The battle in front of the palace had grown fiercer by the moment. The two Archons' forces clashed incessantly, but there was no visible change in the battlefield. The soldiers could not push back Leander’s forces, no matter how much they tried to overrun them with numbers!

The General of the Athenian troops was sweating because of the heat of the sun and the distress in his heart. When he looked upon his enemies he felt something new… an innate fear. The veterans and young men alike, they had a fire in their eyes. Their frothing lips were always releasing a war cry. They fought as if they were possessed by the Erinyes!

What manner of vengeance drove them to this madness? A warrior’s rush, consumed by the red fog of Ares. The General’s orderly lines were crumbling under the sword of Leander’s self-righteous spirit. Indeed, the man himself was in the middle of the fight, impaling soldiers left and right.

“I want everyone to focus on the traitorous Archon!” The General ordered his men with an extended arm. “He can’t take on all of you!”

They had the advantage. Not only did they have far more troops, the men who were waiting in front of the palace were rested, while Leander’s troops only grew more exhausted as the battle raged on. And if they cut off the head of the snake, this fruitless rebellion would collapse in on itself in an instant.

Leander noticed the large group coming for him. Ten men, rushing through the straggling veterans and then cutting their way to the center of the plaza. The exhausted Athenian soldiers around them made way and held off the raging horde to create a path. The Archon readied his spear. He was not about to retreat.

“Come!” He shouted at those who came for his head.

The first three held forward their spears and shields to push him away from his comrades. Their tactic was to surround him and then impale him. A testament to the fact that getting close to Leander meant death.

Well, they were half right.

“Hraah!” Leander threw his spear and pierced the first man’s head. The other two tried to stab at him the moment he moved, but he deflected one spear with his short sword and then dodged the other one by pulling it along. The spearman was surprised by the force with which he was pulled, but that surprise ended quickly as he was already cut down by Leander’s blade. The Archon wasted no time and twisted around the spear he had already been holding to hit the third man’s shield.

They moved apart, but unlike the soldiers, Leander had no room to escape. The other executioners were already behind him. His arm was grazed by a spear and his shoulder was acting up. It flared up immensely as he blocked another hit. With gritted teeth he spun the spear in a circle and flicked away incoming spear tips. Then he moved the weapon into his right hand and stabbed forward with all his muscles tensed to the utmost.

“Gragrl!” The first to be impaled opened his eyes widely, but the man behind him was even more surprised. The spear had penetrated through the back and reached him as well!

“This… this bastard!” The remaining six showed a mix of fear and rage at seeing their fallen comrades. “He’s just one man!”

Leander coughed as he was hit by a shield against his chest armor and then barely managed to deflect incoming stabs. No matter how fierce he fought, their coordinated attacks were too much. Sweat ran into his eyes and burned his vision and he could hardly breathe…

“Hey ya cowards, how bouta real fight?!” The shout preceded an incoming axe that split one of the soldier’s scalps clean in half.

“Nikos!” Leander gasped for air and cut an enemy’s tendon, then proceeded to behead him.

“Sorry, the boys are still tryin’ ta get here. But ya got me axe!” He laughed madly and then cut off the spear tip in front of him. Axes were a natural counter to the long spears of the Athenian military. Veterans like Nikos knew this, but he was just a real lover of axe combat, regardless of tactical advantage.

They fought back to back to repel the headhunters and managed to prevail.

“Javelins!” Leander heard the shout behind him and spun around to protect Nikos with his shield. One of the thrown spears pierced the shield and grazed the Archon’s side, but he managed to survive.

Nikos on the other hand was pierced in the leg.

“Haah… we need to retreat. Just back to the front line.” Leander pulled Nikos back so he would not rush into the next group of enemies on his own.

“There’s no way back!” Nikos retorted and tore the spear out of his leg.

“What?” Leander looked back and realized that they had been cut off. While they had been fighting for their lives, the enemy had already pushed back Leander’s troops. They were at the edge of the plaza, not breaking phalanx formation. The only reason the two of them were not skewered yet was that the enemy General did not want to risk shooting his own men.

“Hahaha, this is a proper fight! I’ve been cravin’ this heat.” Nikos shouted and hit his axe against a shield he picked up. The rush of his blood had intoxicated him as so many others.

“We have to hold the line for just a bit longer.” Leander spat out some blood and looked at the enemy General. He was making a triumphant expression, standing between his personal bodyguards and with plenty of reinforcements to spare.

Somewhere beyond the palace gates Achaeus was surely watching this spectacle.

Leander gripped his sword tightly.

“Which way’s your sword pointin’ now?” Nikos asked with a bloody smile. Reinforcements were already marching towards them.

“Always at the next enemy.”

“That’s what I thought.”

They rushed forward into the incoming shouting soldiers. As long as they kept slashing away, the veterans behind them would have more time to regain their footing and reclaim the plaza. If they just held out a little longer, the plan would finally bear fruit.

The axe kept cleaving skulls, while Leander’s spearplay tore holes into his enemies. Every time Nikos jumped onto an enemy to bash them to death, Leander was right behind him to protect his back. When Leander picked up a new spear, Nikos would distract the enemies with a berserker-like scream that shook them in their boots.

Finally, as they were covered in blood and gashes, the two warriors fell to their knees. And just as they looked up to the swords aiming to cut them down, allies rushed forward and broke into the enemy’s formation. The forces that had pushed them back had been crushed!

“Filthy traitors…” Achaeus’ General was seething and moved his sword in a circle. His reinforcements were now surrounding the rebellious troops. To save Leander they had dared to move too far into the center, so their lines were broken. This was just what the General had been waiting for. Hefty losses were just part of warfare!

“Archon, can you stand?” One of the younger men helped him up and gave him a shoulder to lean on.

“I am fine. Call the men back, we cannot engage in a direct confrontation like thi-”

“FIRE! There is a fire!” Soldiers on both sides pointed back towards the large pillar of smoke.

“Leander, you madman! Will you burn down the entire Akropolis to get your way?! What evil will you stop at before you are satisfied?” The General shouted and panicked.

The Akropolis was tightly build, with not much room between buildings. From what Leander could tell the fire came from the town hall. Naturally he had not ordered to set anything on fire, because the consequences would be enormous. This was destruction incarnate and it might have swallowed the entire Akropolis soon.

“We need to extinguish the fire before it is too late!”

“No… we will keep fighting.” Leander decided and was met with shocked faces. “If we retreat now, all is lost! Let the town hall burn! Let it all burn until our enemies are ashes!”

“You- You monster!” The enemy General shouted and then moved forward alongside his men. They had to crush Leander’s forces as swiftly as possible now, so that they could prevent the fire from spreading.

“That’s madness alright.” Nikos slapped Leander on his back. The swelling smoke clouds behind them made the sun fluctuate in weird patterns. “Nothin’ we e'er did was sane anyways!”

The soldiers clashed more fiercely than ever before. Achaeus troops had already lost seventy-eight men, but they were not slowing down. Leander’s troops were pushed back.

“Kill them! Slay them! Save the Akropolis!” The General kept shouting and rode his horse into the breach.

Leander pushed one of his men aside at the last second so he would not get trampled. Then he blocked the incoming swing of the rider’s sword. The height difference made it almost impossible to block the strikes and Leander was thrown back. The spears coming down on him were blocked by three veterans. Two of them died instantly.

“No!” He rose up, but was kicked down by the horse.

“Protect Leander!” His old comrades kept throwing themselves between the Athenian soldiers and Leander. His eyes widened in despair as they kept taking blows for him.

“Damn it!” He picked up a javelin and rammed it into the incoming horse’s flank. It neighed painfully and kicked after him, but then a shouting bundle of muscle rammed the General off his horse.

“Got ya goldie!” Nikos laughed as he punched the General in his gold-tinged armor. What happened next was almost indescribable. As Nikos brought down his bloody axe and split the chest plate open, he was suddenly hit by several arrows. He growled in pain, but the shower continued and took down the horse as well. It fell on top of both of them and luckily shielded Leander from the hail.

“They’re shooting at their own men!” One of the veterans called out to Leander and then was hit by an arrow through a gap in his shield.

The Archon looked over the horse’s carcass and realized that Achaeus had sent more troops. They were all armed with bows and kept firing into the crowd.

“Ptah… Are you telling me this is an affordable loss?” Leander spat out and wiped blood from his forehead, finally stepping over the horse. “Nikos! Are you alive?” He pulled the musclebound veteran out from under the pile.

“Shit… Made me a plowin’ cyclops…” Nikos managed to get up, but a large chunk of his left face was missing. His eye was useless now.

“Shields! Get back into formation and block the rain!” Leander shouted back to the chaotic groups of soldiers engaging in fights as they were skewered. “Achaeus has at least double these troops inside the palace. He thinks if he crushes us here, it’s over.”

“Hehehe, not bloody likely!” Nikos pulled his axe out of the dead General and leaned it on his shoulder. He didn’t even flinch as the arrows flew past him.

“I need the capsule.” Leander looked back and saw the wagon standing in the middle of the plaza. The horse that had been dragging it had gone mad due to the smell of fire and the noise of war.

“Blowin’ up the front door?”

“It’s about time.” He nodded and jumped over several corpses.

On the other end of things a new officer was in charge and he looked devastated by the damage his archers did to both sides. The order had come directly from the Archon, so he dared not resist.

“Captain… The outlooks… have been compromised…” An injured soldier walked out of one of the alleys at the side.

“What are you saying, man?!”

“They got us… we didn’t see them… coming…” He collapsed forward and stopped moving.

The next moment two large explosions shook the walls surrounding the palace grounds. Achaeus forces were stunned as they heard the rumbling of boots and shouting behind them.

From the west and the east, warriors kept streaming into the palace grounds. They killed the guards in front of the gate and opened it wide…

“A pincer formation?!” The captain was devastated, but not for long as spears already came to impale him and his men from behind.

Now Leander’s forces had surrounded the Athenian soldiers instead!

“They’ve been fighting with half their men this entire time…” The next officer realized. This hopeless battle in the plaza had just bought the reinforcements time to circumvent their blockades across the Akropolis to fall into their back. Because the spotters in the towers had been dead already, nobody could warn them ahead of time.

“I expected them to realize it sooner.” Leander said with heavy breaths as he rushed for the wagon.

“Someone took out the towers before we could even get there.” The leader of the reinforcements explained as he rushed over to support them.

The tide of battle changed rapidly. Now that Leander’s men surrounded their enemies they had the upper hand and thanks to the chaos in the palace grounds, reinforcements from Achaeus would not come fast enough. They had effectively been cut off. This was a massacre.

“STOOOP!” Leander shouted with all his might atop the wagon. His lungs carried enough force to reach even the most distant soldiers. The fighting stopped as all sides couldn’t help but listen to that man’s voice. “This battle is over! I have no desire to slaughter my fellow Athenians for a second longer!”

The beaten and injured men looked up to him in shock.

“Inside that palace sits the man who ordered your sacrifices! If this were up to him, the battle would continue until the last drop of blood has been spilt. I know that we will lose many brave men. I know that you will lose twice as many for every of my comrades you take. This bloodshed is dishonorable and unworthy of our people! Proud Atticans killing their fellow men is never just.”

His voice carried far, but was met by only disbelief on both sides.

“I ask you, lay down your weapons! All those that follow Achaeus, cease your hostility and retreat into the city. Your lives still have worth to the people out there. To the families you provide for and the lands you call home. Achaeus does not see your lives as valuable, he only sees worth in your death.”

He spoke like a madman. To beg his enemies to lay down weapons in the middle of a battle was unheard of. He could not honestly believe in such a ruse. Because it was too mad to be a ruse, it was all the more effective.

He had promised Eugenia that he would try to keep the casualties as low as possible, but he truly hated to see any more death. It seemed that he was already failing as a soldier. Even his own men were disappointed. An opportunity to crush their opponents would not come this easily again. They wanted revenge for those who had already fallen. All this negative energy had gathered and overwhelmed him.

He had faltered…

Blood splattered across his chest.

An arrow had been released by a single soldier and penetrated deeply. The wound was spreading all the way to his lungs. The large man collapsed on top of the wagon… at Leander’s feet.

“Nikos…!” He went to his knees and strongly grabbed his friend’s arm. In the corner of his vision he could see the stray archer being pushed down and disarmed.

“Gh, he’s got me good.” His scarred face twisted as he grabbed the arrow and broke off its hilt.

Leander could tell from experience that the wound was lethal.

“Ya got soft on me, General.”

“Don’t call me that… I’m not a General anymore…” Leander said with a twisted face and kept holding up Nikos’ back.

“I don’ give a crap what’s got ya so down. As long as ya carry this sword…” He slammed the blood covered hilt of Leander’s sword back into his hand. “…you’ll always be my General.” Then he threw his axe forward and killed the man who had climbed up behind Leander.

“What god do you follow?” Leander asked a question he had never uttered to a comrade.

“Pah… I don’t follow gods… only men.” He smiled proudly and then his hand slid down limply.

Leander looked down, his face grim, but his grip strong. When he rose to his feet he sliced through the next man trying to kill him. Every enemy who was still loyal to Achaeus had gathered around the wagon. He could see that the largest part of the enemies had laid down their swords and was now being pushed away by the glares of the veterans.

“Whoever raises their sword now is an enemy. There will be no mercy, even to those who beg for it. Have you made your decision?” He calmly asked the men surrounding him.

“For the Archon! For Athens!” They shouted and came for him. Of course Leander’s warriors were right behind them, but as long as they could take down their leader they would satisfy their Archon.

“So be it.”

The fighting continued. Stubborn soldiers were cut down until only allies were left and they could advance into the palace grounds. Finally they had reached Achaeus last bulwark. The black haired Archon was standing on his balcony, looking down on the enemy troops. Of course inside and outside the palace, far more soldiers were waiting already. The gate and all entrances were closed.

“You have destroyed insurmountable walls twice already, Leander.”

“And the gate to the palace will be next if you do not open it for me.” He declared with wrath in his eyes.

“This is the seat of power. If you force yourself onto it, you will truly be the traitor that will go down in history as the greatest evil.” The Archon shouted down. All the aristocrats were behind him in the throne room.

“I do not care about history. All that matters is the present.” He raised his sword and three men with metal capsules ran forward.

“So that is your secret weapon. The alleged ‘thunder’.” Achaeus tensed up and grabbed the spear of his guard to the right. Then he threw it forward and hit the capsule out of one of the runners’ hands.

“Get away from there!” Leander rolled away. It had already been too late and the hole inside the capsule let water stream onto the ore. An explosion shook the yard and took several men from both factions down.

“Destroy them before they reach the gate!” Achaeus ordered and the archers on the balconies fired.

And thus the fighting in the lower levels escalated.

“Gaaah!” The soldier succumbed to the sword and fell down lifelessly in front of Therses’ feet. He grimaced as the empty eyes stared up at him.

“That was the last of them in this hallway.” Bion declared, but then Irvenos pushed him and the other two into a gap meant for a lookout. He put up one finger in front of his scarves to signal silence.

A few seconds later they could hear the voices of panicked men that rushed down the stairwell. The longer they stayed in the palace the more troops were going downwards. Whoever was attacking the palace had truly made a mess of things.

After it turned somewhat quieter they decided to rest for a moment. Bion had received a rather ugly cut to the shoulder and Irvenos had started out in a far worse condition already. They just needed a breather, or so they said.

Therses was exhausted from carrying the old man on his back for so long, but he was not harmed yet. Somehow he had stayed out of trouble… or perhaps the two in front of him had protected him that well. It was frustrating.

“Say, how can you- how can anyone…” He held his head with both hands and gritted his teeth. “How can you take a life this lightly?”

“They’re in our way.” Bion said while cleaning his blade on his stolen coat.

“Is that all you need? These men were soldiers… with families. Friends. They were no different from you or Agapetos or my parents.” He could not take much more of this. Their empty eyes were following him this entire time.

“That’s why I told you to carry my master.” Bion replied with a low voice.

Therses eyes widened. From the start Bion had always pushed him away from a fight. It seemed like he had only been looking down on him, because he was foolish or weak. But was there meaning to his actions? The reason he chose to hand someone as untrustworthy as Irvenos a weapon? His face was impossible to read.

“There was a day where I couldn’t have killed any poor sod. The sea isn’t a peaceful place. The first time ya take a life is the hardest.” Irvenos closed his one eye.

“And then you feel nothing.” Bion concluded.

“That can’t be true.” He rejected those words as if they were an attack on his soul.

“…right. Some men can only kill when it’s personal.” Bion went through his shoulder length hair and sighed. “Those helmets are soldiers. They live to kill their enemies. Right now that would be us. The least we can do is give them the courtesy of doing the same.”

“If only we could just avoid them.” Therses knew that was not possible. But the trail of corpses behind them would lead their enemies here soon enough. They only had one path left.

“From what I remember, throne room’s right around the staircase. Large opaque door, not easy to miss.” The scarred captain inhaled deeply and then stood up. “The killin’ will end when ya get to the bigshots, right? One way or another.”

Was he trying to encourage him? The young fisherman gave him an angry look. There was no way he would just trust this man now. Once they made it to the Archon and the aristocrats they would have to see what he was truly made off. Until then he would not turn his back to him.

“One more time.” He leaned back to grab Agapetos arms, but was touching air.

“By the undulating grapevine…” Agapetos had awoken! And he was holding his head as if he had a bad hangover. For an old man like him to receive such a hard blow, it was probably a miracle he got up at all. “…where are we?”

“You were taking an annoyingly long nap.” Bion said with a shrug and put his sword away. “I hope you are ready to make some new connections with the upper crust.”

“This is the palace.” The old medico realized and then took a glance at his assistant and Irvenos. Surprisingly he seemed to figure everything out really quick. “You would not happen to have a plan, perhaps? Otherwise I would have to call you a fool again for dragging me into the lion’s den.”

“I wouldn’t call it a plan, but we got a destination.” He shrugged in response.

“Therses, my boy.” He turned toward the young man. His demeanor made clear that he was seeking answers from someone less flippant.

Therses nodded and then told him everything he knew. It wasn’t much, but they did hold a trump card. Agapetos was listening intently until he was satisfied.

“Then I will do as I must.” The medico said solemnly and walked out of the gap.

“Agapetos, wait, you are fine with this situation?” Therses hastily caught up to him and gave him a questioning look.

“They are injured. And he would never bring me into such a hopeless place if there had been any other choice.” The old man replied with his eyes forced ahead.

Therses could see now that no matter how much he scolded his assistant, he deeply believed in him. He hadn’t even questioned Irvenos’ presence at all. If he could accept these odds, then maybe it really was the right way.

He touched his chest to feel the pile of papers inside his clothes.

“Don’t storm off all on yer own now.” Irvenos and Bion followed and casually pulled up their swords. This was still enemy territory.

“I wouldn’t mind if he took the lead for once.” Bion said carefree behind them.

They all tensed up when they reached the door. There were two guards in a rather alarmed state. The fighting noises from downstairs were getting louder. It would be hard to get the drop on them like this…

BOOM!

The entire hallway shook for a moment. It was like the foundation of the palace itself had been shaken! That was the opportunity they needed and with a swift tackle and stab one of the guards was taken out by Irvenos. Bion managed to block the spear of the other man, but was struggling to keep him off. His leg was shaking more than it should have.

“Out of our way!” Therses shouted and swung his knife at the soldier, who naturally managed to react to it due to the loud announcement. The shout had already fulfilled its purpose that way. Bion rammed his leg into the back of the soldier’s knee and then disarmed him in the same motion as he fell. Irvenos sharply impaled him from behind and then pulled his sword out with his boot.

“Quickly, before reinforcements arrive.” He pushed open the large door with his shoulder and they altogether burst into the spacious throne room.

There they were greeted by dozens of shocked and afraid faces of aristocrats and several really angered soldiers who were all drawing their weapons at them. In an elegant motion Irvenos shut the door to hide the bloody puddle and then sheathed his sword, hands raised above.

“Enemies! Take them out!” One of the soldiers ordered and they closed in with spears pointed ahead.

“Lord Achaeus!” The bellowing voice came not from the soldiers or the aristocrats, but rather from one of the four intruders. Agapetos stepped forward, leaving behind his comrades and faced the aristocrats, completely ignoring the spears aimed at his chest. “I have come here to talk.”

“Who is he?” The aristocrats began to whisper in confusion and the guards eyed him suspiciously.

“I am Agapetos of Eretria, world renowned medico and scholar of the medical arts!” He declared proudly.

“Have you ever heard of him?”

“Not at all.”

“What kind of scholar is he?”

“Did he say Eretria?”

The murmuring and hushed conversations among the present nobility were not very encouraging for Agapetos’ ego. But his clear eyes were focused now. Nothing of his usual submissiveness could be found.

“Good subordinates are hard to come by in this new army.” With heavy steps a presence pushed away all the chatter and the confused guards and made way for the man of the hour. Achaeus entered the throne room from the balcony where he had been shouting orders until now. “I gave the order to rid us of these pests and yet I am forced to look upon rats in the holy palace itself.”

The two men were standing only a spear’s length from each other, but their glares were far from even. Agapetos had found unspoken courage, but the sheer determination and aura of this Archon threatened to stomp him completely.

“So you have made it all the way to me, using the confusion of the war that your little priestess has started. Did you not bring her along with you?” He didn’t seem very fazed by the situation.

“Eugenia has done her part already, we would never take her to the lion’s den.”

“Was that her name? No matter, she failed to save you regardless. You carelessly came to receive your sentence and put her efforts to waste.” He mocked and then smirked.

“Your executioner has failed once already.”

“So it seems. As did my men outside this room. I feel nothing but disappointment.”

“You unjustly tried to rid yourself of us. Even so, I have come to talk!” He repeated.

“I have nothing to talk about with an Eretrian spy.” He balled his fist in the air and the guards closed in.

“You may not wish to hear our words, but the distinguished noble houses of Attica deserve to hear the truth, do you not agree?” With that he finally broke eye-contact and turned towards the crowd. Their reaction was understandably one of confusion. The medico’s face was covered in sweat beads and he was struggling to stay still as the spear tips closed in, but he had to show them his sincerity.

“Your venomous words are merely a deception to buy time for your traitor master downstairs.” Achaeus got impatient and turned loud enough for the crowd to hear his words now.

“Wait!” The voice of a particular noble stopped the impending execution. Bion had just about been ready to pull his master away, but then he stood back again.

“Kleitos, this is a matter of security.” Achaeus tried to swipe the interference aside, but the man with an odd piece of glass in front of his eyes did not let himself get silenced.

“We have barely gotten any answers out of you. This man may be Eretrian, but he has the countenance of a civilized man. We should hear him out, especially when he speaks of a truth that you do not like.” Eopia’s father was standing center of many noble circles and the men and women around him nodded in agreement.

“Hrm.” Achaeus could see that this would not be easy to resolve without hurting his position. That was what Agapetos and the rest had bargained for. “This is a waste of our time. We are in the middle of a skirmish, so-“

“A battle you have incited unjustly! The reason you are engaged in battle with Archon Leander is that his friend was poisoned. The blame for that heinous act falls on none other than Captain Irvenos.” He pointed at the scarf covered man behind them. Irvenos looked ahead unmoved.

“Who is a puppet of Eretria. You do admit your guilt then!” Achaeus declared confidently. His eyes met with Irvenos’ and for a moment there seemed to be an exchange of unspoken words. The captain lowered his gaze and did not speak a word.

“I knew we could not count on him.” Therses said anxiously and then moved forward. Bion stopped him with one arm and shook his head.

“Eretria, my dear homeland, does not rely on such pathetic methods. Through our veins flows the proud blood of all Ionians! The nobility of our people does not allow for us to err in our ways. And we had always thought the same applied to the prideful Atticans.”

The aristocrats murmured in hesitant agreement. The Ionian Alliance had always been closely tied to Attica, far more than to the other ancestral tribes. It was not at all rare for Eretrian nobles to be married to families from Athens, so some of the more held back men present were now showing a little bit of patriotism.

“Grand words for a dying city that is scrambling for goods. You have long since sold your pride for materials to rebuild your city and fleet. Black market ships, avoiding taxation. I know of it all.” The Archon was hammering down against the brittle shield that had been put up by the Eretrians.

“I will admit to it. Our leaders are desperate. We have relied on outside help to reignite the fire of our economy.” Agapetos did the unexpected and leaned into the accusations! “And how have we come to this pitiful state, unbefitting of our ancestry? It was all due to Athens’ machinations!”

“What?!”

“You dare!”

“What does he mean by that?”

The aristocrats were in an uproar again. Not because they were disillusioned, but rather because they felt insulted. Agapetos was playing a dangerous game.

“You are pushing your luck.” Achaeus said darkly.

“Yes, my words were imprecise. I apologize.” He stretched aside his arms and bowed his head. “There is only one man who is speaking in Athens’ name, but holds all the strings. Lord Achaeus is the one who controls all the actors in this tale.”

“Agapetos, was it? Could you tell us what machinations you speak of? I demand clarification.” Kleitos was not yet convinced, but he seemed the most opposed to Achaeus.

“We have all been played for fools. I am ashamed to admit that I had never the faintest inkling of the truth until the moment we were inside his trap. The reason my dear Eretria is in such a horrific state, it is due to war.” Everyone present knew of the recent conflict between Eretria and its sister towns. “And we are not the only ones. There have been many small battles and wars all across the area in recent years. We are in an age of never-ending strife. But across all these conflicts one thing has been consistent.”

Achaeus fingers twitched ever so slightly.

“Athens has been coming to each city’s aid.”

“Is that true?” Kleitos seemed unsure of why this was the case, he did not yet realize the truth.

The Archon watched his men outside scramble to give new orders. He was under pressure from two sides already, so the longer this debate lasted, the worse his position would get.

“Why would he deign to keep silent you may wonder? It is all because of his ruthless schemes! To gain limitless power in our world he has betrayed the Ionian Alliance countless times. He turned brother against brother and father against child. The conflicts did not come to be of natural reasons, but rather due to his meddling. For each city in dire straits he sent a battalion of Athenian soldiers as support. To defend, to siege and to help rebuild.” Agapetos explanations were rather detailed for a man who had not seen the greater picture until just a few hours ago.

“He’s speaking the truth, my son is a captain in the division sent to Thebes. They have been doing great work to support those classless upstarts.” One man said contemptuously.

“Archon, what is the meaning of this? You spent our precious treasury on interventions?”

“But… if he started the conflicts in the first place…”

“I see now.” Kleitos was one of the first to comprehend. “You were not wasting our resources. You have established Athenian presence in the Ionian Alliance.” He adjusted the magnifying glass and twisted his lips.

“Indeed, good sirs! Lord Achaeus intends to do the unthinkable. He will use the might of Athens to pressure all these worn down cities into submission. His plan aims for nothing less, but unification of the Ionian Alliance under the Attican banner!” Agapetos finally got to the core of it.

“What treachery…”

“Could it really be true?”

“My son is stationed in one of these cities!”

The murmuring and shrieks of indignation were getting louder.

“And what for? To create a new kingdom? Is it simply insatiable lust for power?” Kleitos asked Achaeus directly.

The dark-haired Archon still had his back turned to them. The glowing evening sunlight was creating a red fringe around his contours. No, it was not just from the sun. It was the light of flames. In the distance the smoldering fires had consumed the town hall. That was what had caught Achaeus’ gaze for so long.

“What proof do you have of what you speak?” For the first time in the entirety of the tumultuous day, a dry and hoarse voice joined the room. Despite being exceptionally quiet, everyone could hear it clearly. The unmoving man, not much more than an Egyptian mummy, had finally spoken. As the holder of the title ‘Impartial’, Archon Topos was not one to interfere in feuds and squabbles. However, as the representative of nobility and aristocrats, he could not ignore a slight against their traditions.

“Right here!” Therses raised his voice and pulled out the documents. They were all neatly folded, but numerous. The thick pile of parchments was covered in coal and ink and ranged from ancient to rather recent. He handed the papers to Agapetos who took them in his sweaty hand.

“This is Lord Achaeus personal correspondence with his subordinates and other nobles across the lands. His instructions are written here and his seal appears clear as the wings of Caduceus.” He said triumphantly and then sent Therses to bring them to Topos. The guards let him pass.

The old leathery hand of the Archon stretched forward and his ancient eyes moved across the parchments. His expression remained unchanging as always, but he nodded. The seal was real.

“Hahaha.” In this atmosphere of the changing tides, a small relieved chuckle sent shivers down the Eretrians’ spines. “I am grateful, truly I am.”

“Have you gone mad? This is over!” Therses asked Achaeus as he faced them with a smirk.

“Madness is the furthest from it. I am full of delight. At first I thought your appearance was the sign of a great evil interfering with my destiny, but how wrong I was! You were sent for another reason… to lead me to glory.” He moved past his guards and stood right in front of Therses and Topos.

“I won’t let you destroy the evidence of your crimes.” Therses growled and readied his fishing knife.

“Destroy it? You are amusing me, boy. Why would I destroy these important documents?” He looked at Topos who slowly handed them over to his colleague.

“Stop right there!”

“Ahhh, the map is among them. I feel truly blessed by her.” He sighed in relief and then pushed the letters back into the young fisherman’s hands. “The fires of my opponents could not consume this precious map. Do you know what this is boy?” He asked ecstatically.

But Therses was not in a mood to play along.

“The map of Persia! The lands beyond Media and Lydia, yet uncharted by our scouts, now largely unveiled by such a magnificent map. My men have been painstakingly creating copies, but they are all inferior to this work. For a coward who would defect to a simpleton like Leander, the Rhodian has done me the greatest service. I was wise to listen to Typhos' recommendation.” In his joy he seemed to be talking to himself.

“Stop rambling! We have you cornered now. Archon, you have seen the evidence. He has betrayed all your proud traditions!” Therses turned back to the old man.

From a distance Agapetos watched this with a paling face. Achaeus actions only pointed toward one conclusion.

“You may keep those letters, old friend. I have nothing to hide.” Achaeus had finally calmed down and slipped the map into his light armor.

Topos read them with almost still eyes.

“I know every single one of these letters. It was my explicit principle to never write anything devious. As any man may read, my intentions were pure. The aid I provided was given in the trust that a good deed shall be repaid one day. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“No way.” Therses was devastated. He had read the letters! He knew that they implied the dark machinations and pressure put upon the Alliance.

Implied…

He felt his heart sink. No direct word had ever told of his true intentions. Only now did he realize that this correspondence had probably been working with a code. The superficial words were unsettling, but nothing said could incriminate Achaeus. Not a single word!

“Which of you retrieved these from my quarters?” The Archon asked curiously.

“It was… me…” Therses said while biting his lower lip.

“Very well, boy. You shall be spared. The rest of your fellow spies will be hung tomorrow, after I vanquished the traitor.” He declared graciously and patted Therses’ shoulder.

“Achaeus, you cannot be serious! These accusations are severe and there is still evidence. Do you feel no responsibility to clear your name in front of us?” Kleitos put up a final resistance. It was so apparent that Achaeus was guilty and yet they were stopped by a technicality.

“I tire of your constant badgering Kleitos. As I said, these accusations are foolishness. A tale spun by spies to undermine us. Eretria must be truly desperate to rely on such parlor tricks.”

“I wonder who’s really desperate now.” A hoarse voice pierced the air. It came from the group of Eretrians, but it was not Agapetos.

Achaeus stopped in his tracks and glared towards the scarf covered man. His expression was tense.

“If ya need a witness to confirm their claims, I’d be willin’ to throw my worthless life into the sea. Poseidon can pick up whatever's left.” The captain finally broke his silence. He finally said the words he should not.

“Curb your tongue, pirate!” Achaeus was losing his calm and growled at Irvenos.

“Tsk. So that’s how you see me? I ain’t too good for a scapegoat, but the pirate life’s behind me now.” He said sardonically and then pulled something from his innermost folds.

“Silence. Have you forgotten about your oath?” The deadly glare intensified.

“Never once. Ya blackmailed me long enough. My past life, that of my crew… I’m done lettin’ you use it against me!” Irvenos threw down a dark black ring. “This is the secret symbol used to mark all of Achaeus messages. Ya wonder how I got my hands on it? Simple, that. I’m his henchman. More like a dog on a leash, really. I’d rather be a gull soaring over the ocean though.”

Achaeus stood perfectly still as the ring rolled in circles on the floor.

“Are you speaking the truth? But you have come as a representative of Eretria. You poisoned a high ranking official.” The aristocrats were yet in doubt.

“He ordered me to infiltrate the city of rowers. I was supposed to stir a conflict against them and take the fall. Lupus was bait to get Leander on our side and then raze Eretria to the ground. They were bein’ too crafty for their own good, tryin’ to rebuild without Athens’ ‘helpful hands’. ‘course we needed the slaves and herbs to supply our little campaign.”

“Not another word.” Achaeus grabbed his sword.

“He threatened to kill my crew and let their corpses rot without a proper burial! Said he’d tell them that their foolish captain was nothin’ but a lousy pirate, so that they’d despair at their faults. Their souls couldn’t’ve found peace in the Underworld. That’s the kinda man Achaeus is.” He spoke with pure spite as the sword came to behead him.

Clang.

But the blade was stopped by another. Bion had blocked the fatal blow with his own sword. His dull eyes had sharpened for a single moment. The Archon was far more powerful than he appeared, but Bion managed to barely push his sword to the side to change the arc of the slash.

“Why’d you do that?” Irvenos asked perplexed.

“Could ask you the same. What’s with the change of heart?” Bion responded coolly.

“Heh. Beats me.” Irvenos replied with a forlorn expression. His mouth was always hidden, but Bion could tell he was smiling.

“This ring is no fabrication.” Kleitos had picked it up. “These exact rings were used in our business deals ten years ago. Nobody outside of the inner circle would know about them.” He raised it above his head. “This alongside the letters is proof of his words. Achaeus poisoned a man that served the Archons for his plot. It could only have been one scheme of many.”

“That is preposterous!” Achaeus slashed his sword around and pushed Bion back. “You would believe the word of some worthless pirate scum over mine?!”

“The evidence has spoken.” Topos said deeply.

“Even you, Topos? You too shall turn against me?” For once there was true pain in Achaeus’ eyes.

“You have defiled our traditions, Achaeus, son of Lyderos.” Speaking his father’s name showed the severity of Topos’ decision.

Achaeus lowered his blade and head alike. Almost all the aristocrats in the throne room were looking at him with contempt or fear. He would find no supporters in their midst. Not anymore. Topos was their spokesman and the oldest man alive. He had known their fathers and grandfathers even as they were still young children. To speak against his wisdom was like disregarding history itself.

“…so be it.” Finally, the man who was the cause of the conflict sheathed his sword and resigned himself.

Resigned himself to do what was necessary.

“Put them away.” He said in an icy voice. The guards, albeit uncomfortable with the command, followed through and cornered the aristocrats.

“To defile even the most sacred authority in the palace.” Topos showed a silent rage.

“You left me no choice. I will lock you up in a pleasant place, so you can spend away those final days peacefully. I owe you my gratitude for the kindness you showed me on that day.” Achaeus pushed back his slick black hair and then turned his back to the surrounded aristocrats.

“You won’t get away with this!” Kleitos shouted enraged. “A mere Archon cannot rise above those who vote him into position! Have you lost your mind completely?!”

“I am slightly glad over this turn of events, if only for one reason.” Achaeus said with a long suffering sigh. Then he turned around and cut off Kleitos’ right hand in one swing.

“GAAAH!” The proud man screamed and cried on the floor as blood ran from the stump. The others were left in shock and fear. Agapetos rushed to his side and stopped the bleeding by tying down his arm. The two medicos were needed dearly.

“Your shrieking does not sound much different from your usual yapping, but it is somewhat more palatable.” The Archon seemed in a better mood already. “I did not want to turn against any of you. If you declare your fealty to me, I shall be magnanimous and welcome you into my circle. Any who wishes to see my dream fulfilled is a comrade.”

“Do you hear yourself talk?” Therses spat out.

“You are not my enemies…” Achaeus began anew.

That was the moment when the eastern door burst open and the death screams of two guards echoed inside the throne room. Kneeling on top of the corpse, holding onto the spear deeply stabbed into the armored chest of the soldier, was none other than Leander.

“…he is.” The Archon of discord returned the gaze of his enemy unfaltering.

“Achaeus!” Leander pressed the name out between his dry lips. His armor was covered in gashes and his clothes falling apart in places. He had lost his helmet along the way and received a deep cut across his cheek. He looked battered, beaten and bloody.

But he did not stop his march towards the goal. The enemy.

With a wet sound he tore the spear out of his dead enemy and then staggered forward. His eyes seemed to dilute, but he still managed to focus on the one who caused this entire disaster.

“You seem to be possessed by something.”

“It is Nemesis.” He evoked the name of the goddess of retribution herself.

“Should not that sword be pointed at your own throat then? For the hubris lies with you.” Achaeus was surrounded by his loyal men, so he had not much to fear. “I see another woman taking your reigns. Is it not that priestess who has set you astray?”

“Eugenia… has nothing to do with this…” He said between ragged breaths. He leaned on his spear while mustering his many opponents. Apparently he had made it here alone, as no reinforcements burst in.

“Oh?”

“She only told me… the truth…” He wiped some sweat and blood away from his eyes and regained his controlled breathing. “A truth I averted my eyes from long enough. Eugenia is not the cause of my determination, she is the one who awakened it once more. Too long have I sat idly by and watched your actions go unpunished.”

“Your act was brilliant. I had truly believed you were a clueless jester. Rather you seem to be a complacent coward.” He taunted.

“I will not deny it. Your plans… they seemed Olympian. Too good to be true. I wished to believe that you would lose your ambition as everything became too big to chew.”

“To leave something up to luck is a sign of weakness.”

“Indeed. I just… did not want to fight anymore. These wars you sparked have left me drained of my very essence.” He looked down at his boots. “Or so I thought. Today I saw the valiant hearts of my comrades once more. Those brave men you wished to send to their death against the Persians.”

“Is that all? You are opposing my just plan - my destiny - for something so insignificant?” Achaeus now showed genuine contempt and anger.

“Your destiny… whatever you might believe it to be. It ends here.” Leander raised the spear to his side.

The soldiers around Achaeus pulled up their shields to protect him. The spear was ready to stab forward!

Thunk.

It was stabbed into the gaps in the floor in front of Achaeus.

“What?” Therses looked in shock as the weapon had missed its target by so much.

“He can’t be…!” Agapetos’ eyes widened.

“Achaeus of Eleusis! I challenge you to a duel.”

His declaration cracked in the air and doubled the tension. A challenge like this was fairly unusual, but it was even rarer during a war. Even if this was merely a battle between two small factions, challenging the head of the troops to a one on one was an incredibly old tradition.

“H-He… won’t do it.” The weak and jittery, yet hate filled voice of Kleitos spread through the silence. “This man has already lost all his honor. He has no r-reason… to accept such a challenge.” He was white and blue from blood loss and laid on the ground where Agapetos and Bion tended to him, but even in this pathetic state he still judged Achaeus.

“Hah. I dislike to be in agreement with him, but he is not entirely wrong. Do you believe this will bring you victory, Leander?” The Archon crossed his arms and looked down on the spear.

“If we keep this fight going, many more will die. No matter which force comes out victorious, your reinforcements will still arrive.”

Now Achaeus squinted his eyes. He had no idea what Leander was after.

“If I defeat you in honorable combat…. I want you to call back all your troops and surrender.” Leander demanded.

“You are making demands on top of begging me for a duel?” He was not amused anymore. “Tell me: What do I have to gain here?”

Leander took a few quick breathes. It seemed his vision was blurring out occasionally.

“If you win… my men will surrender… and serve you in your campaign against the Persians.”

“Can you truly promise me this?” He had his doubts.

“I swear on my family name. They will honor my last wish. I cannot give you more than my word, just as I can only take yours.” He said something unexpected.

“Brother, no!” The man they called Thracus, who had been knocked down by Achaeus before had awoken and held his hand out for his brother.

Leander gave him a pained smile, but did not retract his words. He could not take that hand anymore.

“You would trust your enemy to honor an agreement? Even if it is spoken in front of all these esteemed houses, that is quite foolish.” He mocked once again, but then he grabbed the spear in front of him and pulled it out of the floor. With a skilled throw he gave it back to Leander. “Fine, I accept!”

“Milord?!” One of his personal guards was visibly horrified by this turn of events.

“If this will show my intentions, then I have nothing to lose. My destiny has led me to this point. I will make good use of your veterans Leander.”

“We will see about that.” The other Archon gave him a serious look and then put down his spear. “It is I who declared the challenge, so it is your right to choose the weapon.”

In a traditional duel it was customary for both opponents to have the same weapon. It could be anything from mere fists to spears or bows. There were no rules on how to use them, though. They both knew it would be a fight to the death, so there was no point in a drawn out fistfight.

“Challenging Leander the hero to a spear battle is suicide.” Achaeus finally decided and threw the spear previously handed to him aside. “I pick my sword.” With that said he put on his impressive helmet and unsheathed his blade.

“Then I shall do the same.” Leander grabbed the sword that he had surely torn out of one of his enemies’ hands. It was a worn and brittle bronze sword, not at all as impressive as Achaeus pristine iron sword.

Now that their weapons had been chosen they were circling each other in an invisible arena. The guards had pushed the crowd back and left most of the throne room free for the fight. It didn’t appear like either of them would be relying much on the environment anyway.

“How is your leg doing?” Leander asked while keeping an eye on his opponent’s movements.

“That old injury won’t be acting up now. I have been loosening it all day. But I am rather disappointed to fight you in such a pathetic state.” He replied while analyzing all of Leander’s injuries.

“It will be enough.” It had to be enough.

“Always… underestimating me!” With that Achaeus pushed forward and swung to Leander’s left. The former hero managed to block the attack, but grimaced a little. Then he returned the favor by swinging wildly against Achaeus sword arm.

They desperately danced around the central circle of the throne room and kept clashing. Their blades were thin and short, so each clash brought them incredibly close. Leander head-butted Achaeus with all his might, so strongly in fact that the latter could still feel it through his helmet. Irritated and slightly shaken, Achaeus rammed his elbow against Leander’s wrist and thus lowered his sword. He then tried to impale him in the chest, but missed by a hair’s breadth.

Leander slashed upwards against the stretched out arm, but only managed to fling the iron sword into the air. Despite the heavy vibrations, Achaeus managed to keep his grip on the weapon and stepped back swiftly.

In an attempt to regain a stronger stance, Achaeus took a few wild swings to keep up the distance. Leander had to carefully step back, but used the opportunity to get into a stance of his own. His eyes were sharp as he waited for his opponent to stop flailing. Just as the opening appeared he struck down diagonally and managed to scrape Achaeus upper arm. Regrettably it was not his sword arm.

“You won’t – hurgh – aim for my leg?” Achaeus grunted between blows.

Leander had no breath left to respond, as he was on the defensive. Clearly he would not resort to going for the known weakness of the Archon, but he could also barely hold on to his weapon as the vibrating metal kept making his hands numb. Achaeus swung at his left side, so Leander had to block it. Just as he readjusted his sword, he was surprised by another swing at his shoulder.

The devious Achaeus was aiming for his injured shoulder from the start. He had been present when that arrow had dug deep into it at the gates. He must have realized that it could never have healed in such a short time. The exertion during the skirmishes downstairs had only opened the wound again. Blood was soaking the leather on his shoulder, which was like a red sign asking to be hit.

The fight intensified as Leander had to rely on more and more desperate dodge maneuvers. His blocks became weaker and his two-handed strikes were almost negligible. His only saving grace was that these were one-handed swords, so Achaeus force was limited.

“Urgh!” The iron sword screeched across the chest plate of the cuirass.

“Curse you…!” Achaeus spat out blood after receiving a backhand to the cheekbone.

They landed more blows with each passing second. It was a testament to their exhaustion and fleeting focus. Leander was beaten and bruised already, but Achaeus with all his strength was still not the youngest. He would also not be able to keep pace like this.

It all came down to the finishing blow.

Achaeus shouted on top of his lungs and then started a relentless barrage. It was so heavy that he managed to tear apart a chair and a table as Leander dodged. Each swing was a killing blow if it connected. One of them grazed the bronze blade and put a deep notch into it.

With gritted teeth Leander increased the speed of his own swings and managed to deflect the slower blows evenly. Then he swung in a straightforward horizontal arc. Achaeus, confident in his reflexes, went for the defensive stance… but the sword never hit him.

Instead Leander caught it with his weaker left arm.

“Wha-?!” Achaeus was in shock as the changed weapon hand delivered a blow straight to his head. The helmet got dented in and blood spurted from the spot. The injured Archon staggered back and fell to one knee. Now was the perfect time for a finishing blow!

But Leander too stopped his attack and sank to one knee as well. His left arm was pulsating in horrific pain and he could barely stay conscious. To overstrain his shoulder meant to give up on his entire left side. He could not hold the sword any longer and it fell down with a metallic noise.

“All this skill and will… wasted on a man with no testicles to use them…” Achaeus spat out blood and pulled off the helmet with force. It revealed a small laceration at his temple. It was impressive that he could even still think straight through the apparent pain. Although it seemed to fuel his rage immensely.

“…how can someone with so much strength… force others to carry the burden for him…?” Leander muttered between pained gasps.

“I wanted you to be my greatest asset… but I knew you’d never be obedient…!”

“…I wanted to leave… everything to you… because you can see so much more, but in truth… you are so high above us that you fail to notice anything below.”

They managed to rise from their knees by sheer willpower. The aristocrats and guards were watching them. By extension all of Athens was watching this fight. And from there the entire world would keep watching their actions. Just the edges of these two swords would cut a new future into history.

“I wanted to tell you this for a long time, Leander, you bastard.” Achaeus closed his right eye where the blood was running into it.

“I also… have something to confess…” Leander let his left arm to dangle and just set one foot ahead to draw back his right arm. His stance was purely made to counter the next attack.

The men shared a single long gaze.

““I’ve always hated you!””

They shouted simultaneously and clashed for the last time.

It was like a divine flash blinded everyone and then it was over. One sword sailed through the air, broken apart and the other stabbed into flesh. Red was drawn through the cuirass and left a gaping wound that seemed to explode into blood. Merely a trick of the eye of course, but the wound was deep.

They both collapsed forward, but only one kept standing, holding the other up. The broken bronze blade landed left and right to them.

“Destiny’s threads cannot be cut.” Achaeus whispered into Leander’s ear.

Leander slid down across his enemy and left a trail of blood on his chest plate.

“Noooo!!” Leander’s brother rushed forward, but was pushed back by the soldiers.

“Damned fool…” The triumphant Archon was looking into the red sunset with his one good eye and the expression covering his face was empty. There was no joy in this victory. It was just… another… step…

Achaeus fell to his knees and grabbed the tip of the bronze sword that had been lodged into his ribs. It wasn’t very deep, but he still felt the fiery sting.

“It’s over.” Bion declared neutrally from Kleitos' side. The battle had ended one way or another.

Silence engulfed the throne room as Achaeus rested.

Ping~

A high sound carried itself across the palace. It was soon joined by dozens of other – louder - chimes. Bells. Why were there bells ringing?

The silence. Why was there such silence? The war cries and banging of shields and weapons had been extinguished some time ago. It was replaced by this short ringing and chiming. Eventually the sound of louder tolling could be heard.

Then these sounds were joined by song. The words were familiar and yet foreign. A song of praise and warning. These angelic voices could only belong to young women.

Achaeus forced himself on his feet and walked across the puddle of blood. He managed to drag himself to the balcony and leaned over the balustrade.

There he saw them.

A long line of white-clad women, solemnly walking across the battlefield. Their singing had stopped the fierce battle and made all soldiers either back away in awe or kneel down where they stood. This procession was from another world. A world without bloodshed.

The prayers were sung by the front row of priestesses, but there was one even ahead of them. The dress was so large that its hem had to be carried by two other girls. The veil hung so deeply that it reached her hips. The pure whiteness almost blinded onlookers. A pattern was stitched into the formal ritual dress that could only be associated with one deity.

Achaeus' one open eye was captivated. Finally she had come. He had called for her to come to the palace for so long…

“Akacia, you finally chose to obey.” His pain was washed away. For now he would finally be acknowledged, his destiny would be made manifest.

Maybe it was his exhaustion, but he could have sworn that he saw Akacia again, right behind the one clad in the ritual dress. In fact it could only be her that was holding the candle and taking the second row.

But then who was the one in front? Who, if not the grand priestess?

“O’ lords of Athens. I have come as the messenger of the great and wise Athena!”

So spoke the chosen priestess with a youthful voice.

Arriving in the very nick of time, the priestess faced the Archon on the precipice of destiny. The words of a goddess were a heavy thing, as he would soon find out.