Dayanara- stirs up passion

Dayanara, or Day as she liked to be called, was very excited about today. Because on this very afternoon, the eight year old would be getting her weapon. No longer would she be using a sling shot or a club, but a real deadly weapon. She had dreamed of this day for months, like the rest of her sisters in arms.

For in her culture, the Amazons took in all young girls and women from the cities, towns, and villages they raided to increase their numbers. If those taken did not want to join the Amazon ranks, they were left in their destroyed homes free of males who had try to stop the Amazons, but few are that stupid. Day's story is much the same, being taken as a babe and raised by her mentor, who stuck her in an area with a much of girls her age like most mentors and rarely stops by. The reason the mentors visit at all is to tell the girls that their people are moving to another one of their many bases and secret cities.

Still, Day enjoys prepping for the raids, cleaning weapons, the constant travel, and so forth, because she knows that she'll be going on the raids and using the weapons in the coming years. Day looks at her sisters around her, who look just as excited as she. Mali, her mat mate, taps her shoulder. Day scoffs at her friend.

"Why in the name of the gods do you look clean?" Because, Mali did look cleaner than all of them to the point that her blond hair glowed and her blue eyes sparkled. Day, on the other hand, looked like shit, with dirt covering her black hair to the point it looked brown and probably bringing out her black eyes. "Seriously, we don't get bath time until next week."

Mali laughed. "There's a perfectly clean source of water next to our area, use it."

Day flips her hair. "I prefer the natural look of a sweaty warrior, makes me look older."

Mali rolls her eyes. "Without a weapon the oldest you look is eight, with one maybe ten, but you don't have one yet."

"Yet, Mali, changes to have today."

"Well then Day, let's go meet our new best friends."

They link arms and dash over to the front of the crowd. Queen Walentyna is there with the golden girdle and dark braided hair, a cart bursting with weapons behind her, eating lamb leg. Mali gags at the sight. I smirk.

"Tomorrow I'm eating meat for breakfast."

"Then how am I going to eat it?"

"You won't Mali, I'll eat yours."

Mali huffs, but doesn't get the chance to respond because the Queen starts call us up at random. Even though this is an important occasion, Amazons refuse to make a show of it. After all, everyone here had to pass hand to hand, club, survival, stealth, strength training, and aim to get to this point. That was when Day celebrated along with the rest. This is when she becomes an Amazon, and Amazons don't squeal or shriek like daughters of Aphrodite, unless they are.

"Dayanara, come forward."

Day stands up straight and marches over to Queen Walentyna. From a distance, she looks like a regal warrior. Up close and personal, the woman has the eyes of a fury, but in the shade of amber. Still, Day stands and salutes her Queen, because no matter what she thought of this woman, and Day is an excellent judge of character, she is her Queen.

She looks Day over, then pulls a spear out from behind the cart. "Dayanara, I present you with this spear. May you fight bravely in the name of your people." Day then got a spear in her hands and walked over to wait for Mali. All the while wishing she had got a sword, the queen's weapon, and thinks that it's strange that people who would excel with swords are getting spears, axes, and daggers.

When Mali comes over, she holds a sword. Day feels a bit envious of her friend, but gets an idea.

Day whispers in Mali's ear. "Teach me sword if I teach you spear?"

Mali whispers back. "I'll thrown in emotional management if you get me something from your first raid."

"Deal."

Day and Mali spent the next few months being teachers and students in secret. Because learning a weapon that isn't yours is punishable by the cutting off a breast and becoming an archer. The Amazons were never short of archers.

Day had a good feeling when she woke up, and it did not disappoint. She was transporting new weapons to the armory with a spear slung over her back. She did this, along with purposely look dirty, in hopes of going on a raid.

Day heard foot falls behind her and turned to see older Amazons, about twenty years old, run over to her and start taking weapons from her cart. "Excuse me, I'm trying to take these to the armory, not give them away!"

One of them put her hand on my shoulder. "Forget the armory, the weapons will be returned after the raid. Now come, we do not want to miss out on the good horses."

The older Amazon then let go of her and ran after her comrades. Day stood there for a moment and looked to the empty cart then back to the direction of the raid party. Day smiles and whispers to herself. "I'm going, I'm actually going." The twelve year old then hurries to the stables.

It's a quick run and she quickly finds the horse she's taken care of for years, Virgo, and jumps on her. The horse nickers as if annoyed, but feels the excitement in the air like her. Day leads Virgo over to where everyone is lining up.

The Queen, who's vain and egotistical ways have only gotten to Day more, is in full golden armor at the front. If Day didn't know any better, she might assume the woman is trying to out shine Apollo or get him into her chambers.

"Amazons, it's time to increase our numbers and supplies! There's not one among you new to this,"Day holds in a smirk,"so you know what to do. Now, to Dodona!" The Queen's horse started to run and the others quickly followed.

Day felt energy course through her as she traveled the green hills, past rushing streams, and along enchanted forests. It didn't feel like long,though it probably was, before she saw a road leading down a hill and heard her sisters let out battle cries. Day released her own and got her spear off her back and into her right hand. She had a smile on her face, even if she was at the very back because this was her moment to bring honor to her people and repay Mali for her lessons.

When Day reached the top of the hill and saw the city below her, the smile vanished. Houses made of stones and mud were smoking as the gardens near were lit aflame. She saw men holding weapons being trampled by Amazon horses. She saw children screaming inside their homes and gardens, unable to escape the smoke. She saw babies being pluck from the arms of their mothers and said mothers being stabbed through the chest. She young boys being beaten to death at the bare hands of her sisters. She saw gold and food being taken along with tainted weapons. She saw blood turn into dark mud and men's faces being forced into it before her sisters detached their heads.

Day was no stranger to violence, she lived her whole live with these women, but she'd always been told it should have a reason and a purpose. She knew they had come for supplies and numbers, that was a purpose. But what was the point of murdering mothers? What's the meaning of torturing the lungs of children until the smoke wins? Why spill the blood of their fellow gender for her offspring? Why butcher the men like sheep? Why leave people scarred and alone after this? Day wonders if there will be any survivors that don't end up in the ranks. Is everything she's ever been told about what her people do a lie?

Day notices that Virgo has slowly made her way down the hill and the stench of blood hits her hard. Day clenches her spear and jumps off Virgo. The horse then makes her way to the top of the hill, waiting for Day to call her back.

"Help!"

She turns around to see a man holding a babe be trampled by a horse, then beheaded. The Amazon must not have seen the child, with big brown eyes and black tufts, as it lay there with its little face in blood and mud. Day walks over and scoops it up as if the living being was a spoil of war. Was she a spoil of war too? Was Mali? Were all the other girls? Yes, all of us are. Day wipes it's face clean with her hand and the babe cries. Day rocks it in her arms ever so slowly and begins to walk through the battle field.

"It's okay to cry." Day's voice cracks as the child cries louder. Day rocks it until the cries get softer and she checks the baby. Luckily it's a girl and Day sighs in relief. "I know I'm not much, but I'll be your mentor and won't leave you alone like most do."

She walks to a mud house with a wooden roof, where she can still hear cries for help. Day uses a babe holding sling, from a dead mother, to keep the child safe and quickly clears the window. She can make out a figure about her size calling for help, trying to move another figure out from under a beam of ablaze wood. Day swiftly goes over to the person and helps push off the beam, thanks to all her training. The figure, a dark hair blued boy, looks at her in shock.

"How-why-what!"

Day bends down, careful to keep the babe secure, and picks up a boy with matching hair and a freckled pair of cheeks. She looks at the boy who has gotten out of his shock and takes the opposite side and the two hastily get him out through the window. Then they proceed to jump out and the boy starts coughing.

Blue eyes gives her a once over. "Why did you save me and my brother? And why are you holding Jacey, the niece of Vadim?"

Day holds the babe, no Jacey, closer. "She was lying in the mud, she'll need a bath."

The crosses his arms. "You still haven't answered my first question."

Day's eyes widen. "Duck!" The boy does as told and a spear lands between them. One of her sisters looks at her strangely from her horse as it trots over to them. Day grabs it, so now she wields a spear in both hands. Blue eyes pulls his brother behind her, who is still coughing. By gods, they must have been a weird sight.

The Amazon stops in front of Day and all that can be seen of her are light cold green eyes and dirty blond hair tangled at her shoulders. She takes her helmet off and Day swears that she should know this Amazon, but it couldn't be...

She speaks in a worried tone. "Dayanara, what are you doing here?"

Day tilts her head, knowing her hunch was right and this woman is her absent mentor. "Nabila."

Nabila jumps from her horse and rushes over to give Day a hug. Day doesn't join in embracing because she's holding spears and trying to protect Jacey from being crushed by said hug. It also felt strange, since she hasn't been hugged in so many summers, and Day desperately wants to voice her confusion but can't find the words. Thankfully, Jacey starts to cry and Nabila pulls away like she's been shocked by Zeus himself and her face shows concern.

Nabila reaches over to stroke her hair and Day doesn't remember if her mentor has ever openly expressed she cares about her. When Nabila speaks, her tone is full of sorrow and regret. "You were not ready to see this Day." Day opens her mouth but Nibila shushes her. "I know you have questions, and by Ares I did too, but now is not the place or the time to answer them." Nibila looks past Day to and her face turns hard.

Day glanced over at blue eyes and silently asked if they could both run. Blue eyes said they could run across all of Greece. Nibala doesn't notice this exchange though and looks at the spears in my hands. She doesn't take one and stab the boys through the heart like Day thought she would. Instead, she's looking at me with worry, which she has no right to do that.

"Day,"Nabila never calls me that,"did you find those two boys and did someone hand you that little girl?"

She grits her teeth. "So what if I did?"

Nabila looks uncomfortable. "That means you have to kill the boys and you'll have to-"

It suddenly clicked in Day's head, why her mentor, along with most mentors to their own charges, avoid her like a disease. "You killed my mother.'

Nabila shows guilt but it quickly disappears. "My mentor did the same thing and it was under an order, but that's not important."

I clutch Jacey and primitive growl forms in my throat. "How dare you say she and the rest of victims' lives mean nothing! How long have you-no our culture been acting like they don't!"

She sighs. "At least five queens, but it wasn't like this before them. Legends said we built a grand temple to Artemis, had a surplus at every harvest, wealthy, and lived in our own city in Pontus. We left because the neighboring male tribe, which populated our ranks, died from disease and male heroes making our women look like fools."

Blues eyes looks at them. "Excuse me, but you just butchered our city, we're even."

Freckles elbows him. "Brother, their stories amount to dozens of towns, villages, and cities. They already got their vengeance."

Day realizes the two are right. "If that's true, why don't we return to our homeland? I'm sure we could find a solution to the population problem."

Nabila shrugs. "It's been the queen's decision for decades, everyone refuses."

Freckles ponders this. "Then replace her somehow."

Nabila scowls. "In order to do that, one must beat her in combat, her choice of weapon, to the death. Twenty alone have died this year, it's a suicide mission."

Day remembers two years ago where the queen carried around a sword and how few she handed out. Day looks at the three people in front of her and hands Jacey to Nabila. "Watch her and the boys, I'll be back soon." Day bestows a spear to each boy and dashes off to find a certain Amazon.

She wasn't hard to find with the gold armor catching the sunlight, not a drop of blood on it. For a moment, Day considers a surprise kill but then they'd be stuck with no leader at all. If she's going to do this, she has to do it right. The sun is just about to set anyway.

Day walks up to her without a piece of armor or any weapon, though she knows one will be provided, and clears her throat. Queen Walentyna looks like she hasn't aged from that day with her dark still braided under her helmet and amber eyes fixed on the carnage around her. Day clears her throat when she's within the queen's hearing range. Walentyna looks at her with annoyance.

"Is there a reason why exactly you think you are worthy to speak to me? Because if it's not important, I'll have you living with the recruits weapon less for a month."

Day resists the urge to slap or yell at her and speaks in a level voice. "I, Dayanara, challenge you, Queen Walentyna, for the title of Queen of the Amazons."

Walentyna laughs at Day. "Did you just challenge me for the throne? How old are you, fourteen?"

Day grits her teeth. "I'm actually twelve, and yes I did. Now, choose a weapon and provide me that of your choosing for it's almost sundown."

The elder Amazon smirks. "If you wish to die, so be it." She takes a spare sword from her saddle and hands it to Day. The woman then lets out a sharp whistle and everyone, men and women alike, focus on the scene.

"You are all witnesses to this duel. Winner gets the golden belt and the title. Loser gets a one way trip to Hades." She turns to look at Day. "Ready." Day knew she was referring to death and not the challenge.

Day nods. "I'm ready."

Walentyna starts running at her, faster than Day thought she could in all that armor, sword held to behead. Day sees this coming so she ducks through her running legs, causing Walentyna to fall to the ground. Day examins the armor for weak spots and finds all vitals are covered in the back.

The queen gets back up with fury on her face, probably for underestimating Day. She charges again, going for the chest, but Day blocks the blow. She waits for the queen to put all her weight into the sword and then side steps her so she falls again. Instead of letting her get back up unharmed, Day stabs both her ankles and dashes a good distance away. Walentyna screams and comes after her like lightning and gets a good cut at her left arm. That doesn't mean Day would let the pain get to her.

From that point, the two spar. Block, dodge, stab, jab, and so on. She could see Walentyna tire after every move, and that this was her moment to win. The queen's sword comes at her. Day blocks and twists her sword and Walentyna's falls to the ground. While the queen is in shock Day stabs her in the left eye, and she screams in terror. Day then picks up the sword on the ground, stabs the other eye, more screams. Day pulls them both out and the queen pulls off her helmet in her panic. Big mistake. Day stops the screams and the head rolls a good few feet.

Day sighs, it was her only opening so she took it. She looks to the shocked crowd and then proceeds to take off the belt from the corpse and put it on herself. Day sees blue eyes and freckles smiling at her along with Nabila holding Jacey.

Day puts her sword in a belt loop. "Anyone alive can either stay here, all valuables of yours returned, or is a prisoner of war and their fate will be decided later. Amazons, get the horses together, we're going back to the base. Then, we're going home."

There was a moment of silence before cheers rang up from both sides.

"Dayanara! Dayanara! Dayanara!"

Day was praying to Artemis in her temple, which had been refurbished years ago, because she was worried for Jacey. Jacey was now thirteen, loved sword fighting, but also wanted a suitor. Although Amazons didn't usually marry, though Mali and Pericles (once freckles to Day) because they truly loved each other, but instead settle on a certain man they find worthy to be theirs and continue the next generation.

Jacey wanted what Mali has and Day worries that she'll be crushed when she can't find it. Day herself had never found a counterpart for this very reason.

She had done a lot in her years as queen. She moved her nation back to their homeland. She refurbished the temples to Artemis and Ares. She rebooted agriculture, herding, and manufacturing instead of raided. She had made them a center of trade and designed a plan to use trade for world domination, though it would not be used in her life time. She included males back into their society and population growth. She had got rid of pointless violence and created a peaceful era in the last six years. Yet, love had evaded her, to the point she was jealous when Mali told her she was pregnant, and refused to share the company of a man who didn't cherish her for just being Day, which turned out to be every male she'd ever met.

Day just wanted Jacey to lower her expectations and be safe. It didn't help the girl had a fetish for invaders and traders. Day sighs and gets up to offer the goddess boar meat and a quiver of silver arrows when Mali, who is pregnant again, comes into the temple dragging Jacey, who's black hair and dress are filthy. Day wonders where she gets it from.

Day waves them offer and drops her sacrifices into the flames. Mali looks pissed and Jacey looks annoyed when they her, so Day figures something occurred.

"What happened?"

Mali gestures to Jacey. "She wanted Alec to arrange her wedding to, get this, a river god."

Jacey clenches her fist. "So? I like him and returns my feelings, plus we don't have to worry about flooding."

Day starts pushing the two out of the temple. "Jacey, gods aren't the most loyal husbands in the world."

They exit the temple and Jacey gives her a look. "And your the most reliable spouse?"

Day and Mali freeze. Jacey was implying that she slept with someone, and Day was still as pure as the moon.

"Excuse me, but what are you trying to say Jacey?"

Jacey bites her lip. "Is Alec my father? I mean, we look alike and I call Mali aunt and Pericles uncle. He does everything a father should do and you treat best out of all the men and you've never denied my hinting at it."

Day took a deep breath and made the right decision. "Alec is not your father, I don't know who is. That's why I never said anything."

Jacey's jaw drops. "But, how can you not-"

"Because I found you. If you want to know where you come from, go ask Alec. But, no matter what-"

Jacey is already running towards the city and Day feels guilty for not telling her before. Mali places a hand on her shoulder.

"She'll get over it after Alec tells her."

"Mali, when do you speak with your mentor?"

Mali purses her lips. "Almost never."

"Then she probably will not get over it."

Day wishes it wasn't her time, but knows that it is. Her competitor raises her sword and Day feels her life flash before her eyes. The blade comes down and pain explodes from her stomach. She feels dizzy and falls to the ground. It's hard to believe the position was different twenty years ago and Day knows she could have won this. But, her time in the world was up and if she didn't die, Ares foresaw destruction for her people. The last thing she sees before the final blow are the tears falling from her opponent's eyes and saying sorry. Day forgives her people, the gods, and her Jacey, mostly poor killer Jacey, as she slips away.

Nina clutches her stomach. Her eyes open but all she sees is darkness. Somehow, she lays back down, even though she wants to stand, to think about the past life.

Dayanara didn't start a movement or an art, she had the duty to reinvent a nation, which to Nina is just as hard. She wasn't perfect, but none of her lives were. She should have told Jacey from the start, instead she was killed by her. Day also made sacrifices, some were difficult others not so much. Could Nina have made those sacrifices?

Her eyes close and her head hits something solid. She lets screams and the smell of blood take her to the next life.

Mali-Piper

Pericles-Jason

Alec-Leo

Nabila-Reyna

I'm sorry for not updating, this and my other fics, but I'm taking four advanced classes and I don't have a lot of free time. I'm not going to promise speedy updates, that's not going to happen. I will update though. Everyone knows the drill: Fav., Follow, and Review.