Part One

They were led through an active marketplace, the royal guards following after them, and to a large temple that seemed to be a twin of the Pantheon on a massive scale.

They paused at the foot of the steps, Hippolyta telling Roy and Wally, "You may not accompany us any further, my warriors will accompany wherever you wish to go but you cannot enter here."

"As you decree your majesty," Wally bowed; Roy glared and merely sat down in the dirt to wait silently.

"Come Robin, Lian," Hippolyta began leading them into the outer sanctum. At the door they were met by another Amazon, this one dressed in white. "My Queen," the priestess bowed respectfully.

"We have a female child that wishes to be blessed, and her boy guardian, Penelope." Hippolyta explained softly.

Penelope's eyes matched her smile, "Wonderful, but are you sure of the boy?"

"Yes, this is Robin, The Batman's protégé," the queen explained, "He has not known or oppressed women, he has not taken another's life unjustly. He is merely a boy."

"Wonderful, then we shall begin the rituals," and they followed Penelope into the outer sanctum.

Robin and Lian were ushered from their clothes, being bathed by women who poured warm water over them from large jugs. They were dressed in simple uncolored woolen tunics and anointed with scented, sacred oils.

Once cleansed they were led to the Inner Sanctum while more priestesses lit incense torches as they went.

The Inner Sanctum was plain marble, without decorations, and held the statues of the Amazons' patron goddesses. Marble statues of Artemis, Aphrodite, Demeter, Hestia, and Athena stood, each posed with their symbols of power.

Penelope began chanting in a tongue unknown to Robin and seemed to be pleading. A bolt of lightning struck each statue in a flash so bright that all within the room had to shield their eyes.

Outside Wally was causing his usual brand of chaos; it all began with Wally trying to smooth talk some Amazons who were shopkeepers, plying their wares. Unfortunately he did not account for the three thousand years worth of language drifting along with the differences of languages altogether. He took the angry words of the shopkeepers for requests for help in moving products and he knocked over one vase which knocked over another and then another and another still, very much like the fiasco in Disney's Hercules. Broken pottery spilled sweet wines and cheeses, butters and oils onto the streets. He was currently racing around, trying to stop the destruction as Amazons yelled at him furiously and Hippolyta's guards laughed and translated what was being said to a stoic Roy.

Suddenly one of the guards drew a circle into the ground with her spear and plopped down, unhooking a satchel from her belt. From the satchel she pulled some glass spheres, "Uh," her brows furrowed, looking for the English word, before smiling, "Game of marbles?"

Roy's eyebrow went up but he began to play the game with her, working out a set of rules that were a mixture of dice and marbles. As they played he taught her English and she instructed him in basic Themiscyrian. It was rather like the Greek and Atlantean he already knew and so he was picking it up easily as she was English

She said her name was Adrasteia and he told her his name in turn. She said that was an odd name for a warrior and christened him "Belon" which meant of an arrow. Therefore, he in turn renamed her Andrea, meaning strength and courage. She took to her new name quickly, telling him it was of Grecian origins, and that he may call her it if her true name was too tough to pronounce and he returned the favor by telling her to call him by whatever she wished. The other guardswomen rolled their eyes at their sister's behavior but she had yet to deal with Man and so let her do as she may so she could learn her lessons as they had.

Wally had managed to stop the dominos he had set off and then an Amazon came out towards him, exclaiming angrily in her native tongue.

"Foolish tripod," a translator took pity on Wally and bridged the gap, interpreting what his accuser was accusing him of, "you have wasted a year of my best product. If you were not a royal guest I would have you on your knees, begging to live and lick my sandals. I would have you as my slave, working my gardens and herds…"

"Tell her I'm really sorry," he told the translator pleadingly, "I didn't mean to ruin anything. It's just that she's very attractive and I got nervous. I'll do anything to make up for everything I broke."

The angry Amazon crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow, asking, through the translator, "Do you speak the truth?"

"Yes ma'am," Wally nodded.

"I request you work my gardens and my herds as long as you reside here. From sunrise to sunset, each day. Until the valuable of my lost goods is repaid…"

"I have my studies," Wally explained apologetically, "from eight am to three pm. May I work from three to sunset and I'll work all day on Saturday, Sundays, and holidays?"

The Amazon listened to his compromise and nodded, saying, "Yes, that is acceptable. My name is Damian."

"Mine's Wally. Where do we meet?"

"I shall have arrangements made for you to be conveyed from your residence to my estate in the morning and I will walk you through your duties."

"Alright."

Damian left as quickly as she had appeared. As she left Lian and Robin were conveyed from the temple, dressed in Grecian wear.

"Dude, you're wearing a dress," Wally laughed.

"Get a good look Wally," Robin smirked, "you're going to be wearing one too, this's their civvies. We'll be wearing modified versions but still…"

"Shoot."

"Lian!" Roy grabbed the girl and held her close, "Are you alright?"

"Yep." She yawned, resting her head against his shoulder and began drifting off.

"It was incense heavy in there," Robin explained softly.

"Come," Hippolyta motioned, "I will show you to your residence."