G R E G O R
whined loudly. I forced myself not to look back as I kept walking. Xander walked quietly beside me, he hadn't said a word since we left the castle.
A line of people stood at the top of the hill before the golden statues. Hippolyta, Aleka, Alexus, Rena, and Gregor. They had decided to bid me farewell for my mission. I knew if I looked back I would get emotional again.
The Queen couldn't see that side of me. Emotions break warriors, as my general said once. Xander huffed loudly with effort as he tried to keep up with my pace with a slight limp. I reached down and plucked a flower from the ground as we neared the golden statues that guarded Arcadia.
With my other hand, I fisted dirt. I popped the flower in my mouth, chewing through the bitter taste. Xander glanced at me but didn't say anything. As we passed the golden statues, I stopped. I briefly closed my eyes as memories wafted in my head.
Last time I was in this spot I had killed humans. Xander must have seen the anguish on my face, for I heard him stop as well. "I'm sorry. A-about your sisters. I never intended to harm anyone." He whispered. I opened my eyes as I frowned.
I spat the chewed up flower in my hand with dirt. Xander flinched. "Well the only thing you proved to me, was the fact that mortals never stop being mortals. They never change, even though we thought your kind did." I almost snarled.
Xander looked at the ground in shame. I began mixing the flower with the dirt, creating a muddy mixture. "Here," I snapped. Before Xander could move, I pressed my palm again his face.
He made a strange sound as he ripped away from me. He tried to swat my hands away but he was too slow. He rubbed all the dirt all over his face in attempt to clean it. "What'd you do?" He exclaimed.
I shook my head as I kept moving forward. Xander yelled out in pain. I heard him fall to the ground. I kept walking until I reached the other side of the border. I waited against a nearby tree for him to come out.
I crossed my arms as I sighed. Xander stumbled out from the barrier with dirt smeared all over his face. He blinked rapidly, his eyes darting everywhere. "What did you do to me?" He asked.
I pushed myself off the tree. "Save your life." I snapped. Xander rubbed his eyes again. "By putting spit on my eyes?" He exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. "That was augur. A type of material that can make you see everything." I said.
Xander froze. "What?"
I sighed again. "Augur. It helps you see our world. Since mortals cannot see our world, you'd get killed if you couldn't see monsters that would be trying to kill you." I explained. Xander frowned. "You know, I'm not some 'human' you can push around. I have a name. Stop treating me like some dog. And stop acting like a spoiled brat who doesn't like certain things!" He snapped.
"You're not at all that special, you know. It would be nice if you could explain everything that's happening because I'm losing my mind!" He exploded. I lifted my chin to him.
My anger was surprisingly rising slowly to my head. "I am not some spoiled brat, human. I am an Amazon that was created to serve the gods, not to lower myself to mortals. You are a mortal. And mortals do not deserve any good." I said in a tight voice.
My fingers curled into fists. Xander took a step back, looking almost ready to fight me. "Your little human brain cannot grasp the concept of this. There are other worlds than your own." I growled. Xander straightened.
"I know man kind isn't always perfect, but most of us try to be. I myself aren't perfect, but I'm trying damn hard to be." He said in a resigned voice. I took a step back, an odd mixture of guilt gathering in the pit of my stomach.
I turned away. "Well you haven't been around long enough to see the mortals' actions." I said quietly. I started walking, letting Xander catch up. He was walking extremely slow with that limp. I eyed his stiff leg.
"Just explain this all to me. I'm confused." He said. I swallowed hard. "I suppose you know those stories of Zeus, no?" I asked. Xander nodded. "Well they are all true. The Greek gods are real. That's why I'm standing here. They created the Amazon race." I said.
Xander looked at me. "Amazons? Is there any men in your world?" He asked. I glanced at him. His brown eyes held pure curiosity. I felt obliged to answer him. "My world is called Arcadia. And no, no men. We were designed to prosper, protect, fight, not to fall in love." I said, staring ahead.
I felt Xander's eyes widen. "You all don't believe in love?" He asked in a voice full of shock. I blinked. "No."
He cleared his throat. "Then... uh, well... how do you all... um reproduce?" Xander asked meekly. I lifted an eyebrow at his question. Humans really did show a lot of emotion on their face. Xander's face was beet red with embarrassment, which I had no idea why.
"We call it the Hunt. Every year we go out hunting for the best men in the mortal world, worthy to lay with our Birthing Women." I answered. Xander almost choked. "Birthing Women?" He echoed. I sighed, slightly getting annoyed with all these questions.
"Each Amazon gets chosen for a sole purpose. For example, I was chosen to be a soldier." I explained.
"I can see that." He muttered sarcastically.
I frowned. "Some Amazons are chosen to reproduce to keep the Amazon population up. Those women are called Birthing Women because that is what they're for. For birth." I said. Xander thought over that for a few seconds. "So you don't have a mom?" He asked.
I swallowed. "No. We don't consider them our mothers. Just simple Birthing Women."
"No wonder."
"What?" I snapped.
"Nothing." Xander said too quickly.
I looked away from him, stomping over rocks and grass. The air was slightly cool, causing our breath to hang in the air. "What happens to these men?" He suddenly asked. I sighed.
"They get sold into slavery, or just kept as slaves in Arcadia. Or released." I said. Xander blinked in confusion. "Why do you hate men so much?" He asked.
I stopped walking to look at him. "Mens actions throughout the years have caused this separation. There was once a time when we were united. Now, less questions and more walking." I snapped as I forced myself to keep walking.
Xander kept quiet as ordered. We continued to walk throughout the forest. I drew my cap in closer, trying to get use to the chilly air. I had been out of Arcadia long enough to know that summer would take much more time to arrive at Greece.
We walked quietly over rocks, logs, and twigs. Xander was good at keeping quiet, I had to admit. If the mortals' war general was any good, Xander had some good training. My mind began to drift back to the guardians.
There was a savior.
And by the looks Hippolyta hadn't told anyone. Who could it be? How long would it take for us to wait? The prophecy said the savior could either bring peace or chaos. Surely the Amazons would have to interfere when the time was right.
But there was a sign. The owl of Athena. I wasn't sure what that meant yet, but I was determined to figure it out.
"What happened?" I asked, cutting the silence. Xander raised an eyebrow as he chuckled. "What happened to no more questions?" He answered with a question. I frowned. "I was talking about you." I snapped. Xander's smile quickly vanished.
"I meant, what caused the war? What is happening out here?" I asked. Xander scratched the side of his head. "The Nazis. It was them who started it." He sighed with a shake of his head. I lifted a brow.
"Natsee?" I echoed in confusion.
Xander almost smiled. "Nazis. The Germans." He explained. "Ah," I muttered to myself. Xander pressed his lips tightly together. "Just like the first war. They caused it. Now with Hitler." He said. His voice sounded agitated instead of angry.
I blinked, trying to recall the memory of the mortal realm geography. Germany was... far away from Greece. I slowed my steps. "Greece isn't close to Germany." I said. Xander nodded. "I know. But those damned Nazis want to expand their territory. Trying to conquer every piece they can get. Yet they send the Italians." He muttered angrily.
Seeing my baffled expression, Xander sighed. "The country Italy, is allies with Germany and Hitler. And now they are attacking us, Greece. More land, more money." He explained.
How dare the enemy go against Greece? The ancient lands of the gods. I shook my head in disapproval. Xander glanced my way.
"What's the matter?"
"Mortals always disrespect the gods one way or another." I grumbled as we silently moved over a fallen tree. I moved quickly and stealthily over it. Xander's foot smacked against it loudly as he stumbled over it.
Clumsy and useless humans.
"There are gods?" He questioned. I almost snapped at him for asking another question. I bit down on my tongue. "Yes." I answered. The mortal slowed down on his steps, taking out his hand to gesture me to slow down as well.
He squinted and tried to look over the trees in his way. Xander frowned. "It would be easier if I had my equipment," he grumbled. I almost smacked him. "Your equipment is what led you to my home and killed my sisters." I hissed with anger.
Xander shifted on his feet, frowning. "How many times do I have to say sorry?" He asked. I scowled. "Your apologies do not mean anything to me." I said. Xander opened his mouth but a loud whining sound rippled through the air.
I looked up quickly with confusion. Xander pushed me over as he ran over to the nearest tree. I stumbled over next to him. "Don't touch me with your filthy hands." I hissed. Xander ignored me as he looked from behind the tree.
I glanced on the other side. I almost gasped from the view. On the other side right where the forest ended, a cleared muddy ground came into view. Yards and yards of cleared forest ground stretched on. An enormous metallic box whined as it rolled past.
A strange small box sat on top of it, holding a long skinny stick at the end. It swiveled around each minute or so. At the bottom of the rusty box were flat oval things churning as the metallic box moved forward.
"By the gods," I whispered. "What is that?"
Xander looked at me behind the tree. "It's a tank. Those things can wreck us," he murmured back. I swallowed, for once feeling desperation claw its way into me. Tanks? The metallic boxes moved slowly, seeming too heavy to move with Amazonian strength.
Much less mortal strength.
"What is that stick?" I asked.
Xander pressed his lips together grimly. "The barrel, main gun. That's---"
I already started to move forward. "I need to destroy it." My hand instinctively reached over for my sword when Xander gripped my arm, pulling me back. I snatched my arm away from his grip as I faced him. "You can't just do that!" He exclaimed.
I frowned. "This is why death is existent. We can end this now." I told him. Xander sighed, pressing a hand to his temple. "You can't. There are other tanks. War isn't just one tank. It's about a whole country full of things like that against you." He said in a sharp tone.
My hand slowly fell from the hilt of my sword. "Humans fight cowardly, hidden in metal boxes," I huffed. "You all don't even have the decency to face each other." Xander didn't seem to pay attention to what I was saying.
He waved at my comment. "Call it what you want. But now you understand why we were worried about having more enemies. More enemies means more weapons to look out for." He explained. I glanced back at the tank rolling away from us. "Why are these... tanks here?" I asked.
Xander dragged a hand through his loose hair. "It seems we are in the Italian side." He answered, his eyes glued forward. I blinked in confusion. "Italian? Side?"
Xander looked back at me again. This time with a hint of annoyance. I bit my tongue down to keep myself from saying things I knew I shouldn't. "In a war, there are fronts. Sides, if you will. There is a Greek side, that's us. And an Italian side. Which is also known as the enemy side. If someone were to catch us, we'd be dead." He quickly explained.
Xander kept glancing at the clearing. He gestured me to follow him, which I silently obliged to. Hippolyta was right. Xander may have been a man, and an unsatisfying human, but it was evident that he knew what war meant.
We crept up more closer. We both hid behind a rock and some bushes tangled in each other. I crouched low, trying to see what I could through the brittle bush branches. Xander was on the balls of his feet, ready to pounce given the chance.
I quietly sheathed my sword, shifting my weight to my dominant foot. I inched closer to Xander, stretching my leg forward and out from the long front flap of my skirt. Being tall, my leg almost touched both of his knees.
Xander cleared his throat, frowning at me. I grew irritated. "It is just a leg. I do not know why humans make such a fuss about body parts." I hissed. Xander briefly closed his eyes and tore his eyes away from my leg.
He squinted towards where the tank was last seen. After a few minutes of eerie silence, he nodded at me. We both moved from behind the rock. I crept forward lowly, careful not to make a sound. Just like they had taught me in training.
Xander on the other hand, he did move with agility. But his forced and tense movements caused him to make noises that could alert any enemy listening. I rolled my eyes. Men really didn't know how to do anything.
I tapped his knee harshly, snapping his attention. "Watch me," I said in a low voice. I moved forward with fluid movements I was taught back at training. Each foot stepped out gently, barely causing any noise to occur.
Xander tried to continue forward with a crouched position. But he clumsily stomped his foot loudly. I gave him a sideways frown. "This is pointless." I told him, rising to my full height. "The enemy is clearly not---"
Click. Click. Click.
My whole body stiffened as the clicking stopped. Four human men moved out from behind the trees, pointing those annoying metal sticks at me and Xander. They all circled us, staring at us through a squint.
One of the mortals in front of me stared at me with full curiosity. His eyes wandered up and down, trying to figure out who I was. I met his eyes, challenging him to question me. To my prediction, he remained silent.
"Hands in the air!" Barked the largest man. He stood to my right, wearing a helmet that covered most of his forehead. His dark eyes were barely visible as he continued to yell at us.
Xander slowly rose to his feet, giving me a flat stare. "Hands in the air!" The other human commanded me. I snapped my eyes back to him. "I will not take orders from a meer mortal like you." I spat back. The man who yelled at me blinked in surprise.
Everyone stayed quiet, taken aback. It dawned on me, they were Italians, meaning they were speaking their language to us. Being an Amazon, I was able to understand and speak every tongue to ever exist. My brain had been crafted to automatically interpret the various of languages.
The leader of the four took a cautious step forward. "Who are you? You speak our language, but yet you're not one of us." He said with a certain caution. He took another step closer, lowering his metal stick.
I took that as an opportunity.
In a blur I reached behind me and grabbed the shield. I smacked it against the mortal in front of me. The other three pointed their metallic sticks at me and began to produce fire.
I pressed forward, moving against the hard hits. Xander quickly dived away, hands pressed against his head. I ran to the first man, shoving him to the ground. I swiped my hand across his throat in one swift move, the blades in my leather wrist cuff cutting him. I grabbed my dagger from my belt and hurtled it to the soldier aiming his metal stick me.
With a soft thud it buried itself in his chest. His body fell to the ground with a loud thump. I turned to the last human. His eyes were wide with fear. His trembling hands couldn't even work his metal stick properly.
He spun away and began to run away. I scoffed.
Coward.
I slipped off my bow, knocking an arrow. With one breath, I locked in with the moving target. My fingers loosened and the arrow sailed straight into his back. The mortal fell forward without a word.
I pushed myself to my feet and slung my bow over my shoulder. I ripped my dagger from the dead body before walking over to the other man. He laid on the ground with his face straight into the ground. I yanked my arrow from him, wiping it against my skirt before tucking it back in my quiver.
As I turned back to face Xander, he wasn't where he hid. With an annoyed sigh, I realized he had run away.