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“I never had any doubts as to the source of your misery.” Maleos quipped back in a low voice, a small snort of entertainment escaping him at his own joke.
He nodded as Timaeus asked after the discussions that Maleos wished to have.
“Indeed, they are. Definitely not ones about a subject I would care to have overheard.” He answered, though he supposed it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for other people to know he was a human who had feelings, but this was not the time nor place to discuss such things. Men of war were gathered to discuss what they knew best, it was not some court session where gossip would run rampant and people would take joy in such things.
He nodded as Timaeus spoke of Midas being draining. He had felt as such, much preferring the relative quiet of his home in Eubocris, unfortunately he hadn’t had a chance to go back for quite some time, and now with his family on their way to the city, and he himself preparing to march to war, he did not see a chance for him to visit his home. Though he was glad that Timaeus would be getting the chance.
“Tomorrow it is, I’ll hold you to that, my Lord.” He said, though the last part was in a bit of a teasing tone, voice kept low so no one would hear him and think him disrespectful to his own Baron. When the two of them were out of the public eye, all titles were dropped, and their conversation became much more casual.
“They have remained in Eubocris until now, I have sent word and some of my men, and they should be on their way here to Midas. I thought they would be safer here than remaining in Eubocris, at least while the war continues.” He said after Tim had asked about his family, he had sent for them just a couple days ago, so it was likely they would be on the road to Midas at that very moment.
“A thing we will discuss when plenty of wine has passed my lips.” The Captain whispered back as Timaeus asked after the distaste he held for Damocles. It wasn’t something he wanted to talk about in that moment, with so many ears listening who might report such things back to the other man. The Colchian military wasn’t typically a group that gossiped, but Maleos was still careful about what was said.
Maleos fell silent as the Crown Prince had the door shut, his attentions turning fully to the man. Maleos held respect for him, honour bound to serve the royals of Colchis, Maleos had dedicated his life to exactly that. And that was a big reason why the princes words left Maleos with a cutting feeling down in his gut, and had the muscles in his jaw tensing as he fought down the flash of anger and disappointment that threatened to spill its way outward. A Taengean, raised to coveted position of commander, above Maleos and other deserving men of Colchis. He knew that Timaeus would see the disappointment in the way he held his jaw, and the slight change in his eyes, though no one else in the room knew Maleos well enough to notice such things. He kept quiet, keeping his feelings to himself, it would not do him any good to voice his disappointment in the decision, though apparent Damocles had not thought the same.
He hardly let the Crown Prince finish before he went on about granting his support in the crown prince’s decision, before continuing to speak about wishing to nominate someone else as a Commander. This earned a surprised expression even from Maleos, his earlier disappointment forgotten for the moment as Damocles pulled such a daring and strange move. Maleos smoothed his expression out once more, waiting to see how the crown prince would react to such words.
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Jan 14, 2020 22:31:35 GMT
Posted In The Armoury on Jan 14, 2020 22:31:35 GMT
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“I never had any doubts as to the source of your misery.” Maleos quipped back in a low voice, a small snort of entertainment escaping him at his own joke.
He nodded as Timaeus asked after the discussions that Maleos wished to have.
“Indeed, they are. Definitely not ones about a subject I would care to have overheard.” He answered, though he supposed it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for other people to know he was a human who had feelings, but this was not the time nor place to discuss such things. Men of war were gathered to discuss what they knew best, it was not some court session where gossip would run rampant and people would take joy in such things.
He nodded as Timaeus spoke of Midas being draining. He had felt as such, much preferring the relative quiet of his home in Eubocris, unfortunately he hadn’t had a chance to go back for quite some time, and now with his family on their way to the city, and he himself preparing to march to war, he did not see a chance for him to visit his home. Though he was glad that Timaeus would be getting the chance.
“Tomorrow it is, I’ll hold you to that, my Lord.” He said, though the last part was in a bit of a teasing tone, voice kept low so no one would hear him and think him disrespectful to his own Baron. When the two of them were out of the public eye, all titles were dropped, and their conversation became much more casual.
“They have remained in Eubocris until now, I have sent word and some of my men, and they should be on their way here to Midas. I thought they would be safer here than remaining in Eubocris, at least while the war continues.” He said after Tim had asked about his family, he had sent for them just a couple days ago, so it was likely they would be on the road to Midas at that very moment.
“A thing we will discuss when plenty of wine has passed my lips.” The Captain whispered back as Timaeus asked after the distaste he held for Damocles. It wasn’t something he wanted to talk about in that moment, with so many ears listening who might report such things back to the other man. The Colchian military wasn’t typically a group that gossiped, but Maleos was still careful about what was said.
Maleos fell silent as the Crown Prince had the door shut, his attentions turning fully to the man. Maleos held respect for him, honour bound to serve the royals of Colchis, Maleos had dedicated his life to exactly that. And that was a big reason why the princes words left Maleos with a cutting feeling down in his gut, and had the muscles in his jaw tensing as he fought down the flash of anger and disappointment that threatened to spill its way outward. A Taengean, raised to coveted position of commander, above Maleos and other deserving men of Colchis. He knew that Timaeus would see the disappointment in the way he held his jaw, and the slight change in his eyes, though no one else in the room knew Maleos well enough to notice such things. He kept quiet, keeping his feelings to himself, it would not do him any good to voice his disappointment in the decision, though apparent Damocles had not thought the same.
He hardly let the Crown Prince finish before he went on about granting his support in the crown prince’s decision, before continuing to speak about wishing to nominate someone else as a Commander. This earned a surprised expression even from Maleos, his earlier disappointment forgotten for the moment as Damocles pulled such a daring and strange move. Maleos smoothed his expression out once more, waiting to see how the crown prince would react to such words.
“I never had any doubts as to the source of your misery.” Maleos quipped back in a low voice, a small snort of entertainment escaping him at his own joke.
He nodded as Timaeus asked after the discussions that Maleos wished to have.
“Indeed, they are. Definitely not ones about a subject I would care to have overheard.” He answered, though he supposed it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for other people to know he was a human who had feelings, but this was not the time nor place to discuss such things. Men of war were gathered to discuss what they knew best, it was not some court session where gossip would run rampant and people would take joy in such things.
He nodded as Timaeus spoke of Midas being draining. He had felt as such, much preferring the relative quiet of his home in Eubocris, unfortunately he hadn’t had a chance to go back for quite some time, and now with his family on their way to the city, and he himself preparing to march to war, he did not see a chance for him to visit his home. Though he was glad that Timaeus would be getting the chance.
“Tomorrow it is, I’ll hold you to that, my Lord.” He said, though the last part was in a bit of a teasing tone, voice kept low so no one would hear him and think him disrespectful to his own Baron. When the two of them were out of the public eye, all titles were dropped, and their conversation became much more casual.
“They have remained in Eubocris until now, I have sent word and some of my men, and they should be on their way here to Midas. I thought they would be safer here than remaining in Eubocris, at least while the war continues.” He said after Tim had asked about his family, he had sent for them just a couple days ago, so it was likely they would be on the road to Midas at that very moment.
“A thing we will discuss when plenty of wine has passed my lips.” The Captain whispered back as Timaeus asked after the distaste he held for Damocles. It wasn’t something he wanted to talk about in that moment, with so many ears listening who might report such things back to the other man. The Colchian military wasn’t typically a group that gossiped, but Maleos was still careful about what was said.
Maleos fell silent as the Crown Prince had the door shut, his attentions turning fully to the man. Maleos held respect for him, honour bound to serve the royals of Colchis, Maleos had dedicated his life to exactly that. And that was a big reason why the princes words left Maleos with a cutting feeling down in his gut, and had the muscles in his jaw tensing as he fought down the flash of anger and disappointment that threatened to spill its way outward. A Taengean, raised to coveted position of commander, above Maleos and other deserving men of Colchis. He knew that Timaeus would see the disappointment in the way he held his jaw, and the slight change in his eyes, though no one else in the room knew Maleos well enough to notice such things. He kept quiet, keeping his feelings to himself, it would not do him any good to voice his disappointment in the decision, though apparent Damocles had not thought the same.
He hardly let the Crown Prince finish before he went on about granting his support in the crown prince’s decision, before continuing to speak about wishing to nominate someone else as a Commander. This earned a surprised expression even from Maleos, his earlier disappointment forgotten for the moment as Damocles pulled such a daring and strange move. Maleos smoothed his expression out once more, waiting to see how the crown prince would react to such words.
Men, whose names were mostly unknown to him, filed in and soon the room filled with Captains, Commanders, and one or two generals. Unused to feeling out of place, Stephanos’s usual confidence asserted itself the longer no one spoke to him. A few people shot him a curious glance every now and then, but, ultimately, they all knew their business and whether he served in some capacity here, as he surmised he might by the summons, or in Taengea, the result would be mostly the same; he’d be at war. Forcing his thoughts away from his birthright, he took a long drink of wine, not at all concerned with the alcohol content. It was day time and this was watered down.
Vangelis called the meeting to order in his usual abrupt fashion and Stephanos’s attention was caught in the information the prince threw out in clipped sentences. Stephanos’s face was a perfect mask of neutrality as the information that Egypt planned to attack was laid out. It was what he’d already suspected, judging from the information that Magnus had passed on to him. The peace his father had made with Egypt had already been tenuous. Those treacherous snakes breaking it at the first sign of weakness only made Stephanos grip the bowl of his cup harder as he clenched his jaw. His shoulders stiffened at the title of ‘king’ for his cousin, but, here again, it wasn’t new information. Though the phrase ‘naval force’ did fill Stephanos with a mixture of concern and vague pride. Egypt? Seeking to take Taengea on their own ground? Vasiliadon would have no problem if there was a siege. That Achilleas was going to take down Egypt before they could even try it made Stephanos think that his cousin was out to prove himself as king. And he ignored the snake of jealousy attempting to rear its poisonous head inside him.
Sail to Taengea? Stephanos narrowed his eyes at that, wondering if he could persuade Vangelis to stage a little, just a little brute force against the Taengean senate while they were there...and then pushed the fantasy aside. As much as he’d love to bleed the senate dry, he didn’t think Vangelis would actually go for it.
"I am appointing Stephanos of Mikaelidas, a Taengean and friend to Colchis as a Colchian Commander for this campaign." Vangelis’s announcement made Stephanos give him a single glance, but after that, he looked around the room, assessing what that might mean. If people didn’t like it, he couldn’t afford to have his eyes closed. He needed to know who would be an ally and who would be a problem. And he didn’t have to wait for more than a few seconds after that announcement.
Damocles. He didn’t remember where the man was from and frankly didn’t care. Stephanos had had precisely two run ins with the man and neither of those instances he thought on fondly. While Damocles spoke, Stephanos took a calculated sip of his wine and cut his eyes toward Vangelis, to see how the prince bore being spoken to like that. Perhaps that’s how things were done in Colchis? Captains could put forth their vote on what a General decided? Damocles’s thin flattery did nothing to endear him to Stephanos, who thought it more a fake than anything else. As to whether or not this Lazaros gained a promotion, it wasn’t for him to say yay or nay. Being that this was not his command, he said nothing to Damocles and only aimed one long, expressionless look at Damocles before turning his attention elsewhere.
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Jan 17, 2020 14:28:25 GMT
Posted In The Armoury on Jan 17, 2020 14:28:25 GMT
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Men, whose names were mostly unknown to him, filed in and soon the room filled with Captains, Commanders, and one or two generals. Unused to feeling out of place, Stephanos’s usual confidence asserted itself the longer no one spoke to him. A few people shot him a curious glance every now and then, but, ultimately, they all knew their business and whether he served in some capacity here, as he surmised he might by the summons, or in Taengea, the result would be mostly the same; he’d be at war. Forcing his thoughts away from his birthright, he took a long drink of wine, not at all concerned with the alcohol content. It was day time and this was watered down.
Vangelis called the meeting to order in his usual abrupt fashion and Stephanos’s attention was caught in the information the prince threw out in clipped sentences. Stephanos’s face was a perfect mask of neutrality as the information that Egypt planned to attack was laid out. It was what he’d already suspected, judging from the information that Magnus had passed on to him. The peace his father had made with Egypt had already been tenuous. Those treacherous snakes breaking it at the first sign of weakness only made Stephanos grip the bowl of his cup harder as he clenched his jaw. His shoulders stiffened at the title of ‘king’ for his cousin, but, here again, it wasn’t new information. Though the phrase ‘naval force’ did fill Stephanos with a mixture of concern and vague pride. Egypt? Seeking to take Taengea on their own ground? Vasiliadon would have no problem if there was a siege. That Achilleas was going to take down Egypt before they could even try it made Stephanos think that his cousin was out to prove himself as king. And he ignored the snake of jealousy attempting to rear its poisonous head inside him.
Sail to Taengea? Stephanos narrowed his eyes at that, wondering if he could persuade Vangelis to stage a little, just a little brute force against the Taengean senate while they were there...and then pushed the fantasy aside. As much as he’d love to bleed the senate dry, he didn’t think Vangelis would actually go for it.
"I am appointing Stephanos of Mikaelidas, a Taengean and friend to Colchis as a Colchian Commander for this campaign." Vangelis’s announcement made Stephanos give him a single glance, but after that, he looked around the room, assessing what that might mean. If people didn’t like it, he couldn’t afford to have his eyes closed. He needed to know who would be an ally and who would be a problem. And he didn’t have to wait for more than a few seconds after that announcement.
Damocles. He didn’t remember where the man was from and frankly didn’t care. Stephanos had had precisely two run ins with the man and neither of those instances he thought on fondly. While Damocles spoke, Stephanos took a calculated sip of his wine and cut his eyes toward Vangelis, to see how the prince bore being spoken to like that. Perhaps that’s how things were done in Colchis? Captains could put forth their vote on what a General decided? Damocles’s thin flattery did nothing to endear him to Stephanos, who thought it more a fake than anything else. As to whether or not this Lazaros gained a promotion, it wasn’t for him to say yay or nay. Being that this was not his command, he said nothing to Damocles and only aimed one long, expressionless look at Damocles before turning his attention elsewhere.
Men, whose names were mostly unknown to him, filed in and soon the room filled with Captains, Commanders, and one or two generals. Unused to feeling out of place, Stephanos’s usual confidence asserted itself the longer no one spoke to him. A few people shot him a curious glance every now and then, but, ultimately, they all knew their business and whether he served in some capacity here, as he surmised he might by the summons, or in Taengea, the result would be mostly the same; he’d be at war. Forcing his thoughts away from his birthright, he took a long drink of wine, not at all concerned with the alcohol content. It was day time and this was watered down.
Vangelis called the meeting to order in his usual abrupt fashion and Stephanos’s attention was caught in the information the prince threw out in clipped sentences. Stephanos’s face was a perfect mask of neutrality as the information that Egypt planned to attack was laid out. It was what he’d already suspected, judging from the information that Magnus had passed on to him. The peace his father had made with Egypt had already been tenuous. Those treacherous snakes breaking it at the first sign of weakness only made Stephanos grip the bowl of his cup harder as he clenched his jaw. His shoulders stiffened at the title of ‘king’ for his cousin, but, here again, it wasn’t new information. Though the phrase ‘naval force’ did fill Stephanos with a mixture of concern and vague pride. Egypt? Seeking to take Taengea on their own ground? Vasiliadon would have no problem if there was a siege. That Achilleas was going to take down Egypt before they could even try it made Stephanos think that his cousin was out to prove himself as king. And he ignored the snake of jealousy attempting to rear its poisonous head inside him.
Sail to Taengea? Stephanos narrowed his eyes at that, wondering if he could persuade Vangelis to stage a little, just a little brute force against the Taengean senate while they were there...and then pushed the fantasy aside. As much as he’d love to bleed the senate dry, he didn’t think Vangelis would actually go for it.
"I am appointing Stephanos of Mikaelidas, a Taengean and friend to Colchis as a Colchian Commander for this campaign." Vangelis’s announcement made Stephanos give him a single glance, but after that, he looked around the room, assessing what that might mean. If people didn’t like it, he couldn’t afford to have his eyes closed. He needed to know who would be an ally and who would be a problem. And he didn’t have to wait for more than a few seconds after that announcement.
Damocles. He didn’t remember where the man was from and frankly didn’t care. Stephanos had had precisely two run ins with the man and neither of those instances he thought on fondly. While Damocles spoke, Stephanos took a calculated sip of his wine and cut his eyes toward Vangelis, to see how the prince bore being spoken to like that. Perhaps that’s how things were done in Colchis? Captains could put forth their vote on what a General decided? Damocles’s thin flattery did nothing to endear him to Stephanos, who thought it more a fake than anything else. As to whether or not this Lazaros gained a promotion, it wasn’t for him to say yay or nay. Being that this was not his command, he said nothing to Damocles and only aimed one long, expressionless look at Damocles before turning his attention elsewhere.
As the pair of close friends laid out their plans to meet the next day, Timaeus couldn’t help, but think that this was a rather strange sort of thing for Maleos to do. It just wasn’t like him to bring up personal matters like this at events like this -- especially when it regarded the Captain. His friend was a private man who took his career seriously and had no patience for men who were not focusing on the task at hand. It might have driven the men of the unit crazy, but there was a reason why Maleos was selected to lead the unit over the other men. He was not distracted by idle topics and all sorts of other things that didn’t belong at military meetings like this.
This alone should have clued the Baron in on how serious this ‘personal’ matter was to Maleos. However, it didn’t strike Tim (the poor oblivious soul that he could be with these sorts of things) until the Prince had the doors to the dining hall shut so the meeting could finally commence. As the room dulled from a quiet roar of chatter to a gentle shush as all the men in the room focused on Vangelis; Timaeus shot his friend a confused and somewhat concerned look. Given how close the men were his friend should be able to discern what Timaeus was trying to ask without uttering a single word.
‘Is everything okay?’
That is if Maleos had caught his glance in the first place. Timaeus wasn’t sure as Prince Vangelis wasted no time in getting to the reason that all the men were here. Colchis was going to war. Just as how the Crown Prince predicted, Timaeus stiffened at the confirmation of the rumors that had been swirling before the men gathered here. Everyone had known when their invitations for this meeting had arrived that this would be the outcome as there was no other reason to summon all these men into one room -- but it was still wasn’t the easiest pill to swallow. Timaeus couldn’t speak for the other men in the room, but it seemed to him that a somber feeling settled over the room when Vangelis began to convey the details that had led to this moment. This was real and this was happening.
But Colchis would be ready.
Even though Timaeus was the only man in the room to not have an active military position; he listened just as intently to what Vangelis had to say as any other man in the room did. His eyes even drifted down to the map that was spread over his table to see for himself how far the journey would be. A small sense of longing bubbled up within him when it was said that it would be nearly a month’s worth of travel between the two kingdoms. Timaeus missed his days at sea terribly. So, the prospect of spending several weeks on a boat did not seem as dreadful as it would to other men. And stopping in Taengea? A country he had loved even more than his own kingdom? It all sounded like a dream come true to the former soldier -- not to mention all the fighting that would await the army in Egypt. It all sounded like Timaeus’s wanderlust-filled dreams coming true.
But he couldn’t allow himself to get his hopes up.
As far as he knew, he wouldn’t be joining the other men. Even though his heart lay in the arts of swordsmanship and charioteering, the fates had decided that the training ground would not be the place for him. Timaeus’s days of traveling the world and fighting in foreign lands were over. Eubocris needed their baron and as Vangelis had already decided that Silanos would be going with him to the sands of Egypt; there were no other trueborn Valaoritis men to remain in Colchis. In fact, there were only two possible heirs that could take up the mantle if tragedy were to strike and both brothers fell in battle. As much as he wanted to go, it would be wiser for Timaeus to stay behind. He knew this. He thought that he had accepted this the day that Tim told Maleos he was stepping down from being Captain… but that didn’t stop the man he used to be from getting excited deep within him. That inner brash teenaged Timaeus would have been elated at the chance to go to Egypt.
He foolish enough to allow himself to get lost in his own daydreams of what could be if he were allowed to fight. The lord lost his concentration for just a moment, nothing more, but it was still enough to jolt him a bit when the voice of Vangelis interrupted his internal image of fighting in front of the great pyramids. Shaken out of his thoughts, Timaeus almost missed the future King promoting a Stephanos of Mikaelidas to the rank of commander.
Vangelis promoted a foreigner over one of his own men.
Just as before, Timaeus stiffened at the news at it sunk in. Although his face remained neutral, the tenseness of his posture showed that the Baron had some reservations about the promotion. Colchis was known to be a rather inhospitable place that held no love for foreigners on their soil. The thought that someone from outside -- someone who was a fugitive from their own country -- leading them that it took a moment for Timaeus fully realize that he hadn’t misheard the prince during his moments of longing for something that he knew he could not have. Steph was to be the commander for the Colchian forces. Now, Tim could certainly see the logic in it. Any man could see that the two royals were close in terms of friendship and the maybe-King of Taengea had been a General for his own country. It made sense, but the thought of a Taengean leading Colchians was just strange to Timaeus.
He wasn’t dumb enough to voice this though. Instead, once he had gathered his wits about himself, Timaeus loosened his posture a bit. He also turned to the new commander to give the man a slight, respectful nod of the head, showing his approval for the appointment -- even though it was a very tentative one. However, Timaeus knew how important it was that he showed utmost loyalty to Vangelis at this event as not only was everyone gathered in his dining hall, but he was more than aware that the actions of Silanos had called the entire family’s loyalty into question. Vangelis could appoint the young Eliades boys as commanders and Timaeus would have to support it. He had no choice if he wished to restore and preserve his family’s reputation.
However, it seemed to be that some men didn’t seem to have such concerns for their reputations like Timaeus did.
It didn’t surprise Timaeus that it was Damocles that spoke up first in response to the appointment. Even though the Baron did not know the man all that well, he was more than aware of the fact that the Drakos Captain had a tendency to stick his nose where it didn’t belong. After all, how could Timaeus forget what had happened the last time that Damocles had attended an event that was technically hosted by the Valaoritis? Tim had been just a boy at the time, barely old enough to take part in the day’s training activities, but even he could remember how the other Colchian had nearly taken the heads off of the Taengean princes that day. The action was completely unprovoked and so needlessly aggressive that had terrified the young boy that day. He honestly thought that Damocles was a madman with how foolish he had been. Since then Timaeus was wary of interacting with the man and avoided him if he could. Damo had seemed to take this as a sign that Timaeus was still the same scared nine-year-old he had once been, but truly it was just a way to protect himself from the insanity he wasn’t sure if the man was still afflicted with.
The Baron was glad to see that this had been a wise decision on this part as Damo had not changed a bit. In fact, it took everything with him to not roll his eyes when the Captain decided that this was the most opportune time for the man to put forth his own nomination for the position -- completely disrespecting Stephanos in the process. Timaeus almost pitied the man that Damocles had suggested, Lord Lazaros, as it was hardly fair for the Eliades Captain to have been dragged into this mess by a well-meaning friend who seemed to think that a short declaration of support would spare him from the consequences of questioning their prince’s decision.
“ And who will lead the Siren’s Call if your man was to be promoted, Sir Damocles?” Timaeus said instinctively in an exasperated tone as he pointed out the obvious flaw in the man’s plan. “ There is no time to train one of Lord Lazaros’s Lieutenants for the rank of Captain. Even if we could manage it, the Siren’s Call would be left in a weakened state if we allowed a man with no experience in leading a full unit to learn how to do it in the sands of Egypt.” It was foolish to allow for such a promotion to happen when it would benefit no one, but Lazaros and Damocles. Surely, as a Captain, Damo would have seen that there was not enough time to arrange such a promotion and still have the Almosis based force be ready for the war. Not to mention it was more than entirely disrespectful to suggest such a thing right on the heels of Vangelis announcing Steph’s appointment. Now Timaeus might be making an assumption with this, but any man with two brain cells could see what Damo was seemingly trying to do.
If Tim didn’t know any better he would say that Damo was trying to undermine Stephanos. Even though Timaeus himself was wary of appointing the Taengean, it was not any of their decisions to make. If Vangelis decided that Steph would be a commander, it was so the moment it left the Crown Prince’s mouth and it was the duty of the men gathered to be steadfast and loyal to that decision.
This was something that Timaeus attempted to remind the overeager Captain of with his next words that were spurred on by the sheer frustration of seeing the older Colchian start trouble in Timaeus’s home -- again. “ This is not the time for nominations Sir Damocles. We are gathered here to discuss the campaign and if more commanders are needed, that is for our General and Crown Prince to decide and not us...” Timaeus was about to continue with his momentary tirade against the Captain’s disrespect towards both Prince Vangelis and Stephanos, but the words quickly died in his throat as he motioned to the man standing at the head of the table. Just glancing at Vangelis was enough of a reminder that his own words could be misconstrued as disrespectful if the Prince was in a foul mood. Instantly the color drained from Timaeus’s face and he glanced down at the table as he forced himself to humble his frustrations. The Valaoritis did not need more trouble after all.
But then again, maybe his words would not be taken as disrespect, but instead as an impulsive show of loyalty to the crown that the Valaoritis was known for. After all, no one knew of the troubles plaguing the two houses outside of Timaeus, Vangelis, and Silanos. Not to mention his words were clearly leading to Damocles being chastised by the Baron if he had not cut himself off so quickly. Vangelis might not be happy given the men’s history, but at least all others in the room shouldn’t be so quick to judge.
That didn’t stop from Timaeus quietly apologizing for speaking out of turn, “ My apologies, Your Highness.” He said briefly as he silently prayed to whatever god was listening that his words would not be taken as disrespectful by Vangelis and would land Timaeus in a whole new mess of trouble.
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As the pair of close friends laid out their plans to meet the next day, Timaeus couldn’t help, but think that this was a rather strange sort of thing for Maleos to do. It just wasn’t like him to bring up personal matters like this at events like this -- especially when it regarded the Captain. His friend was a private man who took his career seriously and had no patience for men who were not focusing on the task at hand. It might have driven the men of the unit crazy, but there was a reason why Maleos was selected to lead the unit over the other men. He was not distracted by idle topics and all sorts of other things that didn’t belong at military meetings like this.
This alone should have clued the Baron in on how serious this ‘personal’ matter was to Maleos. However, it didn’t strike Tim (the poor oblivious soul that he could be with these sorts of things) until the Prince had the doors to the dining hall shut so the meeting could finally commence. As the room dulled from a quiet roar of chatter to a gentle shush as all the men in the room focused on Vangelis; Timaeus shot his friend a confused and somewhat concerned look. Given how close the men were his friend should be able to discern what Timaeus was trying to ask without uttering a single word.
‘Is everything okay?’
That is if Maleos had caught his glance in the first place. Timaeus wasn’t sure as Prince Vangelis wasted no time in getting to the reason that all the men were here. Colchis was going to war. Just as how the Crown Prince predicted, Timaeus stiffened at the confirmation of the rumors that had been swirling before the men gathered here. Everyone had known when their invitations for this meeting had arrived that this would be the outcome as there was no other reason to summon all these men into one room -- but it was still wasn’t the easiest pill to swallow. Timaeus couldn’t speak for the other men in the room, but it seemed to him that a somber feeling settled over the room when Vangelis began to convey the details that had led to this moment. This was real and this was happening.
But Colchis would be ready.
Even though Timaeus was the only man in the room to not have an active military position; he listened just as intently to what Vangelis had to say as any other man in the room did. His eyes even drifted down to the map that was spread over his table to see for himself how far the journey would be. A small sense of longing bubbled up within him when it was said that it would be nearly a month’s worth of travel between the two kingdoms. Timaeus missed his days at sea terribly. So, the prospect of spending several weeks on a boat did not seem as dreadful as it would to other men. And stopping in Taengea? A country he had loved even more than his own kingdom? It all sounded like a dream come true to the former soldier -- not to mention all the fighting that would await the army in Egypt. It all sounded like Timaeus’s wanderlust-filled dreams coming true.
But he couldn’t allow himself to get his hopes up.
As far as he knew, he wouldn’t be joining the other men. Even though his heart lay in the arts of swordsmanship and charioteering, the fates had decided that the training ground would not be the place for him. Timaeus’s days of traveling the world and fighting in foreign lands were over. Eubocris needed their baron and as Vangelis had already decided that Silanos would be going with him to the sands of Egypt; there were no other trueborn Valaoritis men to remain in Colchis. In fact, there were only two possible heirs that could take up the mantle if tragedy were to strike and both brothers fell in battle. As much as he wanted to go, it would be wiser for Timaeus to stay behind. He knew this. He thought that he had accepted this the day that Tim told Maleos he was stepping down from being Captain… but that didn’t stop the man he used to be from getting excited deep within him. That inner brash teenaged Timaeus would have been elated at the chance to go to Egypt.
He foolish enough to allow himself to get lost in his own daydreams of what could be if he were allowed to fight. The lord lost his concentration for just a moment, nothing more, but it was still enough to jolt him a bit when the voice of Vangelis interrupted his internal image of fighting in front of the great pyramids. Shaken out of his thoughts, Timaeus almost missed the future King promoting a Stephanos of Mikaelidas to the rank of commander.
Vangelis promoted a foreigner over one of his own men.
Just as before, Timaeus stiffened at the news at it sunk in. Although his face remained neutral, the tenseness of his posture showed that the Baron had some reservations about the promotion. Colchis was known to be a rather inhospitable place that held no love for foreigners on their soil. The thought that someone from outside -- someone who was a fugitive from their own country -- leading them that it took a moment for Timaeus fully realize that he hadn’t misheard the prince during his moments of longing for something that he knew he could not have. Steph was to be the commander for the Colchian forces. Now, Tim could certainly see the logic in it. Any man could see that the two royals were close in terms of friendship and the maybe-King of Taengea had been a General for his own country. It made sense, but the thought of a Taengean leading Colchians was just strange to Timaeus.
He wasn’t dumb enough to voice this though. Instead, once he had gathered his wits about himself, Timaeus loosened his posture a bit. He also turned to the new commander to give the man a slight, respectful nod of the head, showing his approval for the appointment -- even though it was a very tentative one. However, Timaeus knew how important it was that he showed utmost loyalty to Vangelis at this event as not only was everyone gathered in his dining hall, but he was more than aware that the actions of Silanos had called the entire family’s loyalty into question. Vangelis could appoint the young Eliades boys as commanders and Timaeus would have to support it. He had no choice if he wished to restore and preserve his family’s reputation.
However, it seemed to be that some men didn’t seem to have such concerns for their reputations like Timaeus did.
It didn’t surprise Timaeus that it was Damocles that spoke up first in response to the appointment. Even though the Baron did not know the man all that well, he was more than aware of the fact that the Drakos Captain had a tendency to stick his nose where it didn’t belong. After all, how could Timaeus forget what had happened the last time that Damocles had attended an event that was technically hosted by the Valaoritis? Tim had been just a boy at the time, barely old enough to take part in the day’s training activities, but even he could remember how the other Colchian had nearly taken the heads off of the Taengean princes that day. The action was completely unprovoked and so needlessly aggressive that had terrified the young boy that day. He honestly thought that Damocles was a madman with how foolish he had been. Since then Timaeus was wary of interacting with the man and avoided him if he could. Damo had seemed to take this as a sign that Timaeus was still the same scared nine-year-old he had once been, but truly it was just a way to protect himself from the insanity he wasn’t sure if the man was still afflicted with.
The Baron was glad to see that this had been a wise decision on this part as Damo had not changed a bit. In fact, it took everything with him to not roll his eyes when the Captain decided that this was the most opportune time for the man to put forth his own nomination for the position -- completely disrespecting Stephanos in the process. Timaeus almost pitied the man that Damocles had suggested, Lord Lazaros, as it was hardly fair for the Eliades Captain to have been dragged into this mess by a well-meaning friend who seemed to think that a short declaration of support would spare him from the consequences of questioning their prince’s decision.
“ And who will lead the Siren’s Call if your man was to be promoted, Sir Damocles?” Timaeus said instinctively in an exasperated tone as he pointed out the obvious flaw in the man’s plan. “ There is no time to train one of Lord Lazaros’s Lieutenants for the rank of Captain. Even if we could manage it, the Siren’s Call would be left in a weakened state if we allowed a man with no experience in leading a full unit to learn how to do it in the sands of Egypt.” It was foolish to allow for such a promotion to happen when it would benefit no one, but Lazaros and Damocles. Surely, as a Captain, Damo would have seen that there was not enough time to arrange such a promotion and still have the Almosis based force be ready for the war. Not to mention it was more than entirely disrespectful to suggest such a thing right on the heels of Vangelis announcing Steph’s appointment. Now Timaeus might be making an assumption with this, but any man with two brain cells could see what Damo was seemingly trying to do.
If Tim didn’t know any better he would say that Damo was trying to undermine Stephanos. Even though Timaeus himself was wary of appointing the Taengean, it was not any of their decisions to make. If Vangelis decided that Steph would be a commander, it was so the moment it left the Crown Prince’s mouth and it was the duty of the men gathered to be steadfast and loyal to that decision.
This was something that Timaeus attempted to remind the overeager Captain of with his next words that were spurred on by the sheer frustration of seeing the older Colchian start trouble in Timaeus’s home -- again. “ This is not the time for nominations Sir Damocles. We are gathered here to discuss the campaign and if more commanders are needed, that is for our General and Crown Prince to decide and not us...” Timaeus was about to continue with his momentary tirade against the Captain’s disrespect towards both Prince Vangelis and Stephanos, but the words quickly died in his throat as he motioned to the man standing at the head of the table. Just glancing at Vangelis was enough of a reminder that his own words could be misconstrued as disrespectful if the Prince was in a foul mood. Instantly the color drained from Timaeus’s face and he glanced down at the table as he forced himself to humble his frustrations. The Valaoritis did not need more trouble after all.
But then again, maybe his words would not be taken as disrespect, but instead as an impulsive show of loyalty to the crown that the Valaoritis was known for. After all, no one knew of the troubles plaguing the two houses outside of Timaeus, Vangelis, and Silanos. Not to mention his words were clearly leading to Damocles being chastised by the Baron if he had not cut himself off so quickly. Vangelis might not be happy given the men’s history, but at least all others in the room shouldn’t be so quick to judge.
That didn’t stop from Timaeus quietly apologizing for speaking out of turn, “ My apologies, Your Highness.” He said briefly as he silently prayed to whatever god was listening that his words would not be taken as disrespectful by Vangelis and would land Timaeus in a whole new mess of trouble.
As the pair of close friends laid out their plans to meet the next day, Timaeus couldn’t help, but think that this was a rather strange sort of thing for Maleos to do. It just wasn’t like him to bring up personal matters like this at events like this -- especially when it regarded the Captain. His friend was a private man who took his career seriously and had no patience for men who were not focusing on the task at hand. It might have driven the men of the unit crazy, but there was a reason why Maleos was selected to lead the unit over the other men. He was not distracted by idle topics and all sorts of other things that didn’t belong at military meetings like this.
This alone should have clued the Baron in on how serious this ‘personal’ matter was to Maleos. However, it didn’t strike Tim (the poor oblivious soul that he could be with these sorts of things) until the Prince had the doors to the dining hall shut so the meeting could finally commence. As the room dulled from a quiet roar of chatter to a gentle shush as all the men in the room focused on Vangelis; Timaeus shot his friend a confused and somewhat concerned look. Given how close the men were his friend should be able to discern what Timaeus was trying to ask without uttering a single word.
‘Is everything okay?’
That is if Maleos had caught his glance in the first place. Timaeus wasn’t sure as Prince Vangelis wasted no time in getting to the reason that all the men were here. Colchis was going to war. Just as how the Crown Prince predicted, Timaeus stiffened at the confirmation of the rumors that had been swirling before the men gathered here. Everyone had known when their invitations for this meeting had arrived that this would be the outcome as there was no other reason to summon all these men into one room -- but it was still wasn’t the easiest pill to swallow. Timaeus couldn’t speak for the other men in the room, but it seemed to him that a somber feeling settled over the room when Vangelis began to convey the details that had led to this moment. This was real and this was happening.
But Colchis would be ready.
Even though Timaeus was the only man in the room to not have an active military position; he listened just as intently to what Vangelis had to say as any other man in the room did. His eyes even drifted down to the map that was spread over his table to see for himself how far the journey would be. A small sense of longing bubbled up within him when it was said that it would be nearly a month’s worth of travel between the two kingdoms. Timaeus missed his days at sea terribly. So, the prospect of spending several weeks on a boat did not seem as dreadful as it would to other men. And stopping in Taengea? A country he had loved even more than his own kingdom? It all sounded like a dream come true to the former soldier -- not to mention all the fighting that would await the army in Egypt. It all sounded like Timaeus’s wanderlust-filled dreams coming true.
But he couldn’t allow himself to get his hopes up.
As far as he knew, he wouldn’t be joining the other men. Even though his heart lay in the arts of swordsmanship and charioteering, the fates had decided that the training ground would not be the place for him. Timaeus’s days of traveling the world and fighting in foreign lands were over. Eubocris needed their baron and as Vangelis had already decided that Silanos would be going with him to the sands of Egypt; there were no other trueborn Valaoritis men to remain in Colchis. In fact, there were only two possible heirs that could take up the mantle if tragedy were to strike and both brothers fell in battle. As much as he wanted to go, it would be wiser for Timaeus to stay behind. He knew this. He thought that he had accepted this the day that Tim told Maleos he was stepping down from being Captain… but that didn’t stop the man he used to be from getting excited deep within him. That inner brash teenaged Timaeus would have been elated at the chance to go to Egypt.
He foolish enough to allow himself to get lost in his own daydreams of what could be if he were allowed to fight. The lord lost his concentration for just a moment, nothing more, but it was still enough to jolt him a bit when the voice of Vangelis interrupted his internal image of fighting in front of the great pyramids. Shaken out of his thoughts, Timaeus almost missed the future King promoting a Stephanos of Mikaelidas to the rank of commander.
Vangelis promoted a foreigner over one of his own men.
Just as before, Timaeus stiffened at the news at it sunk in. Although his face remained neutral, the tenseness of his posture showed that the Baron had some reservations about the promotion. Colchis was known to be a rather inhospitable place that held no love for foreigners on their soil. The thought that someone from outside -- someone who was a fugitive from their own country -- leading them that it took a moment for Timaeus fully realize that he hadn’t misheard the prince during his moments of longing for something that he knew he could not have. Steph was to be the commander for the Colchian forces. Now, Tim could certainly see the logic in it. Any man could see that the two royals were close in terms of friendship and the maybe-King of Taengea had been a General for his own country. It made sense, but the thought of a Taengean leading Colchians was just strange to Timaeus.
He wasn’t dumb enough to voice this though. Instead, once he had gathered his wits about himself, Timaeus loosened his posture a bit. He also turned to the new commander to give the man a slight, respectful nod of the head, showing his approval for the appointment -- even though it was a very tentative one. However, Timaeus knew how important it was that he showed utmost loyalty to Vangelis at this event as not only was everyone gathered in his dining hall, but he was more than aware that the actions of Silanos had called the entire family’s loyalty into question. Vangelis could appoint the young Eliades boys as commanders and Timaeus would have to support it. He had no choice if he wished to restore and preserve his family’s reputation.
However, it seemed to be that some men didn’t seem to have such concerns for their reputations like Timaeus did.
It didn’t surprise Timaeus that it was Damocles that spoke up first in response to the appointment. Even though the Baron did not know the man all that well, he was more than aware of the fact that the Drakos Captain had a tendency to stick his nose where it didn’t belong. After all, how could Timaeus forget what had happened the last time that Damocles had attended an event that was technically hosted by the Valaoritis? Tim had been just a boy at the time, barely old enough to take part in the day’s training activities, but even he could remember how the other Colchian had nearly taken the heads off of the Taengean princes that day. The action was completely unprovoked and so needlessly aggressive that had terrified the young boy that day. He honestly thought that Damocles was a madman with how foolish he had been. Since then Timaeus was wary of interacting with the man and avoided him if he could. Damo had seemed to take this as a sign that Timaeus was still the same scared nine-year-old he had once been, but truly it was just a way to protect himself from the insanity he wasn’t sure if the man was still afflicted with.
The Baron was glad to see that this had been a wise decision on this part as Damo had not changed a bit. In fact, it took everything with him to not roll his eyes when the Captain decided that this was the most opportune time for the man to put forth his own nomination for the position -- completely disrespecting Stephanos in the process. Timaeus almost pitied the man that Damocles had suggested, Lord Lazaros, as it was hardly fair for the Eliades Captain to have been dragged into this mess by a well-meaning friend who seemed to think that a short declaration of support would spare him from the consequences of questioning their prince’s decision.
“ And who will lead the Siren’s Call if your man was to be promoted, Sir Damocles?” Timaeus said instinctively in an exasperated tone as he pointed out the obvious flaw in the man’s plan. “ There is no time to train one of Lord Lazaros’s Lieutenants for the rank of Captain. Even if we could manage it, the Siren’s Call would be left in a weakened state if we allowed a man with no experience in leading a full unit to learn how to do it in the sands of Egypt.” It was foolish to allow for such a promotion to happen when it would benefit no one, but Lazaros and Damocles. Surely, as a Captain, Damo would have seen that there was not enough time to arrange such a promotion and still have the Almosis based force be ready for the war. Not to mention it was more than entirely disrespectful to suggest such a thing right on the heels of Vangelis announcing Steph’s appointment. Now Timaeus might be making an assumption with this, but any man with two brain cells could see what Damo was seemingly trying to do.
If Tim didn’t know any better he would say that Damo was trying to undermine Stephanos. Even though Timaeus himself was wary of appointing the Taengean, it was not any of their decisions to make. If Vangelis decided that Steph would be a commander, it was so the moment it left the Crown Prince’s mouth and it was the duty of the men gathered to be steadfast and loyal to that decision.
This was something that Timaeus attempted to remind the overeager Captain of with his next words that were spurred on by the sheer frustration of seeing the older Colchian start trouble in Timaeus’s home -- again. “ This is not the time for nominations Sir Damocles. We are gathered here to discuss the campaign and if more commanders are needed, that is for our General and Crown Prince to decide and not us...” Timaeus was about to continue with his momentary tirade against the Captain’s disrespect towards both Prince Vangelis and Stephanos, but the words quickly died in his throat as he motioned to the man standing at the head of the table. Just glancing at Vangelis was enough of a reminder that his own words could be misconstrued as disrespectful if the Prince was in a foul mood. Instantly the color drained from Timaeus’s face and he glanced down at the table as he forced himself to humble his frustrations. The Valaoritis did not need more trouble after all.
But then again, maybe his words would not be taken as disrespect, but instead as an impulsive show of loyalty to the crown that the Valaoritis was known for. After all, no one knew of the troubles plaguing the two houses outside of Timaeus, Vangelis, and Silanos. Not to mention his words were clearly leading to Damocles being chastised by the Baron if he had not cut himself off so quickly. Vangelis might not be happy given the men’s history, but at least all others in the room shouldn’t be so quick to judge.
That didn’t stop from Timaeus quietly apologizing for speaking out of turn, “ My apologies, Your Highness.” He said briefly as he silently prayed to whatever god was listening that his words would not be taken as disrespectful by Vangelis and would land Timaeus in a whole new mess of trouble.
The woman eventually settled in a spot nearer to a wall, her feet planting themselves upon the ground as if they were rooted there whilst the men assembled themselves to be ready to listen to what the Crown Prince may have to say. She may be of Taengean birth, but Nike had become Colchian by upbringing, and one would be silly to mistake her for her kingdom of birth by now. Nike of Acaris was nothing if not efficient in her duties, and the woman was anxious to get things done with and duties sorted out when such a threat she knew loomed imminent. The Grecian borders were well protected, but the Egyptian masses were huge, and brains were needed over brawn if one wanted to win a war against the Egyptians across the sea.
Listening in silence, her eyes were the only ones which showed how focus she was as Vangelis spoke, arms crossed over her bounded chest. As it was, the fact that the Egyptians had naval force was enough to make her brow furrow, further heightening her dislike at the news, and what it may herald. While she had faith in whatever unit the Taengean army sent out, the Commander had a hard time belieiving that a war could be prevented that easily, not if the number's were anything to gauge the result.
The appointment of Stephanos as a Commander however, did finally make Nike raise a brow. It was unprecedented, and while she had personally seen and knew of the friendship between the two kings, Nike doubted any of the other Colchian military leaders would take the news too kindly, since it would be their promotion being passed over. She herself was neutral upon this decision. Logically, it made sense to Nike, since Stephanos was a General in his own kingdom and would therefore have the prowess to make appropriate military decisions when necessary. Yet at the same time, she wondered upon his mind's current state, with how his life had been upended not too long ago.
Still, it was not her decision to make nor question. But Nike's eyes only had time to briefly flicker over to Stephanos, before the man everyone knew as Damocles spoke, in a manner that irked the woman. It was a good thing the Eubocris baron managed to speak before Nike did, but even when he finished, the woman stepped forward with her own words, her tone firm but strong after years of having to command her own unit. "Lord Timaeus is right. This is not a Senate meet, and neither do we have the luxury of time for nominations or nitpicking or who would be more appropriate. While Lord Stephanos may not be of Colchian birth, he posesses skills from his position as General which would be greatly beneficial, and wasted if not used in an appropriate position." They may not have seen eye to eye on the voyage to Taengea, but Nike was no fool. She knew that Stephanos's skills were far better use as a strategizer, then it was swinging a sword around.
"Rather then focus on who would be Commander or Liutenant, perhaps we should all focus on ensuring that no harm shall befall those behind the border who are trusting us to keep them safe."
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Jan 23, 2020 10:49:47 GMT
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The woman eventually settled in a spot nearer to a wall, her feet planting themselves upon the ground as if they were rooted there whilst the men assembled themselves to be ready to listen to what the Crown Prince may have to say. She may be of Taengean birth, but Nike had become Colchian by upbringing, and one would be silly to mistake her for her kingdom of birth by now. Nike of Acaris was nothing if not efficient in her duties, and the woman was anxious to get things done with and duties sorted out when such a threat she knew loomed imminent. The Grecian borders were well protected, but the Egyptian masses were huge, and brains were needed over brawn if one wanted to win a war against the Egyptians across the sea.
Listening in silence, her eyes were the only ones which showed how focus she was as Vangelis spoke, arms crossed over her bounded chest. As it was, the fact that the Egyptians had naval force was enough to make her brow furrow, further heightening her dislike at the news, and what it may herald. While she had faith in whatever unit the Taengean army sent out, the Commander had a hard time belieiving that a war could be prevented that easily, not if the number's were anything to gauge the result.
The appointment of Stephanos as a Commander however, did finally make Nike raise a brow. It was unprecedented, and while she had personally seen and knew of the friendship between the two kings, Nike doubted any of the other Colchian military leaders would take the news too kindly, since it would be their promotion being passed over. She herself was neutral upon this decision. Logically, it made sense to Nike, since Stephanos was a General in his own kingdom and would therefore have the prowess to make appropriate military decisions when necessary. Yet at the same time, she wondered upon his mind's current state, with how his life had been upended not too long ago.
Still, it was not her decision to make nor question. But Nike's eyes only had time to briefly flicker over to Stephanos, before the man everyone knew as Damocles spoke, in a manner that irked the woman. It was a good thing the Eubocris baron managed to speak before Nike did, but even when he finished, the woman stepped forward with her own words, her tone firm but strong after years of having to command her own unit. "Lord Timaeus is right. This is not a Senate meet, and neither do we have the luxury of time for nominations or nitpicking or who would be more appropriate. While Lord Stephanos may not be of Colchian birth, he posesses skills from his position as General which would be greatly beneficial, and wasted if not used in an appropriate position." They may not have seen eye to eye on the voyage to Taengea, but Nike was no fool. She knew that Stephanos's skills were far better use as a strategizer, then it was swinging a sword around.
"Rather then focus on who would be Commander or Liutenant, perhaps we should all focus on ensuring that no harm shall befall those behind the border who are trusting us to keep them safe."
The woman eventually settled in a spot nearer to a wall, her feet planting themselves upon the ground as if they were rooted there whilst the men assembled themselves to be ready to listen to what the Crown Prince may have to say. She may be of Taengean birth, but Nike had become Colchian by upbringing, and one would be silly to mistake her for her kingdom of birth by now. Nike of Acaris was nothing if not efficient in her duties, and the woman was anxious to get things done with and duties sorted out when such a threat she knew loomed imminent. The Grecian borders were well protected, but the Egyptian masses were huge, and brains were needed over brawn if one wanted to win a war against the Egyptians across the sea.
Listening in silence, her eyes were the only ones which showed how focus she was as Vangelis spoke, arms crossed over her bounded chest. As it was, the fact that the Egyptians had naval force was enough to make her brow furrow, further heightening her dislike at the news, and what it may herald. While she had faith in whatever unit the Taengean army sent out, the Commander had a hard time belieiving that a war could be prevented that easily, not if the number's were anything to gauge the result.
The appointment of Stephanos as a Commander however, did finally make Nike raise a brow. It was unprecedented, and while she had personally seen and knew of the friendship between the two kings, Nike doubted any of the other Colchian military leaders would take the news too kindly, since it would be their promotion being passed over. She herself was neutral upon this decision. Logically, it made sense to Nike, since Stephanos was a General in his own kingdom and would therefore have the prowess to make appropriate military decisions when necessary. Yet at the same time, she wondered upon his mind's current state, with how his life had been upended not too long ago.
Still, it was not her decision to make nor question. But Nike's eyes only had time to briefly flicker over to Stephanos, before the man everyone knew as Damocles spoke, in a manner that irked the woman. It was a good thing the Eubocris baron managed to speak before Nike did, but even when he finished, the woman stepped forward with her own words, her tone firm but strong after years of having to command her own unit. "Lord Timaeus is right. This is not a Senate meet, and neither do we have the luxury of time for nominations or nitpicking or who would be more appropriate. While Lord Stephanos may not be of Colchian birth, he posesses skills from his position as General which would be greatly beneficial, and wasted if not used in an appropriate position." They may not have seen eye to eye on the voyage to Taengea, but Nike was no fool. She knew that Stephanos's skills were far better use as a strategizer, then it was swinging a sword around.
"Rather then focus on who would be Commander or Liutenant, perhaps we should all focus on ensuring that no harm shall befall those behind the border who are trusting us to keep them safe."
Silanos could not have felt more out of place if he had tried. These men, these soldiers were united by their experience, by the drive they had to take up arms and make war. It was not an urge the younger Valaoritis could ever have laid claim to, much to his brother’s disappointment. And so he remained standing towards the back of the group, watching the goings on with an edge of discomfort. Timaeus and Maleos had gravitated toward one another, but Sil did not let his attention linger there. The Captain was hardly an ally of his, and his brother was not exactly pleased with him either. Silanos was, as it turned out, becoming a little bored with continually being in ill favour, but hindsight was a wonderful thing. He had made himself a fucking uncomfortable bed and was now having to lie in it.
His gaze had bounced away quickly from the Crown Prince too, for he was certain he would hear enough from the man at the conclusion of this meeting. In fact, there was not a single man in the room that he would claim kinship with, save perhaps the Taengean…
Silanos realised he wasn’t entirely sure what the man’s standing was now, but he thought that Stephanos looked about as pleased to be there as he was, though clearly for different reasons. And he watched the man help himself to the wine that had been laid out and was tempted to do the same, but the young lord heaved a sigh and resisted, because he knew to do so would only warrant his brother’s annoyance. This was all tedious and uncomfortable and he just wanted it over so he would learn more what his future held for him.
He was glad then, when Prince Vangelis finally began to address the room, and spent more time watching the reactions of the other’s gathered than he did contemplating the Prince’s words, which held little resonance for him. He could better gauge the gravity of them by observing the ripple of interest that went through the room as the General delivered news of their Taengean counterpart’s undertaking.
King Achilleas. So, that was confirmed then, and that left the former King of Taengea..what precisely? Silanos thought he understood more the man’s drinking now. But it wasn’t long before Colchis’ own Crown Prince had pronounced Stephanos a Commander of all things, and even with his disinterest in all things military, Sil could appreciate how that might go down with the other men in the room.
Sure enough, there was a ripple of discord, and Sil gave a small huff of a laugh at the ruffled egos on show. A cat thrown amongst the fowl, to be certain, and certainly more interesting for him to observe that dry talk of military strategy. Perhaps this would not be so dull after all. Perhaps Captain Damocles would draw the Stone Prince's ire and Silanos would be spared it. One could live in hope.
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Silanos could not have felt more out of place if he had tried. These men, these soldiers were united by their experience, by the drive they had to take up arms and make war. It was not an urge the younger Valaoritis could ever have laid claim to, much to his brother’s disappointment. And so he remained standing towards the back of the group, watching the goings on with an edge of discomfort. Timaeus and Maleos had gravitated toward one another, but Sil did not let his attention linger there. The Captain was hardly an ally of his, and his brother was not exactly pleased with him either. Silanos was, as it turned out, becoming a little bored with continually being in ill favour, but hindsight was a wonderful thing. He had made himself a fucking uncomfortable bed and was now having to lie in it.
His gaze had bounced away quickly from the Crown Prince too, for he was certain he would hear enough from the man at the conclusion of this meeting. In fact, there was not a single man in the room that he would claim kinship with, save perhaps the Taengean…
Silanos realised he wasn’t entirely sure what the man’s standing was now, but he thought that Stephanos looked about as pleased to be there as he was, though clearly for different reasons. And he watched the man help himself to the wine that had been laid out and was tempted to do the same, but the young lord heaved a sigh and resisted, because he knew to do so would only warrant his brother’s annoyance. This was all tedious and uncomfortable and he just wanted it over so he would learn more what his future held for him.
He was glad then, when Prince Vangelis finally began to address the room, and spent more time watching the reactions of the other’s gathered than he did contemplating the Prince’s words, which held little resonance for him. He could better gauge the gravity of them by observing the ripple of interest that went through the room as the General delivered news of their Taengean counterpart’s undertaking.
King Achilleas. So, that was confirmed then, and that left the former King of Taengea..what precisely? Silanos thought he understood more the man’s drinking now. But it wasn’t long before Colchis’ own Crown Prince had pronounced Stephanos a Commander of all things, and even with his disinterest in all things military, Sil could appreciate how that might go down with the other men in the room.
Sure enough, there was a ripple of discord, and Sil gave a small huff of a laugh at the ruffled egos on show. A cat thrown amongst the fowl, to be certain, and certainly more interesting for him to observe that dry talk of military strategy. Perhaps this would not be so dull after all. Perhaps Captain Damocles would draw the Stone Prince's ire and Silanos would be spared it. One could live in hope.
Silanos could not have felt more out of place if he had tried. These men, these soldiers were united by their experience, by the drive they had to take up arms and make war. It was not an urge the younger Valaoritis could ever have laid claim to, much to his brother’s disappointment. And so he remained standing towards the back of the group, watching the goings on with an edge of discomfort. Timaeus and Maleos had gravitated toward one another, but Sil did not let his attention linger there. The Captain was hardly an ally of his, and his brother was not exactly pleased with him either. Silanos was, as it turned out, becoming a little bored with continually being in ill favour, but hindsight was a wonderful thing. He had made himself a fucking uncomfortable bed and was now having to lie in it.
His gaze had bounced away quickly from the Crown Prince too, for he was certain he would hear enough from the man at the conclusion of this meeting. In fact, there was not a single man in the room that he would claim kinship with, save perhaps the Taengean…
Silanos realised he wasn’t entirely sure what the man’s standing was now, but he thought that Stephanos looked about as pleased to be there as he was, though clearly for different reasons. And he watched the man help himself to the wine that had been laid out and was tempted to do the same, but the young lord heaved a sigh and resisted, because he knew to do so would only warrant his brother’s annoyance. This was all tedious and uncomfortable and he just wanted it over so he would learn more what his future held for him.
He was glad then, when Prince Vangelis finally began to address the room, and spent more time watching the reactions of the other’s gathered than he did contemplating the Prince’s words, which held little resonance for him. He could better gauge the gravity of them by observing the ripple of interest that went through the room as the General delivered news of their Taengean counterpart’s undertaking.
King Achilleas. So, that was confirmed then, and that left the former King of Taengea..what precisely? Silanos thought he understood more the man’s drinking now. But it wasn’t long before Colchis’ own Crown Prince had pronounced Stephanos a Commander of all things, and even with his disinterest in all things military, Sil could appreciate how that might go down with the other men in the room.
Sure enough, there was a ripple of discord, and Sil gave a small huff of a laugh at the ruffled egos on show. A cat thrown amongst the fowl, to be certain, and certainly more interesting for him to observe that dry talk of military strategy. Perhaps this would not be so dull after all. Perhaps Captain Damocles would draw the Stone Prince's ire and Silanos would be spared it. One could live in hope.
Upon setting himself back to his lurched place, the silver-eyed Captain of the Damned felt himself utterly pleased with his calculation and careful manifestation. He knew that his words would cause shock and damnation, which were, in the grand scheme of things, both welcomed and unspectacularly expected. Had he been around less honorable, more cunning, cleaver men, mayhaps his words would have been challenged in a far more creative manner. Nevertheless, as it stood, those mud-witted idiots stay awe-struck and uncompacted, braced as if a sword had been driven against their bared chest. Though he kept his face remove and unemotional, Damocles felt a twinge of joy, or narcissistic ecstasy as he felt his words lead to discontent and argument. What a wonderful prospect!
Predictably, the first to break the stiffening stalemate levied by his argument was Timaeus of Valaoritis. Ah! How simple-minded had that insolent, groveling, lily-gutted, worm-brained unabashedly-fawning childish sycophant had played into his hand upon the first instance to act and pursue. It was almost pitiful, how banally boring had that toady youth moved to debase himself to but such a lowly, obsequious lapdog in seconds. That lordling most likely thought himself strong and mighty upon manifesting his own words, pathetically breaching thoughts that that brow-beaten second-born creature undeniably considered enough to find himself upon closer perch to the bloodline of Vangelis. He nearly split himself with laughter upon bearing witness to the lunatic servility of that barking hound! Had he not learnt to temper his emotions and manage his visage on earlier days, the silver-eyed man would have mockingly guffawed at the stupidity of the boy-hound.
“My Lord Timaeus, you seem to not understand the very purpose of this meeting. If we were gathered here for the mere purpose of rubber-stamping decisions and considerations, they would be little meaning behind our congressed voices.” He presented, dismissing the urge to mock the man and his naivety in matters military. “This is a council of war, chaired by our General for us to debate and discuss whichever policy we believe amongst ourselves to be the best course of action. We are gathered here not to break words of pleasantness and merriment, but to share our different opinions and thoughts in a constructive and positivist manner. This is a place of open discussion and free speech, My Lord Timaeus.” Argued Damocles without any hesitation or fault to his convincing words, making it clear that this was not the first time he practiced the art of oratory before a gathered audience.
Oh how he longed to be spared of this whipped dog’s maddening sycophancy! In moments like these, Damocles came to recall his mentor’s teachings of patience and moderation. His instincts told him to lash out and find a clever way to humiliate that unbearably ingratiating fool. How dared this child, barely out of his mother’s bosom, think himself equal to himself, a proven veteran and hailed hero of war? Before mustering the nerve to broach sparring oratory with him, that collar-bound hound had aught to remember his place. This child, who had never been the intended firstborn heir to his family’s ennobled lineage, who had never bore witness to the terrors of the Pharaoh’s armies, who had neither served nor fought in the last, great war with Egypt some odd ten years past and therefore knew nothing of the actual, practical tactics of the men of Cairo, who was his junior by almost a decade and who was not even remotely close to either his strategic acumen or proven ability in military management, had dared to lecture him on the politics of war and the management of soldiers and officers? The arrogance! The sheer, unadulterated arrogance of this spiteful, ill-bred, little cur! Had he his way with the Gods he would have Zeus himself strike this insolent boy with one of his heavenly bolts of lightning and thunder! At least that way he would be away from the wisdom and insight of real, blood-proven men, not boys donning men’s armor.
“On the contrary, Good Lord Valaoritis, this is the perfect time for nominations and their consideration. In case you have forgotten, our enemy is not some wayward little island-city with delusions of grander, but Egypt, a realm that has historically equated the combined strength of Athenia, Colchis and Taengea. Kings Achilleas and Tython may have answered the summons to war brought to us by Cairo, but as it stands, Athenia has kept far from our call to arms. In other words, Lord Valaoritis, Greece is only at a fraction of its military might.” Accurately reminded the silver-eyed man in a spectacularly nonchalant manner to his otherwise sonorously deep voice. “As such, rather than maintaining ourselves shielded by tradition and convention, we must embrace change and circumstance. If our expectations are to are to win, then we must fully be committed to the gravity of the situation. Without Athenia we lack the support of an enormous amount of numerous, albeit considerably less efficient, soldiers. Thus, the only logical conclusion is for us to bolster our rank and file. Likewise, it is my firm conviction that we must also appoint men of experience and talent to oversee our swelled numbers. Hence my wholehearted support for Lord Stephanos of Mikaelidas’s appointment as Commander and proposal for Lord Lazaros of Vlahakis to such equal position.” Masterfully argued Damocles in an eloquence and precision that seemed more becoming of a senator.
“Furthemore, I will ask that you forgive my boldness, but the argument that we are entirely lacking in time and resources is a panicked and frightened thesis.” Continuously debated the captain of House Drakos. “Aside some of us…”began Damocles as he scanned the room with his mesmerizing grey orbs before stopping at Timaeus and his brother who were the intended distinction to his followed words. “We all are or have been captains. We all have taken the necessary precautions needed to groom our lieutenants and subordinates in case of emergency and crisis. If Lord Lazaros were to be promoted, we needn’t look hard for his replacement as captain for already a more-than ready and willing candidate, taught in leadership and management of troops, would exist in one of his lieutenants. If anything, the Men of the Siren’s Call might very well be strengthened in their resolve, delighting in the promotion of their Captain to Commander and therefore raising morale amongst them.” With this, Damocles concluded his words for now, feigning pleasantry once more as he took to the walls and shadows.
He would be pleased for now. A lot had been laid out for the gathered sycophants to discuss. His eyes went to Lazaros, the golden-haired man he had long called friend, and felt but the faintest of sympathizes for him. Ambition aside, he truly thought the man worthy of a promotion and rise, even if he the Captain of the Damned preferred that promotion befell upon his own head instead. He wished he could say that this had all been done out of friendship and camaraderie, but that would not have been an entirely accurate assumption. Still, theirs had been a bond built years in advance so perhaps their would not be much discussion upon closed doors. That could be a prospective thought. Alas, he had to focus, even if he would not speak. And so, he kept his silence for now, letting others take in his words as he relaxed by himself and his friend’s side.
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Upon setting himself back to his lurched place, the silver-eyed Captain of the Damned felt himself utterly pleased with his calculation and careful manifestation. He knew that his words would cause shock and damnation, which were, in the grand scheme of things, both welcomed and unspectacularly expected. Had he been around less honorable, more cunning, cleaver men, mayhaps his words would have been challenged in a far more creative manner. Nevertheless, as it stood, those mud-witted idiots stay awe-struck and uncompacted, braced as if a sword had been driven against their bared chest. Though he kept his face remove and unemotional, Damocles felt a twinge of joy, or narcissistic ecstasy as he felt his words lead to discontent and argument. What a wonderful prospect!
Predictably, the first to break the stiffening stalemate levied by his argument was Timaeus of Valaoritis. Ah! How simple-minded had that insolent, groveling, lily-gutted, worm-brained unabashedly-fawning childish sycophant had played into his hand upon the first instance to act and pursue. It was almost pitiful, how banally boring had that toady youth moved to debase himself to but such a lowly, obsequious lapdog in seconds. That lordling most likely thought himself strong and mighty upon manifesting his own words, pathetically breaching thoughts that that brow-beaten second-born creature undeniably considered enough to find himself upon closer perch to the bloodline of Vangelis. He nearly split himself with laughter upon bearing witness to the lunatic servility of that barking hound! Had he not learnt to temper his emotions and manage his visage on earlier days, the silver-eyed man would have mockingly guffawed at the stupidity of the boy-hound.
“My Lord Timaeus, you seem to not understand the very purpose of this meeting. If we were gathered here for the mere purpose of rubber-stamping decisions and considerations, they would be little meaning behind our congressed voices.” He presented, dismissing the urge to mock the man and his naivety in matters military. “This is a council of war, chaired by our General for us to debate and discuss whichever policy we believe amongst ourselves to be the best course of action. We are gathered here not to break words of pleasantness and merriment, but to share our different opinions and thoughts in a constructive and positivist manner. This is a place of open discussion and free speech, My Lord Timaeus.” Argued Damocles without any hesitation or fault to his convincing words, making it clear that this was not the first time he practiced the art of oratory before a gathered audience.
Oh how he longed to be spared of this whipped dog’s maddening sycophancy! In moments like these, Damocles came to recall his mentor’s teachings of patience and moderation. His instincts told him to lash out and find a clever way to humiliate that unbearably ingratiating fool. How dared this child, barely out of his mother’s bosom, think himself equal to himself, a proven veteran and hailed hero of war? Before mustering the nerve to broach sparring oratory with him, that collar-bound hound had aught to remember his place. This child, who had never been the intended firstborn heir to his family’s ennobled lineage, who had never bore witness to the terrors of the Pharaoh’s armies, who had neither served nor fought in the last, great war with Egypt some odd ten years past and therefore knew nothing of the actual, practical tactics of the men of Cairo, who was his junior by almost a decade and who was not even remotely close to either his strategic acumen or proven ability in military management, had dared to lecture him on the politics of war and the management of soldiers and officers? The arrogance! The sheer, unadulterated arrogance of this spiteful, ill-bred, little cur! Had he his way with the Gods he would have Zeus himself strike this insolent boy with one of his heavenly bolts of lightning and thunder! At least that way he would be away from the wisdom and insight of real, blood-proven men, not boys donning men’s armor.
“On the contrary, Good Lord Valaoritis, this is the perfect time for nominations and their consideration. In case you have forgotten, our enemy is not some wayward little island-city with delusions of grander, but Egypt, a realm that has historically equated the combined strength of Athenia, Colchis and Taengea. Kings Achilleas and Tython may have answered the summons to war brought to us by Cairo, but as it stands, Athenia has kept far from our call to arms. In other words, Lord Valaoritis, Greece is only at a fraction of its military might.” Accurately reminded the silver-eyed man in a spectacularly nonchalant manner to his otherwise sonorously deep voice. “As such, rather than maintaining ourselves shielded by tradition and convention, we must embrace change and circumstance. If our expectations are to are to win, then we must fully be committed to the gravity of the situation. Without Athenia we lack the support of an enormous amount of numerous, albeit considerably less efficient, soldiers. Thus, the only logical conclusion is for us to bolster our rank and file. Likewise, it is my firm conviction that we must also appoint men of experience and talent to oversee our swelled numbers. Hence my wholehearted support for Lord Stephanos of Mikaelidas’s appointment as Commander and proposal for Lord Lazaros of Vlahakis to such equal position.” Masterfully argued Damocles in an eloquence and precision that seemed more becoming of a senator.
“Furthemore, I will ask that you forgive my boldness, but the argument that we are entirely lacking in time and resources is a panicked and frightened thesis.” Continuously debated the captain of House Drakos. “Aside some of us…”began Damocles as he scanned the room with his mesmerizing grey orbs before stopping at Timaeus and his brother who were the intended distinction to his followed words. “We all are or have been captains. We all have taken the necessary precautions needed to groom our lieutenants and subordinates in case of emergency and crisis. If Lord Lazaros were to be promoted, we needn’t look hard for his replacement as captain for already a more-than ready and willing candidate, taught in leadership and management of troops, would exist in one of his lieutenants. If anything, the Men of the Siren’s Call might very well be strengthened in their resolve, delighting in the promotion of their Captain to Commander and therefore raising morale amongst them.” With this, Damocles concluded his words for now, feigning pleasantry once more as he took to the walls and shadows.
He would be pleased for now. A lot had been laid out for the gathered sycophants to discuss. His eyes went to Lazaros, the golden-haired man he had long called friend, and felt but the faintest of sympathizes for him. Ambition aside, he truly thought the man worthy of a promotion and rise, even if he the Captain of the Damned preferred that promotion befell upon his own head instead. He wished he could say that this had all been done out of friendship and camaraderie, but that would not have been an entirely accurate assumption. Still, theirs had been a bond built years in advance so perhaps their would not be much discussion upon closed doors. That could be a prospective thought. Alas, he had to focus, even if he would not speak. And so, he kept his silence for now, letting others take in his words as he relaxed by himself and his friend’s side.
Upon setting himself back to his lurched place, the silver-eyed Captain of the Damned felt himself utterly pleased with his calculation and careful manifestation. He knew that his words would cause shock and damnation, which were, in the grand scheme of things, both welcomed and unspectacularly expected. Had he been around less honorable, more cunning, cleaver men, mayhaps his words would have been challenged in a far more creative manner. Nevertheless, as it stood, those mud-witted idiots stay awe-struck and uncompacted, braced as if a sword had been driven against their bared chest. Though he kept his face remove and unemotional, Damocles felt a twinge of joy, or narcissistic ecstasy as he felt his words lead to discontent and argument. What a wonderful prospect!
Predictably, the first to break the stiffening stalemate levied by his argument was Timaeus of Valaoritis. Ah! How simple-minded had that insolent, groveling, lily-gutted, worm-brained unabashedly-fawning childish sycophant had played into his hand upon the first instance to act and pursue. It was almost pitiful, how banally boring had that toady youth moved to debase himself to but such a lowly, obsequious lapdog in seconds. That lordling most likely thought himself strong and mighty upon manifesting his own words, pathetically breaching thoughts that that brow-beaten second-born creature undeniably considered enough to find himself upon closer perch to the bloodline of Vangelis. He nearly split himself with laughter upon bearing witness to the lunatic servility of that barking hound! Had he not learnt to temper his emotions and manage his visage on earlier days, the silver-eyed man would have mockingly guffawed at the stupidity of the boy-hound.
“My Lord Timaeus, you seem to not understand the very purpose of this meeting. If we were gathered here for the mere purpose of rubber-stamping decisions and considerations, they would be little meaning behind our congressed voices.” He presented, dismissing the urge to mock the man and his naivety in matters military. “This is a council of war, chaired by our General for us to debate and discuss whichever policy we believe amongst ourselves to be the best course of action. We are gathered here not to break words of pleasantness and merriment, but to share our different opinions and thoughts in a constructive and positivist manner. This is a place of open discussion and free speech, My Lord Timaeus.” Argued Damocles without any hesitation or fault to his convincing words, making it clear that this was not the first time he practiced the art of oratory before a gathered audience.
Oh how he longed to be spared of this whipped dog’s maddening sycophancy! In moments like these, Damocles came to recall his mentor’s teachings of patience and moderation. His instincts told him to lash out and find a clever way to humiliate that unbearably ingratiating fool. How dared this child, barely out of his mother’s bosom, think himself equal to himself, a proven veteran and hailed hero of war? Before mustering the nerve to broach sparring oratory with him, that collar-bound hound had aught to remember his place. This child, who had never been the intended firstborn heir to his family’s ennobled lineage, who had never bore witness to the terrors of the Pharaoh’s armies, who had neither served nor fought in the last, great war with Egypt some odd ten years past and therefore knew nothing of the actual, practical tactics of the men of Cairo, who was his junior by almost a decade and who was not even remotely close to either his strategic acumen or proven ability in military management, had dared to lecture him on the politics of war and the management of soldiers and officers? The arrogance! The sheer, unadulterated arrogance of this spiteful, ill-bred, little cur! Had he his way with the Gods he would have Zeus himself strike this insolent boy with one of his heavenly bolts of lightning and thunder! At least that way he would be away from the wisdom and insight of real, blood-proven men, not boys donning men’s armor.
“On the contrary, Good Lord Valaoritis, this is the perfect time for nominations and their consideration. In case you have forgotten, our enemy is not some wayward little island-city with delusions of grander, but Egypt, a realm that has historically equated the combined strength of Athenia, Colchis and Taengea. Kings Achilleas and Tython may have answered the summons to war brought to us by Cairo, but as it stands, Athenia has kept far from our call to arms. In other words, Lord Valaoritis, Greece is only at a fraction of its military might.” Accurately reminded the silver-eyed man in a spectacularly nonchalant manner to his otherwise sonorously deep voice. “As such, rather than maintaining ourselves shielded by tradition and convention, we must embrace change and circumstance. If our expectations are to are to win, then we must fully be committed to the gravity of the situation. Without Athenia we lack the support of an enormous amount of numerous, albeit considerably less efficient, soldiers. Thus, the only logical conclusion is for us to bolster our rank and file. Likewise, it is my firm conviction that we must also appoint men of experience and talent to oversee our swelled numbers. Hence my wholehearted support for Lord Stephanos of Mikaelidas’s appointment as Commander and proposal for Lord Lazaros of Vlahakis to such equal position.” Masterfully argued Damocles in an eloquence and precision that seemed more becoming of a senator.
“Furthemore, I will ask that you forgive my boldness, but the argument that we are entirely lacking in time and resources is a panicked and frightened thesis.” Continuously debated the captain of House Drakos. “Aside some of us…”began Damocles as he scanned the room with his mesmerizing grey orbs before stopping at Timaeus and his brother who were the intended distinction to his followed words. “We all are or have been captains. We all have taken the necessary precautions needed to groom our lieutenants and subordinates in case of emergency and crisis. If Lord Lazaros were to be promoted, we needn’t look hard for his replacement as captain for already a more-than ready and willing candidate, taught in leadership and management of troops, would exist in one of his lieutenants. If anything, the Men of the Siren’s Call might very well be strengthened in their resolve, delighting in the promotion of their Captain to Commander and therefore raising morale amongst them.” With this, Damocles concluded his words for now, feigning pleasantry once more as he took to the walls and shadows.
He would be pleased for now. A lot had been laid out for the gathered sycophants to discuss. His eyes went to Lazaros, the golden-haired man he had long called friend, and felt but the faintest of sympathizes for him. Ambition aside, he truly thought the man worthy of a promotion and rise, even if he the Captain of the Damned preferred that promotion befell upon his own head instead. He wished he could say that this had all been done out of friendship and camaraderie, but that would not have been an entirely accurate assumption. Still, theirs had been a bond built years in advance so perhaps their would not be much discussion upon closed doors. That could be a prospective thought. Alas, he had to focus, even if he would not speak. And so, he kept his silence for now, letting others take in his words as he relaxed by himself and his friend’s side.
It was not uncommon for discussions to become heated during debates over military tactics. Men did not rise through the ranks of the military simply by keeping their heads down and being good little soldiers. True, loyalty, capability and the understanding of when and how to show fealty and subservience to one's superiors were key elements of a fine fighter but there also had to be a spark of determination. A backbone. Else, it was easy to pass over the heads of worthy fighters when it came to looking for worthy leaders.
As such, when a meeting of this ilk was coordinated; when those men of backbone were placed into a room together, opinions, practicalities and difference of priorities was a given fact ahead of time. Seconded and fuelled by the fact that everyone within said room should (were they promoted to their current rank for the right reasons) be passionately devoted to Colchis. None would wish to see her fall. Which meant, when they disagreed, it was natural to fight their opinions, determined not to let a plan pass without critique for fear of detriment to their kingdom.
That was why there was a hierarchy within the military. Men could argue, men could debate; they could bolster, they could gripe. But at the end of the day, when all was said and done, they did as they were told. It was the way of the military in a fashion that did not exist in politics. It was why politics were dirty, messy things that only the single head of kingship could attempt to control and why Vangelis was not so skilled in sailing its waters. But the military, he knew.
As such, Vangelis said nothing as men started to voice opinions. First, it fell to Damocles to be the first to open his mouth - a not uncommon affair - at which Timaeus of Valaoritis disagreed. A dynamic of argument broke out and Vangelis did nothing but keep his eyes upon the maps before him and listened.
An old phrase of his father's came to mind...
A man is only a true leader if conversation stops in order to seek his verdict. If a man must weigh-in to such a discussion and force his verdict upon others, he holds no true power.
So, Vangelis waited until Damocles of Magnemea to address the issues Lord Timaeus raised and then he waited a moment longer as conversation fell quiet and heads turned his way...
His eyes turned to Damocles first.
"Duly noted."
Two words. Said, done and moved on from.
Rather than indulge in the recommendation given, Vangelis instead reached out to place a hand steepled upon the map on the table.
"A plan of attack will be decided before the number of commanders deemed necessary will be established." He stated. "A subset of our forces are already held in the Northern Lands and there they will remain. Captain Damocles is correct in his assessment of Lord Lazaros' abilities by sea. Which is why the Almosis militia will remain in Colchis." Vangelis looked towards Lazaros, a man he had fought with on the Northern border on and off for the last eight years. "Lazaros, your men will hold the coastal defences of Illytia and be prepared for both sea and land battle."
The information regarding his father's ship and the fact that the barbarians of the north were following a similar trend of seafaring ventures as their enemies to the south, meant that Vangelis was not placing Colchis' safety at risk in order to appease a treaty of peace. Accepting one's own defeat to prevent someone else's was never a sound strategy. And Illytia was the weakest geographical point in Colchis. With low coastlines, easy tides and a lack of rocks, Almosis' neighbour was the weakest link in the defences of the Isle of Kos. From there, armies could march upon the capitol. And he trusted the lord of Vlahakis with such a task.
Loyal to a fault, the Lord Lazaros was happy to place fist to chest and accept the duty with an eagerness to avoid further embellishment upon his craft as a soldier. Classic to Colchian culture, insult was easy to find and praise hard to take.
"As for the majority of our forces outside of the capitol," Vangelis continued without. "I propose a two-wave attack with a vanguard and rear." The crown prince's steepled hand moved away from him, towards the northern coastline of Egypt.
"At the coast, the vanguard will split into two. One to support King Achilleas and his men and the other to take on the Egyptians directly. Our rear force will arrive near a day later than the first." The delay would ensure that the Egyptians did not note them in the numbers of the first attack. They would adjust their militia to accommodate an appropriate fight and then additional Greek troops would sail over the horizon, forcing a change that could open weaknesses that the men already on land could exploit. "They will remain on ship unless signals are made for reinforcements. They can also provide additional support for extraction."
Vangelis looked around the faces in the room and then took a moment to reach over to the side bureau that held the jugs of water and wine and picked up a large but shallow box of polished wood. The top was easily removed and within sat markers similar to those used in the game of mercenaries but with grooves carved into the top in a single line. He placed six of the counters upon the maps: one in the Northern Lands, one in Illytia, another in the capitol. Then he slid two that came to rest on the coastline of Egypt, a little more than an arm’s length from him down the table and the last he positioned in the waters between Taengea and Egypt, representing the rear guard.
"I look to the expertise of Colchis," Vangelis continued, looking about the room once more, "-regarding your own men and their capabilities and specialities to find the weaknesses in this proposal and suggest means of which it can be strengthened. After which -" Vangelis paused to glance between Damocles and Timaeus "-I will determine the positions of command and who will hold them."
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Jan 24, 2020 21:45:45 GMT
Posted In The Armoury on Jan 24, 2020 21:45:45 GMT
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It was not uncommon for discussions to become heated during debates over military tactics. Men did not rise through the ranks of the military simply by keeping their heads down and being good little soldiers. True, loyalty, capability and the understanding of when and how to show fealty and subservience to one's superiors were key elements of a fine fighter but there also had to be a spark of determination. A backbone. Else, it was easy to pass over the heads of worthy fighters when it came to looking for worthy leaders.
As such, when a meeting of this ilk was coordinated; when those men of backbone were placed into a room together, opinions, practicalities and difference of priorities was a given fact ahead of time. Seconded and fuelled by the fact that everyone within said room should (were they promoted to their current rank for the right reasons) be passionately devoted to Colchis. None would wish to see her fall. Which meant, when they disagreed, it was natural to fight their opinions, determined not to let a plan pass without critique for fear of detriment to their kingdom.
That was why there was a hierarchy within the military. Men could argue, men could debate; they could bolster, they could gripe. But at the end of the day, when all was said and done, they did as they were told. It was the way of the military in a fashion that did not exist in politics. It was why politics were dirty, messy things that only the single head of kingship could attempt to control and why Vangelis was not so skilled in sailing its waters. But the military, he knew.
As such, Vangelis said nothing as men started to voice opinions. First, it fell to Damocles to be the first to open his mouth - a not uncommon affair - at which Timaeus of Valaoritis disagreed. A dynamic of argument broke out and Vangelis did nothing but keep his eyes upon the maps before him and listened.
An old phrase of his father's came to mind...
A man is only a true leader if conversation stops in order to seek his verdict. If a man must weigh-in to such a discussion and force his verdict upon others, he holds no true power.
So, Vangelis waited until Damocles of Magnemea to address the issues Lord Timaeus raised and then he waited a moment longer as conversation fell quiet and heads turned his way...
His eyes turned to Damocles first.
"Duly noted."
Two words. Said, done and moved on from.
Rather than indulge in the recommendation given, Vangelis instead reached out to place a hand steepled upon the map on the table.
"A plan of attack will be decided before the number of commanders deemed necessary will be established." He stated. "A subset of our forces are already held in the Northern Lands and there they will remain. Captain Damocles is correct in his assessment of Lord Lazaros' abilities by sea. Which is why the Almosis militia will remain in Colchis." Vangelis looked towards Lazaros, a man he had fought with on the Northern border on and off for the last eight years. "Lazaros, your men will hold the coastal defences of Illytia and be prepared for both sea and land battle."
The information regarding his father's ship and the fact that the barbarians of the north were following a similar trend of seafaring ventures as their enemies to the south, meant that Vangelis was not placing Colchis' safety at risk in order to appease a treaty of peace. Accepting one's own defeat to prevent someone else's was never a sound strategy. And Illytia was the weakest geographical point in Colchis. With low coastlines, easy tides and a lack of rocks, Almosis' neighbour was the weakest link in the defences of the Isle of Kos. From there, armies could march upon the capitol. And he trusted the lord of Vlahakis with such a task.
Loyal to a fault, the Lord Lazaros was happy to place fist to chest and accept the duty with an eagerness to avoid further embellishment upon his craft as a soldier. Classic to Colchian culture, insult was easy to find and praise hard to take.
"As for the majority of our forces outside of the capitol," Vangelis continued without. "I propose a two-wave attack with a vanguard and rear." The crown prince's steepled hand moved away from him, towards the northern coastline of Egypt.
"At the coast, the vanguard will split into two. One to support King Achilleas and his men and the other to take on the Egyptians directly. Our rear force will arrive near a day later than the first." The delay would ensure that the Egyptians did not note them in the numbers of the first attack. They would adjust their militia to accommodate an appropriate fight and then additional Greek troops would sail over the horizon, forcing a change that could open weaknesses that the men already on land could exploit. "They will remain on ship unless signals are made for reinforcements. They can also provide additional support for extraction."
Vangelis looked around the faces in the room and then took a moment to reach over to the side bureau that held the jugs of water and wine and picked up a large but shallow box of polished wood. The top was easily removed and within sat markers similar to those used in the game of mercenaries but with grooves carved into the top in a single line. He placed six of the counters upon the maps: one in the Northern Lands, one in Illytia, another in the capitol. Then he slid two that came to rest on the coastline of Egypt, a little more than an arm’s length from him down the table and the last he positioned in the waters between Taengea and Egypt, representing the rear guard.
"I look to the expertise of Colchis," Vangelis continued, looking about the room once more, "-regarding your own men and their capabilities and specialities to find the weaknesses in this proposal and suggest means of which it can be strengthened. After which -" Vangelis paused to glance between Damocles and Timaeus "-I will determine the positions of command and who will hold them."
It was not uncommon for discussions to become heated during debates over military tactics. Men did not rise through the ranks of the military simply by keeping their heads down and being good little soldiers. True, loyalty, capability and the understanding of when and how to show fealty and subservience to one's superiors were key elements of a fine fighter but there also had to be a spark of determination. A backbone. Else, it was easy to pass over the heads of worthy fighters when it came to looking for worthy leaders.
As such, when a meeting of this ilk was coordinated; when those men of backbone were placed into a room together, opinions, practicalities and difference of priorities was a given fact ahead of time. Seconded and fuelled by the fact that everyone within said room should (were they promoted to their current rank for the right reasons) be passionately devoted to Colchis. None would wish to see her fall. Which meant, when they disagreed, it was natural to fight their opinions, determined not to let a plan pass without critique for fear of detriment to their kingdom.
That was why there was a hierarchy within the military. Men could argue, men could debate; they could bolster, they could gripe. But at the end of the day, when all was said and done, they did as they were told. It was the way of the military in a fashion that did not exist in politics. It was why politics were dirty, messy things that only the single head of kingship could attempt to control and why Vangelis was not so skilled in sailing its waters. But the military, he knew.
As such, Vangelis said nothing as men started to voice opinions. First, it fell to Damocles to be the first to open his mouth - a not uncommon affair - at which Timaeus of Valaoritis disagreed. A dynamic of argument broke out and Vangelis did nothing but keep his eyes upon the maps before him and listened.
An old phrase of his father's came to mind...
A man is only a true leader if conversation stops in order to seek his verdict. If a man must weigh-in to such a discussion and force his verdict upon others, he holds no true power.
So, Vangelis waited until Damocles of Magnemea to address the issues Lord Timaeus raised and then he waited a moment longer as conversation fell quiet and heads turned his way...
His eyes turned to Damocles first.
"Duly noted."
Two words. Said, done and moved on from.
Rather than indulge in the recommendation given, Vangelis instead reached out to place a hand steepled upon the map on the table.
"A plan of attack will be decided before the number of commanders deemed necessary will be established." He stated. "A subset of our forces are already held in the Northern Lands and there they will remain. Captain Damocles is correct in his assessment of Lord Lazaros' abilities by sea. Which is why the Almosis militia will remain in Colchis." Vangelis looked towards Lazaros, a man he had fought with on the Northern border on and off for the last eight years. "Lazaros, your men will hold the coastal defences of Illytia and be prepared for both sea and land battle."
The information regarding his father's ship and the fact that the barbarians of the north were following a similar trend of seafaring ventures as their enemies to the south, meant that Vangelis was not placing Colchis' safety at risk in order to appease a treaty of peace. Accepting one's own defeat to prevent someone else's was never a sound strategy. And Illytia was the weakest geographical point in Colchis. With low coastlines, easy tides and a lack of rocks, Almosis' neighbour was the weakest link in the defences of the Isle of Kos. From there, armies could march upon the capitol. And he trusted the lord of Vlahakis with such a task.
Loyal to a fault, the Lord Lazaros was happy to place fist to chest and accept the duty with an eagerness to avoid further embellishment upon his craft as a soldier. Classic to Colchian culture, insult was easy to find and praise hard to take.
"As for the majority of our forces outside of the capitol," Vangelis continued without. "I propose a two-wave attack with a vanguard and rear." The crown prince's steepled hand moved away from him, towards the northern coastline of Egypt.
"At the coast, the vanguard will split into two. One to support King Achilleas and his men and the other to take on the Egyptians directly. Our rear force will arrive near a day later than the first." The delay would ensure that the Egyptians did not note them in the numbers of the first attack. They would adjust their militia to accommodate an appropriate fight and then additional Greek troops would sail over the horizon, forcing a change that could open weaknesses that the men already on land could exploit. "They will remain on ship unless signals are made for reinforcements. They can also provide additional support for extraction."
Vangelis looked around the faces in the room and then took a moment to reach over to the side bureau that held the jugs of water and wine and picked up a large but shallow box of polished wood. The top was easily removed and within sat markers similar to those used in the game of mercenaries but with grooves carved into the top in a single line. He placed six of the counters upon the maps: one in the Northern Lands, one in Illytia, another in the capitol. Then he slid two that came to rest on the coastline of Egypt, a little more than an arm’s length from him down the table and the last he positioned in the waters between Taengea and Egypt, representing the rear guard.
"I look to the expertise of Colchis," Vangelis continued, looking about the room once more, "-regarding your own men and their capabilities and specialities to find the weaknesses in this proposal and suggest means of which it can be strengthened. After which -" Vangelis paused to glance between Damocles and Timaeus "-I will determine the positions of command and who will hold them."
The soldier had arrived behind the younger Valaoritis brother, finding his place next to the young lord. He didn't know why the Baron and the Captain had wanted him here. Perhaps it was to guard the man-child, though deep in Valaoritis manor he doubted it. What exactly were they expecting of him? This was too far above his station for his liking. He had always felt strange and out of place in the company of his own Baron, but this was a whole new level of discomfort that he wasn't sure he was prepared for.
He noted the immediate disdain that was on the Crown Prince's face as he burned holes into Silanos' skull. Daxos swallowed slightly, glad that he did not get so much as a glance from the Crown Prince. Why should he care about a lowly soldier like him? He doubted the Prince even knew who he was.
It was not long before more men filed in, some the soldier recognized, most he did not. He noted his Captain and Baron enter as well, nodding only slightly to them, doing his best to not be noticed by anyone else. He felt like a jackass in a brothel. Perhaps when he was younger and more foolish, he would have relished the opportunity to stand in the room with these men, these titans of the Colchian military. Not today. He knew what these men were truly capable of.
He didn't want to admit it, but he was terrified. Perhaps it was the Crown Prince, or perhaps this Stephanos with his cold demeanor. It was not. He knew what it was. The night before had been a sleepless one for him. Since he was sure that war was on the horizon, he had many dreams of dying on the battlefields in Egypt, his blood soaking the sands of a far distant place. His eyes fading to black as the vultures swirled above him. He would never admit it out loud, but he knew his fear was Egypt itself.
He shook these thoughts from his mind, rubbing his eyes as stealthily as the large soldier could, and listened intently. He stood as still as he could, just as any soldier would when facing a superior. His feet were shoulder-width apart as his hands clasped behind his back. He had hoped that this would not draw attention to the soldier. If he still believed in the gods, he would have offered a prayer to them, but he did little but plead to Lady Luck.
The soldier had watched intently as the Baron and the Captain Damocles began a debate. He almost spoke up in his Baron's defense but decided against it. Better to leave the talking to those who had rank and status, no some lowly no-name like himself. Why the hell did they tell me to come? Every fiber of his being screamed to get out.
That was until they began to speak of the actual plan. The soldier felt a fire burn in his chest. He had occasionally made plans with the units during drills, even offering up a plan for his captain and him to take on some barbarians a few years ago to success. He hungrily took in the information and plans that the Crown Prince laid out. It made sense to the soldier for the most part, if not vague. Though the soldier supposed the Crown Prince was looking for suggestions from those in the room.
Despite his fear of dying in Egypt, he couldn't help but feel excited over the planning. He remembered when he was a boy he would round up the other lads in Eubocris and plan out these elaborate war games. He remembered planning attacks, defenses, and raids. He was good at it if he remembered correctly. Twenty boys were not equal to a unit in the military, but he knew from his own military experience and these games, that a small force can be devastating if used properly.
Daxos stood, his mouth slightly open, his chest burning with the desire to voice his thoughts and his plan. He looked to Maleos and his Baron, but they were not looking at the soldier. Why would they? This was a war council, and the Crown Prince, The Blood General, was leading it. The lowly soldier shouldn't speak. It was not his place.
Despite thinking this, he could not shake the inexorable feeling in his chest that he had to say something. He could lose his head, he could be thrown out of the room, he could be beaten, or banished. There was a possibility that the soldier would never see his daughter again. It was also possible that he could get that promotion he'd been working so hard for the past four years of his life.
Through the pounding in his chest and the lump in his throat, he began, "Please forgive me, Your Highness. Might I suggest that we split the force into three?" The soldier had issues with speaking with his superiors in the past. Through his experiences with the Captain, the Baron, even the man-child he had learned that being coy, quiet, and passive would result in nothing. He had to be strong, assertive, and sure.
"We split off a small section, perhaps maybe only one unit of the fastest men from both the Colchis and Taengean armies. Cavalry or skirmishers can strike fast, hard, and can cover a lot of ground in a short time. Using this unit, one could harass their supply lines, their towns, and farms. I know that a soldier on an empty stomach does not fight for long." The blood pounded in his ears as he spoke his suggestion. The soldier had been in plenty of battles before. He had killed many men and almost been killed himself. He had never felt his body like this before. His face tingled, he could feel his legs wanting to shake but he stilled them. He did his best to look confident, his chin high, shoulders pulled back, as he scanned the room for anyone who possibly felt the same as him.
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The soldier had arrived behind the younger Valaoritis brother, finding his place next to the young lord. He didn't know why the Baron and the Captain had wanted him here. Perhaps it was to guard the man-child, though deep in Valaoritis manor he doubted it. What exactly were they expecting of him? This was too far above his station for his liking. He had always felt strange and out of place in the company of his own Baron, but this was a whole new level of discomfort that he wasn't sure he was prepared for.
He noted the immediate disdain that was on the Crown Prince's face as he burned holes into Silanos' skull. Daxos swallowed slightly, glad that he did not get so much as a glance from the Crown Prince. Why should he care about a lowly soldier like him? He doubted the Prince even knew who he was.
It was not long before more men filed in, some the soldier recognized, most he did not. He noted his Captain and Baron enter as well, nodding only slightly to them, doing his best to not be noticed by anyone else. He felt like a jackass in a brothel. Perhaps when he was younger and more foolish, he would have relished the opportunity to stand in the room with these men, these titans of the Colchian military. Not today. He knew what these men were truly capable of.
He didn't want to admit it, but he was terrified. Perhaps it was the Crown Prince, or perhaps this Stephanos with his cold demeanor. It was not. He knew what it was. The night before had been a sleepless one for him. Since he was sure that war was on the horizon, he had many dreams of dying on the battlefields in Egypt, his blood soaking the sands of a far distant place. His eyes fading to black as the vultures swirled above him. He would never admit it out loud, but he knew his fear was Egypt itself.
He shook these thoughts from his mind, rubbing his eyes as stealthily as the large soldier could, and listened intently. He stood as still as he could, just as any soldier would when facing a superior. His feet were shoulder-width apart as his hands clasped behind his back. He had hoped that this would not draw attention to the soldier. If he still believed in the gods, he would have offered a prayer to them, but he did little but plead to Lady Luck.
The soldier had watched intently as the Baron and the Captain Damocles began a debate. He almost spoke up in his Baron's defense but decided against it. Better to leave the talking to those who had rank and status, no some lowly no-name like himself. Why the hell did they tell me to come? Every fiber of his being screamed to get out.
That was until they began to speak of the actual plan. The soldier felt a fire burn in his chest. He had occasionally made plans with the units during drills, even offering up a plan for his captain and him to take on some barbarians a few years ago to success. He hungrily took in the information and plans that the Crown Prince laid out. It made sense to the soldier for the most part, if not vague. Though the soldier supposed the Crown Prince was looking for suggestions from those in the room.
Despite his fear of dying in Egypt, he couldn't help but feel excited over the planning. He remembered when he was a boy he would round up the other lads in Eubocris and plan out these elaborate war games. He remembered planning attacks, defenses, and raids. He was good at it if he remembered correctly. Twenty boys were not equal to a unit in the military, but he knew from his own military experience and these games, that a small force can be devastating if used properly.
Daxos stood, his mouth slightly open, his chest burning with the desire to voice his thoughts and his plan. He looked to Maleos and his Baron, but they were not looking at the soldier. Why would they? This was a war council, and the Crown Prince, The Blood General, was leading it. The lowly soldier shouldn't speak. It was not his place.
Despite thinking this, he could not shake the inexorable feeling in his chest that he had to say something. He could lose his head, he could be thrown out of the room, he could be beaten, or banished. There was a possibility that the soldier would never see his daughter again. It was also possible that he could get that promotion he'd been working so hard for the past four years of his life.
Through the pounding in his chest and the lump in his throat, he began, "Please forgive me, Your Highness. Might I suggest that we split the force into three?" The soldier had issues with speaking with his superiors in the past. Through his experiences with the Captain, the Baron, even the man-child he had learned that being coy, quiet, and passive would result in nothing. He had to be strong, assertive, and sure.
"We split off a small section, perhaps maybe only one unit of the fastest men from both the Colchis and Taengean armies. Cavalry or skirmishers can strike fast, hard, and can cover a lot of ground in a short time. Using this unit, one could harass their supply lines, their towns, and farms. I know that a soldier on an empty stomach does not fight for long." The blood pounded in his ears as he spoke his suggestion. The soldier had been in plenty of battles before. He had killed many men and almost been killed himself. He had never felt his body like this before. His face tingled, he could feel his legs wanting to shake but he stilled them. He did his best to look confident, his chin high, shoulders pulled back, as he scanned the room for anyone who possibly felt the same as him.
The soldier had arrived behind the younger Valaoritis brother, finding his place next to the young lord. He didn't know why the Baron and the Captain had wanted him here. Perhaps it was to guard the man-child, though deep in Valaoritis manor he doubted it. What exactly were they expecting of him? This was too far above his station for his liking. He had always felt strange and out of place in the company of his own Baron, but this was a whole new level of discomfort that he wasn't sure he was prepared for.
He noted the immediate disdain that was on the Crown Prince's face as he burned holes into Silanos' skull. Daxos swallowed slightly, glad that he did not get so much as a glance from the Crown Prince. Why should he care about a lowly soldier like him? He doubted the Prince even knew who he was.
It was not long before more men filed in, some the soldier recognized, most he did not. He noted his Captain and Baron enter as well, nodding only slightly to them, doing his best to not be noticed by anyone else. He felt like a jackass in a brothel. Perhaps when he was younger and more foolish, he would have relished the opportunity to stand in the room with these men, these titans of the Colchian military. Not today. He knew what these men were truly capable of.
He didn't want to admit it, but he was terrified. Perhaps it was the Crown Prince, or perhaps this Stephanos with his cold demeanor. It was not. He knew what it was. The night before had been a sleepless one for him. Since he was sure that war was on the horizon, he had many dreams of dying on the battlefields in Egypt, his blood soaking the sands of a far distant place. His eyes fading to black as the vultures swirled above him. He would never admit it out loud, but he knew his fear was Egypt itself.
He shook these thoughts from his mind, rubbing his eyes as stealthily as the large soldier could, and listened intently. He stood as still as he could, just as any soldier would when facing a superior. His feet were shoulder-width apart as his hands clasped behind his back. He had hoped that this would not draw attention to the soldier. If he still believed in the gods, he would have offered a prayer to them, but he did little but plead to Lady Luck.
The soldier had watched intently as the Baron and the Captain Damocles began a debate. He almost spoke up in his Baron's defense but decided against it. Better to leave the talking to those who had rank and status, no some lowly no-name like himself. Why the hell did they tell me to come? Every fiber of his being screamed to get out.
That was until they began to speak of the actual plan. The soldier felt a fire burn in his chest. He had occasionally made plans with the units during drills, even offering up a plan for his captain and him to take on some barbarians a few years ago to success. He hungrily took in the information and plans that the Crown Prince laid out. It made sense to the soldier for the most part, if not vague. Though the soldier supposed the Crown Prince was looking for suggestions from those in the room.
Despite his fear of dying in Egypt, he couldn't help but feel excited over the planning. He remembered when he was a boy he would round up the other lads in Eubocris and plan out these elaborate war games. He remembered planning attacks, defenses, and raids. He was good at it if he remembered correctly. Twenty boys were not equal to a unit in the military, but he knew from his own military experience and these games, that a small force can be devastating if used properly.
Daxos stood, his mouth slightly open, his chest burning with the desire to voice his thoughts and his plan. He looked to Maleos and his Baron, but they were not looking at the soldier. Why would they? This was a war council, and the Crown Prince, The Blood General, was leading it. The lowly soldier shouldn't speak. It was not his place.
Despite thinking this, he could not shake the inexorable feeling in his chest that he had to say something. He could lose his head, he could be thrown out of the room, he could be beaten, or banished. There was a possibility that the soldier would never see his daughter again. It was also possible that he could get that promotion he'd been working so hard for the past four years of his life.
Through the pounding in his chest and the lump in his throat, he began, "Please forgive me, Your Highness. Might I suggest that we split the force into three?" The soldier had issues with speaking with his superiors in the past. Through his experiences with the Captain, the Baron, even the man-child he had learned that being coy, quiet, and passive would result in nothing. He had to be strong, assertive, and sure.
"We split off a small section, perhaps maybe only one unit of the fastest men from both the Colchis and Taengean armies. Cavalry or skirmishers can strike fast, hard, and can cover a lot of ground in a short time. Using this unit, one could harass their supply lines, their towns, and farms. I know that a soldier on an empty stomach does not fight for long." The blood pounded in his ears as he spoke his suggestion. The soldier had been in plenty of battles before. He had killed many men and almost been killed himself. He had never felt his body like this before. His face tingled, he could feel his legs wanting to shake but he stilled them. He did his best to look confident, his chin high, shoulders pulled back, as he scanned the room for anyone who possibly felt the same as him.
If Timaeus had any semblance of control over this meeting, Sir Damocles would have been thrown out.
The captain was a guest in Timaeus’s home and the Baron was in no mood to be shown this level of disrespect from a man who didn’t know self-control if it slapped him in the face. Who was this reckless fool to come into the Valaoritis manor and decide that he knew better than the Baron who lived there? That somehow Timaeus was beneath him because Timaeus was the second son of his family, as if that matter when his brother was dead. That, somehow, just for the reason he had no reservations about calling out Damocles for the disrespect that he was showing to his new commander that he was somehow no better than a dog. And then, even after a ranking commander (who was almost just as respected as Vang himself) had told Damo that the decisions of promotions were not Damo’s call to make and this was not the place to debate them either, he decided to keep running his trap -- only further adding to the disrespect that he was showing everyone in that room by refusing to stand down. His actions showed that he thought himself above the likes of a baron and former captain. Of the commander who was also Prince Vangelis’s best friend. Of Prince Vangelis himself.
Was he absolutely insane?
Timaeus had always known the man to be reckless, but this took it to a whole other level. He was grateful for Vangelis stepping in when he did because the Baron would have very easily lost his temper and dragged Damocles out of his house himself if the disrespect had been left unchecked. Timaeus was sure that he wasn’t the only one in the room who would have wanted to do this --though none quite as strongly as Tim-- given the sheer amount of disrespect he was showing. Timaeus didn’t know what it was in Damo’s mind that thought that he had the right to do such a thing, but whatever it was, Timaeus hoped that the man lost it before the war commenced. Otherwise, this man who thought of himself as being so high and mighty would be in for a rude awakening when reality came crashing down upon him.
However, Vangelis stepped in and quickly dismissed the argument that was unfurling between the two men in a way that neither gave Timaeus the satisfaction of someone rightfully putting Damocles in his place nor giving Lazaros the promotion Damocles had championed. That alone made the words by Prince Vangelis easier to swallow as Timaeus gathered his composure. His years of court and senate work had made it possible to hide his anger behind a mask of stoic blankness, but if his brother and Maleos looked closer, they would see the flared nostrils and rigid stance that showed how livid Timaeus was underneath. But whatever. It was over now and Timaeus would just have to hope that Damocles would get his comeuppance when he would inevitably piss off someone in the meeting who wasn’t already in trouble with the General leading them.
With a man like Damo, it would inevitably happen.
Timaeus focused on the Prince’s words, listening intently to what the man had to say about the plans for attacking Egypt. It all seemed fairly solid to him as the plan resembled the classic Phalanx formation that the Greeks were known for and had perfected over their many years of battle. At its core, the plan was simple. Keep throwing yourselves at the enemy until you won. Hold a defensive line and keep shoving until your enemies gave in. It was simple, it was well battle-worn, and in many ways it was effective.
It was predictable.
Even before Vangelis had finished laying out his plan, Timaeus noticed this flaw right away. The baron knew that similar tactics had been used in previous wars before his one. He should know -- Timaeus’s own uncle had taught him this strategy in the years before he disappeared in the sands of Egypt. He had been just a boy at the time, training to be a Captain by being a steward for the commander, but he could still remember the lesson clear as day. In fact, he could almost hear the man quizzing him on what the plan needed to succeed. It was practically burned into his brain with how many times he had to parrot it back to his Uncle Galenus.
A strong second wave and a steady stream of men.
The plan relied on the Greecian army being unrelenting in the pressure that was placed upon the enemy. This was what the entire tactic was based around, after all, these two elements were crucial to its success. However, the lord doubted that they had the resources to sustain this method of attack. It was common knowledge that Athenia would not be joining the fight. The kingdom could barely hold itself together at the moment -- they could not be counted upon to muster men for their ally’s cause. Taengea too could be in turmoil, as well. There had been too many kings in such a short timespan to have faith in that every man was loyal and steadfast to King Achilleas. It would be a major weakness in the armor of the Greek cause as this meant that they did not have as many men as they could expect if this war had happened only a few short months ago.
Timaeus was positive that the Egyptians would know this and exploit it. He had a good reason to believe this too which was about to voice as Vangelis opened the floor to critiques of the plan. However, before the Baron even had a chance to open his mouth… another voice sounded from the crowd and it was one that Timaeus was quite truthfully surprised to hear. The Valaoritis lord turned sharply to see that it was Sir Daxos who spoke first, suggesting a guerrilla tactic to cut off the supply lines for the Egyptians. It was a solid plan and Timaeus gave his best friend a curious glance, wondering where Daxos got the nerve to speak at a meeting before the countless captains and commanders in the room. It seemed as if the men had been right to single this soldier out for the possibility of promotion.
He nodded quietly to the foot soldier in approval with the slightest smile on his face before the Baron took the opportunity to address the room and physically voice his approval for the plan. “ Sir Daxos is right, the Egyptian supply lines must be cut if we wish for a speedy victory. We will be in their territory so we must take every advantage from them.”
“ However,” Timaeus started say as he deviated from Daxos’s suggestion and began to present his own observations to the room as his eyes darted about nervously between Nike, Vangelis, and Maleos in regards to the information that he was about to reveal, “ I fear that it might not be enough. Egypt could very easily recover any supply lines we break or forge new ones -- especially as we do not have the men to spare to ensure that the critical communication lines stay broken. Plus not to mention the majority of Egypt’s agriculture can be found on the banks of the Nile and close to the larger cities it supports. I fear that solely taking on this endeavor will be a fruitless mission that sacrifices the men assigned to it. Plus there is one important factor going into this war that we have not considered thus far; General Iahotep.”
Timaeus knew full well that the man was now the Pharaoh of Egypt and thus deserved the sort of respect that had been afforded to him through his marriage to the young Hatsheput, however, the Baron thought that this slight change in title would aid in reminding the men how talented the Egyptian was at the art of war. “ I have had the misfortune in my past to cross paths with this man and I can tell you with the utmost confidence that as foolish and uncivilized as his people are; the man is not a fool. I am loathed to say it, but he is a brilliant man who will anticipate these sorts of attacks.” He knew that the revelation that a Colchian Baron had interacted with the current Pharaoh of Egypt. It was simply unheard of and it was truly a long story, to say the least. He had been sixteen at the time and in a poorly-made disguise so Timaeus did not know anything about how the man would approach the battlefield. What he did know from their chance encounter win the Egyptian tunnels was that the man was astute, clever, and far more observant than he was given credit for.
Well, it was time for someone to give him that recognition.
“ Iahotep will see our smaller force and anticipate a larger offensive on the horizon. Especially as Colchis is the only politically stable kingdom entering the conflict. He will unravel our plan the moment that he sees that our full force is not on the beaches where this conflict will take place.” It was a grim truth, but it was clear to Tim that if they followed this plan to its exact design they would lose the element of surprise that the second wave would depend upon and this conflict could easily become a slaughter for the Greeks if the Egyptians were at full capacity… however, that didn’t mean that they couldn’t use the plan Vanglis suggested to their advantage. “ If I may I would like to offer a few suggestions for the council to consider.”
“With the lack of support from Athenia we need to maximize the impact of the men and the supplies we have. This is why I believe we need to create another diversion to lull General Iahotep into having a false sense of security before the second wave attacks.” At this point during Timaeus’s lengthy suggestion for the military plans, he leaned over the table and pointed at the counters that Vangelis had put down. He didn’t dare move them, but instead merely motioned to the plans he was laying forth for the men to consider, “ We send the warships to Egypt together as if we are planning a two-pronged attack solely from the sea. However, the ships that are carrying the men for the second wave will be empty. Those men would be instead be shipped the distance between Taengea and Egypt by the use of merchant ships into the heart of Egypt and will march by way of disguise and the cover of night to the battleground.”
His eyes glanced up at the other men as the final pieces of his plan began to come together for the men of Colchis to consider. “ There, they can engage the reserves that Iahotep would have brought in preparation for an attack from the sea from behind. This would force the Egyptian forces to split their men and supplies between two fronts, negating the opportunity for them to utilize the element of surprise upon us. If all goes well, we could barricade them between the second wave and the sea, cutting off their supplies from where they are gathered.” At this point he dared to glance at Daxos, hoping the man would see and take pride in how his idea was incorporated by his former Captain. Timaeus certainly would if he were in the man’s shoes.
However, Timaeus was not Sir Daxos nor was he any other man in the War Council. He was sure that others would find flaws with his proposals and some would even dismiss it outright. Even if they did, Timaeus knew that his suggestion would encourage more chatter about what he thought was the most important element to incorporate into whatever plan they settled on. This was a viewpoint that he made clear in his last statement before turning the plan over to the men gathered to discuss, “ I am not a sailor so I cannot speak to the logistics of the plan I have presented. However, I do firmly believe that due to the lack of men we will have as a whole going into this conflict a subversion of what Iahotep would expect and playing into the things that he would is crucial for our success.”
And with that Timaeus’s plan was open for dissection by the others.
The Baron of Eubocris could only hope that he was not made to look like a fool in the process.
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If Timaeus had any semblance of control over this meeting, Sir Damocles would have been thrown out.
The captain was a guest in Timaeus’s home and the Baron was in no mood to be shown this level of disrespect from a man who didn’t know self-control if it slapped him in the face. Who was this reckless fool to come into the Valaoritis manor and decide that he knew better than the Baron who lived there? That somehow Timaeus was beneath him because Timaeus was the second son of his family, as if that matter when his brother was dead. That, somehow, just for the reason he had no reservations about calling out Damocles for the disrespect that he was showing to his new commander that he was somehow no better than a dog. And then, even after a ranking commander (who was almost just as respected as Vang himself) had told Damo that the decisions of promotions were not Damo’s call to make and this was not the place to debate them either, he decided to keep running his trap -- only further adding to the disrespect that he was showing everyone in that room by refusing to stand down. His actions showed that he thought himself above the likes of a baron and former captain. Of the commander who was also Prince Vangelis’s best friend. Of Prince Vangelis himself.
Was he absolutely insane?
Timaeus had always known the man to be reckless, but this took it to a whole other level. He was grateful for Vangelis stepping in when he did because the Baron would have very easily lost his temper and dragged Damocles out of his house himself if the disrespect had been left unchecked. Timaeus was sure that he wasn’t the only one in the room who would have wanted to do this --though none quite as strongly as Tim-- given the sheer amount of disrespect he was showing. Timaeus didn’t know what it was in Damo’s mind that thought that he had the right to do such a thing, but whatever it was, Timaeus hoped that the man lost it before the war commenced. Otherwise, this man who thought of himself as being so high and mighty would be in for a rude awakening when reality came crashing down upon him.
However, Vangelis stepped in and quickly dismissed the argument that was unfurling between the two men in a way that neither gave Timaeus the satisfaction of someone rightfully putting Damocles in his place nor giving Lazaros the promotion Damocles had championed. That alone made the words by Prince Vangelis easier to swallow as Timaeus gathered his composure. His years of court and senate work had made it possible to hide his anger behind a mask of stoic blankness, but if his brother and Maleos looked closer, they would see the flared nostrils and rigid stance that showed how livid Timaeus was underneath. But whatever. It was over now and Timaeus would just have to hope that Damocles would get his comeuppance when he would inevitably piss off someone in the meeting who wasn’t already in trouble with the General leading them.
With a man like Damo, it would inevitably happen.
Timaeus focused on the Prince’s words, listening intently to what the man had to say about the plans for attacking Egypt. It all seemed fairly solid to him as the plan resembled the classic Phalanx formation that the Greeks were known for and had perfected over their many years of battle. At its core, the plan was simple. Keep throwing yourselves at the enemy until you won. Hold a defensive line and keep shoving until your enemies gave in. It was simple, it was well battle-worn, and in many ways it was effective.
It was predictable.
Even before Vangelis had finished laying out his plan, Timaeus noticed this flaw right away. The baron knew that similar tactics had been used in previous wars before his one. He should know -- Timaeus’s own uncle had taught him this strategy in the years before he disappeared in the sands of Egypt. He had been just a boy at the time, training to be a Captain by being a steward for the commander, but he could still remember the lesson clear as day. In fact, he could almost hear the man quizzing him on what the plan needed to succeed. It was practically burned into his brain with how many times he had to parrot it back to his Uncle Galenus.
A strong second wave and a steady stream of men.
The plan relied on the Greecian army being unrelenting in the pressure that was placed upon the enemy. This was what the entire tactic was based around, after all, these two elements were crucial to its success. However, the lord doubted that they had the resources to sustain this method of attack. It was common knowledge that Athenia would not be joining the fight. The kingdom could barely hold itself together at the moment -- they could not be counted upon to muster men for their ally’s cause. Taengea too could be in turmoil, as well. There had been too many kings in such a short timespan to have faith in that every man was loyal and steadfast to King Achilleas. It would be a major weakness in the armor of the Greek cause as this meant that they did not have as many men as they could expect if this war had happened only a few short months ago.
Timaeus was positive that the Egyptians would know this and exploit it. He had a good reason to believe this too which was about to voice as Vangelis opened the floor to critiques of the plan. However, before the Baron even had a chance to open his mouth… another voice sounded from the crowd and it was one that Timaeus was quite truthfully surprised to hear. The Valaoritis lord turned sharply to see that it was Sir Daxos who spoke first, suggesting a guerrilla tactic to cut off the supply lines for the Egyptians. It was a solid plan and Timaeus gave his best friend a curious glance, wondering where Daxos got the nerve to speak at a meeting before the countless captains and commanders in the room. It seemed as if the men had been right to single this soldier out for the possibility of promotion.
He nodded quietly to the foot soldier in approval with the slightest smile on his face before the Baron took the opportunity to address the room and physically voice his approval for the plan. “ Sir Daxos is right, the Egyptian supply lines must be cut if we wish for a speedy victory. We will be in their territory so we must take every advantage from them.”
“ However,” Timaeus started say as he deviated from Daxos’s suggestion and began to present his own observations to the room as his eyes darted about nervously between Nike, Vangelis, and Maleos in regards to the information that he was about to reveal, “ I fear that it might not be enough. Egypt could very easily recover any supply lines we break or forge new ones -- especially as we do not have the men to spare to ensure that the critical communication lines stay broken. Plus not to mention the majority of Egypt’s agriculture can be found on the banks of the Nile and close to the larger cities it supports. I fear that solely taking on this endeavor will be a fruitless mission that sacrifices the men assigned to it. Plus there is one important factor going into this war that we have not considered thus far; General Iahotep.”
Timaeus knew full well that the man was now the Pharaoh of Egypt and thus deserved the sort of respect that had been afforded to him through his marriage to the young Hatsheput, however, the Baron thought that this slight change in title would aid in reminding the men how talented the Egyptian was at the art of war. “ I have had the misfortune in my past to cross paths with this man and I can tell you with the utmost confidence that as foolish and uncivilized as his people are; the man is not a fool. I am loathed to say it, but he is a brilliant man who will anticipate these sorts of attacks.” He knew that the revelation that a Colchian Baron had interacted with the current Pharaoh of Egypt. It was simply unheard of and it was truly a long story, to say the least. He had been sixteen at the time and in a poorly-made disguise so Timaeus did not know anything about how the man would approach the battlefield. What he did know from their chance encounter win the Egyptian tunnels was that the man was astute, clever, and far more observant than he was given credit for.
Well, it was time for someone to give him that recognition.
“ Iahotep will see our smaller force and anticipate a larger offensive on the horizon. Especially as Colchis is the only politically stable kingdom entering the conflict. He will unravel our plan the moment that he sees that our full force is not on the beaches where this conflict will take place.” It was a grim truth, but it was clear to Tim that if they followed this plan to its exact design they would lose the element of surprise that the second wave would depend upon and this conflict could easily become a slaughter for the Greeks if the Egyptians were at full capacity… however, that didn’t mean that they couldn’t use the plan Vanglis suggested to their advantage. “ If I may I would like to offer a few suggestions for the council to consider.”
“With the lack of support from Athenia we need to maximize the impact of the men and the supplies we have. This is why I believe we need to create another diversion to lull General Iahotep into having a false sense of security before the second wave attacks.” At this point during Timaeus’s lengthy suggestion for the military plans, he leaned over the table and pointed at the counters that Vangelis had put down. He didn’t dare move them, but instead merely motioned to the plans he was laying forth for the men to consider, “ We send the warships to Egypt together as if we are planning a two-pronged attack solely from the sea. However, the ships that are carrying the men for the second wave will be empty. Those men would be instead be shipped the distance between Taengea and Egypt by the use of merchant ships into the heart of Egypt and will march by way of disguise and the cover of night to the battleground.”
His eyes glanced up at the other men as the final pieces of his plan began to come together for the men of Colchis to consider. “ There, they can engage the reserves that Iahotep would have brought in preparation for an attack from the sea from behind. This would force the Egyptian forces to split their men and supplies between two fronts, negating the opportunity for them to utilize the element of surprise upon us. If all goes well, we could barricade them between the second wave and the sea, cutting off their supplies from where they are gathered.” At this point he dared to glance at Daxos, hoping the man would see and take pride in how his idea was incorporated by his former Captain. Timaeus certainly would if he were in the man’s shoes.
However, Timaeus was not Sir Daxos nor was he any other man in the War Council. He was sure that others would find flaws with his proposals and some would even dismiss it outright. Even if they did, Timaeus knew that his suggestion would encourage more chatter about what he thought was the most important element to incorporate into whatever plan they settled on. This was a viewpoint that he made clear in his last statement before turning the plan over to the men gathered to discuss, “ I am not a sailor so I cannot speak to the logistics of the plan I have presented. However, I do firmly believe that due to the lack of men we will have as a whole going into this conflict a subversion of what Iahotep would expect and playing into the things that he would is crucial for our success.”
And with that Timaeus’s plan was open for dissection by the others.
The Baron of Eubocris could only hope that he was not made to look like a fool in the process.
If Timaeus had any semblance of control over this meeting, Sir Damocles would have been thrown out.
The captain was a guest in Timaeus’s home and the Baron was in no mood to be shown this level of disrespect from a man who didn’t know self-control if it slapped him in the face. Who was this reckless fool to come into the Valaoritis manor and decide that he knew better than the Baron who lived there? That somehow Timaeus was beneath him because Timaeus was the second son of his family, as if that matter when his brother was dead. That, somehow, just for the reason he had no reservations about calling out Damocles for the disrespect that he was showing to his new commander that he was somehow no better than a dog. And then, even after a ranking commander (who was almost just as respected as Vang himself) had told Damo that the decisions of promotions were not Damo’s call to make and this was not the place to debate them either, he decided to keep running his trap -- only further adding to the disrespect that he was showing everyone in that room by refusing to stand down. His actions showed that he thought himself above the likes of a baron and former captain. Of the commander who was also Prince Vangelis’s best friend. Of Prince Vangelis himself.
Was he absolutely insane?
Timaeus had always known the man to be reckless, but this took it to a whole other level. He was grateful for Vangelis stepping in when he did because the Baron would have very easily lost his temper and dragged Damocles out of his house himself if the disrespect had been left unchecked. Timaeus was sure that he wasn’t the only one in the room who would have wanted to do this --though none quite as strongly as Tim-- given the sheer amount of disrespect he was showing. Timaeus didn’t know what it was in Damo’s mind that thought that he had the right to do such a thing, but whatever it was, Timaeus hoped that the man lost it before the war commenced. Otherwise, this man who thought of himself as being so high and mighty would be in for a rude awakening when reality came crashing down upon him.
However, Vangelis stepped in and quickly dismissed the argument that was unfurling between the two men in a way that neither gave Timaeus the satisfaction of someone rightfully putting Damocles in his place nor giving Lazaros the promotion Damocles had championed. That alone made the words by Prince Vangelis easier to swallow as Timaeus gathered his composure. His years of court and senate work had made it possible to hide his anger behind a mask of stoic blankness, but if his brother and Maleos looked closer, they would see the flared nostrils and rigid stance that showed how livid Timaeus was underneath. But whatever. It was over now and Timaeus would just have to hope that Damocles would get his comeuppance when he would inevitably piss off someone in the meeting who wasn’t already in trouble with the General leading them.
With a man like Damo, it would inevitably happen.
Timaeus focused on the Prince’s words, listening intently to what the man had to say about the plans for attacking Egypt. It all seemed fairly solid to him as the plan resembled the classic Phalanx formation that the Greeks were known for and had perfected over their many years of battle. At its core, the plan was simple. Keep throwing yourselves at the enemy until you won. Hold a defensive line and keep shoving until your enemies gave in. It was simple, it was well battle-worn, and in many ways it was effective.
It was predictable.
Even before Vangelis had finished laying out his plan, Timaeus noticed this flaw right away. The baron knew that similar tactics had been used in previous wars before his one. He should know -- Timaeus’s own uncle had taught him this strategy in the years before he disappeared in the sands of Egypt. He had been just a boy at the time, training to be a Captain by being a steward for the commander, but he could still remember the lesson clear as day. In fact, he could almost hear the man quizzing him on what the plan needed to succeed. It was practically burned into his brain with how many times he had to parrot it back to his Uncle Galenus.
A strong second wave and a steady stream of men.
The plan relied on the Greecian army being unrelenting in the pressure that was placed upon the enemy. This was what the entire tactic was based around, after all, these two elements were crucial to its success. However, the lord doubted that they had the resources to sustain this method of attack. It was common knowledge that Athenia would not be joining the fight. The kingdom could barely hold itself together at the moment -- they could not be counted upon to muster men for their ally’s cause. Taengea too could be in turmoil, as well. There had been too many kings in such a short timespan to have faith in that every man was loyal and steadfast to King Achilleas. It would be a major weakness in the armor of the Greek cause as this meant that they did not have as many men as they could expect if this war had happened only a few short months ago.
Timaeus was positive that the Egyptians would know this and exploit it. He had a good reason to believe this too which was about to voice as Vangelis opened the floor to critiques of the plan. However, before the Baron even had a chance to open his mouth… another voice sounded from the crowd and it was one that Timaeus was quite truthfully surprised to hear. The Valaoritis lord turned sharply to see that it was Sir Daxos who spoke first, suggesting a guerrilla tactic to cut off the supply lines for the Egyptians. It was a solid plan and Timaeus gave his best friend a curious glance, wondering where Daxos got the nerve to speak at a meeting before the countless captains and commanders in the room. It seemed as if the men had been right to single this soldier out for the possibility of promotion.
He nodded quietly to the foot soldier in approval with the slightest smile on his face before the Baron took the opportunity to address the room and physically voice his approval for the plan. “ Sir Daxos is right, the Egyptian supply lines must be cut if we wish for a speedy victory. We will be in their territory so we must take every advantage from them.”
“ However,” Timaeus started say as he deviated from Daxos’s suggestion and began to present his own observations to the room as his eyes darted about nervously between Nike, Vangelis, and Maleos in regards to the information that he was about to reveal, “ I fear that it might not be enough. Egypt could very easily recover any supply lines we break or forge new ones -- especially as we do not have the men to spare to ensure that the critical communication lines stay broken. Plus not to mention the majority of Egypt’s agriculture can be found on the banks of the Nile and close to the larger cities it supports. I fear that solely taking on this endeavor will be a fruitless mission that sacrifices the men assigned to it. Plus there is one important factor going into this war that we have not considered thus far; General Iahotep.”
Timaeus knew full well that the man was now the Pharaoh of Egypt and thus deserved the sort of respect that had been afforded to him through his marriage to the young Hatsheput, however, the Baron thought that this slight change in title would aid in reminding the men how talented the Egyptian was at the art of war. “ I have had the misfortune in my past to cross paths with this man and I can tell you with the utmost confidence that as foolish and uncivilized as his people are; the man is not a fool. I am loathed to say it, but he is a brilliant man who will anticipate these sorts of attacks.” He knew that the revelation that a Colchian Baron had interacted with the current Pharaoh of Egypt. It was simply unheard of and it was truly a long story, to say the least. He had been sixteen at the time and in a poorly-made disguise so Timaeus did not know anything about how the man would approach the battlefield. What he did know from their chance encounter win the Egyptian tunnels was that the man was astute, clever, and far more observant than he was given credit for.
Well, it was time for someone to give him that recognition.
“ Iahotep will see our smaller force and anticipate a larger offensive on the horizon. Especially as Colchis is the only politically stable kingdom entering the conflict. He will unravel our plan the moment that he sees that our full force is not on the beaches where this conflict will take place.” It was a grim truth, but it was clear to Tim that if they followed this plan to its exact design they would lose the element of surprise that the second wave would depend upon and this conflict could easily become a slaughter for the Greeks if the Egyptians were at full capacity… however, that didn’t mean that they couldn’t use the plan Vanglis suggested to their advantage. “ If I may I would like to offer a few suggestions for the council to consider.”
“With the lack of support from Athenia we need to maximize the impact of the men and the supplies we have. This is why I believe we need to create another diversion to lull General Iahotep into having a false sense of security before the second wave attacks.” At this point during Timaeus’s lengthy suggestion for the military plans, he leaned over the table and pointed at the counters that Vangelis had put down. He didn’t dare move them, but instead merely motioned to the plans he was laying forth for the men to consider, “ We send the warships to Egypt together as if we are planning a two-pronged attack solely from the sea. However, the ships that are carrying the men for the second wave will be empty. Those men would be instead be shipped the distance between Taengea and Egypt by the use of merchant ships into the heart of Egypt and will march by way of disguise and the cover of night to the battleground.”
His eyes glanced up at the other men as the final pieces of his plan began to come together for the men of Colchis to consider. “ There, they can engage the reserves that Iahotep would have brought in preparation for an attack from the sea from behind. This would force the Egyptian forces to split their men and supplies between two fronts, negating the opportunity for them to utilize the element of surprise upon us. If all goes well, we could barricade them between the second wave and the sea, cutting off their supplies from where they are gathered.” At this point he dared to glance at Daxos, hoping the man would see and take pride in how his idea was incorporated by his former Captain. Timaeus certainly would if he were in the man’s shoes.
However, Timaeus was not Sir Daxos nor was he any other man in the War Council. He was sure that others would find flaws with his proposals and some would even dismiss it outright. Even if they did, Timaeus knew that his suggestion would encourage more chatter about what he thought was the most important element to incorporate into whatever plan they settled on. This was a viewpoint that he made clear in his last statement before turning the plan over to the men gathered to discuss, “ I am not a sailor so I cannot speak to the logistics of the plan I have presented. However, I do firmly believe that due to the lack of men we will have as a whole going into this conflict a subversion of what Iahotep would expect and playing into the things that he would is crucial for our success.”
And with that Timaeus’s plan was open for dissection by the others.
The Baron of Eubocris could only hope that he was not made to look like a fool in the process.
He listened, eyes drifting between Damocles and Lord Timaeus’s plans, and when someone mentioned supply lines, he pointed. “I’m not sure who said supply lines, but if Achilleas is not successful, Egypt will know Greece is ready for war. If I am in a fight, I seek to blind my opponent, to cut off his hearing from his superiors, to strike at his knees and render him immobile. I submit we do the same to Egypt. Before we lead them out onto the field of battle, we take their cities. Burn their fields. Strike their warehouses. Use their harvest for our soldiers.”
“Taengea has nineteen military units at its disposal. If Achilleas has not taken most of them, then they are at our disposal to bring. I took the liberty of informing myself of Colchis’s might and if your forces are in the north and some to stay, then you have very few to dedicate to a full blown attack. Use Colchis to make tactical strikes against their supplies. Cut off their communications by killing any messengers that attempt to escape. He will be blind to what we are doing until it’s far too late. We need to take the Nile. If they don’t have use of their precious river, they are immobile. They cannot travel across the desert. There is not enough water to sustain their army. They rely on sailing up that infernal canal. Make it a point to take over their larger port cities and we’ll see if Pharaoh does not beg us to leave.”
He did not expect that his plan would go over terribly well in a room full of men who didn’t want him here, but he made his piece known anyway. His glance swept the room. “Hopefully all of this is unnecessary talk and my cousin will be successful.” Despite the fact that he didn’t feel Achilleas should be king, Stephanos didn’t want Greece plunged into a pointless war, either.
"Added to this," he reached over and laid his finger on a portion of the map that indicated Judea. "We have a military presence in Judea. We can possibly convince the Manheegs to give us their soldiers and attack Pharaoh from there as well. Split his troops up as much as we can so that they cannot come at us in bulk. The less we have to fight at any one time, the better."
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Jan 26, 2020 17:07:33 GMT
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He listened, eyes drifting between Damocles and Lord Timaeus’s plans, and when someone mentioned supply lines, he pointed. “I’m not sure who said supply lines, but if Achilleas is not successful, Egypt will know Greece is ready for war. If I am in a fight, I seek to blind my opponent, to cut off his hearing from his superiors, to strike at his knees and render him immobile. I submit we do the same to Egypt. Before we lead them out onto the field of battle, we take their cities. Burn their fields. Strike their warehouses. Use their harvest for our soldiers.”
“Taengea has nineteen military units at its disposal. If Achilleas has not taken most of them, then they are at our disposal to bring. I took the liberty of informing myself of Colchis’s might and if your forces are in the north and some to stay, then you have very few to dedicate to a full blown attack. Use Colchis to make tactical strikes against their supplies. Cut off their communications by killing any messengers that attempt to escape. He will be blind to what we are doing until it’s far too late. We need to take the Nile. If they don’t have use of their precious river, they are immobile. They cannot travel across the desert. There is not enough water to sustain their army. They rely on sailing up that infernal canal. Make it a point to take over their larger port cities and we’ll see if Pharaoh does not beg us to leave.”
He did not expect that his plan would go over terribly well in a room full of men who didn’t want him here, but he made his piece known anyway. His glance swept the room. “Hopefully all of this is unnecessary talk and my cousin will be successful.” Despite the fact that he didn’t feel Achilleas should be king, Stephanos didn’t want Greece plunged into a pointless war, either.
"Added to this," he reached over and laid his finger on a portion of the map that indicated Judea. "We have a military presence in Judea. We can possibly convince the Manheegs to give us their soldiers and attack Pharaoh from there as well. Split his troops up as much as we can so that they cannot come at us in bulk. The less we have to fight at any one time, the better."
He listened, eyes drifting between Damocles and Lord Timaeus’s plans, and when someone mentioned supply lines, he pointed. “I’m not sure who said supply lines, but if Achilleas is not successful, Egypt will know Greece is ready for war. If I am in a fight, I seek to blind my opponent, to cut off his hearing from his superiors, to strike at his knees and render him immobile. I submit we do the same to Egypt. Before we lead them out onto the field of battle, we take their cities. Burn their fields. Strike their warehouses. Use their harvest for our soldiers.”
“Taengea has nineteen military units at its disposal. If Achilleas has not taken most of them, then they are at our disposal to bring. I took the liberty of informing myself of Colchis’s might and if your forces are in the north and some to stay, then you have very few to dedicate to a full blown attack. Use Colchis to make tactical strikes against their supplies. Cut off their communications by killing any messengers that attempt to escape. He will be blind to what we are doing until it’s far too late. We need to take the Nile. If they don’t have use of their precious river, they are immobile. They cannot travel across the desert. There is not enough water to sustain their army. They rely on sailing up that infernal canal. Make it a point to take over their larger port cities and we’ll see if Pharaoh does not beg us to leave.”
He did not expect that his plan would go over terribly well in a room full of men who didn’t want him here, but he made his piece known anyway. His glance swept the room. “Hopefully all of this is unnecessary talk and my cousin will be successful.” Despite the fact that he didn’t feel Achilleas should be king, Stephanos didn’t want Greece plunged into a pointless war, either.
"Added to this," he reached over and laid his finger on a portion of the map that indicated Judea. "We have a military presence in Judea. We can possibly convince the Manheegs to give us their soldiers and attack Pharaoh from there as well. Split his troops up as much as we can so that they cannot come at us in bulk. The less we have to fight at any one time, the better."
Maleos stood silent and listened, taking in everything that was said, and the temper that seemed to flare from his best friend. He made no move to comfort the man, knowing that such things had no place in a military meeting. They could let off some steam with wine and talking later, when all of this was done and decisions were made.
Right now, Maleos couldn’t help but be a little selfish. He desperately wanted to be promoted, a higher command was everything he had worked for in his life, and while he appreciated how far he had come as Captain, his ambitions didn’t stop there. So far, he had been rather silent during this meeting, but he knew that if he wanted to move up in the ranks, he needed to impress his commanding officers and prove that he deserved it. His skills on the battlefield were tried and tested, but a Commander needed more than combat skills. They needed to be able to outwit their enemies, to lead battles that would be etched forever in the history of Greece.
He allowed a brief moment once his Baron had finished speaking before he spoke. This was the first step towards gaining what he wanted, or making himself look like a fool and losing the chance to ever be considered for Commander. The weight felt heavy on his shoulders and his chest, a small prayer was sent up to Ares, asking for his words to come out properly and those in the room to be receptive of them.
“Daxos is correct in the thought that we should make attempt to disrupt their supply lines. I do not believe an entire unit will be needed for the task, we can not afford to take so many from our frontline numbers.” He started, gaining a bit of momentum as he spoke and those in the room listened to what he had to say. His heart was racing faster than it ever had in his life, feeling the discomfort of his nerves digging in deep. He hated public speaking.
“A small group of carefully chosen men would have greater chance of getting past any defenses in the cover of night. Our target, should not be their currently growing crops. All supplies for this war will already be harvested and stored. This small force should be able to move quickly enough to burn several storehouses. It will not cut off their supplies fully, but it will be a heavy blow to their supplies. They will have no choice but to turn attentions to protecting the rest of their supplies, leaving a slightly weakened force when the rest of our troops land, or see the rest of their supplies burn in our wake.” He said, pausing for the briefest of moments before continuing on.
“Fewer readily available supplies will cause them to have to lower their rations, weakening their men, or will cause them to feel they need to rush a victory so that they do not have to lower rations. Either way, a devastating blow, and one that will likely cause their actions to become more reckless.” Maleos explained, though he was sure that most had divined that part of it already, he wanted to be sure he was being clear. This was the most he had talked in a long time, Tim could attest to that, this was a completely strange occasion for the normally quiet and stoic man.
“I agree with you, Your Highness, in that we should keep back a portion of our men for a time. We arrange those who land in a formation that covers a longer distance of land, the troops in the middle to be spread thinner than the rest. The Egyptians will see this weak point, and we will wait for their attack. Upon their advance, seeking to take advantage of the thought that our numbers are spread thin, the second wave will join us, and the units to the sides will collapse in on the Egyptian forces, effectively trapping them between our own, and allowing us to decimate their numbers.” He suggested. He knew the plan relied on the Egyptians falling for the seemingly thin numbers that they presented, but he held faith that they would seek to take advantage of any perceived weakness in the Colchian units, especially if they were able to deal damage to their supplies, the Egyptians would have to rush to claim victory, lest their men be starved out, so they were more likely to fall for such tactics.
He fell silent, unsure if the plan would be taken well by those who mattered.
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Maleos stood silent and listened, taking in everything that was said, and the temper that seemed to flare from his best friend. He made no move to comfort the man, knowing that such things had no place in a military meeting. They could let off some steam with wine and talking later, when all of this was done and decisions were made.
Right now, Maleos couldn’t help but be a little selfish. He desperately wanted to be promoted, a higher command was everything he had worked for in his life, and while he appreciated how far he had come as Captain, his ambitions didn’t stop there. So far, he had been rather silent during this meeting, but he knew that if he wanted to move up in the ranks, he needed to impress his commanding officers and prove that he deserved it. His skills on the battlefield were tried and tested, but a Commander needed more than combat skills. They needed to be able to outwit their enemies, to lead battles that would be etched forever in the history of Greece.
He allowed a brief moment once his Baron had finished speaking before he spoke. This was the first step towards gaining what he wanted, or making himself look like a fool and losing the chance to ever be considered for Commander. The weight felt heavy on his shoulders and his chest, a small prayer was sent up to Ares, asking for his words to come out properly and those in the room to be receptive of them.
“Daxos is correct in the thought that we should make attempt to disrupt their supply lines. I do not believe an entire unit will be needed for the task, we can not afford to take so many from our frontline numbers.” He started, gaining a bit of momentum as he spoke and those in the room listened to what he had to say. His heart was racing faster than it ever had in his life, feeling the discomfort of his nerves digging in deep. He hated public speaking.
“A small group of carefully chosen men would have greater chance of getting past any defenses in the cover of night. Our target, should not be their currently growing crops. All supplies for this war will already be harvested and stored. This small force should be able to move quickly enough to burn several storehouses. It will not cut off their supplies fully, but it will be a heavy blow to their supplies. They will have no choice but to turn attentions to protecting the rest of their supplies, leaving a slightly weakened force when the rest of our troops land, or see the rest of their supplies burn in our wake.” He said, pausing for the briefest of moments before continuing on.
“Fewer readily available supplies will cause them to have to lower their rations, weakening their men, or will cause them to feel they need to rush a victory so that they do not have to lower rations. Either way, a devastating blow, and one that will likely cause their actions to become more reckless.” Maleos explained, though he was sure that most had divined that part of it already, he wanted to be sure he was being clear. This was the most he had talked in a long time, Tim could attest to that, this was a completely strange occasion for the normally quiet and stoic man.
“I agree with you, Your Highness, in that we should keep back a portion of our men for a time. We arrange those who land in a formation that covers a longer distance of land, the troops in the middle to be spread thinner than the rest. The Egyptians will see this weak point, and we will wait for their attack. Upon their advance, seeking to take advantage of the thought that our numbers are spread thin, the second wave will join us, and the units to the sides will collapse in on the Egyptian forces, effectively trapping them between our own, and allowing us to decimate their numbers.” He suggested. He knew the plan relied on the Egyptians falling for the seemingly thin numbers that they presented, but he held faith that they would seek to take advantage of any perceived weakness in the Colchian units, especially if they were able to deal damage to their supplies, the Egyptians would have to rush to claim victory, lest their men be starved out, so they were more likely to fall for such tactics.
He fell silent, unsure if the plan would be taken well by those who mattered.
Maleos stood silent and listened, taking in everything that was said, and the temper that seemed to flare from his best friend. He made no move to comfort the man, knowing that such things had no place in a military meeting. They could let off some steam with wine and talking later, when all of this was done and decisions were made.
Right now, Maleos couldn’t help but be a little selfish. He desperately wanted to be promoted, a higher command was everything he had worked for in his life, and while he appreciated how far he had come as Captain, his ambitions didn’t stop there. So far, he had been rather silent during this meeting, but he knew that if he wanted to move up in the ranks, he needed to impress his commanding officers and prove that he deserved it. His skills on the battlefield were tried and tested, but a Commander needed more than combat skills. They needed to be able to outwit their enemies, to lead battles that would be etched forever in the history of Greece.
He allowed a brief moment once his Baron had finished speaking before he spoke. This was the first step towards gaining what he wanted, or making himself look like a fool and losing the chance to ever be considered for Commander. The weight felt heavy on his shoulders and his chest, a small prayer was sent up to Ares, asking for his words to come out properly and those in the room to be receptive of them.
“Daxos is correct in the thought that we should make attempt to disrupt their supply lines. I do not believe an entire unit will be needed for the task, we can not afford to take so many from our frontline numbers.” He started, gaining a bit of momentum as he spoke and those in the room listened to what he had to say. His heart was racing faster than it ever had in his life, feeling the discomfort of his nerves digging in deep. He hated public speaking.
“A small group of carefully chosen men would have greater chance of getting past any defenses in the cover of night. Our target, should not be their currently growing crops. All supplies for this war will already be harvested and stored. This small force should be able to move quickly enough to burn several storehouses. It will not cut off their supplies fully, but it will be a heavy blow to their supplies. They will have no choice but to turn attentions to protecting the rest of their supplies, leaving a slightly weakened force when the rest of our troops land, or see the rest of their supplies burn in our wake.” He said, pausing for the briefest of moments before continuing on.
“Fewer readily available supplies will cause them to have to lower their rations, weakening their men, or will cause them to feel they need to rush a victory so that they do not have to lower rations. Either way, a devastating blow, and one that will likely cause their actions to become more reckless.” Maleos explained, though he was sure that most had divined that part of it already, he wanted to be sure he was being clear. This was the most he had talked in a long time, Tim could attest to that, this was a completely strange occasion for the normally quiet and stoic man.
“I agree with you, Your Highness, in that we should keep back a portion of our men for a time. We arrange those who land in a formation that covers a longer distance of land, the troops in the middle to be spread thinner than the rest. The Egyptians will see this weak point, and we will wait for their attack. Upon their advance, seeking to take advantage of the thought that our numbers are spread thin, the second wave will join us, and the units to the sides will collapse in on the Egyptian forces, effectively trapping them between our own, and allowing us to decimate their numbers.” He suggested. He knew the plan relied on the Egyptians falling for the seemingly thin numbers that they presented, but he held faith that they would seek to take advantage of any perceived weakness in the Colchian units, especially if they were able to deal damage to their supplies, the Egyptians would have to rush to claim victory, lest their men be starved out, so they were more likely to fall for such tactics.
He fell silent, unsure if the plan would be taken well by those who mattered.
Vangelis listened to the comments, nodding where he thought them wise and staying silent over the elements that would not work so well. He was careful not to show preference to one commander or another's ideas. He did not respond to suggestions directly, but waited until several had spoken and then discussing the ideas separate from those who had voiced them.
"The Nile is indeed the lifeblood of Egypt." He agreed with several men who had mentioned to use of it. "But the summer has been a hot one and the Nile will be shallower than normal. Even at its largest the canal would not support the depth of our warships. We would have to transfer to Egyptian build ships or form them ourselves. Either would cause a time delay and expose such a plan to Egypt." He shook his head, dismissing travel via the Nile.
"Our aim in this skirmish is not to defeat Egypt but to support Taengea in their efforts to keep the Egyptians upon their own land. The burning or sinking of their vessels will require a rebuild. To construct that many ships for a full fighting force would take months." Vangelis turned to look upon Timaeus who had been the first to mention the lack of troops and support from Athenia. "Months that would allow the arrival of Athenia's support."
At that point, Greece would take on Egypt at its full power. Bring in troops from Judea as Stephanos had suggested, take out supply lines, blind the commanders. They would be able to cease vessels and transport and journey down the Nile, hold their capitol hostage. All of the ideas being suggested at the table were good ones for an all-out war. But Vangelis was still hoping to avoid such a thing until Greece was at full strength.
"The aim of this mission is to push the Egyptian forces back enough to support King Achilleas' aim for naval destruction and provide aid in the extraction of troops."
He looked towards Maleos who had been the most recent one to speak at the table.
"Egypt's power lies in its chariots. A solid and direct attack is traditional of them because it plays to their strengths. Luring them into an enclosing assault is a smart plan."
He then turned to Timaeus who had mentioned about decoy ships.
"As is the hiding of forces."
Looking down at the map, Vangelis adjusted the figures upon the drawn diagrams. Adding several unit pieces, the new design of battle that he illustrated was one of two waves - as he had originally suggested - but with the first wave splitting into seven.
Colchis had fifteen provinces, all with strong military units. One would reside in Illytia with Lord Lazaros, the Illytian forces playing backup to his defensive line - Vangelis added a second marker to lie behind the first. In the north, there were two provinces of militia, which were currently Dolomesa and Pieria. Vangelis added them to the map and into the little grooves in the circular pieces placed little clay arrows with crests marked upon them. Such marks were indicative of the province that the unit belonged to.
"The Oreboea force will be the unit to remain in Midas." Vangelis decided, as Zanon would remain in the capitol regardless and would be able to command his troops himself. The walls and structure of the capitol made it a fortress. Which meant that, if the two provinces in the north, plus the two units in Illytia all failed, a single unit would the defences of the capitol would be enough to hold the line until the majority of the Colchian army returned. Though, Vangelis thought it very unlikely that the men of the north would be overcome and all those who remained in the Kirakles Isles were only there to be sure of Colchis' defences.
This left ten provincial units for use in the support of Taengea.
Vangelis indicated the two waves of attack, leaving the markers blank of provincial assignment for now.
"One unit will move to support King Achilleas, however he fairs in his efforts, whilst the remainder of our force push back the Egyptians, giving our allies room to breathe." Vangelis' fingers spread to indicate the six-way split in the main expeditionary force. "What is left of our armies will split into four units to enact the encircling strategy suggested by Captain Maleos. Whilst two more units remain hidden in the dunes. Soldiers that Egypt will believe are in our second wave of ships." Vangelis' finger moved to point to the second wave that he had kept on the board. He then nodded to Timaeus. "Ships that will in fact be empty due to our soldiers already being on the ground." Egypt would assume Colchis to have a second supply of men in the boats resting in the sea. They would adjust their forces. But not quickly enough to defend against the strengthening wave that would already be lying in wait to support the central line that would be forced to spread thin and draw back in order for Maleos' plan to work.
Vangelis glanced around the table, looking to see how his alterations would go down with the men in the room. The final two provincial units available would remain in training in Colchis. Only a fool sent all of their men to war at once.
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Jan 27, 2020 13:45:45 GMT
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Vangelis listened to the comments, nodding where he thought them wise and staying silent over the elements that would not work so well. He was careful not to show preference to one commander or another's ideas. He did not respond to suggestions directly, but waited until several had spoken and then discussing the ideas separate from those who had voiced them.
"The Nile is indeed the lifeblood of Egypt." He agreed with several men who had mentioned to use of it. "But the summer has been a hot one and the Nile will be shallower than normal. Even at its largest the canal would not support the depth of our warships. We would have to transfer to Egyptian build ships or form them ourselves. Either would cause a time delay and expose such a plan to Egypt." He shook his head, dismissing travel via the Nile.
"Our aim in this skirmish is not to defeat Egypt but to support Taengea in their efforts to keep the Egyptians upon their own land. The burning or sinking of their vessels will require a rebuild. To construct that many ships for a full fighting force would take months." Vangelis turned to look upon Timaeus who had been the first to mention the lack of troops and support from Athenia. "Months that would allow the arrival of Athenia's support."
At that point, Greece would take on Egypt at its full power. Bring in troops from Judea as Stephanos had suggested, take out supply lines, blind the commanders. They would be able to cease vessels and transport and journey down the Nile, hold their capitol hostage. All of the ideas being suggested at the table were good ones for an all-out war. But Vangelis was still hoping to avoid such a thing until Greece was at full strength.
"The aim of this mission is to push the Egyptian forces back enough to support King Achilleas' aim for naval destruction and provide aid in the extraction of troops."
He looked towards Maleos who had been the most recent one to speak at the table.
"Egypt's power lies in its chariots. A solid and direct attack is traditional of them because it plays to their strengths. Luring them into an enclosing assault is a smart plan."
He then turned to Timaeus who had mentioned about decoy ships.
"As is the hiding of forces."
Looking down at the map, Vangelis adjusted the figures upon the drawn diagrams. Adding several unit pieces, the new design of battle that he illustrated was one of two waves - as he had originally suggested - but with the first wave splitting into seven.
Colchis had fifteen provinces, all with strong military units. One would reside in Illytia with Lord Lazaros, the Illytian forces playing backup to his defensive line - Vangelis added a second marker to lie behind the first. In the north, there were two provinces of militia, which were currently Dolomesa and Pieria. Vangelis added them to the map and into the little grooves in the circular pieces placed little clay arrows with crests marked upon them. Such marks were indicative of the province that the unit belonged to.
"The Oreboea force will be the unit to remain in Midas." Vangelis decided, as Zanon would remain in the capitol regardless and would be able to command his troops himself. The walls and structure of the capitol made it a fortress. Which meant that, if the two provinces in the north, plus the two units in Illytia all failed, a single unit would the defences of the capitol would be enough to hold the line until the majority of the Colchian army returned. Though, Vangelis thought it very unlikely that the men of the north would be overcome and all those who remained in the Kirakles Isles were only there to be sure of Colchis' defences.
This left ten provincial units for use in the support of Taengea.
Vangelis indicated the two waves of attack, leaving the markers blank of provincial assignment for now.
"One unit will move to support King Achilleas, however he fairs in his efforts, whilst the remainder of our force push back the Egyptians, giving our allies room to breathe." Vangelis' fingers spread to indicate the six-way split in the main expeditionary force. "What is left of our armies will split into four units to enact the encircling strategy suggested by Captain Maleos. Whilst two more units remain hidden in the dunes. Soldiers that Egypt will believe are in our second wave of ships." Vangelis' finger moved to point to the second wave that he had kept on the board. He then nodded to Timaeus. "Ships that will in fact be empty due to our soldiers already being on the ground." Egypt would assume Colchis to have a second supply of men in the boats resting in the sea. They would adjust their forces. But not quickly enough to defend against the strengthening wave that would already be lying in wait to support the central line that would be forced to spread thin and draw back in order for Maleos' plan to work.
Vangelis glanced around the table, looking to see how his alterations would go down with the men in the room. The final two provincial units available would remain in training in Colchis. Only a fool sent all of their men to war at once.
Vangelis listened to the comments, nodding where he thought them wise and staying silent over the elements that would not work so well. He was careful not to show preference to one commander or another's ideas. He did not respond to suggestions directly, but waited until several had spoken and then discussing the ideas separate from those who had voiced them.
"The Nile is indeed the lifeblood of Egypt." He agreed with several men who had mentioned to use of it. "But the summer has been a hot one and the Nile will be shallower than normal. Even at its largest the canal would not support the depth of our warships. We would have to transfer to Egyptian build ships or form them ourselves. Either would cause a time delay and expose such a plan to Egypt." He shook his head, dismissing travel via the Nile.
"Our aim in this skirmish is not to defeat Egypt but to support Taengea in their efforts to keep the Egyptians upon their own land. The burning or sinking of their vessels will require a rebuild. To construct that many ships for a full fighting force would take months." Vangelis turned to look upon Timaeus who had been the first to mention the lack of troops and support from Athenia. "Months that would allow the arrival of Athenia's support."
At that point, Greece would take on Egypt at its full power. Bring in troops from Judea as Stephanos had suggested, take out supply lines, blind the commanders. They would be able to cease vessels and transport and journey down the Nile, hold their capitol hostage. All of the ideas being suggested at the table were good ones for an all-out war. But Vangelis was still hoping to avoid such a thing until Greece was at full strength.
"The aim of this mission is to push the Egyptian forces back enough to support King Achilleas' aim for naval destruction and provide aid in the extraction of troops."
He looked towards Maleos who had been the most recent one to speak at the table.
"Egypt's power lies in its chariots. A solid and direct attack is traditional of them because it plays to their strengths. Luring them into an enclosing assault is a smart plan."
He then turned to Timaeus who had mentioned about decoy ships.
"As is the hiding of forces."
Looking down at the map, Vangelis adjusted the figures upon the drawn diagrams. Adding several unit pieces, the new design of battle that he illustrated was one of two waves - as he had originally suggested - but with the first wave splitting into seven.
Colchis had fifteen provinces, all with strong military units. One would reside in Illytia with Lord Lazaros, the Illytian forces playing backup to his defensive line - Vangelis added a second marker to lie behind the first. In the north, there were two provinces of militia, which were currently Dolomesa and Pieria. Vangelis added them to the map and into the little grooves in the circular pieces placed little clay arrows with crests marked upon them. Such marks were indicative of the province that the unit belonged to.
"The Oreboea force will be the unit to remain in Midas." Vangelis decided, as Zanon would remain in the capitol regardless and would be able to command his troops himself. The walls and structure of the capitol made it a fortress. Which meant that, if the two provinces in the north, plus the two units in Illytia all failed, a single unit would the defences of the capitol would be enough to hold the line until the majority of the Colchian army returned. Though, Vangelis thought it very unlikely that the men of the north would be overcome and all those who remained in the Kirakles Isles were only there to be sure of Colchis' defences.
This left ten provincial units for use in the support of Taengea.
Vangelis indicated the two waves of attack, leaving the markers blank of provincial assignment for now.
"One unit will move to support King Achilleas, however he fairs in his efforts, whilst the remainder of our force push back the Egyptians, giving our allies room to breathe." Vangelis' fingers spread to indicate the six-way split in the main expeditionary force. "What is left of our armies will split into four units to enact the encircling strategy suggested by Captain Maleos. Whilst two more units remain hidden in the dunes. Soldiers that Egypt will believe are in our second wave of ships." Vangelis' finger moved to point to the second wave that he had kept on the board. He then nodded to Timaeus. "Ships that will in fact be empty due to our soldiers already being on the ground." Egypt would assume Colchis to have a second supply of men in the boats resting in the sea. They would adjust their forces. But not quickly enough to defend against the strengthening wave that would already be lying in wait to support the central line that would be forced to spread thin and draw back in order for Maleos' plan to work.
Vangelis glanced around the table, looking to see how his alterations would go down with the men in the room. The final two provincial units available would remain in training in Colchis. Only a fool sent all of their men to war at once.
At some point, Silanos realised, he had been joined in his lurking at the back of the room by none other than Daxos. The young lord’s gaze had slid sideways towards the soldier, the tiniest nod of acknowledgment but nothing more, because it was hardly as if they were friends. Besides, Sil was far too engrossed watching the to and fro between his brother and the captain from Magenemea.
Others might have thought, given the antagonistic relationship between the brothers, that the younger would enjoy seeing Timaeus taken down a peg or two, but it was rather the opposite, and his gaze was sharp upon the other soldier. It was one thing for him to flout his brother’s authority, but quite another for some jumped up commoner to do it. The young lord’s eyes flickered towards the crown prince to see if he might be about to interject but there was no sign of it, and instead, it was the man, Damocles, who continued to speak.
For one who had taken very little interest in military matters, there was much of the chatter that Sil would not even pretend to understand. But even he could follow what was being said about the sheer numbers involved, and he frowned a little at the notion that Athenia had not joined with her fellows in this war. That...seemed like a problem. More pressing than whichever of these guys had the biggest dick, which was what seemed to be going on with all the nominating and so on. Sil was a little perplexed by the relevance.
He paid marginally more attention when Vangelis spoke up then because surely the man would have something to say about the bickering, but it wasn’t so. Odd because Sil could almost feel the annoyance rolling off his brother, and yet Timaeus held his tongue too, and so the younger Valaoritis just looked on as the crown prince began to outline what was a strategy of attack. If Silanos pushed off the wall he leaned against so he might stand a better chance of seeing the map being indicated, it was only because he was being forced to listen to all of this, so might as well see what the fuck they were talking about.
What followed was a tangle of ideas and suggestions, some with similar threads that Sil could follow, others that seemed to take them off on a tangent, and it was not for the only non-soldier in the room to make judgments so Silanos just looked on and wondered why he had been asked to attend this meeting anyway. It wasn’t like he was going anywhere near Egypt so it was all mostly irrelevant, and he got fed up of trying to follow the different strands of reason. Were they helping the Taengeans or trying to fuck up Egypt. Or was that the point in messing up food supplies and things. After a while, Silanos gave up and resolved to ask Timaeus later, just to satisfy his curiosity.
When the Prince pulled together a summary plan that drew on different elements of what the others had put forward, he watched with a mild interest, if only to see what the man had deemed worthy in the spill of ideas.
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At some point, Silanos realised, he had been joined in his lurking at the back of the room by none other than Daxos. The young lord’s gaze had slid sideways towards the soldier, the tiniest nod of acknowledgment but nothing more, because it was hardly as if they were friends. Besides, Sil was far too engrossed watching the to and fro between his brother and the captain from Magenemea.
Others might have thought, given the antagonistic relationship between the brothers, that the younger would enjoy seeing Timaeus taken down a peg or two, but it was rather the opposite, and his gaze was sharp upon the other soldier. It was one thing for him to flout his brother’s authority, but quite another for some jumped up commoner to do it. The young lord’s eyes flickered towards the crown prince to see if he might be about to interject but there was no sign of it, and instead, it was the man, Damocles, who continued to speak.
For one who had taken very little interest in military matters, there was much of the chatter that Sil would not even pretend to understand. But even he could follow what was being said about the sheer numbers involved, and he frowned a little at the notion that Athenia had not joined with her fellows in this war. That...seemed like a problem. More pressing than whichever of these guys had the biggest dick, which was what seemed to be going on with all the nominating and so on. Sil was a little perplexed by the relevance.
He paid marginally more attention when Vangelis spoke up then because surely the man would have something to say about the bickering, but it wasn’t so. Odd because Sil could almost feel the annoyance rolling off his brother, and yet Timaeus held his tongue too, and so the younger Valaoritis just looked on as the crown prince began to outline what was a strategy of attack. If Silanos pushed off the wall he leaned against so he might stand a better chance of seeing the map being indicated, it was only because he was being forced to listen to all of this, so might as well see what the fuck they were talking about.
What followed was a tangle of ideas and suggestions, some with similar threads that Sil could follow, others that seemed to take them off on a tangent, and it was not for the only non-soldier in the room to make judgments so Silanos just looked on and wondered why he had been asked to attend this meeting anyway. It wasn’t like he was going anywhere near Egypt so it was all mostly irrelevant, and he got fed up of trying to follow the different strands of reason. Were they helping the Taengeans or trying to fuck up Egypt. Or was that the point in messing up food supplies and things. After a while, Silanos gave up and resolved to ask Timaeus later, just to satisfy his curiosity.
When the Prince pulled together a summary plan that drew on different elements of what the others had put forward, he watched with a mild interest, if only to see what the man had deemed worthy in the spill of ideas.
At some point, Silanos realised, he had been joined in his lurking at the back of the room by none other than Daxos. The young lord’s gaze had slid sideways towards the soldier, the tiniest nod of acknowledgment but nothing more, because it was hardly as if they were friends. Besides, Sil was far too engrossed watching the to and fro between his brother and the captain from Magenemea.
Others might have thought, given the antagonistic relationship between the brothers, that the younger would enjoy seeing Timaeus taken down a peg or two, but it was rather the opposite, and his gaze was sharp upon the other soldier. It was one thing for him to flout his brother’s authority, but quite another for some jumped up commoner to do it. The young lord’s eyes flickered towards the crown prince to see if he might be about to interject but there was no sign of it, and instead, it was the man, Damocles, who continued to speak.
For one who had taken very little interest in military matters, there was much of the chatter that Sil would not even pretend to understand. But even he could follow what was being said about the sheer numbers involved, and he frowned a little at the notion that Athenia had not joined with her fellows in this war. That...seemed like a problem. More pressing than whichever of these guys had the biggest dick, which was what seemed to be going on with all the nominating and so on. Sil was a little perplexed by the relevance.
He paid marginally more attention when Vangelis spoke up then because surely the man would have something to say about the bickering, but it wasn’t so. Odd because Sil could almost feel the annoyance rolling off his brother, and yet Timaeus held his tongue too, and so the younger Valaoritis just looked on as the crown prince began to outline what was a strategy of attack. If Silanos pushed off the wall he leaned against so he might stand a better chance of seeing the map being indicated, it was only because he was being forced to listen to all of this, so might as well see what the fuck they were talking about.
What followed was a tangle of ideas and suggestions, some with similar threads that Sil could follow, others that seemed to take them off on a tangent, and it was not for the only non-soldier in the room to make judgments so Silanos just looked on and wondered why he had been asked to attend this meeting anyway. It wasn’t like he was going anywhere near Egypt so it was all mostly irrelevant, and he got fed up of trying to follow the different strands of reason. Were they helping the Taengeans or trying to fuck up Egypt. Or was that the point in messing up food supplies and things. After a while, Silanos gave up and resolved to ask Timaeus later, just to satisfy his curiosity.
When the Prince pulled together a summary plan that drew on different elements of what the others had put forward, he watched with a mild interest, if only to see what the man had deemed worthy in the spill of ideas.
After Timaeus made his proposal, he listened intently to the suggestions of each man that followed.
The first to speak was Stephanos, their foreign commander. It was clear from the moment that the disgraced king opened his mouth that the man was indeed a Taengean warrior. Timaeus had to bite his inner cheek to hold back a smirk when the newly appointed military leader suggested, as his opening gambit no less, that the Colchians focus their efforts on destroying the supply lines and taking the Nile. The plan was just as wild as the country Stephanos had been raised in… or well, at least the way that the Taengean presented it was. The rich descriptions strongly reminded Timaeus of the countless bards that the Colchian had listened to on his adventures through the land of wine and drunken revelry.
As for his proposal, the idea was solid and definitely one worth pursuing if the Greeks had Athenia on their side. However, as things stood, Timaeus personally feared that they would not have the men to spare for such an effort. Plus, on top of that, Egypt was not an isle kingdom like the Greeks were. Breaking supply lines would be so easy on a tiny landmass where fewer troops could cover more ground, but Egypt was not tiny. It was vast. If the men didn’t know the terrain, it would be very easy for any raid missions to find themselves wandering about the desert; clueless to where they needed to go. Communications would be thin as well leaving a chance that even further troops would be led astray. Plus not to mention it would be entirely fruitless in the end as no matter how worthless their innumerable sand dunes may be, it was still land that would be impossible for the Greek troops could fully secure and prevent new lines from being forged. Not when they needed every man possible to be on the frontlines if they wanted to stand a chance of overwhelming the enemy.
That was not to say that Timaeus was not opposed to the odd burning of a city when the opportunity presented itself, but at the moment the Baron of Eubocris did not think it was wise to purposely send troops out for this purpose. He doubted that he would support any plan that relied on burning and looting. Not when the risk was too high and the reward too little.
He did appreciate that Steph was quick to offer any of the reserve troops in Taengea and any of the forces stationed in Judea for Colchian use. His only qualm about that though was Timaeus was not sure if Stephanos still had the authority to mobilize said forces. When he had been stripped of his title as King, had he lost all of his military honors as well?
Timaeus didn’t know and he sure as hell wasn’t going to ask.
By this point, the man closest to Timaeus spoke up. This time Timaeus couldn’t hold back his grin as he listened to Maleos describe an encircling tactic. The Baron was more than ready to admit that it was brilliant and did so as soon as his friend finished by saying simply through the din of voices, “ I support Sir Maleos’s plan.” It probably wasn’t heard by many beyond the few that were close by to the two Eubocrisian men, but he was certain that Maleos could hear his vocal support and that was all that mattered to him.
As attention shifted elsewhere, Timaeus was sure to comment on the genius tactic in a hushed tone while the men were listening to some of the other Captains speak. “ That was brilliant. Did you find that in a book somewhere or did you dream it up on your own?” If Maleos came up with it himself, Timaeus would be quite truthfully shocked. The plan he suggested was one worthy of Athena herself. If this was the case, Colchis had really got lucky when the fates had decided that it would be Maleos who befriended the Captain all those years ago.
It was then, though, that their general motioned to speak. Within an instant, the room grew silent as all eyes turned to Vang to see what the man had been impressed with throughout the chatter of these war leaders. Timaeus was pleased when the General decided to incorporate the Baron’s idea of taking the Pharaoh by surprise through hiding their troops. He didn’t let it show though as Colchians like him were nothing, but humble when it came to such recognition.
In truth, he had been nervous to suggest it, to begin with. After all, employing the use of decoy ships wasn’t exactly a traditional battle strategy! Timaeus though it was necessary, though, as this was not Iahotep’s first time fighting the Greeks and the Baron was more than sure that the Pharaoh would be aware of the advantages he had. The Colchians needed to ensure that they stole back every single one of them from the filthy sand rat.
He couldn’t help but shoot his friend a knowing glance when the General made the suggestion from Maleos the centerpiece of the new strategy on the table. He was sure that his friend was proud and truthfully the man deserved it too. Timaeus had always known that Maleos was a brilliant strategist and now the rest of Colchis’s military leadership knew it.
Timaeus saw no reason not to support this plan that Vangelis suggested. It was a solid plan of attack, especially as the Colchis's primary purpose was to offer support. The Baron couldn’t see any flaws in the Prince’s reasoning and the minor concern of maybe their troops were being spread too thin would be solved with strong communication lines. After carefully considering all the pieces on the board and wracking his brain for any sort issue, but there were none… or at least none that he could see. Perhaps another man at the table would find a fault in the battle plans that Vangelis laid out. All Timaeus knew was that he was not that man.
“ I see no issues with the plans presented, Your Highness.” Timaeus stated, easily leaning into his family’s long-standing role of being supportive of anything the Kotas put on the table. Men like Damocles may find it annoying and given recent events, Timaeus wouldn’t be surprised if Vang found it to be a little overeager… But at least it would get the ball rolling and other men may feel comfortable voicing their own opinions on the matter.
However, before that could happen there was one thing that Timaeus wished to know in order to ensure that the Colchians were making the best decision possible. They needed to know what the Taengeans were doing. After all, their own tactics could be brilliant and foolproof, but it could all fall apart upon landing on those Egyptian beaches and the troops discovered that plans drawn up were no longer usable. So, for this, the Baron turned to both Vangelis and Stephanos for input. “ Your Highness, errmm Commander[” Timaeus continued, calling attention to both himself and the fact that the man did not know what proper title to use for the man who used be a King, “ Do we know what the Taengean tactics are or likely will be? Will this strategy work well with what our Allies are doing?” Of course, everything was always up to chance, but it would be good to know what could possibly lie before them.
Who knows, maybe one of the men might have a brilliant idea upon hearing the Taengean’s strategy?
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After Timaeus made his proposal, he listened intently to the suggestions of each man that followed.
The first to speak was Stephanos, their foreign commander. It was clear from the moment that the disgraced king opened his mouth that the man was indeed a Taengean warrior. Timaeus had to bite his inner cheek to hold back a smirk when the newly appointed military leader suggested, as his opening gambit no less, that the Colchians focus their efforts on destroying the supply lines and taking the Nile. The plan was just as wild as the country Stephanos had been raised in… or well, at least the way that the Taengean presented it was. The rich descriptions strongly reminded Timaeus of the countless bards that the Colchian had listened to on his adventures through the land of wine and drunken revelry.
As for his proposal, the idea was solid and definitely one worth pursuing if the Greeks had Athenia on their side. However, as things stood, Timaeus personally feared that they would not have the men to spare for such an effort. Plus, on top of that, Egypt was not an isle kingdom like the Greeks were. Breaking supply lines would be so easy on a tiny landmass where fewer troops could cover more ground, but Egypt was not tiny. It was vast. If the men didn’t know the terrain, it would be very easy for any raid missions to find themselves wandering about the desert; clueless to where they needed to go. Communications would be thin as well leaving a chance that even further troops would be led astray. Plus not to mention it would be entirely fruitless in the end as no matter how worthless their innumerable sand dunes may be, it was still land that would be impossible for the Greek troops could fully secure and prevent new lines from being forged. Not when they needed every man possible to be on the frontlines if they wanted to stand a chance of overwhelming the enemy.
That was not to say that Timaeus was not opposed to the odd burning of a city when the opportunity presented itself, but at the moment the Baron of Eubocris did not think it was wise to purposely send troops out for this purpose. He doubted that he would support any plan that relied on burning and looting. Not when the risk was too high and the reward too little.
He did appreciate that Steph was quick to offer any of the reserve troops in Taengea and any of the forces stationed in Judea for Colchian use. His only qualm about that though was Timaeus was not sure if Stephanos still had the authority to mobilize said forces. When he had been stripped of his title as King, had he lost all of his military honors as well?
Timaeus didn’t know and he sure as hell wasn’t going to ask.
By this point, the man closest to Timaeus spoke up. This time Timaeus couldn’t hold back his grin as he listened to Maleos describe an encircling tactic. The Baron was more than ready to admit that it was brilliant and did so as soon as his friend finished by saying simply through the din of voices, “ I support Sir Maleos’s plan.” It probably wasn’t heard by many beyond the few that were close by to the two Eubocrisian men, but he was certain that Maleos could hear his vocal support and that was all that mattered to him.
As attention shifted elsewhere, Timaeus was sure to comment on the genius tactic in a hushed tone while the men were listening to some of the other Captains speak. “ That was brilliant. Did you find that in a book somewhere or did you dream it up on your own?” If Maleos came up with it himself, Timaeus would be quite truthfully shocked. The plan he suggested was one worthy of Athena herself. If this was the case, Colchis had really got lucky when the fates had decided that it would be Maleos who befriended the Captain all those years ago.
It was then, though, that their general motioned to speak. Within an instant, the room grew silent as all eyes turned to Vang to see what the man had been impressed with throughout the chatter of these war leaders. Timaeus was pleased when the General decided to incorporate the Baron’s idea of taking the Pharaoh by surprise through hiding their troops. He didn’t let it show though as Colchians like him were nothing, but humble when it came to such recognition.
In truth, he had been nervous to suggest it, to begin with. After all, employing the use of decoy ships wasn’t exactly a traditional battle strategy! Timaeus though it was necessary, though, as this was not Iahotep’s first time fighting the Greeks and the Baron was more than sure that the Pharaoh would be aware of the advantages he had. The Colchians needed to ensure that they stole back every single one of them from the filthy sand rat.
He couldn’t help but shoot his friend a knowing glance when the General made the suggestion from Maleos the centerpiece of the new strategy on the table. He was sure that his friend was proud and truthfully the man deserved it too. Timaeus had always known that Maleos was a brilliant strategist and now the rest of Colchis’s military leadership knew it.
Timaeus saw no reason not to support this plan that Vangelis suggested. It was a solid plan of attack, especially as the Colchis's primary purpose was to offer support. The Baron couldn’t see any flaws in the Prince’s reasoning and the minor concern of maybe their troops were being spread too thin would be solved with strong communication lines. After carefully considering all the pieces on the board and wracking his brain for any sort issue, but there were none… or at least none that he could see. Perhaps another man at the table would find a fault in the battle plans that Vangelis laid out. All Timaeus knew was that he was not that man.
“ I see no issues with the plans presented, Your Highness.” Timaeus stated, easily leaning into his family’s long-standing role of being supportive of anything the Kotas put on the table. Men like Damocles may find it annoying and given recent events, Timaeus wouldn’t be surprised if Vang found it to be a little overeager… But at least it would get the ball rolling and other men may feel comfortable voicing their own opinions on the matter.
However, before that could happen there was one thing that Timaeus wished to know in order to ensure that the Colchians were making the best decision possible. They needed to know what the Taengeans were doing. After all, their own tactics could be brilliant and foolproof, but it could all fall apart upon landing on those Egyptian beaches and the troops discovered that plans drawn up were no longer usable. So, for this, the Baron turned to both Vangelis and Stephanos for input. “ Your Highness, errmm Commander[” Timaeus continued, calling attention to both himself and the fact that the man did not know what proper title to use for the man who used be a King, “ Do we know what the Taengean tactics are or likely will be? Will this strategy work well with what our Allies are doing?” Of course, everything was always up to chance, but it would be good to know what could possibly lie before them.
Who knows, maybe one of the men might have a brilliant idea upon hearing the Taengean’s strategy?
After Timaeus made his proposal, he listened intently to the suggestions of each man that followed.
The first to speak was Stephanos, their foreign commander. It was clear from the moment that the disgraced king opened his mouth that the man was indeed a Taengean warrior. Timaeus had to bite his inner cheek to hold back a smirk when the newly appointed military leader suggested, as his opening gambit no less, that the Colchians focus their efforts on destroying the supply lines and taking the Nile. The plan was just as wild as the country Stephanos had been raised in… or well, at least the way that the Taengean presented it was. The rich descriptions strongly reminded Timaeus of the countless bards that the Colchian had listened to on his adventures through the land of wine and drunken revelry.
As for his proposal, the idea was solid and definitely one worth pursuing if the Greeks had Athenia on their side. However, as things stood, Timaeus personally feared that they would not have the men to spare for such an effort. Plus, on top of that, Egypt was not an isle kingdom like the Greeks were. Breaking supply lines would be so easy on a tiny landmass where fewer troops could cover more ground, but Egypt was not tiny. It was vast. If the men didn’t know the terrain, it would be very easy for any raid missions to find themselves wandering about the desert; clueless to where they needed to go. Communications would be thin as well leaving a chance that even further troops would be led astray. Plus not to mention it would be entirely fruitless in the end as no matter how worthless their innumerable sand dunes may be, it was still land that would be impossible for the Greek troops could fully secure and prevent new lines from being forged. Not when they needed every man possible to be on the frontlines if they wanted to stand a chance of overwhelming the enemy.
That was not to say that Timaeus was not opposed to the odd burning of a city when the opportunity presented itself, but at the moment the Baron of Eubocris did not think it was wise to purposely send troops out for this purpose. He doubted that he would support any plan that relied on burning and looting. Not when the risk was too high and the reward too little.
He did appreciate that Steph was quick to offer any of the reserve troops in Taengea and any of the forces stationed in Judea for Colchian use. His only qualm about that though was Timaeus was not sure if Stephanos still had the authority to mobilize said forces. When he had been stripped of his title as King, had he lost all of his military honors as well?
Timaeus didn’t know and he sure as hell wasn’t going to ask.
By this point, the man closest to Timaeus spoke up. This time Timaeus couldn’t hold back his grin as he listened to Maleos describe an encircling tactic. The Baron was more than ready to admit that it was brilliant and did so as soon as his friend finished by saying simply through the din of voices, “ I support Sir Maleos’s plan.” It probably wasn’t heard by many beyond the few that were close by to the two Eubocrisian men, but he was certain that Maleos could hear his vocal support and that was all that mattered to him.
As attention shifted elsewhere, Timaeus was sure to comment on the genius tactic in a hushed tone while the men were listening to some of the other Captains speak. “ That was brilliant. Did you find that in a book somewhere or did you dream it up on your own?” If Maleos came up with it himself, Timaeus would be quite truthfully shocked. The plan he suggested was one worthy of Athena herself. If this was the case, Colchis had really got lucky when the fates had decided that it would be Maleos who befriended the Captain all those years ago.
It was then, though, that their general motioned to speak. Within an instant, the room grew silent as all eyes turned to Vang to see what the man had been impressed with throughout the chatter of these war leaders. Timaeus was pleased when the General decided to incorporate the Baron’s idea of taking the Pharaoh by surprise through hiding their troops. He didn’t let it show though as Colchians like him were nothing, but humble when it came to such recognition.
In truth, he had been nervous to suggest it, to begin with. After all, employing the use of decoy ships wasn’t exactly a traditional battle strategy! Timaeus though it was necessary, though, as this was not Iahotep’s first time fighting the Greeks and the Baron was more than sure that the Pharaoh would be aware of the advantages he had. The Colchians needed to ensure that they stole back every single one of them from the filthy sand rat.
He couldn’t help but shoot his friend a knowing glance when the General made the suggestion from Maleos the centerpiece of the new strategy on the table. He was sure that his friend was proud and truthfully the man deserved it too. Timaeus had always known that Maleos was a brilliant strategist and now the rest of Colchis’s military leadership knew it.
Timaeus saw no reason not to support this plan that Vangelis suggested. It was a solid plan of attack, especially as the Colchis's primary purpose was to offer support. The Baron couldn’t see any flaws in the Prince’s reasoning and the minor concern of maybe their troops were being spread too thin would be solved with strong communication lines. After carefully considering all the pieces on the board and wracking his brain for any sort issue, but there were none… or at least none that he could see. Perhaps another man at the table would find a fault in the battle plans that Vangelis laid out. All Timaeus knew was that he was not that man.
“ I see no issues with the plans presented, Your Highness.” Timaeus stated, easily leaning into his family’s long-standing role of being supportive of anything the Kotas put on the table. Men like Damocles may find it annoying and given recent events, Timaeus wouldn’t be surprised if Vang found it to be a little overeager… But at least it would get the ball rolling and other men may feel comfortable voicing their own opinions on the matter.
However, before that could happen there was one thing that Timaeus wished to know in order to ensure that the Colchians were making the best decision possible. They needed to know what the Taengeans were doing. After all, their own tactics could be brilliant and foolproof, but it could all fall apart upon landing on those Egyptian beaches and the troops discovered that plans drawn up were no longer usable. So, for this, the Baron turned to both Vangelis and Stephanos for input. “ Your Highness, errmm Commander[” Timaeus continued, calling attention to both himself and the fact that the man did not know what proper title to use for the man who used be a King, “ Do we know what the Taengean tactics are or likely will be? Will this strategy work well with what our Allies are doing?” Of course, everything was always up to chance, but it would be good to know what could possibly lie before them.
Who knows, maybe one of the men might have a brilliant idea upon hearing the Taengean’s strategy?
Maleos let out a bit of a huff of air through his nose, that he knew Tim would take a sort of small laugh from the Captain as his friend whispered to him, asking about the nature of the plan he had presented.
“We will discuss it further later.” He said simply, knowing that it would be near impossible for them to have a proper conversation here, because of the noise, and because it wouldn’t be appropriate to discuss more personal matters at the moment.
Maleos wasn’t sure he had ever felt quite as proud as he did when the Crown Prince said his plan was smart and included it in their overall battle plans. His face remained neutral despite the overwhelming sense of relief, pride and happiness that spread through him at that moment. There were no visible changes in him that would give away his joy, Maleos was great at keeping his emotions locked in for the most part, facial expression stoic as ever. He also held a little pride that his Baron’s plan had been taken into account, and he knew that Timaeus would return the feeling. Another topic for the two men to celebrate when they met for some drinks and discussion later.
“Agreed. The plan sounds solid, Your Highness. And can be adapted as needed if the situation changes.” He said, voicing his agreement with the plan. It sounded like a good tactic to him, and it was open enough that if something needed to be changed, it could. That was an important part of any war, or combat in general. Being able to adapt and change things to outmatch your enemy. The lessons of sword fighting could be used when it came to battle tactics as well. It was one thing Maleos had learned in his fifteen years serving in Colchis’ military.
For now, Maleos fell silent and listened again, preferring to observe and only speak when his words were necessary and when he felt he was informed enough about the situation to speak. He had said his piece, first with his plan and with his agreement with the final plan laid forward by the Crown Prince. For now he had nothing else worth saying.
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Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Maleos let out a bit of a huff of air through his nose, that he knew Tim would take a sort of small laugh from the Captain as his friend whispered to him, asking about the nature of the plan he had presented.
“We will discuss it further later.” He said simply, knowing that it would be near impossible for them to have a proper conversation here, because of the noise, and because it wouldn’t be appropriate to discuss more personal matters at the moment.
Maleos wasn’t sure he had ever felt quite as proud as he did when the Crown Prince said his plan was smart and included it in their overall battle plans. His face remained neutral despite the overwhelming sense of relief, pride and happiness that spread through him at that moment. There were no visible changes in him that would give away his joy, Maleos was great at keeping his emotions locked in for the most part, facial expression stoic as ever. He also held a little pride that his Baron’s plan had been taken into account, and he knew that Timaeus would return the feeling. Another topic for the two men to celebrate when they met for some drinks and discussion later.
“Agreed. The plan sounds solid, Your Highness. And can be adapted as needed if the situation changes.” He said, voicing his agreement with the plan. It sounded like a good tactic to him, and it was open enough that if something needed to be changed, it could. That was an important part of any war, or combat in general. Being able to adapt and change things to outmatch your enemy. The lessons of sword fighting could be used when it came to battle tactics as well. It was one thing Maleos had learned in his fifteen years serving in Colchis’ military.
For now, Maleos fell silent and listened again, preferring to observe and only speak when his words were necessary and when he felt he was informed enough about the situation to speak. He had said his piece, first with his plan and with his agreement with the final plan laid forward by the Crown Prince. For now he had nothing else worth saying.
Maleos let out a bit of a huff of air through his nose, that he knew Tim would take a sort of small laugh from the Captain as his friend whispered to him, asking about the nature of the plan he had presented.
“We will discuss it further later.” He said simply, knowing that it would be near impossible for them to have a proper conversation here, because of the noise, and because it wouldn’t be appropriate to discuss more personal matters at the moment.
Maleos wasn’t sure he had ever felt quite as proud as he did when the Crown Prince said his plan was smart and included it in their overall battle plans. His face remained neutral despite the overwhelming sense of relief, pride and happiness that spread through him at that moment. There were no visible changes in him that would give away his joy, Maleos was great at keeping his emotions locked in for the most part, facial expression stoic as ever. He also held a little pride that his Baron’s plan had been taken into account, and he knew that Timaeus would return the feeling. Another topic for the two men to celebrate when they met for some drinks and discussion later.
“Agreed. The plan sounds solid, Your Highness. And can be adapted as needed if the situation changes.” He said, voicing his agreement with the plan. It sounded like a good tactic to him, and it was open enough that if something needed to be changed, it could. That was an important part of any war, or combat in general. Being able to adapt and change things to outmatch your enemy. The lessons of sword fighting could be used when it came to battle tactics as well. It was one thing Maleos had learned in his fifteen years serving in Colchis’ military.
For now, Maleos fell silent and listened again, preferring to observe and only speak when his words were necessary and when he felt he was informed enough about the situation to speak. He had said his piece, first with his plan and with his agreement with the final plan laid forward by the Crown Prince. For now he had nothing else worth saying.