I own nothing, I have also started writing all of the books through Malcolm's perspective, no changing of the heroes just through different eyes, as it can be found on my profile or under Percy Jackson file
During our thirty minute briefing period we chose who would stay behind and guard the princess,I along with two others were assigned that duty, I guess since I had no experience I was an excellent choice, the others didn't look to happy about it though, they kept mumbling and looking over at the officers who would be making the charge with envy.
After two minutes however they stopped mumbling and approached me.
"Come on, you're going to need to saddle up." One said motioning me to follow her.
Beirut Zidon, priest of Shapash," the other one said extending his hand walking up on my side.
I took his hand and shook it, he wasn't the biggest guy here by far but he still was able to make my hand hurt. I did notice something like a tatoo burned onto his forearm. The letters SPQR, three lines burned underneath and a torch crossed with a sword.
"What's that of"? I asked without thinking.
"What, oh," he saw where I was looking and hurriedly shifted his armor to cover it up. "I went to Camp Jupiter before this,but I got into an argument with one of the praetors and was kicked out, I don't like dwelling on it."
"And because of that we have a cavalry member who can't ride for his life." the girl said as we made our way to the stables.
"First things first," I said interrupting, "what is camp jupiter"?
"Youve been to camp halfblood yeah"? The girl asked.
"Yeah."
"it's basically like that but for Roman demigods."
"Roman demigods."
"Yeah, nothing really special about them," She said as we arrived at the stables "have no talent for riding so to make up for that they call it Barbaric and fight all battles on foot like an unskilled mob." she said leaning against the gate.
"Oh come now Demna ,it may not be as fast and easy as you like it but it is effective nonetheless."
"See, your defending them again, the only thing they have going for them is this." she said holding up a chainmail sleeve, "and to be quite frank it isn't even Roman, they just took it off of some celts."
"That's because the Romans perfected it, they didn't need to reinvent the wheel, they just took something good and adapted it for better fit them."
"Uh, guys," I said trying to keep the argument from escalating, but they kept at it.
"You're doing it again why don't you just go back to little Roman world and pretend you're still this great empire!" Demna said fidgeting with her falcata's handle.
"look, I know you blame the Romans for your friends death, but not all Romans are killers, trust me!" Beirut shouted the last part reaching for his short sword, strapped on his belt.
"Um, guys." I said again, this time louder.
"Don't you dare mention her, you bloody Roman." Demna responded dangerously calm, her hand now tightly wrapped around the falcata's handle.
"What you really think you can pin the blame…"
"Guys!" I yelled before either of them could draw their weapons.
"What!" Demna shouted as they both turned to face me.
"My horse"? I responded suddenly aware of the fiery look in both of their eyes.
Demna sighed threw her hands into the air as her eyes calmed down, "Whatever let's get this over with. And Zidon," She said regaining a fraction of the fury back into her expression, "well settle this later." She said pushing open the wooden fence.
"We have a lot of horses to choose from Arabian, Destrier, or Barb," Beirut said pointing out the different types.
"He'll want a Barb." Denma said eyeing me, "their light, fast, and agile with enough endurance to allow for a charge." She said almost as if challenging me to argue with her.
"Follow me, all of the ownerless horses are over this direction," she said guiding me over to a large corral area, and Zidon, you go get both of our horses I'll meet you back here after I go get Nick a horse." Denma said turning around.
We approached a large fenced in enclosure that housed tons of horses of all different colours and sizes, grey, chestnut, and brown.
"Which one suits your fancy"? Denma asked turning around, boredom in her voice.
"I dont know, Ive never really ridden a horse before a couple days ago, which one would you recommend"?
The question must have startled her as she responded first in a high pitch squeak of "me" then cleared her throat and scanned the group of horses.
"I would pick that one," she responded, pointing at a healthy looking grey horse, "Come on," she said motioning me to follow her as she approached the group of horses that the one in question was standing next to.
"His name is Phoenix." she said as she took hold of a guiding rope, leading the horse to the side of the corral, "He's named after a king of Phoenicia, Phoenix, son of Agenor."
"I've heard of him, wasn't he a friend of Achilles'" I said thinking back to the time I read the Iliad, you know, for fun.
"No, that was Phoenix, son of Amyntor." She said taking a saddle, draped over the fence and slung it onto Phoenix's back. The horse I mean, not the guy, the dead guy, or the other dead guy.
Anyway, back to the topic on hand, she gave me the guiding rope and told me to follow her back to the stables.
"So, what was your life like before coming here"? I asked eager to avoid awkward conversation back with all three of us. "When did you find out about all of this"? I asked gesturing with my hands around the city
"I actually was one of the survivors from New Carthage, I was born into all of this. My parents actually both served in the army and fought to reclaim our old home."
"Ah." I responded, remembering Bethóc saying something about this earlier.
"But it was utterly destroyed, instead of trying to rebuild it, all of the survivors just packed up and moved here." She said looking down as we reached the stable where Beirut was siting on top of his horse and was guiding another, both had already been prepped, an iron skirt, or bib, or whatever you call horse armor, as well as a sort of helmet or sheet of metal that covered the horse's forehead.
"Did you also get the supplies for his horse"?Denma asked looking up.
"No, I thought you were getting it." Beirut said slipping off the side of his horses saddle.
"I was helping," Denma started to point at me, "ugh whatever, just, do something constructive while I go get the armor."
Beirut and I remained silent while we watched Denma rush off in the stables direction.
"So, how are you finding things"?
Caught up in my own thoughts at the time I responded a little too quick, "Oh, uh, yeah great, I just don't understand promoting me, even if my father happens to be the king god's most trusted adviser."
Beirut fidgeted with a golden madelian, the same kind as the one I was given and the one I observed Gisco wearing earlier at the inspection.
"I get you, not entirely but yeah, as a priest of Shapash I was also expected to become an officer, either that or an advisor to the royal family," he said as he looked at the ground sheepishly, "but, well you heard it from Denma, that a Roman was accused of killing the sister of our current emperor, so even after I proved my loyalty there were still whispers giving a Roman that high of a position. So I decided instead of being eyed suspiciously all the time by spending most of my time around the royal family, I would become a strategist, sadly as Denma pointed out before that means I have to ride a horse," he said placing a hand on the beast's muzzle, "also pore Dagger I guess, instead of a disciplined and confident rider he gets a past infantryman."
"Suit up." Denma said returning with the pieces of armor for the horse in her arms and three helmets, with my minimal knowledge of history however I was able to identify then as corinthian style, covering the entire head with slits for the mouth and eyes, and a crest of purple plumage,
"Wait, is that…"
"Its synthetic," Denma said laying the pile down on the ground.
"Oh, good." I said nervously looking at the horses, as if they knew the difference.
Beirut grabbed one and put it on covering his entire face, that's when something occurred to me.
"How are we supposed to know who's who with these on." I said picking one up.
"Where we're positioned, you'll be on the right flank Beirut, I'll be in the woods, and Nick, Denma said turning to me, "you're going to be staying with the princess."
I raised an eyebrow, unsure of where she was going with this.
"You've only been here half a day and been an officer for even less, even if the enemy recognize you you won't know the first thing about commanding, so placing you by the princes should make you seem like you know what you're doing." Denma said as se donned her helmet.
I shrugged and adjusted the helmet until it fit snugly, the helmet most have offered good protection, but it cut off my vision more than blinders surely would have.
After that Denma offered to help put on the horse's armor saying, "I'll give you a pass this once seeing as how your knew at this and were running short on time, let's just hope all of the recruit officers are all ready to go." she said as she grabbed her horses saddle's horn and jumped on, and was followed by Beirut pulling himself into his saddle.
"Um, guys a little advice for a beginner"? I asked looking up at the horse wondering how I would get on.
"Should we get you a crane"? Beirut asked mockingly.
"Gods! How gullible are you."? Denma shouted back at Beirut, as she had already began to leave and looked wide eyed "Next you'll be telling me you think ostriches actually put their heads in the sand for protection." "If you can't get up on your horse without help go use the step stool over there." She said turning her attention back to me, kicking her horse and leaving us behind.
After I had finally mounted my horse I caught up with Beirut who had left just a little after I settled myself in the saddle.
There has got to be some sort animals rights problem here." I said looking down at Phoenix.
Beirut looked surprised for a little bit and then chuckled a bit.
"what's so funny."
"The horses actually have the same say in it as we do."
"You talk to them"? I asked arching an eyebrow.
"Well I don't, the Astarte cabin does, plus with the actual goddess living just on the top of the mountain she gives them some sort of enchantment that removes them from the practice battlefield if they get injured."
"That's actually pretty neat." I responded.
"Oh and the infantry love it too, before we alway had one horse casualty equal three infantry."
"You mean the horses are hard to replace." I said thinking of no other answer.
"No, literally, when the horse fell down what do you think happened to the soldiers underneath the horse"?
"Oh."
"So the horses get to be magically teleported off of the battlefield by the war goddess, do humans get the same treatment by my father"?
"Oh no, he's far too busy helping his wife with the horses.
I felt it better not to touch that.
When we got back onto the main road I pushed up the corinthian style helmet so I could get a clear view of the battlefield. It was an open field just a half mile away from the cabin complex, with a small forest to the left, and a river flowing down from the mountain on the right carving the battlefield into almost a "B".
On the far side of the field the opposing team had already set up in their formation, a group of skirmishing cavalry in front of the main group of shock cavalry were set in a wedge formation, and a battle line of swordsmen separating the cavalry from their archers.
Our team was also starting to form, members of our phalanx came with spear shield and newly issued soliferreum, "a type of throwing spear that would pierce enemies shields," as Beirut had told me on the ride over. Our newly "promoted" "officers" also had begun to show, some on community horses and others as captains of the infantry, while the actual officers quietly slipped into the forest.
A few minutes later Severa arrived, her horse having a crest of, hopefully synthetic, purple plumage running horizontally across while Severa herself had the exact same uniform as everyone else except her purple cape and the fact that her armor looked a wee bit large.
As soon as she finished riding up and down row of hurriedly adjusting soldiers, she made guided her horse to stand next to mine as she lowered her hand to the hilt of her falcata.
"Keep an eye out on the right flank, when you see Beirut lower his helmet you'll know that everyone in his position is ready." Severa whispered keeping her own gaze locked on the left flank.
A few minutes past until a loud horn was blown and Gisco, Empress Caecilia and another rode into the center of the battlefield all wearing nor armor but white, Purple, and green robes respectively, as Gisco urged his horse away from the others one of his hands went to his head, keeping his white cloth hat from flying away while the other pulled out a scroll.
"Soldiers of Tanit and Astarte!" Gisco shouted over the commotion of the battlefield. "The date is Autumn 240 BCE, a force of rebel mercenaries, led by Spendius, had just defeated a Carthaginian force under the command of Hanno the Great, you the purple team," Gisco said turning around his horse to face us, "need to encircle the enemy formation with you vastly inferior cavalry, "While the rebels or the red team," gisco continued circling and turned to face the opposing team, "need to break the enemy's formation, whichever team acquires the proof of their accomplishment first wins, but please try not to kill anyone. With that let the war games begin." he said raising both hands and dropping them in one swift motion.
With that the three of them rode off of the field and two seconds later the air was filled with the sound of a brass horn being blown.
A few minutes later I say Beirut lower his helmet signifying that all of his troops were in position, and his co-officers were ready.
In response I also lowered my helmet, and turned my face back to the battlefield to let Severa know that the right wing was set.
At this she also lowered her helmet but added a shout and as I looked back across the field I understood why.
"Phalanx raise shields!"
I barely had time to react before a shower of arrows rained down upon the spearmen, at first I was surprised that none of the arrows had been aimed for the officers as all of them ad remained untouched by the barrage, but as I looked out across the field I noticed the light skirmishing cavalry charging forward eager to use the confusion that the arrow storm created to their advantage.
"Javelins!" I shouted trying to stop the devastating results of a javelin volley at close range.
However I meant it the troops took it as a sign to through their own javelins, before I had a chance to stop them the phalanx had hurled their javelins at the horse riders. It wasn't as effective as it could have been a but it did send the horses into a panic for a couple seconds before the riders got them back under control allowing for our phalanx to ready their shields covering the volley of javelins as only three of our troops were rushed off the field by nature spirits and wheelbarrows.
I shook my head "that does not look comfortable." I thought to myself.
"It's not so bad," severa said aside me "the nature magic the spirits use helps ease the pain."
I don't know what shocked me more, that someone like Severa who was raised in this life was injured or that someone on the other team had the courage to do it.
As the light cavalry fell back to regroup the heavy cavalry charged straight at the center of the phalanx, where most of casualties, surprisingly, had been an officer next to barely had the time to yell brace before the wedge shaped formation had crashed into the phalanx sending both rider and victim flying, of course the spears the phalanx had deterred some of the horses while others that had ran straight into the formation were immediately magicked away leaving their riders falling down as they were gathered up by nature spirits before other horses stepped on them.
One horse I could almost read his thoughts a board look on his face that almost looked like he was thinking "not now, I just got to the fun part before he was magicked away by the war goddess.
I shivered, and Phoenix whinnied, that was not one horse I would want to meet horse to horse.
As the heavy cavalry fell back the swordsmen had started to advance in a slow but steady pace keeping their formation until about twenty paces away when they broke out into a charge .
"Brace yourselves!" all of the officers shouted as they began running or galloping their horses were galloping, they weren't, shouting encouragements and occasionally fighting besides the other soldiers.
By then I had noticed that the Phalanx was beginning to fail, pockets of soldiers were winded and started to back up giving the enemy ground eventually both the other team's heavy and light cavalry had outflanked us charging us from the right as our phalanx broke.
A few seconds later the brass horn that sounded the start of the game blew again as one of the enemies light cavalry crossed the battle line with the purple banner in their hand and the three horsemen who had started it rode out again into the middle of the field to end it.
"And that ends the battle of Bagradas River." Gisco said raising his left hand, as the man dressed in green handed him another scroll.
Gisco unrolled the scroll and began reading "Having defeated the army under Severa the great and military tactician Nicholas Blackader the cunning," Severa arched an eyebrow at this, "The Rebel army under the command of Jezebel the Magnificent, Severa seemed angered at this but retained her composure, "and the military tactician Akbar the wise aided by the Greek mercenary Malcolm the genius, marched onto Carthage with no resistance," Gisco's face seemed to darken. "The weakened state of Carthage allowed Rome to Annex Carthage shortly after." As soon as he was done reading it he dropped the scroll to the ground where his horse stepped on it.
"But enough of all of that rubbish," Giscos face suddenly lit up, "you all showed exemplary soldiership, well, except Akbar who somehow got his sword stuck in his scabbard and spent the majority of the battle yelling for help." Gisco said glaring at the priest of Khasis.
"And two great tacticians arrived on the same day, if Malcolm had not been anticipating the flank attack planned by Blackadder this battle would have had a different outcome." Gisco said riding over to the woods where a small band of swordsmen were just emerging from.
"Well, it just seemed strange that a static line like the one presented to…" he was probably going to keep talking when Gisco jumped off of his horse and threw an arm around the Greek.
"Yes, yes very good, you can stop talking now."
"Oh, right sir."
As the crowds had begun to disperse, and the two other horsemen had left taking Gisco's horse but leaving the man with us, Gisco called us over to the bank of the river where he was looking at his reflection.
"When are you planning on leaving"? He asked Malcolm before turning around to face the Greek.
"I guess I figured I would leave first thing in the morning, I should probably call my father and ask for a ride though, it was an adventure coming here and I don't really want to have to go through that again. I mean if that's alright with you, me staying the night here that is. He added quickly.
Gisco smiled, "I think I can do you one better, my friend Erik van Assendelft has just returned from Maryland, he should be able to get you back to camp Half-Blood tomorrow
I saw Malcolm hesitate,
"Oh come on, he's a well respected man, and a demigod, vulnerable to your celestial bronze weaponry." Gisco said urging him.
"I'll think on it. Malcolm responded after a while, just point me in the direction of the guests quarters if you don't mind."
"Guest quarters"? Gisco asked feigning surprise "No, no, no, you're one of us now, you'll sleep in the Astarte Cabin.
"Oh ," Malcolm said breathing deeply and looking down.
"Don't worry I've been told there's a side open in her war side,"
"It's not, it's nothing thank you though."
"As we turned around Gisco called us back again, "Malcolm, do know what scrying is"?
"Uh , yeah he said turning around "it's kind of like an Iris message but with some sort of oil basin."
"True, it is a form of communication but it doesn't have to be oil, that's just Egyptian propaganda." Gisco said.
Gisco then proceed to prick his forefinger with a dagger as it turned to a pool of water on a shorerock, "it does have to be still though, it won't work in say, a river." he motioned over his shoulder.
"All you need in order to talk to anyone you want, within reason of course, is a still source of water, an environment free of mortals, that's a given," he said looking around at both of us, "and a charm, one like the ones either Blackadder or I have." Gisco said pulling out his necklace. "Of course if you're especially talented in magic arts, like I am you don't need the charm at all. "As you are a Greek I can trust I would like to give you a title over here how does Greek diplomat sound"? He asked.
"You can take you time thinking about that, I'll give you a parting gift and with that he pulled out a coin like mine and Gisco's except this one had an owl on it. Now go find your cabins, I've already supplied you with complementary mattress, you've both had a long day.
With that we parted ways before Malcolm called back, "Wait, I can call anybody"?
I couldn't see Gisco's face but I was almost certain he was smiling.
No animals were harmed in the production of this.