plummet: Hey all. This is my very first serious fan fiction, so I apologize if it's a complete flop. -sheepish grin- I know y'all who've been reading my Sky High fan fic might be a little miffed I'm writing this instead of updating that, but…I can't help it. For real, plot bunnies are uberly unforgiving. Lol.

disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of the movie 300, nor those that actually existed in the time of Ancient Greece, and furthermore, I'm not claiming that any of the following is historically accurate. XD However, I do own my character Sophronia and her family. Well actually, that isn't so for her brother, Alec, who's actually a kid in the movie who…Well, heh, I really shouldn't say, else I ruin it for you...

A Heart that Feels not is Dead

Prologue

It was almost evening, the sun just starting to set on the horizon. In a village just a few miles outside of the main city-state of Sparta, helots young and old scurried to finish up the last tasks of the day before their only source of light faded. However, there was someone on this day who was determined to avoid work of all forms…

A curly, golden-haired youth peaked his head out from behind a house, an impish grin lighting up face as he spotted a dark-haired young woman walking past his hiding place. He couldn't resist letting out a giggle. She'd never find him…Suddenly, the young woman's head whipped around in his direction, a smirk on her face.

"Come on out, Alec. I know you're there," she said, a triumphant smile gracing her face as the youth, now known as Alec, stepped out into the waning sunlight.

Alec pouted cutely, hands on his hips. "Aw, Sophronia…How did you find me?"

"I'm not deaf, you know. I can hear your laughter a mile away," she stated. Smiling gently, she continued, "Now come on, we have to help mother clean the stables, and then it's bed time." When Alec again made to avoid her, she tried a compromise. Crouching down, she said complacently, "Here, you can ride there on my back."

Alec's eyes lit up at the prospect. "Okay, sis'!" he shouted cheerily, climbing atop her back with all the innocent enthusiasm of a seven year-old boy.

Sophronia just shook her head at his antics as she stood up with him on board and disappeared around the bend in the dirt road, Alec bouncing up and down the whole time to a tune only he could hear.

Sophronia awoke from her slumber to a searing heat and ear-piercing screams. She immediately covered her face protectively and rolled off her bed and onto the ground, keeping low to avoid inhaling the smoke. Her house was on fire.

Tremors shook the ground accompanied by ferocious growling and more sickening noises Sophronia couldn't, and wouldn't, even think about. Trembling hands grabbed the sheathed sword from underneath her pillow and strapped it to her waste in quick, practiced motions. Judging by whatever monster(s) the sounds came from, she would need it later on. Her heart pounding faster and harder than a ceremonial drum, she desperately crawled out into the hallway in search of her parents and Alec.

Into her parents' room she crawled first, for it was the one directly across from hers. The fire had already almost devoured their room, but thank the gods, they were not in it. Sophronia then made her way to Alec's room which was equally flame-filled and empty. Why did they leave without waking her?

"Sophronia, help!" Alec shouted, silencing her selfish thoughts. It sounded like he was in a great deal of pain.

"I'm coming Alec, hold on!" Sophronia shouted back.

'Forget crawling,' she thought to herself. She hoisted herself onto her feet despite the thick, soot-laced smoke and the unbearable heat and ran with all the might she possessed into the main room. Her eyes widened. Alec was trapped beneath a wooden ceiling beam.

His eyes widened with desperation as he spotted her, "Help me, please!"

With strength Sophronia didn't know she possessed, she managed to lift the beam, flames licking at her hands, just long enough for Alec to crawl out. She scooped him up into her arms, hands bleeding, and ran out of the house and into the street, only to stop dead…

One of the most hideous and terrifying creatures Sophronia and Alec had ever had the misfortune to lay eyes on blocked their path a few yards ahead, its eyes as red and ferocious as the pits of Hell itself. It smirked at them, showing layers of razor sharp teeth. Sophronia, glad now for all the training she went through as a child, set her face into a determined scowl.

She set Alec down behind her onto his trembling legs as the monster crept ever closer, stalking its prey, and whispered, unknowingly, the last word she would ever speak to him, "Run!"

Alec, a smart child, knew his sister would not waver in her decision, and with tears in his eyes of both sadness and fear, he ran for all he was worth in the direction of the hills in the distance.

Unsheathing her sword, Sophronia got into a fighting stance and pointed her weapon in the direction of the monster. If possible, its mouth smirked wider, whether in mockery or anticipation of the fight to come, Sophronia did not know.

"Come and get me if you dare, you monster!" she shouted with all the forcefulness she could muster in the face of such a nightmarish creature.

Her goading was all it took for the creature to charge at her, its huge, misshapen feet making deep imprints in the ground as it ran. With a quick intake of breath, Sophronia swung her sword at its head as it came within arms reach. It dodged her attack skillfully, however, and countered with one of its own, its clawed arm sweeping downward with such speed and strength, she couldn't dodge. The force of its blow sent her flying into the stable to her right, the flaming, dilapidated structure collapsing on her and rendering her unconscious.

helot: a farmer/serf. A serf is more or less a partially enslaved farmer who grows produce for the main city-state. They are forced to give most of their produce to the city-state and are only able to keep enough to feed themselves and their families.

plummet: Well, I hope y'all enjoyed chapter one. Promise there'll be some gorgeous Spartan men in the next chatper, lol. R&R, pwease. Lemme know if I should continue this...