WHO: Demeter & The Keres WHEN: Saturday afternoon WHAT: Demeter's forgotten to play nice with others. WARNINGS: violence, language
The Keres could hardly help being drawn to Demeter these days. Before, even in the depths of winter, they barely paid attention to the harvest goddess. They were violent death and she was all things life. They were paths that had no reason to intersect.
But now the harvest mother (a name hardly fitting to this wraith) had their full attention. She walked through the city leaving a trail of corpses behind her, innocent things that would not have died for many years if Demeter hadn't intervened.
"Order and balance and she's making them all cry," Nosoi whispered, approaching Demeter from behind. Demeter didn't turn but merely inclined her head towards the three of them as though listening. There was blood on her hands.
"I don't," she told them coolly, "appreciate being stalked."
Kakoi raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "And we don't appreciate all these dead bodies that we don't even get to eat."
"Poor darling," the Olympian crooned, turning now to look at the three of them. She laughed. "Look at you all, skinny little homeless creatures. Someone should take you in and feed you."
Nosoi looked hopeful for a moment. "Mother, mother, may I?"
"Not me," Demeter said, kicking the dead boy at her feet. "I've finished with that. I've got better things to do."
Had she her mouth Lugra would have spoken now of balance, of how Demeter could not continue on this path, of how there were ways that must be kept, of how their entire existence was in jeopardy. Why did none of the foolish Olympians see that?
But it was Kakoi who spoke. "You're a fucking idiot," she snapped, crossing her arms. She walked over to Demeter and her lip curled. "Don't you see the mess all of you are making? When are you going to grow up and start acting your age?"
Demeter tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. And then, before any of then could react, she put her hands on either side of Kakoi's head and twisted it sharply, the sickly snap of spine following.
Nosoi shrieked and flapped her arms as Kakoi's body fell heavily to the ground to join that of the mortal. Lugra stared at Demeter in shock and Demeter watched her with an expression of quiet amusement.
"No?" Demeter asked her. "No retaliation? No attack? Nothing at all?"
Nosoi continued to squeal and run back and forth, ranting and raving, but Lugra simply watched Demeter. Kakoi lay dead, her neck at all the wrong angle, but Lugra could do nothing. There were rules and Lugra could not break them. She could do nothing to Demeter. The Keres were not killers, only agents of the Fates.
One sister lay dead, but the Keres could not avenge.
Finally Demeter sighed, Lugra's inaction boring her, and walked towards the ker. She stood in front of her, their faces close, and said, "I would highly suggest you stop following me around. Or you'll be the only sister left."
She shoved Lugra and the ker took it, stepping out of the way and watching until Demeter had disappeared from view.