A Demigod Life

We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium Part Two

Perci walked into the emporium and she saw the amount of sweets and food displayed onto a large dining table. She heard Grover behind her but she didn't know if Luke followed.

"You must be hungry. I left snacks on the table while I get something proper going."Medusa said from a different room.

"You think it's safe to eat?"Perci asked Grover.

"Perci, I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm really hungry, and I'm ready to take that chance."Grover told her honestly.

Perci heard the door open and close and she looked over to see Luke walked in.

"Thanks for coming."Perci told him.

"This isn't the same for me as it is for you."Luke said.

"Why?"Perci asked.

Medusa walked into the room, pouring something in a glass as she said "You're concerned I would hold a grudge against you simply because you are a son of Hermes? You shouldn't be. We're not our parents after all. And you and I might have more in common than you think. Please, sit and eat."

Grover and Perci sat down at the table but Luke remained standing.

"So you're not a monster, what are you then?"Perci asked Medusa.

"A survivor."Medusa responded.

Perci stated "You must be a little more than that. There's a Fury out there that seems terrified of you."

"Because she knows what I think of her. I don't like bullies. When one shows up on my doorstep, they end up spending a lot more time there than they planned for. The gift the gods gave me is that I cannot be bullied anymore."Medusa explained.

"What Athena did to you wasn't a gift, it was a curse."Luke said.

"You're loyal to the gods despite your anger at your father."Medusa said slowly.

"I guess."Luke said.

Medusa asked "Do you know the story of how I came to be this way?"

"I do."Grover said.

"Do you?"Medusa asked.

"Do I?"Grover asked himself with his mouth full.

"Athena was everything to me. I worshipped her, I prayed to her. I made offerings... She never answered. Not even an omen to suggest she appreciated my love. I would have worshipped her that way for a lifetime... in silence. But then one day, another god came, and he broke that silence. Your father. The Sea God told me that he loved me. I felt as though he saw me in a way I had never felt seen before. But then Athena declared that I had embarrassed her and I needed to be punished. Not him. Me. She decided that I would never be seen again by anyone who would live to tell the tale. And then Hermes helped his half brother Perseus to slay me while I was asleep in my lair. It took centuries for me to be reformed."Medusa said.

"I may not have love for my father but how do we know you're not lying about this?"Luke asked.

Medusa said "The gods want you to believe that, that they are infallible. But they only want what all bullies want. They want us to blame ourselves for their own shortcomings."

"That is not what happened. And you are a liar."Luke told her.

"Something's burning. Would you give me a hand in the kitchen? I think lunch is ready."Medusa asked Perci.

Perci got out of her seat and walked down a hallway and found the kitchen, Medusa standing in front of the stove, not facing the demigod. Staying by the doorway, Perci spoke up "He's not usually like that."