Chapter 11: We Meet Odysseus
We stopped outside the central tent with the important voices coming from within. Atlanta's old friend went in to see if we were allowed in. We heard the guy cough and then asked if it was an alright time to intrude. A couple of guys murmured about "OK" and Atlanta's friend poked his head out and nodded. I lifted the tent's flap and walked in first.
A low table was in the middle surrounded by a bunch of important looking guys in armour. Otherwise the tent was bare.
Atlanta trundled in after me and one of the guys stood up.
"Uncle!" Atlanta cried as she ran up and hugged the guy.
"Atlanta," he whispered, "I assumed you weren't dead. You just wouldn't allow that." Atlanta smiled at the guy in his thirties. They both had the same smile and nose; his eyes were darker and narrower. He had close-cut black hair on his head and a tall, strong build - just like I'd pictured Odysseus.
When Odysseus released Atlanta other guys in the tent gave welcome remarks.
"Who are the young strange looking boys over there?" an older guy asked.
"Hey!" Zane protested.
"These are my uh, friends," Atlanta said, "Nico," she gestured towards me, "And Zane," she gestured towards Zane.
"They don't look like they're from here," the older guy remarked, "How did you come across them exactly?"
"They were foreigners in the prison," Atlanta explained, "We've been through a lot together the past week and if you don't trust them you can't trust me."
"Why are his eyes gold?" another guy asked pointing at Zane.
"I have a name you know!" Zane stormed. Muttering erupted.
"Can we get over their appearance and ask more important questions?" one guy in the room yelled. He looked as if someone had thrown a bowling ball at his face and only his extremely pointed nose had recovered.
"Kastor," the guy continued, "My son, have you heard from him?" I turned to the ground, that image of Kastor burning to death had left a deep scar. Atlanta's smile just faded to a frown.
"You haven't heard from him," the guy sighed.
"No," Zane said, "We heard from him. Isn't Kastor the guy the telekhines burned?" That earned him an elbow from either side.
"What?"
"Your son is dead," I said.
"I wouldn't be here without him," Atlanta said.
"How would you know if the telekhines killed him?" the older guy accused, "No one emerges from there alive."
"We've had a crazy amount of close calls the past few days," I said, before Atlanta recapped everything that'd happened since the month before in this land.
We ate a proper meal that night and slept in something made for sleeping in. Zane and I were put in a tent full of the younger fighters. Most had multiple bruises and scars but all of them had a million questions to ask about our travels and where we lived. A bunch of guys wanted to see the scars I gathered from being tortured, and I found out I had a burn on the back of my neck shaped like a Minotaur. Finally the guys got bored of the red lines along my back and we all drifted to sleep.
When I woke up in the morning a new white tunic, much like everyone else's was resting on my sleeping mat. I was happy to get rid of the stupid skirt I'd been wearing the past few days. An average breakfast was served and then a small force, including Atlanta went to pretend to fight Troy for a while. One of the guys from my tent, Leon I think his name was, got me some battle armour and a regular metal sword.
I was showing Leon some tricks Percy had taught me at camp when Odysseus came over.
"Nico," he called, "Could I speak to you for a minute?"
"Sure," I said walking over. I'd continue thrashing Leon later.
"My niece Atlanta has told me about where you are actually from."
"Do you mean America or the future?" I asked.
"What's - never mind. The future. I forbid you to tell anyone of the future and of your father."
"She told you that too?"
"You can't trust very much with Atlanta. Anyway. I actually wanted to offer you something." My mind flipped through the bajillion things that could be coming.
"Yes," I said.
"Has Atlanta told you about our plan to infiltrate Troy?"
"Yeah."
"Oh. Well I've been told you can cause the earth to tremble at your touch, cause dead to rise and fight and lives to depart from their bodies with your thought."
"Well I don't know about that last one, but yeah."
"If we had you on our leading lines during the infiltration of Troy we would have a major advantage. I have convinced the other generals to let you have a place in the horse, if of coarse you accept."
"And I wouldn't accept because..."
"Great!" Odysseus hit my back, "I shall go tell the generals. Goodbye for now." He waved and jogged back to his tent.
"What did he want?" Leon asked as I returned.
"He just wanted to..." my sword was flicked out of my hand and Leon caught it.
"Ha! I win! Surrender!" He pointed his sword at my neck. As if! I flicked my leg out and launched it at him, tripping him over and making him face-plant into the ground. I snatched my sword from his grasp and we continued fighting.
It was late in the evening when the army returned. The tired soldiers ate and left for bed. Atlanta came over to say hi. She brandished a bloodstained sword and was smiling way too much with all that blood smeared across her face. She told us she'd had a pretty successful battle, none lost on our side ten on the other. She skulled the water beside her before she had to go to some general's meeting. Zane came over soon after, he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks and he looked as miserable as the Underworld. He didn't utter a word while the other soldiers laughed and joked around us.
"Odysseus talked to you?" I asked him. He just murmured something and turned to his food.
"Why would you ask that?" one of my war buddies asked, "Odysseus says nothing to no one unless they're an impossibly good fighter."
"Or you're his niece," another guy added in a cough. A couple of guys laughed.
"He spoke to Nico," Leon said struggling to pronounce my name.
"What'd he want?" a guy asked.
"To see if I wanted to go horse riding tomorrow," I said. There were amazed stares and mutterings of, "cool" and "impossible".
"But you're like fourteen kid," a guy who looked thirty or so protested, "Any of us could fight better than you!"
"Wanna bet?" I jeered.
"Ooh," a bunch of guys said. The guy stood up.
"OK," he said, "Five drachmas I win."
"Ten," I said.
"You're on kiddo."
"But isn't that unfair?" one guy said, "Aren't you invincible Achilles?"
So that's how I wound up fighting the invincible Achilles. The other guys had made a circle around us and were making bets of their own.
"Such a nice young face," he said, "Shame I'm going to deform it." I felt my heart sink. How was I supposed to fight him and get a sword to his heel at the same time?
"That's a nice heel you have," I said making some guys laugh at how pathetic it sounded, "Shame I know your weak spot." Achilles' face grew red, I laughed. He charged.
I dodged to the side and spun around before he had a chance to try and attack again. He jabbed and I pushed his sword aside easily. Our swords clanged for ages. He knew the disarming trick and wouldn't let me get close to his feet with my blade. Around us guys were yelling, "Achilles" or "Nico", but it sounded more like, "Achilco".
"You're good kid," Achilles muttered, "But I could beat you any day."
"You're alright," I told him, "Not the best I've seen, but..." He slammed his sword towards my left. I skidded forwards on my knees and pressed my sword gently against his heel. I smirked up at him. Guys laughed. Achilles looked distressed.
"I win," I said. He glowered and muttered, "I surrender," and he dropped his sword. Coins were exchanged along with angry glares.
I was hoisted up onto a couple of guys' shoulders and we paraded around the circle. I got a lot of amazed and angry glares, but none bothered me. People cheered me on for the rest of the night before the generals went off at us and told us to shut up. When my head hit the pillow I fell to sleep instantly.
The next day was very much like the first, only no half-immortal guys challenged me to duels. Plenty of other idiots did though. Zane stayed out of sight and eating at a table full of people was normal.
When evening came Atlanta returned to camp and said we hadn't been so successful today, over a hundred had died and another three hundred were fatally wounded. An important general then announced that the Pony Plan would be put into action the next night.
There was a lot of excitement the next day. Zane even told me he was also riding in the Trojan Horse. My tent friends wished me luck before getting organized into their ranks. Atlanta was unseen throughout the day and I sat around all day with the others who would ride in the horse waiting for the evening.
Atlanta sat down next to me her smile beaming on her face.
"In an hour we'll be tearing through the gates of Troy," she said.
"Yeah," I sighed.
"Do you know what's up with Zane?"
"Nup."
"I heard you beat Achilles."
"Wasn't that hard."
"If you're trying to sound modest, you're failing."
"Why would I want to do that?" I said. Atlanta laughed.
"You must miss your old world," she sighed, "Your old friends, everyday life. Was life easier then?"
"Way too much so," I said. She nodded.
"Was there someone in your life you ever loved?" she asked. I just gave her a strange look and her ears went red.
"I didn't mean to say that," she added awkwardly, "I, uh, have to go organise my men." She stood up and walked away leaving me in silence.
Please review. I want to know where I could improve because, heck I could improve! It'll take a while for me to upload the next part. Sorry! Tell me if you like the story or what. Thanks for reading this far.
And just wondering if you guys would like to read a complete rip off of Percy Jackson called Peter Johnson and the Toilet-Paper Thief? Just wanted to know. Review and say something!