[fic: Boyko and Wily: Part One, in Which Boyko Meets His New Idol]
“Maddox, what on earth have you done to yourself?! You...you look...”
“Amazingly manly and oh-so-devastatingly gorgeous?”
“...EXACTLY!”
Boyko was staring at Maddox with something akin to pure awe. Who on earth could have provided such a drastic influence on this young man’s life? Boyko decided that he must know and he must know IMMEDIATELY. He put on his best charming grin, as if this would assist him in extracting precious information from Maddox’s brain. There must be a way to pry this Divine Knowledge from him.
“So, my dear, dear, friend..” he began. Maddox grinned expectantly, his newly long and curly hair blowing in a stray breeze. Boyko felt himself missing his Silken Locks of Chestnut as he watched the Ravenclaw’s tresses fluttering about his visage. “You want to know how I became so utterly and fantastically confident, don’t you.”
“Oh PLEASE tell me! You have no idea how long I’ve waited for a prospective miracle such as this!” Boyko was absolutely itching to find out. Fortunately for him, Maddox was a generous bloke. He would let the Hufflepuff in on his secret weapon. “Boyko Phobos, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Boyko caught a glimpse of something bronze and glimmering out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly the most exquisite specimen of manliness strode into full view, sunlight sending his chest plate blazing with illustrious glory. The man was dressed for battle; but battle of the noble sort. The kind where men went head-to-head in combat, outmaneuvering and overcoming their opponent with pure brawn and superior skill. There was something mythical about this man, and Boyko felt an immediate kinship with the mysterious stranger. Here was someone who would understand Boyko’s Life Purpose.
Boyko’s wonderment must’ve been apparent, as Maddox was not doing an extraordinary job of suppressing his laughter. “Boyko, meet Odysseus, king of Ithaca, creator of the Trojan Horse, and the most cunning and wily of any Achaean before or since his time. Odysseus, this is Boyko.”
Boyko was too awestruck and more than a little confused to feel irritated at the fact that Maddox had not given him such an exciting introduction. Boyko clearly had many achievements to his name. Especially the times he’d saved not one, but TWO damsels from near or certain death. Certain in the case of his lady-to-be, which was something he was grateful to have been around for. Who knows what doom would have befallen her in the depths of the dreaded lake. He snapped out of his reverie as soon as Odysseus addressed him directly.
“Boyko Phobos, curious name,” he mused. “I cannot say I have ever heard such a name, but no matter. In my experience it is the warriors with unique names who accomplish great deeds and die honourably who are remembered all the better. Think of the swift-footed Achilles, most powerful of all Achaeans. No man has ever matched him in battle, and his name will be remembered for all eternity. I doubt any man would be foolish enough to attempt to name their surely more feeble offspring after so great a warrior. It would only serve to shame the great name of Achilles.” Wily was always quick to praise the lost Myrmidon. Especially after he had to witness his tortuous afterlife in the Underworld when he was on his Odyssey. The thought of picturing his friend and ally spending eternity as a shade still sent a shiver through the Ithacan’s chiseled body. He still did not fully understand why Achilles had not been sent to the Elysian Fields; if any great hero deserved to spend out the rest of their eternity there, it was his Achilles. He must try not to dwell on it further; he had a task at hand that was to require all his attention, he was sure.