The Lover of Medusa

Chapter 27

Athena looks down at the scroll that was given to her, she was currently in a river with Artemis and her nymph taking a bath to relax and wash off the dirt she gained from the war she went to, on that scroll was written a few task given by Hera, and she needs to travel far beyond the reach of their realm to complete this task.

"Why would she need me to talk to Maat? Why would she want me to go to the desert?" She asked Artemis who's sitting in front of her as few nymphs gather around her giving her fruits and and scrubbing her body.

"I don't know, maybe she wants to borrow some oracles or papers to read." Artemis stated smiling into one of her nymphs, Athena looks away, she didn't want to go, instead she wanted to go to Lyra, it's been a while since she last saw her and something is interfering between their connection, something is distracting her from going to her temple and praying, She haven't heard her voice for a while now.

" Have you been visiting Lyra lately?" She asked Artemis turning her attention to her once again.

" Not much, I've been busy." Was Artemis quick and short reply and it sounded odd for Athena, she sounded like she's hiding something from her. But what could she possibly hide from her? Artemis is a friend, and as far as she knows her Artemis is not the kind of Goddess who deceives others.

"With this in hand I'll be gone for a while, can you keep an eye on her for me?" Artemis look at her and smiled.

"Of course you can count on me."  But for some reason she still feels unsure about it, she bit her lower lip, she should visit Lyra for now, she will go there and talk to her, with that Athena quickly stood up.

"Where are you going?" Artemis asked her as she started to wear her clothes, Artemis followed her standing up too and walking closer to her.

"I'm going to see her before I go." She said and Artemis look stricken by her words, and Athena squinted her eyes at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that. Are you hiding something?" She asked facing Artemis completely.

"What?! No! I just wanted to tell you that maybe you could just visit her when you come back, I mean it's already night there, she's probably asleep." Athena's eyebrow raised, she's a goddess and Lyra's patron, she wouldn't mind being awoken by her in the middle of the night, she doesn't have a problem about it even before when Athena decided to go and look for comfort in a mortal's arms at night.

"She won't mind it." Was her short and clip reply before disappearing. Her landing on her temple was followed suit by a loud crackling of lighting, she looks around her temple and noticed something amiss, the temple... Reeks of someone's blood, Athena's heart thudded as fear crept into her, did something happen to her Lyra?" She clench her fist and morph into an owl to navigate her way through the place without drawing too much attention from the men that guarded the place, she quickly looks for the room of Lyra, and to her surprise the window was closed, something she never did, Lyra never shuts her window, since she loves the cold breeze at night and that is an easy access for Athena to enter, as she approach the room she used her power to went pass through it, she landed on Lyra's room, the fireplace was unlit, giving cold ambiance on the room, she flicked her hand and fire came alive giving a warm glow inside the room, she looks at Lyra's bed and she wasn't there, she looks around the room and listen, she wasn't in her bathroom either.

"My Lyra? Where are you?" She whispered, her words were carried out by the wind, she hope that it would lead Lyra to her, she missed her dearly now. She waited and listen for any footsteps, her heart beating wildly against her chest as she listens, and to her relief she heard her light and slightly hurried steps before she heard the door of her room open, there was pause on her door way and Athena waited patiently for Lyra to appear and show herself to her. A sigh of relief escape through her lips when she saw her their, wide eyed and probably excited to see her.

"Goddess." Lyra said, her eyes looked at her despite not being able to see her, Lyra extended her hand looking for her, she held Lyra's hand and pulls her towards her.

"Hello." She greeted her with a smile on her lips as she gently pressed Lyra close to her.

"My goddess, what brings you here?" She push Lyra's head against her chest before she wraps her arm around her and hug her.

"I came here to visit you, it's been a while." While she hugs Lyra she noticed something was off, Lyra was tense as if she was scared, second she was cold.

"Are you cold?did something happen that i'am not aware of?" She asked looking into her eyes, at her familiar blue eyes that gives comfort to Athena.

"No, everything's fine, i'am just tired that is all." She answered quietly, Athena accepted the reason Lyra gave her and pulled her towards the bed so the two of them could lay beside each other.

"You're turning eighteen in a month, are you still undecided if you should join my temple or not?" Athena had been inviting Lyra to join her temple, to become one of her faithful priestess, but Lyra's father is a hindrance, Athena would love to strike him down, but by doing so she might anger the god of the sea, for he favors the king so much. and he might do something against her, she might lose another important mortal to her and she can't Live with it, she can't live with the thought that one of her priestess was assaulted again why she stood their helpless. 

"No, I still haven't." Came Lyra's short reply, Athena nods her head, she is willing to wait for her.

LYRA

"Lyra, where are you?" Lyra gasp and she quickly sat up hearing her goddess voice in her sleep, she thought it was real, she felt Athena's breath close to her and she heard her voice, it seems that she woke up in the middle of the night again, the whole cabin was envelope with darkness, she can't see anything and when tried to hold Medusa's hand she felt nothing, the space where Medusa should be lying was empty.

"Medusa?" She called out but her voice only echoed, she bit her lower lip and decided to step down and go outside to look for Medusa.

"Medusa?" She tried calling again. Until she made her way to the front door without tripping, to her relief the moon was high above giving glow to the land, she could see the silhouette of the tree and... Medusa, she's standing in the middle of the field and she didn't know why.

"Medusa? Is everything alright?" She asked her but Medusa did not answer, she remained standing their still, so she decided to walk closer to her to see what she's doing, why was she not answering to her call? She was near her already and could reach for her when she suddenly grab her. Lyra was so startled that she Yelp before she was pulled closer, she hit a rather hard chest and an unfamiliar hissing reach her ears, a dark chuckle escape from the strangers lips.

"You are calling out for the wrong sister." The stranger whispered against her ear.