The road south of Amyklai wound through open fields where smoke no longer rose. Leonidas marched with his men, their shields glinting, their steps steady. But his eyes strayed from the crops to the small corral just beyond the village wall. Horses—lean, restless, stamping against wooden posts.
The overlay shimmered faintly.
[Potential Detected: Rare | Artisan Skill – Cavalry Trainer.]
A man stood among them, his gait limping, his arm scarred, but his voice carried clear authority as he whistled and clicked. The beasts obeyed, circling him like disciplined soldiers. He stroked one's muzzle, calming it when it reared.
Leonidas approached. "Not every man can bend horses to his will."
The man turned. His eyes were weathered, hard. "Not will. Patience. Horses aren't tools. They're brothers. Treat them otherwise, they'll throw you."
"What's your name?"
"Eryx," he said simply.
---
Theron studied the corral. "Sparta fights on foot. Horses are for kings in other lands."
Eryx snorted. "Tell that to raiders who strike fast and vanish faster. Tell it to archers who keep out of spear reach. You want to catch ghosts, you need hooves."
The overlay flickered:
Strength: 7
Skill (Horsemanship): A
Potential: S (Rare Trainer)
Loyalty: 44% (Distrustful)
Leonidas watched the horses snort steam into the cold air. He saw in his mind a line of riders striking flanks, chasing archers from rooftops, breaking chaos into rout.
But he also saw the council's faces. Sparta fought in phalanxes, shoulder to shoulder. Horses had no place in their narrow vision of war.
---
Leonidas met Eryx's gaze. "If you join us, your horses won't just be for raids. They'll become part of the wall."
Eryx's lips twisted into something between a grin and a sneer. "A wall on hooves? Never heard of such a thing."
"Then let Sparta be the first."
The overlay pulsed faintly—Loyalty: 50% (Considering).
Eryx shook his head. "I've trained horses for lords, raiders, even kings. They always wanted speed, power, pride. None cared for patience. If you're different, prove it."
Leonidas nodded. "Come with us. I'll give you a wall worth trusting."
---
That night, the Iron Cohort camped outside Amyklai. Eryx brought two horses into the firelight, sleek beasts that pawed the earth nervously. The soldiers muttered, uncertain. Doros laughed. "Next you'll have us sprout wings."
Kyros smirked. "I wouldn't mind wings if it means I don't have to march."
But when Eryx mounted one horse and guided it in a tight circle, his commands subtle, the men fell quiet. The animal moved like water under his touch. He dismounted, tossing the reins toward Leonidas.
"Try," he said.
Leonidas swung up awkwardly, but the horse shifted beneath him with surprising steadiness. He remembered his own system-gifted training—discipline, rhythm, breath. He applied the same to the reins and his seat. The beast responded, hesitant but obedient.
The men clapped and jeered, but there was awe in their eyes.
The overlay chimed softly:
[Recruitment Complete: Artisan – Cavalry Trainer.]
[Faction Upgrade: Cavalry Potential Unlocked.]
---
The next day, when Leonidas reported the recruitment to the council, the hall erupted.
"Cavalry?" spat the narrow-jawed overseer. "Un-Spartan nonsense! Sparta fights shoulder to shoulder, not prancing on beasts like Persians!"
Another barked, "Do you mean to shame us before the world? Will you turn our walls into riders?"
Kleon sneered openly. "It proves what I've said all along. He doesn't think like a Spartan. He corrupts our ways."
Leonidas stood unmoving, voice calm. "Sparta survives because we adapt. Horses are not shame. They are speed, reach, strength. Our enemies use them. If we ignore them, we'll fall behind. If we master them, we'll stand above all."
The overseers muttered, their pride at war with reason.
Damaris's voice cut through. "Enough. Let him keep his trainer. If it fails, the shame is his. If it succeeds, Sparta gains. Either way, the wall does not weaken."
Leonidas bowed his head, hiding the faint smile tugging at his lips. Sparta fears change. Good. Let them fear. Iron is forged in fire, not comfort.
---
That night, as the Iron Cohort drilled with Phokas's sharpened weapons gleaming in the torchlight, Eryx worked with a pair of recruits on horseback nearby. Awkward, hesitant, but learning.
Theron approached Leonidas. "You know the council will fight you every step of this."
"They already do," Leonidas replied. "But when the First Wave comes, they won't argue about tradition. They'll thank me the moment hooves trample what would have killed them on foot."
The overlay flickered softly:
Cavalry Unit: In Progress (0/20 trained)
Projected Cohesion: 85% with Eryx, cap 90% if integrated into Spartan training
Leonidas clenched his fist. Iron walls. Iron hooves. Let the world laugh now. They won't laugh long.