Hades and Persephone

Chapter 25

Demeter sat in the temple that Keleos had built her. He had been surprisingly fast, rushing to finish lest he upset the goddess further. It was small and simple, but elaborate and as richly decorated as possible on such short notice. He had only been able to build the naos, but had plans to build the rest of the temple once Demeter had chosen to leave.

The naos was four walls with one entrance. Eventually it would lead to the pronaos, or the porch, and be surrounded by a single row of pillars on all sides that would create a surrounding portico for worshippers.

Instead of a statue in the naos Demeter stood guard. Technically, she remained seated inside her temple, but she still guarded the small building.  

Suddenly, Zeus appeared before her. There was no flash of light, no sound, no abrupt appearance. He simply stepped from the air, as though alighting from a chariot. 

He had a beautiful, golden tan and his blonde hair was curled to perfection. Not a hair was out of place, not a speck of dirt on his purple robes. His quiver of lightning bolts hung from his belt, a clear sign that if he was moved to wrath he would not be afraid to use his power.

Demeter pulled her lip back in a sneer. It was an ugly look. "Zeus."

He extended his arms, as though expecting a hug. "Demeter, sweetheart!"

She crossed her arms and legs, remaining exactly where she sat.

Zeus sighed. "What is it, Demeter? What is wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's WRONG? My daughter is missing!!!"

"That's it?"

Demeter pushed herself up. Small sprouts began to push their way through the dirt. "'That's it?' You really have no understanding of responsibility, do you Zeus? No knowledge of what it is like to have a child that you raised vanish!" 

She now stood before Zeus. Even though she was a foot and a half shorter than him her anger made her seem three feet taller. The sprouts were now curling around Zeus' feet, snagging on his sandals and clutching at his robes.

"But Demeter! The mortal world is dying! Have you not looked around? When was the last time you tended to your garden?" He lifted one foot and then the other in an attempt to escape the tiny plants without angering the goddess further.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE MORTALS!"

"Demeter, you know that's not true. I know you recently made that scrawny blonde kid, Triptolemus, into a god. You wouldn't do that if you didn't care about mortals. And you attempted to make the other boy into one as well."

"And my gift was scorned," Demeter seethed. 

"By a mother worried about her child," Zeus said in a soothing voice.

"That woman is no mother. She should have understood what I was doing immediately!"

"It is my understanding that mortal women do not typically place their children in fires."

"Oh, you would know."

"Seriously, Demeter? I don't think now is the time to gripe about my amazing sex life."

"You're a pig."

He ignored her. "What will make you return to your duties? The mortals are starving and I'm tired of listening to their prayers."

"I want my daughter back, Zeus. She's your child too you know."

Zeus thought he knew where Persephone might be but he wasn't certain. "There's only one being who knows everything that happens under the sun. We must go visit Helios."