Amazon women ruled the land of the Night Wind. There were two queens, one for defense and one for domestic affairs, shared the sovereign rule. Free men, son's of Amazon women were included in the Amazon state, but only women fought both on foot and on horseback, carrying crescent shields and wielding spears, bows and battle axes.<br/><br/>Amazon women bore arms, not only defending their own land, but making conquest expeditions into neighboring territories.<br/><br/>Men were take from conquered territories and kept for mating purposes, had the status of slaves, and were allowed to perform only those tasks executed in other realms by women. It is said that the legs and arms of these men were mutilated to prevent their challenging the Amazons' power.<br/><br/>The Amazon Nation had a good relationship with the territory to the west under The Merket and even mated with the neighboring Sularian men for a short period each year.<br/><br/>But during the great 100 year flood the river covered over the usual routes and the migrating herds crossed into the Amazon nation. Those following the herds gave chase to turn them back.<br/><br/>It was too late. The Horn of War sounded and the unprepared Sularians were over taken. Those that escaped ran into the desert borderlands and were presumed dead. The Merket was nailed to a tree, his tongue cut out and his personals stuck in his mouth as he watched almost every male member of his family murdered with an axe. It was rumored that a second son had escaped.<br/><br/>It was not long after that there was strife among the Amazon nation. The easy victor over the Sularians made it seem prudent for some to take over more territory to cushion the nation against further male invasion.<br/><br/>This one proposal so divided the nation that they began to war among themselves. Their borders once heavily patrolled were now left mostly unattended as savage infighting required the strength of their armed force just to keep the sovereignty from boiling into bands of loosely allied raiders.<br/><br/>It was the dark time for the Land of the Night Wind.<br/><br/>It was late afternoon for Zakar Sineater. His smoke grey eyes narrowed. Black beard and mustache twitch as he sees movement to his right. His hand to the side of his face. Past the scar from the corner of his temple down to his jaw, pushing back the square piece of cloth of his headdress that protects him from the Desert sun. Widening his field of vision.<br/><br/>Zakar hunts the devil cat for the price of it's pelt in the Land of the Night Wind because it is unguarded and the lair of devil cats. He moves with the familiarity of one who hunts often. His bow ready. The arrow notched in the draw string.  His is cautious. It is this part of the forest. The feel of it is quiet as if there is more than a devil cat on the prowl.<br/><br/>He was a large man. A man tall among tall men. His chest was barrel with a washboard torso and his forearms kegs of steel. His thighs were tree trunks,  and for his bulk he was quick.<br/><br/>It was here among the ancient forest that Zakar Sineater crept quietly. The devil cat was no easy prey and prey became hunter quickly in the woods of the Amazon forest.<br/>