Chapter Two – A New Life
Myrina and Grail quickly settled into a new life in modern day Greece.
Myrina discovered that Themyscira is located in what is now called the Black Sea. Their raft had ended up on the shores of Turkey. She spent days traveling across Turkey by foot. Her knowledge of English helped her greatly.
Myrina had learned English from an American woman.
A few years ago, a woman named Diana Donna Trevor fell into Themyscira. She traveled in a strange metal bird that crashed onto the island. Myrina was one of the Amazons who were sent to investigate the fiery piece of metal that fell onto their shores.
They found an injured woman crawling away from the wreckage.
No one understood the strange language that she spoke. But Myrina did understand flattery, especially when the woman marveled at her toned muscles.
They carried her to Epione, who used magic to heal her wounds.
Hippolyta herself came to visit the strange woman who fell from the skies. Despite not speaking the same language, Diana Donna Trevor was able to charm the queen.
Diana stayed with them for a little over a year. To communicate, she taught them her language.
She taught them English.
Diana seemed to have taken a liking to Myrina and Epione. Epione was a warm, kindhearted, beautiful woman with a soothing presence. Myrina understood why anyone would like Epione.
She didn't really understand why Diana liked her. Myrina was rough and barbaric.
But Diana enjoyed drinking with her while telling her stories about her life. She told her about the country that she came from, a large country named America. She told her about her life in her country's army and how she flew large metal birds. Metal birds bigger than the one she flew onto their island. She told her about her husband and how they had wanted to have children together.
The talk of children reignited the ache in Myrina's heart. She had always wanted to have a child of her own.
Diana eventually got homesick and asked to go home. Hippolyta ordered that a raft be built to send her home. Diana embraced Myrina before she left, as they believed that they would never see each other again.
During her first few days wandering around Turkey, Myrina had tried looking for Diana. A kind scholarly young woman helped Myrina look for Diana on something called social media.
Myrina recognized her immediately. Diana didn't look too different from when she last saw her. Her social media profile had a small summary of her life. Diana Donna Trevor had been an U.S. air force pilot who had disappeared for a year during her service. She was later found on the shores of Turkey, where she was treated and sent back home. Diana had credited a group of warrior women with taking care of her during the year that she went missing.
Then Myrina saw the last sentence at the bottom of the summary.
Diana had died a few months ago. She had been killed trying to stop a robbery. The robber was caught and is currently being held in jail, awaiting trial. Diana had left behind a baby son and her grieving husband.
The kind young woman apologized for her loss and purchased a bus ticket for Myrina, informing her that she could take a bus to get from Istanbul to Athens.
Myrina thanked the kind young woman.
Myrina still remembered the Attic war, thus she did not like the city of Athens. But many people insisted that Athens had the best resources for her and her child if they planned to settle in Greece.
At least modern-day Athens was much more bearable than what she had last remembered. The Ancient Athenians were now a part of legend and myth.
Myrina was a fast learner. She learned what identification meant and what permanent residency and citizenship was. She also learned about bank accounts and purchasing real estate. Themyscira had their own systems of recordkeeping and while it wasn't as complex as what the modern world had—it allowed Myrina to quickly learn the modern system.
Even after so many centuries, men still loved gold.
Myrina sold the gold that she had and used the money to purchase an apartment and open a few bank accounts. Myrina used the investments to apply for permanent residency for herself and for Grail. In seven years, they would be eligible to become citizens.
Two decades passed.
Life was relatively easy for Myrina. Her superstrength and incredible reflexes made her an excellent construction worker.
Myrina began teaching Grail martial arts when she was only three years old. But while Myrina could teach Grail how to physically defend herself, she was limited in the knowledge that she could teach her.
Myrina's knowledge of the world was ancient, stuck at the time the Amazons left Man's World. Grail needed more recent knowledge.
While Myrina was hesitant to let Grail out of her sight due to the child's penchant for using her powers out in the open, Myrina understood that she needed to send Grail to school.
"Grail do not use your powers unless it is an emergency that you can't solve any other way. If you must use your powers, do it secretly," Myrina repeated for the umpteenth time.
"Yes mama," Grail eagerly pulled on the cute little backpack that her mother had purchased for her."
Grail's school years went by without incident. It wasn't until after she graduated university that she started to show signs of rebellious behavior.
Coincidentally, there were now reports of superpowered people in their area.
"Grail, these superheroes and supervillains…they don't have anything to do with you, correct?" Myrina asked her daughter.
"No mother," Grail flashed a cheeky smile at her. Myrina scowled.
"I know when you're lying to me."
Grail huffed.
"And how do you suddenly have so much money?"
Within a few months, Grail had suddenly asked her mother to quit her construction job. She had purchased a building and leased it out to an organization looking to set up an office in Athens. The rent went into her mother's bank accounts.
Grail smiled again.
"Wise crypto investments?"
"Grail," her mother frowned. Her mother never raised her voice at her, never hit her, with the exception of martial arts training, and only held her close. Grail had no reason to fear her mother. She just didn't want to see the disappointed look on her mother's face.
Grail sighed and lowered her head. She held up a sticker with a colorful image on it. "I've been selling stickers that give superpowers."
Myrina pinched the bridge of her nose. "Grail, you know how dangerous that can be."
"I don't want you working so hard, I want life to be easier for you," Grail said.
"Grail…"
"The residents of Themyscira were gifted with eternal beauty, youth, super strength, super durability and super stamina. But they weren't given immortality. Time does not pass in Themyscira. Thus, the inhabitants of the island were able to live until the modern-day era. But now that you're no longer on the island, internally, you have started to age," Grail said.
She rose and gently hugged her mother.
"Mother, you now have the body of a 40 something year old. Still a woman in peak athletic condition, but you are starting to age. I don't want you working in construction at this age."
Myrina sighed.
"No amount of convincing will get you to stop?"
"Well…I can be a little more selective with my customers," Grail tapped her chin in thought.
Myrina sighed again. "Yes, do that."
A knock at the door interrupted them.
A pretty girl with curly chestnut brown hair, deep blue eyes, waltzed in singing Billy Joel's Uptown Girl.
"Uptown Girl!"
"She's been living in her uptown world~" Grail joined in.
"I bet she's never had a backstreet guy~"
Grail met Vanessa Kapatelis a few years ago when Vanessa and her mother came to Greece for vacation. Vanessa was a budding musician, and singing was how the two best friends greeted each other.
"Myrina!" Vanessa greeted Grail's mother with a big hug. Myrina smiled at her.
"Ms. Superstar, how long are you going to be here this time?" Grail asked.
"About three months. I'm tagging along with my mom. She has this summer semester off," Vanessa replied. She turned towards Myrina, "My mom wants to ask you about some ancient Greek artifacts that she got."
Myrina nodded. Just then, Vanessa's cell phone rang.
"Mom? Yeah, I'm here. Wait, now? It's so late now. How about tomorrow…okay fine," Vanessa turned towards them, "My mom wants to meet us at the Acropolis Hotel."
"Now?" Grail asked.
"Yeah…do you want me to tell her that it's too late?" Vanessa said.
Myrina looked at Vanessa for a moment.
"No, let's go now. Grail, go use the bathroom before we go."
As Grail was washing her hands, her mother slipped into the bathroom.
"Put this on." Her mother held a strange looking metallic body suit.
"Mother? What is this thing?" Grail was confused as her mother slipped the suit onto her.
"Body armor." Myrina quickly tucked her daughter into the suit.
"But mother, you should use that for yourself. My powers—" Grail protested.
"Are unreliable." Myrina finished.
"Why would we even need body armor? We're meeting Professor Kapatelis."
"A safety precaution. But I hope my intuition is wrong." Myrina gently nudged her daughter out of the bathroom.
An hour later, they were outside the Acropolis Hotel. Vanessa looked at Grail's black leather jacket. She wanted to comment on it, but it looked a lot like Myrina's jacket. Mothers were always trying to put a jacket on their children. For them, it was always too cold outside.
As they walked inside, they were greeted by Julia Kapatelis, an university professor on Ancient Greek history.
"Mom," Vanessa ran up to her.
"Ladies, I'm so sorry. Please follow me," Professor Kapatelis turned and led them towards the elevators.
Grail had never been to the Acropolis Hotel before. Professor Kapatelis and her daughter would often rent an apartment from one of the locals during their stay. Sometimes, they would stay with Myrina and Grail. They never stayed in such a luxurious hotel.
They went to a private elevator.
"Well, this is fancy," Grail looked around. The elevator was bigger than her bedroom.
They reached what appeared to be the top floor of the hotel. There was only one room on this floor.
"Is this a presidential suite?" Vanessa asked. Her mother didn't reply, but simply knocked on the door.
A fierce but beautiful woman with blond hair in a half up hairstyle opened the door. Next to her was a pretty woman with shoulder length red hair.
Myrina didn't look at them, instead her gaze traveled right past them, to the other people inside the room.
A regal woman sat in an armchair as though it was a throne. Her wavy black hair cascaded past her shoulders and her piercing blue eyes stared straight at them. Beside her was a woman who looked like a copy of her.
Standing behind them was a powerfully built woman with dark skin wearing full battle armor. Beside her were five female warriors wearing similar battle armor. Every single one of them had modern guns strapped to their waists.
Professor Kapatelis spoke first, "This is my daughter Vanessa, and our friend Myrina and her daughter Grail."
"Mom, who are these people?" Vanessa asked confusedly. Myrina stood in front of Grail who was also looking around in confusion.
The regal woman smiled warmly. "Thank you, professor," her voice had a slight accent, but her English was impeccable, "May I speak with Myrina and Grail alone?"
"Of course, your majesty," Professor Kapatelis ushered her confused daughter out of the hotel room.
"Mom, what's going on? Why did you call her 'your majesty?' She's royalty? For which country?" Vanessa asked.
Professor Kapatelis had an excited look on her face.
"Vanessa, did Grail ever tell you that they were Amazons?"
Vanessa just stared.
"You mean she got a job at—"
"No, no, no! Myrina and Grail are Amazons! A race of ancient female warriors!" Professor Kapatelis said excitedly.
Vanessa felt her mother's forehead. "Mom, are you alright?"
Professor Kapatelis brushed her hand away. "They've been living in Turkey for the past few years. They're very low key, but they have all this knowledge about the ancient Greek world and—"
Vanessa held up her hand, "Wait mom. You're telling me that Amazons exist. Not only do they exist, but they also still exist today, and they can speak English and have been living in Turkey?"
"Yes!"
"So…do they have their own country?" Vanessa was skeptical. What was her mother talking about?
"Yes! Themyscira. But they didn't tell me where it is," Professor Kapatelis said thoughtfully.
"Mom, are you sure you're, okay?" Vanessa asked again.
Professor Kapatelis huffed. "Reporters will be wanting to interview them. They're going to be all over the news in the coming weeks!"
"And…what does this have to do with us?"
"So, right before our trip, representatives from Themyscira reached out to me and they said that the queen wanted to meet me! They gave me all of these amazing artifacts, all carbon dated to be centuries old. And they have all these books about ancient Mediterranean history that clarifies what many historians have been debating for decades!" Professor Kapatelis said excitedly.
Vanessa frowned and thought about the situation.
"Mom…let me get this straight. Grail and her mom are Amazons from this country that no one had ever heard of and right now the ruler of that country made you bring them to her and in exchange she gave you some history books and a few artifacts?" Vanessa said slowly.
"Vanessa…" Professor Kapatelis's smile finally faded.
"Mom…if Grail and her mother were really Amazons who came from Themy-whatever and they really liked their old home, then why would they leave their country?" Vanessa rubbed her face in frustration.
"Vanessa…I…"
"Mom, half of my classmates are immigrants. Their parents were escaping some war, persecution, high crime rates, poverty, blah blah blah, no one moves to a whole new country if they really liked their old home country," Vanessa was frustrated.
"Vanessa, we don't know—"
"No wonder Myrina was on edge the whole time we were traveling here. Mom, I don't trust these people, let's get out of here."
Professor Kapatelis was hesitant. For someone in academia, this was a wonderful opportunity. But her daughter did have a good point.
"But what about Myrina and Grail?" Professor Kapatelis was now worried.
Vanessa knew about Grail's powers. She had also witnessed Myrina taking down an entire gang without breaking a sweat.
"Don't worry about them. Let's worry about ourselves first." She grabbed her mother, and they quickly left the hotel.
After getting their luggage, Vanessa half dragged her mother straight to the airport. On the taxi ride there, she texted Grail.
"Vanessa, where are we going?" Professor Kapatelis frowned.
Vanessa finished sending the text.
"Back home."
"Vanessa!"
"I don't trust these people. They used you to lure in two runaways. You didn't tell us that we were meeting royalty or whatever. So, I think deep down you kind of knew, but you didn't want to admit it," Vanessa was angry.
"Vanessa…"
"For your job it's a great opportunity. But you just took two people who were fleeing from something in their home country and handed them right back to the country that they ran away from. That queen or whatever used you."
"People who use other people will continue to use them forever and ever. My former friends were like that to me. That's why I like Grail. She isn't like that."
Vanessa paid the taxi driver and yanked the car door open. She pulled their luggage out of the car trunk.
"I just warned Grail. I don't know if there's anything else we can do. But right now, we're not safe. We're heading back to America."
"Vanessa!"
Professor Kapatelis watched helplessly as her daughter dragged their luggage into the airport.