March 1186 BC, Athens
It took several months before Orestes helped his sister out of the ship that was docked outside of Athens. Plyades climbed out behind them.
The journey had been dangerous at times, and they were limited on coin. But, they were finally in Athens. As exhausted by the journey as they were, they did not stop. Rather, they went straight to Apollo's temple to deliver the Xoanon.
However, when they reached the temple, there was no one there. There were no priests, no people giving offerings or seeking favors. They could hear only their own breaths.
Until, they heard clapping. The solid echo of applause as the god stepped out from around the columns.
"Well, you boys did not disappoint." The god acknowledged.
But, the praise was short lived as a bright light spread across the room and when it faded, a woman was in the room with them.
"How dare you!" She shrieked. "Why would you send them out to steal my idol?" She demanded of the god.
He roared in laughter. "Because I like to see you pissed off dear sister."
Iphigenia was stunned. In all of her years of service to Artemis, she had never met the goddess. And now, she was in the middle of what? Some sibling rivalry? Why can't they all just leave her and her brother alone?
Artemis turned on Orestes. "Give it to me." She demanded. But, then she saw Iphigenia. Her eyes widened. "You! You were supposed to stay in Tauris! You helped them steal my idol?"
"Calm down Artemis. It was my doing. Why do you think I sent her brother to fetch it? The girl would have had to either kill him or join him. It just made the game that much more juicy." Apollo's smile looked positively evil.
Orestes grabbed on to Iphigenia's hand as Artemis glared at them both.
"Oh for the sake of fun Artemis, lighten up a little. I am the only one who gets to be so sullen and demanding." Apollo growled. "But, if it means that much to you, send the boy to Halae and have him build you a new temple there where your idol can be protected once again."
The red haired goddess cocked her head at her brother. "And what of the girl?"
"She was your sacrifice and your priestess. Have her. Send her to Brauron to serve you there if you wish. I don't care. The game is over and now I am bored." Then the god disappeared.
The look that Artemis gave Iphigenia sent shivers down her spine. Orestes moved to protect his sister, but there was no use. Artemis narrowed her eyes on him and Plyades.
"You heard my brother, I expect a new temple built to protect my idol. Now go." With a snap of her fingers, both boys were no longer in Athens.
Iphigenia's eyes were wide in fear as her brother was taken from her once again. She tried to back away from the goddess, but everything went dark.
August 1184 BC. The Myrmidon Encampment outside of Troy
Elatos hesitantly made his way toward Achilles tent. Being the servant to such a great warrior and commander had its perks some days. But, this day was definitely not one of them. Achilles had already been in a horrendously bad temper for weeks because of some fall out with Agamemnon, to the point that Achilles refuses to fight and has ordered all of his men back.
But this…
Elatos gulped before he entered the tent. Achilles was passed out asleep. Shit, Elatos didn't want to wake him for this. But, his master had to know. His best friend, Patroclus, was dead.
Achilles rage was never quenched. No matter how many Trojans he killed. He could not calm the rage that consumed him. Worse, he was losing interest in war in general.
After Achilles watched King Agamemnon lead his daughter to be sacrificed in Aulis, without so much as an attempt to plead for her life. Achilles had lost respect for the man. Sure, he collapsed in tears and gratitude when she was exchanged with a deer. However, he had no proof that the girl still lived. Yet, he moved on without her. The cold, bitter, choices of a king.
And since then, the king has made many other poor choices. Most recently was in taking the daughter of one of Apollo's priests as a slave and lover, against her will. Achilles had no problems with taking spoils of war, even slaves. But, he could never stomach rape. Agamemnon was disgusting. And what a shock, the poor girl's father took exception to his daughters slavery and rape. And, Agamemnon refused any ransom for her return. Being that he was a priest to Apollo, he plead to the god, who sent down a plague on the army.
When would Agamemnon learn to stop insulting the gods?
So, once again, Achilles was dragged into the middle of the whole mess. He had to swear to protect the seer before he would give answer to the king over the solution to the plague. Ironic since Achilles himself could have offered the same answer without being a seer. But, hell. The king wanted divine advice. No surprise there, the solution was to return the girl. Could they really not see that coming?
But, then Agamemnon made the most grave of errors. In his anger at giving up the girl and imagined slight at having less than Achilles, he demanded Achilles's slave girl be sent to him to replace the priest's daughter in his bed. It was a bold and vicious public insult to Achilles. So, once again, Agamemnon was taking no true responsibility for his actions, and giving up anyone to keep the men fighting with him in the seat of power. Fine, if that is how he wants to play it, he can fight the damn war without Achilles or the Myrmidons.
At least that was what Achilles had intended.
The removal of Achilles and his men from the field was a devastating blow of moral and strength for the Greek forces. Even Agamemnon realized his error and tried to bribe Achilles service with everything that he could think of, including the return of his slave girl. Yeah, the girl was Achilles favorite lover prior, but the demigod was not interested in the king's sloppy seconds. Nothing had roused his interest in returning to the field.
The warrior was tired. Tired of the blood. Tired of the war. Tired of the greed and stupidity of kings.
Until Patroclus was stupid enough to try to rally the moral of the army on his own by wearing Achilles armor and leading the men himself. The damn fool. He only lasted a few hours before Prince Hector of Troy killed him, thinking that he was Achilles.
Achilles was devastated. Patroclus had been his best friend all of his life. The boys trained together, saved each others lives, studied together. Patroclus was the closest thing that Achilles ever had to a brother.
Achilles's father, King Peleus, was drunk one night after Themis had left him once again, grieving over the loss of another child. He was at a party and saw a woman who looked like his wife through his drunken state and carried her to bed. In the morning, the woman, who had also been drunk, realized what happened. But, since Peleus was married to a goddess and the woman was married to one of the Argonauts who had fought with Jason, along side of Peleus, claiming the infidelity was a challenge.
But, as fate would have it, Patroclus's father did something stupid later that lead to him being sent to Achilles home to live. The boys didn't know that they were brothers in blood until years later. But, by then, they were already brothers in heart. Living in the mountains with Chirion, they had been put through many tests. Patroclus saved Achilles's life more than once. Just as Achilles had saved Patroclus's. There truly was no greater bond than the brotherhood they shared.
But, Hector had cut him down. And in return, Achilles went after the Trojans and Hector with a vengeance. His rage was so over powering that even the gods themselves intervened to prevent Achilles from conquering Troy too soon. Fuck that, it had been ten years of war. How can anything at this point be too soon?
Still, the rage was not daunted, even after Hector's death. So, here Achilles sat. Inside of a giant wooden horse left for the Trojans. It was the best suggestion for how to finally end this war. They built this hollow tribute for the Trojans to take into the city in honor of their supposed victory after the fleet pulls away with the army on board. Then the handful of men with Achilles will wait inside until the city is drunk and sleeping in celebration, then open the gates to the army that will hopefully return and be ready to sack the damn city. Please let this work.
