Chapter Two: Palladium

            "THE PALLADIUM!!!" Diomedes leapt at Alexander, answering my question for me.  He grabbed my brother my the shoulders and slammed him to the ground.  Diomedies stood, putting a foot above my brother's chest in victory. "Give it here girl!" He yelled at me, his hand held out to me.  My brother helplessly gave me a pleading look as he laid under Diomedes's foot, being held down.  His eyes were begging me to just say no.  I stopped for a moment, looking back and forth between my brother and Diomedes.

            "Alexander!" I closed my eyes and screamed, wrapping both my arms around this palladium thing and backing away a small step. "Please, please just leave us alone!"

            Diomedes gave a glare to me...if looks could kill... "Fine.  If you're going to be so difficult then I suppose I have no other choice..." He drew his sword.  Diomedes smiled as drew his attention to my twin and he moved his sword so that it was to my brother's neck. "You're easy to defeat...just catch you when you're off focus and you're good as dead..." He said to him.

            My brother scowled, breathing deeply and pushing his head back and exposing his neck. He closed his eyes so as to not have much to look at.

            "Any last words?" Diomedes was more than sadistic...it was sickening to see how much fun he was having toying with our minds and the intensity of the dire moments.

            "Alexander!" I screamed. "Please don't hurt him! He's all I have! Please!" I was nearly crying at this point.

            "My last request...Please...just let her go..." Alexander began to cry.  It wasn't a sob or anything, just a couple tears trickling down his cheeks.  Seeing this shut me up. "That's all I ask of you, and you can have the pallidium..."

            Diomedes scowled and bent over as he removed his foot from my brother's chest. He picked up my twin by his neck and threw him at me. He skidded on the floor toward me and I helped him stand.  "Give it to me, girl."

            I was fearful for my brother's life but I had no idea of the importance of this item either. I couldn't just hand over something so important that my brother would be fighting for his life, but I couldn't let my brother die either. What was I to do?

            "Wha-what is this? Why is it so important to you?" I asked before making my decision.

            Diomedes sighed. "This item is none of your concern. Hand it over, or I'll take both of your lives."

            I hesitated. Could I truly trust him? After he nearly destroyed my brother? After what he'd done to the city of Troy...to my home?

            He grew impatient. "Hand it over." He was extremely stern.

            I slowly held it up and handed it to the war lord. I nearly had put it in his hand with Alexander grabbed my hand. "Please don't, Ambrosia." He breathed out, tired. He didn't take his eyes off of Diomedes as he was pushing the strange thing called a pallidium back towards me.

            "Ah, so you want to fight again over it?" Diomedes backed up, facing the blade toward my twin and getting into battle stance.

            Alexander's look of determination was almost painful to see. His eyes almost glowed red with his bloodlust toward this man. Apparently this item was very, very important...not that a war lord burning down an entire city didn't already get that point across.

            "You stand no chance, boy." Diomedes sounded almost concerned. "Listen to me... You have a life worth living with her. Get out of here with your sister. I give you one last chance to give me the pallidium, and I'll let you leave with your sister." Diomedes had a look of sincerity that even got to my brother. My brother went from the pose of a blood thirsty wolf to a surprised child. "I don't want to kill you if I can help it..."

            Alexander sighed. "Ambrosia, hand it over."

            I was surprised. One moment he says no, the next he's asking to do it himself. "Really? You trust him?"

            Alexander turned to me and gave me a very strange look. "I have no choice."

            I looked down at the artifact I held and handed it to him. "Alexander, we have a chance. I'll fight with you! We can do--"

            "Give it to me, sister..." I looked directly into his eyes. His eyes were pained and depressed, but soft.

            "N-no...No Alexander you can't be--" He walked over to me and put his hands on the pallidium. I knew that he planned on taking the pallidium from me by force.