Chapter 12 – A Paradise

“So…” Aurora said. “The Sacred Land isn’t far away?”

The high priestess smiled before taking a sip of her beverage. “It depends on the definition of far away, child.”

Aurora hated this whole game of riddles. The high priestess somehow managed to make Aurora feel like an ignorant and naïve child. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, but she supposed there wasn’t much she could do to prevent it. She grabbed her own cup and tasted the crimson colored wine. It was oddly sweet on her tongue, and a faint nausea crept up on her.

“Tell me, child.” The high priestess threw a berry into her mouth. “Why do you fraternize with those vile creatures?”

The question confused Aurora who leaned against the back of her chair. “What do you mean?” She thought it over. “You mean humans?”

“No…” Heratrix laughed. “Men.”

“Ahh.” Aurora nodded. So that part was true. Ever since Heratrix had presented herself as an Amazon warrior, Aurora had tried to remember everything she’d ever learned about the female tribe. A vague memory of them living without men resurfaced, and she nodded some more. “I forgot you don’t like men.”

“What’s there to like?” Heratrix asked. “Even you understand me here. Men lie to one another—simply for the purpose of fun.”

Aurora shrugged. “So do women.”

“But that is different.”

“How so?”

“Men see women as the weaker gender—as those who cannot live without the protection of the man while a man can easily live without a woman.” Heratrix popped another berry into her mouth, chewing carefully. “If you have the power to change someone’s life to the better—and if you want to have that power acknowledged—then you have to act accordingly.”

“What?” Aurora tried to comprehend the message.

“All that a man wants is to have power,” Heratrix explained. “They want the power to change the world and be loved for it. However, they aren’t equipped to handle the pressure of being worshipped—no male or female is.”

“I suppose I can understand that,” Aurora muttered. She thought of Zachary and his endless lies. Heratrix interrupted her thoughts by clapping her hands twice before a warrior stepped forth to dispose of the remaining fruit.

“You don’t lie to something you consider weak.” Heratrix smiled. “If you believe that you’re strong enough to take on whoever might desire a battle, then you wouldn’t need lies to build a reputation. Actions speak louder than words, and people believe what they see with their own eyes.”

Aurora was just about to ask what that meant when the sound of havoc came from the outside. Jerking up, she ran out through the curtain made from leaves. Rushing past several guards, she headed for the group, hoping that there wasn’t anything wrong.

The shouts of women among the warriors drowned out any other sound. She forced her way through the crowd, just to see Milada and Valeria hold up Zachary. He was sweating furiously, and she could see him mumble incoherent nonsense.

Walking over, Aurora looked between the other Immortalias. “What happened?” she asked.

“He didn’t use the bug repellant,” Milada said. “He has a fever, and mumbles things about some dude called Satan.”

“That’s a human devil, Milada,” Valeria explained.

“How am I supposed know that?”

“You could use your brains once in a—“

“Alright!” Aurora cut in. “Milada, please make sure he doesn’t fall and hit himself. Valeria—put up the tents here, and place him in one of them. Allegra, you’ll help.” She glanced between them, ignoring Aaron who hadn’t moved since she’d turned her back on him. His hands were in his lap, and his head was bowed in acquiescence.

Aurora saw the other Immortalia confirm her order, and she watched as they prepared to get to work. Walking over to Aaron, she squatted down next to him. “I can’t do this, Aaron,” she said. “You need to snap out of it—preferably soon.” She sighed. “We don’t stand a chance without you.”

A warrior cleared her throat, and Aurora looked up to see them make a path back to Heratrix. She didn’t know whether her abrupt departure had offended the High priestess or not. Aurora rose from her spot and walked back through the warriors, their curious glances pricking at her skin.

Once she reached the high priestess, she bowed her head. “My apologies. It would seem that our human travel companion has fallen sick,” she said. “I have instructed the crew to place a tent inside your circle; I trust that this is okay with you?”

“Please do,” Heratrix said from a throne-like seating. “Now, child. Let me see you.”

Aurora walked over to her, and even though she felt odd for being addressed as a child, she kneeled in front of the chair.

The high priestess hummed slightly. “Ahh, yes.” She reached a hand out and gently touched Aurora’s hair. “The other woman was correct—you are special.”

“Can I ask about her?” Aurora asked. “The other woman, I mean.”

“What information do you seek about her?”

She shrugged. “Anything, really.”

“She came to us, and I saw into her eyes that she was different.” Heratrix stared at the sky. “I asked her to join our tribe—a female like her would have made a great warrior.”

“Did she accept?”

“Sadly, no.” Heratrix sighed. “When you mix with males the heart grows weary.”

“Weary?”

“There are many reasons that we take distance from men, Aurora.” Heratrix met her eyes. “Surely, you must know a few, as well.”

“I guess…” She figured that the high priestess was talking about romance, a concept that was foreign to Aurora.

A warrior stepped up to them and kneeled before the high priestess. “Ack mado, priestess,” she said.

“Very well,” Heratrix said. “Aurora, I must go tend to some business. I wish that we can continue our conversation later.”

“It would be my pleasure.” Aurora bowed her head in respect before rising from the ground.

She watched as the high priestess walked away, her loose clothes swaying with every movement. The amazons were a truly strange tribe. Shaking her head, she walked back to her group.

There were several females laying around in their open sided cabins. Their homemade curtains folded on top of the cabin, causing the cabins to be open. Their eyes followed Aurora as she passed them, and Aurora had to speed her pace. It didn’t take long for her to spot Allegra sitting with Milada outside a green tent.

“I’m just saying that I think your views might be slightly biased due to your age,” Allegra said, scraping at the dry soil with a stick.

Milada scoffed. “That’s so stupid.”

Aurora stepped out of the crowd, addressing both of them. “What’s stupid?” she asked.

Rolling her eyes, Milada hooked a thumb at Allegra. “She thinks that my dislike for humans is caused by my age.”

“No. Not caused—influenced,” Allegra explained. “There’s a difference.”

Aurora didn’t particularly want to take part in their discussion. Milada’s ignorance to the world was a hinder that would take time to explain properly—a task that she didn’t have the time to complete.

“Did you hear?” Valeria walked over to them, a mischievous grin on her face. “They bathe in the waterfall nearby—they offered to take us there if anyone needs to wash themselves.”

“Why do you look so happy about that?” Allegra asked.

Valeria winked. “I like to swim.”

“But,” Milada added. “We don’t have any swimwear.”

“Exactly.” Valeria laughed. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

“Want to go then?” Allegra asked. “I could use something to rinse off all this dirt.”

“Who’ll look after Zachary then?” Aurora asked.

Valeria shrugged. “He’s completely out—he won’t need us to keep guard?”

Aurora wasn’t so sure about that. She knew how Zachary could get, and in a tribe filled with women, who loathed men, it was destined to go wrong.

“Well,” Milada said. “Aaron hasn’t moved, can’t he look after Zachary if it’s needed? I doubt it is, but you’ll never know.”

“Right.” Aurora clapped her hands. “Let’s go play in the water, then.”

Valeria snickered, and Aurora frowned. Had she said something funny? She hadn’t meant to, but simply shrugged it off. Valeria waved at a warrior, who started to lead the way.

Magnificent flora surrounded them in no time, and she guessed it was because of the clear sky. These plants got more sun than further into the jungle.

“Whoa,” Milada muttered. “They’re beautiful.” She pointed at a small flowerbed with all the colors of the rainbow. With large, silky smooth, petals, they were perfect.

“They’re very poisonous,” their amazon warrior said. “Don’t get too close."

Aurora stared at the flowers as she walked by them. The outer flowers were orange and blue, and the sight reminded her of something. It almost seemed to be talking to her.

“Aurora!” Milada yelled. “Look.”

Turning her head, Aurora halted in her tracks. Before her was a paradise, complete with a large waterfall. “My Gods,” she muttered.

The water looked inviting, and she could almost imagine the gentle coolness on her skin. Without any hesitation, she stripped out of her clothes and jumped. The initial shock of the cold water lasted for a few moments before her body adjusted to the lack of heat. She dived further into the water, opening her eyes to see beautiful underwater plants sway gently in the light stream. Her worries flooded away with the waves.

As she headed for the surface, filling her lungs with the glorious air, she looked around the perimeter. Her friends had decided to join her in the water, and she looked towards the shore were the warrior was keeping guard by their clothes.

Aurora hadn’t expected how exhausted she felt, and as the tension in her shoulders rapidly relaxed, she found the nature around her even more astonishing. Her fingers combed through her wet locks as she stared at Valeria splashing around with Milada.

Smiling, she relaxed and started to float on her back. The sky was clear blue, and she enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her naked body. Her feet kicked around, and she swam around in circles, her hair moving above her head. Using her fingers, she spread out the locks, pretending it was a crown. She felt silly but cheery.

She thought over the whole deal with Shani Reed. Why she’d been tapping into another woman’s memories was beyond her. It had seemed so real for her. She frowned. It was almost too much to comprehend.

Then there was the part about Aaron. If she’d been in Shani’s head while they were being intimate, didn’t it complicate their professional relationship?

A hand grabbed her ankle, shaking her out of her thoughts. Aurora panicked and kicked around, trying to escape. When she saw Valeria with a surprised look, she stopped her scrambling and relaxed.

“What is it?” she asked.

Valeria hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “We’re heading back now if you want to come along.”

Aurora wasn’t ready to leave just yet, so she shook her head. “I’ll find my way back later.”

“Okay.” Valeria turned and made to swim away, but before moving, she glanced back at Aurora. “Be careful.”

A humid draft flowed over her body, and Aurora looked around. The waterfall was so beautiful. She imagined how it would feel to stand beneath it, feeling the water pouring down on her.

She was feeling playful, silly, and happy. Even with the burden of their mission hanging over her, she couldn’t stop the cheerful giggle to erupt from her lips. Diving under the water, she swam towards the waterfall.

Aurora lifted herself up on a rock and ascended onto the slippery stones. With water pouring over the surface, she found it hard to keep her balance. Nevertheless, she managed to walk over to the side of the waterfall.

She could feel the gentle sprays from the water, and she was surprised to find it felt like a thousand kisses fluttering over her skin. Breathing a sigh of relief, she stepped under the water, enjoying the feeling of being cleansed.

Turning around, she was surprised to see a bright light behind the water-curtain. Frowning, she decided to check what it was, when a sound captured her attention.

She turned her head, looking around the shore when she saw Aaron standing there, dumbfounded, and staring at her.

“Crap,” she muttered before jumping into the water to cover her body.

A/N: Please vote.