Two Main Gods in One Fell Swoop

After their brief burst of joy, the Amazonian warriors raised a new concern.

"But what about the Aztecs? They won't just let us leave."

They were practically meat on a chopping block. All it would take was one more strike, and they'd be served up for dinner. How could those bastards possibly give up such succulent meat when it was already right there, and let them go?

Hippolyta sighed. "The goddess's Divine Decree was [The Aztecs will not be a problem]."

"What?"

One strange thing after another happened.

Before long, the other side really did send an envoy, saying they would follow the will of their gods and let the Amazons leave.

The baffled Amazons withdrew in an orderly fashion, still not quite understanding what was going on.

It wasn't until they had returned to their respective territories and reached the magnificent Temple of the Hunting Goddess that they learned the truth.

Before the fifty thousand Amazonian warriors of the two great Amazon tribes, the sacred flame in the temple's brazier suddenly surged high, and a virtual image of Artemis, the Hunting Goddess, appeared.

A divine manifestation!

It really was a divine manifestation!?

Both queens were stunned. They immediately led their people in a synchronized prostration.

"Greetings, Goddess Artemis!"

"Rise, my followers!"

The two queens noticed that the goddess wore a complicated expression. For once, emotions such as sorrow, indignation, and resentment were clearly visible on a face that had always seemed so cheerful.

The goddess's first words hit like a thunderclap.

"I was framed by that damned Hera!"

At that moment, every Amazonian warrior felt her heart stop for an instant.

The goddess didn't need to tell them any of this. Even a simple Divine Decree would have been enough for them to obey her orders without question.

But