Sons of Sparta - A Story of the Spartans, Book 3
(inspired by the story 'Spartan' parts 1 through 4)
by argouru
Note: All credit for the creation of the Spartans and Amazons, as well as the Spartan mythos belongs to the author 'CF', to whom I owe special thanks for his allowing me to write about these incredible people.
WARNING: Portions of this installment of the series includes a section regarding mental illness.
The following Wednesday, Henry met John at the temple after his shift so that they could bear witness to what the priests called a 'Rite of Confirmation'. John was rather confused at the nervous, preoccupied behavior of the rest of the staff, who all walked around looking somewhat grim. What's going on around here? the new Spartan thought, looking around at everyone with concern. They all act like someone's died, or something. As John thought back to every other Rite of Confirmation, which along with the Spartans-only services, was one of the only two religious services he was never permitted to attend, he couldn't help but to wonder why he wasn't allowed to attend a Confirmation. The Spartans-only Rite spoke for itself, so he had never begrudged them too much whenever he was left out of that type of service. Every time there was a Rite of Confirmation, however, everyone always acted so dire. He also noticed several people glancing at him nervously from time to time.
Henry arrived, looking just as grim, and took Glenn over to the parents' house next door for Daniel to watch over until after the Rite before coming back to join his husband. He tried to offer John a reassuring smile, but it faltered on his lips, making John even more suspicious as to what was going on. "Henry," John asked slowly. "Why is everyone acting so strangely?"
"What are talking about?" Henry asked weakly, trying hard to look calm in a thoroughly unconvincing manner.
"You're a lousy liar, Henry. What's really going on here?" John asked firmly.
His husband sighed. "The Rite of Confirmation is our most sacred tradition. It's the most important ceremony for young Spartan children. Everyone in the family except those who were born human have been through it. I want to perform it for Glenn too and I want you there for it, but it's important for you to see it done before we Confirm our son."
"Why?" John asked, feeling confused.
His husband shook his head slowly. "I'm not permitted to speak about it to anyone who hasn't first seen it for themselves," Henry said sadly.
"You sound like that old 'Matrix' movie. 'No one can be told what the Matrix is', and all that."
Henry winced. "Please don't be blasphemous!" he groaned.
"I'm not being blasphemous," John said with a shrug. "I just don't get what the big deal is."
Henry felt guilty that he couldn't tell his husband what was wrong. "I'm sorry I can't tell you, but the Rite of Confirmation is our most closely guarded tradition. We're forbidden by divine law from speaking of it to anyone who has never witnessed the Rite for themselves. Please try to understand."
Just then, the temple gong sounded its low, deep note. Many of those waiting paled somewhat as everyone fell silent. A sacrifice is part of the Confirmation Rite? John wondered as everyone moved towards the altar chamber, those who did not possess their own swords, including John, who felt that his loaned blade was good enough most of the time, moved over to Keith after disrobing, the man passing out the blades gravely. John noted that one of the fathers whose child was to be Confirmed was given a different sword from everyone else. That must be the Blade of Confirmation, he wondered, noting that the sword looked somewhat grimmer than the normal weapons of worship. Keith had told John about it his first time working in the armory, telling the then-human to leave that blade for Keith himself to care for without explaining why it was so important. Although he had worked at the temple for about a year now, John realized now that he knew nothing about this Rite. It seemed that now the mystery would finally be revealed to him.
John took his own blade from Keith, who eyed him nervously before joining them inside the chamber and standing next to him, John noting that Nathan came over to join them and moving to stand behind him as well. He looked around in confusion. Where's the sacrificial animal? They rang the gong that warns squeamish people that a life could be claimed in Apollo's name, so where is it?
Sam strode forward, looking solemn as the attendants passed out cards bearing the prayers. Henry, Keith and Nathan didn't need them, but John took one as the attendant passed, since he'd never taken part in this particular service before and didn't know what he was supposed to say.
Sam, serving in his role as head priest, stood tall and proud before the worshippers. "Who do I see before me?" he asked firmly.
"The sons of Sparta!" the Spartan members of the assembly, John included, shouted.
"And how do you exist?" Sam asked.
"By the divine intervention of our most gracious god Apollo!" they declared proudly.
"And what do you require?" the head priest asked firmly.
"The blessing of holy Zeus, this day and always."
The Spartans readied themselves for the next portion of the Rite by placing their hands to the hilts of their sheathed blades, Henry telling John quietly what to do, the father in the front of the worshippers holding his baby positioned his infant son high on his left shoulder and carefully supporting him with his left arm only as he took hold of his sheathed weapon.
"And for what reason were you created?" the head priest asked gravely.
The Spartan men drew their swords as one, then raised them in the air and shouted together "For vengeance!"
John got an odd emotional jolt inside as he shouted the response, feeling stronger and prouder than he ever had before. I could get to like this feeling, he thought to himself with a strong swelling of pride and fierceness that he realized was his warrior's instincts. Maybe I should take part in the Spartans-only service tomorrow...
The fathers brought forth their child and John listened to the exchange between the head priest and the parents. John prayed aloud along with the other Spartans as the next verse was spoken formally.
"Mighty Apollo" they prayed, "For vengeance and out of sympathy for our tears for our mothers You created us. You blessed us and set us apart from all other men. By Your divine intervention alone we exist and give birth to new life and keep the memory of our home and Your mercy alive across the years. We thank You for this, Your new son, born to keep the same memory alive into a new generation. Divine Hera, we cry with You and ask You to moderate Your anger. Out of grief for our mothers we continue to accept both blessing and curse and pray to You, reluctant mother of us all, that You will one day forgive our impertinence. Mighty Zeus, creator of all, who granted Your blessing on the whole world and confirmed Your love for the men of Sparta, be with us this hour as we welcome our newest brother and son to the fold. In the name of the people of Sparta we pray."
Then the head priest instructed the father bearing the normal blade to place the child on the altar before stepping away, his eyes locked onto the infant. The head priest asked the other parent a series of questions, to which the father always answered affirmatively in a grim tone. Then to John's shock, he lifted his unsheathed sword, John only now realizing that he had never sheathed it like everyone else had done with theirs, and aimed it downwards over the child, pointing the tip of the wickedly sharp blade at the boy's heart.
It was in that moment that John realized why no one ever spoke of this. He's not going to actually do it, is he? Wait... Henry said everyone in the family who was born Spartan went through this. They can't kill the child because Henry's still here.... Maybe it's just symbolic. But he thought back on the questions Sam, or the head priest rather, had asked. Then he saw the fear and dread on the further away father and saw that the hands of the other parent who held the blade over their son were trembling. He also remembered hearing the gong and realized that this was real. He moved to step forward, but Henry grabbed his arm so tightly that it hurt.
"John!" Henry whispered in a panicked tone. "Don't! Please!" he begged, looking terrified. "You can't!"
John stared at him in shock at his reaction, then felt Keith take his other arm. "John! You mustn't!" the head of security hissed fiercely with urgency.
John turned to look at him in shock, then looked around the room, many of the men staring at him with horror and fear. Then he looked up to Sam, who shook his head ever so slightly, his eyes moist and his expression a mixture of fear, dread and determination. John shifted his gaze to the father who waited away from the altar, who stared at him in abject terror, shaking his head emphatically and pleading with his eyes. 'No... Please!' the man begged him silently. The father holding the blade looked around and saw John being held, his face turning white as a sheet, his eyes full of fear.
John realized that as horrible as the situation was, things would be far, far worse if he interfered. Seeing the siring father pleading for him to stay back and not become involved was what made up his mind. John eased back into place slowly, relaxing his tense muscles and hanging his head for a moment before nodding.
With that, the tension in the chamber eased somewhat, although Henry maintained a firm grip on John's arm.
The head priest took a deep, steadying breath, put his hands on his sword hilts and dropped to one knee. "Mighty Apollo. We thank You for Your divine intervention. We most humbly beg that You identify and claim as Your own the sons of Sparta here present and accept as a sacrifice those who claim Your parentage falsely."
John gasped in a mixture of shock and pain as he felt a stinging sensation in his stomach and looked down to see his filaments come out of his navel. He looked around to see the same thing happening with every other Spartan present. He looked up to the altar to see that the baby also had emerged filaments, then watched as the head priest leaned over with relief and pinched the baby's substance, making the child wail in distress. The filaments were released, but the pain of having had his filaments handled continued to cause the child to cry in agony.
"Apollo, You bless us with Your gift and Your presence, hold us in Your arms we pray," the head priest said. "Hera Your curse is our dignity and identity, look with mercy upon us we pray. Zeus we present this, our brother Richard Benson as a true son of Sparta and worthy by all present to be called kin."
"Worthy by all present to be called kin," everyone repeated together, John stumbling slightly to get out the words as he recovered from his lingering emotions over what had transpired.
The head priest then got to his feet and let go of his swords. "Son of Sparta" he said with deep relief and calmness to the sword-bearing father, "Lower your sword and recognize your brother."
The father lowered his blade with relief and sheathed it as the head priest picked the crying child up, kissed his forehead and handed him to the other parent. "Let us welcome our son and brother!" he declared, smiling at the boy within the parent's arms.
Some of the men went to move, but stopped at the cold stares some of the others were giving John, a few staring at his filaments with looks of either uncertainty or open scorn.
"I'm sorry, alright?" John said loudly, but some of the doubters continued to stare. "What? You don't think I'm Spartan now? Fine!" he exclaimed fiercely and grabbed his filaments roughly. The pain made him scream in agony, his legs giving out on him as he nearly lost consciousness. Fortunately, Henry and Keith caught him as he began to collapse. The doubters looked at John in shock, seeing him break out in a pain-induced sweat as he groaned in agony, his body trembling violently in reaction to the trauma he had just inflicted upon himself. Then the men turned to leave, feeling either shocked or satisfied.
"HOLD!" Sam bellowed fiercely, making everyone in the chamber stop dead in their tracks and look at him in shock to see the head priest with an expression of outrage on his face. "You dare doubt the will of Apollo?!?" Sam shouted furiously. "You doubt His power?!? His wisdom?!? You see for yourself that Apollo has claimed and identified this man as His own! John Apolloson IS a true son of Sparta! He is as worthy as any of you to claim such heritage! If you doubt that claim, then step forward now!" the head priest proclaimed fiercely, drawing his blades in answer to any who would dare make challenge.
John trembled in aftershock, staring at his father-in-law in surprise that the man would shed blood in his defense, simply so that he could call himself Spartan. He looked around, but the doubters grew pale, then knelt, one after another, facing the statue of their god. John could hear some of them murmuring prayers of apology to the deity. After they finished, they rose.
"Now," the head priest said, sheathing his blades. "Let us also recognize John Apolloson as a true son of Sparta, worthy by all present to be called kin!"
"Worthy by all present to be called kin," everyone intoned formally.
"And just so there is no more doubt," the head priest added, pinching his own filaments and biting his tongue to avoid screaming, staggering from the pain until Walter caught him.
Walter looked out at the men. "And let us also declare that Sam Apolloson is also a true son of Sparta and worthy by all present to be called kin!" the Brit said loudly.
"Worthy by all present to be called kin," everyone, John included, responded.
"Now," Sam said in a shaky voice dripping with resentment and pain, "let us go celebrate this joyous event."
The fathers brought their child over to the doorway, where John, Henry, Keith, Walter and Sam waited, Nathan having gone out to tell the kitchen to bring out the feast of celebration. "I'm sorry about how I acted," John apologized to the proud fathers.
"It's okay," the siring father said. "Thanks for not interfering."
"We knew it was your first," the birth father said, "but the first one is always the worst. Congratulations to you, too."
"Thanks," he replied, the pain fading enough that he was able to stand up properly now. He was shocked by the next person to came to him.
Ralph stood there, looking ashamed and shifting from one foot to the other. "John..." he said, forcing out the words with difficulty. "I'm sorry about how I treated you. I'll try not to ever do it again. If I do, feel free to slug me, okay?"
"Alright," John said with a smile laced with residual pain. "Thanks."
Ralph nodded solemnly and headed out.
With that, they all went to attend the feast...
During the feast, the Spartans' filaments retracted back into their bodies, bringing John relief from his discomfort. He ate silently, mulling things over and over in his mind. Henry saw this and grew nervous. "John? Please talk to me," he pleaded.
John gave him a solemn look, then guided him over to a corner. "If that baby hadn't been Spartan, he would've been killed, wouldn't he?" he asked quietly. Henry nodded gravely. "Why?" John asked thickly. "I'll admit that I didn't enjoy being human, but people around here act like it's a crime or something!" he hissed, his feelings making him passionate.
"It's the will of the gods," Henry replied sadly. "No one can be permitted to claim Spartan heritage falsely. Any who would do so must be put to death for the sake of us all. It was only through divine intervention that we Spartans ever came to exist. As such, we serve as a symbol of Their power. To claim heritage to that power unjustly is the deepest of insults to the Gods, so any who falsely claim such must be slain for the safety of our species. The gods will not permit anything less."
"What would have happened if I had interrupted the Rite?" John asked grimly, afraid he already knew the answer.
"The Rite would be violated and the gods offended. The only way to appease them in that situation is for the offending party to be struck down in apology to Them, then the child. The birth father would have to be the one to do so. If he did not, then it would've become the duty of the head priest to take the life of the birth father for denying the will of the gods, then the baby as well as the offender."
John stared at his husband in shock and disbelief, a river of ice-cold fear flowing down his spine as he realized that he had nearly gotten both himself and others killed. He knew that someone would have died and those deaths would have been his fault. "And if the baby hadn't been Spartan, he would've had to die?" he asked again, trying not to think more about the fact that he had almost caused the death of the child and himself as well. Although he had willingly sacrificed himself to Apollo and had been suicidal before, John no longer sought death and was horrified at nearly having caused the deaths of others, simply through his own lack of understanding.
"Yes," Henry replied sadly.
"And you want to do this to Glenn?" John asked in shock.
"Yes," Henry said, looking the man he loved in the eyes firmly, his jaw set.
"But he could DIE, Henry!" John hissed, keeping his voice low. "What right do you have to gamble our son's life on the pride of our species?"
Henry stared at John with a firm expression. "Because I believe in Glenn... And I won't have him living a lie. It means too much to me to make him grow up with that uncertainty hanging over him. "
John hung his head, unable to understand why this was so important to his husband. John's desire to become Spartan had been based on personal insecurity and a desire to be strong. To him, it didn't matter what species his son was. "Why is this so important to you?" he asked, unable to understand.
"It's warrior's pride, John. I need to do this, for Glenn's sake. You don't have to be a part of it, but I want you there for Glenn's Confirmation. He's your son as much as mine and it's only right for you to bear witness to it. You're his father too and I want us to do this together as a family."
"This is crazy," John said numbly.
"Don't you believe in Glenn? Don't you believe in us?" Henry asked with hurt in his voice.
"You're talking about blind faith, Henry! I'm not that kind of person! I don't know if I ever can be," he finished sadly. "If I said no, would you do it anyways?" John asked quietly, looking his husband in the eye.
Henry looked hurt. "No. He's your son too, John. You have every right to have a say in how he's raised. If you said no, I'd obey your wishes," he said with a sad expression and moist eyes. "But it's not fair to Glenn to deny him his heritage. I'll obey your wishes, but I won't enjoy doing so."
John was shocked at his husband's behavior. "This really means that much to you?" he asked weakly. Henry nodded silently. "I need time... To think this over."
Henry nodded, grateful that John hadn't said no outright. With that, they returned to the feast proper, with Sam keeping a worried eye on his son-in-law from a distance...