Chapter 24: Troy Burns

1184 BC

"Please... Allow my family to have my body for its proper funeral rights, a pact between warriors." Prince Hector said breathing heavily, wincing every time he does so.

"A pact between warriors?" Achilles scoffed, circling Hector like a predator does its prey. "There are no pacts between lions and men Prince of Troy. History is written by the victor, and from where I stand, I've won." Achilles finished, once again face to face with Hector.

Raising his sword above his head, in a swift, fluid motion, Achilles brought it down bisecting the Prince of Troy from head to crotch.

"NOOO!"

Cries of terror could be heard from atop the wall that protects Troy.

"ACHILLES!"

Drowning out the woeful cries, the Achaeans gleefully sang their hero's name, the banging of sword to shield present after each shout.

"Job well done Achilles." Ares said, his voice echoing across the battlefield, stopping both the cries of celebration and one's of horror. "Now Pontes, if you would be so kind and allow these fine warriors entry into Troy, that would be wonderful."

As soon Ares finished, the ground beneath Troy began to violently shake.

The sound of ten thousand horses could be heard galloping toward the Trojan gates rhythmically beating the earth as if it was a war drum.

Gradually, the once bright sky began to darken. Not because of Nyx's cloak, but a shadow. Pontes' shadow.

"Wha- What is that?" One of the Achaean soldiers whispered.

"Troy's demise." Ares answered, followed by words the unfortunate surviving Trojans would never forget, "Burn it."

Hearing his master's order, the 35ft Pontes reared up, and then from behind the Greek army, expelled a long stream of fire from his nose that turned the Trojan gate, and some soldiers on both sides, to ash.

"Well, what are you waiting for?! You heard him! Troy is ours! ON ME MEN!" Odysseus commanded from the front lines of his army, not at all bothered by the incineration of some of his soldiers. "CHARGE!"

"OOOHHH!"

"Hmm, it seems I'm no longer needed, my work here is done." Ares said to no one, wiping his hands of imaginary dust, his eyes fixed on the battle.

"Heh, so the brutes finally taking his leave." The smirking Athena said from his side, she too having her eyes glued to the battlefield.

Not at all minding the name he was called, Ares replied, "This war's outcome was predetermined Athena. I only came down to change fates and sate my curiosity. My champion is alive and my curiosity now sated. What happens now, I care not for." Ares finished, turning from Athena back to the battlefield; specifically Achilles.

Putting his fingers to his lips, Ares whistled loudly, however, the only one to hear it was his steed.

"What did you do?" Athena asked, noticing Ares' actions, and then Pontes vanishing to only seconds later reappear at Ares' side.

With an eyebrow raised, Ares responded, "Whistle?"

"Yes." Athena replied nodding her head. "Is that what you did? How come I didn't hear it?" She finished, her hands on her hips, and brows furrowed.

"It wasn't meant for you to hear." Ares replied smirking, petting the now downsized Pontes.

With a gesture from Ares, Pontes lowered himself allowing his master to mount him.

As Ares did so, he paused, seemingly forgetting something.

"Ah, Athena I lied." Ares said scratching his cheek, turning to said person. "I forgot to introduce myself to the home team." He finished, and before Athena could inquire as to why, Ares was already a fiery blur heading in the direction of the Trojan King's palace.

*SLAP*

"It's because of you Troy will be in ruin!"

*SLAP*

"It's because of you Hector is dead!"

On top of the Trojan walls, Ares could see poor Helen being mercilessly assaulted by Queen Hecuba of Troy, no one willing to stop her.

Who would want to? A mother had just lost her son. No parent should have to bury their own child.

The King and the people present wanted to move. But they couldn't.

Although the circumstances in which Helen arrived were rather dismal, the Trojan Royal family welcomed her with open arms, accepted her, and sheltered her for this decade long strife, defending her honor from any slander.

In a sense, they grew to love her almost like Paris did.

However, the Queen's words speak truth.

It was her who brought the Achaeans to their doorstep.

It was her that got Prince Hector killed.

It was her who led the city of Troy to destruction.

Why would they stop it?

"Hecuba, that's enough." Ares ordered, his voice being heard by only those present on top of the wall.

"Who-"

Before Queen Hecuba could get another word out, Ares spoke once again, "That is why I am here Queen Hecuba. Although your city will soon reach its end, I wanted to introduce myself. Though now that I think about it, it's rather pointless."

"Where are you? Who are you?" This time it was Paris who spoke.

"Ah, young Paris." The people couldn't see him, but they knew Ares had a smile on his face, a wide one. "How's the little lamb from the cave?" Ares asked playfully.

"The cave? Paris what is he talking about?" The Queen asked, narrowing her eyes at her son.

Paris looked taken aback, his mouth was opening and closing but no words were coming out. 'How?' Was all he could think.

"No need." Ares said. "Your soldiers have fallen, I advise you pay attention to your city.

Sure enough, right after Ares finished, screams of citizens could be heard, and fires erupted throughout the city.

As the people present on the wall frantically ran to gather arms and protect their city, Ares spoke once again.

"Helen, your coming with me."

Before anyone could react to his words, Helen was covered in a red cloud from the ground up, and moments later was gone.

The last words Helen heard from her Trojan lover was only her name.

"HELEN!!"

Mount Olympus

Arriving as a red mist in front of Aphrodite's temple, Ares was greeted by said woman, her eyebrow raised, and arms crossed.

Noticing the predicament he was in, Ares explained himself, "There is an island that is rumored to be inhabited by a cyclops, or multiple, just west from here and across the sea. I want this island as I have plans for such. And the one on my shoulder, the lovely Helen of Troy, is apart of that plan." Ares said, walking pass Aphrodite and into the temple.

"Plan? Do divulge." Aphrodite said as she followed close behind him.

"Warrior women, my dear Aphrodite. Imagine, an island or even a part an island that solely belongs to women. Not just any type of women however, warrior women. Women who not only have the strength of multiple men but intelligence far superior to others. They will be protectors and guiders for whatever and whoever I deem necessary. That's my plan Aphrodite. I call them, Amazons." Ares divulged, placing Helen on the ground softly.

"Amazons…" Aphrodite muttered looking at the sleeping Helen.

"If you don't mind, could you watch over her? I want to see the end of this war." Ares said, a red cloud enveloping him from the ground up.

"Sure." Replied Aphrodite, her gaze still on the sleeping Helen.

Troy

It was a massacre.

The Achaeans had set fire to eighty percent of Troy, the only place left unblemished by flames being the palace.

Women, men, children. No matter who they were the Achaeans, killed, tortured, and assaulted all in their way.

Arriving in the air above a garden located in the main Trojan palace, amidst the strewn body parts of both Trojans and Achaeans, Ares could see the head of King Priam yards from his body.

The corpses of Queen Hecuba and Princess Cassandra could be seen embracing each other the best they can, with the former missing an arm, while the latter had neither and also missing a leg.

'If only they listened to you Cassandra.' Ares thought, shaking his head disapprovingly.

Hearing a loud grunt, Ares turned his head from the unfortunate family, and in the direction where he can hear the clashing of steel.

"Is this the best you can do Trojans?!" Achilles taunted, facing off against two of the remaining three Princes of Troy, Paris, and Deiphobus.

"Your arrogance will be the end of you." Deiphobus growled through his teeth.

To this declaration Achilles smiled widely.

"Achilles enough, finish your food. I have things to do." Ares spoke with a tone of finality.

Though he would enjoy watching his champion fight, he's tired. To him the Trojan war is now mundane. He experienced it, participated in it, and to a certain extent, he manipulated it.

Ares wants to see new things, find and fight stronger people, and most of all, find himself.

What is a God of War?

What does his divinity grant him?

Can he do more?

These are the things plaguing his mind currently.

"Yes my lord. As you command." Achilles said, no longer with a wide smile on his face.

'What is this man made of?' Ares thought, watching Achilles cleave the cowering Prince Paris in half.

Blocking an overhead swing from Deiphobus, Achilles used the momentum from the strike and drug his sword along Deiphobus's, cutting off fingers and leaving a small but profusely bleeding gash across his chest.

While Deiphobus was stumbling backwards holding his chest, Achilles picked up a circular shield from the corpse of a Trojan soldier, lowered his stance, and with one twist of his body threw the shield at the struggling Prince.

'Oh my me, it's Cap!' Ares thought.

The shield collided with Deiphobus's stomach, folding the Prince of Troy, and with the force Achilles threw the shield, lodged him into an adjacent wall.

"My lord it is done." Achilles said kneeling in front of seemingly no one.

"Good. Let us be off to Olympus, adventure awaits."

(A/N: So that's the conclusion of the Trojan war! Let me know if you liked it, how I can improve, all that jazz. Hopefully things get better from here. I'm excited for the chapters to come! Thanks, CK.)