Defying Fate

Chapter 23-p4

"It's a bit like the first time we attended a feast," Eurylochus said, "Do you remember?" He was obviously trying to distract Odysseus, but Odysseus let him.

"Yeah, hiding at the top of the steps of my father's palace, as the adults talked about things we didn't understand. Even when the feast was on our behalf...This has a lot of the same feelings."

"They treated us like children, when Hera—"

"We *are* children to them..." Odysseus said eying Hera and Athena, who were speaking down the hall. "I don't think—"

There was a shout of surprise from behind him and he turned to find Polites had shrunk. He now stood several inches shorter than Odysseus, small and thin, his face soft and round.

"What?" Odysseus began, but stopped. His voice had changed. Higher. He looked at his hands. They were small, soft and unscarred. He ran a hand through his hair, and across his face. His cheeks were soft.

He looked at his friends again. They stood before him, with the faces of children, faces he'd barely remembered. Had they ever been that innocent?

"What just happened?!" Cassandra pulled at her hair, now a mane of wild blonde curls. She was much smaller than the other three, and her feet fell far short of the edge of the sofa cushion. Her voice was high, and she stared at pudgy fingers. "We've been— I'm—"

"You could be Asterion's twin sister," Polites laughed, leaning on the couch, looking down at her. "Your hair is curly."

"Yeah, it was a lot curlier when I was little..." Cassandra tugged at it, her high voice was clear, though she slurred a few syllables, and Odysseus could see she was missing some teeth. "This has ruined the haircut you gave me."

"I think its pretty," Polites said, sitting down beside her.

Cass looked up at him with huge eyes, which welled up with tears. "What has happened to us?"

"This is too much," Eurylochus said, sinking into one of the chairs in the corner. "Why can't we just have one day where nothing strange happens?"

Odysseus stared at the toddler on the sofa, who had been a fully capable young woman just moments ago, then looked at Eurylochus, still the tallest of them, but, a lost-looking boy of eleven. Then at Polites, a scrawny nine year old, and he began to laugh. The world seemed brighter, full of promise. The house was bigger, and while all the gods were still in the hallway, the gaps between them seemed to have grown. His brain seemed to sharpen, and he grinned crookedly at his friends.

"This isn't something to worry about," he said, hatching a plan. "We should take advantage of this. We're smaller, more agile, and less likely to be noticed." He glanced out into the hallway, but no one was looking in their direction. "I have an idea."

"But Athena told us to stay here until she comes to get us," Eurylochus said.

"That could take all night, she's probably forgotten we're here," Odysseus began when he heard Eurylochus' stomach grumble. "Besides, this plan comes with snacks."

"What's the plan?" Polites picked up Cassandra, who squeaked in protest, but held on tightly to his thin shoulders as Polites stepped closer.

"So, we've been stuck in here for hours, so... I'll make a distraction, and you guys steal as many snacks as you can. Cassandra, you should stay here with Asterion." He took her from Polites and set her on the floor beside the boy.

"But—" Cassandra made to stand up, and stumbled toward him as he stepped away.

"No buts, its safer here, and someone needs to watch him." Odysseus pointed at Asterion. It felt strange telling a toddler to watch another toddler, but.. it was Cassandra, she'd be fine. She'd taken care of Asterion when she was bigger, she could manage a little supervision.

Cassandra looked at Asterion, and sat down beside him, putting one elbow on her knee and her chin in her hand. They weren't exactly the same size. Asterion was a little smaller, a little younger. But it was close. He smiled at Cassandra, and showed her the block in his hand.

"So, what's the distraction going to be?" Eurylochus had put on his old, familiar, feigning annoyance look, and Odysseus' grin grew wider.

"I'm going to try to get Athena's pin, that spear pin she has on her jacket. Don't get caught by the other gods. Okay! 1, 2, 3 go!" He took off without waiting for confirmation, dashing between legs and around the corner, and ducked under the dining room table. He watched Polites and Eurylochus slip from the living room and into the kitchen, and then he looked for Athena.

All he could see were knees from beneath the table, but he didn't see Athena's studded jeans or heavy boots. He turned on the spot, staring between the chairs, when a hand shot underneath the table, and gripped his wrists tightly.

He found himself being pulled out from under the table, and he kicked and squirmed, until his feet dangled far off the ground, and he was face to face with Athena.

"What is the meaning of this? I told you to— to—" Athena stared at him, her voice fading. "Odysseus, what—?"

"No, let me go it's just a game!" Odysseus squirmed, but her grip did not loosen. She stared at him, and shook him once, violently.

"Focus, Odysseus, who did this to you?"

Odysseus hung his head and held still, his toes drooping toward the floor. "Am I in trouble?" He asked meekly.

"Who did this?" Athena held Odysseus higher, as if he were some caught rabbit, showing him to the other gods. "Dionysus?"

The dark haired man shook his head. "It's not my work, it's a good spell though."

"Hermes?"

Hermes just looked perplexed.

"Artemis?"

"I haven't turned anyone into anything in a long time," Artemis said, fixing her silver eyes on Odysseus coldly. "And I don't do children."

Odysseus was having a hard time focusing. He knew that he should be concerned about this. That he had a lot of things to worry about. Getting back to normal, getting home, getting his friends home, keeping Asterion safe.

But he couldn't worry about those things right now. Not when Athena's pin was right there, if he could just get a hand free... he wanted that pin! He needed it!

Athena shook him again, and his eyes snapped to hers. Then—there it was, the connection that had been severed in another age, intact. Odysseus felt her tug on it, hesitantly at first, pulling on the thread as if it were something new and unfamiliar. Then there was a greater tug, and the world went dark.