Hey everybody,
Guess what? I uploaded a sneak peek of a new story that I may be working on. First warnings... it is just the first chapter and the start. It ends with a half-cliffhanger and I just really want all of you to check it out. You don't have to like it, but that is the point. I need more people to view it so I can determine if I take it down or I keep posting this. The idea just came to me one day, but I need all of you to know that I'm doing quite a bit of research for that story. Not too much, because I don't want to get historical stuff wrong, but enough so that you may learn of some things about other ancient civilizations. In any case, please check out that story so I get a feeling of whether I should continue it or drop it.
Also, vote for the poll on my profile page. It will help for this series. Thank you very much.
Arrivederci,
SharkAttack719
Chapter 9
Withdrawal
Perseus paced around the tent anxiously, waiting for Achilles to return from Pedasus, a southern town that the Greeks captured in the eighth year of the Siege.
"Will you calm down?" Cassandra said angrily. "I'm surprised I have still stayed with you for these nine years."
"Well it was your own choice," he snapped back. "I allowed you to run off freely, but it wasn't my fault that you stopped negotiating with your family to not take you back."
"I hate that you give me the little freedom I have," she grumbled. "It gives me fewer reasons to bicker with you."
He sighed impatiently. "All right. I'll be back with some food. Just wait here."
"Not like I can go anywhere," was her quiet reply.
Perseus walked out of the tent and to the Myrmidon "kitchen." It wasn't really a kitchen, but an outdoor area where a few fires were lit and food was cooked. At least, raw meat was cooked; vegetables and other foods that were edible raw weren't cooked.
He grabbed a bit of everything and put it on a plate before someone came up from behind him and tapped his shoulder.
"Perseus," the man said. "Is that you?"
The demigod turned around to find Nestor standing behind him. Surprised, he shook the older man's hand. "What brings you here, Nestor?"
"Bad news, I'm afraid." Nestor gestured toward the walking path vaguely. "Come with me, please."
Curious as to what the bad news was, Perseus followed him, not touching any of the food on the plate. They walked down the path to the edge of the Myrmidon camp. A dirt trail had been created for easy travel between the main Greek camp and the Myrmidon camp. Nestor asked him to stop right in between the two camps and look over at the Aegean Sea.
"The sea is marvelous some days, isn't it?" was the beginning of their conversation.
"Yes," Perseus replied. "I love the sea."
"Do you miss my brother?" was the next question. "Periclymenus?"
He stayed silent for a little while before answering simply: "Yes."
"Do you remember how he could turn into anything he has seen before? How he could turn into an eagle or a bear?"
"Yes."
"What about his personality? What do you remember?"
"Kind, cautious but protective..."
"All right, thank you."
"Thank me for what?"
"I miss my siblings. To know that Heracles murdered them all but me is not exactly the most wonderful thought to have lingering in the back of my mind. I just wanted to hear what you remember of him."
"Are you going to tell me the bad news?"
"Very well." The sea pounded lightly on the Trojan coast, as if Poseidon were in a relaxed mood. But he definitely wasn't. The water was darkly colored, as if Poseidon were showing his true battle emotions. He was still angry at the Trojans.
"Ten days ago, a plague began in the Greek camp," Nestor finally said.
That certainly caught Perseus' attention. "A plague?"
"Yes. Agamemnon is doing his best to quarantine the infected, but we are losing many men to this disease. Elephenor has passed on from this disease, and his troops are now under Agamemnon's command. Things may slowly be beginning to delve into chaos."
Perseus never liked Elephenor but he never hated him either. Elephenor was sort of neutral by his terms. However, the news of his death brought some grief to Perseus. It was one thing to die in battle, but to die because of a disease...
"I am no demigod but I am the son of one," Nestor said. "I am the grandson of Poseidon and I can see through the Mist just as you can, Perseus. The plague is brought by Apollo because of someone Agamemnon took as a captive."
"Who?"
"The daughter of a priest of Apollo named Chryseis," he said. "Calchas believes that Agamemnon should return the girl so that the plague stops. I believe Calchas as well. There was also mention of a curse that Chryses, the girl's father, put on the Greeks for refusing to give his daughter back."
Perseus went pale. Beware of the curse and of the prophet. Beware of the curse and of the prophet.
"Yes, go on."
Nestor looked down and exhaled deeply. "Agamemnon wants either Brisēís or Cassandra to replace Chryseis as his captive, as compensation for his loss. He is furious... no, vehement at what Calchas has prophesied. He has his eyes set on Brisēís, for he knows you are dangerous, at least, he has figured that out over these past nine years."
With every word he spoke, Perseus got angrier and angrier. "Is Agamemnon saying Achilles is not dangerous?! That he is not a threat to him?!"
"Of course not, Perseus," the old King of Pylos replied, his voice a little shaky.
Perseus' voice was deathly calm. "Agamemnon will not take Brisēís or Cassandra. Tell him that if he dares try to, the Greek army will suffer a wrath more horrifying than disease. Achilles will be angry, I will be angry... Tell Agamemnon that our favor will be his loss should he dare try to steal Brisēís."
Nestor nodded, trying not to be scared of his threat. "I will tell King Agamemnon at once."
"Make your point clear, brother," he said. "There will be no mercy. I do not wish for the Greeks to die, but you cannot assume that Achilles we give up his prize to Agamemnon. I will see you on the battlefield tomorrow."
Again, the grandson of Poseidon nodded before walking back down to the Greek camp. Once the King of Pylos was no longer in clear sight, Perseus turned around and walked back up to the Myrmidon camp. He went back to the tent where Cassandra was walking around the room patiently.
"Here you go, Princess Cassandra," he said, offering her the full platter of food.
"Thank you," she said politely before sitting down and enjoying the food.
Perseus fell back onto his bed, spreading his arms out as if he were a bird. He yawned and then sighed heavily. He could almost feel the stare that Cassandra was giving him as she ate. It was quite quiet in the tent for the next little while. Being raised by a royal family and being a female, Cassandra had to have proper etiquette when she ate, so her bites were soft and barely noticeable.
It was Cassandra who started the conversation after she finished her food.
"What is wrong?"
Having been dozing off, he shuddered awake and said, "Huh? What did you say?"
She rolled her eyes in a un-princess-like fashion. "What's wrong?"
"Who said there's something wrong?" he asked, still staring up toward the ceiling.
"I believe nine years of staying here ought to show me how you feel and work," she snorted. Then her expression softened. "Tell me what's wrong. I may be able to help you fix your problems."
He sighed. "Fine. Agamemnon wants either you or Brisēís as compensation for his loss of Chryseis, his little captive."
Cassandra said nothing.
Neither did he.
It wasn't until elongated silence ate the room until he realized she was staring at him with a shocked expression on her face. He sat up on his elbows and peered at her with a humored visage. Perseus pushed himself onto his knees and crawled over to her, poking her out of her traumatization.
"Are you okay, Cassandra?" he asked, snickering.
"Yeah." She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I was—I just... why would Agamemnon demand such a thing? He would dare to steal another man's woman? Not that the woman should be in captivity in the first place."
"Either that or dead," Perseus shrugged. "Take your pick."
"I'm sure most women would rather die than be some man's war prize."
"Then tell that to the men of the world. Oh wait, you can't because all the men in the world view women as tradable items. I haven't seen many men who actually give women the respect they deserve."
"I'm sure Diana would love that," Cassandra said in a sarcastic manner.
"Diana?" Perseus stared at her intrigued.
"Some Trojans call her by that name inside of Artemis," she explained. "Sometimes I've heard others call a couple of the gods Veneris and Mavros, though I'm not sure which ones they are talking about."
His vision tunneled. A threat stirs. They're changing! A new threat will arise! Beware the one called Veneris and the one called Mavors! Do not show mercy! Kill all of the Anatolians!
"Percy! Are you okay?"
Perseus blinked, and Cassandra came into view.
"You just went as white as white marble," she said with a concerned expression on her face. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," he lied.
She clearly didn't believe it but let it pass. The Princess of Troy walked over to Perseus' bed and laid down on it, stretching her arms out just as he had.
"What are you doing?" he asked, partially recovering from his little mental lapse.
"You're not going to die, you know," Cassandra said softly. "You're not the one to die in the prophecy, at least, the first one. Who knows about the second one, though? Oh wait, I do. I've always wondered what would have happened if Apollo had raped me that night he cursed me."
For a split second, Perseus didn't believe what Cassandra had said about him not dying. For a split second, it seemed as though his conscience refused to believe that he was not going to die. Then, something in his mind clicked and he believed her.
A shiver ran down his spine and his brain buzzed.
"Who is going to die, then?" he asked suddenly, knocking Cassandra out of her own thoughts.
The Princess of Troy was so surprised that he believed her, she sat up and fell back into her frozen state staring at him. After a couple more minutes of being stunned, Cassandra broke out of her "vegetative" state and asked, "You believe me?"
"Well... yeah." He shrugged his shoulders and slightly tilted his head to the side. "Why?"
"Only Brisēís has ever believed my predictions," she marveled. "The only way someone can believe what I prophesize is if they look at me more than just an individual, love or not. That someone has to really..." She looked down, pink tinting her cheeks.
"You okay?" He grinned at her little embarrassment.
"I'm fine," she lied.
Acting as she had earlier, he got up and sat next to her on his bed. "You know, you really look a lot different from when you were first kidnapped. You were just eighteen back then, and now you're twenty-seven. You don't look that much older, though. You're still young enough."
"And you haven't changed at all physically," she sighed. "You really are immortal, though I figured it out eight years ago. And you don't have to call me young. I'm around middle-aged now. Once I reach fifty, then I'll be old."
"I'll be sure to keep that in my mind," Perseus chuckled. "Along with all of the other stuff that's going on."
"Don't worry," Cassandra assured. "Agamemnon won't take Brisēís or me if he knows any better."
"That's the part that worries me."
"I know," she said. "You should be worried."
At the exact same time, they turned to each other, their noses brushing against each other. Perseus looked deeply into Cassandra's blue eyes. They looked vibrant and full of energy with a happy shade added to it; they weren't like Zoë's eyes much. The blue reminded him of the sky, Zeus' domain, which made him dare to do what he did next.
As he put a hand on her waist, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Before he knew it, his eyes were shut and his lips met Cassandra's in the middle.
It was like another rendition of what had happened years ago with Zoë, except this time, the girl he was kissing wasn't going to join the Hunters. She was too old.
They broke apart after what seemed like seconds, and he laughed in her face.
"Can we make one thing clear?" she said, smiling as he laughed.
"What is that?" he gasped in between breaths.
"I don't like you in that way, though I'm flattered if you like me, but I just need some stress relief."
"Stress relief?" he questioned.
Cassandra got up and brought the curtain around to cover off the small room that they shared. She winked at him. "Let's hope this curtain holds."
"Percy!"
A loud shout woke him up, making his eyes shoot open.
"Percy, I—why does it look like Cassandra was beating you up? And why are you two in the same bed sleeping?"
Perseus rolled over under the blankets and looked over Cassandra, whose arm was extended with a fist at the end. Getting over the fact that both of them were bare-bodied, he drowsily said, "Stress relief."
"Oh, okay. You might want to fix up your face. You look terrible."
"What's the matter now, Achilles?" he groaned. "Why'd you have to wake me up right at this very moment?"
Achilles, who had been staring at Perseus with an amused look, turned crimson red. He lost all humor from his face and contorted it into a look of pure anger. "Agamemnon. He took Brisēís."
Perseus got dressed as quickly as he could and left a note for Cassandra to read when she woke up. Getting out of the tent, he took his bow and a quiver full of bronze-tipped arrows (not Celestial bronze) before making sure Anaklusmos was clipped in his hair and Aegis was around his wrist.
When the check-up was complete, he led Achilles down to the Greek camp in haste. Anyone they passed could easily tell that they were angry. Perseus was pretty sure everyone knew why they were pissed.
"I should have told Agamemnon in person yesterday," he muttered.
"You mean you knew he was planning to kidnap her?"
"Nestor told me," Perseus said. "I told him to deliver a special message to Agamemnon, but it seems as though the King of Mycenae is back to his arrogant self. By the way, when did you arrive?"
"Last night after you were 'sleeping,'" Achilles said, "Brisēís and I arrived back from Pedasus. I left her in the tent to go and get some food, but she told me to stay out there and stay with my friends for the night. I don't know what I did to make her think this way, but this morning I come back and search the entire tent for her. She's not there. What happens? Eudoros and Patroclus come back to me saying that Agamemnon has taken her. And you knew about it." He said the last part with gritted teeth.
"I'm sorry, but we'll discuss that later. We still have a bigger problem on our hands."
They reached Agamemnon's tent in no time.
"Agamemnon!" Achilles shouted. "Get out here, you coward!"
A couple of soldiers ran up to Achilles holding their hands up. "Sir, Agamemnon will be arriving soon. Please do not destroy anything here."
The son of Thetis gave them a sick smile before he grabbed a vase and smashed it over one man's head before moving to the other. They were both crumpled on the floor with a broken terracotta vase laying in pieces next to them by the time Agamemnon arrived.
It was obvious that he was rushed up as his hair was all messed up and his clothing looked oddly like pajamas, not his usual armor and royal jewellery.
As soon as Achilles saw him, the demigod rushed up to the king and grabbed his collar. "Give Brisēís back to me you swine," came the growl. "I swear to all the gods you will pay for what you have done. Give her back to me!"
Agamemnon didn't deny the accusation. In fact, he spoke as angrily as Achilles. "I had to give away my prize, Chryseis. It was either Brisēís or Cassandra. I believe Perseus here still wants her to be safe, so I chose Brisēís instead."
He clapped and a couple of Greek soldiers walked out with Brisēís in their grasps. She was struggling and kicking, but it was to no avail. She was also gagged.
The King of Mycenae gave them a bitter smile. "Life is never fair, Achilles."
He walked outside and ordered the guards to follow them. Achilles was hot on their heels, Perseus not far behind. Whilst the son of Thetis screamed his wrath out loud for everyone to hear, the son of Poseidon stayed introverted and exerted a calm but serious demeanor.
"Nestor told you not to take the girl," he said calmly. "Why did you not listen to his advice?"
"Go find another girl to make a slave to you, Agamemnon," Achilles snarled. "Give me Brisēís back!"
"I'm afraid that isn't possible, Achilles. And Perseus, do not take it the wrong way, but you cannot threaten me. I have much of the Greek army under my control. Unless you wish the Trojans to win and the Greeks to fall, you would not fight against me."
"I thought you liked to call your forces Achaeans," Achilles mocked.
"That doesn't matter," Agamemnon retorted hotly. "Brisēís is my compensation prize for losing Chryseis and that is my final verdict! Nothing you two do will make me change my mind."
"What if I kill you?!"
The son of Thetis threw himself at Agamemnon, tackling the older king and strangling him. A couple of the guards tried stopping him by stabbing him, but the spears shattered on impact. The guards went for the last resort. At once, they all kicked Achilles. The effort for them was as if trying to kick an elephant, but the son of Thetis fell off of the king.
"What's going on here?" asked someone to Perseus' left.
Odysseus, Telamonian Ajax and Diomedes had just arrived at the fight.
Menestheus came from the right, watching as the guards attempted (but failed) to restrain Achilles.
"He stole Brisēís!" he shouted. "He has to give her back to me. I will make sure he laments this day he dares defy the Myrmidons' pride."
Menestheus stepped forward. "Calm down, Achilles. She is just a woman."
He stopped and turned to the King of Athens. Slowly approaching him with long, agonizingly slow strides, as if approaching him like a lion, ready to pounce and attack at any moment. Menestheus backed up a few steps in fear. Perseus knew why. Achilles' eyes were dark, like a storm swirling in an endless pit of betrayal and hatred.
"Just a woman?" he said dangerously. "JUST A WOMAN?!"
As much as Perseus didn't like Menestheus, even after nine years, he wished not for his death at this moment to Achilles' hands. Just as Achilles leaped forward to kill the King of Athens, Perseus jumped in front of him and kicked his chest. It was a heaving effort, but Perseus managed not to damage his foot in any way.
"What are you doing?" growled Achilles. "Let me at him."
"As much as do not like what he said and who he is, there is no point in attacking him," he said smartly. "This is what Apollo wants us to do, to fight amongst ourselves to weaken each other. If we must fall, we will fall in battle bravely to the Trojans, not in a civil battle between ourselves. That we must save for when we get back to Greece."
Achilles shook him off and nodded reluctantly.
"But what you did Agamemnon is selfish," he continued. "You will pay in one way or another."
"That he will." Achilles turned back to Agamemnon and gave him a loathing sneer. "I will withdraw from this war, this Trojan War, until justice has been given back to me. I will not fight in this war starting at this very moment. Nothing you will do can stop me from your ending fate. The Myrmidons will be sailing home within the next few months." He turned to Perseus. "Will that include you, master?"
Perseus shook his head. "I have made a promise. My duty is to serve Greece. I respect your wishes and know you mean the best."
"Very well."
"Wait, Achilles," Odysseus piped up. "You cannot just leave. This war needs you."
"This war needs me as much as Greece needs cocky, ignorant kings, which is to say not at all," Achilles said. "My word is final. This is the final straw, Agamemnon. Be lucky that you hide behind your soldiers like a coward, to not face your true threat in the face. Be lucky that to get Brisēís back from you, I must annihilate the Achaean army. Be lucky that you have what you want, oh great king, because the Trojans will now have Zeus on their side."
With that, the son of Thetis stormed away.
Perseus looked over to the river where the Myrmidon ships had anchored. One, turned into a cargo ship for trade between Troy and Kolonai, and another, its warship partner, were both within shouting distance.
"Eudoros!" he screamed. "Are you there?"
"Yes, Percy!" came the reply. "The ship is ready to go!"
"Tell all Myrmidons in Pedasus and Kolonai to come back to Troy, all right?" Perseus shouted. "Mizzenmast!"
The sails of the two ships unfolded and opened themselves wide. Then, raising his hand, he sent a wave of water to send the two ships quickly on their way. He turned back at the watching crowd before pointing an accusing finger at Agamemnon.
"Achilles will not forgive you," he growled. "And neither will I. This war just got a lot tougher for you."
And in the same fashion as Achilles, Perseus stormed away from the Greek camp.
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.
Thanks a bunch,
SharkAttack719