Hercules’ only weapon was a dagger given to him by Xinx, the queen’s wizard. The sorcerer said some magic might still be contained in it—and Hercules hoped so. He took it from its sheath now and grabbed its handle very tightly.
Outside, the noises got louder and louder. And closer and closer.
XL stirred a little. Hercules quickly put out the fire. Now it was very dark inside the cave—which was good and bad at the same time. Hercules gripped the dagger tighter. The howls outside got louder.
What have I gotten myself into? he wondered.
Be still, my nephew. . . .
Hercules was startled. It was as if someone had just whispered right in his ear!
It’s okay. I’m here with you. All is well. . . .
Hercules froze—and then recognized the voice.
It was Brooma, the wacky, invisible goddess. Hearing her voice made Hercules feel better—but only a little. Sure, a goddess-of-sorts was there, watching over them. But this was not Athena, or Europa, or Eos. This was Brooma, a goddess few people had ever heard of, and one who was old as the earth itself, and who looked it!
The night got darker. The howls outside got louder. XL stirred again. Geekus sniffled—but Hercules couldn’t tell if he was scared or not. It went on like this for an hour. Hercules wondered if he would ever be able to go to sleep. He was on guard so much, sleep seemed all but impossible.
But then he heard the strange plants outside begin to rustle very loudly. Then he smelled their fragrance. It was sweet—but very thick. He heard XL snort and Geekus sneeze.
Then Hercules leaned back and drifted off into sleep.
A very deep sleep.
Chapter 7
Three Days Gone
When Hercules woke again, it was light outside.
But something was wrong. There were golden rays of sunlight coming through the cave opening. Gold to him meant an afternoon sun. But how could this be?
He sat up. The sun was in his eyes and the cave opening faced west. This could only mean it was afternoon. And that could only mean he had slept a very long time!
What happened?
He looked over at XL. He was lying on his side, motionless. Hercules felt his chest tighten. He turned toward Geekus. The boy was sprawled on the cave floor, too. He was not moving, either.
Hercules quickly crawled over to Geekus and started shaking him. He was sure the boy was dead. But then he heard a sniff and a sneeze and Geekus finally woke up. He’d been asleep for a very long time, just like Hercules.
Hercules was so obviously relieved that Geekus was alive, it showed on his face.
“You . . . you were worried? About me?” Geekus asked him, straining to talk through his perpetual wheeze.
Hercules snorted. The boy was awake and alive—and still very Geekus.
Now Hercules scampered over to XL. The massive horse was breathing, too—thank the gods! But he was not moving at all.
This was not good. Hercules pushed him, and eventually he stirred a little. He pushed him again, even harder, and suddenly XL leapt to his feet, nearly knocking Hercules over. The steed was a little spooked and took some soothing to calm down. But finally he settled himself.
Then he looked at Hercules, his eyes wide. XL was a smart horse. He knew something was wrong. It was almost as if he were asking Hercules, What happened?
Hercules retrieved Geekus and marched him to the front of the cave opening.
He pointed to the sun.
“It’s setting, right?” he asked him.
“Yes, it is,” Geekus replied.
“That means it’s afternoon, right?” Hercules asked.
“Yes,” Geekus replied.
“But how can this be?” Hercules wondered aloud.
The plants, he suddenly heard Brooma’s voice say on the wind.
“What about them?” Hercules asked out loud.
They have been cursed. They put you to sleep. You slept for a long, long time. . . .
Hercules felt his chest tighten again.
“How long?” he asked the wind.
Three days, came the reply.
“Three days!” Hercules yelled.
“Three days?” Geekus yelled back.
Hercules tried to calm down—but he was both angry and shocked.
“Brooma, what happened, exactly?” he asked the wind.
Those weird plants outside contained an enchantment to send sleeping pollen into the cave. Stuka and the Amazons have their sorcery after you. It’s everywhere. . . .
Hercules just couldn’t believe it. If they had slept for three days, this meant that the full moon would be rising the next night!
And if that happened, and Xumonia didn’t have her crown back, she would die.
It was as simple as that.
“Brooma?” Hercules asked. “Are you sure we were asleep for so long?”
Yes. I was so worried. I used everything I knew to try and raise you—but I couldn’t!
Hercules felt sick to his stomach.
How could they possibly make it to the Castletop in time now?
There’s only one way to do it, Brooma was saying.
“And how is that?” Hercules asked.
Brooma’s reply was slow in coming.
You have no choice, she finally said, but to travel the road at night. . . .
Meanwhile, back in Zim, it got dark very early this day.
The sun had gone down very quickly on the tiny kingdom—or so it seemed. Inside the castle, Queen Xumonia was fading fast without her crown. She had been ordered by her doctors to stay in bed and conserve her strength. She had eaten little, drunk little, spoken little. The only word she could mutter was the name “Hercules,” and all she wanted to know was if there was any word of his quest.
But the answer was always no.
The air of cheer and joy that usually filled the tiny kingdom had faded by this time, too. Everyone in Zim knew by now that Hercules had left on the unbelievably dangerous journey. Now everyone was concerned about the queen. What would happen to Zim if Xumonia died? No one knew, simply because the queen had been alive so long. Now the people’s uncertainty hung like another dark cloud over the kingdom.
Offerings were made at the temple. The kingdom’s priests sent messages to Mount Olympus, asking for mercy.
But this was just a big waste of time. The gods were not listening. They were too busy with their own petty concerns, and simply didn’t care.
Chapter 8
On the Road at Night
It took Hercules a long time to get XL’s saddle on and reins together. The horse didn’t want to go out on the road at night—and neither did Hercules.
But because they’d been asleep for three days, they had to get to the Castletop by the next day, or the queen would die.
So Hercules knew they had no choice but to get there as quickly as possible.
XL just wasn’t into it, though. He bucked and bristled and made it as hard as he could for Hercules to get him ready.
Geekus meanwhile seemed to be in shock—not much different from his usual state. He hadn’t said anything since Hercules had told him to pack up and be ready to go.
But now, as they left the cave, taking care not to touch the strange plants that had released the sleeping pollen, Geekus finally spoke: “Is this really what we should do?” he asked Hercules. “The road at night is very, very dangerous, isn’t it?”
Hercules turned to him.
“It’s simple,” he told him. “If we don’t go now, your aunt will die. I think we have to do this . . . do you agree?”
Geekus stared back at him. Was Hercules really asking him for his opinion?
“Yes,” Geekus finally replied. “I think we have to do it, too.”
But for them to ride the road at night, they would have
to go as fast as they could. To go as fast as they could, there was no way Hercules and Geekus could just run alongside XL.
They would both have to ride on the mighty steed.
Hercules jumped up on XL and walked the horse over to Geekus. He held his hand out to help Geekus on, but Geekus just stared up at him in disbelief.
“C’mon,” Hercules yelled at him. “We’re wasting time.”
“You want me to ride up there?” Geekus asked, astonished.
“Yes, it’s the only way!” Hercules yelled.
“But . . . but . . .” Geekus stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve never been on a horse before!”
Hercules just reached down and hauled him aboard. He was light as a feather, and lifting him was no problem.
“There’s a first time for everything,” Hercules told him, slamming Geekus into the saddle behind him. “Now just hold on and shut up!”
Then he snapped the reins and off they went!
The road was hilly and dark, and XL ran it as if he were a demon himself.
Hercules was bent low, hugging the saddle, keeping the reins tight in his hands, spurring XL on.
As for Geekus, his trembling fingers were tight around the back of the saddle. Heart pounding, nose running, he was just barely hanging on.
They charged through the darkening forest like XL was on fire. He was puffing mightily as they raced along, twisting this way and that. Hercules could feel the excitement running through the mighty steed. He was glad XL was more than just an ordinary horse!
They rode like this for half an hour. All the while the sun was sinking over the mountains to the west, and it was getting darker with each bend they turned.
Finally, they reached the top of a very steep hill. Hercules stopped XL for a moment. Down below, there was a clearing that separated this forest from the next. Hercules wanted to make it to that field before night fell completely, if just to catch their breath. But it would take at least ten more minutes to ride down to it.
And the sun was completely down by now. Dusk was coming very quickly.
Hercules snapped XL’s reins. But before the horse got the message, a bone-chilling noise filled the air. It was a shrill yelp, coming from the woods very close by. XL reared up when he heard it. Geekus let out a mighty sneeze. Then came another yelp. Then a shriek. Then another blood-curdling cry.
And suddenly, the screams were all around them.
“Oh, no . . .” Hercules whispered.
“Oh, no!” Geekus cried.
The night creatures were coming to life.
Ride like the wind! Hercules heard Brooma urge. Hurry!
Hercules snapped XL’s reins and gave him a kick, and this time he took off even faster than before.
Down the hill, around the next bend they rode, but the frightening sounds were still around them—and they were getting louder and louder. Hercules just couldn’t believe it. He was doing exactly what the queen’s wizard had told him not to do. He was out on the Road of Rudes in the middle of the forest at night. Braver souls had died of fright for less reason.
Hercules was urging XL on—but the stallion needed little prompting. He was running faster than he ever had in his life. And in amongst Hercules’ yips and yos, Geekus was screaming at the top of his lungs, “By the gods! Help us!”
But the noises around them kept getting louder—and closer!
They went around another bend and over a small river—XL’s hooves sent the water splashing in every direction. They went up the side of the riverbank and through some low branches. Hercules ducked way down to avoid them; Geekus didn’t, and got a bunch of them whacked in his face.
As soon as they passed through the trees and Hercules sat up a little, he heard a very loud noise in his ear. It was like an old woman’s cackle, except it was echoing.
A second later, he felt a very warm breath on his neck.
He spun around, thinking this was Geekus breathing on him—but it wasn’t. Actually, Geekus was hardly breathing at all at the moment. He was pale, shaking from head to toe, and pointing to something over Hercules’ other shoulder.
Hercules turned his head the other way to find that something horrible was flying right alongside them!
It was green. It had wings, though it was not flapping them. It had the face of a goat, with huge snarling lips and bloody teeth. Steam was pouring out of its nostrils. A gross yellow slime was dripping from its mouth. There was a hideous smile on its face.
And it was looking right at Hercules!
Hercules kicked XL and the mighty steed strained to a full gallop. But the hideous flying thing stayed right with them—laughing menacingly and breathing hot fire on Hercules’ neck.
This was the worst thing he’d ever seen, and it was getting closer! No matter how hard he kicked XL, no matter how fast XL would go, this monster stayed right alongside of them, snarling and laughing. It was getting so close, its slime was dripping on Hercules’ shoulder!
And then it began to open its mouth!
That’s when Geekus reached out and laid a punch right onto the monster’s snout—and boom! the monster was gone. Just like that! The flying thing spun out of control and smashed headfirst into a tree.
Hercules couldn’t believe it. Geekus had saved him!
But he didn’t have any time to think about it. More monsters were up ahead!
There were four of them. They were crouched in the middle of the road. They looked like monkeys, but had horribly misshapen human heads and feet.
They were just waiting for XL to race by so they could jump up onto him.
“Hang on!” Hercules yelled to Geekus.
He pulled back on the reins and kicked XL at the same time. The mighty steed got the message. He leapt up in the air—and right over the gang of hideous things. They hooted and yelped as the horse sailed over their heads. But they could not reach him.
Hercules held on tight as XL came back down to earth, not quite believing he could have jumped that high, that far, that fast.
But now more creatures were waiting for them.
These had four legs like a small horse, but had the heads and faces of old women. They were shrieking at the top of their lungs and running out of the forest right at them.
The next thing Hercules knew, one of these hellions was right beside him. Hercules suddenly felt his hand on his magic dagger. It leapt out of its sheath and he lashed out with it. . . .
He caught the hellion on the neck. With one swift movement, he sliced through it. The hellion’s head came right off! So the blade did have some magic left in it. . . .
But now, to Hercules’ horror, the hellion continued riding right alongside of him! Headless, galloping. It was like a nightmare!
But a moment later, XL twisted around a bend—and the headless hellion kept right on going. Through a clump of trees and right off a steep cliff. It plunged over the side, somehow screaming all the way down.
“Wow!” Geekus yelled.
That’s when XL outran the rest of the hellions and finally broke free of the forest and out into the clearing.
Gradually the yelps and cries of the woods faded and the sound of XL’s hooves, clattering on the road’s cobblestones, filled Hercules’ ears. That and Geekus’s wheezing. At least they were free of that part of the forest. But now they had to stop and hide and catch their breath.
They left the road and galloped about two hundred paces out into the field. Only then did Hercules dare pull XL to a halt.
He quickly dismounted, dragged Geekus off the back of the saddle, and then coaxed XL to lie down. The horse seemed to understand. He lay as flat as a horse could, using some tall grass nearby for cover. Hercules and Geekus did the same.
They lay there for a long time, not speaking, and after a while, hardly breathing. A horrible red moon was rising above the
m, the sky was a madness of stars and planets. From the forest to their right and left, the shrieks of the night creatures began again.
It was only after a very long time that Hercules finally put his dagger back into its sheath and relaxed a little. He pulled out XL’s water flask, took two big gulps, and handed it to Geekus.
He took it silently, had a few sips, then handed it back.
“Thank you,” he said.
“Don’t mention it,” Hercules replied. “And keep your voice down.”
“You . . . you were very brave back there,” Geekus said between sniffles.
Hercules looked over at him.
“You were the brave one,” he said.
Geekus thought about this for a moment.
“Really? I was brave?”
Hercules nodded, and felt a small smile come to his face.
“Yes, you were,” he murmured.
“Wow,” Geekus wheezed. “I was actually brave. Do you think I can tell my aunt about this someday?”
But Hercules did not reply. A stiff wind had suddenly blown in on them.
Be quiet, dear! Hercules heard Brooma say. For the first time, Hercules was actually glad to hear the haggard goddess’s voice.
“Why?” Hercules asked the wind. “What is happening?”
Danger is nearby, was all Brooma would say.
Then the wind blew again and she was gone again.
“Who do you talk to when the wind blows?” Geekus asked Hercules in a whisper.
But Hercules ignored this question as well.
“Just be very, very quiet,” he told Geekus instead.
Hercules reached over and soothed XL, who was lying as still as he could. But now another wind began blowing. This one was very cold. . . .
And then they saw what Brooma had come to warn them about.
It started with another very frightening sound. The noise of many feet, marching in step. Then the sound of many voices crying out at once.
Then they saw them. A long line of white figures was marching out of the forest to their left. They moved like ghosts along the winding road, standing three by three, carrying swords and spears and wearing heavy armor and helmets.
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