Onboard the Hand of Hera…

The journey from Washington back to Themyscira was long and the ocean turbulent, through means beyond men’s understanding and the grace of the gods, the Amazonian vessel would make the trip to their hidden paradise in a matter of days. Stern and disciplined, the crew of the Hand of Hera kept an eye on the sails and on the night’s sky as they followed the stars back home. But not all were hard at work seeing to their destination. Many of the crew had taken this time to relax and unwind now that they were not amongst the stink of Man’s world. Several bathed and cleaned themselves in the private bath of the ship, while others took to resting or sparing in the lower decks to keep their skills honed.

Her majesty had sequestered herself away in her personal quarters to reflect and meditate on the events of their visit with no request to be disturbed, while her generals shared quarters nearby with mediation of their own in mind.

Oil lamps illuminated the wooden architecture and decorative shields and spears hung by the walls of their quarters, all while cries of passion reverberated around the wooden walls out from the fur lined bedding and pillows of their bed. Gripping at the fur blankets with one hand behind her and her other hand gripping the fiery red hair of Ocypete between her legs, Aello wailed and gasped for air as she reached her limit and pulled her lover up into a kiss. Aello moaned into Ocypete’s mouth, kissing her furiously as their tongues dueled together. Their hands exploring their perfectly toned physiques as they laid in bed together. Aello’s hands traced down her lover’s firm arms, cupped at her ample chest and down her side to feel her firm and long legs. Ocypete did the same, turning to let Aello atop her and continue their affection, their lips joining again as their arms snaked together in an embrace.

“You are perfect my sister.”

“As are you.” Hummed Ocypete, kissing down Aello’s neck to lick and kiss at the Amazon’s full and pliant breasts. Aello arched her back and thrust her chest out to give her sister in arms more of herself to give. “I have never grown tired of your touch, my sister.”

Turning in bed again, the couple smiled and chuckled, pressing up against each other’s nude bodies to feel and caress what they could reach. “Are you still troubled by our visit to Man’s world my sister?”

Her mood soured, Ocypete rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, the creak and groan of the ship echoing in the distance as they sailed back home. “The further away from those shores we travel the better I feel Aello, hnngh… I can still smell the stink of them here.”

Dragging herself out of bed, the amazon general sighed and stretched her arms over her head, Combing her fingers through her luxurious long red hair to sigh. Pulling up her clothes from the trunk nearby, Ocypete stood in the oil lamp light, allowing Aello to admire her perfect physique. Tall, strong, statuesque, and yet still feminine, Every ounce of her radiative martial strength and beauty all at once. She and Ocypete were the pinnacle of the Amazonian ideal. After all these centuries they along with a few others had set the high standard personally. Sitting up in bed, Aello combed her own fingers through her long blonde hair, admiring her lover’s stance as she dressed before her eyes. Standing to her own feet, she strode up to her sister in arms and embraced her from behind, admiring her smoldering brown eyes, keen and hard from ages worth of battles won.

“The moment has passed Aello, we are FAR from that retched city, and I would like to celebrate washing my hands of those lands by bathing in the sacred pools and burning off my fury in the stadium’s arena.”

Well then, perhaps it will do you some good to have a sparring partner.”

A knock at their quarters made the two generals’ frown, glaring at their door before hearing the voice of one of their personal guards call from the other side.

“My generals, we have arrived at the docks of our home, we are pulling into port now to disembark.”

Smiling at the news, Ocypete and Aello kissed and quickly got dressed. “Excellent, we shall be deck side soon. Be at arms when we are ready to depart.”

Hearing the click of the brass heels of the guard at the door, making a salute before leaving their quarters, the two generals smiled, a sense of relief on their features.

“Let us step outside to the skies of our home sister.”

*

The double doors to the Queen’s personal quarters opened with her two personal guards knelt at one knee bowing as she stepped out and made her way to the main deck of the Hand of Hera. Her generals and personal guards were in the same posture, in two rows of ten facing each other with their heads down and their spears up. Looking up at the night’s sky, Queen Hippolyta closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh ocean air of her island kingdom.

“My Amazons.”

With a battle cry and a stamp of their spears on the deck, her guards and advisers looked to their queen for their orders.

“Let us take our first steps back to our beloved home.”

Making their way off the Hand of Hera and going into a parade march down the pier back to the royal palace, Hippolyta looked up to see her remaining advisors and lover who had arrived at the entrance of the pier to bow and greet their returning Queen. Phillipus, Nubia, and Alkyone bowed to their queen, just as Phillipus approached to embrace her highness with a warm smile, one shared by the dark-haired queen as they separated.

“It is good to see you alive and well my queen, I had feared the worst after your daughter encouraged you to have meetings with Man’s world.” Sighed Phillipus. The dark-haired woman smiled back to her queen.

“Thank you, my love, it is good to feel the breeze of our native paradise flow through my hair again.”

Standing shoulder to shoulder, the queen and her consort continued back towards the island and the palace just in sight, their royal guards marching behind them as the rest of the island’s inhabitants stood at alert at the port’s entrance to greet their queen. Hippolyta even noticed a group of warriors in different colours standing with them.

“Guests?”

“Yes, my queen. The sister tribe of the Bana-Mighdall are here as well. We have planned a feast in your honour for your return.”

“OH GREAT, BECAUSE I AM JUST STARVING!”

Snapping to alert and turning back to the source of the voice, the guards raised their shields and armed their spears at the form of someone shambling towards them from the docks where they just came from. It was a man, one that looked sickly pale and soaking wet as if he had just washed up from the shores. His stance and gait were poor and crooked, as if he barely had the strength to stand let alone walk. His clothes were drenched and showed salt stains from being out in the ocean waters. But what stood out the most was the rotten stink he exuded as he came into view of the torch light to smile back at the amazon women waving his hand.

“AN INTRUDER! GUARDS, SEIZE THIS INVADER!” Ordered Aello, and just as the words left her mouth, several guards apprehended the man and winced at his close presence.

“By the gods, this one smells of the foulest of filth!” Complained one of the praetorians, looking as if she would wretch over the dock once she grabbed his arm.

“Well, EXCUUUUUUUSE me sweetheart, why don’t YOU hang off the back of a boat for 2 nights and see how YOU smell!”

Breathing in sharply, Ocypete stormed forward, her gladius in hand as she pointed it at the man’s chin to **** him to bring his attention solely to her.

“You… You ADMIT you stowed away on our majesty’s vessel?! You snuck aboard to infiltrate our paradise home?!”

Shrugging with a grin, the man looked back at the mighty vessel and chuckled. “Well, I’d have walked up with ya, but you had a couple of bouncers there that looked like they’d stab first and ask questions later.”

“AN ASSASSIN!” Accused Ocypete, turning to address her queen. “An assassin from man’s world sent as vengeance for our slight against them at the halls! he must be punished my queen!!!”

Folding her hands in front of her, the Queen eyed the man being held by her guards and narrowed her eyes. “Intruders to my island kingdom will not be tolerated, and your presence here is not without precedence. You shall be questioned by my generals, if they determine you seek to bring us ill will, you shall be punished in accordance to our laws.”

Nodding back and barely hiding the grin on her lips, Ocypete pulled free the lasso of truth from her belt and wrapped it around the man, his stink making the general cough before she gave the rope a tug and it began to give a golden glow.

"You. Who ARE you? Why have you come here? The lasso compels you to tell the truth."

Feeling the lasso’s magic seep into him, the pale man grinned. "My name is Boston Brand, in possession of what is currently the three-day old corpse of a John Doe I possessed at the coroner's office as a means of sneaking onto your ship so I could..."

"ENOUGH!!!"

“He’s so vile, he defies the lasso itself!”

Sheathing her blade and retrieving the lasso off the man, Ocypete turned at the heel and made a gesture with her gauntlet for the guards to follow her.

“This… This filth shall be executed! Set up the pyres, we shall watch this assassin burn in the name of our gods!”

Feeling a hand shove at his shoulder to start walking, Boston smirked as he was led into Themyscira. Whispering low to himself so he couldn’t be heard by his captors as they planned his execution. “Okay, here we go… This is going to be a show.”