After Onesimus' fleeing confrontation with Krea, he ran for who knows how long. He was channeling all his uncertainty into the one thing he was certain of, and that was his own body. It always soothed his muscles to run as hard as he does, and it allowed his mind to wander. He ran by the archery ranges, the cabins, the coliseum, all the way into the depths of the forest before he even broke his stride into a jog. His chest reclaimed air quickly as he came to a stop in a copse of trees. By the shadows, he could tell it was was early afternoon by this time. He found a rock and sat on it as he let his elbows sit on his thighs and his head between his legs.

His eyes drooped closed, not from tiredness but from the serenity of the environment. He could hear the birds chirping in the distance, and the rippling water of the creek, and it he made his breathing shallow enough, he could hear the leaves land upon the ground. It all was so pure and natural.

A breeze caressed its way on his body along with disturbing the leaves on the ground. The sounds seemed to grow, but he kept his eyes closed. It was like a Siren's song, but on land. And with the whistling of branches and rustling of the leaves it all just stopped.

Onesimus' shook himself from the spell and rose his head. The silence had crept into his mind to the point of concern and he looked up groggily. His eyes took a moment as his eyes adjusted and he saw the empty copse before him.

"Finally," a female voice said behind him, "you move." Onesimus looked behind him and he saw woman leaning on the tree behind him.

She pushed herself off the tree and moved toward him slowly. He tried to get up but found his wrists and ankles constricted by vinelike roots. "Wha-" he started to say as he more violently thrashed to be released from this chair.

"Oh hush now," she interrupted, "I am not here to hurt you". And she added as an afterthought, "I am actually quite hurt that you haven't recognized me," and the woman makes an exaggerated scoff.

Onesimus looked her up and down and saw golden leaves woven into her curly wooden brown hair and her squared off face touched with freckles as if she was sun kissed. Her emerald eyes pierced through him as if he he was nothing but a piece of paper, but they were so full of warmth and life. Her dress was comprised of all the hues of fall and the ground before had leaves dance around her silently. He breathed one word, "Demeter".

She grinned brightly and giggled like a child, "There we go!"

Onesimus was taken aback, "You- you- don't look exactly-"

"My supposed age? is that what you were going to say?" She gave a huff as she kneeled in front of him. She took his face in one of her hands and moved his head around to get a better look at him. "Well if I might say, you don't exactly look like much for one of our heros, much less worthy of my daughter." She continues to assess him as he looks at her bewildered. Hades didn't even dare touch him, and this goddess? She was practically breaking any of the godly rules of such interaction between the gods and demigod. She finished her inspection and with a wave, she released the constrictions on Onesimus. Her nose wrinkled slightly, "I hope your counterpart is more looking of the part of one of our heroes. Be a pity if both of you are unispirational." She sighed again, "But what can you expect of a child of Hermes and Hades," she shivered at the name. She continued to talk to herself, "My my, I really do hope that daughter of his isn't all mopey dopey, and such a bore like his other children. Why do you suppose they're all such depressing people? Hmm?" She looked back at him expectantly.

Onesimus couldn't wrap his mind around it. Why do I have to be the one who get all the godly visits? Being able to find his tongue he replied, "My guess is that their father is the god of darkness and the Underworld."

"Right." she said as she seemed to fall into a reverie. "Which reminds me, why in the gods name woud he whisk away my daughter? Of all the people he had to pick her, was I not worthy enough to be taken away? Hmm? What have you at that?" She looked at him again waiting for an answer.

Of all the conversations to be had with the goddess of nature, he and her were having one of Hades' favor. Onesimus shook his head and replied with his most flattering and tactful answer he could think of, "No offense to your daughter, but probably because she's that easy to get in bed." He paused a moment to let it set in, "He didn't want to have to play hard-to-get with a lady of propriety such as yourself."

She mused the idea to herself for a moment and gave him another piercing emrald gazed look. And with the most maturity he had seen from her so far she said, "Perhaps, with that quick tongue of yours, there is hope for us yet." Then in a flurry of deafening dancing leaves and birds' wings, she was enveloped in a tornado and just gone as it died.

He stood and rubbed his wrists where he was restricted. He started to walk back to camp and muttered, "I give her points on style." And the following step after he said that, he fell on his face as he looked back and saw a thick root over the top of his shoe. "It was nice to meet you too Demeter," he grumbled as he dusted himself off and continued on his way.