the lost Spartan

Berks Beaches

The sound of seagulls pierced my ears, the smell of sea water filled my nose and the coarse sand rubbed against my wounds, I began to groan as I came to consciousness. every movement I made hurt "where...where am I?" I asked myself, I tried to move but I could barely feel my own body "where's my ship...?" I asked, I mustered all of my strength and pulled myself to my knees, painfully turning my head I saw a shield and spear, I slowly moved my hand to my side a felt the familiar shape of my fathers knife and I let out a breath of relief.

I moved my broken body towards the shield and spear and yanked them from the sand using them to stand "what? what is this place?" I asked myself again, suddenly a group of people came rushing down towards me and I gripped my spear and readied my shield ready for any attack.

"who are you?!" a large brown haired man asked, the inched closer with weapons in hand "back off!" i yelled, covering my body with the shield and placing my spear over the top of the rounded shield "whoa whoa, we don't mean you any harm" a thinner one legged, brown haired man said "then why do you bare weapons?" I asked, he looked at the rest of his team who looked hesitant, have they never seen a spartan before?

"lay down your weapons first" the man tried to bargain, they didn't seem to be an aggressive force so I relaxed my stance and leant on my weapon "now you" I told them and they followed my request "where are you from?" a blonde girl asked "im from sp..." before I could answer I felt the last of my strength leave my body and passed out...

.

. flashback

.

"Do you smell that commander?" Vera asked me "yes. we are near land. one more fight and I rest" I told my second in command "the idea of Sparta's greatest general hanging up his sword and shield is something I will never understand" she replied "I have fought many battles, killed many who deserved it and many that haven't, a man needs his rest and mine will soon be here" i explained "but who will lead? without you Sparta is lost" she said in protest "you question the might of sparta?" i asked "no but someone like you shouldn't retire, you should be on the battlefield" she told me "you forget your place Vera" I sternly "but sir I-" "enough! you will not speak of this anymore!" I yelled "yes sir" she said before falling silent 

A few minutes after I heard a screech unlike any beast I have ever heard, the daunting shadow of a winged creature flew over head and for a seconds blocking out the sun, it let out another screech much louder than the last.

One of the other boats, without my permission, began to fire arrows towards the beast "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ONLY FIRE WHEN I TELL YOU TO FIRE!" I boomed at the other boat but it was too late, the arrows that were fired stayed true to their target but barely grazed the beasts skin but it was enough to aggravate the flying myth, it dove down into the water avoiding the ships completely.

Nothing happened, no destruction, no death just a silence that you could only hear in a graveyard, no one moved a muscle, not the rowers, not the soldiers, not me dared move... suddenly the giant beast had made its move, it burst out from under the the ship that began to fire earlier, crushing it in its jaws destroying it with ease "FALL BACK!" I yelled, everyone began to panic, the rowers were frantically moving the oars but they weren't fast enough "SHIELD WALL!" I ordered, every spartan formed a square shield wall "ARCHERS, SPEARMEN TAKE POSTION!", I grabbed my spear from my back and waited for the next attack...

The monster was smart and cunning, using the water on it's scales, it heat up its own body creating a thick layer of vapour hiding the giant beast "STEADY! STEADY!" I yelled to my soldiers, suddenly from nowhere the second ship with us erupted in flames and chaos "ARCHERS FIRE!" they did as I ordered and knocked back the arrows but again they did nothing but grab it's attention, it began to fly towards us screaming a war cry of death as it did, thinking quick I ordered the rowers to turn the boat 90 degrees giving me an opening, one chance, one well placed spear "come on...come on FACE ME!" I bellowed at the beast and it responded with a powerful cry

It was in position... now or never...

I cocked back my arm and flung my spear with the might of Zeus and the strength of Hercules, it cut through the air whistling as it made it's way toward the target, the dragon didn't see it coming, and let out pain filled scream as the spear lodged itself into the beast's eye. the winged monster fly upwards in retreat and my men began to cheer "by Poseidon's beard, you must be a god!" vera claimed "we were victorious but we lost many, we must retreat for now and let the emperor know of this place" I told my ship

I heard screaming behind me and turned quickly to see that half of my ship was now on fire "NO!" I yelled as I saw the beast barrel towards us and decimate our ship as it crashed into us.

I was lucky to be alive , although I was bleeding out I was alive, I floated in the sea as I could only watch as my crew was burned or drowned by that monster...

.

.present day

.

I shot up in cold sweats to find myself in a large bed covered in boar hide sheets, as the memories of what happened began to leave me again I felt a pain in my side, chest and back ravage my body, with every movement all I felt was pain, I felt a small hand on my chest push me back down in bed, I tried to fight it but I was still too weak "rest, you need rest" I black haired girl said gently "no... no I need to find my men..." I replied, I placed my hand where my father's knife was but I could no longer my find it "my knife...WHERE'S MY KNIFE!?" I yelled shooting back up from the bed I was in "what have you done with my knife? give it to me. NOW!" I boomed.

The scared girl pointed to the table to my side and rushed out the room, I let out a sigh and grabbed my knife, I found that I was changed into new bottoms, they were tighter than what im used too, I pulled my legs over the side of the bed and pulled myself up and to the mirror, my upper body was covered in bandages, I ripped them off to see three scars one across my chest, abdomen and as I turned around on my back "I need to get out of this place, before that girl gets help" I told myself, I picked up my belt and holstered my knife and grabbed a top and began to leave.

I closed the door to the hut I had just left and turned to see... those monsters again, hundreds of them all with.. owners, out of instinct I quickly put myself back in the hut and began to devise a plan when suddenly I heard heavy knocking at my door...