Amony

Amazon Pirate

There was always a sense of remiss around Amony, that would seemingly become infectious to all who were in her presence. She had the ability to talk any one out of their duties for a trip down to the beach, an exploration of the inner island jungle, or even a swim at the waterfall. She had always been somewhat of a trouble maker as a child and the older she got the more it became apparent that she was going to challenge everything thrown her way.

That isn't to say this is a bad thing, for her own mother was that way when she was a child and that desire to let no one restrict her is what gave her the ingenuity to build up the tribe on the Echinade Island. However, little Amony was giving her mother a far more difficult time in focusing all this rebellious energy into improving on her lessons. This was something of concern because it brought up questions of her future ability to one day oversee council in the tribe. 

Amony at thirteen summers had no intention of doing such a thing anyway. She didn't want to be tied down to this island and her tribe forever. She wanted to see the world, so in her mind it didn't matter how she acted because she wasn't going to be here long enough to ever apply the lessons taught. How could she ever have known that very soon, only one moon cycle away,  she would need these skills more than ever to survive the most horrifying event of her life?

She had decided to ride down to the beach alone on that day, and ended up circling the whole island as she lost herself in thoughts of traveling by boat to the mainland. As she came up to the trail that would lead back to the village she spotted two tall ships anchored off the coast, and ten small boats resting on shore. The tall ships both had a black flag off their mainsail, pirates. 

She gave a yell and kicked her steed into a gallop up the trail. The closer she got to the village the stronger the smell of smoke became. She cleared the woods, her bow now slung from her shoulder and held aloft with an arrow notched and ready to take aim. She let fly the small yellow feathered arrow, hitting a man in the shoulder just as he was about to bring the butt of his blade down over the head of a fallen sister. She gave a firm squeeze with her right leg, digging her knee into the side of her horse to turn him about. She slid another arrow from her quiver and prepared to fire again when she felt herself being pulled off her mount. She hit the ground, sand and rock digging into her face. She heard the snap of her bow and as she rolled to her side she pulled her small hunting knife from its sheath at her hip prepared for an attack. 

She never got a chance to take a swing at her attacker as she was knocked hard in the jaw from a muscled punch. She felt the tang of blood swell in her mouth and as she fought the hands that grabbed at her, a foot contacted with her side knocking the wind from her lungs. She gagged and gasped for air as she felt rough hands rolling her over and tying her hands behind her back. 

They weren't here to kill the amazons, they were here to take them for slavery. As this realization hit her she began to struggle and thrash against her attacker, but a hard knock on the back of her head from the hilt of a sword buckled her legs and she felt herself falling towards the sand once again. She never felt it as her world went dark before impact with the ground. 

Over the next six years Amony would undergo a transformation that in the end left her with a life full of revenge and a broken spirit. 

She managed to escape the slavers during the voyage from their island with a few of her sisters, but even they were separated. She eventually ended up in the southern coast of Italy, roaming the ports for the pirate ship that had taken her family from her. 

It was during this year that she came upon a sister tribe, Kleitae. They took her in, having been the victims themselves of these same pirates before. She went back to her training but this time with a new drive to learn, to be the best, revenge was taking hold. She became hard and emotionless, her only thoughts were of revenge for her lost tribe. After a couple years with the Kleitae tribe she headed off much to the queens dismay to continue on her search for the pirates and any of her sisters that might still be alive. 

She sailed out into the Ionian Sea on a small vessel with a young ambitious captain at its helm who had thoughts of becoming a pirate. Amony took advantage of his eagerness and began learning the ropes on a ship as they sailed to Athens to recruit more men. It was in a port there that she found one of the pirate ships she had seen off the islands coast. She could never forget those dark sails. 

It wasn't hard to convince the young captain that they should follow the ship out to sea and attack. He liked the idea of taking on a second ship so quickly. The fight was bloody with Amony at the lead. She didn't even care if the men she dispatched had been on the ship when they attacked her tribe, their lives balanced out for her lost sisters. She alone took out the pirate captain and half his men. She had a blood fury that even the men she sailed with were afraid of. She was a woman without fear which made her very dangerous.  

With a second ship and Amony now at its helm they headed into the Aegean sea, where they had learned that the second ship was waiting to meet up with a few newly acquired ships to expand their fleet. The second ship proved to be a harder catch and they spent the next two years at war with one another and all the while they pillaged and stole from any they came across. 

Amony was blind to the fact that she had become that which she despised so much. In the end her ship and Captain were lost to her own personal blood revenge, but  revenge she had. 

When it was all over Amony found herself alone and empty. Her revenge had left her cold and heartless. She had spent so many years at sea killing, stealing, and hunting that she had forgotten who she was.  She sailed back to Kleita hoping to find solace but her spirit was damaged and the tribe unwelcoming. They had heard stories of the blood thirsty Amazon pirate.  The queen directed her towards a tribe that she could locate off of the Black Sea by following the Thermodon river. Would she be able to find the healing and peace that she so desperately sought?

Tae'Nah athelfi arche: 15 May 2010

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