WONDER WOMAN : THE ENEMY OF MY ANCESTOR
PART 7
Three days after Apollo issued his ultimatum, the sun disappeared, thick, roiling clouds blanketed the sky, swallowing its golden light and plunging Themyscira into a perpetual, unnatural dusk. The sea raged against the island's shores, its once-tranquil waters now a boiling mass of towering waves that crashed with deafening force. All of Themyscira held its breath, the calm before the wrath of Apollo descended. In three short days, the paradise of the Amazons had transformed into a somber shell. Every Amazon, from the youngest trainee to the oldest matron, had been mobilized. The halls of the palace buzzed with activity as warriors sharpened their weapons and whispered hurried prayers to Athena.
Diana now stood at the head of it all. The council of elders, following ancient tradition, had entrusted her with absolute power in this time of crisis. A symbol of their faith in her, perhaps, or a recognition of her divine lineage. The Wonder Woman costume had been set aside, replaced by the heavy armor of a queen, its gilded plates bore the markings of her ancestors, a reminder of the history she now carried into battle. Yet she felt the eyes of her sisters upon her, some filled with trust, others with doubt. Gloria, always dutiful, had obeyed the council's decree to follow Diana's leadership, but her discontent simmered just beneath the surface. It was no secret that Gloria had opposed Diana's decision to keep Leandros alive. To her, this war was a result of Diana's reckless idealism, her refusal to sacrifice one man for the greater good. By now she had learned of where Leandros was imprisoned, and schemed to kill him before Apollo attacks.
Suddenly, the sky tore open like the splitting of a great celestial curtain, revealing a searing light so brilliant it momentarily blinded everyone on the ground. Then from the rift emerged two chariots, their golden wheels spinning effortlessly in the sky. Each chariot was pulled by a team of flying horses, their coats shimmering like molten metal, their eyes burning with divine fire. Apollo and Artemis have arrived.
"It has begun". Diana whispered, her voice barely audible over the rising winds.
Before she could draw her first breath to rally her warriors, the rift widened further. From its glowing depths emerged massive ships, their hulls gleaming with the golden light of Olympus. These were not the wooden vessels but creations of divine ingenuity—sleek, otherworldly crafts that floated effortlessly through the air. They swarmed through the skies like a murder of crows, housing the invading army.
Against expectations, the ships didn't head toward the heavily fortified settlements where the Amazons stood ready for battle, but toward the island's unguarded eastern cliffs—where the sea had suddenly pulled back to allow for the landings. Diana understood what it meant, Apollo wished to group his army into one body, to fight one pitched battle on the island's largest open field. And so Diana had no choice but to combine her armies into one as well and meet Apollo head-on.
Apollo's army poured forth from the ships, each figure a nightmare given form. The ground shook under the weight of cyclopes, minotaurs and centaurs. Above, the skies darkened further as flocks of harpies circled. These were not mortal soldiers, this was a host designed to break the spirit of any who dared to defy the gods, and at its center stood Apollo himself, looking like a conqueror. In front of the army were Artemis and her followers, their unmatched mobility and vigilance leaving no room for surprises. The army moved like a living tide, surging from the cliffs and assembling in the island's largest open field where they awaited. It was clear, Apollo and Artemis wished for one pitched battle. Hippolyta led the Amazons to victory against the god of war, now Diana had to defeat TWO gods.
Diana recalled every Amazonian soldier from their defenses to the palace and combined them into one. The army of Themyscira marched towards the chosen field of battle. Apollo had chosen the location well, a wide open plain with enough room, it afforded no advantages to either side, no hidden passages, no high ground, no trickery, only bravery and strength would determine the victor. The Amazons marched forward, the sound of armor clinking and shields scraping filled the air, punctuated by the steady rhythm of boots on the hardened earth. Their banners, emblazoned with symbols of their unity and defiance, fluttered in the rising winds.
Finally the first glimpses of Apollo's forces came into view, an empty space was left between the two armies, a patch of barren earth where Apollo and Artemis awaited with terms, Diana and Hippolyta looked at each other and dismounted their chariots, approaching the two gods in a final hope of resolving this peacefully.