Short Stories

Round Nine - Petty Squables

The thick, wooden planks rocked crookedly against the nightly Mediterranean Sea breeze. We watched as the last of the Archaen fleet rocked away into the waves in the distance. Midnight was approaching quickly and soon we would emerge from our hideaway and win this ten year war once and for all. We sat inside the belly of a wooden beast. A horse, to represent the sacred animal of Athena, for the Trojans. Our leader, the clever Odysseus, made this plan in order to trick the wicked Trojans into thinking we had left a gift of surrender behind. 

In fact, we were already inside the city walls of Troy. They accepted our gift and contemplated what to do with it. Should they fling it over the steep cliffs to disgrace us? I would surely hope not. Should they keep and dedicate this offering to Athena, their goddess of protection? The goddess who was represented in the form of a wild horse? And this they did. Our plan is working exceptionally well and at midnight we will lay waste to the city of Troy. 

Now that you're all caught up, could you please get ready? Put your helmet on, grab your spear and take hold of your shield. We're about to fight in the most defining battle of the Trojan War. We will conquer our enemies, claim their shores as our own, and win the war. The moon rises quickly. Those Archaens who sailed away led the Trojans to the falsified belief that we had surrendered. We are Greek, we do not surrender to those below ourselves. Those same troops have sailed to the other side of the island and are ready to strike at Odysseus' signal. 

That signal is us, the second we flood Troy with our strength and valor. History will say that we have won this day and by Zeus it will be true. Many of us will fall, but our spirit will rise and bring honor to the homeland and the Olympians. Hark! It is time to bring an end to the Trojans. Stay by my side and together we will slay the very enemies who kept us away from our home for a decade that felt like a millennium 

What happens now? From you, what kind of question is that? I will tell you for the sake of your youth. Let your blood boil. Unleash your wrath upon those insufferable people. Go ahead, you go first. I will stay behind you. The city is dark and quiet, take notice of this. For it won't come again until this city is destroyed. We will take every life away from this land and it will resume its vigil by nightfall tonight. 

You can't just stand around dumbly like an infant. Follow the example of Greek men around you. Tear the children from their mothers and the wives from their husbands and the men from their families. Make them pay for the disheartening war they have wrought upon our people. For stealing Helen of Sparta, the most beautiful, disloyal snake. Causing the leaders of Greek and Troy to brawl with each other, resulting in our inevitable demise. Take this day to define yourself in the eyes of your people. Stand above the fatalities of war and make it home to your family as a hero of war. Now, fight and may the gods protect you. 

"Homer! Wake up!" Instantly, Homer shot out of his bed at the sound of this familiar voice cracking into his dreams. "I've got it..." He whispered, dumbfounded. "I know the plot for my new story." 

In truth, Homer did live in the time of the Trojan War. However, at this time period, a war could be seen as only a handful of people. Yes, Troy's leader did steal Helen of Sparta to be his wife and the Spartan Greeks did retaliate. Homer merely heightened the stakes of the fight, making it the most widely known war for centuries to come. The Trojan War was a petty fight between leaders heightened by the imagination of the greatest writer of his time. 

_______________________________________________________________________________

Note: This story does not reflect the personal opinion of the author and is purely fictional.