Ⅲ Demeter of Dutero Ⅲ 

There was still fire in her lungs. Colors merged together and formed blurry faces through smoky memories. Demeter was always reaching forwards in her dreams. If her arms had been a little longer, she could have laced her fingers through Esther’s in time and pulled her into her arms. They were sitting on a grassy hill in Dutero among the lilies and cattle, wearing sun dresses and flowers in their hair. They laughed and shared ice-melon and pieces of freshly baked corn bread. Then they were watching the towns on the hills fall and turn to ash.

Demeter woke up gasping for oxygen. She had marks on her legs from digging her fingers into them obsessively. 

“Let’s go,” a soldier commanded, hitting Demeter on the back with a rod. The Oktero army woke the prisoners up every sunset to travel further through the desert towards the coast. The residual heat of the sun on the sand offered her little comfort as a pillow. Upon standing, she tried to shake the grains out of her hair without success. 

The Balanced Tribe walked together in step, chained together so they would not lose pace. Demeter focused on her footsteps, trying her best to slow as much as she could without getting caught. If she could manage to manipulate the others into following speed, she might save some lives of the elders in the back who were practically being dragged. Just a day ago, elder Ruth twisted their ankle and fell. The screech from the back sent the march to an immediate halt. Demeter turned to look, and the hilt of a sword was brought down over her head correctively. She winced in pain and listened to the cries until there was the sound of metal scraping metal. Ruth’s mate, a frail and blind elder, yelled from the back, “No!” There was a slash, and nothing after that. Though they couldn’t see Ruth die, they could sense their aura flicker out like a candle in the wind. 

After hours of walking, Demeter could hear a faint rustle of wind and crashing beyond the horizon. She tried to look past the caravan to see what was making such a commotion. As they grew nearer, she realized it was the sound of waves hitting the rocky shore. “We’re here,” she whispered. Though her skin ached from desert heat, she wasn’t happy. She had always wanted to see a beach, a real beach. With Esther.

When the chains binding their legs came off, the first thing Demeter did was run to Avihail. Still bound at the wrists, she leaned against their shoulder, rubbing her cheek against it. “I’m sorry,” her weary voice shook. She meant it for the loss of a daughter, but she was equally sorry for the loss of her friend.

Avihail leaned their forehead against Demeter, sharing in the vibrations of sorrow. “I’m sorry too,” they breathed, tears dripping from their chin with regret. Sorry, not for a loss, but for keeping a grave secret.

The war ship provided temporary rest for the weary Balanced Tribe. Demeter made her rounds everyday after meal time, asking everyone if she could offer help. 

Ahuva, the blind elder who had lost their mate in the journey, reached in the direction of Demeter’s compassionate voice. She knelt beside them, taking their hand in hers and listening closely. “I can’t let the soldiers know, but I injured my feet boarding the ship. When we get to Sestero they’ll notice and kill me. I’m not afraid to die, I’ll be with my love again. But if you could be a dear and bring me some softer sandals to wear I would surely repay you.”

Demeter nodded quickly. “Of course, there’s no need to repay me. You’ve done enough for your tribe with all your years. I’ll find some shoes right away.”

“You are a kind soul Demeter.” Ahuva squeezed her hand and nudged their forehead against it before she left. Though they were blind, they could still sense her beautiful aura.

Demeter walked across the deck of the ship, letting her fingers glide over the wooden edge. She paused to gaze out at the sunset. The sky was a thousand colors, and the sea was an endless blue plain. She took a deep breath of salted air and released her stress. It was hard not to think of recent events, but if she focused enough to clear her mind, she could feel balanced again.

When she saw the forbidden steps into the soldier’s quarters, she waited for one to walk by before she initiated her plan. She forced herself to stumble and fall forward, yelling as she crashed into the soldier’s thick arm. Clinging to him, she cried and looked up, an exaggerated painful expression on her face. “I’m so, so sorry sir,” she begged, tears forming in her glassy eyes. “It won’t happen again. I am so sorry. It’s just- it’s just these shoes.” She laughed and stood, brushing herself off and shaking her feet. “I don't have the materials to make new ones, they’re just so tight on my feet! You know how it is, shrinking in the hot sun.”

The soldier rolled his eyes. “Well, take them off then.” He scoffed and shoved her away. He went down the steps, leaving Demeter standing there disappointed. 

“Fuck,” she muttered. Her tactics worked on anyone in Dutero, but these soldiers were trained to be heartless. She stayed by the entrance, peeking down to see if anyone else was down there. The stars began to sparkle above her head. She looked up at them, following their stepping stone path to the two moons. What would Esther do? Get herself thrown overboard, probably.

Demeter looked back over at the elders, all gazing up at the same moons along with her. She considered what it would feel like to be their age, so full of wisdom but with such weakness in their bodies. She couldn’t imagine it now, with her youthful strength that she took for granted. She looked down at her own shoes for a while. They were the most comfortable shoes she owned. She rarely wore sandals like these in Dutero, since she reserved them for desert walks. In a moment of courage, she unstrapped them from her feet and walked towards the elder’s circle.

Ahuva felt her presence and turned around, smiling. Demeter smiled back and handed them her own sandals. “May the Goddesses smile on you, young one.” Ahuva blessed her as they took the humble offering. They couldn’t see that her feet were bare.

As Demeter walked away, she felt the full essence of the ship against her soles. These long slats of wood had been mighty trees once. They had housed animals, as Demeter had for her years taking care of young cattle and hogbeasts. The trees fell and were taken away from their homes, used to build war ships that carried soldiers into battles full of bloodshed. And the trees still supported her weight without a complaint. 

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Demeter stood at the front of the ship, letting the wind blow through her hair as she watched the waves propel them forward. She could make out the shape of the land ahead through the layers of fog. The ship bell was humming softly against the shaking deck. She leaned forwards on her arms, counting the minutes before she would be sent into battle. 

She had already made up her mind. She wasn't going to fight, not at any cost. She would let them dress her in armor, put weapons in her hands and shove her onto the battlefield, but she wasn't going to lift a finger against a single Sestero warrior. She would sooner get slashed to the ground than give one advantage to the people who had killed her best friend. 

She closed her eyes, mentally preparing for death. I'm coming Esther, she thought. She would do what she could to survive, but there wasn't any hope anymore. She just had to let go, let the waters carry her body to shore. 

Behind her, a soldier had raced up the deck for the bell. She started ringing frantically while some others were shouting orders. Demeter turned back and looked at the groups of soldiers rushing in every direction. 

“What's going on?” Demeter asked the bell ringer. 

“Sestero. They knew we were coming, or assumed so anyway. Paranoid freaks. They've set up a naval blockade across the entire harbor.”

Demeter ran to the banister and leaned halfway down to get a better look. “They're manning cannons! We have to turn around.” She yelled to the soldier. 

“Oktero does not surrender!” The soldier spat back. 

“You'll get yourselves killed. All of us, all of us will die. How is that a battle strategy?”

“If we can not overcome weakness, we deserve to die.” She growled. Demeter’s eyes widened. The other Okteros made Esther sound like a monk by comparison. 

“You think you're strong enough to battle cannons with swords?!” Demeter was furious. She grabbed the soldier and forced her around before she could escape. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous that is? Clearly not, because you're just a bunch of violent, selfish, maniacs!”

Demeter swung at the soldier, just aiming for one punch to vent her rage for a second. She cried out when the soldier grabbed her wrist mid-swing and squeezed it in a fist. “Maybe you can learn some strength from being thrown against those jagged cliffs!” She shoved Demeter against the edge of the ship and pushed with all her force. 

Demeter screamed, her body turning sideways from the push. She could feel the tug of gravity against her body, sending goosebumps up her legs. The sensation made her reach for the first thing she could clutch, which was the soldier’s knife. It wasn't secured. The soldier didn't notice, and shoved Demeter over the bow, leaving her and her knife to disappear beneath the surface of the sea. 

The water was pleasantly cool. Demeter looked up after breaking through the surface, seeing the speckles of light reflecting through it above. She shimmied out of her dress and pushed the waters away with her arms and legs to reach the top and take a breath. 

Once she was floating up, she looked at the knife. Better not to risk it, the enemy would assume she was a spy. She let it sink to the bottom of the sea, where it would rejoin its owner shortly. She began her swim into uncharted territory. Perhaps Sestero would feel merciful for one of Oktero’s hostages. 

The barrage of cannonballs began. Demeter didn’t have to worry about them for herself, they flew overhead and smashed into the ships. Hearing the kidnapped tribe members panicking made her want to turn around, but what could she do? She was no better off than they were struggling in the current. With no time to feel guilt about leaving them behind, she pressed onwards, praying in the back of her mind that Avihail and Ahuva could swim.

Sestero’s warriors lined the wall of ships. Each was turned sideways to create the barricade defending the state’s shore. They must have been positioned that way for miles, Demeter couldn’t see an end to the wooden barrier. She arrived at the base of a ship, exhausted and gasping for breaths as she searched for something to hold onto. Her fingers slipped on the algae and cut against sharp barnacles as she fumbled for support. “Hey!” She yelled over the exploding of cannons. They were so loud above her head. She yelled louder than the ringing in her ears, until someone finally noticed.

“Drop a ladder!” The soldier ordered. Another came with a rope ladder and threw it down the side of the ship. The soldiers readied their weapons as they waited for her to climb aboard. 

Demeter hoisted herself onto the deck just in time to collapse in exhaustion. She coughed up saltwater, leaving her throat irritated and hoarse. She managed to lift herself enough to look at the soldiers surrounding her with their swords drawn.

“I seek refuge.” She cried. 

The leader of the pack circled around her, examining her clothes. “Where are your shoes?” They asked. It was a trick question, one that would reveal the answer he really needed to know.

“I don’t have any, and my dress is lost in the water,” Demeter explained. She wasn’t lying about the shoes. She had given them up, after all.

The soldiers looked among each other. The leader nodded, satisfied with the evidence. “You are of the Nau?”

Demeter had heard of the Nau, an ethnic group that spanned the globe but mainly resided in the East. They were peacemakers who avoided most others, except for Sestero where they served as noble advisors and servants to the royals. “Yes,” she responded mindlessly. It was better than being thought of as Oktero. 

“Get her washed, clothed, and fed. Then bring her to the palace at once.” The leader ordered the rest. They all nodded and helped Demeter up, taking her towards the lower deck. 

“The palace?” Demeter asked nervously. 

“Yes, the advisor to the King has been awaiting you since your journey through Oktero. They require your findings at once. No doubt you will be celebrated for your brave efforts.”

Demeter walked in silence towards the washroom. She glanced down at her feet, wondering if she had just made a terrible mistake. 

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