Perseus: Excidium Troiae

Six

A/N: Hello! It's been so long and I apologise for that. I would like to welcome you all to chapter six of Excidium Troiae. It's been a while so excuse me if my writing and characterisation are a bit different, I don't fully remember everything in the story. If you haven't, check out my new work, The Guardians, along with the old ones: The Hunters of the Sun and The Dissonant Notes of Fate. Enjoy the story. This ARC will probably be extremely long, I guess, because it's going to mainly focus on the journey the Achaeans made to Troy and the nine years of war, before I bring in the events of the Iliad and other sources. Enjoy!

P.S—This chapter is mainly from Achilles' point of view, as will many of the chapters involving the Greeks shall be. Until he dies, of course. 

ACHILLES' feet hit the sand and he instantly looked around in anticipation. Behind him, Odysseus and Diomedes were jumping down from the massive ship that had docked on the Island. Achilles glanced behind him and saw the fifty ships he had led to Aulis, each of them full of soldiers, with said warriors pouring out of the vessels.

The son of Thetis felt a presence next to him and he turned to acknowledge his best friend Patroclus with a nod. It had taken them next to two weeks to get to the meeting place set by the High King of Tiryns but Achilles was ready for battle, and he was anxious to get locked in combat with the man, Perseus, once more.

"Come," Odysseus' voice broke him out of his musings. "We must head to the command centre. Agamemnon will be waiting, as will Menelaus."

He scanned the campsite as they walked. There were thousands of soldiers, their armour varying, which told him that a lot of the kings had already arrived. Men were already training, setting up tents, or mingling with one another and the air seemed electrified with anticipation. Each and every one of them knew that at any moment they would be sailing to the city of Troy to lay waste to it and retrieve the Queen of Sparta, Helen.

He looked up when the men around him halted, signalling that they had arrived at their destination. The tent was the largest one so far, grand and huge, and it was bustling with activity. Several men wearing majestic armour and robes and talking with one another. Achilles saw a few head turn towards them as Odysseus said, "This is the command tent. The High King has been expecting you." The demigod acknowledged this with a nod.

Odysseus led them through the men and kings and finally through the entrance of the tent. His eyes roamed around, and he grudgingly nodded in awe, for the inside of the tent was much more magnificent than what was seen outside.

It was arranged like the court of a king and currently none of the many seats were occupied, except the throne in the centre. A burly man with a beard stood next to the one in the throne. The seated King was a bit roundish but well-muscled and huge. He wore bright armour, and had black hair with streaks of grey running through it. A large golden crown adorned his head and he was running a hand through his beard.

"King Agamemnon," Odysseus moved forward and bowed stiffly to the High King of Mycenae. "Achilles and his fleet have arrived."

"That is good," The man in the throne answered.

His gaze flickered to Achilles, eyebrow arched. He turned back to Odysseus. "This is him?"

"Yes," The other king nodded. "We found him on Skyros, where he had been hidden away by his mother Thetis."

The High King scoffed and Achilles felt raw unfiltered rage soar through him. He clenched his jaw as Agamemnon said, "So, you have finally come to serve, boy. After months of making us wait and hiding among the women."

He responded, voice scathing and hard, "I am here of my own wishes, Agamemnon. I never made an oath to your brother to help in a case where his bride was taken." He paused. "And I serve no man. I am also of royalty and my father's kingdom does not fall under your jurisdiction. I can leave anytime I please. You would do well to remember that."