THE APPLE OF SNAKES

xxxii. the ecliptic deal

"I'm exhausted," Nerluce whined, throwing his weight onto an unsympathetic Aristide's shoulders.

And Nerluce really was exhausted. Not so exhausted he needed to support himself on Aristide, but exhausted enough he wasn't embarrassed by it. In all honesty, the odd relationship that the pair shared wasn't exactly one with excessive amounts of close contact, but Nerluce had recently broken through the thick layers of ice that surrounded Aristide and begun to initiate it more and more. 

To be fair, it was mostly to embarrass Aristide.

As always, Aristide flinched, all the muscles in the shoulder Nerluce had landed on tensing. Aristide was well-muscled - even more so than he first appeared - and his entire body seemed stiff and hard. However, despite that, he never moved without grace and elegance and his figure was more befitting of a scholar than a soldier. He was slender with a thin waist and a relatively short frame.

And Aristide's facial features were also rather fine. He had sharp cheekbones that became more prominent as they'd both aged. His brows were high and arched; clearly defined and rather attractive. Aristide had full lips, usually set in a scowl, but occasionally capable of quirking upwards into a smile or smirk. His eyes - which were Nerluce's favorite feature on all people - were deep-set, making him look as though he was always a bit sad, with long lashes and irises rimmed with thick gold haloes.

Paired with his dark skin and curly hair... Aristide really was one of the most beautiful people Nerluce had ever laid eyes on. The only person more beautiful was...

Nerluce shook his head. He didn't want to think of the Wolf Woman. He also probably shouldn't be thinking of Aristide like this either. It wasn't as though Nerluce had intended to take in Aristide's features or realize how properly beautiful Aristide was but it was hard to help when you practiced in silence together for several days a week. When Nerluce wasn't talking he needed to find something to occupy his brain.

And that something turned out to be Aristide's heaven sculpted features.

"If you're tired, go sit down," Aristide said. "Stop distracting me."

"Why aren't you tired?" Nerluce asked as he was pushed off of Aristide's shoulder and onto a nearby stable door. "I can barely stand. That test was brutal."

Aristide scoffed.

"Not all of us are gifted, alright Aristide!" Nerluce said.

"The test was no different from any other Taayir has given. And it alone won't affect whether or not you stay in Ethera. There was no need to exert yourself as you did."

Nerluce just groaned in pain. He knew what Aristide was saying was true. Taayir had told them all as much before the test began. If there was potential, she wasn't going to let them go just because of one failed test. Thank the gods for that or Nerluce wouldn't have lasted past the first couple of weeks. 

But this test was different. It was the final test they'd take as second years at Ethera. Taayir would look at their results and overall performance and then take it to the High Priestess and the other teachers and they'd all decide who moved on. One good test wouldn't save Nerluce and one failed test wouldn't damn him. His fate had already been written from the moment he walked into the classroom today.

Despite all of this, he'd given everything he had. And in reward, he was aching.

He'd already taken the medicine Taayir had given him, but it hadn't kicked in yet. The pain would most likely subside to a more manageable level by tomorrow morning but for now, Nerluce was going to whine.

With Aristide giving him no sympathy, Nerluce went over to Eden. He stroked the stallion's neck and slipped him a couple of apple slices that Nerluce had painstakingly taken the time to cut during his midday task where he'd been put on kitchen duty. After giving Eden one last pat, Nerluce went over to the next stall and offered Lilith an apple slice as well.