Time and time again Circe had been bested by Diana, Princess of the Amazons, the Wonder Woman. She was tired of it, she knew she was certainly Diana’s intellectual superior, and magically it was no contest, but that brute power Diana had was hard to content with. She was no slouch in the mental department either, Circe was willing to admit, being a brilliant tactician with a battle hardened edge like that of a sword.
Circe needed that, if she removed that difference, she would clearly have the upper hand on the Amazonian Princess.
The spell had been difficult to track down, Circe had forsworn using Ares’ energy, they were too known to each other and his warrior energies were violent and uncontrollable. No, Circe wanted something more tactical, and Mars, brother to Ares, who drew from the same energy source, but channelled it into tactics and war-time brutality would be ideal.
She placed the relic stolen from one his temples, and Circe began channelling the energies. The artifact emitted and red glow and then shot directly into Circe’s gut, the red energies filling her body, making it glow, and shooting out of her eyes as she began to transform. Muscle filled out, even as she grew in stature as well, becoming statuesque and powerful looking. Her purple hair flowed out, longer and fuller than it had ever been before. For a moment it seemed Circe had gotten her wish.
However, Circe had underestimated the forces she was dealing with and the differences in the Greco vs Roman energies. Circe felt it in her mind at first, as she began to think about dominating her enemies, and forcing her will upon them with pure brute force. After a good fight of course, where they’d trade blows and scars.
Circe’s hair, long and thick as it was began to become more tangled, her underarms began to grow in hair as well as some all over her body. But this didn’t bother Circe; no, she wasn’t some simpering thing that needed to shave or even bathe daily. No, she was a powerful warrior, and with that realization her eyes flew open, bloodshot and violent, and she began to admire her new powerful body, she was larger than most Amazons and in fact it looked like she was even more muscular than the Princess herself. Circe flexed a bicep and looked at herself, lifting her arm that much released a musky, body odor scent that the all new Circe did not find unpleasant. In fact it was almost sexy, raw and natural.
Circe flexed her hand as she was admiring her guns, realizing she could still feel her magic, she’d lost none of her power. What she had lost, however, was her desire to resort to something as weak and cowardly as magic. No, Circe was a warrior-woman now, she needed to feel steel against steel, or her opponents in hand to hand, with brutal blows leaving brutal bruises and forcing her to greater and greater glory.
No, Circe did not imagine she’d ever cast a spell against an opponent again, however, the most worthy warrior didn’t have to ignore all possible advantages. Circe supposed magic outside of battle was excusable. She began to go to work, casting her spells to make her an arsenal or appropriate weapons and armor.
Her first spells clad her in a suit of armor not all that dissimilar to Wonder Woman’s. A combination of red, silver, and black the chest piece made a dragon at the top. A skirt hung down in front of it as well, black cloth but held up with a silver belt and a red gem. Circe could touch the gem on her belt and draw forth a solid but magical construct of any battle hardened weapon she desired, be it axe, mace, or great sword.
Then she created her cloak, also held with a red hemmed silver clasp, but this time it was the cloak that carried the magic, obscuring the user somewhat as she moved, making her harder to pin down.
Braces appeared on Circe’s wrists, spiked ones, that would let her channel a powerful rage, if used she would become even more vicious, throwing herself into a berserker state like some sort of Nordic-warrior.
A tiara appeared on her head much like Wonder Woman’s but instead in silver as well, one that had it’s own sinister purpose, being too close to it and being a man would make you feel weaker, and more helpless, while also aroused… submissive. It would help Circe make sure that she was only challenged by women. Men would fall to submission much easier.
But most importantly of all, Circe now realized, was creating herself a new lasso. Twined from black threads this lasso was not a Lasso of Truth, no, it was a ‘Lasso of Power’. Those women who it caught would be transformed by the lasso, to be just as brutish, war-like, and mannerless as Circe had become.
Circe’s new dark Amazons would also share her evil, and her growing desire to build a super powered army of brutish women. To that end, Circe made sure the lasso could be torn or cut with enough force, and doing so would allow it to grow full lengths in to two within minutes. Each convert she took could have a lasso of their own…
*******************************************************************
Meanwhile Athena sensed the power surge, also drawing her strength from a similar wellspring as Mars and Ares, she noticed what had happened almost immediately. She shivered as she realized what had been unleashed, what Circe had merged with and was power capable of. She had to seek out her Champion, and when she found her, she had to make the difficult decision to grant her defenses that would make her immune, by not making her all that dissimilar.
Athena appeared before Diana with but a thought, cloaked in her golden glow but donned her in her full war gear.
Diana turned to see the goddess, and lowered herself to one knee. “Athena, to what do I owe this honor?” Wonder Woman asked.
“Princess Diana, your world is in grave danger. Circe has unleashed a power that will spread across this world like wild-fire irrevocably changing this mortal world.”
Diana looked up at the goddess, “What must we do to stop it?”
Athena looked sad for a moment, “Stop it? It is unlikely we can, we must instead seek to control it, direct it to a better purpose, anything less would leave you vulnerable to it.”
Diana looked confused, “I don’t know what you mean, Goddess?” she asked.
“I’m sorry Diana, please forgive me,” Athena said as she reacher her arm out and golden energy streamed in to the Amazon Princess’ stomach and began to glow out of her body and radiate powerfully from her eyes.
Diana began to feel her muscles grow further, making her stronger, more powerful. Her skin began to tan, taking on a darker more sun soaked look. She didn’t look like she spent any time not in the sun, her skin bronzed but not too leathery. Her tight lines almost made her look like a bronze statue brought to life.
Diana clutched her head as she began to feel more agressive. Her mind shifting further away from love and compassion and more to traits that better suited a purely warrior mindset, courage and honor. But these weren’t the negative traits, and what was brutish in Circe was more regal in Diana. Still, some of those darker elements were still there, and that growing desire to dominate, to crush her enemies beneath her boot and hear the lamentations of their men.
Their men… now that was an interesting thought, one that Diana had toyed with before but now seemed to light up her passion like never before. Powerful men, brought to her heel. She’d be a benevolent mistress, and not abuse them… too much. She wouldn’t want to force them, but she would want to show them what she had to offer. A smile crossed her lips as Diana began to feel a little aroused, thinking of Clark and what she’d love to do to him. If he was in to that kind of thing…
Athena pursed her lips as she waited to see the reaction, she knew she was toying with dangerous powers but she had to make Diana empowered in a very similar way or Circe’s lasso would have an effect on her if she managed to get caught. It was too risky otherwise, She couldn’t see her greatest champion turned against her.
“Diana,” Athena said to the Amazon Princess who was caught up in her own lustful thoughts, snapping her out of as her eyes turned immediately to her patron goddess.
“My Goddess,” Diana said as she looked over her body again, admiring her increased muscle tone, and enjoying watching the sinuous muscle flex. Her chest also seemed enhanced, jutting out more than someone with her muscle frame would usually have, the effect made them look a little fake, but still very nice.
“Thank you for this gift, this strength… I had no idea I could feel like this,” Diana said, as she enjoyed bowing, and feeling her new muscle flex and bend with her. “I will destroy Circe, in glorious combat," she said as she grabbed the heavy metal chalice she’d been drinking wine from and crumpled it in her hand like it was tissue paper.
Diana also with a single motion tore away the pants she’d been so long criticized for not wearing, Tearing with them her underwear, revealing a crotch that was well groomed to an arrow, but not devoid of it's own pelt. Somehow… Diana knew that pants or any undergarment would only get in the way of the pheromones she now generated. Pheromones that would make any men who smelled it want to bow down and worship her, their Princess… their Queen.
Athena sighed, but she’d made piece with what she must do, “I have also re-enchanted your lasso. It is no longer the Lasso of Truth, it is now the Lasso of Strength,” she motioned to the lasso as it glowed recognizing it’s name.
“Any woman caught with in the Lasso of Strength, that have not already succumbed to the similar energies of Circe’s new Lasso of Power will be transformed as you have been, in to powerful soldiers against Circe’s warrior women,” she continued, explaining it to the souped up Amazon Princess. “You may also snap the lasso, with enough force, and it will regenerate in to two lassos. So you may aid in equipping your sisters.”
Diana looked down at the lasso, and nodded, it made sense, of course she’d need more women, more Amazons to help her fight in the coming war. She needed powerful soldiers, not just super heroines like this world had grown accustomed to. She’d need super-amazons, powerful women that would break their enemies while protecting and pampering their men.
In the end, as Athena had feared (but accepted) Diana and Circe’s goals were not that different. Still, this outcome was preferable to the alternative, and man-kind would learn to adjust… eventually. Perhaps this way they wouldn't fall completely to corruption and debauchery. Perhaps.
“Go forth, Diana of Themiscyra, and recruit warriors to aid you in the coming battles!” Athena commanded with a booming voice. Diana nodded, and picked up her sword and shield and headed out to prepare for the coming war.