The Vulture and the Dove

The Vulture and the Dove by Tyler James [[Start Game |Intro]]

The men came from all over Greece. All of them came to compete for your hand in marriage, but you knew none of them would be your husband. The first arrival, Odysseus, set the bar as low as it could possibly go and the rest blended in with each other. [[Helen: I wonder what Menelaus would make of this…]]

Menelaus, the young, red haired prince from Myceane. You both grew up as playmates when he and his brother Agamemnon sought asylum in Sparta. But he left four years ago and what cause would he have to come back? His brother finally reclaimed his throne and is married to her sister. That does not stop you from hoping. You were such close friends once. Aethra: My lady, the last of the suitors have arrived. It would be rude if they didn’t get a greeting. [[Perhaps you might be surprised and the ships will have brought a worthy husband.]]

Helen: *Sigh* Yes, of course. [[Did you hear anything about them?]]

Aethra: They are brothers from Myceane. Helen: …! Ahem… Do you know their family name? [[Aethra: I do not, my lady.]]

[[There are undoubtedly many brothers from Myceane, but still–|Beachfront]]

Helen: What the…? What happened? By the gods. The storm completely destroyed our ship. *Gasp*. Menelaus! I have to find him. [[Investigate the shipwreck]] [[Follow the voices that can be heard in the distance]] [[Inspect the ripped cloth]]

The ship is completely destroyed beyond repair. But you notice shimmering where the lower deck once stood. [[Approach it]]

You hear voices in the distance beyond the tree line. Maybe there are inhabitants on the island? Maybe there’s fellow Greeks who can help you? Helen: I doubt there’d be any Greeks who would help me. [[With crushed spirits, but unwavering determination, you ventured into the brush.]]

The shimmering light momentarily engulfs you with its brightness. Helen: Aah! [[Athena, Goddess of Wisdom appears]]

Helen: Lady Athena! Athena: Hail, Lady Helen of Sparta. Or should I say Lady Helen of Troy? Helen: … Athena: I jest, sister. Helen: I suspect the storm that wrecked our ship was your doing. Athena: You are perceptive as ever. Yes. [[Helen: May I ask why?]]

Athena: You neglected to offer me your sacrifices when you set sail. Not to mention leaving before that vile Ajax received his proper punishment. [[Honestly, you should be thankful that a storm was all I sent to you.]]

Helen: Okay. You’re pissed, I get it. Completely inexcusable on our part. How do we make things right? Athena: … Locate Menelaus. Once you do, I will tell you how you can “make things right.” Helen: Wait! Where is he? [[Vanished. *Sigh* |Beachfront]]

The trek through the forest was long. The sharp rocks and splinters of wood dug into Helen’s bare feet while the suspended thorns from the trees ripped your already tattered dress even further. Helen: OW!!! It didn’t help that she stubbed her toe on every other log. But the voices grew louder and louder. The people who can help you are just past the clearing. Helen: Oh no… The people you see were not Greek at all, they were Trojan [[Helen: I have to find Menelaus quickly!]]

You make your way back to the wrecked ship. Unwanted memories come rushing back to you. The smoke, the fire. Trojan men, women, and children screaming for mercy. Cursing your name. The Face That Brought A Thousand Ships… [[Helen: STOP IT!!! |Beachfront]]

Helen: These peices of cloth belong to Menelaus’ tunic. If I follow them... Narrator: You follow the trail of Menelaus’s tattered pieces of cloth. It takes a while, but you find him, wandering on the shore like he’s in a daze. Helen: [[What is he doing?]]

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Agamemnon: I just don’t get it. Menelaus: Get what, brother? Agamemnon: Why would you marry a woman like Helen? It’s clear that Tyndareus spoiled her. She’s impulsive, emotional. She acts more like a little girl than a grown woman. Taming a wild horse would be easier and more [[productive in the long run.]]

Menelaus: We haven’t seen her in four years. She’s probably changed. Agamemnon: I know you, little brother. You wouldn’t sail hundreds of miles on the small hope that a pretty childhood playmate of yours probably changed. Menelaus: She wasn’t just a childhood playmate. [[I loved her and I still do.]]

Agamemnon: So that’s it? Love? You would throw away hundreds of infinitely better political marriages for love? Menelaus: Are you telling me that you don’t love your wife, Agamemnon? That you only married her for political gain? Agamemnon: I did what I had to for our survival and to reclaim our home. Love was a happy coincidence. Menelaus: [[Keep telling yourself that.]]

Narrator: Your name will go down in history, but at what cost? You remember, right? When you were in Crete? When you heard Helen, the love of your life ran off with another man? You were devastated. What kind of man would break the sacred oath Tyndareus and Odysseus spent days to put in place? What kind of idiot would leave his wife alone with said man to begin with? You didn’t know what to think that night when you heard the news. There were no tears, no screams, no denial, just silence. Ten years of war you waged to reunite with Helen. She will bear the brunt of the hate, but that didn’t mean that you were left unscathed. Trojan women and Greek men called her the slut who started a war. And you? The dumbass who went after her. You would overhear the men whisper over and over: [[“Never fall in love with your wife.”]]

Narrator: Upon further inspection, you notice there’s blood trickling from his forehead. Helen: Oh no. Menelaus! Narrator: Your calls seem to snap him out of his trance. He suddenly turns around as you race towards him. Helen: Menelaus! Your head is bleeding! [[Are you okay?]]

Menelaus: Helen? Helen! You’re alright! Thank the gods. What happened? Where are we? Helen: A storm destroyed our ship and stranded us here. Don’t you remember? Menelaus: A storm? [[Who would send a storm…?]]

A sudden flash of light interrupted Menelaus' train of thought. Athena: That would be me. //To be continued...//