Hades and Persephone Ch 12 1.docx

Hades and Persephone Ch 12 1.docx

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HadesandPersephoneCh121

IrevisedthischaptertoaddthisnoteandchangeawordinGreektosomethingmorefitting,thankstothesuggestionofoneofmyreaders.Iprobablyshouldhavewrittenthisbeforesubmittingitthefirsttime,butinmyhastetogetitoutforgottoincludeanoteaboutthecontent.

Thischapterdoesn'tcontainalotofdirecterotica,butratherhasalotofteasing,flirting,andinsinuation.ThechapterbeforethishasLOTSoferoticaifyoucamehereforaquickie.Ifyouarelookingforthat,Isuggeststartingatpage3inChapter11andgoingfromthere.IfIgaveyouacaseofblueballs/ovariandistresswiththischapterthenIapologize,itwasn'tmyintention.

Andlastbutnotleast,IwanttogiveawarmandheartfeltthankyoualsotomyfansforyoursupportwhileIgotthischapterout.Itwasastrugglethankstothegoingsoninmylife,gettingmarriedandwhatnot ;-）.Ifyouarehereforplot,thereisplentyofplothere,andwithoutfurtherado,pleaseenjoyHadesandPersephone,Chapter12:

Cocytus.

~s

***

Indigo.

Indigowasthecolorofmourning.Mourningwastheunwillingnesstoacceptthatthetimespentabovewasafleetingmomentinthejourneyofthesoulfrommortaltoshadeandbackagain.Hecatepulledthedarklydyedhimationtightlyaroundherbody.Shedidn'tbegrudgethemortalssurroundinghertheirdisplaysofsorrow.Theyknewnobetter.Theirnumbersgreweverycentury,andformanysoulsthesedays,thiswasonlytheirfirstlifetime;andanythathadreturnedfrombelowrememberednothingthatwouldhelpthemunderstandthepaththeirsoulhadwalked.

ButasfortheGoddesswhoencouragedthemtokeeptheirsadvigil...sheexpectedbetterfromheronetimestudent.Here,indigomeantmorethanmourning—itrepresentedunmitigatedsuffering.Desolation.DemeterhadisolatedherselfhereatEleusis,herinconsolablegriefthreateningtodestroytheworld,andwithitthemortalsandthegodsalike.Hecateheldalong,four-headedtorchineachhandtolightherway.Shelongedforherfamiliarcrimson,thecoloroftheliving,beatingheart—andlongagothecoloroftheOlympians'proudbanner.Theflamesgutteredinthewind,clingingtothetorchesandturningghostlyblueeverytimeshepassedbetweenthebuildings.

Shehadn'tsetfootinEleusisinaeons.Sheremembereditasatinyvillage,allmudhutsandwarmfleeceandscatteredgrains.Thepriestesseshereonceblessedthefieldswiththetriballords,prayingforthefertileharvestwiththeritualrhythmoftheirbodies,givingofthemselvestooneanothertoensurethattheirpeoplewouldnotgohungry.Nowgreathouseswithcoldstonefloorsstoodinplaceoftheearthenhomes,andthewomenwereshutawayindoors,soldbytheirmenfolkintochildbearingasiftheyweresheepontwolegs.ThoughalltheworldswereopentoHecate,itwaslittlewonderthatshepreferredChthoniaaboveallothers—evenwhentheearthhadbeenwarmandgreen.

Shesquinted.Wind-borneicestunghereyes.Inthefertilecountryside,vestigesoftheoldwayshadremainedmeremonthsago,butthefamineandcoldhadkilledoffthegentlerfolk,thelovematches,andthemaidenswhowouldchoosetheirhusbands.Desperateandstarving,mortalmenhadscroungedandscrapedforthelastarableland,anddividedtheearth,theirchattel,andtheirwomenamongthem.

Hecatewaited,listeningforthesoundofthe koudounia.TheveiledgirlstandingatthedoorrepresentedDemeter'slostdaughter,herbellsapromisetotheworshippersthatKorewouldreturn.TheGoddessoftheCrossroadsthinnedherlips.Thechildwasasfrailasababybird.Insixorsevenyears,assoonassheflowered,herfatherwouldsellherofftohernewhusband—astrangerovertwiceherage.Sheshookherhead.Alittlebirdgirlstandinginforthepowerful,regal,andfearsomeIronQueenoftheUnderworld.TheonlybeingtheKereswouldobey.Demeterwouldn'tevenrecognizeherowndaughterifsheweretowalkthroughthedoorsoftheTelesterionthisverymoment.

Thefuture,whatlittleshecouldseeofitthesedays,wasawashinpandemoniumandforkedintoinfinitepaths.Someofthemwaveredandchanged,manymoreweretooterrifyingtofollow,butHecateknewonethingforcertain—thisdaywasthetippingpoint.IfshefailedtoconvinceDemetertorelent...

Shewouldn'tconsiderthatpossibility.She must succeed.TheLadyoftheHarvesthadoncebeenhercherishedstudent.NowshewastheonlyOlympianreceivingofferings—powerfulbeyondherwildestimaginings.Demeterherselfmightnotevenrealizetheextentofthatnewbalanceofpower,thankstoherisolation.TheGoddessoftheHarvestwouldreceivenoguestsfromOlympus.HecatewatchedinitiatesfileoutoftheTelesterion,oncethehomeofpastoralkingCeleus.Hewasnowherhighestservant.Him,andtheboy.HecatelookedforTriptolemus,wonderingifDemeter'sloverwasamongthecrowdsexitingthetemple.Butsheonlysawwomen.TheywerethesolekeepersofthefoodinEleusis,andinaworldwheregoldcouldnolongerbuygrain,thesewomenweretheapportionersofallthatmatteredanymore. Apity,Hecatethought. Youaregreaterthanyouevergaveyourselfcredit.Youcouldhaverightedthecourseforuntoldgenerationstocome.

Astheworshippersfiledoutonebyone,eachtookasipfromthegoldencupheldbydark-robedMetaneira,thequeenturnedpriestess,awomanevergratefultoDemeterforsavinghersons.Hecatemovedtowalkpasther.

"Mychild,"themourningwomansaid,stoppingHecateinhertracks."Ihavenotseenyoubefore.Areyoujustarrivedtoday?

"

Hecateturnedtoher.Child.Ifshewereindeedmortalasherappearancesuggested,shelikelywouldhaveacouplesmallchildrenintow.Inthreedays,itwouldbethefullmoon.Thoughshewasaeonsolderthaneventhiswoman'smistress,todayHecatelookedasthoughshewereonlytwenty."Yes,mylady.Mypathhaswoundthroughhere...manytimes.ButIcannotlingerlong."

"Pleasestay.Youhavecometotherightplace.AllarewelcomeinthesightoftheQueenoftheEarth."

"QueenoftheEarth."Hecatesmirkedatthetitle."Iwouldseeyourqueen."

"Theevening'sbreadisalreadybroken.Theotherchildrenoftheearthwillgladlysharetheirswithyou.Youcancomebacktomorrowforourmorningdevotional,"shesaid,startingtoclosethegreatoakdoor.

"Idonotrequirebread,priestess.Onlyawordwithyourmistress."

Metaneirawrinkledherbrow."Thatisratherpresumptuousofyou,girl.TothinkthattheLadyoftheHarvestwouldspeakto—"

Hecatelethertorchesflarehot.Forthebriefestmoment,Metaneirasawintriple:

twootherfaintformsoftheonebeforeherheldthetorchesoneithersideofthewomanandfacedaway—oneveryyoung,theotherveryold.ThehoodofHecate'sindigocloakfellback,revealingherotherworldlycountenance.Longwavesofredhairinterwovenwithselenitebeadsgleamedinthetorchlight,andasilvermoonsatonherforehead.Herexpressionwascalmbutresolute.Hecatewatchedthemortalwomanblinkincredulously,thinkingthathermindwasplayingtricksonher.Hecatesmiledreassuringly."Peace,Metaneira,daughterofPolymnia,youreyesdonotdeceiveyou,"shesaidinthreevoices,thatoftheMaiden,theWomanandtheCrone."Iwouldhaveyoueitherstandaside,orshowmetoyourqueen."

Metaneiraswallowedandbowedherheadtotheunknowngoddess."O-othershavecomef-fromOlympusandourladyhasturnedthemaway..."

"IamnotfromZeus'court,"Hecatesaidwithasinglevoice,andwalkedpastthefrightenedmortal.Shestoppedinthecenteroftheroom.Thebrazierswarmedherskin,andshelookedaround.AgreatoakthronetallerthanThanatoswasraiseduponasteppeddaisatthebackofthehall,sheavesofbarleyandwheatlayallaroundit.Empty.Shewaited.

HerawarenessspreadfurtherthanthestonewallsoftheTelesterion'sgreathall,andHecatecouldsenseDemeter.HerformerstudentwashappilymatingwithTriptolemusthisveryminute.ShecouldsenseitjustasintuitivelyaswhenAidoneuswaswithDemeter'sdaughter.Thesedays,thatpassingunderstandingwasascommonasensationasbreathing.Shesmiled.Theyhadfoundjoyineachother.

HecatewasalsogladthatDemeterhadfoundhappiness.Shesighed,knowinginnatelythattheircurrentactivities,thoughnotintentionally,werebeingpracticedintheoldway—thegoddessandherconsortensuringthefertilityoftheearth.ItwasnaturalforDemeter.Perhapshernewfoundlovewouldmakethiseasier.ShecouldonlyhopethatitwouldsoftenDemeter'sheartenoughtohearherwords.Sofewelementswereonhersideinthis...

Finally,adoorcreakedopenbehindthethroneandoutwalkedtheLadyoftheHarvest,herfaceflushedwithhealthandyouth.Demetertuckedastraylockofhairbehindherear.Shehidaserenesmileandpickedupherlongindigoskirts,walkingtowardthecenteroftheroom.Suddenly,herfacefellandshestoodstockstill,hereyeswide.Shecouldbarelydrawinabreath.

"Toomanyseasonshavepassed,acolyte."

Demeterclenchedherteethtogetherandrasped."Getout."

"IthinkIwillremain."

"Ofallthebeingsinthiscosmos,"Demetersaid,hervoiceshakingassheadvancedonHecate,"thereisonly one Iwishtoseelessthanyou!

"

"Indeed?

Enlightenme."

"You..."sheshookherhead."Doyouthinkmeanidiot?

!

Youareinleaguewithhim!

Getout,Hecate.Donotthinktoshowyourfacehereagain!

"

"Walkwithme,"shesaid,holdingatorchoutforDemeter.

"Areyouhardofhearing?

Ijusttoldyou—"

"Youcertainlydid,"shesaid,lookingatthevastroomandtheindigoclothdrapedfromtherafters."You'vedyedyour