Power and The Queen

Chapter Thirty - Nine.🟢

Today was the day. After many weeks of training, the games preparation proper would begin and for the rest of the time they would train side by side with the Noble sons. They have been trained separately all their lives. They only come together to train for the games.

The rumours he picked up from the soldiers and some boys in camp were that the Noble born had more skills than they did, which is why most of them get chosen to be Knight reputable for their status. Remembering Barun's struggles, he knew it was hard for a commoner to be accepted into the Knight rank.

Tivo stretched off his matrass to do some pushups. The camp bells rung not too long ago, but there were to be no morning runs today until the Nobles resumed their training. A lot of boys used the time to get some extra sleep, but he could not.

Sleeping has been an issue for Tivo; he ended up with nightmares, most of which were about his father's death. He did more exercise, pushing his body past his limit. Groaning, he sat beside his matrass, his knees to his chest.

"You cannot distract yourself from the pain." Renad said, making his presence known.

He had probably been watching Tivo again. Renad had lived with them all this time, but he still had a way of showing his superiority in age and wisdom. He looked up as Renad passed by him out of the tent. His gaze fell on Poki, who was out cold, snoring loudly on his matrass.

He slept way too much, Tivo concluded.

But Renad was right. He started training to distract himself. For a child, he lost everything worth having, and he did not know who to blame.

Looking at his reflection when he swarm in the moonlight, he knew his body had changed very much over the time he had spent here, but he felt stronger too.

He got up to get ready for the day. Passing by Poki's matrass he got called back by his loud snoring. Renad left first, leaving the responsibility of waking Poki to him.

Tivo shoved the slim boy's sides, hoping that would do the trick, but Poki only turned the other side and went back to his loud snoring. Tivo growled in annoyance. Poki had stopped this attitude of his. After he picked up archery, he would rise early to watch the sunrise before practice. Why did he choose today to recess?

"Don't worry Tivo, I'll do it." a boy in his tent grinned.

The boy stood up, cracked his knuckles, and it took everything in Tivo not to smirk. Commander Guz was right. The boys emulate them. He stood aside and watched as the boy flipped Poki's bed with him still on it.

"TIVO THAT HURTS!!!" Poki yelled.

Poki landed on the floor. He pulled himself up, scratching his hair while the culprit roared with laugher.

Tivo wanted to laugh too. It had been a while since he enjoyed doing so. The boys in his tent had come up with entertainment telling funny stories after the sleep bell rung.

When a soldier came around, everyone would pretend to be asleep and laugh hard when the soldier was gone. Tivo never joined them. He knew they were trying to forget their problems, but he could not. He wanted to draw strength from it, so he trained instead. Poki had joined them every night unless he trained with them.

"Renad has a head start, you idiot, and you're still sleeping by this time," Tivo yelled, expressing his annoyance.

"I thought we had no training today." Poki muttered lazily and yawned.

"What do you mean? Training starts by the next hour! The Nobles will be here any minute." Tivo exclaimed.

Just when he thought Poki was becoming responsible.