---

" I can't believe they let us come," stated Chantal incredulously. " I mean, to send us all to the First Annual International Librarian Association Symposium is quite amazing. "

" Add to the fact that it's being held here in Australia, and I think it's downright miraculous!" observed MsMoo~.

Four librarians painfully ambled off the plane each carrying a bag filled with books, pens, coffee mugs, book markers, and legal pads. Baucis even brought her laptop along to keep in touch with the folks back home.

They had come prepared to learn, no doubt, but also to enjoy the scenery and company of their cohort Kendaa.

As they approached the hotel desk clerk, each presented a precious treasure to be safeguarded by hotel security. They clasped the rare Hercules memorabilia to their respective breasts, and breathed a collective sigh to see the priceless merchandise stored securely in the hotel safe. gaea knew she'd never be able to find another Hercules lunch kit again. MsMoo~ blinked back her tears as she relinquished the only Hercules comic book ever printed. Chantal didn't know if she had the courage to pry her fingers from the Olympic Collection 6 inch action figure. And they all thought they heard Baucis whimper as the desk clerk had to jerk the Hercules Action Sword from her hands. It was sad but true, if damaged or lost these valuable items were irreplaceable. Now, if they had brought a chakram...

They slowly, albeit mournfully approached their rooms, MsMoo~ brought them out of their blue mood. "Hey! Let's call Kendaa and get ready to do the librarian Hoolie!" As a point of emphasis, MsMoo~ pulled her Hoolie scepter from her book bag and did the Hoolie shuffle.

*gaea* grabbed the phone and rung up the library where Kendaa worked. The squeals that ensued verified that she had been reached. All of a sudden, *gaea*'s face fell. "You'd better tell her yourself," and *gaea* handed the phone tensely to MsMoo~.

"They what? I don't believe this. Did you stand up to them? What did they say then? Aw man! This can't be happening." She was surrounded by three eager faces all trying to catch something of a distressing conversation. *gaea* already knew the gist of it but was lacking on the details. She just whispered, "Kendaa can't make it."

Baucis raised her voice, "Can't make it? When? Tonight? For the whole conference? What?"

"Sh...I'm trying to hear this. Okay, but Kendaa, this isn't the end of this conversation. We'll talk later."

MsMoo~ was so angry that when she put the phone down she almost slammed her Hoolie Scepter on the table. "Those physicist jerks won't let Kendaa off for the conference. They said that it was more important for her to be there to help them find information than for her to goto the symposium. They even dared to belittle the symposium by saying things like, 'Oooh, what are they going to do? Teach you some innovative way to dust the card catalog?' or 'I know, you'll take a course on 101 ways to collect a book fine.'

"That tears it!" shouted Chantal. "Where did I put that? Oh here it is!" and she whipped out her cat-o-nine-tails. Her four compadres looked at her with eyes popped out of their heads.

"How did you get through the airport with that?" asked Baucis.

"Well, they don't strip search you going through customs."

*gaea* said, "It's a good thing, or I'd have never made it out with this.

Baucis choked on her water she was drinking and spewed it across the room. Even Chantal with her whip was surprised to see two barcoding wands tied together to make the first librarian numchuks.

"Hey, I was bored," she explained as she whirled those above her head and smashed them intoa lamp by the bed. "Oops. Make sure we put that on our expense account. Now let's see if we can improve on that theory of time travel. Let's knock those physicists into next week!"

"All right then," cried their fearless leader MsMoo~. "Let's liberate one more librarian. FREE KENDAA! FREE KENDAA! FREE KENDAA!" Never in the history of mankind, with the exception of "remember the Alamo," was a war cry more inspiring. Chantal had her whip, *gaea*had her numchuks, MsMoo~ had her hoolie staff, the only one without a deadly weapon was Baucis. Not one to be left out, she looked into her bag and found two Hercules book markers she brought to exchange with her international pals. She hated to do it, but this was for Kendaa; so with the speed of a search engine, she trimmed them, leaving Hercules intact, of course, to make throwing stars. They all knew the excruciating agony of a paper cut! All four librarians marched out of the hotel with blood in their eyes and determination in their hearts. Kendaa would be free to attend the symposium even if they had to act like barbarians to release her.

Kendaa had stood toe-to-toe with the head of the physics department. He was adamant about her not leaving. He first tried to flatter her to stay and work way into the night. Then, he tried to make her feel guilty about leaving the poor, helpless physicists all alone. Of course, she knew they were helpless, but they were grown men, fully capable of finding a book on their own. Finally, he threatened her. "If you leave today, you might not find your position here tomorrow. There are people lined up into the streets for a position like yours." She gave him a look that would cause frost damage to a cactus plant in the desert in the middle of summer.

Suddenly Chantal practically kicked in the door to the library. It took the other three to remind her where they were. They stood in the chapel of knowledge. Thoughts, feelings, ideas, and theories from the ages swirled about them. It was almost tangible; with reverence they approached Kendaa and gave her a strong group hug. MsMoo~ disengaged herself from the group to take in her surroundings. She searched the area looking for the cretin who held Kendaa hostage. Kendaa pointed out a very guilty looking person. At this point, she also noted with horror that he was carrying a cup of coffee into the rare books section of the library. "No!" gasped MsMoo~. The others saw the object of her terror, and all five librarians trembled with rage. Kendaa took off toward him. Dignity was not an issue at this point; indignation was.

She called over her shoulder "We just received some ancient scroll with theories that predated Archimedes'. He's taking that coffee into that climate controlled area. We've got to stop him!" She quickly grabbed a 1/2 inch wide rubber band and scooped up some paper clips. This could get ugly.

The other four jumped into action. The other physicist became alarmed at 5 librarians charging one of their own. One particularly brave, though be it adolescent, character tried to stand intheir way. Baucis was the first to draw blood as she said, "Forgive me, Hercules" and threw her book marker star with painful accuracy. The physicist whimpered as he clasped his bleeding finger. Another tried throwing the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, but Chantal quickly cracked her whip making contact with the book and forcing it to redirect toward its launcher. When *gaea* gleefully pulled out her barcoding numchuks, the other physicists gave the librarians a wide berth.

MsMoo~ and Kendaa arrived first and attempted to reason with the scientist first. MsMoo~ pointed her hoolie scepter at him and in a firm voice ordered, "Put the mug on the floor and step away from the coffee!" She drew a step closer as Kendaa held her breath. "No one will get hurt if you put the mug down."

Kendaa drew his attention by saying, "You know personally, I don't mind a cup or two myself, but my friend here just goes crazy at the mention of a drink near the books. So, do us both a favor and put the mug down."

He just stood there like a deer caught in the oncoming headlights of a Mack truck. Kendaa eased behind him as MsMoo~ drew closer with her scepter muttering, "No food or drinks in the library,buster."

Kendaa carefully loaded her makeshift slingshot and tried to get a clear shot off. Just then one of his fellow physicists regained his composure enough to shout a warning, "Look out! Behind you!"

*gaea* twirled her weapon and cracked him hard on the back of his wrist. But his warning was enough to startle the wretch and he spilled hot coffee on one of the scrolls.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" all five screamed as they dove for the damaged scroll. Just as they all five touched it, the room started to swim. Their forms twisted and twirled to glide around the room. Their atoms slid around the scroll like a ribbon tied around the parchment, and the patrons of the library stood in shock as all five librarians and the scroll vanished into thin air.

MsMoo~ was the first to return to her natural form. It was with a thud that she hid the soft grass in the clearing. One by one the other librarians reemerged from their transformation. They were all on their knees shaking when *gaea* first noticed three pair of boots surrounding them.

"Um, ladies, I don't think we're in Oz anymore."

Their eyes traveled up those boots to see staffs and swords pointed in their direction. Three Amazons, at least they appeared to be Amazons, fiercely had them trained in their sights. Nanaea noticed the image of Hercules on MsMoo~'s shirt and quickly spoke to the others. Immediately, their expressions softened considerably.

"Um, hi, we come in peace," said Chantal.

Baucis elbowed her in the ribs. "We're not in some cheesy science fiction movie talking to 'people of earth'. What makes you think they understand English at all?"

"Well, at least I'm trying something," she quipped in return.

Kendaa stepped in, "Now, ladies, let's calm down and think of some way we'll be able to prove to these warriors that we're friends."

Suddenly one of the Amazons spoke, "Why are you speaking like we're not even here?" asked Storm. "We knew you were allies by the strange garment worn by her," pointing to MsMoo~.

All eyes were diverted to MsMoo~ when she realized that she had on her Hercules t-shirt. They were helped up by the three Amazons, and as soon as all of them were in an upright position, Storm continued with the conversation.

"We understand you perfectly. You do, however, speak with a rather strange dialect. Where do you come from?"

The five librarians looked to each other, and MsMoo~ spoke quickly before anyone else had a chance to."North. We're from the North.

How do you know our language?"

The novitiate spoke up, "What do you mean? You're speaking our tongue," answered Chrysim, "Though I didn't realize barbarians understood ours."

Now the five were thoroughly confounded, but before anymore questions could be posed, Chrysim spoke again, "Don't you think, Storm, that we should be back at the temple? It isn't safe out here."

"You're right; Come with us, you'll be safe there. You can bring your packs with you, but all weapons are kept in a special room. Athena forbids weapons in the main sanctuary."

"Athena? I thought Ares and Hera were patrons of the Amazons." *gaea* spoke up. The three Amazons quickly turned on their heels to surround *gaea*.

"I know you're new here, but you must not speak such blasphemy. Athena and Ares are immortal enemies, and as for Hera, well we seldom even speak her name," began Nanaea, "We are actually of a tribe recently decimated by that foul.." Nanaea was turning quite red in the face, and tears gathered in the proud eyes of all three. Storm and Chrysim reached out and put a supporting hand on Nanaea's shoulders. "Well, that's in the past. We have the present to contend with. Let's go."

Chantal quickly snatched up the mysterious scroll and slipped it into her bag before anyone noticed. And the leader of the three led them all back to the temple.

The temple was unlike anything they had seen before. It had an ancient look about it even in this ancient time. Ivy and moss gave it a living quality. There was the obligatory statue dedicated to their patron goddess. But along with her sword, she held a scroll in her hand. As they walked past the doric columns, the five "barbarians" had an eerie feeling. It felt like home; it felt like far away; it felt like their life's blood. Once inside the temple, the five were taken to a small room to deposit their weapons. A small shelf contained many weapons each with its owner's name on it. It was with great reluctance that MsMoo~ considered her hoolie scepter. She convinced Nanaea that it wasn't really a weapon at all, and she was able to keep it in her bag. Chantal, *gaea*, and Baucis were not as fortunate; though, Chantal did try to pass her whip off as a back scratcher, Storm wouldn't buy it. They begrudgingly relinquished their weapons and advanced into the temple.

When they reached the main sanctuary, they were almost blinded by the numerous candles surrounding the center altar. When their eyes could focus, they saw shelf upon shelf of scrolls. "It's a library," whispered Baucis. "They're librarians too."

Nanaea spoke to the group. "Forgive us for not introducing ourselves when we first met. My name is Nanaea, and I am or was the queen of our tribe. This is Storm, my sergeant at arms, and this is our apprentice, Chrysim. We are the Guardians of the Scrolls. People come from all over the known world to read the wisdom in these scrolls. There were forty of us; now only we three remain."

"Wait, Nanaea, that's not quite right. There are four of us," corrected Storm.

"She left us long ago; we don't even know if she's alive," Nanaea answered dejectedly. "She who was once queen, felt a need to leave for reasons known only to her," she directed to the librarians. "But surely if she's alive, she'll sense our distress and come back to us. Queen Jane would never desert us to be slaughtered."

"Um, excuse me, but did you just say 'slaughtered'?" piped in *gaea* "This is a library; who would want to bring down a place of knowledge?"

In truth, this statement was one that dumbfounded them all. Who, indeed, for as Nanaea told them 36 librarians were now strolling among parchments in Elysian Fields.

"Who is threatening you?" asked Kendaa. "Maybe we can be of help."

The other four threw Kendaa looks of unbelief. "Look didn't we just trounce the heathen threatening my library back home? The way I see it, we Barbarian Librarians need to stick together."

MsMoo~ said, "Kendaa's right! We all need to stick together. No one destroys a library on my watch."

"Okay! What are we up against?" Chantal asked wishing she had the comfort of her whip with her.

Chrysim shyly spoke up, "Well, see, it all began..."

"In the beginning," giggled a new voice in the crowd. The Amazons squealed as they rushed around this newcomer. "Iolaus, always ready to join in a story," beamed Nanaea.

He grabbed her by the waist and twirled her around the sanctuary, "Aw, Nanaea, always could read me like a scroll, couldn't you?" and he gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Ahem!" interrupted Chrysim, and immediately Iolaus was at her side.

"And how is my favorite apprentice? Have you learned anything new since I saw you last?" Chrysim blushed furiously as he held her face in his hand and gave her a devilish grin.

"And not to be forgotten is the beautiful Storm." He brought her hand to his lips and caressed them with a kiss. "Have you gone and forgotten me?"

The five observers were standing with their mouths open when another visitor walked through the temple arches.

"I see you continue to bring us little gifts," giggled Storm. A giggling Amazon is a fearful thing.

"Hello, ladies," beamed a voice of velvet and honey.

Instantaneously, Iolaus, Hercules, Nanaea, Storm, and Chrysim were jolted with a loud THUD. Turning toward the sound, they saw five travelers flat on the floor. They ran to them and started patting their hands and faces to try and revive them. Hercules stroked Kendaa's hand, and her eyelids fluttered open. *gaea* was coming to when she noticed Hercules' activity with Kendaa and quickly moaned and shut her eyes again. Hercules moved quickly to her and supported her neck and opened her eyelid to check her eyes. A sly smile slipped out on *gaea*'s face as she meekly said, "Hi."

"Hello, yourself," snickered Hercules. He then moved to Chantal and gently touched her shoulder. She shivered under his touch and reached out to hold his hand.

"Looks like you're a miracle healer, Herc," snorted Iolaus as he grasped MsMoo~'s hand.

Hercules continued to minister to the fallen foreigners. He brushed his hand against Baucis' cheek to check for some fever. She whispered something, but he couldn't understand what she was saying. So, he lowered his head closer to hers, and she whispered, "Am I dreaming?"

Hercules moved on to the last unconscious one, MsMoo~. Iolaus still had her hand when Hercules grasped the other and leaned in to check her breathing.

It was quite ragged sounding. "Herc! You're on her chest!"

"No I'm not! I'm just checking her breathing."

"NO! I mean look at her garment. That's an image of you on her chest," Iolaus grinned.

"HMMMMM. You're right. It's me." MsMoo~ stirred as instinctively she knew someone was staring at her chest. She sat straight up as she remembered who she had just seen. This caused her to crash into Hercules who held onto her for fear she would fall back and hurt herself. "Hi, um, well, I don't mean to pry, but where did you get that image of me on your garment?"

MsMoo~ recovered, it would be easy to recover in the arms of Herc, quickly to explain that the garment was called a t-shirt, and many people wear all kinds with different images on them. She told him that he and Iolaus were legendary heroes where they were from.

"So, you mean they have a 't-shirt' of me too?" Iolaus asked grinning from ear to ear.

The five looked down at the floor, at their nails, or toward the scrolls each unwilling to break the news to this golden hunter. "Um, you see. It's not that we haven't asked TPTB to create one but..." started MsMoo~.

"Oh, I see. Not only am I ignored here at home, but in lands far and wide I get no respect." muttered Iolaus.

"We respect you, and I don't think you could complain to loudly about being neglected around here," giggled Chrysim. Nanaea and Storm both concurred.

"Well, I think we need to address our problem now. Ladies, please come with me to the private chapel," suggested Hercules.

As they were following Hercules, hmmm who wouldn't, Iolaus took Nanaea by the arm and asked, "Is she here?" Nanaea sadly shook her head and saw the look of disappointment on his face. Just then, a little girl came running into the temple.

"She's here! She's here!"

Iolaus and Nanaea both ran out of the temple and searched for whom they both knew was coming. There she was riding toward them, her hair flowing behind her like a raging waterfall. She was riding a milk white horse that some said resembled Pegasus without the wings. The horse responded to her nonverbal commands and stopped just short of Iolaus and Nanaea.

"Jane! Jane, we've been looking for you. If we ever needed your leadership it's now," Nanaea gushed as she threw her arms around the Amazon dismounting.

"No, we follow your leadership now, Nanaea. I ceased being queen long ago. I believe we have further tragedy to avert. Let's go into the temple," suggested Jane. Nanaea turned to enter the arch when Iolaus motioned her to go in without them.

He had been uncharacteristically quiet since he first caught sight of her silver hair. "How are you, Jane?" he asked gently.

"Look, we've no time for small talk between us. What's done is done, and no one can go back to change it. They need us inside," said Jane trying very hard to keep her emotions in check. "I haven't forgotten who left whom, you know. If I could go back, I'd..."

"Don't make it any harder on us than it has to be."

"Yeah, you're right. Oh! There's someone inside you'll want to meet. Nanaea called the Barbarian Librarians," changing the subject, Iolaus glanced wistfully at this mysterious warrior who had held his heart in the palm of her hand once. But that was long ago; now, they had a desperate problem at hand, and they both needed level-heads to survive.

As Iolaus and Jane joined the others, Jane was almost knocked downby Storm and Chrysim. They threw their arms around her and spoke their greetings.

All four guardians teared up as they rejoiced once more in each others company. They were tears of renewal but also tears of loss as they remembered the 36 who would not be there to welcome Jane's return. Hercules stepped in to put his arm around her,"It's good to see you again, Jane. It looks like you couldn't have returned at a better time. Now, it looks like we need to get down to business. Ladies, if you will join me in the inner sanctuary. Is that all rightwith you Jane?"

"You're asking the wrong Guardian, Hercules. Nanaea is now queen; I'm just here to help," answered Jane.

"Right. Let's go into the sanctuary then," Nanaea said awkwardly. It was strange to have Jane there, but not there. She had changed; She was always a force to contend with, strong, and sure, but she had never been so reticent to take charge. Nanaea wasn't sure ifher behavior had been changed by the years alone or did Iolaus have something to do with this?

She could tell that Jane was being careful to hold on to some kind of resolve.

Yes, she knew what had transpired with Iolaus. Jane had confided in her, and she had never broken that confidence which made it all the more difficult to sort out her ownfeelings about Iolaus. She suddenly sensed him at her side and felt her heart skip a beat. "Nanaea," she said to herself, "Amazon's don't feel giddy! Calm down, girl!"

Hercules led the Barbarian Librarians into the inner sanctuary with welcoming ease. He had the impression that they were beginning to feel as if they were intruding on some inner family struggle. Storm was busy watching Hercules interact with these strangers when she stumbled and was heading for a painful landing. Hercules quickly leapt into action and caught her before she ended head first into the conference table.

"Hey! Are you okay?" asked Hercules. Storm was usually so sure-footed that this sudden clumsiness worried Hercules. He held her for perhaps a little longer than he should. Storm was too busy noticing the bridled strength that held her. As her face was buried in his chest, she muttered in a voice that seemed 3 octaves higher than her normal voice, "No...I'm fine."

With a sigh Hercules released her to sit at the council table. The others stared at her with stern discernment, each one figuring that it would be too obvious to trip now. They all in turn sat at the council table to discuss their situation.

*gaea* asked, "What exactly happened to the others? I'd kind of like to know what we're up against."

Chrysim started, "Well, things were normal around here until two months ago. We noticed one scholar in particular to be disgruntled by what he read. Still he returned to the temple almost daily pouring over the scrolls. Then we began to notice when he returned he had one or two more people with him. He brought more and more people in with him to read those same scrolls. Forgetting the reverence that should be held in the sanctuary, he began talking a little too loudly. Others had a hard time concentrating on their studies because of him and his friends."

"After two weeks of this barbaric, oh excuse me, no offense intended," apologized Nanaea.

"None taken," replied Kendaa. "What happened after two weeks?"

"After two weeks," continued Nanaea, "I heard him in the courtyard of the village. I had gone into the village to get ink. Certain scrolls are sometimes in great demand, and we copy them to have multiple scrolls. Anyway, This 'scholar' was telling the villagers how dangerous the temple was. He said that we presented ideas that would corrupt the youth of the village. He had proof that some scrolls in particular were filth and should be destroyed. He had the crowd stirred up; I tried to intervene and explain that the knowledge in the temple was sanctioned by Athena herself. I told them that this fool was just picking things out of context to serve some sick purpose. I invited the people of the village to come to the temple themselves to use their own judgment. He stepped in and said that most of the villagers couldn't read anyway, and that since I obviously knew that, they wouldn't be able to fight against the sedition that was in the scroll. He brought in his experts to refute my claims and to verify his own. Some of the crowd picked up stones and prepared to hurl them at me when an old man stood between the mob and me. He warned them the insult to Athena by attacking the Queen of the Guardians would bring horrible curses down upon them. They dropped their arms but held onto the stones. I turned to go when..."

Nanaea stopped as sobs strangled the words she would say.

Iolaus put a comforting arm around her shoulders, and she turned to accept the relief found in his arms. Jane winced at the sight. It still hurt.

Storm continued for her, "They wouldn't risk offending Athena at that point so they turned their wrath on the old man, and they stoned the old man to death. She tried to stop them, but there were too many. Nanaea returned to warn us that the temple was very likely going to be under attack. So, we prepared for war. The attack didn't come for days, but the temple was like a tomb. No one dared to enter for fear of being trapped in a battle. Then, the attack came. We expected them to burn down the temple, but they didn't. If the scrolls were the problem for these people, why didn't they try to destroy them? Instead, they were entering the old weapons building. Nothing was stored in them, but one by one these *warriors* crept into the building. It was Chrysim who realized their strategy."

Chrysim continued the litany of tragic events, "There was a secret passage that led from the old weapons building into the most sacred scroll room. They weren't trying to protect the youth from sedition; they were going to steal the scrolls. When I realized what they were trying to do, I immediately reported to my mentor, and she took me to Nanaea. The guardians were going to surprise them, and Nanaea and Storm waited in the passage next to the scroll room, and the rest of us slipped into the weapons building. I had forgotten my staff in all of the excitement, and my mentor sent me back to the temple to get it. I had just retrieved my weapon and was at the entrance to the temple when the building with 36 brave warriors inside, exploded. The heat from the fire melted the swords in their hands. I tried to get them out, but I couldn't even pull the door open. The animals had bolted the door and the lock melted. I can still hear the screams at night. I should have been there!....I" and Chrysim collapsed in fierce trembling and weeping.

Hercules was at her side in one step folding his arms around her.

"It's all right! There's nothing you could have done. If you had been there, you wouldn't be able to stop this madness now. Sh, it's all right."

He saw Storm trying very unsuccessfully to keep control, so he gathered her into a protective embrace as well.

Storm continued in the sanctuary of Hercules' arms, "Nanaea and I barely made it out of that end of the passage before it collapsed. We ran from the temple to see Chrysim tearing at the locked door. We had to pull her away. You should have seen the horrific burns Chrysim bore on her hands from trying to rescue the ill-fated warriors. We were too late, too late."

Nanaea regained control enough to add, "In the distance, we heard an evil laugh. The *scholar* was now exposed for what he truly was, a warlord. And at his side was Ares."

There was not a dry eye around the table. MsMoo~, *gaea*, Chantal, Kendaa, and Baucis grasped hands in sympathy for those who gave their lives to protect the scrolls. The table was filled with the sound of a tempest of the soul. Suddenly the sound of a chair scrapping across the floor caused all tear ravaged eyes to look up.

Slowly, Jane rose to her feet, and in an unearthly tranquility her eyes drifted upward, and she declared, "I know what must be done."

"I have to speak to Ares," she calmly stated. However, she was the only one at the table who was calm. Hercules and Iolaus were the first to their feet, but they were quickly joined by the other three guardians. The Barbarian Librarians simply sat looking at each other in confusion. Yes, they knew that he was the god of war, but they couldn't quite grasp the seriousness of her declaration. Someone did have to talk to him to figure out what he was after. It seemed logical that one who had been the Guardians' queen so long ago should undertake the task at hand.

"You must be out of your mind!" shouted Iolaus. "If you think for one minute that we're going to sit by and allow this little conference you have planned, you are crazy!"

"Iolaus is right. We will not allow this dangerous mission. Don't you realize just how treacherous my brother is. There's been too much loss here already. We are NOT prepared to lose you too. This is OUT OF THE QUESTION. Do you understand?"

"And what gives you two the right to give me permission to do anything? I believe it's my life, and if I want to risk it to save the scrolls, then you don't have a choice in this." It amazed the Barbarians at the total control Jane was exhibiting. She didn't even raise her voice. All around her were pleading, ordering, and shouting at her. But she remained above it all.

Storm pled, "Please listen to them, Jane. This scheme is suicide." Storm now stood by Jane's side. She knew why Jane was planning this mission and why Jane was convinced it would work.

Chrysim turned to Nanaea, " Nanaea, you can order her not to go. You have that power as queen," she offered hopefully.

But Nanaea just shook her head. "Jane left the order and is no longer bound by its precepts. If this is the path she has chosen, we can't interfere," Nanaea said. "However, I want you to know that I think this is foolishness. You not only endanger yourself but all of us as well. What of our guests? Did they bargain for a deal with Ares?"

"Just what makes you think that Ares won't destroy you like he helped destroy the other guardians? He's my brother; I know him much better than you do. If you go to him, he'll see it as a weakness that he can exploit. He'll find some way to get rid of you to get the scrolls. Whatever is in them must be something he cares about deeply, and the only thing that I know he cares about deeply is war, death, and devastation," Hercules tried to reason with Jane. "Why do you think you're immune to his hatred?"

"He won't hurt me. He'll listen to me," she returned calmly.

"Listen to Hercules, Jane. How can you know him more than his own brother?" Iolaus had turned Jane to face him with his hands on her shoulders. His eyes seemed to pierce her to her very soul; they would draw the truth from her. It was a truth she learned long ago that drove her from his embrace. A truth she was reluctant to share.

"Tell me, Jane! What incredible power do you have over Ares? Why will he listen to you and not annihilate YOU?" Iolaus was on the verge of shaking some sense into her when she matched gaze for gaze and released the truth.

"HE'S MY FATHER!" and with that she broke free from a stunned Iolaus and ran out of the sanctuary into the woods. He stood for only a moment and ran out to find her.

Hercules sat down in shock. He knew that Ares had thousands of children; he just never pictured Jane as one of them. He was lost in thought considering his new found niece when MsMoo~ spoke up.

"Well then. It looks like we have a task ahead of us. I guess we need to start preparing for the battle."

Nanaea offered them a chance to leave. After all, this wasn't their fight. Now that they knew exactly what they were up against, perhaps they wouldn't be so bold to offer help. All five librarians jumped to their feet and protested.

"We are ot faint of heart. Each of us has had to deal with creeps before. This *scholar* must have relatives in our part of the world too. Most of them are weasels like him; they won't ever confront alone. The scum will get others to do their dirty work. We're not afraid. Are we ladies?" offered *gaea*.

"Of course not. Warlords? Hah, I've wrestled with an evil copy machine bent on driving me crazy," MsMoo~ boldly stated.

"You should see what I've done with obnoxious rollerbladers! Let's just say I whipped them into shape.!" Chantal laughed wickedly

Baucis piped in, "You should see the nasty paper cuts I can deliver. They'll be left in a whimpering mass by the time we're through with them."

The others nodded remembering the poor physicist left in a fetal position at the library.

Kendaa finally summed it up. "We said before that we would stand shoulder to shoulder with any Guardian of Knowledge. You are our sisters, and we're not about to let a sniveling coward of a warlord send us crouching in a dark corner. We're with you! I've stared down a mad physicist; do you think the god of war sounds scary to me?"

Hercules flashed a smile that would blind the room. These women were definitely up for the challenge. Such bravery from these Barbarian Librarians qualified them to be among the ranksof the Amazons, the Guardians of Knowledge. "Okay, If you're going to be with us, you need to blend in a little more. For one thing, that *t-shirt* has to go!"

When he said this, he immediately started blushing as all the librarians looked at MsMoo~ and started laughing.

"No! I didn't mean it like that. Come on, I'm really not like that!" He was feeling awkward enough when he looked at her. His eyes keep being drawn to the image of himself. Of course, that also meant he kept staring at her chest. "I mean... Nanaea, help me out here!" Nanaea just giggled and shook her head. "You're on your own, big boy!" she thought.

"Don't you have some leathers they can wear? They need to look more like guardians, not barbarians. Please, MsMoo~, tell me you still respect me. I'm not a ..."

"That's okay, Hercules. I knew what you meant. Not all Barbarian Librarians are perverts!" she said as she scowled at her compatriots. Mind you, she didn't really mind the extra attention Hercules was giving her chest. Oh well.

"Thanks," he replied. He was relieved this conversation was about over when he threw his arms around MsMoo~ and planted a kiss firmly on her cheek. When he let go, MsMoo~ just turned and beamed at her friends.

Chrysim cleared her throat and informed them that they had many clothes to choose from and led them off to a once full dormitory.

Iolaus walked into the temple dejectedly. He'd tried to get to Jane, but she was riding off on her horse before he could reach her. He was met by Storm in the temple. He sighed as he considered all of the implications this revelation presented. Storm laid a steady hand on his back and told him what he wanted to know. This was why Jane left him. Ares had revealed his relationship to her and told her that she would endanger anyone who loved her. That was why she left the Guardians, and this was why she left him. Until a few moments ago, Storm was the only one who knew of her lineage.

"It wouldn't have mattered to me, you know," he said wistfully. He closed his eyes and considered what might have been and what could never be. He breathed a heavy sigh and was joined by Hercules and Nanaea. She longed to comfort him, to put her arms about him and hug away all aching memories. Nanaea knew that wasn't possible at this time, and so she reached for his hand and slipped hers inside it. She would have to make due with this. She was rewarded with a sad smile and a squeeze to that hand.

The four were shaken from the melancholy by Chrysim followed by 5 giggling Barbarians. She just rolled her eyes powerless to explain.

"Hey! These work better than a WonderBra!" giggled Baucis. "Just look!" she said as she presented a considerable cleavage.

MsMoo~ smiled an evil grin and thought, "Hmph! You just think you had trouble staring at my chest then, Hercules! Take a look at me now."

Chantal said excitedly, "This matches my whip perfectly! And you know how we Barbarian Librarians love to accessorize! Look! It even has a little loop where I can get to it quickly."

Whereas, *gaea* twisted and twirled around looking for her loop. "Now, where am I going to hang my numchuks?" Hercules stifled a chuckle and felt his friend let loose a little giggle. "Um just what are..." then he was gasping for air as Hercules' elbow made contact with his diaphragm.

Kendaa was concentrating really hard on something else. She kept staring at her cleavage frowning. The others dropped to the ground as she let go of a yelp, "Hiiiiiiiiyyyyaaaaaaa!" and a breast dagger came flying out of the front of her leather bodice. They all started to run for cover when amazingly she just reached out and snagged the hilt. "Hey! I told you I'm use to handling temperamental physicists."

"Well, it looks like you're well versed in that weapon, but please remember that we are still in the sanctuary. The rest of you gather your weapons and come outside to the training grounds," ordered Nanaea as she released Iolaus' hand.

Storm spoke with the others as the Barbarian Librarians entered the weapons room. "We have to figure out what Ares wants with those scrolls! I'll work with the Barbarians while the rest of you sift through what's left of those scrolls. I need the workout, and even though we've seen Kendaa's skills, we still don't really know how capable the rest are."

Nanaea agreed, and Hercules also volunteered to help train them. When the Barbarians returned, they were still excited with their new wardrobe.

Storm thought, "Guardians don't flounce!"

But these librarians were still trying out the "equipment" so to speak. Each one grinned wickedly when they discovered Hercules would be assisting them in their training.

"Okay, ladies, join me outside on the training grounds. We need to see your particular skills," Hercules said as a giggle bubbled forth from *gaea*.

Hercules' blush covered his face quickly. "I seem to keep saying the wrong things. What I meant is that we need to do some training to check out your hand to hand combat..."

This just caused more of an uproar. "No! See you have to know how to roll on the.... Oh, I give up! Outside if you please."

Hercules rushed out of the temple before he said anything else to mortify himself. Iolaus was enjoying this too much as he considered his naive friend.

"Come on, Chrysim and Nanaea, I believe we have work to do in the scroll room," Iolaus volunteered as he put a guiding hand on each of their shoulders. They wrapped their arms around his waist, and headed toward the scroll room. Now it would be Iolaus' turn to blush.

"Be careful with that one," ordered Nanaea. "Iolaus, these are all very old scrolls. You have to be gentle with them. Now take the ribbon off the scroll gently; you don't even have to pull it off very hard. Just let it slip off the scroll and slide to the ground." She had moved behind him to guide his hands in her instructions. Chrysim handed him another scroll.

"Sometimes it takes two people to unveil the scrolls. Here, I'll hold it while you untie the ribbon," Chrysim's hands brushed against Iolaus' as she lifted the scroll to his grasp. At the same time he felt the softness of her hands, he became totally aware of Nanaea pressed against his back, and little beads of sweat popped out of his forehead as he delicately pulled the ribbon and released the scroll from its bondage.

"Um...it's a little hot in here, don't you think? Ooops! Sorry, Ladies," He was trying to back away from an entirely too intense situation when he knocked Nanaea flat on her back. When he jerked around, his elbow caught Chrysim on the cheek. He was trying to tend to both moaning ladies when he slipped on a ribbon lying next to one of the scrolls and crashed to the floor. Chrysim and Nanaea, ignoring their own injuries crawled over to him to investigate his prone figure.

The others ran into the temple to uncover what the loud crash was when they were rewarded with the sight of three people on the floor. The ladies were leaning over Iolaus' semi-conscious form as he was reaching for them moaning himself now.

"Ahem!" interrupted Storm. "I don't think the scroll room was meant for this...type of ...*exploration*, do you, Nanaea?"

Nanaea and Chrysim suddenly became aware of their positions and tried to pull free of Iolaus' grasp, but he was still not fully responsive to the conscious world around him.

"No! Wait! See how gently I can let it slide off," He said in his dreamlike state. Hercules didn't wait for an explanation as he carefully extracted the Guardians from his friend's clutches. After he stood them up, he knelt next to his friend and in a very low voice said, "You'd better have a good explanation for this one, my friend."

"It's not what you think, Hercules,"started Chrysim.

"Nothing happened; there was this accident," said Nanaea not sounding very queen like.

Hercules snickered as he thought that at least it wasn't him this time trying to justify himself. As he gently shook Iolaus, his friend started coming to. He blinked really hard against the mounting pain in the back of his head announced to him that he had reentered the real world.

He quickly sat up, too quickly announced his brain, and started to look for Nanaea and Chrysim. "Are you two okay? I'm really sorry." The others began to notice the little red mark on Chrysim's cheek and the slight bump on the back of Nanaea's head.

Storm announced, "Iolaus, you're a dangerous man."

Hercules suggested to Iolaus that he might just sit quietly for awhile and wait until his head quit hurting. Perhaps he was never meant to see those scrolls after all. Hercules gathered the Barbarian Librarians under his arms this time and strode outside.

"Well, Chrysim and Nanaea, I'll just sit over here in the corner. If you need me just yell. On second thought, a whisper will do," and they understood him completely.

MsMoo~, Kendaa, Chantal, Baucis, and *gaea* all worked very hard. They learned how to use their opponents height against them, how to flip and disarm the enemy. But the part they enjoyed the most was having Hercules show them how to roll when they fell so they wouldn't get really hurt.

Hercules, though not one to carry a weapon himself, was very impressed at the skill each one used with her weapon. Baucis' stars intrigued him as MsMoo~'s t-shirt had for they had his image on them as well.

He was unsure as to how something so light weight could cause any damage until one of the edges sliced into his finger.

"Ouch! What was that? By Olympus, it hurts worse that being struck with an arrow forged by Hephaestus!" But Baucis quickly grabbed the wounded digit and rubbed it until it felt a little better. Being use to small children during story time, she kissed it to make it all better. "What are you doing?" he inquired.

"In my land, it is a custom to speed the healing of an injury by kissing it. By the way, I believe your lip is bleeding also." And with nerves of steel, she reached up and gave Hercules a quick gentle kiss. Storm just shook her head as the Barbarians all seemed to line up to speed Hercules' healing. She actually was considering how she could *accidentally* scratch his chest and tell him that in the interest of cultural understanding....She sighed as Hercules announced that training was over. She grinned when she thought, "Oh well, there's always tomorrow."

That night, Kendaa had a hard time sleeping. Though she was very brave, the coming battle was unnerving her. She couldn't get the image of a hideous god of war charging against them. She left the temple to get some fresh air when she wandered into a secluded clearing not far from the temple. As she sat down in the cool evening grass, she became aware of a presence behind her. And she almost jumped out of her skin when a smooth voice hailed her. "Hello, my little one. I'm surprised they let you out on your own."

He was very tall, extremely handsome, and he smelled of danger. Kendaa felt her heart quicken as he reclined not more than one arm's length next to her. "It is a wondrous night; don't you think?" As he moved closer to her, he reached out and took her hand in his slowly stroking her fingertips with his thumb. With dark eyes, he said, "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Ares." And he released a grin that sent shivers down her spine and took her breath away.

Chantal was having a difficult time sleeping as well. She rose to talk to Kendaa knowing she was a night owl like herself. But she was shaken when she noticed that Kendaa's bed hadn't even been slept in. Chantal snuck into the weapons room and gathered her whip to slip out into the night unsure of the angers that may be lurking there. Her hand brushed against the scroll. She had almost forgotten about that scroll; could it be possible that this scroll was the one they were seeking? She shrugged off the thought as she remembered Kendaa, and Chantal slid into the night forest. She wandered awhile trying to pick up some kind of trail. Luckily, when Kendaa had wandered off earlier, she wasn't trying to hide her tracks, and it wasn't long before Chantal came upon an interesting sight.

Kendaa was still sitting next to Ares, but he wasn't satisfied just holding her hand. He slid his fingertips up and down her bare arm, and Kendaa could do nothing but tremble. "Are you cold, my little one? I'm sure I could think of something to get you warm." Ares sat up and brushed his lips lightly on her cheek. This startled Kendaa, and she turned quickly to face him which landed her in an out-and-out kiss. Kendaa turned so deep a red, she was sure she was glowing. But perhaps her blush wasn't the only reason she felt this. He moved his mouth to her ear as he brushed her hair back behind it and whispered, "Now, about that scroll." With that Kendaa jumped up and started backing away.

"What am I doing?" she thought. "Here he is the god of war, responsible for the deaths of 36 Guardians, enemy of all that's good, and I'm terribly attracted to him. It's a good thing that I don't know which scroll he's talking about because at this moment I don't quite trust myself. Look at him! He's gorgeous. How could anyone as tender as he was being just now be sooo bad? Maybe he's misunderstood."

Ares grinned a predatory smile as he said, "Don't look at me that way. It wounds me deeply to see the fear in your eyes. Relax, my little one. I'm not really as evil as you think I am. I'm just misunderstood." He gave her the most innocent look he could muster and reached for her hand again. "I don't even know your name, little one."

Kendaa was teetering on the edge when they both heard rustling in the bushes.

"Kendaa! What are you doing? This is madness how can you trust him? Come on, we're leaving!" and Chantal reached out and grabbed Kendaa's arm and tore her away from Ares. As she dragged her friend from the clearing, she looked over her shoulder and saw an eerie sight. Far from being furious, Ares was grinning.

"That's right. Run away now, but I know you have the scroll. And I will get it, one way or another," and he disappeared in a maelstrom of sparkling lights.

Kendaa jerked her arm away from Chantal and said, " Just what were you doing? Spying on me? You know I can take care of myself. Ares and I were just having a little conversation. He's really not that bad you know." She had stopped in her tracks and was more than a little annoyed with her barbarian friend.

Chantal slowly turned to face Kendaa. She had a dangerous look on her face as she tried in vain to regain control over her emotions. "Not that bad?! Kendaa, he's responsible for so much death and destruction in this world. You make him seem like a poor misguided youth, some pathetic rollerblader who would turn from his wicked ways if the right wo... That's it! You think you could turn him around! You are some piece of work, my friend." She turned to leave and felt the presence of her friend fall into step with her.

"I'm sorry. I guess you're right, but Chantal, if you ever just look in his eyes...They burn right through you! And for a god of war, he sure knows a thing or two about ... What? Okay, I'll drop it," she said with a sigh.

Chantal and Kendaa returned to see that no one was asleep in the temple.

Hercules held onto Storm to keep her from charging the two. "Do you have any idea how worried we've all been about you two? It's bad enough that Jane's not back yet, but now the Barbarian Librarians decide to take a hike. Did you have a wonderful time? We've searched this darkness for you! Iolaus is still out there somewhere risking his life while you were out for your stroll!"

Hercules spun her around into his arms to still her anger. He knew that she wasn't as angry as she had been anxious. Earlier she had voiced her fears to him and Iolaus. She could almost see the murdered Guardians, but this time the two missing Barbarians were joined to the pile of burning bodies. She trembled against him, and the tears started to flow.

Hercules laid his cheek against the top of her head and whispered comforting words to her.

Kendaa spoke up, "We're so sorry! I never dreamed anyone would be alarmed. After all, I was just taking a short walk. I couldn't sleep, and when I met Ares.." Before she could finish her statement, she was aware of all eyes on her.

Hercules' head snapped up, and Storm struggled against his strong grasp.

*gaea* whispered, "Oh Kendaa. You...Ares... What were you thinking?"

Hercules bound for her, "Do you realize the risk you were taking? He could have snapped you like a twig. You are not safe if Ares has taken an interest in you! And he has, hasn't he?"

Nanaea looked at her in alarm, " You must surely recognize the risk you've put not only yourself, but the danger you have placed us all in. He recognized weakness in you, and he will exploit it.

Kendaa looked down at the ground as Chantal moved to stand next to her and Hercules. Sheput a tender hand on both of their arms.

"Nothing happened. I was there, and she didn't tell him anything that would endanger the temple. At least we know what he's after. He seems to be interested in a particular scroll. I think I know which one he's after."

They all looked at Chantal incredulously as she returned with the faded scroll that brought the Barbarians to this time and place. The Barbarian Librarians nodded one to another.

MsMoo~ spoke up, "We have another tale to tell, and perhaps we had all better go to a more comfortable place before it unfolds. I have a feeling you're going to want to be sitting down for this one."

Iolaus easily found the tracks of the two Barbarians. He shook his head as he thought that a two year old could follow those tracks. He tentatively approached the clearing. It had a definite evil feel about it. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck as a malevolent presence made itself known.

Ares! "Uh oh," he released as he realized he was in deep trouble now.

Well, well, well, looks like we're going to have a little excitement here tonight after all tonight!" And the smile returned. One that a cat might have as it's toying with its prey. Iolaus found himself alone in the midst of twenty soldiers with an evil *scholar* standing squarely in front of him.

Jane was slowly returning to the temple. She had to face him. Had to face all of them. What would her fellow Guardians think of her now? She considered that none of that was important. She had returned to help the Guardians and help she would. Her deep sadness was shattered by the sound of a man's scream. Her heart froze as she recognized the voice from which issued the unearthly sound. She guided her horse swiftly yet silently through the woods and dismounted in stealth as she approached the camp. She stifled a cry as she saw Iolaus tied to two horses being stretched and beaten by a sniveling little coward.

And in a scroll room not far off, nine people listened in horror to a scream that pierced the night.

Hercules was the first on his feet, but the others quickly joined him just outside the temple. He looked totally torn. What if this happened to be a trap? Was Ares just trying to get them away from the temple so his minions could find the scroll? He was sure the Guardians could handle most things on their own, but given the latest temptation of Kendaa, could they survive going up against Ares himself? His turmoil was answered by Nanaea.

"Go quickly, Hercules. We can watch the temple ourselves. You must save Iolaus!" Her voice began trembling. Her imagination was painting painful, violent, and dark pictures in her mind. She was making a silent supplication to Athena to intervene on his behalf.

"Nanaea's right. We can bind together to defend this place," said Chrysim, "Iolaus needs you now." Tears were gathering in her eyes as another hoarse scream rent the air.

Storm cringed at the sound as she was too terrified to consider the origin of the noise. She turned to cast a bitter look at Kendaa and Chantal. How would she feel about these two if Iolaus died because of his concern over them?

Kendaa and Chantal exchanged hurt glances with each other. They felt the terrible weight of the possibility that they were responsible for the pain-filled shrieks that filled the night. The next scream stabbed through them, and they broke down into wrenching sobs.

Hercules understood the guilt they were feeling and encouraged Storm to show them the mercy he knew was in her heart. With a sigh, she joined the others as they tried to comfort the two. Chrysim said, "It will be okay. Hercules will rescue him. It's not your fault." She was trying to believe those statements herself.

"I have to go help him. Are you sure you'll be all right?" He asked, but he had already turned on his heels to go without an answer.

The Guardians and Librarians clung uneasily to each other and joined Storm in her plea to Athena.

Jane had been watching the torture, and that was pure torture itself. She felt every blow, every puncture to his flesh, and every nerve seared by dislocated joints. She fought the urge to just rush headlong into the sick open air torture chamber knowing if she did it would mean instant death to her beloved. And yes, in her heart he was still her beloved. She was quickly forming a strategy; it had to be quick because she wasn't sure how much longer he could last under such pain. She swung around silently with her sword out of its scabbard as she heard something moving through the brush. She was extremely relieved to recognize the awesome power of Hercules coming to her aid.

"Hercules! He can't take much more, but if we charge in there, we're liable to startle the horses, and he'll be torn in two. He doesn't look good. I can't stand by much longer. We've got to help him," she cried terrified tears.

Hercules looked at Jane and saw pure love in her eyes for his friend. He had not questioned Iolaus too carefully when she had left him. He could tell it was more than he could take at the time. Now, he understood her sacrifice completely. How many times had he wanted to run away to keep his friend from danger? How many times did Iolaus convince him that this was the life he chose? He wondered at the future that might have been had Jane listened to Iolaus like he had. Suddenly, he was listening to his friend, but it was his friend in dire need.

"Okay, Jane. We can handle these creeps together," Hercules motioned her to circle around the camp. He softly snuck up behind a lone guard and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. When the guard swung around, Hercules tapped him not so lightly on the jaw sending him into an unsettling dream world. Hercules grabbed his sword and once again made eye contact with Jane.

She drew her sword and continued to advance on her unsuspecting victims. Yes, they would be the victims in a few moments, not Iolaus. Somehow, she knew exactly what Hercules wanted her to do. Through the darkness, she could see him starting to count offon his fingers. She smiled sadly as sheremembered Iolaus saying one time, "Okay we shoot on three.....three!"

A weakened cry brought her back to the present, and she saw Hercules send up three fingers. When she saw the signal, she, along with Hercules, sent her sword hurtling through the night. Almost simultaneously, the swords sliced through the binding ropes, and Iolaus dropped lifelessly to the ground. The horses were completely startled by the commotion so close to their hindquarters that they started to trample anyone near them. The problem was an unconscious Iolaus was near them. Jane rolled and scooped up her sword to engage some of the warriors while Hercules rapidly gathered Iolaus up and placed him out of danger. He returned to Jane's side as they fought valiantly against their foe. The ringleader vanished almost immediately when he saw his grip on the situation faltering. He was hiding in the bush when Hercules inadvertently gave this leader a new opportunity to regain control.

"Go to Iolaus! I'll take care of the rest of the garbage around here. I placed him near that bush over there. See what you can do for him," Hercules shouted over the pounding he was delivering to three very confused soldiers.

Jane's heart almost stopped again when she came upon Iolaus

The sniveling little warlord held a knife poised over his heart. His small whining voice shrieked, "STAY AWAY! I'LL KILL HIM; I PROMISE I WILL!!!" Jane's eyes penetrated through that coward's haze, and an eerie glow started at her pupils and radiated throughout her eyes until they were fire red. The weakling started to tremble as he felt his blood boiling in his veins. Sweat poured out of every pore he had, and he felt like his heart was on an open spit.

The pitiful coward dropped the dagger and curled into a fetal position near Iolaus.

Just as Jane's unearthly stare was about to cause a spontaneous combustion, Hercules laid a hand on her shoulder. She spun around and almost seared him as well. "Jane," he whispered gently. And that broke through to her. She slumped in his arms.

"I'm so sorry; I don't know where that came from. I just saw what he had been doing to Iolaus and what he was about to do, and this incredible rage burst through me. Iolaus!" And Jane turned back towards him and dropped to her knees. "Please let him be all right. Please, Athena, don't let him..." a hand reached for hers, and she saw a pair of impossibly blue eyes flutter open to meet her tear stained eyes. Hercules had dropped to his knees and was making pleas of his own, but not to any god or goddess. He was silently pleading with his friend to wake up.

"Well, I've had better nights," Iolaus choked. "Hey, Herc, do you think I might be a little taller now?" Hercules grimaced as he saw his friend trembling in pain but trying to relieve the pain he saw in two people that meant the world to him.

"Come on, Iolaus. We've got to get you back to the temple. No complaining now; Jane, do you think you can support him on your horse and ride back to the temple like that?"

Jane nodded and helped Hercules get Iolaus on his feet and on her horse. As she swung up behind him and slid her arms gently around his waist, she was startled by his next statement.

"Hercules, they never even asked me anything. Not about the scrolls, or the Guardians, or even the temple."

They all three had come to the same conclusion at the same time. This was all a terrible, sick, terrifying distraction. The temple must be under attack, or at the very least it would be soon. With a thought, Jane urged her horse on and Hercules turned to run back to the temple.

At the temple, everything seemed ghostly quiet. Baucis walked all through the temple. She fingered her stars carefully and hoped that Hercules would be back soon. His presence comforted her, and though she was filled with a librarian's courage, she still felt the fear of the stillness of the night.

Whump! Whump! Whump! A bizarre sound accosted the temple door. MsMoo~ stepped cautiously to the door and suddenly jerked the door open. The source of the sound was *gaea*. She was slapping her barcoding numchuks against the door. She was halfway practicing and completely bored. "Would you watch out with that thing! You almost put my eye out! Besides all that whumping thumping is driving me nuts!"

Ever the peacemaker, Chrysim spoke up, "Look we're all a little nervous. Why don't you take a little breather? Storm and I can take this watch. Nanaea just put out some cold meat, roasted potatoes, and the most delicious cream filled chocolate pastries. Maybe a little food will make you feel better."

MsMoo~, *gaea*, and Baucis joined a very worried Nanaea at the dining table.

"You expect us to eat all of that! This looks like a banquet for forty!"

"Hey, I cook when I get nervous. Besides, when Iolaus gets here, he'll be hungry. He always liked my..." and tears choked off any words she would have spoken. With those tears, she waved her newfound friend to sit down.

Kendaa and Chantal couldn't eat. They kept thinking about the brave hunter who would put his life in jeopardy for their safety. Chantal rose from the chair in the scroll room and edged toward the door. She absentmindedly caressed the scroll that had been in question; then she walked quietly out of the temple. She just needed some fresh air. Kendaa glanced up to watch her friend and thought, "This is how this all began."

Chantal had been leaning against the burned out weapons building when she was surrounded by the malevolent light burst.

The same feral smile was present. As he drew nearer, Chantal began to understand completely what Kendaa had felt. His presence was intoxicating. Ares reached for Chantal's hand and brought it to his face. He breathed in her scent along the inside of her wrist to the palm of her hand, and then to her fingertips. When he reached there, he dangerously kissed each digit. His eyes narrowed as he leaned in closer to Chantal.

"Ah, my little sweet. This hand that has touched the scroll, now touches my heart," and Ares firmly pulled her hand to him and laid it on his inhuman heart. As she touched the pounding chest, she felt her world slipping away.

Iolaus could do nothing with his arms. "Yep," he grimaced. "Definitely dislocated." The slightest movement sent red hot searing pain throughout his arms and back. He was barely conscious, but he was aware of Jane's arms around his waist. There was little he could do to help so he just leaned back and trusted in Jane's strength. He felt safe there.

Jane, in the meantime, thought of nothing more than getting this man to safety and to a healer. The Guardian's healer was among the 36; she was Chrysim's mentor. Perhaps Chrysim could help mend these terrible wounds. She felt Iolaus slipping from consciousness again, gripped him tighter, and gave her horse the signal to hurry.

Chantal slowly tried to back away from this seriously dangerous god. She struggled to remainon her feet and clear headed. She understood precisely what Kendaa felt for this deity. Hewas a presence to be reckoned with. And now he knew about their scroll.Could he read her mind? Oh No! She had the scroll. She had tucked it inside her boot in a hidden scabbard. If he could tell that she had handled the scroll, could he feel the power emanating from it now? He still held her hand to his chest when the sound of hoof beats broke through the woods and thundered toward them. The noise startled Ares, and when his concentration had been broken, hesitantly, Chantal broke away.

Jane stopped within inches of Ares. She shouted to the Guardians, and he disappeared. "It's not over yet, Daddy," Jane warned.

The Guardians and Barbarians spilled out of the temple to help Jane.

The sight of Iolaus in his current state melted each of their hearts.

"Let's get him inside," ordered Chrysim sounding less like a novitiate. "Put him in my quarters," ordered Nanaea. Though Spartan-like in decor, Nanaea did have the more spacious room. Eight Amazons gently lifted him from Jane's protective grasp and moved him into Nanaea's room. A stifled moan issued from Iolaus as they placed him on her bed. The jarring sent the same scorching pain through his body.

"Careful," warned Chrysim. She stepped in and began cleansing his wounds; this Guardian was even amazed that she remembered this part of her training. As she continued her handling of her patient, they all became aware of a presence in the room. It was overpowering, and Chantal and Kendaa turned to each other afraid to turn around.

They were pleasantly surprised to hear *gaea* shout, "Hercules! We're so glad you're back!" and she ran into his arms and reveled at the strength she felt there. The others were so relievedto see him safe after seeing the hunter in his current condition that they all crowded into his arms.

His friend managed a weak smile and said, "Hey, I'm the one who's hurt. How about a little comfort here?"

Chrysim stayed by his side and reassured him, "I believe that's what I'm here for. And I believe you are just a tad bit too hurt to do this kind of flirting."

"Oh he's never too hurt to flirt," grinned his best friend.

"Hercules, we have to do something about his left shoulder. The other is just strained, but this one is definitely dislocated. I believe I'll need your help with this," Chrysim stated trying to not sound too concerned. She didn't relish in what must be done. "Perhaps you'd better stay too, Jane. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask the rest of you to leave. It's best you don't witness this."

Jane looked up from the spot on the floor she had been concentrating on. It suddenly dawnedon her that it was a spot of Iolaus' blood. She nodded and took a deep breath. Hercules helped to usher the rest of them out of the room.

Iolaus glanced at the departing women and gave a mock pleading look just as Jane closed the door.

The MsMoo~ and Nanaea led the way back to the dining table. Storm made sure that Chantal and Kendaa were in tow, and *gaea* and Baucis followed. They heard a loud moan coming from Nanaea's quarters, and Baucis started a conversation to alleviate the tension they all felt.

"What were you going to tell us about a scroll, Chantal?" Her head jerked up as she remembered the scroll. Quickly, she reached into her boot and retrieved the scroll that brought them to this place.

"I believe it is this scroll that they are looking for. Ares questioned me about a scroll and mentioned that I had held it in my hand," Chantal related to the group. The mention of Ares' name brought a deep crimson stain to both Chantal and Kendaa.

Kendaa spoke up timidly, "He..um...asked me about a scroll too."

Nanaea and Storm looked to each other suspiciously. "Where did you get that scroll?" Nanaea and Storm were on their feet and rushing to where Chantal sat. Chantal laid a hand on her whip and faced the two uncertain Guardians. They stopped within inches of her, and Nanaea asked her again, "Where did you get that scroll? It's one of our most sacred scrolls. It was in the group that disappeared the day the warlord massacred the Guardians."

MsMoo~, Kendaa, Chantal, *gaea*, and Baucis looked at one another tentatively.

The silence was sliced by the sound of a pain-filled scream cutting through the night.

Now was the time of truth.

Iolaus had mercifully passed out as Chrysim tended to the last of his wounds. He looked dreadfully pale, but she indicated that he would experience a full recovery with very little scarring. Chrysim rose to join the others and gave a probing glance at Jane.

"I'll stay for just a little longer. You know, just to make sure he's okay," said Jane.

"I'll be joining you soon, Chrysim," assured Hercules. He wanted desperately to talk to Jane. He had been the only one, besides her victim, who had seen the power of her parentage asserted.

Hercules walked over to Jane and laid a protective arm around her shoulder. She started to shrug it off, but he would not let her distance herself from him.

Instantly, her emotions overwhelmed her as she stared at Iolaus.

She turned into his embrace, and this Amazon Queen, this warrior, this daughter of the god of war, wept like a five-year-old little girl.

"It's all right, Jane. Let it out."

She pulled back and looked at her *uncle* and said, "You saw what I almost did to that man. I was terrified at the hatred I felt for him and at what that hatred almost compelled me to do. How can everything be all right? If you hadn't been there..." and Jane shuddered at the memory. "This is precisely why I left. I can't protect those I love from my father and I can't shield them from the wrath that overcomes me. Everyone is better off without me. I shouldn't have returned." Tears scorched their way down her cheeks when she heard a soft voice across the room.

"I have to disagree with you there, Jane. Everyone isn't better off without you here," Iolaus whispered weakly. Jane was at his side in a heartbeat. His heartbeat. He held out his right hand unsteadily, and Jane gently grasped it like a lifeline.

"Oh...Iolaus...I'm so sorry," she sobbed as she gently laid his hand against her wet cheek.

He feebly stroked her face with the palm of that hand, and Hercules exited the room to see the anguished body comfort the anguished soul.

Hercules walked into a tense situation at the table. All of the women were on their feet. His presence caused a calm spirit prevail, and all but one of the Barbarians sat down. Baucis turned to Hercules and asked, "How is Iolaus? He is going to be all right, isn't he?"

Hercules took her hand and reassured her that Iolaus was a little tattered but he would recover.

Nanaea silently wept at the good news.

"Chrysim, it looks as though your training is complete. As soon as this business is over, you'll go through the ceremony to become a Guardian. Now, you were saying, *gaea*?"

She looked around for support and began again, "Feel free to jump in with any information I might leave out." She recounted the incidents that led up to their arrival.

"...suddenly the ground in the library began shifting, and the next thing we knew, we were on the ground here....Well, not here exactly, but here as in now in time and..Okay, to the point, all of this happened when we all grabbed the scroll."

Baucis piped in, "We don't read ancient Greek so we couldn't tell what it said, but I think we're all aware that this scroll has a power that would be terrifying in the wrong hands. We're also not sure about how to return, but I think the scroll has the answers to all of these questions."

"Surely you don't think any of us believe this tale. Sure, it would make a wonderful tale to tell to the village children, but we're not village children," Storm said sarcastically.

"She's telling the truth. We're from the 20th century, and we were transported back here by that blasted scroll!" MsMoo~ wasn't used to her word being disputed.

"Perhaps we'd be more apt to believe you, if we had the scroll in our hands. After all, the scroll does belong to us," volunteered Nanaea.

"The scrolls belong to all people," uttered a voice in the darkened hallway. "Not just to the ones who protect them."

"Jane, certainly you don't believe this absurdity!" Chrysim remarked.

"I believe a lot more things are possible than I used to. Tonight, I saw a power unleashed in me that could have killed a man simply with a look. If Hercules hadn't been there, I would have acted just like my..." Jane looked down at her feet. "Look, I make no apologies for who I am, I even believe there is some good in him, but I also know what he would do to get his hands on this scroll."

Hercules returned a confident grin to reassure her. "This all seems so...incredible. Chantal, could we please see the scroll?" and he reached out a strong hand and flashed a sweet smile at her, and Chantal handed over the scroll she'd been clutching. Hercules started to untie the crumpled scroll when Storm placed her hand on top of his. She flashed an equally compelling smile at him as she informed him, "Hercules, only the Guardians are permitted to read these scrolls. Please." And he handed over the scroll to her.

"Thank you, Storm. You always keep me out of trouble," and he gave her a quick feathery kiss on her blushing cheek.

Storm handed the scroll to Nanaea who unwrapped it carefully but quickly. Her mouth dropped open as she read the verse,

As they all huddled around the scroll, Jane was the first to sense his presence.

"Father."

Ares appeared at the entrance to the dining hall. His grin had a terrifying quality to it. He was well aware of the fact that he was standing between the Guardians and their weapons room. He had the look of a cat who had a sparrow in its sight. "Well, well, well, look who we have here. Looks like we could have a little family reunion, couldn't we?" He moved into the dining room and placed a scorching hand on Jane's shoulder. "It's always good to see Daddy's Little Girl. I'm so pleased to see you have skills that would do me proud."

He was casually moving toward the scroll when Hercules stepped in front of him. "Always a pleasure seeing you too, brother. Oh, come on. Why the suspicious looks? You act as if I'm not welcome here. I thought this was a temple of knowledge. Isn't everyone encouraged to broaden his horizons? I only want to improve my mind. Can't a god expand his mind? I have a certain interest in this scroll. You know how much I enjoy poetry."

He turned from his progression and moved toward the Barbarians. He moved to whom he considered a weak link. After lifting Kendaa's hand to his mouth, he flashed a predatory smile and kissed her hand.

"You know don't you, Kendaa?" She was dazed this time for only a moment and jerked her hand from his grasp and backed up. He then turned to Chantal and traced a line down her shoulder causing a chill to quiver through her. MsMoo~ stepped protectively between them.

"It's not going to work this time, Ares," she warned. MsMoo~ was relieved to sense Hercules standing just behind her. So she continued, "What do you want with the scroll? It's useless to you."

Ares turned his full attention to MsMoo~; he looked so intensely at her, she was certain it was his heartbeat she heard rushing in her ears instead of her own. She was aware of the impassioned breathing emanating from him. He reached for her cheek and cupped her face with his hand.

At first, she felt herself slipping. Then she heard a deep honeyed voice behind her whisper simply, "Moo," and she snapped out of his spell. MsMoo~ batted his hand away with her Hoolie scepter and proceeded to stare him down. The flame in her eyes caused the god of war to look away.

"Well, I believe the scroll has a tremendous power that would be very useful to me. I can't believe you can't see the potential behind that scroll in the right hands. I believe my powers would do the 20th century a great deal of service. Wouldn't you agree?"

Hercules spoke up, "I believe you are overlooking one thing. The scroll calls for five pure souls. I understand that leaves you out!" Hercules once again placed himself between Ares and the others.

Ares erupted in a hideously perverse laugh, and just as suddenly as it erupted, the laugh was gone, and Ares peered through viciously veiled eyes. "The scroll does call for five pure souls, but , brother, you forget how pure evil can be. I believe the scroll doesn't specify what kind of purity," and the smirk crawled slowly back on his face.

Storm moved quickly and landed a fist to Ares face. Just before contact was made, he grabbed her fist and squeezed it so tightly, everyone heard the cracking of the bones in her hand. Storm was on her knees, but gave such a look of tearful defiance even Ares was distracted by it. Hercules planted a fist square in his chest causing him to drop Storm's hand.

Hercules scooped her up and placed her in front of Chrysim to see to her hand.

"Are you all right, Storm? Your courage reminds me of another reckless person I know."

"Watch Out!" screamed *gaea*. She was the first to see Ares moving again toward Hercules. Ares caught Hercules by the arm and hurled him across the room. *gaea* looked desperately for her numchuks but suddenly remembered they were in the weapons room. As Hercules and Ares proceeded to pound each other back and forth, *gaea* motioned for the Barbarian Librarians and the Guardians to join her at the end of the table. Chrysim had just bound Storm's broken hand with a napkin at the table. Storm held her crushed hand protectively against her chest ignoring the pain and moved with the group.

*gaea* whispered, "What are we going to do? We don't have our weapons."

Baucis volunteered, "With Ares distracted, I can slip into the weapons room and get them."

Just then the warriors responsible for the massacre arrived with the dawn and blocked their exit completely.

"What are we going to do now? We're trapped."

MsMoo~ spoke up, "Amazons, I don't think we are entirely weapon less. Chantal still has her whip, and I have my...um...walking stick. I just need to get to that eastern window for a little recharging. In the meantime, Barbarians, you do know what this means..." she pointed to the mounds of food on the table.

Baucis, *gaea*, Kendaa, and Chantal all looked at each other, smiled, and nodded. Yes, they knew exactly what that meant. It was Hoolie time.

Baucis pulled the Guardians together and explained their strategy while MsMoo~ slipped to the window and allowed her solar powered Hoolie scepter to recharge. It was her turn to smile that feline grin. Those warriors didn't have a clue what was in store for them.

The Guardians were the first to move toward the table. Then the Barbarian Librarians followed suit. As each slowly reached for her *weapon* , they waited for the signal. MsMoo~ flashed a blinding smile, raised her scepter, and yelled, "Let the Hoolie begin!"

The warriors were stunned; even Hercules and Ares stilled their fighting as these Amazons loosed an impressive collective battle cry, and it was on.

Nanaea was the first to make contact. She hoisted a roasted potato and caught one bewildered warrior square on the nose. He was down on his knees when a second potato slammed into his jaw.

Chrysim lifted a bone from the cold meat and hurled it with the skill of a chakram. It bounced off three warriors' helmets when it finally clubbed the sniveling leader in the mouth, and he spit out four teeth as he collapsed to the ground.

"YES!" she cried triumphantly.

*gaea* was beginning to make her move toward the entry when she was stopped by one of the fiercer looking warriors; he raised his dagger to her when suddenly he was beaned with a lentil right in his eye. *gaea* looked to Kendaa with a grin as she saw her load another into a makeshift slingshot constructed with a napkin and a strap torn from her leathers. He droppedthe dagger and whimpered like a little boy. *gaea* scooped up the dagger and adopted Hercules' philosophy about the other man's weapon.

Chantal cracked her whip with such ferocity, that three warriors deserted right then and there; however, she did manage to make contact with the part of the anatomy that presents itself when retreating. She grinned evilly as she considered this Aspect of her weapon, but not wanting to be left behind, she advanced toward more victims.

Chrysim was desperately trying to protect Storm from the onslaught of flying food and weapons, but Storm really needed protection from herself. She didn't want to be left out of the fray so she grabbed a whole plate with her good hand and smashed it into the face of an approaching warrior. She then discovered that a plate could also be a handy weapon. She brought it down over his head, and the warrior crumpled to the ground.

Baucis gathered spoonfuls of congealed gravy and catapulted them at the warriors. She noticed the greasy stain it left as it dribbled off their armor, and an idea was unveiled. She started aiming for the floor just in front of the warriors instead of at them, and they began slipping and sliding. This was just enough distraction to allow *gaea* to leave the room and head for the weapons room.

Chrysim heard a noise coming down the darkened hallway, and there stumbled Iolaus weakly clutching his sword. One shoulder was bandaged tightly against his chest, and Chrysim saw in despair how the bandaged had been mangled. Iolaus had unsuccessfully tried to rip off the thing binding his left arm. Then Chrysim grinned, "When I bandage something, it stays bandaged!" She shouted to get Nanaea's attention, and when she looked in the direction Chrysim had indicated, fear flushed her face. He would get himself killed in that condition. So she quickly moved to his side, vaulting over three warriors and landing just in front of him. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"You don't think I could lay in there and listen to this melee and do nothing, do you?" Heflashed that brilliant smile that he knew contained the power to make Nanaea yield. Of course he hadn't counted on stubbornness counteracting that power.

"That's exactly what I expect you to do. Now back to the room!"

She grasped him about the waist as he supported himself by handing her his sword and resting his good arm on her shoulder. She hugged him closely to her and glared at any warrior who looked her way. She was easing him back on the bed when she collapsed on top of him.

"Um, Nanaea, though this is lovely, I don't think this is the time to..." and Iolaus froze when he realized she was unconscious.

The leader stood over them with a toothless smirk. He had smashed Nanaea in the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. He raised his sword fully intent on impaling the pair.

Iolaus, in his weakened state could do nothing but clasp Nanaea and shut his eyes.

He heard something that sounded like "whump- thump" and opened his eyes. Instead of seeing that maniac, his eyes focused on *gaea* who had dropped the other weapons to dispense with this coward. She gave a smile and a shrug, gathered up the weapons again and headed back to the battle.

Iolaus managed to roll Nanaea over until she was lying next to him instead of on top of him. He stroked her face until her eyelids began to flutter, and she beamed at him through the pain.

In the midst of the battle, Hercules and Ares refocused their attention to each other. Ares viciously knocked Hercules to the ground and raised his hand to give him a stunning blow. MsMoo~ had been making short order of the other warriors who dared to attack her. The end of her scepter cracked many a skull that day. Just as she finished one off, she saw Hercules in deep trouble. Gathering all of her strength, she set her Hoolie scepter to fricassee and sent a bolt of energy that made contact with Ares' chest.

She shouted with glee as her bolt landed Ares on his godly asset.

She was celebrating a little too much when Ares turned his attention to her. He raised his hand; the power emanating from it turned the room a ghostly blue. Just as he was about to release the power, two chocolate cream pastries splattered in his face.

Jane stood at the dessert end of the table and grasped two more to launch. She was grinning at how ridiculous he looked.

"Oh, Father, dear, would you like some more?"

Ares howled with anger and tried to blast MsMoo~ with his power, but nothing shot from his hand. He tried again and again, but still nothing happened.

"It's the chocolate and the cream. They've short circuited his powers!" shouted Kendaa. "Chocolate is a symbol of love in my time; he's powerless against it!"

Jane moved quickly to neutralize her father even more with a whole platter of the chocolate delicacies. However, he wiped the cream from his face and retreated from the temple.

*gaea* quickly got the correct weapon to each one, and Barbarian Librarian and Guardian alike drove the wicked warriors from the temple.

Ares rid himself of the power stunting material and warned, "Don't celebrate too early. I'll get that scroll someday. And you, MsMoo~, with your power, I certainly have plans for you!" And he vanished.

With their patron gone, the other "warriors" rapidly retreated.

With a shout of victory, Hercules gathered the Amazons in a group hug which was messy since he had been so close to Ares during the onslaught. They all retreated to the temple bathing pool and jumped in clothes and all. Hercules shrugged and joined them. The laughing brought the dazed Nanaea and Iolaus into the room.

Iolaus' grin disappeared when Chrysim said, "Sorry, Iolaus, those bandages have to stay dry." He gave them his most dejected look when Chrysim climbed out.

"Okay, I guess I'd better see to you myself. Storm, I think if you can detach yourself from Hercules' biceps,I also need to properly bandage that hand."

With a sigh Storm reluctantly started to exit the pool when Hercules smiled at her and gave her a feather light kiss on her hand. "To make it all better," he whispered. Storm was suddenly grateful for Barbarian customs.

Later that day, it was decided that the time was right to return to their own time. So after changing into their own clothes, they met in the common room. Kendaa sighed as she had to give up her breast dagger, but Storm told her to keep it as a remembrance of her time in this time and place. They arrived as strangers but would leave forever marked with the bond of sisterhood.

Hercules and Iolaus also were taking their leave.

Iolaus took Jane by the hand and walked outside with her. "Jane..."

"No, Iolaus, don't say it yet. You know it won't work right now. I have some things to work out; some emotions to master. Then...there's always Ares."

"Okay, I'll understand about mastering certain gifts, but as far as your father is concerned...well, let's just say he wouldn't be the first irate father I've had to deal with," and Iolaus kissed her with such tenderness, it took her breath away. Only Chrysim clearing her throat brought these two back to reality.

"They're about to leave," she said diverting her eyes elsewhere.

Iolaus released Jane and joined Chrysim.

"Thank you for taking care of me so well," he raised his eyebrows as he kissed her healing hands. "Come on," he said gathering both women in his one good arm.

Nanaea embraced the Barbarians and pronounced, "We want you to be welcome here anytime. We consider you to be our Guardian sisters."

MsMoo~ returned, "We would like to welcome you into the ranks of Barbarian Librarians too." As they were about to grasp the scroll to return, they heard an unearthly screeching outside the temple. It almost sounded like singing.

Almost.

"Would you stop that already. I'm not your sidekick; now be quiet before the Guardians know what we're doing! Oh! Hi, Ladies. Hercules and Iolaus? I'm so glad to see you..." Autolycus was grasping their hands trying to distance himself from Joxer.

"What exactly don't you want us to know?" asked Storm suspiciously.

"What do you have in your hand? One of our scrolls!" "Now, it's not what you think. Tell them Hercules. Iolaus?"

They both shook their heads and backed up. "I didn't steal the scroll. I was just borrowing it. See I returned it in good shape, and I only had this scroll on Houdinicus for three weeks," said Autolycus. He took Nanaea's hand and gave her a quick wink. Chrysim and Storm stared as their leader was beginning to waiver.

"Well, like Jane said, this knowledge belongs to everyone. Wouldn't it make it simpler if they could borrow them for a short period of time? I mean three weeks isn't that long a period of time," justified Nanaea.

Finally, after he had given them the little lost boy look, Chrysim and Storm agreed.

"That's rght, I only wanted to check this information out. Hey, that's what you could call it ...checking out scrolls," offered Autolycus. "Of course, you'd have to have some identification, you know in case someone lost or damaged a scroll."

The Barbarians burst into laughter as they saw history being made.

Which only became worse when Joxer tried to jump in on Autolycus' good fortune. "Yeh, I only had this scroll of love poetry out for four weeks. I think I found just theright one for...well, never mind."

Storm turned a cold eye to Joxer, "Four weeks is too long. How will we punish this one for being late? Chantal, may I see your whip?"

Baucis stepped forward feeling a little, but not much, sorry for him. "Maybe you can just fine him for returning the scroll too late."

Joxer said, "Hey! I don't have any money. Surely you wouldn't ..."

MsMoo~ whispered something to Nanaea, and she grinned and agreed.

"Well, it's been wonderful meeting our future Guardians. Be safe," said Hercules as he gave each Barbarian Librarian a hug.

"I still can't believe you're on her chest," muttered Iolaus.

"Do you think you could do something to get me on someone's chest...I mean...on their back... I mean, You Know What I mean!" sputtered a blushing Iolaus.

They laughed as they circled around the scroll.

The five Barbarian Librarians tearfully grasped the scroll, and they disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

When they landed in Kendaa's library, they looked around at the wounded physicists and the mess they made. The head physicist walked up to Kendaa and said shakily, "Um...Kendaa.. why don't you take the rest of the week off and go to the symposium. Of course, you'll be paid."

Arm in arm, the friends exited the library fully secure at being the Barbarian Librarians whenever they needed to be. Chantal slyly chuckled as she slid the scroll into Kendaa's pack. It would be safe with her.

Epilogue:

A very frustrated "warrior" found himself in the scroll room surrounded by thousands of scrolls. He was inscribing numerals on each ribbon of each scroll then writing that number and a description of the scrollon another scroll. Nanaea laughed softly as she heard Joxer say, "This is stupid. What exactly does *acquisitions* mean anyway?"