Thea didn't speak to the women trailing behind her, and they didn't try to make conversation either. The three Amazons—officially her "assistants," in truth her monitors—kept a distance of ten meters or more, shadowing her silently.
"This forest is dense," Thea muttered after trudging for ten minutes. Gliding over it on her board was one thing; walking it on foot, sinking into roots and uneven ground, was definitely not her idea of fun.
The island's anti-magic field kept her from unleashing her full power, but her mental energy was still formidable. She focused it into fine strands and sent them rippling through the forest in all directions.
The feedback was overwhelming. Squirrels in hollow trunks, rabbits under brush, mice hiding beneath leaves—plenty of life signs everywhere. She could easily massacre hundreds of small animals and call it a "victory," but the image made her cringe. The Goddess of the Hunt was already on her last breath spiritually; if she saw Thea turning the woods into a slaughterhouse, would she just keel over in divine despair?
Killing one god had been enough for a lifetime; a second wouldn't earn her an upgrade in title. Better stick to orthodox hunting and spare the goddess a heart attack.
After orienting herself, she headed toward the spot where she'd found the wild boar yesterday. Don't be fooled by the word "pig"—boars were ferocious creatures. Thea recalled that in ancient Japan, before anyone had seen tigers or lions, people thought wild boars were the fiercest beasts alive. They even called their bravest warriors "Boar Fighters." Outsiders might think it an insult, but it was actually high praise.
Boars were exactly what she was after—fierce enough to count as worthy game, but not so exotic that eating them would be a moral dilemma. And unlike a tiger, a boar made for great leftovers. If she couldn't finish it all, she could always share with the queen or Antiope.
The three Amazons followed silently, puzzled that she ignored the smaller prey all around them. Watching her stride confidently between the trees, they simply exchanged glances and kept up.
Fifteen minutes into the woods, Thea reached yesterday's "crime scene." The ground still bore traces of dried blood and dragged soil. Her last hunt had been anything but subtle—a thrown spear through the torso, followed by a dramatic cleanup. The aftermath was obvious.
"Where did the rest of the herd go?" she murmured, scanning the tracks. The place was chaos—hoofprints everywhere, crisscrossing in every direction. She wasn't exactly a professional tracker; reading this mess was hopeless.
She was about to move on when her mental scan picked up several large forms charging her way.
Wait—those weren't random animals. A closer look confirmed it. Oh, it's the pig sisters from yesterday. No males on Themyscira, so that checked out.
They weren't running over to say hello. Yesterday, she'd slaughtered one of their kind in brutal fashion, and the survivors had apparently taken it very personally. Now, seeing the same red-clad figure, they thundered toward her in fury.
"Get back!" Thea shouted to the Amazons, though whether they listened was their problem. She quickly surveyed the terrain and spotted a boulder three meters tall. Using the full strength of her mechanical arm, she vaulted up in a few quick motions, drew Diana's bow, and nocked an arrow.
The first boar burst out of the undergrowth—and met a lightning-fast arrow. Unfortunately, Thea had pulled the bow too hard. The shot flew high, grazing its snout and tearing a bloody streak across its cheek before vanishing into the distance.
"She's strong—and her aim's not bad," one of the Amazons whispered. From afar, they watched the arrow's sheer force. Thea had nearly maxed out the bow's tension; the impact cut through the boar's hide cleanly enough to draw blood. Raw strength and speed, both at the limit of a primitive bow.
They were impressed. Thea, however, was mortified. Seriously? How do you miss something that big?
She took a breath. No more brute force—this time, precision. Channeling her mental energy, she subtly guided her next arrow's trajectory, locked onto the lead boar's glowing eyes, and loosed.
Thwack!
The arrow pierced clean through the eye socket. The boar let out a piercing squeal, collapsed, and thrashed violently as blood poured from its ruined face. Within moments, it lay still.
"Perfect shot!" The Amazons couldn't decide whether she was a genius or just incredibly lucky. Considering her earlier spear-throwing stunt, no one could tell if she'd been hiding her archery skills all along or had simply pulled off a miracle. Either way, it was flawless—on par with Antiope's best work.
Three boars total had charged her. The first was clearly the strongest—mother or eldest sister, perhaps. Thea didn't care; the smaller ones looked tastier anyway. And since everything here seemed to respawn endlessly, she felt zero guilt.
She loosed another arrow—another clean kill. The last, smallest boar squealed, spun around, and bolted.
"Oh no, you don't."
Thea flipped off the boulder and sprinted after it, moving with inhuman speed. She kept about a hundred meters between them, letting it run but never escape. Something felt… off. The boar wasn't panicking; it ran with direction, purpose.
A trap? she thought. Boars aren't that smart… are they?
Then again, this was Themyscira. Logic had long since gone out the window. Staying alert, she slowed her pace and widened her scan.
Her caution paid off. Roughly six hundred meters ahead, several massive lifeforms were waiting—exactly where the little boar was headed.
Thea grinned, baring eight sharp teeth. Her enhanced vision caught the faint silhouettes through the trees.
"Well, well. Looks like we've got company."
Her stomach growled softly. I really hope the Amazons have a freezer.
Because if not… this was going to be a lot of pork.