Spirits Forged in Fire

The next morning, Hector was awakened from his slumber with Andromache by one of the scouts.

"My Lord, it appears that the army has left. They no longer occupy our shores." Hector sat up in bed, wide eyed in surprise at this turn of events. Andromache placed a hand on his arm, equally as wary.

"Have my horse saddled. We will ride out." He ordered, and the scout was gone.

"Achilles?" Andromache questioned.

"No, something far greater must have happened to cause Agamemnon to leave our shores. Stay here, and allow no one admittance. I want you to find Helen and Briseis, and prepare to flee should something happen." As Andromache opened her mouth to protest, Hector hushed her with a kiss, and was up and moving.

Within twenty minutes, Priam, Hector, Paris, and a small group of soldiers were standing at the coast. Bodies of dead soldiers lay on the sand, with large black sores on their already decaying faces.

"Do not get too close. Tis the plague my king. The gods have heard our cry." One of the men stated hopefully. As they surveyed the coast, a rider came galloping towards them from over a near rise.

"My King! They have left a great offering behind!" The soldier yelled breathlessly. The small party traveled over to where the massive wooden horse stood, and marveled at its size.

" Bring it into the city! Tonight we celebrate, and tomorrow we shall burn it." Priam announced, as the rider took off to fetch slaves to drag the wooden horse into Troy.

"Father, dont you think there is something ominous about it?" Hector questioned, looking at his father.

"Nonsense my boy. We won the war without even a battle. That is something to be celebrated."

"But father, perhaps-" Paris supported Hector's hesitance, but Priam would hear nothing of it.

"Tomorrow we will light up the dawn skies with a funeral pire for all of Greece; may the flames reach up to grace
the heavens, for the gods have smiled upon us!" Priam declared and spun his horse around, spurring it in the direction of the gates. Shaking his head, Hector turned and followed his father, with Paris in tow.



That evening, the city was lit up in celebration of the war they had just "won". Andromache sat in the high throne overlooking the city, flanked by Briseis and Helen. While Andromache was dressed in pure white, Helen was stunning in blue, while Briseis looked every bit the princess in a deep shade of purple. Her dark curly hair was piled atop her head, with some cascading down her back in shining ripples. Her skin glowed in the firelight, in stunning contrast the her kohl lined eyes and red stained lips. She was beautiful, and yet as emotionless as a stone. Although she had recovered physically from the past several days, the emotional wounds had yet to heal. As the King entered the high balcony with his two sons, the women all stood to greet them. Helen gave Briseis a reassuring squeeze before she took Paris' hand to be led downstairs. Beneath them, masked dancers lept around bright fires, while beautiful women carried around jars of wine, allowing each man she passed to drink generously from its contents. In the dark of night, the city burned with the light of a hundred stars, as the Trojans celebrated their newfound freedom long into the night.

On a far cliff, Achilles stood alone. He had seen the Myrmidons on their way home that day, and new that there was only one task he had left to complete, which would carve his name into history forever as the greatest warrior that ever lived. He smiled sadly in the direction of Troy, well aware of the trap. That morning, he had seen the Greeks move their ships into a far away cove, and knew that even now, the ships were making their way back towards Troy in the safety of darkness. The first sounds of slaughter would suffice as his signal to enter the city, so in the meantime he could only wait. Although his mind and soul had darkened in preparation for the upcoming battle, a ray of light still pierced his inner being in the form of Briseis. Her frightened eyes, her trembling hands, and her desperate kisses led his eyes back to Troy, where he fervently hoped that Hector would be ready.

Several hours later, a door opened up on the belly of the massive horse, and several dark figures crept out. As a pack of wolves, they made their way silently to the gates, slicing through the throats of sleeping Torjans along the way. The massive door was creakily released, waking several guards in the process. Their alarm was late coming though, for the Greek army was already streaming through the gates of Troy. Women screamed as metal struck metal, and trojan children ran for their lives. Babies wailed as their mothers desperately tried to escape. It was of no use though, Agamemnon had given his army specific instructions to kill everyone in their path, except for the priestess. Should she be found, she should be brought immediately to Agamemnon where her captor would be rewarded handsomely. Behind the troops rode in Agamemnon on his large bay steed, his sword held high.

"For Greece!" He cried, striking out at those in his path. He charged forward, over top of greeks and trojans alike, towards the palace walls.

At the first sound of commotion, Hector was out of bed and strapping on armor. Andromache hurriedly dressed, and picked up young Astyanax, who wailed at being woken up. Above the childs shrieks, Hector kissed his wife goodbye, and ordered her to find the other women and leave the city via the underground passage.

"Save whoever you can, but just get out!" He cried, before leaving her in darkness. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she fetched Helen from her room and ran to find Briseis. The young womans bed was empty though, and there was no sign of her.

"We can only hope that she has already fled" Andromache prayed out loud, as she led people downstairs. Helen passed through the gates, herding several small children ahead of her while women carried those too young to walk. Looking behind her for signs of her niece, Andromache took a deep breath and said another prayer for Briseis' safety. With that final thought, she pulled the gate closed behind her.

Briseis had been on a rooftop terrace, gazing at the sky when fighting broke out. She ran downstairs in search of her family, but found that they had already left. Briseis then turned and bolted back down the long hallway, searching every armored face she passed with no luck.

Achilles horse charged through the gate, and reared up at the spectacle of fires and bodies that littered the once beautiful city. A part of him knew that Briseis was still there, so he spurred the frightened animal forward towards the palace doors.

Briseis raced down the hallway, and into a courtyard on her way down to the passage free. When she came into the open air though, she saw that the fighting had already spilled into the castle. Swords and daggers sliced and flew all around her, blood pooling on the ground, and splashing onto the faces of the soldiers locked in battle. Not sure where to go, Briseis desperately searched for a pathway through the mass of men, to reach the stairs on the other side. Before she had made up her mind though, a hand landed heavily on her shoulder and she was yanked around to face Agamemnon.

"There now, looking for me?" He sneered, pulling her closer when she tried to pull away.

"No!" She screamed. "Let me go!"

"Go ahead and scream this time, no one will hear your cries." He said, as he threw her back onto a stone platform, knocking off clay pots of wine. His rough hands scraped at her legs as he yanked her skirts up to her waist, then undoing his own pants in the process.

"Not again! Briseis thought. "You will not have me, you will never take me!" She cried out. "You may take my body, but this is not me!" She screamed, her voice cracking with fear as she clawed at his face. Unaware of the pain though, Agamemnon kissed her roughly.Agamemnon slammed his erection into her, as she screamed again. As he pumped into her, he sneered in her face.

"So the noble Achilles is not so noble. Well you may have been his, but how does it make you feel to know you will die my whore!" He growled into her ear, his breathing ragged. Briseis struggled with every one of his thrusts, but could not move. She felt like she was dying, like she would rip in two as his invasion continued.

Hector dispatched his unworth opponent quickly, and started to engage another until he heard the familiar voice scream.

"Briseis!" He yelled as he stabbed his sword through the second soldier. Leaping over bodies, he ran towards the voice, desperately hoping he was wrong, that Briseis was with Helen and Andromache, and already gone. His worst fears were recognized as he saw Briseis on the stone table. Agamemnon slammed his erection into her, as she screamed again, louder this time. As he pumped into her a second time, he sneered in her face.

"So the noble Achilles is not so noble. Well you may have been his, but how does it make you feel to know you will die my whore!" He growled into her ear, his breathing ragged. Briseis struggled with every one of his thrusts, but could not move. She felt like she would rip in two as his invasion continued. "Hector!" She yelled, pushing violently against the king.

Hector was overcome with fury as he watched, his grip on the blade so tight that it cut through his hands. As she watched though, her noble cousin was grabbed from behind by two of the Kings bodyguards, and a sword stuck through his side; he slowly sank to the ground, his face ashen and twisted in pain. "Noooooo!" she wailed, while the King only grinned. He slammed into her again and again, as a part of her lay dying with Hector on the ground. His eyes closed slowly as the blood poured out of his wound.

When Achilles skidded around the corner, he first saw Hector dead on the ground in a pool of blood and then saw Agamemnon thrusting into her. He ran towards the king, swinging his weapon through the air. Achilles killed the two bodyguards quickly, and before Agamemnon could pull back from the woman to grab his weapon, he was yanked back. Briseis scrambled further back on the table and watched in shock. While Achilles pummeled Agamemnon, she ran to Hector. To her horror, her beloved cousin was already dead. Above her, Achilles swung his mighty sword. As the moon burst through the clouds, everyone in the courtyard witnessed the slice of Achilles great sword through the neck of the king, effectively beheading him. Both Achilles and Briseis were sprayed with blood as the kings heavy body sank lifeless to the ground. Paris and his archers burst into the courtyard as the soldiers registered Achilles betrayal, adn quickly dispatched all remaining Greeks. The Trojans weapons fell to the floor as they watched the mighty Achilles stand over the body of the dead king, and saw him spit on the dead corpse. Achilles moved to where Briseis knelt with Hector, and quickly pulled her to her feet. Fighting took place all around that yard, as it became clear to Achilles that the Trojans were losing.

"I am so sorry that I didnt get here soon enough...I"

"Shhh, you are here now, that is all that matters." She whispered, crying onto his cheek. Paris looked on in horror as his cousin and the warrior embraced and kissed. Utterly confused, he directed his men towards the walls. He leapt off the stone wall onto the grass, and approached the two.

"Briseis!" Paris yelled, breaking the two lovers apart.

"Go with him" Achilles directed, shoving Briseis towards him. "Go!" He cried, before taking off back into the battle scene, lost to her. Briseis, shivering in shock, allowed the confused Paris to drag her downstairs where he opened the door. When she hesitated at the door, Paris spun her to face him.

"Troy is lost! We must leave now!" He cried.

"But Hector..." She whispered, silently adding "but Achilles".

"Is lost too" The younger prince's voice broke. "Come, let us go! Now" He yanked her behind him, and within a moment, her legs began to work on their own accord. She and Paris sprinted down the dimply lit corridor, never looking back.