“A chosen hero?”

“Yes! He will arrive here in two days’ time. We have to warn Medusa!”

“Curious, mighty curious. I didn't fish out some lost human, but rather a soothsayer it seems.” Stheno stretched on the stone bench like a cat in the afternoon sun. Her white dress was creasing to accentuate her slim figure. “Are you one of those human oracles? Pythia, did they call her?”

“No, I am not really…” She turned quiet and rubbed her face restlessly. She knew of future events, but she also did not exactly know why. Would they surely repeat or was this merely a delusion? It was inevitable. Could she honestly say that this was true? It was the truth.

“Hahaha, you are so adorably confused that I just want to know more. What kind of hero would dare challenge Dusa? Is he handsome and tall? Decrepit and sly? Well? Well well well?” She was clasping Eugenia’s hands to corner her, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“I don’t remember much.” She admitted and tried to focus her mind one the few images that it could hold on to after awakening in the merciless sea. There was a blinding flash of lightning, the burning flames like a cage and the roar of a giant monster. No matter what was to come, this sight was not allowed to repeat. It had repeated endlessly. She had a bad feeling about this incoming battle. Her interference was in vain.

“Have you not just had a lively dream then?” Stheno asked sweetly like she was talking to a child.

“He was real. He fought Medusa and forced her to use all her strength. Her curse did not work on him.” She said with a dry voice.

“This is only getting more fascinating. So there are even more humans out there who can resist Dusa’s eyes, not just you?” She whistled.

“I don’t know if he is human.” The irises of pure light still left a mark in her inner eyes.

“Whether he is human or not, as long as this ‘hero’ is mortal Dusa will never lose.” Stheno said with a sweet sigh and let go of Eugenia’s hands. “Because my sister is the strongest monster.”

“She isn’t a monster!” The retort slipped out against her will.

“Hm? Just how well do you think you know her?” For just the fracture of a moment the cheer left Stheno’s eyes and became sharp. It reminded Eugenia of the time she had imprisoned her. Was that also a dream? A mere delusion?

“She is the most important person to me.” She muttered.

“Then you want to save her from a loss?”

“No, Medusa wins the fight.”

“Then what is the matter! Let the foolish intruder come and get torn to pieces. It will make for an enjoyable distraction at least.” She chuckled and kicked one of the many statues over with her tender foot. It easily got toppled and burst into pieces. “I will protect you from the scary fighting my cute little pet.” She added more gently.

“!” Eugenia reflexively pushed aside the hand headed for her cheek. She immediately lowered her arm and anxiously awaited the Gorgon sister’s reaction.

Stheno looked at her dismissed hand and licked her lower lip. Then she moved her fingers in a mesmerizing pattern before lowering her hand as well. “Feisty.” She commented without much resentment.

“I-I’m sorry, it was not on purpose.” She apologized quickly, knowing full well she was at the Gorgon’s mercy.

“Don’t worry, you will warm up to me eventually. We have plenty of time.” She grinned. Then she raised her body from the bench and stretched her arms until they gave a satisfying pop. “Very well, you are too concerned to even appreciate my art right now. Let me show you the kindness of your new master, so that you may be at ease. I will talk to Dusa so you two can meet up just once. You can let all these unnecessary worries off your chest and then return to me afterwards.” She winked.

“Will she agree to it?” She would never be convinced.

“We are sisters. Perhaps we don’t see eye to eye on matters of the fine arts, but she never can deny me for long. That’s the power of blood.” She seemed overly confident in her power of persuasion. “Take a look at my paintings while I am gone. I do so look forward to your thoughts~” She waved her pet goodbye and then moved into the sun filled passage to the lair.

Eugenia watched her leave with a shadow across her eyes. Her lips trembled as memories flooded into her mind. Stheno would fail. This time she may have succeeded. She never succeeded. The connection between sisters was special, wasn’t it? Eugenia was an only child. Most of her life she had spent alone, barely remembering the touch of family.

The painful flicker of knowledge beyond time and space made her wince. She wanted to trust in Stheno, but her entire being rejected this option. Medusa was stubborn and cold. Her soft spot for Stheno would not be enough. If this path was doomed to lead them astray then she needed an alternative. While the sisters argued inside the lair she would have to find another way.

If Stheno was not enough then perhaps she needed another sister’s hand to force the snake out of the crevice. Euryale, the second twin sister. She commanded a strong presence that could hardly be ignored. Immeasurable pride and uncompromising eyes defined the third Gorgon sister. Last time they met… they met…

Eugenia held her splitting head and moaned in pain. She could remember cold and rejecting eyes, but not much more. Euryale was a mystery and would not be convinced as easily as her twin sister. Yet if it was for Medusa’s sake she would try anything.

----------------------------------------

The island was small, but it was still surprisingly hard to find the quiet Gorgon. Eugenia had parsed the few remaining rooms and places that were still stable inside the temple and had found nothing for her efforts. The only place that seemed to be entirely intact was a big building at the back of the temple, but it was locked behind a large and heavy wooden door. The stone plate that had once draped the entrance was covered in vines and barely legible. Eugenia did not know whether she could read, but the words still made sense to her.

[Greenhouse]

Unless Euryale had dived back into the cold ocean she could not imagine her to be anywhere else but this place. There was no sign of her presence on the entire island. This was the last possibility.

“Move already…gghnn!” The frail human girl tried her best to move the heavy door, but to no avail. She didn’t remember it being locked before. Even with her meager arm strength she had always been able to open it. The wooden beam on the inside had been eroded by time. She didn’t know what was inside, but it must have blocked the entrance. The trees and garden could thrive without disturbance.

If it was locked then Euryale should not have made it inside either. Perhaps she had been too hasty to put all her hopes on this place. With a sigh she stepped away from the door and moved around the wall to the right.

There she spied an odd mechanism. Ropes were wound around a wheel and a lever seemed to be protruding from a gap in the stone. The roof was covered in protective wooden panels. A shield around the perfectly clear glass. She could not tell its purpose despite the nagging voice at the back of her head. Either way she had no time to spare on her curiosity.

She walked past the lever and mulled over where to search next. Then out of the corner of her eyes she noted that the lever was pulled down already. How odd.

“Someone moved it.” She deduced and touched it intently. Her curiosity always won out in the end. What was the mechanism’s purpose? She could tell no difference from here, so the only option was to move the lever. She strongly pushed against the hefty lever and the loud winding of gears made her jump back in surprise.

In a matter of moments something grinded across the roof and created vibrations that Eugenia could somehow sense directly in her skull. Her ears were too sensitive. Panes of wood that had been stuck to the side of the building had been pulled up by ropes and disappeared from her sight. They must have slid across the rooftop.

“What for?” She wondered before hearing something quite disheartening. It was rather uncouth swearing from inside the building. Someone was inside it after all! And she was not happy at all. Euryale’s temper was worse than changing tides of a whirlpool.

At least she was sure to be in the right place now. This didn’t solve the mystery of how she had managed to get in there without unlocking the door, but that was a meaningless detail now. Eugenia squatted next to the wall and inspected some suspicious openings. They were mostly flat and wide. Some kind of furrow that led below the walls and to the edge of grassy hill behind her. After touching it with her fingers she could tell it was slightly wet.

From the little she knew about keeping fields she could tell this was supposed to direct water into the building. The purpose was eluding her, but she could make use of this. With both hands she hastily moved the soft and wet earth onto a pile next to her. The furrow got deeper and deeper until she could push both her arms through the gap. Despite the dry and sunny days the earth was as wet as after a long rain. It was nearly too convenient.

“Huff!” She had dug so much that her clothes were covered in mud again. It was a strangely familiar feeling now. Her efforts were not in vain thankfully as the gap below the wall had now become wide enough to allow her to press through.

Without a second thought she slipped into the Greenhouse and found herself in relative darkness. There was no light source other than some gaps in the roof. After a second look she noticed that they weren’t gaps in the roof itself, but rather in the covers. The roof was made entirely from glass! The sound of the shattering windows as the Greenhouse exploded still reverberated inside the air.

While marveling at this unexpected sight she was standing up on the grassy ground. Next she noticed the many trees that had taken root in this magical place as well. Whoever had come up with the plans for this building must have been a genius. It was something so simple, yet extraordinary.

“Are you quite finished exploring my sanctuary, dirty human child?” The icy voice of the only other person around penetrated the stale air.

“This place is yours?”

“If you are asking whether I built it, you are even more foolish than I thought.” Euryale said dismissively and leaned her head against the tree she was sitting under. “I merely enjoy the quiet atmosphere. Stheno is too loud.”

Eugenia sized up the beautiful woman before her. The way she rested against the tree was certainly picturesque. Any craftsman would have given their left arm as tribute to portray this image on marble statues or clay vases. A quiet beauty without equal. Although she seemed bothered by something, there was no wasted movement. She kept resting motionlessly. Her unbelievably long hair was loose, but straight. Unlike Stheno she did not braid it or tie it.

It was hard to approach her already. Once she opened her mouth she just became like a wall of thorns.

“I am sorry for disturbing your rest-“

“Are you now? First you take my light and now you take my attention. Are those the actions of someone who feels apologetic? You are utterly lacking in respect.” She did not open her eyes as she trounced the human girl verbally.

Eugenia hesitated and looked up to the glass ceiling once more. The light that was taken must have been referring to that mechanism. It was not her intention, but she had already rubbed Euryale the wrong way before even meeting her. The quiet Gorgon sister never forgave.

“I will return your light, but I cannot give up on your attention.” She said with forced bravado.

“Hmph.”

“It may be impudent of me to say this, but I beg of you for your help.” She lowered her head and bowed down to the Gorgon.

“I refuse.”

“But-!” Before she could protest she felt a cold shiver down her back. An icy wind had taken hold of the Greenhouse and the flowers around her seemed to fall off and die on their own. They had dried up in a matter of seconds.

“Give me something worthy of my attention. Only then may you open your mouth again.” It was an order that could not be opposed.

Eugenia could feel the chill in her limbs and conceded. Before her heart froze over she would have to find an offering. She retreated with her head lowered, in fear that even making eye-contact could be a death sentence.

She pressed her body through the tight opening from before and exited the inner garden. The moment warm sunlight hit her face she truly realized how cold it had been inside. The goosebumps on her sin receded and she hastily moved the lever back with both hands. The wooden panes soon returned to the sides to let sunlight stream into the garden. This would at least slightly make up for her blunder she hoped.

“An offering?” She cupped her chin and frantically thought about what to do now. She had nothing on her except these dirty clothes. And what could a human even offer a higher being with such discerning tastes? She only had her body…

In the city those who had nothing but their body could still find a way to survive. Heavy labor was a commodity, one that could seriously destroy a person over time. Only those who had no choice would end up in the mines and construction sites. Willing enslavement for the sake of being fed.

But for a woman there was not much in the way of heavy labor. No, they were not made for the dangers of construction and mining. They could help work on fields as farmers, they could weave clothes and be tanners in the stench filled river districts. And those with no such skills or resources could still give their flesh to those in need of it.

Her face turned flushed and she felt strangely heated. That option was out of the question. Deep down she knew that she would betray someone if she resorted to this.

What skills did Eugenia possess that could let her avoid such a fate? If only she knew more about Euryale’s interests.

“Gnnh!” Suddenly she pressed both hands onto her pulsing temples. The searing pain that went through her mind brought her close to fainting. With each beat of the heated hammer she was feeling fragments of memories fall into place and reconnect. A scene that had not transpired yet or never would.

“---- any wine ---- parched throat ---- ”

Her eyes widened when she returned to the here and now. She had seen a revelation! Those memories could not have been hers, yet she knew they were. A moment where she had spoken to the Gorgon sister and gleamed a crucial detail. The cold natured woman was a slave to the grape blood, like so many of the mortals she thought beneath her. It was the perfect offering.

Just as quickly as her mood had lifted up high it immediately returned to the ground as she took a good look at the island around her. This place was not exactly a vineyard and from what she could tell the Gorgons did search the ship wreckage for loot often, so she had little hope of finding anything that they who could breathe underwater did not.

“I have to find some anyway.” The thought of completing her mission was pushing her forward relentlessly. If she had been more conscious of the twistedness of this world perhaps she would have second guessed herself more. In that case she was thankful of the numbness of her mind.

----------------------------------------

“Puhaaah!” She broke through the surface and spat out some sea water. The cold waves had threatened to pull her back down for a moment, but she managed to cling to a rock near the beach. It was terrifying how quickly the ocean turned from a beautiful light blue to a deadly dark grey.

She had managed to keep her eyes open despite the salt water which was helpful. The expected sting was completely missing. Aside from this small perk she had little to be thankful though. She could not hold her breath for very long and the wreckage was nearly maze like. At least she was glad that there would be no Minotaur waiting around the corner of this one. That didn’t mean she was safe of sea monster however.

“This is a dead end.” She muttered and dragged herself onto the beach. Her wet clothes felt heavy as stone slabs and her hair was sticky and salty. It almost seemed she was doomed to repeat this cycle of nearly drowning and crawling back on the sand. She had repeated it countless times.

While unceremoniously dragging seaweed from her hair she sighed towards the temple. Her destination was so close, yet so far. Was there truly no wine on this entire island? She wished that those strange false memories would give her a new perspective again. Something that she would have known once perhaps?

Eugenia took the shortest path to the ruined temple and looked about without direction or ideas. This place was too familiar to be so foreign. Inside the lair Stheno was currently attempting to convince Medusa. If her intuition was correct then the divine sister was bound to fail. But how could she be certain? These fragmented memories could have just been a delusion.

“Am I losing my mind?” She wondered with a frown. To search Sarpedon for a drop of wine while the doomsday was approaching quickly was the height of foolishness, no?

Could she even tell good from bad wine? Had she ever partaken in this pleasure? Was there any need to? Such questions kept her occupied as she sat down and leaned against an old sandstone wall. To save someone dear to her, would she not need to understand who she was first? Medusa was everything, but she could not even tell why she cared about her.

So truly, what did she know about wine?

“Do not drink the cheap stuff that sailors keep around. It will give you a horrible migraine.” She heard a voice speak up close to her. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest and she hastily turned around to see… a pillar. There was nobody there. Another auditory illusion. Now that she had calmed down, that voice seemed to be familiar though. Someone had given her such advice before.

The sweetest wine she had ever tasted was not cheap sailor’s booze. It had the taste of precious soft lips…

Eugenia blushed again. This time it was a deeply longing flush going all the way across her face and up to her ears. She had remembered only the emotion she had felt, but it was heavy and wonderful indeed. If it was the taste of that incredible wine she had received from her beloved, then there would be no complaints from anyone who tasted it.

And the moment she escaped the trance like state and let her fingers release her lips she looked upon something that could not have been there. Right below a small roof of rubble, there was a wooden chest. This had not been here before, but as the world had turned blurry like the strokes of paint on a canvas, it had appeared.

Her hand opened the lock instinctively and from inside the depth she pulled a single amphora. The tantalizing odor of alcohol reached her nose in an instant. This was exactly what she had tasted in her memory. How had it arrived before her? A miracle of the gods? The how seemed meaningless compared to the next step.

She was tempted to take a single sip from the miracle wine, but she thought better of it. If she lost her focus she feared it may disappear like it was a trick of the light.

----------------------------------------

Inside the hidden garden the air was tranquil, but now that the sunlight had entered anew, it had regained all of its beautiful colors. The sight was very nostalgic. She only remember the pitter patter of rain on glass.

Like an unmoving work of art the cold beauty was still resting below the low hanging branches of a tree. Had she moved even a muscle since they separated? Had she moved her tightly shut eyelids once? Eugenia wondered if she hadn’t imagined their prior encounter. It seemed impossible for this picture to be disturbed.

“Lady Euryale, I have returned.” She could not spare any more time marveling. She had a mission.

“So you have.” The cold reply came with some delay as the snow-skinned Gorgon opened her clear eyes. Her gaze instantly was attracted to the amphora in the girl’s hand.

“I have brought you an offering. If you would graciously accept it I would be overjoyed.” She held the wine before her in a hopeful pose.

“Where did you obtain this offering?” She asked suspiciously.

“That’s - a secret.” She smiled wryly.

“Hmph.” She made an unamused sound, but then waved the human girl over. Finally a favorable response.

Eugenia moved closer and then knelt down in front of the Gorgon, clutching the wine to her chest so as not to clumsily drop it at the last moment. Euryale harshly pulled it out of her hands and then took a long whiff of it. After stone-faced contemplation she finally nodded. As the girl sighed in relief, Euryale made two earthen cups appear from her hands. There was no telling how she had pulled off this trick, but questioning anything on this island was a fool’s errand anyway.

“Do you drink?” She asked without making eye contact as she poured the wine into the first cup.

“Sometimes.”

“I would not have let you refuse regardless.” She said nearly with a hint of maliciousness, but there was the tiniest upward motion on the corner of her lips. Then she handed her the filled cup.

“Thank you.”

“It is your wine.” She replied as she poured herself one as well. “But it is my cup. Treat it as if it were me.”

“Ah, I will.” She had no idea what that meant, but she forced herself to hold the cup much more steadily. They faced each other with cups raised for a while, but Euryale did not act further.

“Drink.”

Eugenia first? She swallowed nervously. Did Euryale think it might have been poisoned?

“Wrong.” Apparently she could read her mind as well!

“To good health and fortune.” Eugenia mumbled an old toast she vaguely remembered and put the cup to her lips. The initial sting of the wine on her tongue soon softened and turned far sweeter. It was incredibly good.

“It is a rare treat indeed.” The Gorgon sister had already partaken of the Dionysus’ blood before Eugenia could notice. “My parched throat finally finds relief. Stale water cannot quench me.”

Eugenia nodded quickly. She could tell that the Gorgon sisters were not pressed for sustenance, as they were divine in nature, but once the body knew of certain pleasures it would feel an intense withdrawal nonetheless. Medusa had forgotten her desires once, but soon felt the same pleasure again.

She rubbed the cup with her index finger while sinking into thoughts far away.

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“Do not lose focus when you are in my presence. Your courting is not yet complete.” Euryale said with a small sip from the cup that she held in a peculiar way.

“Courting?” She raised a brow, but inwardly chided herself for swaying to the other side again.

“You desire my support and to that end you will have to convince me. I am not a goddess you can pray to for guidance, neither am I a lowly mortal you can pay for services. If you wish to reach Medusa you must by worthy of it.”

“So you knew.” She focused her eyes on the petite woman before her. Suddenly she gave off an entirely different aura.

“You attained my attention, but nothing more. Speak child. Words are all you have, no?” The Gorgon sister leaned against the ancient tree and leaned her arm on one leg.

“If you know everything already then why do you need me to speak?” She felt an unnaturally strong rejection inside her heart. Something about Euryale was truly aggravating to her.

“Respect, human. The most important thing in this world is respect. Those who earn it go far, those who can demand it are the unquestionable rulers. Those who have none will also receive none. The divine are above mortal respect, we do not give it to those below us. Each of you however will have to give us the respect that is our birthright.” Her elaborations were accentuated by the balanced swirling of red wine inside her cup. Never too close to the edge, never chaotic.

“Is that not unfair? Such a one-sided respect.” Eugenia said quietly. She grabbed her cup tightly with both hands.

“If you had the power to change the world, would you do it?”

“Change-? Of course I would!” There were so many wrongs in this world. She did not remember her past, but there were definitely things she regretted as well.

“Then you would trample on everyone’s will and wishes to realize your own desires. Would you usurp the gods? Would you even the balance of power? Would you put equality before the natural order? Where is the respect in that?”

“I didn’t mean to go so far.” She shook her head.

“The truth is that we all have to respect the natural order. Plants are below animals, animals are below humans, humans are below the gods. Each tale of crossing these lines has led to disaster. Until another divine struggle for dominion occurs, we may only accept this current world the way it is. Respect your limits little human.”

What she said sounded right. It was certainly correct, but… “But it is not just humans who have the will to change. There are deities like you who are not in power. There are heroes with mortal and divine blood that go on quests of their own free will. Then can there not be change within the current law?”

“Those freedoms are an illusion, grander than even Apollo’s greatest plays. Divinity is nothing without the might to force your view on the world. Heroes are no more than the gods’ playthings. When we reduce it all to the very core, there is only one thing we have.”

“Respect?”

“You begin to understand.” She seemed pleased and drank from her cup once more.

Euryale was a realist to the core. When one accepted their lot in life, the shackles of destiny, then there could be nothing more important than the respect of one’s role. Even if there was nobody to praise her on how well she performed her act, she would continue to follow the script.

“Isn’t it painful?” Eugenia asked sadly.

“Do you dislike order that much?”

“No, I don’t. It does not matter to me at all.” She refuted quickly. “I do not fear fate, because I don’t know it.”

“…” Euryale glanced into her nearly emptied cup with an unreadable expression.

“If you were to know exactly how everything played out, then what is the meaning of it all? Would you not want to see if you can change something? Is there no way to make your own destin-“

“Silence already.” Euryale interrupted her harshly. It was clear that the human girl had gone too far.

“Medusa believed in this.” Eugenia said determinedly.

“Oh? You are still under the delusion that you know my sister so intimately I see.”

“Even if I didn’t, I can tell from your expression that I am right!” She looked at her intently.

“Impudent.” She clicked her tongue, but did not deny it. “Since she became mortal, my sister has shared in the foolishness of your kind far too often. She cannot change her fate and neither can you dirty human child.” She poured herself another cup to ease her migraine.

“We will see about that.” Eugenia finished her cup energetically and held it out to the petite woman.

“I have already seen enough.” The Gorgon frowned, but poured one more for the girl. The amphora was as good as empty now.

“Do you also know about the hero that will arrive in two days?” It was a shot in the dark, but she had a feeling that Euryale knew more than she let on.

“So he looks like a hero to you.” She replied softly and set down her cup to a sigh.

“We can’t let Medusa fight him!”

“And who is going to stop her?” She said lethargically, already expecting the answer.

“I will.”

“What if she does not wish to listen to you?”

“That’s why I need your help. I need you to help me get into her lair.”

“She will not change her mind.”

“Why are you so certain?”

“I cannot tell you.” She refused and wrapped her incredibly long hair over her waist, as if to wear it like a belt. It reminded her of Stheno. “I respect Medusa’s will. Perhaps you should try to do the same.” And with those words she stood up on her bare feet.

“Where are you going?”

“The wine has made me drowsy. I will find a place to rest my eyes.” She said curtly and extended her wings.

“Wait-!” She could not even get a word in before the Gorgon took off. She flapped her long wings and reached the glass roof. There was a single gap inside the windows that she slipped through like a dove.

At least that explained how she had managed to enter the garden without breaking open the locked door. Eugenia felt silly for caring about such details even now. Had she not just lost her only lead to Medusa?

Medusa’s will. Just what was that anyway? Euryale would not beat around the bush like that if it was not important. On this mission she had chased the Gorgon with wild abandon. But she had never considered her side. Her heart simply told her to save her. But what if she did not want to be saved?

Wrong. That thought was wrong. Medusa could not want this. To become this. Live this way.

The hero's steps were getting ever closer to Sarpedon. The flames were greedily licking at the seams of this world. The nightmare was neverending.

If this path was a dead end then Eugenia would have to believe in Stheno. Although her mind knew that this was also futile. She held the cup in her lap and watched the wine swirl around endlessly.

There was still hope. She had realized it only after tenderly turning the cup, but in Euryale’s spot was her own counterpart. That cup was still filled to the brim. She had poured herself so much, but left without touching it. That cup was a sign. As long as there was still wine, the ‘courting’ was not finished.

Eugenia had almost raised herself up and set her cup down on the dirty ground, but now she felt no desire to leave. She crossed her legs and waited patiently with a serene expression. In a previous life she had practiced meditation for the sake of communion with the gods.

The hours passed and the light of day was extinguished. Moonlight shone into the garden and turned it into an otherworldly place. The fog of the river Styx itself was flowing in. The border between worlds grew thin. Her body had turned as rigid as a corpse from staying still, so perhaps Charon already readied his boat for her.

Her tired face was reflected in the cup. If she closed her eyes now she could bask in that dreamless instantaneous sleep again. To move time to the next stage of this small world. But she refused. Her mind stayed awake despite it all.

----------------------------------------

It was noon again. The garden had absorbed the warmth of morning and was now sweltering in the heat of day. Euryale sat atop the glass ceiling and watched the hunched back of the human girl.

She had sat there for the span of an entire day, unmoving and quiet. Had she even gotten a wink of sleep? For a frail mortal like her, this would soon take her to the breaking point.

“Unbelievable.” She exhaled as she kept watch over that lonesome back.

----------------------------------------

Another night without sleep. Her throat was dry. Despite not moving at all, her body was drained from the constant heat. Her neck was burning during the day and her feet freezing during the night. Stiff muscles protested in pain. She was reaching her limit physically, but also mentally.

Doubt had eaten away at her countless times. Surely Euryale would have returned by now if she intended to finish her wine. It would soon spoil in this heat and become sour.

Eugenia licked her dry lips and rapidly blinked her tired eyes. The cup in her hands seemed to taunt her. That delicious, alluring, infinitely quenching wine was so close. Just a sip would not harm anything. After all Euryale was not coming back.

But her body lost before her mind could. She felt her strength leave her as she collapsed. The cup fell out of her feeble hands.

“No!” She overcame the dizzy spell and caught the cup just before it hit the ground. It did not get dirty and there was not a drop spilled. “Thank goodness.” She wanted to cry from relief, but her body was too dry to produce tears. As delirious as her mind was, she still felt an immense sense of satisfaction for managing to last even another heartbeat.

Every moment she stayed conscious she could continue thinking about her answer. The truth that her heart and mind concealed from her. When she had negotiated with Euryale she had felt herself get closer to the edge. As long as she kept confronting them she could perhaps reach that long sorrowful back…

In the blurry vision before her she could only see green and brown tones. It seemed like she was not going to manage for much longer. It was already the third day since her arrival. Perhaps she had made a mistake, but true stubbornness kept her legs crossed and her head held high. She would see this path to the end to be certain… that there was no… regret…

Time passed like thick strands of oil. She could not tell whether the sun had moved or if she had only lasted another heartbeat. She could not feel it anymore. Her heart stopped for a moment and she had to cough violently. Her torso fell forward and she collapsed on the grass. This was her human limit.

But the hard earth and dry grass felt much too soft this time. Her cheek touched fabric rather than the ground and she hazily opened her eyes. She was blinded by the light from above, but as her eyes focused she could see the shadow towering above her. Silvery-purple eyes glanced down on her judgingly.

This vision created a splitting pain in her head and the image overlapped with a memory. She had been in this position before. This not too gentle lap and worried expression…

“Medusa…?” She whispered.

“I am afraid you are mistaken.” Euryale responded coolly and forced a cup to her lips. She aggressively made Eugenia drink the cold water until she nearly drowned. The human girl coughed repeatedly and then forced herself to sit up.

“You-hakgak… You came back.” She wiped the water from her chin and looked about in confusion. The sun was still far up in the sky.

“Stheno would never turn quiet if I let her pet die in my garden.” The Gorgon sister replied dismissively.

“I see.” She rubbed her hurting throat and looked down dejected.

“Drink more water.” She pushed a water-skin into the girl’s lap and sat down below the tree.

“Thank you.” She accepted the offer and quenched her considerable thirst.

“Awful.” Euryale made a displeased face as she emptied the cup of wine that had been standing around for two days. It was unclear what she had expected after leaving it to spoil in the sun.

“You came to finish it.” She realized. “That means-!”

“I never waste a good drop. That would be disrespectful to the soil that provided it.” She muttered and refilled the cup with the last remnants of the amphora.

“As long as we are still drinking the negotiations aren’t over.” Eugenia pointed out.

“…” Euryale did not wish to respond to that it seemed, but she did not deny it either.

“I don’t know what Medusa’s will is.” Eugenia admitted as she wiped her sweat covered face with her sleeves. “I want to respect her wishes, that much is true.”

Euryale looked down with a brooding expression and focused on the untouched wine cup next to Eugenia, which was neatly placed on a sun kissed rock.

“While you were gone I thought about what that means. If Medusa wants me to abandon her then that would be her wish. I can respect that.” She leaned forward with a frown. “But is that what Medusa truly wants?! How can I know unless I talk to her?” She was only a finger’s length away from Euryale’s face. “You said that mortals have to respect the divine, but not the other way around. That is why I have no right to object if I want to accept the order of the world.”

“Yes.”

“But Medusa is a mortal too!”

Euryale averted her face and looked pained. Of course she knew this conclusion all along.

“I can’t say why, but my mind knows these details. I remember little things about her that may not matter at all, even though I don’t know who I am. Medusa is not human, but she is also not a goddess. There may be more differences than similarities, but do you not think that by the order of this world we are still equal?”

“That is not-“

“If someone has a wish you need to respect their will, which is what we have been taught as children. But what if my wish… my own wish contradicts hers?” She started to remember something. She was not allowed to remember. She was at the edge of an epiphany. Any more of this would create a paradox.

“Then you say that your will exceeds my sister’s?” Euryale asked heavily.

“My wish to speak to her is everything to me right now. My existence has no meaning if I don’t.” Like an overcooked egg she felt her insides push against the shell and threaten to break it already.

“You wish for her to respect your will as well then.” Euryale put down her cup and sighed. With her left index finger she pushed Eugenia’s face back until she fell over and back onto her spot. “I have witnessed it already. You are certainly insufferable, even for a human.” Her finger traced across the air and stopped at the untouched cup on the rock. “But you treated ‘me’ with respect until the end. It is only expected that the negotiations continue.”

“Thank you!” She already rose up again with a delirious smile.

“What do I gain from putting my support behind your frail back?” She asked seriously.

“Answers.”

Their eyes met like two swords in a clash. Euryale was astounded by that response and had failed to parry the slash.

“Hah. Hahaha. You are quite something.” For the first time the cold-hearted Gorgon chuckled. “You believe that I need your help to get these precious answers?”

“I know that you worry about Medusa, but you are far too prideful to talk to her about it.” Now she was completely certain after seeing that reaction. Euryale’s greatest weakness was now revealed. An impenetrable defense did not exist. Even great Achilleus could be slain when hit in his vulnerable heel. The twin’s feelings for her sisters were this proverbial heel.

“She is utterly irritable and childish. Her pride far exceeds mine, human child. Prying her open is simply not worth my effort.” She had regained her composure in an instant and let the sun sparkle on her luscious skin as she looked up. “Perhaps she needs someone as impertinent as you to get through those guarded arms.”

“I will not stop until I do just that.” She nodded in confirmation.

“Very well. We will have to move quickly. Your fearsome hero is already on his way.” She lethargically twisted her hand and the sun above them showed a tinge of red.

“Oh no!” Eugenia stood on her feet in a moment, but almost collapsed again with her weakened constitution. “Hurry! I need to hurry.” She stumbled towards the hole under the Greenhouse’s wall.

“Too slow. I will not be kept waiting by a human.” Euryale hissed and grabbed Eugenia by the neck like a kitten. Next they already flew towards the open window above and left the garden behind. From up here everything seemed incredibly small. The horizon was still covered in endless blue.

“Heeeey! Did you steal Genia while I was gone Rya?!” Suddenly Stheno shouted towards them from the pavilion. She seemed incredibly infuriated and raised her fist to the sky.

“I will return her to you after I am satisfied.” Euryale responded with an icy glare and Stheno immediately shut up. There was no doubt who was the top of the food chain on this island.

“Don’t break her, alright?” She pouted and returned to her place.

With that confrontation avoided their flight path swerved right towards the lair. Euryale descended at breakneck speed and dented in the earth next to the large door. Eugenia faintly felt like she should have been in horrible pain, but there was a comfortable numbness to her body. Flying wasn’t so bad. Medusa’s technique was far rougher.

“Do not leave my back. Her curse may not affect you, but her claws will sever your head with ease.”

“Got it.” She swallowed and followed behind the beautiful woman’s small back as if it was a Spartan shield.

The stairwell was unusually wide and well kept. It was small, tight and derelict. A gentle breeze blew down into the lit underground. The stale air was swallowed by the thick darkness.

Eugenia’s eyes did not need to adjust at all, so she could immediately tell that the walls were covered in odd carvings and paint. This lair was more akin to a real temple’s mausoleum. Even kings would be envious of such detailed pictures. What was depicted here was a far cry from the amateurish paintings that Stheno created. This was true art.

But every time she attempted to focus on the contents she just received blurry colors inside her mind. Her eyes seemed to be failing her!

“Do not stray from my back.” It was the Gorgon sister’s last warning.

“S-sorry.”

They walked down in silence as torches periodically revealed new artworks. Whatever they depicted was sequential, that much Eugenia could tell. The scenes became larger and more expressive and ultimately culminated in circles on the ground that created an odd snake like pattern. They had entered the innermost ‘sanctuary’ of this lair.

Draped over some manner of ancient stone altar was the large snake woman. Her tail swung left and right as she faced her intruder with her head supported on her hand.

“I did not expect you to play stable master Euryale. This cattle will not provide you with any nourishment.” Medusa said with the most poisonous of tones.

“Will you spare me the sarcasm sister? Lest you make me nauseous with such accusations.” She really seemed to be holding back her bile at the very thought of eating Eugenia. The thought crossed the human’s mind that it was probably not because of her morals, but rather because Eugenia wouldn’t taste well. Spending time with these women made her mind go to odd places.

“I was giving you the benefit of the doubt. I recall that you were not eager to let Stheno keep pets. My dear sister would hardly allow herself to become a hypocrite.” The Gorgon kept her eyes on Euryale, not even bothering to acknowledge Eugenia’s presence.

That cruel tone and hateful soul seemed… off.

“I have no interest in the human whatsoever. You know full well why I am here.”

“I already told Stheno that I refuse.” The snake hair undulated in anticipation. There was a strained atmosphere between the sisters already.

“I am not Stheno.” She said ominously.

“Is that a threat?”

“Do not lose yourself to emotion Medusa. Show your sister respect.” Her icy eyes were so piercing that even Medusa turned quiet and frowned. “I have made an agreement with this human. I ask that you let her speak to you.”

“How did she convince you?” Medusa asked with a rattled expression.

“That is my concern alone.”

“Perhaps.” She squinted her eyes and for just the fraction of a moment it grazed Eugenia and made her shiver. “Yet even if you are my sister and I owe you respect, I cannot accept this request. That human does not belong here.” It was her final verdict.

What did she mean by that? Eugenia was an outsider no doubt, but it felt like there was a lot more left unsaid. She was so close to her, so her first instinct was to shout out loud, but she knew better.

“She wants to talk to you no matter what fate may befall her. You should know this by now.”

“That does not change anything.”

“Are you simply stubborn or is there something else?” Euryale seemed bothered as well and finally asked something of her own.

“There is nothing.”

“Then you shan’t fear a simple conversation with this human.” Euryale stepped aside and pushed Eugenia down on her knees. “Do with her as you will, but if you respect me as your sister you will give her one chance.” She stepped aside and crossed her arms.

‘What is she thinking?!’ Eugenia felt cold sweat run down her back and arms. Medusa was anything but ready to have a conversation. The snake hair was hissing quietly already. Those children were with her since the day she was cursed and could sense each flicker in her heart. They had already perished and been replaced.

“You test my patience sister.” Medusa glared at the other Gorgon, but ultimately clicked her tongue and leaned back. She did not pay any attention to Eugenia at all.

Was this the opportunity she had yearned for? Right now she had finally reached the one she had sought so long. The circumstances weren’t ideal, but there was a growing heat in the lair that spurned her on.

“Medusa, my name is Eugenia.”

“I have no need of a human’s name.”

“Then at least take note of my warning! Someone is approaching this island to fight you. He is no human, nor god. I can’t even explain what he is, but but… but he will fight you to the death.” She struggled to keep calm as she felt a horrible sense of dread approach.

“You were this desperate to warn me of an enemy?” She snorted depreciatively. “What is this foolish act? Do not pretend my battles are your concern. I do not put faith into soothsayers.”

“I am not divining the future, I swear. I don’t want to gain your favor or be rewarded. My warning is only for your sake! To save Medusa-” She begun, but was interrupted by the shaking of the ground and ceiling. Something large had just landed on the island and brought with it an intense heat. The storm clouds began to rumble forebodingly.

“He is here. Seems you were not entirely fake.” Medusa said with a grave expression and her eyes turned snake like.

“Listen to me!” She stood up and stretched her arms to both sides to prevent the Gorgon from leaving. “You cannot fight the hero.”

“Is that why you came here, pest? To tell me to surrender? What god spat you unto my island?” Medusa was furious already and slithered off the altar.

“If you fight him you will not be able to go back!”

“There is no enemy that I cannot slay human.” She towered above Eugenia and extended her claws to her neck. “Make space for our battle or be minced in my path.”

“Why do you need to fight him?! This hollow victory is not worth giving up on your true self!” Eugenia’s mind was sparking with memories and information she could not process. This was the worst possible outcome; she had to prevent it. At all costs.

“Enough! Those who oppose me, those who threaten me, those who intrude upon my exile, they are all enemies that will be crushed. That is who I am!” She brushed Eugenia aside with force and made her crash against a wall.

Her vision turned dark already from the impact, but the stinging pain from her side was even worse. A sharp rock had lodged itself into her right waist side. Like the blade of a dagger. Her cheap garments were turning red rapidly. The pain seemed almost distant, like a mere memory, but it was paralyzing her completely. She needed to stitch the flesh together to survive. Red ran from her lips and freezing cold spread across her limbs.

There was no way she could stop her anymore. She had been too late. Again. Again again again!

Medusa slithered to the staircase to face the hero. How many times had she… how many times would she…?

“Wait.”

Medusa stopped. It was not Eugenia who had called out, for she was struggling to even stay conscious. The voice belonged to Euryale, who now blocked the stairwell with her own arms.

“You as well? You doubt my strength?” Medusa was taken aback for once.

“You will surely be victorious as you always are, sister.” The smaller Gorgon sister looked up to her and returned her furious gaze. “But there is something wrong about this ordeal.”

“A trick of the gods? Did that woman send the hero to our shores?” Medusa was only focused on the enemy above and clearly impatient.

“Eugenia is not finished yet. Listen to her.” Euryale insisted.

“You…” Medusa’s fog of anger cleared a little as she noticed the troubled expression on her sister’s face. The always stoic Euryale seemed incredibly frail right now.

“There are things I may not say. Things I cannot even think. So I have to leave it to the human this time.” She gave the bleeding girl a single look. It almost seemed like their roles were reversed.

“Me-du-sa.” Eugenia dragged herself up on the cracked wall with pure determination. Her veins were on fire, but it seemed to reignite the spark just fine.

“Why are you so stubborn?” Medusa twisted her mouth in agony and stopped at the foot of the stairs. “You have only as long as I can count fingers on my hand.”

She had relented and was facing her.

Eugenia’s heart was lifted to the heavens and she felt infinite relief. There was reason left in this twisted being after all. That was the expression she had sought so much. A face she had never once witnessed.

“Ten.” The Gorgon lowered one finger already. She was not messing around!

“If you fight the hero you will perhaps win or lose, but it doesn’t matter.” She said between ragged breathing. She was losing a lot of blood. “If you fight then you can never go back to being yourself!”

“You already said that. Have you nothing more?” She scoffed.

“I don’t know why… but your curse… is it not too heavy?” Eugenia muttered.

“Hmph.” Medusa seemed to be fully aware of what she meant this time. Her fist was clutched tightly in response. Only five seconds left.

“Fighting… haah… that’s… battling him… that’s what she…” She felt her pulse go quieter each moment. “That’s what she wants.” She said as she collapsed.

“She?” Medusa’s eyes widened and she instinctively caught Eugenia’s body in her arm. “You mean this is a ploy of-?”

Krrrchk

Eugenia heard the sound, before her eyes could even realize what had happened. Her limp head turned to the side and she saw the red gush over the lair. It was not her life liquid. It belonged to-

“Krrrgh.” Euryale stood weakly with her chest impaled. A long chain extended through the destroyed entrance far above. The weapon had been thrown with horrific accuracy and pierced the Gorgon sister’s ribs. Her lung must have been destroyed as well as she forcefully closed her lips. She looked up to Medusa with a vehemently stoic expression, voiceless.

Their eyes met as the chain was pulled back and she was flailed against the walls and dragged all the way to the surface.

“…” Medusa’s eyes were wide as the ocean and silver as a false moon.

“Noooo!” Eugenia screamed as she saw Medusa rise up in unrelenting fury.

“Bastard. How dare you!!” Medusa roared and advanced to the surface.

Eugenia crawled towards the steps as life left her body with each hard-earned breath. It would not have mattered had she died conveying her message. It would not have mattered if she had been torn apart as long as she stopped Medusa. But now she could not even die for her…!

When she reached the stairs with the last of her strength she felt an invisible resistance. The barrier. She could not even pass the first step…

It was frustrating. It was painful. It was lonely.

She sank into the darkness once again as the roars from above told of a titanic clash.

----------------------------------------

The darkness parted slightly to reveal an endless ocean around her. These waters had grown almost familiar by now. Her eyes lit up and she looked forward. There in the distance she saw the flowing hair of Stheno coming her way.

The flow was trying to drag her deeper, but she did not care this time. She forcefully clawed her way through the water, paddling against the current and towards the not so distant island. There was no way she could waste time drowning.

On the way Stheno picked her up as usual and pulled her out of the water. They sailed through the air with dripping clothes and made their way to the beach. Eugenia braced for impact and then rolled over the sand. She was only disoriented for a moment and shook it off.

“My my, you are a spunky one! I did not expect to fish out such a lively human in these waters.” The Gorgon sister adjusted her long flowing hair that was always magically dry and clean. “My name is Stheno. Who are-?” She was still caught in introductions when she realized that the human girl had already moved up the steps to the temple.

“MEDUSA!” Eugenia shouted with all her might.

“Now wait just a moment~” Stheno was slightly flustered and hastily followed behind her. “You shouldn’t antagonize my sister like that. It would be best if we kept a low profile for now.”

“MEDUSA! Come out!” Eugenia was completely out of patience. No matter what she tried, the conclusion was always the same. She had no time to befriend the sisters, she had no power to force her way in, so her only choice was…

“You picked up a rabid one again, Stheno.” The snake woman herself appeared from within the temple and looked upon Eugenia with disgust. “Get it out of my sight already. It makes too much noise.”

“Medusa! I have come here for you!” Eugenia pointed at her with a serious expression.

“Wait wait wait, are you trying to challenge her?” Stheno covered her face with one hand and sighed.

“Oh? Another challenger so soon?” Medusa gave her a malicious look.

“She is clearly just confused, because she nearly drowned.” Stheno tried to mediate frantically and stepped between them.

“You will die Medusa.” Eugenia said darkly.

“Hah.” Medusa seemed amused, in a very irritated fashion.

Now she had grabbed her attention. She pushed Stheno out of the way and moved up the steps.

“What a waste.” Stheno sighed.

“My curse does not seem to affect you.” Medusa leaned against a pillar with her arms crossed below her bossom.

“That’s right. I am immune. I also know what will happen to you, so you better listen to what I say.” She gave them as much false bravado as she could muster. The hero could not interrupt them this time. Stheno would not trap her. Euryale was not even here yet. This was her chance.

“I refuse.” Medusa said sweetly as her tail impaled Eugenia.

“Huh?” She looked down at the hole in her chest. It did not register with her mind right away.

“I was curious about your protection, but it is clearly only valuable against petrification.” She pulled out her reddened tail and turned away. “Now stay down like a good corpse.” She muttered resentfully.

“You did it again. What good is your curse if you still make such a mess?” Euryale dove out of the ocean and immediately saw the red stream leaking down the steps and unto the beach.

“Stheno will clean it up. She brought it here.” Medusa said with a yawn.

“Why me? It’s not like I could predict she was one of those crazy ones. They all look the same! You didn’t have to break her open like that.” Stheno grumbled.

Impossible. Was there really nothing she could do? She had ended up in a puddle of her own blood again. Powerless to change anything. Was this fate? Was everything predetermined?

Eugenia despaired.

Her body lost the spark of life and she faded away. At the last moment before the end, she felt herself get dragged back… back to the endless ocean waters where she would once again awaken. It was like her soul had not been allowed to leave and was instead pushed here.

“Sorry.”

Cursed eyes watched from far away as the bloodied clothes of the woman sank into the waters. What did the Gorgon see? She could not yet tell the nightmare’s end.