Medusa's temples throbbed from the effort it took to chew the bear meat. The only thing that made the meal slightly palatable was the spiced honey sauce; other than that, she felt like a camel chewing hay.
Across from her, Vyron sat stiffly next to Akrivi. He wouldn't stop glancing around the empty dining hall, his unease clear in the way he shifted in his seat.
“Leader, is the bench burning your ass?” Akrivi asked as he cleaned his fingernails with a flint. “You just got here. Relax.”
Instead of answering, Vyron clenched his jaw and remained silent.
Finally done with the meal, Medusa pushed her empty plate aside. Since waking up a while ago, she had been in a fine mood. For one, that horrid experience with her duplicate didn't recur during her sleep, and she had woken up strangely refreshed with her aether sensitivity better than ever.
Akrivi had also saved her dinner, saying it was the least he could do for his ‘generous patron.’ Then there was the matter of the stones—the real reason he was treating her like a VIP.
For her plan to work, she’d need more than two high-grade stones, and her only hope to get them was Clotho. She recalled the Moirai had boasted about being rich before she dropped her off with Demeter. If she could convince her to maybe let go of three or four high-grade stones. Maybe…
“I don't know if Akrivi told you why I wanted to see you.”
Before sleep knocked her out, she’d given Akrivi a brief version of her plan, but he’d rolled his eyes at the mention of Vyron, muttering something about a long-overdue confrontation.
“He didn't,” Vyron said. Since the boy joined them, he hadn’t directly looked at Akrivi. His attitude didn't seem malicious or hateful, more like intense distaste mixed with wariness and fear. “And can we be quick with this?”
Medusa’s gaze danced between the boys. Akrivi appeared nonchalant while Vyron sat ramrod straight at the very edge of the long bench with his gaze occasionally darting to the door.
“Why is it like this between you two?”
“Like what?” Akrivi lifted a dark brow, appearing clueless. Though Vyron said nothing, his expression grew sour.
Medusa dragged a hand down her face and stifled a sigh. “Look, for this to work, both of you need to be in sync.”
“Sync?” Akrivi cocked his head. “What's that?”
“Umm.” Medusa searched for the right word.
He peered at her, eyes bright with curiosity. “And you said something in a strange tongue when I offered my love last night.”
Medusa frowned in confusion before laughing when she remembered. What an amusing fellow. “How’s making me a third girlfriend offering me your love?”
In her first life, she had always grown flustered when people hit on her. But by her fourth and fifth lives, having a face above average had numbed her to such advances. Well, except for Antonii. He’d been unfairly smooth and far too easy to love.
“How is it not?” Akrivi asked with a laugh.
Vyron’s face contorted with disgust as he whispered something about Akrivi being a philandering son of a whore.
The lightness in the air vanished as Akrivi's expression hardened. Before her eyes, a strange shift in his appearance began. The soft lines of his face sharpened as bulging veins gathered around the corners of his eyes. When he blinked, darkness bled over the white of his eyes and dyed his iris black.
The change did not stop at his face; his fingernails turned black, sharpened and punched into the table.
“Did I hear you correctly?” There was a subtle guttural note in his voice.
Vyron turned white. “Control yourself—”
Akrivi snatched him by the neck of his tunic, his sharp nails ripping the fabric. “Want to try something fun? Let’s see how fast you can regenerate after I rip that jaw over and over again.”
“Hey, Akri—”
“Do not interfere, soft hands,” he said in a low, cold voice. The luminescent orb above cast his face in harsh shadows, making him appear vaguely beastly. “Think about it; this snake said what he said knowing I’ll hear him, react and show my ugly side.”
Vyron gulped and dropped his gaze, but not before Medusa spied a flash of satisfaction in his eyes.
This sly... Raising both hands, Medusa gestured for Akrivi to do whatever. She was in no position to judge him; if anything, she felt a sense of affinity.
When Vyron saw she had no plans to plead for him, his eyes widened in disbelief before shifting to raw panic when Akrivi slashed at his face.
The one-sided beatdown began.
Medusa flatly watched the display, relieved at the silence in her head. Before her training with her curse, she may have attempted to separate the boys and probably receive an aether-enhanced elbow to the face. Now the logical part of her seemed to be more in control, and it was bliss.
The shuddering earth as both boys exchanged blows began to draw an audience.
“You think Drys Valon is the end?” Vyron managed to shout amidst Akrivi’s rain of attacks. His regeneration was commendable, torn skin weaving back in place and broken bones repairing themselves. “You can't stay here forever—”
Akrivi punched his face and sent a tooth flying. “And you think I’m hiding? Clueless fool.” His canines, now longer, flashed and caused a lisp as he spoke. “Call them all. As I die, I’ll drag them along to the River Styx.”
Though Vyron possessed a stocky build and delivered heavy punches, his opponent easily dodged his blows, fighting with unpredictable wildness, like he had grown up in the streets and used whatever means to win a fight. It was starkly different from the fluid movements he used to kill the bear.
“My mother has more honour than the entire house of Alkis,” Akrivi spat as he snatched Vyron by the hair and flung him atop one of the many dining tables. It split in half before his head slammed against the stone ground. A crack formed.
“How dare you speak such—”
Akrivi smashed Vyron’s head against the stone ground again, face contorted in an enraged scowl. When Vyron attempted to wiggle from his grip, Akrivi tossed him against the nearest wall before descending on him afresh.
Medusa winced as the brutality escalated with each strike. Where were Demeter’s roots? Was the violence not enough for them to intervene? Even more dogs had gathered, their whispers growing louder as they watched the fight.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
More bitter words were exchanged, each seeming to anger the boys and give them fresh strength to continue.
Someone finally rushed over, and Medusa recognised Lonian. With ease, he wedged himself between both boys. Vyron staggered away before collapsing, while Akrivi remained charged up, even punching Lonian once before realising he was an ally.
Tsking, he whirled around, noticed the crowd and glared. “What are you looking at?” He bared his fangs and contorted his face to appear even more beastly than he already did.
They quickly dispersed as he huffed over and sat across from Medusa. The harsh appearance melted away as he pushed his hair away from his face and wiped an arm across his bloody cheek.
“I apologise for that,” he said solemnly as he made futile attempts to appear groomed. The neck of his tunic had slackened, and the rest of his attire was stained with blood and dirt. “I hope this won't ruin our initial agreement.”
Though that nonchalant air remained, it was clear Akrivi was still angry. It showed in the way his hands trembled before he held them in a fist.
“Not at all.” Medusa glanced over, watching as Lonian looped Vyron’s arm over his shoulder and dragged him over. “He asked for it.”
Cold as it may sound, Akrivi’s display helped her plan. Those who witnessed his rampage will be more agreeable when they approach them later.
Vyron groaned as Lonian dumped him on the bench, his face a map of healing cuts, bruises and blood.
Akrivi waved over Lonian. “You should join us.”
He stopped and observed them with sharp focus. She maintained a neutral expression, Vyron wouldn't stop groaning, while Akrivi wore a big fake smile as he twiddled his thumbs.
“This looks like trouble.”
“I’ll give you one mid-grade stone if you join us,” Akrivi said with that ridiculous fake smile still in place.
Lonian folded his beefy arms across his chest and glared down at Akrivi. “You know I don’t need it.”
“Ah, I keep forgetting.” Akrivi shook his head as if he pitied Lonian. “Well, soft hands here plans to transform the dogs. Is that enough to interest you?”
His eyes lit up as they shifted to Medusa. “You mean it?”
She nodded, a bit puzzled. She hadn’t expected that’d be the line that would pull him in.
“Your plan is achievable, yes?” he asked as he settled beside Akrivi.
“Of course it is.” I hope it is. She was depending on almost all her cards for this plan to work.
Medusa drew out a stone slab and one of her poisoned needles. It will double as a writing needle… for now.
“Still can't believe you’re awakened.” Vyron slurred as he looked from the slab to her face. His wounds were healing much more slowly than at the beginning of the fight.
“Same here.” Bringing the needle to the stone, she began writing. “We need to create a subpost.”
“We already have four posts. I don't think—”
“Vyron,” Medusa met his eyes. “I was under the impression you’d love to see the dogs rise from…” her gaze roamed the shabby dining before meeting his again “... from whatever this is. Was I wrong?”
“You think we never tried?” He turned away and scowled. “The dogs have too many children from powerful houses and kingdoms. They’re stubborn and lazy. Attempting to—”
“Leave them to me.” Medusa smiled sweetly. “All you need to do is give me their names. You must have heard what happened between me and Eristes?”
“Are you a hidden Locratian princess or something?” Akrivi asked. “You’re so interesting. Lonian, don’t you think so?”
“How do you intend to control them?” Lonian asked with a thoughtful but concerned expression.
“You'll see it when it happens.” Nodding at Vyron, she said, “Go on. The names.”
The list turned out longer than she expected. Though Chilion’s intel on the number of princes and princesses was accurate, what she didn’t expect was the number of children from powerful houses or the foremost kingdoms’ officials. Fifty-seven in total out of about two hundred dogs. This will be a long night.
Medusa shifted the needle between her fingers as she reread the names on the list, committing them to memory. “We need a group of enforcers, and they’ll consist of the strongest among us.”
Vyron sighed and shook his head. “But a good number of the strongest among us are from powerful families—”
“Did I not say I’ll take care of them?” Medusa stumped the flames of rising annoyance. It took a mere tenth of a second to sneak in a jab.
Vyron huffed. “I admire your enthusiasm, but I know the dogs are impossible to tame.”
“It was impossible for you,” Medusa said with a knowing smile.
Vyron’s face grew red. “Do you think I haven't—” A confused frown squeezed his brow. “I… I can’t feel or move my legs?”
“Really?” Medusa flatly watched him. The timeframe of the venom was within the same window as the bee sting. Good.
Panic clouded his face as he grabbed his thighs and strained to dislodge them from the ground.
“What do you think? They'd listen to me, yes?”
The change in his expression was amusing. First confusion, then realisation. “You… you did this?”
“How?” Both Akrivi and Lonian asked at once.
“Release me!” Vyron yelled as he resumed straining to free his legs.
Medusa slid off the beaded band. “You asked how I’d handle those on the list, but you seem not to like my practical answer. Wear this.” She offered him the bead, which he snatched up and wore immediately.
“Now that we've settled unnecessary concerns, let's focus on the main goal.” Medusa drew the needle and slab into her dimension. “The coming house trials. I'm assuming the dogs always come last.”
Akrivi laughed. “With impressive consistency.”
Medusa nodded. “Then we must win the next trial.”
“Whoa.” Akrivi made a calming gesture. “Let’s not be too eager. A month is too short to wash away the filth of mediocrity.”
“I’m not joking.” There was a silent part of her statement. Two high-grade aether stones, remember?
“You're serious?!” It was Vyron who spoke. It seems the effect of the needle had finally worn off.
“Of course, I am.”
“Why the haste, though?” Lonian asked in a patient voice. “We can aim for the next trial after—”
“No.” The longer Rico stayed in Demeter’s possession, the longer her heart bled. “One month.”
Akrivi met her gaze, the previous playfulness gone. “You’re serious about this.”
“That’s why I offered what I offered.”
“Fine.”
Vyron gawked at Akrivi, seeming to forget his beef with the boy. “Are you insane?”
“Yes.” Akrivi nodded, a delighted look in his eyes. “Yes, I feel insane. It’s been so long since I’ve had such a refreshing challenge.”
That child is cursed.
Medusa flinched. Clotho!
Though her heart raced at how suddenly the Moirai’s voice had gone off in her head, she was unexpectedly happy for her company.
You’re back.
Yes. Did you hear what I just said?
The three boys began arguing about her one-month goal.
It was then that it registered. Cursed? Which one of them?
The one who killed the bear.
Medusa's heart sank as wild possibilities went off in her head.
How are you just finding out? How is this even possible? Is he a child of a deity like me?
The earring he’s wearing hides his cursed state. Very cleverly crafted, Clotho mused.
Medusa remembered noticing the jewelry the first time she met him, then promptly forgetting about its existence.
And it reeks of Hera’s aura. If I touch it, I'll know how it was crafted. But it seems…
Medusa was no longer listening. Her head swam as she considered Clotho’s words. Hera. As in Zeus’ wife. That Hera?
…they did something to him. Though I cannot tell what it is. His curse state isn’t natural.
Huh?
Akrivi stood and strolled to her side. “I have some rewards to earn.” He gestured ahead. “After you, patron.”
What's this about?
Medusa crossed her fingers as she followed Akrivi out of the dining hall. I'll be needing high-grade aether stones.
Oh, so that’s why that child’s eyes are gleaming like a greedy cat’s? Clotho laughed.
Unfortunately, yes.
How many?
Medusa gulped. This was the tough part. Four.
Clotho fell silent for a beat. I can afford more than that.
That pause. Medusa didn’t trust it, but she still hoped. So, you’ll give me?
Sure, but on one condition.
Medusa groaned on the inside, already feeling weary. What?
How good are your map-reading skills?
One Trope Has To Go
