War Powers Praised amonniad series five

by pauline companion cavalry

Without a trainer to help him, and with a friend consumed with power close at hand, Minondass Electris Ketchum takes up the mantle of command again. His foe is someone who he could never imagine, let alone resist.

WAR POWERS PRAISED

(Amonniad Series Five)

By Aristander Telmizzen Esteron

Minondass Electris Ketchum

Alexander Alae Amon

Published by Athenian Academy Books Inc.1023 Rictron St. ,

Pallet Town CA, 12345

Maps drawn by Leonardo da Vinci. Copyright 2010 by Aristander Telmizzen Esteron, Minondass Electris Ketchum, and Alexander Alae Amon. Cover artwork copyright 2010 by Alexander Alae Amon. All rights reserved.

Any part of this book or any other written by any Hellenic League authors can only be used in another non-Hellenic League book with permission from the following persons. They are listed in order of rank, from lowest to highest da Vinci: Italian Contact, Royal Portrait Artist, 1st Pokemon Phalanx Commander, Head of Intelligence

Adam Eublades Usnitch: Royal Video Historian, Army Video Historian, Second-in-Command Intelligence Officer

Aristander Telmizzen Esteron: Royal Seer, Army Literary Historian, Royal Literary Historian, 2nd Hoplite Battalion Commander

Minondass Electris Ketchum: Army Second-in-Command, Greek Contact, Secondary Macedon Contact, Deputy

Alexander Alae Amon: Hellenic League Commander, world's best pokemon trainer and coordinator, world's most successful military tactician, Greek god of brilliance and pokemon coordination, world conqueror Alexander the Great

I, Aristander Telmizzen Esteron, have said that in May of this year, my previous book, _Prophecy _Controlled, would be the last of my account of the Hellenic League's commander, Alexander Alae Amon. However, important events after May of 2010 have led me to write another. It would be disgraceful of me not to complete the saga of the Hellenic League's first year.

I have written my account based on what is in Minondass's daily journal and Leonardo's intelligence reports. What I know of Alexander comes directly from the king's own lips. If you think that what I write is untrue, close this book and forget that you ever read it. You may forget this book, but remember Alexander the Great forever. You do not want to face my king when he discovers that someone has forgotten his name. My friends and I have not made this mistake, but we have seen his anger. We do not want you seeing that too.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Firstly, I would like to thank the author of _The _Virtues _of _War, Stephen Pressfield. It was militarily insightful, full of the eloquence of Demosthenes, the wisdom of Aristotle, and the rapture of fantasy. Alexander approves of it too. Your words helped me develop my writing style: factual Arrian, pondering Plutarch, intriguing Curtius. You are my favorite Alexandrian author, and as said by the whole of the Hellenic League, the best one.

Peter Green, you have been a primary resource as well. You are a very well-respected historian, and hopefully, I am helping your reputation by saying that the king approves of your book, even if it is confusing. It was an excellent resource for dates and logistic information. You may want to consider making a version that isn't set in an academic light. That would make the book easier for many people, Hellenic League soldiers especially, to understand. That would make us all very happy.

Lastly, I would like to give credit to my commander. Many nights, I would be unable to write these events in a coherent, flowing manuscript that would be accurate historically and would, when read aloud, sound like a story worthy of Homer. He would tell me how he desired the battles to be pictured, what he thought at such-and-such a time.

Furthermore, almost every night, at some point, I would run out of words to write. I would be unable to pen down another word. I would be tired, feel an ache in my hand that I felt would take days to go away, and would be unable and unwilling to stare at my papyrus any longer, desiring to put down my pen, walk away, and leave my account unfinished. Alexander was the only one who could get me writing again. He would talk of my deeds on the battlefield, my valiant work for the army, and how my oracles had helped everyone. I would be filled with a burst of inspiration, making my words fly like Daedalus's wings. I would finish a chapter, and would even want to write the whole book in one night. Again, only Alexander's persuasion kept me from locking myself in my study writing nonstop.

This book, from its first notes to its final manuscript was approved by him alone. He was the one who allowed me to publish all of my accounts. His judgement regarding my books is absolute, and even this very page was sanctioned by him. Sire, I hope that this book lives up to your expectations.

To Minondass for his bravery and dedication to Macedonian customs,

To Athena who has blessed me with her wisdom,

And to Alexander, my commander, friend, and king, who approves of every word I write, entrusting in my judgement, being a descendant of my namesake from Telmisis.

This poem was written by Pauline Ugalde and Leonardo da Vinci. I have published it with their permission.

SON OF PHILIP

Forward!

back!

phalanx advance!

commands only one speaks,

helmet flashing

sarissas rising and falling

leading this army

is the son of Philip.

He is gold among silver

brilliant amongst dull

men behind him

plans succeed him,

stops saying "Halt!"

praising every day

praising the army of the son of Philip.

Blond hair wavy

eyes shine brilliant

always charismatic

all who fight know his name,

he is Alexander

Macedon's prize

the restless at peace

the master in war.

Why drill?

sarissas swaying?

war calls whetted iron

"come fight, son of Philip

I, the son of Mithra!"

This other man

the only other

who could call himself divine

Darius III of Persia

their sun god's seed

provokes lightning's fire

the son of Philip.

Seer tells commander

"victory is certain

first fighting is hard,"

"I have waited too long

it is time. "

says commander

who knows what he must do.

In his tent he thinks and plans

forming battle lines

he thinks best general left

Agayma and I right

phalanx center spot,

at dawn is shaken awake

his generals ask why he sleeps so content

"I am satisfied,

I am victorious!"

in battle charges into the fray

does the son of Philip.

Hours fighting

his opponent fleeing

at his sight

riches of war are his

gold, silver, an empire

rewards for his men

and spoils for he,

the son of Philip.

Countless battles' brilliant mind

fearless, limitless,

power all-consuming, charisma boundless

having visions of Achilles

often Iliad dreams,

he wins always

he is brilliant always

he is the son of Philip.

1

Alexander Alae Amon

The Amon Residence, Pallet Town, CA

July 20, 2010

Anyone who has met me has told me that when they look at me, it feels like my eyes are looking right through them into their minds, searching their memories, and finding their weaknesses.

I always thought of it as something people said as a result of meeting someone as revered as myself, but Minondass has told me it was real.

It was late at night on July 20th. The Hellenic League had celebrated my birthday, my 21st. I remembered this day the first time, somewhere in Macedonia, planning the crossing to Asia. Maybe, I had been in front of Thebes, waiting for terms of surrender. I did not exactly remember. I did not need to remember. I would have to remember something much more important.

Tonight, Minondass and I lay on my bedroom floor, both on the verge of sleep. It was around midnight. With my eyes closed, I heard the rustle of covers as Minondass sat up. He whispered. "Sire?"

"Yes?"

"I have a very important thing to tell you. "

"What?" I opened my eyes and sat up as well.

"I have waited until today since I knew that today would be of note. Have you noticed that whenever people look at you, they seem hesitant?"

I thought about it. As a matter of fact, many people seemed to look directly at me, even if they did not know me. "Yes," I said slowly. "Why do you ask?"

"I have been gathering evidence of this, all of it from those you have angered. It is plentiful but obscure, and only after months of research have I figured out that it actually exists. "

"What actually exists?"

"They say that when you are angered, your eyes gain a sort of brightness, like the light of an immortal turning into their divine form. They say that it is very strong, and when this light falls upon who has angered you, they shudder at your gaze. "

Minondass's voice suddenly became softer. He sounded like a poet reciting his work, the part where the hero has to face his fate. It was soft, sweet, scared, and awed. "Whenever you would reveal a particular part of one of your plans, one that someone was ignorant of and one that has gone as planned, your eyes brighten. They seem to engulf whoever you were addressing in a pool of fire. Your voice is as smooth as glass and as sharp as your sword. Your gaze prevents those who look at you from thinking, and your voice pulls them into the final part of your trap by the neck. When I am subdued by this power, I try to look away many times. All of the people who have seen you in anger try to look away, just like me. Every time they do, your gaze becomes even more powerful. Every commander has wanted to be able to do this. Now, you can. We do whatever you say because we all know what will happen if we must face your gaze. I call it the Iris Fire.

You had this look when you stabbed Ash. " Minondass's face grew grim. "When he was in the hospital, he was getting better for a couple of weeks. But, the doctors told me that his wound festered. I just found out last week. . . he is gone now. " He began to weep, not caring what I thought of it. I could tell that he had tried to hide his grief for the past several days, doing so only when alone. Now, in the privacy of the dark, he could do so freely. "You had that look when you gave him the wound that killed him. That is why I _always try to keep you satisfied, but it is impossible. Before the contest, Ash told me so himself. "I couldn't think, I couldn't act, I was powerless. " were his exact words! I do not want to end up like him! Your daimon controls you at these times. "

"Is that why people are hesitant to look at me?" I asked. "Is it because they can sense it controlling me?"

"Yes. Even though virtually all of those people have not met Ash, they can sense the immensity of your power. You are too powerful for even the gods to control. You know that. The Hellandric War was proof of that. Please Sire, you must commemorate Ash. It is only right. "

"We must burn his shroud, then," I said softly. "Ash is worthy of a funeral like Hephaistion's in Babylon. "

"Sire, I have already burned it. I did not tell you since you know that I have a closer connection to him than you do. I had the goldsmiths make him a gold coffin. I placed it on a pyre 100 feet high, with five levels. The first had American standards, like our flag and statues of our patrons. The second was Greek, with statuettes of the gods and Heracles, models of ships like those in the Athenian navy, and all sorts of Greek armor and weapons. The third was a Persian level, with archers, standards of the Persian kings, the sun emblem, and a pole with a crystal on it like that in Darius's second war chariot, to represent their god Mithra.

The fourth level, the last before the coffin, was devoted to pokemon. I placed his Pallet pokemon contest attire there, along with pictures of all of his pokemon. The top merely bore his coffin. When we set it ablaze, it was like how you described that of Hephaistion and the blaze that burned Persepalus, a firefall. The sparks were falling like fiery rain, and I even caught one in a fire-proof bottle. I give it tinder every day to keep it burning. I shall cease doing so at the end of the year. It is my way of keeping him with me. "

"Minondass," I said gently, "it is admirable that you do this, but Ash is the past. Because of his sacrifice, you have attained honors that he could never have dreamed of having. He is in Elysium now, I am sure. "

Minondass sighed, and reached under his pillow. He was holding a small bottle in his hands. It was as tall as a pokeball's diameter, about two inches. It was barely an inch wide, and in its center, a single spark shone brightly. "This," Minondass said, "is my interpretation of Ash's spirit. He is like a solitary spark, always bright, but never burning eternally. "

Minondass uncorked the bottle, and he handed it to me. The glass bottle was warmed by the spark's heat, and I was sad to think that soon, the bottle would be cold. "_You have to extinguish it," I said. "He is your trainer. "

He held the bottle to his lips and blew gently. The tiny flame went out.

Minondass replaced the bottle. He clasped his hands and recited a prayer. "Morphius, god of dreams, may you take me into a deep slumber, and may you show me that Ash Ketchum is appeased. I have offered him the honors that fit his station, and I accept that I will meet him again someday. Morphius, take me now. " He lay down and closed his eyes.

"Wait. I have a blessing of my own. " I laid my hand on Minondass's arm and pronounced a blessing too. "Minondass Electris Ketchum, may you have a marvelous military career. May your soldiers, past, present, and future, acknowledge that though your jurisdiction is very strong, it is at their mercy. May they realize that though you are their commander, a brilliant pokemon trainer, and a companion to them all, you are and always will be a soldier and a servant of the gods. Sleep well. "

"May you sleep well, Iskander. " Minondass replied, and we both fell under Morphius's spell.

2

Alexander Alae Amon

October 16, 2010

You have stayed here for much too long! I have allowed you to stay during the first battles of the Hellandric War, but no more! Be gone with you!. . .

I woke up and heard screaming. It didn't come from outside or downstairs, but from in my head. It was one o'clock in the morning, and I was wide awake.

The shouts in my mind died. It was like two people were having a debate, a very violent and fervent debate in my mind, and that the louder and angrier of the two had won. What the Hades is going on?

Then I pushed the yells aside. This happens all the time. I might as well ignore it for the time being. Maybe I was arguing with Minondass and Aria too hard last night. After all, I had screamed something like that to the two of them.

Let's go back in time, oh, about three hours. It was late Saturday night and we were bored, and were watching some video on the Internet. This time, it was Battles B. C. It's a show that talks about the details of a battle and the strategies of the generals involved in it, and this one was about the Battle at the Hydaspes, the last major battle I had fought in. Did I ever mention that two of the guys from that show were here too?

Long story short: we thought the show was awesome, we called them and asked them to come over, and they came.

We'd met them earlier that day when we began watching the show. They were both shocked at the fact that there was the potential for more people from their show to return, but I reassured them. "Anyone who would return that could be a threat would be driven out by me anyway. "

Rocky was fanatical, shouting out every possible detail he knew of me until Maria stopped him. "Rocky, you're not making a good impression. You'll make us look bad. "

"This happens all the time," I told them, and they both laughed.

Anyway, they were talking about how I transported my ships to the Hydaspes in sections. The boats' frames were collapsible like my catapults, so soldiers could carry them on their backs along with their arms and other supplies. "I've seen plenty of those catapults before," Minondass remarked, glancing towards a closet close by. That, I am sorry to say, is where I've stored most of my siege craft. "But why haven't I seen them in their collapsible form before?"

I smiled. "Well, you're not there when I set them up. Let me see," I felt my smile widen. "How about I show you?"

I crossed to the closet, pulling a crate from a high shelf. Opening it on the floor, I pulled a stack of planks from it. I pulled them apart, interlocking some parts, and slipping beams into holes in others, moving joints too. It only took a minute. I stood up, gesturing at the catapult at my side. It was about half the size of a normal one, but it could fling stones of the same size and for the same distance. Taut and braided ropes connected the stone's holding compartment to a lever at the back. As I pulled it down, the ropes became even more taut, and as I let go, the lever snapped back into place. If a thirty-pound rock was sitting in the front, it would have launched a quarter of a mile away, out of my living room, and over to the neighbor's five streets away.

Aria looked nervous. "How? Why? Where, did _this come from?"

"Think about it this way. I took siege on dozens of places. If I didn't have one of these in my house, then _that would be a surprise. "

"Now you see why I get so worried about him," Aria turned to our Battles B. C guests. Rocky Piscus was thin and balding, with clear eyes like running water. His companion, Maria Vaskez, had shoulder length red hair with black extensions, dark blue eyes deep set. She stared in wonder, or was that "oh my gods what the Hades?" at me. "Does he always have war machines like this hanging around?"

"You haven't seen the half of it," Aria said honestly. "In fact, for all we know, that catapult could be a small scale version of one that took siege on Tyre. Plus, he's this unpredictable all the time. The Hellandric War's first battles proved it. One day he was completely loyal to us and another, he had a sword at our necks. He became a completely different person, a killing machine really. "

I felt this feeling of, what, anger? rise inside of me. I had no idea why I was so mad at her, I only knew that she had deeply displeased me, and that I wanted to punish her for it, now. It was true in a way, as my daimon had changed me and it had controlled me. "You have stayed too long! I have allowed you to stay until now, but no more! Be gone!"

My heart raced, and I saw before my eyes, as if it were real, a dagger in my hand, slashing at Minondass.

Suddenly, I realized that my voice had risen to a shout and that I was speaking in Macedonian. Aria, Minondass, Maria, and Rocky stared in shock, and in Minondass's and Aria's cases, terror. I only shouted like that when I was severely angered, so much so that often, the shouts were coupled with the destruction of a nearby object, and other things. . "I am sorry," I said apologetically. "Sometimes, my temper flares for no reason I can figure out. Rocky, Maria, I hope I have not discouraged you from doing your research. "

Maria and Rocky shrugged. "It's okay," Rocky said, as honest as Aria, but sounding more weary than honest. "Maybe you should go rest or something, sleep early. We'll be fine. In fact, what you just did and what Aria has told us has helped our research actually. "

I nodded in agreement. "Maybe you're right. " I walked to my room and lay down. I closed my eyes and relaxed. Maybe sleep was what I needed. Maybe sleep, and other things, were what I needed.

3

Alexander Alae Amon

Back to the future.

I woke up with that screaming in my head. I also had the feeling that I needed to go somewhere. I wanted to go somewhere and see someone.

I stepped out of bed and walked down the hall to my mother Olympias's room. I watched her sleep, gray eyes closed and dark. Her breathing was deep and peaceful, but don't let that fool you. I've seen her run around the house just as hyper as Leonardo.

I gently lifted the cover off of her, exposing her light flesh. I watched her chest rise and fall, feeling the mental arguments rise in my head as I did so.

"I am here," I whispered.

Olympias sat up, her eyes opening smoothly. She didn't look sleepy at all. It was like she had been waiting for me. "Alexander. I have expected you. Why have you come to see me?"

"I feel like my consciousness is fighting with someone or something else. Like my subconscious and my conscious are sparring for control over me. "

Olympias looked me over, analyzing every aspect of me, from my body language to the cadence of my voice, to see if they were different from how they usually appeared. "When did you begin to feel like this?"

"Last night. I was talking to Aria, Minondass, Rocky, and Maria. We were watching something about the Battle at the Hydaspes and. . . "

I stopped, trying to figure out how to describe what happened. "I was showing them a torsion catapult and Aria was telling Rocky and Maria about the Hellandric War. I shouted at her and I don't know why. "

"What did you say?"

"I said "You have stayed here for too long! I allowed you to stay during the first Hellandric War battles, but no longer! Be gone!" I have no idea where it came from. I was happy and content up until that moment. It was like, um, like I was a different person. "

Olympias beckoned me to sit on the bed. "I know what is ailing you, my son. It is the same force that drove you during all of your battles. Your daimon was controlling you then. Your mortal mind was visibly defeated again. "

"What do I have to do to control my daimon?" I asked.

"Your mortal mind and your daimon can not be in the same body. They will only continue to fight. I have a remedy for this. I will separate the mortal and the divine. "

"How?"

Olympias pulled a short knife out from under her pillow. "This knife will separate your mortal mind from your daimon. This will not even hurt. "

I glanced at the knife. "What do I have to do?"

"I will merely cut your arm. I will let your mind do the rest. "

"What will happen after the separation?"

"There will be two of you. Each of your minds will have its own body. "

Olympias held the knife to my arm. "Will you do it?"

"I will. "

Olympias stood from the bed and I lay down. She pressed the knife to my arm hard. I closed my eyes and felt the blade sink into my flesh. No blood flowed from the cut, but I _did feel the pain. I bled mentally. I could feel it. My mortal mind was yelling in protest. Why do you do this? You have no idea what you are doing! You can't do this!

My daimon, however, was laughing softly. Perfect. I am completely in control now, no one will stand in the way. I do not have to share power. I can not be stopped, and I will _never be stopped!

I opened my eyes and stared. There was another one of me lying on the floor, eyes unfocused. "Where am I? One moment I was screaming in pain and now, I'm here. I'm Mixlis. "

"What?" Olympias was confused too.

"I'm Mixlis, you know, I'm your son's mortal mind. Who else do you think I would be?"

I stood from the bed and looked down at myself. When my friends said that I made a first impression, they never lied in what they said. I looked many things: reckless, careful, logical, having no sense of what logic was, smart, and everything else I could think of and none of those things all at once. I looked important and not of any importance. I looked flighty and fun, and physically and mentally much more capable than my friends. "You can not be here. "

"Why?"

"Because," I spoke not knowing why I did so. "you are not worthy. You do not deserve to be in my body, let alone in this room. "

Mixlis's eyes filled with astonishment. Another thing that my friends kept telling me was true: that I was emotionally predictable and erratic all at once. These things I may be, but I am never fearful. Neither was my slightly annoying double. "What will you do to me?"

I pulled a black and silver pokeball from my belt. This pokeball, black everywhere but in the center, where there was a silver ring, was made to capture trainers like pokemon. "Go in if you want to live. " I pointed the pokeball at him, poised to throw.

Mixlis stood rapidly and struck at my hand. I grabbed his wrist and twisted his hands behind his back. I kicked him in the neck and pushed him to the ground. He fought against my grip, but to no avail. I felt him grow rigid under me and then I saw energy tendrils extend from my hand. They wrapped themselves around Mixlis's body. He couldn't move. "Go X-ball!"

Mixlis vanished in a red glow.

I had never felt so good before, with mortal mind inside me or otherwise. I do not know if "good" is the right word since it felt more satisfying and pleasurable than good. Striking those blows was exciting for me. It felt wonderful and energy still rushed through my veins: barely contained, uncontrolled, for no one else but me.

I gave Olympias the pokeball holding my mortal mind. "I will not need this. Keep it safe. "

Olympias slipped it under her pillow with her dagger in reply. "I like the new you. You seem so much more powerful and commanding, somehow. "

Olympias stared directly in my face and into my eyes. She gasped. "Those eyes!"

"What is wrong?"

"those blue gray eyes! The blue, so clear, the gray, so dark. They are just how Aristotle has described to me. "

I was confused at first: was not one of my eyes dark brown? I looked in a mirror on the wall absentmindedly. My eyes had somehow both turned to the same color. "The color's name does not do you justice. It looks like more than just a mix of colors or two colors coexisting. It is steelier than gray and brighter than blue. It cuts like a blade and it will stay that way forever. The brightness will never die, for you will never die. X-blade eyes. "

I looked in the mirror and saw what she saw. The blue was so bright it was almost white and the gray was no longer gray. It was black, hidden somewhere behind the blue, showing itself enough so you would think twice about making it show more. There was also a bright silver sheen in my eyes, and this made them look like fire in an eye socket. Now I realized that what Minondass had said over the summer was true: how my eyes grew bright and deadly, how they stopped anyone in their tracks, how everyone could see them and be influenced by their powers. It was all true.

At that moment, the satisfaction of this hit me. I can command an army without uttering a word? I like this. I can fight, even without my blade. My eyes alone can disarm even the most highly trained warriors in a single glance. If I shout a command, it would be followed, for anyone who hears it would not want to feel the power of my x-blade eyes.

The excitement I felt redoubled. I felt high and full of energy. Even during the war, I had not felt this way. I know what this is, I thought. It is the feeling of having so much power at your disposal that you can never use all of it, even if you wanted. I feel like I could fight anyone, and kill anyone, and win a battle against anyone. Where is the nearest fight? I thought savagely. I want blood to flow now, like water in a river. I want to see thousands of bodies lying on the ground, disfigured beyond recognition. I want my enemy to be eradicated, and I want this rush to stay with me. Nothing can compare to this, nothing.

I held my mother close, letting her head rest against my shoulder. I hoped that she could feel my rush of pleasure through my touch. She understood my happiness almost as much as I did. The only difference was that she did not have the power: I did. "I know what I must do. "

"And tell me, what is that?"

"I must establish my new reign and do it as soon as I can. I will always remember what you have done, mother. You have made me realize how much I love war and what it reaps. Killing to me is like how others feel about football or baseball. War is my sport. The Hellandric War is not over. "

I stood, but Olympias stopped me. "Go now. You are the only one, dead, alive, or to live, who is worthy of your name. Your mortal mind would shame it. Do not do so yourself. Prove that your name is more powerful than any other, Alexander. Go!"

4

Minondass Ketchum

Minondass's office, Hellenic Watch Center

October 17, 2010

"How is our garrison?" I was checking up on the garrisons I had placed around the world after the Hellandric War. "It looks like our Alexandrian troops are okay. "

"Sydon is okay too Sire," Sevander agreed. "They've been used to drive off some people trying to raid its farmers' fields. They only used bows and arrows, but they need more. What should I tell their commander Sire?"

"Tell him that Odysseus will be there tomorrow to rearm him. " I actually have no idea how Sevander learned how to use a computer so fast, but he has. He almost knows more than I do. "I'll email him after we're done checking the rest. How is Tyre?"

Sevander's eyes grew stern. "They are not doing well. Many riots have broken out and the commander Setamades wants you to see the damage they have caused in person. "

I reached over to the laptop. "Setamades," I wrote, "I'm on my way. Who should I bring?"

I waited for a reply. It didn't take long. "Bring your best generals. "

"Should I bring the Battles B. C guys? They could be useful. "

"They're too valuable to lose right now. They're not trained yet too. Have Athena tell them to remain in Pallet. "

"Should I bring Alexander?"

"Yes! Please!"

"Calm down Setamades," I wrote, "I'll tell him to come out to see you. We'll be there by tomorrow. "

"Thank you!" was the happy reply. The email even had a smily face next to it. I'm proud of our army's digital communication network, for it's quite efficient. I could pass a message around to all of the officers in minutes. Speaking of Alexander, where was he?

Sevander and I walked out of my office. On Ricktron Street in Pallet Town, there was the Greece Watch Center. All our officers had offices there and we often held meetings in its conference room. I headed down the long halls, looking for our commander. Even in an organization of Greeks, he stands out. He's the tallest member and the most talkative. It wouldn't seem that way if you saw one of his portraits, looking quiet and shy, which he can be at times, but that is just part of his personality. I've heard him talk on the phone for hours like a teenager.

I knocked on another door. This one had a brass plaque on the door that said Commander Alexander. I waited for the call to come in. It came: "Who is it?"

"It's Minondass Sire," I called. "I have news from Setamades. "

I entered, closing the door behind me. Computers and video screens lined the walls. Book shelves and weapons racks sat side by side. I sat at the chair across from Alexander. He looked at me with respect, for though he was higher in rank than I, he still honored my deeds. I looked back and noticed something. The Iris Fire was back, but it wasn't fully activated. It was more like it was there, but covered by the rest of his eye. "What is it Minondass?"

"Setamades wants us to send our best soldiers to Tyre. Riots are leaving the people at unrest and he said that we must see it for ourselves. Will you come?"

"Yes I will. Alert the officers. "

"I will do that Sire," I said. I ran out of the room.

Outside Garrison Camp, Tyre

October 18, 2010

We appeared on the peninsula. "I can't believe that we're actually at Tyre," I said. "To think, you spent seven months here. I can just imagine what you can do in seven months. Let's find Setamades. "

The soldiers' barracks were not much more than a collection of tents at the edge of the city. Setamades stood in front of one and waved to us. "You have made it. "

I shook Setamades's hand. "Tell me, why are your soldiers in tents? This isn't in the middle of no where. "

Setamades's eyes grew somber. "Some seers and others set fire to some of our buildings, where we originally were staying. That happened at the end of September. For the past two weeks, I have been trying to have my soldiers patrol the streets, but these seers are smart. They fled from the city as soon as they found out that I was letting the soldiers do their rounds. They said however, before they left, that eventually, more of that kind of thing would happen, so we might as well be prepared for it. "

"More things to be set on fire?"

"Exactly. Our troops patrol the city as much as they can, but we need your help. "

Alexander spoke then. "We will meet you tonight, after we establish where our quarters shall be. Until then, I will have Aristander interpret what you have said. "

In fact, our tent was the one that Setamades was standing in front of. We didn't even bother to unpack our few belongings. We went straight to work. Alexander sent a passing soldier to go look for Aristander, and five minutes later she walked into the tent, her notebook under one arm. She sat beside me. "So," she said, "why have you sent me here?"

Alexander and I told Aristander what Setamades had told us. "More of this kind of thing to happen," she repeated, writing as she spoke. "I could say that this means many things. It could mean that more riots will happen, that more places could be burned down, or specifically, more Hellenic League places will be destroyed. It could also mean that something will happen to one of our members. "

"Is there anything we can do?" I asked.

Aristander nodded. "First of all, we must remain in tents, for I am afraid that if we move back into the city, these other seers may cause more trouble. If this foretells something happening to a person, then there is nothing we can do. Just because a place is burned, doesn't mean that a person will die. It could mean that this person will change negatively. "

Then, Aristander turned to Alexander. "Usually, _you are the one asking the questions. What happened?"

"I am doing what my father did back before the battle of Caranea. He said little and let others talk for him. "

"Doing what Stephen Pressfield suggested?" I made a reference to _The _Virtues _of _War by Stephen Pressfield, an audio book we had listened to first in April, then again over the summer. Alexander loved that book, mostly because what Pressfield wrote was correct: he always attacked and never defended, he let others talk during meetings, he listened to other people's suggestions, and took them into account. "That is all Aristander. You can stay if you want. We're meeting Setamades tonight. "

"I'm going to unpack my things, but thank you for the offer. See you both tonight. " She stood and left.

The meeting with the garrison commander didn't take very long. "Aristander told us that the burning could mean the destroying of a place, owned by the Hellenic League or not, or that an important event could happen to one of our officers. " Setamades took note of Alexander's words as he said them. He seemed to be quieter than usual. Aristander was right. It was like he was either absentminded or thinking about something very deeply. Stop thinking like that, I told myself. He's probably just taking in the fact that he's back at Tyre. This is no problem that must be thought of when around others. I can wait on it. And so I did.

Two days. That was how long I put my thoughts aside. I spent those two days visiting the soldiers and figuring out what had occurred in the city. The soldiers had been on their normal rounds when seers had snuck past the guards and set the buildings ablaze. There had been about ten of them, all claiming to have been from Telmisis, just like Aristander. They said that their deed would be an omen as reliable as those of their kin. Setamades had sent the archers and Peltasts to chase them, but the seers had fled. After Ptolemy had said goodnight and put me to bed, I lay awake, pondering what I had accomplished. My mind turned to what i had put aside. I recalled the events of the past few days: Alexander's shouts back in Pallet, his lack of participation in the meetings, the fact that he was letting me command. Two possibilities showed themselves to me. He was probably letting me command to see how I fared, especially with affairs of this kind. He was probably merely trying to figure out how well I had done. This was normal. During the summer, he had told me that I had handled my commander-ship well, and that I was proficient in military tactics.

This still didn't explain why he shouted what he had in Macedonian. He only did that on rare occasions when he was very, very, very mad. Most times it was accompanied by a lightning bolt cleaving something in two, and this same bolt setting it on fire. He had to compose himself overnight, and even then, it took a day or two for him to return to normal.

Then, it hit me. His daimon had controlled him again. It had told him to shout those words. It had been fighting with Alexander's mortal mind for the past few months, and it had won. Alexander was this quiet because he didn't have to talk. His daimon, who was controlling him, didn't even need to talk.

I looked over at Alexander, sound asleep in the cot across the tent from me. His eyes were closed, but they still burned a hole into my mind. It was like his body was asleep and his mind was wide awake. "What do you want with him now?" I whispered. "What will you do to us now?"

The eyes stared back. I suddenly thought of a single word: x-blade. That was what color his eyes were. How I knew that, I was unsure of, but I knew that I wouldn't want to face those eyes when they were open. I turned away and tried to sleep, the last thing I saw being an image that I imagined. I saw Alexander's eyes at full power, turning me to ashes with a single glance.

5

Alexander Alae Amon

Garrison Camp, Tyre

Night of October 19, 2010

At first, I moved with no awareness.

I stood smoothly, my head touching the ceiling of the tent. I reached to a clothes-chest and slipped a black cloak around my shoulders. It reached down to my ankles and was tight enough around them to allow me to move. A black sword-belt followed. Then, I slipped several daggers into slots in my belt. I knew what I had to do.

I stepped out of the tent into the crisp night air. The camp was as silent as a camp could be, being occupied with 1,000 men. Even the pack animals were mute tonight. Soon, there would be 1,000 men no longer.

I crossed the camp and went up to a tent at random. I tore the leather tent flap off of the tent like I was ripping paper.

I watched two men sleep in cots opposite from one another.

I lifted the covers off one man, who stirred. I laid a hand on his forehead, and he suddenly jerked awake. He stared at me, aghast. "You c-can n-not be him," he whispered. "I t-thought that the War was, was,"

"Over?" I whispered softly. "You thought that the war was over? You have made a grave mistake. In fact, it has only begun. "

I pressed my hand against the man's head, and he screamed in pain. My laughter filled the tent, and I immediately knew why. It was satisfaction and pleasure, pleasure from others' pain, that I was feeling. This woke the second man, who screamed too. "Ēlectren!" My blade appeared on my opponent's head. I slid it down to his neck. He writhed and yelled, trying to escape my grip. It would be in vain, for my other hand twisted his arms out of their shoulder sockets.

My blade slit the man's throat with an assassin's accuracy and a god's power. His blood ran down his body and onto me. Blood guilt did not ravage me like what happened to Heracles after he butchered his family. This was necessary. A typical war crime. The first assassination I had executed personally.

The dead man's tent-mate drew his sword and approached me, but I aimed my blade at him too. He froze, staring not at my weapon, but at me. "Those," he stammered. "Those eyes. Light as fire, dark as night. Cutting like your blade. Sire, I know that you would only commit such a crime as what you did if there was a purpose behind it. Why have you come?"

I began to reach for a throwing-knife at my belt, but I thought better of it. I knew that at least one man had to know my intentions. I placed my other hand at my side with my blade stretched out in front of me. "I have come to tell you that your commander has control of me no longer. I can be no one's soldier, for I am my own army. If you made me fight the whole of our army, I could defeat them all with ease, with my blade alone.

I see how my mere gaze disarms you. "

Even as I spoke, the man's blade fell and shattered like glass. "Tell your commander if you will, for it will not matter anymore. Minondass may have helped me much when my mortal mind was in control, but no more. Nothing will stop me this time!"

The man scurried out of my way as I ran from the tent, faster than any camera or person could see. From tent to tent I went, killing every other man. Blood flowed like water. With each encounter, my gaze grew more powerful. I could see the fear of all of my captives grow too, each one trying to look away from me harder than the last. Every time in accordance with their efforts, I cranked my eyes up to a new power level, each more physically and mentally devastating than its predecessor. My gaze caused their bodies to freeze, unable to move, their minds unable to create a single thought besides that of "Release me!" They are unable to escape, for I make them think this. This makes them look away, and this makes them become even more ensnared in my trap. The men who left my presence after these quarrels were never the same.

With the last stroke of the blade, I walked out of the last tent. I went back to each tent, took each body, and carried them to the center of camp. I lined them up in rows. I wanted Minondass to see the evidence of my deed. I wanted him to understand that I was part of his force no longer. I was their enemy now.

I stood from the last body to admire my handiwork. My blade had taken half of our force of 1,000 men to Hades in one night. No other conqueror could claim such an honor. Now, any other conqueror and every other conqueror paled in comparison to me even more than before. I felt a smile cross my face, as I relished Minondass's panic. I could taste his shock and terror on my tongue, like a sweet eaten after supper. His fear was like cold water poured from a cup onto my dry lips. I needed it to survive, just like water. I could not live without seeing the fear in my enemies' eyes. I loved the feeling of it. No wonder I love this, I thought. I love it for the thrill. As I thought this, I felt a rush of excitement fill my chest. My heart raced and I felt high. I wanted to run and scream and shout with pleasure. I loved to see all this carnage. If only I had these powers back in Persia the first time. I would have been unstoppable. I would have loved to vanquish Darius's forces every day, every drop of blood the more sweet to savor. These men, now, will be the first victims in my war.

Some think war a brutal sport; I think it a brutal, fun, arousing sport.

I am its master player.

My arm raised to the night, the tip of the blade pointing skyward. "Prepare yourself Minondass," I said, projecting my words so that all, asleep or not, could hear, "for you shall fight a force that no one has ever defeated!"

A lightning bolt flew from my sword and arced across the sky. My laughter, soft, loud, fatal, swelled to fill the camp and I knew that all knew it was happening. I felt everyone's fear press on my mind, and I loved the pressure. "May you still fear," I said with relish, my voice shaking with power-crazed desire and a quieter, more satisfied laugh, one that chilled whoever heard it to the bone, distorted my words.

I left camp, taking no belongings but for my cloak and daggers. Chuckling the whole way, I ran across the now long buried causeway I had made to Sydon.

Minondass Ketchum

Night of October 19, 2010

This night, I dreamed of a familiar man. He looked like my foe, but, even in my dream, felt more kind and possessed all of the random qualities he possessed normally. I saw from my omniscient view that he held a pen, and that he was shaking it. After a while, he seemed satisfied. I thought what he thought. The ink is well-shaken. I don't want any poorly mixed ink to smudge my message.

He placed the tip on the inner surface of the pokeball. "I must get help," I heard him whisper. "This must work. It has to. Someone must see this. Here goes. "

I saw him write a poem, one with simple verses. It showed who I was up against. As if reading it over his shoulder, I read his rhymes.

why does he trap me

he thinks it is for power

he thinks he can not be defeated

in any place

or at any hour

minondass will soon see

that after his wait

that no one can subdue

alexander the great

His being consists of power

that power which is divine

which is felt at his glance

shooting from his eyes

like swords they are

destroying what we have made

four corners of fire

two circles of x-blade

only one solution

to this unending war

discuss terms with him

as quickly as you can

or your dead soldier's comrades

will be like their brothers

all of them murdered at his hands

use me to fight he

who in battle will never lose

but even so with my help

your fate and all fates he shall choose

6

Minondass Ketchum

October 20, 2010

"Sire,"

Aristander said, "I have only one thing to say. You have dreamed of our commander's mortal mind. In it are all of the qualities that make him likable. Someone trapped him in this pokeball, and he wrote that poem to try to get his message to us. He knew that we would get it somehow, through a dream or otherwise. "

It was pitch-black outside when I awoke. As soon as I had had the dream, I had went across camp to find Aristander. I had told her of my dream, and she had pronounced what it meant. I was about to reply when a man came running in. He was still in his night-shirt, and he looked like he had just woken up. "You must see this at once!" he shouted, tugging at my arm.

"What has happened?" Aristander asked.

"There is a circle of burned ground outside. Right in front of your tent. It's about ten feet across and has no blemish in its curve. "

"What could this be?" I asked Aristander.

"There is only one way such a mark like this can be made: a lightning bolt. Its fire must have spread very quickly and died very quickly. "

"Only Alexander can do that," I thought aloud. "Why would he do this anyway? By the way, where is he?"

"He must be still asleep," said the squire. Then he glanced behind my cot at the adjacent one. "Sire, he is not here. "

"What?" I said, confused at first. Then, Aristander and I looked. The cot was empty, a clothes chest was open, and a box of weapons was open too. "Why?" I asked in disbelief. "Why would he leave?"

"I do not know. But, that is not the worst of it. Come and see!"

We went to the center of camp this time. There, lying in rows, were hundreds of bodies. All were dispatched the same way, a cut at the throat. No other part of the body was touched but for splashes of blood on them. "How did you find out about this?" I asked.

"One of the soldiers told me Sire. Here he is now. "

A man from the archers ran up to me, wild-eyed, jittery, and sleepless. "Sire!" he gasped. "Black daggers, black cloak!"

"What happened friend?" I asked.

"I am Metanedes, son of Starthris, and I was with my tent-mate, Petris, son of Castran. It was the middle of the night and I suddenly heard Petris scream. I awoke to see," he gulped. "I saw a man, a very tall man, with a hand on Petris's forehead. He was dressed all in black: black cloak, black sword-belt, black sandals. He wore no armor, not even a helmet. His blade came straight out of his arm, no hand gripping a hilt or anything. He had slid his blade down to Petris's throat, and, he cut it.

I tried to defend myself, but he, he, his eyes. His eyes hypnotized me, or disarmed me somehow. I couldn't think, or move for that matter. My blade broke into pieces at his command. He told me that I could tell you of the event if I pleased and that it wouldn't matter anyway. "

"Metanedes, did this man say what you should tell me?" I asked.

"He said "Minondass may have helped me much when my mortal mind was in control, but no more. Nothing will stop me this time!" Then, he ran out. Or at least I think so, because he disappeared. "

I thought the event over. "He probably ran so fast that he couldn't be seen. Only one person can do that: Alexander. "

I thought about the charred circle in front of my tent, and the empty cot, and the weapons. I tried to stay calm. "Did you see what this man looked like, besides his garb?"

"I did. He had blond hair that went down to his shoulders, loose it was. He was seven feet tall, and his head touched the ceiling of the tent. He is the only one I have seen who can do so. As I said, he was dressed all in black. But," the man stopped yet again. "His eyes. They were blue gray. No, they were a blue that was so bright it was almost white and a gray so dark it was black. Blue-black eyes. When they looked at me, `it felt like they were severing my mind from my body, finding and exposing what made me vulnerable. His voice attracted my attention for a reason unknown to me at the time. Now I know why: it was his charisma, his prowess at oration that I somehow knew existed. It had controlled me. It had convinced me not to fight his gaze. When he laughed, I felt his satisfaction cut through me like a sword, and I wanted to run and hide, knowing that there was no place to hide from him. "

Metanedes screamed as he recounted the incident. "Sorry Sire," he whispered, terror in his eyes. "I can not describe it well enough. He was the perfect warrior: fast, smart, deadly, unforgiving, causing fear at his mere glance toward you. . "

I thought over the description. _Alexander's voice was inherently persuasive. He could do rhetoric on the fly, and he could win any debate. No one could argue with him, or no one wanted to when they heard him speak. The generals and I experienced this all the time. "I know who you saw," I said slowly, "though you may not believe it. "

"Anything to soothe me," the soldier begged. "Tell me Sire!"

"It was the daimon of the god. He has controlled our friend again. " He made him make the burned circle, probably as a sign, I thought.

"But _who, Sire? Tell me straight!"

"It was Alexander. "

7

Minondass Ketchum

Garrison Camp, Tyre

October 23, 2010

It was now three days after the killings of the soldiers. I had spent those three days thinking. At last, I had called a council of war. I started our meeting. It didn't take long for us to make our decision. "What shall we do?"

All of my generals were gathered together on the floor of my tent. Aria spoke first. "First of all, we must find people who could have information as to why Alexander left. Who could that be? Is it a soldier we have to talk to?"

"No. They don't know that kind of thing," Aristander replied. "No soldier knows what we have to do. We have to speak to Olympias. "

"How do we get her here?" Ptolemy asked.

"I can teleport home and get her," I offered. "Who's with me?"

Everyone nodded. "Will you go armed or not?" Metanedes wondered. He wasn't a general, but he was an important person to refer to.

"I will. Aristander will protect me and will be my Agayma for this trip. It should be short, so if I need help, I can call you. Aristander, get my armor. I'm leaving now. "

"Can I borrow your pokemon cards?" Aristander asked. "I know how we can transport Sire and I to Pallet. "

Aria handed them over. "I wish you had your own deck. We can't always get what we want. Oh well. "

Fifteen minutes later, I stood in the center of the tent, helmet on head and dagger in belt. Aristander stood before me, Aria's deck of pokemon cards in hand. Pokemon cards have a charm on them that turns them into real pokemon when thrown, just like pokeballs. Aristander threw a card with a black square shaded in white on it into the tent. "Transport go!" she shouted. Then, we disappeared.

Now, we stood in Olympias's room. She stood from the bed and bowed to me. "Greetings, Sire. Why have you come?"

"I need information. Your son has, gone dark. Half of our 1000-man force in Tyre is dead. He did it with his own hand in one night. "

Olympias frowned. "I think I know why this has happened. I used a magical knife to split Alexander's daimon and mortal mind into two people. He told me to put his mortal body in a pokeball. It's

right here. "

Olympias reached under her pillow and placed a completely black pokeball on the bed. She pressed the button on it and someone appeared on the floor. "I'm alive!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. "Minondass! Aris-" He stopped when Aristander held a knife to his throat. "You have the right to stay silent. You have committed 500 counts of soldier's murder. "

His eyes grew wide. "Don't hurt me! I'm just a person! I may _look like the guy who dispatched all of those soldiers, but I'm not the same person. I'm Mixlis, your friend's mortal mind. "

Aristander lowered the knife. "But, what are we going to do about the men we still have? They'll think that it's, him. "

"Trust me, considering that I'm unarmed and

annoying, they'll know the difference. Mom, are you staying here?"

"I am. Good luck. And," she said, "bring the pokeball. "

"Let's go. " Aristander reached down for her card, but Mixlis stopped her. "Wait! I have to get some stuff!"

He ran out of the room and was back at once. He held up three decks of pokemon cards of sixty cards each. "These will come in handy. Let's go. "

"Transport go!" Aristander shouted, and we were away.

As soon as I arrived, I gathered the remaining force together. They quieted down. "I have brought you here to be taught a new way to fight. You have all been given a deck of pokemon cards by Aristander. When you throw one out, it becomes a real pokemon. You can use these as guards, for if someone tried to break into your tent, you would be defended. Your pokemon will also replenish the men we have lost. "

"Minondass and I," Aristander raised her voice, "will be visiting each squadron in person to help you. We will visit 100 men each day and we will not stop until everyone knows how to pokecard. "

"Pokecard?" one man repeated.

"A person who uses pokemon cards. Mixlis coined the term. "

"Who is Mixlis?" the same man asked.

"Mixlis is a new ally. I met him when I went to tell Olympias of our situation. " Mixlis stepped to my side. I saw that all the men were staring in shock. "What the Hades?" I heard one Companion whisper. "What's next? A duplicate of Callisthenes? Never again will I deal with him. "

I addressed the man's question. "He is not who you think he is. He is Alexander's mortal mind. He is distilled randomness. "

"It's great to be back," he said, but I'm still annoyed at Tyre. Be lucky that the walls are already knocked down, or else our foe might have stolen our catapults. He may damn well have used them too. "

"That's proof enough for me," a cavalry officer shouted. "Now, are we going to train or not?"

8

Minondass Ketchum

Garrison Camp, Tyre

November 2, 2010

Every day, my men got better and better at pokecarding. We were all eager to learn the skills needed to wield our cards well. I especially was excited. I awoke before everyone else even thought of getting out of bed. I motivated the soldiers to do the same. After the whole army drilled with their traditional weapons, they would take out their decks, meet in the center of camp, and learn all they needed to know. From Mixlis, our chief pokecarder, we learned of concepts like that of the hand, the deck's anatomy, and the making of strategies.

The men weren't the only ones who were learning, but I was too. The men were giving me advice and tips that I had not thought of before. This was a new experience for all of us, seeing that we only pokecarded for fun. Now, it would become a skill that any soldier in our army would have to learn how to do. It could be used in combat when every other weapon was useless.

These days were probably the most peaceful of the war. I only worried about the welfare of my men, and not of those of myself. Even the intelligence, which I received every day, told me this as well, for all of them showed that there was no enemy activity. Reports of my enemy were calm. He had not moved from his position at Sydon, and Leonardo had even recorded Alexander saying so himself.

Though I looked content from the outside, I was still worried. Thoughts of my opponent filled my head as soon as I closed my eyes every night. If our enemy was compliant enough to stay inactive for this long, as to compliment our schedule, I wondered why he would do this and what he was planning.

Ten days after the training began, on the tenth night, all of these worries presented themselves to me. I had to figure out what my opponent was doing. He could attack any time now. All he needed to do was to enter our camp. Our security measures would be futile, as though we had troops patrolling the camp every night, they would be unable to catch him. I had to act, I thought. Tomorrow, I will have a talk with the men and with the generals. I can not afford to sit here benignly like I do not have military experience. I have a target on my back and he knows it. I have to rid myself of it. It is time that I take this seriously. Tomorrow, I'll hold another war council.

"Aria Alphis daughter of Athena," my squire called my last general into the tent. We were all gathered in a circle on the floor. My reports in paper copy were lined up in the center. Each one read something like this:

The enemy has remained at his position at Sydon and does not appear to have any plans of moving. He has complied with our officers, and he has told them that he is not planning anything in particular today. If it appears that this changes, he is open to questioning.

"Why do you think our enemy is making no move to attack us?" Aristander asked.

"He probably doesn't want to attack now. He would only do this if he knew our schedule, and he probably does. He's waiting until we let our guard down, so he can attack again. " As I spoke, I took dote of my words. "What should we do now? We have trained the rest of the men. Should we return our schedule to normal?"

"Sire, any action could be taken. However," Setamades said, "we must have more troops on patrol and we should tell them to be ready to fight at all times. "

My generals, seer, and I took down the man's words. We all stood to leave. "Well, this plan must suffice for now. Tonight, I will not have supper in my tent, for I will be with the men. "

That night, I stood at the top of another dais. "Friends, we all know of our plight, that of our commander deserting us. He is being controlled by his mind for war, that which has no mercy or regard of how to achieve its ends. It has powers that we could never associate with a man of only twenty-one years, let alone of any man who was previously mortal. I will keep my speech short, then, for there is only one thing we must do. Intelligence reports from Leonardo have told me that our opponent is moving out of Sydon and is on his way. He will most likely attack us at night.

Therefore, brothers in arms, tonight we shall stay awake and have no sleep. We shall grasp daggers and shields instead of water-buckets to extinguish our torches. I am not afraid to raise my blade against yours, and neither are my men! Do not be a coward and attack us when we cannot see you! Show us why you have been called the Great!" I yelled to the sky.

Men cheered, clashing swords and shields together. They filed out of the center of camp back to their tents. I followed suit, hand grasping my dagger in my belt. It was the battle of Gaugamela all over again. Now, this will be the second siege of Tyre.

The first things I heard were the screams and shouts. He is here! He is here! Sire!

I bolted upright from bed, flinging my arms and legs into my armor. I slammed my helmet onto my head and reached for my sword. Aristander ran in, doing much the same. "He is at the south border of the camp Sire," she panted. "I do not know if any men have perished yet, but it sounds like they need us. "

I nodded and we ran toward the noise. I saw the glint of swords clashing against swords before I saw the men. Blades flew like birds and fell like ones with broken wings. Then, I saw the first man fall, a wound in his neck. I did not see who had struck him, but I knew who it was.

Aristander and I ran into the fray, striking more at our ally's swords than the enemy's, for the enemy was not numerous, there was only one. I saw a javelin sail over my head, and I turned to face my assailant. He had done exactly what I had wanted him to do. Alexander stood before me, not sprinting from man to man faster than the eye could see. He was completely visible. He was sparring with Aristander, and she was doing much better than before. She weaved her arm around his, and slashed at his neck, just to have the cut parried. I took a tiny knife from my belt and threw it. Alexander turned away from my seer and aimed at my head instead. This is just like May all over again. I barely managed to avoid the top of my helmet from being sliced off, as I spun and swung my blade every which way. However, it was always parried and reflected with ten times the speed of my own. I could not even see the blades anymore, only heard them clash.

My soldiers surrounded us, trying to help out. Archers fired quiver after quiver of arrows, only to have them be sliced by my opponent's lightning-fast blade of bronze. Daggers flew like mine, only to suffer the same fate. More often than not, they were killed by their own knives. The group of about one hundred men that had been defending the border of the camp was now slashed in half. I sparred faster and faster, but it was in vain. Alexander knocked my blade out of my hand and grabbed me. I felt myself being lifted up to his eye level. He leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Minondass, now do you see how easily it is for me to defeat your force? I am doing more damage now than I did with an army like yours. It is fortunate that you at least prepared your men, for you would not have had your wish granted otherwise. "

"What wish?" I asked.

"Your wish to see me and fight me has been granted, has it not? I know this, as your mind is quite susceptible to infiltration. The clutter of your thoughts hampered me slightly, but this did not affect how I saw what you were doing. I suspected that you would allow your men a few days to become accustomed to pokecarding, and that you would oversee it yourself. I knew your whole schedule, and that is why I stayed inactive during that time. "

Alexander dropped me and I righted myself. "I have had enough of these fights. When will we negotiate terms?"

"I will give you three days. " was my enemy's reply.

I took a risk, hoping that Alexander would know what I was aiming for. "I trust that you will not use any weapon you have on your person during the negotiation. "

Alexander nodded. "I assume that in three days, you will have your terms. "

I nodded too. "I will. My remaining men will escort you beyond Tyre, then you may leave. "

The troops that remained surrounded Alexander, and they marched away. No one in the group bothered to resist their hostage, and even the person they were guarding was strangely compliant. However, the Iris Fire, which had not been in use during the fight, engaged now, as if Alexander wanted to melt my helmet off of my head. I turned away, eyes downcast, and felt the Great's gaze grow ever stronger.

9

Alexander Alae Amon

Sydon

November 3, 2010

For once, I have agreed with my adversary. We have established that we will meet in three days to discuss terms to end the war. I have some simple terms I wish my opponent to follow.

First, I want him to acknowledge that it is futile to fight against me. He shall give up his arms and surrender his men to me. They shall be my prisoners. I will keep him hostage myself. I will ensure that they are well-cared for, for I do not intend to kill any of my hostages. They could be useful for if anything should arise.

Secondly, Minondass shall agree to never raise another army. Even if he does not agree, it does not matter. It will not be affective anyway, and he will understand that at once. He has seen my abilities in battle plenty of times, and he knows that I exceed him and his army in every way possible. His elite troops will not even mark me, for they will all be dead before they even lay eyes on me.

Lastly, I wish Minondass to give up his command. I do not want anything that could be used to build a second army to remain when I establish my reign. Minondass will be my subordinate, just below in rank to myself. I shall use him in matters of high regard that are not important enough for me to intervene in myself. He will also act as my diplomat if I choose not to accompany my other envoys. His high standing will remain, but it will be for my own ends.

Minondass will not have to agree to all of these terms, for he may be only my hostage if he wishes. Unlike what I did with Darius, I will be lenient to him, for I know that it is not his fault that we clash. The Fates want us to fight. He can not help himself.

He will have to be very eloquent in his words, though, in order to top these terms. I do not desire much. I do not desire much from him. I want much more from his generals, especially Aristander. She can give me auspicious omens. I am looking forward to hearing what Minondass wants from me.

10

Minondass Ketchum

Garrison Camp, Tyre

Night of November 6, 2010

Before I met with Alexander, I sat and talked to Mixlis. "What is wrong Sire?" he asked. "You seem troubled. "

I gulped. "I am troubled because. . . It is that I am not afraid of Alexander himself. It is _his _eyes that I am terrified of. On our third night, I looked over before I went to sleep, and I saw the brightness in his eyes. It felt like they were burning my face at their first glance toward me. He seemed to be more forceful and powerful than he should have been. "

"What did they seem like to you?" Mixlis wondered.

I sighed. I could have said the same thing as Metanedes. I began with what he said. "The eyes were as bright as sky and as dark as the pit of Tartarus. The blue was as bright as the sacred fire in the Temple at Marduk, and the black, it seemed to darken my face. The shininess. . . There's a shiny quality that I cannot explain. It is what gives his eyes their power. The light is like blades of steel emitting from his eyes, and they always seem to cut whoever looks into them into such small pieces that their thoughts are exposed, like flesh to the kites. He stares intensely and unwavering, and they. . . I can't go any farther. I would scream like Metanedes, but, I cannot. It would make me seem weak to the men. "

"Sire," Mixlis said gently, "they _know that you are afraid. They are afraid too, and they all know that there is almost nothing we can do about it. That is Alexander's nature. "

Mixlis stopped. "What do you call them?"

"What?"

"His eyes. What do they look like to you?"

"Fire. Blades of fire. "

"Is there a specific name for them?"

I gulped again. I had only disclosed this information to Alexander himself, and I did not want or wish to relive what had happened over the summer. "I call the shininess the Iris Fire. As for the whole eye, I call them x-blade eyes. X is the fact that they will always cut, like two crossed swords. The x can emit beams of power all over the earth once it is placed: north, south, east, and west, destroying all in its path. " Without realizing at first what was happening, I began to weep bitter tears. "I do not know what to do! I always try to look away, each time with more strength than the last. _Everybody who has angered him has tried to do so. Whoever has done so does not exist, for even in death, no man can escape the x-blade eyes. When they depart this life and board Charon's ferry, they can not hold their coin in their hands, for they shake with fright. When other shades ask of their cause of death, they, even in the realm of Hades, weep. When the asker wonders at their distress, they only sob more. "He is too strong!" they cry. "To those who must fight him in the years to come, may they live! Even as I say this, I know that this is futile. "

He is too strong for even the gods to control. If the goddess Athena, the god Ares, and if _Zeus _himself cannot restrain him, then _we mortals, numerous as we are, can do nothing! He will turn the army to ashes, and will possibly, even set the island ablaze, not with his torches, but with his eyes. "

I clutched Mixlis's hands, still weeping. "How can _I do terms with him? I will collapse at his gaze upon me! He knows my thoughts Mixlis!" I cried. "He _knows that I speak to you! He _knows my whole plan, though much of it is not formed in my mind. I agree with the shades. He is too powerful to fight! He will happily put us all to the sword. I have no power to stop him, _Athena has no power to stop him! Even _Zeus, the king of the gods himself, has no power to stop him. He could destroy Olympus and make the other Olympians his servants if he so desired. "

"Sire!" Mixlis said, cutting me off. "I do not know if I can fully agree with you. One thing that our foe and I have in common is that we both feel no fear. I know that you are terrified past belief, and even _I, who feels no fear, feels a tinge of weariness. Hear me now Sire. I swear on the Styx that I shall follow you, whatever you may do, wherever you may be, whichever position you may be in: second-in-command, common soldier, barbarian slave!"

"So shall I!" I turned around to find Aristander standing in the entrance. "I agree with Mixlis!" a Macedonian behind her cried. "Ptolemy!" I exclaimed.

"Yes! I will not let you discuss terms with my former commander without _me!"

"Or _me!" Perminion came in as well. He was fifty, thirty years older than most of us. He had more experience with our opponent than almost anyone, and his presence would probably remind him that he had helped him achieve his glory, though he happily gave the credit to him instead. "I shall carry out your wishes, and those of Philip. He knows now that he should have never abused his son. He also knows that if he had not done so, he would not have become so great. "

"When shall he arrive?" I wondered. My tears had stopped flowing, the wound in my heart was closing. It would only fully heal when the war was finished. It was well on its way, and that was good enough for me and my men.

"He is here now. " said Aristander. "Let us leave. "

I stood up and walked out of the tent. Here we go, I thought. It is now or never.

11

Minondass Ketchum

I stood in front of my tent with my Agayma around me. I awaited the one I was to parley with, feeling a mixture of optimism and fear grow inside me. I have negotiated with him before with some success. How will I fair today? My enemy has fought in many more battles than I, he has more negotiation experience than I, and on top of that, he is my friend, now made my enemy.

This is not even the first time that we have clashed, but the second. I am dealing with a part of history where masses of knowledge of all kinds, not just that of war, was given to only the best of people, just like him. They would stand alone among everyone else, who were mostly illiterate or ignorant. This left everyone to the ignorance of everyone else, and this information was used very affectively as well. How can I compete?

"Sire," Aristander said softly in my ear. "He is at the center of camp already. Come. "

I followed the seer to the told area to find the whole army amassed there. Every unit was in force, and everyone was grouped in a massive circle around several chairs and a table.

Alexander was already there, and he stood as my Royal Guard approached.

I sat across from him, with Aristander at my right shoulder and Mixlis at my left. My foe was garbed exactly how Metanedes had described. Alexander wore no armor, not even a helmet or cuirass. A simple black cloak flowed from his neck, pinned at the throat with a red broach. His customary bronze-tipped sandals were on his feet, and the sword belt from Rhodes was at his waist.

He was also armed with a variety of weapons. Several daggers, each about as long as a pencil and barely twice as thick, were slotted in the belt. A leather sling was around his left arm, and a dart gun looped around his neck. This particular dart gun was placed under the tongue, which would be used to depress the trigger, while the lips were in an o-shape. When the tongue pressed down on the trigger, one of ten darts would be released. I had used one before, and I had heard of darts from a gun like it flying forty feet, if not more. I had only a dagger and my pokeballs on my belt, and the lack of arms on my person made me feel vulnerable, even with my Agayma standing around me.

He spoke first. "Considering what has happened over the past months, it is clear that you wish to discuss terms. "

I nodded. "What do you want from me and my army? I have fought you once, and I did not think I would do so again. "

"Neither did I, but the Fates desired that we clash again, and we cannot go against them. As for my terms, they are simple. You shall surrender your army, you shall agree never to raise another army, and you shall agree to relinquish your command. You understand why I pose these terms, do you not?"

I understood. Alexander would not want an army hanging around or the potential of raising another to be present. He knew that if I kept my command, I could do this, and even if I couldn't make an entirely new force, I would try to find my original one and reunite it. "Your terms are very simple," I said, "and I know why you wish me to follow them. What else do you have to tell me?"

"You may choose to follow any combination of these terms you desire. If you except my last term only, you will be my permanent second-in-command. You could be my diplomat. You could hold higher honors than you would ever earn now. You could become as great as how I was before I returned. You could have histories written of you, portraits made of you, cities named after you. You and I would be a pair that no other in history could rival. "

I was tempted to accept these terms right now, to end the war. I knew that _that was what Alexander was counting on, though. He had worded his offer so that it would be irresistible to someone like myself. That was how well he knew me. He was playing with my mind, using his words and the mere sound of his voice. It flowed up and down in enticing cadences, with sweet, seductive notes underlying everything. Even below that, there was a low note that resonated of power, one that only he could produce. I resisted the powers of his voice and responded. "Before I decide on What I desire to do with your terms," I said, trying to keep my quavering voice level, "I shall present you with my own. They are simple as well. I shall remain in command under you if you promise never to take up arms against me again. When it comes to rank, my terms will be just like yours. I will acknowledge that you are my conqueror, and," I took a risk, "I shall allow you full commander status while I will serve in whichever position you see fit for me. "

Alexander looked pleased with my terms. The slightest trace of a smile crossed his lips. I thought he would accept my terms at once, but the smile vanished as fast as it had appeared. "As tempting as these terms sound," he said, words as melodic as ever, "I can not accept them. You did not include an agreement saying that _you _yourself would never take up arms against me once my status was obtained. Would you expect me to take up command and trust you outright?"

"True. I did not create terms like that Alexander," I admitted. "However, I cannot agree with your terms either, for what you have said of my terms is also excluded in your own. "

"Quite so. I, however, included the condition of not raising another army and the ability to choose which terms you will abide, knowing that there would be no way for any force you may manage to gather to rival me. I am not worried about that. "

"Your changed!" Aristander breathed in my ear, sounding like she had made an astonishing discovery. "The omen of the burned buildings, it is coming true! _Your transformation was the negative change. Minondass, when did Setamades tell you the other seers warned of the change?"

"He said that they burned at the end of September. That was about two weeks before we met the guys from Battles B. C. "

"What should I do?" Aristander asked. She had her eyes downcast, facing away from not only me, but who I was parleying with.

"Do not look. By all the gods, don't look. But," I continued, changing the subject, "I can not surrender. I have to make sure that the League doesn't fight itself again. Alexander," I faced my former commander, "I have to make sure that our league does not fight itself like how it had back in May. It is not just. It is necessary that I defeat you. I have to finish what I had begun back in May. "

Alexander smiled slightly. He focused on me with those eyes, and he slowly extended a hand for me to shake. "I understand your terms and what you must do. I shall leave now. But," he smiled wider, "you shall have no more parleys with me. You shall see me in armor, your camp ablaze, your best officials at my feet, begging to have me spare their lives. You shall receive what you have wished. "

Alexander rose to his feet and smiled once more. "As for your seer Aristander, she shall have to meet my gaze sooner or later. You will, very soon. " He bent down to look Aristander in the eyes, and she tried to stand, held in place by Alexander's paralyzing stare. She tried to turn her head toward me, to say "Sire, I shall leave now. " However, she could do none of those things.

At last, to escape the Great's nonphysical grip, she pulled a dagger from its sheath and slashed at his throat.

Faster than I could see, though standing close by, Alexander broke Aristander's dagger in two, and sent her flying, crashing into several men. They ran forward, drew their swords, and surrounded the man. "Stop!" I yelled, but to no avail. Men sprinted forward, blades outstretched, arrows flying, daggers poised to stab or throw. I grabbed a sword from a soldier standing nearby, and I charged into the fray once more.

12

Minondass Ketchum

_This _time, it was like the battle of Gaugamela all over again, both the second and most likely, the first. We were packed into a tight mass, all aiming to do the same thing: kill the king. I had the courage to disarm some of my own men to replenish my arms. We were all looking for Alexander now, not just my generals and I.

I heard screams and the fast clash of blades that could mean only one thing: my enemy was close. A man came running past me, with the black-cloaked figure at his heels. He slashed the sword, and the man fell before him.

Mixlis ran up to me. "Where is he?"

"He just left, after dispatching another man. Look out!" I yelled, and Mixlis dodged to avoid a blind volley of arrows by our archers. "We don't intend to fight one another, only him. Behind you!"

Mixlis turned to find a blade at his throat. He slashed, and his sword shattered as he did it. "What?" he whispered. "How is that possible?" Then he shook his head, despite the fact that he was at sword point. "I'm not even going to ask. "

He turned to his assailant. "What exactly are your intentions? You have conquered the world. What else could you desire?"

"Simple. I wish to go back in time and defeat Team Rocket when they were first founded. The Hellenic League shall have complete control over the world's governments, and my army shall be amassed in Macedon once again. The war in Iraq shall be ended before Nine Eleven, and many of the political scandals that have occurred would have never happened. You shall all become as famous as my generals, and I shall be the undisputed greatest military commander of all time. Nobody would even compare to myself in _any way, and I could have the same happen to you and Minondass. "

"Why would you want to kill your own men?" I asked.

"Simple. " he said again, as if the matter _was as simple as it sounded. "What does the blood of one hundred soldiers matter when it shall save one million civilians? That is what you said yourself in May, did you not?"

"Yes. " I said reluctantly, sighing. He had heard of my speech too. Merely another detail of my campaign that he knew that I had never told him.

I turned to Mixlis. "Did Olympias ever tell you how to put you two back together?"

"Well, she said that I would have to trap my attacker in this. " He touched a black pokeball at his belt. "She said that after releasing him, I would have to cut him with her knife, which I also have. "

Mixlis turned to Alexander. "This is the only way that not only your plan can be fulfilled, but ours. The Fates desire me to do this too. " He unhooked the pokeball from his belt. "Go X-ball!"

The pokeball began to emit a bright red light. It engulfed Alexander, whose hands thrust forward to pull us in along with him. Mixlis and I stepped away as the light shrank to a single point. With a thud, the pokeball fell to the ground.

We both picked it up and held it between us. "How long will he remain in here?" I asked.

Mixlis shook his head. "Olympias never said how long he would stay in there or how long the pokeball would hold out. I'm guessing that since he's very powerful and that anger only makes him stronger, it won't be very long anyway. " He raised the X-ball above his head, and immediately, the men around us fell silent. "My friends, we have managed to capture our foe! He shall be released very soon, and then, I shall put the two of us together in the same body once again. "

I heard many sighs of relief, and someone even shouted "Hallelujah!" I wanted to do so myself. At last, this insanity could end. Damn, if only I knew how wrong I was.

13

Alexander Alae Amon

How? How could such a stupid, upstart, cowardly commander ever trap _me? _I, the one who has conquered the Known World twice along with the rest of it? _I, who has raised another army more widespread than in my wildest dreams? _I, who has performed a pokemon move that rivals the damage of the most powerful hydrogen bomb, the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, and the power of _all of the world's nuclear weapons combined? _I, the Great!

Cursing my enemy will not get me anywhere. I stared around the smooth surface of the X-ball, wondering if there were any weak points that I could begin bombarding with energy. I slammed a fist into the wall and felt the surface respond to the blow with pain to my hand. I felt nothing, for this pain was not inflicted by my foe.

I could not detect the thoughts of my foe, who could have placed me anywhere: in a freezer, in a vat of hot oil, in a furnace, I would not have known the difference. He cannot trap me forever, I thought. He does not have the courage to do so. Besides, he knows that I will escape. I swore violently in ancient Greek and then checked myself. I should not waste my energy on anger. That must be done later. How, by Kyros and his love of Medians, will I break out of this prison?

The pokeball's interior was about the size of a football stadium, all spherical so there was no flat floor to walk on. I paced about, pausing every now and then to reach my mind out to try to touch that of my foe. I could not get past the walls. "They must be charmed, with quite powerful magic at that," I said aloud, tapping the black wall with a fingernail. "Leonardo must have instrumented this. He is very proficient in magic. "

I thought about how Leonardo normally devised his item protection methods. "He must have put his own energy into the protection of this pokeball. If I can just overwhelm the energy field around this blasted sphere, then I can be free. "

I closed my eyes and raised one hand to the ceiling. I put the other to the wall. I imagined all of the energy flowing out of me, like how I had in May. I concentrated on breaking the energy field at the one point where my hand touched the pokeball. As I increased the amount of power, I was met with resistance, the energy field becoming stronger as I pushed harder. "How could he?" I whispered in fury between clenched teeth.

then, I imagined infinite beams of power radiating from every point on my body, each one splitting the pokeball's charms open in one place, like needles breaking an eggshell. I made each beam of energy of ever increasing power, always allowing each one to be as strong as its fellows.

I was only met with stronger defenses, the energy field thickening as I applied more energy to it. "It cannot increase in strength forever. Leonardo knew that I would apply energy to my surroundings in an organized manner. Now," saying this I raised both hands above my head, "I shall prove Minondass wrong once more!"

I blasted the whole room with every iota of strength in my body, which was more than Minondass could ever conjure, and more than any of my fellows could ever _dream of summoning. The room shook, and I saw that the walls were beginning to melt. "More," I said, my words not even heard by my own ears. "I must channel more! Ēlectron!" My sword sprung from my hand, and even more energy flowed from me than before. The room filled with white light, and sparks flew from my uplifted hands, cascading down onto the floor and me. Flames licked at the walls, surrounding me in a ring of fire.

A second method of setting the room ablaze was present too. I felt the space behind my eyes become hotter and hotter, until I could keep them closed no longer. Beams of power spilled from them, hot as plasma and as sharp as my raised sword. The floor at my feet began to liquify, and soon, my sandals were covered in the pokeball's plexiglass and reinforced plastic. No wonder Olympias had called them x-blade eyes, I thought with increasing pleasure.

I began to feel Minondass's thoughts once more. This can't be! It is impossible! How?

I responded, aloud and mentally with a shout in Macedonian. "You cannot conquer me, for _I am your conqueror! Release me now, or I shall unleash my power without mercy! You have made a grave mistake in making your enemy _I, Alexander the Great!"

14

Minondass Ketchum

I looked down at the x-ball with pride. I had defeated him at last! I, Minondass, the prize of Thebes and Alexander's best!

Wait. What's happening? I wondered.

I knew that there was something wrong when the pokeball began to get hot. How could that be possible? This pokeball could have been sitting near the sun and it would have remained in tact. It was cold tonight, the wind turning my skin to ice. The pokeball's warmth was a comfort at first, warming my hands like a brazier. I pressed it up against my cheek and yelped. It had suddenly become so hot that it had burned me.

"Mixlis," I asked, confused, "what is going on with the X-ball?"

"I don't know, I'm not a pokeball-ologist, let alone an X-ball-ologist. That's Leonardo's job. But anyway, ow!" Like me, he winced as he felt the X-ball grow hotter and hotter. "What's happening to it?"

"It's still whole," I remarked weakly, holding onto my foe's prison with only my fingertips to prevent my hands from being burned. "What is he doing?"

"Only one thing is likely, he's. . . " said Mixlis, trailing off. First, he was grim, then shocked, then unable to speak. He could only stand there, staring at the X-ball like a statue straight out of Greek tragedy. He was Achilles mourning the loss of his lover, and in the case of Mixlis, the loss of my army, Tyre, and us.

"This can't be!" I whispered so softly that I could barely hear it myself. I nearly dropped the pokeball as its temperature increased to the point that it was so hot that I could not hold it. I dropped it to the ground and knelt beside it. "It is impossible!" I yelled, not caring that Mixlis stood only three feet in front of me. "How!"

"I told you that in anger, he becomes even more powerful. What should we do Sire?"

I covered my eyes with one hand while touching the X-ball with the other. A blade of foreign thoughts had entered my head, and they were ripping my current thoughts to bits. As if I was hearing it from someone standing next to me and from headphones, I heard a furious scream. "You cannot conquer me, for _I am your conqueror! Release me now, or I shall unleash my power without mercy! You have made a grave mistake in making your enemy _I, Alexander the Great!"

As the last word was uttered, the X-ball shattered in a million pieces in my hand, like if it was a glass ball that had exploded, not a plexiglass one. I lay flat on the ground to avoid the fragments, and Mixlis followed suit. We covered our heads with my shield, and because of this, I did not see the rest of the battle. That, as my foe had said not moments before, would be a grave mistake.

15

Minondass Ketchum

"Let go!" a woman screamed. "By all of the notebooks that Leonardo has in his tent, _let _go!"

I recognized the voice. It was Azelf's! I heard several thuds and a wince of pain close by.

"As the former commander of the Companion Cavalry," a Macedonian voice said, Hephaistion's most likely, "I demand you to release ah!" The man's yells joined those of my pokemon friend.

"What have you done!" Two soldiers yelled, and I automatically recognized them as Ptolemy and the actual Leonardo. I heard the unsheathing of daggers, and a crack. Their daggers were broken like my seer's had been hours before. Where is she? I thought. Tentatively, I peeked out from underneath the shield.

I could not believe my eyes. My generals all lay on the ground, weapons broken in a pile, all with scars on their arms and faces. Perminion lay between two officers, all three's blades melted, hilts still clutched hopelessly in their owners' hands. Beside Perminion, lay Aristander. She had scars on her forehead and sword arm, her blade shattered at her side. Her eyes were closed, but they fluttered open as she saw what part of me was out in the open. "Mi-minondass," she whispered, stammering. "H-help us. What h-he had s-said, it w-was t-true. "

I stood, casting the shield aside. Mixlis rose to join me. "How did you," I asked, my question trailing off as I realized how futile it would be to ask it. Of course it would have been easy to break the pokeball. He would have had to use much power to do so, which he possessed. He would merely need to strike the X-ball with enough of it, and he would be free.

"Ah, Minondass. Surprised that I am free? You should not have been. I know that you had been expecting it, and dreading it, all along. You knew that you could not trap me for as long as you wished. "

I sighed. "You are correct. I should have known better. "

"What shall you do with our fellow generals now?" Mixlis asked.

Alexander smiled, like all of those many other times he had smiled, all the times being bad for us. "I shall bring them back with me. They will be a great asset. We," he gestured at all of us, "shall be a group that no one could ever compare to. You shall all be immortalized in song, in portrait, in literary works. Most of all, _I shall be great again! All I need to do is convince your seer to give her magical powers to me. Her talents are perfect for this. "

"I will not!" she shouted, struggling to her feet. "I will not do your bidding merely due to the fact that my comrades are down and out! I was the first to fall first, now I will be the last to fall last!"

Aristander drew her sword, but it shattered to pieces in her hands. She unsheathed a dagger instead.

She stepped forward, and performed one slash at Alexander's throat.

I saw what he did to her this time. He lifted Aristander up into the air by her sword arm, took her dagger, and held it to her neck. She kicked and screamed, but was unable to release herself. Mixlis and I tried to help, our hands reaching for our swords. "No," she said weakly. "Do not try Sire. He is too powerful. " She bent down, still in mid air, and grasped Mixlis's hand, who lifted me onto his shoulders so she could do this to me too. "At least I shall perish with the relic that began this war," she said, grasping Mixlis's dagger instead. "If I go back in time, I can destroy this, and make sure that this war never occurred. You must come with me. "

I sighed. I was submitting again, like I always ended up doing. However this time, I could not refuse. If I did, Aristander would be gone.

Aristander took the knife and faced her assaulter. "Take my powers, then," she said boldly, "for they will not matter. I have another way of ending this war. "

With a high-pitched scream, so unexpectedly that even my former commander didn't know it was coming, Aristander sliced the dagger into Alexander's neck.

16

Minondass Ketchum

Garrison Camp, Tyre

November 7, 2010

The world around me was black. The sky was dark, the ground mirrored it, and every object around me was black. I had no idea where I was, or if I was even anywhere at all. I only felt something hard press up against my back, and everywhere else, my body felt weightlessness, or numb, or whatever you wished to call it.

My eyes were closed, and I was unsure of if they were closed since I was closing them, or if they were closed permanently. If I really am in Hades, I thought, how come I do not see Charon, or the river Styx, or the Fields of Asphodel?

Then, another feeling added to the hardness. It was on my arm: firm, gentle, and strangely familiar. I tried to open my eyes, and finding that I could, I opened them to behold an astonishing sight nearby. On my arm, there was my shield, still in tact. Its gold paint gleamed among what lay around me. Speaking of that, what the Hades _did lie around me?

I beheld an even more astonishing sight than my undamaged shield. The camp was gone.

Where my tent should have been, there were only ashes. None of the old sections of the walls of Tyre remained. The expanse of flat charred earth was not scary to me. In fact, it was merely familiar. "This is what Thebes looked like, what Tyre looked like," I said, surprised to even hear my voice again. "This is what Tyre looked like when he first took siege upon it. It has been razed again. "

I was lying near a long shiny object. Could it be? Could it be my blade? I reached toward it and grasped the hilt. It _was my sword. I may have to use it, too.

I began to walk toward the site where my parley had turned into a battle, eyes downcast, not wanting to behold the horrible scene that may lie there. I found nothing of the sort. Instead, two people greeted me. "Minondass!" shouted one. I looked up and saw Aristander, smiling despite her wounds. "We've been looking for you!"

I held out my arms, and Aristander picked me up. "What do you mean we?"

"Maria and me. " The Battles B. C creator shrugged at the seer's side. "Aristander teleported back to Pallet, and told Rocky and I what happened. We came as quickly as we could, and we couldn't find you. The camp is gone, as well as the rest of the city. "

"Maria," I wondered, "if you two are alive, then where is everyone else?"

"They're in Pella. But, when everybody figured out that you hadn't come back with us, the king sent for me to come look for you, dead or alive. "

"Okay. Wait, why in Pella?"

"It's a surprise for the king. He is the only one in Pallet right now. Let's go. "

Maria and Aristander held me between them, while Aristander took the Transport pokemon card from her deck.

We vanished and reappeared somewhere unburned, and very familiar and friendly.

We were standing in Alexander's room beside the window. Everything was how I remembered it: the Iliad-related mosaic on the ceiling, the bookshelves next to the Wii and sixty-inch TV, the shelf of notebooks, each labeled with the title of a book we had read, containing Alexander's analysis of each one. The notebooks' owner had his back to us, but turned around when he heard us come in. "Minondass!" he cried, and he embraced the three of us.

"Sire!" Aristander said, disengaging herself with difficulty from his embrace. She took several deep breaths. "How long were you here?"

"Five hours. I didn't think it would take you so long to find Minondass, but you did take that long. "

My heart raced with joy at hearing Alexander talking about not wanting to kill me. Aristander had risked her life and it had paid off. ` "Seeing you at sword point made me realize that I wasn't the one who would put us back together," he said. "I knew that since _you were so in touch with the magic involved, you were destined to do so, not me. "

"Thank you Sire," Aristander said honestly. "Let's meet with the others now. They're probably starting to get worried. "

"Where we going?"

"It's somewhere you've always wanted to go to, but have never had time to go to. " Aristander took Alexander's arm, shouting "Transport!"

The first thing I recognized was the room. It was the same room that we had gone to first when we arrived in Pella back in May: Alexander's room. He stared around, first confused, thinking we had teleported someplace random, then recognition at seeing the yellow marble floor. "Could this be?" he said slowly, "where I think we are?"

"Where do you think we are?" I asked.

"No. " He shook his head, disbelieving. "This can't be Pella. "

"Oh, it _is Pella Sire," Aristander said. "You are at last in the place of your conception, the place where you first made your mark on the world, the mark that first impacted Lionidas, then Demosthenes, on Aristotle, and Darius! You have had your wish granted, for this second life has allowed you the privilege of seeing your homeland. If there is _any other desire,, an item that you seek to be in your possession that is not already there, do not hesitate to ask, for the Hellenic League and I shall work unceasingly to put it into your hands. "

"Why so formal?" he asked at first. Then, he took a short breath and began to speak more slowly, enunciating every word with care, letting his accent take over. His consonants became much sharper and his vowels were smoother and more graceful than usual. He rarely talked this way. He only talked like this when he wanted to discuss philosophical topics, when he desired to give speeches, or if he felt like talking about Greek values. When he talked English, slang and apostrophes in all, he sounded almost American, but when he talked with no contractions, his accent could easily be heard. These times were some of the few times when I remembered who he was and where he came from. I listened intently, for everyone who heard these speeches enjoyed them, even if they couldn't fully understand them. "You know that though I am your commander, I am as much at the mercy of you as you are at the mercy of I. If I ask something of you, I know that you shall give it to me ten times over, and if you shall ask something of me, I shall give it to you one hundred fold, for you have always done much more work than I. I carry out your wishes, while you have to think over if they are worthy of me. You have to fight, while I am a Peltast, running in and out to where the fighting is not heavy. Many people say that I have much valor in battle, but I merely fight for the spoils that the battle reaps, not for fame or for a respectable reputation. "

"Sire! That is untrue! You have always charged into the fray like the rest of us, going where the fighting is the hardest and bloodiest. You have confidence that no one can rival. You have tactics that no one can rival, even now. Last of all, you care for us Sire. You are willing to sit with the common foot soldier who will tell you his problems, thinking that they are not worth your interference. But, you listen patiently and give the best advice you can give, much to the soldier's surprise. He walks out of your tent thinking "I am glad I went to the king, for he is brilliant everywhere: in battle, in parley, and in aiding his men. " You truly deserve your title "Alexander the Great. "

Alexander stared at me in surprise and admiration. "Minondass, I have no idea why I gave that short speech about how hard we both work, I was too caught up in it. Why are we here?"

I laughed, thinking that Alexander would have figured out why we were here a while ago. "We are here so you can see your officers and your army Sire! It is proper, is it not? In addition, the men want to see how you fair. "

17

Minondass Ketchum

I turned to Aristander. "How about you tell them we're here and keep them busy? This shall be a formal Macedonian feast, and I want to garb the king in the attire that suits his station. "

"Okay!" Aristander turned to leave, but she said over her shoulder "I'll be at the drill field. Take as long as you want. "

"Wait. Aristander," the king asked, "why do you and other people think so highly of me? I know that I've done some amazing things, but isn't one man as equal in rank as another?"

"Sire," Aristander said, "equal in rank you may look, but your deeds are what set you apart. A man's deeds are what make him rise above and fall below others. You have done amazing things, good and bad, but your character is that of strong influence. You are a natural leader, though virtually all the time you don't know it.

Aria had told you back in 2009 how our government worked. She had said that in the United States, social classes do not exist. Though she is correct, she forgot to mention that a person's deeds are how you gain a reputation. You could be a tramp and yet had accomplished astounding feats and you would be elevated to high status, while you could be rich and committed dastardly crimes.

I also know that you will ask something else: why do they call you "Alexander the Great?"

He nodded. "I _was going to ask that. "

"After your death, over the centuries, historians and ordinary people alike began to wonder if there were those in history who were in status above the rest. Even those you thought you a despot acknowledged to some degree that you _were an amazing figure, when alive and when they wrote and spoke. Modern historians at one point realized that there had to be a way that you would be remembered, in ways other than your accomplishments. The Great was a title only reserved for the most important person of the name, and you were, and still are. People know that others have this title, but _you Sire, were the first Westerner to receive it. You were so renowned that even before you came back, Greek sailors used your name as a good luck talisman to keep their boats from being destroyed in a storm. Statues of you were often placed in offices and in other places to inspire leaders.

People did not expect you to not know of this. You knew that you were famous during your own time, but you did not expect your name to be so influential nowadays. In fact, some of our Hellenic League soldiers with your first name have changed them because they think that if they share your name, they will shame it. Everybody wants you to know of your greatness, and now, you do. You have seen it in many ways, and only now when I say them, I know you can truly try to imagine their scope. "

Alexander was awed. He kept staring at Aristander like she had given a speech in front of the Assembly in Athens, making even her enemies love her. "I _do know now. No wonder everyone is so unbelievably respectful to me. I finally know why it's so hard to be ignored by anyone and everyone and why everyone seems to know me. Thank you Aristander. Go now. The men might begin to get worried even if _you don't show up. "

Aristander left, a brilliant light in her eyes. This happened whenever anyone pleased Alexander. No one knew how easy Alexander could be pleased. Even I never knew when he would be pleased, and I understood Aristander's happiness. She left with enough confidence to give a speech to the world, I thought. If only I can feel like that. Can I please the king as much as she did?

18

Minondass Ketchum

I knelt and stared up at the king. I looked up at him and contemplated his face. His blond hair, tucked inside a shining helmet with white wings, as fair as ever. His long nose and high cheekbones, his mouth set in a line, neither smiling or frowning, like in his sculptures. His figure, sixteen inches taller than it had been before, worn from many battles, but still as light and fast as a boy's.

The last thing I saw. . . those eyes. I used to be frightened of them, used to think that they were pits of fire, waiting to burn their next victim. Now, I only saw brightness, energy-filled, enthusiastic, admiring brightness. The eyes looked back at me, not in anger, wishing to see my head and those of my officers on a spike, but with pride. His vitality and energy seeped into my body, and I felt it. Warmness spread throughout my body, as I slipped gracefully from kneeling to lying prone on the floor. I kissed the yellow marble at his feet in deep respect.

Alexander bent down and took my hand in his own. "Minondass. " He said my name in Greek, knowing that I would understand. We would have our moment now, friend and friend instead of soldier to soldier. "Your accomplishments over the past month and the past six months could have equaled my own. They are less than mine, of course, but they are worthy of note nonetheless. They are even more so since you are a pokemon. No other pokemon could have done what you had done. You have proved that pokemon are not just pets of the trainer, property that does not need caring for, but intellects, philosophers, soldiers, and most of all, leaders. "

I felt tears roll down my cheeks. He used the edge of his own chiton to wipe them away. "I do not know what to say," I stammered. "You honestly think that I am worthy of being your second-in-command? Your successor?"

"Of course. If it had been one of my generals, they would not have thought anything of it. You put your time, mind, and passion into it. "

Alexander stood with me in his arms. "Now, are you going to garb me or not?"

First came on the sandals, with gold studs and bronze heel and toe. The chiton, white with purple borders and gold thread replaced his old one. Next I took the girdle, the black sword-belt of Rhodes, carved with intricate designs and more gold thread, and clasped it around his waist. The cuirass, with the pokeball as an emblem instead of the archaic Macedonia inspired lion, covered his chest and back.

The poketch came next, its gold shining in the light. I slipped the king's wrist into it with care, knowing that it was Aria who had bought it for him to show him the extent of her hospitality. It was what had set off his pokemon training career, what had given him his ribbons, and what had given him his new reputation. It deserved to be tended gently for the king's sake.

His helmet, worn with war and splashed with blood came off, replaced by his favorite hat: a black and red baseball cap, the red forming a pokeball design on the rim. He tapped the pokeball, and the cap turned into a black, silver, and red helmet with white wings.

Last came the king's cloak. I unfolded a purple cloak from a nearby clothes-chest and swung it around his shoulders. He had to hold me in the air so I could do it. I took the broach from its case. It was a Greek alpha painted black, red, silver, and gold, comprised of paints from the Phoenicians, gold from Babylon, and a joint forged of the shiniest steel from Pella. I clasped it on him, and he lowered me to the ground.

From my low vantage point, I admired his finery. "You truly look like a god Sire!" I praised. "You shall make Zeus jealous!"

Alexander paced about, looking in a mirror sidelong. He never looked in a mirror directly, always in passing. He didn't have to worry about his appearance very often. "You look like, okay, um, I don't know actually how to say this politely. Here. " Alexander took a cloak from another chest, unfastened my old one, and put it on me. He lifted my helmet off and replaced it with a thin gold circlet. "You may keep the circlet. It's too small for me. And it fits your station. "

"Thank you Sire-" "Please," he said. "Call me Alexander. Sire is creepy when it's not used right. Only do so when it's necessary. "

I laughed. "Okay, Alexander. I can't wait to see what the men will think of you!"

19

Alexander Alae Amon

The first things I saw were the men.

They were grouped together by unit, each one lined up in battle order: Companions at the right, hoplites behind them next to the phalanxes, archers on the wings. They sat at long tables around a high dais.

As Minondass and I came out of the palace, I saw that everybody was watching Aristander, who stood at the foot of the dais. She was watching the doors.

As we emerged, she called to us in greeting. "Here they are!" she cried, lifting her arms to the sky. "Welcome, Minondass the Prodigious!"

I saw Minondass stare in shock at the seer and the men. "When did I deserve that title? Wait. When did you give me the title?"

"While you were gone!" She laughed, as if Minondass's confusion was amusing. I knew that he knew that he deserved some honorable name besides his normal one. "Come Minondass!" She beckoned to him.

Her eyes fell on me next. "Sire! Alexander!"

The men cheered, banging utensils on plates, stamping feet, clapping hands. "Alexander! Alexander!" they all cried. As one, they stood and heading toward me. They crowded close: touching my clothes, shaking my hand, weeping at seeing my face.

"My friends!" I cried. "I have at last returned to my homeland, and I think it's awesome!"

The mens' cheers redoubled at once.

"Sit Alexander!" one man said. I recognized him at once as being Setamades. "You have waited too long to be away from us, especially too long from being in Pella. "

I obliged and took a seat at the head of the table, gesturing for Aristander and Minondass to sit at either side of me. "I am glad that you have come!" Ptolemy said, shaking my hand vigorously. "Mixlis would have been delighted to meet you. "

"Where is he?" I wondered.

Ptolemy grew somber. "Maybe Aristander told you before you got here, maybe she didn't. Apparently, when she fused you back together, it worked. He went into you along with your other self. He is still here, but in your body. He is here. "

"It is a shame that he did not get the chance to see this with his own eyes in his own body. But," I said, standing and grasping my glass, "I call for a toast. " The men fell silent. "To the gods!"

"To the gods!" they echoed.

"To Minondass the Prodigious!" I added.

"To Minondass!"

Minondass stood too, glass held high. "To Aristander the All-seeing!"

"She has a title?" the men said all at once.

"He does," he said, laughing. "I made it up. To make up for her doing so for me!"

"To Aristander the All-seeing!"

"Wait!" a man shouted. Philip came running up to the dais from the crowd, glass in hand. "I have one last toast. " He took a place beside me, beaming with a smile and with his eyes. "To Alexander!"

"To Alexander!" The soldiers roared various acclamations: blessings, compliments, wishes that I would have a long reign. "My son, I had told you that Macedonia is too small for you," he said, tears falling down his cheeks. "Now, I say something like that here. The world's praise is too big! You can never acknowledge _everyone!"

I embraced him. "If it had not been for you, I would not be here, Father. You deserve this praise as much as I do. "

"Oh really Sire?" Philip said, chuckling. "Then, listen to this. Strike up the paean!" A band of flutists, drummers, singers, and guitarists came forward. These guys were our army musicians, soldiers who were practiced in music as well as with weapons. We used them as metronomes, their singing rhythm being the one that officers would have their men drill to the sound of. First, each person raised their instruments in salute. "What will they play?" I asked.

"A song that I found in your room once. It seemed noteworthy, so I gave it to our paean guys. Hit it!" I stepped to the front of the band, they began to play, and I sung along with my men.

"His unmatched name is known throughout

the entire world

All the same I use

my humble lips

to spread his very words.

He once said to me, "All leaders rival me

followers exist worldwide

because you see...

Zeus loves us all

but those he holds most dear

He makes so much the better

I raise my voice

so everyone can hear

If he wanted

someone just like me

to take a higher position

I would do so happily,

Thanks to him and since

I have passed his test

now and eternally you will speak to

the best of the best of the best. "

"I speak of my victories

never in just in a pass

I know of what is my legacy

and it will always always last.

There will not be a single man

in any hamlet city or town

who has not heard of me

someway or somehow.

What Ptolemy has said

I know it to be true,

But what you moderns do not hear

I will say to you."

"Zeus loves us all

but those he holds most dear

He makes so much the better

I raise my voice

so everyone can hear

If he wanted

someone just like me

to take a higher position

I would do so happily,

Thanks to him and since

I have passed his test

now and eternally you will speak to

the best of the best of the best.

Thanks to you and your praise

I stand above the rest

your efforts have forever made me

the best of the best of the best."

In relief in temples in Egypt

in coins minted all over the world

In master portraits

in historians' books

in thinkers wisdom

and in poets' verse.

Was the oracle wrong

in saying he would

conquer the whole of the globe

Unfortunately, he will never

fully or truly know.

In arts wars and culture

he will always lead

masterfully with hands

that have done so before and even today

are planning

A brand-new Greek design

that we unknowingly heed

Despite his achievement

says Macedon's king...

"Zeus loves us all

but those he holds most dear

He makes so much the better

I raise my voice

so everyone can hear

If he wanted

someone just like me

to take a higher position

I would do so happily,

Thanks to him and since

I have passed his test

and now and eternally you speak to

the best of the best of the best."