Seeds Volume Two

by M. M. Kin

  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 am 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 his wife and himself kept the larder under strict guard 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 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, 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 one season, 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. 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 fel
t 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. He was silent, offering her the fruit. She stared down at it, remembering well the tart sweetness of Hades's lips.

  o0o

  Hades 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.

  o0o

  Persephone 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.

  o0o

  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 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.

  “Persephone, how can I help you if you will not tell me what is wrong?” he asked. “Let me use my magic to keep you safe from these nightmares.”

  “You can really do that?”

  “And more.” He smiled faintly. She paused, wondering.

  “Think about it?” he asked, seeing the indecision in her features. “For now, let us just forget supper. There are plenty of things we could do...” He raised his eyebrow, a clear implication of just what he had in mind.

  “You are right. There are plenty of things to do. We could watch the Judges, or go to Tartarus... or you could take me to your library for a lesson. Of course, there is always going out for a ride, on your chariot or the horses...” She batted her eyelids at him. “Nice things like that.”

  “Do not play 'nice' with me,” he shot back. “I have seen what you can do.”

  “Then be a dear and humor me, will you?”

  “Yes... my dear,” he replied dryly, but not without humor.

  Chapter XXXVII

  o0o

  “I have had enough of this!” Aphrodite cried out with a dramatic wail. “The people of Cyprus are starving! My temples are filled with my worshipers, and they are dying! People have turned away from me, thinking that I care nothing for them! But I cannot command the earth!” She threw up her slender arms, aquamarine-studded gold bands glinting in the sunlight as she did so.

  “My Oracle predicts disaster, and her prophecies are always about Demeter and her daughter," Apollo said. "She is unable to prophesy anything else. The only way to resolve this is to return Kora to her mother. Simple as that. Even Hades must bow down to your order, Father, for you are High King of the Gods, and your brothers and sisters agreed on that, did they not?" he asked, his voice firm and reasonable as he spoke, though no one knew that the normally self-collected god was hiding his anxiety.

  “Athens has a limited food supply, and it is being threatened by Sparta. They claim they want to share, but they just want to steal it for themselves!” Athene's eyes flashed angrily as she regarded her warmongering brother.

  “Zeus, this really is becoming wearisome. I thought that my Kingdom would be safe from her wrath. Alas!” Poseidon shook his head. At first, the coastal villages had been able to support themselves, but after time, even they started to feel the wrath of the scorned goddess. Demeter's fury had wormed its way under the ground that the waves crashed upon, first killing off the seaweed and other plant life on the shore before extending further. People had to go out further and further to fish, and the fish had also started dying, coming up with huge clusters of pungent and festering seaweed. This dead ocean debris washed up on the shores, and the starving and desperate people would take what they could off the dead aquatic creatures even if it was rotting. “She is angry with you, and she definitely let us all know it!”

  Hephaistos remained silent. Because he had spoken in Demeter's favor, the harvest in Lemnos had been decent enough to last its occupants through the winter. However, to make it on the meager stores, they couldn't trade or sell it to anyone else. An insidiously clever move on Demeter's part to ensure nobody circumvented her will. He wasn't about to let Ares know, otherwise his older and often abusive brother would doubtlessly try to wrest food from Hephaistos's people. Blacksmiths might make armor and weapons, but that did not mean they could wield them well.

  “Zeus, you cannot sit around any longer and wait for Demeter to get over her anger. She is determined to see this through the end,” Hera commented snappishly.

  “Hermes just told me a bit of news that I think you would all be interested in. The people of Eleusis have built a grand temple to Demeter. Their harvest has been blessed, and their people are secure and happy. Her magic is there. She is out to spite me, we all know that, but perhaps listening to pleas from any of you might soften her heart.”

  “It is worth a try," Dionysus stated. The harvest had been dismal, and his worshipers were not only out of wine; they were also out of food. The wild Maenads had tried fermenting beverages from preserved fruit or vegetables, but the results had been barely satisfactory. The nymphs were feeling the pinch of Demeter's choke-hold of Hellas's life-energy. The myriad minor deities of Hellas no longer found enjoyment in Nature. Rivers and forests alike dried up, leaving the mortals in more dire straits than before. Demeter certainly was thorough in her wrath, and the scale of destruction spoke of the immense power she wielded.

  “Then we will need someone who she is not angry with. Someone she will welcome and actually listen to," Hera said. This, of course, excluded Zeus from the list of candidates to make contact with her, and nobody needed to mention this.

  “I will do it,” Athene said.

  “If anyone can do it, she can,” Hephaistos stated, showing full confidence in his sister's abilities. Yes, Athene was aloof and could come across as blunt or even bitchy at times, but there was no denying her sharp mind. Diplomacy had always been a forte of hers, and her arguments could be persuasive, indeed. Zeus nodded. He wisely saw that a woman's touch might serve better in this situation.

  “I doubt that any of us could disagree with Hephaistos. The situation down on Hellas is critical. I am certain you know the importance of your words," Hera said. Athene nodded solemnly.

  “So I will not waste my time on useless chatter. Go now with my blessing, with our blessing.”

  o0o

  Eleusis was a stark contrast to the other cities in Hellas. Though it was a bit small, it was still a good-sized city, and even though the fields were now harvested, Athene could see that they were healthy and the soil dark and rich. The few people she saw outside working all looked content. She crossed a bridge that ran over a stream, seeing how clean and fresh the water looked.

  The gates to the city were open, well-fed guards standing at alert. After a mere few questions, they let her pass. Her guise as a middle-aged woman was serving her well. She was clad in a plain brown chiton and matching cowl, with a straw basket folded at her side. As she lifted her he
ad, she felt it. There was no denying Demeter's presence here. Outside among the fields, she could feel the goddess' power sustaining the land. But now, the goddess was here, somewhere in Eleusis, probably in disguise.

  Athene had plenty of experience fitting in with the mortals, and was inconspicuous as she wandered through the marketplace. One thing she had noticed about Eleusis was that it was warm. It was late autumn, yet the weather was pleasantly cool and mild. People went about in sandals or bare feet, and nobody was wearing anything heavier than a light cloak or cowl. Here and there, along the paths and in front of the buildings, plants were growing from the dirt and from between bricks or slabs in buildings or paved walkways.

  It wasn't hard to find Demeter's temple. Many cities in Hellas had similar points they used in city planning, such as the location of temples, wells, and the like. When one understood the criteria, it became easier for a stranger to find his way through a city.

  The temple before her was indeed grand. The marble was like nothing she had ever seen before, with a particular color in its background and veins that was entirely unique to the regions around the city. Several different marbles had been used, but the most prominent one was beautiful pale green with veins of gold. The people treated the temple with reverence, keeping the grounds around it maintained and swept, the lush moat of grass surrounding the building clear proof of the temple's blessing. The sun shone on the marble, bringing vibrancy to the verdant marble that was reminiscent of the thick grass.

  There appeared to be nobody guarding the temple, nor were there any priests to come out and shoo her away when she approached the gap in the grass. There was some quiet singing and chanting coming from within the temple, but they seemed to be from solitary worshipers rather than a group ritual. The place gave her a feeling of serenity, and she gazed around calmly. As she entered the main chamber, she was awed by the sight before her. A life-size statue of Demeter dominated the room. It was carved from white marble and stood atop a matching dais. In her right hand, she held a large sheaf of wheat wrought of gold and brass. In her other hand was a sickle made of silver.