The three witches huddled together, whispering about whether to tell Perseus how to kill Medusa.
At Perseus's urging, the witches finally revealed the secret to him.
"Mortal with ill intentions, we know not why you seek the Gorgon's weakness; if you believe you can defeat them for honor, you are mistaken!"
The witches' threats did not deter Perseus. He made a move as if to throw the eye in his hand into the sea, which greatly alarmed the three witches. They immediately betrayed the Gorgon sisters and told Perseus what the snake-haired monster craved.
"The daughters of the Ocean God wear gowns made of golden fleece, the material of which is incomparably precious, found only in the eastern mountains and on the intangible islands of the sea. The Gorgon sisters yearn for the beautiful golden fleece and will surely be willing to pay any price for it!"
After speaking, the witches begged Perseus to return the eye. Their words were earnest, and tears flowed from their hollow eye sockets.
Just as the youth was about to return the eye in his hand, the sea breeze carried a whisper.
"Perseus, do not pity or feel sorry for these witches. If they get their eyes back, they will immediately inform the Gorgon sisters."
Perseus retreated cautiously towards the ocean. The moment he mounted the flying horse, he threw the eye in his hand away.
The waves, like a palm, lightly caught the eye and hid it in the unknown depths of the sea.
The mist that came with the sea breeze trapped the enraged witches, who unleashed foul curses upon the untrustworthy Perseus.
The flying horse snorted and leaped from the black stone-strewn beach, soaring towards an unknown distance.
Perseus wanted to call out to the flying horse, asking it to take him back to Athena's temple. As soon as he opened his mouth, his voice turned into broken, unintelligible syllables in the rushing sea wind.
Perseus had no choice but to close his eyes and bury his face in the flying horse's mane, letting the horse guide him.
The flying horse passed through the cool mist and arrived at a serene island. Two magnificent rainbow bridges hung over this island, and the snow at the peaks pierced the clouds. Here, light always prevailed, and darkness never appeared. In a daze, Perseus heard ethereal singing drifting from the island.
Tall maidens flapped their wings and approached the flying horse. These non-human beings did not attack Perseus, who was riding the horse; they gathered around out of curiosity.
The new generation of Sirens had never seen a man. Although their birth involved male participation, those unfortunate sailors were snatched by their mothers. After confirming their pregnancies, these beautiful Sirens would send the captured men back to passing ships.
On the coastal reefs, sea nymphs with fish tails leaped into the sea. The flying horse, with its pure white wings, seemed familiar with them. Guided by the nymphs, it arrived at a white sandy beach.
The Dryads were already waiting there, having been instructed by the chief god to welcome the hero's arrival.
Passing through the outer杉树林 and orchards, Perseus met three goddesses in a sea of flowers.
The leading goddess wore a crown of lilies and a white, intricately layered gauze dress. She wore few ornaments, save for a dazzling gemstone necklace around her neck.
The two attendant goddesses wore crowns of irises, and their diaphanous wings shimmered with brilliant light.
"Thank you for receiving me, Goddess who embraces the world."
Perseus recognized the deities before him as the goddess of marine life, whom his adoptive father worshipped. He knelt respectfully on one knee, expressing his gratitude to the goddess.
"Perseus, son of Danaë. I have brought you here by flying horse to bestow upon you three gifts."
Looking at the youth, whose features bore a slight resemblance to Zeus, Tyche's tone softened.
"Medusa is not an evil monster. Beneath her terrible snake-hair slumbers a gentle and kind goddess. Rescue Medusa's beautiful side, and you will be blessed with good fortune."
With that, Tyche took a lily, still dewy, from her crown and handed it to Perseus. This pure flower had grown under the irrigation of the spring of wisdom, and no one could obtain it without the owner's permission.
"After you have beheaded Medusa, place this flower on her wound to awaken the slumbering goddess."
The rainbow goddesses, wearing iris crowns, handed Perseus the golden fleece garments and the sharp sword forged in Typhon's fury.
"Go forth, young Perseus. My will shall accompany you on your path. Your great deeds will earn you praise and glory comparable to the gods."
The Dryads offered food and wine to the human who had stepped onto the intangible island for the first time, while the flying horse munched on sweet fruits amidst the maids' laughter.
With all preparations complete, Perseus embarked on his journey to save Medusa.
Born from ocean currents, the flying horse possessed speed no less than the wind. In just one night, before the dawn goddess scattered the morning glow, Perseus arrived at the island where the Gorgon sisters resided.
This desolate island had little greenery, and was surrounded by reefs and whirlpools. Without the help of the flying horse, no ship, however sturdy, and no warrior, however brave, could approach the Gorgon sisters.
Perseus deliberately shouted loudly, "What dazzling beauty! Such magnificent garments can only befit a goddess."
The sound of metal scraping soon echoed from the island. Stheno, with wings, and Euryale, with boar-like tusks, emerged from a cave. The two awakened sisters intended to kill this presumptuous human, but their attention was captured by the golden-hued gowns flowing in the morning sun.
The two sisters were overjoyed and immediately commanded, "Noisy mortal, return our garments quickly."
Perseus feigned fright, dropped the garments, and fled. The two sisters did not pursue him immediately. They began to quarrel over the ownership of the golden fleece, not realizing how the mortal had crossed the whirlpools and reefs to reach the island.
While the two sisters argued, Perseus circled back to their cave, searching for Medusa.
The depths of the cave were not dim; large pearls embedded in the cave walls illuminated it as if it were daylight.
Medusa, with her snake-hair, was slumbering deep within the cave, her venomous snakes also closed their eyes as their mistress rested.
Suddenly, a faint scent of lilies made the slumbering Medusa curious, and she opened her eyes. The next moment, a shining shield appeared before the snake-haired Gorgon. Medusa saw her own reflection immediately. The curse in her eyes reflected back onto her owner. Before she could utter a cry, Medusa was turned into a stone statue by her own magic.
As Tyche had instructed, Perseus swung his sword and severed the Gorgon's head. Black blood gushed from the wound in Medusa's neck. As this blood fell to the ground, it transformed into variously colored snakes that scattered and fled.
Placing the goddess's sacred flower on the terrible wound, a faint blue radiance extended like waves. Medusa, who had been petrified, miraculously grew a new head under this glow. Her stone body shattered like the husk left behind by a molting insect, and a beautiful goddess emerged before Perseus, freed from the confines of the Gorgon's shell.