Aidoneus

Confrontation

The trip was painstaking. While it was uneventful, so much time to think on her grief and sadness wore on her. She ended up taking most of the night watch shifts. She wasn't sleeping anyways so she might as well be useful and let her mortal brothers rest. They were now about an hour away from their destination, the port city of Patrae, when they saw a man walking on the road. As they neared it became clear he was injured. He held his right arm with his left, blood had dried on his chest from a wound to his shoulder. Kore's Father halted the soldiers while he and Kore rode up to the man alone. "Sir, what misfortunate has found you?" her Father inquired. The man looked up as if just noticing them, then looked behind them at the Spartan soldiers. "Spartans...where were you yesterday when the city was attacked?" Her Father straightened, "Attacked by who?" The man dropped his gaze back down to the ground. Broken, he answered, "The mad King of Ephyra." Then resumed his walk down the road passing by the Spartan men. Kore looked at her Father, "I will go ahead and scout the city". Her Father nodded, "be quiet and quick. We will find a place to take cover till you return. Then we can make a plan." She gathered her reins and gently squeezed her calves to signal her horse to canter.

As soon as she crested the small hill she saw grey plumes of smoke on the skyline. Once she got to the outskirts of the city, the destruction was clear. Sisyphus had not just seized the city, he had virtually destroyed it. She found a thicket of trees and tied her horse out of sight. She also removed her red spartan cape and sword. Using her burlap sleep blanket, she fashioned a himation to help her blend in. As she walked the remaining distance to the city she saw bodies piled outside the walls. Civilians who never stood a chance. She ducked her way through the city walls and once inside her heart sank. Small fires still raged. Moans and cries of the injured filled the air. Survivors scurried to hide. Suddenly someone grabbed her arm. "Hide!" A voice whispered as she was pulled sideways. She soon found herself in a small alleyway and a middle age man released her arm. Behind him stood a handful of others, women, men, children. All looking at her with terrified expressions. "What happened here?" She asked no one in particular. The man spoke. "His men have been coming and going from the city for weeks. Demanding portions of trade products coming into the port, searching ships, and generally bothering the locals. Then two days ago one of his men nailed a proclamation to the dock. It said that he was annexing the port and claiming it part of Ephyra. That no ships could enter or leave without his express permission. As you can imagine, that didn't go over well. People ignored it and continued like normal. Then, yesterday, about five hundred of his men landed at the port. We tried to reason with them. But they refused to even talk. They just started killing people. Innocent unarmed people. Most of us are boatmen, we have no weapons. They killed hundreds. Many fled. Some are hiding in their homes." She watched the man's eyes well with tears. "How many soldiers and where are they now?" She asked pulling out a piece of parchment and charcoal. The man began drawing a rough map of the city. Noting exits and the location of the soldiers. When he was done he handed them back to her, "can you get help?" He asked with hope ringing in his voice". Yes, but you must encourage all the civilians to leave the city of hide well." She smiled before checking the street and sneaking out the way she came.

As soon as she was outside the walls she broke into a sprint. Fortunately, her horse was still happily munching grass in the thicket. She swung on him and tore down the road. Eventually she saw a small stack of stones next to a grove. Her Father's sign. She turned off the road the continued a sort distance before she saw them. Her father was tall and stood out from the meandering soldiers. "Kore, how bad is it?" he asked.

"Bad. The city is in ruins. Those who can are fleeing. Some are either trapped or hiding in their homes. About 500 of Sisyphus solider remain scattered throughout the city." She handed her Father the map, "one of the local townsmen gave me this." Her Father studied the map, "Good. This is a start. Its getting late. Let's camp for tonight and move into the City in the morning. Try to catch them off guard. If this map is correct, and some of the perimeter walls have been destroyed than we can flank the perimeter of the city and surround them from the start." Kore nodded, the plan was solid and the best chance they had.