Rina swung her spear, overlooking the blood staining the handle's polished wood. The stinging pain of her palms was harder to ignore as was the revelry coming from the floor above. She grunted, cursing their cheerful faces. In a few days, she would need to compete again and this time she wouldn't fail. Her archery was excellent, her swordplay on point, her use of daggers was swift and nimble but the spear? Rina paused for a moment to glare at the offending weapon.

A loud burst of laughter reached her, and she grimaced. It mocked her lack of friendship, her despised position in the Academy and stole her focus. Tomorrow was Zeus's birthday so tonight the celebrations began. This meant no peace for her. With a smirk, she slipped out the gated arch of the underground catacombs. It was the safest place to practise without their constant observations and open derision.

In her mid-thigh coarse-woollen chiton in a dark yellow, belted at the waist with a hemp rope, she moved on sandaled feet from shadow to shadow. The silver moonlight dusted everything not hidden by olive trees. The revelry was everywhere with elixir flowing freely. Watered down elixir for the Academy and other not so wealthy. Ambrosia or nectar for the gods, their children, and rich merchants.

Rina had longed to join the celebrations, but when they saw her, they mocked her, her lack of lineage, her sub-standard skills, her unsponsored training. She didn't need that now, not when she still had to perfect her use of the spear. She'd left it for last and she shouldn't have. Humans called that hindsight.

"Korina! I can't say this is unexpected." Panikos blessed her with a bright smile. As Olympian military, he wore a white and gold chiton, his cloak or Chlamys in a rich burgundy he'd pinned with a gold brooch. His trusty spear was in a tight grip. His broad sword nestled against his hip. She doubted he could remember when he'd last drawn it.

"Hello, my old friend," Rina said, glancing around him to see he was alone. "Where's Nestoras?" They guarded the portal to Earth's realm, one she visited often. She had a fondness for Humans. They were a childlike people, welcoming, compassionate and more forgiving. And they were her tutors, the only place she could go to receive training. It didn't bother her that Zeus's personal phalanx of warriors, the Pallasians, hadn't condoned the techniques she'd learned. As long as she could pass the trials, her life would improve.

"We're taking turns," Panikos said, colour darkening his olive cheeks.

"I won't tell if you don't tell," Rina teased. This elderly warrior had shown her kindness, unlike Nestoras who glared at her each time she came through the portal. "I need to master the spear," she said. "I hope it's the last weapon I have to learn. Is it, Panikos?" Rina raised hopeful eyes to meet his brown ones. He chuckled, shaking his head, no.

"Who on Earth knows the spear? They have other weapons now."

"Someone's been peeking!" She laughed as his cheeks darkened further. "I heard the Shaolin monks still practice this skill. I should be gone an hour or two."

"Ten days Earth time? Isn't that too long?"

"No one would miss me. I'll go and come back to an intoxicated Olympus before the moon hits its zenith." Rina raised her eyes to the mountain looming over their city. All the gods and their direct descendants lived there. Even from here, she could see the crisp white palaces gleaming under the moonlight. Large bonfires dotted the parapets and it seemed as if a golden beam of light emanated from Zeus's palace.

Sometimes, she'd escape to the Academy's roof to watch the sunset paint it's vibrant colours across the white walls. Sometimes she'd wonder what it might be like inside those heavily guarded palaces. When a god descended to Prostakáto, it fed the gossipmongers for months. Rina had never seen a god, but she had to have one of them in her lineage for her to live up here and not in another realm. She laughed, mocking her thoughts. It was probably a lesser of a lesser god.

"Then I shall await your return, but you must show me what you've learned."

"Are you certain?"

Panikos grimaced and rubbed his chest in remembrance. All she'd done was krav maga him to the floor and keep him there with a little jiu-jitsu. Doing that had shown him the benefits of her training and since then, he'd let her through without hesitancy. At least, one person in Olympus cared to help her.

He unravelled the portal's scroll and held it out to her so that she could speak the destination. It recorded who was travelling and to where; not that anyone ever checked. The arched doorway illuminated, shimmering an opalescence that was beautiful with an accompanying lyrical hum. It sounded like thousands of sirens beckoning her to her doom. Excitement skittered along her skin and her heart beat faster. With a wave, Rina stepped through.