Chapter 10 - Duty and protection's sense

It had been a week and a half since the rehearsals and the rookie training had begun. Every day the demigods were divided into groups to do different tasks, from training their skills to taking their measurements for the tunics they will wear during the ceremony.

Since that day, Aries has been watching that hooded boy.

The previous fight had shown a girl with purple eyes. She seemed to wear the same kind of cape as the boy in the other group. Only by seeing those eyes, he already knew that something was strange.

Two people who entered the Academy to prepare for the Coming-of-Age Ceremony at the same time. Both wearing the same cape, keeping their identities secret. But mostly... both with purple eyes.

Aries' intuition was unable to ignore the coincidence, nor the fact that the face of this girl is similar — if not identical — to the face of that ungrateful group four.

There was only one suspicion that his mind believed to be the truth.

They were twins.

"It makes sense the reason they hide in these capes" Aries muttered, crossing his arms as he watched the third temple inside the Academy being the stage for the dress rehearsal. "But it seems that not everyone noticed."

It was strange and mysterious.

Aries' eyes fell on the hooded figure.

"Do you know anything about him?"

The question could be given to the wind, giving the impression that Aries was alone. However, the carefree figure appeared on the other side of the same pillar, watching the entrance to the temple with his colored eyes.

"Why do you ask me? I thought I was the target of your mistrust."

"In fact, you are. However, those two are certainly trouble, and you're too friendly with the boy."

"Now, now is all this jealousy?" Mikhal smiled amusing, peering at the warrior from the corner of his eyes. "Don't be like that, Aries. I have no interest in men for now."

"Don't say nonsense and answer me."

Mikhal tilted his head subtly, pondering the answer. Both of them watched the hooded boy take the same steps as the others in the ceremony. Unlike when wielding a sword, his posture was more relaxed and confident.

He could follow the instructor's directions perfectly, knowing well the space of the temple and its equipment. It was as if ritualistics were familiar to him.

"I just heard that the two are children of the local god who will do the reception of this year's ceremony" Mikhal's colored eyes went to Aries, on the other side of the column. "A local god of wheat."

"This is going to be a mess" growled Aries.

Gemini, the greatest sign that the Universe has blessed someone. Fertility was already seen with good eyes, a bonanza. Having a child was reason enough to kneel down and thank the gods. So having two at once...

Aries was familiar with such traditions, of course. That is precisely why he predicted something bad would happen at the ceremony. Now he understood a part of Yvaine's words.

"It looks like his group will be redoing skills training. And they're not enjoying it."

Waking from his daydreams, Aries watched the end of the rehearsal and observed the groups being divided again. That boy's group certainly needed more training because of him, which was still a denial in fencing.

Aries shook his head, confused as to how things could have come to that point.

"Won't you train them, brave warrior?" Mikhal provoked.

"No."

"Are you afraid to approach that guy? Probably because he recognizes you in your other form?"

Just to remember the fact that the man had seen him in his incomplete dragon's form, which made him look like a pup, was too shameful. Aries growled and snapped his tongue angry.

"Tsk!"

But that only made Mikhal have more fun.

The groups spread, some went inside the building where they would take their measurements, while others went to the library where they should study about some gods. Only the fencing group had been led out of the temple.

Aries followed them, silently.

Although he tried his best to pretend disinterest, he saw himself watching them attentively.

"You are so interested..."

"The very god of scholarship has sent us to help teachers and instructors. I am doing my job" Aries roared through Mikhal's provocations.

"Sure, sure, we can pretend that's the purpose."

"Shouldn't you be helping the newbies in their studies? If they miss the greetings of the gods of Keonna, it will be an embarrassment."

Mikhal shrugged without seeming really bothered by the hypothetical problem.

"I'm sure no one will miss me. Besides, you never know when someone will need my help. I want to be on standby."

"You never made any sense."

Ignoring the endless Mikhal's provocations, Aries again leaned on a column with vines. He watched Crucius pass on the training to the group and supervise their forms.

As expected, the hooded boy was an endless denial.

"Ah, he fell again... I never seen someone so terrible at sword handling."

"Damn, that's annoying". growled Aries, cutting off Mikhal's speech "he threw the weight on his legs in the right way! How did this pachyderm manage to fall so pathetically?!"

It was infuriating!

The boy could copy the positions correctly. Even from a distance Aries could swear that everything was right. But at the last second, when he struck the blow, he was wrong. And the worst of all was that Aries did not feel to be purposeful.

"Is this boy trying to hide his true strength so as not to attract attention?" Mikhal pondered, thinking the same as Aries.

"No... he's not doing it on purpose. He's not making mistakes."

Aries did not notice the mysterious look that Mikhal threw at him, nor did he realize his sudden silence while watching from afar the training.

It was suffocating.

The boy simply did not improve at all!

"Ha... train the rest of the afternoon. In two hours I will come back to check the progress" Crucius ordered, with his stern expression. "And don't even think about flute! Veterans will be monitoring."

With silent steps, Crucius left the training arena. The demigods took training seriously, brandishing their sword in repetitive movements and fighting each other. However, as expected, Cale had made no progress.

The boy was already sweating under the hood, and his movements were now even slower thanks to fatigue. His hands trembled as he tried to wield the sword, not to mention the muscles sore from too much exercise. What was bad enough, it was worse.

Aries watched the training for exactly two hours, without being able to hide the frustration of that setback. It was exasperating. Every Cale's mistake was like a nail being nailed to his patience. How could anyone make so much mistakes without looking stupid or sloppy?

No... that was not ignorance. It was something else.

"That's all you did? For two hours of training, you really can't even battle in a group?" Crucius scolded the group after coming back and watching the battle in their group. "Lack of organization, can not know what their own teammates plan to do. There is no communication, it is clear that they are unknown, which opens gaps. How do you plan to do the first missions after the ceremony, if you don't even know how to do the basics?"

The reprisal hurt their pride.

"Tomorrow we will train again. Dismissed!"

The demigods stared at the ground with frustration. Some threw their weapons at the ground, making the clanging of the blade echo through the arena.

Cale saw a column and was about to go there to rest, wiping the sweat under the cape. But of course he did not run away from the angry look of his companions.

"This is your fault!" frowned a demigod, staring furiously. "How can you be so bad?! If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be late!"

"Hey, calm down. No use fighting with him."

"I apologize", Cale intervened, still hiding under his cloak. "but I have never trained sword before. Of course it would be difficult for me."

"Never trained? So what the hell are you doing here? You're just messing with others!"

The push was simple, direct, almost despicable, but it was enough. Aries saw Cale's body wobble, his trembling hands trying to lean in the air. Something exploded inside him, a dry snap in the center of his chest.

Before he knew it, Aries had already crossed the arena.

Well, it was a pathetic and fast fall, since his body hurt from the exercise and would not respond so quickly.

However, no matter how pathetic Cale seemed, that push opened the doors to the vent.

"Do you realize how late we are because of you?"

"Forgive me, but..."

"Take off that damn hood and start and face us right!" growled the demigod.

She reached out to pull the hood of Cale. Her wrist out stopping by Aries, who had run there as soon as he saw the heated discussion.

The greenish eyes shone in a similarly restrained frustration. Still, he stood in front of Cale and pushed the demigod away.

"Do you think you have the right to say something, newbie? For someone who is in the same training and still lacks skills in listening to your team, you are spitting a lot."

"Aries..." murmured the demigod. "But of course—"

"Spare me your apologies. The instructor has already dismissed you, so you better get out before I take the sword and make you understand what it really takes to be a warrior."

The threat took effect.

It was no less. Ares' presence was intense and frightening. He did not hide his anger nor his impatience. The demigods who made all the mess quickly dispersed, although they still complain and cast glances at the boy on the ground.

Aries looked over his shoulder, that figure sitting hidden on the darkness of the garment.

He had moved without thinking.

For the first time your body moved before your brain could think how to intervene. Aries could still feel his heart beating fast inside the chest, the fright he took to see that guy being pushed.

After he got himself together, Aries leaned over and held the boy's elbow. He pulled him to stand at once.

"What do you have in mind to accept being teased this way?"

"They are not wrong, and I understand their frustration", Cale replied beating the dust of his clothes. "Although I also get frustrated at not progressing. However, I do not expect any of this."

"Do not expect any of this? Do not expect to become strong?"

"Accepting your limitations is also a sign of maturity" Cale lowered his hood for a moment, his forehead wet with sweat. "Still, thank yo—"

Aries caught his eye. Those purple eyes... always the eyes. It was not just the color. It was the impossible calm in front of the humiliation, the control that he would not have. And, somehow, it irritated him.

"Don't thank me" he cut, turning his back "I don't know why I care about you."

Being near that guy was stirring with you in an incomprehensible way.