Medusa: Fate's Game

Chapter 3

~~Darian~~

The journey was not as easy as he'd been hoping. It was a fool's hope to think it'd be a casual stroll down in the country, but still, he had pictured himself in a simple tunic with Medusa beside him, walking at leisure wherever they desired. Instead, he was weighed down in armor with provisions and a bedroll strapped to his back, not to mention a shield, a sword, and a spear.

He looked at the beautiful creature next to him, his one saving grace on this fool's quest. Medusa kept her snake eyes on the horizon, and her bow at an easy place to draw by her shoulder; he didn't need to teach her to be watchful, she'd long figured out how to do that on her own. Maybe she wouldn't mind if he strapped his packs to some of her snake length, like a pack-mule gorgon? The idea made him chuckle under his breath, but he kept it to himself.

"Not a sssoul for miles," Medusa said. She hissed a lot less than she used to, but every so often her long tongue would get stuck.

"Traveling has largely gone unchanged since you were last here. People still hate roads and a take boat when they can, with roads as a last resort. No one travels far without a nearby city to rest at an inn. So out here, in the open country, it's just us, the animals, and our quarry."

"Are we hunting this Chimera?"

"In a sense. I doubt he'll just decide to help us after all. We'll probably have to force him," he said. The idea of forcing the Chimera to do anything seemed difficult, or impossible. But that, he admitted to no one but the quiet of his mind, was part of the allure. The last time he'd dealt with the beast, it had become an epic battle, one that had nearly killed both him and Pegasus. So why was he looking forward to it? Much as he hated the Fates, he was still addicted to the thrill of an epic quest.

He knew he'd have to offer the Chimera to join him in his future meeting with Athena as a bargaining tool. The beast had just as much reason to hate the gods as he did after all. But if he did that, the animal could very well compromise the real purpose of the meeting: helping Medusa. He gritted his teeth and repeated it several times in his head. Help Medusa, help Medusa. The meeting with Athena is for her.

"How did you defeat him when you fought him?"

"I smashed the side of his face in with a rock... after I'd stabbed him a dozen times."

She turned her head to stare at him, as did her snake hair. He shrugged and gave her his cocky smile.

"This Chimera sounds... terrifying."

"Yeap."

"And immortal."

"Maybe."

"B... but! But you are a hero blessed by the Fates, and I am no weakling. We can defeat him, I'm sure. I'm sure...." Medusa's voice started to waver, and she unhooked her bow to hold it ready in both hands. She was nervous.

He wanted to tell her to brighten up, everything would be fine, but it'd be a lie. This fight was liable to get him killed if he made even the smallest mistake.

A smile crept onto his face. He had to look away to hide it, and force it down. But images of his battle with the beast danced in his mind, and made him smile yet again.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine! Fine, just...." He knocked himself in the temple a couple of times and shook his head a few more. "Fine."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took a day of walking, but not long after dawn of the next day, the grassy hills and short forests broke way into a rocky basin. A huge crater as wide as Medusa's whole island, and as deep as the mountain, was cut into the plains as if Gaia herself had scooped it open like a child playing with sand. Few trees and only some shrubs grew along the edge of the massive crater, and they stopped all together after thirty or forty feet deep into its awaiting maw. Nothing but rock waited below.