Persephone's Ring

They were already on their way once more after letting themselves rest, relax, and unwind for two days. Fresh and filled with vigor, they were on the move again. The road ahead was calm, and while inviting, it was a bit worrisome as there had been no shortage of trouble since arriving.

Patiently and quietly, they all followed Andrew and the compass. Some symbols lit up, and the needle shifted slightly to the right. Correcting their direction, they followed it. They stopped once along the way to rest and refuel.

“So, what are we doing?” Natasha asked.

“We are hoping to find someone friendly to help us,” Padma replied. “We need help; it is best to find some.”

“Yeah, and what if we run into a god?” Natasha asked. “I mean, isn’t like the god of the underworld evil? He could take us all out and kill us right?” she asked. “Or the sun one could fry us…”

“He’s called the god of the underworld, but that doesn’t mean he’s evil,” Rayen stated. “People say that just because of what he rules.” She sighed. “Though maybe all gods are asses in some way.” She started walking everyone giving her stares of mixed emotions.

“I may know where we can go,” Cole said, causing all attention to turn to him. He looked away, scratching his head. “Well, it was just something I heard mumbled in the town, but there is a place to learn and find. Some people headed that way a while back,” he told them. I heard it was past the forest towards the east in the direction we’re going but other than that, I don’t know.”

“We could try, there’s no harm in it,” Henry agreed.

“Sooner the better this is tiring,” Robert said. “And a bed would be nice, especially in the company of a hottie,” he winked at Natasha and Charmyne, who voiced their disgust with audible sounds and eye rolls.

“I know you want me, baby,” Robert blew them kisses.

Everyone just ignored him and kept walking. It was silence, and it was boring. The sound of shoes stomping and leaves crunching and rustling mixed with the sounds of bugs filled their ears.

“Okay, I give, it’s quiet,” Susan groaned. “So questions, it’ll be entertaining and make time pass faster.” She glanced at everyone no words of objection came forward. “Then I’ll start, I’ve got no kids to return to but I have parents and two siblings,” she said.

“I’ve got a kid and an ex-wife,” Henry answered. “Was on my way to see her for her birthday.”

“How sweet,” Susan smiled.

“It’s just my Andrew,” DeAnne said. “His parents are always away, so I look after him.”

“I’ve got lots of siblings, parents, and a ridiculous extended family,” Cole said.

Rayen glanced back at everyone. “No one.” She kept it simple then put her focus back on walking.

“I have children, but they have grown and married, so I am also retired and a grandmother,” Padma said, smiling.

“I have a daughter; she’s a workaholic like me,” Grace shrugged.

“Well, of course, there’s Daddy and Mother and the staff…” Natasha started rambling off.

“I’ve got a father and three brothers,” Charmayne told them.

“I’ve got my grandmother and younger sister,” Robert added in happily.

“I have…” Keiran trailed off. “A large family.” he said nothing more on the subject.

From then on idle chatting continued over simple things like food or a movie to pass the time. It kept them all relaxed and not so focused on how long they’d been walking. When they’d made a second stop for rest the darkness in the sky caught their attention.

“Looks like rain,” Grace commented. “We should hurry.”

The group moved quickly, hoping to find shelter but the incoming storm only inched closer and closer to them. They ran continuing aimlessly jumping logs, avoiding rocks and low hanging branches in their way.

“There!” Natasha called out pointing ahead. “A cave!” she said.

They all headed in the direction of the mouth of the cave Cole breaking off some branches as they did. Just in time to barely miss the rain, they entered the cave. Panting, they all took a few moments to gather themselves. Without a word, Cole went a little further in then used the wood to start a fire.

“You should all come and try to warm up,” he waved them over.

They all sat around the fire in silence for a moment, staring out at the heavy rain. The sky continued to rumble and even lightning struck within view.

“We’re lucky we found this,” Charmayne sighed. She used a spare stick to poke the fire a bit. “This won’t last long,” Henry spoke.

“But this cave does go further,” Padma pointed. “Maybe come morning; we should check it.”

With nothing else to do, they prepared to be stuck in the cave for the rest of the day. They prepared food and made themselves comfortable for the long night.

“I was on my way to visit my daughter,” Padma broke the silence. She toyed with the soup stirring it. “She is just a month from her due date,” she stared into the flames absentmindedly. “It will be her first child; I wanted to help her adjust to it.”

“You’ll see her soon,” Susan said. “We’ll make it off this rock and back to our lives,” she tried her best to sound reassuring.

“Thank you,” Padma put on a small smile.

There was silence as they all began to think of whether they’d make it or not. In the end little food was eaten, and the group broke off to do their own things as rumbling filled the silence.

They went to sleep soon after as the storm raged through the night. The stone was hard and uncomfortable but there was no other choice. As Andrew stood watch his eyes became tired but a sound breaking through the thunder. He tuned in, closing his eyes to pay a little more attention to it; a hissing sound was coming from deeper in the cave. He stood and tried to see deeper in when snakes lunged out at him. They quickly enveloped his body not leaving even the slightest chance to wake the others. One by one, each member was bitten and carried off by a bed of snakes.

When they came to one by one, they realized they were all paralyzed.

“What’s going on now!?” Natasha yelled.

“Yes, I am so very sorry about this,” a soothing voice drifted in from the shadows all the’s’ sounds elongated.

Snakes tumbled in from the shadows slithering into the torch-lit room. Behind them, large half human half snake people with weapons.

“What the!” Henry voiced the collective confusion and fear.

They were all different in coloring and appearance. Some were longer in their snake; half others had spikes. Some were even bright in color, with the patterns traveling up into their human halves.

“Don’t be frightened; the voice came again.

Out of the shadows came a giant snake and perched on top of it sitting gracefully a woman with grass colored snakes for hair their scale pattern coming down onto her forehead and stopping at the edge of her eyes. Her hands and feet were scaled black with flecks of green bleeding and blending into her brass colored skin then back to black into the wings on her back. Her eyes were closed, and her clothes dark and tattered most likely from being underground. The large white to green gradient snake came to a stop lowering for her to dismount.

“Free them.” She gave the order and the half-snake people approached each one with a small vial. After forcing its contents down their throats, it wasn’t long before they were able to move again.

“You have questions that I will answer but before that, you should lose your hostility, no one ventures here, we live alone undisturbed by the gods,” she spoke.

“Holy pile of flaming crap, it’s Medusa,” Susan’s jaw dropped. “But like isn’t she dead?” confusion soon crept onto her face.

“That is accurate, beheaded,” Padma joined in.

“I will explain it all to you momentarily,” she snapped her fingers and food was brought out to them. “If you would please take a drink,” she motioned to them all to take their glass as servants waited to fill them.

Glasses filled Medusa got comfortable with the snake settling behind her to support her sitting form. She waited patiently as one by one each cup made a sound as it was set down then opened her eyes. They were a beautiful golden color matching those of the ones in her hair.

Reflexively they all went to block their eyes though a moment too late. So they waited but a stone death never came.

“What…” Rayen blinked.

“It is something made that has a temporary effect, I can sit and have a civil conversation this way,” Medusa told them. “Now…” she popped a grape in her mouth. “Shall I tell you all a story?” she asked. “Maybe explain the wolfmen and more?”

“How’d you know about that?” Robert asked in awe.

“I listen to these precious little things,” she picked up one of the snakes and kissed it.

“Did you send us the money with the snake?” Rayen asked.

“That was not me,” she shook her head. “Now, eat and listen.” Medusa put the snake down glancing over the group. “That storm was no ordinary one, it was some using a means to find you all,” she grinned mischievously, “and aside from that there is another who searches on foot, if they find you that may be the end of this journey, so you should know a little more of this foolish quest.”

“You are stuck here because of foolish family squabbles, you see, the gods want badly the ring you seek, it is a key of sorts that opens the door to somewhere important that has been closed to them all for over two hundred years,” she held up to fingers. The person who was in charge of this place well…” she trailed off a faraway look in her eyes. Closing them for a moment she sighed. “You’ve heard of Persephone, yes? I’ll assume you have for the sake of saving time,” she opened her eyes. “All the gods you’ve heard of, all the ones you read about the stories from all the cultures they were the same people given different names based on the mortals who worshipped them. Hades, also can be called Osiris or Hermes can be known as Loki, some stories are truer than others some are complete works of fiction and some they just have been recounted wrong,” she explained. “Idunn was another name for Persephone though some facts on her abilities are off. But she indeed guarded something vital to the gods and it is this they want to retrieve but it’s locked away and the key a simple ring she was given made by her husband and king of the Underworld Hades,” she took a sip of her chalice as the others ate. There was fruit and dried meats laid before them as well as bread, honey, and other sweets. There was much food that there was no way they could eat it all even in a day.

“Can’t they just get another one made?” Grace asked. “If he gave her one, surely he has another right?”

“He has basically shut them all out and from what I hear he disappeared shortly after the incident,” she eyed them all. “You see, the Goddess found out something and wanted to put a stop to it and the others, her fellow Gods, they didn’t want that well most didn’t so she set a plan in motion hid her ring and kept them from what they wanted. She enlisted a mortal to help, someone who was a peacekeeper and mediator between gods and mortals. This person from a family given some control and a way to oppress overzealous gods so their heads don’t get too big or they don’t become too conniving,” Medusa explained. “They worked together and ensured that the ring would be lost to the Gods. In their rage, they began to hunt her down,” she had her glass filled, teasing a grape between her fingers. “Eventually they found her and she’d become badly wounded, so she rather than give in threw herself off a cliff, her accomplice I hear fished her body out and returned it to Hades before she and her lover slipped away leaving this island behind.”

Popping the grape into her mouth, she let the silence fill the room. No one knew what to say some even hung their heads at the sad story.

Rayen shut her eyes tight, a headache coming on. She sipped the drink in her cup, taking a breath. The refreshing drink distracted her for a moment letting the throbbing subside enough to pay attention.

“So, Hades can’t make it because he left when she died?” Grace asked, breaking the silence.

“The whole island shook that day,” Medusa gave a small nod.

Andrew signed to DeAnne who nodded. She had to play as translator since no one else could.

“Gods are immortal, how can she have died?” she asked in Andrew’s place.

“That is one of the things they wish to take or so I hear, that what she keeps from them is connected to what makes a god a god,” she explained. “What gives power, we are predisposed to longevity and youth, but what they don’t have is what makes them invulnerable, not immortal, they hide that fact.”

“So you’re like something similar too, why tell us this?” Charmayne asked. “Wouldn’t you want to help the Gods?”

Medusa laughed. “Oh, that is funny,” she wiped a tear from her eye. “I despise almost every one of the Gods,” she stated. “For them to lose their pseudo immortality, I revel in the thought, then I’d happily display them in my stone garden,” she smirked.

“Medusa was raped by Poseidon, who was infatuated with her while in the temple of Athena, but Athena saw no fault with the sea king and cursed Medusa to her current form and her sisters as well for standing with her after it happened,” Cole said. “I think anyone would feel such hate if they were wronged in such a way…”

“Yes,” Medusa agreed. “But unlike my sisters, I am mortal I die much easier, and that little demigod decapitated me!” she was becoming angry the snakes in her hair that were once calm now writing in fury. “I was dead, but now I am not. My head was gifted to Athena as a prize yet still I am here again. I say this all because I owe a debt and would prefer you all succeed, Persephone restored me to life some centuries ago in kindness, but my wound remains,” she removed the cloth from her neck revealing where her head and body were stitched together. “I want to keep her ring from them,” she glanced at Rayen. “All you need is to find a God loyal to her, one that did not want her head and get them a little power and they’ll get you home, follow your instinct on who to trust.”

Medusa stood. “You may rest here for the night if you want and leave in the morning,” she told them. “Continue east you should come across a town there with a massive structure, one of the last places Persephone was before her death,” she told them as a snake began to travel up her body. “I do not know what she was doing or who she met with but that structure will let you know you’re in the right place, if you head north you’ll hit frozen land. Nothing much grows there and beast thrive, it is said Demeter has been there since the loss of her firstborn it’s a frozen hellscape of a mother’s sorrow, you may want to avoid it, she’s quite unfriendly.”

They’d stopped eating the story, somewhat taking their appetites with it.

“She may be our best bet, though,” Padma stated after a moment. “Her child’s gone she may not want to see those responsible get away with it.”

“What about Hades?” Henry asked. “He loved her enough to disappear he’d surely help and he may be able to give more aid in case of trouble.”

“But he’s missing,” Susan sighed. “Man lost his soulmate yeah he’d probably go all Liam Neeson on them but broken men don’t get fixed easily.”

“Doesn’t matter first place we go is this place to the east. If Persephone was seen there then someone may be able to help us,” Rayen stood. “Thanks for the help.” She looked for her bag but didn’t see it.

“We have kept your things safe and organized,” Medusa snapped her fingers as the bags were brought out.

Rayen grabbed hers then checked on the egg.

“That will be something special,” Medusa grinned. “Then I am off,” she crept into the shadows with all her snake lovelies.

“Wait!” Susan stopped her. “One last thing, the Wolfmen…”

Medusa stopped for a moment thinking. “Yes, you’ve heard of Fenrir a Norse God said to be son of Loki, a large vicious wolf, those are his people,” she answered. “But he is more like my sister’s and I, who controls him is the person looking for you right now and the last person to see the Goddess of Spring alive,” she continued walking off and out of sight of the group.

“Well we have food for a day and the morning so we should stay, seems like this may be the last bit of piece we get for a while,” Henry sighed.

“What a sad tale,” DeAnne shook her head. “Poor girl dying by people she should trust…” she stood up. “Eat up then get sleep,” she smiled at Andrew. She grabbed her bag then got comfortable taking a rest.

Andrew walked over to Rayen and sat.

She glanced up. “More practice?” she asked. “Sure I don’t mind,” she smiled.

Smiling he went through the alphabet with her and a few phrases as well.

As the torches burned out one by one they used the last one to help start a fire to keep warm. Even though it wasn’t needed, they decided to take turns keeping watch since it was habit.

First on watch was Natasha who traded off with Henry after a few hours. When his times was done Keiran took his place.

About an hour in Rayen woke up, she was having confusing unreadable nauseating dreams. So sleep was not her friend. She took a breath and closed her eyes. She wiped sweat from her brow groaning.

“Can’t sleep?” Keiran glanced at her.

“Seems we flipped roles,” she raised a brow. “I’ll be fine,” she moved closer to the fire. “So what was she like?” she glanced at the ring.

“Difficult and headstrong,” he held the ring up off his chest to get a look at it. “I don’t express things well so she was very patient, though the start we had was not the best she decided to stay even if there were better suitors who could show her beautiful things daily.”

“I think you’re selling yourself short, she stayed because she cared,” Rayen commented. “You were what she wanted in the end that made you the best suitor, especially because you cherish her this much and still think of only her, though I doubt she’d want you to be alone forever,” she added. She slipped some hair behind her ear. “But, I am really just saying what I believe so that may be a bother.”

“It’s fine,” he shook his head. “Thanks.”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “And thanks for the other day,” she said, referring to carrying her back from the lake.

“No problem,” he responded quietly.

“And you shouldn’t force yourself to talk just for other’s sake, and people are better off being themselves,” she closed her eyes then pulled her knees to her chest. She relaxed like this the fire sending a small warmth through her body. It was a nice feeling only amplified by the blanket that was soon draped over her shoulders.