Chapter 13
When the sun began to set in the west, the soldiers began to organize their equipment.
They put on the breastplate, which was made of multiple layers of linen glued together. It was about five or six centimeters thick, very hard and tough, but not too heavy. The hem reached the thigh and was cut into a wing-like shape to facilitate movement.
They put on the shin plate to protect their calves. They tied the Greek army knife to their waists. It was a curved sword, sixty-five centimeters long, single-edged, and curved like a dog's hind leg.
Corinth's helmet could not be worn at this time, because marching at night made it hard to see clearly, and this kind of helmet, which only exposed the mouth and eyes, would narrow the vision. Devers imitated others and tied the helmet to the two-meter-long spear.
The spear was the main weapon of the Greek heavy infantry. The spear shaft was made of ash, the leaf-shaped spearhead was made of iron, and the end of the spear shaft was inlaid with a copper tail nail.
Devers picked up the round shield with his left hand. It was shallow bowl-shaped, made of wood inside, and covered with copper outside. It was about ninety centimeters in diameter, and the face of Minotaur was painted on the shield. There was a belt on the inside that could be inserted from the left arm to the elbow, so that the soldier could put his entire left forearm on the round shield. Not only did it save effort, but it was also easier to defend and attack with the shield. There was also a small metal hook inlaid on the inner outer edge of the round shield, which could be hung on the shoulder, making it easy to carry when marching.
Devers held the shield in his left hand and the spear in his right. He could not help but smile bitterly. He had changed from a modern man to an ancient Western armored warrior. However, all the cells in his body were cheering and boiling, making him realize that this was the body's muscle memory at work.
He tried to take a few steps and felt very comfortable. He was nervous and a little excited. Every man had the dream of a warrior in his heart! It was an inheritance in the blood of his ancestors since the era when they ate raw meat and drank blood. Modern people in the era of peace could no longer feel the courage to fight face-to-face, but the Devers of this era had such an opportunity!
While Devers was still adapting to the equipment, Hilos reminded him, "You still have things you haven't taken."
He saw two javelins and a skewer of sausages on the ground. He smiled bitterly. 'I really brought this upon myself!'
He carefully put the sausage on his chest, afraid that the grease would get on his breastplate.
At this moment, Antonios came over and said to Hilos, "We have to go to the supply camp and move together with Mersis." After saying that, he nodded at the Devers. Obviously, the reputation of the Devers had reached the ears of this squadron leader, and he did not dare to take them lightly.
"Who gave the order? Isn't Menon still with Alreus? "Hilos asked curiously. He was not too willing to move together with the supply camp. Not to mention the slow movement, it was also very dangerous.
"Adjutant Felicius's orders. He's temporarily acting as Menon's commander. The last time the Persia attacked our camp, most of the slaves in the supply camp escaped. They are now short of manpower, so Merses specifically asked us to help. "As he finished speaking, he glanced at the Devers again.
… …
"Devers, you didn't expect this, did you? We meet again! " He walked past the officers and soldiers and gave the Devers a hug.
He knew it was this fatty who was playing tricks! The Devers smiled helplessly.
"Everyone else, go get the animals. The Devers will come with me, "he ordered.
This fatty was strict and ruthless when he was not familiar with you, but once the relationship was good, he was overly enthusiastic. Wasn't this helping him attract hatred? The Devers hurriedly refused.
The supply camp had hundreds of animals and dozens of ox carts full of goods, as well as many slaves and women.
At the same time. The column formed could be up to two miles long. This was just a military camp. One could imagine how bloated the entire Greek mercenary army was. The Devers observed all this and pondered in their hearts.
At this moment, a long camp horn sounded in the night over the noisy camp.
It was time to set off. The Devers subconsciously tightened the ox rope, feeling a little nervous.
The team began to move forward. The supply camp was on the right, the troops on the left, and the officers held their torches high. Under the illumination of the cold moonlight. The entire Greek army was like a long fire dragon that couldn't be seen, slowly crawling forward.
After walking for about two hours, they heard the sound of running water in front of them. The Devers knew that they were almost at the Euphrates River.
The river at night was dark, and when they looked into it, it seemed to be infinitely wide and deep, inspiring great fear. So the team was much quieter, lest they alarm the river god.
At this time, the formation naturally became the supply camp, marching along the left bank of the Euphrates River. The troops were on the outside, protecting the property of their camp. Obviously, the leaders had some experience in marching at night. Dyvers saw all of this and learned from him.
Menon's troops were at the end of the line. Of course, this was not Malone's request. In fact, he had asked someone to come back and ask his troops to walk in the middle of the line. But the leaders were all dissatisfied with Menon. Because when they first marched from Asia to Babylon, Menon had rushed to be the vanguard in order to perform in front of Little Cyrus, burning and looting, and had gained a lot of benefits. Now that they were going to retreat, they wanted to walk in the middle so that their soldiers would not be attacked and lose less. How could he take all the good things! So they unanimously decided to let his team go last. This was what Merces, Myron's confidant, had told the Devers, giving him a certain understanding of Menon.
At this moment, Tormid, the herald of the army, finally rushed to Menon's team and relayed the order, "The front has already met up with Alreus's army. The leaders are discussing with Alreus. Please rest where you are, keep your guard up, and wait for orders! "
The quiet team suddenly became restless.
"We can finally rest for a while!"
"We've been walking for two hours. I'm dying of exhaustion!"
"Me too. It's too tiring to lead the ox cart! We can't follow the supply camp tomorrow! "
"That's right! Go tell the squadron commander tomorrow. "
"Say it now!"
… …
Looking at the noisy warriors, the Devers stood up and said loudly, "Brothers, please be quiet! Brothers! I'm Devers! "
Unexpectedly, his shout was more effective than that of the squadron commander, Antonios. The soldiers of the supply camp stopped making noise and wanted to hear what the 'Blessed' had to say.
"I'll tell you a story to relieve your fatigue, okay?"
"What story?"
"It's called A … Aris and the Forty Thieves."
"Sounds good! Tell me about it! "
So, the Devers cleared his throat and began to speak loudly, "Once upon a time, there was a family living in a small town in Ionia..."
Gradually, the supply camp became completely quiet, and even the pack animals stopped neighing. The soldiers, as well as the slaves and women, listened attentively. They were envious that Aris had inadvertently obtained the thieves' wealth; amused that Aris's brother was randomly using the cave password; nervous that the thieves had found Aris's house; and applauded the slave girl's wisdom.
After the story was told, everyone was still unsatisfied.
"Aris is so lucky!
"He's lucky because he has a smart and beautiful slave girl from Persia!"
"Yes! I think he can redeem the slave girl and make her a free person! After all, she saved Aris! "
"Idiot! He should marry the slave girl as a concubine. That way, the slave girl can continue to help him! "
…
Everyone discussed endlessly.
"Devers, is there really a cave full of gold and silver?" Even Mercies could not help but lean over to the Devers and ask.
Antonios looked at the back of the Devers in front of him and could not help but sigh. "Hilos, your village has produced a talent!"
"Are you talking about the Devers? Of course, he's a 'Blessed'! I even want to give him my position as squad leader. "
"Squad leader?" Antonios curled his lips. A mercenary leader would often replace his soldiers, and most of the middle and senior officers who led the team were his confidants. They would not be easily changed because it would make it easier for him to control the troops. Antonios had been with Menon for five or six years, and because he had taken on missions, he had seen many powerful figures in Greece and Persia, so he had some experience in judging people.
After a day of observation, he found that the Devers had a calm personality and was not at all like a nineteen-year-old child. He did things methodically, treated people modestly and politely, and was eloquent. The soldiers were happy to get close to him. However, he often had fantastic ideas and could solve problems that others could not solve. When marching, he saw with his own eyes that the Devers were either helping others carry shields or push carts. Such a person, even though he was young, could be trusted.
Comments