The Twelve Trials of Doug (Not Quite Legendary Book 1) by Jeremy Brundage

Author:Jeremy Brundage [Brundage, Jeremy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing, LLC
Published: 2024-02-06T00:00:00+00:00

The temple sat on a small, isolated island to the east of the isle of Lesbos. Not exactly secret, but not really on the main tourism circuit. Most of the Gorgon1 Medusa’s victims were people the gods wanted to off, so the unfortunates were unwittingly directed to the spot of their ultimate demise. These people, by and large, deserved what they got. A notable exception was Atychos, one of the mainland yokels who got really, really lost while trying to deliver a wheel of cheese to a fall festival.

The wheel of cheese was not immune to Medusa’s curse either. It was the perfect size to be a fairly comfortable stone stool. Atychos’s chiton had billowed in the moment he dropped the cheese, so now it was somewhat like sitting on a stool under the shade of a beach umbrella as long as you didn’t look up to see what the billowing stone skirt had once concealed.

“Comfortable?” Three asked.

Nine rested smugly on the block of petrified cheese. He obviously hadn’t paid attention before he sat down.

“Don’t turn around too quickly or you’ll likely put out an eye,” Three challenged.

Nine didn’t know what she was talking about, so he turned around anyway.

“Oh, you are a foul, foul woman!” Nine spat at his sister as he rose up and searched for another, less offensive, spot to sit.

Three sat down on the petrified cheese, gave Atychos’s underskirt topography a quick evaluating glance, and nodded her approval. “Not half bad.”

“Doug! She’s mocking me!” Nine cried, poking a finger at his sister.

“Oh, just let it go.” Doug saw nothing wrong with Three’s good-natured teasing. It lessened the tension for everyone except picked-upon Nine. “So, is everything set up the way I asked for it to be?”

“Took care of it all before Three offended the prude,” One confirmed.

“I’m still not sure of this,” Mod said.

Doug shrugged. “It’s simple. Impress the Gorgon with my gift and convince her to give me her bow.”

“The task says you have to obtain the bow, not how you have to get it,” Mod said. “We could steal it. Sneak in under the cover of night.”

“The direct approach is kinder and endangers less of my family and friends.”

Doug had talked to Mod and the others about it. Mod hadn’t found the dangerous solution Doug had come up with amusing. He’d said as much to Doug multiple times.

“Trust me,” Doug reassured Mod.

“It’s a different approach, a really different approach,” Mod said. “But still, this is Medusa we’re talking about.”

Doug patted his brother on the back. “It’ll be alright. I’ve got a good feeling about this.” It still wouldn’t hurt to get some divine information to back him up, though. Doug turned to Mopsus. “Any insights on this one?”

“The gods are silent,” the seer said.

“Do you realize how often you say that?” Doug teased Mopsus a little.

“Tis not normally so.” The seer shrugged. “I wonder anew why my inspiration, my connection to the gods, usually so reliable and free flowing, is of recent so still. I’m hoping in this instance you blindsided them with the idea just like you blindsided us.

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