Children of Troy
A Troy sequel by talking2myself
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything from Troy
Chapter. 7 The Egyptians
"I can't believe it!" Briseis cried out in frustration. "He's gone! He left! He completely disobeyed me and went with Paris!"
"It seems so," Evadne said quietly. The entire palace had been searched and so far there was no sign of Neo. "Though I don't think Paris took him. No, I think he snuck along."
Briseis groaned, "I'll kill him! I'll kill him myself! Of all the foolish crazy things! I don't understand where he gets this rebellious streak!"
"No idea," Evadne said with a hint of sarcasm coming into her voice, "After all you've never done anything reckless or impulsive at all. Like falling in love with the enemy for example?"
Briseis glared at her, "That's not the point!"
Evadne settled down onto the lounge beside her, "Don't worry, Briseis. Paris won't let anything happen to Neo. Nor Ajax for that matter."
"Does he even know what he's putting me through?" Briseis asked holding back tears that threatened to fall, "After Achilles died he was all I had in the world. I was so relieved! So thankful that he wasn't taken with the others."
"He's not a child anymore," Evadne said delicately, "He's a man."
"Doesn't matter," Briseis said, "He'll always be a baby to me. My baby." Briseis got up with her gown sweeping around her. She hurried out the door and vanished down the hall to Helen's room. Evadne let out a heavy sigh and flopped back on the lounge. Choosing the path of an acolyte was probably the wisest choice I've ever made. I shall never have to suffer children.
-888-
Mara rose stiffly from her sleeping position, curled up like a cat, in her tiny cell. She sat up and arched her back until it made a rather unpleasant cracking noise. She cringed at the sound. She got to her feet and pressed her ear next to the door. It was always locked until someone came to throw her a crust of bread and some water at first light and then again at night. The small spaces she didn't mind, but she would like to see some light. The last time she had seen the sky had been a week ago.
They didn't get much time outside anymore, after the disaster that happened last time. Maragon felt slightly more protected in her cell than out in the open. The four walls kept her protected from roving hands and crude glances, but she was worried sick about her family... especially Theron.
She had only seen him once since he had been whipped. He was sick. She knew that much. The last time she had seen him they'd allowed him a few moments on the deck. She had seen him standing there across the deck. Deep circles were under his eyes and his face had gone deathly pale. He stood there with his cloak wrapped tightly around his shoulders, trembling so fiercely he could scarcely stand. He caught her glance and called out her name with a weak voice, "Mara! Mara!"
Maragon had torn across the deck with her arms outstretched. She managed to grip his cold fingers in hers for a few seconds before two guards arrived and dragged them apart. Mara had fought, but they were stronger. The last image she had of her twin was of him sobbing and reaching out for her. "Mara! No! Please! Mara! Help me!"
Mara shrank back against the wall trying to fight back tears. I mustn't cry! I can't! If I start I won't be able to stop! She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes trying to stop the flood of tears. She drew a deep breath and let her head flop back against the wall. I must be strong! Like Papa was in Mycenae. Like Mama was after Troy was destroyed. Her hands drifted to the shell that still hung around her neck. She clutched it tightly in one of her hands. She remembered that day. How perfect it had been. She could still feel the warm sand beneath her feet and in her hair. She could hear the waves coming in and out and her cousins laughing as they chucked sand at one another. She could still see the ship with blood red sails. This ship. Suddenly, Mara's self-pity turned abruptly to anger. She would survive! If nothing else than to find Menoetius and make him pay for what he had done to her family!
Suddenly the door swung open. Mara was temporarily blinded by the fierce bright light. She threw her hands over her face as she looked up at the figure. It was Menoetius. He grabbed her arm tightly and yanked her to her feet. "I'll get the best price for you," he said coldly, "You're the youngest. The easiest to break. And a fair maiden will fetch a good price nowadays."
"Let go of me!" Maragon yelled trying to break free.
Menoetius stared down at her, "How is it you haven't learned yet? You'll never be able to escape."
"I'll keep trying!" Maragon declared, "Till the day I die!"
Menoetius's grip tightened clenching Mara's arm like a vice. She let out a small cry of pain. "Talk to me like that again and that day will come very soon!" he dragged the young girl across the deck and down the gangplank. Alastor smiled smugly at her as she was hauled away.
"Good luck, my princess. You will need it."
-888-
Astynax opened his eyes wearily, but once he saw the four walls around him all he wanted to do was close them again. He shivered, but managed to get to his feet. He began his morning ritual. He poked his fingers through the knothole. "Good morning, Comus." Nothing. No response. "Comus?!" Astynax cried in a panic. "Comus! Where are you?!"
The door swung open at that moment. Menoetius was standing there, "Your cousins aren't here anymore."
"What did you do to them?!" Astynax screamed jumping to his feet.
A wicked grin spread across Menoetius's face, "There were taken to the market one by one."
"What?!" Astynax screamed, "No!"
"So different your cousins," Menoetius said casually, "Maragon fought like a wild cat. She screamed and kicked all the way there. Made quite a scene. She was rather difficult to sell, but I made a fine profit off her. Theron I practically had to give away. No one wanted a weak slave, but I managed to find a friend of mine. He particuarly enjoys selling off young royal blood, even half dead like Theron. I had to carry him the entire way there."
"Theron!" Astynax whispered. His poor sick cousin!
"Comus, at least could walk out on his own," Menoeitus continued, "I had to haggle a little bit..."
"And now you're here for me?!" Astynax yelled, "To ship me off into slavery too."
Menoeitus chuckled, a low dangerous noise that reminded Astynax of a wild cat growling, "You? Oh no! Slavery is far too good for the son of noble Hector." He inched closer glaring down at Astynax with cold hard eyes, "I have something special planned for you."
-888-
"Is it fever?"
"Oh this is terrible! I've never seen anyone DIE before!"
"You're not helping, Nanu!"
"Still, he doesn't look too good."
"I bet he's dead!"
"Adjo, he's still breathing."
"And you're not helping either!"
Theron groaned as he heard voices echoing around him. He moaned and threw his hands over his head. "See you scared him!" another voice snapped angrily.
"Does that mean he's not dead?" another asked.
"No, Adjo! He's not dead!" the first voice said. "He's Greek. I can tell that."
"Look he's trying to talk!" another cried.
"Please!" Theron begged trying to hide his face, "Don't hurt me!"
"Hurt him?!" the same voice cried, "He thinks we're going to hurt him!"
"Well, of course he does!" another cried, "We're all hovering around him and we're chattering on in Egyptian. He doesn't have a clue about what we're saying."
"Then, let's switch over to Greek!" Theron forced his eyes open and looked at the faces surrounding him. All of them had dark hair and eyes and tan complexions. He gazed up at them in confusion. What had happened while he slept?
"Are you okay?" the first voice asked. It was a tall wide boy with dark shaggy hair. He was quite tall and had enormous girth. Theron struggled to speak, but his voice wouldn't come. "We won't hurt you," the boy said reassuringly, "My name is Djadao."
"Djadao?" Theron asked. The name felt strange and foreign on his tongue.
"Yep," he said proudly with a disarming smile, "This my sister Nanu." He pointed to a very nervous looking girl with a long face almost like a horse's. Her long hair fell around her face hiding her demurely almost like a veil. She looked at him curiously. "And my little brother Adjo." he said. Another little boy, maybe a few years older than Hermione sat next Djadao. He was smaller with dark shaggy hair as well. He leaned over and looked down at Theron intently. "Oh yeah, and our servant girl Isis and our scribe, Sadji." Isis sat a short distance away. She was a plain looking girl, but she had the biggest brown eyes that Theron had ever seen. Soft brown curls hung around her face, cut shorter than Nanu's. Sadji was a thin tall boy who looked at him with mild curiosity.
"What's your name?" Djadao asked.
"Ther..on." he managed to croak out before shivering and collapsing back into Djadao's arms.
Isis peered down at him anxiously, "He's really sick! We need to find someone who can help him.
"But who can help him?!" Nanu cried, "We're doomed! We're absolutely doomed!"
"Nanu, will you stop worrying?!" Djadao asked rolling his eyes.
"I can't!" she wailed, "Ever since our boat was taken over things have gone from bad to worse! I bet father won't even look for us!"
"Of course he will!" Djadao snapped, "Now calm down." He wrapped Theron up in his warm cloak and laid him back down onto the dirt floor. The children all sat together shackled in a row. They were under a tent and a short distance away a squat Egyptian man sat counting up his money and laughing wickedly.
"Well, we know he must be royalty," Sadji said practically, "He wouldn't be in this tent otherwise. Master Odji wouldn't waste his money on him otherwise."
"A prince?" Nanu asked with renewed interest, "Do you suppose he could free us?"
"He's as much a prisoner as we are, Nanu," Sadji said, "In fact he's worse off than we are."
"What do we do with him?" Adjo asked his older brother, "Just leave him here."
Djadao shrugged, "He's not hurting anyone."
"I doubt he could," Sadji observed.
"We'll have to keep him warm," Isis piped, "That's what they usually do when someone's sick."
"Right!" Djadao said, "I'll carry him over there where there's less dust." He scooped Theron up easily and carried him over to the opposite side of the tent. Adjo followed his brother eagerly.
"Is he gonna die, Djadao?!" he asked nervously his eyes wide with fear, "Is he gonna die like Nanu says?!"
"Don't worry about that for now," Djadao said, "We'll just have to see."
