MATTHEW
"Come back here ya little shits!"
"Who the hell would go back?!"
"Yeah! You're holding a goddamn cleaver!"
We were stealing food, by 'We' I meant me and Aindrea, we had the hardest task of all: stealing meat.
"Oh god, my feet hurt like hell!"
"Just keep running!"
We hit a corner in the street into an alleyway, to a dead end with a short wall.
"I need to use you as leverage! I'll pull you up after!"
I hopped onto his hand jumped over the wall, pulled Aindrea up.
"Oh my god, we finally got awa— w-wait Is he climbing the wall?!"
I turned around to see the man climbing the wall.
"Go! Just go!"
We scrambled past the vendors, chickens, and roofs, until we came back to our makeshift camp.
I gasped for air, I looked next to me to see Aindrea doing the same.
"Hey...we...finally...got... away..." Aindrea said in a raspy breath.
"Yeah..."
The other member, Acacius, ran up from behind us and asked, "hey! Did you guys get the meat?"
"Almost got killed trying to get it." I took in a breath of air still recovering from our escape.
"Did you guys get the salt this time?"
"Yeah, it's in the wraps of meat."
We unwrapped the meat, and spread the salt over it, while Acacias started up a fire. After the fire started up we put the meat over the fire to which, the meat responded with turning a golden brown, with its fat bubbling, and marble shining.
"I don't know if I can handle anymore of this!"
"Aindrea, it's only been 3 weeks!"
"Yeah, but every time we almost killed, or we drop the food, and we still have to do this for around 10 years!"
"Just eat your food, I hated coming here too."
We ate while freezing because of the rapid winds, so cold, they blew through the rugged bark of the tent. My teeth tore through the meat, the flavorful juices coursing through my mouth. I also burnt my mouth.
"What do we do tomorrow Acacius? I think we were supposed to finally start combat training."
Acacius looked back at me, "yeah we're supposed to start tomorrow, but I don't like fighting, it hurts." His eyes started to tear up, "I don't want to fight, I don't like it when it hurts, when Father, hurts Mother and I, it hurts so much..."
"No one likes pain, Acacius, but even if it hurts, we have to persevere, because if we die in life no one truly knows what's ahead, and...I don't want to waste my life, I'm sure you don't want to waste yours either."
Acacius still had tears in his eyes, he shivered, "die? I-I don't wanna die."
"You're not gonna die, Acacius, just go to sleep and try your best tomorrow."
Aindrea was still eating his share of the meat.
"I swear, Matt, you sound like my dad sometimes."
"I guess I do."
"I'll find him one day Matt, I know I will."
"Yeah...me too."
AREIOS
"How are the Athenian recruits doing?"
"All the same commander, no sandals, and starved, had them steal food, like the rest of the recruits."
"Good, any that stand out?"
"Only two recruits, recruit Aindrea from the camp near the sea, and Recruit Matthew from the same."
"Any traits that stand above the others?"
Aindrea excels in strength stronger than most at trained Spartans, but has low intellect, while the other recruit, is cunning, learning strategies to steal from vendors without being caught by the vendor, or by us."
"When the combat training starts tomorrow, test them to their limits."
"Yes, commander."
"That reminds me, what are the recruit going to be trained in? It's been too long, it's rattling my old mind."
"We'll train them in a weapon of their choice, spear men would be best for our army, as the phalanx formation needs them. Afterwards they'll play 'that' game in the forest."
"'That' game? It's been far too long, one of my favorites."
"So...you're actually looking forward to this commander?"
"When have I not? besides, Leonidas will also be attending tomorrow, so either way I'd have to go."
"Should we have the soldiers try out the orb?"
"Yes, do that, and raise the age for use up to 7, so it dilutes the usage, we might not have anymore of those runes."
"Aye, tomorrow then?"
"Tomorrow."
With that, I step out of my chair, and lay on the cold stone bed beside me, and close my eyes.