AN: So, the next chapter. I hope you all like it, and the next chapter will be up as soon as I can get it up.
Next chapter, Atalanta reveals her plans and what they'll have to do now that the Titan Army has made a move against them. Next chapter we also get to visit some flashbacks of Atalanta's past.
Mirror Image.
Chapter 2: Siege of the Amazons.
Atalanta fought like she'd never fought before.
Hylla and Sarai hadn't been exaggerating when they sad they were under attack, and she'd been shocked by the sheer numbers that enemy had.
There had to be a hundred, if not more demigod and monsters fighting against the Amazons.
Most fell under an Amazon, but she hated to admit that she saw some of her sister Amazons falling in battle to monster and demigod.
She tried to help those she could, that she was closest too, but she had to focus on her own battles.
"Why do you attack us?" Atalanta sneered at the boy she was currently engaging in a battle.
Riptide glanced off his own sword more than once, it seemed like the younger looking Asian boy was trained well. He actually reminded her a little of Kendra, but with much darker eyes.
"Revenge against the gods," the boy muttered almost like he was reminding himself.
"We're not the gods, nor do we have anything to do with their decisions," Atalanta spat, glaring and swept the boys feet out from under him with the angle of her blade.
The flat and edge of it so it cut into his ankle but at the same time the flat of her sword moved to whack his feet hard enough he landed on the ground on his back – Hard.
Raising her crossbow she fired a bolt into the boys arm, it was enough force that it jammed into the ground bellow him and pinned him to the ground as he groaned and attempted to rise.
"If you know what's good for you boy, you'll stay put," she snapped, and turned around in time to be hit by a burly monster with horn. Her back collided with one of the walls, and she groaned as she hit the ground.
Standing back up she gaped at the monster in front of her.
Minotaur.
"Alright, beef boy, you want to fight don't you?" Atalanta quipped, though it was more in a attempt to stop her own fear.
She'd faced a lot of monsters, but never something so powerful and legendary as the Minotaur.
As she rushed the monster with Riptide and her crossbow, she prepared for the worse.
Atalanta was not the only one to notice the Minotaur's presence.
Kendra had noticed as well and as she pulled her blade free from a enemy demigods torso she turned to Hylla and Sarai.
"Go help Atalanta," she urged as she kicked a monster in the face and surged forward to run her blade through the monster, turning it to dust.
"But Queen..." Hylla began, but the Queens glare silenced her.
"Now Hylla," she ordered again, and the newer Amazon nodded and headed off with Sarai.
Kendra was now left to face the next one to come at her, which just so happened to be a very familiar looking man, sandy blonde hair and icy blue eyes which held no glimpse of remorse.
He was smirking as her as she came to a stop in front of her, his sword, a celestial bronze – tempered steel abomination pointed at her chest.
"Queen Kendra," the man said, "pleasure to see you again."
Kendra glared.
"You were the boy that came with the girl a month ago, Luke wasn't it?" Kendra realized. "Why have you attacked us?"
"You refused our offer, we can't have you helping the gods."
Kendra raised an eyebrow as they circle one another, and seconds later they began to fight. Blades clashing together, both seemed to be equal in ability with a blade.
Luke may have been the best swordsman in three hundred years at Camp Half-Blood, but Kendra had a few more years on Luke in experience.
"Why would we help the gods? We usually stay neutral in such situations."
Luke grinned and looked over to where Hylla, Sarai and Atalanta were fighting the Minotaur, for just a split second as they fought.
Unfortunately, Sarai had already been knocked unconscious, a lump forming on her head. Hylla looked in worse shape than Atalanta, but even Atalanta seemed to be tired and slowing down.
Her strikes were getting sloppy and she seemed to be limping.
"Atalanta Jackson," Luke said, smirking back the Amazon Queen. "She's the daughter of Poseidon, a possibility for the Great Prophecy. We can't have that sort of incentive to help the gods running around, can we?"
"This whole plan... it was to kill Atalanta?" Kendra asked, stunned.
Luke smirked, and used the move he'd always been fond of to twist Kendra's blade from her hand as their blades clashed off each others.
Her blade went clattering into the chaos and he lunged forward grabbing her startled shoulder and driving Backbiter into her abdomen and twisting.
"Not exactly," he muttered, pulling his blade free and backing away.
Kendra fell to the ground clutching her wound, blinking rapidly in the adrenaline racing through her body, and the pain.
"Fall back!" Luke yelled, "we're done here."
And he slashed his sword, disappearing all together.
There were no monsters left, only a few demigod.
Only a few enemy demigods escaped, one being the boy Atalanta had pinned to the floor with a crossbow bolt. The only monster left was the minotaur.
The Amazons, watched, some racing to help, as Atalanta flipped onto the bulls back once it had her backed into a corner.
She landed like a gymnast and with both hands, raised Riptide high and drove it into the top of the Minotaur's head.
Seconds later the Amazon fell through a fog of golden monster dust and hit the ground on one knee before standing.
"Queen Kendra!" one of the Amazon's yelled and those who hadn't noticed their Queen being defeated in battle turned in horror.
A small circle had now formed around the bleeding Queen who was barely alive or conscious.
Atalanta gasped, her eyes fearful as she took one look in the direction of the Queen and her friend, and darted over her dark hair (nearly black) flying behind her.
She pushed her way through the developing crowed, and saw that it had bee one of the twins, Queen Kendra's usual trackers and guard - for lack of better term.
Though the Queen didn't truly need guards, but the twins, Sasha and Tasha were mostly there as back up in case something went wrong.
"Queen Kendra," Atalanta said, sinking to her knees beside the woman.
Blue-violet eyes looked at her, much duller than she'd ever seen before and she froze.
She'd seen this look before, on Hunters who died during a hunt or Amazons who met their fates in battle.
"Atalanta, good you're here," Kendra gasped out. "You have my Rite of Caste."
There were gasps from everyone who heard but wasn't already aware. Mostly those in the inner circle were the only ones to be aware of the Queens plans to give Atalanta her Rite of Caste.
This meant there would be no need to go through a ritual battle to find a new Queen, Atalanta would be coronated immediately if Kendra died.
The only way to take the throne from her was if someone challenged the Queen to a duel to the death and won – those sort of challenges were rare in this modern age, though.
"But Kendra..." Atalanta began.
Kendra shook her head, and undid the chain belt from her waist and handed it to Atalanta.
"You have been my choice for a while now, Atalanta. You are a leader at heart and I know you'll lead the Amazons into prosperity. Honor. No mater how long you serve as Queen," Kendra said, and seconds later her breathing became shallower and than stopped completely.
"She is dead," Tasha said – though the only way to tell the twins apart were their eyes.
Sasha had dark brown-green eyes and Tasha had hazel-green eyes. Both had waves of red hair and ivory skin.
"I accept," Atalanta muttered, her sea green eyes closed before she opened them and stood.
Atalanta wasn't short by any means, even at fourteen.
She stood at 5'6, and would possibly grow taller in the future. She usually wore anything from casual clothes to the usual leather jumpsuit of a Amazon.
Currently she had on a black leather jumpsuit, that actually from a distance looked more like she had on leather pants and a leather jacket.
She wore knee high black ridding boots as well, and had an athletic build and tanned skin. Her hair was curly-wavy and nearly black in color.
Two golden cuff bracelets were on her wrist under the sleeves of her jumpsuit and her golden bracelet rested on her left wrist over the jumpsuit for easy access.
The only other jewelry besides a few rings, was a heart shaped locket which had been her mothers, the only thing she had left to remember her mother by.
"Queen Kendra has passed," Sasha said as she bowed her head. "And she has passed on her throne to Atalanta Jackson, daughter of Poseidon. Does anyone object to this currently?"
There was silence, and if anyone did object no one said anything and Atalanta nodded and removed a silver glitter belt that was around her waist and replaced it with the belt of one of their first former Queens.
"All hail, Queen Atalanta of the Amazon Nation," An older Amazon, probably in their forties said, smiling at the new young Queen.
Atalanta nodded at her sister Amazons and once they were back on their feet she looked down at the body of Kendra sadly.
"We must prepare a burial for our fallen Queen, and sister," Atalanta began, her face grim. "Than we must prepare for what to do next. War is coming, and this time we may not be on neutral ground."
Atalanta was helped towards a place to sit by Tasha and Sasha, and a Amazon daughter of Apollo was quick to come to her aid for any healing she may need.
"So, you're Queen now," Hylla said, as she sat beside the Queen with a groan, rubbing her shoulder which she'd popped back into the place (it had been dislocated).
Atalanta sighed.
"I guess so," she replied. "I just hope Kendra was right about me being the right person for this."
"You'll be fine," the Amazon healing her ankle said, looking up with bright blue-gray eyes. "Queen Kendra knew what she was doing, and you're a great leader and fighter."
Atalanta smiled.
"Thanks, Misty," Atalanta said, recalling the girl working on her wounds.
She remembered the girl because her older sister, Tabitha, had been in a group of Amazons she'd led once in San Francisco.
She'd never been inside the Roman's camp, but she'd led enough demigods there (those who'd finished training at the Wolf House and ran across them at least) and helped the Romans before to know where it was.
"How is Sarai?" Atalanta asked, recalling the daughter of Athena had helped with the battle with the Minotaur.
Hylla frowned.
"I'll go check on her, but she was just unconscious so she should be fine," Hylla said, standing and walking off towards another area where Amazons were getting treated for wounds.
Three Amazons were carrying off Kendra's body, wrapped in a shroud used for Amazon Queens that fell in battle, to prepare for her burial.
Many others were also carried off in shrouds meant for Amazons and Atalanta was shocked by the casualties the battle had brought.
"Once everyone is healed, have them assembled in the throne room," Atalanta said, and hopped all her sisters would fit.
The throne room was large but not big enough for more than two hundred Amazons at a time. She wasn't positive how many Amazons remained currently at this base.
"We have to come up with a solution," Atalanta added and Sasha looked at the new Queen.
"You have an idea, don't you?" she asked.
Atalanta smirked towards the legacy of Demeter and much more distant legacy of Ares.
"Yes, but it'll take cooperation I'm weary we can pull off," Atalanta admitted.
Tasha and Sasha exchanged looks.
If Atalanta wasn't sure the Amazons would agree or cooperate than it must be a dangerous or long shot of a plan.