The Lover of Medusa

Chapter 7

LYRA

"Father please!!! Don't do this! There must be another way to stop her. The Gods will help us!" Lyra begged her father as they put her inside a small cage.

" The Gods have abandoned you Lyra! They will not listen to your prayers!" Lyra refused to believe him, she knows that they did not abandoned her! She refused to believe that they won't listen to her.

" Father! Please! Don't do this! Please! "She begged him, but the king did not listen, he turn his back on her and walked away leaving her alone inside the cage. Lyra sobs as she felt the cage move. No one helped her, no one listened to her cries... And what hurt her the most is that.... It seems that no one had heard her prayers. She prayed till the sun sets and rise again, but no Goddess have arrived to carry her and take her away from that horrible place. And here she is being carried to the forest to wait there until the moon turns red. The sky is gloomy and the sun didn't even shine, Lyra couldn't see any silhouette, everything is completely dark. If she tried to escape she knew that she will still die, she didn't know the forest that well, and without a cane she is helpless.

"My lady?" She heard a soft voice called for her.

A small girl that is about Lyra's age called for her, the young girl was thin and dirty, two silver cuffs could be seen on her ankle indicating that she is a slave. She offered Lyra some food, placing it on top of Lyra's hand.

"Who are you?" Lyra asked the young girl but she didn't answer her, instead she went back and helped the other to pull the wagon that was carrying Lyra's cage. Twelve young woman were assigned by Lyra's father to bring her to the border of the dead forest, the forest where the Gorgon resides, they were slaves so they have no choice but to do as what the king says, He promise them something though, if they manage to bring Lyra to the border of the dead forest, then they will be granted freedom and the king would allow them to return to their home land.

Lyra started to eat the food that was placed on her hand, it tastes good for her, she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, her stomach demands to have some more but the food was already finished. She sat there in silence for a while, she wasn't crying anymore instead she was thinking about what her fate will be now. Is she really going to die? Will that beast really kill her? Is she going to die a quick death,or will she suffer first?

So many thoughts are entering her head to the point that her started head started to ache. Lyra closed her eyes and took a deep breath, she wished that the Goddess Hera was by her side to calm her, or her friend Artemis to console her, but above all she misses her Goddess Athena the most, she wished to hold her hand, she wished to hear her voice... She wanted to feel her presence near her, she wanted to see her.

"Please... please save me." She whispered bowing his head and clenching her fist. And again Lyra prayed, she called out, she remained in the same position until she felt the wagon stops from moving. They have arrived to the place that Lyra had dreaded, it is already midnight and the moon turns red making the sky seems like it's bleeding, she heard the foot steps of the people who had brought her to the dead forest.

"Where are we?" She asked but no one answered her. The slave had already run back in fear of the beast, they don't want to see it and turn to stone.

"Please? Where are we?" She asked again. One of the slaves remained and Open the cage for her, she then gave Lyra a cane to help her.

"The moon is already red. May the Gods guide you." The servant then runaway too leaving Lyra by herself.

The forest, it's weird. No sound can be heard, it was deadly quite and the air is cold... Lyra gathered her courage and she went down from her cell to try and follow the slaves who run away, but she is unaware that she had walked further into the dead forest... With only her cane to guide her Lyra aimlessly walks in the dark forest, bare foot and shivering from the cold.  Her clothes is thinner than usual, it didn't even protect her from the cold wind that blew her direction. She stops from walking when she heard something, Lyra held her breath and calm her wildly beating heart to listen... She could hear water running... She must be close to a river. If she followed the rivers sounds it may lead her back to the city... Lyra felt hope as she followed the sound of the running water completely unaware that it wasn't a river she's heading into.

She followed the sound and stops once her cane hit something... Lyra's eyebrow furrowed and she taps it again, it was hard, must be a rock she thought, extending her hand, she touched the it, Lyra realized that it wasn't just a rock but a statue. She touched it and felt it's hard edges...it was a sculpture of a man... With strong muscle and it seems that he is running away from something... Who would leave a sculpture in the middle of the dead forest, she thought taking another step. But Lyra hit something hard and it felt to the ground... The sound of it hitting the floor echoed throughout the cave, and only then Lyra had realized that she's inside a cave.

She stood frozen in the same spot so scared, what if the beast have heard it? Lyra could hear her own heart beating loudly like it's about to burst out of her chest. And then she heard it, the sound of snakes hissing and the unmistakable sound of footsteps... Lyra begun to quiver in fear, cold sweat breaks out of her body, she held her breath and waited for the beast to attack her.

But she didn't expect to feel soft hands gently touching her cheeks and wiping away her tears that she didn't even noticed.

"Shhhh....you don't need to fear me." Said the woman, the woman's voice is warm and luscious voice that was familiar to her.

"You must be her. The one who's promised to me, the one that will satisfy my hatred and desire." Odd, it was very odd to not feel any fear, it must be because of the woman's voice or was it because of her touch?

"You smell divine." She felt the Gorgon's face close to her, she could feel her breath against her, she could feel the snakes moving close to her.

"You remind me of myself when I was young." Lyra gulped when the Gorgon touched her lips, she then heard chuckle.

"The Goddess told me that if I eat you, my curse would be lifted, but you look so frail, how could you satisfy me if you're skin and bones?" Lyra squeal when she felt something long and big wrapping around her body and then she was lifted from the ground, her shaking became even more worst, she thought that the Gorgon would eat now.

"Relax, I won't eat you just yet. You still haven't grown to my liking... For the mean time I shall take care of you until you became suitable enough for my taste." Lyra felt them moving and she started to panick.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked, the grip on her body tightened making her wince

"Is that the way you should talk to your mistress?" Lyra was startled to hear that.

"My mistress?" She repeat in confusion.

"Yes, you will call me that, I'am Medusa. Now tell me your name." Lyra hesitated to tell her name, but she was surprised to know that the Gorgon who was carrying her is Medusa. She have heard about her in many stories. Her Goddess loves to tell Medusa's story to her, she was her Goddess friend.

"Lyra, my name is Lyra." She finally answered.

"Lyra? That name doesn't suit you at all." She said as she continue to move inside the dark cave. Lyra clutch onto her afraid that she might just drop her somewhere around the cave... The place was extremely dark, the air is heavy making it hard for Lyra to breath to in. She gulp thinking again of what Medusa had told her.

She was a sacrifice to her, and that she will be the one to lift up her curse. Why would the Gods choose her to lift Medusa's curse? Why her if all people?