"Again, Odysseus," A voice rang with authority. A clash of blades and a kick of dirt into the air as Odysseus tried to blind the Goddess.
"Alright then! Behold the strongest king of Ithaca!" He screamed as if preparing himself for an ultimate move, his final strike.
With that, she sidestepped his heavy strike. Odysseus stumbled forward, losing balance. Before he could recover, she struck his hand, sending his weapon spiralling from his grasp and with one simple foot, sent him barrelling into the ground.
"Yet not the smartest. It seems Ithaca has a new national dish. Soil. It's soon to be king seems to enjoy eating dirt so often after all." She said blankly as she watched him tumble with some amusement in mind.
"You know if you intended to blind me, you shouldn't have shouted your name so candidly."
Odysseus looked up to see a shadow cast. a Goddess with strawberry-blond hair and a slight tan with star-like freckles sprinkled across her face. She was dressed in silver Armor with a few owl-like symbolism patterned across, appearing in his vision. She extended her hand with a small grin.
"You don't usually mope when you get sent into the dirt. How strange." She raised a brow only for Odysseus to burst out with nervous laughter as he clutched the dirt.
"Can't really get anything by you Athena..."
"Quite. But that was sloppier than usual, what's on your mind." She asked inquisitively but respectfully.
"It's nothing… Actually there is something but can I ask after? Can we continue for now?" Odysseus bit his own lip trying to think about how to ask the question plaguing his mind.
"... Alright. But remember, you over extended your strike trying to brute force past my Guard. That will not work with an opponent that has you out matched. You shifted all your leverage and was sent flying. You are not a son of Ares. You are simply a warrior of mine."
"Right Right… Soooooo Again?" Odysseus asked quickly with a bright smile as if his face wasn't covered with something resembling cowpat.
"... Fine…" Athena said almost exhaustedly (Worriedly?) as he seemed dismissive of her teachings.
Odysseus chuckled with almost child-like laughter as Athena pulled him to his feet.
Odysseus took a few paces back as he stood across from her, gripping his sword with determination. "I won't falter this time!" His words, infused with youthful arrogance, echoed as he lunged forward.
"Faltering is not the issue," Athena murmured. She clashed against his blade, keeping her footwork tidy, whilst Odysseus lunged across like a mad beast, exhausting his strength.
"Focus!" she scolded, seeing him almost trip over himself with such sloppy footwork.
"In battle, precision is worth more than brute strength. You must outwit your opponent, not overpower them. Look at my form, follow my movements, do not waste all your strength whilst your enemy reserves theirs."
Odysseus as if Beeswax stuffed in his ears refused to listen. He did the exact heavy strike as before.
Athena glanced at him with slight annoyance as she repeated her move…
*Clatter*
The Goddess was motionless as he abandoned his weapon entirely, deciding the brightest move was to clutch the metal blade with his hand. Yet no blood spilt.
Athena stared in disbelief as a knife was at her throat. Odysseus grinned with one of his very rare wins against the goddess.
"I see… It was all a ploy… You intentionally let me believe that you would repeat the same mistake in your arrogance. I should have known better to assume you would learn nothing.
You took a gamble, throwing your weapon away as my own blade was locked in place, ceasing its motion allowing you to grab it without harm and with your other arm, switching to the dagger you had hidden since the start. How bold… How very much like you." She not-giggled, instead coughing into her hand as she put on a strict visage.
"A novel idea that might work in a tight spot against a human adversary. But a foolish gamble against someone that could rip your hand in half on accident."
"Well, that's why I have the dagger, if you had dared to move, I would have simply released the blade, I am too far in your guard to stab me and I would have sliced your neck before you were able." Odysseus looked at her giddy, as if to say 'Praise me'
Athena almost deadpanned at him before sighing.
"That was well fought." Athena said clearly perhaps painfully, slowly backing away from the knife at her throat.
"To be fairly honest, I'm quite surprised you pulled off that plan and motion without failing." Athena muttered, almost to herself.
"Ah… Yesterday I practiced with Polites, He uh… Didn't enjoy it very much." He chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head with a smile as he remembered Polites expression after being trounced 5…10… perhaps 20 times in a row?
"I had to even get the blacksmith to make him a new pair of bifocals…" that's what he called them right?
'Certainly an impressive invention for soldiers with impaired vision. especially since a mortal thought of it. Shame there isn't enough material to support such an army.'
Apparently the man had created them when a star had fallen across from him. It was a simple hunk of rock but around it, some warped shards appeared. He thought of them as crystals until he looked through them and his vision corrected itself.
Even with a world of gods such a story was unheard of. Simply because there was no sort of divine intervention, all done by a Mortal and the stars above. Most didn't believe his words but he had kept the chunks for himself.
"In the end, I couldn't pull off the motion without a backup weapon, so after a… few attempts, I finally got it." He grinned proudly, arms behind his head. Athena rolled her eyes as she began to walk away.
But suddenly stopped for some odd reason. She turned to face him as she raised her arm slightly before lowering it again, almost debating herself with a furrowed brow and a clenched fist. In the end she raised her hand towards him as his eyes sparkled with joy, a crisp clap and boyish laughter echoed throughout the forest.