“Ma’am, the general of our enemy, Barabbas of Argos, is located at the back of their third squad in their second division.” an informant reported to a slim blonde lady who was around seventeen. She wore a pure white short peplos, armoured by leather skirt and metal shoulder pads and elbow guards. She was with a spear and shield, riding an ivory stallion. Her hair tied up at the upper back of the head into a ponytail, which looked like she was wearing a plume, a symbolic style which indicates that she was the one in charge of the troops. Arete of Syracuse was her name; the only daughter of Lord Amiran, the leader of a city-state within the Greco-Roman region.

“They only have two divisions, delay their troops with long-range attacks!” Arete commanded. “Matea, bring our best combat squad and get to Barabbas as fast as possible! Take down that barbarian leader!”

“Yes, Ma’am!” the soldier replied bluntly. She was in a plain brown linothorax same as all the other soldiers.

“And remember, don’t pick up a sword!” Arete added, looking straight at her’s amber eyes, and she handed Matea her spear.

She took the spear, jumped onto a black stallion, and left with some other men.

“ATTACK!!!”

It was the enemy, and Arete felt challenged when she heard them.

“FIRE!!!” she commanded, and the Syracusian trebuchets threw balls of fire to the enemies.

However, the enemy’s troops were strong; all their men were huge barbarians. Especially Barabbas– he was muscular and fierce. The name suggested that he was not from Argos, but a foreigner from the East. With his mace, he broke skulls and crushed brains. “Weaklings! All Syracusians are weaklings!” he laughed.

Matea attacked Barabbas with her spear, but he dodged the attack. He kicked her away and attempted to crush her with his mace. She dodged the mace, and it hit a nearby tree. The mace’s head broke from the handle and stuck to the tree.

Matea attempted to stab Barabbas’s head with the spear, but he was strong. He stopped the attack by grabbing the spearhead with his bare hands, and he twisted and tore the spear handle into pieces. The broken metal pieces flew and hit her.

“Ha ha ha! Judging from your poor skill in wielding a spear, you are not from Syracuse!” laughed Barabbas. With his bleeding hands, he grabbed a sword from a nearby corpse, and slashed towards her.

She turned and dodged the sword while getting close to him at the same time, attempting to lay a spinning backfist on his neck. But he blocked the attack with his forearm.

“And you do not look like a Greek!” he smirked.

It is then, when they were in close contact, Matea realized that they both carry the same shades, the skin, the hair and the amber eyes.

“I came to Argos!” Barabbas landed a kick on her stomach while catching her off guard.

“I saw Argos!” His kick was so powerful, it threw her away to a distance.

“I conquered Argos!” He waved his sword and jumped towards her.

“Syracuse will be my next destination! Hahaha!” the man taunted while slashing the sword towards her.

She immediately rolled away and grabbed a nearby sword and blocked his attack.

There was a sudden change in her expression, from an emotionless face to now wearing a slightly sinister smile. Barabbas waved his sword again towards her. His attack was full of strength, but Matea moved fast, dodging the attack and cutting Barabbas’s fingers at the same time.

“ARRGGHHH!” he screamed in anger. His sword fell to the ground.

Barabbas was extremely furious and tried to give her an elbow strike, but his elbow hit her sword, blood spilling everywhere. She pushed his forearm and yanked the sword hard, amputated his whole arm.

Barabbas fell to the ground in pain, he picked up a shield with his other arm, trying to block her next attack on his vitals, but she did not, stabbing the sword to his thigh instead. When Barabbas looked at her, she looked completely insane. She stomped on his head and pulled out the sword, and stabbed it on his other arm, cutting his muscles, preventing him from retaliating.

“ARRGGHHH!” Barabbas screamed in pain.

She stabbed the sword to his waist, and it wasn’t killing him… it was torture.

“You’re a monster! KILL ME!!!” he shouted.

Suddenly, a spear hit Barabbas into his skull and gave him the coup de grâce. A bolas flew towards her and choked her neck. Arete hit Matea with her iron shield, and she fell to the ground. Arete jumped on her and, using the iron shield, she pressed Matea’s sword holding hand against the ground. Arete applied her pressure on the hand until she released the sword.

Arete took that sword and cut down Barabbas’s head, and raised the spear that pierced through his skull, and shouted “Barabbas has fallen!!!”

The soldiers around the area heard the news and they paused the battle.

“Barabbas has fallen! Barabbas has fallen!” all the other troops shouted.

Arete stood up and took a deep breath, she shouted:

“Soldiers of Argos! Your general, Barabbas, has fallen! You have heard about Syracuse! A land blessed by the goddess of war, Athena. A land of freedom, justice, and prosperity. We call for your surrender! You do not have to die; we will not take away your family and loved ones! Join Syracuse and you shall live without fear, without hunger and pain! I, Arete of Syracuse, propose my sincere offer to the people of Argos!"

The enemy’s troops heard the speech, and they dropped their weapons. Without much hesitation, they raised the white flags, and the battle ended.

Arete knew her strategy would work. She knew the people of Argos would easily surrender once Barabbas was killed. After all, he was the barbarian who had terrorised them and started the conflict.

“Have you regained your sanity, Matea?” Arete asked while still stepping on the rope of the bolas that choked on her.

“Y… yes, Ma’am…” she replied.

“Good, let’s go back to Syracuse…” She released her and gave a hand signal to her troop to retreat.

to be continued...