First: I changed up a bit of the first chapter in accordance to the revelation of who the Commander is... so yeah, not much just a tiny bit.
Second: I hope you enjoy the second part! Thank's everyone who's shown interest in this little fanfic!
Serpent Bait
The serpent swam along the stone, fading in and out of the uneven edges as the fire cast an uneven light. The beast's jaws were held ajar in a fearsome roar, eyes aflame with fury of having lost its sweet prey, the girl.
Octavia, they had screamed. Octavia was her name. Octavia with her hair darkened by the water, clothes sticking to her thin frame, Octavia the serpent bait. I smirked at that, imagining the fiery response that would be sure to follow such a derogatory name. Her eyes were alive, flashing with the emotion that flickered behind them. She was open, too open and that lends to her vulnerability.
I sharpened the teeth of the serpent with my white chalk. Now the creature was fierce, ready to take that girl in its jaws and snap her thin bones into splinters. She would thrash in a desperate fight for life, receiving more of those thin slashes across her thigh.
My fingers brushed against the drawing shimmering on my hovel wall then backed away, considering the work at a broader spectrum. But my thoughts were hardly on the artwork. My mind cast back to the time I had spent skulking about in the underbrush, eyes eternally rotating toward her. I had to admit to myself, however reluctantly, that she intrigued me. And the scene from the river would not part from my mind, how the smile had lasted up until the very last. These sky people, these children, knew nothing. She had been lucky to escape death.
The little rebel did not seem to remember the near death experience, while the defeated beast swum in circles about my mind.
With a grunt I tossed the chalk back into the pan and flopped down beside the fire on the pelts of fur I had collected. That I had skinned from the numerous beasts I had killed. It would do no good to become preoccupied over any of those sky people. Especially her.
But still, the memory of her standing playfully in the river filled my vision. She possessed a love for life I had not seen in my people, we who clawed at life in such desperate cruelty. I could almost imagine her beckoning for me, tempting with her freedom from worries. Her sly smile coaxed me to swim beside her, despite the serpent lurking in the depths.
"You look quite cozy."
I jerked to a sitting position, hands leaving their resting place against my abs and slamming down into the furs. I leveled the intruder with a dangerous look. Nyko lifted his hands, eyebrow perked as he stepped from the shadows and into the firelight.
"I'm surprised you didn't notice me."
"I was thinking." I grumbled, though I too was just as shocked. My thoughts had been caught in the shimmering river, distorting pale skin and black hair. "What do you want?"
"Well," Nyko stepped about the room, eyes lazily glancing about in an effort to try and pick out any new additions of my collection. He had watched me start it, as curious as I had been with the ancient, unknown things. "I'd expect a warmer welcome after taking time to go out to you hermit."
I did not rise to the jeer.
"Just seeing how you're doing. You're latest assignment isn't exactly your...specialty."
I made a sound in the back of his throat, a mix of agreement and disgust.
"And how are the sky people faring?"
"Anya doesn't understand what 'do not attack' means. She speared one of theirs." Nyko laughed and shook his head. He nudged a little device, metal and plastic whose purpose was lost even to me.
"Is there anything of interest in their ranks?"
Octavia. But that was not what he was asking, and I would never say that out loud. I hated admitting it even to myself. I cast my mind back to the hours spent watching and observing. Again and again my mind returned to her, her laugh, her mischievous gaze. The others were much like his own people, perhaps even worse. They fought often.
"They aren't a threat." I finally muttered, when the pause had continued too long. "From what I can tell they are lost, and they don't understand anything."
"Good," Nyko crossed his arms, gazing up at the newest addition of artwork to his wall. "Anya will be happy. Easier that way."
A cold feeling curled in my stomach. The thin black haired boy had been the one speared through the chest, speared by my people. The sky people did not even know we existed, and my people already wanted to commit genocide.
Octavia could have easily have been the one to receive the spear in the chest.
I glared darkly at Nyko. It was not his fault, he was a healer, but he spoke so flippantly of it all. He glanced over, and perked a brow.
"Not a good time friend?" There was a laugh in his voice, and perhaps he was right. He knew me too well, could read the emotions I had been trained to keep secret. My glare darkened and he held up his hands, consenting to my silence.
She was different, unlike anything I had seen before. That was why I was curious, nothing more. And yet, my people were plotting the early demise of one so… pure.
"Nice serpent."
It wanted its prey, it wanted her blood, her meat, it wanted her. The serpent on my wall was not much different from my own clan. They wanted her dead too after all.
I think I mumbled a thanks, but I could not hear it myself. Nyko said something about coming around again, to relay any new information I may have required, but I was not listening to him.
She had escaped the water serpent, but this new serpent was much more capable of killing than that one had been.
And I was concerned how desperately I hoped she would get lucky a second time.
A little cheesy... I know :3 but hey! That's what we're all here for! Anyway... they better get Lincoln back to normal! And... and I wanna see some Lincoln and Belamy interaction scenes... hehe that'll be great!
