Athena moved, holding her spear, then spoke in a low voice:
"I will explore the eastern side… I want to know what that forest is hiding."
She then advanced toward the dense forest, her steps slow but steady. Her older brother Odin's words dominated her thoughts:
"Father's presence is what keeps creatures away from you… if you stray from him, be careful."
And now… she was moving away.
This was the first time she stepped into land where her father Zeus did not protect her with his power, nor did Odin stand beside her to ward off what might lurk.
Everything here was new:
the scent of the trees… the damp earth… the strange silence, like an open mouth waiting to devour a sound.
She ventured deeper.
Low branches brushed against her shoulders. The air grew heavier. The light dimmer.
After some time, Athena caught a strange sound echoing among the trees. She stopped, then turned her head toward its source and approached with cautious steps.
She was not used to fleeing from anything, but caution this time was necessary.
As she got closer, the features of the sound became clearer.
It was the sound of horses moving through the forest… yet Athena did not abandon her vigilance and continued forward slowly and steadily, her eyes not missing a single movement around her.
A moment of calm fell, then Athena peered through the trees, her gaze landing on wide pastures stretching before her. The horses ran and played freely over the grass rippling with the wind.
But as she focused on the horses, her eyes widened in astonishment.
On their backs were broad wings bending with their movement, gleaming under the sunlight.
She froze in place for a moment, contemplating a sight she had never expected to see, then recalled Odin's words when he said the island was full of extinct and strange creatures… and now she was seeing the first one before her.
As Athena was about to approach the horses, a sudden, powerful sound like an eagle's scream echoed above her. She raised her head quickly to look up, seeing a strange creature soaring in the sky.
The scene was both astonishing and terrifying.
All she could think was that the creature looked marvelous… its body that of a lion, with the head and wings of an eagle, flapping with enough strength to stir the air around it.
Athena stopped in her tracks, staring at it in disbelief, unable to comprehend what she saw before her.
But what struck Athena was that such a creature was usually kept by the imperial family and presented only to their finest knights.
She remained astonished and bewildered, unable to recall its name at that moment.
Suddenly, the creature attacked the horses. Seeing it, the horses panicked and ran in every direction, scattering across the pastures chaotically, which only deepened her amazement and wonder.
When Athena saw what was happening, she felt a strange mix of excitement and thrill.
She gripped her spear tightly and leapt onto one of the flying horses running through the pastures. She mounted it swiftly, holding on firmly.
The horse tried to resist and escape, but Athena held it firmly, guiding it toward the strange creature soaring above.
The wondrous creature flew through the sky, its eyes watching every movement with sharp precision. When it saw the horse approaching, it was slightly surprised and initially didn't notice the girl riding it.
With astonishing speed, the creature lunged at the horse, attempting to devour it, but Athena was faster. She anticipated the attack and tilted the horse to the left, moving away lightly and gracefully, controlling every motion perfectly.
Athena raised her spear swiftly and threw it while maneuvering the horse, striking the creature directly in the eye.
The creature screamed, pain surging through its body, and it lost balance in the air as it struggled to regain control of its flight.
At that moment, it suddenly realized that a small creature was riding the horse, and it focused all its attention on Athena, both astonished and perplexed.
As the creature tried to regain balance in the air to remove the spear from its eye, Athena did not allow it.
She advanced with the horse toward it, colliding with it forcefully in midair, attempting to push it and bring it down to the ground.
She rode the horse with steadiness and strength, determined not to lose control, every move calculated to make the creature completely unbalanced.
When Athena and the horse struck the creature, she pulled the spear from its eye and struck it again, this time aiming at its chest.
The spear pierced the creature's chest easily. It screamed and howled loudly, its voice shattering the silence around her.
When Athena saw the creature beginning to weaken and die, she swiftly guided her winged horse away from its collapsing body, eager to maintain a safe distance from the remaining force of the creature.
As they moved away, the creature fell to the ground forcefully, sending up a thick cloud of dust. Athena then regained her composure and guided the horse to land near the creature's body, observing it closely.
Suddenly, she remembered its name, and her heart trembled: it was a symbol of the Myra Empire… the legendary Griffin.
Athena was astonished at how easily she had defeated the creature.
After dismounting the horse to catch her breath, she suddenly felt a powerful energy spreading throughout her body. But it quickly faded, leaving a strange sensation of harmony with her soul.
Still, she felt immense joy, having finally discovered the type of energy that resonated with her spirit, and understanding something important about her true power and how to use it.
As Athena tried to reconnect with that strange feeling of power, the flying horses that had fled earlier approached her cautiously.
Yet Athena felt no fear or anxiety, for they showed no hostility toward her. On the contrary, the horses welcomed her gently, nuzzling her softly, as if acknowledging her as a friend rather than a predator or new threat.
As Athena received the horses' affection, she looked at them closely and noticed that they were covered with numerous wounds, varied in severity.
She realized then that these horses had been prey to many creatures on this harsh island.
Athena decided to stay with them for two reasons: the first and most important was to test her strength and the feeling she experienced while fighting, and the second was her care for them and her desire to protect them from any danger that might approach.
Athena stayed with them, moving among the horses with caution and courage, always ready to fend off any threat.
She fought all the creatures that attacked them, regardless of their type or size, using her skill and newfound power to protect the flying horses from every danger on this strange island.
Several months passed since she began her adventure on the island—months filled with continuous battles against various creatures, whether small or massive, fierce or cunning. With each encounter, Athena felt the power surging inside her, sometimes faint, sometimes roaring like a storm within her soul.
Over time, her spirit gradually harmonized with this mysterious energy, as if it had been waiting for her from the beginning, seeking someone capable of understanding and containing it. It was no longer a fleeting feeling or a passing spark—it had become an inseparable part of her being.
One day, after a long and exhausting battle with a giant creature that tried to prey on the horses, Athena felt an explosion of energy within her, intertwined with every pulse of her soul. Quickly, it consumed her from within, greedily absorbing all her strength until it became an inseparable part of her.
While Athena did this, the horses watched her from a distance, intimidated by the immense energy surrounding her.
The presence around her was intense, a sense of power filling the air, making the horses step back one or two steps, as if sensing something greater than their size and strength. Yet they did not move far, their curiosity and bond with Athena keeping them close despite their awe of that tremendous power.
After an indefinite period, Athena slowly opened her eyes and stopped absorbing the energy. She began examining her soul and body, sensing every part of the power flowing within her.
She reflected carefully on what had happened and suddenly realized that it had not been easy at all, and that any small mistake could have been catastrophic. This immense energy could have destroyed her body or the surrounding environment if she had lost control even for a moment.
As she felt her body and soul under the influence of the power, Athena sensed the overwhelming magnitude of the energy, how powerful and majestic it was, filling her with both awe and admiration.
Her heart swelled with joy, and she murmured softly to herself: "I've succeeded in absorbing the energy into my soul… now it's time to control it."
Athena mentally prepared herself, realizing that the next task would be harder than anything she had faced before, knowing that mastering this immense power would take a long time and great patience.
She then looked at the horses observing her from afar and smiled.
She approached them with calm steps, thinking that she would live among them for a long time.
When the horses noticed she was no longer surrounded by that overwhelming energy, they cautiously approached her, greeting her gently, as if silently saying: "We were worried about you."
Feeling the horses' affection and care, Athena smiled quietly at them and said:
"I'm fine… don't worry about me. I won't leave you. I'll stay with you until I learn to control my power."
They looked at her as if understanding her words.
Her words were full of reassurance and confidence, as if promising them that she would never abandon them, no matter what challenges lay ahead.
Over the years, Athena became the guardian of the flying horses, protecting them from all their predators and the island's dangerous creatures.
She knew every movement they made, every sound approaching their pastures, and her combat and energy-control skills became unmatched, making her an indispensable ally for the horses and a powerful protector against any threat.
Over time, Athena grew physically and spiritually, becoming far larger than ordinary humans, strong and agile, as if her body had completely harmonized with the immense power she had acquired, making her mere presence enough to deter any threat that dared approach.
While Athena tended to the horses in the pastures, carefully observing them, she suddenly heard a strange voice from deep within her soul.
The voice was clear and direct, instructing her to go immediately to the center of the island.
Athena paused for a moment, listening attentively, realizing that this call was not mere illusion or fleeting sensation, but a strong message demanding a swift decision and immediate action.
She moved instantly, leaving the horses astonished by her sudden action.
They had been resting peacefully among her moments ago, and suddenly she surged forward with incredible speed, leaving behind a sense of astonishment and confusion.
The horses tried to follow, but her words stopped them in place:
"Something important has happened… stay here."
Athena moved on without looking back, her eyes glowing with excitement and anticipation.
Her heart raced, eager to see her siblings and father after all these long years spent away from them.
Every step she took toward the center of the island was filled with thrill and curiosity, uncertain of what would happen upon meeting them, yet sensing that this encounter would be a decisive moment in her life.