Embedded Files
Athena by J-Ricker. Source.
** The song is entirely optional. There are some static sound effects that build on as well as vocals which may be distracting, so it is up to you if you'd like to play it!
( a thousand silhouettes dancing on my chest
no matter where i sleep, you are haunting me. )
. . .
i. dying tranquility
it has been too peaceful, athena thinks.
there is a sense of unease that comes with this calm-- a sense of dread that creeps up her spine, slowly and surely.
war has always been in her life. it is a necessary evil she has learned to not despise, regardless of the bad memories and pain that overwhelms her. peace is fleeting and chaos lurks in every shadow. there is no escape from the conflict. there will never be.
that is what she has learned in all her years.
she will never be able to forget the screams and cries of the ones she watches over. she will not forget the crimson that adorns the fields.
there is little peace in what sleep she gets, but the horrors of war will find their way to her dreams.
every moment of war remains with a heavy heart. it ruins innocence and brings pain, but it will never break her.
she is stronger than that. she must be. she is a goddess; nothing will ever bring her to her knees. no amount of suffering or grief will ruin her.
but this eerie feeling-- this unwanted sensation that continuously haunts her mind never abates. this peace will disappear soon. the smiles and quiet tranquility will be forgotten and replaced with tears and war cries.
she understands what the future brings.
war is coming. and just as always,
she does not run.
ii. there is a storm brewing
she has always been protective. she helps those who help themselves.
gods and goddesses have always intervened in human life. she does not assist those who aimlessly plead for help-- she knows they will find weakness in another god who will offer guidance. instead, she searches for those who find the strength to continue on, doing their best to live with the circumstances fate has placed in their hands.
and she finally found them.
she finds herself too fond of these humans. they are kind, strong, and full of resolve.
but even under her protection, they cannot escape from fate’s cruelty.
the peace they had is gone.
their homes have been invaded. their children have been taken away. they fall down one by one.
she was right all along. that terrible dread in her heart was a warning of this chaos.
iii. and so it begins
the goddess makes no move. she knows better than to let the anger consume her entirely.
a goddess of war she is, but in no way is she like her brother. ares is a fool-- a child that lashes out at nearly everything. she will never be like him, no matter the situation.
she does not fight immediately; she only watches and waits. eyes stare down at the sight before her, observing intently as the ones she protects do everything in their power to defend themselves. the screams begin to echo in her ears.
they call for her guidance. she continues to wait, her mind racing with strategies. she is not hesitant to engage in combat-- she does not wait out of fear. rushing carelessly into chaos will do no good.
fate loves to summon death--and fate is something she cannot fight against.
she knows she will lose more of her people. to see them struggling for their lives is painful, but never does she tear her gaze away.
this is the reality of war. it is something one must face in their life.
cold fury settles in her eyes, her visage hardened. with a flicker of the wrist, she yields her spear and shield, fingers wrapped tightly around the weapons.
and if it is war the enemies ask for,
then she will gladly give it to them.
( athena, may you protect us in this bloodshed. )
Author's Note: I wanted to explain the reasoning behind why Athena might choose to go into war so it can be compared to Ares; rather than fighting just for the sake of enjoying violence, Athena enters war to protect her people (this is not necessarily the only reason, of course). I wanted to go into her mindset and describe her emotions. Despite being the goddess of war and always being associated with it, it is never easy for her. She is still haunted and affected by the violence, which is why I included the first quote which is from "Silhouettes" by Of Monsters and Men.
War will always be a constant factor in her life and it weighs on her shoulders, so I tried to describe her thoughts as the danger started approaching. I did not want her to be shaken too much, but I did want to show a more human side of her because gods sometimes get very invested in humans. I wanted to show her composure and wisdom so it would contrast with what you would expect of Ares-- while she fights, she does not rush in and does not let anger control her actions.
The song I added is haunting and eerie to me and helped me write the story, so I find it fitting! However, I do understand the static is a little distracting, so I spent a long time debating on whether I wanted to add it, which is why I made it optional.
Bibliography.
Athena from Theoi.
Banner Image: Tartarus at War by cnquistador
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