The Gorgon Chonicles-The Gorgon Medusa

PART II

Five years later from her ascension from the Underworld…

Medusa was at peace. She had used the time to settle into a comfortable cave and using all of the items she reclaimed from the damaged vessel. During the day she explored the island in depth, getting to know every rock, tree, plant and animal she shared the island with. The animals had strangely grown accustomed to Medusa's daily tours of the island. They did not approach her and she never lowered her hood or raised her eyes to petrify any living creature. They gave each other enough space to coexist, and there was the peace. At night, Medusa would either gaze at the starlight sky, listening to the sounds of the wild, light a torch and record her thoughts onto the scrolls she found years earlier, or confine her mind in a semi-conscious meditative state seeking to commune with the demon. On some days the demon spoke to her in partial phrases and sentences. Other times the demon would be silent. She continued the effort until she achieved a fluid communication with her internal resident.

The cave she chose for her sanctuary looked less of a dark, damp place but more of a comfortable place of rest. When she placed all of the items taken from the crashed vessel in their place, she was astonished to realize it looked similar to her former dormitory at the temple all of those years ago. Even the proximity to the beach was close to what she remembered as where her and Airlea would spend hours on its sands sunbathing. Airlea, Theron, dozens more faces sped through Medusa's mind as she continued to grieve for them. She wondered if she was able to slip away into the night, would they have lived? Deep in her heart, Medusa was saddened as she recalled their faces caught in the last moment of fright.

A strong gust of wind blew into the cave kicking up dust and other debris. Medusa shielded her eyes and then discovered something extraordinary, her eyelids had finally closed. Thanks to Remiel's healing power, new eyelids had grown over eyes and now she had the ability to blink and close them. She wiped tears away, another stunning discovery. She ran to mirror she secured and looked at her face and body. The face she knew, the last time she saw it, was on her twenty-first birthday. It was staring back at her in a shocked expression. The only difference was her skin was still a deathly pale gray, black snakes, except for one white snake, continued to be her hair, and her fingernails were still made of bronze. She slipped out of her dress and stood naked in front of the mirror looking at her body. The scar from Perseus' sword was gone and her youthful body had returned. In a twisted sense, Medusa retained a certain beauty about herself. Remiel's touch had done more than just heal the visible scars.

This was the closest Medusa had felt to being human in countless years. Was it possible she could become human and put an end to this curse? Of course there were no answers. The solitary Gorgon took up a scroll, a writing implement, two dried pomegranates and sat the edge of the cave entrance. She watched the sun set on another day and the early even stars twinkle in the multicolored sky. Medusa poured her thoughts into the scroll as well as the noted the arrangement of the stars in the sky. For days, no discernible pattern emerged but Medusa remained hopeful of another chanced meeting with the celestial Seraphai.

Weeks passed with Medusa living a comfortable, albeit solitary, life on her deserted island. She possessed uncanny knowledge of the island in every detail, she captured them in map drawings she created. In the wooden chest she now owned, her scrolls were placed into it with care. As she prepared for bed, a wild dog ventured into her cave and laid itself down at the entrance. Medusa was stunned that an animal would venture into her cave, especially when all of the wildlife gave her a wide berth as she traversed the island. First, she tried to scare the animal away by hissing, growling and yelling for it to go. The dog merely raised its head, looked in Medusa's general direction and put its head back down. Two more options were open to her: throw something at the dog to drive it away or approach it to petrify it.

As she approached it slowly with a rock in her hand, her extraordinary senses noted the dog was in distress: its breathing was shallow, its hind right leg looked stiff and its tongue was protruding. The dog was dying from either disease, old age or both. Medusa dropped the rock and placed her hand gently on its side. The wild dog did not react but winced in pain. From the touch, Medusa understood what was wrong and knew deep down she could nurse the dog back to health. She picked up the animal and placed it on her bed. She then started to brew some leaves and cooked some of the preserved meats she had in storage. After she was done, she placed the food on a plate and allowed the dog to eat. It nibbled some of the meat but stopped after a while. Medusa then took the brewed leaves and added water in a bowl to allow the dog to drink. The female dog only drank a little of water before it lay down and fell asleep. Medusa sat on a rock opposite her sleeping sack and went to sleep.

For the next several days, Medusa continued to nurse the dog back to health. Each day the dog ate a little more and its breathing got stronger from the brewed leaves. Medusa rubbed and massaged the crippled hind leg until the stiffness went away. Soon the old dog acted like a puppy, yapping in approval of Medusa's treatment.

Medusa was happy she had a companion, a house guest, her first pet. But she knew it could not last long until either this wild dog dies, runs off or looks into the eyes of its master. Medusa could not bring herself to just send the dog away, so she took every precaution possible to make the dog as comfortable as possible. That meant allowing the dog on her sleep pad and feeding it first. After two days of this, a small bed was created for the dog to sleep on and the mistress of the cave pointed to it in a firm manner. Obediently the dog took to its new bed and Medusa reclaimed her resting place in the cave.

Mornings were held special for Medusa. She would go out every morning (rain or shine) to gather fruit, take a walk, fish at the beach, and expel waste material in a very deep hole. She learned to mask her Gorgon features, to appear more as a human female and not as a monster. Her mane of hissing snakes became quiet on her mental command, as well as rearranged themselves in whatever fashion she chose. Her eyelids can hide those dangerous eyes and still she can see through them with no problem. After a while, this became tiring. She used some of the metal materials from the ship and fashioned a crude visor to place over her eyes. She continued to wear the hooded cloak in the cave and around the island as to further her ability to push the demon possession inward and to allow her human side to emerge. The experiment proved to be successful as birds, insects and other small creatures cautiously approached her, sniffed and calmly walked away. A feeling of elation swept over her. She can finally own the curse and not let it rule her life.

The wild dog, always remained at Medusa's side, sometimes it would stand on hind legs to get closer to Medusa face or at other times, beg for a treat Medusa would have in her pouch, dried pork wrapped in a banana skin. The dog would always react happily to it by jumping up, wagging its long tail and even barking a bit. In a delightful way, Medusa enjoyed taunting the old dog but soon gave him her treat, sometimes two. The days were less lonely with her new companion at her side and being able to communicate with the Gaz'don demon inside of her. Again, Medusa felt at peace.

One morning, she woke up and saw the small bed empty and the dog standing at the front entrance of the cave. She stood strong and alert. Something caught her attention and she was wagging her tail wildly. Medusa approached her slowly and knelt next to her dog. She looked through her visor at her and onto the island plains. Someone was out there she thought to herself but her Gorgon vision revealed no humans walking about. And she heard the howls and barks other wild dogs on the island, possibly from same pack her companion came from.

She let a few howls in acknowledgement and looked back to Medusa. She understood what the dog was feeling: a sense of loyalty to the one who healed her and the call of the wild. She wanted to go with her pack so badly but torn at the new friend she made. Medusa rose up, walked to a part of the wall where she hung fish to dry out. She took one and presented it to her companion. She sniffed it and then looked to Medusa who beckoned for her to go with her pack. The dog raised up her hind legs and Medusa knelt. She licked her face, grabbed the fish and took off down the mountain path.

Medusa watched as this old dog ran with vigor of a young pup and soon she heard the howls of delight from the other dogs in the pack. Once again, Medusa was alone, but this time she was not lonely.

Several weeks later, Medusa walked through a section of the tropical forest that had the best fruit she had ever tasted, white mangoes. It took her a while to get used to the taste of them; they were bitter at first but then settled into a sweet sensation. Medusa harvested at least one dozen every few days and returned the oversized pits into the earth. More trees would grow keeping in white mangoes for years but she exercised caution as to where and when she planted the seeds. Overstressing the soil before it could revitalize itself for new plant life would not produce healthy trees. So she had spread them around the area to increase her crop of mango trees. As she left her trees, eating her third mango, Medusa headed back to her cave. When she came on a clearing and foothills, she saw an animal lying on the grass. She approached slowly and to her shock she recognized it as her one time house guest, the old dog she nursed back to health. She dropped the sack and ran to the body. From a quick investigation, she noted the animal had been recently deceased with no signs of poison or physical trauma. It seemed the time spent with Medusa (an agent of death) gave this animal several more weeks of life to live. A thought occurred to Medusa: the old dog was trying to make his way back up the hill to Medusa to die. Only it never made it back to Medusa. She clutched the dog close to her body and wept. Tears of joy and pain streamed down her gray skin as she started to hum a lullaby for her departed friend. Several minutes later, Medusa dug a grave for the dog at the foot of the pathway leading to her cave. She made sure the grave was deep enough so no other animal would disturb or consume the remains. Eventually all flesh would succumb to decay in some way but she wanted preserve her natural remains. Petrifying them would certainly do that but the Gorgon dismissed the idea.

When she finished burying her canine friend, Medusa used her fingernail to carve an inscription into a headstone and set it upon the soft pile of earth she dug for her dog. A moment of silent prayer was observed as Medusa tended to her thoughts of good times with this wild animal. When she was done, she went back up into her cave and went to bed in sorrow.

* * *

The season was changing on the island. Medusa was eager to see a new season come about and to witness how it would affect the island. From her cave she watched the animals either migrate or build burrows to hibernate for the coming winter. As she watched various animals gather food, she did the same, making sure she had enough for the coming months. For days she harvested firewood, prepared oil for the lanterns, fished and picked fruit and vegetables. After her work was done, she went to her writing. She was running low on writing material, which concerned her. Medusa enjoyed writing when she was at her beach temple all those years ago and now she can continue to do so. A horrible, dreadful thought crept into her soul. She was alone on this island with no other soul to see or hear her thoughts. Why was she keeping them? A desperate notion to let the world know she was not a monster, a victim of circumstance forced to live in exile? Enraged, Medusa grabbed all of documents and placed them on a pile on her cave floor. She then prepared a torch to burn them when the demon let out a shriek inside of her head.

The Gaz'don demon pleaded with her not to destroy the thoughts and feelings of her life. Medusa argued that no one will be around to read them and some of the thoughts were for her, the demon and the ultimate creator of the universe. The torchlight created unusual shadows on the walls and formed patterns. The demon used them to show Medusa that her life can be used for an inspiration for others, if not only to provide a true accounting of her life and the truth about the gods. Medusa looked at the shadows and saw ships floating on the seas, tall towers rising from the ground, people dancing around a woman who resembled Medusa, and then something else that made her put the torch down. Three shadows facing off against two of other shadows until only two shadows remained. The meaning escaped Medusa but she began to feel a sense of self-worth and the need for survival.

The demon continued to voice its opinion as Medusa gathered up her scrolls and placed them back into the wooden chest. She sat down on her mat and listened to more of what the demon had to say. In the days since of emerging from the underground caverns, the demon had seen more beauty than it ever had since being joined with Medusa. Its memories of its existence in the dimension called Hell were fragmented at best. But it chose to live a peaceful life on earth, even if it had to be within the body of Medusa.

Medusa wanted to pull the demon from her body but she remembered all those years ago when she first saw those serpents springing from her scalp and she tore two of them from her head. The result was the other serpents turned and sank their fangs into her face causing it to swell, bruise and become misshapen, adding to her horrible appearance. A secret the demon disclosed to Medusa, if she did not already know, that she has many abilities at her command, aside from the eyes of petrification, but strength, speed, longevity (near immortality), spell casting and looking at events past and future. Indeed, with the Gaz'don infused with Medusa's body, she was a very powerful being. The question for Medusa was what will she do with that power?

Stretching back on her mat, Medusa told the demon she will have to think more about what her role would be in this strange world. She didn't know for certain how many years she had been trapped underground, let alone know how many years past since Perseus came to her island. Based on Euryale's and Stheno's accounting of events, it was only fifty years. But that could not be right, she thought to herself. And since her resurrection, Medusa could not use her own memory or the natural progression of aging. Medusa would use her long life to ponder her options and continue to explore her abilities. However, the future waited for no one and in the next fifty years, Medusa would have to make a decision on her destiny.

* * *

It was a dark and stormy morning.

The type morning that would wake one from a restful sleep. The shock and flash of lightning and deafening thunderclaps filled Medusa's cave. She sat straight up in bed eyes open, scanning the cave for intruders, her snakes hissing in agitation. For a moment, she thought the Olympians had returned and she was ready for a conflict. But it was not the case. Instead, the wind and rain blew into her living space scattering some of her items not weighted down around the cave. She got up, restored the order of her cave and stood at the cave entrance watching the storm. In the fifty years of being a resident of her isolated island, Medusa had never seen a storm so intense. She cast her gaze into the dark, rumbling clouds to see if there was an entity or spells generating inducing the storm of unprecedented magnitude. She sensed no presence or spell behind the powerful maelstrom.

"I guess nature is allowed those times when she can show her might," Medusa said quietly as she walked back into her cave. At the front opening, she waved her hand in a circular motion and created a transparent field to block out the wind, rain and debris the storm may carry with it.

"A door," the Gaz'don demon said. "We need to build a door for the entrance. This way we will not be awoken by storms such as this!"

Medusa smiled as she collected some vegetables, water, herbs and dried fish she caught the day before and prepared to make her morning breakfast in her home crafted kettle. "Carpentry is not one of my best skills," she said aloud as she poured the water and started to break up the herbs and vegetables, throwing them into the kettle.

"I agree. Metallurgy and blacksmithing are not your best talents either," the demon commented at the unusual shape of the kettle Medusa used to cook in.

Some years ago, Medusa wanted to use a metal pot to boil soups and meats. She discovered brass and other metals she could mix and create a simple kettle to cook in. She built a crude smelt and smiting core to create more metal objects for tools and possible weapons. The kettle was her first attempt to create something large and complex. Unfortunately, the cast for the cooking pot did not go as she planned. Her first creation became a warped cooking item. She then decided to start small: small hooks, spear heads, and needles that enabled Medusa to hunt and fish more efficiently.

"Scoff at me all you want. This pot cooks well and I won't get rid of it!" Medusa said as she continued to prepare her breakfast.

"Yes, until another pot washes ashore and you can be rid of this...monstrosity," the demon coldly commented.

Without another word, breakfast continued to be prepared and Medusa enjoyed her fish stew. She put out the fire and cleaned up from breakfast. Then, she grabbed a mango and walked back to the front of the cave. Lowering the field, she stepped out to notice the storm calmed its rage but not by much. The winds still howled and the raindrops fell like hail on her tough skin. A torrential downpour was in progress and any plans calling for outdoor activity were cancelled due to the hurricane. With her demon eyes, Medusa searched the island to check on the numerous animal species that shared residence with the Gorgon. Most of the animals found adequate shelter in the trees, underground burrows and mountain ranges the nearby. Some were not fortunate to escape nature's fury. The bodies of birds, small primates and wild dogs (some from the same pack as the dog Medusa kept) were tossed and broken on ground or blown away by the wind. Medusa grieved briefly for those animals but then realized it was how nature dealt with the population of animals and humans no less. Suddenly, she heard it! Something she thought she would not hear ever again but it was unmistakable: human voices!

She turned her head in the direction of the sea and at first she saw nothing but the turbulent waves, the wind and ocean spray. She squinted and turned her ear toward the sound and there it was, or rather there they were. Three ships full of people were crying out in panic as their vessels suffered from the battering of the strong ocean waves. The ships struggled to stay afloat but it was only a matter of time until they were claimed by the storm and the angry sea.

Medusa watched intently from her cave entrance. At first she was frightened at the notion of people discovering her on this deserted island and then she dismissed the thought. These ships were most likely blown off course and now battled the seas for their lives.

"Those souls are in an unfortunate mess," the Gaz'don demon said with no emotion. "Soon they will all die and if we are lucky, wreckage will wash up on the shore and we can maybe claim a new cooking pot."

Medusa half ignored the demon but was deep in her own thought. What if those people could be saved? They could survive on the island for a while and then leave, to sail back to wherever they came from. Or, the sea can destroy them. Judging by their course and direction, the three ships would slam into the mountain side of the island. There would be no survivors and no wreckage for the eventual searchers to come looking for. Her privacy would be maintained and she can continue to have the island all to herself. Still, something deep inside her stirred and she could not deny it. Compassion. In all the years of being a Gorgon, Medusa showed little compassion and mercy to any that dare seek her out to murder her (except to Perseus but that yielded detrimental results). Yet, these people, whoever they are, were not looking for Medusa, only relief and deliverance from this storm.

"We have to help them. They will die if we do nothing." Medusa said in a regretful voice. "If we help them, they will have a chance to live. But they will have to leave once they are able to make their vessels sea worthy."

Medusa felt the demon expressing a note of concern. "What do we do if they do not leave? Do we add petrified statues to this paradise?"

"No. I will not live in another graveyard such as the one we lived in with the other Gorgons. I would rather tear open their flesh with my claws rather than see them turned to stone." Medusa went quiet for a minute and then continued. "My eyes will be the last resort if they prove uncooperative."

Standing inside the protective dome Medusa mystically fashioned, she called upon the universal forces to expand her abilities to the point where she can feel as if she was on those decks. Her serpent hair hissed loudly and her Gorgon eyes widened until she had complete vision of the vessels. What the surveillance told her was astonishing. The first vessel was from her former home nation of Greece. She recognized the language but it was a different dialect than she ever heard. The men ran about the deck trying to keep the ship afloat. Two men stood at the aft section directing the crewmen below at the oars and single giant mast to steady the ship. A man, maybe in his middle years, wrestled with the steering rudder to pilot the ship in a different direction with very little success. As he yelled over the howling of the wind and the crashing of the waves, he instructed the second man, who held colorful rags in his hands, to signal the other ships specific instructions. The captains of the other vessels complied, but no matter what were done or not, they were all at the mercy of the storm. Medusa looked at the Greek ship and knew it was a trading vessel of some sort. The other vessels, from which the cries of distress were louder, held many more people than just the crew. She heard cries from men, women…and children? What kind of vessel carried such passengers? And then it occurred to Medusa that this was not a passenger vessel, but a slave ship.

"Are these Greeks traders of human flesh?" Medusa seethed as she looked back at the Greek ship. "I should let them all die and drown in the sea. Better off for all people in the belly of those ships."

"I do not think the Greeks are slave traders. Listen!" The demon allowed Medusa to listen in on the panicked conversations the Greeks were attempting to have on battered ship. She heard a few sentences and phrases to lead her to believe that the Greek ship is attempting to not only guide the ships to safety but to free all of the enslaved peoples on the two other ships.

"Admirable," Medusa commented when she restored the force field spell and walked back into her cave.

"Indeed. So what are we going to do about it?" the Gaz'don demon asked. It already knew what Medusa was planning.

"We will save them all. But there will be a price for my assistance. They cannot stay too long on my island." For a moment, Medusa was reminded of her time as the Gorgon monster and she dared foolish soldiers to come and challenge. This situation was different. No one came with intentions of challenging Medusa and it was the storm that brought these unfortunate souls to her doorstep.

She moved quickly in her cave, putting on another robe and grabbing a thick, dark gray cloak she sewn a few years back for a particularly cold winter. Medusa also grabbed her crude visor to cover her eyes. Commanding the snakes to go limp and quiet, she pushed them back into the hood of the cloak and made sure she could conceal appearance as best as possible. Satisfied, Medusa ran out the front entrance of the cave, negating her force shield. Moving as a blur across the mountain terrain, she traveled to the highest peaked and leapt into the sky. Airborne, she attempted to negotiate the forceful winds as she planned to land on the deck of the Greek ship.

* * *

Ocean waves violently pounded the deck of Greek trading vessel, the Poseidon. Two oarsmen were washed overboard and drowned in the raging sea in attempt to make landfall. With the loss of five oarsmen, the odds of the ship surviving were quickly reduced. More crewmen took to the oars in an attempt to row out of the strong current, but to no avail. The current was taking the ships faster and dangerously closer to the cliff side of the island. No one aboard any of the vessels was aware of the imminent danger that lay directly in their path.

The older man, captain of the Poseidon named Alpheus, struggled at the helm for control of the ship as he wrestled with the steering wheel. Like the rest of the crew he was soaked to the bone and freezing. In spite of brutal conditions, he continued to helm the vessel through the storm. It meant the survival of not only the vessel Poseidon, but the other ships as well.

"Dionysus! Tell the other ships to lower their main masts before winds snaps them clean off! And tell them to increase the distance between each ship. If we are too close, we will collide and sink to the bottom of the sea!" Alpheus yelled over the noise of the storm.

The young man holding the colored flags, Dionysus, yelled back, "Shouldn't we have the ships sail closer together so we can take on passengers in case there are people hurt uncle?"

"No! The ships can weather this storm but if we are too close, we risk the lives of the persons aboard and the ships themselves. We need every one and every vessel!"

Dionysus nodded and then used the blue cloth to signal the other captains. Thankfully, the space between them was visible enough for the ship signalers to see each other. Dionysus signaled the ship off the portside, waited for an acknowledgement and then slowly crossed to the other side, fighting the wind and the torrent, to signal the other ship. Both ships began to slowly increase the distance from each other. Although the maneuver bought some time, all three ships were still caught up in the grip of the tempest.

"We need to hang on a little longer. I think we will make it out of this storm-"

"No! Your time is running out and your ships are in danger!"

Alpheus and Dionysus looked up to see a gray cloaked being land on the deck behind them with a subtle thump. The figure held up a hand to stop both men from running or charging.

"Listen to me. Your ships are on a collision course with rock cliffs of a nearby island. You must turn your ships sixty degrees to the south and you will find a large beach to land. This is your only chance," the gray cloaked being said in a deep, throaty voice.

Alpheus wiped rain and seawater from his brow, a futile effort, but he could not believe what the stranger was saying. Another wave crashed into the ship throwing everyone aside. The cloaked figure barely moved. Clearly, this being possessed some sort of mystical abilities to withstand the force of the seas. Alpheus was suspicious as to the true motives of the intruder.

"How can we trust you? For all we know, you could be leading us to our doom!" he yelled over the waves. Some of the crew closest to steering platform observed the stranger and Alpheus talking but were ordered back to work by Dionysus. He turned his attention to the stranger.

"I will make it possible for you to turn and make for the beach." Without another word, the cloaked figure raised both its arms and began concentrating. Soon, the waves stopped their brutal assault on the ships. The winds died down. The fog dissipated. Three ships floated in calm waters and ahead of them, numerous rock cliffs only one hundred feet away. Without intervention, the ships would have crashed into the mountain side and be completely destroyed. The crews of all ships cheered as they praised their individual deities. But it was Alpheus and Dionysus who thanked the stranger for deliverance.

"We cannot thank you enough for saving us," Alpheus stated as he inclined his head.

Dionysus was not so humble in his comment. "Yes thank you, stranger. What is your price for your rescue of all of us? Should we build a statue?"

Before the gray cloaked stranger could answer, Alpheus grabbed Dionysus soaked tunic and then quickly allowed his frustration to dissipate. If the cloaked being had not saved them, all three vessels would smashed into the jagged cliffs. Alpheus attempted to make Dionysus calmly understand their plight.

"Be quiet, nephew. Obviously, if this being has the power to put the storm at bay, then he can easily destroy us." He motioned to the jagged cliffs to the bow of the ship. "Or allow us to die by the angry seas. Show some respect."

The gray hooded being overheard most of the conversation between the two men, but the Greek language they were speaking was a bit strange. Some words were recognized, others unknown. He turned to them. "Move quickly, the spell will not last long." The gray cloaked figure pointed to the not so distant beach. "Your vessels can land at the beach in that direction with minimal difficulty. Find shelter as soon as you can." The cloaked figure walked onto the deck past many bewildered crew and oars men. Some looked at him in fear while others dropped to their knees in worship. All were ignored.

The gray figure walked to the bow and saw the name Poseidon carved into a wooden plaque, identifying the name of the vessel. With a sneer and growl, the plaque was torn off as easily as tearing a piece of parchment. The being tossed the plague it into the sea and then leapt from the bow and into the sky, leaving a bewildered crew behind to watch in awe. The sea was calm but just beyond the ships the storm still raged and the waters churned violently. Alpheus immediately took the circumstance as an immediate call to action.

"Alright you men! We have to make for a beach landing. Come about sixty degrees. All available men to the oars and row for your lives. Dionysus, signal the other ships to get underway." He gestured to the Simon, the second mate, who was directing the oarsmen on deck. "Take the helm, I need to go below and check on our passengers."

All of the men on deck moved about their tasks with a hurried purpose. With the reprieve from the storm and possibility of landing on an island, hope was rekindled. Dionysus signaled the orders to the others ships as Simon manned the wheel and began turning the ship away from the cliffs.

One deck below, Alpheus walked through water soaked passageways to his cabin. He grimaced at the appearance of so much water, it could only mean there was a hull breech and the vessel was slowly taking on water. The cargo may make it but he was concerned more for his passengers. He opened the door to the cabin to see his servant Panphila and his granddaughter Anthea doing well. Obviously shaken by the storm but doing well, Anthea (age 8) ran to her grandfather and hugged him, indifferent to his soaked robes.

"I was worried about you," she said as she squeeze his waist as hard as she could. For a little child, she was very strong. He knelt down and kissed her forehead.

"How are we doing?" Alpheus asked as he stared at Panphila.

"We are okay, but there is water seeping in all over the deck and this cabin. I tried to place your things higher up on shelves but the ship was so unsteady. We tried to secure as much-"

"I told her to sit down and hold me while you tended to the ship grandfather," Anthea cutoff Panphila before she caused herself to go into a panic. "All of the thrashing about frightened us but I know you will get us through this storm."

Alpheus looked at his granddaughter and then at the panicked Panphila who was twisting her light brown hair. He motioned for her to join him and Anthea in an embrace. She did so and Alpheus held on tight to the girls. "Listen to me," he pulled back from them and looked them in their eyes. "We are very close to an island. We will try to make landfall in this storm. This ship will experience some violent shuddering as we set down on the beach. I want the two of you to tie yourselves down to main supports in the room. Do not try to venture to the main deck until I or Dionysus come and get you. Do you understand?" Without a word, both girls nodded. "I am hoping we will all come out of this as safely as possible. We have lost so much already, I don't want to risk anything more."

"Is this island safe grandfather?" Anthea asked as she and Panphila found some rope in the cabin and began tying the rope to two stools and themselves to a support in the back of the cabin.

"Safer than being out here on the seas," replied Alpheus as he finished tying a complex knot. He stood and placed his hands on both of their cheeks. "We will get through this. Do not worry."

No sooner did Alpheus stood up, Dionysus burst into the cabin with news. "Uncle, all ships are ready to make for the beach. But we must hurry, it looks like the spell that sorcerer cast is fading and the sea is churning up!"

The color from Alpheus's face drained and looked pale. He felt the ship begin sway back and forth. Their time was running out.

"A sorcerer was here?" asked Anthea with delight. "I thought they were myths and legends. What did he or she look like?"

Alpheus walked over to Anthea and kissed her on the forehead. "Time for questions will be soon but not now." He stood and looked and both girls with urgency. "Stay here and hold on for dear life. Understand?"

Both Panphila and Anthea nodded in agreement, held on to each other and to the rope.

A minute later, Alpheus and Dionysus stood on the deck in front of the remaining oar rowers left on this ship. Sixteen men handled the oars and all of them appeared to be exhausted from the extra labor and compensation for loss of their brother rowers. Still, none deserted and remained steadfast in their commitment. They had very little choice since they were rowing for their lives.

"Men, I will be brief. The storm is rising again. The reprieve we were granted is fading. The island for our salvation is directly ahead and we can make a beach landing. Row like you never rowed before! Row for your lives and for the lives of everyone on this ship!"

The rowers cheered and got set in their positions. Dionysus reached the steering platform and continued his duties of signaling the two other vessels. Their captains made the necessary preparations and rowed in the direction Dionysus relayed. Alpheus took the helm tightly in his grip, said a silent prayer and then yelled, "ROW!!!"

On the rowing deck, the oarsmen pulled on their oars as hard as they could. Large wooden oars impacted the water and moved the ship forward. Alpheus frowned and began to worry. With loss of so many men at the oars, the Greek trading vessel moved slower than anticipated. The two flanking ships, weighted down with passengers, moved slightly faster than the trading ship. Regardless, all three vessels were making their way from the rocky side of the island and headed in the direction of the long beach line. Once the beleaguered vessels were clear of the rock side of the island, the spell of protection faded and the skies grew dark. For a moment that lasted a lifetime, everything was still. Every person on all of the ships felt a sense of peace but also a pending dread.

Then suddenly a large wave slammed into the side of the Greek ship. It nearly capsized the vessel but it quickly righted itself. The slave ship sailing on the right side of the Greek vessel experienced a similar wave but instead of nearly capsizing it was thrown into the aft right quarter of the leading Greek ship. All persons on both ships were thrown about but none were seriously hurt. The captain of the first slave vessel could be heard over the wind and waves yelling orders to his crew to turn the vessel away from the Greek ship. The second vessel experienced only minor damage but was drifting away from the other two vessels. Regardless of the damage, all ships raced against the storm toward the beach.

After rowing hard for several minutes, the Greek vessel and the two slave ships came within sight of the beach line. Several cheers were heard over the storm but Alpheus and possibly the captains of the other vessels saw the impending danger: giant waves were crashing onto the beach with such force, each wave impact changed the shape of the landscape. Riptides and swelling waters made it impossible for a vessel to land safely on the beach but given the choice of a rough landing and death in the seas, a rough landing was the best preferred choice.

"All hands, keeping rowing until I give you the command to retract oars. We will let the waves land us!" The oarsmen did not respond but maintain their rowing pace. Dionysus looked to his uncle at the wheel.

"Are you sure about this uncle?" he questioned as the ship took another hit from the wind and waves, steadying himself on the nearby wood railing.

"We are out of options. It is the beach and survive, or death at sea." Alpheus struggled against the wheel to hold the ship steady. His fears were amplified when he attempted to turn the ship away from the slave ship on the starboard side. The helm did not respond; the rudder and all steering functions of the Greek vessel Poseidon were inoperative. The crew's last hope was to hold on to anything tightly fastened to the ship.

The Greek vessel, still on course for the beach, was rocking out of control at the mercy of the waves. The oarsmen continued to row but now the rhythm was lost. Waves pitched the vessel back and forth until it pitched too close to the nearby slave ship. They collided again but this time the damage was more severe. Both hulls were ripped apart and taking on sea water. The cries of panic and fright rose from the passengers and some of the ships' crew members. Additional damage was also experienced as the main mast on the Poseidon cracked at its base and fell onto the deck. No one was hurt, but they all knew after the storm was through with them, the Poseidon would never sail again.

Alpheus was about to issue another command to his crew when the wind blew particularly strong and it gave him an indication something deadly was coming. From behind the ships, the largest tidal wave Alpheus had seen in all of his days of sailing was moving fast behind them. He looked ahead and calculated there were only several more feet to the shallow waters and then they can properly beach the vessels, but nature will do that for them. The water swell reached a dizzying height of twenty-five feet high; it moved with such speed and fury that it struck all three vessels so quickly, Alpheus had no time to scream for the crew to hold on. The Poseidon and the first slave ship collided together and were carried on the wave. Men, oars, cargo and anything else not bolted down tumbled in and about the ship. People slammed into each other and onto the wooden decks of the ships. The third vessel experienced a similar catastrophic impact but the wave deposited the ship on the far side of the beach. The other two vessels slammed into the beach and into the nearby trees. For a moment, everyone lay still, whether unconscious or in shock. Then, they all praised whatever deities they gave worship to.

Alpheus checked on his nephew, who was alive but injured. He then saw to the rest of the crew. Everyone escaped serious injury which he was thankful for, and then he rushed below deck to Anthea and Panphila. He entered to see both of the young girls visibly shaken, a few cuts and bruises, but otherwise fine. Anthea untied herself and ran to her grandfather.

"Have we landed grandfather?" she asked in calm voice, surprising for a child who just been through a violent storm and crash.

"Yes my granddaughter, we have landed," Alpheus said with a tear streaming down his cheek.

* * *

Medusa stood at the entrance of her cave viewing the entire adventure of the three vessels making their way to the beach. Without her intervention, they would have all crashed into the unforgiving rock side and all persons aboard would have perished. But mercy for those not hunting her or seeking her head may have played a part in her decision to interfere in their fate. She considered that not hearing another human voice in untold years could have colored her opinion to save them. Regardless, they were there on the island with her and they all made it. Two vessels collided and beached themselves into the cluster of trees on the beach. The other vessel landed further away near the rocks but was safely beached. Thankfully the energy of that wave did not carry them further inland, in which case, there would have been no survivors.

As she stood watching with curiosity, Medusa saw the crews of all the shipwrecked vessels slowly make their way out onto the beach and then into the cover of the trees. Some people limped, while others carried supplies and the critically wounded people on makeshift stretchers. Through the trees, the Gorgon saw the survivors constructed tents for the children, women and the injured while the rest of the people ran back and forth from the their ships gathering whatever they could salvage.

"It looks like they will be okay. The storm looks to have only a few more hours of life left to it and then blow onto some other island," the demon spoke with reassurance. "They will have a peaceful night and they can commence the healing after a long, traumatic journey."

Medusa smiled and shook her head in agreement. She did not change her garments and all of them were soaked completely. She remembered long ago that wearing wet garments was a sure way of getting sick. With her enhanced metabolism, she did not have to worry about suffering from typical ailments humans may be at the mercy of. But common sense told her to discard her wet clothing, bathe and rest. It was a long and eventful morning and it was time for her to prepare lunch.

"Yes, they will be fine. I am surprised at the number of children aboard those ships. Also the many different tribes and cultures of the people…very strange," Medusa noted as she walked inside, placed her clothing on a rope line to allow them to dry and started a fire.

Standing nude in front of the fire, she warmed her rain/ocean soaked body. She thought about taking a bath but decided to sponge clean herself instead. Reaching for a pale colored natural sponge she knelt by the fire and cleaned herself. "From what I can gather, all of these people were captured by some invading force in their home countries and the prisoners were to be placed into slavery. That in itself is appalling."

"And now you have freed these peoples of diverse cultures and gave them a fighting chance to survive. Admirable."

Medusa froze at what the Gaz'don said and pondered it. She had spent at least one century destroying men and women with the power of her eyes. Now there were approximately two-hundred people seeking refuge on her island. No one came seeking Medusa without the malice to claim her head. The residents of Medusa's island were unaware of the potentially dangerous being residing in the mountains. What will they do if she was discovered? Will she curse this island paradise with stone corpses of the survivors? She remembered the wild dog she cared for until it died in the jungle. These people are not wild but civilized in their own way. Far more dangerous. A chill, not from the rain or the coldness of the cave, ran down her spine and she felt fear.

"We will have to decide what to do about these survivors. Whether they will stay or go. It is unwise or unkind to throw them back into sea after we rescued them," she said softly.

"Well my dear," the demon started. "Congratulations. After a number of years in isolation, you have neighbors!"

The demon's words weighed on Medusa's mind for the rest of the day and into the evening. She finished sponging herself and prepared her meals for a late lunch and dinner. The storm that ravaged the island moved on to ravage another land. Despite the damage on the island, downed trees, frightened wildlife, three ships on the beach and dozens of human survivors, the island will see a resurgence and restoration. The sunset was particularly sparkly and amazing to view. Medusa felt a sense achievement, joy and pride in what she had done for the first time in countless years.

Night fell and the sky was clear and the stars were out. At this time of the evening, Medusa was accustomed to hearing the myriad sounds of the island come to life in the night. This time, she heard the sounds of prayer, jubilee and music from the survivors. It was a pleasant sight to see people dance and be happy; merriment was an experience she thought she would never undertake. Even the stars above seemed to shine brighter than usual due to the survival of the people on the beached vessels. One star caught Medusa's attention in the northern sky. It shone like a sun of a distant world, larger than the others in the sky. She could have been mistaken that the star seemed to twinkle and sparkle just for her. Medusa wondered if that star was Remiel looking down upon her. He would be proud of her for what she has done this day.

Medusa turned her attention back to the beach forest where the survivors made camp. Fortunately food was plentiful and it was an opportune place for a camp. Just one more island occupant they would have to get used to.

The Gaz'don demon was right, Medusa had neighbors!

END OF PART II

* * *

END OF PART II