Fallen Harvest [Harle + Chuckeles]

[Harlequin]

Demeter was angry. She hated Zeus! Once again he thought to run her life, her thoughts, simply because long ago they had slept together. Well, that changed when he killed Iasius at the ritual. That damnable man. She stomped her feet, her robes violently swirling around her shapely legs. Well, she would put a stop to this! Demeter rounded on her desk, sitting to start her plot against the King of the Pantheon. So into her musings was she that she didn't hear the door to her study open and close with only a whisper of sound. Mumbling to herself she sat with her quill and paper, writing coded messages to people who owed her favors. The strong hand that came from behind and covered her mouth made her call out, though muffled and unheard by her Priestesses.

Demeter was dragged away, kicking, screaming, and trying fruitlessly to bite the hand of her captor. With inner horror she felt the shift- the one that let her know she was being drug through the planes- to Earth and humans. With a final wail, she was hurtled through the rift, with a last blow to her temple from her captor. With a thud her unconscious body thudded to the dried out earth, in a ditch to the side of a rutted road, her toga torn and her temple steadily leaking blood.

 

[KelpieCepter]

Ionas spent the better part of the morning packing up his cart. He shook his head as he glanced over the meager pickings he had managed to harvest from his fields. The fields had been in his family for six generations. Ionas had spent the better part of his twenty seven years working in the fields which had made him strong and tanned from the sun beating down on him. His lips part in a soft whisper of a prayer to Demeter asking her to watch over his fields. He loads the last two baskets into the cart both holding a few extra items of clothing and the best of his harvest. He could get good money for them but one basket belonged to Demeter's Temple. The other he always donated to the orphange no matter how bad his own harvest was.

He travels along the word guiding the mule singing a song softly praising Demeter for her bounty this year. His eyes keep a close eye on both sides of the roads for bandits. Ionas barely spots the figure laying in a ditch as he brings the cart to a stop. He glances around before moving towards the figure kneeling slowly to turn the her over. He gasp softly seeing her torn clothing and the bleeding temple. He releases his own cloak wrapping her in it as he lifts her carrying her to his cart setting her inside softly. He uses an extra toga to wrap her forehead. "Hang on young maiden. Ill get you to Apollo's temple for healing."

 

[Harlequin]

Demeter slowly woke. Sound came first. There was a light squeaking, as if a wheel was turning. The crunch of gravel underfoot confirmed the fact. She heard the steps from the mule in front of her and a soft humming from what sounded like a man- singing one of her ballads. Not good. The only ones who sung ballads of her were her human disciples. Well crap. She was in the human realm.
Next came feeling. This started with a methodical rocking from the moving cart that made her feel like she was in Poseidon's realm. Then, with a groan, she felt her temple and the many scrapes on her body. Her lips felt bruised and dry, like she as dieing of thirst. Her legs felt leaded as though she would never walk again. Demeter let out a sound that was cross between a groan and a whimper and tried to grab hold of the carts sides so she could sit up without opening her eyes. Halfway up she got incredibly dizzy and laid back down with a groan, holding her head in one hand and her ribs in the other.

 

[KelpieCepter]

He continues to hum his song to Demeter as he guides the mule along trying to keep the cart steady avoiding most of the larger pot holes. He turns hearing a soft groan from the back of the cart. "Whoah mule." He pats the mules neck as it comes to a stop. His footsteps move to the back of the cart pulling out a water bottle as he helps the maiden sit up slowly. "Take it easy young maiden. You seem to have been left by the road."

He gently offers her the water skin to her smiling warmly. "I was headed towards Demeter's temple to offer a gift, but after seeing you I figured we should take you to Apollo's temple for healing." He brushes a strand of her hair back as he places his hand on her back lightly to try and help her sit up without hurting herself.