The sun was barely peaking over the horizon, the cold morning ever so gently beginning to warm. Isaac and the others were trekking a path going up Mount Olympus, Amphios leading the way. Despite his blindness, he had no need for a cane to help him lead his way, deftly navigating the path as if he had perfect sight.
"This way, friends. I have navigated this path enough times, I know every bend, every drop, and every rise. Many friends, and many enemies, have been made on these paths." Amphios said, taking a small hop down a drop in the path.
"You remind me of my own father, Amphios. He, too, was blind. Yet, he could hear the world around him, his ears acting as his eyes." Isaac commented.
"I am sorry to say, but I have no ability like that. I am a clairvoyant. I see into the future, since I cannot see the present. All it takes is a few seconds to see where I am going." Amphios responded.
"Fascinating! So, you look into the future, but you only use a small margin of time to act almost as if you can see now? That's ingenious!" Rotor exclaimed.
"A tactic of old Tiresias himself! If only he had done so to avoid those snakes the first time." Hermes commented.
"Snakes? What does snakes have to do with it?" Bunnie asked, not familiar with the tale of Tiresias.
"It's a bit of a long story, if I were to tell it properly. But if you find two joined snakes, it's best to let them be and avoid them." Hermes answered.
As they trekked the old paths, Amphios' head was jerking around as if on ball bearings, as if he wasn't sure of what was around him at times. Suddenly, he held his arm out, stopping the others from continuing forward.
"What's wrong?" Antoine asked, before being shushed by Amphios. His head jerked to a large shrub, gently moving.
"We're being hunted!" Amphios quietly exclaimed, backing everyone up from the shrub. Slowly, a large lion's paw exited from the shrub, soon revealing itself to be a Sphinx! It had the body of a lion, but its head was that of a human woman. She sat herself in front of Amphios, blocking the path towards Olympus.
"Amphios… it has been a great while since you have walked upon dry land… and a greater while since I have attempted to taste of your flesh." The Sphinx said, salivating.
"I have no quarrel with you, Navasi. You and I both know you cannot harm us while the riddle remains unanswered." Amphios responded.
"You cannot answer, Amphios. You already know of my riddles. But your companions have never faced against me before. They shall decide your fate." The Sphinx said. Amphios nodded, stepping aside for Isaac and the others to walk forward. Isaac approached the Sphinx, having heard many stories of these creatures and their love for riddles. And of course, their love for eating those unfortunate to answer wrong.
"Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came sweetness." The Sphinx riddled. Isaac smirked, already knowing the answer, a riddle Samson from the Old Testament had asked the Philistines.
"The answer is honey. Honey from the carcass of a dead lion." Isaac answered. The Sphinx scowled at him, moving aside to allow Isaac to pass. Isaac joined Amphios, Antoine walking up to the Sphinx for her next riddle.
"Mankind it mars, speech it hinders, yet speech it will inspire." The Sphinx riddled. Antoine straightened himself, remembering it as something an old friend of his once said.
"The answer is ale." Antoine simply said, walking past the Sphinx. Rotor was next, relying on his own intellect to carry him.
"Who is this father who has twice six sons? These sons have thirty daughters apiece, particolored, having one cheek white and the other black. They never see each other's face nor live more than twenty-four hours each." The Sphinx riddled. Rotor closed his eyes, running the riddle through his mind for several seconds, before coming up with the answer.
"The year. It has twelve months. Each month has thirty days, and each day has a morning and a night, and never occur at the same time. And these days never last more than twenty-four hours each." Rotor answered, the Sphinx becoming angrier as Rotor passed her to the others. Bunnie was next, looking nervous about answering riddles, something she was not very confident in.
"This thing all things devours. Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; gnaws iron, bites steel; grinds hard stones to meal; slays kings, ruins town, and beats mountains down." She riddled, eyeing the look of confusion on Bunnie's face. She didn't know what the answer could be, feeling the eyes of the Sphinx begin to drill into her, her salivating mouth beginning to flood with hunger! She began to step closer to her, her claws erupting from her paws, ready to attack her upon her incorrect answer!
"Wait! Please! Listen, I just need more time!" Bunnie exclaimed, before the Sphinx stopped in her tracks!
"What?! What did you just say?!" The Sphinx asked, almost horrified! Bunnie backtracked her own words, before realizing what the answer was.
"Time! The answer is time!" Bunnie announced, before the Sphinx scowled, begrudgingly allowing Bunnie to pass, to which she quickly ran to Antoine and collapsed into his arms.
"Looks like another missed meal, Navasi. Better luck next time." Amphios ridiculed, leading the others forward. Navasi growled, quickly leaping into the foliage, disappearing from sight.
"How did you know we would be able to answer the riddles?" Rotor asked, noticing Amphios didn't look concerned while they were answering for their own lives.
"My vision of the future assured me you would all make it unscathed through the encounter. But that is also why I keep myself alert. The future has many possibilities, and I cannot always be sure of which future we will experience. Thankfully, that was the best-case scenario." Amphios explained.
"What was worst-case?" Bunnie asked.
"Being blasted off the path by one of Zeus' thunderbolts. But right now, we should be safe for the duration of our trek." Amphios answered, continuing to lead the others ahead.
"Should? That doesn't really give me much comfort." Isaac responded, his hand gripping his sword.
5 Hours Later:
Amphios was peering into a cave, the only entrance that would take them up towards the summit of Olympus where the Gods resided. Isaac was looking out for anymore creatures, not knowing what to expect, himself not quite having a broad knowledge of dangerous creatures in the Greek theology as much as other theologies.
"What can we expect in there?" Rotor asked, not knowing what the path holds for them. Amphios shook his head, not looking forward to the possible future.
"My own past. If my visions are true, you will need to use blindfolds." Amphios answered, handing them all blindfolds.
"Blindfolds? What could be in there to require blindfolds?" Antoine asked, donning his own. Isaac overheard, already knowing what would require such measures.
"Gorgons." Isaac commented, Amphios confirming his suspicion by nodding. The others quickly put them on, heeding Amphios warning.
"Fortunately, my blind state renders me immune to their unfortunate curse. I will tie a rope around each of your waists, using it as a way to keep you on track while we walk through the cave." Amphios said, producing a long piece of rope from his pack. He began tying them around their waists, before tying it around his own.
"I'm unfamiliar with gorgons. What is it about them we need to be blindfolded?" Bunnie asked. Amphios hesitated, finding it hard to talk about it.
"It… it all started with Medusa. She was once a priestess of Athena, caretaker of her temple in Athens. One day, Poseidon… he…" Amphios began to explain, before he began choking on his own tears. Choking them back, Amphios continued.
"It was terrible, what he did to her. Athena saw her temple being desecrated by the act. But in her twisted logic, since she could not punish Poseidon… she instead made Medusa the brunt of her vengeance! Her hair became serpents, her own gaze able to turn those who look into her eyes into stone! She and her sisters, those affected by Athena's curse… they dwell in this cave, isolating themselves to protect those in civilization." Amphios finished.
"By Elohim! Poseidon… he forced himself onto her, didn't he?" Isaac questioned, not remembering such a tale. Amphios reluctantly nodded, before looking back into the cave.
"The Gods have twisted Medusa's story, making her into a monster. I know her well. She is in pain, my friends. In pain from her isolation. Her self-sacrifice… and I abandoned her when she needed me the most." Amphios said, before leading the others into the cave.
"Abandoned her?" Antoine asked, not quite understanding.
"Listen, I do not want to talk about it. Right now, we just need to get through the cave, and we will be at the summit in no time." Amphios said.
As they walked, Isaac's ears adjusted to the surrounding ambience, beginning to sense outlines around him, almost as if he could 'see'. Soon, the narrow pathways and formations of the cave were clear to Isaac. He began to understand just how his father could see the world around him. As they walked, they began to hear foreign footsteps, emanating from a large chamber in the cave. Amphios stopped them, 'seeing' three figures in the chamber. It was furnished with ancient Greek furniture, gold and silver ornaments hung everywhere. It was more livable than a lot of caves Isaac had explored before. Soon, one of the figures marched towards Amphios, Isaac sensing its stride to harbor rage.
Suddenly, the figure swiftly slapped Amphios across his face, a large red mark remaining.
"Hello, Medusa. You look well, according to my visions." Amphios said, his voice sounding nervous. Medusa, wearing an ancient Greek dress, placed her hands on her hips, not amused by his sudden appearance. The serpents that made up her hair were tensed up, not seeing Amphios as a welcome presence.
"How dare you show up here?! It's been 2,500 years, you leave without even a note on the nightstand, and now you decide to come here?!" Medusa yelled, outraged! The others began to piece together her outbursts, beginning to realize Amphios wasn't 'just a friend' of hers. Amphios was nervously scratching the back of his head, his throat aching from the situation.
"Medusa, please! I wouldn't have come here if it was not of dire consequence!" Amphios pleaded, only being met with another hard slap from Medusa.
"So, you didn't come here to make any kind of amends! You came here for your own selfish needs! Well, I'm not interested! You can just turn around and go back to whatever waters of ill repute you came from! I'm not interested in helping you!" Medusa yelled, before walking back to the other two figures.
"Medusa, hear my pleas! The Gods of Olympus are becoming stronger than ever intended! We have come to stop Zeus from enacting his intervention in the affairs of mortals!" Hermes pleaded, drawing Medusa back. She looked down, seeing the head of Hermes attached at Isaac's belt.
"Hermes, is that you? I haven't seen you for many Millenia! And if I remember correctly, you did attempt to help me in days passed. But why would I help you overthrow your own father?" Medusa questioned.
"Zeus is not the God Olympus needs anymore! He is nothing but a tyrant and a fool! And I remember how unjust your fate is!" Hermes answered. Medusa's hair tensed up once again, showing her anger at remembering Athena, the one who had cursed her so terribly!
"Medusa, please. I… I am terribly sorry! I just couldn't keep myself here, seeing the pain you had to experience every day, suffering because of what Poseidon forced you through." Amphios said, causing Medusa's hair to relax. Medusa blinked a few times, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. She wiped them away, the memory of that day forever sealed within her mind.
"That pales in comparison… to when I had awoken that morning, finding you gone. The one I had confided to… just gone from my life." Medusa said, tears rolling freely. Amphios, in a moment of clarity, quickly embraced her, shedding tears of his own. Medusa soon returned the embrace, holding each other. It wasn't until a few moments later did Rotor break the silence.
"What is happening right now?" Rotor asked, still blindfolded.
"Reconciliation. So, be quiet for a few more moments." Hermes answered. Eventually, they released each other, Medusa more willing to listen to Amphios.
"The hedgehog may not look like it, but I can see his part in Zeus' downfall. But none of that can happen if we cannot reach the summit. And I promise you… the break of you and your sisters' curse can only come to fruition if Zeus is no longer in power." Amphios explained. Medusa suddenly stepped back, her hand touching the right side of her face. She quickly walked to an old mirror, one that she had taken from the Temple of Athena she once served. The curse she and her sisters have borne over thousands of years have left their mark, almost as if they couldn't remember their true form.
"I fear it's too late for us, Amphios. Thousands of years have passed since Athena unjustly cursed us. If the curse could be lifted, I doubt we would survive. And I know your vision sees that as a possibility." Medusa responded.
"Take the chance, Medusa!" Stheno exclaimed, one of Medusa's sisters, who threw down a handwoven blanket. She quickly walked to the others, looking angry.
"I'm tired of living in a cave, sis! Granted, I love hanging out with you and Euryale all the time, but I'm frustrated of needing to be cloaked completely when I want Souvlaki!" Stheno said.
"But we could die! If the curse is lifted, we might just crumble to dust!" Medusa exclaimed.
"I mean, that wouldn't be the worst thing to happen. We're thousands of years old! We were never meant to live this long!" Stheno argued. As the two sisters argued, Amphios unhooked a canteen from his belt, drinking from it. He knew it could be a while until they would agree on a side of the matter, having been around them when they would argue.
"We may be here for a while. Unfortunately, time is a commodity we do not have available to us." Amphios commented, before taking out a small knife. He made a quick, shallow cut into his hand, putting the knife back into its sheath. He leaned himself against the wall of the cave, before quickly exclaiming in pain, acting as if he had cut his hand on the wall. Medusa and Stheno stopped arguing, seeing Amphios was bleeding.
"Amphios! You're bleeding!" Medusa exclaimed, quickly tearing off a thin strip of cloth from her dress, using it to stop the bleeding on Amphios' hand.
"It is alright, Medusa. Just snagged my palm on the wall of the cave. It is nothing." Amphios lied.
"Stheno, can you guide the others towards the summit? I need to properly bandage up Amphios." Medusa asked, before leading Amphios towards her chamber, Stheno grabbing the rope from Amphios and using it to lead the others deeper into the cave.
"So… Hermes, when did you become a severed head?" Stheno asked, trying to make conversation as she led them towards the opening to the summit.
"Oh, about 3,700 years ago. Zeus decided that me speaking against him when he had spoken of expanding his power to other realms was worthy of losing my body." Hermes explained.
"Zeus… and to think we once worshipped that heartless bastard. Him, and that frigid bitch, Athena! But it all goes back to Poseidon! If I saw him here, I would show him just what I can do!" Stheno ranted, reflecting her hatred of the Greek Gods.
"They all will get their comeuppance. But that cannot happen while we are here. Are we almost to the summit?" Hermes asked.
"Almost. Just a few more steps." Stheno answered. As Isaac walked, he could feel fresh air hitting his face, the sound of birds chirping. They were nearing the opening to the summit.
"Alright, this is where we part. Wait a few minutes before taking off your blindfolds. Amphios will most likely stay behind. If Poseidon saw him plotting against him as well as Zeus, he would most likely kill all of you before given a chance to speak." Stheno explained, before proceeding to make her leave.
"Thank you, Stheno. I promise you; I will make them pay for what they did to you, Medusa, and Euryale." Hermes said, before seeing Stheno disappear into the darkness.