Page 37 of Eryx

Such a simple thing, a kiss, and yet it had the power to bring me to my knees.

Axios beamed as he walked beside me on the path.

I’d noticed a change in him over the past several weeks. It was as if he took as much comfort from my kisses as I did from his. Our training had intensified. Felix pushed us hard and instilled in our minds that our only purpose in this life was to kill or be killed. We were bred to be warriors. To fight. Tender moments were not meant for us, and yet we reveled in them anyway.

Axios seemed to find a balance between the two extremities, learning how to become what he needed to be while at the same time finding solace in my touch.

We were on our way to visit his sister and mother, since we didn’t have training. A rare day, but one we’d take full advantage of. Because of theagoge,the boys rarely saw their families, so it was a nice gift. I had no parents or siblings, but Axios’ family had welcomed me with open arms.

The reason for the spare time was a grim one, however. Tensions had grown higher in the war with Corinth, and the older men had gathered to discuss the matter.

“So, Antalcidas’ peace proposal was not accepted by Tiribazus?” Axios asked. We’d heard several details about the war from passing soldiers, but my friend struggled to understand the politics involved. “Why?”

“Apparently, Athens and Thebes didn’t favor the idea of Sparta withdrawing its support,” I explained, meeting his puzzled expression. I never grew irritated at his many questions. I enjoyed them. “Sparta wishes to be declared independent, as we have every right to be, but Antalcidas requested all Greek cities be independent too. It has stirred a panic amongst the other cities.”

“What do you suppose will happen?” he asked as we veered off the dirt path and stepped onto one made of stone.

The cold stone beneath my feet signaled the approach of winter.

“Sparta will do just as she always has. Fight and conquer,” I answered. “We may lose a battle, but we always win the war, for no army is greater.”

“Perhaps.”

A shudder rippled through his body, though I didn’t know if the chill came from his worry about Sparta’s fate or the cold stone beneath us. Axios preferred the heat of summer. He loved lying in the field and staring up at the sky, letting the sun bathe him in its warm glow. Winter took away that warmth and replaced it with an irrepressible chill.

“Perhaps?” I asked, bumping my shoulder to his. “Do you doubt Sparta, my friend?”

“I do not doubt the discipline of our men nor the strength they possess,” Axios answered with a thoughtful expression. “But we are not gods, Ery, no matter how great we are. When we are cut, we bleed, and if that cut is deep enough, we fall. All men have weaknesses… even the ones who believe they do not. Death is inevitable.”

Pressing my lips into a line, I thought over his words. He spoke truth; Spartans were not gods. One day, we’d all die.

Axios appeared both eager and sad as we approached his mother’s house. The simple design of the house matched many of the family homes in Sparta. Sun-dried mud bricks were painted white and there was a small courtyard with fruit trees and a garden to the side.

The front door flew open and out ran a young woman with flowing black hair. She headed straight for Axios, excitement bursting off her.

“Dear brother!” Leanna exclaimed before throwing her arms around his neck. “How I’ve missed you.”

As she pulled back from their embrace, I noticed their similarities: same dark hair and honey eyes. My friend’s complexion was darker, but her skin also held a radiant golden glow. Most Spartan women refrained from such affectionate displays, but Leanna was a free spirit. I’d learned long ago that she did as she pleased.

“And I you,” Axios responded, his smile brighter than the sun that shone above us.

Leanna was older than Axios, and when I had first met her years ago, she had taken to me as if I was her brother too. Axios told me she used to chase him through the courtyard and tickle him mercilessly once she caught him. I would’ve liked to see it. It was difficult to imagine Axios before theagoge. He had a kind heart, but there were shadows in his eyes from the harshness of our life.

“Leanna,” I greeted her with a nod.

“Still so formal, sweet Eryx?” she asked, slowly drawing me in for a hug. She smelled of flowers, the scent suiting her well. When I was younger, I had often viewed her as a forest nymph who’d been born human, because she was passionate about plants and tended to them in her garden. The hug only lasted a moment, and then she stepped away.

“As always,” I answered.

Axios was the only person I let my guard down around. With him, I could close my eyes and relax. I could graze my lips along his neck, feeling him tremble, and hold him as close as our bodies allowed.

“Come inside,” Leanna said, squeezing Axios’ hand. “Mother is waiting.”

Amara stood beside the round table, placing dishes of dried figs and beechnuts on top of it. Axios slightly cringed. He detested beechnuts because of their bitterness. His mother knew this and set them out anyway.

When she approached, she didn’t embrace him. Instead, she touched his shoulders and forced a smile.

“Thank you for visiting, my boy,” Amara said, dropping her hands from him. Her expression was as lifeless as her voice had been. But when she looked at me, life returned to her eyes. “How are you faring in training?”