A thin, bedraggled-looking blonde woman reclined comfortably on a finely-made lounger in an otherwise empty room. She was dressed in fine clothes, but they fit her loosely, as if they were several sizes too big. The entertainment area of the aristocrats' estate was in complete disarray around her, with overturned dishes and severely bruised fruit littering the floor. Alongside the damaged furnishings and flatware, a few charred corpses lay gathering flies in the midday sun. The blonde was holding the remnants of a bunch of grapes over her face, nimbly plucking them one at a time from the stems with her teeth. She did not bat an eye when another woman materialized suddenly just a few paces in front of her, a powerful-looking warrior dressed in Amazon leathers.

"Welcome back, mighty goddess," Iphianassa greeted through a mouthful of fruit, barely looking up. In the few days that she had been staying with the Amazon immortal since freeing her, Iphianassa had slowly dropped the formality she had displayed initially. Velasca did not want to be worshipped. She wanted to be feared. Because both Velasca and Iphianassa understood each other's abilities and usefulness to each other and Iphianassa immediately took pains to adopt a subordinate role, Velasca did not require additional platitudes to that effect. "How went the hunting? Have your powers returned to you completely?"

"Oh yes. I can teleport effortlessly, just as I was once able to, if a bit more slowly than I think is proper to a god. My fighting skills are somewhat improved over when I was first trapped, if I'm not mistaken. I can send a mortal insect flying with the flick of a finger if he's caught unaware. And yet…" Velasca ran a fingertip over her still-bloody dagger. "There's something so satisfying about doing the job by hand."

"My mistress will always carry a warrior's approach to battle close to her heart," Iphianassa replied, swinging her feet down to the ground and dragging her delicate skirt through the dirt in the process. "I always found such methods too dirty for my tastes."

Velasca smiled, her cold blue eyes flashing. "You're as bloodthirsty as I am, in your own way. That's why we get along so well. Together we can make quick work of Ephiny and the rest of the spineless tribal leadership, and then I can assume my proper place as leader of the Amazons. If anyone has a problem with that, we can take care of them too. I would be very interested to see how you use your powers in the service of torture, Iphianassa. I make a study of suffering, you know. It tells a lot about human nature."

"These dogs certainly begged for mercy in the most pathetic way possible," Iphianassa laughed, briefly cocking her head at one pile of corpses in the corner.

"Whose estate was this again? Not that it matters."

"Mmm, some bastard named Actaeon who always trespassed on Amazon hunting grounds," Iphianassa answered with a shrug. "Too bad he wasn't here to enjoy the barbecue."

"It would be fun to see the look on his face when he gets back." Velasca smiled cruelly and let her medium-brown hair down from its bun. "But we can't wait for that. I'm planning a strike on the main Amazon camp tomorrow, assuming your powers are recovered. That is, unless you prefer to hang back and watch."

"No, no, mistress. I have my own targets for revenge. I'll make Solari wish she had never thrown me in the mud and beaten me."

"Oh, Solari." Velasca shook her head and clicked her tongue. "She always was too brave to be smart. I've no problem leaving her to you. But Ephiny is mine. Remember that." Velasca suddenly tensed, her muscular frame becoming visibly alert. "We have company. You stay here. I'll be back in a moment."

Velasca vanished with a flash and rematerialized on the roof of the ruined common area. She raised an eyebrow and smirked when she saw the identity of the visitor. "Well, well. You being here is unexpected, to say the least. I don't believe we've been formally introduced."

A dark, leather-clad figure smiled back at her confidently. "I already know who you are, Velasca. Another one of those rogue goddesses that seem to pop up now and again, always seeming to get on the wrong side of the Warrior Princess. How was the rock nap?"

"Your reputation precedes you, God of War," Velasca sneered, dropping all pretense of joviality. "What do you want? I'm not doing anything that concerns you."

"Oh, but you are. You're about to cause bloodshed and mayhem, and that always concerns me." Ares spread his arms disarmingly. "Don't take my bluntness badly, Velasca. I like what you're doing. That's why I wanted to offer you a little friendly advice."

"Go on," Velasca prodded cautiously.

"Planning on attacking the Amazon capital tomorrow, hm? Think it'll be a one-woman job?"

"Surely you're not suggesting I can't crush their pathetic resistance?" Velasca asked defensively. "They're no threat to me. I can wipe out Ephiny and all her lackeys in the blink of an eye. They'll know who their real leader is then."

"Normally you'd be right, of course," Ares crooned patronizingly. "Problem is, they've got a little secret weapon you weren't counting on. Ever heard of a Destroyer, Velasca?"

"Can't say I have. Why should I care about a Destroyer, whatever that is?"

"Because she happens to be able to kill a god."

Velasca blanched at this revelation. "You lie. Even a god can't kill another god."

"The Destroyer isn't a god. She's a monster, born specifically to lay waste to all gods. She can do it. I've seen it myself." Ares tactfully omitted the embarrassing fact that the Destroyer had wounded him and purposefully spared his life.

"How did they get one of these, these things?" Velasca hissed, furious. "How did they find one in less than a week?"

"Maybe you aren't the only goddess with an interest in Amazon affairs, or did you forget about the object of your past devotion? You worshipped her as fervently as any, am I right? Even as she abandoned your sisters to their slaughter?" Ares had never spoken to Velasca before, but he had a reasonable idea of what might raise her ire. He'd listened in on enough Amazon warriors whispering in back corners to know what they thought of their patron goddess's indifference in recent times.

"NOW she decides to intervene? That insufferable –" Velasca saw the satisfaction on Ares's face at having guessed her grudge correctly and composed herself. "What's your answer to all of this? Can this Destroyer, as you call her, be killed?"

"Quite easily. A well-placed arrow, a slashing blade. That's all it would take. She's just a girl. Her overconfidence is her biggest weakness, as with any young warrior."

"But you think I'd be taking an unnecessary risk, going in alone?" Velasca asked, trying to follow Ares's logic.

"Wouldn't it be better, and make a bigger statement, if you had a legion of loyal Amazon warriors at your back when you sent Ephiny and her friends to the other side? Don't you think it worthwhile to seek out some of your former sisters who are as dissatisfied as you once were?"

"Assemble my followers before the takeover, not after," Velasca mused. "It would give me a certain satisfaction, to see the look on the Queen Regent's face when she sees that she's lost the support of her own tribe. It would also show me who's truly strong, who deserves a place in the new Amazon Nation I'll build."

"Best of all," Ares interjected, taking a few steps toward Velasca, "it would put a wall of expendable fighters between you and the only threat to your victory. Throw enough Amazons at the Destroyer and she's sure to go down eventually. Once she's out of the way, you've got nothing to fear. If you don't take care of the Destroyer, you'll have to look over your shoulder for the rest of your reign. The Amazon Nation means nothing to her. She wants to kill you for sport, to show off her strength. That's all."

The would-be Amazon usurper folded her arms and gave Ares a steely stare. "You aren't in the habit of giving free advice, from what I've heard. What's in it for you? Let me guess. This Destroyer, whoever she is, got on your bad side?"

"Oh, she's annoying, I'll grant you that. But I have no personal animosity towards the girl, or anyone you're planning to kill, for that matter. Let's just say that having you in charge of the Amazons is its own reward. I don't anticipate a peaceful existence for the tribes if you're in charge. There's the matter of the Centaur Nation, for instance…"

"I'll kill every one of those half-formed vermin!" Velasca hissed.

Ares grinned broadly. "See what I mean? Now get out there and bring sisters to your cause. Let the Queen Regent feel some heat before you finish her off. Make her squirm."

"It'll be my pleasure."

"I knew it would." With a parting wave, Ares vanished and reappeared in the Halls of War, his stronghold and refuge. He flopped lazily in his favorite throne, reveling in his amusement. "That'll teach you to steal a potential protégé, sis. Regardless of whether the Destroyer kills off Velasca or not, the blood of your Amazons will soak forests all over the country for years to come. Nothing like a full-blown civil war to rack up a respectable body count. Besides, facing Velasca one-on-one would have been way too easy for my psychotic little Tira Darkheart. I'd like to see her take on a real challenge for a change. When pushed to the edge, she'll have no choice but to fall back on that bloodlust I find so entertaining."

Ephiny and Solari stood together at the edge of the stream they always used to play in together as children, along with Terreis and Eponin, deep in the heart of the Amazon hunting grounds. The Queen Regent rested her somber gaze upon her trusted right hand. "It's the only way."

"There has to be something else. It'll unsettle them all too much. It's bad enough to make it public that we're facing Velasca yet again, but to tell everyone that their chosen champion is Dahak's Destroyer? Are you sure we can't send Tira Darkheart with a few of my best to seek out and kill Velasca and Iphianassa tomorrow night? I'll go personally. I'll make sure it's taken care of once and for all."

"Don't be ridiculous, Solari. That's a suicide mission and you know it. We have to face Velasca and Iphianassa with all the might of this tribe. Tira Darkheart may be eager to throw herself into overwhelming odds, but I'm not. She's still just one young woman, even if she is born of Dahak's spawn. I want certain victory, with as few of our sisters lost as possible."

"But to hold a ceremony and announce everything…"

"It's the only way. Our sisters have the right to know what's happening. You heard that the rumors were flying as soon as Eponin's injuries became known. Everyone knew what Iphianassa was capable of doing. Even before our inexperienced champion blurted the truth to your scout squad, people were thinking of Velasca. If we aren't honest about who Tira Darkheart is, no one will understand why Artemis would send us one wild teenager to defend us. I'm going to formally present her as Artemis's champion at a ceremony tomorrow night, and that's final. Now, will you support me in this or am I on my own?"

Solari shoved Ephiny in irritation. "You know I'll do whatever I can. But Ephiny, there's more involved here than just strategy, even if it feels wrong to think about it. There's already dissent among the tribes, and your leadership has been questioned more than once. The political fallout from endorsing the Destroyer could be very bad for you."

"Showing a lack of leadership would be worse."

"I wish that were true. Did you forget so soon that our own sisters locked us up not two years ago when it looked like Velasca would be queen? More of our tribe than I care to admit swore allegiance to you with a forked tongue."

Ephiny put her face in her hands and exhaled wearily before turning to her friend once again. "I'm not disagreeing with anything you've said. I'm not blind and deaf, Solari. Even the goddess is aware of the deep divisions in our Nation. Tira Darkheart said as much. I think it's one reason Artemis stayed out of our affairs for so long. Too many different factions were claiming they acted in her name when all they really wanted was power and control. But I refuse to take the easy road at the cost of our sisters' lives. We'll rally behind the Destroyer or we'll be wiped out. It's that simple. It's up to the tribe now." The world-weary Queen Regent shook her head. "The first thing you find out when you act as queen is how little power you actually have."

Solari rested a comforting hand on Ephiny's shoulder. "Gabrielle would be proud of you. I'll start the preparations for the ceremony immediately. We can do the hunting for the feast today, and our larders were already full." The Chief Strategist bit her lip. "There's something else that's been bothering me about all of this."

"What's that?"

"Tira Darkheart. What do you think her motives are?"

Ephiny shrugged. "Does it matter, as long as she helps us?"

"It matters to me. The girl's half-wild. She's smart and she's observant but you can see the strain it puts on her just to carry on a conversation. She tries to act like she's comfortable with us but she's obviously faking it. My point is, she's nothing but a mercenary. What if she already got what she wants from Artemis and decides she has no incentive to risk herself after all? What if she abandons us in the middle of the battle?"

"Let me ask you this, Solari. You've spent some time with the Destroyer now. Do you believe she has honor?"

"I don't know. How can you have honor without loyalty? Don't you see it in her eyes, Ephiny? She answers only to herself."

"Does she have pride? Not vanity, but genuine pride?"

Solari snorted. "Yes. She's got that in abundance."

"What would it do to that pride, carrying around the burden of knowing she wasn't true to her word? Don't you think personal pride is the best assurance of honor you can have, beyond even loyalty?"

The dark-haired woman laughed in spite of herself. "Are you sure we're still talking about Tira Darkheart? If I didn't know any better I'd think we were discussing Artemisia."

Ephiny allowed a moment to pass before she replied, "I'm not sure they're too different. Not in the ways that matter to the question of honor. You may not have much faith in your daughter, Solari, but I do. She'll find her way. Tira Darkheart can, too, if she can learn that not every human is an object of distrust. That 'wildness' you speak of is probably the armor she's learned to wear. Despite her heritage I see a young woman that's all too human."

"Since when did the formerly surliest Amazon in camp learn to talk like an elder?" Solari teased.

"I guess things change when you become a mother."

"I guess they do," the First Officer agreed. "Artemisia's going to pick a fight with Tira Darkheart the first chance she gets," she added after a moment.

"Will you let her?"

"Yes."

"Solari," Ephiny began, but hesitated, looking at her friend with concern. "It's all right to be worried. She's the Destroyer, for Artemis's sake. She's got teeth like that cat of hers. No one would bat an eye if they saw you 'discipline' your daughter. You could drag her away."

"Artemisia has to learn." Solari's eyes suddenly widened as she remembered her conversation with the Destroyer from the day before. "Tira Darkheart offered to ignore her insults."

"Why?"

"Because she didn't want to hurt my daughter."

Ephiny smiled at her friend and clapped her heavily on the back. "So that's the last I'll hear about Tira Darkheart's honor, am I right?"