Forgotten Memories

Chapter 18

Athena watches from Olympus as Perseus and his group of warriors trench toward Medusa's lair. She paces back and forth, trying to decide how to handle this situation. He is on his way to kill a monster of her creation. Medusa is completely her fault. When she saved her all those years ago after Poseidon took advantage of her, she thought she would be grateful. She was being saved from any further advances from a male for the rest of her life. That was Athena's hubris getting in the way to assume that.

Medusa grew to hate Athena from that day on. She killed man after man until she hid away in her cave on the outskirt of any human dwellings. Athena thought that would be the end of that, but human men will always feel the need to show their masculinity to those around them. The stories of Medusa spread like wildfire after the first few men were found. Men encased in stone are hard to miss. As the body count began to rise to unavoidable numbers, the men began sending out groups in hopes of slaying the evil beast. So many parties went out and so many parties never came back.

Now Perseus is in pursuit of her head. Being the son of Zeus should have been validation to who he is, but as any mortal man he felt the need to prove himself to everyone. Everyone including their father.

She should turn her back. She should let him join the rest of the mortals who were intent on slaying the monster and never made it out of that cave. She should.

But she can't.

Medusa has killed enough. Athena did not change her into a gorgon in order to give her the blood thirsty need to kill all that venture to close to her. She needs to be stopped and since the Gods will not interfere directly, assisting a mortal is the best way to go. Perseus, being a demi-god, stands the best chance at survival. If someone were to slay the monster of her making, it'll be him. She just needs to find a way to get him the things he needs.

So she watches and she waits. When the group stops for camp about five miles from Medusa's lair. She waited for the mortals to fall into a deep slumber before traveling down to Earth. She woke Perseus and led him quietly away from the group.

"Who are you?" he questions when Athena comes to a stop in a clearing about a mile away from the camp. She turns and lets her true self show through. He takes several steps back as his eyes widen in shock. "Athena," he breathes as he slightly bows his head.

"I know what it is you seek, Perseus," she speaks, not wasting any time. Perseus's eyes lift to meet hers. She watches that mortal pride fill his gaze and she fights to urge to show just how low that pride can drag him. "I'm here to tell you that you will not succeed."

"I am the son of Zeus!" he exclaims, puffing his chest as if nothing could touch him because of that one sentence. If that sentence truly meant so much to him, he wouldn't feel the need to prove himself to anyone. Simply living with the blood of the King of the Gods would be enough.

"Do not for a second assume that you are more than what you truly are," she hisses as she takes several steps toward him. She towers over his mortal body, letting him see just how small he is next to a goddess from Olympus. "You may have the blood of our father flowing in your veins, but you are a mortal. Your need to prove yourself by bringing the head of the gorgon will result in your death."

Perseus eyes her, fear slowly filling his eyes.

"Why are you here then?" he whispers. "Are you trying to get me to turn back so I don't die?"

"No," she says firmly as she straightens her back further. "I'm here to give you the guidance you need to survive."

"Why would you help me if you think I'm nothing more than a prideful mortal?"

"Your death means nothing to me, Perseus, but Medusa needs to be stopped. She has killed enough," she vaguely explains. Perseus eyes her carefully but wisely keep his mouth shut. "Surely you have heard that all that have ventured to slay her have not returned. This is not because oof lack of skill, but because of lack of preparartion." She pauses and sighs as she glances in the direction of his journey. "As you are aware, it takes one look to turn someone to stone."