If you were wondering when this would finally get mushy...

“THE EIGHTH LABOR”

by Eric R. Umali

Chapter 4 - “Bargains”

The next three days were spent sunup to sundown, clearing trees from the lands the Amazons were expanding into.  Hercules’ part divine muscles were put to good use, and by the time he crawled into the small tent he’d been allotted on the edge of the village, he would’ve been glad to never see another tree again.

To his surprise, when he emerged from the tent the next morning, Hippolyte was waiting for him.

“Ah, Hippolyte,” he said, then yawned.  “I was wondering when I’d get to see you again.”

“I was away on an errand... for my mother,” Hippolyte replied.  “How are you?”

Hercules chuckled.  “Alea and the others are keeping my busy.”

“They are not treating you well?” she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

“Well, let’s just say they’re not treating me badly.”

“That is good.”

Hercules took a step forward, and Hippolyte immediately stepped back.  They stood silent for a second.  Finally, Hercules said, “So what brings you here?”

“It is time we lived up to our end of the bargain.”  She didn’t respond to the quizzical look on Hercules’ face, instead simply saying, “Follow me.”

“Anywhere,” Hercules muttered, falling in step behind the Princess.

Hippolyte led him to an area of the village he’d never seen before.  The open area was ringed with a number of rough wooden racks, all containing a gruesome variety of wooden and metal weapons, as well as the equipment for maintaining them.  Vertical pillars and horizontal beams were set nearby, for balance training, and were being used by several Amazons at the moment.  A waist-high fence enclosed a circle of dirt, and it was immediately apparent that it wasn’t an animal pen– it was a fighting ring.

“Now this looks familiar,” Hercules mused.  All action, even the turning of the sharpening wheels, stopped as he and Hippolyte approached.  “So who’s my teacher?”

“I am,” replied the regal voice from behind them.  Both young people spun to find Queen Larisse, attired for exercise, standing beside the entrance to the ring.

“I’m honored, Your Majesty,” said Hercules.

Hippolyte clapped him on the shoulder.  “And well you should be.  My Mother is not Queen simply due to birthright.  She is one of the finest warriors among us.”

Hercules was led inside the ring, with the Queen entering a moment after.  Hippolyte placed fighting staffs in both their hands, then left.

“You may have a few moments to practice with the staff,” Larisse told him.

Spinning the staff with great dexterity, Hercules said, “I’m used to staffs with pads at the ends.”

“Whatever for?”

“So we don’t hurt each other,” he replied honestly.

Larisse gave a short, derisive laugh.  “If you’re afraid of being hurt, Hercules, you’d best leave.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Then let’s begin.”

The two of them circled slowly, neither one wanting to make the first move.  Hercules saw the Queen plant one foot, and brought his staff around, anticipating a strike.  Larisse ducked underneath the swing, and tried to sweep Hercules’ legs out.  The young man was just able to jump in time.

Larisse attacked, and Hercules parried.  They continued for several minutes as more and more Amazons crowded around the ring to watch.  Hercules found himself having to force out the sound of their cheers, all directed away from him.

Finally, he brought his staff down hard on the Queen’s and pressed.  He allowed himself no small satisfaction when he felt her stance begin to fold.

Unfortunately, Larisse had seen this coming.  She bent and spun faster than any opponent Hercules had ever faced, and knocked his feet out from under him.  Before he could react, the Queen stood above him, the end of her staff just touching his throat.

“First lesson, Hercules– the more you depend solely on your strength, the easier you will be to defeat.”

Hercules nodded as best he could.  Larisse removed the staff and turned away to the deafening cheers of her subjects.  Levering himself to his feet, Hercules rubbed his neck, angry much more with himself than with anything else.

He called after her.  “Begging your pardon, Your Highness, but is that it?”  He noted the reactions he saw: disgust from Alea, anxiousness to see him beaten again from most of the others.  Hippolyte remained inscrutable.

Larisse turned, a look of amusement on her face.  “You want more?”

“I guarantee it’ll be harder to knock me down this time.”

“And next time?”

“Even harder; and harder still the time after that, until you can’t knock me down again.”

The Queen nodded.  “You almost sound like an Amazon.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he replied, kicking his staff back into his hand.

**********

And so it continued for the next several weeks: two days of work, one day of training, followed by one day of rest, during which he usually practiced, anyway.

The next time that Hercules was able to get out to the Crystal Pool, he had been at the Amazon’s village for more than a month.  He had proved to be invaluable to Queen Larisse’s plans, clearing acres of land a day, and accepting any chore, no matter how menial.

He had become a match in the ring for any warrior among the Amazons, and had even befriended a number of them.  Soon, his meals were no longer spent only in the company of Hippolyte.  Their story exchanges had drawn in several of her sister Amazons.

To all of their surprise, including Hercules’ own, the young man had demonstrated a talent for entertaining and caring for the dozen or so children of the village.

*Probably just making up for my own lack of a childhood,* Hercules thought as he made his way along the clear, cool brook.  Finally, he emerged into the clearing that contained the Crystal Pool.  Breathing in the clean, fresh air, he removed his tunic, rolled it up and placed it under his head as he lay beside the water.  Soon, the quiet lapping of the small waterfall lulled him to sleep.

Hercules was woken by the sound of boots on the grass, and he was immediately on his feet.  Hippolyte stood a few paces away.  “I apologize for having woken you, Hercules,” she said.

“No, it’s all right,” he answered.  “We haven’t had much time to talk lately.”

She raised an eyebrow.  “Hercules, we eat together every day.”

“I meant,” Hercules said, his voice lowering, “to talk... alone.”

Hippolyte’s mouth was suddenly dry.  She took a few steps closer.  “Was there... something you wanted to discuss?”

“No, I just... missed the company.”  After a few seconds, Hercules finally noticed the pair of staffs Hippolyte carried under her arm.  “What are those for?” he asked.  “It’s not a training day.”

“I know,” she answered, glad for the change in subject, “but I wanted to know just how much you’ve learned.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Absolutely”

He smiled.  “What are the stakes?”

She mulled it over.  “Winner decides the stakes, and the loser must comply.  Do we have a bargain?”

“You certainly do.”

Hippolyte tossed one of the staffs to him, then waded out into the pool, until she was thigh-deep.

Hercules followed her in.  They crossed staffs, playfully at first.  Soon, the play became serious, and the two young warriors joined the fight in earnest.  They splashed through the water, neither gaining ground for more than a few paces before losing it again.

Long minutes later, Hippolyte disarmed her opponent, then was surprised to find the favor returned.

“And now?” Hercules asked.

“Who needs weapons?” Hippolyte answered, then launched herself at him.

Hippolyte and Hercules began to grapple, both above and below the water.  Wrenching him by the arm, Hippolyte threw Hercules over her shoulder and under the water.  She waited several seconds for him to surface, then grew panicked.

“Hercules?!” she called.  “Hercules?!”  With a sudden jerk, she was yanked underwater herself.

More seconds passed before both young warriors burst from the water near the edge, locked in each other’s grip.  Soon, they rolled together onto dry land.  Hippolyte maneuvered herself so that she had Hercules pinned beneath her.

“I think we may have a problem,” she panted.

“I agree,” he replied, before levering himself into the upper position.  “Neither one of us is going to win this, and neither one of us is going to give up.”

Hippolyte rolled, and was again in control.  “So how do we decide who wins?”

Hercules tried to turn again, but Hippolyte pinned him all the harder.  Immediately, she was acutely aware of their closeness.  From nearly head to toe, they were pressed together, locked in each other’s arms, their lips a breath away.

For a moment, Hercules stopped struggling, and watched the fire in Hippolyte’s eyes change– not go out, but soften to a warmth that seemed to radiate from them and from her entire being.  He closed his eyes and leaned up towards her.

Hippolyte felt herself drawn towards him, and fought it for only a moment.  She saw the tenderness in his gaze just before his eyes closed, then lowered her own lips to his.

They kissed, a kiss full of apprehension, hunger and burning, youthful need, their wrestling lock changed instantly into a lovers’ embrace.

Soon, the need for air surpassed even their ardor, and they parted, reluctantly.

“What was that?” Hippolyte whispered, breathless.

“That was a kiss,” Hercules answered, just as breathless.  “Gods, that was a kiss.”

“It was my first,” she admitted, sheepishly.

“Well, if you get any better, I want to be there.”

For the first time since he’d met her, Hippolyte laughed, and Hercules’ heart leapt.  “You’d better be.”

“At the risk of seeming ungrateful... why?”

She smiled.  “Because everything in me told me I had to, or I’d explode.”

“Are you feeling that again?”

“Yes.”

“Then I certainly can’t let you explode, can I?”

He brought his mouth to hers once more, and they held each other for long while.

TO BE CONTINUED…