So a new year, new beer , oh and a new instalment of Messalios's tale
The sunlight shimmers across the sand, the young men jostle for the best places to watch. Wagers are and taunts are called back and forth, looking on from shaded corners the young women gossip among themselves happy to abandon their duties for a small space. A stamp of feet once again draws attention to the centre of square of packed earth.
Two figures vie with one another. One is the greatest warrior in all Greece, his arms and legs rippling with muscle, his helmet tall and proud plumed, even his practice armour fitted with ornate bronze seals. The other is more slender, clad in leather and linen, tasselled thigh guards expose delicately curving legs, from under a stout helmet escape wisps of blonde hair, from behind the close fitting panels of a face comes an exasperated comment.
“Will you just stand still a minute?”
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“What?” Laughed Achilles, “You battle cries are less ferocious, why I remember the day when you had nothing but death in your voice for all your foes.”
“This is training,” Admonished Messalios.
“Not given how seriously you take it,” Achilles dodged sideways, their spears were tipped with cloth wrapped balls, a good strike with force behind would still ring a skull like a blow from a boxer in the Olympiad. Achilles lunged with his own spear but Messalios caught it on her shield and stepped back and then crab walked sideways looking for an opening as Achilles watched her carefully and moved around to guard his own flanks.
“You trained me to take it seriously,” Messalios hissed, she lunged, Achilles leapt, she dodged and then made Achilles dodge as he landed lest his feet be swept from under him. Even evading he thrust with his spear, Messalios shrugged the blow off with her shield. She stepped in close, dropping her spear and drawing her wooden sword, painted to look like the real thing.
“You know you made the bell already, you can quit and still have passed,” Achilles pointed out conversationally but he still fell back to open up some room for his spear against Messalios’s sword.
“They’ll all just think you went easy on me,” Messalios told him.
“Then they would be fools,” Achilles flung down his own spear and drew his sword, he pressed his own attack only to have Messalios thwart his assault, once, twice, three times, “You’re a fool to think you can beat me.”
“You are not a God,” Messalios told him as they parted a moment to draw breath.
“Close enough, I am Achilles, my mother was born immortal” He boasted.
“Well my mother captured all of her husbands, she did not allow herself to get netted while she slept,” Messalios jibbed.
“Seems we both have at least one parent into rough wooing on each side,” Achilles grinned. Then he charged. Messalios gave way before the flurry of blows but they kept coming, she was trading space for time but she was running out of space. Boys and girls scattered as Achilles drove her back to the edge of the training square. The mighty warrior did not even pause as he moved to corner, Messalios shield or sword might yet stop each blow but there force was knocking her back and once against a wall…
Messalios, sprang sideways, balanced precariously on a large urn filled with flower and then leapt up onto the parapet of the wall.
“Why you little minx,” Achilles sprang up after her. They fought once again for several minutes with their audience below them but although she held her guard Messalios once again found herself losing ground, she looked for escape. Finding it she bounded onto a roof leading to a nearby covered market. Achilles launched after her in hot pursuit.
Then suddenly there was a loud crash and where the King of the Myrmidons should have been standing was a roughly Achilles sized hole in the roof.
“Oh heck,” Muttered Messalios, “Are you alright?” She peered through the hole, a meaty hand reached up and grabbed her ankle.
“Come down here and fight,” Roared Achilles, he yanked Messalios through the hole. She twisted and managed to land on a stall selling bright woollen threads in balls and rolls, the stall collapsed spilling brightly coloured tripping hazards in all directions, “Come here cheater!” Laughed Achilles and set off in pursuit. Messalios ducked behind a pillar and when Achilles followed her tried to dodge around faster enough to catch him from behind but he turned around as quick as a ferret and again Messalios was giving way before his blows, much to her annoyance.
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Messalios looked for an advantage, she ducked in among a caged menagerie causing a small lion to roar and several baboons to set up frenzied howling. She ran down an aisle and then tried to ambush Achilles among the hanging carpets. She swore she almost go him but the carpets got in the way.
“Not even close to close,” Achilles protested and charged at Messalios who set off looking for another good spot to try her luck.
She had just found a cart partly hidden behind a pillar near a fountain and leaped up reading to make a diving ambush when Achilles right foot found a rolling bobbin of wool. Achilles went sprawling up ending the cart. Messalios found herself dumped unceremoniously into the fountain and then to her horror watched the cart continue to tilt over before landing on top of her. Crushed under water, Messalios saw purple and started to wonder how long it would take her drown?
“On no you don’t,” A might arm had plucked her from the pool and now deft hands stripped off her armour and under shift, “No getting out of being my hostage that way.” Achilles pressed hard on Messalios chest and again until she threw up a mouthful of water. He then started to vigorously start to rub the life back in into her spine, her ribs, her chest, her breasts.
“Hum that is really nice,” Messalios murmured woozily, Achilles looked down at her in shock as her helmet came off, suddenly realising he held a beautiful young woman in his arms, naked now save for her boots. He leaned slowly over, a hand cupping a breast, his mouth readied for a kiss and Messalios readied to respond…
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“Ahem,” Achilles came back to himself, “You there your cloak,” He swiftly bundled up Messalios, “I need to take this one to the Priestesses, they can wrap up her up in bed with some nice hot honeyed wine.” He lifted up Messalios like a small kitten, “Oh and congratulations Messalios, you have passed, you are now an official member of my warband.”
‘Well Bah,’ Thought a small corner of Messalios’s mind but the rest was satisfied with the promise of bed and wine just at the moment.
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Hum, Messaline is thinking : "What is happening ? Is Messalios not a real lesbian ? I can doubt that her mother has well educated her ; though she was well telling her that she do be distrusting towards men !"
... 
What, Judith ? I need of spectacles ? You're teasing !!!
