Swords clanged together, and shields sounded like thunder as they beat against one another. The smell of blood flooded the evening air as the battle reached its peak. Kassandra could see only two colors as she fought, red, which was the color of the Spartans, and blue, the color of the Athenians.
The mercenary weaved through the bloodied bodies as she eagerly searched for Kyra. There was an undeniable feeling of pressure that boiled inside of her as she fought. Not only was she fighting for her own life but Kyra's as well. The rebels and their leader were in no condition to be in battle, and yet they persisted on it, making it Kassandra's responsibility to keep them alive for as long as possible.
"Kyra?!" Kassandra yelled, thrusting her spear into an Athenian soldier. Sweat flew off her face as she frantically looked around, scanning the gruesome scene for any sign of the rebel leader.
"Misthios!" Kyra laughed, "You came to join us!" Soldiers surrounded the rebel leader, but the look on her face said that she couldn't have cared less. She bore a smile that stretched from ear to ear, her weathered, black dress splattered with blood and sand. She had killed before and seemed to be enjoying it, hacking at the soldiers around her in short, sloppy bursts.
A man was fighting next to Kyra, a Spartan General, tall, with a muscular build. He moved swiftly, cutting down his enemy in fluid motions. It was clear that he was defending Kyra, following her every movement, and paying for her every mistake. True, this man was an honorable fighter, thrusting his sword into every Athenian that came close to him or Kyra. But even a soldier as mighty as he couldn't fight forever, and it was becoming painfully evident that he was tiring.
One wrong move was all it took. Kyra, too obsessed mutilating an already deceased soldier, couldn't see the men surrounding her.
"Kyra!" Kassandra yelled, sprinting towards the swarm of Athenians.
As she ran, Kassandra could see the extent of the devastation around her. Corpses were strewn across the sand in pools of crimson blood, and severed limbs lay scattered like leaves across the beach. The adrenalin pumped through Kassandra's veins and heightened her senses, it was fear that propelled her forward, not the fear of death, but the doubt that Kyra could soon be amongst the company of corpses.
As she approached, Kassandra could see the Spartan General lying on the ground, a spear pointed at his throat, he was clutching his side, crimson blood leaking from under his fingers. Kyra was not far from him, kneeling in the bloody sand surrounded by pointed swords. Her face boiled with anger, but she appeared utterly unscathed.
The mercenary gripped her spear tighter, preparing to break through the line of soldiers ahead of her. She quickened her pace, her heart pumping harder against her chest as she made to pounce on the unsuspecting enemy.
"Kassandra!" Kyra yelled, drawing all the attention to the charging mercenary.
With the element of surprise blown, Kassandra had no choice but to terminate her attack. She dug her heels into the sand and skidded to a halt, cursing Kyra under her breath. Although agitated by her stupidity, Kassandra was fully prepared to fight off as many men as needed to assure Kyra's safety.
"Drop your weapon, Eagle Bearer," The Athenian Captain appeared behind Krya, his bloody sword stretched out towards Kassandra, "Even you have your limits in battle." The Captain waved for his men to surround the mercenary.
Kassandra smiled, apathetic to the men circling her, "I have yet to find them, Athenian," she challenged, raising her spear to meet the Captain.
The soldiers gathered around the mercenary with their blades drawn, encompassing her in a trap of sharp steel. Kassandra had no choice but to lower her weapon in defeat. Every drop of blood burned in her veins as locked eyes with Kyra, knowing that it was because of her drunken stupidity that they were in this mess.
"Poldarkes will be pleased when he hears of this victory," The Captain began, sheathing his sword. He reached down and grabbed Kyra by her raven hair, pulling her to her feet. "Not only did we capture the Rebel Leader, but the Mighty Eagle Bearer as well."
"This isn't over yet, Athenian." Kyra hissed.
"Unfortunately for you," he laughed, pulling Kyra closer to him, "it is." His hot breath scorched Kyra's skin. She squirmed under his embrace, but his grip only grew tighter around her.
"Get your hands off of her." Groaned the Spartan. He attempted to stand, pushing the soldier's spear away from him, but he was quickly kicked back into the sand.
"Thaletas!" Kyra cried. She finally managed to break free from the Captain and dropped down beside the Spartan. Tears filled her eyes as she realized that she was the reason her lover was wounded.
"Pathetic," The Captain scoffed. He turned towards Kassandra and began walking towards her when someone called out from a distance.
"Captain!" Called one of the Foot Soldiers, " The Polemarch is approaching!"
The Captain smirked at Kassandra. He had a dark look in his eyes that made the Mercenary's stomach turn. "I'm sure our Commander will find the perfect use for you, Mighty Eagle Bearer." He turned and walked towards the rider, who sat stiffly on top of his light-colored steed.
The horse was a magnificent creature, a stallion, mostly white with splashes of reddish-brown across his back and chest. His face was just like his body, with a thick white stripe down the center—his ears, the same reddish-brown, and his mane, so golden that glistened like honey. The Stallion had a thick, muscular body and must have stood 16 hands or more.
Kassandra had never seen such a horse before. His coloring was so rare that she couldn't help but be amazed by it and its beauty. However, the horse's color wasn't the only thing that stood out. He was saddled using a Spartan red blanket. If this were an Athenian Polmarch, he would undoubtedly have saddled his steed in blue. Kassandra felt a tight feeling in her gut, something wasn't right about this rider, and she could feel that something was about to happen.
Aleera watched patiently from the hillside, her eyes following the Athenian Captain as he approached the horse. She smiled; her distraction was working correctly. While the men gathered around, Aleera reached back and pulled a dark red hood over her head, taking the opportunity to slip silently down to the outer edge of the camp. She hid inside a big patch of seagrass just meeters away from Kassandra and the others.
There were four men clustered around Kassandra, and one on either side of Thaletas and Kyra. Aleera watched as the Athenian captain took hold of the horse's reins and held them tight. If there was ever a time to act, it was in that moment. Aleera reached into the pouch that hung at her belt, she pulled out a small wooden whistle and brought it up to her lips.
"Forgive me, Eros." She whispered, before blowing a massive breath of air into the instrument.
A high-pitched sound manifested with a call as loud as a banshee's. Eros began to tremble, his large hoofs fidgeting under him. He shook his head violently, thrashing from side to side, pulling the Athenian Captain with him.
"By the gods! Find the cause of that noise!" The Captain yelled as he attempted to control the agitated horse.
The soldiers began to scatter, Aleera took another deep breath and blew into the whistle once again, producing a higher pitch than before. She watched as Eros thrashed his head, breaking free from the Captain's grip. He rose back on his hind legs, throwing the Polemarche's cold corps off his back. The captain looked up in horror as Eros's mighty hooves came crashing down on top of him, their untamed strength beating down on him with the strength of the gods.
Kassandra's eyes darted back and forth as the chaos unfolded. The once fierce men who surrounded her began to tremble, their untrained eyes conversing with one another in silence. Kassandra saw her opportunity to escape and was fully prepared to take advantage of it. She tightened her grip around her spear, her fingers sticky from the blood and sweat. Sucking in a deep breath, the mercenary felt her blood boil as she prepared to strike.
But before Kassandra could attack, Aleera rushed out of the seagrass and beat her to it. blades slid out from underneath her golden gauntlets as she ran towards the group of soldiers. Adrenaline pumped through her with each bounding step that brought her closer to her targets. In an instant, she was thrusting her blades into the necks of the soldiers. One by one, they met their demise, swift and clean with little pain. That was the way Aleera was taught to fight.
With her hand gripped tightly around her spear, Kassandra let out a war cry as she twisted around in search of the enemy. But her vigor and aggression were not met by soldiers, but by the calm of the sea. Sweat dripped down the mercenary's face and stung into her eyes. Her heavy breaths were laced with anger at the sight of the barren beach.
"Kassandra!" Kyra cried.
Kassandra looked over her shoulder and found the rebel leader kneeling in the sand next to Thaletas, looking up at her with glistening eyes.
"He's hurt," She gasped, trying to hold back tears. Kyra ran her hand alongside her lover's face. She felt so guilty for what had happened to him and feared that he would not recover, and her rebellion would be lost entirely.
As Kassandra began to walk towards her comrades, she saw something approaching. The red-colored horse was fixated on Kyra, His rider intent on trampling her and Thaletas. As the stallion's heavy hooves thundered across the sand, Kassandra knew she had to do something.
"Kyra! Look Out!" Kassandra cried, lunging towards the oncoming horse. She picked up a discarded spear off the ground and thrust it at the horse, causing him to rear back on his hind legs.
Aleera withdrew her sword from its sheath and quickly leaned off the side of her saddle. Kassandra had her spear pointed directly at Eros, and if he came down off his hind legs, she would easily pierce through his skull and kill him instantly. Aleera knew she only had a moment to think, if she didn't do something both Eros and Kassandra could be harmed, and she was not ready to lose either of them. As Eros began to descend, Aleera dropped her weapon and threw herself onto Kassandra, moving both her and the spear away from the mighty steed.
The two warriors fell onto the ground. Kassandra was pinned against the sand, with both arms held by her side. Aleera was pressed firmly against her chest, the metal of her breastplate rubbing against the leather of Kassandra's. When the realization finally set in, Kassandra looked up at her assailant. She could only see a shadow of Aleera's face, for the heaviness of her red hood hid it.
Kassandra struggled under the weight of her friend, moving every which way to break free from her, but even someone as mighty as Kassandra was no match for someone as intelligent as Aleera. It was as if Aleera could sense every move the mercenary was making before she could make it, and therefore knew precisely when to counter it.
"Weren't you the one who told me to stay out of trouble, Kassandra?" Aleera smiled, her heart slammed against her chest in excitement as she awaited Kassandra's response.
"Aleera?" Kassandra questioned. She lifted her chest, just enough to see underneath Aleera's red hood.
"You looked like you needed some help," Aleera rose and offered Kassandra a hand.
Kassandra allowed Aleera to help her to her feet. As she stood, she was immediately struck by her friend's appearance. When they parted, Aleera was wearing a white, Grecian-style gown with no visible weapons arming her. Now, she appeared as though she was a descendant of the gods, wearing a set of gold armor that was strapped with a single sword and matching dual blades beneath her gauntlets. Aleera looked almost like a Spartan, her red hood and cloak clashing with her armor in a way that was all too familiar to Kassandra.
"We had everything under control!" Kyra blurted out, tearing her focus away from Aleera. Kyra knelt beside Thaletas, who struggled to sit upright. He clutched his side, attempting to conceal the severity of the wound from his lover's eyes.
Kassandra rushed over to Kyra and Thaletas, giving Aleera a friendly nod as she passed. While she was relieved that Aleera was there to assist them, her thanks and appreciation would have to wait until she could find a way to help the injured Spartan.
"Is that why you allowed yourself to be surrounded by the most inexperienced soldiers?" Aleera thought. She looked over her shoulder at Kyra, feeling nothing but disgust for how the rebellious leader was acting. Aleera shook her head and walked casually over to Eros, who shifted restlessly as he awaited commands. She stroked the horse's face in small, gentle motions, secretly listening to what Kyra and Kassandra were discussing.
"Are you hurt anywhere else, Thaletas?" Kassandra asked. It was clear that the most severe injury was on his side, but there was no telling if that was the only one he endured.
"No," He said sharply, before turning to Kyra, "are you hurt Kyra?" he asked, petting the side of Kyra's face.
"No," Kyra answered, covering Thaletas's hand with hers.
Aleera rolled her eyes and mumbled something in a foreign language. She rounded the side of her horse, trailing her fingers over his blood-soaked hair. Just as she began to mount into the saddle, she heard Kyra's voice rise from the sand. She spoke in an aggressive tone that sounded demanding as if Aleera owed her something, which she did not.
"You can't just leave us here!" Kyra shouted, sounding more narcissistic than ever.
Aleera smirked, her luscious lips protruding from the shadow of her hood. She kept her voice calm, not letting her anger for Kyra get the best of her, "You said you had everything under control, my part is done."
Aleera's words were bitter, but not without reason. From the moment she first saw Kyra on the battlefield, she knew that she was in trouble. If she was as great of a leader as she proclaimed herself to be, then why did she put herself and others in harm's way when she knew she couldn't handle the fight? It was bluntly obvious to Aleera that Kyra and her rebels were not fit to fight this fight, and the scent that came off of her confirmed it. Aleera shook her head and grabbed hold of her saddle, pulling herself onto Eros's back.
That was when Kassandra decided she had had enough and spoke up. There was no sense in making Thaletas suffer more than he already was, just because Kyra wanted to act rash.
"Aleera, Please," Kassandra pleaded as she helped Thaletas to his feet, "I.." she paused and looked over at Kyra, who had her arms crossed tightly over her chest, " We could use your help."
"She's right," Thaletas added, still clutching his bleeding side, "and Sparta would be in your debt." He swallowed hard, attempting to hide his pain with a grimacing smile.
Aleera said nothing. She gave Eros a light kick with her heel and walked him forward. As much as she wanted Kyra to suffer for her stupidity, she wouldn't let anyone else die on her account, even if that meant swallowing her pride. As she approached, Aleera made a whistling noise with her mouth. It was a soft, quick whistle, but Eros heard it clearly, and he obeyed, lowering himself onto the sand next to Kassandra and Thaletas.
" Sparta can keep its, debt," Aleera said calmly. She shifted further back in her saddle to allow room for the injured man, she knew she had to get him to help fast, and while she appeared to be confident in her ability to save him, she was terrified she couldn't.
As Kassandra helped Thaletas into the saddle, she felt an overwhelming dread come over her. Like Aleera, Kassandra kept calm with the exterior confidence of hope, but she too was unsure of Thaletas's fate. The mercenary watched as Eros rose off the ground and back onto his feet.
"Where will you take him?" Kassandra asked, petting Eros's crusted hair. She looked up and was able to see the outline of Aleera's face underneath her hood, her loose brown hair shaping her defined features.
"My ship is close. There is someone on board who can help." Aleera took hold of the reins and gently wrapped one arm around Thaletas. "I regret to say that it won't be a smooth ride," she said, addressing Thaletas directly.
"I've lived this long. I'm sure I can make it a while longer." Thaletas attempted to smile but quickly grabbed at his side as the pain returned.
"Spartans." The women sighed, almost in unison.
Aleera tightened her arm around Thaletas before spurring her horse forward. It wasn't a far ride, but every second would count, and while Thaletas was optimistic, he didn't have much time left.
"I want to go with them!" Kyra yelled, chasing after the fleeing horse.
Kassandra shook her head and ran after her. She knew that Kyra was upset, but what Thaletas needed was a safe and calm place to heal, and unfortunately, having Kyra aboard the ship would make that impossible
Kassandra caught up to the rebel with ease. She reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder, pulling her to a stop.
"What are you doing" Kyra yelled, pulling away from the mercenary.
"I know how much you want to be with him, Kyra, but.." Kassandra tried to continue, but Kyra had spun around and cut her off.
"You don't understand!" Tears filled Kyra's brown eyes as she spoke. She turned towards Kassandra, "I'm the reason this happened, he was protecting me!" She turned back towards the mainland, "and now I need to protect him." Kyra felt a wave of shame come over her, she had already lost her men, and now she was at risk of losing her lover too.
"He's in good hands, Kyra," Kassandra said confidently. She walked up behind her and placed both hands on her shoulder. There was only one person that Kassandra could think of who would be better equipped to help Thaletas and that would be Hippocrates himself.
Kyra shook her head, "I don't trust her, Kassandra." Her voice was bitter, an exact resemblance of her feelings for Aleera.
Kassandra chuckled, she knew exactly how Kyra was feeling because she felt the same way when she first met Aleera. It wasn't hatred or distrust that Kyra was feeling, but jealousy. "Perhaps it's not that you don't trust her, but that you feel threatened by her."
Kyra burst out laughing, she turned around and poked a finger at Kassandra's chest. "Nobody can threaten me," she boasted, "not even a big, strong, mercenary like you" Kyra flirtatiously tapped on Kassandra's breastplate, smiling a sweet but counterfeit smile.
"If you can't trust her," Kassandra sighed, "Then trust me." She took Kyra's hand and held it in hers. She knew Kyra was hurting, confused, and angry, more so at herself than at anyone else, and to keep her from making any more mistakes, Kassandra knew she needed to keep her close.
Kyra's heart beat faster, but her love for Thaletas forced her to pull away.
"I already do," she said as she looked back towards the land. Kyra crossed her arms over her chest for comfort, she was feeling so many emotions at once and she was terrified of them. It's true, she did trust Kassandra, if she hadn't, she wouldn't have asked her to come to help her fight the rebellion. But now, with her here she was more confused than ever.
There was a moment or two that passed before Kassandra spoke again. She was enjoying the serenity of the beach. The waves crashed over the shore, washing away the blood from the sand. Kassandra closed her eyes and breathed in the salty air, her armor felt heavy on her body and her exposed skin was crusted with blood and sweat.
"Come on," Kassandra said, walking up behind Kyra, "Tomorrow is a new day, the best thing you can do right now is to get clean up and try to get some rest. I will go check on Thaletas in the morning." Kassandra started up the path that leads to the hideout when she heard Kyra's footsteps run up behind her.
"Follow me," Kyra called as she passed Kassandra, "I know a good bathhouse nearby.'' The rebels' hearts raced at the thought of being alone with Kassandra, a feeling that overpowered the worry, and the guilt she felt for Thaletas.
Kassandra quickened her pace, she was relieved that Kyra was willing to listen to her, but there was still a sadness in her eyes that Kassandra couldn't ignore. It was not the mercenary's intention to replace Kyra's feelings for Thaletas but to merely distract her from them, at least until he could get back on his feet.
There was a familiar feeling between Kassandra and Kyra as they walked together. The night air was calm with only a slight breeze to carry the smell of the salt air. Kassandra looked up at the sky above and saw Ikaros circling above, she smiled at him, laughing silently as he called back to her. Ikaros hovered above the couple, gliding in the air as dolphins would swim in the sea. He beat his wings once and began to dive. But he did not follow Kassandra. Instead, Ikaros leaned into the wind, turning in the direction Aleera had ridden.
"Traitor," Kassandra scoffed in a slightly humorous tone.
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