@Regin34 Thebes, Greece "Make way! Make way for the glorious Sacred Band! Make way for Greece's greatest army!" Callirhoe stands by the side of the great road running through the middle of Thebes, feeling a strange compulsion to whistle an unfamiliar little tune - though the sound is drowned out by the voice of the city crier, among so many other noises as the parade goes on. "Make way, friends, for the greatest army in the world!" The crier shouts, and Callirhoe marvels at the strange dichotomy of her city. In the middle of the road march the Sacred Band, Thebes' elite cohort of 150-300 warriors, showing their discipline as they march in a tight-knit formation, not a man out of place as they look more like they're arrayed for battle than for a parade - their grim, warlike expressions making them seem almost like Spartans, the enemies whose defeat this parade celebrates. And yet on the roadside where Callirhoe stands, the atmosphere is that of a raucous party, as kithara, lyre and flute fill the air with festive music, city folk shout and cheer, and a few lovers scream as they fail to make it back home before their lusts overcome them. Added to their voices are those of the peddlers like Callirhoe herself, selling wares to the crowd. Thebes is a great military power, but as a city whose patron god is Dionysus debauchery is as much a part of the culture as martial honor and glory. As some of the local women rush out of the throng and to the formation of men marching along the cobblestone street, thrusting flowers, wine and undergarments at the soldiers in a futile attempt to get their attention, Callirhoe spots Lysimachus, a Sacred Band soldier that she remembers from her time in the regular army, and not particularly fondly. Her eyes dip to the raven haired warrior's hip, where a Spartan helmet dangles from his hip, bronze polished to a mirror sheen, decorated with elegant engravings honoring the god Ares and a brilliant red plume. Callirhoe bites her lip - it's such a fine prize, that Lysimachus must have taken from the corpse of a great Spartan warrior. Wouldn't it look good on her? Or maybe she'd sell it and bring her family some much needed coin - yes, that's it, she's not being greedy, she's just trying to help her family! Callirhoe slips her way through the crowd, acting like one of the adoring women, easing her way close to Lysimachus. Her hand slips out, acting like she's stroking his armor, staying out of eyesight, before dipping low. She reaches his waist, dips down lower and finds the leather strap attaching the helmet to his belt and goes to untie it. Then...she feels a different hand on her nemesis' ass. Sadly for Callirhoe, the duality of Theban culture extends to the Sacred band - its membership are made up of pairs of lovers, and Lysimachus is no exception. Pelleas, the beautiful blonde warrior paired with Lysimachus, looks down at his lover's ass to see Callirhoe's hand there as well. He looks up, eyes widening in recognition. "THIEF!" Pelleas shouts loudly, though it's mostly drowned out by the party. It''s loud enough, though, as Lysimachus and a few other Sacred Band warriors turn to face the kleptomaniac, their spears in hand.
Callirhoe remember pretty well Lysiamachus and his lover Pelleas, as guys who always follow orders and rules, so they often catch her on her unhealthy habbit taking things belongins to others. So yeah, it wasn't too wise for her, to try steal Lysiamachus helmet, but this elegant helmet looks so good and... No, now it is time for more important things, like getting out of the trouble. "Thief? No, of course not. I just wanted to take better look at these nice helmet. I would give you it back... sooner or later." She said smiling inocent and then run in opositive direction, to not let them catch her.
@moonblack Athens Talpharos feels his voice growing a little hoarse as he calls out to customer after customer, trying to attract business to the little wine merchant's stall set up along one of the pathways of the famous Athenian agora. The scent of the spices of a thousand lands hang heavy in the air, mixing and creating an intoxicating and ever shifting aroma that the young man inhales with every breath - Athens is the greatest trade hub in Greece, and it shows in the unmatched diversity of just about everything the city has to offer. "You mind carrying this, lad? My back ain't what it used to be." From a cart nearby, Talpharos sees the withered old form of Elegus, the wine merchant, looking displeased at the prospect of carrying a large amphora to the stall. Elegus had been a friend of Talpharos' grandparents, and though he had a reputation for being perhaps...shifty in his business dealings, the old man never crossed the two of them, was a great help in making the funeral rites once they passed away. Since Talpharos had no work and no real clear goals, an assistant's job to the wine merchant seemed as good a choice as any, though given the young man's skill with spear and bow, he's not really seen himself being an assistant for much longer. Before Talpharos can take the amphora from the cart, he sees Elegus staring beyond him at the crowd with a curious expression, before the orphan turns to see what he's looking at. Striding confidently across the agora is a woman, older than Talpharos by an indeterminate number of years, her wealth displayed in the exotic silks she's wearing, so airy and flimsy that Talpharos can imagine them slipping off her buxom frame. The woman looks at Talpharos for about a second, before facing Elegus. "Master Elegus? I wished to discuss my purchase from the other day." The woman says in a pleasant voice. She's silent for a moment, before she raises a small amphora and physically hurls it at Elegus' stall, the container crashing into the other amphora on the stall's top and exploding into a spray of wine and broken pottery, the pieces flying across the agora. "You call this Iolcus red? You fucking swindler! I should have the guards tear you limb from limb for this." Her voice drips with venom now, her eyes practically burning holes in the old man. "I'm curious, did you think I was too stupid to check the wine, or too stupid to realise you'd tried to screw me over? My niece's wedding is in a week - you'd have me serve that piss water on the most important day of her life? No, I'm going to make sure you pay for this, Elegus." She glares violently, and then casts a less intense glare in Talpharos' direction, and then storms off, the city folk wisely choosing to step out of her way. Elegus sags in the woman's wake, looking at his shattered wares in dismay. "Oh fuck, oh fuck... I'm ruined... I'm bloody ruined..." He mumbles to himself, before looking at Talpharos. "If she goes to the guards or the city council, we're screwed - you and me together, since they'll think you were in on it. You have to go after her - calm her down, promise her anything it takes." He pleads. That sounds like a bit of a challenge, even for a cutie like you. A voice sounds in the depths of Talpharos' mind. If the disgruntled customer's voice had been pleasant before her outburst, then this one is...divine. Something about it is harmonious and beautiful beyond description, and there's a tone to it that makes him feel warm and cared for, like how his grandmother's had when she read him stories as a boy. She was rather mad, wasn't she? I think you could use just a bit of help calming her down - Luckily, I love helping people.
What a beauty! I would be happy to help her take off those silks... or to put them on, if that's what she's into... I hope she is here to buy a lot of wine and will need some help carrying it... Such were Talpharos' thoughts as he watched the woman approach, his cock starting to harden slightly. To his utmost disappointment the lady was not there to buy – quite the opposite, in fact. Dammit, Elegus, what were you thinking, trying to scam a person who can make you regret it? And you didn't even warn me... “Sure, I'll go after her and see what I can do to calm her down. If any other angry customers come while I am gone, though, you are on your own.” At least I will get to enjoy her company for a bit... or a lot, if I am lucky... The orphan thought as he started walking... and almost stumbled at the voice in his head. Still, he managed to keep his balance and chase after the woman. What the... Am I going crazy, or did I really just hear a woman's voice in my head? Talpharos wondered for a moment, before deciding that it didn't really matter – he needed any help he could get. Yeah, I could use some help... He admitted, his thoughts now directed at the unknown woman with the divine voice. But first, may I know who you are, my lady? What sort of help do you offer, and what will it cost me? He wasn't horny or foolish enough to accept help from an unknown source and with an unknown price.
@AnonYMooseBoG Gulf of Corinth "Pirates to starboard!" Artaxos, Pelagia's grizzled first mate shouts, pointing to the ship visible on the horizon. The pink haired captain looks out, her keen sailor's eyes making out the way the oars move swiftly. Clearly, the pirates have the money to spend on professional, skilled oarsmen rather than slaves, or by using the crew itself to row like on Pelagia's ship, and the approaching bireme begins to gain on them. Pelagia knows she took a risk on this journey, ferrying precious cargo from her home in Corinth all the way out to the Ionian isle of Ithaca, but to see pirates so soon in the journey is a bad omen - have things in Greece really gotten so bad that fishermen throw down their nets and take up arms against her neighbors? To her surprise, Pelagia finds herself not horrified but excited at the prospect, her adventurous spirit yearning for more than easy passages through the Gulf. Artaxos grunts, the scars on his weathered face moving as he orders the rowers to move faster. "Let's fight the bastards!" Fingos, Artaxos' son exclaims excitedly. "We can take 'em, captain." The young man says, a hand brushing his long hair away from his eye as he looks at Pelagia. Fingos is perhaps right - the crew are no milkmaids, having experienced their fair share of fights on land and sea. Then again, the pirates are still too far away to make out their arms and equipment, making it difficult to judge the odds. Fingos too, is perhaps being less than rational in his reasoning. He's been blessed by the gods with his looks and doesn't do badly in his training at the gymasium, but he's perhaps not too bright, and totally infatuated with her. Pelagia gets the sense that he might just be trying to impress her. "Land ahoy!" One of the lookouts shouts, and casting her trained eye northwards, Pelagia just about manages to make out a dark shape on the horizon, slowly growing larger. She thinks she also hears...singing? No, it must just be a trick of the wind, the Syntychia is too far out for voices to be audible. "We should go to the island - there'll be coves and waterways we can use to lose our pursuers. Perhaps even a garrison." Artaxos suggests, though Pelagia notes that the island carries the same uncertainty as the pirates.
@merkros Princess hates Ehpyra at night. No light, no beauty, no shopping. Usually she'd be perfectly willing to let Meek do...whatever she does at night, or perhaps less willing to let Brute pick a fight with some roaming band of drunks, but tonight is her night. She wanders the streets, admiring the dark monoliths of the great palaces of the nobles and the temples and shrines that line her city. Ephyra is a backwater, she thinks, but it's not devoid of worth. Slowly, she makes her way through the streets and finds what she's looking for. The madwoman had overheard that Megaros, the silk merchant, was dealing in some contraband tonight, and so he might still be in the otherwise deserted agora with his wares. She spots the man, an average but pleasant looking fellow in his early thirties, as he packs up his cart, secreting away some beautiful contraband fabrics. "Woah!" He exclaims as he turns around to see the infamous woman staring at him. "...Princess?" He says hopefully, and the madwoman knows he's praying she's not Brute. "I'm guessing you need new clothes?" He looks down at her dress, which is muddied and torn thanks to some skirmish of Brute's. "Come, come. Maybe we can work something out. You have drachma?" Before she can respond, Princess feels a pain on the back of her thigh, and hears a small rock clatter against the cobblestones. There's some uproarious laughter, as the madwoman turns to see two of the butcher's sons, notorious thugs and bullies around town, walking nearby. They aren't engaging further, satisfied with their insult, but Princess feels Brute trying to force her way into control and exact some revenge. "Ignore those fools. Come, see my silks." Megaros says, and Meek takes cover as Brute and Princess try to pull their shared body in two different directions, one wanting fancy clothes, the other to beat the snot out of the thugs.
@Auraicide Tarentum, Southern Italy "Is everything ready?" Rhea's stirred from her thoughts as she hears the voice of Antigone, the mother of the young man Rhea's sworn to protect. "We sail soon." Antigone adds. The question is asked politely - Antigone's actually quite a decent woman, a bit stern, but nowhere nearly as arrogant as most nobles. "Come mother, let's not bother her - I'm sure she has everything under control." Velicus, the young nobleman Rhea is sworn to protect, interjects, prompting an eye roll from his mother as he stares openly at his bodyguard's chest. Servants busy themselves around them, traversing the elegant courtyard of Antigone's small manor house as they load up an ox-cart. Before Rhea can answer, there's a crash as the heavy oak double doors of the manor swing inward, a man striding into the courtyard. Looking at him, Rhea sees that he's clad head to toe in armor, with a bronze cuirass, reinforced skirt, greaves and gauntlets. A plumed helmet obscures the features of his face, as he carries a spear and shield. The bodyguard moves to protect her client, but to her surprise, the intruder shouts "Decma! Rhea Decma! Which one are y- You!" He focuses on Rhea, since she's the only one with arms or armor. "Rhea Decma, the so called 'slayer' of the Apulian sphinx - or so you'd have people believe. I'd barely returned from slaying that beast, when I heard smallfolk attributing my success to you! Stand fast, and prepare to answer for your bragging, liar! No one steals my credit!"
@majus Aegina Island "Fuck, fuck! Oh, oh my king, oh my..." The herdsman's wife cries out loudly, as Cleon uses his fingers to stimulate her. The woman had defrauded her neighbor, and so the young prince took it upon himself to see that justice was done. He'd experimented - using ropes to bind and blindfold his prisoner, restraining her in the confines of his bedchamber. "Prince Cleon. The queen requests your presence." A knock and a guard's voice comes from outside, and Cleon is forced to abandon his pursuit of justice. "Wait, what?" The woman shouts as she hears Cleon begin to walk away. "You can't leave me tied up like this! At least take the blindfold of-" her cries are forgotten as the prince closes the door behind him. Cleon walks through the halls of his palace, looking at the architecture and out at the wondrous beauty of his homeland just beyond its walls. Still, the prince has to pause his musings as the guard leads him into the study of his mother. Queen Thalia stands facing the window with her back to her son, looking unusually pensive. "My son... I have a task for you. That diplomat from Egypt that arrived this morning, I need you to go see her, to determine whether her intentions here on our island are pure." Cleon remembers the woman, a dusky skinned beauty who'd spoken of forging a trade alliance. "But first, I must tell you something important - something long overdue. Leave us." The guard bows and exits. Cleon's surprised - his mother is usually warm, when she's with him, or commanding and ruthless when she's acting as queen. But now, she seems...nervous? "You...You are not the son of my late husband."
"Everything has already been prepared, ma'am." Rhea's tone is spoken with that almost perfectly expressionless calm. Antigone was one of the rare few who had at least actually known her long enough that for all of her .....oddities, Rhea's loyalty was entirely real. Even so, she wasn't willing to relax around her. Not just because she had an expectation of quality, but also with Velicus directly present. Despite how long she had been assigned to guarding him, she always did her utmost like she did with her younger siblings to come off as invincible. She simply pretended not to notice his stares, as humiliating as they were. Discreetly, she bit the inner part of lip to keep a stoic expression and not show any embarrassment or concern. This was hardly the first time he's done it, but she was always at a loss what to do. She definitely couldn't hit him and given any kind of reaction to show she's angry would be humiliating.... Her thoughts on what to do were interrupted by the advance of a man. Of course, she had cautiously readied her own weapons, but she already thought if he was an assassin, he wouldn't be doing it publicly in battle armor. She had gripped her spear waiting until he spoke. She came very close to showing surprise before managing to keep it in check and sigh. To him, it would look she was just being dismissive of his claims entirely. How could anyone kill a monster like that by themselves? As much as she wanted to just simply sit him down and tell him she had nothing to do with taking credit for it, he didn't look willing to listen, and even if he was, with her charge right before her, she was left with no other choice than to make an audible sigh. "You misunderstood. They're saying I would have slain it, in half the time." Stepping forward, she quickly scanned for any potential threats around the nobility before moving to accept his challenge. "Please refrain from bleeding over lady Antigone's possessions."
"The commander's not going to save you with some light punishment this time!" Lysimachus shouts, as he and four of his men give chase. With most people at the parade, the streets are largely deserted as Callirhoe breaks into a sprint. She's much faster than the warriors in their armor, and agile enough to jump over market stalls and dodge out of the way of ox carts, but the Sacred Band goes through gruelling conditioning training every day, and they easily keep their pace without tiring. "Mind if I join you?" A young man starts running alongside Callirhoe, looking perfectly comfortable as he matches her speed, while Callirhoe herself is huffing and puffing by now from exertion. "It seems you're in a bit of trouble. Those lads back there don't look happy." He chuckles, voice carrying on the wind as they run. "I have a friend who can help, if you can make it to him."
Talpharos has to run as the woman turns a corner and disappears from sight momentarily. Ooh, so polite. There's a chuckle inside the young man's mind. I...should probably not tell you who I am just yet - better for you to focus on the task at hand. As for the cost of my help - absolutely nothing. I know that's hard to believe for a merchant, but it's true. I will- ooh! The voice gets cut off as Talpharos rounds the corner to see the woman waiting for him, holding a thin, razor sharp blade to his throat. "You should be careful, chasing women around the agora. A girl could get the wrong idea." She stares metaphorical daggers at him, as her literal dagger pricks his neck. "What did Elegus send you here to do? Convince me? Or did you plan to do something very foolish indeed?" I think we should skip the whole price thing and go to the part where I help you, yes? I'd rather not see yet another handsome young man get gutted. Close your eyes, breathe for a moment. Reach out... Feel the blade at your throat, and the woman it's attached to. Do you feel it? The emotions and energy pouring from her mind and body? Talpharos wouldn't go that far, but he feels...something when he focuses on the beautiful woman, something that doesn't register with any of his five senses. Now, focus on yourself, feel the aura your own emotions are projecting, and try to match it to hers. It would have been better to practice first, but whatever. Match her aura and speak to her, before she gets tired of this and cuts your throat.
Rhea's words only make the man more furious, his eyes going wide as she demeans his accomplishment. "You..." He snarls, before rushing forward. Instead of rushing her, however, he goes for the cart loaded with Antigone's luggage. He leaps into the air, his foot deftly landing on the rim of the cart, and he leaps again, soaring into the air above Rhea, coming down at her with his spear pointed at her face.
She was a little in awe at his agility while still in armor, but as she saw him moving for Antigone's belongings, she was quick to make her move only for him to pivot. He had gotten the drop on her. Her own spear wouldn't be much good this close, so she resorted to parry the tip away from her face using her Cestus to deflect and then deliver a strong strike directly to his nose that was left unprotected by his helmet.
"Oh come on, you can't be that serious. You are too much greedy to be angry for such small thing Lysimachus. " Callirhoe run away from the band, trying to get them lost in the city. She know this streets and alleys but her hunters know them too. Suddenly, young men decided join to chase with her. "Oh, another runner? Why not, now they punish us both." Callirhoe said smiling, kicking down baskets with fruits behind her. "What, Nooo. They just misinterpreted my intentions, and I just wanted to better seen their armor. I'm completely innocent". She chuckled as runner keep with her. "Hmm... I admit that little help would be useful but I'm short with coins in last days, so repaid would take me a while." She said but never intended to happen.
Spoiler: Combat Roll D100: Rhea: 48+10 (Hand to Hand Skill)=58 Mysterious Warrior: 84+20 (Combat Skill) Rhea HP: 100-46=57 Metal clangs against metal as the spear is blocked by the cestus, but as she pulls her arm back to punch, Rhea sees the man incline his head just a little, and her attack glances off his helmet, angled perfectly to prevent a concussion. "You're the famous warrior? Are you sure I didn't get the wrong house by mistake?" The man chuckles, before raising his shield and slamming the rim into Rhea's shoulder, her whole upper body aching as she takes a strike that might have broken the spear arm of a lesser warrior.
"Head to the gymnasium, and be fast, then." The other runner says, before leaping atop a market stall and hopping cross the street to an awning and clambering up to a rooftop, disappearing out of sight. The whole process took a few seconds at most. Lysimachus and his sacred band brothers remain behind, not gaining but not seeming to tire, either.
She was a little surprised at his skills, but didn't have time to fully appreciate them as she felt the painful blow into her arm that was bound to need a doctor urgently to treat the damage. "Agh..." She couldn't totally hide the pain, but did her best to keep it as muted as possible. "Only a barbarian would use their best weapons on ordinary animals." Even though she said that....it was clear this guy had to be taken seriously, and she took the moment of his condescension to get some distance and properly ready her own spear. Adrenaline now properly forming, she held her spear at mid point as she plunged in with renewed energy. However, her opponent definitely had the experience to be prepared for typical thrusts to the thighs or chest as any good legionary would, he would aim to deflect her spear broadside when she thrusted forward, so with some footwork she would use the momentum to block the countershot of his own spear and make a thrust with the back end of her own spear to open up his shield side and expose him for a clean pierce in the weak armor joints of his own spear arm.
"Hmph." The man sneers. "Get on your knees and apologise, or I make you a sacrifice to Ares here and now." He demands, but doesn't wait for a response as he attacks. Spoiler: Combat Roll D100: Rhea: 75+20 (Spear Skill) Mysterious Warrior: 14+20 (Combat Skill) Warrior HP: 100-61=39 Rhea's shoulder aches as she throws her spear forward, the weapon being batted aside as she expected as her foe advances to follow through. She pirouettes, spearhead snaking forward before sliding into the gap between the front and back plates of his cuirass, digging deep and coming back red with blood.
The blow connected well, but she knew that wouldn't be enough to finish him off. He was a warrior. Each injury, would only make him more determined. The only way would be to properly beat him into submission until he could no longer act. She didn't speak, dead focused on accessing her opponent and his movement's as she pulled back, knowing the few seconds she reset position could leave her vulnerable. but she did make a quick move to retrieve and then instead of completely returning to position, following up again to hit another weak point while he was still recoiling, aiming to give him no time to act.
"They're gaining on us." Pelagia notes to herself as she watches the pirates' ship inch towards her own. She attempts to gauge the bireme's speed in relation to the Syntychia's own rate of travel, seeking to estimate if her crew can reach the island ahead of the pirates before making a rash decision. "Steady towards the isle!" The captain shouts to the helmsman on the tiller. "Row apace!" This one directed towards the oarsmen, instructing them to speed up but not sprint the ship. Just in case we do have enough time to reach the island. Can't push too hard if they're going to catch us anyway. Fighting with the men tired never goes well.
