The Stars of Persephone

Ellisoria must go on a quest to make a map for the goddess of the underworld misses seeing the stars in winter

Ellisoria was reading a book before she tried to fall asleep after a long day of picking flowers and fishing and other various activities that the woods offered. Her parents always took themselves and her for a trip to the woods once a year to get away from the hubbub of their lives. Her dad was a blacksmith and her mom was a mapmaker for the royals, so they worked a lot; her mom more than her dad. Sometimes she had to travel far away and Ellisoria would not see her for months. It was like this since she was small, so naturally she developed a closer relationship with her dad; you could even say that he was her favorite of the two. So see was always ecstatic for the week long trip, since she got to properly spend time with her mom. Not the usual mapmaking lessons.

She would even make all of them some soup; cooked carrots and potatoes. It was the best thing that she had ever eaten.

Ellisoria sigh wearily and set her book -Herbs for Healing- aside. She had had a tiring day; it was a good kind of tired, though. Her dad had taught her how to read at a young age and would teach her to read with a cookbook that her mom had, but almost never used. Eventually she was able to read and cook great food too. As her dad was very knowledgeable in surviving in the woods, and about nature in general, there was alway a interesting book lying around that she could pick up and read before bed. It relaxed her and helped her brain calm down before attempting to fall asleep.

When the dark finally lulled her into a deep slumber she had an odd dream. She was picking some flowers when all of a sudden a head popped out of the ground. She jumped and scurried away from the starling thing. She watched in equal horror and awe as the head (she could now tell that it was a woman) rose out of the ground. She had dirt brown hair and grass green eyes. “Hello.” The stranger greeted her, shaking off some dirt from her hair. Ellisoria was frozen, but attempted to speak. “H-Hello.” She stammered, afraid of this strangely ethereal woman who had just popped out of the ground! The women took a small step forward, like approaching a small, frightened kitten, “No need to be afraid, child.” She put her hand on Ellisoria’s shoulder, trying to reassure her that she was not a threat. Something about the women’s touch was..unusual. It was warm and soft; it soothed Ellisoria. The woman smiled and took back her hand. “I have come here to tell you some exciting news!” Ellisoria perked up, “Oh? And what might that be?” The woman's face softens slightly. “You're a great mapmaker. Perhaps the best amongst the mortals. So I have decided that I want you to make a map for my dear daughter, Persephone.” Ellisoria’s mouth drops in surprise and shock. She points to Demeter. “S-So your Demeter!” She exclaims in awe. Demeter nods. There are a few moments of silence before Ellisoria realizes that she hasn’t responded. “Of course, anything for the gods.” She speaks quickly.

She tilts her head to the right a little bit, “But how am I supposed to reach the stars? I am mortal, after all.” Demeter nods “Yes. Well, lucky for you Heremes is willing to teach you how to drive his chariot, of course after you complete the task he will wipe your memory of all of that. Don’t want another ambitious one.” Demeter mutters the last part under her breath. Ellisoria looks up “Huh? What was that?” Demeter smiles and pats her shoulder, “Nothing, dear.” Demeter takes her hand back and smiles sadly before starting to fade, “Goodbye, Ellisoria, may you have a prosperous life filled with happiness.” She reaches out to grab Demeter's arm.“Wait! How am I going to brea-” Demeter is gone. “...” “D****t.”

Ellisoria wakes up, and hears humming outside. She yawned and stretched before getting up and putting on a beautiful yellow dress made of silk and with gold on the ends; it was her favorite dress. Her mom had given it to her on her thirteenth birthday. She was now seventeen and still hoping her mom would miraculously see how pretty she is in the dress and retire to spend more time with her. But that’s realistic…

She opens the tent and finds her mom sitting and roasting eggs and bread over a fire. Her mom looks over and smiles “Come here honey. I’m making toast and eggs for breakfast.” Ellisoria sighs, she’s tired of this. Every year her mom tries to shower her with love and affection, but that’s the issue it’s only for once a year; the rest of the year she goes back to working almost all the time and if she gets home it’s always past when she goes to bed. She has her dad, sure, but he just doesn’t understand everything she goes through, yeah he understands the mom thing, of course he misses his wife, but he gets to see her. She doesn’t, and it hurts.

Something makes a crack noise halting her thoughts, she turns to see a squirrel and grabs a nearby tree twig that she keeps sharp for this exact purpose. She takes a few seconds to point it in the right direction and throws it. Crunch it hit the head, not ideal, but it’s still a meal. She goes over to pick it up and guts it then trots over to her parents, holding it up, proudly, “Lunch!” Her father claps and whistles, “That’s my girl!” Her mother smiles “Good good Sweetie.” she pats her head, eyes focused on getting the eggs and toast onto some bowls.

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They eat at a table that her dad made. She was poking at some of her toast, she didn’t want to tell her parents of her…quest? But she knew they would freak out if she didn’t tell them. “Mom, dad?” They look up immediately, “What is it?” Her father inquires. “Um, so..I kind of had a dream about Demeter.” Her mom chokes on her glass of water “WHAT!??” “I think it was her, she told me that she wanted me to go up to the stars and Hermes would show me how to fly it.” “BU-” Her dad touches her hand and he goes silent. “Let her have this, okay?” Her mom sighs, “Fine. But if something happens I will find a way to personally speak to the gods and have a looong chat, and they are going to listen.”

All of a sudden there is a bolt of lighting that comes down from the very recently turned gray clouds that strikes down a tree and falls on the tent and tears it. “NOOO ALL OUR FOOD WAS IN THERE!” Dysis, Elissoria’s father, screamed dramatically in agony. “Look what you’ve done!” Dysis points at Valia, Elissoria’s mother. “WhAt did I do?” Dysis throws his hands up in the air in frustration, “You provoked the gods!!” “..oh.” Valia cranes her head up, “Sorry!” Dysis slaps his hand against his face “You idiot it doesn’t work like that! One you anger the gods, you anger the gods there is no going back!” “...” Valia’s silent.

“Okay! Enough!” Ellosoria snaps. She turns to her mom, “Mom, come on, you knew that something would have happened eventually, at least it wasn’t you that was struck!” she pivots towards her dad, “Dad, thank you for calming mom down, however you didn’t need to call mom an idiot.” She swivels so she can see both of them, “Both of you, think. before. you. speak.” They both look at each other, “Sorry.” They mumble, embarrassed. “Good. Now back to the subject at hand. I don’t know how Hermes is going to contact me, but you can’t freak out when I go, okay.?” “Okay.” They say in unison.

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They finish their trip and go back home. They unpack and the next day her dad tells her that he’s going to the Oracle of Delphi. Ellisoria sighs, she knows it’s about the whole Demter thing, but doesn’t want to say anything. “Fine. Just make sure to be quick. It gets lonely without you around.” “Of course, Sweetie.” He pats her head and walks out, “See you in a few days!”

When he gets to the Oracle he is told that “The stars will scorch something precious of his.” He decides to accept his fate and goes back home to spend the rest of the time he has with his daughter. But when he gets back no one is there. He should know; the Gods don’t ask for your opinion or permission to do what needs to be done, they just do it.

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Here’s What happened while Dysis was gone: Ellisoria had just settled back into her home, when her dad announced that he was leaving. She was sad; how could she not be? She knew her time to start her adventure was arriving soon, she could feel it; it was like the air was holding its breath but also clutching onto her like a mother or father after they find their kid after losing them somewhere. It was stifling, but also comforting, maybe it’s because she knew that she felt this sense of comfort that she couldn’t place.

She goes up to her room to cry (Gods forbid a woman is seen crying by men) and she opens her door only to find a strange man with golden-brown hair and eyes the color of a pale, clear blue sky. The thing that frightened her the most was that the man was hovering over her pet rabbit and petting it. She sensed the same ethereal aura that Demeter had, but it was different; more choppy and quick. This guy clearly had a lot of energy. Out of instinct she grabbed her dagger hidden under her coat - a girl never knew when that would come in handy - and threw it at him, but, to her astonishment and slight surprise he pulled it out of his side with a sigh. His wound immediately healed, and she noticed that he didn’t bleed. She looks at him, all of a sudden tired and collapses onto her bed. She puts her hands in her hair, and pulls at her hair slightly. “I suppose your Hermes.” She says taking her hands out of her hair and looking at him. She may not be the most religious or educated person in Oxynia, nope, that trophy belonged to Princess Cyptonea. But she knew it would be very disrespectful to not even acknowledge his presence.

“I am. ..I suppose ‘Meter told you why I’m here.” Ellisoria rolls her eyes, “No offense, but you couldn’t be more obvious than you already are.” Hermes chuckles “None taken. Only you can see me anyway, so no harm done.” He laughs. Ellisoria grits her teeth, no one ever told her how annoying the gods could be. He stops and notices the look on her face. “Did I upset you?” Ellisoria clenches her fists “It’s not you, it’s the face that I have to go and I don’t when I’ll be back, and this is all way too much for a seventeen year old girl!” She can’t hold it back anymore, she cries. Hermes frowns and floats over to her and gives her a gentle hug, “Shhh it’s okay.” She melts into his embrace, feeling relieved that he didn’t yell at her. “B-But i-it’s n-not o-okay.” She sobs. Hermes sighs and pulls away, and pats her head, “At least you're not going to be alone. You have me.” He smiles sympathetically, “And whenever you get worried we can just pop over to wherever your parents are and check up on them, okay?” “O-okay.” She wipes the tears from her face, and hugs her rabbit. She turns to Hermes “Okay. I’m ready to go.”

Hermes’s face lights up with realization “I almost forgot to tell you: Hephaestus made a helmet for me to give to you so you can breathe up in the atmosphere.” Ellisoria looks panicked. “But what if it doesn’t work?!” “Calm down child, have faith in the Gods.” There is a few seconds of silence. “Have we ever failed you mortals before?” “...no…” Ellisoria looks down, embarrassed. “Then there is no reason to worry.” He makes the helmet appear on her head, it was made of bronze, but is light. He extends a hand towards her. “Ready to go?” She takes his hand and as she does so some fireworks go off outside. They fly to the chariot.

It takes a few weeks, but eventually she learns how to drive the chariot. “Good job kid!” Hermes says proudly. “I think you're ready.” They go around, Hermes pointing out all the stars and Ellisoria drawing the map/driving the chariot. At the last star she reaches out, mesmerized by the beauty of it and the star burns all her right fingers off instantly. She hisses in agony as she retracts her stub of a hand from the star, her flesh sizzling, scorching hot. Hermes draws the last star and they go back down to Earth. When they land there is a beautiful woman there, same etherealness radiating from her as Demeter and Hermes. “Welcome back, Ellisoria. You have my map?” The women (who had brown, no white, no blonde, no or- oh..it changes) asked her gently as she extended her hand. Ellisoria nodded and grabbed the map with her left hand. “Here.” She gave Pherephone the map. “Your hand!” Persephone points to the stub. “Oh, I burnt it on a star.” Ellisoria says casually. “I can give you new fingers, it’s the least I can do for all the trouble you’ve gone through.” Ellisoria’s eyes widen in surprise and relief. “Thank you!” She extends her hands towards Persephone and she runs her hands over Ellisoria’s absent fingers and when she’s done there are new fingers. And a stack of about ten thousand dollars there, “No, thank you.’ She smiled and then faded away.

Ellisoria is left standing there, shell shocked. Hermes turned towards her “Well we should get you back to your family.” Ellisoria snapped out of it, “Yeah..” Hermes drives the chariot back to her bedroom window and opens the window for her. “Go. Be with your family.” She steps off and when she’s back in her room he pats her head, “Goodbye, Ellisoria.”

She got a quill and was able to make a lot of money and saved it up to surprise her parents with a house in the woods on their twentieth anniversary. They all lived prosperous and happy lives.

© 2024 treeestheyareus

Author's Note

Tell me if you figure out what mitski song i reference in this story.
Also I thought "Hmmmm if Gods can do all this other stuff *insert impressive feat* why can't they figure out a way to make it so their heroes never get too ambitious?" Also maybe that's why a lot of people have moved on to different religons. Maybe the Gods found a way to erase their heroes memories after they complete their task, so they never remember. They might have literally erased themselves from history.
If you don't agree with my opinion, that's fine, just keep it to yourself. I understand that different people have different opinions on certain things.