by Jessica Cage
"Get what?" Asa stood and drunk the rest of the water from her bottle.
"The fates!" Rhea looked as if she would dance from her happiness.
"I'm sorry," Tethys stepped out of the aircraft. “Sister you have to be clearer with your announcements. This partial information is not helpful.”
"That is what she was after. She wanted the fates. I highly doubt Athena cares at all about Themis, it was the creation of the fates that she was concerned with," Rhea announced.
"The fates are still alive?" Asa asked. “Well I guess anything is possible at this point. Why not. There’s a dead giant over there, bring on the fates!”
"In a sense," Phoebe walked up holding a chest made of stone that had three images carved into the top, a spool of thread, a pair of scissors and a globe. "They are spirits, of sorts."
"They're in there?" Delila stepped towards the titan.
"Yes, and without them, Themis will be useless to Athena."
"Good for us, but what does that mean for Themis?” Tethys asked. “I don’t want to lose her again.”
"Hopefully our sister is smart enough to play the role. Athena doesn't know that Themis is without the fates." Rhea nodded. “I’m not even sure she realizes what the fates are. She like everyone else likely assumes that Themis can conjure them at will.”
"Where did you find them?" Asa asked.
"They were buried on the opposite side of the statue." Phoebe pointed. “The vessel was kept with Themis at all times. When the fates lost their physical form, they returned to the vessel.”
"What do we do with them?" Delilah reached for the chest, but Phoebe pulled it out of reach.
"For now, just make sure that Athena doesn't get her hands on them."
"For now, we need to get to Stheno and Euryale. Now that we don't have Themis, we will surely need their help. Are we done here?" Rhea asked with urgency.
"Yes, the team has their orders.” Iris joined them. She eyed the chest in Phoebe’s hand haven’t heard the explanation about what was inside it. “Clean up and cover up. Though with all the freaky shit happening all over the world, I'm not sure how much a cover up attempt will actually do now."
"Good, we can go now." Tethys turned and disappeared back into the plane.
"How do we find them?" Iris asked. “I’ll need to give the pilot coordinates.”
"The map the witch gave you, can I see it?" Rhea asked and Iris retrieved it from the plan and handed it to her. “Hold it open please.”
Asa grabbed one side of the map and Iris the other. Rhea pulled out the stone which still glowed and held it over the map. She moved her hand from beneath it and the stone floated over the map. It began to move then landed.
"They are here." Rhea removed the stone and pointed to the spot on the map.
"Brazil?" Asa recognized the location immediately. "This is taking us all over the damn world!"
“I’ll have the pilot stop for fuel, that’s a long trip to make.” Iris ran up the stairs to relay the information to the flight crew.
“Well, shall we ladies? The journey continues! ” Rhea bounced up the stairs with the others following behind her.
The cries were the first indication that they had made it to the right location. Deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, the home of the anaconda, where reports came of a deathly cry, the group stood and waited. Rhea held out the stone that glowed. She instructed them all to remain still, calm. The sisters would not take easy to visitors. When they stopped moving, the jungle fell silent, too silent. Even the wind stopped its breathy push through the trees. All signs of life was not there.
“Who are you?” The deep voice called out from the trees that surrounded them. Though they tried to locate the source, the continuous echoes made it impossible.
“Yes, who are you?” The second, lighter voice echoed the first.
“Why are you here?” The first questioned again.
“Yes, why are you here?” Again the question was echoed by the second voice.
“We’re here because we are working to take out someone of common interest, the goddess Athena.” Rhea answered them and in return got a shriek that pierced their ear drums. The only two that didn’t hunch over and cover their ears were Delilah and Asa.
“Why are you out for Athena?” The voice sounded closer this time, but they still weren’t able to find the source with their eyes.
“She brought harm to my mother!” Delilah called back. “Your sister, Medusa, she was my mother. I have returned to Earth to seek revenge for what she did to not only her but to you as well.”
Delilah’s proclamation was enough to convince the voices to reveal themselves. The two women dropped down in front of them, bodies of snakes and the hair to match. Their torsos were that of human women though their skin had a sickly green tint to it. Their eyes were covered to protect the women who came to them. Over the centuries, they’d adapted to use the eyes of the snakes that hung from their heads to see the world around them. “Come here!” The first demanded and without fear Delilah stepped forward.
“Stheno, could this be?” The second lifted her hand to the face of the woman who claimed to be her niece and as she did Delilah’s hair turned to snakes and her skin scaled over.
“Euryale it is true!” Stheno shrieked and turned to her sister. “She is who she claims to be.”
“How is this possible?” Euryale backed away from Delilah. “This is a trick!”
“My mother protected me,” Delilah hurried to squash their fears. “After I was born, she had me sent into protection so that I may never lay eyes on her face. She didn’t want to kill me like everyone else. I have spent my entire existence living in another realm and waiting for the day that I could avenge her death.” Delilah squared her shoulders as she faced Euryale. “I have come here to ask that you join me. Will you help me get revenge for my mother?”
“Yes,” Stheno, the oldest of the two agreed first. “Athena has done enough harm; she will not be allowed to return to this plane to cause more havoc.”
“Yes, we will help you, dear one. Daughter of our sister, blood of our blood.” Euryale smacked her heavy tail against the ground.
“Great!” Asa clapped her hands. “The sisters are in, now what?”
“You, who are you?” Euryale asked and slid over to Asa. Her massive tail pushed the others back as she approached. “Who are you?”
“Me?” Asa’s eyes widened and her head swiveled to find someone she trusted nearby but there Euryale’s tail completely encircled her.
“Yes,” Euryale turned to Stheno. “She did not succumb to my cry. Why?”
“I’m a siren, with a cry of my own, I suppose that cancels yours out,” Asa shrugged, and Euryale pursed her lips with disappointment.
“We’ll have to further test that theory.” Euryale filled her lungs with air preparing to blast the siren with the strongest wail she could produce but Stheno stopped her from the violent act which would have knocked the other women unconscious, even if it didn’t harm Asa.
“Later sister, first, we need to have some time alone with our niece.” Stheno beamed.
“What?” Iris asked but before she or anyone else could protest it any further, Stheno wrapped her tail around Delilah and the sisters shot off with their niece in tow.
Iris took off running but the firm hand of Rhea grabbed her by the shoulder and held her in place. She turned to the titan completely baffled by her lack of concern. “So we just wait here and hope they don’t kill her?”
“Don’t be so dramatic.” Phoebe rolled her eyes. “They wouldn’t kill her. If they planned on killing her they would have slaughtered us first.”
“How can you be so unbothered?” Iris’ temper was flaring and with her anger came the show of colors that danced along her skin.
“I’m unbothered, as you put it, because I know that there is a ritual that comes with these things. They have to bond to the girl; they have to make sure that they can trust her. It is she who se
eks their help.” Phoebe stepped to Iris and ran her fingertip along the length of her skin. Her inner light interacted with Iris’ and she smiled. “Just as we have yet to determine if you are trustworthy. Delilah will do what is necessary to prevail here. And until then, we will patiently wait here for her return.”
When the headrush caused by the reckless way she was carried through the jungle waned, Delilah found herself standing in the middle of her aunts’ nest. A massive cavern that was littered with bones and smelled of decay. She choked on the air that filled her lungs both from the burn of not being able to breathe and the taste that clung to the air echoing the smell.
"Why have you brought me here?" Delilah straightened after she caught her breath. “What is this about?”
"You are of our blood.” Stheno answered. “You are our sister's daughter."
"Yes I am." Delilah nodded.
"Yet there is something strange about you." The gorgon circled Delilah and the displaced bones rattled as her tail dragged along the ground.
"And that is?" Delilah kept her eyes forward. While the woman assessed her, she took stock of the space around her. There looked to be only one way out of the cavern and Euryale was blocking it.
"You possess great power, more than your mother, perhaps more than either of us." Stheno continued.
"I do think you're right, sister." Euryale paused and scratched her chin, "Although, there is something strange about her. It is as if something blocks her true potential."
"Which is exactly why we have her here sister." Stheno joined her sister by the cavern opening and Delilah turned to face the two of them.
"What are you thinking?” Euryale questioned her older sister. Her tail moved behind her knocking away a pile of bones.
“I think it’s time that we let her see.” Stheno reached up to remove the covering from her eyes.
“Do you think it’s safe?” Euryale hesitated to do the same.
“I guess we will find out, won’t we?” Stheno smiled.
The two slithered closer to Delilah who braced herself for whatever they would throw at her. Simultaneously they ripped the coverings from their face and Delilah took in the full sight of the two gorgons. At first it was silent as the warmth of their gaze moved across her body. Her limbs felt numb as did the rest of her body, but moments later things changed for Delilah. The fire ripped from her toes up and by the time the flame reached her heart the scream of Medusa’s daughter echoed throughout the jungle.
"That sounded like Delilah, we can’t just keep sitting here waiting while they hurt her." Iris was panicked by the scream that rang out around them. "We need to do something; we have to find her!"
"We cannot jump to conclusions..." Phoebe said again trying to counter the frantic energy of Iris. “The best thing we can do now is wait.”
"I agree," Tethys spoke.
"What if they hurt her, or worse? What if they kill her?" Iris shouted. “You don’t care what happens to her. Maybe this is what you all want. You’re blood thirsty and ready for battle, but you don’t care about her.”
"You need to calm down." Tethys held her hand out to her.
"Don't tell me to calm down." Iris shook her head. “You don’t get to tell me to calm down. I love that woman and they are going to kill her. I refuse to just stand by while it happens.”
The movement of colors lifted from her skin creating an aura around her body. The display was hypnotic until the colors blended together, and as if her skin was a mood ring, she turned a shade of black so deep, they could hardly see her.
"Um, is this normal?" Rhea asked and stepped closer to her sisters.
"I'm going to find her!" Iris’ voice took on a sinister sound.
"We have to stop her from doing something reckless!" Rhea yelled as she could tell Iris was about to take off.
Tethys and Phoebe both jumped forward grabbing the dark arms of Iris but screamed out as their hands were seared by the darkness.
"How do you suppose we do that?" Phoebe shook her hands at her sides.
"Cover your ears," Asa said and when they did, she started to sing. She turned the full power of her voice on Iris. The newly awakened goddess fought Asa, but her struggle didn’t last long. As Asa sung, Calypso emerged and captured the dark eyes of the woman before her. She pulled her into the song, caressing the frantic soul of Iris and the goddess gave in. She moved towards Asa and just before she could kiss her, her body returned to normal and Iris fell into Asa’s arms. The goddess was unconscious. "That won't hold her for long, we better hope that Delilah is back here before she wakes. I don't think I can do that again." Asa slowly lowered Iris to the ground then fell back to sit on a nearby log.
“How long do you think it will last?” Tethys peered over Iris.
“I’m not sure. A few hours tops.” Asa’s breathing was deep. “She is strong, I don’t doubt that she is fighting it now.”
“Let’s hope time is on our side.” Rhea looked out into the trees and listened for any sign that the gorgons were returning.
“What did you do to me?” Delilah asked as her skin tingled from her scalp down to her toes. Tiny vibrations covered her body in ripples.
“Let’s just say it was a test of sorts.” Stheno slithered around her with proud eyes. “One that you passed with flying colors.”
“I feel different.” Delilah admitted as she looked at her arms and watched her flesh continue to mutate between human and reptile. “Why is this happening?”
“You should feel different sweet child. You are awakened.” Stheno announced with pride. She covered her eyes though her sight would do no harm to Delilah. “Do you feel that, coursing through your veins? The power of your mother. She was a force to be reckoned with, until Athena did what she did. I never understood why she hid it from the world. But she passed that down to you. And now, a test.”
“Test? I thought I passed.” Delilah looked up from the arm she’d been examining.
“Oh you did, but before we return to your friends, you must learn to control yourself dear. You wouldn’t want to harm them, especially that little colorful one who looks at you with eyes that are filled with adoration.” Euryale moved closer to Delilah and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. “You now have the power of the gorgon. Unlike us you can turn your gift on and off, but you must be careful with it.”
“How long will this take?” Delilah glanced at the exit.
“I know that you are in a hurry, but that depends entirely on you.” Euryale turned Delilah’s back to the cavern opening where Stheno stood with a blindfolded man. “Now, let’s begin.”
“I think our girl is starting to wake.” Rhea sat next to Iris on the ground. Her skin had returned to its normal shade and her eyes began to flutter.
“Damn it, where are they?” Asa paced the ground. "I am not going to be able to put her down again, she's strong and she'll be prepared for it a second time around."
“I don’t know but we better come up with a containment plan and soon. If she wakes and Delilah isn’t back, we're going to have a big problem on our hands. She's going to be worse especially after being knocked out.” Rhea moved the hair from Iris’ face. “Something else is at play here, there is no way she should be this strong.”
“The witch who bound her,” Phoebe looked down on Iris. “I’m sure she has something to do with this. Iris is still linked to Delilah even without the mark. She could be pulling from her strength.”
The low murmurs from Iris as the remnants of Asa's song faded away had the four women on alert. Phoebe held her hands out and pulled the moonlight to her fingertips. Tethys, called her dominion over the water in the air and a light fog lifted at her feet. If needed, she could use it to blind Iris.
“Iris?” Asa spoke in a melodic voice as she approached the woman. She knelt beside the waking woman and started to speak again, but her voice was cut off by the hand that shot up and wrapped around her throat.
“You will not speak,” Iris growled as Asa struggled ag
ainst her hold. The flesh at her neck sizzled beneath Iris’ palm and felt like the sun itself was being pressed against her. “Where is she?” Iris’ voice lowered as she stood, holding Asa in her grasp.
“She hasn’t returned yet,” Tethys spoke softly but kept her distance. The fog slowly stretched further from her and lifted from the ground around Iris.
“I’m going after her and none of you will stop me.” She tightened her hold on Asa nearly causing her to lose consciousness. “Is that clear?”
“This isn’t a good idea.” Rhea spoke but backed away when Iris’ eyes landed on her.
Iris tossed Asa to the ground. “You will not stop me!” She screamed and Rhea braced herself for impact. Singed skin or not, they had to stop her if she tried to go after Delilah. It would only cause more trouble. Asa moaned from the ground; she would be out of commission, so it was up to the titans to contain Iris.
When Iris move forward, Phoebe and Rhea placed themselves in her path. Tethys slowly moved to position herself behind Iris. They had her surrounded.
“Move!” She warned them but they didn’t budge, With that, the darkness began to surround her form again as she lifted from the ground. "Fine, if you won't move, I'll move you myself." Iris lifted from the ground and began to float over to Phoebe and Tethys who blocked her way.
The fog rose around her in a thick curtain that surrounded her and temporarily blinded her. Each step she took, the fog followed. It thickened until they could no longer see her. For a moment she was still, and the fog remained in one place but then from within, burst of light shot out in random places. Iris was attempting to break through. Phoebe lifted her hand prepared to fire back. It didn't take long for Iris to break through the barrier and when she did, she locked her eyes on Tethys. Phoebe jumped in her path with her hands held high, ready to blast her if necessary.
"Touch her and I touch you." She taunted the girl.
“Iris?” Delilah appeared from the trees behind Tethys and Phoebe wearing a look of shock.