The Myth & The Man {KayLove & RippledStatic}

[KayLove]

The ocean clashed against the temple walls, white marble pillars grazing the thundering skies. There, in the middle of the crashing waves, a small island sat graced with a simple but grand temple. The flickering of holy flames casting shadows of the woman kneeling upon the stone steps before the sandaled feet of Athena. Her beauty hidden in shadow by the scared hood she wore in respect to her goddess as she prayed, chanted, and hummed in hopes that Athena might cast her protection upon the mainland and spare the lives of her people.

The pale haired creature thrashed in her sleep... Tail coiling around herself, nails raking against the tarnished marble floor....

The sound of her chanting grew louder with the intensity of the storm.... And then... It stopped... The waves, the thunder... Everything... The only sound being the thudding of her heart in her ears...

The coiling snakes that adorned her tresses seemed to know the pain she suffered as their flicking tongues licked her salt stained cheeks.

And then, he came in, a hauntingly perfect outline of a man. The pale cheeked woman turned and could only watch as he strolled into the sacred place of holy worship. The protest upon her lips seemed just that, stuck on her lips as he towered over her. "W-Why do you come here?" Her voice so shaken by his very presence, it radiated power like that she had never known.

"I come for my prize."

Medusa sat up, screaming, slited eyes dilated, and hands helping her claw her way until her back hit the familiar broken stone wall that encased her life in a stone prison....

Years passed, how many you ask? She did not know. But she grew accustomed to being alone, upon her island. It was littered with tunnels, all of which lead to the temple at the center where the crumbled remains of the goddess laid. Day after day, night after night, her island became a scattered graveyard of statues that she had cursed to die and hold the form for all of eternity.

Medusa gazed down at her own reflection glittering in the gentle spring in which she bathed. Staring back at her was nothing she'd ever seen before. Her formerly brown eyes had turned a pale green, tanned olive skin that once looked kissed by Helios himself was now pale and as she turned her head she could see the iridescent shine of scales upon her neck and behind her ear. As if they felt her trepidation, several of her snakes, eyes the same green as her own and stark white against the dark glittering waters, drifted into view and licked at her nose, making her smile softly before she lowered herself into the tepid waters. The lack of weight allowing her grey tail to stretch and swirl in the deep waters below.

 

[RippledStatic]

The Island was well known and surprisingly easy enough to find he simply had to figure out which direction the ships never sailed, what areas the fisherman never visited and there it was, a once grand marble temple to Athena now the den of a monster with eyes cursed. He knew not of what the monster looked like or how exactly it fought only tales of a being whose looks killed and it had once been a human woman cursed. If he felt sympathy it was overwrought with the need to rid the world of such a monstrosity. The warrior gripped the oars, body glistening with sweat as he rowed and rowed, the fisherman had gotten him within eyesight of the place and refused to go any closer so he had taken the small boat aboard the mans larger vessel and was now nearly to his destination. Acadius lay on the sand for a moment and let himself be cooled by the waters of the Aegean sea, silently asking Poseidon for his blessing and his protection, unaware he was asking one of the very god responsible for the monsters creation. He had rowed topless but now he replaced his tunic over his bare muscular sun-worn chest and pulled his armour over top of it, adorned with simple carvings of lion's roaring, a matching helmet covered his black hair and a sword at his waist, spear and shield in hand.

He marched up the sandy hill toward the treeline, even here he could make out the worn peaks of marble pillars that still stood, though many more had once dotted the treetops. His sharp grey-blue eyes almost seemed mirrors to the cloudy sky as he made his climb.

The forest was not so massive and the march took only a short time, but as he got closer and closer he saw them the creatures prizes, he had to stop to examine the first one just to be sure, a man much as he was, armoured and armed, face contorted in a silent scream that had not left his mouth many years ago as he ran and dared to look back toward the temple. He was made of stone as if a master artisan had somehow captured the mans very essence into his work but Acadius was sharp minded and put the signs together. A story of a monster whose looks could kill, stone statues simply too close to human to be anything but.

"The monster turns them to stone..." his voice was low and heavy, no doubt it was the first voice to be heard on the island for decades that wasn't Medusa's and with grim determination and a newfound knowledge the warrior continued his march.

Avoid it's eyes...a prospect easier said than done but the warrior Acadius was confident as he was skilled. The spear tip was the first to enter the temple, followed by the shield and finally the man in a ready stance, he turned, eyes darting around quickly, quick enough that he'd be able to avoid directly meeting her gaze should she be lying in wait, he could only hope that would be enough. Loosening his stance slightly as he saw no threat he began exploring the ruined temple, a desecrated statue, this one a true carving of stone by human hands, Athena...the monster had destroyed her visage. Further explorations had Acadius find a lower section to the temple, no doubt where the priestess' would rest and eat and live, he took to the first step, soft padded shoes did not echo though the slightly clanking of his metal armour did.

Descending the steps he paused, finding that there were no torches and no source of light at all in the lower level, this perhaps was best....the brave man continued his descent, foolish in his overconfidence and too confident in his ability to fight in the darkness.

 

[KayLove]

Her island was a cage in its own sense, the white sands her bars, seeing as she never got too close to the ocean in fear of Poseidon, that he might see her and once again decide to make her life worse. But she thought about it, leaving this horrid place, roaming the unknown lands.... she knew better, the people would stop at nothing to kill her. She knew that, but it still didn't stop her from laying atop the sturdy plateau to sunbathe and soak in the warm rays for her cold blooded body after her bath and look out at the blue waters.

The marble platform had once been used for worshiping Athena at the highest point on the island, steep steps leading from the temple useless to her now, long forgotten jugs of wine and bowls of honey tossed over the side to make room for her coiled form. Her tail glittered in the sunlight, purples, pinks, greens... It was all there every time her muscles shifted they changed. Medusa laid upon her side looking out at the far off mainland in the distance.

That was when she saw it, out of the corner of her eye, a small boat with a single man rowing. "Not again... Why must they do this?" She asked her snakes as they too looked in the direction of the human reaching the sands.

Her snakes were her only companion, even as some bared their fangs to the human the others coiled into the nape of her neck reflecting her own conflicted nature about confronting the men that died here at her hands, or well, eyes. Medusa gave a soft sigh and soothed the snakes, running her hands over and pushing them over her shoulder onto her bare back. The only piece of clothing covering her chest was a faded brown scarf, wrapped around several times across her breasts before tied tightly.

The sooner Medusa dealt with the man the better, but... That was not what she ended up doing.

She slithered silently down the hill beside the steps, her snakes on full alert, their tongues tasting the air, and her own eyes aimed down. She felt his steps the closer she got, vibrating through the ground on the belly of her tail. But she kept a safe distance, spotting him through the trees and using her statues to hide behind, even though she was keeping close to the ground. He was sure footed, like they all were, his armor giving a gleam through the trees as it caught the sunlight. She was careful to say still as to not draw attention in her direction as she let her eyes move up to his helmed head where steady eyes looked to the distance at the temple. That is where they all went. The temple. Assuming that is where a creature like her dwelled at all times.

The gorgon gave a small huff as she watched him go into the temple, slithering closer, and straightening up slightly to watch him move about. Next he would go to the underground. Cold and damp, she only went under there to cool down on hot days so that she didn't over heat. Turning away she headed towards a different entrance, opening the grounded latch and slithering down the painful steps grabbing her bow and arrow that she kept for this reason alone. To keep them at a distance. She had figured out that was the only way to ensure that they did not get close enough cut her head off. She had learned the hard way... Her free hand instinctively going to her throat where a ghost of a scar could be seen but since it had only been a small cut it had almost healed immediately due to her blood anything deeper and she might have died.

The sound of her slithering was inevitable, but as the light got darker her vision turned more to heat vision. Everything was a dark blue, cold, the residual heat from where she touched leaving a warm trail behind her.

The tunnel opened up to the larger living quarters, large round columns, decorated with praise for Athena, held up the temple. Stacks of grain, barreled wine, honey and dried meats stored. Belongings scattered about. Men standing with their last terrified scream upon their silent lips...

Medusa sat silently in the dark, her green eyes looking, watching, waiting for the heat of the human to show himself. Sliding an arrow from her quiver and cocking it, knowing she would let it go if a noise was heard in the dark.

 

[RippledStatic]

His footfalls echoed dully in the mostly empty chamber, slowly his eyes began to adjust, enough to get outlines and dull blurry shapes, enough that his sharp wits would be able to see an attack who was close and who moved deliberately. His opponent was not normal nor did she move as a human did but he was banking on this unaware the events that would occur next and unaware he would not leave the island. The darkness did not scare him, nor even did the soft shuffling noises that eventually pierced it...slithering, a snake? a very very large snake... That was not as he had anticipated but still it was nothing he could not handle or so he told himself. His foot brushed a jug, threatening to shatter it and let out a sound that might mean his death but his reflexes held, his foot stopped short of pressing to much and he gingerly peeled away from it. He was in the living quarters now he assumed, people had lived here once...laughed and talked and worshiped their goddess. Acadeus of course had no way of knowing she had been among the goddess of wisdom's most faithful and she herself had laughed and ate and drank and lived here when she was human.

Of course that wouldn't have changed his determination even if he had known, the beast that now presided over the temple and its surrounding island had killed so many and even if it was once human nor longer could it be called as such, a mockery of life he would remove plain and simple, free her trapped soul perhaps or at least end her lonely suffering.

He was in her sight now, but something was a bit off about his shape, evidently none of the others had thought to bring a shield and the large metal and wood construct obscured much of his body to even her supernatural sight, appearing only as a much more slight orange-red blob just above where the shield blocked and just below. It was a strange sight and one that might confuse her or trip her up just enough for him to be alerted to her presence. Powerful though she may be even her abilities had limits and weaknesses and he unknowingly had discovered one small one, slight though it may be.

After feeling around with his spear a bit he got the lay of the room he was now in, a large open area, a sort of common room for the people who lived and visited here now turned to a den of a monster...

"I know you are here..I can smell you" his voice echoed, it was a taunt nothing more if the monster smelled he could not catch it from so far away, all he smelled was sour meat rotted grain and dust. He held his shield ready with spear overtop, his body on a pivot as he used the butt of his spear to follow the wall, guiding himself around the perimeter of the room and still unknowingly offering her quite a small target to try to hit and of course the moment she fired if she did not strike true he would not only know of her presence but also her rough location and putting her in danger of being attacked directly where her eyes were worthless due to the darkness.

He was closer now, she could hear his breath, heavy but slow and steady. It was quite cold in the dimness of the temple but it was only a mild discomfort to him, to her scaly body it would prove significantly more dulling if she stayed too long, it was this and the other factors he unknowingly played to his favor that allowed him to even last as long as he would against the cursed woman known as Medusa.

 

[KayLove]

Medusa paused for a moment. She knew where he was, just out of her sight, blocked by a pillar next to the food that had gone to waste. The ships that had brought them to the island they had been the first to be tested by her new found curse... That and her fellow priestesses. She had tried to warn them... Yelled and told them not to come any closer. But they refused to listen saying "the goddess would protect them". She hadn't known what her eyes were capable of. Those were the only statues she had buried. Her friends, her only real family, gone, in an instant. The goddess did not protect them any longer and she would not protect her now.

Medusa took a sharp breath and turned towards the faint noise. But it was just the red of the human emerging from around the column that took her off guard. It was simply... A strange figure with legs... Unable to differentiate the round warm metal that had been heated from the sun blocking most of his torso making him look more like a blob in her sight.... The woman wasn't used to seeing in this sort of vision yet. Everything was so new and yet her body always seemed to know what to do in the most dire situations. It was hard for her to adjust By the gods she hated this... But she internally thanked her father for teaching her archery secretly away from the other girls and her mothers prying eyes.

She began to back away from him, slithering and coiling in between the columns, to confused. Medusa couldn't help but arch a brow at his voice. Almost opening her mouth to protest. But she stopped herself knowing this wasn't the time to prove ones cleanliness. He was most likely simply a man from the mainland, simply sent here or even on his own to kill her. And for what? To die like the rest of them? Become a hero? Bring glory to his family? For the gods?

She huffed softly and let the end of her tail flick at the ankle of a stone warrior, holding a torch that had been his doom, and let it crash to the ground not more than a couple feet away from the new comer. It's shatter was loud, echoing against the marble walls and down the various corridors. The pieces broke like a piece of glass, sharp shards littering the already littered floors.

"You know nothing." She stated as she continued to weave between the pillars away and around him breaking another, and another, all shattering, loudly as if the humans that had once been flesh were screaming in one final rattling screech before heading to Hades' gate.

 

[RippledStatic]

crash

The dull thud of rock on rock echoed almost painfully through the chamber, he'd brushed past more than one of the statues in the dark and knew the room was littered with them, he moved as quickly as he dared toward the sound though the echo made it difficult to determine exactly where it was. A spear point thrust very close to where she had been standing originally, as foolish as he was to come to the island he was not so foolish in a direct fight, darkness or no. He followed diligently every crash and grew closer to her retreating tail with every statue destroyed. He seemed to grow more comfortable in the dark, seemed to learn the layout of the room at least to some degree his steps were steady even as he felt the shards of rock, some stung some simply crumbled but they slowed him only slightly, he stiffened however at what came next.

The voice was soft and feminine, but full of distaste, this was the first truly unexpected thing that had occurred, the voice could be that of a beautiful woman yet no doubt the body it came from was monstrous, grotesque and horrific. "I know you killed these people, I know you hide away because of what you are and I am here to put an end to both of those things." his statement was not false, she had ended the life of every person in the room save his and her own and she hid away from the world though clearly for different reasons than he assumed.

The point of his spear grazed a pillar near where she had just been, he was closing in on her, the slithering was easier to follow than the echoes of the crashing statues now. She was quick and she could see but she seemed cautious to attack directly which meant he had the advantage there, all he had to do was get close enough....so he believed.

His breathing was heavier now, she had been avoiding him again and again, he had nearly gotten her a dozen times over but his shield grew heavy in his grip and his feet were cut and bleeding, each step made his knees threaten to buckle. Still she was just outside his reach at every turn. How long had he been down here? it felt like an eternity, he knew the full room now, he knew where the walls were and that their were 16 pillars all lined up in two rows but his eyes had not adjusted enough to even suggest a shape, once in a while he might catch a sort of nearly invisible shift in light but he wasn't entirely sure it was just his eyes playing tricks as no matter what he saw even if he struck at it there was never anything but a wall or a pillar to strike.

This final time he felt a his blade strike a pillar and with a dull crack the head of his spear broke free of the shaft and fell uselessly to the ground, without a second through he dropped the wooden haft and drew his sword.

"Your luck won't hold out forever..." he threatened, trying to hide the pain and exhaustion from his speech.

 

[KayLove]

The hiss of her snakes was the only response he received from her. Feeling how threatened and cornered she was with his persistence even saddened a little because he was right in part. At times she wanted someone to end her curse of a life but instincts always kicked in and she lived on.

He was so close, weather he knew it or not, she could feel the air moving whenever he tried to catch her tail. It was hard to predict how close the tip was seeing as she could not see the cold bronze spear along with the rest of his body.

This dance continued for what seemed like an eternity, soon there were no statues left standing, which she didn't mind. But that gave her less to move around and less to distract him with. Her bow and arrow in hand still, cramped around the bowed wood. Her body was feeling the effects of the damp cold tavern as well. She could feel her tail muscles begin to stiffen and her snakes coil close to her neck to stay warm. This caused her movements to become sluggish and more predictable. Medusa began to shiver and shake, clenching her teeth together to force them to prevent them from clattering.

The sound of his sword caused her to pause and stare wide eyed at the heated figure drawing an Invisible cold object from behind him. His words hung low in the air as the sound of the wood rolled and became forgotten.

Medusa knew she was out of time. She had to get out of here and she needed to do it now.

Her tail began to coil around her, like a rattle snake becoming threatened without the shaking at the end of her tail. She carefully, quietly slid three arrows from her quiver, stringing them all at once, as her muscles began to tense in her tail, her core already knotted with nerves, until she 'stood' in the middle of her large tail, bow in hand. If he could have seen her she knew she looked imposing, like that of a vengeful beast, elegantly poised atop her gorgon tail and ready to pounce but in this case she wanted to run.

"I never...." Her teeth clattered with her words, she pulled her bow back, "Asked for this!" Her words ended in a loud scream, defining, almost a cry as if she were in pain, and fired her three arrows at him, one aimed directly at the round shied and the others at an angle. It might cause him to pause it might simply. Give away where she was she didn't care she needed to get out. Now! As soon as she heard the arrow clang harmlessly against the metal she sprang directly towards the tunnel in which she had come down, it was the shortest tunnel and she knew that part of the island by heart. On average a snake can spring one times its body length, at least. Giving Medusa a rather large range of reach. By the time she landed at the steps she was already up a couple of them with her tail not far behind.

Her cold limbs were slow to respond as she used her hands to help her climb the stairs and her tail, the largest moving muscle, feeling almost numb now upon her belly. She panted and swore under her breath, never feeling this before. She was exausted, the gorgon had never tried to dodge that long before. Always choosing to bring her own source of light with her to speed up the process but this time she had simply not wanted to kill.

The words.... Foolish girl.... Echoed in her head.

She carelessly threw open the door and clawed her way out, her tail now little more than dead weight as it slowly tried to coil around her under the only wide patch of sun that she laid in. Bow and arrow forgotten upon the ground.

A red flag was waving in her mind, she had to move she had to run she simply had to get out of here but she couldn't make herself do it. She knew that snakes hibernated and she had never come this close to feeling what it was like for her body to begin to try. It was draining, she could literally feel her cold blood that had slowed begin back up again.

"I cannot do this anymore.... Goddess please..." She begged, to a deity that she knew did not listen to her prayers any longer, "Grey eyed Athena... Please." Her breath was labored and fear shook her body as she knew that human would emerge from the cave and she would have to stare in his eyes and watch as his body and soul turned to stone.

 

[RippledStatic]

He was at his limit, the creature slipped past every attempt, like it was toying with him, but he was closing in each swipe or stab almost struck home. So it nearly caught him by surprise when his blade struck something that was neither stone nor air, something that gave way like leather armor with flesh underneath, he would later find it to be the scales of her tail. Almost in reaction to his long sought blow suddenly she was gone, stealing back the distance he had so slowly gained up on her he cursed to Ares under his breath, the god of war had led him here, seeking greater conquest so his family might be remembered and the god had him here fighting in the dark? it felt more and more like a tomb and his body seemed unable to keep warm in the dark underground room even with his severe motions.

More sounds of motion but something he could not place, scales on scales...he braced himself with his shield raised and head lowered, ready to blindly face whatever threat she was bringing upon him. His hair stood to attention and his skin felt as if blasted by a chill wind as she yelled, her voice terrible to behold. But he was a stalwart warrior a powerful brave soul and he held strong. However he did not hear the arrows being loosed in time over the echoes of her scream and two buried themselves into his shield but the third dug into his calf, cutting a harsh wound into the side of his right leg and travelling past him to skitter off into the hallway he had entered from.

Acadius set his jaw and groaned a low noise as he felt the blood soiling his sandal, he quieted himself and listened but heard only the soft sounds of her movement leaving the room. He let out a heavy breath and kneeled down, sending more pain through his leg but quickly he tore a piece of his tunic free and tied it firmly around the wound and another just above, slowing the bleeding and allowing him to stand on it without doing much more damage to it. But he did not give up, another might have fled at the scream, the horrible bellow of a woman in pain yet horrific to behold. A wiser man might have stolen back as she had to the upper temple and perhaps tried to return to shore to rest heal and come back with the knowledge he had learned. But Acadius was as headstrong as he was physically and he pressed on.

He followed her up the steps, stumbling his way through the tunnel until exhausted threatened to make his body collapse against his will, he couldn't let it escape it could speak...perhaps it was intelligent enough to row, intelligent enough to steal his boat... He dropped his shield, the metal and wood proved too much and he relegated himself only his Kopis, dented and dulled by too many strikes to the stone pillars and walls of her home but still viable enough to wound and kill if he could strike well enough.

He stumbled out into the light, the doors opened before him, she had a head start on him but had the disadvantage of her snake-like blood, he did not know this but knew well enough he could not look at her. So another strip of his tunic was torn free and wrapped across his temples, sealing his eyes from the blinding light save the top and bottom of his vision, enough that he could see where he was going and possible even get some idea of how she was moving but blocking enough to make it very difficult for her to lock eyes with him unless he was on his back or his front or she somehow tore it free. He could only hope that his calculated guess was right and that the whole back and forth in the darkness showed she had to be able to see his eyes to use her cursed sight.

Acadius was fairly certain he would not leave the island but he'd be damned to Styx if he would let her best him so easily. He heard soft cries, prayers to Athena...this almost stayed him. She sounded so very human her voice full of suffering and pain wracked with both guilt and fear, but she'd killed so many even if she was cursed even if she was undesiring of her newfound traits a murderess she still was and the very least she could do would be to let him end her wretched life.

"The goddess will not save you..." his voice was hoarse, exhausted, his grip on his sword shuddered as he tried to force it to be steady, he approached her blindfolded, his sword now no more useful than a club, albeit a heavy one, heavy enough to kill.

"just....just stop resisting and perhaps the goddess will smile on you one last time." he approached, seeing the long tail, the feminine shape of her hips where her body began to change from human to snake, he raised his sword and tried to hold himself steady.

Thunk

The blade sunk into the dirt near her head, he'd missed...his last chance and he missed. Acadius crumpled to his side, his injured leg giving out from under him and he let out a low groan as he attempted to pull himself back up.

 

[KayLove]

Medusa heard him, her face buried in her arms as she laid upon the green grass covered grounds, her blood soaking into the greenery. As her heartbeat began to return to normal she finally felt the pain. She hissed, not from his presence coming after her but from the long forgotten sting of flesh being torn. As a priestess she had been protected, not having to put herself in situations in which she might get hurt, other than a scraped knee from trying to run in a long tunic dress. And as a monster most of her wounds had healed almost instantly. But this, this was different, he struck deeply into her muscular tail and it pulsed in pain.

She heard his words finally and looked up at him simply watching his sandaled feet as he approached her, noting the blood freely soaking into his leather sandal. Something she knew she caused, good, she was glad. At least he was suffering too, it wasn't fair that her life had to be a hell.

"The gods have forsaken me...." She said softly as she began to raise her head to meet his eyes and end his life. But before she could she felt the air move in front of her face and the sword he had been wielding sunk into the ground before her face, her dull reflection looking back at her. She gave a shocked gasp and her eyes quickly snapped to him, wanting to end it faster now that he had almost succeeded in his execution. But as her snakes opened their mouths and hissed baring their fanged teeth at him nothing happened. He wasn't.... Looking.

Medusa laughed. She hadn't laughed in ages it seemed. But she was laughing in relief, in exhaustion, in thankfulness that she did not have to kill him just yet, and of course to distract herself from the face that she was in pain still.

She sat up and grabbed the swords hilt, pulling it from the ground and tossing it over the hill from him, far enough that he would have to use that leg to get it. "Smart for a hero..." She said as she tentatively got closer to him, she would have used the end of her tail but seeing as she didn't want to really move that yet she slithered close enough to use her hand and as he tried to get back up she pushed him back again so he fell again.

Before he could get up again she let the heavy weight of her tail slither and move its way so that it was atop his lap, coiling its way around his midsection, the middle of her tail heavy and thick, a couple hundred pounds or so of pure muscle pinning him to the ground as the tip of her tail, where he had cut her, coiled into her own lap.

She didn't say anything as she was doing this either, simply watched him to make sure he didn't pull another blade from somewhere. When she was sure he didn't have another blade she looked down at her torn flesh and began wiping away the dirt and pressing the scales back together. They would sew back together soon enough, she tore off a piece of her scarf and wrapped it tightly around the wound. All the while her snakes were actively hissing at him and watching him, while her own eyes refused to look up. But she knew if he started to struggle she would tighten her grip on his body.

What an interesting situation you've gotten yourself into Medusa.... Exhausted and wasting energy on keeping this man captive..... She really did have to thank the gods for an interesting day now didn't she?

 

[RippledStatic]

He'd underestimated her, or overestimated himself. Either way he was in a bad spot, a very bad one...he heard the dull noise of his sword being picked up and the sound of metal cutting the air as she threw it, if only he'd thought to bring a knife or something else, all he had now was his wits and his strength. Then she laughed, not cold and callous so much as relief and unbelieving, it wasn't the laughter of a villain finally besting the hero it was the laughter of a woman glad to live to see another day, for a long moment he thought perhaps she would let him be, leave him to limp home with his pride shattered bit his heart still flesh and beating. Acadius moved to his back and went to hoist himself up only to find her hand meeting his chest and forcing him back down harshly.

then he felt the cold touch of scales on his waist

The tail, the great thing weighed more than two or three men of his size, it wrapped at his waist even as he attempted to pry the giant muscle from his body with all the strength he could muster, but by the time she had shifted her own human body atop him he knew he wasn't about to squeeze out of her grip as she was now. He let his arms fall, small clouds of dirt rising about his naked shoulders. He took deep breaths as if any moment she'd encoil his chest as well and crush the wind from his lungs like a great python. But she didn't she just...sat, it was hard to tell what she was doing without looking but it seemed she was checking her wound. As uncomfortable as the weight was on him the cold was worse, her scales were inhumanly cold and seemed to pull the heat from his body even in the rising sun, he attempted to peel her tail from around him again, grabbing for what he hoped was the thinner end near the tip but found only her waist and then an arm, the tightening she inflicted in response caused him to quickly let go again and he grit his teeth, pulling his helmet free and tossing it aside in frustration, but still he did not look upon her, safe so long as the blindfold held and so long as his eyes were shut.

"What will you do now monster?" he said finally, feeling the scales grow warmer around him providing at least a slight modicum of improvement for him and a greater sensation of pain for her as feeling returned to her tail. "Eat me? steal me soul?" he almost laughed and let his head fall back into the dirt.

"No that doesn't make sense does it, you don't eat humans, why turn them to stone if they are your food source" he was thinking now, really it didn't serve much purpose save self defense, it truly was a curse, even if it did little to make him feel sympathy for his now captor. "I would suggest a quick death for me, I would give you the same and the moment I have the chance I will do just that." He was clearly trying to be brave even in what could be a very dark moment, death could be seconds away, if not a stony demise than a bite to the throat, a crushed body, the air squeezed from his lungs.

 

[KayLove]

Naturally snakes did gravitate towards warmth, and subconsciously that is partially why she wrapped herself around him, to be warm. But Medusa had done that on primal instinct, knowing it wasn't the idea of keeping him captive but that she wanted his body heat to help her warm back up to the right temperature. There were many things she did now that she could not explain, the way she could taste the air and know when a storm was approaching, how to react when she felt threatened, things of that sort.

But now, her instincts had gotten her into a mess.

He began to move and grip her tail again. She simply watched his hands, a small purse of her lips and a hitch in her breathing the only sign that she hadn't expected his touch upon her waist. The gorgons tail immediately tightened around him as she moved her arm out of his reach.

Her blood began to soak through the rag she had placed over it but she didn't give it a notice. The thudding pain like that of a stone that had been dropped upon ones finger. Constant with every heart beat. It would heal... It will heal... It has to heal... It'll be fine.

The Warriors words shocked her. What was she going to do with him now that she had subdued him?

She simply made a face at the thought of eating him. But watching as he laid back in the dirt, eyes closed under his scrap of cloth. The sun came though the trees upon his brow and her light green eyes saw his jaw clench and unclench.

"I only kill..." She cleared her throat, her voice soft, normal, "in defense." She wrapped her arms around herself as she too laid down and looked up at the trees. "Your death will be like all the rest if that is what you choose..." She physically shuddered, all the way from her snakes to the tip of her tail. It always looked so painful. Every muscle, every nerve, turning solid and crystallizing into stone. She would never wish that on any creature.

"My name is not monster, human." She said this as an after thought, knowing full well he did not care but she wanted him to know anyways.

 

[RippledStatic]

He was mostly silent, just breathing wondering what she would do, she seemed almost casual about it and only responded as he made comments, she had no plans for him not some torturous method for one that had harmed her. She wasn't sure what to do with him and her words suggested as such, despite it all she did just come across as a scared woman not as a monster. But to admit that was to admit he was wrong, it wasn't as if she had not killed all those others he'd seen first hand what she had done self defence be damned. She was a monster, she had to be...

She shuddered, it traveled around him with the wrap of her tail, a strange sensation and now that she was warmer it proved to be not entirely unpleasant now that his life didn't seem to be immediately at risk. Acadius was silent for the better part of a minute after she spoke, mulling over his options.

"And what...is your name then?" he finally offered in a surprisingly calm and thoughtful voice, if he could just get her to free him...play along with her obviously more sympathetic side until just the right moment, it was his only shot. He was exhausted and she was in only slightly better shape, though his wound upon her was worse it seemed to be affecting her a bit less. So for now his only chance was to talk his way out of it, perhaps he could convince her to let him go....return prepared and ready, he had no idea that he wouldn't want to leave her nor to harm her.

"I am Acadius...In fact I come from your great goddess' city of Athens." He was not the best actor, but perhaps his attempts at talking might play on her sympathies, no doubt a conversation partner was a rare commodity indeed in such a place and with one such as her. But was she so foolish as to buy into this sudden change? he was doubtful but there were precious few choices left to him and he was not above using guile to get achieve his goals, a great story could be told of him wrestling free of the beast with his legendary strength.

Acadius was not a demi-god, a victim of a curse or gifted with magical treasures, he was a man, a competent warrior and cunning mind but just a man. If she chose to gaze upon him she would see he was handsome, tanned and muscled as any warrior, were they not in the midst of a life-and-death struggle the whole scenario would be quite lurid, but he did not see it that way and likely neither did she.

 

[KayLove]

Although he gave her his name she did not tell him hers. Everyone had known her name, the gifted girl, Medusa, said to be blessed by the goddess, gifted with the sight to see the raging wars to come. Their leaders came to her to ask what their warriors might do in battle to win. It was her life since she was a young teen. But... it seemed like no one cared any longer. It was a curse to even utter her name now, warriors placing Gorgons on their shields as a fierce warning to all those that oppose them.

No, she thought, I will not tell him... and she let him sit in silence with her tail wrapped around him. She was still tried, exhausted really, from this ordeal. She let her human half of her body lay back in the patch of grass, upon her side so she was facing the man, arm under her head and shakes moving over her shoulder and down her back. Her iridescent scales shimmering in the sunlight through the trees.

“Acadius...” she tested his name upon her lips, ignoring the fact that he called Athena her goddess... a frown coming to her features.

“What am I supposed to do with you... I cannot let you go, you’ll go to the mainland and gather more men, tell them how I kill, tell them what weaknesses I have and come back to kill me. And I will only kill you one way, as long as you refuse to look in my eyes... Then I will not harm you Acadius...” she had closed her eyes as she spoke, a yawn coming through her lips but still she wanted to stay awake, she did not trust this man. But her body needed rest to recover.... she was at an impass it seemed.

“I will have you sink your boat,” she told him matter of factly, her tail squeezing him for emphasis, as if saying I already hold your life in my hands, “But I will be kind and allow you to get your things, and you will stay until the next foolish human comes to try and kill me and then you’ll turn against me and fight just like the rest of them, and die just like the rest of them.”

 

[RippledStatic]

Well she was no fool, she didn't seem to buy his little ploy one bit, but she also didn't seem angry, he was conflicted with what to do, she'd only kill him with her stare? That seemed dubious at best, but there was only so much he could do without a sword....

He let his eyes wander, carefully scoping her form as she lay, the scales on her body made their way up onto her human form, her body was shapely... Her face... Beautiful, she was a great beauty before this curse if she was to be believed, if she was once human.

It wasn't as if he could just wait for her to sleep and strangle her, the snakes of her hair as he now saw, would likely shred his hands apart, without a weapon there would be little he could do.... Perhaps a big rock...he could not help his mind, the woman was sparing him and yet all he thought of was how to take advantage.

Sink his boat? The shore was miles away of he sank his boat he truly would never return to the mainland. He took a deep breath, as deep as he could with her tail encircling his torso partly. "you'd leave me little other option if I have no escape, no boat to row back" he added, setting his jaw. He gripped at her tail again, somehow after seeing her properly it felt more feminine in some strange way, like the legs of a lover wrapped around him, this thought made him quite uncomfortable and he tried to pry free, exhaustion took him again a few short moments later, his body too sore to do anymore. Unable to get free, unable to bring himself to converse with the monster any longer, Acadius sighed and let his head hit the dirt, closing his eyes and attempting simply to rest, there would be little he could do should she decide to finish him anyways.

 

[KayLove]

Medusa had a captive.... This was well, it was uncharted territory. What was she supposed to do now? He was calm now, that was nice at least. Although her snakes weren’t. They watched him, tucked in close to her neck, tongues licking the air and her cheeks as if making sure they weren’t to pounce every time he moved a muscle. They didn’t trust him, but were curious about him none the less. But then again they simply were extensions of her.

“Exactly.” She replied, before sitting in silence with him.

Every time his hands encircled her tail she wanted to swat his hands away, if he continued she knew she might laugh. It was strange, the tail was pure muscle but it still felt like he was grabbing what used to be her thighs. And that was simply a strange sensation to her still, seeing as she had never exactly been this close to a man... a human man this physically before.

“Acadius...” she said as she too laid back onto the ground, arm under her head, unwilling to move from him still as the radiant sun sat in the west, she almost reached out to touch his arm but she forced herself not to, knowing her touch would be unwelcome “I fear I’ll be boring company for you. There are rabbits on the island for you to eat, but seeing as I don’t trust you with a blade that will be interesting to see how you might catch your dinner....” she rolled onto her back, her tail moving with her, giving him a little more rom to breath, “A fresh spring bubbles on the north side of the island....” she was simply talking to talk now, “If I can ever let you up from here, I’ll make you do what I need you to and then let you be, or else I might have to tie a damned rope to your ankle like a sheep. That might be fun, see if you can keep up with that leg of yours now.” She had almost forgotten she had injured him in their fight, no doubt the human was still in pain from it... in the back of her mind she knew that she could help, something simply told her by instinct that she would be able to make his suffering go away but she was a stubborn woman and wanted to let him suffer for his actions towards her own body.

“What do you think my little human?” She asked ever so slightly mockingly, almost teasing. Knowing it might upset him but she wanted to see how much he cared about being stuck here just like she was.

 

[RippledStatic]

"I am not your human, I am not your slave or your lover or your captive, I will be your death one day." He said, voice firm and strong as a warrior should be, he shifted away as much as he could manage with the loosening of her coils, he didn't sound angry or aggressive the tone was purely statement as it left his lips, he wanted to be nothing but a threat to her, her very demise and nothing else. He was trying to get her to relax and even pretend to befriend her but her taunting about tying his leg and particularly referring to him as "little human" seemed to set the man off just a bit. Acadius sighed and let his head fall back after lifting it to glare at her, or at least to point his head in her general direction with a sour look, it wasn't nearly as intimidating as it may have been with his eyes visible.

"There are more ways to get food than with a sword, better ways." he stated plainly "I suppose you must be able to eat rocks then? quite a sight I imagine....a hideous snake woman devouring stones.." of course hideous was far from his thoughts, her human form was quite appealing from the glimpses he had gotten though her tail and apparently her "hair" would set any mans eyes wandering elsewhere, at least he told himself this.

"I will manage, I will recover and we will end this, now either kill me or let me out of this godsdamned tail." his voice was calmer now, this perhaps was actually quite intimidating even blindfolded, he was a powerful warrior one of the greatest in Athens and he would not be toyed with by a woman, monster or no. The sensation of being coiled, the threat of being crushed entirely was something humans were likely primaly afraid of and though he was a brave man and strong of will the sensation was not at all pleasant for him, though he did not have the benefit of knowing for her it was essentially as if she were straddling him in some fashion and his attempts to remove her were all touches to her thighs and legs. The sand near his leg was still soaking in his blood and it was clear if he did not get it treated in some form it would continue to bleed until he had none left.

 

[KayLove]

This was the most amusement she had been provided in her years of being on this island, alone with her thoughts and would be killers. “You know how many have wanted to ‘be my death one day’?” She couldn’t help but give an amused huff, “All you have to do is remove that blind of yours,” she said in a deeper almost sultry voice, teasing, mocking, “And let me see those pretty eyes of yoursssss” she extended the ‘s’ simply to play into his imagination, her tail gave a squeeze before loosening again. The gorgon enjoyed how cocky he was even in the face of one of the largest threats of his life.

“Stones?” She found it interesting that that is what he thought she ate, “I haven’t eaten anything that didn’t come from the garden in... well, years. Meat or stone wise. But I suppose if you ever do get off this island it’d be far more terrifying if you told them I ate the stones of my victims.” She was musing, and honestly happy to have a conversation even if it was because she was keeping him captive. Although his comments stung even through her scales, she was a woman after all and she was... no, she used to be a beautiful one too.

“Let me think.....” she gave him a mocking pause, “No.” her snakes hissed in emphasis, and she sat up and glared down at him as she did she noted out of the corner of her eye the blood that was staining the ground.

He felt her tail shift as she turned her body away from his torso to his legs. She began to reach for the piece of tunic, but paused, her natural womanly instincts kicking in as she wanted to help but he was still the man that had just tried to murder her... but she didn’t want him dying of an infection... but she also didn’t like him... but she promised herself a long time ago that she wouldn’t ever kill anyone other than using her... sight.

“Hold still and stop your squirming!” She hissed at him, angry with herself for having to help. Even though her back was turned to him her snakes were looking back, watching and baring their fangs, their long thin bodies moving in natural flowing motions. Her back was mostly scales, covering her spine and shoulder blades. Their iridescent shimmer flashing pale green and violets.

Her fingers were light and gentle as she laid a cold hand upon his calf to turn his leg. Medusa began to untie the ripped fabric from his wound, giving a small hiss as it stuck to the edges, but it was still seeping blood. She let it fall to the ground and examined the wound, it was deep, clean, her arrows were sharp. That was a good thing.

She took her hand, “I am damned Acadius, but damned by the gods is still divine in a twisted way... no man shall look into your eyes and see anything but death...” and found a small rock, “Your blood will spill and it shall be divine so that even in your death you will serve me...” she was quoting the last words Athena ever said to her, “And when you die by the sword of a man, you will suffer and you will see all that he does with your remains... for you are unclean...” she positioned the rocks edge against her palm, and balled her fist so hard that the rock cut through her skin and began to drip upon the edges of his wound. It would sting but she held his leg firmly with her other hand.

When she felt as if she dripped enough blood onto the wound she dropped the bloodied stone and unwrapped the fabric covering her breasts. They did not have nipples but she still felt as if she needed to cover them, the same scales cupping them elegantly shimmering in the lowering sun. The gorgon wiped the blood from her hand and wrapped it around his leg, she needed to clean the wound but she didn’t know if she was ready to let him go yet.

She didn’t turn back to him, unwilling to look at his face to see the distaste in his features for what she just did.

 

[RippledStatic]

He grit his teeth "you bleed the same as anything else, you are no god, just another monster..." his response was curt and sharp, his jaw clenching again as she tightened, any one of these motions could be his last she could easily crush him...why did he keep goading her, why did he keep threatening her? some deep part of his mind refused to give in even if it meant death.

Acadius let out a frustrated groan and let his head hit the dirt once more, surely this could be no more pleasant for her than it was for him, he didn't know the loneliness of being the only intelligent being on an island, he did not know the sorrows of her life and while he had his own problems issues and hardships they were not at all like hers.

"What are you.." he started as she shifted, suddenly aware of just how vulnerable he was, she could easily enwrap the rest of his form and do as she pleased so as she shifted down toward his legs he had vivid images of razor sharp fangs, deathly poisons, perhaps her snake hair shredding his legs apart. Acadius began struggling with energy he did not have and tried to work his thumbs under her scales on her tail, trying to get them between him and her in some desperate attempt to get leverage.

She was toying with his wound, shifting his leg to gaze upon it, her fingers were cold, he wanted to say they were deathly so, an unwelcome sensation...but they weren't, they were gently, cooling and soft... He wanted to kick her but decided against it, he didn't have the strength anyways.

"A-ah! what are you doing?!" he yelled out as a sudden sensation like being dunked in ice water hit his leg, it burned like acid and for a moment he felt like his leg was melting. But then it was gone, the pain from her blood...and the pain of the wound as well was lessened to a dull ache. Acadius loosened his grip on her tail and managed to lift himself up to his elbows, peeking at the tail, letting his eyes slowly trail up her back and becoming aware she was nude, he dared not go any higher with his gaze, she wasn't looking at him and yet he thought better than to risk it.

"What...what did you do to me..." he whispered, clearly trying to dull the sharpness of his tone, only slightly however.

 

[KayLove]

Medusa simply held him firmly in place, her own muscles tensing, as he yelled out in pain. Her pink lips turning down at the edges as she watched her blood hit his skin. Her blood seemed thicker than a humans, it also.... steamed? When it collided with his blood or perhaps that was because hers was so cold compared to his warm.... she didn’t know. She could only observe as the edges were covered with her thick viscous blood and grit her teeth as she watched the redness around the injury reduse to a healthy color, the bleeding stopped immediately, she could only watch for so long before the muscles knitting back together made her sick to think about how that was her blood that was doing that... part of her... capable of such things....

She felt his chest rising and falling through her tail, his heartbeat slowing to a normal pace again, and she felt him move up but did nothing to acknowledge it.

“I healed you.... you ungrateful human...” she said, more upset with herself than anything else. “Could have just as easily let you die, like a caged animal, to your wounds...” she was quiet for a long couple of moments, her eyes going to the bloodied rock, its deep red spoiling the ground with unnatural color.

She began to slither off of him, immediately reaching for the long forgotten bow and quiver, still full with arrows.

“Get up.” She commanded, as her fingertips swiftly strung an arrow, “You’re going to go sink your boat now.” She turned her eyes towards him now, watching him carefully, curious to see how much weight he might bare on his leg. “And any wrong move, you’ll get another arrow, and we will have to go through that painful experience again.” She told him taking a tentative aim at him. Medusas tail curling up around her as she waited, her own weight barely being put upon her tail, her body staying low to the ground, and movements slow. Her snakes were happy to be away from the human, their relief visible as some returned to her back, while others kept an eye on the man.

She let loose an arrow, it sank in the ground only inches from his toes, “Go, your boat is behind you.”

 

[RippledStatic]

"Healed me...healed me with your cursed magic, and you ask me to be grateful..." some deep animal part of his mind had already decided he too was now cursed, perhaps he'd wind up one day being like her, he felt queasy tired and hungry but for all his part he hid it behind the warriors facade that held him through the entire visit to the island so far. Acadius wanted to retort, but he simply said nothing as she let him loose and he shifted to a more comfortable position. He heard the telltale signs of an arrow nocking and he knew the bow now trained on him would not miss as she had proven a capable archer as it was, even if he had the strength to get up and run from her no doubt he'd die with an arrow in his back, shameful of even the lowliest of men, And so Acadius stood.

The man lowered his injured leg to the ground and found it to be numbed somewhat, he felt the pressure of standing and a dull throb with each beat of his heart...but nothing more, no pain or as far as he could feel, any bleeding. Still it was an awkward feeling and he knew if he wasn't careful he'd likely take a wrong step and break his leg or worse.

"Sink my boat..." he mumbled to himself as he turned from her, if she wanted him dead he'd be dead so he did not feel too much fear exposing his back to her, thus he began the strange gait toward the treeline. "I suppose this control makes you feel powerful...you live alone out here and kill all who come, to have a man under your grasp must be a triumphant feeling?" he shot back at her in response to the arrow he felt more than heard, the ground shifting with the soft sandy dirt displaced by her arrow.

The trek was slow going as the underbrush was thick and even with two good legs his form was not as well suited to the travel as her's was. But eventually he felt his feet hit the sand of the beach where he had arrived. He lifted one side of his makeshift blind and scanned the horizon, it was past mid-day now and the sun was behind them, his boat sat waiting where he had left it, the tide having retreated a good foot and a half and leaving the boat even more stranded, it had been tricky enough to pull the boat ashore by himself but to do the reverse with an injured leg and with the boat now pressed into the wet sand...

Acadius lowered the blind again and made his way across the white-sanded beach, he ran his fingers along the edge of the boat then down inside.

Another sword, this one heavier with a single blade. He raised it and held it for a moment before driving it into the bottom of the boat, then again and again, it would take minutes to send the boat back out to sea he could hardly push free hop in and duck down to avoid arrows, if he was fully healed he knew he could make the swim back anyways...at least he told himself as such.

So he laboured for several minutes and pushed the boat out to sea once more, now with a jagged hole where his second sword had gouged the bottom of its once pristine hull. He heaved and strained but not once did the proud warrior ask her for assistance and finally he felt the waters grab it and pull it out, he kept pushing, water lapping at his feet and he pushed until the water was up to his thighs before he let the boat go, pulling his blind up once more to watch the small craft make it perhaps a hundred or so feet as it slowly got lower and lower in the water until it could be buoyant no more and was swallowed up by the Aegean.

"What now monster." he once again blinded himself and turned to the shore, sweat glistened on his skin and it was clear he was even more exhausted now, but he still held a determined proud look about him.

 

[KayLove]

Medusa refused to respond to his stabbing words knowing full well all he wanted was a rise out of her. So she simply kept her pale lips sealed as she followed behind him. She was to his right, the rocky mount that they were on was not an easy scale for any creature, but she had made a winding path for herself through the stone and forest. The walk gave her the time to let her feel the dull aches and pains in her own body. Her tail was sore, every time a stone scraped against it she felt her muscles twitch and ache. She had exerted so much energy, it was hard to move her body as fast as she had when he had been hunting her, and now she was paying for it. Why had she been such a fool? Shedding her own blood for this... this thick headed, warrior. She had known men like him in her past. Warriors, decorated in the art of war. Aries adorning their armor when Athena was the true goddes in the art of war.

Her snakes also seemed to feel the strain on their body, as they drooped down her back but a couple still keeping a watchful eye upon the human. It also did not help that they were headed far closer to the sea than she would have liked... The itching of fear inching its way up her spine, she could feel it under her scales.

The smell of the sea stuck her first, it was stronger here, the thick feel of salt in the air. Medusa stuck to the tree line, refusing to step from the shadows, she was close enough to be able to shoot and still kill the human but far enough that she did not feel in danger of the gods eyes. Still... the feeling of being watched was something that she could not shake.

She was snapped from her revere as she saw the glint of metal in the hands of the human, her bow raised but he did not try to run. Instead she watched with interest as he painstakingly began to hack away at his boat. She hadn’t thought he was actually going to do it, the gorgon thought that he was going to make a run for it and she would simply kill him.

Medusa let herself lean back upon a cool stone, the pressure from ‘standing’ upon her tail instantly relieved. She gave a sigh of relief and let her eyes slip closed for a moment before snapping open by her shakes giving a soft hiss as they watched him near. Her green eyes instantly noting how the sun looked upon his skin. This almost make her blush.

The gorgon had been celibate all her life after all, well, except for him of course. But that had never stopped her from appreciating the male form.

She cleared her throat, “I do not know, human.” She stated blatantly as she had never actually had a prisoner before. Now that he had no where else to go.... what was she to do with him? Let him go? Let him wonder the deserted island and look at all of her statues? Find his own food and shelter? Or was she to tie him to a tree like an ox and simply look at him? Like some sort of prize that she had captured.

But the sun was finally setting in the west and she had to admit that she needed something to help the energy that she had exerted. So she simply turned from him and started back up the hill to her home, to eat something. Unwilling to look back and see if he would follow but knowing full well that she could still turn back and shoot him if need be.