Death's Delight

The Protest

A cough shattered the arid silence of the peasant’s house, and the mother hovered over her shuddering child, dabbing at her brow.

 “Mother,” the girl gasped, her dark hair sticking to her sweat-soaked forehead, her skin steadily bleeding out the water she so desperately needed. “Mother.”

 "Hush, hush,” her mother soothed, ignoring the empty pang in her own gut. “Just sleep, dearest, sleep.”

 “I cannot sleep,” the child sobbed dryly, “I hurt, I hurt.”

 Demeter watched.

 With an iron eye, she peered into the peasants’ lives, beholding the destruction she had wrought upon them.

 How pathetic they were. How small; how dependent.

 "Have you no remorse?” the voice, though lilting and beautiful, was tinged with an ugly scorn.

 Demeter turned. “Hermes,” she greeted him, though there was little welcome in her tone.

 The messenger God was lean but muscular, his hair sandy, his face clean-shaven and beautiful, but not quite handsome. “I bear a message.”

 "You always do.”

 “This has gone too far. Zeus begs you to cease this petty fit. He implores you to think of the lives wasted. And he warns you that should you fail to comply, he will stop you.”

 “Stop me?” she questions dryly. “How? Using force? Zeus does not want another war of the gods.”

 Hermes paused, glancing downwards and setting his jaw. Then he met her gaze. “Demeter, please. Surely you can be reasoned with – ”

 “Was there reason in my daughter’s abduction?” she cut him off, her eyes ice and fire. “Is there reason in Zeus’ pacifism while Persephone suffers?”

 The messenger god struggled for words. “Listen, milady – ”

 “I will not listen to your prattling talk of peace! While my daughter is with Hades there can be no peace.”

 “But why this needless bloodshed?”

 “This race of men may belong to Zeus, but now he knows that their lives truly belong to me. Perhaps when he has lost enough of them, he may feel some part of the agony I feel now.” Demeter paused, her chest heaving with emotion. “I will have my daughter back.”

 “Yes, I know you will. But can you not seek out some other means of convincing Zeus? This slaughter of the humans does not do them justice.”

 Demeter bristled. “You appeal to my sense of justice? Hermes, I am a mother. Will you tell me that this is not my duty? Will you tell me I am unjust for protecting my own? For preserving the right of my flesh and blood? No, you will not, for herein lies my justice: when my daughter’s birthright is forfeit, I will tear the earth apart for her!”

 With that, Demeter’s legs buckled, and she fell to the ground, retching. Hermes moved to help her, but she shoved his arm away and curled into herself, coughing up blood.

 “What…” Hermes began to question as she finally rose, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Then realization dawned in his face. “You’re dying.”

 “Yes,” she spat; trembled as she helped herself to her feet.

When Hermes spoke again, it was with resigned awe. “This protest of yours, it’s killing you, for you sustain the land just as it sustains you.”

“Well reasoned,” she hissed, blood seeping from her nose and the corner of her mouth. “Now leave.”

 "I cannot leave you in this state,” he protested. “Demeter, end this. Please.”

 Slowly, she drew herself to her full height again, and mustered all her strength to send Hermes a withering glare. “You scorn me by believing I could be that selfish. Persephone is flesh of my flesh, and I will rip the skin from my bones before I let the distant gods decide her fate. Tell that to Zeus.”

...

Author's Note: Hello! It's been awhile, to say the least. And I would like to formally apologize to everyone who waited on this story - I went through a very rough couple of years and there was simply no time/motivation for writing. I would also like to personally thank everybody who has commented, followed, and urged me to update. Though this chapter may not be exactly the stellar update you were hoping for, I plan to update this story on a much more regular schedule now and see it through to completion.

Your comments and encouragement would mean a LOT to me, so please take the time to leave at least a brief comment. Thank you! <3