Urius then awoke and began gazing at his friend looking out the window. He too admired the young, developing body he saw. Likewise he admired Andros with his short, dark brown hair and brown eyes. He looked at his friend's body now outlined with the rising sun. His cock hardened again which caused him to have the same confused feelings as Andros. It was time for them to arise, bath and dress before Phalox came to get them. Just as Urius sat up in his bed, Andros arose from his position on the window sill. There eyes met and for a moment or two, they were both frozen in time as they stared deeply into each other's eyes. They both felt warm and comfortable yet at the same time confused and ashamed.

Quickly they went to the common bath where many of the other "students" were already preparing for the day ahead. In the huge common bath, they noticed that most of the others seemed to be together in pairs, washing each other's bodies. Some were even kissing and fondling each other. As they entered the bath themselves, both felt a growing excitement as could be evidenced by their hardening cocks. Without even thinking, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, they too began to wash each other's bodies. It sent electric shocks through them both. How could it be, they wondered, that the touch of another man's hands could feel so warm, comfortable and exciting. At this point Phalox entered the bath and told them to hurry and get dressed. They did.

The breakfast feast over, they found themselves being ushered out into the countryside by Phalox for yet another day's exercise. They questioned him as to why all they were doing was running, etc. and why they had not started their studies. Phalox simply replied that by the end of that day, their studies would have begun. The morning progressed as the day before. By lunch time they were exhausted and ate heavily. After lunch, Phalox told them to sleep for a while as the afternoon would require all the strength they could muster. With this, all three slept for an hour.

Upon arising from their naps, Phalox ran them a mile or so through the woods until they came upon a clearing. They stopped and there in front of them across a cool stream of water laid an unusual sight that had certainly been man made. A four foot high circular stone wall surrounding a sand pit. With caution, they followed Phalox across the stream and into the circle of stone. Phalox grabbed Andros and with ropes, tied his hands to the stone wall. At this point, both students were confused and frightened. What exactly was Phalox up to. They soon found out.

Phalox started slowly walking toward Urius who was by now frozen in his position with fear. In his eyes, Urius could see signs of playfulness; cunning; cruelty; and hatred which in some strange way, excited him. As Phalox slowly swaggered toward him, he could see his trainer's sinewy muscles moving under his tight, dark, sweaty skin. And one look at his short, tight, leather shorts made it quite clear that Phalox was in full erection. Uncontrollably, Urius felt his own muscles tighten and his cock harden. Three feet in front of him, Phalox stopped. He eyed his student from head to toe not missing the bulge in his shorts. Being and experienced trainer, the best in Ixalon's school, he knew he had an excellent gladiator candidate standing in front of him. One that was going to learn fast and well. With this, Phalox told Urius to begin hitting him anywhere and everywhere. Urius showed his refusal by saying and doing nothing. Phalox took his hand and slapped Urius hard in the face with enough force for the boy to step backwards in surprise. Still no response to his trainer's orders, Phalox then buried a hard, deliberate fist deep into his gut sending him crashing to his knees in pain. As Urius regained his composure and looked at his trainer, he saw a smirk on his face and cruelty in his eyes. He knew he must due as he was told. That was confirmed by what Phalox said next. That was, hit me or I will kill you right here and now.

As Andros watched in terror, Urius took his first shot at Phalox by punching him in the chest. Phalox responded with another hard slap in the face of Urius saying that was how little girls hit. This let something lose inside Urius. A strange combination of hatred, pleasure and excitement. He let go the hardest backhand to the face of Phalox he could. Phalox grinned with pleasure which just edged Urius on. Now he was punching, kicking, slapping his trainer as hard as he could. Phalox just kept asking for more and more by his comments and with his eyes. Urius was now enjoying every hit and both he and Phalox had cocks hard as steel from the one on one contact.

After about an hour of this, Phalox, still fresh and unharmed, grabbed Urius and attached him to the stone wall with ropes. He then released Andros and the same scene was repeated as Urius watched. When Phalox had let Andros have his turn at him, he then released Urius and let them rest for a short while. He told them that their studies had begun, as promised. He then told them the truth. That they were being trained to be gladiators. That they best learn and learn well if they wished to survive into adults. He told them that soon, after "basic training", they would be facing the other students in combat. Both students were bright young men and got the message fast; absorbed their fate; looked into each other's eyes and knew that they must both become the best.

The rest and lecture over, the unimaginable happened. Phalox told them that now, they must fight each other. The two looked at each other in disbelief and told Phalox no way. The trainer's response was to lay down the rules for the rest of that day. They were as follows. 1. They would fight or one would be tied to the wall and the other killed. And then the other. 2. They must fight with the intent to hurt each other as much as possible. 3. There were no fighting rules. Anything was permitted. 4. The fight would be terminated only when one of them was knocked out cold. This said, Phalox left the circle and stood outside waiting for the fight to begin.

He watched as the two students "digested" what they had been told. Soon he saw that the two young men understood and were mentally preparing to fight each other. The two, now resigned to the afternoon's fate, began to circle around each other. As they did, words containing threats and challenges were exchanged in a more playful than serious way. It was Andros who delivered the first blow. He caught Urius off guard and kneed him in the gut hard enough to knock the breath out of him. Andros felt a lot of pleasure and excitement from doing this to his friend and before Urius could completely regain his breath, Andros did him again. This time he kicked his feet out from under him sending him sprawling onto his back in the sand. He then drop kicked him again in the gut.

This got a serious reaction from Urius. Andros now had a taste of fighting and was already getting cocky and arrogant from his first two successful attacks. Urius got to his feet, walked up to the confident Andros; wrapped his hands around his neck and began to choke him. Soon both were choking each other as hard as they could. They sunk to their knees in relentless combat. They were an even match and soon both had to let go as they were gasping for air. Slowly they got to their feet and faced each other again. There now was hatred in both their eyes. Also a natural hunger for more mortal combat. Soon Andros had his friend down on the ground and was wrestling him with a sleeper hold. He told Urius he was going to kill him and he meant it. Both were nothing less than totally out of control now. Phalox realised what was going on and wasn't about to lose one of his new promising students on their first day of "studying".

He entered the circle just as Urius was put out. But Andros was intent on killing his friend. It took Phalox a while to untangle the two but he did. He tied them both to the walls again and waited until they had calmed down and regained their senses. When the regained their composure and realised what almost happened, they knew that they were both survivors and killers. They knew they would succeed in the arenas one day and both become champions.

Later that evening, after bathing and dining, they found themselves alone in their room. They discussed the days events and promised each other one thing. Never again would they try to kill each other no matter what. A promise they would one day in the future be challenged to keep. They wrapped their muscular arms around each other in a sign of friendship. But the feel of each other's warm, hard, muscular bodies overwhelmed them both. Soon they found themselves in the throws of passionate male love.

From the doorway, Phalox watched as the two satisfied each other and then fell asleep in each other's arms. He knew, being the best trainer, that he now had as his charges, the two most promising students in the school. Ixalon was pleased when Phalox told him later that evening. Together they planned the two future champions "education".