Long Past Dawn

After a while of sitting on the sand hoping some great truth would come to me, it never did, I get up, brush myself off and walk away and off the beach.

It's almost midday so just as Lyra says I weave my way through streets and pathways until I'm at the same place I was training at.

Diana is there waiting for me, the other girl isn't. "Just me today," She says and she has two wooden swords again today too.

The bruises from last time are still fresh but after last night I know that they don't matter.

"Teach me."

Diana looks slightly shocked before a smile spreads across her lips, "Then we'll start right away."

Diana drops both the swords and I'm slightly surprised, "I didn't realize we wouldn't be using them today."

We start to circle each other and I'm desperately trying to find an opening because if I can't I am so dead. "You need to build your own strength first, a weapon is only a vessel of the wielder's own strength after all."

I just nod and try to focus on her movements. But with the high grass swaying around us, that daydream is almost impossible to achieve seeing as I have no warning to see when she's about to lunge.

And just like I predicted when Diana lunges at me I had no way of telling she was about to do.

Before I know it, it doesn't look like I'm fighting Diana. Instead, my vision blurs and I'm in the same field but it's night and instead of Diana lunging at me, it's Jikan with her pale body and lithe figure. "I want you to remember, you deserve this."

And I'm back again. In the field with Diana about to land a very painful looking punch aiming for my throat. I manage to step aside just in time as Diana's fist passes so close to my face I can almost feel it.

Diana aims a blow at my nose and it hits dead on, my eyes start to water and my ears ring even though the pain is manageable. And before I can even react another blow to the stomach has me doubled over and gasping for breath, the punch had caught me off guard and I curse myself. Diana, however, is relentless, she swings another blow at my head.

I manage to push the blow down, disabling any power it had. I may not be able to fight back well but I have defense skills on my side.

But all too late I realize I've made a miscalculation as Diana is able to sweep my legs out from under me. I just manage to roll into a ball and then after a moment I unroll and jump back to my feet.

And as is Diana's style she doesn't give me a second to adjust before she lunges at me head-on.

Diana grabs both my shoulders in an iron grip, she then pushes one shoulder back and the other forward before twisting them so I have to lean forward in pain. Next, she brings her knee up to my stomach, just like I could have done, she knees me in the stomach a couple of times before letting me go.

I cough weakly as I try to master the pain rushing through me. But to no avail, all I can do is stand up and try to hold myself up and block any areas she might attack next.

Diana smiles slightly and my blood chills, that's the smile of someone who enjoys the fight.

Diana steps back slightly before she twists her foot slightly and lunges at me faster than ever before. She seems to be aiming for my diaphragm.

Almost instinctively I block the punch and counter with an upward cut to Diana's neck. Which she has ever so nicely left open.

I watch as she staggers back coughing, I would feel bad if the overwhelming feeling of victory drowned everything else out. I let out a tired but thankful breath and relax a bit, I won.

Diana gets up and walks over to me after she composes herself. "You did good, though you shouldn't hesitate so much."

Diana's eyes go to the three scars on my arm, I use my other hand to cover it. "If that's why you hesitate so much then you best forget whatever got you those scars."

With that training is over for today and I'm free to go.

I wander aimlessly by the sea cliffs for a while. I move slowly since every time I move too fast the pain from the blows she dealt me earlier comes back to me.

I stop at a cliff and look out over the water, the sunlight weaves golden in between the dark blue.

'If that's why you hesitate so much then you best forget whatever got you those scars.'

My mood sours slightly as I remember her words it's not the scars that made me hesitate, the scars ground me. It what came before them that makes me hesitate.

Suddenly a firm grip lands on my arm and I spin around, "Don't touch me!"

Lyra releases her playful grip on my arm and takes a step back, hurt flashes in her eyes and I feel regretful for snapping at her.

"Hippolyta is calling for you..." Lyra says as she casts her eyes to the ground. "She's at the beach."

I just nod, Lyra doesn't say anything else. I turn to leave and start to head to the beach, I'll apologize to Lyra later, I can't keep Hippolyta waiting.

As I step onto the sand I expect to see Hippolyta and two horses just like yesterday. But, to my surprise, only Hippolyta is standing out on the sand.

"Since you obviously don't need riding lessons now," Hippolyta starts. Oh so she knows about Iferis, I say to myself as she continues. "I'll be teaching you languages instead."

"Languages?" My brows furrow, what am I going to be learning? "What languages?"

"Latin and Greek," Hippolyta answers with a smile, "Venite incipere."

I have a very bad feeling about this...

I meekly follow Hippolyta back up the path I just came down.

After a long walk back up and passing many people who stopped to talk to us we finally get to another temple like the one last night.

The white marble pillars grow high into the air and lamps are lit onto giant metal pillars like a candle holder. Further inside is a tall statue like the one from the temple last night though from here I can't see it well.

I walk forward expecting us to go into the temple but am stopped short by Hippolyta as she instead leads me over to a marble table with a bench going along either side.

She sits down before gesturing to the seat opposite her, I sit. "You might want to know why we're here instead of other places we could be. The answer is simple, you'll need Athena's help to learn under me."