Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

POV: Odysseus
Following a shadows length behind nausicaa and her servants careful of making a scene,odysseus drew his steps, observing the grove around him he slowly walked forward tired and low on energy, as he slowly took large steps towards king alcinous’s palace he disappeared in a shimmer of light as quiet and unseen as the mist that shielded him from the phaeacians distrustful gaze.

Feeling the shift in the air, Odysseus’s downturned gaze suddenly sharpened as his body tensed. There was nothing he could do as he felt himself twisting and turning, as if the tornadoes of a sudden storm came to lay vengeance upon him while on land. It went on for what felt like a lifetime until suddenly…
Everything stopped, and he was

Falling

Down

Down

Down…

His eyes snapped open, gasping suddenly to get lost oxygen back in his lungs he looked sharply to his right only to see unfamiliar architecture, the first wall he saw seemed to be made of glass tempered and blemish free glass, and as as he slowly turned, surveying his surroundings he noticed that there was a slight platform on the farthest wall behind him. There didn't seem to be any presence he could feel in the room and strangely enough it was filled with a multitude of strange looking klines and misformed blobs in bright colors, as he took a step forward a loud popping noise immediately jumoed back into his previouslytense statecaused him to turn to look back at the strange platform with one sharp turn as a strange parchment appeared, floating in the air

Tense once more odysseus walked towards it, steps slow and measured even as his sore and aching body protested he grabbed the parchment out of the air and closed his eyes, scared that something would happen, when he felt no pain or discomfort he slowly opened his eyes again to the same sunlight filled room and empty platform, slowly he unclenched the fist his hand had made around the strange parchment as he took a look at it his facial expression changed as he read

“To King Odysseus of Ithaca(or whomever it may concern)

You may not know me, and you may never know me, but I know you
I know all the pains and strife you've had to endure on your 20-year journey and
I know you are all but a small distance from the shore of your kingdom and less than a few hours away from your beloved wife and son
But to make it home, you must endure one last long, arduous task that may bring hope to friends and foes alike, while the rewards will far outweigh the consequences and you will be so close to the ones you love yet unable to help them in any way..
I must ask you, King Odysseus of Ithaca, can you endure one more storm to ensure your return home is a homely and safe environment, or will you fulfill your final prophecy and paint your palace in red?”

Odysseus looked up from the strange papyrus, confusion painting his face and body filled with hesitation. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and as he decided, he spoke,” I…”

Chapter Text

Multi POV(mostly Penelope

In a room bathed in gold, the steady tranquility of the ethereal glowing room of glass and sunlight went from a quiet stillness to loud and unruly loudness, voices echoed and chaos built steadily as the now confused and tense occupants noticed the sudden change in scenery

Penelope felt disoriented, as far as she knew she was just on her way back to her chambers, slowly taking a walk through the palace halls as she contemplated the difficulty in the challenge she issued, she felt assured that no man other than her husband could string that bow with his wits and did not feel too frightened that she could not stall a little longer, and then suddenly from in moment and the next she was here in an unrecognizable room that seemed to be filled with gold (ik i'm using gold a lot as an adjective for the light but bear with me here) but she schooled her surprised expression and studied the grouped people in the room alongside her

She recognized Helen of Troy, her husband king Menelaus of Sparta and a few of the suitors who dared to enter her palace,[the resentment and hate she felt bubble within her was no small amount but she had spent 20 years honing her emotions and waiting for the day she could take her revenge on the intruders], but she did not let it show on her face and continued to walk around the large room in slow measured steps, She spotted eurycleia closer to one of the strange walls standing next to one of the newer maidservants melantho who showed up with the crew of suitors all those years ago, she started to walk towards that corner to check up on her, when she heard behind her the one voice she would never want to hear in a situation where she was unaware of the dangers

“Mother”Telemachus’s hesitant voice called out to her, she turned towards him, reassuring words on the tip of her tongue, but before she could speak, she noticed behind him there was a strange raised platform in the ground with a slight on each side, above it was a piece of parchment that was such a bright white she almost thought it was a piece of cloth, quickly she strode towards it, being careful to ensure Telemachus followed behind her from the corner of her eye, she grabbed it out of the air as most conversations stopped and attention turned towards her

She cleared her throat, hoping to catch the attention of everyone who wasn’t paying her any while in this strange room, she was still unsure as to where they were and why they were there but hoped it wasn't anything bad anything nefarious, she took a glance down at the parchment in her hand quickly scanning it to gleam the message it held before reading it aloud

“My queen, what message might you hold for us in your lovely hands?” asked Eurymachus, grinning devilishly
Penelope frowned at his comment before glancing once more at the parchment in her hands and prepared to read the parchment “This papyrus i hold in my hands states that we will be watching a tale unknown, to gain knowledge of what has been happening in seas far from our own, it states specifically that we will ‘gain the answers we seek’ and put most our restless hearts to rest”

Behind her, as he read over her shoulder, Telemachus felt himself light up, the answers they seek? Would he finally know whether his father had died or was just too far from home once and for all, Stepping out of his wandering mind he brought back attention his mother as she continued reading “the klines and strangely shaped objects you find scattered around are your seating for this specific viewing, to make the story we tell compressed and less mentally taxing, we the deities who gift you this chance have gained help from the muses of a far future to elevate your experience by making it an Epic tale split into nine rudimentary parts” and with that final word the paper seemed to fall to a million pieces and disappear Penelope looked back up at the mass of people in front of her and started with a slight nod that that was all the parchment said

Without delay telemachus held on to his mothers wrist and slightly pulled her toward one of the strangely shaped klines near the front “mother lets quickly grab a seat so we can start and leave this place” he spoke to her in a hushed tone, in a louder tone he hesitantly addressed the rest of the room,” Like the parchment my mother held has stated its best we take a seat and start this viewing quickly, if this deity has gained help from muses yet to be then they must be quiet powerful and this isn’t a chance we should waste” he quietly tapered off as he and his mother reached the seat closest to the front

Quickly and quietly the rest of the room took the seats as close to front as possible, antinous trying his minimal luck trying to gain a seat next to the queen and her only son but finding himself strangely unable to, as if someone was already there, he looked suspiciously at the empty spot noticing the nervous look telemachus sported and the cold indifference on queen penelope's face “calm yourself little wolf” he chuckled as he stated mockingly,” it seems that this seat will stay unoccupied …for now” he shook his head as he arrogantly swaggered to the strangely shaped chairs closest to the ground and settled himself in one
As everyone took a seat, the seemingly never-setting golden glow of the room dimmed away. The room turned dark blue like late night, and the atmosphere darkened alongside it…

Chapter Text

…Slightly startled by the darkening of the room and the sudden mysterious light glowing above the platform where everyone stared,amphinomus looked around settling in the strange chair he found himself in, hoping to chase away his discomfort, he found himself once more looking forward as the glow infront grew brighter and suddenly words showed upon the wall it was projected upon

WARNING
The scenes that you see today are the truth and nothing but
This room was crafted for entertainment purposes, and that's all it will be used for
There will be no violence of the verbal or physical kind
There will be no loud jeering or shouting at the projections shown, as you are civil adults, and we expect you to act accordingly
If you cannot follow these rules, you will be EXPELLED from the room and dealt with accordingly.
Thank you :D

He shivered, now more frightened at the threatening message and the strange symbols at the end that seemed to imitate a smile, he burrowed himself deeper in the ‘chair’ as The words on the screen slowly faded to show an unknown palace The projection zooms in to show an entrance and then a huge horse

Helen gazes at the screen warily. She was unsure as to why she was even here in the first place, and now, seeing the entrance to the gates of Troy, she finds herself even more confused

[ODYSSEUS]
Alright, my brothers, listen closely
The projection is still zooming, showing the many men inside of the strangely huge horse, zooming and stopping on the back of one man

A gasp rings quietly through the otherwise quiet room, recognition audible in the sound

Still zoomed onto his back, the darkness of the room in the horse, there's suddenly a light as if the mysterious man has lit a torch

Tonight we make the Trojans pay
Ten years of war, they killed us slowly
But now we'll be the ones who slay
Slowly, as he watches his mother's expression change from its smooth indifference to a choked-up, teary expression, Telemachus realizes who this must be

Think of your wives and your children
Your families wonder where you've been
They're growing old, and yet you're still here
Do what I say and you'll see them again
The screen pans around to finally show the man's face as he walks up and down the line of soldiers along the horse

The conversation that was happening between the four suitors goes silent as they realize who exactly they were watching based solely on the reaction of the queen and the old maid in the back

[SOLDIERS]
Yes, sir!

Other than the quiet choked sobs of Eurycleia in the back of the room and the slight shine to Penelope's eye, its as if the entire room had frozen in place, after twenty long years they finally see the king once more and the projection seems to show 20 years ago, when they lost all contact

Helen was now frowning, she hadn't expected to see odysseus of all people and not on the last night she got a good look of him, after assisting in her rescue her from troy she hadn't been able to say a word to him before he was off on his way home, to see his beloved wife, she felt respect for him and his cunning mind but was a little put off seeing him now when he hadn't made it home in apparently 20 years (this is rlly ooc but i dont know anything abt helen sorry)

[ODYSSEUS]
Diomedes will lead the charge
Agamemnon will flank the guards
Menelaus will let our mates through the gates to takе the whole city at large
Tеucer will shoot any ambush attack
And Little Ajax will stay back
Nestor, secure Helen and protect her

The mention of Helen nearly startled Penelope out of her quiet glee of finally viewing her husband; she felt maybe she should feel a little more resentful, as Helen had been the main driving factor to this whole war in the first place, but right now, she was too happy to care

Neo, avenge your father, kill the brothers of Hector!<>

(I'm gonna stop doing the animatic descriptions unless it differs from the animatic from now on ;p)

Telemachus kept his eyes on the screen, excitement rising as he saw his father in action. 20 years had heard the stories and now he gets to view them as if there himself

[SOLDIERS]
Yes, sir!

[ODYSSEUS]
Find that inner strength now
Use that well of pride
Fight through every pain now
Ask yourself inside

A bittersweet smile appeared on Eurycleia’s old wrinkled face, she remembered the young, energetic boy he once was and still seemed to be, and thought back to his talks of the future and all he hoped to bring

What do you live for?
What do you try for?
What do you wish for?
What do you fight for?

Antinous had to roll his eyes and scoff. He admired the king slightly for his triumphs at war and strategic mind, but sentimentality is what got soldiers killed in his eyes. Optimists and pacifists were always the first to go, and he hoped to see the king do the same

[SOLDIERS]
What do you live for?
What do you try for?
What do you wish for?
What do you fight for?

[ODYSSEUS]
Penelope, Penelope

The woman in question watches the scene silently, hands folded in her lap as if hoping to hold tight the mask of dignity painstakingly crafted for moments like this

And Telemachus

Once again, fidgeting with his excitement, Telemachus’s face lit up at being mentioned by his father

I fight for us, I fight for us

[SOLDIERS]
What do you live for?

[ODYSSEUS, spoken]
Penelope…

Even now, after he had said her name so many times, she still felt a flutter of love well up inside her, even with the situation at hand

[SOLDIERS]
What do you try for?

[ODYSSEUS, spoken]
Telemachus...

[SOLDIERS]
What do you wish for?

[ODYSSEUS, spoken]
I'm on my way!

Eurymachus chuckled. If he was on his way, surely he'd be in Ithaca already. Maybe the old king got lost between another maiden's thighs, Eurymachus thought to himself, it wouldn't be the first time a man had abandoned his bed for another while free on open sea

[SOLDIERS]
What do you fight for?

[ODYSSEUS, spoken]
Attack!

[Instrumental with battle cries, ending with a cry of anguish from Odysseus]

“Who was that!” Telemachus exclaimed louder than intended, freezing at the sudden attention it gained him as he sank slowly into his seat, and the projection continued

[ODYSSEUS, spoken]
Argh!
Who was that?
Penelope chuckled at the coincidental double speech as Telemachus once again went red, this time for the bashfulness of being similar to his father, if only by the smallest amount

[ZEUS]
A vision of what is to come

The noise level in the room rose silently as murmurs went around the room, seeing the man in the clouds, everyone instinctively knew who he was, his power undeniable even through the shown images

Cannot be outrun
Can only be dealt with right here and now

Penelope slowly grew tenser as she heard the king of gods speak; his appearance alone had her cautious, but everyone knew the gods did not give a task out of goodwill or the best of intentions

[ODYSSEUS]
Tell me how

[ZEUS]
I don't think you're ready

‘Listen to him, you fool,’ Amphinous quietly spoke under his breath, still tense, even in the comfortable chair provided, he had heard stories of the gods, lord Zeus, the most, and out of all the gods, Zeus’s presence always meant trouble of the worst kind

A mission to kill someone's son
A foe who won't run
Unlike anyone you have faced before

That sounds all too easy, Melanthius thought cociklly, a foe who won't run is an easy target. he rolled his eyes even more sure now the king was just full of rubbish. If the king of god thought that he could not defeat this foe, then maybe he wasn't all that formidable

[ODYSSEUS]
Say no more, I know that I'm ready

[ZEUS & GODS]
I don't think you're ready

The hushed conversation in the back of the room went utterly silent
As the king opened the door to an unmanned cradle

[ODYSSEUS]
It's just an infant…

Penelope felt the slight composure she held crumble as she brought her right hand to her mouth to cover it. She felt Telemachus place a hand on the hand still on her lap and grip her hand tightly

It's just a boy…

Telemachus felt the slight smile on his face drop as he saw the so-called foe to be faced, a child no older than himself when his father left (or so he's been told), he felt the grip his mother had on his hand tighten and kept his eyes on the screen

What sort of imminent threat does he pose that I can not avoid?

Eurycleia felt her old heart break a little more, more tears escaping her, and the hiccupy sobs that had tapered off beginning again

[ZEUS]
This is the son of none other than Troy's very own prince, Hector

A sharp inhale came from Helen's side of the room. She had been on the walls when it had happened, and even now, the event haunted her; she thought that it was senseless violence or a rush of adrenaline he had felt

Know that he will grow from a boy to an avenger
One fumed with rage as you're consumed by age

“He’s only a boy,” Eurycleia sobbed in her squeaky, hiccupy way over on the kline in the corner, leaning beside her melantho, rolled her eyes at the loud display, not caring for the annoying old lady, and vexed when she was here for no reason

[ZEUS & GODS]
If you don't end him now, you'll have no one left to save

[ZEUS]
You can say goodbye to

[GODS]
Penelope

Penelope winced slightly; she knew her husband, and she knew of his deep devotion and loyalty, if the risk of Ithaca did not deter him off the path of salvation for the poor child, then a threat to his closest persons definitely would

[ZEUS]
You can say goodbye to

[GODS]
Penelope

[ODYSSEUS, ZEUS & GODS]
I could raise him as my own (He will burn your house and throne)
Or send him far away from home (He'll find you wherever you go)
Make sure his past is never known (The gods will make it known)
I'd rather bleed for you, down on my knees for you (He's bringing you down on your knees for you)

“Just kill the damn baby already” Eurymachus Stated rather loudly “theres no point in saving it and your only drawing out the inevitable and waiting our and your own time” he finished quieter than how he began, beside him melanthius seemed to be nodding in agreement and amphinous kept his eyes forward, horror painted on his face

Telemachus and Penelope didn't bother looking his way, they were used to his harsh and emotionless remarks on situations that did not concern him
I'm begging, please
Oh, this is the will of the gods

Telemachus closed his eyes in resignation; he knew his father was a good person, a hero even, and this would weigh heavily on any good man's conscience

[ODYSSEUS] Please don't make me do this, don't make me do this

[ZEUS]
The blood on your hands is something you won't lose

[ZEUS & GODS]
All you can choose is whose

The screen slowly faded to black as Odysseus’s expression of horror and contemplation was enhanced on the projection