Nemea!

The morning sun beat down on us as we walked along the dusty road, my mind still spinning from our encounter with Ares. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that otherworldly black armor and felt the weight of his words about strength versus knowledge. The scrolls in my bag seemed to grow heavier with each step, as if reminding me of everything I had to prove.

"We're here," Iolaus said, pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked up and there it was - Nemea!

The city rose before us, white stone buildings shining in the morning light. My first labor would begin here, where all my careful study would face the raw power of legend. The sight made my heart beat faster, though whether from excitement or fear, I couldn't tell.

The streets were busy but tense. People hurried between shadows, eyes darting around corners before they turned them. Children played their games closer to home than usual, and mothers kept calling them inside. The city felt like a place holding its breath, waiting for something terrible to happen.

I pulled out my notes, trying to focus on practical matters. "We need supplies," I said, showing Iolaus the list I'd been working on since we left the temple. Looking at my detailed diagrams and calculations now, I realized how strange they must look to others.

A passing merchant proved my point, stopping to stare at my papers. "What's all that? I thought Hercules just showed up and fought things." He looked genuinely confused, like the stories he'd heard didn't match what he was seeing.

"Oh, these?" I tried to hide the more complex mathematical formulas with my hand. "Just some hero plans. For being extra heroic. You know, with maximum heroism." I could feel my face getting red as I fumbled to sound less like a professor and more like a legendary warrior.

Iolaus shook his head and smiled as we visited the local shops. Each stop turned into an exercise in creative explanations.

"Measuring tools?" the first vendor asked, looking at me like I'd gone mad.

"For measuring the lion's... ferocity," I said quickly. "Very important hero business."

At the next shop: "Star charts? What hero needs star charts?"

"Lions are very... affected by celestial bodies?" I handed over the money before he could ask more questions.

By midday, we'd gathered our strange collection of supplies and found a quiet corner in a tavern. I spread everything out on the table, arranging it all in careful order while Iolaus watched with barely contained amusement.

"I have to ask," he said, picking up one of the measuring tools. "What's the actual plan here? I've never seen anyone prepare to fight a monster quite like this."

I eagerly spread out my notes, forgetting myself for a moment. "See these hunting patterns from the temple scrolls? If we map them against the local terrain..." I stopped when I noticed nearby customers staring at us.

"I mean, we'll fight it really hard," I said louder, flexing my arms awkwardly. "With lots of heroic shouting." The other patrons nodded approvingly and returned to their drinks.

The afternoon passed as I refined our plans. A small voice interrupted my calculations: "Are you going to kill the bad lion?"

I looked up to see a little girl standing by our table, hope shining in her eyes. My throat tightened - this wasn't like reading about heroic deeds in books. Real people were counting on us.

"We'll do our very best," I said softly. "Sometimes the best weapon isn't the strongest one - it's knowing how to use it right."

"Nonsense!" called a warrior from the next table. "Everyone knows weapons can't hurt that lion. Pure strength is what you need!"

I almost launched into an explanation about leverage and force multiplication, but Iolaus kicked me under the table. "Right! Yes! Strength! That's absolutely the plan!"

As evening approached, our table was covered in maps and diagrams. Iolaus watched me work with growing concern.

"You know," he said quietly, "I've never seen you plan like this before. Usually you just charge in swinging."

I looked up, trying to sound casual. "Maybe it's time to try something new. Being smart about fighting doesn't make you less of a hero."

"True, but..." he leaned closer, lowering his voice. "You've been different lately. The planning, the big words, knowing so much about history... sometimes it's like you're not the same person."

My heart skipped a bit but before I could respond, we overheard a conversation from the next table.

"It's been two days since the last attack," an old man was saying. "You know what that means."

His companion nodded grimly. "Tomorrow would be the third day. That beast never waits longer than that."

"Always the same pattern," a third voice added. "Every three days, like clockwork. Tomorrow someone else loses their sheep, or worse."

Iolaus and I exchanged looks. My research from the temple scrolls had suggested a pattern to the attacks, but hearing it confirmed made everything feel more real.

"We should get some rest," Iolaus said, nodding toward the inn across the street. "If tomorrow's the day, we'll need to be ready."

He was right. All my careful planning wouldn't help if we were too tired to fight. The innkeeper gave us a room for free - one of the perks of being Hercules, apparently.

As I spread my notes out one final time on the small table, Iolaus cleaned his weapons by candlelight. The familiar sounds of metal on whetstone mixed with the distant noises of the city preparing for the night.

"Get some sleep," he said, watching me check my calculations again. "Those plans won't help if you can't keep your eyes open tomorrow."

I nodded and carefully rolled up the scrolls and diagrams. Tomorrow would test everything I knew, everything I'd planned. As I lay down on the simple bed, I wondered if a scholar's approach could really triumph over pure mythological power.

The candle burned low as sleep took me, my dreams mixing memories of Ares' black armor with temple scrolls and the thought of what tomorrow would bring. Somewhere in the distance, an owl called into the night, as if marking time until our confrontation with the legendary beast.

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