Aiding The Amazons

With the help of Sylvia the Harpy Sister and her siblings Sandy and Daphne, Leona flew to the Spooky Woods in order to meet with "The Scorekeeper." As the blonde flew just above treetop level, she spotted a tall woman wearing a leather cuirass with steel pauldrons with shoulder-length brown hair, tan skin and an eye patch standing in a clearing. Her arms were covered in tattoos and a large two-handed sword with a round silver pommel was slung across her back. That must have been The Scorekeeper.

"Land me a short distance in front of her." Leona telepathically communicated with Sylvia.

"Got it!" Sylvia responded as she did a slow loop around a clearing to reduce speed and then straightened out before gently depositing Leona on the ground. The blonde found that as long as she was flown at treetop level her discomfort was manageable. She was still apprehensive about flying, but it was not nearly as bad as flying high in the sky. Daphne handed Leona her ram dao and the quartet approached the tall tan woman.

"Hail, stranger. Are you Leona Jarnefeldt of Silver Wolf?" She asked.

"Yes. I'm Leona Jarnefeldt." Leona answered, showing her guild tattoo to the woman, who nodded in satisfaction.

"Excellent. I am The Scorekeeper. I called you here because I have a job for you." The Scorekeeper started. Leona listened with interest.

"I want you to meet with the Amazon Queen and convince her to give you her belt. Then you are to bring the belt to me. There are two ways you can go about getting it. The way you choose is up to you." The one-eyed woman started an explanation.

"The first is to enter their village under a white flag and converse with the queen. She may ask a service from you in exchange for the belt. Be prepared for anything." The Scorekeeper explained the first way.

"The second is to challenge the Amazon Queen to a fight for the belt. But be warned. The battle will be to the death and the queen will not refuse your challenge." She explained the second option. Leona showed visible distaste with that option. As if sensing the blonde's reticence, The Scorekeeper was moved to comment.

"Perhaps I was wrong to call for you. If you are not up for this job, leave now so that I may find another who is." She said with a tone of scorn. Leona clenched her teeth. The Scorekeeper mistook hesitance for weakness. Leona was not weak.

"No. I'll do it. I'll take the first option. I want to speak to the queen." Leona firmly declared, looking the taller woman in the eye. The Scorekeeper allowed herself a small smile.

"I was right to choose you, Leona. Now hear me. You will find the Amazon village surrounded by a thick wooden wall and manned by experienced warriors; it is but a short distance away. Approach the gate and state your intention, but be sure to put away your weapon. You will be escorted inside the village, where you will meet the queen." She started to give instructions.

"Once inside the queen's hut, you are to speak with her. If you want to peacefully earn the belt, agree to perform the service she requests of you. If you change your mind and want battle, then challenge her for the belt. How you get the belt is up to you." The Scorekeeper finished.

"All right. I'll go there right away." Leona said. The taller woman nodded and pointed the way. Leona and the sisters walked in the indicated direction.

-Approaching the village-

Wearing her white t-shirt and desert camouflage shorts with boots, Leona had her backpack and wore her Argent Gloves. She approached the gates in the company of the Harpy Sisters, who were having difficulty walking on two feet. After a short time they opted to fly just above the ground.

"Like, I can see it! I can totally see the village! There's the big wall!" Daphne said to Leona aloud, pointing a clawed hand in the direction of the village.

"Yeah, that's where that tall warrior chick said you should go!" Sandy echoed.

"Um, guys, why are the gates opening and pe-EAAAHHHH!" Sylvia screamed as fourteen arrows landed near them. The sisters scattered and flew high and Leona jumped back. The arrows had landed just in front of her feet. The blonde had gotten the message... she was to stop walking and stay where she was. The harpies landed beside her once the arrows had stopped raining down.

"Like, that's so rude!" Daphne huffed and crossed her arms. A group of nearly three dozen warriors was charging the quartet. Leona planted her ram dao in the ground and stepped away from it. She had barely been away from the sword for ten seconds when the four were surrounded. Leona raised her hands in surrender.

"Who are you? State your business!" A red-haired woman wearing a leather cuirass and iron gauntlets and carrying a longsword at her left hip challenged Leona. Another warrior took possession of the ram dao. Still another frisked Leona and took the knife from her boot.

"I'm Leona Jarnefeldt, a mage from Silver Wolf. I'm here to speak with your queen. I want the belt she has." Leona stated truthfully. The redhead looked at her with suspicion, then showed a look of amusement. She almost broke into a laugh before getting serious again.

"You have knowledge of our ways. I do not know how you got it, but it does not matter. You will be escorted into our village under a white flag. Be on your best behavior or you will not leave our village alive." The redhead warned her.

"Of course." Leona replied calmly.

"What of these winged strangers?" Another warrior asked the red-headed captain.

"They're my friends. I can send them away if you want." Leona said to her.

"Do it." The captain ordered.

"We'll see you later, Leona!" Sylvia said with a wave before the winged trio disappeared. The captain looked her over. She did not seem to like mages very much.

"You are a strange person with strange magic. But I am bound by law to escort you to the queen. Now follow us." The redhead ordered. Leona wordlessly complied as a pair of younger female warriors carrying white flags on wooden poles fell in step alongside the large escort. She was about to enter the village of the fabled Amazons.

[Word Count: 1,083] [Total Word Count: 1,083/3,000]

-Inside the Amazon village-

Escorted by a large contingent of warrior women, Leona entered the village under a white flag. She noticed that a large crowd of women was gathering to observe her as she passed by. There were numerous single-story wooden houses mixed in with the more primitive huts. She even noticed a few tent-style homes like those frequently used in Desierto. There must be some women from Desierto who lived in the village.

Leona saw women of all skin colors in the village... light, dark, tan, and every shade in between. She wondered how the village was so diverse despite it having an all-female population. Perhaps they took in new residents.

Suddenly the escort stopped and dropped to one knee. The rest of the women followed suit, leaving Leona as the only women standing. Leona quickly followed their lead.

"Queen Leda, we bring before you a stranger who wishes to claim your belt. She surrendered her weapons to us and has come under a white flag. She wishes to speak with you." The captain who escorted her in said to a tall woman with waist-length brown hair who wore leather armor and had a wolf skin draped around her shoulders. She was flanked by two equally tall warrior women who wore leather armor and wore wolf skins on their heads. They carried well-used steel longswords.

"Come now, stranger. Stand before me. Let me get a look at you." Queen Leda commanded. Leona stood up and did as she was told. She carefully made her way over to the queen under the watchful eyes of the entire village.

"Tell me, stranger. What is your name?" The queen asked.

"Leona Jarnefeldt." Leona answered. The queen lifted an eyebrow.

"Leona. That is an interesting name. Are you aware of its significance?" Came the next question.

"Yes, Your Highness. My mother named me in honor of the lion. They saved the lives of my mother and father from bandits in Desierto. My parents vowed to repay the debt by naming their children in honor of the lion." Leona replied calmly. The queen's green eyes met Leona's own.

"Desierto? I take it that is where you come from?" The royal asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. I come from Desierto, specifically the village of Nebdoui." Leona answered. The villagers looked at her with a mix of curiosity and awe. So did the red-headed captain of the guard.

"We have heard of Desierto. Quite a few of our villagers hail from that desert kingdom. Only the strong survive beyond the walls of the Three Cities." Queen Leda stated.

"Yes, Your Highness. Bandits and slavers roam the desert looking for their next victim. When that's not enough, they raid desert villages for plunder and new slaves. My village's been raided several times before. I fought against them when I was only twelve years old." Leona informed the queen. The brunette looked slightly impressed.

"I see. Come now, Leona. We will talk further in my hut." Queen Leda bade her and turned on her heels. Leona followed without a word. The escort dutifully followed after them.

[Word Count: 520] [Total Word Count: 1,603/3,000]

-Inside Queen Leda's hut-

"I understand that you want my belt." Queen Leda said to Leona. The belt was a belt made out of fine leather and featuring a golden buckle. Leona looked at it and could not feel a magical signature, so the belt was not a powerful object because of any magical incantation laid on it. It was an item that symbolized something almost as powerful: legitimacy and her right to rule. The Scorekeeper had to be aware of its significance.

"Yes, Your Highness." Leona replied.

"My faithful captain Joanna informed me that you have some knowledge of our ways, even if such knowledge is rudimentary. I take it you know what you must do to earn my belt?" She asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. Either I complete a series of tasks of your choosing or I challenge you to single combat for the belt." Leona calmly replied. The queen smiled.

"Yes. Now tell me. What will it be?" The brunette asked.

"I'll complete the tasks that you give me." Leona replied confidently.

"Oh? An interesting choice. From what we have heard of you, I figured that you would challenge me to combat before the whole village." The queen replied.

"I didn't feel that was the right thing to do." Leona answered.

"The right thing to do? Joanna was right. You are a strange one. But I may have some use for you." Leda said to Leona. The former's focus then wavered for a moment. It was like she was remembering an unpleasant memory.

"This throne and this belt came at a high cost, a cost that was too high for my liking. A year ago my older sister Cleo abdicated the throne and left to defeat a threat to our village. We have heard nothing since that day." The queen explained.

"The threat in question is a coven of necromancers who have defiled our burial grounds. They treat the corpses of our people as material for their vile magic. They think themselves beyond justice. They also take captives to be used for their infernal craft. I command you to go and stop them!" Queen Leda commanded while rising from her throne, which looked just like any other royal piece of furniture. It was not made out of the bones of victims of the Amazons or anything unorthodox like that.

"Kill all of the necromancers. Leave no survivors." The command continued. It was clear that Queen Leda took the desecration personally. Leona did not blame her. The blonde would likely not be inclined to be lenient towards necromancers who dug up the dead of Desierto.

"Bring back any captives that you find. And if you find my sister... please, bring her back too." Queen Leda implored Leona.

"Your Highness, what does Cleo look like?" Leona asked.

"She has black hair, blue eyes, and facial scars on her left cheek. She also wears a pendant of a golden wolf's head." Leda replied.

"All right, Your Highness. I'll do it. I'll stop the necromancers." Leona affirmed.

"If you succeed, I will give you the belt you seek. I will also give you my gratitude." The queen replied. One of the queen's guards brought in Leona's weapons. The blonde took them and prepared for a fight. She had to hurry. The necromancers would not hang around and wait to be killed.

"Our burial ground is not far from here. Look for the wooden enclosure with female warrior statues flanking the entrance. Inside you will find the burial ground and the necromancers. Kill every necromancer you find." Leda informed Leona.

I'm heading that way." Leona said before walking briskly out of the hut.

[Word Count: 610] [Total Word Count: 2,213/3,000]

-Inside the Amazon Burial Ground-

Leona felt a lot of spiritual energy within the place. Rows of tombstones carved from stone were neatly organized into files like an army waiting for commands. She also spotted quite a few graves that had been dug up. Four black-robed figures were standing in the distance, holding glowing purple hands above cadavers and chanting. Leona ducked behind a stone and paused... were they in the process of building a small army to stop her?

"Seize the intruder!" A man shouted a command. Leona panicked because the voice was not in front of her, but behind her. How did that happen? It did not matter. Leona stood up, turned around and stabbed the first robed man in the chest with her ram dao, then kicked him off the blade and into one of his friends, who staggered back while clutching the dead man.

Five more necromancers appeared in front of her, two of them with daggers drawn. It did not matter. Leona raised a hand and used a Wind Blast spell, knocking them down and hearing the unmistakable sound of metal meeting flesh as the two accidentally stabbed themselves. Leona turned around and spotted a man charging her, but she bowled him over with a Mach Straight and he tumbled into an open grave, breaking his neck in the fall. The blonde was then grappled from behind by an attacker and she dropped her sword.

"You will make a worthy sacrifice!" He said to her just before the back of her head slammed into his mouth, making him release her. Leona quickly drew her knife and stabbed him in the chest three times before shoving him aside. The next person charging at her ate a Mach Straight to the face and was knocked to the ground. The third person actually turned around and started running towards the entrance, getting an arrow to the chest for his trouble.

The female figure stepped forward and nocked another arrow, which she released into the face of a man with a shortsword who was about to stab Leona. The last four necromancers ceased their rituals and began chanting in deep voices as their robes glowed purple and levitated. It looked like they were pooling their power for a combined magic attack. Leona used a Wind Blast spell to knock them to the dirt.

The female then put away her bow and began walking around and decapitating all the robed bodies. She wore leather armor and had black hair and blue eyes. Her left cheek had four parallel scars on it. Hanging from her neck was a golden wolf's head pendant. Was it... Cleo?

She looked up from her grisly work and greeted Leona with a raised hand.

"Hail, stranger. You fight bravely against these foul creatures masquerading as men. Who are you?" The woman asked, hefting her bloody greatsword to her shoulder with one hand.

"I'm Leona Jarnefeldt." Leona answered.

"Leona? That is an interesting name. Do you realize its significance?" The woman inquired.

"Queen Leda asked me the same question." Leona answered. The woman raised an eyebrow. She appeared to recognize the name.

"How do you know this queen?" She asked.

"Queen Leda sent me here to kill the necromancers and stop their desecration of the Amazon burial grounds." Leona answered truthfully.

"So she did. Did she tell you about me?" The woman asked.

"Yes. You must be her older sister Cleo. She said that you gave up the throne a year ago to stop the necromancers." Leona replied. The woman smiled, most likely for the first time in a year.

"You are right. I am Cleo, former queen of the Amazons." The woman introduced herself before she strode over to the blonde. Leona got a closer look at the warrior. Cleo had a quiver of arrows and a fine longbow on her back. She carried a well-used greatsword with a pommel featuring a small profile of a wolf's head. Her armor was leather with metal pauldrons and gauntlets.

"Queen Leda sent me to bring you home." Leona said. Cleo frowned.

"Not yet, stranger. I cannot go home. Not while those necromancers still have a grip on our land." Cleo firmly refused.

"What? I thought we just killed them all!" Leona expressed shock. There were more of them? The pair had knocked off at least ten in the burial grounds alone.

"No. The rest are holed up in a cave not too far from here. That is where they take their captives and perform most of their foul rituals. I know this because I tracked them there a month ago." Cleo answered grimly. Leona took a deep breath. It looked like there was more work to be done.

"Maybe we should at least go back to the village and let your sister know you're alive, then get some help. We're gonna need it for a cave full of necromancers." Leona suggested. Cleo looked Leona in the eyes. The former looked at the ground for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes. We will need help to end the threat once and for all. I will not allow them to threaten my people and go unpunished!" Cleo declared before decapitating the last of the necromancers. Leona winced as the last head rolled onto the dirt. At least all of them in the area were dead. It was unlikely that they could resurrect themselves... at least as far as she knew.

"Now we go to the village and gather some warriors. We will need them to ensure that none of the robed ones escape." Cleo stated as she began walking towards the village. Leona followed closely behind. The first part of the job was done, but the reckoning with the enemy was coming soon.

[Word Count: 962] [Total Word Count: 3,175/3,000]

-Inside the Necromancer cave-

The return to the village went surprisingly well. Thanks to Cleo's clout, Leona had no trouble recruiting some extra muscle to ensure that no enemy got out of the cave without running into angry Amazon warriors. They brought two dozen Amazon warriors to secure the only entrance and exit to the cave, but another two-dozen strong group led by Captain Joanna was busy scouting for hidden exits. The rest remained to protect the village in case the cave was a trick to lure away the Amazon army.

"JACKAL SUMMON!" Leona thought as she raised a hand. Her jackal summon appeared near her feet and looked at her.

"Hey Leona, what's the deal? Need me to sniff something out?" The jackal asked.

"Yeah. We're going after necromancers inside that cave. Can you smell them?" Leona asked.

"It'll be hard because the whole place smells like death. But I'll do my best." He replied.

"You can summon a tracking dog?" Cleo asked Leona.

"He's a jackal. And yes, I can call him any time I want. I have other summons too." Leona answered. Cleo turned to the warriors gathered behind them and spoke.

"We will go in and eliminate them once and for all. Kill any necromancers you find. Free their captives." Cleo recounted succinctly. A dozen warriors stepped forward while the rest remained in place to secure the entrance.

"I'll lead the way. I can see in the dark and my jackal can sniff them out." Leona stated before going in first. The jackal sprinted into place in front of her.

-Inside the cave-

Leona walked in, switching her ram dao for her knife because the sword was unwieldy in such tight spaces. Fortunately a knife was not the only weapon Leona had. She had hand-to-hand magic spells in case she was caught by surprise. Suddenly she smelled death and decay inside a large chamber with a high ceiling.

It was dotted with a dozen crude stone altars stained crimson and four large, square decorative pillars festooned with skulls and vultures. in the center of the chamber was a large iron gate. Ominous bloodstains littered the floor, like bodies had been dragged through it. On the sides of the chambers were two large wooden doors with iron skulls on them. She wondered what was behind them.

Leona slowly crept in, switching back to her ram dao. She spotted fresh corpses on at least two of the altars. Their chest cavities had been opened with bladed weapons, presumably daggers. The bodies were teenage females and looked like Amazons who had been captured. Her exploration was interrupted when a robed man stepped from behind the pillar and spotted her.

"INTRUDER! KILL HER!" He shouted while jabbing a finger at her. Suddenly there was rumbling as the gate was raised and a two dozen strong swarm of female undead sprinted forward. Sixteen necromancers rushed in behind them to act as support. Leona gripped her weapon tight as Cleo and the other Amazons stormed in behind her.

"They use the corpses of our sisters as playthings! We will not tolerate this outrage!" Cleo bellowed. The Amazons shouted their agreement and readied their weapons. Leona waited until the corpses got halfway to them, then used a Wind Blast spell to knock some of them down before charging into the fray.

Leona's sword met undead flesh, cleaving the arm off of a large female warrior in rusted armor wielding a double-headed battleaxe. She then decapitated the zombie and kicked it to the ground. She raised her blade to meet the descending sword of another zombie, this one wearing rotten leather armor and missing an arm. The blades clashed and the two combatants struggled until Leona got enough leverage to kick her away, then stabbed forward. Its torso was impaled but the corpse kept swinging its rusting sword wildly, its blade grazing her left forearm and drawing blood.

Cleo raced in and stabbed the zombie in the head with her greatsword, killing it again. The sounds of battle rang in Leona's ears as living and dead Amazons clashed for supremacy. Leona noticed the necromancers chanting words in a deep voice and more undead starting to pour through the gate.

"We have to kill those men lest we be overwhelmed!" Cleo said to Leona. She was right. Two Amazons had already fallen to the undead and the rest were fighting to hold their ground. An angered Cleo took her bow and aimed carefully, then fired an arrow and hit a chanting necromancer in the forehead, killing him instantly. That gave Leona an idea.

"O FABLED HARPIES, O SISTERS THREE, LEND YOUR STRENGTH UNTO ME!" Leona chanted, summoning the Harpy Sisters. They appeared before her and rose from a kneeling position. They then took flight.

"What do you need us to do?" Sylvia asked Leona.

"See those robed men? Grab them by the shoulders and lift them into the air!" Leona instructed. Cleo looked puzzled. Leona hastened to explain.

"I raise them, you shoot them." Leona said succinctly. Cleo smiled and nodded. Leona then rushed towards the necromancers. She reasoned that they used the zombies as muscle and would turn them away from the Amazons to stop her from getting to them. It was time to test that theory. Dodging a grab attempt from two zombies, she punched them both with Mach Straight spells and knocked them down. Her blade cut another zombie in half at the waist... she left it behind because its crawling speed was a lot slower than her running speed.

Three robed men screamed as they were hoisted into the air by Leona's harpies. They were quickly silenced by Cleo's bow and their corpses dropped to the ground. The remaining robed men turned away from the Amazons and focused on the blonde. The jackal raced behind one and grabbed him by the robe to hold him in place for Leona, who quickly killed the struggling enemy with a stab through the torso. There were twelve more left.

"STOP HER!" A bald man in red robes flanked by sixteen gray-robed men wielding scythes and wearing skull masks ordered. Ten of the scythe-wielding men raced towards Leona to carry out their orders. Looking behind her after hearing moaning, the blonde saw that her plan had worked too well. Now she was sandwiched between living cultists and their army of the dead. There was nothing left for Leona to do but to get busy and hope the Amazons could kill the other necromancers fast enough before she was overwhelmed.

[Word Count: 1094] [Total Word Count: 4,269/3,000]

Finding that she was surrounded, Leona used her go-to spell for exactly this situation. Leona used Storm Impact to knock back the undead and two of the gray-robed men who had gotten too close. Her heavy sword easily cut through the shaft of the scythe one of them raised to defend himself, then she cut him with a horizontal slash across the midsection. He screamed and fell down as the other seven advanced, but she was ready.

Leona used a Wind Blast to knock them back and buy time to deal with the undead literally breathing down her neck.

"Should we help you?" Sylvia asked telepathically.

"No! Keep lifting the cultists up! I can handle myself!" Leona replied. The Amazons were regrouping and pressing the attack on the necromancers who were still standing. They were starting to draw weapons and fight, but the Amazons were much better fighter then they and were gaining the advantage. Leona's jubilation was interrupted by a zombie grabbing for her arm.

Leona replied with a Mach Straight that hit in the face followed by a Lion Claw to another one lurching towards her with a spear. She felt a scythe blade swish by her and the back of her shirt drop free. That was close. Leona grabbed the offender and punched him in the face with a Mach Straight, shattering the skull mask and knocking him down. Ten more cultists rushed in from the gate; these men wore brown robes and carried swords.

"KILL HER! KILL HER NOW!" The red-robed man shouted in agitation. Leona ducked under a scythe swing and hit back with a Lion's Tail Sweep. Another scythe user swung at her; she jumped back and he accidentally decapitated his friend as he got up. Leona was then rushed by six of the sword-wielding cultists and knocked to the ground. Her sword clattered from her hand as she frantically dodged wild sword stabs.

"LEONA!" Sylvia shouted before the harpies dive-bombed her attackers, carrying off two of them and gashing a third across the forehead with their talons. They provided enough of a distraction for the blonde to get up and draw her knife before she was again under attack. She blocked a sword swing with her left Argent Glove and the jackal bit the attacker's free hand, allowing Leona the chance to close in and stab him. She had just shoved the dead man aside when the scythe-wielding men got in her face again... or they would have had Amazon archers not turned them into pincushions. Captain Joanna and her warriors had entered through the back gate!

"WHAT? NO!" The red-robed man cried out as his remaining guards rushed to attack the new arrivals. Amazon axewomen clad in full plate armor strode forth and hefted their axes, swinging them with lethal precision. The cultists who did not fall to axe blows quickly retreated to their leader's side and began using magic spells to fend off their attackers. They were firing balls of shadow like the cultist from Beanstalk Village had used, but these had no homing properties and were smaller, roughly the size of a tennis ball.

"STOP THEM!" Leona instructed. The harpies obligingly dive-bombed the magic men and drew their attention while Cleo and her six remaining warriors charged the leader. After finishing the last of the swordsmen, Leona joined them.

Without the undead to serve as muscle, the cultists were starting to falter. The Amazons were cutting through them until only the leader and his personal guard were left, all two of them. Cleo, Joanna, and Leona strode forth to end the cult.

The leader closed his eyes, began to glow violet, and focused his magic power as the remaining two gray-robed men raised their hands and trembled. They glowed violet and shook violently as black spectral blobs began to emerge from their mouths before they flopped to the floor.

"NO! GET BACK! EVERYONE, RUN!" Leona shouted. The Amazons stood their ground and fired arrows, but they were being deflected. The leader's power grew as he pointed his hands towards the women.

"GO! RUN!" Leona urged them. The Amazons began to flee to the cave entrance, but Cleo stood her ground. Leona panicked. Cleo was the one who needed to run the most!

"WITH MY HAND YOU SHALL FALL BEFORE ME AS WHEAT BEFORE A SCYTHE!" The leader chanted as he drew back a blackened hand glowing with magic power. An unearthly scream filled the air as he swung his hand forward. A black scythe blade that reached across the room was hurtling right towards Leona, who activated Ruby Dome and hoped for the best. Cleo simply dropped to the floor.

The magic blade slammed into Leona's shield. She panicked as its edge was slowly piercing the ruby shield and getting close to her waist. If she dropped the shield, she would be dead. If he was not stopped, she would be dead. Cleo came to the rescue by stepping to the side and firing an arrow into the leader's chest.

He gasped and reached for his chest but was hit with three more arrows from Cleo. He coughed up blood and fell onto the floor. Leona watched the scythe blade disappear just as it punched through and was about to cut her waist. That was too close for comfort.

"We did it. It's over." Leona said to Cleo.

[Word Count: 898] [Total Word Count: 5,167/3,000]

-In the Amazon Village-

The gates opened to welcome back Cleo, Joanna, Leona and the other victorious warriors along with ten captives from cities throughout Earthland. Queen Leda greeted them at the entrance. All of the women dropped to one knee in homage.

"Well done, brave warriors! Our burial grounds are once more safe and free of the taint of evil." The queen greeted them. Cleo stood up and embraced her sister. Leona was glad that she could make that reunion possible.

"I apologize for making you worry, sister. The threat was greater than I had imagined. I could not handle it myself and I did not want to return in shame." Cleo apologized to Leda.

"That does not matter now, Cleo. You have fulfilled your vow. Come back to us. Reclaim your throne!" Leda urged her.

"No, Your Highness. The throne at last has a worthy occupant. Your judgment is a lot better than my own. While I only sought glory in battle, you sought to save our people." Cleo admitted.

"Leona. Come to me." Queen Leda spoke. Leona stood up and slowly walked over to the queen.

"Cleo and Captain Joanna spoke highly of you. They said that you risked your life to save them from the undead by drawing their attention to you. They also said that you stayed behind to save them from the sorcerer's scythe." Queen Leda said.

"Leona is brave. She fought the undead and the necromancers without hesitation. She kept their attention on her and helped us win." Cleo vouched for the blonde. Captain Joanna nodded in approval.

"Well done, Leona Jarnefeldt. You have kept your vow and exterminated those who toy with the dead. You kept your vow and returned my sister to me. As I promised, I will give you my belt." Queen Leda said before handing Leona the leather belt with the golden buckle. Leona took it into her hands. The Scorekeeper would be pleased.

"Your name will be honored among our people for generations to come. Our fallen sisters will be able to rest in peace once again. Should you ever tire of civilized life, know that you have earned a place among us and that we will welcome you with open arms." Queen Leda informed Leona. She then smiled widely. Horns blew and drums began to beat.

"Now, let us celebrate! You shall be our guest of honor tonight!" The brunette told her. A smiling Cleo clapped a hand onto Leona's shoulder. Festive music and the smell of roasting meat filled the air. Alternating chants rose up from the crowd of celebrants.

"CLEO! CLEO! CLEO!" Came one chant.

"LEE-OWN-UH! "LEE-OWN-UH! LEE-OWN-UH!" Came the other chant. Despite the loss of fifteen Amazon warriors during the fight against the cult, Leona felt good. Their deaths were not in vain.

"Come, Leona! Let us celebrate! You get the first choice of meat!" Cleo said, practically dragging the blonde off to a large wooden table loaded with roasted meat from at least four different animals.

-The next day-

"Here's the belt." Leona said, handing the object to The Scorekeeper. She looked at it and nodded with approval before putting it away.

"I have heard of your brave deeds. I admit that I was skeptical of you, but you proved me wrong in the best of ways. Here is your reward." The Scorekeeper said with satisfaction. She handed Leona a pouch of Jewels and placed a large hand on her shoulder.

"Well done, Leona. I am glad you chose not to fight the queen. She will lead the Amazons to prestige and prosperity. I am fortunate that I have lived to see this day." The Scorekeeper said before turning around and walking away. Leona let the woman go. The blonde basked in the good feeling of a job well done and started the walk back to the guild hall.

[Word Count: 646] [Total Word Count: 5,813/3,000]