Make your way to the United Armies camp.

As your ship glides up on a sandy shore so you and your troops can disembark, behind you seven of your galleys prepared the blockade of the River Gate. They each turned broadside towards the city gates and anchored themselves nose to stern while leaving gaps between them just wide enough for a sleek Amazon galley to race through. This naval maneuver is practiced again and again by your captains, and you are confident that even the greenest crew will be able to thread the needle between the battering ram of one ship and the high stern of the galley anchored some twenty feet ahead of it.

From these anchored galleys are tossed large fishing nets from the sides of the ships facing the city to prevent anyone from trying to swim beneath the floating wall. You do not wait to see the next step in the blockade where your Amazons sisters work on turning the seven ships into a makeshift bridge so they and their allies could cross the river. Instead, you, Atheas and an honor guard fit for a queen make your way towards the far side of the city where the United Armies camp lies.

Along the way, as you circumnavigate the great white-walled city you and Atheas are met by a score of hoplites clearly sent to escort you to the alliance camp. Other than a polite salute from the war-captain leading the soldiers no words are exchanged as you press on eager to see how the bones have been thrown. However, this respectful silence is broken as you make your way through the encampment toward the oversized command tent where the pennants of city-states, mercenary companies, and the gods only know what else is flying. The men lounging in the dusty byways in the camp whistle and howl at you as they gawk at the bare arms and legs of your honor guard. Gritting your teeth your fingers tightly squeeze the hilt of your mother’s sword as you try your best to ignore them and their lude suggestions about how you and your Amazons could best serve the men of the camp. However, the anger at the lack of respect offered by the coalition that you are here to join, has you fuming by the time you reach the guards standing outside the command tent.

One of the six guards holds up his hand to stop you. “Hold please,” he takes a list from a clerk that appears suddenly at your side and nods slightly as he reads it. “I take it by your…army,” he said with a small scoff, “That you are the Queen of the Amazons.”

“Is that a problem soldier,” you reply, no longer even trying to hide the anger in your face as you fume at the disrespect in his voice.

“I beg you pardon your highness,” he continues, “I have heard many tales of the warriors of Accor, mostly from the men who served, ah, under them and…preserved your race." To his side you see a pair of guardsmen smirk at his deliberate choice of words. "However, I expected you and your warriors to be a little more intimidating. Not to mention older.”

Before Atheas can stop you, you reach up and grab the man by the front of his armor and pull him down until he is nose to nose with you. “I’ll show you intimidating!” He tries to straighten, but you are ready for him and like many men before him he badly underestimates the strength of your Amazon limbs. This time when he rocks forward unsteadily you duck under his arm and straighten with the fully armored soldier draped over your shoulders. You see the looks of surprise and alarm in the faces of the other five guardsmen who are no longer snickering.

“Xira!” Atheas quickly snaps, “Put the man down! Accor’s army has yet to fully recover, the last thing we need is to have our queen picking fights with our allies!”

You snarl at the man in your grasp and leer into his wide eyes before releasing him with a quick shove. He straightens his back and adjusts his armor before stepping slightly away from you and towards your general.

“Now,” Atheas continues, “I believe you have a job to do solider.”

The guard coughs to clear his throat before opening the tent flap for you. As you and your general walked past him, you gave him a not so friendly bump with your shoulder. He grumbles almost inaudibly but ignores your hostility, your mother taught you when you almost half your age that when a man tries to intimidate you with his size and strength, the best way to handle it is with a show of **** of your own. Once you and your general are inside the tent, he makes his announcement. “Now presenting Queen Xira of the Amazons.”

The men inside the tent were a little more hospitable than the soldiers lounging around the camp outside but it is probably due to them trying to keep up appearance. These are officers and noblemen who cluster around the leadership of the camp eager to make an impression or win a commission, but other than the quality of their tunics, there is little difference between them and the others. You can feel their eyes roaming over your unmarked body as you pass through them, sensing them appraising you like a piece of meat as you make your way to the back of the tent where Laoda, your ambassador, is waiting along with the other leaders of the United Armies.