The huntresses watched in awe and respect as the light arrows rained down upon the Wicker Man. Many knelt and began praying to their patron goddess, Artemis of the Hunt, while others, unable to contain their excitement, celebrated and jumped for joy even before all seven light arrows had struck. Despite the premature celebrations, the huntresses stood proudly, witnessing this miraculous display of divine power.
"Atalanta! Atalanta! Atalanta!" they cheered loudly, chanting the name of Atalanta after the Wicker Man fell. The huntresses hugged each other and some even kissed in their joy, their celebrations hinting at further revelry to come. Atalanta stood proudly as her sisters chanted her name. She then looked in the direction of Diana and saw her pulling the beast with her lasso, dragging it across the ground and leaving a trail of blood.
Atalanta smiled and nodded at Diana, who returned the gesture. The huntresses noticed Diana dragging the beast and began to cheer for both warriors simultaneously. "Diana! Atalanta! Diana! Atalanta!" they shouted, their voices echoing through the battlefield, celebrating their heroes' victory.
Like Moses parting the sea, the huntresses made way for Diana as she dragged the corpse of the beast towards the Goddesses, who were watching and waiting for their victory. Atalanta walked beside Diana, and other huntresses followed behind, their eyes on the beast that had caused them so much trouble but was ultimately subdued by Diana after receiving a quest from Queen Hera herself.
"How easy was it to take down the beast?" Atalanta asked seriously while they approached the Goddesses, who had started descending gracefully to the training grounds. Hera, in particular, moved with a sway of her hips that could shake the earth itself, an unnecessary display since no men were present to admire it, though some of the huntresses might have appreciated it.
"It was super easy, barely an inconvenience," Diana replied with a smirk. Seeing Atalanta's raised eyebrow, she coughed lightly and added, "It was easy after I used my special weapon against this kind of enemy." She nodded towards the beast she was dragging, its corpse now covered in dirt and grime.
"Why didn't you take down the beast sooner if you could do it so quickly?" Atalanta questioned seriously, thinking of the huntresses who had died at the hands of the beast. She wondered if their deaths could have been prevented if Diana had acted faster. "Or maybe I should have used my special skill to eliminate the beast and not blame Diana," she thought inwardly, nodding as if agreeing with herself.
"Because I didn't want to take all the glory for myself," Diana said nonchalantly, smirking as if she could have done it anytime she wanted—which, considering her recent display, seemed true. She looked towards the approaching Hera and added, "Queen Mother gave the quest to the huntresses, so who am I to steal it?" She shouted this loud enough for the huntresses to hear, eliciting a chorus of responses. (Note: My Bullshit)
"That's right!"
"Yeah, it was given to us by Queen Hera!"
"I wish I died fighting!"
"I will be remembered after this!"
"Can anybody help me walk?"
Hearing the last plea, Atalanta shouted, "Give that huntress some help!"
Atalanta then raised an eyebrow and said, "So you only acted after Queen Hera gave you the quest?" She clearly didn't like the answer but accepted it as the other huntresses seemed to agree with Diana. She still had to ask, needing to reconcile her feelings about not going all out from the beginning.
Diana rolled her eyes and smirked. "Obviously, Captain Obvious," she said playfully, remembering how Atalanta had once retorted similarly to Artemis. She nodded sagely to herself, thinking, "I avenged you, Artemis," though she knew it was just a silly thought.
Angry tick marks appeared on Atalanta's forehead as she gritted her teeth, about to retort. However, Artemis interrupted her by shouting, "My huntresses, I am proud of you for defeating the Beast and the Wicker Man." Artemis looked at the huntresses with pride, especially at Atalanta and Diana, as she considered Diana already part of the Hunt. The huntresses shouted in response:
"Thank you, Lady Artemis!"
"It was not much, Lady Artemis."
"Lady Artemis, let's drink with us after this!"
"We didn't do anything, we got carried."
"Shut up, you snitch!"
Artemis smiled at them before her face turned solemn. "And as for the fallen, let us give them the respect they deserve and etch their sacrifice into our hearts." She closed her eyes in respect for the huntresses who had died, and the living huntresses bowed their heads solemnly and kept quiet for a while. Diana and Atalanta followed suit, honoring their fallen comrades.
"Then let's celebrate!" Artemis shouted loudly, causing the huntresses to cheer and chant, "Artemis! Artemis! Artemis! Artemis!" Their shouts grew quieter, almost barely audible, confusing Artemis. She turned around slowly after hearing a rumble in the sky. Meeting the stern gaze of Hera, she immediately said, "We will do that after Queen Hera says her piece." She bowed her head to avoid Hera's gaze, stepping back to the side to make way for the Queen.
As the Queen of Olympus came forward, still eyeing the rude Artemis, the huntresses quieted down and bowed to Hera. She looked at the huntresses from left to right with judging eyes but then smiled at them before saying, "The fallen and your names will be written in the same book as the Gigantomachy and Titanomachy, so stand proud, huntresses! You are immortal!" She shouted the latter with intensity, clenching her fist to emphasize her pride. The huntresses responded in unison, "All hail Queen Hera! All hail Queen Hera! All hail Queen Hera!"
Hera smiled at this display of loyalty, thinking inwardly, "And just like that, I have earned their loyalty." The huntresses' fervent chanting echoed in the training grounds, their spirits lifted by Hera's declaration.
Hera looked at Atalanta with a proud expression before saying, "Atalanta, you led your fellow huntresses to victory and defeated the Wicker Man. As a reward..." She then took out an exquisite double-edged iron sword with a quartz hilt, held in a scabbard made of gold and inlaid with precious stones. "This sword is called the Sword of Victory. I acquired it from a god in Southeast Asia. It can summon lightning strikes seven times a day," she explained with a proud smile while presenting it to Atalanta.
Atalanta knelt before Hera, presenting her palms. "I accept the reward, Queen Hera," she said respectfully, bowing her head and looking up at Hera.
Hera nodded and smiled at Atalanta's respectful behavior as she gently handed her the Sword of Victory. "Use it wisely," she advised sagely.
"Thank you, Queen Hera," Atalanta said as she rose from her kneeling position. She admired the gold scabbard of the sword before attaching it to her waist for easy access. She thanked Hera once more.
Hera looked at her great-granddaughter with a proud smile, then turned her attention to Diana. Straightening her posture, Diana waited expectantly. "Diana, for slaying the God Dionysus who turned Beast, I reward you with this..." Hera glanced in a certain direction and put her fingers to her mouth, whistling loudly. Out of nowhere, a majestic red horse appeared, neighing as it approached Hera.
"This is Ruin, a steed of remarkable strength with the ability to transport you anywhere in the world, much like teleportation," Hera explained to Diana with a smile. "But mind you, like teleportation, he cannot take you to places that prevent such magic," she added sternly, her gaze locking with Diana's. Diana nodded in understanding. Ruin stands tall and muscular, his body a deep, shadowy black that seems to absorb the light around him. Ruin's mane and tail are composed of ethereal, fiery tendrils that flicker and dance like living flames. These flames range from deep orange to intense red. The fiery mane cascades down his neck in wild, untamed waves, while his tail trails behind him, leaving a path of embers in his wake. His eyes glow with a sinister, hellish light, a vivid contrast to the darkness of his body. They burn with an inner fire, reflecting his ferocity. These eyes seem to pierce through the soul of anyone who dares to meet his gaze, evoking a sense of dread. Ruin is also adorned with formidable armor that enhances his fearsome appearance. The armor is made of dark, scorched metal with intricate. Chains and spikes decorate his armor, clinking menacingly with every movement. The chest piece is adorned with a demonic visage. His legs are covered in armor that appears to have molten cracks, through which fiery energy seems to seep. The hooves themselves are engulfed in flames. Each step he takes leaves scorch marks on the ground.
Hera nodded with a smile but paused before handing the reins of the horse to Diana. "I was planning to give this to my son, Ares, but after considering it, he would probably just give it to you or Hippolyta. So, here you go," she explained with a frown that turned into a smile. "Take care of him, okay?" Hera extended the reins toward Diana but noticed her fidgeting. "Is there a problem?" she asked curiously.
"Can I... can I give this to my mother, Queen Mother?" Diana asked slowly, fidgeting as she awaited Hera's response. Hippolyta, watching the interaction, let out a confused sound, "Huh?" before she could protest, Hera spoke.
Hera sighed before saying with a smile, "Of course, my dear Diana." She then looked at Hippolyta and handed her the reins of the horse. "Take care of him, Hippolyta," she said with a stern gaze.
"Of course, Queen Mother, but..." Hippolyta replied confidently before looking at her daughter. "Are you sure about this, Diana? This is your reward; you earned it yourself," she asked, making sure Diana truly wanted to give away the horse.
Diana smiled lovingly at her mother. "Yes, Mother, I'm sure. Think of this as a gift for taking care of me," she said with a firm voice.
Hippolyta's eyes softened as she accepted the reins. "Thank you, Diana" She then embraced her daughter tightly and Diana did the same.
Hera nodded, satisfied with the scene before her. "Now, let us honor the fallen and bury them before we celebr—" She was unable to finish her sentence as she watched in interest as the corpse of the beast being absorbed slowly into the earth itself.
The huntresses, seeing this, gasped and looked around in confusion and concern. Atalanta stepped forward, her eyes is full of curiosity "What is happening?"