The Legend of Medusa

Chapter 1

 Part 1

Chapter 1

SOME SAY I WAS BORN A MONSTER, daughter of Ceto and Phorcys ancient sea gods.

Some say I was turn into a monster by Athena's curse, because I disobeyed her orders and insulted her beauty. However, all of that are tales. At least that's what I thought. But you know what they say about tales, “There is always some truth in them.”

It all began in the deep ocean, my biological mother ─ Ceto ─ give birth in the ocean, I was born special, with special powers ─ my blood could heal and kill, give life and take life ─ but I had a weakness, I was mortal.

Unlike my family of gods, they were all immortals. They decided that the best for me would be to live on mainland. Ceto decided to take charge of this mission; she placed me on a fisherman boat without being noticed.

First, the fisherman was startled by the sudden appearance of a baby in is boat on the high seas, but decided to hear his wife’s opinion before taking any decision. The fisherman told his wife what had happened, she was undecided, but as soon as she held the beautiful baby in her hands, she did not resist. Her heart spoke instead of her mind. Without a doubt she saw her long-awaited daughter, a gift from the gods and the ocean. It might had not be her daughter by blood but certainly would be by spiritual ties.

“We will call you Metis, named after the goddess of wisdom. Surely she will be a woman of extreme beauty and wisdom.”

This is how my story begins, and if I knew who I was from the beginning, perhaps, maybe I wouldn’t have ended so badly. Nevertheless, it is like they say, “Some things are better kept than loose”.

20 years later

I ran fast feeling the salty wind on my skin, past the goats that were grazing in the vast green field. I stopped just inches from the cliff. I closed my eyes, breathed deeply. Sensing the salt air that came from the ocean. I opened my eyes and smiled, this was Greece ─ blue sea, Rocky Mountains, vast green fields ─ an unrivalled beauty.

I stared at the immense sea that hid deep secrets. Hmm ... I loved the sea in an inexplicable way, I was a great swimmer. The sea was my second home. I moved better at sea than on land. But my mother did all possible things for me to spend less time as possible at the sea, even knowing I was a great swimmer, as if that was possible. Thinking of her, it was time to go, in seconds she would start to scream so I rushed back to home.

When I arrived she was hysterical. “Metisssss, where have you been? You know that the spring festival will begin at twilight and it's almost twilight.” She said angry.

“Mother, relax! I am here now; I will be ready in a second.”

“WHAT? In a second? No! Today you will dress appropriately as a good Greek woman.”

“Mother?” I tried to persuade her with my sweet voice.

“Do not mother me. Go and wash up, I will be there to help when you are finished.”

Sometimes my mother was so ... but I know she did not do to harm.  She just wanted to see her daughter happy and married. Zeus. It was time to get married but I still wanted to enjoy my freedom, my youth a little bit more, before some typical Greek husband came and took it from me.

I did not see why women were flying to the wedding!  The day that I get married would be with a man I loved and he loved me too. A decent man who deserved my virginity, otherwise I would never marry, rather die single. If my mother ever suspected that I had those thoughts, she would certainly drag me to the altar herself.

I washed up. When I was done, mother was standing there as promised. However, it was not her who caught my attention but the beautiful white silk chiton, embroidered with flowers that bloom in the bottom of the chiton; it had red linen instead of the traditional string to tie at the waist. It was beautiful.

I ran towards my mother. Felt the chiton with closed eyes feeling its soft texture.

“Is it for me?” I said with an excited tone.

Mother just shook her head in a positive sign, also clearly excited by the chiton as I was. This type of clothing was not for the village women like me, but for the beautiful and rich women of the royal family or rich families. But today I would be using it, me Metis.

I wore the chiton which had fall like a second skin on my body. Mother helped me holding the pins. I felt really beautiful using it.

“Now only the hair to be done”

“Mother? Not my hair, you know that I like to use it like this.”

“Metis I know you love having your hair like that and you have the most coveted hair of Greece; all women want a hair like yours to make all those beautiful hairstyles. Please do something different today, for me. I even bought a new ribbon for you to match with dress. It is red.”

This time my mother cached me in a deeply sentimental way. I could not deny it. She asked in a sweet tone voice. I sighed, approving her wish. My mother immediately took advantage and made me sit in front of the mirror before I changed my mind. She began her masterpiece.

I closed my eyes not wanting to see what awaited me.

“You can open your eyes now Metis.”

Slowly I opened my eyes to prepare myself for the shock, but it was actually great, splendid. It was a complicated hairstyle where the red ribbon danced with my shiny black hair making a perfect contrast.

“See! I told you, you'd be beautiful. Now hurry up girl. The guests are already arriving, we have to greet them.”

While mother left the room, I stood by the mirror admiring myself, I knew I was beautiful, very beautiful even for my taste ─ sometimes this kind of beauty only brought problems ─ but today I had overdone myself... I was dazzling.

My hair just completed the beauty of the chiton on my body. My hair was long, waved down to my waist, and was very silky, black as night and bright as the moon, perfect eerily! My hair was the part that I liked most in my body, which drew more attention because of the extreme softness and beauty, which was not common for a fisherman’s daughter.

That was when I realized why of all this. They were hoping I arranged a husband today at the party. For a moment I wanted to rip the chiton. Then I thought about the hard work that my father had to do to earn money for this chiton and in the end decided to go, after all they were so good to me, they were not severe as most parents who forced their daughters to marry, at least I had time to choose my future husband and my time was running out.

I went to the party, rather saying the underworld.The atmosphere was what I premeditated, people dancing, eating, and drinking. In the end a typical Greek feasts. As always mother introduced me to a lot of singles man, made me dance with some of them, and greet large families.

As usual the comments were the same:

“You are becoming more and more beautiful each day,”

“Beautiful as always Metis,”

“Your daughter is worthy of being called a goddess,”

…

When mother relaxed, letting her toy ─ me ─ go, I finally rested too. I had done everything she told me without a complaint. Therefore, I deserved this; I snuggled in a secluded corner of the party and drank a glass of wine.

It was there that I saw him. He had blond long hair, well-shaped body ─ muscular arms, broad chest and was very tall ─ surely a warrior. He caught me looking at him ─ he had the bluest eyes I've ever seen. Marine blue, the color of the sea that I so much love, but even the sea would feel jealous of his mesmerizing blue eyes ─ his eyes were mesmerizing.

I looked away as fast as I could.  But before I saw that he was walking towards me. For the Gods of Olympus, what was this man doing here? Was not enough how much I was ashamed for being caught looking at a man, rather saying, coveting him. Now he had to come here! What would I tell him? Why was I looking at him?