The Sun Will Guide Us Home

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

The bed was empty when Patroclus woke up. He sat up, flooded with memories from last night, confused. Everything that seemed to have happened seemed impossible to believe.
His feet hit the wood with a quiet thud as he got out of bed. In return for the children's kindness, he made the bed. Once satisfied,  he headed out the door in search of Achilles.
It wasn't a surprise to Patroclus that Achilles was awake before him; that's what he usually did. 
He followed the murmur of voices in a bigger room. When he entered he saw familiar golden-blond hair. Smiling, he swiftly walked towards Achilles, hugging him from behind. Achilles embraced his hug gently. 
“Good morning Patroclus,” was all he said. Patroclus, his head now on Achilles' side, just grumbled. 
Achilles laughed, gently stroking his hair “Look Patroclus.” Patroclus slowly lifted his head to be met with a familiar face.
“Chiron,” he smiled.
He looked almost the same. He seemed to have a  darker beard, and his eyes appeared to be brighter, exhibiting wisdom and kindness.
“Patroclus,” he said, “it's been a while.”
Patroclus gripped Achilles’s hand, racking his mind for the memories from the time Patroclus was young. He remembered the nights in the cave with Achilles, he remembered how lovely Mount Pelion was. How he felt so free, so happy.  
“How have you been, Chiron?” he asked, hiding his surprise.
Chiron smiled “I have been doing excellent. Achilles told me of your… adventures yesterday.” Patroclus nodded.
He looked at Achilles, who then looked at him “This is his camp, he trains the young children”  
Patroclus looked back at Chiron “you train these children? For what?”
Chiron signed and then shrugged “ The children have scents, they get hunted. They need to learn how to fight for themselves.”
Patroclus looked sad, he saw kids as young as 10. He thought maybe in the future they wouldn't send kids so young to train.
Chiron started again “the gods… often send them on a quest to get things, and in the past, there have been wars because of this.”
Patroclus stood up, “how can you send those children to war? haven't you learned what happens to children in war?” 
Achilles looked upset “Chiron, it is true, how can you train so young kids for war? I understand you have done it for us, but I thought times would change.”
Chroin looked at both of them, he did not look surprised “The gods decide what they do and I train them to make sure they see the next day. It's the least I can do for them”
Achilles' eyes flashed “the gods still have children do their dirty work?”
Again Chroin sighed “ there is nothing I can do, Achilles. It's not my decision” 
Patroclus looked at Chiron “I guess… if you are helping them. But it makes it not much better” 
Chiron nodded “let us go and eat”
***
Breakfast was dull. This may have been due to the fact that only Achilles, Patroclus, and Chiron were present. The demigods seemed to be off doing their own things. It surprised Patroclus since there had been so many questions yesterday. 
They sat at a long wooden table in front of the others. Achilles tapped his foot frequently on the ground as they ate in silence. 
The silence was interrupted by a gruff voice.
“Who are these people?” the voice said.  
Everyone looked up. “This is Achilles and Patroclus, Dionysus.” 
Dionysus looked at Patroclus as if expecting him to do something, but all Patroclus did was stare.
Achilles then spoke up” who are you?”
Dionysus rolled his eyes “I’m Dionysus, god of wine, part of the olympian consul”
Patroclus blinked “you… you are a god” 
“Yes, I am mortal”
Suddenly, Patroclus stood up, leaving Achilles' hand behind. 
He pointed a finger at Dionysus. “You? You are one of the gods sending these children into battle”
Dionysus looked shocked, his face turning red. “This is a mortal's way of talking to me. You have no right” 
Patroclus looked at Achilles, then Chiron, then he jumped toward Dionysus. 
Achilles caught him by the waist. 
“You cannot keep getting gods mad, Patroclus. Even if we might be dead.”
Dionysius rolled his eyes and held his hand up towards Chiron.
“I'm not even going to ask.” was all the god said as he walked away.
As soon as he walked away, Leo Annabeth and Percy walked up.
Percy walked toward Patroclus.
“Great job dude, I've wanted to attack him for a while now. Up top” he held his hand in front of Patroclus’s face. 
Patroclus blinked and Achilles narrowed his eyes. After about a second of holding it up, Achilles slapped it out of the way.
Percy stood there for a few seconds before he shrugged.
Leo pushed his way toward the group, now holding a drill. “No offense. But I thought Achilles was the like… tough one.”
The group stared at him, Patroclus and Achilles sharing a look, confusion present on their faces.
Annabeth looked at Leo “and where'd you get that assumption from”
“The Iliad”
“You read the Iliad” 
Leo shrugged “I can multitask”
Chiron stepped in “Both Achilles and Patroclus are trained well, what are you asking Leo?”
Leo cocked his head. “I don't know I just assumed Patroclus wasn't gonna be the one to try and fight a god”
“Leo, he literally went into battle dressed as Achilles and people thought it was him. I'm sure is quite capable of fighting for himself.”
Patroclus looked at Annabeth “yes I do believe I agree with her”
Achilles nodded then spoke “Now how do you suppose we get home, or back to the underworld”
Percy spoke up, now eating a blue cookie he seemed to pull out of thin air. “Hades. We can talk to Hades” 
Annabeth looked at Percy “and how do you suppose we do that”
“ask Nico”
“Nope, he won’t let you, '' Nico said walking out of the corner. Leo flinched and Patroclus’s eyes were wide.
“Since Persephone left, he has been in a foul mood.” 
Annabeth sighed “We have to give out why they are even here anyway.”
Leo jumped up “this calls for a prophecy”
“Leo sit. It doesn't because Rachels not here now. If a prophecy is required, the fates would put her here.” 
Achilles then spoke up “we would like if no prophecy is involved.”
Chiron nodded. “I don’t believe one will be.” 
“Why do you guys even want to go back? You're alive again and together” Percy asked.
Patroclus looked at him, “There we can be together with no distractions.”
“Doesn’t that get boring?”
“No. We find joy in each other.” 
Achilles smiled at Patroclus. “We have nothing and nobody to worry about,” he added. 
The Demi-gods smiled at their relationship, noticing Achilles only really smiled at Patroclus. 
Annabeth stood up, trying her hair in a ponytail. “I have an idea on what's going on here, I'll go look into it.”
The group watched her leave.
“Well,” said Percy “Who wants to spar with me?”

***

Piper and Will were talking when they arrived at the combat area. Upon seeing the group, they immediately made their way towards them.
“You guys fighting? Asked Piper looking at Achilles and Patroclus.
“I’ll try” replied Patroclus “Although I’m probably not so good anymore”
“Are you sure Patroclus?” Achilles asked, still holding his hand.
“I’ll be okay”
Achilles nodded wearily and kissed his forehead “I shall go next then”
Although it wasn't his favorite weapon, Patrocluys was handed a greek style sword. 
 Patroclus barely had time to block Percy's attack on his shoulder. In one swift motion, Patroclus was at Percy's side, striking him with his sword in a match of speed and strength. 
Percy fell to the ground in a thud. In the stands, Piper was laughing at him while Percy was also laughing. Patroclus extended his hand to Percy, who had just got up. 
"You did a wonderful job, I barely got you" 
Percy smiled “you did really good man. You didn't seem to have it in you."
“I guess I surprised you then.”
They both started to walk towards the stands, where everyone was waiting.
Patroclus heard Piper sigh as a perky voice sounded from behind him. 
"Hello dears,"  the voice said.
“What do you want Drew?” Piper said, holding her hands in her face.
“Well, I heard we’ve got a guest.” 
“Not one that would be interested in you. Leave us alone.”
The girl, Drew, walked up to Achilles.
“And who might you be?” she said, dragging her arm across his chest. Achilles looked rather appalled, he then took her hand off him.
“I am Achilles” 
“Oh, what a lovely name. Greek origin?”
Leo looked up “He's the Achilles”
“Oh. Well, that's new. Is the Achilles single.”
Achilles swiped Drew of him, and walked off to Patroclus “no I am not”
Drew looked disgusted “you're with… him…”
Patroclus only smiled but Achilles wasn't having any of it.
“Yes, I'm with him. Do you have an issue with that?” 
Drew put her hands off her hips, and flipped her hair back “Well he's just really ugly, and you have a much better chance with me”
Achilles growled. Then in a swift motion, he pulled out a sword and pointed the tip to her neck. “What did you say”
She gulped and you could hear a faint “oooooh” in the background, courtesy of Leo and Percy.
“Achilles, put the sword down please,” Patroclus said gently.
Achilles looked at Drew who was wide-eyed. He narrowed his eyes and scowled.
“Fine”
He slowly lowered the sword and glared.
“Go” was all he said.
Drew smothered out her t-shirt and hurriedly walked away, trying to avoid everyone's stares. When she was out of sight, Percy and Piper laughed. Achilles did not look amused; he just hugged Patroclus to his side. Patroclus just smiled and hugged him back
Percy looked at him “Wait. How did you even get that sword?”
Achilles shrugged “I am always prepared”
Everyone except Patroclus (who was still hugging Achilles) blinked at him.
“We should go to the big house now,” Will said. Everyone looked at him, just now remembering he was there. Nico, who was asleep in his lap, was now awake.
“Yeah, Annabeth probably found something by now,” Percy replied.
***

When they got inside the big house they found Annabeth there talking to Chiron. She turned towards them.
“So I think I figured out why you guys are here.” She said, her gray eyes scamming them.
Patroclus smiled. “Really?
“Yes or at least I think so”
She got out a bunch of papers from a large binder. 
“So I asked Chroin to give me the files for the people who escaped the doors of death”
“Wait” Perfect interrupted “Do you think they escaped out of them”
Annabeth rolled her eyes at Percy and smiled. “Your close but please let me finish”
“Sorry, wise girl,” he said sheepishly.
Annabeth continued “So I also picked up a copy of the Iliad and some other greek stories. I wanted to get some extra information about Achilles and Patroclus”
The group looked at the two. 
“Are lives in your books? Patroclus asked slowly.
Annabeth looked at them and laughed, letting her analytical self be pushed away. 
“I'll explain it later, it's a long story. “ She paused “anyway I was reading about Achilles m-”
Before she could finish the big house door opened.
“Dad?” said Will.
“Apollo,” said Percy. 
“Apollo?” muttered Achilles.