"How can you follow her?" Bellamy asks in a low whisper as he trails behind Echo up an empty set of stairs. She doesn't answer.
"You're different than the others," he comments. Still, he gets no reply. "I know you can hear me, and I know you can talk." -Silence- "Why won't you answer me?" Bellamy growls, but once again, he is ignored.
Irritated, Bellamy grabs Echo's firm arm as they turn a corner at the top of the stairs.
"Hey-" he begins to call out, but his words quickly stifle when his hand is forcible removed and is hastily shoved against the hard stone wall. A harsh hiss leaves his lips as his injured back hits the hard surface. Any further sound is silenced by a cold metal blade pressing into his throat.
Bellamy's eyes widen as he stares back into angry light brown ones just inches from his face. Echo's forearms and upper body pin him against the wall.
"Never. Touch. Me. Again," she snarls, adding a little pressure to the blade after each word.
A slow trickle of blood begins to flow down Bellamy's neck, where the sharp blade cuts into his skin.
Bellamy doesn't move. In fact, he isn't even breathing as he gazes into hostile eyes.
Gradually, the blade's weight lessens, and Bellamy is left frozen against the wall as Echo leaps back from him. He watches as she slides the dagger back into its original hiding place.
Clinching his teeth, Bellamy carefully moves away from the stone wall. Only a single ragged breath gives him away to the pain the movement causes. Down his back, Bellamy can feel that some of his wounds have broken open again.
Cautiously and slowly, Bellamy reaches up to the new cut on his neck and wipes away the thin dribble of blood. Brown eyes study the red life force that is smeared across his fingers.
Warily, Bellamy glances up at Echo, who is now marching away from him down the hallway. No wonder the warriors gave this woman a wide birth. She's deadly.
Ignoring the throbbing pain in his back, Bellamy resumes following the lethal woman.
After his unexpected lesson of "do not touch strangers." Bellamy remains quiet as they stroll down the hallway. Only the sound of their boots hitting the hard floor serenades the air. They pass multiple doors until Echo finally stops at one.
"This will be your chamber until the Queen says otherwise," she says coldly.
Bellamy nods, recognizing the warning in Echo's words. If he wants to stay here and not in the dungeon, he will need to stay on the Queen's good side.
When Echo doesn't move from her spot, Bellamy regards the door for himself and opens it.
As he enters, Bellamy perceives the room is at least twice the size of what he used to live in on the Ark with his mom and sister. But that is as far as his mind gets before Echo's voice from behind him draws his attention.
"The Queen has requested you eat with her tonight. I will get you when that time comes," she states.
Bellamy turns towards her as Echo speaks, but before he can give her a reply. The brunette woman has her hand on the door handle and quickly slams it shut in front of her. Leaving Bellamy alone in the room. Directly after the door is closed, Bellamy hears the familiar sound of it being locked.
Hastily, he rushes forward and tries to twist the knob, but it doesn't move.
"ECHO!" he yells, slamming his fist against the wooden door. There's no reply. "Fuck," he growls out.
Turning back into the room. Once again, Bellamy finds himself in another cell. Though if he had to choose, he prefers this one over the other one. At least this 'cell' is clean, warm, and lit.
Providing the most light is a large barred window in the far corner of the room. Immediately, Bellamy rushes to it.
Gripping the cold metal, he tries to move them, but they're solid. Vigilantly, Bellamy examines the iron bars. They're set too close together for his body to squeeze through, and they are too thick to cut.
"Shit," he breathes out with a huff. There is no way he is getting through these bars.
Brown eyes gaze out the window. The room is two, maybe three stories up from the ground. Even if he could get through the bars, the next obstacle would have been, how was he going to get down? If he jumped, the fall probably wouldn't kill him, but it would definitely injure him. Bellamy was already fighting an uphill battle trying to escape, and adding another injury would just make things worse. Maybe if he had a rope or something, but either way, the whole thing was a moot point since he couldn't get through the iron bars.
Bellamy was disappointed that the window was out for a possible escape route, but he did appreciate that it was still there. Being trapped in a pitch-black cell for so many days, the brunette male realizes how much he enjoys seeing the outside world. Even up in space on the Ark, there were windows. Granted, all anyone could see were stars and Earth from above, but at least it was more than just darkness.
Looking off into the distance, Bellamy sees part of the village and the people who travel through it. He can detect those that are warriors and those that are villagers as they move. A large warrior catches his eye as they stop a smaller size villager. Instantly, Bellamy pictures the conflict he saw earlier between the woman villager and male warrior.
Clinching his fist, Bellamy turns away from the window's view. He can't watch something like that again. Expressly when he can't do anything to stop it.
"Yet!" He whispers. Not yet.
Taking in a deep breath, Bellamy leaves those thoughts behind and focuses on the large room.
The daylight shining through the window provides enough light so Bellamy can see the room clearly, but once nightfall comes. A torch mounted close to the door, and a small fireplace will be the only light source he will have. But the shortage of light shouldn't be an issue since the room itself is scarcely bare.
With only a large four-poster bed, sizeable wardrobe, and a hefty pile of logs sitting off to the side of the fireplace make up the room. There were no paintings, animal skulls, or furs that decorate the walls. No tables, chairs, or desk for Bellamy to sit or work on. This room was for sleeping and dressing only. Bellamy wondered if the room always looks like this, or did they construct it this way just for him? Either way, he didn't care and went over to the fireplace to add another log to the dwindling fire.
The heat from the multiple flames warmed Bellamy's face and quickly seeped through the thin clothes. Standing up and turning back towards the room, Bellamy lets the heat sooth his aching back and body.
Brown eyes gaze over towards the bed that has a single thick fur blanket and pillow resting on top of it. It looks soft and inviting, but anything would be compared to the cold, hard, dirt floor he has been sleeping on. Not yet tired or wanting to get the bed dirty/bloody, Bellamy moves over to the wardrobe that stands against the opposite wall.
Curious if he will find extra clothes, he swings open one of the doors. Inside is a long sleeve shirt hanging from a hanger and a pair of pants folded on a shelf. Examining them closer, Bellamy finds both articles are fur-lined for added warmth.
But before he can debate about changing clothes. A soft knock thumps on the door before it's unlocked and opened. Bellamy watches intently as the healer from earlier walks in along with a young brunette girl. The girl looks to be between the ages of twelve to fourteen. Soft brown eyes meet Bellamy's for a brief moment before the girl speedily looks down towards her feet.
"A bath has been made for you," the healer calmly says, drawing Bellamy's attention. "Once clean, I will redress your wounds." Not waiting for a response, the older woman turns and walks back out the door. Leaving it open for Bellamy to follow.
However, the girl moves and draws back Bellamy's focus. She walks right up to him and stops. Not once looking up from her feet. Bellamy can see the girl's body is trembling, but whether it's out of fear or something else, he isn't sure. The pair stand in front of one another awkwardly until Bellamy steps back away from the girl and the wardrobe.
This seems to ease the girl, so he takes another step back, hoping it will calm her further. Without looking at Bellamy, the girl quickly reaches into the wardrobe, takes out the fur-lined clothes, and folds them in her hands.
Realizing she is being made to carrying his things, Bellamy steps forward and reaches out to the girl.
"I can take those," he says softly, but the girl's sharp shriek drowns out his words, and she hastily flinches away from Bellamy's hand.
Instantly, Bellamy holds up his hands and begins apologizing.
Outside in the hallway, the healer grunts, and the girl rushes out of the room and over to her.
Feeling guilty for scaring the young girl, Bellamy quietly exits the room with his arms flat to his sides.
He gets a step or two out of the door when he sees two guards -who were standing on either side of the doorstep in behind him.
Swiftly, Bellamy jumps back away from them and crouches into a fighting stance, but neither guard attacks. They just glare down at him.
"MOVE," one of them snarls, nodding his head in the direction the healer and girl are walking in.
Out numbered and out muscled, Bellamy complies and resumes following the healer and girl.
Just two doors down and across the hallway, the healer opens a door and walks inside. The girl shadows closely behind, and Bellamy follows, but the guards do not. Instead, they stand on opposite sides of the door like they were at his room.
Bellamy decides to ignore them and observe the room he just walked in. Instantly, he recognizes it as a bathroom, even in the low flicker of light from the four torches that burn on four separate walls. There are no windows in this room, but Bellamy isn't concerned about it. His full attention is on the massive white, cast iron tub in the middle of the room. Steam rises from the water that is filled inside. Bellamy nearly groans at the soothing sight.
On the Ark, there were only showers and because everything was scared up in space. The water was always ice cold. People did not take long showers in freezing water.
"There are herbs inside to help clean and relieve pain to your wounds," the healer comments, looking at the tub. She then points to a small table that has an array of different colored bars. "These you may use to wash with," she says.
Bellamy picks one of the bars up and smells it. The scent of the forest trees fills his lungs. Placing the bar back down, Bellamy nods his head.
"Once you are done, let one of the guards know, and they will come get me."
Again Bellamy nods. Out of the corner of his eye, Bellamy sees the young girl set his new clothes on another small table just a few feet away from the tub. Among the clothes is a folded up towel. That looks rather fluffy.
Without another word, both females walk out the door and close it behind them.
Bellamy stares at the closed door for only a moment before he rips off the thin material covering him. He doesn't even bother with the bandages on his back. Most he wouldn't be able to get to anyways.
Once naked, he slowly sinks himself into the steaming water. The heat stings his skin and makes him whimper as it coats his back and soaks through the red-stained dressings. But Bellamy keeps going and pushes through the pain and fully submerges himself.
Completely entombed in hot water, Bellamy lets the warmth seep into his body. If it weren't for the fact that he would drown, Bellamy would stay under forever, but none the less the need for air comes too soon, and he must emerge.
Strips of cloth begin to peel off his wet skin, and one by one. Bellamy fishes them out of the water, then drops them carelessly outside the tub creating a fast forming puddle/stack of drenched blood-stained rags.
Grabbing the bar that smells like the forest and the small washcloth next to it. He lathers it up.
Thirty minutes later, and washing his hair twice, Bellamy finally feels clean. He really wants to soak some more, but he can feel the drowsiness of fatigue crawling up him, and he really doesn't want to fall asleep in here.
Standing up, Bellamy steps out of the tub while hollering towards the door to let the guards know he is done. He then walks over to the table with the towel and wraps it around his waist.
With a slight chill in the air and uncertain as to when the healer will come back. Bellamy hurries to dry himself off but leaves his back untouched. He assumes the healer will take care of that later.
Setting the towel to the side Bellamy picks up the pants and looks them over. They look comfy, but since he is fresh out of clean underwear, he'll have to go commando in them, and he's not sure if they are adequate for that.
Glancing over to where he discarded his clothes. Bellamy sees his underwear mixed in with the murky water of the old bandages and ripped garments. Shaking his head, he was definitely not putting those back on now.
With no other options, Bellamy quickly slips them on.
Surprisingly, they are quite comfortable, but he still needs to button them to know for sure.
Before he can do that, however, the door swiftly opens, and in walks the healer and young girl.
Stunned by the sudden exposure, Bellamy freezes until he witnesses the young girl's wide eyes focused at his waist. Thankfully, his lower appendage is covered, but his pants' unbuttoned section is very low, and dark curls of hair are noticeable. Instantly, Bellamy covers himself. His movement seems to unlock the girl's stare, and her face turns beet red before she quickly looks to the floor.
The healer isn't the least bit affected by Bellamy's state of undress and rolls her eyes at the girl's antics while he anxiously buttons up his pants.
Holding onto the girl's arm, the healer practically drags the still blushing girl over towards Bellamy and the table. The healer then mumbles something into the girl's ear, and the young brunette sets the box she is carrying down on the table. She then goes to the corner of the room, where Bellamy sees a stool. The girl picks it up and brings it over towards him and the healer. Not once has she looked up at Bellamy or the healer.
"Sit," the healer orders pointing at the stool.
Bellamy quickly obeys.
"This is my second, Mia. She will be helping me," the healer announces.
Bellamy simply nods, still slightly embarrassed.
The healer and girl get to work quickly, and it's not long till Bellamy sees the girl step back in front of him. She doesn't make eye contact, but she is looking at him and motions for him to raise his arms slightly. He does.
Both healer and girl begin wrapping a rolled-up cloth around Bellamy's torso. The girl is once again reaching for the bidding when her brown eyes meet his, and Bellamy smiles softly down at her.
Immediately the girl blushes and looks away. She fumbles with the binding and nearly drops it. The healer still at Bellamy's back curses at her and tells her to focus.
Once again, Bellamy feels guilty for traumatizing the girl and decides that staring at the wall will be more beneficial to them.
In a short amount of time, Bellamy finds himself pulling on the long sleeve shirt and being escorted back to his room.
Now being clean and having the pain on his back to a dull ache. Bellamy lays face down onto the bed. The mattress and pillow are soft, and the fur blanket is warm. Before he even knows it, Bellamy falls asleep.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
He's marching through the forest with a rifle in his hands and a mass of Azgeda warriors and Ark guards following behind him. This was his army-well his and the Queen's, but the Queen was in her castle, and Bellamy was the General leading the army.
He would use this army to wipe out the Commander and her people. After that, Bellamy had a trick up his sleeve. He had been working hard to gain the Queen's trust and become the General of her army. He would use that role to order the Azgeda warriors to head back to Azgeda with the shout of victory and while their backs were turned. He would have the Ark guards mow them down with their weapons. He would destroy the Queen's army and then the Queen herself.
Bellamy would rid the world of savages. They didn't deserve to live on this planet. Not anymore. Not after what they did to him and his people. He was better than them. All Arkers were.
Coming to a small clearing, Bellamy motions for his army to stop. Across the small meadow, he sees another mass of people begin filling the treeline.
Among the people, he spots the red sash of the Commander. Bellamy glares at her. She is wearing black war paint on her face, in the same design Bellamy saw at the pyre. The Commander looks fierce and intimidating, but Bellamy does not fear her.
Someone comes up from behind Lexa and stands next to her. Bellamy instantly recognizes the golden hair and knows it's Clarke. However, when Bellamy looks at her, a chill runs through him.
She two has her face painted, but it's different from Lexa's. Starting at the edge of her left jawline and crossing up and over to her right temple. Is a black silhouette of a hand-print. The hand's thick palm covers nearly all of Clarke's left cheek and part of her lips, while the fingers stretch across her nose, eyes, and forehead. Clarke's bright blue eyes blaze behind the black paint, and her golden hair glows around her head like a halo.
No longer did Clarke look like the naive girl that Bellamy remembers. No, she now looked like the Angel of Death, and she was there to take the souls of everyone she fought. Bellamy could feel Death's hands reaching out to him as he looked at her.
Bellamy's body fidgets, unable to decide if it wants to kneel or run away screaming and by the murmurs around him. He wasn't the only one to think so.
Movement next to Clarke draws his attention. At first glance, Bellamy thought the person was just another savage, but when he looked at them closer. His heart stopped. The savage was Octavia. His sister. His own flesh and blood. She was one of them, wearing their armor and holding a sword between her hands.
"Octavia," Bellamy calls out sickly as a knot forms in his stomach. "What did you do?" He pleads.
"You chose your side. I chose mine," Octavia growls out.
No!...No... this wasn't how things were supposed to happen. He was here to save her. To rescue her.
Before Bellamy could make another thought, war cries scream out around him, and people start charging. Bellamy stares at Octavia in horror as she, too, yells out a war cry and charges.
"NO!" Bellamy screams.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Two loud knocks sends Bellamy jolting out of bed. His head whips around towards the opening door as Echo storms in.
"Let's go," she demands as she rushes in. Echo pauses for a moment regarding the young man before her. His breathing is labored, his clothes are twisted and crumbled, and a section of his hair is standing straight up. He looks like shit and is in no way presentable to have dinner with the Queen, but she doesn't care. She is not responsible for him. What he does or how he looks does not affect her.
Spinning on her heel, Echo turns and marches right back out the door.
Bellamy is to lost in his mind trying to register where he is and what is happening that he misses Echo's pause. It's only when she turns that he remembers everything and catches Echo's back disappearing out the door. Comprehending he must follow, Bellamy scurries after her while simultaneously trying to fix his clothes and hair.
As Bellamy catches up to Echo and starts trailing behind her, his thoughts go back to his dream and sister.
Octavia was one of them. She was a savage. The image of her charging at him and screaming plays through his head. Suddenly, a new image develops. This one has tortured corpses hanging from hooks. Mouths hung open silently, screaming out their torment.
No, he wouldn't let his sister become one of them. Savages were barbaric and cruel. No better than a feral beast that needed to be put down. He would save her. He would get her back, and he would do whatever it took to do that.
Straightening out his back, Bellamy walks with more confidence. He would gain the Queen's trust and her army. Then he would destroy them all.
Marching through another set of doors, Echo and Bellamy enter a generous size room with a long wide table in the center, with Queen Nia sitting at the head. To her left is a brunette girl close to Octavia's age sitting at the table. All the other chairs are empty.
Queen Nia motions to the empty chair to her right. "Belomi, please sit," she calls out with a smile that sends a chill up Bellamy's spine.
"Yes, my Queen," he answers with a slight head bow, which makes Nia's smile grow.
Bellamy marches confidently towards his chair. As he grows closer, he notices Murphy kneeling on the floor next to the Queen's chair. They lock eyes for only a moment before Bellamy darts his eyes away, disgusted by the sight.
"Echo, do you wish to join us?" the Queen asks as Bellamy takes his seat.
Echo can feel all eyes on her as she stands just inside the door. The female warrior had wished the Queen would have demisted her after delivering the boy, but clearly, her role for the Queen was not finished, and she dreaded what that may be.
Slowly, Echo bows her head in acceptance. Even though the Queen asked the invite as a question. Echo knew it was actually a demand. Quietly, she joins the small group striding over to the empty seat next to Bellamy.
Echo catches the smile and glint in the Queen's cold eyes as she does this.
FUCK! Echo curses inside her head, realizing her mistake. She should have taken the chair next to Ontari, but it was too late to fix it now as she pulls out her chair.
Out of the corner of her eye, Echo can see Bellamy watching her. The warrior wants to smack him. His staring is only making her situation worse.
Clearing her throat, the Queen gains everyone's attention. "Belomi, this is my daughter Ontari," she says, motioning to the brunette girl to her left.
Bellamy gazes across the table at Ontari, who is smiling at him mischievously. The girl looks nothing like the Queen, and Bellamy acknowledges Ontari is no more the Queen's daughter than he is her son. Yet, the girl is important to the Queen in some way.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ontari," Bellamy says, bowing his head to her.
Ontari does not say anything and continues to stare at him. Not sure what he should do, Bellamy moves his attention back towards the Queen.
"Let us eat," Nia calls out, making multiple servants begin streaming out of a corner door carrying plates of food out to the table. "We will talk business later," the Queen states, looking right at Bellamy. Causing him to wonder what kind of business she is referring to.
After the servants bring out the food, they all take a small portion of each dish and eat it. Bellamy gawks at them in confusion.
"My servants make sure my food is safe before anyone eats," the Queen answers his unspoken question.
Bellamy nods, wondering how many servants have died because of this. It's also another indication of what kind of person the Queen is. Evil.
When no servants keel over, Nia orders the feast to begin. Ontari and Echo dig right in, grabbing hand fulls of this and that. Bellamy isn't sure what he is even looking at, but the smell coming from some of the dishes makes his mouth water. Bellamy decides to take a small serving of everything and bites down on a strip of what looks like some kind of meat first.
Bellamy is unprepared for the explosion of flavor that erupts on his tongue. He nearly moans at the savory taste. Before he is even finished chewing the rest of the strip, he hastily grabs for another.
Queen Nia laughs out, witnessing Bellamy's eagerness to the new food. "John had nearly the same reaction," The Queen states as she tears off a piece of her own section of meat and holds it out to her side where Murphy is kneeling. Keenly, Murphy rises up on his knees and takes the offered piece from her fingers.
Bellamy completely loses his appetite when he sees Murphy lick the Queen's fingers, and was that a collar around his neck?
"Food on the Ark was for survival only. It did not matter what it tasted like," Bellamy replies, staring back at his full plate. That now looks unappetizing. He knows he should still eat, but he can't seem to bring himself to do it.
Fortunate for him a guard chooses that time to come marching in and heads straight for the Queen's chair. Silence fills the air, and Bellamy can only make out a set of mumbled words as the guard whispers into the Queen's ear.
A slow, menacing smile swipes across her face. Once the guard is finished, he stands at attention next to the Queen. Nia's cold blue eyes travel from Murphy to Bellamy, and Bellamy swears he hears Murphy whimpering.
"My guard has just informed me that another one of your shuttles was spotted coming down."
Both Murphy and Bellamy look at each other, shocked by the new information. It couldn't be the Ark already. There hasn't been enough time.
Queen Nia's laugh brings their focus back to her. "Oh, do not worry. This changes nothing." Cold blue eyes glance between Bellamy and Echo.
More than anything, Echo wants to jump from her chair and run out of the room, but she set her fate when she sat next to the boy. Without moving or any outward facial expressions, Echo waits for the Queen's orders.
"Echo, I want you to partner with Belomi. Consider him as being your second."
This was it; she knew the Queen would partner Bellamy with her. In fact, she knew it when she was first sent to get the boy in the cell. Queen Nia always planned things three steps ahead.
Bowing her head Echo, accepts her role by answering, "Yes, my Queen."