Seeds Volume Two

by M. M. Kin

  “Yes." Her eyes gleamed in the firelight, and he smiled. Even now, with crow's feet around her eyes and gray in her black hair, she was still beautiful to him. She touched her hand to his own and returned his smile.

  o0o

  Abas slunk around the Palace grounds. It was easy to do so, since most of the soldiers were stationed around the perimeter of the Palace walls, leaving the rest of the Palace less guarded. He was familiar with the layout, having grown up here with his father as the former gardener.

  He didn't like it here. The guards looked down at him, and the princesses would not give him any notice. He was the kind of person who was perpetually unhappy with his lot, and always found something to complain about. It mattered not that he had three square meals a day, a roof over his head, walls to be safe behind, and a steady job that had been handed to him for the virtue of being the son of the former holder of the job. He often entertained fantasies of being rich and powerful, of telling others what to do instead of being told what to do. He would have girls finer than the snaggle-toothed kitchen maid who had laughed him out of the pile of straw she slept on because he hadn't been well-endowed, and had 'ended' so quickly.

  Of course, if he hadn't been such a self-centered person, he might have realized that Caliroe would have been considerably more forgiving of his physical shortcomings if he had been an attentive lover and had listened to her instead of focusing on his own pleasure. But because he believed that nothing that happened was ever his fault, he had convinced himself that it was because Caliroe was an uppity little bitch. Just like Celeus's daughters.

  He groused to himself silently as he crept around the pillars, thinking about the small stash of treasure he had managed to steal over the last few years. The Royal Family of Eleusis was by no means immensely wealthy, especially compared to other city-states such as Thebes or Sparta. Their income was modest, and most of it went back out to various things needed for the city, including its army. But once in a while, he was able to pilfer a coin and even had a couple of earrings and necklaces among other trinkets. He had gained no small amount of pleasure from overhearing Thalassa lamenting the loss of her pearl necklace the other day. He had carefully buried his stash throughout the garden; the last place he was certain anyone would look.

  He knew that it was a risk. If he had been caught stealing anything, it could and would warrant an execution, or if he was lucky, exile or some kind of disfigurement. But he enjoyed the thrill and the perverse pleasure to be gained from lashing out at the royal family in this way. He felt no sympathy at all to Metaniera for having a sickly baby. He didn't understand why she had to cry over it. He had seen Demophon a couple of times and didn't see why anyone should make such a fuss over a baby that was going to die anyway.

  After stealing some dates from the kitchen storeroom – something that was frowned upon because Celeus insisted that everybody within the household ration their food – he slid out to the large inner courtyard. The fountain no longer spouted water, but the pool was still almost full. He drew from it to water the gardens and was glad for that convenience. He hated doing any more work than was absolutely necessary.

  As he casually munched on one of the dates, Abas noticed a cloaked figure slowly moving along the edge of the courtyard almost like a ghost. The crescent moon above offered limited light, but he had been lurking around in the darkness long enough to be able to see adequately. Oh, it was that old woman that Thalassa had brought in. What was the point in letting her take care of that stupid sick baby, and feeding her when they were already on rations? Celeus was a daft old fool. Had Abas been king, he would have left the baby to die and kicked the old woman out. Bah. People were so stupid.

  “What are you doing out here?” Abas asked, barely holding back the contempt in his tone.

  “You are the gardener, are you not?” the old woman replied. Before Abas could answer, she continued, “I am merely out for a little stroll. Have no mind of me.”

  “Out for a stroll? This is not your place. I thought you were here to take care of Demophon.” He crossed his arms.

  “Certainly, but he is with his mother now, and I do need to stretch out my legs. Not my place, you say? Big words from a lowly gardener.”

  “Lowly?” Abas spat out, “My father and grandfather were gardeners here. You are just a useless old woman that Thalassa picked up from outside. You are lucky that the King and Queen let you stay here!”

  “You have quite a mouth on you, hmm?”

  “I will not stand here and let an old lady scold me,” he retorted hotly.

  “I suppose you were never taught to respect your elders.”

  “What is it to you?” Abas didn't know why, but something about the old lady unnerved him. He felt a sudden urge to strike Doso, or chase her away with a rake.

  “I am shocked that such kind people like Celeus and Metaniera have a person such as you in their midst. You do not seem like a happy or grateful person to me.”

  “Mind your tongue.”

  “Ha! This coming from the man who has the temerity to look at the royal family the way he does! You do not care about anybody but yourself. That family has been through a lot, yet they have such kindness in their hearts as to put themselves on rations when they ask it of their servants, or welcome a poor woman who lost her child, into their home.”

  “Oh, boohoo, who cares about your child? Your kid probably deserved to die, anyway!” he replied contemptuously. Suddenly, the old woman seemed to almost explode, her cloak billowing around her. Abas gasped and jerked back, trying to convince himself that it had been a mere illusion, a trick of the light, but Doso now suddenly towered over him, broad-shouldered, her eyes almost glowing as the hood fell away to reveal the visage of a much younger-looking woman.

  “You refuse to see how fortunate you are, and you take your unhappiness out on everybody else, Abas. Since this life dissatisfies you so, I will remedy that for you! You should be so fortunate that the Goddess of the Harvest is so willing to help you!”

  Abas felt a tight, constricting feeling around his chest, and feared for a moment that she meant to take his life away in a literal sense. But suddenly, she was even taller than before, towering over him much like the Titans of old when they had terrorized the mortals. He saw her lift her sandaled foot, and how huge it was!

  Run, run, run, he thought, snapping into panic mode as he turned and fled. Goddess of the Harvest! Gods above, he had enraged Demeter! Already he was regretting his actions – not because he had hurt her feelings or offended her, but because she was angry with him and he feared punishment above all else, especially from such a powerful deity.

  Everything seemed so enormous! The plants towered over him, and there were walls where there shouldn't have been. He tried to comprehend just what exactly had happened, why everything had changed, why even his own vision seemed different. The colors and focus were different, and he no longer ran on two legs, but four.

  He only barely registered all of this as he was so intent on fleeing the wrathful deity. His tiny heart beat at a pace far faster than that of any human being, and the capacity of his brain was focused entirely on his survival. He barely noticed when he was able to climb up the wall, and skittered up it, feeling the cool air on his scaly flesh as he reached the top. He took no time to appreciate the view that lay before him, especially since he no longer had the human capacity to see all of this clearly.

  He sped along the edge of the wall, frantically wondering what he should do, his human soul conflicting with the constraints of his new body. However, he was able to collect himself for a moment, trying to ponder his next choice of action. He needed to hide from the wrathful goddess, but where?

  A sudden screech broke the silence, and he instinctively darted forward again, his instincts telling him to hide, to duck for cover because that screech certainly meant death!

  Abas was about to scamper down the wall when a sharp, searing pain tore through his side, knocking the wind out of his lungs. He fo
und himself torn away from his foothold and lifted through the air, flailing his small arms and legs, his tail whipping around furiously before his struggles ceased.

  o0o

  In the Underworld, Persephone usually wore ankle-length clothing since it was so cool here, but today, she was clad in a chiton that ended just below her knees, and the wrap she wore terminated below her hips. She felt a bit under-dressed, but Hades had wanted her to dress this way for what he said was a surprise. Since his surprises were always fun even if some of them might be unusual, she was eager to see what it might be.

  She waited patiently in the garden, lifting her head when she heard the clip-clop of hooves. Did he mean to take her on another chariot ride? Hades came into view riding his own horse, looking striking and regal atop the intimidating creature. Even though she admired the beautiful steeds of Hades, she was also a bit frightened by them. They were the first horses she had ever seen before in her life, and if she had seen horses on the surface world, she would have noted that these hell-horses were larger and stronger than their mortal counterparts. She had never seen Hades riding a horse, and gazed up at him as the horse trotted gracefully towards her, lacking the chariot she usually saw behind it.

  “I thought that we might go for a ride,” Hades stated as he looked down at her. He looked relaxed in a knee-length dark blue tunic, his hair pulled back in a loose ponytail.

  “Where do I sit?" she shot back, though she already had a good idea of just where she would be sitting. He grinned and reached down, pulling her up onto the horse. She sat in front of him, her back against his chest as she felt his thighs squeeze her hips gently. The horse had no reins, but Hades controlled it effectively by holding onto the mane with one hand as the other arm wrapped around her middle. She felt tall at this height and looked down at the ground.

  “Do mortals really ride horses like this?” she asked.

  “Indeed, though one has to be careful how he does it.” He smiled at her.

  The horse started off at an easy trot, and Persephone instinctively allowed her body to sway slightly with it, feeling safe in Hades's embrace as he led the creature through one of the garden gates. The vista that opened up before them was a grassy meadow, the sky bright and blue as an ethereal breeze blew across the blades, causing them to sway in gentle waves. As he urged the steed on faster, the wind whipped through her hair, and she gave out a delighted laugh.

  o0o

  Hades smiled and gave her a squeeze before he pushed his horse even faster, knowing how much she enjoyed speed – their rides in his chariot evidenced that.

  It was the first time he had ever had anyone with him when he went horseback riding, and he enjoyed the sound of her laugh and the way she squeezed his arm, her warm body pressed against his. Though his steed was fast – much faster than a mortal horse – he was agile and graceful, so the ride itself was pleasant and enjoyable with a minimal amount of bouncing. It was this bit of being jolted around that added thrill to the ride, and he let out a whoop of his own that was quickly accompanied by her shriek of delight as the ebony steed bounded over a small knoll, soaring gracefully through the air.

  o0o

  Persephone's heart was still pounding as the horse slowed down, and she eyed the sparkle of light reflected off waves as they came up to the shores of the Sea of Eternity. She found herself scooped up in his arms as he slid off the stallion before he spun her around, causing her loose braid to swing around.

  To her surprise, the grass was not as coarse as one might expect, but felt rather soft. The blades gave away easily when she sat down, but were also amazingly springy, making for a comfortable seat. Hades sprawled out next to her, his arms bare as he carried no cloak, and he glanced up at her fondly. She smiled back. Several meters away, the horse lowered his head to eat, casually munching on the grass as his onyx coat gleamed under the light that filled the sky despite the lack of a sun.

  As her pulse slowed to its regular pace, she tightened her wrap. The atmosphere was pleasant and the breeze was mild, but without the natural warmth that sunlight brought, this place – just like any other place in the Underworld – carried an undeniable touch of cold. When his arms wrapped around her, she leaned against him, closing her eyes.

  They did not speak, and she simply relished his presence, snuggling against him as she felt a light kiss on her temple. His scent enveloped her – faintly earthy, though quite different from her mother's bountiful-earth smell – along with that subtle musky odor that was uniquely male. There were traces of other things she could not quite identify, things she wanted to describe but couldn't find just the right words to do so. She might describe one of these odors as an underground pool, and another trace made her think of the night air mixed with a hint of smoke. A note of sharp rawness would have been identified as ash. Hades truly was a complex and fascinating man, though she did know what he liked, and would sometimes use her knowledge to manipulate him into doing what she wanted. Although she had not yet discovered the key to him allowing her to go to the surface world... Yet.

  But of course, she was not going to give up. As much as she enjoyed Hades's company, she had other needs. The Lord of the Underworld was just as adept at getting her to forget these needs as she was at manipulating him, and she gave out a soft sigh as he squeezed her more tightly. She had fantasized about what it would be like to have coitus with him, to lay back and spread herself for him and let him take her properly. How would it feel to be filled up by him, to feel his heated flesh deep within hers? There were times when she was tempted to just give herself up on the spot and just let Hades ravish her – and based on previous intimate experiences with him, he could do a very thorough job. Had she had her choice of any man she wanted, would she ever experience such emotion and passion with anyone else?

  “Aidon?” she whispered.

  “Hmm?”

  “I... there is something I would like to ask you.”

  “Certainly.”

  She opened her eyes and craned her neck to look up at him.

  “Nothing actually grows down here, right?”

  “Correct.”

  “Would a child grow?” she asked. Hades glanced at her, furrowing his eyebrows in curiosity.

  “Do you mean the children in Elysium? They can have the form of adults if they want to."

  “No, not that. I mean, the laws of nature... well, I mean, Underworld nature, they are different from those of the mortal world and I understand that, but...” She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts and word them in a way that made sense, “If I tried to plant a seed here, it would not grow. If you planted a seed, would it grow?”

  “I might be Lord of the Underworld, but even I cannot command things to grow," he replied lightly. She shook her head.

  “No. I mean, your seed.”

  “My seed? Hmm? Oh!” His eyes widened in understanding.

  “Yes.”

  “No.” His voice was calm.

  “Hmm.” She couldn't say she was disappointed. It wasn't that she was averse to the idea of children, but she knew she wasn't ready to be a mother. And goodness, how Mother might react to her own child having a child!

  “Life cannot begin in the Underworld. It never has. The food of the dead would never nourish a child, even in your belly. Being the Lord of the Dead requires sacrifice on my part.”

  She looked down, nodding.

  “I am sorry, Persephone.”

  “Do not be. I was just... curious.” She looked back up at him before squeezing his hand reassuringly. “I will admit that I have been thinking of... intimacy with you. But I know what that leads to, so I just wanted to clarify, you know...”

  “I suppose we would have had to talk about this sooner or later, hmm?”

  o0o

  “Yes.” She stared off at the vista for several moments, and Hades watched her. She didn't seem sad or angry, but she didn't look happy, either. Not having children didn't bother him the least, but he hadn't considered ho
w she might feel about the subject until she had brought it up just now.

  “Does that knowledge bother you?” he asked. He wondered if she would plead with him now to be allowed to return to the surface world.

  “No. I suppose I should not be surprised, given this place...” She took a slow breath. “Hey, let's go for a swim!” she said, looking at him. She had noticed the sad expression on his face, surmising that he would feel sorrowful for not having children. She would have been surprised and flattered if she had known that he was thinking of her request to go to the surface world at that moment, and was actually considering it.

  Fortunately for him, she did not know. The change of subject surprised him, but he welcomed the distraction, and smiled at her as she rose to her feet before he chased after her.

  Chapter XXXV

  o0o

  The Sea of Eternity turned from a dark black-blue shade into cheery degrees of bright teal and turquoise, its waves crashing on a shore of golden-silver sand that shone white under a clear sky. The horses easily sped across the water and landed on the shore, waves lapping around their hooves as they took a momentary pause. Persephone lifted her hands from the mane of the horse she was riding and stretched her arms above her head. It had been a bit scary riding her own horse, but it was already well-trained, and merely had to follow the lead of the other horse, allowing her to ride it comfortably without having to worry about steering. She was happy to simply ride wherever Hades led her, gripping the mane of her steed as the two of them went for a delightful ride.

  In the distance, she could see other islands that were as lovely as this one. According to Hades, these islands sat at the fringes of Elysium and held strange and wonderful secrets. Not even the residents of Elysium could come here.