I spent a bit of time with Demeter after we finished modifying my soul to live on Gaia. If I was going to represent her for this war, I felt like I needed to get to know her a bit better. After a while Ares came back. Demeter was told that it was time to announce me, and she looked toward me.

"Last chance to back out kid. It's either I send you back to the pole, or you help me with this."

"I'd rather not know what the pole feels like."

"Thank you." She said through a grin. Her hand touched my forehead and I blinked. When my eyes opened, I knew where I was. And I wanted nothing to do with it.

It took me a couple hours to get out. This time I know what being pushed out feels like. I don't want kids. Ever.

Once I was out, I was handed to a woman who looked like she was about as old as I had been before I met Demeter. She had strawberry blonde hair, her amber eyes seemed to be filled with compassion. Her skin was the light tan one would expect from someone who spent a healthy amount of time outdoors.

After a few minutes of being held, I fell asleep. It was at this point that I remembered my choice of the 'Deep Sleeper' curse, and realized why it was a curse. Oh we'll, the cost is worth it.

When I woke up, my new mother and I were in a different room, and the sun was shining in. The poor woman looked to be in a panic. When she turned back around and saw me, her panic seemed to go away. She shouted something, and another woman rushed over. She used instruments I recognized from earth, and checked my vitals, nodded, and said something to Mom, and they both smiled.

And then I was fed. And burped. It made me glad I didn't remember this part of who I once was. Once I was back in the bassinet, the other woman, I guess to be a nurse, opened the window. The smell of a warm early autumn rain filled the room. The wind picked up and an orange tree leaf fell on me in the Bassinet.

I recognized Demeter's message immediately, she was watching me. I'm guessing the nurse recognized the symbol because when Mom went to move it off of me the nurse yelled something, and Mom backed her hand away.

After a few minutes several women, and one man, all clothed in earth-toned clothes came in the room. The man pulled on the beaded cord at his waist, it reminded me of a Catholic rosary, but on the end, instead of a cross, was a clear crystal leaf, the same shape as the one that landed on me. it started glowing a strange bluish-green color.

He started talking excitedly, and then I heard Demeter's voice.

"Well, I didn't expect this from Ares, you were born in my main temple, to one of my priestesses. The Paladin who was your father, recently passed away, your mother hasn't received the news yet. The man in front of you with the stupid expression is one of my Oracles, and he can hear us, so he will tell her in a moment."

"Thanks for letting me help."

I said when she paused for a moment, and when she started speaking again, I knew it was to the Oracle, and I could understand his words as well.

"This one is my chosen one for the upcoming war. "

"Yes, Demeter."

"She willingly took on this burden, and three curses to endure what's to come. She has the gift, but the price was for her to heal slowly."

"Your champion has the gift!" He seemed to want to fall to his knees, but something kept him from doing it.

"Don't be easy in her training, push her as far as you can. She can cast her spells without words, or actions, but the cost was a full sleep cycle, she will be hard to wake."

"Yes Goddess." He seemed less enthusiastic about this one.

"Finally she is able train her Zeon faster, and with more clarity than is normal, but the cost is a vulnerability to heat."

This one seemed to completely surprise him.

"Oracle, if you fail in this next task, I will never speak to, or through, you again: break the news you heard, gently." The leaf crystal in his hand faded back to clear, and I knew I wouldn't be able to talk to her for another year.

I held the leaf on me up to the man who had paled at Demeter's order to him. He took it from me, and handed it to Mom. She held it in her hand, and he spoke, I'm guessing he revealed me because of the excitement. He calmed everyone down, and spoke again. When he stopped talking, Mom laid the leaf next to me, picked me up, and started crying. With the little control I had of my body, I wrapped my arms around her neck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It has been a year since Demeter told us to expect a champion. She told us another of the Pantheon was the one who chose the birthplace of the one who would come. She made it clear that the champion would be a girl, and she didn't know where she would be born, only that it would happen around a year from then.

One of our young priestesses gave birth last night, right after high-night. Charlotte, the nurse we keep here, is panicking because the child hasn't woken up to be fed. I hope the poor thing is strong enough to survive. It would be nice if the girl became a Paladin like her father. I doubt anything could kill Paladin Ryan. Priestess Michelle will have a long and happy life with him.

"Oracle Darrien! Come see this!" Charlotte yelled, and as expected most of the temple staff stampeded towards Michelle's room. When I walked in, the little blue hair, grey eyed girl smiled at me while holding a leaf, I pulled out my idol, and it reacted. I stuttered horribly through my excitement.

I heard Demeter's voice, and I knew she was talking to the infant. Her champion was born right here! We can recall the paladins, they don't need to search. Then I heard her say to the child that Paladin Ryan would not come home. He was our best Paladin. He would have been the best to teach her. His own daughter, would be Demeter's Champion. Then I heard what I could only assume was the child thanking the goddess.

Then her words shifted to me, and told me of the curses this girl took into herself just to be able to help us. What kind of being would willingly take on those things, and still thank the goddess? The threat at the end was clear. Demeter knew I didn't want to tell Priestess Michelle, and I knew if the Priestess ever found out I withheld something like this, she would leave the service of the Goddess. When Demeter left, the child handed me the leaf. I took it from her, and handed it to the new mother. Trying to hide as much emotion as possible behind a formal tone, I made the announcement.

"Recall the remaining Paladins, Demeter's Champion has been found." All those gathered started to cheer, but Priestess Michelle caught my words and didn't. I quieted everyone else down, my eyes never left her.

"Priestess Michelle," I struggled to keep my eyes on her, knowing if I broke eye contact now, it would be to say her husband was shamed. "The Oaks honor Paladin Ryan." It was the most honorable thing that could ever be said about a Paladin, it meant that Demeter herself was sad in one's passing. And after I heard her order, I knew it was the truth.

I had just become the first Oracle to ever say those words. And everyone in the room now knew Demeter had watched over him, because if I had misspoke that phrase, I would now be dead. We Oracles never spoke the honors of our gods lightly.

The new mother picked up the child, and began to cry. I already knew she understood what was going on, so it didn't surprise me, like it did Charlotte, when the babe wrapped her arms around her mother's neck.

When the nurse looked at me, I simply told her the truth.

"The girl was told of her father's passing by Demeter, I just overheard it, as she was talking to her through my Idol, I don't think Demeter intended me to hear it, but since I did, she told me to tell Priestess Michelle."

The priestesses al quickly filed out, and I started hearing the letter carriers taking off to recall the Paladins.