79. Prepare Your Eyes
Lela nearly wept from the rush of bone-melting relief. She had believed she was well and truly finished the moment Perseus snapped her wing. Though his knee remained pressed against her back and her arm held in an iron grip, he had frozen at the sound of Phorcydes' voice.
Then a second voice joined in.
"Would you keep using him like that?"
Perseus released her and swung around. Swallowing a pained groan as her broken wing snapped back into place, Lela turned to look as well.
In the midst of fallen trees and charred vegetation, a woman, regal and tall with sleepy, golden eyes, stood next to Phorcydes. She was smiling at... Lela followed her line of vision, not at Perseus but at the space next to him.
"It's been so long, sister." She had a firm but unhurried voice, and her eyes twinkled as if she were amused. "I would appreciate a hug."
Save for the muted roar of the waterfall, nothing else stirred. Even the wind felt unnaturally still.
Spooked, Lela looked around, searching for a fifth person and finding none. There was an equal look of puzzlement on Perseus' face, and he had summoned his sword. To do what exactly? Even in the presence of Phorcydes, he dared to show hostility. The boy's hubris knew no end.
But something was odd about Perseus' expression. It shifted from puzzlement to alarm as he gripped his wrist, appearing to struggle with the hand that held the sword.
Then Lela noticed something even stranger. Phorcydes. She was standing behind the tall woman, hands clasped before her in the most respectful posture she had ever seen her take. She wouldn't even look up.
"I gave you enough time." The tall woman was still speaking to the empty space. "Surely, you should be able to physically manifest, now that your..." Her words faded at the sharp shift in the air.
Lela's ears popped as an unnatural calm swallowed every sound. Her trepidation tripled when Phorcydes' face turned chalk white. Something bad was about to happen. Beyond wary, Lela spread her wings, fully prepared to take flight should the situation warrant it.
Perseus broke the silence, yelling in protest as he jerked forward, seeming propelled by the sword now aimed at the sleepy-eyed woman. She waved as if swatting a fly. The weapon shattered as he sailed through the air and struck a tree.
For a moment, Lela feared he was dead, then he groaned and blinked bleary eyes open. Feeling an intense need to hide from whatever this was, Lela tightly wrapped her wings around her upper body and began inching away.
Don't notice me. Don't notice me. Please, don't notice—
The space next to Perseus split open with a loud rending sound. Black smoke poured out.
Lela froze, eyes throbbing painfully as she stared, physically unable to tear her gaze from the unravelling anomaly.
How does one cut space open like that? What was that smoke? And why does it feel like I'm slowly dying? Terror pumped through her veins as her throat constricted, turning every breath to painful wheezing. Her wings grew slack as she raised her hands to her neck, clawing for freedom.
Pale, slender fingers with pointed black nails gripped the edges of the tear and tugged. A grating, wrong sound rent the air along with the action.
The golden goddess was smiling—happy-smiling, judging from how her eyes lit up and crinkled at the corners.
"Was that a joke?" A glowing thread appeared and expanded to a thin, gold staff in her grip. "What your glove-boy attempted with the sword, was that a joke?"
A leg pushed past the widening tear, but something was wrong with the limb. It flickered, seeming ghost-like, unlike her arms. When the rest of her body made it out, Lela could only gape.
There was a stark difference between the two goddesses.
One decked herself in a fine robe with gold jewellery matching the shade of her eyes and carried an air of ease.
The other did wear jewellery, but hers were black and mostly on her face, some even hanging from her nose to her ears.
Aside from the fact that she was floating in place, darkness poured off her like black smoke.
The rip in space closed like lips and vanished.
Lela's vision blurred as she fought for each breath. This was not how she imagined her day would go.
Suddenly, the choking sensation vanished as warmth washed over her body. She swallowed huge gulps of air, panting as she tore her gaze from the smoking goddess. The effect of the warmth was so potent that the phantom pain from Perseus lightning attacks also vanished.
Speaking of Perseus, he was on his knees, back facing the goddesses and attention fixed on what remained of his sword. The hilt sat on his palm as a wisp of black coiled off it like smoke from burning incense.
"Atropos," the beaming goddess said.
"Clotho." Atropos' bitter scowl remained as she glared at her sister.
"How about we take our..." Clotho waved with her staff. "Discussion away from the mortals."
Atropos' glare did not abate. "You think that's what's important?" Her voice was halting and heavy with unmasked disdain, as if she was forced to use a mode of communication she loathed.
Clotho nodded. "Yes. It is important. You wouldn't understand, seeing you've lived apart from them since the beginning. Your presence here is not good for—"
"You have lost sight of it." Atropos stood on thin air. "Mixing with them, even forming multiple bonds. It's no surprise your eyes no longer see clearly."
Clotho's smile vanished. She gave Perseus a pointed glance before returning her focus to Atropos. "And your eyes see clearly?"
"Yes." She took a threatening step as her dark aura flared more intensely.
Lela gulped.
"Only I remember our assignment as it was given in the beginning.
" She took another step. "You and Lachesis.
You both sicken me. Look at what those whose fate should sit on our hands have done to us.
LOOK!" She gestured between them. "What is this ease?
This shameless fraternisation?" A large, silver snipper appeared in her grip. "Where is your pride, your rage?!"
Clotho looked from the weapon to her sister's face. Her expression grew even more solemn. "My rage has since cooled; now I see clearly. Our goal is the same. If you could—"
"No." Atropos shook her head. The bitter scowl was gone, and now she appeared sad. "No, I will not permit another mistake. I will not let you use that girl to destroy Cosmolith."
"She will not destroy Cosmolith."
Atropos scoffed. "The naivete of mortals has rubbed off on you. Did she tell you she stole from me? Ripped out enough for me to feel the gaping loss."
Clotho paused, a frown touching her brow for the first time.
"Of course, you don't." Derision dripped from Atropos' voice. "The Monolith has corrupted that child. Just like her thieving husband and the usurper after him. Why can't you see?"
"You and I know we cannot interact with the Monolith." Clotho's voice took a gentle, pleading note. "I saw a future, and I know Lachesis saw it too. That child will fix Cosmolith."
Atropos wasn't listening. She nodded to herself as if coming to a bitter decision. "I will fix this. I will fix everything."
Black blotches dotted the sky before spreading like ink in water.
Clotho waved her staff in an arc, and a golden line cut across the growing darkness. The stark demarcation painted an uncanny image. Half a blue sky with cottony morning clouds, and the other was overtaken by plums of darkness resembling storm clouds.
"We don't have to do this." A pained look crossed Clotho's face. "And even if we must, let's take this somewhere else."
The dark goddess still wasn't listening. In her right hand, the snipper snapped into a straight line, its sharp blades shining ominously at both ends. "That you both choose to press on with that thief of a girl, knowing what she will do in the end, is the greatest insult to our creator."
"It is unfortunate that you see it that way." Clotho glanced in Lela's direction. Appearing to come to a decision, she nodded.
"As you wish, Moirai," Phorcydes said before flashing forward and grabbing Perseus by the back of the neck.
What happened next was so fast that Lela could only catch glimpses. Thousands of golden threads burst out of Clotho's staff. Within the same blink, Lela found herself, Phorcydes and Perseus tightly bound in a single, glowing cocoon.
There was an enraged shout in the background.
The last thing Lela saw was Atropos shooting forward with the sharp tip of her sniper aimed at Clotho's golden staff.
"Are you certain you love our husband?"
Medusa scowled at the naked mockery in her curse's voice.
"Halfdan is not my husband," Medusa spat even as her heart sank with sorrow.
I failed again.
"Then shatter it," her curse casually said.
Medusa stared at the marble statue. Halfdan had rushed at her, twin axes raised and expression pitiless.
As the fear of yet another impending death surged, she met his eyes, forgetting to rein in the power behind her gaze.
He was stone in an instant. What was more terrifying was how much her petrification gaze had improved.
Formerly, she could see the transformation as it happened.
Starting from the eyes, then rushing to the rest of the body.
Now it was worse. A nanosecond of eye contact and her opponent was immediately marble. It was so jarring that for two months of training, she resorted to living blindfolded.
Her curse assured her that the probability of her unintentionally turning someone to stone was unlikely, seeing that when her emotions were stable, controlling her stone gaze was as easy as breathing. Still, the terror of mistakenly killing someone wouldn't leave.
Medusa's first experience with petrification was still branded in her mind, a scar that would never fade. She must learn how to seize complete control of her gaze, whether at the height of her emotions or otherwise.
Though 'cowardly', as her curse loved to call her choice to live blindfolded, the move came with its reward.
Medusa grew even more sensitive to ambient aether movement and learned two interesting things.
The Monolith's energy was also present in the air, and so was Atropos'.
Though the former was far thinner, Atropos' essence doubled that number.
Attempting to manipulate Atropos' essence had failed, but the case was different with the Monolith energy.
She had learned to use it to shield her body instead of compressed aether, and it was far more effective.
The queen was still puzzled at how Medusa's body remained "impossibly durable" during their training.
Clotho had an interesting explanation. It was part of what made gods seem immortal; though, in their case, the Monolith energy infused every cell, as opposed to forming a simple shield.
To destroy that 'immortality', Medusa may have to find the Monolith and use her key to make some... adjustments. But wouldn't all deities, including her family, die if she did that?
If the goal is to end the gods, do not think your family will be spared.
Lachesis' words returned like a prophecy of doom. If the opportunity to end all deities had come on the day she returned to Cosmolith, she would have grabbed it without a second thought. But now, look at me. Clotho's urging that she see some of them as human was working.
Was there truly no way to make a separation? Or maybe not use the Monolith as an all-encompassing kill switch. Now that her petrification was getting perfected, she could seek them out and—
"You know that wouldn't work," her curse cut in.
"What? You'd let your chosen ones continue being immortal?
Do you know their thoughts? What happens when they suddenly decide to become the next ultimate god of Cosmolith?
They have lived long enough. Reward their obscenely long life with a quick death if you must be merciful. "
"What about our family?"
"They've lived long enough."
Medusa flinched at the cool detachment in her voice. "Are you certain you're me and not some twisted caricature born by the Monolith?"
"Believe whatever you wish." Though her voice remained casual, it held a faint note of sadness. "Someone must end this wrongness. It's unfortunate, but it is what it is."
"I..." Medusa stared at her hands. There had to be a way.
"We'll be here all day," she whined, voice turning playful once more. "Shatter it already. Let's test the strength of that trunk."
Medusa's focus returned to the statue. Just like those stone titans, it hummed with aether.
As they clashed, Halfdan increased in size as she did.
Now they were as tall as ten-storey buildings.
Their clashes had since outgrown the clearing, so they fought across wide expanses of land, shattering the earth and pulverising mountainsides.
Every time she managed to eke out a small win after tens of defeats, her curse would heighten Halfdan's abilities.
Then the process repeated. The only time she won was when she used her petrification touch.
But he grew smart, making it difficult for her to touch his skin.
One day, she grew so frustrated that her petrification gaze flared awake. Both eyes burned as if engulfed by invisible flames, and blood flowed like tears. By the time she came to her senses from the blinding pain, Halfdan was stone.
"You're almost there." Her curse encouraged like an insufferable coach. "Soon you should be able to turn those so-called immortals to stone no matter how valiantly they shield their eyes."
"Are you certain?" Medusa asked. She had reached the second level of her gorgon form. Not only could she easily switch forms, but her limbs could turn into a serpent's. Her curse said the final form would have her sprouting wings.
"Of course I'm certain. If a mote can enter their eyes, why not petrification?"
Medusa didn't know about that. Killing by eye contact alone sounded more complex than a simple dust mote getting into the eyes. And if she made the tiniest mistake at the games, Poseidon wouldn't be the one ending up dead.
"I wouldn't let them kill you. After all, if you die, I die," her curse replied. "Now, go on. Shatter it."
This was the worst part. Her curse believed that the more she killed the embodiment of the person she hated or loved the most, the higher the probability she wouldn't hesitate when faced with an opportunity to kill a god.
Medusa wanted to argue, but then she remembered how she froze when she met Perseus at Drys Valon.
One would think that her hatred would make her fly at him in spitting rage and vengeance.
"You always hesitate at this point." There was impatience in her curse's voice.
"Fine!" It's not like this was the first or second time. Medusa coiled her tail around the statue and squeezed.
She looked away as he shattered. "Are we doing this again?"
There was a stone hand within her line of sight. Still gripping the axe. She stared at it.
"I feel like today is the day," her curse said in that cheerful voice. "Prepare yourself... or eyes."
Shifting to her human form, Medusa waited.
She was bare-handed. No daggers. Even without turning into a gorgon, she could shift certain parts of her body.
Sometimes only her serpent hair, other times her talons alone.
If she put her mind to it, she was certain she could shift her limbs to a serpent's.
"Remember, no petrification of any kind. You can't go out there exposing yourself. No Monolith energy as well. We've trained with that enough."
Medusa nodded. Her human form was still male, and the weight was far more bearable. And she was faster now, dusting Akrivi whenever he sparred with her. She had stopped sparring with him once her eye of petrification returned, much to his confusion.
There was another lingering worry hanging over her head.
When they joined the Amazons, the Queen mentioned Poseidon coming for Akrivi.
It has been months of holding their breath, with Akrivi training and working like a madman.
He would count his wealth obsessively too, boasting about it as he painted pictures of his future.
It was all a front; even without him speaking a word of his fear, Medusa knew he was terrified of his father coming for him.
Don't worry. I'll kill Poseidon before he breathes in your direction. At least she was certain killing Poseidon would do nothing to her conscience; if anything, it would elevate her peace of mind. For months, Medusa and her curse prepared something special for him.
Only weeks from now. When the time comes, I would not hesitate.
Heart pumping in her chest, Medusa regarded Halfdan as he strolled forward. In the last months, he had ended her life far more than she could count. Yes, she got a few kills, but her curse, that brutal slave driver that she was, continued to crank up his abilities.
"This is basic training aimed at the games. You should stand out, but not so much that you attract the wrong kind of attention from Zeus."
Medusa nodded wordlessly. Her heart raced harder. Halfdan's smug smile was gone. She had always preferred it when he wore a straight face. His axes were absent. Just massive fists. So this would likely be a brawl. She hated those the most.
Rolling her shoulders, Medusa took a stance and waited.
"Go on now." There was a chuckle in her curse's voice.
Medusa went to him instead of waiting. The world blurred around her as she flashed forward, fist flying at his face.
He smoothly leaned to the side, sending a punch of his own her way.
Her speed, now superior to what it was at the beginning, answered.
She dodged and threw another punch. But he swung at that exact moment.
Hers got him at the jaw, his sunk into her belly.
It was a pain Medusa would never get used to. Her organs shifted despite her aether shield as her breath caught in her throat. Doubling over, she staggered away and quickly straightened. She looked up to catch him giving his head a firm shake. Then he was rushing at her again.
When he snatched at her neck, she applied a move she recently perfected. Adding more layers of aether around the area, she manipulated it to push outward and repel his grip.
His expression remained placid despite Medusa's smooth escape. He grabbed at her again, even faster than he was before. Attempting the same evasive push failed. This time, he pressed against the repelling force as aether surged around him.
Her curse was interfering, increasing his aether supply. He snatched her in a brutal body lock, trapping her arms in the move and squeezing hard.
No. Not this move.
Desperate, she pulled even more aether and attempted to push it outward. His grip tightened in response, cracking her shield.
The bastard intended to snap her spine. Just flip me over, please.
"Come on. You can do it."
Medusa wanted to yell at her curse to shut up, but no words could pass her lips. Her body throbbed in time with her slowing heartbeat, her fingers useless. Halfdan has used this move more times than decapitation. Just holding on and squeezing as her curse gave him an endless supply of aether.
Medusa braced her feet, straining harder for freedom.
There were other options. Turn to a titan.
But he would turn to one too. And that move would be foolish, seeing she can't shift to a titan at the games.
With a final desperate strain, she pulled more than half of her aether reserve, spread an even thicker layer of aether over her body and pushed it outward.
It worked. In the haze of pain, she managed to slip from his grip. But he was upon her again, and soon their fight spiralled into a grapple with her curse offering infuriating suggestions in the background.
His eyes. It was so easy to do. Just one glance would be enough. Medusa fought instead. She managed to slam her elbow against his jaw. He laughed in her face before twisting her arm and yanking it from its socket. Biting down a pained cry, Medusa ripped off him, but he was already waiting.
A large hand grabbed her face, squeezed and slammed her to the ground. She clawed at his face and arm, drawing blood. Not even a flinch as he dragged her through the earth, forming a deep furrow.
This was usually where she gave in. Whenever it felt like he would kill her at any moment, or when his mocking gaze became too much to bear, she'd instinctively trigger her petrification gaze.
Medusa grabbed his arm and punctured his skin with her talons. She could see his face through the gap of his fingers.
No petrification. No petrification. Do something else. Think. Why so confused? Do something!
When she attempted to use aether to push his grip, he laughed in her face, copied her move and squeezed even harder. Blood leaked from her nose and mouth. Her head felt like a watermelon on the cusp of bursting.
"You can do it," her curse said in the background. "Fight the urge. Don't give in to—"
Again, Medusa failed.
Her curse sighed. "You realise we only have weeks?"
Medusa broke his stone arm, freeing herself as she stood. At least he died laughing.
"I think I should take a break," Medusa muttered as she reached for her blindfold.
"So you're going to run away? We don't have time." Her curse called after her, but Medusa was past caring. That was enough petrification for a day.
Yanking off the blindfold, she blinked repeatedly, only to find she wasn't alone.
"Akrivi?" It was jarring to see someone so soon after turning Halfdan to stone. She dropped her gaze in a moment of panic but forced it back up. I can control it.
"Shouldn't you be counting your gold?" Medusa stood and put away the blindfold, needle and aether stone.
Instead of firing back with a joking remark, Akrivi's expression remained solemn. "You should come with me."
Medusa looked at him again, this time closely. He appeared tense for some reason. A ball of anxiety formed at the pit of her belly.
"Clotho's domain." He was already moving to the door.
"What about it?" Medusa followed after him, trepidation rising with each step.
"It's something you have to see to understand."
As they headed for the cliff, Medusa reached for the Moirai's link.
Only silence replied.