Scott Perez-Fox
10111430
20 July 03 - Midterm Paper
Stolen Identity
Athena awoke to greet an ordinary morning. Light swept the room at a sharp angle through the open window on the eastern wall of her quarters. She inhaled deeply and opened her eyes to see a grey owl perched upon a chair in the center of the room.
"Good morrow, my friend." She said in a low voice, still half asleep. The owl gave an affirmative click of its beak and flicked his head as in a nervous twitch. Athena stood up from her bed and stretched her arms as far as they could extend as she approached the window. She flipped her deep brown hair from her eyes and gave a final stretch above her head as she surveyed Olympus this morning. She filled her lungs with the air of morning. Her chamber smelled slightly of olives. The streets were silent below. The sky above was calm and welcoming. The sun was creeping steadily skyward above the clouds on the horizon.
The morning sun reflected in her eyes. They were grey in color but showing brightly with vitality and youth. Athena possessed a beauty rivaled by few on Olympus. Her hair, healthy and flowing, perfectly complimented the tone of her muscles and the shape of her figure. Tall, yet graceful, she embodied all the best qualities of the Gods, as they had been given to her by her father, Zeus.
Athena glanced in a mirror as she tied her hair back into an easy order. Not so concerned with frivolous matters of fashion, Athena was the patron Goddess of cities, of knowledge and wisdom and bringer of peace. She had more to attend to her than her hair.
Glancing in the mirror, she noticed something seemed wrong. She paused with her hands wrapped in her hair and surveyed the reflection of her room. Athena peered at the undressed mannequin where she had hung her armor every night before going to sleep. She spun around dropping her hair into disarray and a horrified shocked was slapped across her face as she again stared at the mannequin. Her armor was gone.
Not simply protection from battle, Athena's armor was her most prized possession. Her buckler, which bore a Gorgon's head, was given to her by Zeus as was her breastplate, called Aegis, and matching helmet. And her most valued weapon, a spear imbued with the power of Zeus' own thunderbolt, had gone missing as well. Athena franticly surveyed the room and not seeing her kit anywhere in plain vision, she proceeded to fumble through her few possessions in a vain effort to find her coverings.
Her head filling with a million thoughts of guilt and fear, she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself and remedy her state of agitation. She thought hard, who could have taken that which she prized above life itself? Who would be so daring as to steal armor and weapons given by Zeus himself to his favorite daughter? Only one name appeared in her head.
"Ares, you scoundrel!" Athena shouted as she kicked open a large wood and iron door guarding Ares' private armory. Ares sat shirtless on wooden stool, calmly polishing a sword, hardly seeming interrupted by the outburst. Ares' muscles were massive and well-defined and while rather intimidated, Athena knew his strength and skill were rivaled only by her own.
"Athena, always lovely to see you. What brings you hither to my chamber so early?" He said, rolling his eyes at the disturbance.
"You know quite well why I am here. I've come for what is mine, what was given to be my Zeus!" Athena insisted as she marched across the vast room to where Ares was sitting.
Ares looked up slowly, wearing an expression of distinct disinterest. "I am quite sure I have nothing of yours." He said sarcastically, "now, if it pleases you, I am busy."
Athena's eyes filled with a burning rage and turned a slight shade of orange. She grabbed a sword which was mounted to nearby pillar and swung it wildly at Ares' head. He quickly flung up the half-polished sword in his hand and parried her attack. Now on his feet, he gripped the sword with two hands and with a look of utter confusion, began to defend himself against the assault.
"You took my Aegis, and my buckler and helmet, and my spear!" Athena shouted as she continued to lunge, and slash at Ares. Ares, God of War, was well skilled in combat and this assault hardly seemed life-threatening. In fact, he was rather amused by it and kept up the fight, now answering with offensive maneuvers of his own.
"I certainly did not, fair Athena." He said calmly as he swung horizontally for her neck.
"Yes, you did!" Athena ducked to evade decapitation "Who else would be so bold" She jumped at him with all her might, her sword was raised clear above her head as she hovered ten feet in the air before swooping down at Ares. Ares, calmly evaded, ducking to his right and extended his left foot as Athena fell to the ground. Her sword plunged into the stone floor of the chamber and smashed into a hundred pieces before Athena, tripping over Ares' extended leg crashed down on top of the fragments. She rolled onto her back and, breathing heavily, opened her eyes to see Ares' standing with the tip of his sword pointed at her jugular.
"On your feet, dear Athena." Ares spoke clearly and with an air of disappointment, but still seemed rather uninterested. Athena collected herself and stood up. Her white tunic, which she usually wore beneath her armor, was dusty and she brushed herself off before looking Ares in the eye. Ares dropped his blade to his side.
"You say your armor has been stolen?" Ares inquired.
"Yes." Athena admitted somewhat shamefully.
"And you thought it was me, did you?" Ares knew the answer to this but asked anyway.
"Yes." Athena said even more embarrassed.
"Attacking me was unwise, my dear" he said, shaking his head "What did you really seek to accomplish? If you had stuck me down, you would have found nothing, and instead you would have to answer to your father and mine about an unprovoked murder, here, on Olympus. And besides, did you really think you could defeat me with such an unfocused mind, no plan of attack? I would expect more from you." Ares' tone was somewhat condescending but didactic. Being a fellow child of Zeus, he saw himself in somewhat of a brother role to Athena, although she was born from Zeus alone.
Athena now looked defeated. Her eyes had switched from orange to blue and the normally confident and impervious façade she wore was now transparent. Ares had never seen her in such a state, so vulnerable, so full of emotion, so human.
"Look at me" he demanded, preventing Athena's chin from drooping to the floor. "This is an act or war, committed by an unknown villain against the Gods of Olympus. This concerns us all and, with your permission of course, I will serve as General to rid us of this peril"
Athena nodded in agreement. She was now overcome by sadness and embarrassment as she accepted that a part of her had been stolen and was truly gone. Ares walked over to a wall of his chamber and through open two great doors. The ruggedly handsome God of War stood before a vast cabinet of arms and armors - swords, spears, shields, caps and plates, belts and boots all glimmered in the sunlight, which snuck in through narrow windows in the stone walls. Ares pondered for a moment as he surveyed this lot, only part of his vast collection. His expression was pensive but very satisfied looking, as if he were a scholar in a vast library, or a king shopping for new robes. His skin gave a healthy glow and he the sunlight reflected off tiny beads of sweat formed from the duel.
"Take this." He extended a spear and buckler to Athena and placed it on the ground as she walked over to retrieve them. Reaching back into the cabinet, he removed a breastplate and helmet that looked quite similar to her own.
"These will serve you for now." He said confidently. "While not blesséd with the power of Zeus, you should find it adequate coverings to avoid the questions and stares of Olympus." Ares closed the cabinet as Athena finished strapping on her breast plate, feeling somewhat better about the situation. If there was one thing to say about Ares, it was that he was determined and would not let a matter like this go unsettled. He placed both his hands on her shoulders.
"Attend to the cities of Earth. Do not let this morning's events affect their world. You still have much responsibility. Put your trust in me, dear daughter of Zeus, I will find the root of this evil."
Athena had never seen Ares act like this. She had known him to be relentlessly self-centered and harsh to everyone, even to Aphrodite with whom he had had an affair and even bore a son, Eros. Still, she trusted him. Athena snapped her chin up and inhaled deeply, banished the last remnants of tears from her again-grey eyes. She took her spear and strolled out of the chamber.
Ares smiled slightly. His face, unshaven and showing slight scarring seemed confident and with a determined look, he strolled toward the back of the armory to his private quarters. He pulled open a solid metal door to find a brilliant suit of armor shimmering in the eastern sun. Black steel with ornate patterns of Gold and Ivory, Ares' personal suit of armor was a sight to behold. He strapped it on with ease, including shin guards, gauntlets and a massive helmet that nearly covered his eyebrows. He strapped on his belt and grabbed for his sword, equally as impressive as the armor itself. The door swung closed by itself as he marched through the armory, his steps echoing in the empty stone room.
The chamber of Hermes was pure white except for a wooden desk and chair in the center of the room. Unlike the armory of Ares, the room was cluttered with papers. Racks lined the walls with folded up parchments and scraps of paper stuffed into them. The desk in the center of the room was also covered in paper but more neatly. These were Zeus' direct orders and somehow seemed to arrange themselves into near columns.
Ares knocked on the door with his massive gauntlets but there was no answer. He knocked again before pushing the door open slowly and peering in. Hermes was not in the chamber. Ares strolled in, being careful not to knock over any of the precariously stacked papers with his massively wide armor or his sword, hanging in its sheath from his belt.
Just them Hermes bolted into the room. A gust of wind trailed behind him that proceeded to throw every paper in the room into disarray. Ares froze in shock, watching the papers swirl above his head.
"Don't worry about that, happens all the time." Hermes said dismissively. Ares, still frozen in the center of the room looked down at the white papers magically rearranging themselves into neat columns on the desk. Zeus' orders obviously took priority. Hermes scrambled around the room at unnatural speed tucking all the other papers back into the racks on the wall or in stacks on the floor. Ares, meticulous with his own possessions was shocked, and somewhat confused at how someone, especially a fellow Olympian could be so disorganized. He shrugged to himself.
"Ares, good fellow, what brings you here?" said Hermes as he sat in his chair and kicked his feet up on the desk, disturbing more papers that quickly reordered themselves. "You're looking particularly focused this morning." Remarked Hermes as he scanned the intricacies of Ares' battle garments.
Hermes was a wiry teenager. His legs were well-toned but his upper body was distinctly undeveloped. His robes were draped around his waist leaving his chest uncovered. He wore a silver cap with wings on either side as well as his trademark winged sandals which gave him his great speed and the ability to fly, as well as travel to the underworld. Aside from Hades and his bride Persephone, Hermes was the only one allowed to enter and exit the underworld, however of the three, Hermes was the only one allowed back in Olympus. Such is necessary for the job of Zeus' messenger.
Ares removed his helmet and held it on his hip with his right hand. He intimidated Hermes and could have demanded anything, but instead he was polite. Like himself, Hermes was fathered by Zeus and Ares kept that respect for him.
"A great act of evil has been done to our Athena. I will spare you the details but I have volunteered to unearth the perpetrators and restore order to Olympus." Ares presented.
"And what do you require of me?" asked Hermes somewhat afraid of the answer
"Only your winged sandals, my friend. I need your speed and flight to solve this matter quickly." Ares hated to ask but he knew this was the fastest way to seek out the evil-doers.
Hermes sighed. And nodded. "I would give them to you without asking, sir."
Hermes raised his feet a few inches above the desk and the sandals magically unstrapped themselves and fluttered down to where Ares was standing. Ares raised his right foot and his own sandals, ordinary black leather fell to the ground at that spot. The winged sandal strapped itself to his foot. Ares stepped down and repeated with the left, he bounced slightly to get a feel for the new gear.
"Thank you, Hermes." Ares said graciously. "I require one more thing from you. Summon the Gods of Olympus to a meeting. All except our father Zeus - he must not know for his wrath will be too much for the men and women of Earth below to endure. We shall meet in the great circle, at the midday."
"Consider it done!" Hermes jumped to his feet and darted for the door, instead of speeding off like the wind, he fell flat on his face into a pile of paper. Ares raised his eyebrows and he peered down at the pile below him. Hermes rolled over into a sitting position and looked at his feet. He wriggled his toes as if he had been seeing them for the first time. "Oh yea." He said, slightly blushing. He got to his feet and walked, carefully to the door. Ares shook his head and dashed through the door behind Hermes.
Ares flew like the wind from Olympus. Not with any specific destination, but rather to cover every corner of the Earth in a few hours. He soured from Persia to Phoenicia, from Attica to the Aegean, searching for any sign of evil or disorder. Ares saw his shadow change shape over the course of the morning. He had covered more miles than most men do in a lifetime and still nothing. He flew to the top of Mount Parnassus to commune with the Muses if they had seen or heard anything. Nothing. He flew to every city- state and provincial farm. Nothing. As the day wore on he became frustrated. Flying again across the Mediterranean, searching for some sign, he saw smoke floating skyward from a small island.
Ares descended to the shores of the island and looked around. Nothing seemed outwardly wrong so he proceeded inland. He stomped his way through the sand and through some trees, which gave way to a great clearing at the center of the island. Then he saw them.
"Cyclopes" he muttered to himself in disgust. In the center of the island was a massive mountain that shot up suddenly from the generally flat surroundings. He knew if there was a place to find the leader of these Cyclopes, that would be it.
He drew gazes from every Cyclopes he past. The giant sized beasts looked just as he did except for the fact that they only possessed a single eye in the center of their forehead. Descendants of Uranus and Gaia, they were more than mortal and shared many of the attributes of the Titans and Olympian Gods. This made them even more imposing and scary, even to Ares who could never be seen exhibiting signs of fear or worry.
When he approached the base of the mountain, he heard a massive and monstrous laugh. Ares jumped off the ground as it shook beneath his heels and sailed casually up the mountain until he spied a cave entrance on the southern slope.
"Welcome" said the deep bellowing voice. "You are expected"
Ares was cautious but confident. He entered the cave and marched down a tunnel, dark except for the slight glints of light from torches stuck in the cave wall. He looked behind him at the entrance, now only a bluish circle in the distance.
The tunnel opened to a massive chamber. Well lit and decorated with precious fabrics and jewels he was shocked to see such a place outside of a palace, let alone in the center of a mountain. Before him he saw two massive Cyclopes standing on either side of a third who sat in a giant- sized throne of gold and ivory.
"Brontes." Ares recognized the sitting Cyclopes immediately. He had fought him long ago in battle when the Cyclopes were first banished by the gods. King of the Cyclopes, Brontes had long been arrogant and had hungered for material possessions.
"Ares, most noble God of War" Brontes chanted mockingly in his unnaturally loud voice. "I did not expect you of all the Gods to arrive here. But since we are old friends, it is nonetheless, good to see you again. I assume you remember Steropes and Argus" he said referring to his right and left hand guards.
"The pleasure is all yours, villain" Ares barked in response, disgusted at the sight of it all.
"Come now" Brontes continued, pretending to be offended "Our parting was not that harsh, was it? Then again, you did leave me with this." He said pointing to a massive scare across his cheek.
"Tosh, Brontes! I haven't the time for pleasantries, especially not with you. Tell me straight, are you the one who stole the armor of Athena?" Ares stepped forward and summoned a fearsome look to his eyes.
"Yes. It was me" Brontes said calmly. "And I have hidden that which I stole. You will never find it, I assure you, I have buried it so deep within the Earth that only I have the power to retrieve it. Your Athena will be quite without her kit unless you bring me what I want."
Ares paused for a moment, trying to guess what it was. He looked around the chamber and saw statues of gold, tables covered in fresh fruit and wine, silk robes hanging from ivory hooks, the sort of luxury most only dream of. He couldn't see what Brontes could possibly want, especially from Athena.
"And what is it you want?" he asked
"As you can see, I have nearly everything imaginable. As king of the Cyclopes, I am given all that I desire, and while Athena's weapons or your winged sandals might make a nice addition to my toy chest, I require that which men prize above gold and jewels and weapons." Brontes let Ares answer; he knew Ares would figure it out.
"Love."
"Indeed. Bring me Aphrodite. When she agrees to be my bride, I shall give Athena back what is hers."
"Your madness is rivaled only by your hideousness! Aphrodite will never marry you! You should beg that she even speak a word to you!" Ares lost his temper, shouting at Brontes, he drew his sword threateningly. Brontes stood up slowly, unimpressed with the threat.
"Jealous Ares. Oh, I think she will marry with me, especially if I let your father Zeus know how careless you all have been. Letting a Cyclopes sneak into Olympus and steal his sacred weapons, hardly God-like behavior." Brontes bent over to Ares' face. His eye peering right through Ares as if there was writing on the back of his skull. Ares held his breath to avoid the smell of Brontes. He kept his own eyes fixed on Brontes' to avoid looking at his brown and rotting teeth.
Ares took a step back in disgust. "Sunset." He turned on his heel and bolted down the tunnel leaving a gust of wind in his wake. The smell of Brontes still followed him but he payed it no mind. Ares rushed back to Olympus for the meeting.
Back at Olympus, the Gods had gathered around the Great Circle. The Great Circle was an outdoor meeting place with benches all arranged around a well. Within the well Earth could be seen. This was how one way the Gods could monitor what was happening below them. Today, it was simply backdrop for the meeting.
Ares arrived somewhat late. Every head spun around as he marched up to greet this hastily-assembled council. Already seated was Hermes who was glowing at the return of his winged sandals. Apollo sat beside his twin sister Artemis. Poseidon and Demeter sat next to one another, sharing a conversation. Athena and Hestia smiled silently at Ares as he removed his helmet. Hephaestus sat alone with no one to either side of him. Aphrodite strolled in slightly late dragging her mischievous son Eros behind her, struggling with all his might to flutter off on his tiny wings.
Aphrodite met eyes with Ares and glided over to an empty space beside him. Her gown was white with shards of silver dancing in the midday sun. The surface looked like silk but it flowed over her well-curved body as if it were massless. Her skin, highly revealed by the provocative dress, was slightly red, as if she were blushing. The Love Goddess always had naturally red lips and her eyes were a brilliant blue. Her hair was the color of straw but flowed like water as she moved Ares smiled curiously at her but she looked away insultingly. Eros, waist-high to his father, Ares, accepted his defeat and slumped onto the bench between his two parents.
"Thank you all for coming." Ares began "I would not have summoned you all here if not for a matter of great import, and we have one such upon us. For those of you who have not heard, Athena awoke this morning to find her Aegis, buckler, helmet and spear had all been stolen. I have spent the morning searching for the culprit and I have learned that it was Brontes, King of the Cyclopes who seeks war with Olympus. He is holding out for one thing" he paused and starred at his audience "Aphrodite."
Aphrodite looked shocked as she shot up one eyebrow. She soon could be seen wearing a complacent expression with the signs of slight flattery now apparent.
"He has demanded her for his bride. Those are his conditions for returning what he stole." Ares admitted to the council. There was a murmur among all those watching.
Hephaestus squeezed his face as if a vile smell had just been unleashed. Apollo sank his eyelids slowly, as in a trance. Hephaestus, smith of the Gods and God of fire was covered in a thin layer of ash. Mixed with the sweat, his skin seemed to be coated in this resin. His face bore heavy scaring, mainly from burns he suffered over the ages. Here in Olympus he wore a simple brown tunic to cover his ratty clothing in which he worked. In addition, he was crippled and it took him extreme amounts of effort to walk even the shortest distances.
"Where has he hid the armor?" Asked Hermes "I reckon we can steal it back."
"No, he has hidden it beneath the Earth in a place only he knows. It will serve us no good to look for it." Ares answered
Poseidon scratched his white beard searching for a plan. Hestia and Athena glanced across the circle to Artemis, who she shook her head. All three then turned to Aphrodite who shrugged and offered only a look of confusion. Just then Apollo opened his eyes and inhaled suddenly as if waking up from a nightmare. All eyes jumped to him.
"I have seen what we must do" Apollo stood up and stood next to Ares. The two were spectrum opposites. Ares, although well-built was much shorter than Apollo. Apollo's skin was near-white and his hair was curly and gold. His eyes were blue and seemed to emit light. Ares looked somewhat undesirable in comparison, unshaven, brown eyes matching his much shorter hair. The black and gold armor summed up Ares just as the white silk and silver toga well characterized Apollo. Apollo, God of prophecy, amongst other things continued.
"We must send him Aphrodite," Apollo looked at Aphrodite and explained "or what he thinks is Aphrodite. We will send a party with the apparent Love Goddess. Once he is convinced and has accepted that this is Aphrodite and her train, we will reveal ourselves and slay these monsters, reclaiming the stolen armor." Apollo looked around to see the group nodding concurrently and giving otherwise pleasant looks of approval. He look to Ares.
"Not a bad plan." He said to Apollo. "I wonder if it could work in battle." He thought to himself.
"Now who will volunteer to go?" Apollo scanned the circle. "I will go myself, who will join me?"
"I will." Said Artemis as she stood to her feet. The huntress was twin sister to Apollo and shared many of his physical attributes. Slightly shorter and distinctively female, Artemis was broad shouldered for a woman and her muscled showed rigidity, signs of use. Her hair was slightly darker but blonde and she wore silver armor decorated with moons in various phases.
"I will go too!" Eros sprung up but was quickly plunged back into his seat by his parents, standing on both sides of him. He folded his arms tightly and squeezed his face together turning it red.
"I will go" Apollo and Artemis spun around to see Athena standing before them. Still somewhat emotional from the whole situation, everyone was somewhat shocked to hear her volunteering.
"Are you certain you can handle this? We must not allow any rash actions like this morning." Ares warned Athena as patted his sword hilt with his left hand.
"This is my fight, I want to play my role." Athena said confidently.
"You have never faced a situation like this, let alone without your armor. The Cyclopes are not to be taken lightly." Apollo further warned. Athena nodded.
"Above all, we must not allow Zeus to find out. His wrath would not be easily overlooked. The entire world would feel his anger." Ares insisted to the council, they all nodded.
"I wouldn't worry about him." Said a confident female voice. Ares, Athena, Apollo and Artemis spun around to see Hera walking toward them. Older than the other Gods, Hera was the wife of Zeus and knew him better than all his children. She wore a modest gown of white, tied with gold yarn around the shoulders. Streaks of silver could be seen in her otherwise jet black hair.
"Last night, Zeus spent more than his share of time with several local women of Corinth. He tired himself out quite enough to sleep through these worries." Hera had eliminated one variable with her news of Zeus. "It seems something had him rather randy last night." She added accusingly as she shot a stare at young Eros who cowered slightly and grabbed Aphrodite around the arm.
"Come, we burn daylight." Apollo gestured to his cohorts.
"Phoebus." A deep as raspy voice called him back. Apollo spun around, rarely was he called by this name.
"You will need these." Hephaestus hobbled toward them holding a gnarled canvas sack in his right hand. "The Cyclopes once worked in my forge. Their weapons are not unlike your own and can kill you just as easily as Iron can kill a man. You will need special weapons."
He reached inside the sack and pulled out a brilliant gold sword. He twisted is slightly his hand, inspecting its shine in the sun before passing it to Apollo.
"A solid gold sword. Only with a substance so pure can you defeat an immortal creature. All the fire in my forge is stored within this blade. Use it wisely." Hephaestus instructed as Apollo took the hilt, nodding in accord. Hephaestus reached again into the bag.
"Silver arrows" He said, as he withdrew his calloused hand, now grasping a bunch of arrows. "Normally intended to quench the desires of maidens, these have been modified with the destructive powers of the moon and the stars. Huntress, use these." The smith handed the arrows to Artemis and she tucked them into her quiver, leaving the old ones with Eros.
"And for you, an amulet of coral and wood." Hephaestus held out a rustic looking necklace to Athena. "Trust me on this one."
Athena peered at the necklace and then back to its maker who now could be seen attempting a smile beneath the grime and scarring on his face. She strapped it on without question. Ares, Artemis, Apollo and Athena turned and left the others.
Athena and Artemis rode atop Pegasus and Ares rode with Apollo in his chariot to the island of Cyclopes. Dressed in Aphrodite's massless garments, Athena felt even more naked than she already had without her armor. As they disembarked on the shore Athena adjusted her gown in an effort to look more seductive like Aphrodite might. Aphrodite nodded approvingly, Apollo and Ares looked at her in a way they never had before. Artemis caught this and silently scolded them with her gaze for such thoughts. Artemis, being the embodiment of virginity and chastity was highly protective of Athena, who, like herself and Hestia was one of three maidens of Olympus.
Before long, they group was marching up the mountainside along the trail that Ares had neglected to take the previous time. Athena walked in front, still perfectly in character. Behind, Apollo, Ares and Artemis walked, all cloaked in white robes and hoods of the same flowing fabric. After climbing the slope for a good hour, they reached the long tunnel. Immediately, they could smell Brontes and hear his laughter bouncing off the dimly lit walls.
"Ah, what have we here?" Brontes remarked as the train entered his vast chamber.
"It is I, Aphrodite, Goddess of Love." Athena answered confidently.
"And who are they?" Brontes asked pointing to her followers.
"Just my servant men. They keep me, occupied, shall we say." Athena was getting into the role a little too deep. "I have come to pledge marriage to you, in exchange for the Aegis of Athena and her other belongings." "I assumed so much." Snarled Brontes "I always keep my word and when I have yours, the armor is yours. I have no use for them once I have you."
Brontes raised his right hand to signal Steropes. He pushed aside a massive boulder in one corner of the room and reached into a small cove, emerging with Athena's armor, helmet, buckler and spear. Athena's eyes widened but she maintained her calm. Brontes walked to the armor, with his hideous eye still fixed on Athena, surveying her from top to bottom. He grabbed the buckler and submerged it in a nearby basin before returning to where Athena was standing.
"Water from the river Styx. It will seal your vow of marriage for eternity." Brontes smiled at Athena, his decayed teeth made her cringe in disgust. He then seemed to notice something odd and placed the buckler on the ground before him. He examined Athena closely, bending to the level of a man, his eye was now too close for comfort. Athena could feel herself beginning to sweat and the ability to remain calm seemed to be slipping away.
"Lady Aphrodite, you look tired." Brontes remarked curiously.
"I have not been sleeping well. Men are troublesome this time of year." Athena pulled a reply out of thin air.
"And you look thin. And Pale." Brontes continued his inquisition.
"I have not been eating well. I am far too filled with matters of romance to feast at Olympus." Athena knew this answer was far worse than the previous one. She could feel Brontes breathing, his cold breath beading up as it hit her over exposed-chest.
"And what is this?" He said as he plucked the coral and wood amulet with one of his foot-long fingers.
"Just, a gift." Athena suddenly felt a hot wave flow through her body. Her nose filled with the scent of Olives and she heard the gentle breeze in the room turn into a gust. Her eyes opened as she inhaled deeply. "And now, I have a gift for you." She said seductively.
Brontes focused his eye back to Athena's face from the amulet a few inches below. She smiled at him as she clenched her right first so tight it could be mistook for a solid lump of granite. With the speed and force of a thousand hurricanes, she snapped a mighty punch, landing her white knuckles squarely onto the bridge of Brontes' nose. He flew twenty feet in the air and landed on this throne, breaking it into a hundred jagged pieces.
Before Steropes and Argus could react, Apollo threw off his cloak and blinded them with the brilliance of the midsummer sun beaming from every inch of his skin. They both stumbled back, clutching their single eyes. Artemis and Ares immediately followed suit and threw their coverings aside. Artemis reached into her quiver and loaded her bow with an arrow in the blink of an eye. Argus roared and lunged toward her. She loosed the first silver arrow and in shot across the room like a meteor, striking Argus directly in eye, a blue and silver streak in its wake. He let out a piercing scream of agony as he struggled to remove the shaft from his head.
Apollo took off toward Steropes and drew his sword. Steropes had scarcely regained vision as he looked up to see Apollo above him, the solid gold sword ready to strike. There was nothing the giant could to do evade such a blow as Apollo streaked back to the ground slicing the Cyclopes straight down the middle. The seam leaked out a firey glow that shot to every corner of the room. Steropes squirmed for a bit and then vaporized leaving only a pile of ash where he had stood.
Artemis quickly and calmly loaded a second arrow and aimed for the chamber ceiling. She loosed the second and it shot straight up leaving a wake of stardust that shimmered harmlessly as it fell back to the ground. The arrow made a mighty explosion and boulders came raining down crushing Argus. Still twitching, Artemis shot another silver arrow through his heart, vaporizing him.
While this was happening, Ares took advantage of the chaos and darted across the chamber to retrieve Athena's coverings and weapon. Brontes was now struggling to his feet and flung his hand wildly trying to crush anyone unlucky enough to be standing directly in front of him. Ares bolted back toward Athena swooping her up in his arms as Brontes continued to swing madly.
The foursome watched as Brontes began to regain his balance and with newly- entertained anger he growled and lunged toward them.
"Run" commanded Ares as the mad Cyclopes grabbed for his own sword, the length of two men and weight of four or five. They darted down the tunnel toward daylight. Athena, struggling to strap on her Aegis while she ran dropped the necklace given to her by Hephaestus. Brontes, although slow and lumbering took tremendous steps and kept a steady pace right behind them. They ran on, daylight approaching rapidly, but not fast enough.
Finally, they were clear of the tunnel, but Brontes still pursued and was even closer. He wound up for a massive slash with his sword when Athena took her buckler and hurled it forward ahead of them. Before the golden shield touched the ground, it had grown to five times its size.
"Jump!" She shouted and the group jumped into the shield as it took off down the mountain trail. Brontes pursued, somehow still gaining. The shield rocked back and forth as it skidded over rocks and tree roots. It seemed, for a moment to be an adequate means of escape.
"We'll be safe in the woods" Artemis assured the others who did not seem so confident. When the shield reached flat ground, it seemed to pick up speed and put some distance between Brontes and the four who had deceived him and killed his two brothers.
Once they reached the woods, they jumped from the shield and it returned to normal size. Athena plucked it up from the ground and adjusted her kit, which fit slightly awkwardly over her slinky dress. Artemis tapped her on the shoulder and motioned to a far corner of the thicket where something was moving, very close the ground.
"Follow me" Artemis said to the others. They followed, taking their lead from Artemis who was at home in the woods, among nature and with animals. They hid amongst the trees and waited for Brontes. Only Artemis had a plan and neglected to share it.
Soon, Brontes lumbered into the wooded area breathing heavily and growling each time he opened his mouth. His fury was now beyond comparison as he was swinging wildly at every tree that got in his way. Considering his size, he was doing quite a bit of destruction. Artemis motioned at Ares and soon got his attention. He didn't understand her signal but recognized that he should do something, right now.
"Looking for me?" Ares jumped out from his hiding spot and stood directly in harm's way. Without a word Brontes drew his sword back in a massive overhead smash and plunged it down at Ares' head. Ares casually sidestepped the attack and insultingly slashed Brontes across the shin in retaliation.
"Now!" Artemis shouted as she too emerged from her hiding spot. Brontes went to lift his sword but it was stuck to the ground. He pulled again but tree roots had completely covered it, drawing it deeper into the soft earth. He quickly switched to another method of attack and wound up a fist above his head. As he was about to strike he realized that it too was entangled by vines and roots.
"What is this!" he screamed as he saw his body rapidly being locked down by vines from above and roots from below. Dozens of creatures were now crawling over his body. They were not human but were distinctively anthropomorphic, and looked like small girls made of plant matter, which bark for hair.
"Dryads." Artemis said calmly. "Forest sprites. Children of the Earth. My humble servants." Apollo and Athena were now also standing before the giant Cyclop, who was squirming and screaming to break free of the plants holding him prisoner.
"In Athens, men are tried for their crimes." Athena had now regained her confidence and wit. She stood before Brontes as impressive and immune- looking as she had ever been. "Crimes against Olympus are punishable by death!"
She took her spear and lunged back as she aimed. Her body snapped forward and the spear left her fingers, turning instantly into Zeus' thunderbolt and striking Brontes in the heart. He let out a final blood-curdling scream as blue lightning ripped through his limbs and body before turning him to ash. The foursome stood for a moment in silence as the roots and vines recoiled into the trees and the Dryads scattered to their business.
Pegasus trotted over to where the group was standing and flipped his mane innocently as if to say 'where have you lot been?'
With the sun all but set, they returned to Olympus to smiles and cheers from their fellow Gods and Goddesses. Athena had seen a long day and soon snuck away from the crowd. Ares grabbed her by the arm before she got very far.
"One more thing, dear Athena. Don't ever attack me again." Ares smiled maliciously. Athena returned with an arrogant gaze of her own.
"Afraid I might win next time?" they both chuckled slightly before returning to seriousness. "Sorry about that." She paused "And thank you. For everything."
"I assure you, it won't happen again." Ares, it seems, was back to his old ways, impossible to read, if nothing else. She knew him more today than she had yesterday but still he confused her. The God of War was arrogant and snide, but he had gotten her armor back, and at the end of the day, that's all that mattered.
Athena sought out Hephaestus who was back at his Forge, away from the crowd above. Hot and stuffy, Athena could barely breathe in the belly of Olympus, but Hephaestus was quite at home. There was an awkward silence at first.
"I lost your amulet." Athena blurted out, as it was the first thing on her mind.
"Its alright" he murmured.
"Thank you for making it for me. I felt its power, that's how I was able to act."
"There was no power. And I didn't make it." Athena jerked her head back in disbelief. "I bought that necklace the last time I was in Thessaly. Its not but wood and coral, I assure you." Hephaestus sat down, relieving himself of the burden of walking. Athena seized the space aside him.
"So what was the power I felt? I smelled Olive, I heard the wind!" She insisted.
"That was just you - your true self, your inner strength. You see, armor and weapons, no matter how magical, are still simply objects. They do not possess thoughts or feelings or reason as we do. And their presence, although comforting, is truly not required for greatness." His voice was scratchy and deep but serious. Athena smiled as she realized the truth behind his statements. "So you see, you had the strength all along. Helmets and spears, they are metal. Gods, Goddesses, men, women, we are much more." He heaved himself up and off toward his private sleeping quarters. "Perhaps, today the Goddess of Wisdom has learned a new lesson."
He hobbled off as Athena exited the sweltering chamber. When she returned topside, night was in full bloom. A grey owl landed on her shoulder and clicked his beak affectionately.
"I was wondering where you had gone" References:
Hamilton, Edith Mythology Little Brown & Co. ©1940
Hendricks, Rhonda A. Classical Gods and Heroes Morrow Quill ©1972
Long, Don Greek vs. Norse Mythology ©1997
Pontikus, Nick Greek Mythology Today ©1999
Skidmore, Joel Mythweb ©2003
Sturluson, Snorri Prose Edda University of California Press ©2002
©2003
Stolen Identity
Athena awoke to greet an ordinary morning. Light swept the room at a sharp angle through the open window on the eastern wall of her quarters. She inhaled deeply and opened her eyes to see a grey owl perched upon a chair in the center of the room.
"Good morrow, my friend." She said in a low voice, still half asleep. The owl gave an affirmative click of its beak and flicked his head as in a nervous twitch. Athena stood up from her bed and stretched her arms as far as they could extend as she approached the window. She flipped her deep brown hair from her eyes and gave a final stretch above her head as she surveyed Olympus this morning. She filled her lungs with the air of morning. Her chamber smelled slightly of olives. The streets were silent below. The sky above was calm and welcoming. The sun was creeping steadily skyward above the clouds on the horizon.
The morning sun reflected in her eyes. They were grey in color but showing brightly with vitality and youth. Athena possessed a beauty rivaled by few on Olympus. Her hair, healthy and flowing, perfectly complimented the tone of her muscles and the shape of her figure. Tall, yet graceful, she embodied all the best qualities of the Gods, as they had been given to her by her father, Zeus.
Athena glanced in a mirror as she tied her hair back into an easy order. Not so concerned with frivolous matters of fashion, Athena was the patron Goddess of cities, of knowledge and wisdom and bringer of peace. She had more to attend to her than her hair.
Glancing in the mirror, she noticed something seemed wrong. She paused with her hands wrapped in her hair and surveyed the reflection of her room. Athena peered at the undressed mannequin where she had hung her armor every night before going to sleep. She spun around dropping her hair into disarray and a horrified shocked was slapped across her face as she again stared at the mannequin. Her armor was gone.
Not simply protection from battle, Athena's armor was her most prized possession. Her buckler, which bore a Gorgon's head, was given to her by Zeus as was her breastplate, called Aegis, and matching helmet. And her most valued weapon, a spear imbued with the power of Zeus' own thunderbolt, had gone missing as well. Athena franticly surveyed the room and not seeing her kit anywhere in plain vision, she proceeded to fumble through her few possessions in a vain effort to find her coverings.
Her head filling with a million thoughts of guilt and fear, she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself and remedy her state of agitation. She thought hard, who could have taken that which she prized above life itself? Who would be so daring as to steal armor and weapons given by Zeus himself to his favorite daughter? Only one name appeared in her head.
"Ares, you scoundrel!" Athena shouted as she kicked open a large wood and iron door guarding Ares' private armory. Ares sat shirtless on wooden stool, calmly polishing a sword, hardly seeming interrupted by the outburst. Ares' muscles were massive and well-defined and while rather intimidated, Athena knew his strength and skill were rivaled only by her own.
"Athena, always lovely to see you. What brings you hither to my chamber so early?" He said, rolling his eyes at the disturbance.
"You know quite well why I am here. I've come for what is mine, what was given to be my Zeus!" Athena insisted as she marched across the vast room to where Ares was sitting.
Ares looked up slowly, wearing an expression of distinct disinterest. "I am quite sure I have nothing of yours." He said sarcastically, "now, if it pleases you, I am busy."
Athena's eyes filled with a burning rage and turned a slight shade of orange. She grabbed a sword which was mounted to nearby pillar and swung it wildly at Ares' head. He quickly flung up the half-polished sword in his hand and parried her attack. Now on his feet, he gripped the sword with two hands and with a look of utter confusion, began to defend himself against the assault.
"You took my Aegis, and my buckler and helmet, and my spear!" Athena shouted as she continued to lunge, and slash at Ares. Ares, God of War, was well skilled in combat and this assault hardly seemed life-threatening. In fact, he was rather amused by it and kept up the fight, now answering with offensive maneuvers of his own.
"I certainly did not, fair Athena." He said calmly as he swung horizontally for her neck.
"Yes, you did!" Athena ducked to evade decapitation "Who else would be so bold" She jumped at him with all her might, her sword was raised clear above her head as she hovered ten feet in the air before swooping down at Ares. Ares, calmly evaded, ducking to his right and extended his left foot as Athena fell to the ground. Her sword plunged into the stone floor of the chamber and smashed into a hundred pieces before Athena, tripping over Ares' extended leg crashed down on top of the fragments. She rolled onto her back and, breathing heavily, opened her eyes to see Ares' standing with the tip of his sword pointed at her jugular.
"On your feet, dear Athena." Ares spoke clearly and with an air of disappointment, but still seemed rather uninterested. Athena collected herself and stood up. Her white tunic, which she usually wore beneath her armor, was dusty and she brushed herself off before looking Ares in the eye. Ares dropped his blade to his side.
"You say your armor has been stolen?" Ares inquired.
"Yes." Athena admitted somewhat shamefully.
"And you thought it was me, did you?" Ares knew the answer to this but asked anyway.
"Yes." Athena said even more embarrassed.
"Attacking me was unwise, my dear" he said, shaking his head "What did you really seek to accomplish? If you had stuck me down, you would have found nothing, and instead you would have to answer to your father and mine about an unprovoked murder, here, on Olympus. And besides, did you really think you could defeat me with such an unfocused mind, no plan of attack? I would expect more from you." Ares' tone was somewhat condescending but didactic. Being a fellow child of Zeus, he saw himself in somewhat of a brother role to Athena, although she was born from Zeus alone.
Athena now looked defeated. Her eyes had switched from orange to blue and the normally confident and impervious façade she wore was now transparent. Ares had never seen her in such a state, so vulnerable, so full of emotion, so human.
"Look at me" he demanded, preventing Athena's chin from drooping to the floor. "This is an act or war, committed by an unknown villain against the Gods of Olympus. This concerns us all and, with your permission of course, I will serve as General to rid us of this peril"
Athena nodded in agreement. She was now overcome by sadness and embarrassment as she accepted that a part of her had been stolen and was truly gone. Ares walked over to a wall of his chamber and through open two great doors. The ruggedly handsome God of War stood before a vast cabinet of arms and armors - swords, spears, shields, caps and plates, belts and boots all glimmered in the sunlight, which snuck in through narrow windows in the stone walls. Ares pondered for a moment as he surveyed this lot, only part of his vast collection. His expression was pensive but very satisfied looking, as if he were a scholar in a vast library, or a king shopping for new robes. His skin gave a healthy glow and he the sunlight reflected off tiny beads of sweat formed from the duel.
"Take this." He extended a spear and buckler to Athena and placed it on the ground as she walked over to retrieve them. Reaching back into the cabinet, he removed a breastplate and helmet that looked quite similar to her own.
"These will serve you for now." He said confidently. "While not blesséd with the power of Zeus, you should find it adequate coverings to avoid the questions and stares of Olympus." Ares closed the cabinet as Athena finished strapping on her breast plate, feeling somewhat better about the situation. If there was one thing to say about Ares, it was that he was determined and would not let a matter like this go unsettled. He placed both his hands on her shoulders.
"Attend to the cities of Earth. Do not let this morning's events affect their world. You still have much responsibility. Put your trust in me, dear daughter of Zeus, I will find the root of this evil."
Athena had never seen Ares act like this. She had known him to be relentlessly self-centered and harsh to everyone, even to Aphrodite with whom he had had an affair and even bore a son, Eros. Still, she trusted him. Athena snapped her chin up and inhaled deeply, banished the last remnants of tears from her again-grey eyes. She took her spear and strolled out of the chamber.
Ares smiled slightly. His face, unshaven and showing slight scarring seemed confident and with a determined look, he strolled toward the back of the armory to his private quarters. He pulled open a solid metal door to find a brilliant suit of armor shimmering in the eastern sun. Black steel with ornate patterns of Gold and Ivory, Ares' personal suit of armor was a sight to behold. He strapped it on with ease, including shin guards, gauntlets and a massive helmet that nearly covered his eyebrows. He strapped on his belt and grabbed for his sword, equally as impressive as the armor itself. The door swung closed by itself as he marched through the armory, his steps echoing in the empty stone room.
The chamber of Hermes was pure white except for a wooden desk and chair in the center of the room. Unlike the armory of Ares, the room was cluttered with papers. Racks lined the walls with folded up parchments and scraps of paper stuffed into them. The desk in the center of the room was also covered in paper but more neatly. These were Zeus' direct orders and somehow seemed to arrange themselves into near columns.
Ares knocked on the door with his massive gauntlets but there was no answer. He knocked again before pushing the door open slowly and peering in. Hermes was not in the chamber. Ares strolled in, being careful not to knock over any of the precariously stacked papers with his massively wide armor or his sword, hanging in its sheath from his belt.
Just them Hermes bolted into the room. A gust of wind trailed behind him that proceeded to throw every paper in the room into disarray. Ares froze in shock, watching the papers swirl above his head.
"Don't worry about that, happens all the time." Hermes said dismissively. Ares, still frozen in the center of the room looked down at the white papers magically rearranging themselves into neat columns on the desk. Zeus' orders obviously took priority. Hermes scrambled around the room at unnatural speed tucking all the other papers back into the racks on the wall or in stacks on the floor. Ares, meticulous with his own possessions was shocked, and somewhat confused at how someone, especially a fellow Olympian could be so disorganized. He shrugged to himself.
"Ares, good fellow, what brings you here?" said Hermes as he sat in his chair and kicked his feet up on the desk, disturbing more papers that quickly reordered themselves. "You're looking particularly focused this morning." Remarked Hermes as he scanned the intricacies of Ares' battle garments.
Hermes was a wiry teenager. His legs were well-toned but his upper body was distinctly undeveloped. His robes were draped around his waist leaving his chest uncovered. He wore a silver cap with wings on either side as well as his trademark winged sandals which gave him his great speed and the ability to fly, as well as travel to the underworld. Aside from Hades and his bride Persephone, Hermes was the only one allowed to enter and exit the underworld, however of the three, Hermes was the only one allowed back in Olympus. Such is necessary for the job of Zeus' messenger.
Ares removed his helmet and held it on his hip with his right hand. He intimidated Hermes and could have demanded anything, but instead he was polite. Like himself, Hermes was fathered by Zeus and Ares kept that respect for him.
"A great act of evil has been done to our Athena. I will spare you the details but I have volunteered to unearth the perpetrators and restore order to Olympus." Ares presented.
"And what do you require of me?" asked Hermes somewhat afraid of the answer
"Only your winged sandals, my friend. I need your speed and flight to solve this matter quickly." Ares hated to ask but he knew this was the fastest way to seek out the evil-doers.
Hermes sighed. And nodded. "I would give them to you without asking, sir."
Hermes raised his feet a few inches above the desk and the sandals magically unstrapped themselves and fluttered down to where Ares was standing. Ares raised his right foot and his own sandals, ordinary black leather fell to the ground at that spot. The winged sandal strapped itself to his foot. Ares stepped down and repeated with the left, he bounced slightly to get a feel for the new gear.
"Thank you, Hermes." Ares said graciously. "I require one more thing from you. Summon the Gods of Olympus to a meeting. All except our father Zeus - he must not know for his wrath will be too much for the men and women of Earth below to endure. We shall meet in the great circle, at the midday."
"Consider it done!" Hermes jumped to his feet and darted for the door, instead of speeding off like the wind, he fell flat on his face into a pile of paper. Ares raised his eyebrows and he peered down at the pile below him. Hermes rolled over into a sitting position and looked at his feet. He wriggled his toes as if he had been seeing them for the first time. "Oh yea." He said, slightly blushing. He got to his feet and walked, carefully to the door. Ares shook his head and dashed through the door behind Hermes.
Ares flew like the wind from Olympus. Not with any specific destination, but rather to cover every corner of the Earth in a few hours. He soured from Persia to Phoenicia, from Attica to the Aegean, searching for any sign of evil or disorder. Ares saw his shadow change shape over the course of the morning. He had covered more miles than most men do in a lifetime and still nothing. He flew to the top of Mount Parnassus to commune with the Muses if they had seen or heard anything. Nothing. He flew to every city- state and provincial farm. Nothing. As the day wore on he became frustrated. Flying again across the Mediterranean, searching for some sign, he saw smoke floating skyward from a small island.
Ares descended to the shores of the island and looked around. Nothing seemed outwardly wrong so he proceeded inland. He stomped his way through the sand and through some trees, which gave way to a great clearing at the center of the island. Then he saw them.
"Cyclopes" he muttered to himself in disgust. In the center of the island was a massive mountain that shot up suddenly from the generally flat surroundings. He knew if there was a place to find the leader of these Cyclopes, that would be it.
He drew gazes from every Cyclopes he past. The giant sized beasts looked just as he did except for the fact that they only possessed a single eye in the center of their forehead. Descendants of Uranus and Gaia, they were more than mortal and shared many of the attributes of the Titans and Olympian Gods. This made them even more imposing and scary, even to Ares who could never be seen exhibiting signs of fear or worry.
When he approached the base of the mountain, he heard a massive and monstrous laugh. Ares jumped off the ground as it shook beneath his heels and sailed casually up the mountain until he spied a cave entrance on the southern slope.
"Welcome" said the deep bellowing voice. "You are expected"
Ares was cautious but confident. He entered the cave and marched down a tunnel, dark except for the slight glints of light from torches stuck in the cave wall. He looked behind him at the entrance, now only a bluish circle in the distance.
The tunnel opened to a massive chamber. Well lit and decorated with precious fabrics and jewels he was shocked to see such a place outside of a palace, let alone in the center of a mountain. Before him he saw two massive Cyclopes standing on either side of a third who sat in a giant- sized throne of gold and ivory.
"Brontes." Ares recognized the sitting Cyclopes immediately. He had fought him long ago in battle when the Cyclopes were first banished by the gods. King of the Cyclopes, Brontes had long been arrogant and had hungered for material possessions.
"Ares, most noble God of War" Brontes chanted mockingly in his unnaturally loud voice. "I did not expect you of all the Gods to arrive here. But since we are old friends, it is nonetheless, good to see you again. I assume you remember Steropes and Argus" he said referring to his right and left hand guards.
"The pleasure is all yours, villain" Ares barked in response, disgusted at the sight of it all.
"Come now" Brontes continued, pretending to be offended "Our parting was not that harsh, was it? Then again, you did leave me with this." He said pointing to a massive scare across his cheek.
"Tosh, Brontes! I haven't the time for pleasantries, especially not with you. Tell me straight, are you the one who stole the armor of Athena?" Ares stepped forward and summoned a fearsome look to his eyes.
"Yes. It was me" Brontes said calmly. "And I have hidden that which I stole. You will never find it, I assure you, I have buried it so deep within the Earth that only I have the power to retrieve it. Your Athena will be quite without her kit unless you bring me what I want."
Ares paused for a moment, trying to guess what it was. He looked around the chamber and saw statues of gold, tables covered in fresh fruit and wine, silk robes hanging from ivory hooks, the sort of luxury most only dream of. He couldn't see what Brontes could possibly want, especially from Athena.
"And what is it you want?" he asked
"As you can see, I have nearly everything imaginable. As king of the Cyclopes, I am given all that I desire, and while Athena's weapons or your winged sandals might make a nice addition to my toy chest, I require that which men prize above gold and jewels and weapons." Brontes let Ares answer; he knew Ares would figure it out.
"Love."
"Indeed. Bring me Aphrodite. When she agrees to be my bride, I shall give Athena back what is hers."
"Your madness is rivaled only by your hideousness! Aphrodite will never marry you! You should beg that she even speak a word to you!" Ares lost his temper, shouting at Brontes, he drew his sword threateningly. Brontes stood up slowly, unimpressed with the threat.
"Jealous Ares. Oh, I think she will marry with me, especially if I let your father Zeus know how careless you all have been. Letting a Cyclopes sneak into Olympus and steal his sacred weapons, hardly God-like behavior." Brontes bent over to Ares' face. His eye peering right through Ares as if there was writing on the back of his skull. Ares held his breath to avoid the smell of Brontes. He kept his own eyes fixed on Brontes' to avoid looking at his brown and rotting teeth.
Ares took a step back in disgust. "Sunset." He turned on his heel and bolted down the tunnel leaving a gust of wind in his wake. The smell of Brontes still followed him but he payed it no mind. Ares rushed back to Olympus for the meeting.
Back at Olympus, the Gods had gathered around the Great Circle. The Great Circle was an outdoor meeting place with benches all arranged around a well. Within the well Earth could be seen. This was how one way the Gods could monitor what was happening below them. Today, it was simply backdrop for the meeting.
Ares arrived somewhat late. Every head spun around as he marched up to greet this hastily-assembled council. Already seated was Hermes who was glowing at the return of his winged sandals. Apollo sat beside his twin sister Artemis. Poseidon and Demeter sat next to one another, sharing a conversation. Athena and Hestia smiled silently at Ares as he removed his helmet. Hephaestus sat alone with no one to either side of him. Aphrodite strolled in slightly late dragging her mischievous son Eros behind her, struggling with all his might to flutter off on his tiny wings.
Aphrodite met eyes with Ares and glided over to an empty space beside him. Her gown was white with shards of silver dancing in the midday sun. The surface looked like silk but it flowed over her well-curved body as if it were massless. Her skin, highly revealed by the provocative dress, was slightly red, as if she were blushing. The Love Goddess always had naturally red lips and her eyes were a brilliant blue. Her hair was the color of straw but flowed like water as she moved Ares smiled curiously at her but she looked away insultingly. Eros, waist-high to his father, Ares, accepted his defeat and slumped onto the bench between his two parents.
"Thank you all for coming." Ares began "I would not have summoned you all here if not for a matter of great import, and we have one such upon us. For those of you who have not heard, Athena awoke this morning to find her Aegis, buckler, helmet and spear had all been stolen. I have spent the morning searching for the culprit and I have learned that it was Brontes, King of the Cyclopes who seeks war with Olympus. He is holding out for one thing" he paused and starred at his audience "Aphrodite."
Aphrodite looked shocked as she shot up one eyebrow. She soon could be seen wearing a complacent expression with the signs of slight flattery now apparent.
"He has demanded her for his bride. Those are his conditions for returning what he stole." Ares admitted to the council. There was a murmur among all those watching.
Hephaestus squeezed his face as if a vile smell had just been unleashed. Apollo sank his eyelids slowly, as in a trance. Hephaestus, smith of the Gods and God of fire was covered in a thin layer of ash. Mixed with the sweat, his skin seemed to be coated in this resin. His face bore heavy scaring, mainly from burns he suffered over the ages. Here in Olympus he wore a simple brown tunic to cover his ratty clothing in which he worked. In addition, he was crippled and it took him extreme amounts of effort to walk even the shortest distances.
"Where has he hid the armor?" Asked Hermes "I reckon we can steal it back."
"No, he has hidden it beneath the Earth in a place only he knows. It will serve us no good to look for it." Ares answered
Poseidon scratched his white beard searching for a plan. Hestia and Athena glanced across the circle to Artemis, who she shook her head. All three then turned to Aphrodite who shrugged and offered only a look of confusion. Just then Apollo opened his eyes and inhaled suddenly as if waking up from a nightmare. All eyes jumped to him.
"I have seen what we must do" Apollo stood up and stood next to Ares. The two were spectrum opposites. Ares, although well-built was much shorter than Apollo. Apollo's skin was near-white and his hair was curly and gold. His eyes were blue and seemed to emit light. Ares looked somewhat undesirable in comparison, unshaven, brown eyes matching his much shorter hair. The black and gold armor summed up Ares just as the white silk and silver toga well characterized Apollo. Apollo, God of prophecy, amongst other things continued.
"We must send him Aphrodite," Apollo looked at Aphrodite and explained "or what he thinks is Aphrodite. We will send a party with the apparent Love Goddess. Once he is convinced and has accepted that this is Aphrodite and her train, we will reveal ourselves and slay these monsters, reclaiming the stolen armor." Apollo looked around to see the group nodding concurrently and giving otherwise pleasant looks of approval. He look to Ares.
"Not a bad plan." He said to Apollo. "I wonder if it could work in battle." He thought to himself.
"Now who will volunteer to go?" Apollo scanned the circle. "I will go myself, who will join me?"
"I will." Said Artemis as she stood to her feet. The huntress was twin sister to Apollo and shared many of his physical attributes. Slightly shorter and distinctively female, Artemis was broad shouldered for a woman and her muscled showed rigidity, signs of use. Her hair was slightly darker but blonde and she wore silver armor decorated with moons in various phases.
"I will go too!" Eros sprung up but was quickly plunged back into his seat by his parents, standing on both sides of him. He folded his arms tightly and squeezed his face together turning it red.
"I will go" Apollo and Artemis spun around to see Athena standing before them. Still somewhat emotional from the whole situation, everyone was somewhat shocked to hear her volunteering.
"Are you certain you can handle this? We must not allow any rash actions like this morning." Ares warned Athena as patted his sword hilt with his left hand.
"This is my fight, I want to play my role." Athena said confidently.
"You have never faced a situation like this, let alone without your armor. The Cyclopes are not to be taken lightly." Apollo further warned. Athena nodded.
"Above all, we must not allow Zeus to find out. His wrath would not be easily overlooked. The entire world would feel his anger." Ares insisted to the council, they all nodded.
"I wouldn't worry about him." Said a confident female voice. Ares, Athena, Apollo and Artemis spun around to see Hera walking toward them. Older than the other Gods, Hera was the wife of Zeus and knew him better than all his children. She wore a modest gown of white, tied with gold yarn around the shoulders. Streaks of silver could be seen in her otherwise jet black hair.
"Last night, Zeus spent more than his share of time with several local women of Corinth. He tired himself out quite enough to sleep through these worries." Hera had eliminated one variable with her news of Zeus. "It seems something had him rather randy last night." She added accusingly as she shot a stare at young Eros who cowered slightly and grabbed Aphrodite around the arm.
"Come, we burn daylight." Apollo gestured to his cohorts.
"Phoebus." A deep as raspy voice called him back. Apollo spun around, rarely was he called by this name.
"You will need these." Hephaestus hobbled toward them holding a gnarled canvas sack in his right hand. "The Cyclopes once worked in my forge. Their weapons are not unlike your own and can kill you just as easily as Iron can kill a man. You will need special weapons."
He reached inside the sack and pulled out a brilliant gold sword. He twisted is slightly his hand, inspecting its shine in the sun before passing it to Apollo.
"A solid gold sword. Only with a substance so pure can you defeat an immortal creature. All the fire in my forge is stored within this blade. Use it wisely." Hephaestus instructed as Apollo took the hilt, nodding in accord. Hephaestus reached again into the bag.
"Silver arrows" He said, as he withdrew his calloused hand, now grasping a bunch of arrows. "Normally intended to quench the desires of maidens, these have been modified with the destructive powers of the moon and the stars. Huntress, use these." The smith handed the arrows to Artemis and she tucked them into her quiver, leaving the old ones with Eros.
"And for you, an amulet of coral and wood." Hephaestus held out a rustic looking necklace to Athena. "Trust me on this one."
Athena peered at the necklace and then back to its maker who now could be seen attempting a smile beneath the grime and scarring on his face. She strapped it on without question. Ares, Artemis, Apollo and Athena turned and left the others.
Athena and Artemis rode atop Pegasus and Ares rode with Apollo in his chariot to the island of Cyclopes. Dressed in Aphrodite's massless garments, Athena felt even more naked than she already had without her armor. As they disembarked on the shore Athena adjusted her gown in an effort to look more seductive like Aphrodite might. Aphrodite nodded approvingly, Apollo and Ares looked at her in a way they never had before. Artemis caught this and silently scolded them with her gaze for such thoughts. Artemis, being the embodiment of virginity and chastity was highly protective of Athena, who, like herself and Hestia was one of three maidens of Olympus.
Before long, they group was marching up the mountainside along the trail that Ares had neglected to take the previous time. Athena walked in front, still perfectly in character. Behind, Apollo, Ares and Artemis walked, all cloaked in white robes and hoods of the same flowing fabric. After climbing the slope for a good hour, they reached the long tunnel. Immediately, they could smell Brontes and hear his laughter bouncing off the dimly lit walls.
"Ah, what have we here?" Brontes remarked as the train entered his vast chamber.
"It is I, Aphrodite, Goddess of Love." Athena answered confidently.
"And who are they?" Brontes asked pointing to her followers.
"Just my servant men. They keep me, occupied, shall we say." Athena was getting into the role a little too deep. "I have come to pledge marriage to you, in exchange for the Aegis of Athena and her other belongings." "I assumed so much." Snarled Brontes "I always keep my word and when I have yours, the armor is yours. I have no use for them once I have you."
Brontes raised his right hand to signal Steropes. He pushed aside a massive boulder in one corner of the room and reached into a small cove, emerging with Athena's armor, helmet, buckler and spear. Athena's eyes widened but she maintained her calm. Brontes walked to the armor, with his hideous eye still fixed on Athena, surveying her from top to bottom. He grabbed the buckler and submerged it in a nearby basin before returning to where Athena was standing.
"Water from the river Styx. It will seal your vow of marriage for eternity." Brontes smiled at Athena, his decayed teeth made her cringe in disgust. He then seemed to notice something odd and placed the buckler on the ground before him. He examined Athena closely, bending to the level of a man, his eye was now too close for comfort. Athena could feel herself beginning to sweat and the ability to remain calm seemed to be slipping away.
"Lady Aphrodite, you look tired." Brontes remarked curiously.
"I have not been sleeping well. Men are troublesome this time of year." Athena pulled a reply out of thin air.
"And you look thin. And Pale." Brontes continued his inquisition.
"I have not been eating well. I am far too filled with matters of romance to feast at Olympus." Athena knew this answer was far worse than the previous one. She could feel Brontes breathing, his cold breath beading up as it hit her over exposed-chest.
"And what is this?" He said as he plucked the coral and wood amulet with one of his foot-long fingers.
"Just, a gift." Athena suddenly felt a hot wave flow through her body. Her nose filled with the scent of Olives and she heard the gentle breeze in the room turn into a gust. Her eyes opened as she inhaled deeply. "And now, I have a gift for you." She said seductively.
Brontes focused his eye back to Athena's face from the amulet a few inches below. She smiled at him as she clenched her right first so tight it could be mistook for a solid lump of granite. With the speed and force of a thousand hurricanes, she snapped a mighty punch, landing her white knuckles squarely onto the bridge of Brontes' nose. He flew twenty feet in the air and landed on this throne, breaking it into a hundred jagged pieces.
Before Steropes and Argus could react, Apollo threw off his cloak and blinded them with the brilliance of the midsummer sun beaming from every inch of his skin. They both stumbled back, clutching their single eyes. Artemis and Ares immediately followed suit and threw their coverings aside. Artemis reached into her quiver and loaded her bow with an arrow in the blink of an eye. Argus roared and lunged toward her. She loosed the first silver arrow and in shot across the room like a meteor, striking Argus directly in eye, a blue and silver streak in its wake. He let out a piercing scream of agony as he struggled to remove the shaft from his head.
Apollo took off toward Steropes and drew his sword. Steropes had scarcely regained vision as he looked up to see Apollo above him, the solid gold sword ready to strike. There was nothing the giant could to do evade such a blow as Apollo streaked back to the ground slicing the Cyclopes straight down the middle. The seam leaked out a firey glow that shot to every corner of the room. Steropes squirmed for a bit and then vaporized leaving only a pile of ash where he had stood.
Artemis quickly and calmly loaded a second arrow and aimed for the chamber ceiling. She loosed the second and it shot straight up leaving a wake of stardust that shimmered harmlessly as it fell back to the ground. The arrow made a mighty explosion and boulders came raining down crushing Argus. Still twitching, Artemis shot another silver arrow through his heart, vaporizing him.
While this was happening, Ares took advantage of the chaos and darted across the chamber to retrieve Athena's coverings and weapon. Brontes was now struggling to his feet and flung his hand wildly trying to crush anyone unlucky enough to be standing directly in front of him. Ares bolted back toward Athena swooping her up in his arms as Brontes continued to swing madly.
The foursome watched as Brontes began to regain his balance and with newly- entertained anger he growled and lunged toward them.
"Run" commanded Ares as the mad Cyclopes grabbed for his own sword, the length of two men and weight of four or five. They darted down the tunnel toward daylight. Athena, struggling to strap on her Aegis while she ran dropped the necklace given to her by Hephaestus. Brontes, although slow and lumbering took tremendous steps and kept a steady pace right behind them. They ran on, daylight approaching rapidly, but not fast enough.
Finally, they were clear of the tunnel, but Brontes still pursued and was even closer. He wound up for a massive slash with his sword when Athena took her buckler and hurled it forward ahead of them. Before the golden shield touched the ground, it had grown to five times its size.
"Jump!" She shouted and the group jumped into the shield as it took off down the mountain trail. Brontes pursued, somehow still gaining. The shield rocked back and forth as it skidded over rocks and tree roots. It seemed, for a moment to be an adequate means of escape.
"We'll be safe in the woods" Artemis assured the others who did not seem so confident. When the shield reached flat ground, it seemed to pick up speed and put some distance between Brontes and the four who had deceived him and killed his two brothers.
Once they reached the woods, they jumped from the shield and it returned to normal size. Athena plucked it up from the ground and adjusted her kit, which fit slightly awkwardly over her slinky dress. Artemis tapped her on the shoulder and motioned to a far corner of the thicket where something was moving, very close the ground.
"Follow me" Artemis said to the others. They followed, taking their lead from Artemis who was at home in the woods, among nature and with animals. They hid amongst the trees and waited for Brontes. Only Artemis had a plan and neglected to share it.
Soon, Brontes lumbered into the wooded area breathing heavily and growling each time he opened his mouth. His fury was now beyond comparison as he was swinging wildly at every tree that got in his way. Considering his size, he was doing quite a bit of destruction. Artemis motioned at Ares and soon got his attention. He didn't understand her signal but recognized that he should do something, right now.
"Looking for me?" Ares jumped out from his hiding spot and stood directly in harm's way. Without a word Brontes drew his sword back in a massive overhead smash and plunged it down at Ares' head. Ares casually sidestepped the attack and insultingly slashed Brontes across the shin in retaliation.
"Now!" Artemis shouted as she too emerged from her hiding spot. Brontes went to lift his sword but it was stuck to the ground. He pulled again but tree roots had completely covered it, drawing it deeper into the soft earth. He quickly switched to another method of attack and wound up a fist above his head. As he was about to strike he realized that it too was entangled by vines and roots.
"What is this!" he screamed as he saw his body rapidly being locked down by vines from above and roots from below. Dozens of creatures were now crawling over his body. They were not human but were distinctively anthropomorphic, and looked like small girls made of plant matter, which bark for hair.
"Dryads." Artemis said calmly. "Forest sprites. Children of the Earth. My humble servants." Apollo and Athena were now also standing before the giant Cyclop, who was squirming and screaming to break free of the plants holding him prisoner.
"In Athens, men are tried for their crimes." Athena had now regained her confidence and wit. She stood before Brontes as impressive and immune- looking as she had ever been. "Crimes against Olympus are punishable by death!"
She took her spear and lunged back as she aimed. Her body snapped forward and the spear left her fingers, turning instantly into Zeus' thunderbolt and striking Brontes in the heart. He let out a final blood-curdling scream as blue lightning ripped through his limbs and body before turning him to ash. The foursome stood for a moment in silence as the roots and vines recoiled into the trees and the Dryads scattered to their business.
Pegasus trotted over to where the group was standing and flipped his mane innocently as if to say 'where have you lot been?'
With the sun all but set, they returned to Olympus to smiles and cheers from their fellow Gods and Goddesses. Athena had seen a long day and soon snuck away from the crowd. Ares grabbed her by the arm before she got very far.
"One more thing, dear Athena. Don't ever attack me again." Ares smiled maliciously. Athena returned with an arrogant gaze of her own.
"Afraid I might win next time?" they both chuckled slightly before returning to seriousness. "Sorry about that." She paused "And thank you. For everything."
"I assure you, it won't happen again." Ares, it seems, was back to his old ways, impossible to read, if nothing else. She knew him more today than she had yesterday but still he confused her. The God of War was arrogant and snide, but he had gotten her armor back, and at the end of the day, that's all that mattered.
Athena sought out Hephaestus who was back at his Forge, away from the crowd above. Hot and stuffy, Athena could barely breathe in the belly of Olympus, but Hephaestus was quite at home. There was an awkward silence at first.
"I lost your amulet." Athena blurted out, as it was the first thing on her mind.
"Its alright" he murmured.
"Thank you for making it for me. I felt its power, that's how I was able to act."
"There was no power. And I didn't make it." Athena jerked her head back in disbelief. "I bought that necklace the last time I was in Thessaly. Its not but wood and coral, I assure you." Hephaestus sat down, relieving himself of the burden of walking. Athena seized the space aside him.
"So what was the power I felt? I smelled Olive, I heard the wind!" She insisted.
"That was just you - your true self, your inner strength. You see, armor and weapons, no matter how magical, are still simply objects. They do not possess thoughts or feelings or reason as we do. And their presence, although comforting, is truly not required for greatness." His voice was scratchy and deep but serious. Athena smiled as she realized the truth behind his statements. "So you see, you had the strength all along. Helmets and spears, they are metal. Gods, Goddesses, men, women, we are much more." He heaved himself up and off toward his private sleeping quarters. "Perhaps, today the Goddess of Wisdom has learned a new lesson."
He hobbled off as Athena exited the sweltering chamber. When she returned topside, night was in full bloom. A grey owl landed on her shoulder and clicked his beak affectionately.
"I was wondering where you had gone" References:
Hamilton, Edith Mythology Little Brown & Co. ©1940
Hendricks, Rhonda A. Classical Gods and Heroes Morrow Quill ©1972
Long, Don Greek vs. Norse Mythology ©1997
Pontikus, Nick Greek Mythology Today ©1999
Skidmore, Joel Mythweb ©2003
Sturluson, Snorri Prose Edda University of California Press ©2002
©2003