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ALL IN THE FAMILY
A lone girl stood on top of a hill as she shouted at a cloudy sky,“Hera.....answer me! Remember me! I’m the one you sent your men to kill,” She held up a peacocks feather, “They failed! One way or another this will end!” She turned and walked down the hill. She knew Hera was listening. The Queen of the gods had tried to kill her one time to many....now she was going to find
Hercules.
Hercules and his companion Iolaus were in a tavern relaxing after a hardweek of traveling. “Hey Herc, is it me or do you feel that somethhing is about to happen?”
Hercules looked over his mug of wine and raised a spicious eyebrow ashe said, “What? Peace and quiet to much for you? I think that after all we been through this is exactly what we need...not to mention what we deserve,” and he went back to his drink.
A few moments later a scream came from the other side of the tavern. Hercules and Iolaus turned around and saw a young girl about to throw a man in their direction. Both men ducked as the body was flung past them and landed roughly on the floor.
“When will this stop???!!!” She screamed. But the girl failed to notice that another guy was coming up behind her until Hercules threw the guy back across the room from which he came. The girl turned and looked at him, her breaths were quick and heavy as she said, “Thanks,” she looked at him for a few
moments before she asked, “Who are you?”
Hercules offered his hand as he said, “Hercules, and your welcome.”
“Hercules,” she repeated, “The Hercules...as in the son of Zeus?”
Hercules laughed slightly as he said, “I see you heard of me. Yes, I’m that Hercules,” he gestured toward Iolaus, “and that is my friend Iolaus.”
The girl bit her bottom lip before she threw her arms around Heercules’s neck and exclaimed, “Brother!”
Hercules held his hands back as he and Iolaus, who had made his way over to them repeat in unison, “Brother?”
The girl stood back, “Yes, you are my brother,” she said as the three of them started walking out of the tavern, “You even said so yourself.”
“No, I didn’t,” Hercules said insistently, “What’s you name anyway?”
The girl answered, “I am Andronikki. Nikki for short. My mother is Theila,Queen of Thaliess,” she looked at Hercules out the side of her eye, “and yes, you did.”
“Why would I say something like that when I know I have no sisters living down here?”
Iolaus broke in, “I hate to admit it Herc, but I do see some resemblance. I mean, same hair same eyes. Its almost like she is a female version of you,” he said, but then added quickly when he looked at her, “only more shapely, prettier than you...not that your ugly ar anything,” he stopped for a minute feeling really stupid, he held a hand out to Andronikki, “Hi, I’m Iolaus.”
Andronikki smiled and laughed good naturedly as she said, “I know who you are; and if that is your idea of a recovery, I’d really hate to hear one of your pickup lines.”
The three came to a waterfall not far from the village and settled by a couple of big rocks. Andronikki opened her knapsack and pulled out some food for the three of them. As she did this Hercles said, “I still don’t get it. You say, I
said you are my sister, but I didn’t.”
“Hey, Andronikki, did you make this,” Iolaus asked as he took a bite out of a loaf of bread, “Cause if you did, these are really good!”
“Actually, yes, I did!” Andronikki said as she tossed her shoulder length light brown hair over her shoulder. Then she turned her attention back on Hecules, “and yes you did.”
“When?” he asked.
“When I asked you if you were the soon of Zeus,” she answered, “You see, he is my father too.”
“What?! What do you mean Zeus is your father too?” Hercules asked looking at her out the side of his eyes questionably. If she was another child of Zeus, then she was indeed his sister, and let’s face it Zes is not exactly the
monogamous type, he thought as he chewed on a piece of bread.
“Well, that is what my mother told me, and there is the fact that when he showed up, generally at the most unusal times, he refers to me as his daughter.”
Andronikki explained with a ever so slightly sarcastic....yet goof humored tone as she stretched out on the grass. “Look, can I stay with yoou guys for a while,” she asked.
“I don’t see why not,” Iolaus said casually as he started to prepare for that nights sleep by grabbing his and Hercules’s mats and rolling them out, “What do you say Herc?”
After Iolaus finished rolling out the mats, Hercules plopped down, and streched out as he said, “Sure, why not. After all she is family,” as he looked at Andronikki’s grinning face before he went swiftly to sleep.
Iolaus and Andronikki stayed up a little while longer after their comrade had gone to sleep. Neither one had really said anything to one another, andthen Andronikki got up and walked down to the waterfall. A few moments later
Iolaus got up and followed her. It was only moments before he spotted her walking along side the waterfall. He stopped for a moment to look at her. Her light brown hair gently framing her face. The moon shone softly on her tanned skin and glistened in her hazel eyes. The spray surrounding her from the waterfall gave her an almost nearthly aura of beauty. As he gazed upon her he though that surely she must be the daughter of a god. He stepped out of the brushes he was in and said, “How ya doin’ ?”
Andronikki turned toward the sound of his voice, her hair flying about her. She stopped for a moment, then she said somewhat cheerfully, “OH, hi! I thought I was alone.” She lookked around somewhat nervosly when she asked, “Ummm. I do hate to ask, but where were the two of you going?”
“The next two towns over. We were meeting some friends of ours,” he answered.
The two of them continued to walk by the water. Andronikki gazed out at the babling river when she asked, “What’s it like?”
“What’s what like?” Asked Iolaus in return.
“Having friends,” she replied softly.
Laughing, Iolaus touched her onthe shoulder and said, “That’s a good one.”
“I’m not kidding.” Andronikki replied more solemnly.
“Don’t you have friends, family?” Iolaus asked growing more concerned.
‘ I never had any friends,” she answered, “and as for family, all I ever really had was a mother, sorta, a father who popped in and out whenever he wanted to just cause he was a god, and my littlest sisters and brother. The others couldn’t care less about me.”
Iolaus rubbed her shoulder as he asked, “what others?”
“ I have six sisters and brothers. There are three before me and three after. I don’t really get along with any of them except for the two youngest ones.” Andronikki answered sadly.
“Why,” Iolaus asked.
With a heavy sigh Andronikki answered again, “They son’t like me cause I am the only child in our family’s history to have a different parent than the rest of the children, and that my father is king of the gods and I was granted powers. My brothers especially hated that. They feel theat they shold have powers and not some, how did he put it,” she pased for a moment, “not some bastard girl. There were even a couple of time when they tried to kill me” Her voice started to fail her and tears started to slowly fall from her eyes. “All that plus Hera trying to kill me, was quite a lot to bare, so I just up and left one day and decided to find my half brother Hercules. I thought that maybe he could help me...you know talk to my mother and the others or at least let me stay with you two. I mean what
do I have to lose?”
Iolaus raised his hand so that it was on her shoulder to face her. His thumb gently rubbed away a few tears. She couldn’t even look at him. He then pulled her close to his body and wrapped her in his arms. “Shhh! It’s going to
be okay,” he soothed. He gently stroked her soft doe colored hair he admired only a few moments ago. They just stood there. Iolaus let her cry until he was sure that she was too tired and had no more tears to continue. He then picked her up, she was limp in his arms and carried her back to where they had set up
for the night. He laid her down on her blankets. HE noticed that some of her hair was in her face so he reached down and brushed it aside. Iolaus sat down on his own blankets and as he went to sleep, he thought of all the things Andronikki must have gone through and he hoped that she wouldn’t ever have to
go throught it again.
CHAPTER TWO
The next morning the three had headed out for Clorlitis early in order to make it on time for there meeting. Although Andronikki still did not know who they were to meet, she lagged behind a bit. She needed sometime to think. She knew in her heart that Hercules was truly her brother and she, already inthe short
time she has known him, loved him like one. More so than the ones she had in Thaliess, except the youngest. But what did he think of her?
Hercules walked up ahead with Iolaus and asked him, “Do you know what’s wrong with Andronikki? She seems quite different from yesterday.”
Iolaus glanced back at Andronikki for a second and than explained to Hercules, “She’s had a rough life for a princess. No friends, almost no real family except for mothers, barely ther father, you know that, and two younger siblings. And then there’s Hera. I think that it all just sunk in, in one blow.”
Hercules was about to say something when he saw the village just over the hill. He dropped back to tell Andronikki and when they reached the bottom of the hill they were greeted by Xena, her best friend Gabrielle, and their tagalongs,Joxer and Zenos. Everyone was shaking hands and saying hello, except Andronikki. She just stepped back and watched. She figured none of these
warriors would even notice her now, that was until Joxer came over to her. He offered her his hand and introduced himself as ‘Joxer the Mighty’, Andronikki couldn’t help laughing qietly at the silly grin he had on his face dispate her earlier mood as she said softly, “Hi, I am Nikki.”
Joxer took Andronikki by the elbow and rushed her over to the group as he called, “Hey, Xena, Gabrielle! Have you met Nikki?”
When they reached the small circle of friends Gabrielle and Xena shook Andronikki’s hand as Hercules said, “She’s my half sister.”
“Are you a goddess?” Gabrielle asked.
“No,” Andronikki answered, “Zeus is my father but my mother is a mortal.“And the subject was left at that.
Xena than turned to Hercules and said,” Look we just got a message asking for help and we want you to come along.”
“Well, what’s wrong?” Hercules asked as he put his hands on his hips.
Gabrielle cut in, “There has been a kidnapping. The nnappers are demanding for all their requests to be met or they will kill the hostages.”
“who was taken?” Iolaus asked.
“A young boy named Takis aand one of his older sisters.” Xena answered.
Andronikki turned at the sound of the young boys name, her eyes were wide. “Nooooo!” she screamed suddenly and tears instantly began to fall as she did to the ground. Iolaus was instantly at her side. He helped her back up on her feet with the help of Hercules.
“What’s wrong,” Joxer asked concerned for he had taken an immediate liking to Andronikki.
“What is the name of the kingdom?” Andronikki had managed to ask.
“Thaliess!” Zenos answered.
Andronikki slumped in Iolaus’s arms. More tears came as she said, “Takis.... he is my baby brother. He’s only eight years old,” as she held on desperately to Iolaus.
“What is she talking about?” Xena asked raising her voice ever so slightly, “who is she exactly? And how did she know he was eight?”
When Andronikki finally managed to stop crying she slowly moved away from Iolaus. She wiped away her tears and pulled her brownish gold hair out of her face. She looked directly at the warrior princess’s eyes, “I am Princess Andronikki, the fourth child of Queen Thalia.”
Gabrielle shook her head, “that’s impossible!! You can’t be PrincessAndronikki,” with disbelief in her voice, “she was the sister kidnapped with Takis.”
Xena pulled out her sword and pointed it at Andronikki’s throat as she nearly hissed, “I think you had better explain yourself.” What she really wanted to know was how this girl was going to pull off being the kidnapped princess. And she doubted very much that there could be two princesses named Andronikki.
Andronikki didn’t flinch. She looked at the sword and than back at Xena, “That does not scare me!”
Hercules stepped between the two and pushed Xena’s sword away, “Let her talk.”
“The kidnappers lied.” Andronikki said plainly.
“Don’t you think that Queen Thalia would know if her daughter was kidnapped?” Xenas asked warily of the girl.
I ran away from home. Those who kidnapped my brother must have
found out and claimed to have taken me too, for leverage over my mother.” Andronikki countered.
“All right. Let’s say that, that is true. Why would you run away?”
“Family problems!” Andronikki said. “My mother asked you, now I am asking you. All of you. Please help me get my brother back,” she looked at Xena again, “Please? It would not be the first time you helped my family Xena.”
“What do you mean? Xena asked still not completely convinced, and she would not be until they reached Thaliess.
“You helped my 2nd cousin reclaim his kingdom.”
Joxer came in the conversation, “Who is your 2nd cousin?”
Andronikki answered, “Ulysses of Ithaca.”
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