Medea's words lashed at the heroes like a whip, and the weapons in their hands swung faster.
Cornered and with nowhere to retreat, the dragon, driven by its desperate will to live, unleashed a surge of power that nearly shattered the heroes' encirclement.
Medea's magic could no longer influence the dragon's will, so she retreated behind the cordon to provide aid to the embattled warriors. The rope woven from golden threads moved with lightning-like agility, darting around the warriors at her command, offering them assistance.
A brilliant arc of light flashed, and the sudden burst of intense light gave the dragon the illusion of being scorched. The heroes, having closed their eyes at Medea's command, seized the opportunity after the momentary flare-up and severed one of the dragon's wings.
Blinded, the dragon spewed flames indiscriminately and turned to charge towards the cave entrance. Medea immediately bound the dragon's hind legs with the rope. The unbalanced dragon skidded across the ground for a distance, landing right before Jason.
Jason instinctively thrust forward the sword in his hand, plunging it, along with his right arm, into the dragon's eye! In pain, the dragon thrashed its head wildly, flinging Jason away once more. He crashed into the crowd, knocking over several companions before coming to a halt.
Unlike the disheveled warriors, Medea's robes were not even torn.
The princess calmly approached the dying dragon, examining its massive body. The rope, which had served her so well, snapped amidst the dragon's struggles, but Medea did not shed a tear of regret.
Medea drew a short dagger and plunged it into the dragon's skull. Under Hecate's divine power, the wailing soul was drawn to the underworld, and the dragon's eyes finally lost their luster.
Next, the priestesses, alerted to the news, arrived at the cave, their fatigue from the sacrificial rituals ignored. Their eyes gleamed as they began to divide the spoils of the fallen monster. Medea led the way, using her dagger to disembowel the dragon and retrieve its still-beating heart. The priestesses swarmed forward, tearing the dragon into pieces and carrying them away. Some even fought over the scattered scraps of flesh and blood, their fervor so intense that the heroes who had traveled through the city-states dared not utter a sound.
The sorceresses departed, satisfied after having squeezed out the dragon's last drop of blood. The cave, besides the lingering stench, bore no trace of the dragon's existence.
Soldiers loaded the priestesses' spoils onto chariots. Medea instructed her attendants to deliver her share to the high tower before taking out the Golden Fleece from beneath her cloak and handing it to Jason.
"You have completed your task well; this is your due."
Jason, having received the Golden Fleece he had longed for, suddenly felt it was not as important as he had imagined. He couldn't help but ask, "Why were you all fighting over the dragon's corpse? I can't think of any use for it. Even weeds cannot grow on the land splashed by its poisonous blood."
In a cheerful mood, Medea enlightened Jason. "The goddess Hecate, who taught us magic, possesses a treasure that can conjure wine and food. It is a symbol of Goddess Hecate as the goddess of prayer. The ancient goddess Tyche gifted this treasure to Her Highness Hecate, and Goddess Hecate, in turn, taught us the knowledge of these precious runes. My priestesses and I have tried various methods to restore this treasure but have failed. Neither gold nor mercury could bear such powerful magic, and dragon's blood and hide were the best materials we could think of."
The light in Medea's eyes was captivating, surpassing even the brilliance of the dawn, causing Jason to tighten his grip on the Golden Fleece.
As he watched the unique princess depart, his companion Orpheus's light laughter brought Jason back to his senses. This archer, renowned for his unerring aim, was also an accomplished musician, a descendant of Apollo and a mortal. Blessed by the Muses at birth, he possessed unparalleled artistic talent.
The musician strummed his lyre and sang a song of love, drawing a ripple of chuckles from his companions. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
This grand adventure was about to conclude with their return journey, yet Jason felt no sense of ease. King Aeëtes was subtly inquiring about their departure, and this distant city-state, still retaining a primitive aura, had also shown its savage side to the heroes. Justice and law had never existed in this land. Outsiders, abandoned by Medea, were even asked to pay more for drinks when entering taverns, causing the princes, who had received a good education since childhood, to long for their homeland.
After much hesitation, Jason went to Medea's high tower. Under the pretext of spreading the faith of Hecate, he persuaded the princess to accompany him to a distant city-state.
Medea was swayed. She boarded the Argo with her unfinished work, her heart filled with hopeful anticipation as she set off for the unknown lands.
The prince, returning from his voyage, was warmly welcomed by his people. Jason's father, the late King Aeson, was the most beloved king of Thessaly. The new king, Pelias, was not a qualified ruler, and the populace eagerly wished for the old king's son to become their leader once more.
However, Jason's uncle, Pelias, was not a man of his word. To secure his throne, he shamelessly denied Jason's claim to the Golden Fleece.
Jason was a brave warrior, but he was helpless against his uncle's rogue actions.
Medea, on the other hand, had come with the intention of spreading the goddess's faith, only to find that Jason, who had promised to support her, could not even protect himself, let alone mobilize soldiers to build a temple for Hecate.
In Medea's view, Pelias, who obstructed her mission of spreading faith, was an eyesore. She suggested resorting to force several times, but Jason refused. He solemnly warned Medea that kings were watched over by the gods, and her curses could not penetrate divine protection to harm a king.
But how could this deter a sorceress raised by the goddess Hecate?
Medea's eyes twinkled as she immediately conceived a plan to eliminate Pelias.
The sorceress feigned compliance with Jason's warning, "The power of curses is not omnipotent; the harm it causes is returned threefold to the caster. We only use some intimidation tactics to scare them; most of those cursed die from exhaustion in their fear and inability to find peace."
Jason was finally reassured and relaxed his vigilance over Medea.
Jason's cousin, Pelias's daughters, saw Medea acting strangely in the garden. The unwelcome guest had set up a large cauldron and was cooking something. The curious princesses hid behind the bushes, peeking out. To their astonishment, Medea seemed to be performing a ritual.
The sorceress's dagger slit the throat of a ewe. She chopped the dead ewe into pieces and threw them into the cauldron. As she chanted, a lamb was pulled out of the large pot.
Witnessing the ewe rejuvenated, the princesses could not help but gasp. They emerged from their hiding place and begged the powerful sorceress to perform the same magic on their father, to restore Pelias to his youth.