Daughter of Hera

Chapter 3

Fifteen bow and arrows are pointed at Freya who didn't even bother to look like she's nervous about the threat in her life.

"They said that I'm a demigod of Demeter and they want me to go to the academy, and as you can see, I'm lost." Freya said and the demigods of Apollo looked at her like they were suspecting her of something.

"Looks like you're not believing me," Freya manifested green vines around her to prove herself.

"Seems like she's telling the truth,"

"There's no point of lying." Freya said when she heard that.

"We'll lead the way so follow us." Freya nodded and waited for them to finish collecting the body of the Stymphalian birds.

"Why are you collecting those?" Freya curiously asked and one of them answered.

"To eat, obviously."

"Interesting. I don't know if you can eat them." Freya commented and followed them as they started walking. No one said anything until they arrived at an arch. Freya could feel a barrier surrounding this place.

"Is this an actual Academy? Or a Camp? Looks like a Camp to me." Freya asked when she stepped inside. She could see houses and cabins all over the place but there are also some three-story houses and a gymnasium.

"It's an Academy but you know the Greeks are old fashioned. They don't like using buildings."

They led Freya to the office of the Headmaster and told her to wait. She looked around and pouted when there's nothing much to see in this place. She crossed her legs and looked outside from the massive window. There are students walking around, laughing and talking to each other. There are also some that are playing around with each other.

"It's too lovely. I hate this," Freya whispered and looked at the door where someone, maybe in his 40's, entered the room.

"We got a letter," he waved the letter on his hand and sat on his chair.

"Looks like your really Demeter daughter. Supposedly we will be asking you some questions about yourself but in this letter, it has the complete information about you, so here you go." Freya took the paper bag that the Headmaster handed to her.

"Inside them are your necessities and some uniforms. Welcome to the Academy, Freya."

"Thank you."

–––

A month has passed since Freya arrived at the Academy, and she's currently sitting on the swing facing the lake.

"I'm bored. Nothing is really interesting in this world. At this point, I will die without getting any enjoyment." Freya uttered as she manipulated the vines holding the swing to move. After a while, she stood up and she rested a hand on her hip. From the distance, just the other side of the lake, clearly been staring at her for some while. Freya extended her middle finger towards the eight figures and turned her back at them.

'Annoying, demigods.'

On her way back to the Demeter cabin where she will be staying, two female demigods block her way, based on their red and yellow tie, they are from the Ares and Apollo cabin. That made her wonder for the reason why she is being cornered by these two when she dont remember getting to know them.

"Freya, do you know what Panathenaic games are?" the daughter of Apollo asked and Freya just answered their question to know their intentions.

"The Panathenaic Games is an annual Athenian festival. This is held every four years to honor the city's patron goddess Athena. Why? Why are you asking a very obvious question?" Freya asked them and the two looked at each other before the daughter of Ares handed her a piece of paper. Freya boredly took it and started reading it.

"We want to recruit you to join the two of us, for the three person pentathlon and for the last competition where teams composed of three girls will be battling in the Athena's Olympics." the daughter of Apollo stated as Freya continued reading.

Pentathlon is basically a multi-event athletic competition consisting of five sports: discus toss, javelin throw, long jump, stadion (a 200-yard sprint), and wrestling. And as indicated in the paper, Athena's Olympics consist of running and leaping from pole to pole while avoiding spears being thrown at you, then some obstacles courses before diving off the edge into the lake where in the constant is going to find a treasure that needs to be found.

"Interesting. But I'm more interested in the rewards that we would be getting if we took first place." She handed the paper back and waited for the two to answer.

"A replica of the Aegis and I heard there's a special price that won't be revealed until the awarding."

Freya thinks for a minute and she finds it interesting so she agrees. "Alright. Tell me what I should do."

The two introduce themselves, Sorin is the daughter of Apollo while Melissa is the daughter of Ares. The three went to Mini forest where there are benches and tables to sit on.

The two explained the rules and things to do in order to prepare for the pentathlon and the Athena's Olympics. Since there is no one around, they decide to plan out which lead by Melissa but Freya occasionally disagrees and tells her thoughts about it.

When the ring bells indicated that the afternoon classes would be starting, the three parted ways and Freya went to her class, just a class composed of the Demigods of Demeter and Dionysus.

In her first of week classes, Freya thinks that she won't gain a lot of knowledge from them since she has already been under the goddess of Wisdom but it seems like the world has still to offer that Athena herself didn't want to share it to her.

Her time in the academy is a bit draining as she needs to share a single room with four different girls, she has chores to do, she needs to socialize, be respectful and many other things that she didn't do when she's in the Olympus.

After her class and eating her dinner, Freya took some offers for her mother, Hera and her second mother, Demeter. She made sure that no one is in the premises around the Temple of Hera.

The lights brighten when she steps foot inside. Freya went to the altar, where there's her mother's massive statue. She put the flowers and fruits on the altar and sat in front of her.

"How long do I need to stay here?" Freya gathered her knees in front of her and just stared at her mother's statue. Even if Freya hates how her mother is too perfectionist, she still can't help but to ask for her mother when everything is too taxing for her.

"Mama. I don't want to be here." Freya looked at her mother statue when it lit up and she found herself into the familiar embrace in her mother's warmth.

"That's why, I keep demanding Zeus to keep you there." Missing her mother's warmth, Freya put herself closer to her mother. Like a baby not wanting to be apart from her mother, Freya clutches on her mother's dress.

It seems that today is the day of her limit. Being in an unfamiliar environment and being away from her mother made Freya feel homesick.

Hera decided to lift Freya up, not even sweating because of Freya's height and weight. Freya, who's familiar with this, immediately circles her legs around Hera's waist and buries her head on her shoulder, trying to enclose herself in the environment.

"They must make you suffer so much that you're having your breakdown. I miss seeing you like this," Hera commented as she slowly moved her body to rock her daughter while soothing her by the sound of her voice singing. Freya found herself dozing and sleeping on her mother's arm.

"What would you do if I abandoned you? You can't even function without me."