The barrier of clouds surrounding the island of Sarpedon was some distance away from the shore. The gap was great enough to allow one to see a clear horizon at times, almost like an illusion. One could only see the storm when the ship had already entered it. In this fluctuating state of storm and clear weather it was impossible to tell what was coming the islands’ way.
High above the clouds, something was flashing past the shining sky. The blur moved across the constructs of gaseous water and dove down toward the wide ocean. Just before touching the surface the person dashed ahead through the air. Well-developed tendons and athletic constitution were supporting the sprint across the very air itself.
The speed of this running figure far exceeded even the greatest sprinters in all of Greece. Air, water or ground, this figure could not be stopped, the embodiment of true freedom. Sharp eyes focused on the island ahead that came closer at astounding speed. Then just as the person reached the beach, their feet stopped and finally touched the sand with enough force to create a small wave of the yellow-white grains.
He had arrived at his destination.
----------------------------------------
Eugenia wrung out a pair of rags she had dunked into a bucket. She had trouble telling how clean something was, as stains were not always discernible by touch. Smelling them only worked marginally as well. To make up for that she tended to scrub everything extra thoroughly. This was the last piece of it, so she would finally be done with today’s laundry. The rest of the ‘housework’ was also taken care of already.
As she hung the cloth over the huge biceps of a man’s statue, she wondered what she would do for the rest of the day. First she might rest a bit, but then what? Maybe she should wake up Lady Medusa.
“Are you always drying them that way?”
Speaking of the Gorgon, she was questioning her methods already. Eugenia turned towards her and tilted her head to the side. She had no idea what she was getting at.
“Which way?”
“You know what you hung that rag over, right?” She asked with a dry voice.
“This oddly shaped pillar?” She patted the statue on the chest.
Medusa coughed. “I may be the least qualified to say this, but you should treat the fallen with more respect.”
“?” Eugenia clearly didn’t follow.
“Nevermind, give me that. I will hang it over the heated stones above the temple.” Medusa snatched the cloth from the petrified hero’s arm and then carried it to the top of the ruins, where they could be spread out in the searing sunlight. The cloth was bound to dry just as fast up there as in the courtyard, but it was less repulsive to have them hang far away from those statues.
“You are so odd at times.” Eugenia played with her hair as she listened to Medusa slithering away. Did she fear that it would get dirty again when hung close to the ground? The sandy waves propelled by occasional gusts did have adverse effects on them perhaps.
As the priestess wondered about her companion’s behavior, she felt an unusual breeze come from the west end of the island, straight from the beach. The wind rarely came that way, so she felt a shiver down her neck and shoulders in response. There was also something else.
She raised her head and focused her ears. There was a nearly indiscernible sound in the air. At best she could describe it as the sound that was created when air escaped an empty water skin after pressing on it. But it repeated over and over, almost like the rhythm of a drum. The crunching of sandal straps echoed inside her head and then suddenly she could feel a presence right behind her.
Her heartbeat increased rapidly. The presence had reached her in seconds and- It was floating above the ground? The tiny hairs across her body were all standing up in fright.
“Greetings young maiden.” A man’s voice escaped the presence.
A spirit?! It had to be a spirit! There were footsteps, but no feet touched the ground, it could levitate, but there was no sound of wings! This must have been an unfortunate soul of one of Medusa’s victims, having lost their way to the underworld!
“I-I am so sorry!” Eugenia spun around and folded her hands in prayer.
“Hm?” The man sounded surprised by her reaction.
“It must have been so horrible, wandering the world of the living for so long. I may be a priestess of Athena, but even with my meager knowledge I shall attempt to help you, poor soul!”
“One of Athena’s, hm?” The man just went with the flow, having a curious smile on his lips.
“You must have gotten stuck in this world because of this cursed land.” She hastily drew a few lines into the earth and then gathered some firewood.
“Is that how it transpired?” He asked calmly.
“I am not certain! Back in temple school we were taught to avoid stray souls, but that is too cruel.” She gathered some stones and arranged them in a circle.
“You humans have to look out for yourselves after all.” The soul argued jovially.
“If you ended up here due to what Lady Medusa did, then I just wish that you can forgive her and move to the underworld in peace.” She started a fire with the burning glass and then got some of the little incense that she had kept with her.
“Ah, is that ‘Lady’ Medusa still here then?” That seemed to be of major interest to him.
“Yes. I believe she is in her lair right now. It would surely be painful for you to face her again, so I will not call her.” Her compassion was genuine.
“It would be our first meeting actually, but I did hear some unfortunate stories about ‘facing’ her.” He joked.
“You weren’t killed by Lady Medusa?!”
“Not yet.” He chuckled.
“I see. Then you must be one of the men that were shipwrecked before even arriving here.” To Eugenia that sounded even worse. Drowning was a terrifying fate, much worse that turning to stone. “I cannot find your body to perform the last rites for it, I’m sorry.” Not that she had any coins to put on his eyes to make the transition easier.
“There are even rites for victims of the sea?”
“A few. I did only hear about them from the head priestess a few times.” She nodded and then put an impaled crab into the fire. “This is a cheap offering; I apologize o’ great and swift Hermes!” She lowered her head and then spoke a prayer. “Please guide this lost soul to the underworld so that he may find peace wherever he may belong. Guide him to Charon swiftly and safely.”
“Ah Hermes, I heard he is a reliable man.” The soul said with the widest smile.
“The great Hermes is responsible for guiding the souls to the underworld, but he is a very busy god. I am sure he did not overlook you out of malice.” She quickly tried to reassure the pour soul and at the same time gave Hermes proper credit.
“It’s true; sometimes he forgets where his own head should go. And do not worry; he very much enjoys grilled crab.” The man said as he pulled the crustacean from the fire and cracked its shell with two fingers.
“Huh?” While Eugenia made a confused face, the sound of slithering returned.
“Be careful girl, there is an intruder. I have no rightly idea what he would want from me…” She stopped talking as she crossed eyes with the floating intruder. “…but it appears he is already enjoying your hospitality.”
“Ho there, Lady Medusa! Fancy meeting you here.” He winked and looked straight at her eyes. His body did not petrify on contact with her focused gaze!
“What are you doing on my island, messenger boy?” She crossed her arms and stared him down.
“Such hostility. They did not exaggerate when speaking of your foul temper!” He smiled unperturbed and bit off the pink meat of the crab. As he did so he slowly floated down and touched the ground with his winged sandals. “As you say, I am a messenger. I arrived to fulfill my duty in that regard.”
“You deliver messages to monsters now, Hermes?” Medusa asked with venom in her voice.
“I would even deliver a mountain to the ends of the world if a beautiful woman asked me to.” His overdone charisma was too intense for a hermit like the Gorgon.
“Wha- Ha- Her- HERMES!?” Eugenia finally broke out of her stupor and called out to him in a mix of fear and reverence. Instantly she fell to her knees and bowed down.
“Oh, I liked it better when you were treating me like a lost man.” He adjusted the cap on his head and acted disappointed.
“B-but? God! Real! In front of me?!” Speech escaped her mind, but she could barely string along a sentence.
“You have a curious companion with you Lady Medusa. One of Athena’s favorites no less.” He turned back to the Gorgon and raised his hands to the sides in comical cluelessness.
“Drop that polite act and tell me what you are here for. What message would you have for me?” She sighed and moved in front of Eugenia, who seemed to suffer from a broken mind.
“Ah yes, this parchment is for you.” He pulled a piece of high quality parchment out of his cap and then put it back on. With an exaggerated bow he handed it to Medusa, who snatched it out of his hand forcefully.
“Lady Medusa! Y-you can’t be so disrespectful in front of an Olympian god!” Eugenia grabbed her by the tail and tried to drag her back. Medusa lightly smacked the girl’s head with said tail to make her shut up.
“This cannot be…” She muttered as her eyes darted across the letter.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
“You do not need to be so distanced young lady. I would not mind having a normal chat, especially with such a beauty.” Hermes squatted down next to Eugenia and offered a hand to help her up. The priestess felt her cheeks flush and hesitantly grabbed the god’s hand.
“Careful human, if you get swept up by this womanizer you will soon bear his child before you realize it.” Medusa said with a thorny voice and swished her tail between them without looking away from the letter.
“Ouch. The sharpness of your tongue exceeds even that of Hephaestus’ best works.” Hermes put a hand to his head as if he had felt a blow dealt to it. His act was quite charming, but Medusa didn’t give it any heed.
Eugenia rose up on her feet and gulped a few times, before finally gathering her courage.
“I w-will prepare some more food for you great Hermes! I am so sorry that we cannot accommodate to your needs in this rundown temple!” She closed her eyes and pressed down her shaking lips tightly before dashing off.
“Haha, I am not used to such devotion. I am starting to become envious of my dear sister.”
“Tsk.” Medusa flipped the message over, but there was no more to it. “Did you come here just to buffoon around? Or was it to show off?” She glanced at the almost entirely naked man. He was definitely built like an athlete, but his face was youthful and fair. Gods tended to be eternally beautiful, but Hermes had a healthy complexion about him, certainly supported by his constant travels across the world.
“A cloak tends to be inhibiting when crossing the skies. I had not expected a woman such as yourself to put on luxurious clothing.” He measured her up with a neutral expression. It was the first time they had met after all. Already it appeared that they both knew exactly what the other was about.
“Do not think you can seduce me simply because you stand unaffected by my eyes, debauchee.”
“Why, did I really earn such an unflattering image? Even the infamous Medusa already seems to look at me with contempt.” He took her negative attitude in good humor. There was not much that could harm his cheer it appeared. “Far be it from me to attempt such a thing. Our ever serious Athena has made quite clear how she stands on this issue. Poseidon is still trying to regain her favor to this day.”
“I hope they will suffocate on each other’s oversized egos.” Medusa folded the parchment and put it into the inside of her chiton.
“Wishing doom upon the gods will backfire more often than not.” Hermes said as he playfully pulled over a piece of marble with his foot and then sat down at the fire.
“Is that a threat?”
“A mere observation from someone who has seen the corners of all realms to the fullest.” He shrugged amicably.
“Is this letter really from Stheno and Euryale?” Medusa asked with a grim expression.
“Is there something amiss with it?” He looked up in surprise.
“Why would they hand a letter to the gods’ messenger? How did you even encounter them?” There were too many uncertainties in this. Hermes was known for his trickery and meddling. If this was a trick to divert attention from the real issue…
“Hm, I cannot say I much comprehended those two either.” He rubbed his chin and stared into the flames. “Beautiful as they were, they did have some very particular personalities.”
“You were that close to them?” Now she really glared at him. “What did you do to Stheno?”
“What did I do to her? Should you not rather ask what she did to me?” Hermes retorted with a pained smile. There was no deception in that uncomfortable reaction.
“So you really did meet them.” Medusa exhaled her tension.
“A test for the messenger? I must appear so very untrustworthy to the Gorgon sisters.” He shook his head with a wry smile.
“Anyone who meets Stheno would have the same reaction. It was an easy test.” Remembering that woman’s temper, it was odd to think Hermes even delivered the letter at all.
“I would never speak ill of them, but do you not ignore the much more challenging ways of Euryale?”
Indeed the other twin sister, Euryale, was well known for her terrifying bluntness and high standards. She would not hesitate to even insult Zeus’ authority if he so much as looked at her wrong. Stheno’s excess energy and physicality seemed almost cute in comparison.
“They are strong.” Medusa simply replied with a satisfied smile.
The sound of rapidly smacking sandals made them aware of the priestess’s return. She had hurried so much that her face was still red, this time due to exertion. With both hands she held on to a very confused looking bird’s neck. It was a magpie. A thieving bird that was attracted to all things shiny. The irony of offering a thief to the god of thieves didn’t get past their guest, but it seemed to amuse him more than anything.
“I… haah… caught it… phew… just now.” She wiped some sweat on the stained white fabric of her gown and then lowered her head again.
“That is very kind of you. I have gathered quite an appetite from my travel here. Olympus is far.” He patted the stone he was sitting on, which now started to resemble a bench somehow. It was a clear indicator that he wished her to sit next to him.
Medusa suddenly kicked over one of the statues, transformed her snake half into that of a human and sat down on top of the (now doubly) fallen mercenary, decidedly cutting the path between the two off. Hermes snorted and then created a second bench out of thin air. Now all three of them could gather around the fire.
Eugenia sat down shyly and held on to the struggling magpie. She clearly had never killed a bird before, as she was uncertainly feeling the disturbed thing for a weak point.
“However, plucking the wings off such a clever thing would be a waste.” He softly touched Eugenia’s hand, which made her reflexively let go of the magpie. It immediately rushed into the air and chirped gratefully. “I happened to come across some hares on my way.” He pulled off his cap again and grabbed into it. Soon enough he pulled an unmoving hare out of it! And then two more.
“Full of tricks.” Medusa said unimpressed.
----------------------------------------
“You have sisters, Lady Medusa?” Eugenia gasped at the revelation as she took the grilled hare’s rib to her mouth. It smelled incredibly delicious.
“Two of them. They are twins.” The Gorgon replied listlessly while staring at the ears of her already devoured hare.
“I never knew. Are they Gorgons too?”
“Obviously.” Medusa retorted.
“Do they look like you?” She was far too polite to say ‘like a monster’ probably. At least Medusa assumed that’s what she meant.
“They have a similar elegance to your Lady Medusa and they are indeed profound beauties.” Hermes joined into their exchange as he turned the hare’s paw on the fire. He seemed to be especially fond of the paws.
“That is the only appealing attribute they possess.” Medusa said with a sardonic grin.
“How rude! They are your family.” Eugenia couldn’t stand such defamation.
“Is it not because they are related that she can say it so clearly?” Hermes eased the tension right away.
“You met them too, so tell her how annoying they are.” The Gorgon turned her eyes towards Hermes and dragged him into it.
“Ahaha, they are eccentric, to that I will attest.”
“Where did you find them anyway? They left here decades ago and never even so much as thought about me I bet.”
“They were staying on Mount Olympus for a while.” Hermes explained.
“Ahhh!” Eugenia yelped in overwhelmed admiration. “M-mortals on Mount Olympus? Is such a thing even possible?”
“Not as far as I am aware.” Hermes chuckled at her childish question. “The truth is that the Gorgon twins are not mortal. They are of divine origin.” He raised a finger and symbolically pointed at the sea.
“They are deities?” Eugenia seemed fascinated for a bit, but then she spun her head towards Medusa. “T-then if they are your sisters, does that not mean you are-?”
“I am mortal.” Medusa replied coldly. Immediately the friendly atmosphere died down.
“Ahem. Did you not tell her your story yet?” Hermes asked with a sly expression on his face.
“I did not. Why should I tell her anything?” Medusa showed her fangs to him in response. The snake hair was tensing up as if trying to decide whether they should flee or join the offensive.
“Fair enough.” He gave in far too easily and raised his hands in a placatory manner. But it was almost certain that the gears were turning inside his head.
“You said they were staying on the mountain ‘for a while’? What does that mean?” She got the topic back on track.
“Unfortunately Hephaestus threw them out last winter.” Hermes acted apologetic, but he so clearly could barely contain his laughter at the memory.
“How did that happen?”
“The twins were staying at Aphrodite’s home since the very beginning. I am not privy to how it happened, but they seemed to get along quite splendidly. Stheno started to make moves on our venerated blacksmith some time ago. Aphrodite would not have minded, as you know she is not too fond of her husband. Unfortunately there was a loud argument between the two; and suddenly all of Olympus was made aware that those sisters were taking refuge in their home. Our stern king Zeus was rather clear about not allowing anyone on Mount Olympus, save us Olympians. Brother Hephaestus did not need much convincing to make them leave.” He recollected the events of last year with a calm and pleasing voice. He would make a good storyteller.
“That stupid brat. Why would she go for the deformed one?” She seemed to be chiding the image of her sister.
Hermes chuckled and covered his mouth to suppress it.
“Have you something to say, errand boy?” She squinted her eyes.
“Ah well, to hear someone refer to Stheno as a ‘brat’; I suppose only her sister could be so impressive.” He wiped a laughing tear from his eye.
“Tsk.” She clicked her tongue again, but seemed to be slightly embarrassed. “Her tastes were always unfathomable anyway.”
They returned to finishing their meal (Medusa only threw the remaining long ears into the fire) and took a small break to digest.
“Then a long time ago you lived together with your sisters.” Eugenia picked up the conversation again with a thoughtful voice. “I don’t understand, why did they leave?”
“They got bored.” Medusa replied deadpan.
“Huh?” Eugenia didn’t seem to believe her and she twisted her mouth in annoyance.
“There is nothing to do on this island and they were not cursed to stay here.” She looked at her long fingernails as she recollected those days.
“How could they abandon you?” Eugenia whispered. Her tone was tinged with sadness. For her, who had lost her family, such a notion seemed so alien.
“It is not decided that we will never meet again. Sometimes siblings need some distance.” Medusa conveyed that feeling as best as she could. A feeling that only siblings could really understand. Whether she believed it or not, it was a understandable sentiment.
Back then they had gotten into constant fights over the smallest things. This tiny island was too small for all three of them. It was suffocating. At first the twins had stayed with her out of obligation and pity, but at some point her prison had become their prison as well. That was not fair. So when they had a particularly bad fight she told them to leave. Medusa had said some unforgivable things, but that was what she considered necessary to finally free her sisters from their familial bond. A bond which had been a source of suffering for all of them.
Although they had been furious, in the end they still promised to return. The bond of blood was stronger than even the world itself.
Medusa returned from her reminiscence and was faced with the image of Hermes' analytical expression. There was deep wit hidden behind his relaxed exterior. He probably understood the relationship of the Gorgon sisters completely now that he had talked to both sides. At least he had the decency to feign ignorance.
“Your sisters are headed north, for the great mountain range beyond Lyssos.” The gods’ messenger said calmly. That was a town so far north that neither of them could even imagine it anymore. “They will be waiting for my return until the day after tomorrow. You already know as much, but they would like a reply.”
“Give me some time. I will think of something.” As much as it pained her, she had been feeling strongly about this piece of parchment that arrived so suddenly. She still needed to work through her feelings.
“You have time until a few hours before the agreed meeting time. I am confident that I will make it there in less than that.” His smile was reassuring. This was the promise of an Olympian god, so there was no reason to doubt his word.
“I shall be done by then.” This exchange felt like a set-up for a slick goodbye.
But Hermes didn’t leave.
Eugenia piled up the bones next to the fire that was now half as strong as at the start of the meal. She was also lost in thought, stirred by the conversation about family. Even Medusa could tell she was being considerate by staying quiet.
“If I may be so bold to ask, how did the two of you get acquainted and ended up living together?” Suddenly Hermes raised his arms and looked back and forth between them. His curiosity was as endless as his duties!
“She came with a few humans to kill me.” Medusa said while pointing at Eugenia.
“She cursed me to stay on this island forever.” Eugenia pointed back at her.
“Oh my.” Clearly their bluntness caught him by surprise. Those were far from ideal circumstances to become companions in life on such a small island.
“I didn’t try to kill you, though. I only came along to pray for the great Athena to bless them with wisdom and success.” Eugenia said with an upturned nose.
“You could have done that at home. You were so obviously used as bait to distract me.”
“I-I wasn’t bait. I’m sure it was a misunderstanding.”
“That ‘misunderstanding’ threw you straight at me.”
The two of them started to bicker again, as per the usual, but Hermes had no mind to interfere. He quite enjoyed such a display of familiarity. It reminded him of the endless squabbles between his siblings and other gods all across the world. Mortals were more alike to the gods than most of them would like to admit. He dearly loved these flawed beings.
Something about their story was puzzling to him though. He would have to investigate the matter as subtly as he could, to avoid another tragedy.
As the god of trade, eloquence and thieves started to connect the pieces, the consequences of the women’s fateful meeting were starting to take shape in the distance.