The Palladium of Troy 19. Nocturnal advisor

The digital clock on the bed stand showed 2:43 with luminescent red digits and Daraxan couldn't sleep. However, this time it wasn't because he was thinking of sex. No, scratch that, he was thinking of sex. Just not of having it. Penelope lay asleep at his side. Well, passed out was more like it. Other than his hoarse 'Still alive?' and her muted confirmation they hadn't exchanged anything else before she went out like a blown-out candle.
What had really happened earlier?
He'd sure had good sex before, lots of it, in fact. Even if he wasn't as horny as some of his brothers, let along his father, you didn't live for a millennium without trying everything possible and then some. Several times around. But what he'd just had with Penelope wasn't sex, it was a life-altering experience. An explosion. A miracle. A revelation! Every single little thing he didn't need right now. He had got himself in real trouble he realized, as he let his eyes wander up in the ceiling, following a meandering crack in the paint while listening to the muted sounds of the city seeping in from outside and the clattering of a light rain against the window sill. There was a siren howling somewhere out there and as it crept nearer before fading again, Penelope rose close to consciousness, murmured something unintelligible before going back to sleep again. His plans for keeping his emotional distance from this young woman were pretty much screwed now. Truth was, he had come to care for Penelope. Really care for her. He had developed something he could best describe as a responsibility. A responsibility to take care of her and to help her out with what was troubling her. Those Stockholm daemons who had killed her family, made her orphan at such an early age, an experience which still plagued her, as she had more or less witnessed it happen. He groined wordlessly as he rubbed a hand across his eyes. Right now, he needed more responsibility like he needed a hole in the head. But it was too late, he had already gone and became attached to her, he couldn't undo that now. Perhaps he did have a hole in his head after all. If only he could be vigorous and carefree like his twin Anassiou. Willing and eager to lay any attractive woman who looked his way and then just move on with his life. Daraxan sighed and turned around, facing away from Penelope and stared at the clock as if he could make the time stop by staring down the numbers. But he didn't have that kind of power, he couldn't freeze the world around him to gain time like some other people he knew could do, that was a rare gift even among Theoi.

No matter which way he looked at it, he owed Penelope the truth. Not only that, he owed her his allegiance, the way she had given him hers. Who was he to claim that his problems were greater than hers? He was out to save a world, true, but when push came to show, this strife was just as much related to his pride as anything else. Just like he always had done did he refuse to accept defeat, to back off and let some older, more powerful and more experienced gods take over the way they always did when people like him and his brothers failed. He knew that it wasn't really as if Earth was solely dependent on him, but his pride depended on his success. And to succeed he needed a plan, and he had to start working on that now. So to make parts of his plan come to realization, once they got back from Kandanaki he should call his contacts and see what they might have found out about the Stockholm daemons. These people ought to be able to split their time between those daemons and tracking down Enzo, he paid them well after all. Then he ought to sit down with Penelope and have a talk with her. What did she really know besides that he was a son of Zeus and a woman whom Zeus had had a brief relation with after his divorce from ex-queen Hera. Penelope knew next to nothing about his divine status and his place in the vast Olympian clan, neither did she really know what powers the theoi really wielded, both when it came to political influence and true raw force. His father was a mover of universes, he could end a planet with a gesture of his brow, and without humanity knowing it, he still in many ways controlled the way things turned here on Earth too. And Daraxan worked for him, ran his errands, was one of the many cogs that made the multiverse tick. Instead of blowing up. And Penelope didn't know half of it, only that he needed to find The Palladium of Troy to stop Enzo from damaging this world totally. He understood now that he would have to tell her all this, explain how the world was really knit together, but he didn't know how to even begin doing that, and that was one of his despairs right now. Sighing he turned around in the bed again, he'd better try to get some sleep, tomorrow was going to be yet another busy day.  

***

In another part of Athens, another man was also wide awake. Corian was outside in the rain, standing at the upper floor balcony of his and Eugenia's home, leaned against the railing, looking out at the dark depths of the Aegean, where only a sole lantern out by the horizon broke the seemingly eternal blackness. A cold, salt-permeated wind was drifting in from the sea and making the wind chimes jingle and tinkle and spread showers of chilly rain was wetting his face. He grabbed the collars of his coat, pulling them together against the damp chill as he glanced up in the dark, moonless sky and then around, wondering when and where she would appear. And just like that, as if on a cue, did he hear her melodious voice from behind.
"Corian!" He turned around to see her sitting in one of the terrace chairs, her elbow resting on the table next to it. Her platinum blond locks were pulled back from her stunning face and her outfit of red, purple and black spoke of even colder weather than in this place.
"Athena," he acknowledged her. "Your herald said you wanted a word with me."
"I did," she alleged matter of factly.
"Shall we go inside," he offered. "I can't imagine this weather as any comfortable environment for a serious discussion."
"Believe me, I've come right away from much worse," Athena replied. "But with pleasure," she smiled as she stood. He turned and slid the terrace door open, escorting her into the living room and closed the door behind them before offering her a place in the sofa in front of the fireplace. There was no fire burning there now, but it didn't seem to bother her, and he noted that she was absolutely dry. The way she did her thing, it came so naturally it left him envious.
"You want some wine?" he offered. "Or anything stronger?"
"A glass of wine would be lovely, thanks," she re-joined as she made herself comfortable in the cream-white sofa, churning out of her thick and fur-brimmed leather cloak, exhaling audibly with relief.  

Corian made it over to the cupboard with its set of flasks and glasses and started to pour two tumblers from a bottle of Cabernet, he sort of recalled his sister liking this brand. He handed her one of the glasses and slipped down in the sofa opposite of her.
"So how's it going on Paramderna?" he asked and Athena twirled the glass and sniffed the bouquet, regarding the beverage in the lamplight before she nodded and made a pleased monosyllable.
"Rough as usual," she then began with a sigh. "No end to all the conflicts there. And between wars and acts of terror we have to deal with the seismic activity on that planet. But everything to keep the Paramdernians remaining on their home world!"
"Yes, or at least until they understand that they cannot eat the children of other Sapients," Corian said, not bothering with keeping the disdain out of his voice. They raised their glasses in a toast, not really clinking glasses, and then they both sipped of the wine. The taste of it felt invigorating, warming him from the inside.
"Or their own," Athena made a distraught face. "Conquerors devouring the conquered, we're still trying to wean them from that unaccustomedness, but as soon as I or anyone of the others turn our backs, they are doing it again."
"Creepy old habits die hard," Corian replied as he put down his glass on the dark marble surface of the low table between them. "And what happened with that new king, did you manage to save his life, keep him on the throne?"
"For the time being," Athena said and took another sip of her wine. "We've taken certain precautions to make sure his vindictive cousins don't come near the castle. Or manage to sneak in another assassin. As a matter of fact, I'm more worried about the queen he has chosen."
"You think he's under threat from her?"
"Not when it comes to his life," Athena also put down her glass and folded her hands around one knee. "But she's poisoning his mind, she's been whispering things in his ears at night, inoculating ideas of grandeur in his mind and now he's beginning to dream about taking a large chunk of a neighbouring country in the north."
"A never-ending story," Corian said with contempt and almost pity. "Get rid of one conqueror, there's almost always at least one ready to step in and take their place. But I imagine you didn't come here to ask for advice about the Paramdernans?"

"No," Athena replied sombrely, then she smiled briefly. "Although I could need them. But that'd be for another time. This is very much regarding the planet Earth."
"Is it about the Palladium of Troy?" Corian asked, feeling his belly knot slightly at the notion that his older sister might think that he and his brothers were not doing a good enough job when it came to locate and retrieve the lost artefact. But they hadn't hit the panic button yet, they still had some cards up their sleeves, especially Daraxan seemed to have the aces. Trying to keep his nerves in check, Corian waited for what Athena had to say.
"Partly, yes," she confirmed. "From the way I've come to understand it, the three of you are still looking for it."
"We and Eugenia, yes. However, it was nowhere in those places where we first assumed. Constantinople, the pyramids, England or France. Today I doubt very much that Charlemagne ever had it. Or the Tudors."
"Don't worry about that," Athena said. "If it's not in any of these places, you'll just have to keep on looking."
"But we'll need it to take down Enzo. And I've got this bad feeling that time is running out for us."
"Perhaps you can think of any other way to do it. After all the The Adjurations of Cronos is kept under lock and barrel in Olympia now. Hephaestos' lock and barrel. That should keep the item safe from Enzo's little greedy hands, don't you think?"
"I'm not sure," Corian spun his glass between his hands, watching the wine swirl in the tumbler. Then he looked up and faced his sister again. "In any case, he has to be stopped. Before he finds some other way to threat planet Earth with."
"Don't worry, little brother, this guy is pretty much target locked on The Adjurations. Believe me, I know his kind well. They seldom change their original plans."
"That's why we want so badly to destroy that dreadful book of spells. Because if we do, it'll definitely be out of his reach. But finding the Palladium is like looking for that proverbial needle in the haystack. No, make that a million of haystacks."

"Corian," a light smile graced Athena's generous lips, and her gray eyes twinkled. "Listen, you'll soon have other things to worry about than oily old Enzo. In the end, he was never anything but a pale copy of his father. And him did you deal with elegantly back in the 18th century. No, what I'm here to warn you about is other forces stirring. Older. More powerful. You will have to create a more prevailing line of defense than just you, your brothers and Eugenia if you are to save this world."
"So it is true then? The Anunaki?"
"I'm not sure if it's them. They have after all stayed put in their own universe after they were defeated back by the turn of the earlier millennium. But my daughter Astrid has experienced a threat against Earth in one of her Oraclium trances and you will soon need to act upon that."
"And you can't help us? Or anyone of the others?"
"Not the way the multiverse looks like now, and you know that, Corian." For a brief moment, Corian spotted flickers of weariness in Athena's grey eyes before she composed herself, became her normal sturdy self.
"So what do we have to do?"
"You would have to find at least one more Primordial. Someone to fill your ranks."

At that Corian couldn't help but leaning forward and hide his face in his hands for a couple of heart beats, as he too felt that grating exhaustion. Next moment he got himself together quickly, straightened his back and faced his sister once again. She sat there with her glass of wine and looked like patience herself, and he got the instant and relieving notion that she understood his feelings completely.
"A primordial," he said. "Do you know how hard that is, Athena? I believe finding the Palladium would be a piece of cake compared to that. After that it's an item. It's probably locked up somewhere and no matter how buried by forgetfulness, or how deep underground in some collapsed ruin of what once was, it'll stay where it is now. And we might find it if we only get the right directions. But a Primordial, that's a soul. A somebody. And somebodies tend to run around, and eventually get killed and then re-incarnated and thus developed even farther away from their old, divine self."
"You found Eugenia," Athena stated matter of factly and finished her wine.
"We weren't looking," Corian shook his head. "It was just a coincidence. A fluke. More wine?"
"No thanks. And coincidence or no, Corian, you know how you found her, perhaps trying the same thing could be an idea."
"What, going into a war-zone looking for people who freak out? More haystacks with or without needles in."
"I know," Athena leaned forward and took Corian's hand. "And I wish there was a way to help you, I really do, you know, I still have a lot of sentimental affections for this old place. It was my first 'playground' after all. Where I learned my first this and that's about being a goddess. I threw that grabby Poseidon out of this city once, and they named it after me in turn. But right now Paramderna hangs in a dire balance. King Ogared, Lady Samigina and a few others are lights in the darkness we're fighting, my daughters and I. And if these people should have a chance, if we should have a chance to turn Paramderna around, I can not divide my attention to Earth, no matter how much I'd want to. No, this has to be your fight, Corian. Your, the twins and Eugenia's. Besides, I know you can do it, if you just set your hard and stubborn selves upon that path. I wouldn't say this otherwise."

"So it's either finding a Primordial or let the Anunaki defeat us when they've gathered enough guns to believe they can do it?" Corian shook his head. "A walk in the park, I'd say."
"I know, it's not."
"But can you give me any hint?" He too finished his wine, and contrary to Athena did he want another glass. But he restrained himself for the time being. "Any idea where we could start looking?"
"War zones, as you said, would be a good idea. Or any place where the going is tough. These ancient souls do have a subconscious way of looking for hazards, as a way to still what's burning inside of them, those old and deeply suppressed soul memories of what once was. They remember how they were non-violent Sapients, living their lives in peace and how war found them and dealt summarily with them. And they want to somehow avenge themselves. Reach equilibrium. Prove that they can indeed do today what they failed to do back then. Therefore they keep looking for hazards. And the hazards have a way of finding them too."
"And Earth doesn't exactly lack those scenes," Corian said. "Has never done so. But, Athena, how do you know all this? When Eugenia is the only Primordial we have access to now. And no one remembers what the original race really was like, who they were."
"I've seen similar species on my travels out there," she lifted a hand and waved in a vague upwards direction, as if indicate worlds so far beyond Earth that not even their own, divine language had any adequate description for it. "Similar species with similar fates. Unfortunately the non-violents always fail. They become sitting ducks for more belligerent races."
"Tell me about it!"
"I see no need for it," Athena smirked. "You're good, Corian. And so are your brothers. Now, my best advice in this case would be for you to ask the twins to look for the Palladium and keep an eye on Enzo. While you and Eugenia go searching for primordials. You did find her earlier, and perhaps she has a benefit we don't know about yet, a way to somehow home in on her own kind."
"You think there is such a way?"
"It's not unheard of."
"Another discovery on your travels?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. You live and you learn."
"Goddess of wisdom, right!"
"Perhaps, although often these days I tend to neglect that part in me, almost forget about it. These last centuries it has mostly been the war goddess acting."
"I understand, if just half of what you've told me about Paramderna is anything to go by. I will talk to Eugenia about your plan."
"Good. And a reminder." She held up a finger, red nail gleaning in the soft light from the head spots.
"Yes?"
"Don't tell any of the others about our talks just yet. They have to remain a secret, for all our good. I am breaking a good bunch of rules just by coming here, and we might all get in trouble."
"You don't have to say that, Athena. You can trust me!"
"Thank you, Corian. I know it really, I just feel the need to point it out as we cannot shift the delicate balance, or anger any of the Council members." Athena then stood and gathered her coat and shawl. "I have to get going. This savage planet calls me back."
"Say hi to your girls!"
"I will. By the way, remind me of coming back here to Earth soon, just to get some decent wine. The things they drink at Paramderna... I have no words for it!" She made a face, that was enough.

Then there was a crackle of static around Athena as she portalled out on her own, leaving air snapping together and a faint smell of ozone which blended with the residual tang of the perfume she wore. And Corian remained sitting in the sofa for a few more heartbeats, looking at the place where his sister had just been. Then he stood and walked over to the cupboard and glanced at the bottle of wine for a moment, before changing his mind and pouring a glass of Scotch instead. Thanks to Athena they were making progress slowly, but these last things she'd said. Ancients stirring. Finding another Primordial. It sure made the soundtrack of Mission Impossible run on repeat in his mind.