For the past 2 years, the Barracks were Maximus' home. Inside the tents in the crowded hold, Maximus trained, slept and conversed with his brothers. Maximus was taught that your fellow soldier was your best friend during the toughest times in battle or training. It took Maximus going through basic training and in battle for him to appreciate how much he enjoyed being in their presence. The Barracks may be home but the soldiers were his family. It was strange to the young man that he felt closer to his comrades than he was to his actual family. Maximus loved and cherished them dearly but at the same time he was distant to them mostly because of his family lineage and why they had to leave Africa.
It was a frustrating experience and one that put a strain to the once loving relationship. Maximus' father urged him to pay no mind to what's behind and focus on the roads that lay in front of you. So he did just that serving the realm to the best of his ability. Maximus took out his Xiphos and headed out to the training center. Because the Fifth Phalanx was off-duty that meant the Barracks were mostly empty due to the soldiers heading out to see their families. Maximus already wrote to his father and spent most of his off duty time traveling from the capital to the marketplace in the lower floors. The waiting around was made Maximus restless, he wasn't used to being Colchis for too long In fact this was the longest time he was off duty.
A training dummy was before Maximus, it was made of wood and was full of nicks from swords all over its body. Maximus aimed the Xiphos for its neck and struck. As he raised his arm however, a brief flash of the Barbarian who attack him all those months back appeared and Maximus quickly retracted, his heart racing with fear. "Ares," Maximus cursed under his breath. "Please do not fill my head with your tests. Haven't I already shown that I can endure?"
Maximus then sighed and continued to whack at the dummy. The tests by the Gods will stop when they feel like it he supposed.
It was a frustrating experience and one that put a strain to the once loving relationship. Maximus' father urged him to pay no mind to what's behind and focus on the roads that lay in front of you. So he did just that serving the realm to the best of his ability. Maximus took out his Xiphos and headed out to the training center. Because the Fifth Phalanx was off-duty that meant the Barracks were mostly empty due to the soldiers heading out to see their families. Maximus already wrote to his father and spent most of his off duty time traveling from the capital to the marketplace in the lower floors. The waiting around was made Maximus restless, he wasn't used to being Colchis for too long In fact this was the longest time he was off duty.
A training dummy was before Maximus, it was made of wood and was full of nicks from swords all over its body. Maximus aimed the Xiphos for its neck and struck. As he raised his arm however, a brief flash of the Barbarian who attack him all those months back appeared and Maximus quickly retracted, his heart racing with fear. "Ares," Maximus cursed under his breath. "Please do not fill my head with your tests. Haven't I already shown that I can endure?"
Maximus then sighed and continued to whack at the dummy. The tests by the Gods will stop when they feel like it he supposed.