What Now?
41 - Midnight Trial
The moon was high in the sky and the twelve were once again gathered in the meeting hall. Ares brought Strife, who still insisted on being called Scythas and the three brothers with him. While a meeting of the twelve wasn't the place for mortals Ares was willing to over look it for Strife's sake.
Zeus tried to take charge of the gathering but was firmly set aside. His reputation for favoring Athena was well know and well deserved. Hades took control of the inquisition with Hera as his second. Hades called the five to undo the binding from Athena and had her brought forth to face the council.
Ares was surprised to see the shade leaning against the orange barrier, he commanded it to stand aside. They brought down the cage and Hephaestus and Artemis hefted Athena to her feet. With firm grips around her upper arms they lead the goddess into the main chamber. The shade followed hurriedly behind.
It was a credit to Hades foresight that the meeting hall had been placed in a time bubble. Days could pass here and mere moments would pass outside. There would be no interruptions, no reprieves until the truth was laid bare and a punishment decided.
Athena was chained to a chair before the council. They sat in a semi-circle all facing her. Athena tried to sweet talk her way out of the chains but Zeus merely shook his head, knowing he was out numbered. Her flippant replies to Hades' questions were not tolerated for long. There are ways, though most don't know it, to make a god talk.
Soon they had the whole petty tale.
Athena endangered Strife because she felt slighted. Ares had refused to deal with raiders that had plagued Athens. The War god simply did not have the time or energy and felt that Athena was more then capable of taking care of her own city. Athens was nearly ravaged by the time Athena stepped in and took care of the raiders.
She blamed Ares for the damages and plotted a way to get back at him. She hadn't wanted to kill Strife but she did feel that the danger to him, or the pain she caused him to be relevant either.
The council was appalled. Such disregard for one of their own was unthinkable. All the gods fought but seldom did they do real harm to each other. Athena's actions and her lack of remorse was telling. The goddess had let her pride convince her of her superiority. She was drug back into the holding chamber and the five once again raised the binding.
She would remain safely caged until the council decided her punishment.
42 - Waiting
Eris paced the confines of the antechamber waiting for the council to finish interrogating Athena and move on to the punishment phase. Then she would have her say.Eris might not have been the best Mom but nobody messed with her baby. Athena was lucky that Eris hadn't gotten to her first. Ares went easy on the bitch.
How could Athena have done that to Strife? It was a cowardly act to attack the regenerating Strife. Little miss perfect had fucked up so badly and she wouldn't be able to talk her way out of it this time. Her twin would see to that.
43 - Sentencing
Voices rose and fell, comments moved between ever changing groups. The topic was Athena's punishment. The goddess had dishonored her self and her House. No two people had the same idea of fitting punishment. The ideas were both inventive and frightening. None were quick and all were painful.Eventually Hades called them to order. He let each take a turn outlining their choice of punishment. Eris was brought out and allowed to make suggestions. She wanted to flay Athena alive, until she had no skin left and leave her in a salt pit to heal. But she confessed that as punishments went is was too short. Eris didn't have the patients to draw it out.
Only Zeus spoke in Athena's favor. Thought he wasn't foolish enough to suggest that she be let off, he did ask that she be shown lenience since Strife had been found unharmed. Ares informed Zeus that the only way Athena would get leniency was if Zeus took some of her punishment. Hades and Hera supported Ares statement. Zeus backed down.
Eventually they settled on a punishment that satisfied them all - except for Zeus who was sulking.
Athena would be stripped of her status as one of the Twelve. She would in fact have no more status than an unacknowledged demi-god for the span of five hundred years. At which point she would be given the a status lower then the youngest godling. She would have to earn her rank - unlike the first time. And Athena would never again be one of the Twelve.
As for her physical chastisement Athena would be marched through Olympus naked. Stopping at every temple to invite every Olympian resident to witness her punishment. Before going to the central pavilion where first Ares followed by Eris then Apollo would whip or cane her.
Athena would then have to heal without the aid of her godly powers. During that time she would clean and vacate her temple as she had shown a distinct lack of maturity. She would move into a set of rooms in Zeus' Temple. All her movements would be monitored, she would have a curfew and a chaperone for no less then one hundred years.
She would not be allowed to move back into her temple until she earned the status of adult. Until that time Athena would also be banned from any celebrations held on Olympus. She would also only be welcome at festivals held in the Mortal realm by other gods in an official capacity.
After Athena was healed she would spend a week performing the duties of the lowest accolade in the chosen temple of each of the twelve. Her powers would be bound, she would be disguised and no one there would know her true identity. If she did not perform her duties to the fullest or misbehaved then the high priest or priestess would punish her. If at the end of the week the god or goddess was not pleased with her work she would be whipped or caned again in the central pavilion.
If at any point while she was under Zeus' roof she broke the rules then she would be beaten or sent to work in a temple again, depending on the infraction. She would learn there were consequences to her action and that she had to be held accountable for them.
When Strife regained his memories Athena would owe him a year of service, not just in a temple but where ever and whatever he chose. Even if he decided to lend her to Eris to play in her dungeon. It seemed only fitting.
Click to join twin_swords