When Darkness Met Her

The Roar of Springtime

Persephone watched the monolith of creature heading straight for the city of Olympus. She wanted her limbs to move, wanted her mouth to scream, but her body remained frozen in place as her eyes watched in horror. The Hydra could flatten the city within minutes, and all those mortals and gods alike wouldn't stand a chance against one as big as this...

What could she do? The question kept screaming in her mind, banging against her skull for her to take some form of action, but like with everything she remained in place, just as she had remained in place all those years under her mother's thumb, just as she had stood there and watched Hades walk away from her...

"No more" she suddenly said to herself in a whisper. But the words had been spoken, and now her lungs raged to scream them out into the night.

"No more!" she yelled as her legs began moving towards the Hydra, faster and faster, her arms whipping behind her as her teeth clenched together in fury. A soft burning started in the middle of her chest that quickly was spreading throughout her limbs and torso as she ran faster towards the Hydra, her fingers willing the earth beneath her to move her faster so she could catch up to the beast.

The Hydra was so dangerously close now, the city lights glowing now against it's dark scales that shimmered and gleamed in the brightness. Persephone could hear it's monstrous roar, like some demon from the depths of Gaea ready to kill whatever came within it's path.

By now the city dwellers would have noticed the tremors in the earth and heard the horrible scream from the beast, but Persephone still had a chance. She could still get in front of it, stop it in it's path if she just concentrated.

Like the wind she felt her feet nearly fly over the grass and earth beneath her, the ground itself moving and bending to her will so that she could avoid anything that would get in her way. She was so close now, the creature nearly yards away from her.

Terror was running through her body like a drug, but she felt her mind hone in and knew exactly what needed to be done. She was running right next to the Hydra now praying that one of it's many heads wouldn't whip around and see her beside it. She had a hard time running now as with each step of the Hydra the earth bolted up like she was on a trampoline.

"Persephone!" A voice screamed above her.

Persephone dared to glance up only to see Hermes, his golden hair flying around his face as he flew high above her. Hermes, the messenger of the Gods must have been running an errand as he spotted the massive Hydra and his friend racing alongside it. He whizzed down beside her, his winged feet trying to keep up with Persephone as she ran.

"I don't have time to explain!" Persephone said keeping her eyes on the Hydra "But I need to get in front of it. Can you help me?"

"I can try" Hermes said his eyes looking up at the Hydra filled with fear "But you owe me."

Persephone could live with that. Hermes came up behind her and with both of their strength hurled each other together underneath the Hydra's massive legs. Persephone felt like an ant next to a tree underneath the Hydra. But ants could conquer trees if they really tried, and to save the ones she cared about, Persephone had to succeed.

"Throw me in front of it!" Persephone screamed.

"Are you sure?" Hermes said avoiding another leg that came crashing down beside them.

"Just do it!" she yelled.

Hermes did as he was told, tossing Persephone through the air and hurling in front of the Hydra. Persephone planted her feet against the ground, hearing the earth and dust beneath her feet skid behind her. Quickly she turned around and was face to face against the creature.