Chapter 65

"Artemis" Athena nodded in acknowledgment of the greeting from the goddess of the hunt. She then turned her attention to Hippolyta, who bowed her head respectfully in her presence. "It's good to see you, Hippolyta" Athena greeted her with a warm smile, treating her as a dear friend. She had long, straight hair is a striking purple color that flows smoothly down her back. Her eyes, also purple, are deep and thoughtful, showing her intelligence and wisdom. She wears a beautiful white dress that reaches the floor. The dress is simple but elegant, with golden decorations that make her look regal and important. A gold belt around her waist adds to the dress's beauty, with patterns spreading across her chest and shoulders. A golden headpiece rests on her forehead, decorated with olive leaves and a central gemstone, symbolizing peace and wisdom. She also wears golden bracelets and armlets, each detailed with ancient designs.

"It's good to see you, Lady Athena" Hippolyta replied in a respectful tone towards the Goddess of Wisdom. Her demeanor was a stark contrast to the less respectful, sometimes outright rude way she treated Artemis. This difference stemmed from her view of Artemis as a closer friend, whereas she held Athena in higher, more formal regard. 

Athena rolled her eyes at Hippolyta's stiff demeanor. "Come on now, Hippolyta. Don't be so stiff around me" she said in a casual tone, her gaze still fixed on the bowing Hippolyta. "We're both Goddesses of War, remember?" she added with a smirk, knowing well that Hippolyta disliked being addressed by the title. "So treat me like you treat my sister Artemis here" she requested, her tone almost pleading, her smile brightening the space.

Hearing the mention of her title, the bowing Hippolyta suddenly sported an angry twitch on her forehead, though it vanished in a matter of seconds. She then looked up at Athena, who was either smiling or smirking—it depended on one's point of view—before sighing in defeat and straightening her posture. "I will try my best, Lady Athena" she said, determination evident in her tone, though she remained uncertain about how to proceed.

She then reminded them, "And please don't call me Goddess of War; I am not worthy of that title" with a humble attitude. Despite her prowess in battle and the respect she commanded from her fellow warriors, Hippolyta carried a sense of humility, recognizing her own limitations and shortcomings.

Athena chuckled lightly before saying, "Tell that to your father, who always brags about you being in the same league as him and beating Zeus favorite" She smiled as she reminded Hippolyta of her father, Ares, who couldn't help but boast about her to the other members of the Twelve Olympians. Despite his boastfulness, she didn't hate Ares for it. In fact, she loved it because it proved that the gods and goddesses of Olympus still had emotions of love for their offspring, or just anyone in general, unlike their father, Zeus.

Hippolyta's face turned beet red with embarrassment. "That damn old man of mine" she said angrily, stomping her foot. "Why does he always drag my name into his boasting? I didn't even beat that guy; he let me win." She crossed her arms over her chest, unintentionally making her breasts look bigger. Despite her outward frustration, deep down she felt a sense of happiness knowing her father was proud of her and bragged about her to his fellow gods and goddesses. However, she frowned when she remembered that the guy had let her win just because he wanted to spend time with his family.

"A win is a win, Hippolyta" Athena said with a smile, seeing Hippolyta's reaction. "And you know what? He even started bragging about Diana beating Herakles in a one-on-one fight, using just her strength against the God of Strength, mind you, without even using her gifted abilities like that one." She spoke proudly as she glanced at Diana, who was now creating afterimages and adding wind attributes to her arrows, making them faster. Atalanta was barely able to dodge the arrows but still managed to keep up.

"I need to have a word with Father about this" Hippolyta reminded herself, a stern look on her face. Despite her frustration, she couldn't deny a flicker of understanding. After all, she might have been just as prone to bragging about her daughter if she were as simple-minded as her own Father Ares.

"Maybe he too will brag about her" she thought inwardly, her curiosity piqued as she considered the father of Diana. The idea of him proudly boasting about Diana's accomplishments brought a faint smile to Hippolyta's lips. Diana's exceptional abilities were something to be proud of, and Hippolyta couldn't help but wonder how her father would react. As she continued to watch Diana and Atalanta spar, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction, knowing that her daughter was living up to and even surpassing the high expectations placed upon her.

"Oh right, Athena, why the hell are you here and not inside your library?" Artemis asked, her curiosity evident. She knew Athena was always in the library, repeatedly reading books, both old and new, for god knows how long. The idea of being able to sit in a library for such extended periods, especially in the quietness of that place, seemed incomprehensible to her. "I'd rather hunt or fight a fellow god than stay in that place" she thought inwardly.

"Does watching my former disciple fare against your best huntress provide a good enough reason?" Athena explained, her gaze fixed on the ongoing match where Diana and Atalanta seemed evenly matched despite Diana's use of teleportation and wind-based arrows. Despite the intensity of the sparring, Athena couldn't help but notice a hint of nonchalance in Diana's demeanor. However, she could see what Diana was doing and was impressed by it. "She is already doing what a huntress should do" she smiled proudly, seeing that Diana had already learned the basics of the hunt.

Artemis, who was also smiling as she watched the sparring, likely understood what Athena was thinking. "Good job, Diana. You will be a valued member of the hunt" she inwardly thought before frowning to herself. "After I win the bet, that is."

Athena shifted her gaze away from the sparring match and stared at Artemis with furrowed brows before speaking in a serious tone. "Well, I have other things I want to discuss besides watching my disciple. You know what I mean, right?" She aimed to redirect the conversation to a pressing matter that depended on the information Artemis would provide.

Artemis's expression shifted from curiosity to concern, not understanding the sudden change in Athena's demeanor. Tilting her head in confusion, she asked, "Huh? What is it, Athena?" She had no clue what Athena was referring to and frowned as she tried to figure it out.

Athena facepalmed before saying this with a confused tone "Did you not investigate the phenomina that happened in the far east?" she said this while looking at Artemis like she is done with her shenanigans.

Athena facepalmed before saying in a confused tone, "Did you not investigate the phenomena that happened in the Far East?" She looked at Artemis with a mix of frustration and disbelief, clearly exasperated by her sister's lack of awareness.

"Oh, that" Artemis said, realization dawning on her as she hammered her palm with her fist. She then shrugged and continued, "Atalanta was the one who investigated that thing in the Far East." She pointed at Atalanta in the arena, who was already getting gassed out by Diana's relentless attacks. Diana, is actng like a true huntress already by tiring her opponent before going in for the kill.

"Diana, stop playing around and finish the hunt, because I need to talk to Atalanta!" Athena's voice cut through the noise of the arena, commanding attention. Diana and her afterimages immediately halted their movements, and Atalanta did the same. Both warriors turned their attention towards the source of the voice

"Lady Athena?" Diana looked confused at Athena, uncertain why she was present in the arena instead of her usual place in the Olympus Library. Nevertheless, she steeled herself to finish the match, ready to comply with Athena's command.

"What does Lady Athena want with me?" Atalanta asked, initially puzzled by Athena's summons. However, her confusion quickly faded as she remembered the task that Athena had requested of Artemis, which had been passed on to her. She realized that Athena must be seeking information related to her investigation in the Far East, and she prepared herself to provide a full report to the goddess,

As the clouds darkened and electricity crackled around Diana, Atalanta swiftly made a decisive decision. "I give up!" she shouted, causing Diana to collapse to the ground in a comedic manner. The sudden surrender brought a moment of levity to the tense atmosphere of the arena, with spectators chuckling at the unexpected turn of events.

"What the hell was that, sister?" Diana said with a pout on her face as she watched Atalanta approach.

"I don't get paid enough by Lady Artemis just to get beaten black and blue" Atalanta replied with a smile to Diana, extending her hand to help her up. Diana accepted the gesture, allowing Atalanta to pull her to her feet.

You get paid?" Diana asked in confusion, recalling that the other huntresses often mentioned doing their duties for free. Together, they began walking towards where Hippolyta, Artemis, and Athena were gathered.

Atalanta smiled at Diana's question before replying, "That's the joke; I don't."