Chapter 10:Hispanic

The Spartans were charging down the hill at full speed. Their spirits were high after recent successes over the barbarians. The death of Zroma and Heracles pleased them above all else. General Kratos, Mikel and Raphael led the vanguard on the attack of Hispania, the barbarians' final stand. Mikel raised his sword.

"FIRE!"

A flurry of arrows soared through the sky towards the main gate. The wooden gate erupted in flames when it came in contact with the inflamed arrows. As the main gate started to burn, several Spartans placed ladders along the outer walls of Hispania and began to climb. The barbarians, caught in total surprise, were screaming at each other, not knowing what to do.

Spartan archers took aim and fired another volley of fire arrows, this time into Hispania itself. Several houses caught fire and burned. Screams of panic filled the fortress. Several barbarians within Hispania had caught fire and burned to death. A third volley and the whole city became a sea of fiery red as think smoke rose from Hispania into the sky, blocking out the sun.

The barbarians somehow rcovered from their shock and were fighting back. From the top of the walls, they threw axes. Some unfortunate Spartans are hit and fall to the ground. Others simply blocked the axes with their shields. Some of the Spartans who were climbing on the ladders were already on the walls. Bodies were falling off the walls, barbarians and Spartans alike. Some of the barbarians pushed the ladders of the wall, sending a wave of Spartans crashing to their deaths.

The main gate had finally burned away and fell off like a rotting corpse. The full force of the Spartan army was unleashed. Cavalry and infantry stormed Hispania and started to slaughter the barbarians. General Kratos was the most devastating force. With his Blades of Chaos, he took out an entire horde of barbarians. Mikel and Raphael were slowly cutting a path towards what might have been the barbarians' palace.

Skulls decorated the length of the outer walls and the main door was heavily guarded.Mikel and Raphael made their way towards it. Blood flowed into a river at Hispania as many lives were lost. Severed limbs littered the ground like fallen leaves. What was strange however, was the lack of an enemy commander. Beowoulf himself was nowhere to be found on the battlefield.

"He must be hiding in the palace. GO!"

At last, Raphael and Mikel arrived at the gates of the palace. An elite guard, the same kind of unit Heracles used came to meet them. Raphael, having had the experience, quickly took care of him. Mikel broke down the door and the two friends entered.

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Prince Cycnus was sitting on the throne of his late father, getting used to the feeling of being in such a powerful position. Suddenly, a mystifying voice filled the room. Prince Cycnus quickly jerked from the throne.

"Did you really see the need to murder your mother?"

"WHO'S THERE?"

"IS THAT THE WAY TO SPEAK TO YOUR FATHER?"

Prince Cycnus froze.

"I...I'm sorry, father."

"Do you not realise that I loved your mother deeply?"

"Father, forgive me but had I let the woman live, she could have exposed my deeds and cost me the throne."

"Would she now?"

A tall, dark figure moved towards Prince Cycnus. It struck him in the face with such force that Prince Cycnus fell to the ground.

"I will let your infidelity escape this time, my son. However, you are to ensure that your plan succeeds, or there will be hell to pay!"

"Yes father, I will not fail me."

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The search for Beowoulf continued. Many severed limbs and dead bodies later, Raphael and Mikel came to the last remaining room in the palace: the throne room.

The friends nodded at each other and went in.

The room was huge but dull. There no windows nor decorations you would come to expect from a throne room. In place of statues were skulls. Hundreds of them, all piled unto one another to form a heap of them. The barbarians weren't kidding about collecting our skulls. At the very end of the room, upon the throne, sat a figure so still, it could have been a statue.

Raphael and Mikel approached the throne cautiously, fully aware of Beowoulf's skill in battle. Something wasn't right. The figure looked very thin and barely even lifted its head. Raphael ran forward, sword at the ready. When he got to the throne, he realised that the figure was in fact, a woman! Upon further inspection, Raphael felt his insides churn. The woman was a barbarian and judging by the jewelry she wore, she was the queen!Was Beowoulf so monstrous that he would kill his own wife? The very thought of it made Raphael feel repulsive.

"Mikel, we've been tricked."

"Yes, you have!"

Raphael and Mikel spun around to find themselves face to face with about 10 barbarian assasins.

"Not again!"

Raphael was getting sick of them. After a hard-fought battle in which both Raphael and Mikel were repeatedly cut and slashed, the last of the assasins dropped to the ground, dead.

"No point staying here, let's tell Kratos."

When Raphael and Mikel emerged unto the streets of Hispania, the fighting had already stopped. The barbarians in the fortress all laid on the ground, their lifeless bodies covered in blood. Suddenly, the heard one of the Spartans shouting.

"RETREAT!RETREAT!"

Puzzled, the two friends ran towards the source of the voice and were horrified by what they saw. The Spartans were fighting a new enemy. Many Spartans were already killed, the remaining few trying to get away from the fearsome foe, from......General Kratos.When he saw Raphael and Mikel, he stopped killing the Spartan soldiers and turned to them.

"Well, well, well, did you kill Beowoulf?No, don't answer. He wasn't there was he? Afterall, why would he? I had personally informed him earlier about our attack. He must have fled.That's right, Mikel, the man I killed the other night was not the traitor. I am."

"General Kratos....why?"

"Why? I have served in the Spartan army all my life and I have achieved nothing! Then this Axel shows up and after a few years is made Grand General!? I have had enough of Sparta!"

"But what has Beowoulf given you for betraying Sparta?"

"Look around you.Hispania is mine!"

"You killed his son!"

"Wrong. I killed his illegitimate son! Beowoulf's real son...IS ME!"

Kratos swung his left arm and the blade of chaos slams into a tree, completely shattering the trunk.

Raphael and Mikel readied themselves for battle.

Chapter 9:Calm before the storm

"Prince Cycnus!By the Gods!"

The palace guard, Orion rushed into the royal chamber with a handful of servants.Their faces all in horror as they took in the surroundings. King Xenahort lying dead on a blood-soaked bed with his neck broken, Queen Demitris' lifeless body, motionless on the marble floor, Prince Cycnus horribly injured, blood flowing freely from a deep wound in his torso.

"Zeus and Athena...."

Orion ordered two servants to tend to Prince Cycnus while he rushed towards the king's bed. Orion wept for King Xenahort, an old friend of his. With tears flooding his face, Orion reached out his hands and closed King Xenahort's eyes. He then went over to inspect the queen's body. Her garments were soaked wet with blood, her eyes, like the king's, were open wide with either horror or shock. Orion shook his head and closed her eyes as well.

A long period of silence entered the room. It took great effort but Orion finally stood up and turned to face Prince Cycnus. He knelt in front of him.

"What happened?"

"It was those cursed Romans! They sent an assasin! Oh my poor father, my poor mother! They tried to kill me too! I should have been dead! I want to be with my family!"

His voice shook horribly, he was very weak.Prince Cycnus drew a dagger from Orion and tried to stab himself. The palace guard blocked the knife with his own hand, injuring himself in the process.

"Do not be rash, my prince, Sparta cannot take another death. Forgive me, for I have failed in my duties. If another must die, then let it be me."

Orion bowed his head, anticipating death. It did not come.When Prince Cycnus spoke again, his voice was firm and commanding.

"Go to Laccnia, Orion and tell Axel and Kratos of my father's death. Have them return at once."

"But, Prince Cycnus, what about the barbarians?"

"What is more important than mourning for my father, King of Sparta?"

"It shall be done, my prince. You two, take Prince Cycnus to the doctor at once!"

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The Spartan main army was at a standstill a short distance away from Hispanic, listening intently to General Kratos as he prepared them to assault the barbarian stronghold.

"Months of war with the barbarians is about to come an end!Hispanic is their final stronghold!They have lost thousands of men! They would have to climb over mountains of their own dead bodies to get to Sparta! Their generals are dead! Only their king Beowoulf is left, leading them into their own demise!"

General Kratos mounted his horse and raised his right arm.

"FOR OUR FALLEN BRETHREN! FOR KING XENAHORT! FOR SPARTA!"

The soldiers all raised their swords and cheered.

"Raphael, do the honours."

Raphael nodded and shouted.

"WE WILL RETURN WITH OUR SHIELDS OR UPON THEM!"

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In Laccnia,

Tristan was with General Axel in the medical wing. Axel was recovering well and Tristan was now able to move about without limping. 3 days have passed since the ambush in the forest and both soldiers have resumed light training.They were at the archery range.

"So, Tristan, I heard that you're one of the best archers from your homeland.Fancy a friendly competition with me?"

"Commander, isn't it a wrong time for such things?"

Axel broke into short fits of laughter.

"You need to lighten up a bit, Tristan. You're so young, enjoy life!"

"We're in a war, commander."

Axel's smile faded. He picked up a bow and a quiver of arrows. He took aim.When he spoke again, it was in a hushed tone.

"The war with Beowoulf is about to end but the internal struggle in Greece is escalating to deadly heights."

"Internal struggles?"

Axel released the arrow and it hit the training dummy right between where eyes should have been on a human.

"Just like Zeus, Poseidon and Hades always fight amongst themselves, so is Greece. Sparta, Athens and Argos share an uneasy peace so fragile that a single strike can shatter it."

Tristan stared at his own feet, lost in thought.

"What interests me, is the fate which awaits you and your friends if civil war erupts. Mikel is an Athenian, you come from Argos and Raphael grew up in Sparta. Could you turn your bow upon your friends?"

"I'd rather not think about that commander."

Tristan raised his bow and fired.The tip of the arrow penetrated and split Axel's eralier arrow in half.Deadly accuracy.

"Not bad. So, shall we have a contest?"

Tristan smirked.

"Try to keep up, commander."

The gates of Laccnia opened and a man galloped into the fortress on his horse. Upon seeing Axel, he dismounted and hurried over to him. The man was around 40 years of age, but looked very old. His eyes were deep blue and he had short greying hair. He was well built and had a clean face. He carried a sword and a dagger. It was Orion, the palace guard.Axel went to greet him.

"Orion, what brings you to Laccnia?"

"General Axel, you must return to Sparta at once! King Xenahort and Queen Demitris were killed and Prince Cycnus injured by assasins sent from Rome. Sparta is now in mourning and Prince Cycnus requests your presence!"

"But I cannot leave, not now that victory is so close!"

"General! If you do not return to Sparta, Prince Cycnus will order your execution! Leave someone else in charge! You must appear at the burial three days from now! For your sake, general, I pray that you will not be late."

Orion mounted his horse and started on his way back to Sparta.Tristan eyed Axel with great interest. At last, Axel turned to him.

"The greatest war Greece will ever face is about to begin."

Chapter 8:Spoils of War

A bonfire can be seen from a distance. As General Kratos and Mikel closed in on the back gate of Laccnia, they can sense something wrong. The gates were shut tight and there were no guards on patrol. Kratos glanced at Mikel and they both shared worried looks.

"Let's pick up the pace."

Kratos' horse broke into a gallop and Mikel followed suit.

"OPEN THE GATES!I AM KRATOS!ACTING COMMANDER OF LACCNIA!"

When no reply came, Kratos dismounted.

"Just WHAT is going on?"

Barbaric war cries echoed through the forest.The last remaining streaks of colour drained from Kratos' pale face.Mikel looked alarmed.

"Commander!"

"We are under attack, no doubt."

"Should we pass through the hills to the other side?"

"No, by the time we do that, Laccnia would have fallen."

Kratos eyed the walls of the fortress and drew his Blades of Chaos.

"Grab unto me."

"What?"

"Just do it, that's an order."

Mikel awkwardly locked his hands around Kratos' waist. With a fiery look in his eyes, Kratos swung his blades towards the top of the walls. The blades extended and hooked themselves on one of the watchtowers.

"Time to climb."

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A huge blade flashes before his eyes and misses his neck by mere inches. Raphael was engaged in a heated duel with Heracles. The size of Heracles' sword betrays its speed and agility. Perhaps it was Heracles' seemingly inhumane strength which made the huge sword look light. Heracles was wielding it using only one hand!Raphael focused intensely, if not to defeat Heracles then to avoid death.Heracles took a huge swipe at Raphael who dodged it by rolling out of the way. Instinctively, Raphael raised his shield to meet the second attack.

Heracles' sword came down with the force of a minotaur and upon impact shattered Raphael's metal shield as though it was made of wood. However, Raphael was thankful that the shield did manage to absorb most of the sword's damage or his hand would have easily been severed. Before Raphael could move, Heracles struck him with the fist of his free hand, sending Raphael flying towards the fortress walls. He slammed against it and fell to the ground like a rag doll.

Heracles closed in on Raphael, dragging his gigantic sword after him. Raphael quickly pretened to be unconscious. As Heracles used both hands to raise his sword, Raphael quickly slashed at Heracles' knees. Heracles stumbled and Raphael tried to get out of harm's way.A crushing blow and Raphael fell face first to the ground.Heracles had countered by slamming his arm into Raphael's back.

As Raphael turned on the ground, he saw Heracles standing over him. When he fell, Raphael's sword flew out of his hands, he was defenseless. Suddenly, Heracles screamed as roars emerged from the fortress of Laccnia. Someone had slashed Heracles from behind, but who?Who could have gotten close enough to even touch him?Showing anger more than pain, Heracles turned around and Raphael saw General Kratos standing at the fortress gates, two crescent shaped blades lying in the floor, hanging from the chains which extended from his wrists.Heracles laughed.

"Kratos!The Ghost of Sparta!"

Ghost of Sparta? Of course, Kratos' pale skin!

"It is such a pity, that you chanced upon meeting me, Ghost of Sparta, now I will send you to Hades!"

"We shall see about that!"

General Kratos moved with incredible speed, perhaps even faster than Heracles' assasins. Kratos evaded every slash of Heracles' blade. He dodged, jumped and rolled, frustrating Heracles everytime he managed to escape death. Unfortunately, somehow Kratos had managed to roll himself into a perilous position. His back was now against the fortress wall and Heracles stood in front of him. He was cornered.

Heracles took a huge swipe at Kratos. Most battles and duels are decided by one moment of excellence and for Kratos, this was it. Before the blade came into contact with his body, Kratos jumped up and landed on the huge blade!As Heracles stared in disbelief, Kratos ran up the blade and jumped over Heracles in a sommersault motion but not before plunging his blades deep into Heracles' shoulders.Kratos ran forward and the chains on his wrists extended. Heracles was pulled to the ground on his back.

Kratos stopped running and pulled his right hand with all his might.The blade dislodged itself and as Kratos turned in a full circle, it beheaded several barbarians standing nearby. Kratos brought the blade down upon Heracles' abdomen. Heracles jerked in pain as he struggles to break free.Kratos then pulled his left arm and the other blade broke free. In one fluid movement, Kratos dislodged the other blade, jumped in the air, and plunged both blades deep into Heracles' chest, killing him.And if that wasn't enough, using his extended blades as leverage, Kratos lifted Heracles' body and tossed it into the very heart of the barbarian army.

The barbarians froze with fear. Kratos retracted his chains and placed his blades back in their scabbards. He picked up Heracles' huge sword.

"The Blade of Artemis. A fearsome weapon. This belongs to the Gods!"

Kratos plunges the blade deep into the forest ground and as everyone watched the blade shattered and turned into blue sparks which rose into the night sky and floated towards the moon.

Kratos walked towards the remaining barbarians.

"Go back and tell your king that his son is dead! Tell him that we will take Hispanic and his head. We offer him a choice, to die a slow, horrible death, or surrender and we promise a quick death.GO!"

And to emphasize his point for good measure, Kratos grabs an axe from a nearby barbarian and splits his head.Seeing this, the barbarians quickly retreated back to Hispanic.

Kratos turned to look at Raphael.

"You're still alive? I'm impressed. Come, we must treat your wounds, I hope they aren't serious, I can do without another injured soldier."

Kratos and Raphael reentered Laccnia to the sound of deafening cheers from the soldiers, heads held high with victory.

Chapter 7:Royal Death

The rain pounded relentlessly on the castle windows. The door of the royal chamber, the king's resting place was open. The old king lied on his blood-soaked bed, panting, desperate for breath. His bulging eyes stared in horror at the two figures standing over him.

"You...tra...traitors..."

"We just did what we had to do. Sparta needs a new ruler, one with the ability to guide them. The barbarian threat will soon be thrawted no doubt but the Romans, under King Octavius have been trying to expand their territory into Greece, into Sparta. You have decided to send envoys to make peace, but we don't want peace. We will go to war with the Romans and we will defeat them."

"N...No! A war with the Ro...Romans will damn us all!!!"

"Such fine words, coming from the king of Sparta. Maybe that's why I am destined a be a greater ruler than you'll ever be, father."

"You ungrateful son of a mule!I raised you as my own!"

"And what a nice job you did, raising a son who is not yours, my husband."

"Curse you, Demitris! Yours will not be a fate far from mine, this I swear upon the River Styx and Hades be my witness!"

Queen Demitris lowered her head and kissed King Xenahort on the lips and smiled menancingly. She put her hands on his head and with all her strength she twisted his neck to the left and back. King Xenahort lay motionless now, his eyes staring into space, his body lifeless, his soul on its way to the Underworld.

"Goodbye, my love."

Metal pierced her flesh. Queen Demitris looks on in horror as the tip of a sword penetrates her chest and exits on the other side. She turned and faced her son.

"I'm sorry, mother, but the old man is right. I cannot afford any distractions now that I am to be crowned King of Sparta. "

The prince pulled his sword out of Queen Demitris' body and pushed her to the ground. He waited till her breathing stopped. He threw his scabbard at the window, smashing it and alerting the guards. The prince impaled himself in the abdomen with his sword and fell sideways to the ground.

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Back in Laccnia

Raphael ducks just in time as the blade of a dagger misses by inches. He had engaged Heracles' two elite guards. They moved with high agility and speed. Raphael knew at once he was against skilled assasins. They skipped, hopped, jumped and dodged so frequently Raphael could barely see their feet touch the ground. Their daggers allowed them to strike at high speed and allowed them high flexibility on the battlefield.

Raphael was known as a skilled swordsman but now, this was a real test of his skills. A sharp pain on his right thigh forced Raphael to kneel to the ground. Blood gushed out of the wound. The blade of the dagger had cut through his armour as though it was made of cloth. The two assasins walked about in circles, sizing him up, like vultures playing with their prey.

One of them lunged forward with his daggers raised. Raphael just managed to raise his shield to deflect them. He swung his sword wildly and completely missed the barbarian. Raphael was slashed again, this time on his left shin. The voice of Hades was growing louder, Raphael had to think of a way to win or he'll be dead in no time.

The second assasin rushed forward. Raphael raised his shield but the attack came from beneath it, targetted at his lower limbs. Another hit, this time at his ankle. The shield was a liability. The first assasin charged again and this time, instead of using his shield to block the attack, Raphael used it to bash the assasin, hoping to land a lucky strike. It worked. The shield caught the assasin right in the face, dazing him. Raphael capitalised by severing the assasin's arms. Raphael plunged his sword into the assasin's chest, killing him.

The second assasin looked stunned and froze instantly in shock. Raphael dropped his shield and picked up one of the daggers from the dead assasin. It was time to fight fire with fire. The second assasin recovered from his shock and resumed moving around, pondering a plan of attack. He charged forward. Raphael anticipated it. He sidestepped the assasin, allowing him to go past. The assasin attempted a back swing attack but Raphael anticipated that too. He blocked the attack with his sword and using the dagger, punctured the assasin's left lung. Blood burst out from the wound. The assasin dropped his daggers and covered his wound with his hands.

The assasin had his head severed by a long sword. Heracles himself had killed his last assasin.

"Worthless coward!"

Heracles turned to face Raphael. An evil smile spread across his face.

"Perhaps, my blade will reap your soul afterall."

Raphael picked up his shield. Heracles' guards may be dead, but he was not. Despite the injuried, Raphael prepared for his second battle as the barbarians cheered for their commander. The Spartans watched with anxiety, tension rising, the strained silence blooming with dread.

Chapter 6: Heracles

The traitor was slain, his lifeless body lie sprawled on the ground. Mikel and General Kratos were riding back towards the Spartan encampment to annouce the good news.

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Meanwhile in Laccnia....

Raphael was sitting on the ground, resting his back against the well, his sword by his side. The night sky was lit by millions of stars and the mystique-filled moon, Artemis' pride. As Raphael admired the brilliant artistry, he couldn't help but recall a vague memory from his childhood, a strange one as well.

It was the day he was born. His father, or who Raphael THOUGHT was his father was staring down at him with shocked eyes, as though Raphael's birth was not possible. The strange thing was, he could not hear his mother's voice, no cry which comes with the pain of manual labour. His father spoke in a hushed tone, a language he did not comprehend. He was born on a hill,the sky was exactly as it was tonight.His father bent forward and carried him. Raphael did not know how his father REALLY looked like, he could only imagine. The man took off with baby Raphael clutched near his chest,He mounted a horse and rode off.

A dozen swords fell to the ground. The sound of clinging metal jerked Raphael back to full alert. Drawing his sword, he stood up.It was Tristan who knocked over the swords as he limped pass the armoury.

"BLAST this leg!"

Tristan struggled towards Raphael.

"What are you doing, Tristan, you should be resting."

"No my friend, I cannot rest while you and Mikel go through so much danger. Where is Mikel, anyway?"

"He's gone with General Kratos in an attempt to kill the traitor."

"Did they succeed?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter, Tristan, you shouldn't be here."

"It is my will, Raphael, do not stop me."

"Hush, friend. You will go back to rest at once. I am in charge for now."

"And what will you do if I disobey you, COMMANDER?"

The way Tristan said the word "commander" brought a smile to Raphael's face. He remembered the good old times when they used to tease each other, those days seemed like aeons ago even though they departed for Laccnia merely two weeks ago.

Something was wrong. A Spartan watchmen fell from his tower, an arrow sticking out his back. A distant horn broke the silence of the night.

"Tristan, go back to the medical wing now."

"No, I can still use my bow."

"I won't allow it, go back to the medical wing and alert General Axel, do it now! If not as a soldier to a commander's orders, then as a friend's request."

Tristan stared long into his friends eyes and at last nodded. As Tristan limped back towards the medical wing, Raphael rushed up the walls of the fortress. The sight which greeted him when he reached the top of the walls could cause countless nightmares. Every Spartan on the walls froze as they looked upon the seemingly endless wave of barbarians standing a mere 30 yards away. Judging by the axes illuminated by the moonlight,there must have been hundreds, no, thousands of them, all waiting for the command to attack.

A dark figure came out of the horde and walked towards the main gate.

"Should I shoot him, commander?" A nearby archer asked.

"No, open the gates. I will meet him. You, get the soldiers ready for battle."

Raphael went down the steps of the fortress walls towards the armoury.He grabbed a shield and went out to meet the enemy commander.

The barbarian leader was just as tall as the all the other barbarians, perhaps he was slightly shorted than Zroma, but he still towered over Raphael. He had long, unkept black hair and black eyes. He had a wild, tangly beard and a sharp face. He wore a cloak made of bear skin with half the head of the animal welded into his helmet. He too, wore loincloth that was made of fur, but his seemed different. It was decorated with a belt encrusted with jewelry. He wielded a sword that was twice the size and length of Raphael.

"I am Heracles, son of Beowoulf. Surrender or I will kill you all and decorate my home with your skulls!"

Raphael's heart skipped several beats. Of all the people who would attack Laccnia with Axel and Kratos both unavailable to defend, it had to the barbarian king's son. Raphael's fist tightened on the hilt of his sword.He stepped forward, uttering so softly that it was barely audible.

"Over my dead body."

Heracles roared with sinister laughter.

"Such courage from such a tiny little Spartan. You are not worthy of my sword. Fight my guards instead!"

Two barbarians stepped forward. For once, here were two barbarians who wore armour. They dual-wielded long daggers. One of them licked his lips in anticipation. Raphael drew his sword. Let the games begin.

Chapter 5: Kratos

Upon arriving at Laccnia, the Spartans watched with ash-stricken faces as Axel is carried off on a stretcher, towards the medical wing. Tristan limped off after him. Raphael is reunited with Mikel as Raphael shared his suspicions wtih him over a cup of wine in their tent.

"Who do you suspect then, Raphael?"

"Honestly, I have no clue."

A long silence passed in the tent as the two friends considered their next move. Tristan was injured, their general barely alive, two inexperienced soldiers in the heart of the most gruesome war Greece has ever been involved in, just about the pefect combination. Raphael removed his scabbard and laid it on the ground, got up and began to pace the room. Mikel's eyes followed Raphaels's movement, only breaking eye contact once or twice to take a sip of wine.

The sun had started to set, casting a shadowy gloom over the Spartan encampment. The torches were lit and some of the soldiers, especially the wounded had retreated into their tents and were resting. Raphael's tent was exceptionally quiet. He had initially shared with Mikel, Tristan and another three soldiers. Now, Tristan was in the hospital wing, while the other three were either buried in makeshift tombs or rotting on the battlefield.

The fire within the tent crackled eerily, sending soft sparks of flames to the ground. Raphael and Mikel had not spoken since dinner. So far, they have not discovered anyone who had a reason to betray them. Suddenly, someone pulled back the shawls of the tent and entered. Raphael picked up his sword and sprang to his feet.

"WHO'S THERE!?"

"Peace, soldier, put down your weapon."

The voice which came was deep and rough. Raphael's arm remained as tense, not wanting to lower his guard and end up making a fatal mistake. Mikel lit a fire and raised it towards the intruder.

A pair of dark brown eyes. Pale skin. A bald head. A short beard at the chin, a scar beneath the left eye. Red tattos the right side of his body. Thick chains wrapped around both his wrists, thinning and dissapearing behind his back. He was very well built, his muscles well defined. His height matched that of the fallen barbarian commander, Zroma. His waist was wrapped with a piece of loincloth made out of tiger skin. It was General Kratos, recovered from his injuries.At last, Raphael's arm relaxed and he put his sword back in his scabbard.

"Tristan tells me that you have suspicions of a turncoat in our army."

"Yes, general."

"Curses!We shall find this traitor and execute him."

"With all due respect commander, how do we do that, for neither Raphael nor I have any clue as to who it is." Mikel said.

"We will lure him out. You, Mikel, is it?Grab your sword and follow me. Raphael, I leave you in command, if there are any attacks, protect Laccnia with your life."

"Understood, commander."

Mikel and Kratos left the tent , went to the stables, grabbed two horses and rode out into the forest.In the darkness of the night, Mikel could vaguely make out two cresent-like metal shapes resting against Kratos' lower back. Kratos had chosen not to wear any armour when they went out.

"What are we supposed to do, commander?"

"If it is true that there is a traitor, he will surely follow us. Axel is immobile and I am acting commander. I bring you out and leave Raphael behind, giving an impression that we are about to launch an assault. The turncoat will definitely try to find out what we plan to do. Now,stay alert!"

Kratos turned a sharp corner and Mikel followed, almost losing his balance as he made the abrupt turn. They rode for another 5 miles, and came to a stop. Kratos dismounted and went over to Mikel.

"Keep you senses sharp, I feel the presence of a third man."

The two men listened with all their concentration for a single sound that would give away the traitor's position. A snap of a twig, some 400 yards away, followed by the sound of metal boots hammering on the grass, someone was running away. Mikel drew his sword and was about to give chase when Kratos stood in front of him obstructing his path. Kratos' hands to his lower back and he drew two swords. Under the moonlight, Mikel could see that the blades were curved like the shape of a crescent, and were very wide but they were short, only half the length of a regular sword. Kratos threw his hands in a forward motion and Mikel realised what those chains on his hands were. As Kratos threw his blades, the chains extended, causing the short blades to extend a very long distance.

The steel of Kratos' blades found its target, and from a distance, Mikel saw something fall to the ground. The chains retracted towards Kratos and so did the blades. Mikel stared at the blades. All his life he had never seen such a unique weapon, nor someone who had the ability to wield swords at such a distance.Kratos saw the look of wonder on Mikel's face and smiled.

"The Blades of Chaos, gifts from Ares himself."

"Ares?"

"Yes, the God of War gave me these weapons, along with the curse. The chains will never leave my flesh, burned into them. A small price to pay for such powerful weapons."

Kratos and Mikel went towards the corpse to discover the identity of the traitor. They couldn't. It was just a regular soldier. They did not know his name, nor did they know of a motive. There was no use hoping for an answer either, Kratos' blade cut clean through his neck, beheading him.

"What now, general?"

"We cannot ponder too much now. With the traitor out of the way, we can now carry out plans without worry. And the wisest thing to do now, is to attack Hispanic again. This time, I will lead the charge.Let's return to camp. Tomorrow, before the sun sets, we shall take Hispanic, or be buried under it."

Chapter 4: Enemy within

Trees flashed past and faded into the distance.An elite Spartan cavalry unit rode round the mountain path deep within the forest, charging towards Hispanic, the main camp of the invading barbarians, where Heracles, son of Beowoulf was commander.Axel rode at the very front of the cohort, leading the soldiers through. Their plan was to attack the vanguard at Hispanic and hopefully capture Heracles.

Raphael and Tristan were right behind Axel. Tristan, who was adept at archery had a bow at the ready, aware of the constant danger of being discovered by a barbarian scout. At last, the unit came to a halt in a forest clearing, barely 10 miles away from Hispanic. Axel held up his hand and all the cavalry units stopped. Everyone was waiting for Axel to turn around and command them.
Strangely enough, Axel dismounted and went to a nearby tree. For a very long time, he stood there, doing nothing. And then, he summoned Raphael.

"Tell me, Raphael, does anything feel strange about this forest?"

Raphael took a look around and tried very hard to identify something which ought not to be there. Failing, he turned back to Axel.

"Commander, I find nothing that....."

Axel held up his hand and silenced Raphael.

"Listen, there is no sound. The forest is too quiet. We are barely 10 miles from Hispanic, and yet, we hear not a single sound. No clinging of metal. No barbaric cries of war. No patrols. Even the animals have dissapeared from this forest. It is too quiet.I have a very bad feeling about this."

Raphael was awed by Axel's sharpness. It was true, the forest was like a dead nest, not a sound could be heard. The trees stood, towering over the soldiers with dread. Not even the whisper of a gentle breeze could be felt. Something was definitely wrong.

"We should retreat, commander."

Axel considered the option for a long time. Closing his eyes to focus and think perhaps and at last nodded slowly.

"Aye"

As Axel and Raphael turned to return to their horses,all hell broke loose. Tristan released an arrow aimed at a nearby tree. The sound of an arrow tip penetrating flesh, followed by a dull thud on the forest ground. A single barbaric war cry echoes throughout the forest. And suddenly, like a swarm of wasps enclosing their enemy, hordes of barbarians emerged from the forest. From behind wild bushes, climbing down from the trees, barbarian archers appear on the nearby hills. The Spartans were surrounded.

A flurry of arrows swarm through the air and fall on the Spartans. Three soldiers are killed instantly, impaled by arrows. The horses either died or fled into the forest. Axel and Raphael charged towards the enemies. Tristan was firing arrow after arrow at the enemies, bringing down the archers in the hills. Raphael slashed through the barbarians, fighting hard to force a way out. Axel was also deep in battle. As metal clashes with metal, Tristan was shot in the left shoulder and dropped his bow. Immediatly, like sharks sensing blood, the barbarians swarmed on him.

Raphael rushed towards his friend, but before he could get there, Axel pounced on the barbarians surrounding Tristan, felling one after another. Tristan broke through the barrier, and rushed toward Raphael, limping. Every other Spartan had fallen.In the midst of battle, two horses galloped pass.Tristan and Raphael mounted them and rode through the forest, back towards the Spartan encampment.Suddenly, Raphael stopped. General Axel was nowhere to be seen. The barbarians have decided not to follow them, two low ranking soldiers...because they had caught a general!

"I must be mad!"

Raphael turned around and galloped towards Axel, into the very heart of the barbaric onslaught. He severed a spearman's head, and grabbed the spear. Raphael charged through the barbarian, impaling most of them and knocking the rest of them aside until at last he reaches Axel, lost within the sight of barbarians. He was badly wounded, he could barely stand. The rescue attempt of Tristan took its toll on him. Raphael threw the spear at a barbarian who was about to behead a kneeling Axel and it goes right through his head.Raphael hauled Axel onto the horse and charged, fiercely knocking aside the remaining barbaric assault.

Tristan was still at the edge of the forest. The sight of Raphael emerging from the horde of axes and trees delighted his face, filled with sweat and blood. Together, the friends rode off, back towards Laccnia, badly defeated.

It was on their back when Raphael gravely announced,

"No one knew of our plan but us, and the barbarians aren't so smart as to set an ambush like this.There must be a traitor in our midst."