6 - Reflection
Jasper was confused. Not about his feelings or his life. Actually it was about Ontari. Her long dark brown hair, her brown-green eyes. Crap. He had a type. All of them like Octavia to some degree or another.
Maya
Shay
Now Ontari.
Octavia had found Lincoln, but had lost him to Pike actions.
Maya, she died in his arms.
Shay died of her injuries as he tried to save her and her people.
Now Ontari was so different than her City of Light self. Maybe she was coming to terms. Nearly dying. Head trauma. Cybernetic neural implant pumping backup memories of herself back. That didn't count the crap of her now remembering the abuse at Queen Nia's hands.
Jasper didn't want to know what Hell Queen Nia did to Ontari that made her into a fight or flight creature. But when the wounded animal was calm a bit of the Ontari that Jasper had gotten to know returned for moments at a time.
What did she remember of the circumstances of them meeting in that virtual environment?
With that he walked.
There were things that had to be done, but as he started to listen to the people talk he started to hear things.
Not bad things, just that the mess they were all in was just on large problem that just needed to whittle away at until it was fixed, or in this case survived.
Mark Watney Help us now.
This is when Jasper noticed that he was being followed. Jasper stopped for a moment near a corner of one of the hallways to look back. Out of the side of his eye he saw a child following him. The dark hair and the bandage on her head looked to be the same girl that Ontari had spoken to in the infirmary. The girl skirted back when she realized that Jasper had seen her.
"Are you Ontari's cousin?" Jasper spoke. He just waited. Ontari had spoken the girl in Grounder. Maybe the girl didn't know all that much English or Gonasleng as the Grounders had called what he and the rest of the Arkers spoke. This time Jasper tried again. "I know you are there Nightblood. If you wish battle or blood do so now or else speak." Jasper did his best to sound Grounder. This is when the girl slowly came out from around the corner.
"I do not wish battle or blood warrior of Hundred." The girl spoke worried. Jasper sighed.
"Do you have a name?" Jasper spoke with both hands raised.
"Artesia of the Broadleaf." Jasper nodded at the girl.
"Jasper Jordan of Agro Station and the Hundred." The girl jumped back.
Damn... he forgot that they must have heard about the fact that Pike had been from Agro station.
"Sorry... I must have scared you." Jasper spoke.
"No JasperJorden... I have heard of the warriors of the Agro... Many Azgeda warriors fell before them after their mighty village fell from the sky and crashed upon the land." The girl was wrong about a few things, but he didn't want to stop her.
"So... why are you following me... trying spy on me for Ontari?" Jasper grinned.
"Me Spy?" The girl looked worried. Like being put to death worried.
"You know... doing the little sister thing... sneaking around... trying to figure out what her big sister Ontari has been up to." Jasper nodded at her. This wasn't a put you to death type of spying she was doing, this was little sister snooping.
"Little sister... Big sister..." The girl was slowly starting to put the pieces together. Then she got the context. "Oh..." This is when Jasper grinned. "Yongon gada." The girl got the context he was aiming for.
"Yeah... So... you are wondering why Ontari and I have been acting so..." Jasper let the sentence hang so that the girl could finish it on her terms.
"Strange... Yes... Strange... She was angry at you, then embarrassed around you... then... angry, then upset." Artesia spoke looking at Jasper
"We have some history together... In the City of Light." Jasper came clean. "We were close." The girl looked at him perplexed.
"What do you mean close?" Jasper had to reply.
"I mean... we were friends... maybe more. I still see the girl with the scars on of her face who loved reading about ancient rulers and governments." Jasper just let it out. "I am a chemist... I brew things together to new compounds and materials to work with. Not a leader. But I was one..." Jasper got distant. "In Mount Weather." This brought concern from the girl.
"You were a leader! Were you a Commander?" The girl started to inch towards him slowly.
"I didn't have the rank... I just lead people. Did what I thought was right. People died."
"Many Maunon died under the wrath of Wanheda. Were you her Second?" Jasper didn't know how to respond.
"I don't know... Clarke was my friend. She was a healer..." There was a long pause from Jasper.
"Did the Maunon take someone from you?" Artesia spoke. Jasper bit his lip.
Maya...
Maya's dark skin. Brown eyes...
Her death...
"The Mountain took Maya. Clarke only pulled the lever to end the mess that ended so many lives." Artesia moved to look at him.
"Was she a member of the Hundred?" Jasper answered.
"Friend of the Hundred. I spilled her ashes at the old Delinquents camp." It just came out.
"She is with your honored dead. She is now part of your Kru now." Jasper hadn't realized that his accidental spillage of Maya's remains might have been an unconscious way for him to lay her to rest among those of his people that had been lost here. She hadn't been buried among the individuals of the Mountain... She had been laid to rest with those who had and would have and had called her friend.
"Thanks Artesia." Jasper spoke as he looked at the young Nightblood as he moved to kneel before her. "So what have you heard about me and the other Delinquents?"
"Wanheda's Hundred." The girl responded. "Lead by the Sky Princess, who landed in the woods of the Trikru. Had fought several hundred warriors using a wall of flame that consumed all who faced her down. Then she was captured by the Maunon and with her skills she escaped to speak before Heda Leska. After many battles to prove her place as an ally, Leska took her as an ally before moving to attack the mountain. With one fail stroke Wanheda brought death to the Mountain and those who had harmed those of Earth, Sky and Seas. Then Wanheda went upon a quest throughout the lands before Heda Leska's ally King Roan found her and brought her to Polis to be Ambassador of Skaikru... The Thirteenth Clan." Jasper sighed.
"You have most of the story right, but the journey took place is much more interesting." Jasper spoke as the young girl started to understand him more and he her.
"How so?" The girl spoke as another child a bit older came around the corner.
"Maybe because like the tales your fellow Nightbloods tell of Bekka your creator, not everything is that cut and dry. It is full of pain, love, loss, and other things that state that these people were much like yourselves, partially making it up as they went with many trials and errors till they got it right." Jasper saw that the strange Flame mark that Ontari had on her forehead was also a symbol shared among the rest of the Nightbloods.
"Tell us of the lore that you know of Pramheda Bekka." A young boy of the group spoke up.
"I am no Flamekeeper, but I will tell you what I know of Rebekka." Jasper spoke as he got the feeling that he was stuck on Nightblood babysitting duty for the time being.
Ontari walked down the hallway to Jasper's room.
There was so much she had learned while working with Wanheda and the one called Monty.
Jasper had been in a dark place of where death had started to court him on nearly a daily basis.
Alie's chips had offered an escape from the pain he had felt at the loss of young woman he had been in love with name Maya Vi. Maya had died in Jasper's arms shortly after Wanheda had flooded the Maunon's layer with radiation killing them. The same type of radiation that was now slowly poisoning the land.
Ontari had to fight back the urge to vomit again.
Jasper had seen the woman he had fallen in love with melt away like warm goat butter on bread in his arms.
Ontari's own experience of being ripped from her mother's arms didn't compare to the image of losing a loved one like that. Then hearing that he had befriended a girl on Luna's rig who had been able to get him to laugh. Her death may have been the breaking point for him to take Alie's chip.
Ontari reached up and touched the left side of her head.
Accessing remote feed system.
Ontari saw a picture floating before her.
Ontari jumped back a little till she realized that the image before her was a virtual display. It took her another moment to realize that she was tapped into the station itself.
As Ontari reached out to touch it a set of controls started to come into place.
Camera feeds. These images were called Camera Feeds. She was looking at camera feeds. The Eyes in many places.
Some of the City of Light's influence had followed her back to this plain of existence. Many of the commands spoke to places on the station.
Launch Bay.
External feed 1
External feed 2
Cell Block.
Cell Block - that meant prison... Ontari tapped that.
Ontari saw Jaha sitting in his cell.
The man looked so broken.
But it was the words carved into the floor spoke volumes.
Wells... I'm sorry.
Wells?
Ontari's mind was racing... Who was this Wells?
After a moment she switched the feeds to see where else around the station she could see.
Random Hallway. Boring
Random Hallway. Boring
Random Hallway. More Boring.
Some Training Room. Empty... Not empty. Maybe a chance to see a sparring match. That would be fun. Ontari felt the lust for violence that had been part of her cultural background swell up with glee.
Ontari stopped to see a figure moving in there after a moment she just started watching the shadows dance around.
It was a woman... a very naked woman who came into view of the video feed. But before Ontari could change the feed the woman moved over to a rope hanging in the room and started to climb up it. What took place was... Beautiful.
This person had strength throughout their body. Some of the positions this woman angled her body into were remarkable as she hung with a mixture of upper and lower body strength. The length of time... hanging like a bat, or like a statue was remarkable. Then the woman moved and finished the routine she had been doing before moved to pick up a simple dress and a towel that had been on the floor... A sleep dress. Just like that with the same grace the woman had entered she left the room.
Ontari checked the feed location. Then she looked at the section of where she had been at.
Skaikru had set up their settlement in such a way where each hallway had a number and a Letter. The number meant section, and the letter meant how far one was from the front to the rear of the settlement. One section over and towards the back. Knowing the location Ontari moved as fast as she could on her crutches.
She needed to learn the secret of that strength… that grace.
Ontari pictured herself at her prime of her combat skills. Then obliterated that image picturing herself with that knowledge and technique slaying all foes before her.
Even a fraction of that skill that woman had, if she learned it no one would see her as a weak Heda... No... Weak anything.
She would be strong.
Strong as a Nalblada like herself should have been if Alie or Nia had mucked up her destiny.
Learn first, kill later. Learn first, kill later. Learn first, kill later. Learn first, kill later. Learn first, kill later.
Ontari's heart raced as it pounded so hard inside of her chest that she almost felt the stitches holding her chest together would fall apart.
As Ontari made her way around a corner to the last little distance to the training room she fell.
"No... No... NOOOO!" Ontari vented in her native tongue as she punched the paneling on the floor.
Her body had failed her.
Not weak... Not Weak... Not...
"Boudicca? Crap are you alright?" A female voice called out in deep worry. Ontari moved to look at the figure standing before her and saw... The bare legs and lower hem of the dress of the woman she had been looking for. The woman knelt by her. "Boudicca... are you okay?" The dark brown hair and rounded face looked familiar.
"Teach me. Teach me how I can have that power in my body as you do?" Ontari swallowed. Ontari looked down and swallowed her pride. "I pledge my fealty and my flesh to learning from you."
Pledging her flesh... crap... NO... she needed this knowledge. If this woman had to make love to her body... Then so be it. She needed to be strong.
"You watched me perform?" Ontari nodded with her eyes to the floor. "How?"
"There is a feed from one of the eyes in the room. I watched it." Crap... She needed to tell about her now power, gift from the City of Light.
"There is a camera in there!" There was shock in the woman's voice, as if the practice or the exercise had been private. Had Ontari violated some code of seeing this? This is when Ontari felt a pair of hands move to help her to her knees. "How much did you see of it?" The inquiry was of concern.
"All of it... from where you climbed up the rope to where you picked up your dress." This is when Ontari felt herself move against one of the hallway walls.
"You liked?" There was no hate to the voice. Maybe the person... This dancer or warrior hadn't realized that she had an audience watching. And there Ontari was, out of breath. Sprawled out of the floor like some infatuated stubborn child before her before this woman. Ontari had to nod. "Then look at me." Ontari moved her head to see...
Karina?! And the young woman was grinning.
"That was your dance?" Ontari stammered out.
"Not really..." Karina spoke as she moved to sit down next to the Azgedan girl. "Part of it... mostly I have been using that part of the routine to exercise."
"Would you teach me?" Ontari started to realize that Karina's original agreement to teach her the sword might be an actual benefit to this woman.
"Alright... But remember you are going to be my first student." This brought about a blush too.
"You are going to be mine to when it comes to the blade." Ontari started to realize that as beautiful as she found this exercise, did this woman see how some of her fellow "Grounders" handled a blade the same way. With Beauty, Not strength.
"Understood." After a moment Karina got up and helped Ontari to her feet. "Come... I want to see how well you stand and walk without your crutches." With that Karina helped Ontari to her feet and they started to walk together back to the Training Room.
Entering into the Training Room Ontari started to realize the size of the place. In the center of the Room was a circular training mat, but along the different walls were rectangular mats. Over one of these was Karina's exercise rope. Ontari kept looking around, there were weights lifting equipment. A rack of polls to which some upper and lower body training could take place. Several Benches. Some strange seated pedal apparatus. But what caught her attention and what she hadn't seen in the video feed was the small collection of padded training weapons. To the recent collection appeared to what seemed to be mock swords of differing lengths.
"Boudicca, I need you to take your boots off." Karina spoke as she gestured over to one of the benches.
"Why?" Ontari was curious. But hesitant to comply to such an action.
"Because I need to see how your feet move the ground."
"You want to see how my feet move across the ground?" Ontari looked mocking at her.
"Yes... I want to see how your bare feet move across the ground while you walk. If you go off balance, I want to see how you compensate. Most people don't realize that when they go off balance they curl their toes to maintain traction." This was new. "I mean you have a head injury, but that doesn't matter if you learn how to use the rest of your other senses to balance yourself."
"Why would I do this?" Ontari let the conversation flow.
"Because, I grew up in free-fall. Little or No Gravity. For a dancer, you have to be aware of your body. How it moves. You might not be able to know where things are at when you don't know which way is up. But that doesn't mean you can't train yourself to use that to your advantage." Karina spoke as she moved to sit down next to Ontari.
"Then what does this have to do with my feet?" Ontari was trying her best not to be aggressive.
"Because, as a dancer and a class A scrounge, you learn to use your body and the environment to your advantage." Now this had her attention.
"Alright. I am taking of my boots. But if you steal them I will enjoy bathing in your blood." Ontari spoke as Karina nodded and smiled.
"Well at least I know what to get for you as a gift." Karina spoke as Ontari started to unlace her boots.
Ontari felt sore... But good sore.
Her falling down on the mats in the training room's floor had taught her much.
Falling wasn't failure. It was learning to use that fall to your advantage without getting hurt.
Tucks, dives, rolls, they had worked. But it was the leg exercises that she would now be doing every morning was the thing that had helped.
She looked a little stupid when she had started doing the exercises, but for the first time, she could walk a good distance from one end of a room to another without falling down.
The calves of her legs and the muscles of her lower back where screaming, but... ohhh the power she had reclaiming her body from the damage Jaha and Alie had done to her.
Karina was right. Ontari was used to fighting. Defeat wasn't in her mindset.
That didn't mean that taking a different course of action would also bring about the same result.
Stabbing and killing your foe at times had it advantages.
But a cunning enemy was more feared than one that used brute force against you.
Even enduring levels of torture and suffering at the hands of your enemy was also a mark of victory.
That bit she needed to learn and understand better.
Wanheda wasn't feared because she struck her foes down, She was feared because she endured where others faltered.
This is when Leska started to walk with her in her Peasant girl disguise.
"It is good that you are learning Ontari." Leska spoke as Ontari moved to crack her neck. The popping of bones in her neck felt great. Not riding a man's manhood to blissful pleasure good, but riding a horse to nowhere in particular good.
"Skaikru has some advantages... for now." Ontari spoke as she walked to Jasper's room.
"They do..." Leska spoke as she traced her fingers across the walls of Arkada.
"The knowledge that Karina kon Skaikru mentioned about Jaha was..." Ontari stopped to work out the right word.
"Interesting. Yes, Ontari... Jaha had a son who died. This fact wasn't available to me till you were able to seek it out." Leska spoke as she started to study the graffiti on the wall. Some of it had been done by children while others had been done by adults. But the ones that children had done told the truth of the actual mood around here.
"Wells. The Sky Prince died at the hands of a member of the Hundred." Ontari spoke as she too started to trace the art. Ontari grinned when she saw the drawing of the "Grounder" war masks. Trikru and Ice Nation.
"Jaha's actions with his people as being their Judge of their laws was not without purpose. Though he didn't know that his son would become the target of one so young to avenge the death of her parents."
"Blood must have blood. Though you are right... Sharlot kon Skaikru's actions may spell the end of us all. For one so damaged and torn from her parents as she was, I can empathize. I did not slay Roan because I could not get to his mother. Though you did." Ontari found a colored wax drawing implement and moved to sit down to add to this art.
"Nia had done many wrongs to many people. I just happened to had the opportunity to bring an end to her reign." This is when Leska knelt down next to Ontari and started to study the images that were being drawn. It was a girl in a black dress with Ontari's marks on the side standing next to a Skaikru boy... Jasper. "It is good that you are seeking out love." Ontari stopped.
"I do not know what we have." Ontari felt weak. But Jasper... What was he to her? Weak... Strong... Safe?
"Love is not a weakness. I learned that the hard way. There will always be those who wish to use that against you. Make you cold... distant from your people. From those who care about you." Leska knelt down by Onatri.
"Klark is right... The Nightbloods need to change. I want to marry... carry a child from within my belly. To tell them stories of how we were blood forged to live on distant lands far from Mother Earth." With that Ontari started to draw again. This time with purpose.
Ontari started to draw images of children from various Kru... It didn't matter what they looked like, but a will started to move through her fingers.
The images started to become more and more detailed.
Ontari started to draw images of boys and girls with varying facial and Kru features, but occasionally mixing the two together.
A Skikru girl with Ice Nation Scars.
A Trikru boy with Flukru tattoos.
Delphi with Plains Riders.
Ontari kept at this till she had twenty-six children drawn.
Varying Kru and Markings.
Then Ontari moved to place a mark over them.
The symbol of the Heda.
Then a phrase from Bekka crept into Ontari's mind and she wrote it:
Homo Sapien noctem sanguinem
Ontari looked over to see the Pramheda standing next to her grinning.
"Night Blood Humans." Bekka spoke. Ontari felt ashamed but worried.
"I..." Ontari tried to speak but being in Bekka's presence made her worried.
"I like your dream." Bekka moved to touch the images before her. "It is what I wanted for the Nightbloods before things got corrupted and used for political gain by those seeking to control the Flame."
"I don't want to be weak." Ontari spoke as she started to eye the child she had drawn... An image of a girl that might not come to be. Her marks and Jasper's kind eyes.
"You are not... Weak... Just young... I forged my own passions into you."
"I... I want to..." Ontari was desperately trying to explain her feelings.
"Not be alone..." Leska moved and reached out to Ontari. "Change the conclave. Form the council of your brothers and sisters of who will claim the flame. Not through combat... I learned from Klark's memories that Aiden tried to start a tradition for the Nightbloods to come. The Flame is not a prize; it is a mantel. One to be shared and to be accepted to one who would guide, not lead those under their charge."
"I am a guide now?" Ontari felt confused.
"Commander is a Rank and Title. The Flame... It was always meant to be a mantel. They were never to be one and the same." Bekka spoke.
"I was a horrible commander." Ontari spoke aloud.
"Be the Flame... Be the guide." Leska spoke.
"Flame... Guide..." Ontari was confused.
"Don't lead... Learn and Teach. Lend skills, share your knowledge. Guide those to come to forge the higher things."
"Share what knowledge? What do you want me to forge?"
"Remember the girl you were in the City of Light." Leska spoke.
"Become the Nightblood who searches out knowledge needed and shares it with those who need it so that they can change the world." Bekka added. "It is why you were all crafted. It screams in your blood, no matter how much people try to deny it from you."
"How?" Ontari spoke.
"You have started on the Path with the one named Karina." Leska spoke.
"Teach her the blade?"
"Yes and more... Learn what she knows. The little secrets and help solve large problems." Bekka spoke before she drifted away.
"Follow your heart. The answer is nearer than you think." Leska added as she patted on the wall over the picture that Ontari drew of herself and Jasper. Ontari looked at the picture she had drawn then at the army she had drawn.
Homo Sapien noctem sanguinem.
The people of the Night Blood.
Jasper stretched out some as he sat on the floor of his room as he leaned against the back of his bed.
The Nightbloods had followed him like puppies... And that reference was from a movie he had seen as a child from the libraries on the station.
Word had gotten around of General Jasper Kon Skaikru leading the armies of Alie as well as the Hundred in battle.
As Jasper leaned to turn some he felt something sticking in his side... more... Someone. Artesia.
Artesia had grabbed onto his shirt as was snuggling next to him trying to get warm. Jasper reached over to see his heavy jacket laying on the bed next to the feet of several more Nightblood children. Stretching his fingers out Jasper grabbed onto his jacket doing his best to not wake the young girl. Hooking his fingernails onto a seam Jasper pulled the Jacket to himself and once he had enough of it to grab onto he moved and placed it over the girl like a blanket.
The girl relaxed some as she mumbled something in her sleep. Jasper didn't know enough grounder but got the jest of it being about Ontari.
Deeply sighing Jasper moved his arms to pick up the book he had been reading.
Power and Politics of Ancient England.
Most of the era he had been reading about sounded very much like current Grounder society.
Just knowing that most of this power play stuff taking place with the Coalition was just folks seeing who had a good position with the new Heda.
Heda- Commander and Ruler of the People.
Jasper just remembered what Ontari had told him in the City of Light.
Seeing these kids around him, Ontari's behavior now made sense.
The Grounders groomed random children from their different Clans to lead them. They educated, trained and taught these youths to guide them to the future. Chosen from their various clans all because of some genetic Plug and Play protein that turned their blood black just so they could place a damn microchip with the uploaded memories of their predecessors to lead them forward.
But Nia had screwed things up for Ontari by denying her an education. Ontari was desperate in trying to cram a lifetime of education in a few weeks just so she could lead. But it had come with disastrous results. Jasper could see her struggling to come to terms with what she wanted and... Well... her freedom.
Jasper moved and started to read some to himself.
Queen Boudicca wasn't a bad figure for Ontari to emulate. Mostly it was the fact that this woman wanted Rome, the major empire of the time to keep to their treaties and honor their agreements. When those treaties were broken and Rome attempted to Rape, Assault, pillage and terrorize the land. Boudicca had up and had it with them and waged a war against them. Though Boudicca was unsuccessful in her rebellion, she had sent the message that even in failure and death her people were strong and would stand up to anyone who would ever try to take their lands by force ever again.
For Jasper this sounded a little like Lexa... Clarke... even Luna...
With that one of the Nightblood girls who was slowly budding into womanhood rolled over and started to snuggle closer to one of her siblings. On the bed several young boys... The twins as Jasper had dubbed them, started to get restless and start to punch at the pillows on his bed. Several teens both male and female had... well take up places around the room and were now resting.
The Nightbloods almost had this need to learn... but also a nervous twitch about them that they needed to do something.
Considering that Bekka had created them using some of her own genetic material and how driven that young woman was to set things right... Well the Grounders had gone from Stone Age to early Greece in less than a hundred years. What would the next Hundred bring if they survived the current crisis at hand? Maybe a return to the stations?
Jasper sighed as he moved to pick up another book from the pile of text he had been able to remember from Ontari's reading list.
Forging the Good Strife: The Creation of Ancient Greece.
Jasper started to read some of the foreword of the book.
This was going to be an interesting book as Jasper started to get into it.
Given what Jasper had learned of the recent history of these lands. The more he read, the more Jasper started to realize that Ontari was looking and learning of a similar situation that had happened with the known world long ago.
Change a few of the names and people involved and... Well... Crap... This was a serious plan for rebuilding.
This is when Ontari came into the room to see the numbers of her fellow Nightbloods around. Most of them sleeping, but seeing the large pile of books before Jasper and the sheets of paper that some of the more literate ones had used to take notes on. Ontari started to grin.
"Sorry for taking so long." Ontari moved and slowly made her way to where Jasper was sitting.
Upon seeing the pile of books on the floor, Ontari's eyes lit up.
"Where did you find these books?" Ontari moved to sit on the floor by him as she started to look over the titles. "I thought that they were false creations in the City of Light!" This is when Jasper leaned over and helped her get more comfortable as the other Nightbloods were starting to stir awake.
"I remembered your book list and started searching for them in Arkada's library." There was a pause. "Some of the texts had been stolen by those in Mount Weather." Jasper lied some but as Ontari opened one of the books to see the mark of the Mountain Men inside of the text. Jasper moved to start to peel away at it. Underneath was the mark of the Eagle and Scroll. "Library of Congress, Special Presidential Library Division." Ontari closed the book and looked at the title.
"Guess there was a reason that Skaikru were raiding the mountain for loot." Ontari spoke as she opened another book.
"That and replacement electrical wire and water filters. Some of that came in handy when the containment army poisoned our river water supply." This brought about a spit of water from one of the Nightbloods. "Hey, it takes a day to pull the toxins out of that stuff." Jasper called out. Jasper just rolled his eyes realizing that there was a lot that these kids needed to learn. "Guess that I will have to start mixing up the chemicals to make another filter." Jasper spoke as he leaned back. "Not everything inside of the Mountain was of the Mountain. Just want you to know that." Artesia who had awakened by Ontari's arrival started to reach out to the book on Jasper's lap.
"Can you finish reading the chapter about Queen Boudicca?" Ontari moved as she realized what had been taking place.
"You have been reading to them?" Ontari looked at the text around Jasper.
"It started with them asking about what I knew of the tales of Rebekka from when she was on station, then they asked for more so I started using your reading list that you had from there. I mean only you would have raided the entire Library in the City of Light to search for the texts of how to become a better Heda." Jasper raised his hand. "No offence, but what Nia taught you about politics and schmoozing especially."
"No offence… I agree with you there… She was more of the: be feared than loved rulers than I am respected because I am a leader who knows my people type." This is when Ontari started to look through the piles of books. "Which one of the texts were you on with Queen Boudicca?"
"Power and Politics of Ancient England." Jasper responded Ontari moved and got comfortable as the Nightbloods started to surround her.
"The conversation I had with Bekka was right." Ontari moved to flip through the pages of the book. "I have to accept this mantel. The Flame isn't just for me, it is for them as well."
"You spoke to the spirit of the Pramheda?" One of the Nightbloods spoke up with awe.
"Yes… Mostly it was to resolve some conflicted feelings I had." This is when Ontari moved out and patted Artesia on the head. "The Flame is just a mantel that we were to carry to make the Krus stronger. But Bekka wanted us to spread and thrive among them. What happened in the past… I suspect as I learn more of what happened to our predecessors was a power play done to keep us weak and from our true destiny." Ontari felt the text that was in her hands. "Something that I swear to you and to your offspring will be something never to happen again." Ontari's words felt that she had decided to become the older sibling that would protect her family from those like Nia. "So tell me what you have learned so far about Queen Boudicca?"
Jasper grinned as he saw the girl that had stolen his heart in the City of Light return even for a few brief moments.
The scars were there… but the strength of hope in those eyes were flickering back brighter than before.
Notes:
Yongon gada – Child Daughter "Little Sister"
Please Review and let me know what you think of the story so far?
Hearns
