Author's note: This is a direct sequel to my first story, "Medusa's Trophy," which I recommend you read. 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 Medusa's Trophy:
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. The first story ends on an ambiguous note as Medusa invites the freed slave to open his eyes and look at her.
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Asklepios' jaw fell agape, and his breath caught as his eyes drank in the wonder of Medusa's face. Her beauty nearly made him ignore the rippling tingles where their bodies pressed together. Years before, he'd seen a troupe of Thespian actresses with painted faces and thought them beautiful. Now that memory seemed cheap and garish as he beheld how the subtle patterns of Medusa's fine, snake-like skin highlighted her high cheekbones, tapered jaw, and full lips that widened into a demure smile.
"Breathe, Asklepios. You're not a statue. Not yet, anyway."
Suddenly realizing how his lungs ached for fresh air, the Helot gasped, panting for a few moments. Medusa's bosoms quivered against his chest as she chuckled. "You thought I would turn you to stone with your arms wrapped around me? That would put me in an awkward position."
"But your face - I - I thought one look would -"
"- Silly mortal. My human eyes turn my enemies to stone, not my face. There is no need for me to use those eyes, though." One of her snake-hairs brushed its head against her cheek as it stared at him. "I see just as well through my pets." She frowned as the snake's head tilted up and down. "And I see a man who needs some attention. But first, close your eyes and turn around."
He frowned. "Can't you just keep your human eyes closed?"
"Of course I can, but you have seen quite enough of me. Despite what you might think after seeing me with the Spartan, I have my modesty too. Besides, I want to talk. This is the first polite conversation I've had in centuries."
"I can talk without closing - "
" - Please. I had to remind you to breathe a moment ago, and I saw you watching me before. Now close your eyes and turn around."
With a sigh, the Helot shut his eyes, and Medusa slipped away as he turned around. Asklepios became aware again of the throbbing welt on his cheek, the ache in his bruised ribs, the sting of his raw shoulders, and a dozen other hurts from older abuses. Yet he felt no pain from his newest wound.
Asklepios held his punctured hand up and probed the broken skin as he heard Medusa's light footfalls receding away. "Why doesn't it hurt where your snake bit me?"
"That is the venom. My pet did not give you enough to kill you. You probably saw me massage some onto the Spartan's skin. It helps soothe my would-be murderers. You may look now."
Medusa stood next to her bed, a grey-blue sheet wrapped snugly around her shoulders, chest, and hips. She untied the bonds holding the Spartan's stony feet and used them to secure her wrap. "Now we can talk without distraction."
Asklepios swallowed. "Sure." His eyes wandered down. The unadorned cloth hugged her figure in a way that was just as alluring as her naked form. She could have worn rags and looked elegant. As his gaze returned to hers, he saw her frown, and some of her pets coiled back.
Rude lust had ruled his former master and driven him willingly into death. Was his courtesy keeping him alive? Thinking quickly, he said, "Where did you get the cloth and the rope on this barren island?"
Medusa's face softened, and her snake hair relaxed. "My pets provide what little I need. Now sit down." She returned and knelt in front of him with a small bowl, into which she dipped her fingers. "Hold still."
She raised her fingers to his face and gently massaged a thick, sticky paste into his welt. His whole body tingled at the sense of her touch, and as she stroked it on his swollen flesh, the throbbing pain there faded. Asklepios flinched away.
Medusa pulled back, bemused. "Did I hurt you?"
The Helot shook his head. "No. I just - My master preferred that I hurt. Medicines like this were for wounded warriors, not slaves."
Medusa snorted as she applied more salve to his hand. She cleaned away the blood and dressed the wound with a length of cloth. "You're not a slave anymore, Asklepios. You should enjoy what I give you while you can."
"I suppose so." He raised his fingers to the welt on his face. The pain in his cheek had vanished entirely, replaced with a pleasant warmth. "None of my salves ever helped my former master's hurts so well. How did you learn to do that?"
Medusa glanced over her shoulder at the supine statue that had been the Spartan, petrified at his apex of lust. "Would you care to help your former master one last time?"
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Asklepios struggled to keep his footing in the waist-deep water as he squirmed to the side, trying to keep the Spartan's marble phallus from poking his ribs as he held the heavy, petrified body up to the wall. The stone armpits were slippery. The Spartan's petrified manhood was a more convenient handle, but just thinking about grabbing it made the Helot shudder. Asklepios glanced over at the other would-be killers hung up in the hallway, frozen in stone as they contorted with passion. "How did you mount all these by yourself?" Realizing the double meaning, he quickly added, "On the wall, I mean."
Medusa laughed as she tied one of the Spartan's marble wrists to the wall. "Usually, I wait for the rainy season. This passage fills most of the way up, and the current slows down. It's still heavy, but I can move it along bit at a time."
The Helot shifted over, letting the binding take half the statue's weight as he held up the other wrist. "That must take a long time."
The Gorgon shrugged as she walked around behind him. His body tingled faintly as the bare skin of her arms brushed against his. Then she started tying another binding to the Spartan's other wrist. "It gives me something to do for a season. Immortality can be dull when you - What is that?" She stared down at the Helot's scarred chest.
Asklepios followed her eyes down, baffled. Carrying the statue through the water had pulled his tunic open. 'Well, that's a brand identifying that I belong to my master's family, the lines there are scars from my whippings, and the bruises are -"
"-No, no, that noise you made? There it is again!"
"Well, I'm hungry. Don't you get hungry?"
Medusa shook her head. "I'd forgotten. I've not eaten in - well, a long time"
"Would you like some? I carried provisions for a couple of weeks in my sack out there." The Helot jerked his head upstream, towards the cave entrance. "Once we finish putting my old master in his place, of course."
The Gorgon smiled as she pulled the knot tight. "I would like that."