Page 22 of Meduso
Perseus instantly gripped the sharp end of my wooden sword and pulled it with all his might. Still holding on to it, the force was enough to bring me forward and I fell to the ground on top of him. It completely caught me off-guard. “What was that for!?” I shouted, still confused by his reaction.
He didn’t say a word. I felt him grab the back of my head. Perseus pulled me down to him, giving me a deep, passionate kiss. Our lips were locked. I widened my eyes, unable to believe what was happening, but feeling the softness of his lips pressed against mine allowed me to close my eyes and take it in. I kissed him back, tracing the palm of my hand along his warm cheek.
I felt as though jolts and sparks of thunderbolts were traveling directly from his body into mine. I was unable to tell if they really were actual charges going through me or if it was just my imagination. After all, he was the son of Zeus. It could potentially be a possibility.
We rolled on the ground not daring to allow our mouths to separate from each other. Urges burst through me, wanting to feel his skin against mine. I opened my tunic, exposing my full body to him. He followed my action so that I was able to get a glimpse of his beautifully crafted frame. I was now able to fully admire it, in all its glory, unlike the other night, when I only got a quick visual of him naked, before we swam in the sea.
He wrapped his thick arms around me so that the palms of his hands rested on my bare, lower back. I moaned feeling his touch. It prompted me to press my body further into his. Our tongues greeted one another. The carnal heat, emitting from him was tangible. We were chest to chest, with our legs and other lower, now hard, parts of us rubbing against each other.
This was the most gratifying feeling I’ve ever experienced. I’ve never felt anything more pleasurable in all my life. And seeing Perseus pull me closer to him and refuse to let me go and separate his lips from mine, I knew he must have had similar feelings. Our rhythm was almost melodic. It continued to intensify, and then thecrescendohit me. Pure ambrosia. I rolled over off of him, with my back against the ground, just staring up at the colossal trees and sky above me. My heavy panting waning until my breathing stabilized.
Now that I had experienced this performance, I wanted an encore. Plenty more of this in the near future. Sure enough, I didn’t have to wait much longer. When Perseus and I laid in bed together that night, we kissed again and felt one another’s bodies. This time, I allowed him to reach thecrescendofirst, before me. For many months after that, there wasn’t a single night that went by where Perseus and I didn’t make passionate love.
The day of the Island Games had finally arrived. I sat up in bed that morning, massaging every single one of Perseus’s muscles. There was not a single surface on his body that went unattended. My bare hands traced up and down the length of his legs. As I got closer to his foot, he flinched.
“That tickles!” he shouted.
“Sorry.” I slyly smiled at him. “Are you ready for today?”
He nodded. “I think so. We’ve been training every day for the past several months. I’m as prepared as I’ll ever be.”
The events for today were being held on the opposite end of the island from us on the beach closest to King Polydectes’s fortress. There was a service held in which the king was led down to the beach in a parade-like fashion. Stands and seats were created so that every resident on the island would be able to attend the event. A tall podium and elevated throne were at the center of it all, where the king would be viewing the games from.
The competitors were all waiting nearby. I sat in the crowd next to Clymene and Danaë as each athlete was announced and introduced during the opening ceremony. Dictys was seated near his brother, along with many other individuals and dignitaries, with important titles.
Once all the participants were called out, they all stood lined up beside one another with pride, their chests sticking out with triumph, including Perseus. I analyzed his competition, honestly unsure of their skill sets. I had no idea what to anticipate, but I imagined Perseus would be a sure winner in many of the competitions today.
First came the events that required great endurance, including running and swimming. The athletes were required to complete one full lap around the entire island. Us viewers were able to witness the runners at start of the race, but then we sat for some time, waiting to see who would make their way around the final bend and toward the finish line. In only five minutes, Perseus was already spotted sprinting to finish the race. We cheered him on along with the rest of the residents of the island that went wild with excitement at the sight of him.
Even the second and third place runners were fifteen minutes behind him. I glanced over in the direction of King Polydectes, who was now seen whispering to Dictys with a stern expression on his face. For being a king of such a charming and yet what seemed like an under-developed island, he was not very inviting. I was expecting a simple-minded man with a permanent smile on his face, who was generous to everyone. I was not getting this vibe from King Polydectes one bit.
Once all of the athletes were finished the race, there was an hour break so that they could recover before the next event. King Polydectes stepped forward to explain the rules for swimming. The athletes were required to go out to a tiny boat that was far off in the distance, swim around it, and then return to the shore. This, too, turned out to be a waiting game for everyone. Perseus was already out and back on the beach finished, before anyone could fully make it out to the boat yet. They weren’t even halfway done.
The audience roared with cheers and claps at seeing his great athleticism. This time, while Perseus was alone at the finish line, waiting for the other competitors to complete the race, I noticed the king step forward and approach him. They were wrapped up in conversation. I was curious to know what exactly he was saying to Perseus. Most likely congratulating him, I assumed.
I scanned the rest of the crowd that was overjoyed, but then I locked my line of vision with a familiar individual directly across from me. I squinted and rubbed my eyes a few times to make sure my sight was not deceiving me. It was Stheno.
The second she recognized me, she stepped out of the crowd and headed away from the beach towards the forest. This was a signal for me to follow her.
I placed my hand gently on Danaë’s shoulder. “I will be right back,” I informed her.
“Make haste! The next event could be starting at any moment!” she shouted with amusement.
I quickly pushed my way through the crowd until I was able to see the back of Stheno ahead of me. I ran after her until we were in the forest, isolated from everyone else.
She hugged me tightly.
“Meduso! It seems like it’s been forever!” This was a side of Stheno I was surprised to witness. She was always so rigid and independent that it was rare to see any sort of emotion from her. This made me truly understand the bond my sisters and I had with one another. Our love and loyalty were much stronger than I even realized.
“Yes. Five months feels like several years,” I shared. We stepped back from each other. Stheno had not changed one bit since I last saw her. However, she must have thought differently about me.
“Brother! You look… less youthful. More manly!” She reached forward to grab my bicep and analyzed my legs and chest. “You’re not as scrawny as you once were. You’re coming into your own,” she revealed.
I wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or pleased with her remarks. I decided to take it as a compliment, giving her the benefit of the doubt.
“Yes. I’ve been helping my friend, Perseus, train for these Island Games,” I explained.
“Is he the one that’s blowing everyone out of the water?” Stheno asked.
