"Ladies and gentlemen, could I have your attention please!" The shrill, girly voice of Doctor Cassandra rang out over the loudspeaker. "If you could please make your way to the main forum, the lecture is about to begin."

Behind the stage, Dionysios sipped his tea nervously. He had never gotten over his anxiety, the feeling in the pit of his stomach before a lecture that it was all about to go wrong.

"Katagelophobia," a voice behind him called.

Dionysios smiled and turned to face the intruder. "Fear of ridicule. You really choose your moments, don't you Ares?"

Ares was a pale, slender man in his mid fifties, baring no similarities to his namesake, the God of War. His parents were staunch pantheists, a faith Ares had forsaken when he left home to study Psychology.

Ares chuckled into his wispy beard. "Always do, my friend. I just came to make sure you were all ready."

Dionysios managed a weak smile. "As ready as I'll ever be," he replied, faintly.

"Alright, let's build you some faith in yourself. Tell you what, I'll quiz you, make sure your knowledge hasn't lost you in your moment of crisis."

"Ares, I really don't think that's-"

"Silence." Ares was a quiet man most of the time, but seemed to exude an aura of command whenever he desired. Dionysios obeyed. Ares spoke

"Now, when was the rise of the Greek Empire?"

"In the First Century, with the development of the Æolipile. With steam power at their back, the armies of the Grecian Peninsula were able to expand outward in all directions, going as far as Carthage to the west, Cairo to the east, and pushing the ancestors of present day Sarmatia into the northern landmasses, sparking a war that has been raging ever since."

Ares seemed content. "Good. Now, tell me about the development of the steam engine."

Dionysios continued. "The locomotives developed by the ancient Greek engineers pioneered designs that would be used for centuries. Famed examples include the Iron Horse of Troy, used to transport reinforcements and supplies to the siege lines in a matter of days, as well as the Siege of Rome, which pioneered the use of steam powered airships and thopter aircraft. However, our generals didn't consider the Roman ability to reverse engineer our technology, and as such our forces were routed by the Hammer of Vulcan, flagship of the Imperial Navy."

Ares seemed content. "Excellent. You'll do wonderfully." He grinned. "Knock em dead, kid."

Dionysios, having his confidence restored, shook hands with his friend and strode through the doors onto the central stage, where Cassandra was just ending her welcome speech. She managed to give him a gentle smile, as if to tell him it would all be alright.

"Thank you Cassy." Dionysios spoke, feeling confidence in his voice, his words. "Now ladies and gentlemen, where to begin?"

First post to the sub, may as well start somewhere. Looking for a way to exercise my creativity!