Iron bruised flesh as the woman smacked the iron rod down onto the boy’s back. He was maybe 3 or 4 years old. The woman, maybe 30 or so. Liam watched as the boy sobbed with every strike from the iron rod wielded by the woman. The woman. Liam watched as she repeatedly beat the boy. No ounce of mercy in her eyes.

“So, this is death? I thought it was meant to show you happy memories. Why am I looking at this,” Liam said. Not once breaking his glare off the woman. A tall man stumbled through the doorway and into the frame. The man's entry didn’t stop the woman though as she carried on her beating.

This was a memory Liam knew all too well. The man moved forward between the boy and woman. Sheltering the boy from the blows. A slight tear came to his eyes as he watched the woman verbally berate the man as she turned her aggression on him. He could have easily beaten her, stopping the attack in progress. But he knew that doing so would have him arrested. Even if it was out of the protection of his son.

“Dad…” Liam muttered as he watched the man take blow after blow from the woman. His shirt tore and his face redden as she inflicted deep cuts onto his flesh.

Liam walked slowly forward until he stood next to the woman. Staring at her devilish, sadistic smile as she inflicted cut after bloody cut to the man. The feeling of resentment only grew in Liam as she ignored the cries of the small silver-haired boy.

“I should have killed you back then,” Liam said as he stared at the woman.

“Your lucky I’m dead, because if I ever saw you again. I would fucking slaughter you and all those fucking conies you have under your thumb,” Liam said. Gritting his teeth. He pulled back his fist. Swigging it forward, he went to punch the woman. Wanting to return the pain she had inflicted onto him as a child. Return the pain that drove him forward. The pain of not wanting to see others suffer. This here was the only reason he helped anyone, his undying hatred for those who take pleasure in killing others.

Liam laughed dismally as his punch went through the woman. Unable to harm this memory. He had to admit, he did owe this woman something. If it wasn’t for her killing his father, he would never have run away from home. He would never have met Katlin. He would never have joined the army which led to him meeting Yantraki and living with the Amazons. If it wasn’t for her, he would have never off had such a deep-rooted lust for wanting to save a life.

It didn’t matter now though. He had failed. God he was even allowing himself to stand idle and watch the Amazons sacrifice people. Liam took a few steps back from his mother. If he ever had a second chance, he would do his all to make the Amazons a better society. A society that banded together to help each other, and others. However, he was far from doing that. But if he did. If he managed to make the Amazonian society better as well as get them onto his side. Then maybe he could start to fix the humans on the mainland. Mabey could finally rid himself of the hatred he felt.

“So, you want to live, Hu?" A voice rang in Liam’s ears. Turning Liam looked to where he believed the voice to have come from. The voice was unnatural in tone. It was neither male nor female. It was neither high nor low in pitch.

“Who are you,” Liam spat. His hands started to sweat. His voice started to shake.

“Simply someone who can help you. You see you have interested us so far, so we thought we would help you out a little,” The voice continued. A pair of hands gently massaged Liam’s shoulders. He could move. Not even if he wanted to. Whatever this thing was, it had him in the palm of its hands.

“This is how this is going to work. You entertain us, so we shall heal your wounds and send you back to your little worthless life. Well, not entirely worthless, after all, you have managed to entertain both the goddess of war and several others that the Amazons worship. Anyway, have fun,” the creature said.

Liam went to scream as the scale-covered hands pushed him forward. But his voice seemed to be lodged in his throat.

A warm pair of lips planted themselves onto Liam’s forehead. Slowly, but steadily, his eyelids dragged themselves open. Almost out of instinct, Liam went to sit up. Several pairs of hands grabbed him and pushed him down. His head hit against a soft, slightly squishy but mostly…muscly? Liam looked to his side. His vision was greeted by soft brown skin. Lazily his eyes examined the person from the abdomen downwards. Soon he realised where his head was laying. Someone, probably an amazon due to the muscle, was giving him a lap pillow.

Knowing what kind of vulnerable state, he was in. Liam went to move again. Just for the hands to hold him down once again. Fingers probed his lips. Forcing his mouth open, the faint outline of what looked to be abreast lowered towards his face. Usually, this would be something he would have liked, but he knew what this probably meant.

“Drink, you need energy and amazon milk effect humans well,” The familiar voice of a woman said to him. Sweet drops fell into his mouth. Fuck, they were trying to breastfeed him. He knew it worked when he was ill, but holy shit did they think it would help a knife wound? Again, Liam tried to move. But it seemed that just from that little bit of movement it seemed it was enough to drain his energy.

“Perverts,” He muttered to the amazon as she lowered her nipple into his mouth. His vision started to un-blur

“Oh, he is more conscious than I thought,” The sad voice of what Liam could now tell to be Kenyanire. His eyes focused on her. A look of disappointment stretched across her face as she moved her breast from his mouth.

“I have been feeding you for a good while now. Would you like me to stop, or would you like a little more of my milk?” Kenyanire said as she lifted Liam’s head. Placing a soft, fur pillow under his head. Now his head was elevated. Liam could get a good view of his surroundings. Blushing, Liam saw his nude body. That though on its own was fine. It was the fact Thorn alongside Sruna, Takire, Andreaka, Icaria, and the Blue-haired girl All sat around him. Bowls of oil in their hands. Gently they smeared the cool liquid over his skin.

“They are trying to keep your body relaxed. After all, you were stabbed and it took a lot of work from the high priestess and other priestesses to save you,” Kenyanire said, chuckling to herself as she saw his face turn a bright red.

“I am amazed you have enough blood left for your face,” Kenyanire said as she glanced down to his penis.

“Perverts,” Liam muttered as he also realised his now prominent erection.

“You know I have to keep vines wrapped around the legs of the girls so that they don’t try to take advantage of you. Even though I gave them the cure for the aphrodisiac, seeing such a cute, little, defenceless human is enough to place any amazon into heat,” Kenyanire leaned over Liam. Her breasts placing against his face, “even me,” Kenyanire whispered into his ear. Liam’s body shook as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

“You're adorable when you are defenceless like this,” Kenyanire said as she moved to kiss him on the lips. Thorn yelled something in Amazonian and before Liam knew it, a pillow landed against Kenyanire’s face. Liam moved his face from the chest of the amazon. All girls who were applying out to him now stared at Kenyanire with looks of jealousy and anger.

“You said that I can be the first to have him in the mating season!” Thorn wined.

“Wait sorry what?” Liam tried to but in.

“Oh, come on, Yantraki is awake so when she can walk again, she will be the first to have him. Then me, then you,” Wait what did Kenyanire just say?

“What did you just say?” Liam said, trying again to sit up, but his body was still too weak to move much. Kenyanire looked down to Liam, placing a finger onto his lips.

“Don’t talk too loudly. She is still in a state in which we don’t think you should see her. It seemed that getting stabbed was enough for your pact through the slave seal was enough to shock her awake,” Kenyanire said as she gently rubbed his hair.

“If she knew you were awake, she would want to come and see you. But since you can’t move much and she can’t walk, then it would be very awkward to get you two together. So, we will…” Kenyanire was cut off by a few loud bangs and clashes of metal from the room behind Kenyanire.

“Liam!” He heard a horse yet familiar voice yell to him. A flash of green hair later and Liam found himself wrapped in the arms of a new attacker. Looking down at her legs. He could see how they seemingly dragged across the floor. On their hands, he could see cuts from probably using their hands to transport themself over to him.

“Idiot!” Yantraki yelled as she buried her face into his neck. Liam could feel tears poring over his shoulder. He decided to allow her to embrace him, even if she was hugging him a little too hard.

“I had a dream…” She whimpered as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“In the dream, you died…” Yantraki’s grip started to tighten around Liam’s body.

“In the dream, you slept with my sister,” Liam started to sweat as her grip tightened around him.

“Then you slept with my mother while right next to me,” Liam glanced over Yantraki’s shoulder. Kenyanire and Thorn had both shuffled over to the corner of the room.

“I thought it was simply just a dream, yet when I wake, I see you naked in the arms of my mother. Do you mind explaining to him what exactly happened?” Yantraki whispered as her arms started to crush his arms.

“I was stabbed,” Liam squeaked out. Immediately her grip loosened. Grabbing his shoulders, she moved him back to look him in the eyes.

“Who hurt you?” Yantraki’s voice rang in her ears. Her eyes filled with a fiery hatred, paralysing Liam in his place.

“He will live,” Kenyanire said as her vines gently separated Liam from Yantraki. Yantraki struggled against her bindings, but she still hadn’t recovered her strength, so she was unable to fight her mother’s magic.

“Neither of you are currently in any state to be doing anything, so you shall go back to bed,” Kenyanire said as she moved Yantraki out of the room with her vines.

“And you need some more rest so I will take you to a private room,” Kenyanire said as a second vine wrapped Liam in its coils. Yantraki yelled in protest as the vines carried her to the room where they had been holding her.

“I’ll go clam her,” Thorn said as she wandered off after her screaming sister. Kenyanire took little notice as she carried Liam off into another room. Using the vines, Kenyanire carefully tucked Liam into a soft bed of furs.

“Now then, we have somethings to discuss,” Kenyanire said as she sat onto the bed. Making herself comfy in the process.

“Great, as there are something’s I wish to discuss with you,” Liam said as Kenyanire used one of her vines to place a pillow under his head so that he could see her.

“No, you are tired and soon it will be mating season and there is already too much to be done, so you will sit here and listen to me,” Kenyanire said as one of her hands slipped under the fur covers, grabbing his leg.

“Firstly, I want to tell you that the knife you were stabbed with was poisoned. We never carry poisoned weapons, meaning this was set up. It was an assassination attempt,” Liam sat stunned as Kenyanire’s words hit him. He assumed that the woman who stabbed him did it simply by accident but hearing that it could have been an assassination attempt sent shivers down his spine.

“Who, you know, planned it, it was probably the Sun Sisters right?” Liam said, struggling for words as he tried to comprehend the fact there were people in the tribe that wanted him dead. He knew that the older amazons didn’t like him, but he never thought they would try to pull something like this. It had to be the Sun Sisters, right? Kenyanire shook her head.

“The Sun Sisters are a very proud people. They would use surprise attacks, but they would never go as low to use assassins. Some people of the tribe said that it began with two amazons arguing. One older, one younger. The older said that the number of sacrifices we were offering was pathetic and blamed you for this. The other said that she knew what kind of influence you held over the tribe due to your close ties with me and Yantraki, so she pointed out that if you wanted to you could have stopped the sacrifices altogether. The younger amazon defended you, saying she had heard how saddened you were by seeing the death of others, so you should be given some respect for pushing aside your personal feelings to allow us to offer the sacrifices. Fighting ensued and the older amazon saw you and, at that moment decided to attack, or that at least is what I am told,” Kenyanire said, her hands gently caressing his leg.

"But that doesn’t explain why she stabbed you with a poisoned knife,” Kenyanire’s eyes looked downwards. Liam could tell she was trying her best to come up with an explanation.

“Which means it could have been a planned attack, again, I think it was the Sun Sisters who did this,” Kenyanire shot a look of annoyance at Liam.

“None of my daughters would ever sink to that level,” Kenyanire said, tightening her grip around his leg.

“They have been humiliated. They were humiliated when we repelled their surprise attack in the jungle. That was strike one. They then lost to an army of Boruma led by a human. Now you tell me what you wouldn’t do to get vengeance for something like that?” Liam said as his eyes locked with Kenyanire’s. Watching her carefully he saw the look of realisation wash over her face. One of her daughters really could have tried to assassinate Liam.

“On that point, I want to say you should probably capture the other amazon. You know, the younger one. This was probably a set-up to make it look like a fight between the tribe’s people. Now let me guess, the older amazons are defending the actions of the one who stabbed me while the younger amazons are protecting me?” Liam said, his cold, calculating eyes still not breaking away from Kenyanire. Kenyanire only nodded in response, baffled by how he could know what was happening.

“Yes, we arrested the two women and now there is a huge debate in the tribe over who was in the right,” Kenyanire explained.

“Both are guilty,”

“Excuse me?” Kenyanire responded.

“You heard me; both are guilty. As I said before this attack was set up. They did this attack to divide the tribe. There are probably many more spies waiting in secret to attack again. They are probably out there now sowing the seed of revolt into the older amazons. After all the Sun Sisters have probably lost most of their fighting force. So, they will now look to get the older amazons to defect and join them. Attack me and causing the older amazons to despise me is probably how they plan to make them defect,”

“So, you are saying that this was just set up to cause a war within our tribe?” Kenyanire said.

“It's all just a theory, I could be wrong. But think about it. The Older amazons are the ones most loyal to you. Even if they hate me, they will still serve you and do as you say. So, one of them attacking me is highly unlikely. I doubt that amazon who attacked me is even a member of the tribe. Neither probably is the one that was defending me. Now both of them as well as other spices are trying to turn the two generations against each other,” Liam finally sunk his head back into the pillow. Processing all the information he had just spilt out. He wanted to try and think of ways to prove all he had just said.

Kenyanire yelled something to the guards. Quickly they entered the room and Kenyanire barked her orders, just as quickly they left again.

“They will go and look into the background of the two amazons,” Kenyanire reassured as she struggled to hold down her anger. The fire of anger in her eyes was similar to that of Yantraki’s earlier.

“We need to start snuffing out these traitors and spices,” Kenyanire said, a look of coldness taking over her face.

“We need a show of strength, show them that we are not scared,” Liam suggested.

“I have an idea…” Kenyanire said, mentally weighing her options. Kenyanire looked at Liam with sympathy. She already knew how depressed he would be to know the position they used to save him was made using the blood of a Sun Sister they sacrificed. So, what she was going to say next was probably going to soften that blow when she eventually decided to tell him.

“We need to show our strength through a mass sacrifice,” Kenyanire said, standing up.

“Tonight, we shall offer up the Sun Sisters as sacrifices in mass,” Kenyanire leaned closer to Liam. Embracing Liam, she whispered her plans into his ear. Liam shook as he listened to what Kenyanire had planned for that night. The worst part wasn’t the gruesome detail she went into, it was the fact he found himself agreeing with the effects this ritual would have on the tribe.

“Fuck…” Liam muttered as he started to know he would have to put aside his personal beliefs for the time being.

“You don’t have to come,” Kenyanire said as she placed a loving hand onto his head.

“Just sit here and rest my little one. I’ll get Yantraki to come in and sit with you,” From looking at Liam, Kenyanire could see the pain he was holding back.

“What were you going to tell me?” She said, wanting to cheer him up a little. Chuckling Liam looked to the floor.

“Ironically I was thinking about how we should try to farm more Tatnak to help move people of eating amazon and human meat,” Liam chuckled as he allowed himself to sink into the bed. He had used too much energy. Rest was all he now had on the mind. Kenyanire smiled. Leaning down she planed a kiss onto his forehead.

“I’ll make sure to fix everything. You are a good human, but you are still weak. Don’t try to handle all our problems on your own. I think you would also like to know we plan to leave in a day to meet the Daughters of the Moon, so relax for tomorrow’s events.” She finished as she got off the bed.

Glancing back, she saw Liam’s tired eyes staring at the ceiling. He tried too hard for the sake of a people who would rather see him dead. Many amazons did like him yes, but as he moved forward, she knew he would probably make many more enemies. She knew it was up to her to make sure he never went too far, to make sure he didn’t get carried away in his optimism. She needed to keep him reminded that they were amazons. People who strongly believed in blood sacrifice, thus, why she plans for tonight to be such an overly brutal and bloody festival.

She had to admit though, he did have some ideas she thought amazons would like. The bathing house, the town hall, the fighting arena, and the idea to start making Tatnak into a large part of the tribe’s food source. On that note, Kenyanire decided she would send Thormoenia into the mountains with some warriors to steal Tatnak eggs for them to hatch. One baby Tatnak after all was about anywhere between 15 to 20ft long, which would make a great feast for the tribe. As well as a great source of entertainment.

Happy with her discussion with Liam, Kenyanire finally left the room. Using her vines, she carried a still constrained Yantraki into Liam’s room. Smiling, Kenyanire listened as Yantraki used her arms to drag herself onto a struggling Liam.

“So, they're alright?” Huchoece said as Kenyanire left the temple.

“Yes, I didn’t tell Liam though how we made the position to save him. I don’t think he was ready for that,” Kenyanire said.

“Those two should have some time off. Anyway, I need your help. Tonight, we shall have a show of strength,”

That night

Seventeen thousand amazons and Boruma stood at the bottom of the tribe’s main temple. Many looked on with curiosity at the pit that had been dug at the bottom of the temple steps. Hundreds of huntresses sat on the roofs and hid in the bushes around the crowd. Watching for anyone who was going to try to run. Kenyanire, the high priestess, Yantraki, and Thorn stood at the top of the temple. Looking down onto the tribe, Kenyanire signalled for the drums that filled the night to stop.

The air itself was tense as the amazons all watched the top of the temple. A gathering such as this one was incredibly rare in an Amazonian society. Let alone a gathering that was mandatory for all.

Looking behind herself to the main temple’s hut, she signalled Thormoenia forward. Thormoenia came forward, followed by two amazons with vine leashes wrapped around their neck. Dragging them forward, Thormoenia presented them to the tribe. Kenyanire put her hand out. Andreaka moved forward, handing Kenyanire a long sacrificial knife. Its blue blade sone in the firelight as she raised it into the night air.

“My people!” Kenyanire began.

“Tonight, I bring you all here to start a new. Amongst us lie traitors and spies. These people are those who want nothing more than to divide us,” Kenyanire waved the first bound amazon forward.

Grabbing the woman’s hair, she dragged her forward.

“This is one of the women that were in the fight which led to our Liam being stabbed. She is one of many traitors in our ranks,” Kenyanire dragged the woman onto the stone altar, using her vines to tie her down.

“Wait, your greatness, you have this wrong! I was the one who defended Liam, I was the one to defend his honour,” the amazon argued. Several amazons from the crowd agreed with her. Kenyanire smirked as she undid her vines, allowing the woman to stand.

“All members of the Sun Sisters are highly religious, each member of the Sun Sisters has a golden tattoo of the sun on their backs,” Kenyanire explained as she turned the woman’s back to face the crowd.

“Our paints are imbued with magic, meaning little takes our paint off our bodies,” Several amazons came forward with a large iron pot of a purple liquid. Kenyanire took a handful of the liquid. Quickly she splashed it onto the woman’s back. Eyes widened as the crowd started to mutter loudly. Paint dripped off the back of the woman, revealing a large golden sun tattooed onto her back.

“As I said, this one is a spy,” Kenyanire smiled as she retied the woman to the altar. The high priestess moved forward, a bowl of a grey pain in her hands. Moving to the side of the woman, she dipped her fingers into the paint. Carefully the high priestess painted a circle with a crude sword onto the woman’s chest.

“If you all still don’t believe me, then let me show you this. This here is a seal of judgment; it allows us to ask her a question and if the seal detects a lie, then it shall shock her. I know we as amazons are good at detecting lies, but it is obvious that these spies have been able to trick you all into battling each other over whether or not our Liam is an ally or enemy in disguise. I can assure you all he is an ally. He doesn’t wish to rule us, only prevent us from eating his people. So, on this night I wish to kill off any spies or traitors,” the drums started as amazon priestesses started to line the bottom of the temple, large pots of the purple liquid with them. More amazons also lined the bottom of the temple, each holding either empty wooden bowls or bowls of the grey paint.

“Are you a traitor?” Kenyanire asked, the girl’s eyes were fixed on the knife.

“No…” She said quietly. The seal didn’t react.

“Are you a spy, and if you are then why are you here?” Kenyanire said, wanting to reassure herself in Liam’s theory. She had to admit, even before he had said it, she was teasing the idea of spies being sent to cause division but Liam saying it had given her the commitment she needed.

“YES! I am a spy, sent to cause the older generations to defect and join the Sun Sisters,” The amazons yelled into the night. Her body froze as she realised what she had just said. Kenyanire nodded, she could hear the mutters going up from the tribe. Many were already second-guessing whether or not the rumours about Liam trying to destroy their culture were true.

“Tonight, we shall all undergo a ritual to see who is willing to follow us into this new generation of amazons. I understand many of you fear that our culture is under attack, but I assure you all that our culture shall stay intact. So, with that I would like to make a few announcements,” Kenyanire plunged her knife into the chest of the amazon. Slowly she cut her open, allowing the Boruma to gather the blood into their wooden bowls.

“Each of you tonight shall be bathed to see if you are a spy, then each of you shall allow us to put the symbol of judgment onto you. The priestesses shall then ask you a few questions about your loyalty to the tribe, to me, to my daughters, and Liam. Liam after all shall also become a member of our tribe as will all Boruma as of tonight,” her saying this got many cheers from the Boruma and amazons alike.

“Once you are deemed worthy of being a loyal member of the tribe, you shall be painted in the blood of our enemies,” with those words Kenyanire sent the Boruma with bowls of blood forward. The amazons with pots below tipped the purple liquid into the ditch.

“Now then, if you are a spy or traitor come forward now and you shall be arrested. If not, when you are caught you shall suffer the fate of all our sacrifices tonight,” Kenyanire said as she pushed the body of the amazons down the steps of the temple. Cheers went up from the tribe as the first line of amazons and Boruma happily went forward to bathe in the purple liquid. Each came out the other side, clean and with no marks of a traitor on them. The priestesses painted the judgment symbols onto the chest of the amazons. Once the questions were asked and each was cleared, the Boruma who carried the bowls of blood painted stripes and patterns onto the women’s bodies.

Drums roared as Sun Sisters were one by one brought out and laid onto the altar. The now energetic army of amazons hurled forward. Each gladly underwent this new ritual to prove their loyalty. Kenyanire nodded to Yantraki. Yantraki’s legs were still not working too well, but Kenyanire had used some vines to help Yantraki walk.

Yantraki walked into the hut. Soon she emerged, Liam in her arms. Kenyanire threw the body of the dead spy down the alter steps. They sat Liam onto the blood altar. Catching the attention of the tribe.

“Listen!” Kenyanire yelled to the tribe. Once all went quiet and their attention was focused on her, she directed the attention to Liam with a gesture of her hand.

“Good afternoon,” Liam said and Kenyanire translated.

“Sorry,” Liam began. Lowering his head to the crowd.

“I understand many here wish to see me dead. I am sorry if I scared any of you, I’m sorry if you thought I was taking your culture from you. That is something I never wish to do. After all, if I wanted to get rid of it, I wouldn’t have tried so hard to protect you as a people, I understand that I may have offended you. That wasn’t my intention. I simply got carried away with my goal and forgot that you were already a strong person with an even stronger culture. With that aside allow me to begin,” Liam said, doing his best to finally start building some bridges with the amazons of the tribe.

“I’m just here to say one thing and only one thing. I understand many of you believe that I wish to destroy your culture and place my own into its place but trust me I don’t. I may despise your culture, but I know what good it brings you. All I ask is one thing”, Liam looked to Kenyanire. She nodded giving her blessing for him to say whatever he needed to say.

“An oath from those here tonight who shall join the tribe we are forming, the Vined Feathers,” Kenyanire flicked her wrist. The ground cracked as a vine rose behind the temple. The monstrous vine twisted and shaped itself into a large feather, representing Liam’s last name. Another vine then wrapped around the feather, representing Kenyanire’s family, the Ire.

“You shall keep your culture, keep your sacrifices, all that will change is a few things. You shall not harm the innocent that being those who have committed no evil against you or the tribe, this lends itself to both humans and Boruma alike, you shall protect the tribe and each other at all costs. We are one people now, one tribe that must look out for each other. I plead to you to place aside your differences and follow us into this new future we are building,” Liam said, gesturing to the other amazons the lined the top of the temple with him.

“I understand you are a warning people, I do, but please understand I only want to bring to you what is best, and I think what can be best is unity and peace. I think what is best is for the amazons (you all) is for us to build a new society together, not just warriors known for raiding, but more than that. A society that is known for both its warriors and its people, people I think who take amazing care of their own and their allies,” Liam took in another deep breath as he allowed Kenyanire to translate.

“and lastly the main food source shall be turned to Chillcali and Tatnak meat. Your blood sacrifices shall continue, but the offerings will be of enemies warriors, and when there are no captives to kill, we shall sacrifice a strong, powerful, far more worthy and great Tatnak,” Liam looked down to the faces of the amazons. Wanting to get a good idea of who was willing to join this new tribe which was to be headed by Kenyanire. Once Kenyanire finished translating, as well as adding some words of her own, Liam started to notice the changes in expression amongst the tribe’s people.

Each held different expressions. Some showed excitement at the idea the society they loved so much was moving forward to new heights, (this excitement was probably spared due to whatever Kenyanire had added after Liam’s words). Some thought looked scared of change. Others looked on with hatred at the fact that they were wrong, and he didn’t have ill intentions for them. Others simply just held a look of hatred. These were people he would still have to take a lot of time to sway. One thing at a time Liam, one thing at a time, he told himself.

“Lastly, all I ask is that you trust me. Place your faith in me like a place of my faith in all of you. My loyalty is to this tribe, whether I like it or not,” This little part got a few chuckles from the amazons.

“But please, just have some faith in me. I won’t be your leader, I’m just a human who will give you a few nice things here and there, and just bump you in the right direction if any of you ever need it. So, with that, thank you. Let us forge this world into one of our own” Liam said, finally raising his head. Praying he was able to show to the amazons he wasn’t their enemy.

For a moment there was silence. The amazons muttered amongst themselves. Liam looked to Yantraki. An uneasy look held her figure. His gaze then turned to Kenyanire; she was no different. A single cheer went up from the tribe. Another, then another. Liam didn’t smile as the crowd cheered him. This wasn’t a time for joy. It was just a necessary step towards making the Amazons into a people who still held their core values but didn’t allow those values to harm others. Thus, why he asked them to take the oath.

“It seems they agree, my little soldier and now society builder,” Kenyanire said, a wide smile on her face as for the first time in a while she saw a future where the tribes of the island could finally be reunited. She could feel a weight behind Liam’s words, almost like a promise. She wondered what his words meant in the long term.

Kenyanire cheered with the crowd as Andreaka, Icaria, and the Blue-haired girl all moved over to Liam. Their skin was painted in the blood of a Sun Sister and in their hands sat bowls of the same amazon’s blood. Yantraki stripped Liam of his shirt. Liam held his breath. Looking down he closed his eyes as he allowed the girls to start painting him in the blood of the amazon. Mutters came from the crowd. It seemed their plan was working. The amazons were a mixture of excited, amazed, and confused that Liam was being initiated as a member of the tribe.

Once the patterns were finished, Yantraki swooped Liam off the altar as the sacrifices and oaths of loyalty continued.

“Thanks, I need to get the blood off me though, I think I am going to be sick,” Liam said as he rested his head against Yantraki. Yantraki walked off with Liam in her arms, Thorn not too far behind them. Liam still knew he had far to go if he was to exterminate the sacrificing of people and replace it with the sacrificing of Tatnak, but for now, he was going to have to simply grin and bear it. After all, he needed these people on his side if he was to help them.

Spies and traitors were dragged from the crowd. Their blood was spilt, and the party went on. Kenyanire looked out over her tribe. This was a new beginning, and from the sounds of positive muttering below regarding Liam, Kenyanire felt a spark of optimism fill her. That boy, he was weakest there, yet somehow, he had the power to whip the amazons here up into such a storm. Making Liam into a member of the tribe was to do several things. First, it would make the tribe trust him more, thus putting more weight and trust behind his words. Secondly, it would give the Boruma much more moral considering many of their kind saw Liam as this weird idle. Kenyanire couldn’t wrap her mind around how they thought like this, but still, they were necessary. Lastly, the making of the Boruma into citizens was going to lift the morale of the Boruma. Considering they had been treated well for the last few months, most amazons probably weren’t going to have too much of a problem with it.

Kenyanire had several spies taken to the side. Grabbing one of the amazon’s, she stared the amazon in the eyes.

“Run,” she said, pointing to the steps at the back of the temple.

“Run and do not stop running. Tell all on this island that they will either join us or die,” Kenyanire said, her voice ringing in the ears of the 10 amazons as they sprinted.

Looking down at the tribe, Kenyanire’s smile widened. They had reassured that their culture was safe, making people happier and hearing Kenyanire say it made the tribe much more trusting of Liam. Liam was humble yet stern, making the amazons have some respect for him. From the mutters, Kenyanire could hear even the older amazons were staring to relax their opinions about him.

Of course, there were still going to be arguments and controversies. But for now, they could rest their heads even if it was only for a few hours before tomorrow. Before they set out to meet the Daughters of the Moon.

Smirking Kenyanire looked down the steps as Liam was carried off into the distance. She wasn’t sure about the whole helping the innocent thing, but she was defiantly interested to see how here people were going to react to it.