The Argive: Gates of Hades, Book I, Chapter I

Chapter I

When you defy the Gods

It was noon already at the city of Pella. The celebrations of Philip's daughter wedding, Cleopatra, had started for a while. The king wanted to show the might and the wealth of the Macedonian Kingdom, he created. Huge statues, an enormous amount of food and drinks, his soldiers at their finest armor. He was a proud man. This day, is a good day; that's what he was thinking. He orchestrated also a parade. There was going to be a line of beatuful beasts of 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. Then 13 statues were going to enter the stage. 12 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 when he saw 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. He was planning with his engineers, 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. To be closer to the Gods. 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. Alexander smiled.
"I'm looking forward to take these fancy royal tunic of yours, too".
"Don't get cocky, kid. You are only 21 and I'm handling myself so far. No need to be hasty".
Father and son laughed together.
"Alright, son" he said, streightening his tunic. "Let's give them a show to remember".
The bodyguards entered the dark gallery. Philip took a deep breath and walked down the stoa. Α cloaked man jumped from the ceiling, right behind the king. He was noiseless, so nobody realized his presence there. He carefully drew a small celtic dagger fom his belt. He closed up the distance between him and the king. But Philip was a seasoned and hardened soldier. He noticed the movement behind him. He turned his head, but it was too late. The hooded man, with lightning speed, he run over him and sank his dagger into Philip's chest. He tried to cry out for help, but blood filled his mouthed. The hooded man stood above him.
"The Gods send their regards" he said and he pulled the dagger. Then, run to one of the guards.
"Quick! The king is in grave danger!" he said and handed over the dagger. Then he run away and dissapeared. The soldier didn't understand. Seeing the blood on the dagger, he realized that something went teriibly wrong. He run down the gallery. Meanwhile, Alexander had put his soldiers in formation, and waited for their king to show up. But there was no sign of the king. Alexander sensed that something was out of order. His father was only some steps behind. He went to the stoa and looked in.
"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, 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. Then, he came closer to Achilles.
"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. We will help you to master it. 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 fighting skills cannot be wasted in our rank of Priests. Your new life begins now. You are kneeling before me as an Initiate. Arise... an Argive".

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 a voice behind him. It was 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. Tears came to his eyes, but he forced himself not to cry in front of his soldiers.
"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. He didn't saw anyone. He ate 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! Alexander!"
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!"
"Long live the king! Long live the king! 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... The other had a different colour. It was in the colour of Hades. Blackened red.



Author: Alan Harper