Episode 175: The Peculiar Trojan War – (9)
Poseidon's divine beast, a giant turtle, slowly entered the audience chamber of the Underworld.
I temporarily put aside the paperwork and received the divine beast's greeting as it approached me. But the piercing gaze from the side made me uncomfortable.
Zap.
The stack of documents Styx had just put down was quickly retrieved by Lethe, who then sent a resentful glare in my direction.
Hmm. Hmm. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to trouble you a little longer. I can’t exactly sit here reviewing paperwork when a messenger from another chief god has arrived.
The turtle divine beast opened its mouth, speaking in a very slow and deliberate voice.
"Greetings, Lord Hades."
"Ah, I remember you. You were present when I last met Poseidon."
"I am honored beyond words that you remember me. I bring a direct message from Lord Poseidon, who wishes to communicate with you through me..."
Swish!
As soon as he finished speaking, a bright, refreshing energy—unbefitting the Underworld—spread from his body.
Was Poseidon trying to possess the divine beast's body to speak with me directly?
As the energy subsided, Poseidon, now possessing the turtle's body, gazed at me with eyes glowing in blue light.
"Hades."
"What brings you here this time, Poseidon?"
"It’s not a major issue. It’s about the ongoing war between the Trojan army and the Greek allied forces."
Was he here to reprimand me for descending to the mortal world yesterday?
But if that were the case, Zeus, the king of the gods, would’ve sent a messenger instead of Poseidon.
"I just think it might not look good for the lord of the Underworld to interfere in a mortal war. Mortals already harbor immense fear of death, and if—"
So, he thinks I should stay out of human wars?
That’s rich coming from you, Poseidon, when you’ve interfered yourself.
Honestly, I’m too busy managing the Underworld to meddle further in mortal wars, but let’s probe him a little.
"You’re siding with the Greeks and yet you say that? If Zeus had made this request, I might consider it, but coming from you? Not so much."
"Well, I have my own reasons. Some mortals have offered me tributes. Can’t you spare my dignity a little?"
"Mortals offered you sacrifices, huh?"
So, that’s what this is about.
Polydeuces and Nestor must have spread the word about my descent to the mortal world before returning to their homeland.
They must’ve told the Greek army about it.
I’m too busy to intervene further in this war anyway.
If Poseidon insists on it, I could back off for the sake of appearances… Ah, I know just the thing.
"Fine. I’ll agree to that. But I have one condition."
"And what’s that?"
"You also withdraw from the war. Apollo and Aphrodite, who are on Troy’s side, wouldn’t dare defy your authority anyway."
"Hmm… But Troy—they’re the insolent ones who dared to insult me..."
"That was their previous king, wasn’t it? The current king of Troy bears no guilt for that."
The blue eyes of the turtle possessed by Poseidon rolled around.
After a long moment of silence, he nodded slowly.
"Very well. Let’s do it that way. Neither of us will intervene further in this war."
"A wise decision, Poseidon."
Even without me, Troy should be able to hold their own.
* * *
The Greek alliance, emboldened by their offerings to Poseidon, once again set out to capture the city of Troy.
Agamemnon, Achilles, Diomedes, Ajax, and other renowned commanders led their troops with grim determination. If only Pluto, the god of the underworld, would refrain from intervening, they were confident they could finally bring Troy to its knees.
Thus, they advanced once more, ready to breach the city's defenses.
"…Agamemnon. I think it’s time we retreat."
"The gods seem to be telling us that Troy's time has not yet come."
"Could it be that one of us has incurred divine wrath?"
Yet again, they failed.
Hector, Troy’s supreme commander, firmly shut the city gates and and continued his resistance. The walls, constructed by the gods themselves, remained unbreached.
The Trojans, wholly focused on defense, were brimming with morale, while the Greeks, lacking justification for their campaign, found their spirits faltering.
As Trojan leaders such as Aeneas, Pandarus, and Hector guarded the city with unyielding resolve, Greek soldiers attempting to scale the walls were quickly repelled, tumbling to their deaths.
Even Achilles’ valor, which managed to press the attack briefly, proved insufficient.
“Achilles has climbed the wall! Achilles is on the wall!”
“Archers, rain arrows on that spot! Hector, we need you here!”
“Achilles! Face me!”
“Ugh! You bastards!”
Achilles was no Nestor or Polydeuces.
Even among the mortals hailed as heroes, there existed a clear hierarchy of strength.
Under a barrage of arrows, boiling water, rocks, and coordinated attacks from the Trojan generals, Achilles was eventually forced to retreat with an arrow lodged in his shoulder. If not for his dear friend Patroclus supporting him, he might have perished.
“Damn it! What is this? My mother promised I’d gain a fame greater than my father’s!”
“Your mother, Achilles? Are you referring to the goddess Thetis?”
“That’s right, Patroclus. Don’t you think I’ve proven my worth? My martial skill alone should…”
While they spoke, the Greek army had already begun withdrawing after days of failed attacks on Troy.
The command, led by Agamemnon, grew increasingly anxious. The gods who wished for Troy’s destruction were equally displeased.
‘…Far fewer heroes have died than I anticipated. This is deviating from my plan,’ thought Zeus, observing the situation.
Though many heroes had become subjects of Hades, Zeus's ultimate goal was far from achieved.
From his vantage above the clouds, Zeus watched the Greek forces begin their retreat, preparing to negotiate a truce with Troy. Soldiers busied themselves with plans to return home, while Athena and Hera, looking frustrated, exchanged glances.
“Do the gods truly intend… Ha…”
“This is absurd. The Trojan campaign, a failure?”
“Let’s just return home and rest. We’ve come all this way for nothing…”
Zeus, stroking his beard as he watched in silence, suddenly raised his voice.
“Hermes!”
“Yes, Father!”
“Summon Zephyrus, Notus, and all the other wind gods. Then deliver my words to Poseidon…”
As he began whispering instructions to the messenger god, Hermes listened attentively and nodded before hurrying off to carry out his father’s orders.
* * *
On their journey back to their homeland after negotiating a truce with Troy, Achilles and his close friend Patroclus were engaged in a conversation aboard the ship sailing across the sea.
"Listen, Patroclus. I’m telling you, my mother said so!"
"Lady Thetis wouldn’t be one to speak idle words, but still, the fame you gained in this war doesn’t quite..."
"I know, I know! I didn’t accomplish anything extraordinary compared to my father. But perhaps the prophecy speaks of my future fame..."
Achilles was regarded as the most talented hero of Greece in his time. Though not yet on par with the legendary monster-slayers of the previous generation, it was widely believed that he would someday rival them if he continued to grow.
The prophecy about him proclaimed that he would surpass his father, Peleus.
It was the goddess Thetis herself who revealed this prophecy to him. His father, Peleus, was a great hero who had vanquished countless monsters and married a goddess.
But Achilles couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t been able to make a truly overwhelming impact in this war.
"I mean, if someone like me participated in the war, shouldn’t this be the moment where I surpass my father?"
"Haha, calm down, Achilles. I witnessed your deeds firsthand. When we return home, I’ll have your achievements written down in a book!"
“A book? Hah… What nonsense, Patroclus. Enough of your strange ideas.”
“What’s so strange about it? Imagine gathering a group of writers and telling the story of the Trojan War…”
Unaware of the future that awaited them, the mortals chattered away on the ship, their voices carrying over the waves. Watching them from above the clouds was a divine being—the god of the north wind, Boreas, who had been commanded by Zeus.
Whoooosh!
"What the—! What’s with this wind?"
“No matter how hard we row, the ship keeps drifting to strange waters! Even the currents feel off…”
"It looks like we’re drifting far from the intended route."
The ship carrying Achilles began to veer dramatically off course. Soon, Boreas turned his attention to the other Greek heroes' ships as well.
* * *
How much time passed as they drifted across the sea?
After being battered by a violent storm, their ship was wrecked. Achilles, Patroclus, and their soldiers managed to land on an unfamiliar island, only to be met with sights they had never encountered before.
Dense forests, towering cliffs, and an untouched wilderness. It could have been dismissed as an uninhabited island if not for...
Screeeeeeeech!
In the distance, a massive bird soared through the sky. However, the bird’s face unmistakably resembled that of a human woman.
"A harpy?"
"Achilles, do you know what those creatures are?"
"My father mentioned them once. He said they had retreated to places untouched by human hands."
"Just where have we drifted to?"
For a moment, they stood frozen, their faces blank with confusion as they surveyed their surroundings.
Hadn’t most monsters already been hunted to extinction? Yet here was a giant wolf sleeping in the distance, while nearby, a nymph laughed and disappeared into thin air.
The island teemed with all manner of inhuman beings, creatures that had escaped the reach of mortal heroes.
"Have we been cursed by the gods to drift to an island of monsters?"
"Fixing the ship will take time. We’ll need plenty of wood, too."
"Do you think those creatures will leave us alone while we repair the ship?"
Would they manage to survive and make it back home?
* * *
Based on Patroclus’s accounts, this ancient Greek epic recounts the Trojan War era and its mythical monsters in vivid and thrilling detail.
It is a tale that would eventually bring Achilles fame rivaling that of Heracles, and the story of his fateful shipwreck on the island of monsters would stand out as a legendary adventure.
One of the top entries in the 21st Century World Literature 100 Greatest Stories, Achilssey begins.
××××
Access all the remaining chapters (2 Main Stories + 5 Epilogues + 11 Side Stories)
+
The additional 8 chapters of the novel - The Heroine Stole My Regression
With a one-time donation of just $3 on my Ko-fi page.
Link —> https://ko-fi.com/astrascans
××××