Saturate

**********

The earth moved violently, terrifying the men and women who - just moments before - wanted blood from the two
strangers. "Revenge!" they had shouted, thinking Hercules had murdered three less than virtuous men from their village.

"Hercules!" Iolaus gasped his friend's name the moment he felt a powerful tugging at his boots. He could see what had just
happened to that poor man in front of them, how he had been yanked downward by some unseen force, to disappear as if
he'd never been standing in the crowd of vigilantes. "Hercules!!" Iolaus, now frightened, dropped his bow and reached up
and out blindly, experiencing a strong suction at his legs, feeling himself being pulled into the quickly opening ground.

Men and women were screaming as they felt the quake about them and watched the horror in front of them.

Then Hercules was turning to him, shocked and overwhelmed, reaching outward. He was pulling at his best friend's arms,
"Iolaus!" Hercules cried, tightening the grip on Iolaus' smaller hands, as he felt them slipping from his own, "No! Iolaus!
No!" But there was nothing more he could do. Whatever the force was that was sucking his companion underground was
too powerful. If Hercules held on, not giving an inch, he'd be forced to dislocate Iolaus' arms -- or even worse.

Iolaus heard one last "No!" before he and Hercules were parted and the hunter sensed more than felt the ground closing
above him. He was now buried as if dead ... but not quite. Impossibly, he could feel himself moving through the soil, the
gravel and small stones cutting into the flesh of his bare arms, chest and face. How was he moving? Where was he going?
Who was doing this?

Then he was falling, waving his arms in desperation. The dirt and mud had given away to an open, pitch-black void away
from anything tangible Iolaus could put his hands on. Falling to my death. It was all he could think and It's such a long
fall. Soon his body would connecting with solid ground and the impact would shatter his bones, killing him.

Yet, to both his relief and further fear, Iolaus soon discovered his end was not as instantaneous as anticipated. His body
seemed to float for a few moments and he suddenly connected with an odd man-sized tube. He slid further downward but
at a somewhat more controlled pace, until he finally stopped and was propelled forward.

With a bizarre, almost too quiet finality, Iolaus landed on the stone floor of an odd underground cavern. Slowly, making
certain nothing was broken, he stood to his feet and looked about the chamber. It was cold and damp. An unnatural fog
arose from the floor and stalactites were everywhere. Spooky, he thought, absently. "Okay, Iolaus." he spoke quietly to
himself, "You can't get back to the surface the same way you got down here so what do you do now?" He looked about.
His eyes, promptly getting used to the dimness, darted from one end of the cavern to the other. There had to be an exit
somewhere.

Then his vision rested on what could only be described as cocoons or ... caskets. They were made from mud, grass, twigs
and something Iolaus couldn't fathom. Their mere presence made his blood run cold. Slowly he walked to the row, all
taller than he, and reached out to touch the casket that looked freshest. Iolaus gasped when he detected a small whimper
from inside. His left hand moved to his waistband, where he often times carried a hunting knife. Nothing was there, of
course. It was left up on the surface with the rest of his weapons.

"I'll get you out." he promised whoever was inside and looked to the ground for something, a sharp stone perhaps, he
could use to cut through the mass.

"Greetings, friend of Hercules." A resonate voice boomed throughout the chamber.

Iolaus swiveled about to see if he could find its owner.

"I did not want you here. I was after the big man by your side ... but you are just as well. Your presence guarantees that
Hercules will try to find me."

Iolaus licked his lips, attempting to cloak his fear, and managed to speak without his voice shaking, "Are you what
butchered those men tonight?" he asked, not hiding his revulsion.

"Oh yes, that was me." the voice echoed, "Some of my best work I think."

Appalled by its lack of remorse, Iolaus spat: "What kind of monster are you?"

"This kind."

The hunter watched silently as the minotaur moved from behind a large stalactite and stood, almost regally, staring at him.
He crossed his massive arms in front of a human but barrel-like chest and huffed arrogantly through his snout. Iolaus and
Hercules had fought many monstrous beasts in their time but this was Iolaus first encounter with a minotaur. He didn't
know quite what to think but one thing was for sure: It was one really ugly hulk.

"Tell me, friend of Hercules, do I not inspire you?" it asked, moving slowly forward.

"You inspire me to have nightmares." Iolaus shot back, finding an out-spoken fury he knew he'd later regret.

The beast gave a deep laugh, "Good. You're brave. I want that from my followers."

"What makes you think that I'd follow you?" Iolaus asked with a hard edge to his voice, well aware that the minotaur was
directly in front of him and could kill him with a simple thrust of his sharp-nailed right hand.

"You will have no choice once I condition you." What might pass for a smile spread across the monster's lips, "I think I'll
make you my number one man. Would that please you?"

"Why give me that honor?" Iolaus seethed with heavy sarcasm.

"Because you are my brother's best friend. The child, boy and man he grew up with. You and he, with Zeus' curse and
blessing, should continue to have great adventures together. I find a rather clever irony in that. My brother's brother turned
into my confidant ... "

Brother? He's babbling, Iolaus thought. Everyone knew Hercules had a family and Iolaus had a son of his own. They
weren't about to go on more adventures together. They had responsibilities. This was their last hurrah together. Especially,
Iolaus thought with a sudden attack of anxiety, if this creature were to kill him. Dieanerra can take care of my son.
Hercules can be his father ... And he might just have to because - "I will never follow you. You're a blood-thirsty
murderer."

"Only the incompetent are executed." The minotaur asserted with aplomb, "Those men I killed earlier tonight on the
surface. They were fools, bent of the destruction of Hercules before I could make use of him. They had very small,
insignificant brains. Nothing but trouble. So they became casualties. No big loss. Now, those I keep alive ..." he advanced
yet again on Iolaus and noted how he did not back away, "are worthy of my attention." The creature waved a hand at the
cocoons Iolaus had been examining earlier, "Just the beginning of my followers." he said proudly, "I will release them all -
eventually ranking in the thousands - when the time comes and they are fully saturated."

"Saturated?" Iolaus asked, curious despite himself.

"Even as we speak they are being conditioned, saturated with the blood of gods and beasts of the forest, and they will
come out of their prisons after only a few months better mortals than they were when being encased. They are mine." He
turned back to look at Iolaus, "As are you."

"Never."

The minotaur reached forward, "We shall see."

********

((continue))