"Ripped By mstoll" "Majesty, the town of Thera is under attack." "It seems Pasiphae has learnt of the King's death." "Then we are at war." "Lord Sarpedon?" " Who are you?" " We mean you no harm." "Queen Ariadne sent us to escort you to Atlantis." "Thera has fallen." "If we are to escape, we must leave now." "This is madness." "Hercules!" "Pythagoras!" "We should head for the North Gate." "We can't save everyone." "We have to try." "Head for the Hiros Valley." "I'll meet you there." "Jason!" "That boy is nothing but trouble." "You heard him." "Head for the valley." " Ha!" "Run!" "If you're done playing the hero, we have to get out of here now." "Rest." "Thera is ours." "Atlantis will not fall so easily." "Their walls have never been breached." "You forget, I know the city better than anyone." "What makes you think that you can succeed where so many have failed?" "Deep within the royal vault there is a statue called the Palladium." "It is said Atlantis will never fall while it remains within its walls." "You believe this to be true?" "I have held it in my hands." "It carries the power of the gods." "Then any attempt to take Atlantis is doomed." "Just be sure that your men are ready to strike when the time is right." "Is something wrong, my Lord?" "It's many years since I left Atlantis." "I didn't know if I would ever return." "Lord Sarpedon, my prayers have been answered." "I'm so relieved that you are safe." "It was thanks to you." "If you had not sent your men..." "I am forever in your debt." "It causes me great sadness that I was not reconciled with the King before he died." "Whatever ill feeling there was between you, it is in the past." "These are dark times and I will need your counsel." "I would be honoured to serve my Queen." "Now tell me." "What news from Thera?" "Pasiphae's men were merciless." "Her banishment has made her hungry for revenge." "Prepare to lose your shirt, your trousers and your under garments." "Yes!" "It's usually you that loses the shirt on your back." "Not tonight." "Roll." "Oh!" "That'll be all." "Everything is ready, Medea." " Halt!" "The gods have spoken." "Something must have happened to have angered Poseidon like that." "They're here." "You will have felt Poseidon's anger." "There is good reason for it." "Less than an hour ago, the Palladium was stolen." "Does anyone know it's been taken?" "Only those present in this room." "Pasiphae is marching on Atlantis, as we speak." "If the army find out about this, they will desert and the city will fall." "You want us to retrieve it?" "I do not ask it lightly." "But there is no one else I can turn to." "The Colchean army are camped in the Icaria Valley." "If the Palladium is anywhere, it will be there." "Well, then you have my word." "I will not fail you." "May the gods be with you." "Do you really believe Jason will be successful?" "He has never failed me." "Would it be wrong to think that you have feelings for him?" "Even as a young girl," "I could always tell what you were thinking." "When my father died, I swore that my duty to Atlantis would come before all else," "including any feelings I might have." "In these difficult times, we are all forced to make hard choices." "I doubt the thief could have entered the palace without help." "You think they had an accomplice?" "Almost certainly." "Everyone in the palace is to be questioned." "I will not tolerate traitors in my court." "Gather some supplies." "We'll leave at first light." "Where are you going?" "There is something I must do." "I have been expecting you." "The gods have spoken." "A new dawn is beginning." "It is time." "Time for what?" "I have done my best to guide you, but there are some things that you must see for yourself." "Clear your mind of all thoughts." "Don't fight it." "Let the Kykeon wash over you." "You will see with my eyes." "What was that?" "It is the fate that awaits us all." "Last night, we took the first steps along this path." "Only you can stop this from coming to pass." "How?" "Surely that's beyond anyone?" "Anyone, except you." "You are not like ordinary men." "You must embrace your destiny." " Medea." "Oh." "I was beginning to worry." "Did everything go as planned?" "You have the Palladium?" "When I took it from the plinth, the earth shook..." "I have never seen such power." "You are a Princess of Colchis." "You should not fear anything." "It senses our power." "There is nothing that can stop us taking Atlantis now." "I believe you volunteered us to retrieve the Palladium from under the nose of the entire Colchean army." "Ariadne had no one else she could turn to." "You expect him to see sense, but it strikes me that love is entirely nonsensical." "No matter how many times you risk your life, you're not of royal blood." "You and Ariadne can never be together." "And if you think otherwise, you're a fool, and you will die a fool's death." "That might have sounded a little harsher than I meant it to." "This is about more than Ariadne." "I have to do this." "Why do you believe that?" "Ever since I came to Atlantis," "I've been told I have a destiny, a purpose." "For the first time," "I think I understand it." "I always believed him to be invincible." "As did he." "When we were children, we would climb into the bull pens and wait for the bulls to turn on us." "Minos was always the last to jump out." "He remembered the times you spent together fondly." "As do I." "But when he sent me into exile, it hurt." "More than I can say." "I know my father regretted his decision." "He believed I plotted to overthrow him, but he misjudged me." "I was always loyal." "He knew that." "What is it?" "It appears we have caught the intruder's accomplice." "We found him with blood on his clothing." "When questioned, he attempted to flee." "Was anyone else from the palace involved?" "He is refusing to say." "Then he must be made to talk." "Colcheans!" "So, what's the plan?" "Oh, the plan for when we're pinned down," "surrounded and vastly outnumbered?" "Yes, that plan." "Well, I suppose we could die in this ditch making a stand, or we could die fighting for our lives amongst the trees." "That's it?" "On the count of three." "One, two..." "Why is it always three?" "It's very interesting." "Why not four, or five or..." "Sorry." "Three!" "Whoa!" " Ahhh!" "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" "I think our horses may have bolted." "No." "Please." "You slaughter women and children, and beg us for mercy?" "I was forced to fight." "I'm begging you..." "Kill him." "He's unarmed." "I can't kill him in cold blood." " Pick up the sword." " No..." "Pick up the sword or die like a coward!" "Pick it up!" "I can't..." "I won't..." "Hercules..." "We can't execute an unarmed man." "Letting him go could jeopardise the entire mission." "Logic dictates we kill him." "Then you'll have to do it because I won't." "Very well." "Please." "No." "No, please, I'm begging you." "Don't..." "Reason demands it." "I won't fight for the Colcheans again." "I swear." "I swear on my life." "There are bigger things at stake than one man's life." "Please." "No." "I can't do it." "It's all right." "Where are you from?" "Tamos." "All I want to do is go home." "Well, then you should start walking." "Thank you." "On your head be it." "Drink." "They can torture me all they like." "I have told them what you asked me to, no more." "You are loyal, and you have served me well." "I am truly sorry for what I have done." "I cannot afford to take the risk." "Don't fight it." "Do you believe it's true, what he said about his destiny?" "I believe he's faster than any man I have ever seen." "He can look at Medusa without being turned to stone." "What's our part in this?" "It seems our destiny is to die following him on this suicide mission." "Before Jason came into our lives, you wouldn't have followed anyone for any kind of mission." "It was a struggle to get you out of the tavern." "That is a bare-faced lie!" "Is it?" "No." "I've spent my life in taverns claiming to be a hero." "I know the real thing when I see it." "That's why I follow him on these ridiculous missions, in the hope I'll become the man I pretend to be." "Why do you follow him?" "That would seem an entirely illogical thing to do." "The truth is, you and Jason are the only real family I have." "I love you, both of you." "For a rational man, it leaves me utterly bewildered, but there it is." "I do it for love." "Are you crying?" "Crying?" "Don't be ridiculous." "Got some ash in my eye..." "No." "You have tears in both of your eyes." "Are you going to keep me awake talking all night, or are you going to let me get some sleep?" "The prisoner was found dead in his cell." "It seems the guards were too forceful." "Did he reveal anything before he died?" "Very little." "There's something you're not telling me." "He told the men the Palladium is no longer within the city." "Your soldiers are loyal, but I don't believe they will keep this to themselves." "It can only be a matter of time before word of this spreads." "If Dion's right, the Colchean army should be camped on the other side of those mountains." "There's thousands of them." "Tens of thousands." "And somewhere amongst them is the Palladium." "I would say our chances of success are slim to non-existent." "Really?" "As high as that?" "I always say, it's never too late to turn and flee like cowards." "We'll go in under the cover of darkness." "There." "All right." "Pasiphae won't allow the Palladium far from her sight." "It must be in her tent." "Good evening." "Keep watch." "Pythagoras!" "Let's go!" "Seize them!" "I think we've lost them." "Go!" "I'll catch you up." "We'll never make it past them." "We might make it over them." "Come on." "Where are we going?" "Apparently we're going over them." "Over them?" "We might as well fall on our swords because this is suicide." "Well, that really was rather exhilarating." "Is that what you call it?" "They won't be far behind us." "We'll never outrun them on foot." "Head for the rocks." "The paths will be too steep for their horses." "Pantheras." "Take your men on ahead." "Ha!" "Come on." "The others won't be far behind." "We have to keep moving." "No!" "Jason!" "You!" "I said..." "I said we should never have let him go but nobody listens and this is the result." "Hercules." "How bad is it?" "I can't tell until I remove the arrow." "I'm afraid this is going to hurt." "How does it look?" "I need to dress it." "No, no." "There's no time." "Just take the Palladium and go." "We're not leaving." "No, I promised Ariadne." "I would rather die than fail her." "I won't let you die and that's an end to it." "He's losing too much blood." "I need to pack the wound more tightly." "You're right." "This is hopeless." "We'll never outrun them." "There." "That cave." "If we can make it inside without being seen, they might pass us by." "It seems our luck has run out." "Not necessarily." "I just hope it's strong enough." "There's only one way to find out." "Whatever you do, don't look down." "Oh, no." " What?" " I just looked down." "Oh." "Go!" "We have to see to his wound." "They have taken shelter in the cave." "They are trapped." "We shall make certain of it." "Send word to the camp." "We march on Atlantis." "Well, we're not getting out that way." "How is he?" "We have to stop the bleeding." "See if you can find some wood to build a fire." "Dion, what news?" "The Colchean army has crossed the river at Nestos." "They will reach the city by nightfall." "Thank you, Dion." "I've stopped the bleeding for now." "Then we need to find a way out of here." "What was that?" "I'm sure it's just bats." "I hate bats." "The Generals believe the Colcheans number over 40,000." "Without the Palladium, I fear the city will fall." "You believe I should surrender?" "Pasiphae is not a barbarian." "She will offer safe passage for yourself and other members of court." "You believe it is my life I fear for?" "How many would die under Pasiphae's rule?" "I will not leave my people to suffer under her tyranny." "The soldiers know that the Palladium is gone." "They are fleeing in their droves." "As long as there are soldiers left, I will stand with them." "I still have faith in Jason." "They were caught deserting the city." "Tell me." "Why are you deserting?" "Perhaps you have lost faith in your new Queen?" "No!" "A loyal soldier does not flee on the eve of battle." "Atlantis is doomed." "Why would you believe that?" "The truth, and your life will be spared." "You have my word." "The Palladium was stolen." "Without it, Atlantis will fall." "The gods have spoken." "Release them." "Let it be known there will be safe passage for all of those who wish to follow." "Lord Sarpedon has served us well." "Ready the men." "We attack tonight." "Argh!" "This is hopeless." "The tunnels go on for miles." "The Colchean army will be marching on Atlantis." " We have to go on." "That doesn't sound like bats." "I have dreamt of the day" "I would re-take the throne." "Heave!" "And now it has finally come." "Perhaps we lost it." "Or perhaps it found us." "Ripped By mstoll"