AN:#: I think this is the last chapter I'm writing! Haha. After this chapter, My Immortal will be officially done with writing with after God knows how long! Arck! I'm horrible. I know. But bear with me. After this there will be a chapter every few days or so. Why? Because everything is done!
Chapter 23: When You Cried I'd Wipe Away All of Your TearsAndromache stepped out of the rooms feeling the silence over the city. It was almost too quiet for her taste. She wanted to see what exactly was going on in the city so she walked to the main balconies overlooking the city square. People were strewn everywhere, drunk and incapacitated, but all seemed right. Her eyes surveyed the wooden horse that she trusted in the least. Nothing seemed to be off with it either but something in the wind had caught her eye.
Beneath the horse, swaying in the wind, was what seemed like a loose plank but even in the distance it could be deciphered as a wooden door. Andromache held her breath and scanned the square again. Something wasn't quite as right as before. Something was wrong now. In the shadows of the fire, something moved in a single file into the light then back into the darkness. The only thing that made Andromache look at it was the glint of metal it had caught. Her eyes squinted in the dark and she leaned forward.
What was that?
The shadows moved again but this time it was a smaller object. A man emerged from the darkness wearing the armor of a Greek and in his hand was a spear, flashing in the fire light.
Andromache stepped back suddenly wishing that her thoughts before were wrong and that she was mistaken in what she was seeing but the Greek soldier's next actions reaffirmed her suspicions. The Achaen took a step forward towards a drunken man lying on the ground, totally unaware of the danger he lay next to. With one movement, the man's skull was smashed by the spear. He never even knew what had happened. Just like that he was dead, and many more would die that same way in the space of the next few hours. That much Andromache knew without a doubt.
She needed to run and alert anyone but she feared that no one would be in a state to protect their city any longer.
Acacius mumbled to himself slightly as staggered around his home. He wanted a drink of water to cool himself down in the heat. That and he wanted a little water for Katri as well. She was sleeping like a kitty in his bed just as she always did. He always understood the meaning behind Katri's desperate need for companionship in bed, even if it was strictly devoid of sex. He knew that she was using him to replace Paris while in her dreams she could have whatever and whomever she wanted. He was all right with that though. As long as he got to be with her…
A low rumble interrupted his thoughts. Taking a sip of water from a cup, he took a glance out of the third story window. His blood ran cold at the sight. Silent except for the quiet thunder of their numerous feet, the Greeks were assembling outside his very house. Getting a cup for Katri so that she would be hydrated as she runs for safety, Acacius slipped into the bedroom.
"Katri? Katri…" Acacius whispered, his hand shaking her lightly. "Katri, wake up. Wake up!"
"Acacius?" Katri yawned burrowing farther into the pillows. "It's still dark. Why are you—?"
"Shh… Take a drink," Acacius ordered. Katri frowned as her sleepy caught a gist of the tone in his eyes. She knew he meant business so she knew not to resist.
"What's going on?" Katri asked as she wiped her mouth of the water.
"The Greeks." Katri froze.
"What?"
"The Greeks are inside the walls. I just saw them."
"No! You must have been dreaming!" Katri argued but she felt herself already standing and grabbing her cloaks. "They couldn't possibly get into Troy. It's impossible!"
"Katriana! I'm sure," Acacius whispered lowly. "Put on your cloak. You have to run for the palace. Go to the dungeons. I'm sure there will be a crowd there already so you'll find the tunnels quickly. Take the tunnels to Ida and don't look back, alright? You'll be safe there but you have to run now before chaos unleashes." He grabbed her arm and started for the back door, grabbing the sword he kept by the door at all times just before stepping out.
"Acacius, what about—?"
"Shh. Katri, don't speak. They'll hear," Acacius hissed. They stood close against the walls, listening as the Greeks began to march to front of the city. In the distance, the great wooden doors were opening up. For a moment, Acacius froze, realizing exactly what was going on. The city was going to burn. He knew it. He and the others fell for the trap set by none other than Odysseus. Acacius just hoped he could save the ones he cared for most.
"Paris! Paris! Wake up!" Andromache shrieked pounding on the doors of his room. "The Greeks! They're inside the walls!"
Paris was still waking up, not realizing what his sister-in-law was saying. All he could really hear was the high pitched tone and the distressed volume of her screams. Added onto that was the incessant banging against his door.
"I'm coming… I'm coming," he grumbled shaking his head and splashing his face with water from a basin he kept by his bed. "Still bloody dark. People rambling on, probably drunk off of their arse." He threw open the door and said, "What!" in his most annoyed voice.
"The Greeks are in the walls," Andromache said breathlessly.
Paris frowned and looked at Andromache incredulously. "What are you talking about?"
"Look out into the courtyards but keep hidden," Andromache said pointing to the window. Paris was still frowning but decided to take a look anyway. Keeping behind the curtains, Paris looked out to the Trojan horse and the bonfire in the city center. Sleep-ridden bodies were everywhere. Nothing was amiss really until he took a harder look...
Those bodies? They weren't asleep. In fact, they were swimming. Blood covered the ground and a horde of soldiers in the shadows were the cause of it. Paris' senses suddenly alerted. He turned to Andromache, ready to fight.
"Gather anyone and everyone. Get weapons. Alert the city. We need to get as much people out of here as we can." He turned and ran, his whole body looking for Katriana and Astyanax but he knew that he had to get to the armory and round up as many men he could to buy time to for as many people as possible.
Paris wasn't stupid. He knew that this would be a losing battle; one that would live up to the battles he had pictured that would end the war. With supplies low and soldiers scarce, Troy would burn to the ground. Not everyone would survive the night but he wanted to make sure that as many people possible would live to tell the tale.
He halted briefly at the door of his old suite. He had weapons in there and Helen surely wouldn't know of what was going on. Paris needed to tell her so he barged inside, swallowing the bitter picture of seeing Helen asleep, naked next to another man.
"What are you doing!" Helen muttered angrily. She gathered the blankets around her and nudged at the man next to her to wake him.
"The Greeks are inside," Paris said simply, going to trunk of weapons that was in the niche in the wall.
"Impossible," Helen gasped.
"Possible. Cloanthus, is that you?" Paris called to the man hurriedly putting on his clothing.
"Y… Yes, sir," stuttered the soldier. "I… I can.. e—explain."
"Good for you. Now, we need to get to the armory and gather as many men as we can. Helen, I need you to get as many women and children as possible to the tunnels in the dungeons. They'll lead you to safety." Helen was still too shocked to really move as quickly as she should and Paris was already frustrated. "NOW, HELEN! YOU'RE IN A BLOODY WAR AND YOU ARE SURE TO BE ONE OF THE SPOILS. NOW GET YOUR ARSE UP AND MOVE!"
Helen shook in fright and immediately hurried out.
Outside, a fight was already brewing. Achilles, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Odysseus, Lykaios… The list of men savagely killing the Trojans was a long one and each was killing scores of men, women and even children. The soldiers were letting out all the anger they felt in having to spend a decade bound to a war they felt no attachment to. They didn't care about Helen and her insipid infidelity. They wanted to be home with their wives whom, by now, have probably taken men to their beds and hearths thinking that their husbands were dead.
The only ones with real fight in their hearts, or really lack of hearts, were Agamemnon, Menelaus and Achilles. Agamemnon felt the Dardanelle straits coming closer and closer to his possession. He couldn't wait to see the profits that the Dardanelles would be sure to reap for his greedy self. With every swipe of the sword, the Dardanelles were one step closer.
Menelaus felt his pride being avenged. His bruised ego was being healed with every life he took. He wanted the whole city to suffer for one man's sins and he didn't care that some of the skulls he smashed were of children who weren't even born at the time of Helen's desertion. All that mattered was that they were dying for his cause, dying so that the trouble he went through for his wife would be justified.
Achilles, on the other hand, fought to get to Briseis. When Odysseus told him of his plans to fake a surrender, Achilles felt himself hesitate. His first thoughts were of Briseis. What would she feel if she thought that I didn't care enough to say good bye? She'd be crushed. She'd be heartbroken. Emotions were never things that Achilles welcomed into his cold soul but when it came to Briseis, he had no control over it. The moment his body emerged from the body of the Trojan horse, his one goal was to get to Briseis to make sure that she wouldn't be hurt in the chaos that he was now part of. The only thing was that he had to get to the palace to even begin to look for her… but he'd find her…
Briseis woke up to the sound of fire and screams. Never in her life had she heard such a symphony of agonizing sounds before. She could never imagine what she was seeing when she trudged to the window of the high tower of her bedroom. Troy was on fire and burning to the ground. The startling images of women being raped, men being disemboweled woke her up in an instant and her first reaction was to run and help her city's people.
Then, she was afraid to realize, a happiness settled into the pit of her stomach. Actually, happiness was too strong a word. It was more like hope. Could it be that he never left? Can he be down there now? Is he looking for her? Is he—
"Briseis!" Katri called bursting into the doors. Briseis whirled around, ashamed of what she had just felt. How can she hope for a lover when her city was being destoyed? "We have to get out, Briseis."
Katri wiped at the soot that rested on her cheek. The run across the city was dangerous. As she and Acacius made their way, it seemed like soldiers and fire were following them at every corner. The smoke made Katri remember her weakness and her fear for fire especially since the last time Achaens decided to burn land. Her heart was beating fast and quick and in sync with a hidden rhythm that was controlling everything around her: the Achaens, the screams, the stabs, the murders, the pitter-patter of running feet. What made her blood run deathly cold however was the look that Acacius gave her before he had to leave and fight it out in the battles.
"Get Briseis and Astyanax. Grab anyone that you can, Katri. Run for the hills," Acacius murmured his orders.
"You and I both know that this battle is useless. YOU need to come with us, Acacius," pleaded Katri. "You'll die out there."
Acacius sighed and took both of Katri's hands. His human instincts were telling him to run with her and to follow what Katri was asking but he couldn't. His loyalty was to his city.
"I need to be at the palace doors, fighting along side my men, and your prince."
"Tell them to run as well! There's little honor in fighting just for the sake fighting, Acacius! You fought for the hope that we could defeat the Achaens. Now, there's no hope left! Come with me! PLEASE!" Katriana begged.
"No, Katri."
Katri took a deep breath and bluntly put the truth that hung between them. "If you go, we'll never see each other again."
"There's always other lifetimes," Acacius smiled gently putting a hand to her cheek. He put a light kiss on her lips and suddenly, his hands dropped away and he ran before his discipline was completely destroyed. He didn't even bother to say goodbye… or maybe he just didn't have the strength to do so. Either way, Katri would never know.
"Do you know the way to the dungeons?" Katri asked hurriedly, gathering some linen in case they would need to use it to cross through fire. She didn't want think about Acacius. She had others to save as well.
"Y… yes," Briseis stammered and started for a robe and hurriedly put it on while walking out the doors with Katri right behind.
"And Astyanax. We need to get Astyanax," Katri added.
"Already on my way," Briseis replied. They ran through the corridors, handmaidens and servants running around trying to gather valuables and heading out to the tunnels. Before the even reached the royal suite corridors, they came across Astyanax.
"Come on, Astynax. We have no time to play soldier," Katri murmured, when she realized that her 'nephew' was in a soldier's armor and held a sword almost as tall as he is in his hand.
"I'm going to fight!" Astyanax cried out. He didn't leave time for an argument as he ran for the doors.
"No!" Katri screamed after him, Briseis at her heels. They ran against the crowd as most people were trying to get away from the fighting, not towards it. Astyanax had direct advantage since being smaller, he could maneuver through and between people much more easily than grown women.
Katri's shoulders were being hit again and again, back and forth as she fought through the crowd. She still felt Briseis behind her. Katri wanted to tell her friend to run to the tunnels and that she would get the youngling but Astyanax was getting harder and harder to keep track of.
The doors that led to the grand staircase, leading down into the battles, were to the right. That was where Astyanax was headed, Katri knew. She remembered the days before when that place would be beautiful and grand. The sunlight would stream through the windows and the view was amazing since it was an open area. The sides were built along the sides of the cliffs, overlooking the ocean. It was one of Katri's favorite places in the palace. Now, in the light of the fires, the gleam of blood and steel reflecting the flames, the beautiful area became ugly and distorted.
Astyanax had disappeared around the corner. It took Katriana and Briseis several minutes to round the corner themselves and by then it was too late. Katri screeched into a halt, almost slipping on the bloody marble floors. Agamemnon already had Astyanax by the throat and hair, dragging him across the floor to the balcony windows.
"Aunt—Katri…" Astyanax kicked and, for a brief moment, his eyes locked onto Katriana's.
"Astyanax!" Katri screamed. Briseis was already tearing after the king. Agamemnon merely turned and grinned as he took up a spear and plunged it through Astyanax. His grin became maniacal as he gave it a twist, blood running down the shaft to his hand and then ripped the spear out savagely. Combined with the thorough ripping and shredding of his insides, plus the lack of air that Agamemnon ensured through the tight grip of his hand around his throat, Astyanax was dead in seconds. However, for good measure, Agamemnon gave the neck one last twist before flinging the body over the edge and onto the rocks.
Briseis's was immediately rooted towards Agamemnon and she grabbed a dagger from one of the lying corpses and tore after Agamemnon. Katri ran to the balcony but the body already disappeared into the night. Only the flicker of waves gave off any light and shape and even that was brief.
He was only a child, Katri thought, screaming in her head. He did NOTHING. Tears became sobs as she fell to her knees wishing and wanting anything so that she could trade places with Astyanax. He was her child if not in body then in spirit. Katri loved Astyanax beyond measure and this pain that she felt in her heart was unfathomable.
She turned around and saw that the tables were turned on Briseis and now Agamemnon had her friend by the throat and dagger that she had wielded only seconds before. She closed her eyes and prayed for protection for Briseis.
The wish was immediately granted by the gods. Achilles came running in, wounding and scaring away Agamemnon before any damage was done to Briseis. Though a part of her wished that Achilles had torn Agamemnon apart, the hatred was pushed away as Katri almost smiled when she saw that there was hope in Achilles and Briseis. They looked at each other with such adoration that Katri focused only on the happy couple but the happiness and the hope was shattered again; this time by Paris's own hand.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the arrow fly and hit Achilles in his heel. It was his one weakness and blood immediately spilled and added onto the floor. Katri turned away not wanting to see the man die in his lover's arms.
Things were out of control. She didn't see any hope anymore. Everyone was screaming. Everyone was crying. There was a sense of helplessness that was driving Katri's humanity insane.
She rarely abandoned her humanity. Katriana had pledged a long time ago, almost THIRTY decades ago, that she would embrace her humanity for the sake of Alexander. With one more flick of a bow, an arrow flew and her Alexander was dying. Philoctetes let loose an arrow that seemed so harmless, hitting Paris in the shoulder. Katri watched him pull it out, ignoring the pain, and getting ready to shoot another arrow but his arm faltered. It fell limp against his body and slowly but surely, his body fell limp with pain as well.
Poison…Katriana closed her eyes again and this time, she let her humanity go. Her powers as an immortal called to Aphrodite for safety not only for herself but for her beloved too.
Thank you, grandmother, she said as a fog enveloped Paris and when it vanished so did he.
(( End of Flashback ))
Too much. All too much. Katriana walked through the rubble of her city and away from the palace, tears falling from her eyes. The soldiers were causing the chaos around her and ignored her. Well, it could have been that they didn't even notice her, maybe not even see her.
She was surrounded by it yet, somehow, she remained apart. In the midst of the dirt and dust, her dress remained a stark white, her brown hair, streaked with gold by the sun, still kept into an intricate design on her head.
The old woman's words haunted her and as she left the body, new tears sprung forth. She wanted comfort. She wanted safety. It was apparent that even though she glowed of cleanliness and innocence in this maelstrom, not one sword would befall her. Yet she still wanted to be far away from all this though it affected her physically, none. She looked up and saw a temple. A trail of blood led up the stairs and past its wooden doors and so she followed it.
Grandmother, open your doors to me.
This is your last request tonight, Katriana, one of the voices in her head said as the doors creaked open without her physical push. We're all far too busy right now.
Yes, grandmother, Katri replied silently as she walked in, closing the doors behind her.
The great marble of the temple was amazing to behold. Pure and white, the statue of Aphrodite towered all those beneath it. The red curtains were drawn and the intricate carvings were hidden away by the shadows but Katri stepped up to the walls and hands felt the swirling indentations.
"So beautiful," she murmured. She continued to walk forward, down the aisle to the altar of Aphrodite's feet. Another red stain marred the whiteness of the temple and this one was covered with blood.
Paris and a wound at his shoulder, the poison making him weak, killing him slowly. Katri ran to him, falling to his side.
"Alexander!" His skin was pale. His eyes were dim. The sweat and blood on his cheek was marring his perfect face. Katri's hands gathered her chiton, the starch white dress, and carefully wiped away the unwanted grime from his face, paling beneath her fingertips. Tears were at his eyes and she so desperately wanted to soothe him but before she could the doors to the palace opened revealing an enemy… Agamemnon…
Forgive the wait and I hope this satisfied you. The next chapter will be in a few days since it's already done. Please review! It's all I ever ask.