17th February 2013
17:01 GMT
"Lantern?!" Zosime looks up in surprise after shoving what looks like a javelin through the arm of an Aztec… Fine, zombie. "Prince Kon?"
The Aztec woman has clearly had a rather bad time of it, but despite wounds to her abdomen, neck and head she's still clumsily trying to rise, to attack the one who defeated her.
"Hey." Kon nods, taking in the fallen woman. "Are we holding?"
"This is hardly the first time the dead have attacked Themyscira." She looks down with the stoicism of a three thousand year old veteran. "Our fallen sisters usually
dress more decorously."
I look around. It looks like the attack by the dead in this part of the island is under control, with the Aztecs being netted or knocked down so that they can be pinned. I generate construct spike drivers and speed up the process, earning myself a few grateful nods.
"If your shade ever attacks me without a shirt on, I'll be sure to dress you before anyone else sees.
"
"Shirt? I have bought sports bras from New York. They provide far better support-."
"You just want an excuse to-
" I raise my eyebrows sceptically.
"-show off your skin.
"
She shrugs. "
Delphine likes it. How did you
get here?"
"Ah, long story short, you should probably avoid the west side of the island for now.
"
Zosime frowns while Kon shakes his head. "How did Themyscira
get here?"
Zosime looks over to her pentekontarchos, who nods as she organises her detachment to chain up the zombies and cart them away.
"It was just after
Oizys touched our minds. Reformation Island vanished, and I hoped that whatever magic moved it would affect the rest of us as well."
Kon
looks concerned. "How did everyone..?
Did everyone make it?"
"After two thousand years of isolation I doubt that any of us have not felt such misery at least once. Though had it gone on longer it would have been uncomfortable."
"So..?"
"We prayed for deliverance. Some of those who are skilled with magic attempted to alter the wards to block out whatever malevolent magic-." She frowns. "What
was it?"
"It's called 'Anti-Life'. There's this evil alien god called 'Darkseid' who uses it to make everyone so depressed that they just give their souls to him."
She actually seems to brighten up a little. "And you are fighting it?"
"Yeah. It's not easy, but Paul found a way to get rid of it."
"He has a several stage plan and we're only about half way there at the moment. What happened next?
"
"The gods moved us
here. The priestesses say that Olympus and Skybreak are now one, or… Connected together. We are in the realm of the gods."
I look towards Skybreak, and… Yes, the topography is a little different to what I remember, and a little more like what I remember of Olympus.
"And the Aztecs?"
"Is
that their name? They do not talk much."
"They probably call themselves 'Mexians'.
"
She nods. "Like the woman at the pastry shop."
"No, she-. Maybe, but she's probably Mexi
can. That's where the word comes from, but it's not the same thing. Their gods require human sacrifice to remain strong, and they like receiving their sacrifices heart-first.
"
She frowns, looking down at the impaled man beneath her. "These are
sacrifices?"
"We're not exactly sure-
" There's a loud
thud of footsteps heading towards us.
"-what's happening there.
"
Zosime looks west, hefting her spear as the other Amazons abandon prisoner detainment and begin to form up. "When you said to avoid the west side of-."
The towering form of Tlaltecuhtli walks around the side of the mountain, stomping on- Quick referral to my mental map of Themyscira. -some pasture fields that she probably isn't damaging by accident, being an earth goddess. Amazon eyes widen and they shift into a dispersed formation.
"No, it's-.
" / "She's fine-."
Kon and I look at each other, and I bow my head to my prince.
"That's Tlaltecuhtli. She's an Aztec goddess, and she's here to-."
Tlaltecuhtli stops and reaches down, tearing Aztec zombies off their stakes and lifting them up. She then splits her head in two to reveal her second mouth, and…
Drops the zombies in.
"To help."
"Prince Kon-El!" The pentekontarchos looks at him for direction. "Your orders!"
"Move away from the Aztecs and let her take them."
"Ah, except…
" I put a construct sarcophagus around the one that Zosime was working on.
"This one, I'm experimenting with her.
"
The pentekontarchos frowns and looks to Kon for confirmation. He nods, and she organises her women to put the zombies in a pile and then back away.
While
I stick a heart in this one, inject cloned blood into the circulatory system, and use a construct to make it beat, and then add a transmuted cardiac stimulator to keep it beating before closing up her chest.
And monitor for any change.
Kon comes a little closer, trying not to be overheard. "Should we try and help the others? Stop her eating them? I mean, can we?"
"We could
try. I don't think we'd be successful, and as far as I'm concerned this is more like a resurrection than a
healing. If it works and we get someone who can tell us what's going on then great, but if we can't then I'm not going to beat myself up over it. These people are dead, and when they were alive they were Aztecs.
"
"They died a long time ago. And they're the souls of the dead. This isn't… Right."
I shrug.
"No, but it's part of their belief structure. When we find out what happened to their hearts we can try and sort something out but so far this one isn't moving.
"
I try scanning her again.
"I'd guess it's because they can't supply their own power in the way that a goddess can, but I don't
know that. I don't have a perfect solution and this is the best available non-perfect solution.
"
He nods, clearly not happy but not having anything better. "Zosime, is Grandma in the city plaza?"
"If she's not on the beach, yes."
"'kay. Let's go check in with her."
