Nemesis (Sparta Online Book 1)

by J. F. Danskin

  The adjoining room was identical to the first, but for the fact that it lacked the large front door. There was instead a high rectangular window on the far wall, as well as smaller ones on either side. Three boys stood in the middle of the room, stopping their conversation as Troy entered. Another boy with cropped hair was lying on one of the beds, while a fifth recruit leaned on the edge of a bed, lacing his sandals.

  Five boys – six beds. Though all had had their blanket disturbed.

  “Hello there,” he said, looking around and trying to sound confident. “Which bed is mine?”

  “None,” said one of the trio of boys in the middle of the room, a tall blond boy with pale skin and very reddish cheeks, and then he laughed. “No, really, Glaucus,” he added when one of his two companions, a popping-eyed lad with thick curly hair, started to protest. “We need that one to put our weapons on.”

  “What weapons?” said a voice from the side of the room – the boy who was doing up his sandals. He had dark skin and long straight black hair which hung loose. “You need to be smarter than you are to get hold of weapons, I bet.”

  This led to some chuckling, but Troy was no clearer about his situation. “I’m Troy,” he said to the red-faced boy, and proffered his hand.

  “Ajax,” the boy replied, shaking his hand with a cold, limp grip, unsmiling.

  “So, this weapon storage you speak of,” added Troy, glancing around. “Where is it?”

  Ajax did not reply, but another of the trio in the room’s center, a bronze-skinned and very muscular boy who looked rather like a shorter version of Andros, chuckled for a moment, and then pointed to the bed at the far end of the room.

  That figures, thought Troy to himself. The bed in question was furthest from the door, and was close between two others. It would have been his last pick, too. And it looked like someone had jumped on it at some point – there was a muddy footprint in its center, with the blanket twisted up around that point.

  “That’s fine,” he murmured, walking over.

  He sat on the low bed – it was much lower than the beds he was used to, and rather uncomfortable to sit on. He patted it, then stroked the fibers of the thin gray blanket with the palm of his hand. All of this was so… real! It was hard to imagine that he was in a simulation.

  All the same, they could have made things a bit more comfortable. As this was computer generated, equipment cost the Technoburbia army nothing. So why only one blanket and no pillows?

  Besides… he looked around the room again. All of the other beds had a storage crate at one end of the bed. His did not; the space was instead given over to the two small vents.

  Well, that sucked. If he ever got hold of some equipment, he’d have to put it on his bed, or under it. What had he done to get the last choice of where to sleep? Perhaps he could find a way to swap, even if it meant tricking one of the other recruits. It would be much preferable to be in a corner bed, and perhaps in the adjoining room, too.

  He leaned down and peeked under the bed, but there was nothing under there either – just empty space around four inches in height, with a sort of small wooden covering or hatch visible at the back.

  Hmm.

  He then swiveled around and tried to look down the back of his bed. As he did so, he remembered something that his father had said to him on a near-daily basis when he was younger: Stop poking around at things, Troy – you can never leave anything alone.

  Well.

  His father wasn’t here. He was going to need to find a new approach, whatever that might be.

  Getting up off the bed, he walked around to its foot and lifted it, shifting it a couple of inches away from the wall. Yes. Now he could see that hatch much more clearly, but disappointingly it didn’t look deep enough to store anything in. It was at the base of the wall, and was perhaps intended to cover up a drain.

  Troy was just about to push the bed back when he noticed something glimmering just in front of the hatch. Moving around, he got down onto the floor, crouching on his knees, and saw that it was a coin. He leaned forward on the bed again and stretched out his arm, unable to look and reach at the same time. His fingers moved around in the dark, walking them over the area like a spider on the floor. And then he felt it.

  He pulled it out. It was a bronze coin, with a picture of someone’s head on one side and the word “MENELAOS” on the other. Pocketing it rapidly, he glanced around the room. The long-haired boy on the bed who had spoken up on his arrival raised one eyebrow. None of the others appeared to be paying any attention at all.

  Skill boost! You have developed your quick thinking. +5XP

  He examined his robes, finding that they had a single shallow pocket at the waist, into which he carefully tucked the coin. Then, leaning back, he took a deep breath. Clearly, he might as well chill for a moment. Turning, he lay back on the hard, uncomfortable bed, and put his arms behind his head.

  At that exact moment there came a shout from beyond the door.

  “Recruits!”

  Without needing any further prompting, the others hurried to leave. This must have been the call to training that Andros had mentioned. With a sigh, Troy got up, and hurried after his new companions.

  The long-haired boy was moving just in front of him, and he turned to look at Troy as they were leaving the dormitory room. “That Ajax is a real dick,” he said in a low voice. “Thinks he’s the boss of our dormitory, so be careful.” Troy noticed that the boy had a long scar running from his forehead down to his cheek, but his eyes were mirthful.

  “Thanks. I will. He doesn’t worry me at all.”

  “Did you say your name was Troy?”

  “Yep.”

  The boy looked him up and down, a sparkle of amusement in the deep brown eyes again. “Interesting choice. Did you know that there’s a city called Troy, and that all the Spartans hate it?”

  “What?” he replied, a slight tension gripping him for a moment. “No, Andros didn’t mention that. What a swine…”

  The boy chuckled softly at this. “It helps to have read a few things, you know,” he replied.

  The pair were now walking together through the front room, lagging behind the other ten recruits. “But surely you’ve heard of Helen of Troy?” added the boy.

  “Yeah, I have heard of her. Beautiful woman, right? Caused a war?”

  “Sort of. The face that launched a thousand ships – some of them from here. She was originally Helen of Sparta. That was before the prince of Troy abducted her. So there’s that.”

  Skill boost! You have developed your knowledge. +5XP

  “I see.” Troy felt an icy chill run through his body. Was this what Andros had meant by a ‘bold move’? It was beginning to sound like everyone in the city would see him as an agent of the enemy.

  “Not to worry.” The other lad whacked Troy across the back with a friendly grin. “Perhaps they are over all that by now, who’s to say. It must have been centuries ago. I’m called Plato, by the way.”

  “Good to meet you, I guess.” Troy spoke stiltedly, still troubled by what he had just heard.

  Plato threw his head back and laughed at this. “You guess. Well, maybe in time you’ll more than guess. You will need friends here, Troy, you know. We can’t do this alone.”

  Level: Hoplite (Level 1)

  XP: 0020

  Hit points: 13/14

  Equipment: (none)

  Chapter 6: Training Begins

  Soon the twelve recruits were lined up in two ranks of six, with Troy’s rank at the rear. They stood near their dorm; the female recruits Troy had seen earlier were now nowhere to be seen.

  Troy was standing at the back left, with Plato next along. He looked around to his right, glancing along the line of recruits in front of him. The boorish Ajax was further along, surrounded by his gang.

  A stocky soldier with a short black beard covering his chin and cheeks walked up and down in front of the ranks of recruits, staring at each of them in turn, but remaining silent. He r
eminded Troy a little of his father except for being much more muscular, and was dressed like Andros but without a helmet. Sweat beaded the scalp of the man’s bald head which showed just a hint of stubble, as if he had shaved it within the past day. He had a large bulbous nose, bare arms, and wore a leather armor shirt.

  This would be the captain, then, Troy thought to himself.

  The soldier strode from one end of the line to the other, and Troy also looked at his fellow recruits while the captain examined them. They were all different heights, he noticed, and different builds. The one in front of him even had pimples on the back of his neck. A lot of detail – were they based on the boys’ real-life physique, or was some of this random? He thought of Plato’s scar and his own crooked nose; did the General give everyone some kind of flaw?

  “Hoplites!” barked the soldier at last, standing back to look at them all. “Worms. You are the lowest of the low, but one day – if you survive – you may come to be proper Spartan soldiers.”

  A couple of the boys looked at each other, but most stared straight at the warrior, wondering what might be coming next.

  “I am Captain Theseus,” he said. “And I have the misfortune of having to train you for the next six months, after which I will pass what’s left of you over to one of the Spartan generals for field exercises. Until that point, you will learn everything about being a soldier from me. At least, you will try. Anyone who does not try his best will suffer. Every. Single. Day.”

  There was a muttering at this, and the captain held up his hand.

  “You will have to fight, to defend yourself, and learn to be tough. Challenges and obstacles of all kinds – both human and otherwise – are the best way to both test and improve your resourcefulness.”

  The spotty-necked kid in front of Troy spoke up. “Mr. Theseus,” he said, “Captain. Excuse me, but will we get swords and shields?”

  Theseus stepped forward again, walking right up until his face was only an inch from that of the boy who had spoken up. “Quiet!” he shouted, pressing one of his stubby, hairy fingers into the chest of the kid. “Name?”

  “Leon,” said the boy in a whisper, a notable quiver in his voice.

  “You are nothing, Leon!” growled the soldier. “You are less than a piece of horse dung. Tell me – what are you?”

  “Uh… less than a piece of horse dung,” muttered the unfortunate Leon.

  The others chuckled.

  “Now – do not interrupt me with your imbecile questions. I will give information when I choose, not when you decide. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Troy thought that it had been a pretty reasonable question – and not very different from what he himself had asked earlier. Clearly Theseus wasn’t going to be nearly as open to questions as Andros had been. They would need to find and speak to the guide, he supposed, when they wanted information.

  Theseus now turned and strode away, stopping around three yards ahead of the group and turning on his heel. “Your first challenge,” he said, “is to defend yourselves in unarmed combat. Wrestling, in short. The rules are as follows: pair up, try to force your partner to the ground and keep him there. Release only when I give the order. Now, form up!”

  SPARTA ONLINE WORLD EVENT: WRESTLING TRAINING

  Soon, the twelve boys were spread out into six pairs, facing off against one another. Captain Theseus again patrolled the edge of the area, slowly circling proceedings. Troy was paired with Plato, and his roommate chuckled as they began to tug at one another’s tunics, pushing and pulling to no real effect.

  “No laughter,” barked the captain, walking towards the pair, his forehead furrowed, “and no pulling of clothes. Would you pull an Athenian warrior by his tunic? Or a Persian? You’d be dead with a sword in your guts if you tried it.”

  Captain Theseus then stopped close by and watched on as they resumed the bout. This time, Troy grabbed at Plato’s bare arm, but his new friend wriggled away and got an arm around his neck. Soon Plato had pinned his arms to his sides, and knocked him off his feet, and they began to tussle on the ground.

  Skill boost! You have developed your combat skills. +5XP

  “Better.” Theseus nodded, and moved on to the next pair.

  Before long, they were ordered to change partners, and Troy next found himself facing off against a lanky boy with narrow shoulders – one of the pair who had stood with Ajax and laughed at him upon his arrival. Troy narrowed his eyes. Unlike the red-cheeked Ajax, this kid was very pale of face, with tightly curled brown hair and a high forehead.

  “I’m Troy,” he said to the lad. “Ready?”

  “Nabis,” said the boy, running one hand through his curls. “And yes. Let’s wrestle.”

  The lad hadn’t looked especially strong, but he came at Troy fast, and soon had his arm behind his back. Troy, however, dug his heels into the ground, pushing backwards, and managed to tip Nabis, landing on top of the boy. He heard his partner gasp in pain at the move. Soon, though, Nabis’s lanky arms were clutching at his face and shoulders, scratching at him. Troy let go to protect his face, and in a moment Nabis had taken to the opportunity to flip him over. Troy felt himself being pushed face first into the dirt, and as his chin and cheek hit the sandy ground, a notification came up:

  Health update! You have lost 1 hit point.

  Skill boost! You have developed your combat skills. +5XP

  Hmm.

  He was bent double, Nabis leaning on him and restraining his arms. “I yield!” he gasped.

  Nabis proceeded to push his face into the sandy dirt one more time, but then stood up, releasing him. Troy likewise got up, wiping himself off, and began to circle his opponent.

  Troy checked the ‘health command’ for a clearer overview.

  Current health level: Healthy

  Illness: None

  Disease: None

  Hunger: 19%

  Thirst: 27%

  Hit points: 12/14

  So. He had lost another ‘hit point’, but was still generally in good health. That would indeed be useful to know, and to keep an eye on. Troy wondered how much longer they were going to be doing this – hopefully not until his hit points dropped to zero.

  Either way, he thought, I have to get this guy. I have to be quicker, and hit him hard this time.

  Before he had a chance to re-engage, however, Troy noticed that his new friend Plato was in trouble. The boy was part of the next pair along from them, and was currently being held in a headlock by Ajax, with the tall recruit’s muscular arms around his face. From where he stood, Troy could see that Plato’s nose and mouth were covered, and could hear a frantic grunting noise as he struggled against the taller recruit.

  Captain Theseus was standing back watching, with his arms folded – apparently unconcerned. Troy hurried over.

  “Captain – shouldn’t Ajax stop now? Plato can’t breathe.”

  “A good soldier will find a way. And we don’t worry about bad soldiers,” said Captain Theseus. He was still looking at the struggle, and Troy could have sworn that he was enjoying the suffering.

  “But he’ll soon suffocate! Ajax, come on – he yields, he just can’t say it. Let him go!”

  Ajax looked over at Troy, his pale eyes narrowed, and then looked down at Plato again. With one further squeeze at Plato’s head, Ajax shoved downwards, releasing the struggling boy, and throwing him to the ground in the process. Sprawled on the sand, Plato wriggled and began to get to his knees, gasping.

  But now Captain Theseus strode over, fury written on his face. He planted one of his sandaled feet on Plato’s back and forced the boy back down, his face hitting the ground in much the same way that Troy’s had in his recent bout.

  “Never – never let your enemy get off that easy,” growled Captain Theseus. “This is not a summer vacation camp. We are learning how to win a war. If your comrade can’t get up, he doesn’t deserve to.”

  Plato was yelling now, his feet twitching and his hands grasping upwards,
trying but failing to claw at the captain’s feet and ankles. It was clear to all that the captain was putting his full weight on the recruit’s rib cage.

  Troy watched on. He felt terribly sorry for his friend… but what could he do against the powerful captain? All the same, it was clear that Plato’s struggles were becoming more lethargic. Was he about to pass out?

  Troy felt that he had to do something.

  Stepping forward lightly, he moved to his left, keeping behind the captain so that he was out of the man’s line of sight as he approached. On reaching Captain Theseus, Troy turned, coming close up behind the captain, and then kicked out hard at the back of the warrior’s knee. He then pushed hard with both hands to knock the muscular man off balance.

  Skill boost! You have developed your valor. +5 XP

  Captain Theseus gasped, then grunted in pain as he staggered off to one side. Quickly, Troy ducked down and helped Plato to his feet. His friend looked badly winded, and stepped away just a yard or two before sinking to his knees, doubled over. He did appear to be recovering, but the struggle had taken a lot out of him.

  A few yards away, Ajax and Nabis were standing huddled close together, looking on with more than a hint of amusement. The other recruits were further back; all had stopped their bouts to watch.

  But Troy was more concerned about Captain Theseus than about any of them. The big bald warrior had recovered his balance and was now stalking slowly towards Troy. And if he was angry before, his face was now contorted with fury.

  “How dare you interfere with my training,” he cried, “you pathetic piece of worm dung!” As he approached, he pulled a long metal rod from his belt, and Troy recognized the implement – it was the same as the one he had seen the female recruit disciplined with earlier.