Chapter 41: DEMETER
Athos woke up to Arion licking his face. As nice as it may sound, it was not a pleasant experience.
"Oi! Back off boy. Why did you get all cuddly all of a sudden?", Athos mumbled, pushing away Arion who was nuzzling his hair.
He didn't know whether it was a good thing that Arion had taken a liking to him. Indeed, He could have access to a very enjoyable and fast method of transport, but at the same time attract some...unwelcome attention. Well, Gaea already had him on her radar, so could it really get any worse?
He pushed away the horse's snout and stood up finding himself in a completely unfamiliar environment. On second thought, the word 'unfamiliar' was an understatement. An extreme one. The wasteland he'd been in? The half-eaten bodies which let out a gnarly scent? Gone. Replaced by the most photogenic scenery he could ever imagine.
He stood on an enormous wheat field. Its grainy landscape stretched out into the horizon, the aurous, seemingly endless sea gently swaying in the wind, the sun reflecting off it, giving it a light golden hue. The sky was a mixture of red, orange, azure and shades he'd never seen before, making it a kaleidoscope of colours that was somewhat hypnotizing. It should've contrasted with the sea of gold below - It really should've - but it didn't. It was as though it was too beautiful to care.
He shook his head and his clouded eye's cleared before he quickly turned invisible. Just what was he thinking? The sudden shift in scenery was magical and had 'LOOK I AM A TRAP' written all over it. The picturesque panorama of the fields had him spellbound for a little too long.
"You don't need to use that accursed mask", a soft voice floated out from behind him.
Athos froze, before spinning around, only to find another scene that whisked his breath away.
A familiar, stunning woman stood not far from him, her alluring amber eyes filled with an unrecognizable emotion. It was Demeter, looking far more otherwordly than he'd first met her. She was wearing a variation of a peplos, a long white tunic, which was tied in such a way that it complimented her ample bosom and her long slender legs, giving rise to a nosebleed-worthy scene. It was fastened about her waist with a golden belt, while similar metal armbands adorned her supple forearms. A golden necklace hugged her elegant neck, enunciating her already considerable beauty. Her lucent wheat-gold hair danced in the wind, the strands twirling against one another in an eternal competition to be on top and the very same woven crown, now adorned with poppies, rested on her head. She held a bundle of the most aesthetically pleasing wheat he'd seen, every grain picture perfect.
He shook his head once again to clear it before taking off his mask, and appearing before the goddess.
"There you are. Hope the ride wasn't a hassle. If it was, I hope you can forgive little Arion. He's quite feisty after being freed", she said softly.
The tone she spoke with unnerved Athos a little. It reminded him of Khrysaoros almost making it off with his head. Aphrodite wasn't here this time. There weren't any pink barriers that could stop Demeter from taking his life either.
"It was alright...", Athos shrugged and Arion snorted in indignation before slightly pushing his shoulder in annoyance. Athos ignored him, but the playful pushing led to a full-on shove. "Alright fine! It was extremely enjoyable. Happy, you overgrown golden retriever?"
Demeter raised a delicate eyebrow, no doubt surprised at Arion getting along with a demigod, but quickly recovered and spoke, "I have summoned you here for your quest. I presume you are prepared?"
She frowned, sensing something. "Where is the cornucopia?", her voice gaining a dangerous edge.
Athos didn't answer, or rather, didn't know what to tell the goddess. Should he really mention that he'd sacrificed it to a homeless god in exchange for information? Hell no! Not if he wanted to be turned to grain or some variety of corn.
"Where...IS...IT?!", Demeter growled, and the sky behind her darkened, the kaleidoscope of colours morphing into a shade of dark gold. The wheat around his calves wrapped around him, crawling up his legs. But just when Athos thought he was dead, the sky brightened and his binds loosened, returning to their positions, swaying innocently.
"I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. A promise is a promise", she muttered, holding her head.
A vein in his temple pulsed in irritation. He was indeed pissed at the fact that he'd nearly been turned to oatmeal, but he understood where she was coming from. The cornucopia, her symbol, was basically her image. Sacrificing it to another god like his father and he had done, was incredibly disrespectful, especially to Olympians with their overblown egos. It was akin to dragging it in the mud.
Arion trotted over to her and whinnied something in her ear.
Demeter raised her head and looked at Athos in confusion.
"Nereus? Why? He never asks for compensation unless....."
Her eyebrows rose higher in surprise.
"You! You're INSANE! No one ca-
Arion whinnied again, cutting off the goddess. Demeter's pupils trembled, her face going through a flurry of emotions. Surprise, shock, disbelief, fear and lastly....hope.
"I...No...You can't..no...Finally..", She stuttered before getting herself together. The bundle of wheat in her hands morphed into a golden dove and she whispered a few words to it. Athos couldn't really make out what exactly she said, but he did manage to make out one word. Probably the person the message was addressed to.
'Hephaestus'
The dove cooed and flapped away before vanishing in a puff of feathers. She then turned to him, her trembling pupils now somewhat calm.
"I was planning on something different, but owing to the circumstances, your quest shall change", she said, nervously running her fingers through her long hair. He'd never seen or read a goddess acting like this. Just what did Arion tell Demeter? Was it the title of 'Fatebreaker'?
Unlikely.
Demeter would've blown him up the moment she caught wind of that, for he could endanger Olympus - but that was assuming she was on Olympus' side in the first place.
"Since it's a quest, is there a prophecy or...."
"No. Consider this an errand of sorts. Or a test if that makes you feel better", she replied.
"A test? Wasn't it supposed to be a favour in return for the cornucopia?", he retorted.
"If you are what I think you are, this should be easy enough for you. I preferred the fleece but...", the goddess mumbled to herself, ignoring Athos.
"Aha! I got it!", She said, her eyes lighting up.
Athos' heart sank the moment he saw that expression. He had a bad feeling about this.
"In return for the cornucopia, I want an 'Apple of Immortality'"
***
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