Author's Note: So the chapter we've all been waiting for (well me at least) is finally here!
Disclaimer: I don't own Troy or Greek Mythology.
Return to the Land of the Living
Achilles, Pramadas, and Hector were pacing now. The stairwell that the other souls had taken to return to the land of the living had collapsed, so now their only escape from the Underworld was blocked.
"Is that Briseis' blade?" Achilles had been twirling the dagger Briseis had left, trying to somehow extract a plan from the blade.
He nodded to Pramadas. "She forgot it when I returned her to Troy; if we get out of here, I'll be giving it back."
Briseis' twin shook his head. "She didn't forget it; she left it for you, so that you could remember her."
The warlord smirked. "I don't think that anyone could ever forget her."
A rustling from the bushes behind them, interrupted their conversation. Out of the brush Patroclus, Polydorus, and Paris emerged.
Noticing that the three men seemed rather upset, the son of Lampus made the assumption that they did not win the race. "Well," Paris drawled, "it seems we finished last."
"That's not the main issue, Paris," Hector said, his tone demanded seriousness. "The stairs which we were to use to return to the land of the living are blocked, so we're trapped here."
"You're kidding, right?" Patroclus asked with disbelief.
"No, cousin, he isn't," Achilles answered.
Pramadas did not acknowledge the newcomers. Instead, he was staring at the wall in front of him, still attempting to devise a plan for them, but he got frustrated from his lack of strategy, so he took his dagger from his waist and stabbed it into the stone. The smooth wall rippled, as if it were made of amorphous material and turned into the rocky side of a cliff, they all looked up and only saw a gloomy sky.
"Climb," echoed the voice of Hades.
Pramadas sighed, exasperated, "Wonderful…who shall be going first?"
"I elect Hector," Paris answered immediately. No one said anything out loud, but they were all laughing at the son of Lampus on the inside, for his lack of courage.
"Alright, if you're so afraid," Hector said as he started to scale the cliff.
Paris protested, "I'm not afraid."
"Then go on," Patroclus challenged, gesturing toward the cliff.
"Well, I…I am probably the slowest climber, so I should go last." He declared.
Pramadas rolled his eyes and followed Hector. Patroclus went next and Achilles after him. Polydorus and Paris were at the end.
After about half an hour, Paris started to complain. "How much farther do we have to go?"
"Tired already cousin," Hector taunted.
"I'm not-" the cliff itself started to shake as well as the ground below. The men and boys clung for their lives to the rocks. After a while, all was still again. Looking up, they saw that the sky had disappeared and instead, they saw a stone ceiling.
"It looks as though we about halfway there," Hector said happily, the thought of seeing his beautiful wife and son spurring him to climb faster. After about a quarter of an hour, Hector pulled himself out the crack in the floor and sat for a moment to catch his breath. He could hear sounds of astonishment and happiness from outside the temple, but he ignored them, for the prince saw Pramadas and helped the noble up out of the gap in the earth. They heard more sounds, but the two would not greet their loved ones until all their companions were safely on solid ground. They helped Patroclus up and after a moment, Achilles emerged from the crack.
The four of them looked back and saw that Polydorus and Paris were very close to the edge. Suddenly, earth started to quake again, but this time, the temple started to crumble along with the earth.
The Myrmidon king turned to the entrance and saw a company awaiting them. He knew that Pramadas, Hector, and Patroclus had to leave, but he did not have to. "Go," Achilles commanded them.
They stared at him as if he were mad. "Achilles-" they protested.
"Go," he insisted, "I'll help the other two, you three must go!" After a moment Pramadas, Hector, and Patroclus reluctantly did as they were told.
"Hector!" Andromache exclaimed as she ran to him with Astyanax in her arms. The reunited husband and wife embraced each other, their son between them. Patroclus was welcomed by his parents, aunt, and uncle; Pramadas was immediately attacked by his brothers. Briseis would have gone to him too, but she was worried for Achilles. She and Helen ran to the entrance of the temple, watching as Polydorus sprinted out of the building and Achilles helped Paris up.
The earth rumbled once more, causing both Paris and Achilles to fall into the crack, but the two were able to grip onto the edge to prevent from falling. Unfortunate they were though, for the vines that were at the bottom of the cliff had come to life and were now attempting to pull them down to their doom.
Achilles strained against the vines; looking toward the entrance of the building he saw Briseis and Helen. Helen's expression was frightened and unsure of what to do. Briseis, however, was watching the falling pieces of rock and stone with a calculating gaze, her expression concentrated and determined. He knew what she was going to do.
"Briseis!" he yelled. She met his gaze. "Don't do it, leave; get yourself to safety!" he demanded, but then he remembered, Briseis doesn't follow orders and that defiance flamed in her eyes. She glanced up one more time and before he could say anything, she dashed across the perilous floor.
"BRISEIS!" she wasn't sure whose voice that belonged to or if it was more than one, but she continued on her way while evading the rocks that were coming down. The Amazon leaped over a fallen altar and landed on her torso. Reaching out she grabbed onto Achilles' arms and held them tightly as they struggled to pull him up.
Paris glanced at the two and then looked at Helen, who was still standing at the entrance. "Helen, help me!" The princess had a yearning, frightened look on her face, but then the column she was standing behind fell over. She scurried back several paces, too afraid to do much else. "Helen!" Paris screamed.
Briseis and Achilles had got themselves up. They leaned against a column for a moment to catch their breaths.
Paris and the warlord locked eyes then, suddenly, Paris felt himself being pulled up, the vines scraped at his ankles, but soon they loosen and Paris stood. Achilles roughly pushed Paris sending him flying towards the entrance. He and Briseis raced in the same direction, a little distance behind him. Taking wide paces, Paris was soon in front of Helen and she clung to him while sobbing for him to forgive her, he could only sigh; content that he was holding her again.
Achilles held Briseis around her slim waist, lifted her, and then he launched the two of them out of the temple as the rest of it collapsed into a heap of stone and rock. As they slid on the ground, the rough sand chaffed his skin, but he cared not for himself. His main concern was the woman in his arms.
"Briseis…?"
"I'm-I'm alright," she said, still trying to catch her breath.
Her twin was then standing over them. He quickly pulled her into his arms. "You are either mad or completely in love."
Briseis slightly chuckled at her twin. "Pramadas…I thought I would never see you again."
He did not comment that she avoided his first statement. "As did I sister, as did I."
Achilles got up and was immediately embraced by his parents. "Mother," he said happily.
"My son, I knew she would save you," Thetis whispered.
Before Achilles could ask a voice interrupted the family."Won't you embrace me old friend?" Amaryllis asked as she strode over to the warlord and his parents.
Achilles grinned as he separated himself from his mother and wrapped his arms around Amaryllis. "I'm not old," He said as she laughed lightly.
Briseis and Pramadas separated. The twins looked behind them when they heard footsteps, and Pramadas was surprised to see a face from his past. "Damon?" The King of Athens smiled as he came forward and embraced his returned friend. Briseis smiled as she turned slightly, seeing Achilles and Amaryllis from the corner of her eye.
The Athenian Queen let go of the Myrmidon and gestured to the noblewoman. "I believe someone else is waiting for you, though," she winked and strode away.
From a distance between them, the Myrmidon and Amazon stood, staring at the form of each other, motionless. Finally, Achilles moved first, he walked to Briseis, but he stopped, leaving a bit space between them.
They were silent, not sure of what to say to each other. Achilles saw that she was fiddling with something upon her neck and when he looked closer, he saw that it was the shell necklace he gave to her. The warlord reached over and touched the shells. The noble visibly flinched, but did not shy away from him. He stilled his fingers upon the central shell.
"You still wear this?" He asked, Achilles had thought that she would have kept it as a remembrance of their love, but out of her sight, to keep away the pain of those memories.
Briseis finally met his gaze and smiled. "Everyday…since the day you gave it to me." This surprised him completely, his heart sang from her confession. The warlord wanted to take her into his arms and never let her go, but he saw her calculating expression and so he put down his arm and waited for her to move this time.
Briseis stared into his sea blue eyes with her ocean blue and gray ones, trying to find any malice or anything that was not her Achilles, but she saw none; she felt none. And when she could handle it no longer, she threw herself at him, her arms circled around his neck, and she kissed him deeply.
Achilles ran his fingers through her long shimmering hair as he kissed her back with the same amount love and passionate. In the back of their minds, they remembered all their troubles and woes, but they dismissed those thoughts. For now in this moment, there was only them…together once more and nothing would separate them again.
After a day of rest and reunions, the companies were at sea once. This time, they were headed for glorious Athens. Achilles stood with his Myrmidons, family, and Briseis on the Myrmidon ship; Hector was with Andromache and Astyanax, Paris with Helen, and Amaryllis in the arms of Damon on their Athenian ship; Briseus and his family and Polydorus were on the Athenian ship as well. Odysseus commanded his own ship with his wife and son by his side; Deidamia and Iphis were upon the Amazon ship, which was under the command of Atalanta. Poseidon kept the waters steady, Atlas kept them on course, the Anemoi gave them fair winds, and the other Gods warded off the dangers. Unfortunately, there were other ships following that the Gods were not accounting for.
Achilles, Patroclus, Hector, and Pramadas are back! But for how long?
Thanks for reading. Let me know your thoughts.
