Pan stepped forward on to the ancient boat. While tightening his grip on his walking stick he glanced into the abyss that was the river Styx, the river of hate. He'd paid the ferry-god Charon and now he must cross the river into the domain of Hades. Pan glanced off to the side as the boat lumbered forward across the dark river. A small sigh escaped the nature god's lips as he covered tightly into his wool cloak. He held close his olive tree walking stick as they floated about. There was no turning back now.

 

He had traveled far now from Arcadia. Far from the once majestic wild woods and mountains in which he made his home. The all too familiar despair settled in as he dwelled on what once was. So many of his people had perished since then. So many of his animals too, they were his children, hunted to extinction by the rise of man. Even the fauns and satyrs of which he ruled found no solace in humankind's growing expansion. Now trees were cut down and rivers polluted. No one could have foreseen man's domination of the natural world. None of his prophetic rustic powers had revealed it and now he feared his domain was gone.

 

While quickly retreating his people to the last of his sacred grooves, Pan had developed a plan. He had hope for the future. Pan just refused not to fight for wild nature. He journeyed across all of the world looking for the other gods of nature so that they might unite to combat this threat. He fancied taking his case to Zeus with his allies and pushing for action to check the expansion of humankind. First though he would have to find his brethren, the other gods of nature. There were four of them in the Olympic pantheon. Four rustic gods strong. Pan quickly recalled the faces of the other three. There was Artemis the hunter and protector of virgins.  Demeter the keeper of seasons, and mother of the green growing world. And last but not least, the fertility youth goddess Kore whose famous wild fields of flowers were the envy of many. 

 

The only problem was that Kore was no longer Kore. She had long sense abandoned the name of her green roots to that of Persephone. She was now the wife of Hades lord of the dead. Her domain was the one he crossed into now. As Charon guided his ferryboat to the shore of the Underworld, Pan stepped off into it's cold hard stony beach. He was sure word had spread of his presence within the realm of Hades. He only hoped the lady of the dead would be welcoming. She was a bit older then he now and this place was incredibly scary. Still best press on. Pan was in despair and at the end of his rope. He needed Kore.

 

Pan followed a servant of Hades into the throne room of the King and Queen. This was it. Stepping forward, Pan raised his voice so that Kore would hear him now. "I am Pan, God of the Wild." Peeped the goat man as he glanced around. "I seek an audience with Persephone Queen of the Underworld."