Published: Jan 15, 2025

My one-hundred and eighty-fourth caption, featuring an unfortunate soul who stumbled unto a den of snakes…

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All image credits go to their respective artists. I have and never will claim ownership over any image I've used or modified for a caption, and I always encourage you to check out the artist and their wider body of work when possible.

When Pittacus had sought out adventure long ago, to travel the world and slay dangerous beasts, he never expected to end up like this. In his travels, he had accidentally stumbled upon a protected den of snakes in the mountains, containing a species he had never seen before. Stumbling as he tried to climb out to safety, he drew his blade and killed one of them, causing the others to retreat. Before he could try and escape a second time, the sky grew dark and a shining woman in gold armor, brandishing white robes, a spear, and shield appeared before him. This woman was the goddess Athena, and she looked none too pleased with the awestruck Pittacus. As it turns out, these snakes were special, created by Athena to serve her in her temple in the future. Unfortunately, she was quite furious that a mortal had just stumbled into the den and killed one of them.

Athena cursed Pittacus there on the spot, causing him to fall limp in the den. The snakes that had fled before slithered back out of the darkness, biting his scalp. He yelled out in pain as they began merging into his head, forcing his body to undergo a painful, uncontrollable transformation. His manhood was the first thing to go, sucking back up inside of him too quickly to fully comprehend. Left in its place was that which belonged to a maiden. His whole body cracked, popped, and contorted as his shape changed, his hips flaring out wildly as his shoulders narrowed and his face shifted, becoming… strikingly feminine. Unfortunately, his changes were far from over. As a pair of large breasts formed on his chest, his legs began to melt together, changing to a scale-covered green color and expanding in length. Before he knew it, his now-alien body began to grow, expanding to a monsterous, immense size. All his features grew to match his new size, leaving him with gigantic, exaggerated breasts and “hips” to match.

Athena had cursed Pittacus, turning him, now her, into a giant Gorgon. The snakes that were once meant for Athena were now permanently affixed to her head, filling her ears with the din of near-constant hisses and rattling. The rattle that now came from the end of her tail was borderline deafening, echoing through the deep caves of the mountain. With a mixture of anger and confusion, Pittacus tried to lash out at the goddess, but found herself unable to lift a single muscle in anger towards her. Athena paid her impulses no mind, explaining to the former man that her name was now Acantha. She was now bound to this mountain, trapped in its vast interior, until a mortal eventually came and conquered her. With that, Athena left as quickly as she arrived, leaving Acantha alone with only her new snake “friends” to keep her company under the mountain.

Over time, Acantha began using her immense strength and excess free time to build a vast temple under the mountain, hoping that if she prayed to the gods hard and long enough, one of them would hear her and reverse this curse. Unfortunately, it seemed her prayers fell on deaf ears, the gods either unable to hear her or unwilling to help her. Eventually, she stopped trying entirely, her carefully-crafted temple slowly decaying. Eventually, adventurers began to discover the caves beneath the mountain, inevitably finding the temple and her residing inside. Her first attempt to interact with mortal humans was a complete disaster, with them blindingly attacking her as she tried to explain herself to them. She quickly learned her gaze didn’t turn men to stone, but if she focused very hard on a single man, eyes locked, she could deeply hypnotize them. Still, the first encounter left her with numerous cuts and other small injuries, while one mortal out of eight escaped, spreading word of the giant Gorgon in the mountain. From that point on, Acantha was forced to fight these adventurers, seeking fame, glory, and favor with the gods that had forsaken her.

One day, Acantha heard the tell-tale pitter-patter of footsteps echo through the caves around her temple. Narrowing her eyes, she listened as the footsteps got closer, realizing it was just one of them this time. She shook her head, expecting it was another “thrill-seeker” looking to impress a girl or something along those usual lines. She hid in the shadows, watching a short man in a red and white tunic approach the front of the temple. Feeling a moment of pity for the hapless mortal, she refocused herself, slamming the end of her tail behind him, cutting off any chance he’d have of escape. The boy ran, brandishing some kind of weapon she couldn’t see. She felt her blood begin to boil, adrenaline kicking in.

“You dare enter MY temple?! Seek to harm me and my kin like the others before you?” She shouted as he jumped atop a broken pillar. Acantha prepared to attack the mortal, having fully surrounded him. He was trapped. “Prepare to meet your fate, mortal!”

As she moved to attack him, he… pulled out a huge bouquet of sunflowers, presenting it to her with his eyes closed tightly.

“Eh? EH?!” She suddenly paused, the snakes on her head hissing in confusion as her face went blood red. “W-What’s this?!”

“I’ve h-heard tales of your beauty, great Acantha! I come s-seeking love, n-not violence!” The young man stuttered, making her face even redder. This mortal was… asking her out on a date? He was trying to court a monster such as herself? “Please, accept me!”

The adrenaline drained from her as she became truly confused and… flustered for the first time in many, many years. She struggled to find the words to speak to this man, but as her heart fluttered, she felt something about her beginning to change. Her size immediately began to change, her massive body shrinking down at a rapid rate. As she reached a size similar to that of a mortal, she then let out a sharp yelp as her tail split in two, forming back into two, shapely legs. Acantha couldn’t believe it, she had legs again! Still, it seemed her friends on her head were there to stay.

“Young hero, you are quite brave to seek me out. Never once in all these years has one approached me in such a way.” Acantha replied, the man still clenching his eyes shut. She walked over to him, gently taking his helmet off, revealing his rather… handsome features. Acantha then kissed the mortal deeply on the lips, getting him to finally look at her. Her snakes were shocked, but they wouldn’t dare try to harm the mortal now. With the curse lifted, there was nothing but love between the two now, pure and untainted. “I accept your offer, hero. Thank you.”