Monsters and Legends

Chapter 4

Medusa stood there, unsure of what exactly was going on. Moments ago, she was face to face with the king of the underworld, fully prepared to accept she wouldn’t survive the encounter. Now he wanted her to follow him? Hades stopped and glanced over his shoulder at her.

“Are you coming?” She glared at him.

“You really think I’m going to just…,” she paused at the foreign words coming from her mouth. They were most certainly not Greek. She looked at Hades, her mouth agape and a flustered expression painted across her face. “How am I…” Hades smirked and tapped at the edge of his glasses.

“Hephaestus designed these. They are rather impressive. They hold several magical properties, one of which allows the wearer to communicate in the native language of whatever location they are in. Currently, we are in the United States, so you are speaking English.”

“I could have used these several hours ago,” she mumbled under her breath. “What else do they do? You said they have several.”

“Follow me, and I’ll tell you.” Medusa’s eyes narrowed slightly, balancing her gaze between Hades and the giant growling three-headed hound that she could only assume was Cerberus.

“Alright, but tell him he needs to calm down. I’ve already learned my lesson by attacking you.”

“I hardly think you are in a position to be making demands right now.”

She knew he was right. She had already made the mistake of trying to attack the god, yet he was willing to spare her for now at least. Medusa submitted. She was too exhausted to try and fight against him again.

The two began walking in silence, neither sure of what to say, with Cerberus closely following behind Medusa, looking less than enthused about the situation. They reached a small retro-looking diner not too far off from where they previously had been. Medusa hesitated, staring at the entrance.

" I can't go in there," she stuttered out. Hades raised an eyebrow questioningly at her.

"Why not?" She stared at him blankly, before pointing at the mass of snakes slithering around atop her head. Hades rubbed the bridge of his nose in mild annoyance. "I suppose now would be the time to give you more insight into those glasses." He opened the door, waiting patiently for her to enter the diner. She reluctantly entered, surprised as a woman politely greeted her.

"Hey there! Welcome to Patsy's Place, home of some of the best pies you've ever tasted. Where can I seat y'all?" Medusa jumped back, bumping into Hades. Hades offered a kind smile to the lady.

"A booth would be fine, thank you." The woman nodded, guiding them to a booth and sliding menus in front of them before walking away to give them time to look things over. Medusa stared at Hades, before glancing at the woman who was helping some of the other customers.

"How did..." Medusa knew she had made direct eye contact with her, so how was she not stone? Hades watched as she pondered how this was possible with an amused expression on his face.

"The same way, she can't tell I'm a god, or that Cerberus here is a huge three-headed beast." He leaned back into his seat, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "In her eyes, I'm simply a blind man with his service dog and a cane. I'm assuming you simply look like any other mortal woman to her." Medusa darted her eyes back to his, confusion plastered on her face.

"These did this?" Hades nodded.

"My nephew is quite gifted. He knew at some point we would need to be able to walk among humans, so he created various items to allow this. These items, as I have stated earlier, have a wide range of abilities, from learning languages to masking powers and forms. Mine happens to be these glasses, but for Cerberus, it's his collar." He leaned forward onto the table, his expression becoming rather serious. "But we didn't come here to talk about this, did we?"

It was Medusa's first opportunity to see Hades clearly in the light, and she was not prepared. The stories she had heard as a child described him as an older, cantankerous looking man, but everything she was seeing was the total opposite. His hair was as black as the night sky, shaggy yet somehow still cleanly parted on the left side of his face, framing it perfectly. His icy blue gaze held a mysterious wisdom in them that could only be accredited to the many years he had existed. His face held a well-defined jawline and sharp nose that almost seemed as if they were chiseled by the most skilled of sculptors. A long scar, barely visible through the dark stubble growing, stretched down his cheek to the cleft in his chin. Medusa cleared her throat, forcing her gaze away. How could she find the man, no, the god that tried to kill her so attractive? She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Then what is it you'd like to speak about?"

"How did you escape?" Medusa flinched, bringing her eyes to his.

"I honestly don't know. Perhaps one of the magical items Perseus had backfired and teleported me here, knowing he was attacking an innocent being." Hades narrowed his eyes at her.

"What are you on about? How did you escape Tartarus?" Medusa furrowed her brows in frustration.

"A better question is what are you on about? Why would I ever go to any area owned by the gods, much less Tartarus?"

"Do not play dumb with me, girl. You know very well why you were there." Medusa kept her gaze locked on his challengingly, as her fists tightened. "Just tell me how you did it."

"How could I have been in Tartarus if I never even died? You sound absolutely insane right now." Medusa watched as Hades' body stiffened slightly and he broke his gaze off hers to look at Cerberus. He took a deep breath.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"I remember being warned by my sisters that Perseus intended to take my head. I remember Perseus bringing a group of soldiers into my cave, trying to trap me. I remember having no choice but to fight. I had pleaded with them, begging them to return home so that no harm would come to them. But he...," Medusa became choked up as the vivid memories flooded her thoughts. "Perseus just laughed. He said he had no intention of returning without my head. I remember the screams of the men as I slayed them, one by one, until it was simply the son of Zeus and I. I knew I couldn't let him live. He would simply come back to end me. I remember him creeping up on me, swinging his sword and then..."

"Then what?"

"I woke up in this strange place." Medusa dropped her gaze. "That is the truth, whether you believe me or not."Hades paused before looking at her once more, a brief moment of sympathy flashing through his expressions. He reached over, grabbing a shiny metal napkin holder, offering it to her. She took it from him, an eyebrow raising as she evaluated it. "What's this for?"

"Look at your neck," his voice firm, yet soft.

"But my powers. I can't look at..."

"Your powers are muted, remember? Just look." Medusa shifted the metal object around, looking for the clearest reflection. That's when she saw it. Her body froze and tears stung her eyes. A long jagged scar encircled her neck.

"I see." A single tear rolled down her flushed cheek before she wiped it away hurriedly. "So he succeeded then?" Hades nodded silently, watching as she struggled to maintain composure of herself. She closed her eyes, inhaling slowly, and letting out a calm exhale. "Well, it appears you were right then. This scar proves everything you just said. Just allow me to be prepared before you inevitably send me back."

Hades began to reach to place his hand on hers to comfort her, but stopped himself. Why did he feel so badly for her? Hadn't she deserved her fate? He pulled his hand back, placing it back in his lap.

"We all have scars, you know. Some are more visible than others. I'm... still rather undecided as to whether to send you back or not." Medusa opened her eyes, and placed the napkin holder back in place.

"What particular reasons have you so undecided? You have gotten your answers, haven't you?" Hades leaned against the table, placing his chin against his hand, looking thoughtful.

"The truth is, I still have no answers. All I have is more questions. How do you not remember your death?"

"It is not common to forget one's death?" Hades shook his head slightly.

"I've never come across it. Every soul I have ever spoken to could tell me details about their death. More importantly, how did you not even know you were in the underworld? Even the two mortals that escaped remembered every detail about their time there. Something is going on, but I'm not exactly sure what it is."

"So, what now then? Am I to be your prisoner until you get your answers and decide to send me back?" Medusa's gaze was cold, but she could hide her fear behind her frigid stare. "You no longer have use for me. I know better than anyone how your brothers treat people and objects they no longer have use for." Hades' expression matched his icy eyes as he stared at her.

"I allow many things, but do not speak of my brothers with such disrespect," the words flowed from his mouth calmly, but Medusa could hear the threat behind them. "They do not always make the best decisions, but they are still gods. Who are you to speak of them in such a way?" Medusa smiled at him bitterly.

"Well, your highness, if you do not know, clearly you don't know your brothers as well as you think you do." The two of them stared at each other, tensions building between them in the silence.

"Are y'all ready to order?" The waitress asked as she walked towards them, reaching for a server pad and pen she had tucked in her apron pocket.

"No, unfortunately. We will be taking our leave," Hades got up, offering the woman a hundred dollar bill he pulled from his wallet. Medusa forced herself up, staring bitterly at him.

"Aw, thanks hun. You didn't have to give me this!" Hades offered her a kind smile, and a slight bow out of habit.

"Please, it's the least I could do for taking up your time. Thank you for your hospitality."

"I really appreciate it," the waitress smiled brightly at the two. "Y'all make such a lovely couple."

"We are not a couple," Medusa and Hades blurted out simultaneously. The waitress let out a laugh.

"If you aren't now, you will be soon. I have a knack for knowing things like that. You two take care."

Neither Medusa nor Hades said a word as they left the diner. Cerberus paced closely towards his master, casting a curious glance in his direction. Hades had always been well known for hiding his true emotions, but at this moment, Cerberus could see a mix of them written on the gods' features.

"You never told me what you wanted to do with me," Medusa muttered, finally breaking the silence between them. Hades stopped in his tracks. The truth was, he had no idea what he was going to do with her. He took a deep breath in thought.

"Will you answer one more question for me?" Medusa stopped, turning to face him.

"What is it?"

"Why do you want to live so badly?" Hades stared downward towards the ground. "Is that really what you want? From what you told me earlier, it's clear you feel that you feel as though you've been mistreated. So why live?" Medusa looked away from him.

"I spent my whole life living on the terms of others. I became a priestess at the temple of Athena at the request of my mother. I was cursed because...," Medusa's words drifted off a bit. Hades raised an eyebrow with interest.

"Because of why?" Medusa cleared her throat before continuing.

"It does not matter. The point is, I have never lived on my own terms, and to be frank, I hardly feel like that is even living in the first place." She placed her fingers on her scar, bringing her gaze back to his. "Seeing as I have been given a second chance, I want to use it the way it should be. I want this to be my first opportunity to truly live. Surely, you of all people could understand that."

Hades released a deep exhale. He knew better than anyone what she was saying. He never chose to rule the Underworld, and given the opportunity, he would have walked away from ruling any of the three kingdoms. His brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, had convinced him that he was the only one capable of managing the seemingly endless kingdom. He did love aspects of being its ruler, but he found himself wondering occasionally how different things might have been for him, had he chosen to walk away.

"If that's how you truly feel, I would like to offer you a choice."

"I'm listening," she said, her curiosity piqued by the subtle softness in his voice.

"Your first option is you can walk away right now. No more questions asked. You and I will never see each other again, or atleast until another god inevitably finds you and Thanatos brings your soul back to Tartarus, which I assure you, will happen."

"That hardly seems like a fair option. What is the other?"

"You can come back to the Underworld with me. I will allow you free access to the mortal realm under my full protection and your resurrection and identity will remain a secret, for now at least. I need to know how you were released, and at this moment, you are the only identifiable piece of the puzzle."

"What's the catch?" Hades looked clearly taken aback by her sudden bluntness.

"Excuse me?"

"I've never known a god to make a generous offer without expecting something in return. What is it you are hoping for?"

"Am I not allowed to show any kindness?"

"You are Hades, god of the Underworld. You relentlessly hunted me down with the assistance of your hound, made an attempt at my life, and now you are offering me something I would be foolish not to accept. So just answer me. What are you intending to get from me?" A deep laugh escaped from Hades, surprising Medusa. "What do you find so humorous?"

"You really have no trust in any gods, do you? I have been clear what I want. I want answers. I need to know how you were able to get out, so I can prevent this from happening to other souls kept there. I would also like to see if we can recover any of those gaps that seem to be in your memories. That is it." He opened his arms at his sides. "Satisfied?"

Medusa stared at him wearily as she pondered. She could always walk away, but where would she go? He was right, she didn't trust the gods. After everything they had put her through, why should she? But she had no choice. With a frustrated sigh, she stepped towards him.

"Fine. When do we leave?"