As the adrenaline wore off, my whole body started shaking. Even with Hercules' divine strength, wrestling a mythological lion had taken its toll. I sat down heavily on a nearby rock, staring at our unconscious captive with a mix of disbelief and academic fascination.
"We actually did it," I said, more to myself than to Iolaus. "We defeated the Nemean Lion without killing it. Do you know what this means for the historical record? Every version of the myth I've ever..." I caught myself. "I mean, every story I've heard about this labor ends with the lion's death."
Iolaus handed me a water skin, looking equally exhausted. "Speaking of which, are you going to explain how you knew about that wrestling hold? Or why you suddenly know so much about lion fur? Or maybe why you keep talking like a scholar from Athens?"
