End Chapter 15

                                                                   End Chapter 15                                                                                           It was just a few hours before dawn, that cold autumn night, when Thera's loyal, faithful women went back to their homes to prepare themselves for war as the helots throughout the city cleared away the corpses of the dead. Many of those murdered, as they slept in their warm beds, were members of the Senate and their wives, along with their servants who were not prepared and ill-equipped to fight off the Themiscryan assassins. Funeral pyres were amassed, as ordered by the king, to burn the bodies of the dead quickly to prevent the stench of rotting flesh and disease to spread. This included the fallen members of the King's body guards who failed to keep him and his family safe; which served only to bring Vyakles to furious anger and bitter disappointment. Katarina and her warriors saw the flames and black smoke rise high as they waited anxiously for the arrival of the Spartan Army, who gathered together with King Vyakles planning their counter-attack.
     Now when Lucia Vega, Lacuna, and the rest of Thera's brave ladies, assembled with the soldiers and sailors the Spartan men stood in awe for many had never seen the women arrayed in their battle armaments. They stood tall and fierce, eyes painted black, hair pulled back into braids, their armor gleaming by the torch lights, swords at their sides, shields and spears in hand, looking like warriors sent from hell, leading their massive war horses behind them, with a look as severe and devastating as an earthquake. Their appearance was as ominous and terrifying as any demon, the spirit of evil personified. However when La Quint and Vasha saw their wives, who were newly with child, ready for war they protested loudly "My King! Do not allow our brides to join in this battle, for this action could gravely jeopardize the tiny lives growing inside of them."
     Vyakles turned and heard the concern in his friends voices and he said "Lacuna and Lucia Vega have been given their orders. They have not come to fight. You, Admiral Vasha, are to sail them up to the Gulf of Argolis, along with 3 of my warships and 600 men. We have come to know that Captain Katarina and her rear guard will take refuge in the Sacred Grove of Argos believing they will be safe until Odessa returns with more of her troops. You and your men are to lay in wait and surround those woods.., where Lacuna and Lucia Vega have volunteered to burn the forest down to the ground." Here many of the Greeks grew fearful of such sacrilege against the gods and goddesses, but none spoke one word of protest. "If any of our enemy try to escape the flames and choking smoke you are hereby ordered to cut those women up into little pieces, upon which the vultures shall surely feed." Vyakles said almost with a smile as he could picture this in his mind's eye. "Whereupon General La Quint will lead my soldiers on the march to Megara where Odessa is to re-group with her troops. Your mission, General, is to find Odessa, kill her, and return Princess Sparta home safely to myself and our people." he paused thinking of the terror his little girl must be suffering and this caused a great pain in his heart. "Admiral Vasha, you are then to escort Lacuna and Lucia Vega aboard your ship and join the rest of my fleet in the Black Sea, sailing swiftly to Themiscyra where we will lay siege." Vyakles paused glancing at Lacuna and Lucia Vega who would disclose the secrets to breaching the walled nation. "As for now I will send out 10 of my Generals with 1000 of my infantry to face Katarina, who will accompany Jessa, Katara, Iona, Scotia, Ia, Johanna, La Scoffa, Kayla and Amarra so they may fight in battle alongside my warriors. You are to smash apart Katarina's division and force them into retreat, follow them to Argolis where you will join ranks with my Army. When these women have been butchered and burned alive you will return to Sparta to defend the city, while I and my Navy are fighting in Themiscyra." King Vyakles paused turning his mind back to his own tragedy "Before we leave, we must all go, before sunrise, and pay our last respects to our fallen Queen. For my beloved Thera now lies in my own tomb, she has been prepared for her royal burial with her sword and shield, where my priests give up prayers and burn incenses as we speak."
     A solemn look came over the face of Thera's warriors and Iona spoke saying "We will go and bid our brave and noble Queen farewell and pray that.., one day, we will again meet, face to face, on the other side of the gulf that separates the living from the dead. Then we shall go and send those who follow Odessa to the land of the damned!" a cheer rose up from Thera's women whom were brokenhearted just as much as the King.
     "YES! We shall go out and fulfill our sacred mission to show the whole of the world and the pantheon of the gods and goddesses the depth of our Love, Unity, Loyalty, Respect and Honor for our murdered Queen, who gave up her life only to save me! WE WILL DESTROY the entire Nation of Themiscyra! We, together, will wipe away the memory of their culture and heritage from the face of the Earth! We shall remove any, and all traces, of their existence from the records of history! So that even two thousand years from this day forward no one will ever know, or believe, these Amazon warriors ever existed! We shall cast the Themiscyrans into the World of Myth and Legend!" the king roared with all his might, his voice filled with furious anger lifting the hearts and minds of his warriors preparing their spirits for the long and arduous fight.

  

Chapter 15 continues

     Soon the fires were finally put out with buckets of earth and water as the Spartan soldiers and sailors gathered together in the forum readying themselves for war, polishing their armor and sharpening their spears and swords.Whereupon King Vyakles carried the body of Queen Thera to the temple of Hera where he lay her cold corpse upon the stone altar, here he ordered the physicians Jessa, and Caderios, along with the high priest, to prepare her for ritual burial. Then he turned away leaving the side of his dead wife to prepare his body and mind for battle to avenge her unexpected death.
     At this same time Iona, Scotia, Johanna, Ia, La Scoffa, Katara, Amarra, and Kayla had three of the marauders from Themiscyra they had successfully captured, strung up by the heels, hanging naked upside down together, side by side, from the boughs of a massive oak tree on the outskirts of the city. Their hands tied behind their backs, their faces and bodies cut, bloody and bruised from much deserved abuse.
     "You should NOT have come here this night!" Scotia screamed, spitting in their swollen eyes.
     As Lucia Vega and Lacuna approached the violent scene they both looked as if someone had just walked over their graves. The women, loyal to Thera, felt an uneasy feeling creep into their hearts and they stilled themselves to listen as Lacuna spoke. "Lend your ears a moment.., my sacred sisters of Sparta, for I bring you all grievous news." Lacuna said in a low clear voice her expression as cold as a tomb. "It pains my heart to tell you.., our brave and noble Queen, our beloved friend and leader in battle..," here she paused  a hard lump forming in her throat as she felt a stabbing pain in her chest, for with the overwhelming emotion of great loss, Lacuna found she could not bring herself to finish her own sentence.
     "Queen Thera is dead! Murdered by Odessa's own treacherous hands." Lucia Vega informed them "She gave up her life, in a noble sacrifice, to save the life of her beloved husband, our King." Thera's good ladies were shocked and many tears began to fall, mixed with their confusion as outrage filled their souls. Even the assassins felt a sudden sadness in their black hearts. "Odessa has taken away Princess Sparta and the spirit of Vyakles is utterly crushed!" Lucia Vega paused as Lacuna turned away weeping trying not to show the depth of her devastation. "But what is worse than all of this, my friends..," Lucia Vega shook her head then said "Queen Thera was newly with a royal child, growing inside."
     All gathered their together stood for a moment shocked and stunned by this revelation "Damn the Fates! Damn Odessa and her followers!" came up a loud cry of anger and dismay from the women.
     "No." were the words of one of the assassins with the knowledge of this heart wrenching news. For well they knew, in their society, to murder a child the punishment was death, for this was a crime against all humanity, but to kill an unborn, defenseless baby was a crime against all the gods and goddesses, a vile and vicious unforgivable act, as evil and abominable as any human being could get. "We did not know this!" came up a truthful cry from one of the doomed warriors "Had we been aware of this, never would we have volunteered for this diabolical mission!"
     "LIAR!" Scotia shouted as she kicked the marauder in the mouth, knocking her front teeth out as the warm blood ran, dripping down to the ground.
     "You have helped Odessa and have betrayed the precious unborn life of a royal child!" Kayla spewed forth her rage "So you will tell us all the information we require! Tell us all of it now! Tell us everything you know about Odessa's mission and we shall make your deaths quick and painless!" she seethed lying. .
     "Where are the rest of her troops?" Scotia yelled.
     So the captured women told them all they knew, readily and wholeheartedly, as the blood pulsed to their aching heads; which pounded with every beat of their cruel hearts "Odessa has taken Princess Sparta back to Themiscyra to set her upon as the throne as our new Queen, where Odessa will serve as her advisor until she is eighteen and finished with her military training. Katarina waits outside the city now, at the base of Mt. Parnon with 100 infantry, cavalry, archers and charioteers, to serve as the rear guard while Odessa and her other 100 women make their escape."
     "Where is Odessa meant to regroup with her troops?" Lacuna demanded to know.
     "In Megara.., tomorrow." came the truthful answer.
     "What else!" Lucia Vega asked glaring down at them.
     "Odessa has ordered Katarina to take refuge in the Sacred Grove of Argos, should their division be split by the Spartan Army, and they are forced to make a retreat."
     "Why there, of all places?"
     "Odessa knows the Greeks will not enter that holy place, nor will they burn it down, for fear of offending their gods."
     Here the women shook their heads, some of them laughing diabolically, as Lucia Vega spoke saying "Odessa is correct, these superstitious Greeks will not desecrate that ancient and holy ground.., but we .., we are not of Greek blood and WE FEAR NO GODS! We will go and force Katarina and her group to retreat, then we will burn those woods down!" here a cheer rose up from the broken hearted ladies, whose minds were brimming with the anticipation of exacting and perfecting their revenge, armed with this information  the seeds of hate and vengeance grew strong.
     Lacuna, smiling like a fiend, with a rich clear voice she said to the doomed warriors swinging in the breeze "We thank you for your cooperation." then she gave the following orders "My sacred sisters, who have loved Queen Thera and served her well in battle, and in her short life, we must avenge her death! It is our obligation and duty to serve her still. We will ready ourselves for war against Odessa and destroy all those who are loyal to her throne! With SWORDS and FIRE we shall annihilate all of those who oppose us!" Lacuna paused then she said "Take these villainous traitors, slice them open, finish them off, drag their warm bodies out in to the center of the woods, let us make them food for the wolves!"
     "Do not let us die this way!" came the cries of the terrified women "This is not an honorable death for a warrior!" their prisoners implored.
     "HONOR!?" Lucia Vega screamed in rage taking the sharpened cyphos from Kayla's hand "YOU HAVE NO HONOR!" with that she slit open the bellies of all three women, who cried out in sheer agony as their blood and intestines disgorged forth upon the ground. These deaths would be extremely painful as they were violent, then each woman was cut down, one by one, and dragged out into the deep dark forest, it would take them a little while longer to die. They were, in fact, still half alive when they heard the ravenous wolves howling as they approached slowly circling with sharp teeth and hungry eyes.
     

Chapter 15 begins

     Now this tragic event had crushed the King's spirit but his will for revenge and the urge to kill were only heightened, he looked up at his Admiral of the Navy and commanded him "Vasha, my loyal subject, and faithful friend, ready my ships, alert the sailors, General La Quint assemble my army for their orders to march! For this cowardice act of Odessa.., is a Declaration of War!"
     "Yes my King!" both men shouted in agreement and obedience going off to prepare the men for battle.
     "Call for my physicians! Bring out my priests!" Vyakles cried to Lacuna and Lucia Vega as he tried to shake awake his dead wife.
     Lacuna and Lucia Vega knelt down in the earth with him, holding the cold lifeless hands of their brave Queen, their friend of thirty years "Vyakles.., no." Lacuna said in a whisper as tense as wire "You have to let her go." Lacuna cried for the first time in anger and grief for such a devastating loss of life.
     "There is no medicine, there is no spell which can call up the dead." Lucia Vega said softly taking his bloody hands off the corpse and into her own as she stared into the heartbroken man's eyes. "We have three of the Themiscyran marauders in captivity. Amarra and Kayla are torturing them for information as we speak."
     "I promise you Vyakles! We will clad ourselves in our armor, saddle our horses and take up our swords and fight! WE WILL bring back Princess Sparta, and that coward Odessa.., WE WILL KILL!" Lacuna said vowing to the king with all confidence of the goddess Athena.
     "Do not fear Vyakles! We know where they are going, we know the secrets of our walled fortress." Lucia Vega informed him saying "Fear not for the safety of your daughter! For it goes against all Themiscyran law to harm children, the punishment is death. Your child will remain safe."
     Here Vyakles gave an angered bewildered look as his eyes flashed with fury "Not harm children!? This is your code of Law!" with tears for blood staining his cheeks he yelled "Then what of MY CHILD! That has now died inside of my dearest THERA, in the belly of my DEAD WIFE!?"
     Shocked into silence this news swept over the women like an icy wave. Then Lacuna stammered "She.., Thera was.., with child?"
     Vyakles cried out "YES!" as he collapsed in a heap, covering Thera with his body, weeping.
     "Damn the Fates!" Lucia Vega cried her eyes on fire with burning rage "When the women of Themiscyra hear this, they will gladly kill Odessa themselves."
     "We will send out our riders with this abominable news. I guarantee you they will not fight for Odessa! We can, and shall, defeat her! We will put to the sword, and spear, all those who have served her this night. There is no escape from our vengeance! For Odessa, and all those who came to fight alongside that Barbarian Queen, no longer have the right to life!" thus Lacuna spoke loudly and boldly, as thoughts of the total annihilation of the Nation of Themiscyra were in the King of Sparta's head as the cold wind blew carrying away the spirit of Queen Thera to the Land of the Dead.
   
      

End Chapter 14

 End Chapter 14                                                                                                                                         Vyakles and Thera went out the open window, running through the courtyard to the back of the palace where they burst through the rear gate where, to their shock and horror, they saw a dozen blood soaked riders, armed for battle, galloping away down the hill to the city; which was filled with smoke, fire, and the screams of the dying and those trying desperately to put out the flames and fight off the rest of the attackers. Thera instantly recognized the marauders by their armor and she yelled "Themiscyrans!"
     Here Odessa turned, hearing the voice of her former friend, with Princess Sparta tied up in a burlap sack slung over the back of her war horse like a saddle bag. She spied Vyakles and Thera standing a few yards away, swords in hand, a look of furious anger etched upon their faces and she cried out in a loud voice, javelin in hand saying "Thera! You traitor! I have come for your daughter!"
     Astonished to see Odessa atop her war steep she screamed "Odessa! Stop! DO NOT DO THIS!" Thera implored all her words filled with anguish as she tried to run towards her, but King Vyakles held her back.
     "I will kill this terrorist myself!" just as Vyakles took one step forward Odessa raised her right arm and threw, with all her might, the deadly weapon and in a flash Thera pulled Vyakles by the shoulders moving in front of him holding her husband in a tight embrace, placing her body in the way as they now stood face to face. He saw her green eyes grow wide as she screamed out in intense pain as the sharpened iron tip of the javelin shattered her ribcage, piercing her heart.
     With her last breath Thera said to her beloved husband "Save Sparta!"
     Vyakles could not believe what had just transpired in that brief moment of time as his wife, the mother of his children, and his unborn child, collapsed in his arms and died, having saved his life with the ultimate sacrifice of her own, out of her Love, Unity, Loyalty, Respect and Sacred Honor. "Thera! My Queen! Do not leave me!" he screamed in grief and utter disbelief as he laid her body down, pulling the javelin out as her royal blood spewed forth from the gaping wound staining the ground. Then he took the javelin throwing it as hard as he could towards Odessa, but his aim was not true missing his target and Odessa only laughed, as she galloped away atop her war horse at full speed into the deep woods, leaving behind the death and destruction caused by the violence of her hands and the villainous act of her mind.
     Here Admiral Vasha, General La Quint, Lacuna and Lucia Vega came running up upon the horrific scene seeing their brave and beautiful friend was dead. So it was Queen Thera of Sparta, former ruler of Themiscyra, Royal Daughter of Queen Ethera died, along with the precious life growing inside her, both were engulfed by Death's Dread Shadow on that dark and terrible night. As Vyakles held the corpse of his beloved wife in his arms he cried out like a wounded lion, bitter tears streaming down his face knowing he would never hear her sweet voice again, nor feel the warmth of her touch and the gentle kisses of her mouth. So it came to pass, King Vyakles shed his tears for blood, for the blood of his beloved wife and he shouted out "Odessa! YOU BETTER RUN! For I, and the might of my ARMY and NAVY, shall come with SWORDS and FIRE! We will take back Princess Sparata! And together we will BURN YOUR EMPIRE DOWN!!" 

Chapter 14 continues

     When the time was right, in the dark of night, Queen Odessa and her troops easily gained access to the sleeping city of Sparta. Odessa was still astonished a people could live in a city that was not protected with walls, for if the Greeks had constructed protective defensive walls they would have done a fine job of keeping Odessa and her assassins out. Yet the Spartans in their arrogance, and self-serving superiority, thought they were invincible, and history had proved that they were, however they were not prepared for a surprise attack, for they truly believed no one would dare use such dastardly tactics. Yet this was exactly how the Themiscyrans won a vast majority of victories against their enemies, for they would appear like a thief in the night ready, able and willing to take their adversaries lives.
     So they had marched north along the banks of the Eurotas, taking to the cover of the deep dark forests when they approached the vast fleet of Spartan ships in the harbor. With sharpened swords Odessa and her warriors donned their armor, the physical manifestation of their sacred honor. Carefully Queen Odessa and her agents of annihilation positioned themselves, dressed for battle, whereupon they were able to slip into the quiet city undetected; which proved surprisingly easy for, as the Fates would have it, the Themiscyrans had come at a time of the harvest celebration when most of all the citizens were curled up in their beds having consumed gallons of Petzina, a strong wine fortified with pine resin, along with lashings of barley beer and honey mead swimming in their heads. Even the night watchmen could be found asleep at their posts.
     So it was Captian Katarina waited outside the city at the edge of the woods at the base of Mt. Parnon with chariots, bows, spears, shields, swords with their horses of war and the division of 200 under her command. Soon they saw the smoke and flames rise up from the center of the city and they heard the tumult of screams and cries of 'Fire! Fire!' along with the lamentations of the dying who were cut to pieces as they tried to douse the flames as the inferno consumed the market place and royal stables. Panic and chaos rained down upon the terrified people of Sparta who rose from their warm beds, running out into the streets, some naked, and still half asleep, unsure of what was happening. King Vyakles and Queen Thera awoke throwing on their silken scarlet robes calling for their guards, but none came as the market place and stables went up in flames. 100 frightened horses galloped, at full speed, in a wild stampede trampling over the men and women who had come to try and stop the madness that was transpiring. Vyakles and Thera stepped out into the hall with warm sticky blood covering their bare feet.
     At this point the Captain of the Kings Guard, Haithor, sword in hand ran into the Great Hall calling out for his men but they were already dead, killed by the 20 warriors under Odessa's command. He saw a tall, dark figure lurking in the shadow of the throne "Show yourself!" he shouted ready to strike then he saw to his utter dismay a face that he recognized instantly appearing like a specter from the grave "Odessa!?"
     "Sweetheart." Queen Odessa smiled, a sharpened spear in hand as she rushed forth skewering Haithor in the head splitting his brain in two, his teeth smashed into his mouth, as he began choking on his own blood,  spitting the rest of his teeth out in a gushing stream of blood and gore that spewed forth from what was left of his face. Odessa's former lover collapsed at her feet in a gruesome heap, an awful way to die. Then in an instant he lay there, dead, at Odessa's feet as Death's Dark Cloud closed around his corpse "Ah." Odessa grinned with sheer delight "What terrible beauty."
     With that Odessa and her warriors regrouped moving through the palace cutting to ribbons any and all who stood in their way. Now Vyakles and Thera were not prepared for the melee of blood, screams and terror they came upon, but both armed themselves with the swords they took out of the hands of their dead, the bodies of their many servants and soldiers scattered throughout the palace and city streets.
     "Our children!" Thera shouted her her heart racing as she and her husband fled down the long hall to the nursery where they found the oaken door smashed in and their son cowering under the bed.., but Princess Sparta was no where to be found.
     "Therakles! Where is your sister!?" they both screamed clutching the boy to their chests.
     "A demon came and grabbed her! It took her out the window and escaped up the olive tree!" the frightened child exclaimed tears running down his cheeks.
     "Stay here!" King Vyakles commanded him as he and his wife gave chase.

Chapter 14 begins

     Now the women dressed and warmed themselves by the fire in the early light that morning, Queen Odessa brought out the maps of Sparta and the surrounding terrain as she instructed her warriors having hand selected everyone for each prescribed task on this perilous mission. "I shall send 30 of you to the market place, in the center of the city, after midnight, when the Spartans are asleep and dreaming of tomorrow in their beds. Your objective.., set the market place on fire and kill all those who come to put out the flames." Odessa paused drawing in the sand with her a finger a large diagram of the streets for all to see "The palace sits atop a small hill overlooking the Spartan plain, now I shall send 30 more of you to the royal stables, near the palace.., when you see the flames rise up from the center of the city you are to let loose all the horses out into the street, then burn the stables to the ground. This stampede will send out sheer panic and chaos  to everyone, including the Captain of the King's Guard, Haithor, and his security force, they will all be in utter disarray. 20 of you, whom I have especially chosen, shall go into the palace with me, and we will slay all those we find, who try to stop us, or defend Thera and her children from us. We shall take Thera by force, but if she is to fierce in the fighting.., I will be forced to slit her throat." Odessa paused seeing this scenario play out in her mind."I.., I will be the one to take Princess Sparta out. When this is accomplished we shall ride out together and make our escape out into the wheat fields and up into the mountains." Odessa paused seeing this all in her head "Captain Katarina will lead the rear guard, you shall assume battle formation and wait for the Spartans, and any of Thera's women.., our former sisters if any of those traitors have survived the surprise attack. Now the Spartans will need at least half of an hour to suit up for combat and assemble their troops of retaliation, however, that might take a little longer with their town burning down!" Odessa laughed along with the rest of her eager and willing assassins.
     "Well said! Well said.., my Queen." Katarina smiled.
     "Ah yes, fire has been a friend to us, indeed." the Queen reflected upon their tactics. "Now.., when they come you may be out numbered." Odessa paused a look as serious as the grave came over her face along with a glimmer of the thrilling horror of killing lit up her blue eyes. "Listen you all.., listen well, should your division be separated, and you are forced to make a retreat, then flee to the north east, across the Parnon mountains in to Argolis." here she drew the area in the sand adding this to her battle field diagram "Where there grows the Sacred Grove of Argos, this is a holy, sacred place to all the Greeks, never would any of them ever dare to enter therein, nor trod the sacrosanct ground, you will be safe there until we wait until morning to regroup. If we do not all meet up at Megara.., then we will know to come back for you."
     "We shall protect you, oh Queen and your brave warriors, with all the power and might of our bodies and our mind's determined will! Our lines shall not be broken and we will slaughter all the Spartans soaking their fertile ground with a river of their own warm blood!" Katarina shouted feeling the excitement of warfare boiling up in her heart. All the women shouted in full and total agreement with the Captain's statement and they all felt the surging rush of energy flowing through them in their mutual lust for blood. 'The thrilling horror of killing', as they were used to calling it. This was, in their minds, necessary for well they knew, life feeds on life, feeds on strife, feeds on life. Yet these Themiscyrans still had much more living, and killing, to do.
     "99 warriors shall fight with you Captain Katarina, and I pray that when we met in Megara I shall have 99 warriors with which to embrace and reward." Queen Odessa said looking over the many enthusiastic faces of those who would go out and fight, and possibly loose their lives, all in the name of Unity, Loyalty, Respect and Honor for a Queen and a Nation they loved.
     "We shall come, fervently to kiss your sweet face, and bow at your feet, drenched in the blood of our enemies." one of her brave ladies shouted over to her from across the warm bonfire her voice lifted above the crash of the waves on the beach.
     "That leaves 20 of you." Odessa sat back her hands in her lap as she knelt in the sand bathed in the orange glow of the flames as the sun reflected off a few wisps of amethyst clouds hanging low in bright blue sky. "You all have the most important job.., for you must break camp as we march, traveling up over the mountains and have everything ready for us when we ride in, bloody and weary from battle." So it was, each and every last one of them had a job, and served a purpose, this was how they formed a well trained and better disciplined fighting unit than any of the men who ruled the world during this time and age. 700 hundred years of warfare, military expeditions and victories, the battle tactics and secrets of their ancient lineage would serve these vicious ladies well, for they were bound and determined to serve Queen Odessa and the Nation of Themiscyra with the terrible violence of their hands. Odessa gave the order to feed and water their  horses and to prepare their hearts, minds and bodies for battle, as they had a long march north to Sparta ahead of them, where Death was surely waiting to open up that dread door to the threshold of his dark, eternal world.