After Troy

Chapter 18 – The Truth

Achilles stood at one end of a storage room in what he supposed was the bow of the ship. As he stood, he closed his eyes and focused.

"Too far!" He said and realised as he felt himself falling to the water outside the ship. He quickly teleported himself back towards the room in which he had been standing, and grabbed himself a drink as soon as he felt the comforting wood underneath his feet.

There was a knock at the door, and Aeneas quickly entered. After several weeks at sea, with a few stopovers to restock, he had discovered, or been told of, Achilles' and Paris' apparent love. It still unnerved him slightly to think that it had all been happening under his nose. He might, perhaps, have taken it better had it been Paris who had told him. In stead he was faced with Achilles each day. He now understood, however, those times when Paris had been about to say something and then he would spot something that needed 'fixing'. Aeneas felt guilty, as though he may have made Paris feel nervous in some way.

"Achilles." He said abruptly, shocked to have found him after so many empty rooms. "Hector told me to come and discuss, with you, your new 'situation'. Would that be in my interest, or shall I go?"

"It may be." Achilles paused, struck with another idea. "Stay where you are." He said.

This time, eyes closed, he concentrated on Aeneas and, with little effort, opened his eyes to find himself standing inches from the irked man.

"What was that?" Aeneas asked, stepping back. The creaked and outside they could hear the great sail flapping.

"Practice." Achilles smiled, closing his eyes and returning to the box on which sat his drink. "One day I shall be able to do it eyes open and in times of crisis." He sat down, picking up the leather flask and drinking the sweet alcoholic drink inside.

"I see." Aeneas stared at Achilles dubiously. "And what, exactly, are you practicing?"

"Ah." Achilles smiled, in a much brighter mood in light of his progress. "Please, take a seat."

"A seat?" Aeneas laughed. "On what?"

"A box, of course." Achilles spread his arms.

"Of course." Aeneas felt a little out of place in such close quarters with the man who, just a short time ago, had claimed Aeneas' closest friend in his bed. He took a seat on the box that was closest to the door, in order to give himself some little comfort.

To his dismay, however, Achilles came and sat down just beside him.

"What I tell you, for the time being, does not leave this room." Achilles said, quite seriously.

"Of course." Aeneas swore.

"Good." Achilles nodded, perceiving Aeneas' mind and knowing it to be true.

Achilles then went on to tell Aeneas all of what had passed in recent times. At first Aeneas listened with slight disbelief. As the conversation continued, however, he grew to see the truth in his words. At the end of it Aeneas was accepting and rather compassionate to Achilles' cause.

"I see, now, the full purpose of your quest." Aeneas told Achilles as the sky began to turn golden outside, only a few hours of daylight left. "I will help how I can. After all, the gods told me that you are the only man who could defeat me in battle, so I don't dare to put it to a test." He smiled and Achilles laughed. "But," Aeneas paused, "what of Paris? Is he to remain alone in the Underworld until such time as the gods see fit to release him?"

"I know not what to do with Pars." Achilles sighed. "I thought of visiting him."

"In the Underworld? No mortal can come and go in Hades' domain of their own volition."

"I am no mortal." Achilles cocked his head, with a cocky half smile.

"A valid point." Aeneas stood, it still felt a little odd for him to be chatting in such a friendly manner with this man.

At that moment a bell rang loud from above them.

"What is that?" Achilles asked.

"An alarm of some kind." Aeneas stood quickly and dashed out the door.

There was panic and mayhem about them as they surfaced on deck. The women and children were running below deck and the men were preparing for some form of conflict.

"What is going on?" Aeneas called to the skipper. For some reason he didn't respond, in stead staring with deep concentration ahead. Aeneas ran to the man and grabbed his shoulders. "What is happening?" He asked again.

The skipper pulled cloth from each ear and stared at Aeneas. "Sorry, sir?"

"What is happening?" Aeneas repeated for the final time.

"My apologies, sir. It's Sirens, and an Achaean ship." He pointed in the direction the ship and island could be seen. "There, sir."

"What?!" Aeneas whipped around and stared where the skipper had pointed. There was a small ship, a war ship by the look of it, ahead of them, between the Trojan ship and a small rocky Island, which he supposed was the home of the Sirens.

Aeneas grabbed Achilles arm, tugging him forth. "Do you know those sails?" he asked.

Achilles studied the insignia on the red sails ahead. "I do." He said, a smile on his face.

"Who's are they?" Aeneas begged, frustrated and rushed. "Are they a threat."

"The greatest threat that ever sailed the sea." Achilles smiled. "Though not while I'm on this ship. The man who sails under that symbol is the man who brought about the destruction of your city."

"Who is it? By the gods, who is it?" Aeneas spoke, impatiently loud.

"Odysseus." Achilles let the name roll off his tongue and with a passion that told of the years of close friendship they had shared.

"Then he will be killed by those Sirens, surely." Aeneas told Achilles, wondering at the way Odysseus' ship came so close to the island.

"No. He is by far too smart to be killed by such a trifle. He will live." Achilles smiled and disappeared.