The very heavens shook with the embroiled emotions of a handful of jealous Gods. High above the land of the Nile, discontentment and irrational anger boiled in the blood of those beings, which the scattered tribes of the desert land of Egypt paid homage to. The imbalance which created havoc in the ethereal atmosphere above, channeled itself to those who felt it most below. This anger of the Gods did manifest itself in the form of tribal warfare. The mortals felt the need to stand against each other and settle their indifferences in battle. They could not be held accountable for their actions because they were, in reality, only the pawns in a game being played out by those beings that set themselves above the plight of mortal man.

    Sehkmet, the wife of the God Ptah, and bringer of justice in the form of pestilence and disaster, was again raging out of control. Her latest fits of fury caused a great division amongst the Gods of the Ancient Egyptians. Some, such as Set, Anubis, Bes and Geb sided with her, while others, such as Horus, Hathor, Isis, Osiris and the mighty Amun-Re, whom mortals know as Ra, were clearly opposed to the fiery, hot-tempered Goddess. What began as a simple request from Sehkmet to bring justice to a small tribe of Nubians who dared to descend upon the city of Thebes, in hopes of plunder, ended up with a whole dynasty of Nubians and Thebans being decimated off the face of the earth. Osiris, ever the nurturer of man and the keeper of rebirth, was first to call council against the vengeful Sehkmet. He pleaded with Ra on behalf of those mortals, who’s fortune it was, to have brought about great changes that would benefit mankind, but now, thanks to the ravishes of Sehkmet, will never have that opportunity. Osiris also argued that in laying waste to every single Nubian and Theban, resulted in not only the loss of a superior culture, but in the generations of men who were destined to do great deeds and bring forth new dynasties.

    Ra went to Sehkmet and tried to hold her accountable for her indulgences, but she resisted and lashed out at him and the others, calling them names, and threatening to bring about many more such disasters amidst the mortals. She stormed out of the heavens and then began her reign of terror. She overwhelmed great nations with pestilence, she cause cities to tumble into the oceans and large forested regions to burn! Ra beseeched Ptah to stop his wife, but she could not be stopped! At last Ra called his own council and petitioned his supporters to put an end to Sehkmet once and for all. They rallied around their Father God, but not all, some chose to support Sehkmet, seeing much to gain for themselves. Anubis and Set were both delighted; there would be lots of souls for the Underworld, and twice as many to torment. Bes, who enjoyed watching the futile attempts of man, decided to aid Sehkmet in her venture. As did Geb, but for his own reasons, namely to rid the Earth of mankind. Ptah, Isis and Hathor would aid Ra and Osiris, as well as Net and Bastet. "We need the one God who can bring Sehkmet down," Osiris, who rarely raised his voice, shouted over the assembly, which Ra had gathered together. "What about the Goddess of War?" asked another voice, it was Isis, "She now makes her home in the lands of the Baltic Nations, but she was once akin to us, and is a friend to all mankind." Horus and Hathor seconded this opinion, "Yes," Hathor agreed, "We can send out a messenger to reach her temple in Thermopolaye," a frown creased her delicate features as she thought for a moment, "A mortal of great virtue, chosen by us, can be our emissary." Ra shouted over top of the crescendo of voices who seemed to be pleased by this plan of Isis and Hathor, "Yes," he started, "We shall choose our delegate as soon as possible."

    Hippolyte lay wide-awake in her sweat-soaked sheets; she had the strangest dream. Or was it a nightmare? No, it was more like a visitation and a prophecy of things to come. She rolled off of her sleep-pillows and stood up, shaking the last remnants of sleep from her body. She had better depart at once. That was the command sent to her and she would obey it immediately. Hippolyte reflected on the dream as she dressed, Isis had come to her and showed her what was in store for mankind if Sehkmet had her way. In this dream, Isis appeared to be a young woman of no more than 20. She was perhaps the most beautiful girl that Hippolyte had ever seen. Her long ebony hair cascaded down to her waist, with the top portion bound up in a magnificent headpiece of solid gold. Isis had soft, smooth skin, the color of ivory, it looked as if stars were hiding just beneath the delicate layer of her outwardly appearance, for she glowed and twinkled like the lights in the night sky. Her voice was a sweet dulcimer tone and she advised Hippolyte on what was expected of her. Hippolyte was to go to Thermopolaye in Greece and seek out the temple of Keh_Ra, whom the Greeks know as Athena. Once there she was to persuade the Goddess of War and Wisdom to come to the aid of her Egyptian brethren. Isis then showed Hippolyte what would happen if Sehkmet were not stopped. Hippolyte shook with the memories of the corruption and violence that she witnessed in her dream. Isis then commanded that Hippolyte leave at once and that a horse and provisions would be provided for her by the Gods. So here she was, now dressing and pulling on her leather boots and sword belt. She gathered up her cloak and her bow, then set foot into the coolness of the night. A magnificent desert stallion stood near a scrub of trees, pawing the ground. Hippolyte wrapped her cloak tighter about her slender body and pulled the hood over her golden mane of hair. She mounted the spirited animal and set off at a fast trot.

    Hippolyte was well aware of the dangers of travelling abroad in daylight. So when daybreak came, she found shelter, then continued on her journey during the quiet solitude of the nighttime. The stallion was an intelligent and noble beast and she quietly gave thanks to the Gods for this wondrous gift. She named him after the Roman Messenger God, Mercury, (called Hermes by the Greeks) because of his fleetness. Mercury snorted, as he caught wind of something. His eyes rolled white and his ears flattened, causing Hippolyte to be on her guard. Suddenly two very large hounds leapt out of he brush! Mercury caught one of the monstrous beasts with a solid kick across the hound’s broad head, it yelped in pain and took off into the night. The other hound, however, came at the stallion’s side, in an attempt to attack the unprotected flank! Hippolyte was a smooth blur as she leveled the hound with the blunt end of her broadsword. But before she could finish the dog off, three human shapes emerged from the darkness! "Ha!" the first one cried in the coarse tongue of the Gauls, "It is a woman. We shall pleasure ourselves well tonight" The second stranger agreed with his friend, "Ai, and the animal she rides will fetch a fine price." Hippolyte was ready for them, she caused Mercury to rear and lash out at the closest one with his front legs. The second attacker went alongside her, hoping to pull her off her mount, but she nailed him in the head with her boot. With two of the men down, she dismounted and drew her broadsword. A sound of scraping steel came from the direction of her adversary and she knew that the third Gaul had drawn his sword also.

"You think to take me so easily?" she circled her foe, cold steel gripped tightly between her fingers, "Think again lowly dog. You shall not have me, nor my steed." She waited for him to thrust out first, so that he would use up his strength more quickly, and then she parried his attack with her own counter. Sparks flew each time their blades clashed! Hippolyte wisely waited for the right opening then slid her sword into the Gaul’s unprotected midsection, slicing through his soft flesh. As she pulled her dripping sword out, she heard footsteps come up behind her, and knew that at least one of the other assailants had resumed his attack! At the last second, she dove to the ground, rolling and coming up behind the brute; she kicked him behind his knees causing him to fall backwards. Hippolyte drove home her sword. It sliced cleanly through the exposed neck! The third attacker, seeing the fate of his brethren, took off into the bush! Hippolyte leapt aboard her horse and ran him down! She knew she had to stop him, if she didn’t, there would be more Gauls hunting her trail, by tomorrow night. His screams hung upon the silent air as his head was shorn from its body. With one fell swoop, Hippolyte had decapitated the Gaul in his tracks.

By the end of the second phase of the moon, Hippolyte had finally reached the outskirts of Thermopolaye. She rode pretty much through the course of the evening and the greater part of the next day. She was anxious to arrive at Keh_Ra’s temple as soon as possible. Finally, the War Goddess’ favorite temple was just on the horizon. Although she had many such temples, the Goddess favored this one particular temple because of its simplicity. It had none of the fine marble statues or inlaid carvings that the other temples had. It was a totally unassuming place of worship, built by the unpretentious farmers that lived and toiled in the valley. Inside the temple, there was a small altar where a sacrifice could be made to honor the Goddess, but not much more. Hippolyte left Mercury to graze on the lush valley grass and carried a small rabbit inside to the altar. She held the rabbit onto the stone; chanting her prayers for guidance, she sacrificed the animal letting its blood drip over the altar.

A bright white light expanded in the center of the room and a strong wind whipped around in circles, gradually gaining momentum. A crack of lightening split the very floor of the temple as the white light faded, the wind itself, ceased its swirling. A tall and fierce woman stood where the lightning had been. She was taller than any man, even taller than the great men of the Icelands, who Hippolyte once saw, on a journey to the isle of Crete. This woman’s very presence was both commanding and formidable. Long black hair streaked with white, caressed her waist in wild wavy streams. An iron-wrought helm held the thick tresses off of a face that was like marble itself. Cold steel-blue eyes peered down a Roman nose and a perpetual frown creased the hard lines of the Goddess’ sharp-angled face. But it wasn’t just the implacable countenance of this warrior, that caused Hippolyte to lay prostrate on the ground, it was also the glint of dangerous weapons that surrounded her body. The great broadsword across her back was almost the whole length of Hippolyte. Many smaller knives and steel objects peered out from between the polished chain-mail tunic she wore. Hippolyte dared not to even draw breath as she pressed her delicate face closer to the stone floor.

As the Fates would have it, Hippolyte was not the only one in the temple, for if the great Keh_Ra detected his presence, she did not show any outward sign of it. Joshua Blade was also in the temple, he drew himself closer into the protective shadows which covered him like a silent blanket. To any mortal eye, Joshua would seem to be just another part of the shadows, but in reality, he was drawing on the magic, which was his birthright. Therefore, Hippolyte could not have known that Joshua was there, listening and waiting. It was the first time that he had seen the War Goddess, whom he had always admired, and he was smitten by a powerful passion. He knew in his heart that he could never love another mortal woman again.

"Arise." The throaty voice spoke to Hippolyte. She felt the pull of the power as she scrambled to obey. She stood straight and tall as Keh_Ra’s eyes took in every inch of her. Hippolyte was an attractive woman, that was certain, she had smooth lightly tanned skin and large, fawn-colored eyes. Her long blonde hair was thick and soft and fell in ringlets down her back. She had a muscular build, with an impossibly tiny waist, and long legs that were as lethal as weapons, themselves. Hippolyte had always been athletic, even as a child, and so, her body was perfectly formed for the rigors of battle. She waited for the Goddess to say something more; on the outside, Hippolyte was seemingly cool and unnerved, but inside, she felt like a million red ants were crawling all over her body. She did not have to wait long, "Who Are You That Comes To Me With An Offering?" Keh_Ra inquired.

While Hippolyte stated her business as messenger for the Gods, Joshua tried to blend further into the dark reaches of the shadows, hoping that he would not be discovered, he would not want Keh_Ra to think that he was eavesdropping, yet, he listened to everything Hippolyte relayed. He nodded in agreement when she said that something needed to be done to stop Sehkmet from destroying mankind. Alas, the tall, silent Goddess spoke, "No Need To Fear Sehkmet Or Her Followers. I Will Go On Behalf Of Ra And The Others To Bring Her To Bay. But I Charge You To Be My Disciple. Thou Shall Come With Me And Stay By My Side. You Shall Do What Is Required When I Ask Of You. Do You Understand?" Hippolyte bowed her head in concordance. The Goddess of War continued, "Thou Shall Seek Out An Island Which Is The Home Of A Band Of Wild Women. You Shall Commandeer Them As An Army And Bring Them To Fight By My Side. Afterwards, You Shall Be Made Their Queen. I Will Be Your Patron Goddess And It Will Be Your Duty To Make Sacrifices To My Temple. No Other God Or Goddess Shall Your Women Warriors Follow. It Will Be Your Duty To Uphold This Law, For If But One Chooses Differently, I Will Abandon You All And You Shall All Be Destroyed." Keh_Ra looked intently at Hippolyte; "Do You Accept This Bargain?" Hippolyte moved to one knee, looking up at the Goddess, she said quietly, "I do." Keh_Ra touched Hippolyte on the forehead, and a silver half-moon appeared on her brow. "By My Powers, You Have Been Purified. They Shall Know You As Their Queen And Shall Obey Your Command." She took Hippolyte’s sword and held it aloft. The sword seemed to come alive; it shimmered and reshaped itself. "Take This Sword That I Have Altered. It May Only Be Wielded By You And No Other." She gave the sword back to Hippolyte who stared at the new weapon. " Swear On This Sword That Will One Day Deliver Your Death. When You Grow Weary Of This Mortal Life, And You Feel That Dishonor Is Upon Your Heels, Take This Sword And Slay Yourself Before Your Honor Can Be Compromised." Hippolyte swore an oath on the sword to slay herself when the time came.

The Goddess then turned towards the direction of where Joshua was. "Joshua Blade," she commanded, "Step Into The Light Where We Can see You." Chills went up his spine at the mention of his name. He gingerly took a few steps away from the comfort of his dark cover. Right before Hippolyte’s eyes appeared a ruggedly handsome man, seemingly from nowhere. She rubbed them in disbelief, but the dark haired man with the sharp green eyes was still standing there. He wore a black tunic overtop a black leather kilt, on his back a sword was slung, and he had many sharp throwing blades embedded into the sleeves of his tunic and around his belt. He had an athletic body, that suggested he was well accustomed to battle. But there was also an almost boyish shyness to his appearance. His thick dark hair nearly covered one eye, and he looked both a little surprised and embarrassed about being discovered.

"Great Keh_Ra," he began in his soft-spoken voice. "Silence!" the War Goddess cut off his next sentence. "I Know Why You Are Here. I Charge You To Render Yourself Wholly To Me To Aid In This Great Cause." She walked over to Joshua, towering over him, she said, "Joshua Blade Do You Accept This Honor?" Joshua went down on one knee and said solemnly, "I Do." Keh_Ra then reached under her tunic and pulled forth a bright silver chain with a medallion attached to the strand. She placed it around the thief’s neck. "By My Power. You Will Uphold The Law." Then Joshua put one hand to his heart and with the other clutching the medallion he said, "I Will."