Medusa's Head

The warm breeze carried the sweet scent of blossoms and fluttering, pink petals as three handsome, young men strode through the peaceful, picturesque village on a murderous quest, the youngest holding a divination snake. A few women’s faces peered out of windows and the occasional furtive shape slunk in the gardens. The snake, small and gold with most of its body wrapped around the young man’s arm, was jerking around in an agitated way, a sign, the brothers had been told, that its prey was near. It was now clear the snake was intent on a particular house, much like the others. Normal except that the shutters were closed in the morning.

Krild, Ol and Perseus, the three sons of Lohu, clambered up Mount Cargin, leading three increasingly uncooperative goats. The boys were farmers but it was a dull life and they wanted more and thought they had the skills to be more. Being Rangers patrolling the Border Mountains where they lived was supposed to be easy money for fit, young men. However, to do that, they needed a god. The Border Mountains were wild and thinly populated, between three kingdoms, each with a different god. As all gods could be summoned to the alter on top of mount Cargin, they were going there to see which would take them. Kril hoped it would be Poseidon, the god of manhood who was the god of the kingdom of Marim.

They could summon him specifically by having sex with the goats before sacrificing them.

When Krild had suggested raping the goats, Perseus had responded, “If Poseidon is so macho, why does his vimana have a woman’s thing on one edge?”

“It’s the port for the mirror matter chamber,” Ol had said. “Every vimana has one.”

“But it’s normally hidden among complicated stuff,” Perseus had argued, “why does Poseidon have to have his right on a corner and looking like that?”

“To prove he’s tough, it’s a challenge,” Ol had replied. “Anyway raping the goats is just gross! One them’s even male!”

To be honest, Krild didn’t fancy goats either. If the brothers all went together, they should at least all end up serving the same god.

They staggered to the mountain peak, killed the goats and laid them on the alter as a sacrifice.

Perseus, the youngest but smartest brother, looked up, raised his hands and shouted to the sky, “Oh greatest of all gods, we call upon you to come to us so we may serve you!”

“Oh deer,” Krild thought. Although Perseus was smart, he, at times, could show a special sort of stupidity. Krild had a nasty suspicion that this would summon one of the horrific monster gods who had come to their forefathers in enormous vimanas in the Shadow Times and subjected the people to horrific, tyrannical rule. These had been killed by the new gods, who were more like humans and more reasonable. Still, Krild just knew Perseus had called trouble upon them and wished that Ol had called the god as he was better with words and diplomacy, but there was no taking it back.

As the sun set in a fiery glow, no god had come and there was no sign of any vimanas. The brothers agreed to take turns to watch.

“She sleeps by day,” the young men had been told.

Beads of sweat broke out and ran down their heads and their pulses quickened as they looked at the house, the snake frantically writhing in Perseus’s hand.

They slowly circled the house. No dogs, no geese. Puzzled they proceeded carefully, much to the obvious annoyance of the snake.

“Perhaps you should just let that thing go,” said Ol.

“No,” said Perseus, “magic’s never user friendly, if we don’t follow the instructions exactly there’s no telling what trouble we’ll get into.”

Krild was awoken by a man’s voice. He opened his eyes, it was still dark but turning slowly, he saw four men gathered round the fire, illuminated by it and eating and talking. Well one, ordinary-looking man seemed to be doing all the talking. Krild was struck by the realization that the men were eating the sacrificed goats. He also realized the fight would be four against three. Just a minute, he recognized one of the men as Perseus. Krild didn’t recognize the other three but he had a bad feeling about them. Perhaps a god had come but why hadn’t Perseus, or maybe Ol, whoever had been on watch, alerted the others as soon as he saw a vimana approaching? Krild quietly took hold of his sword. He couldn’t see Ol, was he still alive? Perseus wasn’t naturally a good fighter but, with the help of his brothers, he’d worked his way up to mediocre. Krild had no idea what the strangers were capable of.

“Ah, one of your brothers is awake!” said the stranger who was doing all the talking, looking at Krild.

“A god is here,” said Perseus.

Krild pulled his feet under his body, pushed himself upright and looked around, no vimana.

“Why does a god need a vimana?” asked the stranger.

Krild couldn’t answer that and was shocked that the man seemed to have read his mind. Everybody knew that every god had a vimana that they travelled around in. Wasn’t it having a vimana that made you a god? Poseidon had got a vimana and become a god by having sex with a woman in a temple of a goddess.

Ol also got up looking confused.

“Swear allegiance to me,” said the man, who seemed to be a god but he didn’t look like one, “and I’ll give you great blessings and make you mighty.”

“Who are you?” asked Ol.

“I am Craftsman, the greatest of the gods who created all worlds and maintains them, the god worshipped by your forefathers in the Shadow Time. I promised I’d protect them when the monster gods came but they refused to believe and worshipped the monster gods instead and lived to regret it. I’ve given your brother a sign. I’ve given the same sign to another who you must find and join with. I’ve also left you a scroll of my laws, that you must follow.”

Leaving scrolls of their laws was at least typical of gods.

Somewhat reluctantly Krild and Ol swore allegiance to this strange god, not seeing an alternative now their sacrifices had been taken. Perseus swore enthusiastically. Then the god and his companions vanished.

“What have you gotten us into?” asked Krild.

“Watch!” said Perseus, with uncharacteristic succinctness.

He held his arms out at about 45º with the palms down and shot up into the air and started flying around. “Guess I’ll see you aback home!”

Krild and Ol were amazed. Perseus had become one of the anointed, those to whom the gods had given special powers.

Gaining access to the house was surprisingly easy. Either they weren’t expected or this was a trap. There was nothing special about this house. Simply a living room and what the men assumed was a bedroom. There were herbs hanging up to dry and some pots and pans.

The door of the guard post was hanging off its hinges. The guard post was little more than a hut of rough stones, but with a roof with crenellated walls around it and could be stood on and it was positioned to overlook the pass. It was used by the Rangers, charged with keeping the peace in the mountainous border lands between Marim, Gok and Inmao. Gok was governed by Themis, the goddess of justice and Inmao by Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The group of five Rangers who’d been sent to replace those at this guard post spread out to see what the problem was. Three of the Rangers were the sons of Lohu, the other two Poseidon worshippers. Although the Rangers were supposed to be comprised of people from all three countries that bordered the mountains, most were Poseidon worshippers. However, they generally treated the other guards well and didn’t live up to the dreadful rumors about how Poseidon worshippers behaved on the Western Steps.

Inside, they found some gruesome black statues dressed in the singed armor of Rangers who worshipped Poseidon and posed in positions suggesting that they’d died in agony.

“Dart must have killed them!” cried Larn, the youngest of the replacement Rangers.

“Of course it wasn’t Dart!” said Hor, the leader of the group. “She kills people with poisoned darts.”

“Perhaps it was a really nasty poison,” said Larn, “and she got in by acting friendly as she’s very beautiful.”

“No,” said Hor, “this is the work of Medua, she burns people in a weird way so they end up like this. Also Dart flies, she wouldn’t attack in a small building like this.”

Krild and Ol cringed. They’d been hoping that Perseus didn’t find out that Dart could fly. Ol particularly thought that this was a bad idea but Krild wasn’t sure why.

“Dart flies?” asked Perseus.

“Yes,” said Hor, “she’s another anointed with the same power as you. You don’t know her do you?”

“No,” said Perseus. “Any idea where she lives?”

“Supposedly, Grinthun Palace but there’s no way queen Cassiopeia would tolerate that.”

Cassiopeia was very beautiful but was known for her dislike of other beautiful women and anointeds. She employed ugly servants although, unusually, she did have female guards. Dart was reputed to be beautiful, and anointed.

Perseus regained consciousness, opened his eyes and shook his head in response to something cold and wet, that he hoped was water, being thrown over him. He was in a sitting position with his head on a table. He reached for his sword but he didn’t have it.

He remembered he’d been questioning servants in Grinthun Palace, thinking this was probably the best way to find out about Dart. He couldn’t remember anybody claiming to know anything but had noticed an alter, like the one Craftsman had told him to build, outside the palace. He’d felt a prick on the back of his neck and couldn’t remember anything after that.

King Cepheus was reputed to be a kind and intelligent man. He’d controversially married a very beautiful but low born maid servant of Aphrodite. She was thought to now be the real power in Inmao.

Perseus looked around. He was in a small room with sparse but tasteful decor. On the other side of the table, which was made of polished wood, were seated the two most beautiful women he’d ever seen, one clearly taller than the other, dressed in fine clothing.

“Good morning,” said the smaller woman. “People tend to get me wrong. They think being a maid servant of Aphrodite is all hairstyles and pretty dresses. Depends what your job is but I was in charge of the weapons on her vimana. I don’t employ ugly people because I’m vain, I employ competent, trustworthy people and don’t care what they look like. Now what makes you think that a flying girl who kills people with poisoned blow darts would be here?”

“It’s a rumor. I thought it worth investigating.”

“Oh, thinking, asking questions, investigating things. That’s rather strange for a Poseidon worshipper.”

“I’m not a Poseidon worshipper.”

“What god do you worship?” asked the taller woman.

“Craftsman.”

“But isn’t this Dart person killing Poseidon worshippers?” asked the short woman.

“I thought she was killing Rangers.”

“I think she kills rapists,” said the shorter woman. “Most Poseidon worshippers are rapists because Poseidon is a rapist and asks his worshippers to do likewise. He even became a god and got his vimana by raping a woman in one of Aphrodite’s temples. Aphrodite was furious with him but some more powerful god decided that Poseidon should be rewarded and made a god for it, which made Aphrodite even more angry. Where was I?”

“Most rangers are Poseidon worshippers,” said the taller woman.

“Yes,” said the shorter woman. ” Poseidon worshippers try to maintain a better image in the Border Mountains because he’s trying to take them over and expand his territory. However, now that they effectively have control of the Rangers, they’re getting less cautious.”

"Poseidon thinks it’s manly to rape women and treat us like cattle,” said the taller woman. “They rape them too. What do you think is manly?”

“Being generally nice to women,” said Perseus, “and being a good husband and father.”

“Do you do that?”

“I try to be nice to women but my job sometimes requires me to deal with some who are acting unlawfully. I’m still looking for a suitable woman to be a good husband to, who will hopefully bare my children.”

“Like Dart?” asked the taller woman.

“I don’t know, I don’t think I’ve met her but I don’t know what she looks like.”

“Isn’t there a flying Ranger?” asked the shorter woman.

That was supposed to be a secret.

“Is there?” Perseus asked noncommittally. “Perhaps Dart should go and talk to Rangers about him instead of just killing them. They go to taverns when they’re not on duty and often carouse with women there.”

“If we see Dart, we’ll tell her,” said the shorter woman. “Anyway, I suggest you get going back to wherever you live now, as the sun’s getting low.”

“I’ll do that, your majesty. Can I have my sword back please?”

“Isn’t it rather light for a man of your size?” asked Cassiopeia.

“It suits my fighting style.”

The truth was that Perseus could only carry so much weight and a light sword was easier to wield and fly with.