Blood and Deliverance

Goddess Athena;

Have you forgotten the trust placed in you my daughter? Examine yourself Hippolyte...examine your race. Once, the Amazons dreamed of leading mankind! But you chose to withdraw from humanity…to ignore the purpose for which you were created and you grew bitter and corrupt.

Have you forgotten the source of your power? Have you forgotten the example you were to set?

Her words were like a mother admonishing her child, yet in my anger and shame I pleaded for freedom and vengeance…I wanted Herakles' death.

Goddess Athena;

Bloody vengeance is not the answer, daughter. It is time for you to cleanse your soul. Time to rededicate yourself to that which Gaea gave you! Only then shall you be free. Look upon my face Hippolyte! See there the truth of what I say! Then as I leave you, bathe in the light of my wisdom!

I gazed in her beautiful grey eyes and what I seen was complete truth…and my mind became so clear…as if a door opened in my brain. I also felt rejuvenated. I felt strength within me that I haven't felt before. I bathed in Athena's light and my body became strong beyond anything I felt before. I knew that I could easily break my bonds and also I heard Athena whisper to me, "Free your sisters. Prepare for a long journey. I await you at the Aegean".

Then the guard entered demanding what was going on. I knew exactly what to do. I stood before him and as predicted, he looked upon my body with desire. Men never think with their brains. I pretended to want him…to desire him as much as he desired me. His look was savage and before I knew it, my disgust of his intentions took over me. I pulled the shackles from the wall itself and struck the guard. Almost every bone in his face was broken. I disrobed him quickly and put on the tunic and claimed his sword and freed every Amazon within the man made dungeon. I found my sister…but strangely well kept. She was dressed with one of her handmaidens to tend her and a bowl of fruit and plenty of water. Theseus made sure Antiope was comfortable. Did Theseus really love her? If so, why did he leave with Herakles? And what would have become of her later?

Antiope and I lead our sisters throughout Themiscyra. I called the Amazons to arms and also announced to the sisterhood to remember the way of Gaea. But to my horror it was too late. In every direction I saw blasphemy. I saw Amazons slaughtering men like never before. I saw one sister hold a man down and decapitate him…placing his head upon her spear. I saw my sisters neutering men as if they were dogs…watching them bleed to death. And I saw my sister with a sword in each hand smiling and enjoying every moment she laid a man down…shouting a war cry. I knew I lost control of my Amazons. All I could do was fight alongside my sisters to keep them and myself from being killed.

After the slaughter, Antiope praised the sisterhood and a great shout of victory cried out. Menlanippe and I were the only ones who felt a cold chill and a great shame of what happened. Antiope announced that we follow Herakles to reclaim my stolen girdle…that we find and kill the barbarian. I must admit that I even felt a great need to finish the job. I was almost compelled to ignore Athena's command and find the dog Herakles and slice him to bits. I finally spoke out against it and told my sisters that Athena awaits us at the Aegean. Antiope would not hear of it. She much rather command her own destiny without the gods. I couldn't believe it! My beloved sister spoke out against our goddesses. Later I came to realize what had happened to her. She opened her heart to a man for the first time and he betrayed her. He made a fool of her and nearly destroyed everything she stood for. Her anger must have been overwhelming. I knew exactly how she felt. She handed me her girdle and bid me fare well. I thought how could I move on without her? I love her so much, yet I cannot ignore my goddesses bidding.

I watched as half my people went to follow Antiope and her goal of vengeance. Never will I ever lay eyes on my sister again.

My people and I loaded wagons full of food and supplies. Water, goats, horses and all the provisions needed for a long journey…how long? I had no idea. We left early the next day and we arrived at the Aegean late that afternoon. As soon as we arrived the skies filled with a holy light. We kneeled before our goddesses and heard the commands. I was afraid and ashamed. I knew that now I am to hear our punishment.

Goddess Athena:

My daughters…you have failed us! You have forgotten the source of your power…forgotten the trust placed in you! For these failures, you must do a penance! One in which there is new honor…new responsibility! We shall send you to an island…beneath which lies an unspeakable evil!

Goddess Artemis:

You shall be the jailers of that evil for all eternity! As long as you remain there and shirk not your new charge…you shall live as immortals and your souls shall again become pure. Yet, you must evermore wear the symbols of your former bondage…as a reminder never to err again!

Goddess Athena:

The island will appear a paradise! And so it shall be…as long as you guard its vile secret well and let no mortal man trespass its grounds! But attend you now! Let Poseidon clear a path to your new home!

And suddenly a great rumble and right before our eyes, the very sea itself, parted! I could not believe my eyes. It was time to journey to a new home.

I stepped forward without hesitation. I was ready for my penance. Many were hesitant…but as they watched me, their fear dissipated. The days were long and strenuous. There were mountains that used to be under the sea…hills and caves. The nights were bitter cold. We huddled against each other with campfires, always giving thanks to our goddesses for our deliverance. The next morning the sea would always cover our previous path.

Months went by and our food supply was quickly dwindling…so was our water supply. We prayed and kept faith. But then another realization…there were Amazons that found themselves pregnant. For my Amazons, especially those who may be carrying the next possible generation of Amazons, I prayed for an answer to our plight…that night as I slept the answer was given in the most beautiful way possible.

Aphrodite:

Fear not my queen. As the sea foam delivered me, so shall you be delivered from hunger and the skies shall quench your thirst.

As I heard the melodic voice of Aphrodite, I saw her. She was radiant. She was standing on the sea, bathed in her own holy glow. Her arms were out stretched and her smile soothed me to a peace I have not felt in many years. Suddenly I heard a strange noise. We all awakened and looked to see a great miracle. Fish in abundance were leaping from the sea as was fresh water raining down upon us. We collected the fish and collected the fresh water in barrels. Every day for three more months, the goddesses made sure our food and water supply was in abundance.

At the end of the fourth month, our journey was coming to a close. Suddenly the wind picked up violently, as if out of nowhere. Dark clouds appeared from nowhere…and thunder and lightening stood before us, blocking our way forward. We all felt a mystic sensation. We knew this was the work of the gods. I requested that Menlanippe seek the goddesses for our next step and immediately she knew. "The girdle of Gaea must be placed on a bon fire as a sacrifice to the goddesses".

We built a beautiful sacrificial alter. Our finest cloths wrapping the girdle and we lit the alter. All the sisterhood and I sang a sacred hymn to the goddesses. Suddenly the fire burned to a bright glow…to a point where none of us could see directly upon it. Then a glow shot from the fire into the darkened clouds. The wind ceased and the clouds dissipated and our path was finally opened and we continued our journey.

Our journey continued for another five days until we finally saw, in the distance, the most beautiful island we have ever seen. It was luxurious…the scent of sweet flowers was everywhere. We immediately sacrificed our finest horse in thanks to this, our new home. The next day we immediately went to work. I noticed a difference in all of us. I knew it was the gift of our newly acquired immortality. We were rejuvenated…even our bodies seemed more toned and muscular. Our souls were pure again. The goddesses gave us back what we lost those many years ago…we were as the day we were created. My Amazons were so overjoyed. Even as I felt joy as my sisters did, one thing still was in the back of my mind. What of the penance? How hard will this punishment be? For such joy, how much pain will there be?

Next chapter…Peace, Penance and Power