Seeds: Volume Two (23 page)

     “Him? Just him?”

     “This is the city of Zeus! Athene has Athens, Ares has Sparta, Apollo has Delphi, and Aphrodite has Cyprus. Here, Zeus takes care of us all! He truly is a great god!” His voice was passionate, showing affection for the patriarchal deity even though he had never actually met the god face-to-face.

     “He can do no wrong?”

     “Of course not! He is the mighty king of Heaven and Earth! His wisdom knows no bounds. He is generous.”

     “And this?” She swept her arm in the direction of the valley beyond the olive trees, where fields and orchards lay within close vicinity.

     “More blessings! He sends down the rains to nurture us. What better place to live than here?”

     “I see.” Her tone was unreadable.

     “I invite you to come to the harvest festival. We will celebrate the harvest soon, and thank Zeus for all our blessings. Join us, it is a fun event for everyone. Zeus smiles upon us all.”

     “I will consider it.” She started walking again, circumventing Skouros as he glanced at her wonderingly. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, she was gone.

o0o

     So Zeus was responsible for the rich harvest that was soon to be gathered? He was the greatest and wisest of the gods? How...
presumptuous
. Demeter would be having none of that, and slowly turned around, scanning the valley, seeing the thick rows of grain that stood tall and proud, the symbol that mortals often used to represent her Gift.

     The people here believed that their good health and wealth was due to Zeus. That this selfish god was nothing but judicious and generous. Ha! Soon enough, they and the rest of Hellas would know the truth.

     “The harvest will fall before any sickle can cut it!” Demeter declared. She raised her sickle, the polished blade glinting in the moonlight as she raised it above her head. The air crackled with heat and power, and she let her wrath pour out of her in rolling waves. She would no longer give. As gods and mortals saw fit to take from her, so she would return the favor a thousandfold.

     The life-force that enriched the land around Olympia burned away before her fury, and she watched with grim satisfaction as the pulse of destruction spread out from her form, increasing its radius as the thick stalks of grain bowed and withered. The fruit on the branches and vines shriveled, and the soil drained the vegetables that had been so lovingly planted and tended throughout the year. Nothing that grew from the earth was spared her wrath, and even the trees dried out and became brittle, leaving a horrible dearth around Olympia that not even Zeus himself would be able to bless.

Chapter XXXII

o0o

     “Daddy!” a young girl cried out, and Skouros muttered softly as he came awake, rubbing his eyes as he felt his youngest daughter tug at his sleeve. Normally, his children were not permitted in his bedchamber, and they would not violate this rule of his unless it was an emergency. He groaned and sat up, seeing that he was alone in the bed. Dear gods, had something happened to his wife? Was that why Melissa was so hysterical? Her dark brown eyes were wide and the expression on her young features did not bode well. A little girl of just five should not have such a frightened expression!

     “What is it, Melissa?” he asked as he swung his feet over the side of the bed, trying to remain calm. “Has something happened to Mama?”

     “No, Daddy. The gardens... And everything!”

     “Gardens?” Skouros narrowed his eyes, starting to feel irritated. He would have scolded Melissa, but the fear on her face was so stark that he knew that it must be something serious. And if not, well, she was only a little girl. Sometimes the little ones tended to make a great fuss over things. Melissa was the youngest of his children, and having already raised nine children – some of them still in various stages of childhood – taught him much about being a father and what to expect from his offspring.

     “Give me a moment...” he muttered, rising to his feet and feeling the slight ache in his joints. Hm, he was getting old. Oh well. He had had a full life, and expected to enjoy many more years before Death came for him. His sandals sat where he had left them near the foot of the bed, and he slipped into them before tossing on a robe over his tunic against the brisk autumn air.

     He let his daughter grab his hand and tug her along, leading him through the rooms and out of the house into the courtyard, and his jaw dropped as he saw the dearth around him.

     “See, Daddy. I told you.”

     He had a modest estate with a pleasant inner courtyard and a larger outer yard. The inner yard had a wide open space of grass and a small fountain. The other part of the courtyard was for the gardens, mainly vegetables. The grass was a sickly yellow, and when he stepped onto it, it crunched under his feet with a brittle crackle. The vegetables did not seem to be better off, judging from the wilted leaves. Not wanting to believe what he saw, he leaned down to grab the top of a carrot. The leaves came away without its fruit, and he dug his fingers into the dirt, turning up a shriveled carrot.

     Skouros's heart started pounding, and his hands shook slightly.

     “And... the outer yard?” he asked. Melissa looked down, shaking her head. He was afraid to look, but knew he needed to. The outside looked much worse. There were several trees here and there, bearing fruit at different times of the year, as well as bushes. All of the fruit that was to be harvested were now dried-up husks of their former selves, and when he pulled down a branch to examine the damage, it came off with a dry snap.

     All the flowers that bloomed at this time of the year were no better off than anything he'd seen so far, many of their petals littering the ground around their parched stems and vines. The priest of Zeus walked as if in a trance, regarding everything with a dazed expression on his face even as his wife rushed towards him, reporting that their neighbors had the same exact problem on their own land. Her voice became a distant echo as he walked through the gate, staring down the road. The valley that had been so lush, full of green and patches of other colors, was now all parched of its natural colors, even the large tracts of crops that fed the village. Wheat was by nature yellow and brown mixed into a rich deep gold color, but all he saw was the jaundiced yellow and rotted brown of dead crops. Through the buzzing that filled his ears, he heard the wails of his neighbors.

o0o

     Having blighted Olympia, Demeter would not stop there. Zeus was only one god, and there was another that was responsible for the disappearance of her precious child. However, Hades had no city of his own, nor did he have any grand temples attributed to him. Normally, sacrifices to him were private, rather than turned into big festivals. His images were usually to be found within mausoleums and crypts, and rarely, in paintings or pottery. She would have to convey her message to Hades more directly, and she was more than prepared to do that. With the righteous wrath of a mother whose child had literally been stolen away from her, she descended into the dread kingdom of her brother.

o0o

     Normally, Kharon had no issue with ferrying a god across the Styx to seek audience with Hades or the Fates. However, he had explicit orders from his master to not extend this favor to Demeter for the time being, and now it was clear why. The goddess' anger was palpable, and he was relieved to launch himself away from the dock, narrowly missing her swipe as she tried to grab his cloak.

     “Come back here! I will not be defied!” The souls clustered at the shore gave Demeter a wide berth, fearing this mighty deity even in death as her eyes flashed dangerously. How dare he! She felt her heart pound within her chest as the blood pulsed hotly within her veins, causing her to shake almost violently. She raised her arms, determined to reach the other side and rescue her daughter. Like Kora, she sensed the lack of life in this world, and it unnerved her. What could Hades be thinking, keeping her down here?

     “You will ferry me across or face my wrath!” she roared. The souls gazed upon her with terror and awe, wondering if the Harvest Goddess was so terrifying, then what must her brother, the God of Death be like?

     The ferryman kept his head bowed, pushing his oar through the water as his passengers gazed back at the fuming woman with curiosity. Even though the souls no longer had any flesh to connect them to the physical realm, they could feel the heat of Demeter's anger. As Kharon continued his ferry, Demeter let out an angry shriek, directing her wrath at the insolent boatman with a blast of heat.

     Suddenly, there was a bubbling, churning sound, much like one might hear from the ocean, but far more terrifying, echoing against the cavern walls. The waters of the Styx rippled violently with a dull roar, and the souls who had lingered along the edge suddenly pulled back as the river overflowed its banks, sending ice-cold water splashing around her ankles.

     A form rose from the churning surface, its body made entirely of the inky water and reflected in flashes against the lamps that stood near the docks, the water gushing and towering over the goddess as the fluid coalesced into a more solid shape.

     The form did not limit itself to life-size, and instead assumed Titanic proportions as it grew and molded itself into the upper half of a shapely woman, her long obsidian tresses flowing from the top of her head like a waterfall.

     “
You would dare harass the Ferryman of Souls?”
Styx's voice came from the deep abyss of the river, reverberating off the walls with a frightening cadence in such a profound and terrible tone that it would stop the heart of a mortal as she spoke. The voice washed over Demeter, wrapping her in a sensation that could only be described as
cold
, as if merely listening to it would pull her into the fathomless abyss that lingered just below the river's surface.

     Styx had once been an ordinary ocean-goddess, one of the myriad offspring of Okeanos and Tethys – a fact that made her a cousin of the woman she was now facing down – but like Hekate or Hades, she felt a calling to this world. Usually she did not bother taking on her human form or in this case, a facsimile, but she would not have anyone attempt to harm Kharon. The Lord of the Dead was determined to not give up his bride, and Styx would allow no one to interfere in the affairs of any of the chthonic deities any more than she would tolerate anyone trying to hurt her lover.

     However, Demeter refused to be fazed. She had gone against her own sire and his brothers, and would not be cowed by Styx, especially when she had come down here to rescue her child!

     “Hades has my daughter, and I will not stand for it!”

     “Be as it may, he has ordered that you not be allowed into his realm. You will gain no aid from me or Kharon.”

     “You would separate a mother from her child?” The heat of her anger rose, but Styx seemed unconcerned.

     “Your anger is useless here,”
she responded calmly, staring down at the Harvest Goddess.

     “You will rue the day you defied me!” Demeter responded, though inside Styx's presence and words caused a deep chill to pass through her. On the surface world, she was entirely confident in her power and abilities. Down here, her power was useless. Styx would never allow her to swim across.

     “I will have no part in this quarrel. Leave now.”
Her tone brooked no argument, and promised swift retribution for any further attempt on Demeter's part to lash out against the Underworld deities. The air became filled with cold, becoming thick and heavy almost as if it had turned to liquid, and the frigidity seeped into Demeter's veins, filling up her lungs as she tried to breathe.

o0o

     Demeter strode through the grand hall of the Palace where the Gods held their meetings, her chin raised and shoulders pushed back. She was an imposing sight in her stately garb, her hair braided into a crown around her scalp and held together with golden pins. Her white and green clothing caught the air and billowed around her, adding dimension to her already impressive appearance.

     Around the grand marble table were the eleven other gods that made up the ruling council of the Olympians. She did not take the twelfth seat, preferring to remain standing so she could look down at all the others. Her gaze was openly hostile as she fixed them at the head of the table, where the King of the Gods sat.

     “Demeter, sit down,” Zeus stated calmly, waving his hand as if placating a child.

     “Like hell I will.” The heat of her gaze could be felt by everyone within the room, and the other gods glanced away, shifting in their seats uncomfortably.
Good
, Demeter thought to herself.

     “Sister, be reasonable. Only this morning I have heard the cries and prayers from Olympia. I know you are angry with me, but do not take it out on them. Restore the bounty that you are known for.”

     “Restore my daughter to me,” she retorted evenly.

     “We have already discussed this.” Zeus tried to maintain a steady gaze, remembering all too well the feeling of a heavy wooden bedpost being slammed into his stomach or having his hair viciously pulled by a woman whose strength rivalled his own. “What is done is done. Kora is in good hands.”

     “Hades refuses to admit me to his realm,” she snarled.

     “Oh? Well, I will simply have to speak to him about it...”

     “Wait a minute.” Hermes turned towards his father. “
That
is where Kora is? In the Underworld?”

     “And he has known all along, yet he told you to search for her and wasted your time in doing so,” the Harvest Goddess said as she stared at her nephew. His lips formed a frown as he glanced at her for a moment before turning back to Zeus.

     “You told me to help Demeter search for her daughter, knowing where she was?”

     “Well, you needed a distraction, and...”

     “Shut the hell up, Zeus. I tire of your excuses. You want your people in Olympia fed? Then return Kora to me!” she snarled.

     “Father, you had this knowledge all this time? Why would you not tell Demeter?” This came from Artemis, seated near where her aunt was standing.

     “Hades wanted Kora as his bride. Demeter would have said no, so I figured things would calm down after a while...”

     “Why do you continue getting in these messes, dear husband?” Hera spoke up, her voice filled with disdain for her husband's weak defense of his actions. “What gave you the right to do that?”

     “I am King of the Gods, and responsible for the welfare of the Olympians. Hades is hardly a bad match. He promised that he would take care of her. He is the Lord of Wealth, after all, and you know he is a man of his word.”

     “I never thought Hades would have a bride!” Poseidon stated, flashing his brother a grin. “Oh ho ho!” His laughter boomed through the hall. The silence of Demeter, Hera, and several other gods provided a stark contrast to his mirth. However, a few of the gods – more notably, those of the male sex – joined in the laughter, but were quickly silenced by Demeter's hostile glare.

     “You find this amusing? That my only daughter has been kidnapped and taken to the Underworld as a captive bride, and Zeus knew of this, even gave permission for it?”

     “Father, I am very disappointed with you,” Artemis said, expressing her obvious displeasure at the fact that a girl had been forced into marriage against her will, and without the knowledge of her mother.

     “I have to say that I agree with Artemis,” Hephaistos spoke up, glancing at his aunt. He had heard of the story of Kora, and how Hermes had tried to woo her, and how Ares had been punished by her mother for his attempted rape. “Demeter is a mighty goddess, and it is very clear that she loves and cares for her daughter. I have no child of my own...” this was interrupted by a soft, disdainful snort from Aphrodite, “but I can see the pain and anger in her eyes. No mother should be parted from her child, especially in such a fashion as what happened.”