The Lost Queen of the Amazons

Prologue

Vespera faced the window of her castle, looking down at the destruction, strewn piles of dead bodies and fading fires. Her red hair stuck to the sides of her face and her green eyes were filled with remorse. She had a long gash running along her cheek and her armor was covered in dirt and blood.

It was night and the sky seemed to be happy, revealing a sea of stars. The moonlight cast an eerie glow over the pall of things on earth. 

She looked at the sleeping figure in her arms. Her daughter, whom she had molded out of clay and was blessed by several gods, lay asleep peacefully. She was barely a toddler and yet she had learned how to walk and was starting to mimic her elders.

She handed Verena to her trusted General, Avyanna. "Take her somewhere far away." She ordered. "Place her in the care of a good family who will give her the love that I will not be able to."

Avyanna nodded her head. "As you command my Queen." She answered.

"Don't tell her about her true self. Let her live a normal life for a few years before she gets to know."

Avyanna nodded and set out. She held the baby close to her chest as she rounded behind the castle and untethered a small wooden boat. There were a few supplies for her as well. 

Vespera watched sadly as Avyanna placed Verena in a crate and started rowing away from the island. A tear fell out of her eye as a piece of her heart left the island for good.

The next day, the Amazons lost their fight to Sakai, a demon with unimaginable powers. They had fought bravely but unfortunately, they were not enough. The were taken captive by his demonic army.

All the demons had surrounded a small elevated platform where Vespera was stripped of her armor and forced to kneel down. A muscular figure, Sakai himself, held an axe in his hand.

"You lost the fight my dear Queen." He smirked. "Now, what is your last wish before I kill you."

She locked eyes with the chained Amazons and took a deep breath. Her eyes filled with hatred as she uttered the curse.

"Heed my words and heed my curse, no crops shall flourish, no trees shall grow, no flowers shall bloom and no water shall quench thee. No metal, gem or jewel shall be attained by thyself. Unless the heir comes back, may this land be dry forever."

The demons snickered. "Bold words Queen." Sakai stated. "Now meet your death."

A single tear trickled down from her eye as she closed her eyes. The sharp blade of the axe came in contact with her neck and severed it in one single swift blow. The Amazons screamed and moaned for their loss and the demons cheered as her severed head fell to the ground.

Sakai turned to the demons. "The land is ours now. Exile the Amazons."

But to their horror, Vespera's words had turned into reality. As if like a wave, a grey color took over the island, killing every plant, flower and tree. The grass died, the trees crumbled and the flowers became lifeless. The mighty rivers flowing in the island became dry. The wells dried up as well. Everything was dead. 

After what felt like days, Avyanna approached a harbor. She took Verena, the bare minimum supplies and went ashore where she abandoned the boat. She asked for directions and took a taxi to the nearest train station. 

She was surprised that people looked at her incredulously. Some women even hid their kids behind them and others just hurried past her. She could hear some men hurl slurs at her but she ignored them to protect Verena. She knew if she started a fight with them, Verena could get hurt. 

She took the train to Delhi as it was the most recent one. She had been to the real world before but that was five years ago and things didn't seem to change. Queen Vespera had given her cash to last her a while.

She boarded the train and gently fed Verena. She changed her clothes and rocked her to sleep. She dozed off too and when her eyes opened, the train was trickling to a stop at her station.

Now she was clueless about what to do. She got down from the train, holding Verena's hand tightly as she led her from the sea of people crowding at the station. The smell of urine, sweat and food overwhelmed her but she kept going.

Avyanna wandered the streets with Verena asleep in her arms. Avyanna herself was tired, hungry and homeless. A kind lady had offered her and Verena food while others just casually tossed coins at her, mistaking her for a beggar. Other than that, she was mostly ignored with a few stares.

It was night, the streets were empty and the air was silent. It was eerie. Avyanna shivered, gripping Verena even more tightly. She hated this place. It was so dark, grey with no trees around.  Beggars lay on the streets covered in blankets and the sight of them disgusted Avyanna.

The night was chilly. Avyanna pulled a shawl over herself and wrapped another cloth tightly around Verena. But her hands remained out of the cloth, no matter how hard Avyanna tried to  tuck them inside.

She finally came across a modest bungalow. It was modest but large with two stories and a humongous roof. Avyanna placed the sleeping Verena at their doorstep. She kissed her forehead.

"I will come back for you again." She whispered, mostly to herself as if it was an assurance to her. 

She knocked on the door and hid behind around the corner of a wall. She watched patiently as the door opened and the lady was shocked to see a baby. She called her husband who was equally shocked.

They went back and forth for ten minutes before the woman gently scooped the baby in her arms and went inside with her husband at her heels. After she heard the door close, she sighed.

"Stay safe princess. I will come back for you."

Hey there. I was just brainstorming story ideas and this seemed to be good to me. I was having a burnout with the previous story so I'm starting this. Hope you all like it. Do vote, comment and share. Let me know if you have any suggestions or tips.