"Yeah they do this every time." She says with a strong yet very feminine way making me remember what it feels to find a female attractive. Her dark hair being medium length and wavy. Her thin cloak and short skirt exposing her cur-wait no I got to focus. I slap myself and see her back turned from me and starts walking away again in what seems to be slow motion.

"Who usually wins?" The teenager then chuckles at my second question.

"My father says before his leg went almost completely useless that he would win but I never saw. So far the record is Xenophon winning but they both seem to enjoy it." She shrugs and I quickly respond.

"So uh what's your name?" I avoid the idea of making my voice deeper but I do straighten myself to pinpoint posture standing eye to eye with her with my arm on the wall. My unintentionally burning from this law of attraction.

"Arent you cute?" She chuckles and pinches my cheeks. "My name is Eupolia and you should know I'm much too old for you paide. Maybe one day you can grow into a marriable young man but you should really still be thinking about playing swords."

If only she knew…

My insides feel more beaten than ever before as she walks away each step feels like my heart goes further and further away from my body. I shake myself to remember my goal as to why I'm here and see that Xenophon has his Xiphos sword across the neck of king Agesilaus causing him to yield.

"Ahh so you have bested me today!" The king leads us through the residence and eventually Nikolaos comes into sight. Xenophon waves me off and I walk to Nikolaos. We give each other a comradery hug and he smiles.

"Pleasure to see you Nikolaos."

"How'd you get so proper?" He punches me in the arm and he leads me outside. A large grassfield full of wooden swords, spears, and discs.

"What would you like to do Nikolaos?" I ask my now even larger friend now standing only a few inches shorter than most men.

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"I challenge you to spar! Pick up a Kopis sword my friend."

"Of course Nikolaos. So what have you been up to?" I pick a wooden Kopis and we both begin circling each other.

"The king mainly attends to his duties as one of the Gerousia council but when he is around he trains me in the art of combat!" He unleashes a hard downward swing making me block with my legs bent 90 degrees due to the force.

"Quite the swing my friend!" I take my turn with a hard array of blows making a direct hit on his legs.

"You as well.." He groans in pain but regains his footing. "So what have you been up to?"

"I spend my days with Xenophon hunting, riding, and scribing down his works." After my brief answer Nikolaos takes his turn now widely swinging his kopis in every direction eventually his breathing becomes rough and ragged.

"Ahh that sounds quite nice so you have yet to learn further in Spartan warfare?" His leg shows pain as it drags from my blow and his body angled from being tired. This is my chance to end the bout!

"Seems as though I have learned more than you my friend!" I take my chance and swing at his leg. The swing looks as if it is in slow motion and eventually…

It hits and Nikolaos falls like a little giant onto the ground. He lets go of his sword and looks around like a stray lamb then up at me with hands moving around frantically.

I extend a hand to help him up. "You have done a great job Nikolaos, we can now just converse normally."

"You have as well…" Nikolaos then throws dirt out of his hand. The dirt hits my eyes leaving me blind and in a split second I'm thrown onto the ground with my own kopis turned onto my neck.

"Shoot Nikolaos don't you think that's a little too far?"

"Yes but on the field nothing is too far king Agesilaus taught me that himself!" He gives out his hand and I accept. We then sit down side by side underneath the shade of the back of the house.

"Nikolaos you know the Olympics are coming in 4 years right?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Nikolaos chuckles and brushes his hand through his short light brown hair.

"Are you going to aim to be one?" Nikolaos's eyes pop at my question and responds quickly.

"I'd love to yeah but I don't even know what I would do?"

"I'm going to train for boy's wrestling, the other two are stade and boxing."

"Hmmm I'd be good at boxing!"

"You would but it's currently outlawed… You should try to tell Agesilaus to make an exception for the time Olympics come around. Plus by that time you should already be built bigger than any man!"

"You're right! I'll ask King Agesilaus and I will become an Olympian for Zeus!" Nikolaos turns excited and punches an invisible opponent.

"I heard you and the princess are enjoying each other's company?" I question my friend with a different topic while looking out at the non-polluted sky and flourishing land.

"Yeah she's pretty great, her name is Prolyta. We are already great friends and we play every game you can think of out here!"

"What's her older sister like?" My question makes Nikolaos turn to me with a smirk.

"Why have you met her yet?"

"I didn't know there was a pretty girl that was past paides age."

"Then that's her. Seems like you got a crush, you hound dog!" Nikolaos starts laughing at my now disposition of a 11 year old making fun of me.

"No-no I don't!" I push him and he laughs even harder.

"You don't what?" A voice says both Nikolaos and I turn to each other with confused faces. We step out and see from the house on the second floor the girl from earlier Eupolia looking at us from the balcony. Her face being held up by her hand as she leans off the ledge.

"Nothing miss!" I instantly exclaim and instantly regret now acting like a little boy in front of a young woman.

"Hmmm" She then jumps off the balcony and stands in front of us. "Would you boys like to play a game?"