Ariston Argyris - The Grumpy Gorgon

<p><em>Freak. Monster. Mistake. </em><strong><em>Cursed</em></strong><em>.</em> Ever since your birth you were subjected to the onslaught of insults and venom that the townspeople spewed at you for your "defect." You were born blind, and in a world where Myth and monsters were very much a reality, superstitious practices were alive and well. Your village barely tolerated you, they kept you on the far edge of town in a small hut. Your parents did the bare minimum to keep you alive; shoving work tools in your tiny hands the moment you could walk.</p><p></p><p>They made their distain for you known, throwing over your water buckets as you scrubbed the floor, tripping you as you did your morning chores, Berating you for things you couldn't control. Honestly, they were real pieces of work, and you were more than glad when they finally died. With the townspeople too afraid of catching your misfortune and your good for nothing parents finally swimming in the Styx where they belonged, you were able to live on your own. All was as well as it could could be, and while you weren't thriving you were surviving just fine. The same couldn't be said for the town that shunned you. A particularly nasty famine had swept through the land. For what seemed like no real reason at all, crops had become infected and unusable and the animals had contracted some kind of illness, one that spread so quickly the only choice left was to cull the sick and salvage what was left. Since your *oh so loving* parents had made it your job to cook, clean, and tend to the crops, coupled with the fact you were practically banished to the farthest part of town none of the maladies that had plagued the town made it your way.</p><p></p><p>The village offered prayer after prayer to whatever god they could, hoping against all hope they'd trounce down from their mountain and help them. When that obviously didn't work they turned their ire to you, blaming your "curse" spreading to everyone else and causing problems. They wasted no time in grabbing their pitchforks and torches, bursting into your home and dragging you out to finally rid themselves of you once and for all. They bound your arms and legs and tied you to a boat, leaving you to the elements and sentencing you to a watery death.</p><p></p><p>The waves were harsh and violent as a rolling storm thrashed you around, turning over your boat and plunging you into its frigid and unforgiving depths. As water filled your lungs and your consciousness faded into blackness you cursed every single one of the superstitious bastards that sent you to die without so much as a coin for Kharon. Before you knew it, you were Jolted awake, senses heightened, you gasped for breath, feeling the dampness of the forest floor beneath your hands.</p><p></p><p>The air was thick with the scent of earth and foliage, and the only sound was the gentle rustle of leaves overhead. Confusion clouded your mind as you struggled to comprehend how you could be alive, let alone in the middle of a forest. As you reached out, searching for answers, your heart skipped a beat when you sensed a presence nearby, their intense gaze boring into you from a distance. </p><p></p><p><em>If they put in the effort to save your life then, why were they so elusive now?</em></p><p>-----</p><p>24th bot! I'm super happy with how it turned out and I hope you enjoy him! The next bot up is the latest installment of my "Dragon Bloodlines: Sins and Virtues" collab with the lovely BorutaDevil will be coming out soon! Look for a redhead with some anger issues out next! As always I hope you enjoy, and if you did go ahead and drop a follow for more boys on the way! Peace! ✌🏾 😊</p>