GREEK MYTHOLOGY: The Confessions of The Goddess Athena

[Music] the godess Athena an elderly woman wakes with the morning sun but lies in her cleine the bed that she has rested in all throughout the night she does not rise with a city at dawn she simply rests breathing with ragged inhales her exhales break into coughing fits her face is pale her skin beading with sweat and the fever in her body she Dabs at her wrinkled skin with a cold compress each line on her face a sign of the life she has lived but it was clear it was now coming to an end alone

in her home she hauls herself from her bed with a cacophony of cracking joints and groans of pain she hobbles to her Heth starting a fire and warming her bones on the Flames she then goes to pray as she has every day of her life calling to each God and praying for favor for health for peace then she called on the goddess she had followed her whole life Athena for the goddess of wisdom had been the protector and Patron of her City since she had been born the elderly woman had always loved Athena most but

in her dying days she had begun to question things the nature of the Goddess she had followed her whole life the one she had prayed to at every bad moment but in these days of pain the empty loneliness and the waiting waiting for death to come for her as it had her husband as it had her son she wondered why she felt so alone had her goddess ever been there for her truly she had begun to doubt the city of of Athens was quieter than expected but after days of celebration in the June heat everyone

needed some time to rest for the Great Festival of Athena the panania had just concluded and so all were recovering from the excitement for once the city was calm no longer were the people drinking and laughing in the streets they were laid about in drunken sters and remaining there to avoid The Hangover over the elderly woman prepared for her journey and it took most of the afternoon by the time she left her home at the start of her short pilgrimage the sun was already setting the streets were dotted with a few of the familiar faces

and they greeted her as they passed her for she was slow holding a sling of precious items on her arm trudging the road up to the Acropolis toward the temple Pia the elderly woman arrived at the top of the steps of the temple with a huff the sun now long set stars filled the night skies above her she stopped to take in the view and catch a rasping breath coughing overtook her body and she grasped at her sling scrambling for a cloth she held it to her lips and heaved when she caught her breath she

stepped towards the Altar for believers only priestesses were given the honor of entering into the Temple dedicated to Athena and Nike but from the altar in front Pia could see between the columns to the Grand silhouetted statues as a patron of Athens there were huge statues to the goddess of wisdom built in her honor in the cooling night elderly Pia felt something in her spirit a CO a burning fire a courage she had never felt before she looked around but there was no one in sight the temple was empty entirely almost eerily Pia seized her

moment and marched inside her eyes roamed everywhere at the great tapestries every wall and Nook for this place had been forbidden and she'd always wondered she gawked at the sacrificial offerings and then came to a stop as her eyes fell upon the larger statue she shuffled over to the immense altar before it the statue was vast Regal Cosmic depicting a woman with a Helm balanced the top of the head held high with bright eyes she held a large round shield and spear placed firmly to the ground on her left near it a secred snake of

stone pythia admired the scales in the stonework then she saw the base of the statue it was delicately carved with animals scenes and images Pia pressed her withered hand to the symbols recognizing some snakes and Gorgons from the taals she smiled and looked back to the Statue Athena in her room robes stood proud and in her other hand she held a small goddess with wings Nike the goddess of Victory stood in the palm of Athena's hand but Pia could not recall which Victory it was for she sighed and then got her sling off her shoulder

Pia's wrinkled hands took many items from her sling with shaking hands she placed her own fresh bowl of offerings before the Grand statue she took a flame from the fires before it and lit her Bowl it slowly caught light the smoke smelt of burning animal fat and the bones cracked and snapped as they burned it Rose High into the air and she closed her eyes and began to pray words whispered she mumbled her name with ragged breath Athena I hear her call as I hear them all overlapping prayers all calling to me her voice rises

above the discordance of noise becoming clear I know her instantly seldom do we Gods appear to Mortals as our true selves we come disguised most often it is simpler to see the truth of a man when they think nothing of you but there are times where the best face to wear is your own I take a deep breath and I feel my spirit now back to my physical form no longer lost in the worlds between where I listen to the prayers all sent to the skies I rise from my desk in my Quarters on Olympus

I take up my Helm and place it on my head my armor and egis shine in the Fire Light collections of books line the walls the tables are strewn with maps and numerous tools a war map with carved Stone sigils in various positions haunts the edges of my vision I leave it all behind and walk to to the balcony there I transform with Sparks of bright silver light into a large owl with gray eyes I fly through the skies swiftly noting the air currents and jet streams southeasterly I saw above the clouds until my city

Shines on the horizon I dip down and glide observing the many houses and structures streets lined with decorations empty vessels and piles of a mytic outpour left behind I follow the roads from above and spy The Columns of my temple I dip down and weave through the columns until I'm face to face with the Statue of myself I flap my wings until I can perch myself a top the stone head of Nike there I watch Pia and hear her prayers in person her eyes remain closed her head held low her Idle Hands pick at the

Hem of her peplos she does not look up at the Statue as many in her place before her did saying their prayers to my stone features no she seems Hollow her belief waning in her spirit it was evident to me she prays for reassurance a sign for Hope an answer to prove her faith had been worth something that her many years of devotion had not gone to waste her mind was deteriorating as was her body it would not be long she ends her prayer and looks up at the Statue once more locking in on my

wide owl eyed gaze I dropped down from the statue and in that fall with a bright flash of silver light I transform again taking my true form with my Godly soul my true power shielded from her to protect her mortal sight she gasps and steps back in shock and awe dropping her sack to the floor She Falls to her knees before me her eyes flicker over my shining armor my Spear and shield and my Helm upon my head the Sparks of light Shimmer and fall onto the stone floor Pia breaks out into a coughing fit

falling onto her hands she pushes herself up and struggles to grab at her handkerchief once found she raises it to her lips as she draws it away a flutter of fabric reveals a splatter it is stained with blood I offer my hand to Old Pia crumpled on the floor with a shaky gasp her eyes find mine she looks up and sees a kind smile on my face I hope my gray eyes convey the warmth I wish and she takes my hand I am careful not to break her brittle bones as I help her stand Pia

turns her head and there are two chairs that were not there before set near a sacrificial torch the Flames warm and inviting I use a small part of my power to create these items for short time I have no need for shows and extravagance to overall mortal but this was a private moment and so I reached out with my gifts and push all from this place all Mortals who might come to this very room on this very night would be distracted by thoughts and tasks elsewhere none would disturb us I led Pia to sit beside

the fire and as she stares I take the seat beside her I set down my shield and spear but my Helm I do not remove and we sat we do not speak for a time we observe one another her eyes wide her face pale and drained of Blood Sweat Beads on her brow and she begins to fidget in her seat like a child she is terrified confused but a remained steadfast in her eyes I smile at her and she eases slightly she returns my peace offering with a smile of her own I slowly stand from

my seat walk to the altar bringing back two cups of wine I give one to her sit back down smile and drink from my own cup she drinks hers down and then I see it all the questions thoughts and emotions she has with my power I could hear her very mind calling out in a jumble who are you are you Athena have you come to kill me am I chosen why me are you really my goddess fear awe Wonder curiosity and even hate loss doubt and overwhelming sadness what are you what do the gods want

from me why did you let my husband die why did you kill my son why did you let me live who are you we Gods can sense things on PLS Mortals could never even dream of but some of my family themselves are not observant enough to see Pia now karma of body and mind begins to ask her thoughts aloud I take a breath and begin to answer her questions to begin who am I do I come truly as Athena yes I am Athena goddess of wisdom in the court of Olympus daughter of Zeus Mortals have

heard many tales of me but not all of them ring true Fabrications falsehoods and often it is simply a lack of sight seldom do Mortals have the purview that we gods do you have not the sight or the knowledge to understand for it is all a matter of perspective porns do not know the battle plans nor can they see all the pieces in play without the sight to see you cannot ever truly no with the confusing voices of thousands all crying out different stories but all from their sight stuck on Earth I do not have

the time nor the will to correct them what would be the point but Pia you asked you want to know why why you why now I will come to that but for now I will answer a much harder question for you wished to know the true nature of your goddess your Patron the protector of your city let me tell you who I am to understand me truly we must go back to my beginning my conception and birth into the world you know that I be the daughter of Zeus alone cracked from his very skull fully

formed in Legend and myth it is so but my first memory is Darkness inside the body of metis and then my father Zeus metis the titaness a sister of rehea and Kronos she was the Titan of wisdom and Good Counsel she among the most astute of their generation metis was one of the few to Ally herself with the rebels in the first war the titano Maki the war of the Gods it was her Aid which allowed Zeus to challenge his father in the court of the Old King for metis snuck my father into his very

throne room on Mount ois helped him poison my grandfather into releasing the children he had swallowed metis helped Zeus and the Olympian siblings Escape for my mother's loyalty wisdom in the decade long war that followed when the Titans fell and my father emerged Victorious metis was chosen as his Queen to rule by his side counsel him in the ways of peace and the young God God knew only War but prophecy comes for us all Zeus did not escape the curse of the line dreams and Visions the words of his father Kronos and his father before

him Uranus the mighty Skies Zeus began to dream of children they plagued his Knights and days paranoia grew until it pushed him to swallow his own wife in a game a display before the court metis transformed and was swallowed whole all because he had heard me inside his head the seed of concept in her head too barely in existence just thought an idea and a heart beat thumping in his head his dreams told of a baby flickering between visions of a girl and a boy in his arms my father has spoken of this with me

in the years since but Kronos was not supplanted by a daughter but a son and Uranus before him betrayed by Kronos his son Zeus's dreams of me were different where the boy brought death Doom Zeus's blood on his tiny hands my father saw light hope inspiration and love in my eyes he swallowed my mother whole and in the vast ocean that is Zeus she was caught like a fly in Honey drowning in Golden Light but my mother did not lie still as Zeus's Soul began to absorb hers no she got to work metis took her

Essence and began to mold and reforge it as I grew in the body of metis the mind of Zeus consumed me too but I began to grow in Earnest no longer a concept but thought made flesh intellectual Worlds the merging minds of two gods made manifest in me metis Hammered the pieces of her soul made physical hammering and hammering molding and shaping thumping inside the being of Zeus she took the parts of her godly power and over weeks carefully created a Helm a spear and armor a breastplate to protect me her final gifts to me

I remember her warmth but no face no physical body or Soul no physical body or voice at all in my being I am part of her spirit the very essence of her soul she gifted me knowledge wisdom no memory but all the lesson she took from her memories like the muscled reflexes of an aged and trusty fighter his body having repeated motions for years but translated unto the mind she gifted me the muscle memory the Divine gifts of the Titan goddess of wisdom I was now to fill that hole she had left the balance of

the Universe I was to be the wisdom of the new generation from her I have wisdom beyond my years beyond the Millennia of many but the flesh of which I am made is of Zeus himself for metus was absorbed into him and so she is inside us both Zeus meata the wise counseler for she fused into his being as he remains alive leaving him a greater ruler say Ag and with the surprise of his daughter inside his head Zeus's body groomy and it was I in my armor that hammered at his skull when metis was

gone weeks of choosing the worst places to strike to free myself of the bodily prison until a bright light in a crack appeared and I plunged my hands into this crack and heaved it apart fully armed and ready I emerged from his skull and struck the floor of the palace with my spear Zeus is my mother and father both in flesh I Athena his firstborn child and one of the most powerful of his children fate decreed I would be as strong as my father my brother was the one who would have surpassed his strength but

Zeus cleverly never let the chance of a second child occur what can outgrow you that never had the chance to grow at all at times he seems to forget the prophecy called that his daughter would match him in strength I was made as many gods are to fill a role the universe requires an absence that my mother had left I'm filled with pray Pride to provide it happy to share in the Knowledge and Skills I possess wisdom is just one part of the puzzle that is Athena pilia sits and takes it all in the Fire

Light crackles and she finishes her wine with a wave of my hand the cup refills in a blink I know her next question but I let her ask it aloud Pia's curiosity is ravenous I admire it she wishes to know of my many names all the tales she had heard as a girl and those long forgotten now being told my history with new details from the voice of Her goddess she wishes to know all but for now she wishes to know which Tales are true for as a child she would hear of different stories different

Tales from different Mortals stories of giants I had slain the truth about my ages countless names of heroes and villains their numerous rewards and punishments all by my hand but pilia chose and asked me is it true that my name palas comes from the slaying of a giant to this replied yes but there is more than just the death of giants for names are repeated throughout time many can bear one name and so it can represent more than one event there are two called Palace in my past that outshine the rest before the war with

the Giants in the days before mankind I would travel the vast world and continue to expand the knowledge granted to me from Mount Olympus to the very poles of the planet I would explore spending time with theer picking flowers with pany I went on hunts with Artemus followed Apollo into the sunlit skies Zeus and his new wife were growing the court on Mount Olympus I often went to the Palaces under the ocean instead there in the Golden Palace under the watery depths I would oft spar with the second cousin this was the first palace a

young Warrior and daughter of Triton we spent many days studying old combat tactics and yearslong Wars we would train from the breaking rays of mourn to the last glows of Dusk and at night read on the old war of the Gods the Titans the years of fighting and names of old Titans we would never know yet one day my father Zeus had come to observe our progress it all went wrong sparring as usual in the ring palas laughed as she parried my next jab I dodged her spear as she slammed it down as I moved

to strike again she caught the blow and pushed back my spear sent flying from my hand to the edge of the Ring we were evenly matched at this point knowing each other as if we were siblings she could predict my movements as I hers I had fallen into patterns grown excited at the thought of Zeus's watching it had distracted me as I snatched my weapon back up Zeus caught my eye over palace's shoulder her dark hair dancing in the current of the waters I hardened myself focusing on the battle at hand I struck Harder Faster

yet each attack was parried or deflected away I stuck to the same pattern as I thought focusing on tiring her out then I noticed the hole in her defenses as we set back into the Motions I broke the pattern and struck but I miscalculated for Palace had spotted the King Zeus observing the match my father had reflected a light and Palace had slipped right into my waiting spear had she been where I calculated I would have disarmed her had her on the floor with the blade nowhere close to piercing her yet she faltered and I

struck a fatal blow even Gods cannot deny fate when they cut a Lifeline we can do nothing to spare them we tried to save her heal her somehow but my spear was too accurate it pierced her lung and threw her chest out to the other side she was gone before her father could run into our fighting bit she was my friend and I learned of the fragility of mortality that day I still blame myself I was but a child yes I was but a child in experience but if it were not for me if it

were not for my father I would still have that sweet second cousin at the bottom of the ocean she was one of the few that understood Womanhood and War this is part of the reason I have the name palas Athena most remember the heroic slaying of on the battlefield but it too honors a dear friend I would not let her name be forgotten and here you Pia stand giving her name life with your breath but I am Athena goddess of war you are correct in your tale of a giant too I never fought in the

titanim Maki yet I have all the knowledge from it the memories of my mother like old history books in my head Whispering the different outcomes of each chosen action it became useful quickly as the peace was shattered the Giants Rose against we Olympians at the beckoning of the grandmother Gaia the Earth we Gods fought for our home myself a Nike in my father's Chariot stood shoulder toosh shoulder we rode we fought and we killed but then the dead would stand back up on and on we killed and maimed those giants the slaughter did not end

they would not stay dead until we learned Gia's trick augmented herbs once removed the Giants fell and stayed dead finally Enceladus I crushed under a mountain but palace here be the second Palace he was a Brash giant he tried to grab at me during The Fray at one point Palace had caught me in his very hands lust was clear in his eyes but I blinded him with a fistful of Earth and I broke from his grasp I darted under his legs then behind him I took up my Fallen weapon and I struck with my spear

I leapt up and it sunk deep into his neck my blade sliced him down his back it became a fatal blow as I ripped through his spine through the senu of his central nervous system we Gods won the day and I skinned palas pieces of him and the Beast AA were brought together their goat-like hides I used to cover my ages from this War I leared much I saw firsthand the brutality of killing and yet the necessity in fighting for what is right it was the just thing to do for the universe and the souls

that were yet to walk the lands there must be balance my father knows this Pia looked to the shield with Intrigue studying The Shining metals and delicate craftsmanship it had changed in the ages since the gaganam Maki having seen ages more war it had been damaged and reforged so many times it was a Wonder there was still any original pieces of it at all but sha like new thanks to the gifts of her Festus Pia hesitantly reached down with her hand she hovers to touch the edge of my shield but stops her eyes meet mine

with respectful questioning and I nod she gently stroks The Edge light as a feather and then she brings her hand back to her lap holding her cup up with both hands once more she asks another question how do I feel about my family the other gods on Mount Olympus but I feel the question in between that a mortal is too polite to pose out loud to a goddess she wishes to know of contention if there be disputes Discord and rivalry I realized what The Mortals might assume that Aries and I are at odds as two

War gods in one court but it is not so we share an aspect but at the same time we are opposites we are contrasting and different in every way just as love comes in many forms so too does War I being the embodiment of the plans the grand scale the larger picture yearslong strategy in an Ever battling War a protector and shield in defense and never irrational violence I use the weapons given to me to fight for justice and ensure peace comes yet he Aries is anything but rational brutal and and base his spirit and

Will are a roaring flame out of control he strikes for the pleasure of it for the blood he relishes in the filth of war the mud and mess he seldom thinks before he acts and often cannot strategize to save his own skin the dull brute Aries blunders through the world and dirties his hands with his blood lust as Athena promachos she who fights in front I see him in every awful detail I do not Lust For Blood I do not relish the fight as he does war requires sacrifice to win one may have to lose

a battle or two but all lives lost must be for the right reason the defense of our people the honor of battle fighting for the very Gods you believe in Aries is Brash but he is also a necessity he has a part to play he arms the troops at my command with the spirit the will of stronger braver men he keeps the morale High through the horrors they have seen he is the raw force of War made manifest Aries and I must work in tandem at times to achieve Victory we may duel over meth methods

fighting styles and overzealousness even Zeus himself has admitted to his disappointment but that is not my tale to tell my half brother and I may Clash but he is not my true enemy at court as for Aries his mother our Queen the wife of Zeus is no great Ally of mine oft found with another Aphrodite goddess of love she thinks herself above us all Aries is infatuated with her like mother like son they both fall for her charms and I see them clear in their vanity Aphrodite is often at odds with me she leads the

mockery the court throws my way galopus she and Hera whisper behind my back and laugh when I think they cannot hear it means gray eyed dull and unattractive a shallow jab would hurt a shallower God she is always hopping on about her beauty her delicacy her feminine charms that could control any man or woman Divine or beast they call me Manish and brutish in comparison the Beast to her beauty they say that I am undesirable unwanted but why would I want to be desired why would I want to be wanted I am as desired as

any goddess they lie but these matters do not affect me war is not a pretty business and it affects the world more than love Aphrodite is one who challenges the status quo she causes trouble and strife the deaths of innocent in the name of her love spells she is more troubled than she's worth but I see her use the role she must fill in the universe Zeus knows the world needs love and the trouble she brings is good entertainment for the court day to day she is no true threat to peace on Olympus but The

Mortals di at her win daily she is no friend of mine I know she tries to control me with her taunting all because she cannot control me at all her powers May fool many but not I that of lust and the wicked spell of Aphrodite her charms that make men and women lose all sense her call to carnal desire which makes animals of us all I do not fall for the whims of bodily desire no I do not con concern myself with matters on such a small scale that is not my domain nor would I

ever wish it so nor is it what the universe decreed for me the fates themselves clo laxis and atropos spun the string that decreed I shall not birth a child forever remaining Athena parthenos Athena the virginal my own vow of Chastity must have felt like like salt in the wound as it just reinforced her lack of power over me perhaps this is why she calls me ugly so often Aphrodite floats through the court with smiles playing the role of a friend to all but I do not believe it in her to be friends to any

her own son iros even then I wonder how much is the Power she holds over him too she is the thorn under the flower where others see only the Petals of the Rose you should know of how she mocked her Festus a godd deserving kindness after his rough start to life the relationship between him and myself is complicated even so he never deserved the ridicule and humiliation she bestowed upon him hephestus and I worked together on a trick or two in our time and another name of mine is Athena urain meaning industrious for I am

a patron of Crafters Weavers and inventors I Inspire many I spend much of my time in the forges of Olympus aestus and I are friends for the most part working together or in tandem I saw firsthand his art with the creation of Pandora and a cloak I sent him a pattern for I had requested an exact design part of the trick we played in anger on Aphrodite and Aries the cloak went to their daughter harmonia sealing her fate in part it fills me with shame in part I knew it was just but I shall not

speak on it now Pia finishes her cup of wine and again the wine refills I drain my own and watch it fill in the cup I look back up and she seems delighted by my confessions sitting up in her chair and waiting for more her mind races to understand some pieces click into place but then more questions emerge from her wrinkled lips she asks another if your greatest foil is not Aries then who Aphrodite Hera who is your enemy at court no my uncle the god of the seas Poseidon Aries and he are alike in

many ways stubborn arrogant and entitled they both believe themselves to be the one to follow Zeus's Reign his own vanity and ego will be his downfall pompous and prideful The Arrogant King of the Seas is an annoyance to court he seldom invited and stays longer than he is welcome Zeus values my counsel above his which angers him further although he might wish so he cannot ask me he cannot be rid of me for I am too vital my insight is necessary this causes him to lash out if he cannot at court he does so wherever

he can for I am a greater asset than him and it kills him just like the challenge over Athens the city we both vied for gods and goddesses claim different places of personal patronage we all desire praise from the worthiest and most impressive of Mortals it was obvious when I set my sights on the mighty City in ateka Poseidon would not let it go without a fight his greed knows no bounds clearly he was still hurt that the city of Trojan would worship us both a trident on one side of their coins my face on

the other he held a grudge as he felt the sting of disrespect he clung to it I am sure this spurred his need for the city in ateka to be entirely his own a battle of sorts was fought not one of arms but one of Mind Zeus had said The Mortals would decide the gift with the most value would win the Loyalty of the people we both went down to the city to the very top of the lands we landed and The Mortals gathered there we announced our wish to give patronage to their first city

for this we would each give a gift to prove our own admiration of them whomever provides the best would be their Patron naming the city after themselves padan smirked and puffed out his chest he struck the Earth with his golden Trident and it cracked open with resounding Echoes of rockfall then rumbling and vibrations came from the earth below Waters rushed and we heard their approach until they burst from the hole outpoured Bright Water that caught the sunlight a geyser sprung in the middle of the Stone The Mortals gathered and cheered at the sight some rushed

to bathe themselves in the street dream Poseidon smiled and raised his Trident high before winking at me but I turned my back and continued my work in my hands I created a seed I dug at the Earth and planted it there I interlaced my fingers with the Earth and I called to guia and to demer of Agriculture I asked their help to speed my seed into a mighty tree to show my gift to its full extent with my power and their approval and praise the tree grew wildly it burst from the ground and in seconds

stopped as a looming Force as if a 100 years had passed in a Flash shade covered the applauding crowds and fruit blossomed in the branches it swayed in the wind but none rushed to it as they had the spring what was a tree to Waters of Life The Mortals continued to cheer for Poseidon fetching jugs and vessels to store the waters he had provided Poseidon basked in the praise and cocked his head to me a sneering grin on his face he bragged of the city now named poseidonas but then the cheering stopped as The Mortals

began to drink and then they spat out the water with disgust the cheers turned to silence coughs and splutters were all that were left posidon was a fool for he had made a spring of salt water entirely useless I then turned to The Mortals and declared my gift aloud The Olive Tree that stood before them from these trees there is fruit to eat this tree can be used for shade in the hot summer heat and when it is done with its life its body can be harvested and made new wood to create oils to eat

or use this gift had many uses and I looked forward to seeing all the ways that Humanity would discover it Poseidon's face fell as the cheering began again but for me they rushed to the tree to taste the fruits the olives that lay in its branches they lay in its shade they took the branches and gathered the Harvest and The Mortals broke out into chants of my name the city would forever be known as Athens even the Acropolis is first stone were laid by my hand it was always meant to be my city but boastful

Poseidon humiliated himself not an unwelcome sight to see Pia looked at me with pride In Her Eyes now love and devotion conveyed in her gaze she raised her glass to me and we both drank then she asked of her Festus for if we were close what incident Drew us apart it is true we were once much closer friends but one night her Festus betrayed my trust he thought to woo me to lure me to bed but in his excitement in his longing to hold me he grabbed suddenly I knocked him back pushed him away from

myself uninterested in all thoughts on the matter in the commotion liquid had spilled onto my leg with shock and disgust I pushed the white fluids of her Festus from my skin I scrubbed every bit off my thigh and it fell onto the Earth from that seed a glow of green and orange shimmers appeared fading until it revealed a small babe half man half serpent something struck me as I locked eyes with him half guia the Earth the great grandmother half heesters to make the child before me Eric thonus I felt so many things in that

moment but overpowering them all was a need to protect to care and watch this child grow I took the child as her Festus ran with shame and placed him in a chest there I ordered mortal princesses and Crow to keep a watchful eye of the chest while forbidding them from looking inside but they disobeyed the girls the princesses even went on to spread lies of my virginity being spoiled and so they became part of the punished Mortals despite this ericthonius grew and I like a mother raised him up until in good time he became a

fine man I treat man kind all Mortals like my children for in a way they are you are I helped give you life ericthonius is less my child of physicality and more my child in spirit I have always been fascinated with Mortals ever since I observed their creation had a hand in it I felt close to them closer than some of the other gods in my family for I had a hand in their conception Pia's head tilts in confusion she has no recollection of the tales of Humanity's creation containing me I tell her how Zeus

asked Prometheus and Epimetheus the Titan Brothers to create all life on Earth when the clay figures of man and animal were ready to be born he bequeathed me his breath of life but I delivered it unto them bestowing each of the statues with the jolt of life life they needed Humanity fickle and filled with Folly you need guides steady hands to show you the way I do admit of many of the Gods I am one to be spotted on Earth more often than others walking amongst them gently pushing you in the right direction at times

I worry for them I wish to help them I saw the conditions in which they were forged the mistakes the Elder Titans made Prometheus and Epimetheus forethought never did check to see if after thought wasted all their materials on animals their workshops were a Wonder their Creations greater but man was most beautiful of all in the image of we gods they would have the chance to create and share to build together as one and they are are so defenseless fire truly was the only hope for them this is why I stayed silent when I caught

Prometheus in the forges Mortals are so distracted by my Waring side they forget my many Myriad of other skills I am a patron of craft and weaving also not just war and wisdom bestowing industrious thought on Mortals a muse of ideas that I granted them to teach them to help them Prometheus taking the flame was the right thing to do for man but Zeus was right to punish Prometheus both actions were right for man needed help something to defend them from the beasts but do not the beasts and the Earth require restraint we cannot give

mortal creatures such power to destroy the others man is wild and unruly they use fire with no respect for the consequences they deserved Pandora their punishment too man is not the center of the universe we Gods Must keep the balance in check and yet at times I cannot help myself but favor man pelia pipes up Suddenly from her seat the wine makes her bold confident forgetful of who she has sat before she asks if I remember them all the people I had granted gifts favors or answered prayers did I remember each one did I ever

forget them no I do not forget I am a goddess and I remember each face and name Heroes have come before and will come in time Argus atus asclepius belron Cadmus the coronets dilus diamides epas urano Jason panderas peridic pereus pelus Theus Odus and tacus each of these mortals I gave favor gifts knowledge and my Aid some are granted extraordinary Ary gifts some are given help to pass impossible tasks some earned their favor by proving their worth each impressed me so I granted them my support my power I even aided my half brother Heracles but

that is for another time another place another's voice but there are also The Mortals I have to punish we Gods Must act as Stern p parents and school The Mortals when they fall out of line huous enough to believe themselves above the gods is against the natural order we cannot let man even individual become too Brash I am a goddess it is part of our role to keep Humanity in line punishments and curses we hand out to Mortals are meant to teach lessons to all they act as deterrents in the times to come I do

not usually regret my actions but I am not infallible we Gods too feel the emotions that man does only far more powerfully we can make decisions in rash bursts of volatile emotion yes I am strategy I am restrained seldom do I act in haste or rash outbursts but it can overcome us all we are not perfect if we were would you not be perfect also for you are a reflection of us but I digress pia has understanding in her eyes but fear too as if in our talk she had forgotten all the power I hold

and the lives of those punished by my hand names filter through her mind then tyresius agius oan Ajax org Crow aod ilos ismin kops and his three daughters aalos HSE pandos the loan people Arachne Medusa moropus aleno and tuus all questions of why how why what did they do did they deserve all that I gave them the curses and punishments that destroyed countless lives they did for she did not see the consequence of leaving them unpunished of the lives that would go on to destroy hundreds or thousands making the same mistakes those Mortals did Pia

looks up at me with concern and I sigh I take off my Helm and place it on the floor with a gentle tap the metal rings through the temple Hall I look at her Plaine with my face uncovered you will not like to hear this but this is the best outcome for each of these events mistakes are made and sometimes they cannot be undone gods are both guides and models reflecting reality as representations of different pieces of the universe yet mistakes are still made what of tyresius a mistake bathing in rivers the Mortal Came Upon

me as I relaxed washing in the waters my physical form was not fully containing my Godly gifts tyresius wandered through a bush and was struck blind eyes burned out as they beheld power beyond their comprehension but I gifted the Mortal with new sight prophecy and vision of the future I favor tyresius and I regret my mistake Medusa Tall Tales told by mortal mouths she was a Gorgon from birth but there is more to this tale what a Arachne the Weaver of great talent so much so she boasted her skills to be above that of my

own I appeared before her shocked at her bold declaration spoken like fact the young girl tried her best not to show her fear but I saw it and yet she did not back down she still challenged me we sat at looms opposite one another the next day working hard at weaving fine tapestries Mortals said I was jealous that when I looked upon her perfect peace and envy grew they say I snapped to transform her to show her the power of the God she almost beat in this challenge it is true her work was near perfect

but it was not her work that shocked me for the tapestry depicted the gods my family disguised as beasts bedding Mortals swans and Bulls horses and snakes she had made sacrilege sacrilege sacrilege disrespect not just to the gods but Zeus my father our King I tore it to shreds as my being overflowed with rage taunting the girl until she hanged herself fate decreed she would not die I transformed her into the eight-legged insect forever weaving webs Arachne became a spider not out of jealousy but because she broke the runes pilia seemed more afraid of me

but she did not dare interrupt you see it may seem harsh but this is our role Mortals need us for who would inspire you without us and yet we do make mistakes often times I wonder if what I did to Arachne was right but fate decreed it so and it is out of my hands what is done cannot be undone we sat in Silence the mortal and myself I could feel her question but I wished to lighten the heavy atmosphere I chose to delay the inevitable and told her the story of the flute it was

Hera and Aphrodite always with their smiles and Whispers they poked and tried to taunt me constantly one day I went alone to a Grove and there I fashioned my own flute the first of its kind with two pieces admini the sounds of snakes and there I practiced trying to create something of intangible and undeniable Beauty for I am known to Create and Craft but music Beauty after all the Whispers of the Court I wanted to show my father's wife and the love witch what I was capable of as if they could never call me ugly

again if I could just make something beautiful but I am no musician try as I might I could not work the flute to make a decent tune in my anger I tossed the frustrating instrument cursing it as it fell let no one pick this pipe up and make the beauty that I cannot but in the end it did not matter the child of a nymph maras found it with no idea of the curse on the object he took it home and learned to play in time he made the sweet music I had hoped to masas

went on to compete with the god of Music my half brother Apollo with my double flute a strange moment in my life but I say this to prepare you for the competition that began a war for this Tale shows just how much Hera and Aphrodite have affected me how much their insults and sned remarks have gotten under my skin I am ashamed to say that they do but I do not wish to allow them that power over me but every laugh and Jab fuels this fire inside me and this was why the apple of Aris

became such an important moment at a grand wedding set in the garden of the Hesperides the entire Olympian Court in attendance the wedding of pelus and thetus was joyous and sweet golden apples hung above them but as AIS arrived they shunned her wished her to depart at once the goddess of strife and discontentment did not leave with one simple move the enraged ays chose to rip the scabs within our own court for she plucked a golden apple from the tree above the happy couple with her long fingernail she inscribed it words she scratched into its

flesh juices dripped down her hands and she threw it back into the crowds sunlet hit the apple as it dropped to the floor and rolled slowly to a stop I read the three words to the fairest it fell near the gathered goddesses attending all in white gowns of course Aphrodite in her vanity stepped forward first but Zeus's wife Hera as the queen also stepped forward to retrieve it as they both looked at each other Frozen I seized the apple on the floor both turned to look at me and laugh others in the court in the

wedding among many of the crowds that day joined them but there were those at the wedding that cheered for me still I am a goddess despite what they say I am a child of Zeus I have Beauty too then the goddess of love wiped away the tears of joy from the corner of her eyes sighed and held out her hand she expected me to to just drop it into her hands but I had had enough I thought if I beat them then perhaps it would settle this once and for all I could secure Victory prove

that I am above her and her deceitful love spells but Hara stepped forward first proclaiming herself to be the fairest yet still I did not move to hand it over Aphrodite opened her mouth to argue but the queen cut her off her shrill tone calling my father's name of course she would call the king to heal but as the wedding and all the court turned to face the king he paled when met with our Angry Eyes the tension in the air only grew it felt like Sparks of electricity ready to light the place of flame

I watched the king's eyes Dart between the three of us his wife and lover the Queen the goddess of love and beauty with Aries wrapped around around her finger and myself his trusted adviser in peace and War and his eldest daughter he called to Hermes unable to choose between the three of us ignoring the riffs between us once more Zeus wished to be left out of the war between us women little did he know of the war that would come to Mortals because of this choice but Hermes appeared at his side and Zeus decreed to

all a mortal man would be the judge of our little contest Paris on Mount Ida would be Arbiter to settle the debate without Strife but Strife began it and she would Thrive long after it had been resolved none of us knew then as we goddesses followed Hermes to the mortal and we each lay out our argument Hera with her own Entourage of Charities and graces at her sides she looked Regal and started her proclamation to convince Paris Zeus's wife offered him Dominion the chance to rule and the wealth to accompany it all of Asia was

her offer all his to command and govern she offered kingship to lead but also the responsibility that goes with it as a warrior Paris wanted honor Fame power perhaps the wealth did have him wavering but responsibility I could see it in his stance straight and polite before us but uninterested his smile wide but his eyes wandered to my armor unbothered by Hera's offer she doesn't understand how people can be different to herself she offers what she would want Power then I stepped forward demos ter Terror and Phobos fear stood in dark armor just behind I

said my peace to Paris I did not offer leadership nor Jewels or flattery but I would Grant him far greater knowledge battle strategy and fighting prowess above his peers skills to match any Warrior that lived on earth the histories of man to find the repetitions and reap the rewards I offered him the tools to win in battle and build his own fortune I offered him the skills of any Warrior I offered him above all wisdom the foolish mortal looked uninterested still he nodded to me with respect and then he moved on into the arms of

Aphrodite and her erots her children accompanied her surrounding him like a pack she declared that she offered him a bride for Paris to love and be loved be married and happy but she said it in her seductive tone like thick honey she poured her words into his ears insinuating his lust would be quenched for she offered Helen her beauty was known throughout our world cities spoke of her face and the beauty that inspire inspired songs we did not know of the ships that would launch that was world's away yet mortal men are so easily swayed

by Bas desire Paris chose wrong he gave the Apple to the pretty Viper Aphrodite but a silver lining to the whole Affair is knowing the goddess of beauty bribed him her beauty was not enough to sway his heart only the offer of Helen had him scrambling to give his Apple to her if he had chosen wisely he could have had all three if he had the wisdom and skill I would have granted he could have used it to conquer Asia himself winning the leadership and wealth on his own merit with that power perhaps he could

woo the most beautiful woman in the world this is why Paris chose wrong he did not value wisdom nearly enough beauty outshines brains perhaps but it is easy to see which is most valuable in times of War a pretty face cannot help and this is how the Great War began the war of Troy Pia looks pale now her eyes are distant and Hollow somehow but also wide in shock I look away as she sigh she begins to tell me my husband went to fight but he did not return and when my son who was young

when it started said he dreamt of joining his father of finding him ending the war and bringing him home in glory he was not yet a man when he went to fight so I begged him not to go I prayed to you for them and I know it is my time to join them but I wish to know were you ever listening were you ever truly there for me as I [Music] believed it only now I begin to doubt her breaths are slow and becoming shallower the rattle is growing worse and I hear her heart

racing thudding Like A Drum Slowly it beats weaker and weaker I look into her eyes I stand and walk to her side I take her hand in mine her muscles ease and relax as I use my powers to block her sense of pain all aches and sharp pangs that came with every breath now removed Pia let out a final sigh and her heart stopped I helped the glowing shade of pilia stand rising from her body that was still sat in the chair beside the fire she looks to me confused for a moment but relieved I

place my hand on her immaterial shoulder and say fate decrees when we die every Mortal life must come to an end we Gods may bend the rules on occasion but loopholes are hard to find we gods do our best to guide you but we too are flawed your husband your son fate decreed their lives long ago but now we go to them there you will meet again in fields of flowers I have been there since your birth and now I will take the last journey with you you were never alone for I have watched you

at every step I have heard heard your prayers to me and I have appeared to you in spirit sometimes in your very heart in symbols and animals at others and finally I appeared to you now with my true face pilia looks to me imploringly I can hear her thoughts she has not the obelis to pay the fairy man she believes she will reside on the banks of the sticks wandering for all eternity you have no need of the obelus I have sent Hermes away there will be no need for him to escort you for today

I shall pay karon with an obelis of gold and I shall personally walk with you to Hades into the underworld itself and give my case for your life you ask was I there with you I say yes but Pia you you were always with me when your husband went to war your faith in me did not diminish when your son was taken you did not curse my name when you were left alone for all of these years each day you have kept constant each day you have sung my Praises doing so with my own holy

words so I shall stand with thee as you have stood by me and when we Face the lord of the underworld I shall tell him of the many Deeds you have done for not only the warrior is to be lorded not only the leader provides an example your faith has been like a light that has Shone on all you have ever met through your kind heart has my city become a greater better place than it would be without you come Pia let us go and I will tell you of your life through my eyes all

I have seen we have much to discuss as you have admired me I too have admired you the passing of her husband and son we would now discuss all the details of the war of Troy but that is a tale for another time