Cara was berating herself for having forgot to warn their family that Lexa wasn't dead. She could only imagine what must have been for Mary the past three days thinking that she had lost her daughter. Actually, she couldn't even imagine, and she was feeling very guilt for letting the woman suffer for so long unnecessarily, she only hoped that once she explained what had happened that they would forgive her for her failed memory. She quickly left Lexa's room and was about to go call a young boy to go deliver a message when there was a knock on the door, leaving her with her senses on high alert.
"Cara, are you there? It's Gaia. Titus sent me," She heard from the other side of the door and recognized the girl's voice and finally relaxed before opening the door revealing the young Order member.
"Gaia, I was kind of expecting you," Cara said as she made way for the girl to enter her house before she looked around and closed the door locking it behind her.
"Titus told me that there was something important in your care and that I should come her and help protect it. What is going on?" The young Trikru asked.
"Well, that is a long story, but the short version is that Titus didn't manage to kill Lexa," Cara said as the girl was surprised by what she was hearing.
"What do you mean he didn't kill her?" Gaia asked her and Cara motioned for her to sit in her living room and the young woman followed her lead.
"He didn't kill her. He wounded her badly, but she was able to survive and is currently recovering in my room. She is the important package he left for you to help protect," Cara explained, and Gaia went white.
"You're telling that Lexa is alive? Is that it?" Gaia asked her to be sure that was what she heard, and Cara could only nod her head.
"Yes, she is but she is still really sick. It is going to take a while before she will be okay again which is why I haven't told her anything about what happened at the Conclave," Cara said to her lowering her voice so that Lexa wouldn't hear them.
"And what exactly did you tell her?" Gaia asked the blonde older girl who motioned for her to wait in silence as she stood up and went towards the room, opening the door and peeking inside before closing it behind her and walking back to take her seat.
"It's okay, she is back asleep. I knew that the moment I told her that Ontari had massacred her nightbloods and that she had risen to the throne that she would want to go there and fight to avenge them as well as to protect her people, but she is too weak to even get out of bed. If she went in search of a fight, Ontari would have no problem cutting off her head. So, I lied, told her that Aden had won the Conclave and that everything was okay, just for a while. When she is okay, I will tell her the truth and whatever she does then, I will support her," Cara explained to her and Gaia couldn't say she didn't agree with her reasoning.
"Well, if she is so badly injured like you are telling me, then you did the right thing. We will definitely need her at her best for what is coming," Gaia said, and Cara frowned.
"Do you mean Ontari? Has she risen to power yet? Has she ascended?" Cara asked and Gaia let out a dry chuckle shaking her head.
"No, she has not. Titus gave the Flame to Wanheda to take it to Luna to see if she would take it and save everyone. He then sent me and the other members away. He knew that if she ever got the Flame, she would force him to insert in her and he wouldn't do it, so he slit his own throat to avoid being a pawn on her game. Titus is dead, Cara," Gaia told her, and the woman gasped in surprise. She didn't expect that form him.
"I am sorry of your loss. I know he was your mentor. It must be difficult for you," She said to the other girl who shook her head.
"It's okay because that it is not even the worst part of what is happening to our people at the moment," Gaia said to her and Cara felt herself getting worried.
"I am afraid to ask but I know I have to. So, what is going on?" Cara asked the other girl.
"I don't even know how to explain but I will try my best. When I knew that Titus had given the Flame to Wanheda, I went after her to secure it. It is the Order's duty to protect it, not hers. So I followed her back to her people's camp in Arkadia. I was hoping to catch her before she would get in but there was something wrong. There were gunshots flying around and I saw one of their vehicles break the gates before they stopped near her and her own people started shooting her," Gaia said before she continued,
"Wanheda then got inside the metal thing and got away from them. I stayed to observe them, and I saw them talking to an invisible person and I remember one of the stories that was told to us in the Order. Becca Pramheda had tried to create another version of the Flame but apparently it didn't work, and it started to want to destroy humanity by taking then to this place inside their mind where it controlled their actions. I think that s what is going on. People are getting mind controlled by this thing and it is spreading,"
"I heard the talking of getting others to take a chip, which is what I suppose it uses to control them and I think they will be coming to the closest villages until it has taken over everyone. We are in danger, Cara. Especially if these people find out about Lexa still being alive. We need to get her somewhere safe or we won't stand a chance against this thing," Gaia finished explaining and Cara was truly scared.
An enemy that could control their minds? Now, that was what you could call something monumentally bad. And the first thing that came to mind was her family and she knew that she couldn't let them fall in the hands of whoever or whatever this was so, she made her decision before she stood up and looked at Gaia. "I will be right back. Don't open the door unless it is for me. Do you understand?" She said to the woman who nodded her head before she went and walked out of her house.
She looked around her village and she wanted to warn them, these people that had always been so good to her, always so willing to help her whenever she needed help but then, if she did that, it would draw to much attention to her and she couldn't have that. Right now, Lexa's safety was her priority and she couldn't fail that, so she quickly put a small smile on her face and schooled her features before she quickly found who she was looking for. A young boy she usually called when she needed to deliver a message. Once he saw her coming his way, he stood up and straightened his spine.
"Hey Tony. I need a favor from you," She said to him and he nodded his head to her.
"What do you need from me Cara?" He asked her.
"I need you to go to Xandria and find my brother, his name is Vernon. Ask anyone and they will tell you where to find him and once you do, I need you to deliver him a message. Pay close attention. Tell him three words: Pack, Blood and Etom. Tell him that," She said, and she saw the confusion in his face.
"Pack, Blood and Etom? What does that mean?" He asked her but she shook her head.
"It's not important. He will understand. I need you to be as fast as you possibly can, okay? It's urgent," She said to him and he nodded.
"Okay, I will go now," He said, and she nodded before she saw him take off in the direction of her previous village and she let out a deep breath before she turned back towards her house. She knocked the door and once she identified herself, Gaia let her in before she closed the door behind her and sighed as she leaned against it.
"Is everything okay?" Gaia asked her and Cara sighed before nodding.
"I sent word to my family. Soon enough, they will be coming here, and we will leave to wait for this danger to pass before we return. I couldn't let anything happen to them," Cara explained to her and Gaia nodded.
"But won't it be too dangerous to tell them what is going on?" The Oder member asked her.
"No, we have a code we use to communicate with each other without other people understand the message even if they hear it so we will be fine. The problem is that they don't know that Lexa is alive. I forgot to send word of that so for the past three days, they have grieved after her and she was alive here with me," Cara explained, and Gaia nodded.
"I am sure that they will understand that there was a lot going on and that you had a lot to take care of in regard to Lexa's health and safety. They will forgive you even because they will be too happy to know about her that I doubt they will even register your lack of memory to warn them. Relax, a little," Gaia said encouragingly, and Cara was grateful for it.
"I certainly hope so. I just don't know how to send word to our other brother Kaleb," Cara said as she sat down as did Gaia.
"Why not? Does he live in another village?" Gaia asked and Cara shook her head sighing.
"No, we don't know where he lives. After their real father, Mary's first husband died, Kaleb took it the hardest. He was the last one to warm up to my Dad and to me because of that. When he was old enough, he simply left, saying he needed to seek justice for his father's death and we only saw him again when my niece and nephew were born and once a year when they get together for their father's death anniversary," Cara explained as she continued,
"Lexa had always been the one closest to him. He was the most protective over her so only she knows how to contact him but given everything that is going on, I am thinking that the further he is from here, the safer he will be. Once this nightmare with this new enemy is finished, I will ask her how to contact him and send a message asking for him to come," Cara finished talking.
"That is certainly complicated but which family isn't? I couldn't even get to my mother to warn her because of how dangerous it was and now, she is out there, possibly in the hands of either Ontari or this thing. Only the Spirit knows if she is even still alive," Gaia said, and Cara nodded.
"I'm sorry. I wish you could have gotten to her in time but if I know Indra, she is going to survive this. Your mother is one strong and extremely stubborn woman. If anyone can survive this, then it's her. Have faith in her," Cara said comfortingly, and Gaia nodded.
"I really hope that you are right," The Order member said as she took a deep breath before letting it all out.
"Hey, how about you help me pack whatever we will need for this trip? You can fill your mind with other thoughts instead of those pessimistic ones," Cara said and she nodded before they both stood up and went to work on packing supplies, like food and blankets as well as every medical supply that they judged that Lexa would possibly need as they continued talking about the situation, lowly so that even if Lexa woke up, she wouldn't hear then and all the while both of their minds were in their families and if they would be okay.