Hades and Persephone Ch 16 3.docx
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Hades and Persephone Ch 16 3.docx
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HadesandPersephoneCh163
Askalaphosheldapomegranate.Awell-eatenpomegranate,atthat:
itsfleshwastornandseedsweremissing.Thegardenerhoppedoutoftheboattoosoonandlandedalmostwaistdeepinthewater,wadingintotheshallowsanduptotheshore.Histeethchatteredfromthecold."L-L-LordHades!
TheQueen...sheates-sixseeds!
"
AskalaphosprostratedhimselfandheldthefruitupfortheLordoftheUnderworld'sinspection.Aidongrabbeditfromhishand,wide-eyed.Thiscertainlywasn'tthepomegranatehe'deatenyesterdaymorning.Thiswasnew.Anditwashers."Persephone..."HeliftedAskalaphosupbyhischlamys,almostshakinghim."Areyoucertain?
"
"Yes,milord."
"Areyou absolutelycertain yousawhereatthem?
"
"Yes!
MilordI'msorry,Iwasn'tsupposedtosee.Imean,sheprobablydidn'twant anyone toseebut..."hisvoicebecamenoiseinthebackgroundasAidonturnedthefruitoverinhishands,hisheartflutteringatthesightofit.Hetriedtokeepfromsmilingorlaughingorshoutingjoyfully.
There'sonlyonewayaroundthis,andthatistooverthrowtheorderofthings,hehadsaidtoher.Shehaddoneit!
Persephonehadfoundawaytostaywithhimforever!
Butatwhatcost?
Itwasunchangeableandunbreakable,nomatterwhatZeusorDemeterhadtosay.Thiswasalawofnature—ofthecosmositself.AnyonewhoateintheUnderworldwasboundtoit.EventheFatescouldn'tchangethis,thoughhewasconvincedthattheyhadseenitcoming.Persephone must returntohim.Buttheyweren'toutofdangeryet.WhatifDemeterdidn'trelentdespitethisevidence?
Certainlyeventhethinnestsenseofself-preservationwouldstopherfromdestroyingthemall.Hewouldconcernhimselfwiththatoncehegotthere.Rightnowheneededtoreachhiswife.Thoughthekeytoendingtheirgrieflayinthepalmofhishand,Aidon'smindrepeatedonlyonething. Whydidn'tyoutellme?
Askalaphoscontinuedtotellhistale,somethingabouttrippingoverasheep,andsomethingelseaboutNyxbeforeHadesinterruptedhimandthrustthepomegranatebackintohishands.
"You'recomingwithme,Askalaphos."
"What?
I—"TheLordoftheDeadgraspedhisshoulderandstartedwalkingawayfromtheshore,pullingAskalaphosalong."Where?
!
"
"Totheworldabove!
"Aidoneusshoutedathimandmarchedforward.Warmthandhope,dreadandanxietywarredwithinhim."Holdontothatpomegranateastightlyasyoucan.FortheloveoftheFates,do not dropit!
"
"Theworldabove?
I'veneverbeen..."Askalaphosstarted.HadesloomedpasttheshadesanditwasallAskalaphoscoulddotokeepupwithhislongstrides."Milord!
Howwillwegetthere?
"
Aidoneusdidn'tanswerthegardener,buthoistedhimupunderonearm.Theotherhandreachedforwardashewalkedtowardthecaverns.Darksmokeswirledaboutthemwitheverystep,andtheyweregone.
***
Thechariot'sgreatwheelsleftthegroundassoonastheyrolledpasttheentrancestotheUnderworld.Thehorsesgallopedsilently;smokerollingunderthemandmarkingtheirpath.Persephonelookedbackuntilherhusbandfadedfromview,anduntilthewanlightofthemoonshiningthroughtheStyxshonenomore.Shefelthimfalter,felthisdespairevenfromhere,andwishedshecouldgobackandholdhimandtellhimwhatshe'ddone.
Persephonelostherfootingandgrippedthesideofthechariotagainastheywentaroundabend.Theroadstotheworldabovetwistedeverywhichwaythroughtheearth.Whenshehadbeentakendownhere,Hadeshadopenedgreatgapsintheearthitself—adirectroutefromNysathroughmoltenfiresthatdestroyedherthincorporealclothing.Thisjourneywouldnotbesoshort.Thesewerepathwaysthathadbeencarvedlongago,whenthecosmositselfwasformed;aeonsofdrippingofwaterandwellingspringshaddonetherest.
"Ican'tseeathingnow!
"Hermeswhined.
"Theyknowtheway,"theGoddessoftheCrossroadsrepliedcalmly."Butifitwillsteadyyourdrivingandnotknockusaboutlikeacornsinabowl..."
Afour-lampedtorchgrewfromHecate'shandandtheendslitwithgoldenorangelight.Persephoneblinked,thensquintedandsawstalagmiteshangingoverhead,andcavesandcrevicesemptyingontoroadsfromtheworldabove.Throughthempouredthesoulsofthenewlydead,makingthedays-longtrudgetoChthonia,answeringthecalloftheStyxnowthattheyhadcompletedtheirjourneythroughthelivingworldfromwombtotomb.ShethoughtaboutthepoorEleusinianbrideandwishedshecouldseeallofthemsafelytoAsphodel,butthatwouldbeherhusband'swork.
Hermesgrippedthethickleatherreinsandsteadiedhisfeetonthecart."Theremustbeathousandentrances!
Howwillweknowwhichistherightone?
WecouldendupinAegyptusforFate'ssake!
"
"ThentellthemtogotoEleusis,"Persephonesaid,suddenlyfeelingqueasy.Dullpainbegantoradiatethroughherfromherkneesthroughherlowerbackandallthewaytothetipsofherbreasts."Youyourselfhavegoneandcomebackfromthere,haven'tyou?
"
"Well,yes,butthere'sonewaydownandmanywaysup,andI'veneverreallycaredwhereI'vesurfaced,before.Olympusisneverfaraway..."
"ThendoastheQueenbadeyou,andtellthemtofollowthepathtotheCornMother!
"Hecatestated,annoyed.
Hermesshruggedandflickedthereins."ToDemeter!
"heshoutedattheshadowybeasts.Oneofthemnickeredandturneditsheadleftandtheothersfollowedsuit,hardandfast.PersephonewasknockedintoHecate,whogrippedherside.
Shefeltanotherflashofpainlowinherbellyandwinced,suckinginairthroughherteeth.HecatethinnedherlipsandlookeddownatPersephone."Ithasbegun."
"Whathas?
"Persephonesaid,graspingherabdomen.
"Theearthisrightingitselfnowthatoneofitsgoddessesreturns."
PersephoneknittedherbrowatHecate'swordsandgraspedthechariotwithonehand,herlowerbellywiththeother.Sheclosedhereyes.WasAidonbehindthem?
Wouldhecome?
Shesworeshecouldfeelhimcloseby,butdidn'tturntolook.Shedidn'twanttoalertHermesorHecatetotheirplan.Thefeelingofherhusband'spresencecoursedthroughher,grippedherwithasurgeofenergyandmadeherachesharplywheretheyhadlastjoinedtogether.
ShecriedoutandfeltHecatestrokehershoulderthroughthepain.Persephonefeltlightheadedandgrittedherteeth.Thechariotplungedthroughatunnelandthecartsteadieditself.Shedoubledoverinpainagain.
Persephonesmelledearth.Itswarmthandrichnessfilledallofhersenses,therawenergyofthesourceoflifeflowingthroughher.Shehadbeenawayfromitforsolongthatitwasoverwhelmingtobesuddenlysurroundedbyitagain.Thepomegranategrovehadbeenheronlysourceforthisscentandsensebelow,anditwassomuchmorepotentthisclosetothelivingworld.
Thiswasn'tthecold,sterilegroundofChthoniabutfreshsoilandhumus,aeonsofplantsandcreatureslivinganddying,twistedtogetherwiththedormantrootsoftreesandvinesandflowerswaitingtoawaken.Herhusband'sessenceencircledherandshefeltsearingheatradiatingfromherwomb.ThecavernnarrowedandthewindsfromtheworldabovegutteredHecate'storches.Thewallsclosedinsoclosearoundthemthatshecouldalmosttouchtherootsofthetrees.Whenshedidreachforthem,Persephonefeltanothersharptwingeofpainandfeltasmalltrickleofhotliquidfromhercore.
No...
Itwasn'tbornefrompleasure.Inthedark,shequicklyreachedbehindtheskirtsofherpeplosandtouchedherlowerlips.Persephonebroughtherhandawayandrubbedthinliquidbetweenherfingers.
No,Fatesplease...
AfaintlightbouncedthroughthecavernsaheadofthemandPersephonelookeddownatherfingers.Theyweredark.Thelightincreasedandshecouldseecolor.Red.
BloodisadangerousthinginAsphodel.
Moonblood.Persephonesawtheimagebluraswaterfilledhereyes.ItwasasHecatehadsaidontheboat.Shecarriednochild.Sheneverhad.Whiletheywereintheworldbelow,sheneverwould.Shesqueezedhereyesshutandfeltafewtearsstreakbyherface.Herstainedhandballedintoafistandshedughernailsintothepalmofherhand.Shewilledherselftonotcry.
Hewasfollowing,close.ShecouldfeelAidoneusaroundherandthroughher.Shedarednotlookbehind.Theyroundedanotherbendandarailoflightpiercedthedark,almostblindingher.
Theearthandallwakingliferosethroughherinpulsesandwaves,justasithadwhenshesteppedthroughtheetherinNysawithAidonatherside.Thelightgrewstronger,turnedgoldenandhereyesadjusted.Shecouldsmellthecoldtreebark,thewindandsnow.Andblood.
Shefeltthechariotslowingandlookedaround,theblueskyabovethem,thesunshininginthewest,anhourorsoabovethehorizon.PersephoneblinkedandsawDemeterinadarkrobe,herhairveiled,withherhandcuppedoverhermouth,andastronglybuiltmanwithathickblondbeardandacloakedhimationstandingbesideher.Shefeltdizzyastheycametoastopandlookedaroundatthecavefromwhichtheyemergedwithitssandygraniteandwitheredhusksofchaparralbrush,thenattheblindinglayerofsnowcoveringthedeadground.
Persephonesteppedfromthechariotandherfootsankintothewhitebanks,freezing.Shewilleditaway,andthesnowvanishedfromaroundherfeet.Greensproutsreplacedit,growingaroundherinacircle,sproutingupandcrowdingeachother.Herheartbeatloudlyinherears.Thepulseoftheearthbeatwithitandshelookeddownatthebloodstainingherrighthand.Roots.Soil.Life.Sproutingseeds. Aidon...
Doublingoverwithacry,sheplacedherpalmonthegroundandfelttheear
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