The sun rose at the horizon, its warming rays reflecting inside the morning dew on top the short yellow grass on the rocky temple grounds. Another peaceful day began on Sarpedon.
“Give it back!” Eugenia insisted loudly and kept swiping her hands after something held up above her head.
“I will not allow you to eat one more fish until you learn to gut them.” Medusa replied with a cold voice. She could raise her torso high enough to let the reddish fish dangle high above the girl’s head.
“I would be happy if I didn’t have to eat any fish at all! But bellies don’t fill themselves.”
“That is your own fault for being a human.”
“You are pure evil!”
“Exactly, so give up.” Medusa was tired of dangling the fish up and instead threw it so hard that it was flung back into the ocean. Eugenia stretched her hand after it in despair.
It was a pretty good act, but Medusa could tell she was secretly relieved not to have to swallow any more stinking, half-burned seafood. Her face was already shifting back to… stone-like rigidness?
“This is?” The girl wondered quietly as she pushed her hand into Medusa’s chest. While stretching she had hit it accidentally.
“My breast.” She replied neutrally.
“Where are your clothes?” The priestess asked with a twitchy expression.
“I wear none.” It was an odd question, wasn’t it?
Eugenia’s face turned beet red. “Y-you have no shame, do you?”
“Why should you care? You cannot see me anyway.”
“It is a matter of principle! So whenever you were attacked by those valiant men, you were-”
“Nude? Yes.”
“I see.” Eugenia put a hand to her face and sighed.
“Do you have any objections? Nudity is nothing strange even among humans. Many a warrior has challenged me naked as well.”
“That’s different. Men are different!”
Medusa squinted her eyes in annoyance. This girl had double standards as well it seemed.
“To battle in the nude is to show our primal and natural strength. Nothing should interfere in such a battle. That is why many men wear nothing during sports and athletics. But as a civilized culture we have risen above such a primal display in all other areas. The great and wise Athena has always asked a certain dress code of her priestesses!”
“So that is why you act like a prude?”
“It’s not prudish, but civilized.” She repeated with a troubled expression. “I never realized just how monstrous you were.”
“Sometimes I doubt your hearing is anything special. You should have realized that there was no rustling of clothing on me.” Medusa crossed her arms below her bosom and smirked.
“I didn’t realize, because you are so loud. The sound of your snakes, the rustling of scales, it all blends together.” She explained seriously.
Medusa had never noticed that she made so much noise. She was known to be quite good at sneaking up on foolish attackers that thought they could overwhelm her with numbers. Certainly, normal humans had not nearly as developed a sense of hearing as Eugenia, but it was still confounding.
“’Tis all the same to me. Clothes are inconvenient.”
“Don’t say that.” Eugenia put her hands on her waist and shook her head. “I know! Let me make you a fine chiton.”
“You can sew?”
“I have to mend my attire all the time. It gets torn so easily when I climb or run.” She pointed at a tear on her sleeve and at the bottom of her long garments. Seemed like a lot of effort. Well, for humans a bit of protection from the sun was necessary. Anywhere her clothes didn’t touch, Eugenia had already developed a slight tan.
“My body is not fit for human clothing. It will tear right away.” She tried to make an easy excuse, but the girl would not be deterred so easily.
“Let me take your measurements then. I won’t cover your lower body, just your torso.” She hummed as she already took a cord from somewhere and spun it around the Gorgon.
“Wait, listen to me.” She didn’t resist, but it was going to be really bad if she didn’t put a hurdle into her way soon. “I am not careful about such things, so it really will tear instantaneously.”
“Then I will mend it as many times as needed.”
“And once you are gone?” She asked an unfair question, which made Eugenia stop her hands for a moment.
“Then I will show you how to mend it yourself when the time comes.” She said with a melancholic smile. At such an earnest display, even Medusa could not argue anymore.
“Just wait for a while. I will be done by dusk.” She promised and then scurried off towards the beach. Probably to get some more stray tools. Somehow Medusa had doubt that the expeditions brought along any sewing material.
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The Gorgon had fallen asleep on a particularly well placed rock in the sun. It was peaceful until she was awoken by the snakes on her head. They were all standing up to look at something out of view. Medusa yawned and raised her torso up to see what this was about.
And there came Eugenia, carrying a bundle of white fabric. It was folded in a way that made it hard to discern its shape. When she arrived she was covered in sweat and sand, but she also appeared rather satisfied.
“I just put the finishing touches on it. This is my best work yet!” She extended her arms and let the fabric spread open.
It unfolded into a slim and comfortably loose looking tunic. It was a chiton made of linen (taken from old sails) that could be fastened around the shoulder by a pin made of bronze metal. There was even embroidery at the fringes and hem, perhaps made with leftover string from stitched animal husks.
Medusa had very little knowledge of fashion or sewing techniques, but even she could tell that this was crafted with deep frugality and resourcefulness. To make something so beautiful from such lacking base materials was unthinkable to her. Human crafting skills did improve over the centuries.
“I added a belt made from some fine rope that was used for some precious bag of jewelry. I wonder how it ended up in those supplies? The jewelry was not there anymore.” She was really chipper when talking about the creation process.
Yet, she felt it was a waste. Something made with so much effort should be draped across her body? It was good that Eugenia had something to keep her busy, but she didn’t stop to think how Medusa felt.
“If it scratches or itches…”
“Of course not. I wouldn’t make such beginner’s mistakes. This one turned out so well, it might be my best work. I could fetch quite a few owls for this on the market in Lamia.” She giggled.
Owls? When had humans started to trade birds for clothing? And why owls of all creatures? They were hard to catch and yielded little meat in return. The only reason she could think of was that they were used to eradicate rat and mice populations around the fields. That would not explain why a priestess first thought of such a trade, though.
She drifted out of her thoughts when she realized that Eugenia was waiting patiently for her to take the outfit from her slim hands. It was unavoidable it seemed. The fates were fickle seamstresses.
Without a word Medusa took the chiton and slung it over her body. She hadn’t worn clothes in eons it felt. The fabric rustled before settling down naturally across her curves. The tunic was sewed short enough to just barely touch the line between her human skin and her snake bottom. Those measurements the girl had taken were really accurate. She moved her arms that were still very much exposed. Her shoulder didn’t feel constricted at all and the pin did not rub her needlessly. The belt was floating on her hips and occasionally touched her scales, but it was not obtrusive.
“It suits you.” The girl said happily.
“How do you tell?” She was doubtful for obvious reasons.
“Because going by your figure, anything would suit you.” She grinned. “Also now that you put it on I can actually hear the rustling quite well. It doesn’t chafe, right?”
“Probably not.” She would find out soon enough. All in all this was not too bad. Of course this earnest girl was balancing on her tip toes waiting for an assessment. And praise. Medusa was not the type to hand out such blessings idly. “You made it, and that is all well, but even if you will mend it, this thing will begin to turn into a dirty rug soon. I am not fond of the odor of old clothing.” Her final resistance was here.
“Do I smell?” Eugenia asked innocently.
“Not particularly.” She admitted.
“That’s because I wash my attire regularly.” She raised a finger playfully.
“In the sea?”
“Nay, that would not work well. Sea water is terrible for cleaning and drinking alike.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I use the water from the basin.”
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“Oh?” There was more than enough water down there to last for months even if one drank as much as a bull, so it was not unthinkable. Now she could picture Eugenia carrying the water in a bucket to wash her clothes with a reddened face from the exertion. How sweetly pathetic.
“If you let me, I will wash your clothes as well. It will be much easier to clean it all at once.” She offered.
Truly, the Gorgon was out of logical hurdles to set between them. There was the option to tear the fabric directly off her body and deny the human’s kindness with cruel apathy. To what end, however? There was no harm in wearing them, was there? She would not take action for or against it.
“Incidentally, speaking of your smell.” Medusa spoke up.
“Please don’t phrase it that way.”
“You do not stink at all. Which means you must be taking baths?”
“Of course! I am not some country woman sleeping with her farm pigs in the shed. The head priestess taught me proper hygiene at the temple.”
How incredibly judgmental of her. Although Medusa could tell she was just repeating something she was taught as usual. She would not get distracted by that.
“How peculiar. I never once saw you do it.” One would expect she had encountered it at least once.
“That’s beeeecause you always sleep so much Lady Medusa.” She managed to almost say it straight. She did get better at hiding her true thoughts when she needed to.
“Mhm. Plausible enough.” She had no desire to pry further. This was not a meaningful secret, so she had no reason to uncover it. As long as she was not awoken by the stench of sweaty human flesh, it would not matter to her.
Without further ado she turned around and left for her lair. The sun had almost set already, so it was time to go back to her slumber. The clothes felt nice in the breeze.
Eugenia kept standing in place with a troubled expression.
“It is well crafted. I have no complaints.” She turned her head back for just a moment to nod in approval. Eugenia’s body seemed to become as light as a feather and she raised her hands high as if to shout in joy (she knew to stay quiet though to keep her dignity).
“Thank you Lady Medusa!”
Foolish girl. Why was she thanking the one who received the present?
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It was the middle of the night. The island had turned completely silent aside from the low humming of some insects. These tiny creatures managed to make themselves a home in any and all climates. Their resilience was inspiring in a way.
Medusa stretched inside her lair and rubbed her shoulders. The unfamiliar feeling of fabric on her body was making it hard to sleep. Not that it was aggravating or unpleasant, it was just different. She would get used to it soon enough.
Still, the night had a fresh sensation about it. Even the smallest of crevices in the bricks and door revealed streams of light. The moon must have been strong and full today. Artemis was on the hunt.
Something primal seemed to awaken inside the Gorgon’s core whenever she felt the moonlight on her skin or saw its full round shape atop the world’s ceiling. But there was more. She could sense something outside. Or someone?
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Eugenia touched the water’s surface with one finger. It was uncharacteristically warm. The surface shook upon her touch and created ripples. Her wet finger cooled down from the low breeze.
“It’s ready.” She declared and put the bucket aside. The hollow was filled to the brim with clear water. The brick work below the indentation prevented it from seeping away into the earth. The young woman pulled her white clothes over her head and then stepped into the water. Comfortable warmth spread into her toes and across her leg until it reached the core of her body.
Eugenia sighed sweetly as she sank below the surface.
Taking baths was one of the few civilized pleasures she could still experience so far away from home. The nights had gotten less chilly these days, as summer approached. The days were always sweltering hot, but the nights could actually get quite fresh around here. She had to cover herself in many animal skin blankets to not become sick.
Now she could just relax though. The water was just the right temperature and the sponge she had brought along was soft to the touch. This was an old housewives’ secret, but drying out a sponge until it died (though nobody truly knew how alive these beings were) made them quite viable for everyday use. Their ability to absorb lots of liquid did not disappear and they deteriorated only slowly.
She rigorously scrubbed off the sand and dirt from today’s work until she felt squeaky clean again. It was worth staying up this late just for that feeling of regained purity.
To finish it off she wrapped her loose and wet hair into a long ponytail and wrung it dry.
Tap.
Her arms froze mid motion. Had she imagined that low noise?
Tap tap.
Not a chance. Her ears weren’t playing tricks on her. Those were footsteps. Someone was sneaking towards her direction. Her first instinct was that it must have been Lady Medusa, but that was impossible. Those were human footsteps, not the slithering of snake skin across the ground.
Someone had managed to sneak unto the island in the cover of night. Maybe a clever hero who decided to slay the Gorgon in her sleep? That wouldn’t work. Lady Medusa had told her that her instincts would protect her even in her slumber. Yet an outsider could not know this. Which meant it was still very possible for them to have come up with such a dangerous plan.
Eugenia had to stop them!
“Wait, why do I have to do that?” She muttered to herself. She wanted to get off this island, right? Finally someone had come along to rescue her and take her back home. That might not have been their goal, but they wouldn’t let one lone priestess stay behind on her own, that much was certain.
But her chest ached at the thought. Why was that? What was her stupid heart trying to convey at such a pivotal time?
If this hero now went inside and got himself killed, he could not save her.
Right! That was it. She was concerned for his well-being and her escape route. It all made sense in her head.
“Wait! Whoever you are!” She rose from the water, making loud splashing noise, and then called out to the stranger. “Lady Medusa is not weak to surprise attacks! You will die if you attack her while she sleeps!”
The footsteps stopped in response to her words. She must have startled him. Naturally, he had not expected a young woman to be here on the monster’s island, let alone any living human. Yes, anyone who set foot into her territory would perish.
That thought suddenly made her irritated. She didn’t understand, but something was just wrong here. Why were heroes coming here to kill Lady Medusa again? It was because she was a monster that killed many innocent people. She had been told so over and over, even by the Gorgon herself. The stories were wild and gory and terrifying.
But how was that possible?
The Gorgon she had met here was stoic and cold, certainly, but she had no desire to venture into the world, no, she didn’t even have the ability to. She was imprisoned on this island all by herself. Then how could she have attacked innocent people? The only humans that she could meet where those coming here to punish her.
Punish her for what?
“Please.” She called out to the stranger again. “I know she is scary and has killed many people.” She gulped. “But Lady Medusa is not evil!”
The hidden stranger sucked in some air.
“If you could please reconsider, killing her will not benefit anyone. She just wants to live her life peacefully far away from trouble. I- I will make sure that she doesn’t do anything bad, so please don’t try to fight her!” She lowered her head after that exclamation which she had put all her heart into.
“…you will make sure of that? With that scrawny body of yours and some overwrought goodwill?” The presence walked into the open and took steady steps towards the hollow and Eugenia. That voice!
“Lady Medusa?!” The shock was like a blow to the head and Eugenia stumbled backwards. “How could that be?”
“Hmph. You think too much. If there are only two people on this island, who else could I be?” She made a sarcastic remark and the sound of rustling clothes signified that she had dropped her chiton. Then she entered the water next to her.
Eugenia was still in stupor, but instinctively submerged herself deeply into the water and covered her body with her arms. What had she been doing? Exposing herself like that to Medusa. It would have been even worse if it was a stranger actually!
“B-but you have legs?” She stuttered with her back turned to the Gorgon.
“Of course. Legs are not as convenient, but this place is not big enough for my snake half.” She pointed out while leaning back inside the warm water. She rested against the edge of the brick wall.
“S-since when could you do that?” Was she actually a shapeshifter? Did she just pretend to be a snake monster?
“Since the beginning.” She splashed some water across her skin. “The physical curse is weak, malleable. The only things I cannot change are my petrifying gaze and these children.” She doused the snake hair in water and they all hissed at her in response. They soon turned silent though as she kept rubbing them into submission.
“You could have told me.” Eugenia pursed her lips.
“To what end? I do not use this form often.”
“I could have made you normal clothes.”
“It stretches down to my knees, so it is fine either way.”
Somehow it felt like they had changed the subject along the way. It was just that Eugenia could not even feel that surprised anymore after she had learned of the wings. Still, there was something unnerving about a human like Lady Medusa. She was stretching those unfamiliar legs in the water and sighed contently.
“Surprisingly warm.”
“I heated the water beforehand. It cooled down to a bearable temperature already.” The priestess explained in a low voice.
“Clever. Any liquid up here evaporates quickly, but it is a different matter at night. Honestly, I just expected you to dive into the reservoir.”
“Blegh. I am drinking that water!” She wanted to turn around to show her disgust, but she thought better of it and pressed her legs against her body again.
“Hmhm. I believe I could get used to this sensation. Baths are not so bad.”
“You don’t bathe regularly?” She raised a brow and turned her head back.
“I do not sweat. As for my snake half, it just cleans itself in the sand.” Many snakes and lizards cleaned themselves with dust and sand baths. So it was even true for one this huge.
“Wait wait wait, you don’t sweat?” Eugenia couldn’t believe her ears and now sat down next to Medusa with a doubtful expression.
“Not much. After all I am not weak. Little exertion or heat will not tax my body at all.” She specified to sate the girl’s curiosity. Under this full moon she seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.
“I have to admit, I’m envious.” The young woman let her tense shoulders drop.
They sat next to each other in the soft waves caused by their occasional movements. The night was warm and quiet, leaving them only with the sound of their breathing and splashing water. Every now and then one of the snakes twisted to rub off some liquid.
“Why do you only bathe when I sleep?” The question came out of nowhere.
“I prefer to do it alone.” She replied quietly.
“Did you not share baths with the other priestesses?”
“I, er, had not many opportunities.” Her head sank deeper and deeper until her mouth went under the surface and she created bubbles with her mouth.
“A prude not by choice, but environment then.” Medusa smirked maliciously and stared down on the shy girl, inspecting her unabashedly. “Your robes hide it well, but you are rather well developed for a child.”
“Shut up.” Eugenia really was ashamed.
“All the exercise does your body good. Be more confident in yourself.” She already didn’t care anymore and turned her eyes back to the star filled sky.
“You don’t think I am ugly?” The self-conscious girl muttered.
“Are we talking purely in aesthetics? I have no eye for such things. Apollo would be a better judge. I met the Muses once and if they are the golden standard, you do not compare at all.” She was really talkative tonight. Her words were as harsh as ever, though.
“That is a high mountain to scale.” Eugenia said with a dry smile. She would have thought better than to ask this eccentric hermit. A blind girl’s insecurities could not be soothed by that. But why was she compared to the Muses of all the beautiful goddesses out there?
“As far as humans go, I believe you are more decent to look at than those burly men with their sweaty chest hair.” It was a pretty provocative statement and Eugenia could not help but blush.
Silence returned, for the human girl had things to mull over and the Gorgon did not have any reason to continue talking. A shimmering shooting star passed the intricate curtain above with a speed that made one miss it in the time of one blink. Medusa’s gaze softened.
“A shame you cannot witness this world with your own eyes. ‘Tis a beautiful night.” Her words could be interpreted as insensitive, but they came from a deep sense of true pity.
“Do you love the sky, Lady Medusa?”
“Not in particular. It just makes me feel at ease when I see it. It is so wide…” She slowly closed her eyes and began to breathe long and deep.
“Do not feel bad for me.” Eugenia whispered to the sleeping Gorgon. “The entire world is that way for me.”
To her everything was like the night sky and every sound and vibration was like blinking stars. Some formed the patterns of constellations, familiar and foreign. Sometimes she could not see the bigger picture in its endless expanse, but that was what made the world so limitless.
She felt at ease now. It must have been the same for Medusa, as she did show such a vulnerable side to a mere human.
Below the ceiling of the world many parties were looking upon the same constellations from different directions. Soon another such observer would reach Sarpedon and meet the dissimilar duo.