Hey everyone,
Happy September! It's too bad that I am still not yet free of school/college/university. (Whatever you guys would like to call it.) (Plus, I'm the northern hemisphere, so it starts very, very soon.) So, I'm going back and updates will be... you know... a lot slower. There are a lot of things that I need to do, and for my class I need to write a story, so I have to work much harder on that. I'd say that the minimum update rate will be every three days, but it will range between that and a month. I'm getting very busy, so I'm sorry if my update rates get worse and worse. Whenever I have free time and am not playing sports or studying for exams, I will try to update. There cannot be any guarantees. I'm glad you have all liked my stories, and when I have breaks, updates will come much quicker. Thanks for the understanding.
Now, on to this chapter... this is a filler chapter, just including a mini-conflict between Odysseus and Ajax. There is also a little drama with Brisēís, and we'll see how Percy deals with it. So... yeah... Enjoy!
SharkAttack719
P.S. I'm thinking of doing the American Civil War, Fall of Rome, Punic Wars as short stories at the moment. I am possibly thinking of doing something with Shen Lun, as requested by a reviewer, Frank's ancestor, and something to do with Annabeth, Luke and Thalia. Stay tuned.
Chapter 16
Thanatos Consumes Another King
The most aggravating thing was that the Trojan and Ethiopian soldiers began pouring back out of the gates to reach Achilles' armour.
Perseus didn't dare to move from his student's side, so Odysseus and Greater Ajax took action. Before any of the Trojans or Ethiopians could reach Perseus and kill him, as well to retrieve the fallen Greek soldier's armour, Ajax sprinted forward.
Five men fell to one swipe from Ajax's huge sword.
"Get the body, Odysseus!" he yelled.
Pulling the stunned Perseus away from Achilles' body, Odysseus lifted the corpse onto his shoulder and began running back to his own chariot to bring it back to safety. In a haste, the Greek soldiers began retreating, most helping Ajax hold off the Trojans and Ethiopians. But being dismayed did not help that at all to face the army.
Eventually, Ajax was nearly by himself, the Trojans and Ethiopians charging towards the Greek camp.
Perseus, who had gotten up in a daze, suddenly realized what was going on around him. And his anger consumed him. There was no way that Achilles' armour was going into the hands of the enemy.
He pulled out Anaklusmos slowly and tapped Aegis. With a mighty roar, he joined Ajax in holding off the Trojans. Those who had run by Ajax to head straight for the retreating chariots and infantry stood no chance.
In a whirlwind, Perseus killed them, stabbing them through the chinks in their armour or repeatedly stabbing their bronze breastplates until they gave way to Anaklusmos' deadly blade. He could feel his energy rising with his anger and he used it to channel his powers through Anaklusmos.
Stabbing the sword into the ground, he caused an earthquake, not quite of a devastating level, but high enough to knock warriors off-balance. He tore Anaklusmos out of the ground as if he had killed a great enemy and charged the Trojan and Ethiopian forces.
A miniature storm grew around him, and all ranged weapons, arrows and javelins and spears, were torn apart by the raging winds around him. Men were literally torn apart if they got too close or dared to challenge the angry son of Poseidon.
He didn't let vengeance overtake him, but angry he was and thought of the fountain he passed in the central courtyard of Troy. Focusing his anger, fuelled by the Trojans' futile attempt to steal Achilles' armour, he caused the entire fountain to explode and flooded the courtyard.
What stopped him were the cries of children from the courtyard. He almost felt as though he'd turned into a different person, a demon version of himself, when he suddenly felt great remorse and grief for all the lives lost to his own anger.
"Perseus," said an awed Ajax as he approached him. "That was scary."
"I am a monster," he replied. "But what is done is done." He felt a tear escape from his right eye. "Come. Let us go mourn Achilles, the best warrior Greece has seen."
Perseus brushed his way past Ajax to notice that Menestheus, Menelaus, Agamemnon and Diomedes were on chariots watching him as they wheeled around. Ajax's charioteer came to pick him up, and the King of Salamis offered Perseus a ride.
Reluctantly, he agreed and rode back to the Myrmidon camp with Ajax. All three of them, King Ajax, Perseus and the charioteer were silent as they made their way back. There was no question why almost the entire army was standing around the Myrmidon camp. Odysseus had brought the body to the spot near the center of the Myrmidon camp where Patroclus had been buried. It was obvious the King of Ithaca was wise, that Achilles should be buried next to his cousin, and was grieving, for the loss of a warrior that he respected.
Everyone knew Perseus at this point and a line opened up in the crowd of Greek warriors as he passed through. They also knew what he was like personally, so none of them seemed to bring up the fact that he was nearly bawling and his eyes were bloodshot red.
Odysseus noticed the approaching demigod and made his way to the side, to watch as Perseus knelt down next to his student to mourn and grieve.
Brisēís came out barely a moment later having just learned of Achilles' death by a soldier's word. Not believing it until she saw the body, she collapsed on the spot in desperate tears. Crawling her way over, she hugged his body tightly.
Perseus moved over slightly for her and looked down at Achilles' heel. An arrow protruded out of his foot, just as he saw it on the battlefield. He grabbed the arrow and tore it out of the foot. Blood was stained on the metal, just like how blood stained Anaklusmos.
This is war, Zoe had said. It changes people.
It sure as Hades did. Perseus no longer felt happy. All of the killing that he had done was not for the greater good. He was protecting what he thought was right, but was there any point in killing? To get rid of a radical leader, he could understand, but to kill innocent lives over a simple mission of retrieving one woman.
But on the other side of things, killing was how this world functioned. Why else would Hades and his entire kingdom exist? They were the keepers of the dead souls of those who have passed on. Achilles would have a happy afterlife in Elysium, Perseus knew that... unless the fool decided to try for the Isles of Blest. Killing had to be done. It wasn't an option. It was a necessity. Without death, the world overflow and delve into chaos.
Perseus took Achilles' hands and did what he did with Penthesilea. He put the arrow in Achilles' right hand, his spear hand, and closed the dead demigod's fingers around it. He took his other hand and put it over top of his right wrist so it looked as though he were praying with an arrow.
Agamemnon chose that moment to step forward. He walked over to Perseus and Brisēís. He said, "I may have had my quarrels with Achilles, but he was a good soldier and a very good commander. I assume he learned from the best."
Menelaus spoke next. "I respected Achilles and even took his side against my brother during some of their fights. The fact that he is gone leaves a hole in this army, a leadership that will be nearly impossible to refill."
"I know you dislike me," Menestheus said. "But I never thought poorly of you or Achilles. I may have been against you at times; however, I never meant any kind of harm to you. It is painful to see a warrior like Achilles dead."
"The living hate death, yet the dead gladly welcome it with open arms for the suffering and torment that life brings can be too much for some," Odysseus said to Perseus. "He probably wants you to know that he knew it was inevitable and that doing what he did with Patroclus was the worst example that you could follow. And I am sure he loves Brisēísmore than the rest of the world."
"He was rather protective," Diomedes admitted. "But he was true to heart. He grieved for Patroclus in anger for his hot-temperedness got the better of him. He did say he respected Hector in the end."
Ajax nodded. "Everything the others have said, I agree with. Achilles was a great man taught by another great man."
Silence enveloped the crowd aside from Brisēís' weeping. Sobs racked her body, which was painful to watch. Her love for him had started that very first night that they slept together. And it seemed to have grown intense over the past nine years.
"Troy will pay for this," Agamemnon said. "We may not see eye to eye, but the Trojans must pay for what they have cost us. An arrow has killed Achilles, a sign of Apollo. When we sack Troy, I will make sure that Apollo's temple shall be desecrated first. Revenge on Troy! For Achilles and for Greece! For Achilles and for Greece..."
Ajax and Odysseus joined in: "For Achilles and for Greece!"
Menelaus, Menestheus and Diomedes were next. Then Phoenix joined in. The Myrmidons, the loyal troops of Achilles, all began to join in on the chant, their cries echoing in the darkening sky. Astraeus was raising his arms to welcome Helios before moving to the other side of the world and allowing Selene to pass up into the sky.
It wasn't long before the entire Greek army, which consisted now of nearly twenty-five thousand men, chanted the cry into the air. Perseus was sure that the citizens of Troy could hear it. To him, it would sound like the beginning of their demise, the beginning of the end... the end of the beginning and the beginning of the end...
And with that, he joined in on the chant, screaming the loudest out of everybody. "For Achilles and for Greece!"
He stood up and began leading the chant, changing it to "For Achilles! For Greece! For the gods!"
The Fall of Troy was looming on the horizon. And it was approaching quickly. That in itself wasn't even it.
A new hope emerged within the Greek forces. They weren't just fighting for Helen. They weren't just fighting for Greece. They were fighting for every single man who died in this war and to avenge them.
No more fallen victims. If they were going to do this right, they couldn't attack by force. Odysseus would finally come in handy. Troy would have to be taken through cunning and trickery.
"Water, Brisēís?" Perseus asked, offering the woman some of the liquid.
"No, thank you," she choked. "But thanks for the offer."
He sighed and set the cup down. "You have to drink something, Brisēís. You'll dehydrate yourself."
"I don't care," she snapped, sweat and dirt matting her hair. "I'd rather die of asphyxiation than live with another man. I want to be with Achilles and Achilles only. I should just grab his spear and stab myself."
"No, no!" Perseus grabbed her before she could move. "Achilles told me that he wants you to live long and happy. I'm guessing that the long part is implied as well. You cannot kill yourself in this manner."
"You can't control me," she growled trying to force her way forward.
"Of course I can't, but I can help you make the right decisions!"
"Who says you make the right decisions? Just because it is right for you doesn't mean it is right for someone else. Let me go!"
The son of Poseidon grimaced. He didn't want to force her into anything, but Achilles told him what he wanted for Brisēís. He wanted to honour him by carrying that out.
When it comes to friendship or serving your country... sometimes loyalty to your friends is better.
But what happens when it is friendship against friendship? Could he choose between two friends? He hoped Achilles would forgive as he let go of her.
"All right, Brisēís," he said. "Go then. It's your choice. Take your chance."
For a second, she looked stunned that he actually allowed her to go before she took his words to heart and ran out of the tent. He grabbed the cup of water and threw it to the ground angrily. Brisēís was so desperate that she cared not for her own safety. That was reckless and childish of her... but he respected her opinion enough to allow her to go. If she wanted to leave, that was her decision.
In the meantime, he sat there trying to think of a way to make Apollo pay for what he did, helping kill both Patroclus and Achilles. There was almost no doubt that Eudoros had been killed by Apollo as well. There had been an arrow found in Eudoros' body, that was known for sure.
His anger to the god of poetry grew increasingly further as time passed, fury collecting in the pit of his stomach. Agamemnon had proposed a good idea, which was a little difficult to admit for him. Normally, Perseus wouldn't sack the temples of the gods, but there was too much temptation for him to resist.
Climbing out of the tent, he made his way down to the Greek camp. He wasn't sure what it was about him, but everyone seemed more wary of him than ever. Everyone seemed to open up pathways as he walked, moving to the sides as he walked down the middle. More pairs of eyes were laid on him than ever, and most of them out of fear.
The servants, who had heard what happened, hastily served him more often. He never used them, though. Only in emergencies would he ask servants to serve him. Many offered him food and water, but he accepted none.
He passed Menestheus on the way and gave him a terse nod. In return, the King of Athens gave him the same nod. He saw Menelaus and Agamemnon, both watching as he passed by, their conversation halting. He passed through some more people before Diomedes reached him.
"They're still arguing," he said. "The competition ended in a draw."
Seven days ago was when Achilles had died. Seven days ago, Odysseus and Ajax began fighting about who deserved his armour. Perseus knew he probably should have just taken it for himself but he didn't feel that selfish. By not taking the armour, he caused a major dilemma with the other two, who, for the last week, had constantly been competing in a competition which would determine who got it.
Perseus thought that the competition would finally settle the problem and one or the other could get the armour. He was greatly mistaken.
"A draw?" he whined. "I really don't want to deal with these immature boys anymore. It's completely frustrating."
"Well, you have to deal with them," Diomedes replied shrugging. "I don't like it either, and they aren't driving you insane every night when you are trying to sleep. I'm pretty sure anyone within fifteen tents of the two can hear them shouting at each other."
"I can already hear the two," he sighed. "Come on. Let's go and see what they're arguing about now."
Perseus and Diomedes made their way towards the distant shouting, passing by servants, slaves and soldiers, before finding themselves at a food area for the soldiers. A bonfire crackled in the middle of the ring that the tents made, even though it was broad daylight, but it was quite hard to hear over the arguing of Ajax and Odysseus.
"I deserve that armour more than you do, you swine," Ajax growled. "How many times do I have to tell you that I told you to pick up Achilles' body and bring it back. You would have just stood there numbly had I not said anything. Meanwhile, I held the Trojans back until Perseus broke out of his shock!"
"But it was I who brought the corpse of the great hero back," Odysseus replied fluidly. "And I have fought for Greece more than you ever have and more than you ever will have when your time comes."
Both of them were wearing full armour that covered their chest and legs. Odysseus' armour looked more fresh than Ajax's, which looked a little more worn out and torn down.
"Hey!" Perseus shouted. "I could hear you from way over there! Would you two stop arguing already?"
"Your stupid competition didn't solve anything," sneered Ajax. "All it did was end in a tie because this filthy liar cheated! There is no way that this man could ever defeat me in a competition. He is not strong enough. He is not even completely willing to fight for Greece. Did you know that he was hesitant to join the war when it was announced. He almost decided to hide himself away so he didn't join the war."
"Well, it's too bad isn't it," snarled Odysseus. "Not everyone likes to kill like you do. Maybe it isn't natural for someone to murder someone without thinking who they are or feeling remorse after it. Just because it is your duty, doesn't mean you cannot feel shame and remorse for killing."
"Who says I don't feel remorse?"
"Well, it doesn't seem like you do!"
"Of course it doesn't! Do you think I am going to weep every time someone dies? I have to stay strong and staying strong doesn't mean crying over every person that dies in the war. It's a bloody war!"
"You know what?" Perseus roared. "You two could either stand here and continue fighting like a couple of babies, or you could honor Achilles' death by fighting for Greece. There is no possible way that we can topple those walls. They are too strong and too high, so shut up and start inputting ideas of how we can get into Troy without force."
Immediately, the two fell silent and looked at him.
"If you two really want Achilles' armour so badly, why don't we ask the soldiers? And don't you dare threaten them to choose you over the other. If I see that, I will automatically give it to the one who doesn't threaten a soldiers, or I'll give it to Diomedes, Menelaus or Agamemnon."
They both scowled but in the end agreed.
Perseus brought them around the camp and gathered soldiers, who did not fight under Odysseus or Ajax, to judge who deserved Achilles' armour more. Making sure that there would be no fighting amongst the Greek warriors about who deserved the armour, he told them about why Odysseus believed he deserved the armour and why Ajax believed he deserved the armour.
"I think Ajax deserves it more," one soldier said. "He actually fought off the Trojans when Achilles was killed. Odysseus just took the body away."
"Yeah but what about the fact when Perseus had to help Ajax fight off the Trojans," another countered. "If he hadn't joined it, the Trojans and Ethiopians probably would have gotten to us, trampled over us and killed us, just for Achilles' armour. Odysseus made sure that the body got to safety."
"That is true," the first soldier agreed.
"But you are also right," the second soldier said. "Ajax did fend off the Trojans. I still stand by my word though. Odysseus deserves it more than Ajax."
One by one, the soldiers went through, speaking of the pros and cons of each king. It slowly evolved into a small argument about the usefulness of each of them rather than what they did to save Achilles' body from Trojan hands, but in stayed relatively calm. Odysseus and Ajax glared at each other nearly the entire time, neither uttering a single word in case they crossed the line. They both knew Perseus was annoyed at their quarreling, and fighting more would only aggravate him more.
"All right," said Perseus after listening to the soldiers speak. "It looks like Odysseus has the lead right now. Let's summon Menestheus, Menelaus, Agamemnon, Nestor and a bunch of Trojan slaves to see what they think. Whatever they decide will be the final verdict."
Perseus told Diomedes to round up the kings as he took Odysseus and Ajax to the grand tent. Then, as he left the two kings in the custody of ten servants, he jogged back to his tent where he stored Achilles' armour.
Brisēís had not come back.
Taking the armour back to where the kings of Greece were assembled, he watched as each man tried to prove his worthiness of the armour that had been left behind by Achilles.
"Look at what I have done on the battlefield," Ajax said. "I have been a part of this fight from the beginning. You know of Odysseus' reluctance. I have always fought for Greece and did not hesitate when the Trojan War was brought upon us. I have killed many men for our country and have always loved Greece's leaders and gods. I need not remind you of the fact that I am a descendant of Zeus. My father was Telamon, whose father was Aeacus, whose father was Zeus. And Telamon is the brother of Peleus, the father of Achilles. I am his cousin and I deserve it more. Odysseus' armour is in very good condition. Just look at it!"
"And what about I, the lonely Odysseus?" the King of Ithaca asked. "Am I nothing to you? Personal merit, not ancestry, should determine who gets the armour. What does Ajax do? He fights, yes. I will admit to that. But he is not as intellectual. Besides, if anyone knows my family tree, my lineage, they know that I descend from Zeus as well. My father is Laërtes, son of Arcesius. Arcesius is a son of Zeus, a demigod old enough to know what it was like before the Gigantomachy. My mother, Anticlea, had a father named Autolycus who was a son of Hermes. My family is more illustrious than that of yours. And unlike Ajax, who only knows how to fight, I know when to fight. If you are like a rower or soldier, I am like a captain of general."
"I am swayed much by Ajax's speech, yet in the end I must choose Odysseus," Menelaus said with hesitation.
"Ajax deserves it," Menestheus said bluntly.
"Ajax," said Diomedes.
Nestor shook his head. "I must choose Odysseus."
The servants also split half and half, some choosing Odysseus, some choosing Ajax. The very last vote was up to Agamemnon. Perseus did not want to vote in this at all, simply because he did not want to have a negative effect on one. He knew both could prove useful... though Odysseus would be slightly more useful in the planning against Troy.
Agamemnon scratched his beard and said the name that sealed the deal: "Odysseus."
Perseus placed Achilles' armour gently on the ground and walked away towards the entrance, for he knew bad things were surely to happen. Ajax's face grew more purple by the moment, and before anybody knew what was happening, the King of Salamis had his sword ready to kill Agamemnon.
He lunged forward, but at that very same time Nestor jumped in front of the King of Mycenae. As an advisor and diplomat, Nestor wore no armour, and Ajax's sword went right through his chest. The pointed end prickled Agamemnon's breastplate.
Even Perseus was stunned enough to freeze on the spot. Odysseus stopped moving toward Achilles' armour and stared at Nestor's now dead body in horror.
Slowly, Ajax seemed to realize what he'd done. He pulled his sword out of Nestor and tossed it to the side. He bent down over the already dead king and tried shaking him awake, trying to pretend it was all a nightmare.
But it wasn't, and it wasn't long before Ajax figured that out. He tore his breastplate off and grabbed his massive sword. Then, with an agonizing scream, he pushed his sword up his abdomen, the sword entering from his stomach and protruding up until it pierced his heart. He too dropped dead at the feet of Agamemnon.
A million thoughts raced through Perseus' mind before he said, "Odysseus. When you're done cleaning up the mess, I need to meet with you in my tent. Don't worry about privacy issues. Brisēís has fled."
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