The Wings of Mercury
Copyright© 2025 by Lumpy
Chapter 21
Pella, Macedonia
Ramirus stood by the window of his temporary quarters in Pella, his eyes fixed on the bustling streets below. It had been a less than productive several weeks since his first meeting with the Greeks. They had only grown more stubborn and contrarian since. To the point where he was pretty sure they were not negotiating on an even field and had sent young Gaius to keep an eye on some of their Greek friends to see what was really going on.
As if he thought him into existence, there was a quick knock followed by Gaius being let into the room by Modius, who’d taken to guarding him as closely as he had the Empress. Ramirus thought he was an easier charge, however, since he was not as adventurous as their leader. He, for instance, rarely felt the need to be out doing things for himself, as opposed to dispatching subordinates and hired hands to do the more physical work for him.
“What did you find?” Ramirus asked as Modius shut the door.
“You were correct; I apologize for not having more patience.”
Ramirus smiled at the young man. He was a sharp lad, who’d done excellent service for the Empress, both organizationally as her aide and keeping her safe. He was, however, young and had the failings young men have. Most notably the inability to wait and let situations play out before acting, always wanting to be doing rather than waiting to do a thing right.
“That is fine, Gaius. I just hope you remember this for the future. Now, in what way was I correct?”
“The Macedonians and the Thracians have had visitors. They were well-bundled to conceal their identities and came in late at night under the cover of darkness, but I managed to finally see one of their faces. They match the descriptions we’ve had of the easterners. It was unmistakable.”
“I was afraid of as much, but it explains their attitudes. This complicates matters significantly. We may have to inform the Empress that we’ve failed and set up defenses along the Italian border. If they are already in the pocket of our adversary, abandoning all of Greece might be our only option now.”
“Sir, is that not premature?”
“I...” Ramirus began to say before a knock at the door interrupted them.
Ramirus waved Gaius to see who it was. Even with Modius outside, who would surely have prevented someone with the intent to harm them from getting that close to the door, at least without a struggle loud enough to hear, Gaius’s hand was on the dagger at his waist.
Cracking it slightly, he whispered to the guard on the other side of the door before half closing it and turning back to Ramirus.
“There are representatives from Illyria, Epirus, and Corinth here who say they need to speak with you.”
“Then let them in,” Ramirus said.
Gaius stepped back, pulling the door fully open, and three men who Ramirus had spoken to individually several times, but not collectively, entered. All had been in the cautiously neutral category, so far as Ramirus was concerned. They hadn’t been as hostile to him as, say, the Macedonians or the Thracians, but they also hadn’t welcomed his proposals with open arms either.
“Welcome, gentlemen. To what do I owe the pleasure of your collective company?”
“We hope to have a moment of your time. We have ... concerns and thought it time to talk plainly about them.”
‘It’s about time,’ Ramirus thought.
What he actually said was, “Then please, take a seat and tell me what is troubling you. I must say, I am surprised to see the three of you together. I did not get the impression Corinth did much trading with either Illyria or Epirus.”
“We share some common interests, the most pressing of which is why we came to see you,” the man from Illyria said. “We have ... concerns. Specifically about some of our neighbors.”
The man paused, exchanging glances with the other two. Clearly, they were nervous, although Ramirus could not tell why. Greece was never a tightly knit region, with its various kingdoms and city-states fighting among each other as much as they cooperated. Going against some of those neighbors now should not be that large of a stretch for them.
“We believe some of them have been in talks with the easterners and are not only considering turning their support in that direction, but are in the process of finalizing the details of it. While that concerns us, the fact that it is the Macedonians, Paeonians, Thessalians, and Thracians is what drives us here. Together, that group makes up the entire northwest of Greece. For now, we hold the easterners at the Dardanelles, since it is slow and difficult for them to get large numbers of men across easily, at least while you hold the sea. If these kingdoms go to their side, especially the Thracians, it opens all of Greece to their threat. We will be left helpless.”
“Yes, I am aware of this.”
“You are!” The man from Corinth said, more as a stunned statement than a question.
“Yes. We’ve recently become aware that several of your neighbors have been meeting with representatives of the eastern invaders. Although I hadn’t realized it was so many of them. I’m not sure that this should come as a surprise to any of you. They have made it fairly clear that they think continuing to fight will only end in failure.”
“We were aware they were considering it, but to think they would go this far without telling anyone or discussing it with the rest of us was ... unexpected,” the man from Epirus said.
Ramirus had to fight to keep his face in check. Could they be that naive? None of them, not even the powers these men represented, worked well with their neighbors. They would regularly backstab one another for the slightest advantage. To think that this time would be different was wishful thinking. Terrified men who hoped for a sudden, unexpected reprieve from the doom at their doorstep.
“What’s done is done,” Ramirus said. “What matters now is how you respond. If the northwestern powers have given over, then the front will be extended and hard to defend. Are you the only ones willing to fight for your people?”
“Athens, Argos, and Sparta remain undecided, but they might be swayed to our cause,” the Corinthian representative said.
“I think if enough come over, especially Athens, the rest will join with us. With Athens and Corinth, most of the states would be otherwise cut off from an easy partnership with the easterners or the northwestern kingdoms. Their position would be precarious,” the Illyrian representative said. “Even with them, ours is equally as troubling.”
“Our offer still stands, even if for only a few of you. Let me be clear. If you join the Western Alliance, Britannia will fight to protect your people and your lands. This is not a hollow promise, but a solemn commitment.
“And what exactly would this commitment entail?”
Ramirus managed to just hold in the exasperated sigh. Even at this late moment, when they come to him, tails between their legs in fear, still they haggle.
“It means full integration into our alliance. There are no half-measures in this. You’ll be expected to contribute troops and resources. In return, we will allocate troops to help you as well as ensure your forces are trained and armed to the same standard as any other member of the alliance. With Italia on the verge of joining the alliance, we will have the manpower to bolster your defenses and protect the entire border with the traitor states. We’re also prepared to defend the entirety of the Middle Sea, including the Aegean and Ionian.”
“That’s all well and good, but can we truly withstand a direct confrontation with the easterners? Even with your support, their numbers are vast and they match you in arms,” the Epirus representative asked.
Ramirus could see they were worried. They wanted to fight, but their fear could still drive them into the arms of the easterners, just as it had the Thracians and Macedonians.
“It’s a valid question. The easterners are formidable, no doubt. But our alliance has advantages they can’t match. The easterners are, as far as we can tell, copying our technology, and already our philosophers have new weapons in the works that will once again tip the balance in our favor. Their equality in arms will not last. I can’t stress enough, however, that you can’t wait for that to happen. It is important to act now, before they make inroads. This is a unique moment for the Greek states to stand united and prevent the easterners from gaining a foothold on your soil.”
The men exchanged looks, clearly still unsure. Greeks. Always haggling until the last moment, never willing to commit until they knew who was going to win. In the last war, they only turned against the Carthaginians in the last months, with Britannian armies at the very doors of Carthage itself and nearly all Carthaginian forces pulled from their borders.
And even then, it was only by proclamation.
Gone were the Greeks who stood up to Xerxes. Gone were the forbearers of Philip and Alexander. These were a shadow of the men that came before them.
“Gentlemen, I cannot stress enough the importance of immediate action. Every moment we delay gives the easterners more time to gain a foothold in your lands. Now is the moment to prove you are who your ancestors were.”
“But surely, if we wait, we might gather more support...” the Illyrian envoy started to say.
“No,” Ramirus cut him off firmly. “Waiting only serves our enemies. The longer we hesitate, the more attractive their offers become to those who fear the coming storm. If you mean to stand with us, then you must do it now. Otherwise, we will have to pull back to lands that do wish to defend themselves. We will do our best to supply you with what you need to fight off the easterners, should you choose to fight, but once the line is crossed we must do what we have to for the good of the alliance. You can be part of that and get our full support ... or not. It’s your choice.”
“And if we fail?” the man from Corinth asked.
“Then we fail together, but I assure you, the alternative is far worse. Do you long for a return of masters from far away to answer to? Do you miss the Carthaginians that much?”
Silence fell over the men. The men exchanged glances again, but they knew they had no choice. They couldn’t dither or dally any longer. It was time to shit or leave the latrine. Ramirus knew he needed just one of them to agree, and the others would follow. They were just too afraid to be first.
Finally, the Illyrian envoy spoke. “You’re right. We cannot simply wait till they come for us. Illyria will stand with the Western Alliance.”
As he predicted, the other two followed.
“As will Epirus.”
“And Corinth. May the gods have mercy on us all.”
Ramirus allowed himself a small smile. “You’ve made the right choice, gentlemen. Britannia will honor its commitments. You will not stand alone against this threat.”
“What now?” the Epirote asked.
“Now,” Ramirus said. “We must move swiftly. Your task is twofold and equally critical. You need to go to your leaders and make sure they agree with your decision, and convince your people this is the right course. They must understand there is no halfway commitment. Equally as important, you must reach out to the other Greek states not yet in the easterners’ pocket. Athens, Argos, Sparta – all must be swayed to our cause before the Macedonians and Thracians can convince them otherwise. The enemy thinks they have some time, that their agreements are a secret. I also get the sense that they have not finalized their terms. We have seen easterners sneaking in and out of the secret negotiations, which means they are on the verge of turning, but have not done so yet. We can move faster, and rally the rest of Greece behind us, before they know it’s happening.”
“That will be no easy task. Many will be reluctant to choose sides in this conflict.”
“Then make them see there is no true neutrality,” Ramirus countered. “If the south remains divided, it will doom any hope of a unified Greek response. Even if that unified response only encompasses half of Greece, it’s far better than scattered, ineffective resistance. Stress the urgency. Emphasize the threat. Make it clear that this is not some distant conflict, but a fight for the very soul of Greece.”
The men all nodded their understanding. Now that they’d committed and fallen in with the Britannians, they had their rudder again. A new north star to guide them.