Chapter Text
It wasn’t too much longer until Telemachus and Kallistrate were running around the palace together in a flurry of laughter. Meanwhile, Athena, Penelope, and Odysseus sat in the private dining room waiting for lunch to be served and for their mischievous wolves to tucker themselves out and finally join them.
However, that seemed to be sooner than they’d thought because about thirty minutes into conversation, Odysseus gets cut off by loud laughter and Telemachus running into the room with Kallistrate hot on his heels. They chase each other around the table, spouting playful taunts.
“Careful you two,” Odysseus says, smiling at the childish action of the two.
“We will dad,” Telemachus says before dodging a swipe from Kallistrate.
They all watch as Tel and Kalli make a few more laps around the room with Kallistrate trying to pounce on Telemachus every few seconds. They continue like this for a few more minutes, with the adults—minus Tel—picking back up in their conversation. Eventually Telemachus slows down on purpose to let Kalli “catch him,” and whether the pup realized that or not didn’t matter because when she pounced, she giggled up a storm as she and Tel wrestled on the floor.
“Alright you two,” Athena chuckles, “why don’t you come join us? I believe I can hear the servants coming to deliver lunch.”
The two let out pitiful ‘aw man,’ making sure to draw out the syllables. But still they get up and make their way to the table with Telemachus pulling out the chair next to Athena—like the gentleman he is—and allowing Kallistrate to hop up next to her sister. Then Tel himself goes to take a seat next to his mother.
As soon as everyone has settled, in walks the serving team, laying down a delightful spread made for five people. None of them batted an eye at the two unusual, godly guests that were sat at the table. It was common rumor ever since the king was a child, that he was blessed by the goddess Athena and those rumors were only heightened when people would see the young king go around with an owl not too far behind him. So, suffice to say that the servants weren’t in complete awe at serving lunch to deities, maybe a little shocked to actually be seeing their goddess in the flesh, mostly because those few who did see her, was when she was fully in her sacred animal form.
Either way, men and gods alike feasted together. Kallistrate enjoyed tasting old foods she’d had a hundred times over, and new foods she’d never tried before. They quickly found out that the baby goddess could, by herself, eat enough to feed a small army. And they let her, finding it awfully adorable when the girl would try something she particularly liked. But it seemed like Kallistrate enjoyed the meat—obviously since she is a wolf and comes from carnivorous origins—and all the fruits more than anything, especially the mangos.
When Athena watches her little sister reach for her third mango of the day, she figures she should probably stop her.
“Kalli,” she starts, “let’s perhaps hold back on the mangoes, Small Lady. You’re going to give yourself a stomach ache.”
The godling pouts but complies with her big sister’s request. Athena then picks up the water pitcher and fills Kallistrate’s chalice and offers it to her.
“Here Pup,” she starts, “drink some water and take a rest from the food for a few minutes before you make yourself sick.”
Kallistrate takes the cup and drinks enthusiastically. Athena sighs and shakes her head exasperatedly, giving up on trying to get her little sister to slow down on her food and drink. The Ithacan family just chuckles and they all go back into conversation.
However, Athena’s godly powers begin to indicate an incoming prayer from one of her followers. Now typically Athena, or any other god for that matter, would simply ignore it until they had the time to sit and shuffle through all of the prayers they’d gotten that day. But, this prayer was louder than the rest, more frantic; whoever was calling out for her was doing so multiple times in succession with great haste. And unfortunately for Athena, she knew that voice intimately…she knew the voice of her priestess above all others. And right now that same priestess was crying for her to come help her—save her.
“Athena,” Odysseus calls, snapping her out of her stupor. “What’s wrong? You never zone out like that..”
Athena clears her throat, “I’m sorry but I just got a prayer from one of my priestesses and it sounds like she’s in trouble…I’m going to have to depart, but I’ll be back, I promise.” She says, standing from her chair.
The royal family lets out a chorus of ‘Of course,’ ‘Be careful,’ and ‘Come back safely’. Athena lets out a small smile at their concern, but before she could take a step, a pair of small sticky hands grab onto her wrist. She looks down to see big, fear-filled amber eyes.
“Don’t leave me…” Kallistrate begs, her eyes quickly filling with tears.
Athena sighs, picks up a cloth from the table and dampened it with a bit of leftover water from her own chalice. She then sits back down and pulls her wolf pup into her lap.
“Kalli, I have to go.” She says gently, while wiping away the reminisce of fruit from the little girl’s face and hands.
“I’ll go with you,” Kalli whines pitifully.
Athena shakes her head. “No Kalli, I don’t know what kind of trouble my priestess is in and I don’t want you getting hurt. So you will be staying here.”
“But—“
“No buts,” Athens interrupts before placing a kiss on the tip of the girl’s nose. “You’re staying right here. Why don’t you rest a bit to take your mind off it? By the time you wake up, I’ll be back and you’ll already be back in my arms.”
It’s now Kallistrate’s turn to shake her head insistently. “No! You’re gonna leave me forever!” She sobs hysterically.
Athena’s heart breaks. What made her sister believe that..? She hated that she didn’t have the time to question and get to the bottom of that. But those desperate calls for help were still steadily flowing through her head. So, she needed to calm Kalli down quickly without being cold to the poor girl.
“Kalli,” she says softly, pulling the girl to her chest and wiping away her tears. “I’m not leaving you forever, I promise. I just…I need to go help someone I love. Can you please let me do that? I promise I’ll be back.”
Kallistrate sniffles and her shoulders drop, releasing the tension in her small body. “L-love..?” She repeats in a questioning manner.
Athena chuckles, amused at how that’s what the godling focused on. But still she nods and responds. “Yeah..I love her. And I love you as well. So, if I wouldn’t leave her to face trouble on her own, what makes you think I’d ever leave you? Let alone leave forever?”
Kallistrate lifts her head. ‘She loves me..?’ She thinks. The wolfish goddess stays quiet, thinking anxiously if Athena will truly come back…
“Okay.” She says softly, sniffling some more and wiping her own tears.
“Okay?” Athena asks, tilting her head to the side.
Kallistrate nods, “I’ll be a big girl..” She says, as if she doesn’t believe herself.
But still Athena smiles. “Yes you will,” she says, placing another kiss on the girl's nose. “You’re a very brave girl.”
Kallistrate lets out a small giggle and returns the favor, placing one under her sister’s scarred left eye, just like earlier.
Athena smiles and stands once more, this time with the wolf pup in tow. She runs a comforting hand through the girl’s hair, to which the godling leans into. Athena then begins to croon a tune she’d not heard since she was Kalli’s size…A song her mother used to hum when they both resided in the pits of her fathers stomach…
Athena closed her eyes as she sang, picturing her fading memory of her mother, Metis. She faintly remembers the Titian goddess’s flaming red hair and similarly majestic red wings; she vaguely remembers the woman’s midnight blue eyes—a darker shade of her own icy blue eye, with the other being a stormy gray like her father’s.
In a gruesome way she was thankful her father scarred her on the side that mostly resembled himself. Leaving her mother’s mark unmarred and pure.
When Athena opened her eyes, she found Kallistrate asleep in her arms, and the eyes of the Ithacans on her intently. She ducks her head back down, embarrassed at the looks they were giving her. But soon she heard another plea for help break through her mind, so she walked over to Odysseus and carefully placed Kalli against his chest.
Odysseus opens his mouth to object, but Athena beats him to it.
“Watch her for me,” she says. “Please Odysseus?”
The king closes his mouth and tightens his grip on the godling now in his arms, before nodding resolutely.
“Thank you.” Athena says smiling.
“Of course,” Odysseus responds before smirking mischievously. “Now go help that priestess you love.”
Athena flushes in embarrassment before transforming into her sacred animal and flying down the corridor and out of the nearest open window.
Just then the voice is back, with another desperate plea.
“Athena, please help me! I don’t want this…”
Athena doesn’t think she’s ever flown faster in her life.