--Chapter Five: Morpheus is a Crook and Demeter Plays the Pronoun Game--

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Alexia remembered fainting from the pain. But she did not remember fainting in a garden.

Never less, it didn't stop her from exploring it.

The dark night sky and twinkling stars looked down at a long wooden frame with had long pieces of wood crossing each other, creating splendid trellises, which served as support for the climbing grapevines.

Alexia examined the nearby flowers, careful not to go near any of bees that peeked from the honeysuckles and jasmines. There was a terrace that overlooked a beautiful city. It reminded her of the pictures she had seen of old Roman cities, except this one was not in ruins, this one was clean and looked new, like the way the ruins in Rome would look thousands (or hundreds) of years ago.

It reminded her of camp Half-Blood.

In the middle of the terrace was a strange statue of a man wearing nothing but a loin cloth, from his lips, he spout water into a fountain. Strangely, he was in some sort of ballet position.

Was he the god of ballet or something?

"Hello Alexia", a voice said.

Alexia spun to see a tall, beautiful woman staring at her with a pair of deep brown eyes. Her long blonde hair --the color of ripe wheat-- cascaded down her shoulders, a crown of woven corn leaves that was adorned with poppies, was perched on her head, making her look somehow regal.

She wore a long, bright green dress that reached her ankles. A dark cape trailed behind her, and a curved, golden sword gleamed at her side.

Alexia didn't like the sword.

"Who are you?", Alexia asked, suspicious. Her hand involuntarily went to the dagger that Drake had given her while they we're at the armory. But unfortunately for her, it wasn't there.

"Where is my---"

"Looking for this?", Alexia looked up to see that the woman held her dagger in her hand.

Alexia tensed. This was not good. She barely had any --- oh wait. Scratch that, she NEVER had any training. Well, except for the battle she had with Sera, the wounded girl she met in her first day.

She regret swinging that chair at her.

But hey, wouldn't you freak out if you woke up in a room with a girl that reminded you of a wrestler looked down at you?

Thankfully, there was enough pain-killing energy drinks for both of them.

"A daydreamer aren't you?", the lady said, frowning.

Alexia wanted to facepalm, Great going Alexia, daydreaming while an armed lady that could possibly be a murderer stood in front of you.

As if she read her thought, the woman rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I'm not a murderer. Besides, why would I kill my own daughter?"

Alexia blinked. "Wait wha---"

"I'm Demeter you dimwitted daydreamer!"

"Oh.... um....", Alexia didn't know exactly what to do, so she did the safe thing and bowed.

When she finished bowing, Demeter looked at her frowning. "Your too skinny", she complained, "You need to eat and exercise more, your arms looked like noodles", she commented.

Alexia ignored this. She didn't really want to have a talk about her diet with her supposed to be mother.

And to be fair, her arms DID NOT look like noodles....sort of.

"What are you doing here mom?", she asked, trying to change the topic.

Her face suddenly tightened and she gritted her teeth. Alexia knew she had asked the wrong question.

Thunder rumbled above them, while Demeter's eyes darkened.

"I'm here to warn you"

"Warn me? Warn me of what?"

Her mother looked like she wanted to tell her something, but something was holding her back.

"Mom...?"

She heaved a breath. "I am sorry Alexia, but I am forbidden to tell you".

"What why?"

She glanced at the sky. "It's ancient laws, and if I break them..... let's just say that I do not want that", after a pause, she continued. "But I will tell you this. You are in grave danger"

"Um, yeah, duh. Aren't I always? You know, being a half-blood and all--"

"This is different. They are hunting you down"

Oh great, Demeter is telling her  that someone wants her dead, and she decides to play the pronoun game. Fantastic!

"Who are ----"

"They want you dead. Along with the one inside you"

At that the young, thirteen year old  demigod's eyes nearly popped out of there sockets.

"WHAT?! ARE YOU TELLING ME I'M PREGNANT?!"

Demeter facepalmed, "You are an idiot"

Alexia was threatened to say, 'like mother, like daughter'. But chose not to. Getting disintegrated by a goddess isn't exactly one of her goals in life.

"Well, then who is this 'the one' inside me that your talking about?"

Alexia hoped that it wasn't parasites. After her science class, she was scared to death by parasites. Especially the worms.

She shuddered at the thought.

Flashes of lightning peaked from behind stormy grey clouds, followed by booming thunder.

Sheesh, is Zeus on his period or something?

Demeter sighed. "I am only aloud to tell you this, you have two choices"

Alexia's forehead beaded with sweat. Demeter sounded serious now, it scared her.

"And these choices...are they good or bad?"

The goddess looked at her. "Depends"

Alexia wanted to scream. 'DEPENDS ON WHAT?'.

"Wait....", suddenly, realization dawned on her. "Does this have something to do with me being possessed?"

The goddess looked confused. "What?"

The girl explained to her how a sudden force had taken over her, how pain exploded all over her body, and how she started screaming 'Free Me!' involuntarily, as if there was something that controlled her and forced her to do it.

Alexia swore, if she was possesed by one of those creepy ghost that she had seen in the movies, she would run to the nearest exorcist.

Demeter though, didn't seem fazed by the fact that her daughterwas possibly possesed by Annabelle or something.

Alexia shivered, Jeez, that movie was creepy.

"Interesting...."

Wow. Mom. Just wow.

I nearly screamed my head off from the pain, made a fool of myself in camp and is possibly possessed by a creepy doll . And all you can say is 'Interesting'.

Wow. Just wow.

Suddenly, Demeter started to shimmer.

Demeter cursed in Ancient Greek.

Being a half-blood, Alexia had understood everything that she said.

Which left her speechless.

She had no idea her mom could swear like that.

"Darn you Morpheus! I paid you fifty drachmas for this!"

Demeter sighed and mumbled about how Morpheus was a crook and how she would ask for a refund. Once she was done with her rant, the goddess turned to her daughter.

"I must go now, it seems as if Morpheus wants an additional ten drachmas for me to stay. And no way I'm paying to that crook!", she started to shimmer faster, her features starting to ripple. She sighed, "At least the garden was a nice touch"

"Wait!"

Demeter glanced at her, "Yes dear?", her voice sounded less audible and clear than before.

"What...what were these two choices you we're talking about"

The shimmering goddess frowned. "I thought you we're more smarter than this", she sighed. "This is what happens when you don't eat enough"

"Uh mom, the choices?"

"Oh that's easy. Free her, or don't"

"Free who?!"

"Who else?"

"You're not helping", she replied, practically pleading.

Demter chuckled, and her expression turned Sirius--- wait,oops. I meant serious.

"Remember this dear, make the wrong choice, and the universe is destroyed"

"Which one is the right choice?!"

Demeter shrugged, "How should I know? I'm not the one going on a quest"

"GOING ON A WHAT?!"

Suddenly, Demeter fully shimmered and rays of light bursted from the goddess's body, engulfing her in a warm, heavenly glow.

Alexia sheilded her eyes with her hands, when the light died down, she looked back to find that Demeter had disappeared, in her place was a small circular golden box. The symbol of Demeter stamped on the lid.

Reluctantly, Alexia opened it. And her mouth hung open.

What in Hades is that?

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Author's note:

I got bored, so I updated.

ㄟ(ツ)ㄏ

Have any guesses as to what Demeter was talking about?

Comment your opinions.

Anyway, thanks for reading.

Hope you liked it!

Bye!

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