When Laz entered, he found the battle hardened warrior sitting on what looked like the only stiff, upright chair in the entire room while drinking from a mug of something. Looking around, he could see plush chairs, couches and benches and yet somehow she had found herself in the most uncomfortable piece in the room.

’Well this is going to be fun.’

While Laz had entered quietly, Athena had heard him. But instead of choosing to engage, she was ignoring him. While these types of games weren’t Laz’s strong suit, he wasn’t a kid anymore either.

Instead of saying anything to her, he just walked to the bar area and began rummaging through the various spirits, taking a whiff here and there to identify which was which. When he finally smelled something familiar, he took a large glass, scooped some ice from a cold storage and filled the glass. Then, ignoring the still silent woman, he took a seat on a large, cushioned chair and sat back to relax. While he was told he was in a bit of a time rush, it wasn’t him who was needing something from her, so the time table was way more important to her than to him.

Now, it was simply a waiting game to see who broke first and he didn’t have anything to lose either way.

And he wasn’t wrong with his thinking either as Athena was fuming already that he didn’t even acknowledge her and instead just acted like he was in his own house.

’Fucking ass. I’ve never been ignored like this. EVER!’ Athena thought as she slammed her hand down on the old wooden table, breaking it into splinters as she spun around to face him which only annoyed her more since Laz had failed to even react to her outburst.

Despite her anger, Athena knew that Laz was what she needed to break through the wall that had held her back for so long and although she didn’t understand how he was suppose to do it, she knew she needed him whether she liked it or not.

As for Laz, since she was glaring at him, Laz took the time to observe the woman as well. It always hit him that despite all of these gods and goddesses being things out of legend, none of them really lived up to the legendary persona that tales had led him to believe. Sure, each of them was ridiculously beautiful, but they all seemed to lack the actually god like nature that they had been blessed with.

’Or maybe its just because of how strong I am? Is it because I am looking at her from a higher level that she seems so... weak?’ Laz mused.

Still, she filled the unearthly beautiful requirement. With auburn brown hair that flowed down to her lower back, full, firm breasts, tight, muscle etched abs and even a slightly jutting rear, there was a lot to enjoy about her body. Her face was also a marvel with full red lips, sharp curves and amazingly green eyes that seemed to draw light into them, she was every bit a beauty that should be worshiped. If there was one off putting thing to her beauty, it was the strong feeling of blood and the distinct smell of horses, iron and leather that had worked it’s way into her skin from her long years at war. While it wasn’t a game breaker, it was something that spoke of a lack of personal care. She wasn’t anywhere near a horse and yet the smell was still there.

"What are you staring at?" Athena finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Just thinking what a waste it was..."

"What’s a waste?"

"You’re lack of attention to your personal care. I mean... you could be considered beautiful and yet it’s clear you don’t even bother to take care of yourself. And for a warrior to have such long hair tied back in a pony tail? I mean... Why wouldn’t you just cut it short? In a real battle, such a thing could be used to control your movements and yet you’ve grown it out so long... I just don’t understand...." Laz said, speaking his mind as her face grew slightly red while rage washed over her. Her hair had always been her pride and while she had heard the reasoning behind cutting it, she had both never wanted to and had never met someone who was skilled enough to take advantage of such an opening.

And yet here was her mother’s lover throwing that right in her face as though talking down to a child. Athena was on the brink of losing it completely but remembered why she was here at the last minute.

"I was told you would be good for helping me to break through into the god stage. I don’t need you comments on anything else and warn you against doing so again. You might be my mother’s little boy toy, but don’t think I will be kind if you get off topic!" Athena said, making her threat known.

"Ah. So that’s what you think... Ha ha ha... oh damn... you really don’t know anything, do you?"

"If you don’t speak clearly, I promise I will pry clarity from your bleeding mouth!" Athena pulled a dagger from her belt and pointed it straight at Laz.

"You know... I was hoping to do this a different way, but it seems like I was being foolish. For someone such as yourself, there really is only one solution," Laz said with a sigh, setting down his now finished drink.

Even though she was expecting it, Laz moved before she could react. While her instincts yelled at her to turn around, Laz was too fast for her body to respond as his strong hand gripped tightly at the base of her tied back hair, almost touching her skull. Laz then yanked back causing her entire body to follow it as she felt herself captured tightly for the first time in her life.

The dagger shot up, aimed accurately for his right eye. But even then, the dagger was stopped a mere few inches from it as his other hand shot out to grab the blade, trapping it between his two fingers.

"You’re this weak and yet you talk about forcing me to do anything? Foolish." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"FUCK YOU. I’LL KILL YOU. I SWEAR UPON MY ANCESTORS I’LL CUT YOU UP INTO PIECES AND FEED YOU TO MY HUNTING DOGS!" Athena shouted while struggling, her hair still grasped firmly in his hand while she was struggling to stab him with her dagger.

"No. You won’t," Laz said, throwing away the dagger and throwing her down on to a couch.

Athena jumped up and crouched low, circling him as she looked for an opening. Laz stood in place and didn’t even bother following her movements with his eyes as his spiritual sense captured everything clearly.

Once she was behind him, she lunged, only for her strike to be thrown aside. Laz then gripped her arm and threw her over himself, causing her to strike the floor hard. He then threw a fist at her face.

It stopped a mere inch from her nose.

"That’s your first death," Laz said, his face betraying nothing as he knew that mocking her wouldn’t get the point across. Perhaps it would make him feel better, but he hadn’t forgotten the task Hera had left for him.

"Bastard," Athena said before swinging her legs and getting back up.

Again and again, Athena was thrown to the floor with little to no effort on Laz’s part. He used her momentum to throw her again and again, never needing to over power her, just throw off her balance.

At first, Athena was angry and getting more enraged as they engaged. But after the tenth time, even her anger had subsided. By the twentieth time, she couldn’t even find it in her to get upset as she did nothing but think about how not to get thrown.

It didn’t work.

After an uncountable number of times, the room was a wreck was was Athena’s confidence.

’I can’t beat him...’ The thought finally hit her. It wasn’t even a contest of strength which he had already proven he was stronger. Instead, he was able to knock her off balance no matter how much she focused on staying on her feet.

She lay there the final time, her loose hair sprayed out on the floor as Laz took a seat on a barely standing arch of padded wood before reaching over to the unharmed table that held his drink, now mostly water and took a drink. This was the final nail in the coffin as Athena finally understood.

’Even for all this chaos, he controlled everything so that we wouldn’t hit that one spot...’ For a warrior, such as herself, the feeling of defeat at such a revelation was shattering to her. He was stronger than her, faster than her and better at fighting than her. She could make an argument that perhaps her sword would be better than his, or her spear... but that was nothing more than the complaints of a loser, one that she didn’t even think would be true if tested.

"How...?" She asked, still laying on the floor. Her clothes were also a mess, but she couldn’t be bothered to straighten them. The loose tunic she favored had become untucked, the leather riding pants had ripped in several places from hitting the furniture, but she didn’t even care to check if anything was showing that shouldn’t be.

"You’ve never fought a battle you were sure to lose, never fought an enemy you couldn’t beat. At the first signs of the shadow dragon, your unit was pulled back and left for those stronger than you, like your mother or father. Your mother fought until she was struck down, your father didn’t even make it that far and ran with his tail tucked between his legs. I have been fighting things that have kicked my ass, killed my loved ones and even threatened to destroy my world. But never once did I flee. Your biggest problem? You’ve never tasted defeat, never suffered humiliation. Your ride to this point has been so smooth it’s unnatural. Where you are now, where you are stuck? It’s because of that lack of failure that you can’t break from the shell containing you. And you never will.. not until you’ve tasted suffering. You can’t be rebuilt until you’ve been broken. You lack the resolve and mental resilience to succeed. I could kill you right now and you would die without a hint of resistance."

Athena was quiet as she digested Laz’s words. If it was before this spar, she would have scoffed at such words. But now... she couldn’t help but think on his words.

There was quiet while Laz went to get himself more to drink and Athena lay in the pile of broken furniture.

When he finally returned, he heard her speak, but it was so quiet that he could barely make it out, even with his god tuned senses.

"What was that? I couldn’t hear you."

She spoke the words again, but even then Laz couldn’t make it out.

"One more time. If you can’t even speak up now, we’re done," Laz said, somewhat angry that this great goddess of legend was so weak.

"Break me..."

"Excuse ...?"

"I said break me. Beat me, shame me. Shatter me until I am nothing... Please?"