The Argive Ch. 106-110

Zenais looked intrigued. "How beautiful?"

"More beautiful than me, that's for sure," said Lysandra.

Zenais snorted. "I don't know how that's possible."

Praxis started to laugh. It was always funny to be reminded of Zenais' affinity for women. Part of the reason she was here was because she had eyes for Lysandra long before she had them for Praxis. And he had to admire Lysandra's guile for appealing to that instinct first.

"She's extremely gorgeous," said Lysandra, before taking a moment to describe Astara in detail. "You would like her very much."

Zenais shrugged. "Then I rescind my objection. A little bit of variety is healthy in a relationship like ours."

Both Praxis and Lysandra laughed so hard they nearly snorted.

"That was the quickest turn-around I think I've ever seen," said Praxis, still chuckling.

"She's almost like a man sometimes," said Lysandra. "Just put a pretty skirt in front of her and she pays attention."

Zenais couldn't help but smile at that, especially as she moved her hand to Lysandra's ass, squeezing her cheek in the process.

With Zenais seemingly settled, Lysandra turned her attention back to Praxis. "It seems that you have the permission you were looking for."

"Do I really have it from you?" he asked. "It's okay. You can be honest with me."

Lysandra took a moment to think about that. "I'm okay with whatever you think is best. It helps that I know what you've gone through with her. But just like you asked me to be honest with you, I want you to be honest with yourself. What do you want, Praxis? Do you really want Astara? Do you want Zenais and I? Or do you want all of us?"

It was the biggest question of the night, one that Praxis thought would be easy to answer. But there were numerous conditions that were attached to each possibility and he was afraid to pick the wrong option and upset one or more of the women.

"I think I know what I want," said Praxis. "Being put into this position we're currently in has one advantage--we don't have time for mistakes. If I'm going to do this, I want to do it all the way without any hesitation. Anything less wouldn't be honest with who I am."

Lysandra smiled at him and caressed his cheek. "It sounds like you've already made your decision."

Praxis nodded. "I think I have."

Chapter 108: The Spartans are Coming

There was just something about being on a war march that inflamed King Nikandros' spirits.

Perhaps it was the sound of metal clinking together as the men marched. Maybe it was the sound of their feet stamping along or their idle conversation that helped to pass the time.

For Nikandros, it was getting the chance to enjoy the spoils of victory, even if it was a little premature.

The spoils he was referring to had long and curly dark hair. Nikandros judged her to be around early twenties in age, and she had lovely, tanned skin, and a very snug pussy. She most certainly belonged to the farmer that worked the territory on this side of the road. For now though, she was bent over and clutching a nearby olive tree while Nikandros fucked her from behind.

Her father, no doubt cowering in the farmhouse a short distance away, didn't dare intervene. Doing so would mean certain death.

"Fucking take it," said Nikandros as he thrust against her body. Under him, she was mostly silent apart from the occasional whimper. Nikandros suspected she was in pain but that didn't make a difference to him.

If anything, it made the entire situation better for him by hastening his orgasm.

"Ah, fuck!" groaned Nikandros as he shot his seed inside the girl. "Yes, that's good!"

He pulled his cock out and watched as a steady stream of cum escaped the girl's pussy before she lowered her dress. Putting his manhood away, Nikandros beamed from ear to ear before smacking the girl on her ass.

"Now run along to your father now," he said, earning a yelp from her in the process. "And if you have a boy, name him Nikandros."

She never looked back, but then again, they never did. There had to have been at least fifty women over the years who received the same treatment. Nikandros assumed he had a small legion of bastards out there somewhere but it was one of the perks of being the king.

For now though, he could rejoin his army. Most of the Spartans grinned at their king once he was back, and Nikandros couldn't help but grin back at them. After all, if this campaign went well, they would be able to enjoy the same spoils in the city of Messene, and that was certainly something worth fighting for.

He liked his soldiers to be well-fed and well-fucked--they performed best that way.

Besides, they were getting closer to their enemy. Nikandros' scouts had informed him that they would be only two days away from the city once they camped tonight. On the third day, Nikandros would offer battle and he would end the problem of Messenia for good.

Because he didn't just intend to remove Nicomedes from power. He intended to directly annex Messenia into Spartan territory. After this battle, there would be no more Messenian kings, only a governor that was assigned directly by Nikandros.

Messenia would be wiped off the map forever--a suitable response for the way Nicomedes rebuffed his attempts at peace.

Nikandros sneered. "Your time is almost up, Nicomedes," he muttered under his breath.

*****

A short distance away, the Messenians had also figured out just how close the enemy was. Praxis was with Nicomedes early that morning to discuss their supply situation when the news from the forward scouts started to arrive.

"My king, we've sighted the Spartan army!" said one red-faced scout, who had clearly run all the way back to the city. "They will be here in two days, no more than three. They aren't moving very fast but they are moving along the southern road."

"Do we have a count of how large the army is?" asked Nicomedes. "Is it the full weight of the Spartan army?"

The scout nodded. "That and more. We estimate nearly four thousand men are marching with Nikandros."

Nicomedes' eyes bulged. "Four thousand! The Spartans could only muster three thousand for their last campaign. Where did the extra thousand come from? Are you sure of these numbers?"

"Very sure, my king. You can't hide that many armed men moving together."

"He most likely has reinforcements from the other cities in the Peloponnesian League," said Praxis. "I'm sure there's some Corinthians and Argives amongst that force, if not others. Nikandros wanted an alliance where he could get his hands on other cities' armies and it looks like he has it."

With those words, Praxis turned to look at Nicomedes. "We need to decide what we're going to do when they get here. The city is no place to organize a defense. Too many innocent people will be trapped between us and the Spartans."

"We already have a spot located," said Nicomedes, his tone still showing the state of shock he was in. "It's not far from us but along the southern road. They'll crash right into us and then our only job will be to hold them. The gods know we'll need all the help we can get at that point."

Nicomedes didn't sound truly confident as he said the words, and Praxis had no doubt that there were more Spartans than he expected. If the total count of the Messenian army was only a little above two thousand men, they would be completely outnumbered when the Spartans arrived.

"We can still do this, Father," urged Praxis. "We can still fight this battle and win."

Nicomedes swallowed heavily. His eyes finally turned to look at Praxis. "You don't have to stay, you know? You can get out of here, Praxis. You can go to another city that's far from the Spartan reach. Somewhere like Athens or some city in Sicily perhaps?"

Praxis shook his head vehemently. "There's no way I'm leaving. Our fight is here. Your fight is here, Father."

"But yours isn't," said Nicomedes. "What are we doing here? We can't stand up against an army of this size. We're all going to die. If anyone lives from this, I'd wish it would be you. Just take Phaedra and go. Go as far from Messenia as you possibly can."

Praxis crossed his arms. "You might as well save your breath because it's not happening. I'm staying. You can be angry with me all you want, or can help me with getting the army into position. This spot that you've identified, I take it that it's on good ground?"

Nicomedes nodded. "Part of one of the highest hills in the area. The road goes right by it. They'll have no choice but to attack us there."

"Then let's get the army into position," said Praxis. "We still have hope, Father. All we need is a little bit of luck on our side."

"That's the problem," said Nicomedes with a sigh. "I fear that hope has long since abandoned me."

*****

Nicomedes was wrong about one thing. Hope hadn't abandoned their cause just yet.

In fact, Praxis was very hopeful about their chances as he surveyed the battlefield a short distance south from the city that afternoon. It was blazing hot and sweat was pouring off his face but at least he knew the army would be situated on good ground.

"We'll anchor our left flank right here and have most of it straddle the road," said Nicomedes to a group of generals that also included Praxis. "The full weight of the Spartan hammer is likely to fall right at this point. The right of the line will be straight all the way to the other side of this field, right where that treeline is just in the distance. Here we'll determine the fate of Messenia."

Praxis couldn't help but feel like the ground was made for this battle. The diagonal line that cut through the road followed the crest of the hill for nearly the entire Messenian line. The Spartans would be forced to march uphill just to reach them, which would tire them before the fighting even began. Even with their increased numbers, they would have to fight very hard if they hoped to achieve victory here.

"You all know what to do," said Nicomedes as he looked at his generals. "Let's get it done."

Many of the men broke off at that point, allowing Praxis the opportunity to talk with his father.

"Father, there's something that still troubles me," said Praxis. "On the road here, I noticed there was an eastern route that connected just north of our current position. Where does that eastern route connect to?"

"Oh, that?" asked Nicomedes. "That's nothing. Just an old path that existed before the road was built. It's rugged territory, not suitable for an army."

"But where does it go though?" asked Praxis. "Where does it connect?"

"It works its way southeast toward the southern road but as bad as that sounds, the condition is even worse. Most of it has been washed out. If you're thinking the Spartans could send a force down this road to flank us, I'd say it's nearly impossible. They won't come that way."

"What if they do?" asked Praxis. "What if they find a way to send a force up that road and hit us from behind?"

Nicomedes took a deep breath. "It's just not probable, Praxis."

"But is it possible?"

Praxis could tell his father was getting angry with him, and that was why he was grateful that Asterion, who had been standing nearby, intervened.

"I know that path," said the general. "The king is right that it is washed out for the most part but it wouldn't take much to send a small force down it. I volunteer to reconnoiter the road just to make sure it can't be used against us."

"I'll go with you," said Praxis.

"Fine, just let me know what you find out," said Nicomedes dismissively. "But I think you're wasting your time."

"Better safe than sorry," replied Praxis.

A short while later, both Praxis and Asterion had secured horses and managed to get to the eastern path, following it down as quickly as they could. Nicomedes was definitely right about it--it was in terrible shape for the most part but that didn't mean that someone couldn't send a force down this path.

"I could easily see Nikandros sending a few hundred men up this path and hitting us from behind," said Praxis. "They wouldn't put their whole effort here because the army would get bogged down but it's enough to be a threat against us."

"The only question is whether Nikandros is smart enough to realize its potential," said Asterion. "Will he even find the path?"

"If he has scouts out, he'll most certainly find it," said Praxis. "And Nikandros is the kind of man that lives and dies on his military reputation. If he sees value in sending a force down this path, he's going to take it. This isn't just a war of subjugation but one of humiliation. If he can humiliate my father before the end, he'll do it."

"If that's the case, we should recommend having this area defended by a small force," said Asterion. "There are several points here where a small force, maybe two hundred men tops, can block any attack. Anything less than that would fall quickly if Nikandros sends a lot of numbers against us."

"A couple hundred men?" asked Praxis. "You're thinking of the spear phalanx?"

Asterion grinned. "This would be the perfect spot to test their worth. The rocky formations on either side of the path will provide a perfect flank for the men. All they have to do is keep formation and no one will be able to get past them. Hades, the Spartans could send their entire army up this way and they still wouldn't be able to get past them."

"That's something we'll have to take up with my father," said Praxis. "But it might let us hit two birds with one stone. We provide a defense for this route while putting the phalanx that he dislikes so much up here. I think he might just let us go without any trouble."

Asterion started to chuckle. "It seems it didn't take you very long to figure out your father. Come on, let's go see what he has to say."

Chapter 109: War Council

"Let me get this straight. You want to take a good portion of my army to defend that pass?" asked Nicomedes that evening, after Praxis and Asterion had told him about the eastern route. "You want the spear phalanx to guard it despite the fact that we still don't know whether Nikandros will utilize it."

"We might not know right now," said Praxis. "But we'll keep our scouts toward the bottom of the path. If it turns out that we're wrong and the Spartans ignore it, we'll have the benefit of interior lines to rapidly redeploy the spear phalanx to the main battlefield."

"But we can't just leave the path unguarded," added Asterion. "It's too much of a risk. If it were me leading that army, I'd send half my men up that path just to flank us. If they turned on our backs while the rest of the Spartan army attacked our front, we'd be completely crushed. I doubt anyone would even be able to get away."

"What you're asking me to do is to take men from the battlefield, men that we can surely use," said Nicomedes. "Just because you suspect they might use that path. I hate to do anything by suspicion alone."

"The fact of the matter is that we don't have many options," said Praxis. "Nikandros is a cunning king as well as a general. He has to know that we're watching his army now that he's this close. That means that he knows we've figured out where the main strike is going to come. If I were him, I'd try to have one surprise that we wouldn't expect, and the path is that surprise. If we find ourselves with Spartans in our rear, between us and the city, our lines will crumble. We can't let them get into the rear."

"But do you need so many men to guard that pass?" asked Nicomedes. "I can see a token force but a couple hundred men? That's a heavy blow to our reserves."

"Praxis and I have found a spot we believe we can hold if they attack in force," said Asterion. "There's a small rocky defile where the pass splits right through it. Each side of the defile is steep, and the Spartans won't be able to go around it. If we place the spear phalanx here, we'll have secure flanks and we can guard that position against a much larger force for some time. Anything less than a couple hundred men wouldn't be enough, and that's even if we defend the narrowest point.

"That pass can't be that wide though," argued Nicomedes. "Why not go further down the pass where it narrows significantly?"

"Because there's no other places where our flank will be secure," replied Praxis. "It's open land or lightly wooded areas. Two hundred men, even well placed, would be swamped by a larger force. It's best for us to go there, where we can use the terrain to our advantage."

Nicomedes scowled and started to pace. Ordinarily, this would be a bad sign but Praxis took it as a promising one. Nicomedes knew what needed to be done but he was fighting his instincts, which were to concentrate his entire force on the southern road. But he also knew that Praxis and Asterion were right, and leaving the eastern pass unguarded could be a route to calamity.

"Fine," said Nicomedes suddenly. "You can have the spear phalanx to guard the path. But on one condition. I want constant runners between our two forces. If the Spartan diversionary attack turns out not to be needed, I want the force redeployed to help us. We'll need everything we can get."

Asterion couldn't hold back his grin. "It shall be as you say, my king. And if they do go up this pass, they will never get by my men."

"I wish I had more faith in this formation of yours, Asterion," said the king. "I know you do and so does my son. I hope this is your chance to prove me wrong."

"I wouldn't have made the offer if I didn't think we could do it," said Asterion, puffing out his chest in a display of confidence. "It will be done."

"Good, let's tell the rest of the men."

They spent the following afternoon in a war conference with the rest of the generals. Praxis suspected most of them wouldn't be happy about the loss of the spear phalanx and he was right. It wasn't that they missed having an experimental and untested formation on the battlefield but more the actual bodies. Not having a couple hundred men on the battlefield when they were already outnumbered wasn't going to be taken well.

Though Nicomedes was willing to listen to their concerns, he didn't change his plans. By the end of the day, the only thing left to do was break off the phalanx and await the Spartans.

It was late evening by the time the men were in place. Praxis had a small fire going with Agemon, who was going to be fighting in the formation as well. Both men were pensive tonight, as well many in the phalanx. They all knew they would get one chance to prove themselves, and even though they were confident in the formation, they still couldn't help but be nervous about what fate had in store for them.

"I hope this isn't Corinth all over again," muttered Agemon. "I'd never seen a carefully crafted plan go to Hades so quickly. One minute we were staring down the Spartans and the next, we were utterly routed. Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself."

"I think these men are in better condition to fight the Spartans," replied Praxis. "They've been training for a few weeks now. They know the threat that's in front of them and as long as they believe they can stand their ground, they probably will."

"Probably?" asked Agemon.

"Probably," repeated Praxis. "They're still nervous. If they can just hold onto their nerves, they'll be fine. But that's asking for a lot when it comes to facing Spartans."

"I'm not as concerned about the phalanx though," noted Agemon. "This is good ground for us. We've trained hard enough that we should be ready. It's the rest of the army that concerns me. What if we manage to hold this pass while the rest of the army gets crushed?"

"It's something I've been struggling with as well," said Praxis. "But ultimately, we have no choice. We should be thankful the Spartans aren't splitting their forces even further. If they sent another force around to the north, it would mean we'd have to stretch ourselves even thinner. Good thing the scouts haven't reported any additional forces. Let's hope it stays that way."