A gorgon's retelling
Chapter 1: A daylily routine/reality/Perseus
It was another boring day for Medusa (Natallia Vodinova Medusa) the gorgon she had been in her hideous form for years. She was now 19 ever since the day she became a gorgon. The day her innocence was taken by Poseidon and was punished by Athena. She looked at herself. She was different. She had a serpent like body more than 15 feet long. Two small metal plates cover her breasts. A strap goes over her stomach to a quiver on her back which was full of poisonous tipped arrows from her own blood on her left shoulder was her bow. Besides her ability to petrify a man in their tracks she often uses her bow and arrow.
She knows if her head is removed, that person welds a powerful weapon. One too great for mortals. She has no choice but to kill every single man that comes for her head. Either with her arrows or her ability to turn men to stone. Or a combination of the two. She sighed revealing her mouth where her normal canines used to be now they were sharp fangs and her tongue was now almost snake like. Even though she can turn men to stone her ability now affects woman even though they are prohibited to see her. But the most frightening thing is her hair nothing but venomous snakes her eyes were reptile like yellow with rather attractive emerald green color with a snake like pupil in the middle. Her upper half had tan like scales but when felt it feels like normal skin. Though she may look different on the outside her anatomy was the same as human. She had a normal human lungs, heart, liver, stomach, and brain but everything below her pelvis turned into a snake stomach. On the back of her tail was a rattle that would detect humans without her having to. Though where her human half met her snake half there was a vertical slit but it was covered by her scales.
Somehow she still had the radiant beauty she had as a human.
Today was simple "Do not allow anyone to claim your head" she waited perched on her pillar. Her rattle began to rattle. Immediately she was alert. She looked around and saw five humans. She looked at them. The three of them looked like they were adults but one looked younger. Younger than her in fact. "Guys why do you want me here?" he asked. His voice was young. "Well we need a test subject slave." The older said. The younger boy had short black hair and big brown eyes. "If you talk again… we will do it again." He threatened. The gorgon gasped she could tell these men did sinful things to the boy, who looked like he was only seven. "Besides." The other said. "Once we get the head we will let you go." The other man said. "You said I was going to be the first she kills." The boy said.
"I don't care." The man said. The boy was backhanded. "Listen." The man snapped. "Shut up." he said. They boy backed up and glared. "No." he said. The men started to beat him. "Well time for your punishment." The man said. He began to pull the boys tunic down until he was naked. "I will make it painful." He said. Just as he was about to do the horrors a rattle echoed. "What was that?" he asked. "She's here." He said. Suddenly one of his men screamed in agony before falling face first to the ground dead.
An arrow was imbedded in his back. "She is here." He said. A loud mocking feminine laugh broke the silence. "Keep your eyes down." He said. They all moved apart. The gorgon set her eyes on the farthest. The man heard the rattle again. "Eyes down." He said to himself a few more rattles and laughs later he snapped. "WHERE ARE YOU!?" he yelled. He heard a slither from the pillar a creature. It was her Medusa! She lunged at him her face turned animalistic her fangs enlarged and her eyes glowed a golden color. He screamed as his body turned to stone. His body fell and shattered. The gorgon grinned. One by one the men were killed until the leader. She noticed the man behind the boy who was shivering. She took out her bow and pointed an arrow at the man behind the boy. "Child." The boy gasped Medusa talked. She sounded young but pretty. "Close your eyes." She said. The man grabbed the child as he closed his eyes. Suddenly the boy shrieked in pain. He looked down to his horror the tip of the man's sword was protruding from his stomach. The pain was unbearable. Tears streamed down his face. He sputtered causing to blood spatter near the gorgon. The man smirked. "You were always useless." He said. "Now you." He said to the furious gorgon. "Come over here." He said. Suddenly she lunged at him the boy came out of his grip. The young man 18 gasped as Medusa wrapped her coils around him. "Wait." He begged. "NOO!" he screamed. Medusa scowled at the coward. Her face morphed into a snake like face. Her eyes glowed again and her fangs enlarged her hair of snakes snapped their jaws at the man.
The man's blood turned to sand, his skin turned to stone. He was nothing now but a statue with a look of horror and fear in his final moments. She nodded and looked at the dying child. She picked up the boy. His arms outstretched blood poured from his mouth and wound on his stomach he was whimpering. "Open your eyes." She said in a soft kind voice. He did. With a soft hiss the boy was put out of his misery. She sighed. Poor child didn't deserve this no child does. She didn't want this statue in her collection. She looked at it the boy looked so peaceful his mouth partly open it didn't look like he was afraid. She went to the cliff and threw the statue off where it fell 100 feet to the ground bellow shattering it to dust. "Please gods watch over this poor boy." She said sadly and went back to her home.
When she got there she looked around for the first time in years realizing just how alone she was. Only thing that kept her company were the hundreds of statues all over the place. She hated it this was no way to live. She wanted to die. The stark reality hit her hard.
The next day a young man the age of 18 came alone he was wearing Hades helmet of invisible he had long brown hair and brown eyes. But the Gorgon could sense where he was. She just sat there thinking her eyes closed her arms crossed and upon her snake body. She knew he was in front of her backing up with a shield to protect himself from her gaze. "If you want to kill me go ahead." She said. "You want my head to defeat an army?" she asked. The man stopped his sword. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Is it not obvious you want my head." She said. "For what reason?" she asked. "It is none of my concern." He said. The snake woman sighed. "Then be done with it." She said. "Kill me please." She said. The man was just about to do it when she said that. "Why would a gorgon want to be dead?" he asked. She chuckled. "Foolish human." She said. "You know nothing of suffering." She said. "Please do it." She said. He raised his sword again but something in his mind stopped him.
A gorgon wishing for death? And why does the gorgon sound young if the "incident" happened over fifty years ago. The gorgon should also be old but he could see her face in his shield. She definitely looked young maybe even a teenager. He raised again he saw her eyes clench tighter waiting for the pain. The look made him stop she was awaiting it. He couldn't do it. This is Medusa the Gorgon. The creature that can kill a man with a simple gaze. A vicious mindless monster that will kill without mercy. He also noted that she had arrows in her quiver. He guessed that turning men to stone can get boring so killing them with weapons can help.
He couldn't do it. He came all this way for her head now he doesn't want to take her head to save his mother from marrying a tyrant king.
"Do it." She said. "I will not fight." She said. "Are you doing this for power?" she asked. "Killing an entire army?" she asked. "For my mother." He said. "Ah a noble thing." She said. "Now kill me take my head." She said. "I can't." he said. Her eyes opened with shock. From the reflection of the shield the man gasped the eyes were rather attractive sure they were reptile like but they had human emotions in it. They were a yellow color with emerald green and a small slit shaped pupil in the middle. "Why not?" she asked. "I dare you to turn around." She said. "What no!" he yelled. "Just do it." She said. "If you believe you will be petrified then why am I not turning around?" she asked. "Do I look like I want to kill you?" she asked. The man turned around to his surprise he gazed up at her face it was human. He noticed her teeth were pearly white but her canines were more snake like than a human canine. He was alive! He wasn't dead. "How?" he asked.
"My ability is greatly exaggerated." She said. "Yes I can turn people to stone even woman but it's an ability that I can control." She said. "But if you cut off my head." She motioned a neck slice. "My ability can no longer be controlled and anyone that looks at it will be turned to stone." She said. "What's your name mortal?" she asked. "Perseus." He said. "Can you leave?" he asked. "Yes but I cannot." She said. "Look at me." She said. "I'm a freak a monster I killed a child!" she yelled. "I can't leave." She said. "Athena hates me she wants me to live alone." She said.
"Look." The man said it was rather odd speaking to a gorgon. "You can come with me." He said. "Like I said Perseus I was banished here by Athena for disobeying her." She said. "When she should have punished the god who mounted me and claimed my innocence right in front of her statue!" she yelled in pure anger. Perseus remembered the story about her.
She was once the most beautiful woman in Greece until Poseidon god of the sea raped her. Because Athena couldn't punish someone higher than her she turned her fury on Medusa and turned her into a monster. In reality it was a tragic story. "Athena had no choice." Perseus said. Medusa snarled.
He shielded his eyes as he heard a shriek. When he opened them he saw a few petrified birds fall all around him. "She did have a choice." Medusa snarled. "What sense does it make for a woman to deserve this punishment?" she asked. "I don't know." Perseus. "Why don't you just leave?" Perseus asked. "No Athena banished me here yes I can leave but she will kill me." She said. "Not if your with the son of Zeus." He said. Medusa raised an eyebrow before groaning. "Great." She said. "Zeus will not allow Athena to harm a friend of his son or daughter." He said. The gorgon sighed. "I haven't left this cave for 30 years." She said. "I don't know what the sun even looks like." She said. "Just come and." He thought. "I can help you redeem yourself." He said. Medusa looked at him. "I have longed that." She said. "Redemption is something I cannot get." She said. "I have come to accept it." She said. "Then help me my mother will be married off to a tyrant." He said.
"You want to kill the tyrant with my head." She said in a deadpan voice. "Yes." He admitted. "But you can come with me and help." He said. He raised out his hand. Medusa thought and sighed. She took off her razor sharp glove and gripped his hand and shook it. "Your skin feels human." He said. "While my skin may look rugged it isn't." she said. putting the metal glove on.
"So you are coming." He said. "Only." She said. "To stop a tyrant." She said. "After that I will return." She said. Perseus sighed. This poor woman really has gotten used to being alone. He is going to change it. He has at least a week to return to stop the marriage and Medusa is no flying creature.
"Well let's get going." He said. The gorgon yelled and the two head towards the entrance of the cave. The two now in friendship that will pass time.
End of chapter 1. Looks like this has turned into something. Hope you've enjoyed see ya.