Epitaph Empress
Author's Note: Part two! First chapter (well, sort of)! It's a little short but it's basically a starting point of sorts. Anyway, thank you for the honest reviews and remember how I adore fresh ones!
Epitaph Empress
Chapter VI
Ice water flourished through her chilled veins, pounding forward, driven by dread. Demeter's heart of natural warmth and sunshine turned to a cold, heavy stone as she felt her daughter's terror tugging at the bond between them, felt her clinging to it like a lifeline. She felt the horrifying anticipation, the despair, and the cold, dark fear that once lurked now bursting into flame. She trembled for her daughter, protective instinct coursing furiously through her all in a split second.
However in that split second she felt the bond snap. Her body jerked with the shock, feeling as any mortal would knowing the cold sharp stab of a dagger beneath their veins. She felt the loss, like a wound leaving her hollow, her lifeblood flowing freely from her weeping, raw flesh, seeping into fine robes; staining them and scarring her. leaving her to die. The terrible feeling overcame her, preventing her from rushing to her daughter's aid.
Persephone. . .her daughter. . .where was she? She could no longer feel her. She could not feel her! Panic flooded in, replacing the warmth that was escaping in such a dreadful moment. She had always known her daughter's whereabouts, could always feel her aura, her dancing spirit. But now, nothing! Nothing! The invisible bond that had so closely tied them together, one knowing the other completely, was gone. It felt as though she had died. Half of her was gone, torn away. She was hollow without her, hollow, recovering from the numbing shock of the separation, blinded by fear. She sank to her knees, as if the feeling of loss were an agonising weight upon her back, a goddess falling to her knees, divine strength failing her. From her throat, a throat of motherly laughter and kind, wise words erupted a mournful wail, like the howl of a dying animal.
Where was Persephone? Fear reigned supreme. Stilling herself, though feeling she could barely move independent of the bond to her daughter, she let herself dissolve into the atmosphere and reappear, her form overcome with emptiness and housing only terror, where she last felt her daughter. She needed no intuition to tell her something was wrong - she already knew, as that knowledge screamed down her soul. Something was very wrong. Something terrible had happened to Persephone.
The meadow was peaceful, as it always was, sunlight gently gracing the dancing grass, ignorant and selfishly living onwards as if nothing had happened, flowers still gently blooming in abundance. She felt anger; anger that the world should so patronisingly go on as it had before, though something was terribly wrong! How dare it! Yet, the world was changed. There seemed an emptiness to it, the colours not quite as bright, vivid and radiant, the sounds not quite as sweet and echoing, the spirit faded. It no longer had Persephone.
Demeter felt dread so terrible she could scarcely think. What had happened? Where was her daughter? What had severed the link between them? What terrible things where happening to her that ver moment? The awful questions of doubt for a child's safety, such questions that should never visit a mother, flooded her senses, leaving her racked with agony, sorrow and still that black cloud of fear, howling through her.
She still could not believe it. The bond was severed. It could not be severed! That terrible ache where the warmth of her daughter's spiritual presence should be! Where was she? She felt like crying, mourning terribly but she refused. She would not give in to it. Her daughter was in danger and worry - though it tortured her relentlessly - gave her wings to fly and the will to do anything to see her innocent child safe. How she longed to hold her! How she would cling to her tightly and swear never to let go!
Her brown eyes flickered across a wreath, carelessly fallen upon the ground. With shaking hands, cold as ice, she took it, held it. With a convulsive sob, she held it to her heart. She had to find her daughter. A mother's determination caught her now, her great love ready to drive her and break the spell of paralysing fear and overwhelming helplessness.
She jerked her head, strands of earth-brown hair flying, as she beheld terrified nymphs running as fast as their graceful legs could carry them. She sensed similar fear burning in their hearts, saw in their eyes, the same grief.
One sobbed, clasping her hands to her mouth hopelessly, shaking her head in disbelief "We have failed! We have failed our dearest sister!"
Cries rose from the nymphs, their faces betraying emotions thought alien to such carefree, capricious and sensual beings, devoted only to nature and their own pleasures. Demeter could not feel sympathy for them. She felt anger, self-pity, worry, loss, indecision, dreadful fear and a deep stony resolve to do something.
She finally found her - albeit quavering - voice, a hardness entering it and her being "Failed?"
"We heard our lady scream, most terribly, as though fleeing from unimaginable peril. She called out to us and to you. . .we raced as fast as we could but. . .but. . .she had strayed too far! Too far!" again, the tears of defeat "We had let her wander away from our dances and songs as we often did when she occasionally preferred her own company. My dear lady, we thought nothing of it! But now we are too late, though we bolted at our greatest speed. . ." she could not continue, now her fair body violently racked with cries and tears, leaving her to silently lament, as her sisters did.
Demeter could find no words, no response. Still, the numbing shock, imprisoning her senses, her reactions! How could she react when those daunting questions were still at the forefront of her mind, all she could think of! What had happened?
"Do any of you know of what passed her?" she asked, the fear tangible in her tone.
"Nay, mistress. She had strayed too far, we were unable to know of anything until her piercing screams reached our ears -"
"Be silent!" she raged, propelled more by dread and haunting concern from her consuming love than by anger or malice "I do not wish to hear it! Screams, you say! Screams! For my sweet Persephone to have screamed! Her voice was not meant to be filled with tones of sorrow or fear, only love and happiness! Strayed too far? How dare you claim such things - it was your duty to watch her always, to protect her! How could you let this happen you. . .fools! Fools! How?" she trailed off, feeling tears about to entrap her. She knew she was in error but she did not apologise.
"Leave nymphs, leave and search. We must all search! Search everywhere and do not stop searching until you have found your sister and lady! She must be found!"
The nymphs instantly nodded and scattered, leaving Demeter alone. She felt a great pounding in her ears, felt herself drown in the terrible feeling. She would not cry, though tears were now her closest companions, she would only cry when given a chance to stop. But she could not stop now. Sicily would be thoroughly and her divine relatives questioned. She began to entertain the taunting hope that all would be well once she had inquired upon Olympus; perhaps she had strayed with Hermes, or Athena had taken her to some obscure temple for further teachings. . .
It gave her little comfort and did not satisfy the questions, the screams or the severing of their bond. She put her hands to her mouth to hold back a throaty cry; how lost she felt without it! How like a shell of herself! How could she move, how could she cope? It had been a part of her since the divine conception from the loins of her great brother; giving her so wonderful a gift that it made frowns from Hera an ease to endure. Since Zeus had spilled forth his seed within her, she had felt that golden moment as Persephone was given brilliant life, and their link of love was formed, she could already feel the gentle soul of her child enveloping her, even then. How she instantly loved her! She felt a thickening in her throat as she recalled the feel of her at birth; her tiny skull pushing through with delighted determination, her frail form, and her piercing cry. It was going to be all right, she wished to reassure herself, but more than herself she wanted to reassure her lost child of that. It would be fine; her mother as searching for her and they would be together soon and all would be well.
She departed for Olympus, fading into the shroud of the air, feeling her spirit without need of form spiral upwards. She would find Apollo; he ad bore witness to all he goings-on of the earth and would tell her of what had happened to Persephone. Unaware of the dark realm that her sweet daughter now inhabited, she travelled to her brothers and sisters, full of fear. Still clinging the torn wreath to her broken heart.
Author's Note: Part two! First chapter (well, sort of)! It's a little short but it's basically a starting point of sorts. Anyway, thank you for the honest reviews and remember how I adore fresh ones!
Epitaph Empress
Chapter VI
Ice water flourished through her chilled veins, pounding forward, driven by dread. Demeter's heart of natural warmth and sunshine turned to a cold, heavy stone as she felt her daughter's terror tugging at the bond between them, felt her clinging to it like a lifeline. She felt the horrifying anticipation, the despair, and the cold, dark fear that once lurked now bursting into flame. She trembled for her daughter, protective instinct coursing furiously through her all in a split second.
However in that split second she felt the bond snap. Her body jerked with the shock, feeling as any mortal would knowing the cold sharp stab of a dagger beneath their veins. She felt the loss, like a wound leaving her hollow, her lifeblood flowing freely from her weeping, raw flesh, seeping into fine robes; staining them and scarring her. leaving her to die. The terrible feeling overcame her, preventing her from rushing to her daughter's aid.
Persephone. . .her daughter. . .where was she? She could no longer feel her. She could not feel her! Panic flooded in, replacing the warmth that was escaping in such a dreadful moment. She had always known her daughter's whereabouts, could always feel her aura, her dancing spirit. But now, nothing! Nothing! The invisible bond that had so closely tied them together, one knowing the other completely, was gone. It felt as though she had died. Half of her was gone, torn away. She was hollow without her, hollow, recovering from the numbing shock of the separation, blinded by fear. She sank to her knees, as if the feeling of loss were an agonising weight upon her back, a goddess falling to her knees, divine strength failing her. From her throat, a throat of motherly laughter and kind, wise words erupted a mournful wail, like the howl of a dying animal.
Where was Persephone? Fear reigned supreme. Stilling herself, though feeling she could barely move independent of the bond to her daughter, she let herself dissolve into the atmosphere and reappear, her form overcome with emptiness and housing only terror, where she last felt her daughter. She needed no intuition to tell her something was wrong - she already knew, as that knowledge screamed down her soul. Something was very wrong. Something terrible had happened to Persephone.
The meadow was peaceful, as it always was, sunlight gently gracing the dancing grass, ignorant and selfishly living onwards as if nothing had happened, flowers still gently blooming in abundance. She felt anger; anger that the world should so patronisingly go on as it had before, though something was terribly wrong! How dare it! Yet, the world was changed. There seemed an emptiness to it, the colours not quite as bright, vivid and radiant, the sounds not quite as sweet and echoing, the spirit faded. It no longer had Persephone.
Demeter felt dread so terrible she could scarcely think. What had happened? Where was her daughter? What had severed the link between them? What terrible things where happening to her that ver moment? The awful questions of doubt for a child's safety, such questions that should never visit a mother, flooded her senses, leaving her racked with agony, sorrow and still that black cloud of fear, howling through her.
She still could not believe it. The bond was severed. It could not be severed! That terrible ache where the warmth of her daughter's spiritual presence should be! Where was she? She felt like crying, mourning terribly but she refused. She would not give in to it. Her daughter was in danger and worry - though it tortured her relentlessly - gave her wings to fly and the will to do anything to see her innocent child safe. How she longed to hold her! How she would cling to her tightly and swear never to let go!
Her brown eyes flickered across a wreath, carelessly fallen upon the ground. With shaking hands, cold as ice, she took it, held it. With a convulsive sob, she held it to her heart. She had to find her daughter. A mother's determination caught her now, her great love ready to drive her and break the spell of paralysing fear and overwhelming helplessness.
She jerked her head, strands of earth-brown hair flying, as she beheld terrified nymphs running as fast as their graceful legs could carry them. She sensed similar fear burning in their hearts, saw in their eyes, the same grief.
One sobbed, clasping her hands to her mouth hopelessly, shaking her head in disbelief "We have failed! We have failed our dearest sister!"
Cries rose from the nymphs, their faces betraying emotions thought alien to such carefree, capricious and sensual beings, devoted only to nature and their own pleasures. Demeter could not feel sympathy for them. She felt anger, self-pity, worry, loss, indecision, dreadful fear and a deep stony resolve to do something.
She finally found her - albeit quavering - voice, a hardness entering it and her being "Failed?"
"We heard our lady scream, most terribly, as though fleeing from unimaginable peril. She called out to us and to you. . .we raced as fast as we could but. . .but. . .she had strayed too far! Too far!" again, the tears of defeat "We had let her wander away from our dances and songs as we often did when she occasionally preferred her own company. My dear lady, we thought nothing of it! But now we are too late, though we bolted at our greatest speed. . ." she could not continue, now her fair body violently racked with cries and tears, leaving her to silently lament, as her sisters did.
Demeter could find no words, no response. Still, the numbing shock, imprisoning her senses, her reactions! How could she react when those daunting questions were still at the forefront of her mind, all she could think of! What had happened?
"Do any of you know of what passed her?" she asked, the fear tangible in her tone.
"Nay, mistress. She had strayed too far, we were unable to know of anything until her piercing screams reached our ears -"
"Be silent!" she raged, propelled more by dread and haunting concern from her consuming love than by anger or malice "I do not wish to hear it! Screams, you say! Screams! For my sweet Persephone to have screamed! Her voice was not meant to be filled with tones of sorrow or fear, only love and happiness! Strayed too far? How dare you claim such things - it was your duty to watch her always, to protect her! How could you let this happen you. . .fools! Fools! How?" she trailed off, feeling tears about to entrap her. She knew she was in error but she did not apologise.
"Leave nymphs, leave and search. We must all search! Search everywhere and do not stop searching until you have found your sister and lady! She must be found!"
The nymphs instantly nodded and scattered, leaving Demeter alone. She felt a great pounding in her ears, felt herself drown in the terrible feeling. She would not cry, though tears were now her closest companions, she would only cry when given a chance to stop. But she could not stop now. Sicily would be thoroughly and her divine relatives questioned. She began to entertain the taunting hope that all would be well once she had inquired upon Olympus; perhaps she had strayed with Hermes, or Athena had taken her to some obscure temple for further teachings. . .
It gave her little comfort and did not satisfy the questions, the screams or the severing of their bond. She put her hands to her mouth to hold back a throaty cry; how lost she felt without it! How like a shell of herself! How could she move, how could she cope? It had been a part of her since the divine conception from the loins of her great brother; giving her so wonderful a gift that it made frowns from Hera an ease to endure. Since Zeus had spilled forth his seed within her, she had felt that golden moment as Persephone was given brilliant life, and their link of love was formed, she could already feel the gentle soul of her child enveloping her, even then. How she instantly loved her! She felt a thickening in her throat as she recalled the feel of her at birth; her tiny skull pushing through with delighted determination, her frail form, and her piercing cry. It was going to be all right, she wished to reassure herself, but more than herself she wanted to reassure her lost child of that. It would be fine; her mother as searching for her and they would be together soon and all would be well.
She departed for Olympus, fading into the shroud of the air, feeling her spirit without need of form spiral upwards. She would find Apollo; he ad bore witness to all he goings-on of the earth and would tell her of what had happened to Persephone. Unaware of the dark realm that her sweet daughter now inhabited, she travelled to her brothers and sisters, full of fear. Still clinging the torn wreath to her broken heart.