Practice makes Perfect

The training grounds were just outside of the palace, alive with energy and movement as the warrior women went about their daily training and calisthenics. Led by hand by Nubia, Harper watched the hundreds of women practicing their centuries long trained skills. Pointing over to a dozen women practicing equestrian combat, the boy gasped with awe as they practically danced from one horseback to the next, trading sword strikes in mid air and trading steeds while they did so. Decades of practice had made their motions fluid and graceful to perfection.

Nearby, Harper could see archers firing at targets hundreds of yards away, making bullseyes each time they pulled back their bowstrings and reaching for more arrows, splitting the previous arrows in half each time. Across from the training fields there were small legions of amazons practicing their spear and shield practice, sword combat and bolas. Each and every amazon there were masters of their own skills, so much so that even the sight of a child being escorted by their princess and general did not falter their training.

Sitting over at a bench with the boy taking up space between them, Nubia and Diana smiled down at the child as he pointed over to the warriors clashing at a ring in front of him.

“Wow! Look at that!” He clapped excitedly, pointing over to the two duelists in front of him, trading blows and blocking attacks so quickly that it was almost impossible to keep track of them. To the four year old, he was mesmerised, especially when the one cartwheeled around the ring when her opponent missed her sword strike and stopped when she felt the wooden blade tap behind her neck.

Getting to her feet, the warrior bowed to her opponent who did the same and turned their attention to the trio of onlookers, finding they had an audience when they spotted the small boy cheer and clap at them. Whatever stern or stoic mask the two women wore evaporated at the sight of the small child, so much so the blonde Amazon of the two wrung her hands at the sight of him.

“Medora, you prove to be the greater sword master amongst our sisterhood once again.” Called out Diana, sitting up to approach the woman and embrace her in a hug as she did her opponent. Separating, it pleased her to find her amazon sister youthful, and stunningly beautiful once more. Her golden locks poking out from under the edgings of her helmet before pulling it off to smile back at her princess properly. Her full strawberry blonde hair spilling down her shoulders and back once she had undone the ribbon, she wore to keep it bound up.

“Thank you, my princess, it pleases me that my skills are held to such a high regard.”

“Indeed…” Smirked Sypha, pulling free her own helmet to set it at her side, combing her fingers through her shock of brown curly hair and stare over to the small boy being coddled by her general. “And WHO is this?”

Watching both women practically dance towards the child, they quickly sat over to where Diana was on the bench to greet Harper.

“THIS is Harper Thracy, he’s our guest, along with his father and grandfather.”

“MORE men to our island?” Blinked Sypha, sitting up straight. “Where did they come from?”

“I’m from Maine!” Giggled Harper, kicking his feet out one at a time from his seat. All while slowly the two amazons looked to their princess for context.

“It’s a land far from here.”

“Can you fight too?” Asked Harper, pointing up at Diana who tilted her head with a small smile.

“Our princess is one of our FIERCEST warriors little one, it is one of the reasons she was granted the title of Wonder Woman and represents us outside our paradise.” Explained Nubia.

“Does that mean you can’t beat her?” The boy asked innocently, making the mocha skinned beauty smirk as she looked to her princess and sister with a nod.

“I wouldn’t say that…” Getting to her feet, she took Medora’s sword and shield and marched her way over towards the fighter’s ring. Diana did the same, leaving the two women to sit at either side of Harper as Diana left her lasso at the bench and took her side of the ring and take a combat stance.

“How long has it been Nubia? Three? Five years since we dueled together?” Wonder Woman asked playfully, twirling her blade in her hand to loosen her wrist and raise her shield.

“You have been gone for quite some time my sister, one would hope your skills had not dulled with the distractions of man’s world.”

“We shall see.”

The two collided in a clash of swords, their strikes precise yet so rapid fire it was like a blur of motion. The clank of shields and swords impacting each other so quickly and so loudly, the remaining Amazons training ceased in their tasks to watch the greatest of them duel. A small crowd formed, cheering either the princess or their general as the two women practically danced in the circle, trading blows and jabs and swipes so quickly, they were like a blur of motion and sound. Breaking away and raising their shields, the two sisters smiled back at each other.

“Not bad, perhaps you HAVE improved.” Nubia nodded; her smile ever present. “And here we all thought you would have fallen to temptations outside of our shores.

“You want to talk about temptations Nubia? You should try their ice cream.”

Scoffing, Nubia straightened her stance and struck her shield with her own sword. “It will take more than cream to distract me from…” Blinking and looking around confused, Nubia dropped her shield and sword and practically ran towards Diana, a look of fright in her eyes as she grabbed her by the shoulders.

“Dee, things got outta hand, the guys are in trouble, do you know where they is?” Nubia asked in a Brooklyn accent.

“Boston?”

“Yer sisters have gone CRAZY! They killed a woman for nothin and now they’re aiming to do the same to the Thracys!”

“Boston! Phin Thracy is with my mother, and Gary Thracy is with Alexa, they are more than safe.”

“Then what about the kid?”

“He is with…” turning her gaze to the bench where Harper was sitting, the two gasped to find Sypha and Medora face down on the ground ****, and Harper missing, along with the lasso of truth.”

“Oh no!”