Medusa

Anna dragged down with Theoric as he ducked still clutching her hand, worriedly asked- "What?! What's wrong!?"

"She just shot me in the face, gave me the scare of my life," he exclaimed overly dramatic.

"Are you okay?" asks Anna worriedly as she reaches over to feel his face, only to feel his energy shield was completely intact, her face went stoic as she hit him in the arm to no effect cause of the energy shields.- "Don't scare me like that, I should have known better than to worry about you, humph!"

"I just got hit in the face by surprise, and you hit me while I'm still blind in response? Please show a little bit of sympathy for my poor heart." Theoric said in a hurt voice, not willing to give up his acting.

They were however interrupted from their play when Medusa slithered over and looked through the hole, her living snake hair nipping at the edges of the barrier as she peeked in. Upon spotting them she gave her equivalent of a roar in her unique snake way as her face morphed in order to hiss at them while showing her snake fangs, tongue, and eyes.

Stopping when she noticed they couldn't see her with their eyes covered. She then twirled back around with her snake body, giving herself a bit of height as she took aim and fired through the opening.

Theoric once again hit in the face complained- "Shit, she hit me again, you know there is someone else here right?"

Anna's eyes widened under her blindfold cover as she smacked him again- "Did you just say that?"

Theoric turned his head away- "Um, no you must have miss heard, I said, keep them coming at me as long as you don't hit my beautiful woman."

Anna snorted- "Just keep quiet and let me speak... Medusa! we mean you no harm, we were sent by your mother to help you."

Medusa who was already preparing another shot flinched, shooting the arrow off course as it ricocheted off the barrier into the dark, and then everything went silent as she stared at them motionlessly, trying to take in what she just heard.

Hearing everything go quiet, Anna asked- "Did you hear me? Your mother sent us to help you."

Medusa still not quite believing it angrily slithered up to the hole, pulling her bow as far back as it could go, taking aim point-blank- "SAY IT AGAIN!" She yelled, ready to fire if they say one thing wrong.

Of course not seeing this, Anna calmly responded, knowing how alone, sad, and hurt she must feel.- "We were sent by your mother to help you, she loves you and misses you dearly, please let us help you."

Medusa still holding her shot, asked once more- "Is it true? Did my mother really send you?"

Anna- "Yes, please let us help you."

Medusa sadly lowered her weapon- "Is my mother okay? How is she doing?"

Anna- "She was miserable without you, trying her hardest to get someone to help her, help you, but she was doing better before we left, we help lift her spirits, promising her that we would come to help you."

Medusa's eyes watered as she listened- "I'm glad she's doing okay... tell her to forget about me and move on, tell her to live her life again," she then turned around to sadly slither away, not believing for a second that they could do anything to help her.

Anna called out as she heard Medusa leaving- "Hey! Don't leave, we've come to help you." she then got up to follow only to run into the dome, then turned and hit Theoric again, "Lower the dome, I'm going after her."

Theoric grumbled- "You don't have to keep hitting me."

Anna squinted under her blindfold- "What was that?" she coldly asked, still not appreciating his goofing around from earlier.

"Nothing," he said before grabbing her hand,- "Remember we have to stick together, don't go blindly running around without me," he said lowering the dome.

Anna impatiently hurried him along- "Hurry, she's getting away... Medusa! Come Back!"

Medusa looked back watching them stumbling along to keep up with her- "What do you want?"

Anna- "We came to help you, so let us help you."

Medusa scoffed- "You don't look like Gods to me, what help can you give?"

Anna fell silent not exactly sure how she was going to help.

Theoric seeing her dilemma interjected- "I may come up short compared to the gods you know, but I still have my unique talents if you would allow me to try and heal you."

Medusa glanced dangerously at him, not appreciating the presence of a man in her vicinity- "I don't know who you people are but you should leave while I allow it, consider it a favor for my mother and leave with your lives." she then started to slither away again.

Anna- "Don't just give up, we can help you, if not now then later surely, you don't need to just give up."

Not hearing her stopping Theoric took one last shot- "I can turn you human again, don't you want to even try? What do you have to lose?"

Medusa paused- "Human?" she whispered as she looked down at her snake self.

Theoric hearing her knew he had her- "Yes, I can likely turn you back if you allow me to try, then we can take you back to see your mother, don't you want to see your mother again? I think you've both been heartbroken long enough, allow us to help you."

Medusa turned- "Can you?"

Theoric puts his free hand out- "Give me your hand and let me try, you have nothing to lose, I either can help you or I can't, there is no downside in letting me try."

Medusa hesitated but ultimately gave in, she would do anything to go back to the life she had before all this.

Theoric removed the barrier around his hand, feeling her cold scaling skin- "Alright give me a moment." he said, calling upon his healing power as his hand lit up in white light.

Medusa tensed at first, but then relaxed feeling the warmth of his hand as it traveled from him to her.

Theoric concentrated as he tried fighting against the curse that was actively resisting his attempts to change her back.

Medusa frowned at seeing no change take place- "Is something wrong?" she then sneered- "I knew it was too good to be true."

Theoric unperturbed stopped his healing, the light fading from his hand as Medusa swiftly took her hand back.

Medusa- "Now that we're done with this foolishness, get out of my sight and don't come back on pain of death." she said before slithering off again.

Anna squeezed Theoric's hand in concern- "What now?"

Theoric called out- "Perhaps you should look at your hand before you go."

Medusa stopped again as she looked at her hand in shock, finding it was her normal human hand that she could barely remember without the reptilian skin covering it.

Medusa quickly slithered back and suddenly took Theoric by surprise as she tackled him in a hug,- "Oh my god, you can do it, you can, please help me, please, I'll do anything to be able to go back." she begged with watery eyes.

Anna feeling Theoric slip from her gasp panicked a little- "Theo! are you okay?"

Theoric chuckled as he gently rubbed Medusa's back- "There, there, everything is okay, but it won't be easy, the curse was created by a god after all, I'll need Sigyn's help to be able to do more."

Medusa realizing how intimately she was clinging to a man, retreated as she apologized- "Sorry for tackling you like that... So where is this Sigyn that we need?" she asked wiping her eyes.

Theoric- "We left her back at the boat, we just have to head back and go get her."

Medusa's face drained of color- "The boat?"

Theoric could hear the fear in her voice- "Yeah, you can wait here if you want." he said remembering that it was Poseidon who harmed her first and caused all this.

Medusa clenched her fists, then looked down at the one that was healed and gathered her courage- "I, I will go with you." There was no way she was going to let her cure just walk away without her.

Anna smiled hearing everything going smoothly now- "Great, let's go get you healed and back to your mother."