Skuros Island
The island has beautiful scenery, green trees, and acres of olive groves, making Skuros Island very civilized. Skuros Island is also rich in spices.
These products have made the residents of Skuros Island richer and their lives easier and more comfortable.
Odysseus and the Greek prophet Calchas came to Skuros Island in a sea ship at this moment. After several months of long journey on the sea, they finally saw the outline of Skuros Island in their field of vision.
"Finally we're almost there." Calkas said as he looked at the looming islands in the distance. Anyone who has been sailing on the sea for two months in a row and is approaching the destination now will express heartfelt joy.
Odysseus was full of worries: "Prophet Calchas, it will take us several months to go back and forth once. This is really tiring and a waste of time. Are you sure Achilles is on this island?" "
"I'm sure." Calchas said seriously. Not only did he know where Achilles lived, but he also knew the role Achilles played in the Trojan War. This was all God's guidance.
As for Achilles, he has never been out of God's sight, and all Thetis's efforts are in vain.
While the two were talking, the ship had approached the port of Skuros Island.
At this moment, there are seven ships on the sea in the port, and people are coming and going in the port. Most of the people come to Skuros Island to collect olives and spices.
When the ship docked, Odysseus and Calchas got off the ship. Odysseus looked at the port with half emotion and half envy: "The island of Skuros is really prosperous."
When he saw the prosperous scene in front of him, and then thought about his own Kingdom of Itaka, he felt that it was completely different.
"This place is full of merchants who come here to collect spices and olives. This is normal." Calchas said: "Let's go and visit our old friend, Lycomedes."
At the moment, Odysseus and Calchas led a group of soldiers to the palace, and at the gate of the palace, King Lycomedes received the news and was waiting there.
Soon, the chariot in which Odysseus and Calchas were riding appeared within Lycomedes' sight.
When the two of them got out of the car, King Lycomedes came up to them and said warmly: "Dear guests, you are welcome to come from afar. I have prepared a sumptuous banquet for you in the palace."
"King Lycomedes, thank you very much for your warm welcome." Calchas and Odysseus said. After that, they followed Lycomedes to the banquet hall of the palace.
In the banquet hall at this moment, Lycomedes called all the princes of the kingdom to participate in this reception banquet, which shows that he attaches great importance to the arrival of Odysseus and Calchas.
The tables in the banquet hall were also filled with all kinds of barbecue and wine.
Odysseus looked at the wine jugs on the table, which were all inlaid with gold, and the wine glasses were also bronze goblets. He couldn't help but think to himself: "The kingdom of Scyros is really rich."
There was another burst of envy in my heart, with a hint of jealousy.
Of course Lycomedes didn't know what Odysseus was thinking. Seeing that everyone was seated, he picked up the wine glass on the table and said: "Come, let's drink together and welcome us from afar." The guests are King Odysseus of Ithaca and the Greek prophet Calchas.”
After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp, and others also responded by drinking all the wine in their glasses.
The atmosphere of the banquet was very warm. Suddenly, Calchas raised his wine glass, stood up and said: "Dear King Lycomedes, thank you very much for your warm hospitality. This time we are under the auspices of Agamemnon, the commander-in-chief of the Greek coalition. I wish to bring Achilles, the son of Peleus, whom you have taken in, back to Troy."
Lycomedes heard Calchas's request, shook his head, and said: "Peleus's son? No, no, I can swear to God that I have not adopted Peleus's son."
Lycomedes's attitude was firm and did not seem to be hypocritical, so Odysseus and Calchas were silent for a moment.
He continued: "But the children you mentioned are about the same age, there is only a girl. She grew up with my princesses, and I haven't seen her for so long, I don't recognize her anymore."
Odysseus and Calchas were overjoyed and expressed their intention to take a look at the girl.
Lycomedes was slightly unhappy with their request, but finally agreed. He turned around and said, "Go and call all the maidens in my palace."
Lycomedes summoned all the princesses to the banquet hall so that Odysseus and Calchas could discern among themselves.
After a while, a group of princesses came over, all of them were around fifteen or sixteen years old. Odysseus and Calchas immediately left the seat and looked at the many princesses carefully. Their eyes glanced up and down, trying to find out what happened to these princesses. Found some clues.
But no matter how keen their eyes were, the two heroes still couldn't identify which of these people was Achilles in women's clothing.
Odysseus sidled up to Calchas and said, "Is it King Lycomedes who is up to something, or is Achilles not involved at all?"
Odysseus was very good at playing tricks, and it was easy for him to judge others by his own opinions. Even if something went wrong, he would feel that others were also playing tricks to fool him.
Calchas looked at Odysseus and replied: "Dear Odysseus, King Lycomedes did not have any tricks. He indeed thought that Achilles was a girl, and Achilles must be among them. It's just that Nine When I was young, I lived and played with the princesses, so it’s hard to tell them apart.”
"Furthermore, even if Lycomedes conceals it, it is human nature. This is something Thetis entrusted to him, and he must take good care of it."
Thetis herself is not strong, she is just a secondary goddess, but she is the daughter of Nereus, the god of the sea, and Doris, the goddess of the sea, and she also served Zeus. King Lycomede It's natural for Si to take care of her.
"I see, but it's not easy to find Achilles like this." Odysseus said.
"Although it is not easy, this time we come here and we must complete the task."
Odysseus nodded, understanding the special nature of this mission. This was a mission assigned by the gods. He could not tolerate rejection and must find ways to complete the mission.
After a while, the party gradually dispersed, but Odysseus and Calchas were still thinking of ways to find Achilles.
Looking at the princesses standing in the hall, the cunning Odysseus suddenly came up with a plan and said to Calchas: "I do have a plan. I can find Achilles, but I have to enlist Lycomede." King Si’s consent.”
Calkas was a little curious and asked, "What's the plan?"
So Odysseus whispered his plan to him, but it was Calchas who had to complete the communication with Lycomedes.
After hearing the plan, Calchas took another high look at Odysseus and felt that although he was cunning and changeable, his intelligence was unpredictable and he could often come up with strategies that ordinary people could not think of.
He went to Lycomedes and said: "Dear King Lycomedes, we will use the battle horn to find Achilles later. I hope it will not affect your kingdom."
Although Lycomedes was unhappy, he could not refuse Calchas' request.
"Great Greek prophet Calchas, just do it. I will give the order without any impact."
"Thank you so much, King Lycomedes." After Calchas said this, he left and told Odysseus the good news.
Odysseus was happy to hear that Lycomedes agreed to this approach.
He calmly brought a spear and a shield and placed them in the palace, and ordered his followers to blow the battle horn outside, with the sound of footsteps, as if the enemy had rushed into the palace.
As the battle horn sounded, the princesses in the palace were shocked. The kingdom of the Greek city-state was a small country with only a few thousand people. The so-called palace was a relatively magnificent building. It was not impossible to encounter an attack. They all hid one after another. Only A young girl remained where she was.
In order to protect her beloved princesses and show her bravery in front of them, the girl resolutely picked up the spear and shield on the ground.
Odysseus and Calchas, who had not gone far, looked secretly in the corner. When they saw the battle horn blowing and the princesses running away, a man picked up the spear and shield on the ground, and they were sure that this man was They need to find Achilles.
The two ran out happily, and Calchas said: "Achilles, we found you."
"Your father, the great hero Peleus, had sworn on the marriage of Helen, blessed by the gods, to protect the lawful marriage from destruction. Now Prince Paris has broken the sacred marriage, and all the princes who took the oath must go to war. "
"Your father is too old to go, so you must go in your father's stead."
Achilles stood speechless and listened. He was too young to know these complicated conspiracies. Just now he really thought that the enemy had invaded the palace.
When her mother left, she repeatedly warned her not to reveal her identity. Now it was all over.
"You came to me to help you defeat your enemies?" Achilles asked bluntly.
Odysseus rolled his eyes and had an idea in his mind, and said: "No, Achilles, it is impossible for you to defeat them alone. We are just taking you to Troy in accordance with our oath."
Although Achilles was not too old, he could not bear the contempt of Odysseus and said: "Don't worry, now that you have found me, I will go with you to Troy. I can defeat Troy and kill Pablo." Prince Rhys.”
The corners of Odysseus' lips raised slightly, revealing a hint of a conspiratorial smile.
"I hope that when I go to Troy, I can take my coach Fornix and my friend Patroclus with me."
"We have fifty warships."
"No problem." Calchas said, looking at Odysseus with joy in his heart.
You know, Odysseus' entire Kingdom of Ithaca only had eight warships, and the hero Peleus left quite a fortune!
(End of chapter)