Page 1 of Meduso
Prologue
Venomous snakes for hair.
A glare that will cast people to stone.
Beheaded by the tragic Greek hero, Perseus.
It’s a safe assumption that we all know the basic facts about one of Greek Mythology’s most famous monsters, Medusa; the beautiful maiden cursed and turned into a Gorgon. Her tragic story and death at the hands of the hero, Perseus, has been told countless times for thousands of years.
But the thing with Greek Mythology is just that. They are myths. Narrated, fictional legends as old as time that have been passed down from generation to generation. Time has a way of changing the original tale. So, how can we be sure that the myths we think we know are the real story?
What if important aspects of these myths have been altered? What if the monster wasn’t really a monster at all? What if Medusa wasn’t actually Medusa? What if her name was Meduso? And what if she wasn’t a her, but a him? This is the tale of Meduso and his death at the hands of the hero Perseus’ sword. It is a tale of innocence, love, betrayal, and tragedy.
Act I
Meduso: The Innocent
Chapter 1
“Come closer, Meduso. He won’t bite,” my mother, Ceto promised.
I reluctantly stepped forward, slowly reaching my hand out to stroke the head of the serpentine creature that was rising out of the water to greet us. Its eyes were fluorescent yellow, glaring at me. It seemed unsure as to whether or not it could trust me.
I continued to rub his bubbly green scales. It was the thickest of material I have ever felt in my entire life. No garbs, furniture, or any other item in our palace could compare. My touch must have been enough to soothe the creature. The lids of its eyes closed and he slightly purred as I traced my hand from the base of his snout to the pointed edge of his nose. I was hesitant to touch the tip of it, which looked more like a talon of a ferocious eagle. I repeated the motion over and over again.
My timidness melted away, and I instantly felt a kindred spirit with the dragon. Out of the corner of my eye, I could sense the pleasure behind the smirk my mother now showed.
“Meduso, this is your brother, Ladon.”
I turned to face my mother as she said this, but didn’t stop rubbing Ladon. My mother had informed me that there were two siblings I had yet to meet, including Ladon. The other was named Echidna. It would only be a matter of time before I would have the chance to meet her, too. Throughout my entire life, my mother explained that when I was of a certain age, I would be able to meet them, and that day had finally arrived.
We stood in the grotto connected to our oceanic palace. The ground and walls were made of the finest cerulean gems of apatite and larimar. The brightness of the stones and lit flames around the grotto were our only means of light in the underwater cave. Our palace lied in the deepest depths of the ocean, far from any trace of light reaching it.
The grotto was one of my favorite features of the palace. Every time I visited, I was instantly put under a calming spell with the ripples of the water reflecting off of the glistening blue walls, constantly in motion. I moved about the cave in a fluid-like manner, aware of every breath I was taking. It was as if every worry I had in the world was expelled from my body and into the crystal blue. I found all aspects of water very serene. Whenever I was in the ocean, or here at the grotto listening to the slight trickling of drops from the icicle-stalactites striking the surface of the pool, I was put into a meditative trance. It cleared my mind, my body, my soul.
My attention reverted back to Ladon, who could also sense my tranquility. He moved his head closer to me and pressed his snout against my chest, rubbing me with it. His massive head, alone, was the size of my entire body. I was startled at first, but then smiled and chuckled at his reaction. I was beginning to experience a kindred spirit with my brother, the aquatic serpent-dragon.
“Ahhhhh!” I yelled at the startling sight of another head pop out from Ladon’s slithery body, identical to his own. Then the number of heads and faces continued to emerge and multiply from him until there were about one-hundred of them.
My mother placed her hand over her mouth in attempt to hide her laughter from my surprised reaction. “It’s alright, Meduso. There is nothing to fear. This is Ladon in his truest form. He only presented himself to you with a single head, knowing it would placate you. Don’t let Ladon fool you. He is a very clever creature.”
To any other god or mortal, Ladon would be viewed as a hideous sea monster. But not to me. Maybe it was simply because I didn’t know any better. My parents had sheltered my sisters and me in this underwater palace for years. It was only last year that I experienced my first steps onto fertile soil. A rush of excitement flowed through me as I experienced it. I had never felt anything like it. The dirt seeping up in between each of my toes as I stepped on it was a unique feeling to me. A feeling I wanted to experience again. I was also finally able to meet other gods and goddesses that I had only ever heard stories about from my father, mother, sisters, and the Graeae, our family servants.
Specifically, it was the Goddess of wisdom, Athena, that I was drawn to in all of her glory, power, and beauty. She was a sight to behold and was held in the highest regards by the patrons of Athens. My parents offered me and my sisters to Athena, striking a deal with her. When we were to become of age, we would be presented to Athena to serve in her temple. Athena accepted this offering and in return, promised my parents that no mortal, nor god, would attempt to reach our oceanic palace in pursuit of hunt or war. She had granted us eternal peace for this.
I remember it like it was yesterday. I shied and hid myself behind my mother’s serpentine body upon coming in contact with the goddess for the very first time. She was a fearsome creature to behold.
“Come, Meduso. No need to be afraid of me,” Athena declared as she kneeled down to her knees so that she was at eye level with me. Her tone was warm and maternal. “Soon, I will be the one to watch over you when you come to my temple to serve me.”
I stepped aside from my mother, fully exposing myself, and came forward towards her. At the time, I had no idea what to make of this. Was she going to be a second mother or guardian to me?
It wasn’t until we parted from Athena after that meeting that my mother and father made me sit with them at the dais in the throne room back at the palace to explain my fate.
“Meduso, you must bring pride to our family by serving Athena. There will come a day when you and your sisters will be sent to serve her,” my father informed me.
“But why? I like it here! Why do I have to go!?” I questioned him with an immaturity.
“You must understand, Meduso. Our family is part of the old gods. Zeus and the new gods now hold the power on Mount Olympus. We must be obedient if we don’t want them to wreak havoc upon us,” he explained.
