Chapter Text
A wide, mischievous smile dawned Hermes's face and his grip tightened around Odysseus's hand "Perfect!" he cackled, suddenly pulling Odysseus in. Odysseus's eyes widened in surprise, loosing ballance on his feet as he fell towards the god "Have fun, darling~" Hermes whispered softly into Odysseus's ear before-
He snapped awake, his heart thundering and his breath comming out in ragged puffs. He scrabbled to his feet, glancing around franticly in an attempt to get a grasp on his surroundings. He stood on an sun baked ivory coloured beach, cool turquoise water lapped at its sandy shores. Lush foliage rustled behind him in the faint sea breeze blowing in from what Odysseus presumed was the storm that had been concocted to prevent him from reaching his homeland. A sharp gasp left his mouth, the nostalgic and familliar sights and sounds overwelmed him. Home. The place he'd been working so hard to reach now firmly beneath his feet. Hermes had done it. He'd been able to let Odysseus get home, back to Penelope, to Telemachus, after all this time. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes as Odysseus fell to his knees in what he could only describe as relief and a sence of finallity. He'd reached the end of his journy, atleast for now.
Softly, he whiped the tears from his face and got back to his feet, a weak smile on his face "Thank you, Hermes..." He spoke to the god in a voice bairly above a whisper, his thankfullness towards him true and heartfelt. He turned away from the beach, glancing over steep hills as he pondered briefly to what beach Hermes had placed him on before noticing a small, slightly worn, white staircase hidden slightly in the brush. Quickly, and quite giddily, he made his way up the stairs.
As fast as his tired, sea strained legs could take him, he rushed towards the palace that he'd spent so long crafting with his own two hands. His home. To Penelope. He could see her in his mind, her beautiful smile and warm welcoming arms waiting for him inside the palace walls only filling his need to get home further. Edventualy he stood at the edge of his kingdom, the sights of which almost bringing him to tears again but he couldn't cry now, he needed a way to get in with out being noticed. Perhapse he could pull off a poor begger act, the shabby-ness of his appearenece after so long at sea would give merit to his facade. Yes, that would work.
He pulled the scarlet hood of his robe over his tangled and greying dark mahogany brown hair, obscuring his eyes in a veil of shadow. He proceded into the kingdom's boundries, slinking through the busy markets and alleyways like a shadow. He seemed to blend into the crowd effortlessly, almost a little too effortlessly...people seemed to almost blindly crash into him as he walked by, and no one seemed to turn their head to him as he walked past. It was almost as if he was invisible. But perhapse this is just how beggers lived, unseen by society. Eather way it had played to his advantage, allowing him to get to the walls of his palace with ease.
The grand walls of the palace loomed above him, the last obstical before he could finally be with his family once more. Although, a vauge sence of forboding had begun to brew in his chest. Something didn't feel quiet right but he couldn't put his finger on it. He shook his head, clearing his head. Logically, after all this time, someone must have come to try and claim his thrown. Perhapse that would explain his unease.
Odysseus took a deep breath, furrowing his brow before continueing on into the palace walls.
He slunk inside, going completely unnoticed once again. Odd, but explainable. As he went he searched for his belovid wife and son, casting incospicious glances at the people and staff that where milling about the palace although he didn't see them anywhere. Although, he did see several groups of men who gave him a bad feeling. The way they acted and the mocking tone of their voice as they spoke about something he couldn't quiet hear irritated him. He could tell they ment nothing good.
After a quick discrete search of the main parts of the palace with no luck, he'd have to check Penelope's favorite spots. The problem was, that it would be difficult to check those places without being questioned and he didn't want to risk being found out. Luckly enough for him, he knew his palace like the back of his own hand. He'd built it with his own hands after all. After Odysseus made sure no one was looking, he slunk into a semi-hidden hallway. He knew almost no one used it exept on odd occasions to do some matinince and it led right to the same hallway as his and Penelope's room.
He moved through the dark, dim hallway with one hand traling along the stone brick walls, fingers tracing along the grooves and bumps along the bricks he'd lovingly built up years and years ago. Odysseus felt his heart starting to race with exitement as he drew closer and closer towards his room, hoping and praying she'd be in the first place he checked. Gods, he yearned for her warm embrace after all these years. He missed her touch, her smell, her love. Everything he'd sacrificed, even his own life, was for the moment he could see her again.
Odysseus came out of the other side of the hallway, and took a turn towards his and Penelope's bedroom. He could hear his heart pounding out of his chest as he stood before the door to the room, everything he'd been working for just beyond that door. He reached up, placing his hand on the door- His eyes widen with shock and confusion as his hand passes right through the door.