Page 23 of Achille's Earth Angel
Achilles looked into the horizon, understanding how Hercules felt. He felt all those emotions too, but he was beginning to feel like it was time to move on. He glanced back at his friend. “What’s the point of immortality if you have no one to share it with?” he finally asked. “Did Zeus tell you why Briseis and I never had any children?”
Hercules nodded, his eyes gleaming with sympathy. “Yeah, it was pretty low of the old man to do that and not tell you.”
Achilles shrugged. “In the end, it wouldn’t have made any difference. I still wouldn’t have given her up. I also understand now why he never made her immortal.”
“I don’t get it, why?”
Because if she were immortal with a barren womb, I would never have any more children. The son I had died centuries ago and he never had a family. Zeus thinks it’s really important to have a lineage, and he knew I would remain childless with Briseis forever.”
Hercules grunted. “Well, don’t you think it’s important?”
He nodded. “I do think it’s important, but I wouldn’t have given up Briseis to make it happen.”
“Well, I think the old man meddles too much,” muttered Hercules. “If you do this, you’ll only be around for another eighty years or so, give or take ten years. In the world of immortality, that’s a really short time. I’m going to miss you.”
“You can always visit me in the underworld,” Achilles said ruefully.
“You’ll be corporeal there and it will be like talking to a wisp of smoke,” Hercules complained. “How are we supposed to spar like that?”
Achilles put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and squeezed. “I’ve already outlived my mortal life by thousands of years. I wasn’t born a god like you. I’ve always been living on borrowed time, my friend. But I’ll miss you, too.”
There was an awkward silence until Hercules finally sighed. “Are you absolutely sure this is what you want? I mean...like...you don’t have to marry her you know; you could just live with her.”
Achilles paused, his heart in his throat. “I won’t do that to her, Hercules, and I won’t watch her die and leave me alone again.”
Hercules paced back and forth. “Why do you have to be so damned noble?”
“Why do you? You know you wouldn’t do it either.”
“I think you should talk her into just living with you and having kids. I bet she would want you to be with someone else after she’s gone.”
“And then I’d have to watch my children grow old and die too.” Achilles shook his head. “It’s not the natural order of things in the mortal world. I don’t want to be in that position over and over again.”
“Why can’t you just marry a goddess?” Hercules yelled, completely frustrated. He wanted his friend to be happy, but he also didn’t want to lose him.
“Because I haven’t found any I want to marry,” Achilles barked. “After Briseis died, I watched goddesses born and grow up for thousands of years. They are all so much younger than me and I haven’t had the slightest interest in marrying any of them. I’m already in love with Angel and I want her. I will have her,” he added savagely. “And whatever time we have together, I’ll count myself a lucky man, children or not.”
“You’re so damned stubborn,” Hercules snarled, charging his friend full bore and knocking him back five feet.
Achilles responded and they fought back and forth, fast and furious, sending sand flying as they sparred. Once he was married, he and Hercules wouldn’t be able to do this anymore. The kind of blows he could take now would kill him in his mortal state. They kept at each other, neither giving any quarter nor winning, until at last, they collapsed into the ebb and flow of the tide to cool their heated bodies.
“Do you give up?” Hercules asked, his heaving chest slowing to normal breathing.
“I don’t have to give up, I won.” Achilles sat up and shot him a grin.
Hercules snorted. “Never happen.”
“It just did.”
Hercules put his hands behind his head and stared up at the moon. “Seriously though, you are sure this is what you want? Are you like...trying to keep from getting your butt kicked all the time? Or do you really love this girl?”
Achilles was touched. “I’m going to miss you too, my friend. But we can still see each other.” And then a thought occurred to him. “Hey, what if you were to bring me some Ambrosia now and then? That way I could kick your butt all over again...at least for the next eighty years or so.” He laughed at the expression on Hercules’ face as he snorted.
“You know, that’s a great idea! The effect is only temporary without regular use, so that would give me a long time yet to take you down a peg or two.”
Both men laughed.
***
