Outside Influences

Ah, Lempo, why did you make me say that? Now I sound like a jerk. I just wanted to say thanks.

Bel tried to wave her arms as though she could clear the misunderstanding like a puff of smoke. She laughed nervously and gave a small bow, and then clapped her hands together.

“Thanks for coming to my rescue,” she smiled. She spoke in English this time. Apparently, none of her languages would work so she went with the one she felt was most flexible.

“Sorry about that,” she apologized again. “I can’t really control what Lempo says through me. I think she wanted me to ask some gorgons for help though.”

Bel wrinkled her nose. “Maybe I should try talking with her.”

The gorgon was standing stock still, like she’d been hit by lightning and had forgotten how to move. Bel was beginning to think that she’d said something really shocking.

I hope she isn’t too insulted.

“Um, I love your wings,” she said, lamely. They were a magnificent golden color, with deep brown tips, and immediately filled Bel with a feeling foolishness.

Could I have been flying around all this time? Is that something that gorgons do?

Bel squinted her eyes and felt around at the constellation of her abilities. There was a small body modification ability there that would grow some little wing nubs, but Bel felt like the gorgon’s wings were too magnificent to be such a minor ability. Her nails though…

Bel stared enviously at the other woman’s gleaming metallic nails. They were a deep bronze and contrasted wonderfully with her lightly tanned skin.

Bel inspected her own nails – chipped and pitted from her constant fighting – and immediately reached into her possible abilities. Fourteen strokes, not too bad. Maybe we’ll get along better if we match, she thought hopefully.

Bel closed her eyes as she engraved the pattern upon her core. Then she looked down at her nails, but they were unchanged. She frowned and shook them around, but they didn’t improve.

“What the hell?” she complained.

The other gorgon laughed. She help up a hand and pointed to one of her sharp nails. She said something and shook her head. Then she reached down to a small satchel at her waist and pulled out a small lump of metal, which she offered to Bel.

Bel accepted it gratefully.

“Thanks!”

Bel tapped the metal against her hands, but nothing happened. The other gorgon laughed at her confused expression.

Bel’s lip quivered. Is she teasing me?

The other gorgon wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head. She reached out and reclaimed the metal and took a bite out of it.

Bel’s eyes widened as she watched the lump of metal go down with a large gulp. Then the stranger held up her hands. Bel watched with surprise as her nail grew slightly longer.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. The stranger nodded and handed the lump of metal back. Bel bit into it carefully, but found it to be as hard as she expected. Not wanting to break a tooth, Bel liquified a chunk and quickly swallowed it.

There’s something weird about this, but I guess I can’t ask about it. I hope I don’t get sick.

Bel felt an ability take hold as the metal travelled towards her stomach. Her stomach gurgled for a few seconds before settling down. She watched as her fingernails grew out, a shiny sheet of metal pushing away her mundane nails.

Bel quickly grabbed her spear and used its incredible blade to trim them.

“Ah!”

Bel looked up at the stranger’s expression of alarm. She was pointing at the spear and looked, to Bel at least, like she was freaking out.

Bel held up the spear. “It’s from some god. Or goddess. Anyway, it’s had a few owners but it’s mine now,” Bel bragged.

“Check this out,” she said, before throwing it at a nearby wall. The spear embedded itself deep into the rock. Bel could feel its disappointment that it hadn’t bitten into flesh.

Next time, buddy, she apologized. A quick sacrifice of energy to the spear recalled it back to her hand.

“Cool, huh?”

Instead of being impressed, the other gorgon seemed alarmed. Bel shrugged. Maybe spears are like, taboo or something. Damn, I wish I could ask James for more of his Old World gorgon facts.

Bel looked up and pursed her lips. Then she looked at her new friend and pointed. “Crecer… um, what was your name?

“Cress,” the stranger replied. Then she pointed at Bel and raised her eyebrows.

Bel tapped her chest and said, “Bel.”

Then she pointed up again and asked, “want to go outside?”

The other gorgon cocked her head and then shook it slowly. Bel’s heart sank. Then Cress pointed at the severed gorgon head still held by the petrified giant.

Oh, she’s just worried about being a good person. I should work on that, Bel scolded herself.

Bel trotted over to the severed head as Cress glided over on her wings.

I’m saving up for a pair of those, Bel promised herself.

Cress gestured at the poor girl’s head and asked something, but Bel could only shrug in response.

“I have no idea who she was or how she wanted to be buried.”

Bel thought for a moment before clicking her fingers. “I’ll just ask my mother. She’s helped out with someone before, so I guess she can handle funerals.”

Bel grimaced as she pulled the metal plate from the statue's belt. The giant had turned completely odorless in his rocky state, but his clothes still stank. The severed head wasn’t rotting, but the limp snakes and vacant eyes made Bel shudder. Lempo, when I die, please disintegrate me, she prayed silently.

Once she had freed the head she turned and gestured to Cress to follow her back up the stairs.

They walked in an awkward silence as Bel did her best to simultaneously keep the head as far as possible from her body while also avoiding swinging it too much. After a quarter turn Cress scoffed and took it away from her.

Bel flushed deeply. I’m acting like such a loser. I hope she doesn’t tell all the other gorgons that I’m an idiot.

Bel had a sudden and horrifying thought. What if my breath is horrible? I haven’t been brushing my teeth. What if they’re all black?

Bel desperately run her tongue over her teeth, searching for bits of grunk. What am I even doing? Why am I so nervous?

As they passed by Crystal’s body Bel came to a sudden halt. “I’m gonna loot the corpse,” she explained to Cress before she knelt down by the woman’s body.

She was still clutching a wand and a dagger, and a few wands were still in the quiver on her waist. Bel quickly pulled her belt and quiver free and affixed them to her own waist before dumping the dagger in with the wands. Then she examined the woman’s corpse.

She turned to Cress to explain. “She was a weird person, and she worked with some bad people, but I don’t think she was evil. Technis’ priest did some stuff with her brain and body and whatnot and I had to kill her.”

Cress tilted her head and a few of her sand-colored snakes flicked out their tongues with curiosity.

I don’t think charades is going to work for this story.

Bel sighed, reached down, and hauled Crystal onto her shoulder. She was heavy, but Bel decided that asking her mom for two funerals instead of one wouldn’t be much additional effort. And it was probably the right thing to do.

Although I’m not that happy that I’m getting blood all over me. Wait, is this blood, or is this goop from Technis’ devices? If I break out in a rash I’ll be so embarrassed.

Bel was feeling increasing self-conscious as the silence continued. After another few seconds she gave up and starting talking about one of James’ crazy Old World stories.

“So,” she said suddenly, “imagine a world where everyone’s a horse. No, no, a pony. I don’t know the difference, actually, I’ve never seen either, but imagine ponies.”

Bel turned to a confused Crecerelle. “Have you ever seen a pony? No? Okay, so, anyway…”

By the time they reached the top of the stairs and went through the open door, Bel wasn’t feeling any less like a wreck. She was sure that her rambling hadn’t actually endeared her to the other gorgon, but she didn’t know what else to do.

Bel pointed to the wall where she knew she would find the small altar. “We’re heading up there,” she explained to Cress.

Hauling Crystal’s corpse up the wall was a minor struggle, but some liquified hand and foot holds combined with the low gravity made things easier.

Bel heaved Crystal’s body onto the ground once they’d made it into the giant-sized alter. She looked around, wondering how she could go about getting her mother’s attention.

“Why do you wish to contact us, Beloved of Lempo?”

Bel’s mouth split in a wide grin at Kjar’s voice. She looked around and spotted a small wooden cat that had been carved into the designs along a wooden frame. The cat moved suddenly, leaping out of the frame and leaving a cat-shaped hole in its place.

Bel gestured excitedly to an alarmed Cress. “That’s my aunt!”

Bel beamed as she turned back to the most reasonable goddess she knew. “I wanted Lempo’s help with a funeral for these two,” she explained, gesturing to Crystal and the head of the unknown gorgon.

Then she lowered her voice to a whisper. “And some advice would be nice – I don’t know how to talk to this woman and using the divine voice didn’t go well.”

Bel glanced at Cress, who was slowly edging away from the approaching cat. Her snakes were flat against her head, and her eyes were wide with fright.

“I think I’m not making a good impression on her.”

Kjar sat back on her haunches and snickered. “It is I who am making her uncomfortable, Beloved. The gorgon have no love of the pantheon, nor does the pantheon love them.”

Bel frowned. “But why?”

Kjar flicked an ear. “They refused to vacate the Old World upon our demand. We believed that our meddling with humans would bring about change that was too fast and too disruptive.”

The goddess snickered. “Your mother disagreed of course, but her complaints undermined her position. One would have to be crazy to take advice from the goddess of upheaval, you see. She has learned some subtlety since then, although a meteor is always possible.”

Bel frowned. “I’d like to avoid that.”

“As would we all,” Kjar agreed.

The goddess flicked her tail. “You must make her an offering to grant her access to the mortal plane.”

“An offering?” Bel frowned. “But I didn’t have to offer anything for you to show up.”

Kjar sniffed the air. “You are soaked in the blood of the righteously punished. That is offering enough for me.”

“Oh. Then should I break something to summon my mom?”

Kjar flopped down on her side. “Have at it. I shall remain as unthreatening as possible to avoid upsetting your new companion.”

Bel glanced at Cress and realized that the other gorgon was freaking out. “Hey Cress,” she called out gently, “I’m going to break some stuff, but don’t worry. It’s all good.”

Cress gave her a wild-eyed look and Bel blanched.

Bel pointed at Kjar again. “She’s a nice goddess,” she explained.

“My mom… okay, I don’t think she’s nice, but she’s not mean. She’s weird. Not in a bad way. I’ll stop trying to explain, it’s better to just show you.”

Bel grimaced and turned towards one of the hunting figures. “Who’s this guy? Can I smash him?” she asked Kjar.

Kjar flicked her nose at another figure. Bel looked and saw a man with a wide-brimmed hat and winged sandals. She tilted her head at the odd getup.

“That one is a nuisance,” Kjar explained. “A protector of thieves and equivocators. The gorgons also bear a small grudge against him.”

Bel shrugged and walked up to larger-than-Bel figure. She slapped a hand against it and melted it into a puddle.

Cress gasped audibly and rushed to pull Bel away from the bubbling liquid.

“It’s okay Cress, I’m just trying to summon my mother.”

An eerie laughter filled the space. Cress dropped Bel’s arm and hefted her heavy maul, clearly prepared to fight the twisting mass of heads that was rising from the ooze.

“Oh, you’re a feisty one,” Lempo chortled with a hundred voices. “But no one’s going to punish you. That old god knows better than to cross me.”

Bel grit her teeth and forced herself to speak up before her mother scared her new friend away. “That’s the kind of thing that sounds creepy. That and those heads. Can’t you look like a regular goddess?”

A hundred pairs of misshapen eyes turned to Bel. “Daughter, Beloved, do you find my appearance disturbing?”

Bel sighed. “No, but I’m used to it at this point. You wanted me to get help from other gorgons, right? Then we should make a good impression.”

“Hm.” The head paused their writhing for a moment. “Then call me mom.”

Bel winced. “Isn’t that embarrassing?

“No.”

Kjar padded closer and sat next to the other goddess. “You call me aunt easily enough, child.”

“Uh, fine. Mom, can you please not embarrass me? I’m trying to make a good impression, but when I tried to speak with your voice you acted really pushy.”

“I am a goddess. We are all pushy.”

Bel opened her mouth to object, but Lempo’s serpentine heads merged together into a stunning woman with long, blonde hair. She was similar to the Lempo of Satrap, although she was completely naked.

“Lem–er, mom, why aren’t you wearing clothes?”

“This other gorgon is afraid of the gods, Beloved. Who would be less threatening than a naked and unarmed woman? Now, let us talk about killing Technis.”

“Wait! I want to hear about that, but can you do something about–”

Lempo waved her hand and both Crystal’s body and the severed head dissolved into dust. “I will guide their souls, Beloved, although they are both already on their way.”

Cress gasped again before stepping forward and stammering something at the goddess.

“Yes, Crecerelle,” Lempo replied, “even though she is a gorgon. I do not much care for the pantheon’s rules.”

Bel strained her ears as Cress spoke again, but she didn’t recognize a single word. I guess she must have been just as frustrated when I started talking to them, Bel realized.

Lempo tilted her head and nodded. “I suppose that I wouldn’t mind being a patron to the gorgons,” the goddess replied.

Kjar narrowed her golden eyes. “Stheno and Euryale–”

“Of course, of course,” Lempo replied airily. “Not those two.” Lempo rolled her eyes. “They have little need of outside help.”

Kjar nodded with satisfaction.

Then Lempo grinned mischievously. “How about you Kjar? You are already the patron of my beloved daughter. Why not offer your gifts to the rest as well?”

Kjar’s ear flicked back and her tail thrashed against the ground. “Your daughter is a special case. Technis will escape our grasp if–”

“Oh, come on Kjar,” Lempo wheedled. “How about if some more gorgons joined Bel? You know how they yearn for a little bit of acceptance.”

Lempo leaned down to Kjar’s wooden figure and opened her eyes wide. “Besides, so many of them thirst for the punishment of their oppressors.”

Bel could feel herself being pulled into Lempo's eyes, her voice cradled Bel's mind like a deep, dark lake. She was making a really good point.

Kjar’s whiskers twitched.

Lempo leaned closer. “Just look what these two have done here. Just imagine all the justice. The righteous retribution. All those people going unpunished when they should be–”

Kjar snorted. “Not today, temptress. You may be right, but the pantheon already clings to my fur like fleas.”

She stretched a paw in Crecerelle’s direction. “Let them show that they are worthy of the trouble, first. Until then, you may lead the way – that is what you enjoy doing.”

Lempo nodded and her hypnotic spell was suddenly broken. “Later perhaps.”

She turned back to Cress and smiled. “There you go, little miss gorgon. One goddess already willing to offer her patronage for your people and another waiting for you to prove yourselves worthy. This change is a great stride forward, yes?”

She winked and then reached out to grasp Bel’s shoulders and spin her around. “All I ask is that you lend my precious daughter, the spawn of my divine flesh, some help, okay?”

Crecerelle stammered out a response and nodded eagerly.

“Excellent,” Lempo breathed.

The goddess spun Bel around again.

I feel like some child’s doll, but I think I’m getting what I wanted.

“Now, Beloved, you really must hurry up. Everything needs to come together just right.”

Bel shrugged helplessly at her mother's suddenly serious tone. “I’m sure you know that I’ve been dealing with a lot of stuff.”

Lempo patted her on the head. “Daughter, I commend your efforts. In addition to praise, I feel that mortals should be motivated with frequent reminders of their responsibilities. Go faster.”

Bel hefted her spear. “You know, Kjar gave me this nice armor and some other god made this fancy spear. Why don’t I have anything from you? A little help could speed things up.”

Lempo laughed. “Oh, you are far too young to bargain with the likes of me. Bellona’s weapons are indeed mighty. What more could you want?”

She glanced at the spear. “Made from a branch of a tree that survived the forging of Olympos and a severed claw from an inner dragon. Very nice.”

She patted Bel on the head again. “But you are aware, daughter, that I have already given you something much more valuable.”

Bel twisted her lips. “Are you going to say you gave me–”

“Life, yes. Please use it well.”

And with that, Lempo’s body dissolved back into a puddle, the animated cat hardened back into wood, and Bel was alone with the other gorgon once again.