As I watch Nicko run toward his beloved city of Dardania, fading as he sprints in great panic, I worry for the potential threat Agamemnon poses to his kingdom.
I have placed a curse on him for insulting the gods, especially Hestia—the one who raised him as an infant and sought his love in exchange for her motherly care.
My curse stated:
"Even with Hestia's persuasion, you will continue to resist her. And with Hestia’s fading powers, you will surely lose yours without her personification."
I then made my way to the River Styx to meet an old friend...
**Athena's POV:**
**Athena:** It’s been a long time, old friend...
**Nemesis:** Indeed, it has, Athena.
**Athena:** Ever since the celebration of Thetis and Peleus’ wedding.
**Nemesis:** It saddens me, dear friend, that you were not deemed the fairest.
**Athena:** It’s alright; past events cannot be changed—just as I cursed Zeus with your assistance.
**Nemesis:** After Zeus’ betrayal of loyalty to Hera, I swore an oath by the River Styx to seek vengeance on him, promising never to make the same mistake again.
**Athena:** And this would not have been possible without your brilliant idea, Nemesis.
**Nemesis:** Now Zeus will lie in ruins, just like Troy did.
**Athena:** And he won’t even realize that we are the ones sabotaging him.
**Nemesis:** He is probably worried about leaving his place on Mount Olympus.
**Athena:** I want Zeus to stay alive and suffer for the violation he committed against me.
**Nemesis:** Don’t worry, Athena; he will. His existence will become far more difficult than those of mortals.
**Athena:** Now he will experience what it feels like to be controlled by the fates of the gods.
**Nemesis:** With Zeus himself responsible for creating Heracles, it has become easier for us to set Prometheus free.
**Athena:** Prometheus is awaiting Zeus’ arrival, probably eager to exact revenge after his confinement in Tartarus and the torment inflicted by Periphas "The Mighty Eagle of Zeus", which eats his liver daily.
**Nemesis:** Ugh... So Heracles? Is he the son of Zeus who is greater than him?
**Athena:** True, he is greater than his father, but his mother, Alcmene, is neither a sea goddess nor a goddess at all.
**Nemesis:** The prophecy states that Zeus will bear a child greater than himself, born of a sea goddess, right?
**Athena:** And we must not undermine the prophecy we have worked so diligently to bring to fruition.
**Nemesis:** I’m getting the hang of it, Athena.
**Athena:** Indeed, cursing someone through prophecy is the most effective method, one that cannot be undone.
**Nemesis:** Tell me, Athena, if the prophecy has already been forestalled, who is the sea goddess with whom Zeus has lain?
**Flashback:**
Metis was Zeus's first wife before Hera. She is the goddess of wisdom and one of the Titans, the daughter of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. Metis is also the mother of the goddess Athena.
When Metis was pregnant with Athena, Zeus became fearful of the prophecy that stated, "A sea goddess will bear children greater than their sire." To prevent this, Zeus tricked Metis into transforming into a fly and then swallowed her whole.
While residing within Zeus, Metis devised a plan for revenge. She began crafting a helmet and robe for her unborn child. The noise from her work caused Zeus to suffer a severe headache. To alleviate his pain, Zeus asked Prometheus to use a Minoan axe to cut open his head. Athena then emerged from Zeus's head, already fully grown and wearing her armor.
A perfect opportunity arose with the twice-born Dionysus. When Hera plotted Semele's death while she was pregnant with Zeus's child, she demanded that Zeus reveal his true divine form to Semele. Unfortunately, Semele perished, consumed by the lightning-ignited flames of Zeus's true form.
In an attempt to save his son, Zeus asked Athena to sew the child into his own thigh, keeping him there until he reached maturity. However, unbeknownst to Zeus, Athena had secretly hidden his younger brother and took the opportunity to replace Semele's son with the one growing in Zeus's thigh.
**End of Flashback:**
**Athena:** That, my friend, I do not know. It could be anyone Zeus has lain with.
**Nemesis:** Zeus is the epitome of infidelity.
**Athena:** Or it could simply be the sea goddess, Dione.
**Nemesis:** But what of Aphrodite? It’s difficult to determine if she is indeed greater than her father.
**Athena:** True, but since the prophecy is already in motion, let us wait until the time is ripe to see how this long-plotted revenge against Zeus unfolds.
**Nemesis:** Athena, I’m getting really tired of waiting. Remember the last prophecy? "Paris would be the downfall of Troy"? It took ten years to unfold.
**Athena:** Patience, my friend. The prophecy never fails. And don’t worry, Nemesis, I have a new prophecy that I think you’ll like.
**Nemesis:** Really? What is it?
**Athena:** It’s from the Oracle, a priestess of Apollo and one of the most famous soothsayers in Greece.
**Nemesis:** It is said that none of her prophecies have failed, Athena. So what does her prophecy say?
**Athena:** She stated:
"The happiness of the god of death brings about the end of all life on this earth. The gods above cannot contradict or prevent this future, for another god - the god of birth - will ensure it comes to pass."
**Nemesis:** I like the sound of that.
