Sons of Atlantis

Chapter 2: The Friendship

Doris and Druvid were close friends. Even though they hailed from so very different background and social status and both in their pretty prime at about the same age of twenty years, they got along so well in their resident martial school, that all other students jokingly called them the 'Martial brothers. Even calibre and temperament wise they were quite like each other. 

They were almost always together and enjoyed each other's company. 

Situated close to a dense forest the resident martial training speciality school was run by warrior masters who trained men for warcraft under strict discipline and rigorous training practise schedule.  

'Who would say you are a prince and I just a common village guy?' said Doris as he balanced the heavy load of wood on his head with one hand and with the other held another load. Two axes hung from his thick leather belt on his waist. 

'Nonsense. We are great friends, and in school everybody is equal.' Druvid bit into his juicy fruit and offered Doris to bite into it too. With that much load on his head biting into it was far from easy. ' And Doris, I must admit you do help me out a great deal. If our master were to know this I'll be damned.' 

'That's hardly helping.' Chuckled Doris. 'I may have smuggled some things for you and may be vouched for your presence once or twice; I may have helped you with some teeny weeny lessons, but that's not really 'helping. That's comradeship, I would say.'

'And secretly doing my assignments and nearly all my chores for me? You don't call that helping either?' They laughed as they walked back from the forest to their dormitory. 'Oh, Doris, Doris, I don't know what would I do without you.'

'Shh shh. We're here. You'd batter carry your own stack.' 

'And my axe.' 

Druvid took his stack and axe from Doris and walked in looking every bit the exhausted guy who had been carrying his stack after chopping it. 'God, it's so heavy! How were you able to carry two together?'

'Poor have skills the royals don't have!'

'Idiot.'

The guard at the School door stopped them severely. 

'Doris and Druvid,  the master wants to see you both immediately.'

They looked at each other in dismay. 'Oh no! What now?'

A large fire lit corridor led into a small sparsely furnished chamber after ascending a flight of steps. The master, not looking particularly pleased, sat at the his table with scrolls lying about everywhere. He didn't move as Doris and Druvid entered and bowed in tense silence.

'Master' They bowed deeply, respectfully.

'Doris?'

'Yes, Master?' He stepped forward, his heart slightly nervous. 

'I haven't received your assignment. All the students were supposed to hand over their handmade arrows.'

'Master, I.. I am sorry. My assignment needed just a little bit more time.'

'And Druvid?'

'Yes, master.'

'It has come to my knowledge that you can make your arrows pretty well. I have examined some and I must say they are really good.'

'They are?'

'They are actually even better than what we are using currently. How did you make them?'

'Master, I just followed the instructions you gave us.'

'Master, he added bird feathers at the other end and positioned them in such a way that the arrows can fly longer distance. I know because we were doing it together.'

'If you were doing it together with him then where are yours?'

'I was watching Druvid and... and ... thought his trick was better.' 

'When will you submit your arrows?'

'By tomorrow, I promise.'

'By tomorrow morning just after sunrise.'

'Yes, master.'

'You both can go now.'

Once the door shut on them, Doris ran to his room.

'Won't you even eat? Aren't you hungry?' Druvid exclaimed.

'No time to eat. Must finish the assignment by tomorrow sunrise.' 

'I can't even bring some food for you; the rules are too strict.'

'Never mind. I'll be fine.'

 Doris spent the rest of the night diligently completing his assignment by the light of the fire. Druvid returned after dining, yawned heavily and went to sleep as Doris continued to make his arrow shafts and stick feathers on them, placing them carefully near the fire so the glue would dry.

'I could help you but I don't know how you fix those damn feathers. Why couldn't you make simple arrows as everybody did?'

'I should have made mine first and then yours. At least the master wouldn't have scolded me.' 

'Oh, that was hardly a scolding.'

'You are so shameless!' laughed Doris through his teeth as he fixed another feather precisely on to the long wooden shaft.

'I am a prince.' Druvid tuned over in his bed and yawned loudly. 'When I become king I will shower you with riches and lands and luxuries. I will make you my chief adviser and share my kingdom with you as you share my burdens now, my dear friend.'

'I don't want your kingdom. Only your friendship.' 

'I know.' 

'If it were Atlantis, that would be another matter.'

'Only Atlantis is Atlantis. Mine is Pentaris. Small but powerful and completely sovereign. We are content Pentarians, happy with what we have and not wanting anything else.'

'You and your princely talks! I'm just an ordinary village man learning war craft so I can become a teacher as my own father was. And I have nothing to do with either Atlantis or Pentaris. And, this was the last one. Finally, finished. The sun is about to rise.'

Doris packed all the arrows carefully, tied them up neatly with a rope and took them to the masters.

'My assignment, Master.'

The master looked approvingly at the finely made arrows with their freshly stuck feathers. 

'Doris,'

'Yes, Master?'

He continued looking at the arrows self absorbed.

'You didn't think you could fool me, did you?'

'Master?'