>>5504949When Pandion first glimpses Athens from a distance, he’s full of unbridled joy; practically over-the-moon that he’s been granted the chance to see his former seat of power once again.
However, the closer you get, the more his enthusiasm begins to wane as he notices the inevitable tolls that industrialization, urbanization, and modernization has exacted upon the ancient city. And while he must know logically that Athens would change with the times like all other places you’ve visited, it’s still a gut punch to witness if you haven’t prepared yourself for it.
And judging from the look on his face, Pandion’s attempt to emulate your ability to compartmentalize is starting to fail him.
He doesn’t say anything that indicates his discontent, but you’ve been around him long enough to recognize the signs.
Hell, you can barely begin to understand how it must feel.
Imagine being parted from the only place that you’ve ever considered home, as a disgraced fugitive.
You spend the rest of your lifetime trying to reclaim your birthright and fail, instead passing the burden onto your sons to carry for their own.
And on your deathbed, you sacrifice your chance at eternal rest to ensure that your sons are victorious; knowing full well that you’ll never be able to reap the fruits of your labors.
Against all odds, you finally get the chance to see it in the flesh once more, only to discover that you can’t recognize any of the things that made it your home in the first place. Cementing that old fear that everyone and everything from your past has vanished into the void of history, and intensifying an insidious little whisper that maybe you should just pack it in and join them.
Shit, it looks like Pandion is at risk of having the same internal crisis that Gaius went through.
At least in Pandion’s case, you might just be able to offer him an opportunity that should get his mind off.
During one the groups rest stops, you managed to covertly snag a little travel guide that advertised a mountaineering trail that leads to summit of Mount Olympus.
According to the brochure, the traditional starting place for prospective hikers and climbers is a small town called Litochoro. To reach it, the most efficient path would be to just catch a train to Thessaloniki and catch a ride to town.
That way, you and Pandion can split from the main group without depriving them access to the Set-Mobile. After all, it’d be quite the dick move to kick everyone else out of the van for days at a time, just for you to go on a spontaneous side trip.
Ideally, it’ll only take a few days up and back, but it’s best to budget for a little extra time in case something goes wrong. Nature can be quite the cruel mistress when it wants to be.
When you propose the idea to Pandion, he’s quick to give it the green light. By his telling, he never got the chance to do so in his youth; a fact that he’s always regretted.