Spoils of Ancient Greece (Nyoko/ Methos)

[Nyoko]

The doors of the sacred hall burst open and a tall, slender woman walked into the room. A group of priests had been conversing near the door and had looked up towards the woman when she burst in. Most women would be scorned for such an outburst in a sacred place, but she was a priestess, and far stronger then some of the men in this room. Still she was questioned harshly.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?"

The woman, Eleni, stepped in further, letting the doors slam shut. She had long flowing brown hair that went to the middle of her back, a headband kept her bangs out of her eyes. Her robes were white and a sash showed her status as a priestess. Her blue eyes flashed with fear as they asked.

"They have breached the outer wall.... and are on their way here..." She said, in a panicked voice. "I was told to evacuated everyone immediately." She walked closer to them, the group looked startled now, knowing what was coming. "Hurry!" She said in alarm and shooed them with her hands. She would be the last one out, making sure everyone of importance was out before the pillaging group made it to their sacred place. Their city, Chalcis, was about to fall.

 

[Methos]

If Chalcis could have a do over in the ever shifting winds of Greek politics, they likely would have decided that seizing several Corinthian ships and then refusing to return them and paying tribute to the Corinthians wasn’t such a good idea after all. For their refusal had found a Corinthian army in the field rather swiftly as Corinth evidently had elected to flex its muscles and display that its wealth and influence rivaled that of the better known cities of Athens, Sparta and Thebes. A dispute that had originated over wine tariffs had gotten entirely out of hand, and while Chalcis had been relying on their ally Athens to support them the Athenians had been uncharacteristically silent.

To say Chalcis had been completely unprepared for such a response was something of an understatement. The Corinthians had sailed half way to Chalcis before the defenders had began to marshal their forces having thought it no more than a bluff. Disorganization and surprise had led to a rather poor showing in the field and now the city’s walls themselves were giving way to the rather persistent besiegers. As the walls were overrun chaos had began to engulf the city.

The cause of that particular concern was readily apparent as bronze clad hoplites were descending the walls and storming into the city proper. Heavy shields and spears were held outwards before them and they began roam the streets in a rather menacing fashion as any organized defense was being sought out and rather systematically crushed.

As the defenders began to disappear either abandoning the fight to seek a place to hide or dying as the case may be, the assailants naturally turned their attention to plunder. Lysander was one of those rather enterprising hoplites. A Corinthian nobleman he lead his contingent of troops through the city and he seemed to be heading rather directly towards the temple of Ishtar. A foreign goddess of love and fertility her temple was rather richly endowed in more than one way. The fact that many of its priestesses doubled as prostitutes made the temple fabulously wealthy. Not to mention filled with nubile young women.

Lysander himself was a rather powerfully built man. For a Greek he stood a towering six feet in height. His shoulders were broad and his devotion not just to swordplay but all other martial exercises showed in the muscularity of his build. He wore the heavy bronze breast plate with its greaves and the heavy bronze shield with relative ease. His skin was tanned a deep bronze as well. While blue eyes and locks of ebon hair that framed handsome features were hidden beneath the heavy faceplate of the distinctive Corinthian helm. He remained youthful at twenty three and he’d invested a great deal of money into this particular expedition having outfitted his own ship and raised his own troop of soldiers. Now his men were marching rather directly towards the temple of Ishtar exactly according to his plan.

 

[Nyoko]

The temple was in complete chaos, everyone ran for the escape route, but deep inside Eleni knew there was little hope. Unless they could slip out the back the soldiers would be on them in minutes. The main Priests had gotten out, she was the only high ranking one left. Her duty was to salvage what valuables she could, and tuck them into safe places, or drag them with her.

She knew the Corinthians weren't merciful in the least, she had heard the stories, of their pillaging and other unspeakable acts. She had hoped her city would have left them alone, but her leaders foolish act might cost every their lives. She couldn't stand to think about the Corinthian's filthy hands on their sacred objects and statues. Rumor told they also took women, for unspeakable things. She couldn't bear to see anyone in their hands. Which was why she was running around the temple like a mad women, trying to usher people through the right door.

She checked every room, locking the room when she knew they were empty of people. She was in charge of saving everyone and planned to fulfill that duty. Once she had all the back rooms check she hurried to the main front hall. She could hear the footsteps of the soldiers drawing nearer, she had to hurry. There was one thing left. She had to recover the most precious item of their temple, a diamond. She ran across the stone floor, her footsteps ringing through out the hall. She opened a secret place in the side wall and felt for the diamond, retrieving it she tucked in her robes.

 

[Methos]

Lysander led his men towards the temple and after they battered through the gate it was readily apparent that the temples inhabitants were making good on whatever opportunity to flee that they had. However, he and his fellow Corinthians now stormed into the temple and having had their blood heated and their blades wetted with blood earlier they posed a rather fearsome sight. Plunder was first upon their minds and the rather opulent temple was rather swiftly being looted. Golden decorations were pilfered as men roamed the halls of the temple.

The temple’s treasury with its coins was rather swiftly sought out and priests were seen filling bags of coins and seeking to flee with them, however, foreign arm soldiers seemed sufficient to convince them to abandon the coins and run for their lives. A roar went up from the soldiers as the gold was obtained and with a few men standing guard over that bounty, the rest turned to ripping paintings from the wall, grabbing gold statues and grabbing the temple’s famous women.

Naturally those women who were not cooperative with the victors found themselves left little choice in the matter. After all chancing ones life did tend to make an invading army rather demanding with respect to having its particular needs met, whether one was willing or not. Hence soon the screams and cries of women were heard throughout the temple.

Lysander himself had abstained from such immediate pleasures at the moment. He was looking for something, hence he roamed through the winding halls with his bloodied sword in hand. His dark eyes were like burning coals as they gazed out through the heavy bronze of his helm. He stalked down the hallway and spied a door left open and a woman scurrying away from it. Although the door itself was irregular for it had no frame and looked like more of a secret passage.

His form seemed to explode as he moved swiftly and would rapidly overtake the woman. His sword was soon pressed to her side as he remarked “Stop right there girl.” The blade pressed menacingly to her as he remarked “You are going to give me whatever you just got out of that room now.” The Corinthian was aware of the presence of some large diamond in the temple so he strongly suspected it may have been the hidden treasure. He leaned in towards her as he growled “Now…”

 

[Nyoko]

Eleni could hear the soldier's footsteps echo through out the temple, and then the cries of her fellow women began. She prayed for them, but that was all she could do, and at least the elders were safe. She had a duty to save the diamond, it was her most sacred duty, and she would protect it with her life. Her hope was that it didn't come to that, but she couldn't return to the elders without it.

She was in a such a hurry she didn't notice leaving the secret door open, and made sure she made no noise as she hurried away. She thought she might actually make it but then she felt a sword pressing into her side and she stopped dead. Her heart pounded, it couldn't just be over like this she had been so close! He couldn't get the diamond, she would have to run or lie. If she could lie well maybe he would believe her.

"I don't have anything from that room." She said calmly, "Your men must have opened that door. When I got there it was gone." She lied, she had to lie. She felt his breath on her neck making her want to run away, but she had no weapon to fight, he'd just easily kill her. She raised her hands slowly and turned around to face him, "You have to let me go..." She replied. "I'm a high priestess, killing me would dishonor God... and curse you." She threatened.

 

[Methos]

Lysander had detained the woman slipping out of the secretive looking room. His dark eyes lingered upon the woman as she looked at him with wide eyes. As she claimed to know nothing of the open door and to have obtained nothing from the room, a smirk graced his lips as he noted “And why don’t I believe a word of that?” He idly noted “A high priestess eh?”

He didn’t seem terribly impressed by that. His sword pressed into her robes, the point of it caching upon the fabric of her robe. Casually he dragged the blade upwards cutting the garment. The warrior let his dark eyes fix upon her as the blade dragged further upwards as he slowly cut it open along the middle of her form. Thereafter, his other hand casually moved to wrench the tattered garment free of her. “Oh I’ll see exactly what you have…” And he would in more than one way.

His eyes roamed over the woman as he smirkingly noted “Ah well the gods might be displeased if I kill you, so being the pious fellow that I am I’ll spare your live and merely enslave you.” Naturally she hadn’t been left anywhere to conceal the diamond really. He moved towards her as he idly noted “Now priestess, I think its me you are going to start to worship.”

 

[Nyoko]

Eleni tried not to flinch as his sword pressed into her clothes, she was afraid he'd kill her. "Believe me." She repeated, her glared still burning into him. As he cut down her robes the only thing keeping her hands back was the fear he would hurt her if she did. She was supposed to protect the diamond with her life, but being at the end of the sword made things different. When he tore away her robes she covered her exposed parts with her hands and arms giving a quiet cry of surprise. Her face turned a light shade of red from embarrassment.

When her robes hit the floor there was an audible thunk. The diamond was showing through the fabric, she had failed it seemed. She glanced from the diamond to him, trying to kick the robes back further so if by some wild chance she might have a chance to escape. "I will worship no one but my God...." She growled, trembling with anger and embarrassment. She was one of the few priestess who hadn't been involved with the priests, she had never let a man even see her naked, and now she was being forced too. "So kill me. I've failed my mission anyways. At least I wont be a slave to filth like you..." Her eyes narrowed, of course she didn't want to die, but she certainly wasn't going to thank him for sparing her life.