RE: Odyssey

I'm flipped out of bed if you can even call it that.

It's more of a pallet and some animal hides stretched out over it.

It was better than sleeping on the cold hard ground where I am now.

"I had a revelation in my sleep." That's great, but it's no way to wake someone up.

It's a deep voice, and it sounds nothing like Eumaeus.

I struggle to open my eyes, and it's still dark outside.

"The Goddess of Wisdom came to me in an owl's shape." He continues, leaning over me.

The first thing to notice is the dense beard and the robust shoulders casting their shadow on me.

It's a man in his mid-fifties, and his clothing is way more intricate than anything I've seen.

He fits the image of an ancient Greek ruler. Strong, majestic, but thank god, unarmed.

"She said my son is to return and might be already here." Even before gathering my scattered thoughts, it's clear he's Laertes, King of Ithaca. Something about his face looks familiar.

His hair is short and dark, and the face is of an experienced soldier. In a sense, I can see myself in it, only twice as old. If it's Athena's trick, she puts in the effort to make her story believable.

The owl — Glauca, the real one, not what he saw in his dream — lands on my chest, its huge eyes staring at the visitor. A warm smile spreads across his face, offering his hand to me.

I take it without thinking, but rather than a handshake, he drags me to my feet with a single move.

He's strong, and I'm still dizzy from the sudden awakening.

"Uhu." The bird complains, escaping what comes next.

Before I can move or say anything, his strong arms wrap around me like a vice.

It squeezes out all the air from my lungs.

Luckily, Athena healed my bullet wounds. Or was it the time travel? Either way, this would hurt a lot otherwise. Well, at least he's not as hostile as my little sister.

She's not here, and Eumaeus is still sleeping. It's us two, in our strange family reunion.

I lived my whole life thinking that my parents died in a terrorist attack.

I was too young to remember them, and an uncle took me in, though if he was my real father, my whole life could have been a lie. I don't care. Not in this tight embrace.

It's hard to tell how long it lasts, but I won't rush him.

"Welcome home, Odysseus." He pulls away but still holds my arm. His warm brown eyes glisten with tears, and it's a struggle to hold back mine. These encounters had quite an effect on me.

"Father." It's not my emotional response, but a girl's upset voice. It's Ktimene barging in, and she's loud enough to make the swineherd stir in his bed too.

"Ah, here we go." At least she doesn't have a spear this time. She stares me down with the same hostility as yesterday though. How do I deal with this whole situation?

"You two already met?" Laertes asks, letting my arm go.

"We did, last night. He sneaked in to steal from your slave." She says arms crossed over her chest. The worst part is that she's not lying. "He claimed to be Odysseus, and wanted to see you."

"And why didn't you lead him to me right away?" The king asks, but he sounds more curious than upset. I can see the same love in his eyes towards her daughter as towards me.

You'd need to be a terrific actor to pull that off. Yeah. Athena might have been right after all.

"It was in the middle of the night, Father. You were asleep, and he was all beat up and dirty." She explains herself, pulling up her nose. She's even younger in the first light. Fifteen, give or take.

"And what were you doing here that late?" Laertes asks the question I wanted as well.

Now it's our turn to cross arms, moving in perfect sync even without a word.

"T-that's not important right now." My newfound little sister goes on the defense.

Eumaeus is awake now too, rubbing the last traces of his dreams away from his tired eyes.

The king glances at him and then puts a hand on his shoulders, but slave or not, he looks at him the same way as us. It will take some time to understand these family mechanics.

It's the first time I had one.

"Don't let her bother you about sparring. Anticleia forbade her from taking any more lessons with the spear. Especially in the middle of the night." His voice is stern now, but still warm.

So that's what it was? The little princess sneaks out to practice dueling skills, and her mother disapproves. What a cliche, but I love it. And even if she's suspicious of me, I love her too.

Wait. Her mother is my mother too.

I have a mother.

It's so many huge shocks in a row, that I can't even find the words, listening in on their banter.

Why did Athena take this from me?

By sending me into the future as a child, I lost twenty years of this or even more. Until now, my question was why she brought me back in time. Now it's the opposite. I need to find out.

"All right, son. The dream did not end there." The king — my Father — pats my back a while later.

We leave the hut and climb the hill to the palace, including Eumaeus.

I'm preparing my brain for the first meeting with my mother, so this announcement catches me off guard. The hill overlooks the sea surrounding the small island in every direction.

This is the best strategic place to build a palace, and it would be even back in the future. But after a glance at the scenery, I look back into Laertes' eyes.

"Once we confirm that you're blood of my blood, you will take over the kingdom." It's a heavy announcement, but knowing a thing or two about Greek mythology, I expected it.

My sister's eyes widen though, and she protests with everything she has. Our Father ignores her for now and continues. There is no reason to argue, this is why Athena brought me here.

"You'll meet your mother, and then seek her father, Autolycus." He orders, — because no matter how warm his tone is, this is an order. "He named you, he'll know for certain, if you are you."

"I understood." Bowing my head, I accept his quest. It will be quite a journey. In the legends, the old man lives in Mount Parnassus. "I will set out as soon as possible."

He's even more famous as Odysseus, being the son of Hermes, a master thief, and a trainer for Herakles, or Hercules. Apart from that, he's also the grandfather of the legendary hero Jason.

He and my father sailed together on the Argo, undertaking the Quest for the Golden Fleece. Everyone is a big shot in this family. Well, everyone but me.

But hey. At least my name is in the Iliad, while my sister didn't even get a mention.