War... War never changes.

The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting.

War is an odd thing, it can come so quickly, devastate entire countries, and be gone in just a matter of days. To think that I thought we were through with wars and fighting for once. It was foolish of me, no not foolish, but hopeful. At the end of the day I'm a warrior. I would do anything for a peaceful life. Anything at all. But that won't ever happen. War follows me. It walks beside me, it lays next to me while I sleep, and it watches and waits. Waits for an opportunity to rear its hideous face once more.

Waking up, and seeing thousands of men preparing for battle, preparing for war. It's the saddest thing I have ever seen in my life. Not because many of them won't be alive a week from now, and not because of the family they'll leave behind. But because they're happy. They cheer, and scream for battle. Their swords are hungry for blood. And for what? Honor... what a terrible word. More good men and women have died for that word than any other. What does it even mean?

They talk of previous battles, of great warriors who've killed hundreds. They talk of them like they're heroes. Those men aren't heroes. They're hot-headed fools who can't control their tempers. People speak of Achilles like he's some sort of god. Sure he may have been one of the greatest fighters of all time, but he fought for all the wrong reasons. I don't care what the Greeks said they attacked us for. The Greeks were just greedy, they wanted more. I fought in defense of my country, I fought for my king, I fought for my family. I fought to stay alive. If I had it my way, I would never fight. Unfortunately, I happen to be a decent fighter, or maybe I'm just lucky. I'm really not sure which of the two. Either way, I fight. I always fight. Not from choice, but still, I fight.

Aeneas left a while back. He went to go to the Arcadian king and ask for more troops. More men to die. More wives to leave without husbands. More children to leave without fathers. Of course, the Arcadians joined us. Just as hungry for war as my foolish companions.

Venus brought Aeneas some new armor and weapons today. As a reminder to why we're fighting today. Because mortals have no control over their own lives. Their lives are controlled by the gods, and that's how it always will be. If gods want battle than they'll have battle.

We march to battle today, and I'm not sure if I'll live. Honestly, I'm starting to think dying might not even be that bad. At least I would stop fighting, and I'd finally get to rest.

As we marched towards the enemy army I remembered a poem my dad once told me. I always run it through my head before a fight. It keeps me focused, and it gives me inspiration. Inspiration to keep fighting for the hope that some day, I may finally be through with it all.

"Once more into the fray
Into the last good fight I'll ever know
Live and die on this day
Live and die on this day"

First day in Italy

The Tiber river. A greater sight was never seen by man. After years of war, and years of trials and hardships we finally arrived in the land Apollo prophesied about.

First thing Aeneas thought we should do was eat. Granted, we were all pretty hungry and could use a bite to eat, but we were in a foreign country and had no idea if the natives were friendly. Luckily we weren't attacked, but still it was a pretty bonehead move by Aeneas. We could have offended or scared the natives by just coming in and eating. We didn't know how civil the natives were. Idk, maybe I was being overly cautious, but I was quite weary from travel and didn't want to start a new war after just arriving. I'm so sick of wars and sailing! I just want to settle down and live peacefully

After we ate Aeneas ordered us to rest. We still hadn't scouted....Aeneas didn't even bother assigning a sentry order, I had to do that myself.  Once again we were lucky enough not to be killed despite our lack of vigilance. Finally I was able to convince Aeneas to scout around, and after half an hour our scouts returned telling us of a great kingdom ruled by king Latinus. Immediately Aeneas sends our hundreds of unarmed envoys for diplomatic purposes into the city to meet with Latinus. Not thinking that he might be pretty mad if hundreds of soldiers landed on his land! If he had attacked we all surely would've died!  Still probably being a little overly cautious, but I was really REALLY tired

When our diplomats arrived back they told Aeneas that we could live here peacefully without fear of attack. So much weight left my shoulders right there, you don't even know!

Then they told Aeneas about Lavinia, the kings daughter. Here we go again...maybe it was the thousands of women raging about the countryside, or my past experiences with Aeneas and his lovers, but something very bad was about to happen, I could feel it.

That night, as I was tossing and turning in my attempts to get to sleep I heard men in the camp yelling and running back and forth. I hopped up and followed them to the action. Apparently some shepards had attacked Ascanius after he killed their prized stag. What could have been settled peacefully had now become a full on war between the natives and us.

Okay, come on now, I'm starting to think Jupiter hates us.We were really about to settle down, and be through with all of this. We were so close! Then we start a war over a pet deer?!?! Are you kidding me? Who even keeps a pet deer anyways! Maybe we ought to go to war with these people! If they're dumb enough to have a pet deer and get mad at us when we accidently kill it while we're hunting, then maybe they deserve to be slaughtered!

Shadows of the past

A quick sharp pain, a scream, then warmth.

Everything happened so quickly after Aeneas left. There was an argument, and then a fire....what had happened?

I felt as if I was floating through space, why couldn't I remember what happened....where was Anna?

I killed myself, after Aeneas left, stabbed myself.

Faces flashed by in a blur, of Anna, of Aeneas, and then of Sychaeus....his image lingered, and unlike the other it was steady, where as all the others were dull and wavy, unreal. His was very real. I didn't realize it was really him until he spoke....that's when I knew I was really dead. No one could have imitated his voice, his soft, steady voice. It donned on me that since it was undeniably him, and he was absolutely dead, for I buried him myself, that I must also be dead.

The funny thing about gods is that while your on earth they can make you do anything, absolutely anything. Even make you fall in love with a complete baboon, to the point that you killed yourself when he left. However, once your dead, they don't hold any power over you at all. I never loved Aeneas, the whole thing was merely a spell by the gods. To think I'd kill myself over such a tool. Honestly, it made me sick. But none of that mattered anymore, I was finally with Sychaeus again. My one true love. We spent what seemed like a an eternity together, every moment being even more blissful than the last. It was perfect, until he came back...

Aeneas was in the underworld. At first I thought he must have killed himself trying to do some stupid stunt, or because someone finally realized what an idiot he was and decided to do the world a favor and rid the earth of him. Unfortunately, as he got closer I realized that he wasn't actually dead. He didn't have the gracefulness of a shade. No, he was just as clumsy as ever.

He immediately approached me, and started yammering about how he's sorry he made me do this. How he didn't realize how much affect he had on me...as if. Either he's too stupid to realize that I was under a spell, or he's insanely conceited. Personally I think it's a little of both. Either way I was so sick of him I didn't even bother to tell him the truth. He's not worth my time, especially now that I have my Sychaeus back. He started yelling as I left telling me not to go, and not to be sad. Oh please....

He left after that, and I never heard from him again. Honestly I could care less about him. Everything's right now that Sychaeus is here. Everything's right...everything's right...everything's right.

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Water, I couldn't escape it in the real world, and it haunts me even now in the afterlife...

In life, water gave me a job, and it took everything else away.

You see I've always wanted to be a great politician. I had plans, ways to change not just a country, but the world. My name would've been in every history scroll there is. But no...my dad thought sending me to a naval academy would be more useful than letting me stay in Troy, and study under some of the greatest politicians in the world. Sailing was my dad's dream, but it wasn't mine. I never wanted to become a helmsmen, but when wartime came around they assigned me to a ship because of how good I was. Sailing is not that hard, there really isn't much too it, so I aced all my exams. Apparently other people were anywhere near as intelligent.

Ever since I was drafted I've never had the chance to do anything than sail. It ruined my dream, my ambition, my life. It was only fitting that I would end up drowning at sea...

Now, even in the afterlife water haunts me. This blasted Archeron is all that stands between me and the glorious fields of the afterlife. That is the fate of those who die at sea, with their remains unburied. Forever waiting for someone to find your body, and give it a proper burial.

The real reason I died, was no freak accident however. It was all Aeneas' fault. He's the one who made the promise with Apollo, knowing that someone would die. If it wasn't for him I could have become a great politician in Italy, but nooooo... Dying at sea is sooo much more fun. (If you couldn't tell, that was sarcasm) Normally I would assume that people are smart enough to catch my sarcasm, but if your anything like Aeneas than you probably don't know the meaning of the word.

When Aeneas asked me how I died, mustering up every ounce of sarcasm I had I told him it wasn't anyone's fault and it absolutely wasn't because of the deal with Apollo. Unfortunately as soon as I said that he walked away beaming, like he had just gotten rid of a guilty conscious. I'm fairly certain he took me seriously.

 *Sigh* That awkward moment when your sarcasm is so advanced that people take you seriously...

I hate the ocean...