Chapter 4: The Spartan Experience
Hercules' POV
"To me, that cloud up there looks like a hydra being slain by a brave hero." I said as I pointed up at a cloud.
"Interesting." Icarus said as he pointed up to another cloud. "That one over there looks like a field of wildflowers in which me and my sweet Cassie of the valley are having a romantic picnic together."
Cassandra groaned in disgust. "Ugh, and I'm supposed to be the one who sees grim visions."
It was a casual Thursday afternoon. After classes, Icarus, Cassandra, and I decided to take things a little easy and went to watch the clouds pass by. Usually, Aria joins in on our cloud watching and even provides her own interesting insights when she watches the clouds, but she wasn't here with us today. About a week ago, she went to the Amazon's island with our classmate Tempest for some sort of retreat. Aria didn't really say what it was all about, but I hope she's doing okay.
"I kinda wish Aria was here," Icarus stated what I was thinking. "I like hearing what all she sees when we watch the clouds."
"How long is her retreat again?" I asked.
"I think she comes back on Sunday." Cassandra answered.
"Hercules!"
I sat up the moment I heard Helen's voice, and when I turned around, I saw her running towards me. Whatever she wanted, she sounded like she was in trouble.
"Helen, what's the matter?" I asked her.
"It's Adonis." Helen told me. "I'm worried about him."
"Welcome to the human race." Cassandra scoffed.
"Did he pull down your chiton in gym class, too?" Icarus asked Helen as he stood up.
"Oh, no, silly." Helen shook her head. "He's been out of school for a week."
"Is he sick?" I asked.
"No, no. His servants endure all his diseases." Helen said before she started to worry. "I'm afraid something is really wrong."
"Hey, you folks know where I can find a, uh," a delivery guy asked as he held a giant crate and walked up to us. "Heracles?"
Well, that was the first time anyone mispronounced my name.
"Uh, I'm Hercules." I casually corrected him.
"Oh, yeah. My mistake." the delivery guy said as he handed me a clipboard and a pencil. "Sign here."
I signed off for the crate and the delivery guy was off. I looked at the crate for about a solid minute while I got a little confused. I don't remember ordering anything, or Phil ordering anything for me for my hero training. Whoever sent this crate obviously knew who I was, but why would they send me something? I wasn't going to get many answers by looking at the crate, so I decided to open it up. When I did, a Thracian soldier stood up from the crate and held up a note. Who was this guy and how long was he in there?
"That's one of Adonis' servants." Helen explained.
"'To my bosom buddy Hercules,'" the guard read off the note from Adonis. "'Just a not to remind you how much I value your friendship.'"
"Oh, isn't that sweet?" Helen sighed dreamily.
I, however, knew something else was up. "What does he want this time?"
"'You're probably wondering what I want this time. It's like this,'" the guard kept reading the note. "'Help! You must rush to my aid!'"
"Don't listen." Cassandra warned.
"'Oh, but brave Hercules, you must listen.'" the guard continued. "'I've been captured by the Spartan Officer Training Corp.'"
"The Spar-OTC?" I interrupted in realization. "They're the elite of the Spartan military machine."
If you thought Sparta, itself, was bad, then you don't know about their elite military school for young Spartans. It's said that Spar-OTC was designed and built exclusively by Ares to help shape young soldiers for his armies, but the way things are run there are brutal. Like if my hero training was cranked up to X level of brutality. If Adonis was being held prisoner there, then he was definitely in trouble. But my question was why the Spar-OTC was holding him captive. Sparta and Thrace weren't enemies.
"'The brutes are torturing me. You're my only hope.'" the guard went on to read the note.
"Adonis a prisoner in Sparta?" I repeated the information I was given before coming to a decision. "I've got to rescue him."
"Oh, Hercules, thanks." Helen said before giving me a kiss on the cheek. "You're my hero."
"Well, Herc will need a sidekick on this one, and since Aria can't be here to do it," Icarus told Cassandra as he readied himself for a kiss goodbye. "So, looks like I'm off to Sparta, too."
"Bon voyage." Cassandra pushed Icarus to the side. "Don't drink the water."
"'I knew I could count on you.'" the guard finished as he put the note down. "Please don't put me back in the box."
Helen gasped. "They put Adonis in a box?"
"No. That was from me." the guard explained with a shudder. "It's dark in there. I don't like it."
Several Hours Later
It didn't take long for Icarus and I to get to Sparta, but it did take a while for us to find the Spar-OTC. You see, Athens and Sparta, much like their patron gods, were enemies. As in, if an Athenian should accidentally wander into Sparta, they'd be killed instantly. And while I was raised in Tiryns by my Earth parents, I still went to school in Athens. I was much of an Athenian as Icarus was. If we got spotted, we'd be in big trouble. This mission had to be quick and stealthy if we were going to rescue Adonis.
"Be on guard, Icarus." I warned as we walked out of an alley. "Sparta is the most brutal, war-mongering city-state there is."
"'Welcome to Sparta, now go home.'" Icarus read off a sign from a passing wagon before shuddering. "You're not kidding."
We snuck around Sparta for a bit until we found it: The Spar-OTC military academy. Surrounded by legions upon legions of army recruits, guards at every entrance and exit, and a large impenetrable wall blocking out intruders. If this were an easy mission, I would just punch through the wall with my strength, but this mission called for stealth and cunning. I knew there had to be a better way than just barreling in.
"Now we just have to get in and find Adonis." I stated the facts to Icarus.
"Lucky for us, I brought my wings." Icarus said as he dug through his backpack. "I'll just fly over the wall and open the gate from inside."
"No, wait. We can't risk being discovered." I stopped him. "This calls for a sneakier approach."
"Oh, where's Aria when you need her?" Icarus worried out loud. "She's all about being sneaky!"
That I agreed on. If she were here, Aria would probably come up with a brilliant distraction to get the guards away so we could sneak in. She's clever like that. But she wasn't here. Icarus and I can't always rely on her cleverness in these situations, so we had to think like her. And that's exactly what I did when I saw a delivery wagon pulling into the academy's grounds full of uniforms and armor.
"Hey, that might be our chance." I smirked as I pulled Icarus along.
The two of us hoped into the back of the wagon while the driver was too busy talking to the guards, and when the driver got the ok to be let into the academy, Icarus and I got in easy. While we hid in the wagon, the two of us changed into the Spar-OTC armor so nobody would think we were outsiders, and when the wagon pulled into the base, Icarus and I hopped out. I scoped the scene and couldn't find Adonis among the other training recruits, which meant that he was being held hostage inside the building.
Unfortunately, when I tried to head over to the academy building, I was stopped by Icarus, who was acting stranger than usual.
"That's your uniform, my friend." Icarus told me as he straightened me up, acting like a soldier. "Wear it with pride."
"Icarus, we're here to find Adonis." I reminded him.
"That's no excuse for looking sloppy, soldier!" Icarus responded as he started marching after the other soldiers. "Now, step lively, Herc!"
I rolled my eyes and pulled him back. "Would you come on?"
The two of us then snuck into the academy and started looking around for Adonis. We looked in just about every training room we could find, but Adonis was nowhere in sight. Wherever he was, the Spartans were holding him prisoner and torturing him somewhere really secretive. I only hoped Icarus and I found him soon so that we wouldn't have to stay in this place any longer than we had too. Fortunately, luck was on our side when we eventually found Adonis in the academy's kitchen watching the cook peel potatoes.
"Adonis?" I called for him.
"Don't hurt me!" Adonis jumped out his seat in fright before realizing who it was. "Hercules! Hercules' ferrety little friend! Thank the gods you've arrived. I feared the end was near."
"I thought you were being tortured." I folded my arms.
"I am! Look at me! Stripped of my royal robes, forced to wear a common uniform, and march from one end of this place to another for no apparent reason!" Adonis whined as he turned towards the cook. "Only a small cash payment to him saved my unblemished hands from the scars of manual labor."
As the cook started listing the different ways that he cooks potatoes while peeling them, Icarus and I rolled our eyes at Adonis. If Aria were here, she'd definitely call him out for wasting our time with this whole thing.
"Get me out of here!" Adonis begged through gritted teeth.
"What about your father?" I asked him. "I mean, he is the king of Thrace."
"Dadums sent me here." Adonis sadly admitted. "It was something of a surprise."
"How so?" Icarus asked.
Adonis then went on to explain that about a week ago, his father told him that in order to become king of Thrace someday, Adonis had to pass Spartan basic training. Adonis didn't want to do it, and even tried sending one of his servants to do it for him, but his father disagreed. Apparently, sending the prince of Thrace to Sparta to pass basic training had been a family tradition for generations, so there was no way Adonis was about to break that tradition. And so, here he was at the Spar-OTC. Wasting mine and Icarus' time with his problem I know he can solve himself.
"I took the news bravely at the time," Adonis finished with an obvious lie. "But this place is simply intolerable."
I scoffed before heading out of the academy. "C'mon, Icarus. We're leaving."
"You can't leave me here alone!" "The drill sergeant, Agamemnon, he's out to get me! And the lieutenant colonel, too! They're ruthless!"
"Ten hut!"
Adonis jumped onto me and held on for dear life as a soldier appeared in the doorway. He wore a bronze uniform with a green chiton with a matching green army hat on his head. A trio of badges on the soldier's armor only meant one thing and one thing only: This must've been that Sergeant Agamemnon that Adonis mentioned. I admit, he did look a little intimidating. Especially with that deep voice of his. Maybe Adonis really did need help, after all.
"Sergeant," Adonis addressed him nervously as he jumped back onto the ground. "How nice to see you. You look well."
"Silence!" Agamemnon yelled at him. "I ordered you to peel potatoes, maggot! You will do as I order! Is that clear?"
Adonis briefly nodded nervously before the sergeant's attention turned towards Icarus, who would not stop staring at the medals on his armor.
"What's your major malfunction?" Agamemnon asked him.
Icarus straightened up and started talking like a soldier again. "Admiring your medals, sir! I long to have my own, sir!"
The sergeant arched a brow. "Do I know you, soldier?"
"Just another faceless recruit giving 110% for the glory of Sparta, sir!" Icarus responded.
Agamemnon gave an impressed scoff before turning towards Adonis. "Take a lesson from this fine recruit, you pathetic slug."
"Him?" Adonis said before rephrasing himself to look good. "I-I mean, of course, him, sir."
"I got my eye on you, pretty boy." Agamemnon told him before he marched out of the kitchen.
Adonis then turned to me frantically. "See? See?"
"Alright, Adonis, I'll help you, but not to leave." I told him. "If you work hard, I'll help you pass basic training."
Adonis scoffed. "In what way can that be construed as help?"
"Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day." I explained to him something I learned in philosophy class at school. "Teach a man to fish, and he can eat for a lifetime."
"What are you all doing in here?"
The three of us jumped when we heard that loud voice. We turned and saw another soldier, one about our height, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. He wore a bronze uniform with a red chiton and had a helmet on his head that covered most of his face, save for his eyes. He didn't seem too intimidating as Agamemnon, but there was something about him that felt kind of scary. Especially when he narrowed his eyes at the three of us and started stomping our way.
"Get to the training grounds!" the soldier barked at us. "It's the least you could do for the god who kept your worthless sorry butts in service!"
"He's tough." Icarus muttered to me.
"What was that soldier?" the soldier overheard him.
"Nothing, sir!" Icarus straightened up.
"Then I suggest you three take your filthy sandals out on the training grounds and go prove that you are capable of Sparta's gratitude!" the soldier ordered as he pushed us out the door. "Go! Go! Go!"
The soldier made us march outside of the academy, where all the other Spar-OTC recruits were in lines upon lines. Most of them may have been around my age, but they all looked like they were already part of Sparta's army. Which made sense to me since Adonis, Icarus, and I were marching towards the drill sergeant, who bore an expression I knew wasn't a good one. That is, until Agamemnon had a sliver of approval when he saw the soldier behind us.
"Rian, nice of you to join us." Agamemnon addressed the soldier.
"Found these losers hanging around in the kitchen, Sergeant." Rian said as he looked at us. "Get in line, the three of you."
The three of us nodded as we got into line with all the other members of Adonis' platoon. Where we stood tall and remained quiet, and I started to wonder what was going on.
"Now, listen up, mealyworms," Agamemnon began an introduction. "Give a hale and hearty welcome to the founder and patron of Sparta, otherwise known as the God of War. Clap, and clap hard, for Ares!"
With the playing of war horns, all the academy recruits clapped and cheered as a chariot pulled by large red rottweilers flew from out of the sky and onto the stage. It's driver being none other than Ares, himself. I gave a nervous gulp when I saw Ares again. Mainly because the last time I saw him wasn't really the best encounter in the world. Basically, Athena sent me to retrieve a very powerful weapon from Sparta, and when Ares found out she sent me, he tried to kill me using said weapon. If my father hadn't shown up, I'd probably be dead. So, Ares and I aren't exactly sympatico as of yet. I only hoped he forgot about that incident.
"You're too kind! Too kind! Please, you're embarrassing me!" Ares told the crowd in a modest way. "No, really. That's enough."
The other recruits wouldn't stop cheering for Ares.
"Enough!" Ares growled at the crowd.
Everyone got completely and utterly silent after that.
"You know, we've got a saying here at the academy, the maggots and mealyworms of today are the brutal despots of tomorrow." Ares told the soldiers. "Let me tell you a little story: Long, long ago I looked upon this land and saw a savage wilderness, but I saw something else, too. I saw the glimmer of a dream, a dream of senseless battle, mindless obedience, and wanton destruction. I saw Sparta."
And with that, the army choir sang a war song about how exactly Ares discovered Sparta. Basically, Sparta was once a mountain range, until Ares came and moved it to create Sparta. When Boreas, god of the North Wind tried destroying it with his wind, Ares defeated him in battle. Protecting Sparta in the process and becoming it's patron god. I thought it was an interesting story to tell, even if I've never heard it before.
While the choir finished singing, I caught Rian staring at Adonis, Icarus, and I. Narrowing his eyes in a disapproving way right at us.
"You've gotta love that song. Every time I hear it, it makes me feel like running out and making war on somebody." Ares then said before snapping his fingers. "Hey, that's just what I'm gonna do!"
Ares then hopped back into his chariot and wished us all luck as he was leaving. "Good luck with the rest of your training, men! Remember, make war, not love!"
After Ares was gone, Rian turned towards Agamemnon. "Sergeant, I don't think prince thing was joining in on Sparta's anthem."
Agamemnon looked over at us, and when Adonis knew that he got busted, well, I didn't think the drill sergeant could get any angrier.
"You weren't singing, monkey boy." Agamemnon began before he started yelling. "Thanks to you, this entire platoon will do ten laps around the Coliseum!"
Rian came up from behind him as the drill sergeant pointed him out. "My lieutenant colonel, Rian, will make sure you all stay in line."
Wait. Rian was the lieutenant colonel that Adonis talked about earlier? I didn't think someone so young could ever make it to such a high ranking.
"I'm to work with this platoon? I must say, Agamemnon, I am very disappointed." Rian started before he insulted Adonis. "Especially with the blond one. That one's one too many arrows short of a crossbow."
"Take a lesson, rookies. This one's got Spartan pride written all over him." Agamemnon patted Rian hard on the shoulder before giving us an order. "Now, ten laps around the colosseum!"
"Only ten, sir?" Icarus asked as if he was a soldier again. "Twenty seems like a more fitting punishment, sir!"
Agamemnon nodded at that suggestion. "You heard him, weasels. Twenty laps! Get moving!"
The platoon gave annoyed and mean glares at Icarus as they started running. I don't know what has gotten into him, but this whole acting like a Spartan thing was getting old fast. And apparently, Rian wasn't too much of a fan of it either, because before Icarus and I could join with Adonis and the others, he stopped us in our tracks and pulled Icarus and I by the collars of our uniforms.
Rian then presented us to Agamemnon. "Not these two, Sergeant."
Agamemnon gave him a mean look. "Excuse me, lieutenant?"
"I have a special punishment in mind, just for them." Rian explained. "Permission to give them such punishment, sir?"
"Permission granted." Agamemnon nodded with approval.
Rian gave a nod and put us back down. He then pushed us towards the direction of the academy and made us march. I didn't really know what was going on, neither did Icarus, whatever Rian's problem with us was, but I'm sure there was something we could figure out. Especially with how familiar he seemed. Maybe he was someone Icarus and I knew from school? But that couldn't be right. All the other guys from school were from Athens, and the Spar-OTC would never allow them in.
"Keep it movin', shorty!" Rian barked at Icarus when we were getting towards the corner of the academy.
"It's Rian, right?" I began to wonder what sort of punishment he had in mind for Icarus and I. "Is this about us not joining in on the anthem?"
"No, you dorks." Rian's voice changed into a girl's voice, a very familiar girl's voice.
Icarus and I did a double take and looked at Rian again before he covered our mouths and dragged us into a dark alley. Rian looked to make sure nobody had seen us or was following us, and when the coast was clear, he looked right back at Icarus and I. Where the two of us were able to see a distinguishing feature about the lieutenant colonel. Rian's eyes under his helmet were a pair of very familiar bright, yellow eyes.
I gasped in realization as I moved her hand off my mouth. "Aria?!"
Aria's POV
Yep, it's me!
You readers didn't really think Herc was gonna tell you this part of the story, did you? HA! That is rich! Look, the guy's great and all, but last time I considered letting him do that for one of our adventures, he made the story sound like a written version one of those old film noir detective movies or shows. Snooze fest. Besides, those things are way too serious. This is an adventure we're talking about, here. It needs to be more exciting!
Anyway, let's get this story going, shall we?
Now, you guys are wondering why exactly I did all this. Well, if you remember from the previous chapter, I wanted to prove a point. Not just to Achilles or the drake and their sexism, but to prove that I can still be useful in this world instead of just a forgetful pretty face. Thanks to the Spar-OTC brochure and having a little inspiration from my Uncle Homer's favorite Disney 'princess' Mulan, I enlisted under the guise of a young soldier named Rian -after another brave hero from a show I'm obsessed with, and nobody has suspected a thing for almost two weeks now. My plan was going smoothly.
And now that Hercules and Icarus are here too, my plans are going to have to change. To say that they were surprised that Rian was really me in disguise would be an understatement. But to be honest, I'm surprised I let them find out so soon. I guess I didn't want a repeat of Celestia from last year. But, hey, I'm more surprised the pair of them even came for Adonis. A few more days of me bossing him around without any intervening, and Adonis would've been whipped into shape.
Anyway, back to the story.
"This is the retreat you went to?" Hercules asked me. "I thought you were supposed to be training with Tempest and the other Amazons."
"That was a cover-up." I said. "I knew you guys would freak out if I told you I was going to the Spar-OTC, so I lied."
"But why?" he asked.
"Some jerks were being sexist, so I told my mom that I wanted to prove them wrong and prove that I could be more." I stood there bold and proud as I showed them my newest accomplishment while attending the Spar-OTC. "And now, I'm the lieutenant colonel of the entire Spartan army, and I intend to keep it that way until after this week."
"How could you have made lieutenant colonel? You've been here for a week now." Icarus then asked.
"Let's just say my future fighting skills really caught the sergeant's attention." I briefly said before I felt my helmet get too uncomfortable on my head. "Geez, this helmet's making my head hurt more than explaining all this to you guys."
As soon as I removed my helmet, Hercules and Icarus were stunned to see what I had done to myself. You see, the thing about Sparta and the Spar-OTC was that, aside from the brutality and war, soldiers needed to meet a hair length requirement: Nothing must be longer than shoulder length. And as much as I have worked so hard to get my beautiful hair to be so long, sacrifices had to be made; my hair had to be cut. That was the sacrifice I had to make when I read the brochure Mom found. But that didn't mean my hair couldn't look good short when I made said sacrifice. Remember Tecna from Winx? Think her iconic pixie cut look, y'know before Season 5 got rid of it.
"Your hair!" Hercules pointed. "What did you do?"
"What? You don't like it?" I said cynically. "I think the pixie cut makes me look sexy."
"Oh n-no, that's not what I-" Hercules stammered. "You look good -I mean- IT looks good. Your hair looks good."
"Thanks, but you wanna keep it down?" I asked with a smirk. "Don't want the rest of the platoon thinking anything weird."
Herc rubbed the back of his neck. "R-right."
"But a female in the army, in Ares' army, is punishable by death!" Icarus said. "If someone else finds out about you, you could be killed!"
"That's why we keep this a secret." I said as I put my helmet back on.
Two Days Later
The platoon woke up bright and early as usual. And thanks to Hercules and Icarus keeping my secret after they found out on Thursday, no one suspected me of being a girl in disguise. It was perfect, especially when Agamemnon had the platoon do their morning march before we got into the real hardcore stuff. Since I was lieutenant colonel, that meant I was responsible for keeping the back of the line moving while the drill sergeant was leading them. He wouldn't be paying a lick of attention to me to get suspicious.
As we marched on, I caught Adonis trying to bribe two other recruits into carrying him to the academy's obstacle course. Had I not noticed nor take Adonis' bribe, he would've gotten away with it. So, he marched on as miserable as a starving coyote in the desert. Just be thankful I'm torturing him and not Agamemnon. That guy's a brute in both Greek Myths and in this world, even if he shares a voice with the most himbo of all himbos.
Anyway, when the platoon approached the obstacle course, Agamemnon and I stood aside as we observed all the recruits participating in it for the remainder of the day. Hercules managed just fine, considering this probably wasn't much different than what Phil does for his hero training, and Icarus was doing the obstacle course like a pro and even repeated it multiple times while having enough energy to do it all. I was actually pretty impressed with him too considering he absolutely hates gym class back at school.
"Another glorious day for the recruits to train." Agamemnon stated before turning to me. "Isn't that right, Rian?"
"Yes, sir." I replied in my Rian voice.
Our attention was then turned back to the obstacle course when we heard several recruits complaining about something they couldn't budge pass regarding the tunnel portion of the course. An unfortunate oversight that needed fixing, really as an annoyed thought came to my mind. If who I think it was responsible was responsible for this ridiculous and unnecessary break during an important training session, it better not be. Because my patience was running very thin with Adonis already.
"Looks like a blockage at the tunnel." Agamemnon stated with his scowl.
"I'll handle this." I assured him.
I then marched right towards the platoon as I bellowed at them. "SOLDIERS!"
"He started it!" the platoon pointed at the one guy who wasn't going into the tunnel.
I gave an annoyed growl when I saw that it was Adonis standing right in front of the tunnel, which was nothing harmful, really. Just an old-fashioned mud pit the recruits had to crawl through, nothing a shower after can't or wouldn't fix. But I guess prince-thing was too much of a wuss to even get a toenail dirty. Well, this nonsense was about to stop. You wanna know why? Because now, he's gonna play by my rules.
"I don't appreciate this behavior, soldier." I told him.
"But, lieutenant colonel, that Tartarus pit is filthy and filled with spiders!" Adonis complained. "And I don't tend to ruin my sandals in such a disgusting and creepy place."
"Oh, my goodness! Is that so?" I gasped cynically. "Well, we can't have that, now, can we?"
Adonis smiled hopefully as he shook his head. "Why, yes, sir!"
"I'll fix that up for you." I turned to the other trainees including Hercules and Icarus. "Soldiers! I have a special request for all but Adonis!"
"What?" the prince gasped in horror.
"Whoever goes into the tunnel and finishes the obstacle course, finishes training early and an extra shower token." I offered them as a mean grin was hidden under my helmet.
And just like that, the entire platoon raced past Adonis and went into the tunnel. Hercules did have some reservations and asked if my method was necessary to get everyone moving right along, but I told him that this was the best course of action if Adonis was ever going to pass basic training and become king someday and sent Herc on his way. Yeah, that's right, I know about why Adonis was here, and I was gonna make sure he passed basic training. I hate the guy, but as of now, I didn't want the worse for him. That is, unless he continues to piss me off with his wussy behavior.
"But-But why not me?" Adonis complained as he watched his platoon leave him to hit the showers. "They're all common low lives!"
"Being a soldier does NOT make any of them a lowlife. Just like how being a prince doesn't mean you get special treatment!" I snapped at him. "Ares' war is about to become ours, and all you can think about is not getting dirt on your sandals?"
Adonis flinched when I kicked dirt at him.
"Since it's just you and me, you are to do this obstacle course ten times." I ordered. "And if I see you flake out, you'll start over; adding an additional ten tries to it. Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-yes, sir." Adonis nervously smiled with a salute.
"Good." I said as I pointed towards the beginning of the obstacle course. "Now, get moving!"
Several Hours Later
Adonis had to have done the obstacle course at least fifty times before I called it a day. He was wasting my time and he was wasting his own. After all, the ultimate test; Adonis' passing grade was close at hand, and he had very little time to get his act together if he wanted to pass and become king of Thrace someday. But it would seem that Tyche had given Adonis a form of good luck. Luck named Hercules. And I knew that somehow, in a miraculous sort of way, my good friend would help our frenemy pass.
The platoon retired for the night, and all went into their barracks for shut eye, but not before Agamemnon and I gave them all a last-minute reminder of what's to be expected of them all the following morning.
"Listen up, gerbils. You survived another day of training, but tomorrow is the final phase, the ultimate test." Agamemnon started before he turned to me. "Care to do the honors, Rian?"
"My pleasure." I nodded.
I then started marching back and forth down the aisle as the recruits watched and listened closely to what I had to say.
"In keeping with the Spartan way, you will all participate in our Big Challenge." I told them what was to be expected. "Complete it, and you graduate basic training with flying colors if you all pass. Again: IF you all pass!"
"If even one of you fails, you all fail." Agamemnon added as he leered over Adonis. "And I got a feeling one of you isn't gonna make it. Isn't that right, princy?"
I headed towards the exit, but not before whispering something to Hercules and Icarus. "Don't let Adonis out of your sight."
"Yes, sir." Icarus saluted.
"You don't think he'll try and ditch us, will you?" Hercules asked me.
"Which is why you two need to make sure he doesn't." I told him before I left the barracks.
"Lights out, soldiers." Agamemnon said as he blew out the torch of the dorm and shut the door.
Once we were out of the barracks, Agamemnon and I walked down the hall and started talking about our usual after-training talks: How well we pushed the recruits to their limits. Yeah, I know it's brutal, but I'm going to tell you people something very important while I quote Butler when I say it: This is Sparta! It's a military camp city-state, it's supposed to be brutal! And Agamemnon congratulated my brutality when he brought up Adonis in our conversation.
"You did good today, especially punishing that prince." Agamemnon told me proudly as we walked down the hall.
"Adonis had better learn his place if he wants to pass." I said sternly.
The drill sergeant nodded in agreement before patting my shoulder. "Hit the showers, soldier. You've earned it."
"Thank you, sir." I told him as I headed towards my private barrack to get my shower gear.
"Goodnight, lieutenant." Agamemnon told me as he went to his office to oversee the reports of the other platoons.
Later
"Oh, I needed this." I sighed in relief as I finished up my shower.
Just because I look like a soldier, doesn't mean I have to smell like one, and I desperately needed this one. I can't remember the last time water felt so marvelous upon my joints. The best part was that the entire bathhouse was empty and free of any other soldier. I had the whole place to myself, which mean nobody would see who I really was. A luxury I've always enjoyed since being here at the Spar-OTC undercover.
I went to put a towel around my body and got my things ready to sneak off towards my barrack when I was walked in on by none other than Adonis carrying a burlap sack. I screamed loudly before I quickly covered my head with my helmet while Adonis' face turned red in embarrassment, and he shielded his eyes and turned around. Thankfully, not seeing me both without my helmet and in my towel.
"Lieutenant colonel!" Adonis quickly apologized in a fearful tone. "I am so sorry!"
"Is there a reason you're here, soldier?!" I barked in my Rian voice. "Or do you want to do a hundred more laps around the Coliseum?!"
"S-sorry, sir." Adonis stammered an apology. "I got lost!"
"Then get lost before I make you clean the entire bathhouse!" I threatened before I decided to ask him a question. "Did you see anything?"
"I saw nothing! Nothing at all, sir!" Adonis answered as he still shielded his eyes.
"Good." I said before destroying my vocal cords once more. "Now GET OUT!"
And with that, Adonis left the bathhouse in a hurry. I stood there panting heavily as I thanked God the towel was enough to cover me, but I'm still gonna kill that prince for almost blowing my cover and for almost seeing me naked. I will not let him off that easily this time!
The Next Morning
The morning Reveille, and deadly loud shot to the horn-player, woke up the entire Spar-OTC, and with that Adonis' platoon. I put my uniform and helmet on and prepared myself with a sword at my side before I stormed out of my barrack and headed right for said platoon. Most specifically for Hercules and Icarus. I caught the two of them with the rest of the platoon and whistled sharply at the pair of them. Their attentions' snapping towards me instantly.
"You two!" I yelled at them. "Come with me!"
I led them towards the alley I had revealed my secret identity in and started to give them both the yelling of a lifetime. I felt like I was becoming Hades with this newly founded short temper.
"Something wrong, Aria?" Hercules asked me when we were all alone.
"Yeah, something's wrong! Where's Adonis?" I asked them angrily.
Icarus struggled to find an explanation. "Well, uh-"
"Because he's got a lot of nerve to not only sneak around after curfew, but almost seeing me naked while I was in the bathhouse!" I interrupted with a shout.
Herc's eyes widened. "He did what?!"
"Last night after all the platoons went to sleep. Adonis was lucky I had a towel on!" I explained before I started yelling at them again. "You were supposed to be watching him! What happened?"
"He must've ditched us when we fell asleep." Hercules said. "And if he doesn't show up for the Big Challenge, us and the others won't graduate basic training."
I gave a growl. "When I get my hands on him, he is gonna get the punishment of a lifetime!"
"Problem: He stole my wings!" Icarus stated.
That didn't seem like a problem to me. I stormed out of the alley and made my way towards the rest of the platoon as Hercules and Icarus followed close behind me. If Adonis thinks he's going to get away that easily, he had another thing coming. I'm like a bloodhound and he's a duck with an injured wing; I'm sniffing him out and hunting him down.
"Platoon!" I shouted at the recruits.
The platoon stood up straight when they saw me approaching them, ready to receive their order.
"Adonis has escaped via wax wings and is now in midair." I addressed them the situation. "He's never operated such machinery, and therefore will most likely still be in Sparta. I want this platoon to go look for him before the Big Challenge, and back here at 0-1200 before the Challenge with a report, now go!"
"Sir, yes sir!" the platoon all saluted as they split up into pairs and went searching for Adonis.
Well, most of them. Hercules and Icarus were still standing next to me.
"That includes you two." I told them both with a very angry tone.
"Right, sorry." they both said as they ran off to look for Adonis.
Two Minutes Later
While the platoon still looked for Adonis, I had spent my time in my private barrack writing a letter to Adonis' father to let him know of Adonis' disappearance. If his father was a decent man, maybe he had the sense to keep Adonis in Sparta for at least three more weeks to straighten him up, maybe then Adonis would pass basic training. I kept that hope high as I finished the letter. I was running short of time, and this letter needed to leave for Thrace sooner than ASAP.
"Here's hoping he's not too busy." I muttered before calling for the one guy I knew that could help me in such short time. "Hermes, I need you!"
Not even a second later, Hermes flew into my dorm with his usual charming smile. "You beseeched?"
I gave a sigh of relief. "Thank God, I need your help."
"Whoa. Aria? Is that you?" Hermes asked as he looked at my new haircut. "Love the new hairdo you got goin' on, babe. It suits you."
I forgot I had my helmet off when I was alone, but it was nice to hear such a compliment from Hermes.
"Thanks." I smiled before I reminded myself why I beseeched him to begin with. "But seriously, please get this to the King Sinarus of Thrace as soon as possible. His son ditched the Big Challenge today, and we can't find that spoiled brat."
"That Adonis guy?" Hermes questioned after I handed him the letter.
"The very same."
"I thought I saw him on Olympus."
I blinked. "What?"
"Yeah, Boreas had me chat with him about Sparta's anthem. Y'know, that nutty one where Ares defeats the God of the North wind?" Hermes explained to me. "Just when I left, I could've sworn I saw prince-thing watching us on a cloud overhead."
Okay, who needs ground patrol when they've got the best person as their eye in the sky?
"Thank you, Hermes!" I exclaimed happily when I hugged him. "You're the best!"
Oh, my gods… I can't believe I just did that. I quickly let him go and straightened myself out, making sure Hermes didn't see how red my face had now turned.
"Heh, uh, no problem." he told me as he held up the letter. "You still want me to deliver this to the prince's pop?"
"No thanks, just do your thing elsewhere." I said as I took the letter, still embarrassed after I hugged him.
"Can do, babe." Hermes gave me his usual smile. "Catch ya later, babe."
"Bye." I shyly waved as he left.
I stood there in my barrack feeling like the Again: WHY do I get so awkward and weird when it comes to Hermes?! I am not crushing on him! What's wrong with me? I can't fall in love! Why can't I get that stupid fact straight?
Okay, enough of my stupid side plot.
I ripped the letter to shreds and threw the pieces away before leaving my barrack and went to find Hercules and Icarus with a report on Adonis' whereabouts. We were running out of time. The Big Challenge was in ten minutes, and the platoon needed to report to the coliseum in less than five. Hopefully the information I got from Hermes could be useful. Anyway, I found Hercules and Icarus outside the academy, and I went to them to give them my report.
"The test is gonna begin soon and there's no sign of Adonis anywhere." Hercules reported.
"I've already figured out where he is." I told them.
"You have?" Icarus asked.
"Hermes chatted with me before I sent him to Thrace." I explained to them what I knew. "He said he saw Adonis on Olympus."
As if Tyche really was on my side, Adonis fell right out of the sky and into Herc's arms.
"Well, he was on Olympus." I rephrased myself.
"Hercules, Icarus, I'm alive!" Adonis said happily.
"Yeah, and you're just in time for the big test." Herc added as he put him down.
"You have got some nerve, soldier!" I grabbed Adonis by the collar of his uniform and pinned him against a wall. "First you sneak out past curfew, then you walk in on me in the showers, and then you had the gaul to fly away and almost have your entire platoon fail the Challenge because of you?!"
I unsheathed my sword with my free hand and held it in a threatening manner. "What's to stop me from putting your janky butt right in the ground?"
"There isn't going to be any test." Adonis gave me a smirk.
"Well, that's where you're wrong." Icarus shook his head. "You can't buy your way outta this one, Prince Pretty Boy!"
"I don't have to." Adonis responded smugly.
Okay, he's got some explaining to do, and I had a bad feeling it had to deal with what Hermes told me about his talk with Boreas and how Adonis saw them both on Olympus. I put my sword back into its scabbard and put Adonis back onto his feet.
"You got ten seconds." I told him. "Explain."
"Boreas, the north wind, is planning on destroying Sparta. Therefore, eliminating any need for me to exert myself." Adonis stated. "Good fortune."
Okay, I like Hermes -AS A FRIEND- and all, but he really should've told me that earlier! This was bad. Boreas was said to have control over the strongest of the north winds, if he uses that to destroy Sparta, he won't just destroy the city-state; he'd destroy everyone. They needed to find shelter, and the only people who can save them was Hercules, Icarus, Adonis, and myself. Well, looks like it's time to put my training to good use.
"Oh, my gosh!" Hercules worried. "We have to warn everyone!"
"Hold on." Adonis stopped him. "If Sparta falls, I'm off the hook. Don't be a hero."
"Sorry, but I am a hero." Herc reminded him. "That's why I'm here helping you, remember?"
I smirk grew onto my face. "But then again, maybe you have a point, princy."
Adonis blinked. "I do?"
Hercules knew what I was doing and decided to play along. "Well, yeah. I'm sure you could always find a job, right Rian and Icarus?"
Icarus smirked. "After his court-martial here, I seriously doubt it."
"Job?!" Adonis panicked. "If you're trying to joke, it's not the least bit funny."
"No joke." the guys and I told him in unison.
"If Sparta is gone, you can't pass basic training," Hercules added. "And if you don't pass…"
"Then I can't be the king of Thrace." Adonis said in realization as he looked at Hercules. "Well, don't just stand there! Do something heroic!"
"I'll handle the visitors and the rest of the citizens, you three get to that test." I ordered them. "You have to get the other recruits to safety."
"But Lieutenant Rian-" Adonis tried to stop me.
"That is an order, Fresh Prince of Nowhere! Now, do as I say!" I barked at him.
Adonis gave a nod before he and the others left for the colosseum. I, meanwhile, ran to the viewing box to warn Agamemnon and the other heads of the Spar-OTC about Boreas' oncoming attack. If there was any hope in reasoning with the drill sergeant, I practically prayed he'd come to reason with this madness. When I finally reached the box in the colosseum, I found Agamemnon talking to the one person I did not expect to see watching the Big Challenge.
"Mom?" I asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Mom's direction turned towards me while Agamemnon gave a proud smile. "So, this strapping young lieutenant is your son?"
"Yes... he is." Mom answered before turning towards me. "I came to see this Big Challenge that you helped set up. Is something wrong, son?"
"Very." I nodded before turning to the drill sergeant. "Agamemnon, sir, we need to talk."
"Not now, lieutenant." Agamemnon shushed me as he addressed the guests. "Visiting dignitaries, fellow Spartans, welcome to the ultimate test."
"Aria, what's wrong?" Mom whispered to me.
"We need to get everyone out of here." I told her.
Mom's eyes widened in worry. "Why? What's wrong?"
"Something terrible is gonna happen." I gave her the abridged version of the problem at hand. "Boreas is coming to destroy Sparta."
"Do keep your eye on my boy Adonis." Adonis' father, King Sinarus, addressed one of the other spectators. "He'll be leading the pack."
"I wouldn't count on it, Sinarus." Agamemnon denied that statement. "Adonis couldn't fight his way through a paper bag."
"Or at the least, have his guards do it for him." I added before trying to talk to my drill sergeant. "Now, sir, please! You must listen!"
"Why would my boy be in a paper bag?" Sinarus asked in confusion. "What kind of an operation are you running here, Agamemnon?"
"Never mind." Agamemnon rolled his eyes.
"Sergeant, please!" I tried talking to him one more time.
"Know your place, lieutenant. Do not speak unless I order you too." Agamemnon shut me up before announcing the platoon. "Now, our recruits!"
When Agamemnon hopped out of the viewer box to give the signal for the recruits to begin the ultimate test, Hercules, Icarus, and Adonis pushed themselves through the crowd of recruits. They made it just in time to do what I tried and failed to do: Warn the drill sergeant about Boreas' oncoming attack of Sparta.
"Sergeant Agamemnon, Sparta's in grave danger!" Hercules was the first to give the warning.
"Resume formation, recruit." Agamemnon ordered him.
"Sir, he's telling the truth!" I joined in with the attempted reasoning one last time.
"I told you quiet, lieutenant!" Agamemnon shut me up.
"But Boreas is planning to attack Sparta during the ultimate test, sir." Icarus gave one last attempt to try to warn the drill sergeant.
"Every year some lazy recruit tries to back out of the ultimate test by making up some lame excuse," Agamemnon started yelling at him and the others. "But this is the lamest ever! Now get on that starting line!"
"Of course, he won't listen!" I facepalmed with a mutter. "He's the most hard-headed military officer there ever was!"
"Is that by myth standards or by this standard?" Mom asked me, overhearing me.
"Both!" I frantically answered.
I watched as Agamemnon shot an arrow off a crossbow and aimed it towards a soldier standing next to a gong. When the arrow barely grazed the soldier, he swung a hammer at the gong, and sounded the alarm that made the recruits start the Big Challenge. The recruits were off, but it didn't take long for the wind to pick up from the north. It started off small, but then the wind got too strong that most of us in the viewing box had to hold onto pillars for safety. My mom and I included.
I looked over at the coliseum, and saw that Hercules, Icarus, and Adonis struggled to hold onto a small bridge that was part of the obstacle course. But the wind got too strong for them too, and the three of them were sent flying right out of the coliseum. I knew I had to help them, not as their lieutenant colonel, but as their friend. So, I let go of the pillar I was holding onto and let the wind pick me up.
"Rian, no!" Mom tried reaching out for me.
But I didn't listen. Mostly because the wind was too loud to even hear her yelling my fake name, but also because by the time Mom tried grabbing me, I was already sent flying through the air. The plan was to try and use the wind to follow after the guys so we could stop Boreas, but the wind blew me right towards a building, and I was sent falling down to the street below. Fortunately, I managed to land safely, and found the guys close to me. Hercules had gone over to protect a pair of wagon drivers from a falling pillar, and I raced to help him out. Much to the disappointment of the two drivers, no less.
"Well, don't sit there all slack-jawed and buggy-eyed, get your butts moving!" I told the two guys.
"You cut that pretty close, pal." one of the riders told Hercules as he and the other driver got out of their wagons.
"Yeah, taking your sweet time, huh?" the other driver added.
Oh, That's it! I've had just about enough of these mothertrucking Spartans and their mothertrucking rudeness!
"MOVE!" I barked furiously at them.
The drivers flinched at my scream and went scrambling away right as Herc threw the pillar away from any other wandering Spartan.
"Oy, Spartans." Herc and I rolled our eyes.
We then decided to head back and regroup with Icarus and Adonis, but Herc was insistent on helping other pedestrians who were in our way. Love the guy's kindness and general acts of chivalry, but this wasn't the time to perform such things. Sparta was about to be swept up in the embodiment of the North wind, and we had to stop him. So, I pulled Hercules away after he helped a guy out of a barrel, and we met up with our friend and frenemy. We needed to plan exactly how we were going to stop Boreas, and I think Hercules had a plan.
"Adonis, did you hear what made Boreas decide to attack?" Herc asked the Thracian prince.
"It's that infernal Spartan Anthem," Adonis explained. "He hates it."
"That's exactly what Hermes told me." I added.
"What? You're kidding." Icarus said. "I find it stirring."
I rolled my eyes at his comment before making the plan. "We'll use the anthem to our advantage. We'll lure Boreas into a trap that way."
"Are you sure? What about your…" Herc then whispered so that Adonis wouldn't hear him. "Your stage fright? People will be watching you."
I tensed up at the thought. Yeah, I know what you're all thinking 'shouldn't Aria be over her stage fright after she performed at the Drama Festival?' Well, people who are afraid of snakes don't overcome their fear if they accidentally fall into a snake pit, do they? Unfortunately, my act during the drama festival last year still didn't help me with my stage fright, and this plan was just going to make it worse for me. Well, not me specifically.
"They'll be watching Rian. Not Aria." I finally said. "Don't worry about me."
Hercules gave a nod and turned to the others. "Get behind me!"
We did as he said, and Hercules used himself as a demigod shield. Blocking the wind from blowing Icarus, Adonis, or myself away and punching any debris flying towards us. We were able to march back to the coliseum right to the old tunnel portion of the obstacle course. Whatever Herc's plan was, I was liking it already! Especially since this trap will also get Adonis to complete the course, for once.
"Icarus, Rian, do you remember that Spartan anthem?" Hercules asked us.
"Every word of it!" Icarus said while I gave an agreeing nod.
"Then sing it out!" Herc encouraged.
Icarus and I then started singing Sparta's anthem before Hercules joined in. Fortunately for me, my singing voice can go as low as a male tenor voice, so my singing wouldn't give away my identity as the three of us sang the anthem. While we were singing, Hercules led Icarus and I into the tunnel, leaving Adonis outside as he kept singing to lure Boreas our way, like a guy siren but on land. And it worked, Boreas' attention was caught, and he headed straight for Adonis to try to blow him away to stop the singing.
Hercules looked outside the tunnel with a grin on his face when he saw Boreas. "It's working. Here he comes!"
"That's your plan?" Adonis asked him. "Make certain we're in harm's way?"
"We're gonna trap him, you idiot." I told him. "Now keep singing!"
Adonis nodded and continued to sing. And as Boreas came in closer and closer to deliver the literal killing blow, I was completely in shock to see Adonis running through the tunnel. Well, Herc helped convince him, of course, but hey, the guy actually did it! Kind of wished I thought of that before making him do the obstacle course so many times the other day, but oh well. At least Adonis finally did it.
While the four of us were singing, Boreas followed us through the tunnel, but the blowhard didn't know what would happen next! When we got out of the tunnel, Hercules used his strength to close both ends of it, sealing Boreas in tightly. The winds stopped, and everyone cheered for the four of us for saving their city-state. I grabbed Herc' and Adonis' hands while Hercules grabbed Icarus' and the four of us held them up to claim our victory.
If our victory wasn't enough, the prideful cheers and chanting of our names caught the attention of Sparta's patron god. Ares appeared next to us and was amazed about what he saw. That is, until Agamemnon came running towards him.
"My lord, Ares," the drill sergeant panted as he caught his breath. "I deeply apologize for these recruits' reckless behavior and my lieutenant colonel's behavior during the Big Challenge."
"Let me get this straight: Some newbie recruits and a prodigy colonel beat the old windbag?" Ares said before he started taunting the trapped god. "Hey, Boreas, you big blowhard, you lose! Again!"
"Is that Ares?" Boreas' voice asked from inside the tightened pipe before he thrashed inside violently. "Lemme at him!"
"Permission to deport the prisoner, sir?" Hercules asked.
"Permission granted." Ares nodded.
And with that, Herc threw the tightened pipe towards the northern sky, with Boreas still screaming and swearing from the inside. Sparta was safe, for now. I mean, I don't know if Boreas will ever escape, but he's a god. He'll be fine. All that matters now is that he won't be hearing Sparta's anthem from inside that pipe for a long time. So, you're welcome, Boreas.
"Good arm." Ares smiled before clapping his hands together. "Well, looks like medals all around."
"But, wise and belligerent Ares," Agamemnon tried to reason. "Boreas interrupted the ultimate test. We've got to start over."
"You kidding? Nobody's beaten Boreas since me." Ares said proudly. "These four pass, with honors."
The guys and I stood proud as Ares each pinned medals to our armor.
"This is the happiest moment of my life!" Icarus beamed as he held his medal.
"Thank you, sir." I saluted the god of war after receiving my medal. "Truly an honor."
But Ares stopped just when he saw Hercules and gave a confused look when he saw him. "Do I know you?"
I saw Herc give a nervous gulp. "Well, my father's-"
"Because I'm good at remembering faces, and-" Ares stopped himself when he realized who he was talking to. "Hey! You're Zeus' kid, Sport."
"Actually, sir, the name is Hercules." Herc corrected.
"Wait a minute." Ares stopped him with a mean glare. "You're one of those eggheads from Athens, aren't ya, Sport?"
Herc's eyes darted a little. "Well, uh-"
"Athenians can't join the Spartan Armed Forces." Ares said as he took back Herc's medal.
The god of war then looked over at a very nervous Icarus. "And what about you?"
"I'll move!" Icarus begged. "Please, let me keep my medal!"
"Give me that!" Ares pulled the medal right off Icarus' chest.
"No!" Icarus jumped back to get the medal.
Unfortunately, Ares pushed Icarus away from him, which resulted into the latter tripping over his feet and bumping into me. We fell over, and when I heard the small crowd of people gasp as they stared at me while Icarus gave a look of both apology and like he had made a big mistake., I knew what it meant. I looked over and saw my helmet laying on the ground. My face was revealed; Aria was revealed. And Rian was no more. I got nasty flashbacks from the last time my identity was revealed, but this time I was gonna own up to what I did. No running away this time. I shook my head and stood up tall, showing who I really was to all of Sparta.
"Aria?" Adonis asked dumbfoundedly. "You're Rian?"
I rolled my eyes. "Well, I was."
"A girl in my army?" Ares asked in disbelief before turning to Agamemnon. "And as your lieutenant colonel?!"
Agamemnon gawked at the reveal. "I am just as surprised as you, Lord Ares."
"This is worse than those Athenians!" Ares declared. "The penalty for this is death!"
"No!" Mom shouted from the crowd as she tried to run towards me.
"Ma'am, calm yourself!" Agamemnon ordered as he tried restraining her.
"Get your hands off me!" Mom yelled at them furiously as she elbowed him in the gut. "That's my daughter!"
Icarus tried defending me, too. "Yeah! You can't kill her! She-"
I stopped Icarus from speaking with a single hold up of my hand. And what I said next felt like one of the bravest things I've ever done, and I was starting to live up to my newest alter ego's namesake.
"With all due respect, sir," I addressed Ares. "I participated in every bone crushing exercise I was in these past two weeks without complaining, made top of my platoon that resulted in me becoming lieutenant colonel, and managed to assist my friends to defeat the God of the North wind. All without anyone knowing I was a girl."
Ares and Agamemnon were in stunned silence at my defending statement.
"I'm just as good as these young men as a soldier. I wanted to prove that I was more than who I was, and I did." I told him as I put my hands on my hips. "And I should also mention that I'm not from Athens. I wasn't even born in Greece."
"Same with me. Except for the out-of-country part." Adonis interjected. "Sparta and Thrace are not enemies. I, therefore, am rightfully enrolled in the academy."
"But he didn't lift a finger to stop Boreas." Agamemnon whined.
"He didn't. He sang." I defended. "That's how we were able to trap Boreas, after all."
Adonis gave me a surprised look after I defended him. Okay, I admit it. I still hate Adonis, but he earned my respects after today. He proved that with the proper motivation, he can be a dedicated soldier, and maybe even a decent king one day. I only hoped he actually learned something from all this and not go back to being the annoying hobo of a prince when we got back to school the following Monday.
"That's right." Adonis added to what I said. "It would be fair to say that I served in a supervisory role. Like my lieutenant colonel, here."
My gods, did he actually complement me? That's new.
King Sinarus stepped from the crowd and turned towards his son. "You mean to tell me that these three commoners did all the work for you?"
Adonis gave a nervous gulp. "Well, yes, technically."
"Bravo! You've got a gift, son!" Sinarius patted his son's shoulder proudly. "Leadership. That's what it's all about."
"Outstanding, the kid shows promise and is definitely officer material," Ares said before glaring at Agamemnon. "Unlike some people I know."
Agamemnon grumbled under his breath before storming off.
Ares then turned towards me. "As for you Miss. Amanda-"
"My name is Ariadne." I corrected him.
"Whatever. While I admire your brute force and commanding nature as lieutenant colonel -in which you also have a future as an officer," Ares told me. "I have no choice but to discharge you from Sparta's army. Return your helmet."
I did as he said and handed him the very thing that hid my identity for these past two weeks. I was kind of happy to get rid of that thing. That thing smelled like pennies, and I think I had a bruise on my nose from wearing it for so long. Good riddance to that old thing. After I did that, Mom was released from the guards and she and I embraced in a tight hug. I can see why she was so scared about my identity being revealed, but I also had a nasty feeling that I was going to be grounded for jumping into the fight to help my friends.
"One more thing," Ares said to me as he handed me back my medal. "Since you aren't from Athens, I've decided that you can keep this."
"Thank you, sir." I nodded.
I then looked down at the one last thing I had on my person that I got from my training. Something I knew would be one of the better reminders of my service in Sparta's army than my medal.
"And I like this sword. I'm keeping it, too." I told Ares as Mom and I left the Spar-OTC with Hercules and Icarus right behind us.