Alternate Journals: Amazons' Past in India (6)

      Hours became days and days turned into weeks as our new life progressed. This is the first chance in decades that I have time to write about what we have lived through. I have even sent word to our Queen reporting the state of the first and only Amazon clan in far northern India. It was not easy to establish a hidden village in this wilderness. Trouble seemed to find us often for the glory and reputation of Amazonian honour. Our strength, including Crimson's powers, increased boundlessly as we faced growing enemies.

      Our losses were never in battle as Amazons wish to die. Death from old age while silently contemplating our new chosen life path was Ashstar's departure point. She was the first among us to leave for the next life. A quiet death after an honour filled life. Rena and Talon followed her into death's passage. One died of a fever that crossed the land as the footfalls of one of their faith wars. The other died while hunting small game by becoming a tiger's prey. All were mourned in our way before being set ablaze to remove their remains from this world.

      These loses, though tragic, did not truly effect our slowly growing numbers. Villagers that we had aided asked us to train the younger ones in the art of defence. The question raised about our group having only one lone male seemed more geared toward our cast rank and not the oddness of our selected life. Most of the boys sent to us were refused at first simply out of normal Amazonian customs of only training the females from the youngest possible age. But a small though passionate boy with an understanding beyond his adult counterparts change that decision for us with his clear heart and mind.

      “I would never ask you to forgo her being trained!” he screamed at Ashstar's back. She had told him to go home but he had remained standing ramrod straight without whining as he spoke. “But is it not wrong that I cannot defend her half as well as she could defend me?” he asked calmer. Ashstar turned to face him once more staring down at him in silence. “I cannot allow her to be the only one that can defend us.” he continued. “I would be unfit to be her mate if that is the case big sister Ashstar.”

      “And what makes you think you should be her mate?” she retorted at him. “What qualifies you as being good enough for her?” she continued without mercy. She had heard of the custom of family selling their daughters to other families as wife for their male heirs. “No matter how much your family has paid, it is never enough to buy another's life!” she screamed at him. He stood straight without fear in the face of Ashstar. It amazed me that this boy stood up to Ashstar without fear.

      “My family nor hers have paid for us to be mated!” he screamed back. “We decided it and told both our families that we wished this together.” he told her. “Our families agreed after both of us refused that goods would be exchanged since our families are of the same cast rank.” he continued to explain. The young girl still stood watching him in silence with a small smile on her face. “I wish only to be able to do as much in our future family as my mate will be able to do.” he commented. “I ask you that you accept my wanting to learn from you so I can be a good mate to her?”

      “Wise words for a male child.” Ashstar replied softer. “And you show bravery and honour by not relenting and asking me once more to make you worthy of being with another as a true mate.” she continued. I know I smiled at that moment since I knew her heart had changed upon hearing his words and his supplication for equality with the one he truly loved. “I shall grant you the right to be trained by us Amazons if you will also learn our way of life.” she offered slowly. “Is this acceptable to you?”

      “I will learn all that you have to teach me.” he answered before dropping to his knees before her. “I will give my life if needed to become as good a man as Crimson that resides with you.” he added. He bowed low to her exposing his full back submissively to her.

      “What have you been telling them Crimson?” she half yelled. Crimson sat playing with his two year old daughter. He was teaching her to draw the symbols of our language in the sand with a stick before looking up at Ashstar.

      “I have never seen the boy before today sister.” he replied as he returned to drawing with his daughter.

      “I doubt those word but will not question you more about this matter brother Crimson.” she replied before walking away with the boy. That started a change in our behaviour towards the boys the villagers sent us. They must have taken notice of our prior refusal of boys as they only send one for every half dozen girls they sent us. The boys would be questioned aggressively about there reason for seeking our training. Few boys passed Ashstar's strict requirements to be accepted as an Amazon trainee. Half of those would leave after the first month, unable to endure the stringent training regiment. That first boy grew up training with the girl he was betroth to.

      She never once turned away from that path. She became one of our warriors with the boy, now a young man, at her side through it all. Their families visited for their joining in Amazonian style. The parents showed their acceptance to what they beheld but could not join our life like their mated children could. When their families left, the parting had finality to it as if they knew this was their children place and where they were no longer needed. Villagers were not the only ones that came to join our ranks as trainees and a minor few yearly joined as Amazons. Some of the religious orders of the goddesses of India came to us requesting to be trained to protect their holy places from the male priests of their gods.

      “The wars between our gods too often spill into the temples' priestesses.” the lead one of the trio of priestesses present explained. “Our divine gifts can only do so much to protect ourselves and the people around us.” she continued softly.

      “We may warship different goddesses but cannot accept our other sisters to face darkness without protection.” another priestess commented. “If all the priestesses could defend their temples physically as well as divinely, we could heal the people caught up in these wars in peace.” she explained.

      “So many innocent villagers being wounded and dying for uncaring priests of gods making purposeless war.” the first remarked.

      “Do you not have your own defenders and guards?” Talon retorted quickly. Only a week had passed since Ashstar died when the first of the dozen or more priestesses following goddesses arrived. This occurred daily for a month with two to three priestesses present with every visit. Talon believed the deities as a whole abused their people through their selected priests and priestesses. “It is beyond our purpose to interfere with deities we will never serve.” she concluded. She half turned to leave when the third priestess of the trio finally spoke.

      “We are not here for them!” she shouted at Talon's back. Every Amazon and trainees turned ready to defend their village leader. “Neither of us serve the same goddess but stand united for the innocent men, women, and child victims of deistic blindness.” she stated loudly.

      “But once you have learned to fight, what will stop you from using it to make war on each other for your goddesses?” Talon retorted. She slowly turned back to face the trio fully. “You ask us to do something that changes those of your ranks into warrior priestesses which will always lead to more wars by your deities.” she stated bluntly. “It is clear as daylight to me.” she added calmer.

      “We will oath bound them to the temples they serve at.” the third priestess countered. “The handful of guardians act more like mercenaries than devoted followers of the temple they protect.” she continued. I could clearly hear the desperation in her voice and saw it in her body placement. “Teaching them to use divine abilities would be a betrayal of our selected goddesses as they use it against us.” she concluded. She stood breathing hard as she flexed her fists in what I imagine was frustration.

      “Those words are honourable.” Rena commented dryly. She arrived in our village edge when Talon first attempted to walk away from the trio. “But they are still only words and promises spoken in desperation.” she continued slowly. She moved to stand at Talon's right hand as Talon did when serving as Ashstar's second.

      “What have you discovered of their plight?” Talon returned. Her eyes remained locked with the trio of priestesses while ignoring their presence for this discussion.

      “That the one who speaks heralds from a priesthood with only a single priestess allied to a goddess.” Rena reported.

      “Which is true.” the priestess returned. “It does not change my words for my sisters in faithful services.” she continued. “Even if my faith is sealed, I must speak to assist the others.” Talon's left eyebrow raised at her last comment.

      “Your escorts did not resist when we found them.” Rena informed them. “They are unharmed awaiting your return in safety priestess.” she continued toward her. “But this act will not change what you face even with an oath to lock you in your temple.”

      “It would not be me by then.” the priestess admitted softly. “And I do not wish to change the fate placed upon my shoulders.” she explained calmer. “but I stand for them who need protecting.” she added harder.

      “Do I need to know what those comments are about?” Talon asked slowly.

      “It is the practice of Kali religious orders to have a single priestess in their ranks of priests. Rena explained. “Her purpose is to be sacrificed to give her destroyer goddess a human vessel to walk in our world.” she continued. The priestess nodded at each of Rena's points with the sad smile of resignation. “I am unsure if her presence here suggests she seeks an escape from her selected fate or simply to support the priestesses of the other faiths.” she concluded.

      “If she does not request to be trained, I see it as her support for others.” Talon returned. Rena nodded slowly to her. “Even if it is an insulting situation in our eyes, we cannot interfere in her choice.” she stated. Only a mild edge of disgust sounded in her tones as she spoke. “What else have you learned first spear bearer Rena?”

      “That three of the deities hold peace between themselves in mutual defensive fashion.” she reported quickly. “A pacifistic spiritual enlightenment order has been slowly moving into this area of India that ignores the precepts of deities.” she remarked slowly. “The rest seem to be mostly trying to increase their number of followers and the land mass they cover.” she continued. She paused at that moment. Her face became darkly flushed suddenly. She shivered violently before dropping to the ground in convulsion.

      “Menes!” Talon screamed before crouching down next to Rena's still trembling body. She snatched her hand back from the fallen Rena's shoulder as if bitten. “She is burning up!” she exclaimed in shock.

      “Allow us to assist.” the priestess of Kali insisted. “My sisters are trained in the healing arts.” she announced. She waved the other two forward as she took a half step back wringing her hands as she watched the scene. “I fear it is a divine fever.” she muttered quickly. She fell to her knees as a litany began being whispered through her barely moving lips.

      “The magic is strong upon her.” one of the priestesses complained. They both began chanting litanies as Menes arrived upon the scene with Madrin, Crimson's daughter, with a pouch of mixed healing herbs. I looked around those gather here to spot our first freed man watching the proceedings through his scarlet tinted looking glass. I moved silently to stand by him.

      “What do you see through your mystic blood lens.” I asked in a half whisper.

      “Her temperature is still rising and the ice coloured multi-armed female phantasms beings are melting as they reach out to her with their cooling touch.” he whispered back. “I doubt herbs will save her in this pointless battle.” he stated sadly. I turned to see him lower the crimson hued disk as his eyes slowly filled with tears. “I will report this event to Marina personally." he whispered. I remained with the crowd as he walked away in a morose silence.

      Rena died moments later as all of us watched impotently. The two priestesses that were at Rena's side shed tears that steamed as the touched the corpse's skin. Her corpse burned with the full strength of the fever for a fortnight. The priestess of Kali remained on her knees muttering her litany until Madrin went to inform her of Rena's death. Kali's lone priestess never left our village alive. Our hands were not tainted but Talon's heart changed to allow the priestesses a place to be trained in the physical defence field. As for the priestess of Kali, she ended her life when her goddess could not save Rena from death. Her body was returned to her escorts to be returned to the temple. They did not question us about the events as the spotted Rena's body smoking from the tears of the other two priestesses.

       These events that reformed our ranks may appear small to outsider but was part of our hearts changing while in these foreign lands as we became part of them directly. The last major change in our hearts and mind came with the arrival of the daughter of the noble house whose land we lived upon. She arrived with a dozen servants and guards that were for the most part all female. We discover quickly that the four large male guards had been unmanned before being allowed to watch over the princess. The group in itself acted very humbled towards us but Talon at this time left for her ill fated hunt leaving the reigns of power in my hands. I had feared this moment since Rena had died because I sat next in rank to her and the other reason I was selected to teach Crimson of our people. I still regretted losing to Marina until as her wedding gift to her slave husband was the full freedom he deserved.

      The little noble girl annoyed me to no ends with her constant referral to cast rank incorrectly converting them to our warrior rank system. Her written request to be trained in basic weaponless combat came from her mother who was an elder sister of one of our newer Amazons. This gave it some legitimate base in her request for training being the niece of our warriors. When Madrin who was being trained by Menes suggested she be placed with her as trainee because of their matching age, I accepted immediately to my chagrin.

      “Why am I being trained by a lowly healer and not one of your elite warriors?” the child screamed at me. It was early morning when this took place. I was only mildly surprised seeing Crimson and Marina nearby this early in the morning.

      “I have told you that Menes is one of the highest ranked amazon warriors of our group.” I growled at her.

      “It is why my daughter is in her training.” Marina nearly growled at the girl.

      “You must not understand what is truly being taught to you little sister.” Crimson remarked calmly. The girl released a suffering sigh. “Knowing how to heal also teaches you how to harm.” he continued. “She also shows you the weak places to strike if fighting a stronger opponent.” he added without truly pausing.

      “That makes no sense to me!” the girls shrieked. One of her sexless unic guards had accompanied her but stood silently nodding at Crimson comments. “Why should I need to know where to hit if I am trained to hit at full strength at all targets?” she whined gratingly.

      “Permission?” the man asked softly to her.

     “Speak!” she ordered bluntly back.

      “Without full strength available to you, you would be able to place an attacker to ground.” he stated calmly to her. “This is what you are suppose to be learning from these noble warriors.” he added quickly and softly. She looked petulantly up in his face while part of me wanted to snap her in half for her insult toward my first spear bearer.

      “You wish to understand it fully?” Marina snapped at her. “Then face our daughter in combat.” she retorted angrily. “She will show you what a well place strike can accomplish.” she added with an evil snicker. I turned to see Crimson gently taking Marina by the shoulders as he moved to stand behind her to whisper in her ear.

      “If that is how I will get a true warrior to train me, I accept!” the girl yelled back. “I will mop the floor with that little pacifistic healer want to be.” she added. I glanced at Crimson and Marina at her words seeing the small smirk that had formed on Crimson's face. With but a whisper, the smirk blossomed on Marina's face.

      “If you lose to her, you will be seen as less than a novice.” I hazarded. It was to peek her ire and force her forward in a battle she could never win. “But I will name another to train you if you happen to win.” I added quieter.

      “Agreed!” she shrieked. I knew without looking that the smirk of the other two present grew bolder with my words while I smirked malignantly at her myself.

      “I would advise against such an action.” her guard commented. “You will not win against her.” he added calmly.

      “Wisdom is lost upon the hot blooded young.” I informed her guard. “The young must learn directly why to listen to elders.” She stalked away in silence with the lone guard at her back.

      “Thank you Thea.” Crimson half whispered to me. “Our daughter has been getting very annoyed at that child's comments.” he explained softly. “I am sure she will adore a chance to put her in her place.” he continued. “But I cannot promise she will not use her abilities to defeat her fully.” he added.

      “It is part of learning to read your opponent.” I replied. “Another good lesson for her to learn.”

      “A lesson Madrin will teach her very well.” Marina returned icily. I sighed as I sent them off. This was the start of the thought to ignore fully what the people here say as cast rank when compared to our warrior ranks. It was no surprise when Madrin tossed her around like a rag doll. She did not use her blood manipulation powers until after she had her beaten.

      “Your skills cannot even face my weakest form of attack.” Madrin told her. She was face down on the ground nearly unable to move. “Look and see how weak you are if compared to me.” she hissed at the girl. The princess raised her head to glare angrily at her in defiance. The bladed gauntlet of blood formed over Madrin's outstretched hand in front of the girl's nose. “I am never unarmed or unarmoured!” she screamed in her face. The full blood version of Amazonian armour formed on her body before the princess' eyes. “Now understand that I could have removed your life if that was my wish.” she informed her. “This is what you are here to learn with the best one to teach you and learn with you.” she added. She turned and walked away leaving her to the ministry of Menes' herbs and healing. I stopped her from leaving the area

      “Does it remove your anger toward her blindness?” I asked Madrin.

      “Nothing will remove that anger until her blindness caused by arrogance is removed from her.” Madrin returned bluntly.

      “Something that may never happen.” the male guard commented. “She is raised to be the gem that shines at the pinnacle of the crown of this land.” he reported softly. “I thank you for placing to ground as is needed for her to be rebuilt into a true being of honour.” he added to Madrin before bowing deeply to her. And this is the ending of the tale from me. Report of Talon's death came at that moment and I have been locked in my room since then. I wish I could change the events just to have Ashstar's counsel in this matter but I am sure Menes will train the child well with Madrin's help. I write this to make sure all that has happen that changed us is reported to our queen and I am free of the decision I must make ... I am sorry for being a coward in the end Queen Aurora, goodbye to all of you ... unfaithful sister Thea.

     Aside:

Menes  found Thea's body dangling lifeless from the central shaft of that great tent. Talon's remains were burnt a a great funeral pyre while in true custom for one that dies forsaking her honour, Thea's body was buried face down in the dirt at the edge of the camp. Thea's last words were sent to Queen Aurora who wept for all her fallen sister, including soft hearted Thea.