Snippet Sunday
From this unnamed fic in which Achilles is the Champion of Elysium, and Patroclus has spent the years in Asphodel. cw for violence and gore as might be found in the iliad.
~
As Patroclus joins the other shades flowing into the stands of the arena, he sees that Zagreus was correct; he is wearing the wrong color. This probably puts a time limit on his ability to stay here, so he rejects caution and pushes his way to the front where the best seats are.
The arena is empty, but across the way, Patroclus can see colorful banners with a blond-haired man’s visage sewn onto them. He knows it is meant to be Achilles, but all he can think is, who wove them? Is this how the warriors spent their downtime? Did they have downtime? Did the weavings in Asphodel somehow make it to Elysium? And if so, did the women who made these banners even know who they wove or what it was for?
The murmuring of thousands of souls starts to ripple into patterns, louder and then muffled, the voices and whispers coagulating into individual syllables, into a rhythm known to all but him, and when Patroclus finally understands the words of this spontaneous chant, it is loud enough to shake the floors of the stands.
Aristos! Achaion!
Achilles looks small as he walks into the center of the arena, his golden hair blocking Patroclus from being able to make out his face. His cuirass is so polished it appears to shine with its own glow. He bears a different shield than the one he had in life and a different spear, holding a helmet under his arm.
If Patroclus still had a heart, he thinks it would have stopped.
Achilles’ eyes don’t wander. He doesn’t take in the arena or the men calling his name. He jams his helmet on his head—where did they get such horsehair, Patroclus cannot help but wonder—and he waits.
The gate to the arena opens, and Zagreus rushes in.
If Achilles looked small, Zagreus looks tiny. Tiny and young and not at all certain of himself in the face of a warrior who is deadly sure of himself. His eyes do scan the crowd, though Patroclus can’t be sure why. He must not know anyone here. He won’t find many in the way of allies.
He is certainly about to die.
Achilles has never drawn out a death. He was never cruel. He was as likely to take hostages to sell back to their families as he was to fight to the death, but when it was the latter, it was over quickly. Zagreus has the misfortune of having faced Achilles many times already, which means Achilles aims with deadly precision. The first strike with his spear hits true, a hit to the chest that would kill any mortal man, but Zagreus is a god, and he gets back up again.
Achilles anticipated this as well. His sword is already in his hand, and this time he aims higher, thrusting through Zagreus’s mouth and out the back. Patroclus winces—such a gory death—but it also instantly severed the boy’s ability to feel pain or anything at all.
To the screams of the audience, Achilles pulls his sword out and wipes it on a clean bit of the boy’s chiton. He does the same with his spear, needing to brace his foot against Zagreus’s shoulder to pull it out. Then, curiously, the godling disappears in a rush of what looks like blood and in his place is left an amphora.
Knowing his part in this, Achilles picks his prize up and displays it to the crowd, whatever it is.
Look at me, Achilles, Patroclus thinks. Find me in your crowd. He sticks out like a sore thumb in his red robes. It would be difficult for Achilles’ eyes not to find him. He just needs to look up at the crowds once again calling his name.
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Pleased to see two of the units I wanted on the fallen banner, but cannot BELIEVE they denied us Red Alear. Where's the rest of the Fell Dragon family, FEH?
Like. Do we realise that Lumera now has more alts than the actual main character of Engage? She wouldn't even be happy about that, she doesn't want to outshine her child :(
Oh well. Heroes, the game which continually disappoints me, has once again disappointed me, no news here.
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Okay I have to ask. Why do the corners/curves of the S's in 'VS' not tilt the same way as the rest of the lines? The ones at the top left and bottom right.
this is such a niche thing for someone to notice and i am entertained that you did. TLDR the fonts S doesnt actually have those curves there, but it was looking like a 5 to me so i edited it. unfortunately i'd already rotated it and didn't notice that it didn't match up until now.
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