Perseus + Andromeda

Perseus found himself craning his neck over the railing of his ship. Was that…. A girl? No, it couldn’t be. He leaned further over the side of the ship, straining to see the cliffs in the distance. As the ship drew nearer to the coast, she came into focus – a girl about his age, thrashing against restraints that would not let her go. She stood with her feet in the water and her back chained to the steep cliffs, the restraints creaking and groaning with her every move, but never coming loose. 

Perseus called to his men, setting the ship in motion to dock just north of the girl along the beach. As they approached, though, she began to scream to the men, waving them off. It seemed she was trying to send them away, but they were too far out to hear her words. Though he couldn’t seem to tell why, Perseus instinctually trusted her, and barked orders to the men to heed her warning. The bow of the ship swung out, turning the men back to sea in search of a different port. 

They inched along the coastline to the East, looking for the nearest place to dock. Finally, a small port town came into view, and the men lowered their sails and headed to shore as fast as they could muster. As soon as their anchor touched ground, Perseus was off the ship and running back down the coast, calling desperately for the girl whose name he did not know. 

His alarm was not indiscreet. Soon, guards had all but surrounded the man, and Perseus took a moment to absorb his surroundings. Though the town had seemed modest from the sea, now that he was within its walls, he began to notice royal stamps on every pillar and door. He slowly glanced upward, toward the mountains, where a glimmering palace stood. 

The guards seized Perseus, dragging him away from the sea and from the girl he was on a mission to save. He thrashed and kicked, screaming that he must be freed, begging for an opportunity to rescue the poor woman chained to the rock. Finally, the guards slid open a door. Perseus prepared himself to be thrown into a dark, dank, prison cell, but instead, he was faced with a marble throne room draped in stunning fabrics. 

Perseus stood from his crumpled position on the floor where the guards had left him. He composed himself, not knowing what king he may be in the presence of. He cleared his throat and began, 

“Hello, sir. My name is Perseus. I was just sailing back to Greece when my men and I saw a woman chained to your cliffsides - Please, if you could find it in your heart to free me, she needs my help.” 

The king rose, dripping with jewels and grace. “I know this girl. You may not save her, for I chained her there myself.” 

Perseus stood in shocked silence. What could that girl have done to deserve such a fate? Why did she wave him off? Wouldn’t she want to be rescued?  Never one to hold his tongue, Perseus pressed the king for answers. 

“I suppose it is only right that you know. I am King Cephus of Ethiopia, and the girl you speak of is my daughter Andromeda. She is the bravest among us. You see, the Kingdom of Ethiopia has been cursed. The sea monster Cetus has been sent by Poseidon to ravage the coast, destroying ships coming in and out. We have been fighting his wrath for months, but it seems the only way to appease him was to sacrifice one of our own. Andromeda volunteered, prepared to give her life for our kingdom.” 

“And you’re just going to give up? Let your daughter die? Free me, and I swear to you, I will return your daughter safely. Let me try to slay the beast.” 

With that, Cephus nodded. He let the boy go, knowing in his heart that he had sent him to his death, but Perseus was insistent. He rallied his crew, and they set off down the coast on foot. 

As they approached the cliff’s edge, Perseus saw the water stirring and frothing. He could not see through the waves, but whatever it was, it was big. He swallowed his fear and scaled down the face of the cliffs, reaching Andromeda at the bottom. 

“What do you want?” she snapped. 

Perseus was taken aback by her harsh tone. “Um - I’m here to save you, princess,” he stuttered out. 

“You cannot save me. The prophets were clear - my life for the life of the kingdom.” 

Perseus thought back to the cries he heard from the ship. He had thought they were cries of anguish, but no, they were taunts. Andromeda was yelling to the monster, drawing him nearer and nearer to her so he would not harm the passing ship. All this time, Perseus had been trying to save Andromeda, when she had already saved him. He owed her this now more than ever. As the sea stirred around them, the two formed a plan. 

Perseus scampered back up the cliff to his crewmates, and together they took off running towards their ship. When they arrived at the boat, there was no time to catch their breath. The crew pulled the anchor and prepared their ship for battle with the precision and efficiency of a pack of cheetahs taking down their prey. Within minutes, the ship was pushed from the dock and the men raced back towards Andromeda. 

As they approached, the thrashing and swelling of the waves caused by the monster’s agitation drowned out the sounds of the approaching ship. Andromeda’s taunts riled the monster into a frenzy, his huge eyes trained only on her. Though she must have been terrified, Andromeda did not waver. She screamed at Cephus, hurling insults louder and meaner still as Perseus boarded the lifeboat and dropped into the water. 

Perseus fought the roiling waves, paddling as hard as he could to approach the back of the monster’s head. He knew he only had one shot, so he would have to make it count. As Andromeda’s voice carried taunts over the wind, Perseus lined up his shot. He thrust his spear as hard as he could into the sea, piercing through the back of Cephus’s skull. The monster, who just a moment before had been creating waves that threatened the life of all who encountered them, suddenly went limp. 

The sea was instantly calmed. Perseus dropped his spear, reaching instead for his paddle. He rowed as fast as his boat would allow, sliding onto the beach next to Andromeda. As he freed her from her chains, she began to cry. It was not obvious at first, the sea water dripping from her hair obscuring the tears, but soon it could not be ignored.

“What’s wrong? We won! You’re free!” Perseus said, concern filling his voice. 

“I will never be free. My father chained me to a cliff, a sacrifice he should never have let me make. I cannot return to him,” Andromeda realized. 

And so, she boarded the ship. Perseus and his men graciously accepted the princess, her wit and strength carrying them all home.