Woken up gently by the giant, Hippos still couldn’t believe the day he had. The great gave him some breakfast, smiling and still disturbing the poor child with his kindness. As he ate, the man started explaining to him what his future will be. Listen, I am saddened by the tragedy that struck you, but I can see that you are powerful. Your eyes are sparking with something and I want to train you focus whatever is inside you. So, I will get you a tutor to teach you everything they teach at school and after that you’ll train with me. I’ll teach you everything I know. This visibly upset Hippos, as he wanted to meet his love on a daily basis, having a private tutor meant the opposite. Seeing his reaction the man came up with an idea. Now, don’t worry, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be seeing her. If anything, you’ll be able to see her every evening from now on, if you’ll listen to me. Okay? The boy nodded in agreement, as he smiled for the first time being with the giant.

Sword, shield, spear, poetry, philosophy, astrology, daggers, poisons, foods, plants, animals and human anatomy, these all were Hippos’s subjects. He wanted to make the boy into the best of the best, creating the most sophisticated and cultured soldier. Yet he was bruised, hungry all the time, body aching all the time, but all of that didn’t matter, as every evening the giant kept his promise and he did get to see the love of his life. Adpetentia was her name, daughter born of a strong woman, mother working at the court in Creetus and a wimp of a father that was cleaner people hired to do the dirty work. She was a very smart girl, her keen eye caught onto things quite quickly. As she understood her own family dynamic, she grew frustrated as nothing helped the man that somehow was her father. She couldn’t grasp how her mother got to be with someone like him. Yet her mother loved him, because he could do whatever she wanted to do with him. For once she had control over a man, and that just turned her on. But this clearly had the opposite effect on the daughter.

Every forth day was a break day for Hippos in which he’d be free to do whatever he’d like. The giant trusted that he wouldn’t do something absolutely horrid or disgraceful. The child did nothing but behave, no matter how hard the training was, or how tough the subject, he’d always come on top due to some ingenious scheme he’d hatch on the spot. Day after day after day, the child was growing, developing and working hard. His vision became their vision, the chemistry and understanding between the two developed as the days passed and their bond grew. Hippos now was taller than all the boys at his former school and the most athletic of them all. The soldiers were impressed with him and couldn’t wait for him to grow more and join them.

And so, in Rome….

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