The year was 494 B.C., and though the fires of rebellion in Ionia had just been extinguished, the world was not yet at war. But war… was coming.
In Cyzicus, Daniel kept his city alive, strong, and growing.
Six months after securing control over the rebellious nobles, Daniel had restored order. Now, his attention turned to infrastructure and long-term survival.
He planned the construction of:
A fortified harbor, capable of housing trade ships and, eventually, military vessels.
A training ground and militia quarter near the southern walls.
A 'Nido', a special enclosure by the shoreline, reinforced with stone and wood platforms. It was a carefully disguised preparation for a plan to obtain and house an aquatic dinosaur once conditions were met.
He could almost see it: A massive, scaled beast gliding beneath the waves of the Propontis, hunting fish and patrolling the bay.
But for now, it remained a dream.
Preparation, Not War
In the meantime, Persian envoys still passed through, collecting taxes, ensuring loyalty. Though talk of Athens and Eretria's insolence had spread, no army had yet moved.
Darius was gathering strength, not striking.
Daniel understood this was his window.
He quietly:
Rebuilt walls and grain stores
Improved water management with pulley systems
Trained his soldiers daily, using the Iguanodons and Protoceratops to haul supplies, level fields, and test logistics for future campaigns
Stored coin, bronze, and wood, keeping reserves hidden from imperial tax collectors
The Council Gathering
At the year's end, Daniel summoned the city's leaders, merchants, and military officers to his half-built palace.
The topic: Plans for 493 B.C.
Daniel spoke plainly: "We must grow without drawing suspicion. The empire prepares for war — and we will be ready, without breaking ourselves in the process."
Decisions made:
Complete the harbor within a year
Begin expanding the fields and orchards
Focus trade on grain and timber exports, to stockpile coin
Continue claiming rebel noble lands to divide among loyal families
Prepare militias quietly under the pretense of suppressing bandits
Merchants brought news:
Athens was strengthening its fleet
Sparta watched cautiously
Across the Aegean, cities wavered between fear and defiance
Rumors flew: That Darius planned to crush Athens by sea, that Eretria's days were numbered, that Persian ships had already been seen at Miletus
In truth, these were only half-true, but it was enough to keep the people uneasy.
Daniel's Private Journal
In the quiet of his chambers, Daniel wrote:
"Two more years, and the storm will break upon Greece. I must build my city stronger, my people loyal, my walls tall. The port must open. The Nido must be ready. When the empire moves, Cyzicus will not be a pawn — it will be a power."
And beyond it all…He dreamed of his aquatic dinosaur.
Closing
As winter fell again over the Propontis, Cyzicus braced itself. Not for war — not yet — but for the slow tightening of an empire's grip.
And Daniel, patient, calculating, kept his eyes on the horizon.
The war would come. But Cyzicus would be ready.
Spring had finihs in Cyzicus, bringing warmer winds and the restless murmur of distant conflict. Rumors spread in the streets — that Darius was gathering his armies, that Greek cities braced for war, and that the coastlines of Ionia would soon echo with the march of men and clashing steel. Yet within the city, Daniel focused on what mattered most: strengthening his position and securing Cyzicus for the coming years.
At dawn, Daniel summoned his council for a meeting in the half-finished hall of his palace. Sunlight poured through wooden frames, illuminating the maps of the region, sketches of future ports, walls, and military outposts.
"We have one year, perhaps two," Daniel began, leaning on the table. "Before the empire demands our full strength for war. Until then, Cyzicus must stand strong, well-fed, and ready."
His commanders and advisors nodded. Preparations for war advanced subtly, disguised as anti-bandit measures. The walls had been repaired and reinforced. The fields expanded with new irrigation ditches and plans for water channels. Workshops produced spear tips and shields under the pretense of equipment for hunting patrols. And beneath it all, Daniel quietly gathered his points.
But there was one matter he had been contemplating for months: controlling the waters.
"Today," he declared, "we begin constructing the harbor. And… the Nido."
His men exchanged puzzled looks. Only a few close followers understood. The Nido would serve as both a dock and an enclosure for a creature that would become a symbol of Cyzicus's future dominance.
Weeks later, word arrived from a merchant who had ventured near the southern coasts — tales of a strange, scaled beast that hunted in shallow waters, swift and deadly, yet intelligent. A perfect candidate.
Using a large portion of his points, Daniel summoned a Nothosaurus.
The day of its arrival caused a stir. Fishermen and citizens gathered at the newly cleared shoreline, where a reinforced wooden pen had been constructed. The water churned as the creature surfaced: long, slender, reptilian, with sharp teeth and sleek, dark green skin. The people gasped.
"It's a creature from the southern seas!" Daniel announced. "Trained to guard our shores and hunt the thieves and pirates who threaten our merchants."
The citizens, unfamiliar with large sea beasts, quickly accepted it. They compared it to the lions and panthers of distant lands they had only heard about in tales. In a world where myths and reality blurred, the appearance of a strange beast was not entirely unbelievable.
As weeks passed, the Nothosaurus adapted to its new home, fed with fish and trained to follow signals. Daniel personally oversaw its training, gaining both admiration and whispers of awe.
Meanwhile, Daniel's control tightened. With the noble class crushed months before, new landowners and merchants rose to power. The city's administration improved; taxes were collected more efficiently, trade flourished, and Daniel's innovative ideas — like public storage granaries and open markets — began to transform Cyzicus.
The rumors of war continued. In Sardis, Persian generals prepared. In Athens, militias drilled under the leadership of Miltiades. Across the Aegean, cities swayed between fear and defiance.
Daniel, watching from his growing city, knew the storm would come. But he would meet it as a ruler prepared, with walls fortified, troops drilled, a harbor secured, and a loyal population. And now, with a beast from the waters.
As night fell, Daniel stood on the half-finished tower, watching the Nothosaurus slip through the moonlit waters.
"We are not ready yet," he thought. "But when we are… the world will remember Cyzicus."
The year of preparation had begun.