After Troy
Chapter 21 – Deepest, Darkest Desires.
The dead swarmed around him, but he wandered ahead unnoticed. A few faces he recognised, and they made a double take, but none were too surprised to see the lordly Achilles in the Underworld, except those who had believed the rumours of his immortality.
He felt disoriented. Even when he had been killed at Troy he had not visited the Underworld. Thinking back, he was not entirely sure where he had been during that time, however short it may have been.
Without warning his surroundings changed. Suddenly he was standing in a large gaping chamber. A smooth rock, polished and shined, made the walls and ceiling, as well as parts of the floor. It was black, with streaks of grey and white through it. As Achilles glanced quickly about he noticed detailing, symbols and runes of some sort, inscribed in silver across all the walls. He could read none of it.
"Welcome, my good Achilles." A voice spoke from behind him, familiar, dark, silkily smooth. Rolling his eyes at the drama of the situation, and the drawl of the voice, Achilles about-faced to see Hades sitting on his obsidian-black throne.
From the usual shroud of black mist that surrounded him, Hades had changed. He could now be seen in all his real and slightly evil beauty. He was, indeed, an attractive man, as all gods are. His black hair, still seemingly not entirely solid, was drawn back behind his head, to reveal his pointed, sharply-defined features. His eyes were as any humans, but the whites were especially milky, and the irises were as black as the pupils themselves, a shadow that contrasted the pale skin of his face.
His thin lips curved in a slight smile as he noted Achilles observing all this, and he beckoned him closer with one long, slender hand.
As Achilles moved closer he gave Hades a cool appraisal, still slightly unnerved by the sudden change of environment. He drew a slight breath when he watched Hades move to stand, the folds on his long gown flowing about his arms and slender body. If Achilles had not been so collected, he could have sworn the god before him wore a robe of liquid metal, and exceptionally fine mail of some description. But as Hades stood to descend the steps from his throne it whispered like silk, shimmering between black and silver. Achilles found himself entranced until such time as Hades spoke.
"I believed it only a matter of time before you discovered you could get down here. But I must ask, what did you focus on?" It was, of course, the first rule of teleportation, one had to know to what or whom one was teleporting.
"The dead. Some of my soldiers, I suppose, anyone I knew once who, now, is dead. They would all get me to the same place." Achilles stopped just short of Hades and gave him a slight bow of the head.
"Very good." Hades smiled. "Again I am not sure I have given you enough credit." He raised his hand to his chin, pensively. "But come, now. Could you now have simply focused on that which you desire, and gone straight to it?" Hades raised an eyebrow, knowing full well the answer that was coming.
"I did try that. To no avail, I am afraid." Achilles narrows his eyes, suspiciously. "You do not happen to know why that is, do you?"
Hades waved a hand flippantly, "Perhaps you are not yet skilled enough?" He suggested, a smile threatening to invade his lips.
"Pity." Achilles said. He would see this through, he thought, he had no doubt that Hades was manipulating time, allowing them to speak for however long it took. He could almost feel the slowness.
Hades gave Achilles an odd, quizzical look. He pondered just how long he could detain this warrior-come-god. He had much tired of his previous occupants. Six times today that damned nymph had tried to contact him, six! He was in no mood for a woman. And as for the Trojan prince
"Tell me, Achilles." He walked towards the warrior, touching the man's neck slightly as he circled him. "What did you really come into my realm for?" He finished his wander, standing barely eight inches from the exquisite male specimen.
"I came to find Paris." Achilles told the Lord of the Underworld, his head held high in a military-esque stance.
"But you are sure to have him returned soon enough. Why come so early and disturb his peace?" Hades reached forth and gripped Achilles' face with one strong hand. Achilles flinched faintly at the cold touch.
Hades closed his eyes and shadow covered him again, briefly, while he strove forth into Achilles' mind.
"You came for something else, Achilles, not the Trojan." Hades smiled as he changed form before Achilles' disbelieving eyes.
Achilles felt warmth suddenly course through the hand on his cheek, and felt the same warmth spread throughout his own body as he viewed he who now stood before him.
"Patroclus." Achilles whispered. A dull pain began in his throat. Hades, in his new guise, overran the mind of his intended lover for the eve as only a God could. Achilles stood no change against the deception Hades had concocted. Achilles forgot completely his undying love and devotion to Paris, and was flooded with memories of the years he had spent with his love, Patroclus.
"Patroclus," he began again, "I never thought I would" Hades placed a Patroclus finger over Achilles lips.
"Do not speak, my love." He said in Patroclus' voice. "Let us not dwell on the past." A mischievous grin crossed his face as their surroundings suddenly became those of a lavishly decorated bedchamber.
Hades moved his disguised hands down to work off Achilles' clothing as the warrior backed them both toward the bed. "Let us make up for lost time, shall we?" He whispered into Achilles ear, caressing the man's neck with his soft lips.
Achilles' eyes rolled, lost in the lust as he fell back onto the bed. His hands moved up the familiar body, remembering each subtle curve and muscle, as his mind disappeared into the hot passion rising within.
"Patroclus." He whispered once more as his head fell back on the pillows.
A/N: Well, well, well! Naughy, naughty Hades! Are we all exceptionally mad at him? Or are we disturbed at the concept of Hades/Patroclus invading Achilles' toight body! Heheheâ Righty-oo. bradleigh, thanks for the heads-up, mate! I fixed it asap, I had to make some other changes, so I just uploaded the chapter again. Seems to have worked out fine. I also put that location in. It's Carthage, Africa. Oh, Aeneas. He just won't be able to keep his trousers on! And on top of that, thanks for the kind review! Eloise, danke shoen. I apologise about the chapter, all fixed now, methinks. I hope you continue to enjoy. Toby7, again with the thanking. And I shall ponder these mistakes. (calls oh, lucy! Would you mind?) Goldensong, merci beaucoup! Or should I say, thinks! (Hehehehe, kiwi jokes! They make me laugh. But, really, I mean no offence. Feel free to give Australia a go!) and The. Welcome back. And the ideas were taken into account, and moulded! Hope you enjoyed! X, welcome again! I know, I was entirely freaked when I saw the word count! But thank you, I do hope the gods appreciate it! Else I be smite down with the wrath of a hundred fiery lightning bolts! (bloody Zeus!) And about old Neop, I am not sure what I should do to him. As I said, I don't much care for what he was recorded to have down, please give me suggestions. And sorry about the cliffie! Hehehehe, you can stop pressing the F5 button for at least a couple of days. I've been sick, that's why I've written so fast, and now it's back to school! Argh! I Am Fanfiction's Saviour. Uhâ. Heh. OK! That wasn't really a review, but sure! I'll go and have a looksee. (weirdo!) Yana, I was kinda hoping you would be online tonight, but, yaknow, what can you do. Next time you're on, come bearing ideas for what to do next! Oh the wacky incompetence that is me! Oh, and he'll visit Paris soon, he just has to have a panic attack first. Thanks kids, and so that you don't have nightmares, think Patroclus, or hot Hades. Don't think any wacky thoughts on me!
Story count: 1,045 words
A/N count: 379 words