How to Catch a Fish (ManxMan)

Chapter Sixteen: It's Just a Dream, Right?

~Chapter Sixteen: It's Just a Dream, Right?~

Under normal circumstances, the repetitive clack-clack of wood hitting wood in mock sword fights and the thump-swish of punching bags being hit would get boring very quickly. However, even if I am not the one currently holding a sword or punching the sandbags, the sounds remind me of late nights and long hours spent in the Hellion gyms. It was as much of an escape then as it is now, though for entirely different reasons.

"Are you sure you don't want to join in, Atasah-shinmet?" My guard, Ezra, asks as he walks over, carrying a wooden sword loosely in his left hand. His black hair is stuck to the top of his head by a combination of helmet hair and sweat, and if he was one of my soldiers, I would have teased him about it.

Instead, though, I just shake my head. "Just took a shower."

And while that normally would not stop me, from what I have seen in his spars with a few off-duty guards, Ezra would not be a worthy opponent. That is not to say he is a terrible fighter, as he knows his way around a sword, but I am a Hellion officer; after the rank of corporal, all Hellions receive the most rigorous weapon training. Ezra may very well be over one hundred years older than me, but that does not make him more skilled.

Though, I'm also over two months out of practice and might just be a little too arrogant for my own good.

Still, the reason I am in the gym so late at night instead of in my shared room with Nero is that I refuse to sleep unless Nero is there, as my nightmares are fewer and far between when he is next to me in bed. However, ever since the Indian Mer went radio silent a few days ago, Nero has been spending more time in his office and out on patrols. He stills sleeps in our room, but he has yet to return before midnight.

Yet another reason to resent that party.

While the party itself went fine, as it ended on a good beat and did not have any seriously embarrassing moments, it was just too long. Many of the guests had remained an extra night, and that meant more socializing and being on my best behavior during that time. I would have stayed in Nero's and my chambers, but that was apparently not acceptable since the guests were here for us; if just Nero showed up for every meal following the party, there would be a lot of questions coming our way.

And then, following the departure of the last group of guests three days ago, Nero returned to work - not work as in filling out paperwork in our room, but work as in spending many long hours locked away in his office, leaving me to find something else to do with my time. It is boring and frustrating, as there are few things I can actually do without leaving the palace, but what Nero is doing appears to be important, so I will not interrupt him.

That being said, though, I hope this doesn't last for much longer.

From what I have gathered over the past three days, the curse has mostly settled into a dormant state. I can still feel it under my skin, almost like a phantom itch that cannot be scratched except for when I am actively touching Nero, but that itch has been getting worse the less time I spend with Nero - the cold in my bones growing noticeably cooler with each passing day. It settles again when I see him at meals and in bed, but...

But how can I go to war if I can't even leave his side for more than a day or two?

"Something on your mind?" Ezra asks, and I nearly jump off the bench I have been sitting on, as I forgot that he is still standing here while he hydrates himself and takes a short break.

"Not really. Just random thoughts," I answer, shaking my head in an attempt to clear them away. There are some things I need to talk to Nero about now that the curse is mostly dormant, but now is not the time to be thinking about them. After all, he is probably too busy to listen to me anyway.