Hellas

2,103 years since initial death
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Now was the time for action.

He returned to Laconia and regrouped with the leading unified Greek military, Sparta. Finally back in the one place he considered his home, Markus was ready to return to his life of warfare. Oddly enough, a few of the generals had recognized him. All of them believed him to be dead, though Markus has had hundreds of excuses in his mind, just for this occasion alone. 

After passing his deaths as minor flesh wounds or cases of misunderstandings, he was able to provide himself a new batch of armor. His new hand-crafted weapons were sharpened and readied. Unlike last time, he was no longer feeling exposed, now wearing a newly made muscle cuirass that covered his chest and left his arms free.

Then, he received his mission. A raid on Melos. It was an island that was recently captured by the Athenians. Already, a majority of the male inhabitants of Melos were executed, while the women and children were turned into slaves, forced to aid the Athenians with resources. It was a prime example of their cruelty and negligence at civilized warfare.

Their plan was simple. Storm the island and raid the fort located by the harbor. There was no hesitation or argument, everyone onboard the mission agreed to it. Spartan triremes were readied and boarded. Setting sail from the eastern end of Laconia, they charged headfirst towards Melos.

The water around Melos was heavily guarded. Because of the island's recent capture, dozens of warships were ready to defend their territory at the first sign of trouble. At the crack of dawn, the battle had already begun. It was Argolis once again, and Markus had memorized his routine.

Brace. Shield raised above his head. Avoid the volley of arrows. Ready a javelin. Prepare for an imminent collision.

He fought expressionless. Just as before, their ship was rammed. But they had not sunk yet. The harbor was close by, if he had to swim to Melos; then so be it. Fire raged across the ship, the mast had already collapsed. Markus was unfazed by all of it. He marched across the deck, avoiding the next volley of arrows.

Even when the Athenians attempted to board them, Markus was ready for it. His blade pierced through each and every one of them, shedding their blood as he continued marching forward. He reached the front of their ship and looked down at the sea below. Small rowboats were headed towards the island, the real assault was about to begin. He stood right by the edge and took a look behind him. The ship was on the verge of destruction.

Finally, he spread his arms out. In a single breath, he leaned forward off the edge and dove into the sea. The closest rowboat was able to pick him up as they charged towards Melos. Volleys of arrows put an end to a few of the rowboats, but Markus was lucky enough to reach the harbor.

Getting Melos back was crucial, as Melos often aided the Spartans during the war, despite claiming to be neutral. The harsh treatment they received from the Athenians was undeserved, they had to be liberated at all costs. Once the rowboats reached the harbor, every Spartan man raided the island.

The main fort of Melos was up ahead. If they could capture the castle, the Athenians would be driven back before reinforcements could arrive. The marketplaces were set on fire during the assault as dozens of soldiers charged into the fight with their weapons drawn.

A fire was lit in the fort, signaling a pillar of smoke that could be seen from across the island. Athenian reinforcements were arriving soon. Spartan numbers were plummeting. Markus had to stop while a few Spartans remained by his side. The fort was just within walking distance.

"This is an impossible task, their numbers greatly outnumber us!" One of the Spartans yelled.

Markus remained confident in himself. "Since when have the numbers ever been in our favor? We are Spartans, we live for the glory and the fight, outnumbered or not. Whether we survive the onslaught or not, we will be making a difference. Not just for Sparta, and not for the nation of Hellas, but rather the entire world."

He remembered Leonidas once more, along with the Oracle's words. During this moment, he carried the legacy of his former king behind, building confidence amongst his allies. Just as Leonidas had done before Thermopylae. This was their destiny, even if it was suicide.

Athenian archers from the fort rained hell over the Spartans. Usually, soldiers would throw down their weapons and surrender in a situation like this, or even run for their lives. But not Spartans. There was only one way this was going to end, and it involved blood.

Lots of it.

An entire garrison of Spartan soldiers charged towards the castle. Many of them had fallen before reaching the fort due to the overwhelming force of enemy archers. They stormed the fort immediately, taking no prisoners. The screams of dying men surrounded them all. Spears were thrusted, limbs were severed, and blood was spilt.

Within minutes, only a handful of Spartans remained, Markus included. However, he remained expressionless. He's fought in tougher situations before, and despite almost always dying at the end of them, things were going to play out differently here. For years now he's been fighting the Athenians, he knows exactly how they fight back.

One soldier charged at him, ready to bash him with his shield. Markus dodged to the side, swinging his sword backwards in the process and striking the soldier's head. Another enemy was approaching him. In an instant, Markus leapt forward and threw his sword with his full strength behind it. It flipped a few times in the air before landing a clean hit on the target.

The fight was intense, but he was in complete control of himself. Even Ares would be proud of his display. Nobody could land a single hit on him. He deflected every blade, dodged every arrow and blocked every attack. It drained his stamina tremendously and his vision started to fade.

His surroundings became unclear as more Athenian soldiers joined the fight. But Markus wasn't done just yet. Lifting his foot in the air, he delivered the signature Spartan move. A kick powerful enough to knock a soldier down long enough for him to slash their neck and move on to the others.

Aiming for their feet also helped, causing them to fall as he stabbed them in the guts. By now, he was the only Spartan soldier left in the fort. Markus was so caught up in the adrenaline rush that he failed to realize he was alone. The Spartan assault was coming to an end in defeat. By the time he noticed, it was too late to change anything. Most of the Athenian soldiers stood back by now, after witnessing the others get slaughtered.

Securing this fort for Sparta was now impossible, but it doesn't mean giving up. They had underestimated their enemy. This was the result of cockiness. Markus however had an alternate idea in mind. He doesn't need to survive or liberate the fort. He just needs to lower Athenian morale.

That's when he locked eyes with a new challenger. From within the fort, the grand Athenian general of the castle joined in on the fight. He was armed with his spear and massively round shield. Markus was ready for him, already holding his sword up. His wrath had taken full control of him. Although his movements could be reckless from now on, his strength has only doubled.

"Enough of this bloodshed, Spartan!" The general screamed, raising his spear into the air. Immediately, everyone stopped and stood still.

Markus took a deep breath as he lowered his sword. His shield was already shattered from the assault, his sword was his only weapon now. "You are a fool if you believe you can make a prisoner out of me. Sparta has my strength and my life."

"Who said you were to become a prisoner?" The general laughed. "I just wanted to stop you from getting yourself killed so I have a chance at taking that head of yours myself."

This was uncommon, especially for a strategic Athenian general. However, Markus could sense an immense amount of narcissism overwhelm the general. He could not resist boosting his pride by claiming another life in front of his troops.

The general lunged forward without warning, thrusting his spear with one quick motion. Markus was faster as he dropped to the ground and rolled to the side. Raising his sword, he swung it at the general's chest. To his surprise, the sword merely bounced off the general's thick armor.

No matter what tactic Markus could use, the general was somehow countering all of it. Neither of them could wound one another. Always on his feet, the immortal Spartan was running out of options. He swung his blade only to slice into the air and finding the general ducked beneath him. They were so close to each other that Markus found his neck getting gripped before being shoved backwards with immense strength.

In response, the Athenian readied his spear and twirled it in his hands. He was enjoying this, and this time, he was stronger. Markus failed to avoid his next attack as the general violently swung his spear sideways and struck the Spartan's head with the blunt end of the blade. He fell to the ground and dropped his sword in the process. Completely unarmed, he watched in horror as the general prepared to finish him off by plunging his spear downwards over him.

Fortunately, Markus had just enough strength to roll over to the side, avoiding the spear. He quickly stood back up and took off his helmet. In a fit of rage, he yelled as he threw his helmet at the general. It collided against his head, causing both helmets to fall to the ground. His straightened blonde hair was revealed, and his blue eyes were highlighted. There was something wrong with his appearance, he couldn't be Greek.

Markus has faced tough opponents before, but none were like him. Something about the general was starting to terrify him, as he fought with experience. But what stood out was his form, the general fought using multiple different tactics. This shouldn't be possible, even the immortal man himself was struggling to match his strength and agility. Faster and stronger than a thousand soldiers combined, this general was the ultimate warrior.

The Athenian general bent over and picked up the sword Markus dropped. He carried both the sword and his spear, feeling confident in his abilities. "You know, usually I plan out my attacks. I study my enemy before charging headfirst into battle."

"Study yourself, you're not a Hellen." Markus talked back, knowing there was nothing else he could do.

"Yeah?" The general scoffed, taking a glance around him momentarily. "Neither are you, Egyptian. Come on, it's all over your face. And that hair. I figured your kind would be smarter than the Spartans, alas you're all stupid."

Markus started taking a few steps around his opponent, maintaining eye-contact in the process. "Tell me, why do you fight for these Athenians? What do you gain from this when you don't even belong here?"

"Am I really going to have a philosophical debate with someone whose head will be mounted on my wall as a trophy?"

"Hey, if I'm going to die, I might as well get to know my killer a little better." Markus shrugged and smirked. He could spot the Athenian's fallen helmet beside him.

The general was already annoyed by this point. He gripped both his weapons tighter in response. "I'm here for the glory. The recognition of earning my rightful place in Olympus and delivering an end to the injustice you started. Why're you here, huh? Why did you become a soldier?"

The immortal Spartan didn't need to think of an answer. "I'm here to spectate the world's development. Sure, I might get involved from time to time, but to be honest; I'm also just here to alleviate the boredom."

Before the Athenian could respond, Markus took the opportunity to charge towards his distracted enemy. The general didn't have the time to plan an attack and instinctively attempted to jab his spear forward. Instead of landing a clean stab, his attack missed as Markus slid underneath him and tackled into his legs.

The general stumbled back as Markus leapt for his dropped helmet on the ground. Without hesitation, he stood up and swiped the helmet as hard as he could sideways. It was a direct bash to the Athenian's skull that knocked him back.

Markus hoped he would drop one of his weapons, but he never did. He'll have to take them by force. Left with one other option, he stormed into him hard, causing the both of them to stumbled several feet back. The general finally dropped both weapons. Stepping over him, he tried to reach for them.

However, before Markus could arm himself again, he felt the Athenian general stand and grab him from behind. Both his hands clasped around his upper and lower jaw and began to pull. Markus resisted, but he found himself weakening.

The general was attempting to snap the Spartan's jaw apart and crush his skull simultaneously. He'd need immense strength to accomplish it, and it seemed he was close. Markus couldn't help but yell in response to the pain. It's a brutal and savage display of physical violence that could frighten even the largest warrior.

He could feel his own jaw about to crack. Unable to remove his adversary's hands, he resorted to rocking his head back as hard as he could. The sudden jolt in movement caused the general to lose his grip. Markus attempted to remove himself from his clutches and find any weapon. However, it seemed he was far too late.

The Athenian sprung into action again and leapt over him. Right nearby was a dropped sword. It was one that Markus tried to reach for, but he was pinned down. Unable to move, the general extended an arm forward until he firmly grasped the blade by its hilt.

Rather than plunging the sword into the Spartan, he had a different idea. As Markus tried to look around, he felt himself being forced to stand upright as his back faced his powerful opponent. The general stood behind him and placed his sword over Markus' neck.

"As I said," the general paused as he caught his breath, "your head is mine."

"Congratulations," Markus coughed, there was only one option left, "but I'm not dead yet."

In response, the general sighed. Keeping his sword clenched tight, he wasted no more time. "Then let's change that, shall we?"

He pulled the sword back, brutally slitting his neck. Markus closed his eyes in response to the pain. He fell to his knees as blood flowed from him. The fight was over and he had lost. But it couldn't end this way, and he wouldn't allow it. His death has come, he has accepted it, but not without one final statement.

Nobody had paid attention to the fact that Markus never placed a hand over his neck to stop the bleeding. That was because he was focused on grabbing the general's fallen spear from the ground in front of him. In an instant, he grasped it and used up all his strength to stand back up. Turning around and jabbing the spear forward, he caught the general off guard. The spear traveled through his opened mouth and out the back of his head, killing him on the spot.

Both men finally collapsed to the ground, Markus bled out and perished on the spot beside the general. Although the battle had come to an end with a Spartan loss, not all hope was lost. Sparta would finally gain control of Melos in 405 BCE. On April 25th, 404 BCE, Athens surrendered to Sparta, thus ending the Peloponnesian War.

Markus was there to witness the end. He thought of all those who had perished for this moment to come. As the oracle had told him, he carried the legacies of all those who had fallen before him. His family, his friends, Leonidas, and the souls of millions of young men and women that fought for a better life.

Despite having fought for peace, he soon came to realize that it may not be possible. Even with the end of the war, battles against other armies and cultures raged on, death was still on the rise. But he was done here. He had set out to end the war and his work was complete.

Years passed him by with little to no trouble. In 280 BCE, he still continued to live in Hellas, now called Greece. By that time, the Colossus of Rhodes was constructed and stood tall over the harbor. Markus was slightly disappointed at first. He heard rumors that the statue's legs formed an arch over the harbor's entrance where ships could sail underneath it. But that wasn't the case. While the statue itself was still a majestic sight to behold, the rumors were greatly exaggerated as the statue only rested on one side of the harbor with its legs closed together.

In 30 BCE, he finally returned to Egypt, only to discover the new established city, Alexandria. He heard of Cleopatra's recent death, and of Julius Caesar. There were many things he had missed, but it was Giza that devastated him the most.

Curiosity got the better of him, and upon arriving at the scene, he found the area completely deserted. The pyramids and even the Great Sphinx were in terrible condition. His old home was permanently gone too, even the rubbles he had last seen here were gone, as time buried them beneath the sand.

Still, he couldn't help but notice the slight burn in his left hand every time he stood here. Ever since his immortality began, he's felt a connection that's linked back to his curse. He figured it was a reminder of his origins. Besides, what else could it possibly mean?

Markus spent countless years traveling between Greece and Egypt. Not a day passed where he wouldn't remember the oracle's chilling words. He believed he was destined for something far greater. Eventually, his willingness to travel found him entering a new nation, one that promised him a life-changing experience.

That nation was Italia.

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Historical Notes:

3,400 Athenian soldiers were all it took to siege Melos (Milos). With all the men of the island executed and the women and children sold into slavery, the Athenians brought over five hundred of their own people to start their own settlement and colony on the island.

Much of Melos' history ranging throughout this era has since been lost to time.

Many of the Hellenistic soldiers in the war were required to provide for their own panoply (full-set armor). Due to a gap between the wealthy and the poor, there was often a variety and large mixture of armor types worn by troops in the same side of the war.

66 years after the Colossus of Rhodes' construction, an earthquake shattered the harbor and caused the statue to collapse. When the statue was planned on being rebuilt, the Oracle of Delphi told the Rhodians that they have offended the Gods, causing them to abandon the idea.

Up until 653 AD, the Colossus of Rhodes remained in its state after the earthquake. An Arab force captured the city and melted down the statue before selling it to a Jewish merchant that had nine hundred camels ready to export the bronze.

Colossus of Rhodes before the earthquake of 226 BCE

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