x
The Battle of Argos
Due to the rising national debt, the disclaimer is now owned by China so… 我沒有自己的齊娜
8
It was a moonlit night as the army stood ready to march. Having no effective way to measure time they began the march at what was believed to be two hours after had been ordered to prepare. Xena may have been forced to leave the army but she was still close by, watching them from a distance.
Her mind was on Gabrielle, Callisto, and her other friends that would be involved in the battle. But especially Gabrielle, Xena had requested that Gabrielle stay behind in Argos where she would be safe from harm. She could only imagine how angry the bard might be when she was told, but it was for her own good.
Meanwhile, Kleomidas and his Spartans stood center of the line as he led the way. The Ballista's that Xena had helped construct lobbed several shots into the hoods bringing them crashing upon the enemy army as an opening salvo to launch the battle.
8
Hercules knew what was occurring and they were ready. The Ballista shot killed almost 200 men within an instant as the demigod ordered his archers to string their bows. Selenta was already in position to fulfill her assignment in this battle. Her role would likely seal the fate of this battle for Hercules.
Herici sat upon his horse as he awaited his marching orders. Though some of his men had been on the raid, the enemy was generally not aware of the Delphi units on the battlefield, and this would play to Hercules' advantage.
8
Callisto was among the men of the Argos unit as the arrows came. The volley flew hard for their targets. Callisto caught two. However hundreds of men fell across the battlefield. Callisto cursed as she realized that Hercules had been expecting them. Callisto gave her Dark Chakram a leafy throw aiming it at the archer line on the other side of the battlefield.
Callisto could hear Hercules shout the commands to duck. The archers ducked as the chakram bounced harmlessly off a tree and made its way back to Callisto having not scored a single kill. Callisto smiled has she had another idea. She threw the chakram again. As before it bounced of the rock and headed towards the enemy archers.
The archers ducked again but this time the chakram stayed low and impacted dozens of knee caps effectively taking an archer unit out of the fight before it bounced back to Callisto.
Callisto unsheathed her sword as the front lines neared each other. The men shouted as the two groups met head on. Callisto sliced a man across the chest turning to upper slice another in the face before she kicked a third soldier in the head. She followed through with a stab through the heart killing him, then pulling the sword out she slashed another soldier in the abdomen.
Under heavy attack she pulled her chakram with her left hand, slicing a throat of a soldier. Her Sword in her right and chakram in her left she did her classic top of her lunges scream as she twirled around killing four more warriors.
She then stabbed another soldier in the chest. The men closed in on her as she took one man's sword hand before cutting another through the face with her chakram. She ducked a slice for her head and promptly sliced though the man's knee sending him to the ground. Arrow went by her, barely missing her as she looked back. She said aloud, "Archers in the trees… a trap."
The archers fired their arrows on the men of the Greek coalition, especially taking aim at the centaurs who were causing the most damage to the Army of Hercules. The men of Argos, Sparta, and Athens all began to lose resolve even as the centaurs became more driven than ever to fight.
Cleomones with his Halberd took down two soldiers as he shouted to his men to hold together. His Athenians shouted with vengeful wrath as they charged. The other units appeared to be faltering, but the Athenians cut down everyone thrown their way.
This caught the attention of Hercules as he himself charged to face that unit. Seeing Hercules, the Athenians were only further incensed as they bellowed in wrath. However Hercules grabbed one of the Athenian's spear and pulled him forward to Hercules who then punched him so hard in the head that he killed that man.
Hercules followed by his soldiers charged forward smashing spears and sending soldiers flying. The Athenians fought on with equal tenacity killing several soldiers around Hercules; however Hercules himself with his massive strength could not be touched. Another soldier got to close to Hercules who then promptly snapped his neck with a single strike. Hercules unsheathing his sword continuing to cut into the men as streams of blood shot through the air.
At this point despite the archers in the trees the battle was about even as neither side gained any ground on the other. However, with Hercules' larger army, this was in fact a good thing as he could attrition his enemies out, but he preferred the decisive victory because he knew he wasn't facing the full might of Sparta, only some advance units.
So at the single of three flaming arrows, the line of the soldiers of Delphi appeared out of the trees on both the left and right flanks of the Coalition army and swarmed the Centaurs who controlled the ends of the line. The coalition forces fell back hard at the power of such a blow. Selenta led from the left as she charged into battle bearing a sword in each hand cutting down men and Centaurs all around her. Herici was calmly slicing men from on top of his horse leading from the right flank.
Iolaus had his sword out to meet Selenta who smiled at the blonde man. Iolaus swung his sword at Selenta but she blocked it with her left sword and then smashed him in the temple with her right elbow. He tried to get the upper hand but a flick of her wrist disarmed him. Defeated Iolaus pulled back into the line for now. He couldn't match her prowess on the battlefield.
Borias charged out to meet Herici was he road by killing another soldier. Borias grasped his sword as Herici charged at him, deflecting the blow from the Delphi general. But the pressure of the attack forced Borias back as well as he took a scratch above the eyebrow.
Still the coalition continued fighting as soldiers died across the field of battle. Arrows raining down upon them took many men to meet Hades.
Callisto had fell back several feet, but for her enemy these feet had been pricy as Callisto's white body had turned red with the blood of the army of Hercules and Thebes. She still continued to attack the enemy killing any soldier she could reach, but she knew the battle was lost as the army was falling back fast.
Callisto's eyes fell upon the Spartan King whose armor was drenched with blood. He may be a fool, but he was indeed a brave fool as his polearm disemboweled a soldier.
Several commanders across the field gave the retreat order as they pulled back to save themselves. However the Spartans refused to leave. Callisto jumped on a horse and charged though the battlefield slicing any who got in her way on her drive to get through to King Kleomidas.
Callisto still a ways from the king when she shouted, "Kleomidas we have to retreat now!"
Kleomidas turned to her after killing another soldier shouted "Spartans never retreat!" The Spartans shouted as they suddenly charged through the men of Hercules pushing a good twenty feet inside his lines.
Callisto watched as suddenly the men of Hercules, Thebes, and Delphi suddenly surrounded the Spartans on all sides. With some of the pressure off the rest of the Army a bloodied and wounded Iolaus ran to Callisto shouting, "We have to retreat now!"
Callisto shouted, "What about the Spartans!"
Iolaus replied loudly, "Their dead! Let's leave while we can!"
Then at that moment Callisto again took command of the army and shouted as she cut down another attacker, "Retreat! Leave now!" Callisto looked back at the Spartans one last time as she began to leave.
As Callisto retreated a soldier on horseback jumped on her and took her to the ground. They rolled on the ground as Callisto met his face. She didn't know it but it was Herici, the commander of the Delphi units.
He shouted "Where is Xena!"
Callisto struggled with the man as she shouted, "What?"
The man wouldn't let go his iron grip clasped around Callisto, "Xena has something that belongs to me! I will have it back! Where is she? Tell me or die!" Callisto tried to break him grip but the strength of this man was incredible, almost godlike.
Callisto screamed in pain as Iolaus knocked him off her. Callisto and Iolaus both charged at Herici, but he smashed them in the face sending them flying backwards.
While they weren't looking, the man disappeared in a haze of purple smoke.
Callisto regained her footing, "What the..?" She shook it out of her head as she remounted her horse and began her retreat.
8
While the rest of the army was retreating Selenta threw herself into the Spartans swinging with her swords killing any around her. The Spartans mad with bloodlust cut soldiers down as swords came at them from all angles. Selenta took a slight cut to the shoulder as she decapitated the soldier who had sliced her.
The men of Sparta were dying in mass as the Army of Hercules and Thebes closed in for the final kill. But the Spartans refused to budge as they were fighting mad. The few remaining Spartan soldiers fought back to back cutting down as many soldiers as they could. However the weight of the enemy army was too much for them. After another minute it was the king himself who was dripping blood on the ground.
The men of Hercules backed off as the King of Sparta stood their defiantly. Hercules walked up to him and asked "Do you surrender?"
King Kleomidas shouted while spitting blood "Spartans never surrender!"
Hercules said "No, they die." He dropped his arm as thirty arrows impaled Kleomidas' body.
He stood there. The men became frightened as it appeared he was still alive and couldn't be killed. Hercules walked close to him but did not attack. Hercules tapped his body once as he fell to the ground. The king of Sparta was dead.
8
The remaining army retreated to Argos as Callisto sought out Gabrielle, who was still annoyed that she had been left out. But Callisto didn't have time as Callisto left her side and sought out King Jason. The King stood up as Callisto was covered in blood. Concerned he asked, "are you alright?"
Callisto replied "I'm fine, it's not my blood, but we have to leave now! The battle is lost and the enemy will be here shortly!" Jason not one to be told twice got up and got his advisors and prepared to leave.
Fortunately they had already evacuated the city people earlier. Callisto quickly rejoined Gabrielle as she reorganized the army for a retreat. Both Kaleipus and Phantes were injured slightly as while Borias was untouched.
Many of her soldiers were injured as well as they prepared to leave. Jason rejoined them as they left in a hurry to abandon Argos, even as the marching of the Army of Hercules could be heard behind them. One last thing as the archers lit flaming arrows and aimed it at several huts in Argos in order to burn it down so Hercules could not use it.
They army left going south of Argos as Hercules neared it from the north. They had been defeated, but the fight was not over as Sparta had more troops coming and the other cities still had reinforcements to send. Callisto and the army would fight again. It wasn't over.