By Jasmine Monica Chapter 20

The Prophet
Serinina takes on Italy and makes final preparations for her landing on the Golden Isles. Patinea finds herself more frustrated with her sisters success and events in her personal life.

Serinina had taken her first city, Ariminum, in this war without a fight. As soon as her phalanx approached the gates, the wall guards opened the gates and her phalanx was invited in. Once inside, the city's leaders surrendered to her. Her tactic worked wonders, and now it was time for more.

They made camp outside of the city and she told her people to go have some rest or pleasure. Her soldiers had fun in Ariminum.

Later that day, she split her army and took half, sending the other five hoplite units with Ajax to take the city of Arretium.

She sent her hoplite commanders to demand the surrender of Pisarum, Fanum, and Acona. Meanwhile, she waited with the rest of her hoplite phalanxes for a response from her commanders.

The answer she waited for arrived within a day. Pisarum, Fanum, and Acona opened their gates to her hoplites, surrendering to her side without a fight. Ajax took Arretium with little resistance after the city guards were taken. Her propaganda campaign was more successful than she had anticipated. It was amazing. By now, she had a sizable chunk of Italy on her side, so she resolved to march toward Auximum. That city was occupied by a legion loyal to the Ostrogoths. Serinina guessed that taking Auximum would result in a fight with the Roman Legion defending it. Ten cohorts defended Auximum. Serinina had one entire phalanx. Her phalanx was roughly equal to the legion as she approached Auximum.

Auximum’s leaders must have known there wasn't much of a chance against Serinina's Thirteenth Phalanx. She saw the city's defending legion rush out the back gate and head away as fast as possible when her phalanx approached. They gave chase and followed the legion to destroy it.

The legion's rear ranks turned and formed up to defend as the front of her phalanx, and her personal guard attacked. Serinina threw herself into the fight as her hoplites advanced with their shields and the fight was broken up. Most of the defending cohort were slain by Serinina’s spear and her sword. Auximum had fallen, and much of the remaining legion joined her ranks. Which caused a serious problem now.

Roman legionnaires turned from their former commanders to join Serinina in the fight. Her Spartans had vastly superior and different training. They fought differently. How could she possibly incorporate Roman legionnaires in her phalanx? They saw the problem, and the cohort’s commander approached and told Serinina, “I know our fighting styles are vastly different, and you don't want to accept us.”

“I do, Commander,” Serinina assured him. “But the question is how with your different standards of training and style of fighting.”

“Easy,” said the Centurion. ”We will fight as legions, and you will have several cohorts of legionnaires to help your phalanx. It looks like another phalanx is approaching.”

Serinina looked up the road, and her Twelfth Phalanx was quickly approaching her position. She had two entire phalanxes and half of a legion at her command. Her Twelfth Phalanx commander reported that much of the Franks had fallen. The Campaign was winding down.

All that was left now was the enormous city of Corfinium. The city was defended by a force roughly equal to Serinina's. They had two entire Ostrogoth Legions defending it. She saw they were ready for a fight as they approached. The city was guarded by large walls and towers topped by ballistae.

She could not besiege a city with forces roughly equal to hers. Not with those towers, so she built a defensive camp just outside of the ballistae range. Her camp could be defended from an assault, and the legions knew that attacking the camp would cost many people. Serinina knew that launching an assault would cost her many of her troops. They were at a stalemate.

Within days of building her camp, her cities raised another entire legion, and the new legion marched into her camp to help. Then her eight phalanxes approached and this raised her entire forces to the equivalent of five entire legions. She had four phalanxes and more than one legion.

Corfinium was now outnumbered and the forces had been ordered to abandon the city.

The only problem was that once Serinina saw she vastly outnumbered the forces defending Corfinium and her army began building siegeworks and walling the city in, the city’s forces could not break the siege. They were trapped and their commander tried to sneak out, only to be caught by his own soldiers. The legions surrendered the entire city and handed the commander to Serinina. Corfinium had fallen, and now she nearly had nine legions and marched into Rome. The whole region had fallen. Italy had fallen to Serinina. Most of its people saw it as a liberation from the Ostrogoths.

Xxxxxx

Patinea was enraged that it had been suggested to her to make peace with her upstart brother. There’s no way she was going to make peace with that little pipsqueak. Her annoying little brother, who had made her life a living hell, would feel what it was like. She didn't have to make peace with him at all. If he dared to challenge her, then she would deal with him with the ease she had dealt with all of the other enemies that had thought to challenge her. She was the chosen one. The Goddess herself chose her to be King. Who would challenge that?

She had been in an argument with her mother and Actonia and they were against her. How could anyone even suggest that? However, her mother finally got sick of it and actually yelled at her, “Patinea, shut it. You have no idea who you are facing here, so let me explain it to you. When we chose your brother as the heir, his sex had little to do with it. I agreed with it then, and his sex wasn't much of a consideration. It was his compassion and brilliance. That’s why we chose him. Not to mention his strength, which he has been displaying for all who cared to watch his conquests across Greece, Troy, and now Rome itself. The Franks will fall soon. You sure as hell couldn't have achieved that, and this is all after he was transformed into a woman. I knew that changing him into a woman wouldn't affect him as much as the witches hoped. I knew he was strong enough to handle it. He had a woman's strength and a woman's heart. I think he was meant to be a woman. But let me explain his brilliance, Patinea,”

“Okay,” She quipped.

“You know we sent him across the world to learn from the world’s greatest. We sent him to the great Kahn of the east. We sent him to the Southern Song dynasty under their emperor Wu to learn under their emperor and study under Sun Tzu, and even Trajan. Then he learned under the Amazons. He learned about tactics, military, provisions, strategy, and it all. He played games like checkers and chess. And after he learned from all of those minds, he beat them. He beat them at everything. That’s how brilliant your brother is, and as you know, he also had a spiteful and cruel side that you only enraged. There’s no way you can beat him Patinea. Now let me explain about the troops he is leading. The Spartans. I don’t think you understand who they are, so let me explain their training.”

Patinea was now enthralled, and she felt fear crawling up her back. Her annoying brother was that brilliant. Now she was very afraid.

“The Spartans were once a tiny elite part of the Greek military units. At most, ten thousand strong. Now they are hundreds of thousands. Not as highly trained mind you, but enough. Boys are taken from their homes at age seven to begin their military training. It’s not like here where our soldiers have other jobs for their families like farming and their fields and crops or blacksmiths and fight when called. War is all the spartans in the military do since they are children. They train their entire life. Spartan training is brutal, and only those who survive the training can call themselves warriors. For instance, they train to not show fear when outnumbered. They actually prefer being outnumbered and often train four to five on one and succeed. They train to not show pain, your brother did this when he was sent to Sparta at seven. A boy will be tied to a post and beaten until they learn to not show pain. That’s only the beginning. Serinina had expanded this training to all of the Greeks who want to train in what they call the Agoge. So Patinea,” Aanya smirked, “You seriously think our soldiers stand a chance against even ten thousand Spartans, let alone fifty thousand? And the Amazons training is even worse, and Serinina expanded that to include the formerly captive boys. Do you think our army stands a chance? You better think about this”

“Why in Hell didn't I get this education and training?” Patinea demanded. “Why?”

“You would have failed. Your brother was far stronger and smarter. That’s why he was the heir. The Goddess made a sexist error simply because of your sex, you were thought worthier. That’s a decision she will pay for, with her life and her ambitions over us. She played with the wrong person's life. She should have chosen Serin.”

“It's too bad for all of us,” Actonia said out loud. “Prognita’s plan was a good plan. She wanted to liberate us from the Church of Maxis. Serin will enslave us. I just can’t believe how horrible this turned out. I used to think it was so cute. I used to sing a song about the boy princess. ‘The pretty boy princess in his dress and crushed in his corset. He looks so fair as he prances in his gown.’ It was so cute I would giggle. I used to sing it when he was around, or I would hum the tune. It would anger him so much at first until he learned to accept it. But there’s nothing funny now. No one is laughing now.

"I didn’t see this in any of my visions.” Actonia pointed out. “But unlike Patinea, I did see his acceptance of his life as a girl to a level that no one thought was possible. I saw it in the other life too. But in this life, I saw how he accepted it but hated the cruelty we all inflicted on him. There are many things I missed. His acceptance of being a woman and how he found peace with it. How he used it to strengthen him and reform his outlooks. I was especially surprised by his marriage to a man.”

“Marriage,” Patinea and Aanya shouted. “To a man?”

“Not actually a man,” Actonia said. “Serinina married a god. Ares, the Greek’s God of War.”

Aanya nearly laughed and said, “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

“And she is pregnant with his child. Ares strengthens her and her army. Not that it needs Ares, but it’s unstoppable. She will soon start showing she is with child and have to rest. That should be by the time she arrives here.”

“Aanya, you knew his strength, and you saw this coming, didn’t you? Why didn’t you warn us?”

Aanya shrugged, “You made your choices, and I supported you then. I helped you do this because I thought it was for the best. I knew he would overcome it all. I knew he would soon accept and love being a girl. So, I just watched and prepared. He just never knew I fully expected him to accept it. I knew he hated me for supporting this plot. I turned on my son, and I knew he would hate us all. I knew of your hatred Patinea. I am going to enjoy watching your dreams get shattered into dust.” Aanya flashed a vicious and triumphant smirk. “That’s what I find amusing. But I feel like I betrayed both of my children. Both of you hate me.”

“I remember it was so funny when it started. Seeing the big strong sexist warrior prince in a dress and a corset was so amusing. Seeing him living the life we were forced in was so wonderful. Seeing his frustration and humiliation. Many of us laughed. It was funny. No one is laughing now.” Actonia quipped. “All we feel now is dread.”

Then she switched gears. This may be something none of them were aware of, except for Actonia. “I remember a Serin that many of you may not be aware of. Aanya, do you remember Serin's childhood as a Duke's son in Guanefer and his confirmation as a witch, raising him there and him being a teacher at a school for witchcraft?”

Aanya blinked in confusion and asked, “Actonia, are you drunk or something? My son was a prince raised in Denaerk. Not a Duke, and he wasn’t raised in Guenefer. And they would never have a boy be a teacher for girls.”

“Many things were reset when the Witch Moon appeared. One of them was the false timeline Serin and the Goddess created to try to spare him the pain of his unwanted transformation. What he didn't count on was it spared him nothing. He still had the vivid and painful memories of this timeline. He still had the ingrained femininity and knowledge of witchcraft he gained from the Hekatin. He was a boy in this timeline that I remember. But he was mighty in the ways of the Goddess. He was one of the youngest witches ever to pass the three ways. He was confirmed as a witch at around ten years old. That gave him full rights as a witch, and he was established as a teacher. I remember being taught by him, and he was great. Many of the girls would have died for him. He was full of love and compassion, and that endeared himself to the girl's hearts. But the plan failed, and the Goddess reset time, so now we are in the original time. Serin is coming for us all.”

Xxxxxx

Patinea walked into her chambers to see Asyrn standing in front of one of her full-length mirrors applying a purified wheat powder to the foundation of his face and then taking some of her ground Lilly root to help with the base coat. Then she watched in disgust as Asyrn took a light brush of her ground sulfur to smear around his eyelids to darken them like women.

Then he used some wax to redden his lips. Patinea’s stomach twisted in disgust, and she felt her stomach heave. How could a man she once loved demean himself like this, and turn to look at her with pure venom on his eyes? He snarled in hate, “If you don't care about your femininity, then someone should. I will be getting my own cosmetics soon. But until then, I have taken the liberty to help myself to yours as you no longer use them since you decided to seize the crown from your brother, and consign him to this unwanted life.”

“Help yourself, you can have it,” said Patinea as he smiled joyously. “I just wish you would fight this. How can you demean yourself as a man?”

He giggled a girlish giggle that made her twist in revulsion. “You are so stupid, King Patinea. And you just don't get what this revolution you were entrusted with is all about. You seem to think we should be taking men's place and rejecting our femininity. You are ashamed of your femininity. But many women are proud of it, and we believe that is our strength as women.”

“You are not a woman,” Patinea yelled at Asyrn, and that nearly made him burst into tears.

He stood his ground and replied, “Yes, I am, and I won't be ashamed to appear as a woman. This is part of our strength, and you are ashamed. You have been ashamed of your femininity all your life and struggled against it. I can't blame you,” Asyrn said. “It was a large part of our culture and what the priests taught us all. Being a woman was a shame, a punishment from Maxis, and women were lower than men. You got to watch your brother get all of your parent's love, be trained for his responsibilities, and be ignored. But don't let that turn you against what it means to be a woman. We are stronger than men, and we don't have to live as a man to show it. That weakens us. Think about it, Patinea. There's a reason why women were not even allowed to be educated for hundreds of years following the great revolution of Maxis. Women were kept illiterate and forbidden to be educated. They knew then that we were smarter and stronger than they were. And there's a reason they ended that and started allowing women to be educated in only the basics. But we expanded it from there, right under their nose and women started getting educated in the ways of the Goddess and magic. That is our strength. So please embrace it and stop trying to live as a man. You only give them strength over us.”

“Asyrn,” Patinea said, “You are not a woman and you can't possibly understand what it is like for us. And you can never understand what it was like for me seeing my little brother get the life I wanted.”

“You should never want that life at all,” Asyrn said. “Fighting and combat.”

Patinea frowned, “Are you saying we can't do those things?” She felt her anger rising. “I am the one chosen by the Goddess Prognita. I have shown I can fight.”

“I never said we can't fight. We can fight as well as men. I am saying we shouldnt want to fight. The greastest leaders were those wise enough to avoid a fight. The best made peace. But if we must fight a war then we do it our way. There are a great many women fighters around the world. But we use speed and technique to overcome men's physical strength.

"You seem to want to use brute strength to overwhelm men the way they do, and when it doesn't work, you use terror to force it to work. Like when you used your magic to steal that blacksmith's physical strength and force him to be a palace maid and an object of ridicule. You tried to take mine, but I refused, and I have the family connections you require. That man didn't, and you were able to force him to hand over his strength and terrorize him into compliance. That was wrong, and it will come back to you.

"What you did to your brother and that man is just justifying the worst of men's fears that you want to steal all of their lives and replace them. Patinea, we have different strengths that are greater than what men possess. You shouldn't want a man's strength. Unless you want to become a man, and that can be done just like when you made your brother a girl. Imagine if you made yourself into his older brother and took his crown,” Asyrn giggled at the thought. “That could have been just as humiliating to him but maybe not as satisfying to you. You would have never seen him wear a dress then.”

“I don’t want to be a man,” Patinea replied. “But I also don’t want to be weaker than men. The way you used to overpower me, humiliated me.”

“I didn’t want to give you my strength. I need it, what you did was wrong. I bet there would be many men willing to give you their strength if you only asked them in the name of the King. But you chose a man to steal it from. Then you justify it to yourself that it was good for him. How selfish can you be? This is what we hate men about. Their anger and selfishness. Your brother has shown he is a better girl than you are. Where you have enslaved men. She has liberated them and protected them, but I don't think she will come to protect us. We have you to thank for that one, so thank you, Patinea.”

Asyrn gathered his new cosmetics in a handbag and began to mince out. Then he turned to Patinea and said, “You deserve the credit for this. Thank you and thank you for the makeup.” Then he walked out, moving his hips and legs as a woman as he walked out, swaying his hips side to side.

Xxxxxxx

Serinina stood on the grounds of the Roman forum holding a ceremony that had not been held for centuries. It had certainly never been held for a woman. She stood there as the leaves were put in her hair, and the proconsul proclaimed her dictator for life.

The last person to take this title was Gaius Julius Caesar when he claimed the title of Dictator of the senate. And he was killed in this very spot for it. She wouldn’t be killed for it now. Actually, Serinina was certain she would live. Her sister claimed the crown after destroying her. Try to beat this. “Eat your heart out, sister. I have just been crowned the Dictator of Rome.” There is no real senate anymore. The council and its proconsul had been dissolved for little more than a century. She reinstated it all and liberated the Romans.

Octavian was named the primary citizen of Rome in this very spot to avoid having to claim the title of Dictator. But, they meant the same thing. Everyone answers to her, or him, regardless of what title is used.

Paris was under siege by Ajax. They wouldn't last long. Pretty soon, her army would be on the coast of Calae and ready to land on the Golden Isles. She planned to circle around and take the northern half and the little island to the west. Those minor territories were not as prized as the mainland, but they were enough for her to occupy. She had still not got over the way her sister treated her. She was so horrifically cruel to her and then to claim that because she was a girl, she couldn’t become King. How sexist and insulting was that. She deserved to pay for everything that she did. Patinea didn’t know it, but hell was coming her way.

But for now, it was finally time to claim her real crown. She was Lilith, and it was time to travel to Edon, confront her, and claim the crown of Edon and make the princes kneel before her power. She had to find the portal hidden somewhere in Anatolia. It was at a place named Hierapolis. Getting there would be easy, and her garrisons could handle the job here while she was away claiming her true power.

She arranged the details of who would be in charge and what their job was here. They were to restore the roman religion and their former government offices that were dissolved under the Ostrogoths and the Vandals. Then she leaped into the air and took off toward the Plutonian temple at Hierapolis.

She had a general idea of where this place was. It was somewhere within the interior of Anatolia. This was where the Trojans ruled and where her sister Cassandra ruled her people from the city of Troy. It was a place they were forbidden to go to. This was the city for the dead. Their God Pluto and Hades ruled this place. It was the only way to the realm of Edon.

Serinina had flown up past where the atmosphere ended. She felt the air thin and the sky darken around her. She was actually in orbit now, circling around the planet, waiting to descend toward Anatolia. It was a forbidding place that many people feared. Even Serinina felt some fear as she angled herself to descend toward Anatolia. Her body heated up as the air whipped past her. Its friction caused her body to glow white-hot. Even her obscene sized breasts glowed from the friction of the air as she descended toward the earth.

The ancient temple at Hierapolis had long been ruined. Not that it did much during its heyday during the time of Rome's greatness. It was a feared place where only the brave came to worship and pay tribute to the God Pluto. He was feared over all of the other gods. He was just another name for Hades. God of the Dead and the underworld where the dead went. Its ancient stones were so old that they seemed to predate human settlements on the planet. The temple was mostly ruined. Its enormous structure had eroded and fell.

She sensed its portal was still working. Of course, it would still work, and it would transport her anywhere she wished to go. She approached the ancient temple and felt its power flowing through the ruined structure. She saw the portal structure, which was little more than an ancient hole knocked into the stones. She saw the darkened ring and activated it. It could send her anywhere. She could go to Luna and visit Prognita. She could go to Olympus if she dared to confront Zeus. She could even go to Tartarus and visit Cronos if she wanted to. She would release Cronos on Olympus someday. Those Gods really pissed her off. They had her mother killed. But there was only one place she felt like going right now. She activated the portal and sent the other side to the temple on Edon. It was where many people called Hell.

Its dark power activated and the portal structure ignited with its hellish purplish fire blazing around the ring. The hole blazed and she propelled herself through the portal and landed in front of an enormous ancient temple on Edon. Most humans in this time think Hell is a place of never-ending fire to burn people for the rest of eternity. Hell was actually unimaginably cold. It was a ruined world flying off from its dead star. Its star had long lost much of its fuel. The people died eons ago. The star no longer had the mass and gravitational force to hold on to its worlds and they flew off. The world had died. The world was darkened from the distance from its weak, dead star. Its star blazed only a few thousand degrees more than a lightyear away. The Star provided no warmth or the life-giving energy a world needs to support life. The structures were still mostly standing in a ruined or dilapidated state. She was standing in front of its ancient temple to some ancient god. Inscriptions on the temple were written in some ancient lost language.

The only beings alive here now are beings like her. The Princes and Princesses of Hell who laid claim to the world. She walked into the ruined temple and saw the planets present inhabitants. The servants to the princes, princesses, and people like her were beings that humans tended to call demons. This is what they want to do to Earth if its protection ever weakens enough.

She saw a woman proudly standing alone, smirking at Serinina. The woman approached walking in the sensual feminine walk she was well known for. This was Lilith. Only she was diminished somehow. She spoke to Serinina, “Welcome to my realm, princess Serinina. Welcome to Edon.”

Serinina said nothing.

“I am assuming you are here for my crown. I don’t have it.” Lilith stated. “When you drained my power and defeated me. You sent me back here, powerless. I was unable to prevent Azazel from claiming my crown and ruling Edon. It seems that is going around, you know the story well don’t you, Prince. Having your crown stolen and watching helplessly as someone else rules in your place. It's irritating as fuck. But,” Lilith said thoughtfully, “I am proud of what you have achieved. I have little doubt you will defeat Azazel. But you don't know what you really want, do you Serinina?”

“I do want the power, but,” Serinina started, but Lilith cut her off.

“You don’t know if you want to make yourself into the enemy of everyone on earth. You can rule them any way you wish if you claim my crown. They won't be able to stop you anymore. Unless you do something stupid. The only question you need to ask is, what do you want? Do you want to let those that hurt you get away with it and continue to claim what is rightfully yours? Or claim your destiny and punish them, punish them all. Do you have the guts?”

“Yes,” Serinina said, looking at the beautiful woman standing in front of her. Lilith was a very large and imposing woman. In some ways, Lilith reminded her of her sister. Patinea had a brutish build for a woman and her personality was just as abrupt. Lilith was large and imposing, but she also oozed sexuality, and she was very easy to get along with. Her only problem was she refused to submit to authority. Some men felt that she must, or something was wrong with her. Patinea was a very independent-minded woman like Lilith. She would fight for her rights to live as she chooses. But Lilith was also very kind, and she had a very sensual way about her that Patinea didn't have. Lilith was genuinely concerned with the status of women and wasn’t ashamed to display her femininity. At the same time, Patinea wanted to live her life as males did. She seemed ashamed of her female attributes and felt it was right to force them on her annoying little brother. She felt that was female empowerment. Serinina felt that Lilith's view was more appropriate.

Lilith laughed and said as they walked toward a small dark stream. “I just love life's little ironies. You are the last person I should ever really want to help. You, the egotistical and very chauvinistic prince Serin who cheated on his fiancé, belittled women in every way, was heir to the throne and raised in the way of Maxis and firmly believed females were beneath you. I, the very embodiment of female empowerment, am now helping you get my throne. And I feel no shame in wanting to help you. You have learned the lesson well, and now, because of your sister, you are subjected to the same sexist attitude she hated. She acts no better than the priests from the church of Maxis. She will liberate no one. You will after you hand out some very needed punishments for those involved and fill this realm with a bunch of new souls. And I will get a new playmate.” Lilith giggled.

“I just want to ask,” Serinina stated, “What will happen to the children sent here.”

“They do just fine,” Lilith assured Serinina. “They are sheltered and protected in another realm while they await rebirth and hopefully get more of a chance to live. That's what would have happened to you if you simply gave up, and I would have made sure you got a chance to grow into a man. But you were much stronger than that and made the best at being a woman. The children are happy and hardly even know they died. Here, let me show you.”

Serinina was led to an ancient rickety boat. The boat looked like it shouldn't have even been able to float much less take anyone across this sickening black muck. She could almost smell the rot coming from the stream. There was an enormous black hooded figure standing on the boat holding a long bonelike stick. He looked at Lilith and bowed his head in submission, letting her on but holding his stick out toward Serinina.

Lilith spoke, “Let Serinina on. I know she is alive, but she requires crossing.”

He lifted his stick and allowed Serinina on. The figure had no real form. There was no face. Under the hood, it all looked empty, but it had some physical presence too. The figure spoke, “You have the power of Lilith, and you are her successor. Serin, Serinina, milord, or milady. I am not sure how you prefer to be addressed.”

“Call me, Queen!” Serinina spoke with authority.

He laughed, “You will be a good successor. I approve my queen. Where do you wish to go?”

“This is Charon. He takes us wherever we want to go and ferries the dead across to their final place,” said Lilith.

“Yeah,” Serinina said dryly. “I guessed that. I wanted to see where children go.”

Charon pushed them off into the distance and went down the stream, and they entered another portal and entered into a totally different planet.

This planet seemed alive and full of animals and plant growth. The sun shone hot in the sky, making it a perfect planet.

Lilith stated, “We created this specifically for the innocent and for the children.”

They walked off and saw children playing and giggling with cuddly animals. The plants seemed to glow with divine light. Everyone seemed happy. Serinina watched with a warm smile, and Lilith said, “And many will be given a second chance at a full life. Many of them were abused in life and never given a chance. We will ensure they get a good chance at growing to their full potential. But, Serinina, you need to be aware of something important about this place.”

Serinina looked up at Lilith waiting, and she continued, “The people who send children here are damned. There is no mercy. Even for a god. Even for us divine beings. There is no chance for us after that. I know what you are planning for the children of those that betrayed you. Those adults deserve to pay, but you need to find another way. Or you will be condemned here. Of course, you will rule here. This entire place will be your realm. But it may be the only place where you are welcome. You will be condemned if you do what you intend. There are many other ways to make them pay. Ways that are just as painful for the adults.”

Serinina accepted the warning and began reassessing what she intended to do to those who turned their backs on her. Lilith led Serinina back to the boat and told Charon to take them to the palace to confront the usurper Azazel. Serinina asked, “Can I use my power on earth and rule?”

“Yes, as long as you don’t break the rules. You will be able to claim both realms.” Lilith responded. “That's why I couldn’t have children, and I kept trying to claim a child there. There will be nothing stopping you unless you violate the rules. One of the rules is you must not kill innocent. Once you go down that dark path, you will be one of the condemned.”

This really made Serinina angry. But as she thought of it, she knew there would be many better ways to make the parents suffer that wouldn't condemn her soul.

She looked at Lilith and saw that she was one of the condemned. She was utterly beautiful, but that beauty was just a facade. She saw the real form under the beauty, and that form was hideous. Her real form was monstrous. She had condemned many children over her inability to have any of her own. Her soul was condemned. If she visited earth, she was hunted and there was no safe place for her. Serinina didn’t want to live like that. There were ways to punish the nobles that may not be as devastating as watching their children die. But some ways to punish them approached that level. She would have to think of it.

Serinina watched Charon lead them to a bank on the stream that had a huge black towering structure with a crown at the top of the black tower. It was an enormous burning crown. Black flames were erupting from the top of the crown. This must be the palace where the King or Queen ruled from. It used to be Lilith's until Serinina defeated her and stole her power. She was sent back, and Azazel took her crown and proclaimed himself to be King of Edon. His theft would be answered. Serinina felt Zeus's power flowing through her and she wondered if that would be enough. Lilith seemed to think there was nothing here that could begin to defend against the Lightning attacks. She hoped Lilith was right.

Charon docked the small boat and the two women stepped off and approached the enormous tower. Serinina let out a short girlish giggle as they approached the dark tower. It must be over a mile high.

Lilith asked, “What's so funny?”

“This situation. I am this sweet girl, Serinina, that everyone dismissed as too nice or too weak. My sister was thought to be the stronger one who had the strength to do what needed to be done. I am here walking into a dark tower to challenge a prince of Hell for the crown. I have its former queen supporting my claim. This is ironic and funny.”

Lilith usually didn’t have any sense of humor, but she laughed too. Her laugh wasn't a girlish giggle at all. Her laugh was terrifying. Lilith asked, “I want to ask you. You were obviously a very powerful witch when you made the choice to take this form. You could have taken any form you wanted when you left the Golden Isles to go on your adventure in Troy. Now you are a goddess so why do you choose this sweet, helpless-looking form?”

“This is what they wanted for me. I could choose a form much more imposing, but I want them to know this does not weaken me. It's what they wanted, let them have it. It will become their nightmare. Since you asked me, let me ask you, why you choose the form of a disgusting scaled snake?”

Lilith laughed bitterly, “Who said this form is my choice?” She inquired, “I didn't choose it. I pissed off a god and this is the form I am condemned to be. Let this be a warning of what condemned really is, Serinina. And don’t piss off Gods. They can be vindictive. Ask Medusa and we still don’t know the real story. She slept with Athena’s lover and was condemned to be a monster that killed men with just a look of her eyes. Whether that man forced himself on her or not is debatable. It could have been that way, but it makes no difference. Athena was pissed and condemned Medusa. Now she is hunted as a prize by the strongest men in the world. Perseus will get his when his time is up. Medusa and the other women he preyed on will use a strap-on dildo on his ass for the rest of eternity. After he is changed like you.”

The two women flashed wolfish smiles to each other as they walked into the dark tower.

Serinina was going to challenge a King of Hell for rulership of the realm. She strode up the blackened stone steps up to the front door of the Dark Palace and boldly entered.

The guards didn’t even make a move to stop her. He saw the fear in the guard’s eyes. They weren’t human in any way. They were huge scaly monsters with hooves for feet. Their faces were menacing and their scaly mouths were full of needle-like teeth and they had eyes like predators. No person could hope to defend against such a thing. But she saw fear in the creature’s eyes as they move to let her and Lilith pass.

She walked down the great hall of the kings and the guards to the main throne room showed the same fear as they moved aside and let her pass. Her arrival was loudly proclaimed, “Lilith and her heir Serinina have entered.” He announced in a voice laced with fear. Serinina wondered why everyone feared her. She briefly wondered if it was really Lilith that they feared and not her. But the creature’s eyes were clearly on her showing this hesitation and fear, not on Lilith. They showed no fear of Lilith.

It was time to be very brave now as she boldly swaggered up to the throne and thundered in an enhanced booming voice, “My name is Empress Serinina and I am here for what is rightfully mine, Azazel.” She thundered to the towering man sitting on the throne wearing a menacing and almost feminine crown on his head. Azazel must have stood over Fifty to sixty feet tall and with his bulging muscles, he should weigh over a thousand pounds. He appeared as a man but this wasn’t his real form. Azazel was powerful, there was no question. He was second only to Lilith and her husband the Morning Star himself. He was the Luminous one. Azazel was the Morning Star’s second only to Lilith and was the leader of all of his armies. His true form was almost like a grotesque dragon. His most lethal weapon was his fire and his deadly tail. He could also appear anywhere.

He roared at her in a terrifying voice of his own, “The Boy Princess Serinina comes to challenge me.” He laughed, “Who would have ever thought? You may want to go back to Denaerk and flee to the safety of your sister and have her babies for her.” He laughed again but behind all of his bravado and hubris, she saw fear and defeat in his eyes. He knew he stood little chance against Serinina and it was going to be a very short fight. She let her power flow through her. She saw the spark in his eye and knew he was going to suddenly appear behind her to strike. His image shimmered and she quickly turned behind her and let her electrical power flow. It nailed him in the chest and sent him flying back. She lashed again and again with her intensely powerful lightning. Azazel collapsed and held up his hand, “You are indeed Lilith’s chosen heir and I also see you have elevated your power to include Zeus’s. Clearly, none of us stand a chance against you. This realm is yours, Queen Serinina.” He bowed his head in submission and lifted his crown off of his head and handed it to Serinina.

She accepted the crown and placed it on her own head. She felt a newfound authority flow through her as well as an intense new power. This power was amazing and almost unbeatable. There was no one who stood a chance against her now. All of the princes assembled in front of her knelt in submission. Asmodeus, Azazel, Eidolon, Belphegor, Abbadon, Hecate, Argomon all knelt toward her. They all pledged their submission to their new queen.

Serinina roared, “Hecate, What is the meaning of sending your god creature to rule over the Golden Isles and have a host of followers that call themselves the Hekatin? Do you have any clue of the misery they caused me, you bitch?” They all saw the hatred in her eyes.

“My sister Prognita is very misguided and stupid. The Hekatin proves their stupidity every day. But who are you to complain about what they did to you, My Queen? Look how it all turned out. Had they not changed you into a girl, you would have lived a very uneventful life as a man just like your father.”

Serinina laughed bitterly, “You call reigning as king, leading those men, and his accomplishments in war and peace uneventful? He lived a very full life.”

“His accomplishments may seem a lot by human standards,” Hecate responded. “But in your seventeen years of life, your accomplishments already vastly surpassed his own. You conquered Greece and Rome. Your forces are overrunning the Franks and preparing for an amphibious landing on Ansay. You have claimed the crown of Edon and won the submission of all of the princes of Hell. I have no doubt you will claim Luna and Prognita’s crown next. Have you considered what to do with her?”

“She will be powerless here once I claim her crown, right?”

“Yes,” Hecate said. “This is not her realm. She wouldn’t even have her power here with her crown. But since you are a queen of Edon you will have your full power in her realm and she has no chance against you. She also knows it.”

Serinina laughed bitterly. “I will claim Luna and imprison Prognita here. Lilith will do with her as she wishes. Make her a servant to the army. It serves her right.”

Lilith was still powerful in this realm even if she was no longer queen. She was still a princess of Hell.

Just then, Serinina heard a voice behind her, “Please, Serin, Don’t do this.” The voice sounded very suspiciously like her father Gerrik. She turned and saw the imposing form of her father standing behind her. Azazel said, “I felt it was right you should meet your father in the realm you now rule. This is his punishment. I felt you two should have some words together.”

She flashed a scalding look of hate at Azazel but figured that was exactly what he wanted. She turned to the form of her father and said in a voice dripping with hatred, “How dare you try to command me? You arrogant fool. You ignored all of the signs that were right in front of your face. You dismissed everything when it was clear as the nose on my face. Your wife, my mother was plotting against you from day one. She was plotting against me and even said she was looking forward to a renewal of the reign of women. How much clearer did it all have to be? It could have hit you in your face and you wouldn’t have noticed. You were that stupid. And now you are here trying to offer me advice. You, your arrogance, that damnable church of Maxis and its rule of men is all of what led to this. Damn you, damn the entire line of Denae Kings to hell.”

Gerrik laughed bitterly and said, “That’s exactly where we all are. Here freezing, tortured, unable to get any nourishment. We know how foolish we were. Some of the older kings were more aware, and we forgot the lessons and dismissed the existence of the Goddess and the signs.”

Serinina smirked and said, “Damn you all for this. And I have the perfect punishment for you all. You will all be reborn as girls.” The prince’s roared with laughter.

That may actually be a blessing if they could possibly take advantage of a second chance at life. She felt a few of them could. But Serinina secretly hoped her father could. She asked Gerrik, “Were you actually resurrected by the priests and rekilled by Patinia?”

Gerrik shivered in fear and said, “Let’s not think of that anymore. Being reanimated in that way was a horror mixed as a blessing being away from this place. But still under their power and unable to really control my actions. I can’t believe I attacked her the way I did. Daughter, I agree with you, damn us all we deserve our fate here. I was such a fool and I will try to take advantage of what you are doing for us. I seriously doubt many of the Denae Kings have the wisdom to take advantage of the gift you are granting them. But I will try to. I will try to live better. Thank you, my beloved daughter, and please, have mercy on the people at home. They really didn’t know what they were doing. And much of it was my fault and the Church of Maxis. We inspired such hatred at us that it was unleashed on you when you were turned. They were angry and suffering under the church. Don’t bring them even more suffering.”

“What they were suffering was not my doing,” Serinina replied through her teeth. “It was how I was raised and I was never given a chance. That’s all I ask for is a chance. I was given no chance they just did what they did and made me responsible for it all as if there was a thing I could have done to stop it as a damn child!” Serinina roared with hate. “They made their choice to make a child suffer so they deserve to feel the same. They will suffer under my rule. They will be sorry for how they treated me. This will be no liberation. The only ones who will benefit will be the Ansays. They were the only ones with the guts to oppose my sister. They paid for it but they will find they made the right decision to oppose the horror and usurping.”

“They didn’t do it for you,” Gerrik pointed out looking into his daughter’s eyes. “You know they didn’t even give a damn about you. They were going to force you into marriage and leave you powerless just so their family could rule.”

“I know,” Serinina agreed. “Still, they did oppose my sister and were right to do so. Apparently, my family also didn’t give a damn about me. No one cared about my life. But at least they disagreed with my sister claiming the crown and turning me into a girl. They were the only ones. No one else gave a rat’s ass about how it affected me. So, the feeling is mutual, and I don’t care about them or how what I will do will affect them. I will repay the favor on their sons, and father you should be thankful. I am giving you a second chance to avoid this fate so how can you oppose my decisions, should I reconsider?”

“No, I will make you proud,” Gerrik said eagerly.

Serinina laughed, “You won’t even know me. You will be an infant, then a baby girl, then a little girl child. I will be sending you to one of the most sexist places on the planet. You will be born in the Ming Empire. Foot binding, the culture on women is very harsh and very strict. They make the Church of Maxis look like progressive liberals by comparison.” She laughed and sent him away. Then she sent the entire line of Denae Kings away to be reborn as girls in the Ming Empire.

And now, it was time to unleash hell on her homeland. She made the final arrangements for the Goddess to arrive and be trapped and enslaved here. Then she returned to Charon and crossed the stream. Then reentered a portal and went back to the mortal world. She arrived in Rome. Her territory stretched from Greece to the Franks. She had ordered her army to assemble at Brest and the fleet to arrive there. Everything should be ready by the time she arrived. Most of the Franks resistance was crushed. Clovis had been killed. There were a few pockets left and the war would be over. Everything was being set for her occupation of the Golden Isles. The only problem she was hearing was the presence of a large spartan military camp in Themyscira. They were having trouble accepting the existing free men there, and the training of the former male captives. This Garrison of Spartan troops in Themyscira was seen with growing hostility and was quickly turning into a military occupation. It was one being led by Ares. He wasn’t helping her here. She had requested the help of Hades and Azazel to help her in her homeland.

In addition to all of that. Serinina was told upon arrival at her new palace in Rome that The so called Imperial fleet of the Golden Isles had set up a blockade on the straits of Trafalgar. The combined families had a little over eighty ships blockading the pass. They had hoped to bottle up Serininas fleet in the Mediterranean.

Serinina laughed. She scoffed at the arrogance of the Patenia calling her fleet an imperial fleet. Their familys fleet combined was still imposing on a small scale. They could blockade a helpless isle that never bothered to build any navy. Even without Guanefers ships to add, they had over eighty ships blockading Trafalgar. But, they were going to find their fleet illequiped to fight her imperial fleet. Serinina given orders to rename the new arsenal ship the fleets flagship. It was going to be called the ISS Ajax. Imperial Spartan ship was ISS. She now ordered the new flagship to be renamed the ISS Victory. She thought it was a fitting name. There were ten arsenal ships in her fleet, in addition to the hundreds of Triremes, biremems, and dozens of Quadremes and Quintremes.