The World Below - Athena's Choice

"Athena, I love you."

Anemus' vulnerable gaze broke my heart, but…

"Yes I love you! I love you so much I don't know what to do without you!"

Anemus turned her back on me. I love you too but I also love Mifa...

"I've loved you since you were still Hades and even if you say that it wasn't true... that it wasn't real, for me it was real. Every year I spent with you, every decade, it was all real and I have you I loved."

I know it was... I know that and I love you too, but please...

"I love you and I don't want half your love. You're going to have to choose."

... Don't do that.

....

...na!

..thena!

(Athena!) Ella called in a loud voice, looking at Athena.

Athena and Ella were in their draconic forms, flying to the floating islands. On Ella's back were the children and on Athena's were Fotiá and Faena, Hercules was on Kima because Ella didn't want him on her back and the others were on their mounts.

(...Sorry...) Athena apologized upon awakening from her thoughts. (I was thinking...)

(Hm...) Ella looked straight ahead. (I need you to clarify something for me.)

(And what would it be?) Athena breathed her sadness and looked at the scene in front of her.

A large island, half of continent Kastigo, floated with a number of other smaller islands around it.

From some islands, waterfalls flowed and spread in the form of rain to the world below, forming beautiful rainbows.

In others, monsters opened and closed repeatedly their wings surrounding them, fighting or devouring each other.

All the islands had different characteristics, some had ice forming around them, some had sand raining from them, and some had vines that stretched and swayed around them.

However, despite all their differences, they all had one thing in common and it was that underneath all the islands were mana crystals that glowed in many different colors and intensity.

All those colors mixed with the morning light created a scene so beautiful that maybe it was something you would only find in fantasy books. But Athena couldn't see the beauty in front of her, she was completely devastated by the choice she made.

(Athena!) Ella called again. (Pay attention!)

She had been talking to Athena, but Athena didn't seem to hear.

(Okay, sorry.) Athena cleared her mind as her attention focused on Ella's voice. (What you want to know?)

"Sorry to be in the way, Athena and Ella, but could you guys talk using your voices?" Hercules interrupted. "Every time you guys talk, I feel you guys talking right in my head and that's a little annoying."

(If we use our voices, you will all pass out.) Ella rolled her eyes and continued her conversation with Athena. (What happened and how did you manage to remain the same with that much darkness in you?)

(I absorbed Faena's powers, all of it.) Athena said and the people who listened gained expressions of trepidation. (And for the second question...) Athena thought for a moment and answered. (I'm human.)

(Huh?!)

(Ella, humans are creatures made up of various things that have gone through their lives, but negative feelings are the only things that are part of their existence.) Athena tried to explain. (No... It gets too ambiguous... Hate, fear, envy, greed, all negative feelings are natural things for humans and as a high-human, this is stronger in me. That must be why my race sided with Faena and not Lhia.)

(Wait... Let me get this straight. You mean you managed to deal with corruption because your race is corrupt by nature?) Ella frowned.

(Exactly.) Athena confirmed without giving much importance to the conversation.

"And where is the goddess of destruction now?" Lobana asked.

(On my back.) Athena said nonchalantly.

""Huh?!"" Everyone but Fotiá, Anemus and Athena exclaimed their shock.

"This child in Fotiá's lap is the goddess of destruction?" Lunnia asked with wide eyes.

The conversation about Faena continued and Athena answered questions with short answers, not explaining much, leaving people frustrated.

After an hour of flying, they finally reached the surface of the floating islands and were on the outskirts of Qartur, the dwarf kingdom.

A mountainous and smoky kingdom because of the active volcano that was actually a great furnace where the hardest metals like adamantine and black iron were melted.

Everyone was impressed by the sight of the cities scattered across all the mountains they passed. Well, not everyone was impressed.

Athena and Anemus flew almost automatically with their minds lost in thought.

***

"Choose?" Athena's face had a complicated expression.

"Yes." Anemus responded hopelessly. "She or me?"

"And what happens after I choose?" Athena asked in a serious voice.

Anemus was silent for a moment and then looked Athena in the eye. "If you choose me, we can travel the world together again like we used to do before..." Anemus hesitated to speak of what separated them. "Wasn't that what you wanted? Travel and see the world?"

"What if I choose Mifa?" Athena asked, ignoring Anemus' attempt to get Athena to choose her.

Anemus made a sour expression and looked away. "So... I'm going back to that cabin in the forest where Hades once abandoned me..."

Athena swallowed her frustration and sadness at hearing Anemus and turned away.

"Anemus…" Athena lowered her head and in a pained voice she said the words that neither Anemus or herself understood or refused to understand. "I won't choose you and I won't abandon Mifa." Tears welled up in Athena's eyes without Anemus seeing. "I've gotten used to being incomplete with your absence, but I don't want to live without her."

***

Basilian was surrounded by soldiers in yellow and black armor.

The flags hoisted had a black griffin crowned on a yellow background, showing which kingdom they came from, and while the basilican people protested Serien and Mifa's cowardice, they were in the throne room doing nothing.

"Serien, I can go over there and crush them." Mifa said while hiding her arms. "You're still his wife and that's why you're my owner too. Give me the order!" Mifa begged. "Why are you trying to make peace with Mizhar after what they've did?"

Serien was seated on her throne to the right of Athena's throne and in her arms was only one of her children.

"They will kill my babies if we do anything!"

Mifa made a complicated expression and then shrill roars echoed throughout the place followed by tremors and thunderous explosion noise.

***

Athena was in a hurry and left the group behind as she flew at high speed.

The speed was high enough to make Fotiá almost fall off her back, but Athena did not stop or slow down.

She wanted to take the weight off her chest for rejecting Anemus and she wanted see, hug and kiss Mifa, but when she had the capital of her kingdom in her field of vision, Basilian was under siege by an army of millions.

Without asking what was going on or who they were, Athena roared with ferocity and cast dozens of small spells strong enough to obliterate the army, but weak enough to not destroy the city.

Seeing her mother attack, Fotiá also identified the army as an enemy and from above the dragon, she rained fire on the soldiers who died a miserable death. But despite all the deaths, a few thousand soldiers managed to mount their mounts and flee away.

The people of Basilian cheered to see that the dragon was attacking their enemies, but then, when it was all over, they shivered and despaired as see that the dragon was looking down on the city.

However, although they feared for their lives, under Athena's influence, the Basilic people learned not to bow their heads again.

Just as they begged, with swords and spears in hand, for Serien and Mifa to go to war, now they, even trembling, they were prepared to die fighting even if they couldn't even harm the dragon.

Still transformed into a hideous creature, Athena looked at those people and smiled with pride inside.

(Put down your weapons, your queen has returned.) Athena said with authority.

The people frowned and a riot broke out among those thousands of men and women. They wouldn't accept a dragon claiming that she was their queen when the throne was still empty, but the turmoil didn't last long.

As Athena started to descend in the middle of the city, she transformed and a chorus of fascination resounded from the crowd as the pitch-black haired woman in a white satin dress appeared with two other girls.

"Make way." Athena said and the crowd split as they walked.

Few there recognized Athena because of her new appearance, but even so they made their way without questioning because of the dignity Athena displayed when walking and also because no one there was stupid enough to provoke a dragon that was peacefully walking among them.

When she reached the gates in the palace walls, the gates didn't open as Athena expected and the soldiers refused to open, then Athena took them down with just one punch.

"Frankly..." Athena snarled at the soldiers that beginning to surround her. "What's your problem? Don't you recognize your queen?"

A young soldier with red hair approached and with a fierce look said. "The queen is dead. I haven't had a chance to serve her closely, but I remember her beauty perfectly." The young man said with a passionate look. "She had white hair, eyes that looked like emerald gems and not those coal hairs and those dirty pond eyes like yours!"

"You didn't have a chance to serve me, huh…" Athena smiled and walked among the soldiers who were suddenly on the ground. "What the hell is happening?"

"Mommy, what did you do with them?" Fotiá asked with admiration in her voice.

"You couldn't follow it with your eyes?"

"No."

"And you there? Could see it?" Athena asked Faena.

"You hit them all. Proof of that are the fist marks in the abdomen region of their armor." Faena said as she jumped over one of the soldiers.

Athena put her arm around Fotiá, hugging her. "Don't worry, she's very old and has a lot of experience." Athena joked. "I'll ask Sahari to train you."

"Train me in what?" Fotia asked. "Aunt Lunnia already trained me."

"Yeah? What did she make you do?" Athena and Fotiá, followed by Faena, conversed as they lazily crossed the palace gardens.

After a while, they were in front of the throne room which was somewhat different from what Athena remembered.

The heavy lion-carved doors were no longer black but white, and when she opened the doors the place was lit up, the curtains she liked so much had been replaced by white veils and the torches by chandeliers.

Athena entered the place feeling that she was in a strange place and no one who was already there stopped her.

As soon as the knights saw Athena enter those doors, all thirty knights drew their swords and thrust them into the ground as they knelt.

"Hm..." Athena uttered her satisfaction, looked at Serien and Mifa and frowned.

Serien was in a terrible state, her hair looked dry and brittle, her eyes had big dark circles under her eyes and she looked scared, but Serien's state didn't shock Athena more than seeing that Mifa's neck had a metal collar, but it was forgotten at the moment that a smile appeared on her lover's face.

"A-Athena!" Mifa smiled a smile of genuine happiness and ran with tears in her eyes. "Athena!"

Athena waited for Mifa and received the young woman in her arms. They hugged each other tight, as if they never wanted to part again and exchanged glances.

"Hi sweetie." Athena smiled with her whole face. "Missed me?"

"You have no idea..." Mifa said and pulled Athena into a warm kiss.

Fotiá tilted her head to the side when she saw the scene of her mother hugging a woman she didn't know and felt her face heat up when the two kissed.

"Waaah~!" Fotiá hid her face while she looked through her fingers.