Chapter 1: The Fall of Troy

"HEAVE!" Nikias shouts as his feet dig into the dirt and, behind him, scores of his men pull together to maneuver the massive pieces of wood into place. They toiled now for Epeius, though the orders came straight from King Odysseus himself. It was confusing and frustrating work, particularly so given the lack of details about what plan this nightmare contraption was to be a part of. "I said HEAVE, MEN! The King watches us toil so over a couple of toothpicks! Will you have it said a bundle of twigs slowed you down on the eve of WAR!? HEAVE!" His muscles tense with the exertion, but finally the last few feet meet their match and the men come to a rest.

The other two groups finish at nearly the same time, their loads dropped near simultaneously and parallel to one another - a good show of synchronicity and teamwork. They were a unit, his Lochos: each individual strong as a bull, but together a single entity capable of bringing down armies. He brushes the dust from his thigh guards and laughs. "Well done, well DONE!" The men hooted and hollered at their shared victory. For how long will this joy be fresh upon their tongues, Nikias wonders, before it turns to ash? Ten years they toiled, labored, and fought. He sighs, pushing the thoughts from his mind. It would do him no good to question his King now, for surely the Gods have not forsaken them. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and says a quiet prayer to Athena.

"Okay, NEXT LOAD!" he shouts, "WE RUN! Last one back pulls two watch shifts tonight!" He pushes his body, always to its limit, propelling himself at the head of over for forty of his men. For a damned horse.

Far off, well behind the army and siegeworks, Pan watched the man labor at building the odd contraption. Now what was a giant horse supposed to accomplish? The young lad was seated on a hill, finding what shade he might from the sun. Whatever the king's plans were, Pan was glad he was not among those sweating to build the contraption. Not that they'd let him do more than carry some nails, he was sure. The soldiers didn't want their little Dolios get hurt. Who else would bring them wine during the night?

All men had a purpose. And Pan, soon to be a man, was rather sure his had little to do with soldiering. Well, not the frontline stuff, anyway. He would make a wonderful quartermaster, of that he was sure. But one did not become one overnight. For now the men had kept him away from the fighting. Pan knew why. Lots of young lads who had gone before had not survived their first year. Whatever might be said of the siege, it had been a long and bloody affair and the walls yet held firm. But what else was Pan to do? Return home a camp follower? That would hardly get him a roof over his head. Unless the war would be won somehow of course. Long had Pan wondered what spoils might lie beyond those walls. A good haul of loot would set him up nicely back home. Well, what passed as home. Pan had no memory of it. But to hear the men speak of it was to know it was good.

If they ever went home, Pan corrected himself. As long as the siege had lasted, some feared that day might be years yet in the making. But there was little point in guessing. It would go as the gods willed. And the king. Maybe the Troyans. But not as little Dolios willed. Oh no.

With a sigh he got up and stretched. It was time to collect some wine. The men would be thirsty after all that work...

'They better not be expecting us to get in that thing...' Iantha watches the Greeks work gathering wood and slowly piecing it together as she polishes the armour on her lap. The bronze breastplate passed down from her mother was carves with scenes of monsters being slain, and forged of a special bronze that matched her spear. She was careful to maintain it, especially when it in return had protected her a fair few times.

Next to her sits her remaining sister in arms Chryseis sharpening her wo daggers. The nimbler of the pair she preferred to get behind the enemy while Iantha took their charges head on. The short haired amazon was quiet but had stuck with Iantha throughout everything while their number had dwindled.

Heroes. That was what they had called themselves. A group of amazons who grew up with stories of monster hunting, and wished to live up to those tales, to achieve feats that would go down in history. They'd set out to look for their own stories and legends, with debatable success. Then they had been drafted in this war. It was meant to be a test of their prowess, a start of their journeys, that had turned into a 10 year siege that had been a different kind of test. One of perseverance and character.

Irene had been the first to go. She wanted to fight monsters, not men, and when it was clear this wasn't a quick win she went to seek her story elsewhere. Kore and Ledo soon followed. The rest of them chose to stand with the fact they had made and agreement to aid, and didn't want to be so swift to turn their back. Then Thais and Alexis had fallen in battle. Those responsible had met quick repercussion. Iantha herself had manage to thrust her spear through the heart of Thais's killer.
Then the big blow had come. Their own Queen arriving in support of troy. They had all been shaken. Thea, Pelagia and Sostrate had left immediately realigning with Troy or leaving the fight completely. Menodora had lasted till she came across Penthesilea on the battle field, then the spear was thrown away.

Iantha couldn't blame her. She had been torn toward integrity, sticking with the agreement she had made with the Greek army and he own queen. The tempation to throw her spear throw her spear Achilles, to throw the last decade of fighting away had been high. Yet she had promised to see the geeks to victory, and where would she stand if she refused to honour those agreements.

So it was just her and Chryseis trying to uphold everything.

She watches as Nikias commands his men to keep moving the materials. He was someone she respected. Tiwaz as pulling wood towards the construction site. She had stayed out of his and Ajax's argument of strength. Let men be men. Then there was the kid, who was trying to fit in. Have his own place. That she hoped wouldn't suffer another 10 years. This horse sound stupid, yet at the same time if it worked it would the the end. The opportunity to start again, begin a new chapter.

She gives out a long sigh and starts to don her breastplate trusting Chryseis to help her. ' May as well help. get this all over with faster.

An end. That was what she longed for at this point.

He was going into the horse too? That was quite a surprise to Dolios. Still he did not worry too much. He would be surrounded by fighting men, some of legendary quality. If things turned bad he could slip off during the fighting. But if things went well... he would be a hero! And there was no small matter of being among the first to get a chance at looting to consider. Tonight would decide his future..

At the announcement of who is going in the horse Iantha just sighs. Just her luck. She had no problem being one of the first on the battlefield. In fact she relished that. Being crammed into a small space packed with others before hand though... if this plan even worked as the Trojans didn't set fire to the 'gift' where it stood.

As they start getting ready to enter she speaks. 'I am going near the front. Less chance Kynigós stabs someone.' She places a hand to the spear on her back. The weapon had served her well, but definitely wasn't the best tyo be packed into an enclosed space.

Nikias spends his time walking amongst his soldiers, checking with each to affirm their state of mind and jesting with them as needed to ease any pre-battle jitters. There was little of that - these men were hardened, mostly, beyond such worries, yet still after ten hard years of fighting...well, that can do a lot to the mind. His men were good for it, though - they were ready, and so was he.

He appreciates the company - some of the finest warriors on their side of this war were present, including the Amazon, Iantha, who had narrowly saved him from being impaled during the last skirmish. He felt blessed to know she and her sisters would be there - surely the gods were watching her closely. He gives her a knowing nod when their eyes meet.

After the camp clears, he catches sight of Dolios. "What in Hades are you still doing at the camp, boy!?" he shouts at seeing the young man. He sighs. "You heard the king, anyone who stays behind is climbing in this horse to fight our way out. You're no exception - come, I'll make sure you have some proper gear." He leads Dolios to be as prepared as possible for what's to come.

Despite feeling the tug on his mind, Nikias holds fast. He watches his men carefully - these men who have weathered so much these many years. Would any of them break, now? He watches and waits, springing to quietly hold someone back if they tried to escape. He sees a flash as a man, unknown to him, reaches to open the trap door and rushes to stop him.

He wordlessly pulls the man back and looks him dead in the eyes - no threats, but a conveyance of respect and assurance: They would do this, as planned. They would follow orders, and there was no room to do otherwise. He waits to see acknowledgement in the other man's eyes before loosening his grip.