A/N: This is one of my longer chapters. Also, it's one of the more intense chapters. All previous warnings still stand, plus, there is a good deal of violence within this one. You've been warned.
With that being said, here's the next chapter...
"It's already done."
"Brother?" Menelaus interrupts, causing Agamemnon to turn back towards the small platform.
"Will we really risk one of our best warriors for some," Menelaus struts forward and sneers, "foolish boy."
Achilles's body stiffens as his eyes narrows on the two brothers. And I actually thought Agamemnon foolish to turn his back on Achilles.
"Pompous fool thinks he's immortal," the fat King continues, "And I'm about to prove his not."
Menelaus looks past us to the troops gathered, "What of the troops and their loyalties?" Then back to me still kneeling at Achilles's feet. "And of my wife."
Agamemnon grunts, "Maybe it will do the troops good to see what happens to those who think they're better than the crown."
My body locks up afraid that Achilles is about to attack Agamemnon in front of the whole Greek army.
Instead Achilles merely grunts, like Agamemnon is a pesky bug that he'll eventually swat down when the time is right.
The king turns at Achilles's lack of respect and bellows, "I said, tie him!"
My body snaps back to life and I quickly wrap my arms around my cousin's legs. "Please," I beg, turning my head towards the king. "Please, it was me that told of the plans." My arms tightened as tears pull in the back of my throat. "Not him," the lump grows, "NEVER him."
The King merely laughs at the crazy picture present before him. My wild eyes watering and my arms refusing to budge from Achilles's legs. "So you do have some loyalties, traitor? In that case you must watch your punishment."
Achilles growls lowly, causing me to flinch. Glancing up, I see my cousin's eyes scan the crowd for his men. He gives a quick jerk of his chin, and Taren slowly exits the crowd followed by Eudorous.
Seeing what they attended, my head begins to spin and my arms become jelly. Fury feels my heart and I direct it towards Agamemnon.
"I swear I'll..," my rage pours out, but is suddenly stopped when Achilles reaches down and jerks me to my feet.
"Little Cousin," Achilles whispers softly, and every ounce of anger slowly bleeds out of my body. "Let me be the one who threatens the King, hmmm?" His eyes are soft and his voice slightly amused.
"We've enough troubles today. Besides," his voice is low, but it turns cold. "One day I will keep my promise to him."
My eyes widen and I know that for the honor of our family, Achilles will accept this punishment on my behalf. "Please," my throat is clogging again, "don't do this. Not for me."
He pulls me into a quick hug. "I made you a promise a long time ago too. And I could never be able to live if something happened to you."
"No," my voice cracks with emotion.
He loosens his hold and gives another nod over my shoulder. "Go with Taren and Eudorous, Patroclus. It will be alright."
"NO!" Two hands land on my shoulder and gently pull me away from cousin. And even though my hands are bound, my body uses the remaining strength to resist. Finally another set of hangs are added to my shoulder, and the two men begin dragging towards the crowd. "Please!"
The strength drains from my body quickly when I realize that I'm not going to win the fight. My legs limply obey my commands to continue moving forward.
"Take care of him," Achilles calls from behind me, and even though I imagine Eudorous nodding, I cannot force my head up to see.
Taren halts me in front of a guard. "Take those bloody things off of him," he hisses and its then I realize that even though the ropes have been cut away, I am still in the steel shackles from earlier.
The guard falters, but Taren practically looms over him. "His debt is fixing to be paid. Free him."
The guard instantly nods, as he pulls out the keys to unlock my wrist. They iron falls to the ground and my wrist immediately begin to ache. And even though I wanted nothing more to rub them, I bite back a hiss.
This pain is something I deserve, a guilty voice reminds me as I slowly raise my head to stare at Achilles.
The soldiers were beginning to bind him to the post, and I silent begged him to break loose. To not do this. To run.
A pair of hands softly grab my aching wrist and begin to rub. "They've lost feeling," Taren says mildly, as he slowly works the ache away from my wrist and out through my fingers.
The tender gesture from Taren, along with the sacrifice from Achilles, makes me finally lose the last thread of my emotions. Tears pour from my eyes and my body begins to shake all over.
Looping an arm around my neck and pulling me to his side, Taren's voice is soft like he's afraid he might spoke me. "Shh," he whispers lowly, and I know he's trying not to call any more attention to us or embarrass me while offering comfort. "I know it hurts, but the feeling will be back in them soon. Can't be no worse than that welt on your arm."
"I deserve this pain," I return miserably. "And that," I clarify with a nod towards the man holding a whip over Achilles.
Before Taren could answer, my heart gives out from me along with my legs, the first last comes flying down onto Achilles's back. Taren accepts my weight as my mind commands my wobbly legs to stand.
Achilles grunts loudly as the second strike comes raining down. This time, my body jerks away from Taren, and hurls the remaining bread from last night on to the ground.
By the time I had finished puking my small meal and dry heaving, four more strikes have made their way to my cousin's back. Blood runs freely from the open cuts and my stomach lurches again.
The executioner raises his wrist again, and even though I'm on my knees, I lunge towards the open circle to halt him. Taren's arms catches me hard around the middle, hauling me back towards him. "Easy, Patroclus."
Frustrated, the tears freely pour now and I struggle against his hold trying to get to my cousin.
By the tenth strike, Achilles was screaming out. My body is shaking ruthlessly in my own emotional turmoil. I am the cause of this pain.
By the sixteenth, he has passed out cold. I scramble towards him, and manage to escape Taren's hold. Only to take another shaky step forward to be clamped down by Eudorous's, "I have to...,"
My voice fades out, when my eyes connect with the severe glare from Achilles's right hand man. "He knows what he's doing," his voice is hard as he grips my shoulder, "and what he has accepted."
Confused, my mouth works up and down, "I—I,"
Words are cut off by a loud scream from Achilles. Jerking my whole body back towards the center, I turn to see that they guards have poured water over his marred back. Rousing him from the blackness.
"That's torture," I scream, angry that Achilles couldn't even face the rest of his punishment in oblivion.
The King chuckles loudly and if it wasn't for Achilles word early, I probably would have lunged at him.
Another lash lands knocking Achilles back down to his stomach. He slowly pulls himself up and prepares for the next hit.
Blackness edges around my eyes and I hear Eudurous say something beside me. Suddenly he drops his hold on my shoulder, and Taren is there.
It wasn't till Taren pulled me into his chest, that I realized that I am sobbing loudly and uncontrollably. And by then, I couldn't help the sobs nor cared about them.
"Shhh Patroclus, be strong," His voice is strangled like he is holding in his own rage.
Achilles last for another eight before he pass out again. Seeing him lying flat on the ground not moving makes me dry heave, but Taren doesn't loosen his hold this time.
"He's alive," Eudorus's hard voice carries to me, and my knees buckle with hate and relief when the water revives him.
"I'm not sure how much longer the lad is going to last," Taren calls and I realize that I'm starting to black out again.
Switching me to his other side, Taren props me up a bit more. "Patroclus, lad, come on now," his voice is so gentle and not teasing that I stare at him blankly for a minute.
My cousin slowly rises from his stomach back to his knees, and two more lashes fall. His back is so bloody that it is starting to pool at the guard's feet. My vision dances as I stare at the blood.
"You in there still, mate?" a voice calls snapping me out of the darkness with a firm shake.
Taren?
Blinking at him, I wondered why he was being so nice. My head was pounding so hard that I was having trouble focusing.
The sound of flesh and an anguish cry brings me back to the present clearing some of the cobwebs. I must have fainted and Taren has eased me to the ground.
"It's almost over," he whispers as they pour more water across Achilles back. He barely moves this time and I stare at him blankly.
"Only two more."
The next lash lands and Achilles does not make a sound. My heart hammers hard in my chest begging for him to groan out his pain. Anything to show me he's still alive.
My tears have stopped and my mind vacantly stares at my cousin.
Eudorus steps forward in huge strides stopping the executioner before the next lash can land. The man looks almost grateful to have been stopped. There is a low murmuring among the men as Eudorus turns towards the king.
"Every group or leader has been repaid."
The king eyes stare at Eudorus with anger. "All, but one."
Eudorus eyes are hard as he squares his shoulders. "The Myrmidon require no payment from our king."
Agamemnon strokes his jaw and stares at us, and I shiver when his eyes land on me. "But it is not Achilles that pays. He repays the boy's debt."
"He's one of us as well. If we decide that a debt must be paid, the boy will pay it in good time."
Taren stands, leaving me squatted on the ground. "Tis true," he calls towards the King. "We require no debt of our king or the lad."
The king grunts and his nostril flairs in anger. His brother steps forwards and whispers something lowly, and finally Agamemnon nods his head.
"I wasn't asking your permission," Eudorus grumbles. Gasping, I glance around and realize that all the Myrmidons were nodding their head and moving around restlessly. They were ready for battle.
For me? No, for Achilles.
Climbing slowly to my feet with the help of Taren, I'm glad that my cousin has not lost the respect of his men.
Eudorous storms forward. And surprisingly, my feet are allowed to follow. We both hunch down beside Achilles, my eyes taking in his prostate form on the ground.
His back bloody. His eyes closed. His body motionless.
"My Lord?" Eudorous whispers.
Nothing.
My body begins to shake in fear. But Eudorous calls again louder this time. "Achilles?"
Nothing.
Eudorous reaches forward and tenderly grips my cousin's shoulder, before giving it a hard shake. "ACHILLES."
And at that, my beloved cousin slowly cracks the eye closest to us. "I'm… alive…Eudorous," his voice is strangled, like talking or even breathing causes him pain.
"Achilles." The larger man's shoulders relax as he releases his hold.
Standing the man turns towards me and breaths, "He's alive."
"Patroclus?" My cousin rasps as he tries to turn his head.
Eudorous grabs me roughly by the shoulder and moves my shaky body into my cousin's view. "He's alive," the man pauses as he releases his hold. "And safe."
And with that, Achilles closes his eyes and retreats back to oblivion.
A/N: I know it was harsh, but what did you think?