Chapter Two: Defending the Parthenon
I need to warn everyone about the Parthenon so we do not all die! Thoughts like that were rushing through my head as another stone fell and took out two people. Nobody noticed the lives of people being robbed by the second because the Mongolian named Karran Gengharu was desperately trying to convince the men part of the assembly that their docks were not just getting robbed. The group of soldiers I brought with me could not help because they were fighting off the Mongolians near the docks. That's it! I thought, I will tell Zero's soldiers to take out the battering rams! But I had to act fast, as part of the ceiling fell which could mean certain destruction and the death of hundreds of people and every ambassador/commander of each polis. "Corinthian soldiers!" I shouted, "Follow me!"
Two of the soldiers started to go in my direction so I knew that I was getting somewhere. We found a hole in the wall and started climbing through. The sky was black as Bucephalus which rendered us blind while we carefully stepped in the muddy grass. "I see soldiers with a battering ram near us!" A soldier named Caliph whispered.
"Men, attack!" I exclaimed with my sword in hand. Slash! Shing! Rip! The Mongolian's tough, leather uniform was hard to break through and even dented my sword. I kept slashing through the leather as Caliph attacked from behind and took the sword from my foe. Another Corinthian solder named Lara's tried picking up the battering ram and throwing it down the hill. The weight of the ram ended up pulling Lara's down the steep drop and the mud only seemed to make it faster.
"LARAS NO!" Caliph screamed, "COME BACK!" Just before Lara's fell, he grabbed the ankles of the last two Mongolians and cut another one's heel. Caliph tried running down the hill to see if Lara's was alive but I had to stop him as he would have died as well with the rest of them.
"Caliph, it is too late." I grabbed Caliph's military jacket in the mist of his crying. From the top of the hill you could see Lara's and the rest of the Mongolians who were using the battering ram. Blood was splattered all over the armor and bodies at the bottom of the hill. The only light was a stroke from the gods during the black night. But Caliph and I saw another source of light. It was not an honorary ray from the gods but instead…a fire!
My hoplites were trying to unhitch the Mongolian boats from the docks which would distract the Mongols. But From a distance, it looked like my men were outnumbered even with their silver swords and shields still going strong.
"They are still pillaging our ships! What do we do now Critus?" Caliph asked, his eyes watery and body somewhat sickly drooping down. "I have an idea!" Caliph started speaking, "We need the rest of the Corinthian military! But first we need to alert them and find a way to get down quickly."
Caliph and I sprinted back into the Parthenon but when we got back in we noticed a slight problem. Even without battering rams, the Mongols found a way to get in. The holes! I thought to myself. There were armed soldiers everywhere trying to corner civilians. Leonardis who I thought would be attacking directly, was only standing back until…
"Corinthian army attack!" Caliph raised his sword and charged into a group of Mongols. The Corinthian army sprung up and started stabbing surprised Mongols. Leather was flying everywhere and the floors were covered with dead soldiers from both sides. Caliph charged in and stabbed a Mongol right in the back of the head which provoked other standing soldiers around him. Three turned around and simultaneously tried stabbing Caliph. Caliph swiftly dodged the attack and each sword collided. Shink! The screeching noise distracted other Mongols and the Corinthian army was looking strong. Karran came into the battle with a stolen horse and started trampling Corinthians with the power of his stallion. With a spear in hand, Karran impaled an unknowing soldier.
"This is what happens when you do not listen people!" Karran shouted. Alexander was fed up with this battle as even innocent civilians started throwing rocks and joining in. Karran kept stabbing innocents and soldiers when over in the corner he heard a powerful neigh. While the Mongols were confused and some even slightly disturbed, the Greeks were only thinking of one word; Bucephalus!
"COME BACK WITH YOUR SHIELD OR ON IT!" Leonardis shouted as he ran alongside with Alexander. He was charging at double the speed I have ever seen him go. Alexander came behind a group of Mongols and trampled them with his mighty stallion. The tides were turning unlike the bodies of the Mongols as the victory was inching towards Greece's favor. Karran tried to retreat with his army but civilians kept throwing rocks and even shooting arrows at Karran's evading troops. Leonardis had the rest of his soldiers charge at the retreating Mongols which resulted in even more bloodshed between the two armies. Spartans were dropping to the floor with final blows coming from all sides. Karran was riding out of the Parthenon when Zero stabbed his horse in the leg. The horse screeched and Karran was kicked onto the Parthenon's stone wall. The impact of the collision made a large crack in the wall which worried me. What if the wall breaks and he escapes? How would we catch him then? What he is leading the attack on Argos as well as Athens? Questions were flowing through my head but unfortunately I had no time to answer them.
"Give up and let us put you down easy or else we shall give you a slow and painful death!" Zero exclaimed as his skinny, dirty, tan arm pointed a jagged sword at Karran's head. When Karran did not answer, Zero forcefully pushed the sword through Karran's head. But before the blade even touched his forehead, Karran pulled his thick, leather helmet over his eyes and the sword barely pushed through it all. Karran then took off his helmet to reveal a bloody forehead and battle scars surrounding it. Civilians grabbed his armor but Karran released himself by swiftly unhooking his chest guard. The extra speed gave him enough strength to run away and through a hole in the wall. But unfortunately for him, his kneepads were still on which made him trip over a large rock and stumble down a trail. Karran tried to unhook his pads, but his hands were so injured that the removal was a chore. Alexander grabbed a bow from a civilian and took aim. Karran started to notice the arrow but by then it was too late. Shling! The arrow pieced his skull and left him dead, rolling down a rocky hill. The civilians were rejoicing, dancing and singing together. Congratulating each other for the sweet victory. Only few were mourning losses of family members and the sailors were turning back around to try and fight off any Mongols who were still at the docks. I myself was celebrating, dancing with Zero and Caliph. While the mass celebration was going on, there was light I saw off in the distance. A light that looked like a fire, far away enough to be in an area that was the last place I wanted to see it; Argos!
