Trial

"We have a saying, my people. Don't kill if you can wound, don't wound if you can subdue, don't subdue if you can pacify, and don't raise your hand at all until you've first extended it".-Wonder Woman

Steve pov

The air was filled with electricity i heard the sea of Amazons sitting in the stadium cheering and talking. The atmosphere reminded me of a Muhammad Ali fight, with everyone on their toes waiting with anticipation. I remember watching Ali vs Foreman when I was a kid. It was truly spectacular. This was giving me a feeling even more intense than that. I could feel the hair on my hands stand up, the butterflies in my stomach, and the dryness of my mouth. I was excited like everyone else to watch this unfold. A bunch of hot babes fighting. Who wouldn't want to see that?

The stadium was very similar to the stadium of Delphi, with a few alterations. An oval-shaped flat arena around 500 metres in diameter, around 20 metres below the first row of seats, with a giant marble wall encasing the arena with only two gates on either side to allow the competitors entry onto the stage. The rows were similar, just solid marble rectangular prism-shaped columns stacked behind one another. The stadium extends 60 metres in height from the arena floor, while on the eastern side of the wall in the middle of the arena, there was a cube-shaped box with ornate gold decorations that highlighted the marble decor.

In this box were three seats facing the arena, more like thrones, all marble with red velvet cushions to provide comfort. The floor was draped in expensive carpets and a chandelier dangled. This was the Royal Box, where I was seated right next to the Queen and her advisor Philipus.

Three horns sounded simultaneously as the competitors began to enter the arena, all wearing traditional Amazonian armour with the metal bracelets still on their arms. The Amazons never seemed to take them off.

*pat*

I felt a gentle pat on my shoulder break my thoughts as I looked at the queen she was offering me a solid white plastic and metal tablet. I took it gently as the screen showed the arena. "You should use this to watch the trials; your eyes won't be able to see them at regular speed. This will slow it down in real-time so you can enjoy this event." The Queen spoke in a diplomatic voice.

The completion began with archery as Amazons fired arrows that punctured huge holes in solid stone walls from one edge of the arena to the other. Each arrow shot out faster than the last. I would not even have been able to see the arrows moving if I wasn't using the device the queen gave me.

That completion was quickly over as it then moved on to running as the Amazons all lined up to do a sprint from one edge of the arena to the other. I decided not to use the device to see the difference, and I couldn't perceive any of them moving. One minute they were at one end of the arena, they all simultaneously vanished into thine air and then reappeared at the other end of it.

I was astonished and a bit terrified. These women were all moving faster than the trained human eye could see effortlessly. What would be their top speed? What kind of threat would they pose to the USA?

They went through a bunch more competitions, like the discus, javelin and, surprisingly enough, gymnastics, until only four women remained, having earned the highest amount of points in all previous competitions.

One was a woman named Artemis of Bana-Mighdall she had firey red hair and was around 6'3 tall, the tallest of the bunch, but not by much as most of the others were just an inch or two shorter. The other woman was Annabeth, a woman with platinum-blond hair and green emerald eyes standing at 6'0. She stood next to another woman with dirty blond hair and blue eyes. Zena, who stood 6'2; both women paled in comparison to the one standing left of Artemis, a woman wearing a gold helmet covering her face but showing her crystal blue eyes which were shining brightly as her silky raven hair dropped down her back from the back of her helmet. She was unmade on the tablet. She had a fierce aura around her and had gained the most points among the four.

The four women broke off into two groups to have 1 vs 1, the masked woman against Zena, and Annabeth against Artemis.

The first fight was Artimes vs. Annabeth. The two women stood opposite each other as they got into their respective stances, which were similar but also very different. They both circled each other for a bit of time until Annabeth decided to close the distance as she leapt towards Artimes and threw a roundhouse kick to her left, which Artimes effortlessly blocked with her leg. The clash sent shock waves through the arena as a dust cloud was kicked up, blocking our view, but just then, a body came rocketing out of the dust and was embedded in the wall as it was cracked. Annabeth was unconscious, and in a mere instance, Artimes had defeated her opponent.

Not leaving me time to think, the masked woman and Zena stepped into the middle of the arena and began their clash, but it was even shorter than the one before it. One moment, the masked woman was in front of us, and the next, Zena was on the floor, knocked out, as the masked woman was behind her. Even the tablet couldn't catch what had happened.

Tsk

I looked over to see the Queen, who looked like she had just swallowed a lemon, as she began to get up and walk to the front of the box, hiding the look I had just seen on her face.

"Amazon, these two are your finalists, but unlike previous years, they will not be facing each other but rather a separate opponent. Our friend and ally, Prince Diakon the Amazon, who lasts the longest, will be declared the victor and our new champion," she said in a regal voice that displayed her authority.

The queen then gestured to two guards standing in the arena to walk towards the two finalists. As they did that, they each handed the finalist a golden belt. "This is the armour of the champion of the Amazons. Usually, it would be reserved until one of you actually became the champion. However, due to special circumstances, this armour will be given to you now to finish your final trial. This armour was made by Lord Hephestus himself, and the enchantments were added by Lady Hectate herself. It is nearly indestructible and immune to all magical tampering. Wear it with pride," the Queen said, her voice dominating yet graceful.

The two women wore the belt and spun around as a bright golden glow covered them, blinding us all until it faded. There they stood, wearing armour that was similar yet different. Artemis had silver metal adorning her armour, contrasting with the now-unmasked Princess Diana's golden adornments.

The armour was a blue and red full-body suit that covered the women, starting from the neck in blue with the torros being mainly red with metal plates that covered the collar bone and also extended to be shoulder guards. It had flaps that extended to the knees, though the legs were covered with the blue material of the armour, and worked into red boots with a solid white stripe that extended vertically down the shoe. The traditional silver Amazonian bracelets were still there but had turned gold for the princess. Each warrior also proudly wore a tiara, a silver and gold one, respectively, with a crimson star in the middle.

Third POV

Just then the horns sounded again as the Queen returned to her seat and heavy footsteps began to echo through the now eerily silent arena, each one getting closer and closer as they began to grow louder and heavier until, out of the northern entrance, a very tall man around 6'6 with long, spiky black hair and ruby red iris walked into every one eyesight, his tail wagging prominently as he walked, an air of dominance and arrogance seeping of him. His face had a nice, flat beard on it. He was very bulky and muscular. He would put many world-class bodybuilders to shame, but he moved with grace and speed unthinkable for a man of his size. He spoke in a deep, gruff voice, "So who's first?" Prince Daikon had arrived.

Artemis of Bana-Mighdall stepped up first, a guard handing her a large silver axe too big for anyone to be able to reasonably lift, but she did it with ease, even if it was taller than her. She walked and faced the Sayain prince, getting into a battle stance, and then charged at him at insane speeds, unleashing a flurry of strikes with extreme fluidity. There were no gaps or holes in her movements, each set of movements having been engrained in her very soul through millennia of practice and battles.

Artemis had closed the gap needed to strike at the Sayian prince, who, up until now, had gracefully evaded her attacks. The Amazonian swung her axe from below in a diagonal stroke. When the Sayian prince stepped back to avoid her blow, she allowed the momentum of the axe to lift her off her feet as she attempted to double-kick the prince in the chest, which he blocked by crossing his arms. She moved into a somersault, then landed on her feet, spinning her weapon in her hand as she stared down the prince.

The Sayian prince seemed amused as a smirk adorned his face as he charged wildly at the Amazonian, striking at her in a flurry of punches and kicks that she blocked with her weapon, even if her bones ached and squeaked from each blow she took. Not stopping, the prince continued his attacks, ending his combo with a high kick that, even if blocked, carried enough force to propel the Amazonian into the sky.

Daikon followed after her, grabbing her by the ankle and then smashing her into the floor of the arena, causing a large crater to be formed and a huge dust cloud to be kicked up. The impact had forced Artimes to cough up some blood. He wasn't showing any mercy as the prince attacked her with a kick to her undefended stomach, launching her through the arena and smashing her into a wall. Her axe had long since fallen out of her grasp.

Diakon's eyes began to glow as he unleashed a dense beam of his heat vision at Artimes. The temperature was rising on the island due to the intensity of the attack. Artimes had managed to block it with her bracelets, but the force had driven her deeper into the wall. She could not even be seen as the melted marble wall poured onto the ground like ice cream.

Diakon chased her, and he went into the darkness. A few shockwaves and loud blows echoed into the arena as the wall broke apart. Artemis was launched through the wall back into the arena. The Amazon crawled to the wall as she tried to use it to stand up but failed as she fell face-first onto the floor after just getting to her feet as Diakon stepped back into the arena.

"One minute, thirty seconds!" Queen Hippolyta shouted the time Artimes had lasted against the Prince, her voice laced with some distaste at the brutal beatdown that had just taken place.

The Amazons were all silent as they watched the former number one of their fighting force baring the Queen, who was so easily beaten within an inch of her life. Amazons scurried to pick up Artimes and place her on a stretcher as they tried to get her to eat a Senzu bean.

The crowd soon erupted into cheers at the battle and the extreme display of power they had witnessed. Though the Amazons were not a war-craving race like the Sayians, they were still a warrior race and enjoyed the thrill of battle and could appreciate the strength that had been displayed to them.

-The End -

This is the penultimate chapter before the first volume is finished and we move on to volume two and away from themescyria and the starting of this saga.

Thanks tell me what you thought of this extra-long chapter promised id give you lot a 2,000 word chapter and I delivered even if later than promised hope you like it