Welcome everyone. I realize that this is not the sort of Past Lives story I usually do but it is a sequel to my first one although the title should make that obvious. This takes place thirty-one years after the previous Bronze Age story.

Dramatis Personae

The Invulnerable Hades, Usurper King of half of Achaea (McFist's past life)

The Wily Cadmus, Hippcoon's advisor (Viceroy's past life)

The "Treacherous" Rhadamanthys, a young Achaean (Randy's past life)

The Jealous Haemon, a young Achaean (Howard's past life)

The Great Baucis, a young Achaean (Bucky's past life)

The Noble Salmoneus, a young Achaean (Stevens' past life)

The Arrogant Balius, son of Hippocoon's queen (Bash's past life)

The Beautiful Terpsichore, a young Amazon (Theresa's past life)

The First Danae, a young Amazon (Debbie's past life)

Harmonia, a young Amazon (Heidi's past life)

Medea, a young Amazon (Morgan's past life)

Maia, Queen of the Amazons (Mrs. Driscoll's past life)

The Traitorous Agamemnon, Posthumous son of Akagamunas and rightful heir to the throne of Achaea (Ken's past life)

The Royal Narcissus, An Achaean Prince (Niall's past life)

ACT I

SCENE I

Sparta, the palace of Hades.

In his palace in Sparta Hades, the son of king who was never expected so succeed, sat on his throne. He has usurped the throne from Akagamunas but had let the empire Akagamunas had formed fall to pieces. Many of the Achaean kingdoms that Akagamunas' father had conquered had slipped through Hades' fingers and Akagamunas' conquered nations of Egypt and Hatti had returned to the Egyptians and the Hittites. Akagamunas was dead, killed by Hades own hand but before dying Akagamunas had permanently crippled Hades' right arm. It had been sixteen years since that day. Klytemnestra, Akagamunas' queen had vanished so if she still lived was a mystery. She had been with child or so he had heard. If she had given birth then there was possibly a son seeking to reclaim his throne, the throne that Hades had taken by force.

As his advisor Hippocoon entered the throne room, Hades lifted his head up. Previously he had been staring at his crippled arm, now there was someone here to talk to.

"What is it, Hippocoon?" asked Hades.

"We are all ready for the hunting trip." Stated Hippocoon. "Balius and the rest are all there and waiting at the harbor."

SCENE II

Sparta, the harbor.

Persuaded by his queen to take his stepson Balius hunting with him, Hades found himself in this situation. He did not like Balius nor did Balius like him but still accidents did happen.

Aside from Balius, a few other Achaean youths were accompanying him. There was Rhadamanthys, Haemon, Baucis and Salmoneus.

"Are we all here?" asked Hades. "Please tell we aren't all here! I'd rather forget Balius!"

"I'm here, Hades!" exclaimed Balius, knocking over the four other youths as he ran over to Hades. "Don't think you're leaving without me!"

Hades could only roll his eyes. If only he could leave with Balius. Still accidents did happen and unfortunately Balius was thinking the same thing. Balius may have been an arrogant idiot but he did have some intelligence.

SCENE III

A ship upon the sea.

Agamemnon, son of Akagamunas and Klytemnestra, lay upon the deck of the ship that sailed across the blue sea. Although deformed he was not an evil person for ones appearance does not dictate how one lives their life. At the front of the ship his friend Narcissus, Prince of Athens and Agamemnon's junior by two years, stared deep into the sea.

"Where in the sea do you suppose Poseidon calls home?" asked Narcissus. "Could we be above him even now?"

"What if he is visiting Zeus on Mount Olympus?" asked Agamemnon. "He may not even be beneath us." Agamemnon laughed. "Those brothers! Hades was firstborn and Zeus the youngest and some twist of fate from casting lots resulted in Zeus becoming King of the Gods and Hades being the ruler of the Underworld, the great judge who decides whether you go to Elysium or to Tartarus! So we have one who is petty and cruel ruling all of us while the kindest of the gods decides where we go when we die. Isn't it wonderful?"

The sound of thunder caused Narcissus to cringe in fear. "You should not have said that, Agamemnon! You have made Zeus angry."

And thus did the storm come. A storm that would bring two ships to the land of the Amazons, located on the south coast of the Black Sea! No men were allowed in that wild land and the Amazons husbands in the next country only for one month in every year.

SCENE IV

The palace of Maia, Queen of the Amazons.

Maia, widowed Amazon queen, held her spear. Watching her the younger Amazons Terpsichore, Danae, Harmonia and Medea waited for when she would cast the spear at the target.

Alas, she did not. Ever since the death of her husband some time ago, her love of battle had gone.

"Be gone, girls!" commanded Maia. "Let me be alone!"

"Is something the matter, my queen?" asked Terpsichore.

"I wish to be alone! Now leave!" commanded Maia once more and so the four girls left. A storm could be heard nearby and so Maia could only wonder what it would bring. Who would be washed upon their shores just as Harmonia had been long ago?

Harmonia was no true Amazon. She did not belong here but yet Maia let her stay in the land of the Amazons until one of her kin came to claim her.

Kin. What kin did Maia have? None and her husband had been the last of his family. She was truly alone.

Notes

You can laugh at the name Narcissus but do you know who else was named Narcissus? The wrestling partner of the Roman Emperor Commodus, the villain of "Gladiator." What did he do besides wrestle with Commodus? He strangled the tyrant in his bath.

The information I have given about the land of the Amazons comes from Greek mythology itself. Unlike some others, I have done my research.