Dark Metropolis: Medusa Rising

By H.G. Lee

Of all of the stories told about ancient Greece one story has been told and retold many times and in many ways. That is the story about Medusa the evil woman who was cursed by Athena. But is this the real story of Medusa? No, it is not. I know the real story of Medusa. Medusa Rising is the third and final chapter of the Dark Metropolis Trilogy

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9780359915019

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Dark Metropolis: Medusa Rising

Dark Metropolis: Medusa Rising

Dark Metropolis: Medusa Rising                            By: H.G. Lee

Nexus Entertainment Group

2019

Copyright 2019 by Howard Lee

All Rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing 2019

ISBN:978-0-359-91501-9

Nexus Entertainment Group

P.O. 180134 Chicago, IL. 606186

www. http://tomatovisiontv.wix.com/tomatovision2

Dedication

To my lovely wife Cynthia, who listened to me talking about this book for the last ten years before I wrote it. Thank you. Without your support and patience, I would have never achieved my dream

Contents

Chapter One: The Eyes of Medusa

Chapter Two: The Wraith of Poseidon

Chapter Three: The Seduction of Medusa

Chapter Four: Andromeda and Peresus

Chapter Five: The Death of Medusa

Chapter Six: The Battlefield of Ur

Chapter Seven: Heart of Stone

Chapter One: The Eyes of Medusa

Of all of the stories told about ancient Greece one story has been told and retold many times and in many ways. That is the story about Medusa the evil woman who was cursed by Athena.

So that her gaze would turn anyone who looked at her into stone. Over the eons many people have told her story and in all of them Medusa's face matched the darkness in her soul. But is this the real story of Medusa?

No, it is not. I know the real story of Medusa. She was not an evil woman who's only joy was to inflict pain on others. On the contrary she had a deep love of all human beings. She did not ask or deserved the curse that Athena inflicted on her. In truth Medusa was a victim of the cruel game that the ancient Olympian gods played on humans for their amusement. To cover up their cruelty on Medusa the Olympian gods created this myth of the evil of Medusa.  A myth that even today's humans believe. They see Medusa as a creature of evil that deserves their fear, hatred, and scorn. How do you know this? You might ask, I know this because I am Medusa, and finally I have been allowed to tell my own story about what really happened all of those eons ago. After hearing my story if you think I deserved my fate then so be it. But if you hear in my story the truth. Help me by telling others the truth about Medusa. Help me rise and break the cruel curse that has imprisoned me and you.         

The time is ancient Greece at the temple of the goddess Athena. The temple is made of great stone columns of white marble. In the sunlight the temple of Athena shines like great gleaming jewel perched on a mountain.  On the ground level of the temple has smooth marble steps that leads up to the entrance of the temple. Inside the temple is adorned with frescoes on the walls that shows off the greatness of Athena the goddess of  War and Wisdom. To acclaim to all the battles she has won and how her wisdom has made mere soldiers into great generals.  The temple is lit with torches set in golden urns. At the end of the temple stands the great Alter of Athena set in marble and multi-colored silks. Behind the alter is the golden statue of Athena. The statue of Athena is that of  beautiful woman carved in white marble to high-light the absolute sexual perfection of Athena. Dressed in a golden set of armor. The statue of  Athena has her holding a shield in her left hand and a sword in her right hand and on her right shoulder is sitting an owl the symbol of her great wisdom. The temple has the fragrant smell of incense of Frankincense, and Mir that fills every corner of the temple.  Even though there are no sounds in the temple the power of Athena can be heard and felt in every corner of the temple.

As the sunlight strikes the massive doors of the temple. The massive doors slowly opens and a woman is standing in the doorway. She is dressed in an all white robe and her head is covered by a white veil. She is completely covered the only part of her body that is not covered is her eyes. But what eyes they are. They are of such a color blue that they seem more like the blue of the sky. But unlike the sky that is clear and hides nothing these blue eyes hides everything.

But they also draws you in and creates a desire in you to want to know more about her. Her blue eyes captures you and pulls you in like the sirens who's song have bewitched sailors for centuries. As their songs have driven sailors mad and kill themselves on the reefs that surrounds Athens The city of Athena.

As the blue-eyed priestesses stands at the door she looks out at the crowds of people who have gathered outside of the Temple of Athena.  As is their custom people from all over Greece travel to the Temple of Athena to pray and to ask Athena to favor them. Since Athena is worshiped over all of the other goddess of Olympus.  The blue-eyed priestess continues to look at the crowd  to see who she should choose first to have an audience with Athena. She sees a soldier in the crowd. But this was no ordinary soldier he was taller then most of the  worshipers in the crowd. Even without his armor he is a muscular tan skinned man with an oval face and hawkish nose uncommon in most people of Greece.  His dark brown eyes hides nothing. It tells of many battles and many victories. But they also showed the souls of all that he has slain. His eyes did not show any hint of  sorrow or regret for his deeds. Only a sense of  pride of his conquest of what he did in the service of Athena.  The soldier seem to know that the blue-eyed priestess was looking at him. He moved away from the crowd and started to climb the marble stairs toward the temple doors. 

As he stood before doors. The blue-eyed priestess opens them wider as she stood between the solider and the massive doors. The sunlight seemed to bath her body in a glow that revealed the alluring shape of her body through her robe.  The soldier stood transfixed for a moment as the sun reveal the body of the blue-eyed priestess. She was small woman but her silhouette revealed her shapely breast, hips, and legs.  The soldier thought to himself that Athena has truly been good to her and that he would dedicate his next kill to Athena for just one night with her in his bed. 

As he gets closer to her their eyes met and in that moment the eyes of war looked into the eyes of wisdom. I am Capt. Philemon of the Athenian army. Said Capt. Philemon in a booming voice that sounded like a command more that statement of his rank as he makes a chest salute toward the blue-eyed priestess. I beg an audience with High Priestess Medusa, I had a dream of the goddess Athena and I want her to tell me what does it mean.   Continued Capt. Philemon his voice sounding like a command more than a request. As he stands at the door waiting for the blue-eyed priestess to speak. We have been told of your coming Said the blue-eyed Priestess, even under her veil her voice sounded like she was singing. She looked up at Capt. Philemon as to tell him to enter. Capt. Philemon entered the temple and the blue-eyed priestess began to close the door. As she looked out on the crowd. She could see they were shocked at what just happen. But there was no protest  as the worshipers did not want to anger Athena when it was their turn to offer their prays to her. 

As the massive doors closed. The sunlight slowly disappeared from the temple and the torchlight once again was the only light in the temple.  The blue-eyed priestess walked ahead of Capt. Philemon as they walked by the giant fresco of Athena. Capt. Philemon stopped for a moment in front of a scene of Athena. In the scene Athena is leading an army with her golden shield protecting her army from her enemies arrows and with her sword pointing at the enemy soldiers as they fall beneath are feet. Praise Athena  Says a reverent Capt. Philemon

Yes, Praise Athena Says  the blue-eyed priestess in a quiet voice, while looking at Capt. Philemon as to tell him that his silence is demanded while in the temple. Capt. Philemon sees the displeasure in her eyes and resumes following her toward the Alter of Athena. As Capt. Philemon and the Blue-eyed priestess comes to Alter of Athena. The blue-eyed priestess stops and turns to Capt. Philemon.  Wait Here Capt. Philemon  She says as she walks toward a door on the other side of the Alter. She then disappears behind the door. Capt. Philemon is left alone with the torchlight, incense, and the golden statue of  Athena looking down on him as if she is already judging him to see if he is worthy of her favor. Capt. Philemon wants to look up at the statue of Athena, but dares not. He knows the punishment the gods can give to any mortals who are foolish enough to believe they are equal to the gods.

As Capt. Philemon  stands almost motionless in front the goddess Athena's statue for what to him seems like an eternity.  Then the side door opens and out comes not one blue-eyed priestess but eight of them. Capt. Philemon looks on in amazement as they all lines up in front of the Alter of Athena.  Capt. Philemon looks at  them and notices that all of them are dress the same white robes and veils that cover their bodies. And they all have the same blue eyes and beautiful body that the first one has.  As they all start looking at him, he feels eight pairs of eyes penetrating his mind.

For a moment he feels something he rarely feels. Fear not even on the battlefield with a thousand enemy soldiers charging at him as he felt the fear he is feeling now. But as suddenly as the fear over took him. He started to feel very calm. He had another rare feeling that of true peace as if all the death he has seen and caused was gone.  He then looked at the eight blue-eyed priestess as to thank them for what they had done for him.

Then the door opened again and  out walked another priestess, but she was different from the others, she was taller and she was wearing a golden girdle over her robes and a golden headband around her veil. 

To Capt. Philemon she did not seem to walk to toward the Alter of Athena she seem to glide across the floor.  As she came toward him, he knew that she was the legendary Medusa the High Priestess of The Temple of Athena.  As she continued to glide toward the Alter of Athena the other priestess lowered their heads. She stood behind the Alter of Athena in front of a visibly shaken Capt. Philemon. 

For a moment she stood in front of him dressed in all white from head to toe. While her golden girdle and headband reflected the temple torchlight like a small sun.  Capt. Philemon didn't know if he should speak or wait for her to gesture for him to speak. So he did nothing.

Then she lifted her veil over her head. Capt. Philemon was truly amazed at what he saw. It was the eyes of Medusa. Unlike the other priestess's blue eyes.  Medusa's eyes were green. But her green eyes were unlike any green he has never seen before. He tried to quickly compare them to Jade like that he saw China or Emeralds he saw in India. But both were still pale compared to Medusa's green eyes. As Capt. Philemon stood transfixed by Medusa's piercing green eyes they started to glow and seem to bath him in their green light.  Suddenly he began to hear a voice in his head. Capt. Philemon Said the singing voice in his head  I am Medusa High Priestess of  Athena, She as told me who your are and what you wish from her. Capt. Philemon started to open his mouth to speak.

When he hears the voice again Do not speak, Capt. Philemon it is forbidden for a man to speak in the Temple of Athena. The voice warning him with a slight ringing in his ear. Your thoughts will be open to us. We will see all and then if Athena deems you worthy, She will tell you what she wants from you.  Continued the voice. Nod if you understand.

Capt. Philemon nods his head in acceptance. Then the ringing in his ears stops and is replaced with a soothing melody that calms him. As he continues to stare into Medusa's green eyes he hears the voice again in his head.Capt. Philemon, to prove your worthiness to Athena, open your thoughts that I might read them. Says Medusa's eyes. I would know all of your deeds good and evil then make you feel all of them. Should you survive this test then Athena will grant you any favor you wish. Medusa green eyes continued to speak. But should you fail your evil deeds will devour you and Athena will condemn you to be forever frozen by the demons of the evils deeds you have created. 

With that the voice and melody in his head stopped.  Then Medusa's green eyes stopped glowing and Capt. Philemon was released from their spell.

Now that he was able to move. He looked up toward the statue of Athena this time he was not afraid of what Athena could do to him. Then with a nod he again looked into the green eyes of Medusa. Once again the eyes spoke to him.Then you are ready to give your thoughts to me Says Medusa's green eyes. Capt. Philemon did not speak he simply nodded yes. With that Medusa's green eyes began to glow again and the soothing melody started again.  As the melody got louder  and louder the temple smells got more intense until they overwhelmed the senses of Capt. Philemon. He started to feel his body getting weak and felt himself falling.

He tried to catch himself. As he felt his body falling the temple seemed to disappear and the light from the torches are suddenly blown out by an invisible wind. Then darkness filled the temple where there was once light. As he stood up looking into the darkness, once again he was filled with fear. A feeling that he did not like, after all he is a warrior of Athena he though to himself.  As he continues to think to himself, that even when he walked in pitch black caves pursuing enemies he did not feel what he is feeling now.  Fear, but this was a different kind of Fear. A Fear that seem like a mist coming up from the ground beneath.  Suddenly as soon as he thought of mist. Mist begins to come from beneath the ground and surrounded him filling his body with Fear every time he took a breath.

A Fear that makes you run blindly not from an unknown terror. But from  a terror that is very well known to you. This is a terror that you know because you have created it and now you would give anything to out run it or to destroy it.  This is the Fear that is now invading his mind and body.

He wants to run but where would he go in this pitch blackness he can't see anything but the darkness in front of him. So he stands as the Fear grows inside of him. He thinks should I go back. No, what if I am standing near a cliff and one step and I will fall to my death. Maybe I can move forward but what if that leads to an endless maze. I will be trapped in this darkness forever.  So he does nothing for a moment.  Then the words of Medusa comes into his head  But should you fail your evil deeds will devour you and Athena will condemn to be forever frozen by the demons your evils deeds have created  As her words echos in his head. He tries to overcome the Fear that is attacking him. He opens his eyes wider to let more of the darkness fill his eyes and mind. Then he begins to see shapes in the darkness.

As he looks down at his feet he could feel something moving under them.  As the ground began to move under him and the dirt creates a small mound. Then  a white mist slowly oozed out and began to form around his ankle.  Then the white mist forms into a ghostly hand of moldy gray and white decaying flesh. Then another ghostly hand burst through the dirt and took hold of his other ankle. Both ghostly hands griped his ankles like vices then a cold numbing pain took hold of his body. The pain was unlike any thing he ever felt in his life. The pain was far more painful then any sword strike he ever felt. It cut into ever part of his body to the point that he wanted to scream to in pain but he could not make a sound. His voice was cut off  by the white mist that was taking over his body.

As the pain took over his body he wanted to beg for the pain to end. As he started to pray to Athena to end his torment. Suddenly he stopped and looked down at the ghostly hands that held him in their grip.  Then he started to think. I will not be held in the grip of the demons of my evil deeds.  Demons show me my evil deeds, and I will look into the eyes of those I killed. Suddenly his thoughts become words that echos in the darkness like a thousand voices. Then the ghostly hands releases his ankles and he see something in the white misty darkness a very dim light.

He then tries to move toward the light and to his surprise he could move. So he slowly follows the dim light as he walks toward it. He still feels the awing Fear from the white mist surrounding  him.  As he gets closer to the light it seems to take shape. The shape of green glowing eyes. Capt. Philemon keeps following the green eyes until the tunnel of white mist turns into a  greenish-white color.  Then the tunnels is flooded with green light and baths him in it's glow.  He looks around and suddenly the tunnel he was in is gone and he finds himself on the battlefield dressed in full battle armor with sword and shield in hand.  In the air he could smell death and hear the screams of the dying. As he stood on the battlefield he could feel thundering under his feet and he knew that could mean only one thing.

He was going to attacked by those he has killed in battle. As he looks straight forward and griped his sword he is waiting for the attack. Then in the distance he could see a dense cloud of dust coming toward him. He knew what that meant it's time to die. Out of the cloud of dust he hears the death screams of warriors who are ready for the battle. Their death screams gets louder and louder as they get closer to him until the sound of their screams itself echos throughout the battlefield like a wall of force that begins to push him back on his heels.  As he stiffens his body for the on coming battle he starts to see shapes inside the dust cloud.  Out of the dust cloud comes the first wave of  screaming warriors but they were not who he was expecting. For instead of armored clad warriors that we was expecting to see.

To his horror the warriors where children. NO!! This can't be I will not slay children  He yells to the sky. He then drops his sword to his side as a signal to an unseen entity that he will not kill children. As he stood on the battlefield the children warriors came closer to him. In their hands were swords dripping with blood.  Their eyes where glowing red as they fully emerged from the dust cloud. Their faces where now visible to him. They were childlike faces of death. For these children where already dead. Their dead hollow eyes had the mark of death in them. Their small  bodies were nothing but decaying flesh barely holding on to their bones. 

This was a sight of horror he has never seen before, the bloody bodies of children on the battlefield.  In their eyes were the same blood lust look that he has seen in the worst battle harden soldiers.  As the army of dead children came closer to him the Fear that he felt in the cave came back this time with the force a thousand times stronger than that in the cave. The Fear this time was so strong that automatically he sprung into action without even thinking he was in a battle stance. His sword and shield was at the ready to repel the children of the dead that was coming at him with their swords ready to strike.   No! I will not kill children, I have never killed children He again yelled to the sky. Then the children stopped and they stood in front of him. Their eyes glowing red and then like a death chorus they all began to moan in a hollow death-like tone. You can't kill us because you already have.  Hearing their accusations he responds in anger to them.

I don't know what type of lies you are telling demons of Hades. I will not plea guilty to a crime I have never committed. So kill me if you must, but before you drag me before Hades. Show me your true-selves not this horrible abomination.  The children stood in front of him for a moment then they begin to change back into regular living children. Then they began to speak again, this time in the sing-song laughter of  children. Oh, Capt. Philemon we are the children that you have killed, Don't you remember us, we were living in the countless towns and villages that you and your soldiers raided and burned to the ground.. Then one of the children a small light-brown girl with soft brown eyes and dirty black hair. Her thin emaciated body was dressed in rags. She looked at him and began to speak with a voice befitting her age. Did you ever once think of the people you slaughtered had children?. Then her voice began to sound like that of  a full grown woman and her eyes turned from soft brown to hard green. I had to watch as you and your soldiers killed my father and brother. Then you came for me and my mother, over and over again you and your soldiers raped her as she begged for mercy, then you did more than rape her. She had to watch as you and your soldiers rape me with no thought to what you where doing It was not even pleasurable to you it was just a another form of torture. That is what gave you pleasure. Then after that you slit my mother's throat and threw me on top of her and set our house on fire. Do you remember that Capt. Philemon or did you do it so often you forgotten what you did. Or did you think about it as a victorious battle that you would dedicate to the goddess Athena.". The small girl then stops speaking as her green eyes looks into Capt. Philemon eyes.

As his eyes looked into her's. He drops his sword and shield and falls to his knees. I have slain too many children to count Says a Capt. Philemon in an agonized voice .  I will beg no favor from Athena for what I have done. For I have deserve none.  Then he stands up and looks down at the small girl and the other children. She then joins the other children as they turn back into the children of the dead.  We have passed judgment on you Capt. Philemon. Says the children who have now changed back into the creatures of the dead with glowing red eyes.

You will feel our pain with every stroke of our sword, then we will take you to our master Hades.  We will grant you one last mercy if you wish. You can turn way as we rip your soul out of your body that way you won't feel the pain.  As a deathlike  smile appears on their childlike faces.  Capt. Philemon looks at them and says I will not look away, I will face my death like, I face my life with my eyes wide open. So bring on my death I await my voyage on the river Styx for I have paid with blood enough for a thousand voyages.

Then he nodded his head to accept his fate. With that the children came forward with their swords drawn. Then one after another they thrust their swords into him with each thrust. He felt