Growing together, Growing apart

The funeral went on for another hour until the fires finally died out, leaving ashes that were carefully gathered and placed into an urn for the Thracy family to take with them. A custom the Amazons were informed of by the man as they handed him the clay pot and bowed to him, wishing him and his son a safe night. Nubia had offered the urn personally and embraced Harper one last time before wishing the two a good night’s rest before morning.

Gripping Gary’s hand in hers, Alexa gave the man a soft squeeze of her hand and gestured for him and his son to follow.

“Come, let me show you where you will be sleeping before you can head home.”

“Thank you.”

Following Alexa to her home, hand in hand, they travelled by foot up the cobblestone path to a shelter up the road. Stepping inside, the woman quickly entered, apologising as she rummaged scrolls and tomes off seating as quickly as she could while igniting some lamps to give her home some illumination.

“Sorry for the mess, I… Well, I AM a record keeper, sometimes I take my work home with me.”

“That’s okay.” Gary chuckled somewhat as he placed the Urn of his father’s ashes over at a nearby counter, helping the woman clear some space to sit. “It… It kind of reminds me of my office back home.”

Her lips cracking into a smile and combing a finger through her long red hair to pull away from the side of her face, Alexa finally managed to sort her belongings and gave Harper a place to rest. Finding a blanket, she tucked the heavy fabric over the boy’s shoulders and back, smiling down at him as his eyes turned heavy and he fell to sleep. Gary perched close, giving his son a soft pat over his back, wishing him sweet dreams as he and Alexa got up and sat over a table where she rummaged over a small fireplace and poured water into a kettle.

“Would you like some tea Mr. Thracy?”

“I’d... I’d like that, thank you.”

The tea did not take too long to brew, and by the time the kettle began to steam, Alexa had taken the pot off the clay oven and poured herself and her guest a drink, settling the kettle on the table over a folded cloth. Watching the man’s reaction to the tea, it pleased her that it made him smile, but she also found his gaze go over to the urn his father’s ashes were contained in. Gary sighed then, looking down at his tea with a sullen look.

“It… It still feels SO unreal.” He murmured. “If it wasn’t for those three ladies, I’d be there on that counter with my father.” Looking back down at his drink and seeing his reflection in the hot waters. “Thank you… For being kind to me and my family. I honestly don’t know what to say.”

In silent contemplation, the man didn’t hear Alexa move out of her chair until he felt her wrap her arms around his shoulders and pull him in for a soft hug, resting her chin on his head, just as she slowly sat down to sit next to him. Sitting in a way where they were both eye level to each other, Gary was taken back when Alexa slowly leaned towards him and captured his lips with hers, a chaste kiss, but one that made his eyes go wide and the hairs at the back of his neck stand out. Slowly pulling away, Alexa breathed in as she felt her body shift. Her hair grew longer, more luxurious, her cheeks taking on a rosy blush as her lips looked even more inviting. But her eyes. Lost in her affectionate and caring gaze, they sparkled like emeralds, drawing him in for another kiss.

The next kiss was more passionate, loving, with her arms snaking around him to pull him in closer, where he noticed her chest had also grown more ample. Her hands explored his back, softly, gently, as if she were trying to sooth the scars Ocypete had left behind, even if the purple ray had done just that. Ultimately, she settled in crossing her hands behind him to keep him close until they pulled away from the kiss.

“Stay with me Gary Thracy, and I promise no more monsters will threaten you or your family.”

She was so beautiful; how could he say no?

*

They were so… Hideous.

It sunk Dhala’s heart to see her former commanders reduced to hunched and inhuman creatures screaming and slashing out at her like rabid animals. She knew they recognised her, even if her true appearance had been restored, if anything, seeing her as her former self only made them angrier. Myrina, Patrice, Seena, all her former sisters in arms clawed at the air between her and the bars, wild eyed with rage and screeching like barn owls.

“What has become of you sisters?”

“What has become of YOU?” Hissed Myrina, gripping the bars of her cell and eyeing the amazon with malicious intent. “You were loyal to ussss… NOT that cow on the throne.”

“That COW is our queen, and you betrayed her trust and the trust of all your own people. Was it worth it sister? To turn yourself into… THIS? By Hera, you are not even human anymore.”

“Worth it?” Sneered Aello. “Open this cell and we shall SHOW you how much this is worth. Open this cell and we can purge our paradise of those men who infesssst our home.”

Smirking, Dhala raised her chin. “You will not have to worry for too long sister, the man and his son are being returned to their homelands, the queen has declared we shall escort them back to their homeland and the declaration of peace and prosperity amongst our nations will be cemented.”

The chorus of screams and cries of rage were almost deafening as Dhala watched the harpies react in impotent rage.

“TRAITOR!”

“COWTOWING BITCH!”

Ocypete stood to her pinions and made a face of blind rage back at her former sister in arms, grabbed hold of the bars so tightly her talons bled. “IF THEY ARE MADE TO LEAVE THEN THEY WILL TELL THE REST OF MAN’S WORLD WHERE WE ARE!”

“HOW CAN YOU ACCEPT THIS?!!!” Screeched Aello. “YOU OF ALL AMAZONS SHOULD SEE THINGS AS WE DO!”

Stamping her spear to the ground, the beautiful woman closed her eyes and breathed in, exhaling slowly as she opened her eyes and looked back at the monsters who had gone back to swiping and slashing at the air between them.

“I accept it because it is what my queen demands of me, I accept it because I watched as my generals at arms chose not to honour their word and in doing so shame themselves and were punished for it. Lastly, I accept it… Because it is right. Because it is decent. And just as Alkyone said earlier…” She pointed to the confused harpy. “Because it is kind. You have shown me what the path of hatred paves sister, for that I choose kindness.”

“You will suffer greatly for this…”

Hearing a heavy knock at the dungeon’s entrance, Dhala sighed and made for the heavy wooden door. “I think not, the queen will decide your fate soon. I intend to learn more of the world outside our shores. YES, who is at the door?”

“I have come to give our prisoners their meals.”

Scoffing, Dhala looked to the ring of keys at her belt and made to open it. The second the key clicked, the heavy wooden door was blown open by powerful wings and knocked the amazon guard back against the stone wall. The wind knocked out of her, she had tried to look up and raise her guard when a talon, closed into a massive fist struck her across the face and knocked her out completely. Fumbling for the keys with her claws, Artemis smiled when she found the key and made her way over to the cells where the rest of the harpies screeched and cawed to be let out.

“I am here sistersss, just give me…”

The moment the dungeon gate was unlocked, the harpies swarmed out, with Ocypete grabbing Artemis by the throat and pinning her to the wall. Glaring up at the red feathered bird woman with hateful eyes, the human buzzard hissed between chipped teeth.

“Why are you helping us you Bana-Midghall crone! YOU fled when the queen captured us!”

Clutching at Ocypete’s arm, Artemis hissed and flapped her wings, eyeing back at the former general with the same furious stare.

“You Themyscirans know how to fight, but not how to win! We Bana-Midghal know how to hide, how to wait. The queen’s guards sought me out all day but could never find me. I had to wait until darkness and with the funeral to find the opportunity to free you.”

Narrowing her eyes, Ocypete let her go, turning her gaze to the **** guard on the ground and back to her fellow sisters Aello and Alkyone.

“WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!”

“The queen has wasted her efforts honouring that disgusting male’s ****. They think he was worthy of the act; I KNOW better of men! I came to free you and…”

Artemis stopped in her explanation when she caught Seena swipe her claw across Dhala’s exposed throat. Killing her.

“YOU DID NOT NEED TO KILL HER!”

“We did not need her alive either…” Smirked the harpy, wiping drool from her split lip.

“She was NOT our enemy!”

“Yes she WASssss!” Hissed Alkyone. “She chose her fate, she chose to sssside with the man-loving whores down in city who coddle those parasites! They are no longer our sisters, only WE have the insight to know who our true enemies are.”

“Indeed.”

Gasping with a trickle of blood escaping her foaming mouth, Alkyone looked over her shoulder to Ocypete driving her claws deep into the harpy’s back. “Why…?

“YOU were TOUCHED by the demon that caused this; he used you like a puppet. Who’s to say he’s not using you now?” Pulling her claws out of Alkyone, the harpy fell to her knees and collapsed onto her side. The moment she did, the harpies were met with a startling sight when the black feathered monster began to change, her features changing as her skin smoothed, her feathers disappearing like smoke and her body returning to what it was before the curse that turned them.

Smiling devilishly, Aello looked to her sisters who recoiled in shock to the sight of their former general restored to her former self, now lifeless.

“See NOW my sisters? She was NEVER one of usssss.” Hobbling out the dungeons with the rest of the dozen or so bird women in tow, they scurried out into the night air and climbed their way up the tower of the palace to look out onto the horizon with their wings unfurled.

“What now sister? Do we slay the queen?” Asked Patrice, looking up to the two remaining leaders of the harpies.

“No… Kill her NOW and she will be a martyr; the rest of the amazons will only follow in her and her ‘precious’ daughter’s example ever further…”

Looking out into the night, her smile returned. “But if we sssstart a war… A war between the men of Man’s world and the women of Themyscira…”

“They will sssee the ugliness of man and JOIN us willingly.”

“YES!”

“How will we find them?”

“Look to the sssseas sister… Men think they have conquered the ocean wavesssss the moment they learned they could float, that will make it easy for us to butcher a crew, and pin blame on these bleeding heartssss.”

Taking to the air, the harpies flew off out into the open ocean, keeping silent so as not to alert the guards.