A group of travelers, all of them laden down with luggage, walk across an isolated beach. Among them a pair of lovers, Oi-Lan and Cyrus. Cyrus is concerned by their exposed route: he believes they should be armed. While the other travelers scoff, Cyrus is proved right as the group are attacked by mounted warriors. All are taken prisoner and Belus, who had been leading the group, is revealed as a slave-trader. Even as a prisoner Cyrus remains defiant, and begins to plot their escape.
Hercules is visiting mom. He finds Alcmene in the barn, struggling to load sacks of grain onto a wagon. Hercules does the job for her, gently telling her off for not asking him to help, and he finds himself roped into taking the grain to market to sell it. He's not keen, but he'll do it for mom. On his way to the market, he visits the grave of Deianeira and the kids. From what he says, it seems this is the first time he's been back since they died. Hercules is not a happy man: missing them a lot.
As he comes into the market Hercules meets Iolaus. The two friends have a brief reunion before a commotion catches Hercules' eye: Belus arriving with his slaves. Iolaus tells Herc that Belus comes through here every month. Hercules hates slavery but he's got grain to sell. A very attractive young girl makes Hercules an offer for his grain. Their negotiation is interrupted by the girl's mother: an ugly old crone who tells Hercules that his grain is only worth 200 dinars but she'll give make it 400 if he'll sleep with her! Hercules takes the 200. Iolaus wonders if the girl gets her looks from her father's side.
Somehow, Hercules ends up watching Belus' slave auction, just as Oi-Lan is dragged to the auction block. Overhearing a couple of guys discussing what they'll do with such a beautiful slave, Hercules bids for her himself, touching Iolaus for a loan in order to buy the girl. Oi-Lan does not appear pleased with her new masters: with Xena-like skill she floor Iolaus when he tries to introduce himself. She tells both men she'd rather die than be a slave. Hercules tells her she's free to go. There's no sign of gratitude from Oi-Lan, just "You'd better not change your mind until I'm gone." As Oi-Lan leaves, Hercules watches three of Belus' guards follow her.
Oi-Lan immediately sets out to find Cyrus. The road is an isolated one and she appears to be alone when Belus' guards attack her. She does pretty well against two of them, but the third is armed, and Oi-Lan in not. Suddenly Hercules appears and chases off the ruffians. Oi-Lan is ungrateful, and suspicious of his motives. She isn't interested in Hercules' offer of help until he tells her he knows the road to Libya: which is where the man who bought Cyrus is headed. "Very well. You may help me," she allows.
Sparks fly between the two of them as they travel: Oi-Lan, still smarting from Belus' betrayal, doesn't trust Hercules. Over the campfire at night she opens up a little, and Hercules can see how much she loves Cyrus. Meanwhile Cyrus takes advantage of the storm and the guard's distraction to escape. He's an acrobat: his fighting style is impressive. He sets off to find Oi-Lan and kill the man who bought her.
In the morning Oi-Lan finds Hercules taking a bath, and embarrasses the poor man by joining him. His shoulder is aching and she massages it for him, telling him she used to do this for Cyrus at her father's palace before she was exiled. Hercules comments that her family sounds an awful lot like his "if you could call it a family." Having found something in common, we see the beginnings of friendship and trust between them.
Cyrus is back at the market, searching for Oi-Lan. The same old crone who we met earlier tells him that Hercules and Oi-Lan are on the road to Libya. Cyrus sets out to follow them. Oi-Lan is worried that they'll never find Cyrus. Hercules offers her a comforting hug just as Cyrus sees them. Naturally, Cyrus misinterprets the scene and begins to plot Hercules' death. As they travel through a wooded area Cyrus makes his move. He pulls Oi-Lan into the safety of the branches then attacks Hercules. He's set a trap Hercules doesn't even see the flying log coming and the impact throws him off a *very* high cliff. Oi-Lan is upset: she tries to tell Cyrus that Hercules was trying to help them. In the middle of their argument a group of Belus' men appear with nets. Belus is very pleased: Hercules is dead, and he has his two valuable slaves back. But as Oi-Lan and Cyrus are led off in chains once more, we see Hercules, apparently unharmed, climbing the cliff.
Hercules follows the slavers and in his usual fighting style he frees the slaves. This apparently convinces Cyrus to trust Hercules. Belus gets away with Oi-Lan as his prisoner. Cyrus and Hercules team up to find them. When they do, Hercules just watches while Cyrus and Oi-Lan both beat the stuffing out of Belus, but he intervenes to prevent Cyrus killing him. Hercules has a better idea taking Belus prisoner he sells him as a slave to the ugly crone at the market.
Hercules introduces Oi-Lan and Cyrus to Alcmene, who is so charmed by the young couple she offers to have their wedding in her house. Hercules has a gift for them also: he takes them to the place where he once lived with Deianeira and his children and offers the land to them. In gratitude, Cyrus says they'll name their first son Hercules. Alcmene jokes that the world isn't ready for another one.
Back at Deianeira's grave, Hercules tells her about his recent adventure. "People as much in love as Oi-Lan and Cyrus shouldn't have to spend their lives apart." He still misses his family dreadfully, but finds enough strength in his memories to go on.
Starring: Kevin Sorbo (Hercules)
Guest Starring: Lucy Liu (Oi-Lan), Michael Hurst (Iolaus), Nathaniel Lees (Cyrus), Stig Eldred (Belus), Elizabeth Hawthorne (Alcmene), Terry Batchelor (Mudo), Robin Kora (Peplus), Margaret-Mary Hollins (Admeta), Te Paki Cherrington (Gringus), Maya Dalziel (Nasty Mother), Joanna Barrett (Beautiful Girl), Christian Hodge (Lapithus), Peter Sa'ena-Brown (Tmoulus), David Mercer (Tapus)
Written by Adam Armus & Nora Kay Foster
Directed by Harley Cokeliss