It was a foggy morning. The air had been soaked in moistness from the sea and a surprising cold wave had hit the island. Even for Eugenia who could not see the fog the atmosphere was grave. Did the events conjure this weather or did it cause them?

With an earsplitting noise the statue next to her fell over and burst into hundreds of shards. It was just the last in a long line of destruction across the island. Those who had once been mighty warriors or overconfident sailors were now broken into tiny pieces.

The one smashing them so violently was the Gorgon, the cause of their petrification herself.

Eugenia had asked her to free the souls trapped inside the shell of stone. Since Typhos had told her what Medusa’s curse did to these humans and also showed her the solution to ending their torment, she had not been able to put the thought out of her mind.

“I can’t live in a place of so much suffering.” She had told Medusa honestly.

At first Medusa did not reply. It was clear that she had no intention of freeing the ones that had come to slay her. In a way it was an unfair demand.

“They wronged you and I will not make excuses for that. Yet if you deny them to move on to the Underworld you will keep bearing the resentment and their curses will seep into the island.” She spoke carefully, not wishing to upset her friend.

Medusa would not have gone along with such a request if it was for her own sake. Someone so cursed did not fear the corruption that came with human resentment and accumulating miasma. Now that she had someone to share this life with however… she could see reason.

At least that was what Eugenia hoped had moved her. If not, then this grueling path of destruction must have been a more base instinct. The loud hissing of snakes and the constant shattering of stone and marble would have made most humans beg to Zeus for salvation.

While the fallen heroes were crumbling into dust, Eugenia took on another task that was equally disturbing. The island was in bad shape as is, but there were far more issues to consider. Since the expedition had left behind more than shipwrecks and destroyed camps.

The former priestess kept shoveling earth over the edge of the hole she stood inside. It was large, wider than if she laid down and stretched as far as she could. This was the second day that she had been shoveling and nothing else. Her hands felt numb already and her entire body felt like it was clad in a layer of dirt.

If Medusa would have aided her this work would have been finished in half a day. She shook her head. Giving in to her weakness was unacceptable. She had asked too much of her already.

She moaned and stretched a little, then climbed over the edge of the hole. With thirsty lips she gulped down as much water as she could from a bucket. The cool water was a true blessing. It was a waste, but she also washed her face and neck to feel a little cleaner. Her fingernails were cracked so much that she could feel the tender meat breaking through.

The break was over so she climbed back into the hole and shoveled. A few hours passed like this before she finally felt exhaustion creep up and weigh down her arms. If she had calculated correctly the hole should have been wide enough now. She stumbled as she left the hole and was caught by a strong arm.

“You made good progress.” Medusa said with analyzing eyes.

“You don’t have to flatter me.” She replied tiredly.

“It is a grand effort for worthless men.” She overlooked the grave site and then leaned over the side of the hill. Laid down in a long line were dozens of corpses. They were far from fresh as the smell made abundantly clear. Some already showed bone.

“It is sad to find your end so far from home.” Eugenia whispered. Nobody would ever come to retrieve these fallen mercenaries and sailors. If they kept lying around in the open the foulness of their corpses would cause issues as well, but she was more concerned for their spiritual well-being.

“They did not need to come here.” The Gorgon replied coldly and then lowered her guard a little when she saw Eugenia’s expression. “What will returning them to the soil achieve?”

“I have to perform the burial rites. Only then can they properly move on to the Underworld and meet Hades.” She explained and washed her hands.

“And you need these coins for that?” Medusa picked up a small chest filled with different bronze coins.

“Those are the only ones I could find. I think some of them are from faraway kingdoms.”

“I gave my entire collection to that bumbling merchant. It is astounding that you found any at all.”

“You were only interested in the shiny ones.” Eugenia giggled.

“I can tell that you just compared me to a magpie in your head and I resent it.”

“I would never.” She said with a smirk.

The short moment of levity dispersed and they returned to the gruesome task ahead. Although the girl had said she would do this alone, Medusa had no intention of waiting. After destroying nearly every statue on the island she had decided that she would get rid of every spot that stained her island. Which meant she would get this ritual finished as soon as possible.

“Thank you for your help.” Eugenia bowed after Medusa had unceremoniously thrown all the corpses into the hole. Just putting them into the hole was not good enough though. She wrapped a cloth around her face to block out the stench and covered her hand in wet rags. Inside the grave she rolled over the corpses to line them up neatly.

It was disgusting and frankly nauseating. She had never done this before, not even in the village. As a priestess she should have been used to this kind of work, but this was just more proof that she had been lacking in her job. Nobody ever came to her for funeral rites. More experienced priestesses from Lamia were called over instead.

Now that she was not even a priestess anymore this might have been a futile endeavor altogether. Would anyone even hear her voice when she prayed for safe travels of these poor souls?

She bit her lip and grabbed the coins from the chest that Medusa was holding over the edge. A single one was placed on each respective mouth… or what was left of it. Charon’s payment was small this time, but he was not lacking in coin anyway.

This funeral reminded her of Leander’s and she could feel a knot inside her chest. Unlike the large funerals in Athens with hundreds of spectators and great speeches, this was only a small gesture of human sympathy. A death with dignity.

After preparing the dead as best as was possible they closed the hole. The loose earth was easy to shovel and four hands were swifter than two. The place was soon flattened and even. With measured steps Eugenia placed oval rounded rocks in a certain pattern around the burial site.

She finally stepped back and started a fire.

“Sacrifices, hm?” Medusa looked at the slain rabbit next to the fire. There were quite a few of them on the isle by now. Hermes meddling had created a new population.

“The fire is a guiding light in the darkness ahead. It is also supposed to garner the attention of the gods.” Even though she wasn’t a priestess, she had hope that this prayer would reach the right god. He had been kind enough to support her despite her decision to untie herself from Athena.

“It would be dark irony for their slayer to be present during the funeral.” Medusa said something surprisingly sensible and turned her back to it all. “I will be waiting at the beach.”

“I will be there soon.” She nodded and began the ritual. “Clever and swift Hermes, hear my call. Guide these lost souls to the Underworld…”

The fire had burned down to the ground when Eugenia finally returned.

Medusa lied at the beach and watched the waves roll back and forth. While she had waited sunlight had vanquished the fog. Helios was closing in on them already and would pass soon enough.

“Finished?”

“Yes.” Eugenia nodded and then sank on her butt. Her legs were crossed and she sounded like she wanted to collapse entirely.

“That messenger boy will surely do his job.” She tried to sound encouraging.

“I believe so too.” The girl said quietly and rubbed her eyes.

“Your appearance reflects my feelings.” The Gorgon jested.

“Do your wounds still hurt?” That seemed to draw the girl back from her dozing state.

“Do not be foolish. This destruction has got my blood flowing, so I feel much better by the moment.” She shrugged.

“Your workouts are… quite something.” She yawned and let her head sink forward. Her blind eyes closed slowly and her breathing turned rhythmic.

“Guileless posture.” Medusa raised a brow and watched the hunched over human sway forward and slightly back in circular motions. It almost looked like she would fall over, but then didn’t. It was a ridiculous sleeping form, completely unlike hers. When Medusa slept she was still as a rock and did not change positions unless she wanted to warm her scales in a better spot.

As entertaining as watching this balancing act was… she could only imagine the whining if Eugenia ended up covered in sand. To avoid such an annoying outcome she did what was necessary.

Her snake tail rolled out and with soft motions she pulled the former priestess over. Her head was rested on the curled up tail in a pose that was best for the girl’s neck and back. To move something so tenderly after shattering solid rock was creating a dissonance in her heart.

She had enjoyed cutting loose, there was no denying that. Whether those humans could move on or not had never mattered to her. What really had swayed her, whether she wanted to admit it or not, was Eugenia’s wellbeing. She could not live on an island shrouded in death.

The Gorgon inhaled slowly and let the sunlight kiss her face. The air was… clear. It was like some foul mist had finally dispersed and left them behind. This heavy feeling had been unnoticed in all the time she had been exiled here. It was a weight that one could only notice when it was taken away.

She was happier this way. That was what her heart told her. Mere years ago she would not even be certain whether her heart was still beating, so it was good to know it still existed.

Eugenia’s head was warm, not unlike a baby’s. A cold blooded creature like the Gorgon would feed on such warmth naturally. She corrected her mind. It was not feeding, but rather enjoyment. Closeness.

“You sleep so carefree.” She stared at the girl on her tail intently. “Is it because you think yourself my ally? My comrade in exile?”

Even now she could still hardly believe that Eugenia had returned. That she had chosen her over the divine virgin that to some was justice incarnate. No god or human would have made such a baffling choice. Had she influenced the girl with her pathetic words on that day they were separated? Impressed her with her short-sighted actions? A life saved had to be repaid?

It worried her. The one who should be unassailable worried so deeply over a human girl. In the theater it would have been considered a comedy, something so distorted that it could only be mocked. Yet every comedy had a grain of truth in it. Apollo himself had inspired writers to create scripts that mocked even the gods sometimes. Life was full of absurdities like that.

She could only smile.

Pluck.

With a tiny gust a single scale was loosened from her face and dropped unto the sleeping girl. It stuck to her forehead and reflected the light. Medusa touched her face in surprise and felt that the scales were loose.

“Mhwaaah…” Eugenia made a strange noise and tried to wipe the scale from her face, still in sleep. It seemed nearly glued to her, so she became irritated. Her face contorted funnily.

“You are helpless to remove even a single of my scales.” Medusa shook her head and leaned down. Her finger plucked the shed scale from the girl’s head.

“Medusa?” She opened her milky eyes. The reaction was delayed as she could only rely on her other senses, but she eventually realized how close they were. “W-what is going on?”

“You made a foolish face, so I intended to pull it straight.” Medusa deflected and pulled the girl’s cheek.

“Ow! Let go.” She rolled over and hid her face on the long snake tail. “Huh?” It only now dawned on her where she had been sleeping. It seemed to embarrass her a little, but surprisingly she stayed in place. Neither of them addressed it.

Eugenia laid back down and rested her head on the meaty tail. It was less comfortable now that she was awake.

“You have something to say.” She could tell.

“They didn’t snap after me this time.” She pointed her hand at the snake hair.

“I forbid them from attacking you. If they are not obedient they will soon share their predecessors’ fate.”

“You are evil.”

“Has anyone made you believe otherwise?” She smirked. The girl had no reply for that.

“I don’t want them to treat me nicely just because you ordered them to.” She said with a pout. Then she made an enlightened expression and pulled something from her garments. It was a slice of dried meat. These tasted not terribly good, but they were nourishing and easy to preserve.

“No.”

“But they must be hungry!”

“Do not feed them. Do it once and they will want more until the end of time.”

“Where does the food go when they swallow it?” She wondered.

“…”

“Like… into your head?”

“Do. Not. Feed. Them.” She said with a dark smile.

“I heard you already.” Eugenia bit off the stretchy meat and chewed her complaints away. The mechanics of living hair were intriguing, but not worth getting bitten over. She was not even sure who would bite her first.

After a while the sun seemed to burn Eugenia’s skin so she got up and retreated into the shade of the temple. Medusa followed lethargically. Her blood had finally calmed down during their rest and now she felt sluggish.

“I need a bath. My entire body is sticky.” Eugenia said while trying to open her hair strands painfully.

“The basin is still intact.” She said and then closed her eyes to drift to sleep.

After a dreamless nap Medusa awakened to the sound of humming. It was an aimless melody, but not charmless to the ear. She opened one eye to see where it came from and saw the girl sitting on a blanket, doing her hair with a boar bristle comb. She was still undressed and seemed unaware that she was watched.

For a moment Medusa thought to have felt another presence, but it vanished from her perception before it could even take form. Must have been her imagination.

“Your hair seems to be unstuck now.” She commented and was rewarded with twitching shoulders and a hasty attempt of covering the pale skin. Although her arms and face were slightly tanned, the rest of Eugenia’s body was still untouched by the sun’s heat. The contrast was alluring.

“You surprised me.” The girl said quietly as she pulled a chiton over her shoulders.

“You would be surprised by an army marching right in front of you. Is that great hearing of yours just a tall lie?”

“When I am distracted I blend out all sound.” She retorted and then finished dressing. Her hair was still wet.

“Is that how you were ambushed so often?” The stories of Eugenia’s adventures were far from entirely glorious.

“If you are finished mocking me…” Eugenia said exasperated, a tone she only had started using recently. “Would you help me do my hair?”

“Oh? You ask this of the one who has none of her own?” She was honestly surprised by the request so she slipped in another quip.

“Right.” She seemed to realize the obvious now.

“They take whatever form they feel like, so I have little control over my ‘hairstyle’.” She shrugged.

“So they could imitate any style?” That piqued her interest.

“Certainly, but that will never happen.” Just as the last syllable left her mouth the snakes suddenly curled downwards and created a new shape.

“Braids!” Eugenia clapped cheerfully.

“Now they are just showing off.” Medusa said with a stoic face as the braids tied themselves around her shoulder blades.

“Then, can you also do shortened hair?” She ignored Medusa and addressed the snakes directly.

As if on command the snakes curled up and tightened themselves around Medusa’s head, winding around it several times. Now it appeared that she had short hair.

“They are only doing this to spite me.” She grumbled.

“This is great~” Eugenia laughed and the snakes seemed to rattle, despite decidedly not having any tails to do so.

“Rather than allying yourself with scoundrels, turn away so I can tie your hair.” She clapped and pulled the girl’s attention away from her head.

“Nice.” She sat down and turned her back to the Gorgon.

“It has grown since you left.” Medusa noted and could not help but add a melancholy tone that she swallowed too late. Her claw like fingers retreated back and became more humanoid to the touch of the curling hair.

“I was always afraid to cut it.” Eugenia admitted.

“Why?”

“Because… I could never tell what it looked like. At the temple the head priestess would do it for me."

“Long hair is not common among your kind.”

“How did you know?”

“I am not completely ignorant to the human world.”

“I see.” She folded her fingers as she enjoyed the feeling of hands going through her hair to straighten it. “It is not, nh, that we are not allowed to wear it long. But it could get in the way of our work.”

“Did you burn your hair tips on a candle?”

“M-maybe.”

Medusa chuckled and then looked at her work. The hair was now straight enough to be tied or rolled any way. It was a beautiful shade of brown, at least to her.

“Then what shall it look like on this average woman living in exile?” She asked patiently.

“I thought… maybe I should cut it...” Eugenia trailed off.

“It would be easy.” Medusa could do so even without scissors.

“Er, Medusa.” She seemed have trouble speaking up.

“Hm?”

“What kind of, uh, hairstyle do you find appeal- I mean… what would you prefer to wear yourself if the snakes did listen to you?” She asked awkwardly.

“Appearances have ceased to matter a long time ago.” She said heavily. “Tis unimportant what shape hair takes when nobody is allowed to gaze upon you.”

“I don’t think that’s true.” She refuted those words strongly. “Even if I could never see it, I would still know that it suits you.”

“Blind faith, is it?” She gave her a wry smile. “That is not what you truly wanted to ask me, though.” She poked deeper, knowing exactly how flustered it would make the girl.

“…why must you be so perceptive?” She exhaled.

“Reading you is far easier than you believe.”

“Well then, what verses do you read in my hair?” She asked accepting her fate.

“You are no priestess anymore. Yet long hair will most definitely get hard to manage.”

“True.”

“There are arguments for both options. Yet if you only ask my opinion…” She grabbed the hair and put it to her lips. “Long and free is the way.”

Eugenia could not completely hide the redness creeping up her ears.

“Then I would like to tie it down behind my neck.” She whispered.

“Very well.” She grabbed the cord and tied it around the hair.

A week passed and then another. It seemed that time was accelerating for the Gorgon. She had rarely felt a need to sleep the day away. Even during that nearly a year they had spent together before the scholar’s expedition came, she had wanted her distance. Now however she didn’t know anymore.

“Your skin is smooth and pretty again.” Eugenia said happily as she pulled off the last scales from Medusa’s arm.

“I told you there was no doubt it would happen.”

“I’m glad.” She threw the last scale into the basket with the others.

“Has Lyssa possessed you to gather these up? Will you soon froth from the mouth and rage like Heracles did against his family?” It was somewhat disturbing to see her gather those.

“I am not possessed or mad.” She protested. “If we just leave them lying around all over the temple it will be too messy.”

Medusa turned her head towards the tragic ruins and then back to Eugenia.

“How could I not have realized this? The scales are falling from my eyes.”

“Jest all you want, but I plan on making this place more agreeable eventually.” She declared proudly.

“You are a busy bee.”

“You are welcome to help me.”

“I shall never raise a temple.”

“I just want to repair some of it. First the garden of the Greenhouse.” She had already made ample plans in the meantime. It was just like Eugenia not to sit quietly.

“Do not make me catch you again.” Her smirk was boring through the poor girl.

“I have learned my lesson. Although I would love to fly again.” She had a dreamy expression on her face. “The last time everything was blurry and hurt, so I could not enjoy it.”

Medusa’s smirk turned into a concerned look and she felt hit before the head. The scar she had seen on Eugenia during her bath, the occasional anemia, it all added up. The wound was never truly gone. Compared to someone with divine regeneration like her each injury was a real scar.

“…”

“Medusa? Whoa!” Eugenia was shocked when she was picked up like a feather and then carried in the Gorgon's arms. “Are we going to-?”

Too late for questions. They were already taking off. The wind brushed across their skin and swirling air kept the girl’s hair fluttering despite the hair tie. It was such a fast ascend that it could barely register immediately.

They stopped so far up that the island seemed no greater than a boat.

“How does flight feel?”

“My tummy… it’s tingling.” She replied like a child.

“Then brace yourself for what comes next.” Medusa said daringly.

“Oh myyyyyyyyyy!“

They rushed downwards at exhilarating speed and then circled across the borders of the island. The fluctuating motions seemed to confuse Eugenia at first, but she also screamed in joy. Medusa’s full wingspan was wider than twice her body length and the feathers rustled in a crazy tune.

“Are you feeling unwell yet?”

“Not at all! This is amazing!” Perhaps it was due to her sense of hearing, but her body adapted to the strong pull of their rapid motions well.

“Hehe.” That only incited the Gorgon to go faster and do more daring maneuvers.

After winding in a spiral motion and brushing against the leaves of a tree she came up with something quite extreme.

“Do you trust me?” Medusa asked into the girl’s ear.

“Yes.” She nodded.

“Then fall.” She let go.

“Eh?” She felt nothing holding her anymore and panicked. The next moment she already sailed down towards certain doom. “Ahhhhhh!”

Fearing for her life she struggled during her fall, but then she stiffened up and forced herself to calm down. She had promised that she would trust Medusa.

“It is not as fun when you do not scream.” She complained as she easily caught her close to the ground. Her speed exceeded that of Eugenia’s fall by far.

“T-that was mean.” She said with a wildly pounding heart.

“Half of flight is simply controlled falling.” The Gorgon replied and set the girl down on a fallen pillar.

“I didn’t feel any control!” She said with a spinning head and rolled over onto the ground.

“Hahahaha.” Medusa laughed heartily at this foolish sight.

“It was worth it.” She said as she held her head.

“Surely any human would clamor for an opportunity to experience flight.” She agreed mildly.

“That’s not what I meant.” Eugenia brushed through frizzly hair. The air had not been kind to it. “It was worth the scare, because I could tell you enjoyed yourself.” She smiled sympathetically.

Ba-thump.

The pain inside Medusa’s body flared up again and left her breathless. It was so agonizing. But her scales had retreated and her skin was as smooth as silk again. Even the internal damage had been repaired. There was nothing left to heal.

“Medusa?” Eugenia tilted her head and stretched out her hand.

“!” Medusa instinctively smacked the hand away with her tail.

“Ah…” Eugenia pulled back and rubbed her reddened skin.

Confusion overtook the Gorgon’s mind. Why had she just lashed out? It was only Eugenia’s hand, not some deadly threat. Her instincts were running wild. Was she being attacked? No. Was there a threat she could not sense? Of course not. Right now there were only the two of them and a warm breeze. Then why did her pores open from stress and her heart rate pick up?

“I must rest.” She said curtly and slithered away. There was a lot to figure out and she only felt safe in her lair.

Eugenia rubbed her smarting hand and listened to Medusa’s swift retreat. It was not much of a comfort, but she at least knew that the snake woman had no ill will towards her.

“I hope she will feel better soon.” She said with a thickness in her voice before she hastily returned to her camp to work on something, anything. Just to keep her head clear.

Unknown complications paved the way between the two as they built up their new life together. Soon they would realize the depth of this rabbit hole.