Drabbles Drabbles are stories of 100 words (give or take a few), usually answering a prompt word. These drabbles were written for the GoldApple group. |
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A Saga in Seven Drabbles Sword Iolaus woke with a start. The stars glimmered high above the treetops that sheltered the clearing, and the moon cast a silvery glow down through the leaves. Iolaus listened carefully. All was quiet. Too quiet. The sudden silence that had replaced the usual cacophony of the insects, frogs, and small animals that lived in the night had woken the hunter more quickly than any noise could have. With a glance at Hercules, still sound asleep across the red glow of the campfire’s embers, Iolaus carefully pulled his sword from its scabbard with a soft metallic hiss that sliced through the night. 11/05 Cold Iolaus moved through the silent night, following the small creek. At first the moonlight glinted off the clear surface of the water, but further upstream it became entangled in a low haze of mist that crept up the bank and wound its way among the tree trunks. Tendrils shuddered at the passing footsteps, but quickly rejoined, covering the intruder’s path. His hunter’s instincts alert, Iolaus stopped at the edge of a clearing where he could see three inert figures around a smoky fire pit. He tried to rouse them, but soon realized why they were so still. The bodies were stone cold. 11/05 Detour The mist seemed to part reluctantly as Iolaus made his way into the dense forest. The gnarled tree trunks seemed to reach out, trying to grab at his clothes and hair as he picked his way carefully along the creek bed, determined to find the source of the mysterious and deadly cloud that crept between the trees. Finally emerging into a moonlit clearing, he found his way barred by a dense hedge whose twisted branches were covered with sharp thorns. A few blows with his sword barely nicked the hard wood. Cursing under his breath, Iolaus realized he would have to take a detour. 1/06 Stone Iolaus had bent double to get through the opening in the thick hedge, and even then the long thorns plucked at his vest and the mysterious mist seemed to drag at his feet. The landscape on the other side was like none he’d ever seen, and he’d seen plenty. Moonlight glinted off the surfaces of huge standing stones and Iolaus tightened the grip on his sword as he watched the mist trickle from the crack that split the huge dark stone in the center of the circle. The acrid smell could only mean one thing: it was coming from the world of the dead. 2/06 Fire The foul mist issuing from the narrow opening to the underworld stung Iolaus’s eyes as he carefully crept forward, one hand covering his nose and mouth, the other clutching his sword. He needed to find a way to close the hellmouth before anything really bad issued forth into the unsuspecting world. Holding his breath, Iolaus peered into the gap between the jagged edges of broken stone. Deep within the earth he could see the fierce red glow of the undying fires of Tartarus. Maybe he could fight fire with fire, he thought grimly, remembering one of his favorite old hunter’s tricks. 2/06 Chain Iolaus forgot about fire and switched to Plan B when he saw the guard of the mystic stone headed toward him. “Nice doggies,” he called. “Come here, boys!” He ducked around the stone as three-headed Cerberus lunged toward him, eyes glowing through the noxious mist that seeped from the crack in the roof of Tartarus. As the huge beast followed Iolaus, its chain encircled the cracked stone. The dog’s frantic efforts slowly shifted the smaller section and the gaping hell-mouth suddenly snapped shut with a satisfying crunch. “Good boys!” laughed Iolaus, patting the noses of the hound of Hades. “Good boys!” 3/06 Dream Sure that the broken entrance to the underworld was well sealed, Iolaus headed back to camp. It seemed as if he’d just closed his eyes when the smell of grilled bacon attacked his senses. “Wake up, sleepy head,” called Hercules. “Breakfast is almost ready.” Iolaus sat up with a groan. “Herc, the strangest thing happened last night.” “I had a weird dream myself,” Hercules said. “You and Hades were in it, but the details are a little foggy.” Iolaus began to laugh. “I think I can fill you in on the details,” he said. “Just let me have some of that bacon first!” 5/06 |
Academy Drabbles Solstice “Hurry up, Herc, we’re going to be late!” “I’m coming, Iolaus!” Hercules was almost as eager as his fellow cadet to get to the Academy’s Soltice party. Iolaus led the way across the dining hall to the headmaster’s table, now groaning under a bountiful feast. “Cheiron really know how to throw a party!” he cried as he poured two glasses of bright red punch. “You’d better pour two more, Iolaus,” said Hercules as Jason and Lilith came up happily munching oatmeal cookies. “Happy Soltice to all,” said Iolaus as the friends clinked their glasses together in a joyful toast to celebrate the turn of the year back toward the light. 12/05 Uncomfortable “Can’t you sit still, Iolaus?” whispered Hercules. “No, I can’t, Hercules,” replied the other cadet. “This bench is too uncomfortable.” “Not as uncomfortable as that rocky spot we camped last night.” “Huh,” grunted Iolaus. “That campsite was like the Elysian Fields compared to this.” With a sigh, Hercules tried to focus his attention on the history of Troy, but Iolaus’s fidgeting was hard to ignore. Finally, the young demigod jabbed his friend with a well placed elbow. “Ow!” “Do you have something to share, Iolaus?” asked Fiducious with his trademark raised eyebrow. “No, sir,” mumbled Iolaus. “I just had a sharp pain in the neck,” he said, casting a glare in Hercules’s direction. 3/06 Tree Hercules settled back against the massive oak tree that overlooked the lake and listened to the rustling leaves. Did Zeus ever use his sacred tree to speak to mortals this way? Down at the lake shore, Iolaus whooped as he pulled in a fish, his voice drifting up the hill. Maybe Zeus spoke to mortals that way, from a distance, his words disconnected from his physical presence. With a sigh, Hercules opened the scroll about the founding of Athens. It seemed to involve a dispute between Poseidon and Athena. The gods seemed to be part of everybody's life. Why wouldn’t Zeus be part of his? 3/06 Tree Alcmene stood under the spreading branches of the oak tree and watched Hercules and Iolaus head down the hill on their way back to the Academy. The tree had grown so tall since she planted it the season her son was born. The linden tree that had somehow planted itself in her garden had already been there two years by that time. She’d almost pulled up the straggly sapling to make way for her oak tree, but decided to leave it because of its beautiful foliage. Now the two trees’ branches intertwined high above her head, and their combined shade sheltered her house every day. 4/06 Tree “How did you ever hit that?” cried Hercules. “I can get my two hands around this tree!” Iolaus’s arrow still quivered where it had struck the sapling, 100 paces from where the cadets had fired. “It’s not the size of the target, Herc, it’s the aim of the hunter!” replied Iolaus happily as he pulled the arrow out of the wood. “Um, where’s your arrow, anyway?” he asked, looking around with a raised eyebrow. “I think I overshot it,” admitted the son of Zeus. “It’s probably in Thrace by now,” he mumbled. “Accuracy before distance, big guy!” laughed Iolaus. “That’s Old Hunter’s Trick #17.” 4/06 Dream The cadets watched the Amazons disappear into the forest. “Do you think they’ll come to the Academy soon?” asked Iolaus. “I don’t think they’ll ever come to the Academy, Iolaus,” replied Hercules. “Yeah, it’s a guy place, Iolaus,” chimed in Jason. “Amazons wouldn’t be caught dead there!” “Oh, I don’t know. Cyane might want to see a certain cadet.” Iolaus shoved Hercules playfully. The young demi-god fought down a blush. “The Amazons are not coming to the Academy, Iolaus. And we’ve still got to get to Athens.” Iolaus laughed as they turned toward the city. “Hey, I can dream, can’t I?” 5/06 Heart “Why are we doing this, again?” Iolaus sighed as he studied the model of Troy that the cadets were making for Feducious. “Iolaus, Troy was the biggest war ever, and had the greatest heroes ever!” replied Hercules. “Like Aeneas. I wish someone would write his story. He had a noble heart, even if he was a Trojan. He’s my nephew, you know.” “Your nephew! But, he lived ages ago!” “His mother was Aphrodite.” “Oh, no!” cried Iolaus, delighted at this bit of gossip. “And his greatest enemy was Hera.” Iolaus’s grin quickly turned to a frown. “Oh, no,” he said. “Oh, no.” 5/06 Horse “Iolaus, did you steal that horse?” “I borrowed it.” “But you gave it to Amorus.” “He needed a horse.” “What for?” “He wanted to get out of town.” Hercules sighed. It would be easier to pull one of Iolaus’s teeth than to get a straight answer to his questions. “Parsimonius thinks he kidnapped Amelia.” “He didn’t kidnap her. She went with him,” Iolaus explained. “Parsimonius had forbidden them to see each other!” “Well, he is her father.” “But, they’re in love, Herc!” Iolaus protested. “Amorus knew there was only one thing he could do: take the honey and run!” 6/06 Jealousy “Why does he hate me?” Hercules frowned as Ares disappeared with a flash. “He’s just jealous!” snorted Iolaus. “He’s a god, why would he be jealous of me?” “Well, who’s his mother?” demanded Iolaus. “Hera.” “And who’s your mother?” “Alcmene.” “You know Hera does not make lemonade like Alcmene’s!” Hercules managed a half-hearted smile at Iolaus’s confidence. “Okay, how about this? Who’s his best friend?” Iolaus challenged Hercules again. “Himself, probably,” Hercules replied dryly. “And who’s your best friend?” Iolaus grinned, waggling his eyebrows. Hercules had to laugh out loud this time. “Iolaus! Does this mean you’re treating at Kora’s tonight?” 7/06 Laughter “Did he just call you Iolaus of Nothing?” Hercules whispered. “Well, Thebes is a pretty small town, Herc.” Iolaus smiled as he watched Jason flirt with Kora at the bar, then added more seriously, “When I see all the work Jason has, all the responsibility, I’m happy to be Iolaus of Nothing.” “Drinks are on me, guys,” said the young King of Corinth, returning with a pitcher. “Hey, Jase, how about coming fishing with us tomorrow?” Iolaus asked with a wink at Hercules. “Sorry, I can’t, Iolaus. I’ve got a council meeting right after breakfast.” “Here’s to nothing,” laughed Iolaus, raising his glass. 8/06 Laughter “Lights out, gentlemen!” Feducious called from the corridor. He could hear half-stifled giggles and shushing whispers as the lamp went out. The end of term always made young spirits a little overexcited, he thought as he returned to the Academy library. The dark room was quiet and peaceful, for about five seconds. “Surprise!” voices suddenly shouted as torches lit up all around the room. Iolaus came forward. “Happy end of your having to tutor me, Feducious!” he cried, extending his arm to the startled teacher. “I told you he would never suspect, Herc!” he laughed. “You owe me a dinar!” 8/06 Romantic Intent The cadets from Cheiron’s Academy descended on Kora’s Inn the night before graduation and Iolaus headed straight for the lovely innkeeper, romantic intent twinkling brightly in his blue eyes. “How about a walk in the moonlight, Kora?” he asked, resting an elbow on the bar. “Iolaus, how many times have I said no to that question over the last three years?” she laughed. “But since you’re graduating tomorrow, I guess I should congratulate you.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You worked hard to earn your diploma, Iolaus,” said Kora with a grin. “Almost as hard as you worked to earn that kiss!” 11/06 |