Respect and Honor (A 300 fanfic)

Respect and Honor

Stelios walks into the tent belonging to Leonidas. His heart pumping with excitement and fear, he didn't know what was to happen next. Stelios emerges from the tent and grabs the Spartan by his Athenian robe and throws him inside. Pleistarchus falls to his knees, and when he looks up he sees his father, the fallen King Leonidas lying on a Persian silk covered cot, wearing Persian cloth with two Persian women crawling all over him while one feeds him grapes. He tries to get up but Stelios kicks him down,

"Easy Stelios. That is my son you know." Leonidas said with an amused smile.

"But sir, he is the reason why conquering Athens took longer than expected." Stelios argued.

"Did we take Athens?" Leonidas asked.

"Yes."

"Did we burn it to the ground?"

Stelios looked down. "Yes." He replied,

"Then I don't see what the problem is." Leonidas replied. "Now you, my son, why did you warn our enemy and why are you wearing their wretched clothes?"

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing?" Pleistarchus replied.

The smile disappeared from Leonidas' face. "You seem to forget who you're talking to."

"Yes I do, I'm supposed to talk to my father. Do you know where he went?"

Stelios went to punch Pleistarchus but Leonidas held his hand up, signaling him to stop.

"Respect and honor, Pleistarchus, is the lesson I taught you before I left."

"Yes, the lesson you taught me before you left to fight the Persians." He retorted. "NOT TO JOIN THEM!" He yelled.

"You better shut your mouth boy."

"I'm sorry my lord, but you were asking me a question."

"Yes I was. Respect and honor, the lesson I taught you before I left. Do you remember it?"

He walked into the answer that was soon to follow his question.

"Oh I remember it clear is day, but I think it's you who has forgotten."

Leonidas got down from the cot and walked over to his son. With Leonidas standing chest to chest with his son while looking down him, Pleistarchus could smell the scent of wine and grapes on his breath.

"Since you are my son I will give you 24 hours to run, but if you ever cross paths with me again...you're dead." Leonidas told his son. "Oh, and welcome back."

Stelios watched intensely as the former Spartan walked out of Leonidas' tent. Pleistarchus grabbed his stuff from the guard standing out front of the tent and started home. When day became night, Pleistarchus stopped and made a fire. While laying back and looking at the stars0 he hears a voice come from behind. Startled, he grabs his sword to see a young Spartan standing before him. The young Spartan then sat on a log that sat before the fire.

"You know they'll start out to look for you as soon as first light touches the sky." He said, but Pleistarchus just looked at him. "Oh, sorry. My name is Salino, and I have been waiting for twelve years for a reason to leave Leonidas...and you're that one reason."

"And how do I know that you're not going to kill me or bring me back to Leonidas?"

"Because I know their base inside and out, and it looks like you need someone with skills such as mine." The Spartan replied.

"Ok, we'll make for Sparta in an hour."

"What's in Sparta?" Salino asked.

"Another reason to join me." Pleistarchus said.

Another week went by before Pleistarchus and Salino met up with Dilios, Hecor, Troy and Jorge at his old home.

"Dilios this is Salino, Salino this-"

But Salino cut him off. "Oh I know who this is." The Spartan said excitedly. "You have been a hero of mine my whole life."

Dilios let a small smile curve on his lips, "Why thank you, it feels good to have such an impact on one's life."

"More than an impact my friend. So what is our battle plan?"

They hear the hooves of a horse pounding on the ground coming from the distance. They walk outside to see a figure wearing a red cape riding on a horse towards Sparta's gates. They meet the rider at the gates with their swords drawn and spears at their ready.

"Who are you?" Pleistarchus asked. "State your name and reason for being at my gates."

The rider who was stained with blood, steps off his horse. "My name is Julius and I am a Spartan in hiding who heard word of Spartans that want a chance of vengence against Leonidas and Xerxres should come here."

"Well, Julius, convince me that you're not part of Leonidas' army."

The Spartan then went to the horse and grabbed a sack that was hanging on the side of the horse, and pulled out three severed heads belonging to Persian scouts. "Is that enough proof?" Julius asked.

"Cut your arm with your blade." Pleistarchus said.

"Excuse me?" Julius asked, his eyes widening.

"Cut your arm with your blade. It doesn't have to be a gash, but enough to show your worth."

Julius sighs and draws his blade. He then cuts his arm with the blade and lets his blood fall to the ground.

"Great." Pleistarchus gives a smile. "Welcome to our team." He says while handing him a rag.

"Thank you my lord." Julius said. "But why the cut on my arm?"

   "It's a test of loyalty," Pleaistrchus said as he walked away.

They go inside and talk strategy while they wait for the Athenians to arrive. "Where is Thermistokles and his army of boy lovers?" Salino asked angrily.

"Give him time, you know they aren't as fast as us Spartans."Pleistarchus replies with a smile.

"So Pleistarchus, what did Leonidas say to you when Stelios brought you to him?" Dilios asked.

"Asked me why I was helping the enemy and why I was wearing their clothes."

"And?" Salino asked.

"I asked him why he was doing the same." Pleistarchus replied. Everyone laughs. "Then he went on about the lesson of respect and honor and if I forgot it, and I said I remembered it clear as day and that he was the one who forgotten."

The room went silent. "So you told him to fuck off."

Pleistarchus lets out a loud laugh, the first real one he had since he first arrived in Sparta.

   "Yeah," he laughs again. "I told him to fuck off."