Wars Of Love

A Priestess For A City

"Poseidon talked to the fates for my Mom. They said I'm going to die." Achilles' words hung heavy in the air, as if the weight of his impending doom had settled upon the room. His eyes, once filled with wonder and possibility, now seemed empty and devoid of hope. It was as if the fates themselves had closed off all other paths, forcing him onto this one inevitable journey towards death..

"No!" I yelled furiously, my voice filled with desperation. Achilles jolted in shock, his eyes widening at my sudden eruption. "Because they said you will die, doesn't mean it will happen now. It could be in ten years, or even a hundred from now."

"Patroklos..." Achilles began, but I ignored him, my words tumbling out in a torrent of emotion.

"They- They're playing tricks! Trying to make us fall for these lies!"

Suddenly, my body froze in place, my pacing halted as Achilles seized my movement. I looked into his eyes, searching for a glimmer of hope, but all I found was resignation.

"Patroklos..." Achilles spoke softly, his voice heavy with sorrow. His eyes closed shut, and I felt his head fall against mine.

My own eyes closed, tears welling up and cascading down my cheeks. I couldn't hold back the overwhelming grief that washed over me.

"I can't lose you!" I cried, my voice shattering like glass. My wailing grew more erratic and uncontrollable.

"Patroklos..." Achilles' fingers gently touched my chin, lifting it up. I opened my eyes, meeting his glistening gaze. He had been crying too. "We both knew this was a possibility. We both knew that I could die by coming here. This doesn't change anything, except that I have to bring down the shield before I die or before someone else somehow manages to do so."

"It does change everything!" I choked out, my voice cracking. "Before, it was a possibility, but now it is certainty. I can't bear to lose you too..."

Achilles fell silent, and I stared at him, waiting for him to say something, anything. I wanted him to tell me he was wrong, that he had changed his mind. I wanted him to grab my hand and take me back home, away from this impending tragedy. But all he said was, "I'm sorry."

Those three words hung in the air, heavy with regret and finality. We didn't speak anymore. There was nothing more I could say to him, no words that could change his mind.

Fury and grief consumed me, intertwining in a whirlwind of emotions. I longed to hit him, to release the anger that burned within me. Yet, at the same time, I mourned for him, for the life that would be cut short. But above all, I simply longed for this chaos to end.

I wrapped my arms tightly around Achilles, burying my face in his chest. I cried, my tears flowing freely as if I had already lost him.

What else was I supposed to do? How else was I meant to react to this heart-wrenching situation? I felt utterly powerless, unable to stop him from walking this path towards death. And in that moment, I knew I was going to lose him, just as I had lost my father.

As my consciousness slowly returned, I could hear the sound of shouting in the distance. The emotional turmoil I had experienced had completely exhausted me, causing me to pass out.

As the shouting grew louder, my eyes shot open in an instant. Standing before me was Achilles, with Briseis tightly bound to the bed, desperately struggling to free herself.

"Untie me, you bastard!" Briseis screamed, her voice filled with anger and desperation as she pulled at the ropes.

"Calm down! We're trying to help you," Achilles attempted to soothe her, but he backed away from her wild kicking.