Keres arrived just as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the lair in darkness. The stormy sky mirrored the turmoil within. She stepped into the midst of clashing steel and shattering stone.
Silent as a specter, Keres observed from the shadows. Medusa and Perseus fought on, their movements a blur. Keres' gaze narrowed, analyzing each strike.
Perseus' cunning caught her attention. Medusa's fury left her vulnerable, and Perseus seized the opening. Keres nodded to herself; a lesson in patience.
The final moment arrived. Perseus angled the mirror shield, deflecting Medusa's gaze. The Gorgon's body stiffened, petrified by her own power. One swift strike, and Medusa's head rolled.
Perseus stood victorious, the snake-haired trophy clutched in his hand.
Keres emerged from the shadows, her voice low and ominous. "This victory comes at a great cost."
The darkness swallowed them whole, thunder rumbling outside. Keres' smile gleamed in the dim light. "When Medusa's sisters find out what you've done to their little sister..." She paused, savoring the tension.
"They'll come for your head... and Athena's."
Perseus' grip on Medusa's head tightened, his eyes locked on Keres. The storm outside seemed to grow more intense, echoing the turmoil within.
Keres stepped forward, her eyes locked on Medusa's head in Perseus' hand. A smirk danced on her face. "Well, boy, you've done me a favor."
She paused, her gaze piercing. "Well done, hero. What you've done here today, stories will be told. The whole world will know of your victory. Songs will be sung of your glory."
Keres' attention shifted, scanning the lair. Her eyes settled on a marble table, snakes draped lifelessly above it. A smile spread across her face.
"Ah, Medusa... even in death, you kept my prize safe and protected."
Perseus followed her gaze, his curiosity piqued. He narrowed his eyes, spotting something gleaming beneath the snakes.
He turned to Keres, his expression questioning. "Who are you?" he asked.
Keres' smile grew, her eyes glinting with amusement. "I am Keres, Goddess of Death and Destruction."
Perseus' grip on Medusa's head tightened, his senses on high alert.
Keres approached the marble table, her movements fluid. With a delicate touch, she lifted the lifeless snakes, revealing Pandora's Box beneath.
The box shimmered, adorned with intricate symbols that seemed to pulse with a dark energy.
Perseus' eyes locked onto the box, a shiver running down his spine.
"What is that?" he asked.
Keres' laughter echoed through the lair, mingling with the thunder outside.
"A gift from the gods," she whispered. "A key to unleashing chaos upon the world."
Perseus' instincts screamed warning.
Keres turned, her bright smile piercing the darkness like a ray of moonlight. "Medusa's head, I'll be needing that as well."
Her gaze drifted to the trophy clutched in Perseus' hand, then back to his face. Her eyes sparkled with intrigue, like stars in a midnight sky.
"And, well, a favor from the Hero of the Gods and Mortals," she added, her voice dripping with honey.
Perseus' grip on Medusa's head tightened instinctively, his mind racing with caution. What could Keres, Goddess of Death and Destruction, possibly want from him?
He eyed her warily, his voice measured. "What favor?"
Keres' smile grew, her lips curling upward. "A task of great importance, one that demands bravery and cunning. I shall reveal the details in due time."
Her words hung in the air like a promise, or a threat.
Perseus' instincts screamed warning, but his curiosity was piqued.
What secrets lay hidden behind Keres' enigmatic smile?
Would he yield to her demands, or defy the Goddess of Death herself?
The darkness seemed to pulse with anticipation, as if the very fate of the world hung in the balance.
"I'm afraid Medusa's head isn't for you," Perseus said firmly, his voice echoing through the lair, "but for Athena."
Keres' expression remained impassive, her eyes glinting like polished onyx in the flickering torchlight.
"Whatever favor you ask, I'll refuse," Perseus continued, his gaze locked onto Keres', his determination unwavering. "Perhaps you should hand over that box, so I can return it to the gods, keeping it out of your grasp."
Keres' laughter echoed through the lair, mingling with the thunder that shook the stone walls. "You think I'd give this to you willingly? No, my dear, this belongs to me."
She cradled Pandora's Box in her hands, admiring its intricate craftsmanship in the dancing torchlight. The storm outside intensified, rain pounding against the stone like a relentless drumbeat.
Keres' eyes narrowed, her head tilting. Something felt off, a thread of unease weaving through her confidence.
"This can't be," she whispered, her heart racing with anticipation.
"It's a fake!" she yelled, slamming the box against the stone floor. It shattered, revealing a hollow interior.
Keres' face contorted in rage, her eyes blazing with fury.
Seizing the distraction, Perseus swiftly wrapped Medusa's head in a sack and slung it over his shoulder.
"Time to leave," he muttered, turning to vanish into the stormy darkness.
The wind howled, swallowing his footsteps. Keres' furious roar echoed through the lair, a sound that seemed to shake the very foundations.
Perseus disappeared into the night, leaving Keres to face the shattered remains of the fake Pandora's Box.
Keres fell to her knees, surrounded by the scattered fragments. Her gaze settled on one piece, intricately crafted with Apollo's mark.
"Apollo," she whispered, her eyes widening in shock.
As she looked up, Perseus was gone, vanished into the darkness with Medusa's head.
Keres' eyes blazed with fury and determination.
The storm raged on, masking his escape, but she knew this was far from over.
Would Perseus escape Keres' wrath?
YOU ARE READING
Medusa's Revenge
FantasíaMedusa, once a beautiful maiden, was cursed by Athena and transformed into a monster. But Medusa discovers that her curse was not a punishment, but a means to control her. She learns that she is actually a demigod, born from a powerful bloodline, an...
