He first rode into the village, astride his massive black steed Its massive black mane bouncing in the slight breeze. He wore a long black cloak, with a hood completely concealing his face. He stopped at the tavern, and entered then sat at the table in the far corner.

Ceryndip and Jane walked into the tavern, they were to meet up with Hercules and Iolaus, it had been four weeks since they had last talked.

They sat down and Jane asked, "So, tell me about this Oracle that Herc is taking us to see?"

Before Ceryndip could answer there was a commotion at the bar, a scruffy looking man was harassing a bar maiden. Then from the corner the stranger spoke.

"She said leave her be."

The scruffy man replied " And, what concern is it of yours, stranger?."

With lighting fast reflexes a dagger flew threw through the air pining the man to the bar. Shocked, he pulled free and ran for the door nearly running into Hercules and Iolaus but not before yelling "We'll meet again pal!" pointing a long bony finger at the stranger.

Ceryndip turned to see that the stranger had vanished but, she didn't give it a second thought. She was used to that kind of stuff already.

So, after a lite lunch, they started off for Delphi and a visit with the Oracle.

"So, Herc" Jane asked " what is this Oracle person supposed to do any how ?"

"The Oracle is said to possess the ability to see into the future, and tell you of your destiny."

"It's a bunch of mumbo jumbo, I think " said Iolaus.

"Yeah, sounds like a psychic friends thing, B.C. style." added Jane.

A few minutes later , as if from out of nowhere the intrepid band of heroes were set upon by a group of bandits .

"And were did these guys come from ?" Ceryn said with a mock puzzled look.

"Haven't you heard their with those new Stealth Bandits." Jane replied with a smile. They were now back to back.

"Give us all your deniers, or else" said the fist bandit who was waving a large dagger.

"Oh Please! couldn't you have come up with something more original" said Jane

The bandits then proceeded to move in on the heroes, just as the cloaked stranger and his mighty steed came busting through the trees. Everybody turned to look as the man dismounted, and proceeded to do a quadruple backflip and with a spin kick hit one of the bandits in the face with the heel of his boot, knocking him over some bushes.

He then thrust his sword over his head blocking a rear attack, then turned to face his attacker as a fierce sword battle ensued.

Meanwhile, Ceryndip, surrounded by three bandits, took a short running leap and landed a solid knee to the face of one and and a wide arching fisted backhand to the others.

Herc, Jane and Iolaus looked on in amazement as they finished off the others.

The amazon goddess took a breath a turned to acknowledge the stranger but he had vanished. " Strange?" she ran her hand through her flowing red hair and looking around.

Then after everybody had left, in the middle of the road appeared a fiery form of a figure out of thin air. A tall man, dressed all in leather with jet black hair and a small beard.

The head bandit who had stayed behind, battered and bruised spoke. "Oh great Ares, we've done as you asked."

Ares grabbed the man by the collar and jerked him of his feet "Then, why, aren't there dead bodies here with us then?"

"We were outmatched when the stranger arrived to help."

"What stranger!?" his eyes growing to angry narrow slits.

Now beginning to sweat the bandit continued, "He wore a black cloak that hid his face, he fought like a warrior."

Ares threw the man aside. And thought. "This isn't over yet" as he disappeared in the same manner he had came.

Herc, Iolaus, Ceryndip and Jane continued their trip to Delphi, in search of the great Oracle, and this so called destiny Ares had spoke of.

"This looks like a good place to stay the night, I'll gather some wood." said Hercules

"I'll help!" Jane exclaimed following after him.

It was a clear starry night. There was a nice campfire. Everybody was just about to turn in when there came a rustling noise from the tall bushes. " Who's there " said Iolaus.

"Just a stranger, I mean no harm."

"Hey, your the guy from the tavern this morning." said Jane.

"Who are you anyway?" questioned Ceryndip.

The stranger steeped into the light of the campfire a pulled back his hood. " The name's McLeod, Gregory McLeod, I've been watching you."

He was a tall man with chisled features and a long brown pony tail running down his back.

"Watching me?...so, then there was some one tailing me back in Corinth then." said Ceryndip. turning back toward Herc and Iolaus.

"And why were you following her?" asked Hercules.

"Yeah, why?" piped in Jane, as she popped a berry in her mouth.

"There something about you two, something strange almost like you don't belong here." spoke McLeod his face glowing earily in the fire light.

They awoke the next morning to find there mysterious guest had disappeared yet again.

"I wish he would stop doing that!" exclaimed Ceryndip, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

They entered Delphi by noon the next day, Herc and Jane went to find lodging and lunch, while Iolaus and Ceryndip went to explore. The market place was a wondrous place of tapestries, fruits and vegetables of many kinds and various handmade goods.

"It's like a giant flea market," Cery said looking around taking in all the sites.

"What?, they sell fleas were you come from?"

"No, silly that's just what it's called."

Just then Iolaus, literally ran into an old friend, "Gabrielle!".

"Iolaus!" answered the blonde Amazon princess.

"So, how have you been?" Iolaus looked around, "By yourself?".

"Xena's off on one of her fishing trips, so I thought I would get in a little shopping, before we head out to a neighboring village to help out a new friend of hers."

"Oh, this is Ceryndip, Hercules and Jane are around here somewhere." looking in their general direction.

"So, this is the Ceryndip, we've been hearing about." Gabby said as she paid for some fruit. they continued on through the market place.

"So, has he shown you any of his old hunter's tricks yet?"

"Yeah, and a few have almost gotten me killed." Ceryn said with a wide grin.

"Me too on a few occasions."

"Really!"

"I don't know how they ever survive with out us."

"I know," shooting a backward glance. And then stopped in their tracks turned and gave Iolaus a mischievous glance.

"What?" The blonde hunter said with a puzzled expression.

The two girls just giggled. well, it was nice to finally meet you, Xena will be expecting me soon. The Amazon queen hugged Iolaus and they parted company

They soon met back up with Herc and Jane, and headed for the temple of the all mighty Oracle.

"And what have two been up to?" asked Ceryn.

"Wouldn't you like to know!" said Jane , cutting off Hercules before he could speak.

"You wish!" replied Ceryn, nudging Jane in the ribs with her elbow.

Hercules asked his best friend as they walked behind the two Amazons who were still giggling. "What's that all about?"

"Beats me, we ran into Gabrielle and they did the same thing".

Just then a large muscular burly individual blocked their path and stopped them abruptly.

"By the command of Ares you are to go no further."

"Oh really, and big bad Ares couldn't tell us this himself?" quarried the red-haired warrior goddess.

The man began to pull his sword, which caused Iolaus to go for his.

"I'll handle this" said Jane gesturing Iolaus and Herc to stop, "If I may?"

"By all means, be my guest." Ceryn answered wimsicly.

The white-haired Amazon walked up to the thug and looked him square in the eyes, and proceeded to poke him in the chest.

"Now, you listen here pal, if he wants us he knows were we are and he can come himself."

The thug began to backup a few paces.

"And further more you tell him to stop sending his hyper-thyroid geekboys after us, And another thing!" poking even harder now. "We're tired of people trying to shiskabob us with swords,arrows and other pointy objects."

The thug replaced his half-drawn sword and backed away, Jane then turned brushed her hands and confidently said "piece of cake." and proceeded to walk back to the others.

Unknown to her the thug pulled a dagger from his belt, then a resounding clang rang out as a skillet bounced of the back of his head, dropping him like a sack of wheat.

Jane quickly spun around.

"Gabrielle!" exclaimed Ceryndip.

"Thanks for the assist." Jane said.

"It was nothing, I guess it was a good thing I forgot our new skillet" she picked up and examined the now dented skillet. "We sure seem to go through more skillets, hmm."

A few minutes later the intrepid heroes finally made their way to the temple of the oracle.

Ceryndip and Jane were in awe of this temple, high arched ceilings, ornate carvings and statuary they walked on further until they came to the alter where they met the priestess of the oracle.

She was middle-aged, sixtyish, for all Ceryn knew she could have been a few hundred.

"I have been expecting you, my child." said the old woman "Come, sit down." moitionig Ceryn to sit down in front of her. "You have come a great distance to seek the wisdom of the Oracle."

"I guess so." answered the warrior goddess.

"You were told of a coming prophecy, by the dark one."

"You know that? "

"Of course that's why she's the oracle silly," said Jane who happened to be hiding behind the tall muscular half-God.

The priestess continued, "The prophecy says that one day, there will come from a far distant land a warrior with hair the color of fire and the warrior skill of Artemis herself, and put the dark one in his place.

"You sure you mean me,? I wouldn't stand a chance against Ares by myself."

"I can see no more!, you must leave now."

The red-haired warrior goddess stood up, now more confused than ever.

"Who ever said you would have to face him alone." said Iolaus putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah!, we'll pulverize the bum!" said Jane swinging her fist in the air as they all made there way out of the temple.

"Stop, come back son of Zeus."

Hercules stopped in his tracks, turned and looked the old crone.

The old woman continued, "I'm receiving a new vision"

Do you think she gets cable, I'm missing my favorite show," whispered Jane to Ceryn and getting a poke in the ribs for her trouble.

The priestess put her hand on her temples in what looked like a trance. "You and your companions will go on a journey of a vast distance and find danger and wonders of imagination."

"The image is clouded and I cannot see it clearly." She removed her hand from her temples and quickly sat back down.

"I still think it's bunch of mumbo jumbo." spouted Iolaus.

"Well, you believed us when we told you we were from the future." answered Ceryndip.

"Yeah, but, that's different!"

"Oh, forget it, let get out of here and do something more interesting."

"Like what?"

"Well," Ceryndip said looking ever so sly, "I could always teach you guys how to hang glide"

"Hey, leave me out of this!" Hercules said throwing up his hands.

Iolaus stopped in his tracks, "now wait a minute, you just going to stand there and let get me killed."

"Oh come on, it'll be fun"

"That is what worries me, your type of fun can get me hurt. Jane told me about what happened in Egypt."

"One misadventure with a lost idol and professor Jones and they won't ever let me forget.!"

To Be Concluded next time around.

Still to come:

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