Tiny Tales of the Greek Gods

PART SIX: Athena

"Auntie," came a whine from underneath her office desk.

Athena ignored it.

"Auntie."

"Auntie, please."

"I'm working on something, Christopher," she replied bluntly. "Please entertain yourself for now."

Perhaps it had been a mistake, attempting to raise a child on her own, because she absolutely did not know what she was supposed to do with the things. Why did he need so much attention all the time? Was it really so hard for him to entertain himself? She pushed her reading glasses (yes, they were for show, but the mortal books had informed her that the studious humans wore these) up her nose and tried to ignore the tiny hand prodding her leg. If he'd been a true god, he would have been born an adult, but clearly the human DNA had won out in his body, because here he was, maybe a couple of feet tall and the most irritating thing Athena had seen in her life.

"Play with me," Chris pleaded.

"No."

"What are you working on?"

"I'm writing a story," she answered.

"What's it about?"

"A young friend of mine, a girl with long white hair and golden eyes who could perform the most powerful magic of all."

"Friendship?"

Athena couldn't help the snort. What a naive little thing her nephew was. Then again, he was but a child, so it was to be expected. She reached down until her hand landed on Chris's mop of curls and she petted him gently.

"No, Christopher. She could destroy worlds and raise them anew, if she wanted. She's Zeus's special child, given a special fate."

"But does she have many friends?"

"...why do friends matter when you have that much power?"

There was a rustle of clothes and Chris appeared out from under the desk, disheveled and dirty. At least he still has his clothes on, Athena thought to herself, as he began to clamber up the shelves of her desk until he could sit himself in her lap. It was interesting, how he looked more like herself than his own mother. Big hazel-coloured eyes stared into her soul as he finally got comfortable.

"Friends always matter," he said adamantly. "Everyone needs friends."

"I don't need friends," Athena replied.

"Yes you do," he argued. "We're friends and we need each other."

"I could leave you on the streets without a second thought," she scoffed.

"No, you couldn't. You love me, Auntie."

Athena didn't reply to that, because she didn't know how. Love? Did she really love this half-human anomaly that she'd betrayed her own sister for? She looked down at Chris, at his bright, toothy smile and the oversized hunting vest he was wearing (he'd been in her wardrobe again, the little shit), and yeah. Maybe she did love him a little bit. She was his aunt, after all, and even though that meant almost nothing in the world of the gods, he wasn't a god.

"Read me the story," Chris said decisively, turning around so he could see the Word document on her laptop.

"Very well," she answered wearily. "Her name was Persephone, and she was the Queen of the Underworld..."