6 The last line.

The morning rises and we Spartans are once again girded for war. We get up before the sun rises and eat hearty. It isn't long until the pounding of Drums and the stomping of feet fill the valleys, as Xerxes men rush towards us once again. The barbarian's howler.

Those the back yell forward as they whip their men.

Those unfortunate bastards up front, Scream back!!!!

But it is too late. My spear is already firmly planted into his spine.

" Hahaaaa! You gutless cowards. Don't run. meet your maker!" I shouted.

" Having fun, old man?" Astinos asked me as he joined my side on the field.

" You're still wet behind the ears, boy. You haven't earned the right to call me old just yet. Not yet." I replied. I thrusted my spear high into the air and slammed it down on top of the approaching Persian. His body split in twain from the force of my strike.

" The kid has a point." Stelios spoke. He jumped in front of me and cut the head off of the Persian I was preparing to strike. " You are kind of old now. You're moving so much slower. Perhaps you should sit down and rest." I smirked.

The sass on these two is uncanny.

I gripped my spear tight. I narrowed my vision, and I threw it. i threw it barely an inch from Stelios' face, just barely missing him, and through the bodies of four Persians.

A bead of sweat dropped down Stelios' face and Astinos laughed heartily at the man' stupor.

" I think you should step aside and let a real man show you how it's done, Juniors." I told Stelios and Astinos.

The ground shook. Xerxes beast masters approached the field, flailing around their flags and bone hammers. Xerxes has summoned his legendary beasts.

A large four-legged monster charged through the Persian line and made a straight line towards us. I smirked and grabbed my spear from the bodies of the four men and jammed it into Astinos' hands.

" Time to prove yourself, boy." I told Astinos. He shook his head and grabbed firmly onto my spear. It was heavier than most. So, the boy needed to be careful. He needed to focus and aim precisely.

Astinos raised the spear above his head and threw it. Without moving forward. Without momentum. A hard task to do especially when your target is this large and has so much speed.

His strike was good. Right into the creature's eyes. The beast continued charging and Astinos stood firm. His courage strong. The beast falls and skids across the field. stopping just beside Astinos.

I pat the boy on the back as he pulls my spear out. He hands it to me with a grin on his face.

" Old man."

" Don't press your luck boy." I told Astinos.

The beast's failed. So, Xerxes army turns to their magic.

Balls of exploding fire and metal fall upon us.

I block the explosions with my shield. It was hard and the vibrations still hurt my hands. I knew I had to get them. Take them out some way. Somehow. And soon.

" Stelios! With me!" I shout to the man. I roll out of the way of the fire and use my shield to cover myself and Stelios as we make our way to the front line of Persians.

The ground shook around us. The armies of all Asia funneled into this small corridor. Their numbers count for nothing.

Stelios and I dodge the explosions. The metal and Fire burning our lungs. But we press on. I slide on my knee and raise my shield, strong. A foothold is made. A foothold for Stelios. Stelios leaps over the Persians and assaults the Mages behind.

" Timaeus! Shield yourself!" Stelios shouted to me.

I spun on my heel and brought my shield up to cover my body.

Their fireballs exploded all at once. The combined explosion shook the gates. And killed our enemies.

When I stood back up, I saw Stelios laughing, like a maniac.

" Nice job. But look." I told the man as I pointed to the endless horde on the horizon. " More to come. Let's make haste and regroup."

Stelios nodded and we fell back to join the others.

Our hours of fighting paying off.

we hold these gates, and we win.

We send the severed horns and headless bodies back to Xerxes feet. Xerxes himself punishes his generals for their failures. An unfair punishment when facing us Spartans.

Xerxes dispatches his hordes of monster from continents away. They are big and clumsy beasts. They fall easily.

Fighting on the narrow path, we push the large and roaring beasts over the edge of the path with our spears.

For hours this repeats. Filling our minds with hope.

" HAH!" Astinos grunted as he stabbed the man at his feet.

" Watch your back boy." I told him as I blocked a sword strike meant for his head with my shield. I spun around and slit the man's throat with my blade.

" What are you still here?" Astinos asked.

" Someone's gotta watch your back, boy." Stelios told the boy.

The three of us fought together. back-to-back. I ducked under Stelios' arm as he swung his blade at the man behind me. I then stabbed out and hit the man behind him the gut and Astinos sliced through the man in front of him.

Once I got to my feet, I brushed myself off and patted the boy on the back.

" Well done, Astinos." I told the boy.

He grinned, like a puppy, he grinned. I nodded at the boy and started walking over to the pile of dead Persians to retrieve my spear.

" REGROOOOUP!" Leonidas ordered. I grabbed my spear and stood beside Leonidas as I cleaned my spear of the blood.

" ASTINOS!" Artemis shouted. He spotted his boy and smiled. " My son."

Astinos and his father locked eyes and nodded at each other. The boy has been desperate for his father's approval. And now he has it.

I smile at the boy. he has done Sparta justice. This is his moment, and he has more than earned it. However, my smile soon fades, as from out of the smoke a Persian on horseback approaches.

" ASTINOS!" Artemis shouted.

I raised my spear as fast as I could and threw it as hard as I could to try and kill the man before he could kill the boy.

My spear connected with the man and launched him from his horse, but it was too late.

" NO!!!!!" Artemis screamed as his son's head fell from his shoulders.

I closed my eyes and sighed. A young life taken

Artemis removes his helmet and begins walking towards his son.

" Damn it. Artemis!" I ran after the man as he blindly slashed and killed the Persians coming at us.

I blocked one of their blades with my shield. I spun around and with my sword cut the man's head off while also bashing another man's face in with the edge of my shield. Left and right the Persians came. However, with the condition he was in, Artemis was nothing but a distraction. deadweight. Once it was clear I grabbed onto Artemis and drug him as he screamed in pain to the back of our phalanx formation. And there I held him.

" Artemis. Control yourself my friend. Control!" He is a big and burly man. And he is powerful. But I'm still stronger. I hold him. I simply hold him.

My King and the others finish the battle. the day is won. But at a terrible cost. No songs of victory are sung this night.

I sat with Artemis, for hours as he roared in pain and anger and anguish. Not once leaving my friend's side in his time of need. For hours I sit with him. For hours he cries. For hours. For hours.

Eventually, he quiets. And sleeps. And for the first time that day, I leave his side and return to the others,

" Captain." Stelios greeted me as he tended to the wounds of one of the men who had been cut. Using a burning blade to sear the wound shut.

" Well meet, Stelios. My friend." I replied. I continued walking amongst the men. Their spirits not crushed, but down. Astinos' death impacted them. We were all seasoned veterans in war. The best of the best. Astinos, so young and foolish, had quickly proved himself one of us. And just as quickly his journey had ended. But he would not be forgotten. his name would be carried on through centuries, as long as Sparta still stands at the end of this war.

" Captain." Leonidas spoke.

" My king." I replied.

" How is he?" He asked me.

" I don't know. His body is strong, but his mind. Even I can't tell you the truth." I told Leonidas.

" I see..." Leonidas replied. " Come with me." He spoke. I nodded and followed him among the men. " Dillios." Leonidas spoke.

The man looked towards us, one of his eyes covered by a sash now.

" Captain. My King." Dillios spoke.

" I trust that scratch hasn't made you useless." Leonidas asked the man.

" Hardly, my lord. It is just an eye. Gods saw fit to grace me with a spare." Dillios told the man.

He has a way with words like no other. Dillios, I sometimes wonder what the world would be like if he were a poet.

The sound of Horse hooves trotting along the ground sounded out.

" Leonidas!" Daxos, the arcadian rode towards us with urgency. His face wrought with grief. Daxos hopped off his horse and ran towards us. " We are undone. Undone I tell you. Destroyed." Daxos spoke.

" Daxos, control yourself." Leonidas ordered the man.

" We are undone! A hunchbacked traitor has led the Persians along the hidden goat path behind us." Daxos explained. I felt the wind in my sails leave completely as I knew now that any hope for victory we had was gone. I truly wasn't going to see my family again. But now. Now the only other thing we could do was hold out for as long as possible. And give our people time to muster their strength.

" The Phoecians you posted there, were scattered without a fight. This battle is over, Leonidas." Daxos told Leonidas.

" This battle is over, WHEN I SAY IT IS OVER." Leonidas told Daxos.

" By morning the Immortals will surround us. The hot gates will fall." Daxos exclaimed.

" SPARTANS! PREPARE FOR GLORY!" Leonidas shouted to the heavens.

" Have you gone mad?" Daxos asked.

Surely, he did not ask that question. Did he think the thought of death plagued us?

" WE ARE SPARTANS! WE DO NOT FEAR DEATH, DAXOS!" I told the man.

" There is no glory to be had now. Only retreat or surrender or death." Daxos explained.

" WELL, THAT'S AN EASY CHOICEFOR US, ARCADIAN! SPARTANS NEVER RETREAT! SPARTANS NEVER SURRENDER!" Leonidas declared. " Go spread the word. Let every Greek assemble know the truth of this. And each among them search their soul. And while you're at it... Search your own." Leonidas told the man.

Daxos grit his teeth and turned and walked away from the king. But not before speaking one last time. " My men will leave with me. Godspeed, Leonidas." Daxos hopped on his horse and rode into the night. Away from the fight. A coward.

" Children. Children." Leonidas spoke. " Gather around." Leonidas ordered.

Upon his word every Spartan got to their feet and listened in on our king.

" No Retreat. No Surrender. That is Spartan law. AND BY SPARTAN LAW WE WILL STAND AND FIGHT! And die. A new age has begun. AN AGE OF FREEDOM! AND ALL WILL KNOW THAT 300 SPARTANS GAVE THEIR LAST BREATHS TO DEFEND IT!" Leonidas exclaimed.

" AWHOO! AWHOO! AWHOO!" We chanted I heard whispers and murmurs. I turned towards my men and saw Artemis had finally joined us.

" Artemis."

" My friend."

Leonidas and I both greeted our friend. The pain in his eyes stills tong, and his composure weakened. Weaker than ever I had seen before.

" I have lived my entire life without regret until now. It's not that my son gave up his life for his country. It's just that I never told him that I loved him the most." Artemis spoke.

I felt his pain.

" That he stood by me with honor. That he was all that was best in me." Artemis spoke.

Leonidas and I both approached the man. I placed my hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Not many men in Sparta could get away with that. Not many men in Sparta could do the things we could do. Not many men in Sparta were as close as us.

" My heart is broken for your loss." Leonidas told Artemis.

" Heart? I have filled my heart with hate." Artemis spoke.

" Good." Leonidas replied

" Dillios, Timaeus. Let's take a walk." Leonidas spoke.

His voice heavy and filled with burden.

Dillios and I followed without a word, without an inch of hesitation.

We walked up a cliff, alone. Where no one else could hear us.

" What is it, Leonidas?" I asked.

" This first part is for Dillios." He replied. " Dillios, I want you to return to Sparta." Leonidas spoke.

Both Dillios and I widened our eyes upon the man's words. His declaration for Dillios to retreat a surprise.

" Sire, I am fit and ready to fight." Dillios told Leonidas.

" I'm sure you are. One of the finest. But you have a talent unlike any other Spartan." Leonidas told the man. " You are to deliver my final orders to the council, with force and valor. Tell them our story. Let every Greek know what happened here. You have a grand tale to tell my friend. A tale of victory." Leonidas spoke.

I did not know what he spoke of. But he sounded so sure.

" Victory?" Dillios asked. His question went unanswered. So, Dillios simply shook his head yes. " Yes, my lord." Dillios spoke.

Leonidas placed his hands on the man's shoulders and shook him.

" Sire, any message for the Queen?" Dillios asked.

" For the queen? No." Leonidas replied. He took off his necklace and handed it to Dillios. " None that need be spoken."

" And you, my captain?" Dillios asked.

This is it. The last chance to send a message.

I reached up and removed the necklace from my body. It was time for this gift to return to where it belonged. I also removed the bracelet and handed both to Dillios. " Tell them... Dillios. Tell them." I spoke.

He knew what I meant. he took the gifts and nodded. And soon Dillios had left for Sparta.

The wind blowing past my face, I could feel it all building up. Every waking moment. Every drop of blood. Every drop of sweat. All leading to this.

" And what did you call me for, Leonidas?" I asked.

" My friend. We have traveled many of years together. We have faced many battles and suffered many injuries. And despite everything we went through we always stood together, strong. United. I wanted to offer you this chance to send something back." Leonidas spoke.

" I see... Thank you, Leonidas. May we meet again in the next world. So, that I may call you my brother once more." I extended my free hand and took Leonidas' forearm in my own.

" As do I, my brother. Come. Let us greet our men one last time." Leonidas spoke.

The walk back down was long. Long and hard. Each step feels like a mile.

The Arcadians.... They leave by the hundreds. Only a handful stay. Dillios looks back one last time and we nod goodbye to our brother who wishes to stay,

" SPARTANS! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty. FOR TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL!" Leonidas exclaimed.

" AWWWWHOOOOOOOO!" I raised my spear and shouted to the heavens as loud as I could.

" AWHOO! AWHOO! AWHOO! AWHOO! AWHOO! AWHOO! AWHOO! AWHOO! AWHOO! AWHOO! AWHOO! AWHOO! AWHOO!"