World Conquest Online

"In our Culture, women can be Captains of ships." Dom replied calmly, trying to work out where Leotychides was going with what he was saying. He wasn’t sure if it was a question over the female Captain’s or if it was related to Artemisia herself.

"As they can in many cultures, the Amazonian’s of old were warrior women." Xanthippus interrupted, doing Dom a favour for some reason. It seemed that Xanthippus would rather have Dom on his side than the Spartan’s.

"Would you have a woman as your admiral?" Leotychides asked, his question teasing whilst Artemisia clenched her first slightly.

"I am the Admiral, so not currently, but who knows what the future holds." Dom replied politely, wishing that Zhou Yu had come with them and hadn’t stayed behind to co-ordinate the fleet and learn about the other ships. Zhou Yu in hindsight should have come, but this was a meal and not a military planning meeting.

"I like you Lord Lazarus." Leotychides laughed, before winking towards them and turning back towards Xanthippus with a teasing grin. "How goes the reconstruction of Athens?"

"It is going well, homes are being rebuilt and gold flows through our coffers. Homes and Business may have been lost, but the people survived and our Warriors March to destroy Mardonius." Xanthippus replied. Thucydides had explained that after the Persians retreated, after the Battle of Salamis, Mardonius the General at Plataea, had sent a Macedonian King as an emissary offering the Athenian’s a chance to swear fealty to the Persians. The Athenian’s declined, and Mardonius marched his army south to destroy Athens. The Athenian’s fled to Salamis using their large navy, becoming temporary refugee’s and begged the Spartans for help. The Spartans declined for ten days as they were celebrating the festival of Hyacinthus, and only eventually decided to help when they realised the danger to themselves if Athens was no longer there as a northern barrier.

This delay of support, was an additional line of enmity between the different Greek City States, with constant internal fighting for Centuries being the main cause of the political strife.

"As do our own, without that Pausanius to lead them, I am unsure how you would win." Leotychides laughed, before continuing. His tone neither praising or dismissive. "It is a shame that old Leonidas passed at Thermopylae with his Warriors and their allies. I doubt Mardonius would have reached as far south otherwise."

"A lot of good Spartans, Athenians and other Greeks have died early deaths at the hands of the Persians." Xanthippus agreed calmly, not rising to the bait that Leotychides kept throwing at him. "Whilst our land forces destroy their army, we will destroy their navy."

"If only we could find them, I do not want to travel further east in to Persian waters." Leotychides replied sternly, "If that glib tongued Themistocles was here, I am sure he would try to persuade me, but I won’t fall for his tricks."

"I do not disagree, on either of those points." Xanthippus replied, clearly tired of the conversation as he took a seat, with the other Captains around him and the Hoplite to their rear.

"Very well, I am happy that we are aligned. Our new allies believe they have found our enemy, but I do not think it is time to go yet." Leotychides explained, as the Athenian group all looked towards Dom.

"Our scout ships have found them to the East, north of Halicarnassus, near Samos." Dom explained calmly, "We are still monitoring them and hope to receive an update back tomorrow."

"Halicarnassus?" Xanthippus asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked towards the veiled Artemisia. He then turned back to Dom. "I would be surprised if the Persians would fight us at sea, and Samos is not water we know."

"I said the same thing." Leotychides replied, "I was untrusting at first, but our new Allies have been quite generous."

"It is something to think on and discuss tomorrow." Xanthippus replied as he looked towards Artemisia again.

"Where is this food?" Leotychides snapped, earlier having defended the chefs.

"It is coming now King Leotychides." Someone replied to him fearfully, as his temper ebbed as plates of food were starting to appear, freshly carved from the pigs carcass.

"I am happy you are in charge." GiantWrangler whispered to Dom from his other side. "This feels very high stakes."

"We just need to make sure that we perform when we are meant to." Dom replied quietly, "Our goals are to capture enemy ships to increase our own fleets, if we can find our own other opportunities as well then that is great."

"We are aligned, I also want to see GeneralSlaughter sink." GiantWrangler smiled in response, keen to challenge himself against the higher ranked Lords that weren’t Dom, as he was confident he would have no chance in that situation.

Some wine was supplied to them as they spoke, whilst plates of food were also handed to them. One of Dom’s Spartan Guards stepped forwards and took his cup of wine from him, giving it a smell before taking a small sip and then handing it back to him. Leotychides watched as this happened, whilst Dom was confused as to why the Spartan Guard had done this.

"Is your guard thirsty or does he not trust his allies?" Leotychides laughed as he began to eat some of the freshly cooked meat, a much better meal than the Spartan Warriors normally ate when on campaign. Dom was about to reply, but Leotychides just laughed and turned towards Xanthippus again and began to talk to him.

Crassus gave the Spartan Guard behind them a thankful look, whilst Dom realised that whilst it was unlikely, there could have been poison in the wine. Even if it was unlikely that there was poison, the act of the guard drinking it raised Dom’s prestige in front of them that one of his Warriors was willing to die for him.

They continued eating and chatting amongst themselves, with the three groups distinctively keeping distance from each other. Dom’s intentions to try and grow relationships for possible purchases or recruitment didn’t seem to happen during this meeting, but he did feel they had been taken as a serious partner due to their place at the feast in the first place.

Leotychides continued to sit in his marble throne throughout, with some of his men causing disagreements amongst themselves, whilst the Athenian’s seemed to be biting their tongues at the continued insults that seemed to come their way throughout. Dom had some questions sent his way about their imaginary location on the isle of Kypros. However, they seemed to pass the questions with vague answers, with a combination of the story that Artemisia had created, which had some truths about Riverside. Eventually it seemed that Leotychides seemed bored of the feast and stood up.

"It has been a long journey to Delos, we will meet again at first light to discuss our next steps. For now, settle your crews and get some rest." He ordered as he stood up and began walking off towards his ships that were placed in the centre of the beached fleet. His Spartan Guard and some most of the other Captains began to depart, including some of the Athenians.

"You head back to the fleet, I will hold back." Dom said to GiantWrangler and the others, as he saw that Xanthippus had purposefully held himself back by talking to one of the Captains from the Argos fleet that was complaining about the Corinthians.

"We will head back, I will leave Actumerus and the Batavi’s with you." Crassus stated, thinking it best to leave Dom to start the conversation with a smaller group so that it didn’t seem that anything was planned to any of those that also stayed behind. It was clear to Crassus and Dom that some of those that had held back would report anything they heard back to Leotychides.

"It would be worth me staying as well." One of the Hoplite Guards stated, Dom recognised his voice from under his mask of that of Dion, one of the Hoplite who had arrived very early on and had been injured by the small Titanaconda when they discovered the first Underground Ancient City.

"Very well, Actumerus with one of the other Batavi, as well as two Hoplite so that it doesn’t seem overly strange." Crassus agreed as he stood up with the rest, who all seemed to still be in some form of shock for having been involved in this feast with major historical characters. Other than GiantWrangler and Wine Wind, the other’s hadn’t done any quests and had only met other normal characters throughout their game experience so far, or minor heroes that were low level.

Crassus, Artemisia and the others all departed, whilst Dom stayed behind and finished his food with the four guards stood behind him. One of the other Athenian Captains that had stayed behind came and sat beside him, talking about the Battle of Salamis and their victory there. Eventually Xanthippus broke free from the Argos Captain and came to tell his Athenian Captain to head back.

"Eudoxus, head back to the fleet and make sure that the night watch schedule has been arranged. I doubt we will see any enemies, but the Spartans may want to play some tricks on us." Xanthippus ordered the Athenian Captain that was speaking with Dom.

"I will see to it Admiral." The Athenian replied politely, as he stood up and streched his back. He then turned towards Dom. "It’s been nice talking with you Admiral from Kypros. I look forward to fighting alongside you against our Persian foe."

"And you Eudoxus, I will show you my Bellona if we get chance, you will be impressed by her." Dom replied politely, as Xanthippus sat down next to Dom. The Athenian Captains now all left, leaving a couple of Hoplite waiting for Xanthippus, whilst the rest of the Greeks had mostly disappeared.

"Leotychides has kept you here because your ship is supposedly better than his and your forces are made of strange Warriors that could be helpful in the battles to come. I am however confused as to why the Grand Admiral of Xerxes is wearing a veil and seemingly under your command. From what I know of Artemisia of Caria isn’t subservient to anyone and even Xerxes treats her higher than many of his other commanders." Xanthippus stated politely, "We only defeated them at Salamis last year, I saw her ship flee through friend and foe alike, someone I would rather an ally than an enemy."

"Was she that obvious?" Dom replied with a smile, knowing that there was no point lying as she would reveal herself when the Samos delegation arrived tomorrow, as long as History followed it’s original path.

"I doubt many recognised her, but I did and I am sure that Leotychides did as well. I thought you could be Persian spies, but then you wouldn’t have brought your flagship here if you had. You also don’t seem to be people that would fight for Persians." Xanthippus stated, "So what are you?"

"Allies that have come from afar to help you defeat your biggest foe at this time. However, the Persian’s will also have gained allies, so this battle will be larger than you would expect." Dom explained, before turning his head towards Dion, who lowered the mask that partially covered his face.

"They can be trusted Xanthippus, Lord Lazarus is a good person and we are here to aid you in defeating the Persian’s and avenging our losses at the Battle at Artemisium." Dion stated calmly, whilst Xanthippus eyes widened in surprise, shock and then a slight tear could be seen at the side of his eye.

"Dion? how are you here, I was sure that you had died, your brother was heartbroken!" Xanthippus exclaimed, slightly louder than he should have so that some of those that had waited behind turned to look at what was being discussed.

"There are a lot of things that have happened, but I am not the only one who is here. Try and make some time to come visit our fleet." Dion replied, before raising his mask again. "Is my brother with you?"

"He is on one of the ships in the fleet!" Xanthippus exclaimed with a grin, clearly happy to see the Hoplite alive.

"Get some sleep Xanthippus, we have a lot to discuss." Dom stated as he stood up, putting his hand on the Athenian Admiral’s shoulder, before walking back towards his own ship with his guards.