The Oracle of Delphi (Greek Myth Fantasy Series) (18 page)

Perseus landed softly on the isle of the Gorgons, looking around at a horrendous site. Not much was alive on this island. The plants and trees that were alive stood gnarled and hideously distorted. A dark cloud hovered above. The air was cold and clammy - so very unlike the warm sunlit beach where he had left Andromeda in safety, he thought.

A shiver ran up his spine as he looked around at the dead trees and scorched grass. Something or someone had played havoc with this piece of land. Everything cried out in pain in silent surrender. He still sensed a warning not to stay on this isle. He prayed he would not end up wounded or dead, or worst of all as a permanent fixture of rock upon the shore. He already missed Andromeda dearly, but knew her life would only have been endangered had he brought her with him. Knowing she slept safely and peacefully back on the shore, he would be able to concentrate his efforts on the chore ahead of him.

The helmet dangled from the belt at his waist as he pulled his sword from the scabbard with a soft scraping of metal upon metal. He held the shield of Athena in front of him, searching with his eyes back and forth as he moved inland.

Don’t look into their eyes
, came Dictys’ warning in his mind. He knew to gaze into the eyes of a Gorgon would turn him instantly to stone. He did not know how to accomplish his task if he could not look at his target, but still he must try. With the sword of Zeus in his hand, he was confident he had the strength necessary. With the helmet of invisibility at his waist, he held the element of surprise. And with the shield of Athena before him, he felt well protected. But without Andromeda at his side, he felt an emptiness within him that gnawed at his conscience. What would she do if he never returned? What would happen to her if he did not come back to help her? And most of all, how would she feel to know he went to his death without even waking her to say good-bye?

Perseus could not help but think of Andromeda’s reflection in his shield before he left. Her beautiful body asleep on the shore, he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms right now and tell her he loved her. He regretted not telling her this before he left. If he should fail in his attempt to slay Medusa, he knew Andromeda would never know the love he held for her in his heart.

A hissing noise from up ahead pulled him from his thoughts. As he ducked behind a rock and made his way forward he could hear the even breathing of a creature, a peaceful breathing as of one slumbering. He took a rock in his hand, flipping it in the general direction, hearing it hit the ground with a soft thud. When the breathing rhythm did not change, he peeked out from behind the rock and saw the long tail of what looked like a snake. He crept forward slowly, looking from the corner of his eye. That is when he saw them: Two huge, ugly creatures with thick yellow bodies encased in green scales were asleep upon the ground. The Gorgons, he told himself, seeing their scarred, lumpy faces, and snakes writhing on their heads to form their hair. Long snake-like tails emerged from their scaled torsos. And while they had the breasts and arms of a woman, they had no legs - just the body of a snake to slither over the ground.

He thanked the gods their eyes were closed, not wanting to be tempted to look at them again. He wondered if one of them was Medusa. If he tried to kill them while they slept, they may awake and turn him to stone; or even if they didn’t, they may be the two who were immortal. If so, his life would be over.

He ducked back behind the rock, trying to think of the tales Dictys had told him as a child. How could he decipher which of the Gorgons was Medusa? He could not remember anything that he would be able to use to tell them apart. But then Yrjo’s tales came to mind, helping him in his quest. Yrjo had told him Medusa was once a very beautiful woman, cursed by the goddess Athena. And while her face remained that of a beauty, her hair had turned to snakes and her eyes to fire. He looked back toward the Gorgons and looked at their sleeping forms. His stomach turned at their hideous faces, and he knew neither of them were Medusa. Slipping past them, he moved forward wondering where to find the one he needed to slay.

The sun climbed in the sky. If he did not find Medusa soon, her sister Gorgons would awaken. His body weary from his journey, he rested at the mouth of a cave. Something slithered around his ankles. He jerked his foot away. Looking down, he saw a snake with its mouth opened wide and head pulled back ready to strike.

In one motion he brought the sword of Zeus down upon it, severing its head. Its detached body squirmed on the ground. A cry of horror rang out from inside the cave causing him to jump and hide behind the dead stump of a tree.

“Medusa,” he whispered, looking toward the dark mouth of the cave. When he’d killed the snake, she had screamed in pain. He had announced his approach to her guardian, and now he stood at a disadvantage. More snakes crawled out of the cave, slithering back and forth. Their heads raised and tongues lashed out to sniff the air. Though he hid, they headed right toward him. He used his winged shoes to lift himself off the ground and bring him to the roof out of view.

In the distance, he heard the roar of the two immortal Gorgons as Medusa’s cry woke them from their slumber.

“By the gods!” he said under his breath. “Just what I need.”

He pulled the helmet of invisibility from his waist and fastened it over his head. Using his shoes to take him to the ground, he slipped undetected inside the dark cave to find Medusa.

*   *   *

Andromeda rode into Thessaly in silence. Her father’s threats to gag her if she tried to relate her tale of a demi-god again were enough reason to keep her still. If only she could convince him Perseus truly did exist, then mayhap she would have a chance of surviving.

She saw her mother running toward them, tears in her eyes. Queen Cassiopeia loved her daughter more dearly than life itself.

“Andromeda,” she cried, following at the horse’s side.

“Mother!” she called, jumping off the horse before her father could stop. She fell into her mother’s arms, burying her head into the folds of her robe. It felt good to have a mother’s love, but it wouldn’t help her in this situation. Once her father made up his mind, there would be no stopping him or turning back. He had been searching for her since she ran off nearly a week ago. The king had his image to uphold and he would stop at nothing to carry out his kingly duties.

“Where were you?” asked Cassiopeia. “I was so worried for your safety.”

“I was with a demi-god, Mother. He kept me safe. His name is Perseus.”

“Perseus?” she asked, holding Andromeda at arms’ length.

“He is the man that flies,” said the head guard with a snicker. The rest of the soldiers laughed and one even imitated a bird by flapping his arms like wings.

“It is true!” she shouted, wanting to kick in their teeth for mocking her. “He is my husband,” she said, causing them all to go silent.

Her father dismounted, his leather sandals creaking as he stomped over to her. Her mother pulled her protectively into her arms.

“Perseus?” he asked gruffly. “Your husband? Are you saying your virginity is no longer intact?”

Her knees trembled beneath her and she felt her legs turn wobbly. She had always feared her father, and admitting she was no longer a virgin wasn’t something that would make him happy. Still, she faced him bravely, her love for Perseus giving her the strength.

“Yes, Father, I have been deflowered. I no longer have the qualifications for becoming the next channel of the Oracle of Delphi.”

“How dare you defy me!” He raised a hand to her, but her mother quickly pulled her back.

“Cepheus!” the queen exclaimed. “She has done nothing wrong.”

The soldiers watched closely, and she knew it pained her father deeply to have to alter his action with his men watching.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter, does it?” he growled. “You do not need to be a virgin any longer since I don’t think the sea serpent will be choosy when he comes to consume you.” With this, he mounted his horse and waved a hand to his men. In a cloud of dust they followed their king, leaving Andromeda alone with her mother.

“Come,” said Cassiopeia, leading her toward the castle. “You must be hungry. I’ll have the steward make you something to eat.”

“The steward?” Andromeda asked in surprise. “Mother, that job is below Klaus. Why not have the cook prepare it as is proper?”

Her mother shook her head sadly as they made their way to the castle. “The cook is gone,” she told her, “devoured last time the sea serpent crested the water.”

“Oh, how horrible!” Andromeda felt a sense of loss and guilt. She had never meant for the cook to be killed because of her refusal to sacrifice herself to the sea serpent.

“Then why not have the serving wenches or pages do the chore?” She followed her mother into the great hall which was oddly empty.

“They are gone too,” her mother said sadly. “Your father offered them one by one to the sea serpent, hoping it would end the curse, but to no avail. That is when he took his soldiers and went out to search for you, Andromeda. He is convinced the only way to save the rest of the village and keep anyone else from dying is to do as the oracle suggests and chain you to the sacrificial rock.”

Andromeda felt a wave of nausea overcome her, and she sat down at the trestle table while holding her stomach. So many people had gone to their deaths and it was all because of her. If she had not fled the village out of selfishness to save her own life, the people of Thessaly may still be alive today. None of this was ever supposed to happen. Innocent people died because of her decision. If only she could change things - but now it was too late.

“Mother, I am no longer hungry. Can I please go to my chamber? I wish to rest.”

*   *   *

Perseus waited in the shadows of the cave, watching the torchlight flicker off the ceiling. A continual drip of water up above kept him calm as he silently counted the beats. He heard the sibilant whisper of the Gorgon, Medusa, slinking over the floor of the cave, calling to him.

“Perseussss,” she whispered from somewhere deep in the cave. “You have come to ssslay me, but your sssillinesss will be what takessss your life.”

He remained quiet as Medusa taunted him in order to discover his location. He ran his hand over a stone and crept forward, stopping when his fingers encountered something sharp.

He stepped away abruptly and surveyed the stone. A sword protruded from the hard rock. Studying the structure more carefully, he ran his hand over the top, feeling eye sockets and then a nose and mouth. He pulled his hand away in horror. The standing stone was really a man who had gone to his death after gazing upon Medusa. The man’s mouth was opened wide in horror; his last features before his death were frozen into the stone.

Perseus could not help but gasp, which brought about a hissing laugh from Medusa.

“Hssss, hssss,” she laughed from within the cave. “I sssmell your fear. ’Tisss ssstrong, Perseussss.”

He had given away his location He needed to start moving before Medusa found him. He used his winged shoes to lift himself quietly to another place, this time high upon a rocky ledge. He stood with his back to the wall, almost gasping again when he saw the crouched stone warrior hiding on the ledge next to him. He turned his head and saw another stone man, this one part of the wall, his fingers gripping the bottom of the ledge where Perseus stood. The man’s head turned back for his last glimpse of the Gorgon, Medusa.

“You can’t ssstay hidden for sssso long, Perseussss. I’ll find you eventually, and you will want to ssssee my face.”

The Gorgon passed beneath the ledge, the snakes of her hair striking outwards, almost touching his invisible body. He saw the top of her hideous form. She was unlike the rest of the Gorgons. While they were slug-like in appearance, she had the beautiful body of a naked woman. The tail of a serpent whipped behind her, sprouting from her buttocks, and snakes entangled on her head to make up her hair, but the rest of her looked human. He could not see her face from where he hid, but felt the overpowering urge to know if her face was as beautiful as the rest of her body.

He remembered the hold the sea nymphs had over him, and a feeling of caution overtook him. Were Medusa’s powers the same? Did she, too, hold the ability to lure men to their deaths by gazing upon her face? He scanned the floor of the cave, seeing hundreds of warriors turned to stone. They formed her throne, the walls, the bed, and even the large fountain in the center of the cave. Stone arms and legs stuck out in many directions from the fountain, the water trickling slowly over their marbleized bodies.

He hugged his shield close, fighting the urge to gaze upon Medusa’s face. What was it that brought so many men to the little isle of the Gorgons to seek out the once beautiful Medusa? Could it be the fire burning within them to become heroes, much like the fire that burned inside himself? Or was it the lust that engulfed them, wanting to be the one who coupled with the beautiful woman with snakes in her hair and live to tell about it? Strange forces filled the cave, and he begged the gods to not allow him to be a part of it.

His body finally relaxed as Medusa wandered to the far end of the cave. He thought of Andromeda as he rubbed his fingers over the front of his shield, remembering her beauty reflected against the metal. He could still see her image in his shield and her beautiful body sleeping peacefully upon the sand when he left. He longed to go to her. He longed to hold her once again. He reached out to touch the image, unaware he had called her name aloud until Medusa’s reflection appeared in the shield, her attention captured as she turned her head and looked right at him!