After Troy
Chapter 14 – Hector's Return
Hector sat up, ignoring his wife's disbelieving calls. He stared at Achilles, wariness all through him, Hector knew what Achilles had become, he had heard it all.
Before carrying out the bargain, Hades had decided to gain a little perspective on Paris, and Hector had provided the perfect opportunity for that. Hector had spent what had seemed like days under the careful scrutiny of Hades, within the Lord of the Underworld's cavernous throne room.
This, however, had worked to Hector's advantage, as Hades had neglected to return Hector to the underworld, when in audience with other gods, namely Apollo.
Hector had learnt everything. He had learnt of Achilles' trials, of the love he was to find in Paris, and indeed of the plans of Apollo himself. Apollo's hatred of Achilles had not diminished where, in other gods it would have. He was bitter and spiteful.
Each time Apollo had come to seek audience with Hades over the past day or two (and there were many times, Apollo being pedantic as he was) Hades had merely ignored Hector's presence and Hector had faded back from the gods, hoping to hide himself and hear as much as he could of the outside world. And, now, everything that had been planned had come to pass. He was returned, Paris was gone, and many futures were at stake, especially if Achilles was angered.
"Hector." Achilles stood, facing the risen Prince. "Why..." he choked briefly. "Why are you here, while Paris is..." again he choked, grief and disbelief mingling within.
"All that I will explain, but you must understand that this situation can be rectified."
A small group of people, mostly the Trojan travelers, had gathered after noticing the strange weather and hearing the shouts outside. All stood in awe of Hector's return, admiring the mighty Prince as he stood, now, without fear. His spirit had changed somewhat, those who had been closest to him noted this. He accepted, to a degree, all that was happening and all that could happen. He was enlightened more than he had been. If he could be any more grand than he had been before, then it had happened.
"No." Achilles said, desiring the answers now. "Who was that man? And what has he done with my lo..." he stopped himself, realising what he was about to divulge.
"Achilles, I know. You and Paris." He was speaking quietly. "It is no secret to me," Hector god back on track, "and that was no man. That was Hades, Lord of the Underworld."
"I'll kill him." Achilles stood up, muscles on his shoulders twitching with rage, yearning for a blade.
"Unlikely." Hector said calmly, and with a seriousness that any man would stop to hear. "And he is not the one you want, anyway."
"Then who is? Who stole Paris from this world?" Achilles growled.
"That would be Apollo." Hector said, lowering his head and staring into Achilles' eyes, he waited for the connection to hit the warrior.
"The god you Trojans worshipped?" Achilles asked, understanding at last. "The god who's statue I beheaded." Despite the graveness of the situation, he couldn't help but be amused at the memory. He had beheaded a solid gold statue, and that was no mean feat! But now another voice entered the conversation.
"The god who guided Paris' arrow to your heel." Athena had come forward. "The only god who voiced his objection to your return to the world of the living. The only god, in all of mighty Olympus, who still wants you to fail."
Athena turned to Hector, but he had already deducted who she was from all that he had heard.
"Athena." He spoke in reverence, falling to his knee and bowing his head.
If her godly beauty could allow it, Athena would have blushed. "My Lord." She said. "It is I who should be bowing to you. Arise, for you flatter me too greatly." She smiled as Hector stood back up to face her.
"Fair goddess." Hector stepped closer to her, already knowing what must be done. "I will need an audience with the gods. Myself, Achilles, and Aeneas."
"That I can do." She said. A moment later she was gone. Hector took this to be a good thing, and turned to Achilles.
"Achilles, please. Overcome your fear and doubt. I must speak with my wife for a time, but return to the inn and I shall meet you there. We will see Zeus soon."
"Not soon enough!" Achilles roared, still feeling the anger of his loss. He had no time for despair, it was not in his nature. "He should be here, not you!" He yelled, glaring at the greatest Prince Troy had ever seen.
Hector's cool was broken, he realised anger was the only way to deal with this man, so he displayed it. "Do not dare!" Hector shouted, defining each word carefully. "Do not dare make the mistake of thinking that you are the only person who cares about my brother!" Fury boiled within him, releasing onto his old arch nemesis. "I would that he were still here, I would that I were to rot an eternity before he suffered a moment, least of all an early death. I know well enough that he should be here, not I, but it is not so! Therefore, if you please, I will go and have a word with my wife before the gods accept our audience and all our fates are decided." Hector finished breathing heavily. The care he felt for his brother had run over him. Hector felt he had failed to protect his young sibling, all that he had ever desired to do.
Achilles, feeling very much put back in his place, though still bitter, stood down and turned to face the desert-like abyss that stood behind him. 'Perhaps,' he thought to himself, 'a walk before we are called.' And he began.
A/N: tearing up Hector! Oh, Hector! It's not your fault! Hehehe... So, out of 10? Good, bad, alright I suppose? Anyhoo... Desperately sorry for the huuuuuuuuuuge delay! I am so lazy! Incidentally, at the start of my holidays, I said to myself, holidays = more time = more updates! How wrong could I have been. I think I god out of work mode, and got into the habit of doing very little. Then, yesterday, I did some work and I was able to write again, thanks, in no small way, to the help of our lovely Yana5!!! Thanks dude! Anyhoo... readers, and reviewers and answers, oh my! Alrighty, Yana! How's it been, dude! (hehehe, dude=whale's penis! Ewww, grosssss) Ok, Yana, Thanks, mate! Bonza to hear from you! (Touch of Aussie class!) Jamy, always a pleasure! I do hope you enjoyed! Toby7! Helloooooo, thank you indeed! bradleigh, indeed with the word counts, I think I'll keep that up! And I entirely agree with you about Achilles in bed! Lady Lenna! How do you do? Thanks Lady, and I promise, Paris will return!!! Ooooooo, predicting the future! (Though as the writer that's hardly surprising!) Gilrean, thank you, and apologise for the lateness. feckless that is a weird-ass name! But indeed, it was a holy grail quote!!! Brilliance of Monty Python. Speaking of which, should I involve a killer rabbit! Heheheh, (j/k) Lady Rineheart, there is a !!! (freaky, eh?) I entirely agree about the lazyness of review-logging-in-for etc. and indeed, Monty Python rocks my socks off! (I refuse to say 'whips my cream' as you did because giggles that sounds naughty! And gross! Ewww) Writing Muse, no idea any guy, with Paris' size that could get a little loose footed, are you kidding?! Orlando Bloom looks like a midget! Mini-man, but then... heheh, in PotC with Johnny, he looks like a bloody giant! I love Johnny! X!!! (and by that I mean x- shadowcat, and next time I won't explain! Mwahahahaha!) How's life. Sorry to hear that you missed out on reading, but it's probably a good thing, given how slack I am! Anyhoo, I'll ignore your 9-12 reviews, and sorry to hear about your virus!!! Don't cry too much, it'll all be ok! Goldensong, SORRY, PLEASE DON'T EAT ME! And lastly, Legoviel! (let me guess, you like lord of the rings?) Thank you, and welcome to the crew of After Troy readers who all seem very patient with my laziness! Thanks guys, and I'm off to watch a whole heap of Johnny Depp films with my cousin! Toodles! Now, word count (inclusive of words and counts!) words = 437!
Hector sat up, ignoring his wife's disbelieving calls. He stared at Achilles, wariness all through him, Hector knew what Achilles had become, he had heard it all.
Before carrying out the bargain, Hades had decided to gain a little perspective on Paris, and Hector had provided the perfect opportunity for that. Hector had spent what had seemed like days under the careful scrutiny of Hades, within the Lord of the Underworld's cavernous throne room.
This, however, had worked to Hector's advantage, as Hades had neglected to return Hector to the underworld, when in audience with other gods, namely Apollo.
Hector had learnt everything. He had learnt of Achilles' trials, of the love he was to find in Paris, and indeed of the plans of Apollo himself. Apollo's hatred of Achilles had not diminished where, in other gods it would have. He was bitter and spiteful.
Each time Apollo had come to seek audience with Hades over the past day or two (and there were many times, Apollo being pedantic as he was) Hades had merely ignored Hector's presence and Hector had faded back from the gods, hoping to hide himself and hear as much as he could of the outside world. And, now, everything that had been planned had come to pass. He was returned, Paris was gone, and many futures were at stake, especially if Achilles was angered.
"Hector." Achilles stood, facing the risen Prince. "Why..." he choked briefly. "Why are you here, while Paris is..." again he choked, grief and disbelief mingling within.
"All that I will explain, but you must understand that this situation can be rectified."
A small group of people, mostly the Trojan travelers, had gathered after noticing the strange weather and hearing the shouts outside. All stood in awe of Hector's return, admiring the mighty Prince as he stood, now, without fear. His spirit had changed somewhat, those who had been closest to him noted this. He accepted, to a degree, all that was happening and all that could happen. He was enlightened more than he had been. If he could be any more grand than he had been before, then it had happened.
"No." Achilles said, desiring the answers now. "Who was that man? And what has he done with my lo..." he stopped himself, realising what he was about to divulge.
"Achilles, I know. You and Paris." He was speaking quietly. "It is no secret to me," Hector god back on track, "and that was no man. That was Hades, Lord of the Underworld."
"I'll kill him." Achilles stood up, muscles on his shoulders twitching with rage, yearning for a blade.
"Unlikely." Hector said calmly, and with a seriousness that any man would stop to hear. "And he is not the one you want, anyway."
"Then who is? Who stole Paris from this world?" Achilles growled.
"That would be Apollo." Hector said, lowering his head and staring into Achilles' eyes, he waited for the connection to hit the warrior.
"The god you Trojans worshipped?" Achilles asked, understanding at last. "The god who's statue I beheaded." Despite the graveness of the situation, he couldn't help but be amused at the memory. He had beheaded a solid gold statue, and that was no mean feat! But now another voice entered the conversation.
"The god who guided Paris' arrow to your heel." Athena had come forward. "The only god who voiced his objection to your return to the world of the living. The only god, in all of mighty Olympus, who still wants you to fail."
Athena turned to Hector, but he had already deducted who she was from all that he had heard.
"Athena." He spoke in reverence, falling to his knee and bowing his head.
If her godly beauty could allow it, Athena would have blushed. "My Lord." She said. "It is I who should be bowing to you. Arise, for you flatter me too greatly." She smiled as Hector stood back up to face her.
"Fair goddess." Hector stepped closer to her, already knowing what must be done. "I will need an audience with the gods. Myself, Achilles, and Aeneas."
"That I can do." She said. A moment later she was gone. Hector took this to be a good thing, and turned to Achilles.
"Achilles, please. Overcome your fear and doubt. I must speak with my wife for a time, but return to the inn and I shall meet you there. We will see Zeus soon."
"Not soon enough!" Achilles roared, still feeling the anger of his loss. He had no time for despair, it was not in his nature. "He should be here, not you!" He yelled, glaring at the greatest Prince Troy had ever seen.
Hector's cool was broken, he realised anger was the only way to deal with this man, so he displayed it. "Do not dare!" Hector shouted, defining each word carefully. "Do not dare make the mistake of thinking that you are the only person who cares about my brother!" Fury boiled within him, releasing onto his old arch nemesis. "I would that he were still here, I would that I were to rot an eternity before he suffered a moment, least of all an early death. I know well enough that he should be here, not I, but it is not so! Therefore, if you please, I will go and have a word with my wife before the gods accept our audience and all our fates are decided." Hector finished breathing heavily. The care he felt for his brother had run over him. Hector felt he had failed to protect his young sibling, all that he had ever desired to do.
Achilles, feeling very much put back in his place, though still bitter, stood down and turned to face the desert-like abyss that stood behind him. 'Perhaps,' he thought to himself, 'a walk before we are called.' And he began.
A/N: tearing up Hector! Oh, Hector! It's not your fault! Hehehe... So, out of 10? Good, bad, alright I suppose? Anyhoo... Desperately sorry for the huuuuuuuuuuge delay! I am so lazy! Incidentally, at the start of my holidays, I said to myself, holidays = more time = more updates! How wrong could I have been. I think I god out of work mode, and got into the habit of doing very little. Then, yesterday, I did some work and I was able to write again, thanks, in no small way, to the help of our lovely Yana5!!! Thanks dude! Anyhoo... readers, and reviewers and answers, oh my! Alrighty, Yana! How's it been, dude! (hehehe, dude=whale's penis! Ewww, grosssss) Ok, Yana, Thanks, mate! Bonza to hear from you! (Touch of Aussie class!) Jamy, always a pleasure! I do hope you enjoyed! Toby7! Helloooooo, thank you indeed! bradleigh, indeed with the word counts, I think I'll keep that up! And I entirely agree with you about Achilles in bed! Lady Lenna! How do you do? Thanks Lady, and I promise, Paris will return!!! Ooooooo, predicting the future! (Though as the writer that's hardly surprising!) Gilrean, thank you, and apologise for the lateness. feckless that is a weird-ass name! But indeed, it was a holy grail quote!!! Brilliance of Monty Python. Speaking of which, should I involve a killer rabbit! Heheheh, (j/k) Lady Rineheart, there is a !!! (freaky, eh?) I entirely agree about the lazyness of review-logging-in-for etc. and indeed, Monty Python rocks my socks off! (I refuse to say 'whips my cream' as you did because giggles that sounds naughty! And gross! Ewww) Writing Muse, no idea any guy, with Paris' size that could get a little loose footed, are you kidding?! Orlando Bloom looks like a midget! Mini-man, but then... heheh, in PotC with Johnny, he looks like a bloody giant! I love Johnny! X!!! (and by that I mean x- shadowcat, and next time I won't explain! Mwahahahaha!) How's life. Sorry to hear that you missed out on reading, but it's probably a good thing, given how slack I am! Anyhoo, I'll ignore your 9-12 reviews, and sorry to hear about your virus!!! Don't cry too much, it'll all be ok! Goldensong, SORRY, PLEASE DON'T EAT ME! And lastly, Legoviel! (let me guess, you like lord of the rings?) Thank you, and welcome to the crew of After Troy readers who all seem very patient with my laziness! Thanks guys, and I'm off to watch a whole heap of Johnny Depp films with my cousin! Toodles! Now, word count (inclusive of words and counts!) words = 437!