HEy guise! I'm back, sorry finals took a toll on me. Here's a short snippet that keeps the story flowing, I realized that I wrote the end of the story, but the middle was left with just notes of my ideas. Time for me to get back on track! Viva la Summer!

Chapter 7: Family Feud

To the untrained ear only the sound of running water – the creek passing gently through rocks, over moss, and under the cover of the ancient trees of the forest, was even remotely apparent. A large male Fallow deer strode gently as to not disturb the many twigs beneath his cautious hooves. He bobbed his head, surveying the serene surroundings slightly before dipping his antlers towards the calming waters to lap at the life it carried. From a bush just behind the lapping deer, two slanted, green eyes narrowed. A blink, a scatter of leaves, a growl and a hiss, and a streak of gold flashed and hurtled through the air; had the lapping not stopped, nor the gray pelted leopard fallen over, one could have easily mistaken the wooden and silver lined arrows as the glints of sun peaking through the trees. Artemis stood, russet locks falling precariously out of a messy bun atop her head, dress hitched in the front to reveal tall leather sandals equipped with a variety of hunting blades. She floated over her kill and smiled, just as she prepared to pack-up her kill, the fallen leaves swirled about her, the still forest disturbed by the humming of small wings.

The goddess of the hunt hadn't needed to turn to realize who had come to disturb her hunting grounds,

"Hermes," she half hissed out of irritation, "As you can see I am busy. I was just about to bring this beautiful prey back with me. She was about to pounce one of my own sacred creatures, but it's almost a sin how beautiful she is. Just look at the shine of her coat."

"As much as I would love to drown in your stories of that vile creature, dear sister, we all have better matters to attend to."

"And yet I would chose a lifetime among these creatures over a minute with you in a heartbeat, hummingbird."

"This, dear sister, is because you lack good company. It either runs from you, or… you end up killing it."

She snapped her head up at this comment. Her ochre and copper eyes stared into perfect circles of yellow gold. A handsome young man with chiseled features, an exposed upper body, hair sitting in loose but short ringlets playfully atop his head, with the distinct sign of winged golden sandals stared daringly back. "Dare you continue, dear brother? To what, or whom, exactly are you referring?"

"Oh, come now, Artemis, let's not forget ourselves." He curved a wicked smile flashing brilliantly shining white teeth inches from her fuming face.

Before the rage of her eyes escalated, a sure and leveled voice rang through the two immortals.

"Father summons us, Demeter has come to his court, Artemis." Athena's very presence had a certain authority to it at all times, intend or not. Her simple statement restored the forest's serenity. With the roll of ochre eyes and the amused glint of yellow gold, all three figures disappeared from the forest clearing in a flash of brilliant white light, leaving the fresh corpse of the gray leopard and the curious eyes of the Fallow deer in it's wake.


Serenity was harder to come by in the three's final destination. The swirling brilliance of the Palace in the Sky, usually playful and Grand, had a most somber air about. The clouds sitting amongst and atop the Palace floors seemed much denser than usual, stirring slightly when walked upon rather than surrounding the walker with the familiar whirls and swirls. The light of the palace still shown in all its brilliance, but everything about the place seemed to personify the very tension that the Earth Goddess had brought with her.

As Hermes buzzed into the room, Demeter's eyes tensed.

"Father, I have brought my sisters at your request. Am I free to go, now? I have rather important appointments to meet."

"Which Muse could possibly be more important than your duties to us, dear Hermes?"

"Perhaps important was the incorrect word, dear Hera, Goddess Divine… I do mean I have more succulent matters to attend to." He fluttered higher above the ground but took an impressively low bow mid-air.

Hera straightened her already rigid and perfect posture, nails digging slightly into the arm rests of her narrow golden throne, "You had better – " But Zeus was more amused with Hermes, and on the same page as his son than he was fond of his wife at the moment…

Booming laughter and a light cackle of thunder and small flash of lightning lit up the clouds as Zeus addressed Hermes, "Go son, and thank you for fetching Athena and Artemis. Better to get it while it's still ripe." He was the only one who had missed the fleeting glint of evil that flashed at him through the purple irises just beneath his own throne, but he had surely felt that stare more than once to recognize it.

Demeter could hardly stand it any longer. Though it hadn't taken much time for the goddesses to arrive, every second waiting and searching for answers, was an eternity wasted in bringing her Kore back to her. Before the two virgin goddesses could even seat themselves in their Olympian thrones, Demeter shot up in from her position pointing shaky and angry fingers at each of them.

"YOU INSUFFERABLE LIARS! I ENTRUSTED HER IN YOUR CARE, YOU LET HER GO, YOU LOST HER, MY KORE!"

"Oh, come on, Aunt Demeter…" Artemis had slumped onto her own thrown, mud caked sandals, hair in a tasseled mess, she sat with both elbows on either knee, her legs splayed in a very comfortable but also masculine position; she still dazzled in the light.

"Do not address me as such when you failed to protect my own daughter from the savages of who know where she may be."

"All of earth cannot account for her, and unless you hide her in your own beds or amongst the clouds of this wretched kingdom," this time her eyes darted from Zeus to Hera, "than she is lost to all of us!"

"DEMETER," her fury was outdone by the boom of the god of gods, "If we are to hold a court than act accordingly or this mater will be considered muted."

"Dare you even think for once about your own daughter? Or is she of no consequence to you, Great Zeus?"

"Do not dare to speak at me in such tones, Demeter. You know well as all that what has come to pass has happened for a reason!"

"And what of my daughter? What of my Kore? What has she done to have her so wrongfully and inexplicaply wiped from the very Earth I tend to? I need her! She is all I have, you must bring her back to me!" She turned then to her nieces, "Explain! I want to know what happened! How can a young girl just disappear from the Earth without any trace."

Just then Helios entered the room. He had been charioting the sun when Hermes fluttered by with a Muse on his arm. Not one to miss out on spreading gossip, Hermes quickly told Helios of what would transpire in the court that day.

"My Lords and Ladies," he said with an expert bow. His body was shielded in magnificent golden armor, his helm outshone by his brilliantly glowing blonde locks. "If I may, I know where the young maiden Persephone had gone."

At this remark Zeus sat upright, Artemis clasped her hands silently in her lap, and Athena and Hera looked upon the sun god knowingly.

"My Kore! Dear Helios, tell us, tell me what happened! Where is my Kore?" Her red hair bounced in random patterns about her head and shoulders as Demeter whipped towards the brilliant god. She had to squint slightly as she took in all of his shining brilliance.

"Speak Helios," Zeus finally bellowed after an uncomfortable silence. "Tell us where My lovely daughter has been taken." Hera relaxed in her chair.

Helios stood tall and still, looking only at Zeus as he relayed the events, "As I lead the sun over the fields of Etna 10 mornings ago, the young maiden Persephone ran across the fields and into the thicket of trees just beyond Demeter's borders. She found herself in a small forest clearing where the sun barely shined through the thick leaves of the willows there, and a moment passed before the Earth opened up beneath her."

"No, the Earth does not just open up and swallow a girl!"

"Do not doubt the eyes of Helios, Demeter, he sees whatever the sun shines upon!"

"And how could a girl, my daughter, simply fall into some freak opening of the earth."

"Lord Hades escorted her under of course. It was the same as all the times when he exits from or enters into the world beneath. Lord Hades, Persephone, and his carriage of 4 golden steeds entered the chasm and this was the last I saw of the girl."

Demeter flopped silently into her seat. She broke into a fit of sobs before anyone was willing to address her again.

"Demeter," Helios faced the fallen goddess, "Hades will make a good husband for Persephone. He is the god of riches and wealth, she will never go without. And she will become a Queen if he makes her his bride."

"My KORE was taken! Raped into submission by that devilish fiend of a brother! I-I how could you have allowed this to happen?!" She spat that last remark at everything around her. She hated them all, she hated herself, what was she without her daughter to love her?

Athena spoke up then, and all acquiesced in silence to her single utterance of wisdom, "Some things are only fates to handle, and fates alone to know."

"Even if you chose to interfere, Demeter, it will be as the fates have weaved; and no one apart from the weavers themselves, can do anything to change what must be done. It would be wise of you to let time heal all wounds, we will see that Persephone and Hades are contacted, but apart from that, we can promise nothing."


"Taken." Hera spoke a single whisper as soon as the court was cleared of all other gods and goddesses.

"What?" He snapped his brilliant head towards his wife, yet her gazed remained relaxed and on a fixed point just in front of her.

"You told Helios to relay the events that unfolded when Persephone was taken. Demeter will realize this soon as well. Whatever you are planning, Zeus, if Persephone comes to harm –" At this she faced him.

"Not even you can mess with the fates Hera. No matter how much sway you think you have on me, only the three sisters can weave the threads!"

"The child is precious to me." She stood then, "Though she is not my own," her eyes daggered into Zeus', "The child has an innocence that can replenish a soul, as well as drain it of its evils. And about your concern to my lack of ability, I have my ways." With that she turned and glided out of the court.


The brilliant god closed his heavy eyelids and sighed heavily to no relief. Hera was always too perceptive for her own good, but that was one of her winning features. He wondered to himself if the worst had past, or was yet to come. He let his thoughts travel back to the day of last year's winter solstice, his brother had come to him asking for help in courting the girl. "Just take her for yourself…" he reminisced his words and chastised himself for his seemingly poor advice. But, what more can happen? He thought.

He was the god of gods. Demeter would come around. Hera would be powerless against the fates and his ultimate judgment. And this situation worked out best for Zeus, what he couldn't see beyond the light of Helios and the sphere of the earth, his first-born could control, and vicariously of course, that meant that he could keep that rascal of an older brother of his in check.