Offensive Bias: New chapter finally, comments appreciated.
Chapter three
Approximate year: 498 B.C.
Section of Space- Sol.
Third planet from local Star.
Athenians, Eretrians and Ionians. A large army marching onto the city of Sardis. Matthias himself was an Athenian Hoplitai. He marched in a phalanx with the Captain Phillip. He was in the front of the line and had to keep a steady pace, which wasn’t easy under 60 pounds of armour. The sweltering Persian heat also didn’t help. He felt as though his head would melt under his steel helmet. The only thing that kept him going was that everyone else suffered the same. A series of shouts broke out across the line. He raised his Hoplon and held his ground. Phillip had commanded them to stop. Phillip listened intently and shouted out the order he heard. “Hoplitai’s! Stand fast! The Persians are retreating! We go in after the rams have battered the walls!” Matthias looked once more upon the walled city of Sardis. He panted and stuck his Doru into the sand. Pulling off his Corinthian helmet and wiping a large quantity of sweat from his face. He shook his hand and made to put his helmet back on when he heard “Hoplitai! Form up left formation Phalanx! The walls are breached! Move forward brave sons of Zeus!” Matthias swore and was pushed from behind as he attempted to put his helmet on, pull out his Doru and raise his Hoplon and Doru in the legendary phalanx formation.
He finally did it and his Doru joined the intimidating spear wall a little late but its effect was no less devastating. He marched for a minute before being able to see the walls clearly. A massive army of 5000 Greeks amassed outside the gates and the hole in the wall was evident. The soldiers around the ram, Eretrian Hermideans (Swordsmen with heavy armour and a xiphos) ran into the hole and a chorus of shouting rang out as well as the clashing of metal. Matthias’ heart raced and the order was heard to quicken pace. He walked a little faster to keep in step with the others in the line. The man next to him, Demetrius, began talking to him. “Hey Matthias, ever wondered why people always come to Athens when they want help?” Matthias cleared his very dry throat.
“Because all other Greeks can’t fight their own battles.” Demetrius gave a wry chuckle
“That’s thinking like a Spartan.”
“It’s a shame that the Spartans declined to fight. I’d love to see those red bastards get slaughtered by these Persians.”
Matthias was finally close enough to the gate to see the bloody battle raging within. A Hermidean stumbled out of the gate with a bloody stomach. He clutched it and his anguished breathing was audible over the clanking of swords, the screaming of dying soldiers and the clank of the Hoplitai’s armour. They stopped just short of the hole. “Hoplitai’s! Into the breach and reform as quick as you can! Don’t give the enemy an advantage over the formation!” Matthias broke from the line of 10, to a line of three. They all marched through the hole and formed up quickly. The Persians wore brightly coloured cloths that covered their whole body. A Hermidean fell with a spear stuck in his guts. Matthias clutched his Hoplon tighter and prayed to Ares. The Hermideans were falling everywhere now. The Persians were suffering light casualties. The Phalanx reformed and Phillip gave the order. The Phalanx lurched forward as one, pointed their Doru’s out towards the enemy as one. And now, they would kill as one.
Matthias managed to keep his Doru leveled as he drew closer. The Persians noticed the Hoplitai closing and tried to maneuver out of the way, but they were falling over each other and the Hermideans (Who cut them to pieces as they fell). Matthias closed with a frightened looking Persian and thrust the Doru into his heart with an over arm stab. He wrenched the Doru out and stepped over the bleeding body. The rest of the Hoplitai’s were thrusting into the ranks of the Persians. Disorder quickly spread through them and they attempted to flee but couldn’t get away in time as Athenian spears bore down on them. Matthias pulled his Doru out of the back of a groaning Persian. The rest of the Persian soldiers fell back to the centre of the city. Matthias’ Phalanx was joined by seven others, and they marched down the street in rows of five towards the 6000 Persians waiting to receive their arms.
The Phalanx had been broken, now it had turned to close quarters fighting with the Xiphos sword. Matthias hefted the heavy weapon and cleaved it through a startled Persians head. Blood sprayed over his shield and covered his coat of arms. He yelled and kicked out at a Persian. He fell and received a cut to the throat. The Persians had broken the Phalanx with sheer numbers. They crashed into the spears, grabbed at them and climbed through them. They had punched through the middle and quickly spread into the Phalanx as conflicting orders got the better of the Athenians. Matthias swung wildly with his Xiphos and felt it hit resistance. It was stuck in a Persians wooden shield. The Persian had been fighting an Ionian when he felt the impact. The Persian looked towards Matthias with wide eyes. Matthias kicked the shield and toppled him. The sword came loose as he fell. Matthias stabbed down into the Persians blue clothing and saw it turn red around his chest. Matthias withdrew the sword and joined in a melee with a group of his own Phalanx.
The mass of the Persians realized that they were losing fighters fast so they withdrew towards the Citadel in a messy rout. Matthias sat in the square as an infantry column of Pezoi (Light Spearmen) marched towards the Citadel. Matthias knew that the Persians would be able to hold the Citadel. He didn’t mind. They had still dealt them a blow. And they would get to loot the city. He received the order to do as he pleased. He broke down doors, killed civilians, burnt buildings, stole money and was proud of it.
Darius, Emperor of Persia crumpled up the scroll in anger. Throwing it to the ground in a fit of rage he called out. “You there! Slave!” A servant near the door flinched and hurried over to his master.
“Yes your Excellency?”
“Three times a day, every day! I want you to remind me of the Athenians, and remind me that they burnt Sardis to the ground. Do you understand Slave?”
“Yes master, it shall be done.”
“Good, someday I will burn Athens to the ground and then they will regret today.”
um.....what? is'nt this about halo? or are you planning to work up to the point where you finaly get up to the year 2551?
thanks to Ryzza for the sig (I wish you saw it while you could still see it)
creeping shadow AKA someguy