(PS: Please support me on patreon there 135+ chapters there and there also my new GoT: The True Dragon Fanfiction of Game of Thrones
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Half a day had passed since the Adrestia departed Kephallonia. The sea was a deep, unending blue, and the wind was steady, pushing the ship along at a brisk pace. The time was just past noon, and the sun was high and warm.
Atlas stood near the helm, his hand resting lightly on the railing. He pulled out his pocket watch—a carefully preserved pocket watch he made from this life—and checked the time and his internal calculations.
"We should be approaching the Megaris coastline soon," he thought. "Right on schedule."
He looked over at his companions.
Kassandra was seated on a barrel, gently feeding a piece of dried meat to Ikaros, who perched patiently on her shoulder, his sharp eyes constantly scanning the sky. Beside her, Alexios was meticulously cleaning the blade of the Sword of Damokles, the mirror-finish reflecting the sunlight. Lukas, meanwhile, was engaged in a complicated game of finger-wrestling with a giggling Phoibe, occasionally letting her win with a dramatic grunt.
Atlas clapped his hands once, drawing their attention.
"Alright, listen up," Atlas said, his voice crisp. "Megaris is ahead. When we land, we need to choose a side. This isn't just a simple mercenary job; this is a full-scale war between Sparta and Athens. We will be deciding the fate of a region." He paused, looking directly at Kassandra and Alexios. "So, which side do we pick?"
Lukas stopped wrestling and looked pointedly at the siblings, his meaning clear: This is your family war.
Kassandra and Alexios exchanged a confused look. They hadn't thought about this yet; they were still focused on finding their mother and soon meeting their father.
Atlas saw their hesitation. He knew the conflict was deeply personal for them, but strategy demanded a quick answer. He made a decision for them.
"We side with Sparta then," Atlas stated, firming up the plan. "This will be the most direct route to find your father, Nikolaos, the Wolf of Sparta, as he will be leading the Spartan effort in the region."
Kassandra and Alexios were about to speak, perhaps to object to the decision or ask for time, when Barnabas suddenly cut them off.
Barnabas strode over from the helm, his face grim, replacing his usual cheerfulness with a hint of seriousness.
"That's perfect, Captain," Barnabas said, nodding sharply.
Atlas frowned, confused by the Captain's enthusiasm for Spartan alignment. "Perfect? Why is that, Barnabas?"
Barnabas pointed ahead, toward the horizon where the dark green coastline of Megaris was just beginning to become visible.
"Because," Barnabas continued, "there are three Athenian ships forming a blockade right on the coastline."
Everyone looked.
Three ships were anchored, their dark hulls sitting low in the water. Atlas squinted, analyzing the shapes. Two looked like fast, light Biremes, designed for speed and flanking maneuvers. The third was larger and heavier—a massive Trireme, bristling with spikes and soldiers, designed for ramming and command.
"They look formidable," Kassandra murmured, standing up and shading her eyes.
Atlas nodded slowly, his mind already churning through probabilities and countermeasures. "It seems the Athenians are forming a sea blockade so the Spartan forces can neither get reinforcements nor easily escape Megaris. A standard, effective tactic."
Barnabas agreed, running a hand through his thin hair. "Indeed, Captain. But doing this means we can't land directly. We'll have to run the gauntlet, or sail miles out of our way."
Silence fell over the deck. Alexios and Lukas didn't complain or ask questions; they simply moved to their gear, their movements economical and sharp. Years of experience told them that when Atlas fell silent and thoughtful, a brutal plan was about to be born.
Atlas, meanwhile, was calculating the risk. In the game, the Adrestia could easily take on multiple Triremes and emerge unscathed. In reality, a single heavy Trireme could splinter their comparatively small, fast ship. Naval battles were chaotic and unforgiving.
He stopped thinking and looked at Barnabas.
"Barnabas, two questions. How fast can your crew row the ship if pushed to the absolute limit? And realistically, can the Adrestia take down one of those ships?"
Barnabas answered honestly. "In terms of speed, Captain, we can certainly outrun any standard Athenian Trireme if we need to. But as for a fight… we can easily disable one of the light Biremes with our javelins and arrows. All three together, especially with that big Trireme? Impossible. We'd be sunk before we got close."
Atlas nodded, absorbing the data. He looked at the three imposing shapes on the water.
"Alright then. Here is what we are going to do."
He gathered them close, lowering his voice, his tone cold and decisive.
"We are going full speed. Barnabas, push your rowers to the limit. We are heading straight for the blockade, aiming to ram the largest Trireme—the command ship. I will board the heavy ship the moment we strike, preventing it from maneuvering or issuing orders."
He paused, looking at the two muscular men. "The two small ships will surely close in to protect their commander. If one of the light Biremes gets close enough, Alexios and Lukas, I want you to board it immediately. Kill everyone. Take the ship out of the fight."
He then looked at Kassandra, handing her a spare coil of rope. "Kassandra, I want you to stay with Barnabas. You will command the Adrestia along with him to take down the other small Bireme using the ship's weapons. Once all two enemy ships are dead in the water, you can board the Trireme and assist me. Are we clear?"
Alexios and Lukas grinned, their eyes alight with the anticipation of combat. "Clear!" they chorused, adjusting their armor.
Kassandra, however, was skeptical. She looked at the giant Trireme, then at their small ship. "Are you sure this is going to work? Ramming the biggest ship sounds suicidal."
Before Atlas could reply, Alexios cut him off, laughing with a reckless, heroic sound.
"Don't worry, Kass! We've heard riskier plans from Atlas than this one, but they always work like miracles!" He clapped her on the shoulder. "Just trust him."
Lukas nodded vigorously. "Indeed. Just trust Atlas. You'd be surprised at the outcome. He has a plan for everything."
Kassandra's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, a wry smile touching her lips. She had to admit, that man was not normal and had never been wrong before.
Barnabas threw his head back and laughed loudly, a warm sound that momentarily broke the tension. "Well, if we do die, this is certainly going to be a good story for the sirens to sing about! Being with a bunch of lunatics certainly makes life interesting!"
Alexios and Lukas laughed and agreed instantly.
Atlas looked at them helplessly, shaking his head. "Don't worry, no one's going to die. Well, except the enemy. Now, ready yourselves. Get below deck."
They all nodded and began moving.
Barnabas rushed to the helm, instructing the crew to ready the arrow and spears, emphasizing that they would be facing a Trireme. Below deck, the rowers positioned themselves, gripping their oars tight, the tension palpable.
Kassandra grasped the Spear of Leonidas, the gold gleaming under the sun. Alexios hefted the Sword of Damokles, its edge singing faintly. Lukas settled the Hammer of Jason onto his back, ready to crush anything in his path.
Atlas turned to Phoibe, who was hiding behind Lukas's massive frame. He knelt down to her eye level.
"Phoibe," he said gently. "This isn't a game. I need you to go down to the cargo hold and stay with the cook. No matter what you hear, you stay quiet and hidden. Understand?"
Phoibe nodded solemnly, her usual cheerfulness replaced with a hint of fear and excitement. "Yes, Atlas. I'll be safe." She squeezed his hand and started running below deck.
Seeing her safe, Atlas looked at Barnabas and gave a final, decisive nod.
Barnabas understood. He inhaled deeply and bellowed a single command to the unseen rowers below deck.
"ROWERS! FULL SPEED! TO GLORY!"
The deck lurched forward as hundreds of oars dipped into the sea and began pulling in unison. The Adrestia surged toward the Athenian blockade, turning the small ship into a lightning-fast weapon.
(PS: Please support me on patreon there 135+ chapters there and there also my new GoT: The True Dragon Fanfiction of Game of Thrones
https://patreon.com/BX_XDS)