Their stay in Sparta was relatively limited, only a handful of days wherein they purchased a number of donkeys and carts before sending them back to the ocean encampment where they could load up the supplies they brought and rejoin the legions before heading off towards the front.
The handful of days were spent in relative peace... well peace for a spartan, Julius was challenge almost daily while undergoing his own military practice, the spartan’s meanwhile conducted a mock battle against the legion, which was followed shortly thereafter by a mock battle with the Spartan royal guard against Julius’s Praetorians.
The army battle ended in a relative draw as the men became exhausted long before either side could clear have been called a winner, however the Praetorians were handidly the winners in a smaller scale fight where the Sparta phalanx couldn’t be utilized fully.
The prowess of these outsiders was shocking to the Spartans, however the respect for them also grew, nothing was better than another like minded colleague after all.
Sadly the relentless thrill of new combatants came to an end, after the Romanus solidery was easily fired up after their series of battle and the fact that the Spartans were the best of the best when it comes to hoplite battles their morale was soaring knowing they were off to fight against hoplites who weren’t professional soldiers.
Just like when the fought against the Lunan armies or Visigoth who were conscripts pulled up from the commoners and rushed through training as quickly as possible.
These battle hardened veterans joined up with the recently arrived regular soldiery with the supplies entow.
The soldiery rejoined had a whole new plan in place for their own personal training tricks and tactics that they had picked up from their comrades within the Spartan forces on how to further progress their own performance as hoplites.
as the 11,000 Romanus soldiers marched on away from the capital of sparta towards the border and ever closer to the front against the allied armies.
The days passed but even when Julius checked the [World Map] the war situation had yet to change it seems both sides were taking a break after the recent push.
As Julius didn’t have a large force to work with they could only head towards a single battlefield opting to go towards where the main spartan army was presently was the current descision.
However after a few days of travel the map changed again clearly a major battle was about to begin, and so Julis gave commands to his two legions as they split off from his millenion of Praetorians who continued on the road towards the camped Spartan army.
As the two 5,000 men legions marched off in two separate directions.
Yuri accompanied one of them, leaving Julius to meet the beligured Spartan force and second king along with his men.
It wasn’t long before they came upon the spartan army, as they got closer they of course came to order however upon seeing this was not an aggressive force they let up but only slightly.
Once they were close enough Julius and the Cohort command and vice commander broke off while the others stopped.
After meeting up and giving simple greetings Julius handed over Cilix’s writ informing them of their prescense.
After it was read and approve Julius and his men were allowed within the encampment, most of his men were led to an emptier section of the camp and told this section could be there’s at least for now as the men put down their things and rested after a long march.
the 3 leaders meanwhile were led towards the largest tent most likely the one used for the war council or for the king himself.
After arriving and being let inside they were greeted with the gruff faces of the Captains and Commanders of the Spartan army along with the man standing at the head presumably the 2nd King Leonidas.
After entering the three simple stood at the table no one introduced themselves, or offered greetings.
Julius simply began to study the map laid out before him while his guards did likewise while occasionally casting glances at the others in the tent with them.
After an awkward moment passed the silence was finally broken.
"Cilix claimed you had 10,000 men with you and yet you arrived with only 1,000? The rest cared not for the fight?"
"Not quite they are on their way to intercept the Argosians and Macedonians who have attempted to outflank your position in the north and south. My men and I meanwhile came here as we are the elite of our forces and in accordance to Greecian Customs the best always should stand right at the front of the battle field."
The Commanders in the room looked like they’d just sucked lemons after being shut up by Julius, Leonidas on the other hand only laughed heartily.
Never before could they think a lander would understand and appreciate Greecian customs, compared to the wars with Visigoth, Bridget, Lunan, or Roserun, Greecians fought wars in two stages.
The first stage is a battle of champions.
As the armies line up on the field of battle the strongest, or most brave would stand at the front and across the line a number would walk forward towards the middle laying challenges against the opposing champions.
Victors would claim the losers as the spoils of battle, and should it be a one-sided fight the winning champion could remain to challenge the next, meanwhile losers would be replaced by the next champion.
After the first day of battle once the champion duels had run their course either the decidedly losing side would surrender, or retreat.
If not then the second stage would come where the armies would attack and upon one side routing or after an entire day of combat breaking off for the night before resuming in the morning.
The fact that Julius was present to reinforce their Champion line up that had be stripped almost bare over the last couple of months due to losing in the champion fights or just straightout losing them in the regular combat.
As the reinforcements settled in the legions moving north and south likewise took up their position however these men and yuri sorely wished they could be spending the night in a secure camp like Julius, however knowing full well that come the morrow if they were in the camp they’d be wishing to be in their current place now instead.