Within the clouded dominion, Kram revives. A glamorous red-hair queen dressed in a long gown of sequence red satin stands before him. Her eyes sparkle like midnight stars watching her hardy warrior bow in advid respect.
RedPrincess pulls a bean pod from her sleeve. "Xena got away."
"Grant my talents another opportunity?"
"No." RedPrincess breaks the bean pod, watching the worbles trickle into a vertical watery wave folding upon itself. "I have a new adversary for your talents."
"Anyone, my queen."
Slyly, she steps closer. "Even Hercules?"
Furious, Kram stands. He draws his sword then tosses it to the ground. "This deed, I can't perform. He saved my life."
"Indeed. Yet, you've pledged your loyalties to me, before Zeus, before Hera."
"RedPrincess." Reluctantly, Kram reclaims his sword. He bows. "I shall do what must be done. Command me."
"My best warrior." Twirling her hand to force a new exit, RedPrincess grins at Kram. "Lure Hercules here. He won't be killed. Fail, and you'll leave me no choice."
Lowering his eyes, Kram kneels. "By you leave."
"By your loyalty, Kram. Let us not forget who watches over your clansmen and who saves you from your enemies."
Raising sharp eyes, Kram stands. "My queen." Looking to his left, Kram dives through the portal landing on the north roads of Argos. "By Zeus and Hera, your command."
Kram lands on feet on the outskirts of town. Seeing large footprints in the sand, he jogs past huts. As he rounds a merchant's corner, he spots the giant son-of-a-god inspecting a cart of ancient skulls collected from a crushed temple to Apollo.
"Hercules?" Kram strolls forward.
Buffing dirt powdered palms, Hercules turns. "Kram! How's the wife?"
Kram gazes northward. "She past last winter. I've need of your assistance."
"Sure. What's the problem?" Hercules follows Kram through a strange crimson cloud. "Is it rain?"
"A little further, Hercules." Hercules entersg the abyss. "What is this fog?"
"My apologise, friend."
"Kram?"
Stepping behind them, RedPrincess devilishly giggles. "You're new home, Hercules." She launches her worbles multiplying as they splash across Hercules bold chest.
"Kram!" Though, Hercules struggles to out-swim the drenching dark creature, he suddenly finds himself trapped in a mossy cave.
On the other side, Iolaus, LeeAnn, and ThunderCloud warm by a small fire. A strange young woman sleeps on the damp ground.
Iolaus pats Hercules' shoulder. "Welcome to nowhere."
"Who did this?"
LeeAnn points to the woman sleeping on the ground. "It started with Mycaia. Now, RedPrincess is collecting anyone who may have touched her precious little bauble."
"All this for a bauble?" Hercules watches ThunderCloud performing rope tricks for herself.
Iolaus grabs an open jug of wine. "As far as we know, this bauble got stolen."
"Autolycus?"
LeeAnn shyly smiles. "Not quite. Dove lifted it from Xena just outside Argos."
"Ah." Hercules saunters to Mycaia. "And we both know who passed it to rival Xena." He crouches down.
"Too clever, half-god!" Mycaia wakes only to roll-over to her other side. "I'm tired of this moldy place. Punch out a hole or something."
"Think, a moment." Hercules looks about, dripping limestone with fresh seaweed lying near the walls. "We're undersea. The humans would drown."
Mycaia mischievously grins. "So? The air thins as we waste my time."
Hercules stands. "We'll figure out another way."
Sitting up, Mycaia chuckles. "Perager's helping your friends."
Hercules cringes. "There's nothing I can do about that from here."
Pulling Iolaus aside, LeeAnn walks toward ThunderCloud. "Hercules isn't easy to beat."
Iolaus blushes. "Unfortunately, neither is RedPrincess. If the bauble is still in Corinth with Xena, we have a chance."
Sighing, LeeAnn warms over the flames. "There's always a chance for the right thief."
"Oh, she's right." ThunderCloud notices an odd purple puddle forming on the ground below her. Not trusting Mycaia, she gingerly dips her foot in then out through the ground surface. "Hey, LeeAnn."
"What's up?" LeeAnn glances down then whispers: "We don't know where it goes."
Slowly, Iolaus walks alongside. "I remember that." He crouches pulling a dagger from his belt then slowly stabs the purple puddle. "I wonder who sent this."
Suddenly, Xena's arm grabs his leather vest then pulls him under the purple puddle.
ThunderCloud dives in. "Iolaus!"
Another hand arises, pulling LeeAnn.
As Hercules jumps, the purple portal closes. "Iolaus!" He lands on solid ground.
Laughing, Mycaia stands. "Xena holds my key. Thus, the race is on Hercules."
"Mycaia?" Hercules points to a thick crimson cloud surround Mycaia.
"Not quite, son-of-a-god." Mycaia raises her arms, transforming into red satiny sleeves. She twirls becoming a red haired queen with sparkling dagger eyes.
"RedPrincess, I presume."
"Good call, Hercules. Bye-Bye."
"Wait!" Hercules charges into the crimson fog. He rams his head against the stony walls. "Damn it!" He glances around his prison. "Punching out walls? I need a better writer."
Iolaus, LeeAnn, and ThunderCloud coughing as they emerge through a small watery hole.
ThunderCloud wrings her shirt. "Xena?"
Iolaus spins around seeing LeeAnn, ThunderCloud, and Gabrielle. "Is she still in the puddle?"
Everyone rushes to the fountain. A small purple exit closes.
Stepping from the other side of a fountain, Gabrielle claps her palms. "You've been rescued to stop RedPrincess. Iolaus, we need you to summon Corinth's army. Judge Iapetus knows you walk with Hercules and trusts you."
"To attack where?"
"RedPrincess has a castle down by the seashore. Kram the destroyer leads her army. They plan to take Corinth by storm."
"Not by me." Iolaus runs into town swiftly hopping a few wine barrels parked in his way.
Gabrielle gently tugs LeeAnn from the fountain. "Beware of water, RedPrincess' ally. Xena and Dove are diving through passages collecting helpers."
ThunderCloud circles to the front. "Isn't Iolaus taking care of that?"
"He won't find Iapetus. RedPrincess captured him for ransom."
LeeAnn says, "She wants the bauble."
ThunderCloud says, "And anything else she can lay claim to."
LeeAnn steps forward. "What do you need from me and TC?
"A diversion." Gabrielle carves a twin circles in the dirt. "The power of RedPrincess lies in a scepter she keeps in perpetual light. Sun by day, candles by night."
ThunderCloud backs away. "If Xena holds the bauble, my promises are done. We should move on, LeeAnn."
LeeAnn nods no. "Dove's been there for me before."
Gabrielle adds, "Xena's been there for you."
ThunderCloud scratches her ear. "Very well. How do we divert the RedPrincess?"
Gabrielle brushes the sand drawing. "A talented illutionist presents clever charms."
ThunderCloud reluctantly asks, "You want me to play a guy?"
"You've done it before." LeeAnn looks to Gabrielle. "And what will we be doing?"
"Haggling." Pulling a clanking sack from behind the fountain, Gabrielle reveals an array of shackles. "We're Amazon slave traders. RedPrincess has a certain affection for mysterious talented men. She won't remember our faces with the right disguise."
"Oh joy!" LeeAnn looks about for the stables. "Horse-hair wigs and itchy leather tunics. Dove can you possibly see what you've gotten me into?"
ThunderCloud taps LeeAnn's shoulder. "Care to switch with me?"
LeeAnn snickers. "Not today!"
ThunderCloud holds down her chest. "How I'm not surprised."
Passing through purple portals, Xena and Dove drop from a ceiling onto a dusty banquet table. They stand, gazing across a small window overlooking the west wing of RedPrincess' castle. A percussion of marching troops approach the entrance doors. Xena and Dove roll over the table then hide underneath. The marching grows louder. Passing Dove a boot dagger, Xena dashes across the room. The last leg shadows pass by the bottom lip of the door. Dove races to the door, waits, listens, then tests the door handle. Looking to Xena, she nods affirmatively.
Xena clutches her chakrum then waits. "Go."
Dove gingerly pulls the door open then steps back. "What?"
"Nothing. We're clear." Xena walks forward, quietly shutting the castle door. "Timing is everything."
Pulling dusty cobwebs from her shoulders, Dove scans the large room lined with family portraits and dusty sculptures. "What is this place?"
"An old family room. Perager claims it brings bad memories to RedPrincess."
Dove walks toward a torn family portrait hanging over a walk-in fireplace. "Someone die here?"
"Hopefully not today. " Xena creeps to a glowing window overlooking the castle yards.
"You're beginning to gnaw on my confidence, Princess."
"Get used to it." Xena steps back across the room. "Gabrielle should be bringing ThunderCloud soon."
Dove giggles. "She's going to hate to hear that you lied to her."
Xena shrugs. "Gabrielle needs the practice. Besides, RedPrincess might like her, in the right light."
"Twilight?"
"Candle lights. She's quite vulnerable to seduction."
"Let's hope TC can keep a step ahead. How do we get them freed?"
Xena listens at the door. "Hold on." Pulling a blue sphere, she closes her eyes. "We'll worry about that latter."
"Is she there?"
Xena's eyes open as pure white marbles reading details. "She's dancing about the room collecting herself." Xena blinks. "Wait, wait."
"Something wrong?"
Xena mischievously grins. "Not a thing. Gabrielle and LeeAnn are walking away from the castle. Gabrielle looks good as a brunette."
"What about TC?"
Xena's eyes darken to normal. "She's engaging our dear RedPrincess, wearing a very neat goatee. It's time."
Grabbing Dove's arm, Xena twists the sphere. A vertical purple portal opens. As she yanks Dove, she sees a bird's eye view of RedPrincess's scepter room: Guards leaning against the entrance doors, a golden platform housing an intricate lazar lights security, and pendulum axes holding fragile positions overhead.
Studying the floor, Dove points to brown stains across the edges of the wood plank floor. She whispers, "One creak and we're done."
Xena shoves the bauble into a belt pouch. "Don't creak."
"Thanks for the tip." Dove slowly drops to all fours.
"You're welcome." Xena tip-toes to a locked wooden doors, listening.
Reaching the first line of lazar alarms, Dove drops to her stomach. "Will I clear it?"
Bending over, Xena studies with one eye. "Sure, just don't breath."
"Right." With stiffen legs, Dove palms the golden stage, pushing her body forward with her toes. She sees a tiny silver thread racing from the stage to the scepter. She stops then whispers, "We got problems."
Xena glances at the pendulum axes too far above then the lazar lights safely behind and beyond her friend. "What's wrong?"
"There." Dove twists slowly on her stomach, raising to her feet with one hand pointing upwards. "She has a silver cord fastened to the scepter." Dove hears guards' muffled chuckling behind the door but continues whispering: "The moment I grab it, all Hades breaks loose."
"Understood." Xena creeps to the edge of the stage. "Can you tie a rope around it?"
"I think so." Dove moves forward juggling her stance within a narrow passage. "I'll toss the end to you. Don't let the lights touch it."
"I understand." Ignoring a foot kick against the door, Xena watches Dove tie a thin rope, tossing the end to Xena quickly snatching it. "Come out."
"Let me catch me breath." Dove feels her face cool with perspiration. "It feels like Hades already.
"We're a little pressed for time, Dove. Come on!"
"Don't rush this!" Knowing the lights on either side will cut, Dove slowly steps backwards into a careful stomach crawl. "I'm clear."
"Finally." Xena pulls out the bauble. "Take the rope."
"Got it." Hearing a key unlatch the door locks behind them, Dove snatches the end. She yanks the scepter free.
Alarms resound. Deflected lazars explode. Rocks shatter across the stage. Battle horns echo across the outter hallways.
Dove screams: "Give me your sword."
"Come to me."
Guards war cry, kicking the door open.
"Now, hold on." Seeing four hidden axes plummet from the ceiling, Xena yanks Dove into another purple portal.
One ax-head drops inches from Dove's toe.
"Woe!" Dove recognizes the old banquet hall, quiet and dusty. "That was too close!"
Shoving the bauble into her belt pouch, Xena looks around the old room. "And that was step one."
"Only one?" Dove admires the sparkling scepter. "What's next?"
Xena snatches the scepter. "We invite guests. It's party time!"
"Can I go home now?"
Xena pulls Dove's collar. "I'd miss you too much."