CHILD OF MYTHRA
Part Three
By Arthur
When we had arrived home Eric was fast asleep in the car, so after parking I went around to his side and carefully lifted him in my arms making sure that the cuts on his back did not have pressure put on them, and then carried him into the house, he gave a little murmer as I lifted him but then snuggled back into my chest, a very tired and worn out boy.
Once in the bedroom I gentley woke him and began to remove all his leathers and restraints then turned him on his front and checked the marks to see that they had not opened up any more and were not weeping into the bandages, having checked it all to my satisfaction I then laid him down in the center of the bed and proceeded to undress and join him for a well earned rest.
In the early hours of the morning I was awakened by a small groan as Eric turned over onto his back and with a start at the pain jumped against me, I leaned over and took him in my arms brushing back the hair on his forehead and whispered to him that he was safe, he snuggled once again into my side and drifted back into noddy land a smile on his lips as he tucked his head under my arm and clasped my chest.
When the new dawn came I looked down at him and saw a little blood on his bandages and as he made to get up I told him to stay there and turn onto his stomach while I had a good look at his back and repaired any damage that the night had done, after carefully removing the bandages I could see that the bleeding had been minimal and with fresh dressings he would be ok to move around.
"Ok kiddo, you stay there, I'm just going to rebandage these stripes and then we'll have breakfast, you're excused duties for this morning until you've recovered a little better, then we have a lesson on the Mythra for you to do."
"Thanks James, It does feel a bit sore at the moment."
"It'll be ok soon as I change the dressings, I was really proud of what you did, but you should have said something to me or taken a smaller count, you're going to be sore for a few days now until they heal up so it'll put a slow down on a few things for you till then."
"It's ok James, it was for you, and now I know I can do it, I feel a lot better for it now."
"You did really good kiddo, now lay there and let me fix you up."
After soaking the dressings to make them easier to remove I set about tending his back and a few minutes later was all done, I reached to the bedside table and took up his codpiece and began to fit it on him.
"Just go have a light wash for now, buddy, then breakfast, after we'll sit and talk a bit then after lunch you'll have your next lesson, ok?"
"Ok James."
He took off for the bathroom and I went to the kitchen to get it ready for him, when he arrived I sat him down and allowed him to eat sitting for a change.
"You all finished kiddo?"
"Yes James."
"Ok start cleaning up then come into the lounge, and I'll have another coffee when you're finished."
"Ok James, I wont be long, do you want your coffee now while I clean up?"
"Ok then bring it in now."
I left him to get on with the clean up and made my way to the lounge and switched on the TV for the morning news while at the same time going over in my mind all that I would have to pass onto him later after lunch, it had been a while since I'd had to do the history of the Mythra and I didn't want to make any mistakes. I got up and went over to the third painting to check and see that it was properly presented and when satisfied I recovered it and sat down to finish my coffee.
When Eric arrived in the room he came and knelt beside my chair as he'd been told but this time facing me, and with a wince of pain on his face attepted to lift his arms into position behind his head.
"No Eric, leave your hands down for the moment, it's going to be painfull for a little so this time if you just try lifting them a little at a time, your back will loosen up, just raise them until you feel sore then lower them and after a couple of minutes try again a little higher each time."
He did as he was told, and I could see he was pushing himself to do it, good, a little pain would prepare him for other things later in his training. At last he made it but was still in a little pain but at least he was trying to overcome it in his mind, he knelt there looking up into my eyes, silent and watchful, waiting for me to speak or to indicate what I wanted from him.
"You're doing great, Eric, keep it up as long as you can, then take a rest. let me know when you're ready."
I again sat back and watched the News broadcast as he waited and watched. Twenty minutes later I could see he was struggling to keep his position, his face covered in sweat, small chest tight and straining, his arms shaking but he wouldn't quit, I leaned over and looked at his back, it had not started to seep through the dressings but it wouldn't be long so I told him to rest.
"That was great Eric, you did really well, now relax and come and sit here near my legs and get comfortable, while I tell you a few things for later."
With a look of pride tinged with relief Eric lowered his arms and shuffled to a sitting position between my legs and rested his head on my thigh as he kept his eyes on my face, a small smile stretching his lips as I rubbed his head slowly and lightly, caressing his silken beauty and also smiling down at him as he snuggled closer placing a hand under his head on my thigh.
"Ok Eric this afternoon you'll be doing the next of the Mythra, now normally you'd only be seeing the third one in preparation for your first conclave, then later on the fourth just before you're presented to prepare you for your kisses to the cat, however after what you did so proudly last night I'm going to do both of them for you because you've already taken the steps, but you need to know what was behind it all, ok so far?"
"Yes James."
"Well first I have to outline the legend as it was passed down to us so that you will see how important your position of Mythras Child is compared to the other slaves, the naming last night in our society is like winning a gold medal at the Olympics, you understand how important that is don't you?"
"Yes, really was it like the Olypic medals?"
"Yes, you'll see why after I tell you our history."
Eric settled further onto my legs, relaxing and at the same time attentive to every word.
"You good and comfortable, this takes quite a while to go through and you have to remember as much of it as you can for this afternoon, you don't have to be word perfect but some of it will come up during the ceremony."
"I'll do my best James."
"That'll be enough, later you'll get a manuscript to read it all again and learn it all by heart."
"Our history is believed to have started around 1200bc in the province of Sparta in what is now called Greece, they were in those days called the Laconians, the city of Sparta was in the valley of the river Eurotas in the southern Peloponnese, the other four main towns were spread out from Sparta but now days there is only four of them named, we believe the fifth was called Mythraenos, after a local Deity or minor god of war and servitude called Mythros, Ok so Far?"
"Yes I think so."
"Now the four main cities were of course Sparta, then there was Pitane, Limnai, Mesoa and Kinosoura, We believe that Mythraenos was not just one city but was made up of five villages but close enough to be called one, they were on the slopes and valleys of Mount Taygetos, these were called, Pilane, Selacia, Aigitida,Pharu and Amikles, altogether they were a polpulation of about 3000 people."
"Ok, The Laconians, or Spartans as we know them today in history books, were a very modern people, and were very advanced in mathmatics, architecture, astronomy, and many other of the arts and crafts like music and sculpture, but what they were most famous for was there military strength and fighting abilities. They had a system that allowed them to spend most of their time looking to conquer other states and by using Perioikoi or people who were friendly to them and also Helots who were captured slaves to do all the mundain work like farming and such like they were able to devote their lives to a more war like attitude, now most of the general population of Spartans lead a pretty austere life but there was one small city Mythraenos, that lead a life so hard and rigid that they were known to be the toughest fighters of all Sparta. You keeping up with all this?"
"Yes, sort of, all these names are a bit confusing though."
"You'll get the hang of it all after a while, right the Mythraenians were dedicated to war and to the service of the state, so when an army was needed they would be the first to provide the troops, the other cities held them in such respect that they were given the honour of taking the first lines in battle and were always the last to leave the field at the end, those that were still alive, when they were 16 years old they were taken into an 18 man conclave or mess hall, now that in itself was unusual as the rest of Sparta would wait until the young men were 20 years old before they were taken in and then the mess hall would only have about 15 men, the reason for the number being 18 was so that each man was partenered with a younger one to teach, protect and of course love, these partnerships were only broken by the death of one or the other in battle, the youth at 16 was given a sheild by his parents as a sign of adulthood and was told that,
"You will always carry this sheild on your return home or be carried upon it"
This was to say that they were to return home only at the end of battle and never in retreat or die on the field and be carried home to be cremated so their soul would go to Mythros in honour, he was also given his cloak of a blood red colour, that and his short tunic were the only clothes he was allowed to wear, the red colour of the cloak was said to hide any blood from wounds so that the enemy did not know he had been injured, it was also used to wrap his body in after death, during a battle his shield was bound to his arm so that it would not be taken from him and was also there for the others of his conclave to carry his body on if he was killed."
I looked down at Eric, a slightly stunned expression on his face as he tried to take in all he'd heard so far.
"I think we need another coffee so you can sort it all out in your mind, ok?"
"Yes I'll get one for you now."
He took off to the kitchen to get my coffee and when he returned he had a coke in his hand for himself, he settled down again between my legs taking up the same position as before.We sat and drank for a few minutes and then when he looked ready I began again.
"Until around 800bc Sparta kept to itself but the general population began to soften from what they once were, except of course for Mythraenos and its people who maintained their customs in the name of Mythros, I 776bc the son of king Eumenos, Lykourgas came to the throne of Sparta after his elder brother Polydektes died, but because of a lot of internal polotics he decided to give up the throne to the son of his elder brother after he was born, but on seeing the state of the Spartan people and their decline he instead took the child to Agora and gave him the name Charilaos and proclaimed him king of the Spartans, Lykourgos then left Sparta and began his search for a new truth and to bring back to the people a constitution that would restore the people to their former life. On his way out of Sparta he entered Mythraenos and was so impressed by what he saw as a true way of life for a Spartan that he took notes on how they lived and then continued his travels to Crete, Egypt, Libya, and later on to Spain and Asia always searching for the right ways to bring his people back from their decadence. He returned to Sparta some twenty or so years later with his idea of a constitution and with many trials and tests he eventually convinced the Spartan people to accept the constitution and made them promise never to change it until he returned, he then left Sparta again and went to Delphi where he died and left instructions that his body was to be cremated and the ashes spread on the wind thereby denying even the body being returned to Sparta and so the people because of their word of honour had to continue to live under his rules of the constitution."
I looked again at Eric sitting there almost bewitched by the story, but I could also see he was having trouble trying to follow so much information at one time, so I decided to take a break and prepare a little lunch for us both before going on and let him ask questions while we ate to clear up anything he was not sure of, the history was normally given over a longer period but due to his performance the night before he deserved the right to go to the fourth Mythra as soon as possible, it would not have been fair to him to keep him back now and I was sure he was bright enough to take in most of the salient points for the ceremony later in the day.
"Ok kiddo, enough for now lets have lunch and you can ask some questions, then afterwards we'll continue."
"James this is so exciting, I didn;t know old history could be so good."
"Well I like to think our part of it is good anyway, buddy, ok lets eat."
We got up and went to the kitchen and prepared for the nose bag and a bit of a rest.
To Be Continued: