"He has stuck by our side throughout most of the Battle." Dom commented to Xanthippus about Pericles as the Battle continued around them. The other second enemy Trireme that was attached to Xanthiuppus's own ship was now being cleared by a mixture of Dom's forces and Xanthippus's forces. Ships around them continued to fight amongst themselves, but it was clear that the Greek side was winning.
"It's good that you had a reliable ally on your flank, mine seems to have let me down." Xanthippus commented as he looked behind them where the other Greek ships were currently engaged in battle. "Pericles has a lot to learn, but I expect he has taken a lot from this battle. I had tried to persuade him to stay at home, but we need every abled man."
"You seem to know him well?" Dom asked, already knowing the link between the two as Pericles was on his list of notable people from Thucydides, however Pericles was still a youth at the time of this battle.
"He is my son, just turned sixteen this year. Too young to captain a ship amongst men, but we had more ships than we did crews, with many of our forces heading to Plataea. He and the other youths claimed some for their own, with the strict orders to stay at the back and support in the gaps that appeared in our lines. Thankfully, it seems he hasn't listened to all of those instructions." Xanthippus replied with a smile of a parent who had given up, as the sound of battle continued to ring out around them.
"Where is Zhou Yu?" Dom asked, having left his own Admiral with the Athenian's. Zhou Yu had a specific mind that could see the movements during the battle and react quickly. Whilst Dom had stuck to the plan that was agreed, Zhou Yu had control of the centre alongside Xanthippus.
"Your very intelligent advisor is on the ship behind us, he has directed our ships effectively. I am grateful he is on our side." Xanthippus replied honestly as Dom looked towards one of the Athenian Trireme's that seemed to have not been engaged during the battle. Dom was impressed to see that Xanthippus had thrown himself in to the fight, whilst trusting in the wider strategy to be managed from behind him.
"Lord, we need to get back on the Bellona!" Gan Ning yelled from nearby, catching Dom's attention as he stood with Xanthippus in the middle of the Trireme. Dom turned to his General who was stood on the Trireme they had just captured that was partially stuck between the Bellona and Xanthippus's ship. "The enemies sixth line are turning to flee, allied ships can be sighted coming down the opposing flank."
"It seems that Leotychides has followed Artemisia's plan as well and it has clearly worked. She's a dangerous woman to fight against." Xanthippus commented with a nod of his head as he took in to consideration the pace of the current battle, "We'll meet again at the other end of Samos. I'll have the ships that can follow you as you chase them, the rest will process our captures."
"This one is our capture!" Gan Ning shouted, pointing at the ship where several armed Hoplite were now stood, the Persian Oarsmen below sat in silence as their leaders were killed in the fighting above. Dom wondered how they could take control of the ships and the enemy oarsmen, as any crew that stood to claim it would be easily outnumbered.
The sound of a crack nearby caught his attention as a ship nearby began to break in half and sink, the sound of screams from ship could be heard across the Sea as the men within struggled to break free from the swell around the sinking ship. It seemed like most of the battle stopped at the sight, even though others had sank earlier. But with the Persian rear lines retreating, those that were engaged seemed to make a unanimous decision as warriors across the decks began to lay down their weapons and surrender.
"I'll think about it." Xanthippus replied in a teasing tone as Dom climbed back aboard the Bellona, helped by Actumerus who took his sword from him to give him the freedom to climb without the blade's hilt being caught in the rope on the side of the Quinquereme.
"Well think fast!" Gan Ning shouted back with a laugh as he nodded towards Centurion Cato.
"Rear Oars in the water, I want us to pull back and turn. I will order when to turn, I do not want our ram catching the ship in front of us." Centurion Cato ordered loudly as the oarsmen began following his orders. Dom headed towards the back of the ship, where their prisoners were still placed.
"Get the Ballista reloaded, the retreating Trireme may be faster than us, but they aren't faster than my bolt's!" Dom heard Gan Ning yell to the Ballista crew as he himself reached Mardontes who was stood watching everything happen with two armed Legionaries beside him.
"Congratulations on your victory." Mardontes said with little emotion as they turned in the water. Gan Ning preparing the Ballista whilst the rest of the crew began preparing themselves for the final push of the day, all of them with tired arms and ready for a much needed rest and recuperation.
"Thank you, whilst I was confident in the victory, we were lucky to have not been caught out ourselves." Dom replied honestly as the Bellona was now fully turned in the water, facing the same direction as the rest of the fleet.
"Luck is part of war, but it is not yet over." Mardontes agreed as Xanthippus shouted up to them from the captured Trireme below that was still tied to his ship. The clear Aegean Sea beneath them beautiful in sight compared to the chaos of war that had just been taking place upon it.
"We will meet at Samos, Admiral Lazarus!" Xanthippus shouted as Centurion Cato ordered for all of the oars to now strike the water together, the sound of the drums now echoing across the ship. The ship of Pericles had also disengaged and was preparing to join them, alongside several other Trireme from their flanking assault. Some seemed to still be engaged, their ships entangled even if the battles onboard had stopped.
"We shall!" Dom replied as he turned back to Mardontes. The captured Admiral seemingly relaxed. "And then we shall head to defeat the Persians who have fled or not joined us."
"They will be waiting for you at Mount Mycale, but I doubt it will be an easy battle." Mardontes stated, as the two Captured Players nodding in agreement.
"I came to win the Naval Battle, we have achieved our goals already." Dom smiled as he left them and headed back towards Gan Ning that was in deep concentration.
As Dom walked, the ship seemed to push through the remains of the earlier sunk Trireme that they had crashed in to themselves before being rescued by Pericles. The large planks that had remained on the surface, as well as the bodies of the warriors that were now face down in the sea, banged alongside the sides of the Bellona as she passed through. The occasional plank or body would be caught by an oar, causing some unevenness in the pace as she progressed.
"Level out the speed, the constant motion is going to throw off my aim." Gan Ning asked Centurion Cato who was also stood nearby watching. Gan Ning was currently bent at a strange angle, with the Ballista pointing quite high compared to the level of the Aegean Sea. The enemy ships could be seen in the distance, whilst around them more allies began appearing.
"You heard the General, ease the pace!" Centurion Cato ordered as a smile appeared on Gan Ning's face.
"Release!" He yelled as he pulled the lever on the Ballista, the large bolt travelling high and fast in the air, before falling down and crashing in to the sea close to the side of one of the enemy Trireme, that lumbered slightly behind the others. "So close, get another Bolt loaded quickly!"
"We're going to have competition." Centurion Meng Ai stated, the Wu Dang Archer also appearing at the front of the ship to get involved with the action, having been told to spare their Arrows for the upcoming battles. The others, except for Gan Ning, looked towards the distance where the sight of another Quinquereme could be seen, followed by several Trireme.
"Seems Leotychides want's to get involved Lord." Centurion Septimius laughed from beside them, the three Centurions, Dom and Gan Ning all feeling the adrenaline of the chase as they followed the retreating enemy sixth line.
"They don't have a Ballista though." Gan Ning replied as the Ballista was loaded and he began aiming the giant contraption again.
"They don't, but with your aim right now, it doesn't make much of a difference." Dom replied out loud accidently, with the sound of laughter amongst his Centurions passing through his men, before a large part of his forces that could hear what was said also began laughing. Gan Ning shook his head with a grin as he prepared to release again.
"Release!" He yelled, a grin appearing on his face as the Bolt raised high in the sky again, before crashing down in to the lower right of the retreating enemy ship, breaking through the wood and taking out several oarsmen who were inside. The enemy Trireme seemed to turn accidently with the unexpected attack, slowing them down further as the Trireme on each side of Dom began to over take them and head towards the ship that was now falling further behind the others that retreated. Gan Ning noticed them and shouted, "That's my prize!"
"More ships spotted!" A Hoplite shouted from nearby, having kept a look out whilst the rest of the Warriors were watching what was happening around them.
To the right of them was the island of Samos, with some Trireme from either Xanthippus's fleet or his own flanking them. Before them was the retreating enemy ships, whilst to the left was more of Xanthippus's fleet or those of Leotychides that had now began to join up with them. In the far right in front of them, appearing around the edge of Samos itself, the sight of sails could be seen appearing, heading towards the retreating sixth line as well.
"It's either more enemies." Centurion Cato stated in response as they all looked towards them.
"Or allies, could those be Astrid's fleet?" Centurion Septimius questioned as Gan Ning ordered for the Ballista to be loaded again, wanting to loose another Bolt and try and weaken another ship.
"The enemies are making good pace as they flee, our men are tired in comparison." Centurion Cato added, his tone asking Dom if they should push their men further for these additional gains, or give them chance to rest.
"Gan Ning, let loose towards the slowing Trireme again and we'll come alongside it." Dom ordered as he looked towards Centurion Cato in response, "Then we'll head towards the northern point of Samos. Centurion, once we have taken the enemy ship, signal to Leotychides and the fleet to follow us to Samos. We need to rest, regroup and plan before we head to Mycale."
"That sounds like a good idea Lord. Release!" Gan Ning replied, before shouting as he let loose the final Bolt of the day. The Bolt travelled fast, crashing in to the same side as the earlier Bolt, ripping wooden planks loose as the enemy ship slowed further. The enemy ship seemed to realise the situation as the Greek Trireme closed in, it's oars pulled in as if waiting to be boarded without putting up a fight. "I think the Battle is over for today."
"I think it is." Dom agreed as the new approaching fleet engaged with the fleeing sixth line that was now out of Dom's reach. The Sea Battle at Samos was coming to an end, but the Battle of Mycale was about to begin.