Pegasus's life form intrigued Salomon. The first thing he thought of when he saw the small statue was a famous summoned beast.
That summoned beast was the companion of a male drow ranger who often roamed the northern reaches of Faerûn.
Yes, it was Gwenhwyvar, a magical creature from the Astral Plane.
The so-called Astral Plane is a vast, boundless sphere, bounded above and below by a clear, silvery sky.
While small amounts of solid matter occasionally occurred there, calling the Astral Plane a plane was a misnomer. In fact, the Astral Plane shouldn't be called a plane at all; it's a purely spiritual realm, the silvery void between all planes.
Salomon held the statue close to his eyes, scrutinizing the intricate carving. Now he was almost certain that the so-called Pegasus was, in fact, a magical creature from the Astral Plane, unrelated to the legendary Medusa or Poseidon.
He didn't know how Athena or the other Greek gods had captured the Pegasus from the Astral Plane, but he was wary.
Despite Athena's repeated claims that human-made Greek mythology was vastly different from reality, if Athena truly lent Bellerophon Pegasus, then Pegasus's throwing of Bellerophon—leaving him lame and blind—was a fact.
After grasping the Pegasus statue in his palm, Salomon bowed and thanked Athena. Judging by superficial etiquette, his manners were impeccable.
However, Athena, the goddess of wisdom in the Greek pantheon, readily perceived Salomon's concerns. Leaning forward, she asked with a heavy, oppressive air, "Are you still not satisfied?"
Salomon lowered his head even further.
Twelve is the prime of growth, and Athena's clothing was far too loose. He took a quick peek, then hesitated to look again. It was indeed a bit too large, its shape, size, and even its color striking.
Under the influence of his endocrine system, this scene was still too exciting for him at his age; it was beyond his control.
"No, Your Highness, this gift has already surprised me greatly." Although his breathing had become heavier, Salomon's thoughts remained focused, and his answer remained flawless.
Athena lowered her head slightly to notice the problem, but she didn't straighten up immediately. Instead, she leaned in closer. Compared to the ancient Greek decorations in the room,
Athena's clothing was more like a hybrid of the garments of women from the Mycenaean period in Crete and native Greece. Her waist was slender, bound with a metal belt, and her lower body was a conical, layered, and exquisitely ornate skirt. To conform to the times, her upper body resembled the flowing and spacious "chiton." However, the shoulders were no longer pinned, now secured with thin ties, and the material had changed from sheepskin to soft cotton.
As a member of the Greek pantheon, established and developed since the Cretan period, Athena had no problem exposing her breasts. Instead, she favored them as a weapon, believing her beauty to be admired and proud.
Indeed, Salomon practically hid behind the sofa.
Although Athena was a virgin goddess, she never shied away from male admiration.
She preferred the veneration of heroes to simple admiration, and thus nurtured young heroes, earning her the title of Mother of Heroes.
Perhaps she saw Salomon as a precious medal; if she were to raise him, perhaps he could become a great hero. A true man should fight with a spear, not learn effeminate magic.
While the Sorcerer Supreme was powerful, iron and blood were more suited to heroes. However, the Ancient One had already arranged Salomon's education, and Athena was not allowed to interfere, as that would be overreaching.
Perhaps there was a chance she could teach Salomon how to fight with spear and shield? The Sorcerer Supreme wouldn't refuse this, would she? Athena's thoughts raced, her only thought about how to establish a connection with Salomon. After all, although she could smell the scent of the Dark Dimension from Salomon, she didn't see the expected crystallization reaction, which meant that Salomon had indeed withstood the test of the Dark Dimension.
How could such a man not be a hero?
If Salomon knew Athena's thoughts, he might have laughed out loud—he could never be a hero. He would only accomplish what he was supposed to do.
He had always dismissed the saying "with great power comes great responsibility" as nonsense. The truth was, with great responsibility comes great power. He would protect those he wished to protect, motivated by the power he enjoyed and the favor of the Sorcerer Supreme.
Confucius long ago said, "One should not interfere in matters outside one's authority." Salomon intended to do the same. His focus would remain on mystical affairs. No matter what tricks the secular government might take, he would not get involved—anyone who had seen the magnificent starry sky would never stoop to such lowliness. Kamar-Taj's elevated position wasn't unwarranted arrogance.
Athena seemed to have a thought. With a smile, she straightened her body, stood up, and left the living room, leaving Salomon gasping for air.
A moment later, she returned, carrying a round object covered in sheepskin.
"This is my shield, Aegis," she said, extending her fair, lithe arm and placing it before Salomon. "You've probably heard the story of it."
As Athena peeled back the sheepskin covering, Salomon closed his eyes.
The story behind this shield was truly legendary. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of Greek mythology knew that Athena's shield was inlaid with the head of Medusa. Anyone who beheld it would be petrified, even the legendary Kraken.
"Don't worry, you're not mortal. As long as you don't wish the head of Medusa to take effect, no one will be petrified."
Hearing Athena's voice, Salomon opened his eyes slightly, examining the shield with great caution. It was made of bronze, tinged with gold. Four diamond-shaped markings adorned the circular surface, and in its center was a sculpture of the head of a woman with snake hair. The woman's face was agonized, but she remained silent.
"This shield is more than just a shield; it's both a shield and armor," Athena said with a smile. "This is also my love for you, Salomon."
Poor Salomon blushed.
This was Athena's idea, a way to satisfy her quirk—if Salomon took her shield in battle, everyone would know his connection to her. Whenever Salomon performed heroic deeds and saw his enemies petrified by the shield, they would naturally associate him with Athena.
This was within the Sorcerer Supreme's control. Both Mordo and Kaecilius in Kamar-Taj were deeply flawed, and the new Sorcerer Supreme, though already appointed, had little time to mature. Therefore, the Sorcerer Supreme wished for Salomon to be as powerful as possible.
This trip was a fruitful one for Salomon, as he acquired two powerful magical items that would significantly enhance his strength, at least providing him with ample protection while still a low-level mage.
But as a condition, he had to visit Athena's apartment frequently, at least once a month, because Athena saw what Salomon did.
To be a hero, one must be able to remain indifferent to beauty! Athena planned to train Salomon well in this aspect, and at the same time teach him some knowledge of art. In Athena's opinion, Kamar-Taj, which was particular about seclusion, had no artistic accomplishment at all.
This was force majeure. Salomon thought to himself, but that was really too much.
-End Chapter-
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