Achilles&Briseis: A Novel

Chapter 24

Achilles

13 Years Before

The clash of swords and the blinding flash of sunlight as it caught the edges of metal bounced around the training yard. Hurried footwork as the Myrmidons trained below fascinated the boy who'd snuck away from his teacher. As he observed his father's palace from his high hiding place, brooding, irritated, sick of the centaur and his teaching, Achilles thought about the reason for his being exiled to the smoking mountain.

It was a punishment at his mother's insistence. Unjust, entirely not deserved but when his mother had shrieked with all her breath upon his return, his father had caved to her wails and Achilles was sent up the fiery mountain.

At the age of ten, three years ago, Achilles had grown bored. He'd been drilled time and time again in the art of swordplay. Peleus, Achilles' father, was always telling stories of his time with Jason and the Argonaughts. The grand adventures turned the boy's head and filled it with visions of glory, glory Achilles longed to be attached to his name, to outshine his father and his achievements. This lead Achilles to steal a horse, armor, and sent him trailing behind the Myrmidons as they went to war with a neighboring kingdom. His absence wasn't noted immediately, an eclipse had happened that day and drew attention away from his empty chambers. Most assumed the godling boy was off somewhere with the other boys of court, as was often his custom.

It wasn't uncommon for boys in training to accompany the soldiers on campaign as horse groomers, armor polishers, or just general attendants, the addition of another around camp wouldn't draw attention. Still, Achilles was extremely cautious, he managed to keep his head down, literally. In order to keep his glowing yellow eyes hidden he couldn't look at anyone directly. There was only one godling in the kingdom of Phthia, Achilles son of the king and his ocean goddess wife. Anyone who saw his eyes would know him as Achilles.

Night was the hardest, but since he wasn't sworn to anyone in particular no one came looking for him at night. But in order to hide his eyes, Achilles had to camp away from the others once the sun went down. He'd only been in one battle before getting caught. Not enough to satisfy the itch he felt for real combat. It wasn't even a big battle, he'd gotten a single scratch on his forearm from an arrow. His helmet had come off during the battle, it had always been an ill fit as it wasn't made for him, and one of the commanders spotted him before Achilles had gotten it back on. He was dragged back to his parents in shame.

A large shadow encompassed the boy's form and Achilles had just enough time to roll out of the way, before a giant horse hoof came down where his head had been. Tiny rocks skittered down the slope, no one in the training yard even looked up. They were down too far to notice. "You're supposed to be practicing the harp, Achilles."

Achilles rolled his eyes. "I don't care about the harp. I'm already better at it than the court minstrels anyway."

"Better than the court minstrels will not suffice for your mother's gathering. This is to be your first presentation to the gods. Zeus will be in attendance-"

Achilles cut him off. "What do I care for Zeus or the other immortals? What have they ever done for me?" The smoking mountain rumbled. The ground moved beneath their feet. Down below, the soldiers and villagers cried in alarm as they lost their feet and dropped what they were holding. Achilles and Chiron were the only two near the mountain who remained sure footed as the quake shook the capitol.

"The gods mark your words, boy."

Achilles snorted at the warning in his teacher's tone. A superstitious person, such as Chiron, would insist Achilles had offended the gods with his words and they showed their displeasure by making the mountain tremble. Achilles however, looked at the rumble as a natural consequence of living near the smoking mountain. If the gods are offended every time it shakes they're offended easily and terribly often, Achilles thought, 'what kind of god is that?'