Author's PenName: Dysis Nyx
Author's Note: I am so sorry! Okay this is a new long record for me. I promise it won't happen again. I will be prompt with my posting and then I shall wrap it up and ended it. After I was prompted begins eating cookie to finally post the new chapter, I realized the error of my ways. Okay then, I shall end this little note now and say that I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do no own a single character from the movie "Troy" nor the history of it. Hell! I wasn't even born of even thought of yet.
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Achilles took a step closer to the figure standing in a few feet away from him. How was this possible? There, on the cold ground, lay Patroclus' body, but who was this standing before him? It was Patroclus alive and well, slightly paler and surrounded by an odd glow. Not to mention the very same wound on his neck, except this scar had healed and left only a distant scar. Before Achilles could move any closer, Patroclus raised his hand and said, "No…we cannot touch. I am dead, Achilles. We…you cannot change that. I am only here to help you make it through."
A spirit.
Staring right into Patroclus' eyes, Achilles took another firm step towards Patroclus. His hand was a breath away from what would have been a shoulder, then the hand still inches away slowly slid down Patroclus' arm as he breathed, "A spirit. Then you really are far from this world…"
Without any sympathy, Patroclus nodded and said diligently, "Yes, Hector killed me to-"
Eyes snapping to meet Patroclus, Achilles snarled viciously, "No! I killed you! It is I who made you believe what you did. If I had not-" the words died in Achilles throat as he stared at Patroclus.
The boy had softened now. Patroclus was putting on the awesome act of being all right, even as a spirit Achilles could see him breaking inside.
When he started to reach out and pull him in for a deep embrace, he paused. They could not touch. Looking at him in the eyes, instead Achilles stated firmly, "I am sorry, Patroclus, I mean this truly. If I could think of a way to make it up to you, I would…"
"Follow your true path, Achilles. As hard as it may be, follow it."
How badly the ache to hold him pained Achilles. Looking sincerely at the boy, Achilles never knew just how much he had loved him till this very moment. Falling to his knees before Patroclus, Achilles looked up into the boy's eyes and vowed, "I will avenge you. No man will go unpunished till Hector's blood stains my blade. It is for your soul's peace I fight."
Speechless, Patroclus kneeled before Achilles and murmured sheepishly, "I am dead now, why does it matter? You must fight Hector, this I know, but why in my name?"
Without another word Achilles got up and walked over to Patroclus' body. Silent were his movements as he placed the body on his horse and he pulled his own onto the steed as well.
Pushing out a frustrated breath, Patroclus looked at Achilles, then to his own dead body and said, "Even when I am dead you cannot tell me what you really feel."
Achilles shot a look in the direction of the ghost's voice, but when he looked…he was gone.
Riding back to the camp alone was the hardest thing Achilles had ever done. The silence that spanned between himself and the corpse shot through his heart like a burning arrow. He was not used to this concept. Patroclus was the light of his universe, he was the humanity, he was purity, he was all things good. Most of all, he was hope.
Hope was dead in front of him right now. All the good in the world, all the faith that he held that he might return home was dead. The body leaned against him in a backward slouch. Patroclus' slashed throat was exposed to the heavens. Achilles said a sadistic prayer that all of Olympus could see the slit throat of Patroclus. He longed for the gods to see the exposed throat of the one he loved most.
Upon his arrival, Eudorus and Odysseus came running up to him. Slowly following were other soldiers. Achilles cared not.
As he dismounted the body fell completely back and Achilles gathered it into his arms. When he started to walk off, Eudorus shouted an order, "Take Lord Achilles' cousin to have his body prepared for burial!"
Achilles walked emotionless past Eudorus and said, "I shall do it myself."
A hushed murmur ripped through the crowd. One look from Achilles and it was silent again. If he was to live in silence the rest of his days, then so would everyone else. They could whisper about him all they liked, but not Patroclus.
No, never Patroclus.
The boy was dead and he would not have them ruin his name. If one rumor came back to him, then Achilles would hunt down the man who started it and he would slaughter him mercilessly.
Footsteps were in sync behind him and Achilles knew their soldier rhythm. With a quick closing of his eyes, Achilles breathed, "What is it you wish, Odysseus?"
Finally, stepping next to him Odysseus placed a hand on his shoulder, "For you to see the insanity of your behavior, Achilles. The gods take who they will and if it was destined for Patroclus to die, then I say-"
Achilles' eyes blazed as he snarled, "What if it had been your Penelope? Or Telemachus? Would you have said it was destined then?"
Oh, Achilles saw the look of sincere concern cross Odysseus' face as he said, "You are right, my friend. All I ask is that you allow us to help you."
If Odysseus thought that his simple request would be approved…he was wrong. The duty of cleaning the body would be solely Achilles'. No other man, woman, slave, or captive would dare touch Patroclus' corpse. The body was his to clean and prepare.
With a shake of his head, Achilles said firmly, "I shall go to the temple of Apollo by myself and prepare his body. No one shall enter that temple or be dead on the moment there foot enters." Achilles turned fast and snapped, "Let all men be warned now."
On that final note he carried the body all the way to the ransacked temple of Apollo. As he walked up the stairs he spotted the decapitated head of the Apollo stating staring at him from the second to top stair. He looked down at the gold head with such vehemence he thought the gold would melt. As he snarled he kicked it, "Is this my punishment? Is this your honest trade, Apollo?"
As the head rolled down the steps he watched it with an odd fascination. He could feel his control slowly letting go. He was losing all sense of control that he had. The beast inside was coming through and he could feel it strongly. Attempting to hold in all his inner emotions Achilles bound up the rest of the stairs to the doors. With his hands filled with Patroclus he kicked open the door.
Walking to the dead center of the temple, he spotted the destroyed alter. The stone table had once held respected artifacts and candles, but now they were spread across the room. Setting the body of his blessed cousin on the table, Achilles kept his eyes on the large statue of Apollo in the center of the open.
This is where he had once came face to face with Prince Hector, the man who killed his Patroclus. Falling to his knees, Achilles looked into the dead eyes of the Apollo statue and he cursed vehemently, "I challenged you and you took to the coward's way. You could not kill me, so you took an innocent. This is the mighty, honest Apollo's revenge? This is where your envy takes you!"
On that note Achilles took his dagger and carved a single scar across the back of his calf. As he still stared into the unfeeling eyes he vowed, "Hear me now, Apollo. Upon my blood and Patroclus' corpse I will have my revenge upon Hector and Troy for what they have taken from me. Most of all, I will prove to you, Apollo, you have not won."
As he said this, the blood dripped from his calf and from his dagger. Then taking the bloody dagger he sliced across the back of Patroclus' calf. As the dead blood spewed across the dagger, Achilles ignored the tears streaming down his cheeks.
He did not cry the mighty Achilles never cried. Tears and sorrow were for the weak, all his life weakness he was not allowed. By the gods, he did not care at this moment. He buried his face into Patroclus and he wept.
"Achilles? Do you weep for me?" The voice of Patroclus asked from behind him.
Achilles turned his head to the side and looked off. He refused to look at the spirit. His voice was hollow as he said, "Be gone, spirit, I have no use for you here. Why do you come? Did the gods send you to taunt me? To remind me of things long past and that are now out of my grasp?"
Now the spirit of Patroclus moved to his side. Achilles could feel him at the head of his own body. Achilles moved his head to see. The spirit stood behind the head of Patroclus and looked down into his own dead face.
Patroclus said wistfully, "I bring you pain when I am dead and yet here I am listening to you telling me to go. What is it you ask of me, Achilles?"
Now he stood tall and proud. Achilles looked into the eyes of Patroclus and said firmly with his heart-ache causing him to soften, "I ask that you come back to me. I need you here…"
"I tried to be perfect for you, Achilles. I was never what you needed me to be, if I was you never let me know. You have Briseis, what use am I to you?"
Beating around some more of the holy artifacts Achilles snarled, "You were plenty use to me! You were the cage for the beast! With you gone I wish vengeance on every soul who is at fault for why you are dead. Which is everyone! The gods, the Myrmidons, Briseis, Eudorus, everyone! No one bothered to save you, no one stopped you, people blinded me. Your death is on the fault of all of humanity."
Giving him his usual calm stare Patroclus asked, "What are you to do, Achilles? Are you going to bring death and destruction to the world?"
Falling to his knees in front of the spirit, Achilles looked into his eyes and said, "I brought you nothing, but pain in your life, Patroclus. I shall drown in the sea of blood I shall spill at your command."
"Achilles?" a small feminine voice asked nervously.
Shooting a glare over to the source, Achilles met the scared gaze of Briseis. Her eyes were large and on the brink of tears as she stammered, "I brought some burial robes from Eudorus. He told me that Thetis gave them to him on the case of Patroclus' death. Is Thetis who?"
Snatching the clothes from her hands he growled, "My mother…"
Briseis walked over to the head of the corpse and placed her warm hand to the cold cheek. As she gently looked into the face of Patroclus she murmured, "I only encountered the boy several times in his life and only spoke with him once, but he was so stern. Was he always so serious, Achilles.
Now this question made Achilles laugh. It was a sweet remembering laugh as he rose to walk over to look into the face of Patroclus. He said bittersweet tone, "Only when he was not getting his way. If things were not going as he wished that boy knew how to mope like no other soul I knew. He pouted better than most women."
Briseis looked at Achilles then back at Patroclus as she said, "It surprises me he could have been happy the rest of the time. From what I knew of him, it is a smile I cannot imagine. Was it that he wanted to fight that plagued him?"
Now the smile on Achilles' face faded to a grimace as he explained, "Since he came to live with us all he wished in this world was to make me proud and prove himself to me. I would never allowed him to fight. He should not have been a soldier. Although I it was not just the lack of fighting that caused his severe demeanor. It was that among other things."
Saying that his eyes met Briseis' and he could see her soaking in the new assessment. As if surprised she asked aghast, "He disapproved of our relationship?"
Giving a humorless laugh Achilles answered, "In every way he could…"
to be continued
