Welcome to Athens

Aerin leaned on his spear, peering out over the vast expanses of the Mediterranean desert. The wind stirred the endless dunes, kicking up wisps of sand curling into the air. Monster attacks during the day were rare, and there were no scheduled shipments or refugee arrivals—so he didn’t expect to see much. He closed his aching eyes, the glare off the sand a little too bright for his sensitive vision, causing a headache that built throughout the day into a migraine that made everything uncomfortable—from the scratchy red wool lining the collar of his navy fermelli to the weight of the silver beaded patterns tracing the sides of the vest. After a moment of relaxing his eyes, he turned to look at his company.

Alexander was beside him, the collar of his dark uniform popped slightly to air out the heavy, embroidered cotton. He stood tall, his posture impeccable even under the beating heat. The soft pink of his hair was the only thing out of place, ruffled slightly by the breeze—a little messier than Alex usually allowed while on duty.

Aerin was lucky to get paired with Alex more often than not, even though the other was technically his superior. They were friends, off-duty and on, and had been for far longer than they’d worn their uniforms. Of course, they were probably often paired together due to biases against their non-combative Blessings. Despite that, Alex had fought his way to becoming the youngest Lochagos, captain, in the Guard. Aerin had been promoted as well, but only because Alex had asked Aerin to be his aide-de-camp. Promotions had been easier for him anyway, since he had the societal advantage of being Athena-blessed even if people typically misunderstood his Blessing as more similar to his grandmother’s than it truthfully was.

Aerin risked another glance out to the glaring sea of sand, but it spiked pain behind his brows. He tilted his head up and closed his eyes with a sigh. Nothing was happening anyway. He didn’t need to watch the empty sands 24/7.

“Aerin,” Alex interrupted, his voice firm but calm.

Aerin turned his head with a blink, his orange eyes wide and sparkling with faux-innocent curiosity. “Yeah?”

“Focus.”

“I am focused!” Aerin returned, puffing his cheeks slightly.

Alex raised an eyebrow, tilting his head toward the horizon. “What were you focusing on with your eyes closed?”

“…”

Alex couldn’t stop the small quirk of his lips, which he quickly masked with a sigh. “You’re hopeless,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Is your Blessing causing strain?”

“... A little.”

Alex nodded. “Your shift ends in ten; hold out a little longer.”

Aerin began to nod before he jolted, leaning forward over the edge of the tower wall.

“Aerin? What is it?” Alex questioned brusquely, voice sharp but controlled.

“There was movement,” he reported.

“Specifics, sergeant.”

Aerin squinted into the distance, ignoring the immediate burn in his eyes.

“A few hundred meters out, about 50 degrees to the right.”

Aerin blinked against the glare of the sun, focusing on a faint shape in the distance. He peered out into the vast desert, his vision sharpening as his Blessing flared to life. His gaze cut through the heat haze and dust, landing on a slight figure draped in a fine, glistening cloth that caught the light like water—and nothing else: no caravans, no companions, no water jugs; nothing to help them survive the desert wastes. Aerin frowned, his brows furrowing as he watched the small figure stumble slightly against the wind.

“A single person, slight, no visible weapons or supplies—” He tilted his head and blinked down at the desert. “I’ve got no idea how she survived the sands without dying of dehydration, the Talirus swarms, or something else. Probably not a god or a Titan—they would have appeared at the gates.” He hummed, thinking about it. “Do you think they’re blessed? Maybe one of Ares’ tribe?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Alex said firmly. “They’re not supposed to be here.” He stepped back, his brows knitting together as he turned to Aerin. “I’ll alert Strategos Alista. If they’re a threat, we need to be prepared.”

Alex always insisted on proper titles for their superiors—=a a little silly, since everyone else called Strategos Alista, the youngest of the Ten Generals and commander of the guards assigned to South Gate, ‘General’.

As Alex dashed away to notify their commander, Aerin squinted back toward the small figure struggling against the strong winds sweeping across the Mediterranean Plains. They were still moving, their steps slow but unyielding, something gold at their crown catching the sunlight like fire. He squinted, stretching his vision further despite the ache burning at his eyes, to see what the gold was—he gasped as he recognized the gilded laurels peeking out from the hem of her himation. He couldn’t help his excited bounce—this visitor was from Delphi! It had been so long since Delphi’s oracle had sent a prophecy their way—this was bound to be exciting! Aerin’s grip on the unwieldy spear accidentally loosened. It slipped from his hand, clattering against the ground. He winced, picking it up and furtively checking that no one had seen.

Safe!

He leaned forward again, watching the girl slowly make her way through the desert, waiting until the last minute of her arrival so he would be able to run down to meet her, Alex, and anyone called as reinforcements at the gate. Aerin’s eyes widened as he watched her pass through the faint shimmer of Athena’s wards outside the walls, undeterred. An uninvited human would never be able to pass through, but a god or titan could feasibly break the wards—without any struggle or tripped alarms? Aerin’s lips curved into a wide, delighted smile. Big things were going to happen in Athens. He just knew it!