78 Attack on Paradise Island
AN: This chapter was supposed to come out earlier and be longer, but my laptop decided to act up.
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Throne Room, The Island of Themyscira
March, 2003
The first thing Hippolyta becomes aware of as the curse lifts are the voices that seem to be discussing the sorcerer Faust. Opening her eyes, she is able to barely make out her daughter, Diana, and another woman attempting to aid her to her feet. Remembering Circe's purpose in coming to Themyscira, Hippolyta attempts to hastily stand on her feet only to stumble and be caught by Diana.
"Careful mother." gently orders Diana as she pulls her mother to her feet. "You are still feeling the adverse effects of the curse."
Listening to her daughter, Hippolyta takes her time adjust to her new position and turns towards a group of figures standing a few feet away from her
"Amateur." chuckles a feminine voice as an object of some kind appears in her hand. "He actually fell for it."
"That wasn't the actual artifact was it?" asks a male.
"Yes and no." replies a second man. "They most likely duplicated a genuine piece of the artifact before pairing the fake with the other genuine piece."
With a frown on her face Hippolyta processes the fact that there are men on Themyscira while she attempts to approach the group as her vision clears.
"Yes." confirms the same woman who first spoke as Diana and the second woman helps her approach the group.
"Both are useless now as neither of them are completely genuine. Which means that Tartarus will not be opened." says the woman with a devilish smirk.
Studying the woman, Hippolyta can't help but realise that if she didn't know every Amazon by name she would have no problem believing that this woman is one. The woman stands at five feet ten inches, an inch taller than Hippolyta herself, possesses hair as black as Hippolyta with golden eyes that stand out far more that Hippolyta's blue. Unlike Hippolyta who lets her curly hair fall down to her shoulders, the woman wears hers in a warrior's braid and leaves two bangs to frame her face. What truly makes her look like an Amazon however is her impressive armor.
The first piece is an ebony colored battle skirt that covers part of her black padded leggings. The skirt itself ends at her mid thigh, with a purple belt, that slightly glows, to hold it to her waist. Following that are her knee high boots with greaves covering them. The boots themselves are in the exact same design as one of the man's, with hers being all black as opposed to his blue.
The next part that Hippolyta notices pays attention to is the chest plate that is composed of a purple eagle whose wings are spread, under black shoulder pads. Purple padded under shirt comes out from under the breast plate and ends at the wrist, where the dark grey vambraces cover them from her elbow to her wrist. Then there is the helmet that covers the majority of her head while leaving her lips and eyes exposed, and dark purple cape with highlights that glow purple every few seconds finishes the armor.
Having been around for centuries and being very experienced with the supernatural, Hippolyta can easily tell that the armor was blessed by some of the Olympians. Even if the woman is not an Amazon, Hippolyta is sure that she is related to the gods somehow.
Shaking those thoughts from her head, Hippolyta approaches the group
"An admirable effort." comments Hippolyta as she finally gains enough of her bearing to stand on her own. "Unfortunately it was a fruitless one as the sorceres is not operating alone. Circe is aiding him, and the last time we met in battle she was capable of perfectly duplicating any form of magic regardless of its origin."
"With one genuine piece she will be able to replicate the enchantment to open the Gates of Tartarus." says the second woman with wide eyes as the island of Themyscira begins to shake and bestial roars permeate the air.
"How long will it take you to lift the curse over every Amazons on the island?" asks the man in blue and black, and perhaps the most dangerous of the group from what Hippolyta can tell.
"With the amulet I can finish in three minutes at the most, I simply need to build up enough power to release it at once over the island with a spell." answers the woman who had helped her.
"Very well, but do not forget that you can draw magical power from us should you need it.." replies the man with a nod before turning to Hippolyta herself. "Where are the Doors of Tartarus located and what is the environment surrounding it like?"
Hippolyta narrows her eyes at the man who presumes to question her. While she would love nothing more than to put him in his place, she knows that now is not the time. As Queen of the Amazons of Themyscira, she must place her people's life, and duty as guards of the Doors of Tartarus, over her displeasure at working alongside him. Let alone answering his questions.
"The Doors of Tartarus can be found in an underground chamber of Themyscira, and to reach it one must travel through one of the many passages that lead to it. However, depending on which passage one uses, the terrain can vary from mountainous to the jungle." she informs him as she swallows her displeasure.
"If they're underground then Ambrosius can just bring the entire chamber down over them." comments the unknown Amazon.
"I can, however it would be pointless." replies Ambrosius with a shake of his head. "These monsters are not the same as the ones who we have faced before. These ones don't disintegrate once they die, and even if they did they would survive something as simple as a cave in."
"Then we'll have to split up and cover the different entrances." comments the man dressed as a bat with a voice that Hippolyta is sure is being distorted using some form of technology from man��s world.
"Do you have some form of defensive strategy for this situation?" asks Ambrosius.
"We do, and as soon as my Amazons are freed from the curse they will know to put the plans into action." replies Hippolyta. "Unfortunately the plan is self-destructive and will result in the destruction of the island and the Amazons."
"Why would you take such extreme measures?" questions the man with the red cape and S.
"Because Tartarus houses the most dangerous beings in the Greek pantheon. From the Titans to the Gigantes, they are all imprisoned there." answers Ambrosius, causing Hippolyta to once again narrow her eyes at the vass amount of knowledge he possesses towards the Greeks. Especially since he said 'pantheon' rather than 'mythology'. Based on the information Diana has provided on mankind's advancement, they have stopped believing in the gods thousands of years ago.
Before anyone can answer, a surge of magical power erupts from the sorceress of the group as she enveloped in a dark pink aura while her eyes glow the same color. With a chant that Hippolyta cannot make out, the woman releases a shockwave of magical energy that envelops the island.
Looking around her throne room, Hippolyta notices her Queensguard slowly recover from the curse before they turn to the men in the room and draw their weapons on them.
"Men!" exclaims a black haired Amazon as she places her sword under Ambrosius' chin, millimetres from his jugular. "How dare you intrude upon this island?!"
"At ease Pythia. We have a much more important matter to attend to." orders Hippolyta as she gently draws Pythia's sword arm away from Ambrosius' throat.
With narrowed eyes that can be seen through her helmet, Pythia reluctantly sheathes her weapon while giving the order for her subordinates to do the same.
"We can provide aid to your Amazons." says Ambrosius casually as if he had not been threatened with death seconds ago. "There is no need to enact the island's self-destructive measures. Even if you do not accept my aid, Scáthach, Morgan, and Azula, should be more than sufficient in repelling the forces of Tartarus." he says as he gestures towards each woman he introduces.
"Unfortunately, things are not that simple." comments the woman named Scáthach. "I doubt that Hades has not allied himself with the Titans, Gigantes, or any of the princes of Hell."
"If what you say is true, then we must enact our contingency plan. Self-destructive or not." says Hippolyta with a shake of head. "My Amazons are unable to face enemies of such caliber, and Diana cannot be in four places at once."
"That is where we come in. The only one of us who can't face someone of that caliber is Batman." says Azula as she points towards the man in the bat costume before pointing at the man with the red cape. "Maybe Superman too considering he has a weakness to magic."
With a skeptical look on her face, Hippolyta looks towards the assembled group. Clearly she has misjudged them. The amount of confidence that they portray can only be acquired through surviving countless battles of life and death. This group of strangers that has clearly befriended her daughter emit a certain amount of confidence that she has only seen from the greatest of warriors. Even the Superman and Batman, who are far less impressive compared to the others, have a presence that reassures her that they are a force to be reckoned with.
"Very well." decides Hippolyta after a few seconds of consideration. "However, should you betray us in any,-" she adds as she narrows her eyes at the men in the group. "-I will personally see to your demise."
"There are four entrances that lead to the passages to the Doors of Tartarus." informs Hippolyta as the island once again shakes and more roars are heard. "The first one is inside a cave on the east side of the island, the second one can be found near the mountain on an open field west of here, the third one is in the jungle, and the last one can be found in the most guarded section of the city."
"How long until they exit the passages and onto the island?" asks Superman.
"Between the maze, and the traps, we have about ten more minutes." answers Hippolyta. "However, leading an assault team into the passages would only result in death."
"Indeed." agrees Ambrosius. "While it would be advantageous due to the narrow passage, the enemy possesses greater numbers and no doubt are far more physically powerful. Between that and their supernatural abilities, entering the passages will simply make it easier for them to kill our forces. That does not mean that we cannot use the passages to our advantage."
"If we set up our forces at the entrances, we can make use of the narrow passageways to limit the amount of enemies that our forces face without entering." says Azula.
"Then it's time for us to go. We're only wasting time standing here." says Batman
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Cave, Island of Themyscira
March, 2003
"Are you Commander Egeria?" asks Scáthach as she approaches the only Amazon without a standard hoplite armor without a helmet.
"I am." replies the Amazon as she studies the newcomer while Scáthach analyzes her also. "I presume that you are the outsider designated to this side of the battle."
Standing at six feet tall, Commander Egeria possesses an intimidating figure with her armor and glowing red eyes that can be seen through her helmet's eye holes. Due to some form of enchantment, nothing of the woman wearing it can be seen under. Anyone who looks simply sees a humanoid shadow wearing bronze hoplite armor with a black cape and blue plumes in the helmet.
"I am." answers Scáthach. "Is there anything specific that requires my attention?"
"No. We have everything under control." responds Commander Egeria professionally.
According to the message that Priestess Sofia delivered, Princess Diana arrived with a group of strangers to aid against the earlier intruders. From what she had been told by Sofia, the group consists of five members as powerful as Diana and one that, while not powerful, seems to make up for it with pure skill.
While she has no qualms with working with them, Egeria is very apprehensive towards the group. Unlike some of the Amazons under her command, Egeria was present when Heracles arrived in the original city of Themyscira. She, like many of her sisters, was chained and raped repeatedly by the brutes of Heracles' army and remembers it vividly. As such she would prefer to die than work with any man. However, they are vouched for by Princess Diana herself whose judgement Egeria has always trusted, therefore she is willing to swallow her distaste this once and put her faith in the Princess. Besides, she finds herself perplexed and confused why such powerful women would choose to follow any man, powerful or otherwise.
"How much longer until the enemy arrives?" asks Scáthach as she joins Egeria at the head of the army.
"Two minutes at the most." replies Egeria as she sneaks a glance at Scáthach to see her spinning a red barbed spear around as if it were a toy rather than a dangerous weapon.
"Why do you associate with those men? Let alone follow one?" questions Egeria, no longer able to keep her curiosity in.
"He is my husband." replies her fellow warrior, further perplexing Egeria. "And while he is certainly not the paragon of peace, he possesses virtues that sets him above most, men or otherwise."
"Do you not fear that he will one day betray you?" asks an even more puzzled Egeria.
"No." simply answers Scáthach. "I have known him for two millennials and would place my life in his hands."
Before Egeria can answer, a bestial roar comes from the passage, the ground shakes under their feet and a beast can be heard charging towards them.
"Shields!" orders Egeria as the Amazons lock shields to adopt a basic phalanx formation that completely blocks the exit of the cave.
Exiting out of the passage seconds later is a minotaur. Unlike the very first Minotaur that stands at fifteen feet and simply wears cloth to cover his lower body, this one stands at thirteen feet and wears a set of greek armor with an axe in his hand.
"The minotaurs have betrayed us!" screams Egeria as the creature stalks towards the group.
Before he can reach them however, Scáthach launches herself at him and easily pierces his skull with her Gae Bolg before he can react.
"I thought that there was only one minotaur." says Scáthach as she lands on her feet and looks at the commander questioningly.
"There is a species of them. None know how they came about, and considering their savage nature it was decided to put them to use by having them protect the Gates of Tartarus and other important areas." informs Egeria as she frowns. "I did not expect the enemy to convince them to betray us however."
���If they have all truly betrayed us, then they shall die by my spear." replies Scáthach as she turns to face the oncoming wave of monsters.
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Jungle, Island of Themyscira
March, 2003
"Are you the man sent to aid us on this battlefield?" questions General Kalliope as she sees a batlike figure approach her and the Amazons of the jungle using the shadows with a surprising amount of stealth. What troubles Kalliope is the fact that she can tell that the man was not even trying to be stealthy, rather he was simply approaching them casually.
"I am." he simply replies as he surveys her and the forces under her before commenting. "Smart."
"Excuse me?" asks Kalliope with a frown.
"Your division." he says as he begins to explain. "They don't wear metal armor or use spears. Rather they are garbed in cloth armor and make use of a sword and dagger. Perfect for guerilla warfare in the jungle. Especially with the color of the cloth."
Dumbstruck by the compliment, Kalliope is unable to answer before the man launches himself into the trees and vanishes.
This was not what Kalliope expected. As a younger member of the Amazons who did not experience Heracles' assault, Kalliope is not as experienced when it comes to men. In fact, she has absolutely no experience with men due to the fact that she was born on Themyscira. As such she is forced to defer to the older Amazons when it comes to men due to their experience and her lack of one.
According to the elder Amazons, men are rude, arrogant, spiteful, untrustworthy and very lecherous. She expected this one to be no different. Yet he managed to surprise her. Not only is he very skilled when it comes to stealth, and no doubt in battle, but he was not rude, arrogant, or spiteful. While direct, he did not project himself in a rude manner, nor was he arrogant, and instead possessed a quiet confidence. He also complimented her which is something the older Amazons said is impossible. Last, he was not lecherous. As a member of the Amazons, Kalliope is blessed by several goddesses, Aphrodite included. As such she is beautiful like her sisters, even if the older Amazons seem more beautiful. However, the man did not once look at her in such a way, or even glance at her generous bust. Instead he maintained eye contact throughout the entire exchange when he was not inspecting her forces.
"General Kalliope." says one of the warriors under her charge, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Commander Adonia has returned with her report."
"And?" questions Kalliope.
"It seems that the enemy has elected to send the least amount of their force to the jungle." informs the messenger.
"No doubt they somehow figured out that between the monsters, traps, and our division, the jungle is the most dangerous area of the island to outsiders." thinks Kalliope out loud.
"What you said is true. So shouldn't we advise that man to come back?" asks the messenger.
"He chose his fate." replies Kalliope as she returns to her soldiers.
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Open Field, Island of Themyscira
March, 2003
"You must be Azula." says Commander Persephone as Azula slowly floats down to the ground, her cape flapping due to the wind in a heroic fashion.
"Yes, that is me." replies Azula as she lands in front of Commander Persephone.
"I am Commander Persephone, second in command of this division under General Kalliope." says the Amazon as she turns to walk into the camp. "The General has been expecting you."
As Azula walks beside her, Persephone takes the opportunity to examine her while she does the same. Unlike many of her fellow Amazons who possess tan, bronze, or darker skin tone, Persephone's skin is very pale. She stands at five feet ten inches, and has red hair. For armor she wears the standard hoplite armor without the helmet.
As she analyses the stranger, Persephone cannot help but agree with Priestess Sophia that she can easily pass for an Amazon. Between the obviously Greek inspired armor, the way she carries herself, and the aura that screams divine, Azula would have no problem fitting in Themyscira.
"Is there a question that you would like to ask me?" questions Azula as she notices Persephone's constant stare.
"Your actions will answer them." replies the Amazon as she leads Azula to a group of standing Amazons currently in the middle of a discussion.
"I have brought her General." says Persephone as she salutes the General before taking her position to the General's right.
"I am General Penelope, and I am in charge of this division." says Penelope as she looks up and down Azula's person.
General Penelope stands at five feet ten inches with brown skin, golden eyes, and midnight black hair. She strikes an imposing figure in her armor with her toned and muscular figure.
"What seems to be the topic of this discussion?" asks Azula causing many of the present Amazons to narrow their eyes and Azula's audacity to simply question their General.
"We have just received word from Priestess Sophia that at least one of the Princes of Hell has escaped from Tartarus and is heading our way through the passage." answers Penelope without batting an eye to Azula's questioning. "I believe that this is your purpose for being here."
"No worries General." answers Azula with a nod. "I will deal with the Prince of Hell myself. Do we know who it is?"
"She believes that it is Dalkriig-Hath." answers Penelope just as the earth begins to shake and the cry of harpies can be heard before they fly out of the passageway's entrance in the ground while sending bottles of liquified fire at the Amazons.
"Formation!" orders Penelope as the Amazons in her division launch into action with the hoplites moving forward to block the oncoming onslaught. "Archers shoot them down." commands the General.
Following her orders the archers aim at the sky and fire, only to miss completely as the harpies make use of their wings and dodge the arrows.
"We are at a disadvantage." comments Penelope with a frown.
"Perhaps I can help." comments Azula as her eyes begin to glow and the wind begins to pick up in an unnatural way. Instead of blowing in one direction, the wind is ever changing as it blows against the Harpies despite their attempts to adapt to it.
"Archers! Fire!" commands Penelope once again.
Taking advantage of Azula's control of the winds, the archers once again fire, and with Azula's help, are able to shoot down the majority of the harpies. Before they can celebrate however, a legion of spear wielding satyr's come out of the passageway's entrance.
"Hoplites!" exclaims Penelope as the hoplites move forward to face the satyrs while Azula and the archers finish off the harpies.
Once done with the harpies, Azula draws her sword, Crocea Mors, and personally joins the fray with Penelope following not far behind. Together they create a mound of dead bodies wherever they travel, yet no matter how many they kill more monsters exit the passageway. Soon enough the satyrs are joined by undead bodies , demons, and chimera's.
"If this continues, then my Amazons will be forced to abandon formation." comments Penelope as she parries a spear as she approaches her enemy before stabbing him through the throat.
"Perhaps I should close the entrance and collapse the passage." answers Azula as she decapitates a demon while burning a satyr to ashes.
"That will not accomplish anything." answers Penelope as she picks up a spear from the ground and throws it through the bodies of various demons and satyrs before decapitating an undead and watching it stop moving due to her weapon's enchantment. "The demons will simply push through the rubble."
Before Azula can answer, she and Penelope sense a powerful and ominous presence approaching them as a dark figure can be seen walking through the dark passageway towards the exit. As the figure exits, Azula and Penelope are able to make out their new opponent.
Standing at seven feet tall with bulging muscles, the figure cuts a frightening presence. He possesses red skin, pitch black hair, two pointy white horns that protrude from his temples and a long bonelike claw that comes from his forearm. He wears a minimal amount of clothing with a simple white cloth to cover his crotch, and a skulled harness on his torso that attaches his purple cape to his back.
However, none of this unnerves Azula more than what he holds in his left hand. Clenched tightly in his left fist is a chain that leads towards a subdued woman's throat where it is wrapped around through a collar.
The woman stands at five feet nine inches tall, possesses blond hair, green eyes, and simply wears a very revealing white tunic to cover her body. Looking closely, one can see that her will has been broken, and the only thing she now knows is complete submission to the creature who caused it, Dalkriig-Hath.
"Cassandra." whispers a horrified Penelope. "What have they done to you?"
"You know this woman?" asks Azula as she casually pierces a satyr through the heart when he attempts to kill her while she was distracted.
"That is one of my sisters, Cassandra." replies Penelope as she too continues to kill enemy forces who attempted to take advantage of her distracted state. "She went missing a few weeks ago, and despite our best efforts we were not able to find her."
"Well, we know what happened to her now." replies Azula as she narrows her eyes at the approaching Prince of Hell.
"Yes." answers Penelope with a voice full of hatred. "And for his actions I will make him suffer a thousand fold."
"You believe that you can make me suffer, little Amazon." chuckles the Prince of Hell as he approaches the duo while dragging a submissive Cassandra who simply stares vacantly with her dead eyes. "I am Dalkriig-Hath, one of the thirteen Princes of Hell, and the new master of all Amazons."
"Please." scoffs Azula with a very monotone voice as a sudden gust picks up Cassandra and deposits her in Penelope's arms while Azula cuts the chain with her sword. "Spare me your speech of superiority."
Knowing that the upcoming battle will be devastating, Penelope decides to withdraw from the battlefield with Cassandra while ordering her forces to slowly retreat while making sure to keep the remaining monsters at bay.
"It does not matter whether you retrieve her or not, she is now useless to me." comments Dalkriig-Hath with a vicious smile on his lips. "You, however, will make a perfect toy and concubine. I will make sure to thoroughly break you and enjoy myself before passing you around to my subjects as celebration for this victory."
While Dalkriig-Hath speaks on how he plans to **** and torture Azula, he fails to notice her growing rage that fuels the overhead storm, nor does he notice the sadistic gleam that grows in her eyes while her facial expression turns into a predatory and wolfish grin reminiscent of Lupa when she plans to feed an enemy to her pack.
Without awaiting for him to take a fighting stance, Azula launches herself at the Prince of Hell at a speed far faster than he is able to keep up resulting in his left arm being cut off.
"AHHH!" roars Dalkriig-Hath in pain as he holds his stump of an arm.
"Hahaha." chuckles Azula as she looks at her trophy with amusement in her eyes. "You think that you can make me do what you want? Don't make me laugh. It would require you being in Hell due to its amplification properties on its Princes, and an army of demon lords to even exhaust me."
"BURN!" exclaims Dalkriig-Hath as he spits out a torrent of hellfire at Azula.
Dalkriig-Hath continues his assault for a few minutes before stopping after making sure that the entire terrain around him has been reduced to ashes and smoke.
"Hahahaha. You want to play with fire." says Azula as the smoke is cleared by the wind to reveal a perfectly fine Azula. "Let me show you how it's done." she says as she conjures a pale white flame and proceeds to burn Dalkriig-Hath with it.
Throughout the clearing, Dalkriig-Hath's tortured screams can be heard as Azula proceeds to burn him with flames that he has never heard of before.
"You're probably wondering why this hurts so much. After all, you're Dalkriig-Hath, Prince of Hell, and survivor of the deepest pit of Hell where the flames burn brightest." says Azula casually as she continues to burn the demon. "Well, this flame isn't made to burn the body, rather it's for the soul. And if you don't have one, it burns your very being without killing you. As such I can do this for a millenia and you will never die to reincarnate in Hell."
As Azual tortures Dalkriig-Hath with pain that is worse than he can even imagine. Meanwhile, his forces who are witnessing this quickly decide to retreat for fear of incurring her wrath. As for the Amazons, some cannot help but be unnerved by the display while others like Penelope, and Persephone, watch Azula in a new light and cannot help but admire her strength and decisiveness to obtain vengeance for their sister.
