[Never Was Broken]

Mission accomplished. Now all I have to do is hurry back to the castle and show how simple the task was. These were Miklotov's thoughts as he ran through the forests of Matilda. If he wasn't training with the sword, he was at least training his body. His body ran without command through the terrain that he memorized as a boy. He only had to take a quick glance down divergent paths to figure out which one to take. After he cleared the forest he took a walking break as he traveled though the grassy plains.

It has been 3 days since I left. I wonder what I've missed. The first thing that came to mind was Camus's face, but Miklotov quickly banished the image and replaced it with the dojo. He imagined people sparring, but in one corner there stood Camus, alone and watching the others. Why do I still think of him? He doesn't care…

As he neared the wall around Rockaxe, he began to hear some voices. It sounded like two guys about his age, but he didn't recognize either person's voice.

"There he is," the first one whispered to the other, Miklotov guessed. He hadn't seen them yet and had no idea who they were referring to. He decided to keep walking, but a bit more cautiously and quietly.

"We aren't all here yet," the other one replied. He seemed younger, but not much.

"That's okay. I'll get him while you retrieve the others," the first one assured him. Miklotov heard the other one scurry away and looked around to see where the person was headed to. Seeing no one, he proceeded through the entrance of Rockaxe. Miklotov didn't anticipate being tackled on his first step inside. The person smashed him into the ground with his body weight and grabbed Miklotov's wrists.

"Who are you?" Miklotov asked, trying to tear his hands free from the attacker.

"Don't you recognize me?" the man replied, laughing. "Your enemy, of course." Miklotov broke away from the grip by swinging the guy off of him. The man lunged towards him again, but Miklotov dodged the attack.

Even after seeing his face, Miklotov still did not know who the guy was, but pretended that he did. "Why are you going after me?" he asked.

"You were the one sent on the mission, right?" the man said. Miklotov managed to avoid most of the punches that the man threw blindly at him and refused to fight back. He had nothing against the guy, and Miklotov hoped that the guy would burn himself out. "Answer me!" the guy demanded, managing to kick the side of Miklotov's right leg.

"Yes…" Miklotov replied. The guy was no ordinary attacked. He seemed to have been trained…maybe a knight? Was this guy perhaps jealous?

"Teacher's pet! You want to take my position, but you won't get it. You won't be captain!" the man cried. "All he talks about is you. How good you are, how dedicated. It's my job! I'll do anything to beat you!"

Just then another four guys arrived on the scene, probably the man's friends. "We'll help, Frank," they said. Miklotov knew he really had to escape now, but two of them grabbed his arms while the other two administered punches and kicks everywhere. Miklotov winced in pain as now each punch and kick hit his chest, his stomach, his legs, his face. Miklotov was ready to scream for Camus, but then he remembered that Camus couldn't hear him. How long will this last….I won't last for too much longer.

Finally the men were finished with the beating. "I'm not going to kill you. Just scar you enough to humiliate you," the first man said, laughing. It soon spread to the rest of the group as Miklotov was dropped to the ground to lay in pain, marked in black and blue.

"Just think what the teacher will say now," one of the guys said. "You can return now and he'll think you're too weak that you were beaten up badly by easy monsters or you can come in later and he'll wonder why it took you so long to return. Either way you're screwed."

I can't believe this… Miklotov watched as the men left. Two options indeed. Well I'm going to limp my way to the castle if I have to, just to show them how powerful I am!

First he had to get to his feet. Crying out in pain as he tried to push himself with his arms, he returned to his position on the ground. I'll rest a minute first.

*****

One more step until the castle, Miklotov! Then you can take a rest. Miklotov stumbled his way into the castle before falling to the ground. This can't be all…this won't be all! I'm going to get to my room…

Just then he saw a flash of red dart down the stairs. Was the person heading towards him? "Be careful!" Miklotov warned, thinking it was impossible for one person to go down the steps that fast if he was taking only one at a time.

"Miklotov?" the person said. Miklotov's heart leaped at the sound of the voice. Camus! Like a madman Camus rushed over to Miklotov. "I was too late?"

"Too late for what?" Miklotov wondered. He had no clue what Camus was talking about.

"She knew! She knew they were going to attack you and she knew that I never hit ladies. She stalled me!" Camus rambled. Miklotov was even more confused.

"Wha…" he began, but Camus silenced him. Camus lifted him up as gently as possible and began to walk up to their room.

"I'll explain everything to you when we get back. Just relax for now," Camus said. He began to hum a song and to Miklotov's embarrassment, even began to rock him.

"Camus!" Miklotov hissed. Camus laughed. He continued to sing and rock Miklotov, and Miklotov was powerless to stop him.

"You just have to take advantage of the situation when one comes up," Camus commented. Miklotov glared at him. I can't believe that this…trickster…is my friend! Yet why do I feel so nice in his arms…

What was even worse was that Miklotov fell asleep. He remembered trying to grab Camus's hair before succumbing to the singing and rocking. He was tired anyways.

*****

"You awake now?" Camus asked. Miklotov was surprised to be tucked in the bed and to see Camus smiling down on him. The drapes for the window were pulled down as well, so Miklotov guessed that it was night already. "I snuck in some leftovers from dinner," he said.

"What?" Miklotov exclaimed. He didn't want to get Camus in trouble. Camus laughed at his surprised look.

"Just kidding. Your teacher allowed me to bring it up for you," Camus said.

"The teacher?" Miklotov wondered. Did he know what happened…

"I explained everything to him, Miklotov. Those guys who beat you up will be kicked out if they ever do that again. Plus you get a whole week off," Camus explained to Miklotov. Miklotov couldn't take it in all at once.

"So I don't have training tomorrow?" Miklotov asked. Camus nodded. "But then…"

"Take a break, Mik," Camus laughed. "You'll be fine without the training." He fed Miklotov a spoon of soup. "That was the only thing that Theresa got right about you."

"Theresa?" Miklotov repeated. So I wasn't boring, unsociable, ill-mannered…in Camus's mind?

"I never did explain the truth about her and I, did I?" Camus said, gauging Miklotov's expression as one of confusion. "Be prepared for a long tale…let me feed you first…um…"

"Just start, Camus," Miklotov said. Camus fed him another large scoop before beginning.

"Well I had promised you that you would have someone by Friday, right? Well I was surprised by how many girls didn't like you at all. I mean, you're a great guy and I would have no problem going out with you if I was a girl. Anyway, by Thursday I was a bit desperate, so I asked Theresa. She said she would go out with you, but she wanted a date with me if she didn't like you. I thought that made sense, because we aren't the same person."

He gave Miklotov another scoop of soup before continuing, "Then when Friday came, she didn't want to go out with you even once. I convinced her to try anyway. She told me how she didn't like you and thought of you as boring and stuff and I nodded my head, thinking that she wouldn't be a good match for me. Though for some reason she thought I was great and was extremely nice to me. I was confused by this."

Camus stood up and stretched as he took a break from talking. "Um…you were also really mad at me. Let's see…that night I had a bad nightmare about you dying and…yeah. Then after you left I overheard her talking to a friend of hers. She was telling her how she was going out with me but I refused to let her go further. She said it was because of my friendship with you. That's all I heard before she saw me. Then I also heard how some guys were mad when they heard you were sent on a 'mission'. I was afraid for your safety, so I planned to look out for you when you came back. But that day Theresa made a surprise visit. When I told her that I needed to leave, because I was sure that you were back, she didn't let me leave. I tried to ask her to step aside politely, but she refused. I really wanted to punch her, but I couldn't. She kept smiling and refusing my requests for her to let me leave. She knew that I didn't punch women and used it against me. Finally I decided that it didn't matter what kind of gentleman code I had, I was going to hit her. She noticed my first coming towards her and immediately fled. I took this opportunity to escape and I almost ran over you if you didn't call out my name…"

Miklotov took a while to digest all of that, and figured that it made sense. Maybe I should have let him explain everything to me. His previous statements made sense too. Though one little thing needed clarification.

"Was she related to any of the men who beat me up?" Miklotov asked.

"Yeah. She was the leader's sister. He wanted to screw both of us over by making you seem weak and making me look irresponsible," Camus replied.

"Make you look irresponsible? What do you mean by that?" Miklotov wondered.

"That's where Theresa fit in. He was hoping that she would seduce me and then say I was sexually harassing her," Camus explained.

"Well that was a lot. It could have worked," Miklotov said. Camus looked a bit hurt, but Miklotov hadn't finished talking. "If we weren't who we are, it would have worked."

Camus smiled. "If we weren't friends, we would have both been screwed," he replied. "I'm glad we're friends," he added.

"Me too," Miklotov responded. You don't know how much this means to me, Camus.

Miklotov finished his meal and began his week of recuperation.

To be continued…