4 years and 10 months later…

The coming years were bearable with my group as predicted. In our early years as paides the curriculum majorly taught us reading and writing. Yet the most prized points throughout the years were our physical growth documented under our Eiren which changed from year to year. Our day-to-day activities are a mirror of a boot camp with running miles taking place every day and so as sporadic bouts of strength. Our food rations encouraged the secretive lesson of stealing and my group learned that lesson very quickly.

"Aye Damon, Georgios is talking to you!" Nikolaos shakes me, bringing me back to our situation. Today under the encouragement of our Eiren Tobias we haze all the new paides.

"Alright Alright, Georgios what did you say?" I try eyeing him in the dark and eventually see the outline of his red hair as we stand outside the living quarters of the 7-year-old paides.

"I have a plan!"

"What is it?" I ask with Nero placing his hands on us.

"Nero, what are you doing?" Nikolaos pushes his hand away.

"Man, you know how I am in the dark!" He replaces his hand and Nikolaos gives a sigh.

"Guys focus on Georgios." I flick Nero's hand and push Nikolaos.

"Thank you, Damon, I think we should just water them down with my buckets! The water well is just a few yards away to fill them all. Then we of course escape before the observing Spartan finds us." Nero tugs my shirt in agreement and Nikolaos gives a loud scoff making sure we all hear.

"That's too boring. I say we dump containers of bugs on them!" Nikolaos speaks noticeably too loud making Georgios give an annoyed sigh.

"Where will we find the bugs?" I can't help but put my palm on my face.

"Oh… That's a good point, let's just go with the Red Demons' idea then." Nikolaos finally agrees and places the whole group at ease. We then enact the first part of Georgios's plan, placing the buckets in the wells and filling them up.

"Sooo how do we get the Spartan away from the entrance?" Nero and Nikolaos both question.

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"Simple gentlemen. Since I'm the lightest and fastest here I will throw the rocks around us to distract him. Then you all will drop the water buckets on the boys and we return as heroes in our class! Not only that but also get Eiren Tobias off our backs." Georgios answers and the rest of the group get put at ease.

Nikolaos, Nero, and I all hide in the nearby shrubbery with the water buckets and Nikolaos even places some leaves in his two buckets. While Georgios steadies himself and then aims! He hits the Spartan with his rocks making the Spartan noticeably angry and he begins chasing after Georgios in the dark.

"Quick!" Nikolaos tells us already halfway to the living quarters with much of his water spilling out.

"Nikolaos, your water is dropping!" Nero nicely tells Nikolaos and he also nicely replies:

"Shut up and keep up!!"

"You brute." Nero turns angry and whispers as we make it inside the living quarters. We then dump water onto the clumped number of boys as they groan from their common tournament. The same tournament we faced for years albeit at a much worse level.

"Alright let's get out of here!" I tell the group and begin running until Nikolaos grabs my hand.

"Let's get more water in the buckets!"

"No way Nikolaos, the aura of surprise is lost, it's time to report back in with our class. Plus the Spartan guard might already be coming back after coming to his senses by trying to find Georgios in the dark!" Nikolaos stubbornly accepts my words as we exit to make it back to our quarters.

Our own Spartan guard stands yet he doesn't know we already have dug out the side of the lengthy building that has enabled us to sneak out for extra food. We then crawl under and make our way in with Georgios and our whole class awaiting.

They all thrust us in the air and silently cheer. Nikolaos, Georgios, and even Nero all being excited at the embrace.

We then cover up our hidden digging holes and fall asleep with smiles on our faces. Until Nero gets payback on Nikolaos and rips playful blows into him. Nikolaos returns it with a simple headlock and falls asleep with him in it.

.

.

"Hey, wake up! Eiren Tobias is expecting everyone at this moment." Georgios pinches me through my deep sleep.

"Alright Alright, I get it I'm up Georgios." I dust off my overused and raggedy red cloak that I received 10 months ago. Only 2 more months for a replacement.

I walk out with Georgios as Nikolaos and Nero stand tall awaiting for further orders. Only paides our age and up are in attendance as well as our paidonomos whose hair is now completely gray.

"Paides! Today is the day for Bomonike. Veterans of our war against the traitorous Corinthians and the other enemies that faced our wrath will be in attendance to watch!" Our Eiren Tobias informs us, a small-sized Spartan with common features.

"Thebians…" Nikolaos whispers in disgust with Georgios poking him to stay quiet. An army of Spartan men approaches in an orderly march.

"Attention!" A man at the forefront commands. All the men then halt and our Eiren walks up and speaks with the man. Then the man walks up to us with a limp making him come in the middle of almost 500 boys.

"I am your king Agesilaus and you boys will march with us to the goddess Artemis' temple." The smaller-sized man then leaves us and starts marching towards the temple.

We follow trying to replicate the movements of the grizzled and hairy veterans before us. They all don the Bronze breastplate, bronze helmet, and sandals. With unkempt long hair and lean physiques, their beards with a shaved upper lip. They also hold whips instead of the usual spear accompanied by a kopis or Xiphos.

We eventually reach the temple accustomed to reaching long distances with ease. No boy speaks louder than a dangerous whisper as we have been instilled in what is modernly called Laconic phrases and silence unless spoken to.

"Paides! Form a linear line" our Eiren Tobias demands. We quickly reciprocate forming a long line in front of the altar of the temple for Artemis. On top of the altar prepared cheese of all different types. My group stands in the middle with a perfect view of the altar unlike many, allowing us to smell it as our bellies grumble from the lack of breakfast.

"Spartans line up behind each and every paide!" The graying king orders before standing next to the altar and his soldiers quickly answer. "On counts of 3, we strike them until the last one stands to be titled the great Bomonike! Not only that but the last paide who stands gets to feast on the altar and I will join him."