The Alyta Trilogy: Handmaids, Heroes, and Hierarchy

Disclaimer: same as first part.

Part Two of �The Alyta Trilogy: Handmaids, Heroes, and Hierarchy"

"You�re sure you�re ready now?� asks the leather-clad man.  He is staring skeptically at someone, also in leather, who is groveling at his feet.  They are in a dark cave, surrounded by men in chains looking fiercely at the pair.
�Yeah, Ares, you�ll see.  I�ll do it right this time.  Really!  I�ll prove it.  I�ll show you!  You�ll see, really I will.  Just let me go,� the whiny relative begs.
�Just get out of my sight, Strife!� Ares roars and waves his hand.  The force knocks Strife to the wall, and he disappears as he sinks to the floor. 

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Alyta walks up the circular steps leading to her guest chambers.  She has just finished eating dinner with Jason, Hercules, Iolaus, Loua and Sytifa.  Thinking back on the day, she smiles to herself and prepares for bed.

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In another part of the castle, Jason and Loua are talking over a mug of ale.  Jason knows that he needs to be in top condition to be crowned tomorrow, so he bids Loua goodnight and makes his way to his own chambers.  He lies down on his bed and thinks about the events of the past days.  Never in his wildest dreams of a princess could he imagine one such as Alyta.  Finally, he won�t be the only one bored at royal conventions.  He closes his eyes and breathes in the sweet air of the summer�s eve.  The air smells very sweet.  Wait � an unusual scent in the air.  He opens his eyes with the thought of investigating, but he only gets a glimpse of someone holding a rag over his mouth before his eyes close involuntarily.

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The third sunrise Alyta sees in Corinth is in no way lesser than the first two.  The whole surrounding valley is covered in wonderful golden light, a royal opening for a very royal day. 

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Jason wakes up and groans.  He still feels woozy from the ale last night � no, it wasn�t the ale!  He remembers the strange man he only saw for an instant and looks at his surroundings.  He is in an abandoned cave, the only shaft of light that he figures must be the sunrise is one coming from a tiny crack in the rock.  The stream of light coming from that tiny opening doesn�t show any hope of escape.  The cave, though he calls it a cave, doesn�t have an opening that he can see.  There is, however, a pool of dark, slimy liquid in the center of this place.  He tries to get up to see if it�s water, and if that�s the exit, but he�s pulled back to the ground by chains around his wrists. 

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