Seeds: Volume Two (30 page)

     “Nobody can enter his realm but for the dead and the few alive he gives permission to. And I am not one of them.” Doso explained dejectedly.

     Nobody but the dead? But only one dreadful place fit that description... If it was that realm, then no wonder Doso was so unhappy!

     “I am always here, if you need to talk to me. And anything we can do...” Metaniera responded compassionately. She glanced at the infant, now curled up happily against Doso's breast.

     “Yes, Metaniera. There is something you can do for me. The city temple – it is old and decrepit. Your prayers to Zeus have gone unheeded.”

     It would seem so
, Metaniera thought as she bowed her head. An ancestor of Celeus – one of Zeus's many illegitimate children – had dedicated the temple to Zeus, and he had been their main deity, though not to exclusivity as he had been in Olympia. Other gods were also worshiped, including Demeter herself. But Zeus had remained first and foremost, and the Eleusinians had appealed to him to help them with their woes, which always came to naught in the end. Ares had also ignored their prayers, since war always amused him and he enjoyed the increasing energy and blood-lust of the rogue warriors outside the city.

     “You have called his name the loudest, but does he ever answer? My name has barely been uttered, and I am unable to hear it amidst the louder cries from other cities.”

     Metaniera felt her cheeks burning. This woman... she was a
Goddess?

     “Strip the temple and restore it in my name. The other gods will know that I am to be reckoned with.” Her cowl fell away, revealing a braided crown of dark golden tresses atop a strong and broad face with a straight nose and smooth cheeks. “To the faithful, I will bring bounty. I will teach the secret of better agriculture and show your daughters how to bless the harvest. The Harvest is mine, and mine alone.”

o0o

     Since Demeter could detect metal and minerals within the earth as part of her Gift, she pointed out a quarry that revealed beautiful marble.  The workers and artisans were imbued with bountiful life-energy that kept them moving and working quickly, keeping them nourished and healthy at the same time. Within a moon the temple would be complete, far more glorious than the old one had ever been. The harvest had gone so well that it was not hard to believe that Demeter had answered their prayers, and with the construction of the new and beautiful temple, the city experienced a rejuvenation. The plague that had decimated the army outside the city hadn't infected one resident.

     Demeter approved of the temple, but even having a grand and beautiful place of worship in her name did not ameliorate the pain she felt at the loss of her daughter or the anger she felt towards her family.

o0o

     Kalia stared at the chickens with a steady eye, gripping a knife. Their food stores were soon to run out, since the harvest had been completely destroyed. The ground had dried up and the plants withered at an appalling rate, shriveling up before anyone could get a chance to eat them.

     Rather than waste what little was left of their stores, they had decided to eat several of the chickens. This meant more food for them now, and less wheat to expend in the future on their fowl. Ever prudent and efficient, they had had enough food to ration at a reasonable level ever since that disastrous day. But now, as it started getting colder and colder – rather prematurely for this time of the year – they could not deny that their stores would barely last through another month, and only if they rationed the food very,
very
strictly.

     More and more she was discontented. Mother kept her busy with weaving, a simple and efficient art for Spartan women – after all, did warriors and their women alike not need material for clothing, bedding, and warmth? But soon enough their wool ran out, as they were not willing to trade any of their food to their neighbor for wool from Nikos's dwindling herd of sheep. Kalia went foraging for food, and through this way had gotten to know more about the world she lived in. Other Spartans were not much better off than herself. The men got a slightly bigger ration of food, but her father was losing weight like she was. She looked down at her slender arm and the wrist-bone that was starting to protrude at an alarming angle. How much longer would this go on? The Spartan Oracle could only say that unless a stolen child was returned, people would starve. Several children within the city had been returned to their parents after being stolen by family members. Still, there was no change in the increasingly antagonistic clime of Hellas.

     She was increasingly unhappy at home, even more so because everyone else was. The environment was hostile, filled with desperation and negativity, and she had no desire to be part of it anymore.

o0o

     “Daddy, I'm hungry,” Melissa whined. Her rosy cheeks had lost their plumpness, but she was none the worse for wear. However, having been indulged before with food since it was so plentiful, she was unused to being told 'no' when it came to having a treat. Because there was no harvest to be had, there was nothing fresh to eat.

     Skouros let out a heavy sigh. This year's harvest had been looking so promising that a couple of weeks before harvest time, they had decided to go ahead and partake of their old stores to make room for the harvest. People were having banquets and picnics, using up most of what had been left of their stock before the harvest suddenly soured. Suddenly, there was strict rationing. Nobody was satisfied with the portions he gave them, but he kept the pantry under lock and key so that nobody would pilfer their meager provisions – not that he could blame them for wanting to. He himself had to fight the temptation to go into the store room and eat what was left of the preserved fruit.

     “We are all hungry, but we have to persevere.” He let out a weary groan. The two cities nearest them would not trade with them for food, being in equally dire straits. All the messengers sent out from Olympia returned with bad news.

     “I cannot even have a date?” Melissa inquired, her dark eyes widening in an effort to sway her father. She was cute, and could bat her eyes or widen them for appropriate effect to get what she wanted. However, the hungry rumble in Skouros's stomach reminded him that now was not the time to indulge his children.

     “No.” His voice was unintentionally gruff, and he practically barked at her. “Do not ask for any more food. Your mother and I will give you the rations you need, but this is not a time for whining or indulgence. Now, stop it.”

     The girl's eyes widened, but for a different reason, and she ran out of the room before he could see her tears.

o0o

     “Damnit!” Zeus roared as he spun around, walking back and forth. The prayers from Olympia became more and more pressing by the day. They had eaten what was left of their stores from last year and were now starting to go hungry. Everywhere, disastrous harvests brought about fervent prayers to Olympus, but nothing anybody did could undo the damage Demeter did. Let the clouds pour rain and the sun shine its warm light onto the barren earth, they could not coax any growth. A few cities or villages still had stores, but many were depleting their storehouses, and an unfortunate amount had already done so.

     Demeter continued to hide herself, knowing full well the consequences of her actions! He had never seen a woman act so unreasonable! He wanted to shake some sense into his sister. Some of the other gods had already come to him, pleading with him to find Demeter and just do what she wanted. The warriors of Sparta had nothing to eat. Thebes, having already had a difficult harvest the year before, was starting to starve, seeking to trade with other cities and offering plenty of gold, only the neighboring cities had no spare food to offer. It had only been a month since Demeter stood up to him before the Council. How could things have gotten so bad?

     As he groused about the situation down in Hellas, he took a piece of ambrosia from the plate that the nymph held for him. Demeter had made good on her threat, and even though he was angry with her, he did not want to admit that he was also beginning to feel panic. Suppose Demeter never restored the harvest? Then Hellas would be devoid of people! Where would they go if there was nobody to worship them! The people to the south worshiped the gods with animal heads, and further south were deities with skin as dark as night. To the north were wild, nameless gods that protected the various tribes. The eastern lands held gods of their own, just as old and sometimes older than the Hellenic deities. The gods of Hellas could take what people were left and move them to the west, where there were still lush forests and valleys. But Demeter was certain to follow them and spread her dearth.

     Even with what was going on in Hellas, Hades still refused to give up his bride. His Kingdom would grow greatly in due time to all the people who would die from this famine. No amount of pleading, cajoling, and even threatening would sway the Dark God.

     Between his sister and brother, he felt helpless, even impotent. The lovely nymphs who surrounded him didn't amuse him as much as they usually did – nor did they even want to. Being Nature deities, they shared Demeter's anger, and were affected by her wrath. He could use all of his Gifts, and it still wouldn't bring forth the harvest. He was King of the Gods, yet he could not give the mortals the one thing they needed to survive.

     “Father!” Zeus heard one of his sons call out. He looked up, seeing the lanky figure of Hermes descend from the sky, landing several paces away.

     “I have news for you. The people of Eleusis have been building a grand temple for Demeter, and their harvest has been good. I was not able to confirm that Demeter herself was there, but there was a definite trace of her presence,” Hermes stated.

     “Hmm.” Zeus stroked his beard as he pondered just what to do with this bit of information.

o0o

     Before the Queen of the Dead was spread a feast that any mortal in Hellas would have readily pounced at. Odors of various spices and delectable ingredients filled the air, dancing along in soft wisps of steam. Yet she would look at none of it, and kept her gaze fixed on the floor, her hands folded neatly in her lap.

     She wondered how her mother was doing, and the rest of her family. Hades remained sketchy and evasive, even at times outright refusing to speak of it, whenever she brought up the goings-on of the surface world.
It was not important enough for you to know
, he'd say. Or,
There's so much to enjoy here in the Underworld! Why concern yourself with the other world!

     For over three months, she had been trapped in the Realm of the Dead. There were very few things to complain about. Hades was a warm and generous host. Her comfort and enjoyment were always seen to, whether he was with her or not. He was a respectful gentleman and a passionate lover. Yet she sometimes felt intimidated by him and his sheer power. His gaze could feel as if it was penetrating into her soul. She was afraid of the unknown. She knew that Hades wouldn't lie to her, but she simply couldn't... just cross the line. There was no going back if she did.

     Part of her felt collected during these meals with him, sitting there calmly and ignoring the food while making pleasant talk with him. But she also wanted to swipe something from the table and just plunge it into her mouth and bite down and taste that flavor. If it tasted even half as good as it smelled...

     Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hades rise from his divan and sit next to her. She gazed at him languidly. In his hand was a pomegranate, cut neatly into half and revealing clusters of the seeds, some seeds showing their innards due to the sharpness of the blade. He was silent, offering her the fruit. She stared down at it, remembering well the tart sweetness of Hades' lips. As if he sensed her thoughts, he ran a finger along the slick interior of the fruit before bringing it up to her face, gently dabbing her lower lip with it. It left an enticing stain on her pale flesh, and he lightly smeared it from side to side. She sat there, unmoving as he spread it to her upper lip, giving her lips that were startlingly dark against her white skin.

     She felt the moisture, and darted out her tongue to flick at it. She trembled slightly. Her eyes met his for a moment before looking down at the fruit.

     Flashes of a starving world caused her to gasp softly and pull back. She quickly rose from her seat, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.

     Hades scowled. He loved her and wanted her to be happy, and yes, he was willing to be patient. But damnit, a man could only be patient for so long! He was tempted to bind her and force food into her mouth, but he didn't want to deal with a bitter and angry bride, and such a deed would forever taint their relationship. It was clear that she enjoyed his company and wanted to be here. Why must she be so frightened of the food? What was it that kept her from taking his offering? Quickly, he collected himself, setting the pomegranate aside.

     “What is the matter?” he asked, reaching to place a hand on her shoulder.

     “I... I have these dreams... and I see them even when I am awake.”

     “The nightmares?” he asked. She still wouldn't tell him what her occasional nightmares were about. Her response was a soft sigh.