55 The Child of Clay

Diana, "I can't believe you didn't tell me that they were shouting the name Tartarus gate. I would have known about this as soon as you did."

Logan, "How was I supposed  to know they were shouting the name of a gate. The whole breaking the balance, and gate swinging both ways seemed more important as far as clues to what was going on."

Diana, "Well learning of it sooner wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway. But next time if there is something that sounds like a name, you should start with that. Also, thanks for coming with me." She said the last part quietly.

The closest to Themyscira we could be transported was a nearby island that the Amazons kept a boat hidden for Diana to visit when she wanted to. Apparently, they weren't yet comfortable enough to let the League build a transport pad on the main island. So, we floated towards what looked like open sea to me, on an old Greek boat.

"Why didn't the God's give this mission to you and your sister?" Logan asked.

"Ororo Monroe is exiled from Themyscira!" Diana looked sad as she answered. "Because Ororo brought men to the island that the God's decreed to be free of men. It wasn't unusual for some men to be delivered by the sea to our shores, but those men's memories were altered and left on a nearby island to be saved. But Ororo intentionally brought male members of the League here, breaking the decree of the gods."

"Worse, they saved the Island from Hades when we couldn't save ourselves. It was seen as a lack of faith on Ororo's part in the wisdom of the gods. Hades had tricked a sorcerer into trying to free him through the gate of Tartarus and he nearly succeeded. But due to Ororo's bringing the Justice League to the fight, Hade's plan was foiled."

Logan, "That's a good thing, right?"

Diana, "Stopping him, yes. The way she did it, no. A few gods that were hoping Hades succeeded raised issue with her breach of a Divine Decree. Everyone knew what was going on, but the pride of the gods was hurt. Just as bad, it showed that the humans had champions that were able to defy a god as well. Not just an average god either, but one of the Major Deities. So, my sister was punished to show that the gods still reigned supreme."

"What about Hades punishment for showing a male the way to Themyscira?" Logan asked.

Diana, "What more can you do to punish a God confined to the underworld to guard the pits of Tartarus?"

Logan, "If I may ask, what is the relationship between you and Ororo? I know you call each other sister but well... You also use that term with all women. However, when you and Ororo say it to each other if feels different to me."

  "My mother, Queen Hippolyta was a dutiful queen and a wise ruler, but she always wanted a child so in her spare time she molded a child out of clay. She shaped it with everything a perfect amazon child should be and spoke to the clay figure all the virtues of the amazons for years and years. Then one night she had a dream about the clay child coming to life during the night. She awoke from her dream and went to the shores where she kept the clay child with hope in her heart. However, what she found was a young girl at the base of the clay statue that night. It was Ororo that she found, and Hippolyta took it as a sign from the gods that she was to raise the child in the ways of the Amazons as her daughter."

"Ororo took to the training with ease, having little memory beyond her name from her time before Themyscira. It also seemed she was a born warrior. Later as she approached womanhood a wonder was found of this adopted child of the Queen of the Amazons, Ororo could influence the weather with her mood and call down lightning."

Logan, "Her power awakened?"

Diana, "Indeed it did, and it did not go unnoticed by the gods. Specifically, Hera, wife of Zeus the notorious womanizer. Hera came to Themyscira with the fury of a woman scorned, convinced that the child was a bastard of Zeus and Hippolyta. Ororo's powers were far too similar to her husbands for Hera to be convinced by a few words. It took Zeus creating a thunderbolt of truth, where no one, man nor God could speak a falsehood with it laid upon them."

Logan, "That must have been embarrassing for Hera, to be proven wrong after causing such a scene."

Diana, "Some good did come of it though, as Zeus decided to train Ororo in controlling her power's. After training Ororo for just under a year, Zeus was preparing to return to Olympus and as a final apology to Hippolyta for his wife Hera, making such a scene, he made Hippolyta's clay child flesh and blood. He gifted the Thunderbolt of Truth to Ororo and then commanded the other gods to favor the child brought to life from clay with a blessing of power from each of them. Superhuman Strength, granted by Demeter Goddess of the Earth. A Lasso of Truth forged by Hephestus. Flight and Super Speed, Gifted by the messenger of the gods Hermes. Beauty, reflexes, agility, healing, Immortality and many more."

Logan, "That would make you the child of clay I assume. Beauty and abilities such as yours had to be a gift of the gods!" He said shamelessly. 

Not responding to the cheesy line, Diana continued, "With a final apology to the child of clay, Zeus left Themyscira."

Logan, "So you and Ororo are true sisters and Princesses of Themyscira?" (Some interesting timing aspects to that story, but not my business.)

Diana, "Yes, we are. We are almost through the illusion of the sea. You will see Themyscira in moments. Please don't react to provocation Logan, remember men aren't supposed to be here. You have to give me time to tell them the gods requested you to be here."

My eyes blurred like they were seeing through a fog, and I began to make out shapes. Buildings of marble, with tall towers standing proud and beautiful, all in the archetype of ancient Greece. Some whose steps lead directly to the water and others that seemed made into the mountains.

I saw lines of amazon warriors rushing into one of the buildings that appeared to be built into the mountain.

Diana pointed to that very building and said, "There that is where the Gate of Tartarus is located. We must get there."

I quickly took the shape of a falcon and screeched at Diana to fly, and I would follow her. As we got closer to the building some of the Amazon warriors saw Diana and took up a cheer about the princesses' return to lead them into battle. When we entered the cave, I saw a door that was reminiscent of the one in the King Kong movie.

  Large double doors with a broken slide lock were being forced open from the inside by a horde of what I could only call demons from hell. All different shapes and sizes, some with wings and others with horns. The only thing they all had in common is that they wanted through the gate to the world of the living. All that was stopping them was the determined line of warriors pushing the doors closed with a couple holding a new lock bar ready to shove it in place as soon as their sisters got the doors closed.

One of the larger demons with wings managed to get through, only to be stopped by a regal woman wearing a crown and wielding a sword with practiced ease. Be it the toughness of the demon or a flaw in the forging of the blade, the queenly figure found herself in danger after her sword broke when a swing connected on the shoulder of the demon. Taking advantage of the opening the demon shoved his head forward intent on taking a bite out of the figures neck when Diana flew in from the side and delivered a blow that shattered several of the demon's teeth and also knocked it back into the crowd attempting to get through the gate. "Mother, are you all right?" Diana cried out in question.

Seeing another demon fly out of the gate I flew above him and change my shape into a gorilla then grab it with my feet and use my Martian powers to increase my weight 10fold. I ride it down to the ground where I pick it up and toss it back through the gate. I resumed my form and walked up next to Diana.

Hippolyta, "Diana, what have you done? Are you trying to get both my daughters exiled? Quickly, you must strike him down to appease the gods. I won't lose another of my daughters!"