Alena felt her stomach drop. Never before had someone welcomed her with such a greeting or dragged her into their arms without consent.

She now kneeled with Kaiya's frail arms wrapped around her as though she would never let go, and Alena could think of no other time where she had felt so needed before in her entire life.

Damari rushed into the room at the sound of his mother's cry, his tall, masculine presence nearly extinguishing the kind and loving air that Kaiya had woven around Alena, creating a rude awakening, but one that she gladly took.

"You've been waiting for me?" Alena asked Kaiya delicately, mystified by the tears that slowly made their way down the woman's face when she took in her form next to her.

"Oh my dear, you could not believe how long I have waited, ever since my Leon came back from that wreck all those years ago, telling me of the mysterious maiden who spared his life."

Alena could feel her cheeks unsuspectedly begin to heat up at the recognition given to her from all those years ago, but Damari didn't appear to be as excited at the revelation produced by his mother.

"When are you to tell her of the prophecy, Mother? That's the reason she's here and that is the only reason."

Alena could only wonder what had triggered such a furious attitude, and she could see that his behavior had caught the attention of Kaiya as well.

Her eyebrows had furrowed together and she pulled the black silk scarf from her head. "Are you all right, Damari?" She whispered with worry, moving closer to her son with the utmost care.

Damari drew away quickly before she could embrace him, instead bringing his attention once again back to Alena.

"Mother, please tell her if she is the one in the prophecy." he sighed, rubbing a tired hand over his brow. "I'll be helping Ray with dinner. Which you are not invited to." he stated stiffly, his barbed answer stinging Alena more than she thought it should.

Kaiya rolled her eyes and folded the silky scarf carefully before placing it on the cot. "You're staying for dinner." she said with a laugh, the few grey hairs in her brown hair disappearing when she stepped away from the glaring light.

"Now about the prophecy," she began, her eyes growing weary and her tone grave, "I have received word from the gods, that is how I knew it was you when I saw you. You are a big part of the chatter up there sweet girl, and I fear it isn't for the best."

"What do you mean?" Alena asked, watching Damari and Ray moving around in the kitchen with bowls held tightly to their chests. "What have they been saying, Kaiya?"

Her eyes dropped to the floor as she walked timidly past Alena, holding onto her arm for support which Alena offered politely. "There is speak of the Underworld, a lunar eclipse is at an approach on the eve of the summer solstice, but it is unlike any of its kind, producing a force so powerful that it will open the gates to the Underworld."

Alena paused in her assistance, the thought of the Underworld's impenetrable gates being open for the taking nearly paralyzing her with the possibilities it could offer.

"What are you saying?" She hurriedly asked, helping Kaiya to her seat in the dining room while simultaneously keeping her eye on Damari who now seemed to wish to stay as far away from her as possible.

"It's Persephone."

The name stopped Alena from sitting down in her seat, her breathing escalated and she could hardly hear the sentence that had come out of Kaiya until the older woman placed her hand on her shoulder gently.

"The gods and goddesses have been arguing over the opportunity to rescue her from the god of the underworld, but they're wasting precious time, even now some of the demigods have lost their lives in service to finding Persephone."

Damari entered the room carrying a large pot filled to the brim with a steaming liquid that made Alena's eyes water at the heat, the spicy aroma of oregano soaking the air around it.

"That's enough fairytales for now Mother," Damari berated, dishing out four wooden carved bowls that held notches in them that must have been created by a knife when the bowls were made. "Rayen's made your favorite soup."

Kaiya's face filled with a heart warming smile when her bowl was filled gratefully with a large helping of soup, but she snuck a wink to Alena and immediately continued speaking when Damari went into the kitchen for glasses.

"You have to forgive him. Ever since his father died he hasn't been the same, nor does he believe truly in the gods powers or my ability to speak to them."

"But how did you get him to find me?"

Kaiya laughed and placed a spoonful of the meaty broth in her mouth, her eyes shutting to revel in the wonderful taste. "I'm not even sure myself why he came to you, but I knew it was you when I saw you."

Alena could see Rayen and Damari returning to the table and quickly leaned over towards Kaiya. "But that's what startles me, how did you know it was me?"

Kaiya set her spoon back into the bowl and set her wrinkled hand over Alena's. "It was a vision, my dear. Bestowed upon me by the gods, and after so many descriptions that Leon gave me when he returned home I knew it had to be you when I saw you with my Damari."

Tears filled Kaiya's eyes once again and before Alena could stop her, she had moved from her seat and held her in a firm hug.

The sobs that wracked Kaiya's body shocked Alena unbelievably so and when Damari came into the room his eyes darkened with anger.

"I told you, you aren't staying for dinner, and now you've upset my mother." His eyes were a storm, lightening fighting to strike, and it was a storm that Alena was not looking forward to encountering.

But Kaiya would have none of it, glaring daggers into her son's back and holding onto Alena even tighter as her cries became louder.

"I never thought my husband would come so close to death, and you saved him," Kaiya choked out, not willing to release Alena. "You saved him, my Leon, and gave us so many more precious years together that we weren't meant to have and I thank you so much for that. Because of you I have my dear Rayen along with Damari and I couldn't be more thankful."

So that's who she is.. their daughter, Alena thought guiltily, the knots in her stomach disappearing, makes sense.

However, Alena had no clue how to respond to Kaiya's emotional state and squeezed her back calmly, about to pull away when she felt a cool damp chill run over her shoulder.

She turned to see if Damari's cloak had slid to expose herself when she saw a small drop of liquid on the cloth, trailing its way from the top of her shoulder down to the crook of her elbow.

Everything stopped, as if time itself had frozen and Alena could only stare at what she was seeing with her own two eyes.

Demeter's words rang clear in her ears as if the goddess herself was repeating them once more.

This curse will befall your race and there will be no tears spilled for you nor will you be able to shed any yourself.

Alena had heard the words for herself and now she could only stare in horrified wonder at the tear that was proof that Demeter was wrong.

Demeter was wrong.

Ideas were bursting through her, the thought that if Demeter had been wrong, and she was, that there was a chance that she really could find her heart again.

Then she would be able to free herself and end this horrible curse once and for all...and she'd be able to know what it was like to feel true emotion again.

Damari untangled his mother from Alena and helped her back to her chair carefully, being sure to direct his developing anger towards his unwanted guest.

Rayen went on, oblivious to the thickening tension, when she poured some of the soup into Alena's bowl with a cheery smile.

"I hope you like my soup, Damari and Mother always take to it fairly well."

Alena nodded and moved her chair closer to the table, being careful to stay away from Damari and his overactive hormones while also listening as best she could to his mother who continued speaking.

"Demeter is unrelenting in the case of retrieving her daughter from the clutches of Hades, but she also wishes that one siren in particular be left from the quest."

Alena understood who she meant, who else but she would Demeter not wish retrieving her daughter? Certainly not the woman who lost her and trapped her there in the first place.

Alena didn't blame the goddess for her apprehension.

Damari peered down at her from the tip of his spoon, his gaze boiling almost as much as the soup had, not failing to catch and alert Alena of his evergrowing distress.

"The gods claim her to be irrational, out of her mind and not seeing the true goal behind involving you. She only wishes to have her daughter back for good, despite the time she gets to see her before she is dragged back to the damp darkness of the Underworld."

Alena leaned forward. "But Kaiya, if Demeter doesn't want me involved then I'm not going to be able to help. She controls me, or the creature inside of me. Once that creature takes over, there's no way of drawing my old nature out."

Kaiya shook her head, pushing away her now empty bowl and taking a sip of ice water. "She has no choice dear. You're the one in the prophecy, the only one capable of bringing the goddess back from her eternal prison and Demeter knows it."

Silent and terse, Alena processed what Kaiya was saying with doubts swimming by the thousands.

She could remember how easily Persephone had escaped her once, she had been unable to stop her and that mistake had cursed her for all eternity...

If she were to fail again, there was no telling what Demeter would do to her then, no doubt the world as well as she would suffer in the case of that event.

Still caught up in her thoughts, Alena had barely eaten a spoonful of her soup when Damari stood from his seat and collected the bowls from everyone, pouring the remainder of Alena's soup back into the pot for left overs.

"How fortunate to have him here to make sure I had a filling dinner." she muttered sarcastically to herself, making the decision to just ignore his foul mood for the remainder of the time she was around him.

Kaiya stood shakily from the table, waving off Rayen and Damari's help for walking and making her way through the courtyard carefully to her room where an old wooden trunk, identical to ones in the possession of Damari and Rayen, sat propped against the doorway.

Her knees creaked under the pressure of bending to open the weighted lid, but Kaiya had her eyes set on a prize that didn't matter whether she was in a comfortable position or not.

Alena watched with curiosity as she lifted a small box from the depths of the dark trunk, intriguing her not by the size or shape of it, but by the woman that sat serenely on the top of it, her eyes staring at something far beyond Alena's sight.

"Kaiya," Alena asked cautiously, "what is that?"

Kaiya didn't answer, instead, she opened the box and withdrew a rope chain with a small glass vial on the end of it, a hot pink liquid swirling in its clutches.

Along with the vial, Kaiya withdrew a small drawstring bag with a red ribbon tied on a fragile scroll and an old brass spyglass that just barely fit into Kaiya's tender hands.

She placed all the items in Alena's hands before folding her fingers over them with intent. "These were given to me by Leon years ago, he told me if there was ever a time that I was in danger I need only look to the sea for guidance. I didn't know what he meant at the time, but I believe I do now."

Alena could hear Damari's harsh whispers from the other room. "You do?" she asked warily.

"Aye, I do. This vial here," Kaiya exclaimed, ignoring her son's antics and instead displaying the glass container with its mysterious contents, "has the ability to allow one to swim underwater for an unspecific amount of time without needing oxygen to breathe. Quite nifty isn't it?" she chuckled.

Alena just gaped at her in astonishment, not believing that the potion could be as real as she claimed it to be, but listening to Kaiya anyways.

"Next, is the brass spyglass, said to show you your greatest desires. But be warned, this artifact is not to be used lightly for its effects, if used wrongly, could have dire consequences."

She gave Alena a stern look and Alena jerked her head quickly in confirmation, wanting only to inspect the objects that Kaiya had guarded diligently for so long.

"And finally, this parchment. I wrote down the prophecy so that you may try to make of it what you will, but there is also a message that was left by my Leon years ago for you, Alena Cali."

Hearing her last name whispered off of Kaiya's lips sent chills through her body, it had been so long since she'd heard that name and she was surprised she even remembered it.

Accepting the small bag from Kaiya and without any conscious thought, Alena gave her a hug in gratitude.

"Damari must accompany you on this trip my dear, for the trials you are soon to face will only grow in their danger as you grow closer to your prize. Without him I fear you will fall into darkness."

She could hear the worry in Kaiya's voice and it made her want to cry out, to assure her that nothing would happen to her when she embarked on her journey.

But she knew that was something she couldn't promise. Danger followed her everywhere, like a faithful companion, and when Kaiya looked at her as if she were her own daughter about to sacrifice herself to something as horrible as a Hydra, Alena knew she had to obey the woman or fear for her health in the process.

"Kaiya, I don't know how well Damari will handle this, he already appears to be unstable at the moment. I don't even know how I'm going to find my way to the underworld without taking weeks if not months to get there."

Kaiya patted her hand but continued to look solemn. "You and Damari must travel from the port of Athens through the waters of Poseidon's folk before passing through the kingdom of Hecate, the goddess of the moon, the underworld and the crossroads. She is not one to be trifled with and many fear her name for the misfortune she can bring to them."

"But do you know what we are to face when we pass Hecate?" Alena asked, moving closer to Kaiya so that her plans were well out of ear shot of Damari. "I don't know if I can ensure the safety of your son, Kaiya. There is only so much I can do, you must know that."

Sorrow entered her eyes as she directed her gaze out to the fountain where her son now sat, giving her the respect and privacy he knew she asked of him. "I know, Alena, but I cannot see what you will face when you pass the gates into the Underworld, few souls have made it through the gates and lived to tell the tale."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Came Alena's whispered reply. "However, I promise I will keep your son safe to the best of my abilities, Kaiya, till my last breath."

"Thank you, sweet girl." Kaiya smiled, adjusting the bag securely onto Alena's back. "You must go now, and make haste, for your days have already begun and the summer solstice is already at a fast approach."

Alena stood hurriedly, tripping over the trunk before turning to give a rushed apology to Kaiya. "Would you like to say good bye to Damari?"

"Never good bye, my dear, but a farewell and good tidance."

Her smile was infectious, but her laments eased their way into her expression, almost as though she believed it were the last time she would bid farewell to her son.

But Alena was going to make sure that he made it back to his family, he wasn't going to be lost at sea like his father or so many men before him, he would return even if it meant his life over her own, she promised herself that.

She watched from a distance as Kaiya explained to Damari what he needed to do, and she could hear his protests ringing through the shingles on their roof.

Before Damari could argue with his mother further, she embraced him in a tight hug, whispering into his ear in a rushed tone.

Whatever she had said to him caused his shoulders to slump with ragged defeat and turn towards Alena, scooping up the bag that Kaiya had in hand for him.

Tears had filled Rayen's eyes and Alena couldn't force herself to watch any longer as the siblings held each other.

Inhaling a deep breath while stepping out onto the path in front of the Callos house, she spoke words of promise, ones she hadn't heard uttered from her lips for centuries.

"If I am so worthy as to find the blessings of the gods on this night, I will in turn bring back the daughter that I once lost, and if I fail to do so within the time permitted by the fates.. I give myself over to fair judgement and punishment by the goddess Demeter herself. I refuse to hide any longer, the time has come to face my fate."

"What nonsense are you muttering now?" Damari shouted from the doorway, his grim expression the only encouragement Alena needed to keep her distance. "As Mother said, we haven't got all day, the solstice is approaching and you don't have hours or even minutes to waste."

A growl ripped itself out of Alena's throat and instead of stopping herself like she knew she should have, she hoisted Damari into the air by his throat.

"I don't need you or any hero wannabe thinking he can boss me around in my domain, you either listen to me or die, and if you die, well, it wasn't my fault you didn't listen. Is that clear?"

"As crystal." Damari spat at her, smiling in grim satisfaction as the spittle hit her bare feet. "As long as you understand that I'm not going to take orders from a mythological creature that shouldn't even exist."

Alena flashed a predatory smile, licking her lips as she threw him to the ground. "Understood, sailor, but it's your funeral."

She had made it halfway down the mountain path by the time the bull headed oaf had caught up with her, not daring to let a huff or puff escape his lungs.

"Where are we headed?" he gasped, coughing shortly there after to disguise his exhaustion from lack of exercise.

Alena's eyes scanned the horizon and as the sun began to set and the moon began to rise she turned to look Damari in the dead of his eye, his hair sparkling under Artemis' light.

"To the deep."

~*~*~*~