Sophia

The walk to Athens was pretty uneventful, actually. We were only a few miles away, after all, and there were signs of humanity right off the bat if you looked hard enough. After just a few minutes, we happened upon a footpath that was heading in the right direction. Now though, we were close. Close enough that we would've been able to see the parthenon, if it had been built yet. Unfortunately, we were about 800 years too early for that. It's a shame too, getting to see such an iconic temple in its prime would've been pretty awesome. Either way, it seemed like this trip might not be so bad after all.

There was just one problem.

Chloe

“Sophie…”

We’d been at this for a while now, ever since we started getting close to the city. I knew that when we first woke up she didn’t recognize me, that she’d seen me and thought I was a cis woman, but I wasn’t one, and even though my hair was all pretty and my clothes were changed and I was clean shaven, I was still the same person underneath it all, with all the same anatomy. When it was just Sophia or Apollo, it was fine, but now we were gonna be going into a crowd, and this was my first time presenting as a woman, and I’d never even tried voice training before, so even if nobody gave my looks a second glance, I was worried how people might react if I spoke.

“I know Chloe, but I promise you, it’ll be fine. We just need to get some food and directions to a port or coastal town or something. I can do the talking, alright? It’ll be ok.”

“I just- It’s really scary is all, and it’s not that I don’t trust you to handle things, I’m just more acquainted with the actual history and culture and stuff.”

Sophia rolled her eyes at me, before leaning in close.

“Well if that’s all it is, I bet I can take care of both of those worries of yours right now. As for the first,” she took my hand in hers, “I’ll be right beside you the whole time, and as long as we’re in Athens, as long as we’re with strangers, you don’t have to utter a word, and if you ever start to feel too nervous or uncomfortable, just tap the back of my had twice, and I’ll handle it.”

I could feel heat flooding my face, but I couldn’t find it in myself to look away. I’d seen this kind of intensity from Sophia before, but never directed at me, it was a lot to take on. Usually this kind of look was reserved for blushing fems at a bar or something.

Oh.

Sophia’s eyes grew wide and she looked away, but not before I saw a hint of red on her cheeks.

Oh.

Sophia

Sweet mother, I cannot weave. Slender Aphrodite has overcome me with longing for a girl…

In one moment, I fully and completely understood where Sappho was coming from. I’d loved this woman for so long, really, truly loved her, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t realized until now. She was beautiful, and wounded, and staring up into her worried eyes, I realized that I would do anything to keep her safe. Now with her hand in mine, I saw the blush rising in her cheeks, her breath coming just a little bit faster, her eyes flicking down to my lips for just a fraction of a second.

NOPE!

I fixed my eyes on the ground. I had to look away, because if that had gone on for even a second longer, I would’ve pinned her to a tree and kissed her till dusk, an idea that still held a lot of appeal, to be honest. I had to have priorities though, we had a job to do. What was I saying again? Chloe let out a little cough as she cleared her throat.

“Sooo… that’s uh… that’s the first one handled. You were right! Ahem! What about the second?”

“Huh..?”

“You know what? I’m just gonna trust that you have it handled, just promise you at least know what xenia is.”

What? Of course I knew. It was a tv show from the 90s about a badass greek lesbian.

Wait no, that was Xena.

Chloe

Sophia didn’t let go of my hand once for the entire rest of our walk, during which I gave her a crash course on etiquette and on an exceptionally useful Greek tradition known as xenia. The idea is this, any honorable Greek should welcome strangers into their home, offering food, gifts, drink, and sometimes even transport to their next destination. In return, the guest shows the host respect, tells stories and shares news, and extends the offer to shelter their host if their roles are ever reversed. It goes far beyond mere manners too. The gods - particularly Zeus and Athena - were known for disguising themselves as mortals seeking shelter, punishing those who refused xenia, and rewarding those who treated them kindly and with respect. As a result, you should always be kind to strangers, as you never know when they might be deities in disguise.

Having explained all this, I shared an idea that had been brewing in the back of my mind.

“So… what if we asked the king of Athens for xenia?”

Sophia looked at me kind of funny.

“Isn’t Athens a democracy? It was like the birthplace of democracy, wasn’t it?”

I squeezed her hand, gently bumping her shoulder with my own.

“Yep, but it didn’t start as one. We’re a couple hundred years too early for a democratic Athens. I figure we get food and beds, then see if we can’t forgo the normal gifts in exchange for transport to the coast.”

Sophia

So now we were standing before the doors to the house of Menestheus, the king of Athens. Chloe was shaking silently like a leaf, her hand clutching mine tightly. Well, there was only one thing to do. I took a deep breath, and strode into Menestheus’ palace.

We quickly found our way into a great hall, where we saw an old man sitting on a throne, and a woman seated to his left. Servants were scattered about the chamber, cleaning and readying a great dining table for what looked to be a feast. Moving quickly, Chloe and I approached the two before falling to our knees at their feet. Time to really lay on the praise.

“Oh most noble lord and ruler of Athens, we come to you weary and alone, cast far from our native lands by a twist of fate. Here at your feet, I ask only that you allow us strangers to rest for the night, to eat and drink and honor the gods with you, and may Zeus Xenios bless you if we may.”

Fuck yeah, nailed it.

He chuckled.

“And unusual strangers you are, two women dressed in fine clothes of exceptional make, bearing weapons of gleaming bronze and silver. Though it is with some regret I must inform you, I am not the ruler of Athens. That is a title belonging to my son, who fights in distant Troy. I am Peteus, my wife is Mnesimache, and in my son’s stead, I will gladly welcome and feed you both. Come then, let us pour libations to the gods, feast and be merry, and then you can tell me from whence you came.”

Oh gods, this was going to be a long night. Everything was so prim and proper and wordy and I couldn’t stand it. Even my conversations with the gods had been more relaxed than this. Whatever though, we were getting free food and a place to sleep, so I couldn’t really complain. We poured libations, I offered my first prayers to Apollo, which earned me an odd look from our hosts, as Chloe gave her prayers with barely a whisper. As we sat down to eat, I noticed Peteus still staring at me, a strange look in his eye.

“You’re not a goddess, are you?”

Chloe

My eyes grew wide as I stared at Peteus. Asking personal details about a guest before they’ve finished eating is a pretty big breach of xenia, what was going on? I almost tapped Sophia’s hand right then and there, still clasped in mine under the table. She must’ve noticed me tense up, because she glanced over to me, a worried look on her face.

“I’m sorry?”

Peteus cleared his throat.

“Your spear is unusual, not just in how odd it is that you carry one to begin with, and if I’m not mistaken, the bow your tall friend is carrying is made of pure silver. I’d almost think the twin children of Zeus and Leto were sat before me if only they were known to test xenia as their father does. I am aware of my foolishness in asking such things before you’ve dined, but to offer a prayer to another before Zeus is a poorer choice still, one that I would be wise to correct… unless you two were gods yourselves.”

Oh gods it’s all gone wrong.

If only I could just speak without making things worse. How was Sophia supposed to handle this when she didn’t even know what xenia was until a half hour ago? She turned and gave me a wink before facing Peteus again.

“Alright, I’m gonna drop all the flowery speech and stuff now. I don’t know how long I could’ve kept that up. Lemme just give it to you straight.”

Oh gods.

“No, we’re not gods, although your guess was a lot closer to the truth than you might think. We aren’t the twins, but we’ve met both of them, and they’ve given us blessings and a mission. Since we’ve completely abandoned the normal laws of hospitality now… we have right?” I gave her a small nod. “Cool. Since we’ve dropped all that pretense and stuff, I’m just gonna tell you. Artemis asked us to find her in Crete, and her brother delivered these weapons to us to help us on our way. There’s a lot of personal stuff about both of us that you’d be much better off not knowing, but I’m sure our goddess would bless your household if you fed us, sheltered us, and helped us reach the coast and find a ship. Sound good?”

The room was silent. Peteus’ mouth was hanging open and the servants stopped and stared. Only Mnesimache kept her composure, setting her cup on the table before looking at her husband.

“Since they seem to have abandoned the pretense of propriety, I think we can too babe.”

Babe?!? I’d completely lost the plot at this point, how we hadn’t been kicked out by now was completely beyond me, but somehow things still seemed fine? I guess? Peteus had finally closed his mouth, but it was Mnesimache who spoke up again.

“Alright you two, since it seems like my husband might need a minute, I’ll just uh… ‘give it to you straight’. While we may be the parents of the king, we ourselves don’t have a lot of sway here. That being said, you’ll still have food, drink, and a bed for tonight, and we can certainly give you directions to Brauron. It’s a coastal town centered around a temple to Artemis about a day's walk from here. If what you say is true, they can certainly help send you on your way. Is that acceptable?”

Sophia looked to me again for approval. Sure, whatever, I didn’t know anymore. I nodded, and she turned back towards Mnesimache.

“Yeah. That sounds great! Thanks bunches!”

Oh my gods.

Sipriotes

I smiled as I watched this exchange, concealed by Artemis in a cloak of magical energy. These two were adorable, and they were doing so well too! The moon was beginning to rise now, so I called my goddess to meet me. A warm hand brushed my shoulder, and I knew she was there behind me.

“How have our little mortals been doing thus far, pet?”

I shuddered at her words, leaning back to press myself against her, only for her to step away.

“I asked you a question. Now use your words, there’s only so much time in a night.”

Her hand was still on my shoulder, but with each second that ticked by her touch grew lighter, I could tell she was about to pull it away. 

“They’re doing well!” I said, just a little too loud. I saw one of the servants glance over, scratching their head. I dropped my voice to a whisper. “They’re doing well, they’ve secured transport to Brauron, and they’ll be looking for help in your temple there, although I don’t think Sophia liked your brother very much.”

Artemis let out a low chuckle behind me.

“A woman after my own heart then. I’m glad to hear they’re doing well, but I think we ought to spice things up a bit.” She leaned in close, pressing up against me from behind, her hand sliding from my shoulder, past my chest, to wrap around me possessively. Her breath was warm against my throat.  “Go to Brauron and meet them in my temple. I’ll be leaving a gift for them to hunt, and I’d like for you to show them how.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“A gift?”

She laughed again, low and quiet.

“Oh yes. Do you remember Calydon?” I nodded. “Perhaps not a boar this time, but something of sufficient challenge… Please make sure they don’t die, my pet. I’d be very disappointed if they did.”

Then just like that, she was gone, vanished into the moonlight. Her sudden absence left me off balance, and her final words had left me breathless. I dropped to the floor, not noticing a servant walking towards me. Just before she tripped over me, I saw her, shooting to my feet and grabbing her arms. She yelped as I suddenly appeared in front of her.

“Uh, hi! Sorry to startle you uh…”

I quickly weaved my (fairly limited) magic through the air.

“I was never here!”

I sprinted away in a blur, and in moments I was shrouded from view once again. 

Right then, Brauron it is!