The Remnant

Red Dawn

Pile upon pile of fallen soldiers lay dead upon the bloodstained grass in the clearing cutting through the woods that the majority of the fighting had taken place in. Through the light undertone of mist broken spears, shattered blades, and cracked arrows lay scattered everywhere the eye could see among the corpses; whose ghoulish gazes of pained last expression haunted all that dared to glance. The dying screams of those fatally wounded only served to amplify this dark atmosphere that surrounded the survivors of the battle, and a nearby river running fully red with the blood of the dead didn't help do wonders either.

Perseus walked side by side with Andros going over the slaughter around them with sad eyes. So needless a massacre, such a pointless loss of lives; however such was every war he reasoned with a crestfallen shake of his head. With cloths held over their noses to block out the stench, the two made their way towards the new command grounds; which had been moved further to the side and as far from the heaps of bodies as possible. Each fallen blood red cape or Spartan shield Perseus walked by caused a jolt of pain to run through the Polemarch's body. These men were under his command, and he was responsible for all their fates.

None of your deaths will be in vain. He vowed as he passed another body, this time a youth clearly just old enough to be granted service in the shield wall being carried away by two more Spartans upon his shield.

"I must thank you again for saving me, brother. Those hunters... Nasty bunch they are but by Ares they can fight. I lost more than two-thirds of my personal guard trying to hold out against them and the Athenians combined forces. The owl fodder wasn't much hassle but the hunters were able to leap over or through our shield walls with ease." Andros' voice to his left snapped Perseus back to attention.

"Think nothing of it. I only wish we could have saved more.." He responded in a lower voice.

The small fight he and his men had committed to save Andros had been quicker than expected but resulted in much more casualties than hoped. While Perseus had much of his personal guard; he also had had many wounded and worn out soldiers with him, and when those men went up against the hunters and more higher class Athenian hoplites they were heavily outclassed.

In the end, it worked out he supposed. Andros and what was left of his cavalry had been freed to remount their horses and begin the flanking charges; albite with far smaller numbers than they'd had before. Regardless, the routes Perseus expected began to occur and eventually took over in the enemy ranks. The day was won, and the Spartans had defeated a force that must have been twice their size, yet it was a sadly hollow victory with the number of losses they had received.

So far hundreds of deaths had been confirmed with many more bodies to go. Perseus estimated that at least half of his men had been wiped out; meaning their chances of taking Athens grew slimmer and slimmer by the moment. In order to accomplish their goal now; the other members of the Peloponnesian league would really have to carry their military weight. It was a troublesome thought; as for the most part, Sparta was the main force military wise in the war. It was with great hesitance that he realized he must send a message back to Sparta and have reinforcements sent to meet them at Athens. How long they would take he was not sure, but he knew they'd need more men.

"Message for you sir." Was the first thing he was told as he entered his command tent by one of his officers; Alekos. "Rider claimed to be from Corinth, your eyes only he said."

Perseus took the letter with a nod of thanks before inquiring. "How fares your brother?"

"Cletus will live, though the poor bastard got himself nicked rather good by those hunters. He did, however, manage to kill some bigwig from Athens apparently before that though. Bunch of the lads saw it and now they're calling him the Owlsbane. Can you believe that load of horse bollocks?" Alekos said with a clear feigned expression of bewilderment.