Stories Thread

[Iskander 3.1]

Siles Laodikeias Lydikes gathered up his belongings. He took one last look around the great estate where he had lived most of his life, knowing that when he returned everything would be different. It was dark in Selukeia, and though he knew the gaurds wouldn't think anything of the young noble being out, he knew that his dear mother would worry if she caught him.
Forgive me, he thought.

His body guards, all of them young and naive, picked because they admired the Strategos and not because they had much forethought as to what their actions might result in, met him outside the town gates. The gates were open, of course. Why shouldn't they be?

Siles Laodikeias Lydikes was headed for Arbela.

The horses hooves shook the earth, a premonition for what was to come.

[Celtic_Punk]

Memphis, Governor's Palace


"Well Achaikos, it seems we have got unfinished business with Ptolemy. He won't let us go now that ya killed his heir. We head West. I will see about leading an army to finish Ptolemy off. Cunobelinus sighs I fear that we will not stop fighting even after we defeat Ptolemy. Further West there is another Empire.. Carthage. My people have traded with Carthage for many years... They are a powerful people, The Gods watch over them. But they are also a very distrustful people, our proximity to them will perhaps offend them. The King may lead us into another brutal war. Many will perish in the desert... We must see to it that We maintain good relations with Carthage. I will make note of this at the next council meeting."
"Sounds good. Still what about your City?"
"Memphis? yes what about it?"
"Don't you think leaving to campaign often would be irresponsible?"
"Sticking my nose in the maths is irresponsible. Leaving is a load off the delegates' backs! And I've been itching to get out in the wild again. I was born in the wild!" The Celt smiles wide.
"Well there would be no better choice than you to lead this... or any campaign. You saved this city with no help from the the King's army at all!"
Cunbelinus frowns
"This is true, brother... His army was well within marching distance. Hmmm, there must be a good reason why he didn't send help... I've fought alongside him before... I wouldn't think he abandoned me. This matter should be discussed with him later privately maybe...Cunobelinus scratches his beard.OH! My wife wants you to take my boy to the shops later, he needs to find a new cloak and boots to campaign with us soon!"

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

Insurrection:
Patrokles stood in front of the walls of Babylon, his face a blank slate as he stared at Liatus. “I can send someone else; it doesn’t have to be you Liatus.”
Liatus laughs, “we both know you can’t JUST send a messenger, it has to be someone a bit higher up on the food chain than that, and guess what that’s me!”
“Liatus, thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not thinking I am bat**** crazy.”
Liatus laughs harder and saddles his horse “I believe in what you have done Patrokles, always remember that”, and he marches off into the rising sun.
Patrokles stood there for a long time before quietly slipping into the city, where he went to the home of Hyllos, to perform a deed as dangerous as Liatus’s.
“Patrokles, I am surprised you are here. Why?”
“Hyllos, I would rather you heard our plan from me, and not from the soldiers tomorrow.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“you have noticed my meetings with Hermokrates Parthikos, Epikrates Tabaiou, and Siles Laodikeias I assume?”
“Of course.”
“Well I am about to tell you are meetings purpose. We are seceding from the arche with the cities of Mesopotamia. You were right Hyllos, the arche is too large, to corrupt, and this is the answer to that.”
Hyllos’s mouth drops and he reflexively takes a step back “Patrokles…. You can’t…. You have spent a good part of your life fighting rebels…. I don’t understand…”
Patrokles grimaces “ Hyllos, you once asked me what my purpose in life is, and I think I have found it. It is to fight the corruption that premates the arche, and to create something better. That is what’s going to happen. That is my purpose.”
Hyllos cocks his head to the side “maybe you are right Patrokles, but if you go through with this you have a very good chance of hanging. You know this.”
“Then perhaps I need a bodyguard?”
Hyllos laughs, “Maybe you are right. Though why you need two is beyond me!”
“Good to see you are back with us Hyllos.”
“Perhaps I never left!”

and moments after, the flag was raised throughout the cities of mesopatamia

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

Justification?

Patrokles gazed back to the east, his thoughts squarely on the messenger he had received from Babylon, the city was in a riot, Eprikrates was keeping things under control, but only just.... it pained him he could not be there, but he had to trust in his new co-king.
"Hyllos, I am starting To work through what I have done, and I feel as though this may be a inescapable conclusion. I am greedy..."
Hyllos frowns "we are all greedy Patrokles, we all look out primarily for ourselves, I knew from the start this was never about Sarpedons supposed corruption. That is something only the foolish would believe, the naive. But you know what, I am still here, and I am still by your side. do you know why Patrokles?"
"I assume because you are getting paid Hyllos, that is normally why bodyguards stick around." Hyllos laughs his head shaking
"No Patrokles, it was never about the money, its for two reasons, and two reasons only. 1. you are my friend Patrokles, and I would follow you to the gates of Hell and back. and 2. I believe even if your motives weren't entirely pure, you can still accomplish what you said. you can create something better, something greater, and something lasting. I think that with your help Babylon can rise to new heights, and I have a feeling its in part due to you. for a century your name will go down in infamy, you will be despised for this. but you know what, that wont matter because if you succeed the good will out way the bad and soon enough the historians will be writing your praise. The ends justify the means my friend, the evil you have done will be pale in comparison to the good. I have to believe that."

Patrokles face grimaces, "obviously The people of Babylon don't agree, they are in revolt already, the praise that swept their lips earlier lost in a shower of hate...."

"bahh, the common people are never happy, they are a fickle lot, but soon enough they will follow you. just give it time."

Patrokles laughs aloud, "I am amazed Hyllos,"
"why?"
"never did I think my best friend would turn out to be such a philosopher!"
They both share a laugh, but their gaze inevitably shifts west.
"do you think Sarpedon is getting ready as we speak?" Hyllos asks.
"perhaps, perhaps not. I cant know. you know If I saw him right now I would have only one question Hyllos..."
"what Patrokles?"
"I would ask him where the hell my brother was!" Patrokles face hardened.
"I personally would ask him why in the world he was trying to fight with the toughest Babylonian in the Arche." Hyllos says smirking.
" I wouldn't say the strongest Hyllos, but I am up there." Patrokles responded grinning
"no no no, not you I am sure he could flatten you like a child, I was of course speaking about myself!" Hyllos Smiles and both share a laugh, still staring west.

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

The bowels of Antioch
It was a small nondescript place, but it served Liatus needs well enough. he worriedly wrote his latest letter, he hoped his next messenger would manage to get to Babylon. it had been quite a few months since he had given his message to the royal council. and after he had been let go by Sarpedon (quite a surprise that!) instead of making his back to Patrokles he had decided to stay behind in Antioch, where he hoped he would be able to better help his brother. that was his mistake, he had manged to get a small ring of men around him, but every attempt he had made to send a messenger to his brother had failed, Sarpedons guard was just to good at the moment. He sighed, now he had no idea what was going on, he had heard the rumors, but it would have been better to be back at Patrokles side, Patrokles was just south of Edessa, his army with him. He might be there trying to capture a bit more land for his kingdom, but maybe not, that was the frustrating part, he was totally out of the loop. He finished his letter, handing it off to his newest messenger, he ran off to Edessa . he wished he could make the journey for himself.... but it was far to dangerous, Sarpedon may have given him his freedom, but the city watch was still looking for him after his little "circle" was uncovered. In all he had made a mistake, and there was only one thing he was thinking, His brother had no idea where he was, and that could end badly.... Patrokles may assume Sarpedon was far less lenient then he was, and Liatus hoped that wouldn’t lead to any hasty decisions.

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

Madness..... (or as I like to call it, finally introducing Patrokles melancholy and warmongering personality traits! and Trying to get some other rebels to step up to the plate lead us)

Patrokles stared long and hard at the wall of Antioch, his minds eye looking back to all the times he had entered the city in friendship... now here he stood at the head of a army, poised to conquer one of the strongest cities in the arche. He had known his path would take him here from the beginning, his kingdom would have never been able to sit back and let Sarpedon properly muster his forces, in that kind of war the rebels would have given up their one advantage, Local superiority, they had to seize the initiative, and what better way to do that than march on the heart of the west? Patrokles looked behind him to the 1st Babylonian, to the men who had been with him from the beginning... he smiled, they didn't doubt him, they had no regrets about their actions, unlike Patrokles himself. he would admit it to no one, but Patrokles was starting to regret his actions, to him the rebellion had seemed a goal, a thought exercise, but in his frenzy of planning he had never once thought his motivations less than pure.

now he knew better, yet there was no going back, no returning to how things once were. Patrokles would either live a hero in the peoples mind or die a villain. He didn't dislike Sarpedon, he even respected the man more now he was no longer under his yoke, but they were still enemies, and if it came down to him or Sarpedon, he would kill the other man with just a thought.

The person he once was had died, and so a new Patrokles had arisen. before all of this he wished only for the arche to prosper, to perhaps retire to some palace and live out his days in peace. now he wanted only to be cut down in battle, besides the men he knew so well... he thought back to his vision of governing Babylon and discarded it, there was no place in his new self for such peace... he had others able to rule in his stead. Eprikrates was good man, he would manage their new home. he would rule the council and all else while Patrokles was off on campaign, and when Patrokles finally died (not so distant a thought Patrokles mused!).
He looked up at the city wall, they were lined with poorly armed soldiers, people who would be butchered in the coming battle, the old Patrokles would have questioned why it had to be that way, the new Patrokles simply shrugged. He almost tried to compare himself to Sarpedon in those moments, but stopped, a usurper like himself had no reason to do so. and so Patrokles planned his next action carefully, mostly for the sake not of Morality but of Practicality.

That thought almost shook Patrokles, but once again he simply shrugged, and thought back to his brother. wondering what he might say if he saw Patrokles now.... Patrokles sighed much more deeply, If he came out of this alive he would have to rely on Liatus as his compass, it was obvious his own Ideas of right and wrong was gone forever.... Him and Hyllos would have to be his Morality, because Patrokles was losing his own.... it was something about sending men to die, he mused, that let a man discard his convictions, his hopes, and his dreams... He roused himself from these thoughts, it was no use thinking off the unchangeable, and mounted his horse. he galloped around the defenses yelling for the defenders to simply surrender, to not force him to kill more than he needed.
Sarpedon would either end this war, or Patrokles would make sure he regretted it.
Liatus would not be pleased.... and at that moment he was one of the few people whom's opinion actually mattered to Patrokles,

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

High Walls, Low Spirits

Patrokles had finally met his brother not long after the battle, when entering Sarpedons palace. There he had met his brother, and a group of his followers, already having secured the place from the scant guards. they smiled and hugged, both overjoyed knowing the other was well. the good feelings didn't last, however when Patrokles had told Liatus his plan for the city.
"its our only option Liatus," Patrokles said "Either Sarpedon accepts peace, or he loses one of his greatest assets. I am willing to end this however he wants, either me dead and the Arche in anarchy or Sarpedon dead and peace reestablished. I just don't care at this point brother."
Liatus sighs "you've changed since we last met Patrokles, what is this talk? we can resolve this peacefully, we can save you and Sarpedon. we can end this without death and destruction."
"I am not seeing it Liatus, this is going to end how it should, the two of us on the battlefield, our armies killing each other around us. Sarpedon will never accept my terms, he is to stubborn for that. I have shamed him and he wants his vengeance"
Liatus sighs again, his head shaking "I cant reason with you on this can I?"
"not really."
"fine then at least allow me this, don't tear down the city yet, stay here for a while, don't rush things. just wait. Sarpedon may open negotiations, he may see that we can end this now."

a messenger runs in, his face haggard from his long journey "Sarpedon has stated he will not be opening negotiations, that if any buildings of his city is harmed he will have Patrokles head."

Patrokles laughs aloud "There is your answer! now do you see Liatus, it can end only one of two ways." Patrokles face becomes haggard, and he leans back and closes his eyes. "one of two ways....."
Patrokles sits back in thoughts, surveying how things could have turned out so... a thought sparked in his head, one he latched on to. he was so tired.... so very tired of it all... Perhaps he could end this.
a commander of his men entered, asking where his men should bunk in the city, he responded "there's a barracks here isn't there? take that over for now. we may be staying a while."

"what about your orders to raze it if Sarpedon rejected your offer?" the man replies
" for now that wont be happening, you will be the first to know if that changes."


he fell back into his own thoughts, Liatus was right, maybe there was a peaceful route. but not in the way he expected. He laughed aloud once again, and left the room, his thoughts wondering if he was about to do the right thing.