There should have been a peaceful return, but perhaps it wouldn't be as peaceful as she imagined. Attica was now embroiled in a power struggle between two gods, Poseidon and Athena.
She knew Poseidon, her elder brother, and Athena was the daughter of Zeus and Metis. Thinking of Metis brought her sadness; just the mere thought of her seemed to haunt her past helplessness.
At the harbor, the people of Attica were cheering loudly. The arbitrators in this dispute were Cecrops I and the city's inhabitants.
Poseidon was no longer the young boy he once was; he was now a burly man with a handsome face and hair as blue as the sea. His little niece had grown into a young woman, her skin slightly tanned, her features resembling Metis, especially her copper eyes, which were very similar to her mother's.
"Poseidon seems very confident, but I lean towards Athena's side because at least she's been intelligent since childhood," Euthalia thought.
The god of the sea crabs raised his trident and slammed it down on the ground, creating a stream of blue water that gushed up from the earth, forming a large river. Despite the grand gift, the god seemed to have forgotten that he was the god of the sea, not the god of water.
Therefore, the water he bestowed was as salty as the ocean.
"What is this?!"
"It's too salty, how can anyone drink it!"
"Pff pff, it's incredibly salty!"
Euthalia shrugged helplessly at her older brother's gift. She knew Poseidon liked to show off in front of others, but she didn't expect him to be so ostentatious.
On Athena's side, she sowed a seed, and the seed, upon being planted in the ground, grew rapidly into a large tree, bearing strange fruits.
"I give you an olive tree; it can be wood, oil, and food all at once. Thus, you will have everything you need," said Athena.
The people were astonished by this gift. Euthalia waved her hand, and the olives fell from the tree for them to taste. When they put them in their mouths, the aroma was strong and refreshing, reminiscent of freshly cut grass, green leaves, or fruit.
Indeed, Cecrops I and the people agreed that the goddess Athena was the winner in this contest.
However, how could a proud and arrogant man like Poseidon accept defeat to his niece? Then he raised the trident in his hand, and dark clouds appeared in the sky, lightning flashed, and the sea rose in violent waves.
"Oh dear, not again?" Euthalia sighed.
The tsunami was about to strike, and Poseidon roared in furious anger.
At that moment, Euthalia stepped forward, raised her finger, and a barrier was erected, blocking the tsunami before it could engulf Attica.
"Who?! Who dares to brazenly interfere with the punishment of the supreme god?" - Poseidon
"Is someone of your family lineage worthy enough?" - Euthalia
Poseidon looked down and saw a small figure that exuded an underlying power, causing him to involuntarily tremble slightly.
"Oh no, could it be you...?" - Poseidon
"Withdraw the sea immediately, brother. Or don't blame your little sister for taking action!" - Euthalia
Hearing this, Poseidon's anger subsided. He knew that if he continued to rage, he would incur Euthalia's punishment. Although she was his youngest sister, she had hundreds and thousands of strategies to deal with the situation.
So the god of the sea had no choice but to withdraw his power and clear the gray clouds from the sky.
However, Poseidon knew this wouldn't end easily. He had to quickly go and tell the others about this.
After the sea had receded, Euthalia returned to the olive tree, concentrating her magic to bestow a gift upon it. The olive tree grew a little taller, its roots spreading rapidly across the nearby field.
At that moment, Athena, standing on a chariot pulled by pegasus horses, stopped beside Euthalia and extended her hand.
"Welcome back, Aunt Euthalia," said Athena.
"It's been so long, Athena. You've grown so much." - Euthalia
The horses took flight, soaring into the sky, heading straight towards the land of the gods, Olympus.
Flying through the white clouds, Euthalia reached out and grasped a white cloud, holding it close to her heart. The softness and coolness of the cloud made her feel comfortable.
"I've been away for quite a while. Is everything alright on Olympus?" - Euthalia
"Ah, about that..." - Athena hesitated.
"...Not stable, are they?" - Euthalia
"...Yes, that's right." - Athena
Hearing this from the very niece she had raised and trusted, Euthalia knew things wouldn't be so simple.
Let's see how her older siblings will cover up this when she returns.
As soon as the chariot landed on Olympus, Euthalia hadn't even had time to catch her breath when she heard something inadvertently reach her ears.
A sinister sound she had never heard before, a sound mixed with joy and something else, she didn't know what it was because every time she wanted to listen, someone or something would prevent her from finding out.
Euthalia followed the sound, and from above, a child's figure saw her and jumped down, blocking her path.
"Greetings, beautiful lady, why are you here?"
"Who are you? Before asking someone's name, at least introduce yourself!" - Euthalia
The child looked her up and down, circling her and assessing her. She had a beautiful figure, large breasts and buttocks, a slender waist, golden hair that shimmered in the sunlight, and particularly long ears.
"You look quite attractive, perhaps you're my father's lover?"
"Your father?" - Euthalia
"Zeus, of course. King of the gods, he gets whatever he wants. Hey, why don't you put him aside and play with me!"
The child suddenly approached and grabbed her hand, but the moment their hands touched, a jolt of electricity threw the child away. He jumped, looking up at the woman.
"Oh, quite strong. You don't seem to realize that the person before you is a—"
"Hermes! Don't be disrespectful to Aunt Euthalia!" - Athena
Athena's powerful voice startled the child, causing him to frown.
"Hermes, don't treat your elders with such disrespect. That's not right." - Athena
"Don't you dare lecture me, sister. Do you think you can act superior just because you have Father's favor? She's just another woman like all the others Father has slept with." - Hermes
The goddess, annoyed by her younger brother's thoughtless words, turned and bowed before Euthalia.
"I sincerely apologize, Aunt Euthalia. This child has never met you before; I apologize for his rudeness." - Athena
"Oh, it's alright, after all, he's still young and doesn't understand things, that's understandable." - Euthalia
Hearing the name Euthalia, Hermes' eyes widened in astonishment as he looked at the woman. He recoiled, trembling.
"Impossible...you...you really are...." - Hermes
"Euthalia!"
A deep, resonant male voice rang out, revealing a tall, muscular, and incredibly strong white man with long, flowing blonde hair and a sharp face, wearing a long robe (himation).
Many others followed him, and the man, unable to restrain himself, embraced the small figure.
"Welcome back, my little sister, Euthalia!" - Zeus.