A couple of days pass

Anya sent back information that the Sky people have captured and tortured their spy called Lincoln, but he managed to escape. She wants to know how to proceed.

This offence cannot be accepted.

It reminds me of Costia and my eyes begin to water. NO! "The dead are gone. The living are hungry." You can't have a breakdown now. You need to show your true strength.

'Send word to Ton DC's general that troops are on their way to suppress the threat from those outsiders.' I say stoic eliciting a grunt of approval from Indra.

That evening

The rider returns informing me that after being fooled into a peace talk with a leader of the Sky people, Anya and her men were attacked by guns like the weapon of choice of the mountain men.

Of course outsiders don't want peace... Am I the only one that just wants to live peacefully and only have to worry about wetter or not food is going to be on the table this winter... I guess I am.

I summon Trystan, he is a ruthless general who has served me well in our battles with the Ice Nation before their queen vanished. He shall take the mission of killing the Sky people very seriously.

After explaining to him the importance of this mission considering that the sky people have an alliance with the mountain men now, I give him command of an army of tree hundred telling him to have no mercy.

One day later

The people were amazed at seeing another ship fall from the sky. It only terrified me. There is going to be back up. More battles and death are to be foreseen.

I quickly send a scout to see how the battle against the Sky people is going.

I need to find out on my own what those Sky people want.

'Gustus' I ask loudly. He quickly comes in my tent and bows at me

'Heda' He says looking at me sitting in my throne.

'Spread the word that I want Sky people to be captured and be brought to me alive' He nods and swiftly leaves me alone in my tent.

How can I find out what the Sky people are really like?

One day later

The scout came back from Ton DC still shocked at what he had seen. He explained in detail that there was a ring around the drop ship of corpses and cinder, but there were only one warrior left that had escaped death, but had suffered burns, who is bringing back a sky person that he captured. The rest of the Sky people were nowhere to be found probably rescued by the mountain men.

I noticed that Indra was listening tensely not showing any signs of weakness. How does she do it? Three hundred of my men were burnt alive and Anya was one of them. I could hardly contain my fury.

'We will march to the other ships to KILL the threat at once. Blood must have blood!'

Three days later

I now have two Sky people in prison. How should I get them to talk about their weapons and weaknesses?... I have to appear weak and unthreatening.

I dress as a servant and fake a limp to make the weak part even more prominent and am escorted to their cell with water for them.

My plan works because they quickly introduce themselves.

'Hello my name in Thelonious, and this is Marcus... what is your name?'

Wow he's very sociable; my people would have to be tortured to get that kind of information from them. Maybe he's trying to be friendly to escape. Anyhow, he isn't a threat I can't handle.

'Lexa'

Then they start talking about their intentions. Marcus seems to really want to make peace while Thelonious eyes the knife suspiciously. He might actually kill Marcus.

I inform them about the killing at Ton DC and they seemed legitimately surprised by this, but 'blood must have blood' as I tell them. One of them must die or the commander will kill them both. I'm being honest; I will kill them if they pose a threat to my people. I have suffered more losses because of these Sky people in the last weeks then in the past three months. This needs to stop!

Marcus attempts to kill himself showing true sacrifice for the sake of peace, but Thelonious disarms him and threatens my life. Gustus and the guards quickly arrive, and I turn the tables on Thelonious easily disarming him and pressing the knife on his neck as he did mine.

I restrain my impulse to kill him however. He is more valuable alive so he can send a message to the Ark people as they call themselves. They are both shocked to find out that I was the commander.

I turn to Gustus: 'Teach this man respect but make sure he can walk to the Ark to warn them to leave my land or be killed at first light.'

Gustus nods his approval and makes his way toward a shivering Thelonious. Marcus and I leave the prison cell and head to his room to speak about his people. I am curious to learn about their technology and knowledge of the sky, but I restrain my questions, it isn't safe... not yet at least.

As we neared his room, I tell him 'You will be sleeping here. You will be guarded and if you try to escape you shall be killed with no hesitation.'

He gulps and nods. I start to leave but he asks 'Can we talk about peace?'

I turn around slowly remembering the description that the scouts have told me about the cinder at the drop ship and the massacre of innocents at Ton DC. He gulps again probably due to the intensity of my stare. When he takes a step back into his room, I turn around and walk away.

I can't speak with him about peace, can I? I will seem weak won't I? I need retribution for the massacre.

Ugh too many thoughts. I call Gustus and we leave for my tree.

That evening

I have arranged for Marcus to come to my strong hold to talk. Indra and Gustus by my throne we must seem pretty imposing because he bows and doesn't look up until I tell him 'Eat'. He looks up and sees a servant make her way to a small table and leave just as quickly. He looks back at me with thankful eyes.

I could see by the way he ate that he was restraining himself. I admired that, considering he hadn't eaten in three days. My guard, my general and I look at him with a mixture of hatred and curiosity.

When he finished he said 'What happened at Ton DC? You spoke of a massacre.'

Indra answers 'Two of your men killed eighteen people from my village with guns.' every word was filled with hatred.

Gustus adds 'Villagers, elders, women and children were killed' he now spoke with the same hatred as Indra.

Marcus claims that they hadn't ordered the massacre and to be lenient towards his people.

After multiple suggestions from Marcus for peace, which were answered by Indra saying 'Blood must have blood', Marcus understood that a sacrifice must be made. I respect him for that.

'Since the massacre was not a planned attack by my people you can be sure we will not see the attackers as innocent'.

I could see the progress we have made this evening, considering that Indra had let go of the hilt of her sword. I had a guard escort him back to his room.

I ordered my warriors to prepare for battle, and move out toward the Ark.