An Amazon Odyssey, Part 2: The Helmet of Hades

“Uhh, where am I…”

Chryseis, the heroine known to the world as Amazon Arrow, woke up slowly, completely disoriented.  She looked around, but wherever she was, it was almost pitch dark.  It was quite cool as well – it seemed to be the inside of a large cave.  She couldn’t see or hear anyone else around her, but still she tried a “Hello? Is anyone there?” with no response.

She slowly got to her feet, and as she did, her head throbbed a bit.  She vaguely remembered a sudden and painful blow to the back of her head, but nothing else after that.  As her eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light, Chryseis realized that she was inside some sort of large cage.  She found the door and tried it, but it was securely locked from the outside.  She made a few attempts to break the door down, and to move the bars of the cage, but it was made of an incredibly strong metal, and she couldn’t budge it one bit.

She remembered getting the call from Queen Hippolyta, to check on a stolen shield from the Queen City Museum of Natural History; she remembered heading towards the museum as soon as she got the message.  She didn’t remember making it to the museum, though – had someone intercepted her before she could get there? She just couldn’t remember it all.  A tingling sensation on the back of her neck, though, told her there was probably a connection.

She checked her hands – she still had her Light Rings - the source of her powers, as well as her ability to generate the Soul Bow and Soul Arrows.  She could try to charge one of her Arrows enough that it could cause an explosion and rip open the door – but her inability to get far enough away from the blast would be too dangerous to risk at this point.  

She looked around the inside of the cage again…there were two cases of bottled water against the back wall, as well as several boxes filled with non-perishable food items.  The realization hit her – whoever it was that had captured her planned on keeping her there for quite some time…


Meanwhile, back in the Queen City Museum of Natural History, three heroines were sitting around a table, trying to figure out where the unknown thief might strike next.  Athena Nikos, also known as White Owl, had a stack of Greek history books in front of her; her Amazonian friends Curia (Wonder Woman) and Tania (Ultra Woman) were each looking through one of the books as well.  All they knew at this point was that someone had broken into the exhibit room where the Aegis, the shield of the goddess Athena, was kept, and stolen it; and whoever it was had summoned the evil sorceress goddess Circe to deal with whoever showed up to investigate the Aegis’ disappearance.

“Why do I get the feeling,” Tania said, breaking the silence, “that Circe knows more than she told us?  She is powerful enough to at least partially resist our Lasso’s power, I think.”

“Oh, I am sure of it,” Curia replied.  “And I don’t believe for a second that we’ve seen the last of her.”

Athena looked up from what she was reading, as she listened to the conversation.  “Okay, you two, this is what I think at this point.  The Aegis has the head of Medusa on it, because the shield is one of the items that was given to Perseus, that enabled him to slay her.  There are several other artifacts that he was given as well; the Helmet of Hades, Hermes’ winged sandals, as well as Hermes’ sword and magic wallet.  I have found two resources that suggest that if someone were able to possess all five items at the same time, he or she could potentially reincarnate Medusa’s head inside the shield.  And I think you both know what that means.”

Curia and Tania both nodded.  “They could turn anyone who looks at the Aegis into stone, right?” Curia asked.

“Exactly.  That seems to be our best lead at this point, so I say we follow it.  I’m going to make a couple of phone calls, see if I can find out where any of the remaining artifacts are being kept.”  Athena got up and walked across the room with her phone in hand, as Curia and Tania looked back at the other.

“I’m really worried about Chryseis,” Curia said to Tania.  “Circe did say she had nothing to do with whatever happened to her…assuming we believe her, we have less of a lead on her than we do on the shield.”

“I agree – but I also have a feeling that if we can find the Aegis, we’ll find her, too.  I just hope and pray nothing too bad has happened to her-”

“Don’t say it,” Curia broke in.  “We have lost too many Amazons as it is.  She is strong and tough – I believe she is still alive.  I have to.”

Athena walked back over just as they were finishing their somber conversation.  “Okay, I called a friend of mine who works at the Athens Archaeological Museum.  They have the Helmet of Hades on display; I told them to post extra guards around it until we can get there.”

“Okay, I know I am going to regret asking this,” Curia said, “but what does this Helmet do?”

“It makes the wearer invisible,” Athena replied.  “That is how Perseus was able to sneak up on the Gorgon and cut off her head.  He needed all five of the artifacts in order to ensure her death – that is why all five are necessary if one is trying to attempt to reincarnate her.”

The Amazons both gasped.  “We had better get to that Helmet first, then,” Curia said, “it sounds like the kind of thing that could also be very dangerous in the wrong hands!”

“Follow me.” Athena motioned them towards the back of the room.  “There is a secret door on this back wall – we can exit the museum without being seen.  Night is falling quickly, and I fear that whoever is behind this is already a step ahead of us.”  She pressed a button behind a painting on the wall, and the wall slid open.

“I bet you use this door a lot, Athena,” Tania smiled, as the three heroines slid through it one at a time.   Once the door had closed securely behind them, they took to the air, White Owl taking the lead – as it was her who knew the exact location of the Athens museum.  By the light of the full moon, they flew at full speed, reaching Athens just as the clear sky went totally black.

Athena landed on the grass in front of the now-closed museum, with Tania and Curia right behind her.  There was smoke pouring from the back side of the museum as they rushed in; they followed the trail of smoke until they reached its source.  It was an exhibit room, not dissimilar to the one they had just left in Queen City; and, just like that one, it was missing the artifact it was meant to be displaying.

“We’re too late!” Athena shouted in disgust, as the three heroines pushed through the smoke-filled room, looking for any clues.  There was a large hole that had been blown through the back wall, leading to the outside; that appeared to be the point of entry.  There was some blood splattered all across the room – presumably belonging to the guards who had been assigned to watch the Helmet.  Tania found one of them lying on the far side of the room, his throat cut.  Curia looked out of the hole, and pointed to the ground below, where two more guards’ bodies lay.

“I’m going outside, see if either of them are still alive,” Curia stated, as Athena and Tania continued to comb the room for any sign of who had done this.  The room was on the second floor of the museum, so it was a small jump for Wonder Woman as she landed on the ground.  As she did, she heard a noise, rustling through the trees a hundred feet behind the museum.

“Who’s there?” Curia shouted, as she flew towards the noise, into the woods.  The farther in she flew, the darker it got, and soon she wasn’t able to see anything – much less whatever had made the rustling sound.  She turned back to see if she could still see the museum, and as she did, she felt a sudden jolt of energy being shot into her back, knocking her flat to the ground below.

“Aaaaah!” she screamed, as the pain was excruciating; it spread from where it had entered, all through her torso.  “Aaaaah!”  She was sprawled flat on her stomach on the ground, twitching and spasming from the intense pain, when she felt a hand grab her hair roughly, and pull her head back a bit.

“Mmm, Wonder Woman,” a feline female voice purred into her ear.  “You look delicious.  Mind if I take a bite?”

“Aaaaah!” Curia screamed again, as the pain continued.  “Cheetah?”

The hand pulled Curia harder, flipping her roughly onto her back, as the pain finally began to subside.  

“Wrong guess, honey.”  Curia’s eyes widened as she looked up at a female that did resemble Cheetah a bit, but with darker skin and tiger stripes.  And sharp fangs protruding from her grinning mouth.  Her silver outfit barely covered her at all, and she held a familiar-looking bow in her left hand.  “My name is Pyrrah.”

Curia gasped in shock as she heard the name she knew as the original Amazon Arrow…until she was bitten by a lycanthrope, and turned into the were-tiger standing over her now.  Now evil, she had been replaced as the Amazon Arrow by her former lover, Chryseis, who Curia knew well.  As the effects of Pyrrah’s Soul Arrow finally wore off, Curia pulled herself up to her feet.

The feline villainess smiled as her Night Rings began to glow, and another Soul Arrow was created; but, before she had a chance to shoot it, a red-and-gold blur came through the trees and slammed into her, knocking her thirty yards backwards through the forest.

“You really have great timing, Tania, you know that?” Curia exclaimed, as Ultra Woman came to a landing next to her.  She rubbed her back where a few minutes earlier, Pyrrah’s Soul Arrow had hit her.  “Those things really hurt, by the way.  Remind me never to get on Chryseis’ bad side, ok?”

Tania nodded, as her eyes scanned the trees for Pyrrah.  “I don’t think she is finished yet, Wonder Woman.  She is one tough c-Aaaaah!” she screamed suddenly, as a Soul Arrow hit her square in the chest, knocking her down to the ground hard.  Curia immediately took to the air, flying in the direction the arrow came from.  She knew that she had a minute or so before Pyrrah had enough stamina to create another Soul Arrow, so she had to act fast!

“Show yourself, Pyrrah!” Wonder Woman shouted as she flew through the trees, her eyes scanning rapidly, desperately trying to locate the lycanthrope.  “Where did you go?”

“Right here, honey,” a voice purred into her ear.  Curia stiffened, as a warm feeling rippled through her.  Curia let out a soft gasp, as Pyrrah turned the heroine around to face her, their eyes meeting as Curia floated in the air, inches away from the seductress in the tree.  Curia’s eyes fluttered, as she remembered a warning Chryseis had given her – something about Pyrrah’s hypnotic gaze – but it was too late.  She was lost, entranced, as Pyrrah cupped her head with both hands and drew her lips close to Curia’s.

“No,” she mumbled, but there was no power behind it.  A hundred yards behind her, Tania still lay on the ground, overwhelmed by the pain of the Soul Arrow that had hit her.

“Don’t fight it, honey,” Pyrrah purred.  “One bite, and you’ll belong to me forever, my pet,” and she lowered her mouth to Curia’s neck.  She was just about to take a bite when a fist suddenly connected with the back of her head.  Pyrrah lost her grip on Curia, and the two plummeted towards the earth; just as Curia was about to hit the ground, White Owl – who had delivered the punch – swooped down and caught her.

Curia was still in a trance-like state as Athena gently lowered her to the ground.  “Snap out of it!” Athena shouted, as Curia slowly started shaking her head.  Behind them, Tania had recovered, and was tying up the semi-conscious Pyrrah with her lasso.

“Thank Hera,” Curia finally breathed, as her head cleared.  “That was close…”

“This is why we have to do this together,” Athena admonished her.  “Don’t go flying off like that without letting us know!  We have to watch each other’s backs – there is much evil afoot.”

“You are telling me!” Curia exclaimed, as they approached the bound Pyrrah.  “Okay, Pyrrah, you have a lot of explaining to do!”

“I don’t have to tell you anything, honey,” Pyrrah purred, as she turned her gaze back to Wonder Woman, smiling.  “I know you just want to look in my eyes again, get lost in my eyes again, Wonderrr Woman…”

“Oh no you don’t!”  Tania growled, as she yanked the lasso.  “Now you are going to tell me everything.  And leave my friend alone!”

Curia blinked, shaking her head again, as Pyrrah grumbled.  “Aww.  No fun.  The things I could do with that,” and she chuckled as she waved in Curia’s direction.

Tania was having none of it.  “What do you know about the Helmet of Hades? Where is it?”

“How should I know?” Pyrrah shouted back.  “Although the idea of becoming invisible…being able to sneak up on a delicious morsel…” and she winked at Curia, who quickly looked away.

“Then why are you here?  Who stole the Helmet?”

“I couldn’t tell you, because I don’t know,” Pyrrah sighed.  “I got this anonymous message, telling me that if I showed up here at this time, there would be some yummy heroines I could fight, or…” and as her voice trailed, she winked once more at Curia.

“Same story we got from Circe,” Athena said.  “Okay then, what about Chryseis?”

“What about her?” Pyrrah asked.

“She’s been missing since yesterday,” Tania said.  “Don’t tell me you don’t know anything about that, either?”

Pyrrah shook her head, as Athena came up and whispered into Tania’s ear.  Ultra Woman tightened the lasso a bit more as she spoke.  “Your Night Rings are connected somehow to her Light Rings.  You can find her.  Tell us where she is!”

“Why would I want to help you, Amazon?” Pyrrah barked, resisting the lasso’s power.  “Your orders aren’t going to work on me!”

Athena just smiled, and turned to Curia.  “Wonder Woman, would you be so kind as to toss your lasso around her?  Maybe you can resist one lasso, Pyrrah, but not two!”  Curia wrapped her lasso around the defiant were-tiger, just above Tania’s and pulled tight.

“Where is Chryseis?” the two Amazons asked in unison.

“Fine,” Pyrrah growled, and focused her energy into her Night Rings.  “Chryseis…where are you…ah, there you are, my love…”

“Where?” Tania shouted.

“Delphi,” Pyrrah answered.  “The Oracle.  It’s a cave, here in Greece.  She’s in some sort of cage, but she’s unharmed.”  She paused, looking at Tania menacingly.  “I suppose you want me to take you rotten do-gooders to her, don’t you?”

“Why, yes,” Curia smiled, as she realized she had nothing to fear from Pyrrah now that she was held by the lassos.  “Now.”

It took only a few minutes’ flight, and the four of them – three heroines and one reluctant were-tiger – arrived at the cave’s entrance.  The combined strength of Wonder Woman, Ultra Woman, and White Owl was enough to yank the door loose, and their friend was free!  Chryseis, ecstatic, hugged them all tightly.

“How did you find me?”  she finally asked, after they were done with the hugging and were walking out of the cave together.

“Pyrrah,” Athena answered her.  “She’s right-”  And she stopped, because all that was at the entrance to the cave were two lassos, the other ends still tied to a marble column nearby.  “She’s gone!”

“Great,” Curia muttered, as she and Tania collected their magical ropes.  “At least you are safe, Chryseis.  We were so worried!”  She gave her friend another hug.  

“Thank you.  But if you met Pyrrah, it is I who would have been worried.  Did you remember my warning, about her eyes?”

Curia blushed a bit as she told the Amazon Arrow how close she had come to a terrible fate.  “I had no idea how powerful her gaze could be!  I will be more careful from now on, that’s for sure!”

They took a few minutes to get the Amazon Arrow up to speed on the two stolen artifacts.  “I am almost certain now,” Athena said, “that someone means to bring back Medusa in some form.  We have to find the other artifacts – the Winged Sandals, Sword, and Magic Wallet – the three items Hermes gave to Perseus – and find them before they do!”

“So,” Tania said, “back to Queen City? More research?”  She didn’t look excited at the prospect of having to pore over more boring texts.

“No,” answered White Owl.  “I know where the Sandals are.  Follow me!”  Curia and Tania together lifted Chryseis, who couldn’t fly, into the air, and they followed Athena, wondering all the while where their adventure would take them next…