“Who the hell are you?!” William shouted abruptly as he and Emma walked along the contours of the solid-water island.

At first, Demeter seemed taken aback, then she reasserted herself and said, “No. Not Hel. I am Demeter. Adjunct to the Sea, Sister of Poseidon. And I am here to guide you mortals to safety.”

Emma, suddenly stopped in her tracks and looked behind. Her wide eyes betrayed what Demeter had observed as an otherwise cool demeanor. Even after thousands of years, Demeter still found pleasure in bringing to hell hard-nosed humans. If there was a better antidote to life’s miseries, she had not found it.

“And why would a divine wish to help us?” Emma said, quickly regaining her hard-nosed attitude. No matter. Bigger things were afoot than humans and their face-saving.

“You are not allowed to ask questions, mortal. I have my reasons,” Demeter said, smiling.

Both of the mortals then took a minute to hurriedly discuss the matter with each other. Demeter found their whisperings cute. She wondered if they thought their conversation was private. If so, then how wrong they had been, for the whole conversation went exactly like this:

Emma: you really want to trust our fate to some twisted immortal fuck?

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William: you young people today — my! No regard for history and faith. A literal divine creature is offering us help in this twisted place and you are seriously considering denying that help? How do we escape?

Emma: We will find out own way! We survived the ship, we survived the ocean, and we survived those creatures all the while finding our way to this island. We are survivers, William! Besides, we have no iota of an idea whatsoever what and why this demi-god has planned or the logic behind their actions. They always, and I mean always, have multiple motives and—

William: If they have multiple motives, then why not trust one of those motives in service of us?! Even if she is using us, she is offering us freedom from this place. We cannot deny her! Can you please stick your feminism away for a moment and let us live?!

And on the conversation went. And on.

Normally, this was not how Demeter would operate.

Usually, her modus operandi would designate the target of her actions, she would swoop in and say her piece, and then leave. And whether the mortals took the bait or not was irrelevant. After all, there were always more mortals. But not here. The Uncharted Waters of Poseidon was an oddity to mankind; no mortal was supposed to be able to cross the thresholds into here, let along able to draw breath! Demeter did not know if she would ever get another chance to so mess with her brother’s head than now. She had to act unlike herself and entertain the mortals. For now.

“Fine!” Emma said. “We will trust this Demeter…”

William, turning to Demeter, took a short bow before the demi-god. He said, “What now, your mightiness?”

Again, Demeter grinned.

“Firstly,” Demeter said, “strip down, and put on these cloaks!”