When Deimos finally finished cleaning up his tent, he went back into bed.
The body now drifting lonely into the sea.
Was already starting to get eaten by the sharks.
But this did not disturb Deimos, he was hardend now and one or two deaths didn't faze him.
Syeinos looked at the galley from the shore.
"This is going to be a hard couple of years."
He saw the whole thing play out.
Both the assassination and how utterly undesturbed Deimos was with it.
"Well I will work on it tomorrow."
The next morning Deimos had just woken up
The sun shone trough the opening in his tent.
After stretching he got up.
Normally with Deimos age boys didn't wear clothes yet.
But because he was so big, he was allowed to wear armour before he was grown up to keep everything a bit modest.
After putting on his cuirass and leather belt.
He put on his commanding helmet.
And walked out of his tent.
When he noticed that the ship was already sailing.
"Morning Deimos had a good night of sleep?"
"Yeah I did."
"What are we going to do today?"
"For now we will do a routine patrol along our waterways."
"Checking our merchant vessels."
"Making sure they are not smuggling contraband."
"And keeping our waters clear of pirates."
"But you are going to get familiar with the working of the ship for this whole day from the sail to the galley rowers."
"Hmm alright where should I start."
"Begin below deck, with the rowers learn from the quarter master over there."
Deimos nodded and moved down towards the galley rowers.
The deck was semi open allowing light and airflow below deck.
Deimos had no haste, slowly looking at all the cargo loaded on the ship.
After making a round he moved towards the quarter master.
"Your highness what can I do for you?"
"I was told to make myself familiar with the inner workings of the ship."
"Oh that's good to hear you are already preparing to take command of the fleet."
"Haha I'm not that far yet quarter master."
"Hmm alright but what do you want to know."
"I would like to know how galley rowers function and where I have to keep note off."
"No problem follow me."
They walked up a small step they saw the men rowing forward the ship.
While it wasn't a job accepted for Spartan citizens, it was still a good paying job.
Most of the time foreigners were paid as professional rowers.
And only in times of war or extreme need would slaves be used as galley slaves.
So in this fleet there were not a lot of galley slaves.
But because Leonidas expanded the fleet, there were not enough professional rowers so some slaves were put on the ships.
But on the flagship there were no slaves present.
Deimos looked at all the men rowing with the big oars.
They were in a complete rithm following a men hitting a animal skin drum at the end of the ship.
For both sides of the ship one such men was present, so that the ship could turn with different rithms.
Right now the ship was going straight, making it so that the drumming was going on in the same speed.
"How fascinating."
"Haha yeah it is something to see."
the quartermaster reacted
"Right now they are only helping with keeping Couse, because the wind is going the wrong way."
"If we want to ram into a enemy ship the would keep going at a crazy speed."
"I see"
"Well I think I understand this part of the ship now."
"I will move up and discuss with syeinos what more I should learn."
After moving up Deimos went up to syeinos.
"Admiral how do you communicate with the other ships of the fleet?"
"Oh we use flags and horns to communicate direction and battle tactics."
"Oh can you show me"
"Sure no problem your highness."
But just as they were about to do so, a shout came from the watchtower.
"ATHENIAN WARSHIPS INCOMING!!"
Deimos was first bewildered, they were far in heavily guarded Spartan waters what were the Athenians doing here.
"Turn the ship and get ready for battle the admiral shouted."
"Yes sir"
The flags on top of the dek were waved in a specific way, and the ships went into formation.
Deimos was full of anticipation this would be his first real seabattle.