“Madam Arete!” A Syracusean marine captain boarded her quadrireme from the captured enemy’s ship, running towards Arete and reported loudly, “The Carthaginian’s rowers, they are all chained, they are slaves!”

“That is a bad news! It means… it means those 30 frontline battleships are all baits!” Said Arctus.

“And the fact that we able to capture them easily simply because those marines on the frontline are simply light infantry. It’s a trap!” Peatrus added.

“How many support had arrived at our side?” Asked Arete.

Arctus and Peatrus raised the torches on their left hand and a flag on the right. They use the flag to cover and uncover the torch to the direction of the Syracusean sea wall.

The lights coming from the land blinking a signal to reply them. Matea just stood there, she knew they were communicating with the troops at the land, but she never learn about their codes. A form of military communication only the informants and specially trained soldier knew. She only knew hand gesture which was commonly use in the gladiator arena, the misio sign to surrender. Of course she did learnt about the other hand gestures from an audience who left a faeces in the amphitheatre in protest of the gladiator fight. He told her that he was a philosopher from the school of Cynic.

“They only teach you misio to surrender? How ridiculous! Let me teach you the hand gesture when you don’t want to surrender! The Cynic!” The man held his hand into a fist, and pointing out only the middle finger…

Her mind reconnected back to where she belonged, standing with her flamethrower, staring at Arete. Matea saw a sign of anxiousness on her when she focus her sight to the blinking torch from the Syracuse sea wall.

The battle with the Parthians at the Ionian Sea is ongoing and intensify. Lord Amiran had send part of his support battleships to the shore to prevent the Parthian soldiers to reach the city gate. Apollodorus had activated the Romans support troops within the city to our side. But the Roman battleships can only be arrive in 2 days.

The informants from the land reported.

“Two days? It means we do not have any support at all!”

“With our 30 battleships and some backup biremes, there’s no way we able to take down the Cathaginians! There’s still over 200 out there!” Arctus and Peatrus said anxiously.

Large torches lit up on one of the Carthaginian’s large quadrireme. As Arete expected, there must be the location of their admiral.

“Arctus, go to the quadrireme Gamma, execute operation spread. Peatrus, you’ll stay at Alpha, and take defence. Beware of the enemies as they might think that I’m still in here.” Arete instructed.

“Madam, where are you going?” Peatrus asked.

“I’ll board to another triremes, act as if you’re the admiral, but do keep an eye on the signals from our land. They will relay my orders.” Arete replied.

All 3o Syracusean battle ships had lit up their main torch. They had prepared the naphtha sprayers and loaded the artilleries with payloads filled with that black liquid. Those were their secret weapon.

After Arctus jumped to another ship through the corvus, Arete walked towards another corvus at the opposite side. As she passed by Matea, she stared at the hoplite, given a head up and lightly wave her right hand forward.

Followed me.

The gesture was a universal one. Even an uneducated and unknowing person could understood that. Matea felt strange at that moment. A gesture without a doubt, was calling her to come along. She followed Arete and boarded a smaller trireme through the corvus.

The random drumming continued. They need to keep the drum as messed up as possible. Those were the sounds to coordinate the rowers. Each quadriremes were rowed by over 400 men, and they need to be in sync on when to turn their oars. Any one out of sync would jeopardise the ship.

Arete’s fleet sail in horizontal line, speeding in 7 knots, they headed towards the Carthaginians. Arete knew she need to hold the battle as long as possible. With all her highly flammable naphtha filled fleets, one mistake could cost the fall of her own.

“Sail near to the Carthaginian ship with the largest torch! I want to speak with their admiral.” Arete instructed her trireme captain.

“Yes madam.” He replied, given a gesture to the sailors to raise the sails to speed up their ship.

Accompanied by another six biremes followed behind, Arete approached the large Carthaginian fleet. Her troops raised the shields, ready for possible arrows that might hit them. But the Carthaginians did not attack. Their admiral did saw the lady in her golden cuirass, an intricate decorative carves of a gorgon’s head on it.

“Show me your olive branch and the white wool, Syracusean!” The Carthaginian man shouted. Asking Arete for items that symbolised surrender.

“I’m afraid not. Carthage had agreed not to wage war against Rome and her allies. We, Syracuse is Roman’s ally. Why are you in partner with the Parthians? You are breaking your agreement with Rome!” Said Arete loudly.

“Parthians? Who? And what agreement?” The admiral laughed. “The agreement is no longer valid when Carthage is now part of the Roman Empire! To made it simple for you, dear maiden, we are Rome!” He added.

Arete was dumbfounded. “Then explain to us, why? Why are you sailing towards our sea wall under thick smokes. Why your frontline ships positioned to attack us in diekplous?” She asked.

Original on RoyalRoad.com

“The great Roman Empire need only one naval harbour. We told the Caesar, Carthage have access to wider land with unlimited resources of timber while Syracuse depends on timber trades. We have unlimited cheap slaves to row our boats, while Syracuse depends on paid workers to row theirs. We offer our first born and received great blessings from Baal and Tanit, while Syracuse neglected their Poseidon, he shaken their land and roared their sea.

But the Caesar told us, Syracusean build the best galleys, and their design, architecture and workmanship unmatched by any others. So I told the Caesar, we Cathaginians builds some great galleys too! We have masterful captains and great experts in naval warfare. And so, the Caesar asked us to show him the evidence that Carthage is better. So here we are.” The admiral answered with a smug on his face.