“Well done, daughter. It pleases me to see that even a traitor like you can prove useful.”
“Mother, what have you done?”
Her companion was equally pleased, a massive red-skinned centaur with black hooves and cruel eyes. He wore a crown of woven rib bones upon his head.
“May I introduce Kal’Atta’Ren, Warchief of the centaur tribe.”
He gripped his mighty war-axe in his hands, a passionate glimmer in his black eyes. “Everything is proceeding according to plan. Without the heart, those pathetic nymphs will fall like wheat before the scythe.”
Rodania stepped up onto the dock and began securing the mooring lines.
“You said they would only demand their surrender!” Erolina hollered.
Rodania lowered her eyes in shame. “Disinformation necessary to gain your compliance.”
“You mean lies! This is not the amazon way. We do not kill indiscriminately. We are conquerors, not murderers.”
“But you are no amazon,” Queen Erotas said coldly.
“Nor am I,” Kal’Atta’Ren said, licking his lips with a black tongue.
Another explosion, this time much closer. The screams of the forest nymphs was clearly discernable above the spreading wildfires.
Three nymph children burst out from the burning trees, hoping to find safety from the fires near the water.
Kal’Atta’Ren was off like a shot, leaping straight over Erolina and galloping down the dock, bellowing a war cry.
“Stop!” Erolina called out. “They are only children.”
He swung his axe and killed one of the green children, the others scattering in terror.
“This is the price of defiance!” he screamed, swinging his axe again and felling another.
“STOP, this is not honorable battle, this is barbarism.”
“Stop? I will not stop until every nymph lies dead.”
He reared up on his hind legs, kicking the remaining child. She fell hard against an exposed rock, knocking her unconscious.
He clopped closer, looking over the child with murderous delight, watching as the green blood dripped from the wound on her head. “If you amazons don’t have the stomach for this, you are free to look away.”
“NO!”
As he lifted his axe, Erolina ran over and took Rodania’s bow from her back. Before she could even react, Erolina nocked an arrow and let it loose. The shaft flew through the air, striking the centaur war chief directly in the eye.
Kal’Atta’Ren fell dead to the ground alongside the injured forest nymph child.
Rodania was enraged. “You fool. Now the centaurs will come after us.”
Queen Erotas scoffed. “Let them try.”
With a wave of her hand, the amazons aboard the trireme set upon the centaur guards, killing them and tossing their bodies overboard into the lagoon.
Rodania looked around in confusion. “My Queen, what is this?”
Erotas scratched her chin. “The centaurs have become too big a threat to us. At this very moment, their home islands lay vulnerable while their armies are committed here.”
“They’ve always been our staunchest allies.”
“Already our forces are landing upon their shores. They will fall easily.”
Rodania stepped away. “This was the plan all along?”
“Yes.”
“You lied to me. You told me this invasion was to…”
“Disinformation. That is what you called it, is it not, Rodania?”
“No…”
Suddenly, Kennid jumped into the midst of them, grabbing the heart and attempting to wrestle it out of Erolina’s hands.
“Human, what are you doing?”
“I am going to stop this,” Kennid grunted. “I am going to save the people of Dasikí Chará, and the centaurs.”
“What do you care, human? They are not your kind.”
“They are people! And all people deserve life. No one deserves to be wiped out. Returning the heart is the right thing to do.”
“Kennid, please stay out of this,” Erolina pleaded.
Queen Erotas threw her head back and laughed. “You think you can stop us? We are amazons. We live to crush and conquer. We will never stop.”
“I will stop you!”
Queen Erotas drew her sword. “Then you will fall.”
Kennid closed his eyes as the blade came down at him.
“No!”
As Erotas brought her sword down, it hit metal. She looked in shock to find Erolina standing before her, shielding Kennid with her rod.
“You dare draw your weapon in the presence of your queen?!”
“I will not let you hurt my husband, mother.”
“Husband?”
The queen looked at Kennid in disgust. “So, THIS is the human that poisoned your mind?”
“He taught me how to love.”
“Humph. And how long will that last?”
Sensing his chance, Kennid snatched the heart from Erolina’s hand and sprinted away, running along the stone dock as fast as he could towards the shoreline.
“Kill him!” Erotas ordered.
Rodania snatched up her bow, but then hesitated.
“Do it NOW!”
Rodania drew back her bow and took aim. Erolina released her rod and tackled Rodania, knocking her off the edge and plunging her into the water. The arrow flew wide, zipping past Kennid’s head as he ran and disappeared into the burning woods.
“Traitor!”
Queen Erotas swung her sword, slashing Erolina’s face from cheek to brow. Erolina yelped in pain, grabbing her bloody face.
Kennid was nearly to the shore.
Queen Erotas heeled back to throw her sword. “Die, human!”
Erolina grabbed her rod and threw it at her mother. The head roared to its maximum setting, cracking with powerful energies as Erotas threw her sword. The rod smashed into the Queen’s face, burning and scorching her skin, and knocking her back on her heels. She spun around, her arms flailing as she fell over the side and into the water.
The sword flew end over end through the air, striking Kennid squarely in the back. The blade plunged through his heart and burst out his chest.
His legs gave out and he tumbled, rolling end over end in a bloody mess of spray and sand as he skid along the dock and came to a rest on his side.
Her face bloodied, Erolina stumbled along the dock, her head spinning, and the world rocking around her. Explosions from within the forest buffeted her and she stumbled to Kennid’s side.
His breathing was sharp and ragged, his blood pouring out of the wound through his body.
Erolina’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, no, no. Kennid, no.”
With trembling fingers, he put the dripping seed into her hand.
“Please,” he whispered. “Return the heart to the mother tree. Save them.”
Her red eyes trembling, Erolina looked out at the burning forest, then down at her dying husband.
His eyes grew dim. “No one…should have to die…like my people did…”
His eyes closed.
“NOOOOO!”
Erolina pulled the sword free and rolled him onto his back. Taking the heart, she plunged it into the gaping wound in his chest. Golden light shot out from inside his body, the silvery liquids soaking into him, leaving phosphorescent trails beneath his skin.
With the help of her guards, Queen Erotas climbed over the side of the trireme, cradling her burnt flesh.
“Kill them both!”
The amazons released a volley of black arrows into the sky, blotting out the sun as they arced down towards Erolina and Kennid.
Erolina saw them coming, but it was too late. She fell atop Kennid, shielding him with her own body.
Black arrows thudded all around them, but none found their mark.
Erolina looked up in surprise and found Rodania standing over them, shielding them with her own body.
Erolina reached out for her. “Rodania…no…”
> “Princess…” she gasped, blood flowing out of her mouth. “Run…”
Rodania fell to the ground, her armor riddled with arrows. Already, guards were running down the dock and another volley was being prepared.
Kennid slowly opened his eyes, a golden light emanating from within. “What…what did you do to me?”
Erolina clenched her fists. She gulped down all the guilt, swallowed the regret and remorse. She shoved her feelings down deep, where they would never bother her again.
“Come on, we’ve got to get out of here.”
Erolina scooped him up and ran into the burning forest, the amazons in quick pursuit.
All over the island, screams and flames rose up in equal amounts as the sky grew red with fume.
(10 years ago)
The front door to the mountain shack hung limply on the hinges. The roof sagged, the windows were gaping holes for the wind to blow through. The walls leaned at jaunty angles, carpeted with moss, decorated with mold. It was as joyless as the dead trees surrounding it.
Carrying his bundle of scissors and combs, Kennid stumbled up the snowy path towards the shack. The resort town far below was teeming with music and life, but none of it reached up here. A few sparse coins jingled in his pocket. Enough for tomorrow’s bread, nothing more.
He clutched his chest and nearly tripped. The bandages he used to cover his wound shifted, light pouring out from the hole through his body. He couldn’t recall the last time he had slept, he couldn’t remember the taste of food. He was starving, but his body would not die. He was exhausted, but could not rest. He existed at the moment of death, a moment of shadow and cold and regret.
Kennid could hear deep sobbing coming from within as he neared. He threw open the front door and found the inside of the shack tossed to pieces. Broken dressers and shattered tables. Torn cloth and spilled food, shattered chairs and empty bottles.
A dozen dead amazon warriors lay sprawled amidst the destruction, broken weapons and blood soaking into the floor.
In the center of it all was Erolina, beaten and bruised, weeping as if her heart had broken in two.
“Erolina, what happened?
“They took her! They took Apollonia.”
“What?!”
“I couldn’t stop them. I couldn’t stop them all.”
“How did they find us?”
“I don’t know!”
Enraged, he walked up and smacked her with the back of his hand. “You let them take our daughter!”
Erolina touched her cheek in shock. “You…you hit me!”
He straightened his back. “You made me do it. This is all your fault. You ruined everything!”
Before she could answer, he reeled back and smacked her again. “Now they’ll take her back to Themyskira, to become another bloody animal! My daughter, my flesh and blood, will become one of them! They’ll put her on the throne. You’ve destroyed everything I have done!”
Her lip trembled. “Stop it. This isn’t you. You aren’t like this, Kennid.”
He reeled back and hit her again, this time so hard it threw her back against the wall.
“Do not call me Kennid. Kennid is dead. He died back on the docks of Dasikí Chará, murdered by the hand of Queen Erotas. What stands before you is some unholy monster you created.”
He walked up and hit her again and again, screaming in rage. His hands lost their shape, pounding into blobs of golden light. She whimpered in pain, holding up her hands feebly, but he did not relent, beating her until her face was a bloody mess.
He held up his hands and smiled, a devilish light moving through his eyes. Slowly he formed his hands back into their proper shape, a vessel of silver liquid beading within now held in his grasp.
Erolina cracked open a swollen eye. “How are you doing that? What is that?”
He grabbed her chin and held her tight. “The essence of the forest. A little insurance to make sure you follow orders from now on.”
Her grief-filled eyes shook in fear. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to save everyone. I’m going to stop innocents from being killed by amazons.”
He squeezed her jaw cruelly, forcing her lips to part, and poured the silver liquid inside. “And you are going to help me, dear wife.”
(Present Day)
Erolina’s head snapped to the side hard as she was slapped.
“How dare you come back without the stone!” came a spiteful voice.
Lord Krýo Fidi reeled back and smacked her again.
Erolina fell to her knees, her face swelling. “I had to come back. There was nowhere else I could go.”
Krýo cruelly kicked her in the gut. She rolled over onto her side, retching painfully.
He took out a handkerchief and dabbed his forehead. “Again, look at what you made me do. I would prefer not to use violence, but you leave me with no other accord.”
Already Erolina’s muscles were beginning to cramp as she lay on the floor of the chateau. Humorless tapestries frowned at her from every wall. Dark gargoyles watched her with empty eyes.
She coughed painfully. “Please…give me another dose before…”
“Silence!”
His eyes flashed with golden light. The room echoed with his voice.
Regaining his composure, he tucked his handkerchief back into his sleeve. “That stone was the key to my plans. Fovos was going to use it to threaten the Sacred Orchard for me. With that kind of leverage over the gods, I could have forced a permanent armistice. Permanent, do you understand? I could have ended the wars between the three nations forever. Now, because of your failure, I will have to settle for ending only this war with as little loss of life as possible.”
He turned to face her, pity in his eyes. “I asked you to help me save as many lives as I could, and you have failed. I suppose it was my fault for thinking that an amazon could do anything but destroy.”
Erolina held out her hand, her fingers cramping painfully. “Please…more…”
“It pains me to see you reduced to this, Silver Scythe. Such a noble savage, now little more than a thirsting beast. Still, when this is over, you will have helped me save countless lives. You will be a hero at last. I can only pray to the fates that it will be enough to repent of your crimes.”
He looked out the window and watched as a fleet of warships steamed past.
“Everything is proceeding exactly as planned. In five days, Nisi will land her forces on the eastern shores of Themyskira. At the same time, the fifth army of Agadis under my orders will attack the western shores of Themyskira. When they meet in the middle, the two halves of the curse will mix, and the war will begin to grind to a halt just as I have engineered. Peace. Lives saved. Justice done.”
“Wait, what about my people?”
“The amazons? Attacked from both sides without escape and against insurmountable odds? They’ll be wiped out, every last one. The war will grind to a halt and the blight of the amazons will be eradicated from the earth. Two birds with one stone, as they say.”
“That wasn’t the deal! You swore to me that they would be spared if I did what you asked.”
“And what of your vows to me? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish? You betrayed me and countless others, and you would DARE cast judgment on me?”
Krýo hunkered down to look into her red eyes. “I told you they will be spared, and they will. Their deaths will cleanse them of their sin. Their souls will be free.”
“What sin?”
“The sin of being born an amazon, of course.”
“Being born is not a crime!”
“Oh, spare me your sanctimonious outrage. You know the bloody history of your kind better than anyone. How many people have died at the hands of amazons? How many cities burned to the ground, how many tribes eradicated? The guilt of the amazons is beyond contestation. Ruthless, bloody murderers, all of you. That is what justifies my actions. I execute the guilty because they are guilty, and for no other reason. I
t brings me no pleasure to do so, I do it because it is the right thing to do. I do it, because if I don’t, more people will die by amazon hands, more people will suffer, more children will be orphaned, more wives will be widowed, more free people will be made slaves.”
Erolina tried desperately to rise to her feet, but her body was racked with pain. “There are children on that island!”
“Yes, there are. And they are being raised and taught to become murderers like their mothers. It is a cycle of blood that will never end unless someone has the courage to end it. Perhaps you think I should do nothing because our daughter will be among the fallen? And to that I would respond, what should I tell the families of the victims the next time you amazons start a war? Shall I tell them their fathers and sons would still be alive had I acted, but I chose not to? No, that would leave blood on my hands, and above all else, my hands must remain clean.”
Erolina forced her trembling body to its knees. “NO! I won’t let you!”
She swung at him, but he caught her wrist and spun her around, pinning her arm behind her back. With his other hand, he grabbed her hair and yanked hard, pulling her chin up and exposing her throat. He grew a third glowing arm, the fingers fusing together into a long golden blade pressed against her throat.
“You know as well as I do, my ex-wife. As long as there are amazons, the bloodshed will never stop.”
She struggled with tears in her eyes, but he pressed the blade harder, drawing blood.
“You have been of great service to me, Silver Reaper, and it will not go unrewarded. I hereby absolve you of your crimes. I shall now send you to the afterlife cleansed of all sin.”
“No!”
“Be at peace.”
Krýo slid the blade across her neck, cutting into her flesh.
Suddenly, a spear with a bundle of clothes tied to the haft smashed the roof inwards and implanted itself into the floor. It startled Krýo so much he looked up just in time for an arrow to implant itself in his face.
Krýo shrieked in pain, falling on his back and clutching his wound. Air rushed in from sinuous flapping wings as Mov and her dragon riders descended, landing on the roof of the chateau and aiming their bows.
Erolina looked up weakly and saw a familiar face behind Mov. He was tied to the saddle to keep from falling out.
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