* * *
Apollo drove off once Elpis was on the ground, leaving her with nothing but a gold bow and a quiver of gold arrows. Hearing the screams and cheers of men off to the side, Elpis walked toward a circle of soldiers and easily pushed them out of her way. The soldiers stared at her in amazement, speechless as she walked by.
When she came to the center of the circle, she stopped abruptly. Dead in the dirt below her was the hero with the purple cape and white horse embroidery.
“Hector,” she whispered as tears swelled in her eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the dead prince, unable save him. She half expected her powers to react; however, nothing guided her.
Achilles rode up on his horse with a rope and tethered Hector’s feet to his saddle. Before Elpis could stop him, he took off towards his tent dragging Hector’s body behind him. Upon hearing a woman’s screams in the distance, Elpis discovered she had empathic powers that allowed her to feel the grief of Hector’s weeping widow as if it were her own.
Elpis was furious with Achilles, but heard Mot’s voice in her head explaining that anger would only bring more death. She turned away from the battle and headed towards Achilles’ hut. Greek soldiers followed her in silence. She exhibited a natural but undeniable presence of leadership.
As Elpis reached Achilles’ hut, the widow’s grief continued to build in her chest. She felt grief not only for Hector, but also at the thought of losing Achilles as Anath predicted. It was too late to protect Hector, but she refused to lose Achilles.
This war must end, she thought to herself as she entered the hut.
“Who are you?” Achilles demanded pointing a sword at Elpis’ throat.
Unafraid of Achilles, Elpis swatted the sword from her face.
“It does not matter who I am, but what I can do for you,” replied Elpis. “I have a plan to win the war for the Greeks. All you have to do is release Hector’s body to his father, King Priam. I will fetch for him now.”
Elpis turned to leave without waiting for his answer, and Achilles grabbed her arm.
“You will do no such thing,” grunted Achilles as he squeezed her arm tighter.
Electricity shot through Elpis’ body into Achilles the moment he touched her. The shock stole the air from his lungs and he crashed to his knees.
“Who are you?” Achilles asked breathlessly.
“I am everything you are not. I suggest you do as I say and prepare Hector’s body for proper transport,” Elpis advised him, remembering how disgusted she had been watching Achilles drag Hector’s body.
The Greeks allowed Priam to hold a twelve-day burial ceremony for Hector. During those twelve days, Elpis divulged her plan to Achilles and another Greek general, Odysseus. They began executing the devious plot to defeat Troy.
The Greeks steadily worked on building a wooden horse large enough for several soldiers to hide. Once completed, they left the wooden structure on the beach for the Trojans to find. Elpis then instructed them to move their ships down to a bend protected by cliffs, out of view of Trojan scouts.
After the burial ceremony, Elpis traveled to the Trojan palace to notify Priam’s advisor of the Greek’s present to the gods. She advised him to honor the gods by bringing the wooden monument into the city and throw a feast for their triumph over the Greeks. As payment, Priam offered a bedroom for Elpis to stay and celebrate their victory.
Elpis and Odysseus planned their attack down to the second. She needed to meet the Greeks in the courtyard to help Odysseus and Achilles take the city. She knew that with her powers she could lessen the Trojan lives wasted at the end of Greek swords. She could also protect Achilles until she could get him out safely.
Elpis had mere minutes before she needed to be in the courtyard when she saw Hector’s wife, Andromache, across the room of the feast. She decided to pay her respects for the fallen Trojan hero.
“Your Highness,” Elpis bowed as she addressed Andromache, “Hector was a great man. He deserved to outlive this war.”
“My Husband was a general. If it was not this war it would have been another that took him from my arms,” Andromache replied plainly. Tears filled her eyes, betraying her remorse-free tone.
Andromache held on to her infant son, no older than four. He looked exactly like his father Hector.
Anger snapped in Elpis. She was furious with Achilles for taking Hector from this world. It was Andromache’s anger, but it overwhelmed Elpis’ empathic powers. She would not allow the Trojan civilization or bloodline to die simply because it was a means to an end of the war. She had to get Hector’s family out of the city.
“Quick, for the love of your son, come with me.” Elpis grabbed Andromache’s hand and rushed to the exit.
Elpis ordered a young soldier named Aeneas to take Andromache and her son along with as many other Trojans he could handle to a Trojan fishing boat. He was to sail for the lands past the Greek Isles, safe from Grecian attack.
“The gods will grant you safe passage under penalty of my wrath,” Elpis told Aeneas. Lightning flashed in her eyes as she spoke to the sky.
Aeneas, a demigod, recognized divine power when he saw it. However, he had never seen such power in any being before. He did as Elpis ordered without argument.
After helping Hector’s family escape, Elpis rushed to the terrace overlooking the courtyard, arriving in time to see Achilles shot with an arrow through his heel. The arrow pierced the one spot on Achilles not protected, the spot where his mother held him as she dipped him in the River Styx. The silver shimmer of the protection spell shattered from the blow.
Elpis searched for the shooter of the arrow and found Hector’s brother, Paris, across the courtyard. He pulled his bow back three more times rapidly shooting arrows into Achilles’ chest, piercing his armor and heart.
Anath’s cruel words rang out in Elpis’ memory. If Hades wants a life, that life will be taken. Elpis gasped at the realization of her actions. Hector’s bloodline was meant to die here. Saving their lives sealed Achilles’ death.
Elpis quickly snapped her fingers and Paris vanished from the courtyard. He appeared on the boat next to Hector’s wife before the world lost another hero.
A lump formed in her throat. Elpis hyperventilated and pulled at the high neckline of her dress. “I need to get out of here. No more,” Elpis vowed. “No more war. It ends with me.” She closed her eyes and let her powers steal her away from the battle’s carnage.
The Phoinix: Age of Demigods Page 9
