“Shit.”
Troy then pointed towards the scrubby bushes at the back of the House of Healing, which lay across the dirt and scree to their left. “That way, go!” He cried, and they both began to sprint in that direction. “We can cut past there, and come out onto the training ground.”
But they had only taken a few steps towards the bushes when a female Spartan warrior emerged from the far side of the House of Healing and another from its near side, both of them pushing past the bushes and stepping into the area where the fugitives had planned to run. The warriors were clutching bows, with arrows readied.
“Whoa…” murmured Troy, as both he and Clio saw the threat and stopped. Together they stepped back towards the steps. Warriors were approaching in all directions now. Troy looked up towards the back of the girls’ dormitory and the far corner of the rectangular area beyond. Could they somehow go that way, cutting past the buildings and making for the river beyond?
But again, no sooner had he begun to move in that direction when further Spartan soldiers emerged.
They were surrounded.
Troy and Clio came to a halt on the steps. They both turned, looking desperately in one direction and then another, but there was no way for them to go – all of the routes were blocked, and enemies were closing in on all sides. What’s more, they were heavily outnumbered, and all of their foes were experienced warriors, armed and dangerous. Several of the approaching Spartan warriors now had bows with arrows nocked, too.
“Surrender,” came the voice of Captain Theseus as he began to hurry down the steps towards the youths, closing in, and pulling out the iron rod which he liked to use as a weapon. The fury on his face began to give way to a cold and triumphant smile. “It’s over. Drop your weapons, hoplites.”
Troy locked eyes with Clio, who winced and then nodded. “Thanks for trying, Troy,” she said.
And with that, they let go of the hatchet and dagger that they were holding, and the two weapons fell to their feet with a clatter.
Level: Hoplite (Level 4)
XP: 1045 (unspent: 0595)
Hit points: 22/27
Luck points: 1
Mana points: 1
Equipment: basket of olives; belt; blanket; coin pouch; greaves; hoplon shield.
Chapter 31: Showdown on the Steps
The ring of hostile Spartan warriors was now closing in on Troy and Clio, led by the triumphant Captain Theseus. Despite the fugitive pair having dropped their own weapons and held their hands up, the captain was still holding the iron rod above his head as if ready to strike.
Before long he had reached them. “So. You are not only a worthless maggot and a bad soldier, but you are also a liar, a cheat, and a traitor to the City of Sparta.” With this, he thumped out at Troy with the iron rod, twice in quick succession.
Health update! You have lost 3 hit points.
Health update! You have lost 4 hit points.
Troy glared back defiantly, trying to retain his composure despite the pain in his arm and shoulder. “Someone here is a traitor, and it isn’t me,” he spat back. “You’ve been working against us, allying with barbarians and assassins.”
Skill boost! You have developed your valor. +5XP
The other soldiers had now formed a ring around the pair, some standing back a few feet from the steps themselves, and with gaps of a yard or so between each soldier. It was evident that they were all well trained and experienced; each one was now standing to attention, an impassive look on their faces as they waited for further orders.
“Soldiers,” cried Troy, turning and looking around at them. “Don’t listen to this man! Captain Theseus is a traitor himself, working with barbarians to undermine our training and harm the city. If you love Sparta as I do, you should arrest him now!”
Captain Theseus glared at Troy for a moment, beads of sweat running down his temples, but then he threw his bald head back with a hollow laugh. “That’s a good one, recruit. You will pay for your insolence. And if you think that our Spartan soldiers are so easily swayed, it just goes to show how little you have learned, and how wrong you are for the city’s army.”
“Soldiers,” the captain then cried out, turning, “march these hoplites up to the training ground, and guard them in the very center of the area. They are prisoners now.”
Clio and Troy had no choice but to comply as they were marched to the large rectangular area. Soon they were surrounded by a circle of troops, each of the experienced warriors standing a yard or two back as they faced them, weapons drawn. One of them had gathered up Troy’s hatchet and dagger, and these were thrown down near the edge of the ring.
Moments later, Captain Theseus began to circle the pair, looking them both up and down. “What is this?” he asked, plucking at the black blanket that was still around Troy’s shoulders, and then throwing it to the ground. Troy dropped the basket at the very moment that the blanket fell, managing to cover it up in the folds. He really hoped that it wouldn’t be seen – it was imperative that the Helots wouldn’t be implicated in any of his recent actions.
Captain Theseus then relieved Troy of his shield, placing it on the ground a few feet from the pair beside the dagger and hatchet.
“Keep watching them,” he called out to the assembled warriors. “There must be no chance of escape.” He then leaned closer to Troy and Clio, out of earshot of the warriors, and said, “You are both going to die, shortly.” With a leering grin, the captain then turned and began to walk away.
Troy looked down at his hands, clenching his fists, rubbing his palms together and then holding them up. But so far, there was no repeat performance of the blast of energy which had helped him earlier. Would the mana recharge, he wondered? It appeared to be a stat of sorts, finite like hit points. He had already figured out that hit points gradually increased over time through natural healing, and following what Harmonia had told him, it sounded like this one did, too.
He decided to check his full profile, desperate for any information that could help:
Combat skills: 8
Creativity: 7
Grit: 15
Interpersonal skills: 11
Knowledge: 16
Quick thinking: 13
Survival skills: 10
Valor: 13
Inventory: belt; coin pouch; greaves.
Experience points: 5
Hit points: 14
Mana points: 1
Level: Hoplite (Level 4)
Still only one mana point – perhaps that explained the lack of a reaction in his hands. His new powers were rebuilding, but it was slow going.
Troy then looked around at Clio, wondering if she felt as scared and abject as he did. One side of her face was badly bruised around the eye, as were her upper arms, and her neck showed several deep scratches. All relics of her contests in the Trial of Hippolyta, Troy supposed. Her face was also streaked with dried up tears, but she looked calm and stern now, resigned to her fate. Whatever hardship she had endured earlier, she had now apparently made her peace with it, despite his failed attempt to intercede.
“I am so sorry, Clio,” he said. “I thought I was helping, and now…”
Clio locked eyes with him briefly, and then looked away. “It’s all right. I still hope we’ll find a way to get out of this mess. And if not, well…” She left the thought unfinished. She didn’t need to remind him about the prospect of boot camp back in Technoburbia.
Troy was still glancing around the area, and he realized that although he could still see a small gathering of the other recruits at the far end of the area, his closest friend was not around. “Where’s Plato?” he whispered, frowning. He noticed that there was the sound of panic in his own voice – it certainly reflected how he felt, too. But he still wanted to be a proper Spartan soldier. And that meant being as calm and determined as Clio appeared.
“I don’t know,” Clio replied. “You think he might be able to do something?”
Troy nodded. “I really hope so. Perhap
s he might get Andros. I told you, the guide wants to help us.”
“Then let’s hope he manages.”
Troy glanced at the young woman again. “So you lost the trial? You got banished?”
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him, taking a half step back. “Banished? Really, is that how little you think of me?”
“I just thought… when I saw you captured by the warriors.”
“I wasn’t captured because I lost, Troy. I was well on the way to finishing in the top half of the contest! But when they started saying that you were a traitor…” She looked away.
“You spoke up for me.”
A chill ran through Troy as he immediately realized what an idiot he had been. Not only to question Clio’s skill, but to fail to recognize her loyalty and friendship. “Shit, Clio. I… don’t know how to thank you.”
“It hardly matters now, Troy.”
“It does! I mean, like I keep saying… loyalty to our comrades matters quite a bit.”
“But it looks like we’re both about to be murdered by the captain.” She shrugged, screwing up her face and staring at the ground. “It’s been nice knowing you.”
Just then there was movement near the front of the Temple of Ares, and looking around, Troy saw that Captain Theseus was returning, and he had two others with him this time – Captain Semele, and Andros.
“Andros, help us!” Troy cried out as the trio approached. “It’s the captains, they have taken us prisoner wrongly, when all we have done is declare our loyalty. Please, Andros, this is the moment. We have to stand against them!”
But the big warrior continued to move towards the two hoplites, just behind the captains, and he was shaking his head slowly as he looked at Troy.
“Come on, man!” Troy continued. “Never mind about rank and all that. You are stronger than they are. You are the real leader here. And this is the right thing to do. Just tell the other Spartan warriors what we discussed yesterday. If they know that the captains are corrupt, most of the troops will surely back you.”
Skill boost! You have developed your valor. +5XP
Troy was momentarily elated to see the skill boost, but quickly realized that it had not been enough when he saw Andros shake his head firmly again. “You shouldn’t speak that way of your captain, Troy,” said the guide sternly as he reached the ring of soldiers. There he stopped, and placed his hand on the pommel of his sword. “It’s not wise. And I want everyone here to know that unlike this pair, I am not a traitor to the City of Sparta. Remember this day well.” With that, he turned and moved back the way he had come, while the captains came closer to the prisoners.
“Don’t you dare,” yelled Clio after him. “We are no traitors. We have only spoken the truth!”
Troy’s heart was thumping as he felt Captain Theseus’s strong hand grip his wrist; the captain was now holding a pair of iron manacles. “Andros, come back!” Troy cried. “Surely you are not going to betray us now?”
But Andros kept walking, heading towards the storehouse and the other buildings to the north of the training area.
Captain Theseus shook his head as he looked Troy in the eyes. “There is no betrayal, boy. There is just reality. Being tough enough to win every battle. In the end, that is the only thing that matters in Sparta.”
* * *
Just then, a movement near the top of the marble steps caught Troy’s eye, and he looked around. Clio looked too, drawing in her breath sharply at what she saw, and soon even the captains were staring in that direction.
Running rapidly towards them all, bounding over the top of the steps and racing across the sandy area, were two animals. Or rather, things that resembled animals. Each was entirely golden in color, and they looked like a panther and a cow, though each beast was only the size of a large dog. Both were statues of solid gold, but they were charging forward fluidly as if they had come to life.
“He got the models to work,” gasped Troy.
But he didn’t have any time to say more, for the animals were almost upon them. And further off, he could see the others that they had found in the mysterious box in the hut – a crocodile and an enormous spider, though both of these were advancing much more slowly over the sandy ground. All were now many times larger than they had been before.
The golden panther, streaking ahead, barreled into one of the Spartan warriors just behind the captains; the man lowered his shield in time to take the worst of the blow, but was nevertheless thrown from his feet, and volleyed into a female warrior with a bow who had positioned herself further around the circle. The panther then turned, baring its teeth in silence, and faced two other warriors who momentarily held it at bay with their spears.
The cow – though it was more the size of a large calf – charged directly into Captain Theseus himself; the powerful warrior struck at it time and again with his sword as it butted him, but the beast appeared to be as resilient as if it were truly made of solid metal, and the blows were having almost no impact at all. However, the cow in turn could do little damage other than striking out with its short horns, and soon another of the Spartan warriors had moved in to block the magical animal’s attacks with her shield, while a third grabbed the beast around its neck and clung on.
Troy had been momentarily transfixed by the unexpected events, but he felt Clio pulling at his sleeve, and realized that a large gap had now opened up in the circle behind them due to the belligerent warriors crowding forward to surround the panther and cow; none were paying their captives any attention. Moving slowly, the pair of fugitives crouched to the ground to retrieve their gear, and then – slowly and cautiously – began to move towards the gap.
Skill boost! You have developed your grit. +5XP
The animated crocodile and giant spider had now arrived, and further chaos ensued. The spider was the size of a large cat; it leaped on top of one of the soldiers, its legs clenching around the man’s head. He fell to the ground, screaming and punching at it. The crocodile, meanwhile, was a full-sized beast, not unlike some of the ones they had seen in the swamp lands. As Troy and Clio began to sneak away, it clenched its golden jaws around Captain Semele’s ankle and began to pull, wrenching the woman off her feet.
Soon Troy and Clio were both sprinting at top speed, the wind in their hair. Clio was staying level with Troy, now once again clutching the dagger as she ran, and he glanced sideways towards her, noticing how magnificent she looked with her blonde hair streaming backwards, her lithe athletic limbs gliding across the sand. A true Spartan warrior.
“We’ll need to run directly across towards that store room,” said Troy, pointing right across the rectangular area. “And from there, we will need to find a way to the mountain path… somehow.”
Troy was doing his best to hold onto both the shield and the cumbersome blanket as he ran. Still, he was fast, there was no doubt about that, and the events of recent days appeared to have improved his fitness, too.
The area ahead of them was empty, with just the shadow of a bird crossing the sandy ground. Strangely there was no sign of any Andros or of any other Spartan warriors ahead of them. Where had they all gone? Looking to one side, Troy caught a glimpse of Ajax running between two buildings further down the square towards the west. He briefly thought about whether the tall hoplite would prove to be friend or foe at their hour of need, but then dismissed the worry from his mind.
When he looked ahead again, Troy noticed Plato standing back in the shadows near the threshold of the storehouse building where they had recently slain the assassin, the gleam of the golden circlet on his friend’s forehead. However, his friend didn’t look triumphant as he directed the magical animals, and was instead gritting his teeth in pain.
“What’s the plan?” called Troy as they reached him and skidded to a halt.
“I don’t have one,” grunted Plato, gesturing over his shoulder. “Just… get moving.”
Troy glanced behind them again, and saw that the warriors who had been guarding them
were still engaged in a furious struggle with the magical animals. “Let’s make for the small square beside Titan’s Rest,” he called out, pointing. “That leads directly down to the mountain path.”
“Agreed,” said Clio. “The other ways are too blocked up with thorn bushes.”
Skill boost! You have developed your interpersonal skills. +5XP
The pair veered to the right, passed down the side of the building and then sprinted out into the small square. Ahead was the building where Troy and the others had first entered Sparta Online.
But just as Troy was starting to believe that they were genuinely going to escape and would get away before the captains could catch up, he saw that there were another six soldiers lining the small gap between the buildings at the back of the square, cutting off the route that led to the bushes and scree slope beyond. And as Troy and Clio approached them, these warriors stepped forwards with their spears raised.
Clio and Troy skidded to a halt, stopping as their new foes began to close in on them.
Level: Hoplite (Level 4)
XP: 1065 (unspent: 0615)
Hit points: 15/27
Luck points: 1
Mana points: 2
Equipment: basket of olives; belt; blanket; coin pouch; greaves; hoplon shield; iron hatchet.
Chapter 32: Thorns
Standing in the center of the small square by the Titan’s Rest building and still panting from their recent sprint, Troy and Clio turned, looking desperately in one direction and then another.
Nemesis (Sparta Online Book 1) Page 24
