Aristidis, a young warrior blessed by the gods.

Yesterday was the start of a new beginning in your young life. Five years ago, you'd been a common laborer in a city state of little wealth or power. You joined the Polhades army to escape having to work in the mines which was his city's only other reliable source of employment. Anything would be better than toiling away deep underground where the light of sun never reaches, even the grueling training and mindless boredom of life in the small army of Polhades.

In fact, you took well to army life and became a competent warrior. Even so, your prospects had still only entitled you to the same basic food, lodging and pay that every other man in your phalanx could expect. Now, with the siege of this rich city you at least have a chance to change your life. Although the wealth of Athenapolis was renown throughout all Greece, your small phalanx was only one among hundreds maybe even thousands of the units besieging the great city. When your king had joined the alliance of nations to punish the city, you expected to return from the campaign a wealthy man. You imagined returning to Polhades with chests of gold and enough captured slaves to keep you in comfort for the rest of your life. A man like that would attract the attention of many prominent families willing to offer up their pretty daughters in marriage.

You quickly discover that the reality of a siege like this is very different from your idealistic expectations. Perhaps your duties are because of Polhades' small contribution and lack of notable heroes, or perhaps because that is just how it is, but so far you and your troop of spearmen had yet to see the inside of the fabulous, white-walled city. Instead of overrunning rich mansions, killing the resistors and looting their households and plundering the tender morsels you find inside, your unit has been assigned guard duty on the long dusty road leading to the city. Yesterday however changed all that. What had happened on that day made you, Aristidis, a true hero of the war.

During yesterday's patrol, your squad encountered an attack in progress. Mercenary Raiders from the besieged city often slipped through the lines to attack the supply lines of the United Army. This was just one of many such raids that took place every day. You found yourself coming to the rescue of a newly arriving guild caravan glad for a little action to break the monotony of patrolling. The large caravan had many guards. Over triple the numbers of the raiders in fact, but the overconfident guardsmen had been drawn into an ambush and then scattered like wheat chaff as a Wing of Free-Riders hit the wagons from above. The veteran soldiers of the enemy knew their business and were systematically cutting through the panicking caravan guards. The unexpected arrival of your squad was the only thing that saved the caravan from being overrun, its rich merchants slaughtered or captured, and its wagons full of goods pillaged.

You and your platoon of eight Hoplites charged into the Rear of the Raiders and turned the fight into an all-out melee. Rather than stay and fight, the Athenian Mercenaries began to disengage while the Riders targeted what appeared to be the carriage of the master of the convoy who was surrounded by confused and panicked men. At the time, you weren't sure if the Riders meant to kill the Gold-robed Slaver or take him for ransom. Either way it was your duty to see that they wouldn't succeed. While the caravan's fighters were dying or fleeing, you managed to interpose yourself between the long lances of the Riders and the cowering -guild representative. Your spear drove deep into the belly of the first Winged Drake before it's Rider had even spotted the danger. While the Drake reeled back in pain you yanked free your spear and managed to skewer the beast's disoriented Rider. The Drake was well-trained and when it's dying Rider accidentally pulled on its reigns in the worst way possible, the mount turned to obey the command. This put it in the perfect position to thrust your spear into the neck of the unfortunate animal, landing a killing blow that the other Riders saw in horrid detail.

Screaming in rage for their friend the other two Riders turned on you where you stood with your spear in hand.

You still don't know how you accomplished it. You only know that once everything was over Your sword hand was drenched in blood and another powerful Drake lay dying at your feet and its Rider slain. Half of your broken spear protruded from the torso of the great winged lizard and your sword dripped an unhealthy amount of blood onto the ground and was bent at an unnatural angle. The last surviving Drake Rider was flying away. It seems that neither man nor beast had any desire to fight after witnessing you in action.

The slaver, Nikolaos Vasili Heratius, ecstatic in his unexpected rescue, was effusive in his gratitude to you for saving his life, and from that moment on you somehow knew your future was finally going to get better.