"If anyone is to end her life, it will be me." "What's she doing here?" " She's with me." "I mean you no harm." " She will kill us the first chance she gets." "I don't believe that." "If we are to escape with our lives, you have to trust me." "Never." "Let her go." "No." "Medea." "I know you can hear me." "I swear, I will find you, and I will kill you." "Where is she?" "She's here somewhere." "We have to find her." " Jason." "The Queen needs you." "What have I done?" " We must get her back to Atlantis." "Jason." "You must wait here." "I understand you are a healer?" "A practitioner of medicine, of sorts." "I will need betony and blue iris root." "She's in good hands." "The best hands." "If she dies," "I will never forgive myself." "You weren't to know what Medea would do." "You knew." "You see the best in people." "It's your faith that makes you who you are." "And what if my faith in people costs Ariadne her life?" "Are you hungry?" "You must be hungry." "You should eat something." "I have no appetite." "How is she?" " She's resting." "Is she going to be all right?" "Tell me." "I have done what I can for her." "It is in the hands of the Gods now." "I have to know." "The Queen was badly wounded." "Nothing is certain." " Please." "She is very weak, but the bleeding has stopped." "Praise the Gods." "You should be at her side." "Thank you." "How is he?" " He blames himself." "Are you hungry?" "You must be hungry." "You should eat something." " I have no appetite." "Well, I for one have to eat something." "Jason?" "I won't leave your side." "It's very kind of you to let me stay in your home." "Not at all." "It's the least I can do." "I am well known for my kindness and generosity." "Everyone will tell you." "Almost everyone will tell you." "Tomorrow, I shall be on my way." "Really?" "You're welcome to stay as long as you need." "I must attend to Eurydice's funeral rites." "You are welcome to finish the rest of it." "I'm so sorry about Eurydice." "I know how it feels to lose your true love." "Eurydice isn't lost to me." "But she's dead?" "Well, do you think that" "I could let that stand between us?" "Oh, no, no." "We shall be together again, even if I must journey to Hades." "Love only dies when you give up on it." "As long as I have breath in my body, then I know there is still hope." "I'm old and tired, and in need of my bed." "Good night." "Where there is love, there is always a way." "Good night, Hercules." "Ariadne?" "Help." "Please." "Please." "Someone help me." "I can't understand it." "The wound had stopped bleeding." "It's as if there is something preventing the Queen's body from healing itself." "You believe she has an infection?" " An infection?" "No." "What do you mean?" "Will the wound heal?" "I can't be certain." "Do you have the knife?" "The sorceress who has enchanted this blade has great power." "This dagger is imbued with a death curse." "But it is Colchean magic." "I cannot undo it." "No." "There must be something you can do?" "It is beyond my powers." "I fear the Queen's wound is fatal." "No." "No." "I won't let her die." "There must be something." "What?" "What is it?" "Tell me." "There are some who may have the knowledge you seek." " Who?" "They are known as the Grey Sisters." "They are the most powerful seers on this earth." "Nothing escapes their gaze, not even the minds of the Gods." "If there is a cure for Ariadne, they will know it." "Where can I find them?" "They are dangerous." "They may tell you things you do not wish to hear." "If they can heal Ariadne, then that is a risk I must take." "Now tell me, where I can find them?" "Look at him." "He'll stop at nothing to heal Ariadne." "He'll never give up, no matter what it takes." "What's wrong?" " Nothing." "When your face is all screwed up and jowly like that, it is never nothing." "Jowly?" "I was thinking." "Which is when you are at your jowliest." "I'm nothing but a joke to you, am I?" "Stupid, jowly Hercules who cares for no-one but himself." "Hercules, what's wrong?" "Medusa." "I promised I'd find her a cure and what have I done?" "Nothing." "I've left her rotting in that cave." "There was nothing you could do." "Or is that what I tell myself because it's easier?" "Orpheus and Jason, they'd never give up on the women they love." "They'd go the ends of the Earth and beyond." "Rumours of the Queen's plight have spread throughout Atlantis." "The people are fearful." "When the Queen dies, there are many in the city who will support your claim to the throne." "Good." "I want to know the moment she passes." "It will be done, Your Highness." " I am not yet Queen." "But soon." "I look forward to serving in your court." "Tell me, Cilix." "When you are in my court, will you betray me so easily?" "I have always been loyal." "Minos could not have taken the throne without my support." "For which you were well rewarded." "Your loyalty was bought." "Who's to say it could not be bought by someone else?" "Coming here like this, I am risking everything." "If you fail, I will more than likely be executed as a traitor." "Then it is in both our interests that I succeed." "Indeed." "Listen." "I don't hear anything." "There's no bird song." "Is it just me, or does anyone else have a really bad feeling about this place?" "What are these things?" " They're totems." "He's here." " What does he look like?" "He's handsome." "A pretty boy." "I want to see him." "Give me the eye." "Oh." "A very pretty boy." "You know who I am?" "We have been expecting you." "Long have we waited." "Then you know why I'm here?" "You wish to heal the Queen." "His precious Queen." "You must love her very much." "Do you know how to heal her?" "We know many things." " See many things." "Tell me." "Please." " You have something for us?" "Oh, has he brought us a gift?" "I have nothing." " Nothing?" "Then you will receive nothing." "No." "You have to help me." "Ariadne is dying." "I'm begging you." "He's begging." " Such a pretty boy." "Tell me what you want from me." "Anything." "I want to see him." "Give me the eye." "Who has the eye?" "Where is the eye?" "You can't see?" "The boy has it." " Give it back." "Give her the eye." "Answer my question." "How do I heal Ariadne?" "The eye first." "I swear, I will slice it in two." "No." " Tell me what I want to know." "There is but one way to heal the Queen." "The wound must be treated with the blood of the enchantress." "Medea?" "Blood to heal blood." "Where do I find her?" "Oh, the witch is with her Goddess." "The Temple of Hecate." "Deep within the Kalabrian forest." "There is nothing I would like more than to spill her blood." "Such a stupid boy." "Stupid and pretty." "You must not kill her." " Why?" "He's blinder than us." "Stupid and blind." "Your fates are entwined." "No." "You're lying." " No, it is you who lies." "Lies to yourself." "You already sense it." "Without her, all that you strive for will be lost." "You will come to see that, one day in a far off land." "You have your answer." "Give us the eye." " The eye." "Catch." "Where is it?" " Where's the eye?" "The Kalabrian Forest." "They say it is cursed, a place of sorcery of the darkest kind." "Why is it never a sun kissed meadow or a pretty olive grove?" "It's scared." "It senses what lies in the forest." "We will have to continue on foot." "He's very quiet." "I imagine he's thinking about what the grey sisters told him." " And?" "Why did they say that Jason and Medea's fates were entwined?" "He's going to kill her." "You don't get more entwined." "They said he wouldn't be able to kill her." " What do they know?" "They're the most powerful seers known to man." "Fair point." "Well, if Jason can't kill her, we'll just have to." "Then according to the Grey Sisters, everything Jason strives for will be lost." "So you're saying we can't kill her either?" " I don't know." "There are forces at work we can't possibly begin to understand." "I miss the days when you could kill a witch and not worry about the consequences." "What was that?" "I believe it was a Stymphalian Bird." " They are ugly beasts." "With an insatiable thirst for blood." "It is said they can detect the scent of a single drop at a thousand paces." "Although I doubt anyone has scientifically measured the distance." "They're sure to have guards posted." "We will wait until nightfall." "What's wrong?" "I was just thinking about Ariadne." "What is it?" " Listen." "What?" " There." "Mosquito." "A mosquito?" "I won't be needing my sword then." "Gotcha." "One more beast dispatched to Hades." "Hercules." "Don't worry." "I'm pretty sure I'll survive." "The Stymphalian Birds." "They have scented your blood." "Run." "Run." "Stupid bird." "You can't leave the gully until you've stopped bleeding." "They'll tear you to shreds." "All that will be left of you is your bones." "Thank you for those words of comfort." "I'm going on alone." " No." "There's no time." "Ariadne will die unless her wound is treated." "Go with him." " No." "We can't leave you here." "Patch me up as best you can." " No, you have to stay." "You're not going in there alone." "It's too dangerous." "Go." "Stay with him." " Just leave me and go." " Stay." "Stop it, both of you, or I will bang your stupid, empty heads together." "We have no choice." "If I don't stop the bleeding, you won't make it out this forest alive." "Then that's settled then." "Just try not to do anything heroic." "And by heroic, I mean stupid." "I'll try my best." "Jason." "What's that?" " It's for Medea's blood." "This is madness." "Alert the queen." "You have come to kill me?" "You deserve to die for what you did to Ariadne." "For me to kill her is wrong, but for you to take my life is somehow right?" "It's necessary." " Then why do you hesitate?" "Maybe I'm not as cold blooded as you." "But you will kill me nonetheless?" "What is it that's stopping you?" "You feel it as I do." "We are both touched by the Gods." "You don't know me." "I sense something in you, as you sense it in me." "You can't deny it." "Seize him." "Take him to the cells." "Medea?" "Medea?" "How do you feel?" " I'm fine." "Did he say anything to you?" "Medea?" "Only that he meant to kill me for what I did to Ariadne." "And yet he spared your life." "Why is that?" "I do not know." "What will you do to him?" "Are you going to kill him?" "It isn't that simple." " Why?" "Because he is my son." "I shouldn't have let him go." "You think you could have stopped him?" "He could have been caught." "Or killed." "He could have run into Pasiphae and killed her." "Or he could have run into Pasiphae and discovered that she's his mother." "That does not bear thinking about." "Until your wounds are healed, there is nothing we can do but wait." "I'm sorry, I startled you." "Forgive the chains." "Take them off, if you like." " And what would you do if I did?" "You'd kill me, wouldn't you?" " I'd certainly try." "That's understandable." "After all, you think of me as your enemy." "That is who you are." "Perhaps it doesn't have to be that way." "You expect me to change sides?" "You talk of sides." "It is never that simple." "It is that simple to me." "So if you're going to kill me, you may as well get on with it." "Are you really that anxious to die?" "What do you want?" "Please, eat." "If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead." "So why did you spare my life?" "I believe we are more similar than you think." "And what makes you think that?" "I cannot pretend to be as virtuous as you." "But I too have principles, beliefs that I am prepared to die for." "Atlantis is a great city." "I will not see it destroyed because Ariadne is too weak to defend it." "She defends it from you." "You think I am the only threat?" "Our enemies are watching, they will seek to exploit Ariadne's weakness." "We cannot let that happen." "Ariadne is the rightful heir to the throne." " Ariadne's father usurped the King." "She has no more right to the throne than I. Or you for that matter." "I believe in her." "She is a true and just Queen." "True and just maybe, but weak." "She's stronger than you think." " Really?" "I hear she's dying." "You may not believe this, but I tried with Ariadne." "I treated her like a daughter." "She always resented me." "You have spent so much of your life lying that you no longer know the truth." "Do you always tell the truth?" "Tell me." "Why are you here?" "I came to kill Medea." "And yet you spared her life?" "Why is that?" "Well, I'm not like you." "You believe we are different, yet we both wish to protect Atlantis." "I fight to protect the people from you." "The people will only be safe when Atlantis is strong." "If you truly wish to protect Atlantis, we must put our differences aside." "Pacing backwards and forwards like that won't make your wounds heal any quicker." "The best thing to do is sit still." "How can I sit still now?" "Jason should have been back ages ago." "We have to go after him." "Check me again." "Well?" "Have I stopped bleeding yet?" "It appears so." "We'll soon find out." "It's just a crow." " I hate crows." "So you have nothing better to do than watch me eat?" "I wish to understand you, and for you to understand me." "You really have no desire to find common ground, to end the bloodshed?" "I came to here looking for my father." "Did you find him?" " He's dead." "And your mother?" " She died shortly after I was born." "You have no memory of her?" "None." "Did your father ever speak of her?" "I would ask but" "I think the memory of her was too painful for him." "Why do you ask all these questions?" "Perhaps there is a way that we can end this, that we can no longer be enemies." "I don't see how." "I don't believe you're ready to hear what I need to tell you." "But there will come a time, soon." "Please." "I want to know what you mean." "I am not who you believe me to be." "You are exactly who I believe you to be." "No, no, no." "Are you hurt?" " Stop." "Stop." "It's a patrol." "We'll just have to wait until they pass." " What are they doing?" "They appear to be stopping for a rest." " Of all the places." "I fear if we try and go round them we'll be seen." "Jason needs us." "We'll have to take them out." "You can't use your sword." "You'll draw blood." "It will attract the Stymphalian birds." "You expect us to kill an entire patrol without drawing blood?" "It would be preferable." " Not to mention impossible." "We'll just have to wait until they move on." "There was such hatred in his eyes." "He will only ever see me as his enemy." "Perhaps with time he will think of you differently." "I was a fool to believe that." "I cannot permit myself to have these feelings again." "You're going to kill him?" "He is your son." "I lost him the moment his father took him away from me." "He was dead to me a long time ago." "We'll never make it past them without the alarm being raised." "Then it seems there's only one option." "Here you are, in a cell." "What a surprise." "Now, can we get out of here?" "Where's Medea's blood?" " I already have it." "At least you succeeded in doing something." "Run." " Kill them." "Come on." "So, the witch is dead." "No less than she deserved." "She's not dead." " I thought you drained her blood?" "I didn't drain all of it, just what we needed." "Why did you spare her life?" " Because I couldn't do it." "Look, it was as the Grey Sisters said." "I wanted to, but I couldn't kill her." "It is because of that witch that the Queen is on her deathbed." "I know, but I sensed something in her." "And it's not just her." " What do you mean?" "Pasiphae." "She could have killed me and yet she chose to spare my life." "Now why would she do that?" "Who can understand the working's of that woman?" "Surely all that matters now is that you have the blood?" "We need to get back to Atlantis, and to Ariadne." "How is she?" " She is very weak." "She doesn't have long." "You have the blood?" " Yes." "You did everything you could." "What if it's not enough?" "The blood has done its work." " Thank the Gods." "The Queen is asking for you." "It seems I am forever in your debt." "You nearly died." "And it was my fault." " No." "Don't think like that." "What scared me the most was the thought that I would never see you again." "I was never going to let that happen." "Because you would do anything for me." "Give your life for mine?" "Anything." "I could ask for nothing more." "You need to get some rest." " Stay." "What I said, in the necropolis." "I meant every word of it." "I won't deny myself any longer." "What is it?" "Marry me." "I know you may not feel as you did before, after how I behaved." "No, it's not that." "Then what is it?" "It's just a shock." "You know, it's not every day your Queen asks you to marry her." "Give me your answer when you are ready." "I'm ready now." "If Jason takes the throne, Atlantis will be lost to us for ever." "I would see him die before that happens." "It's over." "You stupid boy." "It will never be over."