Author's note: This is the fourth entry in my series that begins with "Medusa's Trophy" and continues in "Medusa's Pleasure" and then "Medusa's Proposal." If you'd rather not, then you can read a short synopsis below.
All characters in this story are over 18 (especially Medusa).
Synopsis of the plot so far:
The Helot slave of a Spartan warrior unwillingly accompanies his master on a quest to kill Medusa. Shortly after they enter her lair, Medusa captures both men. Bound and gagged, the slave watches Medusa seduce the Spartan, petrifying the warrior at the climax of their mating. When Medusa talks with the slave after, the Helot reveals that he had broken his bonds as he watched and chose not to interfere. Medusa and the Helot kiss, and Medusa learns the slave's name: Asklepios.
Medusa spares Asklepios' life, and the two get to know each other. Eventually, the pair mates. However, while Medusa climaxes easily and often, Asklepios finds no completion in their coupling.
In his undersea palace, Poseidon and Aphrodite watch Medusa and Asklepios coupling as depicted in the previous chapter. This inspires the two Olympians to a coupling of their own, but the sex goes badly. Aphrodite becomes angry and leaves. Poseidon worries about what the love goddess might do and resolves to go to his brother, Zeus, for help.
Back on Medusa's isle, she and Asklepios talk. Medusa is wracked with pain as two new snakes emerge from her head. Usually only one appears when she takes a victim, and the second snake is unlike her other head-snakes. Asklepios reveals that he had loved a Spartan woman, and that impregnating her led to her death by the Spartan authorities. Medusa eventually convinces the Helot that his lover's death was not his fault. They then have sex, with both climaxing.
On Olympus, Zeus expressly forbids the sea god from tormenting or harming Medusa in any way. As Poseidon walks through Olympus, he sees murals of his disastrous mating with Aphrodite, as well as many gods watching and commenting on how Asklepios and Medusa's mating is far more inspiring than Poseidon's efforts with Aphrodite. The sea god resolves to take action.
Back on Medusa's isle, Asklepios mates with the gorgon from behind as they watch the sun coming up. As they climax, an earthquake strikes. Asklepios pushes Medusa to safety, but in her panic, Medusa accidentally turns the Helot to stone.
Medusa labored.
She grunted as she stumbled up the hill. The stone she bore seemed heavier than the others she had carried that day. The weather had remained dry and clear, so at least her feet and hands did not slip. Still, the work was hard in the hot sun. Medusa's arms and legs felt a weariness they hadn't known since before the gods cursed her. It mattered not. This would be the last stone.
For four days, she'd labored around the statue that had been her lover. First, she had cleared away the rubble and gravel down to the petrified feet. She'd thought to leave him that way, but once she had the whole stone body exposed, it seemed wrong. The pose was undignified and awkward; the statue might tip, and its engorged phallus stood out; Asklepios had finished coupling with her seconds before - before - no, she would not think on that. Proper Greek statues never showed the phallus erect. Even the manhoods of her petrified would-be killers were hidden beneath the waters of her front hall. Her dead lover deserved what dignity she could grant, and that meant covering his turgid manhood. And so, Medusa labored.
In place of the gravel slope that had buried him, Asklepios would have a stone monument covering and supporting his stone body from the waist down. But Medusa was no stonemason, and she lacked tools, so it had to be a rough construction using the heaviest stones she could carry and place. Dozens upon dozens of stones enveloped her lover's remains in stacked circles filled in with gravel.
With one last heave, the stone was in place, completing the twelfth circle. Another hundred scoops of gravel filled the final circle in. She stood back and looked over her handiwork. Asklepios seemed to be springing like a flower from an oversized planting pot. An unbidden giggle burst out of her.
No! That wasn't fitting! What kind of a person would laugh at a time like this - at a place like this? But another giggle burst out - and another. She crumpled to the ground, doubling over in laughter. She'd wept many times through her labors of the last four days. What did a few tears of mirth at the tragic madness of her life matter? Her labors were done. As her laughing fit subsided, she found herself relaxing for the first time since the earthquake. Gods, she felt weary. Perhaps she should retire below to her cave and -
- A piercing cry rang out, and Medusa looked about wildly for the source. She saw nothing on the hill around her. Then, on its own, her dark snake looked up and hissed. Medusa whirled and looked up. A dark streak dove down from above, flaring its wings out before landing atop the stone arm of Asklepios' statue. Medusa gaped. A hawk! Besides her snakes, this was the first animal she'd ever seen on her isle. She shut her eyes; she had no wish to add this strange bird to Asklepios' statue, or to harm it at all.
Her dark snake had other ideas, detaching itself from Medusa unbidden and climbing the stone circles about Asklepios' statue. It hissed threats at the hawk, but the bird merely warbled back. The dark snake reached the highest, innermost circle at the statue's waist and coiled itself, still hissing. The hawk eyed the snake as it warbled back. Then the bird emptied its bowels upon the statue's arm.
Without any order from Medusa, the dark snake sprang in a lightning strike, but the hawk was faster, leaping up and flying off with a few final, piercing cries. The snake's eyes stayed fixed on the bird, hissing until the hawk was out of sight.
Medusa looked in wonder at the snake as it splayed itself out across the Helot's petrified arm and shoulders. Her pets had their own ways of doing things, but none had ever struck or detached itself without her command before. The snake rubbed and scrubbed away at the bird droppings on the statue's arm. Medusa added her efforts, and soon the statue was clean.
The gorgon stroked the snake's head. "You missed him too?" She looked over and cupped the stone cheek of her lost lover. New tears welled up in her eyes. The snake's head moved atop Asklepios' outstretched hand. A pair of tears fell from the snake's eyes, anointing the statue's fingers. Fresh grief welled up again. The gorgon sat and sobbed.
Eventually, Medusa recovered and stood, facing the dark snake. "You do miss him. But I - I can't stay here - I need to rest."
The serpent reached out and gave her a gentle nudge with the top of its head before settling back on the statue. Another pair of its serpentine tears fell on Asklepios' stone fingers.
The gorgon took a deep breath. "Very well. Stay here - guard his grave. And thank you." With a final stroke of its head, she turned and trudged down the hill towards her cave.
The statue stood, reinforced by Medusa and guarded by the dark snake. Its arm remained thrust out in Asklepios' dying effort to save his lover. The petrified hand locked in the last position it would ever hold -
- And then a finger curled.
~~~~~~~~~~
The late morning sun caught the rainfall from a meandering squall, forming a bright rainbow. Two figures flew into the midst of the dazzling, refracting light. The first was a shining, bow-armed man in a chariot pulled by swans. The second figure carried a trident and rode a dark storm cloud. The two Olympians turned their mounts, flying side-by-side amidst the rainbow.
Poseidon nodded at the sun god. "Hello, nephew." He swept his empty hand in a wide arc at the colors around them. "This is an odd place to meet."
"Your Stormclouds meet my sunlight, Poseidon. It's the only common ground we have. I thought this a better place to talk than Zeus's court on Olympus."
"You thought rightly. And I'm prepared to be gracious. You can apologize for your intrusion here, and not in front of all the gods."
Apollo frowned. "My intrusion?"
"Your intrusion, yes. You broke through my storm clouds, and now you've blinded my looking-glass -"
"- Your looking glass should still show you all your dominion. Did you break it?"
"Don't be coy. Medusa's isle
