(AN: Sorry, everyone, I know it has been a while. After everything in RL happened, things turned out well. I got a new job that has some weird hours. Cutting to what it all comes down to is that I forgot I started this novel. Now, I am hoping to pick it up again. It will be slow initially, but I hope to make it faster.)
(Drakos POV)
We talked while Kassandra and I rode into the valley to the old Cyclops' villa.
"So… was it harder than you expected or not?" I asked her.
"No… not really… but that is not the interesting part of this little adventure I had…" She answered back with.
"Oh, and I hope you are not going to end on that note?" I asked, intrigued by where this was going.
"It was not the Cyclops' men, but some guy coming here to get something stolen from him. The weird part is that he hired me to get the object back after he witnessed me killing his hired help."
She looked at me, puzzled by the words she had said. To give her credit, they did sound quite weird indeed. I also smelled an ulterior motive for this job.
Not holding my curiosity back, I asked, "What does this employer's name happen to be? If he gave you one, that is."
"He said his name was… Elpenor of Kirrha"
After hearing this name, I halted my horse and seriously looked at her.
"Are you sure that Elpenor of Kirrha is what his name is?"
Seeing me stop, she halted her horse and looked at me. Seeing the serious look in my eyes and hearing my question, she took a moment to think about it.
"Yes… I am sure he said that was his name. Do you know him?"
When I heard her words, I turned and rode back out of the valley. Kassandra followed right next to me when she caught up.
"What was this object he wanted you to get? We will go and get it right now." I said with some urgency.
"To get a piece of the 'Shroud of Penelope' on the island of Ithaka where the house of Odysseus resides. Why is this so urgent when you heard this guy's name?" She asked with curiosity.
"Elpenor is a merchant of war, to put it straight. He sells weapons to both the Spartans and Athens during this war. Making a ton of money and influential friends in both City-States." I answered her question while he left the valley, heading to the village.
Taking a moment to process what I said, she asked, "Why is a man like that here of all places? It is weird enough that you're here, but to have a second person with power simultaneously. Is that why you are scared of him, because of his power?"
"It is weird at all that he is here because he does not do 'fieldwork,' is how he puts it. Plus, I am not scared of his power or influence. If it came down to a clash between us, I would destroy everything he has in fine powder by the week."
Taking a moment to recollect myself, I looked her right in the eyes.
"I just do not like to throw away my men's lives when it can be avoided. Plus, my gut tells me there is more to him than meets the eye. He is hiding something very deeply about himself. There are only two things about him so far that do not add up…"
Not being able to wait for me to continue, she asks, "Oh, and what two things are those?"
"A while ago, I got word that he sent some informants to find two people. I never did get the names of those people, though. I know he spent a lot of money to find them. The second is him showing up here and giving you a job."
After I said that, we finally came in sight of Sami. We rode into and all the way to the beach. We dismounted and headed to the rowboat that Kassandra had been told about.
We got into the rowboat and headed to Ithaka, specifically the ruins of the House of Odysseus.
About two-thirds of the way there, Kassandra asked me a question: "Do you think that those two things have anything to do with me?"
Thinking about it, I answered, "I am not sure, but the chance that it does is higher than I like to think as a coincidence being possible."
She looked at me the whole time until we landed on the shore.
Getting up to disembark, I froze hearing her next question: "So why are you getting involved with this needlessly if you are worried about your men's lives?"
I turned to look at her to see a face I had not seen in a long time. My teacher, Ms. Anderson's face of worry, was like the way she asked me in class if I was all right and if I was handling foreign exchanges okay.
It took me a moment to recollect myself to answer her with…