At the dawn of humanity, on the fine line between animalistic barbarity and the beginning of individual thought, there is a perfect environment ready for a terrible fatality that, in the future, would be widely reproduced from then on.
When a distraught man, incapable of even naming the feeling that was taking hold of him, used violence to inflict the most absolute pain to a fellow member of his own kind.
Motivated by a primitive disgust and an absolute hate for everything of most scandalous that that female represented: femininity and what was different.
Without fully understanding what had just happened, he finds himself finally satisfied. he had gotten what he wanted.
Chapter 1 – The Beginning
From an infinite lake, alone, emerges Hippolyta, the first.
She didn’t know what her true name was and could not even imagine that she had been killed while carrying the child of her own murderer in her womb; The only certainty she carries is that she feels the greatest hatred and repulsion for the world she was once born into.
From then on, due to some tragic phenomenon, the appearance of an Amazon would become something more and more constant.
The Amazons are spirits living the long-awaited human experience that was once snatched away from them—peace, love, and calm.
What was once a paradise for such tormented souls, was corrupted by the arrival of the outside world, and a man.
Heracles was the bastard son of the gods and was sent to the Paradise Island for a divine trial; but he only proved that he was as mundane and ordinary as all the other men who forged the Old World.
Heracles extended his stay on the island while desecrating that holy ground, summoning male allies to take that promised land and appropriate the native women that had emerged there.
The Amazons were spirits who lived in the simplest harmony, but this was ripped away from them too.
Bracelets were forged and attached to each of the residents of Paradise Island, and the first of these, Hippolyta, was taken by Heracles as his wife and personal victim.
Hippolyta was the first to break her bracelets and, on the run, began to plan the retaking of her homeland.
A civil war broke out between the Amazons and the demi-god’s menagerie and ended with Hippolyta triumphant over the bodies of her sisters and with Heracles at her feet, now submissive in the bonds of the rope blessed and wielded by her.
A direct connection to the ancient gods was established when summoned by the legion of surviving Amazons, all chanting in one voice: Hiketeia.
The divine response was sudden and clear, and a jury was proposed to weave the verdict of the demi-god. But Athena took the lead, and with her enlightening knowledge she was able to enchant the rope that wrapped around Heracles.
"The lasso of truth compels you to surrender in full sincerity to the arms of divine judgment.
Speak your final verdict loud and clear!"
"Motivated by the pleasure of the flesh and conquest, today I am guilty in the eyes of the divine laws."
Zeus tried to negotiate the life of his bastard son, as he was destined to finish his divine trials before dying by the hands of the Hippolyta; but the Amazons found themselves tormented by the impunity and indifference of their own deities.
A treaty was broken, and a link was lost.
"The Gods no longer watch over us; They became accomplices of the power coming from their countless worshippers and have bowed to the whims of humanity.
Today the Amazons disown the gods of the past, because they were able to forget their own creations."
Heracles is castrated by the Queen of the Amazons and flees alone in a tiny boat, while Hippolyta is finally satisfied.
"Today we will not beg any god for justice, because justice has already been done."
Paradise Island is reshaped, Hippolyta is chosen as the supreme ruler, and Themyscira is finally born, repopulated by women who have finally understood that they are on their own.
Combat training becomes a rule, and weaponry will be present inside every house, temple or vessel; Those who aspire to justice will lead troops, and those who aspire to knowledge will be the creators of the culture perpetuated from here.
Now, those who wish to explore the unholy world of Men will be free to go and never come back.
Even if they never return, and even if the smartest of men will never even be able to locate the fabled Paradise Island. It doesn't matter, Themyscira will be prepared to survive.
The Amazons pray, even if unconsciously, to be left alone.
After hundreds of years, the Amazons find themselves forgotten by history and humanity.
They now have their own dialect, fashion, and art, and are protected
by their own prayers and beliefs. They are the greatest warriors that history has never discovered.
Until the eventual day that an incandescent avian machine crossed the skies; The machinery was technological but old-fashioned, it look like a imitation of what it should really be.
An intriguing and eccentric figure was found in the inside: a woman.
The oldest Amazon historians found themselves in complete shock, unable to understand how a woman could be born in the world of men. “Perhaps a past exiled Amazon who had returned... but a native of the world of men? impossible.”
How could a female being survive in the Man’s World?
Her name was Diana, she was an explorer of the skies on a worldwide expedition, she had a malfunction in her authorial machinery and thought she was going to die plummeting into the deep ocean.
Hippolyta was charitable, she had allowed the refugee to remain on the island until her vehicle was completely repaired.
But in fact, the Queen of the Amazons was completely curious to understand the unlikely existence of Diana Rockwell; Every Amazon knows that they came from the distant Man’s World, but they all have only the vague memory of human feelings, of being hated and killed, but by now they thought they had become extinct, and that the few survivors were already among their Amazon sisters, victims of a endless persecution.
But Diana affirmed. There were more.
More women were forgotten by the gods, but they were never blessed with a stay on Paradise Island, instead they were restricted to staying in a world that hates them, at least that's what Hippolyta had understood.
But that woman... Diana didn’t seem unhappy or upset; she seemed excited. Fascinated by the world she had come to know, but still completely eager to return to her homeland.
Was it possible? To be loved in Man’s World?
The human ignited in Hippolyta a confused and long-forgotten feeling, something she never allowed herself to feel—hope.
Diana received as a parting gift her own amazon armor, forged in homage to the star-sprangled flag she carried with her.
She left in the clouds but left in Themyscira a spark of peace about the relationship between the Amazons and humanity.
That same day, the Queen of the Amazons took refuge on the shores of paradise island, and after a millennium, she turned to the gods she had sworn to forget.
She finally understood that Themyscira needed vision; only knowledge would bring the truth, and what did the Amazons know? They have always been spared of the terrible truths about their real identities.
They would never be able to understand the human world; because they have already experienced the worst of it, and they could never forget that.
But what about a new being? An immature creature who is unaware of the horrors of humanity, and who would grow up without the need to face them. She would be the only one capable of bringing hope amidst the Amazon’s desolate dream of peace.
Hippolyta soul begged for a daughter. And when she finally understood that, she was able to see herself as complete.
Something had been taken from her, before all that even existed; and it was up to the gods to give it back.
The gods quickly answered her call, as they had not been worshipped with such fervor for a long time. The age of the gods was over, they were buried by history and begged for cultists.
A pact was signed, the gods would intercede for the Amazons, and in
exchange they would be the last of their faithful worshippers.
But the price would be something new, the fulfillment of the most intimate and pulsating request of Hippolyta’s soul, a child.
But the gods, always ambitious, doubled their bet.
Two children, a champion of the Amazons and a champion of the gods.
Diana and Nubia, molded from the lightest and the darkest sand of Paradise Island; sisters molded from clay who, in the future, would decide who would inherit their respective title.
The goddesses of the old world lined up to present the two children with some transcendental gifts. Demeter took the lead and offered the most absolute force descended from Gaia; Athena proposed an accelerated mind capable of making her reflexes absolute; Artemis gave her the ability to commune with any animal, and Hestia complemented her with the gift of understanding any and all languages, so that she would never feel far from home; Iris made her able to cross the skies as light as a cloud and, finally, Aphrodite gave her a beautiful and loving heart that could never be corrupted.
Hera was the last to approach, so that she could finally establish an unbreakable blood bond between a mother and her two daughters.
The champions of the Ancient World are born.
But one last shadowy figure suddenly stands out in the midst of the pantheon, he has a hateful and poisoned countenance; the shadows gradually take over as the deranged Ares takes the floor.
"Ordinary treatments that only symbolize the weakness and dark times that my brothers are going through. Renegade and forgotten, the Amazons and their dying gods deserve each other.
But here I am, the first to be disowned by them, and the first to be embraced by humanity. It is Ares who rules the New World, and if you
want to try to take possession of what I have conquered, you’d better be prepared for defeat, because you can’t win a war."
Ares was preparing for the inevitable war between the gods, but now he is as powerful as his brothers once were; in the blink of an eye he disappears with what he came for: Nubia, the firstborn.
Diana grew up full of sisters, and yet, for so long, she found herself lonely.
Amazons don’t grow up, they already emerge with their ideas formed and willing to add to that society; Moreover, they have tasted the bitterest that existence has to offer, and even if they don't remember it, they will be forever haunted by it.
They will never want to know the world that has hurt them so much.
But the little princess never cared about getting hurt, not even falling or tumbling, everything was always so new. Every creature she interacted with, every flavor she tasted, and every story she heard seemed like mere appetizers of a life she would never live; That was why she was so attached to each of these things, it was easy for her to become so madly in love with existence.
As an adult, Diana easily believed that she had already stepped more than five times on every inch of Paradise Island’s sacred ground.
It seemed crazy, how did the Amazons settle for this for so many thousands of years? And even today they remain in love and completely devoted to that eternal tropical sanctuary.
That night Diana secretly prayed for a message. And suddenly the heavens sent a furious shooting star that pierced through the clouds until it was quickly contained by the coast.
The object resembled a large metallic dragonfly, a technology certainly already known to the other Amazons, since Queen Hippolyta was suddenly excited to find a familiar star-studded flag among the rubble.
The feeling of nostalgia that hit her was quickly interrupted by the disappointment of finding such an unwanted survivor — a man.
The young man, who wore a dirty and misfit overall, was stopped and pushed back to the boundary between the sand and the sea, for no man could ever even touch the sacred soil of Paradise Island.
He was only allowed to speak after being completely subjugated to the legendary Lasso of Truth.
"The bond of truth compels you to surrender yourself in full sincerity to the arms of divine judgment.
Intone your real identity loud and clear!"
"I'm Steve Trevor, pilot in training."
"Do you come from the Man’s World?"
"I come from the nation of the United States of America, and I don't know if I’d call it that way... I even think we’re moving towards a more egalitarian world!"
"How did you find Themisycyra? By accident?"
"Return him to the ocean."
Diana rushes through the crowd and interrupts her mother's insensate verdict.
"Please, my mother, I beg for compassion.
This manly creature is sickened and incapacitated, and its physique has clearly been deformed by the impact."
"I don’t think deformed is quite the word-"
"Let him try one more time, he will surely be able to explain the terrible coincidence that brought him bewildered to here."
Hippolyta wields the Lasso of Truth more tightly, while her beloved, General Philippus, shows support for the princess' delirium of compassion.
"I repeat, how did you find Themyscira?"
"I'm the son of Diana Rockwell-"
Hippolyta lets out a sudden gasp of astonishment but soon returns to her stern gaze as she seeks for answers in the boy's ineloquent speech.
"My mother was a self-taught pilot who accidentally encountered a secret nation of warrior women while attempting a forced landing in
some location of the Black Sea, I admit, maybe bad piloting is a hereditary trait."
"She was very well received and returned to the United States with a good story to tell; She even gave some testimonies to more assiduous researchers, but the tale didn’t catch on the taste with the general public.
That was two decades ago, my mom then abandoned the adventure and married the first blondie she found in Florida.
She died 1 year ago, and her final wish was for her only male child to risk his precious life in order to find the mysterious island where he
could finally deposit her ashes. “
"Is this the end of your story?"
"I think that's up to you to decide.
But I can prove that I tell the truth, I’m carrying a special gift from my mother in the luggage compartment, if it still exists."
"I know you are telling the truth. My love, can you bring the mentioned gift over here?"
Philippus walks to the luggage rack, where she finds a heavy backpack slightly damaged by the fall; when she opens it, there is no doubt, she raises her hand to reveal to her Amazon sisters an ancient and shiny armor, forged by herself, and given to Diana Rockwell as a gift and tribute.
"You will remain detained here on the coast, Steve Trevor of the Man’s
World, and you are not allowed to set foot on the soil of Paradise Island.
Tomorrow, under this same starry sky, you will return to your world accompanied by a noble Amazon as an escort.
And the warrior who will travel as a diplomat to the Modern World will be chosen through the Tournament of the Gods.
All the amazons were summoned."
Diana runs towards her mother to thank her for such an act of charity but finds herself paralyzed when she hears the last addendum of her merciful speech.
"All of you. Except for those linked to royalty."
That morning, the entire population of Themyscira was gathered in the irreverent central coliseum, where each Amazon was presented with her own metallic mask. The masked ball kicked off the celebration, but the tradition reinforces that every contestant would remain masked until their eventual elimination.
It was a reminder that they were all equal, behold the eyes of justice.
Two rebellious Amazons remained hidden from the competition. The first was Alethea, who renounced the tournament to remain in the company of Princess Diana, who in turn chose not to watch the games, still embittered by the exclusionary decision imposed by her mother.
Diana couldn't understand how her colleague wasn't at all excited about the opportunity to explore the Modern World. Alethea was newly emerged, a young woman who was still completely unaware of the existence on Paradise Island, but who already harbored within her a terrible and ancestral loathing for the world from where she come.
She was a little concerned about the princess's behavior, since after keeping her company for so long, it now seemed that Diana just wished to abandon everything and everyone in that place.
Diana reinforced that it was not a wish, but a renunciation. There was something inside of her that cried out for more, a sweet, innocent hope that she could change the world that had caused so much harm to everyone she once loved.
Even if she had to leave all of that... she would still insist on carrying on.
"Perhaps, Diana, the will of the Gods is that you should leave us."
That sentence pierced Diana like an arrow, it was intoned in such a simple and accurate way... that it could only mean the truth.
"Alethea. Let me take your place in the competition, put on your mask, and fight on your behalf.
The royalty of Paradise Island abdicated their place in the tournament. The princess preferred to be absent from the festivity. General Phillipus would continue in her vigil for the stranger detained on the coast. But Queen Hippolyta would remain in charge of the games, watching everything from the highest podium while communing with the gods for mercy and elucidation.
The Olympic games were divided into knockout stages, first an expansive race across the entire circumference of the island, where only the top 500 would remain in the game.
Those disqualified would be unmasked and then join the judging audience, while the competitors prepared for an intense obstacle course under the sea that surrounded Paradise Island, only 100 would be selected.
Then they should be organized in pairs and simultaneously engage in a classic Greco-Roman fight in the great arena of the central coliseum, 50 resists.
In the semi-final they must climb to the highest point of that archipelago, where 5 simple flags wait to be captured at the top.
And finally, the 5 most capable and voracious Amazon warriors will be tested through a new and unexpected ordeal.
Queen Hippolyta descends from the royal chamber, and stands in front of the last contestants, where she greets and blesses them for a chance of victory. She brings with her an old, rusty wooden box, and from the inside she takes an unknown device that was long ago left on Paradise Island by an outsider from the Men’s World.
She describes it as a firearm that cuts through the air with extreme speed and precision through its small, fatal projectiles. To win, they must protect themselves from the shots using their bracelets, while remaining healthy and intact.
The first contestant reflects the bullet inaccurately and ends up hitting her own leg.
The second uses both hands, the bullet grazes her shoulder.
The third doesn’t manage to deflect the projectile and throws herself on the ground to dodge it.
The fourth becomes unbalanced and falls with the impact of the bullet.
The last one crosses her bracelets in a sudden, silent movement, the bullet hits the ground. She remains intact.
"Reveal yourself. Champion of the Amazons."
She carefully removes her mask and reveals her real identity to the cheering audience. She is Diana, the princess of Themyscira.
"Outrage. The games continue."
"Royalty doesn't win. It concedes victory. You have broken the divine laws imposed under this competition."
"I fought like everyone else. I fell like all the others. And I've trained my whole life for this moment."
"And you took away from your sisters their chance of victory."
"You took away my chance of victory. I swear. The will of the Gods is that I should leave you."
"If any of my sisters claim that they want this more than I do...
I will give up without thinking twice.
Even if a single one of them reports that she has dreamt of this day before, I will gladly cede my victory with the greatest compassion.
Because I sympathize with a denied dream."
"So let all those who desired victory come foward!"
The crowd falls silent, and even those who have reached the last challenge continue to stare at the scene in silence.
Alethea speaks up amid the audience that fills the stands.
"We do not wish to explore the Man’s World, but we would do it because that is the desire of our gods, but Diana would do it because that is the desire of her soul."
Chapter 10 – Renunciation
Steve Trevor starts to feel chilled by the icy coastal that has been brought in by night. He gets a little closer and lies down on the sand. The monosyllabic General Phillipus doesn't seem to mind, he would have done it sooner if he had known it.
From the top of the staircase that crosses that coastal hill, he can finally see some movement. It looks like a big march towards the beach. The Amazons have chosen their champion.
Queen Hippolyta is at the front of the procession, but now her hands are intertwined with her daughter, Princess Diana; Phillipus smiles, she had already imagined this outcome.
"Steve Trevor from the Man’s World will be escorted back to his nation by the new Champion of the Amazons, this is Diana of Themyscira.
And I imagine she wants to stay in the mortal world longer than was initially planned."
"Correct, my mother. I have to try."
"Of course you do. That’s why you wouldn’t go unprotected, you must take the greatest of our blessings."
Amazons of the High Guard take the lead, holding historical artifacts that have marked the history of Paradise Island.
The Lasso of Truth, which brings justice to the greatest of evildoers.
The Bracelets of Submission, the originals worn by the Queen of the Amazons, the first to break free, and the ones responsible for putting an end to the tyranny of Heracles.
And Diana's armor, long forged to reinforce an eventual bond between the Amazons and the Man’s World.
“There is one last gift that I won't be able to fully define.
Long ago, our goddesses promised me that they would make sure you were protected and safe wherever you went.
Even if it's far from me or from the protection of our pantheon.
You carry a little bit of all of them within you, and you'll discover this gradually; when you once leave their domain and completely abandon your safety.
The champion says goodbye to the certainty of complicity and truth offered by her Amazon sisters; she has now renounced everything to embark on a new journey to the unknown.
Her certainty is that this is what she wants most, for the first time she knows what it means to feel a little fulfilled. And she finally understands the atrocious mistake she has just made, but feels completely enthralled by this fatality.
Mistakes create stories, and history creates heroes.