After the flash caused by Calliope, Jason felt the world tear apart around him for an instant, as if reality itself had been ripped from its place and stitched somewhere else.
When he regained his senses, the first thing he perceived was not what he saw, but what he felt: a cool, damp breeze, laden with that unmistakable salty scent that belongs only to the sea. He needed no more to understand it; they were in the middle of the ocean.
As he lifted his gaze, his eyes cautiously scanned the surroundings. He stood on the deck of a ship, but it was no ordinary vessel. That structure was colossal, so vast it defied all logic: layered levels, walkways stretching like streets, structures that resembled a floating city more than a mere ship.
Jason took a few steps forward, slow, almost reverent, letting the immensity of the place settle into his mind. It was then that a voice broke the stillness.
"It's beautiful… don't you think?"
The startle was immediate. Jason turned sharply, and there she was. Medusa stood with her back to him, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The sea and the sky merged into a distant, blurred line, almost unreal, as if the world ended right where she was looking.
"It had been a long time since I could gaze upon the sea with such tranquility" she continued, her tone soft, as if she were speaking more to herself than to him.
The silence that followed was not uncomfortable, but dense, expectant, like the pause before a storm. Jason did not respond; his muscles were tense, his mind divided between fascination and the survival instinct that screamed at him not to lower his guard.
"I'm sorry" Medusa finally added, breaking the stillness, "but I have no intention of prolonging this fight."
Slowly, she turned her head to look at him. The movement was almost elegant, yet there was something unnatural about it, something that made the skin crawl. The snakes in her hair began to stir, hissing in an unsettling chorus, and in her eyes a golden glow emerged, intense, hypnotic… lethal.
A few seconds passed.
And nothing happened.
Medusa's expression cracked in a fraction of surprise.
"But what…?"
She tilted her head slightly, confused, as if trying to understand an impossible error. That hesitation was minimal, but enough.
Jason, who until that moment had remained paralyzed by fear, felt something inside him break. The terror was still there, clinging to his chest, but it no longer dominated him. He reacted.
In a flash, a golden spear appeared in his left hand, materializing with an intense glow that contrasted with the marine gloom. Without hesitation, he thrust it straight toward the gorgon's face.
Medusa moved at the last instant. With almost supernatural fluidity, she leaned her body and stepped out of the spear's path, letting the attack pass just by her. Her expression changed immediately, surprise transforming into sharp focus.
The snakes in her hair reacted like living extensions of her will. Several of them lunged at Jason, stretching violently, their jaws open in a coordinated attack. Jason stepped back, narrowly dodging each strike, spinning on himself to avoid the fangs that sought his flesh.
However, he did not come out unscathed. One of the snakes managed to hook his cloak and, with a sharp pull, tore it and ripped it from his left shoulder.
Medusa stood still for an instant, her eyes fixed on what had been revealed.
"That is…"
A golden glow emerged from Jason's left shoulder.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Back in the divine theater, a magical projection floated in the air, displaying the battle with breathtaking clarity. It was like watching a theatrical play or a film, but with the raw intensity of reality.
A murmur of astonishment spread through the audience. Thousands of gazes locked in unison onto Jason's now-exposed left arm, where that strange ornament shone with an almost hypnotic intensity.
It was not a simple piece of armor: plates of golden, living leather seemed to adapt to his body as if they breathed along with him. On his shoulder, an imposing pauldron evoked the form of a ram, with curved horns projecting outward, while from it descended flexible plates that covered his bicep and connected through straps to an equally golden bracer on his forearm.
"That's right, spectators!" Calliope exclaimed, raising her voice with enthusiasm. "You are witnessing the legendary Golden Fleece!"
The theater erupted into cheers, shouts, and applause. The excitement was palpable, as if the air itself had been charged with electricity at the revelation of that mythical relic.
On the battlefield, Jason quickly regained his composure. A magical flash ran along his weapon, and the spear he held transformed into a radiant-bladed sword, which he now wielded with both hands. From the pommel, a thin luminous thread extended to his left arm, connecting the weapon to the fleece, as if both were parts of a single entity.
"Like many spirits, deities, and sea creatures" Calliope continued, seizing the moment to enlighten the audience, "the Fleece, due to its bond with Poseidon, has the ability to take on whatever form its bearer desires."
She paused deliberately, allowing the anticipation to grow, letting the audience hold its breath.
"But that is not the most impressive part…" she added, lowering her voice slightly, forcing everyone to lean forward. "Rather, its power protects Jason from Medusa's petrifying gaze!"
On the deck of the colossal ship, Jason had already launched his attack.
He advanced with determination, closing the distance between them with firm, calculated steps. Medusa reacted immediately: the snakes in her hair rose and shot toward him like living whips, seeking to entangle and tear him apart. However, Jason did not retreat. With agile and precise movements, his sword traced arcs of light through the air, severing every snake that dared approach.
Jason moved forward step by step as the remains of the snakes fell onto the deck. The sound of the cuts mingled with the furious hissing of the creatures, creating a chaotic symphony.
When he was close enough—dangerously close—Medusa changed her strategy. Her eyes shone with determination, and in an instant she summoned more snakes, which intertwined before her, forming a dense, living barrier, a writhing wall of scales and fangs that churned like a contained storm.
"I don't either…" Jason said, his voice firm, laden with resolve.
Without halting his advance, he raised his sword and unleashed a series of precise strikes. The barrier gave way under his force, the snakes being torn apart and cast aside as if they were mere obstacles, incapable of stopping his momentum.
"…want to drag this out any longer than necessary."
With one final step, Jason broke through what remained of the defense and stood before the gorgon. He planted his feet firmly against the deck, feeling the tension surge through every muscle in his body, channeling all his strength into a single decisive motion.
He raised the sword. And delivered a strike meant to sever Medusa's head.