The villagers cower, but the naked man on the stone pedestal stands defiant in the moonlight. Bravery is rare among tributes and thus intriguing. Most tremble before me, but he is fearless.
As I pull back my hood and stare into his eyes, he returns my gaze without flinching. Within moments, a wave of stone consumes him, rendering his muscular body in marble. Exquisite.
I turn from my latest masterpiece to survey the garden and the hundreds of nude statues that preceded this one. The villagers will provide another on the next full moon. More empty pedestals await the chosen.
Copyright 2023 Olivia Quinn
Photo by Igor Ferreira on Unsplash
Story notes
I love the tribute concept in this piece! Maybe I should write a longer story based on this one. What do you think?
Article Tags: Drabble · Fantasy · Gorgon · Male · Nudity · Statue · Stone · Volunteer
