"Report for morning drills!" "Ow." "Ah!" "Good morning, students." "Where's Cheiron?" "It's gonna be a long morning." "I said, good morning, students." "Good morning, Fiducius." "Until further notice" "I will be acting headmaster here at the academy." "What happened to Cheiron?" "He got called home to his kindrah." "A courier came at dawn." "They just left." "That's kind of weird, don't you think?" "Mmm." "What's a kindrah?" "It's Centaur for "clan."" "Don't you pay attention in language class?" "Mmm, not really." "And while I'm in charge," "I'll be making a few changes around here, particularly in the area of discipline." " Particularly in the area..." " Particularly in the area..." "Furthermore, I will be asking Cadet Jason to supervise your drill instruction." " Aw, good cadet." " Teacher's pet, huh?" "All right, uh, let's, uh, let's start exercising." "Stretch it out." "You know," "I think we should follow Cheiron." "I mean, what if he needs us?" "Yeah, I think Cheiron can take care of himself, okay?" "That's true, but he would never leave the academy unless it was a major crisis." "I think it's our duty to go." "Oh, really?" "Also, it's Friday." "It's the end of the school week." "We won't miss a thing." " Okay, bottom line." " Yeah." "Do you really wanna spend every minute with "Fiddleface" and the royal pain?" "I heard that." " Oh!" " Oh!" "Let's exercise, huh?" " This is us leaving." " This is us leaving." " Hey." " Hey." "Woo!" "There he goes." "We'll never catch Cheiron." "Sure, we will." "Herc, get real." "He's too fast." "He's got twice as many feet." "Well, I got two and you got two." "When you add us together we're just like a Centaur, all right, huh?" "Yeah, well, I know which end you are." "Oh, really?" "Huh?" "What next, huh?" " Whoa!" " Whoa!" "Uh-oh." "Ahhhh!" "Whoa, nice catch." "Thanks." "You know, this is getting to be a bit of a habit." "Quiet, insolent fool!" "Hey, watch the lips!" "Wait a second, I know that voice." "Lilith?" "You have a good ear." "Yeah, and I have a sore mouth." "I see you're still an Amazon." "I'm now captain of this scouting party." "Oh, get out of town." "Last time I saw you, you were just a junior cadet." "Yeah?" "Well, things have changed!" "Lilith, he meant no offense!" " Right, lolaus?" " Right, right, no offense." "Listen, Lilith?" "Remember, back at the academy, they teach that leaders don't need to be cruel to be in charge?" "The best ones can also be merciful." "You can't have forgotten that." " Yeah?" " Yeah." "Well, we'll take you to Princess Cyane." "She'll decide how to deal with you!" "Come on!" "In an age of light and darkness," "Zeus, kings of the gods, ruled the universe." "He had a son, Young Hercules." "Half-god, half-man." "Young Hercules longs to find his place in the world, the father he's never known, and what it means to be a hero." "Before the man became legend, before the legend became myth, came the greatest adventure of all." "The prisoners, my queen." "Thank you, Lilith." "Well, what a pleasure to see you both." "Especially you, Hercules." "Uh, same here." "It, uh, pleases me to have the son of Almighty Zeus here to witness the founding of our new homeland." "Where's Simula?" "Yes, Cyane?" "Perhaps you remember meeting Simula." "She's our oracle, and it was she who divined the will of the gods and led us here." "Oh, well, pleasure to see you again." "Maybe for you." "Uh, you know, we better be on our way." "Uh, but we're having a great banquet tonight to celebrate our good fortune." "You must stay." "Um, well, you see, we might have a friend who's in danger." "Um, uh, Herc." "Herc." "Yeah?" "We're talkin' about Amazons, here." " Okay." " Amazons." "You know, and besides what's the rush?" "I mean, it's almost sundown." "We'll never find Cheiron in the dark." "I think we should stick around." "Please?" "Please." "Okay." "All righty." "Here's your new assignments." "Zeus, kitchen duty." "Pft!" "Apron's over there." "Um, Hera." "Uh, the garden, and just try and cheer up a little, huh?" "Just try it." "Now as for you," "Uncle Ares." "Whoa." "Discord." "Don't do that." "You know, Strife?" "You're lucky it was me and not your Uncle Ares." "My brother hates it when lesser gods use his throne." "Kind of a clean freak thing." "Got the message?" "Got it." "Um, speaking of messages." "Did your Amazon friends get theirs?" "They're feeling right at home." "My plan is working perfectly." "Your plan." "Nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh." "See, you think you're so smart because you're a millennium older." "Well, this was my plan." "Mine, mine, mine!" "All right, fine!" " Mine!" " Fine!" "It's your plan." "Happy?" "The important thing is, we are about to stir up some serious misery." "Ohhh, yes." "The pain." "The suffering." "Uncle Ares is gonna be so pleased with us!" "Let's rock." "So, you're an Amazon." "What's up with that?" "Oh." "Settle down, Hercules." "I don't bite." "Yeah, well, I just wanted to make sure you feel comfortable, you know." "Oh, you don't seem to be." "Okay." "Uh, the thing is," "I'm not sure how to act around you, you know?" "I mean, the last time, I kinda, you know..." "Was the last time." "Well, let's just put it behind us." "You see, from where I sit, the future looks good." "We've finally found a place we can call our own." "We can hunt and build our homes." "Finally be at peace." "I'm really happy for you, Cyane." "Yeah." "There's just, there's just this one thing missing." "Oh, yeah?" "Um, those dancers must practice..." "Hercules." "Yeah?" "You could stay a while, you know?" "With us, with me." "I thought you Amazons only gave orders." "Well, you're no ordinary man." "Help!" "Help!" "Help!" "Help us!" "Get a poultice for her wounds." "Quickly!" "Oh, thank the Fates I was nearby." "I managed to save Melina but for the other two I was too late!" "What do you mean?" "!" "Where are the other sentries?" "!" "Gone!" "The beasts attacked under the cover of darkness and dragged them away!" "It was vicious!" "Cowardly!" "Who did this?" "Centaurs!" "There!" "You see?" "There!" "Are you sure that it was Centaurs?" "Of course, I'm sure." "It's true, they burst from the darkness." "You see?" "From the beginning of time, they have persecuted us, stolen our food, chased us off our land!" "They're no match for us in battle, so instead, they strike at night like jackals!" "They will pay for this outrage!" "Hold on, hold on!" "All right, everybody, calm down." "Yeah, yeah, yeah, just hold your horses." "Bad choice of words, I know." " I'm sorry." " Yeah." "Listen, this does not make sense, all right?" "Centaurs don't do sneak attacks!" "It's not their style!" "And how are you such an expert?" "Because his teacher, Cheiron, is a Centaur!" "Hey, uh, don't help, okay, Lilith?" "So, that makes you Centaur spies!" "Seize them and execute them!" " What?" " What are you talking about?" "You will do no such thing!" "I do not remember putting you in charge, Simula." "Your Highness, our very existence is at stake!" "We dare not show any mercy!" "And I will make that decision!" "Now, let them go!" "And we are not your enemy here!" "Neither is Cheiron!" "Now, you all came to our academy, and you met him." "He treated you with respect." "He also helped free you from Lyceus." "Look, we remember." "Where's Cheiron now?" "He was called home by his kindrah." "We were chasing him and we bumped into Lilith and her happy hunting party." "Pity they didn't finish you off then." "Cyane." "Now, we are not spies." "You do believe me?" "Look, I want to, but an attack on one of my sisters is an attack on all of us." "You must go." "You must go find Cheiron, and tell him that his Centaurs must release the captive Amazons." "You don't even know..." "Tell him that the attacks must cease, and restitution paid, or there will be war!" "Well." "Look who's back to giving orders." "Lilith will join you on your mission to the Centaur enclave." "Whoa, what do you mean, Lilith?" "What about me?" "We'll keep him here with us, just to ensure you and Lilith return safely." "Okay, you know what?" "No." "Iolaus, let's go." "What?" "Cyane?" "Go." "Come on, cadet." "Try to keep up." "Oh, great." "Fine." "Well, I guess me and the gals can find something to do." "Oh!" "Or maybe I'll just shut my big mouth." "Good idea." "Lilith, give it a rest, would ya?" "No!" "Why should I?" "Oh, man, you guys are all the same." "Always defending your corrupt, male-dominated culture." "You know, I gotta say, you were a lot easier to get along with back at the academy." "Yeah, well, back at the academy I was all alone." "You and the boys could treat me any way you wanted." "No, you're right." "Some of the cadets were jerks, okay?" "Half of 'em treated you like you were a porcelain doll, the other half ignored you." "Oh, then you admit it!" "Yeah, but get over it, okay?" "You give up on half the world, and you'll prove 'em right." "The girl can't take it." "Look, I wanted to be a warrior." "The Amazons made that real for me in a way you and your academy never could!" "Lilith." "Lil, wait up." "Lilith, listen." "I didn't know, really..." "Lilith!" "Don't let go!" "What is this place?" "It's called a Qu'ho." "It's the Centaur council." "Are they gonna put us on trial?" "That would have been my choice." "Who are you?" "I am Cavil, solon of this Qu'ho and I will ask you the questions." "Are you not Hercules, love slave of the Amazon, Cyane?" "No, uh, well..." "No, we're just friends." "Be careful how you choose your friends." "Cheiron?" "What are you doing away from the academy?" "Oh, well, lolaus and I thought that you might be in trouble, so we went after you and then, uh, well, we got captured by the Amazons and it all got kinda complicated after that." "Complicated?" "Is that what you call a sneak attack by a herd of Centaurs?" "I know of no such attack." "You see, it has ever been so between the Amazons and us." "Their cunning against our strength." "Their lies against our truth." "They accuse us of the very crimes that they commit." "What?" "Last evening, when the sun went down, two of our clan were taken by these brazen harridans." "I saw it with my own eyes." "Then you are either deluded, or a liar!" "Cheiron." "Whatever Cavil saw last night, it wasn't the Amazons." "They were at their camp, celebrating a new homeland." "Ah, but there's the dilemma." "Their new homeland is on our land." "This is why I was summoned by my kindrah." "To lead our forces and drive out the Amazons." "Then, you admit you attacked us!" "I admit no such thing!" "Until last night, I pleaded with our council to be patient!" "To forgive their trespasses!" "But, now..." "I can't believe what I'm hearing." "Are you really willing to go to war over a plot of land?" "This is no longer about land." "I do not understand!" "The two casualties were my brother and his son." "Perhaps, next time, your friends will choose their victims more carefully." "Hey, we're the victims here, not you." "Now, I demand you give our sisters back!" "Silence!" "The Amazons are the aggressors, and they must leave the grasslands at once or we will make them leave!" "Back at the academy, you were always telling us that we should maintain peace." "You're always telling me not to let my anger cloud my thinking!" "Why can't you take your own advice?" "Go back to the Amazons." "Tell them they have until dawn." "The choice is theirs." "They can leave and avert a war, or they can stay and start one." "Hercules, would ya slow down?" "No." "Your problem is you won't admit you might be wrong about the Centaurs!" "No, you see, my problem is that nobody will admit that they might be wrong about anything!" "The Amazons, the Centaurs have been fighting for centuries, and they're both too blind to listen!" "Listen to what?" "Hello, they attacked us!" "That's not what Cheiron says." "He says it was the other way around!" " But he's not telling the truth!" " That's my point!" "Don't you see?" "Something doesn't add up here!" "It's like what Cheiron said, appearances can be deceiving." "If I only had enough time to figure this all out." "What if you don't?" "Then two people that I care about are gonna spend tomorrow trying to destroy each other." "Aw, poor Hercules." "I hope he doesn't sprain his little brain with all that thinking." "Oh, let him strain away." "It's over." "Stick a fork in little Herc 'cause he is done!" "Ladies and gentlemen, this war is on!"