A/N: I am not Jorge and therefore I do not own the plot of EPIC, the bolded lyrics, or the characters.
Just a little fic I did for Ody and Thena 'cause I need to heal my soul after Ithaca saga.
Odysseus stood alone in a forest– but he knew that he was not exactly alone. He could feel a presence, watching his every move.
The barn owl. He couldn't find it now, but he's been seeing it for days. Whenever it was around, he felt strangely certain and calm, as if time was moving slow. It also seemed to have a mysterious aura around it when he saw it in the corner of his eye, but whenever Odysseus stopped and looked for that aura, it was gone.
Strange.
"Show yourself."
[Memory.]
[The boar is charging at Polites. No. Odysseus jumps in front of his friend.]
[He falls. It hurts. He sees an owl, watching him– analytically?]
[If you're who I think you are, help me.]
[Then he is standing up again, instantly feeling better.]
[His prayer is answered.]
He knew. He knew that the owl had to be connected to some sort of divine being. He had a guess– but he needed to be sure.
"I know you're watching me…"
Birds were singing in the trees, unbothered by the young boy watching them. Odysseus scanned all of them for probably the hundredth time. It couldn't be a coincidence that he saw the same owl every time. Owls weren't common in Ithaca, especially not during the day. He was also feeling that calm sensation again.
The presence grows stronger yet.
"Show yourself."
Still to no avail. Seemed like the mysterious being wanted to play hide-and-seek.
Huh.
Hide-and-seek.
He had a strategy that always worked on his friends. Why not give it a try?
He put a knowing smile on his face.
"I can see you."
"How can you see through my spell?"
A tall figure appeared right behind him. They were dressed in a dark cloak and their eyes were glowing, a sign of a god using their power. Their expression was clearly unimpressed. On their hood was a figure of a barn owl– the barn owl.
Ah.
"Aha! I was lying, and you fell for my bluff! Hahahaha."
What? He's allowed to be proud of himself. Sure, Mysterious Being wasn't convinced, but at least they revealed themselves.
"Well done, enlighten me, what's your name?"
They spread their wings wide. So apparently Mysterious Being had wings that could disappear. Now that's interesting. Well, they might be powerful, but Odysseus wasn't going to reveal his name to a random stranger. (And he will certainly never ever give his blinded enemy his full name and address is that right-)
"You first, then maybe I'll do the same."
The being looked a bit surprised at that. Perhaps they didn't expect a mortal to counter their question. Meaning that they were used to being respected. That further confirmed Odysseus's suspicions.
But they quickly gathered themselves.
"Nice try, but two can play this game."
They started circling the boy. Like a predator circling its prey. No. He wasn't going to be put in that position. It was time to end the game. Plus, he was sure of who this was now.
"Nah, don't be modest, I know you're a goddess, so let's be honest–"
Goddess of strategies, one of the twelve Olympians, most respected War Maiden, whose sacred animal is the owl:
"You are ATHENA!"
PALLAS ATHENA, BEARER OF THE AEGIS.
The goddess smiled as she snapped her fingers, and her disguise burned away to reveal the image of the well-known wisdom goddess.
"Badass in the arena! Unmatched, witty, and queen of the best strategies we've seen!"
Athena walked closer to Odysseus and put her hand on the boy's shoulder.
"If you're looking for a mentor, I'll make sure your time's well spent."
Her fingertips brushed Odysseus's arm. An armband appeared there, with the symbol of an owl and an olive branch carved into it.
He was the champion of Athena now.
Champion of Athena-!
"Sounds like a plan, goddess and man, bestest of friends!"
He could barely contain his excitement. Maybe one day I'll be famous! For being Athena's warrior!
"We'll see where it ends."
Aw.
"Okay."