Chapter 5: The Visit
Athena was walking around the town curious on why Zeus spent a lot of time in this place, there was nothing special about it. It looked like a regular quiet town where not much happens, so why did Zeus come here? Athena had some ideas pop-up in her head. These ideas can be anything from a one-night stand turning into a multiple nights, he had a child that lived here, it could be anything. She closed her eyes and used her senses to feel if something was off in this area, something her dead uncle taught her several millennia ago.
She sensed something that she has not sensed for so long, something that she has longed to feel again. She ran towards that direction, a rare moment of rash thinking, and saw that in a house there stood a mother and daughter. Athena was confused by this; she felt her uncle's presence there but he was not there. She decided to observe the mother and daughter in the house and was puzzled by why her uncle's presence was there.
The young girl turned around and Athena was in shock on what she saw. She knew those eyes; she has seen only one other person to have those eyes and that other person was her beloved uncle. She couldn't believe what she saw, this was undeniable proof that her uncle was still alive. She considered whether she should go and knock at the door and try to talk to her or should she just observe them.
While she was thinking about this the young girl turned around and made direct eye contact with her. Athena thought that this girl made the decision for her and approach the young girl. She was thinking what she should say but once again the young girl made the decision once again.
"Hi, who are you?" The young girl asked Athena with curiosity and apprehension in her eyes.
"I am Athena, who are you young one?" Athena asked as she bent down to her level.
"My name is Thalia, is your name really Athena? Your energy feels different than most people, why is it so? Are you human? Why are you here?" Thalia rambled off almost talking too fast for Athena to catch.
She smiled recalling how she was with her own Uncle.
"Yes, my name is Athena, my energy is different because you are right, I am not a human. I am a god. I am here because I felt something that I have not felt for a long time" Athena answered Thalia's questions.
"What did you feel?" Thalia continued to ask Athena.
"I felt the energy of my uncle here" Athena told Thalia.
"Who was your Uncle?"
"His name is Perseus"
Thalia was curious by this and smiled realizing that she may have more family than she thought. She jumped on the adult Athena and hugged her. Athena was shocked by this and hugged her back.
"You're my cousin, mommy look I have a cousin" Thalia told Athena and shouted at her mother.
"Hello my lady Athena. What a pleasure it is for you to be here, I apologize for what my daughter may have done" Beryl said while bowing.
"Please no need to bow, what is your name?" Athena asked what appeared to be the mother of Thalia.
"My name is Beryl my lady, may I ask why you are here?" Beryl asked politely.
"I was here looking for my uncle but instead I found his daughter and the mother of his first and only child"
"Your uncle? This child is not of Hades, Zeus, or Poseidon" Beryl told Athena hoping she has not figured out who the father of Thalia is.
"A few minutes too late Beryl, your daughter just told me who her father is. There is also that thing called the color of her eyes but do not worry I will not tell my father about this. Although your daughter has peaked my interest" said Athena observing Thalia.
"What do you mean by that Lady Athena?" Beryl asked nervously fearing for her daughter.
"No need to worry, I see my younger self and my uncle in her. I want her to reach her potential and help her to it, she is also my uncle's only daughter I will keep her safe and a secret as well" Athena told the worried Beryl and Beryl was able relieved after that.
"Thalia, your life will be a difficult one but you are my cousin and I will be here to help you just like how your father was there for me when I was younger. I would like to give you my blessing, this means that you'll be more analytic, wiser and absorb knowledge faster. I will also guide you from time to time and assist you when needed, I will also change the color of your eyes to help keep your father' identity hidden" Athena told Thalia.
"Why does my dad have to hide?" Thalia asked Athena curiously.
"Well many years ago his youngest brother was jealous of him and made him leave his home with his family helping his youngest brother making your father leave. Your father's brother believes he is dead because of how long it has been and it is safer for you if it stays that way but knowing your father he is coming up with a way to return to his home and take it back from his brother" Athena told Thalia trying to keep a straight face and failing to.
Thalia hugged Athena trying to comfort her as she told this short story. Beryl smiled at her daughter and then remembered that she had to go out and buy groceries.
"Lady Athena, is it ok if I ask you to stay here with Thalia while I go out to buy some groceries for Thalia and me?" Beryl asked Athena while she's getting ready to leave.
"I can easily flash those here, no need for you to go there" Athena told Beryl.
"It is ok Lady Athena, no need to do that. I will not be gone for long" Beryl told Athena insisting that she will go on her own.
"Thalia, stay here with Athena ok? I will just go out to buy stuff for the house" Beryl told Thalia while she bent down.
"Ok Mommy stay safe" Thalia hugged her and went back to Athena.
Beryl hugged her back and left the house. The moment she left the house, she felt a presence observing her. She looked around trying to find it but did not see anything, she decided that maybe she has been too paranoid.
"Perseus please keep me safe" Beryl whispered and started walking towards the store. She continues towards the store cautiously. Beryl heard a growl behind her and she tenses up, she turns around but finds nothing instead. She looks around and continued on deciding that it was just some dog.
Perseus was shadowing her using his powers over the night to keep him hidden. He also tried to look for where the growling came from as well but he could not find it which annoys him. In that moment of losing focus on his friend he thinks back on how Eros has spelled him and because of that Beryl got pregnant. He was furious with Eros for several months but that led him to his one and only child, if he went back in time he probably would not change a thing.
"You are distracted, you left your child with some weakling Goddess. This is the perfect chance for me to strike" the same mysterious voice he heard all those years ago rang in his head.
Hearing this he ran towards his daughter's location in a frantic and very panicked way.
When he did get there though the only thing he saw was Athena reading a book to Thalia in the same way he used to do it to Athena. He smiled at this let out a breathe of relief as he saw his daughter safe and sound. He was trying to think why the voice would tell him this if his daughter was perfectly fine.
He realized that this was a trap that let him leave Beryl on her own. He ran towards the store Beryl was walking towards and found a figure choking Beryl in an alley.
"You're too late, if you had realized this earlier then maybe you could have saved her" the figure told him in the exact same voice as the one earlier. He laughed and just vanished leaving Beryl to fall on the ground with blood flowing out of her chest.
"Perseus, you're here" Beryl croaked out.
"I'm sorry" Perseus cradled her with tears falling from his eyes.
"No need to apologize, just keep our child safe please" Beryl told Perseus while coughing out some blood.
"I will, I promise" Perseus told her while crying.
Beryl smiled and she died.
