"So..." Alian said dropping some sticks and twigs by me.  I immediately started arranging them in standard bonfire form.  We had no time to waste!  It was terribly cold out.  And on top of that, it was getting dark... I hate the dark...  "You're really her, huh?"

"Yes."  I said, giving up and just dumping a hand full of sticks in a small area,  I didn't like the way he asked that.  It was like even though he had only known me for a couple of hours, he looked at me different.  I continued, and started rubbing two sticks together to create friction, and hopefully in turn, a fire. "Well I mean, I guess.  I'm the only Athena I know."  I looked up at the sky, paranoid about flying guards.  

Night fell quicker than I expected, and by persuasion of Alian, I agreed to wait until tomorrow to head into the city. My leg was still extremely weak and Alian admitted he was to tired and sluggish to be of much help. We headed back, farther into the forest, more than a mile away from the temple and found a place with enough thick cover up above to have a fire. Lucky for us they had stopped patrolling the sky a half hour to an hour ago and nothing had flown over head since.  I decided to shake it off and concentrate on what I was doing.  My eyes, skimmed over Alian, who had an upset look on his face.

"What's wrong?"  I asked, adding a handful of dry grass to the mix.

Alian shook his head.  "It is not my place to speak." He answered in a dismissive tone.  Was he angry?  Upset, perhaps? My hand caught warmth, and I looked down to see a flame had caught.  It was small, but it was fire. 

"Why is that?" I asked, bending down to blow carefully on the fire, the embers glowing bright orange and erupting into more flames.

"You are a goddess." He stated firmly.  I looked at him sadly, watching him fiddle with the sticks in his hand. The thing I hated more than anything about being a goddess was making those around me feel belittled because I was above them.

"You know,"  I started, adding another handful of grass and then looking at Alian.  "I have always been one to believe that the people are the ones with the best questions, the best imagination, the best want for knowledge.  They've usually got some remarkable things to say, or point out.  But they never feel entirely comfortable expressing whats on their mind, so they do what you just did and try to dismiss the entire situation.  They feel they'll be judged."

"Did you not just judge me then?"  Alian asked, with no hint of mockery in his tone.  I looked at him, confused.  "Implying that I was one of  ' The people', as you said.  Do I not have the look of a ruler?  Am I somehow unfit in your eyes to be a king?"

"I suppose you're right."  I admitted, looking into the building flame.  We sat in silence for a moment.  "Forgive me, Alian, I meant no disrespect to your rule. I was only assuming since you are not as arrogant as other kings I have met.  You have the stubbornness of one though."

"I was only trying to make a point, my lady."  Alian pulled a grass blade from the ground, picking at it idly, still speaking in a hushed, saddened tone.  "I am no king."  I watched him toy with the blade of grass for a moment.

"Whats troubling you, Alian?"  I asked in a soothing voice.  Alian looked up at me for breif second, tossed his grass into the flame, and then turned his whole body to face me, his eyes piercing mine.  There was no kindness in them.  A hint of anger maybe, but no kindness.

"Where were you?"  He asked, looking me dead in the eye. I had no idea what he meant.  I suddenly remebered he was mortal!  I could read his mind!  Well rather see what he was thinking.

First off, let me say this trick of mine only works on mortals.  The only time it EVER works on an immortal, is if they open their mind to me.  Its not like I walk into a room and automatically hear everyones thoughts.  I have to try!  So now would be a perfect time to use it.  I could see what was bothering Alian, because chances are he wouldn't be honest with me.

I looked deep into his eyes, my vision shifting, like I was in a motion picture.  I saw what he had apparently seen.  I became him, but unable to move.

I, or rather Alian, was laying on a crumbled pile of large stones when my eyes fluttered open.  He had rolled over slowly.  I felt his soreness and understood why.  The pain was bad, but I had felt worse.  Slowly but surely, he had steadied himself, his eyes still on the ground.  They snapped up, landing on a vast expansion of chaos.  People lay dead all around with their necks sliced or a bullet wound in their chest, dust and ash swept the street, and a blood curdeling scream filled the air.  Alian looked around, searching for the source, but immediately it stopped.  The person had probably been slaughtered.  Alian looked down at his scratched up bloody hand, which was tightly gripping a familiar silver sword with red scrolling design on the handle.  What sounded like a battle cry, full of agony and regret left his lips, and he drove the sword into a boulder.  The sword should have cracked.

But it didnt.

The sword mearly drove straight into the boulder, splitting it in 3 huge chunks.  Alian knelt by the sword, sobbing at the loss of his land.

I could feel his heart breaking.

I left his mind, returning to my own body.  A mere few seconds had passed probably.  "Where was I when?"  I asked, knowing what he had seen, but still not knowing the reason why he was asking where I was. Was I supposed to be there with him? No, of course not.

"When Nivea went up in flames.  Where were you?"  He still wouldn't break eye contact. "Were you not supposed to protect us?  To watch over us?"  All of a sudden, I knew.  Like a ton of bricks crashing down on me, I knew what he meant.

When I first found out about Ares and Aphrodite, I became distant.  Very distant.  Like not eating, sleeping, or leaving the house. Just like I was with Hades in the underworld but worse.  I passed out almost everyday from fatigue along with far too much alcohol.  From just not caring.  From not wanting to live anymore.  In my emotional absence, Zeus took away some of my burdens; meetings, training sessions, lands I governed. One of them being Nivea.

I was chosen to govern it.  To watch over it.  To make sure the land was rich and nurtured.  I thought once it was taken away by Zeus, he himself would watch over it, and take over my duties.  But I should have known better.  My father has gotten to old to remember to preform duties such as those need for Nivea to be protected, and thrive.  He couldn't even remember to do his own duties.  Why would he remember mine?

"I..." I started, but stopped.  I looked into Alian's eyes, feeling responsible for the fall of his city and knowing he held me responsible as well.  "I was sick, Alian.  Very, very sick.  The govern duties that I had towards Nivea had been taken away from me because of my terrible state."  I turned towards him, putting my hand on his shoulder reassuringly.  "I didn't leave you all to go to Hades though, I swear!  I left you in the care of my father. I thought you all would be fine... But he's gotten old, you see..."  I turned back around, staring into the flames.  My father meant a great deal to me now that our relationship was growing.  But soon, sooner than I had realized, he would need to step down from the throne.  Maybe he would be able to take a couple thousand years off and then come back a claim his position again.  

Maybe he just needed a break.

Alian nodded graciously.  Then looked over at me and smiled.  "We pray to you. We have stories about you, you know."  He said quietly.  "About the gorgeous and cunning Athena, who's beauty does not compare.  The warrior, and the battle field victor.  The goddess who always has a plan."

"It seems lately that goddess is gone, I'm afraid."  I said shaking my head. "I don't expect you to understand but..."  I thought about all my current situations.  With Hades, with the Romans, with Ares.  "I haven't been smart at all lately.  I haven't thought of any good plans.  I've been in hell for months, under Hades' watching eye and tight grip. The old Athena would have NEVER put up with those things but... I suppose I did what I did to survive. Thats the goal, isn't it? To survive."

I looked over at Alian, who still had the same caring smile on his face.  "I'm sure the goddess you always were, and always will be is in you somewhere.  Whether or not she shows herself, she's there. Now, I don't know you but, I must say, you do not disappoint."  I looked into the fire, reflecting.  After a few moments Alian asked, "Are the rumors true then?"

"What rumors?"

"Of your everlasting eternal virginity?"  Alian laughed.  I laughed along side him.

"Well you're not arrogant, but you're certainly bold enough to be a king. Those are more or less just folk tales, Alian."  I laughed, remembering when everyone thought I was a virgin. Later they caught on.  I had to go through tons of paper work, and sign some legal documents, but it seemed worth it to drop a useless title.  He was bold to ask that question, and lucky I played it off.

Other goddesses would not be as gracious.

"You sleep.  I'll take first watch."  I said to Alian.  After a few minutes of convincing, he finally agreed, laid his head down and started sleeping.  I watched all around, making sure Alian was safe.

Something about him was different.