Pallas-Athena

Pallas-Athena


Athena looked over her shoulder her adversary. The spear in her hand was an extension of her arm; She felt the bamboo shaft extend effortlessly, with a spear point of sharp brass.

"You ready?"

"When you are." Her adversary answered back. She was a short girl with embarrassingly short messy blonde hair. A spear of dark wood was grasped tightly in her hand, a bronze shield in the other. There was an untamed look about her. Athena tilted her gilded helmet forward.

"Okay. One, two…" She held her spear aloft. "Three!"

All at once, the two girls two girls leaned back and in a fluid motion of precision and strength, lodged their spears into a nearby oak tree, riddled with scars from their previous target practice. Athena's hit a small knot in the wood, right in the place she had previously. She smiled confidently. Her aim was exact.

The other spear was lodged into the tree deeply; the spear point couldn't even be seen. It was stuck at an angle, and almost missed the tree entirely. Athena turned and scoffed at the girl to her side.

"Come on, Pallas. Is that the best you can do?"

"Look at yours!" Pallas cried out. "You could barely get the tip of the spear in there! Your arms are as week as wet clay."

"Your strength is useless if you can't even hit anything." Athena pointed out calmly. Pallas always got so emotional over things. Athena never got emotional about much of anything.

"How are you a Goddess of War?" Pallas mocked. "You couldn't beat up a squirrel."

"You're just like Ares. He always runs into things and gets himself beaten and bruised. Fists first, brain later. I am a Goddess of Wisdom. I celebrate the Art of War, not the animosity."

"I could still beat you up."

"Not if I have a sword or spear in my hand." She placed a hand on the Aegis at her hilt. The lightning rod sparked viciously. "Or this. You don't have Aegis."

Pallas laughed. She reached in and pulled their spears from the oak and tossed Athena's back to her. "Come on, we've got to get out of here before Demeter finds out we've been at her oak trees again. You've got to head back to Mount Olympus…" She smiled sheepishly. "First, let's go to the field, and you can tell me what's happening."

"I will." She removed the golden helmet from her head and accompanied Pallas to a field near the mighty mountain. Olympus was only reserved for Gods of higher stature, and they lived at the marble castle built on the top. It was like a maze of never-ending rooms and halls, pools and fields, luxuries for each of the Gods and Goddesses, numerous as they were. At the top of the palace was reserved space for the Twelve Olympian Gods who reigned, Athena included. Pallas was never invited up there. Rarely any of the other Gods were allowed. So Athena relayed the news of what went on in there to Pallas in long stories by the field. If it made her friend happy to hear all the terribly annoying antics her nuclear family was up to, then it made her happy, too.

Pallas was a Goddess of nothing. Many Gods and Goddesses of lesser stature were not permitted to reign over anything. They were immortal beings with no purpose, which, to Athena, seemed to have no point. Sometimes, a lesser God accomplished a heroic feat and was elevated to Olympia, but Pallas had not. She dreamed of it often, though.

"When the Romans attack the Greeks, I'm going to be the one who rushes in and saves them." Pallas boasted. "I'll get there before you or Aries because you've got to get down the mountain, and I'm already on the ground."

"Is that so?"

"Uh huh. You'll thank me later, though. It's better that the Greeks are saved, unless you want a bunch of crack job Romans worshipping 'Minerva the Wise'."

Athena shuddered. She hated the name Minerva, but the Romans didn't seem to mind calling her by it all of the time.

"Well, then I'll have no choice but to make you my right-hand Goddess." Athena smiled. "You can have a stool next to my throne on Olympus."

"By your family! Even a stool would be fine."

"My family is so primitive." Athena fell back onto the grass by her friend. "I'd expect people of such a high status to keep themselves presentable, but no one bothers. Zeus has fathered multiple bastards. Aries keeps trying to beat up Hephaestus. There's no end, I'm telling you."

"But they're so interesting!" Pallas said fervidly. "And they have such immense powers." She nudged Athena playfully. "Tell me what is happening now." Pallas rolled onto her stomach, watching Athena eagerly. "Go on, tell me!"

"Nothing much, really." Athena folded her hands in her lap. "Hermes brought a goat into the castle, and it made Hera mad. Hermes tried to tell her that the goat was pregnant with his child, but the ruse didn't work." Athena rolled her eyes. "Except he was telling the truth."

"Hermes had sex with a goat?"

"Would you put it past him?"

"No." Pallas laughed.



At the gate, Pallas bid Athena farewell.

"See you around, Athena, God of Wimps. Get ready to be beaten tomorrow."

"You think I have no strength at all?" Athena was beginning to get riled up by her friend's remarks. "I have strength to fill the whole of Olympus. Men pray to me in battle."

"They pray to you for brains, and to Ares for brawn, since you have none."

"Fine, I challenge you to a rematch. I'll show you what strength I have. A brawl, tomorrow morning, by the oak tree. Bring a sword."

"You're on."

Athena rolled her eyes and left her friend and rival with a smile. Pallas walked away from the gate off toward the field. Most of Olympia was crowded, but the halls of the Twelve were quiet and peaceful, and Athena loved no other place better, other than perhaps Athens, where her human-pets worshipped her. She never thought much of people, since they were so unthinking at times, but she admired their worship, and their ability to remember even the smallest of Gods on Olympia. She knew, just as Apollo prophesized, that someday, they would forget about them, but it wasn't any time soon.

"Athena."

A disembodied voice threw Athena's thoughts asunder. She spun around to see a shadowy figure in one of the crevices of the halls. A hand from the shadow reached out and beckoned.

"Athena, my friend, come with me."

Athena knew better than to disobey. The voice was Morta's, one of the Fates. She followed the Fate into an empty room. What was a Fate doing in the halls of Olympus? Normally, they presided in Hades, emerging only to bring justice to men or the Gods. Had she done something wrong? Athena clenched her teeth as Morta, the morbid sister, shut the door behind them. She was trapped in the Table Room, where all Twelve Gods sat together, alone with Morta.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Wise One?" Athena said humbly. Nona, Decima, and Morta were the only beings wiser than she. Even Apollo, who could predict the future, did not possess the wisdom to know what to do about it. The Fates knew everything—past, present, and future.

"Is there something wrong with a good chat?" Morta smiled, revealing a row of terrifying teeth, sharp as spears. "I hear you're having a match with Pallas tomorrow morning."

"I…" Athena furrowed her brow. Why was Morta interested in the match tomorrow? "I am. Did Pallas do something wrong?"

"Why would she? If she did, wouldn't the Furies be all over this place like a swarm of gnats?" Morta pointed out, calm and oddly pleased. "I'm just letting you know, Pallas's time is running out. I am here to finish the job."

Athena felt the breath catch in her throat. "Pallas is going to die?"

"Oh yes. Tomorrow morning, to be exact."

Athena couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was she really going to kill Pallas during this battle? Morta, who seemed to be able to read the Wise Goddess's mind, laughed.

"Oh my, you think you're going to kill her? Oh goodness, no."

"Then how? Is there anything I can do?"

"That information is mine to give, but not yours to know. It will be disclosed to you when the time is right. As for your little dispute, I wanted to let you know that you should enjoy the last match you get with her… And you'd better win. It'd be a shame to see the great Goddess of War beaten by a Goddess of Nothing, without an option of rematch."

Athena lowered her head. Deities hardly ever died, and if they did, it was at the hand of another God or Goddesses. If she isn't the one who will kill Pallas, who would? Another lesser God?

"Thank you, Wise One." Athena bowed, though she felt nothing but bitter anger. Morta must be used to it by now, being the Fate of Death.

"Anything for you, my child." Morta turned and opened the door. "Best of luck in your brawl."

And she left the bereaved Goddess alone.



"This is it." Pallas held her sword aloft. It was the best she could find, made of plated steel, a carving of Nike in the hilt. Athena looked on in contemplative sorrow, clutching her sword in her hands. Her helmet, armor, and the Aegis seemed heavy on her body. Pallas adjusted the leather armor on her chest and crouched in a fighting stance. She was decked from head to toe in loose protective hide, with metal covering her head in a crude but effective helmet. "Ready?"

"Yes." Athena lied. "Let's make this a brawl to be remembered."

"We shall! On my count."

Athena felt pangs of fear in her chest. She had never experienced death in this way before. The death of mortal beings was nothing to her, but this was her friend, a Goddess. She gripped her sword and smiled to herself.

"Fight!"

If this was the last brawl, then so be it. She would fight with her adversary one last time. Then she would talk with her in the fields as long as she wanted. She would be there when her life was taken, and she would seek revenge on the one who caused this to happen.

The swords sent sharp tolls of energy across the forested battlefield. Pallas fought with all her strength, but her aim was still off. Athena blocked her thrusts easily, and even got a few strikes against the resistant armor. Pallas raised her sword again and prepared to strike down.

Athena reacted quickly. She attacked, and the sword flew from Pallas's hands, landing in the sort earth behind her.

"This match is over."

"This match is not over!" Pallas held her fists up. "I am not losing to you anymore!"

"Pallas—"

"Take this, Goddess of War!"

Pallas stepped forward to attack, and Athena stepped back to avoid. She felt the pain of Pallas's foot as it stepped on her own, and the Goddess of Nothing fell forward, knocking Athena to the ground. It was all a blur. The ground hit Athena in the back of the head, making her gilded helmet ring. She felt her sword slip from her hand and her belt being shoved harshly. Then, it was over. Athena was sprawled on the ground, with Pallas at her side.

"Pallas…?"

She moved to get up, but Pallas was motionless. Athena felt the sickening sound of sparks, and all at once, the smell of burning of flesh. The Aegis was upright, like a mast, saturated with hallowed blood. Pallas had fallen right on it.

"You said I wouldn't be the one to kill her."

"Poor child." Morta's voice echoed behind her. "You know you weren't the one who killed her. Pallas killed herself. Her pride fogged her judgment, and she tripped. Nothing more."

"She didn't deserve this."

"Very few people deserve everlasting Hades. But this is the way it is." Morta stood over her. "Stand, Pallas-Athena."

Athena rolled on her stomach, pulling the Aegis from Pallas's abdomen.

"What will you do, Goddess of Wisdom?"

"She will have a great temple in Athens. I will see to it."

"And she shall be known." Morta smiled, finger brushing the tip of a broken thread in her hands. "And she shall be exalted."