257 years from when SS premiered in 1874, so 1617

Saint Seiya-The Great MASTERS

By Akke Andringa-Axia Andromeda Saint, the girl with the Dark Mind of the American Teen

251 years ago, in Sanctuary, Athens, Greece, a terrible event occurred. That event was...the death of..Aries Shiza!

But before we detail on that matter, first we must tell the tale of previous knights of Sanctuary-the great masters! We'll start off the day 257 years ago in 1611 when Shiza Damiko, the thirteen-year-old half-Grecian, half-Japanese heir to the Damiko line, wandered off in the city of Athens to Athena's Sanctuary. There, young Shiza met Athena-the goddess of wisdom and battle!

Tmp. Tmp, Tmp on the cold hard stones. Shiza ran best she could in her fashionable heeled boots from Spain. Away from her father's men she fled. She found herself going up the feet of a staircase up towering wall-structure.

"Look! There's Lady Damiko up the great stair!' yelled one of the men many yards behind her. She tripped in her boots hand immediately got back up again, ignoring the scrape on her sheer knee, glad she was in much better shape than the men.
She ran even faster up the steps in an attempt to put more distance between them and give them the slip. If only the shamed stair case would end, but it just kept going! It was like a stair case to the clouds. But soon she realized she was no longer being followed-and lost. She rested and looked around. Where the heck am I? she thought. Suddenly, she realized she was not alone.

"Are you well child? You are not lost! You are here because I led you here!" a harmonious voice said from behind her. She turned around, a beautiful, elegant hand was outstretched to her. She took the hand, and was led up.

"Do not be afraid, child." said the gorgeous woman. She was a girl more than a woman-she looked only about eighteen or nineteen, not that much older than Shiza herself. This girl/woman was wearing s lovely flowing garment the circled around her tanned legs. She had long, elegant golden ringlets that had beads intertwined through the strands framing her framley face.

"My name is Athena." said the girl confidently. "Athena..as in the battle goddess of wisdom?" asked Shiza quizzically, hardly believing that this small yet intimidating girl was the goddess that she had learned about in her studies-even if she had the looks of one.

''Yes," Athena said, her words radiating with love and guidance. Athena looked past Shiza. "They come." She said as Shiza's follower stumble off the top of the staircase, panting. "Come back with us, Girlie! You knows what happens when you disobey your father!" The man in the front growled, ready to take Shiza back to her father for a whipping for running away again. Shiza gulped. She still had sores from her last punishment. "Never-" she whispered defiantly, but was cut off by Athena, who now stood protectively in front of Shiza. "You men are trespassing!" Athena hissed. The man, Ekye, raised an eyebrow at her. "And what are you going to do about it, girl?" he said, stepping forward. Athena hesitated. "I, Athena, will not have you take this young lady away. I have taken her in as my own to become one of my Saints. You will not disobey the will of a goddess after which this city is named?" Athena narrowed her eyes. Ekye stumbled back, startled at the power of her voice. "Y-you, A-Athena? Y-Yeah right." he said shakily, trying to look tough in front of his coleeges. He had heard rumors about Athena's saints, but rumor were rumors, right? "Go. Leave this place and never return. Tell your master Damyko that Shiza has come to my Sanctuary to become strong. Go!" Athena commanded, speaking Shiza's father's surname in the old Grecian way. With that, Ekye and his man sprinted from this place, this Athena's 'Sanctuary'.

Athena let go of Shiza, muttering under her breath. Shiza's father was not going to be happy when he heard that message-what did it mean anyway? Saints? Shiza was puzzled-and how did this lady know her name anyway? She backed slowly away from her. "Thank you..Athena, for sending those men away, but that's not going to keep my father away. He's a stubborn man."

"Do not worry, those men won't be returning here anytime soon," said Athena absentmindedly.

Shiza trembled. Now she had nowhere to hide with her raving father sure to have men searching for her thoroughly now. "So..what did you mean I'd become one of you 'Saints'?"

"Hmm?" Athena looked back at Shiza. What was with this gal? "You will don sacred cloth and will do my will, child-"

Shiza grew impatient with the woman. "Look, lady, I ain't doin yer will or anything like that, stop callin me child! You're not a day older than me! Athena or not!"

Athena sighed. ''Damiko, is it?"

"Shiza." What the? She said her name fine before-

"Sheesa, sorry," she giggled suddenly, "It is Athena's will talking, not me," she giggled as if that was silly. "Perimine, that's me, I'm merely an incarnation!" Seriously, what's up with this chick?

"Let me show you something Shees-Oh!"

Two women walked up, one maybe 19 or so and the other about Shiza's age. The older spoke. "What's all the commotion, Miss Perimine?" The younger tilted her head. "A new rookie making a fuss? You need to stop recruiting randomly, ma'am." She said, stretching her skinny arms over her shoulder.

"Nothing of the such, Nne. This here is Shiza Damiko." She placed her hands on Shiza's shoulder. Now she could prounce Shiza's name again. "I was just about to show her your ceremony, but it seems iAnne has already won the cloth and title of Aquarius." said Perimine.

"Aquaris? Like the Greek zodiac of constellations and birthtimes?" Shiza said.

"Yep, ya can call me Aquarious iAnne now!" the younger girl, iAnne, said. "Ho, good," said Perimine. "Could you let go of my wrist now?" Shiza muttered.

"So what's up with the brat?" said iAnne.

"Who you calling, brat, brat?" said Shiza.

"Calm down, girls! Shiza is here to start her training!" said Perimine.

"Kind of late to start her off, eh? She cans stay with us tonight. iAnne, you can help her find her constellation and show her around Sanctuary. Miss, I need to talk to about something." sighed the woman with iAnne. "Sure thing, Mirikou! Go on girls!" said Perimine, away with the woman.

"Why me!" said iAnne. "Come on, Shi. I'll give you a tour..."

Little did iAnne know, that in Shiza's home language, "Shi" meant death. iAnne had just proclaimed Shiza's fate.