Dirge of Hell | Greek Mythology

17 Damsels and Dragons

Kore slowly opened her eyes, waking to the calls of the morning birds and the light of dawn shining through her window. For almost two centuries, she had the same dream every night. It would have been an odd dream had she other dreams to compare it to. It always started the same way, with the same darkness around her, and the same narrow stone path in front of her. As usual, she’d tread the path and always end up in the same place.

No, more like the same grave.

At the end of the road, there was a man entombed in a really huge, really thick glowing crystal, a crystal as blue as ice. But its glow was nothing compared to the light that seemed to radiate from her body in this dreamland. His crystal coffin was tied by thousands of black chains that extended and faded out to the darkness around, as if it became one with the darkness or it came from the darkness itself. When she was young and curious, she always made the mistake of touching the crystal or the chains and then her dream would end only to repeat again. So she learned to sit in front of it, never touching the crystal prison. And then she would proceed to tell him stories of her daily activities, her feelings and her thoughts, anything to keep him company.

She had already memorized every detail of the man in the crystal. A man that looked like he was sleeping peacefully in suspended animation, his long dark hair fanned around him like he had been swimming in water before he was crystalized, framing his handsome face beautifully. His equally dark robes with silver and gold accents billowed around him, like the petals of a flower. Yes, he was like a magnificent black lily preserved in ice.

Even when awake, she could effortlessly conjure his image and all its contours. Had she known how to paint, she would have been able to jot down every detail, down to how many eyelashes he had.

It was only natural that she had always wondered who he was and why he haunted her dreams so. But mostly she felt sadness for him. What must he have felt, chained and locked away in ice and darkness? If she were in his situation, she would have felt cold and lonely. Perhaps in a way, she thought, maybe her presence could ease some of his loneliness even if he didn’t seem to be aware of her. Maybe her light was there to bring warmth and illumination to his darkness. But she could never be certain. It’s as if there was a message in her dreams that she couldn’t grasp no matter how much she pondered. Through the years though she began to accept her dreams as it is and let it not bother her during her waking hours.

She disrobed her sleeping garments and dressed in her usual modest summer white tunic and rushed out of her own room. She greeted her mother good morning with a peck on the cheek and helped her prepare their breakfast.

“Mama,” she began just as they finished eating. “I’d like to go to the west. The cold north air had just left it and the land is just warm enough for life to begin and ripe for my intervention. Is that alright?”

Demeter chuckled. “If you keep spreading spring everywhere, you’ll soon drive the god of winter away permanently.”

“Ah! That is not my intention…” Kore pouted. “Does that mean I cannot go?”  

“It’s a yes as long as you take maybe a nymph or two with you.”

“Yes!” Kore cheered and tackle-hugged her mother, “I love you mama! Don’t worry. I’ll take Ianthe and Chryseis with me and then I’ll be back before sundown!”

“I love you too Kore. If you need me, I’ll be in Sparta, spreading harvest,” she replied before Kore let her go. She kissed her daughter’s forehead saying, “You know the rules.”

“Yes. I’ll be wary of strangers…and men,” Kore winked, smiling coyly.

“I’m serious!” Demeter said with a frown.