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Tredd bursts forward in a shower of sparks, slamming into the side of a rock wall covered in vines. Heaving himself over, he drops on the other side, stumbling for a second before launching into a dead sprint towards the palace gardens. Zeroing in on the greenhouse, he throws his kukri and skids to a halt in front of the glass doorway in a shimmering blast of sapphire. The redhead leans over, hands on his knees as he pants heavily, trying to catch his breath. Sweat drips from his brow, his shirt soaked.
“Had enough?” Titus chuckles, jogging up behind him. “You beat your last time and then some.”
“Not good enough,” he breathes, standing upright, hands on his hips. “I should’ve gone up on the wall and warped back down.”
“While I commend your intuition and drive, you can’t push yourself too hard.”
“This is nothin’,” Tredd scoffs, wiping his face off with the bottom of his shirt. “A breeze.”
“You need to drink water at the very least.”
“Sometimes we won’t have water on missions. I gotta get used to that-“
“Furia.”
“Yes, Cap?” he sighs, glancing over at him.
“Water,” he says firmly, tossing Tredd his gym bag. “Now.”
“Fine, fine…” The Glaive trots after Titus, secretly thankful for the break. He always knows when to push them and when to remember their humanity; that they aren’t machines. Walking along the garden path and back into the main courtyard of the Citadel, Tredd nods to a passing guard, hiking his bag up on his shoulder. The Captain, a wall of a man, tugs his tank top off, grumbling about the increasing heat as morning melts into midday, bringing humidity with it. “So how much time did I beat my last score by?”
“Two point four seconds,” Titus grins, shoving the shirt into his pack. “Felt like a lifetime in the moment though.”
“A lot can go down in two point four seconds.”
“You could take out an MT or two.”
“Or trip and fall on my own blades. I’ve been staggering so much.”
“You’ve been improving every day.”
“There’s always room for more,” Tredd says firmly, feet crunching on the gritty path back to the training grounds. “We’ve been so stagnant-“
“That’s a good thing,” Titus interrupts. “That means the threats to the kingdom are subdued.”
“But it also means we’re becoming complacent. Losing time, practice. We have to be at our peak.”
“Who’s the captain here?” the taller man chuckles, shaking his head. “Furia, you put so much pressure on yourself. You’re my most promising Glaive. Hardworking, amazing leadership skills, and you don’t pawn your paperwork off on Pelna like everyone else.”
Tredd grins sheepishly, sipping at the water. “I have a couple of times.”
“I’m choosing to ignore that. My point being, you are not just a warrior even though you have grown into the best of the best. You are compassionate as well. A true friend and ally. You would move mountains for the Glaives. That’s important too. Your emotional capacity and growth have to be a priority as well.”
“You moonlight as a therapist now, Cap?”
“No,” he laughs, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “No, it’s a roundabout way of me trying to make a point. You’re a good kid, Tredd. Don’t let your mind get in the way of your heart.”
Tredd blinks at him, his eyes saucer-like as he looks up at his captain.
“Yeah?”
“You’re really going to be somebody,” Titus says softly, his own gaze shining. “I just know it.”
The redhead’s throat burns as he stares back at him, his chest swelling with pride. The moment is palpable and he feels every bit a toddling six years old again, being praised by his generally closed off dad. No one has been a father figure like Captain Drautos has been these long years and hearing it straight from his mouth is enough to make him cry. “You really think so?”
Titus squeezes his shoulder and looks up at the Citadel as they pass into its shadow. “You’re going to do great things, Furia. Mark my words.”