Hey everyone,

The Trojan War has begun! Hope you enjoy this part and have a good time. There isn't much else to talk about, so I'll leave you guys to enjoy this chapter (longest chapter of the story so far :P).

With best regards,
SharkAttack719

Chapter 5

The First Attack

"Are you completely sure that's the message Calchas relayed?" asked Perseus.

Achilles nodded. "Yes. He predicts that the first Greek to step on Trojan soil will be the first to die. I don't think we should stay in front of everyone else. Considering we're starting to float away from the Trojan shore..."

The sail to Troy had been quite a journey. It only took a few days, but one thousand Greek ships set sail across the Aegean to head for Troy. Perseus remembered these seas from his journey with the Argonauts, laughing when they had passed the island of Lemnos.

They continued, a seemingly endless stretch of ships scattered around the twenty-one Myrmidon ships. Unlike the other Greek warships, the Myrmidons kept in a certain formation the entire way. Perseus hopped between the ships to make sure that they were all on course. That way, if the Trojans were to attack them as they approached the shore, the ships could crash the shore in a pre-planned attack without too many casualties.

Twenty-five hundred Myrmidons had come on this trip filling up twenty-one biremes. The other major kings had brought more ships, much more. Menelaus had brought almost every single Spartan from the city which was about one hundred biremes. Agamemnon and the kings of the non-suitors (which included Diomedes) altogether brought over seven hundred ships. Ajax and Odysseus both brought thirty-two ships. Elephenor brought sixty, Menestheus brought seventy, and Protesilaus brought forty.

It was a huge fleet, the largest Perseus had ever seen.

Despite knowing his purpose here in Troy, he didn't want to hurt that many Trojans. Hunt down could mean many things, couldn't it? The thing was that the Trojans followed the Greek gods just like the Greeks. Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares and Artemis were Greek gods. Technically, he was fighting Greeks. He knew that wasn't exactly true, but he also knew he had a tendency not to follow his orders. Even so, he wasn't technically breaking his pledge. He was just... twisting its meaning.

Earlier in the day, there had been a sudden lack of wind blowing the Greek ships. In fact, the only way to get to shore would be to row. And rowing in armor was definitely not on the list of priorities for warriors.

Agamemnon had insulted Artemis by boasting he was her equal in hunting prowess. The stupid, prideful king got the winds to stop and a plague to wash over all of the Greek ships... aside from the Myrmidon ones.

Apollo really did care for his sister, otherwise that plague wouldn't have hit the Greek forces. Now, the reluctant forces were even more reluctant. They had almost reached the Trojan shores too.

Perseus bet the Trojan commander Hector was scratching his head in confusion wondering why the Greek ships were not approaching.

Calchas had said that Agamemnon needed to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia. The daughter, who was still back in Greece, had been sent back for by one of Agamemnon's ships. Days passed before the message came that Iphigenia was dead. That day was today, but before any ship could move any closer to the Trojan shore, Calchas prophesied that the first Greek soldier to step on Trojan soil would be the first to die.

That, again, halted the progress of the Greek ships. It was quite frustrating, sitting out on the open ocean for days, but Perseus took his time by diving into the ocean, relaxing at the bottom, and talking to fish.

At the moment, Achilles and Perseus had just finished a little discussion about the prophecy.

"Yeah, we should be getting to the shore," Perseus said. He looked out towards the other ships. "Stay here, Achilles. I'm going to have a little chat with a couple of friends of mine."

"Sure, whatever you say," he grumbled.

Perseus dove into the ocean and darted his way around to find Odysseus' ship. It wasn't too far away, Agamemnon wanting all of the commanders close to him just in case of any notices. Achilles' vessel was, perhaps, the most outlying ship. It didn't bother Perseus. He knew that his pupil just wanted to stay away from Agamemnon.

All of the other commanders were within shouting distance of one another.

When Perseus reached the bottom of Odysseus' ship, he climbed up the side. He appeared on the top deck much to the surprise of the rowers, who were all relaxing. Odysseus whirled around to see who had come.

"Perseus?"

"Odysseus," he said. "I think I might have a plan."

"How did you—Just appeared out of nowhere..." Then his mouth formed a perfect O-shape. "You swam."

Perseus nodded. "That's not the point. Do you think you can convince Protesilaus to go ahead with you, to follow you onto shore?"

"Onto shore?" Odysseus raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you hear what Calchas said? The first Greek soldier to set foot on Trojan soil will be the first to die. I'm not going to take that risk just to get Protesilaus killed."

"I'm not asking you to take the risk of dying," Perseus said. "But you know... shields are quite useful. I never understood why they are only used for blocking. My shield, a replica of Aegis... oh, I forgot to tell Achilles this but... it's a magical charm, a bracelet."

He grabbed his wrist and tapped the bracelet. It sprung into a terrifying shield making Odysseus recoil. Perseus threw Aegis to the ground and stepped on it. "Sometimes I wonder if I could help invent a pastime where a man steps on a platform of some sort and rides the waves without sinking to the ocean floor."

Odysseus' expression turned from terrified to confused to understanding. He gave Perseus a sly grin. "I like the way you think. Maybe we'll bond during this war."

The son of Poseidon picked his shield back up and tapped Medusa's face. It morphed back into a bracelet. "Maybe we will."

Before he could leave, Odysseus asked, "Why do wear that bracelet? It looks kind of girly. Even if it is a very cool but terrifying shield."

"It was a gift," he said. "What does it matter that it looks girly? If the present is for me, I will take it. Because not everyone can get whatever they like. Sometimes, one must be happy with what they have. Sometimes, one must know when to accept and keep, or to accept and let go."

With that, Perseus swung over to Ajax's ship. "Hey, Ajax!"

The large man pulled out his sword and whirled around, ready to strike. When he saw who it was, he scowled. "Don't do that ever again."

Perseus raised his hands in surrender, "Sorry. But I need to ask you a favor."

"What?"

"When Odysseus starts moving forward with Protesilaus, follow Odysseus and jump onto shore after the other two do."

Ajax stared at him. "Are you asking for Odysseus to die?"

"No," he said. He gave Ajax the same sly smile Odysseus gave him. "We've got a quick plan figured out. Once you do that, the rest of the Greek ships should follow. Your fleet, Odysseus' and Protesilaus will be able to push forward on your section of the beach as long as you and Odysseus lead them. You'll be relentlessly attack by arrows, which is quite obvious to be their front line defense. Then, Achilles will lead the Myrmidons from the south right past that temple of Apollo to take some of the attention off of you guys. We should be able to rout the archers before taking our chances with the diplomatic talks."

Ajax considered this plan for a moment. Then he nodded in agreement. "That sounds like decent plan."

"It's barely a plan," Perseus said. "It's more like, you go this way, I go this way, and we'll meet in the middle."

Ajax just shook his head and rolled his eyes. Then he turned to the men on his own ship. "Prepare for battle, men! To the shores of Troy!"

As his men cheered and shouted battle cries, Perseus leaped off the ship and swam back to Achilles'.

"There you are!" Achilles said when he made it on the deck. "Did you send Odysseus, Protesilaus and Ajax forward? That's around one hundred ships going. In other words, a lot of soldiers."

"And the Myrmidons will come from the opposite side, drawing some of the attention," Perseus said immediately, not needing to catch his breath. "We may only have twenty-one ships and twenty-five hundred men but Myrmidons are tough soldiers. We'll make it through this."

Achilles raised an eyebrow. Then he shrugged. "All right. I believe you." He turned to the port side and shouted, "Eudoros! Lead your half to the far side, north of the temple! I'll lead the others!"

"Yes, sir!" came a distant yell. And with that, the Myrmidon ships began creaking closer to the Trojan shore. Meanwhile, Protesilaus and Odysseus had reached the shore and were fighting mainly undefended archers, but some regular soldiers too. A cavalry was headed for them, led by none other than Hector, heir of the Trojan throne. That's when Perseus' plan worked out exactly as he planned.

Hector leaped off his horse like a maniac and drove his sword right through Protesilaus, instantly killing the king. Perseus' personal revenge was complete, even though it didn't make him feel better that much.

Ajax's bireme crashed into the shore and Greek warriors began pouring out of his ship. Along with Odysseus, the two managed to hold up the Greek warriors to slowly eat away at the cavalry, which was beginning to falter after their front line had been slaughtered by Ajax's massive sword.

More Greek warriors came pounding onto the beach from their ships, running through the stakes like madmen. The archers were pushed back, though the southern line held quite well. Many Greek warriors were dying, yet it seemed as though another would take his place immediately.

Perseus heard the unmistakable conch shell being blown by Agamemnon. The Greek ships behind suddenly lurched forward, as if a wave of confidence had washed over them from behind.

Mere seconds after the conch shell blew, the Myrmidons beached and Achilles leaped off the ship, shield and spear and helmet. No breastplate.

"Myrmidons!" he shouted, pointing forward with his spear. "Attack the archers! Send them back to their home or let them die honorably!"

Perseus hopped off the ship and pulled out Anaklusmos. Then, he tapped the bracelet that sprung into Aegis. He ran to Achilles, who had run to give Eudoros some orders. As Eudoros left, Perseus caught up to the son of Thetis.

"Where are you sending them?" he asked, needing to shout amongst the chaos.

"To the temple of Apollo," Achilles shouted back. "The priests and priestesses need to be evacuated back to their city. Those who won't go back on their own will have to be taken as prizes. I know the danger of attack a temple of a god, but it is more for their benefit than mine. At least with us, we know they will be able to fall back."

An arrow whizzed by Perseus and struck Achilles in the neck. The shaft of the arrow snapped into two pieces and Achilles cursed. He rubbed his neck, glaring at the Trojan archers. "I may not be able to die from a hit on that spot, but it still hurts!"

Perseus grabbed a helmet from a Greek soldier who had fallen from an arrow. He closed the eyes of the soldier and muttered a prayer of good luck to the man when he reached the Underworld.

Putting it on, he turned to Achilles. "Are you ready, my friend?"

"Never been more ready, master."

Side-by-side, the two charged into battle. Once they reached the line of archers, Perseus and Achilles started to drift apart. Achilles, on one hand, took down any archer he could find, either killing them swiftly or knocking them out brutally. Perseus, on the other hand, knocked any Trojan warrior unconscious. When he saw Myrmidons approaching the priests and priestesses of Apollo that were fleeing from the temple, he ordered them to let them pass.

"Let them flee!" he shouted. "Kill them and you will face the wrath of Apollo! Let them free if they flee! Capture them as prisoners if they choose to stay!"

It was a quick and easy rout of Trojans, the archers and light infantry fleeing back into the city's walls. The city was actually quite far, though not that far, from the ocean's edge, so the Greek forces didn't see the need of running all the way to the city walls only to be demolished by defenses that were probably set up.

"Cavalry!" a Myrmidon shouted.

"Lock shields!" Achilles called back. "Stay tight!"

Just like the Myrmidon soldier had said, there was an incoming unit of cavalry that was attempting to put an end to the Myrmidon's terrorizing attack. The leader of the unit was Hector. He must have figured the Myrmidons were a much more brutal force than the other regular Greek soldiers.

Now that Perseus was closer, he could see the determined features of the prince of Troy. He was a very confident man with large brown eyes that were hardened with years of military training and experience with defending Troy from other invaders. Perseus couldn't see any other part of the man's body, but it didn't matter. Hector's face told him everything he needed to know.

When the cavalry got within twenty seconds of smashing into the Myrmidon forces, Perseus brought out his bow and fired a deadly shot. The arrow sailed through the air and punctured the part right between his target's eyes, instantly killing him. Perseus' target fell to the ground and the cavalry stopped in shock and disarray.

"Retreat!" Hector shouted, leaving a commander of his dead on the ground. Before he left, he hurled a spear at the crowd of Myrmidons.

Perseus rushed forward and snatched the spear out of midair. He turned it around so that the point was facing the retreating Trojans. Turning Anaklusmos back into a hair clip, he held up the spear so that everyone could see it.

"This is the spear of Hector!" Perseus announced. "The loss of his weapon marks the first day's defeat for Troy!"

A cheer erupted from the Myrmidons.

Achilles stepped out from the crowd. "This is a good day for the Myrmidons! We emerge victorious against the greatest warrior of Troy that this generation has to offer."

Another cheer erupted.

"Now go and set up camp!" Achilles cried gleefully. Then he turned sullen. "And don't complain because we need somewhere to stay while we're here! Still, the day is ours and it will be a great feast for us tonight!"

The men cheered, this time half-heartedly. No one really liked setting up camp. It was quite a boring and labouring task, especially because setting up camp for over two thousand soldiers was quite extensive. The only reason people did it was because it was their duty. There was no such thing as enjoying the duty, though.

"Gather the body of our dead!" Perseus added. "We must give them the proper funeral rites!"

As the Myrmidons began to go to work, Perseus and Achilles turned to each other. The former knew exactly what the latter was thinking.

"Why did he turn away so easily?" the son of Thetis immediately asked. "With that cavalry, he could have smashed into our formation easily. Do you know how much your half-brothers weigh?"

Perseus raised an eyebrow.

"They were created by Poseidon, so they might as well be your half-brothers!" Achilles exclaimed.

The son of Poseidon put a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, Achilles. I know you look forward to battles, but isn't it obvious? Earlier, they faced one man with a giant sword. He managed to take down the front line of cavalry. We managed to wipe out this entire half of archers. Look. Agamemnon's fleet have just barely arrived. They never got any action."

Achilles looked around. Perseus was right. The Myrmidons had managed to rout or kill at least half of the archers that had been stationed at the beach to assault the assaulters.

Patroclus came running up to them, helmet in his arms. "Achilles. Eudoros wants to see you as soon as you can. He says that he has someone that you ought to meet. Also, I've run around checking to see our losses. We haven't lost too many men. None are severely injured. They are either alive and healthy, or dead."

Achilles gave him a brisk nod. "Thank you, Patroclus. Make sure to tell the others that I can set up my own tent. I may be their king but I have learned from a teacher that sometimes doing work pays off, not only for favor amongst the soldiers but for my own personal training advantage."

"Yours truly," Perseus said with a large grin.

"Anyway, relax a little bit Patroclus," he said. "You will get the opportunity to fight more in the future. Not in the front line yet, though. I don't want you getting hurt."

Patroclus gave him a playful glare. "I am not a little child, Achilles. I can handle myself." Then his cousin turned around and walked off.

"I wonder what Eudoros wants to talk to you about?" Perseus said after Patroclus disappeared back into the huge mob of twenty-five hundred soldiers. "Should we go there now to see what Patroclus is fussing about?"

"After one little thing," Achilles said. "Tell me. Did you have anything to do with those horses stopping in their tracks? I noticed a couple of surprised faces amongst the Trojan men riding those horses. Even Hector looked a little surprised."

He waved Achilles off. "Psh. Of course not. They were just surprised that one of us could fire a bow so accurately. I mean, did you see that? Right through the eye!"

"I'm surprised that Apollo hasn't cursed your bow skills for going against Troy," his pupil remarked. "Admittedly, I was a little startled when that arrow came whistling over my head. And you're sure you didn't tell those horses to stop. That would just make it unfair for the Trojans, not that that's a problem."

"Okay, fine," Perseus grumbled. "I did tell them to stop... using my mind. Let's just say they didn't stop because I told them to stop."

"They stopped because they were shocked that they could hear your orders telepathically," Achilles said waving his hand in a we-already-know-this manner. "Too bad lots of the horses are going to die."

"That is unfortunate," Perseus said nodding. "But I can't stop everything from happening."

"Percy, I've been thinking..." Achilles trailed off making Perseus gesture to keep him going. "About what you said to me about watching out for 'the curse' and 'the prophet.'" He held out a hand for each of those things. "What if the curse isn't my weak spot? What if the prophet isn't actually a prophet? It could be representing something. Like you said, you went to a priestess in a temple of Apollo after we decided to come and invade Trojan lands. Maybe... maybe the prophet means her. She could have learned of the Greeks' plans and tried giving you a fake prophecy."

He pursed his lips. "I don't know. Could that be possible? Could the priestess at Delphi use some magic potions to make herself roll back her eyes, make them glow green, create some sort of mist around the room, and then speak as if five versions of her were echoing her voice at nearly the same time? It sounded like a goddess who was speaking through the priestess after she spoke the prophecy. The threat sounds real to me."

"I'm just stating a possibility," Achilles said defensively.

"Take your mind off prophecies, Achilles," Perseus said, ignoring him. "Just... focus on our task at hand. And that is to come to fight against Troy. The prophecy may not be about you, so don't think about it until the time comes."

He nodded, breathing deeply. "All right. I'm going to go set up my tent. Go search for Eudoros and see what he wants to see me for. Then bring him to me and whatever it is he needs to show me."

He nodded and watched as his student walked into the crowd of Myrmidons. When he was completely sure that Achilles was gone to set up his tent, he turned out to look at the rest of the Greeks.

Agamemnon and the other forces had set up camp along the shore, along the sandy beach. It was a stupid decision and the Trojans could easily attack them by surprise if they chose to, but that way, the escape to the ships would be quick and easy for them. Still, Perseus stood by his verdict of the camp being at a tactical disadvantage.

He could definitely make out the commanders' tent, the one Agamemnon specifically designed for them to meet in to have conversations. However, it was extended so that he and Menelaus would have special rooms to stay in, as if they had never left their homes in Mycenae and Sparta, respectively.

There were too many Greek infantry soldiers to count, but the tents were made large enough to fit at least six to eight men in there. There were extra tents put up for the captives and prisoners, the women and children that were caught. Perseus wished he could go and save them, but that would cause an outrage in the Greek camp. He knew it was too risky, and Agamemnon would have his head. It wasn't that Perseus couldn't defeat a few warriors, but soon enough one would strike a lucky blow and he would be dead.

The children were young as well. They were supposed to lives out ahead of them. Perseus really didn't want this war. All he wanted was Helen dead and for the Greeks to leave this place. He knew it was his duty to serve Greece and hunt down her enemies... but killing Helen and Paris would be enough, wouldn't it? But then, after that, Hector would be after the Greeks for killing his brother.

Perseus rubbed his face and put his hand on his chin in a thinking gesture. It was too complicated for him, but the main point was that he was too ignorant to realized the costs of trying to kill Helen. The royal family would do their best to protect her, which meant that the Greeks had to try harder to tear down the city.

The images of the burning city filled his vision and he closed his eyes. If that were to actually happen... the lives of so many innocent people would be torn down. They would have to die in order for the ones who deserved to die... to die.

What was Perseus turning into? He had sworn an oath by the Styx to Zoë that was going to inevitably be broken. He could have avoided this war if he hadn't made that stupid pledge to Chiron and Hestia. He regretted every single part of that.

Sighing once more, he plodded into the Myrmidon camp to find Eudoros.

When he saw who Eudoros was holding, he went wide-eyed. It was a prisoner from the temple of Apollo. She was struggling in her bonds, trying to hit Eudoros. But the ropes that were tied around her wrists were too strong for her to break through.

She was a pretty woman, a young one at that as well. She looked about Achilles' age and wore the traditional robes of any priestess. Her dress was marked with the symbol of a lyre, Apollo's special instrument. Lyres were wonderful pieces of art. He could remember the eloquent songs that Orpheus could play on his lyre, though that was long before Orpheus died while being ripped apart by... what was it... Maenads?

Perseus jogged up to Eudoros and the couple of other Myrmidons. "What in the name of Poseidon is going on here? What are you doing?"

"Sorry, Perseus." The second-in-command bowed using only his head. "She tried putting up a fight. We didn't want to hurt her at first, but she knocked out two men. Quite embarrassing that would be if the story came out, huh?"

"Not exactly," he replied. "Women are tougher than you'd think, Eudoros. So, this is what you wanted to show Achilles? You know, he's putting up his tent. We can go there if you would like to discuss with him."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," the woman yelled, her voice full of malice. "You can't make me go anywhere with you!"

Eudoros sneered and roughly tugged on her bounds. Perseus held up a hand to stop him. "Very well, then. Eudoros. Set her free."

He and the woman gave Perseus amazed looks. Eudoros spoke first. "Without permission from Lord Achilles? You can't possibly do that. Just because you're his master, he is still the king. Shouldn't we at least discuss it with him first?"

"King or not, he is and always will be my pupil," he said sternly before turning to the woman. "Excuse me, my lady. May I ask what your name is?"

She was still stunned and didn't say anything. Eudoros shook her using the rope. That knocked her awake. "You'd let me go? Just like that?"

"I wish no harm to you, though it would be best if you do come to consult with Achilles, the king of the Myrmidons," Perseus said. He sighed and gestured toward the beach. "Down there are normal Greek soldiers, not to say Myrmidons aren't Greek, but they do not have any knowledge of the philosophy I hold. They will do things to you that you can barely imagine. It would be dangerous to let you off right now. They could spot you and capture you."

"I'm not afraid of them," she said boldly. There was that unmistakable quiver of fear.

"I know a girl who has that same bite," he chuckled. "Come. Let's discuss. I have no intention to hurt you. Now, may you tell me what your name is so that I do not have to call you 'servant' or 'captive' or 'slave.'"

"My... my name is—is Brisēís," she stuttered. "My name is Brisēís."

Perseus furrowed his eyebrows. "That name sounds familiar, though I can't remember where I heard it before. Brisēís..."

She stared at him, seemingly tried to figure out the reasoning behind his kindness. "I'm Hector's and Paris' cousin. King Priam is my uncle."

It was his turn to be stunned. He blinked a few times before turning to Eudoros. "Get Patroclus to patrol the camp, to see if any of the other Greeks are coming to talk about an envoy for diplomatic ploys. Get him to meet you in a certain pre-determined spot so that he can pass the message to you if some men are coming. Then, come to Achilles' tent, which you should be able to find quickly if you run. Go!"

He turned to Brisēís and untied her hands just as Eudoros took off. He offered her his hand. "Come with me. We need to get you to speak with Achilles and get you comfortable inside."

She gave him a confused and puzzled look. "Why are you untying me? Why are you being nice to me? You're making it hard for me to hate you!" She stomped her foot in frustration.

"I'm not dragging you along with me," he said. "I can either stand here bickering with you all day, or we can head to Achilles' tent so that you don't get caught by Agamemnon's men. They won't hesitate to take a prisoner from us. Agamemnon hates Achilles and me."

She hesitated for a second before grabbing his hand and giving him a nod. Then, they took off. Perseus didn't know where Achilles was setting up his tent, but he could obviously ask the others where he had set up the tent.

When he did, the others were asked about Achilles' whereabouts, they all pointed to the very center of the camp. No one questioned Perseus about the girl that was holding his hand and following him around. Most already knew of the single captive of the temple of Apollo.

Soon enough, they ended up in front of a magnificent tent fit for nearly a whole room. Perseus knew that it was to be shared between Achilles, Patroclus and himself, but it was still quite grand. Some of the Myrmidons were helping Achilles put up the tent, and when Perseus and Brisēís arrived, all heads turned to them.

"Percy?" asked a suspicious Achilles. He stepped out from behind someone. "Who's that? And why are you holding hands with her?"

"This is Brisēís," Perseus introduced, slightly out of breath from running and asking questions. "She's what Eudoros wanted to meet you about."

Achilles gave Brisēís a forced smile before yanking Perseus from her. The Myrmidons slowly and subtly made a circle around the female captive in case she tried to make a break for it. The king of Aegina gave the son of Poseidon a pointed look.

"Does bewaring the prophet mean anything to you?" he hissed.

"What are you talking about?" Perseus asked.

"Beware of the curse and of the prophet!" Achilles cursed. "Why did you bring her here?"

"First of all, she's not a prophet," he said. "She's just a regular priestess who doesn't have a spirit trying to speak out of her in certain times of need. Second of all, I brought her here because I figured you would want to decide where she goes. We can set her free if you want."

The son of Thetis glanced over his shoulder to get a glimpse of the priestess of Apollo. "Agamemnon will hunt her down if she gets discovered. Someone as pretty as her will definitely catch someone's attention."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Perseus let out a short laugh. "She's Hector's and Paris' cousin."

Achilles looked taken aback. "You're not kidding around right? Because if you are, you've certainly given me a heart attack... not literally of course."

"She is. I can see she isn't lying. Her facial features look similar to the two sons of Priam. She is definitely their cousin in one way or another."

At that very moment, Eudoros burst into the scene. "My lord, representatives from Agamemnon are coming to send a message. They will be arriving soon. I am sure you'll want to lead them as far away from this tent as possible."

Achilles nodded. "Of course. Eudoros, stay with the girl. The rest, scatter. I am very grateful for all of your help." He turned to Brisēís. "I know we have only just met, but this is a matter of your personal safety. Do not attack Eudoros or anyone else. They will not harm you, right Eudoros?"

"Of course, my lord," he said.

"Stop with the 'my lord' stuff. I am your comrade in battle. We are brothers-in-arms. In any case, if Brisēís does wish to escape, make sure she isn't seen. I know Percy would kill me if anything goes wrong."

Perseus glared at him. "I worry for the woman's safety. So what? I know she can handle herself, but it is just natural to feel protective. You know where I come from. Anyway, you can trust them, Brisēís. They are good-hearted people. Just be careful if you do try to leave."

"Of course, Achilles—Perseus," Eudoros said. "Come, Brisēís. Into Achilles' tent. I'll sit on the opposite side of the tent if you wish."

Perseus and Achilles both gave Brisēís reassuring looks before they took off for the edge of the Myrmidon camp. At the edge, Menestheus and Menelaus were both there arguing with some Myrmidons, led by Patroclus.

"Move it, boy," Menelaus said. "I do not wish to harm any Myrmidon. I am just here to speak to—" His eyes settled on the approaching pair. "Those two. We just need a quick conversation regarding something we must do tomorrow."

"Peaceful talks, is it now, Menelaus?" Achilles called. "We hope your brother doesn't ruin it for us all."

"He is a good person," Menelaus defended. "Just... taking some wrong steps in things. But not everyone is perfect, especially that cheating, liar of a wife I have. Sometimes I wish that maybe I didn't become her husband and instead left her for Protesilaus. I know a trick when I see one. Good thinking, Perseus."

The son of Poseidon gave him a sly grin. "Thank you, my lord."

"Just make sure you two are down at the commanders' tent by sunrise tomorrow morning," Menestheus said.

"Sure," Achilles replied.

"See you tomorrow," Menelaus said waving goodbye. Then he led Menestheus back to their chariot and rode back to the main Greek camp. It wasn't that far of a journey, but like all kings they had to look flashy.

Patroclus turned to Perseus and Achilles with an inquisitive look. "Why did we have to bring one thousand ships to try to negotiate a diplomatic conversation with the Trojans? Why not just send a few to negotiate a deal?"

The two shared a look before turning back to Patroclus, both with grins on their faces. "Oh Patroclus," Achilles said, walking up to the young man and putting an arm around his shoulder. "When people like Agamemnon are involved, with a bunch of bloodthirsty men looking for war to guard the 'Great King' of Mycenae, there is no doubt in our minds that—"

"—some way... somehow..." Perseus finished off. "That things tomorrow are going to go sour."

Hey everyone,

Hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember to tell me if you like it or not.

I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.

With best regards,
SharkAttack719