91. Ares Contender #2
Panic completely forgotten, she reached for his snout. It was cool and wet, only way bigger. He huffed in her face, sending her snakes swaying.
"Your breath stinks of fish." Medusa laughed as she stroked the short hair of his snout.
"Whoa. Your whiskers are like ropes. Can you get bigger? How am I not hearing your breathing? Let me feel your heartbeat."
She ran to his side, her face sinking into his fur as she listened.
She felt the beats. Heavy, even and strong as his chest heaved powerfully with every breath.
"My baby got so big." She laughed and spread her arms, sweeping them across his fur. "You scared the life out of me, though. Don't do that again."
He grunted.
Now that Medusa thought of it, this must be how the stone made the drakon impossibly large. There was another problem, though. What if Rico remained permanently big?
"Hey!" She hurried back to his face. "Can you become little again?"
He blinked at her and flicked a turfed ear.
"Look at me." Medusa grew slightly larger, careful not to strain the Lernaean leather. Then she shifted back to her regular size. "Can you do that?"
No reaction.
"Big then small." She motioned with her hand. Rico huffed and looked away. "Come on!"
It took her five hours to get him to do as she said. The command was whittled down to 'big' and 'small'. She had to catch three large tunas and a swordfish to motivate him.
After holding Rico in her dimension, she took a final look at the island.
This was it. If she survived the coming clash with the gods, she would return here and see if she could re-enact Cast Away with some cheat.
Satisfied, she activated the portal stone without ceremony and appeared on a familiar beach. It was already night in Themiscyra, and ahead, dots of light from homes showed it wasn't so late.
With the wind at her back, she made her way uphill, but the closer she got to her little house, the more she sensed an odd stillness.
Pausing on the stone steps, she looked down at the homes across the slope. People were home, but what was this unnatural silence? For one, she didn't spot a single Amazon so far. Usually, they should be patrolling.
She resumed her steps, but this time fully prepared to unleash her petrification touch at the slightest provocation. The thought had barely settled when she reached her door.
Stopping at the threshold, she looked around, carefully taking in every detail and shifting shadow. Nothing appeared out of place, but why did it feel like—
Medusa caught it then. A faint rustle. The kind of sound she wouldn't have picked up if her hearing wasn't sharpened to the extreme.
Someone was inside her house. Behind the door, probably waiting for a sneak attack.
Medusa wasn't in her gorgon form, but her blood was still poisonous. She retrieved two pins, pricked her thumb and coated them with her blood. Depending on what she found, it was either petrification touch or bee venom.
"Come out." The command hung in the air. Not the faintest movement behind the door.
Medusa scowled, irritation rising. She had slept poorly on the island and had missed her bed. Whatever this was, she wasn't in the mood for it.
Impatient, she reached for the door handle, but it turned. A click. The door silently swung open.
Medusa flinched and stepped back, instinctively pulling out her daggers.
"You... w-what?" She gulped down her racing heart and tried again. "What are you doing here?"
"Antiope," a soft voice said. She stepped into the light. "I have been waiting for your return."
"Euryale?" To say she was dumbfounded would be an understatement. "What are you doing here?"
"Ares sent me." She turned, waving her in. "Do not stand there."
Medusa's shoulders sagged, daggers vanishing as she stared after her sister.
Doesn't she know who I am? Medusa touched her face, realising she was in her red-headed disguise.
Medusa shut the door behind her and released Rico. When he saw Euryale, he froze, sniffed in her direction and promptly ignored her.
"Forgive me. I had to make myself comfortable in your absence." She walked to the shelves, retrieved a flask and two cups and filled them with green tea popular among Athena's priestesses.
She sat on a tall stool by the table and nodded at the empty one across from her. Wary, Medusa sat and took the cup. It was pleasantly warm against her clammy palms.
Did Ares tell her? Or Otrera? Does she know I'm Medusa? Euryale was far more reserved than Stheno. She hardly joked but was always warm to Medusa whenever they spent time together in her first life.
"So." She rested her hands on her lap and looked at Medusa. Her pink-eyed snakes stared as well. "I apologise for attempting to kill you. I have given Ares my apologies as well. Understand that I was acting under instructions I could not refuse."
Unable to speak, Medusa only blinked at her.
"I reached Themiscyra four days ago with important news that brought great relief."
A pause. Then she lifted her cup and took a careful sip.
"But I do not think the news would elicit the same..."
Her focus flitted to the side before returning to Medusa.
"The same news may be unpleasant to you, seeing that he is your—"
"Do you know who I am?" Medusa cut in, unable to bear not knowing.
Euryale raised a white brow. "Excuse me."
"Where are your parents?"
She blinked, confusion flashing across her otherwise flat gaze.
She doesn't know. Ares and Otrera didn't tell her.
"Why do you ask?"
Medusa's heartbeat pulsed heavily in her ears. "When you stabbed me, did you consider the pain my loved ones would go through if I died?"
"I have apologised for attempting to take your life," she explained in that flat manner that infuriated Medusa.
She was yet to wipe that moment Euryale stabbed her so casually, like she was nothing.
What did she think a dry, lip-service apology would do?
You nearly murdered me, but by Fate's intervention alone did I escape death.
Was this how she casually killed people that had nothing to do with her?
Now that she thought of it, that was probably the duty of every one of Athena's priestesses.
The sadness of her situation snuffed the fires of Medusa's rage. It was all Athena's fault, not her sister's.
"You still belong to her, don't you?" Medusa asked. She itched to reveal her real face, but logic ruled over her senses. "Your loyalty remains."
"I intend to faithfully represent House Ares at the games." Her blank expression remained. "But you are correct. My bond to the goddess is only partially severed."
"Oh..." Medusa nodded, her sadness doubling. "I see."
"Yes." A pause, then she asked. "Why did you ask about my parents?"
Medusa shook her head, thoughts of a happy reunion wilting and collapsing to dust. Perhaps when Athena's bond was completely severed.
"What was it you wished to tell me?"
She sat straighter. "It's about your companion. Akrivi. Poseidon took him several days ago. Should he approach you during the games, do not..."
The cold fingers of dread reached for her heart, squeezed and yanked it to the pit of her belly. She vaguely sensed Euryale was still talking, but the sinking feeling was absolute, filling her head with every horrifying possibility.
How? And why now of all times? He had been so determined to escape, filled with dreams and hope; yet, somehow, his deepest fear had come to pass.
"Is that all?" Medusa quietly asked.
Euryale nodded. Then quickly added, "I am sorry about your friend."
"It's... it's fine." She pushed to her feet. The stool clattered behind her.
Blindfold training. Her curse. She needed to train. The Fate of Heroes was merely two days away. She needed to—
Rico pressed his nose against her arm and chirped. She looked down, surprised by how badly her hands trembled.
"I need to gather my thoughts," Medusa said before she left with Rico.
For the few hours that remained, she would give every drop of sweat and blood. Let her curse stretch her to her absolute limit.
They wanted a game. She'd give them a spectacle, something wild enough to brand their 'immortal' minds with mortal terror.