The Heart of Alexander

Chapter Twenty Seven- On the Battlefront

As quick as possible, Sibani and I gathered all of the villagers to the center of town. They were all crowded together like pigs in a pen awaiting slaughter. Sibani and I stood upon a makeshift platform, capturing the attention of them all. All the men, women, and children stared at the both of us in silence. 

"Lend me your ears, people. We have a proposition for you all," Sibani announced.

"King Ambhi and King Alexander have now gone to war against King Porus to the east. unfortunately, they do not have enough men nor supplies to last. I ask of you to take up arms and join us on the battlefront," I said. 

"My queens, we are not equipped to fight. We do not have weapons, nor do we have the skills to fight. You would be sending us to our deaths," a man cried out from within the swelling crowd. The crowd broke out into chatter.

"We hid weapons within the tunnels in the middle of the night. Ambhi and Alexander need more men. Without you, your homes will be invaded and your children will be slaughtered, your wives rapes, and your husbands murdered. Do you wish for that on yourselves?" Sibani replied. 

"But we know nothing about war," a woman said holding her child in her arms. 

"It is instinct. Now are you with us?" I asked. 

All there was in the air was silence. Sibani and I looked at each other with hope slowly decreasing as we waited. After a few minutes, a young girl in front of us went down on one knees, bowing her head. 

"I serve," the girl spoke. A silence hushed over every person as I hoped for a response, anything for that matter. In that moment, a great many bent down on their knees, saying the same two words that girl uttered. I gazed out at the crowd in awe of the men and women willing to lay their lives down for me. Never did I imagine these people, who I barely knew, would fight for me and Sibani. I smiled at Sibani, who smiled just as widely back. 

"Whatever you ask of us, we will do," the young girl's father said beside his daughter. 

"Go to your houses and go to the tunnels. You will find weapons hidden beneath the ground. Take up arms and meet back here," I commanded.

The crowd dispersed, everyone separating to go into their homes and search for the hidden weapons. Some men went to the stables as well to find any horse they could to ride. Even Aquilo was restored to me by one of the stable boys. After several minutes had passed, the villagers arrived back in the center of town with their new found weaponry. They all awaited command, standing firm like trained soldiers would. But they were not soldiers, they were only commoners with hope for their future. I pulled a dagger from where it was sheathed on my waist and nodded to Sibani. Raising it in the air, I shouted with much force, allowing my determination to flow out in my voice and ring in the air.

"For King and Conqueror!" I screamed.

"For King and Conqueror!"

Alexander's P.O.V.

The muscles in my legs quivered in need of relief. I yanked the arrow imbedded in my leg out with one single pull, the pain agonizing. I gripped my sword tighter as I let out a warrior cry, severing a man's head from the rest of his body. The head rolled away as the body fell in a heap  of warm blood on the ground. The satisfaction of his death sent chills throughout me. Never before did I hear about a warrior or conqueror who enjoyed beheading his fellow humans. Then again, I was no normal warrior either. 

My eyes darting to the left, I growled in frustration at the sight before me. We were surrounded by the enemy, my men getting back up into a crowd. They could not fight like this. Perdiccas fought still, but slowly retreated back. Roxana's boy soldier and Cassander slashed into men back to back, but were slowly being outnumbered. Hephaiston was the nearest to me, blacking me from further hits by the enemy. A hoard of Porus's men thundered towards and Ambhi was relaxing up on a hilltop looking down at the battle that was sprawled out before him. He was a king and his men were fighting for him. Yet, he would not fight for their lives in return.  What a pity.