Chapter 1
"Hey. Hey!"
Palutena mumbled in her sleep.
Medusa frowned at the goddess-to-be lying sound asleep on the desk before her. Usually, a sharp jerk on the shoulder was enough to wake her up. She must have been up all night to ignore me like this, she thought.
But Medusa had orders. She shook her sister again, harder this time, and paused to see if it had the required effect.
Nothing. And Medusa was not a patient person.
"Come ON, slug. We're going to be late again."
But Palutena was out like a lamp. There was something to be said about the fact that the dreams of the gods are at least 15 times more intense than that of humans, and about 10 times more prophetic than that of a regular soul, but Medusa was having none of it that early August-morning.
Medusa rolled her eyes and left. A moment later the lighter goddess darted awake, a Keron in her ear and crying out like there was no tomorrow.
"AH! Huh?!" Palutena darted up, bewildered and confused. "What just-?"
Medusa before her gave a smirk, the creature perched nicely across one arm. "You fell asleep in the library again, Tena."
"Oh..." Palutena rubbed at her eyes. "It's daybreak already?..."
"Yeah, slug. And Zeus wants us in the Reception Hall in ten minutes. We still have that mission to do, remember?"
"Of course, of course." Palutena glanced nervously at the creature her sister had brought with her. "Um, and what is that?"
"My new creation." Medusa stuck her arm out proudly, as if the one-eyed frog with wings could actually be something to be proud of. "What do you think?"
"I think you combined the souls of two animals that should not be combined. What type of bird did you use? . . . A goose?"
"Come on, now, don't be rude," Medusa said, tickling the Keron's wing affectionately. The creature gave a loud ribbit in appreciation. "It has swan's wings, for your information, not a goose's. Keron is offended."
"Oh dear," Palutena said in exasperation. "You named the thing?"
"Of course I did!" Medusa said, her attention reverting back to her. "I didn't spend hours and hours on creating him for nothing!"
Palutena shook her head, face in her hands. "You sound like you're surprised like I would be against you on this. Zeus disagrees with . . . hybrids as well. It's unnatural."
"Come on, they're already dead. And Keron here is relatively harmless." The winged frog stuck out its tongue like a response, as if it could understand everything that the two had been saying all this time.
"Still . . . you're preventing them from travelling to the City of Lost Souls. They have a purpose!"
"I know, I know . . ." Medusa said, waving her convictions aside. At her sister's dirty look, she felt affronted. "What? Do you want me to stop? I've already made so many, you know that."
Palutena shook her head. "Yeah, well just don't let Zeus see you with them, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah." Medusa said, looking down. With a mission from Zeus still needing to be accomplished, and the room still tense, Medusa decided to comply. "Alright, fine. I'll put him away right now, and no one will ever know. Happy?"
"Sure," Palutena said, following the other girl out of the room. The two paced down the various, lavish hallways of Zeus' Temple before they finally came to a little shed out in Zeus' courtyard. It was squat, made of white marble stone and solid looking doors that made it look more like a workshop or a fortress than an actual shed, but it served its purpose quite fine-keeping Medusa's little "experiments" under lock and key and away from unwanted eyes.
Medusa produced a key from the folds of her toga and turned to Palutena, a finger to her lips. Palutena rolled her eyes and Medusa grinned mischievously, the lock to the shed giving way. The dark-haired magic user wrenched the doors of the shed open and allowed the Keron to hop its merry way inside. The door was shut before any of the creatures in there could even think to escape.
The two of them made their way back to the Temple's side entrance, Medusa's mind bubbling with ideas and Palutena pensive and relatively silent. She would never rat her sister out to their Patron God . . . but wasn't Medusa still playing with things that she shouldn't otherwise be?
"Hey," Medusa said lightly, nudging her sister on the shoulder lightly. Palutena looked at the black-haired one in mild surprise. "You ready for our mission today?"
Palutena stretched her arms, working out the kinks in her shoulders. "How could I not be? That's why I was down in the library in the first place."
"You're such a freaking nerd, you know that?" Medusa winked at Palutena's rather sour expression. "Hey, I hope you didn't get any drool on any of Zeus' books. You've got a little something or other on the side of your face. Right . . . there."
"Oop!" Palutena rubbed at the aforementioned spot frantically. She'd have to go back and check up on the books she'd accidentally slept on to make sure there wasn't any lasting damages. She looked back to her sister in concern. "Is it gone?"
Medusa squinted at her face. "Yup. You've still got some deep marks on your skin from laying on those books, though." Medusa smirked. "Try-hard."
"Says you. Don't forget, I found you asleep on your freaking lyre once..."
Medusa grew a faint shade of red. "H-hey! I told you not to bring that up again-!"
Tena laughed. "Don't worry, M. I SAID I wouldn't tell anybody..." She gave her sister a demure look. "And a god's word means everything."
Medusa rolled her eyes. "We're not gods yet, slug. Your word means nothing."
Palutena chuckled, folding her hands behind her as she continued to stretch out the space between her shoulder blades. "Okay, you're right. But we're just so close..."
Of the two, Medusa was probably the most reluctant to their newfound lives. Sure, it was a major step up from their past lives, but no matter what, the girl couldn't seem to commit to the act of service to the gods.
"They're barely any better than humans," Medusa had muttered one day. "They bicker and argue just as we did."
"But it's such an privilege," Palutena had said. "Sure, the gods fight at times-they cause floods and famine from time to time-but typically do more good than harm..."
"It's completely ludicrous though." Medusa continued. "They have all this power-for what? They aren't much more intelligent than we are-"
"But what they lack in skill or cleverness, they make up in experience."
"...yeah," Medusa relented. "But why do THEY have all the power? And what makes US so different from the everybody else down on earth?"
Palutena hadn't been able to answer her then. But she did know one thing-that she and her sister had been chosen. They had purpose now, a direct impact on the humans of the Overworld, and the only god who was willing to direct their service in this matter was Lord Zeus-their patron and maker.
Their service to Lord Zeus, however, was one thing that Medusa never dared to question. Both sisters knew how much respect they owed the man, their gratitude towards him enormous. Beyond turning them into gods, the god had allowed them into his home and offered to be their mentors in figuring out what their powers were to be. The two, after a time, had grown to love the man, a familial sort of bond that allowed even the caustic Medusa to soften.
The two entered the Reception hall, but there was no one there. Usually Zeus was there all prompt and early to give them the instructions that they needed, but now….?
The Temple's reception room double-served as the girl's Preparation room, with a compartment for choosing their Powers and a small Weapons Altar. In the middle of it all rested an All-Seeing Eyeglass, a big dome of magical glass that was used by Zeus to check up on the girls as they were on the Overworld. It gave them a sort of peace knowing that someone was up there watching them while they were down there; a peace that was all the stronger than when they were humans praying to gods that were sometimes difficult to hear.
For all her doubting, however, living life as a god was no light matter to Medusa. She took her duties very seriously, understanding that the gravity of each of her actions now would have lasting consequences, no matter how good or evil they ended up.
Despite the responsibilities, both Palutena and Medusa could agree living life as a god was akin to living life as a mini-celebrity. Sure, no one knew who they were yet, but living in Skyworld was a bit like paradise. Delectable foods everyday, divine powers, and no aging! Also, Palutena knew that she could wake up each day looking fully refreshed, no matter how much sleep she got. And that alone-the mere fact that her body clock had stopped and she didn't have to maintain her looks 24/7-was probably worth all of the training that she and Medusa had to go through.
Because the training. Was. Relentless!
"That is because the work of god is more so."
Palutena gasped at the voice's sudden intrusion into her mind. Surprise quickly subsided when she heard a snort coming from her sister beside her, her lips clamped tightly as she tried repress laughter. Palutena felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment.
Ah, Palutena thought, so THIS is the reason why Zeus decided to arrive late. He wanted to test out our laurels.
It was an odd sensation, hearing someone else's voice in your head. She figured that, in time, she would get used to it, but for now, Zeus' spontaneous intrusion would alarm her to the point of her needing to take several moments to recover before being able to do anything else.
Zeus made his arrival then, pleased at the expression on their faces that hinted to their foreknowing of his arrival. The old, stolid god, big and heavily bearded as he was, continued his lecture to the two out loud. His voice was didactic in a way that usually made Medusa stiff with boredom. It was different coming from Zeus, however, whose voice was tender yet stern. Medusa figured that the only reason she gave the older god her rapt attention was because of the fact that she respected him and acknowledged him as the only father figure she'd had in this life or the other. "Once you both become goddesses, you will be faced with arduous demands from both your fellow gods and the humans. Your training is meant to prepare you both physically, emotionally, and mentally for the tasks ahead."
"I understand. Forgive me, Lord Zeus."
"There's nothing to forgive, Palutena." A wide smile stretched the old god's face. "I just wanted to tell you both this because your mission today may put what you have all learned to practice."
"Really? But all the mission is is to investigate some strange disappearances in Epidaurus, correct?" Medusa reiterated. Zeus nodded slowly.
"Yes, but considering that this is a task from the gods, I must advise you both to be vigilant. Humans are never to be underestimated."
The two girls lowered their heads, Palutena with discomfort and Medusa with annoyance. It was still difficult to hear the gods talk that way about humans-as though they were a separate race rather than beings whom the gods depended on as much as they did the gods.
Zeus quickly sensed their frustrations, and sudden throat-clearing allowed the girls to refocus their attentions on him. "Anyway, please be careful. And remember the Hy-rules I've taught you between the gods and humans."
Zeus didn't say anything more, and neither did Palutena nor Medusa as they looked up in puzzlement. "High rules? You mean just the rules, right?" Medusa asked.
"...yes, but...did you two to learn about the different worlds, yet?"
"Yes, but we were only taught one; Mushroom World. We were to learn about the others another time." Palutena clarified, remembering the god Dyntos telling them that any more lessons needed to wait because something had come up.
"I see. Er-never mind, then." He spread his hands out in front of him. "I would suggest using Powers for now, since you two have not been properly trained yet in the physical form. Don't get too carried away, though," Zeus said, a half smile directed at Medusa. "You will be departing for the Overworld under the guise of human sorceresses."
"That shouldn't be too hard," Medusa said, nudging her sister on the shoulder.
Palutena gave her a small smile of agreement. "But-what about these high-rules of yours you mentioned, Lord Zeus?" she questioned. "That wouldn't be from another world, now would it…?"
"Breaking the fourth wall, Palutena! Gutsy, I must say. I thought only Medusa possessed that capability."
Lord Zeus gave Medusa a wink, and the dark-haired magic user smiled smugly. Palutena, on the other hand, just regarded the two in confusion, the whole topic going quite over her head.
"The fourth wall? What . . .?"
"It's too hard to explain, slug, but I'm sure you'll get it eventually," her sister explained unhelpfully.
"Yes," Zeus agreed. "As for now, it is none of your concern and quite out of your expertise." The god pat her on the head and reared back, looking at the two. "Just promise me that you won't reveal yourselves as higher beings to the humans like last time, alright?"
"Alright," Palutena consented, her sister coloring slightly at the memory of what, exactly, went down last time. Palutena still had questions, however. "Um, but what about this fourth wall you mentioned-?"
"Another time, Palutena! I know you'll do me proud." And with that Zeus left them, leaving the lighter-haired one alone to her bewilderment.
"Come on, Tena. Let's prepare for this mission-or as much as we can," Medusa said, striding back from the Temple's Reception Room.
Palutena laughed a little as she followed. "You're right. 'Mysterious kidnappings' is almost nothing to go off of."
After descending discreetly the outside of Epidaurus' city walls, Medusa quickly weaved her magic to give the two of them a more normal appearance-one that enabled them to radiate less divine light and grace that would've caught them too much attention. They threw the palla over their heads and strolled inside.
The city itself was quiet and as the few men and women with children strolled around. It was life as usual for them and it didn't look like there was anything wrong. While Palutena took note of this with a slight frown, Medusa ignored it, deciding that it was natural that no sane person would dive right into a problem dire enough to concern the gods.
Luckily, all the less sane people tended to gather in one place; the Agora. If anyone knew if there was anything sketchy going on in the city, there would be no doubt that they could be found there. After all, the Agora not only served as a place for political and philosophical exchange, it was also the marketplace. And in if it was one they understood from their time as humans, it was that the merchants were always in the know. Just one more reason why it was their first stop.
Compared to the rest of the city, the Agora was bustling with life. Merchants were yelling offers of their wares and off the side, a philosopher was giving a small crowd a lecture.
"Wonder what nonsense he's spouting." Medusa said, smirking.
"The people seem to like it."
"Just because they do doesn't mean it still isn't nonsense."
Palutena said nothing more, seeing Medusa's point. Suddenly she was being pulled towards towards them the main circle. Palutena almost couldn't help but panic.
"Medusa! What are you doing?!"
"Relax, Tena," Medusa drawled, perfectly at ease. "I'm just going to check what's so special about this guy who's talking."
"M, don't-these are PEOPLE, remember? If they find out who we really are-!
"We've got disguises, Tena. Now come on, you're going too slow."
"Medusa-!"
Medusa only stopped when she came beside one of the standing listeners. The people in front of them seemed absolutely immersed in what the speaker was trying to say, their faces enraptured. Palutena hadn't caught all of what the man had been saying, but he was quite the spectacle. He was charismatic to a fault, prettied words charming each one of their listeners. Palutena was surprised he hadn't been born with the words "con artist" stamped on his forehead.
"That is why you must take this ointment. With it, you can even attain eternal life!"
From hearing that alone, Medusa nearly howled with laughter. She turned to see Palutena's annoyed expression, eyes trained on the philosopher. Maybe the gullible people around bought his lies, but they as goddesses-in-training knew better.
As soon as the man finished talking, the people began to surge around him with an almost manic fervor. Fists raised, they practically threw their drachmas at the speaker in return for his miracle ointment.
"Unfortunately, I did not bring enough to go around!" The speaker conceded, turning down the men and women who hadn't received their due. There was a collective groan, and the man spread out his hands in sympathy. "I'll be sure to bring more from the god's Temple tomorrow," he promised, and the people relented, backing off from the man looking only mildly dejected.
Medusa thought that after the initial frenzy for the man's miracle ointment, everyone would find their way back to their homes or otherwise continue on their way. She was surprised when she found this to not be the case; as the people approached the speaker for a purpose beyond what he happened to be selling.
She pulled Palutena along to listen in on what the people were saying to them. Some of them gave him thanks, offering him more generous gifts of fruits and textiles. Some of them asked him questions, much like one persistent older-looking fellow who had made his way up front, leaning heavily on a young, brown haired woman.
"Please, priest, how is my son doing?" the man asked urgently.
The philosopher smiled at him, teeth and all. "Your son has been doing better, but he's still very weak. But do not worry. We, the therapeutae of Asclepius, blessed by his divine knowledge, shall do all we can to help him."
Medusa's smile now was nonexistent. They knew the god Asclepius personally and they knew that he did not like to share any of his research with anyone-including the gods-and preferred to come down to various cities himself in order to heal those he deemed worthy of his help. Just the mere suggestion that the god included humans in his methodical healings made them both furiously angry.
So the philosopher was obviously lying, yet the people around him seemed to buy that he knew something. From their exchanges with the con-artist-philosopher, it sounded like they were in the same position as the old man. Relatives of sick loved ones...and they were apparently being treated by the philosopher too.
"May you be blessed by Asclepius." the con-man said as a popular parting phrase, that too-wide smile still stretching his face.
"Blasphemer!" Medusa muttered. If there was one thing that she hated most in the world, it was when someone was lying, especially when it had to do with the gods. If she could use her magic on him right now...!
"We ought to follow him," Palutena hinted to her sister as the crowd began to fully disperse. Medusa focused her gaze on the con-man, who she saw now was packing up him equipment and heading south into the rocky landscape. "Didn't he say that he was going towards a temple?"
"Yeah . . . good catch," said Medusa, and the two of them began to trail him quietly.
The asclepeion felt wrong from the beginning. Nestled beyond the city among green hills and rocky slopes, it felt abandoned, free from any sort of blessing. It gave both girls a sense of dread. Something was very wrong with this scene. That was when Palutena remembered something.
"This isn't where Asclepius built his Temple," she said suddenly.
Medusa looked at her quizzically. "Are you sure? If this isn't where he built his center for healing, then I would say it's a pretty impressive copy of it."
"I'm sure. He built his asclepeion further inland, not here. He wanted people far and wide to appreciate his gifts, not in some hidden corner where no one could find it."
Medusa didn't look so sure, but there was something off about the place anyway, something that troubled her deeply. "This place does give me the creeps. I guess we should take a look inside."
"Do you think this 'priest' and his Temple has something to do with the city's disappearances?" Palutena said, remembering their mission.
Medusa shrugged. "But as goddesses-in-training, this is something we can't overlook. That man is obviously lying about having the power of the gods. Such a blasphemous act should already be punishable in itself but he's tricking people about it too. If things keep going like this, it will give the gods a bad reputation."
"I suppose..."
"You worry too much, Tena. We can investigate this guy and do our mission, no problem." With a wave of her hand, the two girl's skins were suddenly covered in the red blisters. Their eyes were shot with a reddish tint and what resembled mucous dribbled out their noses. Palutena almost yelped. "Medusa, remember what Lord Zeus said about us using magic while amongst the people!"
"No one saw. Now, hunch over and start coughing. We have measles now."
Palutena groaned. She couldn't believe that she was going along one of Medusa's crazy ideas again, but she had a point and Palutena couldn't very well ignore the philosopher's blasphemous claims. "I'm pretty sure we would've been able to get access without these crazy disguises . . ."
"True, but what if they only admitted the sick here? Do you remember that aging man at the Agora? If he could find out for himself how his son was, don't you think he would've come up here himself?"
She slouched a little and started coughing sharply. Before they could even make it to the Temple doors, another priest leaving it noticed them and quickly approached them in concern. "You both look terrible! Have you come here to receive treatment?"
"Yes. I am Dike, and this is my sister, Agnes. No one in our home in Gerolimenas was able to find treatment there. We've been ill for weeks and no doctor has been able to treat us! We've been treated like outcasts wherever we go now... Please, help us! We hear you've been blessed by Asclepius and we are desperate!"
"Of course. We as therapeutae of Asclepius have made a solemn vow to help treat anyone in need. Please, come this way." The man who led them inside seemed sincere enough with his words. He was somber too, spending most of his time asking for more information about their symptoms than anything answering their questions about himself and the temple. Medusa was relieved to have Palutena by her side. Predictably, she knew more about having the measles than she did.
The doctor listened and wrote it all down on a paper he had on him.
Meanwhile, Medusa spent her time observing the temple. Most of the people around them looked healthy. Some coughed occasionally or walked with a few limps or had some missing limbs, but no one looked anywhere close to death's door. Maybe the Temple really was blessed by Asclepius?
Then they walked through the yard and there, Medusa felt an itch, a chilling aura at the back of her neck, even though it was still afternoon. It was coming from the forest, the weak stink of anger, grief, and sorrow. She looked around, trying to see if there was anything that would help her make sense of it all, but found nothing. It must be supernatural, she thought in alarm, and wondered if they would be able to stay until sunset so that she could better detect the souls that lingered there.
"Okay. I will prescribe you both some herbal brews to help alleviate some of the symptoms until we find a way a way to completely cure you. I will go and get another specialist to have a look at you. He has better experience in dealing with measles. Until then, please rest here."
The man escorted them to a small room, consisting of two beds and a wide window. Looking outside, Medusa could see some of the other patients gathering in the yard to exercise.
Palutena followed her view. "It's just a regular asclepeion. Nothing looks suspicious." Palutena sighed tiredly, though she was soon met with one of Medusa's eye rolls.
"I wouldn't say that yet. Didn't you notice something off?" Medusa tipped her head to the direction of the forest to hint Palutena a little.
Palutena shrugged her shoulders. "If you've got something to say, M, then just say it. You don't have to always rub your powers in my face."
"Something's off about the forest over there," said Medusa, slightly eager. "There's a deep-seated, uneasy aura about the place-restless, and bitter. We should check it out."
"What could that possibly mean?" Palutena said, dismissive. "It's not like there are ghosts over there, right?"
"That's exactly what I mean," Medusa said, her voice hushed. "And not just ghosts, even; but lemures."
Palutena sat up, looking at her in horror.
"Oh, come on! You can't possibly be surprised," Medusa teased. She poked her sister and the lighter one blushed, swatting her back. "I suppose you haven't been practicing your dark magic all that much, eh?"
"It's hard, alright? All of this about auras and emotions . . ." Palutena shivered. "I guess I did feel something as we were taking the tour with the priest. Do you really think . . . ?"
"It wouldn't hurt to go and check it out. Though, I would say that we go when nighttime falls. The better to avoid suspicion, and to better detect wandering souls."
"I guess," Palutena said, uncomfortable and evading Medusa's gaze in a way that made it apparent how unnerved the thought of restless souls made her.
"Why? You're not scared, are you~?" At that, Palutena snapped her head in surprise at Medusa, who added to her taunt by sticking out her tongue.
"What? No! Just curious!" Palutena denied vehemently. "Whatever is, I can take it on as much as you can!"
Medusa laughed. "Good. Because whatever it is, we might have to fight it once we're in. You better not run for the hills if it is a ghost. Honestly, why are you even still scared of them? We're literally one of the closest entities to the gods themselves."
"I can't help it, okay? Ghosts are unpredictable!"
"Tena, you need to grow a spine. It's not becoming of a goddess to hold such mortal fears," Medusa replied pompously.
"Tell that to the spider you nearly zapped last time." Palutena nudged her playfully and Medusa was quick to nudge her back.
"Hey, that tarantula was huge! That couldn't have been a normal tarantula! Must've been a monster of some sort."
"Right~" Palutena teased. Medusa just rolled her eyes, and off to the corner of the room she saw a shadow of some sort dart away. Medusa scowled at where it was. Something about it rubbed off on her the wrong way.
"Hey, I know! Why don't we make this interesting with a bet?" Palutena's suggestion quickly grabbed Medusa's interest. "If I beat whatever is causing darkness in the forest, you owe me some honey cake from the bakery."
"Oh really?" said Medusa, coughing out a laugh because when it came to combat, she was always the better one. Hearing Palutena actually suggest winning in one was too funny. "But if I beat it first, then you owe me a batch of loukoumades."
"It's on!" Palutena and Medusa shook on it, darting each other a competitive smirk.
When the last light of the Temple finally winked out, Palutena made sure to arm herself to be ready for anything, going over all the purifying magic she had been taught just in case. Then they concealed themselves with cloaking magic before slipping out of their rooms unnoticed.
If it was one thing Palutena had to admit now, it was how creepy the Temple was with the overstitching dim halls. The lanterns around only offered a very dim, eerie sort of illumination as the two crept about as soon as the sun went down. Everything was quiet;only the priests and guards stirring throughout the Temple with their rounds, with a former coming their way with a tired stride.
The two girls flattened themselves to the wall and allowed a Temple guard to continue none the wiser. Medusa jerked her head to the right in the direction of the Temple's back exit, towards the forest. Palutena nodded and they continued on her way.
Medusa suddenly halted in her path, an Palutena had to force herself to stop as well before she ran right into her. She made to glare at her-the exit was literally right there- until she realized that her sister must have paused for a good reason. Following her gaze she was met with a soul, transparent and floating, yet human in appearance all the same. It was substantial enough to even be a ghost, even.
Palutena's heart was thudding wildly, but she dared not say a word, lest the guards they'd just snuck past be alerted to their presence. Besides, they didn't know whether this ghost was malevolent or not. Just saying the wrong word, though, and they might be cursed.
It floated to right. The two followed it with their heads. It bobbed up and down. The two tracked it with their eyes.
Alright, this was getting to be a little ridiculous. Palutena gave the ghost a little wave, much to Medusa's annoyance.
The ghost suddenly burst a little like it let out a gasp.
"Hold up, you two can see me?!"
"Um, what do you think?" Medusa remarked sarcastically. Upon further investigation, the soul looked like it was male when it was living, with arms and torso thick enough to be some sort of soldier. His hair and eyes were dark, and his skin told of far too many days underneath the sun in his less-dead days. Nonetheless, he had a glimmer to his eyes that made him seem a bit too alive to be considered, well, dead.
"I knew it!" He held out two fingers in front of him. "You two are sorceresses, aren't you?"
"Uh...yeah. You're correct." Palutena said.
"Hey! You're that shadow I kept on seeing inside our rooms, aren't you!" Medusa said, pointed at him accusatively.
"Ah, yeah. You two were new, so I decided to . . ." The ghost shrugged his shoulders. "Do some reconnaissance."
"You were spying on us!"
"I didn't know you could see my shadow!"
"Hey! Did you hear that noise?" The light from the guard's torches shone from around the corner, and the girls panicked.
"Through here!" said the ghost, passing through a poorly-kept back door, and in a rush, the girls pushed open the wooden door into the night beyond.
XXX
"So, you say your name is Agathon?"
The three of them had escaped some yards away from the Temple's door, hidden within some leafy ferns at the base of base of the mountain. Their ghostly friend seemed nothing like the rumors of the rampant, violent lemures she'd caught wind of so far, but Medusa was as suspicious as they came.
"That's the name my mother gave to me when I was born. Unless you don't believe me?" The young man smirked at Medusa, a bit more playful than he should've been, probably, since the man was dead. "It's not like I'm hiding anything. I'm already dead."
Medusa rolled her eyes. "And you were a centurion, yes? But you had to go on leave because you were sick."
"Yes. I was brought here to be treated, since it was the closest Temple from where we were stationed last. The priests said they could heal me..." Agathon looked to ground, regretfully. Seeing as he couldn't finish, Medusa felt obliged to do it for him.
"But you died."
Agathon quietly nodded in acknowledgement. "They said they had Asclepius' blessing; that they could heal any illness."
"Sorry, but these people have no such blessing. They're as normal as any other person. Of course, that doesn't mean they don't know anything, they're just not miracle workers."
Agathon bowed his head. "I … I know. I kind of figured that some time before my death. Whenever I asked about when I was going to get better, they just smiled and said to leave it to Asclepius." Agathon let out a sad chuckle. "I guess I didn't want to acknowledge that… that it was going be the end for me. I was stupid, I know that. I just wish I had gotten to see my grandfather before I died."
"Is that why you're still here?" Palutena asked. Agathon nodded his head.
"Well . . . I guess I buy it," said Medusa, skeptical as always. She fixed Agathon with a narrow look. "But you know, you probably shouldn't be wandering the Temple's halls at night, even if nobody can fully see you. Some people may have deeper connections to the Underworld than others, and, well . . . Ghosts aren't very well liked."
"Oh, I don't mean any harm," Agathon said brightly. "I'm just trying to find my body. Besides, I'm not like-well, like any of those others . . ."
"Wait, what?" Palutena said at once. "What do you mean, 'those others'?"
"Um. Well . . . after I died, I woke up here and...it's just been weird. It's been a couple of days since I died... I figured that my grandfather might come by to claim my remains but he still hasn't shown up. I actually haven't seen my body at all. I figure I'm one of the more recent deaths . . . because there are some spirits around here that are really, really upset over being buried here for so long." Agathon looked slightly nervous. "I've come across them, and all they seem to want to do is tear those priests apart. They're so filled with rage, they aren't even intelligible anymore."
"You can't find your own body?" Now that was strange, and the little cogs in Medusa's head began to whirl. "Have you followed the priests that were taking care of you? Surely they must know what happened to your body?"
"I have, but... Well, every night, there are guards who leave through the back of the temple carrying this wagon of offerings into the forest for Asclepius. And, uh, the forest... It's evil. I can't even go near that place because there're so many restless spirits roaming there."
"Oh yeah... I guess that would be problem. Even from our rooms, we could sense the malice in the forest." Medusa sighed, trying to figure what exactly was happening. "Hey, we're actually here on a mission. Apparently some people have been going missing and our sources tell us that something supernatural is behind it."
"R-Really?" The dead soldier actually looked scared, even though . . . well, just in case the reader forgot in the past few moments, Agathon was dead. He was a ghost, for god's sake, and so he didn't really have a reason to be scared about anything. Because he was dead. "Well...some priests and patients have disappeared, but I assumed that it was their break or they were discharged while I was asleep. You think the demons in the forest are involved?"
"We don't know, but this is too big to ignore. So, I have a proposition, Agathon. You come with us the forest and we'll help you find your body."
"What? Really?" Now the ghost looked scared at of his mind. "Are you positive my body will be there?"
"No, we're not. But I guess you'll never know for sure unless you follow us, huh?" Medusa challenged.
Agathon seemed to overcome his earlier superstitions and cave. "Well . . . okay. Yeah, I'll follow you guys. B-Besides, I can't possibly leave two lovely girls to fight the demons alone, can I? I am still a soldier-you'll need my protection!"
The two girls looked at each other in amusement-as if he was going to be the one lending protection!
There they were, like Agathon had warned. The two guards that kept watch in the middle of the forest clearing looked fit enough to put up a pretty decent fight between the two of them. They didn't spot Palutena and Medusa right away, however, because there were several crates nestled between two trees that shielded them from view. But they looked easy enough to take care of. Medusa crouched between the boxes and went into the pouch that she carried around with her at all times. Coming upon the powder that she needed, she took a reasonable pinch and spread it out on the palm of her hand. Easy-peasy, Medusa thought, staring hard at the back of the guard's necks. All she needed was a bit of contact and then the powder would make them drop . . .
Medusa blew.
The reasonably well-built men dropped like stones.
"Whoa!" crowed Agathon, a harmless spectre just behind her. "How did you do that?"
"Magic-ugh!" Palutena grunted, as she and Medusa began dragging one of bodies away behind a bush. They were heavy! Palutena could only chalk it up to their brawny muscles...
"You-you didn't kill them, did you?"
Medusa gave the former soldier a deadpan look. "No, Agathon. I haven't made a spell as potent as that . . . yet."
Agathon gave a very unmanly eep! Palutena, on the other hand, fixed her sister a reprimanding look.
She sighed, "It was a sleeping spell, alright? Sheesh, you two, calm your pants . . ."
The dark haired one went to join her sister. Thankfully, moving the crates were easier, since they were absolutely empty and opening the door required nothing but the keys carried on the guard's belt.
What lay beyond the door, however, caught them off guard. There were souls everywhere. The lost souls that were more readily visible wandered as balls of flame while others took on a more human-like form like Agathon. Most, however, were filled with a rage and bitterness that filled the air which even took on . . . a more tangible appearance. These ghostly figures took on a more ghastly form; black and human-like, yet uttering feral groans. These unholy terrors were undoubtedly the lemures, the vengeful ghosts often warned that had mostly carried into legend. None of the 3 had seen even one before now, and they were about to run into of a horde of them!
"G-Ghosts! This is so creepy! M-Maybe we should go in the morning?"
"I-I agree! It's too dangerous-"
"Oh, come on, you two! It's not as if they can physically harm us. Besides, we won't be able to see them in the morning." Medusa took out some stones from pouch she had on her. "Here, one for each of you. It'll ward off the evil spirits. Now, hush!"
"Wait," Palutena said, "why didn't you give this before-"
"Ssh!" Medusa needed some peace to properly focus on their surroundings. She felt malevolence from the lemures-as expected-but they were moving in a single direction, clustering around a moving point just a good distance away. "Come on! They seem to be moving over there!"
"Medusa, slow down!" Palutena stumbled behind, following her. Agathon floated close by.
"Yeah, hold up!" Agathon said, floating at a rather sluggish pace. "Ghosts don't have legs, you know!"
Medusa lead the three to sneak past the other souls still wandering around. Agathon's input was surprisingly helpful, since he'd been trained in actually sneaking around. The trees and the shadows that they provided helped too. Technically, Medusa and Palutena could easily do the same with magic, but neither wanted to rain on his parade.
While getting closer to the centre of all dark aura, they began to notice how some of ghosts-even the lemures-did not follow the others but instead spent their time looking around the ground. They occasionally shuffled through the dirt or peeked around at trees, like little lost children who had lost their favorite toys. If she and Agathon weren't there, she might have called them cute. But Palutena already thought she was crazy, and Agathon might have fainted.
Can ghosts faint? Medusa wondered idly, giving Agathon a cursory side glance. He seems the type to faint in real life. If it weren't for the armor he had been buried in, I would say that he was lying about being a centurion.
"Lemures are said to the ghosts of those who weren't given proper burials. Maybe they're looking for their bodies too?" Palutena telepathically speculated to her sister.
Medusa didn't reply verbally, though she soon brought her hand up to grip Palutena's shoulder, as if telling her not worry so much.
Seeing this many souls, Medusa began to wonder why so many of them were here. What had happened?
The number of souls increased the farther they went into the forest, and for awhile, they stopped around an area before moving again.
Medusa hoped that the stones would really be enough to protect them if all the ghosts decided to turn on them. The only reason why nothing had happened yet was because they were all so oddly focused on whatever it was they were surrounding. Even when annoyed by the barrier of their stone, hissing at contact, they never paid it more mind than that.
"Here. They were gathering around here." Medusa told them. Palutena was still shaking, but scholar as she was, the odd barren spot in the middle of the grassy floor caught her curious interest.
The soil was turned too.
The two gave each other nervous glances, stomachs sinking. If that meant what they thought it meant . . .
Medusa bent down and began to drag the loose soil first. They didn't bury it deep. Medusa's fingers quickly caught something soft; cloth. Cotton, actually. Palutena came and helped her sister immediately, grabbing hold of the thing, which was pretty thick and heavy, dragged it out in one pull.
The object landed on the ground a low thud. When the fabric around it fell, both girls screamed suddenly in shock.
Under it was an arm. A human arm.
Looking at the rest of the half-buried lump, they quickly realized that it was a body. The face was still obscured but they could see his torso.
Medusa cursed while Agathon quickly went to inspect the body. Palutena fought a small scream, then visibly composed herself. She just barely had the resolve to go over and lift cloth covering the face. It was another man, looking to be in his forties.
"I know him! He was in the room next to me! He had intense pain in his side, and..." Agathon didn't finish. He was too shocked. "He said he didn't have long but...I guess I know now what happened to him at the end."
Palutena covered his face again, keeping her hand on his head while she uttered a prayer for him.
To everyone's surprise, both her and Medusa hadn't paid much attention to their surroundings after that. With the dozens of ghosts that wandered the area, she hadn't sensed the presence of more guards coming up right behind them until they were in hearing distance.
"I'm sorry, okay?" One of the guards said to his partner. "Just help me look fo-"
They had been spotted. Medusa and Palutena whipped around, staring in mounting fear of what in the world they would do next.
The two men seemed just as shocked to see them as well, however. Two trespassers, neither who had been at the Temple long enough to be easily recognizable? The two were in deep trouble-unless they could keep the girls from spilling the beans.
"I-I recognise them! They're the therapuetae of the temple!" Agathon choked a little. Squinting at the men's garb, they could see the telltale signs of their so-called status; the various tools and bags of powders that aided them in their duties.
But besides their clothing, what both of the goddesses-in-training were more concerned about were what the two theraputae were carting behind them.
Namely, more dead bodies.
They released the cart with a heavy thunk. "What are you two doing here?!" One of the cloaked men-the one standing frontmost-yelled.
"We should be asking you that!" Medusa rushed instinctively beside Palutena, keeping her sister close.
The thereputae frowned. "We asked first," the man on the left said, guarded.
Medusa put a hand on one hip and looked at them scrutinizingly. "You're definitely more suspicious," Palutena pointed out. "You're carrying a bunch of dead bodies!
The man on the right hastened to distract them. "Aren't you two the new ones; with measles? You shouldn't even be up-"
"They aren't sick!" the man on the left said, rolling his eyes to the sky. He seemed to have a lot more tact than his partner, who looked like he was younger and more experienced than him by a long shot. "They're just some more nosy pests!" And then, under his breath, he said, "We need to silence them now."
The younger man looked doubtful. "But-"
"You want them to run off and tell every-"
"Hey," said Medusa, waving her hand in front of her to get the two theraputae's attentions. "We're right here. We heard that."
Alright, so maybe talking wasn't a good idea at that moment. Sometimes, it was just enough to simply act. The moment the older man shifted to reach for his belt, though, Medusa dashed forward, hands clenched into a hard fist. She raised her right first, aimed right for the man's head. By all means, Medusa never expected it to make contact.
Zeus was a surprisingly good teacher in all fields of their learning. Science, politics, civics...and of course, warfare. Because there were times when diplomacy would not be expected to work. So learning to fight was of course, vital to any goddess-in-training. Hand-to-hand combat dealt with the basics and it was the thing that came most naturally to Medusa anyway. And this was not her first time dealing with someone bigger and heavier than her. She knew how they all fought with every single loss and victory burned into her mind.
So the man ducking to his right, away from her fist, was expected-too easy. He looked back to her, surprised and annoyed that she knew how to fight. He took the opening she left to her side like a fish to bait and soon he made to knock her aside from there, she stepped aside. The punch flew through the air and now his head was down closer to her, completely exposed.
The first went for his ears, stunning him momentarily and stumbling back in shock. Medusa reared back. Another punch to his other ear and another again, delivered from the right, all of them hard and vicious. With three simultanuous blows, Medusa showed him more than enough of her growing fury and watch him tumble unto to grassy floor below them.
Too nice of a place for him, she thought, ignoring the shocked and terrified yelp from the companion he had been talking with, not quivering on the ground pathetically. The other man with him, however, quickly drew a knife. He looked scared out of his mind, but nonetheless he assumed an even better fighting stance than his fallen partner. He had no plans of going easy on Medusa.
The thought almost made Medusa smile. Good. She didn't want to be looked down on. "Bring it." She almost wanted to say. But then she thought that type of taunt was a bit cheesy, even for a Kid Icarus fanfiction, so she held it.
The man rushed towards her, knife arcing out wildly. Though he was armed and she wasn't, the way he held his weapon was pretty inexperienced. She stepped aside easily and brought her fist up again to his face, knocking a tooth out once connected.
The man spat out a good amount of blood. The liquid landed right at her feet, and Medusa sneered at him. He was a little shakey from the shock, but it was obvious this man was more of a healer than a fighter. This was all defense on his side. She hoped that she could end this fight quick. Most of them usually did.
He lunged at her once more, swinging the around at Medusa, slashing the air away while Medusa dodged him idly. When he left himself open again after another eager thrust to her side,she got the opportunity to elbow him in the stomach. He crumpled immediately to ground with a groan, holding his injury with a tiny wheeze.
Medusa crouched down to dispatch the knife he still grasped in his lank grip. He kept holding his midsection in pain and looked at her in a panic."P-Please don't hurt me..."
"That depends on what you tell us." Medusa marched over with her blunt answer, and for his sake it would have to be a good explanation. "Why are you guys burying bodies here?!"
"W-We had to! They're..." He trailed off, irritating Medusa.
"They're what?!"
"Patients," he managed to spit out with a surprising amount of guilt as Palutena noticed. "from the temple! We couldn't save them-"
"And so you toss them out here to rot?" Medusa snapped. She stepped forward angrily with a look that said she probably would have killed him if Palutena hadn't jumped in when she did, shoving her back with one hand.
"Enough, Medusa! We need to hear him out!" Palutena reminded her, calming her sister down to reason. She then turned to the man. "Did their families not have enough for proper burials?"
"No, they did. But..." The man suddenly shook his head, somehow shaking more with both fear and frustration. "I'm sorry, I can't!"
Medusa had no time for this. She marched forward and grabbed him by his collar to lift him and shake some sense into him. She wanted to smother him into the dirt until he was brave enough to speak, but she didn't think that Palutena would really appreciate that."If it's your life you value, then you better make up your mind now! Tell us why you're burying bodies here without anyone knowing!"
When the man still didn't budge, Medusa figured that she speed things up a little. She might not have to resort to full-on torture, but maybe she could scare what they wanted to know out of him using fear. With a single breath, a simple summoning incantation she had memorized beforehand came pouring out, and a Mik poofed behind him, floating towards them with its huge green body and a grin on its huge mouth that bared all of its sharp teeth. The man screamed for his life, as did Palutena in shock.
"Medusa! Call that thing away!"
"Not until he talks." Medusa hoisted him closer to the Mik's mouth. It was probably too stupid to notice the man screaming in front it-it had no ears-but it did the trick in making the man finally crack with a cry.
"The priests! They made us do it! We tell the people that we can heal anything, that we're the real followers of Asclepius. If word got out that we couldn't then their influence would fall. That's why we have to get rid of the bodies!"
"You mean the evidence." Medusa had to shove those words out of her teeth. "These were people who trusted you with their lives, you ass!"
"I know!" The man, still dangling in her grip, shook his head in shame and terror. Please forgive me!"
"Wait," Palutena said hurriedly. Medusa and the thereputae looked to her, MEdusa with some annoynace and the man with unrepressed hope. "So did all the people buried here die from illnesses?" Palutena asked hastily, recalling something he had said earlier. "Because just now, you said 'some more nosy pests.' What did you mean?"
"Well? Answer her!" Medusa demanded, shaking him some more, ever closer to the mouth of the Mik. The man whimpered. "We already know people have disappearing directly from the city-healthy people who weren't ill at all." It slowly began to make sense. "There's no way no one would have noticed this. Some people started to ask questions like us, right? What happened to them?!"
Medusa didn't really need to ask. They all remembered what his companion when saw them. But they needed to hear it from him. Sure enough, "It was the temple!" the man blurted. "If we didn't do what they asked, they would have killed us!"
So it was. She and Palutena had found the source of the disappearances and the cause ended up being more human than they expected.
"W-What are you going to do with me now?"
"You lied to desperate people, took advantage of it, and murdered those who tried to expose this selfish plan. A life for a life is only fair." Medusa could think of no other fitting punishment for the coward, who practically squeaked in her grasp.
"Have mercy! I-I had no choice! I would have been killed if I didn't comply!"
"So not once during your entire time there, you weren't safe?" Medusa asked. "Even when you had to go out or see patients off or when you talked to tell their loved ones about them?
"Ah..."
"I thought so. Even if you're just a grunt, you're as guilty them!"
"Please! I have a family! A mother and father-"
"So did these people!"
"Medusa, enough! We're just here to find out what was going on! The only thing we can do now is to leave the Temple's members to be punished by the people in the town. They're victims too. It's their right to judge them how they see fit."
"Tch..." Medusa hated it when her sister was right. She gave the man one hard, cold glare, then threw him down, making sure it hurt. He scrambled away, crying like a child.
With a stoic face, Palutena approached the man. "We've spared you for now. Go back and tell the public the truth or we will come back for you."
"Y-Yes! I'll do that! Thank you!" He cried before fleeing, running away so fast that was soon gone completely from their views.
"You're way too nice, Palutena." Medusa muttered, snapping her fingers and the Mik away, back into the Underworld.
Her statement, however, tipped the last of Palutena's already thin patience. "And you're too aggressive! What were you thinking?! Summoning an Underworld monster against a human?!"
Medusa's anger surged back quickly, turning to her sister to meet her fierce glare. "What? It's not like I was going to let it actually eat him. How else would we get him talk?"
"A number of ways! A lot which don't consist of use using our divine powers against humans! It isn't right!"
"But isn't it part of a god's job to keep people in line and punish those who've wronged? I'd say a little scare was in order. And again, it's not like anything happened. Who'll believe him that a girl summoned a monster?"
"That isn't the point! You shouldn't use your powers against someone weaker than you!"
"Fine! Sorry! It won't happen again." Medusa huffed. She didn't want to waste time arguing with her. When she turned away, she finally noticed Agathon, standing awkwardly next to the half-dug up corpse with eyes kept fixedly away from the sisters.
Oh.
"So, um . . ." Palutena frowned, trying to think of a way to explain this to a human. "We're goddesses."
"Goddesses-in-training," Medusa clarified. Palutena rolled her eyes. Like it mattered so much.
That made Agathon pause to think, returning to looking down at the other unfortunate soul beneath him. It occurred to him then that his body might have ended up the same way somewhere, possibly eaten by wild animals by this point.
"I guess it makes sense that you would conceal your identities," Agathon said, growing thoughtful. "I didn't think I'd ever see a god while I was still living. Well … I mean . . . . I'm not actually living, am I ?" He gave a little half-hearted chuckle. His eyes were downcast, however.
Palutena and Medusa looked at each other, unsure of what to say to the former centurion. Agathon rose to the occasion then, sensing their unease."Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I mean, I guess I should have figured this out sooner." He gestured to the forest clearing, at the cart that the theraputae had left behind and at the mounds of dirt that hid bodies from sight. He finally looked back up to Medusa and Palutena. "What do you guys think will happen now?"
"The cult of Asclepius will lose its footholding on this town for sure. After that, I'm sure the people will come after the priests and make them pay for their lies." Palutena replied, taking some relief in the justice that the scheming theraputae of the fake Temple would be subject to. Agathon couldn't say the same, though, still looking down.
"Hey, don't worry. I'm sure that when everything comes to light, the people of the town will come and investigate this forest and give the bodies back to their families. They'll come and find your bodies and give you the proper burials you all deserve." Palutena tried to give him a pat on the back, though it just fazed through. Still, Agathon looked like he appreciated the sentimentality and looked slightly better.
"I hope so. Maybe then, all these souls can move on."
"What? You hope?" Medusa said in jest and feigned hurt. "We promised we'd help hind your body, remember? With our help, your body will be found in no time and you can focus on getting through the Underworld."
"Ah, of course. Thank you, both of you." He said, bowing to the two. It was strange to see a ghost bow, and especially to beings like them, who weren't very far along in their training as all that. But neither complained. It felt good.
Palutena suddenly had a thought. "We should head back and report to Zeus about this! He needs to know what's happened right away!" She glanced apologetically at Agathon, though he didn't look concerned.
"Well, you both you should hurry then. I'll be eagerly awaiting your return here."
"Of course! We gods-or at least god trainees-always keep our word." Medusa confidently assured.
Palutena was a hugger. Medusa knew that she felt compelled to give the man a hug, especially after all that they had been through. But the man was a ghost, and a hug wouldn't have had much effect on either of them. Eventually, her sister went through all of that mental rationalization and decided to wave Agathon goodbye. Medusa followed suit, and she thought Agathon looked a lot more at peace and a little more confident than they'd ever seen him loook before when they finally left him in a glowing beam of heavenly light.
"And that concludes our report." A full day and a half later, Palutena and Medusa stood in front of Lord Zeus, their paperwork for the details and particulars of their latest missions complete at last. Medusa didn't know why they had to scribe down every single detail in the histories that Zeus kept for himself-it had always seemed like a waste of time to her. She wasn't going to complain to Zeus' face, though. She might bitch about it later to her sister later, however.
Palutena handed in the last of the papers. Zeus took them and nodded at their contents sagely, while Medusa grew antsy just standing there and waiting. Suddenly a question popped to mind. "If I may ask, what will happen to those fake doctors?" Medusa asked. Zeus stood then, silently gesturing for them brought them to follow him. He brought them to his fountain, stationed at the centre of the marbled room. With a wave, their reflection on the water's surface changed to show different images. Some people were huddled on the forest ground while others were travelling along the roads. The more unluckier ones, however, were being attacked by a small mob or confined in a cell.
"Word of their deceit has been made known to even the cities beyond that of _. The public reaction is what you would expect." The images vanished at Zeus's command. "Some who foresaw this disaster fled. Those that remained were lynched by some of the citizens. Some lucky few were arrested before the mobs could get them. However, I still foresee much blood to still be shed. They will not be punished lightly. If likely, they'll be made examples of via execution."
Palutena was taken aback by what she had seen and heard. She knew that things would get bad but to see people resorting to such brutality came as a shock.
Medusa, however, felt nothing short of relieved. "Serves them right. I just hope those who ran will get what's coming to them."
"Medusa!"
"What? It's true!"
"Still, they're people! They must have had their reasons. At they very least, they should be given the right to explain themselves and be treated as such. Not hunted down and like animals."
"Listen to yourself, Palutena! Those people lied to and took advantage of the weak just for power. Why should they be treated well when they couldn't even care less about their fellow men?"
"Enough, the both of you." Zeus hushed the girls, trying to calm both of them. "What happens to them should not be of concern to either of you anymore. The lives of these people now hang on their society. They'll be judged by the people, as it should be. It isn't right for us gods to always intervene into their matters."
The two girls grumbled to themselves, a little cross at his wishy-washy answer. But it wasn't like there was anything they could do about the situation anyway. "Now, why don't you both head back and rest? You've both had a long day."
"Actually, we'd like to go back down again." Medusa replied, politely declining his offer. "We promised a friend to help him look for something."
"Can we?" Palutena batted her eyes fast like a kitten pleading to its master. "He helped us out so it's only right we help him."
Zeus chuckled at the two girls. "I see no problem. And anyway, seeing as you are training to become the goddess of the Underworld, helping souls to move on will be a good experience for you Medusa."
"Thank you!" Both girls bowed to show their thanks, a little too hastily in their eagerness.
"Now, now. It's fine." Zeus said. "Though I must insist, at least rest for the night. I don't want either of you to drop dead from exhaustion."
"I guess. We'll tell Agathon we'll help him tomorrow then." Medusa completely ignored the joke and Palutena's snickering.
"Then I'll go and start making some burial gifts for him. That way, he'll be able to go through the Underworld safely."
The two girls left the room with barely a second glance to Zeus, the aging god blinking after them, wondering at their excitability and enthusiasm.
"Maybe I should convince Agathon to join the Underworld Army," Medusa mused once they were out of earshot of the mentor god. "It'll be nice having something with an actual brain!"
"Wha- You can't do that! Medusa!" Palutena said, turning to her sister in shock.
Medusa laughed at her sister's reaction. "Kidding, Tena. Just kidding."
Translations/Explanations:
Greek burial traditions: It was said that the Greeks needed to bury their dead so that their souls could have safe passage into the Underworld. Anyone who wasn't given a proper burial was seen as a disgrace.
Lemurs: a small rat-like creature only found in Africa.
Lemures: restless spirits in Ancient Rome that were said to posses dark humors because they weren't given proper burials.
Loukoumades: a type of dessert that originated in parts of Greece, Cyrus, Turkey. It's basically fried sugar dough sprinkled with honey syrup and cinnamon. Aaaaand now I'm hungry.
Epidaurus: A small city in Greece and was said to be the birthplace of Asclepius. For this story, the girls know Asclepius personally and know that he wouldn't like humans praising his name and doing things without him. According to the story, Epidaurus' Temple wasn't blessed, though at it's peak in the Grecian ancient world, it was so luaded for its healing practices that it was seen as blessed by the ancient god himself.
Drachmas: general currency for Greece until the introduction of the euro, composed of silver, gold or a combination of the two; literally means 'handful'
Asclepius: The son of Apollo and the god of medicine. He was killed by Zeus after he began using his knowledge of healing to raise the dead, causing disorder in the Underworld.
Asclepeion: a healing temple, sacred to the god Asclepius. It also acted as a hospital for the people. The most popular one is located in real-life Epidaurus, Greece.
Therapuetae: Priest of Asclepius and said to have healing powers. They don't, but did act as doctors to those seeking treatment in the asclepeion.
A/N: Thank you for reading! And a shout out to Monolaymoo, who wrote most of the rough draft! I scrounged out the idea for this like a year ago, and didn't get it to paper until I discussed it with Monolaymoo something like three months ago. If you like it, stay tuned! Hopefully it won't take all that long to get the next chapter out . . .
And for those following with my other "Kid Icarus: Uprising" story, "The Chaos Mark", don't fret! I'm committed to finishing it. I've just been swamped with homework.
This chapter was incredibly fun to write, however :) If y'all would like to see some gods make it in this story, I'll see if I can make it happen! I love OCs with a passion, and use inspiration from gods ranging from the Aztec pantheon to the Greek one.
See you soon!