Chapter Eight
Medusa
Writers
IceTe3a
CharlotteCarrendar
IceTe3a: They were laying down near each other the traditional Greek platter spread out in between them now as he continued to show her how to eat Greek style and what goes with what “Simple but high in energy, this stuff will keep you going” he smiled as he continued to eat slowly, throwing in some feta cheese a olive and some bread together he munched down. His ears perked as he didn’t show it on his facial features but a gun had just gone off, obviously they were still being tailed. ‘What was that?’ Nadia had asked as he shook his head and shrugged “Rocks falling perhaps, It is a old cave system and the earth does move” he chuckled as he packed up most of the food but left a small amount out for Nadia to finish off, coming to a stand he pointed down “Eat it, unlike me your body isn’t used to surviving on bare minimum” he smiled as he picked up the empty water bottles and drained the last one out into a glass and placed it in front of Nadia “Drink” he chuckled as he walked over to the stream once more to fill up the empty canisters. He lied to her, he knew it was gun shots, but he wasn’t going to tell her that and scare her more, she should be able to enjoy a moment like this as he looked down into the river and started to fill up the empty water canisters. Bubbles surfacing and popping as he continued to fill the water, it was simple really when the bubbles stopped the canister was full.
Pulling the canister out of the water he screwed the lid back on as he glanced down and counted, with rationing the water they had a week’s supply more if they needed to ration it desperately. Collecting the canisters he came to a stand and walked over towards Nadia as he opened one of the dry bags and shuffled the canisters inside, zipping it back up he glanced over at the Cyclops statue and shook his head “that one won’t be getting back up again, I hope” he chuckled as he glanced around the cave system. Still it was hard to believe such an ecosystem could grow and survive down here it was something straight out of a book that’s for sure. “We have enough food and water to last us quite awhile which is a good thing.” He knew that was the first mistake of any rookie or wannabe adventurer he could hear squawking in the distance as he looked up sure enough there was a large tree in the distance with a bird hanging upside down on a branch it seemed to be eating something as it flapped its wings playfully another bird was sitting upright on the branch looking down at the first bird and hollering aloud obviously it’s had its food stolen. A simple smile appears across Dante’s face, “I’d live here and never go back to the real world” he said in general as he nodded reassuring himself, taking a glance down to Nadia he extended his arm outwards to help her get off her feet, his other hand picked up all their gear and swung it on his left shoulder with ease. “Come on let’s get a move on, the temple awaits us!” he chuckled as he nodded in the direction of the temple.
CharlotteCarrendar: – In the cavern of Medusa, the great Goddess was slithering between the various statues of those men who were to fall prey to her bewitching gaze. Both men were huddled behind one of the larger statues, their faces etched with fear as the Serpent sung out to them with a sing song voice which dared them to take the chance and gaze upon her beauty. A massive head of coiling snakes turned left and right. Sickly green and shiny the snakes all hissed in unison and waved about like hair that floated beneath the sea. The remaining guard gulped as he checked his ammunition and realized that the magazine cartridge was almost spent. He had dropped the rest of his back pack in the last chamber. “We’re fucked.” He whispered, looking at Jason with fear in his eyes. Jason snarled back in a hushed tone. “We need to find a way out of this cavern. They must be connected.” Only problem was how could they run if they could not see? The vile hissing of the snakes was drawing closer, as was the slithering of the vast body of Medusa that covered over fifty metres in length. “Oh…don’t be afraid. All it takes is one look, and you will never love another.”
The guard knew she was closing in, and that was when he realized he may not come out of this alive. Gung ho and full of fear he leapt up and with his eyes closed he started to fire his weapon in the direction of the sound of the great snake. Needless to say there is only one way to end her and that was to cut off her head. Shards of broken statues was flying in all directions as she slithered across the ground and right up to the guard, whose gun finally ran out of ammo. ~Click…Click…Click~ it was no use. The guard dropped the gun, but then found the snake started to wind her coils around him much like a snake does a rat or small rodent. She smiled devilishly at his screams. His violent protests and curse words as he kept his eyes shut would have her only laugh hysterically. This was the chance Jason needed. With the Snake to preoccupied with this catch, he seized the moment and ran as fast as he could, darting between statues and leaping over rocks. At the end of the cavern, he saw what was a small hole big enough for a man to get through, but not the snake. He dived into it as the guard’s screams were heard. “LET ME GO!” She was squeezing the very life out of him, his eyes bulging in their sockets as he fought to keep them closed. “Just look at me, and I will.” Famous last words indeed, for the moment he looked at her, his face turned pale then the veins in his skin started to darken, his skin cracking as the frightened man turned to stone.
Dropping the new statue where he took his last breath, Medusa laughed like a fiend. She knew there was another in the cavern…but where was he? :: Nadia was enjoying the Greek food feast that Dante had put together. The sensation to her tastebuds, words could not describe. “Mmmm.” She had already been put to ease by Dante about the sounds of the supposed gun fire being just rock movement in the cavern, but he knew what they were. Being handed a cup of water, Nadia drank the whole lot in one go, letting out a satisfied gasp and wiping her hand across her mouth. Not exactly good table manners, but considering where they were, no one was about to pull her up on it. Her meal eaten, she accepted Dante’s hand to help her rise to stand, and brushed herself down before putting her backpack back on. What was ahead of them was a great temple that was ringed with vines and other creepers. The stairs ascended into the pavilion, and inside of that there was a bath dug into the floor, with pristine crystal clear waters. There was an underground spring that sent up heated water much like you would imagine a spa. It looked inviting to say the least. The open chamber had a high ceiling and was painted with murals of a chariot style race, and men running, wearing little at all. On either side of the end wall were two large fire fonts that both burst into flame as the pair entered. A large darkened doorway led into the next chamber. <3>
IceTe3a: Stepping inside the temple the air was thick and stale to the taste he had to blink a couple of times whilst his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the temple, but it was warmer in here his hues looking around the room closely as he noted the design of the inside temple walls “Defiantly on the right track it’s ancient Greek style that’s for sure” Suddenly *Poof!* two giant fires exploded further in on the walls across from them lighting the room, this brought light to their current situation “Automatic lights, yet we can’t even perfect this ourselves in this day and age” he chuckled as it took another moment for his eyes to adjust to the new light in the room. His eyes shifted to the centre of the room where a dug out bath was, he glanced over at Nadia and cautioned her with his hand to stay close but behind him, walking forward slowly he glanced down at the bath tub.
“Huh.. Steam.” There was steam rising from the water in the bath, the pillars around the bath had beautiful mermaids holding a vase in their arms tipping it downward water flowed freely from out of the vases “Greeks did invent the plumbing…” he kneeled down as he placed his hand in the water for a second, pulling his hand out and pressing it to Nadia’s cheek “It’s hot water, a natural hot spring must run deep under this.. Clever bastards” he smirked as he glanced over at a side door, walking over it appeared to have a staircase leading down into the darkness “Yeah dark rooms are a No no from now on” he chuckled as he walked back and continued to admire the rest of the room “ It’s just amazing how simple they lived but in this day and age it’s like they were all living so luxurious” as he walked around the other side of the room he looked around to Nadia and pointed for her to sit “Stay, read the journal see what it says from here” he nods to the room behind him “I’ll be in this room, just seeing if it goes anywhere” Turning on his feet he continued to walk into the next room it was large, there were small moats lined on either side of the walls on the floor as he took in the room, small treasures a old style bed with what looked to be white silk covered all over it for sheeting and pillows “They knew how to live”
Walking in further he noticed the ancient Greek writing on the walls along with sculptures. His next step was rushed *Click* “Ugh…” he said as he heard a rumble in the room *rumble rumble, click, clank –Turning noises- Ching* “Oh please no…” * Booof!* the sound of water trickling from behind him caused him to turn, one statue either side of the wall much like the mermaids in the last room was pouring a shiny style of liquid water into the moats as they filled. They were leading somewhere.. he looked around the room where everything was positioned but there seemed to be a rather large gap on the end of the room with nothing there but a bare wall “That can’t be right..” he walked over to it and tried to brush the wall off of any dust “Nothing..” he took a step back and noticed his feet sounded… splashy, glancing down he saw the liquid moving from the moats slowly.. they creped over to the bare wall in front of him, the water scaled the wall covering it from head to toe as it mirrored the room “This isn’t good” he realized something.. his reflection wasn’t there and then.. he looked into the water the doorway behind him, there was sunshine… he could see a town with people walking.. suddenly a rather large man the same size as Dante 6’8, he was bare chested and muscle bound with battle scars, a traditional red cape that draped onto the floor, a rather large round shield attached to his back, a Xiphos hung from his waist (Spartan Sword and last a Spartan helmet covering his face with a red mane running on the top down to the back. The strange man only appeared in the reflection waters as he started to walk closer into the temple and casually walking over to the same room Dante was in “Nadia…. Nadia…!! Come quickly!!” he said as he looked behind him, he couldn’t see any other man in the room. He knew Nadia would be here shortly as he glanced back to the reflection, Dante and the man were now Face to face “What you starting at?” Dante stated, as the man took off his helmet slowly Dante’s eye took note of a female figure running into the room dressed in a white robe in the reflection, his eyes flicker back to the man as his helmet was fully taken off… it was… it was Him.. It was Dante.. but in full Spartan Attire.. in what looked like through what Dante could see out of the temple door was Ancient Greece “Nadia… what’s going on?” he said as he glanced down to Nadia who was now standing next to him, he glanced back to the reflective waters as he noticed the other him was starting down at the female as she had her arms wrapped around one of his arms, but she was staring at both… Dante and Nadia with a simple smile.
CharlotteCarrendar: – Nadia plonked down onto the stone floor, and did as she was asked. Opening up the journal and starting to flick through it as the calming sound of gurgling waters from the hot spring was making her feel relaxed – calm. She was trying to decipher the text and symbols she was reading when Dante yelled out to her. “Nadia…. Nadia…!! Come quickly!!” he sounded in a panic and this had her drop the book and get up from the spot on the floor. “Coming!” she cried out, pushing off with her right foot and running into the passage that led to a new part of the temple. At first she noticed the small moats that were filling with a strange silvery liquid. She had to wonder had Dante set off one of the booby traps. Nadia saw the bed with the fine linen and couldn’t get over the luxuriousness of the surrounds. “Wow, they knew how to decorate.” She said to herself, as she went to find Dante. When she turned the corner what she saw in front of her had her almost fall back. Dante was standing in front of what looked to be a picture, but…it was moving. On closer inspection there was a man and a woman on the other side of was like a water like landscape. “What the…” Nadia’s voice trailed off as she saw the woman standing with her arms linked around the man’s. It…it looked like her. And the man, looked very much like Dante. “Nadia… whats going on?” The first question that Dante would ask of course was what they were seeing. Nadia could only blurt what she thought she saw. “That’s….that’s us. They are us, and…we are them?” she cocked her head to her side and then tried to reach out and touch her other self.
In another part of the cavern system, Jason was holding up in a tunnel, while he heard the final scream of his guard at the hands of Medusa. He was now on his own, with no supplies, and no weapons. Trapped deep inside the mountain, and the only way forward was to keep going into the small tunnel that he entered. Fear that Medusa might be able to find a way to him, he kept on going wondering if he would somehow catch up with Dante and Nadia.<3>
