Chapter Eight

Persephone knelt down by Zeus’s feet, holding the offering of fresh spring flowers in a woven basket. She could feel his wives eyeing her with daggers–none sharper than Demeter’s.

“These will do. NEXT!” Hera flicked her wrist as Persephone ducked her head in a respectful bow and walked over the place the basket with the other Offerings presented by weaker deities. Zeus grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his lap, causing her to spill the flowers around the floor. The next in line went up to Zeus and mimicked Perseophone, ignoring the actions and following routine.

“What is it that my younger brother has that I do not my dear?” His breath curled Persephone’s toes with disgust.

Persephone quietly thanked Aphrodite for training in the ways of Men and forced her cheeks to blush. “Well my lord, it really goes without saying that Hades holds no candle to you. But he is my husband and a lowly Deity such as myself is grateful even for that.” Zeus’s grip loosened at the compliment and she quick;y jumped off his lap and hurried back over to the offering table. Her breath shook and she tried to slip out of the grand room on Olympus. Bes was having a party over in the next region and Persephone did not want to miss out. She could still hear Hera shouting NEXT and directing orders as Zeus’s other wives continued to feed him alcohol and get him good and drunk.

Outside of Olympus’s gates, Persephone whispered for Hermes. With a gust of wind, both Hermes and Fujin appeared before her. Persephone flinched at the sight of the humanoid reptile but saved face by smiling sweetly and gently touching his strong muscular scaley shoulder.

“You boys certainly know how to make an entrance!” She flirted.

“Fujin here is going to give you a ride. I lost a bet and now have to wait for the other guests to finish up their offerings to Zeus,” Hermes leaned on his friend from the other Region.

“Be warned. Hera is one one,” Persephone didn’t mean for her tone to be so serious.

“When isn’t she?” Hermes joked back. With a singular step, the Deity of communication was gone.

Persephone turned her attention to Fujin. “Ready when you are,” she tried to smile sweetly at him but knew full well there was no fooling any deity from Akihito. Grabbing his bag of Winds and dumping them, Fujin wrapped his free hand around Persephone pulling her close to him.

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Before she finished blinking, Persephone was feeling the heat of the desert. Music filled her ears as strings were strung and drums were drummed. She couldn’t help but laugh at the sudden ease she felt being away from Olympus and playfully grabbed for Fujin’s hands. Spinning him out onto the dance floor with her.

“Where is the great Bes so I can properly thank him from saving me from the Offering Seasons?” Persephone called out into the smokey room.

Laughter carried over the music and Persephone turned to face a short fat man wearing a beautifully decorated plumed headdress with turquoise embellishments. “If it isn’t the Queen of the Undead!” His laughter boomed again over the music.

Persephone shook her finger, “not anymore will I wear that dreadful title!” She smiled and danced over to the host.

Bes’s eyes light up with the news. “What news is this that I hear?”

Persephone cocked an eyebrow at the sneaky deity. “Osiris not share the news with you? Perhaps I shouldn’t either.”

“Oh come now Goddess of Agriculture. You know better than to leave me hanging on a good secret.” Bes dropped his Lute and walked over to a seating area with grand floor pillows. The occupants quickly got up and moved back to the dancefloor to give Bes and Persephone some privacy.

Persephone looked back to drag Fujin into the gossip but he was always on the dance floor. Rolling her eyes, she skipped over to the pillows and allowed Bes to stand so close that his face and hers looked almost joined together at the cheek.

“It appears a woman is the Overseer of the Undetermined,” Persephone picked up a pipe being handed to her by one of Bes’s concubines and took a long inhale. Ignoring Bes’s face that grew more red the longer she breathed in the drugs.

“A woman you say…” Bes’s brain began spinning as he looked around the room to see if he could spot any newcomers. But to his disappointment, only the usual Deities stood around and danced, soaking up the party and addicting aroma of relaxation.

“Oh, I doubt you will catch her at any of your parties my dear friend,” Persephone leaned on the pillows away from Bes as she allowed the contents of the pipe to fill her being with ecstasy.

“Oh?” Bes took the pipe from Persephone before the high truly hit her.

Persephone pouted at her friend but smiled quickly after, “Izanagi has a schedule to maintain and…,” Persephone yawned as she reached for the pipe, “she’s a n–th–er-n-er.” Her words quickly slurring together as her eyelids began to droop from the drugs.

Bes’s attention was immediately set to scan each face of all his guests. There was a healthy mix of Eudokia and Cliupatra, with a splash of Akihito. But none of the Northern Gods had taken him up on his invitation. Bes rubbed his chin and thought deeply if he had ever seen a Northerner at any of his parties.

“Interesting….,” Bes snapped his fingers and a small boy appeared with a collar around his neck, “fetch me Bragi if you are able.” Bes commanded before getting up and starting to join the party in a grand dance.