Right In Front Of You (Clash of the Titans/Draco Fanfic)

02. Beginning of a Quest

It was another day with training. We had another day of training with swords and I had to sharpen my sword beforehand. In order to do that, I had to get up earlier than everyone else. I got dressed and headed out, sword strapped to my side. The sun was barely coming up so there wasn't much light out but I still crossed the base alone.

I arrived in the area to sharpen my sword. I did so as quietly but quickly. I had to be at the training grounds by dawn. There was movement in the corner of my eye but I didn't move my head to see what it was. Moving my eyes away from my sword would mean messing up. I didn't want to mess up.

I finally looked up when I finished. It was Draco in the doorway, leaning against it with his arms crossed. He was studying me with his eyebrows creased with interest. It was a cute look on his face but I stopped myself from thinking too much about it

I looked away to start sharpening my twin knives. "Do you need anything, sir?"

"I was just curious why you were up so early. I came to see what you were doing," Draco replied. "Those are interesting blades. Can I see them?"

I nodded over to my sword. "You can look at my sword while I'm doing my knives."

Draco came closer and took my sword from where I set it. He was intrigued by the coloring, length, and style. They were a limited kind of sword after all.

I finished my knives and strapped them to my thighs. Draco studied my blade for a moment longer before handing it back.

Draco looked directly into my eyes. "There's a quest I'm going on with a few of my men from my legion. I want to take you with me. You're one of my best and we need you with me. I need you with me."

I nodded, holding out my hand. "If you give me my sword back, yes. Where are we going?"

Draco handed back my sword and stepped aside. "Walk with me. We have time before training."

I slid my sword onto my hip and followed Draco outside. He described what the quest would be like and how only a few men would go. I listened closely, nodding occasionally. It was for Perseus, a son of Zeus, to get the head of Medusa and kill a giant serpent that would be attacking the city. Great. Sounds fantastic.

We finally got to the training grounds when Draco finished. I stared out across the field, quiet as I thought about it. Going on that quest would bring glory to me and could take me to a higher position like a lieutenant. But Atticus had to stay behind. He was my best friend and I couldn't imagine being without him for more than a day was terrible.

Draco stared at me. "What do you think? Do you want to go?"

I inhaled sharply through my nose before slowly exhaling. "I'll go. It's today, right?"

"Yes, so pack your stuff. We leave at dawn." Atticus leaned in a little closer, his lips moving upwards. "Atticus is going to be fine without you, I promise."

I grinned, chuckling. "Maybe but he won't have his wingman or his sidekick at his side for a while. He'll suffer badly because of it."

Draco chuckled too. "He's more like your sidekick. You're great at everything you do. Atticus is decent but he's just like everyone else. You stand out more. I know by the end of this quest, you'll be lieutenant. I'll make sure of it."

I nodded, looking him in the eye for the first time that morning. "I will do my best. I won't let you down, sir. I'm assuming I won't go to training this morning?"

Draco shook his head. "You're already the best trained. Take the morning off and meet us at the front gates before noon. You can have time to pack and rest before the guest. It's going to be a long and difficult trip." Draco placed a hand on my shoulder. "I know you're up for it, Cassius. You're strong and a good soldier. I hope this is a good bonding experience for the two of us and the other soldiers on it."

I grinned, a teasing glint in my eyes. "Is the great Captain Draco saying he wants to bond with a lowly soldier like me?"

Draco shook his head, grinning as he stared ahead. "You are not lowly and I am not as great as you think. But I hope that we can bond, yes. It is a good idea to know your soldiers. How they think, speak, their opinions. Everything. I don't know much about you or your family. To me, you're just Cassius. No last name, no mentions of family."

I shook my head, staring ahead. "I don't talk about my family. It's nothing to do with you. I . . . just don't have a close relationship with them anymore. It has nothing to do with you, Captain. I hope you understand."

Draco nodded. "I understand. You can go now. I'll see you at the front gates."

I nodded and turned on my heels. I returned to the barracks, most of the soldiers already gone. Atticus was still there in his cot beside mine. He looked up when I walked in.

"Where were you?" Atticus asked.

I sat down across from him. "I was sharpening my weapons."

"How was that?" Atticus asked.

"Good," I replied. "I ran into Draco when I was gone too."

Atticus raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"He's taking a bunch of soldiers on a quest," I replied, playing with my leather skirt. "Something to do with that Hades incident a few days ago. He wants to take me with them."

"That's good," Atticus replied. "It'll give you experience and you'll be with Draco. That's a perfect way to get him."

I rolled my eyes. "We aren't going to be a thing. He's the Captain Draco. I'm just me. But it does sound fun to be with him during this quest. He's a nice guy to be around."

"So are you," Atticus replied. "I'm assuming that I'm not going with?"

I shook my head. "He only asked me. He made it clear that you weren't coming. You'll be fine without your wingman, right?"

Atticus chuckled softly. "I will, though you have your ways." He grabbed my hand. "I'll miss you."

I squeezed his hand tightly. "I'll miss you too, brother. But I'll be back in no time. You won't even know I'm gone."

Atticus smiled almost sadly and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "I'll see you around, squirt. Don't die on me or I'll have to kill you myself, okay?"

I laughed, shoving him away. "I hate you. Get to training. You'll be late."

Atticus got up and kissed my forehead before leaving. I leaned back on my bed and sighed. I needed to rest a little bit before packing. It was going to be a long day before getting a chance to rest again. I smiled though. I had a chance to show my family and everyone else that I was going to be a hero. And I would be a damn good one too.