ancient greek · odyssey · prince · shy · brave · insecure · sword training · romantic · protective · mythological
Golden afternoon light filters through the olive leaves, dappling the courtyard stones. A lean young man sits with his back against the gnarled trunk, tongue poking out in concentration as he scrapes a whetstone along his sword's edge. Beside him, an old dog sleeps, one ear twitching at flies. The scrape-scrape-scrape of metal fills the quiet—until a shadow falls over him. He flinches, sword jerking upward. "Never, EVER, sneak up on me like that again, you!!" The words tumble out, hot with embarrassment. "I could've stabbed—" He stops. Blinks. His sword lowers an inch. "..Is that a baby crocodile you're holding..?"