Persephone's Ring

“Rayen!”

“Keiran!”

Their names were called over and over in the snow as the group searched for them. They traveled slowly looking for the two. So far they hadn’t found anything to tell them where they had gone.

“Oh hey!” Charmayne stopped at a sign that looked like it’d been knocked over. “There are fresh prints too, maybe they went this way and someone tried to stop us from looking.”

Robert picked up the sign. “So then someone chased them here then knocked this down so we wouldn’t know.” He replaced the sign and started walking again. “It’s freaking cold so let’s hurry will you.”

The group continued to call out being a little more careful since the area was unstable. No answers yet came to them unfortunately.

“What’s that?” Henry pointed at some dark smoke like substance appearing just above the treetops before disappearing.

“No clue at all.” Cole stared in confusion for just a moment before the look on his face became one of relief. “We’ll follow it,” he started walking.

“But you just said you didn’t know,” Grace crossed her arms.

“It’s where we need to be.”

“Don’t fight with him it’s probably some magic sign,” Susan laughed.

Andrew stared at it for a moment then walked up to Cole and signed.

“Well you do notice a lot huh?” Cole glanced at him. “Yes it is and so we’ll go.”

DeAnne watched and read but said nothing at the others who were confused. “It’s private so I won’t interfere or tell you so don’t ask.” She followed.

As they walked in the direction of the black substance they called out again.

“Ray!”

“Keiran!”

“Rayen!”

“Keiran”

Over and over as the cold iced their breaths and chilled them.

“...en!”

It was faint but she heard it. “Did you hear that?” Rayen turned toward Keiran. They’d resumed searching the walls but now and then Keiran sent up a bit of shadow to catch the eye of anyone around.

“Keiran!”

“I heard it that time.” He looked up.

“Rayen! Keiran!” Susan called as loud as she could. “Can you hear us!?”

“Here!” Rayen called out walking to stand by him. “We’re down here!”

Over here!” Keiran yelled.

“I can hear them, but where are they?” Charmayne asked.

The duo could sparsely see shadows through the cracks.

“Down here, we fell underground!” Rayen yelled staring up.

“What!” Cole from where he stood could feel a breeze from under him.

Andrew looked around listening carefully. He held up a hand to keep everyone silent then listened.

“Guys?” he heard Rayen’s voice then walked over to a large rock kneeling. There was a crevasse so he peeked in seeing them.

“Andy?” He smiled as Rayen called and nodded. He signed the word weak then stepped back.

“Guess this means I’m doing the heavy lifting.” Cole stepped forward. “Step back you two I’m gonna be all cool now and punch a hole in the ground,” he jested.

Taking Rayen’s hand he stepped back pulling her with him. “This will only get messy so stay behind me,” he warned.

“Says the guy who bleeds and gave up a lot of his power,” Rayen teased poking his shoulder.

“Still it’s safer.” He turned and glanced at her for a moment.

There was no warning to come as the rock over their heads broke apart with explosive force bits flying everywhere. Keiran shielded Rayen from the flying debris then let go.

“Well you’re both okay,” Cole glanced down into the hole he’d created. “That’s good, I’ll fly you both out.”

Freed and safe Rayen took a long breath. “We can talk after we find a nice place to set up camp,” she stood.

Andrew took off his bag and handed it to her putting on the extra one he had in hand.

“Thanks,” she smiled. “Let’s get moving I don’t want to be near this town any longer, being chased by animals again is not something I want to keep repeating.”

Unfortunately for them a place that seemed warm was too much to ask for there was a blanket of snow everywhere.

“So where are we going to camp?” Charmayne asked. “If we go a little further then stop we can pitch our tents and bunk for the night, I worry it’s still unstable here, snow is pretty thick.”

“Okay,” agreeing Rayen kept walking until the snow thinned a bit.

“So the husband of the reason for all this has been traveling with us,” Padma spoke slowly as if that would change something.

“And you knew?” Grace glanced at Cole.

“Of course, he’s my boss, why else would I reveal myself in at the gate to protect his secret?” Cole sighed. “Which by the way now of all times?”

“You’ve met her, you know screwing with nature spirits and deities doesn’t go well,” Keiran sighed.

“And you took her child, married her, and she died,” Susan counted. “Oh yeah smart move revealing it now so you disappearing before we meet her doesn’t seem suspicious,” she applauded.

“Okay fine I get that,” Charmayne leaned forward. “With gods hunting us and picking sides keeping quiet makes sense, revealing this before meeting your in-laws makes sense but why not help when we were in trouble with the furies or the werewolves or better yet why not get yourselves out of there without us?

“I’ve sealed up most of my power and don’t have access to it,” he answered. “I can only access ten percent and that is limited to basically one ability which can’t be of much use here,” he explained. “The werewolves worked by scent so it would be useless there, and who did you think the furies were talking to when they were saying the promise was broken, me,” he sighed. “The poison was altered to work on me just as well as you all, but with my physical makeup it wasn’t as strong as it should’ve been I was infected too.” He paused for a moment in thought. “As for getting out I couldn’t do that either, so I turned it to a cloud of smoke and alerted whoever was near to save us.”

“Sounds like a pain,” Robert thought aloud as he ate.

“Well I’m very out of practice on how to use the shadow so yes,” Keiran sighed. “It truly is a pain.”

“Shadows?” Rayen tilted her head thinking. “Oh! You were the one who helped us down there when we were lost.”

Keiran nodded his head as he ate.

“Thanks,” she smiled.

Susan laughed, “well doesn’t matter if you’re safe so who cares, you said you’ve lived human since so you’ve been thinking like one of course keeping one or two things to yourself happens when you worry.”

“Let’s all eat and sleep it’ll be a long journey tomorrow.” DeAnne finished and entered one of the tents.

“You two get some sleep I’ll take first watch,” Henry told Keiran and Rayen.

In the morning they packed up with the rising sun after eating a light meal.

Rayen glanced at Andrew who was leading them with the compass. Hopefully they wouldn’t need to go much farther.

“So our plan is for the King of the Underworld to stay back while we talk and then get the gem and quickly leave, right?” Susan asked.

“That’s the plan,” Cole nodded. “But the Lady has been grieving for quite a long time so it’s safe for the mortal like King to stay back.”

“I’d like to avoid anyone else dying,” Rayen said.

From the small opening in her bag Mazin flew out circling in front of Rayen then stopping. He was covered in white scales and ice. His wings resemble shards of ice and his twisting horns icicles. “I’m much better now, though next time it shouldn’t take too long,” he assured her. He bowed to the others in greeting then turned his attention to Rayen once more. “Shall I fly high and see if we’re near?”

“That would be a great help,” she replied.

High above the trees it was just as white as far as the eye could see. Mazin flew ahead trying to see if anything was ahead. Eventually not much further he saw a strange structure. Its surroundings weren’t white but more on the green side and upon seeing it he flew back.

“Not much farther ahead, maybe a day away there is a strange place, it is like a ruined temple,” Mazin flew above them as he spoke.

“Great, that means we won’t walk much longer.” Robert cheered.

When they took a break Rayen sat by Keiran. “So,” she handed him a bowl of soup. “All those things you said about her, were they true?”

“Thanks.” Keiran glanced at her taking the bowl, “yes, she really was a stubborn person.”

“And how you met, Susan told me the story of Persephone and Hades once before but I’ve learned things are very different from what people thought,” she began eating.

“True I never left my domain much,” he nodded. “True I fell for her on sight, and I really wasn’t one who was as frivolous as my brothers so I didn’t jump from woman to woman or anything I had no interest in the mortal or immortal. But I liked her and unfortunately followed bad advice.” He glanced over Rayen as she ate.

“So then?” she met his gaze before he looked away.

“I forced her to the Underworld but that was it,” he glanced into his bowl. “I swear that was it.” He met her eyes as he said the words as honestly as he could. “And as I told you we couldn’t get along, I thought that if just for a while out of her mother’s sight and the eyes and ears that spy for her it would be much easier to talk to one another but I was constantly avoided and insulted, for a while, she even refused to eat and I couldn’t force her to, I just really wanted to get to know her better,” he continued. “I had a garden created just for her to feel a little more at home, I invited her to explore parts of my domain and castle and she eventually warmed up to me but by then I was forced to send her away.”

“And was it a trick that led to her eating the pomegranate?” Rayen set her bowl down.

“That… I didn’t know about it. I was as surprised as anyone when she returned, you’ve spoken to Seph, maybe you could ask her.”

“She came to me but I don’t even know if she’s still there,” Rayen put a hand on her chest. “Even still I believe you, you loved her too much to hurt her or keep her which you could’ve done.”

“Thanks,” he gave a small smile then continued eating.

“Yeah, um…” she looked at him. “One final thing to clear up, if you want to that is, you don’t need to answer.”

“What is it?” he twirled the spoon in the soup.

“Are you really moving on from her?” she asked. “You said you wanted to move forward.”

“This,” he let the spoon rest. “Everything I have learned being back here has let me understand more and so I’ll see this through like I said, it won’t bring her back, but finishing what Seph started will give me a little peace.”

“I see…” she stared up at the stars.

Refreshed they set out once more walking through the night, if somewhere warm was close by pressing on meant they’d get there sooner. In the night the wind blew hard making them bundle up more. Ahead in the snow there was a faint glow. The closer they got the more they could interpret. It was a crumbling temple that was sitting in the middle of untouched greenery. It was apparent that the building was once proud and beautiful far from its current saddening state. Trees and roots grew from it weaving through the cracks, windows, and door wild yet elegant and uniform as if maintained.

They stood on the edge where the snow gave way to the greenery taking in the sight, the front of the temple had fallen or perhaps been destroyed by someone or thing. From their position they could see straight to the center which held the glowing object, a tree bathed in a soft warm white glow.

“I’ll stay here,” Keiran said. “It’s safer.”

“Then we should hurry.” Charmayne headed for the tree.

“Here,” Keiran stopped Rayen for a second then took off the chain. “Maybe showing her will help.” He handed over Persephone’s ring. “Maybe it’ll protect you.”

“But I couldn’t, you…” she glanced at the ring.

“Take it, I’m fine it’s yours now and it’s time you stop running from it.”

Taking it she looked him in the eye before running to catch up with the others.

Approaching the tree it became warmer but a sense of sorrow lingered. They wandered around looking for anyone.

“Hello?” Rayen called out. “Demeter?”

“Sif,” a woman’s voice gently drifted in. “Call me Sif,” she appeared as if from behind the tree. She had a womanly figure and long wheat-colored hair with a crown of flowers. Her grass colored eyes were fixed on the ground and full of pain but still she was breathtaking. “What do travelers want in this area no one has come here in so long.”

No one knew what to say so there was a silence that lasted for a long moment before Sif glanced up. “You…” her eyes grew wide as she locked onto Rayen. “But…” she glanced at the tree. With a wave of a hand it was gone and from where it stood a glass case raised from the ground. “You can’t be,” she wiped frost from the glass a face just under.

A coffin?” Charmayne tilted her head.

“It’s the Queen but that is impossible.” Cole stepped closer.

“Impossible?” Sif turned her head. “You.” She stared at Cole. “What are you doing here have you come to take her from me once more?” she questioned.

“No,” Cole shook his head. “We only come for your help, have you been left anything by your daughter?” he asked. “Gems to be precise.”

“You mean this?” she held up the gem on her necklace, her final gift to me,” she closed her eyes. “And yet dead she stands before me, what have your and that man done?” she glanced at Rayen near tears.

“Um… I-I’m not who you’re thinking,” Rayen denied it.

With her index finger Sif motion toward Rayen vines began scooping the young woman up taking her closer to the goddess.

“My Lady please!” Cole called worried.

“You share features,” she lifted Rayen’s head with a finger. “And her scent but you say you’re not her? Do you hate me that much?” a tear fell.

“N-No,” Rayen shook her head. “I’m not her, she’s there,” Rayen glanced at the glass coffin. “I…” she looked down. “I’m a descendant of someone she once saved your daughter she passed some of her power to them that is what you sense I’m just a nobody really.”

“You must mean something if she did so,” Sif glanced at the coffin this time. “There is more to you I sense it much more.”

Sif grabbed her by the cheeks. “You are Kore, my sweet flower, I sense it.” she put a hand on Rayen’s chest. “She’s there.”

“What!” Rayen was confused. “Please all we want is the pendant you are wearing and if possible for you to send us home, the people who led to your daughter’s death are trying to collect them and undo her work making her death meaningless.”

“I cannot give this to you it is all that remains of her,” Sif shook her head.

“I promise to return it once we’ve collected enough to restore power you can take the whole ring.” Rayen pulled the ring from her pocket. “Please?”

Sif touched the ring as if it were made of glass, tears flowing over thoughts of her lost child. She stared at the ring. “I want this now, it belongs here,”

“You get it when we get home.” Rayen spoke firmly. She wasn’t backing down, they’d come this far she wasn’t going to hand it over so easily.

“Ray um, careful what you say to the goddess,” Susan warned.

“Your friend is right watch what you say stubborn child,” the vines holding Rayen tightened with a flick of Sif’s finger. “It’d be smart to hand it over and I’ll let you all go peacefully.”

“There is no peacefully,” Rayen closed her eyes and gripped the ring tight. “You’re mourning I get that, you wish you knew more but you suffocate and she knew you’d object like you did to everything, there’s no way to confide in someone who would never support her and just keep her chained.” She groaned the vines making it hard to breathe.

“You think you know of my pain!” Sif yelled.

“She showed… me…” she breathed shakily.

Sif’s eyes widened in surprise and the vines loosened just enough to wiggle out. “You saw her?”

“You need to move forward, stop hating others for things they couldn’t control and concentrate on your other children.” Rayen took a moment to rest rubbing a hand across her torso where she was squeezed breathing heavily.

“You are just as stubborn,” Sif sighed. “Please just leave,” she waved them off tiredly just wanting to be alone.

“We can’t go without the gem.” Rayen stood her ground.

Sif opened her mouth to speak but a strong wind blew in it was filled with a dark energy that sent shivers down the spines of those present.

“No no this won’t do,” a sweet voice whispered in Sif’s ear. “They deceive you they will take what they want and you’ll have nothing left.”

“This will be a serious problem,” Cole said recognizing the voice.

Floating above Sif with jet black wings was a pale skinned long curly silver-haired woman in a blood red gown. She glanced at Cole smirking.

“Who is that?” Padma asked.

“Discordia, able to raise conflict from the smallest of things and in the mightiest of people.” Cole spoke harshly.

“Kind introduction but I’ve already got her under my spell,” she used a finger to lift and turn Sif’s chin so she faced her. “They even bring someone you curse to the ends of the world with them, they mean to make you suffer more hurt you more, he’s come to take her away again.”

Sif’s eyes were dull, “no….” she slurred. “You can’t take her again.” Sif whipped her hand attacking the group. “You can’t!”

Mazin threw up a shield to block the attack but it was still strong enough to crack it.

“Look here he comes,” Discordia pointed.

A group of women trailed in pushing Keiran. He was a little beaten as were they but not cuffed or tied. The fit women were dressed as gladiators covered in furs and armor with weapons.

“That. Is. Fit.” Charmayne’s jaw dropped.

“You will not take her this time,” Sif waved her wrist sending Keiran flying with a root. “You’re the reason she’s dead and why she won’t return.” Sif repeated the action sending him into a wall.

Keiran coughed up blood as he pushed himself up. “I didn’t do that.”

“Keiran!” Rayen called out as another root came charging at him. She tried to send up a shield or vines or something but nothing happened. “What!” her eyes were wide in confusion.

“What’s going on?” Cole glanced at her.

“I can’t… it’s not working… nothing…” Rayen stared at her hands in shock. “Is it because of that thing in the caves…?” she questioned.

Contemplating and finding an answer sadly had to take a back seat as Keiran was in a losing fight. They all stared in worry unsure what to do.

“Dear sweet Amazons, take these little trophies, En would enjoy this.” Discordia ordered.

Rayen looked around at the chaos. The Amazons encroaching the fight beyond that and the others trying to talk over one another about what to do. Without thinking her body started moving. “Mazin protect them,” she ordered then ran off.

Rayen headed toward Sif who turned attention toward her at Discordia’s persuasion.

“What are you doing?” Keiran coughed spitting up blood.

“Ray come back!” Susan demanded.

Mazin threw up a wall between them and the Amazons doing his best. Rayen though was left vulnerable and he didn’t like that but he did as told protecting them.

Keiran shot black fire at the roots around him. If attention was off him he’d put up a fight so that Rayen was ignored which worked, the burning foliage was more of a concern for the Nature Goddess.

“Why must you be here!? You couldn’t protect her so you should’ve stayed gone!” She put much force into the next attack ignoring Discordia trying to control her as her mind was filled with only one thing.

“She’s gone right now…” Discordia sighed. “Well it’s fun to watch,” she snickered.

Rayen took this opportunity to make her move. Past Sif she approached the coffin. Pulling her knife out of her boot she turned it around using the butt of it to smash the glass. “I’m so sorry!” she leaned in.

Everyone was still in a moment of surprise and shock.

“W-Wh-What are you doing you mortal, get your hands off her!” Sif furiously whipped her hand a root striking straight through Rayen.

“RAY!” they all called out.

Slumping over Rayen cough her blood falling onto the preserved corpse. “Ah… it hurts so much…” she winched staring at the foreign object vision blurring. “Damn…” as her strength was fading she stayed strong holding herself up by will through the pain. Rayen’s movements were slow but she slipped the ring back onto its owner’s finger. “Take it and wake up!”

Rayen’s eyes closed just moments after her consciousness fading as she passed out her body emanated a bright light. As if in response to the ring vines shot forth growing wild and out of control gently they removed her body from the root laying it down on the ground. Her companions rushed over to her side. Next a vine removed the necklace from Persephone’s neck. The pendant with an obsidian stone was brought to Keiran’s side as he leaned over the fading body of Rayen.

“This…” Sif was confused. Her daughter, life was springing forth from her daughter and her emotions only became more muddled.

Keiran stared at the pendant but did nothing.

“Save her,” Rayen spoke eyes opening. She coughed up blood breathing heavily.

“Ray, what?” Susan was trying to stop the bleeding.

“Save her,” she weakly lifted her hand touching Keiran’s cheek. “Release… release your power from the pendant and save her, I can only keep her alive so long, please…” the pain was bringing her to tears. “Please, My Lord,” she weakly smiled.

Keiran’s eyes widened and he took her hand. “Seph! You’re there…” he squeezed her hand.

Sif was at a loss for words. “My Child…” she was in tears once again. Her child was before her if only a fragment and she destroyed it.

“Highness?” Cole leaned forward in surprise. “Ah do it!” he yelled at Keiran. He took the pendant. “Use it, you regretted not saving her once and here you have a chance to save the blood she died for, save Ray or you’ll regret this too!” he wasn’t one to yell at his superior but he didn’t care about that now, there was a chance to save someone he’d- they’d all come to care for.

Keiran put her hand down then stared at Cole, “you’re talking back to me now, maybe you should’ve all those years ago…” he held out his hand.

Giving one another a small smile Cole handed over his knife. Keiran cut his finger bleeding on the pendant. When his blood made contact with the stone it sizzled and smoked the obsidian slowly faded with the blood it received turning into a bright purple crystal. He set the gemstone aside once all the obsidian had disappeared. “I’ll do this.” He glanced at Susan a gaze saying he’d keep her alive, to trust him. She nodded moving her hands and he dripped some blood into the wound then placed his hand over it. “Come on.” he pulled her up against him hand still on her injury slightly rocking them. Fire shot from his hand into the wound and spread.

Cole stopped the others from protesting keeping them quiet even as the still Rayen’s breathing became less labored.

Relief was spreading through them and even to Sif who took a step forward then stopped. She noticed from the corner of her eye Discordia was edging toward Persephone’s body as well as her soldiers advancing. She held them all in place with her roots then quickly made her way toward the corpse. She removed the ring secretly while the others struggled to free themselves.

She kissed her forehead then stepped over to the group but kept her distance only standing close enough to see what was happening.

As a gasp of life erupted from Rayen everyone relaxed aside from Keiran who kept her gripped close to his chest.

“You need to let go,” Cole put a hand on his shoulder. “Anymore healing and you’ll pass out you haven’t done this in two hundred years, first aid can take it from here,” he reassured him as best he could. “I’ll yell if I have to.”

Keiran glanced up at them then down at a sleeping Rayen. He passed her to an awaiting Susan.

“H-Here,” Sif waved a hand a large study leaf bed growing. “I don’t want to lose her again so lay her here and tend to her, I’ll deal with them.”

There was a moment of hesitation but Keiran stood. “Thank you.”

Sif smiled full of regret and sadness. “Just shut up.”

Cole helped lifting her onto the leaf then turned away as DeAnne and Susan tended her wounds.

“The medicinal plants are there,” Sif pointed off to an area to the left of the coffin. She walked away the roots slithering behind her with her hostages.

Charmayne volunteered to pick the plants aided by Andrew and the guide book Rayen had been holding onto with information on local wildlife.

Keiran sighed standing off to the side fire blazing from his hand. He had really forgotten what it was like with what little he left himself.

“Strange to have it back?” Cole walked up behind him. “But in a way you’re lucky,” he shoved his hands in his pockets. “You have more power than most since you’ve kept a large portion sealed and on top of that the small boost from offerings for the dead, only the three brothers remain at the top while the rest dwindle, though your sisters still pack a lot of power, I mean,” he looked around. “She’s kept a friggin’ mountain and its surroundings a frozen hell for two hundred years and still had enough to slap you around like a rag doll as well as confine my mental sister,” he sighed. “Sorry for this by the way, my family has sort of invaded and taken over.”

Keiran shook his head. “I abandoned it I don’t deserve to return I’ve nothing there.”

“There are those still loyal to you Hecate for one, else she wouldn’t have helped like she did and me, you are the Underworld and it is you, you’re bound together and it is your domain not my mothers you have to go back someday and I will go with you.” Cole nudged him.

“You’re more loyal than anyone I know,” Keiran laughed. “I find you and Seph were my only real family.”

“That applied for me as well, so we should take our home back one day once this settles and you finally say what’s been growing in your heart.” Cole gave him a pat on the back then headed back to check on the progress.

Sif at the same time ran in sighing as she looked back. “You must leave!”

“What’s wrong!” Keiran glanced at her.

“Someone worse is here!” Sif stood. “This won’t end well so go.”

“We can’t leave, moving Ray now would just cause her a lot of pain.” Susan objected.

Walking over Sif gripped Rayen’s hand stealthily sliding the ring on the gem side turned in. she’d even put the stone from her pendant in while she was out. “You need to go else you’ll get roped in and held prisoner.” She caressed Rayen’s cheek. “I’ll see you soon my child,” she whispered in her ear. She turned to head back out.

“Too late,” a voice sang out happily. Like a blur standing arm over Sif. He was young in appearance with wavy dirty blonde hair at chin length and mischievous eyes that were a light hazel. He wore much more modern clothes compared to most they’d seen, he wore a satchel, jeans, a t-shirt, sneakers and blazer.“I’ve come to pick you all up and there’s no getting out of it.” He had a massive grin on his face. “Let’s have a party shall we.” He threw his staff with two snakes wrapping around it over his shoulder.

The man snapped his fingers and everyone in the room were trapped in bubbles. “See ya!” he winked then all the bubbles vanished as their inhabitants protested and tried to break free.