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Thalia
Thalia blinked as Seriana re-entered the Mess hut, fuming.
She grabbed another tray, hurriedly putting more food on it, not
exactly caring what she put where.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down!" Thalia placed her hand on
Seriana's to calm her down and keep her from tossing the food
around. "I heard Medea . . ."
"Everyone heard Medea," Seriana's nostrils
flared. "What in Hades gives her to right to do that?
Embarrassing me in front of my sisters! Honestly!"
"Seri," Thalia sighed. "There's no excuse for
Medea's behavior. She's a bit . . . irrational sometimes, as you
have seen. Celosia tries her best to keep her in check."
"Why won't she just leave me alone?" Seriana
seethed. She picked up an apple; resisted the urge to throw it
as far as possible. Her most favorable target being Medea's
head.
"I . . ." Thalia trailed off. She never knew what
exactly to do with Medea. "Well, I'll tell Celosia to keep
a closer eye on her, and I'll watch her around you too. Maybe if
you can avoid her for a while she'll cool off. Medea's not an
easy person to get along with. I'll watch out for her if she
comes after you again, okay?"
Jadea
During Medea's tirade, Angus forced himself to approach
Jadea. "Aren't ya goin' to do somethin' about it?" He
asked her. It was obvious that she knew what he was talking
about. Most of the camp knew. Hell, some of those out scouting
or hunting probably had heard Medea.
"No. Medea won't kill Seriana. She'd be killed, herself,
on the spot for doing so," Jadea replied, an unusual
calmness in her voice. Angus was used to Jadea taking fights
more seriously. Jadea didn't fear her Regent, she knew Medea's
limits, but sometimes those she feared those limits.
"You're amazin', ya know that?" He asked
sarcastically and left.
Leaving the pot and the table next to it, Jadea set off to
find Seriana. She found her in the Mess hut. It was obvious she
was angry and shaken from her discussion with the Regent, but
that her friend Thalia was helping her move past it. Jadea left
without saying a word to either.
Outside, she walked up to Medea, preparing herself for a
confrontation. It wasn't an appealing thought, but something had
to be done. "Medea, I'd like a word with you."
Seriana
"What was that?" Everyone asked as Seriana returned
to the tables. Seriana could feel herself going scarlet with
humiliation.
"Nothing," she answered at last. "It was my
fault. I provoked her. I must be tired. I'm sorry."
"Are you sure?" Thalia asked. "You know how
she gets."
"I'm sure, I'm sure. I'm sorry for the disturbance,
everyone."
"Seri . . ."
"What happened?" Celosia demanded. The Amazons
parted to let her through, Medea followed in her wake, a smirk
on her face.
Seriana felt a little twist of fear in her stomach. Taking a
deep breath, she held her head up and met the Queen's eyes.
"It was my fault, Majesty."
Celosia looked her shrewdly over. "Was it?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"And why is it that I heard Medea shouting and not you,
Seriana?"
"I provoked her, Majesty," Seriana insisted.
"I challenged her authority. I was the one who stepped out
of line."
"And do you excuse your behavior?"
"No, Majesty."
Celosia looked the two of them over again, and Seriana got
the impression she was fooling no one. But if they trusted her
they wouldn't question her motivations.
With a sigh, Celosia turned to Seriana again. "You
brought a lot of trouble with you when you came to this tribe.
We offered you the protection of a sisterhood. The title of
Amazon Warrior is a privilege. Remember that, and remember your
place in this tribe. I will let your behavior slide this
once."
Seriana bowed her head. "It will not happen again."
Looking at her boots, she turned away to return to her work. As
the crowd and Queen turned to resume their previous activities,
Medea stepped into Seriana's path.
"That was stupid."
"Maybe," the young warrior raised her head and met
the Regent's eyes. "But I can defend myself. I am not a
child, to call in my mother when I'm afraid."
"Oh, so you're afraid?"
"I am."
"Good." Medea reached onto the table and took a
piece of baklava. "Now, get back to your work,
warrior."
Seriana bowed a little, keeping the eye contact steady and
strong. "As you wish, Regent."
Medea left and Seriana put her hand protectively around her
dagger. It was made to kill quickly and quietly, to slice easy
and stab deep.
There is a difference between fear and cowardice.
Seriana of Themiscyra was no coward.
Jadea
Medea had ignored Jadea and walked from her to follow Celosia
and eavesdrop. Jadea hated to be ignored. She followed the pair
into the Mess hut.
Keeping silent, Jadea watched Seriana confess to an unjust
fault. She kept silent as Celosia studied Seri's eyes. She
watched as Celosia dealt with the matter as best she could, and
when Queen Celosia departed, she kept silent as Medea used her
natural ability to intimidate.
When Medea turned and walked off, Jadea was close by.
Prepared to settle it with or without violence, the Sorceress
Empress appeared directly in front of Medea, something she often
did but had never before done to her Regent.
"That was unwarranted, Medea," she stated, a
dangerous fire in her eyes.
Leave it be, Jadea, she heard Thalia's voice enter her
mind, and knew that the Amazon must be watching.
Glaring, Medea retorted with an angry tone "It was none
of your business. Stay out of it!" Medea stepped to the
side to walk past.
Again, Jadea appeared in front of the Regent. This time, her
temper caused her to raise her voice . . . and her sword.
"Seriana is my business," she declared, the blade
raised at Medea.
The Regent looked at the sword, half-smirking. She recognized
it, now, as belonging to Xena's infamous mortal, and later
immortal, enemy, Callisto. With one eyebrow lifted, Medea asked
in a sweet tone, "Are you going to fight me?" The
question stood as more of an admonishing remark than a true
inquiry.
Just then, Queen Celosia arrived. Someone had informed her of
the recent development. Celosia was anything but happy.
Seeing the Queen approach, Jadea backed away and lowered her
sword. "I know Seriana is a traitor. So were you . .
.once."
Jadea's last words then struck Medea off her guard. And
suddenly the Regent was overcome with a curious suspicion. A
suspicion that diverted her mind away from Seriana.
Just as she was about to respond, Jadea cut her off.
"Stay clear of her, Medea. I mean it," She stated and
vanished, reappearing in the stables.
There, she found Angus grooming the horses, hers among them.
She aimed a finger and instantly one of the magnificent equines
was prepared for a rider.
"Where are you goin'?" He asked, a bit more curious
than Jadea'd expected.
"Out. Tell Vorgeen and Celosia I shall return by
nightfall," she said and swung a leg over up and over the
brown horse. Mounted, she added, "And keep an eye on
Seriana."
She nudged the horse, but pulled back on the reigns a moment
after. Looking down into his eyes, Jadea saw the familiar
glimmer of the man she knew. "And by the way . . . thanks
for reminding me how to fight like a banshee on a bad day,"
she smiled and he returned it with a grin and nod.
"My pleasure."
When the Sorceress Empress left camp, Ardra followed. The
Gods know how she thought she'd be able to follow Jadea without
her knowing it, but she thought it.
"Ardra, I know you're there. I'm going to see
Samsara."
Samsara is on Olympus, isn't she? Ardra asked.
"She was. I bet I know where she went when she
left," Jadea remarked, hoping that her instincts were
right.
Meanwhile, back in camp...
"Medea, what was that about?" Queen Celosia asked,
a stern tone warning that she wasn't in the mood for games or
bluffs.
Samsara
***Kaia’s Warning***
Samsara sat in her new temple and meditated. The sandalwood
smoke rose from the floor as the room filled with white air. She
was satisfied with yet another battle against another insolent
enemy. She was very content with her life, despite the fact that
she had to get rid of her sister and father somehow.
"Sam," came a voice.
The Goddess snapped out of her concentration. "Who’s
there?" she demanded.
Kaia appeared from the cloud. She was pallid and in chains.
Instead of her usual garb, she wore a robe in the fashion of a
Roman toga. The rattling of chains disturbed Samsara from her
calmness.
"Why are you wearing that? What is wrong with you?"
"I’m wearing the chains of my life, Sister," she
responded, lifting a link. "This is the result of my life.
You know: I tried for so long to make you into something you are
not and never really will be. My entire life was devoted not
only to making you suffer for being the good girl, but to turn
you dark just as Daddy wanted. This made me destroy many lives,
including two Amazon villages. Now that I’m gone, I have to
face what I’ve created. You’re right, when you destroy you
create as well."
"Very true," Samsara agreed, standing up. "Why
are you here? What do you want to tell me?" The
Princess-Heiress was one to get to the point of any
conversation.
Kaia sighed. "To tell you to mend your ways. Are you
happy as the new Goddess of War, having sent everyone away,
leaving your tribe?"
"Is this a selfish ploy to get you and Father
reinstated? Everyone’s content without you, you realize this?
With no Ares and Kaia Kakistos to wreak havoc, war will only
happen for good reason."
"There is always a good reason for war, Sami," Kaia
reminded. "If not to settle disputes which would be
otherwise left unresolved, but to cleanse the earth and ensure
survival of the fittest."
The Goddess Kakistos laughed. "Of course, I’m happy.
And there never really is any good reason for war. You say it
just so people can fill your temples with sacrifices of war.
Humor me some more, would you?"
"Heed my warning, dear older sister," she
responded, turning. Wind picked up mysteriously as she moved.
"If you don’t mend your ways you will become like me.
Remember Kakistos, Samsara. Remember me." She walked away,
beginning to disappear. "Remember me. Remember me…"
She became nothing more than the cloud of incense.
The wind died.
A man took her place.
***Ghost of Solstice Past***
"Who in the Hades are you?" Samsara demanded.
"I’m the Ghost of Solstice Past," responded the
cheery figure. It was Dachus, her general, second-in-command of
her army. He was dressed in peasant clothes, not in the plunder
from the raids they went on together.
"Dachus?" She peered at him. "What are you
doing?"
"I’m here to show you the past." He extended his
hand. "If you would, mi’lady."
She scoffed. "What is the meaning of all of this? I am
not going anywhere with you, darlin’. Come Tartarus or high
whatever, I’m not going anywhere with you."
He laughed. "Well, that – for once – is not for you
to decide." He snapped his fingers and soon they were in a
cavern. There was little light from the opening above. The
shadows danced in the dark. They turned to the scene: a cooing
baby in a wicker basket.
Samsara knelt down and looked at the child. "She is so
beautiful…"
"She should be," he said, smiling. "She is
you."
"Me?" she said, looking at Dachus. "She is me?
Where is Mother?"
He pointed ahead of him. Callisto sat on a rock, holding her
knees to her chest. She was rocking back and forth, her eyes
darting from the wicker basket to the opening in the ceiling.
"Mother…" Samsara called. "Mother?" She
started toward her, but Dachus stopped her.
"You can’t go to her, you know. This is the past.
These events have happened; you can’t call for your mother
because she can’t hear you."
"She never held me, did she?"
"You weren’t with her for long. She used all of her
powers as an immortal to get you out," Dachus explained.
"SHUT UP, YOU SCREAMING BRAT! You screaming pathetic
excuse for a warrior child!" Callisto had had enough. The
baby stopped crying.
Samsara looked away. "I know Callisto never carried me.
I’ve seen enough."
Dachus laughed. "We haven’t even gotten started yet,
hon," he said, snapping his fingers. They were in Teloq.
Samsara recognized the huts and smiled. "Home," she
said, grinning. "Why are we here?"
"To see how you were as a young Amazon."
Little Samsara was attempting to work with nun-chucks and
kept hitting herself when the weapon recoiled. She was
practicing alone, not wanting to embarrass her guardian. Solari
watched and laughed, unbeknownst to the young girl.
"That little girl was me, wasn’t she?" Samsara
said. "And that is Solari laughing at me."
The young girl realized who was there and began to cry. She
ran away and the two followed her.
Ishtar came out of her hut, knowing her ward’s cry. She
knelt down, hugged the young girl, and wiped away her tears,
telling her words of encouragement.
"She always helped me. She was there when my mother was
not…" she observed.
"You must have loved her very much," Dachus said.
"I did. And she loved me…"
The scene was the funeral pyre. Young Samsara was standing,
dressed in dark clothing and pulling back tears. "I shall
never cry again."
"I never did," Samsara repeated.
"And you hid that as well as you could," the
general continued. "You did all you could
to bury your pain."
Images of Samsara fighting against Solari crossed their eyes.
"Solari was always the type to laugh at me. It was only
fair for me to treat her similarly…"
"You rose to a great position when Velasca left the
tribe. You wielded your power like there was no tomorrow.
Reminds me of when you first led the tribe. You bossed us around
and made sure we knew who was the leader."
Samsara nodded.
"But you blackened your soul. You never realized who you
hurt."
They were suddenly in Phaedra’s hut. Solari’s sister
looked at the looking glass and cried.
"What’s with her? I’ve always been nice to
her!" Samsara exclaimed.
"Just listen in," the warlord said to her. They
turned to observe more.
Phaedra wiped away her tears. "Will I ever be good
enough for Samsara? If my sister is nothing to her, what can I
be anything of worth?"
The Great Destroyer scoffed. "Excuse me? I affect her
that much?"
"You affect many Amazon, Great One. They look up to you.
Some worship your every step." Dachus chuckled. "Many
want to be you!"
"Like Hades I have that much power."
***Ghost of Solstice Present***
"Ah, but, oh Great One, you do," said a woman.
Samsara turned around.
"YOU?"
"Yeah, yeah, it’s me, and what?" asked Regent
Medea. "I’m the Ghost of Solstice Present and I will show
you around. "I’m not here for long, missy, so I’m gonna
make this quick. So, how about it?"
"Fine," Samsara responded begrudgingly.
"Now, you know, the powers that be decided that I can
only take you to one place and you know what? That one place is
gonna be ‘home.’ I’m taking you to Teloq and you will see
what you’ve left behind. Now remember, this is the kind of
mess you’ll leave for me and Cel to clean up in Themiscyra, so
you’d better clean up your act."
Samsara laughed. "You are telling me that
I need to clean up my act? Well, then!" Sheesh, the
Teloqian thought. Some people are just . . . UGH! Takes one
to know one, huh?
"Hey," Medea responded. "I heard that. Don’t
try to put one over me now, all right? So, listen up, ‘cuz I’m
only gonna say this once."
Immediately, they were in Ephiny’s hut. Serena was with her
and they were having a secret conference. "I don’t know
what to do about the young ones," Ephiny said to the Chief
Elder. "They are surly and unruly and they won’t listen
to reason."
Serena sighed. Her white hair was braided and fell down her
torso to her waist. "If only the Princess-Heiress had been
more . . . gentle with her words and actions. Now, we have a
problem on our hands. How will we survive if they grow up like
this?"
The Goddess laughed. "You’ve gotta be kidding me. You
mean to tell me that by the way I "acted’ these Amazon
kids are disrespecting their elders? I never, ever disrespected
anyone that didn’t deserve it."
Medea chuckled. "Yeah, but you did rile Solari at every
turn and that is what those kids saw all the time."
"Well, what about you, Missy?"
She snorted. "Well, excuse me, Hon. Those kids knew me
to be this way. I’ve always been this way and it’s never
been without consequences. Besides, this isn’t about me at
all. This is about you. And if you don’t shape up, Cel and me
are going to have a huge problem on our hands. Kids take after
their elders and if you don’t fix your attitude then we are
always going to be the butt of tavern jokes.
Samsara laughed. This is ridiculous, she thought. Kids
acting like this just because I do? I don’t affect people that
much AT ALL.
She blinked. Medea was gone.
***Ghost of Solstice Yet to Come***
The Goddess turned around. A faceless figure, dressed in a
black cloak, stood before her.
"Do you believe you can scare me with this get-up?"
she demanded. "I am the Great Destroyer, Goddess Kakistos
of Destruction! It’ll take more than that to intimidate
me!"
The Cloaked Figure said nothing. With a wave of his pallid
hand, he whisked them away. Seconds later, they stood at the
head of a dinner table. All the Themiscyrans sat at the table
and listened as Celosia spoke.
"We gather here in celebration of life," the Queen
began.
"‘Celebration of ‘life’?" the Goddess
repeated. "Okay, excuse me, Cloaked One, but this is a
death dinner? Is this why they’re gathered like this?"
She got no response.
She returned to the scene.
"She was a true Amazon. Her family was slaughtered by a
warlord and she could have easily turned evil, but she came to
us and learned of the forces of Good, just the reason she was
sent for . . ."
The Goddess blinked. "Excuse me? I’m . . . dead? No.
No, I can’t be! I am immortal. I am eternal! I am Samsara; I
can never be completely broken! When I die, the world
dies, you got that, Oh Great Cloaked One? Huh! I will always
exist. I am here now, tomorrow, and forevermore!" Her face
became flushed from the tension. The figure said nothing. She
turned to the scene again.
Celosia continued. "Mila’s death was unfortunate.
Samsara’s blade was too quick for anyone to stop…"
"‘Samsara’s blade’? You mean, I killed Mila? No…
I am not my mother. I am not Callisto! I would never…"
she let the sentence dangle. She lost the power of her voice.
The Cloaked Figure refused to respond. Her mouth dropped. She
killed Mila?
"But in that act, Samsara died."
The Goddess stopped. Dead? How can it be?
"Artemis, using all her power, struck her down. Now we
are less two wonderful Amazons and a matron," Celosia
raised her goblet, as did the rest. "I raise a toast to
Mila."
"To Mila," said the others in unison, drinking
wine.
"Now, to Samsara."
Medea lashed out. "The day I raise a goblet to that
wench is the day I betray every single one of you."
"Medea, please, I do believe you should toast,"
Celosia urged. "You aren’t the only one she’s
wronged."
"Yeah, but I was the only one to see it when she first
set foot here. You know, I had a good mind to tear right into
that witch, but I didn’t. I should have!"
"Medea, please," Tern responded, motioning to her
cup. "Take your chalice and toast. It’s
Solstice-time!"
The Regent grumbled and raised her cup. "To
Samsara."
Samsara frowned. "Okay, I’ve seen enough."
The Cloaked Figure raised a hand and they were away.
"Where in the Hades are we?" she demanded.
He said nothing. She looked about her and gasped. She was at
her grave. She knelt down and touched the stone marker, wiping
away the thin ice that was morning dew.
"Here lies the body of a heavenly spirit, woman, Amazon.
Trained as a foot soldier; skilled in horseback, chobos,
battle-axe, sword, crossbow, and royal staff. Fitted with the
Phoenix feather and the skin of her first satyr. Orphan, ward of
Ishtar, Shamaness Priestess. Appointed High Princess,
Princess-Heiress, Warrior and Protector of the Teloq Amazons,
here lies the body of Samsara the Great Destroyer. May Artemis
hold her in her heart."
She looked up at the dark figure.
"This is my destiny?" she said, fearful. "This
can’t be! Oh, by the Gods, Cloaked One, I can change!"
She fell onto her knees and gripped a section of cloth. The
figure looked down at her and shook his head, turning away.
"You don’t understand! I can’t be all bad if I realize
the folly of my ways! I can change; I know it. You know it! You
can’t give up on me now." The Cloaked Figure walked away,
leaving the Goddess to her words. "I can change," she
whispered, grabbing blades of grass. "I can change…"
***In the "Here and Now"***
Samsara opened her eyes. She was back in her temple. She knew
what she had to do. She had Ares’ Mantle. She had the power.
*Archivst note: You can view this story as the standalone
offering "A Solstice
Carol."
Seriana
The Solstice was feasted in the traditional style, with much
laughter, cheering, eating, drinking, toasting and blessing and
celebrating. The only damper was felt by those who knew of the
tension between Medea and Seriana. Others felt it, but ignored
it: there was always tension between Medea and somebody.
Seriana left a little early and went to her hut. She had a
small shrine of candles and incense set up on a shelf in the
corner. Using a flint, her knife, and a long splinter of wood,
she lit the shrine and watched the smoke waft around the hut.
"For my sister, my mother, my teachers, my friends, and
my tribe. Amen."
Then she blew out the candles, stamped out the incense, and
went to sleep with the sheathed dagger lying underneath her
cheek.
Jadea
The Sorceress Empress found the Goddess of Destruction right
where she'd anticipated she would - a "former" temple
belonging to Ares.
"Am I interrupting?" Jadea's voice preceded her
entrance, thus making her presence a bit of a shock.
"No. I thought you might come," Samsara replied
without any anger. She seemed to have been caught up in thought
before her aunt arrived.
"Oh, and how might you have known that?" Jadea
asked, a little aggravated at her niece.
"Your hawk came to Olympus," the Goddess remarked
meaningfully.
"So she did," Jadea agreed softly, paused, and then
asked, "Why are you here, Samsara?"
Of all the places to be, Jadea wasn't sure why her niece
would pick a temple belonging to a MGIA (missing god in action).
And of all the times, she wasn't sure why her niece had picked
now.
"I knew you could find me here. I know how close you
came to dying. I'm sorry I wasn't there," the Goddess
apologized, speaking quite calmly.
"I understand. I don't blame you. So stop your
sulking."
Samsara fell silent, and Jadea knew that something else was
affecting her niece's mood. Something that she hadn't addressed,
yet.
"Did you and my mother ever meet after Cirra?" She
suddenly interrupted the silence to ask.
Flashes of Callisto began racing across Jadea's mind. The
many villages her sister had wiped out, and the many battles her
sister's legion had fought. "Yes," came Jadea's
single-word reply. She couldn't manage to answer more than that.
Some trace in her visage caused Samsara to think better of
furthering it.
She could remember her sister's reaction to having a child.
Callisto had been torn between wanting to protect and raise the
child...and total disgust for her own offspring. The baby only
brought back painful memories of Cirra. Many children had cried
when Xena's army attacked and pillaged their home. Many parents
and guardians of those children had shushed and made pleas to
keep quiet.
"Jadea?"
Samsara's voice shook her awareness, and she looked up at her
niece.
"We need to leave, Samsara. We're not doing any good
here," Jadea declared, half-expecting her niece to
immediately stand up and walk out with her.
"Why did my mother abandon me in a basket? If she hated
me so much, why didn't she just kill me?" The Goddess
asked, an eerie curiosity in her tone when she spoke. There'd
been a brief but meaningful pause between Samsara's two
questions.
"Your mother doesn't-" Jadea stopped to correct
herself. This had not been the first time in the last few days
that she'd accidentally slipped up her speech. "Your mother
never hated you, Samsara. To her, you were the first good thing
that had come in her life for a long, long time," Jadea
answered in a voice that sounded as sincere as she felt. She
then added, "She hated Ares, though."
"Father?" Samsara asked even though it wasn't much
of a shock to her. She just had not thought too much on him in
the past few hours. Meanwhile, Jadea bit her tongue at Samsara's
reference to Ares.
Ardra waited patiently until at last she could wait no
longer. Jadea, you are being asked for in Themiscyra. A
certain someone has even threatened to summon you if your return
is not soon.
The hawk's message could mean only one thing. And the mere
idea that Angus would dare to summon Jadea riled her to no end.
To summon a god, goddess, sorcerer, or sorceress, there were few
ways, indeed. Of the few, not all were even known to man.
"Samsara, I must return to the Amazons. I will not force
you to come." Jadea turned and began to walk out the temple
doors.
Her niece's voice stopped her. "What must be done, shall
be done. The war to come-"
"It shall be won," Jadea finished and turned to
face her niece. She studied Samsara's eyes and nodded slightly.
"I hope you're right. If not, the Amazons will be the ones
to suffer the price. Kaia would've wanted that. The question you
must answer is do you?"
And with that, the Sorceress Empress vanished. She appeared
on the horse she rode, gave one last look to the temple, and
left.
Samsara appeared at the entrance of the temple in time to see
her aunt gallop away. What the Goddess didn't see was that Ardra
remained behind as a look out.
Back in the Themiscyran camp...
Medea toiled with the idea of fighting Seriana. She
remembered Jadea's warning quite clearly now, but that only made
the thought of intimidating Seriana that much more appealing.
Valkyra made periodic rounds about the camp, checking to be
sure that everyone remained in one piece and working on this
chore or that. Truth was that Valkyra was restless for some
action. Medea's skirmish with Seriana before the Solstice had
awakened something within her. Part of the warrior wanted Medea
and Seriana to fight. At least then she'd have something to do.
Whether or not she'd break the fight up would have to be found
once it happened.
The two Amazon Queens spent much time together, discussing
military tactics or the history of their tribes . . . discussing
just about everything. As irony, perhaps, would have it . . .
the relation between two Amazon queens fell one of two ways -
either a mutual respect or, as with Velasca and Gabrielle,
contempt. In the case of the Highland Queen and the Themiscyran
Queen, it was respect. The two Amazon women shared much in
common yet had many differences between them as well.
For instance, Queen Celosia learned that Angus had once
served in an army belonging to Jadea. When the latter disbanded
her men, those that were alive, Angus refused to give up his
position. He trailed Jadea to the Highlands. There he met with a
wall of capable fighters - all of them women. The current queen
was just about to authorize his execution, the fool had been
ready to fight the Amazon guards that caught him, when Jadea
stepped in and admitted who he was.
As for Queen Celosia, her tribe had many strange encounters
with males, but none quite like that. Hence, the difference
between the two Amazon Queens - and at the same time, the shared
commonality.
On the training grounds, Vorgeen's lieutenant gave many of
her warriors a hard time as they practiced new moves. Some of
the more advanced techniques involved leaps or jumps that not
every Amazon was capable of performing.
While their training exercises continued, Medea happened by
and saw Seriana speaking to Thalia. It seemed too easy, the
Regent thought. Even more so when she saw Thalia get up and walk
away. She must have asked Seri if she wanted her to bring her
back anything because a pause was made before Seriana finally
nodded and gave an appreciative smile.
The Regent walked around the training women and straight for
Seriana. Her heart pounded excitedly as she approached the
Amazon. She could hear the Highland in charge shouting orders
and critiquing Amazons on certain positions or postures and
such.
Seri saw Medea approach from the corner of her eye.
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