Amazon

ɴɪɴᴇтᴇᴇɴ

Amazon | Nineteen

Anger sizzled inside of Rhea, Achilios held a sword much too large for his body as he stumbled among men who were much larger than he was. Bastian sat astride a horse in front of her, she followed behind them on her own horse, Deacon sat astride his own – his back straight and very cocky. He seemed as if he had taken back his leadership, he was in his element – or so he thought.

Bastian turned to look at Rhea who stared angrily at Deacon's back. Bastian would not be surprised if whilst his brother slept she tried to murder him; Bastian was not opposed to the idea either. He hated the fact his brother had taken his control away from him, Bastian now had to keep quiet and let his brother do what he wanted. Yet he did not want his brother to do anything, he wanted Rhea to leave with him.

Yet the stubborn woman was prepared to leave, to head back to her community. Only they would not accept her in, he knew that, she had abandoned her people to run off with a man. No matter what they would not forgive her, they believed that she was a monster that she should be cast out to die on her own.

Bastian knew that Rhea denied that fact, she did not want to believe it.

"Stop," Deacon called and Bastian turned his head to face his brother whose horse was moving, "We will set up camp off the road for the night."

The men began to collect food and drink from the large trailer two bulls were pulling. Bastian slid off his horse and helped Achilios who was sent to collect fire wood. When he arrived back at their camp Rhea was tied to a tree, her face pulled into a look of pure horror.

Bastian turned his head to find a woman dancing in the nude, men cheering and shouting taunts at her. Bastian could gather from Rhea's expression that the woman was Amazon. One of the men reached out to hit the woman and Bastian moved like lightning, he grabbed the man's wrist and then the other as the man tried to hit Bastian out of the way.

"Do not!" Bastian's voice roared as the men stopped laughing and cheering, their taunts ceased as Bastian glared at them. "You demean a woman so?"

"She is not a woman!" A man called out and the few around him cheered in agreement, "An Amazon she is, wants t' kill us all like yer bitch over there Bastian."

"I will not have you treat a woman in such a way in my presence," Bastian's voice ordered and the men glared at him, "That goes for any women you have in this camp. They will be in my sights, touch them and Deacon will lose valuable members of his regiment."

"It is just a bit of harmless fun brother," Bastian turned his head to face his brother who held a woman to his side. She was also nude, it was clear Rhea's women were being forced to be whores.

"It is cruelty brother," Bastian threw the man he held to the ground, snatching the woman who had been dancing and the one at his brother's side. "I want all women to my tent immediately, if I find any of you have hidden a woman..." Bastian trailed off and met his brother's narrowed gaze, "I will kill you."

The women were clothed soon as Rhea watched Bastian, he handed them all food and Rhea noticed there were less than ten women who had survived. It made her sad she had never spent any time with any of the women who were now being treated with such cruelty. Rhea wrapped her arms around her body as the women sat around her and ate quietly.

"Thank you," one of them whispered as Rhea looked up. The woman was looking at Bastian, "It is very... interesting and welcoming that you would save us."

"You're welcome," Bastian grunted and his eyes flickered to Rhea, "I could not let them harm you."

"It reminds me of a story," an older woman spoke up. She was not old yet was much older than the others, "The Legend of She. She had been a Queen of our people and had lived near the Spartans; she had been half Spartan and had been close to her father. She was not a favourite Queen, in fact the way she was with men was concerning, she was friendly with them."