Page 35 of Meduso
I then recalled my last meeting with Athena. I recited her words over again in my head, carefully:
Meduso, I am sure you are aware of your attractiveness. Young men such as yourself receive attention for it regularly… I know for a fact you will be tempted… They will try and seduce you.
The goddess warned me not to allow my beauty to get the best of me. But she was mistaken. My beauty was not getting the best of me at all. It was getting the best of others.
Chapter 9
“Meduso, I want to take you somewhere special.” Poseidon faced me, holding my hands, our fingers interlocked together.
“To where exactly?” I was more so excited about visiting a new part of the world I had yet to experience, although a small fraction of me was partly worried about disappearing from Athena’s temple for a long period of time.
However, Poseidon quickly averted any form of hesitance from my thoughts. “It’s a surprise. But I will make sure you are back at a reasonable hour. Come…” he assuaged.
I nodded and allowed him to take the reins in our departure to thissomewhere specialhe had in mind. I closed my eyes following Poseidon’s lead. Upon opening them, I found myself on lush, green grass. I spun around to notice many exotic flowers in the fields to the right of me. To the left, were ruins, some fully sturdy ivory pillars, and structures, while others were demolished into a complete pile of rubble. Upon closer examination, these ruins were of bizarre stones and building materials I had never seen before. But that wasn’t the most alarming feature about this place. There was no sky above; just a spherical bubble of aquatic blue that surrounded us. I turned to Poseidon, beyond perplexed with where we were. Was it another world?
“Where are we? I never knew a place like this existed.”
“This is the former island of Atlantis,” Poseidon revealed. “A sunken kingdom, doomed because of the threat they posed to the gods.”
“It’s beautiful!” I continued to marvel at the wonders of this place. “Where exactly is Atlantis, Poseidon?”
He sighed. “We are underwater. This island sunk to the bottom of the ocean many years ago. I summoned a permanent dome to serve as armor around it for its preservation.”
“But why is it underwater? What happened?” I was quite perturbed that I did not already know the answer to this, assuming that the Graeae had taught me everything there was to know about events of the past.
“This former island was once of our world. I watched over it as protector of the kingdom. My son, Atlas, was king of the land and its surrounding ocean,” he revealed.
It stung me, hearing him say that he had a son. Of course, I knew Poseidon had many children. He was a god, after all. He had lovers long before me. However, I could not fault him. As much as I wanted to be Poseidon’s only lover, I knew that was inconceivable. Poseidon was a god, and I was a mortal. Poseidon had hundreds, if not thousands, of years on me. How could I expect a god who lived over a thousand years to be committed to a single mortal lover, who would likely live to only be less than one hundred years old? However, I would be remiss if I didn’t admit that I felt uncomfortable thinking about Poseidon in the arms of another.
So, this is what it must feel like to be jealous, I thought. It was a stomach-churning feeling. I then remembered Poseidon explaining how jealous he was, seeing Perseus intimately touch me. I now felt guilty over causing Poseidon to also experience this troublesome feeling.
I shook my head to dispel these concerns. “And what happened to Atlas?”
“My son, Atlas, was a demi-god. A former lover of mine, Cleito, gave birth to him. I declared him King of Atlantis. My son was a powerful ruler. He was intellectual, brave, and had many personable qualities that his people were drawn to him for. However, these traits did not bode well for him, for other gods feared his growth and power from them. Atlantis grew to be an unstoppable force. Its armies increased and expanded to conquer and rule over the massive lands of Africa.”
I sensed a sorrow in Poseidon. A rarity that I did not expect the god of the sea to burden himself with. I reached to hold his hand and rubbed the back of it with my thumb, hoping it had a soothing effect on him as Poseidon continued with his story.
“Many of my family members on Mount Olympus feared my son’s power. I warned him of that fear and recommended that he take caution and accept his current victories and conquests and go no further. However, just like all mortals who first experience the thrill of power, they thirst for more until greed consumes them. Atlas did not listen to my advice. He led his armies onward and closer to Athens. The other Olympian gods and goddesses soon learned that my words had no impact on my son, and therefore, they needed to take matters into their own hands. The Athenian armies and the armies of all of their lands joined forces to take down the Atlantean Empire and my son. As a result of this, and as further punishment, the gods invoked earthquakes, floods, and the worst of disasters to befall the Island of Atlantis. It sank to the bottom of the ocean. My son had no escape and died with his kingdom.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Poseidon,” I expressed with sincerity.
“There is no need for that, Meduso. He should have known of the consequences he faced for defying the gods. I, too, could have done better to persuade him otherwise. I decided to create a protective bubble around this island to preserve his legacy. It would serve as a reminder for me to realize that even I, as a god, have rules and obligations to abide by. That I am not above other gods. This island is a cruel, constant burden that will forever be engraved in my mind.”
It was odd to hear this side of Poseidon. Yet, the fact that he was being vulnerable and opening himself up to me confirmed that his love for me was real.Why else would he feel the need to reveal this tragic tale and the loss of his son to me? To share something so important to him with another mortal was special. It’s only meant for the ears of a lover, and I am that lover to him, I thought.
“So, you must understand why I am somewhat apprehensive about taking you away from Athena. Even a god defying another god can have its consequences. That is why I have been so cautious in dragging you from her. Soon, it will happen, but I want you to fully understand the position I am in and the reasoning behind it. Believe me, Meduso, if I had it my way, I would have snatched you up the second I grabbed you on the beach in the water that first day we met.”
I felt the need to reward Poseidon for sharing these dark details of his life with me. So, I grabbed Poseidon and led him into the colorful flower fields, falling into them, on the ground. I pulled the god down so that he laid on top of me.
“I want you here and now,” I whispered with temptation.
Poseidon’s hands firmly gripped my back so that I arched into him. “And I will take you here and now.” His lips trickled against my neck as he unstrapped my tunic to reveal my bare body. He then took his off as well, illustrating his godly figure.
Poseidon pressed down into me. Our bodies collided, eventually becoming one. The ecstasy was unbearable. I could not contain myself. Poseidon was aggressive with me, but at the same time, held me delicately. It was beyond any dichotomy I had ever experienced. But I loved every second of the sea god holding me, controlling me, owning me, and being inside me.
I knew that every moment from here on out was one that we experienced as a couple. Poseidon was fully devoted to me and I to him. In due time, we would have to come clean to Athena about our relationship, and at this point, I was prepared to do so, knowing that I had nothing to fear with this powerful god at my side. But all thoughts of the future were cast aside for now. I cared only about the feeling of my lover inside of me.
After our session of lovemaking in the field of ornate flowers, Poseidon must have comprehended all that had just transpired, as well. That he brought me here, to confess his burdens and reveal his vulnerability. It must have made him realize that he desperately wanted me in his life permanently, for his next suggestion was indicative of that.
