Dang, this is one of the longest chapters I've ever written. That is mainly because it is all over the place. I'm sorry if I have made it confusing. In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter of the story.
A question I have for you guys is whether or not a short story FanFiction like the Demigod Files and Demigod Diaries would appeal to you guys. I mean, if I don't write that it means nothing will be explained about Percy's conflicts with the Romans throughout history and it will skip right to the Lightning Thief. I don't know which one you guys want so please tell me! Review. If you're a guest, leave a guest review. Please just tell me what you think about that.
And here are a bunch of ideas for the The Lost Stories of Perseus:
THE PUNIC WARS - Percy fights against the Romans and with Carthage with Hannibal. Then, he works with the Macedonians to fend off the Romans in the Eastern Mediterranean.
FALL OF ROME - Percy works with barbarians to destroy Western Roman Empire.
ENGLISH CIVIL WAR - Ever heard of Oliver Cromwell? How about Charles I? Well, we re-tell their tales... one side are Romans, one side are Greeks... Roundheads vs Cavaliers... Perseus is important in helping one side of the war. But will he win?
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE - The Great Emperor of France is a Roman demigod. Can Perseus rally the Greek demigods scattered across Europe against him and keep the Greek camp in the New World that is for children upheld with a war between the Americans and British-Canadians in the War of 1812?
AMERICAN CIVIL WAR - Union vs Confederates. That is what first comes to mind when thinking about the American Civil War. What also comes to mind is over 600,000 casualties. What happens in a deadly battle between the Roman demigods that have settled in enemy territory in California, a slave-free state, and the Greek demigods on Long Island when they clash in the forests of the Greek camp? And how does Percy fit into all of this?
Also, tell me if I made this chapter confusing.
With warm regards,
SharkAttack719
Chapter 14
A Ransom to Be Remembered
Perseus left that very same day. As soon as Achilles returned to the Greek camp and dragged Hector's body around like a toy, as if it would bring him to a full circle for his revenge to Patroclus' death, the son of Poseidon left for Lyrnessus.
The gods watched horrified as the son of Thetis did this. In pity for the Prince of Troy, Phoebus Apollo anointed his body with oil to preserve it. The body would not rot or be seriously damaged and disgraced the entire time of Achilles' rage and sorrow. Aphrodite helped Apollo by providing the oil constantly for the god to be able to use whenever he pleased.
Achilles could not damage the skin as he dragged the corpse along the ground. It was a futile attempt to humiliate the Trojans by destroying Hector's body, the body of their great commander and leader.
For eleven days, the Olympians argued upon the disgrace of Achilles' grief. There was nothing else to it. Most of the gods wanted this terrible treatment of Hector's body to stop, even the god of the seas, Poseidon, who wanted his revenge on Troy as much as Hera and Athena did.
The two goddesses were the main reason why nothing was carried out. Every day they would argue against the other Olympians about the treatment of Hector's body saying that the Trojans deserved this in their haste for revenge. The goddess Hera often brought up the point that Achilles was a being of higher importance to the immortal deities as he was the child of a goddess, Thetis, whereas Hector was a mortal.
Days passed on Earth as well. As Achilles grieved in sorrow and anger, Perseus spent most of his time sacrificing to the gods and bringing Myrmidon troops back to the shores of Troy. He went both north and south to hear news of whether Troy's faraway allies would come to help the falling city.
There were rumors that the Amazons were preparing an army to march from Sarmatia, sail across the Euxine Sea, and march back onto land into the northern Troad region. The Amazons were feared by many because they had never seen women fight with such ferocity. Perseus hoped that they would leave before the tide of battle had to come because he really did not want to have to fight them. That part he owed to Zoë.
It was said their leader was Penthesilea, a woman who wanted nothing but to die after accidentally killing her sister Hippolyta whilst they were hunting for deer. If she truly wanted to die as an Amazon, he would, if the attempt to rout the Amazons before battle, grant her wish. He was sure that the promise he made Zoë only applied to unwilling females.
The Amazons, if they joined the battle, would prove disastrous for the Greeks as the males' cockiness and pride would be their downfall. He knew enough of this world to know how most men regarded women. It was utterly disgusting.
He hoped that the Amazons would see sense in not fighting for a lost cause.
Then, another rumor was that the Ethiopians, southern Egyptians, had a leader that was related to King Priam. The Trojan captives told him that his name was Memnon, like the end of Agamemnon, and he was the son of Tithonus, who was the son of King Laomedon by a water nymph. In turn, Memnon was also the son of the Titaness and goddess of dawn, Eos. In a way, that made him an equivalent to Achilles, being a demigod.
Despite being a Titaness, she was regarded also as a goddess being the sister of Helios and Selene.
The Trojans said that Memnon was as good as a fighter as Hector, even if the Trojan prince had fallen to Achilles' spear. Perseus knew that Hector was nearly Achilles' equivalent. It was the fact that Hector was uninformed of his invulnerability that killed the prince.
If Memnon were to find out, it would be an interesting battle.
But, as with the Amazons, he hoped the Ethiopians did not come to help. He knew his duty, though, and if it meant killing hundreds of men, he would kill those men. They had all come to fight and to die if necessary. There shouldn't have been any guilt in killing them. Yet he still suffered from his inability to not doubt himself when it came to fighting.
As it were to happen, the Olympians were also watching him, seeing whether he was truly the "Everlasting Hero" that Zeus had proclaimed him to be. If there was one thing that Apollo had done with the Olympians was inject fear and doubt into their minds about the immortal demigod. Apollo seemed to be the only one who hated Perseus out of all of the Olympians.
Zeus was indifferent and only disliked him because he was a son of Poseidon. Other than that, Perseus made sure he gave the King of the Gods offerings and sacrifices as well, no matter how hot-tempered and egotistical the Sky God was.
Aphrodite, as much as she didn't like how he was against the Trojans, loved toying with his love life and making him have feelings for Zoë again was quite interesting. The added fact that he hadn't really degraded her made her feel like he still respected her. She knew he had tons of reasons and explanations as to why she would be a "slut."
Ares liked the son of Poseidon because of his battle skill and prowess. He didn't like him because of his battle skill and prowess. He knew that he should have been the most skilled warrior on the battlefield, but his paranoia got the best of him and he constantly thought about whether Perseus could actually defeat him in battle. It was a possibility.
Demeter was also indifferent. She remembered the boy as being polite when last being up on Olympus and she saw that he cared much for the agriculture of the world. Yet he was a killer, which made her a little sour. A bad choice for who seemed to be a good person.
Dionysus liked the demigod because he had given him Ariadne. He loved her much and detested the hero Theseus... yet he remembered how Perseus had once told him that Athena was the true cause of him leaving her. He still took his anger out on Theseus because Athena would wipe the floor with him in an argument or fight. He believed Apollo was crazy to think Perseus was a threat.
Hephaestus was sort of neutral. The god of the forges wasn't god with organic life forms and rarely spoke to him. But he did remember mixing in the bronze with Anaklusmos. That was one favor that he gave Perseus. In the past years, he had received a lot of sacrifices from Perseus about broken weapons, both godly and mortal, that the god could tinker with. It was good enough.
Hermes was skeptical. He often sided with his half-brother on most things, but he didn't think Perseus was a threat. He had sworn on oath to protect Greece, so the messenger god figured Perseus was all right. And it wouldn't be too hard to capture the demigod, would it? He was the fastest god. He should be able to catch up to the mere demigod if he betrayed Olympus.
Artemis favored the demigod for the wonderful group of Hunters that Perseus had instituted, especially Zoë. She realized the Hunters had made her feel a little warmer, more like having a true and happy family. She would be forever grateful to him for that. She also knew that he had good intentions and tried his best to choose the right path in succeeding. She was wary of him, though, as his archery could nearly rival Apollo's, which was worse than her's.
Poseidon, in his right mind, was furious at Apollo for wanting to kill Perseus because he was a threat. There would be no quarter for Apollo if that were to happen. Poseidon's recklessness and unpredictability would make the world a deadly place if he were to find Apollo. Percy was a good son to him and he didn't want anything bad to happen to him.
Hera and Athena both favored the demigod just like Artemis. Athena favored him because he fought for Greece and for what was right, and also because he was her descendant. Hera favored him for his actions against Jason after his betrayal.
This was a completely different story for their Trojan forms.
Sure, Apollo was still the only one to dislike Perseus, but the rest of the gods and goddesses only favored him because he was honourable in battle and was civil in the handling of death. That was the only reason that the Trojan gods didn't want to kill him... because he had yet to do wrong.
It was at dawn of the twelfth day of Achilles' grief when the Olympians reassembled in the throne room. They were in the Greek forms.
"This has to end!" Apollo started as soon as they were settled in. "This is madness, to watch a prince of Troy having his body desecrated like this."
"You call it madness?" snorted Hera angrily. "You were the one that induced this. You shot Patroclus through the back of the leg so that Hector would have a chance to slit his throat. Nonetheless, Perseus had every right to stab you from behind."
"And you killed Patroclus by Zeus' orders, too," Poseidon reminded. He turned to his brother with an icy look. "To think you could sink no lower. You understand this is not completely Apollo's fault, Hera, don't you? Zeus brought his revenge on Patroclus for killing Sarpedon."
"What if it was Perseus whom Patroclus had killed?" retorted the King of the Gods.
The sea god clenched his teeth.
"Exactly as I thought," growled Zeus.
"Father had good reason to get his revenge on Patroclus," Apollo snapped. "This is war and things happen."
Ares grinned stupidly. "Yeah. War. The Little Bow Guy is right. How many people have you caused the death of? Don't you think they had little kiddies and wives to go back to?"
"You are pathetic," Poseidon growled at Zeus. "But, unfortunately, I must agree that this desecration must end. This is far beyond what is tolerated. If we allow this to continue, Athena, what does that say about us to the Trojans? They will think we have cursed them when we truly have not."
"Troy must fall," Athena replied sternly. "I stand by my word. I understand Father's reaction to his son's death and the killing of Patroclus, but he has brought this upon himself. Whatever it takes to destroy Troy, I will agree to. Their spirits will plummet if we do not help. They will weaken, and the Greeks will be able to pounce."
"You are barbaric," sneered Apollo, one who wasn't known for anger.
She raised her head slightly. "It is called psychological warfare."
"As we have said for the past eleven days," Hera added, "Troy must fall sooner or later. We know that the funerals mean nothing but respect. One's soul always goes to the Underworld as soon as they are killed. If Troy is to fall, why should we give them Hector's body back? They will all perish anyways."
"You two are only angry because of your stupid pride," retorted the goddess Aphrodite. "You are just angry at the fact that you two are not fair whatsoever, and that I am the most beautiful goddess to ever exist."
Apollo stood up. "Hector burned the thighs of unblemished bulls and goats for us, and yet we have not the decency... now that he is dead, to bring his corpse back to his family for the proper funeral rites. We would rather help this brute, Achilles, whose mind is warped. His heart is like a lion's, wild and powerful is that creature's in its urge to slaughter the shepherds' flocks for meat. Achilles is as devoid of pity and shame that benefits men, urging restraint. Many men and women lose someone closer to him than this, a brother born of the one mother, or a son... But this man, having robbed Hector of life, ties him to his chariot and drags him around the Greek camp, as if this brought him honour or profit. As great as he is, let him be wary of our wrath."
"Hector was a mere mortal, while Achilles is child to a goddess," Hera rebutted. "I nurtured Thetis and reared her myself, and gave her in marriage to Peleus, a warrior dear to us all. All of you came to the wedding, and you Apollo were there yourself, sitting down to feast, lyre in hand, you faithless friend of wrongdoers."
"These mortals will not be honoured equally," Zeus spoke. "But of all of the mortals in Troy, Hector was the dearest to the gods much like his father, Priam. He gave gifts to us all, did he not? Achilles, being a child of a goddess, also deserves respect and honour. We should not steal Hector's body away like planned. Send for the rainbow goddess and tell her to persuade Thetis to come here to Olympus. Thetis will be able to persuade Achilles into returning Hector's body." He looked down into an Iris-message and saw the son of Poseidon, Perseus, riding on a horse towards the Scamander River. "And Hermes to fetch the Everlasting Hero."
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Iris' head buzzed. Another Iris-message.
She let that one pass through before she came to Olympus' gates. They were grand and wonderful, glittering high in the sky of Greece. She sighed and walked into the mountain city. She passed some of her friends and some of her... not-so-friendly acquaintances. She nodded at all of them as she passed, running quickly and swiftly. It wasn't long before she arrived in the throne room where twelve mighty gods sat, all waiting for her arrival.
She walked to the center and bowed at Zeus' feet.
"Lord Zeus," she said. "For what great reason was I called upon to come to Olympus?"
The King of the Gods looked down at the rainbow goddess. He knew she was truly a messenger goddess, her speed almost matching Hermes'. Then, he told her of his plan.
"You must find Thetis and bring her to Olympus," he ordered. "That is all I request from you today, Iris."
"Of course, my lord." She bowed once again and took off to find Thetis.
Half-way between Samothrace and Imbros, Iris dipped into the water and sank like the fisherman's lead weight set in a piece of ox-horn that lures the greedy fish to their death. Thetis was in a hollow cave at the bottom of the sea, surrounded by other sea nymphs who were attempting to console her.
Iris knew the entire story. The great Greek hero Achilles was supposed to be killed in Troy, far away from Aegina, and there was nothing Thetis could do about it. She wept and cried, grieving for her lost son, who had yet to be killed.
"Thetis," Iris said, making the goddess raise her head slowly. It was different being underwater than being over the surface. Nothing was ever clear in sight, but there was that godly perception that allowed them to sense where everything was. "Thetis."
"Iris?" asked the croaking Thetis. "What have you come here for?"
"Come with me," she said. "Lord Zeus wishes to summon you to Olympus."
"What does Lord Zeus wish for?" asked Thetis. "I am ashamed, sorrowful even. I belong not in the presence of the immortals of Olympus. But I shall go, for anything the great god says must carry some importance."
Iris just nodded and led Thetis back to Olympus. Just as she had less than an hour ago, Iris passed through the Gates of Olympus. Thetis followed solemnly behind her. Unlike last time, though, the Olympians were standing in the courtyard outside the large palace, ready to greet the mother of Achilles.
Iris glanced at Zeus, who nodded at her. She took that as her cue to leave. With a couple of quick strides, Iris shimmered into her godly form and teleported off Olympus.
Thetis was left with the Olympians. Hera was quick to get her accommodations. The Queen of the Gods handed Thetis a golden cup full of nectar.
"Hello, my dear," welcomed Hera. "Welcome back to Olympus. Don't cry now. Everything will all turn out fine in the end." It was a complete lie, and both of them knew it, but Thetis was just glad that her mother-figure was trying to comfort her.
"Thank you, Lady Hera," Thetis bowed. She took the golden cup and drank all of the nectar.
It turned out Zeus wished to speak in the courtyard instead of the throne room as he began explaining to her the entire plan. She listened intently, not wanting to offend the proud King of Gods.
"Lady Thetis you come, I know, bearing the burden of sorrowful thought, yet I must tell you why I summoned you. Us Olympians have been quarrelling these nine days about how Hector's corpse is treated by Achilles. Some would like Hermes to spirit the body away, but I would rather honour Achilles, and keep your love and respect in time to come. So dart down to his camp and tell him what I say, that he has angered the gods, and I above all am filled with wrath, because he holds Hector's corpse by the beaked ships, instead of restoring it to Troy. Hopefully, in fear of me, he will return the body, but I will send Perseus to brave Priam, and tell him to go to the Greek ships and offer a ransom for his son, gifts that will thaw the heart of Achilles."
"Is that all, my lord?" asked Thetis.
"Yes, it is."
She bowed and graciously accepted her job. She teleported down to the Myrmidon camp where Achilles sat in the corner drowning himself in his sorrow and in alcohol. He looked angry, sad, and worst of all, torn apart.
Thetis immediately strode over and snatched the bottle of wine away from Achilles, whose look turned to one of anger. "Who dares come in my—"
"Shh, my child," she said, sitting next to him and holding him close as he realized who it was. "Do not get angry, my Achilles."
"M—Mother?" he stuttered, as if he had made a shocking discovery. He leaned against her automatically, a natural mother-son relationship locking into place.
"Why must you waste yourself by drinking and carting Hector's body around like nothing?" she asked, not waiting for him to let the fact that she was there settle in. "You know your fate, I assume?"
"Yes," he managed to say.
"You have but a short time to live," she said. "Do not spend that time drowning yourself in anger and sorrows. Enjoy the company and comfort of a woman until the threads of Fate come find you. They have been snipped since before you were born. What would Percy say about this?"
Achilles looked down. "Would you rather me say a pre-war Percy line or a current Percy line?"
"Pre-war," Thetis replied.
He sighed and a smile cracked on his face. "If you're going to go, as in die, go out with a bang!"
She smiled. "Release Hector's body for a ransom that Priam will come to offer. Without the gods' wrath against you, as Zeus is angry at you for not giving Hector's body back to the Trojans, you will be able to 'go out with a bang!'"
He turned to gaze at her. "This is the Olympians' wish?"
Thetis nodded.
"Then I shall grant it to them, for if Priam comes with a ransom fit for Hector's corpse, I will willingly give it up."
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Perseus was having a little bit of fun with Keravnos as they galloped around the Troad region in the early afternoon sun. The horse had amazing stamina and that with an astounding speed. Perseus tried to enjoy every moment of it that he could because he knew that soon would come the time when something was done about the treatment of Hector's body.
His own mind was all jumbled up; doubt and criticism plagued his mind. It is through the gods that a mortal's life was woven, not only the Fates.
It was surprising, nonetheless, when a middle-aged, sharp-nosed man with salt-and-pepper hair and blue eyes, appeared on the road in front of him, just walking as if the man had no clear destination.
Perseus slowed Keravnos down and just as the horse slowed down to a walking pace, he leaped off and made his way over to the middle-aged man. When they locked eyes, he saw that sly twinkle in the man's eyes and the sly grin that formed his mouth. Immediately, he recognized him.
"Hermes?" he said. "What are you doing here?"
"Am I really that obvious?" the god asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, but I've seen Eudoros," he said.
"A fallen son," Hermes sighed.
"Eudoros looked like you, but looking at the clues around here, it just points to you. No son of Hermes would just be wandering off like this unless he were to be exiled from a place, right?"
"For a descendant of Athena, you sure don't like explaining things, do you?"
"Takes too much time."
Hermes chuckled. Then he breathed deeply. "The gods are unhappy about the way Achilles has been treating Hector's body. He was an honourable warrior and he treated the gods with utmost respect."
"I can understand that," replied the son of Poseidon.
"Zeus wishes for you and I go fetch Priam and draw him to the Greek ships. The deal must go down tonight, and Achilles will need to be alone. However, by sneaking Priam into the Greek camps, there needs to be someone who the Myrmidons and Greeks both trust. You. They will have no doubts as to who you are bringing. I will be there to help you."
Perseus nodded. "So basic overview... We go to Troy, ask for Priam to come to the Greek ships after dusk as the order of the gods, and then give Hector's body back to him?"
"That sounds just about right."
He glanced out toward the ocean. "Sure, I'll do it. Anything to stop Hector's body from being tormented." Turning to Keravnos, he said, "Hey, buddy. You go back to the Greek ships, all right? I'll be back sometime later tonight."
The horse bowed and galloped off.
Perseus did not feel like riding a horse with Hermes hugging him from behind. He liked his personal space. Instead, he resorted to walking all the way with Hermes at his side. The god made the trip easier by teleporting them to the inner Scamander River. They did talk about a few things, and Hermes admitted that he did have another form. He spoke of the new gods without even changing forms. That was mainly because Perseus always viewed him as the Greek god Hermes.
"Everything revolves around belief," the god said. "You see a Greek god, I am a Greek god. See me as Mercury, my other form, I will appear to you as Mercury... but don't try it right now. I don't think that I would be as friendly to you."
"More warlike? More disciplined?" Perseus asked.
"More like the gods of an empire, a stronghold or a very ruthless and warlike peoples," Hermes said. "The Trojans are very centered around believing in the gods and having the pagan deities protect them. Their military is very strong, much stronger than the Greeks. However, as individual fighters, only some are good. You've seen the Trojans fight. They fight in a unison form... at least until there is bloodshed. Achilles and yourself tend to be dangerous fighters as you have an unpredictable style. There is nothing repetitive about your fighting style. And that is a threat to most Trojans. Hector is an excellent fighter, though."
"Interesting..."
It was dusk by the time the two made it to the walls of Troy.
Perseus held his hands up in peace as the Trojan guards knocked their bows. They shouted from the top tower, "Who goes there?"
"I am a Greek messenger." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't exactly the whole truth. "I come with a message from the great King Priam of Troy."
He could hear the shuffling of armor, weapons and men until the double-doors opened. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the city of Troy. It was his second time being in the city, but unlike before, the city looked like it was in near turmoil. There were a whole bunch of cups and a broken table lying on the side of the street. Everyone was getting ready to sleep, but there were large bags under their eyes. It seemed the arrival of two Greek men made things worse.
"You're not a messenger!" the guard in front of him exclaimed. "You're that Perseus guy!"
The guard to his left raised his sword and held it at his neck. "What are you doing here, Greek? Not trying to sabotage our city, are you? Probably are..."
Making sure he didn't lose his temper, he breathed deeply once again. "I am here to talk to King Priam. I did not lie about that. Tie my hands up if you so truly please. Do not to my friend..." He trailed off, realizing that there was no cover-up name for the god.
"I am the son of Polyctor and a Myrmidon," the god lied smoothly. "Perseus here is like a lord to me and I would never dare to disobey his orders. This is to be a peace mission about the fallen hero Hector."
The guards' expressions suddenly dropped. "Hector?" one asked in a dejected tone.
"Yes... Hector." Perseus straightened up a little, to show his confidence and hide his fears and doubts. "We must give his body back to Priam. I'm sure Achilles will listen to me about this one that."
The guards looked amongst each other. There were at least a dozen of them. In the end, eight of them decided to stay at the towers, concluding that Perseus was speaking genuinely. Four of them were sent to escort them to the palace of Troy. And like offered, Perseus was tied up by rope bonds.
There was little to admire about the city of Troy now. The air just smelled of danger and destruction. Had there have been a light, happy mood to the city, Perseus would have enjoyed his little walk much better.
Like before, they were led up into the palace of Troy, except instead of heading towards the Senate Room, they turned a right into a different section of the palace. It was still marvelous, the architecture. Perseus wondered if he would ever meet one of his brothers or sisters that were children of Athena. (Okay, technically they would be his great-great-great... a thousand times great uncles and aunts.) They would be fascinated with this architecture, he was certain of it.
They took another right before taking a left and then into the room at the end of the hall. Inside was the royal family of Troy: Priam, Hecuba, Laodice, Helenus, Paris, Helen, Andromache and Deiphobus.
"My king," the guards bowed as the royals gawked at the arrival of one of their enemies. "This man said he would like to see you."
"P—Perseus?" asked the frail King of Troy.
The son of Poseidon gave him a grim smile and bowed. He tangled his wrists together before unravelling the rope that bound his wrists together and sat down on the cold, stone floor opposite of the royals.
Priam took a long look into his eyes before turning to his guards. "Leave. I am sure that Perseus will do no harm."
The guards looked a little hesitant, especially after watching him easily take off the rope bonds they had tied him with. But they all obliged the order and left.
"What are you doing here?" Deiphobus immediately demanded.
Perseus made eye contact with him and gave him the answer that he wanted.
Deiphobus' eyes widened. "You're here about Hector, aren't you."
"Yes."
All of them perked up a little bit. Paris the most. "What is it that you want from us? Do you want Hector's wife as well? Is that all you Greeks want? The prizes of other men?"
"Calm down, Prince of Troy," he said calmly. "Be glad I am not Achilles for he would have had your head paraded down the streets of Troy as it falls. Be that as it may, I believe Hector said you would be the one to kill Achilles at the gates of Troy. Patroclus killed Sarpedon, a son of Zeus—"
"Or maybe Jupiter," Hermes spoke.
The royal family glanced at Hermes nervously, not knowing who he was.
"Son of Polyctor, Myrmidon and Achilles' squire."
The royal family seemed slightly relaxed knowing that Perseus had some control over the Myrmidons. They figured that the "son of Polyctor" wouldn't dare to do anything whilst Perseus was here.
"Or maybe Jupiter," the demigod agreed. "But then, dearest Hector killed Patroclus due to Zeus' lust for avenging his son." Perseus was just going out on a limb, not exactly telling things he knew, but the look Hermes gave him told him that he had nailed Zeus' reaction. "In turn, Achilles, Greece's greatest aging warrior kills Troy's greatest warrior, Hector. Paris is to kill Achilles... who is next to kill you, Paris, Prince of Troy?"
Paris clenched his teeth before slumping back down where he sat.
Satisfied, Perseus continued. "Now, I am here about Hector. It is time for us to give Hector's body back. We wish that you, King Priam, come to the Greek ships and retrieve Hector's body back. Of course, Achilles will want a ransom, but I shall convince him that if the gods wish for Hector's body to be returned to Troy, he should grant them that wish."
"The gods?" asked Laodice. "How can we be sure that you come with a message from the might gods of Olympus. You are but a mortal."
"A demigod, actually, dear Laodice. But I shall prove it to you. Lord of the Sky, King of the Gods, Lord Zeus. Make lightning strike and thunder rumbled loudly in the dark night sky should you hear me."
There were no windows so they couldn't see the lightning, but the thunder rolled over the city like an explosion of chaos.
"Lord of Seas, my very own father, and yet the father of horses... Let the horses' neighs ring across the city of Troy and let the ground rumble."
The ground shook slightly and a horse, that sounded nearby, whinnied.
"Hermes, the fastest god, the most sly of them all. Appear in this room as a young twenty-year-old man with curly black hair and blue eyes."
Hermes stood up from his position next to Perseus and flickered in form. Before any of the Trojans could ask what was going on, Hermes appeared exactly how Perseus had described him as.
Now, when the wing-footed god spoke, the Trojans listened intently. "Trojans, King Priam of Troy and Queen Hecuba. The gods truly wish for your son's body to be returned to you. As Perseus has said, go with him to the Greek ships for your son's return."
Priam stood up almost immediately.
"What are you doing?" asked Hecuba.
"Getting our son's body back!"
"What if this is a trap?"
"It is not, and even if it was, I would rather die and be able to see my son's rotten, damaged face once again." He opened the door and shouted out into the hall, "Get my chariot ready! I will meet it at the Gates of Troy!"
Turning to Perseus, he said, "My poor son. Have you seen his body today?"
"I have not been at the Myrmidon camp since the night before your son was killed," was the reply. "I have a feeling that it will be in much better shape than you would imagine."
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Priam found Achilles lying in his bed with a young woman he recognized instantly.
"Brisēís?" he said.
He must have said the words too loudly as the two on the bed shot up instantly. Brisēís seemed to look as shocked as Priam did to seeing each other. The King of Troy had not heard back from her ever since the first year of Troy's siege. He had never assumed Achilles captured her. If he was right, Cassandra would be on the other side of the tent. He remembered how he had foolishly given up trying to get Cassandra back from Perseus.
"Cassandra?" he called out, and immediately his daughter emerged from a different room.
"Father?" she asked astonished.
"Uncle?" asked Brisēís in the same tone.
"King Priam," Achilles said with a dark look. He looked the least surprised. "My mother said you would come, but to actually come into this camp was very daring and brave of you."
"I had some help," he said, and Perseus walked into the tent.
"Hermes told me Thetis spoke with you," the son of Poseidon said. "Did she?"
Achilles nodded. He then stepped forward to face Priam face-to-face. What he didn't expect from the Trojan King was what he did next.
Priam went on his knees and grabbed his hands. Then, shakily, he kissed both of them. His lips tasted the hands that had slaughtered so many sons and daughters of Troy. He looked up at the great warrior with fear in his eyes.
"Godlike Achilles, think of your own father, who is of my generation, and so is likewise of old age. Perhaps his neighbours are troubling him, and there is no one to protect him from harm, or ward off ruin. But he at least can rejoice in the knowledge that you live, and each day brings the hope of seeing you return from Troy. While I, I am a victim of sad fate. Of the best of my sons, the best in all of Troy, not one is left. Fifty sons I had, when you Greeks landed, nineteen by the one wife, and the rest by other ladies of my court. Most of them have fallen in furious battle, and the defender of the city and its people, my prime recourse, Hector, you have killed, as he fought for his country. I come now to the ships to beg his corpse from you, bringing a princely ransom. Respect the gods, Achilles, and show mercy towards me, remembering your own father, for I am more to be pitied than he, since I have brought myself to do what no other man on earth would do, I have lifted to my lips the hand of the man who killed my sons."
By the end of the little speech, Achilles looked about ready to cry. So did Perseus... and Brisēís... and Cassandra.
"Your grief and sorrow is powerful, the Fate that the gods have given you evil, and lamenting for your son who has yet to be returned to you. His body is to be wasted and destroyed by the enemy. Yet the gods preserve your son's body. It is not damaged or harmed by anything I do, no matter how hard I try. As much as you deserve your son back, grief and sorrow will do you no better. Weeping for Patroclus has done nothing for me."
"Do not tell me good or bad," said Priam. "Just show me my son's body and accept the pricey ransom I give to you."
"Very well." Achilles walked over to where Patroclus' area of the tent was. "What no one knows is that I put Hector on Patroclus' bed every night. He is always kept clean. Though he has killed my dearest cousin, I respect him much as a warrior. Never forget that."
The son of Thetis brought out Hector's body, which had seemingly just been anointed and washed.
"My son," cried Priam as he saw the body.
They carried the body out to the chariot and had Perseus fetch a bier. Cassandra and Brisēís found a bunch of cloth to wrap the noble Hector's body in. With rope, they tied the corpse to the chariot.
Achilles then asked for Priam to wait and went to get something.
Perseus made sure that everyone stayed together.
When the son of Thetis came back, he held a platter of food. He quickly led the group to the great brazier nearby the tent. Then together, they sacrificed the food to the gods for the events that had just happened.
It was then that Priam took out the ransom for Hector's body: twelve fine robes, twelve single-sided cloaks, with as many coverlets, white mantles and tunics also, ten talents of gold, two bright tripods, four cauldrons, and the most beautiful cup that Perseus had ever seen.
"Thank you, great lord of Troy," Achilles bowed. "How long shall the funerals for Hector be? I will ensure that there is peace between the two sides for however long it takes to give him the proper funeral rites."
"You would be doing me a great kindness Achilles, if you indeed allow me time to bury Hector. You know the city is surrounded, and the Trojans would fear to fetch wood from the far hills, otherwise. We will lament him nine days in the palace, and carry out the rites on the tenth. Then on the eleventh day we will raise his barrow, and the people feast. If we must, we will fight again on the twelfth."
"Twelve days it is."
Without warning, Cassandra spoke. "Father, I—I... I'm sorry. Never mind."
Priam knew exactly what his daughter was trying to say. "Lovely Cassandra. I was blinded back then and foolish to believe Helenus. I wished with all of my heart to come back for you. But by the time I figured that out, you had given up. So then I gave up. I apologize, my daughter. Would you like to come back?"
"I would love to!" Cassandra exclaimed. Then her face fell. "But Perseus... and I... am one of his captives."
"No you are not," the son of Poseidon said. "You were free to run off whenever you wanted. You chose to stay for nine years. I didn't ask you to, but I was kind of glad that you did. Go back to your family now, though. It will be good for you."
She gave him a huge smile. "Thank you, Percy."
Then she strode up to him and kissed him. She deepened it a little, but let go after a little period of time. He wouldn't say that it made him light headed considering that he already had "stress relief" with her.
"Brisēís?" asked Priam, though he didn't sound as sure.
"No," she refused. "I am happy where I am."
The King of Troy smiled. "Of course. Your happiness matters more to me, lovely niece."
"Twelve days of peace, King Priam," said Achilles. "Am I right?"
He nodded. "Thank you, generous Achilles. I truly will never forget this."
Then he and Cassandra hopped up onto the chariot and rode back away to the Trojan city. Perseus took a step forward to make sure that no one attacked them on their way back to the city's walls, but was halted by Achilles who asked,
"Who do you love more? Cassandra or Zoë?"
Perseus rolled his eyes. "Someone seems a little bit happier."
"Doing something good for someone else makes you feel nice, doesn't it?"
"Yes."
"But seriously, who do you like better? Cassandra is really beautiful, so..."
"Why even bother to ask a question like that, Achilles? But my answer will always be Zoë. I just hope Artemis doesn't mind. It's not like I'm going to try and get her to marry me or be her lover."
"Then my answer to your doubts is to keep your promise to Zoë. The Trojans aren't so bad, you know. If you really like Zoë more than you do the gods who often get jealous of demigods, then keep her promise."
Perseus turned and raised an eyebrow.
Achilles sighed. "And I know you more than anyone else here in Troy. You haven't broken your promise to her yet. I know it."
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