First In Might

My axe sang as it bit through the Greek champion's brawny neck, and arterial blood splashed onto my face as he fell away. I licked at my lips and the strong iron taste of his blood invigorated me. The air, too, was thick with the scent of fleeing life, of opened bowels and burning flesh. Most of all, I smelled the glory that waited for me. My Amazon sisters saw me and whooped, and their excitement fueled my strength. I plunged back into the battle, shrieking my harpy wail, and the men shrank away in fright.

Though we had shaken them with our initial attack, I saw that the Greeks had begun to rally. We had inflicted heavy casualties among them, but they still outnumbered us. If they regained their composure more of my sisters would die than was necessary. Already young Clonie had gone down, Clonie, who'd led our charge now lay facedown in a mess of her blood and brains. Towering over her corpse, her killer, a great-bearded giant holding a club like the trunk of a tree, roared orders to his men.

I shouted a challenge to the titan, who turned toward me and frowned. But before he could respond a tall, young man at his side said something to him, and he nodded. He stepped off his brilliant chariot and allowed the youth to take his place. The new driver spurred his horses into action, pointing at me in challenge as he barreled my way. Very well. I would kill him first.

The Greek leveled his spear at me, and I spurred my mare, Deliverance, to meet him. I batted aside the point of his long weapon with my axe and then swiped at his head. He deflected the blow with his shield which caused my axe to scrape the oak and dent its bronze frame. Then we were past one another and turned our mounts to meet again. This time, I dodged his high stab by crouching low against my saddle and opened a cut on his arm as we passed.

He nodded appreciatively as we wheeled around and sped at each other again. He thrust at my belly, so ducking would not save me so I swung myself away from him, over Deliverance's side, and hung from my saddle. Peering under her belly, I pulled one of my throwing spears from my back and threw it into the chariot's spinning wheel. The sounds of snapping wood and panicked equine screams filled the air, and when I looked I saw the chariot on its side; broken in the dust.

One of his horses dashed away immediately, freed from the chariot by the crash. The other picked itself up slowly, shook its right foreleg painfully, and made as if to bolt. My opponent, bloodied and covered with dirt, limped in front of it and stroked its snout, speaking soothingly. Calming the fright-stricken beast, he removed the remains of its harness, climbed onto its bare back and turned to face me.

The Greek's mount favored its injured leg as we came at each other once more. Suddenly, my opponent put his hands on the horse's neck and pulled his legs up, planting his feet on its back. Then he stood, balanced precariously, and threw his spear like a javelin. Unprepared for such an attack, I did what I could to dodge the spear; it was not enough.

The spear drove itself through my body and caught me in the center of my breast. I fell, cart wheeling over the rump of my horse, and as I hit the hard ground face-first. I heard the Greek thunder past. The wood protruding from my chest snapped on impact and I began to vomit blood. My body spasmed with agony. I tried to blink away the fog in my eyes, but the world only grew dimmer. I was certain I was dying.