The Quarry

[Rage Menelas]

[font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Shields were the first thing that came to mind. It could make all the difference in a fight. They had given the Spartans a distinct edge over the Persians, had given the legions of Rome the ability to triumph over a more numerous foe on numerous occasions. And even today on Earth they were a vital part of riot gear in the inner cities. Armor was the answer! That and the tactics to use it.

He enlisted the aid of his earlier host, Aerose, instructing him to choose thirteen of his brethren warriors. This would be his model battalion. He would have seven pikemen backed up by seven archers. The pikemen would be heavily armored and carrying a new weapon, a nine-foot pike.

Earlier he had called for Raera'ad to bring him seven of the wooden poles they used to assemble the roofs of their yurts. He now brazenly drew the blade from the sheath at Aerose's belt and began strapping it to the end of one of the poles. The warriors looked on aghast. They had no clue what he was trying to accomplish until he stood up with the pike held over his right shoulder and began advancing on them, jabbing in mock combat. Their eyes grew wide and they nodded jubilantly. In that instant, he rose immeasurably in their estimation of him as a warrior.

Next he picked up one of the armadillo shells which he had also requested. Using a rudimentary awl and chisel, he attached leather straps to the shell and showed how it could be used to ward off the blows of the enemy. This excited the warriors even more. Soon they were all busy mimicking his work on pikes and shields. Before long there were six more. Now it was time for tactical training with the new weaponry.

He knelt on the ground and scraped back the moss to expose the rich black dirt beneath. He motioned for the men to gather around in a circle. Now he placed gray stones in a line abreast where he wanted the pikemen to stand. Behind them he placed a row of white stones that represented archers. He laid his hand on edge behind the line of gray stones then pushed them, en mass, forward an inch. Then he pushed the archers up to where the pikemen had been. He looked around to see who caught on. Aerose and one other was eagerly nodding their understanding.

Ryan now rose and positioned the two men in-the-know one on either side of him, both with pike and shield. He picked up a weapon and shield himself. He hefted his pike overhand to his shoulder and pulled the shield up to where he was peering over the top of it. They did the same. He nodded and took a big step forward, stopped, jabbed with the pike then took another. The other men mimicked his moves perfectly and at that point was born the phalanx on Pella'agre...