The Ieró Years, Paradise Sanctuary
Volume 1

Foreword

 The following passage has been taken from the novel the Gorgon Medusa, Book I: Herstory. This is the foundation for the adventures of Medusa after returning from the dead and settling on a small, isolated in the Mediterranean Sea. Her life has been a life of misery and suffering as the Gorgon, these Gorgon Chronicles reveal a different side of the cursed woman and how she ultimately becomes the wealthy philanthropist Cynthia Petrakis. In the proceeding volumes, additional stories will be told and the origins of certain characters, items and situations will be revealed exclusively on thegorgonmedusa.com.

PART I

The shriek filled the caverns of the Underworld as the Gorgon Medusa grasped her throat in the two areas where Perseus' blade so cruelly severed her head with two brutal blows. She dropped to her knees in shock and delight, the last memories she possessed before being decapitated were of her sisters in the cave dwelling on their island. Her vision cleared and she was looking upon them again. Confused and bewildered, Medusa attempted to speak but a pain resembling a thousand spears on fire filled her throat. Euryale, who cried over Medusa's murder rushed to her Gorgon sister's aid.

"Steady my sister, you have been through much. Well, at least your body has." She pointed to Medusa's bronze clawed feet showing her the bruises and blisters. "It seems that your body would not rest until it found its head. When we came back to the cave to bury your body, it was not where we left it."

Afraid to touch her head for fear that it would roll off her shoulders, Medusa's eyes darted to Stheno who was raised high on her lower body with wings extended. "Much has transpired Medusa! We gave flight after the one who severed your head from your body. He eluded us; no doubt he was assisted by the gods themselves. We battled some of Zeus's minions and as you can see, we were victorious!

"For what seemed like an eternity and a week, we tracked down your killer and made him tell us where your head was." The tone of Stheno's accounting was without emotion, but the thrill of the murder and mayhem she and her sister brought to many who crossed her paths delighted her. Every so often, the naga Gorgon looked off in the distance to see if they were under observation. No creature would dare attack but in the Underworld, chance of incident should never be taken.

Stheno came back into herself continued. "We returned to our cave to give your remains a burial when we discovered your body had gotten up and walked away. Fortunately, we were able to track your headless corpse here in Hades. Apparently, we Gorgons are more powerful than we even know."

Medusa took a minute to process all of this. Since the beheading, she heard the voice again speak to her. "We live again! But we must flee this place. Hades will fall like Olympus." Still she did not know what or who was talking to her, but a glimpse of her surroundings told her the voice was right. In the shadows she could hear the souls of the dead fleeing. In the distance, her senses told her that the monsters Hades had in his control were loose causing havoc. Their current position was in an open, flat terrain; it was not a tactically favorable spot.

"If my body," Medusa started to say in a slow raspy voice. "Walked into Hades, how did my head get here?"

Euryale smiled. "After the demigod Perseus confessed to his crime, he revealed that he took your head to Athena. She then placed it within this shield here," The misshapen Gorgon gestured to round shield that lay blank without Medusa's embossed head on the front of the shield. "The wretched goddess displayed your head on her mantle as it were a trophy. We tunneled our way into Mount Olympus from underneath the mole hill and entered Athena's wing of the palace. We replaced it with a replica and returned to Hades with your head."

"As soon as your body sensed your head was near, it reached out and mystically retrieved your head from the shield," Stheno added. "To be honest, we did not know how to retrieve you from the shield. It seems the enchantments and other otherworldly forces are in flux. Turmoil has seeped into Hades and we must flee back to the mortal world."

Euryale helped Medusa to her feet. But before they turned to run, Medusa picked up the shield to look at her reflection: her face seemed to be more battered and bruised.  The scar around her neck was bloody but forming a scab quickly. The snakes gave the impression of slowly coming back to life as they moved on their own. The snake protruding from behind her right ear appeared to be larger than the others and not writhing as the other serpents. Instead, it met her gaze in the reflection. If Medusa ever felt fear, that one serpent certainly relayed that fear.

The shield dropped from her hand and she looked at her sisters. "I thank you for seeing to the resurrection of my being, but now we must flee from this doomed space!" No sooner did Medusa finish her sentence did two large beasts crash into them. All three Gorgons were scattered about trying to get their bearings. One of the beasts looked like one of the chimera monsters that roamed the Underworld looking for flesh to devour. Upon further examination, the beast appeared to have been in battle and lost. Its serpent tail was split in half with both sides of its head and body hanging lifeless. The additional head of the goat was crushed and unrecognizable. The lion's head showed signs of life but barely. It slowly breathed in and out from its mouth with bluish, green blood trickling from it. Its eyes were open yet with no life in them. The three Gorgons looked at each other.

"Put it out of its misery," Medusa ordered. Euryale approached it, reaching for its neck to snap it when Stheno slithered forward to stop her.

"Do not soil your hands on this creature sister. I have a more pleasurable way of ending its life!" Stheno coiled down to the creatures lifeless starring eyes and looked into to it. Three seconds later, the creature howled in pain as the gaze from Stheno burned the chimera monster from the inside out and soon nothing was left but a frozen charred remain of the foul beast. Stheno's left mouth curled into a smile as the right mouth let out a devious laugh.

With Stheno and Euryale obviously distracted, Medusa recalled two falling beasts landing near them. Upon further investigation by walking around the chimera, a recently dug hole in the creature's underside could be seen. Turning left and right quickly, Medusa searched the grounds for any signs of the beast that killed the chimera.

"Medusa? What is it?" Stheno asked.

"Where is the other monster that fought the chimera?" Instantly the other two Gorgons started searching the area until it was Euryale's keener senses that not only identified the beast but located it.

"It is a sea worm and it is burrowing behind us!" No sooner did she warn her sisters, the worm burst through the floor throwing dirt and rocks in all directions. Euryale and Stheno dodged out of the area avoiding the debris. Medusa stood her ground shielding her face from the dust and flying dirt. She refused to flee from the creature as it reared up on its stout body and poised itself to strike. Medusa felt it was the time to unleash the full wrath of her gaze until she discovered a slight problem.

"These worms have no eyes!" she shouted. "Stheno! Euryale! Tear this creature apart!"

The shrieks of a battle cry were let loose as Stheno and Euryale leapt onto the worm with the claws and fangs at the ready. They tore into the worm's tough outer skin and made their way to its softer, fleshy body. The worm howled in pain as it thrashed about trying to shake off the Gorgons. Using the poison flowing within her body, Stheno impaled the beast repeatedly with her tail stingers, injecting massive doses of poison into the body of the worm without mercy. Euryale clawed her way into the body of the creature and managed to find its heart. She opened her jaws wide and began feasting on the heart of the worm. Blood gushed in all directions as the worm let out a death rattle and crashed the cavern floor.

Medusa was relieved her two sisters did not lose their vicious fighting nature. Fighting blind monsters limits the odds of defeating a powerful foe. She made a mental note to use of her other supernatural gifts, such as speed and strength against beings like the worm if the situation called for it. Wearing a sword and other weapons was not a bad idea as well. Stheno slithered next to Medusa who still looked at the creature in idle curiosity.

"This creature is one of Poseidon's minions. What is it doing here in Hades? Something is terribly wrong." Medusa surmised. Stheno was about to speak when the belly of the creature suddenly tore open and out poured the contents of the creature's digestive tract. The stench was so abominable, both Medusa and Stheno covered their mouths and noses while backing away from the deceased worm. From inside the belly, Euryale emerged with a devious smile on her face. Obviously, she enjoyed the gross experience of borrowing deep into the sea worm's body.

"I think we should leave Euryale here. As much as I detest humans, it would not be fair to have this stench ridden Gorgon unleashed on the surface," Stheno said with more malice than sarcasm. Euryale stuck her long thick tongue at her sister and then dove back into the pile of worm flesh. She emerged again, this time holding what appeared to be a rotting human female corpse.

"When pierced the flesh of this worm," Euryale began. "I heard numerous whispers about the ending of the reign of the gods. Inside the belly of this filth, at least thirty of these undead bodies were clamoring about the end. This one here may be able to tell us more."

Euryale gently placed the corpse on the ground. Its flesh was dark and rotted away, only gray bones remained but surprisingly the body was left partially intact. Empty eye sockets barely possessed any of the person's original eyes, but the head turned slowly toward Medusa and Stheno.

"Gorgons," the corpse whispered. "For all you power, it will not be enough. The end of the gods draws near. As Hades is falling, so will the mountain of Olympus. The power that governs the universe has come to restore order…"

The voice of the corpse trailed off and stopped speaking. After a few rough urgings from Euryale, the corpse disintegrated. All three Gorgons looked to each other. They stood still for a moment and heard the howls, screams and shrieks of both demon and human damned souls all through the caverns. And then, at times, an eerie silence followed before it started again.

"Sisters," Medusa placed both her hands on the shoulders of Stheno and Euryale. "We must flee and make our way back to the surface with no delay. Come!"

Euryale got on all fours and charged out in front covering a great distance. Medusa, still trying to re-master her body, started to walk and then ran only to stumble. Stheno slithered behind and caught her. Without a word, Medusa acknowledged the help with a nod and started up again. Using her cursed abilities, she broke into a fast run and was only several paces behind Euryale. Stheno decided to crawl along the ground versus flying. In the tight space of the caves, she could easily get disoriented in flight or worse, smash one or both of her wings against the unforgiving stone surface. Slithering on the cave floor had two advantages, one, she minimized being seen by any one fleeing the turmoil of the Underworld. And two, Stheno can detect acute vibrations of any being running or walking in their direction. Soon, her momentum brought her a few paces behind Medusa and the Gorgon sisters, reunited in Hades fled toward safety.

In all of their existence, the three beings never fled from danger. They were the danger and men attempted to flee from them but to no avail. Yet, the three Gorgons found themselves in a race against time fleeing from an unknown power. For three hours, the Gorgons ran through caverns, open chasms and crossed underground rivers. Euryale, at the beckoning of Medusa and Stheno, took a quick moment to bathe in one of the few fresh water pools to wash off the blood and entrails from the sea worm. The stink pouring from Euryale's clothing and body nearly killed Medusa again and Stheno for the first time.

They stopped by a large, fresh water pool. Euryale traveled to the far side and bathed herself, while Medusa and Stheno drank to quench their thirst at the other end. The pool reflected Medusa's face and she examined it. The jagged wound around her neck began to heal quickly but an ugly black scar formed in its place. The three snakes severed by Perseus's sword regenerated and were hissing in chorus with the others. She swallowed and felt the pain in her throat. She inhaled slowly and a stab of pain reverberated through her neck. Medusa slowly turned her head from side to side; afraid if she turned too quickly, her head would roll off of her neck. Her face has changed as well; swollen and scarred in the cheeks and lips. Any semblance of her original face is gone forever. She touched it with her hands and wanted to cry. Her plight was beyond tolerable. Stheno, raised up on her serpentine body, slithered over to her side and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Medusa, stop tormenting yourself! You will slip deeper into a darkness you can never return from. Accept what you are and live!" This was a rare moment of compassion from Stheno. As much as Medusa would hate to admit it, she was right. No human would have the ability to come back to life in a cursed condition. No human could tolerate the vile company of two other monsters. No human could ever challenge the power of the gods. She was the Gorgon Medusa, now and forever.

"You are right my sister. But we three should not be trapped in this hole forever. We need to find a way back to the surface and then plot our next action." Medusa stood straight up and sniffed the air. Something was on fire or rather there was a fire nearby. Euryale trotted over to her side.

"We better get going, something is heading our way! It sounds like the rest of the inhabitants of this realm are moving in our direction," Euryale reported. Just then, from high cave ledge, hundreds of beings of various shapes and sizes poured over the edges in flight from whatever was chasing them. Quickly, the three Gorgons jumped out the way of the hellish stampede and pressed themselves against a jagged wall. Human souls, demon dogs, giant insects, chimera, minotaurs, centaurs, and even Cerberus the hound of Hades, charged past the bewildered Gorgons. Fortunately for them, none of the participants of the stampede looked in the direction of the Gorgons. Ten minutes passed until the last creature disappeared down a long dark tunnel.

"I have never seen a sight such as that," Stheno mentioned as she made her way to the mouth of the tunnel.

"Not even when we raided villages in looking for Medusa's head and body," Euryale added.

Medusa turned to both of them. "How long was I…dead?"

"Hard to say, we think fifty years, give or take a month," Stheno hissed as she turned her head to the cave cliff where the stampede came from. Her senses were focusing in on activity above them and it was moving closer.

"My head was in Athena's possession for fifty years? But my body, how did it get up and walk away?" Medusa looked down at her feet. The bruises on the soles of her feet slowly healed as she sat upon the ground rubbing them. Even more strange, Stheno's assessment of how long Medusa was in possession of Athena had to be a mistake. Medusa's body told her the time had been longer than her Gorgon sister estimated. She needed time to determine the correct number of years of her passing. Unfortunately, time was a commodity that was scarce in their predicament.

"Rumors indicated Perseus became a king and warlord of Tiryns. It was not long after we discovered the coward hiding in a small fort with his family in the distant hills not far from Tiryns. He told us what transpired after he took your head to Athena's main temple. A short time later, Perseus was summoned to Olympus by Athena's invitation. He fled the mountain palace when your head began speaking his name. We heard your voice in the winds and that is what led us to your murderer. You will be happy to know that Perseus and his family, his servants and guards have suffered the wrath of the Gorgons."

Euryale looked at Medusa as she was a still as one of her statues as she listened. "When the boy king told us that he took your head to Athena and when he saw it on that shield, we entered Hades and started to burrow our way into Mount Olympus, rather than attempting to fly directly to the godly citadel. We eventually entered Athena's abode and stole the shield where Athena mounted your head to."

"How did she not discover her shield was gone?" Medusa asked after several minutes of thinking over Euryale's tale.

"We forged a new shield with your image on it. I doubt she will know the difference…until she attempts to use it that is." Stheno cackled. A light caught her eyes as she pointed to the high cliff in the underground realm. The darkened cave slowly brightened as the sounds of battle reached their ears.

Medusa took a moment to relish imagining the look on Athena's face when the goddess of wisdom discovered the shield was a fake. No doubt she used Medusa's head the in the way hundreds of foolish men would have if they had won her head. She was sure Athena used Medusa's head to dispatch more enemies than Medusa ever could. Whatever designs the goddess had for Olympus or the world would not doubt be compromised.

Medusa and Euryale looked in the direction of the battle. Two armored giants, resembling Greek infantry soldiers, suddenly crashed down into the pool. They were part of Hades personal guard in the Underworld and they were enemies not to be taken lightly. Numerous red hot burn marks were seen on their limbs, head and chest. No ordinary sword could have inflicted that type of damage and no ordinary being could have defeated them so easily. The sounds of battle drew closer, as did a strange luminous light.

"Run!" Medusa shouted and the three Gorgons disappeared down the long dark tunnel where the stampede of creatures previously ventured. Luckily, all three could see perfectly in the dark as they flew deeper into the Underworld. Ahead, a bright light filled the tunnel and then the sound of a wind funnel caught the Gorgons' attention. The strange underground current was powerful enough to ensnare and pull any object or creature toward its center. Euryale was caught in the embrace of the winds and tumbled head over heels toward this bright, pulsating orb. Stheno lengthened her body and shot out like a dart, grasping Euryale's ankle. Using her split pincer tail she impaled both ends into the cavern ceiling, preventing both her and her sister from being drawn into this vortex.

Medusa also reacted quickly to thwart any effort of being sucked into the blinding light. She clawed her way to a crack in a cave wall and managed to look at the vortex. The cavern appeared to have been melted by the orb's energy aura. The phenomenon was nothing like Medusa had ever seen in all of her years! The hundreds of creatures that preceded them were being dragged into the center of the vortex. Some were doing their best to resist the pull, only to fail and be wrenched by the awesome force to its center. Some beings tumbled and crashed into others resulting in a chain reaction that caused them to fall into the orb. Medusa used her vision to scan the room for her two sisters. On the ceiling they made their way to a fissure in the ceiling. Once Euryale latched herself the stone ceiling, she vigorously dug a wider entrance for her and Stheno to fit into.

"At least they are safe," Medusa said in relief. All that had to be done was to join them and escape the peril of chamber. As she attempted to take a step out and fasten herself onto the floor, minimizing the possibility of being pulled in, she looked to the center of the orb and could not believe what she glimpsed.

A sea of fire and blood, a sky raining lightening and flame onto charred islands of skulls and rotting flesh. Beyond that, a vast emptiness of rolling dark plains with white skies. It looked like a world on fire but no heat was detectable. For a moment Medusa could not tolerate to look into a realm so appalling and devoid of life. Her garden of statues was damnation enough, this was beyond reason.

"Home!" a loud shrieking voice from within Medusa's head bellowed. "That is where I am from! Take me there!"

Medusa thought it was a creature in the shadows of the cave who first said it. She did not want to believe it came from her mind. She slowly made her way along the ground like a slow moving crab. Again, the voice shrieked, "Take me home now!"

"No! We are not going into that vortex. I am of this world and this is where I will be until its day comes to an end!" Medusa continued as she felt the voice relent and then feel dejected. A wave of homesickness came over her. She fought it as best she could. Then, Medusa remembered the voice in her head was the same voice that commanded her to stay alive when Perseus decapitated her. The voice wanted her to enter into the gateway. Nothing made sense, only survival was the top priority. No sooner did she put the thought out her head, did more creatures tumble into the chamber. These were the remnants of Hades personal guard. Four guardsmen, battered and beaten, resisted the pull of the vortex.

"We will not be defeated," one of them proclaimed as it stamped its large feet on the ground to get its footing. "Brothers, rise up and defend this realm again all intruders!" Three of them hoisted themselves to their feet, much out of fear of their leader than going back into a fight they cannot win. Against the wind they made their way back to the mouth of the cave when several large boulders, hurled or detached from surrounding area, slammed into them. All of them howled in pain but still moved forward. One of them lost his footing and was caught in the vortex's pull and disappeared. The remaining three continued to move forward.

For Medusa, she had her head down and stopped moving for fear of discovery by any entity in the room. She wanted to depart from the apparent danger and rejoin their sisters, if they were still alive. But another brilliance of light, different from the portal caught her attention. Two white robed beings with blazing swords stood at the entrance and without words, slashed the giant guardsmen. The burns stunned and hurt the armored giants as they succumbed to the pull of the vortex.

Hiding behind a pile of rubble, Medusa watched with curiosity the strange luminescent beings that dispensed Hades' most powerful creatures finish off the remaining horde. They stood at least nine feet tall, wearing white robes and thick white vests. Their heads were hooded but looking at them in the dark, their face and head had no discernable features, as if a black shadow covered their faces. One looked to the other and spoke in a voice Medusa found chilling as well as comforting.

"Eae, are we done down here? This place fills me with dread and despair," asked the one named Briathos.

"Yes," Eae answered. "We should join with the others in the other parts of this realm and drive the remnants of the filth into this portal."

Eae turned to look at the pulsating orb and viewed the damnation beyond. He shook his head. "I am astonished Lucifer has not crossed into this plane to destroy it."

Briathos almost laughed at his partner. "He does not need such portal to come to this world. He has left his mark on this paradise and free to come when he chooses. Besides, our steadfast faith in the One tells us this arrangement benefits all concerned and will close when the last of Hell's children are expelled back to their domain or are dead."

Eae and Briathos turned to walk away. The swords they carried dimmed and then disappeared. "I wish we were chosen to destroy that palace in the mountains," Eae said with disappointment. "That seemed to be a more honorable and worthy mission."

Briathos looked to his younger companion and placed a hand on his shoulder. "To be called for any mission is an honor and blessing. Don't forget that."

The two beings left the cavern and disappeared. Medusa waited another few minutes before she crawled out of the rock pile and replayed in her mind what she experienced. The two beings looked as if they were gods but were not…something more powerful. Who was the One? Who was Lucifer? Questions she had no answers to but wanted to find out. The gateway captured her interest. She moved closer to look inside of it again, hoping the voice will speak up. Several feet from it she looked again and saw a different area, a road paved with bones, two rivers of blood on either side leading into a twisted, gothic stronghold. The castle looked more menacing than the other scenes she was able to glimpse.

"You said this is home," Medusa spoke aloud to the voice in her head. "You called it damnation years ago and now you call it home. Who are you and where are you."

For a long moment, the voice did not respond. Then in a whisper it replied, "Damnation is my home. I and many of my kind were taken from there eons ago. I was joined with you the night all of those years ago. I am the Gaz'don, the true Gorgon!"

Medusa had not experienced fear and dread since becoming the Gorgon creature. So much had transpired but she needed a place to think. Then her mind settled back on finding Stheno and Euryale. A look at the ceiling revealed the tunnel her sisters dug to escape the vortex. All Medusa had to do was get to it and hopefully track them down. She bent her knees and lowered herself to the cave floor until her buttocks almost touched. And then she propelled herself upward at a fantastic rate. She flew straight into the hole and immediately put her hands out and braced them again the tunnel wall. Luckily, the work Euryale did on the tunnel was crude. Getting a hand-hold or foot-hold was easy.

The Gorgon made her way up through the tunnel. Twenty minutes later, Medusa emerged at the top of the tunnel into a curious crystalline cave. The stalactites and stalagmites were razor sharp and several times Medusa either tore her clothing or cut herself on the crystal. They were beautiful. Every now and then she would catch her reflection in a crystal face. "If any human miners stumbled on this cavern, they would be rich beyond the gods," Medusa surmised.

Medusa stood still and listened for any signs of Euryale and Stheno in the immediate area. Nothing. She looked around in the dim light of the crystal cave. Nothing. None of her senses told her if the other Gorgons were anywhere nearby. Sighing, she moved on. Leaving the cave, she walked through a narrow tunnel and after a while smelled the outside air and the sea. An exit! She ran as quickly as she could to the freedom from this tomb. Soon, she was standing at the opening of a cave on a mountain very close to Olympus. She could not see the upper palace where all of the primary gods resided but she was able to see much of the palace. At a first glance she snarled in disgust at the sight of Olympus. Then her eyes caught something that made her open them even wider.

The palace of the gods was under siege and on fire! On many of the terraces, Greek gods were in the fight for their lives. They battled the beings similar to ones she observed besting Hades armored warriors. None of the gods were a capable match of skill and might against the hooded warriors. Then without warning, dozens of monsters flooded the halls of the palace attacking the invaders. It seemed like the tide would turn in favor of the gods but it was short lived. The hooded warriors cut down the monster battalion with fierceness and ease. Within minutes, the major fighting ceased and the battle was over.

Medusa smiled, almost rejoicing that the gods would be defeated and the remains of their vile acts would be wiped from the earth. A chill gripped her as she thought she was one of the vile acts. Would these warriors come looking for her and her sisters? No sooner did the notion enter her mind, she perceived she was under observation. One of the luminescent, hooded warriors leapt from a balcony and was in flight toward the cave where Medusa stood to watch the assault on Olympus.

"RUN!!!" the voice shouted.

Medusa ran back into cave on command and feared for her life. She did not bother to look over her shoulder as she ran faster but knew her pursuer was close. The caverns became a dark, winding maze yet Medusa continued to run as fast she could. Another opening presented itself and Medusa took it as a sign of escape and freedom. She found herself on a high cliff with another view of Olympus.

"I must have run in a circle," she thought to herself. Before she could turn and go back into the cave, the entire sky was lit in a brilliant flash of white light. Instinctively, she started to turn away to shield her eyes but she wanted to observe this phenomena. First, a large column of light erupted from below the palace and streak into the darkened sky. Then a larger blast, similar to the previous one, impacted the Olympic castle with such force, it knocked Medusa off her feet and back into the entrance. Her ears heard the sound of one thousand thunder claps as the blast destroyed not only the palace of the gods but nearly the entire mountain. Red lava lines decorated the sides of the mountain, sulfur and other powerful earthly gases were released into the air. A thick plume of black ash and smoke settled at the top and slowly spread into the night sky. Olympus was gone, forever!

Medusa let out a cheer of vengeance and rejoiced at the victory over the false deities of Greece. She hoped in her cursed heart that all of the gods, Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and the rest would have met their fate. A thought occurred to her that shortened her celebration. "What of Euryale and Stheno? Did they go to Olympus to taste godly blood? I know Stheno wanted to storm the fortress and kill everyone and everything she could. Did Euryale follow her to their mutual doom?" There were no answers, only the low rumbling sound of the mountain shifted and collapsing from within.

After standing on the cliff for what seems to be an eternity, Medusa turned away and walked back into the mountain. She wandered around aimlessly thinking of all that occurred. No gods, no monsters, no Gorgons, Medusa felt profoundly alone in the new, unfolding era. She wondered to herself what path she should follow now, both figuratively and in actuality as she walked through the maze of tunnels. Something caught her eye in the distance and immediately she knew what was. A white and blue flame, shaped like a sword, illuminated its bearer; the white robed warrior. Immediately, Medusa turned and bolted down a wide corridor, hoping to lose the warrior in the tunnels.

"Why am I fleeing? I have never fled from anything before! Why now?" the Gorgon asked herself. It was true! Medusa, Stheno and Euryale had always made their prey run as they were the dominant, powerful hunters of their time. Was this the new legacy Medusa should lead? One part of her, the silent human side wanted to just survive and find a place of refuge. The altered demonic side also wanted to run, but knew deep down their pursuer would eventually catch up to her.

As she ran deeper into the caverns, she smelled traces of sulfur, methane and few other chemicals she knew had a combustible nature. A narrow tunnel provided Medusa a means of striking at her foe and having a good look at him, or having him get a good look at Medusa. Using her claws, Medusa quickly gouged a three inch wide trench along the cave wall. She then filled it with sulfur and waited for her attacker. Soon he stepped into the tunnel with his sword drawn but lowered toward the cave floor. Once halfway in, Medusa raked her fingers against the wall, producing sparks that lit the trench she carved. Flames burst not only in the trench but in the entire corridor. The pursuing warrior slowed his pace as he walked carefully through the flames or, more accurately, the flames withdrew at his approach.

All the while, the Gorgon waited just outside of the exit and with her unique vision, observing the assailant's walk through the fire. He seemed unscathed by the flames. Once he emerged from the tunnel, he lost his quarry in the darkness. Holding his blade up, he illuminated the area, probing the shadows for the Gorgon. The Gorgon would strike once his back was turned.

"So, you came hunting for Medusa," she said in low, monotone voice. "She will not run or surrender so easily." The figure turned with the blade up, not in a striking pose, more of a defensive posture.

"Look into my eyes and gaze upon death!" Medusa shrieked. Her eyes burned and the serpents hissed violently. Medusa would turn this being into stone and make him apart of the surroundings. Unfortunately, nothing happened. Medusa surmised that since this being was more powerful than the gods themselves, her cursed gaze would take longer. Again, he suffered no effects. Both her eyes and serpents relented as she took several steps back in dread.

"Poor creature," the being spoke with a calm, harmonious voice. "Only at the end do you understand. Your powers cannot harm me."

Medusa wanted to run, but at this point she was tired of running, tired of shrinking back, tired of being hunted. "If my eyes cannot destroy you, my claws will suffice as the instruments of your destruction!" She lunged at him slashing at him in fury. The being stepped away, parried or avoided the oncoming attacks. Medusa doubled her efforts to at least make some sort of physical contact but could not. Using all of her past training and relying on her enhanced abilities, Medusa labored vigorously with no results. Near exhaustion, she dropped to one knee and looked up at her opponent.

"What are you waiting for? You pursued me from Mount Olympus and deep into these underground chasms. You chased me through these caverns of the Underworld. So now you have me at your mercy. I was killed once before and came back to life. But I refuse to live a life of torment and misery," she paused and then continued. "If you end my existence, see to it that I stay dead!"

The warrior pondered her words for a moment and then lifted his blazing sword, ready to strike. Medusa wished she had the simple function of closing her eyes, but she never had them since being cursed. She turned away not wanting to see the end coming. The voice also agreed with Medusa and was silent, also waiting for the end.

It never came.

The warrior dimmed his sword and then it disappeared altogether. He knelt down and caressed Medusa's chin, gently turning toward his face. Since the Gorgon eyes had no effect on him, he starred deep into them. Medusa resisted the urge to pull away but the touch of his hand was comforting. She had not been close to anyone in this way since the days of being a high priestess so very long ago. As he looked into her eyes, she starred into his face, or lack thereof.

She could detect a shape of a human male head, but she could not discern any features. Instead, what she saw was the equivalent of looking at a night sky full of stars. And then she remembered she used to chart the star locations every night since coming to the beachside temple. In this being's face, Medusa recognized the patterns and understood the stars were conveying a message: The time of the gods were coming to an end. She realized the message, witnessed the destruction of Mount Olympus and Medusa smiled.

The warrior had quite a different experience looking into the Gorgon eyes. First he saw Medusa's life from the time she spent with her family, to the days at the temple as high priestess and to her plight as the Gorgon.

The second experience, the warrior viewed all too familiar images of the dimension of damnation. Upon further review, he understood now Medusa is physically possessed with a demon from damnation. These demons were known as the Gaz'don, guardian creatures of the dimension know as Hell. They were passive beings, placed strategically in the realm to prevent other creatures from wandering into areas they were not permitted. Looking into their massive giant eye (or eyes) would freeze you in place. Each creature had unique abilities beyond immobilizing a creature in its tracks. If the Gaz'don wished, it can turn you to ice, stone, set you ablaze, melt your flesh or even atomize the body. Thousands of years ago, many of these creatures were stolen and had gone missing. They would later be used in horrid experimentations to produce the only three, successful biological integration, with creatures from Hell. The Gorgons! The demon inside of Medusa was one of those creatures.

The warrior released Medusa's chin and sat on the ground across from her. She realized her life was to be spared for some reason. As she looked into his face, Medusa felt him looking into her mind and that of the demon inside of her. Slowly she backed away from the warrior and sat on a smooth stone nearby.

"Who and what are you," she asked quietly.

"I am Remiel of the Warrior Seraphai. I come from the dimension of the Ultimate One, to serve and protect all in this universe," he answered with no sense of pride in his voice.

Medusa looked confused. "You are referring to Cronos, father of the titans, father of Zeus and the other gods. They created the heavens and the earth and the things underneath."

Remiel shook his hooded head. "No. You have been lied to, deceived into thinking these false deities rule the universe when they barely can rule their own passions. They were like myself, beings of light and thought. Unfortunately, hundreds of our brethren decided to follow their own causes and were cast out of our realm. Some have settled here on this world and used their powers to dominate the creatures of this realm."

Medusa was livid. "So you and your kind had some sort of squabble in your realm and brought it here. Allowing mankind to suffer for generations and while you sat and did nothing." She gestured to herself. "This hideous form you see before you is the price I and thousands of others had to pay for your noninterference. You should have dealt with those who rebelled against your order and destroyed them."

"That was not my decision," Remiel said sorrowfully. "Many of us wanted to correct the order of universe as it pertains to this world but the Ultimate One commanded us to wait until it was time to act."

"The destruction of Mount Olympus?"

"Among other acts of restoration, yes." Remiel motioned with his gloved hands and between his palms manifested lights of different colors and they began to grow. "Medusa, look into these spheres of light and understand."

Medusa stood up and did as Remiel asked. In the first sphere, it was dark but provided some illumination. Within it she began to see the history of the Ultimate One, the Creator, and how he created the universe and then this world. A gold sphere showed her the time when the first of the Seraphai rebelled and turned away from the One. The dimension of Hell was created for the one called Lucifer and he ruled the realm of damned souls. A green sphere showed mankind and their relationship with the One, calling him different names but as a whole simply referred to the One as God. Next in a red sphere of light showed the history of the Gaz'don, and how they and the Seraphai had mutual respect despite their opposing allegiances. Finally, a blue sphere told the complete story of the Greek gods. Medusa understood the shocking truth, finally. She and thousands of other Greek citizens had the wrong faith of praying to false gods and now they were gone. She sat back down on her rock with a blank look on her face.

"Remiel, you and the other beings I saw came to this world to rid it of the pestilence of your brethren who rebelled; since you were prevented from coming sooner, could you have not used an indirect means of interference to give us mortals the knowledge to resist the gods? We could have rebelled and denied loyalty to those…gods. We could have been spared the agony of their devious designs." Medusa's voice wavered slightly as she attempted to not let her anger build but failed. "Look at what they have done to me! Do you know what I have done? What I am capable of? What I have suffered for over a century? What others have suffered at my hands, or rather these eyes? Why did you not intervene sooner?"

Although Remiel had no facial expressions, his body posture showed his concern and sorrow at Medusa's lament. His shoulders slumped for a moment and then he replied, "As I said, some of us wanted to come down and set the world right. But so many mortals were deep into the spell of these fallen creatures. The entire world would be at war with itself defending a lie. The One allowed many of his creations to choose its own path. Mortals have chosen their own destiny and passed that choice on from generation to generation without questioning their choice. You of all people should understand that Medusa. If we came to you long ago, would you have turned away from your goddess?"

Medusa was stunned. This Seraphai warrior was absolutely right! She remembered conducting the ceremonies for Athena and encouraging all of the patrons to follow the path of the gods. No way in creation would Medusa turn away from Athena and the other gods of Olympus. Until that horrible night Poseidon came to her and Athena cursed her. She tried very hard to put that thought deep in a dark corner of her mind. But another memory sprang into her mind. She remembered the stars, the stars that were talking to her but she did not know what they were saying until now.

Remiel looked at Medusa. "Yes, we communicate in many ways. The stars are my favorite way to send messages, since humans enjoy the night sky so much. We also come to you in dreams, signs in nature and in corporal form. We have walked among you in disguise, sometimes as mortals or animals. Watching, serving and observing mankind. I wanted to come to you sooner but I was forbidden to do so." Remiel stood and walked close to Medusa and raised his hand to her face. "You have been chosen to carry out an errand on our behalf."

"What kind of errand? What's in it for me? Can you remove this demon from me and end my curse!?"

"No, but I can heal your body of the injuries inflicted upon you and make it possible to communicate with the Gaz'don demon inside of you. Additionally, I can lead you to peace. And in that time of peace, decide what you will accomplish with your life, for you will have many years on this world to live." Remiel's left hand glowed red then white. She felt the heat from his hand and attempted to back away but a cold stone wall prevented any retreat.

"I promise, this will not harm you but this will be uncomfortable." Before Medusa made any form of protest, Remiel's hand touched her forehead. At first, she felt nothing, not even heat from his hand. Then she felt a numbing sensation and then searing heat. She wanted to scream but could not. She wanted to move but could not.

"I imagine this is how my victims feel when they look into my eyes," she managed to say to herself as body went completely rigid.

The energy released from Remiel's touch flowed through Medusa as if it was water. The energy sought out every wound and injury on her body and healed it, from head to feet. Most of the wounds were from her neck and face. The scar around her neck completely disappeared, vocal cords, esophagus and wind pipe healed. Her face, which was bruised long ago by the snakes when she attempted to pull them out and the others bit into her face, healed! Her skin, still gray in color, returned to a youthful resilience. Finally, layers of skin formed above her eyes as her eyelids regenerated.

Inside her mind, she began to hear a deep voice in the corners of mind and then cohesive thoughts. Communication between the demon and Medusa was possible. She talked to the demon and it replied. Strength returned to her body; she felt like a whole new being but the harsh reality remained that was she was still the Gorgon monster.

Remiel lowered his hand and backed away from Medusa. She took a deep breath and exhaled; Medusa felt no pain in her throat. The serpents quietly hissed in acknowledgment of no further pain. She smiled, despite still being cursed, she was relieved.

"Now what? Where is this peace you spoke of?" she asked in tone that relayed sorrow. Remiel began walking away.

"Wait! Where are you going? How do I get out of this place? Is this the peace you offered? Leaving me buried alive in these caves?" she shouted after him and ran.

"No. But follow your heart Medusa. It is not evil, it's corrupted but a good soul lies underneath. You are now charged with carrying on our mission of ridding the world of vile monsters and other cursed beings. You will have the power to do so. Protect humanity, be its unsung champion."

Surprise crossed Medusa's face: from high priestess to Gorgon monster and now protector of man? What if mankind rejected her and tried to kill her? Even the demon was uncertain of its renewed existence. She wanted to ask Remiel more questions but he was already translucent and walking away.

"Wait!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the stone caverns. "Will I ever see you again?"

Gone from sight, he replied softly, "When you are most in need of salvation and rescue, I will be there."

Silence and darkness remained in caves underneath the surface of the earth. Medusa had no clear direction to lead her out of the caves. She remembered Remiel's words with uncertainty and yet felt invigorated. Her life had changed, how much was only an answer time would reveal.

* * *

After witnessing the destruction of both Mount Olympus and Hades, Medusa was filled with many mixed emotions. For generations, it was long believed that the gods maintained the existence of the world due to their influence and power. In return, the mortals would submit prayers, offerings, sacrifices and unswerving obedience to the god or gods, depending which one they worshiped. If the gods ever left the world or decided to bring about the days of chaos and destruction, it would be the end of the world. Fortunately, it was not the case.

Medusa realized after her meeting the Seraphai warrior Remiel, there was a higher power, greater than the gods. All of her life she was brought up to believe in the Olympians and now they were destroyed. A new thought entered her mind as she wandered through the dark tunnels of what was the Underworld: if this new power vanquished the gods, what was its price for doing so? How do you commune with this entity to ask for its favor? Medusa wished the conversation between herself and the warrior went in that direction. She also wondered why she was spared. Remiel said she had a purpose, a new role in life to play, a champion of mankind? It surely was a different role to undertake, she thought to herself.

The demon, the Gaz'don or Gorgon creature, that shared her body with those eyes, not hers, brought many to their fate of death. It was odd to think that the creature never communicated directly. When she petrified any who looked upon her, she did recall hearing a semblance of a dark voice in the back of her mind, but dismissed it as the hissing of the serpent mane. On that rare occasion, the Gaz'don spoke to Medusa to keep her alive after Perseus beheaded her. Then again when the portal to the Hell dimension was revealed. Can she in time have continuous contact with this creature? Strange, she thought to herself. It could be considered a parasite living off of the essence of its host. This was not the case. Instead, the being gave Medusa powers far above the gods themselves. She and her sisters had the ability to destroy any being that challenged them with a glance.

Medusa stopped walking to catch her breath, realizing she was moving at a faster pace than she first thought. Her sister Gorgons, what would become of them? Medusa thought of them as two monsters and then as sisters. They were not human but mildly appeared as human. Could the Gorgon monster inside of Medusa communicate or control Euryale and Stheno. For over one hundred years, Stheno never made any attempt to attack Medusa, although she wrestled with Euryale every other day but no malice was there. In her mind, Medusa made it a point to locate her two sisters, but what then? Three Gorgons, trapped in a decimated underworld, would have no purpose other than to exist. Since the encounter with Remiel, she feared they were already dead. Yet Medusa was spared. Perhaps, it was her task to find Stheno and Euryale. To kill them? To protect them? They were monsters and they should be destroyed. Was that her purpose, to kill the both of them? No answers. It was up to Medusa figure it out on her own.

She rested on a stone and in the dark she saw the bones of dead creatures of some sort. Reaching down at what appeared to be a long thigh bone, Medusa picked up the bone with old rags attached to it. After a few minutes, she had a crude torch and with nails striking against the stone wall, ignited the rags. Oddly enough, the illumination from the torchlight was a welcome release, despite the fact she could she perfectly in the dark. She looked upon the ground and saw the bones of dozens of creatures; some were human but others were from animals Medusa did not recognize.

Then it occurred to her that she was in a waste area for discarded prey. She did not see the creature responsible and ran out only to be stopped a gigantic, multi-appendage maggot. She backed away slowly until it occurred to her that she can take on this creature with a glance. The maggot inched closer to Medusa, its mandibles dripped with digestive fluids and they twitched with excitement as it closed in on its prey. Medusa had other plans contrary to the maggot's notion of a meal. Medusa noted the creature had some semblance of eyes and used it to her advantage.

Waving the torch about, she drew the creature's attention to her person. It closed in and expanded its mandibles. Medusa remained still, held the torch to her face and waited. The maggot's reaction in seeing Medusa's face made it screech! It sent out a high, ear-piercing noise that filled the Gorgon's ears as well as the caverns for miles. And then there was silence. The maggot was turned to stone from the inside and out, petrified with some of its appendages caught flailing about then stilled. This was an occasion that Medusa felt no regret in killing a disgusting creature. The only problem was that the stone carcass blocked her path. Placing both hands on the face of the maggot, Medusa exerted her unnatural strength and pushed the stone form from the exit and off a small cliff on the other side. The petrified maggot rolled and then shattered into hundreds of bits of broken rock.

Free from one hole, Medusa found herself in another chamber with a high ceiling of stalactites and what appeared to be a pit or better yet, a nest. Thousands of small, boulder sized eggs lay at the bottom of this pit. From where Medusa deposited the petrified worm, a few dozen eggs were crushed on impact. However, many more remained. If those creatures were to hatch and burrow their way to the surface, they would present a greater threat to mankind than one Gorgon could ever do. The odor rising from the crushed eggs reached Medusa's nose and told her immediately that whatever the chemical composition of the eggs contained, they were susceptible to fire. She dropped the torch into the pit on the remains of the crushed eggs and ran along the ledge of the pit and down a corridor of tunnels. The worm eggs ignited and exploded, causing the ceiling to collapse and crushing the remaining eggs of the nesting pit. Several feet away Medusa used her vision to see dozens more of the maggot caught in the fireball and burned alive. So this was Medusa's mission now, to be the scourge of the Underworld, killing off monsters, other demons and creatures that lurk in the dark? Quietly she accepted it. Searching the ground, she found another discarded bone, refashioned a torch and moved on.

* * *

What seemed to be days later, Medusa managed to turn to stone or kill with other means, hundreds of monsters of various sizes, shapes and different species of life. For a time, she simply wandered in the dark, hoping to either find a way out or a place to just rest and forever dwell in the dark recesses of the caves. Maybe the world would forget the Gorgon Medusa ever existed. And maybe death will come upon her in the dark but in a more gentle way rather than with brutal slashing of a sword in the hands of an untrained warrior. In the ensuing days, Medusa never picked up on any trail of her two sisters. She attempted to make her way back to the area where the portal to Hell resided but thought better of it. She would not want to run into another Seraphai or monster. The Gorgon was tired of fighting and of the bloodshed. She wondered if she could attempt to establish a sense of peace in her cursed life.

The flame of the torch she carried, number seven in her count, began to flutter and react to a strong draft, a breeze. She studied it for a moment, almost hypnotizing herself in flickering movements of the flame. Coming back to herself, she analyzed the movement of the flames and followed the direction of the strong draft. After several hours of what appeared to be aimless walking, Medusa caught the scent of something familiar, the ocean! She smelled sea water and knew she could be close to an exit, close to a beach of some sort. Her hopes were elevated as she literally followed her nose.

And then it happened.

A tremor shook the cavern she traversed. At first it was a deep rumbling, but soon gave way to shattered walls and a collapsing tunnel.  Using all of her strength in her legs, Medusa bolted out of the tunnel, watching the world around her move in a blur. In an ironic moment of calm, she laughed at herself because she was running from an earthquake. Not a problem if you are above ground with no towering structures nearby. However, she was in the belly of the beast and had to flee for her very life. Faster and faster she ran, hoping to see an exit from which she could escape. Then in another thought slipped into her mind, what if this was her fate? This would be the end of Medusa, buried underneath tons of rock.

Grinding her fangs, Medusa became a blur as she made her way through the canyons and underground passageways. Finally, she saw daylight! The first time in countless years, Medusa would see the sun! The tremors continued their pursuit of her but the universe seemed to favor Medusa this day as she launched herself out of the cave and landed on a small plateau several feet away. The new ground she found herself upon shook and broke a part in places. Again she ran but not too far as she steadied herself on the ground. She discovered herself on an island with numerous small mountain peaks. Each of the mountains trembled, two collapsed in on themselves, most likely filling in the cavernous holes of the place Medusa was wandering just moments prior. She turned to see a tropical forest taking up the rest of the island, and then a beach that stretched along the tropical side up until the jagged sea line of the mountains.

In a long, forgotten time, Medusa felt like if she was home in Greece. The beach was a place her and Airlea would spend many hours, just listening to the waters crash onto the sand. Once the tremors ceased, Medusa set out to explore this tropical paradise. The different animals inhabiting the island picked up on her scent, sounded a noise of alarm and fled from her general position. None of them were close enough to Medusa to look into her eyes but her presence alone made the creatures flee. She wished she had that effect on the men coming to take her head as a prize but chased the thought out of her mind.

Medusa stood still for a moment and pondered something to shake her being to the core. She was no longer Medusa, the Gorgon. Simply Medusa, a woman of tragic circumstances who survived more than anyone could bear. The former high priestess would have to put the past in its place and swear not to let it define her as monster or victim of the gods. All that she knew was gone. And it was at that moment, the enormity of her revelation brought her to tears as she dropped to her knees. For two hours, she cried, screamed, cursed and then fell onto her back sobbing. So much has happened to this woman and now it would appear she will have some sort of peace to consider what to do next with her existence.

As Medusa made her way down to the beach, the remnants of her gown and cloak were nearly gone. The prospect of walking naked on this deserted island did have its appeal. The high priestess had modesty for herself and decided to keep her nakedness hidden from all eyes, man and beast.

On the beach, Medusa noticed a large ship that had run aground. The wooden vessel looked as if was a currier for a royal dignitary from a land far away. On closer inspection, the vessel appeared to have crashed years prior and its wooden hull was battered and damaged beyond repair. There were some cargo barrels she discovered, chests of gold and jewels, completely useless to a woman alone on a desert island. Dozens of barrels of dried meat and fruit caught her attention. Immediately she opened a small barrel that had, well preserved within, dried pomegranates. She ate three before she felt a pain in her stomach. Consuming too much after a long period of starvation was not a wise idea. Fortunately, the pain was temporary and she continued to eat two more. After looking in the storage hold, she noticed twelve small barrels of various fruits, ten barrels of preserved meats, and two very large barrels of wine (year of the vintage unknown). Medusa made a mental note of the inventory and moved the items onto the beach, away from the ship and cascading water. She decided to inspect the shipwrecked vessel closely, hoping to find more materials she can salvage.

The crew quarters, cramped and small, yielded nothing of interest. The next area of interest was the captain's quarters and the loft of the diplomatic resident. Medusa found dozens of blank scrolls and writing instruments. A log scroll caught her eye but it was written in a language Medusa was not familiar with. So much for the theory the vessel's origin was Greece. Maps and other navigation implements were destroyed by what appeared to be a fire in the cabin. It made no sense why a fire would erupt inside the captain's quarters, yet there were signs of a struggle. A mutiny perhaps? Medusa did not know for certain.

The next cabin told the story she dreaded to relive. The skeletal corpse of a woman laid on top of the corpse of a man, most likely the captain. The two of them were locked in a death struggle, daggers impaled into each other's throats. To Medusa's estimation, the captain attempted to force himself on the woman and she defended herself, unsuccessfully it would seem. She said a quick prayer for the dead and continued her salvage of the ship.

The woman's quarters had plenty of clothing for Medusa to change into. She never understood why a woman would need to bring so many belongings for any journey. In her days as a high priestess, she traveled light and brought only the items she needed. Luckily for Medusa, this woman brought an array of clothing: robes, expensive gowns, cloaks, and other garments Medusa was not too familiar with. She spied an empty sack and placed as many articles of clothing as she could. Once it was full, she tore off her own tattered, worn out robe and slipped into a simple white, sleeveless dress. It fitted her comfortably and she hoped the rest of the clothing did the same.

For several more hours, Medusa continued to recover any usable materials. She recovered a small wall mirror, lantern torches, tools, more scrolls, a sleeping mat, fishing net and an undamaged storage chest. Everything Medusa salvaged would make her new life on the island comfortable, if not tolerable. One more look around the ship was not necessary, as she could no longer tolerate the sight of corpses scattered about the ship. Some calamity befell the ship, whether it came from beyond this world or the persons succumbed to madness she may never know. Whatever the reason, Medusa surmised that sinking the ship into the waters may prevent other ships from landing on her new island in search for this vessel. Standing on the beach and looking up at the vessel, Medusa looked to where to apply pressure for pushing the ship into the deeper part of the lagoon and off to the ocean floor. As her hands touched the outer hull of the ship, her body went into shock and she froze.

Deep inside of her mind, Medusa glimpsed into the past history of the ship. It sailed from a port of a new, fledgling empire. The ship, crew and passengers were well until it was attacked by a small band of pirates. These pirates managed to kill many of the crew members, including the captain, first and second mate. The pirates dumped most of the bodies overboard into the sea and kept the remaining crew to sail the ship. The chief pirate attempted to take the woman as his own, dressing in the clothing of the former captain and pretended to be a noble being. The woman resisted, fought and killed the pirate chief before being killed herself. The vessel was then caught in a storm, battered severely and wrecked itself on beach after slamming into the cliff walls of the mountains.

Medusa withdrew her palms uncertain what she had experienced. It appeared the ship had an aura to which she was able to tap into. Was this another ability the demon afforded her? She definitely needed time to figure out the strange ability. How she would come to terms with this ability would come in time as she learned to master it.

Turning back to the task at hand, Medusa pushed the dead vessel back into water. The soft sand made it difficult to get decent footing but she continued to push. After years of being exposed to the elements and constant decay of the hull, the ship nearly broke a part against the force of her palms. With the water up to her breasts, Medusa began to lose her footing but accomplished her task of sinking the vessel at sea. She treaded water for a minute and then swam back to shore. In the setting sunlight, the vessel took on gallons of water and finally sank to the bottom of the sea. A burial at sea was the best Medusa could give to the souls unknown to her.

She would spend all evening moving her new possessions into a suitable cave in the mountains and had time to ponder all she experienced since coming back from the realm of the dead. More importantly, she will spend hours in a meditative state in an attempt to establish a long lasting communication with this Gaz'don (Gorgon). She would be in for a shock once a consistent two-way dialog could be established. Slowly, she carried what items she could into the hills and then the mountain pass of her island.

END OF PART I

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The Gorgon Chronicles
The Ieró Years, Paradise Sanctuary
Volume 1

The Ieró Years, Paradise Sanctuary
Volume 1

Foreword

The following passage has been taken from the novel the Gorgon Medusa, Book I: Herstory. This is the foundation for the adventures of Medusa after returning from the dead and settling on a small, isolated in the Mediterranean Sea. Her life has been a life of misery and suffering as the Gorgon, these Gorgon Chronicles reveal a different side of the cursed woman and how she ultimately becomes the wealthy philanthropist Cynthia Petrakis. In the proceeding volumes, additional stories will be told and the origins of certain characters, items and situations will be revealed exclusively on thegorgonmedusa.com.

PART I

The shriek filled the caverns of the Underworld as the Gorgon Medusa grasped her throat in the two areas where Perseus' blade so cruelly severed her head with two brutal blows. She dropped to her knees in shock and delight, the last memories she possessed before being decapitated were of her sisters in the cave dwelling on their island. Her vision cleared and she was looking upon them again. Confused and bewildered, Medusa attempted to speak but a pain resembling a thousand spears on fire filled her throat. Euryale, who cried over Medusa's murder rushed to her Gorgon sister's aid.

"Steady my sister, you have been through much. Well, at least your body has." She pointed to Medusa's bronze clawed feet showing her the bruises and blisters. "It seems that your body would not rest until it found its head. When we came back to the cave to bury your body, it was not where we left it."

Afraid to touch her head for fear that it would roll off her shoulders, Medusa's eyes darted to Stheno who was raised high on her lower body with wings extended. "Much has transpired Medusa! We gave flight after the one who severed your head from your body. He eluded us; no doubt he was assisted by the gods themselves. We battled some of Zeus's minions and as you can see, we were victorious!

"For what seemed like an eternity and a week, we tracked down your killer and made him tell us where your head was." The tone of Stheno's accounting was without emotion, but the thrill of the murder and mayhem she and her sister brought to many who crossed her paths delighted her. Every so often, the naga Gorgon looked off in the distance to see if they were under observation. No creature would dare attack but in the Underworld, chance of incident should never be taken.

Stheno came back into herself continued. "We returned to our cave to give your remains a burial when we discovered your body had gotten up and walked away. Fortunately, we were able to track your headless corpse here in Hades. Apparently, we Gorgons are more powerful than we even know."

Medusa took a minute to process all of this. Since the beheading, she heard the voice again speak to her. "We live again! But we must flee this place. Hades will fall like Olympus." Still she did not know what or who was talking to her, but a glimpse of her surroundings told her the voice was right. In the shadows she could hear the souls of the dead fleeing. In the distance, her senses told her that the monsters Hades had in his control were loose causing havoc. Their current position was in an open, flat terrain; it was not a tactically favorable spot.

"If my body," Medusa started to say in a slow raspy voice. "Walked into Hades, how did my head get here?"

Euryale smiled. "After the demigod Perseus confessed to his crime, he revealed that he took your head to Athena. She then placed it within this shield here," The misshapen Gorgon gestured to round shield that lay blank without Medusa's embossed head on the front of the shield. "The wretched goddess displayed your head on her mantle as it were a trophy. We tunneled our way into Mount Olympus from underneath the mole hill and entered Athena's wing of the palace. We replaced it with a replica and returned to Hades with your head."

"As soon as your body sensed your head was near, it reached out and mystically retrieved your head from the shield," Stheno added. "To be honest, we did not know how to retrieve you from the shield. It seems the enchantments and other otherworldly forces are in flux. Turmoil has seeped into Hades and we must flee back to the mortal world."

Euryale helped Medusa to her feet. But before they turned to run, Medusa picked up the shield to look at her reflection: her face seemed to be more battered and bruised.  The scar around her neck was bloody but forming a scab quickly. The snakes gave the impression of slowly coming back to life as they moved on their own. The snake protruding from behind her right ear appeared to be larger than the others and not writhing as the other serpents. Instead, it met her gaze in the reflection. If Medusa ever felt fear, that one serpent certainly relayed that fear.

The shield dropped from her hand and she looked at her sisters. "I thank you for seeing to the resurrection of my being, but now we must flee from this doomed space!" No sooner did Medusa finish her sentence did two large beasts crash into them. All three Gorgons were scattered about trying to get their bearings. One of the beasts looked like one of the chimera monsters that roamed the Underworld looking for flesh to devour. Upon further examination, the beast appeared to have been in battle and lost. Its serpent tail was split in half with both sides of its head and body hanging lifeless. The additional head of the goat was crushed and unrecognizable. The lion's head showed signs of life but barely. It slowly breathed in and out from its mouth with bluish, green blood trickling from it. Its eyes were open yet with no life in them. The three Gorgons looked at each other.

"Put it out of its misery," Medusa ordered. Euryale approached it, reaching for its neck to snap it when Stheno slithered forward to stop her.

"Do not soil your hands on this creature sister. I have a more pleasurable way of ending its life!" Stheno coiled down to the creatures lifeless starring eyes and looked into to it. Three seconds later, the creature howled in pain as the gaze from Stheno burned the chimera monster from the inside out and soon nothing was left but a frozen charred remain of the foul beast. Stheno's left mouth curled into a smile as the right mouth let out a devious laugh.

With Stheno and Euryale obviously distracted, Medusa recalled two falling beasts landing near them. Upon further investigation by walking around the chimera, a recently dug hole in the creature's underside could be seen. Turning left and right quickly, Medusa searched the grounds for any signs of the beast that killed the chimera.

"Medusa? What is it?" Stheno asked.

"Where is the other monster that fought the chimera?" Instantly the other two Gorgons started searching the area until it was Euryale's keener senses that not only identified the beast but located it.

"It is a sea worm and it is burrowing behind us!" No sooner did she warn her sisters, the worm burst through the floor throwing dirt and rocks in all directions. Euryale and Stheno dodged out of the area avoiding the debris. Medusa stood her ground shielding her face from the dust and flying dirt. She refused to flee from the creature as it reared up on its stout body and poised itself to strike. Medusa felt it was the time to unleash the full wrath of her gaze until she discovered a slight problem.

"These worms have no eyes!" she shouted. "Stheno! Euryale! Tear this creature apart!"

The shrieks of a battle cry were let loose as Stheno and Euryale leapt onto the worm with the claws and fangs at the ready. They tore into the worm's tough outer skin and made their way to its softer, fleshy body. The worm howled in pain as it thrashed about trying to shake off the Gorgons. Using the poison flowing within her body, Stheno impaled the beast repeatedly with her tail stingers, injecting massive doses of poison into the body of the worm without mercy. Euryale clawed her way into the body of the creature and managed to find its heart. She opened her jaws wide and began feasting on the heart of the worm. Blood gushed in all directions as the worm let out a death rattle and crashed the cavern floor.

Medusa was relieved her two sisters did not lose their vicious fighting nature. Fighting blind monsters limits the odds of defeating a powerful foe. She made a mental note to use of her other supernatural gifts, such as speed and strength against beings like the worm if the situation called for it. Wearing a sword and other weapons was not a bad idea as well. Stheno slithered next to Medusa who still looked at the creature in idle curiosity.

"This creature is one of Poseidon's minions. What is it doing here in Hades? Something is terribly wrong." Medusa surmised. Stheno was about to speak when the belly of the creature suddenly tore open and out poured the contents of the creature's digestive tract. The stench was so abominable, both Medusa and Stheno covered their mouths and noses while backing away from the deceased worm. From inside the belly, Euryale emerged with a devious smile on her face. Obviously, she enjoyed the gross experience of borrowing deep into the sea worm's body.

"I think we should leave Euryale here. As much as I detest humans, it would not be fair to have this stench ridden Gorgon unleashed on the surface," Stheno said with more malice than sarcasm. Euryale stuck her long thick tongue at her sister and then dove back into the pile of worm flesh. She emerged again, this time holding what appeared to be a rotting human female corpse.

"When pierced the flesh of this worm," Euryale began. "I heard numerous whispers about the ending of the reign of the gods. Inside the belly of this filth, at least thirty of these undead bodies were clamoring about the end. This one here may be able to tell us more."

Euryale gently placed the corpse on the ground. Its flesh was dark and rotted away, only gray bones remained but surprisingly the body was left partially intact. Empty eye sockets barely possessed any of the person's original eyes, but the head turned slowly toward Medusa and Stheno.

"Gorgons," the corpse whispered. "For all you power, it will not be enough. The end of the gods draws near. As Hades is falling, so will the mountain of Olympus. The power that governs the universe has come to restore order…"

The voice of the corpse trailed off and stopped speaking. After a few rough urgings from Euryale, the corpse disintegrated. All three Gorgons looked to each other. They stood still for a moment and heard the howls, screams and shrieks of both demon and human damned souls all through the caverns. And then, at times, an eerie silence followed before it started again.

"Sisters," Medusa placed both her hands on the shoulders of Stheno and Euryale. "We must flee and make our way back to the surface with no delay. Come!"

Euryale got on all fours and charged out in front covering a great distance. Medusa, still trying to re-master her body, started to walk and then ran only to stumble. Stheno slithered behind and caught her. Without a word, Medusa acknowledged the help with a nod and started up again. Using her cursed abilities, she broke into a fast run and was only several paces behind Euryale. Stheno decided to crawl along the ground versus flying. In the tight space of the caves, she could easily get disoriented in flight or worse, smash one or both of her wings against the unforgiving stone surface. Slithering on the cave floor had two advantages, one, she minimized being seen by any one fleeing the turmoil of the Underworld. And two, Stheno can detect acute vibrations of any being running or walking in their direction. Soon, her momentum brought her a few paces behind Medusa and the Gorgon sisters, reunited in Hades fled toward safety.

In all of their existence, the three beings never fled from danger. They were the danger and men attempted to flee from them but to no avail. Yet, the three Gorgons found themselves in a race against time fleeing from an unknown power. For three hours, the Gorgons ran through caverns, open chasms and crossed underground rivers. Euryale, at the beckoning of Medusa and Stheno, took a quick moment to bathe in one of the few fresh water pools to wash off the blood and entrails from the sea worm. The stink pouring from Euryale's clothing and body nearly killed Medusa again and Stheno for the first time.

They stopped by a large, fresh water pool. Euryale traveled to the far side and bathed herself, while Medusa and Stheno drank to quench their thirst at the other end. The pool reflected Medusa's face and she examined it. The jagged wound around her neck began to heal quickly but an ugly black scar formed in its place. The three snakes severed by Perseus's sword regenerated and were hissing in chorus with the others. She swallowed and felt the pain in her throat. She inhaled slowly and a stab of pain reverberated through her neck. Medusa slowly turned her head from side to side; afraid if she turned too quickly, her head would roll off of her neck. Her face has changed as well; swollen and scarred in the cheeks and lips. Any semblance of her original face is gone forever. She touched it with her hands and wanted to cry. Her plight was beyond tolerable. Stheno, raised up on her serpentine body, slithered over to her side and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Medusa, stop tormenting yourself! You will slip deeper into a darkness you can never return from. Accept what you are and live!" This was a rare moment of compassion from Stheno. As much as Medusa would hate to admit it, she was right. No human would have the ability to come back to life in a cursed condition. No human could tolerate the vile company of two other monsters. No human could ever challenge the power of the gods. She was the Gorgon Medusa, now and forever.

"You are right my sister. But we three should not be trapped in this hole forever. We need to find a way back to the surface and then plot our next action." Medusa stood straight up and sniffed the air. Something was on fire or rather there was a fire nearby. Euryale trotted over to her side.

"We better get going, something is heading our way! It sounds like the rest of the inhabitants of this realm are moving in our direction," Euryale reported. Just then, from high cave ledge, hundreds of beings of various shapes and sizes poured over the edges in flight from whatever was chasing them. Quickly, the three Gorgons jumped out the way of the hellish stampede and pressed themselves against a jagged wall. Human souls, demon dogs, giant insects, chimera, minotaurs, centaurs, and even Cerberus the hound of Hades, charged past the bewildered Gorgons. Fortunately for them, none of the participants of the stampede looked in the direction of the Gorgons. Ten minutes passed until the last creature disappeared down a long dark tunnel.

"I have never seen a sight such as that," Stheno mentioned as she made her way to the mouth of the tunnel.

"Not even when we raided villages in looking for Medusa's head and body," Euryale added.

Medusa turned to both of them. "How long was I…dead?"

"Hard to say, we think fifty years, give or take a month," Stheno hissed as she turned her head to the cave cliff where the stampede came from. Her senses were focusing in on activity above them and it was moving closer.

"My head was in Athena's possession for fifty years? But my body, how did it get up and walk away?" Medusa looked down at her feet. The bruises on the soles of her feet slowly healed as she sat upon the ground rubbing them. Even more strange, Stheno's assessment of how long Medusa was in possession of Athena had to be a mistake. Medusa's body told her the time had been longer than her Gorgon sister estimated. She needed time to determine the correct number of years of her passing. Unfortunately, time was a commodity that was scarce in their predicament.

"Rumors indicated Perseus became a king and warlord of Tiryns. It was not long after we discovered the coward hiding in a small fort with his family in the distant hills not far from Tiryns. He told us what transpired after he took your head to Athena's main temple. A short time later, Perseus was summoned to Olympus by Athena's invitation. He fled the mountain palace when your head began speaking his name. We heard your voice in the winds and that is what led us to your murderer. You will be happy to know that Perseus and his family, his servants and guards have suffered the wrath of the Gorgons."

Euryale looked at Medusa as she was a still as one of her statues as she listened. "When the boy king told us that he took your head to Athena and when he saw it on that shield, we entered Hades and started to burrow our way into Mount Olympus, rather than attempting to fly directly to the godly citadel. We eventually entered Athena's abode and stole the shield where Athena mounted your head to."

"How did she not discover her shield was gone?" Medusa asked after several minutes of thinking over Euryale's tale.

"We forged a new shield with your image on it. I doubt she will know the difference…until she attempts to use it that is." Stheno cackled. A light caught her eyes as she pointed to the high cliff in the underground realm. The darkened cave slowly brightened as the sounds of battle reached their ears.

Medusa took a moment to relish imagining the look on Athena's face when the goddess of wisdom discovered the shield was a fake. No doubt she used Medusa's head the in the way hundreds of foolish men would have if they had won her head. She was sure Athena used Medusa's head to dispatch more enemies than Medusa ever could. Whatever designs the goddess had for Olympus or the world would not doubt be compromised.

Medusa and Euryale looked in the direction of the battle. Two armored giants, resembling Greek infantry soldiers, suddenly crashed down into the pool. They were part of Hades personal guard in the Underworld and they were enemies not to be taken lightly. Numerous red hot burn marks were seen on their limbs, head and chest. No ordinary sword could have inflicted that type of damage and no ordinary being could have defeated them so easily. The sounds of battle drew closer, as did a strange luminous light.

"Run!" Medusa shouted and the three Gorgons disappeared down the long dark tunnel where the stampede of creatures previously ventured. Luckily, all three could see perfectly in the dark as they flew deeper into the Underworld. Ahead, a bright light filled the tunnel and then the sound of a wind funnel caught the Gorgons' attention. The strange underground current was powerful enough to ensnare and pull any object or creature toward its center. Euryale was caught in the embrace of the winds and tumbled head over heels toward this bright, pulsating orb. Stheno lengthened her body and shot out like a dart, grasping Euryale's ankle. Using her split pincer tail she impaled both ends into the cavern ceiling, preventing both her and her sister from being drawn into this vortex.

Medusa also reacted quickly to thwart any effort of being sucked into the blinding light. She clawed her way to a crack in a cave wall and managed to look at the vortex. The cavern appeared to have been melted by the orb's energy aura. The phenomenon was nothing like Medusa had ever seen in all of her years! The hundreds of creatures that preceded them were being dragged into the center of the vortex. Some were doing their best to resist the pull, only to fail and be wrenched by the awesome force to its center. Some beings tumbled and crashed into others resulting in a chain reaction that caused them to fall into the orb. Medusa used her vision to scan the room for her two sisters. On the ceiling they made their way to a fissure in the ceiling. Once Euryale latched herself the stone ceiling, she vigorously dug a wider entrance for her and Stheno to fit into.

"At least they are safe," Medusa said in relief. All that had to be done was to join them and escape the peril of chamber. As she attempted to take a step out and fasten herself onto the floor, minimizing the possibility of being pulled in, she looked to the center of the orb and could not believe what she glimpsed.

A sea of fire and blood, a sky raining lightening and flame onto charred islands of skulls and rotting flesh. Beyond that, a vast emptiness of rolling dark plains with white skies. It looked like a world on fire but no heat was detectable. For a moment Medusa could not tolerate to look into a realm so appalling and devoid of life. Her garden of statues was damnation enough, this was beyond reason.

"Home!" a loud shrieking voice from within Medusa's head bellowed. "That is where I am from! Take me there!"

Medusa thought it was a creature in the shadows of the cave who first said it. She did not want to believe it came from her mind. She slowly made her way along the ground like a slow moving crab. Again, the voice shrieked, "Take me home now!"

"No! We are not going into that vortex. I am of this world and this is where I will be until its day comes to an end!" Medusa continued as she felt the voice relent and then feel dejected. A wave of homesickness came over her. She fought it as best she could. Then, Medusa remembered the voice in her head was the same voice that commanded her to stay alive when Perseus decapitated her. The voice wanted her to enter into the gateway. Nothing made sense, only survival was the top priority. No sooner did she put the thought out her head, did more creatures tumble into the chamber. These were the remnants of Hades personal guard. Four guardsmen, battered and beaten, resisted the pull of the vortex.

"We will not be defeated," one of them proclaimed as it stamped its large feet on the ground to get its footing. "Brothers, rise up and defend this realm again all intruders!" Three of them hoisted themselves to their feet, much out of fear of their leader than going back into a fight they cannot win. Against the wind they made their way back to the mouth of the cave when several large boulders, hurled or detached from surrounding area, slammed into them. All of them howled in pain but still moved forward. One of them lost his footing and was caught in the vortex's pull and disappeared. The remaining three continued to move forward.

For Medusa, she had her head down and stopped moving for fear of discovery by any entity in the room. She wanted to depart from the apparent danger and rejoin their sisters, if they were still alive. But another brilliance of light, different from the portal caught her attention. Two white robed beings with blazing swords stood at the entrance and without words, slashed the giant guardsmen. The burns stunned and hurt the armored giants as they succumbed to the pull of the vortex.

Hiding behind a pile of rubble, Medusa watched with curiosity the strange luminescent beings that dispensed Hades' most powerful creatures finish off the remaining horde. They stood at least nine feet tall, wearing white robes and thick white vests. Their heads were hooded but looking at them in the dark, their face and head had no discernable features, as if a black shadow covered their faces. One looked to the other and spoke in a voice Medusa found chilling as well as comforting.

"Eae, are we done down here? This place fills me with dread and despair," asked the one named Briathos.

"Yes," Eae answered. "We should join with the others in the other parts of this realm and drive the remnants of the filth into this portal."

Eae turned to look at the pulsating orb and viewed the damnation beyond. He shook his head. "I am astonished Lucifer has not crossed into this plane to destroy it."

Briathos almost laughed at his partner. "He does not need such portal to come to this world. He has left his mark on this paradise and free to come when he chooses. Besides, our steadfast faith in the One tells us this arrangement benefits all concerned and will close when the last of Hell's children are expelled back to their domain or are dead."

Eae and Briathos turned to walk away. The swords they carried dimmed and then disappeared. "I wish we were chosen to destroy that palace in the mountains," Eae said with disappointment. "That seemed to be a more honorable and worthy mission."

Briathos looked to his younger companion and placed a hand on his shoulder. "To be called for any mission is an honor and blessing. Don't forget that."

The two beings left the cavern and disappeared. Medusa waited another few minutes before she crawled out of the rock pile and replayed in her mind what she experienced. The two beings looked as if they were gods but were not…something more powerful. Who was the One? Who was Lucifer? Questions she had no answers to but wanted to find out. The gateway captured her interest. She moved closer to look inside of it again, hoping the voice will speak up. Several feet from it she looked again and saw a different area, a road paved with bones, two rivers of blood on either side leading into a twisted, gothic stronghold. The castle looked more menacing than the other scenes she was able to glimpse.

"You said this is home," Medusa spoke aloud to the voice in her head. "You called it damnation years ago and now you call it home. Who are you and where are you."

For a long moment, the voice did not respond. Then in a whisper it replied, "Damnation is my home. I and many of my kind were taken from there eons ago. I was joined with you the night all of those years ago. I am the Gaz'don, the true Gorgon!"

Medusa had not experienced fear and dread since becoming the Gorgon creature. So much had transpired but she needed a place to think. Then her mind settled back on finding Stheno and Euryale. A look at the ceiling revealed the tunnel her sisters dug to escape the vortex. All Medusa had to do was get to it and hopefully track them down. She bent her knees and lowered herself to the cave floor until her buttocks almost touched. And then she propelled herself upward at a fantastic rate. She flew straight into the hole and immediately put her hands out and braced them again the tunnel wall. Luckily, the work Euryale did on the tunnel was crude. Getting a hand-hold or foot-hold was easy.

The Gorgon made her way up through the tunnel. Twenty minutes later, Medusa emerged at the top of the tunnel into a curious crystalline cave. The stalactites and stalagmites were razor sharp and several times Medusa either tore her clothing or cut herself on the crystal. They were beautiful. Every now and then she would catch her reflection in a crystal face. "If any human miners stumbled on this cavern, they would be rich beyond the gods," Medusa surmised.

Medusa stood still and listened for any signs of Euryale and Stheno in the immediate area. Nothing. She looked around in the dim light of the crystal cave. Nothing. None of her senses told her if the other Gorgons were anywhere nearby. Sighing, she moved on. Leaving the cave, she walked through a narrow tunnel and after a while smelled the outside air and the sea. An exit! She ran as quickly as she could to the freedom from this tomb. Soon, she was standing at the opening of a cave on a mountain very close to Olympus. She could not see the upper palace where all of the primary gods resided but she was able to see much of the palace. At a first glance she snarled in disgust at the sight of Olympus. Then her eyes caught something that made her open them even wider.

The palace of the gods was under siege and on fire! On many of the terraces, Greek gods were in the fight for their lives. They battled the beings similar to ones she observed besting Hades armored warriors. None of the gods were a capable match of skill and might against the hooded warriors. Then without warning, dozens of monsters flooded the halls of the palace attacking the invaders. It seemed like the tide would turn in favor of the gods but it was short lived. The hooded warriors cut down the monster battalion with fierceness and ease. Within minutes, the major fighting ceased and the battle was over.

Medusa smiled, almost rejoicing that the gods would be defeated and the remains of their vile acts would be wiped from the earth. A chill gripped her as she thought she was one of the vile acts. Would these warriors come looking for her and her sisters? No sooner did the notion enter her mind, she perceived she was under observation. One of the luminescent, hooded warriors leapt from a balcony and was in flight toward the cave where Medusa stood to watch the assault on Olympus.

"RUN!!!" the voice shouted.

Medusa ran back into cave on command and feared for her life. She did not bother to look over her shoulder as she ran faster but knew her pursuer was close. The caverns became a dark, winding maze yet Medusa continued to run as fast she could. Another opening presented itself and Medusa took it as a sign of escape and freedom. She found herself on a high cliff with another view of Olympus.

"I must have run in a circle," she thought to herself. Before she could turn and go back into the cave, the entire sky was lit in a brilliant flash of white light. Instinctively, she started to turn away to shield her eyes but she wanted to observe this phenomena. First, a large column of light erupted from below the palace and streak into the darkened sky. Then a larger blast, similar to the previous one, impacted the Olympic castle with such force, it knocked Medusa off her feet and back into the entrance. Her ears heard the sound of one thousand thunder claps as the blast destroyed not only the palace of the gods but nearly the entire mountain. Red lava lines decorated the sides of the mountain, sulfur and other powerful earthly gases were released into the air. A thick plume of black ash and smoke settled at the top and slowly spread into the night sky. Olympus was gone, forever!

Medusa let out a cheer of vengeance and rejoiced at the victory over the false deities of Greece. She hoped in her cursed heart that all of the gods, Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and the rest would have met their fate. A thought occurred to her that shortened her celebration. "What of Euryale and Stheno? Did they go to Olympus to taste godly blood? I know Stheno wanted to storm the fortress and kill everyone and everything she could. Did Euryale follow her to their mutual doom?" There were no answers, only the low rumbling sound of the mountain shifted and collapsing from within.

After standing on the cliff for what seems to be an eternity, Medusa turned away and walked back into the mountain. She wandered around aimlessly thinking of all that occurred. No gods, no monsters, no Gorgons, Medusa felt profoundly alone in the new, unfolding era. She wondered to herself what path she should follow now, both figuratively and in actuality as she walked through the maze of tunnels. Something caught her eye in the distance and immediately she knew what was. A white and blue flame, shaped like a sword, illuminated its bearer; the white robed warrior. Immediately, Medusa turned and bolted down a wide corridor, hoping to lose the warrior in the tunnels.

"Why am I fleeing? I have never fled from anything before! Why now?" the Gorgon asked herself. It was true! Medusa, Stheno and Euryale had always made their prey run as they were the dominant, powerful hunters of their time. Was this the new legacy Medusa should lead? One part of her, the silent human side wanted to just survive and find a place of refuge. The altered demonic side also wanted to run, but knew deep down their pursuer would eventually catch up to her.

As she ran deeper into the caverns, she smelled traces of sulfur, methane and few other chemicals she knew had a combustible nature. A narrow tunnel provided Medusa a means of striking at her foe and having a good look at him, or having him get a good look at Medusa. Using her claws, Medusa quickly gouged a three inch wide trench along the cave wall. She then filled it with sulfur and waited for her attacker. Soon he stepped into the tunnel with his sword drawn but lowered toward the cave floor. Once halfway in, Medusa raked her fingers against the wall, producing sparks that lit the trench she carved. Flames burst not only in the trench but in the entire corridor. The pursuing warrior slowed his pace as he walked carefully through the flames or, more accurately, the flames withdrew at his approach.

All the while, the Gorgon waited just outside of the exit and with her unique vision, observing the assailant's walk through the fire. He seemed unscathed by the flames. Once he emerged from the tunnel, he lost his quarry in the darkness. Holding his blade up, he illuminated the area, probing the shadows for the Gorgon. The Gorgon would strike once his back was turned.

"So, you came hunting for Medusa," she said in low, monotone voice. "She will not run or surrender so easily." The figure turned with the blade up, not in a striking pose, more of a defensive posture.

"Look into my eyes and gaze upon death!" Medusa shrieked. Her eyes burned and the serpents hissed violently. Medusa would turn this being into stone and make him apart of the surroundings. Unfortunately, nothing happened. Medusa surmised that since this being was more powerful than the gods themselves, her cursed gaze would take longer. Again, he suffered no effects. Both her eyes and serpents relented as she took several steps back in dread.

"Poor creature," the being spoke with a calm, harmonious voice. "Only at the end do you understand. Your powers cannot harm me."

Medusa wanted to run, but at this point she was tired of running, tired of shrinking back, tired of being hunted. "If my eyes cannot destroy you, my claws will suffice as the instruments of your destruction!" She lunged at him slashing at him in fury. The being stepped away, parried or avoided the oncoming attacks. Medusa doubled her efforts to at least make some sort of physical contact but could not. Using all of her past training and relying on her enhanced abilities, Medusa labored vigorously with no results. Near exhaustion, she dropped to one knee and looked up at her opponent.

"What are you waiting for? You pursued me from Mount Olympus and deep into these underground chasms. You chased me through these caverns of the Underworld. So now you have me at your mercy. I was killed once before and came back to life. But I refuse to live a life of torment and misery," she paused and then continued. "If you end my existence, see to it that I stay dead!"

The warrior pondered her words for a moment and then lifted his blazing sword, ready to strike. Medusa wished she had the simple function of closing her eyes, but she never had them since being cursed. She turned away not wanting to see the end coming. The voice also agreed with Medusa and was silent, also waiting for the end.

It never came.

The warrior dimmed his sword and then it disappeared altogether. He knelt down and caressed Medusa's chin, gently turning toward his face. Since the Gorgon eyes had no effect on him, he starred deep into them. Medusa resisted the urge to pull away but the touch of his hand was comforting. She had not been close to anyone in this way since the days of being a high priestess so very long ago. As he looked into her eyes, she starred into his face, or lack thereof.

She could detect a shape of a human male head, but she could not discern any features. Instead, what she saw was the equivalent of looking at a night sky full of stars. And then she remembered she used to chart the star locations every night since coming to the beachside temple. In this being's face, Medusa recognized the patterns and understood the stars were conveying a message: The time of the gods were coming to an end. She realized the message, witnessed the destruction of Mount Olympus and Medusa smiled.

The warrior had quite a different experience looking into the Gorgon eyes. First he saw Medusa's life from the time she spent with her family, to the days at the temple as high priestess and to her plight as the Gorgon.

The second experience, the warrior viewed all too familiar images of the dimension of damnation. Upon further review, he understood now Medusa is physically possessed with a demon from damnation. These demons were known as the Gaz'don, guardian creatures of the dimension know as Hell. They were passive beings, placed strategically in the realm to prevent other creatures from wandering into areas they were not permitted. Looking into their massive giant eye (or eyes) would freeze you in place. Each creature had unique abilities beyond immobilizing a creature in its tracks. If the Gaz'don wished, it can turn you to ice, stone, set you ablaze, melt your flesh or even atomize the body. Thousands of years ago, many of these creatures were stolen and had gone missing. They would later be used in horrid experimentations to produce the only three, successful biological integration, with creatures from Hell. The Gorgons! The demon inside of Medusa was one of those creatures.

The warrior released Medusa's chin and sat on the ground across from her. She realized her life was to be spared for some reason. As she looked into his face, Medusa felt him looking into her mind and that of the demon inside of her. Slowly she backed away from the warrior and sat on a smooth stone nearby.

"Who and what are you," she asked quietly.

"I am Remiel of the Warrior Seraphai. I come from the dimension of the Ultimate One, to serve and protect all in this universe," he answered with no sense of pride in his voice.

Medusa looked confused. "You are referring to Cronos, father of the titans, father of Zeus and the other gods. They created the heavens and the earth and the things underneath."

Remiel shook his hooded head. "No. You have been lied to, deceived into thinking these false deities rule the universe when they barely can rule their own passions. They were like myself, beings of light and thought. Unfortunately, hundreds of our brethren decided to follow their own causes and were cast out of our realm. Some have settled here on this world and used their powers to dominate the creatures of this realm."

Medusa was livid. "So you and your kind had some sort of squabble in your realm and brought it here. Allowing mankind to suffer for generations and while you sat and did nothing." She gestured to herself. "This hideous form you see before you is the price I and thousands of others had to pay for your noninterference. You should have dealt with those who rebelled against your order and destroyed them."

"That was not my decision," Remiel said sorrowfully. "Many of us wanted to correct the order of universe as it pertains to this world but the Ultimate One commanded us to wait until it was time to act."

"The destruction of Mount Olympus?"

"Among other acts of restoration, yes." Remiel motioned with his gloved hands and between his palms manifested lights of different colors and they began to grow. "Medusa, look into these spheres of light and understand."

Medusa stood up and did as Remiel asked. In the first sphere, it was dark but provided some illumination. Within it she began to see the history of the Ultimate One, the Creator, and how he created the universe and then this world. A gold sphere showed her the time when the first of the Seraphai rebelled and turned away from the One. The dimension of Hell was created for the one called Lucifer and he ruled the realm of damned souls. A green sphere showed mankind and their relationship with the One, calling him different names but as a whole simply referred to the One as God. Next in a red sphere of light showed the history of the Gaz'don, and how they and the Seraphai had mutual respect despite their opposing allegiances. Finally, a blue sphere told the complete story of the Greek gods. Medusa understood the shocking truth, finally. She and thousands of other Greek citizens had the wrong faith of praying to false gods and now they were gone. She sat back down on her rock with a blank look on her face.

"Remiel, you and the other beings I saw came to this world to rid it of the pestilence of your brethren who rebelled; since you were prevented from coming sooner, could you have not used an indirect means of interference to give us mortals the knowledge to resist the gods? We could have rebelled and denied loyalty to those…gods. We could have been spared the agony of their devious designs." Medusa's voice wavered slightly as she attempted to not let her anger build but failed. "Look at what they have done to me! Do you know what I have done? What I am capable of? What I have suffered for over a century? What others have suffered at my hands, or rather these eyes? Why did you not intervene sooner?"

Although Remiel had no facial expressions, his body posture showed his concern and sorrow at Medusa's lament. His shoulders slumped for a moment and then he replied, "As I said, some of us wanted to come down and set the world right. But so many mortals were deep into the spell of these fallen creatures. The entire world would be at war with itself defending a lie. The One allowed many of his creations to choose its own path. Mortals have chosen their own destiny and passed that choice on from generation to generation without questioning their choice. You of all people should understand that Medusa. If we came to you long ago, would you have turned away from your goddess?"

Medusa was stunned. This Seraphai warrior was absolutely right! She remembered conducting the ceremonies for Athena and encouraging all of the patrons to follow the path of the gods. No way in creation would Medusa turn away from Athena and the other gods of Olympus. Until that horrible night Poseidon came to her and Athena cursed her. She tried very hard to put that thought deep in a dark corner of her mind. But another memory sprang into her mind. She remembered the stars, the stars that were talking to her but she did not know what they were saying until now.

Remiel looked at Medusa. "Yes, we communicate in many ways. The stars are my favorite way to send messages, since humans enjoy the night sky so much. We also come to you in dreams, signs in nature and in corporal form. We have walked among you in disguise, sometimes as mortals or animals. Watching, serving and observing mankind. I wanted to come to you sooner but I was forbidden to do so." Remiel stood and walked close to Medusa and raised his hand to her face. "You have been chosen to carry out an errand on our behalf."

"What kind of errand? What's in it for me? Can you remove this demon from me and end my curse!?"

"No, but I can heal your body of the injuries inflicted upon you and make it possible to communicate with the Gaz'don demon inside of you. Additionally, I can lead you to peace. And in that time of peace, decide what you will accomplish with your life, for you will have many years on this world to live." Remiel's left hand glowed red then white. She felt the heat from his hand and attempted to back away but a cold stone wall prevented any retreat.

"I promise, this will not harm you but this will be uncomfortable." Before Medusa made any form of protest, Remiel's hand touched her forehead. At first, she felt nothing, not even heat from his hand. Then she felt a numbing sensation and then searing heat. She wanted to scream but could not. She wanted to move but could not.

"I imagine this is how my victims feel when they look into my eyes," she managed to say to herself as body went completely rigid.

The energy released from Remiel's touch flowed through Medusa as if it was water. The energy sought out every wound and injury on her body and healed it, from head to feet. Most of the wounds were from her neck and face. The scar around her neck completely disappeared, vocal cords, esophagus and wind pipe healed. Her face, which was bruised long ago by the snakes when she attempted to pull them out and the others bit into her face, healed! Her skin, still gray in color, returned to a youthful resilience. Finally, layers of skin formed above her eyes as her eyelids regenerated.

Inside her mind, she began to hear a deep voice in the corners of mind and then cohesive thoughts. Communication between the demon and Medusa was possible. She talked to the demon and it replied. Strength returned to her body; she felt like a whole new being but the harsh reality remained that was she was still the Gorgon monster.

Remiel lowered his hand and backed away from Medusa. She took a deep breath and exhaled; Medusa felt no pain in her throat. The serpents quietly hissed in acknowledgment of no further pain. She smiled, despite still being cursed, she was relieved.

"Now what? Where is this peace you spoke of?" she asked in tone that relayed sorrow. Remiel began walking away.

"Wait! Where are you going? How do I get out of this place? Is this the peace you offered? Leaving me buried alive in these caves?" she shouted after him and ran.

"No. But follow your heart Medusa. It is not evil, it's corrupted but a good soul lies underneath. You are now charged with carrying on our mission of ridding the world of vile monsters and other cursed beings. You will have the power to do so. Protect humanity, be its unsung champion."

Surprise crossed Medusa's face: from high priestess to Gorgon monster and now protector of man? What if mankind rejected her and tried to kill her? Even the demon was uncertain of its renewed existence. She wanted to ask Remiel more questions but he was already translucent and walking away.

"Wait!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the stone caverns. "Will I ever see you again?"

Gone from sight, he replied softly, "When you are most in need of salvation and rescue, I will be there."

Silence and darkness remained in caves underneath the surface of the earth. Medusa had no clear direction to lead her out of the caves. She remembered Remiel's words with uncertainty and yet felt invigorated. Her life had changed, how much was only an answer time would reveal.

* * *

After witnessing the destruction of both Mount Olympus and Hades, Medusa was filled with many mixed emotions. For generations, it was long believed that the gods maintained the existence of the world due to their influence and power. In return, the mortals would submit prayers, offerings, sacrifices and unswerving obedience to the god or gods, depending which one they worshiped. If the gods ever left the world or decided to bring about the days of chaos and destruction, it would be the end of the world. Fortunately, it was not the case.

Medusa realized after her meeting the Seraphai warrior Remiel, there was a higher power, greater than the gods. All of her life she was brought up to believe in the Olympians and now they were destroyed. A new thought entered her mind as she wandered through the dark tunnels of what was the Underworld: if this new power vanquished the gods, what was its price for doing so? How do you commune with this entity to ask for its favor? Medusa wished the conversation between herself and the warrior went in that direction. She also wondered why she was spared. Remiel said she had a purpose, a new role in life to play, a champion of mankind? It surely was a different role to undertake, she thought to herself.

The demon, the Gaz'don or Gorgon creature, that shared her body with those eyes, not hers, brought many to their fate of death. It was odd to think that the creature never communicated directly. When she petrified any who looked upon her, she did recall hearing a semblance of a dark voice in the back of her mind, but dismissed it as the hissing of the serpent mane. On that rare occasion, the Gaz'don spoke to Medusa to keep her alive after Perseus beheaded her. Then again when the portal to the Hell dimension was revealed. Can she in time have continuous contact with this creature? Strange, she thought to herself. It could be considered a parasite living off of the essence of its host. This was not the case. Instead, the being gave Medusa powers far above the gods themselves. She and her sisters had the ability to destroy any being that challenged them with a glance.

Medusa stopped walking to catch her breath, realizing she was moving at a faster pace than she first thought. Her sister Gorgons, what would become of them? Medusa thought of them as two monsters and then as sisters. They were not human but mildly appeared as human. Could the Gorgon monster inside of Medusa communicate or control Euryale and Stheno. For over one hundred years, Stheno never made any attempt to attack Medusa, although she wrestled with Euryale every other day but no malice was there. In her mind, Medusa made it a point to locate her two sisters, but what then? Three Gorgons, trapped in a decimated underworld, would have no purpose other than to exist. Since the encounter with Remiel, she feared they were already dead. Yet Medusa was spared. Perhaps, it was her task to find Stheno and Euryale. To kill them? To protect them? They were monsters and they should be destroyed. Was that her purpose, to kill the both of them? No answers. It was up to Medusa figure it out on her own.

She rested on a stone and in the dark she saw the bones of dead creatures of some sort. Reaching down at what appeared to be a long thigh bone, Medusa picked up the bone with old rags attached to it. After a few minutes, she had a crude torch and with nails striking against the stone wall, ignited the rags. Oddly enough, the illumination from the torchlight was a welcome release, despite the fact she could she perfectly in the dark. She looked upon the ground and saw the bones of dozens of creatures; some were human but others were from animals Medusa did not recognize.

Then it occurred to her that she was in a waste area for discarded prey. She did not see the creature responsible and ran out only to be stopped a gigantic, multi-appendage maggot. She backed away slowly until it occurred to her that she can take on this creature with a glance. The maggot inched closer to Medusa, its mandibles dripped with digestive fluids and they twitched with excitement as it closed in on its prey. Medusa had other plans contrary to the maggot's notion of a meal. Medusa noted the creature had some semblance of eyes and used it to her advantage.

Waving the torch about, she drew the creature's attention to her person. It closed in and expanded its mandibles. Medusa remained still, held the torch to her face and waited. The maggot's reaction in seeing Medusa's face made it screech! It sent out a high, ear-piercing noise that filled the Gorgon's ears as well as the caverns for miles. And then there was silence. The maggot was turned to stone from the inside and out, petrified with some of its appendages caught flailing about then stilled. This was an occasion that Medusa felt no regret in killing a disgusting creature. The only problem was that the stone carcass blocked her path. Placing both hands on the face of the maggot, Medusa exerted her unnatural strength and pushed the stone form from the exit and off a small cliff on the other side. The petrified maggot rolled and then shattered into hundreds of bits of broken rock.

Free from one hole, Medusa found herself in another chamber with a high ceiling of stalactites and what appeared to be a pit or better yet, a nest. Thousands of small, boulder sized eggs lay at the bottom of this pit. From where Medusa deposited the petrified worm, a few dozen eggs were crushed on impact. However, many more remained. If those creatures were to hatch and burrow their way to the surface, they would present a greater threat to mankind than one Gorgon could ever do. The odor rising from the crushed eggs reached Medusa's nose and told her immediately that whatever the chemical composition of the eggs contained, they were susceptible to fire. She dropped the torch into the pit on the remains of the crushed eggs and ran along the ledge of the pit and down a corridor of tunnels. The worm eggs ignited and exploded, causing the ceiling to collapse and crushing the remaining eggs of the nesting pit. Several feet away Medusa used her vision to see dozens more of the maggot caught in the fireball and burned alive. So this was Medusa's mission now, to be the scourge of the Underworld, killing off monsters, other demons and creatures that lurk in the dark? Quietly she accepted it. Searching the ground, she found another discarded bone, refashioned a torch and moved on.

* * *

What seemed to be days later, Medusa managed to turn to stone or kill with other means, hundreds of monsters of various sizes, shapes and different species of life. For a time, she simply wandered in the dark, hoping to either find a way out or a place to just rest and forever dwell in the dark recesses of the caves. Maybe the world would forget the Gorgon Medusa ever existed. And maybe death will come upon her in the dark but in a more gentle way rather than with brutal slashing of a sword in the hands of an untrained warrior. In the ensuing days, Medusa never picked up on any trail of her two sisters. She attempted to make her way back to the area where the portal to Hell resided but thought better of it. She would not want to run into another Seraphai or monster. The Gorgon was tired of fighting and of the bloodshed. She wondered if she could attempt to establish a sense of peace in her cursed life.

The flame of the torch she carried, number seven in her count, began to flutter and react to a strong draft, a breeze. She studied it for a moment, almost hypnotizing herself in flickering movements of the flame. Coming back to herself, she analyzed the movement of the flames and followed the direction of the strong draft. After several hours of what appeared to be aimless walking, Medusa caught the scent of something familiar, the ocean! She smelled sea water and knew she could be close to an exit, close to a beach of some sort. Her hopes were elevated as she literally followed her nose.

And then it happened.

A tremor shook the cavern she traversed. At first it was a deep rumbling, but soon gave way to shattered walls and a collapsing tunnel.  Using all of her strength in her legs, Medusa bolted out of the tunnel, watching the world around her move in a blur. In an ironic moment of calm, she laughed at herself because she was running from an earthquake. Not a problem if you are above ground with no towering structures nearby. However, she was in the belly of the beast and had to flee for her very life. Faster and faster she ran, hoping to see an exit from which she could escape. Then in another thought slipped into her mind, what if this was her fate? This would be the end of Medusa, buried underneath tons of rock.

Grinding her fangs, Medusa became a blur as she made her way through the canyons and underground passageways. Finally, she saw daylight! The first time in countless years, Medusa would see the sun! The tremors continued their pursuit of her but the universe seemed to favor Medusa this day as she launched herself out of the cave and landed on a small plateau several feet away. The new ground she found herself upon shook and broke a part in places. Again she ran but not too far as she steadied herself on the ground. She discovered herself on an island with numerous small mountain peaks. Each of the mountains trembled, two collapsed in on themselves, most likely filling in the cavernous holes of the place Medusa was wandering just moments prior. She turned to see a tropical forest taking up the rest of the island, and then a beach that stretched along the tropical side up until the jagged sea line of the mountains.

In a long, forgotten time, Medusa felt like if she was home in Greece. The beach was a place her and Airlea would spend many hours, just listening to the waters crash onto the sand. Once the tremors ceased, Medusa set out to explore this tropical paradise. The different animals inhabiting the island picked up on her scent, sounded a noise of alarm and fled from her general position. None of them were close enough to Medusa to look into her eyes but her presence alone made the creatures flee. She wished she had that effect on the men coming to take her head as a prize but chased the thought out of her mind.

Medusa stood still for a moment and pondered something to shake her being to the core. She was no longer Medusa, the Gorgon. Simply Medusa, a woman of tragic circumstances who survived more than anyone could bear. The former high priestess would have to put the past in its place and swear not to let it define her as monster or victim of the gods. All that she knew was gone. And it was at that moment, the enormity of her revelation brought her to tears as she dropped to her knees. For two hours, she cried, screamed, cursed and then fell onto her back sobbing. So much has happened to this woman and now it would appear she will have some sort of peace to consider what to do next with her existence.

As Medusa made her way down to the beach, the remnants of her gown and cloak were nearly gone. The prospect of walking naked on this deserted island did have its appeal. The high priestess had modesty for herself and decided to keep her nakedness hidden from all eyes, man and beast.

On the beach, Medusa noticed a large ship that had run aground. The wooden vessel looked as if was a currier for a royal dignitary from a land far away. On closer inspection, the vessel appeared to have crashed years prior and its wooden hull was battered and damaged beyond repair. There were some cargo barrels she discovered, chests of gold and jewels, completely useless to a woman alone on a desert island. Dozens of barrels of dried meat and fruit caught her attention. Immediately she opened a small barrel that had, well preserved within, dried pomegranates. She ate three before she felt a pain in her stomach. Consuming too much after a long period of starvation was not a wise idea. Fortunately, the pain was temporary and she continued to eat two more. After looking in the storage hold, she noticed twelve small barrels of various fruits, ten barrels of preserved meats, and two very large barrels of wine (year of the vintage unknown). Medusa made a mental note of the inventory and moved the items onto the beach, away from the ship and cascading water. She decided to inspect the shipwrecked vessel closely, hoping to find more materials she can salvage.

The crew quarters, cramped and small, yielded nothing of interest. The next area of interest was the captain's quarters and the loft of the diplomatic resident. Medusa found dozens of blank scrolls and writing instruments. A log scroll caught her eye but it was written in a language Medusa was not familiar with. So much for the theory the vessel's origin was Greece. Maps and other navigation implements were destroyed by what appeared to be a fire in the cabin. It made no sense why a fire would erupt inside the captain's quarters, yet there were signs of a struggle. A mutiny perhaps? Medusa did not know for certain.

The next cabin told the story she dreaded to relive. The skeletal corpse of a woman laid on top of the corpse of a man, most likely the captain. The two of them were locked in a death struggle, daggers impaled into each other's throats. To Medusa's estimation, the captain attempted to force himself on the woman and she defended herself, unsuccessfully it would seem. She said a quick prayer for the dead and continued her salvage of the ship.

The woman's quarters had plenty of clothing for Medusa to change into. She never understood why a woman would need to bring so many belongings for any journey. In her days as a high priestess, she traveled light and brought only the items she needed. Luckily for Medusa, this woman brought an array of clothing: robes, expensive gowns, cloaks, and other garments Medusa was not too familiar with. She spied an empty sack and placed as many articles of clothing as she could. Once it was full, she tore off her own tattered, worn out robe and slipped into a simple white, sleeveless dress. It fitted her comfortably and she hoped the rest of the clothing did the same.

For several more hours, Medusa continued to recover any usable materials. She recovered a small wall mirror, lantern torches, tools, more scrolls, a sleeping mat, fishing net and an undamaged storage chest. Everything Medusa salvaged would make her new life on the island comfortable, if not tolerable. One more look around the ship was not necessary, as she could no longer tolerate the sight of corpses scattered about the ship. Some calamity befell the ship, whether it came from beyond this world or the persons succumbed to madness she may never know. Whatever the reason, Medusa surmised that sinking the ship into the waters may prevent other ships from landing on her new island in search for this vessel. Standing on the beach and looking up at the vessel, Medusa looked to where to apply pressure for pushing the ship into the deeper part of the lagoon and off to the ocean floor. As her hands touched the outer hull of the ship, her body went into shock and she froze.

Deep inside of her mind, Medusa glimpsed into the past history of the ship. It sailed from a port of a new, fledgling empire. The ship, crew and passengers were well until it was attacked by a small band of pirates. These pirates managed to kill many of the crew members, including the captain, first and second mate. The pirates dumped most of the bodies overboard into the sea and kept the remaining crew to sail the ship. The chief pirate attempted to take the woman as his own, dressing in the clothing of the former captain and pretended to be a noble being. The woman resisted, fought and killed the pirate chief before being killed herself. The vessel was then caught in a storm, battered severely and wrecked itself on beach after slamming into the cliff walls of the mountains.

Medusa withdrew her palms uncertain what she had experienced. It appeared the ship had an aura to which she was able to tap into. Was this another ability the demon afforded her? She definitely needed time to figure out the strange ability. How she would come to terms with this ability would come in time as she learned to master it.

Turning back to the task at hand, Medusa pushed the dead vessel back into water. The soft sand made it difficult to get decent footing but she continued to push. After years of being exposed to the elements and constant decay of the hull, the ship nearly broke a part against the force of her palms. With the water up to her breasts, Medusa began to lose her footing but accomplished her task of sinking the vessel at sea. She treaded water for a minute and then swam back to shore. In the setting sunlight, the vessel took on gallons of water and finally sank to the bottom of the sea. A burial at sea was the best Medusa could give to the souls unknown to her.

She would spend all evening moving her new possessions into a suitable cave in the mountains and had time to ponder all she experienced since coming back from the realm of the dead. More importantly, she will spend hours in a meditative state in an attempt to establish a long lasting communication with this Gaz'don (Gorgon). She would be in for a shock once a consistent two-way dialog could be established. Slowly, she carried what items she could into the hills and then the mountain pass of her island.

END OF PART I

Copyright © 2020, thegorgonmedusa.com, Tyrone Ross
Copyright © 2020, thegorgonmedusa.com, Tyrone Ross