Peace, Penance and Power
It has been weeks and our planning of where the New Themiscyra will be is complete. It will be the most magnificent our goddesses will ever see. It will be in their glory! I have Mnemosyne to immediately work on the history of our people. What we went through as well as the new laws I decreed, philosophy and future knowledge acquirements. I promised her a great library and she is so very excited to be the mistress of the new learning facility. I have also worked on a plan of having a place for the delivery of our future Amazons as well as possible future shipwreck victims…on a small isle just a few miles away from Themiscyra. I have elected Epione our greatest physician to accommodate that.
A few more months went by and so much has been done. The new Themyscira seems to already be near complete…how beautiful it looks! Then that dreaded day arrived. The day the goddesses revealed our punishment. Egeria, the first captain of the Amazon guards…I'll never forget her. She was brave, beautiful and completely loyal to all her Amazon sisters.
It was a beautiful afternoon. Egeria and a dozen Amazons went to collect lumber for the capital city…all was well until Phillipus, a lieutenant at the time, felt a compelling and eerie spell come over her. She was being called from somewhere she was not familiar with, and before anyone knew it, she ran off on her horse to follow it. Egeria knew something was wrong…she went off to follower her.
Just below from where they were, was a clearing and below the clearing, was a cave. When Egeria saw Phillipus enter, she knew this was the place of our charge. She immediately called for sisters to prepare for battle and enter the cavern…Phillipus was in grave danger as well our entire nation. When Egeria entered the cavern she saw Phillipus blindly pounding a great stonewall. It was eerie. Upon the great stonewall was a face…the face of the hideous Gorgon Medusa…a message of dread. Egeria called out to Phillipus, but Phillipus failed to acknowledge her…the spell was potent. Where Phillipus hammered was a crack and their Egeria noticed a black acrid smoke escaping, caressing Phillipus' face as she does its will.
Egeria immediately grabbed Phillipus, asked her forgiveness and punched Phillipus unconscious…the spell was broken but seconds too late. Egeria noticed a hole and through that hole, hideous yellow eyes were upon Egeria. Egeria was captured in the spell and before she knew it, snake like hands were upon her, trying to pull her in through a tiny crack in the stone…literally tearing pieces of her flesh from her body. She screamed…but not from pain but from anger of possible failure. My Amazons then entered and was running to her aid but she commanded them to keep away lest the others become captured in the spell. She noticed a great pile of boulders above the entrance and commanded her soldiers to push them lose in her direction. This would mean that she will be crushed, but also the crack in the stone will be closed. They followed her last command much to their chagrin. Above the great noise as the boulders rolled towards her, she shouted a last prayer. Egeria was dead…she gave her life in service to her Goddesses as well as her sisters.
Egeria became the first Amazon to be honored in the shrine of heroes and Phillipus won the great contest for the right to be captain of the guards…from then on Phillipus became our greatest warrior. She even invented the great seal that held the demons within for centuries, but many times the demons attempted to escape and many Amazons were killed over time. Statues of brave warriors within the shrine are testaments to that.
It has been nine months since our arrival here on our isle and now the birth of a new generation of Amazons are being born. There have been twenty-four female births and seventeen male births on the isle of healing. All Amazons who gave birth to females, dearly love their children, but the majority of the Amazons who gave birth to the male children are rejecting their children…. dare I even say, hating them. But there is a plan. Briseis, who has given birth to a beautiful boy and others who have also delivered males have volunteered to return to the outside and stay and raise the their sons and sons of the other Amazons. With the blessings of the Goddesses they sailed away to raise their sons naming them a Themysicran male term for Amazons…Gargareans. With their love these Gargareans may continue our original duties.
As time goes by, I see the young Amazons grow strong and wise. One such Amazon is Magda. She's young but already becoming quite the little spitfire. At 12 years of age, she actually ran after a boar…trying to catch it. Luckily her mother grabbed her in time before the boar gored her. Something tells me the future looks bright for this future warrior…I'm watching her with great interest.
After twenty-seven years since the birth of the young Amazons, Menlanippe stated that the Goddesses decree that a ceremony of the Bracelets of Submission be performed. The first ever performed. I had Io forge bracelets from the metal of the deceased Amazon heroes…those who died in service of guarding Dooms Doorway. The day arrived and early that morning they wore their bracelets and were chained as if captured by men. They stood in the great arena…twenty- four magnificent, brave warriors. I announced the history of our bracelets and stated, "now free yourselves and be true Amazon warriors", and they broke their chains and a great shout went throughout the entire arena. That evening was a great celebration. It went on for an entire week.
It has been one thousand and eighty-two years now since we've arrived on Themyscira. How time passes so quickly. My people have developed new self-discipline and skill that we did not think was possible. Phillipus invented a wonderful game that is; not only entertaining, but also takes extreme skill…only an Amazon can develop this skill. She has named it the Trial of Arrows. An Amazon would stand in front of a target and three Amazons would fire arrows towards the warrior and she would deflect the arrows with her bracelets. It takes extreme skill and coordination. It is a sight to behold to see my warriors develop a skill such as the Trial of Arrows. Magda in particular, has become the best at it. One day she defeated ten warriors firing arrows simultaneously towards her. Phillipus and Euboa, the second in command of the Royal Guards, has recommended that Magda become Chief Warrior. She will guard the royal house if ever Phillipus or Euboa fall. Magda was honored.
One night I had the strangest dream. It felt so real. I dreamt I was pregnant. But not only did I dreamt this strange dream I actually felt it. I was in tattered clothes and my hair was unkempt. My hands were rough and cut as if I lived a hardened life and then I would awaken and feel a strange sense of loss. What can this possibly mean?
This dream has been haunting me for months now and each dream becomes more and more vivid until finally I give in. How can I fulfill this desire? My heart and soul cries out for this strange need to become…a mother.
Next…Maternal Instinct