The Son Of Snakes

Bonus 3 - The Goddess Of Wisdom

Nikolas and Athena sat across from each other at a table, a singular eight by eight gridded board sitting between them. Both had enough identical pieces to fill two rows, though each side differed in color.

"Have you ever played a game of petteia, Nikolas?" Athena asked as she moved a piece.

"No, I have not." Nikolas replied, moving his own piece.

"You seem to know what you're doing." Athena noted, moving another piece.

"I learned of the rules in my travels." Nikolas replied, moving his next piece. "I have yet to stop and play a game, however."

"Then I hope you enjoy." Athena stated. "It is one of my favorite past times."

"I'll kill you!" Some random person yelled in the background, before getting thrown over Nikolas' head. Undisturbed, he continued with his next move.

"Interesting." Athena muttered, taking a different approach with her next piece.

Nikolas almost immediately played, moving another piece.

"I'm impressed you can play so well." Athena commented. "Did you memorize the places of all of your pieces?"

"Yes." Nikolas simply replied, tapping a piece. "As with yours. However, it has become more difficult now that the pieces have started to move."

"Still, you are keeping track quite well." Athena continued. "Please, let me know if you need help. I wouldn't want to win unfairly."

"What makes you think you'll win?" Nikolas spoke.

"Lots of experience." Athena let out a small smirks. "Thank you for the piece."

Undisturbed about his piece getting captured, Nikolas continued with his next move. In order to win, he needed to capture all her pieces except one by trapping them. Instead of going for them one by one, why not get a bunch at once?

"You bastard!" Another cry rang out, a table breaking in the distance as one man slammed another into it.

Athena hummed to herself, moving another piece as she calculated multiple different approaches she could take based on his next move.

"How is my mother doing?" Nikolas asked as he moved another piece.

"She is taking the adjustment to godhood well." Athena stated. "Impressive, considering she went from a mortal to an Olympian. She has handled outsider pressure well."

"Who?" Nikolas questioned.

Athena lightly chuckled. "Do not worry, your mother isn't bothered. We'll take care of anyone who gets too rowdy."

"Good." Nikolas nodded.

"Interesting play..." Athena muttered, moving her next piece.

"I will murder you! Then murder you again!" Another man screamed, before kicking someone through the entrance and sending them tumbling outside.

"How has the curse been?" Athena asked.

"Strange." Nikolas stated. He moved a piece with one hand as he held his other out, focusing as glossy white scales seemed to grow from his skin and take over, before then receding back.

"You can control it now?" Athena raised an eyebrow as she moved her next piece.

"Yes." Nikolas replied. "I am not quite sure why."

"I assume it has something to do with the incident with Ouroboros." Athena stated.

Nikolas nodded in agreement, moving a piece and capturing two of Athena's with the move.

"I have constructed my theory for that, if you are interested." Athena added.

Nikolas nodded once more.

"In trying to destroy yourself and Ouroboros within, you absorbed his power to overload yourself." Athena recapped. "Based on what you've told me, I can only guess that somehow you did more than simply absorb his power."

"I did?" Nikolas tilted his head.

"I believe you may have become the new primordial of infinity." Athena stated. "Which is something unheard of."

Nikolas hummed, moving another piece.

"I am not sure how..." Athena stated. "...But I have a feeling you already knew."

"Yes..." Nikolas replied. "...I do think you are right."

"As I thought." Athena nodded. "Are you...alright with that?"

Nikolas had seen what it had done to Ouroboros. How being the living embodiment of eternity had twisted its mind and caused it to try to destroy the world.

Would the same happen to him?

And then the voices of those he loved, including the one across from him, echoed through his mind.

He would be just fine.

"I am alright." Nikolas lightly smiled.

Seeing that, Athena felt herself let out a small smile as well. How could she not, when her love had such a beautiful look?

"I win." Athena stated, moving another piece.

"Unfortunate." Nikolas muttered.

"That was a good game-" Athena was cut off as an angry scream in the background suddenly led to a man being smashed into their table, breaking it and sending the pieces of the petteia game flying.

Athena glared down at the unconscious man which was now laying down on the broken halves of the table they were playing at.

"You are lucky we finished our game." Athena muttered. "Or else you would suffer a horrible fate."

She sighed, looking up and taking in her surroundings. The bar they had been sitting at and playing their game had completely dissolved into chaos.

Athena, of course, knew about that...

...but she may have gotten a little distracted with the game.

Fights were happening all over, people getting flung and beaten and more. Athena stomped her foot loudly, getting the attention of most.

"Who threw this man?" Athena pointed to the unconscious man.

"I did, and what are you gonna do about it?" A cocky man approached her with a grin on his face, leaning down to look her in the eyes.

"This." Athena stated, grabbing his face and in an instant slamming her knee against his face.

He stumbled back, before falling down unconscious. She turned back to Nikolas with a light smile on her face, grabbing his hand.

"Thank you for playing with me." She said. She slowly leaned forwards, praying that he would reciprocate.

And that he did, leaning forwards and kissing her back. The two stood there for a moment, lips connected as if it was only them.

They had once been enemies.

But now they shared something beautiful.

They ended the kiss, Athena looking at Nikolas with a warm smile on her face. "Let us leave, Nikolas."