From the Annals of Bastet:

It was never easy to kill, to watch the life go out of someone's eyes and know that the spirit had left this plane of existence by your hand. Kendaa pulled her sword from the enemy's body as the corpse fell back onto the ground. Her face was emotionless, as always in battle, except when a black rage came over her and then, only a cold grimace came over her lovely features.

As the body hit the ground, she turned and started into the next skirmish, not taking time to think about the act of violence. That would be a mistake and might cause her to be the next victim. She waded into the battle and joined Lessa as she dispatched a young man efficiently. It was chilling.

Soon the battle was over and the Amazon troops pulled back as the last few of the mercenary forces retreated into the hills. The commanders decided it was pointless to follow and run the risk of losing more soldiers in the pursuit of survivors. The battle had been a swift victory. Now it was time to return to the hearth and home.

The forces from Athens pulled up their tents immediately to begin the march home. The soldiers from Corinth were going to march out in the morning. The Queen of the Amazons was waiting for her soldiers to return from the field. She would celebrate victory with them with a feast and then discuss further plans.

As the sister soldiers returned to camp, they were greeted by older women and girls, either too old or too young to fight. The warriors had their armor taken from them and they were led to tents where they were checked for wounds and tended to. Kendaa trailed behind the others, feeling the fatigue of war and destruction draining the life out of her. She was so tired and the eyes of the last man she killed still flashed in her mind periodically. She signed deeply as an old woman came up to her and took her sword and baldric. The woman slung the weapon over her own shoulder and put her arm through Kendaa's. Kendaa had seen her before in one of the outer villages of the Nation.

"Never easy," the old woman said, reading the champion's thoughts from the look on her face.

"I keep seeing their faces," Kendaa replied, wiping her forehead with the back of her arm. "Some day, Leonides will be that age. I just hope he's smarter or swifter." She looked the old woman in the eyes, tears willing up in hers. "This job was a lot easier before I was a mother."

Her companion nodded and walked with her as they neared the camp. "I know. I was a mother of five. Four strapping boys before they were all killed in the war aganst the Persians. Our village was raided by troops on their way back to Thebes and my daughter and I were raped and she was killed." She trudged along with the Amazon as kendaa felt a chill run through her. "Then and there in the ashes of my life, I vowed to leave Greece and come to the Amazon Nation; to teach young girls to defend themselves and to stand strong."

"That must have been terrible," the champion said quietly.

"It was terrible to see my daughter done that way. For me, it wasn't the first time," she replied. "My husband was a rough man." She looked up at the Amazon warrior that towered over her. "But he couldn't help it. It was the way he'd been taught and his father before him. Women are for using. I don't resent him, I resent the world that made him. Come, let's get you a bath. I hope there's still hot water." She led the warrior to the bathing tents.

Kendaa still sat in the vat of hot water, letting its warmth relax her. She heard the festival beginning outside the tent. A young girl came in with one more pail of water.

"Tria," the champion said, "I have enough. Why don't you go now and join the others. Get something to eat."

"I don't care," said the young girl, "I'd rather be here with you."

Kendaa felt the clip that was holding her long, golden hair coming undone. She reached up and undid it, letting her hair fall. She gathered her tresses up, then pursed her lips as a familiar sensation of excitement ran through her.

"Taking the form of young girls? Is this the best you can come up with?" She said as strong hands massaged her shoulders.

The God of War poured more water into the bath that was now tepid. He put his finger in the water and it began to steam with new heat.

Kendaa turned around, lifting out of the water just enough to expose her breasts as Ares sat down beside the vat.

"Hmm," she said, "you have that same effect on me."

He smiled and kissed her hard on the lips, cupping his hand around one breast. Their lips parted and Kendaa frowned as she looked over at the tent's entrance. The music and voices of the celebration were gone and strange sounds were coming from outside.

"What's going on? What have you done with my sisters?"

"Oh, your sisters are fine," Ares said, gazing into her green eyes. His own dark eyes were lit with amusement. "They're eating and drinking back on the plains of the Greek mainland. You're the one who is gone."

Kendaa frowned further and pulled away.

"Don't get your Dryad self all worked up! I have something I want to show you," Ares said, putting his hands up in mock protest of her frown.

She settled back into the water, stretching her long arms over the sides of the bath and putting her feet up on the rim on the other side. She crossed her ankles and looked at her lover with an arched eyebrow.

"Why can't you just bring flowers like the other boys?" She said, amused now herself.

"Because you," he answered stepping into the bath and splashing water everywhere as he swept her into his arms and lifted her out of the tub, "are not a 'bring flowers' kind of girl!"

The God of War strode across the room with the tall Amazon laughing in his arms. He pushed his way through the heavy canvas flap of the tent and out into the world beyond. Kendaa was still laughing but stopped to gasp at the scene around her.

There in the world beyond the tent was a dense jungle the likes of which no Greek had ever seen. Overhead, a thick canopy of emerald green blotted out the sky with only a few shafts of light coming through. The trees were smooth and the roots seemed to grow along the ground forming huge networks. Kendaa stepped onto the ground as Ares lowered her, and she walked around the plush, mossy ground lost in wonder at the forest. Near by, a bird landed on a branch. It was brilliantly coloured in greens and yellows. It let out a strange, loud call, and Kendaa laughed in childlike awe. The air was humid, and smelled earthy. On the branches of the trees, monkeys with strange markings swung from branch to branch screeching at the intrusion of these strange-looking, two-legged animals.

Through the dense underbrush of the jungle, a spotted cat, as large as a lion slunk into the clearing. Kendaa stood watching as it stared at her with green eyes as brilliant and curious as her own.

"That's not a leopard?" Kendaa said, looking back at Ares. He was smiling at her delight. He took a deep breath and undid his belt. Then he slid out of his leather vest and came over, putting it around her.

"No," he replied, "it's called a jaguar."

The jungle was intoxicating to the Dryad's senses. The tall woman let the vest fall away, not wanting the clothing to separate her from any sensation of the mystic place. She crouched down on the mossy earth. The earth greeted her with a familiar feel and she lay down and rubbed her cheek along the Mother Earth's broad belly.

"This is wonderful," she murmured. She sensed her lover approach and then felt his warm flesh on top of hers. Sue turned over to see his eyes on fire now with passion. He kissed her once gently and she ran her hands through his black hair, pushing it away from his flushing face.

"This place is - it's magical," she said. "Where are we?"

"Some day, they will call this place 'the Amazon'," he replied. Then he kissed her hard on the lips and the jungle watched as the God and his chosen blessed the earth with their union.

This document was created by Kendaa on 6/3/99