The world was not always ruled by the Olympian usurpers. At the beginning of everything there were the primordial deities. Beings so vast and mighty that they founded everything with their mere existence. The Titans rebelled against their ancestors and took the world for themselves. They further split again and began a war between the Titans and Olympians, ending with Zeus’ victory over his brethren. As he took the crown of the skies for himself the others followed suit. Three brothers controlling three intrinsic aspects of the world.

But what happened to those primordial gods that were not slain and imprisoned by the ‘noble’ new gods?

Indeed, these days Poseidon is the unchallenged king of the seas, but the other deities did not disappear. They are submerged in the depth and biding their time. Ever resentful of the white stallion galloping across the waves. Oceanus wastes away in his neutrality, but others do not forget. They can never forget what was taken from them.

Phorcys and Ceto, children of Gaia, the Earth and Pontus, the true sea, were such primordial existences. A god and a goddess without respect for the usurpers. Siblings and partners united by the wish to change the world. Alas, they were powerless.

In their helpless love they bore dozens of children, many of which are now known as sea monsters. My siblings. My legacy.

One day I was born in the foam of the ocean and nursed in the deepest coral reefs. I did not have a childhood, for my kind is born complete. My parents were not loving or concerned with their spawn. I was given the name Medusa and then left to fend for myself. However there is no need to pity me, for I was a deity. Divine blood coursed through my veins and the world was mine to explore.

From the very beginning I had been born prideful and strong. I feared no god or mortal. This arrogance would one day be my downfall.

I made it my mission to traverse the seas and explore the world, for it was vast and fascinating. Those eras were turbulent and mystical, where gods would freely walk and humans were still too naïve to understand the laws of the world. Soon they would claim more and more land and erect their villages and cities. As they expanded and started to fall more and more to the will of the gods, they began to give rise to heroes.

There were wars that changed the borders of the Greek world, there were battles of beasts and monsters that changed the natural balance. Heroes had slain many of Typhon’s spawn and even some of my siblings. No longer did divine origin mean superiority to the creatures born from dirt.

As for me, I did not care for humans or gods alike. To me they were all the same. My freedom was the only thing I cared about.

As I traveled without inhibitions or fear, rumors began to spread. Many humans were enchanted by my natural beauty, others were envious of it. There was no end of suitors or attackers. Pathetic as they were, I did not resent them. Those below oneself would always feel strongly about their superiors.

Yet it did not stop there. I was born as a beauty that may have surpassed any mortal and rivaled Aphrodite herself. I took pride in that fact, even if I curse it now.

I was courted even by Poseidon himself. He was boorish and possessive, a true man to a fault. He never took no for an answer. I was merely a minor sea deity’s offspring, but I felt no less divine than this lustful god. So I rejected his advances. I denied him over and over again without compromise. He raged, he seethed, he swore vengeance, but I did not budge.

For my pride would never allow me to mate with the one who usurped my legacy.

“Even the gods were infatuated with your beauty.” Eugenia spoke with reverence.

“Beauty is not a gift, as I would soon realize. To attract the eyes of all would also draw a baleful gaze.” Medusa spoke with melancholy.

“I think I understand. Lady Aphrodite is beloved for her beauty and life giving nature. There are many records of her envious acts. Was she not jealous of the attention you got?” She turned her head on Medusa’s lap to face upwards.

“Aphrodite never paid me any heed. I cannot say why. Perhaps it was due to my harsh nature. I rejected any suitors, so they would come running to her to mend their broken hearts.” She said sardonically.

“Did you never find love?”

“Love was a foreign concept to me. I was never poisoned by it in my life.” Medusa looked at the serene sea. The snakes became uneasy, as they felt her emotions welling up. “If I had been able to understand it, maybe I could have changed fate…”

“Medusa, you still-“

“But I cannot be loved.”

Her words were a shield that could not be penetrated.

“But you already loved the world.”

“What?”

“You were curious, you wanted to see everything, know everything. Is that not love?”

“The gaze of the audience can never sway the play.”

“Why do you believe that you cannot join the stage?”

“You would not understand.” Her hand grabbed Eugenia’s forehead to push her down as she tried to rise in protest. “My tale is not finished yet.”

As the centuries passed I was tiring of my travels. I met many a god or monster and I had sometimes taken an interest in their affairs. There are many stories I could tell about the confrontations and riddles I encountered, but those tales have lost their meaning a long time ago.

The path that led to my cursed fate was not obvious at first. I should have seen it coming in retrospect, but I was foolish and young.

Poseidon came to me in the waves of a raging storm. His eyes filled with lust and anger had been trailing me across the Aegean Sea, yet I had paid them no heed. It had been a century since he had last approached me, so I had confidence that he would leave me be. I was wrong.

This time he was more persistent. He circled me, showed off his body and loins, attempting to seduce me. I could feel the power of the seas coursing through his very being as the ocean began to create a maelstrom around us. That day I had made my first mistake.

I had no interest in his advances, there was nothing he could do to sway me. My insolent words drew his ire and he attacked me. For what little I remember I was swallowed by the sea and pushed around relentlessly. If I had not been divine, I may have perished.

This rage of a god, a thing so vile and primal, had even given me a shred of fear. I hid myself away at the bottom of the ocean and took shelter amongst the animals. His terrible tantrum lasted for three days and nights. Only then his scorn dissipated and he went to rape the nymphs in the southern sea to deal with his urges.

I resurfaced in the cleared up waters, proud of my ability to outlast the usurper’s childish tantrum. I truly believed that I had won. The satisfaction had eclipsed my fears and given rise to a faulty perception of invincibility. The folly of my actions was lost on me.

That is where it could have ended. I was more than ready to return to a place for myself. To create a home and end my travels for good. It was a dream that could have led to a better future.

But fate did not will it so. The Morai were twisting my strings in peculiar ways.

As I swam across the waters I noticed something. Pieces of wood floating across the crashing waves, remains of a human ship. All around it corpses were floating face down. This destruction was a consequence of Poseidon’s wrath. Death had found them and now they were lost. Even I was aware that humans feared dying at sea the most, as their souls would wander aimlessly. Those men would never be buried in the soil of their homeland.

Of course I felt no remorse. Back then humans were little more than animals to me. If they fell victim to the conflict of higher beings then that was how it should be. How could a divine being like myself understand mortals?

My senses were impeccable even then, so I was fully aware of my surroundings. My ears picked up something unusual. Shallow breathing. In all this wreckage and death, there was still the smallest sign of life. One human was clinging to the edge with all their might. I still cannot tell what had come over me at that moment. Curiosity? Pity? It may have been merely the euphoria of triumph.

I swam towards the large plank of wood at the center of the ship’s remains and found a girl lying on her back. Her body was covered in bruises and blood. Seawater had soaked her torn clothes and even puffed her skin. She was not made for this world much longer. Her eyes were staring emptily at the cleared up sky. Sunlight reflected off her glistening wet skin.

From that tiny chest, a pathetic heartbeat still fought on. Her throat filled with water gasped for air.

It would have been a kindness to end her suffering.

And yet… I did not break her neck. I did not stop her heart. I took the tiny human body and carried it with both hands. What was I to do with this lost soul?

“Hrrukk…” She spat water as I held her upside down. There was a flicker of life left in her.

“What is your name?” I asked in a deep voice.

“…Palla…” The human responded and seemed to fade away.

“Your life has reached its conclusion. Where shall I bury you?”

“….temple…. island….” Somehow the girl forced out her last words and lost consciousness.

What she told me was hard to understand, yet it was even harder to fathom. I did not know any temples. With my wings spread apart I soared into the sky to have a look across the endless waters. There were several islands far away. The ship must have come from one of them. One of them must have had a temple.

With the girl in one arm I flew forward.

When I arrived the priestesses were shocked and genuflected in an instance. To see one with such beautiful white wings descend from the sky holding a single girl, it must have been a great miracle to them. I had no interest in their subservient prayers and simply threw the girl to their feet.

“This human asked to be buried here. Give her the last rites before her soul goes astray.”

The head priestess took the girl in her arms and felt her pulse. She could feel the weak breaths she was still taking. Tears ran down her old face.

“My poor Palla…!” She was breaking at the seams and continued shedding tears for the girl.

To me this was a meaningless delay. Human grief was a sign of weakness. They could not accept fate and always showed such a vulnerability that it made me feel sick.

“Great goddess…. Were there no other survivors?” One of the priestesses asked me on her knees.

“None.” I replied stoically.

“Oh great and wise Athena! Why have you forsaken your humble servants?” They burst into tears and lamented their loss.

Athena, the woman of the owl. I had never met her before, but everyone knew her reputation. She was at the side of Zeus during many a great conflict. I was aware that she was known for her unsurpassed intelligence and grandiose nature.

These humans seemed to serve her. Their complaints were directed at the wrong deity. Poseidon was the one who had caused them such grief. I had no need to tell them the truth though; it was none of my business.

“My Palla… Lady Athena, please save this child. I have served you for forty summers as grand priestess. I have raised the children that sing your name in awe. This child too, is one of yours. She was saved from the abyss, so gift her a second chance at life.” The oldest priestess had laid the girl down on an altar and prayed fervently with all her emotions laid bare.

I stood there, watching their struggle indifferently. How could such weak creatures cling to hope under these circumstances? The girl was lost and the gods had little interest in miniscule existences such as these.

I would be proven wrong. From the statue at the center of the temple a bright glow emanated and silver burst from the marble eyes. A blinding light spread across the island and from its center rose the imposing figure of a woman that held a long spear. Her helmet glowed in pure gold and her face was no different from an immaculate sculpture.

All the priestesses went to their knees and pressed their heads to the ground before their goddess. Athena nodded at their appropriate reverence and walked between them. None raised their heads even as she passed them by. When she reached the altar she stopped and put her hand on the child’s weakly moving chest.

“Child of Agrippe, rise up and serve this temple once more.” Her booming voice created ripples in the air. Fog from the sea was blown away and a ray of light shone down unto the dying girl. Against the natural course, the child began to cough and shake violently until she opened her eyes. The light falling unto her was reflected from her glowing irises.

The priestesses gasped, prostrated and sung praises. They had just witnessed a miracle firsthand.

“Who are you stranger?” Athena turned my way and mustered me with her intelligent eyes.

“The Gorgon, Medusa.” I replied unfalteringly with a hand on my waist.

“A child of the fallen.” Athena had apparently heard of me. “Poseidon raged and the ship sank because of him. He lacks control as ever.” She was dismissive of her uncle. “Thank you for saving one of my followers. From now on you will be welcome on this island.”

“It was only a whim.” I replied disinterested.

“All too often our whims control the future of this world.” Athena replied with a sophisticated smile. Then she tapped her spear on the ground and vanished.

I could not stand her condescending eyes, but she did not show any animosity, so it was just as well. The women were chattering like ruffled chickens and became quite annoying.

“Palla! Are you feeling fine?” The old woman hugged the girl.

“Yes, mistress.” She confirmed quietly. Her body was still covered in bruises, but she was overflowing with energy. I could tell that her soul had been saved from the brink of death.

“What is that around your neck?” The woman grabbed the string around the girl’s neck. Tied to it was a small seashell.

“I don’t know.” She replied honestly.

With my sharp eyes I could see the shell in full detail even from a distance. It winded a few dozen times and created a beautiful circular pattern. It was also filled with a strange aura.

“Do not take it off.” I commanded the old woman before she could yank it away.

“W-why?”

“Your goddess left that behind. It must be what binds the girl’s soul to the body.” I explained curtly. “If you sever it, she may die on the spot.”

“Thank you again. You are a true savior.” The priestess bowed before me.

It was a bother to be thanked so many times for an action that had not required any effort of me. I was not even sure why I had done it at all.

“If Lady Athena says you are welcome here, then we will be sure to treat you as an honored guest.” The woman rose up and leaned on her cane. “I am Crene of Amantia, the grand priestess of the cult of Athena.”

“Grand priestess?” I had heard the term before. The highest individual in a human faith that directly spoke to the gods was usually referred to as such.

“Indeed. This is the temple of Athena Pallas. We don’t have much to offer, because the latest supply ship got delayed, but you may take whatever you want from the temple.”

I had no reason to refuse. My journey was coming to an end, so there was no goal ahead of me anymore. Back then I was just satisfied to rest and enjoy some simple pleasures.

I spent a few weeks on the island and partook in their meals and listened to their sermons. They were a bore, but their singing was mildly enjoyable. Humans were too frail to achieve much, yet they revolved their short lives around things that were not even gaining them anything. The idea was too confounding for me.

I often settled down on a cliff and drank some wine the priestesses prepared for me. The sight was not too bad, but I did feel restless knowing I was in the territory of an Olympian.

“Aren’t you cold?” The young girl called out to me. I had heard her sandals long before she arrived.

“I come from the ocean. It is many times colder than anything on the surface, human.” I replied briskly.

“Reaaally? I don’t remember what it felt like in the water, because everything hurt.” She squatted down next to me and looked over the cliff. She seemed to have a minor fear of heights as she kept her distance. “But when I run around naked I always feel cold.”

I glanced at her. She was far livelier than one might have expected from someone who had nearly died a few weeks ago. Her skin was covered in scars and her clothes were modest at best. She must have held a minor role in the temple’s hierarchy. Her short black hair was more boyish than the other priestesses’.

With a lax motion I laid down on my side and let the ocean breeze brush against my naked body. It did not feel cold in the slightest. My long hair had been moistened by the occasional splash of high waves, so it stuck to my chest and back. I was used to such things from swimming for days of course.

“Are you a nymph?” The girl asked without reservation.

“I am not. You should be more respectful with your questions human.” I replied slightly irritated.

“Then what are you?”

“A goddess.”

“Huh? But the gods don’t lounge around.”

“Your understanding of the gods is pathetic. What do you even know?” I frowned.

“Crene told me eeeverything about Lady Athena and how she helps humans and is a great person.”

“Is that so?” I could not imagine Athena being too fond of such simplified descriptions. I had to remind myself that I was talking to a human child. Less impressive than a bear cub. At least cubs knew to fight for their lives.

The memory of the girl’s fading eyes clinging to live flashed through my mind and I reconsidered. Some humans did have a survival instinct left in them.

“She also said you brought me here. I wanted to thank you so much, but… you are kinda scary.” She admitted while playing with her thumbs.

“Do I terrify you human?”

“No, I think you are very pretty.” She smiled brightly. She was missing several teeth. Humans did grow a new row at a certain age as far as I remembered. She really was young. “It was just hard to approach you, because you always glare.”

“I do not.”

“Do too!”

I glared at her and she shrank back.

“Sorry.” She bowed. Her upbringing was shining through. Being trained to respect a goddess must have caused reflexive motions like that.

“I forgive you. What exactly are you to this temple?” I inquired.

“Me? I’m a handmaid of the grand priestess. She took me in when my mommy died. She is the nicest of all!”

The grand priestess was fairly old for human standards. It could not have been easy taking in a child at that age. I was not quite certain how weak humans really became at that age, but she always looked like she might fall to pieces by the touch of a single breeze. She did have a good taste in wine, though.

“Why were you on that ship?”

“Ship? Wah! T-the storm was really scary.”

Unsurprisingly talking to a child was a great pain. Not that I was the most patient of deities to begin with.

“Get a hold of yourself human. Why were you traveling away from the island?”

“I snuck on board so I could see Athens.” She revealed.

“Athens? That village up north?”

“Not a village, a biiiig town! Crene told us it was a lot bigger than the entire island!”

I considered that maybe it had grown since I had seen it a few hundred years ago. When I passed it by it had been no more than a few huts. This island was not particularly big either, though.

“They have another temple there and there are lots of ships and they make statues out of pure gold-“

“I got the gist of it.” I interrupted her before the waterfall of words threatened to drown me. “You wanted to see that town and got yourself nearly thrown into the Underworld. Learn a lesson from this.”

“Okay.” Her mood turned blue.

“Exploring the world is all well, but only travel alone if you have the strength to do so."

“Are you traveling too?”

“I think I am done with it for a while.”

“Aw, that’s too bad.”

“I do not see how you could judge my actions.” I retorted.

“I didn’t wanna do that! I just felt bad when you said that. Aren’t there more great things to see? Is it because you are a goddess? Can gods see the entire world? Did you ever see a lion?”

“You are entirely too curious for your own good. Your constant questions tire me.” I sat up and sighed. Being around this island for much longer would just be irritating.

“I apologize deeply!” She bowed again.

“Athena saved your life, so she must care about you. If you have complicated questions you should ask her.” I suggested only half-seriously.

“Lady Athena only talks to Crene. I already thanked her every day, but she never answers. It must be because I’m a child. But Crene said that I will be able to talk to her one day if I become a priestess.”

“A priestess? You?” I had to snort. This overly energetic servant girl seemed more fit to herd pigs than to make a prayer.

“I will become one! And if I do, I can go to all the other temples and see the world.”

“If they are all as far off as this one.” It was not too farfetched. “Why did you foolish humans decide to build a temple on such a distant island in the first place?”

“This is the greatest temple of Lady Athena. The temple of Athena Pallas!”

“Would the one in the town named after her not be greater?”

“No way. This is the best temple in the world. Every pilgrim comes here on boat to prove they really love the goddess.”

The child’s elaborations were vague, but it did sound like something the Olympians would do. A test of one’s faith by besting the dangerous sea. This Crene woman must have been the most important priestess of the cult then, just as they claimed. From that perspective I had been invited to the most holy of territory. The notion really boosted my ego immensely. The usurpers were my natural enemies, but they did hold power. If I gained their respect that meant I was their equal.

I had already met most of them, although it rarely turned out as peaceful as it did here. I especially couldn’t stand the three brothers that ruled the world. As long as I avoided Poseidon it would be no trouble to travel the world a bit longer.

“Goddess?”

“Hm?”

“You didn’t say anything and just looked at sea.”

“I made my choice. My travels will continue until I have seen all these great temples. They intrigue me.” And if I managed to enter them all that would be the same as asserting my freedom from all the gods’ power. These were their strongest bastions of faith.

“That’s amaaaazing!” The girl cheered. “Will you come back and tell me about all of them? I really wanna know what they’re like!”

“Did you not say you would visit all the temples yourself?”

“Only the ones of Lady Athena. I can’t go to a temple of Artemis or Zeus.” She shook her head like a dog. The rules of the gods were nothing compared the constricting rules of humans. “Will you come back?” She asked again.

“I will think about it.” I replied evasively.

“Hurrah!” But the girl showed genuine happiness from such a small concession. “Praise Lady Athena! Praise the naked goddess!”

“Medusa.”

“Huh?”

“My name is Medusa. Remember it, human.”

“Medusa… Medusa. Medusa!” She repeated it to memorize it quickly.

“Should I ever return, you would do well to save me some good wine.” I said selfishly and stretched my limbs. I swiped back my long hair and prepared to jump into the cold depth.

“I will ask Crene to lock some away for you! Please come back soon! Sarpedon will always be here for you!” She kept waving and shouting as I already slid into the ocean.

Eugenia lied still with her eyes closed and a complex expression on her face.

“That can’t be.” She muttered. “This temple… was the central temple of Athena?”

“It was, long ago.” Medusa confirmed.

“But I never heard of it. We weren’t taught about any other important temple than the great temple in Athens. I don’t think even Lady Akacia knew of this.”

“This part of history was erased.” Medusa said darkly.

“Erased? Why?!”

Medusa did not reply.

“I can’t believe Sarpedon was so… that this place was so important for Lady Athena once.” She put an arm over her face and grimaced. All these things made no sense to her.

“Some matters will be lost to time, others will be cut out of the body entirely.”

“Medusa, you actually helped humans in the past. Even Lady Athena thanked you. Why did it come to this?” She asked weakly.

“It may not have happened if I stayed away from this island.” She said mysteriously.

“You did return.”

“Ten years later.”

“Ten- ten years?” She was shocked. “You made her wait that long?”

“A few years are nothing to me. I had not even intended to come back.” She said quietly. “Now I see that this is the natural reaction to have.” She smiled faintly.

Ten years I traveled the Greek world. Even beyond the borders I found many temples of religions not too different from those I knew. Humans had interpreted many events differently with their limited knowledge. I had managed to sneak into most of the great temples and take a good look. A few I ignored, for they were too much trouble. I also skipped the one in Athens as I already had been welcomed into her territory.

With the confidence of one who had proven herself, I took course for the deep sea in the west. As I swam I eventually felt a familiar current. I had arrived at the waters near Sarpedon. For the first time in years I remembered this place. After a long time traveling I felt the desire to rest, so I surfaced at the beach and walked onto land.

This time there were far more human present than on my last visit. The skies were clear and ships managed to arrive unharmed, so pilgrims and merchants had arrived aplenty. The priestesses were a busy lot, but when I arrived in the midst of the visitors they called out and acted like they had seen an omen.

I was quickly received by the ones who remembered me from the past and they prepared a guest room for me. The other outsiders were at first furious for being pushed aside and delayed, but they had little to say after it was revealed I was of divine birth.

As I sat down inside an open room full of pillows and warming sunlight I heard a gasp behind me.

“Medusa…?” A young woman said my name in disbelief and let a plate fall to the floor.

“Hm?” I mustered her from head to toe and tried to recall if we met before. There were many priestesses back then and I had paid little attention to them. It would not have been odd for me not to recognize this woman.

She looked down on me with shivering legs and arms. From her expression I could tell that it was neither due to fear nor reverence. Those furious brown eyes spoke of nothing but resentment.

“Who are you?” I asked neutrally.

“How could you?” Her shocked expression only confounded me all the more. “You leave for ten years and then forget about me on top of it…” She grit her teeth and stormed off.

I made no attempt to follow her, but as she rushed off I caught a glimpse of her tanned skin below the priestess garments. She had some old white scars.

“The child.” I recalled now. Those marks were recognizable enough. My memory was nearly perfect, but naturally one cannot remember someone when they changed so utterly. Ten years were enough for a child to grow into a woman.

It was leaving me mildly curious why she had lost her composure, but I did not care enough to investigate. Instead I fed on the grapes that had fallen unto the pillows. They tasted sour.

As I rested in the temple and enjoyed my privileges I was approached by many humans. The priestesses had little control over the place beyond the inner sanctuary and the men who came here to pray and beg had not much to do after their business was taken care of. It was improper to approach a priestess outside of duty, but the same could not be said for me.

They tried to pull me into conversations that were little more than disguised ways to court me. Long winded tales of their achievements, boring anecdotes about wars and occasionally they even wrestled in front of me to show off their manly strength. It was nearly fascinating how many times a human could ignore rejection and believe themselves above it.

Soon I had enough of this farce and wrestled the men myself. They were all left with broken bones or other lesser injuries and learned respect. Yet if there is one thing a man was more drawn to than a beautiful woman it was a challenge. In this case they had both in front of them.

The priestesses attempted to mediate and begged me to dress myself so I would draw less attention and not unduly intoxicate their minds, but I had no need for such human customs. I refused to dress and I equally refused to let myself be courted. In a few days every single man on the island who was able to fight had tried their luck and was hopelessly defeated.

I had thought that would be the end of it. A foolish notion as I would soon realize.

“You are causing nothing but unrest.” The young woman from the past glared at me from behind a pillar where she had been watching me.

“It is the folly of your kind that causes conflict here, human.” I retorted and bend a piece of armor that one of the men had left behind.

“Do you believe you can get away with anything just because you are pretty?” She hissed.

“Will you stop me?” I replied with an uncaring smile.

“Lady Athena will hear of this.” She said and turned to leave.

“…so you can now speak to her?”

“What?” She stopped on her heels and turned back in surprise. “You… you remembered what I said?”

“I never forget anything. Rather I should remind you that you are in front of a goddess.” My words were arrogant, certainly, but they had not a hint of deception in them. The truth was nothing to be coy about.

“You are a child of the fallen gods.” She spoke with furrowed brows. But her feet were turned towards me, so she had already stopped her angry steps towards Athena. Just as intended.

“You were taught well and yet I cannot show much appreciation for such insulting wording.” I threw the piece of armor aside and walked towards her in long and threatening strides. “Be a good host and entertain your guest. Running to your mistress to tell on me is a shameful act, is it not?”

“You vile woman.” She glared up to me. For someone who was nearly a head shorter she was feisty enough.

“You did not bring me the wine you promised, which is a far more vile transgression in my eyes.”

“…” She gritted her teeth again, but there was no arguing it. A priestess had to keep her word, even if she made it before becoming one. With a face red in fury she left and returned with an amphora of old wine. She pushed it against my navel and then turned away.

“Is this the grand priestess’ best drop?” I put it to my nose and turned away. It smelled closer to vinegar than wine.

“This is just some wine that was lying around.” The young priestess replied.

“Then I should talk to her and request something better than her useless servant girl can acquire.” I casually threw the amphora away.

“Crene has passed away two years ago.” She said in cold anger.

“I see. She was an old woman.” I was not very surprised.

“This entire time I waited for you to come back and I kept telling her you would… until the end.” Her voice was shakier now, as she tried to suppress her tears.

“The fault lies not with me. It was your own desire that has misled you for all these years.” I said dismissively.

“I know that myself!” She exploded and then rushed off for good this time.

I settled down on the steps of the temple and stretched lethargically. These illogical human outbursts were not entertaining enough to be paid any mind.

Before I had noticed several weeks had passed again. It was hard for me to tell the time back then, as a single rest could take many cycles of the sun chariot. It was easy to relax when I was left to myself and the ambience of the temple’s daily life created a bubble around the island. As a matter of principle I preferred some activity over sheer isolation and quiet. Sometimes I heard tales of people climbing mountains or moving into the hearts of deserts to find inner calm and peace. That was no life for the likes of me.

“Lady Medusa, I have brought you an offering.” Several young women approached me and carried many different foods and jewelry to me.

“Please take mine too!”

“And mine~”

“Hehehe.”

These loudmouthed girls were no better than the shouting men in the mornings. Each of them was trying to garner a blessing or some manner of favor from me and I could see through each and every of their harpy like smiles.

“These olives are overly ripe.” I said loudly so they all could hear. “I only eat those who come from the earliest of harvests.” I crushed the olives under my feet and raised my nose in disgust.

“Of course! We will get whatever you want.” They scrambled and rushed to the merchants as quickly as possible. It was a truly pathetic sight.

After I was left on my own, I rid myself of the olive remains and let the juices drip from my toes. I had regretted this overdramatic acting already.

“You know that olives are out of season. They will never find fresh ones this time of year.” Palla approached me with a disgruntled expression.

“That was the idea.” I smirked.

“You may not be a proper goddess, but your trials are close enough to the real ones.” She picked up the squashed olive remains and wiped the floor with a rag.

“Still a servant at heart, I see.”

“I am just an acolyte. Barely counts as a priestess.” She replied thorny.

“Your lack of grace announces it on its own.” I felt a certain joy from messing with this overeager human.

“Keep talking all you want. One day I will be the grand priestess and inherit Crene’s legacy.” She furiously wiped the floor until it nearly reflected her image.

It was nearly impressive how determined she sounded. She had been saved by their goddess, yet the other humans still treated her like a servant. Perhaps the grand priestess was the only reason the girl had been treated well. Her legacy did not amount to much if it was held up by this one.

“How flimsy a human’s desires are. You chase a new dream every other day.”

“What?”

“As a child you said that you would visit all the temples of your goddess, but now you aim to be the grand priestess.” I pointed out.

“I can’t afford to leave the island. I have no valuables to pay for the journey.” Palla admitted bitterly.

“Oh? What do you have to give to get on a ship?”

“Why do you care? Just fly away if you want to leave.” She washed the rag in a bucket and wrung it out with force.

“Your temper may rival Ares’.” Her tone started to aggravate my ears. “I have no need to travel again, for I already saw all the great temples.”

“You really went to visit them?!” She unintentionally looked up with a glint of curiosity, but hastily returned attention to the bucket.

“Curious, are you? They were magnificent, but telling you about their splendor would be a wasted effort.” I crossed my legs and felt satisfied with myself, no matter how petty I may have appeared.

“I will get you some good wine this time.” Palla said with her back turned to me. “So please… tell me about the world.”

“You believe in second chances?”

“Do you?” The young woman stood up and faced me with a serious expression.

“If the offering is grand enough.” I returned her gaze unperturbed.

Palla left without a word. Some time passed without a hint of the short haired priestess.

Just when I thought I had rid myself of her however, she returned again and this time the amphora she held seemed far more luxurious. She pushed it against my chest and looked me in the eye.

“Not bad.” I said after tasting the grape blood. “Very well, I have some time to spare. I shall educate you on the great temple of Zeus.” My explanations were detailed and quite succinct at the same time. Despite her fiery character, Palla was a good listener too. As I told her of the temple and the people who had visited it I could see that glint again. It was reminiscent of her childhood self from ten years ago.

It would not be the last time that I taught the young priestess.

Whenever she had fulfilled her duties and had time she would come to me with another offering and request another story. Those ten years of travel in solitude had me left with much material and the girl was greedy indeed. When I asked her why she was so adamant on learning more, she looked at me as if I was slow in the head.

“By understanding how the rest of the world treats the gods I can improve the way we interact with Lady Athena. If the pilgrims from distant lands arrive here, I can tell what their home is like and then resolve conflicts better.”

“You have given this some thought. How unexpected.” I acted surprised.

“Why you…” She glared at me.

“Becoming a grand priestess seems not worth the effort to me, but you are not much of a dignified figure either. You always appear like a child when I tell you these tales.” I mocked her.

“N-no, I am serious about this! Why must you be so insufferable?” She broke the stone tablet she had used to carve some words down and groaned furiously at her mistake.

While she was busy cleaning up her mess I subtly glanced through the gaps in the pillars and caught a glimpse of white tunics. I had felt the eyes of several people on us for a while now. It was far from the first time. Those humans had been observing from a distance nearly every time Palla came to my room.

“Are you still cleaning up? Even the blinded Cyclops was not as clumsy as you.”

“That’s enough. I have had enough of your dagger tongue.” She dropped the last pieces of the tablet and turned red in anger again. “You are a condescending harlot!” She threw the door open and stomped off.

This human had a lot of blind courage to insult me to my face. I was up and about to follow her and teach her a lesson. Yet if I let myself be incensed by a mere human it would only have proven that her words could reach me. As prideful as I was, there were things I would not stoop to in defense of it.

As such I decided to ignore the girl from now on and left the temple to get fresh air.

Outside I was greeted by a blood red sunset and a couple of women. They were getting up from their animal pelts when they saw me approach and bowed their heads. That was how humans should have treated me. My mood improved considerably.

As night fell I became restless again. I had calmed myself and already mostly erased the conversation from my mind. Thus a little walk alongside the beach was merely a result of my whims.

I avoided the campfires outside the temple and passed the tents without being noticed. The sand digging into the gaps between my toes felt cool and pleasurable so I moved through the sand hills with a satisfied expression.

“Put the cloth in her mouth so she stops screaming.”

The words came from one of the tents at the edge of the wooden pier. It was just far enough away from the rest not to be on the path. Aside from the woman’s voice I could also hear frightened noises from someone else.

“Look at this pig. Look at her roll around in the dirt!”

“Hahhaha!”

The voices were muffled through the tent walls, but my ears were too good to fail me. I could hear the laughter and vicious voices like the women were standing right next to me.

“She is always talking to Lady Medusa with that dirty mouth. Now it’s finally stuffed with something dirtier!”

“What makes her so special anyway?”

“Does she pity you, because you are so worthless and dirty?”

“Hmphrgh!”

I stood in the sand and listened. I recognized the muffled screams. The voice of someone I had only talked to just this noon. The conversation the other women had also made it fairly obvious.

“You shouldn’t be talking to a goddess. You shouldn’t be talking to anyone! You hear me?!”

The sound of a flat hand hitting a face reached my ears.

“Ow… her face is so hard. This boney whore.”

“You aren’t even a real priestess, yet you take from the gods. Did you have your fill of blessings yet? We will give you something to fill your greedy body.”

“Come in boys.”

The tent was opened for a moment and several heavy boots stepped inside. By the sound of it they must have been bulky sailors.

“Dis lass, issit?” One of them spoke up and breathed in through his fat nose.

“This servant girl is starved for attention. You are surely kind enough to give it to her?” The women cackled.

“With pleasure.” They laughed dirtily as the women left the tent to them.

“Scrawny scamp, that one.”

“Lookin’ wild, I like it!”

“I’m not feelin’ good ‘bout this. Takin’ a priestess is gonna get us in trouble.”

“Why’d ya come here with us if ya’re a fucking weasel coward?!” He punched the other sailor.

“Argh, you don’t hafta hit me!”

“Didnja hear the lady? This ain’t no priestess. She’s just some servant bitch. Nobody’s gonna care if we plow ‘er.”

“If you’re sure…”

“Mgphrmmm!”

“Hahaha, look at ‘er! Bitch can barely wait any longer.”

Fabric was ripped and I could tell that they had torn her clothes and exposed her.

“Titan’s asshole, what’s wrong with this bitch?”

“Dats a lotta scars. Did she plow a shark or what?”

“Cover her up, this is makin’ me limp.”

“Just gotta throw those sacks on her… bettah. Might look like she’s got mauled, but she’s still got the important bits.” They laughed darkly again. “Hey, li’l handmaid, got a good grip?”

“Hmmrgh!”

“Stop kickin’ already.”

“I’m holdin’ her down, you free her mouth already.”

“Why in the blazes would I do dat?”

“I don’t wanna wait til you’re done, so this means we can all get some.”

These vile men were not hesitating to do their dirty work. The women must have paid them to do those things to Palla. I connected the pieces quickly. Humans were cruel creatures.

Zeus may have been a slave to his lust and attacked women regularly, but he never instigated others to do it. As the supreme ruler of the world it was his right to take what he wanted. It was a sign of profound weakness to order rabid dogs to do one’s dirty work instead.

I felt bile rise in my throat as I heard their barking. Palla was weak and this weakness is what had brought her into this forsaken situation. A single human could never amount to anything without the help of their fellow man or the gods. This conclusion was unavoidable. She had overestimated her influence, overlooked her enemies and reaped what she had sown.

I walked away from the tent where her cries became more intense as she was ungagged. It was not my duty to interfere with human affairs. Least of all for the sake of an insolent girl like her.

“Let me gooo! Nooo!”

“Shut yer mouth bitch or I’ll do it for ya.”

“I told ya already, her mouth is mine!”

“Gotta be a virgin, right? Temple’s full of virgins, right?”

“Yeh yeh, she’s a virgin, now hold‘er down already!”

Their voices turned quieter as I left the tents behind. The moon was covered by clouds, making the night even darker.

“Why are you doing this?! Let me gooo!”

“Resistin’s just makin’ this bettah for me lass. Now lesse if you’ve got any hair grown there yet.”

“Don’t… touch me… Lady Athena… will smite you!”

“Whose gonna tell ‘er? Your sisters who sold ya to us? Gahahaha!”

“Hahahah!”

“Heeeeelp! Someone… anyone! HEL-!”

“Whose plowin’ idea was it ta free ‘er mouth? She’ll wake the entire damned island.”

"She's got some weird necklace. Is dat a shell?"

"Just tear it off. Might be worth somethin'-"

“MMghghrp!”

“ARGH! Bitch bit me!”

“MEDUSA!” She cried out into the cold night.

“Hah? Ya switch from the owl to that pretty woman? Not gonna change anything.” He smacked Palla and stepped forward to gag her again.

Splish.

“Urgh, don’t tell me she leaked cuz of fear-“

Splash.

“Where’s all this water comin’ from?” The musclebound sailor looked all over the ground. Water was flowing into the tent from the slit in the linen entrance.

“Shit, is it floodin-“ He was cut off by a burst of ocean water that completely swept them all away and tore away the tent.

“Arrrrrgh!” They desperately tried to swim against the waves, but where screaming in pain as fish started to bite their flesh off and an octopus covered the group leader’s mouth, suffocating him.

“GAAH!” Another of the attackers was impaled by broken off piece from a ship that had been swept along.

After a few moments of intense water pressure and bloodthirsty sea life the ocean’s wrath retreated back across the beach. The only thing left behind was a shivering young woman who spat out water and sniffed in fear.

Palla was tied up at the legs and arms and could not move much, which made her nearly drown in the receding water. Her terrified eyes tried to see something, anything, in this dark night.

Right in front of her stood the pale sculpture like woman she had called for.

I looked down without a single drop of water on me and then kicked her over. A sharp piece of wood was lying next to her so she could cut herself free if she tried hard enough.

A few parasenges away lay the corpses of the mutilated rapists.

“Med…usa…?”

I only looked down on her, silently, and then left her behind.

“You saved her.” Eugenia sighed in relief.

“I did not.”

“But you were a sea goddess. It would be easy to control the water.” She insisted. It was obvious to her that Medusa would help.

“Then let me tell you more clearly. I did not try to save her. The sea reacted to my disgust and spilled it all away.”

“Then your powers work even without your consent?”

Medusa looked to the side without an answer.

“I think… deep down you wanted to save her. So the sea reacted to your wishes.” The blind girl could see things that Medusa could not.

“I did not save anyone.” Medusa repeated heavily. “You will see it my way soon enough.”

The Gorgon’s petrifying eyes could only see the past carved in stone. For it held the truth that created her heart of stone.