He killed before, many men, women and children have died because of him. They called him the beast. His own soldiers have both admired and feared him. He was the one in the first lines when the walls were breached. Thanos the beast, as they called him, had taken a part in ransacking many of the cities of the east. He mercilessly stormed Troy, Kolonae, Pedasus and many other places.
His soldiers were known for their pursuing and killing refugees after the sieges. Thanos, as their leader, had taken thousands of souls to the underworld. But now everything became different. Thanos was still strong, he could take down a bull if he wanted, but he couldn’t kill any more.
It all started when they were in the vicinity of Ismarus. They have started burning the villages and taking prisoners. They would round up the villagers, then they would beat them up. After that, they’d make them take all of their clothes off and then spit on them. They wanted to kill every trace of resistance in locals, but that wasn’t the end of their suffering. They had to kiss the sandals of the soldiers as a sign of accepting Greek rule and throwing away their Trojan origins.
Those who couldn’t, or didn’t want to do as they demanded were executed. Those who did were set free. The survivors were often despised among the Trojans, they were considered cowards who watched their own people die while they begged for their lives. It was a great tactic to spread fear among the conquered, but it came with a cost.
Thanos and his companions had soaked whole Troad in blood, and they were now heading for the Thrace, where some of the Trojan refugees took shelter among the Thracian tribes. In the middle of his raiding campaign, he lost control over his thoughts. One day, when he was sharpening his sword on a wet stone at the local armory, one of his officers called for him.
“We have captured another group”, he told him, “Should I order to begin or wait for you?” Thanos smiled at him, after putting his sword in the sheets, he took his knife and said: “I have to finish my knife first, I’ll come in a few minutes.” He took the knife and started grinding it against the stone. Smile on his face has appeared when the knife started throwing first sparks. He enjoyed to watch his enemies suffer. After all, it was his duty to avenge his wife and daughter who were killed during the start of the war in a Phrygian raid.
When he was ready, he left the storage tent and he started his first steps on the midday sun. “You know the rules, with women and children do whatever you want, leave the men to me”, he said to his soldiers who brought a group of thirty prisoners. The heavily armed hoplites started taking women and children away. Ten men were left, young and old they stood firmly. “Bring five here”, ordered Thanos, “let us begin.”
Guards took the youngest of them, thus leaving the old ones watch. The men stood with their chins up, and with a defiant look in their eyes. “Take off all your clothes!”, Thanos started shouting, but they still didn't want to. They just stood there and looked at him. “So you are the brave ones?”, he took his sword and approached one of them. Then the red stream stained the sand they were standing on. One of the prisoners quickly started taking his clothes off, but Thanos cut him too. “Coward, now take your clothes off and spit on them.”
Naked and humiliated, the prisoners were forced to obey. “Now kneel down, all of you”, Thanos was satisfied with his results. “Do you want to live?”,he asked, “I said, do you want to live?” The young men replied quietly: “yes.”
“Now listen to me, you have to kiss my sandals”, he told them, “only one of you will survive, the one is the best fighter.” The guards aimed their long spears at the men, and one of the guards gave them knives. The prisoners started fighting each other, motivated with nothing but a wish to survive they slaughtered their brothers. Eventually one of them was left. Wounded, he approached Thanos. “Am I the winner?”, he asked.
“Is a man who slays his own kin a winner?”, asked Thanos, “I really don’t know how can that be a victory, but you have won your freedom, now leave.” The man was confused, he asked: “will you not at least mend my wounds?” “Go to your own people for that, we have enough of our wounded”, Thanos was infuriated by the arrogance of a young man, “now get away from here before I change my mind!”
The wounded man ran away, Thanos then looked at the other group. Four men were standing with their faces looking down, but one was looking directly at Thanos. He was a tall man with a long black hair, he saw what happened to the other people, yet he had the courage to look at him. “You there, what are you looking at?”, Thanos was pointing at him, “Get over here now!”
He didn’t move, so the guards forced him, his face full of wrinkles didn’t change its sad expression. Thanos punched him a few times, after that he told him: “now kiss my sandals.” The man just stood there, the look of his sad face has made Thanos feel uncomfortable. He punched him again and again in order to make the man look away. The man was still looking at him, but now his face has changed. He didn’t seem sad at all, in fact, his facial expression was neutral, like nothing was happening.
For the first time Thanos felt vulnerable. Unable to make the man look away he felt like he had no power. “Don’t you see what I can do to you”, he started threatening the man, “I can make your heart stop beating now!” “So can a bear in that forest”, The man was still looking at him without fear. Some of his soldiers started laughing.
Thanos couldn’t believe what he heard, he started beating the man as hard as he could. The old man was covered in his own blood, his right eye was closed and he couldn’t stand anymore. But as he was kneeling he was still looking at Thanos.”Now do you see what I can do”, Thanos shouted uncontrollably, “kiss those sandals and save yourself!”
As he was hitting the man who was on the ground he felt defeated. For the first time his prisoner wasn’t begging for mercy, and he couldn’t do anything about it. Every time he hit him, he felt pain in his chest. It was the first time he felt helpless even though it was him who had the sword. Desperate, and in tears Thanos said to the man: “You can end this now, submit yourself to me and it will be over.”
“I… am… a human”, the man could barely speak, but he still had the same look in the eye that was still opened, “I… submit only… to myself.” Lost, furious and helpless, Thanos took his sword and stabbed it into the man’s chest. He was defeated by the man whom he killed.
He called one of his best men into his tent. “I cannot continue commanding, I wish you to take my place”, he told his officer while giving him his helmet.
The story was inspired by real events which occurred in World War II.
Image source: pixabay
This is my original work, copyright restricted.