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((Enter from Eros's Territory))

Iona expected to hit the reflective surface as if it was glass, which was why she was shocked when she stumbled right through it into a completely unfamiliar place. From her studies of scrolls, both modern and ancient, she knew the layout of Greece.

And this was most definitely not Greece.

The weather was wrong, for one thing. It was raining heavily, and the trees were thick and green. Iona was standing on a hillside, so she could see an absolutely enormous cluster of strange-looking buildings nearby, but her hill was surrounded only by foliage as far as she could see.

'Oh, gods above... Where am I?' In spite of herself, Iona turned and tried to see if she could get back into her father's territory. A cold, icy panic gripped her when she saw that there was no sign of her father's land at all. Nothing but the alien landscape.

A sudden crack of thunder made her jump, and she dashed into the unfamiliar woods, praying to find a shelter of some sort. Iona skidded to a halt on the wet grass when she did find something that would count as shelter, but was far too beautiful and strange to approach. It must have been some kind of palace, but to her terror, she could see nothing of Greek architecture in it at all. Curved, graceful roofs and structured walls, several stories high... And not a single column in sight.

It was the strangest thing Iona had ever seen, aside from the nearby city... Why, all those buildings looked as if they were made of metal! There could never be enough metal in the world to create all those buildings. At least this one was made of wood, which she could wrap her mind around. Shaking her head, Iona looked around again to make sure there was no one else nearby, and ducked under a bridge, curling up on the grass to keep the water of the stream from lapping at her boots. She shivered slightly and pulled her cloak tighter about her shoulders.

Still frightened, Iona chose to pray to Athena, goddess of wisdom, for guidance. Normally she would have asked Artemis for help, but she had a feeling Artemis wouldn't appreciate being pestered by her after her rejection. "Lady Athena... Please protect me in this strange land..." she began her prayers in a whisper, even though it was unlikely anyone would hear her over the rain.

Iona jumped and opened her eyes when she heard a voice, relieved that the person was speaking a language she could understand. She gasped softly when she saw the fire and edged away a little, wondering if the girl was some kind of sorceress. "Wh-who are you?"

Iona frowned slightly, waiting until the girl was completely finished before responding. "I did not know Hades and Persephone had a daughter..." Iona blushed and shook her head, lowering her eyes. "I've never been outside my father's territory before today. It seems the education I received has been for naught... I don't know where I am..." She hesitated, looking in the girl's green eyes for several long moments before deciding to disclose her name. She doubted a daughter of Hades would be any friend of her father's. "Iona, daughter of Eros and Psyche."

Iona shrieked and pressed her back against the bridge, wishing she could get further away from the green, flaming skull. Heart pounding out of control in fear, she listened to what the thing was saying to Mari. As she listened, her fear slowly dissipated, replaced by anger. She scowled, marched over, and stood in front of Mari, who still looked shocked. "Disrespectful cur! I care not who you are, but you will not speak in such a way to a daughter of royalty! Nor about one in such a way; how dare you imply that I am no more than a harlot?! Mari and I were simply talking, and I do not appreciate your slander!"

Iona's cheeks burned red with anger, and she opened her mouth to rail against him some more, when she saw the enormous canine snarling at her. She gasped and backed up all the way against the bridge again, shaking in fear. "M-M-Mari?"

Iona numbly obeyed Mari, sighing in relief when the dog occupied himself with his bones. She frowned and slowly moved away from the opposite end of the bridge, closer to Mari and Tyrinus. "Lust compulsion? What's that?"

Iona blinked in surprise and smiled slightly. "Why, that makes you my aunt, Mari. Since I'm Eros's daughter, Aphrodite is my grandmother." She giggled and added, "Probably also explains why I'm immune to your ability."