Story: "Lions" - A tale of the Sacred Band
This is a story about the Sacred Band of Thebes I wrote some time ago. The Italian version of this tale was recently chosen for publication on the Italian magazine "voci" by Kappa edizioni, and the story has been illustrated by a couple of professional illustrators. I'm going to post the scans of the beautiful illustrations at the end of the story
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"I knew I had earned another day beside you, Dìmaratos"!!! I loved your tone - the elegance of phrasing and the passion! I wish I could read Italian!
..."and I can clearly remember my first clash, when everything flows by like an uproarious stream, red and alive as a wound - though it always assumes the jagged and smoky profiles of dream, afterward. Blood I never feared, nor did I fear the high cry of enemies - whoever they were - when I threw myself into the wild charge, in the wake of iron and copper - in the clashing of weapons, in the dusty roar of battle."
This was just magnificent - my very favorite paragraph. It was so sharply visual and descriptive I had to slow down and savor it! Flora, this section was unspeakably well written! Harrowing and evocative and visceral, poetry and heroism hand in hand! Gah!
I loved, loved, loved your story. You moved me to tears with their tale and then the ending very nearly killed me even though I knew it was to be. Cradling the dead body of his beloved, the brave boy waiting for Alexander and death to take him!
*sigh*
Perfect.
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Thank you so much for this praise, it means a lot to me.
I'm glad that you loved this story and its characters, I tried to express what I think might have been the homoerotic bond in that culture, and I'm so pleased to know you think I pulled that off.
Also, thank you for your comments regarding my style. I always thought that style is the recipient in which the story is poured - they are two faces of the same medal, and both crucial to the economy of a piece of writing.
So thank you, my dear.
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