Notes:
Well what do you guys think? Please let me know. Comments and Kudos's definitely make writing easier when I know there are people out there interested in my story!
Chapter 2: Protect our People
Summary:
Thank you guys so much for the reviews! I am still looking for a Beta for this story so please comment below if you are interested! Thanks! Enjoy!
Also there are going to be two languages throughout this story. I went to google translator and looked through all the languages to see which language felt the best for Clarke's people. I choose Afrikaans. I am in no way trying to degrade nor insult anyone who speaks this language, in fact I am very much in love with the language which is why I chose it for the this story.
Also like with any story that has a foreign language tied into the regular english is quite difficult to write. I made the decision to write the translation at bottom of the sentence, instead off putting the translation of the text at the end of the story. I know as a reader I get frustrated when I have to scroll up and down through the story to understand what is being said, only to try and find where I left off after I read the translation.
I hope this makes my story easier to read. If not please let me know! I want to make this story enjoyable to read and if something doesn't feel right then let me know!
Clarke knew she was dreaming. She had to be dreaming to be where she was at right now.
Her dream was always the same. The same beach. The same ocean. One would think she would grow tired of the repetitiousness of it all but Clarke knew she would never. How can anyone grow tired of something so beautiful?
She pushed her feet to sink deeper into the sand and like always she couldn't help but wiggle her toes deeper into the ground. The sound of the tide bringing the water in closer however pulled her gaze from the sand between her toes to the water that was making its way towards her. A few seconds later it crashed softly into her feet, washing the sand away, almost if it was cleansing her.
Clarke breathed in deeply. The smell of the water invaded her senses and caused a shiver to run down her spine. The water moved slowly around her, rising steadily, higher and higher it moved up her legs caressing her with each inch in climbed. It doesn't take long for the water to be hip level and Clarke opens her eyes to drag her fingers over the water's surface.
The water moved softly around Clarke's outstretched fingertips. Dragging her fingertips on the surface Clarke watched as the water moved with her hand, almost as if she were painting a picture that no one would ever see. Stopping her movements Clarke pulled her hand out of the water and watched as gravity took hold and the droplets began their decent down her hand. She watched as the droplets reached the tip of her elbow, the end of their descent before joining together to create a larger heavier droplet which quickly surrender to gravity and fell. She watched as the droplet collided back into the water, a blue ring forming when the droplet found its way back home.
Dragging her eyes from haloed water back up her arm Clarke's eyes soon became transfixed onto a small droplet that seemed to be stuck on her knuckle. It shook against her skin, almost as if it was fighting gravity in order to stay with Clarke for a moment longer.
Clarke smiled at the droplets flight before reaching towards it with her other hand. She carefully placed her finger under the droplet, and slowly pushed up into it. Within seconds the droplet had a new place to call home as it sat comfortably on the tip of Clarke's finger. Clarke smiled at the droplet remembering her father's words when she was a small child.
"Remember Clarke, water is powerful. It can wash away earth, put out fire, and even destroy iron. Water can carve its way through stone. And when trapped, water makes a new path. Always strive to be like the water Nirvelli. Never lose your heart, because like the water your heart will always overcome the hardness it faces."
Tears formed in her eyes at the thought of her father and his teachings. But even with tear clouded vision she did not miss the magic that was happening in front of her. The small droplet that once sat on her fingertip now floated in front of her eyes. Clarke smiled at the droplet not surprised at all by the magical water that always found its way to surprise her in her dreams.
Clarke reached out her hand towards the droplet intent on finding out what magic the water possessed.
"Het jy die krag Nirvelli voel?"
(Do you feel its power Nirvelli?)
Clarke jumped at the voice and watched with sadness as the magical droplet fell back into the water. She sighed in frustration at the rippled water that formed after the droplet connected back with the water.
" Dit is tyd dat ons pepole weer eindig die infinite stroom."
(It is time our people once again join the infinite stream)
She had forgotten about the voices that always accompanied her dreams. They were always here. Speaking in a soothing but powerful voices. She could never understand them but she knew that whatever they were saying was the key to understanding what happened to her before her father was executed.
Clarke closed her eyes and sighed once again, wishing she could understand, just once what the voices were telling her. Instead the sound of her father's voice flooded her mind.
"Listen to the voices, they will guide you."
Clarke's father's voice echoed in her mind. He wanted her to listen to them but how? How can she listen to a voice that speaks a language she does not understand? Why did he leave her? Why couldn't he be here to help her through this?!
"Dit in jou siel water kind"
(It is in your soul water child)
Clarke blinked back angry tears, all of it becoming too much for her to handle.
"I can't understand you!" she yelled out, tears streaming down her face.
" Dit gebad jy by jou geboorte en sal weer op jou dood"
(It embraced you are your birth and will once again upon your death)
"I don't understand you! Do you hear me! I don't know what you are saying!"
Clarke's anger flowed through her and like a damn finally breaking against the influx of crushing water, her anger burst from her body. Letting out a rage filled scream she brought her fists down into the water in fury. The water that shot from her fists impact created large waves, waves that Clarke was too blinded by anger to realize formed into large tidal surf's that streamed off into the distance.
The large waves gathered much of the water around Clark as she now stood in only ankle deep water.
So many emotions weighed heavily on Clarke and like the droplets of water that that fell from her elbow minutes before, Clarke too succumbed to gravity's power and fell to her knees. Sobs of frustration and sadness escaped from her throat as her body shook.
"Laat dit was weg jou vrees , Nirvelli"
(Let it wash away your fear, Nirvelli)
Clarke's eyes shot wide at this voice. It sounded different. The other voices always sounded as if they were coming from above her, surrounding her, but this voice, this voice sounded like it was only feet from her. Looking up from the ground she gasped and shot back in surprise at the woman who was standing before her.
She was elderly, almost frail looking. Her bright white hair flowed in long curls framing her face. Her hair looked so much more white now as Clarked took in the woman's olive colored skin. Clarke dragged her eyes down the woman's body to stop on her top, a brightly colored blue and high collared vest covered the woman's chest to flow down past her hips stopping mid thigh, right above a pair of black leather pants.
The women also wore a shoulder plate with engraving that Clarke soon recognized the similarity between those designs and the ones that adorned her bracelet. Clarke stared at the armor plate but continued her inspection of the woman before her as her eyes dragged down the woman's exposed arms.
Her arms were small, and frail due to her age but Clarke could see the underlying strength that they still held. There were brands on her arms, symbols and inscriptions cascaded down the them. Clarke's eyes shot wide at the brands. The pain they would have caused to recieve would have to be unimaginable.
Clarke took in every brand, as her eyes traveled down the woman's arms until she came to rest on her hands, which Clarke soon realized were grasping a staff like weapon that was digging heavily into the sand below.
Clarke dragged her eyes back up the woman's body to meet her gaze. A gasp escaped Clarke's mouth as her gaze was met with bright blue eyes, eyes that looked so familiar. It took a second for Clarke to make the connection but when she did another strangled gasp sounded. Her eyes, they were so similar to her fathers. There was a kindness to them that she only ever saw in her father's.
The woman smiled, perhaps understanding the connection Clarke made or maybe she was just smiling at the reaction her presence had caused.
The woman dipped her slowly to Clarke, in greeting perhaps? Clarke didn't know what the action signified but soon after the woman started to move, slowly her eyes never leaving Clarke's as she crouched until the two were eye level.
Clarke fought every urge to back away from the woman, knowing that this woman could possibly hurt her, but also maybe finally give her the answers she so desperately needed.
The woman continued her slow and gentle movements to lower her hand from her staff and into water at their feet. Her hand was palm up and Clarke watched in amazement as the water, moving on its own accord began to pool around her hand. After a few moments, the woman lifted her hand from the water and Clarke's eyes shot wide at the orb of water that centered itself in the palm of the woman's hand.
The water was moving, but never lost its circular shape as it rested in her hand. Clarke couldn't believe what was she was seeing, and by the twitch of the woman's lips in front of her, Clarke realized her face was most likely showing exactly the amount of wonder her body felt.
The woman moved her head again and Clarke eyed her with confusion. She repeated the movement of her hand, indicating to something as her eyes focused on the ground to Clarke's right side. Clarke followed the woman's gaze to see that her eyes were trained on Clarke's hand. Clarke moved her gaze from her hand, which was buried in the sand back to the woman trying to understand what she wanted.
The woman merely nodded again at Clarke's hand before bringing the ball of water closer to Clarke.
Clarke's eyes shot wide once again and what the women was requesting. Did she want her to touch the water?
Clarke gathered her wildly raging emotions that seemed to be running rampant through her body by taking a deep breath before slowly bringing her hand up from the ground. Moving slowly she moved her hand out in front of her like the woman requested before reaching up to touch the orb.
"No."
Clarke froze in place at the woman's words and her fingers paused inches from the orb. Bringing her gaze from the orb to the woman Clarke eyed her in confusion. Isn't this what she wanted?
The woman smiled but shook her head before letting go of her staff with her other hand, letting the staff rest against her shoulder. The woman reached forward slowly and grasped Clarke's wrist in a firm but gentle touch. Clarke could feel the woman apply pressure to Clarke's wrist, turning her hand until it was palm up. She then pulled her hand away only for it to come back to grasp the staff.
Clarke watched carefully as the woman brought the ball of water towards Clarke's outstretched hand. Angling her hand to the the ball of water slowly started to slide from the woman's palm towards Clarks.
"Omhels dit en bring tot sy magte dra tot die wêreld weer te reinig."
(Embrace it and bring to bear its force to make the world clean again.)
As last word left the woman's mouth the ball of water was now fully resting in Clarke's hand, never losing its shape.
Clarke stared in wonder at what was in her hand. It was wet but Clarke could feel it vibrating softly against her skin. Almost as if the water was humming to her. The humming increased and Clarke gasped as it seemed to traveled from the water through Clarke's hands and then into her very veins. Her body shook at the sensation, it was as if her body and and the water were singing a melody, a melody that was quickly reaching its crescendo.
The water orb began to glow in her hand, brighter and brighter as the humming continued getting louder and louder.
Suddenly, there was nothing but pain. She couldn't hold in the scream that tore through her throat as her entire back and arms felt as if they were on fire. The smell of burning flesh lingered in the air. The humming grew stronger, the pain grew to an unimaginable level and darkness started clouding her vision. Clarke's throat seized under her screams, until suddenly it stopped.
The humming.
The pain.
It stopped.
Clarke gasped for breath as the dull ache that spread throughout her body as painful spasms rippled across her back and arms. Shaking her head, Clarke tried to clear her thoughts. What had happened to her? What had caused the pain?
Clarke brought her gaze back to the water orb in her hand that was still glowing ice blue. The sight of her outstretched arm still holding the orb caused her stomach to turn.
Her arm was burned, badly. Clarke did not need to look at her other arm and back to understand that they were most likely also burned. Clarke let out a pained gasp at the sight, her body was branded. The orb had branded her with the same marks as the woman who gave her the orb.
The water had hurt her!
The woman tricked her!
Clarke snarled, ignoring the pain that flashed throughout her body as she moved to throw the water orb at the woman. Pulling her arm back she let out a pained whimper but pushed through it as her eyes set onto the woman who was looking at her with concern.
Clarke used the last of her strength to and hurled the water orb towards the woman. The momentum from the throw caused her weak body to fling forward and she was barely able to stop herself from hurling face first into the ground. She waited to for the sound of the woman getting hit by the orb, but after a moment silence Clarke picked up her head to see the woman still standing in front of her and the orb of water at her feet before melting into the water, spreading its glow all around her.
Clarke let out a weak growl, willing herself not to pass out, not to give in, to fight this woman. With one last push she pushed herself up from the water, stifling her pained cry until she was able to bring herself to her knees. Her arms were held limply at her side, no longer able to support the weight of even gravity's force.
Clarke's head bobbed back and forth, the strength to even keep her head up had left her body. Darkness impeded her sight but she was able to make out the figure of the woman who was now crouching before her. Clarke could feel something cool and soothing, the water perhaps, whatever it was it was climbing up her hands and up her arms. The water was moving up her arms, taking away the pain as it went. Within seconds it had reached her shoulders only to start its slow decent down her back.
Clarke felt hands on the side of her face, too weak to move them she could only let out a low growl of agitation as she fought to stay awake.
"Why?" gasped out Clarke to the woman.
The woman moved her hands from the side of Clarke's face to the back of Clarke's neck, and gently guided Clarke's head forward until it was resting against her own. The woman was humming, it was soft in a soothing tune that Clarke recognized from her early childhood. It was the same tune that her father would hum to her before tucking her into bed. The tune always made her feel safe and loved. Her father said it was the same tune his mother would sing to him when tucking him into bed.
How did this woman know this tune?
Clarke's eyelids felt heavy, as she fought against the urge to pass out from exhaustion. The humming finally came to a halt and Clarke could barely make out the familiar blue eyes staring back at her before welcoming the darkness.
"Beskerm die mense."
Clarke heard her voice through the darkness and through the haze she was barely able to recognize that she understand what the woman had said. She understood a language that was unknown to her only a few minutes prior.
"Protect our people."
"Prisoner 3-1-9, wake up and face the wall!"
Notes:
So what do you think
Did you like the translation in the story or would you like them at the end of the text?
