The Medusa Strain (WIP 2020)

Chapter 10

Nix was next on the list—a minor demigoddess of the night; distant cousin to my mother herself (or so the stories said), but you couldn't discount the lavish, starlight-colored hair of hers; whenever it gleamed softly in the overhead lights.

Nix embraced me like the spoiled child of the underworld itself—which was technically true to a fault. But it was a much better life than the alternative—let me tell you that much.

Especially in a divine run society such as ours.

"Have you two seen any action lately?" She whispered conspiratorially into my ear.

"A little bit," I admitted quietly. "But don't go telling mom or Apollo that. Not just yet."

"Ah...the life of a rail rider. These are the days for it—after all."

"Speaking of which...? Is Ares ever going to show up?"

"Him? Highly doubtful. He's not known for making sudden appearances—even in the presence of Medusa's children—after all. Too busy with his shop; or so the rumors say."

"Someone should drag his old wrinkly ass out of there one of these days—so that he can get some actual sunlight in for a change. Can't be good for either him or his two grown children." I said in passing—while my mom handed me a fire goblet full of spiced ambrosia.

I looked at the libation with mutual confusion. "Mom? Are you sure I'm old enough to start drinking the forbidden nectar of the gods at my age? Last time you had me sample this stuff from your private stores...? I got a natural high off it."

"Your friend Blake doesn't seem to have a problem with it." She pointed out with some open amusement.

"Yeah, but Blake is used to drinking while on the clock. I am not." I returned pointedly. "You know how well I mix with this liquid magic of yours anyways. It turns my hair all colors of the rainbow for a few days afterwards. And if Mighty Zeus were here...?"

"...he would embrace you and bless you with good fortune, my child." Nix offered up with stellar confidence in her voice.

"Trust me, he's not the brooding old doddering fool from the days of old—before the world ended abruptly without warning."

I took a careful sip from my goblet before answering: "So how come I don't feel as convinced of that little truth as you apparently are?"

Nix winked at me. "Us minor gods always have the inside track, my dear. Same as you do. As the Fates have decreed it."

"I suppose that's why I always hit the lucky numbers on last month's lottery again—because gambling is in my blood?" I offered up as a lame defense of my own skills at mathematics and other numbers related things...?

"Your friend Blake has the same aptitudes in math and science as you do, honey. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Some things come more naturally to us demigods than others do. Ask Apollo sometime about his double doctorate in solar dynamics sometime. Boy...does he ever have stories to tell of his time among the humans—before society fell in the old days."

"Seems as though that's what the old gods did, Nix. Even you."

"Hey...don't knock on my legendary seamstress and gardening skills." The other woman said with mock dismay. "I don't need my sister, Persephone coming after me—complaining once more that I am stealing her proverbial thunder when it comes to growing award winning beef steak tomatoes here in Lake City."

"I didn't think either she nor her husband, Hades—ever visited Lake City on a whim," I murmured through another careful pull of my mother's famous liquid ambrosia.

Nix smiled broadly. "You'd be surprised by how much this place has to offer to two old souls looking to get away from their eternal duties—as set forth by Blessed Zeus himself."

"And you? What brings you out of your home back in Nellis?"

Nix went over to the sofa where she had dropped two carry-on bags and I noted that they both carried the Lacy's star logo on them.

"Clothing boutique downtown." She said—pulling out a tissue-wrapped item that looked positively luxurious from my personal point of view.

"S'rahi?" I whispered in awe. "Is that what it is?"

"How did you know?" Nix ventured—peeling part of the tissue paper back to confirm my overall suspicions.

"The...um...lavender-purple color of the Zeus-blessed fabric itself." I revealed to her. "Supposedly made from similar material as the Golden Fleece of legend."

"Close enough," my mother confirmed—easily enough. "It has the ability to heal the sick, but not the wounded. It's a reverse of what the Golden Fleece once was—as sought and won by Jason and the Argonauts I the long run."

I fingered the material with envy—thinking how good this would look on me in front of...Blake.

"Is this...a dress?" I asked cryptically.

"For me? Yes. I doubt the tailor had anything in your size, sweetheart."

"That's an easy fix." My mom interjected at that point—running her fingers along the seam of the small flat bolt of fabric.

"There's enough here for three dresses—if done conservatively." She announced.

"Nix...do you mind if I take some of this off your hands—as a paid tribute to my adopted daughter?"

"I don't have any objections—no. But I was planning on some small chests of lavish-smelling incense and smaller trinket chests filled with Grecian gold coins."

I smiled broadly. "I would be delighted to have both, Nix." I said with some transparent selfishness in mind.

"If it's not too much for you to part with...?"

The other woman shook her head. "Blessed Zeus, no. Us minor gods are always footing the bills for something: Be it extravagant banquets or excessive tributes by the older gods themselves." Then she stopped and eyed Apollo in turn.

"Speaking of which...?" She hissed outwardly. "I need to pay Blake's father an overdue visit. Turns out the God of Speed has a wicked sleight of hand and now he owes some of his old creditors their hard-earned money..."

My mother laughed. "My brother? A card shark and gambler off the side...? Say it isn't so..."

"Swear by Zeus's divine bolts," Nix said—making the appropriate sign in mid-air—before departing from her distant cousin's august presence.

***

The festivities surrounding my "reawakening" as Terra stretched far into the night and into the early morning hours—the next day—as god and goddess (major and minor alike), paid their respects and offered tribute to both me and my adopted family.

But poor Blake.

Poor, poor, Blake...

I stood there—thinking: What would he have to offer me—seeing how he was last on the list offer me and my family tribute?