Chapter VIII
Persephone fell onto the shore on the other side of the river Phlegethon. She expected to get burned by the flames on the water, but she didn't. Her green dress had been scorched and torn, and her hair was a wet mess. Persephone knew that who she thought was her mother was nothing more than a trick. She looked up and seemed to lost her ability to scream. She knew she was in Tartarus, and why it was a terrifying place. It seemed like a field of underground volcanos and sweltering lava with endless screaming and wailing. There were also deep pits that seemed to be bottomless. Persephone got to her feet and turned to run back towards the river. She knew she had to get out of that place.
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
Persephone froze, fearfully looking to see who had spoken behind her. An elderly shade was standing ten feet away. At first, she thought it was Sisyphus, but this man was much shorter and thinner. His hair seemed to be burned by something, but it was unclear what. The shade smiled as he approached her.
"Not lost, are you, girl?"
Persephone tried to hide her fear. "No, I'm not."
"That's good. Because I'm looking forward to some fun."
Persephone didn't want to find out what this shade had in mind, but she also didn't want to be any pushover. She decided to scare him off.
"You listen well, I'm the goddess Persephone, bride of Hades! So if you if you put one finger on me, you're in big trouble!"
It did not work.
"A bride? That's even better." The shade smiled, "You haven't used any magic on me. Or is it that you're not a full fledged goddess?"
Persephone flinched.
"I see," The shade sneered, "Demeter stopped working the earth and two of my sons starved to death. I thought I would get even with them if I served them my remaining son to them. Then your king found out and had Zeus banish me here. It's all his fault!"
"You're mad!" Gasped Persephone. She couldn't believe that this man could do such an evil deed. "It's not his fault and as far as I'm concerned, you got what you deserved!"
"I don't think so, girl. It's his turn to suffer." He yelled over the hills. "Come and get it!"
Five shades ran from the hill, carrying chains on their wrists and ankles. Persephone recognized them as the five soldiers who helped Sisyphus when he first tried to kidnap her. Persephone ran for the river, but the shade had tackled her to the ground. Soon the other shades had gotten a hold of her and started to drag her towards one of the pits.
"No! Don't! Stop!"
"It should be down in this pit." Said one of the soldiers.
Persephone struggled with her captors. "Let go of me!"
Persephone stomped on the elder shade's foot, and to her surprise, she made contact and he flinched. "Ouch! My foot!"
Persephone broke free but was quickly pulled back. The shades kept dragging her close to the pit until they got near the edge. Inside she could see several pairs of red eyes gleaming at her.
"Throw her down in there with the titans." Said the elder shade.
The soldiers shoved her over the edge. "NOOOOO!"
Suddenly, some invisible force made her float above the pit. It was like she was flying. The shades stared, confused. They looked behind them and screamed as the same force lifted them into the air and bounded them in black magic.
"Back away from my bride!" Hades roared.
Persephone floated over to a large cloaked figure who set her down at his side. She knew it was Hades. He came for her again. The five soldiers squirmed in their bounds as they vanished into black mist. Hades brought the elderly shade down to him as he looked dangerously into his eyes.
"Zeus and I already have a suitable punishment in store for you, Tantalus."
Hades snapped his fingers and the shade, Tantalus, was blown across Tartarus, screaming. Hades knelled at Persephone's side and helped her to her feet. He lead her back across the river where the chariot and Cerberus were waiting. Persephone began to cry. Hades held her close.
"It's alright, my dear."
"You came for me." Persephone choked through tears. "How did you find me?"
"Cerberus came to the palace and I read his memories. But why did you go without me? It's dangerous to travel near the river Phlegethon!"
"I'm sorry," She sniffed, "I kept waiting for you and you didn't come. Something pretended to be my mother and it pulled me across the river."
Hades raised his eyebrow. "Hmm, that shouldn't have happened. Only titans are capable of using that kind of magic, but they are locked in the darkest pits of Tartarus and without followers to grant him faith, they are powerless."
Hades helped Persephone onto the chariot, but then she slipped and fell into his arms. For a second they stared at each other, holding each other. They were so close to each other. Almost too close. She felt a feeling she never felt before and it made her uncomfortable. She looked away, blushing.
"Sorry," Persephone stammered, "Let's go back."
Hades snapped the reins and they took off. In the shadows, Sisyphus glowered.
"Not again!" Sisyphus cursed. "If I ever see that overgrown, flea-bitten, mangy, smelly mutt again, I'll-!"
A giant jaw full of teeth snapped at his cloak. Sisyphus screamed and ran for his life as Cerberus and his three barking heads chased him through the caverns of the underworld. Only when he got out the Styx gateway did the dog stop chasing him. Cerberus kept a piece of Sisyphus's cloak in his left mouth as he wagged his tail in triumph.
Two days have passed since Pelops had been revived. Demeter had suffered so long without her daughter. She went out to search the earth herself. Again, she was nowhere to be found. She decided to ask her mother, the titaness Rhea. She traveled to the valley where she lived with Gaea. Rhea was busy helping Gaea, who was laying on a stone bed, having been greatly weakened by the earth's frosty state. She barely had any power to help the earth anymore.
"Mother?"
Rhea looked up. "Demeter?"
"Mother, I need help." Demeter wiped her tears from her eyes. "My daughter Kore has been missing for days and I can't find her. Everyone has searched for her, and I can't go on any longer without her. She is my baby! The light of my life!"
"I'm afraid I can't help you, Demeter," Rhea sighed, "Gaea is growing weaker and I have to stay at her side."
Demeter cast a sad downward glance.
"However, you should ask Helios. As the driver of the sun chariot, he sees over everything that happens during the day."
Light returned to Demeter's eyes.
"Thank you," Demeter exclaimed gratefully, "Thank you, mother."
Demeter traveled to Helios's palace at the top of the western mountains. Though Apollo was the sun god and Artemis was the moon goddess, Helios and Selene where responsible for drawing the sun and moon across the sky. Helios drove the sun chariot at day with golden horses, and Selene drove the moon chariot at night with silver stags. It was past nightfall by the time Demeter arrived at Helios's palace. He was busy fixing a wheel on the sun chariot. His stable master had already finished unstrapping the horses from their harnesses and was leading them to the stables.
"What brings you to my palace, Demeter?" Asked Helios, not looking up.
"Helios," pleaded Demeter, "My daughter Kore is missing. She was taken away from me in a thunderstorm seventeen days ago. I searched everywhere, but I can't find her. I was told you might know where my Kore is."
"I didn't see much," Said Helios, "But a mortal man by the name of Sisyphus tried to kidnap her. However, I caught a glimpse of Hades taking her from him and bringing her into the underworld in his chariot."
Demeter became angry, "Hades! So he's the one who took my Kore!"
"I have heard that Zeus has promised her to Hades as his bride. I believe that Hades is in love with her."
