Troy was starving while Taehyung and I sat atop an overlook and munched on our last reserves of chocolate. I'd smuggled some in our recording cases. We'd decided to finish it off now simply because the end if it was coming, was near.
The Greeks had withdrawn their troops, sailing off. What remained of the Trojan army was scavenging what was left of the Greek's outposts. Rumor had it that they had left behind food, enough for a celebration, possibly even horses, which would greatly boost everyone's morale. A solid meal of horseflesh.
It was this gap, the horse, and chocolate that stood between us and the Trojans. We had so much that they did not- chocolate, phones, tennis shoes, tennis- and yet they lived on, happy and oblivious, unaware that their time had come and gone, that the survivors from this tragedy would raise one of the greatest empires of all time: Rome.
They were ignorant, yet they were blissful, in part. They were winning what had seemed to be an unwinnable war, they had held out against what can loosely be called the Greeks for longer than anyone else before. They had a reason for celebration.
We had no reason for chocolate, other than the destruction of a beautiful society and thousands of lives.
Yet here we sat, eating and talking as if this was a perfectly normal thing to do with a best friend of two years.
Hey, wanna hang out tonight?
Sure. Where?
Oh, 1240 BC...
I snickered to myself at the thought of asking any other Time Native out like that.
"What? Thinking about the disheartened Greeks?" Taehyung raised a critical eyebrow at me, seemingly surprised.
"Not in the slightest." I licked the last crumb of chocolate from my fingers, folding its linin wrapper neatly together and tucking it into my pocket, "I'm thinking about how world-shaking this'll be to historians. Troy didn't fall because of the Greeks."
"Then how?"
"Dunno."
"And that makes you happy?"
I lept up, tunic snapping in the wind brushing across the cliff face, "It's an unsolved thousand-year-old mystery! This team is going to record its fall. That's stunning and absolutely enthralling. We have a-"
I tripped backward, rock rolling out from beneath my feet. The motion stunned me, and I collapsed into the rough heather-like grass.
Nothing but a small quiver.
I grumbled as I surrendered to the Earth, laying back and staring up at the clear sky, the moment lost. Seismic activity had always been frequent in Turkey, so it'd be no surprise that the same held true for ancient Turkey. Still, it always came as a bit of a surprise when even a small quiver rattled our bones.
Taehyung sniggered, but extended a hand, pulling me upright.
"All good?"
"Yeah, I'm... does it seem.. strange?"
"What?"
"Right, um, sorry. Remember our pre-jump briefing?"
"Not anymore."
I shivered. Time Natives' minds are so fragile...
"Something that was mentioned briefly was earthquakes. Turkey's one of the most earthquake-prone areas gets an average of fifty small rumbles daily. Even Homer mentioned Poseidon, Earthshaker, his wrath-" I sat straight up.
"We have to get back to camp. Now."
"Wha-"
A cacophony of cheering suddenly rose from the streets below. Trojan soldiers, just arriving. They dragged two dozen or so Greek horses behind them, a full meal for the starved city. Horses, abandoned by the Greeks because they didn't have enough room left on their half-empty ship.
My sandals caught on the rough rocks as I tore my way down the side of the cliff, frantic with horror at what was about to happen, desperate to return to our safe spot, to save my friends...
"Lex? Lex!" Taehyung struggled to keep pace with me, tripping and stumbling, "What... what are you... what?"
"Don't breath. Don't touch anything." I shot back, fatigue and peace both forgotten in panic.
"Don't breathe?"
"Don't.. ask questions.. either!" I was running out of oxygen and answers.
I had to warn Max, Seo Hyo; I had to get them out before we were infected too.
We rounded a bend, and the grove of olives stood foreboding ahead. Dashing straight in, I shouted for Max and Seo.
No answer.
Nothing but a note scratched in bad Luvian*.
I snatched from where it rested, tucked in the roofing of Max's hut.
Lex,
Out for the celebration. Please send Taehyung along. Go party with Hecuba- Seo'll keep us from getting too drunk.
Max
"See, they're fine." Taehyung sighed, exasperated at my stupidity.
"No. No, no, no."
Taehyung cocked an eyebrow at me. "Hecuba in one of her moods?"
"No. The Trojan Horse. History, how could I have been this stupid?"
"I'm not connecting-"
"Stay here, and don't move. Don't gather water, ship out olives, don't breathe."
"But-"
"Trojan horses. Earthshaker. Troy fell."
"I don't see your point."
I turned away from him, sights set on the city. "You won't, not until after. If Max or Seo come back before I get back, don't come looking for me.
With that, I spun on my heel and took off at full speed towards Central Troy.
A/N
We're nearing the end now. The next chapter will be quite long, but it should be out within the next two weeks. I've also got a little surprise lined up for the end of Spring Semester! Love you guys~
*Luvian is what most historians believe the Trojans to have spoken.
