Amazon Challenge: Tribe Isla (3/14)

Prologue

The island nation of Helike was a proud and cheerful island. Home of one of the most powerful groups in the ancient world. The Amazons. Proud women warriors who spread from Themiscyra to most of the surrounding nations. The large sprawling city was built up in generations.

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It was a time of peace for Helike. The tribe was thriving.

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What happened next tore through the island. An illness swept through the city with such speed and ferocity it was called the Wrath of the Goddesses. The rumors of the Wrath of the Goddesses reached Hippolyta. She sent the High Priestess Neferti to see if the rumors were true. Neferti was horrified at what she found. The people had collapsed where they were working.

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Neferti searched all over the city. The later the day go the more discouraged she became. She hadn’t found a living soul. She was about to give up when the sound of crying reached her ears. A young girl had survived. She must have wondered away from her teachers when the illness struck. Neferti wondered how long she had been alone.The High Priestess picked up the child and took her away from the cursed city.

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-19 years later-

Mahina couldn’t believe it. It was finally her young adult birthday. Mahina couldn’t wait to get away from this temple. She didn’t hate the place or the High Priestess but she wanted to be free from the temple’s responsibility and meditating on the Goddesses.

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Neferti had warned that tomorrow would change Mahina’s life forever. Gone were the days of following the priestess and her rules. The days of a young priestess were going to be replaced with days of making her own rules and running her tribe. Like the warrior queens of old.

Mahina was running back from her studies. Neferti would yell at her if she saw he running. Neferti said it was unladylike to run. She would say “it is unsuitable for a soon to be creator heiress to run anywhere and the she should walk with grace”. Neferti might have had a point but Mahina was too excited to care.

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The smell of Neferti’s cooking wafted through the halls of the temple. Rarely did the high priestess cook but when she did it was always perfect.

“Greetings Neferti!” the young woman called. The High Priestess was putting the finishing touches on the cake.

“Good Afternoon Mahina. Happy Birthday! Your gifts are waiting for you and we can have cake after” the young priestess was smiling widely but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. Mahina took the box that was addressed to her and sat on the floor.

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“A gift for the next creator of Helike. Teeth from the Python. Given to your ancestor by Apollo. The bracelet is silver. Blessed by Artemis. The gemstones are a gift from the sea gods to protect you from the harms of the world” she explained. “Tomorrow is a big day. I am very proud of what you have become and I hope the goddesses will bless you and your time as creator”

Mahina was touched.

“Thank you, I mean thank you doesn’t seem to say enough for all you have done for me Neferti. You raised me and cared for me like I was your own and these gifts” Neferti stopped her.

“The goddesses saw fit not to give me a biological child but you are the closest thing I have to a child and I could never be more proud of you. Now let us celebrate your birthday” the high priestess lead Mahina to her cake. Mahina blew out the candles and celebrated her last day of childhood.

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Tomorrow would bring many changes to Mahina’s life.