The darkness was impenetrable, it surrounded and suffocated him. His breath came in harsh gasps fighting against the blanketing blackness. But the dark was unrelenting, everywhere he turned there was nothing but the painful black. He felt himself begin to panic and started to breathe slowly, slow and deep. Concentrating on each breath, counting as he breathed in, one - two - three - four - five, pause and then count out again. Slow, concentrate, slow. And the panic faded from the edges of his consciousness. The panic faded but the darkness remained. He felt in front of him with hands outstretched, his only sight now. Only air stood in his way and he took a tentative step forward.
Sliding rather than striding he inched into more of the black. Hercules was out there - somewhere. He had to find his friend before...well, Iolaus didn’t know what would happen. But this was hardly a good thing, this night-time at noon stuff was only supposed to last a minute or two, but this had gone on for the best part of half an hour already. And if it wasn’t just him then the world or at least this part of it was without fire again too. No fire no torches, no torches no light. Iolaus could imagine what it was like in nearby Corinth right now. Impenetrable darkness had a way of making even the bravest of men want to run screaming in circles. But maybe it would be easier if there were lots of you together, maybe you’d feel more secure and less like you had just fallen into an abyss and couldn’t tell which way was up any more.
Iolaus stopped moving as he took more deep steadying breaths, denying the claustrophobia that was trying to overwhelm him. He was out of doors, there was lots of open space around him, grass, trees, birds - all of that nice stuff. But all he could see was blackness, and all he could hear was his own life, his heart thudding in his chest, air as it was taken into his body and released again and the rushing roar of blood in his veins. The hunter peered into the blackness willing it to give up some of its secrets but it remained inscrutable.
He took another tentative step forward, his instincts screaming at him that there was a cliff and he was about to tumble to his death. But he felt reassuring solidity under his foot and he sighed in relief. Iolaus knew that his nerves could not take this strain for much longer, something would break. Experimentally he called out a hello and waited to see what would happen.
“Huh-huh-hello? Hello?! Is someone there? Please let there be someone there? But it might be bad guys, it might be...Hmmm. Whoever you are I’ve got Hercules here with me, so you’d better just be careful!”
Iolaus couldn’t help smiling, of all people he could meet it had to be Salmoneus,
“Well that’s good then Sal, ‘cause that’s just who I’m looking for!”
“Iolaus? Iolaus is that you? Thank the gods! Am I glad to hear your dulcet tones. Where are you? Ooofff! Ouch! Get off me! Iolaus? That is you isn’t it?”
Iolaus tried to untangle himself from the rotund opportunist but Salmoneus was in a panic and grabbing hold of the hunter he wouldn’t let go.
“Come on Sal! I’m glad to bump into you too, but I don’t think we need to get this friendly!”
Salmoneus groaned and started whimpering, Iolaus sighed and made soothing noises to try and calm him down enough to be able to extricate himself.
“Iolaus?”
“Yes Sal?”
“Why is it dark?”
“I don’t know. But don’t worry, I’m sure it won’t last forever, we’ll be just fine.”
“That’s easy enough for you to say, you’re a warrior, you’re a hunter. You’re used to sleeping on the ground. I’m an entrepreneur I need my comforts, like sunlight, and candles and torches. You haven’t got a torch have you?”
“Salmoneus! If I had a torch we’d be able to see each other!”
“Oh, right. Well what are you going to do?”
Iolaus was still stuck in the solid embrace of his companion and he rudely shoved at him as he replied, “The first thing I’m going to do is get away from you! Will you please let go of me!”
Salmoneus seemed to realise for the first time that he was hugging Iolaus and he yelped and pulled away from the hunter. Suddenly he was alone in complete darkness again and he howled in fear.
“It’s all right, I’m still here. Now that I can breathe why don’t you tell me what you’re doing here.” Iolaus was hoping to calm Salmoneus down by getting him talking, and maybe just maybe Sal knew something that would be of use.
Salmoneus took the cue and started to chatter away about this wonderful opportunity he’d spotted for making lots of dinars, Iolaus couldn’t follow everything but it was something about communication and shopping from your own home. How Salmoneus expected to be able to set up the rather complicated sounding string and rope network between all the houses and shops he didn’t know. But for once he didn’t say anything, he just let Sal talk.
So taken up with his plans as he was Salmoneus totally forgot his panic and fear and began waving his arms around to illustrate the system of pulleys that would be needed. His arm hit something, it was Iolaus’ nose and from the noises coming from the hunter he must have hit him pretty hard.
“Sorry! Sorry! Are you all right? Here let me...where are you?”
Realising that Salmoneus was going to try and help him Iolaus had scooted backwards and out of range. He carefully dabbed at his nose and could feel blood.
“Gread. I thig you broke by dose, Sal. Be bore gareful will you!”
“Bore gareful? Oh, Oh, yes. Sorry!”
“Look, what happened when it went dark? Was is sudden? Did you notice anything?”
Salmoneus was silent for a time trying to remember exactly what had happened. He wasn’t going to tell Iolaus everything, there were some things the hunter did not need to know. Like what Salmoneus had been in the middle of doing when everything had gone dark. Squatting in the middle of a bush was embarrassing enough - he would never get used to the great outdoors, why it couldn’t have plumbing he would never know - but telling Iolaus? No way!
“Well, I was just walking along the road and it went all gloomy. Kind of brown like just before a storm only more so. A bit like when it went dark that time when you...when you d..., di...”
“Died. I died OK! The last time I take it? In Sumeria. I didn’t know the sun went black here too.”
Salmoneus nodded vigorously until he remembered that Iolaus couldn’t see him,
“Yes, that time. Well, it was all murky like that, and then there was this really strong cold wind and it went black all of a sudden. Like this. I waited,”
Salmoneus thought back to extricating himself from the prickly bushes and hastily attempting to re-arrange his clothes and shuddered. He fervently hoped that he’d managed to get himself presentable just in case daylight came back. Doing stuff like that by feel was not easy.
“and then nothing happened until you came by. I’m so glad you came by Iolaus. I don’t mind admitting I was getting a bit spooked by it all. I mean how will I ever count my money if I can’t see it?”
Salmoneus made another grab for Iolaus and the comforting feel of another person’s flesh. Iolaus backed off a little but he was grateful for the company too and gave Salmoneus a gentle squeeze on the shoulder before pushing him off.
“Well, all I’d been trying to do was find Hercules. He was heading in to Corinth on this road, I’d dropped behind to...well that doesn’t matter. Let’s just say I had some unfinished business at a farm back there. He’ll be trying to get to Corinth to see what he can do. Do you think you can walk with me?”
Salmoneus was glad that Iolaus couldn’t see the horrified look on his face, he hated that the blond hunter thought him a coward, he hated being so useless in these situations. So he gathered his reserves and stood up,
“I can if you can Iolaus, come on let’s go.”
Iolaus felt air move as his companion started walking, “Not that way! That’s the way I came.” he took hold of Salmoneus’ sleeve and guided him in what he hoped was the right direction, “All right, now take it slowly, let your feet feel the way. That’s it, now keep close to me. That’s good, you’re doing fine.”
Secretly grateful for the encouraging words Salmoneus forced his terror down and stepped slowly forward. Iolaus kept close to him, talking softly, encouraging him. Iolaus could rely on his meditative techniques to help him, Salmoneus had nothing and the hunter was yet again impressed with the bravery his companion was showing. Always calling himself a coward and wearing his fear on the outside Salmoneus could nevertheless be relied on when he was needed. He was no warrior, but in Iolaus’ book he was a hero. Iolaus would never ever admit that to anyone though, not even to Hercules, not under pain of death, not for anything. He smiled in the darkness, he was feeling better now anyway.
Hercules was faring no better than his friends. The darkness had arrived while he was still on the outskirts of Corinth. Once he had acclimatised himself to the dark and calmed his fears the demi-god made his way slowly towards the city. The black had seemed to spread from that direction and he needed to get to the bottom of what was causing it as soon as possible. Hercules recognised that if he was having to fight his own fear there could well be pandemonium within the city walls.
Sometimes Hercules hated being right all the time. Here he was standing in complete darkness listening to the sounds of mayhem. Corinth had erupted into a melee of panicking citizens, screaming and shouting and by the sounds of it fights were breaking out too. A few too many people on the streets were bumping into one another and some were taking the accidental meetings of flesh a little too personally.
Hercules could hear the voices of soldiers trying to bring about some kind of order, but when they couldn’t see who they were shouting at and couldn’t see each other to co-ordinate, they had no hope of taking control. Hercules realised that the only way to stop this madness was to bring some light on the matter, which meant that he had to find the source of the darkness - somehow.
The demi-god made his way through the streets of Corinth, keeping to the narrow back streets where there were fewer people. He listened carefully as he walked, hoping to hear something, anything, that might tell him what he needed to know. But all he could hear was the sound of a city in panic. Silently Hercules hoped that Iolaus was safe and had managed to keep himself out of trouble. Perhaps it would be best if demi-gods didn’t tempt fate so recklessly.
Iolaus and Salmoneus had been doing very well. Progress was slow because of the trembling way the salesman took each step. He couldn’t trust to Iolaus testing the way forward, he had to inch his foot forward carefully scuffing his sandal across the dirt and then slowly ease his weight onto the front foot, holding his breath as he did so.
Iolaus was beside himself with impatience but he kept a reign on all the comments that were popping into his head. Salmoneus was petrified and taunting him may well be enough to send him into another panic. Iolaus could sympathise with his companion, he was really hating this blind stuff too, and without a wall to run your hand along to guide... Iolaus grinned to himself now that was an idea. A stick, a long stick. He pulled on Salmoneus’ robe to stop him and then carefully moved to one side. Yep, tree trunks, and bushes, there must be something here. It took him a few minutes to find the right branch, long, straight and solid. It broke free of the tree after a lot of persuasion from Iolaus and some help from Sal.
With the stick to guide them the two men made better progress. Iolaus swept it from side to side in front of him and Salmoneus held on to Iolaus. As he swept the stick from side to side Iolaus wondered why he hadn’t been able to light a torch when he’d tried. He hadn’t wanted to worry Salmoneus any more so he hadn’t told him of his futile attempts to put some light on the matter. Was Michael involved in this? Where was the Light now when they needed it the most? It was supposed to be all encompassing but it didn’t seem to be encompassing this.
Iolaus felt strangely alone even though he could still feel Salmoneous’ fingers digging in to his arm. the Light wasn’t present, he couldn’t feel it. The comforting hum that always ran under everything was gone. Iolaus knew that his time in the Light as a Guardian had marked him, it meant that he could feel the energy it gave off, he supposed he was still a part of it in some way. The darkness was beginning to drain him, it felt as if it was leaching off his energy, darkening his own light.
What had happened to Michael? What had happened to the Light. It would not just abandon them so soon after allowing Iolaus another chance at life, but the idea that it was no more was inconceivable. Iolaus wished that he was with Hercules instead of having to baby sit Salmoneous, he wished that the demigod was by his side, they’d be able to work this out together. Together they could defeat any enemy, even one they couldn’t see or feel or name. He cursed himself for being distracted by the farmer’s daughter, but it was no use dwelling on what might have been. He would just have to make the best of what he had - Salmoneous and a stick.
“Iolaus?” Salmoneus’ voice quavered slightly in the darkness, “Iolaus, could we rest for a minute? It’s not that I’m tired or anything, but I think I’ve got a stone in my sandal.”
Salmoneus was surprised when Iolaus agreed readily and even more surprised when he heard him sink to the ground and sigh in relief. This was worrying, this was a very worrying development. One of the most irritating things about Iolaus was the way he showed off all that excess energy of his, Sal couldn’t remember a time when the hunter had seemed tired, but Iolaus was also the hero type and giving in to a request for a delay was not something Sal expected of him. As he settled himself on the ground Salmoneous could feel Iolaus next to him, “Iolaus? Are you all right? I didn’t really hurt you did I?”
“No Sal. I’m OK, just tired. I’m just very tired.” Iolaus realised the truth of that as he spoke. His mind wouldn’t function, his limbs ached and his eyes kept closing without his realising it. Something was wrong, he shouldn’t be so tired. He needed some light, he needed the Light.
Salmoneous jumped as Iolaus fell sideways into his lap and he started to moan as he tried to waken the sleeping hero and couldn’t. He sat there cradling Iolaus’ head in his lap and trying to talk some courage into himself. “Now then Salmoneous, it’s up to you. Hercules will tear you limb from limb slowly and with feeling if you let anything happen to his friend. We don’t want that, oh no we don’t want that at all. So, what do we do now? I can’t carry him, he’s too heavy for me. I can’t go on alone. I can’t leave him, but I have to find Hercules. I’ll have to leave him, I’ll have to go on - but what if I find Hercules and I can’t remember where Iolaus is? Or a monster comes along and gobbles him up? Ohh! What shall I do!”
Salmoneous shouted this skywards in frustration. He really did care about Iolaus, and the thought of leaving him defenceless in the middle of who knew what, who knew where, was something that Salmoneous didn’t want to do. He didn’t want to be alone either, he really didn’t want to be alone again in the dark. Why wasn’t Hercules here, he’d know what to do.
Hercules was tiring of the incessant blackness. His eyes hurt from continually straining to see the slightest glimmer of light, and he was aware of the various scrapes and bruises he’d picked up as he made his careful way through the streets. The demigod’s nerves were stretched taut and he was having a hard time trying to control the fear that was threatening to consume him. Hercules could sympathise with the people he could hear screaming and shouting in nearby streets. But along with the sounds of pandemonium he could hear something else. He could hear a man talking as if to himself. Hercules stopped moving, the sound was very close to him and he tried to gauge a direction. Slightly above and to the right.
“I don’t know which it was - do you little one? No. You never know do you. Maybe it was the... but that couldn’t be. Things wouldn’t go black. What if I stopped time? But wouldn’t that stop us? What have I done?! What happened to the Light? Why has it abandoned me?”
Hercules heard a sigh and the clattering of some pots. He reached towards the right and felt the wall of a house, “Hello? Sir? I was wondering...”
“Who’s that? What are you doing skulking around out there? Make yourself known or I’ll turn you into a frog!”
“Well I’ve been a pig before Sir so I don’t suppose being a frog would worry me too much. My name is Hercules...”
“The Hercules? Son of Zeus? That Hercules?”
“I don’t believe there are any other Hercules’ Sir. I couldn’t help but overhear you, do you really think it was you that caused this darkness?”
“I will forgive you that comment as you can’t see who it is you are talking to. Of course it was me! The greatest Magus in all of Greece, who else did you think it was?”
Hercules smiled as he answered, forming his words carefully. He didn’t want to offend the man if he really was responsible. “I’m sorry Sir but I’ve been travelling a great deal and am only recently returned to this part of Greece. I don’t recall hearing about you yet. Can I ask your name and if perhaps I can be of any assistance? You do want to undo what you’ve done don’t you?”
The Magus tutted impatiently, “Well of course I do. I didn’t do this on purpose you know. In fact - and this is rather a worry - I’m not sure exactly what I did do. I don’t see how you can help but I suppose there’s no harm...come on up.”
The Magus had to direct Hercules to his door and give him running instructions on how to climb the stairs to his workshop. Hercules had gained several new bruises by the time he found the right room. The door was open and he could hear his companion moving pots around on a worktop near where the window must be. In a far corner of the room he heard a rustling sound and guessed that must be the pet that the Magus had been talking to.
“Here you are at last, what took so long? Now then, I don’t see how you expect to help me. You know nothing of my art.”
“Perhaps not, but I may be able to give you some perspective. A fresh set of eyes so to speak. What were you doing when the darkness came?”
“Hmmm, oh, um, I was talking to Michael.”
“Michael! But how...?” Hercules felt the gooseflesh on his arms as he realised the enormity of the situation.
The Magus sounded puzzled, “He wasn’t actually here. What I do is send messages - of sorts. I don’t know if the Light ever receives them but...”
“But what do you know of Michael and the Light, and why are you sending it messages?”
“You’d better see if you can find a chair and I’ll tell you.” The Magus waited as Hercules felt around for a chair and carefully sat down, when he was sure that the demigod was finished with his fidgeting he began to talk.
“It was just after all the fuss over the Dahak business ended that I started to look into this Light stuff. There were rumours flying around all of Greece, some of them from other countries, some originating in my own land of birth, Persia, But they all talked about something called the Light, they spoke of its all encompassing nature, and they spoke of how your friend Iolaus had gone to the Light rather than the Elysian Fields. The whole idea intrigued me and I intended to find out more. A man in my position needs to know who or what might cause me trouble. Your relatives have been of no concern but this Light, that could prove different.
“I have many skills, necromancy is but one. But even with my talents I could not contact Iolaus or Zarathustra. Strange, it was very strange. However, I must have been noticed because not long after you saved the world and your friend was restored to you a very odd thing happened. I awoke in the night to see the bed lit by a white glow, a voice spoke. It was Michael - and before you ask how I know that, he named himself - he wanted me to stop my ‘meddling’. His words, I would call it scientific investigation, but he was having none of that. He said that I was disturbing the something or other flow and I must desist before we were all deceased. Did you get my little joke there? A bit too little perhaps.
“Still, he gave me quite the fright and I did stop for a time, but the thought kept pestering me. What is the Light, why should there be so much secrecy? So, I began my experiments again, and then this morning everything suddenly went dark. I was working on a particular experiment, attempting to send Michael a direct message. But I was distracted by Wyvern and... well, I don’t exactly know. Except that the Light doesn’t seem to be present anymore. I was able to sense it’s presence with one of my little thingamajigs, but it’s gone from us now. I just hope it’ll come back.”
Hercules sat silently as he digested all this information, the gooseflesh still crawling over his skin. His thoughts turned to Iolaus, who so recently had been a part of the Light, what was this doing to him?
The darkness was marred by a shifting cloud, partly grey, partly the colour of an angry bruise. Sometimes he was surrounded by a close sticky purple, sometimes by a hot cloying crimson, but most of the time he was suspended in the cold blackness. He wasn’t falling, but he also could feel nothing holding him up. There was no sense of movement, no scents, nothing was touching him. He couldn’t even feel the clothes against his skin. The only one of his senses that was getting any input was his sight, but even those colours were fading now, fading to black, fading to nothing.
He was nothing, he saw nothing, felt nothing, heard nothing. He was nothing surrounded by nothing. And the colour of nothing was black. Iolaus wanted his body back, he wanted light, he needed light. He could feel his thoughts drifting apart, as if his very soul was dissipating into the black, nothing into nothing. Black into black. Where was the light?
This wasn’t death, this was fading from existence. There would be no after-life this time, no second chances. Just an end to life, just a turn to nothingness. Iolaus wanted to fight, he had always fought. But he didn’t know how, and his mind was so sparse here. He had no body to fight with, nothing to battle against. The only alternative was to think a way out, but he didn’t think he had the strength to do that.
But then he wasn’t alone any more. There was another mind, another being. It was Michael. They talked, but there were no words. They spoke as the Light speaks, with nothing more than being. The Light was confused and even a little scared by what had happened and it saw Iolaus as the key. This frightened Iolaus, what could he do? How could he turn away this darkness.
Michael reminded him that he had done it before. Dahak was of the dark and he had been denied. The Light itself had been shown its error, Iolaus should see his own role in these events, he should be able to understand how important he was. Iolaus felt fear, Michael was trying to lay responsibility for the future of the Light and of his world at the hunter’s feet - why?
And then Michael was gone, irritatingly providing more questions than answers. Iolaus was alone again, without his five senses, without anything. He was back to being nothing. But not nothing, he had a name, Iolaus. He had family, Hercules. He had love and life and so long as he had those two things he knew how to fight. He would deny the darkness, he would open his mind to the memories of light. The sun on his back as he built a wall with Hercules, a fire in the hearth as he told a ghost story to Evander, light, bright warm inviting light. And the Light itself, memories of his time as a Guardian that had been closed to him, opened their doors and welcomed him in.
White light, bright but so pure and clean and beautiful that his heart felt like it would burst. A light so simple that it didn’t hurt his eyes but it filled him with emotions he had never experienced before. A contentment he had never known, peace, and a calm accepting happiness. Not the bounding joy of his life, but the gentle smile of his death. Remembering this Iolaus realised that Michael had been kind to stop these memories from assailing him in his new life. That would have been a kind of torment, happy where he was - with Hercules, the only place he’d ever wanted to be - but every moment missing the perfect happiness The Light had shown him. An eternal shadow on his joy, but instead he had been given the best of both, and he was grateful. The Guardian of the Light did not understand why he had been allowed such a gift or what made him so interesting, but he knew something else now. The Light was not gone it was hidden. It remained, he could feel it when he concentrated. But how could he free it from its chains?
Hercules sat and listened to the Magus, who still hadn’t told him his name, as he muttered strange incantations and moved objects about on his worktop. The demigod hated being so helpless but there didn’t seem to be anything more he could do except hope and pray that this man could put right his mistake.
After what felt like an eternity and was probably an hour or more Hercules was startled from his doze by an excited exclamation.
“That’s it! That’s what I must have done! Yes!”
“Have you worked it out, do you know how to fix it?”
“I do believe I do my boy. Yes indeed. You see, when Wyvern brushed past me I was in the middle of a complex incantation, I must have made a small error without realising it. And it caused the Light to be hidden from us. It isn’t gone exactly, it’s still there - just blocked by my meddling. Michael was right I should have left well alone.”
Hercules was exasperated with the magician, “Yes, but can you fix it?”
“Hmmm? Oh yes. Yes, I believe so... but I’ll need some help. The Light will need a guide. Look Hercules. I don’t really understand all this either. I can undo what I’ve done but I’m not sure that it’ll be enough.”
“Do your part Mage, worry about whether it’ll work afterwards.”
The Magus agreed and bent to his work, he drew a complex design in a powder he’d spread on the bench in front of him and as he drew he muttered under his breath. Hercules couldn’t understand the words, they sounded as if they may be from the wizard’s native Persia. After a minute or two’s mutterings the Magus stopped and there was silence. Silence and blackness, nothing had happened.
“I told you Hercules, the Light needs a guide to show it where we are, where it is. What have I done? How long can the world last without light, without the Light. Where’s your relative with his fiery chariot when we need him?”
“You sent him away Magus. Don’t blame the gods for your failure, don’t blame the Light. We just have to work out what to do next. We will find a way - we must.”
Salmoneous had no idea how long he’d been sitting there with his lap a pillow for the sleeping Iolaus. He wished that he could go to sleep so easily and jealousy pricked at him. Salmoneous had rested his hand on the hunter’s chest so he could be reassured by its steady rise and fall. It was better to have a sleeping Iolaus with him that a dead one, that would be too spooky. Shuddering Salmoneous gently touched Iolaus’ face and felt for fever on his brow. Nothing. But this really wasn’t helping matters, why wasn’t Iolaus waking up? Why was it still so dark? Where was Hercules? Why was this happening to him? Salmoneous entertained a brief notion that he’d even be pleased to see Autolycus right about now, but that was asking too much and in desperation he shook Iolaus hard by the shoulder again,
“Wake up! Please wake up. Please.”
When Iolaus stirred and groaned Salmoneous jumped in surprise rolling Iolaus onto the ground with a heavy thump. The hunter groaned again and pulled himself up to sit close to his companion. The darkness covered his trembling body and it hid the paleness of his skin from sight.
“Iolaus? Are you all right? I couldn’t wake you and I didn’t know what to do and...are you all right?”
Iolaus took a deep steadying breath, the whole experience with Michael had deeply unnerved him, “Yes Sal, I’m all right. The Light seems to think that I can get rid of all this darkness, Michael says that it’s in my hands. But I don’t know what he means, how can I save the Light Sal? By myself? How?!”
Salmoneous was frightened by the desperation he could hear in the hunter’s voice, and by the trembling he could feel when he touched Iolaus’ shoulder. He decided the best course of action was to go into denial and pretend that Iolaus was fine and in control of the situation.
“What we need is a nice big fire and some rabbit to cook. Do you have any water with you? I know a great recipe. How long will it take Hercules to sort all this out do you think? It’s quite exciting really, if it kept it up there’d be a great market in torches. I wonder if...”
But Salmoneous’ attempts were ignored by Iolaus, who sat silently ignoring his companion. Salmoneous sighed, this day was just getting worse and worse.
“Come on Iolaus. Everything will be fine, didn’t you tell me that!”
Nothing, no response. Silence in the darkness, Salmoneous gave up and sat quietly so that the only sound was that of the two men breathing.
Iolaus suddenly sat up straighter and grabbed his companion by the arm “That’s it! I need to see the Light, like I did before, picture it so that it can find me here. I was of the Light, part of it remembers me. Sal, we’ll get you some sunshine yet! You can help me here. Think about a good day, when you were outside in the sun and happy, imagine yourself back there.”
Salmoneous tried to do as he was asked but it was hard, his mind kept wanting to dwell on the current situation and its distinct lack of sunlight rather than memories of its presence. Iolaus however was calling upon the memories Michael had opened to him, they would probably be gone soon but for now while he needed them he could remember being a Guardian. He could feel the tingling power of the Light running through him, its brilliant whiteness filling him with its contentment. And as he remembered he called to it, willing it to return and pull away the veil of darkness that was covering the land. He was concentrating hard so Salmoneous’ exclamation made him jump.
“Iolaus! Look! On the horizon - it’s getting light!”
Iolaus glanced towards the beginnings of a glow in the distance, “Sal! Cover your eyes, the light will hurt them after all this dark.”
Both men sat with their eyes covered as they felt the warmth of light washing over them. Slowly they peered out from behind their hands screwing their eyes up against the glare of the late afternoon sun. Standing and turning to each other the two men hugged. Relief and joy at being able to see overwhelming them both. As they pulled apart Iolaus gave a laugh, “Let’s go find Herc!”
The streets of Corinth were filled with celebrants, dancing with strangers, singing, their relief at the return of the sun palpable on the air. Iolaus and Salmoneous found the atmosphere infectious and they were soon both laughing and dancing through the streets. Every now and then they stopped someone to ask if they had seen Hercules, but nobody had.
Hercules had watched in awe as daylight slowly filtered back into the room. It was a cave of discovery, with strange vials filled with multicoloured liquids and powders. And Hercules raised a surprised eyebrow when he came face to face with the pet Wyvern. A tiny dragon looked up at him from its nest in the corner of the room with distaste. It puffed a ring of smoke in his direction and then turned its back on him.
The Magus was magnificently dressed in a deep blue gown with stars and suns embroidered in gold thread all over it. He was almost too exactly what you would expect from a man of magic with long flowing silver hair and a long narrow beard. Hercules decided that this was a man who enjoyed his role a little too much.
They left the rooms to join the shouting throng in the streets below and were soon mingling in the crowd. The Mage attempting to accept thanks where-ever he went from the grateful people. What an ego was Hercules amused thought as he watched the act.
It wasn’t long before Hercules spotted a familiar mop of golden locks and heard a familiar voice raised in off-key song.
“Iolaus! Iolaus!” He waved madly and pushed himself through the crowds. As soon as he met up with his partner Hercules pulled him into a tight hug pulling him off his feet in his pleasure at seeing the smaller man.
“All right Herc! Let me breathe will you! Are you OK? Let me look at you.”
Hercules stood back as Iolaus appraised his friend, looking for injuries, but the hunter was showing all the battle scars this time and Hercules looked with concern as he took in the bloody nose and the pale skin. Iolaus might be capering about now but he looked drained of energy and exhaustion was close under the surface. “I’m fine Iolaus, but what about you? You look like Tartarus warmed up.”
“Thanks a lot! That’s a nice way to greet a friend. Sal? Did you hear that? Don’t you think I deserve better treatment from a friend?”
Hercules hadn’t noticed Salmoneous who had tried to fade into the background as the two friends had greeted each other. But he did now, taking in the dirt and scratches and the dark patches under Salmoneous’ eyes. He could only imagine how frightening the whole experience must have been. Slapping the round man on his back Hercules suggested that they all find a quiet corner somewhere and catch up on their stories.
“So you must have taken away whatever was blocking the Light and I showed it where we were. It doesn’t make sense though. The Light doesn’t go away, it’s everywhere, all the time. How can it not know where we are?”
Iolaus talked in between taking bites out of a chunk of bread and sips from his tankard of ale. The four men had finally found an Inn on the outskirts of town that was relatively quiet, and now they sat under a tree at the back of the Inn enjoying the evening sunshine.
“I wish Michael weren’t so cryptic all the time, I couldn’t understand what he meant before about it all being down to me. Sending the Light away or blocking it or whatever can’t have been so easy, I mean if you could do it why hasn’t anyone else.”
Hercules knew that Iolaus was thinking of Dahak and he rested a hand briefly on Iolaus’ gauntlet in support. Iolaus smiled up at him and was about to continue when he stared mouth agape at something behind Hercules, “Michael!”
Indeed it was, and Michael smiled slowly as he looked down at the flustered Iolaus. “I’m sorry to have confused you Iolaus, but I speak only the truth. Sometimes it is hard for mortals to understand. The Light never abandoned you Iolaus because you never abandoned it. Perhaps it was another test, perhaps the Light was not yet convinced that humanity was special enough to save, or perhaps it was the foolish interfering of a proud and inquisitive man.” The Magus squirmed under the stern gaze of Michael, “But it doesn’t matter does it? In the end you are sitting in the golden light of evening and the Light is with you all. As it is - so it shall be. I said that to you before Iolaus, Hercules. Don’t forget it so easily next time.”
And he was gone in a dramatic whirl of brilliant white light, “Boy he likes big exits.” Iolaus grumbled. Hercules laughed but Salmoneous was sitting staring at the space Michael had been occupying, mouth wide open, eyes unblinking. Iolaus leaned across and pushed his jaw closed with a snap and Salmoneous shook his head in a daze.
“Wow, I mean - really wow! Wowsy wow wow! There’s got to be an angle on this. Light up your life with everbright Michael endorsed candles...”
Before Salmoneous got the chance to continue with his plans Hercules interrupted him,
“So, was it another test? Is that what he meant? ‘Cause if it was I want to tear that Michael’s head off and mount it on Zeus’ wall at Olympus! He can’t keep playing with us like that!”
Iolaus voice was very calm when he answered, almost reverent, “Yes he can Herc. He is of the Light, he does its bidding. Without the Light even our Gods would be nothing. And the colour of nothing is black, maybe we needed the lesson. Maybe some of us needed it more than others, but I think we all needed it. If it was a test, we passed. The Light won’t ever leave us alone Herc, we are part of its purpose. But it does look after us - in its own way.”
“The colour of nothing is black? Hey Iolaus that’s profound, I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“Thanks Herc. Hey! Wait a minute!!”
The End
Caro
(So, what'd'ya think?)
caroline.wheeler@ntlworld.com
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