Chapter 13

Emerging from the swirling embrace of crows, Hera and Amphitrite materialized before the enchanting shores of Themyscira. Amphitrite, adorned in her newly acquired wardrobe since Poseidon ascended to rulership over the seas, seemed as if the very essence of the ocean had enrobed her. Cascading like waves, her long dress trailed behind her, forever connected to the sea, leaving what appeared as a floating river wherever she treads on the island. Her accessories are adorned with intricately crafted seashells and pearls. Amphitrite's face remained veiled, shrouded in drapes woven from seaweed.

In stark contrast, Hera stood regally, her long black hair cascading around her. Her ethereal presence was accentuated by her pale skin adorned with resplendent purple makeup and lipstick. Cloaked in a long dress of royal purple, Hera's attire featured a daring slit that revealed one of her legs, imparting a commanding and sassy aura of elegance yet battle ready. The dress itself boasted black feathers embellishing the sleeves and collar, adding an element of dark elegance to her formidable presence.

As the Amazonians ride in to greet the Goddesses on the shore. The Queen of Themyscira mounted off her horse and walked up to the Goddesses to kneel. "My Goddesses, apologies. We didn't know you were coming; we would have prepared a feast. But since you are already here, my ladies, If I may ask, what brings you to Themyscira?"

Amphitrite slowly walked closer, her thumbs twirling around each other. "Oh, Queen Hippolyta, you look just as lovely and strong as always, and no need for a feast. We shall be gone before you know it. However, we have a situation where I need all the Amazonians to be present."

Without lifting her head, the Queen raised her hand, and without delay, a blow of a horn and every Amazonian on Themyscira gathered in one place around the shore.

With all of the Amazonians gathered and kneeling before the two goddesses, Amphitrite prepares to ask a straightforward question. But Hera always thought she was too soft, so she interrupted her and delivered a soul-snatching speech. "Now that you are all gathered. Before I lose my temper and wipe out the amazons for good, I have a few questions." she said. Hera stepped forward and turned her head to all the amazons row by row. "I always thought the Gods punished you by either only being able to have only girls or to have an island of endless whores. Just my opinion. Anyway, at the moment, we are looking for the woman who slept and bore a child with my dear friend Amphitrire's husband, Poseidon. I'm sure you know him very well."

The Queen rose to her feet to look at Hera, "I'm sorry, He comes here often, but none of us has had a child with Lord Poseidon-"

Before The Queen could finish her sentence, a group of crows flew inches in front of her. "Hippolyta dear, do not lie to me. It will only shorten your lifespan; I recently heard about you and Zeus, but I don't have proof, which is the only reason you're alive, so wait your turn, dear. If it wasn't you, say not I, or don't speak at all."

"She tells the truth!" Melanippe spoke, appearing from the crowd looking younger than she did the day she was impregnated with Kaelena. "If you have come about Kai, I mean Kaelena, she is not Poseidon's child."

Amphitrite gasped and almost fell to one knee, but she caught herself and placed one hand over her chest as she could believe what she had heard. "Poseidon… You speak his name formally, yet you say you haven't slept with him?" Amphitrite replies deeply disturd.

As far as Hera was concerned, no matter the relationship, a mortal shall not speak a God's name so formally and volunteer to kill Melanippe for Amphitrite. Though Amphitrite wanted more detail and to get to the bottom. Hera folded her arms and stepped back with disapproval as the two talked. What Amphitrite wanted to know was, if not Poseidon's, then who the child was it. But the whole point of having the child stay with the Amazonians was for secrecy, and Melanippe knew this was something she would have to take to the grave. She was not giving up a name, and this eager Hera. She wanted to flip the whole island and call it a day because of the audacity of this human lying to one god to cover for another. Hera had no such loyalty and wondered what was so great about the god they covered for. However, Melanippa stood loyal and revealed nothing else. She asked them to leave because she had answered the question they had come for, and it wasn't Poseidon's child. Either way, Hera was still furious, replying that the Amazonian warrior had a Montroisy tongue, the nerve to talk on equal terms to a God. Since they didn't want to answer, Hera decided that while Amphitrite stayed to speak with the Amazonians, she would find the child herself to get answers.

Seeing that Hera was serious about going after Kaelena, Melanippe unsheathed her sword and shouted to the sky as Hera started to leave. "You will not lay a hand on my daughter!" 

Laughter erupted from silence, from Hera and Amphitrite, a dark symphony echoing across the island. Melanippe, poised for battle, stood firm, her words aimed at piercing the malevolence of the goddesses. However, the challenge seemed so unthinkable to Hera and Amphitrite that it sparked an ironic amusement in their twisted hearts.

Amphitrite, draped in her river-like dress, leaned forward, a malicious grin spreading across her face like cracks in a shattered mirror through her seaweed cover. Curious about the source of Melanippe's audacity to utter her husband's name without explaining the situation, then to challenge Hera. Amphitrite joined Hera, finally in agreement with Hera's plan, standing side by side. Together, they raised their hands, channeling the powers of sky and sea to conjure a hurricane over Themyscira. The atmosphere intensified with their combined forces, setting the stage for destruction against the backdrop of an ominous storm.

Before any irreversible damage could unfold, Poseidon emerged with the force of a torpedo, propelling himself out of the ocean's depths. He soared toward Hera with remarkable speed, wielding his trident to deliver a powerful swing that sent her hurtling into the ocean's embrace. Turning his attention to Amphitrite, Poseidon sought answers from his wife. Amphitrite's uncharacteristic display of aggression puzzled him; it wasn't her usual demeanor to instigate war and wreak havoc. Frustrated by her silence, Poseidon approached her, hands firmly gripping her arm as he repeated his inquiry while shaking her. Amphitrite, breaking free from Hera's enchantment, regained clarity. Though still herself, she explained the compelling force for vengeance that had driven her actions.

Recovering from the hit with ease, Hera slowly hovered in the sky, and even though she wasn't next to them, her voice could be heard through the minds of everyone she spoke to. "Oh, Poseidon, you must think I'm some pushover. You boys forget before your false declaration, as the main three Gods stood the most assertive daughter of the almighty Cronos. It would be best if you treated me as such, or you will never be even close to defeating me."

Poseidon took a firm stand in front of Amphitrite, physically urging her to retreat, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on Hera. Frustration and anger emanated from him as he rebuked Hera for what he perceived as another one of her dramatic episodes born out of boredom. Aware of Hera's tendencies to throw tantrums when Zeus neglected her for an extended period, Poseidon resented her meddling with his wife's mind. Once Amphitrite had departed, Poseidon raised his right hand high, aiming at Hera, his other hand gripping the trident, poised for action.

 With a powerful thrust that caused the ground to crater beneath him, Poseidon launched his trident at Hera. However, Athena intervened before it could reach its target, deflecting the trident with her shield. Though the impact forced Athena to slide back, it wasn't enough to knock her off her feet. Realizing that the situation escalated dangerously, Poseidon urgently called upon the Amazonians to ask their Gods and Goddesses for assistance. Despite his formidable strength, Poseidon sensed the impending challenge against the cunning Hera and Athena's strategic prowess, acknowledging the need for divine intervention.

No words were needed when Poseidon turned his gaze back to Athena, her golden-brown eyes smirking behind her shield, sending a clear message to Poseidon. This was the slip-up she had been waiting for, the perfect opportunity to retaliate against him, and he found himself precisely where she wanted him. Athena's stern warning resounded, a promise of personal retribution for Poseidon's transgressions. However, Hera had different plans; she asked Athena probing questions, expressing her concerns about the child's welfare. Athena responded, revealing that the child was last seen with Medusa, another of Poseidon's dalliances. She assured Hera that the pursuit was ongoing, by one of her half-brothers named Perseus hot on Medusa's trail.

The revelation of another liaison left Hera in shock, prompting a sharp retort directed at Amphitrite, echoing her name across the sea. Unexpectedly, Queen Hippolyta intervened, defending Amphitrite, who wasn't present to defend herself. She questioned Hera's knowledge of Zeus's whereabouts, emphasizing that everyone knew he wasn't seated on the throne as he should be. The Queen's words echoed through Themyscira, each word a thunderous clash of realization for Hera, sending her into a new level of lividness.

The escalating pleads of the Amozonians summoned other deities: Ares, Artemis, and Selene. "Leave the Amazons out of this!" Selene pleaded.

Ares found amusement in the brewing conflict and was happy that he had arrived on time, "War without the Gods of War? Unthinkable!" He laughed out loudly.

Artemis, ready for action, proposed that the Gods who haven't begun to choose sides do so now. Everyone other than Poseidon, Hera, and Athena took the conflict as a friendly battle, like some weekly competitions. Hera slyly folded her arms when Artemis decided to be on her side. She teased Artemis about learning her lesson about the last time she chose to team up against Hera. Artemis remembered how quickly Hera made her submit, having her rub her stomach as she could still feel the blows now. The dynamics and emotions between the deities unfolded in a tense exchange, revealing their personalities and the complexities of their relationships.

Just as the Gods started their brawl, Zeus and Helios appeared in a flash of lighting. Zeus hovered in the sky, standing between Poseidon and Hera. Helios, with the sun beaming on him bright and fire in his hands, stood between Ares and Artemis. Even against Athena alone, Selene stood ready to protect the Amazonians. Immediately, the negotiation began.

With lightning behind his voice, Zeus shouted, "Speak now and tell me what this is about!"

 "Your wife is going around controlling the minds of others and raging war on Amazonians," Poseidon spoke.

 "Well, in a war, you at least have a chance to win. This would have been a slaughter, but I was interuppted. She said, shrugging her shoulder. "I was only going to teach these women a lesson about sleeping with a Goddess's husband. Besides, Poseidon has created another half-breed who seems to have the potential to be quite powerful. Tell me, did you know about this Zeus," Hera asked?

Zeus tried to defuse the situation, saying all of this could have been handled back at Olympus. That Hera and Poseidon should come to the throne with their concerns. He turned to Posidon, reassuring him that nothing would happen until he fully heard what was happening and about the new Demigod. However, his speech was interrupted by Hera, who saw right through his lies.

"Can it, Zeus, can it be handled at Olympus? The Zeus I know and married handles things recklessly all the time. Now you want to be a kind King instead of the tyrant you really are," Hera said, challenging Zeus.

"I agree," calmly said Poseidon, pointing out that Zeus had always been too lenient with Hera during her tantrums, even when she attempted to harm him multiple times. He left her to walk away with just a slap on the wrist most of the time, and Poseidon wasn't going to allow this to be one of them. Angered by this remark, Hera warned Poseidon to watch his mouth, reminding him she was his Queen. She then turned her attention to Zeus, stating that if he wouldn't listen, perhaps she needed to deal with him first. To emphasize her seriousness. As she balled her fist and her eyes glowed purple, winds began to rage behind Hera, blowing back the weak, uprooting trees and slowly eroding the structures of the Amazons.

 Poseidon summoned his staff, causing the sea to shift, waves to rage out of control, and whirlpools to form, demonstrating his power as well. Zeus, growing frustrated by the lack of cooperation. He decided to try a different approach, but it seemed the others wanted the old Zeus. The sky darkened, and clouds gathered to form a massive cyclone. As Zeus and Hera's powers collided, twisters touched the sky and seas, with Zeus and Poseidon's powers clashing, creating repeated strikes of lightning in the sea. Hera and Poseidon's powers collided, generating even more hurricanes. The clash of divine forces manifested in an explosive display of nature's fury.