"Are you…Are you wearing one of the Powers tunics?"
Each one of the four legions wore a distinct type of tunic, it was all in the embroidery, the design was the matter, and the tunic he wore was very distinct in its embroidery. He sleeps shirtless, something he's done since he was a small fledgling, and when he had woken up that morning, the Power long since having woken for training that day, he had thrown on the first tunic he found and left it at that.
But, now, looking down at the tunic he wore, he knew what mistake he had made.
It was much too big for his lithe frame, something he hadn't really taken note of until now, and the embroidery, the embroidery was very particular.
"Uhm.." How does he answer that question without giving way to the Power's favor. "No?"
"Of course, he's not." He knew that voice, he turned to glare over his shoulder, at the owner of the voice. They'd been at odds longer then ever. "Why would someone like a Power take notice of him?" His opponent looks him over with distaste. "He's small, runty, as thin as a stick, much too thin to be a guard." He sneers at him. "How could a Power ever give him the time of day?"
"Shut up, Theliel."
"Why?" The taller guard in training shoves him back. "It's true. What'd you do?" He reaches forward to shove him again. "Steal from one of them. Trying to make yourself seem special by wearing one of their tunics? As though they would give you one. As though they would pay attention to someone as weak as you."
"I didn't steal it!"
"You had too." Theliel sneers at him again. "There's no other way the likes of you could get something from them."
Andreus straightens up from being shoved so meanly, dusting the front of his tunic off. "Why are you so mean to me! I'm nothing but nice to you!"
"Because, you think you're better then everyone else." Theliel shoves him again. "Always staying after training has ended. Trying to aim for things that are clearly out of reach for those like you."
"I'm a hard worker." He narrows his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean? The 'likes of me'?"
"You know. A simple miracle worker. You're not even high enough in station to be a trainee. How you managed to get here is beyond my comprehension. All your kind is good for is little tricks and miracles, healing sick people, making things happen at random, that's it. You're not strong. You're not fearsome."
"Miracle workers are strong too!"
"Sure you are, in magic, that's all your good at."
Andre rushes forward, shoving him harshly in the chest, Theliel stumbles back a step in surprise.
"I work hard because hard work gets you what you want! I work hard because I have ambitions!" Theliel straightens just as quickly as he did, his fingers curling into fists, at the audacity of someone like a mere miracle worker touching him. "Things aren't handed down on a silver plater for everyone!" He straightens up, standing to his full 5'11" height, and squares his shoulders. "I earn what I want because, unlike you, it was handed down to me by the one that raised me!"
"You should have stayed with your kind." Theliel takes the first swing, and given the amount of extra training he puts in, Andre ducked under his fist and turned, catching him by the wrist as he thrust his elbow back into his diaphragm. The bigger boy huffs in surprise, the wind cast from his lungs, choking on a breath deep in his throat. "We are our own kind."
"What is going on in here?"
The others scattered at the arrival of the voice, stern and reprimanding at the site of a scuffle in his barrack, not wanting to fall under his firm, angered at those responsible for a quarrel breaking out in his barrack.
"Andre, what are you doing?" A large hand curls in the collar of his stolen tunic and tugs him forward. "Did you attack Theliel?"
"No!"
"He did!" The bested trainee is quick to jump to his own defense in the wake of being on the wrong end of the Power's temper. "All I did was ask him a question and he just jumped at me!"
"Is that so?"
Andreus tugs on his sleeve insistently. "I did not!" The Power reaches over for his hand to stop him and curls his fingers around the small appendage to pull it away from his sleeve. "All you did was ask him a question?"
"It's true!"
"Very well, why don't you return to your studies, I'll take care of it."
Theliel made a face at the thought of returning to his studies, clearly not first on his list of things to do during his free time but nodded as to not attract the Power's ire. He curls his fingers over the other young boys shoulder and steers him around, Andre still trying to speak his case, they all know what happens to those that face their Mentor's temper.
"And Theliel," they stop just in the doorway. "You're a horrible liar." Theliel blushes a deep crimson. "Your nose twitches." His hand flies up to cover it.
He guides his young charge out the door and turns them down the hall. Andre tugs on his hand, it's still wrapped around his, adamant on speaking his case. "Tus, I didn't jump at him! I swear!"
"I know you didn't, Andre, calm down." He squeezes his hand in return, guiding him around the corner into his office, back behind his desk. Sitting heavily, he pats the desk with his free hand, and the young trainee takes that as his invitation to hop up. "How long has he been bullying you?"
Andre averts his eyes. "Not long."
"You're just as horrid a liar as he is." He leans forward to nudge his chin with a knuckle. "How about we try for the truth?"
"Since the beginning."
"Why didn't you come to me, Andre?"
There is a hint of hurt in his voice, knowing that someone was hurting one so close to his heart and there hadn't been anything he could do to put a stop to it, and that it was because he hadn't thought to come to him.
Andre inhales deeply. "I didn't want to look weak." He refuses to look up to meet his gaze. "Sorry."
"It's not okay." He jerks quickly when Titus reaches forward to squeeze his knee teasingly, his head shooting up, their eyes meeting again. "But I understand."
Titus smiles at him, and he returns it unwittingly, he loves Titus. He never stays mad for too long. He leans forward to tug at the front of his tunic.
"Are you wearing one of my tunics?"
He blushes brightly, looking down at the fine tunic he wears, much too big for his lithe frame, and curls in on himself. "It was the first thing I grabbed." He chances a glance upwards, taking in his unofficial guardians amused smirk. "It is okay?"
"It's so big on you."
"You're a big angel."
"I'm a what?" The Power curls his fingers around his lower thigh lightly. "Tread lightly."
"A good angel."
"That's what I thought you said." He squeezes lightly and he still jerks, a light shriek escaping him as he tries to pull his leg back with all his might, struggling when a hand curls around his ankle to keep him from moving, and the other climbs up his thigh carefully. "I don't like how I found out you've been being bullied by another soul in your training squadron."
"Tuhuhuhus!"
"You don't think what he said is true, do you?"
"Plehehehease!"
"Because it's not."
He tries to kick at him with his free foot but it makes no deterrence. "Lehehehet gohohoho!"
"You're my little warrior. I'd do anything for you. I don't care if you wear my tunics." He curls his fingers underneath, pinching at the meat of his under thigh, and the boy shrieks again, squirming in his seat. "Tuhuhuhus! Plehehehease!"
"This is adorable. I should do this more often." He squeezes rather harshly, smirking when he pulls a squeal from the boy. "You're going to come to me if this happens again, aren't you?"
"Yehehes!"
"Good boy."
He pulls his hands away, leaning back in his chair, smiling as Andre slowly catches his breath as he tries to rub the remaining tingles away. "Seriously though, I don't care if you wear my tunics, it's so big on you, you little thing you."
"Tus, you're so embarrassing."
"What?" He shrugs it off. "I think it's cute."
"I'm not cute. I'm fearsome."
"Fearsomely cute."
"Tuuuusssss!"
