Chapter 33
When the four arrived at the Temple of Poseidon, the sun was a bright semicircle on the horizon, sprinkling gold on the surface of the sea. The temple stood magnificent, bathed in warm colors, as if reflecting the heat of a roaring fire.
Despite their fatigue after the steep uphill climb, everyone rushed inside where they found the head priest. Efimios didn’t waste any time with pleasantries. He took a satchel of gold coins from inside his cloak and told the priest he could have it if he and his companions could be left alone to pray before the altar. He said it was a matter of life and death and that time was pressing.
Seeing the handsome offering, the priest was more than happy to oblige. He called out to all bystanders and within seconds, they were all gone. Phevos took out the wands and handed one to his father. They both thought of Anna, who was waiting for them, and imagined her wand would be glowing as well with the same light.
Phevos explained to his father that their wands would soon start to change colors, matching those in the sky. The last color would be solid red, but it wasn’t to be feared. Then, Phevos directed everyone to keep their eyes on the sun and to not look away for a single moment. He had no specific instructions for Kimon and Eleni to follow but imagined that, just like Ksenia, they’d be praying all the while.
The sun was about to set. Suddenly, the wands changed color at the same time. As expected, the colors changed again and again, matching always the hues of the sky. Violet, indigo, yellow . . . And then, just as the sun disappeared altogether, the wands turned bright red but neither father nor son let them go.
Golden light surrounded them all as the temple started to shake, but all four of them planted their feet on the ground, unwavering. The light grew stronger and stronger until they couldn’t see anything around them. It became blinding, causing them to shut their eyes. Yet, none of them let go of the wands or moved an inch.
Efimios opened his eyes first. It was twilight now. The first thing he noticed was the change in the temple. The roof and the walls were gone. The marble pillars had lost their luster; the gold and the fine sculptures had vanished. He noticed all these things in a split second and when realization hit him, he turned to look at Phevos, who gazed back at him speechless.
Streams of tears were flowing from Efimios’s eyes, and when he turned the other way, the vision of Anna was blurred when she fell into his embrace with a heart-wrenching cry. As they held each other, their wands illuminated in their hands with a soft, pure white glow and then disappeared from their grasp.
Phevos rushed to hold them and, as he did, his wand simply vanished from his hand as well, having completed its purpose. When they realized that Kimon and Eleni weren’t in sight they panicked, but then, they heard a commotion outside. Rushing out, they found Kimon and Eleni holding their children, squealing with joy. Ksenia and Manos were basking in their parents’ affection. Daphne, too, couldn’t get enough of hugging and kissing her father. When she introduced Aris to him, her face was ablaze with elation.
Zoe was the only one who stood awkwardly among them, but when they all huddled together for further introductions, they made her feel as if she was also a member of their big family. They lingered outside the temple for some time. Time being an illusion, it was seemingly flying now, an element of no importance.
Darkness slowly fell upon them, and the moon shimmered through, shining high on a canvas of twinkling stars. It was a full moon; crimson, as if on fire. They sat on the ground to admire the beautiful sight without haste, knowing there was no point in making their way back to the road. It would be impossible to find transportation to Athens at this hour. The coach group had departed a long time ago, but they were too excited to care they’d missed the ride home and how baffled the tourists must have been, wondering where they’d all disappeared to.
Suddenly, the full moon grew bigger against the dark velvet of the heavens. A thunderous voice pierced the stillness that surrounded them. Startled, they turned to look in the direction it had come from. To their absolute horror, they saw Athena, standing at the entrance to the archaeological site.
Athena didn’t dare approach without permission from Poseidon, but she stood there, roaring at the mortals like a wild animal, mad with fury. Her radiant suit of armor reflected the moonlight in a terrifying way. Her hair fell on her shoulders in waves of dark silk.
In her hands, she held a shield and a long spear, ready to charge but she couldn’t yet. She had to wait until the mortals, driven by their human needs, finally grew too restless to stay on Poseidon’s sacred ground. Sooner or later, she knew, they’d have to wander around, desperate to find shelter, food or water. Unlike them, she had all the time in the world to wait. Once they tried foolishly to escape in any direction, she planned to pounce on them and tear them to pieces.
However, as she watched them, Athena grew restless. Everyone had grown rigid with fear, except for Phevos and his parents, who called out to Poseidon. This angered Athena even more, and she began to shake her spear. It made a fearful sound that raised terror among them all without exception.
“How dare you deceive me, mortals?” bellowed Athena. “Didn’t you think you would perish like twigs in the face of a roaring forest fire? I am Athena!” She took one step forward and stamped her foot, bringing forth her spear. She knew she could not advance further, yet it gave her pleasure to see the terror in their faces as they huddled together in response, helpless before her.
All at once, a blinding light emerged from the temple ruins. It exploded in all directions and, when it subsided again moments later, the temple stood there in all its magnificence once more, a stunning vision of marble and gold, illuminated by thousands of oil lamps. But, it wasn’t only the temple that was transformed. The mortals were now standing in the courtyard of a fortress. Walls had been raised around them. The top of the hill looked as it used to in antiquity.
Athena cringed as she guessed what was to come, while cries of excitement rose among the humans. Most of them had never seen the temple in its former glory before, but even the ones who had, were awestruck by the splendor of the sight. With a loud, whooshing sound, Poseidon appeared behind them, standing on a massive wave that rose from the sea. As soon as Poseidon stepped onto land with a single leap of several feet, it dropped without form into the sea with a thunderous roar. Poseidon looked resplendent in a crimson robe of fine embroidery. On his wavy hair he wore a wreath that gave off lightning flashes. It made his eyes look as if they sparked like flint.
Poseidon glared at Athena and gritted his teeth, letting out a low, guttural sound. Athena recoiled but didn’t move. The humans knelt with awe before the mighty god, but Poseidon seemed too preoccupied to notice. He strode past them, then stopped, staring at Athena who stood at the opposite side of the courtyard, his nostrils flaring. The trident in his hand glinted in the eerie light from the temple producing a mesmerizing effect. Athena didn’t dare take a single step forward, yet her anger was too great. She scowled back at Poseidon, determined to make a stand.
“Just as I thought, Athena! I see you didn’t waste time,” he burst out, his voice the sound of an avalanche rolling down the mountain.
“Poseidon! As always you are warmongering. My father, the almighty Zeus, will not be happy to hear you have been plotting behind my back.”
“You are a spoiled daughter, indeed! But your father is my brother! He will side with me this time. I have not been plotting! I only assisted these families that you have broken apart for a whim!”
Athena pulled a face of indignation. “Why can you not leave me alone? Why must you always spoil my plans?”
“Plans? Is that what you call the devastation you have caused these people? Am I not supposed to empathize and alleviate their suffering? You expect me to watch and do nothing?”
“You knew well this was my wish for them! How long have you been scheming to help them?”
Poseidon gave a satisfied smile. “Eleven years, my darling niece!”
“Yes! And I expect you have just found out, have you not?” He was taunting her. He knew precisely when she had found out. He had willed it so.
“You! You and your pathetic little tricks! Efimios was my servant! You had no right to intervene!”
“He chose to live a normal life and that is his birthright! Man was made of flesh and bone on purpose! Time is his prison but also his best friend. He cannot make sense of his feelings, his accomplishments or his losses without it. Efimios had to belong somewhere, and to make a family for himself. It is not natural for Man to deceive time! What gives you the right to upset the natural course of human life?”
“That is my business, not yours!”
“Athena, do not try my patience! Let these people live their lives in peace, or you will hear from me! And now leave! This is my sanctum and you are not welcome here. Go downhill, go and crawl into that little temple the Athenians built for you here!”
“Oh I see, here we go again! That same old story. Why will you not let it go, Poseidon?”
“I will never let it go!” Poseidon stamped his foot down, causing a cloud of dirt to rise off the ground.
Athena smirked. “How typical of you!” She was pleased to see she’d managed to vex him so. “Is it such a sore for you that the city is called Athens and not Poseidonia, like you might have hoped?”
Poseidon shook his head, frowning. “I never expected the Athenians could be fooled so easily . . .”
“Fooled? What do you mean? I won fairly!”
“There was nothing fair about it, Athena! You know well I was the first to visit Athens and present my offering. I struck the ground on the Acropolis hill with this very same trident! The Athenians marveled to see the spring of Erechtheus appear before their eyes.”
“That appalling salt spring?” Athena grimaced with distaste. “What benefit could the Athenians ever have from salty water? Besides, the sea is not too far from the city. King Cecrops himself told everyone that your gift was useless to them. Was that really the best you could have offered the glorious city of Athens, oh great Poseidon?”
“You are mistaken! My gift of salty water represented the sea, which holds an infinite value! And have you forgotten? I did not give them only the spring. I also offered them the horse to use for transportation and war.”
“Of course! I am not surprised why only the men among the bystanders voted for you. What is it with you men? Why can you not be like women and wish for peace instead? It is no surprise to me that I won the contest. For I struck the rock with this very spear to give them the olive tree. For nourishment, healing, beauty and light!”
“And yet, you did not offer them light! Instead, you plunged them all into the darkness of your deception! You visited the city after me, and yet you lied you had got there first. You and King Cecrops, who sided with you! If you had been honest, you would have let them name the city after me!”
“Poseidon, do you even recall what you did when you heard that you lost? Let me remind you! You stormed to the west of the city and flooded the Thriasian Plain in wrath! I may have told a small lie, but my intentions were pure. My main concern was to protect the city. As I said, with the olive tree I offered them light, nourishment, and other things that can sustain life in times of peace. If you had won, you would have caused them similar disasters, just like that flood, each time you threw another one of your childish tantrums or pushed them to war!”
“Childish tantrums? Huh! You should talk! What do you call the devastation you have caused these people? Just because Efimios wanted to live a normal life, you scattered two families to please your hurt pride! Has it not occurred to you that these people are Athenians too? Did they not deserve the protection you vowed to provide to everyone in the city?” As Poseidon said these words, he stepped back a few paces, allowing the group of mortals to surround him. He opened his arms to point at them, and they all looked at Athena mutely, exhausted by the emotional intensity of the last few minutes.
Athena gazed back at them in silence and, for the first time, seemed lost for words. Her facial features softened, and she held her spear and shield limply. If she were to loosen her grip even a fraction, they’d both fall to the ground. Her eyes reflected the lights from the temple and seemed both bigger and brighter now. As she gazed at the mortals, she grew pensive.
Finally, she turned to face Poseidon, and when he nodded, she paced toward the people slowly. Poseidon let her come quite close, but his body remained rigid, ready to intervene if she were to attack the humans. The youngest among them had cowered and were holding each other nervously, but Anna hadn’t even flinched as she watched Athena approach. She stood out from all of them, even the men, holding her head high, fixing Athena with a defiant stare. Anna had been a winner, not a loser in the last battle against her.
Athena studied everyone’s face intently, and when she turned to Anna, she held her gaze a while. Then, her expression became quizzical. Her eyes lit up, and with a quiet little laugh, she turned to face Poseidon. “All right! I do admit I may have been rather cruel to these people, driven by anger. I confess I do not find it easy to be disregarded, but I can see that from a human point of view, they have done nothing wrong. Indeed, they are Athenians too, and I was supposed to protect them. I must admit I forgot that for a while . . .”
“Athena, acknowledging your mistake is to your credit. In return, I am willing to forget that old story that took place on the Acropolis hill, and I promise not to mention it again. What do you say we start anew?” With a throaty laugh, Poseidon offered Athena his hand.
“I agree,” she said, shaking his hand. “Let the Athenians judge us through the ages, and let us not seek to spite each other any more.”
Efimios took a step forward, and Anna, holding his hand, followed suit. The relief was evident on Efimios’s face. He had feared the worst while watching the two great Gods fight and was now ecstatic the danger was over. “Athena, I want you to know, I will always feel honored that you chose me to be your servant!” he cried out. “Indeed, your fury made you forget we are Athenians too, yet you have proved your greatness to us all here today, on this sacred ground where the Athenians once honored both Poseidon and you. Truly, no Olympian Gods have ever been loved by our people more than the two of you!”
Athena moved toward Efimios and Anna, causing Phevos to rush to their side, with Ksenia, Daphne and Aris following suit. Behind them, Kimon, Eleni, Manos and Zoe huddled in silence, impatient for Athena to go away.
“Anna, tell me something!” said Athena staring deep into her eyes, her expression stern. “What have you done with my candleholders? They were made of solid gold!”
Athena’s question and manner distressed the others, including Poseidon, who took a hurried step closer to her again, just in case. Strangely enough, the only one who remained perfectly calm was Anna. “Athena, you condemned me to live alone without family or friends!” she replied, fixing the goddess with a bold and rather impertinent stare. “I’ll have you know I sold them! I found a good price in an antique shop in Plaka. I don’t regret it! I had to do what I could to survive. The money helped me buy my restaurant. Without it, I wouldn’t be here now with my family. So don’t look at me expecting an apology!”
Before Athena could respond, Phevos stepped forward, his arms stretched out in front of him, palms up. “Almighty Athena, the candleholders are indeed gone! But your necklace is still safe. It is in the cave on the altar this very moment! I left it there myself. Take it! And if it’s gold you want for what you have lost, we can give it to you!”
“Indeed,” said Efimios coming closer to put an arm around his son. “Take whatever you want among our possessions in exchange for the candleholders that you have lost. We only care that you do not harm any of us. Our family is what we hold most valuable!”
“Athena . . .” interrupted Poseidon putting a hand on her shoulder. “What is this now?” he whispered in her ear. �
��Since when do you care about a few pounds of gold when I know that you can easily replace it?”
Athena chuckled and flashed Poseidon a knowing smile that reflected in her eyes, causing him to relax. She then turned to the humans again, her expression serene. “Do not worry! I do not care about the candleholders. I was only trying to grasp the magnitude of this woman’s courage!” She pointed to Anna. “I never imagined that a human is capable of so much defiance in the knowledge that they are innocent and that their purpose is just. Rest assured I do not want anything from you. As for the necklace, I do not need it any more! You see, I do not intend to appoint another servant. I have been watching Athens grow and mature over the centuries, despite consistent war, poverty and exploitation from outside and internal sources. But now, I believe Athens is able to stand on its feet unaided. The whole world can now see that more can be accomplished with peace than with war. Of course, the world will never be perfect. But people now have open minds, and they know they can work out miracles, simply by coming together. People can find their own way out of difficulty now. I have taught the people of my city well. Now, you can continue on your own, my beloved Athenians! I will always protect Athens, the way a parent always watches over an adult child. But now you are mature enough to make your own choices!”
“Well said, Athena!” replied Poseidon patting her on the shoulder. “I must confess though, you had me going for a while back there!” He gave a thunderous laugh and Athena joined him.
The group of mortals watched speechless, as the sound of the Gods’ gaiety filled the air. Finally, they relaxed around them, feeling safe.
“I wish to offer you my necklace as a present,” Athena announced with regal formality when she turned to the humans again, taking them by surprise. “You can have my cave too. You will need it. I can see your family has grown!” Athena chuckled and turned to Poseidon with a raised eyebrow to which he responded with a nod and a knowing smile.
All this puzzled everyone, but before they could ask Athena what she meant, she disappeared before their eyes. Her magnificent form turned into a swirl of rose petals that released their sweet fragrance into the air, as they fell softly on the ground. The echo of her laughter lingered for a second or two, after she was gone.
The Necklace of Goddess Athena Page 32
