Page 77 of Axios
Once the king finished addressing us, he stepped aside and allowed the first group of men to pass. Our syssition was farther back, but we stood in formation together, moving when we were able.
When I passed Agesipolis, his gaze locked onto mine and sorrow briefly passed over his face before he looked away. I was unsure whether the strange look had come from apprehension of me leaving for war—and the not knowing of my fate—or the fact that Eryx stood close to me in an obvious manner of possessiveness.
Before we reached Olynthus, the plan was to stop first in Potidaea where another Spartan army awaited from a past campaign and gather them before continuing the advance. Reaching the city of Potidaea would take roughly one full turning of the moon. That was what we were told anyway.
On foot and carrying our weapons, armor, and supplies, I suspected it would be longer, though.
Before we’d departed, I had learned that Ian and Melias would not be joining us. They were instructed to remain in Sparta. Over the years, we’d all grown closer, so it was bittersweet to leave them behind. Bitter because I would miss them… but sweet because they’d be safe.
Silence carried through the army lines. The only sound was the marching of our feet upon the earth and the occasional clanking of shields. Most of the men had gone to war before, but so many of us had not even stepped a foot outside of Sparta’s borders.
The situation did not seem real until we walked farther than I’d ever gone, when the landscape changed and became unrecognizable. Still the same… only not. Foreign. Trees I’d never climbed and meadows I’d never wandered through. I felt both nervous and curious, anticipating what lay ahead but also eager to experience something new.
“Why do you smile?” Eryx asked, cocking his head at me.
I hadn’t realized I had been until he mentioned it.
“It just occurred to me that I might at last see the sea on our journey,” I answered, feeling that familiar excited stirring in my stomach.
My dreams from the past had always consisted of the sea and sailing its waters, but in actuality, I had never been there before. I had only heard tales of its crystal blue waters, the color of sapphires, and how when the sun shone on its surface, it glistened as if it held the world’s finest gems and treasures.
A look of admiration came over Eryx’s face, and he brushed his hand against mine. “I should not be surprised to see you finding the smallest glimmer of happiness in such an ominous expedition. The man who finds joy in unraveling the mysteries of nature and who questions everything… of course you would seek the light when cast in shadow.”
I considered his words before responding, “Even in dark days, we must always seek the light. Once we surrender to darkness, we lose hope, and without hope… we have already lost.”
He did not say the words aloud, but by the way his green eyes crinkled around the edges as he stared at me, I knew he loved me. And that was enough.
Tired of carrying my helmet, I placed it on my head and continued walking. The sides of my face were covered, as was my nose. My eyes and mouth were all that showed. The bronze felt odd and it took a while for me to get accustomed to the weight of it, one that set me off balance by a small amount, but it wasn’t too unbearable, and after a time, I did not notice it anymore. We’d only worn full armor a few times in training, so I hadn’t become too familiar with it.
Themora—consisting of roughly six hundred men—was structured by age. Younger soldiers, such as my group, were usually not mobilized except for in grave circumstances, and that was precisely what had happened.
Two other armies had already been sent north to uphold the peace treaty—one to aid the Macedonians, which we were doing now as well due to their failure, and the other was to help aid Thrace in a separate campaign. So the availability of Spartan hoplites was dwindling and all age appropriate men were needed, apart from the few like Ian and Melias who were needed to secure Sparta in our absence.
Helots accompanied eachmoraof men, helping to carry the necessary provisions. They did not have armor or weapons, but they carried satchels of food—salted meats, barley, and cheese—and were available as manservants for anything we might need.
The sun had made its way across the sky and was moments from setting, and yet, we still moved through the terrain. Our progression had slowed as the men grew weary, our supplies and the heat of day weighing us down. It was fortunate that the day was not as hot as it could have been. Summer was fading and the cool autumn air blew through the land.
However, no matter how cool the air, muscles became sore after carrying a large shield and wearing armor all day.
Movement halted, and I looked ahead to try to see what had caused it.
“I believe we are stopping to camp for the night,” Eryx said, removing his helmet.
Even with messy, sweat drenched hair, he still looked beautiful.
He was right. We broke formation and went toward the area assigned to us by the leaders to set up camp.
Due to the size of the army, themoraseparated and camped in different ranges, clusters of men scattered throughout the terrain. I’d heard of other armies setting up tents for shelter, but we did no such thing. No fire was built that night either, but I was familiar with enduring the cold and barely paid it any mind.
After we’d eaten, we lay down on the ground and slept, too exhausted to do anything more.
Morning came quickly—too quickly—and we awoke, gathered our materials, and continued the march north. That became our routine. Tedious. Lackluster.
Not even Theon or Quill found the strength to liven our spirits.
Days passed, and the excitement I had held on the day we left had waned as exhaustion filled every part of my body. Not only physically, but mentally as well. It seemed we would march in formation for the rest of our days, an endless trek during the day and sleeping in a different place every night.
The only time I regained a morsel of joy was when the sea came into view. I only saw it from a distance as we passed through the outskirts of Corinth, but I stared in awe at the size of it—how it stretched on as far as the eye could see. Once it faded from sight, the excitement left me once again.
