Page 56 of Eryx

We were nearly of age to join the fight. And I was prepared to give my life if Sparta requested it of me. As for now? I enjoyed spending my days practicing combat in the arena and hunting whenever we had spare time.

“Faster, Ax!” I yelled, as we ran through the field with spears in hand.

“Keep shouting like that and you’ll scare the rabbits,” he countered with a breathless laugh.

“You scare them enough with your clumsy footing, dear friend.”

“Clumsy?” Axios ran faster, gaining on me. But then he stumbled and cursed.

After tossing a look over my shoulder to make sure he wasn’t truly hurt, I laughed and kept going. I dashed into the woods, jumping over fallen logs and carefully avoiding thorn bushes. The hunt excited me, just as it’d come to thrill Axios as well. When it was animals and not humans, anyway.

He entered the woods behind me, and I tuned into the sound of his heavy steps. His stealth was ruined by his lack of surefootedness. His skills had greatly improved since we’d grown from young boys. I’d taught him to be observant of his surroundings; to listen, to see, and to smell. Yet, he had much more to learn.

Birds flapped overhead, startling from a branch as I ran past. The breeze carried a hint of smoke and meat, causing my belly to ache. It was more encouragement to hunt.

We were allowed to eat whatever we caught.

However, another matter required my attention. One more important than my rumbling stomach. Axios needed to learn the importance of stealth. One day when we traveled for war, any noise could give away our location to the enemy. And my warrior was distracted as he ran behind me. He focused too much on me and not enough on everything around us.

Without slowing in speed, I jumped to grab a low-hanging branch and swung up into the tree. I froze in place, not making a sound as Axios turned the corner and stopped running. He turned his head from side to side, observing the area just as I’d taught him.

A bird chirped nearby, singing its morning song. A second bird joined the song, and their duet caused Axios to become momentarily distracted as he listened to them. I crouched down and moved along the branch, going from one tree and into another.

I stopped my advance when Axios peered upward. At first, I thought he saw me. But no. He was too absorbed in the sun shining through the leaves. And, I suppose, I was too absorbed in him.

His body had grown stronger over the past two years, nearly matching mine in size, except he was an inch shorter. Rippling muscles covered his bare torso, and his thick biceps curved perfectly. My mouth watered as I remembered resting my head on that bicep and biting it as his other hand roamed my naked body.

Focus,I told myself.

Spotting a twig jutting from the branch, I quietly broke it off and tossed it through the air. It landed in the shrub to his left. He snapped his head in that direction as the twig made contact. After readying his spear, he slowly approached the bush.

Just another step.

I wanted him to think it was a real attack; not training. I needed to see how he’d behave when he thought it was a matter of life and death.

Right when he was beneath me, I leapt from the branch and slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground. The shock of the attack impacted his reaction speed. Before he could slice me with his spear—for he didn’t know it was me—I tore it from his hand and tossed it out of his reach.

My knees dug into his back, shoving him more into the dirt. He couldn’t see me from his angle on the ground, but he slapped at me and tried to buck me off. I put him in a headlock and tightened my hold around his neck when he still fought beneath me.

Axios thrashed around, refusing to admit defeat. I sensed his panic rising, though, and when he started trembling beneath me, I knew I’d pushed him far enough.

Was he afraid?

Releasing my hold on his neck, I leaned down to kiss his ear before whispering, “You are fortunate it is only me and not a real enemy, my warrior, or else you would be choking on your blood as we speak.”

Axios stilled, his body shaking like a leaf in a strong breeze. And then he shoved me off him and rolled to his back, pinning me with a hard stare.

I met his glare with a smile, which only seemed to anger him further.

“I could have killed you!” he growled. His body still trembled as he wiped at his face.

Had I truly frightened him that much?

“No offense, but no, you couldn’t have,” I said, chuckling. “You move through the woods like you have giant’s feet, and your breathing is so loud I could hear every exhale as if you were an overfed child.”

He slapped my arm. “I donotbreathe loudly.”

Teasing him was still one of my favorite things. I enjoyed getting a rise out of him.