The Kings Personal Joker (boyxboy)

Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Two

I nodded slowly, acknowledging that he was correct in his own way, and that was both a relief and remarkably disorientating. "Two thousand now..." I hummed amongst straight lines as we were directed down to start digging and setting up supports.

I found myself going quiet as I worked, the chill crips morning air not quite enough to keep the sweat off our backs as forced a tunnel into the underbelly of the hill.

Soon our backs were aching and sweat dripped off the noses of the men still working hard under the passing eyes of our superiors. Water was only passed around twice and we were parched, the world spinning a little and my muscles aching as we continued into the late day. 

I was deep in my own thoughts as we made good headway and the rumbling of singing tumbled down from a little further away. I leaned into Sergios mid-thought and whispered. "I think he likes it when people think that..." I rubbed my nose and continued. "Because if they thought anything else they'd be disappointed when they met him, you know, something like that..." 

Sergios didn't respond, but wiped his brow and stared at me for a moment.

It was in fact a full few hours later when he did respond to that statement, at which point I didn't remember what I might have said at all.

We were offered a chance to clean up and wash as one of the higher soldiers was expected to continue our formation training with the help of more experienced soldiers. 

"I hope you aren't one of those that lapses into a sort of obsession with those folk. We have our own lives to be getting on with. It's not even sensible to try to read the minds of our direct overseers..."

I barely managed to nod in reply before I was lifted up where I stood on the bank of the lake with Sergios just a few feet away. While he was undressing, and many others were already walking into the water, or even throwing themselves into it, I was distracted and hadn't even taken my outer clothing off.

I struggled immediately, striking the closest assailant in the face as I was lifted off my feet and kicked backwards, nearly falling onto my face. About three or four other soldiers, all from our own segment, took and dragged me over to the water.

"Stop, stop, stop!"

"Attis!" I heard Sergios shout at them, following.

There was some laughter and I sucked in my breath in preparation and then was thrown into the freezing water and gasped a little too soon, spluttering as I came to surface, my toes just barely touching the mossy bed when fully submerged. I swam effortlessly, though a little warily swimming away from the four grinning men.

"Attis you buffoon! What if he couldn't swim, have you completely lost your mind?" 

There was some raucous laughter from the men as approached him too but Sergios was already undressed and stepped inside the water hurriedly, glaring darkly at the others.

This all wasn't such an issue, only as every one else was slowly filtering out of the lake I was stood there completely drenched and with the cold weather I wouldn't be drying for a while.

Sergios urged me to the banks and I followed with heavy limbs. Although I hadn't intended to go into the water when I did I still enjoyed myself, now the air felt colder than the water and I was reluctant to leave.

He dried and helped me out and I slumped onto the rocks, tired and marked up from our training and work, bruises scattered over my legs and arms.

"Go on." He told me as he grabbed his clothing and started separating it. "You can wear some of mine."

I frowned and shook my head, pushing his clothing back toward him. "You keep them, or we'll both be in trouble, I'll just go back in my underclothing, it's thin enough to dry on the way."

Sergios seemed satisfied with this and we headed back, briefly hugging  me as I shivered, waiting for a soldier to pass me a dry but dirty set of clothing replace mine while it was hung to dry.

I would have never expected Sergios to appear as a good friend, but there we were. I would be quite keen to introduce him to Natham and the others when I got the chance, if I did.

Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to greet him as I stepped out for formation training when i realised, to the worst of luck, who was training us.

General Nikola.

His cold blue eyes barely scanned the crowd before they stopped on me, settled for a moment, and then continued, and I suspected the firm line of his lips to be somewhat forced indifference, because for just a moment I caught his eyes widen in shock, and for just a second he went very quiet.

[A/N]  As always, thank you to my supporters on patreon, I love you all.  ₍ᐢ. ̫ .ᐢ₎ ♡

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