Chapter 9 – Avenge the Fallen

The Demi-god Matthaios has crossed the borders of Attica, taking the long road until he reaches the city-state of Sparta where he grew as a man and a warrior. Once he was in the forest on the exterior of the city, he could hear swords and shields clanking with its collision. So, he ran into the gates, but no guard is opening it.

"Open the damn gate!" He shouted, but no one could hear it since no one was present to operate it.

He took a deep breath, trying to control himself from being maddened but it was too late when he uses his sheer strength to open the gate. Whilst kicking it repeatedly, he also pushed it until it opens itself. He manages to break the gate from being locked, he starts having suspicions that Sparta is under attack.

He was right, the city is undergoing an assault by the Persians. The army of Heiron is struggling to defend themselves from the forces of intruders, and the citizens of Sparta are forced to leave the city immediately. Sparta is now a battlefield, and Matthaios could feel that a war would embark without any forms of declaration.

The Persian army was led by a familiar figure that the Demi-god knew too well, his adversary, Muzguth of Persia. He is proclaimed as the new King of Persia, and their agenda is to bring Sparta down for good. Muzguth had his battle cry at the marketplace, calling for the attention of his rival.

"Stop this madness, Muzguth." Matthaios stood in from of his arch-enemy.

"Oh, what a cowardly act from you. The Champion of Sparta? Turning his back from war? How pitiful." Muzguth spread his arms while his Persian brothers are battling with the Spartans.

"What do you think of me? Someone who backs down from a fight?" Matthaios tilts his head, cracking his fists since he is getting heated.

The Persian King chuckles loudly. "You did it once, Matthaios. Let me remind you how foolish that move was."

"The Queen's life was at stake, I couldn't risk losing the one that plays an important role in my life." He crosses his arms, defending what he did after a small intervention between them had embarked before.

"Ah, the Queen… The gorgeous Colubra of Sparta. She would be a perfect queen for me." Muzguth wants the Queen of Sparta to become his slave.

"Quite depressing to remember that you are an imbecile sexless freak." Matthaios finds it humorous even if they are under attack.

"Get to fighting, Spartan cur." He wields two swords, challenging the Champion of Sparta to a battle.

"Why are you asking me such a thing, Muzguth?" He also wields his weapons, and it was the Arms of Sparta.

Both Muzguth and Matthaios screamed before clashing in the middle of the marketplace, causing chaos while Heiron is done dealing with the Persian warriors. He makes his way to the Queen's lair, impaling the Persians who tried to capture her. Queen Colubra was there, watching her lover taking the Persians down using his skills in fighting.

Heiron immediately told the Queen to come with her as he thought of bringing her to a safe place in Arcadia. "Come with me, my Queen. We are going to Arcadia."

"Tell the Arcadians to give us a hand." Queen Colubra stroked Heiron's cheek to praise his bravery.

"That's what I thought, my Queen…" He kissed the Queen softly.

The Queen accepts it, but she immediately pulled away. "Perhaps this wasn't the right time for this."

"We should go now, my Queen." Heiron carried her, taking the route to go to Arcadia to bring the Queen and the civilians in there.

Meanwhile, Matthaios is defending himself from Muzguth's swords using his shield. Getting him kicked into the crates, Matthaios admits that his adversary grew stronger than ever. "You have improved."

Muzguth scoffed, waiting for the Demi-god to get up. "Ha, while you waste your time sleeping with your mother's handmaidens."

Matthaios didn't reply soon as he gets up, spitting on the ground before having his battle cry. Muzguth simply smirked at the Demi-god's antics, having themselves clashing at the tents of Sparta. They broke it down with their heavy swings and skills in evading such things, and Matthaios was the one who kicked the Persian King into the tents this time.

"One more insult and I'll cut your tongue out," Matthaios spoke after dropping Muzguth.

"You dare?!" Muzguth was angered by it.

"I do!" The Spartan Demi-god screamed.

The Persian King also screamed his lungs out, getting up in an attempt to stab Matthaios with his razor-sharp swords. The Champion of Sparta dodges it, throwing his shield on Muzguth to stun him. He picked his shield back up before slashing his heels with the spear, possibly slowing him down because of it. Blood was drawn, and this angered Muzguth even more.

Muzguth stood no chance on the Demi-god who just drank the Ambrosia to make himself immortal, but he is doing what he can to weaken him. He thought of bringing the Immortals in, and so, he did call them by blowing a horn. The Immortals lined up to surround the Champion of Sparta, outnumbering him.

Smirking at his reaction, Muzguth led the army of the Immortal Persians from battling with Matthaios. "Immortals! Obliterate him!"

The eradication begins as they teamed up to hack their swords, hitting the Demi-god with it. Matthaios could fight back, but the numbers are too much for him. But who is he to back down? He was already there, and he has to find a way to defeat the Immortals.

He hits the Arms of Sparta into the ground, causing a forceful impact to scatter them around. After seeing an opening, he seized it by using his Blades of Athena to make circular motions of attacks. He decapitates the Immortals one-by-one until Muzguth lands a cheap shot on him sneakily.

"You are now helpless, Spartan. Surrender." Muzguth grabs the Demi-god from behind, threatening to slit his neck.

Matthaios was indeed helpless until the army of Arcadians marched inside Sparta to help the Spartans to take on the Persians. Heiron and the remaining Spartans formed a phalanx alongside with the Arcadians, trapping the Persians as they were forced to break their column of defense. Muzguth told his army that they should leave them defenseless, but Matthaios has other plans.

The Demi-god uses magic to send Muzguth colliding with his army with the Scourge of Erinys, wiping him out. Both sides had their formations, and all they had to do is to clash inside the city of Sparta. Matthaios told his troops to charge while Muzguth is hesitant enough to make a move, knowing that the Spartans and Arcadians joining forces are a force to be reckoned with.

They use their shield and spears to stab the Persians with it, and Matthaios tells them to pierce through their defense. "Leave no shields attached in their arms!"

The Persians were toiling on guarding themselves against the attacks with their shields, until they were left open as the Spartans and Arcadians broke their defense, stabbing them using their spears. Muzguth blew the horn, calling the next horde to make their way to halt the opposing army. It was another army of the Immortals, and they seemed stacked enough with their armors.

The horn also called the attention of the archers, but Matthaios and his army miscalculated the placing of the arrows. Most of the Spartans and Arcadians are punctured by the arrows from the Persian archers, slowing them down from the failure of using their shields to parry it.

Matthaios was worried because of it, giving the Persians a chance to bring them down. Along with the remaining Spartans and Arcadians who were left untouched by the arrows, their fallen brothers served as a reason for why they need to claim the victory despite having the tables being turned by their enemies.

The Immortals are too much for them to handle as they grew stronger and tougher to kill, and the Persian King just cackled at Matthaios' misery. They were rendered kneeling and lying on the ground, and Muzguth decides to leave them be. "Hmph, what now, Matthaios?"

As Muzguth goes away riding a horse with his army of Persians, they left the Spartans and the Arcadians wounded and incapable of a grueling battle. This left Matthaios upset and frustrated, seeing his brethren falling upon their lowest point. He drags the weakened body back to Sparta one-by-one, and after he was done with it, he vows to avenge them.

"This isn't the end, brothers. I will avenge all of you by making them feel my wrath…" Matthaios' eyes were turning red, letting out a battle cry to signify that he is growing angrier then again.

Though impossible to chase, Matthaios dashed into the forest to find where the Persians are headed. Going to the deserts and other terrains around Greece, Matthaios is fueled and determined enough to kill the Persians who almost destroyed Sparta. He wasn't slowing down, not even a little. He kept on charging his way in until he encountered a trap set by an unknown tribe.

He has reached Themyscira without his sheer knowledge, and the Amazons went out to discover the one who bit their trap. Matthaios was enchained, trying to force it out to get rid of it. But the Amazons won't let him as they pointed their swords at their trapped victim, telling him to speak.

The Champion of Sparta manages to make himself calm down, staying on where he is tied. "I need to go after the Persians."

The Amazonian guards don't buy it, asking him why he needs to find them. "What do you need with the Persians? We thought it was over."

"They have come to liberate Sparta… They were halfway through but they managed to flee." Matthaios spoke out while he is chained.

"Is that the reason why you are wounded, Spartan?" One of the Amazonian guards asked.

"Yes…" He nodded.

They still didn't free the Champion of Sparta until the Queen of the Amazons Hippolyta has come to check on whom they are surrounding, and she was surprised to learn that it was the son of the Ghost of Sparta who was tied up.

"Well, well. If it isn't the Ghost of Sparta's bastard…" Queen Hippolyta showed up, holding her sword.

Getting called 'bastard' triggered him, freeing himself from the chains by powering it out, breaking himself from it forcefully. He is breathing heavily after escaping the chains that restrained him, but the Amazons held his arms so that he won't harm the Queen of the Amazons.

"Covered with rage like your father, I see." The Queen smirked, looking at the Demi-god.

Matthaios was now learning to control his temper, sorting it out by explaining how he ended up in their kingdom. He came from Sparta to seek vengeance for what the Persians did, and now he is being held back by the Amazonian warriors.

"I am not threatening nor disrespecting you and your warriors, Queen Hippolyta. But Themiscyra might be next from their attacks…" He warned the Amazonian warriors and the Queen of the Amazons from the assault from the Persians.

"How are you so sure of it, Champion of Sparta? Did your inferior brothers lose the battle?" She pointed at the Spartans and Arcadians who were defeated.

"Yes, Queen Hippolyta. Because of the infiltration, we had to evacuate our people in Arcadia including our Queen…" Matthaios told her about the fate they have suffered.

"Ah, yes. The King-less Queen of Sparta. You should have considered bringing her here." The Queen smirked.

"I could lend a hand on defending Themiscyra from the Persians, Queen Hippolyta. Take it from me." Matthaios offers to help the Amazonians from the threats of the Persian army.

"No, we don't need your help! We could pull this off on our own!" Queen Hippolyta rejects his proposal.

"But-"

"Are you deaf or foolish enough to not understand, Matthaios? We forbid your kind here! And be grateful that you are still alive." The Queen of the Amazons interrupted him from speaking.

Matthaios could hear the horns similar to what he heard during his battle with the Persians, and this was it, the Persians have come to liberate and take Themiscyra from the Amazons. The female warriors released the Champion of Sparta, but they still didn't agree with what he wants to do.

"This is it, Queen Hippolyta. The Persian army claiming lands and killing its owners." The Demi-god stood in front of them, facing the upcoming Persians.

"Amazons! Signal the archers." Queen Hippolyta goes back to the castle, telling the remaining female soldiers to come and join them to go to war with the Persian army.

"Are you sure about this, Champion of Sparta?" A female voice was heard, and Matthaios recognizes it.

"Artemis?"

To be continued…