he looked all about him as if he believed Tallin would be watching. Iolaus sighed, he had known that this would be difficult, "Please Cutie. I need you, please help me."

The other man stubbornly continued to shake his lowered head. "Look at me Cutie, look up at me. I can't survive this. You don't want me to die do you?"

Cutie shook his head and a small whimper escaped his lips. Iolaus hated being so cruel but he was desperate, Hercules needed him. "I'm going to die if I stay up here, you're going to be made to give me more lashes tomorrow and then I'll be branded, and then I'll be dead. I need to survive, if I don't survive, something terrible might happen to Hercules and the world can't afford to lose him. Please Cutie, it's the right thing to do."

Cutie had returned his gaze to the floor and he started shaking his head again. No!

Iolaus tried all his wiles but it was no use, Cutie couldn't go against his masters, it wasn't in him to disobey them so flagrantly. So, instead Iolaus asked, "Do you know where Hercules is?"

Cutie shook his head. He knew who Hercules was, he was the big man that Iolaus had arrived in Meassia with, but he didn't know where he was being kept.

"He's my friend Cutie, like you are. I'm worried about him. Can you try and find him, see if he's all right?" Iolaus didn't really hold out much hope that Cutie would be able to do much for him, he couldn't speak so even if he could get to Hercules he wouldn't be able to tell him anything. But perhaps he could at least set Iolaus' mind at rest.

Cutie nodded, a serious expression on his face. Friends were important - he knew that now. Hercules was important to Iolaus; Iolaus was the executioner's friend, which meant that Hercules was important to Cutie. He would try to find out where the big man was.

Iolaus relaxed, seeing what Cutie was thinking in the openness of his expression. The pain wasn't so bad now; the water had quenched his thirst for the moment, for now he felt strong enough to see this day out. "One moment at a time." he whispered to himself as he watched Cutie leave.

The first thing Pellius did on rising was to look out of his window; he wanted to see Iolaus, to be sure that the plan really was coming to fruition. He smiled as he saw the wooden frame that held the hunter. All was well, Iolaus was paying for his indiscretions, and Hercules was paying for his attack on sweet Elissa. The army was stronger than ever before. Soon it would be time to make his move - soon, but not yet. First he wanted to watch Iolaus as he squirmed before the brand, he wanted to hear his scream, smell his burning flesh, see the mark burnt into that heroic chest. King Pellius smiled, today would be a good day, and the days that followed would be even better.

Tallin may think that he was the one in control, but it wasn't so. Let him believe it, let him think Pellius to be a good for nothing fool. Pellius didn't mind it made things simpler. That ridiculous line about Ares planning this whole thing. Stupid! Anyone could see that Pellius was the brains here; anyone could tell that Tallin was just a hanger on, picking up scraps as he was thrown them.

Pellius took another long look out of his window; he wanted to see the damage close up. He wanted to know that this man was really suffering for his actions. Pellius seemed to have forgotten that Iolaus was guilty of nothing more than dancing with the Queen, or perhaps in his royal eyes that was crime enough. Tallin would have to step carefully; his king was not as weak and stupid as he thought.

From her vantage point hidden deep in the shade of some nearby trees, Garcie saw the king as he left the safety of the palace to pay Iolaus a visit. She shook her head in disapproval as she watched him climb the wooden stairs unsteadily. As a healer she could have told him that he should take more exercise and spend less time eating. But he wouldn't have listened anyway. She winced as she saw the way the king touched Iolaus' wounded back, turned away in pain as she saw the agony on the blonde's face. Pellius had never got past the youthful stage of wanting to pull the wings from flies, and now Iolaus was his captive fly.

The first awareness Iolaus had of the king's presence was the feel of hot breath on his chest. He turned a disdainful eye to the king, "So, you're lowering yourself to pay me a visit. I'm honoured." his voice dripped with sarcasm.

Pellius smiled, the wounds on Iolaus' back were even better in close up. He couldn't resist reaching out a hand and running it sharply down the centre of the bloody mess. His victim let out a scream; it seemed to come from somewhere deep inside and Pellius found himself shivering. There was a strange kind of power in a man that could find a voice that strong after so much punishment. He stepped back unconsciously.

Iolaus took slow breaths to calm the pain; he'd noticed the king's involuntary movement and a small part of him triumphed. It was a victory, and any and all victories had to be noted and celebrated now. To win this war he needed to win every battle he could. This was one more.

Pellius was irritated by this turn of events he frowned up at Iolaus. The little man would have to pay for this... this... whatever it was. He'd done something, he'd won something, and Pellius would not stand for it. Looking up at Iolaus, appraising him, the king slowly began to smile. Iolaus may have won a small battle but Pellius could make him suffer for it. He called to one of the guards and ordered him to get more salt-water. Several buckets would do the trick, as an after thought he ordered that they make it as cold as possible. There was a natural spring that found its way to the surface within the depths of the palace, it was always cold - very cold. All the guards need do was add some salt from the kitchens.

It didn't take them long to bring several large pails of the freezing water. Pellius gloating but unwilling to give Iolaus any warning of his plan gave the order to throw the water over his hapless victim. The guards complied, they stood behind and before the hunter, and as one they threw the cold contents of their buckets over his body.

Iolaus screamed, which made things worse, it allowed the freezing cold salty water into his mouth, and he breathed it in. Coughing and choking he tried to take in a clear breath. Eventually he managed to calm his racing heart and send the panic away. He took several deep, steadying breaths, ribs be damned, and looked into Pellius' eyes.

"Thanks! I always like to take a cold shower in the morning."

Pellius was fuming. Iolaus should be begging for mercy by now. Saturated with cold water, salt water that would be agony to the exposed flesh on his back, and yet he was cracking jokes. Pellius turned on his heel and carefully made his way down the stairs. He would have stormed down if he could, but his bulk made navigating the stairs difficult and he didn't want to end up unceremoniously dumped on his backside.

If he'd bothered to look back as he left Pellius would have been well pleased with his efforts, but he was too angry and he retreated into the palace without a backward glance.

If he had looked he would have seen Iolaus begin to shiver as he hung from the wooden beam. He would have seen the agony and despair on the hunter's face and he would have rejoiced. Iolaus knew that the last thing he needed at the start of a long hot day was to be covered with salt, he had swallowed some too and that was even more serious. He'd get thirsty as the day progressed, the salt would turn his thirst from a discomfort to something far more dangerous.

From his vantage point Iolaus could see the citizens in the square beginning to wake, a few early risers who had chosen their own beds for the night were joining them. And all the eyes were looking up at him. He could see knowing and unfriendly leers on some of the faces; one or two women were staring hungry and open mouthed at him. It took him a few moments but slowly Iolaus realised why, and he felt his face begin to burn with embarrassment. The blue silk of his trousers was only just adequate coverage when it was dry. He'd already known that it was wet with blood and sticking to the back of his legs, now the water had meant that it clung to him everywhere. It was thin and clinging and more appropriate for a concubine than a warrior or a hunter. The crowd was certainly getting an eyeful this morning. He bitterly hoped that they were enjoying it.

Iolaus groaned, could things get any worse? He felt the first rays of the sun touch him and he knew that they could - a lot worse. The sun was already hot and it was still early. He managed to smile; at least it would dry the silk quickly.

Cutie watched from the rear of the crowd. Knowing that he could have freed Iolaus only made the sight more painful for him. He watched the crowd jeer and laugh at his friend's pain and he felt helpless to intercede. The chance had been in his hands, he had the opportunity to free Iolaus but he hadn't been able to take it. Instead he had walked away, knowing that only pain and a slow death awaited the only man that had ever befriended him.

He hung his head. He had let the little blond man down and he felt the shame. Iolaus had asked him for help and he had turned his back. Cutie now knew regret.

'I don't want you to be hurt Iolaus.' his thoughts were full of pain, 'I'm sorry Iolaus. I'm sorry!' Tears cleared paths on his dirty cheeks, the executioner didn't want to let Iolaus down but he was too scared of Tallin, too afraid to act outside of his orders. Bringing the water had been enough to petrify Cutie, but he had convinced himself that it was not a betrayal; he had been able to make himself believe that Tallin would approve.

But the thought of taking the whip to that bloodied and ruined back again was almost too much for the gentle man. How could he ever live with the knowledge that his hand had caused unrelenting agony on the only man he had ever been able to call friend? How could he live with the knowledge that his friend was going to die because of him?

Cutie didn't know what to do, so he did what Iolaus had asked him, he tried to find Hercules. If he could visit the friend of his friend then at least he could reassure Iolaus, let him know that Hercules was safe. It wasn't much but it was all that he had. Cutie shook his head as he watched one of the guards gleefully run his fingers down Iolaus' spine. Iolaus still had enough voice left to scream and it was that sound that stayed with Cutie as he left the square. How could he bring himself to hurt the only man that had ever shown him kindness?

Chapter 5

The bets were coming in thick and fast, most did not believe that the little blond man would survive the day, Jerius didn't believe it either so the odds he was offering weren't going to make anyone rich. One fool had offered him fifty dinars on Iolaus surviving the branding and walking from the platform, and who was he to deny the bet? But Jerius knew better, there was no way any man could walk away from that scaffold.

He took a moment from his business to look up at the platform. In the full gaze of the sun Iolaus' skin was already beginning to redden. It was close to noon and the little warrior would be getting thirsty by now, his need accented by the various stalls selling lemonade and thirst-quenching ale scattered around the square. The pull on Iolaus' arms and shoulders would be growing into an unrelenting agony, not to mention his back. Raw and flayed free of skin it would be an unbearable suffering. Jerius could not begin to imagine the pain.

He would not make a great deal of money here, but he would gain a lot by showing a fair face and making good his debts. People would remember that and lose their money another day.

Jerius watched as one of the guards relieved his boredom by poking the blond in the back, making him cry out with a dry, cracking voice. No - he wouldn't last much longer.

Iolaus felt the heat as it baked his body. A part of him relished the feeling, the sun's rays soaking into him, glistening his skin with sweat, but the logical part of his mind knew that he was losing precious water. His mouth was already dry and caked and he knew that his misery had only just begun; the hottest part of the day was still to come. His thoughts swam as he squinted at the crowd, which was not as big as on the previous day, but still substantial. He wondered again what kind of person would want to watch this punishment and find it entertaining, something to make a friendly bet on, something to raise a mug of ale to.

With a detachment that bothered him, Iolaus thought of Hercules, and pondered his fate. Iolaus knew that he could not survive this trial, he knew that Hercules would be found guilty of the trumped up charges. Would the demigod allow Pellius to execute him? Iolaus knew that he would. If Iolaus was dead and if Hercules knew to what extent his friend had been made to suffer, then he would either lash out or lose all his will to fight. Iolaus hoped that his friend would lash out. He hoped that Tallin would feel the full force of the demigod's semi-divine fist.

Tallin came back at noon to haunt his prisoner. Iolaus found the strength to put on the face of resistance but it was difficult, so difficult. It was worse when Tallin smiled at him with a secret smile and ran his hand in a pattern over Iolaus' chest. He let it rest briefly before it continued its path. Iolaus felt a shiver of disgust and wondered what sick fantasy was playing in the advisor's mind. Tallin just smiled and allowed his hand free rein. It was good to add fear to the mix; Iolaus was helpless, in pain, suffering an unbearable thirst, and unendurable discomfort - why not add a touch of confusion?

He let his hand run over his captive's chest again before whispering its purpose. His fingers were following the pattern of the brand, Iolaus was learning the extent of the pain he would be expected to endure. The fingers roamed over the hunter's chest, following their large circular pattern, letting Iolaus know that his pain was only just beginning. The brand would be huge, a circle with a diagonal cross through the centre, covering his whole chest and down onto his abdomen. Iolaus understood the message and felt a helplessness he had never experienced before. How could he survive? How could he live? Even for Hercules this may be too much to ask; his back was already a raw and open wound, and now he knew that his chest was to follow. He felt the pattern as Tallin's fingers tickled his sunburned chest and fear grew in his heart. Even the bravest of souls would balk at this; even Hercules himself would feel fear when faced with this trial. Iolaus began to despair. Tallin's hand stopped its journey over Iolaus' chest and remained there as he smiled up into the tortured face of his prisoner. This was far too much fun to let it end, Iolaus must be kept alive for as long as was feasible. The possibilities were endless.

But Iolaus had other ideas, his legs were free and he still had enough strength to show his disapproval. He kicked out with his right leg, catching Tallin high in the thigh, numbing the advisors' leg with the power of his kick. Iolaus inwardly rejoiced at the open shock in his adversary's eyes, he allowed himself to gloat at the pain etched in Tallin's face. Another battle hard fought, but won.

"Why does she still live?"

The king was impatient; he tapped a finger on the tabletop as he regarded the palace healer with contempt.

Kouros cleared his throat nervously; he had never seen Pellius so fired up, so focused on a goal. "I ... I ... she..." he stammered helplessly.

Pellius shook his head in irritation, "For Hera's sake man, control yourself. She is under your care, she lives - why?"

Kouros hated this, he was a healer, healers cured illnesses they did not keep otherwise healthy people in drugged oblivion, they did not pretend to their employer that their patient was seriously ill when in reality they were perfectly healthy. He was uncomfortable with his deception but he knew that he would be even more uncomfortable with her death on his conscience.

"I am sorry sire that I cannot tell you what you desire, your Queen is grievously ill, she lays unconscious as we speak and I seriously doubt that she will ever regain consciousness. But her life or death is not under my control that is in the hands of the gods. Only time will tell."

Pellius grunted his disapproval, it seemed that everything was conspiring against him. That man Iolaus was resisting him all the way and now his wife couldn't just lay down and die like a good little wife, she had to live and his pocket healer had to play the hero by attempting to protect her sorry life. He knocked his goblet of wine aside in anger, why could nothing go his way?

"Very well Kouros. Make yourself useful, go to my prisoner Iolaus and assess his condition. I wish to know if he will survive. I want to be sure that I can see him receiving the branding - awake and aware. Can you manage that?"

"Oh yes sire, of course sire, right away sire."

Kouros bowed his way out of the royal chambers, relieved to be away from his king, fearful of every breath he took. He knew that he must tell the king what he wished to hear he hoped that he could.

Garcie sat in the shade; she had been in the same position since the early morning, since witnessing Pellius' visit to the captive Iolaus. She watched the entrance to the cells carefully, knowing that she would likely only have one chance to see the demigod held within, knowing that her one chance could mean the difference between life and death for his friend, and for her granddaughter. She sighed as she watched the guard look around as he stuck his head out the door, knowing that she would not get past him.

There was an advantage to knowing so many of the men Pellius employed, to having been their midwife and healer through all their childhood illnesses; but she knew that time was limited and every minute she wasted sitting here watching was another minute closer to death for Iolaus. She felt so sorry for the poor man, a good man Elissa had said and Garcie was convinced. Elissa had always been a good judge of character and anyway Hercules was a very good man and he would hardly choose a bad one for a best friend. It didn't really matter what kind of man Iolaus was though, Garcie was a healer and seeing any man suffer so badly went against everything she stood for, his pain caused her pain and she had to act against it no matter the danger.

There wasn't much time left and the healer knew that she couldn't put off her attempt to see Hercules much longer. If she did Iolaus would die and nobody deserved to die like that. She watched closely knowing that the change of guard was soon due, hoping that the new guard was someone more willing to bend the rules than the man she was watching, someone she knew and could persuade to help her. Praying with all her being that she could help these men that had found themselves the helpless victims of Pellius' cruel whim.

Kouros looked up at Iolaus as he slowly walked round the prisoner assessing his injuries, attempting to assess the strength of character of a man barely conscious. Iolaus watched him through hooded eyes, the pain was still growing, his back was on fire, the skin on his chest and arms was beginning to feel the full force of the sun, pinking and starting to burn. His mouth was dry, too dry to find a voice with which to confront the healer so he just watched him, all the accusation he could muster in his look.

Kouros felt the power of that look, he felt the guilt implied and sighed, he should be caring for this man, easing his pain, instead he was assessing his ability to survive the rest of the day. Standing behind his patient Kouros ran an experienced eye over Iolaus' back. It was ruined, he did not know how the man could have survived so long, there was nothing but an open angry wound covering the small man's back. The Thansis had done its job well, there was no way that Iolaus could survive this injury, there was virtually no skin left on his back, and although there was no sign of infection the wound was so big that the shock of it alone should have killed him.

The healer did not miss the blood caked waistband or the tightly clinging blood encrusted folds of cloth on Iolaus' legs; he noticed the way the women in the crowd looked at the body hanging before them and he shivered as he understood that Iolaus felt their gaze too, felt it and understood. His stomach turned as he realised the kind of citizen that peopled his hometown. Men and women that rejoiced at another's agony and shame, just because they thought him guilty of loving someone he shouldn't. Guilty or not, Iolaus should not have to suffer this humiliation on top of everything else.

Carefully brushing hair out of Iolaus' eyes, Kouros felt his patient's temperature, high, but not feverish. He ran his expert eye down the body, noticing the difficulty breathing, the painful way Iolaus held his head, understanding that merely being held in one position on the scaffold for so long was tearing at Iolaus' muscles and putting extreme pressure on his joints. The pain of his back only a part of the problem, the sunburn only minor in comparison to all his other ills. Iolaus would not survive another twenty lashes; he would not survive another day up on that agonising frame. That would be his report; he hoped that it would bring some kind of reprieve to Iolaus, if only it meant an early release through death.

Chapter 6

Thirst, he'd never felt a thirst like this. It was all consuming, greater even than the pain of his back. At first he had been able to distract himself from the dryness in his throat, he'd been able to ignore the headache that was pounding behind his eyes, he'd pretended not to notice when his tongue started to swell in his mouth. At first ... but he couldn't keep denying the symptoms, and he couldn't keep avoiding the sight of cheerful townsfolk buying lemonade and ale and gulping it down, watching a man's torment on a hot day was obviously thirsty work.

Iolaus felt the fingers of madness clawing at him, it capered around always just out of view, snatching at tankards, showering itself in rainwater, and further tormenting the hunter. Iolaus watched as a young woman standing directly below him finished her drink and wiping a sleeve across her mouth gave a satisfied sigh. She smiled up at the hunter knowing his need, and laughed, turning her cup upside down so that the last few drops of liquid fell useless to the ground. Iolaus closed his hot eyes against the sight.

In the red behind his eyes he found no respite; his eyelids scratched, his face felt puffy and his lips were cracking. He was still coated in salt from his early shower and the little sweat he was producing added even more salt to intensify the pain of his wounds. He had managed to survive through to the hottest part of the day, it was mid-afternoon and the sun was unrelenting. Iolaus imagined being drenched in cool clear water, he could feel it on his skin, taste its metallic edge on his lips.

He saw the pool of water, calm and blue and shaded by large trees, its beach was empty, he could swim in complete privacy. Iolaus shrugged off his vest and pulled off his boots even as he continued towards the water. He was unfastening his belt as he reached the water's edge and felt its cool promise lap over his toes. Abandoning all of his clothes Iolaus walked into the water, a small moan of pleasure escaping his lips. He dived under the surface and looked around in awe at this sparkling new world. He was alone with the silvery fish that darted in and out of the weed, alone in this world of cool desire. He surfaced and allowed his mouth to suck in some of the silky water, which tasted wonderful. He floated on the water, allowing it to cool him, protect him, and nourish him. Nothing mattered any more; there was no pain here, no thirst, there was no shame or humiliating clothes to wear. He was safe here he would stay here.

The guard called out to Cutie with a rough cruelty, "Want him for your little play thing do you Executioner? You must like 'em small!"

Cutie snapped his hand away from Iolaus' waist and shook his head, uncertain of the guard's meaning but knowing that he was being humiliated again. Iolaus groaned and opened his reddened eyes looking at his friend in confusion. "What ... where ... oh gods!" It hurt to speak now and he tried in vain to produce enough saliva to swallow away some of the pain.

"Cutie? So cool - so nice. Can't I ... go back?"

Cutie only looked at Iolaus, guilt and sadness filling his eyes. Iolaus kept eye contact with Cutie for a long moment before trying to speak again.

"Herc?"

Cutie understood that question, and he nodded and then shook his head. He didn't know how to tell Iolaus that he'd found out where they were keeping the big man but he hadn't been able to get to see him yet. He wanted to tell Iolaus that he wouldn't let him down again, he wanted more than anything to take the smaller man's pain away from him. He reached out his hand again, letting his fingers gently brush Iolaus' shoulder. Iolaus shivered, he couldn't understand why he felt so much better every time Cutie touched him. He felt stronger suddenly, more himself. He smiled down at his friend, understanding enough of the message, understanding that he'd have to wait a bit longer for Hercules, knowing that he could.

He tried to say thank you but his voice was gone again, so instead he just smiled, even that a painful exercise now. Cutie smiled sadly back at him and turned away, it would soon be sunset and the guards would be changing shifts, he would try to see Hercules then.

Kouros shivered under the angry gaze of his king, but he did not back away. He had told the truth and if the king didn't like it there was nothing he could do. If he had said that Iolaus would survive and he didn't - well, Kouros didn't want to think about what that would mean for him.

Pellius was furious, even more so because a part of him had known all along that no man could withstand such torture, why else had no one been branded in over sixty years? And even then, the branding had not been preceded by Thansis' kiss. Damn it all, he'd just have to bring the branding forward; the little imp would not escape it. Pellius would have his branding! He would!

As a small boy Pellius had listened eagerly to the tales of tortures and punishments that had been meted out in ancient times. He was particularly disappointed that his father had thought the branding too unpleasant a punishment to ever use it. The small boy had fantasised about the day he would get the chance to witness a branding; it would happen now, and he would be the one to administer the brand. He waved Kouros away and called for Tallin, they must move quickly. First a few kisses from Thansis to wake Iolaus up and then Pellius would step forward and his dream would come true.

Garcie sighed in relief, the guard was finally changing and she knew one of the new men very well. She had brought him into the world nearly twenty-five years ago, she had nursed him through an especially nasty childhood fever, and she had helped his mother through a frightening and life threatening illness. He had never been able to thank her enough, and was always asking what else he could do for her; she had never been able to think of anything - until now.

Taking a deep breath Garcie made herself wait a few minutes more, let the men gossip for a while before the day shift went home, let the new guards settle themselves in for the their long overnight stint. She stood after forcing herself to wait ten minutes more, - it was time.

Cutie had been about to go to Hercules when the order came. 'Come at once to the platform and bring the Thansis.' His blood had run cold and he'd stood clutching the hated weapon in his hands unable to decide what to do. In the end he had done as he'd been asked, dread filling his heart.

Tallin was already there and the king himself was with him. The two men stood either side of Iolaus smiling down at the crowd. Tallin raised his voice to gain attention. "People! People! I have an important announcement to make."

The buzz of conversation died away as everyone turned to see what was going to happen now. "The king has decided to change the timetable slightly. We want to ensure that the prisoner receives his full punishment and after a report from the palace healer it has been agreed that the branding take place this afternoon."

Tallin listened to the excited chattering coming from the people below him and smiled, "In fifteen minutes time, the Thansis will be put to work again and the branding will take place immediately afterwards, administered by the king himself! Tell your friends, make sure everyone is in the square in time to witness this historic deliverance of justice."

Garcie smiled at Stentious, silently cursing his slow wit, he was obviously thinking about what she had said, deciding just how grateful to her he was for his mother's life. Unable to wait any longer the elderly healer straightened herself to her full height, stared straight into the guard's breastplate and spoke, "You are a disgrace to your mother's name Stentious, and I'm going to be sure and tell her. Denying an old woman her request, cruelly taking away from a condemned man the slight comfort I might be able to offer. I had thought more of you lad, I really had." She sighed to show her disappointment and then waited with baited breath to see if her ploy had worked.

It had, Stentious squirmed uncomfortably, what harm could Garcie do? He felt sorry for Hercules, stuck in that prison cell with no idea of what was happening to his friend. The guard thought that he would never admit this to another soul but he'd been in the square earlier, he'd seen Iolaus and heard the way the people were talking, and it had sickened him. Giving a curt nod he waved Garcie inside, praying that Tallin would never hear of this.

Garcie hurried along the corridor until she found Hercules standing quietly by the bars of his cell, watching her with curiosity. She sighed, how could she find the words to tell him about his friend?

Jerius could hardly hear himself think over the clamour. Everyone wanted to know if their bets were still good, some wanted to change them but he was going to have none of that. He hadn't been able to shout loud enough to make them listen so picking up his pitcher of lemonade he threw it into the faces of the closest people. They silenced in shock.

"Right, now will you just listen? All bets are good all bets still stand. The only exceptions are for those of you who bet he'd survive until tomorrow but not until the branding, if you give me your slips I'll alter the bet for you - but there are no refunds!"

Most people were satisfied with his decision but there were still some that he had to sweet talk. Jerius couldn't afford to come out of this smelling of anything but roses. He took a quick glance up at Iolaus and wondered just how much money he was going to lose. The little man had done well to survive as long as this after the way the guards had been treating him, but more Thansis kisses, and a branding, no, he'd be dead by nightfall.

Hercules stared in shock at the old woman, his hands gripping the bars between them, his heart pounding like a hammer in his head. Iolaus was being tortured? In front of the whole town? Iolaus was going to die? NO! The denial came first inside him, reverberating through his very soul and then aloud, a defiance to the gods, the king, anyone who might try to take Iolaus from him again. It would not be allowed.

Garcie stood back, a little afraid, she had never imagined that Hercules would react like this. He had such a gentle, kindly manner, but now, now he was like a man possessed by all the demons of Tartarus. She couldn't calm him, couldn't even make him hear her voice. The demigod was beyond reason, he was going to save his friend and woe betide anyone who tried to stand in his way. The bars crumbled under pressure from Hercules' hands and he ran down the corridor bellowing his rage.

The first guard to meet him, Stentious, did the sensible thing and fled and once outside he raised the alarm. The army barracks were right next-door and soon the whole place was swarming with men all ready to fight, all hungry to have a go at Hercules.

Garcie pushed herself as far back into the corner as she could, all these men, all this waste. Hercules wasn't pulling any punches here; she winced as she heard a man's skull crack against the wall. But there were a lot of men for him to fight through, she wasn't sure if he could do it. Even Hercules had limits - didn't he?

Iolaus knew his limits and he knew that he had already passed them. He was living on borrowed time, the only thing keeping him alive was the thought of Hercules being kept prisoner somewhere in the palace. But now as he watched the brazier being set up and the brand being rested in the flames to heat, Iolaus knew that even that would not be enough this time, nothing could save him now. He wasn't scared of death, he knew far too much about it to be worried; but he loved life, he loved his life and he wasn't ready to leave it - not for a long time. And so it was with regret and not fear that Iolaus watched the preparations. He saw Cutie holding Thansis and hanging his head in shame and the pain pierced his heart. How could anyone use a sweet soul like Cutie so cruelly?

"Cutie. Hey, look at me." Iolaus smiled as Cutie raised his head, tears were streaming down the executioner's face. "It's all right Cutie. Do what you have to it's all right. Just ... look after Hercules for me? He'll need someone to ... when I'm..." Talking was hard but he needed to say the words - Cutie needed to hear them, "Thank you Cutie, thank you my friend."

It was time.

Tallin gained the attention of the crowd and stood back as Cutie took up a position behind his friend. Still crying he raised his arm and allowed the whip to crack over Iolaus' back. Blood poured from the re-opened wound, and even though Cutie had held back the pain ripped through Iolaus' body pulling a hoarse scream from deep within.

Cutie whimpered as he raised his arm again, watching Tallin for the signal to stop. But Tallin wanted his money's worth and he wasn't going to stop it just yet, not while the blond was still conscious and feeling every moment of his agony.

Chapter 7

Hercules saw red, he threw men aside as if they were rag-dolls, he didn't care how many he killed to get out. His need to rescue Iolaus over-rode his usual care. For once Hercules didn't hold back, he didn't consider the consequences of his godly strength. These men weren't real to Hercules they were nothing more than an obstacle to him, and the quickest way around an obstacle was to go straight through. He couldn't let Iolaus down again, not again. The hunter had already suffered so much because of the demigod, already died because of him, and now he was being made to suffer because Hercules had been content to believe that justice could be served. Even when it was the laws of a king he did not trust.

Guards and soldiers lay broken and discarded in a path behind Hercules, those that still stood regrouped and made their way to the town square - knowing they would need a miracle to stop Hercules now. Once outside of the building the demigod stood for a moment trying to sense Iolaus, needing to know where his friend was. The sounds of a crowd cheering made Hercules turn in their direction, and he started to run as a single sound could be heard over the noise of the crowd, a sound caught somewhere between a scream and a sigh. Hercules recognised his friend's voice, and knew that he didn't have much time left; he picked up his pace as the sound choked off into silence. Hercules ran through the red cloud that still filled his mind, ran to Iolaus, ran to his friend.

Iolaus did not know how he could still be alive, or conscious. The pain was too huge for him to understand; he was getting dizzy now too, the faces in the crowd swimming and dancing in front of his tired sore eyes. Iolaus could feel the warm wetness clinging to his legs, dripping from his feet; he knew that his life's blood was soaking into the wooden boards beneath him. It would be over soon; he would not suffer for much longer.

Tallin halted Cutie's hand, he could tell that his prisoner was only just aware of his surroundings; it was time for the branding. He smiled at Pellius, "You're on sire. It's time."

Hercules reached the back of the crowd and began pushing his way through them. It was difficult going, the call from Tallin earlier had brought the whole town out of their homes. There were thousands of people crammed in together and simply pushing them out of the way wasn't going to work because there was nowhere for them to go. The redness filling his head receded slightly, his madness would not get him to his goal any faster. The demigod had to wriggle and cajole his way through the mass of people, all the time trying to catch a glimpse of what they were watching.

He managed to find a small gap and dived into it, stopping for a moment to catch his breath and get his bearings. Up ahead Hercules caught a glimpse of blond hair, hanging limp and sweat-soaked, it was incentive enough for another push forward. But it was slow work and the demigod had a terrible feeling that he would be too late.

Iolaus wasn't aware of the preparations for the branding until something poked him in his ribs; he'd all but forgotten his broken ribs. It seemed such a long time since he'd discovered the injury, but it was only a day and a half. The guards wanted his attention so Iolaus raised his head and looked directly into the eyes of the king. Pellius was standing before Iolaus but to one side so that the crowd still got a good view. The king had his back to the crowd and his hands were holding the long handle of the brand that still rested in the brazier to Iolaus' left, he was smiling.

Iolaus smiled back, the best-patented Iolaus smile he could muster, it was enough to give Pellius a moment of doubt but it was only a moment and he sneered at his captive, "You won't be smiling in a minute. You'll be branded for the creeping cheat that you are, branded so that all men will be reminded of the just punishment for this unspeakable act."

"The only unspeakable actor here is you." Iolaus' voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper but Pellius heard and he raised the brand from the fire in response.

Iolaus' eyes opened in surprise and fear as he looked beyond Pellius into the crowd, 'No.' He'd seen Hercules, locked eyes with him for a brief moment. Hercules mustn't see this, he mustn't. And that was Iolaus' last coherent thought.

Hercules was two-thirds of the way through the crowd when he looked up again, this time he could see Iolaus clearly. He could see the blood pooling at his friend's feet, the bruised body, and the cracked lips. The demigod looked on in horror as he saw Pellius gripping a long pole in his hands, he could feel a scream of pure pain begin to build in him as the brand was pulled from the flames, it's large circle glowing almost white-hot and casting off sparks.

It was then Iolaus noticed him and their eyes locked for a moment. It was a moment that felt like eternity to Hercules. He could not reach the platform in time to stop Pellius, he could not save his friend, all he could do was watch as Iolaus was branded.

The scream escaped him as the brand touched Iolaus' chest. It rose in unison with the weak, so weak, scream of his brother, which he felt rather than heard. Hercules could not take his horrified eyes away from the sight before him; Pellius was holding the branding iron hard against Iolaus' chest. Even at this distance Hercules could smell the burning flesh, he could see curls of smoke rising from behind the brand.

Pellius dropped the implement to the floor, guards quickly running to throw buckets of water over it. Some of the crowd were still cheering but many had suddenly discovered that this was too much for them. The naked expressions of pain on the faces of Iolaus and the executioner were pulling at their consciences. The smell of burning, living, human flesh was sickening them. People were turning away, wanting to be anywhere but here, wanting to have nothing further to do with this horror, wishing that they could wipe their memories clean.

Another scream had joined those of Hercules and Iolaus in the moment that Iolaus was branded. He may not have been able to talk, he may not have had a tongue but he could still make sounds. Cutie wailed, his pain and guilt more than he could bear. No longer caring what Tallin did, no longer grateful for his life as executioner Cutie threw the Thansis away from him and wiping the tears from his eyes turned back to Iolaus. He would do whatever he could for his friend, it was too late, but he'd do it anyway.

Pellius' face was filled with a mad light he was in his element. His most precious and long-lived fantasy had come true and it had been wonderful. Having dropped the branding iron the king stood admiring his handiwork; he reached out to touch the still smoking chest of his prisoner. The brand had burnt deep into the warrior's flesh, which was already beginning to blister and weep. Iolaus' eyes were open but he was focused on some internal nightmare, he could not see Pellius. He was making strange whistling whimpering sounds as he breathed, even that a searing agony to him.

Pellius was impressed with the small man, now that he'd witnessed a branding close up he wasn't surprised that people rarely survived them. He was amazed that Iolaus was still alive; it made him a little uncomfortable, what kind of man could survive all that Iolaus had? He wondered if he should perhaps put the creature out of its misery. But the decision was taken from him, something suddenly shouldered into the king, pushing him over, toppling him into the crowd.

Garcie had waited until Hercules had left the prison building before venturing out of her corner. The only sounds coming from outside now were the groans of injured soldiers, the healer in Garcie wanted to stay and help but she had something more pressing to do. There would be trained soldiers nearby who could treat these men, she was needed elsewhere. This might be her only chance to rescue Elissa from the palace.

She had to do it whilst Hercules was creating his distraction and then somehow find a way to lead him, and with a bit of luck Iolaus, to safety. The healer had thought of the perfect place to go, it was a few miles from town; a small cabin that she sometimes used when she wanted a little peace. It also acted as a base for her forays into the woods to collect plants. It was her private place and nobody knew of its existence, not even Elissa.

Now that she was outside Garcie could hear the cheering and shouting of the crowd in the town square, it sounded as if the whole town was there and briefly she wondered what had brought them all back. Cursing her old bones Garcie hurried towards the palace. There wasn't much time.

She had to push herself against a wall as she neared the arched entrance, a group of the palace guard came running out and set off towards the sounds of the crowd she could hear. This entrance was far away from the main doors which led to the palace from the square but Garcie thought she could find her way to Elissa's chambers, and hopefully going in the back way she would be less likely to come across too many more of the guard.

There were so many steps, they seemed to go on forever, up and up, round and round, into infinity. Her breath painful and ragged in her chest, Garcie leaned gasping against the wall. Someone moved on the stairs above her.

"Grandmother! Are you all right?"

Garcie forced herself to smile up at the queen and nod. "Fine. I'm ... fine. There's no time. We must hurry."

She turned to start back down the stone spiral staircase but Elissa called her back. "Garcie? What's going on? There's uproar in the square, all the guards have gone to help. I think..."

Garcie saw the stricken look on her granddaughter's face and felt a stab of dismay, what now?

"I think they branded him. Oh gods, it's all my fault!"

Garcie's eyes sparked "Don't be stupid! Now hurry, Hercules is going to need us. Quickly now!"

The two women descended the steps as quickly as they could. They were hampered by Garcie's age and by Elissa's long robe, but as soon as they reached level ground they began to run toward the square, both dreading what they would find there.

Hercules stood in the midst of chaos, the only person that didn't move or make a sound. All around him people were turning on each other; some just wanted to get away, others in their fear and confusion were lashing out at anything and everything. Their king had fallen into the tightly packed audience and now they were panicking. Nobody was sure what had happened; nobody knew where the king was or why he had fallen. Some were shouting that it was a sign from the gods, others that Iolaus had supernatural powers and was exacting his revenge. Some were just too horrified by the smell of burning flesh that hung in the air to do anything more than try to run, flee the horror.

It was only for a moment that Hercules was still, looking aghast at his friend, his buddy Iolaus. The sight before him the most terrible thing he had ever witnessed in his long career as hero, all the more terrible because Iolaus still lived.

"Iolaus."

The sound of his voice didn't carry, nobody heard, but Hercules galvanised himself into action as he realised that the pressure of the mass of people was beginning to rock the platform. He couldn't allow Iolaus to fall into the mob. Again throwing people aside but this time without the raging cloud of red smothering him, Hercules pushed his way to the steps of the platform.

He didn't think about himself, the only thought that filled his head was to get Iolaus away from this place, get him somewhere safe, and somewhere quiet. As the demigod clambered over the guards who were vainly trying to stop the push of the crowd he heard the shouted orders of military men, the army had arrived and instead of going after Hercules they were trying to clear the square, relieve the suffocating pressure, save the townsfolk from their own panic.

Looking across at Iolaus it took Hercules a moment to understand what he was seeing, Tallin and the king were nowhere to be seen, his only company on the platform was some very scared palace guards who were attempting to hold the crowd back with their spears, Iolaus, who was still suspended from the scaffold and one other man - the executioner. Cutie was pulling at the chains that held Iolaus to the crossbeam, tears still streaming down his face. A strange, awful, keening sound was coming from the large man as he desperately tried to free Iolaus.

Hercules put a hand over Cutie's own; it was not as large as the executioner's hand Hercules had found a gentle giant here on the platform. Quietly but forcefully enough to cut through all the noise Hercules said, "Here, let me try."

With a swift smooth motion Hercules pulled the chain free of the huge oak beam, gesturing for Cutie to hold Iolaus up he repeated the exercise on the other side. Iolaus dropped bonelessly into Cutie's arms, his whimpering breathing stopping for a moment before continuing just as before.

Cutie turned Iolaus so that he could lift him into his arms to carry him and looked expectantly down at Hercules. He was used to being given orders, from this man he would take any order. This man was Hercules; this man was friend to his friend.

Hercules took a brief moment to brush Iolaus' forehead with his fingertips; resisting the urge to pull him from the other man's arms, knowing that he may well need to fight his way out of this and he couldn't do that if he was carrying Iolaus. The demigod could see from the protective way that the executioner held Iolaus that he would not hurt the smaller man, he could see in his determined expression that Iolaus' new friend would probably give up his own life if he thought it would help.

"Which way?"

Cutie just frowned.

"What's the quickest way out of here?"

Cutie nodded his understanding, frowned in concentration for a moment and then nodded his head to the right. Hercules didn't have time to wonder why the other man didn't speak; he just hoped that the directions were correct. The army was very efficient, people were beginning to calm and the square was emptying out too quickly. It wouldn't be long before one of the men noticed Hercules, and like it or not he was an escaped prisoner.

All the time that he'd been on the platform Hercules had been subconsciously aware of its swaying, now he realised that he could hear the supports cracking in protest. The whole thing was about to collapse. Trusting that Cutie would follow, the demigod rushed back down the steps and started off to the near corner of the square.

Her lungs screaming for breath Garcie managed to call to her granddaughter, "This way. Ares ... Avenue... Herc ... best ... route!"

Elissa changed direction and led the way towards the street on the other side of the main square. They had to dodge past groups of people now, the soldiers had managed to start emptying the square, but even though it slowed their progress the women were grateful. The people were scared, some were milling around, some were distractedly looking for friends and family, some were running in their desperate search for loved ones. If the soldiers saw Garcie and Elissa they would only be two more crazed and frightened women. Elissa prayed no one looked too closely and wondered why the supposedly gravely ill queen was flying through the city streets in her nightclothes.

They reached Ares Avenue and stopped, sitting on the edge of a fountain to rest. Elissa was worried about her grandmother, she was flushed and her breathing was ragged. An old woman should not have to be running through the city streets. The queen looked around her, neither Garcie nor Iolaus would be in any fit state to walk let alone run if they needed to, they would need some transportation. Spotting a possible solution she put a hand on Garcie's shoulder, "I won't be a moment, stay here."

Garcie barely nodded, it was so hard to breathe, it hurt in her chest, her lungs were burning, and her legs were quivering with the exertion. The elderly healer's heart was hammering far too quickly in her chest. She hoped she hadn't signed her own death warrant by this foolishness; Iolaus would be in need of her expertise. She thought back to Elissa's words, "I think they branded him." perhaps all she would be able to do was make him more comfortable, ease the pain. But Garcie knew how important that was, to those that remained behind even more than the dying themselves. She had to recover herself she was needed.

Her hammering heart was beginning to slow when she spotted the trio amongst the mingling people exiting the square. Two tall broad-shouldered men, one with a small limp form cradled in his arms. "Over here!" She stood and waved, and breathed a sigh of relief when Hercules spotted her.

Elissa appeared just at that moment and breathlessly explained; "I've found a cart for us. It's just over here." She ushered the others to a nearby house, a cart was stood outside, with a team of horses already in the traces. The queen pulled herself easily up into the driver's seat. "I'll drive, I'm good with horses." she gave a small wry smile. She watched Hercules help Garcie and Cutie into the back, Cutie wouldn't let go of Iolaus, but he managed to climb up with the demigod's help. "Where to?" She called as Hercules swung himself up beside Garcie.

"Just get us out of town." he called back.

"I've got a place in mind child, just keep on this road and I'll tell you where to go when we're safely out of town." Garcie had pulled herself close to Cutie so that she could take a look at Iolaus.

She looked in horror at the ruin that was his chest; with great care she lifted his pendant. The talisman itself had escaped the brand as it lay just below the centre of the cross, but the leather that held it around his neck had been burned into his skin. Cutie carefully moved Iolaus onto one arm as he reached for his belt. He gave Garcie a knife and she cut the leather so that the talisman could be removed. A little voice inside asked her why she was bothering to do this, the man was going to die it was just a matter of how long it would take him. But she denied the voice, just as she always had, sometimes by going through the motions, by always believing that the patient would live, just sometimes they did.

But Iolaus' wounds horrified even Garcie, who had seen so much in her lifetime. As she carefully pried the dirty leather out of his chest Garcie listened to his breathing; she put a gentle hand on his chest and felt his heartbeat, she looked at the amount of blood on his silk pants and sighed. He was still bleeding, but not as much as she would have expected from the state she knew his back must be in. She had seen the results of the Thansis before.

Hercules watched helpless as Garcie checked on her patient, he was feeling strangely left out, jealous of Cutie, irritated at his inability to be a part of this scene. Iolaus was his best friend; he should be holding him, comforting him. But there was something about Cutie - he didn't know exactly what, but something somehow peaceful about him. The demigod realised that Iolaus was no longer making that awful whimpering sound, his breathing was still laboured but he seemed more relaxed now.

As soon as Garcie moved away from Iolaus' side to give Elissa directions Hercules took her place. He sat beside his friend, still held gently in the arms of this huge stranger and took Iolaus' hand in his. Iolaus' eyes were still open, but they were unfocused, wherever Iolaus was it wasn't with them. Hercules only hoped that Hades wasn't there either. Not knowing what else to do Hercules started softly talking to his friend, words of encouragement, words of friendship, words of love. Cutie listened in awe of these men that they could care about each other so much, while he felt guilty at letting his only friend down so badly.

PART TWO
The Red Dance

Chapter 8

It had been a huge shock to Pellius to find himself flying through the air into the mass of people below. It occurred to him, as they parted before his weight and he fell through them and onto the ground, that if he'd been a beloved monarch his citizens would have held him up, caught him, and saved him. Gathering his breath as quickly as he could Pellius got to his hands and knees and began to crawl through the forest of legs. He was making his way to the platform; under there his people would not be able to crush him to death. It was slow progress, he was constantly being kicked and knocked over.

It was a bruised and badly shaken king that finally found refuge amongst the wooden supports under the platform. Sitting there to gain his breath Pellius could hear a strange song of sorrow, a single note of anguish calling above the madness. He couldn't know that it was Cutie, to the king it sounded as if the gods themselves were grieving. He had no doubt that Iolaus was dead by now, nobody could have survived for more than a minute or two in the state he was in.

Pellius didn't know what to do next; he couldn't seem to think straight. How could he get back to the safety of the palace without being crushed? There was a soft thud behind him and the king turned, fear in his eyes.

Tallin had quickly understood that the crowd had turned into a frightened mob; he had seen Cutie rush at the king and the king's ungainly arcing fall into the mob. Cursing aloud the advisor decided it would be prudent to leave now, let the army do their job. His skin was too precious to him to be caught up in a riot. But there was the king; he may still prove useful, necessary even. Tallin would have to rescue him.

Cautiously he leaned over the front of the platform, trying to ignore the horrible sound emanating from the royal executioner. It made his teeth itch, it made him want to shout and scream and kill someone; instead he searched for a sign of Pellius. It didn't take him long to spot a small ripple in the crowd, they moved as if something was pushing against them, a small gap appearing and disappearing, following a line towards the platform.

He quickly moved to the back of the platform and squeezing through the narrow gap between it and the palace wall dropped to the ground. The king sat looking stupidly up at him, bruised and a little bloody but otherwise all right. Tallin hustled the rotund man to his feet and pushed him towards a small archway hidden in the shadows. Always thinking ahead, always ensuring an escape route, Tallin had ordered the platform be built in such a way that this little crawl-way into the palace would be available - just in case.

Pellius huffed and puffed his way through the hole in the wall, it was a tight fit for him and at one point he feared being stuck there, but an indelicate push from behind was enough incentive to free him and he was soon crawling along the dark and dirty tunnel. Pellius wondered at Tallin's foresight, the king had forgotten all about the network of small tunnels that criss-crossed the palace foundations. Ready-made escape routes and traps built in case of attack or more especially occupation, a way for an exiled king to regain control. Pellius had played in them as a child, but had never thought much about their practical uses, only enough to ensure that they were securely locked against outside use.

After raising the alarm Stentious kept in the background, he watched the enraged Hercules throwing men around as if they were nothing more than sackcloth and straw. He heard the sickening sounds of bones breaking and usually bold and strong warriors screaming in pain and crying for mercy. The young guard watched as Hercules started running towards the square, and reluctantly he obeyed the orders of the army captain and joined the squad of men that followed.

Once they arrived at the square it was plain that their job was no longer to recapture Hercules but to avert a major disaster. Stentious had never seen battle, he'd been recruited to the guard rather than the army and his mother sacrificed to the gods regularly in gratitude for this fortune. He had never seen a riot either; he was too young to remember the last riots when the old king, Pellius' father, had died in suspicious circumstances. So, Stentious could not easily decipher the sight that met his eyes.

The square was one whole heaving mass of humanity, people were screaming and shouting. He could hear the cries of women who were being crushed by the sheer force of the people pushing behind them. The captain shouted his orders loud over the noise "Get them clear, calm them down. Get the people away from the square. Quick and calm. Quick and calm."

As Stentious moved to comply he glanced up at the platform wondering what had started the riot. It couldn't have been Hercules; he was still escaping the prison when this had started. Because he was standing on a street that left the back of the square and ran up the hill there, he was slightly above the heads of most of the crowd. He had a clear view of the platform, and with his exceptionally good long sight he had no trouble discerning Cutie as he pulled helplessly at Iolaus' bonds. He could easily see the brand that had marred the golden skin of the prisoner's chest; and wishing his sight were not so good Stentious could see the blue eyes, unfocused and unseeing, but which still seemed to stare accusingly across at him. The pain that filled those eyes would be a waking nightmare to more souls than just Stentious. He understood that those eyes were enough to cause a riot, enough to make people want to run, want to hide, find a place where the blueness of those eyes would not find them and accuse them. For a young and not so bright man Stentious could have amazing insights sometimes, he knew that however far these people ran they would never be able to outrun the accusation in those blue eyes.

Putting his discomfort aside the royal guard got down to the job at hand and was soon guiding tearful, frightened people away from the square, "Go home," he told them, "Go home and wait for your family. Stay there until this is all over."

Every now and then he would risk a glance up to the platform, and so it was Stentious who saw Hercules free Iolaus, Stentious who witnessed the two men and their sad burden leave the square. He glanced across at the captain; he was busy with a woman who was hysterically calling for her baby. Stentious had little sympathy for a woman who would take her child to watch such a barbarous act, but he was grateful to her all the same. He found himself cheering Hercules on, hoping that he escaped, he also found himself irrationally praying for Iolaus to live. He deserved a better death than this.

There were other soldiers in the square that noticed Hercules taking Iolaus down from the wooden frame, but those that did thought nothing of it, too busy with trying to calm the people around them and return Meassia to some kind of order.

One soldier risked a glance up at the platform and seeing Cutie bearing his sad burden down the rocking steps had time to feel grief at the terrible death of this small warrior. There had been nothing noble or honourable about Iolaus' death and for that the soldier was sad. But he had no time to wonder where Hercules and Cutie were going or to watch them. He returned to his work and the next time he had a chance to think of Iolaus he was back in his barracks and trying unsuccessfully to sleep.

The Captain couldn't care less what Hercules was doing, he could be dancing on top of the palace walls for all the Captain cared. All that he could worry about was the safety of the people that surrounded him; all he could do was his best to stop this mess turning into an even greater tragedy. Let Tallin and his wily ways find Hercules later.

The gods were cruel, too cruel. Iolaus had always known of their cruelty, hadn't he seen it for himself time and again over the years? But this was a cruelty even Iolaus had not imagined them capable of. Why couldn't he just die? Why couldn't he at least find oblivion? Instead they had pulled him into this tiny world of pain. It's familiar shape and colour told him that he was back in the ballroom, the red room of his dance. He couldn't dance anymore and he couldn't fight anymore. It was too much, far too much to ask of him.

"Why did you bring me here? What else do I have to do to satisfy you? Why?"

Iolaus looked down at himself, partly in curiosity, partly in dread. He needed to see the brand; he needed to see what they'd done to his body. The huge circle was there, a wide blistered band of burnt flesh, the cross through the centre cutting diagonally across his chest. Just below the middle of the cross lay his talisman, undamaged. The blue silk that covered his legs was caked with salt and dried blood and it was stuck to his skin.

Iolaus knew that if he could see his back it would probably send madness capering into this place to join him, he was glad he could not. The pain of it was enough. The gods were so cruel, he felt the pain of his injuries, he stood here able to walk, able to talk, but unable to sleep. Did they expect him to perform for them? Did they desire the next dance?

Iolaus heard the irresistible rhythm that had begun it all filling the room. The heavy beat of the music that he had not been able to resist, making him chance Hercules' anger to take the haughty Elissa's hand. It had been a wonderful feeling, whirling across the floor with the queen in his arms. She was light on her feet and she felt the music as he did, from the inside. Sometimes, when the circumstances were right, it felt as if the music had swallowed Iolaus and he had swallowed the music, sometimes he was dancing within its belly. It had been like that with Elissa, she had understood, she had shared the feeling.

He found himself slowly turning to the music, slowly moving his feet to the deep sound that surrounded him. Even his pain was pulsing in time to the beat, it washed over him, consumed him just as the music was consuming him. He would slowly circle his hollow dance here forever, or until Hercules could free him - if Hercules could free him.

Kouros knew that he would be needed in the square, the sounds of the frightened mob had reached even into the depths of the palace, but for now he wanted to check on Elissa. He was worried that she was coming out of her induced sleep and he didn't want the king to find out that she had recovered. Reaching her door the healer frowned the guards were gone. They had probably heard the ruckus and abandoned their posts, keen for the chance of a good fight.

The door was ajar and Kouros had a bad feeling as he entered the room. He stared across at the rumpled empty bed. She was gone the queen was gone. Now what was he going to do? The one thing Kouros was sure of was that he wouldn't be the one to tell Pellius that his wife had escaped him. If he did there would be too many questions regarding how she'd been well enough to leave the palace, and why Kouros hadn't been with her.

The noise coming from outside had lessened and the healer went to look out of the window. The huge crowd had dispersed but there were still a lot of people milling around. There was also some lying on the ground, obviously beyond his help. He could still be of use though; he could see several people in need of his expertise. Determining to go to their aid and worry about Pellius and his ire later Kouros turned from the room.

The cabin was not very big, but it was comfortable. They found it in a small clearing in the woods that lay on the northern edge of the city. The rutted path they had followed was covered in weeds from lack of use; Hercules had walked behind as they left the main road using a branch to cover the tracks of their cart. Luckily for them the road they were leaving was a major trade route and many carts and wagons passed by, their tracks would soon be lost under others.

Elissa drew the horses up close behind the small stable so that the cart would not be easily spotted by anyone that might chance by. She saw to the horses as Garcie and Hercules helped Cutie take his burden into the cabin. Cutie would still not let go of Iolaus, he held him tightly against his massive chest. Iolaus was still conscious but unresponsive, his eyes staring at some inward view.

Garcie rushed to prepare the more comfortable of the two beds in the cabin, it was in a bedroom to the back of the small wooden house. The room was light and airy and Garcie always slept in it on her frequent visits. She signalled Cutie to lay Iolaus on the bed but as the big man moved to do so a look of horror crossed his face. He held Iolaus in his arms, bent over the bed and stared at Garcie in panic. It only took her a moment to realise the problem. "Don't move. Just stay right there."

She hurried out of the room pulling a bemused Hercules behind her. "His blood. It's dried. He's stuck to the other man. We need water, quickly." Garcie pointed the well out to the demigod and he quickly pulled a bucket full of water up from its depths. "We'll need lots more, can you...?"

Hercules nodded and putting another bucket in place started lowering it. It felt better to finally have something to do. He would just be in the way in the bedroom; here at least he was helping.

Elissa found him still at it, filling the fourth bucket, when she came for water for the horses a few minutes later. "Can I take one of these for the horses?" Hercules didn't respond, and a sympathetic Elissa laid a hand gently on his arm. "Garcie is the best healer there is. She'll look after him."

Hercules nodded but remained silent, he didn't trust his voice for the moment, he was so scared of losing Iolaus. Elissa sighed, there was so much pain everywhere, and she didn't know what to do. She smiled as she remembered her grandmother's favourite advice; "If in doubt make yourself busy."

"Look, I'll go water the horses, then you can help me get a fire going. We'll need to boil up some of this water for the herbs."

The redness of the ballroom dissolved before him, the sound of the music slowly faded until all he could hear was the beating of his heart. The pain that had filled every part of his mind and body was easing and slowly he came to recognise the soft cool touch of water. He was back in the refreshing lake.

Perhaps it was the coolness of the water that was numbing his body, stopping him from feeling the pain. He was being held in the water by strong arms, they were gently cradling him so that only his head was above the surface, ensuring that he did not drown. Iolaus tried to look behind him so that he could see whom it was, he knew that it wasn't Hercules but who? But the person shushed him and allowed the sweet water to lap over the hunter's head, let him sip at its clear wetness.

Iolaus allowed himself to be held, he allowed the stranger to be his guardian. It felt right, it felt safe, and he wasn't worried about himself or about Hercules. Everything would be all right now, he let himself enjoy the feel of the water as it softly caressed his body, and he let himself relax.

Pellius was hungry; the branding had whetted his appetite. The servants were even now putting before him a meal fit for a king and he smiled and patted his rumbling stomach as he watched them. All it had taken to make him feel like a new man was a bath and clean clothes. He let his mind wander back to the moment he had pushed the hot iron into Iolaus' exposed chest; he relished the feel of the rough wood in his hand, the soft resistance of flesh, he smiled at the remembered sight of the curls of smoke that had risen from behind the circle of metal. Pulling himself back to the present the king reached for a chicken leg and looked across at his advisor.

Tallin sat by the fireside watching Pellius. He was disgusted by the king, by his hunger. Tallin felt as if he may never eat again. He had received considerable pleasure from the sight of the Thansis at work, it's bloody kisses covering the prisoner's back, but the branding had been something else. Far more unpleasant than he had expected, more brutal, more messy. It was the smell that had finally made him turn away, but before he had Iolaus' eyes had caught his attention. They seemed to watch him, accuse him; they seemed to tell him that they would be haunting him for all eternity.

Tallin shivered even though he sat beside a roaring fire, even though it was a balmy summer evening. He was surprised at himself, surprised at Pellius too. He would have predicted that Pellius would be the one to blanche; he would have guessed that the royal advisor himself would have been immune to any feelings of guilt or remorse. It was strange how things turned out.

Pellius spoke through a mouthful of bread, "What's happening? Have they quelled the mob yet?"

Tallin had been waiting to make his report, after cleansing himself of the dust and dirt he had seen the captain of the army unit stationed at the palace barracks. There was a lot to report and it wasn't good.

"Yes sire, the mob is dispersed. But there is a problem. Hercules escaped from his cell during the confusion, he killed the captain of the palace guard. It seems that he was in time to witness your ... punishment of the adulterer. He was able to take the body away in his escape. The executioner seems to have gone with him."

Pellius didn't seem too bothered by this news; nothing could take away the glorious feeling of his dream being brought to life.

Tallin continued his report. "There is more to tell sire. It appears that during the height of the unrest the guards stationed within the palace abandoned their posts to help calm things down. On their return the guards posted to your queen's chambers discovered her to be missing. We can only assume that she has been kidnapped - perhaps by Hercules as retribution for what you did to his friend."

"But that was justice! He had no right! Get her back, get her back at once!"

Tallin smiled and shrugged his shoulders apologetically, "We are doing our best, but there is no clue yet as to where they have gone. The riot caused too much confusion, even our soldiers are giving conflicting reports on the direction Hercules took. Don't worry, we are on the side of justice, we will prevail." Tallin didn't mind using the king's seemingly selective memory. He didn't know why Pellius had chosen to forget that Iolaus and Hercules had been set up, or why the king was suddenly sounding so fond of his wife, but he could play along for now. The king's righteous indignation was something he would never have been able to pretend convincingly and it may help to regain the support of the people of Meassia.

It was disturbing that Hercules had been able to take the queen; Tallin didn't know how that had been possible. Surely the demigod hadn't had the time. Tallin promised himself a long talk with Kouros, just how sick had Elissa really been? It would have to wait for now though, the palace healer was far too busy with injured soldiers and citizens. Tallin briefly wondered what had happened to that other healer, the old woman. Trust her to be missing when she was needed the most. She was probably off sulking somewhere, still sore at Pellius for firing her.

The fire was beginning to take and the sound of the wood crackling was the only sound in the cabin. Garcie was still carefully detaching Iolaus from the executioner, and Hercules and Elissa sat in the main room, watching the fire. Elissa had gathered up the supplies she thought her grandmother would need, they were kept in the second bedroom, which looked more like an apothecary's workroom. Its walls were lined with shelves and the shelves were full of bottles and earthenware jars.

Finally they heard Garcie sigh and say, "You can lay him on the bed now please. Good. Look, I don't know your name, what are you called?"

Elissa stood and moved to the doorway, "He doesn't speak, his tongue was cut out. Nobody knows what his name is, people have always called him the executioner because of what he did."

Hercules spoke quietly; he was standing behind Elissa and looking down at the still form on the bed. "We can't call him that, he's no executioner. He's Iolaus' friend."

Cutie had laid Iolaus on his side, unable to bring himself to lay that bloody back on the clean sheets. He gently touched Iolaus' shoulder and tried to say his new name, "Ooo - eee." The sound that actually came out of his mouth made no sense and Elissa looked helplessly across at Hercules. "What's he trying to say?"

Hercules thought for a moment and then smiled. "If I know Iolaus he would have thought the same as me. He wouldn't have called him 'executioner' he would have wanted a name. I wonder what it could be?"

Garcie touched Cutie gently on the shoulder to calm him as he was beginning to get agitated. "Ooo - eee." He said again and again, willing his newest friends to understand him.

"Tooley? Or maybe Smoothy? Oh I don't know, we could be guessing for days!" Garcie threw up her hands in frustration.

Hercules was frowning and looking first at Cutie and then Iolaus and back to Cutie again as if searching for inspiration. "No, Iolaus would have used a name that made sense, something to do with what was going on around him, or to do with the executioner's appearance. Okay, so, if I was Iolaus I'd see this big guy standing by me with a whip in his hand." Hercules involuntarily winced at the thought of the whip. "Maybe the executioner did something to get Iolaus interested. Iolaus smiles at him and speaks to him," Hercules paused getting encouragement from the silent giant of a man who was nodding fiercely. "Ooo - eee!"

"Okay, so, what does Iolaus do next?" Cutie pointed at himself almost jumping up and down with his excitement. Hercules frowned and shook his head. "I don't understand."

"Perhaps he asked for the executioners name?" Garcie was pleased by the big man's reaction; he beamed and patted her carefully on the back.

Hercules continued, "Right! So, somebody tells Iolaus that this is the executioner and that he doesn't have a name. Iolaus would have hated that! So ... he would have come up with another name, a nicer name. Something fun but fitting. The executioner - Ooo -eee? Executioner ... Cue something?"

Cutie was jumping up and down now, they were so close.

"Cu ...neee? No, no, Cu ...tee, Cutie?"

Cutie grinned happily and nodded enthusiastically. Yes, he was Cutie, his friend had named him and the gift had been more precious to the executioner than anything that had ever happened to him before. He had a name, after so long without one, Cutie was a person again.

Hercules grinned and grabbed Cutie by the arm, giving him a strong warrior's handshake. "It's good to meet you Cutie. I'll be proud to call you friend if you'll let me."

Garcie sat carefully on the edge of the large bed and smiled up at the grinning man, "Thank you Cutie, you've done very well."

Turning to the others and all back to business she started reeling off a list of things she would need, "I need to clean the wounds. Elissa, I need some lavender oil for the burns, I think I have some Lady's Mantle in the place somewhere, and poppy, white poppy. When he comes back to us, he'll need poppy." She finished her fairly long list of items and then looked up at Hercules.

"I can't save him Hercules, I can try to make him comfortable but I can't save him. By everything I've seen in my long life he should already be dead, that he isn't is a miracle in itself. So, I won't say that he will certainly die, but there is little hope. And Hercules, I don't say this to be cruel, but you have to understand - even if he does survive, he'll never be the man he was. His back will be one massive scar, it will restrict his movement, and he will always have this ... this..." she waved a hand over Iolaus' chest unable to find a word for the horror she saw there, "He'll be horribly scarred Hercules. I can see from your eyes and how he's survived this that he's a strong man, his will is very strong, but this will scar him inside as well - if he lives."

Garcie hated this part of being a healer, but the loved ones should understand, they shouldn't allow themselves to believe that everything would be all right when it couldn't be. They needed to face the worst as soon as possible, get their pain into perspective so that they could be there for the patient.

She shooed everyone out of the room after Elissa had brought her the heated water infused with herbs; she was a good girl, it made Garcie proud to see her being so thoughtful. The healer looked down at Iolaus, it would probably have been easier if she'd asked one of the others to help her, but an irrational part of her didn't want them to see the damage in such an intimate way, not if they didn't have to. It would be too painful for them, Elissa already felt guilty, and she could see that both Hercules and Cutie loved this man very deeply.

Carefully, she began to cut through the silk so that she could remove the blood-covered pants. Iolaus started to whimper again as she finally cut them free, and she looked closely into his eyes, they were still open, still not registering her presence. She snapped her fingers inches from his face but he didn't react, he just continued to whimper as he breathed. Frightened that even if he did survive the blond had retreated too far into his own private Tartarus to ever return Garcie started to very gently bathe his body with the infusion Elissa had prepared for her.

The lake was gone, it had faded into red and the heavy beat of the unending music was surrounding him again. The pain crept back, his whole body hurt, but the circle on his chest was the worst pain; it felt as if it were still burning, melting his flesh and sinking hot iron into his body. He remembered his eastern lessons fondly but with detachment, he was beyond their help now. Screaming would not help; he had no voice and no breath with which to find it. All he could do was let the music take him, allow himself to be led around the dance floor, the pain just another step to this particular dance.

He thought of his friend Cutie, and wondered where he was now, he thought of Hercules and felt another kind of pain. Hercules had seen, he'd witnessed the branding, he'd screamed. Iolaus knew that the demigod would be by his side now, keeping vigil. It was a comforting thought. He hoped that his friend would find peace one day, even as the hunter continued to follow the steps to his dance of pain.

Chapter 9

Stentious sat on the crumbling wall looking down at the city as dusk began to fall, he could see the square that lay in front of the palace from his vantage point. It was empty now, the soldiers had moved all the people on - there would be no unofficial gatherings for a while, just in case. A curfew had been brought into effect, but Stentious wasn't worried about that, he didn't intend to go back to the city.

When he'd finished leading people away from the square Stentious should have returned to the palace to get new orders, but instead, not thinking about what he was doing, he'd walked away. He had followed the road behind him as it led steadily upwards and out of the city. He kept following it until he'd reached the top of the hill. From there he could look down on his home, see it all looking so small and insignificant.

The wall he sat on was an old boundary wall to the temple up here. It was dedicated to Athena but Stentious wasn't feeling very religious and ignored the path leading to the temple. He just sat on the crumbling wall and watched his city. He couldn't go back. That was the only thing he'd been able to decide for sure. After all that he'd seen and all that he'd heard, he knew that he couldn't be a part of Pellius' world any longer.

The far away blue eyes of Iolaus stayed with him, he knew that Iolaus hadn't been seeing the people by then, but he couldn't help putting a message in those eyes; a plea for explanation, an accusation. But Stentious didn't have the answers either. He was afraid that he wouldn't have helped Iolaus even if he'd been stood in the front row. Pellius was his king! Pellius had said that this man deserved the punishment he received, but by the gods no man deserved that.

What should he do? Stentious remembered watching Hercules and the executioner leave the square, he wondered whether they had escaped. He thought that they must have, if not he would have seen them being brought back. Instead he could see soldiers like little ants running hither and thither, they didn't have a clue. They didn't know what direction to start looking in. Stentious looked beyond the city towards the forest that lay on its other side and smiled. Hercules must be in there somewhere, and if the rumours about the son of Zeus were true he'd only be found if he wanted to be.

Without even realising that his decision had been made the young guard stood and started on the long walk around the city's perimeter to reach the wood. Finding Hercules would be next to impossible, but he left that to the fates. At least he knew where to start looking.

Hercules had waited as patiently as he could for Garcie to finish administering to Iolaus; he'd paced back and forth outside the cabin barely noticing as darkness fell. He resented this time that he was being forced to lose, this precious time that he could be sharing with Iolaus. A part of the demigod was still raging against the injustice of it all, raging against admitting to the possibility that Iolaus would die, or the likelihood of his being permanently disfigured and unable to go back to his old life. But Hercules was able to understand that this was just his need speaking and not logic. He knew that if Iolaus did survive it would be difficult for the proud warrior to come to terms with his new badges of courage, difficult for him to find a new niche in life. Hercules also understood that he would do anything to help his friend, he would be there for him no matter what. He took that knowledge and held it close, he let it warm his heart and give him strength; he would need to be strong now, for Iolaus.

Garcie came to him quietly and nodded, he could go to Iolaus, she'd done what she could. "Give him water, he must drink. If you can't get him to drink then wet a cloth and dribble the water into his mouth. Go, he needs you."

As he entered the room Hercules didn't notice the flickering light that the candles gave off, all he saw was Iolaus. His friend still lay on his side, a sheet pulled to just above his waist but no higher. Garcie had been concerned that the weight of a blanket or even the touch of the sheet would cause more pain to her patient. She was also concerned that the material would stick to his weeping wounds. She hadn't bandaged him, it had seemed pointless to try, open air was the best healer for the burns, and as for his back - it was too large an area to simply bandage, she would prepare a poultice later if it seemed necessary but for now there was no sign of infection.

Hercules sat on the chair by the bed and looked at Iolaus' face. His eyes were still open, blinking only occasionally; they were still red and sore from the day in the sun. Iolaus was whimpering and it broke Hercules' heart to hear such a pitiful sound coming from his partner. Seeing the bravest man Hercules had ever known reduced to such a state filled him with a cold hatred for Pellius. The man would pay, but not yet. For now Iolaus needed his friend, even if he showed no signs of awareness Hercules was sure that Iolaus did know he was there. He reached out and touched Iolaus' forearm briefly, then looking around him he spotted the water jug and the cloths. Carefully he filled a cloth with cool water and let some drip between Iolaus' parted lips. The hunter responded, unconsciously lifting his head towards the source of the water. Occasionally refilling the cloth and continuing to allow the water to drip into his friends mouth Hercules started to talk.

The quiet murmur of his voice reached the ears of the women who were sitting by the fire looking into its depths and lost in their own thoughts. Elissa was silently crying, she couldn't believe that her husband - hated though he was - could have done this terrible thing. She couldn't believe that any man could be capable of such evil. She listened to the quiet drone of Hercules' voice and allowed it to lull her into sleep.

Garcie heard Hercules' quiet words as she prepared a stew of the rabbits that Elissa had bought with the wagon in town. She was saddened by the love she detected in his voice, his heart would break whether Iolaus lived or died. And Iolaus would be a broken man if he survived, perhaps it would be better for everyone if he did die. Garcie wished that she could have known the blond before all this, seen what it was about him that deserved such loyalty and love from old friends and new alike.

Cutie stood outside in the dark, he could hear Hercules' voice too but it didn't soothe him. He wanted to be with Iolaus, he wanted to hold him, protect him, but he knew that Hercules deserved to be with his friend now. Cutie didn't deserve to have what he wanted, Cutie had let his friend down, Cutie had hurt Iolaus with the Thansis, Cutie deserved to die.

Cutie's real name was lost to him, it had been so many long years since he had heard it spoken that he had forgotten it. All he could remember was the feeling of safety, the love. He had been a small child when his parents had died in a raid. He had witnessed the horror and the soldiers had found him sat in the middle of the burnt wreckage of his home sobbing his little heart out. Unfortunately for Cutie he wasn't a bright child and severely traumatised by what he had seen he became even more withdrawn than before. There was only one orphanage in Meassia and they took him in, but they had little time and no love to spare on this hulking new child, his face scarred by burns from the blaze that had marked the end of his family life.

When the boy was about twelve Tallin had paid a visit to the orphanage, it was the first of his many visits to look for likely recruits to the Meassian army. On this day he spotted the reticent Cutie, saw him chopping wood for the coming winter. Tallin was thoughtful, watching the youngster for some time before he smiled and went to talk with the man who ran the orphanage, who was more than happy to allow Tallin to take Cutie with him. The child bothered him, with his huge body, ugly face and silent ways.

Cutie was grateful for his new life at the palace, he had a room that was all his own, good food, and the palace was a wonderful place. There were so many colourful people roaming around its hallways, so much life to watch. At first Cutie's duties were simple, chop wood, fetch and carry things that were too heavy for the other slaves. Because he hardly spoke to anyone Tallin saw him as being no threat.

After about five years of chopping wood Tallin decided that Cutie was ready to help the executioner in his duties. He had to sharpen the axe and oil the leather of the Thansis; he was responsible for ensuring the block was in place on the day of an execution. He stood in the background as the execution took place, in case he was needed. He tried not to think about it, he had nightmares but he just thought that he was being stupid. He knew that he was a stupid man; he knew that he didn't understand the complexities of the world. Some men deserved to die, some men deserved the kiss of leather on their backs, it was the only way. He knew the words but he never truly felt them in his heart.

And then before his third execution Cutie had been present at a conversation that had rocked his world. Tallin was talking with the executioner, a man was to be beheaded for a murder, but he was thanking the executioner for the good clean job he had made of the job. The executioner was the killer, not the man about to be executed. Cutie was horrified when he realised that it was the executioner that had committed the murder. The man about to be executed was innocent, was being used as their scapegoat. He didn't know what to do, whom to turn to. In the end he remembered the guard who regularly stood at the back entrance to the palace, the one near the kitchens. He had always had a friendly word for Cutie.

The frightened young man went to the guard and haltingly told him everything. Unfortunately the guard was very loyal to the king and was also keen for a promotion, Cutie's punishment was to have his tongue cut out, he would never tell tales on his benefactors again.

Cutie hadn't questioned the punishment; he had believed Tallin when he had sadly told the young man that he had completely misunderstood the conversation. He had hung his head with shame as the king's advisor had told him that he shouldn't interfere with things he could never understand. He had believed Tallin as he expressed his regret at the necessity of removing Cutie's tongue. After he had recovered and returned to work, Cutie knew that his loyalty to the king and his advisor was stronger than ever. Now he was grateful for their mercy too.

He had become executioner himself when his predecessor died, never questioning his orders, never flinching at the punishments he was told to hand out - until now. It was different with Iolaus, he had smiled at Cutie, given him a name that was his own. Cutie didn't have the ability to distinguish between humour and friendship, but he could recognise a smile even though he couldn't remember the last time anyone had smiled at him. Iolaus' smile had been like the smile of Cutie's forgotten father; it opened a long closed door in his heart.

Iolaus may have only been trying to break his tension with a throw away line or two, but Cutie caught the line and held on tight. It was more than he'd ever had before. The executioner didn't understand what Iolaus was supposed to have done, but he did recognise the shifty glances that Tallin gave him. Cutie started thinking that he might have been right before, that he'd not misunderstood the overheard conversation, the man could have been innocent - just like this man. Iolaus might not have done what he was supposed to have done.

And this time the feel of the bone handle snug in his hand and the crack of the leather across a back didn't make him feel good, it didn't make him feel as if he were the hand of justice. He just felt sad. Iolaus had been kind to him, spoken to him as if he were a person, Iolaus hadn't flinched away from his touch, Iolaus had actually looked Cutie in the eye. And when Iolaus had thanked him after he had let his new friend down so badly, Cutie could hardly bear the pain he felt, the guilt. He wanted to help, he wanted to make amends, if he couldn't do that, then he should die.

Cutie was roused from his reverie by a short scream of pain, he recognised the old lady's voice and he ran to see what had happened.

Chapter 10

Garcie had been half asleep as she'd reached out to take the stew off of the spit over the fire. They all needed to eat but sleep was demanding her attention. The cloth she'd been using to protect herself had slipped and she'd burnt the palm of her hand on the hot metal. Cutie found her cradling her hand and cursing her stupidity. Gently he guided her to a chair and made her sit.

Elissa had been startled awake by her grandmother's cry, now she ran to get more water and some of the lavender oil. On her return Elissa could only stare as she watched Cutie carefully take the injured hand in both of his. He easily could have crushed her delicate bones but he took care not to hurt Garcie and instead just held her like that. Her hand trapped between his.

The thought that she should be well, that she should not be hurt, filled Cutie's mind. He could think of nothing else, she was a nice person, he felt safe with her, she had thanked him. But most important she was helping Iolaus, and she needed to be whole to do that. Garcie had been surprised into silence by Cutie's sudden appearance and now that her hand was caught by his she did not resist.

Hercules had come to the doorway of the bedroom to see what had happened.

"Is everything all right?"

Garcie nodded, "Yes, I just had a little accident with the stew. I'm..." she'd started to say that she was fine, but staring up at Cutie with wide eyes she suddenly realised that she was. She felt good, relaxed, calm, and not in any pain at all.

"Hercules, come here for a minute please." Garcie felt the smallest blossom of hope form in her chest.

She kept her voice calm and reassuring as she looked up at Cutie, "I think you can let me go now Cutie. Thank you for your concern."

Cutie frowned and looked across at Hercules for confirmation, Hercules could only nod, he didn't understand what was going on but he trusted Garcie. Letting his hands fall away Cutie stepped back. Garcie looked down at her hand and slowly turned it over so that the palm was upward. There was only a small patch of red to show where she'd been burned.

Elissa gasped, "But ... your hand ... it was blistering and..."

Hercules couldn't grasp what had happened, was Garcie telling them that Cutie had healed her? Did their new friend have that power? And the most important question of all, could he heal Iolaus?

"Garcie?"

"Yes, Hercules. I think so. Cutie, will you come sit with me please, I need to talk to you. It's very important."

Cutie had been sidling towards the door, ashamed and frightened that his new friends would start shouting at him. Hercules and Elissa both gave him encouraging smiles and he finally glanced over towards the bedroom and sighed, he couldn't run away he wasn't ready to leave Iolaus yet. Shuffling his feet Cutie went to sit between the women, Hercules still standing protectively close to the bedroom.

Garcie took Cutie's hand in hers, "You took away my pain Cutie. Did you know you could do that?"

He shook his head, he didn't know.

"Look, see? The burn's almost gone, you healed me Cutie. What were you thinking when you held my hand? Were you wishing I was better?"

Cutie nodded his head, he was scared, he'd never had so many people looking at him before. He'd never had so many people really seeing him, he was used to eyes skimming past him as if he weren't there, orders being given by men whose eyes stared straight through him as if they could not bear to look at him. This was overwhelming, but he held firm, these people were Iolaus' friends and he trusted Iolaus.

Garcie looked up at Hercules, amazement in her eyes. "He's got the power, he really has."

Hercules felt the enormity of the moment and what it could mean for Iolaus. "He's been healing Iolaus all along hasn't he? Giving him some strength, easing the pain."

"Yes, I think so. That's how Iolaus has managed to survive."

Elissa shook herself free of the shocked stillness that had taken hold of her, "Iolaus was peaceful - in the cart I could hear him making these sounds, of pain, and then he was quiet, just breathing. It was because Cutie was holding him wasn't it?"

Yes it was, but poor Cutie didn't understand what they were saying, he was still scared that he'd done something wrong. When Hercules put a hand on his shoulder he flinched.

"It's all right Cutie. I don't want to hurt you." Hercules moved to squat down in front of Cutie's chair so that they were eye to eye. "When you were holding Iolaus, you were wishing you could take his pain away weren't you?"

Cutie nodded, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. It hurt to remember all the pain Iolaus had felt because of him.

"You don't need to cry. You were helping him, you were making him feel better."

Puzzled Cutie looked into Hercules' eyes, he understood the words but he couldn't believe them. There was no lie in the steady gaze that held his attention though. Cutie attempted a small smile and was rewarded with a huge grin from Hercules, he laughed, they were pleased with him, he'd helped his friend.

Garcie didn't want to put a damper on things but she knew she must, "Hercules, don't get too excited. Healing a little burn and healing Iolaus are two different things. But I think ... I think that if Cutie goes back in there, holds Iolaus like he was before ... I think that maybe he will get better. Not all the way perhaps but more than I could have done for him. It might take a long time though, Iolaus' injuries are very severe."

Hercules nodded his understanding, he knew it wasn't the all-healing touch of a god, Iolaus wouldn't be running around in minutes, but it was hope, it was a better chance than he'd had before. They would need to get Cutie to understand what he had to do, but looking at the silent man Hercules realised that Cutie already knew. It was instinctive for him, he just had to wish that Iolaus was better and he would help him be better.

King Selsius had ridden hard to get back to his own kingdom, as soon as he arrived he called for his best horseman and his swiftest horse. Word had to be taken to King Iphicles. The King of Corinth must know what was going on, both as a monarch and as brother and friend to Hercules and Iolaus. Selsius wrote his message with a heavy heart.

Now that he was safe in his own castle, Selsius wondered whether Iolaus still lived. If it had been any other pair, anyone else but Hercules and Iolaus, he would have known they were both dead by now. But you could never predict with these two; he'd even heard stories that Hercules had somehow managed to bring Iolaus back from the dead before. Selsius shook his head, what was that dead weight Pellius up to?

Calling for his advisors Selsius knew that he would not take any overt action against Meassia, he would send further strongly worded protests, and he would recall the unit of soldiers he'd sent on exercises. He wanted his men close to him, and ready for battle - just in case Pellius decided expansion was a good move. Without Hercules to keep the peace between neighbours Selsius worried that one of the more foolhardy kings would use the distraction to make their own attempt to invade.

Tapping his fingers on his scabbard Selsius settled down for a long wait. Iphicles would probably act aggressively; Selsius would wait and see what happened. But he'd be ready; he'd be ready for anything.

A curfew had been called, everyone should be in his or her own homes by sundown, but Jerius didn't care, he needed to talk. He was sitting at the bar of the crowded tavern, he wasn't the only one who needed company that night, needed to talk about what they'd seen. The usually rowdy tavern was strangely subdued though; it was as if no one wanted to be the first to speak.

The shutters were tightly closed and the lamps were low, the owner of the tavern had posted a man by the window in case a patrol should come by. They didn't really expect any trouble, but they hadn't expected a riot that day or a curfew to be called. Everything had changed now.

Jerius looked into his tankard of ale, he was remembering the screams and shouts that had gone up around him as the king had swan dived into the crowd.

"All bets are off." the bookmaker hadn't realised that he'd spoken aloud until he got a reply.

"Yeah, all bets were off as soon as the king took hold of the brand. It changed everything."

Suddenly everyone had something to say and the owner nervously looked at the door and tried to shush the men.

"It was the stench that did it for me. Gods, I'll never forget, my poor wife nearly fainted."

"I took the kids, thought it would be a good education. Shouldn't have done it, my girl hasn't stopped screaming ever since."

"He took it well though, didn't he? By the gods, he was strong for such a little guy."

"The look in his eyes was the worst."

"His chest was on fire, I saw the smoke!"

"I'll never forget the way the executioner cried, that sound'll haunt me."

"I can't stop hearing the sizzling as he was branded."

"The king himself did it, I'd never have thought he loved his wife that much."

"It was his eyes that did it for me. I don't care what he did no man deserves that. Anyway I hear the queen can be a bit of a tease, you can't blame a man for responding."

Jerius shook his head, "It's not about what Iolaus did or didn't do with the queen anymore, it's bigger than that. It isn't even about Iolaus."

Shouts of derision drowned out his next words, so he waited patiently for the noise to quiet again before he repeated himself. "It's about the king now. What happened this afternoon, it's changed how we see him. It's changed how I see him; he's not the man I thought he was. He enjoyed branding that man; he took pleasure in his prisoner's suffering, what kind of king is that? And he fell; he fell from above us until he was at our feet. Doesn't that show you?"

An old man who'd stayed quiet in the corner until now piped up, "It was a sign." He waited out the laughter, used to it, but tonight it wasn't as loud or as sure of itself as on other nights. He was always talking of signs and omens, usually his talk was nothing more than a way to fill empty space, but sometimes he knew he was right.

"It was a sign that the king is not as good a king as we thought. Most of us have been content all this time to be part of a small kingdom, with little glory but also with a good community and good support when the crops fail. We're proud to be Meassian aren't we?"

Jerius was about to agree, shout his patriotism aloud, but he stopped himself, he didn't feel proud tonight. He could see the shifting eyes of the others in the room and realised that he wasn't alone. "We were proud." he said, "Not now, not any more."

The old man nodded his approval, "Yes, exactly. The king falling like that, well perhaps it was just to show us that he doesn't belong up on that pedestal we put him on."

A red faced man who had been silent up until now spoke up, "What are you saying old man? Are you inciting rebellion?"

"No, Simeon, not I. But perhaps someone will, and perhaps when they do we should listen. This is the start of something, our king wanted it to be the start of something grand, and perhaps it is - but perhaps not for Pellius."

Simeon shook his head at the folly of these men listening to the old fool and giving credence to his words. That blue-eyed blond with those disgusting silk enticements on his legs deserved death; he deserved the most excruciating pain for all eternity. Simeon hoped that Hades would set him a task of true agony in Tartarus. He slipped out of the tavern quietly, let the others plan and posture, he was going home to his wife. She wouldn't be dreaming of those damn blue eyes again tonight he'd see to that.

They had eaten the stew, nobody had been hungry but they had forced themselves to eat, Garcie and Elissa were both barely able to keep their eyes open and so they retired to the workroom where a small bed was kept. They would have to make do as best they could.

Hercules helped Cutie to get onto the bed, he held Iolaus up and wrapped the sheet around his friend as the bigger man slid underneath him and propped himself up against the wall. Cutie pulled Iolaus down into an embrace and Hercules again felt a small stab of jealousy.

"Just remember Cutie, concentrate on wanting Iolaus to be well again."

Cutie nodded but he was frowning, he was holding Iolaus against his chest with both arms carefully cradling the injured man. Iolaus' head was lying against his shoulder and he could feel the blond's hair tickling his jaw. He didn't know Iolaus like Hercules did, the first time he'd seen his new friend had been when they were chaining him to the scaffold. Cutie had never really seen Iolaus healthy, he couldn't picture him free and happy and without pain. And that's what he'd done for Garcie, he'd remembered her healthy as she'd been before the burn and pictured her like that again. He sighed, wishing for the first time since his punishment that he still had his tongue, he wanted to ask Hercules what Iolaus was like.

Hercules couldn't leave, he needed to be with Iolaus, and so he sat back down in the chair beside the bed and watched. The demigod could tell that something was bothering Cutie, but he couldn't just ask him what it was; he'd have to try to work it out for himself. The man who'd once only been known as the executioner was looking sadly down at Iolaus, he held his arms securely around the injured man's waist, taking care not to touch the burns. Iolaus' back was protected from Cutie's leather jerkin by a folded up sheet, his eyes were still open, still unfocused.

Hercules plunged a cloth into the water jug and squeezed a little more into Iolaus' mouth. He almost thought he saw the ghost of a smile on his friend's face.

"It's so hard to see him like this Cutie. He's always been so strong, so full of joy."

Hercules paused as he saw Cutie enthusiastically nodding his head. "You want to know about Iolaus?"

Cutie nodded again. Oh yes, he needed to hear all about Iolaus. Hercules smiled, he didn't mind telling Iolaus' newest friend all about him. He talked long into the night painting Cutie a vibrant picture of Iolaus, Cutie listened with rapt attention. It wasn't until dawn that his head started nodding, and it was long after dawn when Hercules finally laid himself down on the floor and slept.

Iolaus' eyes had slid closed at some point, even he could rest now.

Chapter 11

Stentious had walked all night but he wasn't tired. He felt strangely energised now that he'd come to a decision. He didn't worry about finding Hercules, he wouldn't let the strong possibility that he'd never be able to find the demigod in the huge forest get him down.

He stopped briefly by a stream to bathe his face and drink. Another hour or so and he would reach his destination, time enough then to decide how to go about finding Hercules and the executioner.

Stentious felt a bounce in his walk as he entered the forest; it was dawn and the grey light filtered through the trees. He listened to the birds as they woke and chattered about the new day. Somewhere in amongst all these trees he would find Hercules, and then? He didn't know what would happen then, he could only see as far as finding the demigod; he couldn't even imagine what he'd say. 'Hey, big guy, can I join you?' or maybe, 'I saw what they did, I'm sorry.' That was better, but still what would the son of Zeus want with a runaway guard like him?

He wouldn't start worrying about that; it was far too late to start worrying now. He'd made a decision that would change his life he couldn't start doubting himself.

Stentious kept to the main road as he kept walking, he was beginning to realise the enormity of his task. It had seemed simple as he sat up on the hill, go to the forest, and find Hercules. Yeah, right! The forest ran for nearly a hundred miles, there was a mountain range in the middle of it and Hercules had several hours start. He could be anywhere.

Stentious stopped walking, he was a fool. His mother had always told him that he'd never grown up. He was twenty-five and still lived at home, he had no wife and no prospects he was a failure. And now he was failing at this. He sat down at the edge of the road and put his head in his hands, only moments before he'd been bouncing along with all the confidence of his conviction, now it was gone and he was scared. What was he going to do?

A long time ago, when he'd been a small boy and his mother had been very sick, Garcie had come to help. He remembered the fragile seeming woman as she bent over his sick mother, he remembered the way she smelled of lavender, and now he remembered how she had muttered something about needing some rare herb. She didn't have any to hand but she did have some at the cabin. Yes, and she'd asked him if he wanted to keep her company on the trip. Stentious smiled at the memory, his aunt was only too glad to have the clinging child out of her way and so he'd accompanied Garcie into the forest.

If his memory wasn't fooling him the cabin wasn't far from here, the young guard was sure that Garcie wouldn't mind if he stayed there for a day or two until he decided what to do.

The sun woke Hercules, it had risen far enough to enter through the window and a beam of sunlight hit his face. Groaning, every inch of him stiff and sore from sleeping on the floor Hercules got up and checked on Iolaus. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, still held protectively in the arms of Cutie, who was gently snoring.

Hercules smiled and touched Iolaus on the cheek, "Morning buddy. It looks like you're the centre of attention again. I only wish you could enjoy it." The demigod had been concentrating on his friend's face but now he looked down at the damaged chest and gasped, it looked better. He really thought that it looked better.

Deciding that he couldn't trust his eyes Hercules went to see if Garcie was awake yet. All the while praying that it was true, the burns that the brand had made had cut deep into Iolaus' flesh, they had been red and blistered and weeping. This morning they looked dry and the redness seemed to have receded a little. Hercules fervently hoped that it wasn't just wishful thinking on his part.

Garcie was already awake, she was tending the fire and as soon as Hercules entered the room she greeted him. He asked her to take a look at Iolaus, he didn't trust his eyes, he was too scared that his dream was overtaking the truth. Garcie had entered the bedroom with trepidation, she was scared too, hopeful that Cutie truly did have the gift of healing but fearful that they had all been too optimistic and would now suffer the consequences of their optimism.

She looked down at the sleeping patient in awe, his chest was by no means healed but there was a definite improvement, and his sleep was easy, there were no painful whimpers in his breath, no tension in his face. Iolaus was much improved on the night before and the only conclusion Garcie could come to was that Cutie was healing his friend. Slowly perhaps, but decisively. They were witness to a miracle.

Hercules could read Garcie's relief in her face, and he sighed his own relief. Iolaus was getting better, thanks to Cutie. He wouldn't lose his friend here, not this time. Hercules couldn't help his grin; he was so relieved that Iolaus wasn't going to die. He wasn't going to worry about the psychological consequences of the torture Iolaus had gone through, he was just going to enjoy the moment. Iolaus would live and for now that was all that mattered.

Stentious reached the clearing just as the sun rose from behind the trees, he'd almost forgotten the way to the cabin, it had been so long since he'd been there. But now he looked at it with a remembered fondness. He had enjoyed his time here with Garcie; she had made him feel useful, important. She had helped him with his fear for his mother. Too full of his memories Stentious didn't see the smoke curling from the chimney, he didn't notice the small signs of habitation, and so he was shocked into silence when he met Elissa, his queen, in the doorway.

For a long moment neither of them spoke, Elissa was too frightened that this man in the royal guard's uniform was there as the enemy, there to take them back to the city. Stentious was just shocked that anyone would be in the cabin, let alone his queen. Garcie broke the silence.

"Stentious, what can we do for you?"

"I ... I was ... I was looking for Hercules."

Elissa held her breath, her worst nightmare was coming true, but when Stentious spoke again she realised her mistake.

"I wanted to tell him how sorry I was. The king was wrong, he should never had done what he did."

Garcie was gentle as she spoke again, moving forward to meet the young man, "And what was that?"

"He hurt his people - when he hurt Iolaus. It was a sentence on his people. No man should be made to suffer like that."

"No indeed. Come inside Stentious. Join us, Hercules is here."

Stentious entered the cabin in a daze; he could hardly believe that he'd found who he'd been looking for so easily. The gods must have had a hand in this; it was too easy, too opportune.

Hercules came into the room from a small side room; a bedroom was Stentious' guess. He was smiling and looked as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"He's going to be all right. The wounds really are getting better. Cutie will stay with Iolaus until he doesn't need him any more."

Stentious could hardly believe his ears. Iolaus was alive? It couldn't be, it just wasn't possible. He stared at the demigod with his mouth agape.

"He's alive?"

Hercules frowned at the man in a royal guards uniform standing next to Garcie, but she nodded and smiled and the demigod understood that they had another ally. He smiled, a smile full of warmth and joy, "Yes, he is. He's really alive!"

Garcie gently led the young man to a chair and made him sit. "You aren't going to give us up are you?" The question was more rhetorical than anything, she could tell by his eyes that Stentious wasn't about to let the king know where they were, but they needed to hear him say it.

"No! No ... I came because ... because Iolaus didn't deserve what they did. Because his eyes ... they asked questions and I didn't have the answers. Whatever he might have done, he didn't deserve that. It was too awful!"

Elissa shook her head in irritation, "He did nothing! We danced, that's not a crime! We just danced!"

Hercules nodded, "Your king seems to have had a plan in mind all along. Why? Why did he choose us?"

The discussion went on through breakfast and long into the morning. Hercules was painfully aware throughout of the two men in the other room. One, his best friend, the other, his friend's saviour, the man who held Iolaus' life in his hands.

The lake was cool, the hands that held him strong and safe. He wanted nothing more that to stay where he was, supported by the strong arms, surrounded by the gentle water, but there was something tugging at him. Something that called and he had to answer, even if it meant leaving this safe haven, even if it meant returning to the redness of the ballroom and its hypnotic melody.

Iolaus was reluctant to leave this place; he needed just a few moments more, just a little longer. The water was so sweet on his skin, so soft. It was cool and gentle and he felt no pain. Somehow he knew that if he left this place the pain would return, he would suffer for his freedom from the water, somehow he understood that it was all linked up with the strong arms that held him. They were his protector here, and if he broke free they would no longer protect him. He understood the danger, he wasn't sure that he was ready to leave this safe haven, but something kept calling him away. Something kept tugging at him. Even though he was happy here, he wasn't content.

The fire in the hearth had burned out during the night but Pellius didn't complain. His dreams had been filled with images of the branding and he was well pleased. The ululating cry that had haunted his dreams could not chase away his happiness. If the gods were sorry then that was their problem, he was a king and the gods would just have to deal with his desires.

The memory of the burning flesh of Iolaus' chest was an appetite enhancer for the king, it made him ravenous for food, and it made him wish that he could brand the adulterer all over again. Only this time he would savour it all the more, it would be taken slower with more relish and the little imp would suffer even more deeply. So what if a god was sorry, so what if a god liked the small mortal? Pellius would have his way; he had succeeded in that already. Iolaus was dead and the gods be damned.

But now it was time to plan for the future. If Pellius' dream was to come to fruition more than just Iolaus' death had to happen. Hercules had to be tried and executed, his people had to be persuaded to support him, and most important of all, his army had to be strong enough to move on the neighbouring kingdoms at a moments notice.

He called for Tallin, wanting another update on the search, and on the state of his army. They should be in peak fitness, ready to face any foe, if they were anything less somebody would pay!

Tallin entered Pellius' chambers bowing obsequiously, not sure of the king's mood. His news was only partly good, they had discovered which direction Hercules had left in but they had not yet found his trail. It was only a matter of time he assured his king, it wouldn't be long before Hercules was recaptured and executed.

But Tallin was worried by some of the reports, they indicated that Elissa had left of her own free will; they implied that Hercules was with Elissa and the executioner, and that they would fight for the throne. Tallin was not happy, he wanted nothing more than to speak with Ares; after all who was it that had given Tallin the idea in the first place, who was it that had given Tallin the drug that would be equally effective on demigod and mortal? Who was it that had suggested which music would be irresistible to the mortal Iolaus? Ares. And Ares couldn't abandon them now, could he?

Ares' temple was a grand affair, something that pampered to his not insignificant ego, but Tallin had never been impressed by it. He stood under the vaulted ceiling, halfway between the enormous pillars that lined the two longest walls and looked up at the huge statue of Ares. Secretly disgusted by its obvious vanity, Tallin called out his loyalty and asked Ares to attend him.

There was a long pause as if Ares was orchestrating his late entrance and then a flash and the arrogant god stood resplendent in his black leather before the mortal.

"What do you want now, Tallin?"

Tallin bowed deeply, he might not be impressed by Ares' ego but he could never forget that he was the God of War and could end Tallin's puny existence with a click of his fingers. "I am honoured, as ever, by your presence great Ares."

"Oh get on with it." the impatient god was not in the mood for grovelling.

Tallin smiled, "Of course. I am sorry to take up your time, but after you so kindly gave me assistance I thought it only fair that you should know of my progress."

"Don't forget that I am a god, I already know what's happened. Hercules and his irritating little sidekick have escaped you haven't they? Poof and they're gone. Well? What are you going to do? Don't think you can come running to me, don't think that I'll bail you out because I won't. This is your game Tallin, your problem. If you can't handle Hercules or Iolaus after all that I've told you then I'm outta here. I don't want anything to do with your failure."

Tallin bowed low and silently cursed, that was the problem with dealing with gods, they knew everything. "Hercules and his little companion have proved more resilient than we anticipated."

Ares stepped back in mock horror, "Don't you go including me in the plan. I just gave you a few pointers, you messed up all by your little old self."

"Then you won't help me again?"

"Darn tootin' I won't. You've had your divine intervention buddy. If you get Hercules - great, if you don't then I don't want to know you. Get the picture?"

Tallin did, all too clearly. Ares was only interested in success, Tallin could understand that, he smiled and bowed again. "I get the picture great Ares. I only wish to serve you."

Ares gave a wicked grin, "Then kill that do-good brother of mine. That'll get you in my good books. Ciao!"

The god disappeared in another puff of smoke, Tallin had no idea what 'chow' meant, but he understood that he wouldn't get any more help from Ares, he was on his own now, and he had to kill Hercules. But what had Ares meant when he'd said that Iolaus had escaped? It wasn't possible that Iolaus had survived - was it?

Cutie held on to Iolaus tightly, not wanting to let him go. Hercules had said that Iolaus was getting better; he'd said that it was Cutie who was making him better. Cutie didn't dare let his friend go, he wanted Iolaus to get better more than anything in the whole world. A small part of him wondered what Iolaus would think of the executioner once he was well again. He'd be angry; he'd have to be angry. Cutie had hurt him; Cutie had used the evil Thansis on his golden back. Cutie had stood by while the king had pushed the branding iron into Iolaus' chest. Cutie gave an involuntary shiver at the thought of the branding; he'd stood by horrified by the sight that had met his eyes.

He hadn't understood what they had meant when they'd talked about branding. If he had, he kept telling himself, he would have rescued Iolaus when he had the chance. But he hadn't known and so he had simply stood there as Pellius had heated the iron in the fire, he'd stood unmoving as his king had lifted the long pole and pushed the hot circle of metal into his friend's chest. He'd done nothing to stop the horror before him; unable to act he'd watched as Iolaus had screamed in agony. That weakened sound would haunt Cutie for the rest of his life, it was what had started his cry, it was what had brought forth his own pain into that keening note of misery that had sounded so clearly in the noisy air of the city square.

Cutie felt hot tears running down his cheeks, he didn't deserve the friendship of this man, he'd caused him too much pain. Cutie decided that he would stay until Iolaus was better and then he would leave. Nobody would really miss him, they didn't really want him, and they wouldn't need him after Iolaus was better.

Elissa had fed and watered the horses and now she sat on a log beside the small stable. She didn't want to go back into the house just yet, she had too much on her mind. What was she going to do now? Throughout her time lying drugged in her bed and during all of the excitement yesterday the queen's uppermost thoughts had been for Iolaus and for her grandmother. Now that they were safe for the moment, and Iolaus was actually healing, she had time to start understanding that there would be consequences to deal with. She had left her husband the king, and it was both a personal and a political move. What did she want to do now?

Elissa heard someone approaching and turned to see Hercules walking towards her. "May I join you?" he asked. She smiled and patted the log next to her in invitation. For a few minutes they sat in silence, both caught up in their own thoughts. Hercules broke the silence with a question; it was as if he had been reading her thoughts, "What are you going to do, Elissa?"

She sighed and looked up at him, "I don't know. What should I do? Pellius can't remain king - can he?"

Hercules shook his head, things had gone too far now, too many people's lives were at stake. Elissa had known what his answer would be; there really wasn't a choice. "I'm going to have to try to overthrow him somehow. But that will mean civil war, can we really go to war because of Iolaus?"

"But it isn't because of Iolaus is it?" Hercules tried to think of a way to explain his confused thoughts. "Look, Pellius created this whole situation for his own advantage. He tortured and branded Iolaus in punishment for a crime he didn't commit, he locked me away and was prepared to execute me for a crime I didn't commit. They drugged us, used us as pawns in their convoluted plans; none of that is what a good king or his advisor would do. After we talked this morning I went back to sit by Iolaus. As I watched over him I was thinking about what happened that night, and why."

Elissa watched the play of emotions on the demigod's face as he remembered the pain he'd felt as he had realised how easily the king had tricked him, how he'd believed the word of a stranger and allowed Iolaus to nearly die because of it. He'd been a fool and he wasn't sure that he could ever forgive himself. It had become clear to Hercules that the wine he had drunk must have been laced with some kind of drug.

"It must have been powerful, whatever they gave me. I couldn't remember anything about that night, except the odd fragment. Iolaus asking you to dance, me and my big mouth interfering, worrying about the consequences. If I hadn't been so obvious, if half the guests hadn't seen the argument..."

"If doesn't matter Hercules. Iolaus drank the same wine as you he was probably drugged too. It wouldn't have mattered if you hadn't argued; it was enough to entice Iolaus to dance with me. After that our fates were sealed. All they had to do was have someone follow me to my chambers and knock me out, you and Iolaus would pass out from the drug and they could lock you both up, far away from each other. The only thing they needed to be sure of was the dance. We had to dance. Why did we dance Hercules? Why did we have to dance that stupid dance together?"

Elissa felt Hercules' strong arm pull her into an embrace as she started to cry, he might feel guilt at what had happened to his friend, but so did she. Why had she agreed to dance with him?

"You wanted to enjoy yourself, it was obvious that you loved the music. Iolaus understands music and how it can ... what did he say? ... Get inside you. He recognised a kindred spirit. Pellius and Tallin just knew which rhythm would sway you both. It doesn't really matter how." Hercules secretly believed that Ares or one of the other gods must have been involved, how else could these people have found a drug powerful enough to put Hercules out for hours, and how else could they have known what music to play to make the dance floor irresistible to both Iolaus and Elissa. But he didn't share this thought with Elissa, she had enough to worry about without adding the idea that the gods were involved too.

"Look, Elissa. You need to think of your people and what's best for them. Can you be Queen? Would you be willing to take on that responsibility? Because, if so, perhaps we'll be able to find a way to remove Pellius without a protracted civil war. We need to gauge the mood of the people, find out what happened after the riot. We need to know how Pellius has reacted to your leaving him."

Elissa smiled, "You've got this all planned out haven't you. Look, I'm willing to take up the responsibility if I have to. But why did Pellius do all this? He went to so much trouble."

"I've thought about that too. What's the status of the Meassian army?"

"Fat and bored and mostly spending their time on manoeuvres, but they're almost all home at the moment..." Elissa's eyes widened, "Tallin's been recruiting for the army for months, years even. I've never understood why. We're a small peaceful kingdom we don't need such a big army. But ... if they plan to expand our boundaries, invade our neighbours. They wouldn't, surely!"

Hercules was afraid that was just what was planned, but Pellius and Tallin hadn't had it all their way. Iolaus' branding certainly hadn't gone according to their script. "I think that Tallin or Pellius thought I was too much of a threat to their dreams of power. I've got good relationships with many of the small city states and kingdoms, I've had a hand in resolving a lot of disputes, stopped wars in one or two cases. If Iolaus and I weren't around there would be nobody to stop their petty squabbles growing into skirmishes and that would see the way clear for Pellius to make his move on them. This was all very carefully planned Elissa - but they didn't take us into consideration. They didn't understand how strong Iolaus is, they didn't see how big a heart Cutie has, and they never considered that you would oppose them."

Elissa smiled her thanks; somehow Hercules had managed to make her feel a lot better. By painting a nice clear picture of Pellius and his plans Hercules had shown Elissa her path. What she had to do next was obvious, and Stentious was just the person to help her.

Chapter 12

Garcie was tending to the pot hanging over the fire; in it was a broth that she hoped she would soon be able to feed Iolaus. He would need to regain his strength after his ordeal; Cutie's healing alone would not be enough to complete the hunter's recovery. She was still worried about Iolaus, his eyes were again open but unfocused, he still seemed unaware of what was happening around him, and most worrying of all, he wasn't responding to Hercules' presence. Garcie had seen this happen to patients before - retreating inside themselves, to a place where there was no pain and they felt safe. She knew that their best hope of coaxing Iolaus back to reality lay with Hercules. Their friendship was a strong bond between the two men; with some luck it would be enough to bring Iolaus back.

Lost in her thoughts Garcie jumped when Stentious came up behind her and shyly asked if he could help.

"Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you, I'm sorry."

"Stop apologising child. You did nothing wrong, I'd fallen further into dreamland than is healthy for the waking hours; it's entirely my fault. But I don't need any help here at the moment, perhaps you could raise some more water from the well?"

Stentious nodded, painfully eager to please. Ever since his arrival at the cabin this morning he'd felt out of place, useless. Everyone else had a role to play he had nothing. He hadn't seen Iolaus yet; he felt like an intruder at someone else's death-watch, even though they kept saying that Iolaus would live. He'd seen the look on Garcie's face when she thought no one was around; she didn't seem to think everything was all right like the others did. Iolaus scared him, partly because he'd now become a larger than life figure to almost everyone who had witnessed the branding. He couldn't really imagine what kind of man Iolaus could be to inspire such loyalty and love in the son of Zeus and in the executioner. A man who could befriend the executioner was special indeed.

Stentious went to his work with a will and soon there were buckets and water-skins filled with fresh cool well water standing all around him. He heard a chuckle behind him and turned to see Hercules standing arms crossed over his chest and a wry smile on his face. "I think you have enough there, Stentious. It looks like we need to find you something else to do."

"Yes sir. Whatever you want I'll do it. I'll do anything for you and for Iolaus."

Something about the way the young man had said Iolaus' name made Hercules pause before he spoke again.

"Would you like to see him?" he asked softly.

Stentious shook his head. "No thank you, sir. That really isn't necessary."

Hercules smiled, "I think it is Stentious, I think you need to see that Iolaus is only a man and not some kind of god - don't you?"

Stentious shrugged; embarrassed that Hercules had been able to see inside him so easily.

"And another thing. Will you please call me Hercules, my name is not 'sir'!"

"Yes si.. Hercules." Stentious gave a rueful smile, despite his protests he was willing to allow Hercules to lead him indoors. Somehow the demigod had discovered the secret Stentious had been hiding in his heart, if the son of Zeus could be so 'human' then surely he should give Iolaus a chance.

They stood in the open doorway of the bedroom, Hercules having to push Stentious forward. Cutie was still holding Iolaus against his chest and Hercules' heart soared to see how much more improved his friend looked from the morning. Cutie was softly snoring; he'd slept a lot during the day. Healing Iolaus must be taking a lot out of the big man.

Stentious looked down at Iolaus, he'd seemed so big up on the scaffold but now he looked so small and lost lying against Cutie's chest. Iolaus' eyes seemed to look up at him even though they weren't focused and he remembered the questions he'd read in those blue eyes only the day before. He'd been willing to leave his home and all that he knew to find the answers to those questions. He was still over-awed by this mortal, still a little scared of him.

Turning back towards Hercules, Stentious asked the question that had struck him as he watched the injured man, "Why are his eyes open like that? Unseeing. That's what got to me in the square, his eyes."

Hercules frowned briefly, he'd been so happy in the knowledge that his friend was going to live that he hadn't wanted to think about why Iolaus wasn't aware and talking by now. "I don't know, Stentious. He went through a terrible ordeal; I suppose his soul needs to recover as well as his body. He's in there somewhere and he'll come back when he's ready."

Hercules sounded more confident than he felt. But Iolaus wouldn't abandon him, he couldn't.

Iolaus floated on the water, safe in the strong arms that held him. He felt the cool lapping of the waves over his skin; he tasted the metallic sharpness of the water in his mouth. He felt no pain and no fear, he was safe and comfortable and he wanted to stay. But something felt wrong something was missing. It had started nibbling away at his happiness, that missing something. He didn't know what it could be, he didn't really care, he just wanted its absence to stop calling out to him. It wasn't there and yet it wouldn't go away.

Iolaus let his head fall back into the water, his hair fanning out in a dark pattern around him. There it was, insistently buzzing around the edges of his vision and his hearing. Almost but never quite near enough to grasp, the absent something was a continual irritant, never allowing him the peace he craved.

He couldn't remember a 'before' though there must have been one. He couldn't have been cradled in this lake by these arms forever; he had to have been somewhere, with someone. He must have had a name, a life, maybe even a family. It hadn't bothered him at first, the feel of the water had been so soothing, and he'd allowed himself to bask in its sweet soft comfort. He'd needed it after the ... the red. It had been red 'before'. A large room, with high ceilings and soft walls, all in red. There had been a sound, deep, rhythmic, it had filled the spaces inside his body, given him a need. Music, and he had danced. Redness led to pain, or pain led to redness, he couldn't remember. He could remember the pain now; it had filled him, made him scream. It had kept taking from him and not giving back. There had been heat, heat and redness and dancing.

He didn't want to go back there; whatever it was that was absent could not be worth that much to him. He would ignore it - it would go away eventually. He was never going back to that red ballroom; he was never going to dance there again. Never.

Stentious looked at his queen, unable to speak. His throat had constricted and his mind seemed frozen. She had asked him a question, she wanted him to do something for her and he couldn't believe it.

Her soft voice cut through his paralysis, "Stentious. I am asking you for help, I know that what I ask may be dangerous and so I won't try to force you to help us - but this is important to Meassia. Please help me."

Stentious was horrified that his queen could sound so close to begging for his help, he spoke just to stop her from debasing herself any further. "It's not that I won't do it your majesty, I will, gladly. It's just that I'm surprised you ask me. I'm not sure that I'm good enough to succeed."

Hercules had been watching from a corner of the room, but now he stepped forward, "You can succeed, Stentious. You're plenty good enough. Didn't you find us? Didn't you find the strength to break away from Pellius when you saw that what he was doing was wrong? Elissa is your queen and she wants to make things right, you can help her do that."

Stentious nodded, he would do anything for his queen, but he still had little faith in himself and it showed in his eyes. Hercules sat down beside him, "It has to be you Stentious, Elissa and I are too well known. If she was spotted in the city they'd take her back to the palace, and I'm an escaped prisoner. There's probably a price on my head by now. For this job we don't need that kind of attention." Hercules noticed the young man's glance towards the bedroom where Garcie was checking on Iolaus and Cutie. "She's too old, Garcie's already exerted herself too much for us, it would be too long and dangerous a trip for her. And Cutie must stay with Iolaus for now, he's a bit too easy to spot anyway, don't you think?"

Stentious had to laugh; the idea of Cutie wandering into one of the Tavern's and trying to gauge the feeling of the populace was too funny. "He'd have a hard time striking up a conversation that's for sure! All right, I'll do it. But I'm scared."

"Of course you are. We all get scared Stentious, the trick is to make it work for you."

Stentious looked up at the demigod in awe, "You get scared?"

Hercules nodded, "Sure I do. I get scared every time Iolaus takes a stupid risk; I get scared whenever I come across people in trouble. Scared that this time will be the time I let them down. But I use the fear to keep me alert it gives me energy. Look at Iolaus; he positively bounces his way into battle - that's because he knows how to use his fear. He turns it into something else."

"Even the last couple of days?"

Hercules nodded, "Even then. I wish he could tell you this himself Stentious, he's so much better at it than I am. He knows how to focus on his fear and turn it into strength. That's why he's always cracking jokes, even when he was at his most frightened. Don't worry Stentious, when you get back I promise you that Iolaus will tell you some tales of his fear turned to heroics. You know what being a hero is don't you?" Stentious shrugged his shoulders. "It's turning your fear into bravery. It's learning how to go on even though you are frightened, it's learning how to use your fear instead of give in to it."

Stentious looked down at his hands for some time before speaking, "I really hope Iolaus will tell me his stories when I get back. Maybe ... maybe I'll have some to tell him too."

Hercules slapped his young companion on the back, and glanced across at Elissa. They were sending the boy into danger but Hercules believed that he would come back safely. Both of them felt responsible for the royal guard who seemed too young to be a man yet but there was no choice, he was the only one who could do this.

Stentious stood, "There's no time like the present. I can get into the city before nightfall if I leave now."

Elissa grasped his hands in hers, "Remember, all I want you to do is sound people out. Find out what they are talking about. And let them know that their Queen is ready to lead them. If there are any you feel you can trust, do so. The judgement will be yours, but be careful. Please don't take any risks."

Stentious nodded curtly and picked up his pack and water-skin. He nodded at Hercules and started on his walk back into the city to which he had sworn never to return.

Kouros stood, nervously twisting his fingers in front of him. He had been summoned to Tallin's office by two large guards, who silently escorted the protesting healer away from his patient. This had to be about Elissa, what else would Tallin want to see him about? The guards stood just inside the door blocking his exit and so he remained standing in front of Tallin's desk, waiting for the advisor to arrive. He was scared, very scared; he knew that the rumours that abounded in the palace about the cruelty of the advisor were all true. After all, wasn't he the palace healer? Tallin was not a man to cross, and now it seemed that the king himself had got a taste for cruelty too.

He hadn't spoken to the king since everything had started falling apart, but he had seen him. Pellius' appetite was like never before, the kitchens were having trouble providing enough food for him. He was also raving about how Iolaus shouldn't get away with his crime, how his body must be found and put on display at the city gates. And the things Pellius had planned for Hercules didn't bear thinking about. Kouros was sure that the king had finally gone completely mad. The only time he'd been close enough to see the king for himself, Pellius had been raving about how the gods wouldn't interfere with justice, and how it didn't matter if Iolaus was their favourite, he was king and the king would rule! Things were looking very bad indeed, who knew what this madness would lead the king to do next.

Tallin finally entered the room after ensuring that Kouros had been left to stand sweating for nearly an hour. He ignored the healer and sat behind his desk, looking down at some scrolls that lay there. At the precise moment that Tallin judged Kouros was ready to scream in frustration at the wait, he looked up and stared hard into the healer's eyes.

"So, Kouros, the queen is missing. What do you know of this?"

Kouros stammered a feeble denial of any knowledge, which the advisor waved away with a gesture of his hand. "Kouros, Kouros, Kouros. Now, will you tell me the truth? I am not the king; this can stay just between us. You were keeping her drugged weren't you?"

Kouros nodded miserably.

"Would you care to tell me why? Or shall I tell you? All right, I will. You thought the king would have her killed didn't you? If he knew that she wasn't really hurt then he'd want her dead. How much of our plan did you know, Kouros? Just how clever are you?"

Kouros' heart sank. There would be no escape for him now, Tallin had seen right through him. Taking a deep steadying breath he told the king's advisor everything. He explained how he'd overheard a small part of the conversation planning the dance, he told of how he'd been in the temple to Ares when the god had first visited Tallin. He explained how he'd understood the plan, even approved of it, but that he had always been fond of the queen. He couldn't bear for her to die, so he'd thought that if he kept her unconscious and said that she was gravely ill it would be enough to save her life. When he finished Kouros kept his eyes lowered and waited for the blow to fall.

Instead there was silence for a moment and then Tallin started to laugh, between fits of laughter he said, "Oh dear! Oh no! I don't believe this. Our tame little healer has a mind of his own. And what a mind it is! You care for the queen do you? It's a good thing Pellius doesn't know or you'd be the one being branded! My goodness me, what a thing this is. Precious!"

Tallin wiped tears of laughter from his eyes and with an imperious wave of his hand dismissed the guards. "Come, sit with me. We have much to discuss."

Shocked by this unexpected response, Kouros did as he was asked. "Sir?"

"Oh none of that, you and I are friends here my dear Kouros. Call me Tallin. Now then, you approved our plan did you? Yes? Good, I'm going to need your help with the king. We have a huge damage limitation exercise on our hands. That branding and the king's fall into the crowd did us a lot of harm, oh yes, a great deal of mischief came from that little piece of self-indulgence from Pellius. We have to act quickly or all will be lost. You do want this kingdom to be great don't you Kouros?"

Kouros, still unable to believe his luck, nodded. "Of course I do Tallin. I am a loyal citizen, I want to see my country thrive."

"And expand?"

Kouros smiled, "Yes Tallin, at all costs we must expand or die."

Cutie was taking a break and Hercules had Iolaus to himself at last. His friend had continued to heal slowly throughout the day and now the shape of the brand on his chest was no longer cutting into Iolaus' flesh, it was still red but the skin was almost smooth again. Garcie had inspected Iolaus' back earlier, that was taking longer to heal, but she thought that by morning even that terrible injury would be almost completely gone.

But Iolaus still stared into emptiness, he didn't move or speak or even see his surroundings. As the day had passed and there was still no reaction to his entreaties Hercules had become more and more concerned. It had been Garcie who had persuaded Cutie to leave his charge for a while, stretch his legs, have some food and try to regain some of his own strength. Hercules was grateful for that, it meant that he was alone with Iolaus, it meant that he could say the things he needed to say without anyone else hearing. Garcie had understood that.

Iolaus lay flat on his back on the bed, just as Cutie had left him. Hercules piled up some pillows behind the hunter and pulled him up on to them so that he was half sitting up. It was easier to talk to him that way. Gently wiping a trail of saliva from the corner of Iolaus' mouth with a cloth Hercules wondered where to begin. How was he going to bring his friend back from his refuge? He thought of Stentious.

"Iolaus? Listen to me. Please. You're scaring me did you know that? You're almost better now, another night and your body will be healed. It's time for you to come back to me buddy. I need you."

There was no reaction. Iolaus simply stared with unfocused eyes at the wall. Hercules grabbed Iolaus by the arms and pulled him up so that their faces were inches apart. "Don't do this to me Iolaus! Don't be so selfish. You might be safe and happy where you are, in whatever little haven you've found for yourself, but we need you! Damn it Iolaus, I need you back with me. After all we've been through together. This is worse ... this is worse than if you had died."

Hercules had started shaking the unresponsive Iolaus in his anguish, suddenly realising what he was doing he let his friend go, horrified with himself. He saw the skin on Iolaus' upper arms already beginning to bruise from where he'd held him too tightly. "Oh gods Iolaus! I'm sorry. It's just that I don't know what to do. Is it really better in there? Better than our life? Better than flirting with women and fighting off barbarians? Better than slaying monsters and fishing?"

Hercules' voice broke and he stopped speaking. There was nothing else to say Iolaus already knew it all. Maybe he'd forgotten or maybe he really was happier where he was. If so, who was Hercules to pull him away from that? All he really wanted was for Iolaus to be happy; he'd just never considered that Iolaus could be happy without Hercules. Perhaps he should let go; perhaps Iolaus had finally taken more than even he could deal with. Hercules had always been so proud of his friend's resilience, they'd often joked about Iolaus' ability to bounce back after any setback, even death. But, there was only so much any human could be expected to take, Iolaus had passed that point long ago. Did Hercules really have the right to ask him back for more?

He sat beside the bed, gently stroking Iolaus' cheek, and wondering where his friend was.

Chapter 13

The water was beginning to feel too cold, and the arms that held him were starting to squeeze him too tightly. The safe haven he had found, the hideaway from the red dance, was beginning to become a kind of prison itself. He wanted to swim away, feel his muscles work against the water, he wanted to stretch but he couldn't move. The arms held him in a vicelike grip. It had seemed so secure at first, so protective, now it was beginning to feel like a cage.

The absent thing was still making its absence known. An emptiness was opening up inside him, something that had always been there before but wasn't now. He wanted to know what it was, at first the seduction of the water and the safety of the arms had turned him away from this missing part of himself, but now he was ready to find it. He wanted to know himself; the red room had already taken so much of him, why should it have his identity too?

He knew that it still called to him it was so close. If he went back into the redness would he remember? Would it bring back the absent thing, would it bring back his life? It would almost be worth the pain to find out - almost. But the pain frightened him; it was more than he could bear but it didn't kill him and that frightened him. It wasn't the thought of death, he didn't know why but the thought of his life ending held no fear for him; it was the idea of living with that pain, dancing within its red walls forever, that really scared him.

But he missed whatever the absence meant to him, he missed it with a ferocious power that was threatening to overwhelm him. He was scared of the red room, but it was the only way he knew to get away from the lake. He didn't want to be in the water anymore, he wanted to be himself again, whoever that was. He needed to know what it was that he missed so badly. He took a last moment to enjoy the safety of the water and then closed his eyes. He pictured the ballroom, saw the redness surrounding him and he listened for the beat of the music to begin.

The guards at the city gates warned Stentious that there was only an hour before curfew. He grinned his thanks and walked on feeling their eyes following him as he entered the city. He could almost hear their thoughts, 'Where's he been, all by himself? Why'd a palace guard go out of the city on his own?' He hoped that they would assume he'd been looking for Hercules and the queen; he hoped they wouldn't call him back and question him.

He hadn't anticipated that there'd be guards on the gate; usually all of the gates were unmanned. But things had changed in Meassia; Stentious could feel the change in the atmosphere almost immediately. People hurried by with their heads down, keen to get indoors before the curfew. They seemed jumpy and nervous and no one would look at Stentious as he strolled by. He was headed for one of the taverns that lay close to the square. He thought it was his best bet for finding some people willing to break the curfew and for finding some allies. But first he needed a change of clothes; it was too dangerous to wear his uniform for what he had to do next.

It was difficult seeing his mother again, he couldn't tell her everything, but he did tell her about the queen and the task she had set him. His mother promised that she would sacrifice to the gods as soon as she could get to Athena's temple and after that she'd make a petition to Ares, once curfew was lifted in the morning. Stentious didn't have the heart to tell her that the gods wouldn't help.

He didn't tell her that Iolaus was alive, Hercules and Elissa had agreed that it was best to keep quiet about that news for now. Hugging his mother fiercely, Stentious ventured back out into the streets; he would have to move quickly now.

With less than half an hour left before curfew Stentious entered the dark tavern. The shutters were all closed and the lamps kept low, there were at least a dozen men scattered around the room. Silence met the young man as he entered and he felt all eyes turning to watch him, taking a steadying breath he walked to the counter and leaned nonchalantly on it.

"Barkeep, an ale if you please."

A mug was slapped onto the counter, the ale sloshing over its rim. "It's a bit late to be coming out isn't it lad? You'll be needing to go home to your mother before the soldiers catch you."

Stentious remembered what Hercules had told him, 'use your fear' and he grinned. "Nah, she won't miss me. I'm too restless anyway, after yesterday." He let his words hang in the air, waiting to see if anyone would take the bait.

The other men in the room glanced nervously at each other until one man who had been leaning on the other end of the bar, picked up his drink and moved to stand beside Stentious.

"What's your name? I'm Jerius the bookmaker, you might have heard of me?"

Stentious held out his hand in greeting, "Yes indeed I have, it's good to meet you Jerius. I'm Stentious."

Jerius asked his next question cautiously, this young man may be safe to talk to but then again he may not. "So, Stentious, you were in the square yesterday?"

"Yes, I was. I'll never forget his eyes. He seemed to look straight at me - accuse me! I couldn't bear it, I left the city vowing never to return." Stentious sighed and raised his shoulders in a shrug, "But it's the only home I've ever known. My family are here, my friends. I came back." Stentious hung his head as if he was ashamed of his failure. Jerius put a hand on his companion's shoulder. "It's all right lad. We all feel a bit like that."

Stentious inwardly breathed a sigh of relief he'd made contact. He realised that he wasn't scared any more, now he was filled with purpose.

Cutie carefully settled back into place and nodded to Hercules, who had lifted Iolaus out of the way. Hercules gently laid his friend back down into Cutie's waiting embrace. The healing had taken it out of Cutie and he looked very tired. Hercules rested a hand on the big man's shoulder. "Another night and your job will be done Cutie. Iolaus will be healed."

But Iolaus was still unresponsive, still hiding in his own world. Cutie couldn't heal that part of Iolaus, no one could. It was up to the hunter now. Hercules prepared himself for another night on the floor next to the bed. This time Garcie had brought him some blankets and a pillow to soften the hard floor, but he didn't think that he would get much sleep. He felt as if he was standing guard over his friend, which was all he could do now. There were no more words, nothing else to do. The only thing left was to protect Iolaus' body so that if and when he did come back it would be there for him. Hercules had never felt more useless in his life.

Simeon sat quietly in the corner of the tavern. Tonight he wouldn't draw attention to himself, tonight he would listen and perhaps he would learn something to his advantage. His friends had been talking of treason yesterday, what would they say now that they'd had the chance to think about it?

When Stentious walked in to the room the denizens were already restless, it would only take one word to push them into some foolish action. Simeon watched the young man as he turned the heads of these fools, and sighed. How could they want to betray their king for such a small thing? How could they think that the branding was uncalled for? It was a just punishment and Simeon for one had cheered the king's bravery in delivering the brand himself.

Stentious was so relieved at the warm welcome he received in the Tavern he never noticed the dark haired man sitting in the shadowed corner of the room, and his new friends were so excited by the news that the queen was to act that they forgot Simeon was there. If one of them had remembered they might have called for caution, they might have stemmed the eager flow of words - treasonous words. But Simeon managed to slip away late in the evening without anyone noticing. He headed for home with much to think about and a big decision to make, should he report the news to Tallin or to the king himself?

Iolaus followed the familiar steps of the dance around the red floor. He moved with grace and speed, unlike the last time he'd been here. Then he'd been filled with agony, his body betraying his wishes, unable to do what he asked of it. Now ... he looked down at himself; a faint red mark was all that was left of the brand, the bruising on his ribs was gone and the blood covering his silken pants had also disappeared. He was thirsty, very thirsty, but his lips no longer felt swollen or cracked, and his eyes weren't sore. His body was virtually healed.

As he danced to the familiar music he thought of Elissa, he remembered his dance partner. He could still feel her in his arms, swirling around another dance floor in another place. The queen's smile had been radiant as she had followed his lead, she would have followed him anywhere in that moment. But she hadn't, the dance had ended and she had taken her leave of Iolaus.

He stopped moving, standing alone in the middle of the vast dance floor just as he had when Elissa had left him. He was remembering; he was remembering waking up, he was remembering the Thansis and it's bloody kisses over his back. He was seeing once again the face of Tallin smiling up at him as he suffered; he was remembering Cutie's kindness and the water he had brought. And finally, he was remembering Pellius and the hot iron held in his hands. He felt the searing pain, he felt the sparkling eyes of the king watching and enjoying his agony. Iolaus dropped to his knees on the hard red floor, his memories too much for him.

Hercules had seen. He'd been there, in the crowd. Iolaus had spotted him just before ... before it. Iolaus put his head in his hands as he knelt on the floor, his body rocking slightly back and forward. He could hear Cutie's keening wail, he could hear Hercules' shout of misery. Hercules needed him. Cutie needed him. Iolaus needed them. He had to go back, he had to find a way home to his brother and to his new friend. But the memory hurt so much; Iolaus didn't know how he could live with the memory.

Hercules would know, Hercules would tell him how to beat it. Hercules always knew. Iolaus had never felt so in need of his friend as he did now. He cried out for help to the only man he trusted to be able to help him. "Hercules! Hercules! Hercules!" He kept calling, he didn't know what else to do.

Hercules had been dozing when the cry pulled him upright and awake. For a moment he thought he'd been dreaming but then it came again. "Hercules!" and it was the voice of Iolaus, filled with fear and need. Hercules was beside the bed in a moment. Cutie had woken too and was trying to hold the frantic hunter still, but Iolaus was thrashing wildly about and was still calling Hercules' name, over and over again, his hoarse voice sounding so lost and alone.

Hercules pulled Iolaus into a tight embrace just as Garcie and Elissa rushed into the room. They had both been woken by the noise too. "Shhh, shh, Iolaus. It's all right. I'm here, I'm right here."

Garcie looked into Iolaus' eyes as his head rested over the shoulder of the demigod, they were still glazed and unaware. "Hercules, he's trying to come back but he needs your help. You need to show him the way. Call to him Hercules, call him back to you."

Hercules nodded his understanding and even as he fought to contain the struggling hunter he put his mouth close to his friend's ear and whispered to him. "Come home Iolaus, I'm right here. Come back to us, my friend. Everything's going to be all right, shhh Iolaus. I'm right here."

Iolaus' thrashing subsided and his desperate calls for Hercules slowed and then finally stopped. Garcie noticed a slight change in his blue eyes and smiled, perhaps she would get to meet the hunter after all. Hercules pulled Iolaus away from his body for a moment so that he could see his friend's face. "Iolaus?"

Iolaus didn't seem to recognise him at first and then he focused on Hercules' own blue eyes. "Herc?"

Hercules pulled back into the embrace and continued to soothe his friend with words of comfort.

Pellius had been dreaming again. The sound of the gods grieving filling his mind, the blue eyes of his captive silently questioning why haunting him. But the satisfying feel of the iron in his hand, the sight of it pushing its was into the flesh of the traitor, that was enough. Pellius swung his legs over the edge of the bed, he couldn't rest, his dreams were too vivid, too real. He wanted to understand them; he wanted to understand what it was about Iolaus that had possessed him. Pellius was so proud of the punishment he had meted out for Iolaus, but ... it seemed that there was always a but now.

But there was that mourning sound on the air, the gods themselves grieving for the mortal Iolaus. At least he assumed that was the case. And then there was Tallin; Tallin, his advisor who had turned away from the branding - unable to witness the just punishment of their prisoner. Pellius regretted that, he had thought Tallin capable of following him. Now, he wondered if perhaps he hadn't been wrong.

Iolaus. Oh yes, Iolaus had suffered. But it wasn't enough. How could it ever be enough for what he had done? Pellius thought of Elissa, his beautiful bride. Conveniently, he forgot for the moment how she had been unable to provide him with the son he so desired. He forgot how reticent and unco-operative she had always been. She was his wife, and that ingrate Iolaus had bedded her. He had to suffer; the brand alone was not enough. He should suffer more, much more. Pellius started attempting to dream up the punishment for Iolaus that Hades would deliver. But there was the problem, Hades was influenced by his little Persephone, she'd ask him to go easy on her friend Iolaus. Pellius just knew it. Iolaus should suffer through eternity, through his long, long time as a shade in the underworld. Pellius was king he demanded it.

Pellius paced into the dawn, he was not satisfied with the branding. It had been good but it had not been enough. How could he ever get the satisfaction he craved? He didn't know, but he did know that Hercules would suffer before he died. Hercules was best friend to the little cheat; Hercules should pay for his friend's actions too. Hercules would die, but first he would suffer. And then? Then Pellius would begin a reign of terror more terrible than any ever before witnessed in all of Greece. No kingdom would be safe, no city able to hide. He would be king of all Greece, and justice would be served.

Hercules and Iolaus remained in their embrace neither one speaking they didn't need to. Once Garcie had assured herself that all was well she had ushered her granddaughter and Cutie out of the room. Best to give the men some time to themselves. Cutie had carefully extricated himself from his position behind Iolaus, his job was done now, Hercules would look after his friend they didn't need Cutie anymore. But Garcie didn't give Cutie the chance to slip away, she decided that now that the patient was better the cabin should be cleaned up and they should do a stock take on what supplies they had at their disposal.

She had Cutie washing down shelves and Elissa making a note of everything they found. It didn't matter that it was still a little before dawn, Garcie knew that none of them would be able to go back to sleep and instead of sitting around thinking about the pair in the other room they should keep active. If in doubt get busy she'd always said, and there was a lot of doubt inside the cabin's walls.

Hercules could hear the sounds of the cleaning from where he sat on the bed. It was a comfort to know that the others were out there making themselves busy. But Iolaus was here now, back with Hercules, and the demigod was more relieved than he could ever find words to express. He hugged his friend tighter again, until he heard a muffled complaint and pulled away.

"Gods Herc, you're gonna suffocate me."

"Sorry Iolaus. I just..."

Iolaus smiled, "Yeah, me too, but I think we'd better be careful, people are gonna start talking!" He pulled away from his friend and rubbed his face, "I'm so tired Herc. What happened? I mean I feel like ... am I really better?"

Hercules grinned. "You really are. See, not even a mark on your chest or your back."

Iolaus looked down at his chest and ran a hesitant hand over the skin that had been branded. "Good as new, but how?"

Hercules gestured to Iolaus that he should settle back on the bed and sitting on its edge facing his friend the demigod told Iolaus everything he had missed. His eyes glinted in the candlelight as he explained how Cutie had healed the hunter. Iolaus just stared up at his friend in disbelief. He couldn't take all this in, Cutie had the ability to heal. Cutie?

"Where is he? I want to thank him."

Hercules went to get the other man and he was soon standing by the bed, his huge head lowered and hands clasped in front of him. Iolaus leaned forward and took one of Cutie's hands in his. "I wanted to thank you, Cutie. I owe you my life."

Cutie looked down at the friend he had let down so badly, why would Iolaus want to thank him? He'd hurt him; he'd caused him so much pain. But Iolaus was a nice man, he had smiled at a stranger who was about to flog him, he was nice to everyone. Iolaus was just being polite, he'd been told that Cutie had healed his hurts and so he said thank you, it couldn't be what he was feeling though. Cutie didn't deserve this much kindness, it hadn't been him that had healed Iolaus, it had been the gods working through him. Cutie sniffed back tears and managed to give Iolaus a quick smile before he abruptly turned and left the room.

"What's up with him?" Iolaus asked.

"I don't know. He's very attached to you, Iolaus." Hercules could see that his friend was struggling to keep his eyes open and he gently pushed Iolaus so that he was lying against the pillows. "Shh now, get some sleep. I'll be right here if you need me, okay?"

Iolaus nodded and, closing his eyes, turned on his side and curled up into a ball. Hercules could tell by the slow rise and fall of his ribs that the hunter was already asleep and the demigod settled back into the chair, content to spend the rest of the night watching over Iolaus and enjoying seeing his friend in untroubled sleep.

It had all been so easy in the end. Stentious lay on his soft bed and stared up at the ceiling wondering why he had been so scared. The men in the tavern had all agreed that the branding had been immoral, and that they had been wrong to go along with the king's unhealthy desires. They accepted what Stentious had to say, they even pledged their allegiance to the queen, their queen. It had been so easy, Stentious almost began to worry that it was too easy, but then he supposed that often the things you were most frightened of were nothing more than your own internal demons. He had overcome his last night.

Stretching and yawning, he rolled out of the bed and started to dress. It had been kind of the tavern's owner to allow him to stay for the night, but there was much to be done. People to contact, discreet rumours to start - and he wanted to be back at the cabin before nightfall today. His queen would need to know of his success.

If the men in the tavern were anything to judge by, then Elissa had a very good chance of taking over from her husband. Surely the king would give in when he realised that his people were against him, surely he wouldn't order the soldiers out against his own citizens? Stentious couldn't bear the thought of war breaking out, so he didn't allow himself to think of it as a possibility. Anyway, if Pellius were that foolish then Hercules would have a plan. Stentious pulled open the door of his room with that comforting thought and went downstairs to see what he could get for breakfast.

Chapter 14

"You need to take in lots of liquids Iolaus, and eat this broth. Cutie may have healed your wounds but you're still weak from your ordeal." Garcie raised a hand against the protest she could see on her patient's lips. "You haven't eaten in days, don't rush things." She softened as she saw the downcast expression on Iolaus' face, "If you let me feed you the broth for at least today and drink all that I give you, then perhaps I'll cook you a proper meal tomorrow. People tell me that I'm a very good cook!"

Iolaus laughed and admitted defeat. "All right Garcie, you've got a deal. Right now I'm so hungry I could eat anything - even broth."

Garcie handed Iolaus the steaming bowl and a spoon and sat watching as the hunter ate. She nodded approvingly as he forced himself to eat slowly; he was not a stupid man at least. He finished the broth, and accepted the glass she silently handed him. Again he sipped slowly, savouring the cool water as it eased its way down his throat. He looked up at his companion and raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"You're staring. Have I gone green? What is it?"

"I was just wondering ... it doesn't matter. I shouldn't ask you - not now."

This made Iolaus even more curious. "What? What is it?"

"Ever since you woke this morning you've been joking and laughing, with Hercules, with Elissa, with all of us. How do you ... after everything that's happened ... why are you hiding your feelings? Why are you laughing?"

Iolaus took another sip of water; embarrassed by the way Garcie was still looking at him. It felt as if she were staring right into his soul. "What else can I do? Mope around as if the world was ending and there was nothing I could do? Cry like a baby? Bad stuff happens to me Garcie, I've gotten used to it by now. I'm alive, I'm going to be fine, why shouldn't I be laughing?"

Garcie frowned, not sure that the answer she had received was the whole truth. "I've been a healer for a lot of years, I've seen some terrible injuries and some dreadful illnesses. Sometimes the person died sometimes they lived. Those that lived - well - there was a price to pay for cheating death. It left them changed, sometimes beyond the reach of their loved ones. I thought that was happening to you - I think that I was right, Iolaus. You'd left Hercules and your life behind, but something made you come back and now you act as if nothing had happened. You can't get away with that forever. Someday you'll have to pay."

Iolaus looked away and then put the water down and started rearranging the sheets, pulling them up over his chest. "So, when do you think I can get some clothes and get out of this bed? I'm stiff, I need to walk about for a bit."

"Are you scared Iolaus?"

"Scared? Me? Nah! Nothing scares me."

Garcie sighed, "Please Iolaus, be serious for a moment. Hercules will be back soon and I know that you'll act like nothing's wrong with him. Don't you think he deserves better? Don't you think he deserves to know how you really feel?"

Iolaus looked down at the sheet he was kneading between his hands. "I can't ... he's had so much hurt, he doesn't need any more. That's what I do Garcie, I protect Hercules from his pain, I can't start laying more on him. Just let him enjoy the fact that I'm not dead, give him that much. You don't know what it's been like for him, how hard it's been. I can handle my problems; after all I've coped with being dead - I can cope with this too."

Garcie frowned, she knew how deeply the demigod felt things, and she'd seen how devoted to his friend Hercules was. "If you don't want to talk to Hercules about this, then I understand. But you must talk to someone; you shouldn't bottle it up inside Iolaus. I can see just by looking at you that you're in pain, it'll only get worse if you let it fester inside. I know how to heal physical wounds, I've picked up a little about the other kind over the years, if you need me to listen ... well, you know where to find me."

"Yeah, right! Like I'm going to come chasing after you wearing nothing but a flimsy sheet! Clothes - please!"

Iolaus grinned winningly up at the healer and she couldn't resist grinning back. "I'll see what I can do, but you know you do look really cute in nothing but a sheet!" She left the room quickly but not before she saw the surprised grin on her patient's face. Never be predictable, that was another of her favourite sayings. Iolaus was a good man, Elissa had been right, she only hoped that he would recover from his ordeal and deal with his feelings instead of locking them away inside.

Tallin paced impatiently as he and Kouros waited for the king. Kouros remembered the way Tallin had kept him waiting the day before, it seemed that Pellius knew that trick too. Tallin was obviously not a patient man though, he had started muttering under his breath, too quiet for Kouros to tell what he was saying, but he sounded full of anger.

"He's just playing you at your own game Tallin. Don't let it get to you."

Tallin stopped pacing and stared at the healer for a moment before acknowledging the truth of the statement with a rueful grin. "He's never kept me waiting before, I can't believe how effective it is. Look, Kouros. We need to step carefully with the king; he's changed, he's not going to be so easy to control anymore."

Kouros knew that - he'd been with Pellius even longer than Tallin had - he knew his king's strange mood swings and sulks very well. "Flatter him Tallin, just keep flattering his ego and we'll be fine. Whatever you do, don't lose your temper with him, stay calm." The healer looked across at his companion and silently wondered if that was possible, Pellius was not the only man changed by the last few days' events.

The king chose that moment to make his grand entrance; he swept into the room his purple robes billowing out around him, his entourage of servants following at a respectful distance. Two were carrying silver salvers piled high with baklava and fruit; the third carried a pitcher of wine and goblets on a tray. Pellius gestured for them to place the refreshments on the table and shooed them out of the room. He turned and smiled at his guests. "I hope I didn't keep you too long gentlemen. Kouros! It's good to see you here, you worked so hard for my queen."

Kouros wasn't sure whether there was a touch of sarcasm in the king's voice or not, he clasped his hands before him and tried to stay calm. Pellius was living on the edge and it would not do to antagonise him.

"Sire. I am always at your service." Kouros bowed, but not too low, he didn't want to seem too fawning.

Pellius appeared satisfied and turned his attention to Tallin. "Well sir, you were a little out of sorts the day before yesterday. You are recovered I trust?"

Tallin knew that the king was asking after more than his health, Pellius wanted to know if Tallin was still with him, or had lost his stomach for the whole exercise. He too gave a small bow and smiled, "Of course your highness, I think perhaps the heat of the day and the size of the crowd became too much for me." Tallin didn't want the rest of this meeting to be spoken in code; it was better to get straight to the point. "Pellius, we need to act quickly. Hercules must be found. The people are restless, they are disturbed by the near riot in the square. We need to show them that their king is still strong, we need their support when it is time to act."

Pellius absently nibbled at one of the baklava, "Mmmm, yes. He suffered didn't he? He really suffered."

Kouros answered. "Yes your highness, he suffered greatly before he died."

"You see, there's the problem. He died. And once dead I can no longer make him suffer. It is unacceptable, Hades will not make him pay in the same way I could, he is too weak."

Tallin winced; it wasn't a good idea to make an enemy of Hades, especially with all the shades they were planning to send his way. "Highness? He suffered at your hand, it was your eyes he saw as he breathed his last painful breath, is that not enough?"

"It will have to be I suppose. Now - on to business. I should make a speech, something public and rousing. Something that will settle the minds of my people."

Tallin was quick to agree, the king would need to show himself to his people and be convincing in what he said. Iolaus had to be made into a demon instead of the martyr he was fast becoming. Pellius had to appear to be the injured party, pushed too far by this evil man. They discussed what the king should say and then they went on to talk about the reports that Tallin had been receiving from his men. Soldiers had seen Hercules and Cutie leave the square by the northern road and so they had been concentrating their search in that area.

"They must be somewhere in the forest, it's a large area to cover but we will find them." Tallin's eyes flashed, he would not allow Hercules to get away from his grasp.

But they were at a serious disadvantage; they had no idea where the queen was or what she was planning. They were fairly sure that she was with Hercules; there had been reports from citizens of his leaving the city in a wagon being driven by a dark haired woman that fit Elissa's description. What would she do though; did she have the guts to stand against her husband?

Perhaps the king's speech should carry an underlying threat, perhaps they would need to take action, make an example of someone. Tallin was charged with finding out what Elissa was planning, and trying to root out any dissidents.

"I can't find him anywhere!" Elissa sounded frantic. Cutie had disappeared; no one seemed to know where he was or when he had left. No one knew why he'd gone either. Hercules tried to calm the worried woman. "I'm sure he's all right Elissa. Perhaps he just needed to be alone for a while. So much has happened to him these last few days, all the changes will take a lot of getting used to."

"I know, but ... I just feel responsible for him. I wish he'd come back. Why did he leave?"

"Maybe he thinks that we won't want him now that I'm healed."

All heads turned at the sound of Iolaus' voice. He was standing in the bedroom's doorway with a sheet draped around his waist. He leaned against the doorframe and smiled at Garcie. "I guess I am prepared to go chasing around wearing nothing but a sheet!"

The old woman laughed, she had to admit that he looked very well considering everything he had been through. Iolaus moved to sit next to Hercules, carefully holding the sheet around his waist. "Hi Herc. So what's the plan?"

Hercules frowned at his friend, "You should be resting in your bed."

"I've been resting. I'm all rested out. Come on Herc! You know me; I was going crazy cooped up in there. Anyhow, I heard you talking about Cutie. He's important to me - okay?"

Hercules nodded, understanding the worry in Iolaus' eyes. He was worried too, what if Iolaus was right? What if Cutie thought they didn't want him any more? Had Hercules done enough to ensure that the former executioner knew how important he was to all of them? "I don't know. We don't know him well enough to guess where he might have gone, or even why he's gone. You could be right Iolaus, but ... you know him better than we do, what should we do?"

"I think I could find him, he won't have gone far. He'll be scared and confused, he'll stay close just because he doesn't know what else to do. We're the only people who've shown him friendship, whatever it is that's troubling him I don't think he'll want to stray too far from us. Look Herc, I got him into this, he's my responsibility, my friend and I'm going to find him." Iolaus stood and took a determined step towards the door, but before he could get there Hercules blocked his path.

"You can't go out there!"

Iolaus simply stood patiently waiting for his friend to move out of the way. When he didn't Iolaus spoke quietly. "Why not?"

"Because ... because you've been sick, you're still weak..." Seeing that his argument wasn't working Hercules desperately tried to come up with something else. "You haven't got anything to wear, you can't go out there in a sheet! Come on Iolaus - be reasonable."

Iolaus smiled slightly at the desperation in his friend's voice. "Herc, he won't be far away. Who's gonna see me? Huh? He'll listen to me, you know he will. Come on Herc, why don't 'you' be reasonable?"

Hercules looked across at Garcie, who simply shrugged her shoulders. She thought that Iolaus was right, he had the best chance of getting Cutie to come back, but she didn't think Hercules wanted to hear that so she kept quiet. Elissa wasn't any help either. She looked down at her feet, it didn't matter to her who went after Cutie just so long as they got him back; ever since he'd shown just how gentle and kind he was when he'd healed her grandmother she'd felt a strong need to protect him. "Iolaus will be all right Hercules, after all, he isn't going far."

Iolaus smiled at the queen and she remembered his invitation to dance, that dazzling smile, the hand held out in invitation - she remembered how it had made her feel.

"See Herc. You're just being over-protective again. I'll be fine, anyway, you'll be tagging along won't you?"

Hercules had to grin; Iolaus could always do that to him, beat him in the argument but still make him feel good. He chuckled, "Okay, you win. But Iolaus, please be careful."

Iolaus looked down at the sheet he was holding around his middle, "Oh yeah, I sure will. This won't be much protection against thorns and I don't want to get scratches on my nice new skin! Hang on a sec while I try and ... you know." He gestured with his free hand that he was going to try and tuck the sheet in more securely so that he'd have two free hands. Only half joking he gestured for the ladies to look away and quickly rearranged the sheet so that it was now a neat toga that draped over his right shoulder.

Hercules followed his friend out of the cabin, thinking that whoever had invented the word 'irrepressible' must have had Iolaus in mind.

"Sir, there's a man here I think you should see yourself. He has an interesting tale to tell."

Tallin looked up at the guard with irritation, and snapped, "I'm not interested in tales, I want the truth. I want to know what in Tartarus is going on out there!"

The guard ground his teeth, wishing that he hadn't been set this task, but he was one messenger who would get his message through. "I realise that sir, that is why I felt you should speak to this man, he claims to have news of the queen and Hercules. Simeon is a loyal citizen Tallin, I think he tells the truth."

Tallin stared long and hard at the guard, who did not flinch under the gaze. Eventually Tallin nodded curtly. "Send him in then."

***

Chapter 15

Cutie sat under the tree, not knowing what to do next. He'd walked for a long time and now he was far away from the road and the cabin and completely lost. He felt dangerously close to tears, but crying wouldn't help him. Nothing could help him now, he didn't deserve help. Cutie had let his friend down, he'd left Iolaus up on that scaffold when he could have rescued him, he'd taken the Thansis back in his hands and used it ... but he couldn't bear to go back to that thought. Hurting Iolaus like that, hearing him cry out at the pain Cutie was inflicting on him, it was too much. Deep, wracking sobs finally broke their way free of the big man.

Iolaus heard. "Shhh. D'you hear that?"

Hercules cocked his head for a moment and nodded. He was letting Iolaus take the lead, Iolaus was the better hunter but he was also closer to Cutie than Hercules. This was something the hunter needed to do; Hercules was just tagging along this time. Iolaus chose each step carefully, they were in the depths of the forest with no paths to follow, not even rabbit trails passed through this deep into the densely packed trees and he didn't want to shred the soles of his feet. It had been easy to track Cutie, in his escape from their kindness he had blundered blindly forward, snapping off branches and crushing plants and leaving an easy trail.

Finally Iolaus pointed to a large tree just ahead and whispered, "He's behind that tree. Let me go talk to him, okay?"

Hercules nodded and rested a supportive hand on Iolaus' shoulder for a brief moment before he watched as his friend silently moved forward. The demigod resigned himself to inactivity and leaned back against a tree, waiting for Iolaus to weave his magic once more.

Iolaus looked down at Cutie's shaking body and sighed, why did people have to suffer so much in their lives - especially innocents like Cutie? Careful of his makeshift toga Iolaus sat between the roots of the huge tree and leaned against its trunk. Cutie went on sobbing, oblivious in his despair of the other man's arrival.

"You don't have to cry Cutie, not any more."

Cutie's head snapped up and he tried to push Iolaus away from him, an unformed denial shouted into Iolaus' face.

"Please Cutie, let me stay for a bit? Come on, I like being with you my friend, don't send me away."

Cutie sniffed back the tears and rubbed his massive hand over his face, he didn't know what to think now. Why had Iolaus come after him? Did he want to punish the executioner for what he had done? Why was he smiling? Cutie didn't deserve his beautiful smile. Now that his eyes were no longer blurred with tears Cutie was able to take a really good look at Iolaus. The first one since Iolaus had lain in his arms, still healing, still horribly disfigured by the brand and the whip. He had hardly dared look at Iolaus since then, his heart too full of shame. But now he could hardly look away from the man sitting beside him.

Tentatively Cutie reached out a hand and touched Iolaus' chest, letting his fingers follow the path of the brand. He pulled his hand back and looked at Iolaus in amazement.

Iolaus smiled, "Good as new Cutie, my back too. Want to see?"

Cutie nodded, still too stunned to believe his eyes. Iolaus turned slightly away from the other man so that his back was facing him. Cutie again reached out a hand and ran his fingers gently down the smooth golden skin that he found there. He remembered touching that back in the same way - thinking how pretty it was - before helping the Thansis to kiss it into a bloody mess. It was healed, perfect. Pretty again.

Iolaus turned back to his friend and grinned, "I don't know what you did Cutie, or how you did it. You even managed to get rid of some scars that I'd had before ... well, you know, and the tan's pretty good too!" Iolaus giggled but Cutie was still unsure and just watched Iolaus, waiting for him to be angry. Iolaus became serious as he continued to speak. " I'll never be able to find the words to say thank you properly, but thank you Cutie, you didn't just save my life, you gave my old life back to me."

Cutie stared at Iolaus, this time unable to believe the tears he could see filling the other man's eyes. Cutie had thought he was a baby to cry so much, but if Hercules could cry and now Iolaus too perhaps it wasn't so wrong. Then he remembered turning away from Iolaus, unable to give him what he wanted, unable to try to free him, and his shoulders sagged. Even if Iolaus could forgive him, he couldn't forgive himself, not ever. He was no good to Iolaus or anyone, he couldn't be trusted, he wasn't there when his friends needed him.

Iolaus wasn't sure what was still bothering the other man, he didn't know what to say, so he did the only thing left open to him, he gathered the big man into a hug and when Cutie began to cry again Iolaus held him tight, the sobs shaking both their bodies. But it was the least Iolaus could do after the long hours Cutie had held him tight and healed his wounds.

Some time later Hercules came around the tree and looked down with compassion in his face at the two men. "We should be getting back now Iolaus, the others will be getting worried."

Iolaus carefully pulled Cutie away from him and looked into his reddened eyes, "It's time for us to go back now, Cutie. We want you to come with us, Elissa and Garcie want you to come back, they've been worried about you." Slowly Iolaus stood. "Come on Cutie, we need you."

Cutie allowed himself to be helped up by Hercules and walked between Iolaus and Hercules as they retraced their steps. He still didn't really understand why they wanted him back; he had never had friends before. But he was glad that they did, it felt good to be needed at last. He still couldn't forgive himself but he knew that what Iolaus wanted, and what Hercules wanted was more important than what he thought he should do. Cutie had never felt sorry for himself before; it was easy for him to shrug off his self-pity even if he didn't understand why these people were giving him friendship.

Stentious and Jerius stood nervously in the main square. This was the first gathering since the branding and the subsequent riot and people were apprehensive; scared of a repeat of the chaos, and scared of what the king was about to announce. The citizens were in need of a leader, they wanted to know what to do, what to think. All this uncertainty and change was a frightening business and they needed to be reassured.

Once upon a time, Meassia had been a quiet, peaceful province, small but self-sufficient; its people were farmers, they knew nothing of the need to expand, or the benefits on the economy of war. All they wanted to know was that the harvest would be good and that they would have enough to feed their families for the coming year. Suddenly everything had changed; suddenly their king was showing them a confusing picture of hatred and uncompromising punishment.

The Thansis was a punishment all were familiar with; they all understood the power of its kisses - as deterrent, as example. Not one of them had truly understood what the declared traditional punishment had really meant, not one of them had seen the truth behind the spectacle. And so, when the leather had bitten into Iolaus' skin causing blood to flow, they had cheered - it was a just punishment for a terrible crime against the kingdom. Caught up in the moment most of the people had continued to enjoy the show, allowing themselves to be bowled along on the wave of excitement, enjoying the atmosphere and blood and not thinking of the man on the wooden frame.

Still within the festival atmosphere they had continued to enjoy themselves as Pellius prepared the brand, only a few becoming uncomfortable as they saw its size and those near the front were able to feel the heat of the brazier. It wasn't until the actual moment of the branding that something changed. The sight of their own king sullying his hands with this dreadful act sickened many of the people watching, and even more were sickened by the gleam they saw in his eyes. None of them had seen Iolaus as a person until that moment, but for some reason it was then, when he screamed and Hercules screamed and Cutie's voice began its long note of sorrow, it was then that they saw Iolaus as a man, they saw his eyes and understood that they were the eyes of a friend, the eyes of a brother or a son. They understood and they turned away from their guilt. With their panic and confusion at the sight of their king falling into their midst, the riot began.

Now that so many of the same citizens were again standing in Meassia's square there was a nervous tension, the guilt still strong in all their hearts. The people needed to be shown how to cope with this pain, and the king was about to try and do just that. Jerius glanced at his new friend and gave him an encouraging nod; they had already spoken to a lot of people who would not easily be swayed by Pellius' words, people who had already pledged loyalty to the queen.

Stentious shifted his feet impatiently; he wished that the king would get on with his speech. Once it was over the young man would go back to the cabin and report his successes, after that the queen would return to the city to take control. It sounded so simple when he stated it like that, but now that Stentious could see Pellius walking out on to the newly reinforced platform he felt a shiver of fear - he was looking at a madman, how could anything be straightforward?

Finally Pellius raised a hand to quiet the crowd. The rumble of whispered voices gave way to silence as the people waited to see if their king could redeem himself.

Pellius paused, looking down at the faces below him, all his regal power was behind that gaze and he wanted his people to feel its full effects. Satisfied that they understood his strength the king began to speak in loud ringing tones.

"People of Meassia! The last time we were gathered here in this square a terrible thing happened..." a dramatic pause as the king's eyes roamed over the crowd, "you failed me! You, who have been so loyal to your kingdom for so long, turned away from it in its greatest need."

A shiver ran through the people, they hadn't been expecting this. Stentious couldn't understand what the king was doing but he could see that the guards were out in force. They had been posted around the edges of the square and now the king's audience had become a captive one without even realising it. Stentious could feel panic begin to bubble up inside him and he gave Jerius a sideways glance to reassure himself. Unfortunately Jerius looked just as scared as he felt. The two men watched to see what would happen next.

"When it was discovered that the traitor Iolaus had betrayed not only me, but you, in his dalliance with your queen, I looked long and hard into my soul before coming to the painful decision that had to be made. I am your king, and as such I take the full responsibility for these terrible decisions. I made the only choice open to me, I chose to punish our deceitful friend in the only just way I could, the traditional branding. You applauded me. My own people gave me approbation for my decision, though it weighed heavily on my heart.

"And then ... then ... when I took on that responsibility myself, unable to ask anyone else to shoulder such a heinous task, then you turned away. You deserted me! Abandoned me when I needed you the most!" Pellius was shouting now, shaking with apparent anger. Suddenly he took a deep breath and his voice quieted to a whisper, "What have I done to deserve this? I have lost everything; my wife is gone from me - taken by outsiders, my executioner has turned traitor, another victim of the villain Iolaus' wiles, and you..." another pause full of trembling emotion, "when I needed you the most my people, why did you turn away from me?"

The crowd shifted uncomfortably, some women began to cry, feeling guilty, Jerius and his companion exchanged unhappy glances; the king was good, very good, he was striking just the right note and he was winning back some of these people. They were putting their horror to one side for their king, for their love of their kingdom. Guilt was big in every man's heart and guilt is a powerful motivator.

Pellius knew that his speech was working, he was winning back some of the people here, but not enough. For the rest he had a little surprise in store. Hiding his smile the king continued his speech, he hadn't felt this good in years.

"I know that what you saw was an horrific thing. A branding by its very nature is an ugly brutal thing, cruel to its witnesses as well as its victim. But it was a necessary act. We had to dig out the evil before it spread. You saw him up here on the frame, you saw those silk nothings he was wearing, you heard the way he joked and flirted even in the midst of his punishment. He had to pay for his arrogance, for throwing aside the laws of not only this kingdom but of man!" Pellius had allowed his voice to rise again, let the anger show through. Again it was time to calm things down, but this time he would spring the trap.

"I forgive you for your weakness, my people. I know that it was difficult to bear the sight of the branding but do not remain weak. Iolaus received his just punishment. Hades, even now, is deciding on a fitting task for him to continue with throughout eternity. It will be even more terrible than the branding believe me, and he will deserve it! But now, we must look to the future, a future together. Our kingdom is poor, and becoming crowded, as more and more land is lost to new homes; we must expand our boundaries we must be strong. And we cannot do that if you turn away from me. My beloved queen Elissa is a wonderful woman but she cannot lead you through the difficult time ahead. Only I can do that, and I must have complete loyalty from you all.

"There are those of you who cannot give me that wholehearted loyalty, those who would turn from me and ask my queen to lead them. You are few, and weak, and will be detained by my guard until you can learn loyalty to your king."

This must have been a signal to the soldiers standing to attention as they moved immediately into action, zeroing in on individuals and strong-arming them into the palace. Stentious realised quickly that his former colleagues were targeting him and Jerius. Whispering urgently to his new friend the young man urged him to go to the cabin and tell Elissa what was happening. "Tell them Stentious sent you, tell them he understands fear now. They'll know you're all right then. Good luck!" Before Jerius could reply Stentious had rushed at the nearest guards as if in a panic. He shouted and screamed and denied everything. The guards were so hard pressed dealing with this outburst that it was easy for Jerius to slip further into the crowd and away from the guards.

He paused before leaving the square at its northernmost corner, and looked back. Stentious had been subdued, and was being held on either side by guards. Jerius sighed as he watched the three men enter the palace, Stentious might understand fear but it was something Jerius had known little of before now. The bookmaker looked carefully around him and walked towards the forest trying to appear nonchalant; he would have to learn though, he wasn't going to give up on Stentious now.

Chapter 16

It felt good to be in the fresh air, listening to the birds sing, watching the sun as it began to dip behind the trees. Iolaus took a deep breath and luxuriated in the feeling of well being that filled him. He leaned back against the warm bark-covered logs that comprised the cabin's wall. The rough surface felt good against the bare skin of his shoulder and he allowed himself to relax at last.

After he and Hercules had brought Cutie back there had been another scene where Hercules had insisted that Iolaus should go back to bed and rest. Iolaus had refused, Hercules had asked Garcie to take his side and sensibly enough Garcie had shaken her head in humorous denial. "Oh no you don't Hercules. I'm not getting stuck in the middle of another of your disagreements. I wouldn't want to cross either one of you."

Iolaus grinned at the memory of Hercules standing there in the middle of the room, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, "But... but ... but." He had fully expected Garcie to agree with him and chivvy her patient back to his bed, but instead she had winked at Iolaus and muttered something about rustling up some clothes for the blond.

Finally Iolaus had suggested Hercules go hunt them up some rabbit or find a stream and get them some fish, he was hungry and needed some feeding up. Iolaus promised to stay put on the bench by the door and just enjoy watching the day while Hercules was gone. He couldn't resist giving the demigod some advice on how to trap the rabbits. Chuckling as he remembered Hercules' indignant response, Iolaus closed his eyes. It felt so good to be without pain.

Elissa watched Iolaus for a moment from the doorway, and when he noticed her presence she asked if she could join him. Iolaus smiled and moved along the bench to give her room. They sat together for a few minutes without speaking, just watching the sun as it slipped towards the horizon.

Finally Elissa broke the silence, "We've been making you something a bit more practical to wear until you get your own clothes back. It's only made from sheets but it's better than your makeshift toga."

Iolaus grinned, "And what's wrong with my toga? I happen to think it's a very fine toga."

Elissa laughed as Iolaus stood and did a slow turn in front of her, showing off his outfit. "It's very becoming Iolaus, but I think you might like something a bit more practical in case there's trouble."

Iolaus stopped moving and cocked his head, crossing his arms in front of him and tapping his jaw with a finger. "Hmmm, I could see where that would be a problem. A single sheet wrapped around the body might get in the way of some of my more acrobatic moves, although it would come in useful to throw over the enemy's heads and confuse them!"

"That would certainly give the girls a nice view Iolaus!" Elissa giggled. She couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to this man; it was a very long time since she'd flirted with anyone.

Iolaus pretended to blush and contorted himself with fake embarrassment until they had both collapsed in fits of the giggles. Finally Iolaus grew serious and looked at the queen.

"Scary isn't it?"

She nodded, suddenly all the laughter gone from her. "I don't know if I can do this Iolaus. How can I lead an uprising against my husband?"

"It might not come to that Elissa. Maybe we'll be able to get him to see reason."

Iolaus didn't believe his words and neither did the queen, but they were a comfort all the same. Sitting close beside Iolaus, Elissa took his hand. "I'm sorry for what he did to you Iolaus. I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault. It doesn't matter now."

"Yes it does. It matters to me, it shouldn't have happened, it should never have happened."

Iolaus closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, he wanted to run away from Elissa's persistent need to talk, but he could feel her hand holding tightly on to his - there was no escape. With his eyes still closed Iolaus sighed. "What should have been and what was are always so different. What should have been doesn't matter, what was doesn't matter; all that matters is what is. Right now I'm sitting here with the last rays of the sun on my face and a beautiful woman holding my hand. That's enough Elissa, can you understand that?"

Iolaus opened his eyes to gauge the queen's reaction and he saw her frowning down at their intertwined hands, tears standing ready to fall from her eyes. Iolaus turned slightly so that he could take her hand in both of his. "You're not going soft or something are you? Come on, queen's shouldn't frown like that. Look I'm not ungrateful for your concern or anything, it's just ... I don't like picking at scabs - you know?"

Elissa looked into Iolaus' concerned blue eyes and smiled. The image of a small boy with tousled blond locks came to her mind, she could see him squatting down and carefully picking at a scab on his knee. Her smile widened and she nodded. "I do understand Iolaus, I guess I never got away from that childhood need to pick away."

They laughed again and sat in companionable silence to wait for Hercules and their supper.

The messenger had ridden three horses to exhaustion by the time he arrived in Corinth. The palace guards on duty recognised the crest on his tunic and waved him inside. The news he brought was obviously of great importance.

Iphicles was going through his paperwork when the messenger was announced, and he looked up, glad of the interruption. On seeing the state of near exhaustion that the man was in Iphicles cast all protocol aside and guided him to a chair himself. Sitting next to the messenger Iphicles motioned to one of his men, and quietly asked him to send for the healer. Pouring a glass of water for his exhausted companion Iphicles gently spoke. "Your message must be very important for you to travel so hard from Selsius. Did he put it in writing?"

Barely able to nod the messenger pulled at a fastening on a pouch on his belt. Iphicles waved his hand away and deftly opened the pouch and retrieved a scroll that had been sealed with Selsius' personal seal. He read through it carefully, when he was done Iphicles stood up shakily. This was far worse than he could have imagined. Gods, Iolaus! He would have to act fast.

Turning away from the horrifying images that the letter brought to his mind Iphicles called for his advisors to attend him immediately. He also sent word for his army to stand prepared to move out within two hours. Iphicles didn't want suggestions from his advisors; he wanted to tell them what would be happening. He could not stand by and allow Pellius to get away with such outrageous behaviour, and Iphicles knew full well that he could be going to war with Meassia. It was not a thought he welcomed, but for his brother and his friend he had to act, for his own people he had to act. There had been whispers for some time that Pellius and his sly advisor Tallin were beginning to feel cramped within the confines of their small kingdom, Iphicles could not allow them to use what they were doing to Iolaus as a distraction from their real task.

"Hold on Iolaus, hold on brother. I'll be there as soon as I can. Please Zeus don't let me be too late."

The sun had fallen behind the trees and the evening was beginning to get chilly by the time Hercules returned with three rabbits slung over his shoulder and a smug smile on his face. Iolaus wrinkled his nose at the rabbits, which Hercules flourished under his appraising eye. "What took you so long? Hmmm, a bit small aren't they? I suppose they'll have to do until you let me do the hunting." There was a twinkle in Iolaus' eye as he spoke and Hercules grinned.

"Small? These rabbits are fit for Zeus himself. Anyway don't they say the smaller they come the sweeter they taste?"

Elissa watched the banter and tried to hide her smile; these two men had made a huge impression on the queen, both with their obvious love for each other and their selfless desire to help others. She patted Iolaus on the knee and stood up smiling at Hercules. "It's true, all the best things come in small packages."

Iolaus battled to hide his smile and tried for a hurt expression. "Are you making fun of me?"

Hercules and Elissa exchanged a glance as the demigod extended a hand to help Iolaus to his feet. "Us? Make fun of you? Perish the thought!"

Just then Garcie came out of the cabin with some white cloth in her hands, as usual she was all business. "Ah good you're back. Give me those rabbits; I'll soon have some supper ready. Here, Iolaus, these might suit you better than that toga."

Iolaus took the clothes Garcie had managed to put together from just sheets and the needle and thread she always kept at the cabin. "Thanks Garcie, you're a life saver! I'll go put them on now."

The cheerful banter and laughter continued as Garcie prepared the meal and Iolaus proudly paraded his new outfit, a simple pair of trousers and a vest similar to his own in shape and cut. The trousers were fastened with some thin rope that had been sewn into the waistband. Iolaus had tied it securely and was obviously very pleased.

Garcie and her granddaughter exchanged an amused glance, the simple white outfit suited Iolaus very well and they enjoyed the impromptu fashion show he put on for them.

After Iolaus had finished showing off his new outfit Hercules handed him a small parcel. Iolaus looked up at his friend questioningly but Hercules just shook his head and smiled. "Open it."

Iolaus impatiently pulled away the string and unfolded the cloth to reveal his talisman, with a new string replacing the broken leather. He didn't say anything as he put the packaging aside and carefully placed the talisman around his neck. Hercules, knowing his friend, turned to Elissa and started a new conversation to give Iolaus time to recover.

It was Hercules who was first to hear the sound of somebody approaching, he shushed everyone and nodded towards the doorway. Iolaus looked out of the window and held up a single finger - one man. Hercules frowned and checked the window for himself. The man was standing as if taking hold of his courage, he was a stranger.

Hercules whispered to the others, "Be wary." as he opened the door and stepped outside. "Welcome stranger, what can we do for you?"

"Are you Hercules? You must be him. I'm Jerius, Stentious sent me, the king has taken him prisoner."

Hercules digested this information without changing expression. "How can we trust you?"

"Stentious told me to tell you that he understood about fear now, he said you'd know what it meant." Jerius didn't move, he simply stood waiting for Hercules to either accept or reject his statement.

Hercules smiled. "Then you'd better come inside and tell us all you know. We were just about to eat - join us."

He didn't know it but this was the cell that Iolaus had been imprisoned in; it was small, with four solid stone walls and an imposing oak door barring his exit. The only light came from a narrow barred window high in one wall, and as the light was fading fast into night Stentious was preparing himself to spend a long night in darkness.

The guards that had brought him here had until recently been his friends and colleagues, he had foolishly tried appealing to their better sides and now had sore ribs and a bruised jaw for his trouble. His old friends could not understand him, they could not see the horror of what had been done to Iolaus in the name of justice, and they were loyal to the king - no matter what.

Stentious gave a deep sigh, which was followed by a small gasp of pain and a curse; he wondered how Iolaus did it. How could a man be a hero when it involved pain and fear and a huge black abyss called tomorrow? How could a man face such things without turning into a blubbering heap of helpless... helpless... Gods! What was the use, his mind was already going. Stentious managed to smile ruefully at himself and then lay back on his cot, careful of his ribs.

He stared into the murkiness above his head, unable now to see the ceiling of his new home. Did Jerius get away? Did he find Hercules? What will they do now? And the one question he wanted to ask the most and didn't dare even give it shape, would they rescue him? He wasn't made out of hero material he knew that now. It had only been a bit of juvenile pride that had made him say that he'd help the queen, now that he was alone and sure that the king was going to do horrible things to him in the morning he didn't feel at all brave.

Stentious closed his eyes, he wouldn't sleep but the darkness of the room was becoming claustrophobic and he was getting a strong urge to throw himself at the door and beg to be let out. Stentious gave a small laugh, his mother had always said he was useless with enclosed spaces which was why she'd thought it a test from the gods when he'd been give duty at the prison.

With his eyes closed Stentious felt the panic recede and he turned his mind back to the image that had changed his path in life. He saw Iolaus hanging from that terrible wooden frame again, he saw the still smoking shape of the brand, and he saw the sadness in those blue eyes. The eyes began to fill his head, the pain that was held deep within them - a pain unimaginable to Stentious, and the disappointment.

Stentious bunched his hands into fists as he lay there, he would not start feeling sorry for himself. Maybe Iolaus would be disappointed in him, maybe not. He knew that he could never live up to the courage Iolaus had shown, but he could be brave. He could try to face the dawn with some dignity and he could still keep his hope alive, Hercules wouldn't abandon him, neither would Iolaus nor the queen. He had allowed himself to forget that in his fear, but what was fear other than a trap for the unwary, fear was the boogieman, not what lay under the bed. Stentious smiled again and this time he laughed out loud. Carefully turning onto his uninjured side he closed his eyes again and this time he relaxed into a peaceful sleep.

Outside his door the guards heard the laughter and looked at each other, the younger one shook his head sadly. "He was such a promising boy but his mind's broken now. What a waste."

The other guard wasn't so sure. "Maybe so, maybe not. He really believes in what he's doing doesn't he?" The tone in his voice reflected the man's envy of that state of being, to have a belief of your own instead of an unthinking loyalty to a man that had never even noticed your existence. Maybe there was something to what Stentious had said to him earlier, perhaps the king was taking things too far.

"And what happens now?" Pellius was looking less than happy as he ate his way through a platter of honey cakes. He hadn't offered Tallin one, which was enough to ring warning bells in the advisor's head. Something was bothering the king but Tallin couldn't guess at what it could be. The speech and subsequent rounding up of troublemakers had gone well with only one or two managing to escape the soldiers. He would have to tread very carefully or he might find his neck on the chopping block.

"Sire?"

"It's all very well having our prisoners but that doesn't get us Hercules does it?" Pellius slowly stood and leaned over Tallin's chair, his voice sticky with the honey cakes he spoke very quietly, "I want Hercules, Tallin, I want him very badly. If you can't get him for me, I will have no further use for you. Do you understand?"

Tallin resisted the temptation to brush away the crumbs of cake that had fallen onto his robe and met the king's gaze steadily. "Of course sire, that is as it should be. Any man who cannot fulfil his function should be removed from that function. You will have Hercules - before the dawn if I'm any judge."

The king moved back slightly and raised an eyebrow quizzically, he was willing to listen but Tallin was not safe from his anger yet.

"The young man Stentious in the cells below was the instigator of the rumours about the queen. I have been informed from a reliable source that Stentious met with Hercules after his escape. It seems that the man our young friend was standing with at the time he was arrested was able to escape."

Tallin noticed the king's sudden change in expression and held up a hand to stay the outburst. "It was perfect, I couldn't have planned it better. You see, the other man will have gone running to Hercules. And what will the brave demigod do when he hears that his new friend is in our dungeons?" Tallin didn't wait for an answer. "He'll come to rescue him. And we shall be waiting."

Tallin did not say what else was on his mind; he did not mention the passing comment Ares had made that worried him so much now. Tallin said nothing about the possibility that somehow Iolaus was still alive. He would keep that titbit of news for another time, just in case he needed it. Tallin had no way of knowing that Iolaus had not only survived his ordeal but had been healed; in his imaginings the advisor saw Iolaus lying on a bed somewhere, his breath rattling, his skin grey, and with a death-watch standing over him. No one had told Tallin that making assumptions was a dangerous game, and he'd told no one about Iolaus.

"So, when do we leave?"

Iolaus was pacing the length of the room full of repressed energy. He was ready to move - now!

Hercules sat next to Cutie and watched his friend with a worried frown. The words they were about to say to each other were hardly original, and with some luck they would be saying them again and again in the future, but he always dreaded them. Why do it then? But he had to; he had to try at least.

"You're not going anywhere Iolaus."

The small blond fury that turned on Hercules was almost too fast to see, before he could take breath to continue the demigod had an irate partner standing over him and poking an extended finger into his face.

"Don't you say that! I will not stay here! You can't make me, you can't keep me out of this!"

Hercules sighed, why couldn't this get any easier? "Iolaus please! You're still weak from the... from..." He looked helplessly up at his friend, he couldn't say it, he couldn't force that word from his mouth. Iolaus relented slightly, he understood. The word brand had taken on significance in his mind too; it was a word he would be happy to never utter again. He took on a more placatory tone.

"Herc. I'm fine I don't feel weak. In fact I'm going mad from all this doing nothing."

Hercules was shaking his head, and the others were all watching the argument with a certain amount of trepidation. How could any man stand up to Hercules like that? Jerius watched awe struck, this Iolaus was fearless. It had been shock enough to see him up and about and laughing, Stentious hadn't told the bookmaker that Iolaus had survived and been miraculously healed by the Executioner, and it had taken him some time to recover - all the while doing an excellent imitation of a fish. Iolaus snapped Jerius out of his reverie.

"Oh for ... you are the most unreasonable, stubborn, pigheaded ...Look, I've got a vested interest in this. You are not taking on Pellius without me there, Hercules, and that's the end of it. Nobody deserves to face him more than I do, it should be me Herc. It will be me. And you, and the combined armies of all Greece won't stop me."

Spent, Iolaus sank into a chair. He glared at Hercules, challenging him to just try and disagree, but Hercules had seen the need in his friend's face, he had understood just how important it was to Iolaus that he face Pellius. He nodded and shrugged. "Well okay, but you've got to promise me something."

"I'll be careful Herc."

"That too, but you've got to promise to leave some of the action to me."

Iolaus grinned a wolfish grin. "Sure. You can have fox-face, I want Pellius." Iolaus shot a glance at Elissa who had been watching quietly. "I mean ... Gods Elissa, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting he's your husband."

A grim smile flickered across her face before Elissa replied. "It's all right Iolaus. There was never any love between us, not even friendship. We tolerated each other. And after what he did to you, you have every right to take justice upon yourself." Thoughtful for a moment the queen stood and putting a hand on Iolaus' shoulder spoke in a voice no one in that room had heard before. And when they did hear it they all realised that this woman would be queen and she would be good at it.

"I, Elissa, Queen of Meassia, do hereby give you, Iolaus, the right to exact your own form of justice whatever that might be, on Pellius, former king of Meassia, for the actions he took against your person." And in her normal softer voice she whispered in his ear so that no one else could hear. "If you need to kill him Iolaus, don't let thoughts of me hold you back. Do what you have to with my blessing."

Iolaus smiled and gave her hand a friendly squeeze before turning to Hercules. "So, Herc, like I said before, what's the plan?"

Cutie was content to sit next to Iolaus and watch as his friends discussed Hercules' plan. He had wanted to do something when Iolaus had turned so angrily on Hercules, but he didn't know what, so he sat and watched as the friends argued. He hadn't understood everything, but he had recognised that Iolaus had got what he wanted and that the queen had given him her blessing. Cutie risked glancing at the queen, she sat with a straight back and her hands clasped in her lap, looking every inch a queen. Before these last few days the executioner had hardly ever seen the queen and she had never been this close to him before. But now, thanks to Iolaus, even this great queen herself was taking notice of Cutie.

Cutie tried to follow what was being said, he understood that Hercules and Iolaus were planning to get inside the palace and rescue Stentious and the other men that had been taken prisoner; they were frightened that Pellius would use his prisoners as hostages against any move Elissa made against him. Cutie understood that Elissa and Garcie were going to go to the villages and farms surrounding the city; they would need the support of the people there. And they hoped that by bringing them to the city in peaceful demonstration Pellius would realise his position was untenable. He understood enough to know that Jerius would be travelling with the women to give them some protection. But so far he had not heard his name mentioned, his heart fell, what use to them was he anyway?

"You'll need to find your way through the tunnels Hercules. There's a whole labyrinth under the palace, if you don't know where you're going ... we might never see you again." Garcie sounded tired; Cutie understood that the thought of the dangers to come was a heavy burden for the healer.

He raised his head as he concentrated on her words instead of her voice, the tunnels? Unable to speak, and frustrated by his inability to communicate, Cutie grabbed hold of one of Iolaus' hands, grasping it hard and willing his friend to understand as he pulled Iolaus' hand to his chest. 'Me. I know the tunnels, I can show you.'

Iolaus frowned up at Cutie, knowing that there was something important hidden in his enforced silence. "Herc? I think Cutie wants to say something."

Cutie nodded an exaggerated nod, not wanting to be misunderstood. This was important.

Hercules had been pacing, unable to keep still, unconsciously taking up Iolaus' usual role of barely contained restlessness, now he stopped moving and concentrated all his attention on Cutie. "What is it Cutie? What do you need to say?"

Cutie could cry he was so frustrated, why couldn't he just speak, tell them what they needed to know? He could show them the way through the tunnels he knew them so well. He, Cutie, orphan, executioner, and friend to Iolaus could tell them what they needed - if only he had a tongue. He looked across at Garcie, then back at Hercules and then Iolaus. He repeated the movement several times, pointedly.

Iolaus frowned, "It must be something to do with what you just said Garcie, about getting inside the palace."

Cutie nodded again and pulled his hand free of Iolaus, looking around him he finally spotted what he needed, cold ash in the fireplace. Quickly, before anyone could protest Cutie had emptied the leavings of the fire onto the floor and was now drawing lines in the ash. Iolaus was the first to understand what he was doing, and Cutie was proud of that, proud of the link they seemed to have forged.

"Herc! Look, he's drawing a map. See? It's the palace, that's the main entrance and there's the prison, and ... but...?"

Hercules looked over Iolaus' head to see the map and suddenly leaned across and slapped Cutie on the back grinning. "It's the labyrinth, Cutie knows the tunnels. Can you draw us a map?"

Iolaus noticed the slight drop in Cutie's shoulders and put a hand on one of them, "Do you want to come with us - show us the way?"

Cutie nodded, holding his breath for the answer. He needed to help so much. Iolaus understood that and looked across at his partner, a whole story in his eyes. Hercules sighed, he didn't much want to have to look after Iolaus, but having Cutie to look after too was asking an awful lot of the demigod. This shouldn't be about their own inner needs, it should be about stopping Pellius destroying more good people, it should be about justice. But deep down he knew how badly Cutie needed to do this, how could he deny Iolaus? How could he deny Cutie the chance to make up for his part in the torture Iolaus had suffered. Cutie would always feel the need to pay for that, not realising that as far as Iolaus and Hercules were concerned they owed him for Iolaus' life.

Hercules nodded briefly at Cutie and smiled, "All right. You show us the way, but you must do as we say Cutie. We don't want anything to happen to you, all right?"

Cutie nodded, satisfied.

PART THREE
The Best Medicine

Chapter 17

He was dreaming, he knew that but it didn't change anything. It didn't stop his heart from racing; it didn't stop him crying out in fear. It was the white circle that was making him tremble, the white-hot circle that hovered before him, the cross through its centre a denial of his freedom. The circle moved closer and closer, until its heat was blistering the skin of his chest, and finally as he could see Pellius' eyes glinting their triumph through the cross of white he woke.

Stentious opened his eyes desperate to see something that would banish the dream, but the darkness was utter and the shape of the brand still stood before him. Shivering, he turned onto his other side, wincing at the pain but welcoming it too. It reminded him of what was real and what was fantasy. His bruised ribs were real; Pellius and the brand were only his overactive imagination fuelling his fear. Stentious tried to remember how he had calmed himself before, something about fear being the boogeyman. It wasn't working now.

Iolaus had survived the branding, Iolaus hadn't cried out in fear - only in pain, only in his pain. Stentious found himself asking Iolaus for strength, why should he ask the gods? What did they know of pain or fear or courage? But Iolaus knew everything about those things; he was a mortal who understood pain and fear better than any god ever could. Stentious prayed to Iolaus and was comforted by the knowledge that a mortal man understood his need.

There was a scraping noise as the door to his prison was opened, light from the lamps in the corridor streamed through the gap and Stentious screwed up his eyes against the pain. A guard entered, it was someone Stentious knew, a man he'd shared many a duty with in the prison.

"Polonius?"

The guard pushed the door to and spoke quietly. "They're setting a trap for your friends, for when they come to rescue you. I thought you should know."

Stentious couldn't see his companion's face, couldn't read his expression. "Why?"

He heard the older man sigh, "I don't know. You believe in them don't you? You have a ... a cause worth fighting for. I envy that. All I've got is the king's word. Pellius, who doesn't even know my name. You've found more. I ... I'd like to help you."

Stentious sat up and swung his legs over the side of his cot. "If Hercules comes for me they'll kill him won't they?"

"They'll try."

"We must warn him. Can you get me out of here?"

Polonius shook his head and then realising that Stentious couldn't see him sighed and whispered, "No chance, there's half a platoon out there in the corridor, and the rest between here and the outside. The corridors and tunnels are crawling with guards and soldiers, I'd never get you out."

Stentious thought for a minute, "Then can you get out? I can tell you which direction Hercules will be coming from." Stentious felt his stomach plunge at the thought of giving away Hercules' position, what if this was a trap too? But what else could he do?

"I don't think I could get all the way out, and anyway you shouldn't trust me with information like that - I might be fooling you lad."

"I know, but sometimes, when the cause is great enough, you have to take risks. Did you see the branding Polonius? Did you see what the king did?"

Polonius hadn't seen anything, he'd been on duty inside the palace and being a conscientious man hadn't abandoned his post. "I heard it was bad."

"The king enjoyed it. Can you understand that? In the moment he actually pushed the hot iron into Iolaus' chest he laughed, he enjoyed another man's torment. They set this whole thing up Polonius, the king and Tallin. Iolaus never bedded the queen, they just danced. All that poor man did wrong was to come to Meassia in the first place. All Iolaus is guilty of is liking to dance."

"How do you know all this Stentious?"

Stentious took a steadying breath, here was trust, and he had to believe in it. "Queen Elissa told me. It was she who asked me to come back to the city, she is going to act against the king, and you should be with her. It's Elissa that is true to Meassia, not her husband, not Pellius. He's a... a... a torturer and a tyrant. All he wants is what's good for Pellius not what's good for Meassia. You have to see that!"

Polonius did see that. He'd already heard stories about the branding, about how the king had been pushed into the crowd and crawled to safety on his hands and knees. Polonius was a believer in signs. He'd also heard tell that Iolaus was a hero, a warrior, and a good man. It didn't take Stentious to show him that he was standing on the wrong side of the division, but he didn't know if he had the courage to change sides now.

He couldn't answer Stentious yet, checking that the corridor was clear Polonius slipped out of the room. Stentious could hear the bolt being run home and he sat back on the bed wondering if he'd done any good. The fear had fled for the moment at least, and for that he was thankful.

It was decided. Hercules, Iolaus and Cutie would attempt to rescue Stentious and the others that had been taken prisoner, in the meantime Elissa, Garcie and Jerius would gather as many supporters as they could from the area outside the city walls. They would then meet up with Hercules, march on the city and ...

Elissa turned on her grandmother, "It's futile. How can a few farmers hope to overthrow the army he has? And Hercules and Iolaus can't possibly get through alive. I can't ask them to do this!"

Garcie and Elissa were in the small room that had served the healer as a store for all her herbs and medicines. They were supposed to be preparing for a long and difficult journey over rough roads and through a dark night. Instead Elissa was standing staring at Garcie, hopelessness filling her and taking her resolve.

Garcie placed a hand on her granddaughter's shoulder. "Calm yourself child. Think of what you say. You are the queen; you are these people's hope. You must never show fear or doubt; you must never allow yourself to be ruled by anything but strength of purpose and clarity of will. Now banish those thoughts, how can you doubt? How can you doubt Hercules - or Iolaus? After all they've given up for us, after all they've survived for you."

Elissa let her head fall, "I can't do this. I'm not strong enough."

"Of course you are. Now, we must get moving if we're to cover enough ground tonight. I'm sure there'll be a lot of grouchy farmers we'll be waking from their sleep. We have to be strong and in the city as close to first-light as we can."

"What if the others don't meet us? What if they fail?"

"Hercules and Iolaus - fail? Never!"

Garcie chuckled and was pleased to see Elissa smile. "All right then, let's get going."

'Just like the old days.' Iolaus thought as he watched the guard from behind the wall. 'Old days? Have I changed that much? What has Pellius done to me?' Knowing that this line of thought would do him no good Iolaus shrugged and glanced back at Cutie, whose bulk was crouched down in the shadows. 'Not quite like the old days, I have Cutie to look after now.'

Iolaus spoke in a whisper. "What now Herc?"

Hercules peered around the corner over Iolaus' head taking in the sight of the four guards and their weapons standing between them and the tunnel entrance they were making for. It had been easy to slip into the city unseen with Cutie as a guide. He'd found them a breach in the wall that was still waiting to be fixed and the climb over tumbled stone had been an easy one. But now was their first real obstacle, Hercules didn't want these guards to give out a warning; he wanted to keep the advantage of surprise on his side.

The demigod looked at Iolaus, taking in the way his new white outfit seemed to shine in the moonlight. He grinned. "How do you fancy being a ghost Iolaus?"

It went perfectly, the guards were suitably shocked by Iolaus' appearance in front of them. In ghostly mode, he smiled serenely giving Hercules time to get into position and then the two heroes moved in unison all four guards falling bonelessly to the ground. Iolaus signalled to Cutie, who had waited at their original hiding place, and they took little time to bind and gag the guards.

Cutie led the way into the tunnels; the door was low and hidden from sight. Hercules and Iolaus would never have noticed it if it hadn't been for the guards on duty at its entrance. Which gave Hercules pause for thought. "Why do you think they put guards here?"

Iolaus shrugged as he followed Cutie through the low entranceway. "I don't know Herc, and I don't much care. Let's just get on with it."

"Yes, but..."

"Hercules! Come on!"

Hercules finally squeezed himself through the tiny entrance and was relieved to find that the tunnels opened out enough for him to stand upright. He reached behind him to close the door wondering as he did how they would be able to find their way in the dark. He had no need to worry, Cutie knew the tunnels well and knew exactly where the torches were kept ready for use. Just as the door clicked shut a torch flickered to life and Cutie held it up so that his friends could light their own.

It was late, the time of night when a man's mind wanders from his task; the time of night when even the most sceptical of men begins to believe in demons. He starts at nothing, he sees a ghost in every hidden shadow. It was the perfect time for Iolaus to be wandering the tunnels beneath the palace; if he came across anyone unexpectedly not only did he have the element of surprise on his side he had their belief that he was dead.

The tunnels were crawling with guards, and even with Cutie's expert knowledge of their twists and turns, the three men could not avoid all the soldiers sent to look for them. Iolaus was in his element. His white outfit glowing in the flickering torch-light, his hair seeming to have a halo of brightness around it. Iolaus would stare at the trembling soldier a mournful expression in his eyes. One young man simply fainted at the sight before him, which made Iolaus snigger, ruining the ghostly effect. The three companions of the unconscious guard were made of sterner stuff but Cutie was the first to move, sending one man to dream of ghosts and bright flashing stars and frightening another into running. Running was futile he shouldn't have tried. Iolaus was on him in a second, turning him and head-butting him into oblivion while Hercules almost apologetically knocked the final man unconscious.

"That was fun!" Iolaus kept his voice down knowing that they were trying to keep the element of surprise, but it was very difficult; the adrenaline was pumping through his veins and he felt good! Better than in what felt like a long time, his blue eyes flashed as he looked between Hercules and Cutie willing them to hurry up so he could frighten some more soldiers.

"Iolaus!" Hercules whispered in exasperation. "Let's get these four tied up and get moving. There's only a couple of hours before daylight and I want to be out of here before then."

Iolaus frowned down at Hercules who had started binding their captive's hands behind their backs. "You're no fun Herc, did you know that? I've got a date with a king or had you forgotten?"

"There's no chance of me forgetting that Iolaus. But we can't take on the whole Meassian army single-handed. We should get the prisoners out and then come back with Elissa - that was the plan." Hercules had a feeling that the impetuous Iolaus wasn't in the mood to listen, he just hoped that his friend wasn't going to get himself into more trouble than he could master. It was always the same fear, always the same worry; he could understand his friend's need but he didn't have to like it.

Iolaus tapped his foot impatiently as Cutie and Hercules finished their task, he couldn't explain why he was so impatient, he just knew that he had to be moving, face the demon quickly. Get Pellius well and truly out of his system before those memories poisoned him. Giving an imperceptible shudder Iolaus started forward, torch held high.

He would not get there in time, he knew that but Iphicles could not rest, could not even slow down. He spurred his white mount onwards even though the night was dark. He trusted the horse to see his way better than its rider could. He felt a helpless rage filling him as he raced onward through the night with his small band of cavalry at his heels. His foot soldiers and more cavalry were following at a more sedate pace; he just prayed that they would not be needed.

As he rode on, the regular beat of the horses' hooves lulling him, Iphicles thought about the only meeting he had ever had with King Pellius. There had been some kind of trade alliance in the offing, Pellius had been dragging his heels and Iphicles had volunteered to go and talk to him in a last ditched attempt to rescue the treaty. He had failed and didn't much care to think of one of the less auspicious events of his reign. Iphicles had not been king long, he was still getting used to the whole idea of being a monarch, and he was still finding out what that responsibility really meant. The chance of a diplomatic mission to impress the outside world had seemed a godsend to him and impetuously Iphicles had jumped at the chance.

He had regretted it five minutes into the first meeting with Pellius. He had sat uncomfortably in his chair as he watched Pellius eat his way through a dish of honey cakes. Pellius had offered Iphicles one but they had only just finished eating a huge lunch and Iphicles had smiled wanly and declined. He had tried unsuccessfully to open the discussions several times before Tallin entered the room. It was then that Iphicles began to understand that Tallin had a great deal more power than anyone had realised. Suddenly the king wanted to talk, he included Tallin in the conversation as an equal, and in the end Tallin had managed to make Pellius see that the alliance would be wrong for Meassia.

Iphicles had left Meassia two days later praying that he never had to visit the place again. He had failed. There would be no alliance, Tallin had grander things in his sights and Iphicles could not get through to Pellius whilst Tallin was at his side. Still inexperienced in the ways of royal diplomacy Iphicles had given up and returned home defeated. He had never learned to see the funny side of the story, as he had with other early failures. This little escapade was something he did not talk about, which is why Hercules didn't know that Iphicles had first hand experience of Pellius and Tallin.

Hercules' brother wished that he wasn't alone; he wished that Jason or better yet, Hercules were with him to bolster his determination, to dispel his fear. More than that though, he wished Iolaus was by his side, joking and laughing and just being Iolaus. He remembered how jealous he'd once been of Hercules' friend, jealous of the fact that Iolaus was closer to Iphicles' brother than Iphicles. But the king had learnt his lesson, he hadn't been able to ignore the fact that Iolaus had saved his life, or the fact that underneath all the jealousy Iphicles couldn't help liking the smaller man. These days the king was just grateful that Hercules had a man like Iolaus to look out for him. So, now he felt as much fear for Iolaus as he did for his own flesh and blood. Iolaus was family too, the best kind of family, the kind you choose for yourself.

Iphicles hadn't spotted evil in Pellius; he hadn't seen anything more than greed in Tallin but people changed; power and the desire for more changed men beyond recognition sometimes. Hercules and Iolaus had been caught in a dangerous game Iphicles continued to send his strength to them, he willed them to live. He rode on into the night, knowing he would probably only get there in time for the clean up operation, but what would he be cleaning up?

It was not by chance that it was Polonius who met Hercules as he rounded the final corner leading into the cells. The old guard had stayed on long after his shift was due to end, giving an excuse of insomnia to his colleagues. He had wanted to think, and to wait for Hercules. Not knowing what he would do even as he stood to meet the demigod Polonious' eyes opened wide in shock as he looked beyond Hercules. He recognised Iolaus, a dead man, a man who should have the Meassian brand adorning his chest, a man who could not possibly have survived his ordeal.

Iolaus moved forward about to attack, but something about the guard's expression gave Hercules pause and he held his friend back. "Yes, Iolaus is back. He's got a habit of doing that."

Polonius continued to stare at the apparition in white that was bouncing on its toes before him. No ghost then, but how? Realising that he must have spoken out loud as Iolaus grinned up at him, Polonius cleared his throat and tried again.

"Stentious is in this cell. You don't have long before the other guards come back."

Hercules and Iolaus stared at the guard in surprise, was he really offering help or was he springing a trap? Hercules decided to follow his instincts and his instincts were telling him that this man was genuine.

"Let's get going then, I want to be out of here before the alarm is raised. I don't want to have to fight off half the palace guard down here." Hercules remembered the blind rage that had overtaken him as he fought his way out of the prison and shivered, he didn't want that happening again - ever.

Polonious still eyeing Iolaus with suspicion unlocked the cell and gestured Iolaus, who was nearest, inside. Iolaus grinned and shook his head making an after you gesture with his hand. He wasn't ready to trust a stranger again yet. Polonious shrugged and stepped inside the cell leaving the door wide open so that there was some light inside.

Stentious was lying curled up on the cot facing the wall, he had shut out the world and was remembering a day in his childhood, it was the first time his mother had taken him to the temple of Athena and it had been a good day. He was still half in his memory as he reacted to his name being called, and so when he looked up to see Iolaus in his ghostly white outfit standing over him the young man wasn't quite sure what he was seeing. His foggy brain wanted to compare this figure standing before him with the gods he was thinking about, and the memory of his prayer was still strong. For Stentious, Iolaus had already taken on a godly quality, seeing him like this only added to the impression.

"Are you all right?" Iolaus leaned over the still slightly dazed young man who managed to nod as he watched Hercules and Cutie squeeze into the small cell.

"We must hurry." Hercules whispered urgently, he didn't like the way they had all come inside the cell. Cursing himself for his foolishness the demigod looked through the open doorway checking the hall. No one there, not yet anyway. "Where are they keeping the others?" He turned his attention to Polonious who was still staring at Iolaus in unbelieving shock. If a man who hadn't witnessed the branding was reacting like that it was no wonder the other guards had been so easy to take, but they couldn't rely on their luck to last, they had to get out of there. Hercules put a hand on Polonious' shoulder.

"What? Oh, umm... just down the hall. I can show you?"

Hercules nodded. "Stay here Iolaus, and you too Cutie. Be ready to get out of here when we get back."

Iolaus agreed amiably enough but a part of him was not willing to leave just yet, not before he got his chance to see Pellius face to face, not before he faced his demon. He would have to ensure that Herc and Cutie were safely away first though; Hercules was never going to go for this plan.

Chapter 18

Elissa sighed, she was tired and her back ached and what she really wanted to do was relax in a nice hot bath; instead she was traipsing through the countryside in a broken-down old wagon with an old woman and a bookmaker waking the good citizens of Meassia and calling them to treason. She laughed quietly as she glanced over at Jerius; it seemed appropriate somehow that a man who lived by gambling was with her on this the biggest gamble of her life.

She pulled the horses to a stop outside a ramshackle farmhouse, there was a light flickering through the window, someone must still be up. Jerius jumped down from the back and helped the women to get down from their uncomfortable transport. He was shaking inside, overcome by the proximity of the queen and the import of what they were attempting to do.

Knocking on the wooden door Jerius stood back allowing Elissa to stand before it. After a long pause, during which they could hear cursing and shuffling feet, the door finally opened; before them stood an old man holding a lamp and squinting out at them. "What kind of ungodly hour do you call this? You'd better have good reason to..." The farmer paused in his tirade as he recognised the woman who stood before him. She seemed frail but so regal as she kept her aching back straight and her eyes soft on his. He fell to his knees in awe. "My Queen!"

Jerius and Garcie soon had him back on his feet and inside his humble home. Still shocked that the great happenings of the world could touch him so directly the farmer offered warm drinks and food but there was no time for that.

Elissa's voice regained some of the authority it had held whilst giving Iolaus absolution. "I am sorry to intrude on you at this late hour my good sir, but circumstances are dire and I am in need of your help."

"Whatever an old man can do my queen."

Elissa began her short but complete explanation of the problem at hand and the farmer was quick to understand the urgency. "I am old and frail highness, but my sons are still young and strong and loyal to their people, they will join you. I shall raise them and send them to our neighbours to gather more support. They can meet you later in the night before you all return to the city. You should send out some trusted people on fast horses to reach further, this night will feel all too short otherwise."

The farmer's advice was good and Elissa was quick to take him up on it. He had three strong sons, two of whom still lived in the farm. They were quickly roused and sent to get their brother and start riding to the further reaches of the kingdom. The support they gathered may arrive a little late, but it could still help. The old man decided he was capable of waking the neighbours and said that he would be waiting with them when Elissa came back on her way to the city.

As she let Jerius help her back up into the wagon Elissa realised that her back no longer hurt, and she no longer craved her bath. For the first time since this whole nightmare had begun Elissa felt like a queen, and one blessed with a good people to lead. She did not intend to let them down.

Hercules and Polonious had no trouble in freeing the other prisoners and they soon returned to Stentious' cell. "The other guards will be back in a minute, you've got to move!" Polonious glanced anxiously along the corridor, they had been lucky so far but he didn't want to test that luck.

Hercules frowned, "Aren't you coming with us? It won't be safe for you to stay behind."

"I'll be fine. If I lock the door again it'll be morning before they even notice that the prisoners have escaped. You should have a clear run."

Iolaus looked up at the older man knowing what a risk he was taking for them. "Thank you." he said.

"After what you've done for us I had to do something. Now, go! Good luck to you."

"And you." Iolaus, Hercules and Stentious all echoed, Cutie showing his feelings in his expressive eyes.

The group was a little too large to navigate the tunnels easily, there had been nine other prisoners all of whom were in a state of shock after seeing Iolaus resurrected and unscathed. Hercules finally managed to persuade them of the urgency of the situation and got Cutie and Stentious to lead the way with Iolaus in the rear. Hercules himself would work his way through the group ensuring that nothing would slow them down.

Iolaus walked at the back of the group holding his torch high and watching for guards, he was thinking about Pellius and the light in the king's eyes while he was holding the brand in his hand, he was thinking about the pleasure Pellius had got from the agony he had put Iolaus through - and for what? A dance - or a shot at the prize, a chance for power? The thought that he had gone through all that pain for the greed of another man sickened Iolaus. He needed to know, once and for all, exactly what Pellius felt about him, why he'd been able to take such enjoyment from the 'punishment' he'd meted out. Iolaus needed to face his demon.

He remembered what Garcie had said to him about talking about his feelings; it wasn't something he was very good at. Iolaus had always preferred a joke and a good fight to baring his soul to anyone. He'd been lucky, he knew, having friends who didn't need words, friends who understood his feelings without him having to spell them out. He'd been lucky to know Hercules. But now, with this, even if he had wanted to talk he'd been right when he told Garcie he couldn't talk to Hercules. It was too painful for the demigod he needed protecting from it. This was Iolaus' problem, Iolaus' nightmare; he had to face it down before it got him.

But in that strange knowledge that Hercules and Iolaus always had of each other his need to face Pellius hadn't gone un-noticed. Even as Iolaus was deciding on a course of action he felt the presence of his partner at his elbow.

"They can find their own way from here," Iolaus said, "They don't need us."

"Mmm, I was thinking exactly the same thing. Cutie knows the way and Stentious is a sensible young man, they'll find the meeting place without any trouble."

"Talking of trouble..."

"You have a date to keep with a king."

"Care to join me?"

"Let me just tell Stentious what we're doing... what are we doing?" Hercules could see the feral grin on his friend's face and a small part of him felt fear. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know what that smile meant or what Iolaus was now capable of doing.

Quickly telling Stentious and Cutie of the new plan Hercules returned to find Iolaus impatiently pacing in the dark corridor. The demigod noticed how the shadows were dancing wildly around them and realised that their light source was failing. He lit a fresh torch and then careful to make sure it was extinguished completely he abandoned the old one.

As they walked back into the depths of the tunnels Hercules surreptitiously watched Iolaus. He was wondering just how badly Iolaus' ordeal had affected his friend. Iolaus never wanted to talk about his feelings, he seemed embarrassed by them which was hardly surprising with the icy wall his father had installed around himself. Expressing how you were feeling wasn't something the Skouros household were encouraged to do, and now Hercules didn't know what Iolaus needed, did he need to talk or did he need to laugh and move on as he'd always done before? Remembering his own horror at the terrible suffering his friend had endured Hercules gave a wry smile, there was no way Iolaus would want to talk to him about any of it, he'd want to protect the demigod from further pain instead. Loving a person could get very complicated.

His dreams had been filled with the sounds of grieving gods, and the image of Hades slapping his nephew's friend, Iolaus, on the back in welcome and guiding him on his way to Elysium. Damn but that couldn't be allowed, the gods were fools to be taken in by the cheerful wiles of the blond. Dimly, in some hidden corner of his mind, Pellius felt a stirring of guilt; Iolaus had been a hero - hadn't he? He couldn't have been so duplicitous as to take another man's wife - could he? The small questions were drowned by the king's need to be right. The pleasure he had taken from the branding couldn't be wrong, he couldn't have enjoyed torturing an innocent man - and so he rewrote the truth to his own liking. Iolaus was a bad man and deserved the worst torment possible - throughout eternity.

The king was restless, he stood at his window looking out at the stars, he wasn't happy with the way things were going. Everything was taking too long, Hercules was still out there somewhere, Tallin was confident that the demigod would be caught in their trap during the night but Pellius could not believe it. Hercules was the son of Zeus and the gods were all slippery customers; you couldn't ever hold them down to anything or get them to keep a promise. Sighing his displeasure Pellius donned a robe, he couldn't sleep, perhaps a visit to the kitchens would help.

The two men crept through the darkness of the tunnels silently. Iolaus had taken the lead, his unerring hunter's instinct showing him the way. He knew that Hercules was watching him and wondered how he must look in his new outfit. 'Ghostly.' He had to laugh quietly at the thought but it bothered him as well, how many times would he have to die before he could find peace? What price would he have to pay before he'd be allowed to live to old age? Iolaus slowed the pace; his thoughts were beginning to weigh him down. Perhaps he should have taken Garcie up on her offer, talking to someone might help him understand what he was feeling.

There was a price to pay for his friendship with Hercules; he'd known that from the start. But knowing and experiencing were two different things and Iolaus hadn't reckoned on the toll it would take on him. Mostly it didn't matter; mostly he loved life too much to worry about when it would end or if some barbarians would torture him for a bit of fun. That didn't matter; the bad stuff came with the good, that's the way life was. Hercules might have trouble understanding the scales that balanced out a mortal's life but Iolaus didn't. He paid for his friendship with Hercules by his deaths and by his many bruises and broken bones - and that was fine, but it didn't make it easy.

And the price Pellius had asked him to pay this time had been too much. Too much because it hurt other people so badly, and too much because no man could be expected to experience such suffering and live. But here he was, alive and, thanks to Cutie, healthy. In this dark corridor memories of the hot metal against his flesh were crowding in on him, and Iolaus didn't know how to shut them away.

Iolaus wondered if he would still have been doing this if Hercules hadn't come to join him, he didn't know and the silent understanding the two men shared again amazed him. But in the end Hercules couldn't understand how compelling the need to face his nightmare was for Iolaus. He had to do this and he had to do it now, no matter the consequence. Iolaus increased the pace again, he never doubted for a moment that he would find Pellius and get whatever it was that he needed from him, he never doubted that he would walk away from Meassia with Hercules and they would continue their lives as ever before. Iolaus had no place in his thoughts for doubt, it had always been a stranger to him and he wasn't about to befriend it now.

Moving faster in an attempt to leave the image of the brand behind him Iolaus soon found an entrance into the palace proper, Hercules silently following. Carefully he entered the empty corridor and looking each way tried to decide on which direction to take. To his left he caught the lingering aroma of food and grinned, there was always time to eat. Iolaus headed towards the kitchens Hercules hurrying to keep up.

Kouros found Tallin in Ares' Temple; it was an impressive temple built, as it was, within the palace walls; all marble and machismo. It hadn't been easy to find Tallin; he'd asked a lot of people before someone mentioned that they thought they'd seen him entering the temple. "Let's hope he's keeping old Ares sweet or we're in for it." the soldier had grumbled before going back to his chicken leg.

"Sir? Master Tallin, sir?" Kouros said nervously entering the temple for only the second time in his life. Temples to the God of War weren't the domains of a healer.

"Who disturbs me?" Tallin said, "Oh Kouros, it's you. Come in, come in. Don't be frightened, Ares doesn't visit us any more." Bitterness filled his voice as he continued. "We're beneath him now, no need for the likes of us, my friend. Failures don't interest him. He just uses us until we aren't any use any more."

Kouros shivered and bowed his head, Tallin might have no fear of reprisal but the healer did. "Sir, are you sure you should be saying such things?"

"What does it matter what I say? I'm a mere nothing! Look, Kouros, it's very simple. Ares hates his half-mortal brother, he discovered that Pellius and I were plotting against the very same brother and chose to give me a few helpful pointers. The right kind of music to snare that painfully cheerful partner of his, a drug that could knock out mortal and part-god alike with no overly lingering effects, that kind of thing you know? It was very useful. Only trouble was, I didn't keep my end up, that miserable little blond had other ideas, the Executioner had other ideas, even our benighted king the noble Pellius had other ideas!" Tallin seemed to notice Kouros was still there and put an arm around his shoulder, "Only you understand, only you remain true to me." he said.

"But, sir, surely the guard remain true?"

"Those that have enough brain to know what they're about I suppose. What was it you wanted Kouros? I don't suppose you came to hear me wallow in a big dose of self-pity."

"Sir! You aren't wallowing, you are merely experiencing disappointment that your plan hasn't come to fruition. But there's hope yet! I came to tell you that Hercules and Iolaus are in the palace somewhere."

"How? The guards were supposed to stop them!"

"I don't know sir, but I have just come from treating a young guard for a nasty bump on the head. He was rambling, but he said that he'd been head-butted by a laughing ghost. When I pressed him he talked of Hercules standing by smiling as Iolaus' shade clad all in white knocked him out. I didn't believe him at first but there have been two other reports to the same effect. They are in the palace, although I didn't know shades could manifest in such a physical manner."

Tallin remembered Ares' words and realised that he had made a bad mistake in his assumption that Iolaus was lying somewhere rattling out his last breath. He had assumed that the trap would be catching a bereft demigod; instead it had been sprung and overcome by an apparent ghost. He'd been a stupid fool, but there was time to put that right.

"Then they'll come looking for Pellius and for me. Kouros, summon the guard, I have a job for them."

"And there he stood, looking like a god or something, standing over me and smiling. I didn't know what to think - I still don't. You've spent time with him Cutie, you know him better than me, I wish you could tell me about him."

Cutie smiled ruefully down at the young man beside him, he wished he could talk about Iolaus too; he wished he could tell of his big heart and courage, but he couldn't and that was that.

Stentious carefully sat on the broken down stone wall, they had been waiting for Hercules or Elissa to turn up for a long time now, the first hint of light was beginning to show on the distant horizon and he was getting worried. "D'you think they're all right? I mean Hercules and Iolaus. Why did they go back like that? Wasn't it a dangerous thing to do?" Stentious knew that he was babbling but he couldn't help himself, the silence was driving him mad.

Cutie frowned, he was getting worried too but he did understand; Iolaus needed to face Pellius, he needed to face his fear before it swallowed him all up. Grinning down at his newest friend Cutie clapped a hand on Stentious' shoulder and shrugged.

"I know, I know, it's kind of dumb worrying about those two isn't it, but Iolaus has already been through so much and he shouldn't have to suffer any more, nor should Hercules." Stentious stood again, too restless to settle, "When will the queen get back do you think? I wonder if she'll have been able to gather much support. Do you think…?" the young man noticed the expression on Cutie's face and he had to laugh, "I'm sorry Cutie, I'm babbling on here, asking you all these questions you can't answer. You'll just have to ignore me, I'm not used to all this high adventure - not like Iolaus."

The kitchen was huge; Iolaus turned slowly trying to take it all in, his mouth open in amazement. The vaulted ceilings high above spanned four long tables and three massive fireplaces. Cooking pots and cauldrons were stacked up against one wall and salvers and goblets stood ready on one of the tables. Iolaus spotted a door and went to investigate; it led to the pantry, which was overflowing with food. He grabbed a loaf of bread and an apple and happily tucked in.

Hercules eyed the door warily, "Iolaus, is this really such a good idea?"

"I think Pellius owes me a free meal or two don't you Herc?"

Hercules noticed the edge in Iolaus' voice and spoke softly, "Yes I do, Iolaus. He owes you a lot more than that."

"Besides I'm hungry. Garcie said I needed to get my strength up, I think it's right that Pellius should provide the means." Iolaus waved the loaf in the air to illustrate his point and then returned to filling his mouth with apple and bread simultaneously.

Hercules watched with amusement, he'd never met anyone who could eat with such gusto as his partner. After Iolaus had finished his meal and washed it down with some fresh water Hercules asked, "What was your plan Iolaus?"

"I was going to use that plan of yours. You know the one, you usually neglect to tell me what it is when I ask but I follow anyhow. It's the infallible one, the one where the good guys win the day."

"Ah that plan. That's a good one! Okay I can go with that, you take the lead and I'll follow."

Iolaus looked at his friend grateful for the unspoken vote of confidence. The two men left the kitchen the same way they entered, they never saw the small door hidden in a far corner open, they never saw Pellius enter the kitchen and make for the pantry. Pellius was concentrating too hard on his rumbling stomach to notice the sound of a door clicking shut, or the voice of a demigod castigating his friend for his table manners.

Chapter 19

Elissa surreptitiously tried to rub the back of her neck, she was exhausted but she was also Queen and as such must appear strong at all times - even when she was so tired that she was falling asleep on her feet. The queen had chosen to walk beside the wagon because she was scared that the plodding horses would lull her to sleep, but now she realised that walking wasn't helping. Knowing that everyone else in the group was just as tired wasn't enough, knowing that they had left the safety of their homes in the middle of the night at just one word from her wasn't enough, there must be no outward appearance of weakness from the queen. The way the crowd had reacted to the king's fall from the platform told her that much.

The wagon was now leading a large group of people, men, women and a few older children. Elissa had wanted the women and children to stay safe in their homes but they had said that if she was willing to risk her own life they could do no less. Word of the branding had reached all corners of the kingdom and amongst the farmers there was little support for Pellius' actions. Most were straightforward folk, who believed in good and bad; they believed that a crime should be punished but that there should be a fair trial and fair punishment - none thought the branding fair.

They had all believed Elissa to be a good queen; she had always been kind and taken especial notice of the particular hardships that Meassia's farmers had endured in recent years. Fiercely patriotic, these people would die for their country and now they had pledged to die for their queen if that was what it took to wrest the crown from Pellius.

Elissa sighed, she was asking a lot of herself in taking on this challenge, and she hoped that she had half the courage and goodwill that Iolaus had shown during his stay in Meassia. Jerius moved silently into place beside his queen, the sky to the east was beginning to lighten and the city walls would be coming into sight at any moment.

"It's time to leave the road my queen, the path lies just ahead. We'll meet Hercules and the others within a half-hour if we manage to keep this pace up."

Elissa just nodded, too tired too speak. Garcie, watching from her place aboard the wagon gestured to Jerius to help Elissa back up beside her. The queen gratefully sat down and Garcie briefly laid a hand on her arm. "You need to be strong for just a little longer my dear, just a little longer."

Elissa smiled and managed to straighten her aching back, she was queen and a lot of people were depending on her.

"Have you got the slightest idea where we're going Iolaus?" Hercules had been willing to follow his partner at first but they'd been wandering the deserted corridors of the palace for a long time now, it would soon be time for Elissa to enter the city and they had found no one yet.

Iolaus held up an impatient hand to shush the demigod. Standing still as a statue for a few moments he grinned and nodded. Mouthing the word, "Tallin" he pointed towards a doorway just ahead. Hercules nodded, not bothering to ask how Iolaus knew who was behind the door.

Reaching the doorway Iolaus and Hercules exchanged a glance and the demigod slowly pushed the door open, he wasn't sure what he was expecting but it wasn't what he found.

They were looking into a temple; it was dedicated to Ares with huge statues of the god on either side of the altar and crossed swords decorating the walls. Tallin stood facing the altar, head bowed in deference.

"I didn't realise you knew my brother, Tallin. I guess he's not too impressed with you right now."

The king's advisor whirled around at the sound of Hercules' voice, but before he could retort he spotted Iolaus, standing grinning in the doorway, "So it's true." Tallin said. Looking at the unmarked skin on Iolaus' chest he asked, "Which god healed you?"

Iolaus stepped forward, still grinning, "You don't know much about the gods do you Tallin?"

Hercules and Iolaus exchanged an amused look, "Nah, he can't know anything about my family, Iolaus, not if he thinks they'll waste their time 'healing' mortals." Hercules said moving closer to the advisor.

Iolaus laughed as he eased himself along the wall of the temple, "Ahh but Herc, you've got to admit 'Dite has a soft spot for me."

"True, true, but she's visiting the mud baths of Olay, not even you could tear her away from her mud treatments."

Iolaus spotted something and tried to get Hercules' attention. "Uh... Herc?"

"I think it's time Tallin here learnt a little more about the gods don't you Iolaus?"

"Sure Herc, but maybe later. Right now..." Iolaus whirled and kicked out at the midriff of the first guard to reach him, "... there's a little something we need to take care of." He brought his hands together into a fist and still turning knocked two more guards into the wall.

Hercules grabbed the two men closest to him, lifting them from the ground as if they were dolls and crashing their heads together before throwing them on top of the other men already crumpled against the wall.

More guards followed and Iolaus briefly found time to wish for his sword as he deftly sidestepped a thrust from a staff and grabbed the wrist of a man trying to impale him with a sword. "That's not very friendly!" he said.

The fight was uneven, there were only about twenty or thirty guards and they didn't have a chance against the two-man army of Hercules and Iolaus, but they did put up a valiant struggle. In the midst of the battle Iolaus spotted Tallin disappearing behind the altar.

"Now what's his hurry?" Iolaus said as followed the king's advisor behind the marble plinth, shaking his head as he saw that Tallin wasn't there, "There must be a secret passage behind this." he ran his experienced hand over the cool stone. He couldn't find any cracks or raised edges and stepped back so that Hercules, who was just finishing off the last of the opposition, could take a look; the demigod had an uncanny knack with that sort of thing.

"Hey Herc, you go look for Tallin, I'm gonna find the king. I've got a few things to say to him!"

"Iolaus! We shouldn't split up."

"We're following 'my' plan this time - remember? I'll be fine, I won't do anything stupid." Iolaus paused a moment to think, "Not 'very' stupid anyway." And with a radiant smile he slipped from the temple.

Hercules sighed, part of him wanted to follow but he decided to trust his friend and continued trying to find the hidden entrance. Iolaus could handle Pellius; the demigod's job would be to ensure that Tallin couldn't cause any more trouble - so much for his original plan.

Stentious only realised that he'd been asleep when Cutie jabbed him in the arm with his finger. Stentious blearily looked up at his excited companion and following his gaze saw the sight they'd been waiting for; a caravan of wagons, horses, and walkers was heading their way. Elissa had arrived.

Quickly the young man stood, ignoring his aching muscles, and ran to meet the new arrivals. Jerius who was very relieved to see that his new friend was safe greeted him warmly. Helping Garcie and Elissa down from their wagon Stentious brought them up to date on how he had been rescued and where Hercules and Iolaus now were. Looking at the crowd of Meassians that were now milling around Stentious grinned, "You did it, you really did it!"

Elissa smiled tiredly, "There's the small matter of ousting the king first Stentious, the support of my people isn't enough by itself." She paused before continuing, "Do you think Iolaus and Hercules are all right?"

Cutie nodded as Stentious replied, "Of course they are! I'll bet that they're softening the king up as we speak. All you need to do is enter the city and Meassia will be yours!"

"Ah, the excitement of youth." Jerius said, "It's almost catching isn't it?"

Garcie laughed as she massaged her stiff neck, "Almost! Have a care Stentious, look before you leap or you might find yourself in a Harpy's nest."

Elissa smiled at the comfortable exchange between friends but she knew that their rest was over, the sun was climbing the sky and it was time to enter the city. They would go to the main gate and she would lead her supporters inside the walls as a queen returning home, there would be no creeping in through breaches in the walls, no hiding from the guards. They would walk together, heads held high.

She didn't need to tell Jerius what she wanted, he quieted the people's chatter easily so that she could speak - her first speech as queen rather than consort to the king.

"You have all followed me this far, and I am grateful for the trust you have put in me. I hope that I can live up to that trust; I promise to try. The king and his advisor are within the palace. We shall enter the city by the main gates and walk to the palace to confront them. I am hopeful that we can do this without bloodshed, but you must be prepared to fight. Which is why I want the children and their mother's to stay here in safety, I do not want to feel responsible for endangering those that can't defend themselves.

"Hercules and Iolaus, in whom I have put my trust, are already inside the palace. With luck they will be able to meet us.

"Today is not a good day, it is the day on which the people of Meassia have to act to defend their country from its king. It is a sad day, but it shows the strength of Meassian people, and that makes me proud. Whatever happens today, know that you all have my respect and my love. It's time to go now."

The men and some of the women raised their makeshift weapons in salute of their queen; the mothers and their children hugged their families and smiled the tight smile of pride mixed with fear that you so often see at the parting of a family before battle.

Pellius had carried some honey cakes back to his rooms once the edge had been taken off of his hunger, they would do to keep him going until breakfast-time. He stood at his window watching the pink sky slowly turn blue, lost in his thoughts. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear when the door opened; he didn't hear when Iolaus stepped into the room and stood watching the king's back.

Iolaus didn't move or speak, truth be told he wasn't sure what to do now that he'd found Pellius, he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to his questions. Pellius finally turned away from the window and saw his visitor, a white shadow in the middle of the room.

Convinced that Iolaus was a shade Pellius felt little fear, he wasn't scared of the gods his belief in his own regal powers was too large for that. "So, Hades sent you to haunt me. You won't scare me, you can tell Hades that. He doesn't scare me."

"But, I'm not..." Iolaus understood at once that Pellius thought him to be a ghost, too many of the guards had thought the same thing. But perhaps he should play along instead of trying to convince Pellius he was alive. It might be safer that way, Pellius was wearing a wicked looking sword at his belt which Iolaus didn't want to test, and the king may speak more freely if he thought Iolaus to be a ghost.

"He should scare you Pellius. He has a task for you, a very appropriate task, when it's your time." Iolaus said.

"He won't make me do anything I don't want. I'm the king, I will go to the Elysian Fields, it is my birthright."

"Tell Sisyphus that, he's rolling a rock up a hill for all eternity, his royal birthright didn't save him."

Pellius was strong in his belief and nothing Iolaus could say would put fear in his heart so Iolaus didn't waste any more time he asked the question that was really bothering him.

"I'm not here to scare you Pellius, I'm here to ask you something. What were you feeling when you branded me?"

Pellius thought for a long time, he didn't have to answer the little man, he could say nothing but he liked the idea of Iolaus knowing. He liked the thought of Iolaus understanding what Pellius had felt, his reaction might prove entertaining.

"Very well Iolaus. Not that I owe you the answer, but I'll tell you anyway. You must understand just how vexing you had been to my royal patience. I had offered you my hospitality and you repaid me by stealing my wife."

Iolaus started to protest but something in the king's expression stopped him. Pellius really believed what he was saying.

"You had to be punished as an example to the world, an example of Meassia's determination and strength. I was sorry that it was you, but you brought everything you suffered down on yourself. The strokes of the Thansis were fairly routine."

Iolaus remembered the fire that had burned across his back and shivered, there had been nothing routine about such a brutal act.

"But your crime was so monstrous and the punishment had to fit the crime, the only punishment severe enough was the old one, the branding. It took them a while to find the brand you know," Pellius chuckled at the memory, "yes they had to turn the whole palace upside down before they found the thing."

Iolaus stared at the king, how could he ever get what he needed here, he would never be able to understand this man - he was mad, totally barking mad. Pellius had paused again and Iolaus impatiently prompted him, "And? Get on with it. You still haven't answered my question." Iolaus recognised a kind of morbid curiosity in himself; he wanted to hear what Pellius said, he wanted to hear the whole story. It was difficult to remember that Pellius was talking about him, fondly remembering the events that had led to his public agony and near death. Iolaus wanted to listen and he wanted to escape the room, but he knew that he had to finish what he'd started and he had to ensure that Pellius was never a danger to anyone again. So he listened to neither his curiosity nor his horror, he concentrated on the task at hand.

"Well, I'd always been a bit disappointed in my old father. He was a weak king, he forbid any use of the brand as being too cruel. Humph, too cruel! Not at all, it wasn't harsh enough in your case, perhaps nothing could have been. You should be suffering still for what you did to me."

Iolaus spoke quietly, "Perhaps I am."

"Well, that's as maybe, but if so it's not enough. It couldn't be enough!"

In his irritation the king started to pace, a honey cake absently clutched in one hand. "You want to know how it felt to brand you? What I was feeling as the hot iron burned into your flesh? I felt release, I felt that I was in complete control of another life for the first time. The way the metal melted into your chest was a joy to me, the way you pierced the air with your screams was music to my ears. I 'enjoyed' it Iolaus. Is that what you wanted to hear? Well I did, and if you were still alive I'd do it all over again, only this time I'd make it last longer."

Pellius had turned to face his seemingly ghostly visitor as he had become more agitated by his thoughts, using the honey cake in his hand to punctuate the words by stabbing it in the air under Iolaus' nose. Throughout Iolaus had stood silently, horrified by the honest face of evil he was witnessing. Pellius paused in his speech and Iolaus took his chance.

"All done? Good." He snatched the crumbling honey cake from Pellius' hand, "Look I hope you don't mind but this being dead business makes me hungry." Taking a bite of the cake Iolaus grinned and peered past the confused king out of the window. "Hey, looks like your wife's coming home. I bet she'll have something to say about you eating honey cakes before breakfast!"

Pellius stared down at the approaching crowd and cursed. He could see Queen Elissa leading the way.

"Where's Tallin? Where's the guard? Why haven't they stopped her? Damn it!"

Iolaus licked his fingers as he looked on, the king twisting around his room forgetting all about his visitor as he fretted.

"Why don't you go see what she wants?" Iolaus said.

Pellius sighed and nodded, straightening his shoulders and checking that his robes were in order. "I suppose you'll be disappearing back to the underworld or where-ever it is you came from?"

"Nah, I think I'll stick around, I wouldn't want to miss your loving reunion, Pellius. Anyhow, Elissa 'is' a very beautiful woman." Iolaus winked and laughed as Pellius roared and charged at him. The solid seeming ghost sidestepped with ease and stepped in behind the king as he went to meet his queen.

The trigger mechanism for the secret passageway was so simple really, one of the daggers that decorated the marble altar twisted left and then right and hey presto a flagstone at the base of the altar slid silently open. Hercules was impressed. He snatched a torch from the wall behind him and carefully made his way down the stone steps. Tallin had quite a big head start but Hercules was confident that he would catch him.

He wondered how Iolaus was getting on, it seemed wrong to have split up even though it was the obvious thing to do. Hercules missed having his partner at his side entertaining him with a derisive commentary, but all the time prepared for anything. Something the two heroes had become used to finding, 'why is it never straightforward?' Hercules mused as he followed Tallin's trail down into the now familiar tunnels below the palace.

Tallin had been in a hurry and it was easy for Hercules to follow his trail. He was headed towards the back of the palace and into tunnels Hercules was unfamiliar with. The demigod knew that time was of the essence and he was beginning to worry about Iolaus. His partner could look after himself but would he do something he'd regret later?

It wasn't long before Hercules could see a dim light ahead and he stepped up his pace, Tallin would never escape the son of Zeus, he had been stupid to try, but then Hercules had encountered an awful lot of stupidity in the villains he'd come up against. "Good thing too." he said, loud enough for Tallin to hear.

Tallin started to run, he could see the door leading to the outside just ahead, and it appeared that he thought if he got outside he would be safe.

"Why do they always do that?" Hercules may be a large man but he was also fast and he was upon Tallin in a moment. Grabbing hold of the advisor's collar he swung Tallin around to face him, still holding his torch aloft. It was the only light left as Tallin had dropped his own torch in his fright and it had been extinguished. Hercules arranged his face into a reasonable and friendly expression, "Are you going to be sensible now?"

Tallin struggled and Hercules shook his head lifting his arm slightly so that the other man's feet were several inches above the ground. "Obviously not. Now look! I'm Hercules, remember? Son of Zeus? Strength of ten men? Do you really think you can escape me?"

Meekly Tallin shook his head, inside him the raging panic had finally subsided and he was beginning to realise that all his planning and scheming had been for nothing. Hercules and his little accomplice had beaten him, all he could do now was find a way out of this alive and with as much dignity left intact as possible. He thought of Pellius and his fragile grip on reality.

"I know I can't escape you Hercules, I won't try." He said as meekly as he could, Hercules seemed to believe his prisoner and put him down.

"Thank you. I suppose Iolaus went after Pellius - you do realise that he really thinks Iolaus slept with Elissa?"

Hercules frowned and shook his head, "What do you mean?"

"Just that. Pellius has convinced himself that Iolaus was guilty. I think he's trying to justify the enjoyment he felt in punishing Iolaus."

"Justify! It could never be justified! Where is he?"

"I'd imagine he's in his chambers, it's still early - if not there then in the kitchens getting a snack. He's a man with big appetites."

"Show me. No, forget that, it's too late. What's the quickest way to the main square from here?"

Tallin frowned, confused by the request but he didn't question his captor. "It's easier to get there from outside. You can walk round the walls without difficulty from here."

"Good. Come on then."

Chapter 20

Cutie had watched in awe as his queen walked through the main gates into the city. There had been little resistance to their arrival; the guards had obeyed their queen when she had ordered them to give way, and now the citizens were coming out of their houses to watch. Cutie had noticed that some people were even joining the procession; he wondered whether it was because they were showing their support for Elissa or whether they were too curious to stay away.

The palace loomed ever larger ahead of them and Cutie looked up at it unable to comprehend how much his life had changed - since Iolaus. Iolaus had changed everything for Cutie, he'd even given him a name and Cutie couldn't say what exactly it was that had caused the change. What was it about Iolaus that was different from anyone else? So many people had been kind to Cutie in the last few days but before he'd befriended Iolaus nobody had noticed him. He stared up at the palace walls and thought of the small blond man within them and he prayed with all his heart that Hercules was protecting his partner.

Elissa called a halt; they had arrived in the main square. She stood at the foot of the steps that led up to the main entrance, she'd climbed these steps so many times before but everything had changed since then and the next few minutes would shape the destiny of a kingdom. Glancing to the right she could still see the wooden posts and boards that were strewn forgotten at the palace walls; they were all that was left of the platform that had been the site of Iolaus' branding.

Elissa turned her attention back to the doors that stood at the top of the steps, she would wait for Pellius to greet her. She would not enter the palace again until it was hers.

"But Sire! He's ... he's ... dangerous."

"Foolish boy!" The king said, "He's a ghost, no danger to anyone unless they're fool enough to fear their own shadow. Now get back to your job soldier and escort your king to the steps."

Pellius and Iolaus had been met by a troop of Meassian soldiers as they had left the king's private chambers. The soldiers had been given orders to get to the king and protect him from the little interloper, Iolaus. Their confusion had been apparent when they had found Iolaus standing beside the king with a big grin on his face and giving them a friendly wave of greeting, the king seemingly totally oblivious to the dangers he faced.

Uneasy with the situation but unprepared to disobey a direct order from Pellius the soldiers fell into their customary escort formation and accompanied Pellius and his companion on their way to meet Elissa.

Iolaus grinned as he walked beside Pellius, this was so weird. He was actually being escorted by his enemy but not as a prisoner. Weird. He was looking forward to standing beside Pellius as the king realised that his game was over. Iolaus had no doubt that Elissa and the Meassians she had rallied would be strong enough to defeat the king, but he knew that Pellius had lost his grip on reality and was all the more dangerous for it. Iolaus decided that his split second decision to accompany Pellius had been a good one. This way he would be close enough to the king to act - if neccessary.

Battling his exhaustion, Iphicles pushed his horse onwards. They had managed to get fresh horses several hours earlier but now these new mounts were nearing the end of their endurance.

A shout from the guard riding point raised Iphicles' hopes, "Meassia!", they were in sight of their goal. Now if only it wasn't too late to help Hercules and Iolaus, if only they could be in time to do something. Grimly Iphicles knew it only too likely that all he would be in time to do was bury his friend and perhaps even his brother. If that was the case, then so be it, but may the gods protect Pellius from his wrath.

Digging his heels into the sweating flanks of his mount Iphicles urged his men into one last push. He'd worry about what lay in wait for him when he got there, for now all he could do was ride.

Hercules sighed as he rounded the corner of the palace with Tallin in tow, he should have known, he should have guessed that the other man had been planning something. Would they never learn that Hercules could not be stopped by a few soldiers, or by a few hundred soldiers? Especially when they lay between him and Iolaus.

Hercules had tied Tallin's wrists with the long sash belt Tallin had been wearing, leaving a length for him to hold and pull the king's advisor along with. Now he dragged Tallin closer to him and twisted the rope around his fist a couple of times to secure it - he wasn't about to lose Tallin again.

Looking across at the nearest man Hercules raises a quizzical eyebrow. "You don't really want to do this do you?"

But they did, of course, and inevitably they regretted it in short order. Never letting go of Tallin, Hercules cut through the men as if they were butter. He was strongly aware of the last time he'd had to battle these men to get to Iolaus and with grim determination he held on to his self-control. There was nothing to suggest that Iolaus needed him, nothing to say that Iolaus was in any kind of trouble, just the niggling fear that Iolaus' memories would be his undoing.

Pellius stepped out into the hot sun and took a few seconds to let his eyes adjust to the bright light. His soldiers formed themselves into a protective semi-circle behind him allowing Iolaus to keep his place beside the king for the moment but ready to pounce on him at a word.

Iolaus had been blinded by the sunlight; unlike the others he'd been unprepared for its strength, forgetting for the moment just how early it struck the front of the palace. Screwing up his eyes against the glare Iolaus carefully looked about him. He was standing at the top of an impressive sweeping staircase, to his right he could see the edge of the main square and the entrance to Ares Avenue, at the base of the steps and directly below him Iolaus could see the familiar faces of Elissa, Garcie, Cutie, Jerius and Stentious and behind them filling the square more faces, all looking expectantly up at him.

There was a murmuring in the crowd; the sound of expectancy, of people waiting to see where their future lay. To his left Iolaus spotted the messy heap of wood and for a moment his mind would not let him understand what he was looking at. Then it became all too clear; it was the broken up parts of the platform he'd been tortured on, it was the stage upon which his death had nearly been played out, it was where he had danced the red dance.

He couldn't breathe, couldn't move; Iolaus' heart thudded painfully in his ears as he tried to block out the emotions that were assailing him. All those eyes were upon 'him', all those people watching 'him', laughing at his pain, taking pleasure in his public humiliation. Gods! Iolaus could feel the kiss of the Thansis across his back; he could feel the heat of the brand as it closed in on his chest. He wanted to scream, he wanted to escape, but he was trapped inside this memory, unable to break free.

Then someone in the crowd noticed him and as if through a tunnel he heard a woman scream and a man shout that Iolaus' shade had returned for his retribution. The knowledge that another riot could easily ensue was enough to break Iolaus free of his horror. He stepped forward and taking a deep breath, called out, "I am not a ghost. I am not dead! I don't want revenge on you, only justice."

Pellius was furious, he wasn't going to sit back and watch this farce go any further. How could Iolaus say that he wasn't dead? He had to be dead; Pellius had killed him, hadn't he? Gesturing to the guards to close in on Iolaus, Pellius now spoke up, attempting to drown out Iolaus' words.

Below him Elissa watched, knowing that it wasn't time for her to move yet. Iolaus needed to confront the king and he needed to use this crowd to exorcise the memory of the one that had so recently cheered his screams. Elissa only had to look at Pellius, her husband for all too long, to recognise that his grip on reality had finally been lost. He would hang himself if given enough rope, all she need do was wait and listen to the words Pellius would use to seal his doom.

"My people - listen to me! Justice was served when Iolaus met his fate there, on that platform." The king gestured to the wooden debris. "He died there at my own royal hand. I killed the adulterer, the traitor to Meassia. And now he returns, a spirit called forth by my evil wife. Don't believe any words she speaks, she spins lies with her tongue as easily as I brand a traitor.

"My people. Do not fear. The army and the guard will protect you; they will remove those who threaten our safety and peace. And if Iolaus is, as he says, alive, then I will personally burn the brand deep into his chest until he is so dead that not even Hercules could resurrect him!"

Iolaus stood next to the shouting king and wondered what in Tartarus he was doing beside this maniac, all his intentions to act against the king forgotten for the moment. He looked out at the Meassian people uncomfortably, they scared him - mostly because of his memories of their cruelty but also because he could see that their king was again swaying them. Sheep, he thought and shivered.

Elissa was still watching and waiting, she could feel her grandmother's impatience as she stood alongside her, and just behind them she could hear Cutie as he shuffled his feet. She smiled secretly, the big man was desperate to go to Iolaus and protect him, she knew that he wasn't alone in that emotion.

Iolaus put a hand on Pellius' shoulder, "All you can see is pain, other people's pain. It turns you on Pellius, and you don't want to admit that. I didn't sleep with your wife, I'm no traitor to Meassia, I came as a friend and you treated me as a...," Iolaus stared hard into the momentarily silent king's eyes searching for the right word, "...plaything. I was your toy, Pellius. That's all. Like the little boy that pulls wings off of insects you enjoyed watching me bleed."

Pellius turned back to the crowd in front of him as if he hadn't heard a word that Iolaus had said. "We are being attacked people of Meassia, attacked by a dangerous foe, a foe that is pretty and has sweet words but is evil behind that smiling mask."

Iolaus whispered harshly into a royal ear. "It's behind your mask the evil lies. You're going to fall Pellius, and when you do it will be so hard that your teeth shatter."

Pellius continued his speech; running on adrenaline he didn't really know what he was saying, but his words didn't matter. He understood on a subconscious level that the crowd were with him; it was the force of his personality that was winning the day here. He could say anything he could do anything.

"Guards, grab the traitor! He'll be branded again, here and now! As a lesson to you all."

Iolaus was a moment too late as he tried to duck away, strong hands pinned his arms to his side. Struggling against his captors Iolaus looked down at Elissa, it was up to her now. Hercules was still nowhere in sight, 'you'd have thought he'd make it on time just this once.' Iolaus thought as he watched Pellius gloat. ' Maybe it's a god thing.'

Elissa stood frozen in place. This was not going as she'd expected, not at all how she'd expected. How could the people be listening to Pellius? She felt drugged, almost battered by the onslaught of words that spewed forth from Pellius' lips, she thought her ears would start to bleed if he didn't soon shut up.

Hercules was running, despair in his heart again as he heard Pellius' raised voice wooing the crowd. He heard the order to grab hold of Iolaus and he ran faster, Tallin, still being pulled by the cord that Hercules was holding, was only barely able to keep his feet.

Speeding around the last corner, Hercules started pushing his way through the densely packed crowd, his sense of deja vu growing with every second. His mind was filled with nothing but the panicked urgings, 'Not again, it can't happen again, please not again.'

Chapter 21

Cutie couldn't stand by and do nothing; they would never be allowed to hurt his friend again - never. He started making his way up the stairs, doggedly pushing away the soldiers that tried to stop him. He was halfway up the long staircase before he noticed that he had gained some company. On his right Stentious was nervously swinging his sword to keep the soldiers at bay and on his left the bookmaker, Jerius, was bouncing up and down with his fists held high. Bookmakers have no weapons except their own hands and words, but it didn't matter because what was happening was wrong and he wouldn't stand by and watch again. He couldn't live with that.

Cutie looked up towards Iolaus catching his eye. Iolaus grinned and winked at Cutie. Standing above everyone at the top of the steps, Iolaus had been able to spot the tall figure of Hercules pushing his way through the crowds. Not wanting to wait but knowing that he had to, Iolaus let himself relax into the grip of the two burly men holding him. Let them think that he'd given up; they'd soon learn the truth.

Iolaus was battling against the dark memories that were still assaulting him; the warmth of the morning sun and the noise and smell of the crowd had taken Iolaus back into the red ballroom. His heart was pounding and his breath short but then Iolaus saw a soldier bringing the branding iron to Pellius, handing it to him with a small bow and he felt his blood run icy cold. Shivering, Iolaus desperately tried to keep his concentration; he would not be branded again, he could not. It would send him to madness and for Hercules' sake that couldn't be allowed to happen.

The sound of the captain of the guard ordering the brazier lit carried above the sound of the frightened crowd to Hercules; pulling on the rope in his hand the demigod pushed ever closer to the palace steps. He kept his head down this time, too scared to look into Iolaus' eyes again, too scared of what he would see. "Please not again." he whispered, "Not again."

Tallin was given the chance to catch his breath by their slow passage through the thronging people. It was over for him, he knew that, and Pellius was making a fool of himself by taking things too far. He'd had the people in the palm of his hand and here he was throwing them away. Tallin, unlike Hercules, was looking around him as he passed through the crowd; all he could see on the faces surrounding him was doubt and fear. He recognised that fear, part of him was feeling it too, it was a fear of going back to that terrible moment when Pellius had branded Iolaus.

The thought of the smell of burning flesh persuaded Tallin to help Hercules push a way through the crowd. Hercules looked across at his prisoner and asked, "Why?"

"We've lost already. I don't want to see another branding. Pellius might be mad but I'm not."

Hercules just shrugged and went back to concentrating on the people ahead of him. He didn't realise he'd arrived at his goal until he found no resistance to his pushing hands.

Elissa watched her three companions climb the stairs towards Iolaus with trepidation, she feared for their lives, she feared for Iolaus' life. She had heard the change in the mass of people gathered behind her though, they had roared their support of the strong words their king had thrown at them but now the reality of the situation was striking home. They were remembering the sight and sound of a branding that had made them ashamed to be Meassian. A quiet whisper of fear was rising from her people; they weren't bad just misled she reminded herself and took a deep breath - it was time for her to speak.

Even as she stepped forward she felt the touch of Garcie's hand on her sleeve. "Go with the gods Elissa." Garcie said and stepped back from her granddaughter.

From the corner of her eye Elissa saw Hercules reach the front of the crowd and stop to look around him. She turned as she reached a step that gave her enough height to be seen by everyone.

"I am your queen people of Meassia, listen to me."

Iolaus had been waiting for the right moment, his heart filling his chest with its quick rhythm. The beat to the familiar dance once more filling his head, but this time the brand hadn't taken his voice or his strength, this time he would not lose the fight. Seeing Elissa move forward just as Hercules broke through the crowd Iolaus smiled and pushed himself into a back flip, twisting out of the grip of his captors.

"You're finished Pellius!" he shouted as he quickly dispatched the two stunned soldiers, "Next time don't employ men with glass jaws."

It was the signal for all Tartarus to break lose on the staircase. Iolaus could only hope that Elissa could keep the people calm, he had no wish for another riot in the square.

Raising her voice so that she could be heard over the sounds of fighting above her Elissa once more used the voice of strength, the voice of a queen that would not be ignored.

"Keep calm everyone, please stay calm. There is no need to fear, Pellius is finished, Tallin is finished. I will look after you now."

Continuing to talk in the same vein, attempting to retain some semblance of control over the people, Elissa noticed that not all the Royal Guards were fighting, some were watching her, looking for a new leader. She quickly organised them to disperse through the crowd, their air of calm and authority enough to keep the people from panicking.

Not daring to look behind her Elissa looked at Garcie who was smiling, "Hercules and Iolaus seem to be enjoying themselves Elissa. Sorry, I should say 'my queen' now shouldn't I?"

"Yes, my royal healer, I think you should." Elissa said allowing herself a smile too.

Hercules and Iolaus were doing what they did best, working as a team, the one always knowing where the other was, always knowing when to duck and when to swing. Neither one ever having to call out. It impressed Stentious so much that it was something he would never forget, a fighting style that could defeat legions. He changed his own style knowing that he had not the experience or know-how to equal Iolaus but that he could still improve himself. It was effective; he kept close to Jerius who was totally out of his depth but fighting gamely on anyway.

Cutie was showing no mercy, he had a great deal of pent up anger to deal with and it was these men who were feeling the full brunt of his anger. Cutie was a gentle man, not quick to anger, but this fire had been smouldering inside him for a long time. He was also fighting as a payment to Iolaus, the first of many he needed to make, for every stroke of the Thansis that had crossed Iolaus' back and every moment Iolaus had stayed hanging from the frame after Cutie had refused to try and free him. Cutie had a lot of payments to make. He knocked a man flying over the wall onto the broken up platform below, shrugged another from around his neck and turned back to see who was next.

No man stood close so he had a moment to look for Iolaus. Hercules and Iolaus were working together, the demigod momentarily distracted by a concerted effort of six men rushing him at once. Iolaus, knowing that Hercules would make short shrift of them, turned away and Cutie called out in warning. He could make no words so the strangled sound that came from him meant nothing to most of the people around him, but Iolaus knew. Deep in his heart he recognised that the warning was for him.

Swinging round again Iolaus found himself face to face with the demon of his nightmares. Pellius was red-faced and panting with effort, in his hands he held the brand, it's face still in the brazier turning red with the heat.

Time stopped.

Everything around Iolaus seemed to freeze, everything except Pellius and the steaming iron. His mouth went dry and his heart seemed to stop beating, breath came in short bursts and it felt as if a band of iron was being pulled tight around his chest. He couldn't move, his legs weren't his own, his arms too weak to raise the sword he'd won from one of the guards.

Pellius grinned, "This is better than honey-cakes Iolaus. It's hot enough now I think. And no Hercules to rescue you, he does seem good at bad timing that boy doesn't he?"

Iolaus couldn't find his voice, he'd known fear before and always he'd used it to his own advantage, but here he was paralysed by it. Paralysed by the sight of the red iron circle.

"Oh yes, you will pay, traitor. Sweeter than honey, this is going to taste sweeter than honey."

Somewhere inside him a barrier broke and Iolaus welcomed the rage that came surging through him. He screamed a denial and rushed the king just as the long pole of the brand was being lifted from the fire. Pellius swung the brand towards Iolaus, angry now himself that his prize wouldn't keep still. The edge of the brand caught Iolaus on his arm and he yelped in pain.

The sound of Iolaus in pain was enough to alert Hercules and he brushed off the remaining men attacking him as if they were feathers. Turning he froze for a long moment, Iolaus was pulling back from Pellius whose nose was bleeding. Iolaus had a nasty burn on his upper arm but he seemed alert and was concentrating on the stunned king. Hercules watched, knowing that he shouldn't interfere, Iolaus would never forgive him.

Pellius was backing away from Iolaus, who had raised his sword in his left hand, his right arm too painful to be of use for now. "Not so much fun now is it?" Iolaus said.

Pellius felt his bottom hit the edge of the wall at the top of the stairs; he didn't need to look to know that it surrounded a small balcony to the left and that at the end of the balcony was a door leading into the ballroom. Keeping the brand in front of him as protection against Iolaus, Pellius carefully scrambled up onto the wall and then, with difficulty, raised his bulk up to stand on it.

Iolaus watched, his anger still too strong to allow the humour of the situation to distract him. Perhaps he could laugh at the rotund king later, for now he wanted his revenge. Nimbly jumping onto the wall Iolaus followed Pellius. Looking down to see what lay below Iolaus realised just how far up they were, he hoped Pellius had a good head for heights.

Elissa stood with Garcie, she had given up on speaking to the crowd, everyone was too busy watching the drama unfold above them to notice her any longer. The battle between Iolaus and Pellius had taken on a strange power, it was the man with the blue eyes that had caused them to feel fear and guilt and he had returned for his retribution. He hadn't forgiven Pellius, could he forgive them?

Garcie slipped an arm around Elissa's waist, needing comfort. She had gasped when Iolaus had been touched by the brand, knowing far better than almost anyone else just how deep the pain from that wound would have gone. She felt Elissa's arm encircle her own waist as she watched Iolaus jump up on to the wall behind Pellius.

There was no sound except the heavy breathing of Pellius and the soft slap of his slippers on the stone wall. Iolaus' bare feet made no sound as he followed. Neither man seemed to notice that they were the centre of attention, all their concentration was taken up with each other.

Hercules watched as his friend jumped up onto the wall unaware that he was holding his breath, unaware that almost everyone else in the square was also holding their breath. Even Tallin was still as a statue watching. Hercules could see that Iolaus was in pain from the burn, it had cut deep into his flesh and his arm was hanging uselessly at his side. The demigod knew that Iolaus was very capable with his left arm, but it would affect his balance and that wall wasn't wide enough to allow Hercules any comfort.

It was only a matter of time before Pellius remembered the sword at his belt; he always put it on as soon as he rose from his bed. Once he had been a brilliant swordsman, but the years and the honey-cakes had taken their toll and Hercules didn't think Iolaus would have a problem taking him. It was just their balancing on the wall that made Hercules nervous.

Pellius knew that Iolaus was following him but he didn't dare turn to look. As soon as he'd started walking along the wall he'd realised his mistake. It was a long way down; it was a very long way down. The wall was just wide enough for him to walk without having to pretend he was on a tightrope, but only just. Looking down wouldn't help, he couldn't see his feet at the best of times and this wasn't the best of times.

He hefted the brand comforted by its weight in his hand. The iron was still hot enough to provide a very satisfying branding but Pellius had enough sense left to understand that he wasn't going to have that pleasure. His chance to punish the traitor again had passed, and now, somehow, he was running from Iolaus in fear of his life. How had that happened? How could it be allowed to happen?

The brand was useless to him now, Pellius stopped walking and swaying slightly with the knowledge of the long drop held it out to the side. Taking a deep breath he let go of the handle and listened as it sliced through the air and clanged onto the hard ground below. It had seemed to take a very long time to fall.

What was there left now? His dreams were finished; all his plans had been for nothing, now he was alone against the world. Well if he had to go down he'd go down fighting, and if he could he'd take that Iolaus with him - all the way to Tartarus and there he'd have his revenge.

Releasing his sword from its sheath Pellius turned to face his enemy.

Chapter 22

The sun was getting very hot, the air stifling, he couldn't breathe and he was beginning to feel dizzy. Maybe he should just sit down for a while, maybe someone could bring him a nice long drink of water. Iolaus knew that he couldn't keep going for much longer; the burn on his arm was made more dangerous by his memories. The lines between the pain of the injuries Cutie had healed and the injury he had just sustained were blurred; one pain was becoming the same as the other. He felt his feet want to follow the steps of his dance.

But Pellius was there, right in front of him. Pellius the evil, Pellius the pain-giver, Pellius, who had hurt Iolaus. Iolaus tried to regain the righteous rage that had filled him but he was too tired, he just wanted to curl up and go to sleep. But he couldn't, there was something he had to do first, something important. What was it? Oh, right. He had to stop Pellius.

He looked up just in time to see the weighty king swing his sword; relying on his instincts Iolaus jumped over the swing and landed safely back on the wall. "You'll have to do better than that." he taunted, waving his own sword in front of him enticing Pellius to move again.

Pellius did not resist, his emotions were running far too high to think rationally about the situation. Even if he had, he would have favoured his odds, Iolaus was sweating profusely and his eyes were beginning to lose focus. The king thrust forward with his sword and Iolaus was barely able to parry the thrust, the vibrations of the clashing swords running up through his shoulder and into his aching head. Iolaus wanted this over, he wanted a cool bed and a cold drink and sleep, he didn't want this fight anymore.

Pellius swept his sword down onto Iolaus' left wrist, it hit with the flat of the blade but it was enough to make Iolaus drop his weapon. He watched dazed as it clattered to the ground, it now lay alongside the brand, useless to him. Pellius seemed to have forgotten where he was and he charged at Iolaus, sword held to the fore. Iolaus, grateful for his warrior instincts, allowed them to take over as he ducked inside the blade and met with Pellius.

The heavier man had the advantage here, Iolaus was not only a lot lighter he was also weakened by his injuries, but he did have an amazing sense of balance, something Pellius lacked. The struggle continued with the two men swaying dangerously first one way and then the other, Pellius had his hands around Iolaus' throat and was choking him. Iolaus was unable to break the other man's hold and felt his consciousness fading.

But then, just as Hercules had started running along the balcony towards them, Pellius lost his balance, he started to fall backwards to the ground. Still surviving on instinct alone, Iolaus pushed away from Pellius' grip, felt the meaty hands clawing at his neck and then grabbing for his vest, ripping it. Iolaus couldn't keep his balance and fell heavily onto the balcony even as Pellius made a final grab for life. He missed and fell to the ground. It seemed as if everyone in the kingdom heard his final scream as he landed on top of the still hot brand, and every man, woman and child would later tell the tale of how Pellius had the brand burned into his body as he died. A fitting death, they would say, after all he had done.

Hercules knelt beside his friend, afraid of what he would find. "Iolaus? Iolaus, talk to me."

Iolaus groaned and opened his eyes a crack, "Herc? Let me sleep."

Hercules grinned with relief, "Not yet buddy, but soon."

Cutie came up behind Hercules along with Stentious and Jerius. It was Jerius who turned to the crowd and shouted out the good news, "He's all right! Iolaus is going to be all right!"

Iolaus groaned again, "Don't feel like I'm all right. Where's Pellius? Is he...?"

Hercules nodded and said, "He fell Iolaus, he's gone."

"Let me see." Iolaus struggled into a sitting position and tried to stand. "Where is he? I've got to see."

Hercules knew better than to try and stop his friend so he put his arm carefully around Iolaus and helped him to his feet. They slowly shuffled to the wall and looked down at the king's body.

"How appropriate." was all that Iolaus would say when he saw what had happened, and as the cheers at his appearance finally registered with him, he grinned and waved at the crowd. That was enough to use up what was left of Iolaus' energy and he sank heavily against his friend, knowing that he wouldn't let him fall. "Sleep." he said and closed his eyes to do just that.

Hercules swung Iolaus into his arms and carried him back inside the palace. Cutie followed protectively behind, knowing that here was something else he could do in payment for all the pain he'd caused his friend. He could heal that nasty burn, he could at least take away one of Iolaus' many pains.

It was left to Elissa to speak to the crowd, officially her first speech as ruler of Meassia and it was one that would be remembered throughout the history of the kingdom. She spoke of the bravery and courage of Iolaus, and of the bravery and courage of her own subjects. Men and women who had been willing to fight rather than stand by and do nothing, willing to risk their lives for their friends and for Meassia.

She spoke with soft voice of the branding and of the shame the people held close in their hearts, she asked them to forgive themselves and to know that in their self-hatred and disgust was the evidence of their good hearts. "Any man can be led astray," she said, "the test of how good a man you are is whether you can find your way back to the right path. You've done that today."

The cold stone walls of the palace were silent now though they had seen major upheavals over the last few days. Soldiers had been seen bustling along the corridors, servants following behind them exasperated at the mess they would be expected to clean up, there was a lot of royal pacing and a lot of royal edicts to be proclaimed. But now things had quieted inside the palace walls, now the soldiers were back in their barracks, only a few still out in the streets of Meassia keeping order.

Iphicles had ridden his tired horse into the city square just as Elissa was trying to persuade the reluctant crowd to go home. Once he had gone to see for himself that Hercules and Iolaus were all right Iphicles had offered his help. It wasn't all that long since he'd been a new king thrown into his role unexpectedly; there was plenty of advice he could give the queen and plenty of practical help. It was Elissa's first alliance as queen and she was well pleased with it.

Stentious and Jerius were both kept busy by Garcie, who muttered something about idle hands before giving them more work to do. They were more than willing, although Jerius was beginning to wonder if he would ever go back to his bookmaking job, his views on chance had changed considerably since the branding.

Stentious didn't know what he'd do; officially he was still a member of the royal guard so he supposed he would return to that once things had settled down. He wanted to protect his Queen, he knew that much.

Cutie had stayed with Iolaus until his bruised wrist and burned arm were healed and then had slipped away to let his friend rest. He spent most of his time watching the bustle in the city from a palace window. At first Hercules didn't want to leave Iolaus' side, but since he'd been healed Iolaus was spending most of his time sleeping and Garcie finally chased the demigod out of Iolaus' room, as she did so she said, "Many hands make light work, Hercules. Your brother could do with some help in rounding up stray Pellius supporters."

Hercules had given in with good grace, Iolaus was sleeping peacefully, and it was obvious to Hercules that whilst Iolaus may have looked healed Garcie had been right when she had said that he was still weak. The final confrontation with Pellius had drained Iolaus of his last reserves of energy, both physical and mental and Hercules determined to give him all the time he needed to recover. No monsters or warlords would lure them into an early return to the hero business.

"Where in Zeus' name did he put it? And how big is this stupid place anyway?" There was no one with Iolaus as he grumbled his way through another long palace corridor pausing at every door to check inside. He'd found a lot of interesting things, banquet halls, libraries, rooms full of rubbish that he'd carefully picked his way through, and rooms that were completely empty, but he still hadn't found what he was looking for.

"Oh for…!" Iolaus had found yet another door that was locked against him. This was getting so old; Pellius must have been paranoid to lock so many rooms full of nothing. Who was he trying to keep out? Iolaus carefully drew a long thin wire from his belt and deftly picked the old lock. He snickered to himself; even Autolycus would have been impressed. Pushing the door open and sticking his head inside the room Iolaus sighed, another room full of rubbish. Boxes and heaps of scrolls were piled up around overturned chairs and broken tables. A few scruffy chests stood neglected in one corner.

"All I want is to get my stuff back. That's not too much to ask is it?"

"Well, I don't think so, but my family might not agree." Hercules said, coming into the room behind Iolaus.

"Don't do that!"

"What? Mention my family?"

"No, creep up on me like that, you could have given me a heart attack."

Iolaus patted his chest meaningfully and turned back to the mess that stood in front of him hands on hips and wondering where to start.

"Sorry Iolaus, but I got worried when you weren't in your room." Hercules didn't mention the panic that had gripped him when he'd found Iolaus' bed empty.

"I got bored." Iolaus started pulling at the boxes haphazardly, "And I really, really want my clothes back."

"What, you haven't tired of the basic white look have you?"

Iolaus grinned and pouting his lips gave an eerily accurate impersonation of Aphrodite, "Oh but Herkie, it's so five minutes ago!" He gave up looking through the boxes and sat down on one of them. "I'm sick of bare feet and cold floor Herc."

"But Elissa offered you all sorts of wonderful things to wear."

Iolaus waved away the protest, "I want 'my' clothes back Herc. I want my sword and my belt and my pack and," Iolaus paused and pain clouded his eyes for a moment, "I want my clothes."

Hercules understood in that moment just how important this search was to Iolaus; the hunter needed his old things back before he could really be himself again, before he could move on.

"Let me help you. It'll take half the time."

"Aren't you supposed to be helping Iphicles?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't really need me now. Pellius' supporters have all either left for pastures new or decided it would be sensible to declare their allegiance to Elissa. Mostly it's just a case of calming frayed nerves." Hercules made a face, "There's a lot of guilty consciences out there, Iolaus and I am tired of telling them that they're not to blame."

Iolaus didn't need Hercules to finish the thought to know what he meant; he spoke softly when he said, "When they are."

Hercules nodded tightly. Iolaus sighed and patted the box next to him, "Sit down a minute Herc. I think we need a little talk don't you?"

Hercules silently sat beside his friend. "Do we have to?"

"Yeah, we do."

"Okay." Hercules sat patiently waiting for Iolaus to say his piece, he knew what was coming and he didn't think it would change how he felt. Those people had celebrated Iolaus' flogging, they had partied as he hung bleeding from that damn wooden frame, he wouldn't change his mind about them no matter what Iolaus said. But he could still be surprised even knowing Iolaus so well as he did.

"It's not your fault." Iolaus said, catching Hercules' eyes with his own and not letting go.

Hercules started stammering, "But... I don't... I mean... Iolaus?"

"Yes Herc?"

"I wasn't there. You needed me and I wasn't there."

"No, you weren't. So?"

"I should have been. I should have known."

"Ah, here it is, the 'I'm the son of Zeus and I should know everything' routine. Herc, listen to me. None of what happened to me was your fault. I'll admit it would have been nice to see your ugly face a bit earlier, but it wasn't your fault that you weren't there!"

"But..."

"No you don't."

"I should have seen through Tallin."

"You think? I don't. He could fool his own mother if he wanted to Hercules. It wasn't him that was mad, it wasn't him that... that branded me. You could never have known. You don't see everything you know. Heck you didn't even know I'd do this did you?" Iolaus grinned wickedly up at Hercules before standing up and starting to poke about in the piles of rubbish that surrounded them.

Hercules sighed, Iolaus always did this to him, then he smiled remembering that it was a very good thing that he did.

"Okay Iolaus, it wasn't my fault. I shouldn't feel guilty, but the Meassians still cheered."

"Not when it really mattered they didn't. When it really mattered they were ready to stand against the king they loved. It's easy to be pulled along by the tide Herc, you wouldn't know about that. Sometimes it's hard to recognise that's what's happening to you when you're in the middle of it. Don't blame them, they're doing enough of that themselves."

"Do you?"

"Blame them? Nah, I don't have room for all that extra grief."

Iolaus was clambering onto a precariously positioned pile of boxes and upturned chairs as he talked. "Hey! Look Herc! It's my..." Iolaus stretched his arm out as far as he could reach, he'd spotted his vest hanging from the edge of a box to his right, but the chair he was balancing on shifted slightly as he was trying to snag it and the whole thing came tumbling down, Iolaus lying on top triumphantly holding the vest aloft.

Hercules rushed over to his friend, heart in mouth, was he hurt? Was he all right? But standing over Iolaus he could see that the hunter was shaking with laughter. Unable to keep it in any longer Iolaus snorted and gasped for breath before laughing out loud. Hercules couldn't resist the infectious sound and soon the two men were sitting amidst the debris holding on to each other as they both shook with laughter.

Garcie had been walking along the corridor when she heard the noise and went to investigate. Sticking her head around the door she saw two grown men sitting on the floor howling with laughter and unable to stop the tears from rolling down their faces. She smiled and left them to it muttering to herself as she walked away, "Laughter is the best medicine of all." and that was something she'd always known.

Chapter 23

6 months later

The stone in this region was a soft yellow in colour and in the late afternoon sunshine all the buildings shone with a warm glow. Iolaus stopped walking to look down at the city. It's towers and squares were bathed in wintry sunlight and looked beautiful. He could see the palace sitting large and magnificent in the centre of the walled city; the open square before it standing almost empty, but his hunter's eyesight had picked out some people walking there. Out for a stroll before dinner perhaps.

But his mind filled the square with ugly faces screaming their bloodlust at him and he wondered if he would ever be free of the pain of those memories. It had been a long time since he and Hercules had been to Meassia and they may not have returned now if it hadn't been for the invitation they had received, it was something they had both half expected for some time.

When they had left Meassia in the summer, Elissa had extracted a promise from each man that they would return to join in the celebration that she was already planning. She had something special in mind and it was essential that Hercules and especially Iolaus attend. They had promised willingly enough, they liked Elissa and were keen to see how she would get on as queen.

But now, looking down on the setting of so many of his nightmares Iolaus was beginning to have doubts. Hercules stood at his shoulder silently surveying the scene for a long time, allowing Iolaus privacy for his thoughts. It had been difficult for Hercules these last months, he knew that his friend still had bad dreams and he knew that there was a pain lying always behind the twinkle in Iolaus' eyes now. But, for whatever reason, Iolaus continued to act as if there was nothing wrong, when pushed he would just say that 'it hurts, that's life', but for Hercules that wasn't good enough, he wanted to take the pain away but he didn't know how and that filled him with his own kind of pain.

It wasn't as if they hadn't had fun over the last months, they had. It wasn't as if they hadn't been as successful as always in their battles with monsters or overconfident barbarians, they had. It was just that Iolaus was hurting, and Hercules hated that. The demigod had the occasional nightmare himself; he didn't feel guilty, Iolaus had banished the guilt from him, but he did sometimes feel responsible. The image of the brand in Iolaus' chest would not leave him, the knowledge that his friend would have died or, what often seemed worse, have had to live his life with terrible disfigurements ate away at him.

"All right?" he asked.

Iolaus nodded and slinging his sword carelessly over one shoulder as if to confirm that everything was fine, he started down the hill and toward the palace.

As the two men walked up the steps to the palace they weren't given a chance to think about the last time they had been there as something large barrelled into Iolaus almost knocking him over. "Cutie!" Iolaus exclaimed as he tried to stop the huge man from squeezing him to death.

Hercules grinned and slapped Cutie on the back in greeting, secretly glad that he wasn't on the receiving end of that hug. Stentious appeared at the doors just then, breathless as if he had been running. "Cutie! Don't smother him! Sorry Hercules, Iolaus, he was watching from the window and I couldn't hold him back when he saw you."

Cutie had finally loosened his hold on Iolaus and was holding him at arms length looking carefully over his face and body. "Cutie! Cut it out will you?" Iolaus wriggled uncomfortably under the searching gaze of his friend.

Stentious laughed, "He's missed you Iolaus, he's just checking to make sure you're all right."

"I'm fine, now let me go you big lug."

Cutie dropped his hands and hung his head in shame, Iolaus poked him in the stomach and said, "Don't do that big guy. I'm happy to see you too. How about you show us to Elissa huh?"

"Yes and you can explain that smart uniform you're wearing Stentious!" Hercules said.

Stentious self-consciously pulled down at his tunic in an attempt to straighten it and blushed as he answered, "Oh, this old thing, it's nothing special."

Iolaus, now that he was free of Cutie's close attention, was able to take a long look at Stentious. He let out a long whistle, "Don't you look the part. So, what part is it that you're looking?"

Stentious blushed an even deeper shade of red. "Captain of the Royal Guard with special duties to protect the queen."

Crimson faced now, Stentious was overcome by the whoops of congratulations from Iolaus and the proud backslapping from Hercules. When both men insisted on shaking Stentious' hand in the warrior style he was sure he would burst into tears, but he managed to control his emotions and led the group inside the palace for a reunion with some other familiar faces.

The reunion was a happy affair, with many hugs and much laughter. Finally Elissa offered to personally escort her guests to their rooms so that they could freshen up before supper. As they walked along the familiar corridors Iolaus recognised the huge double-doors that led to Ares' Temple. Elissa noticed his interest. "We've had it re-dedicated to Zeus. The temple of the king of the gods within the home of the kings of Meassia, it's how it should be."

"I'll bet Ares didn't much like that!" Hercules said grinning.

"I think he understood. I respect the need for a god of war but I will never be one of his creatures, he knew that."

A lot of things had changed in the palace, most of all the atmosphere. The people they passed were happy and they all acknowledged their queen and her guests cheerfully. As they reached their destination Hercules recognised the guard standing to attention outside of the guest suite. It was Polonius.

"A lot of the old guard were loyal to the crown rather than Pellius, they have been rewarded for that loyalty. Especially Polonius after Stentious told me what he did for you." Elissa smiled at the guard.

"It's good to have finally found something and someone worth fighting for." Polonius said. "You're looking well Iolaus, I'm glad."

Iolaus grinned, grabbing Polonius' arm and pumping it enthusiastically up and down, "I'm glad that you landed on your feet Polonius, you deserve good fortune!"

It wouldn't be long before supper, which was to be a quiet meal with just a few special guests. Both Iolaus and Hercules were looking forward to seeing everyone again, and catching up on all that had happened in Meassia in the last six months.

"Nothing's been heard of Tallin since he was exiled. We're keeping an eye out of course, but I don't think he'll ever dare to show his face here again." Jerius was sitting opposite Hercules and as he talked he was drinking in the sight of the two heroes, both looking healthy and happy. He'd been glad to get the special invitation for the dinner; it was an honour for him to be chosen as one of the special guests at the festivities on the following day. Jerius had been offered a place in the royal household after everything had settled down but after a long deliberation he'd decided that it wasn't for him. He couldn't return to his old role of bookmaker either, so for the moment he was happy to tell people that he was between jobs. He knew that he would eventually find his place in life; he wasn't going to force it. In the meantime he was more than happy to keep a look out for trouble.

Iolaus listened to the talk as he ate; Elissa had done a wonderful job of getting Meassia back on its feet. She'd created strong and profitable alliances with several of the neighbouring kingdoms, and her people were looking forward to a prosperous and peaceful future. He looked at each of the people sitting at the round table; Hercules, sitting to his left, looked more relaxed than he had in a long time. Next to Hercules sat Garcie who was smiling, and though she looked frailer than she had, she was still the formidable woman he'd become so fond of.

On his right sat the queen, regal and beautiful. She had learned how to rule her people well, and though it was sometimes a lonely job she was nowhere near as lonely as she had been as Pellius' wife. Opposite Iolaus, and next to Jerius, was Stentious who was a little embarrassed to be sitting at the same table as the queen but he was part of the story and he knew that he belonged. Iolaus remembered the shy young man he'd first met and smiled, Stentious had done a lot of growing up in the last few months and he'd done it well.

Last of all was Cutie, sitting between the queen and Jerius but with eyes only for Iolaus who winked at the other man and they grinned at each other. It was good to be amongst these friends again, he'd worried that being in Meassia would bring too many bad memories to the surface but it didn't seem to be happening. Iolaus decided he'd listened to this droning conversation for too long, it was time to liven things up a bit so he launched into one of his wild tales of monsters and unbelievably brave golden haired heroes.

It was the next day and Iolaus was getting frustrated, no one would tell him what was going on. Hercules knew, he'd been talking to the queen at breakfast when Iolaus joined them; that was the first sign that something was up, the couple had stopped talking and Hercules had quickly schooled his face into a neutral smile, but Iolaus knew the demigod and he recognised the guilty look. He'd thought that it would be an easy job to wriggle the truth out of Herc, or one of the others, but he'd been wrong. No one was saying anything, and now they'd cleverly managed to keep him out of the way, Cutie was showing him the changes that had been made to the palace. Iolaus sighed, he was stuck with the one man who could never talk however much he wanted to.

And Cutie really did want to talk; he was bursting to tell his first and best friend all the wonderful things that would be happening that afternoon. He couldn't wait to see Iolaus' face when he saw what they'd done for him; it was going to be perfect, just perfect.

Chapter 24

It was early afternoon and the winter sun was warming the palace walls with its soft golden light. Everything was ready; the people were gathered in the square waiting expectantly, the trestle tables that lined the edges of the square were dipping under the weight of the food they held, and the palace doors had finally opened.

Elissa appeared first, with Stentious close behind her ever the watchful guard. The queen was wearing a newly made robe of softest violet, golden leaves and flowers embroidered into the cloth. Garcie came next, leaning on Cutie who was beaming in his bright blue jerkin and trousers; he'd never looked so smart. Garcie, herself was wearing a soft grey robe edged with silver and with her long grey hair falling loose over her shoulders she retained the air of mystery that had always entranced the Meassians. Behind them, Jerius led the guests of honour. He had made a big effort to look good too and was very handsome in his loose fitting green shirt and black leather trousers.

Hercules had donned a new shirt for the occasion but Iolaus had refused to dress up. This whole business was making him uncomfortable and the blue outfit that Elissa had picked out for him had been too reminiscent of the flimsy blue pants he'd been forced to wear before. He hadn't had the heart to tell her why he couldn't bring himself to change out of his old, worn but comfortable clothes.

To his left Iolaus noticed a platform of grey marble, on it stood a plinth made of the same marble and on that stood a large something draped in purple cloth. He felt himself shiver although the afternoon was not cold; whatever it was, it stood on the exact spot he'd been branded. This must be the surprise everyone was so excited about.

The small group descended the staircase to the deafening cheers of the crowd. Iolaus stumbled slightly and felt Hercules' gentle touch on his arm. This was stupid, these people were cheering for him now not for his pain. Iolaus had been wary of returning to Meassia, he'd known that it could bring back a lot of difficult emotions but this was more than he'd bargained for. He looked out at the faces below him, they were filled with a need for forgiveness and he wasn't sure he could do that, he could understand, he could even sympathise but forgive? He didn't know.

And now everyone expected him to love this surprise they had for him, all his friends were grinning at him desperate to share the gift. Even Hercules had that proud-loving-happy look on his face. What if Iolaus couldn't give them what they wanted? What if he didn't like their surprise? Iolaus gave himself a mental shake and told himself not to be so stupid, he loved surprises, he'd always loved surprises - so long as they were good.

At the bottom of the stairs Elissa beckoned a young man forwards from the edge of the crowd. She turned to Iolaus and said, "Iolaus I want you to meet someone. This is Phidias, he's been very keen to meet you."

Phidias smiled shyly and held out his hand in greeting, Iolaus shook the young man's hand but frowned, he'd never been under such close scrutiny before. As he dropped Iolaus' hand, Phidias gave a little nod and beamed at the queen as if well satisfied with what he saw.

The now complete group started up the marble steps to the platform and whatever was hidden upon it. A murmur of anticipation ran through the crowd, Iolaus felt as if he were the only person in the universe who didn't know what to expect. He looked at Hercules for a clue but his friend just grinned a big soppy grin and gave away nothing.

The eight people gathered around the base of the plinth and as Elissa stepped forward the crowd hushed.

"My people, today is a very special day. We have returned to this spot before the palace to remind ourselves of what we nearly became and to renew our vow to never forget the days that led us so close to evil.

"I am humbled to stand here with these special guests, people who have proved that courage and honour can be an ordinary thing, borne of extraordinary circumstances, people who have proved that we can all be heroes.

"My grandmother and palace healer, Garcie, who gave me strength when I needed it and who never gave up, no matter how hopeless things seemed. Jerius, a bookmaker, who followed his heart and stayed true even through great danger."

As Elissa announced each name its owner stepped forward to receive the rousing applause of the crowd. Hercules and Iolaus both felt tears sting their eyes, their friends were getting the recognition and acceptance they deserved, and as both men knew all too well that was a rare and special thing. They listened as Elissa continued.

"Stentious, a young guard who went against the king because the king was wrong. What he did took courage; he stuck to his beliefs amidst the greatest of dangers and was never found lacking.

"Cutie, my friend," Elissa guided the bashful giant forward to stand beside her. "This man above all others understands what happened on the platform that stood here last summer. He loves with an open heart, he judges without prejudice, he is a good and loyal citizen who was deeply hurt by my dead husband and now has a place in my heart forever. As he should in yours."

The cheers were so loud that Cutie put his hands over his ears to try and block the sound. He was dazed by all this attention and looked around for Iolaus. They locked eyes and Cutie used the contact as an anchor against the sea of noise that beat against him. When the noise quieted a little Elissa continued.

"Hercules is the son of Zeus, and has always been spoken of as 'hero', but it wasn't until I met him that I understood the strength of his compassion. So many tales tell of Hercules' great physical strength and of his ability to slay monsters, so few tell of the gentle man who has such a great capacity for love. I am honoured that Meassia can call him friend. I am honoured that I can call him friend."

Hercules bowed his head slightly and stepped back beside Iolaus who took a deep breath and prepared himself to take his turn in the spotlight. But he looked up in surprise and confusion as Elissa called the next name.

"Phidias, stand beside me. Most of you don't know Phidias, but you will! His is a name that I am sure will be remembered throughout history, not for his heroism but for his ability to remind us of heroes, for his ability to stop us from forgetting painful memories and by remembering, learn.

"It's time for Iolaus' surprise now." Elissa gestured to Cutie and Hercules who took hold of the purple cloth ready to reveal what lay underneath.

"Iolaus."

Iolaus felt his feet move and found himself standing beside the queen. She spoke softly in his ear, "No, Iolaus, you need to stand alone." and he knew it was true. For if he stood alone before these same people that had jeered him and now applauded him then perhaps he could finally put their faces out of his dreams.

Iolaus moved to the other side of the platform and listened to the wall of sound that crashed over him. Elissa didn't even try to shout over it, she just let it take its course. It wasn't just Iolaus that needed this, the people in the crowd needed to say that they were sorry, they needed to show their remorse.

Slowly the sound faded and Elissa began to speak again. "This man is the reason we are all here. This one man gave us all a chance to look into our hearts and change our paths. It wasn't by choice he did this, but by his very nature. By his courage Iolaus showed us our error. None of us will ever be able to forget what happened here on the day Iolaus was branded. None of us will ever be able to forgive ourselves for the parts we played.

"Iolaus, you are the hero of Meassia. You suffered greatly here and for that I am truly sorry. Please know that you will always be welcome here; and when you are in need please know that you can call on us, individually or as a nation, for whatever you need.

"It was decided that Meassia should never allow itself to forget your ordeal here, and that we should also find a way to show you how much we appreciate you." Elissa stepped back slightly and held up her hand to the covered statue. "Phidias created this statue to do just that."

That was the signal for Hercules and Cutie to pull the great cloth away from the statue, it pooled in beautiful purple waves at their feet but no one noticed. Everyone was looking up at the statue that watched over them. Iolaus felt a lump grow in his throat, it was beautiful, it was breathtaking, it was him!

The statue was bronze and stood nearly seven feet high. It stood with its arms relaxed at its sides, loosely holding in its right hand the handle of the Thansis. Iolaus didn't hear his own gasp as he realised that it really was the whip itself not just a clever copy. The lash was broken, it's other end held in the statue's left hand, the leather bronzed and hanging to the ground. The statue's right foot was raised slightly and Iolaus could just see that it stood upon the broken brand.

The carefully cast hair of the statue was touched with gold, just enough for it to shine like a halo in the sun; it's face was lined and careworn but the lips were pulled up into a slight smile and the eyes were inlaid with ivory and lapis; soft golden eyelashes framing them, they seemed to tell of everything that Iolaus had suffered in that place. They asked the question that all Meassians had seen in Iolaus' own blue eyes on the day of the branding; the question why? But even as they reflected his pain they didn't forget his humour, there was a light in the statue's eyes, a light that made a person remember that laughter was after all the best medicine.

Iolaus stood beneath the statue unable to look away from it. Today it wore a purple cape that hung from it's shoulders and fell to the top of the plinth, but he knew that, apart from special occasions, for the rest of its life the statue of him would be unadorned and naked. It was magnificent and Iolaus knew that he shouldn't but he giggled. He put a hand up to his mouth to try and cover the sound, this really wasn't the time for a fit of the giggles but tears filled his eyes and his shoulders started shaking. Hercules noticed and walked over to his friend, "Are you all right?"

Iolaus attempted to speak through the laughter that had now gripped him, "Oh, oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, Herc. I'm just..." he snorted with laughter, "Fine!"

Hercules frowned, he had no idea what was so funny, but then Iolaus pointed a finger up at the statue. "How... I mean how did he...?" Iolaus took a deep breath and tried again. "How did he make it so accurate?" Hercules followed Iolaus' gaze and grinned, then he felt his stomach muscles begin to quiver, "Iolaus! Don't... we can't... not here!" but it was too late and the Meassian people were blessed with the sight of the two friends leaning heavily on each other gasping for breath as they laughed.

Phidias looked quite put out and Iolaus felt sorry for him for the statue really was incredible, but the unhappy look on the sculptor's face just made him laugh harder. In the end most of the people on the platform and almost all the people in the square took Iolaus' lead and began to laugh. They didn't know why, they just knew that they hadn't laughed this much in a long time and that somehow Iolaus had done it again. He'd found a way to free them all from their dark memories.

That evening there was to be dancing. Elissa had carefully chosen the music for the first dance, something that was nothing like the music that had gripped her in its thrall and led her to darkness. But it was music that she knew Iolaus would be unable to resist because she had been unable to resist it.

As the music started and people waited at the edge of the dance-floor not wanting to go out there alone, Elissa held her hand out to Iolaus and raised her eyebrow in a question.

He answered with a grin and took her hand, pulling her onto the dance floor, secretly happy that this ballroom was not decorated in red, but draped with fine green and yellow velvets.

The music filled them, its sound pulling them to it, turning them around each other as they moved over the floor. Iolaus and Elissa did not hear the impromptu applause as they danced, they didn't notice that no one joined them in the dance yet. Magic was within them and everyone in the room knew it.

Nothing mattered; there was no pain, no anguish, no memory of the past to haunt them. The music consumed them, their feet and bodies didn't need to be told what to do and so their minds drifted within the sound. The past was nothing, the future immaterial, the present the only thing to matter. Two people who felt the music inside their souls and let it free them.

There was a pause as the tune changed and Garcie took that as a cue to join the couple, she took Hercules' hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. Others followed, and finally it seemed as if everyone was dancing, flowing across the floor following Iolaus. Everyone was following Iolaus.

It was a long time before Iolaus and Elissa stopped to rest. They sat in a quiet corner sipping their drinks and watching the dance.

"Has Phidias forgiven me for laughing yet?"

"I think so." Elissa said, "Now that you explained about the awful statues of Hercules he understands why at least. Don't let it bother you, he's an artist, he's touchy about his work."

"He's got a right to be. It's an amazing thing."

"It's you Iolaus. And you are amazing."

Iolaus shook his head still not able to accept the way the Meassians were treating him. "I'm not 'that' amazing! Anyhow, I still want to know how he did that sculpture without a model."

Elissa laughed, "Well he did spend a lot of time with Garcie!"

"Garcie! But I thought... I mean isn't what a healer... what about healer-patient confidentiality?" Iolaus was a little uncomfortable at the thought of the intimate details of his body being discussed with strangers, but it was too late to worry now, and he had a statue. Him, Iolaus of Thebes, son of General Skouros, friend to a famous demigod, hero. 'Yeah, like most people notice Iolaus.' But they had here, they'd noticed and honoured him and he felt very odd about it. Spotting Hercules, Iolaus excused himself and joined his friend who was standing against a wall and watching Cutie trying to follow Garcie around the dance floor.

"Hiya Herc!"

"Hi yourself, hero of the moment. How does it feel?"

"Strange. I think I know how you feel now Herc. I mean, it's great and everything, but..."

"But you're just you and you can't really understand the fuss."

Iolaus smiled, "Something like that."

Hercules slung an arm over Iolaus' shoulder and leaned down to whisper in his ear. "You look pretty heroic in that statue to me, Iolaus. I'd say it was a really good likeness."

And for once Iolaus could find nothing to say.

The End

NB Phidias or Pheidias was one of the greatest sculptors of Ancient Greece. He sculpted the famous Athena in the Parthenon and the Zeus in the temple of Olympia. There are no remaining original Phidias works in existence, but I thought it would be nice if his first and perhaps greatest work could be of our very own Iolaus.

I remember seeing an incredible bronze statue that had bronze eyelashes, the memory of which inspired my statue. The statues of heroes, gods and athletes in Ancient Greece were always naked - good thing Iolaus wasn't bothered by such things!

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