October 9
Hades and Persephone Part II
"It is strange," said Charon, stirring the waters of the Styx with his wooden staff. He sat on the edge of the jetty, taking care not to let his legs dangle low enough to get wet. The Styx swirled black-and-silver waves beneath him. "Our lord has not been the same since he returned from the ball."
Ahro sat hunched beside him, his forked tale snaking back and forth lazily. He was only four feet tall, but as one of Hades's minions, he was more than capable of tormenting any mortal soul. He picked his fangs; his maroon coloring was the only splash of color in the darkness of the cavern.
"Do you not notice it?" Charon asked. "Our lord Hades?"
"Of course I do," said Ahro, smacking his lips. "I am not blind. I have seen the master." He cast Charon a surreptitious look. "I have followed him, you know."
Charon glanced at him, waiting. Ahro flicked the pickings into the river, not caring when the Styx bellowed hollowly.
"I have followed him to the Upperworld without his notice," Ahro continued. "He used to go every fortnight to take care of his godly duties. Now he goes every week, sometimes twice a week. And he lingers long in one place."
Charon stirred the black-and-silver waves. "Where is that?" he inquired mildly.
"The temple gardens. Where the daughter of Demeter is."
The staff stilled. "The lady Persephone?"
"Yes. She visits the gardens every afternoon to make sure all is growing well. And she studies the pool there, which tells her the condition of the crops in mortal ground." Ahro raised an already-arched eyebrow. "The master watches her from a distance with a strange look on his face."
Charon stared at the Styx. "Our lord. . . goes to meet her?" He could not imagine such a thing. Hades was distant, always standing apart from the other gods. Mostly because they chose not to associate with him. They, immortal beings, foolishly feared the taint of death.
"If she senses his presence, she gives no sign of it. He stands behind the trees, cloaked in shadows where she cannot see him. I watch him watch her at work." Ahro began to chuckle. "I spy the master spying."
Charon looked troubled. "This cannot bode well."
"You think he cares for her?"
"Does he not? Each time he returns from above ground, the stars in his cloak grow brighter. He is no longer camouflaged in darkness, for their light give him away."
"Pah." Ahro snorted and began picking his fangs again, this time with a sharp claw. "Do not read too much into it, boatman. It is mere lust he feels. It is a normal godly feeling."
"And how would you know?" Charon mocked, glancing down at the tiny demon next to him. Ahro scowled and bared his fangs, but Charon was not intimidated. He never was.
Ahro's eyes gleamed an unholy yellow, and he flicked his claws. The Styx gave a bellow of warning. "We must keep the master happy, yes?"
"Our lord is satisfied."
"But not happy. You think he has no needs, boatman? You think he feels no twinge when he sees the gods with their mates, the mortals with their women? He is a god, Charon. And our master."
Charon turned to face Ahro, suspicious interest in his eyes. "What are you planning, demon?"
Ahro smiled and licked his lips. "Our master has been kind, and we repay his kindness with loyalty. And I will thank him again by providing she who can slake his lust."
"Ahro."
"I will bring him the lady Persephone."
* * * Persesph studied the pool, its reflection displaying the condition of the fruit orchards. She found all was well and gave a nod, then waved her hand over the pool. The reflection shimmered and showed her the wheat fields. She frowned as she sensed the incoming approach of locusts, and with a move of her hand she stayed the insects.
You will not invade on my watch, she vowed.
She was spending more time in the gardens lately. Perseph was slowly taking over the garden duties, which suited Demeter just fine, as the elder goddess was not one to enjoy confinement to one place. Now with the return of her daughter, Demeter could travel across the land to study the harvests in person.
That was not the only reason Perseph had chosen to come here often. She was seeking to avoid Cyane. Lately it seemed that wherever she was, he was, too. He was beginning to dine with her and Demeter more regularly as well. Perseph resented the intrusion of privacy, for there were things she wanted to talk to Demeter about, things that only mother and daughter could share. That Cyane was her childhood friend was small consolation.
She began to wonder if she was overreacting. Had she changed so much ever since she'd left for her studies? She did not want to think that she had grown so supercilious of others; she did not want to become a cruel, jaded god. This troubled her.
The gardens were her only sanctuary now, for she had forbidden Cyane to enter the grounds. The gods could enter the gardens if they so wished, but as daughter of harvest Perseph had the power to forbid anyone's entrance. Usually this was if they were making a nuisance of themselves. Fortunately, few of the gods ever came to the gardens, for they had their own domains to take care of. Perseph felt only a twinge of guilt at using her power to forbid Cyane that way, but that twinge quickly passed.
She heard a rustle in the bushes and looked up. She gave a start when she thought she saw two yellow eyes gleaming at her.
"Who is there?" she demanded, hoping the command in her voice masked her fear. No, she told herself, these are my gardens. I have no need to fear.
She could have sworn she heard a hollow chuckle. Ice creeped up from the tail of her spine, and she rose to her feet, tensing. She blinked in astonishment when more yellow eyes seemed to glow from behind the bushes. The rustlings intensified.
"Come out now, before I force you!" Perseph shouted. She clenched her fists, ready to will the bushes apart. The gardens were under her control, and she could make them divide for her if she wished.
But she had no need for that, for the creatures obeyed. Her breath caught as she watched small, forked-tailed demons emerge from the bushes, all with pointed ears and grinning fangs and gleaming eyes.
It was the eyes that made her take a step back. Those eyes bore malicious intent. But when she stepped back she bumped against something behind her, and when she turned she saw that there were more demons there. She was surrounded.
"Leave now," she said, seeking an exit. "I command you!"
The demons sniggered at her words. "No one commands us but our master." Two of them made a grab for her skirts.
She screamed and the earth rumbled. She shrieked and the ground split apart. Several demons fell down the crevice. A huge tree fell and crushed some of the creatures, pinning their writhing bodies underneath. The pool began to lap against the edge of the water in frenzied foams.
A maroon-colored demon wrapped his hand over her mouth, his breath hissing in her ear. "Foolish goddess," he whispered. "Do you not realize that the Underworld is exactly where we wish to take you?"
With that, he pushed Perseph screaming down the crevice. He and the other demons leapt after her, and the crevice closed up, hiding all signs of struggle.
* * * Hades walked soundlessly through the tunnel, his footsteps silent for someone so tall. He was frowning. He had stopped by the temple gardens earlier, something that had begun to become a habit of late. He liked watching Perseph as she roamed the gardens, looking so much a part of them that it hurt. He frequently experienced an odd kind of pleasure from witnessing her movements, her facial expressions. . . Even the slightest dream on her face made him wish he could reach out and touch it. Or touch her. He'd said nothing of it to anyone, for he was not certain that he himself understood what he felt.
Perseph had not been there in the gardens. Hades had been puzzled by her absence, and a little disappointed as well. Perseph never missed an afternoon in the gardens, and ever since he had found out about her daily visits, neither had he. The land looked untouched, although there had been ripples in the pool that had never been there before.
Charon awaited with his vessel. As Hades stepped on, he noticed that the boatman avoided meeting his gaze. That made it twice that Charon had lost his composure. Hades raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"I trust your day was pleasant, my lord?" Charon asked, as he always did.
"The usual," Hades replied, as he always did. He brushed at his swirling cloak, and noticed the stars had finally dimmed. That was a good thing, he told himself. It did not befit a Lord of the Underground to wear stars.
As he approached the entrance to the Underworld, however, the stars seemed to grow brighter. Even Cerberus seemed uncomfortable as Hades alighted the vessel, starting back on sighting his master's cloak. He only calmed down when Hades reached out his hand and ran it down the beast's back.
Two of Cerberus's heads were content with the petting. The third one kept glancing in direction of the entrance, barely restraining a growl.
Hades frowned. Cerberus's task was to guard the entrance and prevent those who did not belong from entering the Underworld. Cerberus was more than capable of doing so, too. There should be no reason for the beast to feel hostile, especially toward the entrance instead of outside of it.
If there is anybody who shouldn't be here, Charon wouldn't have ferried them over, either, Hades thought. But then he recalled the boatman's strange behavior. He glanced behind him, but Charon was already guiding his boat to the other side of the river.
Hades went inside.
Ahro pounced forward, grinning widely. "Master!" His tail snaked to and fro behind him, displaying his pleasure.
"Hello, Ahro." Hades glanced about, but noticed nothing out of place. The cavern was dark and intact with no signs of trespassers. "Do you know why Cerberus is behaving anxiously outside?"
The minion grinned even wider, barely able to suppress his excitement. His eyes gleamed yellow. "I have brought you a gift, my master."
"Ahro," Hades said, brushing at his cloak, which was really glittering now. "You didn't have to do that."
"It was my pleasure, master. Come and see. I trust you will enjoy her."
Hades halted in mid-stride. "'Enjoy her'?"
Ahro shuffled forward. Hades leaned down to accommodate the difference in height, and the demon smiled and whispered in the god's ear.
Hades sprang up straight, his eyes flashing. "You what?"
Part III
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