Page 30 of Meduso
I did as she stated. It was a good thirty seconds that passed by and still, nothing happened.
“Okay. You may open them now,” the frail woman informed us.
My sisters and I gasped. Athena stood before us. I wanted to rise to greet her, but remained kneeling. The Graeae informed me that I should always bow before the goddess on my knees and only stand when she commanded us to.
“Children of Phorcys and Ceto. Rise to your feet,” Athena said in a demanding tone.
We stood up, still shocked that she was present in our company.
“Eschara here will show you around and your daily duties. Remember, you are here representing me, Pallas Athena. Your actions, behavior, and anything you do now reflect on my deity. Do not disappoint me. For if I’m disappointed in one of my servants, there will be consequences. Understood?”
We nodded. “Yes, Goddess. We understand,” Stheno stated.
Eschara proceeded out of the room. My sisters turned to follow behind her.
“Wait. You, boy. Stay for a moment,” Athena said to me.
My sisters continued on without me, leaving me alone with the mighty Athena. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t petrified of being on my own right now. What if I said or did the wrong thing?
“Come closer. I remember when we first met years ago. I did not expect you to grow into this kind of man. What is your name again?” Athena inquired.
I stepped towards her, only an arm’s length away from the goddess.
“Meduso.”
“Meduso, I am sure you are aware of your attractiveness. Young men such as yourself get attention for it on a regular basis.”
I remember Echidna informing me of my handsomeness, and now Athena corroborated that idea.
“I was told by a few individuals about my looks. Never have I gotten attention for it, though,” I explained.
“Good. I must warn you, Meduso. No servant of mine shall ever beimpure. Do you understand what I am referring to?”
I nodded. “Yes. My parents and tutors taught me of this.”
“I know for a fact you will be tempted by young women. They will try and seduce you. Needy little wretches, they are. But under no circumstances are you to give in to them. For if you do, you will fear my wrath! All servants of mine must be pure!” Her voice became deeper and louder, showcasing her power and to remind me of her goddess qualities.
“I will serve you well, Athena. I will not stray and shame you,” I promised her.
“That is what I want to hear. Now run along and listen to Eschara.”
In a split second, she shape-shifted. Her form was no longer that of a human. She turned into a white dove and flew out of the chamber ahead of me and went completely out of sight.
I caught up with Stheno and Euryale.
“What did she have to say to you?” Euryale asked.
“She just reminded me of the importance of staying pure,” I replied.
“Why would she speak to you privately about that, and not all three of us?” Euryale further questioned.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. But shush. Eschara is speaking. I’m trying to listen.”
Truth be told, I knew why Athena pulled me aside without my sisters. It was just as Echidna confirmed. With my beauty, I too possessed powers. Not magical powers as the gods had, but powers of the mind that I could use to get my way with certain things. And Athena feared that I had that power.
The next several months were dull, to say the least. The chores were consistent with scrubbing the marble statues and columns, and washing any trace of dirt off of limestone day in and day out. The meals were the same too. So bland and lacking in flavor.
Athena hadn’t shown up again since her appearance, during the day of our arrival. I became increasingly bored. I only had about two to three hours of free time to myself in the evening before bed. I used that time to travel down to the beach, dipping my toes in the sand. It served as a constant reminder of Seriphos and missing Perseus. However, there was something oddly familiar about this place and its water that I couldn’t quite wrap my finger around. It’s as if I had been to these shores on Athens before, but that’s physically impossible. I shrugged it off, concluding that it must have been my imagination playing tricks on me.
