016: Betrayals

The thracians are the most agile warriors of the phalanxes, before they used daggers to fight against minotaurs and beasts of the labyrinth, but it was very difficult for them to cause deep wounds, they changed to short swords and although now the stabs caused lethal damage, the blades were easily repelled by shields or armor, it was there that the sica sword was born, a blade bent inwards that when connecting with the opponent flesh tore the victim as if it were a lion paw with a hilt, now all thracians are trained in this sword, as are criminals, after all it is easy to land fatal blows with this weapon, a weapon that is now around Asterion neck.

-Niko, calm down.

Lita bow and Laconia greatsword were aimed at the thracian head.

-I'm calm, Asterion, but what you're telling me is... It's a betrayal of everything we've been taught, it's hard to believe...

-I understand, but it's the truth, even if you kill me right here, Jason will continue with the plan, the dioskuroi will die.

-I know... I know...

-What do you want?

The young man mind was filled with memories of his mother, resting under one of the few olive trees that still surround the acropolis. They are a symbol of peace and coexistence, and that is precisely why they have been slowly dying. There should be less than a hundred left, and in five years, less than fifty. His mother loves olive trees.

-I want to win the war, Asterion.

-Then I ask you to trust me and the archon.

Memories. In a short time, he had already suffered several things with this phalanx. Niko trusts Asterion, but trust does not assure him that everything will turn out well. Killing an archon is the greatest sacrilege in Helena.

-Fight with me.

-What?

-Fight me, show me how willing you are to fulfill this mission, you are asking me to fight against one of the five strongest men in all of Helena, Jason help may assure us victory, but not our lives... I don't want to die, captain.

Lita looked at the ground and slowly lowered her bow, Laconia sword remained unmovable, despite their different reactions, Niko words resonated in both of them.

-Show me that you have the strength to beat someone hundreds of times stronger than you.

-Okay.

…

The huge moon shone along with the firmament, each bright star in the sky was an eye, a hole in the savannah of the universe through which the gods watched over their creations, favors and blessings were sent through these eyes to those born with five fingers, Asterion did not receive any blessing, a man without stars over his head, destined to be abandoned by his teachers, his friends, his family and his gods.

-Miss deer, could you create swords similar to mine with your blessing?

Lita generated 2 thracian swords made of bone from her hand, meanwhile Laconia tried to convince Asterion.

-You can't beat him, find a way to stop this or order me to stop it please, Aster-.

-There is no way to stop this, there is nothing else to do.

-I can't let you die, please find another solution.

The polemarch just gave the beastiary a hug with all his strength.

-I'm not going to die, my friend! Wish me luck.

-… Good luck, Asterion.

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Niko handed the bone sword to Asterion.

-I won't use my blessing, just us and our weapons. You'll win if you get me to surrender, knock me out, or kill me. Same for me. Tell me when you're ready.

Asterion looked closely at the sword. He didn't know what to feel at the moment. Sadness for having to fight his friend? Hate because despite everything, his friend still doesn't trust him? Or peace, because whatever happens, whether he lives or dies, the polemarch will end up winning, whether it's an ally or an eternal rest.

-I'm ready.

Niko raised his right arm with the sword pointing at his friend and with his left fist placed at the end of his bicep.

-Asterion, you told me that you promised your friend that you would continue being friends no matter what happens. I want to make the same oath. If you manage to defeat me, I will follow you to the ends of the earth.

-… You already told me that, kid.

-Did I?

-Yes… No matter what happens, you will still be my friend Niko.

-Likewise…

The first cut was from Niko, from a low stance he launched a horizontal slash straight towards the neck of the polemarch who covered himself with his sword, however due to the curvature of the sword the tip of the sword managed to slightly cut Asterion's ear.

-What happened to being friends?

The polemarch between the clash of swords tried to connect a kick to the crotch of the thracian, but he simply stepped back.

-Is that all your plan polemarch?

-Yes.

Another kick from Asterion, this time kicking all the dirt he could against Niko face, the crude trick was avoided by simply crouching, the swords of both clashed once again.

-Why are you still fighting? I know it's for your friend, but go that far? Give up Asterion, you're fighting the impossible.

-I know.

Until now Niko was only using his right arm, but now a hook to the polemarch stomach followed by a headbutt put his leader on his back on the ground.

-If you know then why?

The thracian once again prepared to cut the polemarch neck, but the latter from the ground threw dirt into his opponent eyes once again, dodging the dirty attack once more, seeing this Asterion launched himself once more with his sword against Niko, the latter covering himself again with his own blade, the continuous clashes of both swords weakened them constantly, as soon as his sword broke Asterion would be lost, he had to end this fight quickly, another attempt to attack his friend crotch failed as he moved back, at which point the polemarch launched his sword against the thracian face, who simply blocked the shot with his sword, Asterion was unarmed.

-You haven't trained your hoplomachy(1) at all. Do you expect to depend on the strength of others all your life?

-Yes...

Upon hearing this Niko took both swords, a blade in each hand, preparing to deliver the final blow.

-You are a brilliant polemarch, I'm sure your strategies would have taken us very far... But you're asking me to betray our homeland and I don't have the strength to face something like that... I see you don't either.

A miserable battle, a trained warrior facing a coward, the end of a sad life, taken at the hands of a friend, that thought filled the mind of the man born under no star, an everyday story that always ends up forgotten, after all, the failure of losers is never worth remembering…

-The strong always fall into the same traps, when facing someone much weaker, Niko.

The thracian no longer listened, he stretched his arms out to the sides and prepared to cut off the polemarch head using both swords, finally he ran towards his friend who, in a suicidal move also ran towards his opponent.

-Goodbye friend.

An X-shaped cut using both thracian swords aimed at his friend's neck was stopped by the bones in the polemarch arms, the bone sica swords had already splintered from so many impacts against each other, their poor edge broke against the polemarch arms who, taking advantage of his and the running thracian momentum, counterattacked with a hard headbutt that completely broke his friend nose, even fracturing his own skull due to the impact. Asterion arms were halfway severed, in addition to having multiple splinters buried in his flesh and due to the fracture in his head he was staggering from side to side, Niko on the other hand was knocked out with his face covered in blood, despite the polemarch wounds being much more serious, it was clear who had been the winner.

-Ah… How good… It feels to win.

If it had been just the two of them, Asterion would have undoubtedly died from the fracture in his head or bled out from the cuts on his arms, but Laconia immediately ran to heal his companions, Lita on her side sat next to the polemarch, to say a few words to him.

-You are certainly worth what your words are worth, heleny, thank you.

There was only half the night left and both warriors took their companions to the tent, only the tranquility of the night continued.

…

The tender sunlight filtered lightly through the tent, the heat of it was slowly awakening the young thracian, his memories were clouded, he only remembered Asterion last words and…

-Did I lose?

-Indeed.

The cynocephalus was sitting eating next to him, the others were still sleeping.

-I was quite surprised, I had lost all hope, I was planning to kill you and ally myself with the half-hydra that travels with you.

-… It probably would have worked.

-Anyway, I'm glad I didn't need to do that, let's start over, my name is Hippolyta, nice to meet you.

-Wasn't it Lita?

-AH!

The scream didn't cause even the slightest reaction among the sleepers.

-Please forget it.

-Sure.

They both ate together while waiting for everyone to wake up.

-Your leader is a very strange guy.

-Yes…

-If I were him, I would punish your betrayal with death.

-I guess that would be reasonable.

-Whatever happens, heleny, we are in this together, at least until my people are freed.

-I will do my best.

Asterion slowly opened his eyes, Laconia was sleeping next to him, her wounds were almost healed, Niko noticed her awakening.

-I'm sorry, captain... From now on, I will follow you, to the ends of the earth.

-It's about time, don't you think? You're not doing too bad for a sixteen-year-old.

-I'm already seventeen, captain.

-Eh, but in the labyrinth, you told me before-?

-Today is my birthday.

-Ah... HAHAHA! Happy birthday, my friend.

Hoplomaquia(1): Combat with weapons.