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The Argive: Gates of Hades, Chapter I: Achilles

The Argive: Gates of Hades, Chapter I: Achilles

The Argive is a mythological novel, taking place at ancient Greece, during the rein of Alexander the Great. Gods and Monsters live among humans. These are dark times for Greece. An alternative story, where Alexander may be not so good after all. Follow Achilles and his friends throughout their journey. You will meet familiar characters and visit real locations. Realism and myth combined, in order to provide an intense story and an exciting adventure.

The Great King

It was noon already at the city of Pella. The celebrations of Philip’s daughter wedding, Cleopatra, had already started. The king wanted to show the might and wealth of the Macedonian Kingdom. He made a huge celebration, his servents were bringing enormous amount of food and drinks, his soldiers wore their finest armor. He was a proud man. This day, was a good day. He had orchestrated a parade, too. There was going to be a line of beasts from Anatolia, groops of his finest soldiers, with his Macedonian Phalanx at it’s full might. Their shields, swords and spears were shining under the light of the sun. Thirteen statues were going to enter the stage. Twelve of them were the statues of the Olympian Gods, and the last one was a depiction of him. He was portraiting himself as a God, equal to the Olympians.

He smiled, seeing them entering the stage. Now it was his time. He was going to enter the stage from a stoa, which led to the middle of the stage. The plan was, once he was out there, in front of his thousand subjects, the part of the stage where he was on, to go up in the air, to show his superiority. He smiled again while making this thought.


“Father!” the voice of his son made him return to reality. “Father! It’s time”.
Alexander, his son, was going to lead the Royal Bodyguards. Philip gazed upon him with pride in his eyes.
“Well, you are looking pretty good in my armor, son” he laughed.
“This royal tunic looks good, too”.
“I’m pretty healthy so far, thank you”.
Father and son laughed together.
“Alright, son” he said, streightening his tunic. “Let’s give them a show to remember”.

Murder

Alexander and the soldiers appeared first, under the cheers of the crowd. Everyone was waiting for the king. But the king never appeared. As Phillip was straightening his clothes and adjusting his golden, cloaked man appeared out of the shadows, like o ghost of the dark night, striked at him, with no one seeing him, putting a dagger to the king’s ribs.

“The Gods are sending their regards” whispered to him.

The hooded man run towards a guard, handing the blooded knife to the unaware guard. Then he run away and dissapeared. The guard, whose name was Pausanias, run to his king side. But it was to late. Phillip died, pouring blood through his mouth.  

Then he run away and dissapeared


“NOOOOO!” he cried.

He saw the soldier with the blooded dagger, standing above the lifeless body of the king. The other soldiers run beside Alexander, hearing his cry.
“Seize that man! Seize him now!”
Soldiers filled the stoa, chasing down the soldier. He run immediatly, seeing all of these furious men chasing him. He started fleeing away the stoa. But an arrow stopped him. He dropped dead, with an arrow piercing his head.
“Idiots! Stupid mongrels! I asked you to seize him, not kill him!” said Alexander, appearing in the entrance of the gallery, with eyes red from crying and anger.

The men looked at each other with question.
“Take care the body of the king” he ordered, more calmly this time. “And dissolve the crowd. The show is over!”.

Achilles Initiation

“Achilles, son of Poseidon, come forward!” the High Priest said.

“Brother and sisters of the Sacred Brotherhood of Delphi” started his lecture.”We gathered here today, to initiate to our cause, Achilles. This young warrior before you, has successfully completed his Trial. He gave an and to a tyrant, an arrogant king, who dared to equal himself to the Gods! Such blasphemy could not be tollerated! The father of the Gods, Zeus himself, ordered his assassination!”.

Everybody bowed their heads, hearing the name of Zeus.

“So, by the power vested in me by the ancient Olympians, I call you, Achilles, to stand here before me”. Achilles stood. He was about 17 years old. But there was nothing childlish on him. He was thin, but muscular. A well treated beard on his chin. He also was tall, not to much, but above average.

Now he was standing in front of the whole Brotherhood, wearing only pants, with his chest naked and exposed. He had a weird mark on his chest, like a burn.”Almost a thousand years ago, after the bloody war on the sands of Troy, three war heroes, Odysseus, Neoptolemus and Philoctetes stood here where we stand now and created our sacred Brotherhood, a warrior and priest society, with a single purpose. To mantain the faith to the Olympian Gods and punish everyone who dares to oppose or dismiss them. They promised they would destroy them, like Priam and his sons, like Minos and every king and ruler before and after their time. They sealed their aggrement with blood” and by completing this last sentence he sliced his dagger on his palm. Drops of blood started to pour out of his hand. He dropped them in a golden cup.

Achilles, an Argive

“Your hand” he said. Achilles, without saying a word, he spread out his hand.

“This might hurt a little” the High Priest wispered.

With a quick move he sliced Achilles’ hand and blood poured out. Another priest took the golden cup and filled it with the running blood.”It is time” said the priest and gave the cup with the combined blood to Achilles.

“Drink it” the priest said. Acilles started drinking it without hesitation.

“You have been blessed with the gift of Manipulation of Water, a gift from your father, Poseidon. Drinking our combined blood, it will enhance your abilities, your senses, your fighting. We help you master and tame your power”.

Achilles, drank the last drop of the cup.

“I place you in the ranks of the Warriors. Your new life begins now. You are kneeling before me as an Initiate. Arise… an Argive”.

The New King

Alexander put two coins on the eyes of his father.
“A coin, for the Ferryman” said putting a coin to his mouth.

He climbed down the wooden tower. It was really big for a pyre. But he wanted to honour his memory. He wanted the people to remember him as the God who claimed he was.
“As it seems, Gods can die to…” said his best friend, Hephaistion. “I am with you, brother. I stand with you”.

Alexander just nodded. It was a diffecult time for him.
“It’s time…” he wishpered to himself.

He took a torch from a soldier next to him. Some soldiers were dropping pitch to the wooden structure, so it would burn more easily. Alexander lighted with the torch, a line of pitch which immediatly caught fire and started burning the tower. He held his tears back. He couldn’t been seen weak.
“I will avenge you, father… Curse the Gods, I will. Whatever it takes…” he said through his teeth with anger and he went into the palace.

He went up to his quarters and locked the doors, not wanting to see anyone, eating nothing. Only in the afternnon, Ptolemy, his half-brother went to him.
“Alexander! Enough with your mourning! The men are waiting for you. Your time has come”.

No response from Alexander. Five minutes later, the doors opened and Alexander came out, full of armor. He swept away any tears left on his face and drew his sword. He went to the big balcony. Underneath, his army and thousands of his people were waiting for him. When thew saw him coming, with his armor shining and his sword reflecting the light of the sun, they started shoutin his name.
“Alexander! Alexander!”

Promises


Ptolemy went forward, holding the crown in his hands.
“Hear, oh Greeks of Macedonia, Thessaly, Athens and Corinth. Here I present you the new king of all Greeks. All hail our king Alexander!” and then he put the crown in the head of his king.
“Long live the king!” shouted all the generals together.
“Long live the king!” the crowd shouted.
Alexander lifted his sword, pointing at the sky.
“Oh Greeks, give the throne and I promise you, I will give you the world!” he said, causing thousands of voices to cheer.

Everyone were cheering. Only Ptolemy stood anxious and conserned about all these. He took a quick brief at the eyes of the king. He startled by what he saw. His one eye was on his natural colour green. But the other… had a different colour. It was in the colour of Hades. Blackened red.

After Phillip’s Death, his son, Alexander, took the throne.

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