Just The Beginning [Greece x Turkey ]

[turkishdelight]

April 10 1821

Sadik found it ironic that on a day such as this one, with the chilly breeze and lack of sun, death was to come and hopefully with the death of this one person all the revolutionaries would be warned of what was to become of their fate if they were to continue. Standing in Taksim square surrounded by curious citizens his gaze was fixed on the platform that had been erected for this particular occasion. It had been in the news upon the Sultans angry discovery or even, one could say bold assumption that a particular man was going to meet his doom. It was unfortunate that the man`s people had decided to revolt as they did because his life could have been spared. He could have continued to live his day to day life; avoiding this fiasco altogether but unfortunately this is where destiny was leading him.

It also didn`t help that this man`s people also killed 20, 000 Muslims in their mad fury to gain `just` freedom from what they considered an oppressive state. These Greeks didn`t know what they wanted. They were clueless to the horrors of the world and it was The Ottoman`s Empire duty to take care of these people and guide them in the right direction. But, they had strayed. They had gone too far and now it was time for the guardian to inflict discipline onto the disobeying children. However, the discipline would be executed in the form of one man`s death.

Gregorios, the Greek Patriarch of Constantinople, was soon escorted onto the platform with both his hands bond behind his back and a face paler than that of a ghost. Sadik`s green eyes watched as a glint of pride shown from his eye. It was well hidden but there none the less and this caused the tall Turk to frown. Were the Greeks stupid or something? Did they not see what he was doing for them?! Everything from the time they had come under Ottoman reign to present day was not to harm the Greeks but keep them protected. Greece would pay dearly for his insolence.

The Greek Patriarch stood on the platform silently as the noose was placed gently around his neck. The executioner did not hesitate to tighten it but leave enough room so that the man could take his last breathes of air. The crowed had grown oddly quiet and there seemed to be another chill that fell upon the people in Taksim square.

The executioner glanced at Sadik, spotting the man easily as he was the only one with such a distinct aura around him. The Ottoman Empire nodded and the switch was pulled causing the floor under Gregorios to disappear from right under his feet. The last thing heard from the man was ‘Freedom to Greece’ before his neck snapped and he hung lifelessly from the rope. There had been a few gasps, cries and looks of horror but Sadik’s facial expressions did not waver once. He continued to sport a look of complete impassivity and gave another nod to the executioner before he turned and left through the crowed. Hopefully now Greece would understand that he did mean business and it wasn’t only empty threats. If things progressed as they were now then he would not hesitate to latch out at the younger Greek. It was all about exerting control and control was something Sadik was very good at.

He didn’t once look back at the hanging figure hoping to leave him there for several hours so that if Greece were to pass by he would get the message tenfold. This may be the first death but it would not be the last depending on how things played out. Too many Muslim lives had been taken for no given reason and that was unjust in itself.

“I’m ready for ya, kid.”

Mahmud II would be pleased with the news of a successful execution and then from there it was just a bit of a waiting game.

[Greece]

Green eyes stared at the corpse hanging off the platform. The crowd of people who had been witness to the man’s death had eventually dispersed leaving an eerie silence as though the very area was haunted with the man’s spirit. If it was, he could not hear it or feel it. He was just standing in front of a corpse now, a body that had till only a few hours before belonged to Gregorios V. Greece had long since understood that violence was the only way that he would be able to gain liberty for his people. At one time, he had almost hoped that he could settle this peacefully but back then he had been only a naïve child. He was no longer entertaining such thoughts; instead he understood the need for violence because that was the only thing the other nation understood. There had been a great number of death’s already and this retaliation would only fuel the revolutionaries in the Peloponnese. It was where he should be. However, Heracles had come to Constantinople, the once amazing capitol of his mother, Ancient Greece, to see for himself what the Ottoman Empire had done.

He had gotten a reaction.

There had been far too many years of suffering under the tyrants rule. He had had enough, his people had had enough and it was time to break free from the oppressor. The man hanging off the platform had done nothing to help the revolutionaries and had in fact denounced them, excommunicating the leaders of the revolt. However, the message was clear enough. Despite the ferocity the revolutionaries displayed and their ruthlessness, it still appeared that the Ottoman Empire didn’t plan to back down. For Greece, that was fine. There was no other way he would imagine this would pan out. They had tried plenty of times before over the years but this time the Greek could feel it. Heracles knew that this would be it. This was the beginning of the end. He would not longer be ruled by anyone but himself. With that thought in his head he turned his gaze away from the still body of Gregorios V.

For now, he would have to do this on his own. Attempts to enter Russia into the conflict had so far failed despite the Russians who had revolted alongside the Greeks asking for assistance. The other Great Powers weren’t going to help him either with their current policy against nationalist revolts but perhaps eventually they would see reason. Greece didn’t mind this state of affairs though. He had long since decided if he was going to release the shackles held by the Ottoman Empire he would do it himself. Despite the initial failure of Ypsilantis in the Danubian Principalities, there had been success in the Peloponnese. If they continued like this they would soon be free.

They had yet to seize Tripolitza but that would come soon enough and then most of the Peloponnese would be under the control of his people as it should be.


[/i apologize for crap post @_@]

[turkishdelight]

It was true, The Ottoman Empire was not as strong as before. This was something hard to believe considering how much territory he had conquered in such a short amount of time and also how much fear the mere mention of his name would invoke in most nations. There had been leagues created to fight against him and nations who would side with him one minute and then turn on him the next. The suspicion directed at him from all sides was amazing but Sadik never once let it get to him until now at the eve of something he had absolutely no control over. The Greek had tried to revolt a few times before but this one had started out differently and had already escalated to a size much bigger than the tall Turk was comfortable with. Yes, he was trying to squash the resistance but he knew Greece….he knew Greece very well and the boy would not let up. Not this time.

That was why Sadik was a little surprised when he saw the Grecian in Istanbul rather than with the revolutionaries. He had really not expected this since to fight for freedom needed a lot of work but then again it wasn’t like the Greek nation wouldn’t come see what the Ottoman Nation had done to one of his respectable citizens. His eyes followed the younger man as he watched the other’s face change from neutral to anger. If it had been anyone else, they probably wouldn’t have caught the slight thinning of the Greeks lip as he bite down on it to stop it from quivering or how the others brows knitted together in a contemplative frown. The death of Gregorios had definitely done what it was supposed to do but now Sadik was certain that this would only motivate the younger nation to fight harder.

The Turk finally stepped out from the shadow as he circled the Greek from behind almost like a shark. “Decided to show your face, brat?” He finally speaks up breaking the silence that had fallen over the square ever since the execution. It seemed as if most of the citizens had avoided the place for the rest of the day. Usually Taksim was a bustling area but it looked completely dead like the man hanging just a few meters in front of them.

There was a moment of silence between them before Sadik spoke up again. “You belong to me so don’t think I’m not going to put up a fight to keep you.” He growls his expression quickly changing from calm to angry. “I will teach you a lesson I should have taught you a long time ago.” That was a threat Sadik was planning to keep. There was no way in hell he was letting the Greek go so easily. No way at all.

Greece was naïve to the things The Ottoman Empire was doing for him. He had not only protected the Greek nation from being taken over by much harsher powers but he had been more than generous and allowed the other to keep his language, religion and culture. What more did Herakles really need?! If the other were to gain his freedom it would be long before a stronger country comes around and forces the boy under their rule. Sadik just couldn’t understand why the other couldn’t see how much he was doing for him. It was blatantly evident! If only the Greek opened his eyes for once he would see clearly and understand where Sadik was coming from.

[Greece]

The sound of the man’s voice put his teeth on edge. He kept silent, standing still even as his eyes glanced around to follow the movements of the older nation. The animosity he felt towards the man was palpable, a living, breathing fire burning through his very veins. He had felt this way several times before. He had never liked the man in the first place. The Ottoman Empire was nothing but a tyrant treating the Greek like nothing but dirt under foot. He was tired of having to bow down to him and he was tired of rolling over and playing nice. He was tired of giving up his people to him—his people lost their sons to the army and their daughters to become whores. They were all second class citizens, forced to live impoverished as their rulers fed off of their hard work and grew fat.

He clenched his fist though his facial expression remained outwardly neutral. “I don’t belong to you.” He responded firmly. Green eyes narrowed slightly as he turned his face to look fully upon the Ottoman Empire. In the beginning he had been afraid. He had been frightened by the overwhelming strength that the nation showed. He was a man with a powerful presence that spoke of domination and control. Heracles may have even admired that at one point though he would never say it out loud. However, though he had feared the man, he had always disliked him. That dislike had grown over the years, festering until he couldn’t stand to look at the man. He despised his very presence. He held on to that anger and over the centuries of domination had attempted revolts time and again. He remembered seeing the heads of rebels displayed in Thessaloniki after one such revolt. It had angered him but the emotion eventually quelled. He had needed time. Now it was different. He felt as if he could actually win this time. He couldn’t think of failure. Failure would mean once again bowing down to the weakening nation like a reprimanded dog and he wouldn’t stand for it anymore.

He turned his gaze on Gregorios again. “You’re growing weak…old man.” He had noticed the decline, the way he was trying to hold on even tighter than before. He was falling apart from the inside out and Greece would take advantage of that. He wouldn’t stop fighting until he could no longer move. He had to play his cards correctly. A wounded animal was always more dangerous. Losing him would create a blow to the Ottoman Empire’s already tenuous grasp on his subjects. If Heracles managed to leave, who was to say that there wouldn’t be others who would as well? The fall of the mighty Ottoman Empire would be a bittersweet event but Greece would be almost glad to be rid of him.

“Is it that hard…to let me go?” So many times he had been beat down. So many times he had been ‘put in his place’. Was it really that hard for him to simply allow the young nation to separate from him? But of course, allowing one nationalist movement to rise, take shape and become victorious would incite others to do the same. He already knew this, he had already thought of this but it didn’t matter. In the end he would get his freedom whether the man wanted to give it to him or not.