Persephone's Ring
Prologue

It was as if her actions awakened the sleeping beast. There was nothing else she could do, if she hadn’t done this more people would die, already they had bathed in the blood of innocents for too long she’d also been a part of it, but now she wanted nothing more than to stop it. This all broke her heart, more than anything, as she betrayed those she loved and took the key.

If it meant her being branded a traitor, so be it. This… it was something they could never have again, such power was destroying them all. She rode her horse in the storm a steed no one was ever able to catch as legends and stories had it. But sometimes myths can be wrong. The beautiful white mare was struck down by a glowing arrow pale as the moon, its blood flowing down its side as its rider was knocked from her seat.

Laying beside the dying animal, the young woman was drenched in rain, dirt leaves, grass, and other earthy elements sticking to her or in her hair.

“Oh, my friend…” she pets the poor thing’s neck then hugged it. “I am so sorry,” she whispered as tears poured from her eyes.

“There’s nowhere left to run sister!” a woman’s voice boomed from behind where she’d come from. “Please return, and all will be forgiven.”

At the voice quickly, the woman shot up. One last look at her companion, and she continued the way they were headed. As she ran trying her best not to slip the sounds that were once faint, wild dog and boar were now drawing close. As she reached a clearing, she stood at a cliff overlooking the sea.

Panting, she finally had a moment to realize the wound she’d been ignoring since this all began the one given by an arrow much earlier.

“Ah…” she trembled as she put a hand over the wound that had long since stained her clothes. “It’s not healing…” she muttered. “Of course…”

“Finally…” her pursuer stood at the treeline wild dogs and boar encircling the woman. “There’s nowhere to go now Idunn, please reconsider, think of who and what you leave behind.”

“You don’t understand anything…” she shook her head, turning around. “It’s not worth it, I don’t think it ever was.” Idunn walked closer to the edge of the cliff. “Besides, it’s too late, I’ve lost so much blood because of this wound.

“That wound, it will be healed if you come back, please...” her pursuer who had sounded proud of herself now had a hint of begging in her tone. “Please…” she repeated.

“Diana, let it go…” Idunn seemed near tears holding back her pain.

There was pain coursing through her body; the arrow was one with a poison made for people like her. She gritted her teeth, turning to look at her sister for the final time.

“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t,” she coughed violently as she gripped her side, blood splattered the ground from her mouth as her hand became stained in crimson from its place on her side. Idunn gave a small smile. “It’s past that time now.”

She took one step back closer to the edge of the cliff. She saw the creatures approaching closer and closer, hunting dogs primed to attack. She closed her eyes, taking another step back.

“What are you doing!” Diana worriedly called out. “Stop, you will be lost to us!” she finally came out of the shadows only to dash for the cliffs.

She tried to reach Idunn in time as she’d taken another step back going over. Diana only then noticed something significant missing as the body went over. If it were still there, then there was a chance, but without it, there was no survival. What could she do now though, the body was out of sight as it hit the water and she could no longer save her. Turning away, she sighed, shaking her head.

“Foolish child…” she clenched her fist, holding back all she felt. Diana lost her sister in such a way, and despite it, there would always be a great love and hole occupying the same place in her.

As she took that step off the cliff moments ago, she felt relief. Finally, it was over there was nothing more to worry about as her job completed; from here on, no other would be sacrificed in selfishness. As her body fell to the raging sea, everything became a blinding white. She could feel her spirit slowly, leaving her.

“My Lady, leave the rest to us…” she heard a gentle voice say as the last bit of life left her.

At the bottom of the cliff in a small boat, a young couple, the woman very pregnant, watched as Rhianon fell eyes wide in shock. As they extracted her body from the water, they noticed the wound.

“My Lady, leave the rest to us,” the man said with a determined voice.

As her head peacefully lay on the woman’s lap. The woman crossed the corpse’s arms over her body with respect.

“We will send her home for all she’s done…” the woman said. “It’s what we owe her.”

The man nodded, then rowed the boat to shore. They planned to return her body before continuing their escape if they couldn’t leave she’d have died for nothing.

On the shore, a man stood grinning. “Seems we still have a bit of work to do,” he bowed to the couple. “Come,” he tapped his staff on the ground once.

As his action concluded, he turned, walking away, then the body levitated and followed behind. The couple stared for a moment then followed close behind him.

“I am the backup,” he said. “I am here in case Idunn’s escape was ruined as it was just now; people should always keep a contingency plan,” he turned back, winking at them.

The blonde man then glanced at the body. “It’s a shame but, do not worry,” he smiled. “As promised, I shall deliver.”

From that horrid night, much time had passed, and the sun was now starting to rise. The beautiful blonde man stood before an alter when Idunn’s body peacefully lay and from the shadows lurked a raven-haired man sullen and mournful. As he stood before the altar, he fell to his knees without a sound. His face was filled with pain as he lifted the corpse pulling it into an embrace.

The earth began to shake with unquenched anger, with unbridled rage, with mountains of sorrow and unshed tears. The ground continued to shake, and before the blonde could say anything, the earth between him and the man opened up. The raven-haired man picked up the corpse holding it close, then stepped into the rift, yet as he disappeared, the rumbling left behind continued.

The couple had been quietly watching hidden in the trees as the earth began to shake. They knew it was time to leave before they were injured in this man’s sorrow. In her hands, the woman held a small vial with a white orb floating in. She held it as if she’d die if she dropped it, as they arrived at the boat the two boarded it and sailed off without an ounce of hesitation or regret as the gloomy sky loomed over them for some time in the endless cerulean waters.

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