A secret revealed

Unlike the the narrow passageway you had just descended this great hall was spotless. The polished marble floors were somehow free of the dust and grime that accumulate in unused rooms and the smoothness of the surface glittered with the reflection of the wealth piled on the steps leading to the central statue. Casks of gemstones, piles of bracelets, gold and silver vessels filled with coins and tables covered with sealed boxes of incense and spices covered each of the six broad steps. On the very top step is a small ebony table and resting on a square of blue velvet is a crown of olive branches hammered from gold and silver. Rising from a pedestal by the table is a twelve foot statue of Athena that dominates the room.

You are sure that it is Athena even though she lacks her traditional helmet. The goddess' body, even hidden by the scales of her foreign armor, is beautifully carved; her round breasts and full hips rival those of Aphrodite, but her legs and arms are as well muscled as the limbs of Apollo's statue. Her carved face shows both the wisdom and sternness of the warrior goddess and you fall to your knees as the statue's fierce eyes stare into yours.

The cynic in you has always mocked those men who could kneel down to a carved rock, but in this case you can feel that there is more than polished marble in the statue, and that the hidden presence is assessing your worth. You wish you had worn something different than your dirty linen tunic and loincloth. You had an entire closet full of clean tunics and robes, and instead you kneel on the floor in the same sweat stained skivvies that had covered your body since you marched from Helliopolis ten days ago.

"Never be ashamed of a warrior's clothing." You are so surprised by the character of the voice that the words didn't even register. It was deep like a man's voice and yet you know it is a female who speaks to you, the musicality and fullness of the voice fills your head until it resonates like a perfectly molded bell chiming from a high tower. "No man of this city could look better in my eyes. If Athenapolis could have raised a warrior like you, I would not have had to plant you in the womb of Helliopolis." As your mind struggles to find meaning in her words the goddess continues:

"Your father was Lycaon, last true king of Athenapolis. He was a willful man who refused to listen to the will of the gods. It was Lycaon who replaced the clerics in the temples with his toadies, and it was he who first encouraged the capture and training of noblewomen from rival cities that would serve him in the court and in his bed." Son of a king? Your father was just a mercenary who had a fling with a city whore. Confusion clouds your features but when Athena speaks again you know she speaks the truth.

"For his crimes the gods stripped Lycaon of his crown and memory, taken in stealth from the city he spent his last fifteen years of his life as a mercenary. His blood flows true in you, and your upbringing has prepared you for the challenge of restoring Athenapolis to me again." A surge of pride is nearly immediately stilled by doubt. You are just a Captain in the army, how could you possibly take over the entire city?

"You are not alone Caderos, the women of Athenapolis stayed true to my ways far longer than the men. For over thirty years they have brought the gifts you see before you to be used in the restoration of balance. Use this wealth and the wisdom of Lady Sophia and Lady Adrianna to guide you. These women have made many sacrifices to stay in their house and serve as my priestesses, your desire to treat them with honor has earned you their love and respect, listen to their counsel and trust in yourself."

As the last words fade from your ears the pressure that filled your head suddenly is gone. The statue is now just a powerful marble carving and your knees start hurting from the cold floor pressed against them. Sophia and Adrianna help you rise to your feet, their eyes full of tears as you turn to thank them.

"She was here, wasn't she?" Asks Sophia "What did she say to you?"